This was the Ghost World's depths. Danger saturated the very air. Only fools wandered in unprepared.
Iron Rock snapped back to his senses, his face going pale. He waved his hands frantically, voice rising several octaves:
"No way! Bro, absolutely not!"
He took a deep breath and explained urgently: "Even our strongest won't venture deep into that area carelessly. Frenzied Ghost-type Pokémon pack the space beyond imagination. Elite Four trainers? Forget it. Even Champion-level powerhouses would barely escape alive if thousands of crazed ghosts surrounded them. They might even die in there."
"The environment is brutal. Spatial rifts everywhere. Energy turbulence that can tear a person to shreds. You can't just force your way through with strength alone!"
"And this is during a Ghost World tide. If you go in now, you'll definitely die!"
Kairos furrowed his brow after hearing Iron Rock's explanation. A headache was coming on.
This was a major problem.
Under normal circumstances, he could have Gengar hide him in its shadow and carry him through difficult terrain. Gengar had demonstrated this ability before. Theoretically, it could merge him into shadows for long-distance movement.
But this was the Ghost World's depths, crawling with Ghost-type Pokémon everywhere.
Everyone here played with shadows and psychic powers. Gengar hiding him might fool the naked eye, but not those wild Ghost-types with their keen senses and sharp perception.
Among Ghost-types, Gengar carrying a living human would stand out like a beacon. The frenzied Pokémon would almost certainly discover them.
Once discovered and surrounded in such narrow, unfamiliar terrain, they would be walking into a death trap.
He could not force his way through either. Two fists could not defeat four hands. Even with Chandelure and Gengar, dealing with all the ghosts inside would be impossible.
Moreover, the Ho-Oh feather's charge had already run out.
Kairos calculated for a moment. Forcing through was definitely out. That way led to suicide.
How about surveying the perimeter first to assess the situation?
After all, this was already the boundary between the two areas, not too far from the core region.
Perhaps he could find clues at the edges, or discover patterns in how that red dot influenced the outside world. That way he could formulate a solid plan.
Kairos made up his mind. He would not rush deep. Instead, he would conduct reconnaissance around the periphery.
---
On the other side of the Ghost World, in a grand and sinister fortress at its core, the atmosphere was suffocating.
The massive structure was built entirely of black stone. Ancient runes carved into its walls emanated an eerie purple glow.
In the top-floor conference hall, a group of black-robed figures had gathered.
At the far end of the long table sat two figures with terrifyingly powerful auras, a man and a woman.
Even sitting quietly, the pressure emanating from them could suffocate ordinary people.
These were two of the Ghost World lineage's Realm Lords. Aside from the strongest one, Will, they held the highest power ruling the Ghost World.
The long table was filled with commanders responsible for various defense zones and senior Night Watchers.
Exhaustion and anxiety marked their faces. Each discussed the recent Ghost World tide situation in hushed voices.
Bad news kept coming. The Ghost Tide was becoming increasingly violent, erupting more frequently and with greater intensity.
Many defense zones were already on the verge of collapse. Casualty numbers climbed constantly. Supplies were being consumed at a frightening rate.
If this continued, the collapse of the defensive lines was only a matter of time.
A burly man wearing sunglasses spoke in a deep voice, breaking the hall's clamor.
"Everyone, listen to me."
He looked around, his tone heavy: "The League has learned of the situation here and dispatched reinforcements. They do not usually interfere in Ghost World internal affairs, but this incident has gotten too serious. If the Ghost World completely loses control, the real world will also be affected. The League cannot just sit by and watch."
Hearing about the League's reinforcements, the people below relaxed slightly. Then they fell into even deeper concern.
"The League's support might relieve some pressure, but can it really solve this problem?"
"Yes, this Ghost World tide is too strange. Completely different from before."
The lean, sharp-eyed female Realm Lord sitting on the other side suddenly spoke up.
She ignored the matter of League support and asked a question that made everyone's hearts tighten.
"Where did Will go? Does anyone know?"
The hall fell instantly silent. Deathly silent.
Everyone's gazes became evasive. No one dared to respond.
Will was the strongest existence in the Ghost World lineage, their spiritual pillar and the key force in dealing with this Ghost World tide.
But from when the tide began intensifying until now, Will had vanished like vapor. No one had seen his shadow.
The lean Realm Lord's eyes swept around like a viper's.
"No one knows where Will went?"
At such a critical moment, for Will to be absent was too abnormal.
The commanders exchanged glances. In the end, they could only shake their heads helplessly. They did not know.
After a long while, an elderly commander spoke up tremblingly, muttering quietly:
"Lord Realm Master, the last time Lord Will appeared was a few days ago. He said he was going to investigate something in the deepest part of the Ghost World. He never sent back any message..."
This statement made the atmosphere even more oppressive.
The strongest Realm Lord was missing. The Ghost World tide was out of control. League reinforcements were still on the way. Each of these matters pressed down on everyone, creating an unprecedented chill.
---
Kairos took one last look at the chaotic battlefield behind him, at the undisguised worry and disappointment on Iron Rock's face.
He understood Iron Rock's concerns. This defensive line needed help now. Combat power like his could instantly clear the field.
But he slowly shook his head. His gaze had already passed over those exhausted but still standing figures, looking toward the area deep in the canyon. That place churned with ominous gray fog and wisps of strange black energy.
"I'll be going first then."
He hesitated no longer. Taking Gengar and Chandelure with him, he turned and stepped into that area where the energy was even more violent, where howls seemed to ring directly in his ears.
Iron Rock watched his disappearing figure and let out a heavy sigh. The scars on his face seemed to deepen further.
The pressure on the defensive line was like a mountain now. He could not afford to think too much. He immediately turned back to reorganizing the troops.
The gazes from the surrounding Night Watchers and League trainers were complex. They contained admiration, incomprehension, and worry about watching a brave warrior walk toward an unknown abyss. They hoped he would not actually run deep into the Ghost World.
---
Stepping across that twisted spatial boundary, the clamor behind him was cut off.
The world before his eyes filled instantly with gray fog. The air was bone-chillingly cold.
The ground beneath his feet was uneven, covered with scorch marks and frost traces left by energy explosions.
He looked up. There was still no concept of sky here. Only purple-black rock walls that seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Spatial rifts flickered and twisted between the walls.
The number of frenzied ghosts was clearly much higher than at the front lines. Haunters, Dusclops, Misdreavus, they were like swarms of headless flies. Their crimson eyes scanned everywhere, emitting meaningless shrieks. They would even tear at each other without warning. Their states were very abnormal, but their strength was not as great as those at the front lines.
Gengar floated nervously at Kairos's side. Its crimson eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings. Its body unconsciously moved closer to Kairos.
It was starting to regret coming back with Kairos now.
Chandelure floated quietly. Its ghostly red flames burned steadily, dispelling the cold in a small area around them. The steady flame invisibly made those frenzied creatures instinctively give them a wider berth.
"Have either of you encountered this kind of situation before when you were in the Ghost World?"
Kairos seemed to remember something. He turned to ask his two Ghost World natives.
"Gehe."
"Woo-"
Both Pokémon nodded, giving affirmative answers. But Gengar also shook its head.
It had happened before, but never this severe.
"I see. Understood."
Kairos nodded thoughtfully.
He did not rush deeper. He found a relatively hidden corner and sat down.
Chandelure floated over, its candlelight brightening slightly. The wisps of black fog in the surroundings hissed faintly as if meeting their nemesis. They quickly dissolved and retreated, clearing out a small clean space.
Kairos planned to observe this fog. He needed to confirm the anomaly he had discovered at the front lines.
He gave a signal.
Gengar and Chandelure immediately understood his meaning.
Gengar deliberately floated to the edge of Chandelure's purification range, exposing itself to the slowly flowing Soul-Eroding Fog.
Almost simultaneously, those black fog masses seemed to awaken.
They were no longer like at the front lines, only interested in frenzied wild ghosts. Instead, like sharks smelling blood, they twisted excitedly and coiled toward Gengar.
A few wisps even tried to drill into Gengar's body.
Gengar immediately made an uncomfortable sound. Shadow energy surged across its body as it swatted away those black mists like brushing off dust.
The dispersed black fog circled unwillingly, seemingly still looking for an opportunity.
Kairos's eyes sharpened. He had his answer.
As expected.
When the Ghost World tide erupted and intense battles raged at the front lines, this Soul-Eroding Fog only favored those frenzied native ghosts surging from the Ghost World's depths. It enhanced their strength.
But here in this relatively rear area, where the Ghost World tide's shockwave was weaker, during non-eruption core periods, this fog became indiscriminate. It began trying to corrode all Ghost-type Pokémon without distinction.
This further confirmed that the Soul-Eroding Fog's activity was closely tied to fluctuations from the core region.
Just as he sorted out this line of thinking and prepared to continue forward, a gaze emerged from the shadows to his side and rear.
Kairos's body instantly tensed. But he did not immediately assume an attacking posture.
Chandelure's ghostly red flames silently rose an inch higher, emanating an even colder presence.
Gengar also quietly merged into the shadow at Kairos's feet, leaving only its crimson eyes vigilantly watching that direction.
A figure peeled away from the rock itself, appearing silently like something emerging from stone.
The person was gaunt and withered, with sunken eye sockets. Their face was carved with ravines of weathering and exhaustion, even carrying a trace of madness from long-term environmental erosion that was hard to detect.
They wore an extremely tattered, ancient-styled Night Watcher uniform that looked like it had been pulled from a museum. There was no insignia.
Most eye-catching was the Pokémon beside them, a Trevenant.
Its body was a full size larger than those encountered on the battlefield earlier. Its dark purple wooden torso had a metallic sheen. Two stable, cold red lights burned in its hollow eye sockets. The Ghost-type energy waves it emanated were thick and solid, at least mid-tier Elite Four level.
Its massive tree claws rested lightly on the ground. Completely silent.
"New face?"
The withered man spoke, his voice hoarse as sandpaper scraping.
"Got guts coming to this godforsaken place alone. Looking to be an extra meal for those lunatics?"
Kairos turned around, calmly meeting the other's cloudy gaze.
"I'm here to find the source of the Ghost World tide. Do you have any suggestions, senior?"
He was brief and to the point.
"The source?"
The withered man sneered.
"That place will kill you. Countless people stronger than you have tried to go in and died. Who do you think you are?"
His cloudy eyes stared fixedly at Kairos, as if trying to find fear on his face.
But Kairos's heart stirred instead.
The other's tone carried a familiarity with the core region.
Unaffected by the mockery, he posed the key question directly.
"You have a way to get in?"
The withered man's cloudy eyeballs rolled, sweeping over the powerfully auraed Chandelure beside Kairos, then glancing at the obviously unusual shadow at Kairos's feet. He had clearly sensed Gengar's presence.
"A way?"
He drew out the word.
"Yes. An old route. An inspection path the Realm Lords used years ago. Half collapsed. The Soul-Eroding Fog is thin there. It can bypass the craziest of those Pokémon and reach the core region's location."
He extended a finger like a withered branch, fingernails filled with black dirt. He pointed toward the direction deeper in the canyon where energy distortion was most severe.
"But there is a condition."
Kairos was not surprised. He asked directly:
"Money?"
The withered man seemed to hear the biggest joke. He grinned, revealing several yellowed and blackened teeth.
"What do I need that for? What use is that thing in the Ghost World's depths?"
He patted the hard trunk of the Trevenant beside him, his voice hoarse.
"I want something that can feed it."
His gaze burned as he stared at Kairos, especially at Chandelure and that Gengar.
"I see you've raised your Chandelure and Gengar quite well. You must have good stuff on you. Some rare resource? Or do you have a secret formula for cultivating them?"
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