As night deepened, Silas hid in the shadows cast by the gas streetlamps, observing the house before him.
A woman's alluring voice once again echoed in his ears, confirming he'd found the right place.
Should I just barge right in?
That doesn't seem quite appropriate. Better to scout it out first.
After thinking it over, Silas climbed over the wall into the courtyard across the way.
He used his dagger to create a wall of spirituality, then took out candles, essential oils, herbs, and other materials from his coat.
At night, the streets had sparse foot traffic, so even if he did something suspicious, he didn't need to worry about being discovered in the short term.
Silas used spirituality to light the candle that symbolized himself, dripped essential oil into it, and sprinkled in herbs.
When the atmosphere became mysterious, he took a deep breath and spoke in ancient Hermes:
"I!"
Then, switching to Hermes, he continued the incantation: "In my name, I summon the spirit wandering in illusion, the creature from the upper realm with keen observation, the friendly being willing to lend me its ethereal eye."
He was seeking power from a spirit world creature to obtain a method for surveilling Sharon's residence.
Boom!
The flame instantly turned ghostly blue and expanded to the size of a human head.
A transparent lizard slowly crawled out from within, as large as a medium-sized dog.
Most eye-catching were its eyes, which protruded from their sockets like antennae.
Silas communicated with this creature through spiritual intuition, understanding what it needed.
He nodded, picked up the dagger, and cut a line beneath his eye bag.
The nerves near the eyelid were rather sensitive, seeming to hurt a bit more than cutting skin elsewhere.
But it's bearable, not too painful.
Silas thought this way.
After becoming a Secrets Suppliant, he'd sadly discovered he seemed to have grown accustomed to various acts of self-harm.
Blood soon flowed from the wound beneath his eye bag, as if he were crying tears of blood.
But before the blood could streak down his cheek and fall to the ground, the transparent lizard extended its long tongue and licked away the blood tears.
Its originally protruding eyes extended even further outward until they detached from their sockets and floated up.
Silas felt a connection and closed his injured eye.
His vision didn't become dark from closing his eye.
Instead, another field of view appeared.
In this vision, he saw himself with eyes closed, from a slightly elevated angle. It was that floating eye. His vision had linked with that eye.
As Silas's thoughts shifted, the eye floated and moved around.
Spirit world creatures were difficult to detect without activating spirit vision, which meant Silas now had a way to secretly survey this house.
He controlled the eye, making it drift toward the house.
The transparent eye wasn't blocked by walls at all.
It easily passed through the courtyard wall, crossed the garden, and finally entered the first-floor hall.
This was an extremely luxurious space, clearly prepared for many guests to dance.
But perhaps because the timing wasn't right, at the moment it was completely bathed in darkness.
Silas circled the entire first floor, but aside from seeing sleeping servants in a corner room, he made no other discoveries.
Is she on the second floor?
By the way, why would this witch be living in such an upscale place?
Silas thought to himself as he drifted upstairs.
He manipulated the eyeball to pass through the floor. After a moment of darkness, light returned before his eyes.
Hmm?
Over ten meters away, Silas's physical body couldn't help but tremble.
There's someone in the room!
This was an extremely luxurious room.
Carpets woven with exquisite patterns covered the floor, furniture made from various expensive woods, the bedside table piled with cosmetics and jewelry, and the half-open dressing room stuffed with fine clothing.
In front of the vanity table sat a beautiful silhouette with her back to Silas.
She wore a veil and gloves, and her appearance was somewhat familiar.
Sharon?
Silas recalled that unforgettable night, the figure who had entered the theater box while watching the play.
Wait, Sharon is also a witch?
I came here following Trissy's blood. Why isn't it Trissy the witch?
Silas's heart filled with doubt.
Something's wrong, very wrong!
Sharon removed her gloves, exposing her hands to the air.
On that soft, pale hand was a large patch of hideous, terrifying scars that made viewers feel both frightened and regretful upon seeing them, as if precious artwork had been marred by barbaric markings.
On the vanity table sat the small bottle Trissy had delivered. Sharon opened the bottle and cautiously dripped a drop onto the scar.
The blood-red liquid seeped into the wound, and the originally hideous injury faded somewhat.
After a few more drops, the scar began to shrink inward and became smaller.
Sharon set down the bottle and removed the veil from her head.
Innocence and allure coexisting, infinitely charming yet pitiable—half her face.
The other half was completely destroyed, with scars even more terrible than those on her hand.
The skin was completely gone, as if corroded, leaving a skull wrapped in bits of flesh and blood.
Holy crap!
Silas couldn't help but jump in fright.
Suddenly, without any warning, Sharon whipped her head around and looked directly at Silas.
On that face where beauty and ugliness coexisted, she revealed a sinister smile.
"I've been waiting for you."
Sharon said.
Her voice was delicate and pleasant to hear, yet incredibly cold, filled with malice and killing intent.
Whoosh!
Silas immediately opened his eyes. Without hesitation, he ended the ritual, grabbed the candle, and fled in the direction away from the house.
Clearly, the hunt had failed. He'd been ambushed instead!
Although he didn't know what sequence Sharon was, she obviously appeared much stronger than Trissy.
Not only had she easily discovered him, but more importantly, for some reason, her hostility toward him was extremely strong—so strong she didn't bother concealing her killing intent at all!
Just after climbing over the courtyard wall, Silas immediately activated the clown puppet at his chest. His speed suddenly accelerated, fast enough to hear the whistling wind in his ears.
Wait, besides the wind, there's an even sharper sound coming from behind...
"Whoosh!"
Silas's keen hearing saved him. While sprinting at high speed, he suddenly turned left.
Several ice spikes followed close behind and viciously pierced into the ground.
If he hadn't turned, he would have been pinned to the ground by now.
"Running away just from seeing me? Such behavior would bring shame to a lady."
Sharon's seductive voice came from behind. She'd somehow already caught up.
Though her words were suggestive, the coldness in her tone grew even stronger.
Silas didn't respond to her, only fled with all his might.
At that moment, another sound of wind came from behind.
After dodging, he discovered what landed wasn't an ice spike but an ice mirror.
In the mirror, Sharon's face—both horrifying and beautiful—was smiling at him.
"Crack!"
The mirror shattered. Sharon burst out from the mirror, the dagger in her hand burning with pitch-black flames, thrusting straight toward Silas's heart!
---
power stones : )