Chapter 44: The Running Portrait of the Hanged Man

The superpower of Number 11 was fundamentally different from Lin Xiao’s magic. Though both were extraordinary abilities, their natures diverged greatly. Lin Xiao found his own magic akin to the vital energy or spiritual force described in Eastern cultivation, whereas Number 11’s abilities more closely resembled the arcane spells of a sorcerer, or perhaps psychic powers.

Beyond that, her superpowers included traversing dimensions, tearing open rifts between worlds, and even astral projection. In truth, her abilities were reminiscent of a blend between Professor X’s psychic prowess and Doctor Manhattan’s omnipotence.

In short, she was formidable—her powers vast and overwhelming, far beyond anything Lin Xiao could muster at present. However, Number 11’s mental state was unstable, her mind immature, and her grasp on her powers incomplete. Like the Six Veins Divine Sword in the tales, her abilities were unreliable, sometimes working, sometimes not. Had she fully mastered them, there would be no need to fear any monsters or devils; no matter how many came, they’d fall all the same.

Clack—clack—clack...

As the four conversed, without warning, measured footsteps echoed from the direction of the staircase. Each step struck their eardrums, sending waves of anxiety through them, their heartbeats growing erratic.

“Jonathan, my chest feels awful,” Will gasped, clutching at his chest, his complexion shifting from red to a sickly blue. Next to him, Chief Hope fared no better, wheezing heavily, one finger trembling as he pointed toward the stairs, struggling to form words.

“Still coming for us? You really think we’re so easy to bully?” Lin Xiao raised his Star Destroyer Axe, magic flames flickering to life, and with a swift stride, charged toward the staircase, peering up from the foot of the steps.

As he expected, there was no one on the stairs above, but the wooden floorboards still echoed with urgent, rhythmic knocks, the sound only growing more frantic.

Number 11 and the others approached, and Lin Xiao, summoning all his courage, began to ascend. The other three followed, now much calmer—even the timid Will had regained composure, no longer as panicked as before.

None of them noticed, as they climbed, two shadowy forms slowly descending from above the staircase.

For some unknown reason, Lin Xiao felt a chill on his scalp; just as he was about to look up, two hands seized his neck, hoisting him into the air.

All four craned their necks upward, only to see, hanging upside down from the ceiling above the stairs, four indistinct figures, each reaching out to snatch them, suspending them in midair.

“Got you now. Join us—become the guardians of this house,” came a bizarre, twisted laugh from above. The sound pierced straight into their brains, as though an awl was drilling into their skulls, then slowly twisting.

In this moment of peril, Lin Xiao wasted no time. He swung his axe upward, slashing fiercely. A shrill scream erupted, and suddenly he was released, dropping back onto the stairs.

The upside-down figure was now engulfed in flames, frantically slapping at the fire. But the magical blaze, capable of burning even supernatural forces, could not be extinguished no matter how it struggled.

Lin Xiao leapt up, severing the arms grasping the other three, setting the remaining three dangling figures alight.

They writhed and thrashed against the ceiling, their feet seemingly rooted in the plaster, unable to break free. Gradually, they faded into nothingness amid the flames.

With a thought, Lin Xiao instantly snuffed out the four fires. Having experimented repeatedly, he could now control the conjured flames at will—otherwise, the entire house would have been reduced to ashes again.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for killing LV2 Hanging Wraith. Source Energy +10.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for killing LV2 Hanging Wraith. Source Energy +10.]
...
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for reaching 50 points of Source Energy. Upgrade requirements met. Would you like to upgrade?]

“Not yet,” Lin Xiao replied, breathing a sigh of relief. Another 40 Source Energy points in the bank—not a bad haul, though his heart could barely take it. Damn, this was terrifying. Always coming out of nowhere—why not face them head-on if they had the guts?

“Are you all right, Will?” Lin Xiao turned to check on him. Will shook his head, indicating he was fine, rubbing his bruised neck and blinking back tears, determined not to show weakness.

Will had performed admirably this time. Though his face was ashen from the strangulation, he hadn’t broken down again. After all, he’d been chased around by that monstrous dog and possessed by a mind flayer—he’d weathered more than a few storms by now.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A sudden cacophony startled them once more. Following the noise, they saw that the portraits hanging on the second-floor walls were dropping to the floor, skidding across the corridor as if skating on ice.

Most of these paintings were portraits, with a few landscapes among them, hung as mere decorations. The real estate agent had claimed they were only replicas, but now they seemed anything but ordinary.

As the paintings skittered about, it was as if they sensed the group’s presence. Suddenly, they all turned and slid rapidly toward the staircase.

Lin Xiao placed Will behind him, raising his axe in a defensive stance. Number 11 drew her Sprout Staff, ready to support him at any moment.

One painting slammed straight at Lin Xiao. He swung his axe, but to his surprise, the figure in the painting suddenly reached out, grabbing hold of the weapon.

The magical flames were just about to ignite the figure’s arms, when suddenly, the waterfall from a landscape painting nearby surged out of its frame, dousing the fire with a hiss.

Lin Xiao’s face darkened. Since enchanting his weapon, this was the first time his magic flames had been extinguished. These ghosts were no weaker than the vengeful spirit they’d faced before.

Number 11 was about to swing her staff when another painting crashed into her. This time, the image was of a little girl carrying a basket.

The girl beckoned to Number 11. In an instant, Number 11’s staff vanished from her grasp, reappearing in the little girl’s basket. The girl smiled, waved, and skipped along a path within the painting, disappearing into its painted depths.

Both of them now disarmed, two more paintings slid down the corridor—one was Van Gogh’s Starry Night, the other Monet’s Impression, Sunrise.

As they glided closer, the swirling lines of Van Gogh’s work began to churn violently. Number 11 tried to dodge, but found her own body twisting and distorting, being drawn into the painting, morphing into one of its warped figures.

Lin Xiao was also attacked. In the Monet seascape, a small boat began to row closer and closer, its prow jutting from the canvas and ramming into him. His Star Destroyer Axe was knocked from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

He tumbled into the boat, and as he tried to get up, the vessel retreated back into the painting, returning to its place on the water—only now, there were two figures aboard.

Watching helplessly as both friends were pulled into the paintings, Will and Chief Hope were petrified. Fortunately, their nerves held. Chief Hope lunged, grabbing the fleeing frames with both hands.

Though he didn’t fully understand what was happening, he knew one thing for certain: he must not let them be taken, or disaster would surely follow.

The two paintings thrashed violently, like enraged crocodiles. Chief Hope clung to their frames, his hands soon slick with blood, but he refused to let go.

Will stood frozen, at a loss, on the verge of tears again. With Jonathan and Number 11 vanished, their pillars of strength were gone—how could they possibly face these monsters alone?

“Will, pick up the axe and smash the frames!” Chief Hope shouted.

Will jolted. Why was he always so timid? Why was it always him who got hurt? He didn’t want to be weak anymore. He wanted to be brave, like his brother, and dare to swing the axe at his enemies.

With a new resolve, Will stooped, picked up the Star Destroyer Axe, and brought it down hard on the painting that had trapped Lin Xiao.