Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 621

"The souls are trapped here because their bodies are bound to this land."

Jenkins understood. He needed to dig up at least three bodies from beneath his feet to leave.

This test would certainly not be about his sand-digging skills, nor would it be a simple matter of patience. The ghastly, smiling spirits were likely the real challenge.

Seeing that the woman had stopped speaking and resumed her vacant, staring gaze, Jenkins gave a slight nod and quickly backed away to the bottom of the dune.

The dry air was irritating, and licking his lips only made him realize how thirsty he was.

Since he was alone in this Mysterious Realm, he couldn't discuss things with anyone. He didn't waste any time. Finding no suitable tools at hand and feeling it would be a shame to waste his [Psychography] on something , he simply bent down and started digging with his bare hands.

Things went much more smoothly than Jenkins had expected. He had barely dug two feet deep, a task that took less than ten minutes, when a small piece of bone emerged from the sand.

Based on the meager medical knowledge Jenkins had acquired since becoming an Enchanter, it had to be a human finger bone.

"Alright, let's see what this is all about."

A dozen or so minutes later, the complete skeleton of a man lying on his back with his right arm raised was fully exposed before Jenkins. Even without the support of the sand, the raised right hand—the part Jenkins had first discovered—remained held high, defying skeletal structure and gravity. It made one wonder what on earth he had been doing before he died.

He backed away from the pit he had dug and waited quietly for a few seconds. Just as he'd expected, the skeleton began to tremble. It took a full minute for it to gain control of its bones, and even longer to sit up.

But it showed no intention of leaving the pit. Instead, it faced Jenkins and waited in silence.

Jenkins was puzzled at first, but a quick look with his Eye of Reality revealed one of the spirits drifting over to the skeleton, settling upon it, and merging with it in the same seated posture.

To the naked eye, the body on the sand suddenly transformed, becoming half skeleton and half flesh and blood. At the junction between the two, the cross-section of dissected organs was visible, yet eerily, not a single drop of blood flowed out.

"I don't want to leave this place. Please do not disturb me."

It spoke, its voice closely matching the appearance of the spirit he had just seen.

Jenkins was relieved it didn't attack him outright. This meant the Mysterious Realm wasn't purely combat-oriented, at least.

"Because I am guilty."

The statement was utterly meaningless.

"All mortals carry guilt. You needn't dwell on it."

Jenkins said reassuringly.

"But my transgressions are too great. I believe not even a god would forgive me."

Conversing with a monster of this appearance was deeply unsettling. What vexed Jenkins the most was that its logic was perfectly sound, just like a normal person's.

"A god would forgive you. In fact, the great deities are far more tolerant and merciful than mortals imagine... Besides, I don't think a god would pay special attention to any single person."

He offered this comfort again, all the while guessing what the outcome of this conversation might be.

"I killed my children. I used a kitchen knife. Would a god forgive me for that?"

He cried out in shock, looking down to see the sleeve of his left arm soaked with his own blood. Just seconds before, it was as if an unseen person had slashed him with a sharp weapon. He hadn't even realized what had happened the instant the wound appeared.

"I killed my wife. I used poison. Would a god forgive me for that?"

It asked again. Unable to discern a complete expression, Jenkins could only infer from its tone that it was sincerely asking for his counsel.

Jenkins replied once more.

Overcome by thirst, he subconsciously swallowed after giving his answer, only to feel a cold, bitter liquid slide down his throat.

"Gag—" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

A strange sound escaped his throat and he fell rigidly onto the sand, but he quickly scrambled back up, clutching his nose.

"What potent poison. It acts so fast... The candle's antidote barely had time to react."

He desperately wanted to know what the man had been thinking when he killed his wife. At the same time, he couldn't understand why the earlier slash had only hit his arm and not his neck.

He didn't heal himself yet. In a Mysterious Realm, each ability could only be used once, and this wasn't the right time.

"I killed my parents. Can a god forgive me?"

It asked for the third time.

Jenkins was tempted to answer 'No' just to see what would happen, but his survival instinct stopped him.

"A god will forgive you."

As he spoke, he leaped sharply to his right. But it seemed an invisible pursuer matched his speed. A massive force slammed into his back, throwing him to the ground. Jenkins could even hear the crack of breaking bone.

"It wasn't an 'unseen person,' he judged, but an unavoidable ability that directly caused the effect."

Having made this assessment, he pressed a hand to his chest and began to heal himself. A broken bone had likely punctured a lung; not only was the pain excruciating, but breathing had become difficult.

Even in this terribly dry environment, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Will a god truly forgive me?"

This was probably the end of it, but this Mysterious Realm was terrifying. Jenkins had been forced to use his life-saving ability before he had even figured out the rules.

He suspected he had taken a wrong turn somewhere; otherwise, it made no sense to encounter such a dreadful situation right from the start.

"Will a god truly forgive me?"

Seeing Jenkins remain silent, the man asked again patiently.

Jenkins answered in a low voice, bracing himself for another heavy blow, but this time, nothing happened.

"Then, can you bear the guilt for those killings in my stead?"

"Can I think about it for a... No, no, I agree."

Before he could even finish the word 'think,' the flesh-and-blood side of the corpse in the pit began to sprout tentacle-like buds, while bone spurs shot out from the skeletal half. Jenkins immediately knew he had given the wrong answer.

"Thank you for your help."

It said at last, its body dissolving into fine sand until only a single, jade-like finger bone remained, falling onto the sand's surface.