Chapter 24: Seeing Through Weaknesses

"People fear the unknown. The original three ghosts are scary, but we already know their abilities and weaknesses. Even if we can't defeat them, we can still hide," Anna shared this during yesterday's simple strategic meeting.

"Since yesterday, or even earlier, ghosts have needed the help of substitute ghosts and even traitors to complete their killings. So, the original three ghosts aren't the problem. The key lies with the three new ghosts that will confuse us later."

These new threats were the black fog, ghosts in the wall, and ghosts in the shadows.

Everyone generally understood their methods of killing or movement. Today's primary goal was to discover the killing limits of these three ghosts. Time was short, so the trio with the highest combat effectiveness undertook this task first. The method was simple: if people actively sought out the ghosts, the ghosts would surely take the bait.

"They are very good at relentless pursuit. It's bound to be dangerous for us to exploit this, but it allows us to create a localized six-on-three situation. The substitute ghost will definitely hide, and the mirror ghost won't easily attack. This way, we only need to guard against the invisible ghost."

Inside a single room, more than a dozen candles illuminated the entire space. The couple stayed in this room, with the corrupt hand still under their control, allowing them to detect a ghost's approach at any moment.

Meanwhile, Anna and Beom Seok quietly moved outside.

Though a rainstorm raged, the rain hindered more than just humans.

"The bad weather conditions clearly want to keep us indoors, so we'll do the opposite and take the battlefield outside. It's very likely that certain outdoor conditions will limit the ghosts' killing abilities. As long as we catch them once, we can find their weaknesses."

Of course, this was a life-or-death test.

Holding Joseph's pen, Anna wasn't afraid of the ghosts chasing him outside. Beom Seok, on the other hand, had already prepared a spirit-summoning catalog and could summon ghost bodyguards at any time. The two of them were the safest among the remaining group, so they naturally took on the support role.

Noah had already rushed downstairs and entered the back of the main house through the back door. The black mist immediately dispersed into wisps of smoke. At this point, Anna had also run around and stopped immediately when he saw the change in the mist.

"Uncle Noah! Don't run indoors! It seems it can't maintain its form outside!"

"Understood!" Noah didn't waste words, gave a thumbs-up, and ran directly to the shooting range.

As for Anna, who was less than ten meters away from him, the black fog ghost truly ignored him. The black smoke in the sky slowly drifted away along Noah's route and soon disappeared.

At this time, loud gunshots echoed from the main house.

The battle between Wyatt and the ghost in the wall had lasted for about a quarter of an hour. Even though it could be repelled by bullets, the ghost couldn't get close to Wyatt. The two circled around the kitchen, confronting each other, which gradually helped Wyatt understand the ghost's attack routine.

It... couldn't leave the wall.

Despite its ability to penetrate walls, this ghost also couldn't detach from them. Even when it rushed out of the wall to attack, its lower body remained connected. While it could sneak into the ceiling, the ground seemed to be a restricted area. Additionally, the distance its body could extend from the wall was limited.

Others might find it difficult to deal with this ghost, but Wyatt truly slowed its pace and firmly attracted its attention.

On the other hand, Ling Yan faced some difficulties.

The shadow ghost's "body," which looked like a lump of black mud, was very conspicuous, and its movement was somewhat slow. However, apart from these, it didn't reveal any other weaknesses. There was even one instance when Ling Yan had to turn around to lure it back and continue running—a person leading a ghost instead of a ghost chasing a person. But the ghost's attack on Francesco had left a significant impression on those who witnessed it, so much so that Ling Yan was still cautiously guarding against its sudden moves.

In this tug-of-war, two hours passed safely. The original three ghosts seemed to have a tacit understanding and did not appear. Only the three new ghosts continued their relentless attacks.

Anna circled around, roughly determining the positions of the three ghosts. Although the absence of the substitute ghost put some pressure on her, the most important thing now was to preserve their combat effectiveness.

The original plan was for two hours. Afterward, the three people responsible for drawing the ghosts away had to be safely retrieved. At this point, the power of the spirit-summoning catalog had to be used.

Beom Seok began to chant the spell in a low voice in the hall on the first floor.

As his murmur gradually became ethereal and gloomy, a chill descended upon the main house. The pattern on the spirit-summoning catalog gradually blurred. Finally, driven by a mysterious power, Beom Seok opened another pair of eyes.

The eyes belonging to the ghost shared a vision with him.

It was a scene beyond human comprehension. Meaningless lines and chaotic colors merged into a disgusting, fragmented picture in his vision. A massive amount of incomprehensible information flooded his brain, making it impossible to think clearly. Chaos, violence, hatred, resentment—

It came to an abrupt halt.

Just the empathy at the moment the contract was established made Beom Seok break out in a cold sweat and a headache. He rubbed his temples and looked around.

No entity was there, but his perception told him the summoned ghost was present. The uncontrollable murderous intent and malice almost polluted the surroundings, leaving Beom Seok no doubt that if he relaxed even slightly, he would be torn to pieces on the spot.

"Is the summoning complete?" Anna walked in from the destroyed gate, trembling slightly. After being drenched in the rain for so long, her face was already pale with cold, and she looked like a drowned chicken. Beom Seok, who had also been outside, wasn't much better. In fact, due to the negative energy brought by the summoned ghost, the water on his body even showed signs of solidifying.

"Done. Let's go pick them up."

"No, adjust yourself first. You look terrible right now."

If Anna was merely pale, Beom Seok's face was now blue. Summoning ghosts clearly came at a cost. Beom Seok now looked as if he hadn't rested in days, his cheeks slightly sunken.

"Ha, I'm fine... At least this can last for a day, otherwise it would be a big loss," Beom Seok tried to grin, but his facial muscles were stiff. He twitched twice and stopped trying. He looked up and ordered, "Go to the kitchen and hold the ghost in the wall."

"Are you really okay?"

"You have to believe me."

Beom Seok forced a smile, rubbed his hands vigorously, and walked toward the kitchen.

Wyatt came out of the kitchen before he reached the door.

"Wyatt, is it safe inside?" Anna asked worriedly.

Wyatt nodded and gestured for paper and pen. Beom Seok took out his mobile phone, turned on handwriting mode, and handed it over.

[ The ghost's movement will cause obvious changes in the wall. Its attack speed is relatively fast, and its body can be stretched, but only its upper body can stick out of the wall, about three meters away. In addition to the wall, the ceiling can also be penetrated, but not the ground. ]

After Anna and Beom Seok exchanged and read what Wyatt wrote, they looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

"Thank you for your hard work, Wyatt, but I have to trouble you to come with us to pick up people."

Francesco's apprentice and Cairo were arranged to hide in a room on the second floor. Neither of them had any hidden treasures, so the danger was naturally the highest. However, Anna and the others wanted to test the ghost's weaknesses, and they couldn't risk their lives, so they had to let the two find a hiding place and call for help at any time. However, the ghost didn't seem to be in a hurry to kill the target without combat power at this time. When the three rushed upstairs, they were still safe and sound.

"You are finally here," Cairo breathed a sigh of relief. He was old and weak, with the lowest chance of surviving the evil spirit. But he didn't know what luck had allowed him to live to the last day. At this point, he naturally didn't want to die.

"The substitute ghost didn't come?"

Both of them shook their heads. Seeing this, Anna couldn't help but look worried. She hadn't expected that the substitute ghost, who had such a significant advantage, wouldn't even show its face. This was completely different from previous threats.

Then, they picked up the couple in the candlelight room, and the seven of them returned to the hall together.

At this time, Ling Yan also happened to return. Beom Seok immediately used his evil spirit to force the shadow ghost to leave and rescue Ling Yan from the pursuit. Not long after, Noah, soaking wet, also appeared at the gate. Before he entered the door, he grinned:

"I tried the ability of the black smoke! It can't kill people outdoors!"

He said this happily, but Anna's face changed: "Tried? Uncle Noah, what did you use to test it?"

Noah ruffled his hair, looking proud: "Hehe, I saw it hanging behind me without attacking, so I just stood there and waited. Guess what... It just circled around! It didn't attack me!"

"But this is too dangerous!"

Anna was anxious: "Uncle Noah, have you forgotten what we said yesterday? It doesn't matter if you test ghosts; everything should be protected first! You take risks like this..."

"We have to take risks," Noah waved his hand to interrupt Anna's words.

"This is a life-and-death contest. Since we have taken on the responsibility of testing, of course, we have to see it through to the end. Anna, you do ask us to be very careful, but the final decision on what to do is still ours. You can ask Ling Yan and Wyatt what they think."

Everyone's eyes fell on the other two people responsible for attracting ghosts. Wyatt couldn't speak; he just smiled, and Ling Yan spoke.

"This is what we decided a long time ago: to test out what the ghost can do."

"Sister Ling Yan, why are you..."

"Anna, this must be done. If we are timid and give up when we see something, it will ultimately mislead our own judgment. Now, at least the result is fine, isn't it?"

Then, Beom Seok also said: "I actually think the same. Anna, you are too cautious. I don't know why you are so concerned about safety now, but you have to understand that there is no safety at all now. If you don't take risks, you will die."

"But taking risks is more likely to lead to death," Anna turned his eyes to him.

"Yes, but at least it is our choice, our effort. Although your judgment is correct, your response is too negative."

Anna suddenly found that almost everyone shared the same point of view.