Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 391 - 390: Shadows in the Flames

Chapter 391: Chapter 390: Shadows in the Flames

At five in the afternoon, as the day gradually turned to dusk, Ransu Company launched its second offensive toward the beach area.

This time they learned from their past experiences, setting up field artillery deep in the streets and simultaneously bombarding the west while deploying many surveillance squads that climbed onto rooftops, responsible for monitoring attacks coming from the left and right. Even though the caliber of the cannons wasn’t large, for a city that started as a remote fishing village, it was enough to be considered earth-shattering. Each time a shell fell on the sand, it would kick up a thick column of sand.

The continuous, deafening blasts could even be felt deep within the caves. The families who had come for shelter huddled together, their complexions quite pale, clearly experiencing such an imposing military display for the first time.

"Are you sure about us heading to the southern city now?" Ailuodi raised an eyebrow, "If the outside can’t hold up, I won’t be able to support Zhang Zhiyuan and the others in time."

"The matter of the Franwick Mansion is more important. As for here..." Chaoyang glanced through Zhang Zhiyuan’s vision, "Don’t worry, they can hold on for now."

Although the tactical trenches in the sand couldn’t withstand a direct hit from a shell, the workers weren’t hiding in the trenches—these shallow tactical trenches served more as transport routes, and when the bombardment came, aside from a few elite such as Zhang Zhiyuan who stayed at the city’s edge to observe the enemy, the others had already returned to the back of the cave cliffs.

Besides, the chances of shells landing right near the trenches were not particularly high, and with the many intersecting paths, this level of bombardment, while lively, couldn’t really threaten the defensive troops.

Once the company sent out its main force to start a ground assault, the workers would be able to quickly use these tactical trenches to return to the front-line positions.

In other words, as long as the security team didn’t strike, the company couldn’t truly take over the beach.

From the looks of the sky, they were likely to wait until after the sun had completely set to act.

"Alright then, I’ll take her and leave," Ailuodi shrugged her shoulders.

"Remember to go by sea," Chaoyang added another reminder, "Don’t let the locals notice you."

The Angel was well aware of this.

She took Kokomoqi, who had finished delivering Sweet Potatoes, out of the cave, carrying her on her back, then spread her wings and soared into the sky. Behind them was the beach enduring artillery fire, where continuous explosions completely drowned out the sound of her flapping wings.

"Wow, this is fast!" Kokomoqi exclaimed while holding onto her neck.

"Don’t you fly too?"

"That’s more like floating." She held down her hair, seemingly trying to maintain a good appearance even at high speed, but soon gave up on the attempt, "Although Yu can also use the Transformation Spell to turn into an owl, doing so prevents the use of other magic."

"So, how many kinds of magic can you actually perform?" Ailuodi asked curiously, "And where did you learn them all from?"

"That is Yu’s secret, and Yu won’t tell you. But there are at least several hundred, and they aren’t a result of learning," Kokomoqi said proudly, "Each magic represents the prayers of humans once—some wanted to escape the troubles of the world, so there was the Transformation Spell; some yearned to protect their loved ones in the dark, so there was the Invisibility Technique. People created magic through their wishes, and Yu is the embodiment of these magics."

"Is that also true for the Great Meteorite?"

"Uh..." The Magic Goddess hesitated, "Perhaps a believer wanted to see a shooting star?"

Ailuodi silently rolled her eyes.

It took only a few minutes to get from the eastern beach to the south end of the City of Defense. After a slight detour, they found the "burned-out house" mentioned by Chaoyang. Amidst the coastal streets, the large ruins of a house stood out remarkably—the size covering over a thousand square meters with charred stone pillars standing tall, indicating that before it was engulfed in flames it must have been at least three stories high. Even in the Lower City District, it definitely qualified as a mansion.

Even after nearly a month had passed, the house had not seen any reconstruction and stood solitary in the desolate courtyard as if recounting the misfortune that had occurred there to everyone.

"That must be it, Franwick’s residence," Ailuodi said. After Franwick Yuss experienced the earth-shaking tragedy, he angrily joined the resistance effort, using all his wealth to rally the workers, and the house had remained abandoned to this day.

"Even if he succeeds in avenging them in the end, his family won’t come back," Kokomoqi sighed softly, "Yu has seen such tragedies countless times."

"By the way... has no one ever prayed for the dead to be resurrected?"

"Oh, resurrection magic does exist," she said.

"Are you serious!?" The Angel was stunned.

"How rude! Yu is the Magic Goddess and does not need to lie to raise my own value!" the girl said discontentedly, "But such a miracle has a fatal flaw, the person it resurrects is not one hundred percent the deceased, it’s like impurities mixed in the soul, gradually causing the recipient to become someone else..."

"Another person?" Ailuodi asked as she descended.

"Yes, to be precise, a heretic. Such people easily tread the path of delusion and fanaticism... Yu hypothesized that once the soul loses the protection of the body, it will be subject to the extremely subtle influence of the Evil God. The longer the time, the quicker the loss of sanity. That’s why Yu later classified this technique as forbidden, and no believers are allowed to use it."

After they landed, the Angel first checked the surroundings to ensure no one was watching. Then, she came over and squatted down in front of Kokomoqi. "Alright, go ahead with the spell."

"Watch closely—" The latter lightly touched her forehead, "This is a miracle only you can see!"

In an instant, the scenery around them began to flow backward... changing from empty to bustling with activity. Ailuodi saw people presenting white flowers in front of the yard, while others entered the ruins, rummaging around to find anything valuable that might have been left behind. Not everyone respected the fisherman boss, especially after he was captured; the gang hoodlums even thoroughly destroyed the outer yard, with petals being trampled into the mud.

Still not enough...

Time continued to race forward, sweat beads forming on Kokomoqi’s cheeks.

Someone was weeping bitterly in front of the house’s rubble, holding onto a body that had long since grown cold... it was Franwick Yuss. People kept trying to console and soothe him, but Franwick’s gaze was turning colder. After his tears dried, flames ignited in his eyes, black as the descending night.

Just a bit further...

Ailuodi saw the great fire! Flames burst from the windows of the house, like fiery serpents! Franwick’s wife lay at the front yard’s entrance, her blood staining the ground red.

Even further forward!

Kokomoqi’s slender arms began to tremble, the magic reaching its limit.

"Save my child!" someone suddenly shouted, "Please, anybody!"

Ailuodi raised her head in surprise and saw that the flames seemed smaller. A window on the second floor was opened, and Franwick’s wife leant out, screaming with her child in her arms.

Was she asking someone for help at that time?

The Angel turned around and her eyes widened in shock! There were people around her—dozens at least! They were only separated from the house by a street, some peering out from their windows, others showing half their faces from the shadows of an alley, whispering to each other, fearful, astonished, cowardly, numb... They indeed noticed the raging fire, but not one crossed the road.

For on the street stood several gangsters holding machetes and axes.

Ailuodi swept her puzzled gaze across the street on the opposite side, and amongst the bystanders, she even saw a familiar face, Sweet Potato.

"Please save the child, kind-hearted people!" the woman pleaded again.

Ailuodi lifted her head, and to her shock, found that the woman was speaking to her. The sorrow and pain in her eyes were boundless, yet she still had not given up the hope of survival.

Even though she knew this was only an illusion, the Angel still charged into the mansion, heading straight for the second floor—right as she opened the room’s door, the woman rushed out with her child, passing right through her. Only then did she see the flames had spread to the window, taking up her last standing space.

"Run fast!"

Ailuodi shouted encouragement as she followed Franwick’s wife, knowing full well the other couldn’t hear her. By then, the staircase, the hallway, and the hall were all ablaze. The woman, cradling her child tightly, made her way through one wall of fire after another, ignoring burns on her feet and shoulders.

Finally, the entrance on the first floor appeared before them.

Like sighting the light of dawn, she dashed forward with all her might, and the fire chased close behind her but always one step too slow.

With thick smoke billowing, the woman crossed the threshold.

Beyond lay the safety of the front yard!

Just then, a shadow shot from within the sea of flames like a cold arrow piercing her left back and through her chest.

Ailuodi bowed her head, stunned, as she watched the rod-like object that passed through her body swiftly retract and vanish into the fire in the blink of an eye. She had seen such scenes before; in Magnificent Castle, similar things had taken many lives.

They called it "Black Cloth Strip."