Chapter 782 — The Town After the Bell Tolled

Gao Qi frowned. He recalled that when Daniel entered the mental network, he had used the image of an elegant, middle-aged mage, yet now the other had reverted to his true appearance from the real world—had this eerie town stripped away Daniel's disguise? Or was it that, after being "deleted," Daniel had unconsciously dropped the disguise himself while his mind was disturbed?

The doubt flashed through his mind and was gone. Gao Yang strode over to Daniel's side; he first confirmed that neither Selina nor anyone else was anywhere nearby, and only then did he raise his hand and clap Daniel on the shoulder, neither lightly nor heavily.

It was only an attempt, yet it worked at once. Gaoyang could distinctly feel that some stagnant, twisted presence shattered and dispersed the instant his palm struck; Daniel's eyes blinked twice, and that vacant, entranced state dissolved immediately. His first instinct was a look of vigilance, and then he saw Gaoyang, saw the lamp-lit street around him.

"My Lord," Daniel at once bowed to Gaoyang, then looked about in confusion. "This is...?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Phantom Town after the bell has rung," Gaoyang said in a clear voice. "I got in through the reflection on the water's surface — some unknown power has split the town into two parts, before the bell and after the bell; the town after the bell is hidden away in the depths. You were trapped here, and the others must be the same."

He paused, and a faint smile appeared. "It seems my very presence is a kind of disruption to the 'rules' here — I never expected waking you would be so easy. I'd been thinking that if a slap didn't do the trick, I'd have to use something a bit more forceful to break open this uncanny place."

"Your power is beyond compare," Daniel said at once, with a trace of awe and gratitude, and then he noticed the change in his own appearance and looked confused. "How have I turned into my real-world form...?"

Gaoyang glanced at the old mage. "I'm wondering the same thing — you don't know what's going on?"

"That... I don't know," Daniel said, frowning. "Strange — not only have I turned into my real-world form, but I can't disguise myself again..."

"It may be that the town's uncanny power is suppressing things from outside," Gaoyang said, gazing deeper down the street. "Or perhaps the depths of this town don't support 'virtual avatars.' Either way, stay on your guard. I genuinely feel now... that this town is alive, and up to no good."

"Yes," Daniel said respectfully, following Gaoyang's gaze into the distance. "My Lord, what do we do next?"

"First let's find the others, and investigate this place along the way," Gaoyang said. "Using the deep channel, you should be able to locate the others, yes?"

Daniel made an attempt, then nodded. "I can. I've already sensed Magnum and Yuri's positions — they're not far from here, and the two of them seem to be together."

"Let's go, then. See what's happening."

The two left the spot and headed deeper down the street. Along the way came the occasional sound of voices from the houses beside them, and lights of every kind glimmered throughout the town; a weird, chilling atmosphere hung among those old, dark dwellings and in the corners of the lanes — and Daniel, walking beside Gaoyang in his black robe, nerve cords slowly writhing behind him, his whole bearing rather gloomy, only deepened the effect.

Nothing suited the mood of a "haunted town" better than a somber old wizard in a black robe.

As they walked, Gaoyang could not help glancing at Daniel and remarked casually, "Your mental state should be settled by now, shouldn't it?"

The old mage did not know why Gaoyang had suddenly brought this up, but answered at once. "Yes. Thanks to your gift, I have been freed from that dreadful mental torment."

"Then haven't you considered changing your air and style in the real world?"

"That..." The old mage looked rather at a loss. "Mary did say she wanted to get me some new clothes, but... no, never mind. If this is your will, then I..."

Gaoyang swiftly pictured what it would look like if this old mage changed his style in the real world; a heap of broken images surfaced in his mind, and he hurriedly cut off that overly fanciful line of thought, interrupting before Daniel could finish. "Forget it. I was only speaking offhand — don't take it to heart."

Daniel, as always, without a shred of doubt: "All as you wish."

Gaoyang murmured an acknowledgment, looked ahead, and slowly came to a stop.

He saw two figures standing abruptly not far off — the other two Evernighters of the Solaris Cult who, along with Daniel, had been "shielded" onto "this side."

Their disguises had been stripped away as well, and they had returned to their real-world appearances, standing blankly, entranced, at the side of the street.

One of them wore a white robe, with a refined air and a monocle; his features could still be recognized as Yuri of the Solaris Cult, though he was past middle age now, with a few more wrinkles on his face, considerably more white in his hair, and a slightly fuller figure.

The other was undoubtedly that Magnum of the Solaris Cult. His real appearance had barely changed from his "virtual avatar" — except that his height had gone from over two meters to an eyeballed estimate of under one and a half... about the same height as Amber.

Gaoyang silently regarded the two Solaris Cult members not far away, then lowered his head and said to Daniel, "There's no shortage of distinctive characters among the Evernighters."

Daniel: "...Indeed, just as you say."