Walker Of The Blue Sky

Chapter 74: Ch 74: The Ghostflame Beast

Emrys immediately scanned the surroundings, his senses heightened and alert. He gripped his blade tightly, ready for any threat that might emerge from the petrified forest. The eerie silence was uncanny, but he forced himself to stay focused.

"What just happened? Was that an illusion?" he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of the cold feeling that had suddenly run through his body earlier. It was a clear sign that a certain danger was approaching him. It was just that he could not see anything, which made him feel as if his earlier experience was just an illusion.

Taking a deep breath, Emrys decided to look around cautiously first. Each step he took was deliberate, his eyes constantly scanning for any sign of danger.

"Shuak~"

A strange sound echoed in the air, immediately attracting Emrys’s attention. He looked in that direction and saw a creature’s back. This creature was holding a staff, prodding the ground from time to time.

"It’s one of those creatures!"

Emrys was astonished as he realized the creature before him was the same white-furred being he had encountered upon entering this spatial zone. This creature had strange green markings spiraling across its body, and green flames burned fiercely around its neck, obscuring its facial features. Only a single horn was visible, protruding from its head.

Due to the intense green flames, its face appeared ghostly.

Emrys inwardly named this creature the Ghostflame Beast.

Emrys watched the Ghostflame Beast from a distance, his mind racing with thoughts. The creature’s presence was unsettling, and he knew he had to tread carefully. The flames around its neck cast flickering shadows, creating an even more haunting atmosphere.

"Should I attack this beast? I just don’t know what kind of changes it will bring me!"

Emrys thought deeply in his heart, but then he shook his head. Steadying his nerves, he took a deep breath. He understood that confronting Ghostflame Beast head-on might not be the wisest decision, especially without knowing its true strength. He decided to observe it for a while longer, hoping to gain some insight into its behavior and intentions.

As the Ghostflame Beast continued to prod the ground with its staff, Emrys noticed something peculiar. He noticed that the ground around the creature seemed to react to its touch, pulsing with a faint green light that matched the flames. It was as if the creature was searching for something, or perhaps performing some kind of ritual.

Who knows?

As Emrys watched the creature’s every action, he suddenly saw the Ghostflame Beast pausing. Its movements became more deliberate.

Emrys’s grip on his blade tightened as he sensed a shift in the air. He saw the green flames around the beast’s neck flaring up, casting an eerie glow over the surroundings. The Ghostflame Beast turned slightly, and for a brief moment, Emrys caught a glimpse of its two sickly green orb-like eyes that made its appearance even more ghostly.

Emrys’s heart pounded in his chest as the creature’s gaze swept over the area. Just from its gaze, Emrys felt a profound momentum that brought pressure to the surroundings. He had a feeling that if this beast truly caught his sight, they might have to fight, and he could not guarantee his win in that battle. That battle might prove to be even more terrifying and exhausting than the fight against Scaled Beast.

He immediately pressed himself against a nearby petrified tree, holding his breath and trying to remain as still as possible. The Ghostflame Beast seemed to be searching for something, and he could not risk being discovered.

After what felt like an eternity, the creature finally looked away, resuming its methodical prodding of the ground.

Emrys exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. He knew he had to make a decision. He had to decide whether to continue observing the Ghostflame Beast or not.

Thinking for a while and drawing on his courage, Emrys decided to try a different approach. He closed his eyes and focused, channeling his Soul Force out. Immediately, he felt a strange resonance in the air. Then he focused on a small pebble on the ground nearby, using his Soul Force to lift it gently. He then sent the pebble rolling away from his hiding spot, hoping to divert the creature’s attention.

The Ghostflame Beast’s head snapped up at the sound, its green eyes narrowing. It turned and moved toward the source of the noise. At the same time, it tightened its grip on the staff.

Emrys used this moment to his advantage, silently slipping out from behind the tree and moving in the opposite direction. He kept his movements slow and deliberate, careful not to make a sound.

As he crept away, Emrys shuddered all of a sudden. For a moment, he felt someone’s gaze looking at him. It was there just for a moment. It was as if someone glanced at him for a moment before shifting their gaze.

"What was that just now?"

It was the same sensation that snapped him back to his senses while he was observing the space inside the bead. For a moment, he even thought that someone had been watching him. He was certain it wasn’t Elysia; it was someone else, perhaps a creature comparable to a human in terms of intelligence.

Taking a deep breath, Emrys tried to sense whether he was being watched again or not, but the feeling of being watched had disappeared completely.

After a few seconds, he returned his focus to the Ghostflame Beast. Just as he was about to make another move, he shuddered and froze. In those moments, he felt that if he dared to take any rushed action, he’d die right there. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.

"Should I retreat?"

Emrys muttered and did not think too much. He immediately decided to retreat.

After putting some distance between himself and the Ghostflame Beast, Emrys paused to catch his breath. He closed his eyes, but that sensation of being watched disappeared once again.

Clearly, whoever was watching him wasn’t actually focused on him but was keeping an eye on the Ghostflame Beast. Emrys was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The owner of those gazes seemed to have no intention of taking any action as long as Emrys didn’t make a wrong move.