Chapter 133: Footsteps That Never Left

Helag sensed that Lady Moran was hinting at whether he wanted to buy more necromancy spells.

He asked, “Do you have any necromancy spells you’d recommend, Lady Moran?”

Instead of answering immediately, Moran asked, “Have you encountered malevolent spirits before?”

Helag paused and then replied, “Yes, but that was quite some time ago. Can you still sense it?”

It had been over a year since his encounter in Creek Valley Town.

“The scent of malevolent spirits doesn’t wash off easily. To me, it’s as fresh as if you just stepped in dog poop,” Moran chuckled.

Helag scratched his head. “Is this scent harmful? Is there a way to remove it?”

He hadn’t realized he still carried the scent of malevolent spirits, as he hadn’t sensed it himself.

“For ordinary people, it’s a deadly aura, but for you, it just makes you more attractive to malevolent spirits. To remove it, you could buy some spells from me, and I’ll help you get rid of it,” Moran offered.

She continued, “For you, I’d recommend learning Necromantic Perception, Crown of Malevolence, and Necromantic Sword.”

“Necromantic Perception lets you sense and even see spirits.”

“Crown of Malevolence is a defensive spell that offers some protection against malevolent energies.”

“Necromantic Sword is an offensive spell that conjures a necromantic blade capable of harming spirits. Since you’re specialized in dark energy, you can infuse the blade with dark energy particles to enhance its power.”

Helag was pleased with these spells. “How much for all three?”

“Five magic stones each, so fifteen in total,” Moran replied.

Helag handed over fifteen magic stones and received the spell model books for the three spells.

These spells would give him basic tools to deal with malevolent spirits, rather than being helpless.

“Now, let me remove the malevolent spirit aura from you,” Moran said softly.

“Thank you, Lady Moran,” Helag said respectfully.

Moran extended her left hand from under her robe. It was pale and childlike.

She opened her palm, revealing a small crack that quickly expanded into a mouth, complete with a tongue.

The mouth spat out a black beetle with large pincers.

“Go on, eat it, my dear,” Moran cooed.

The beetle spread its wings and flew around Helag before hovering above his head.

Click! Click!

Helag heard familiar footsteps and suddenly remembered, “These are the same footsteps I heard in Creek Valley Town…”

Back then, the footsteps had followed him until he entered the ancient stone tablet’s cave, where they stopped.

He had thought the footsteps vanished with the other malevolent spirits at dawn, but now they were back.

This meant the footsteps had been with him all along, unnoticed.

Helag broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had been carrying a hidden danger.

Though it hadn’t caused trouble yet, it was like a ticking time bomb.

“You’ve encountered something extraordinary. I’m surprised you’re standing here alive,” Moran said lightly.

The beetle emitted a faint howl, and the footsteps quickened as if running.

A large shadow emerged from the beetle, revealing a massive beetle phantom.

The phantom’s pincers reached behind Helag, pulling out a gray mist and devouring it.

Helag clearly heard the footsteps coming from the mist.

Once the mist was consumed, the footsteps faded and eventually stopped.

“What was that? A malevolent spirit?” Helag asked.

Moran’s tone grew serious. “It was a mix of a malevolent spirit and some curse, well-hidden. I only sensed the malevolent aura but didn’t expect this. Even Moonlight Forest’s defensive wards missed it.”

“What would have happened if it stayed inside me?” Helag asked, feeling a chill at the thought.

Moran explained, “It treated you as a host, parasitizing deep within you. Luckily, you’re still weak, so it hadn’t grown. Otherwise, I can’t say what it might have become.”

“There was a similar case once, leading to a kingdom’s downfall.”

Helag hadn’t realized the severity of the situation. Even a necromancy expert like Moran found it tricky.

“Am I safe now?” Helag asked, still worried about any remnants.

Moran handed him a necklace with a diamond-shaped crystal. “This is a magical item called the Soul-Eating Crystal.”

She continued, “It’s enchanted with a ward I designed. It senses malevolent spirits, defends against them, and repels them. Wear it, and any remnants will be expelled. When the crystal turns red, a malevolent spirit is nearby. The stronger the spirit, the redder the crystal.”

“If it heats up and burns, you might want to find a good grave,” Moran added with a laugh, seemingly teasing Helag.

“How much?” Helag asked directly.

“Five hundred magic stones.”

Helag hesitated but eventually handed over the stones.

Such items were rare, and Moran was likely the only source in Moonlight Forest.

Magic stones needed to be converted into resources to be useful, and this crystal was valuable to him.

Moran handed over the Soul-Eating Crystal, smiling at the pile of stones. “Potion masters are rich. I just named a random price.”

“What? A random price?” Helag was shocked.

Moran laughed, “Just kidding. Five hundred stones is fair. Ask Larry if you don’t believe me.”