Ch 39: Ghost Reapers

When Emrys was aiming to climb the twelfth pillar, no one believed that he could actually do it. They, in fact, mocked him. They did not believe that Emrys would be able to withstand the pressure on the twelfth pillar, let alone the attacks from Lion Falls.

Even Rohan and Cairo doubted him.

However, Emrys proved everyone wrong. Although injured, he not only successfully climbed the twelfth pillar, but he also sat down and started cultivating.

The crowd stood in disbelief as they witnessed Emrys perform what seemed like a miracle.

Indeed, to the spectators, it was nothing short of miraculous. In their eyes, Emrys who was Number 17 was now just an Elementary Bronze Soul Master. Even Silver Soul Masters couldn't guarantee a successful ascent of the twelfth pillar. Yet Emrys did it.

How can they not be surprised?

"I still cannot believe my eyes. He really did it!" Someone sighed in amazement.

"Yes, he did it. But the matter of fact is, how long do you think he'll last up there? How much pressure can he withstand?" Another person spoke, his voice filled with jealousy.

On the other hand, Cairo and Rohan looked at each other and smiled. They were relieved that nothing happened to Emrys. However, they failed to notice something very important which is also their fault. They overlooked a problem they created.

Perhaps because they were worried for Emrys, they subconsciously called out Emrys's name. It just happened that this was heard by a person in the mask who was standing not far from him.

Initially, he frowned, but soon his expression shifted to one of excitement. His excitement was so palpable that he forgot all about the allure of the Lion Falls, hastily departing from the area.

.....

Somewhere inside a dark cave...

"Are you sure you heard it right?"

A middle-aged man with scars all over his face looked at the masked man and asked coldly. He was sitting comfortably on a chair. There was a photonic computer in front of him, displaying a list of hundreds of names.

A photonic computer relies on photons (particles of light) rather than electronic components to process and transmit information. In a photonic computer, data is encoded and manipulated using light signals instead of electrical signals, offering potential advantages such as higher speed, lower energy consumption, and increased bandwidth compared to conventional electronic computers.

"Sir Yor, I... I swear I clearly heard Number 18 and Number 19 calling Number 17 with the name Emrys." The masked man trembled in fear and hurriedly spoke while trying to stay calm.

Yor Darkborne, a formidable Advanced Silver Soul Master, nodded thoughtfully as he reviewed the list of names once more. Then, with a shake of his head, he said, "There's no mention of an Emrys Darkborne here. That leaves us with two possibilities—either you heard the name wrong, or this person, Emrys, along with Numbers 18 and 19 who recognize his name, are outsiders. If it is latter, it means intruders have infiltrated our stronghold."

F*ck!

The masked man shuddered when he heard this. He only wanted to benefit by reporting Number 17's name to the higher-ups responsible for training them. He never expected to learn that intruders had infiltrated this place.

Ghost Reapers, this is the name given to an entire group by the Darkborne Family. The moment a person becomes a member of Ghost Reapers, they have to forget their real name and are given a number. That number becomes their identity. They have to slowly climb the rank and surpass Number 1 in order to regain their real name and truly become a member of the Darkborne Family.

The Darkborne Family isn't a single bloodline family. Instead, they train numerous individuals from across the Great Flame Kingdom. Once these individuals surpass Number 1, they are bestowed with the surname Darkborne. Only then can they truly claim to be a member of the Darkborne Family.

If, by any chance, they dared to use their previous name or let others find their name, they would be punished severely or might even be killed. On the other hand, if someone reported their name to superiors, that person can obtain a certain benefit from the higher-ups responsible for training the Ghost Reapers.

The masked man, intending to obtain the benefit that might surpass what he can obtain from the small pond made from the water of Lion Falls, came to report Emrys's name, telling Yor Darkborne everything he heard. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine encountering intruders.

"You did a good job. Let's go. Let me see who are these daring people that are not afraid of death."

Yor stood up, patted the masked man's shoulder, and walked out.

The masked man remained standing on his spot for some time before hurriedly turning back and started following Yor.

.....

In the eyes of the crowd, Emrys appeared deeply engrossed in cultivation. However, he knew that he wasn't truly cultivating at all. The Multicolored Orb was greedily absorbing the strange energy, as if it had been starved for a long time.

In fact, it wasn't merely absorbing; it was actually devouring that strange energy.

Time passed, and soon an hour passed. During this period, Rohan and Cairo also entered the pond, striving to glean as much benefit as possible from the waters of the Lion Falls.

On the other hand, the speed at which the Multicolored Orb was devouring the strange energy was terrifying. In just an hour, it completely devoured every bit of that strange energy present in the surroundings of the Lion Falls.

Surprisingly, the instant the Multicolored Orb devoured every bit of the strange energy, the strange rhythm capable of strengthening a Soul Master's Soul Force and Soul River disappeared all of a sudden. It seemed as if the driving force behind the birth of that strange rhythm had vanished completely.

"Wha... What happened?"

"Why did the strange rhythm disappear?"

"Who can tell me what is going on? This has never happened before."

The sudden disappearance of the strange rhythm sent a wave of panic through the Ghost Reapers' hearts. Normally, when the Lion Falls activates, it continues producing the strange rhythm for three consecutive days. However, this time, it hadn't even been a day, yet the strange rhythm had already vanished.

What could this mean?

No one had an answer.

A sense of unease settled over everyone. Unfortunately, they had no clue about what was happening and felt powerless to do anything about it.