Chapter 616: From One Prison to Another.
The Elder Witch suffered the same fate, frantically trying to keep her wisp from escaping.
Levi instinctively pressed his hand against it, but the wisp continued slipping between his fingers.
He didn’t know how far they were from the Warden… but he knew that the moment his wisp was collected by the Warden’s lantern, his soul would join the back of the immigration toward the Final Resting Place against his will.
Without wasting another second, he summoned the Lantern of the Lost Keeper before him.
Its familiar dark greenish wooden frame emerged from pale green light, with faint wisps drifting peacefully behind its foggy glass… the sight immediately attracted the Elder Witch’s attention.
Levi ignored her and willed one of its sides to dissolve into mist.
Then, he directed its pull toward himself!
At first, nothing happened… his soul remained tense beneath the force dragging him away, making him realize that he was still instinctively resisting being drawn anywhere.
’Just get inside!’
He forced himself to accept the lantern’s call, allowing the mist to surround his spiritual form… a moment later, his hand dissolved into pale green light and flowed through the opening!
Levi’s spiritual eyes brightened.
Without delay, Levi allowed the lantern to draw in the rest of his soul… the merged Soulleech Maw followed, its tongue wrapped tightly around his wrist.
Within moments, both disappeared behind the foggy glass, leaving the Elder Witch alone to suffer from the dreadful pulling force.
’His lantern worked? How?’
Her expression changed at once… she had many questions about the sight before her, but she knew that it wasn’t the time to seek answers.
Before Levi even thought of sealing the opening, she flicked her fingers and sent a spiritual thread toward the lantern!
It swiftly wrapped around its wooden handle… then she caught it with both hands and started pulling herself closer, akin to a drowning sailor hauling herself along a lifeline against a raging current!
The lantern was drifting along beside her… she only needed to reach it, without stopping their advance toward the Warden.
The force dragging her toward the Warden kept stretching her spiritual form backward… yet she continued advancing along the thread, refusing to let go of the only thing that might save her!
Inside the lantern, Levi watched with a darkened expression.
’This old monster…’
His first thought was to sever the thread… but before he acted, the Elder Witch raised her head and fixed her cold gaze on the opening.
"Keep it open."
An overbearing spiritual aura accompanied her words, pressing against the lantern’s exposed entrance!
Levi felt his soul tremble… even the Soulleech Maw withdrew its petals and tightened its tongue around his wrist.
He finally remembered that although they were inside the Aether Realm, this old witch was still a Tier 8 powerhouse!
Her helplessness before the universe’s authority didn’t make her any less dangerous to him.
If he dared cut off her only chance of survival, she wouldn’t hesitate to take him down with her!
His gaze shifted toward the mist forming the entrance.
He considered sealing it before she reached him… but her spiritual aura was already pressing through it, making him doubt whether he would survive long enough to finish.
But then… he remembered where he was.
"Alright… come in… make it quick!"
Levi abandoned the thought of stopping her and maintained the opening… concealing a cruel smile.
The Witch heard his decision, but her aura remained locked onto him as she continued pulling herself along the thread… she clearly had no intention of trusting her survival to his goodwill.
Levi stayed still, watching her approach.
The moment her hand reached the mist, he directed the lantern’s pull toward her.
She accepted it without hesitation.
Her fingers dissolved into spiritual light, followed by her arm and shoulder… The Witch hurriedly allowed the rest of her soul to follow, releasing the thread only after she was certain that the lantern was drawing her inside!
A moment later, the last portion of her soul passed through the opening.
Levi sealed it at once.
The foggy glass reformed, separating them from the green haze… the dreadful pulling force released their souls at last, allowing the escaping wisps to settle back into them.
However, before Levi felt relieved, the entire lantern jerked forward!
Whoosh!
His gaze snapped toward the glass as the aetheric haze rushed past it… he realized that although their souls and wisps were protected inside, the universe’s authority had started dragging the lantern itself instead!
’Of course… it wouldn’t let us off this easily.’
Levi cursed inwardly, understanding that they were still heading toward the Warden.
He had bought them protection from having their souls collected directly… but escaping this realm was another matter entirely!
Beside him, the Witch’s spiritual form finally settled within the lantern, and her tense shoulders lowered slightly.
However, her spiritual aura remained spread around her.
"Now…"
She turned toward Levi, only for her words to stop when he raised his palm in front of her without bothering to even spare her a glance.
"Put it away."
The Witch gave him a cold, questioning look… not fond of his arrogance. But then, her overbearing aura abruptly vanished on its own!
"Huh?"
She stared at the fading green aura in disbelief… then lifted her head to look at him.
She instinctively tried to release it again… but despite feeling her immense spiritual power within her soul, none of it spread beyond her form!
It was as though her spiritual power had been sealed.
’What’s going on?!’
The Witch immediately turned toward the glass, attempting to extend a thread through it.
Nothing emerged from her fingers.
Levi watched her attempts without lowering his hand while the green haze continued rushing past them… the pressure that had forced him to admit her was already gone.
The Lantern of the Lost Keeper was a genuine copy of the Warden’s lantern.
This meant it was a prison for souls, and Levi had the option to store any soul he wanted inside of it, even if it belonged to a Radian or an Oblivar!
However… while the’equipment’ was the same, his prowess and authority to pull such powerful souls inside weren’t enough to make it happen.
In the Elder Witch’s case…
Levi didn’t force her in… she accepted the imprisonment of her own accord!
Her evolutionary rank hadn’t changed, and neither had the strength of her soul.
But using that strength within his lantern was no longer something she decided, as Levi’s authority governed the souls stored within it!
"You…"
The Witch seemed to realize this as well… her gaze shifted from her unresponsive fingers toward Levi, and her lips pressed into a tight line.
"You were so desperate to escape the Warden’s lantern that you willingly imprisoned yourself inside mine."
Levi lowered his hand, finally allowing the corner of his lips to rise.
However, before he enjoyed this feeling for more than a moment, a familiar gentle chant reached them through the glass.
"Lay down your burden… loosen your hold…"
The cocky smile vanished from Levi’s face… he remembered that he wasn’t out of the woods yet.
The Witch stopped attempting to release her spiritual power as well… both turned toward the glass, watching the surrounding haze grow thinner and thinner.
Through it, they spotted an enormous cracked hoof descending nearby… its slow movement carried it past the lantern, followed by another.
The Mule!
Levi felt his soul turn cold… realizing that they had arrived at their destination at last.
The lantern swept upward past the mule’s towering legs… then a large, weathered hand reached through the remaining haze and caught it by its handle.
The lantern’s violent movement stopped at once… held firmly in the Warden’s hand.
Levi and the Witch remained frozen inside as the hand slowly lifted them… through the glass, they watched a patched brown coat pass before their eyes, followed by the lowered brim of a straw-yellow hat.
The gentle tune abruptly stopped.
"What a beautiful lantern design…"
The Warden’s soft voice reached them with a hint of appreciation, as though he had found an interesting trinket beside the road.
Hearing him, Levi and the Witch instinctively looked up.
The Warden had brought the lantern close to his face… close enough for them to finally see beneath his straw hat.
Levi went rigid instantly… his mouth opening against his will.
Beside him, the Witch recoiled violently, her hands rising as though desperate to shield herself from what she had just seen.
And then…
AAAAAAAH!!
Their horrified screams overlapped at the sight of a face that was never meant to be seen by the living…