Chapter 129: This Way

Before the frost could freeze everyone’s shoes to the ground, they finally broke through the wall of phantoms.

Bill immediately dashed forward, and the others followed suit, escaping before the "wall" could close again.

Saul looked up, slightly excited, and reminded everyone, "Take the passage on the right! That leads to the exit near the surface!"

However, just as Saul gave his warning, he saw Bill raise his left hand slightly and say, "Watch out for the Landship Sail! This way!"

Then, Bill veered into the left passage, followed silently by Wright and Byron.

Saul was about to warn them that the left path was a dead end, but before he could open his mouth, the others had already rushed in.

He reached the fork in the path and hesitated for a moment.

Behind him, an icy chill loomed like the depths of winter. The right path led to the exit but was likely an ambush site for the Landship Sail. The left path was a dead end...

Gritting his teeth, Saul also turned into the left passage.

Perhaps Bill and the others had a plan—to lure the pursuing spirits into the right passage?

If they could make the Landship Sail's people clash directly with the spirits, they might have a chance to escape.

Saul had countless questions in his mind, but seeing the others sprinting forward in silence, he had no choice but to swallow his doubts for now.

A few minutes later, they reached the end of the passage.

A pile of boulders blocked the path ahead, making it impossible to tell if there was another passage beyond them.

Even if they could break through the rocks, it would take a long time.

Saul gradually slowed down. Just as he was about to ask what to do next, he was stunned to see Bill rushing forward at full speed—straight into the boulder pile!

Behind him, Wright and Byron—who was carrying the unconscious Nick—also disappeared into the rocks one by one.

Saul stood there in disbelief.

The scene reminded him of a classic novel—

"Could there be a Rank 2 spell that allows people to pass through walls?"

Yet, a sense of unease crept into Saul’s heart.

In that novel, there was a scene where the protagonist was the one left behind…

Reaching out, Saul touched the wall—only to find it was solid, unyielding stone. His hand couldn’t pass through.

His chest heaved violently as realization dawned, yet he still stubbornly took a few steps back and rammed into the wall again.

"Bang!"

His shoulder ached from the impact, and dirt fell from above, scattering onto his head.

Leaning against the wall, Saul trembled with rage, his limbs shaking uncontrollably.

"So this… is how you planned to lure the spirits away."

With each breath, white mist escaped Saul’s lips.

The surrounding walls began to crystallize with intricate frost patterns.

Cold seeped through his collar and sleeves, penetrating his body.

"He’s here."

Saul knew exactly what was coming.

As expected, the diary flew out.

Glancing at its pages, he was not surprised to find another recorded death.

He had been wary of Wright and Bill, but he had never imagined Byron would betray him so easily.

A full-fledged wizard-level spirit—something Saul stood no chance against.

But he refused to give in. If he had ever resigned himself to fate, he would have been dead long ago.

Looking at the diary again, Saul’s mind raced.

The knowledge he had accumulated over the years flashed before his eyes.

"Fear stems from the unknown, but I am not entirely ignorant about spirits."

A bold idea surfaced in his mind.

Illusory soul parasites flickered along his arms, though they moved sluggishly due to the cold.

Saul pulled out several unused Spirit Armor Scrolls and looked back into the darkness from where he had come.

He could feel something approaching.

No sound—only an ever-deepening cold.

Moving his arm, he watched as the frost on his clothes alternated between forming and shattering. His frozen face twisted into a smile.

Bang—Bang—Bang—

The Light Spell on his body flickered uncontrollably.

Saul lifted his gaze.

At the edge of the darkness, an elderly figure with a ghastly purple-blue complexion emerged.

His features were grotesque, with twitching lips and eyes. His upper body floated eerily in the air—his hands, nose, even his hair all seemingly stitched together from different people.

Though the spirits appeared motionless, each flicker of light brought it closer in an instant.

Deep wrinkles covered its sagging skin, and its gaze burned with venomous resentment.

A cacophony of muffled cries and desperate wails rang in Saul’s ears, as if he had been transported back to that fateful battle in Hanging Valley.

"Come on!" he roared, shattering the last remnants of hesitation.

He had no time to confirm his plan with the diary.

The spirit's shriveled face expanded in his vision—

Growing larger, larger, and larger…

Darkness fell.

---

Meanwhile…

“Wright, seal the passage!” As soon as they all entered the right tunnel, Bill ordered Wright to block the narrow path.

Wright turned back to cast his spell but hesitated for a brief moment.

He opened his mouth as if to say something—but ultimately said nothing and began chanting.

As his incantation ended, sharp stone spikes crisscrossed in the narrowest part of the tunnel, sealing the entrance shut.

Byron, still carrying Nick, was breathless from the sprint. Frowning, he muttered, “What are you guys doing? The spirits can turn incorporeal at any time—”

Then he froze mid-sentence.

“Saul!?” Byron suddenly turned back, his eyes searching.

Saul… hadn’t followed them!

Since encountering the spirits, Byron had been rapid-firing spells, leaving his spiritual body severely shaken. He hadn’t noticed when Saul disappeared.

Now, as he pieced everything together, realization dawned.

These two… had spent precious magic to block the tunnel—

To keep Saul trapped.

“You’re insane?” Byron’s voice was a mix of disbelief and fury.

He made a move to rush back—

But Bill grabbed him with a dark expression.

“Byron, if you go back, can you save Saul?” Bill’s voice was heavy. “Even the three of us together couldn’t defeat that spirits.”

“So you just decided to sacrifice Saul as bait?” Byron bared his teeth in a snarl, resembling a furious beast.

Wright said nothing, merely shifting his gaze away in discomfort.

Abandoning the weak was common practice. He simply hadn’t considered sacrificing Saul—until Bill made the call.

Bill, unwilling to waste more time, stated flatly, “Saul’s already fallen behind. At least this way, he buys us time. If you want to go back, I won’t stop you. Wright, we’re leaving.”

With that, Bill turned to run.

“Bill.”

Byron closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, his gaze was cold and steady.

“At the last fork, you tricked Saul into taking the left path, didn’t you?”

Bill didn’t reply, but his expression said everything.

“There was no spell fluctuation. That means… you drugged him—back when he injured his arm, didn’t you?”

You had planned to abandon him all along.

Byron might have just reached Rank 3, but he finally understood what kind of man Bill was.

Just a slightly more powerful demon.

Bill smirked and took a step forward.

"Look at him now," Bill thought. "After all that fuss, he’s still choosing to leave Saul behind."

But before he could move again—

Byron suddenly lunged forward, blocking his path.

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