Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 38 “Offline”

The black-robed believers in the room all watched this in shock and disbelief. They had no idea the person had actually died already. In their view, the fellow compatriot only looked like he’s passed out for a split second before making a full recovery.

“Thank you Lord for your protection!” A younger black-robed believer finally reacted and couldn’t help but praise excitedly, “You survived! I thought you would…”

“Wait! This isn’t right! Back off!” The low-voiced believer who was most skeptical suddenly raised a hand to halt his brethren to back off. At the same time, he glared daggers at the newly awakened man, “His breathing clearly stopped for good, I am not mistaken… something is not right!”

Duncan finally adapted to the surrounding environment after the initial daze. He could see the group nearby, and for the first time, he’s thinking WTF due to how familiar the environment was.

The spirit world should be random, and when he chose the target, he was completely following his intuition in the chaos. The fact that he ended up in the same place with these cultists are beyond lucky at this point.

Then he noticed the strange looks coming his way and the black cloak on himself. After two seconds of silence, he now understood what’s happening.

Last time he was sacrificed by the cultists, and now he’s actually a “cultist”.

Talk about being fated.

“…… Something is not right!”

Just then, a low, hostile voice interrupted Duncan’s chaotic state of mind after “awakening”. Following the noise, he was immediately met with a pair of vigilant eyes gleaming warily at himself.

Duncan was stunned over the hostility, then realized he might have possessed a corpse like the last time.

Oh wow, I just did an undead rising right in front of these cultists!

After connecting the dots, the nervous tension from these black robes made a lot of sense then. Quickly working the brain to come up with an excuse, he was ready to explain when a burst of fragmented memories vaguely surfaced from within. It’s his name, how he joined this cult, and why he drank the blood of the innocent to gain the sun’s blessing…

Duncan didn’t know how long he fell into that sluggish state, perhaps for only a second, but he felt sorry for this body’s original owner. No doubt, it’s a hateful yet pitiful life story.

Then it dawned on him. Unlike the first spirit walk, he was able to read the life story of whoever he possessed!

A new ability? But why? Is it because this corpse is still fresh? Or is it because of Ai’s connection this time?

Not dwelling on the discovery, Duncan slowly got up from the floor. He knows, whatever the reason it might be, this was not the time to relish on the issue. There are still the nervous-looking cultists in front of himself that needs handling.

With Duncan’s movement to get up, the cultists also backed off with one raising a blade in a defensive position: “Don’t move! Tell me, what is your name?”

“…… Ron,” Duncan replied naturally, “Ron Strian.”

“His name is Ron.” A young black-robed believer on the other side immediately confirmed to the leading cultist.

However, the wary cultist did not let his guard down and continued to stare daggers at Duncan. Then chanting a spell using a devoted voice: “In the name of the sun, may the glory of the Lord shine, and in the name of the sun, may the blessings of the Lord come!”

Listening to the sudden insanity of the cultist on the other side, Duncan just stood there in stunned silence until a burning sensation locked onto his chest. He subconsciously pulled out the thing under his shirt and found it to be a golden talisman of the sun. It’s radiating a strange heat from the surface.

Then without warning, the talisman suddenly burst into flames that’s full of malice.

“The glory of the Lord is eating him!” Seeing this scene, the cultist who had just recited the prayer reacted instantly and shouted, “His soul has been replaced! Kill this heretical filth!”

The other cultists moved noticeably slower, but they did not hesitate to draw the short swords from their waist to attack. “Kill him!”

While Duncan watched the black cultists attack him, another shadow had suddenly appeared in the corner of his eyes. It’s a ghostly green undead bird flapping its wings across the ceiling while emitting a strange scream from its beak.

The cultists were naturally attracted by this “undead bird” and looked upwards, but this was a mistake on their part. In real-time, their bodies started to overlap with the shadows, fading and blurring between reality and darkness until they were frozen to the spot.

With great horror in their eyes, they watched as the undead bird eventually circled around them to land on Duncan’s shoulder. Then, with even greater shock, the sun amulet – still burning yellow in the man’s hand – had snuffed out to be replaced by a ghostly green flame like the undead bird!

Pleased by what he’s done, Duncan gradually came up to the frozen cultists and said the most terrifying words possible: “If only you had pretended not to know anything.”

The next second, the figures of the cultists flashed violently in mid-air like fireworks at a party until they too were gone from existence.

“Aiya, the page is missing. Try refreshing?” Ai randomly chirps this while still in her ghost form.