Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 228 - 215: A Terrifying Experience (Editor’s Task: 1/6)
``` 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Bzzt.
Lyle awoke amidst the intense sounds of electric currents, at that time he was inside Amuwa’s wardrobe, with Nia and Medusa taking turns shocking his spiritual body, so his body danced chaotically like a drunken octopus in a disco.
The boy convulsing from the electric shocks finally rolled his spiritual eyes, turning his gaze toward Medusa, "Wha-wha-wha-wha-what’s go-going on?!!" Judging that the high-frequency shocks hadn’t fried Lyle’s brain, Medusa let out a sigh of relief. This was a novel experience for her, proving that ghosts don’t have brains.
Medusa, looking at Lyle flashing in the darkness, had a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "You actually fell asleep in the midst of extreme fear, which is truly unbelievable. Is this some sort of special protective mechanism unique to you? Nia and I have been electrocuting you for nearly twenty minutes to wake you up, you know. It’s an emergency measure to prevent the dissipation of ghosts. I hope you’ve mentally prepared yourself."
"Prepared for what?"
"The spectral scream, here it comes."
Medusa’s last words were drowned by an ear-piercing scream.
Lyle clutched his head as if he were thrown into an overactive tumble dryer.
At the appointed time, four of Amuwa’s wardrobes opened their doors at the same time. Lyle tumbled out of the doorframe, nearly dragged forward by Nia and Medusa.
His companions were just as disheveled as he was.
When Shiny came out, he was crawling on all fours like a reptile, a tail sprouted out from behind his spiritual body, like a lizard. Flexibility was full of holes, he had become tall and flat, like a piece of paper. Control had split open, his body cleaved in half from head to waist, each side becoming independent, one half maintaining dominance over the body, and the other bent like a fallen branch, dragging on the ground. Lyle himself was no better off, the prolonged electric shocks had fused his spiritual body with the current, coupled with the final cleansing experience, he resembled a piece of blue-green electric bubble gum chewed thoroughly and spit out onto the ground.
Troy’s voice rang out again, "Don’t worry, these are the aftereffects of your souls being shocked. It seems the spectral scream has indeed left an indelible mark on you. You will recover slowly, but I believe you should be able to learn the scream quickly."
Under Troy’s arrangement, the four disheveled members of the Necromancer Figure Club stood in a row.
"Scream."
"Ahh~" A piercing spectral scream came from beside Lyle, causing his body to convulse once more.
His three companions now resembled signal towers, broadcasting the soul-shocking sounds outward.
Shiny, Flexibility, and Control had all mastered the spectral scream, except for him.
After the noise stopped, Troy floated to Lyle’s side. Lyle lowered his head like a student scrutinised for poor performance.
Troy wasn’t disappointed, just puzzled. "It makes no sense, to enter Amuwa and not yet learn the spectral scream..."
"Perhaps you could let me try again, Troy."
"No, your body can’t take it, you all should rest now, heal the wounds in your souls. My methods are admittedly aggressive, though effective." Troy circled around them, "Soulology requires consideration of your limits of endurance, if you wish to remain normal. Wait until the sting on your bodies fades, then come back to class. Plague Doctor, you can discuss your experiences with your companions, it might be useful for you."
After declaring the end of the class session, the four left the Soul High Tower, making their way through the corridors of Andrei Castle.
Shiny kept touching his coccyx, making sure it wouldn’t actually sprout a tail, for he continuously felt like there was something behind him due to the scars on his soul. Amidst these strange sensations, he shared his terror.
"I saw Mr. Dragon truly turn me into a lizard, a colorful, scaly lizard, and then, unlike his usual self, cruelly tore off my scales one by one. I am certain, my heart tells me, Mr. Dragon must bear a grudge against me."
"I think it’s more like your subconscious telling you that skinning a lizard alive is an evil act."
"No, I can be sure of this, my heart doesn’t carry guilt, so there is no self-repentance." Shiny negated what seemed like Lyle’s correct view, with decisiveness, "It was right as I was escaping that the spectral scream came. After that, you all know what happened."
Then it was Flexibility’s turn.
```
"I saw the mischief I had gotten up to in the cockpit of the Necro-Gundam was discovered, and I was manipulated into being launched a thousand kilometers away on the first day of the test drive. Then, chased by him piloting the Spine Wheel, its spikes repeatedly rolled over my body."
Manipulation grabbed his brother’s shoulders.
"Your fear has become reality, my brother, for the mistake you committed."
"But Manipulation, that was just a thought, I hadn’t even started to act on it."
"Yet you would not have changed your mind, so I can tax your punishment in advance..."
"Then if I actually play a prank, will I not be punished?"
"By that time, that kind of punishment will compound over time into a death sentence."
"Hey, I’ve never heard of punishment accruing interest."
"Nor have I heard of your pranks stopping."
It was Flexibility’s turn.
"I saw myself suddenly celebrating a birthday as if to celebrate the brotherly bond between Flexibility and me. At the birthday party, my body split into two, and the separate individuals turned into Flexibility’s likeness."
"Isn’t that a heartwarming scene, Manipulation?"
"It was my three hundred sixty-seventh birthday. When I came to my senses, I had been driven insane by over three hundred Flexibilities." Manipulation wrapped his arms around himself, "In the end, surrounded by an army of Flexibilities, I screamed along with the soul’s shriek."
Flexibility was not pleased to hear this.
"Manipulation, you’re insulting me, insulting our relationship!"
"Indeed, because insulting you personally would have no effect."
"I mean you’re insulting my uniqueness. I’m your brother, the special one. I would never share our brotherly bond with another Flexibility. Having over three hundred of me would indeed be a terrifying thing, but if there were three hundred of you, that might actually be nice."
"Rarely do I agree with you, at least I could have some scapegoats to take a break."
Lyle chose to leave halfway, returning alone to the luxury suite of the Necromancer Figure Club.
"Their reflections were of no help."
Medusa climbed onto his neck, "Of course, Lyle, everyone’s fears are unique. It’s best you scrutinize your own. So, what is your fear? You fainted not long after the closet door of Amuwa closed, and neither I nor Nia know what you experienced."
"The persistent Omen Giant."
"The same one from last time?"
"Two of them, It has multiplied. One in the sky, one in the sea. The two giants crushed me to pieces, but I was so afraid I couldn’t even breathe, let alone scream."
Medusa reached out with her little claws to comb Lyle’s hair by his temples, "Don’t worry, Lyle, perhaps humans have a harder time learning Soulology than Liches. You don’t just have one chance. You have many more opportunities than they do, and perhaps different experiences will speed up your learning. After your spirit has healed, you can seek out those who are adept with souls."
"Like Alianna, her singing is a kind of soul scream."
"The more terrifying kind."
