"Just as I thought, you're a fraud."
Lucas Lan floated out from behind a building with a sudden whoosh, glaring viciously at John Chou.
"Hmph, I bet you've been swindling people like this all along. You, taking those guys out, giving them hope when you clearly don't have what it takes—aren't you just..."
It's true, I can't take them out. I'm just a lowly Yellow Ghost.
Lucas Lan let out a smug laugh.
"See, little sister? This is his true face, just like I told you before. If you'd listened to me back then, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Of course, as your brother, I share some of the blame."
"No, brother. This gentleman is different from those others."
John Chou floated up.
"If you want to die, suit yourself. Waiting for someone else to help you? Waiting for someone else to give you hope? Heh..." In an instant, John Chou's face darkened, his gaze cold as he stared at Lucas Lan.
Don't be ridiculous. I've already shown you the way out—use your own hands to open it. Relying on me, a Yellow Ghost? Laughable, pathetic, tragic. Is this really how things are in the ghost realm? And what about the Blue Wraiths?
John Chou burst into wild laughter, his arrogance and contempt radiating from him. Then, he soared off into the distance, searching the area relentlessly.
But Lucas Lan wasn’t alone—dozens of Wraiths lingered nearby, their faces shadowed with shame.
"Found it."
A deafening shout drew everyone's attention. Over fifty Wraiths surged after the one who had been calling out, all heading toward a courtyard deep within the city.
Inside, the crowd stared in shock. A pitch-black hole dominated the center, ringed by webs. In the room beyond, Wraiths were cocooned in Spider Silk, suspended from the ceiling.
"The ghostly energy is being slowly drained away."
One of the Wraiths spoke, and the others shrank back in fear. But John Chou strode forward, slicing through the Spider Silk with a swift motion. The cocooned Wraith fell heavily to the ground.
John Chou crouched down, reaching out a hand. Instantly, the Spider Silk clung to his skin, and began to creep, slow and sinister, up his arm.
A panicked cry rang out. Many Wraiths tried to flee, their forms rising in frantic flight.
"Stay calm. Is there anyone here who died by fire?"
John Chou asked, and the Wraiths glanced nervously at each other. Finally, a small figure stepped forward.
"I was burned to death in life. Why?"
"Good. Burn away the Spider Silk."
The Wraith approached, trembling. As soon as he released a burst of ghostly fire, the Spider Silk dissolved and burned away. The other Wraiths erupted in astonished cheers.
One by one, the bound Wraiths were rescued. Many, regaining their senses, began to wail and stagger, unable to stand.
"Smart move."
Soren Black sat atop the wall, watching as hope flickered in the eyes of the wraiths. They hurled fire at the webs in the cavern, burning for a long time. When the flames finally died down, John Chou led the way, and the crowd followed him down.
Beneath the cave, the ground was coated with fine sand. But as the Wraiths ventured deeper, they realized it was the ashes of dead ghosts, piling up thicker and thicker the further they went.
The cave was labyrinthine. After a while, John Chou ordered the Wraiths who'd followed him to turn back.
They still found no trace of the Spider Wraith. Tomorrow would be the Hundred Wraiths Feast. All the captured Wraiths had been rescued, but when John Chou told them this was the Spider Wraith’s domain, the mood sank into utter despair.
Many Wraiths tried to cozy up to Soren Black, but he refused to help, watching coldly as the group fell back into hopelessness.
"Can you answer me, Soren Black?"
John Chou drifted to Soren Black’s side.
"If you want my help, the price is steep, John Chou."
John Chou shook his head and smiled.
"The Blue Wraith and Derek White—neither is as strong as you, right? And the Blue Wraith isn’t as strong as Derek White, is that it?"
"Hey, hey, that’s more than one question."
John Chou chuckled.
"I said one sentence. I just finished it—that’s one sentence."
"That’s right. The ones here are much weaker than I am."
As Soren Black spoke, John Chou seemed to relax, watching the frantic Wraiths before drifting toward them.
"Tomorrow—do you want to live, or die?"
John Chou’s question made the Wraiths look up, their gazes fixed on him.
"I’ll tell you now: if you want to live, do exactly as I say. If you want to die, then scatter."
"Damn it, just say it—live or die, we’ll do what you say."
The Wraith whose hand John Chou had severed before stood up. The others quickly agreed, gathering around John Chou.
"There are less than thirty hours left. This is that thing’s domain, so during the day, we won’t be affected by the sun. Now, I need you to write down what you can do—combat, teamwork, anything. List your powers as ghosts, in as much detail as possible."
As John Chou spoke, the Wraiths descended into chaos. He selected ten of the cleverest among them to act as scribes, assigning each a group to record.
"Listen up—before you start, I’ll say this once: don’t exaggerate. If even one of you brags and lies, you’ll all die tomorrow."
That one sentence left many would-be braggarts burning with shame and embarrassment. They began to honestly list their abilities.
Afterward, John Chou climbed onto the roof to observe, waiting for the results.
A sharp clapping echoed. Soren Black approached, smiling.
"Impressive. You’ve managed to keep them in line. But do you really think this ragtag bunch can defeat a Blue Wraith with its own domain?"
John Chou smiled and shook his head.
"No—it’s not about defeating him. It’s about escaping. The real fight happens during the escape."
John Chou’s words only deepened Soren Black’s confusion.
"Leaving things half-said is never good, you know."
John Chou looked at Soren Black.
"Tomorrow, if you want to know, just wait outside the domain. You’ll see me bring them all out, not a hair missing. But if that thing chases us, you’d better help."
"Why?"
"Otherwise, you’ll miss what’s called a miracle in the world of the living. Isn’t it fascinating, how a rabble like this could defeat the Spider Wraith? And if they die after escaping, it’s no miracle at all, right?"
Soren Black burst out laughing and shot into the air, ghostly threads trailing behind him.
"I’ll watch and see how you make this miracle happen. I’ll wait outside—don’t worry, I can still see what’s happening inside."
Soren Black left the domain. It was a mass grave, littered with mounds of earth. Many of the recently dead had been burned and discarded here.
Suddenly, something occurred to Soren Black. His face darkened, then he forced a smile.
"It shouldn’t be possible. He’s just a lowly Yellow Ghost."
Inside the domain, the record-keeping was finally done. There were 104 Wraiths in total. John Chou studied the papers, quickly scanning through each Wraith’s details, lost in thought.
The Wraiths below seemed to relax, hope flickering in their eyes as they began to trust John Chou.
As night approached, John Chou rose and stretched, gathering all the Wraiths together. He looked every bit the leader of this spectral mob.
"Listen—tomorrow, no matter what happens, stick to the plan we made tonight."
The Wraiths nodded, and John Chou began to speak.
"Do you really think this Blue Wraith is so strong?"
"Come on, of course the Blue Wraith is way stronger than us. He could crush us with a finger."
John Chou burst out laughing.
"Then why wait for the Hundred Wraiths Feast to deal with you? Why not tie you all up now and torture you, eating you bit by bit? Wouldn’t that be better?"
Suddenly, silence fell over the crowd.
"Just now, I asked the Blue Wraith—he said the Spider Wraith is weak, so he hides, hoping to wear you down and devour you slowly. Together, you hundred Wraiths are much stronger than him. But if you’re divided, you’re easy prey, and he can enjoy you at his leisure."