Alex adjusted his state, sat up, took a deep breath, and asked Elias about the capture of the Driving Spirit.
The angel replied that he had already selected the most suitable target for Alex, right in the graveyard not far away.
Ever since Dune City was built, the graveyard had been the dumping ground for countless nameless bodies; the malevolent yin energy there was extremely heavy. Added to this was the fact that the majority of the bodies were not buried according to tradition, six feet deep underground.
Spirits unable to reincarnate gathered here, and over time, they formed a malevolent energy. The land of malevolent energy nourished evil spirits, and the spirits fed back into the land, mutually supporting each other to form a forbidden zone for the living.
Fog covered the place year-round, carrying a bone-chilling cold; even the harshest sunlight of noon found it difficult to penetrate that thick layer of miasma.
Hearing this, Alex could not help but feel afraid, his spine turning cold. It must be known that part of his job was to throw nameless bodies into the graveyard. Seeing those stiff corpses piled upon one another, was he also indirectly promoting the formation of this land of malevolent energy? He lowered his head to look at his hands, feeling as if the scent of death still lingered there.
Elias comforted Alex, saying that the bodies were only one part. Many places also had lands where bodies accumulated like the graveyard, but the reason they were not as dangerous as this place was mainly because the graveyard was a bit more special.
It used to be an ancient battlefield. A place where horses' hooves had once trampled and fresh blood had once dyed the soil red.
"A battlefield?" Alex was astonished, his eyes opening wide as he looked at the white skeleton in front of him. Elias was the Angel of War; if the graveyard used to be an ancient battlefield, did that prove he also contributed a portion of power to it?
Elias nodded slightly, the sound of bones colliding softly echoing in the quiet space: "Alex, this matter is not just for you; I also need to reclaim this portion of power."
The killing intent hidden within the ruins of the ancient battlefield caused destruction to the human world far beyond imagination. It was like a malignant tumor hidden deep underground, constantly spreading decay. Elias could not continue to tolerate letting his power bring about such disaster.
The angel touched his empty eye socket, where the blue soul fire was flickering weakly.
There was also the lost authority of iron and fire. That was the symbol of absolute power, something that could forge glory but could also burn down an entire civilization.
"Is it very dangerous?" Alex asked worriedly, his hand unconsciously gripping the hem of his shirt.
"For you, it is a little bit." Elias replied, his voice steady and carrying a sense of reassurance: "When extracting this portion of power, it might cause fluctuations in Beyonder energy; the surrounding space will become unstable."
"Then will it attract the attention of the Arbiters?"
"It won't be hidden from them for long." Elias answered honestly: "Even if I can use special means to make these Arbiters forget everything they see tonight, the malevolent yin energy of the graveyard will gradually dissipate, and the major change in the environment will certainly make them suspicious."
"I can help you." Alex thought of a good idea, his eyes lighting up: "Didn't you grant me the identity of the Divine Chosen of the Angel of War? I can borrow this identity and say that a deity sent down a divine decree for the Divine Chosen to collect the power he left scattered in the human world to offer up to the god. If this is the truth, the Arbiters absolutely cannot discover it, because all traces will be rationalized."
Elias understood Alex's meaning: "You want to go with me to the graveyard, and have me directly capture a Driving Spirit for you."
Alex nodded vigorously.
"Are you not afraid?" Elias asked him, the fire in his eye sockets seeming to pause for a beat.
"A little afraid." Alex told the truth, his voice trembling slightly but his eyes determined: "But sooner or later I have to face these things. Moreover, if I can help you, I don't feel this matter is all that terrifying. With you by my side, I feel safer than anywhere else."
Elias fell silent for a moment, seemingly calculating something.
"We will wait until the moon is high in the sky to set off." he said.
...
Alex lay on the bed to rest for a while, taking this opportunity to save his strength. The ticking of the clock hands in the late night only increased the nervousness in his heart.
Approaching midnight, Gary woke him up by gently pulling Alex's hair.
Alex sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked carefully; the room was filled with a kind of red halo, and the air had become thick as if it had congealed.
Elias was standing in the middle of the room. The red halo centered on him and diffused outward like ripples of water. Wherever the halo passed, everything returned to absolute silence; even the sound of insects whining outside disappeared.
Gary told Alex that the guards outside the house and the Beyonders in the dark had all fallen into a suppressed state. They were not fast asleep, but their ability to perceive the outside world had dropped to the lowest level, like being isolated in a time bubble.
Alex felt it was incredibly magical. He looked at Elias, his eyes filled with infatuated worship. The power of a deity indeed far exceeded the understanding of mortals.
The red light retracted, and the skeleton resumed his normal appearance. He turned his head and looked toward Alex.
"Let's go."
Alex hurriedly nodded, grabbed Gary who was flying around chaotically, pressed him onto his shoulder, put on his shoes very quickly, and followed Elias out the door.
In the courtyard, six guards stood silently like stone statues. Their eyes were open but soulless, their chests heaving very slightly. They were still awake, but the expressions on their faces gave people a sluggish feeling, as if their souls were wandering in some distant place.
Alex did not dare to get too close. He held his breath and tiptoed past, afraid of breaking this strange state. He carefully observed for a moment, and only after determining they would not have any reaction did he follow Elias out of the courtyard, heading toward the graveyard.
The night wind blew past, carrying the smell of mold and the strong fishy scent of mud. This was not the first time Alex had come to the graveyard; he could not even count how many times he had been to that place. Each time brought extreme fear, yet there had never been a moment as reassuring as this one.
Alex carried a kerosene lamp, an incredibly ordinary kerosene lamp with a weak yellow flame. Even so, the feeling of being stared at by invisible eyes in the darkness had disappeared. Elias beside him was the best amulet, driving away all evil spirits and demons.
Because of the special protective mechanism of the ancient battlefield, Elias could not bring Alex directly through a divine descent; they had to walk, entering the cursed land step by step. Fortunately, the journey was not long.