LOGINMystique Academy.Three days after Miles's departure, a man strode briskly down the hall."Lyra, what happened to that Grimstead exploration mission? Pull it immediately!"It was a teacher at the academy, James Britton. He was also the staff member responsible for mission management. His tone was sharp and urgent."Mr. Britton, what's wrong with that mission?" Lyra asked, puzzled."This isn't a regular A-rank exploration. It might even be S-rank. According to reliable sources, there are five A-rank ghosts inside Grim's Mountain—and possibly an A-rank Ghost Monarch. That already exceeds the A-rank classification," James said, growing more frantic. "Where is the mission? Why don't I see it? Has someone already accepted it?"Lyra froze.Five A-level ghosts… and a Ghost Monarch? How was that even possible?"Speak! Where did the A-rank mission go?" James pressed."It… it was taken three days ago by a student," Lyra stammered."Taken? By which student? Grim's Mountain is treacherou
The power of the Heaven's Staff techniques alone was enough to suppress the Awakened from other paths—but to truly master them to their peak? That was an entirely different challenge.Miles stared at the skill panel. Proficiency Levels: Entry, Mastery, Perfection, Transcendent.Heaven's Staff Manual (Not Learned)Celestial Command Art (Not Learned)He was momentarily stunned. Learning these two techniques required only 100 summon points.'Only 100 summon points? That's an absolute steal.'Without hesitation, Miles clicked "Learn."The proficiency levels of both Heaven's Staff Manual and Celestial Command Art immediately changed from "Not Learned" to "Entry." But to advance further would cost 1,000 summon points—ten times the initial cost."High prices, huh?" Miles hesitated for a moment, then spent 2,000 summon points to raise both techniques to Mastery. At least now his safety was ensured; if danger arose, he'd have enough time to summon Molly for combat.But when he glanced
"You want them all?"Charlie froze. He had never encountered anyone like Miles. Normally, you pick one, but Miles wanted them all."Not allowed? Fine, then I won't take any," Miles said casually, sliding the Crimson Bride's hand into his as he turned to leave."Since you fancy them all, consider it their good fortune," Charlie said with a smile. He looked at the five girls. "From now on, you are Miles's wives. Serve him well."The five girls nodded obediently, expressionless.The ritual concluded, and Miles returned to his room, preparing for the next phase of his plan. But as he entered, he froze. The same five girls, now in tattered clothes, were waiting inside, ready to obey his command."Damn… they're so eager—more eager than me. Are all women in Grimstead this wild?" Miles muttered, grinning, and lunged forward.Five minutes later, Miles had subdued all five."Trying to use beauty to bind me… but I'm not that kind of man," he declared with feigned righteousness.Though at
Charlie's hand was cold, absolutely devoid of warmth. This was no ordinary hand—like a corpse's.Miles frowned, unease prickling down his spine, as Charlie forcibly led him to the site where they worshiped the well spirit.All the villagers had gathered there, their eyes vacant, faces pale, as if their souls had long since abandoned them.Around the mouth of the well, thick waves of oppressive dark essence surged upward, seeping into the bodies of the villagers, leeching what little life force they had left.By the well stood an ancient woman, easily in her seventies, manipulating something unknown. She wore a bizarre headdress, a strange ceremonial robe, and a fierce, grotesque mask that concealed her face.The old woman chanted something under her breath, an incantation in a language long forgotten.Whether it was the sound or the spell itself, Miles felt a strange connection forming between him and Grim's Mountain, as if the village and its darkness were sensing him.'Could t
The villagers they passed—mostly elderly men and women working the fields—greeted Miles warmly, a stark contrast to the lifeless pallor of those he'd seen earlier."Charlie, you've lived here a long time, haven't you? Haven't you ever thought of leaving?" Miles asked, glancing at the old tile-roofed houses. Outside, the world had high-rises, electric lights, and televisions—but here, it was oil lamps and clay walls."We're self-sufficient here. There's no need to go outside," Charlie shook his head."The outside is full of wandering spirits. It's safer for us to stay here. And even if we wanted to leave… we couldn't." He let out a long sigh."What do you mean by that?" Miles's interest peaked."The village is protected by the well spirit. It keeps other spirits and fiends away, but at a cost—the villagers of Grimstead can never leave, or they'll die instantly," Charlie explained. This was why he had warned Miles not to enter. Once someone steps in, they become part of the village,
Normally, a boss lurked at the deepest part of a dungeon, so if one wanted to find it, the best way was to head further in. The deeper you went, the more thrilling and dangerous it became.Half an hour later, a wisp of smoke drifted lazily in the distance—the scent of cooking fires."Grimstead, the village on Grim's Mountain, must be up ahead," Miles murmured.Based on the task information, he already had some understanding of the area."The mission description says Grimstead is strange… anyone who goes in may never come out. I don't even know if that's true."Miles hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. After thinking it through, he summoned the rest of his creatures."Come out, all of you."All of his remaining A-Rank creatures appeared at once: Ghost Fiend, Headless Ghost, and Water Wraith. The four together—including Crimson Bride—would terrify any passing Awakened."My summon points are running low," Miles muttered, reserving enough for one final summon of Molly—his







