Chapter 49: Holy Moly, Ghosts Are Real!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hao Ren was busy studying the changes his body was experiencing. He believed his super vision was part of what Raven 12345 had promised him when he went through the bioenhancement—he had no doubt about it. A normal human being could not have possibly seen things as far as two or three kilometers away, not even in the brightest daylight.
He was engrossed in his newfound ability and totally forgot about his purpose of being there. The ability was not an inconvenience and his normal vision was not affected. His night vision was only activated by consciously focusing his eyes. It was like having inbuilt night vision goggles, which he could easily switch between modes to suit his needs.
"Raven was right." He was elated and he rubbed his temples. "The bioenhancement is gradually being activated as my body begins to adapt. There are no side effects and the transition is pretty smooth too."
"Well, well,well... That’s just a little night vision improvement," Vivian jeered. "You’re still just as normal in every other aspect."
"Don’t forget, I’m a normal human being to begin with. So, a little more than normal is a huge step for me." Hao Ren said solemnly. "Just imagine, if you never had more than 200 bucks in your pocket for all of your life and suddenly, you were given 1000 bucks to spend all the time. How would you feel?"
The simile struck Vivian. Her eyes started to glow.
"See? Now you get it."
Lily had cleaned off the grass and dust from herself. Glancing at the castle, she asked, "When do we go in there? Landlord, any signal from your MDT?"
"The tenant’s supposed to be here now." Hao Ren realized he had a job to do. He scratched his head before flashing out his MDT. He then asked, "Hey, did you get anything?"
"Nothing. There is still no sign of the target. Please stay where you are and wait."
After that, the MDT went back to standby mode. Hao Ren knocked the MDT, trying to wake it up again. "The device is pondering about life at the moment. Please do not disturb." It flashed a line of holographic message before falling back into silence.
"Bad manners." Hao Ren stared helplessly at the MDT before turning his eyes to the nearby camps. "I wonder why those demon hunters just stay put at the camp site and not go into the ruins. Aren’t they here for the ghosts?"
"Maybe they’re reluctant for some reason. Who wouldn’t think twice about venturing into such ruins?" Vivian looked up at the moon. "The clouds are blocking the moonlight right now. If there are any wraiths in there, we’ll find out now."
Hao Ren became tensed instantly but it seemed like the demon hunters at the camp site were ignorant of the changing atmosphere. Equipped with various strange instruments as well as dressed in weird robes, these ghost fans gathered in groups of two or three in front of their tents and vehicles. Hao Ren could hear their faint chatter and laughter. Some of them even spread out picnic blankets and started an outdoor feast. None of them were ready to hit the sack even though it was already midnight. They truly were a bunch of nocturnal creatures. It was more like a masquerade than a ghostbusting operation. Even the burly European man who traveled in one car with Nangong joined the booze party.
Angus, the lodge’s owner however, was not eager to join them. He had a little talk with Nangong before getting back into his vehicle. He proceeded to head back to town. So, it appeared that Nangong had no plans of going back that night.
Amid the hoo-ha, Nangong and the Indian monk stood out from the rest. They did not mingle with the others or carry any strange instruments with them. Some demon hunters, who were donned like alchemists called out and invited the both of them for a drink. However, the duo did not give a damn about the boozers. They moved away, found a serene spot and began to inspect their instruments respectively.
Nangong opened his black suitcase and took out a small but strange-looking crossbow. The little crossbow was more like a work of art than a weapon. Its size was so small that its actual usefulness was doubtful. Nangong carefully kept the crossbow close to his body. He then took out a strip of fabric with many small arrows attached to it and tied it around his waist. From the pocket of his suitcase, he flung out a monocle—like a prop on a movie set— and put it on. Presumably, these were all part of his preparation.
Meanwhile, the Indian monk fished out a jar of spices from his colorful robe. He spread the spices on his own body and his surroundings while he muttered some incantations. Unlike the other frivolous paranormal enthusiasts, the tall, skinny Indian monk was totally solemn, composed in his conduct and was more like a demon hunter than even Nangong. Hao Ren’s eyes were fixed on the monk. He felt the monk had the temperament of a great master.
However, not everyone could see that. The group of European men saw the spices. They bought a pack from the monk and used it to marinate their barbecue meat...
Hao Ren had lost his faith in the demon hunters.
Were they seeking out their own doom?
"Look." Hao Ren pointed at Nangong and the monk. His upgraded vision had enabled him to see every minute detail of their movement. "These two guys really mean business. They’re totally unlike the other jokers."
"It looks like they have something up their sleeves." Vivian frowned. "Nangong seems to know the tricks of the trade. I thought he was just another charlatan. Look at his arrows—they’re made of silver and contain anti-demon properties. The arrowhead are producing a bluish glow under the moonlight. However, the Indian monk’s spices really make me uncomfortable despite the distance.
Hao Ren was shocked. Vivian, the living fossil of the first-class Blood Clan was wary of spices?
"The Indian monk’s a real expert?"
"I dislike curry," Vivian said as she frowned. "I was in India a couple of years back. And after having their curry, I had bad diarrhea."
Hao Ren had nothing to say.
Suddenly, their surroundings became darker. Hao Ren looked up and saw that a thick layer of clouds in the night sky had completely blocked out the moonlight.
At that very moment, Hao Ren faintly heard a soft whimper in the air.
"Movement in the castle." Lily’s tail was in a puffed state and her golden eyes were glowing. "There’s light."
Of course, Hao Ren had also noticed the movement in the castle. It happened just when the moonlight was being completely blocked. There were several beams of light in the castle ruins and they appeared for only a few seconds before going dark and reappearing in another part of the ruins. At that moment, a mysterious wind swept towards them from the ruins—there was no wind in their surroundings though.
Hao Ren swallowed nervously. "Holy moly... ghosts are real!"