Just as Nolan was thinking the day would end like any other, quiet and uneventful, and was about to return to his room and go to bed, a faint, ethereal voice drifted into his ears.
The words carried by that voice sounded utterly unfamiliar, nothing like the language of the present day.
It was more like an ancient ballad, softly sung, as though calling for someone to follow.
Nolan frowned slightly and began tapping the hand resting on the balcony railing, producing a soft, steady rhythm.
He did not sense any danger, and the voice was so faint, so elusive, that if he let his attention slip for even a moment, he might have dismissed it as a hallucination.
But the mysterious sound did not fade. Instead, as time passed, it became clearer and clearer.
It seemed to seep out from every inch of the surrounding mist, yet also to ring out from all directions at once, echoing without end and filling the entire space.
It was easy to imagine that quite a few people would be unable to sleep tonight because of this eerie sound.
The balcony door was slowly pushed open, and a figure appeared in the doorway. It was Sellen.
"Disciple, do you hear that sound?"
Her expression was calm, without the slightest trace of unease. Things like ghosts and spirits could not shake her mind in the least.
"Yes, I hear it," Nolan said with a nod.
Everyone here, including Lansseax, who was sleeping like the dead in the room, was no ordinary person. Something like this was hardly enough to frighten them.
That strange sound still echoed through the night sky, occasionally mixed with long, drawn-out horn calls, like a summons from the underworld.
The night was deep, and thick fog drifted everywhere. Far off in the distance, flickering lights leaped like ghostfire, making the atmosphere complete.
Faced with such a strange and unsettling scene, Nolan felt no fear at all. He had already seen the Lord of the Dead. Compared to the ruler of death, this was nothing.
"Master, stay here and keep an eye on Lansseax. I'll go check things out. I won't be long."
Without saying anything more, Nolan vaulted over the railing and jumped out.
Sellen did not stop him. She simply turned and went back into the room. Her disciple was far stronger than she was now, and protecting herself was the greatest help she could offer him.
Hidden Body!
Spook!
The two spells activated instantly. Nolan seemed to melt into his surroundings. Not only did his figure vanish completely, even his breathing and footsteps disappeared.
He landed lightly and elegantly, without disturbing even a single piece of rubble. Such refined skill was enough to rival the finest assassins in the world.
In the blink of an eye, Nolan was standing steadily atop the roof, and a strange sight entered his view.
Deep within the fog, a hazy purple ghostly light suddenly emerged, like a lamp flickering in the dark night.
It was a small floating boat, only a little over three meters long, its whole body giving off a faint purple glow and an air of mystery.
There was a mast on the boat but no sail. A skeleton was using a long golden horn as an oar, rhythmically paddling the little craft through the mist-covered water.
Just as Nolan was staring intently at the bizarre scene before him, a soft voice suddenly came from his shoulder.
"Aren't you going to deal with it?" Ranni asked quietly from his shoulder.
She knew Nolan's abilities well. That miraculous power was something even the Great Rune could not resist. In Ranni's view, all Nolan had to do was deal with the Tibia Mariner himself.
"There's no need to hurry. What we want may not be on it. Let's first see where it came from and where it's going."
Nolan was certain the Cursemark of Death was not on this Tibia Mariner, so he was in no rush to act. Learning a bit more was enough for now.
If he could not find the half-wheel wound of the centipede, then he would simply destroy it, increasing his own strength while also removing a hidden danger for Summonwater Village.
The Tibia Mariner passed below them without hurrying to leave the village. Instead, it wound its way through every waterway in the village, as if unwilling to leave a single corner untouched.
This skeleton, steeped in the aura of death, was like a night patrolman, rowing forward street by street with its horn in hand.
Its every movement was rigid and dull, like a machine that never stopped and never tired.
That lingering sound still echoed on, as if its source was everywhere within the hazy mist, even though the boat itself was plainly right in front of them.
"It's finally leaving. Where is it going?"
Nolan stared at the ghostlike vessel as it gradually sailed out of the village, then immediately spread his wings and flew into the air without hesitation.
The Tibia Mariner moved like a lone skiff, pressing steadily across the rippling lake.
It traveled south, passing through layer upon layer of mist and rough waves, until at last it slowly came to a stop beside a steep cliff.
The current ahead pierced through the rock and burst from the cliff face. A waterfall poured down, and gravestones set into the rock wall looked like steps leading people downward.
Nolan knew there was a creek below, with a church built by its side. Surely this ancient gravekeeper was not planning to head toward Marika's Church.
As Nolan sank into thought, Melina, who was holding onto his neck, suddenly said softly,
"That thing has noticed us."
She sat on the crook of Nolan's arm and looked down. The wind stirred by his wings sent ripples skimming across the water.
Boom!!
With a thunderous crash, the water exploded, and a deathly pale skeletal arm shot out from below, clawing viciously toward them in midair.
Nolan reacted at once. He beat his wings hard and dove sharply downward.
He drew the Dark Moon Greatsword from his Spirit Ring and struck the giant skeleton away in a single blow. Its skull shattered instantly, but it still swung its arm down at Nolan.
And that was not all. More and more white-boned skeletons began rising from beneath the water, baring their claws as they lunged at Nolan...
"Not Those Who Live in Death, yet able to command Those Who Live in Death. If its power were greater, could it even keep Godwyn in the palm of its hand?"
The moment that thought appeared in the Lord of Cinder's mind, it spread wildly like weeds. Doing something like that would be sheer madness, but fortunately, he was bold enough for it.
Just as his body was about to plunge into the water and the giant hand was about to slam into him, he suddenly swung the Dark Moon Greatsword in his hand.
A dazzling golden light burst from the surface of the water like a rising golden sun.
The light spread in every direction, rapidly expanding into a shimmering golden wave that surged outward on all sides.
The Golden Order Principia!
Nolan did not use the power of death. The Golden Order incantation Marika had once taught him had finally found a use.
He did not apply it in a rigid, mechanical way, but made a few small adjustments according to what he needed.