Chapter 115: The Source of the Invisible Veil
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The ethereal green flame of the spirit danced with an otherworldly grace, moving effortlessly through the vast expanse of the factory in seconds. This supernatural vision seemed to originate from a realm beyond ordinary human understanding, lifting the invisible curtain that shrouds what people typically perceive as reality. For a fleeting moment, Shirley and Duncan could discern the hidden layers beneath this veil of perception.
Revealed before them was a haunting tableau of devastation: ash covered the ground, human-shaped outlines of ash stood frozen in time, and shapeless mounds of ash lay scattered. The walls were scorched black, the roof had melted and drooped in unnatural forms, and the machinery was crippled, with twisted and brittle metal from the intense heat. Heaps of molten material lay in disarray, as though remnants of a forgotten cataclysm. The factory resembled the aftermath of a hellish firestorm that had recently abated. Though the flames had long been extinguished, their destructive aura lingered in the atmosphere.
Amidst this apocalyptic landscape, Shirley stood paralyzed, her face a perplexing mix of confusion and recognition. Beside her, Dog, a skeletal creature, silently sidled up, offering her a semblance of support with its jagged, bony frame.
As swiftly as it had appeared, the ethereal green fire dissipated, and the factory and its surroundings reverted to their mundane states.
Duncan examined his hands with palpable disappointment, reminded that his physical form was merely a shell compared to his true, spiritual self. The ethereal flames he could conjure were limited in reach and duration. When tasked with revealing hidden truths over a large area, he could sustain the magical fire only for a fleeting moment.
Yet, even this brief manifestation had unearthed pivotal revelations.
“So, there was a fire… I was right all along,” Shirley whispered to herself, her voice a mixture of relief and sadness. “I’ve been searching for the truth for eleven years, and it was hidden here all along.”
“Yet, this fire has been concealed from us,” Dog murmured softly. “Some mystical force has cast a veil over the material world, erasing all traces and memories of the ‘fire.’ This curtain is so potent that it even obscures the sight of malevolent spirits.”
“Could it be the sun fragment? Or maybe the person who first brought the fragment to our city-state?” Shirley pondered aloud, her brow furrowed in concentration. Noticing Duncan’s lingering silence since the spectral flames had vanished, she turned to him, “What are your thoughts on this matter?”
“My recollection of the fire doesn’t align with what we’ve just seen,” Duncan interjected, shaking his head slowly. His eyes scanned the factory’s features, comparing the briefly revealed details against his own haunting memories of the blaze. He recalled fleeing from a building engulfed in roaring flames, carrying Nina to safety. Upon scrutinizing the specifics of the building and its surroundings, he was certain. “The fire I remember did not happen here.”
“Eh?” Shirley paused, taken aback. “So, the fire you recall… it’s from a different place?”
“The inconsistencies in the details are too glaring to ignore,” Duncan stated solemnly as he moved toward the factory exit. His eyes moved past the crumbling gate and surveyed the deteriorating streets stretching into the distance. “More accurately, it’s the overall geography of the Sixth District that seems… altered, for lack of a better word.”
Without consciously planning, Shirley and the skeletal dog exchanged a quick, meaningful glance. Lowering her voice, Shirley asked, “What do you think is really happening here?”
“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t have the answers. Eleven years ago, I was even more in the dark than you are now,” the skeletal canine replied, shaking its skull dismissively as if to emphasize its own limitations.
Sensing the conversation behind him, Duncan half-turned and posed a question: “Is this factory the only place raising questions?”
“Well, as much as I’ve been able to piece together, this factory was the epicenter of the catastrophe eleven years ago,” Shirley answered, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Duncan didn’t immediately validate or contest her statement. Instead, for the next two hours, Duncan, Shirley, and the shadowy hound Dog conducted a meticulous examination of the entire abandoned factory complex.
Puzzlingly, aside from the metaphysical veil distorting reality, they found no evidence of other supernatural forces or relics that might have been left behind.
Breaking his silence as they concluded the inspection of the last building, Dog voiced his concerns, “This is illogical. That reality-bending veil is unmistakably the result of some transcendental power. Yet, despite our thorough search, we haven’t identified a source—an origin point—for this reality-altering veil. It’s perplexing.”
“Is a source necessary?” Shirley inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and skepticism.
Duncan, curious but composed, maintained a stoic face, awaiting Dog’s explanation.
Unexpectedly, the entity with the most insight into metaphysical matters was the skeletal dark hound.
Seeming not to ponder this oddity deeply, the spectral canine explained, “The force concealing the signs of the fire seems constant and unyielding. Such enduring strength implies a power source sustaining it for this prolonged period. Moreover, when the ethereal flames withdrew, the veil swiftly reestablished itself. This resealing action suggests an active, possibly sentient force maintaining it. Whether it’s an anomalous object of immense power or a supernatural being, it’s likely within the bounds of the city-state.”
As Dog shared his insights, he lifted his skeletal skull to scan the horizon, his empty eye sockets appearing to take in the dilapidated streets and distant neighborhoods, as if searching for some unseen clue.
“We failed to locate the veil’s origin within the factory, suggesting two possibilities,” Dog explained cautiously. “Either the entity maintaining this veil is remote, or—the more daunting prospect—the veil’s influence is far larger than we’ve imagined, and we’ve only glimpsed a small corner of it. If it’s the latter,” Dog’s voice lowered apprehensively, “we might be facing a situation far beyond a typical anomaly. We might be confronting an unknown, far-reaching vision of reality itself.”
Shirley abruptly chimed in, her eyes widening with realization. “The sun fragment is far from an ordinary anomaly. According to the cultists, that fragment is the remains of the Black Sun. It’s possible this is the fragment’s way of hiding its true nature.”
Dog pondered before responding, “So you’re suggesting an advanced anomaly with self-awareness? Something so powerful it has cloaked itself to erase any trace of its presence, making itself hidden to avoid control or detection? If it’s the remains of some divine entity, it could potentially have cognitive functions even before becoming fully sentient.”
Shirley, pinching her chin in contemplation, her eyes widened in amazement. “Hold on, when did you get so knowledgeable? I thought you couldn’t even read!”
Dog shook his chain, sounding indignant. “I’m a shadow demon, born from the essence of the Nether Lord! I’ve been imbued with this knowledge since my creation, thank you very much. And who are you to criticize my literacy skills?”
Duncan, quietly observing their banter, was intrigued. The pair had a unique dynamic and many secrets that captured his attention. However, before he could delve deeper, Shirley remembered something urgent. Her eyes darted nervously to the sky, where the sun was gradually ascending to its peak. “Oh no! It’s nearly noon!”
Raising an eyebrow, Duncan inquired, “Is there something else you need to do?”
“I have to get home before noon!” Shirley said urgently.
Duncan looked at her, calm but puzzled. “You mentioned your parents aren’t around. Who’s going to reprimand you for coming home late?”
“It’s not about being reprimanded. I have commitments with someone else,” Shirley hastily explained, waving her hands for emphasis. Their shared experience in the factory seemed to make her feel more comfortable around Duncan. “Could we possibly continue this investigation another day?”
Duncan glanced at the dark hound beside him, who immediately shrank back. “It’s up to you. If you want to continue exploring, Shirley and I will—”
“No need,” Duncan interrupted, shaking his head. “There’s not much to gain from continuing here. We can resume when we find new leads. Since you both have other commitments, go ahead.”
Shirley’s face lit up with surprise and delight, not expecting Duncan to let her go so easily. She didn’t dare bolt right away and cautiously confirmed, “So… Dog and I can leave now? If you want to contact us later…”
Duncan offered her a subtle smile, looking at her warmly. “If it’s meant to be, I’ll find you two.”
His gaze followed Shirley and Dog, lingering on the dark chain connecting the dark hound to her. On that chain, a tiny green spark quietly smoldered.
This was a result of his deeper understanding of the ghost fire after unexpectedly establishing a connection with Vanna; it was a small experiment.
The mark was something he willingly released, more potent than the little flame he had left on Vanna—yet gentle and harmless.
Suddenly, Shirley felt a chill, though Duncan’s smile was warm, it made her shiver.
However, she managed to control her expression, bade him goodbye as politely as possible, and hurriedly left with Dog.
Thank you for the chapter!
Seeing how everything is subtilely connected. Shirley is probably off to see Nina. ?
probably
thought so, things are gonna get good lol
Not subtle at all
Well with how much development these two are getting, there’s no way they won’t be in the crew right? Is Duncan just gonna find a bunch of girls to get attached to throughout the story? Seems lame imo
They either become his daughters or his harem or both pick your poison. I pick the most potent, the third.