Confused, I stared at Isabelle Frost as she reached the ground floor of the apartment building, stopping at the doorway to the Lake of Deathbane. She shot me a sharp glance, her presence unsettling in the dim corridor.
Without hesitation, I willed the door open. Isabelle Frost floated inside, and I quickly followed. The Lake of Deathbane spun in eerie silence. After so long, it seemed to have grown—its darkness pressing closer than ever.
"Bring up the Deathstone."
I gave a quick nod, closed my eyes, and reached out with my senses. The Deathstone lay dormant at the lake's bottom, a chunk of John Chou's power solidified. He'd left it here to help me contain the overwhelming Deathbane Aura inside me, and, with my ghost soul, keep generating more.
"What are you waiting for? Or do you want me to dive in myself?"
I barely managed a reply before plunging into the Lake of Deathbane. The cold clung to my skin as I quickly found the Deathstone at the bottom. Surfacing, I hurried to Isabelle Frost's side.
John Chou's way of teaching was always wrong. I get why he does it, but it still grates on me.
I swallowed hard, baffled by the fury on Isabelle Frost's face. She snatched the Deathstone, squeezing it in her fist. Instantly, a violent tremor shook the air—the Deathstone pulsed with black light, fighting back against her force.
"Damn you, John Chou. Everyone's patience runs out eventually."
"What happened, Ms. Frost?"
Isabelle Frost started talking, her words relentless and sharp.
The things John Chou did in the past seemed meant to boost my power, but his methods were flawed. If I keep following the same mistakes, I'll never break through.
Putting the Deathstone in the Lake of Deathbane mainly stabilizes my Deathbane Aura, letting it flow and multiply. Deathbane Aura needs death energy as its foundation, and the Deathstone is an endless source. This energy keeps feeding through my ghost body, growing like crops in rich soil.
"Let me explain this part, Past Ethan Justice."
Suddenly, the Deathbane Ghost shot out of the Lake of Deathbane, landing next to Isabelle Frost. She nodded.
Past Ethan Justice, the reason you can use Deathbane Aura isn’t because you’re special, but because your constitution draws it in. Or rather, your body was made from Deathbane long ago. Remember how you were born?
I nodded, thinking back to my birth—three human forms merged into one, mimicking a body made of Deathbane. The Immortality Society helped, killing many to make me human. Using Deathbane as my foundation was meant to dodge the laws of nature, since I was artificially created and risked divine punishment.
The most important thing is that Deathbane can perfectly bear all the human experiences—emotions, desires. Deathbane Aura is the medium, but even then, I couldn’t become human. Instead, I turned into a stone and suffered Soul Mourning Syndrome, because attempts to give me feelings failed.
So I became a black stone, holding a bit of power—much like the stone ghosts in Mount Shade, and the ones with Soul Mourning Syndrome in the Ghost Tomb Desert. I survived for centuries like this, until the miracle of that rainy night and the warmth Rufina Howard gave me let me become human.
After I finished recalling, the Deathbane Ghost continued speaking.
But from the very beginning, John Chou's method with the Deathstone was wrong. His real aim was probably to let the Deathstone keep absorbing the power of the Sixfold Blossom, since those flowers feed on Deathbane Aura. That's just my guess, but I don't think John Chou ever meant to hurt you.
My eyes went wide. I turned to look outside at the yard, where the Sixfold Blossoms stood over a meter tall. I swallowed, and Isabelle Frost sighed, helpless.
It's that helpless feeling—like being played, or selling yourself and gladly counting the cash for him. That's exactly how it feels.
My chest tightened. I clutched at my heart and nodded. I agreed completely with Isabelle Frost.
Past Ethan Justice, your power is still developing. His method only gives you endless Deathbane Aura, but the downside is you can't control it precisely. That's why you struggle with your Specter Web.
I nodded. It's true—I've always relied on brute force because my Deathbane Aura is so plentiful. It refills fast, so I use my power without restraint.
John Chou also put the Deathstone here so he could draw on your power in a crisis.
I nodded. He never actually did it, but I gave him power many times, sometimes without even knowing. I remember going to Hades Village for Rachel Lan, and Yuna Ji always gave me soup to strengthen me. Later, John Chou bit my neck.
I clenched my teeth, eyes wide with anger.
No wonder he always said I'd understand someday. I don't know a damn thing—he's always been in control.
Isabelle Frost patted my shoulder.
I thought you were used to it, but you really didn't know, Ethan Zhang? That's just... helpless.
[Irrelevant web prompt skipped.]
At that moment, memories of John Chou's subordinates flashed through my mind—especially Mr. Brown's attitude toward him. Looking back, it always felt like wanting to punch him, being kept in the dark and forced to work hard.
But maybe that's John Chou's unique trait. Because of him, you all keep getting stronger...
Enough, Past Ethan Justice. Stop praising that guy in front of me, understand? The real reason I'm teaching you is because I want to return to the living world and reclaim my essence. Even now, he knew I wouldn't ignore you, so he planned it all along. That's why he hasn't rushed to take the Deathstone.
Then the Deathbane Ghost spoke again. Now, the Deathstone inside me has become an obstacle, but I can't just throw it away—it's the essence of John Chou's power, and Isabelle Frost can't keep it for me.
So the best way is to keep practicing, again and again, until your body gets used to using the Specter Web and you can control it freely.
As the Deathbane Ghost spoke, I tried more than ten times, but could only shake my head in frustration. I couldn't find the right feeling, and couldn't control the Specter Web like Isabelle Frost, who could manage its number or sever it to confuse opponents.
By the way, Ms. Frost, isn't there a Ghost Sovereign who's especially skilled at using the Specter Web? Mona Ouyang.
I stared at the Deathbane Ghost in surprise; Isabelle Frost nodded.
Mona Ouyang is like you—she releases a huge amount of Specter Web at once, but her power is unique. All her webs lead to dream realms, making her impossible to pin down.
Back at the Dark Banquet, during our first big clash with the Immortality Society, Mona Ouyang, though weak and incomplete, managed to hold off two of their members alone—especially when Mr. Brown slipped up. She really is strong.
That's true—such a complicated technique isn't something Past Ethan Justice can pull off.
I looked at the two of them, a little annoyed by their back-and-forth.
Didn't John Chou tell you before to stop overthinking and just unleash your power?
Isabelle Frost asked again. I nodded—he really did say that.
You're not Mr. Brown, Past Ethan Justice. Mr. Brown can recklessly unleash his power because, as a Green Specter Ghost, his ghost soul can bear more than you can imagine.
I made a sound of agreement, then asked another question.
Before we entered this darkness, did John Chou suggest taking out the Immortality Society? It didn't work at all. What was his real goal? It can't just be about sending Tantan to the Asura Realm, right?
Isabelle Frost shook her head.
I'm not sure either, but maybe he was probing for something. After all, he briefly regained the power of Bloodbane.
I swallowed. In the past world, I met Granny Meng, who said she wouldn't help John Chou if it weren't for me. John Chou only regained some power with Granny Meng and King Ksitigarbha's help.
I didn't say any of this aloud—John Chou had told me not to share these things.
We left the Lake of Deathbane. I threw the Deathstone back in, while Isabelle Frost walked to the Sixfold Blossoms and inspected them closely.
No idea what John Chou did, but these Sixfold Blossoms have changed again—they're different from before.
The Deathbane Ghost and I both stared in confusion, feeling nothing unusual. Isabelle Frost crouched by the flowerbed, eyeing the Sixfold Blossoms suspiciously. Suddenly, her face changed, as if she'd realized something.
"That bastard."