Chapter 548: Ghostbusters (I)

Mist drifted endlessly across the floating isles of Fyxestroll Garden, swallowing distance beneath layers of pale blue haze that seemed almost alive. The fog did not merely obscure the landscape — it transformed it. Bridges curved away into nothingness before abruptly reappearing farther ahead like fragments of a half-forgotten memory, while distant cliffs and pavilions lingered at the edge of perception like silent apparitions waiting just beyond sight.

The sea below could no longer be distinguished from the sky above, both drowned beneath the same endless veil of dim cyan light, making the entire region feel untethered from reality itself. Ancient stone pathways wound through carefully maintained gardens perched atop jagged islands suspended over the abyss, their edges lined with dark railings slick with dew.

Clusters of emerald trees and golden-leaved maples swayed gently beneath the cold night winds, their colors muted beneath the ghostly glow of spectral lanterns scattered throughout the estate-like grounds. Here and there, strange green flames spiraled lazily around weathered shrines and ornate mechanisms etched with luminous markings, their unnatural radiance reflecting across still pools of water and polished stone courtyards.

The soft murmur of waterfalls echoed endlessly between the cliffs, blending with the distant creaking of wood and the faint whisper of moving fog until the entire garden seemed to breathe in slow, patient rhythms.

Despite its serenity, there was something profoundly unsettling about the place. The silence felt too complete, too deliberate, as though the garden itself were listening. Shadows stretched unnaturally long beneath the lantern light, disappearing into curtains of mist where the eye could no longer follow. Empty pavilions stood abandoned beneath curved rooftops, their interiors untouched yet somehow wrong, carrying the oppressive stillness of places where people once gathered but no longer dared to remain. Even the drifting petals scattered across the bridges seemed reluctant to settle, endlessly carried along by unseen currents through the cold air.

And yet, for all its eerie nature, Fyxestroll Garden possessed a beauty difficult to deny. It was the kind of beauty that belonged to forgotten things — tranquil, mournful, and impossibly distant. The glowing waterways, the layered cliffs vanishing into fog, the quiet gardens suspended above an endless void... together they formed a landscape that felt less like a place built for the living and more like a dream preserved long after its dreamer had vanished.

Sunny’s footsteps remained silent as he walked through the deep shadows of Fyxestroll Garden. Today... was the day of his community service. Under normal circumstances, he would be appalled. He, Lost From Light, had to endure the act of serving the community? What an inconceivable concept.

He’d rather die!

...Actually, maybe not.

No, no... the reason he easily went along with this, was because he had a bigger grudge to settle. Those damn ghosts...

Pausing for a moment, Sunny gazed forward towards his Ascended guide. He didn’t really need one, but he accepted her assistance nonetheless.

The woman walking ahead of Sunny looked human at first glance.

That illusion lasted for approximately three seconds.

After that, every instinct sharpened by years of surviving around Nightmare Creatures, Saints, madmen, the world itself, and generally unstable women started quietly informing him that something about her was fundamentally wrong.

She possessed the appearance of a young woman, slender and graceful in a distant, almost ceremonial way. Long ash-blue hair fell all the way to her thighs in a carefully maintained ponytail, tied together with dark ribbons touched by muted crimson. Loose bangs framed a pale face so still and composed that it resembled a sculpture more than living flesh, while strange wing-like ornaments rested near her temples like decorative restraints placed upon an artificial doll. One tassel of red and cyan swayed softly beside her head whenever she moved, adding the only visible motion to an otherwise unnervingly motionless figure.

Her clothing only deepened the bizarre contradiction she embodied.

Dark fabrics layered across her body in elegant overlapping pieces of black, navy blue, and deep crimson, revealing glimpses of pale skin through carefully placed openings at her waist and chest. Golden ornaments shaped like blooming suns rested against her hips and throat, polished so perfectly that they reflected light without flaw. Thin fabrics hung from her waist and arms like ceremonial banners, swaying behind her with every measured step, while black gloves wrapped around delicate hands adorned with intricate golden accessories. Her sandals exposed slender toes painted black, and a dark tattoo curled along one thigh like ink poured directly into skin.

Sunny noticed all of this immediately.

Unfortunately, Sunny also happened to possess functioning eyes.

Which meant his gaze lingered for approximately half a second too long on her legs before he internally scowled at himself.

’What’s up with Xianzhou women and thick thighs? Other worlds need to start keeping up...’

[It’s cultural, Benefactor! Cultural!]

’Uh-huh.’

He didn’t even want to remember what that Yukong lady was wearing when he searched her up at Tingyun’s behest... actually, he did. He just couldn’t understand why anyone would expose so much skin. So many weakpoints...

Still, it was a gift to his eyes that he was ever grateful for.

Realizing that he didn’t even know the woman’s name, Sunny plastered an amicable smile onto his face before asking:

"I know it’s a little late, but I thought I should ask for your name."

The woman looked back towards him with her dull eyes, gazing at him for a short moment before speaking:

"...You’re still following me, Master Sunless?"

Sunny gazed back with a look of confusion.

"Yes... wasn’t I supposed to?"

She shook her head.

"You are... I just didn’t believe you could keep up. Apologies for underestimating you."

Sunny pursed his lips. What in the world was she talking about? Sure, they were walking at a decently hurried pace, but it’s not like she was sprinting away from him. Nor was she difficult to keep track of.

...Wait, if she expected him to be unable to keep up, then why had she been walking ahead without a care in the world? Had she been wanting him to lose track of her? Actually, there was a small amount of resentment in her gaze.

Eventually, she revealed her name.

"Member of the Ten-Lords Commission, going by the alias Hanya. I am a judge responsible for the four duties detention, incarceration, interrogation, and punishment. Therefore, I know a thing or two about you..."

Sunny inwardly smiled. Of course she did. Who could possibly be unaware of the man who prevented the plans of a Supreme Titan from coming into frui—

"Like how you caused extensive damages to the Creation Furnace, both crippling the Cloud Knight’s equipment supply and releasing the Heliobi sealed within to power it. I’ll have you know, there are very few people in the Ten-Lords Commission who don’t have a negative response upon hearing your name."

[Pfft—]

His expression froze, sending Hanya an indescribable stare. Her voice was dispassionate, but her words felt extremely targeted.

...Then, he smiled.

"That’s me! Really, what a silly mistake. It’s a good thing that I’m here to save the day from those Heliobi scum. So, I don’t think any resentment you may have towards me is justified."

Hanya turned away, continuing to walk at a brisk pace.

"I suppose that is true. It seems that I have been misinformed."

Sunny tilted his head, taking a small leap over a crevice.

"Misinformed?"

"I’ve been told that you once slit a man’s throat for catcalling you."

Sunny choked on nothing but thin air.

"Wha—What? I never did that!"

Hanya nodded, accepting his answer.

"I usually only stab them. I mean, do you know how much it sucks to choke on your own blood? I’ve experienced that, once or twice."

She paused in her steps for a moment, before continuing onwards.

"I see. Please don’t stab anyone while you’re here, then."

"Does that include Heliobi?"

"Do as you wish."

"Yay!"