Chapter 50 - 8.2 : Ritual in the Shadows
Two hours had passed. It was just after midnight. A new day had begun. Yet nothing had changed. Only the gentle ripple of seawater and faint spiritual signals drifting by like night mosquitoes—harmless.
"Boring," Al whispered, taking a deep breath. "I can’t keep this eye active for too long."
He deactivated his Dimensional Eye. But then suddenly—his magical instincts flared. The vibration was subtle, yet rhythmic—enough to rattle his spiritual awareness. A group of people appeared at the edge of the beach. They wore black robes and carried various ritual items: incense, offerings, a carved dagger, black cloths, and glass bottles filled with cloudy red liquid.
Shamans, Al thought.
They’re doing a ritual here? An exorcism? Or maybe...
He observed from above. One of them radiated an aura that... felt familiar. Something that stirred his memory, though he couldn’t place it yet.
The ritual began. The head shaman stood in the center while three others formed a triangular formation around him. The shaman raised both clenched fists, then released a surge of energy—
Illusion Barrier: Activated
A magic barrier formed, creating an illusion dome about a hundred meters wide. A faint purplish light shimmered before vanishing from normal sight, leaving behind only a fog—seemingly concealing something massive within. From the outside, it looked like an empty beach.
But Al knew better. Unfortunately, he couldn’t activate his Dimensional Eye again just yet, so he had to get closer—inside the barrier.
He leapt down, touched the surface of the barrier, and smirked. Then he slipped inside with ease.
"No detection enchantments... just pure illusion to fool regular people’s eyes," he said calmly as he walked in.