Chapter Forty-Seven: Into the Depths

The Banshee’s form would not change for no reason. Just now, when Hughes blocked with his sword, he found her strength to be no less than his own.

“Ding! Banshee: Strength 4.74, Agility 6.11, Constitution 10.42, Spirit: 3.18, Status: Emitting high-intensity energy radiation throughout the body; prolonged close contact induces bloodlust.”

Gazing at the data provided by the chip, Hughes was taken aback by her speed and constitution, and could not help but feel curious about the high-intensity energy radiation.

“Perhaps it’s this intense energy on her body that caused the banshee’s mutation,” Hughes mused, carefully examining the creature before him. The banshee, in turn, was watching him with equal scrutiny.

She sensed that the man standing before her was utterly unlike any being she’d ever encountered—there was something indescribable about him.

“Karola-Utara!” Hughes shouted, hurling a bolt of lightning at the banshee.

Though the blue flash was unfamiliar, the banshee instinctively sensed danger and sought to evade it. But Hughes, smiling slightly, knew his aim was true—the chip had calculated everything, and his strike would not be so easily dodged.

As expected, no matter how fast the banshee was, the lightning struck her left wing.

A piercing, mournful screech rang out as the banshee crashed heavily to the ground.

Hughes looked on with satisfaction at the banshee, now convulsing on the ground, her feathers charred and blackened by his attack. As he prepared to approach, the banshee suddenly sprang into the air.

She beat her wings and took flight, her gaze toward Hughes tinged with fear. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned and fled toward the outskirts of the city with powerful strokes of her wings.

“So this is the advantage of a high constitution,” Hughes remarked, marveling at the banshee’s constitution exceeding 10. Without delay, he gave chase.

The banshee was fast, and Hughes could only follow her general direction.

He pursued her all the way into the mountains behind Seil City, but upon arrival, could find no trace of her.

“Damn it! Not a sign of her anywhere.” With no other choice, Hughes pressed on, moving deeper into the mountains.

Moonlight poured through the forest, painting the woods with an eerie tranquility. Hughes could clearly hear his own breathing.

“Hiss-hiss!” he crept carefully, the sound of snakes in the undergrowth making him watch his step for fear of treading on one.

“Coo-coo!” An owl perched on a branch, its large eyes fixed on Hughes.

The forest at night was even more dangerous than by day. Hughes, however, felt somewhat reassured by the chip at his disposal.

Step by step, Hughes ventured deeper into the mountains, the towering peaks looming like the fangs of a giant beast ready to swallow him whole.

“What’s this?” By the pale light of the moon, Hughes spotted something unusual on the ground.

He crouched down and discovered the earth was stained red.

“Blood.” He rose to his feet, his expression grave as he surveyed his surroundings.

The bloodstains were still fresh, the metallic scent lingering in the air—this could not have happened long ago.

Drawing a dagger from his belt, Hughes sensed he must be close to the banshee’s location.

Pressing onward into the mountain depths, Hughes kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings. The bloodstains grew more frequent, scattered in ever greater number, and he followed their trail.

The trees became denser, and thorny plants appeared in abundance. Hughes had considered cutting them away with his sword, but feared the noise would alert the banshee, so he painstakingly wove his way around them.

A foul stench drifted through the air, making Hughes cough uncontrollably.

“What a disgusting smell!” He covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve in revulsion.

Eventually, he found himself at the very heart of the mountain, facing a wide cavern entrance.

Standing at the threshold, Hughes confirmed the stench emanated from within. He hesitated, knowing he was already in the mountain’s deepest recesses. From the signs along the way, he judged this cave must be the banshee’s lair. Yet, he was wary of entering, for if a fight broke out within, he’d be at a disadvantage in the cramped space. Having witnessed the banshee’s power, Hughes dared not rush in blindly.

“To hell with it!” After weighing his options, Hughes resolved to enter, prepared to retreat at the slightest sign of trouble.

With a snap of his fingers, a ball of flame appeared in his hand, lighting the way as he crept cautiously into the cave.

The stench intensified within, but Hughes steeled himself and pressed on. The cave was dry—much cleaner than he’d expected.

It extended for over a dozen meters, and Hughes advanced with utmost caution.

Before long, he saw a faint light ahead—weak, but unmistakable in the darkness.

Dousing his own flame, Hughes crept toward the light.

He soon found himself at the end of the cave, where a round stone chamber opened before his eyes. The chamber was vast—over a hundred square meters. Hughes felt as if the entire mountain had been hollowed out to create it. In its center stood a tree, despite the absence of sunlight. Embedded in the stone walls were several irregular stones, emitting a pale green glow.

Surveying the chamber, Hughes saw no sign of the banshee.

Taking advantage of her absence, his courage grew and he ventured closer.

He discovered a nest woven from leaves, within which three banshees lay sleeping.

Unlike the one he had fought, these three were entirely blood-red, their wings marked with rings of patterns.

By the faint light, Hughes also saw a pile of white bones by the wall, many still bearing scraps of flesh. There were numerous skulls—each with a hole bored through the crown.

“She’s been capturing people to feed these three banshees.” Fighting back nausea, Hughes retreated several steps.

Suddenly, his shoe sank into the soil. Startled, he prepared to leap away, but found he wasn’t trapped too deeply.

Only then did he notice the tree he’d seen upon entering the chamber. He had wondered how such a tree could grow here.

Examining the soil around the tree, he saw it was crimson with blood.

“No wonder!” Now Hughes understood why there had been no blood elsewhere in the cave—the banshee had poured it all onto the tree, turning the earth into a blood-soaked mire.

Suppressing his revulsion, he approached the tree for a closer look. The patterns on its bark matched those on the three banshees’ wings, and several pale red fruits hung from its branches—one of them as red as blood, almost irresistibly enticing.

“It seems these banshees’ mutations are closely linked to this tree.” Understanding dawned, Hughes backed out of the bloody mire. He could tell this tree thrived only by absorbing blood. The chip could not identify the species, so Hughes left it alone, wary of the tree’s thick, adult-sized trunk.

He turned to the three slumbering juvenile banshees, drew his dagger, and drove it into their chests one by one. None even had time to scream.

With the three young banshees dispatched, Hughes gazed at the tree once more. At first, he considered burning it, but then thought of the fruit’s effect on the banshees—perhaps it might benefit him as well. He was still some way from advancing to Third-Level Apprentice; who knew if the tree’s fruit might help? Even if he couldn’t use it himself, he could take it back for Wizard Matt, who would surely recognize it.

With that, Hughes quietly left the cave. He planned to ambush the banshee nearby. He was not overly afraid of her as a wizard, and if he could paralyze her again and target her heart and head, surely she would not survive.

Exiting the cave, Hughes circled the area and finally spotted the banshee’s tracks.

Moonlight spilled over the river, painting it silver—a silken ribbon winding through the valley.

There, by the riverbank, the banshee he had struck with lightning was grooming her scorched feathers with the river’s water.