novelraw Chapter 154 - Chapteer 154 - Ghost busting
Chapter 154 - Chapteer 154 - Ghost busting
With my preparations finished, I start to move onto Hangman's Hill, into the mist hiding the spectral terrors of the place. I move with my sword in one hand and the handle of the buckler clutched tightly in the other, ready for trouble, in the form of a fight, at any moment.
I very much don't expect any of the ghosts I could encounter here to be open to reasoning after all. I suspect even with the guard deeply corrupt, that most of the people who found their end and a final resting place in graves that aren't consecrated here weren't exactly upstanding citizens in life to begin with. People like that don't usually take kindly to being brought to justice either. No, I'd be very surprised if I were to come across even a single ghost that regrets their deeds. It's much more likely that the only thing they regret is being caught.
It pains me to admit it, but I'm not that different either, even though I try to hold myself to higher standards. That female guard, whose life I ended ou in the woods when they tried to sell Núira's cousin Lofn into slavery? I don't feel an ounce of regret for that deed. If I'd somehow get myself tried and convicted for the deed though in a way that ends with my neck in a noose? Yes, I'd very much regret doing something stupid like that. It's an uncomfortable truth. I have some hope though that the thieves guild at the very least would spring for having any members buried in a properly consecrated grave instead of here.
Well, for now I have to focus on other things anyway. I try to be stealthy and even avoid disturbing the mist through hasty movements as much as possible, although I have no clue if it'll make any difference. At the same time I keep my eyes open to spot the subtle disturbances in the mist that might give away a ghosts approach. It really isn't easy, but it eventually pays off.
I'm not that far in yet when I spot the first disturbance close to an old grave. It's marked with a stone, but that same stone in turn hasn't even been engraved with a name or a date. I suppose it's only there to keep the laborers who dig the graves around here from digging up someone by accident. Yes, nobody would want that kind of surprise I surmise.
For now though that isn't any of my concern. In the long run doing something about this state of things would be advisable, but right now all my senses and thoughts are focused on the ghost I'm sure is lingering there. One way or the other I'll have to deal with it. And since it's apparently alone it's a good starting point for the whole endeavor.
I don't strike right off the bat anyway. No, first I let my gaze wander a little more, never straying from the disturbance in the mist for long though. I just want to make sure there are no others nearby just waiting to get a jump on me. My [Perception] skill benefits, but I don't spot any other threats. So far, so good.
Now how to best go about taking that one down? Do ghosts have anatomy and thus vulnerable spots? I'm not sure and I can think of only one way to find out. I have to attack this one. There is no way around it. Thus I do. It's that simple.
My attack is a rather conservative one though. I don't try to go for a beheading strike because I have no way to judge how tall this ghost stands exactly. I don't try for a thrust at any potentially vulnerable spots either, because I can't exactly tell where they are. Instead I go for a powerful swing that should neatly bisect it. Or close enough anyway.
And my sword does indeed connect with the ghost that is still mostly hidden from sight, except for the disturbance in the mist it causes. A notification whispered in the voice of Fox leaves no doubt about that.
[*Ding!* Hit! Ghost's Health reduced by 72!]
It's a solid hit. A very solid hit indeed even though it's not a critical hit. Apparently it's not good enough to destroy the ghost though. At least my [Melee Weapons] and [Blades] skills benefit. Even better is the next notification to brush my mind.
[*Ding!* Your skill Long Blades has leveled up to level 3!]
This one counts towards the progress of my scoundrel class, which is good news too. Sadly there are no further, indirect secondary improvements to my stats this time around. I guess I can't expect those every time and especially not on uneven levels of common skills.
I don't have time to dwell on that anyway. As my sword passes through the ghost, almost like through water, or possibly some kind of jello, a ripple goes through the air and the mist as the incorporate undead becomes visible.
It's not a sight that's easy on the eyes. The man has been hanged but probably only after being broken by the wheel, judging by his spectral appearance. He still wears a spectral noose and it's not the kind that would mercifully break the neck either. His arms and legs in turn look like they have been smashed, if he were a corporeal undead he probably would not be able to even stand.
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Where my sword passed through his spectral appearance some kind off ooze drips to the ground only to evaporate before it actually can hit the latter. And of course his visage is the very picture of unadulterated rage. Not pain, although I undoubtedly hurt it, but rage. Not necessarily at me especially but the injustice of it all in general.
To make it worse I might just be shaken and caught by surprise at least a little. Enough though for the ghost to reach out and actually grasp my throat while it's own mouth is wide open in a silent scream. Its touch is ice cold! It's cold like death itself! And since I'm caught off guard, most of my defense skills don't apply either. The notification that follows is no real surprise.
[*Ding!* You have been wounded! Health reduced by 15!]
This is the most serious wound, if you can call it that, I have suffered in a while. Yet even now only a short deceptively lighthearted utterance comes over my lips.
"Oh, quack!"
The real silver lining, as far as I can see is, that at the very least my [Spell Resistance] skill applies and protects me and thus makes some progress towards the next level up too. And, of course, the unpleasant experience spurs me back into action, breaking me out of that mix of surprise and fear that allowed that creepy thing to land a hit in the first place.
With my sword slightly out of position after my initial blow I make use of my enchanted buckler instead. Just like I told Fox. Without delay I bash the ghost in the face with it. Seeing its brief look of surprise just as the enchanted shield connects is quite rewarding and so is the way the ghost is turned into ectoplasmic goop splashing the ground ahead of me before it quickly evaporates. The notifications that follow are even more rewarding though.
[*Ding!* Hit! Ghost's Health reduced by 56!]
[*Ding!* You have defeated a Ghost!]
I have to admit that I'm a little surprised. Not because the move worked but by the actual amount of damage I dealt with it. It's probably because several of my skills supported it. My [Melee Weapons], [Shields] and [Brawling] skills all improve a little. Thanks to this little stunt the latter two skills are now actually close to leveling up again.
Still, I feel a little somber after this brief encounter. Overall dealing with the ghost hasn't been too difficult. Yet, at the same time it has been sobering too. Sure I have won. Not without suffering some damage though. And this was only one ghost. If it's two or more and they manage to corner or surprise me this could end badly before I even have time to realize that I'm in mortal danger. I can't exactly just stop though. This is something that needs to be dealt with. I guess this means I'll just have to be extra careful?
That's so easy to say, but it's not nearly as easily done. I take a deep breath to steady my breathing and calm my nerves. I rub the spot on my throat where the ghost grabbed me too. Its touch really was bone chilling. Afterwards I take a moment to look around, I keep my eyes open for any other disturbances in the mist or for old and abandoned graves for that matter. Those might be a good indicator for the presence of one of the unquiet dead too as I have just learned. It's better than nothing, but neither is easy to spot. It's too dark and the omnipresent mist doesn't exactly help either. At least my [Perception] skill keeps improving little by little as a result.
There is no easy way to go about this, but I do have to keep going. With my sword and the buckler at the ready I keep moving. It doesn't take too long for me to find out that my worries aren't unfounded either. It's my [Danger Sense] that gives me the little warning I need to prevent disaster.
Since I can't spot anything ahead or even out of the corner of my eyes I whirl around as I feel the familiar tingle at the back of my neck and as I do my sword catches the spectral creep that tried to sneak up on me square in the face. Mostly because he carries his head in his right hand. Yes, this one has very obviously been beheaded and not with one clean stroke of the axe or the sword either.
Gods and goddesses damn it, but are executions around here performed this sloppy on purpose? Well, at least I have a quick notification to cheer me up.
[*Ding!* Hit! Ghost's Health reduced by 73!]
Better than before, but still not good enough to dissipate the spectral remains of this criminal with one slash of the sword. My skills benefit though. My [Melee Weapons], [Blades] and [Long Blades] skills all improve a little. Even better though, this time around my attack leaves the ghost stunned or surprised enough so I can immediately follow up with a shield bash without suffering any damage in turn.
[*Ding!* Hit! Ghost's Health reduced by 56!]
[*Ding!* You have defeated a Ghost!]
It's this immediate second attack with my off hand that earns me a whole slew of additional notifications on top of these expected two.
[*Ding!* Your skill Ambidextrous has leveled up to level 5!]
[*Ding!* Your skill Shields has leveled up to level 5!]
[*Ding!* Your skill Brawling has leveled up to level 8!]
Thanks to these all three of my classes make a little progress towards the next level up. Even more though, both my strength and my agility improve a little too. The former even results in another little boost to my attack power.
By the time I manage to regain my composure after this little adrenaline rush the remains of the ghost that splattered everywhere have already evaporated again, making the damned mist even thicker.
I take another deep breath. This is two down and gods and goddesses know how many to go. I obviously still have a lot of work ahead of me, but at least I know that the fight is not one I can't win. At least as long as I manage to keep confronting individual ghosts. Small groups might be fine too, but I'd rather not find out if I don't have to. Well, I better not dawdle. Every ghost I find will soon be one that won't be able to find me. Besides, so far this endeavor promises to pay off nicely, judging by the level up notifications I managed to amass up until now.