"I don't really know either, kid. It seems you can't withstand the power of this place at night at all. Go get some rest."
He said this, and I nodded. Judging by his eyes, he truly didn't know, so I didn't press further. After returning, I lay down on my small bed.
Today has already pushed me to my limit. I've been constantly trying to control the amount of Ghost Aura I release, but I keep failing again and again. The amount I can release is still dozens of times more than what Isabelle Frost demonstrated, and as the amount decreases, it gets even trickier.
With the current amount of Ghost Aura I can release, I can't even get off the ground. I started thinking hard about how to float with so little Ghost Aura, and the more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became.
Early in the morning, before the sun rose, I got up and went straight to the dining area. After eating, I returned to the clearing and began to practice over and over again. That guy was still there, watching my repeated failures with amused interest.
By the time the sun came up, I was drenched in sweat. It was already the smallest amount I could manage, but it was still more than twenty times what Isabelle Frost could do. Panting, I sat on the ground and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
"Kid, it seems you don't really understand the makeup of ghosts. If you keep messing around like this, you'll gain experience, sure, but you'll hit a bottleneck. If you want to break through this barrier, you'll need someone to guide you. If you want to get things done quickly, remember—you're still young, and you lack a lot of experience."
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at him. Thinking back, Isabelle Frost always made me figure things out on my own, rarely telling me directly. I stood up, planning to go ask her.
When I got back to the Octagon Tower, the door was tightly shut. Isabelle Frost was nowhere to be found, and I couldn't release my Specter Web either. She'd told me before that until I could fly, I wasn't allowed to use the Specter Web.
Helpless, I could only return to the clearing and look at that guy.
"Do you know something about this?"
He nodded, but then said.
"Kid, if I told you directly, that young lady wouldn't be happy. You should figure it out yourself. Her intentions are good—she really wants to help you build a solid foundation. So just listen to her, kid. She won't harm you."
I smiled, stood up, and went back to practicing. No matter how delicately I tried to control the release of Ghost Aura, it was still more than twenty times what Isabelle Frost could manage. I was stuck, facing a real bottleneck.
"When you hit a bottleneck, take a break and think things through, kid."
I nodded and sat down, quietly thinking. Releasing Ghost Aura requires channeling it through my Ghost Soul. Now that I'm a ghost, I'm keenly aware of my body's condition. The production and storage of Ghost Aura all depend on the Ghost Soul, which automatically generates Ghost Aura until it's completely full—only then does it stop. That's the nature of the Ghost Soul.
If your Ghost Soul isn't damaged, it produces Ghost Aura quickly—the more you use, the faster it makes more. But if the Ghost Soul is hurt, production slows down. That's why many ghosts take a long time to recover after being injured and end up weak for a while.
If the Ghost Soul is damaged, it takes a long time to heal. That's why ghosts use all sorts of tricks in battle, sometimes hiding and striking from the shadows.
At that moment, something clicked for me. I smiled, stood up, and my method was simple: keep trying, over and over. Every time I failed, I tried again. This way, my body would make Ghost Aura quickly, but my release speed would slow down. The excess Ghost Aura would overflow from my Ghost Soul, and that's exactly what I needed—the overflow.
I started trying immediately, falling to the ground again and again, but each time I got back up, feeling better each time. I kept releasing Ghost Aura, controlling my desires, falling, getting up. After dozens of repetitions, the amount of Ghost Aura overflowing from my Ghost Soul finally decreased.
All the effort over time seemed to finally pay off. Though I was exhausted, I could now control my desires without conscious thought—my body had fully adapted.
With a smack, I collapsed onto the ground, panting as I stared up at the now gray sky.
"Oh, not bad, kid. You've made progress. You might succeed tomorrow. Keep it up."
I looked at him with joy, though I was exhausted and nearly ready to fall asleep. Just then, I realized my stomach was rumbling. I smiled.
"Looks like I'll be going hungry tonight."
I had no choice but to get up and drag my tired body toward the Octagon Tower. But when I got there, I saw it was completely dark—no lights at all. I called out a few times, but there was no response. Isabelle Frost was nowhere to be found.
Back in my little den, it was the most comfortable part of the day. I was so tired. The small bed that had felt hard and uncomfortable at first was now incredibly cozy. I closed my eyes.
"Ethan Zhang, sleep all you want, you big-headed ghost! Get up—I'm here again. Tonight, I'm going to settle things with you."
Half-asleep, just as I was about to drift off, that delicate girl’s voice rang out again. I jolted awake and rushed outside. Under the moonlight, I saw someone—Lao Chongyuan. I stared at him in surprise as he walked toward me, his fists clenched and cracking.
"Who exactly are you? If you've got guts, come out and face me."
"Damn it, Ethan Zhang, you think you're in the right here? This is her home! You barged in, settled down, didn't even pay rent, and made me work so hard every day. Now you're yelling at me? Just you wait."
(Irrelevant system message skipped.)
Before the voice finished, Lao Chongyuan suddenly charged at me. I didn't think—just turned and ran. Isabelle Frost was nowhere to be found, and I wasn't his match. Though I was furious, I was even more troubled by what he'd said: this was her home, and we'd made him work so hard. What did that mean?
Running, I reached the open clearing where the Red Spider Lilies still bloomed. Sure enough, the conjured Lao Chongyuan stood outside the lilies, unable to enter. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"If there's something to discuss, come out and let's talk."
I shouted loudly.
"No deal! Don't be fooled by my looks—I've got a temper, you know. You can hear me, but you look just like those other guys. Hmph, I'm not happy, not happy at all. I'm going to destroy you, because you're much weaker than the others."
Suddenly, Lao Chongyuan charged at me again. With a bang, a red light flashed, like a barrier blocking him outside. But then came a cracking sound, and with another bang, a Red Spider Lily shattered into pieces, leaving a gap. In an instant, Lao Chongyuan slipped inside.
"I don't know what you all are talking about, but this isn't right. The kid is working so hard at his training—don't disturb him."
The guy wrapped in black energy was still there. Only now did I notice his tone had turned a bit stern.
"Mind your own business! Hmph, this is my home, and I'm not happy. I'm going to kill Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, a fierce aura swept over me as Lao Chongyuan raised his fist and swung at me. Rage flared up instantly. I clenched my own fists.
"Enough, don't get worked up. Kid, your practice is still the priority. I'll help you out a little."
I was stunned. In an instant, that guy moved right in front of me, and Lao Chongyuan, fist raised, seemed frozen in midair. The man reached out a pitch-black hand and pressed it to Lao Chongyuan's head. With a whoosh and a gust of wind, Lao Chongyuan vanished from sight.
I stared in shock at the guy wrapped in black energy. What did he just do? I hadn't felt a thing—his power was incredible.
"I'm furious! You're all bullying me. Just you wait, Ethan Zhang—wash your neck and get ready. I'm really mad this time, really mad. This time... hmph!"
Listening to that delicate girl’s voice, she sounded like a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old. Then, before I knew it, the guy was back in his original spot. Grateful, I looked at him and thanked him.
"No problem, kid. Go get some rest. I don't know who I am, but I've always hated people who interrupt those working hard. Heh."
After leaving the clearing, I looked back at him, bowed, and he waved. I went back and lay down to sleep.
Just as I lay down, I suddenly sensed a glimmer of light. I opened my eyes and saw a ball of green light rush into the Octagon Tower—it was Isabelle Frost, she had returned. Sure enough, after a moment, the tower lit up with candlelight.
"Miss Isabelle, where did you go?"
I immediately got up and asked. Isabelle Frost stood on the third floor, looking at me in silence. Then she seemed to sense something.
"What happened?"
She asked, and I quickly told her everything that had just happened.
Isabelle Frost made a thoughtful sound and then gave me a rare smile.
"Ethan Zhang, a whole batch of those stone statues over there disappeared again—just now. I suspect the missing statues are closely related to the Golden Mask Man's ability to create such powerful forces."