"If I had pulled the trigger just now, you'd already be dead."
I stared quietly at Howard Zhang. Ever since I returned from the world of light, the quality of my Deathbane Aura had risen another level. The moment I became a ghost, I understood it instantly—and my connection with the Ghost Souls grew even tighter. Just now, with a single thought, the Wailer appeared and devoured that attack, then returned it to Howard as Deathbane Aura.
Before, my connection with the Ghost Souls felt like it was hundreds of meters away. Using their powers wasn't something I could do at will; I had to notify them in advance by tugging on their strings. But now, it feels as if those Ghost Souls are within a hundred meters of me. I only need to tell them, and in an instant, they can use their powers.
Howard, lying there, showed no fear in his eyes. Instead, he glared at me. Susan Li and Rachel Lan hurried over—Susan looked at Howard in surprise.
"Zhang Hao, you look so ugly like this."
Howard, still pinned by my sword, tried to move, but I pressed him down hard. In my Shadow Realm, he stood no chance. His power belonged to the world of darkness—not ghostly power, nor pure darkness.
At first, I thought Howard was unconscious. But now I'm certain—he isn't unaware, he just doesn't want to speak.
"Is it a Karmic Wound?"
I muttered to myself. It was the only thing I could think of. In Buddhism, when one reaches a certain stage, Karmic Wounds appear. The great monks all overcame their own Karmic Wounds to reach higher levels. Howard forcibly memorized some sutras and played monk for a while, but I don't think he ever truly practiced Buddhism. More than one person has said Howard has deep Buddhist ties, but he never felt anything for it.
The only other possibility I could think of was Ghostworm—maybe he did something to Howard, making him this way.
"Tell me—what exactly is going on?"
"If you kill me, Zhang Hao dies too. Right now, we're one and the same."
Howard finally spoke. He reached out, pushing Belle from my hand, then stood up and stretched out a hand. With a whoosh, the fallen staff flew back into his grip.
"Do you still want to keep fighting?"
I replied coldly. Suddenly, Howard shot into the air with a whoosh. Black flames erupted from his body—I swallowed hard, sensing danger immediately.
I'd never seen flames like these before. Just looking at them made my whole body uncomfortable.
"Voidfire... cleansing great karma..."
With a boom, Howard charged at me. Rachel Lan immediately pulled Susan Li away. I didn't hesitate—I pulled the trigger.
Bang—the Spectral Shotgun fired, but I instantly realized Howard's power was bizarre. My Deathbane Aura dissolved. I tried to escape, but was a step too slow. I swung Belle at him, but the moment Belle touched that strange, seductive black flame, Cecilia's scream echoed in my mind. Eyes wide in shock, I saw part of Belle melt away. I quickly let go—Belle turned into a pink flash and vanished from my hand.
Bang—Howard's staff slammed into my chest. Instantly, the flames crawled over my body. I screamed as my consciousness faded in an instant.