Raijin and the others followed Father Eldred. There was hardly anything visible around them. The lantern in Father Eldred's hand illuminated just enough of the path for them to keep walking one behind another. After a few moments, a wall approximately one meter high appeared before them through the fog.
The place surrounded by the walls looked like a cage. Father Eldred slowly opened the iron-barred gate in the middle. As soon as the gate opened, a strong gust of cold air rushed out from inside. The air carried a mixture of the smell of soil and decay, which went straight down their throats.
Even the ground felt different—soft and slightly sinking beneath their feet, as if it had been dug up recently. The triangular pendulum above the gate, the cracks spreading across it, and the copper-inlaid plates were clearly visible in the moonlight.
The five figures entered. Father Eldred was at the front, followed by Raijin, Sofiya, Ishan, and Kade.
As soon as they entered, the sounds of crying and screaming suddenly became louder. It was no longer just a sound—it had become a feeling. But strangely, they did not feel afraid. Something else was filling them instead—sorrow, pain, and despair.
It felt as if this place was pulling out the weakest emotions from within them and bringing them to the surface. For a moment, a blood-soaked battlefield flashed before Raijin's eyes—broken weapons and the feeling of an unfamiliar defeat. An strange emptiness ached inside Sofiya's chest, as if she had lost something very dear to her. Ishan's breathing quickened, and his heart began pounding with an unknown fear. Kade's hands started trembling, as if his body had briefly slipped beyond his control.
Bushes growing up to their knees surrounded them, with countless graves scattered between them. The name of the deceased and the symbol of the Earth God were engraved at the head of every grave—the same triangle, the same cracks, and the same copper plates. Every time their feet brushed against the bushes, they produced a rustling sound that made the silence feel even heavier.
After walking for a while, Father Eldred suddenly stopped. He pointed toward the wall on the right.
"Follow this wall all the way to the end…" he said in a low voice. "There is a grave there. You'll recognize it as soon as you see it."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "It will be broken… and there will be no symbol of the Earth God on it. He is bound to that grave."
Father Eldred's voice became more serious.
"He cannot move more than seven meters away… and do not go within five meters of it. Within that range, he can attack from anywhere. As long as you stay outside… he will only be able to attack from the front."
He looked at Raijin for a moment.
"And be careful… he attacks the mind more than the body."
With that, he turned around and took a few steps forward. But then he suddenly stopped. Slowly, he looked back. The same smile remained on his face—but this time, there was something strange about it.
The flame of his lantern flickered slightly.
And the next moment, Father Eldred disappeared into the fog.
Raijin raised his hand for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but then remained standing silently. He looked at the other three. Sofiya and Ishan stood calmly, while Kade was still trembling slightly. He pulled out his hammer and gripped it tightly.
Sofiya drew both of her short swords. Ishan placed his hand on the hilt of his long sword. Raijin looked at all three of them at a glance and understood their fighting styles.
Ishan—he would attack from a distance and strike at the right moment. Kade—he would block attacks from the front. Sofiya—she would move in close and attack whenever she got the opportunity.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Quite interesting…
Sofiya, Ishan, and Kade looked at him.
A single thought crossed all three of their minds—
Is he still smiling…?
Father Eldred's lantern light had now completely disappeared. Raijin slightly bowed his head toward the direction where he had vanished, silently thanking him, and then moved forward. The other three followed behind him.
The air had grown even colder. In some places, the grass moved slightly even though there was no wind. As they passed by certain graves, it felt as though a very faint voice was coming from inside them, but whenever they tried to listen carefully, everything became silent again.
After a while, they saw a grave.
It was different from all the others.
Broken… scattered… as if someone had forcefully dug it up and then simply left it in that state.
At that exact moment, a voice echoed inside Raijin's head.
It was not a howl.
It was a scream.
A scream… that was not coming from outside, but from within him.
All four of them grabbed their heads at the same time. The world suddenly became heavy. Their vision began to blur, and the sounds around them stretched out, as if time itself had slowed down.
Raijin felt as if someone were tearing at his brain from the inside with their fingernails. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. His tongue moved, yet no words escaped.
Then—
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Sofiya, Ishan, and Kade immediately raised their weapons. Their eyes went toward Raijin, who was standing in front of them.
Raijin was blocking something with his sword.
The thing was not completely visible. Only the air around it was twisting, as if something invisible was standing there.
Slowly, its shape began to form.
First, a blurry shadow…
Then a hand…
Then a body…
And finally, its complete form appeared before them.
It had a humanoid body—but its arms from the elbows down and its legs from the knees down were wolf-like. Its body was covered in thick fur. Long claws extended from its hands, while two sharp fangs protruded from its mouth.
But its eyes…
There was a faint trace of humanity within them.
And along with it, sorrow, pain, and despair were clearly visible.
Raijin gritted his teeth. His arm was trembling, but his sword did not move.
"This is a Grim Howler Wraith!"
His voice echoed throughout the Cemetery.
"Everyone, get ready!"
The Wraith suddenly threw its head backward. Its chest began expanding rapidly.
Raijin narrowed his eyes.
Something was wrong.
"Get back—"
He could not even finish his sentence.
"AAAAAARRRGHHHH—!!"
A horrifying scream spread throughout the entire Cemetery.
But this time, the sound did not merely reach their ears.
The moment Raijin heard it, his body suddenly became rigid. The next instant, an unbearable pain exploded inside his head, as if thousands of heavy hammers were striking his skull at once. Intense pressure built up behind his eyes. His temples throbbed violently, and it felt as though hundreds of sharp needles were stabbing into his brain simultaneously.
Raijin grabbed his head with both hands.
"Ah…!"
His knees slammed into the ground. A thin stream of warm blood flowed from his nose and reached his lips.
But the most terrifying part was that he was no longer hearing the voice through his ears.
It was echoing directly inside his mind.
As if someone had trapped a scream inside his skull.
A short distance away, Sofiya also fell to her knees. Ishan planted his long sword into the ground and tried to use it to support himself, while Kade pressed both hands against his head.
"Covering our ears won't help…" Ishan gritted his teeth through the pain. "This voice… isn't coming from outside."
The scream suddenly stopped.
And at that exact moment—
The Wraith's claws sank into Raijin's shoulder.
Pain shot through his body like electricity. Raijin's body jerked backward, but the Wraith did not remove its claws. Its nails dug even deeper into his shoulder.
"Raijin!"
Ishan immediately moved forward.
"Wait!"
Raijin gritted his teeth and swung his black, curved sword beneath the Wraith's claws. He raised the blade with all his strength and forced the Wraith backward.
Bang!
Both of them slid several meters apart. Raijin's shoe carved a deep line through the soil. He looked toward his shoulder. Four deep marks had been left there, and blood was flowing from them.
He slowly breathed in.
"What is it doing to my mind…?"
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Raijin slowly straightened while breathing heavily. Sweat covered his face, and a few drops of blood were still falling from his nose. He pressed his temple and fixed his gaze on the Wraith.
"This…"
He wiped the blood beneath his nose with his fingers. "It wasn't attacking our bodies."
His eyes remained fixed on the Wraith.
"Its scream attacks our minds directly."
Kade tightened his grip on his hammer while breathing heavily.
"Then we need to protect ourselves from its voice."
Ishan nodded while carefully watching the Wraith.
"No…"
His gaze remained fixed on the Wraith's chest.
"We need to make sure it never gets the chance to scream again."
The Wraith suddenly lunged toward Raijin. Raijin had just raised his sword when—
Bang!
Kade's heavy hammer came between them.
The Wraith's claw collided with the hammer. Kade's feet sank into the ground, but he did not give up his position.
"I can stop it from the front," Kade said through gritted teeth.
Ishan drew his long sword.
"Then I'll attack its openings."
Sofiya tightened her grip on both of her short swords. She did not move directly toward the Wraith. Instead, she slowly began circling toward the right.
Raijin's eyes shifted toward her. He immediately understood.
Kade—to block it.
Ishan—to apply pressure from the front.
Sofiya—to move in whenever an opening appeared.
And him…
He would keep the Wraith focused on himself.
Raijin looked at all three of them.
"None of us is fighting this alone now."
He pointed toward the Wraith.
"Kade, you stay in front. Stop its movement."
Kade tightened his grip on his hammer.
"Understood."
"Ishan, whenever it attacks Kade, strike its exposed side."
Ishan raised his sword.
"Got it."
Raijin's gaze shifted toward Sofiya.
"And you…"
Sofiya tightened her grip on both swords.
"I know."
She continued moving slowly toward the right.
"I'll attack from behind as soon as I get the chance."
Raijin gave a slight nod.
"And I'll keep it in front of me."
The Wraith suddenly lunged toward Raijin.
Raijin raised his sword, but before he could strike—
Bang!
Kade's hammer came between them.
The Wraith's claw collided with the hammer, sending a powerful jolt through Kade's arms.
"Now!"
Ishan moved forward at that exact moment. His long sword cut through the air toward the Wraith.
Slash!
The attack grazed the Wraith's body.
Before the Wraith could retreat, Raijin was already in front of it.
Shing!
His black sword flashed in the moonlight as he delivered a fast horizontal slash. The Wraith stepped backward and narrowly avoided the attack.
At the same moment, Sofiya moved in from the other side. Both of her short swords flashed simultaneously.
The Wraith blocked the first attack with one claw, but the second blade cut through its arm.
The Wraith leaped backward. Raijin immediately closed the distance. His sword created a short arc through the air.
Slash!
A long cut appeared across the Wraith's chest.
For the first time, it seemed like their formation was actually working.
But the Wraith did not fall.
It slowly raised its head. Black steam emerged from its body, and smoke rose from its wounds.
Then its gaze moved across all four of them.
It did not smile.
It simply began opening its mouth.
Raijin's eyes widened.
"No…"
For the first time, concern filled his voice.
"Everyone, get down!"
But before they could retreat completely—
"AAAAAARRRGHHHH—!!"
The scream erupted again.
Pain shot through Raijin's head like lightning. His vision blurred, and it felt as if thousands of iron nails were being driven into his skull at once.
He gritted his teeth.
"Ah…!"
The veins in his temples bulged. Blood began flowing from his nose faster than before. Sofiya grabbed her head. Ishan nearly dropped his sword, while Kade fell onto one knee.
But this time, Raijin did not close his eyes. Through the pain, he watched the Wraith. He had finally begun to understand its ability.
Every time it screamed, the Wraith had to keep its body completely still for a moment.
That was its small opening.
Raijin began carefully observing every movement of the Wraith. Its power was terrifying, but it also had a small limitation that could become a major weakness.
Ishan also began reading its movements. He was not simply attacking anymore. He was trying to understand how its body moved.
Whenever the Wraith retreated, its left foot paused in the air for a moment before touching the ground. And every time its chest began expanding, its head moved backward first.
Ishan's eyes narrowed.
"Raijin!"
Raijin looked toward him through the pain.
"When it is about to scream, its body has to remain still for a moment."
Ishan tightened his grip on his sword.
"We only need that one moment."
The scream slowly faded.
For a few moments, all four remained hunched over where they stood. Pain was clearly visible on their faces.
Raijin wiped the blood from his lips and slowly straightened.
"So this is it…"
He looked at the Wraith.
"Your weakness."
The Wraith gave no response. It simply stared at them.
Then it suddenly disappeared.
Sofiya's eyes widened.
"Where—?"
A black shadow appeared behind her.
Sofiya immediately turned.
The Wraith was directly behind her.
She raised both short swords and attacked with all her strength.
Slash!
One attack struck the Wraith's shoulder.
The second moved toward its neck.
But Sofiya's sword stopped only a few inches away from the Wraith's neck.
She could not take her eyes away from those eyes.
There was no thirst for blood there.
No monstrous rage.
Only fear.
The kind of fear Sofiya had seen in human eyes.
Her fingers loosened slightly around the grip of her sword.
"You…"
Her voice was barely audible.
"Are you afraid of this too…?"
The Wraith gave no answer.
It simply moved its head backward.
Its chest began expanding again.
Sofiya's eyes widened.
"No…"
She suddenly understood.
"Raijin!"
Raijin ran without thinking.
He knew what was going to happen in the next few seconds.
"Sofiya! Get down!"
Sofiya heard his voice, but it was already too late.
The Wraith opened its mouth.
Raijin stepped between it and Sofiya.
He raised his sword in front of himself.
"Let it scream."
His eyes remained fixed on the Wraith.
"But it will have to get through me first."
The Wraith raised its claw.
Raijin lowered his body.
The claw passed over his head.
At that exact moment, he swung his sword.
Shing!
The Wraith retreated.
Ishan and Kade immediately moved beside Raijin.
"Is everyone okay?" Ishan asked.
"For now," Raijin replied.
The Wraith stood several meters away.
Its chest was rising and falling.
Its body was covered in several cuts, yet it was still standing.
Black steam swirled around its wounds.
Raijin looked at it.
"This thing isn't going down easily."
Kade rested his hammer against the ground.
"Then we'll keep hitting it until it does."
Sofiya looked toward Raijin.
"But its scream…"
"Three times," Raijin said before she could finish.
He carefully watched the Wraith.
"The first time, we understood it."
His grip tightened around his sword.
"The second time, we saw its weakness."
He slowly exhaled.
"The third time… it won't get the chance."
The Wraith suddenly raised its head.
Its eyes settled on all four of them.
Then it looked at Raijin.
For several moments, the two stared at each other.
The Wraith slowly moved its head backward.
This time, its chest expanded farther than ever before.
Raijin's eyes narrowed.
"This…"
He understood.
"It's going to scream with everything it has."
"AAAAAAAAARRRGHHHH—!!"
The scream exploded throughout the Cemetery.
This time, the pain was far more horrifying than before.
It felt as though thousands of heavy hammers were striking his skull simultaneously. Then, within that pain, hundreds of burning needles began stabbing through his nerves.
Intense pressure formed behind Raijin's eyes. The veins in his neck tightened, and blood continuously flowed from his nose. A sharp ringing filled his ears, and the ground seemed to spin beneath his feet.
Kade fell onto both knees.
Ishan drove his sword into the ground, but his arms were trembling violently.
Sofiya placed both hands over her head.
None of them could hear anything properly.
And yet the Wraith's scream was perfectly clear inside their minds.
The sound had not entered through their ears.
It was attacking their nervous system directly.
Raijin drove his sword into the ground. His fingers were covered in blood.
But he slowly began to stand.
One knee rose.
Then the other.
His head still felt as if it were splitting apart from the pain.
But his eyes remained fixed on the Wraith.
"This…"
His voice trembled.
"It's only pain…"
He slowly tightened his grip.
"Just pain…"
Raijin pulled his sword out of the ground.
Shing!
"And pain cannot stop me."
The scream stopped.
The entire Cemetery became silent for a few moments.
Raijin was still standing.
His face was covered in blood. His breathing was heavy. His legs were trembling.
But he was standing.
Kade slowly lifted his hammer.
"You really are crazy…"
Raijin gave a faint smile.
"Maybe."
Ishan raised his sword again.
"But right now, this is our best chance."
Sofiya slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were now fixed on the Wraith.
There was no hesitation in them anymore.
Raijin looked at the three of them.
"One last time."
Kade raised his hammer.
Ishan pointed his sword forward.
Sofiya tightened her grip on both short swords.
"Kade, stop it from the front."
Kade nodded.
Ishan raised his sword.
"I'll attack as soon as an opening appears."
"Understood."
Raijin looked toward Sofiya.
"Sofiya…"
He remained silent for a moment.
"This time, don't hold back."
Sofiya stared at the Wraith for a few moments.
Then she slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Raijin raised his sword.
"And I won't let it scream."
The Wraith suddenly moved forward.
Kade stepped forward at the same moment.
Bang!
His hammer collided with the Wraith's claw.
The Wraith tried to force him backward with all its strength, but Kade planted his feet firmly into the ground.
"Now!"
Ishan moved in from the left.
Slash!
His long sword cut through the Wraith's shoulder.
The Wraith tried to retreat.
But Raijin was already in front of it.
Shing!
His black sword carved a long cut across the Wraith's chest.
The Wraith staggered.
At that exact moment, Sofiya moved in from behind.
Both of her short swords flashed simultaneously.
Shing!
Shing!
Two cuts appeared across the Wraith's back.
The Wraith dropped onto one knee.
Kade lowered his hammer and stepped back.
Ishan kept his sword ready.
Sofiya held both swords pointed toward the Wraith.
Raijin stepped forward several paces and looked at it.
For several seconds, it did not move.
Then—
Black steam began pouring from its body.
Raijin's eyes narrowed.
"Get back."
The other three immediately took a step backward.
Even after falling, the Wraith did not become still.
The black steam emerging from its body was now far denser than before. The flesh around its wounds began trembling.
Then it slowly raised its head.
Its eyes moved across all four of them.
Toward Kade.
Toward Ishan.
Toward Sofiya.
And finally…
They settled on Raijin.
Raijin's expression became serious.
The Wraith's lips slowly parted.
Its chest began expanding again.
Raijin's eyes widened.
"No…"
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"It's going to scream again."