Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 279 - 223 Infinite Reincarnation Night_1

Chapter 279: Chapter 223 Infinite Reincarnation Night_1

Darnell didn’t press further but nodded and said, "That makes sense. The intel states that these undead constantly cycle through rebirth but can recognize people. They react to the actions of individuals from the previous night and split into two groups, making them harder to wipe out in one fell swoop."

Without waiting for Gaven to object, Darnell waved to his two apprentices and said, "Let’s go!"

As the light from his entry ticket flickered, a slit opened in the Mist Barrier, and the three Paladins, each with a warhammer in one hand and a shield in the other, solemnly stepped through.

Through this slit, Gaven caught a glimpse of the true face of Weizemay Manor.

It was a very standard castle estate, with a vast courtyard behind which stood a three-story, square-structured spire-topped castle.

The ground floor had no windows, the second-floor windows were tall and narrow, more fitting to be called loopholes for shooting, and the third floor had tall and wide windows made of costly stained glass, some of which were broken, gaping like the giant maw of a beast, dark and formidable.

The vast courtyard had gone to ruin, overgrown with weeds reaching halfway up a person’s height. The Mist Barrier might keep living beings from entering or leaving Weizemay Manor, but it couldn’t stem the advance of these plants; or perhaps this had always been their home.

The crack in the barrier closed as quickly as it had appeared, returning to its foggy state.

Gaven busied himself and Anna with setting up camp as if preparing for a long stay.

Before they had finished pitching camp, the three Paladins returned from Weizemay Manor.

"Did you find anything?" Regina asked eagerly as she approached.

"No," Darnell said with a shake of his head, "The manor has been searched inside and out repeatedly. There’s nothing new to be found. It seems we’ll have to wait for nightfall."

They had only gone to scout the place out; it was broad daylight, and not the Shadow Realm, where ghosts don’t usually appear.

"Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat together and then get some sleep," Gaven called out from the makeshift campsite.

"Sure." Darnell, without any pretense, sat on the ground with his two apprentices and started to eat heartily.

On the road, they had gotten used to Gaven’s meticulous arrangements for food and accommodations.

They too were accustomed to traveling extensively outdoors, and their survival skills were not bad.

But compared to Gaven, they fell short; at least, they wouldn’t carry a large hanging pot around everywhere they went.

Benefiting from the meal, even Dick, who was initially a bit disdainful of Gaven, softened his attitude significantly.

This was related to Dick secretly casting a detection spell. The Half-Elf young man, who he didn’t quite see as a good person, turned out not to be of evil alignment, but rather lawful neutral, and even a bit inclined towards good.

After lunch, not only did the three Paladins who were preparing for the night operation tuck in for a deep sleep, but others also either slept or drifted into thought.

Even if they didn’t enter Weizemay Manor, this place was known to be haunted, and they intended to stay awake at night if possible.

No sooner had the sun set than Gaven, who had been lost in his thoughts, abruptly opened his eyes, and everyone else sprang to their feet.

Night at Weizemay Manor was a different affair.

Shrouding the area was no longer a thin mist, but a thick and complete fog, obliterating any view of Weizemay Manor.

Yet, they could distinctly feel that it was there.

A wave of chill air washed over them, as if a monster lurked, choosing its victims.

Darnell said solemnly, "The situation is more serious than we thought. Part of the manor has been dragged into the Shadow Plane, creating its own realm at night, and it is very possible that unexpected entities may appear. Be careful."

Regina frowned deeply and asked, "How can this be? The intel clearly stated that Weizemay Manor just looked a bit unusual at night. How did it become connected with the Shadow Plane?"

"It’s normal," Darnell explained, "The Shadow Plane is easily attracted to places where negative energy and resentment gather, overlapping with the Material Plane and forming passages. Lord Ilmet built the Mist Barrier here, to be sure, to prevent others from accidentally entering, but the resentment trapped inside couldn’t dissipate. Over time, it’s natural for it to develop a connection to the Shadow Plane. If this continues, it’s entirely possible that Weizemay Manor could be completely pulled into the Shadow Plane and become part of it."

"What?!" Regina gasped in shock, "Then, in trying to help, we’ve actually made things worse."

"Not necessarily," Darnell countered, "It depends on the nature of the undead. The Mist Barrier at Anka Estate has been up the longest, and isn’t everything still fine? It’s a double-edged sword; it depends on how you use it. At least the positive aspects outweigh the negative. With the Mist Barrier, ordinary Shadow Creatures don’t make it over. Even if, in the end, it isn’t resolved and it gets pulled into the Shadow Plane, that itself is not a bad solution."

"We’ll have to be more cautious when setting up Mist Barriers in the future," Regina said still with a grave expression, deeply wary of the Shadow Plane.

Who knows, after these ghost castles are pulled into the Shadow Plane, whether they will leave behind a gateway to the Shadow Realm in their place.

If that happens, it wouldn’t just be a problem of a single ghost castle; all the surrounding land would be affected by the encroachment.

If a powerful undead entity were to use this as a way into the Material Plane and spread a plague of the undead across Battle Valley, it’s not out of the question.

Once this situation is resolved, it might be necessary to inspect all ghost castles with Mist Barriers.

Fortunately, there aren’t many such places. Most ghost castles are simply uninhabited, empty shells, or they’re occupied by monsters or bandits, not genuinely haunted.

Darnell and his two apprentices carefully checked their equipment, especially the quantity of Holy Water, before again using the entry ticket to open the gateway to Weizemay Manor.

The situation inside was visibly different from during the day.

Not only was the mist thicker and darker, but it was also bone-chilling cold, the result of a high concentration of Negative Energy.

Various eerie howls faintly echoed out from within.

Gaven couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but he distinctly saw shadowy figures flitting through the depths of the black mist, as if something was peering out through a crack.

The three Holy Warriors who entered the fog slowly radiated a sacred white light.

Wherever they passed, it was like sunlight shining on snow; the black mist rapidly melted away. Faint screams emerged from within, and the sensation of being watched immediately dissipated.

They truly lived up to their reputation as the bane of the undead. Holy Warriors had a natural advantage in dealing with undead creatures.

Especially Darnell, a Paladin above the Transcendent level, he dared to venture even into the Shadow Plane.

Let alone a place like Weizemay Manor, situated in the cracks between the Material Plane and the Shadow Plane.

If those undead creatures from the Shadow Plane didn’t come, then all was well, but if they did, it would be a big problem whether they could leave.

Gaven drew out his Revolving Hand Cannon, his greatest reliance when dealing with undead creatures.

Anna, in the meantime, was desperately creating Holy Water. She filled every water-holding utensil in the camp with water and then imbued it with Positive Energy to transform it into Holy Water.

Andrew, the Dog Demon who had been following them from ten kilometers away, was also summoned closer by Gaven using a Long Distance Communication Spell.

He was Gaven and Anna’s strongest bodyguard.

In the battle against the Foul Giants, this devil emerged as the biggest beneficiary amongst Lord Virginia’s forces. After feasting on the souls of three Cyclopses and four Foul Giants, his Life Dice soared by four, reaching fifteen, triggering a new round of evolution. His size changed from large to extra-large, and the surge in his Attributes transformed him into a high-ranking devil, strong and formidable.

Life Points: 170 (Life Dice: 15D10+90)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Size: Extra-Large

Attributes: Strength 22, Dexterity 16, Constitution 19, Intelligence 22, Perception 22, Charisma 22

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—Levitation, Misdirection, Projection.

Once per day—Charm Monster, Charm Human, Anywhere Door, and Utmost Fear.

Special Abilities: Gnawing, Shapechange (Goblin or Wolf-like), Pass without Trace, Keen Smell, Damage Reduction 15/+1, Strength Surge (Bonus for Transcendent Strength), Teleportation (Bonus for Transcendent Intelligence, once daily), Fearless Tracking (Bonus for Transcendent Perception, can track anyone’s scent across endless distances within the same plane), Eternal Charm (Bonus for Transcendent Charisma, can permanently charm Goblin or Wolf-like creatures to be loyal to him, once daily)

Only because he was traveling with the three Holy Warriors did Gaven not dare let the Dog Demon get close, keeping a distance of at least ten kilometers.

Even so, Darnell was clearly on alert, conducting thorough searches of the area from time to time.

Even with all his vast experience, he had no idea that a great devil was trailing right behind them.

The Weizemay Manor was howling with ghosts and shrieks for most of the night, but it wasn’t the three Holy Warriors who were running around—it was the monsters and demons inside.

By the time Darnell and his two Apprentices emerged, looking exhausted, much of the black mist in Weizemay Manor had dissipated. The chill in the air had diminished, and the place was eerily silent, void of any noise.

There was no need to ask.

These three had obviously fought from start to finish, cleaning out the Weizemay Manor thoroughly.

After exiting, the three Holy Warriors did not simply fall asleep. Instead, they sat in meditation until dawn, only sleeping after completing their prayers and eating the breakfast Gaven prepared.

Now, Gaven felt fortunate for making a wise decision.

Having three Paladins to pave the way saved him a lot of trouble.

Otherwise, judging by the spectacle Weizemay Manor revealed yesterday, even if he had gone in with the Dog Demon, it would have likely been a considerable effort.

It was only after waking up that Darnell gave a brief explanation, "Inside, there were numerous Shadow Creatures attracted to the place, and we’ve dealt with them. There shouldn’t be any tonight, but during the fight, we accidentally affected Duke Kolonfer and his group, and had no choice but to purify them as well. Our situation doesn’t look good, we can only wait to see what will happen tonight."

True to his word, when the three Paladins once again entered the manor that evening, it felt merely cold and no longer haunted by hordes of demons like the previous night.

However, soon after they went in, the howling and wailing began anew.

It took them less than an hour to retreat.

Although the fight seemed to end quickly, the expressions of the three were even more grave than the night before.

Upon their entrance to Weizemay Manor, Duke Kolonfer immediately attacked with a ferocious countenance, followed by Estelle and Amanda, along with several Specters that emerged with them.

Dealing with them hadn’t drained Darnell and his companions too much.

But the implication of this occurrence was all too clear; their attempt to cleanse Weizemay Manor was destined to fail. They, too, had fallen into the endless loop of previous Purifiers.

Duke Kolonfer, Estelle, and Amanda, these three Bound Spirits, could not be killed completely.

They would always resurrect the following night, again and again.

Because they were pulled into the Shadow Plane, this form of resurrection took on a new twist.

The more they were killed, the more anger the three Bound Spirits accumulated, leading to a gradual increase in their power. The Ghost Monsters they summoned became more numerous and more powerful each time.