"Sorry," I said, my voice heavy.
But then I thought about it—he was the one who insisted on following me. Still, I smiled. After all, I used to be human, and now, I am a ghost.
"Ethan Zhang, I truly wanted to nurture you as the next Snake Zodiac Heir, but now, that's no longer possible."
I stood up, walked over to the Spirit Snake, and patted his shoulder. He brushed my hand away.
"Yet, your determination showed me that there is still hope."
I let out a surprised sound, and the Spirit Snake started laughing. He stood up, looked at me, and reached out his hand. I grabbed it, and he pulled me up.
"What was it that made you see hope?"
I smiled and asked.
"A gun. Originally, such a thing shouldn't exist in the ghost realm. But after it appeared, you saw it too—the shock on the Ghost Sovereigns' faces. John Chou even said, only you could do this."
I nodded. Indeed, the power I now wield should not exist in this world.
"It's all thanks to Hugh Thompson. He was the one who showed me the path to power."
"Heh, that guy is clever, no doubt. But in the ghost realm, such things are pure fantasy. You, however, possess the instinct to coexist, so even though it's a delusion, it still came to be."
I laughed happily, memories of everything in the Forest of Desire vivid in my mind.
"It's a shame I still can't infuse your power into the bullets."
"Because it's incomplete, Ethan Zhang. My power isn't whole. That Spirit Snake Shedding Skin holds part of my power, but the best part was sealed away. You're still growing, and the other five have all worked hard to become part of your strength. I'm no exception."
I looked at the Spirit Snake with gratitude and nodded.
"Thank you, all of you."
The Spirit Snake sighed, gazing at the sky. For a moment, his mood seemed to improve.
"Let's go, Ethan Zhang. There's still a long road ahead. It's precisely this improbable possibility that gives me hope. Your power might just shatter the darkness."
Confused, I looked at the Spirit Snake and could only follow him onward.
I had no idea how many days we'd walked. It felt like a long time. Though I wasn't tired, the monotony was exhausting. Here, there was only endless sand and a sea without waves.
"How much farther?" I asked.
I asked again—a question I'd repeated several times during this journey. But the Spirit Snake always said we were almost there.
"Ethan Zhang, once we're out, I'll help you stabilize the Spectral Shotgun. The gun you're using now is powerful, but extremely unstable."
I nodded. It was true—the power was immense, but the recoil was unbearable. That day, John Chou grabbed me, and the instant I fired, even my Ghost Soul was hit by the force.
The result of that impact was severe damage to my Ghost Soul. I could only fire once before I couldn't even stand. Such power was like a double-edged sword.
Usually, I would have my Ghost Soul help me make bullets for the Spectral Shotgun. After each shot, I'd start making more, pouring in power until the bullet was about to break, then stop. The Spirit Snake helped stabilize the Spectral Shotgun, which I carried on my back. With the Yin Ghost's power, I sealed away the wild, overflowing energy.
The process was tedious but effective. My power was finally under control. Isabelle Frost once said, the stronger the power, the greater the restraint needed. That's what I learned in the Forest of Desire.
Of my six Ghost Souls, only the Yin Ghost could suppress this power. The others couldn't manage it at all.
At this point, I'd reached my limit. That's why I listened to the Spirit Snake and left the Forest of Desire.
"Ethan Zhang, remember—what happens here, don't tell anyone about it once we're out. Not even Old Tom."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, nodded, and continued walking with the Spirit Snake.
I don't know how much time had passed, but at last, I saw something different—a ruined hall. The roof was gone, collapsed, and all around stood pillars carved with various snakes. I counted thirteen. The building sat alone at the boundary of sea and sand, half on sand, half in water.
The Spirit Snake walked step by step into the great hall, now reduced to ruins.
I looked around and saw a plaque, already shattered. I couldn't recognize the characters on it.
"Serpent Hall."
The Spirit Snake spoke. I made a sound of acknowledgment. His expression was deeply sorrowful as he crouched down, scooped up a handful of dust, and quietly gazed at it.
"There used to be many here, but that one devoured them all."
I looked at the Spirit Snake in surprise as he stood up.
"It's been centuries since I've come here."
The Spirit Snake told me that, for those chosen as Snake Zodiac Heirs, after death, they don't reincarnate but instead transform directly into snake spirits, joining Serpent Hall and living here as snakes.
The Snake Zodiac Heirs have existed long before the Nether Syndicate was founded. Old Tom merely consolidated these heirs before establishing the Nether Syndicate.
The snake spirit is revered here as a holy being, like a king. Yet, centuries ago, Felix Fan—who should have died—never entered this place. When the snake spirit was summoned to find a new heir, disaster struck Serpent Hall.
It was Felix Fan. He destroyed Serpent Hall, devoured all those who had become snakes, and took everything. By the time the Spirit Snake returned, it was already like this.
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"In this world, he's no match for me. But outside, when we leave, we need a body as a vessel, so I'm not his opponent. Especially now, since I've become a ghost. Heh."
The Spirit Snake's voice sounded desolate. I sighed.
"Why did he devour the Snake Zodiac Heirs?"
"For power. He wanted to truly control all power—pure and overwhelming. And from the beginning, he never thought there was anything wrong with what he did."
The snake spirit led me through the front of the palace to the center, where I saw a strange pattern on the ground formed by thirteen intertwined snakes, each a different color.
"This is it—the seal of the Spirit Snake Shedding Skin."
The Spirit Snake spoke, and I made a sound of acknowledgment.
"Back then, I asked Old Tom to seal the Spirit Snake Shedding Skin. If that one got all its power, he'd be even more terrifying. This is a gamble, Ethan Zhang—the choice is yours."
In that instant, it all became clear to me—why Felix Fan so easily handed something so important to John Chou, who then passed it to me. Suddenly, everything made perfect sense.
John Chou must have known as well, but why didn't he tell me?
"John Chou always speaks in riddles."
I remembered—when John Chou went to help Mr. Brown unleash his power, he told me to keep the Spirit Snake Shedding Skin safe. Now, if the seal is lifted, Felix Fan will likely come to seize it.
"My only purpose here is to bring you, Ethan Zhang. The choice is yours. Once the seal is broken, no one knows what will happen next."
I smiled and looked at the strange pattern—thirteen snakes intertwined, each biting another's tail.
"I can't stop now, Spirit Snake—not for a second. Tell me how to break the seal."
The Spirit Snake nodded, stepped aside, and sat down, motioning for me to lie on the formation.
"The mark on your body is the key."
I nodded and lay quietly on the pattern. At first, I felt nothing, but suddenly, an itch crawled up my spine—movement. The snakes in the pattern began to writhe. In an instant, thirteen lights flared, and a rustling sound grew louder and louder.
It was the sound of snakes crawling. Suddenly, my eyes widened—in the world beneath me, countless snakes writhed and twisted. A chill ran down my spine, and I cried out in shock.
Though I was already a ghost, this world was overwhelming. Everywhere—snakes, all kinds, packed together, pressing in around me.
I tried to steady my breath and watched. The snake spirit only smiled contentedly.
"Relax, Ethan Zhang."
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Just then, the thirteen differently colored snakes shot up, circling around me. With a whooshing sound, they plunged into my eyes, mouth, nostrils, chest, hands, and feet. I screamed—the sensation was unbearable, as if foreign objects were being forced into every orifice.
"Don't be afraid, Ethan Zhang. The process might last several days."
I made a sound of acknowledgment but still screamed. Something writhed inside me, making my scalp crawl. I could only close my eyes and endure as the snakes wrapped around me. I looked at the Spirit Snake, who was laughing heartily.
"Damn it, you could've warned me so I'd be mentally prepared!"