Northwest Outskirts of Tivian, a small hill amidst a forest.
A piercing scream suddenly echoes through the air.
After concluding the transaction, the members of the Nether Coffin Order bid farewell to the thief. Their leader, Larena, was preparing to use a secretly obtained medium to curse the arrogant thief when something entirely unexpected happened.
As Larena was in the midst of casting the curse, she suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream. The curse doll in her hand exploded, and she herself collapsed backward, clutching her eyes. This startled her subordinates, who, after a moment of shock, rushed to help her up.
"Lady! Lady Larena! What happened!?"
Seeing Larena in this state, Calais, who was closest to her, immediately crouched down to support her, urgently asking about her condition. Larena trembled as she lowered her hands from her eyes, revealing two streams of blood tears flowing down her face. In a panicked, trembling voice, she spoke.
"We’ve been tricked... the Eye of Judgment... how could there be... the Eye of Judgment!? That thief... she’s protected by a powerful counter-curse... she’s shielded by some force from the First Dynasty... I’ve been... I’ve been cursed back... ahh..."
Clutching her head, Larena struggled to suppress her pain as she spoke. Hearing her words, Calais’s expression darkened, and he asked with a hint of confusion.
"The First Dynasty? What’s that...?"
"I can’t explain the details now! We underestimated that thief. She’s likely backed by a powerful treasure-hunting syndicate. For now... our plans against her are on hold! Gather the goods and load them onto the carriage. We need to return immediately and report this to the guild!""Ah... yes, yes..."
After standing up, Larena immediately pushed Calais aside and barked out orders. Calais quickly ran off to organize the other subordinates, instructing them to bring their carriages up the hill to load the goods.
Meanwhile, Larena stood to the side, clutching her head. Her expression was stern as she tried to suppress the mental agony. In her mind, the image of a massive golden eye still lingered, refusing to fade.
At the same time, high above the hill, a small bird flew by, its sharp eyes observing the scene below. Through its gaze, Dorothy continued to monitor the situation on the hill in real-time.
Several kilometers away, on a small path, a plain black carriage stood parked. Inside the carriage, Dorothy, dressed in a thick winter coat and woolen hat, sat quietly. She was using a distant marionette to conduct long-range surveillance of the hill where the transaction had taken place, keeping a close eye on the unfolding events.
"I never expected that the scepter from Nephthys’ family could not only block curses but also reflect them back at the caster. That leader was completely overwhelmed by the backlash..."
Observing the scene from afar, Dorothy stroked her chin thoughtfully. The moment Larena was struck by the backlash had indeed taken her by surprise.
When Dorothy had initially chosen someone to act as her proxy for the transaction, she had considered many options before finally deciding to ask her senior, Nephthys, for help. The reason was simple: she had her eye on the scepter in Nephthys’ family, which could ward off curses.
Based on the information Dorothy had gathered, she concluded that dealing with the Nether Coffin Order, a group that hunted wild spirits, would require caution against two main threats: ghosts and curses. Ghosts could possess and track people without being noticed, while curses could affect people from great distances without their knowledge. Both were insidious and difficult to defend against directly. Fortunately, Nephthys happened to have countermeasures for both.
First, Nephthys herself was a Silence-path Beyonder, capable of seeing and sensing ghosts. For her, ghosts were not invisible, intangible threats, making it difficult for them to possess or track her. Second, thanks to her family’s heritage, Nephthys possessed a protective artifact from the ancient North Ufiga civilization, which granted her resistance to curses.
The scepter in Nephthys’ family mansion required only a small amount of Revelation to sustain and could block powerful curses from ancient spirits.
The curse that had plagued the Boyle family for generations, cast by an ancient spirit, had crossed thousands of kilometers from North Ufiga to Pritt, affecting an entire bloodline for decades without pause. Such a powerful curse was beyond the ability of most Beyonders to resist. Yet, even a curse of this magnitude could be blocked by the scepter, let alone the curses of ordinary Beyonders.
Thus, in Dorothy’s eyes, Nephthys was uniquely suited to deal with the Nether Coffin Order, as she had defenses against both spirits and curses. And indeed, when the Nether Coffin Order tried to curse Nephthys, they were met with a devastating backlash.
"An ordinary Beyonder trying to curse someone protected by the scepter was met with such a severe backlash, yet that ancient spirit kept cursing for decades without stopping. It’s no ordinary force.”
"And the scepter from Nephthys’ family... not only blocks curses but also reflects them back at the caster. It’s even more advanced than I thought. As expected of an artifact from the ancient North Ufiga civilization. How did Nephthys’ grandfather manage to dig up such a treasure...?"
Dorothy mused to herself, her impression of Nephthys’ grandfather rising another notch. To obtain such a powerful mystical artifact and to provoke such a formidable ancient spirit, he must have been no ordinary grave robber. He was truly a legendary figure.
“Nephthys should be out of danger by now. Thanks to her, everything went smoothly. I should check in with her.”
Thinking this, Dorothy extended her spiritual threads, preparing to communicate with Nephthys.
…
Meanwhile, on another path through the forest...
Three carriages moved in a line along a small road. The two carriages at the back were empty, having already unloaded their cargo, while the one at the front was a standard passenger carriage. Inside this carriage sat Nephthys.
"Phew..."
Inside the carriage, Nephthys, dressed in a black robe, pulled down her hood, letting her long hair spill out. After removing her face mask, she leaned back in her seat, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"It’s finally over. Thankfully, everything went smoothly... no unexpected incidents..."
Breathing deeply, Nephthys tried to relax, her mind still filled with images of the countless terrifying skeletons and ghosts on the hill. The memory of those who controlled the spirits left her feeling uneasy.
“Those people... were they from the Nether Coffin Order? Controlling so many ghosts and skeletons... the atmosphere was truly terrifying. According to Miss Dorothy, they’re one of the largest Silence-path organizations... that group leader might even be at the White Ash rank. And I, a mere Apprentice, actually confronted her head-on, even threatening her... it’s unbelievable…”
Nephthys thought to herself, her heart still racing as she recalled the confrontation on the hill. Even though she knew Dorothy had been supporting her from the shadows, the tension had been overwhelming.
Just then, Nephthys felt a familiar sensation from the mark on her body—a signal Dorothy used to communicate with her.
Nephthys was momentarily puzzled, realizing she hadn’t brought the communication text with her. But at that moment, the marionette controlling the carriage driver suddenly spoke in Dorothy’s voice.
"Nephthys, how are you doing? Are you feeling any unusual effects?"
Hearing the familiar tone, Nephthys immediately realized who was speaking through the driver. She let out a sigh of relief and replied.
"Phew... I’m fine. I don’t feel anything unusual. Miss Dorothy, did I complete the task successfully?"
"Yes, you did. Thanks to you, Nephthys, I wouldn’t have been able to handle those people otherwise. As per our agreement, I’ll share part of the reward with you."
Using the marionette driver’s mouth, Dorothy communicated with Nephthys. Since Nephthys had helped her, Dorothy couldn’t just leave her empty-handed. According to their prior agreement, Nephthys would receive 1,000 pounds from the 6,000 pounds Dorothy had obtained, as well as one of the three mystical texts to study and extract spirituality. After she finished, Dorothy would give her the remaining two texts. All three texts were related to Silence, which would greatly aid Nephthys’ advancement.
"Thank you, Miss Dorothy... You’ve helped me so many times. It’s only right that I repay you today. Honestly, I don’t need any reward."
Nephthys thanked Dorothy sincerely. In Nephthys’ eyes, Dorothy had not only saved her and her classmates from the Eight-Spired Nest’s control but had also helped her become a Beyonder and aided her family in resisting the ancient spirit’s curse. Helping Dorothy in return was the least she could do. When Dorothy had asked for her help, Nephthys had agreed without hesitation.
"No, you should take the reward. In this matter, you essentially took a risk on my behalf. Even though I made many contingency plans, the inherent danger of the situation couldn’t be ignored. Facing those dangerous people... something could have gone wrong.”
"To be honest, I was worried you might crack under the pressure, but you performed even better than I expected. Our plan went smoothly."
Dorothy continued speaking to Nephthys through the marionette. Hearing her words, Nephthys smiled.
"It’s rare to receive praise from you, Miss Dorothy... I’ve been through similar situations before, so I wasn’t too shaken."
Nephthys responded, recalling her time in the Scholarly Society of Mystical Knowledge when it was under Thorn Velvet’s control. As the only member not affected by the cognitive poison, Nephthys had to hide her true self daily, pretending to be like the other contaminated members while secretly working to save her classmates.
Thus, Nephthys had developed strong mental resilience. Although she had been nervous during the confrontation with the Nether Coffin Order, she hadn’t shown it. Following Dorothy’s instructions, she had successfully portrayed the image of a cunning thief in front of Larena and her subordinates, which was entirely her own achievement.
"Alright... we can talk more when we meet in the city. For now, you need to get out of here quickly. Time is running out, and if you get caught up in what’s coming, it won’t be good."
The marionette driver continued speaking to Nephthys, who nodded in understanding.
"Understood. Then I’ll see you in the city, Miss Dorothy."
With that, the marionette driver fell silent, and Nephthys felt control of the carriage return to her. Glancing out the window at the distant hill, she urged the carriage to speed up toward the city.
…
Back on the hill...
Larena and her subordinates had just begun loading the goods. After about ten minutes, the carriages that had been parked at the foot of the hill were now being brought up. The skeletons and subordinates were ready to load the goods and leave.
Larena, still recovering from the backlash, sat on a rock, with Calais tending to her. Countless spirits roamed the hill and its surroundings, keeping watch for any potential attackers. Larena’s expression was tense, as she feared the thieves might take advantage of her weakened state to launch a surprise attack. She worried that the backlash had been part of a planned trap.
Fortunately, after some time had passed since the backlash, the spirits patrolling the area had found no signs of an approaching enemy. The thief had left and hadn’t returned, seemingly unaware of Larena’s condition.
"It seems... the curse backlash wasn’t part of a deliberate trap..."
Larena sighed in relief, her tension easing slightly. She then turned her gaze to the carriages that had been brought up the hill and the large pile of wooden crates in the distance.
Although she hadn’t been able to retaliate against the thieves, at least all the goods had been recovered. With over forty crates of spirits back in her possession, Larena at least had something to report at Dankt.
"Load the carriages quickly! Once we’re done, we leave immediately..."
Larena ordered, and her subordinates and skeletons began carrying the crates onto the carriages. The repetitive task began, but no one noticed that something hidden deep within the pile of crates was quietly stirring, approaching a critical point.
Inside the largest crate, which contained an iron coffin, there was a meticulously crafted hidden compartment.
Within this compartment, unseen by anyone, countless small cylinders were densely packed, connected by wires to a central mechanical device wrapped in thick, soundproof cloth. Inside the device, a clock was ticking away.
In the faint, almost imperceptible ticking, the clock’s hands slowly approached a red line marked on its face. When the hands finally overlapped the line, the mechanical mechanism activated, triggering the detonator. The explosives packed throughout the compartment ignited simultaneously.
BOOM!!!!
In a moment no one had anticipated, a powerful shockwave and searing flames erupted from the hidden compartment. The blinding explosion rapidly expanded, engulfing the pile of crates and the skeletons and people nearby. A deafening roar echoed from the small hill, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Within seconds, the soldiers patrolling the distant Gale Fortress were startled by the sudden explosion, quickly going on high alert.
In a corridor within the fort, Captain Edmond and a slightly portly colleague with a small mustache were walking and chatting when they heard the explosion. Frowning, they turned to look out the window at the distant hill, now shrouded in dust and smoke.