50 Electrocute

Nie Li checked his holographic projectors. There were some changes. His tricks attracted almost two hundred ghosts and now they were dumbly chasing holograms in the side alleys. It looks like his theory was right so far. The ghost couldn't communicate with each other from a distance. Now he will test the second part of his theory. Will the death of the ghost attract others from a distance?

He shut down all of the projections and activated one in the middle of the training grounds. It let out a loud noise and the ghosts started to appear at the edge of the field. When they noticed the new target, they moved towards it.

Nie Li watched from his hidden spot on the highest floor of the building located some distance away. Small discharges appeared when the ghosts triggered the traps and the ghost started dying one by one. When half of the ghosts were killed, girls reported that some of the ghosts around the central building departed in his direction.

So his second theory was also right. Ghosts somehow could feel the deaths of their fellows from a distance. Nie Li watched as many more ghosts started to appear from every direction. They hit the lightning barriers and died. And more appeared in their place. Girls constantly reported about more ghosts leaving the central area in his direction and repeatedly asked if he was really safe.

Nie Li assured them that he was watching everything from a safe distance. And what a sight it was! The lightning flashes were happening constantly. Nie Li had charged the inscription patterns with a huge amount of energy from Heavenly Energy Crystal, and it could also absorb part of the energy released by the dying ghosts, so it's going to last for some time.

Girls who were in contact with him suddenly shouted. "Nie Li, all of the ghosts left your way. Be careful!"

So when a large cloud of ghosts appeared from that direction, Nie Li decided to call it quits because it was getting too dangerous and his job was practically done. Nie Li left his cover and ran. It wasn't long before he heard very loud crackling sounds behind him and a blast wave hit him. The lightning storm continued for some time but Nie Li didn't stop running. His hair stood on end and he could smell ozone in the air even though he was hundreds of meters away from the epicenter.

When the sounds stopped Nie Li looked back and could see a few ghosts quickly fleeing away from the electric hell they have been through. Most likely they are not returning.

His phone rang. Girls were calling. "Nie Li, are you okay? You weren't answering our calls." Ye Ziyun asked worriedly.

"Yes, I just watched our enemies get electrocuted." Nie Li said. He didn't tell them he was running for his life. With so many ghosts appearing at once the blast was stronger than he planned for.

"Electro... What?" asked Ye Ziyun confused.

"Our dear ghosts collectively became very crispy," Nie Li replied.

"Oh, we can see. Just now, a huge red cloud flew into that house. There are only a couple of hundred ghosts left here in the square."

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute. I don't think my trap will attract any more ghosts." Nie Li said looking in the direction of training grounds. The facades of many buildings were charred and the cobblestone ground was filled with craters. With so many ghosts appearing, the array's power rose exponentially, turning the area into electrical hell.

He quickly reached the girls because there was no reason to act stealthily anymore. He hadn't met any patrolling ghost on his way.

"So, anything new?" Nie Li asked the girls.

"Yes, with most of the ghosts gone, the scanner was able to see inside of the mansion, and something strange is going on there," Xiao Ning'er answered. "If that's what we think it is, it may be bad news for us."

Ye Ziyun who was watching the mansion through the scanner said, "Look, another one." Then turned to Nie Li and continued in a grave tone "We think the ghosts are getting revived."

Nie Li watched the results of the scan. The entire mansion was covered in a black-grey aura and at the center of it was an especially dark circular room with a literal black hole inside it. But, instead of sucking everything in, it was releasing grey-black fumes around it filling the chamber. And from time to time a ghost appeared from that fumes and left the chamber to join his fellows outside the mansion.

"They are appearing every five to six seconds. If we won't attack them now we are going to have to face more of them," Ye Ziyun stated. She was in an aggressive mood. The depressive atmosphere of this world and constantly annoying ghosts must have been getting to her. Truthfully, he was fed up with this world as well. They had been in this world only for 4 hours, but it felt like they were here for days. Even the Netherworld and Abyss Prison realms must be more pleasant than this.

"We can't rush it. Do you see the concentration of death energy inside the mansion? We will be suppressed and our enemy will have an advantage. And that dark miasma makes it impossible to see what's inside that central chamber. Who knows what kind of dangers it holds."

"You think that there is something else than ghosts?" Xiao Ning'er asked.

"I don't know. But we can't be careless here. We must make some preparations before attacking."

"What kind of preparation are you talking about? Do you need our help?"

"Yes. You are going to make a lightning explosion inscription stones. Here are the instruments. And you'll charge them with this."

"Oh, is that Kong Ming's Stone?" asked Ye Ziyun recognizing the stone.

"Yes, and be careful during the charging. Its energy is too potent."

"Okay. What are you going to do yourself?"

"I'll make some Inscription Scrolls. But I must do something beforehand." He should have done it a long time ago. After giving the Charger Cube to his cousin, he hadn't made another one for himself. But with his current soul force reaching above 800, he could create Gold Rank scrolls now. So it would be a waste not to use this now.

So he took out his Starlight Crafting Plate and started working. He finished the Charger Cube in half an hour and charged it with a gold rank demon spirit he had bought when he recharged Nie Zexi's cube. Then he started making Inscription Scrolls with different attributes and effects. He didn't know which one would be most effective so he went for variety. If one doesn't work another will do. Also, he gave the girls new inscription patterns for Light attributed and Life attributed explosion stones.

It had taken them two hours to prepare everything. By that time the number of ghosts around the mansion reached more than one and a half thousand. They surrounded the central mansion as if protecting it. And Nie Li thought that actually may not be far from the truth. Because this time ghosts weren't drifting around aimlessly. Nie Li made a dozen inscription scrolls. And girls also had hundreds of explosive inscribed stones. That should be enough to storm the mansion and deal with whatever was waiting for them inside.

"Let's start our attack. First I will activate the holographic projectors I have placed. We will observe their reaction," Nie Li said. Their reaction will tell them many things about the ghosts' nature. Nie Li still wasn't sure about their intelligence.

He activated the projectors. Two holographic images appeared on the two sides of the square. Ghosts noticed them but simply growled and stayed in their position.

"Nie Li, there are two of her," Ye Ziyun said indicating that both of the holograms were depicting Xiao Ning'er. "Of course, they won't chase after them."

"Hm, they didn't care before. Even if there were three or four of her standing side by side they still took the bait. It looks like they can learn. Let's change the conditions then." One of the Xiao Ning'er's holograms disappeared and after a moment replaced by Ye Ziyun's image.

"Why don't you use your own image?" Ye Ziyun complained.

"I'm too intimidating. They may be scared of me," Nie Li said straight-faced and typed some commands on his phone. Ye Ziyun's hologram suddenly had a scared look and let out a high-pitched shrill scream. Ghosts didn't react even to that.

"I don't sound like that," Ye Ziyun complained looking affronted.

"I don't know. It was recorded when you got scared of the ghost appearing from the ground in the garden if you remember."

"I don't sound like that" Ye Ziyun repeated stubbornly. "Do I?" she asked Xiao Ning'er who was barely holding her laughter. Hearing her question she started snickering, but seeing the look on her friend's face stopped.

"No, you don't sound like that," she replied smiling.

"Well I may have changed the pitch a bit, but it's still your scream." Nie Li admitted.

"I'm going to kill you Nie Li." Ye Ziyun said grumpily and after some pause thoughtfully continued, "Wait! You said that our bracelets can do that too."

Nie Li, who was watching the movements of ghosts outside turned back to smirking Ye Ziyun and said, "It was just a joke."

"Vengeance will be mine!" she said while Xiao Ning'er laughed at their antics.

"So it's a war then," Nie Li said gravelly narrowing his eyes. "But let's declare a ceasefire for now. We must deal with these pathetic ghosts and find a way out of this godforsaken world first."

"Agreed, let's go."

The trio left the house and openly headed towards the central mansion. Ghosts noticed them but still didn't move, only growled at them. It looks like there is really someone controlling the ghosts. But that control seems to be not absolute.

"Use only lightning attributed explosion stones. When we get close to the building, throw the stones in front of us in a half-circular formation on my order. I will draw them in with an attack. Prepare!"

"Now!" Nie Li ordered when they were almost 25 meters from the ghosts. Girls threw their lightning inscription stones in front of them. And Nie Li activated the inscription scroll with the area of effect attack technique, called Lightning Storm. A large area was filled with a lightning storm. The dying screeches of the ghosts confirmed the effectiveness of the attack. Every ghost in front of them was wiped out. Attack even reached the wooden doors of the mansion. The rest of the ghosts that survived, started to fly around the half-circle formation of explosion stones in front of them.

The way how they were giving a wide berth to the traps they laid out in front of them showed how ghosts felt threatened by them. 'Dumb idiot. He should have kept the ghosts inside his mansion where our attacks would have been suppressed' thought Nie Li about the possible owner of the mansion.

When the main mass of the ghosts got around the trap and started surrounding them from behind Nie Li shouted "Run!"

They ran towards the now barely protected doors through their 'minefield'. The Ghosts behind them screeched and those of them that hadn't yet gotten around the 'minefield' started to turn around.

When they passed through the minefield Nie Li shouted, "Activate! Second phase!"

The 'minefield' behind them got activated and crackling sounds and the screeches of the dying ghosts filled the air. Nie Li activated another scroll pointing it towards the two dozen remaining guards at the door. 'Thousand Lightning Spears' simply mowed down everything in front of them including the doors.

The girls on the other hand threw the second party of the stones creating another half-circle minefield. This time the edges of the half-circle stuck to the walls of the mansion. Now the only way for the remaining thousand ghosts to reach them was through the 'minefield'.

While they were watching the ghosts' movements earlier, Nie Li noticed that the resurrected ghosts left the mansion only through the doors, never through the walls. Everywhere else they passed through the obstacles instead of getting around them. But in this mansion, they left it only when doors opened to release them. Nie Li didn't know the reason for this but decided to use it for their benefit.

The girls were adding more layers to the 'minefield' nonstop. Nie Li looked at the doors. His previous attack had destroyed them. But now they were slowly getting restored.

"Girls let's go inside. Have you activated the proximity triggers?" Nie Li asked.

"Yes, Let's go." Ye Ziyun replied. Seeing them enter the mansion ghosts began to rush into the 'minefield' without abandon. And pandemonium started with dying ghosts and crackles of the lightning. After everything they prepared for them Nie Li didn't think that the ghosts will survive.