Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 150 - 12: Feast of the Undead_1

(263...084...458... reader group, if you want to join in, go for it. Ps, those passing by could you please give this a favor and a recommendation, your support is my biggest motivation. Additionally, could you all please give some helpful thoughts as well? Many thanks. Ps2: One of the ladies in my office yesterday walked out, very suddenly. It depressed me for a whole day. Dear readers, life is really fragile, cherish what you have now.)

This is a forbidden ground for the living; it’s a sanctuary for the dead. Under the blood-colored wicked moon, the breathing retreats, and the undead return.

On the Yarran continent, the deceased sometimes transform into undead due to some distinct causes. However, generally, the undead don’t awaken, only until the night of the Wicked Night, which is every thirty-third day of a month, when Red Moon Lilith is full, does the density of the energy of death across the continent reach a critical point. This is when the undead awaken from their slumbers. Of course, there are also exceptions. If the density of death energy in a certain area already has surpassed this critical point, the undead could exist regardless of the Wicked night. However, this is only valid for the massive amount of lower rank undead. Higher rank undead such as the Upper Rank vampires, Death Banshees, Dark Knights, Necromancers, high-ranking undead creatures, can move freely outside of the Wicked Night, and their power can reach a peak during the Wicked Night.

Throughout the boundless history of millions of years, most rampages caused by the undead have happened on this particular day. Fortunately, ever since the Fourth Epoch, apart from the War of the Dead a hundred years ago, there hasn’t been any significant undead attack incidents.

In the abandoned Briana City, the concentration of death energy has peaked as the red moon has risen to its zenith. Suddenly, there is a barely audible groan resonating from the heart of the silent city, seemingly expressing the agony of death and the regrets of a past life.

"That’s the sound of souls," Pannis said without lowering his voice. Meanwhile, he was using a dagger to inscribe a peculiar array on the floor and the walls, "it’s the precursor to the appearance of ghosts. The higher the rank of the ghost, the stronger the sound of the soul. The sound of the top-ranking wraith’s soul can drive normal creatures crazy. But when it comes to the top ranking Death Banshees, there will be no sound of soul distributed. They will retain all the soul’s sounds within the dead souls and wait for the right time to explode suddenly. That’s the Banshee’s Howl."

"What kind of array are you inscribing?" Vivian tilted her head in curiosity, watching Pannis’s movement, "I’ve never seen this kind of array before."

"It’s an array that conceals vital signs," Pannis replied, "a unique stealth array exclusively targeted at the undead. Lower rank undead creatures discover living beings by finding the signs of life, not by hearing, smelling, or seeing. So the common stealth arrays are useless against them. Only this unique one can work."

"Damn! why didn’t you start with that." Dora was mad, "You got me worried for half a day."

"It doesn’t work to top rank undead like Death Banshees," Pannis glanced at Dora.

"So what?" Dora got goosebumps from the look Pannis gave her-, "Why are you staring at me?"

"So you better start praying now," Pannis gave Dora’s shoulder a serious pat, "pray that there are no Death Banshees in this city, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Dora slightly trembled.

"Otherwise..." Pannis lowered his voice, and before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly raised his volume to the maximum, "You’ll be in for a surprise!"

"Ahhhhhh," Dora screamed and jumped up, gnashing her teeth in fury and kicked Pannis in the shin, "You go die."

"Oh, no!" Pannis was hopping on one foot, rubbing his shin, "That hurts."

"I finally get it," Dora huffed and puffed to Catherine, "That’s how you should deal with him, he’s asking for it."

"Congratulations," Lina also pat Dora’s shoulder, "You’re finally catching on."

"Look, here they come, here they come." Vivian had been peering out the window and saw some movement outside, "So many ghosts."

The streets outside the window were now swarmed by ghosts. Countless pale, human-shaped ghosts emerged from beneath the ground. Their nebulous bodies glowed, and the specifics of their faces and getup were hidden. Only their rough outline could be discerned. More and more ghosts lingered in the streets.

"Why are there so many ghosts?" Catherine exclaimed, " do ghosts generate this easily?"

"Of course not," Pannis answered, "However, if under some special circumstances, it’s plausible that this many ghosts could exist."

"Special conditions?" Catherine asked, "Like what?"

"The most probable is the Death Banshee I’ve been mentioning," Pannis replied, "High tier undead inherently possesses an awakening passive skill, they have a certain chance of waking up the deceased around them and turning them into the same type of undead. That’s why a Skeleton lord always has a bunch of skeletons around, why a banshee always has many ghosts around, why a Dark Knight has gathered a host of Death Knights around them. That’s why."

"So you believe there is really a banshee in this city?" Catherine asked.

"All I can say is, it’s highly likely." Pannis nodded, "An increasing amount of evidence points to it."

"You seem to have quite an understanding of the Undead." commented Lina curiously, "And, considering your ’immortality’, could you perhaps be an Undead in disguise?"

"Really," Pannis cast a sidelong glance at Lina. "As a priest of the Goddess of Love, a nemesis of the Undead, is it appropriate for you to ask such a foolish question?"

"Who knows." Lina glanced upward at the sky, seeming not quite there. "Perhaps you are just a unique one among them."

"Alright, since you’ve found me out," Pannis said flatly and turned to Dora.

Dora swiftly transformed her whip into a sword, raising her eyebrows and warning, "Don’t provoke me, or I’ll slide my sword through you."

"We vow to live or die with the city!" A resounding and sudden cry came from outside the window, startling all five of them. They peered out to see hordes of Undead filling the streets, no longer aimlessly wandering but marching in orderly lines. Most, by their attire, appeared not as soldiers but common citizens, all holding faintly glowing, illusory weapons. Some ghosts clutched the phantoms of swords, while most held ordinary household items like bamboo poles and kitchen knives. Yet, regardless of what they held, they shared a common purpose - to repel the invaders and protect their homeland.

"Is this...a reenactment of their death?" Catherine gulped, visibly shocked.

"Yes," Lina sighed, tracing a cross over her chest, sorrow filling her voice. "This is their last moment, as individuals or as a city."

The procession outside the window descended into chaos as they seemed to engage in fierce combat with unseen enemies. The peaceful night now filled with shrill cries and gruesome death knells, accompanied by the wails of women and children. Far away, ethereal white flames began to roar, the fire that existed only in their souls, signaling the start of the city’s collapse.

"Get away, die!" In front of a house outside the window, two lone ghosts stood shoulder to shoulder amongst the ruins, guarding what was once the entrance of a building. One wielding an axe and the other a long stick, frantically swinging at thin air as if desperately fighting off numerous foes. Centuries had passed, their invisible enemies perhaps standing right there, troops of soldiers mocking two defiant civilians. Every now and then when they were caught off guard, a mark was left on their bodies. Each time the wounds appeared, the ghosts whimpered in suppressed pain but continued to fight despite their wounds. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Is this war?" Numerous eerie scenarios unfolded on the street, making Lina’s eyes watery. She held her holy book tightly to her chest, whispering a prayer. "May the blessings of my Goddess Denia bring relief to your souls and guide you to your eternal place of rest."

"Yes, this is war." Dora seemed to have also forgotten her fear of ghosts, her gaze riveted on the scene outside. "All wars are like this, no matter if they happened centuries ago or in the centuries to come. Always accompanied by blood and fire, tears, and death."

"Is this what you mercenaries always deal with?" Catherine asked Dora. "Warlike situations?"

"It’s gotten better these years. I heard that centuries ago, all mercenaries made a living from participating in wars." Dora shook her head. "In recent years, the primary aim of mercenaries has shifted towards large islands covered by forests overseas. The opponents are mostly magical beasts, not other sentient beings or fellow mercenaries. Still, small-scale wars sometimes occur that require our participation. I have taken part in a few. The reality of war is far more horrific than this reenactment. Compared to reality, this feels like heaven."

"I can’t imagine." Vivian shook her head, biting her lip. "I can’t even begin to imagine why humans would do such cruel things to each other."

"Who knows? It’s not just humans, even Beastmen wage wars and kill each other—just not as frequently as humans," shrugged Dora before turning her gaze out of the window. The two ghosts in front of the building had already fallen and disappeared back into oblivion. Yet, everyone knew that thirty-three days later, under the illumination of the red moon, they might awaken again and relive this tragedy forever. Ghost after ghost on the street fell and vanished, and the clamor on the battlefield gradually receded. Evidently, the residents’ defense line was being pushed back bit by bit.

"Those thieves obviously couldn’t conceal their life force and got discovered by the multitude of ghosts. Once the ghosts encounter living beings, they instinctively shift their target to them. Oh, those poor fellows!" Dora smirked and then asked in confusion, "Pannis, why did you suddenly freeze?"

"Do you really want to know? I think it’s better if you don’t." Pannis sighed. "If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t turn around."

"Are you done with your pranks? Do you think you can fool me multiple times with the same trick? I am not an idiot! I won’t fall for it again," she retorted, nonchalantly turning her head back again.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh." Dora’s scream echoed through the deserted city—fortunately, the wailing did not disturb the ghosts on the street, as they were deaf. What a relief!

Unfortunately, a ghostly figure of a little girl stood right behind them, mirroring their curiosity as she peered out of the window, mimicking the group’s curiosity about the outside world.