The ball was progressing very smoothly, with no unexpected incidents in the first half.
One piece of music followed another, as ladies and gentlen passionately whirled around the dance floor, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
During this ti, many eyes turned towards the corner where Aiven and his two companions were, eager to approach. Obviously, Anthony and Delis shone like beacons attracting a lot of attention, which also led to more gazes falling upon Aiven.
"Thank you, I’m a bit tired..."
After Delis impatiently refused yet another "gentleman’s" invitation, she complained, "It’s almost midnight, isn’t the ’Killing Ghost’ coming?"
Being persistently asked to dance by nurous self-proclaid charming n, Delis was extrely annoyed and wished that the "Killing Ghost" would appear imdiately and engage in a grand battle, so that these superficially elegant people would get a taste of her prowess!
Just then, Aiven’s expression changed slightly, and he said softly:
"She’s already here!"
"What, where?!"
Upon hearing this, Anthony and Delis instantly tensed up, ready to jump up at any mont.
"Don’t show any abnormalities for now; I haven’t identified her location yet."
Aiven calmly set down the wine glass in his hand without any excessive movents: "Didn’t you notice that for the past two pieces of music, the number of people leaving the floor has been dwindling, while more people have been joining?"
"Isn’t that just the usual way balls develop?" Delis looked towards the dance floor, trying hard to discern the difference Aiven noted but to no avail.
"That’s indeed not unusual. The odd part is that they haven’t been changing partners at all!" Aiven had already quietly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, pointing out the most unsettling aspect of the scene.
But even so, Anthony and Delis still couldn’t be sure.
Although their spiritual power activation had significantly enhanced their intelligence and mory compared to ordinary people, it wasn’t enough to clearly recall the anomalies occurring over hours among hundreds of individuals.
"No changes?" Anthony’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. Although he trusted that Aiven wouldn’t talk nonsense, rashly taking action in such a scenario would essentially be a slap to the Governor’s face.
If it were an enemy like the "Hamr Following Mad Demon" who attacks head-on, it would be easier to handle; the real trouble lies with adversaries like these who subtly make their moves under the guise of tranquility.
The crowd is both their prey and their natural cover, making people hesitant to act rashly.
Aiven shrugged, indicating that though he could perceive the anomaly, he couldn’t pinpoint its source for the mont.
"Do you have any concrete intel on the abilities of the ’White-Faced Dancer’ and the ’Highly Poisonous Bluebells’?"
In reality, although there was a "Killing Ghost" rampage eight years ago, the official information was largely insufficient.
Before anyone realized it, the "Killing Ghost" had grown to a Level 3 Transcendent. If not for the intervention of hidden powerhouses from the Kingdom, "New Inn Port" might have turned into ruins back then.
Conversely, the Noble Congress, as the instigator behind the scenes and the most affected party, might possess firsthand intelligence, which is why Aiven posed this question.
Anthony knew he couldn’t shirk responsibility for the events eight years ago and didn’t attempt to defend himself, opting to share the information he knew directly.
"Hmm... The Highly Poisonous Bluebells excel in illusion techniques and spiritual witchcraft, capable of interfering with a person’s actions from a psychological level. If the power disparity is significant, it can achieve a terrifying effect similar to Group Puppetry Technique.
If controlled for a sufficiently long ti, it can even hollow a person out from the inside, turning them into an empty shell. Alva suffered greatly from this."
After hesitating a bit, Anthony continued:
"The ’White-Faced Dancer’ should be closer to the essence of a legendary Evil Spirit, being the strongest and most elusive among the seven Killing Ghosts. Family records indicate she appeared only once eight years ago, and besides the last strike from the Kingdom’s strong, she’s the only one who hasn’t been killed.
Her intelligence is the scarcest, only knowing that her power is very idealistic; once certain preconditions are t, just seeing her might lead to being ensnared! Manifesting as an uncontrollable urge to dance until... death!"
After listening to Anthony’s intelligence, Aiven spoke frankly:
"Eliminating the ’Demon’s Disciple,’ the situation now seems quite clear; look at those still dancing, their movents fluid and expressions lively.
They’re dancing genuinely from the heart, not being manipulated like marionettes, the culprit behind this is quite obvious."
"Furthermore, confirming if sothing’s really off is quite simple, just a single unexpected incident will do."
Snap—
Having said that, Aiven snapped his fingers nonchalantly.
Unable to stop him, Anthony and Delis could only helplessly watch Aiven in action, hoping he wouldn’t cause an irreparable ss.
Flap flutter...
A large white seagull flew out from so corner, nonchalantly pecking at the fresh shrimp on the table. Seeing that no one was stopping it, it brazenly flew to the stacked champagne tower, flapping its wings and giving a hard push.
The two onlookers inwardly sighed with resignation; this incident was just too...!
However, their thoughts evidently couldn’t influence the laws of physics...
Crash—
The three-ter-high champagne tower collapsed with a loud crash, with the sound of shattering glass lasting over a dozen seconds—enough to alarm everyone in the banquet hall.
The atmosphere instantly fell silent, then transford into chaos.
"Oh my God! What’s happening?!"
"Goddess above."
So people peeked over but could only see the shattered glass, spilled wine, and an innocent seagull that flew away.
The three people who pretended to be nonchalant no longer looked at the champagne tower, but simultaneously focused on the dance floor, finally discovering the anomaly there.
Da-da... Da... Da-da... Da...
Amidst such commotion, although the musicians had stopped playing, most people in the dance floor seed unaffected, still imrsed in the world of dance.
Their dance moves were graceful and precise, as if still indulging in the sa tune.
"Hey, Blake, what’s going on?"
"Why stop? Keep dancing!" A gentleman in formal attire responded.
"Stop, stop, Alice!"
"No one can stop from dancing!" A girl in a pink lady’s dress strongly resisted her partner’s obstruction, even struggling so hard that her arm dislocated, yet she didn’t stop dancing.
"..."
A few still normal people quickly noticed this anomaly too. After fruitless attempts to call their dance partners or familiar friends, they realized the danger, cautiously slipping out of the dance floor around those still dancing.
At this ti, the governor belatedly broke into a cold sweat, gently letting go of his dance partner, realizing his departure had no impact on her. The partner’s face was intoxicated, as if still dancing with an invisible person.
Fortunately, his wife and daughter had already left early to rest.
After hurriedly fleeing the dance floor, Governor Murdoch imdiately shouted, "Guards!!!"
Swish—
The "security personnel" who were ready in place also realized their negligence. Upon noticing the anomaly of the ball, they jumped out of their hiding places and rushed toward the dance floor.
"Governor, are you alright?" The captain of the City Guard, Wood, approached Murdoch and asked cautiously.
Today, their duty was originally to hunt the possible "Killing Ghost," yet until the "Killing Ghost" had sohow already targeted the guests, they were still oblivious — this situation was nothing short of negligence!
Setting aside their incompetence, Murdoch’s face contorted slightly as he commanded, "What are you waiting for? The Killing Ghost is here; it’s ti for you to act!"
Actually, he was already regretting being recklessly involved in an unfamiliar dangerous domain to reduce his responsibility and maintain a good impression in front of the Crown Prince.
Thinking the dozen City Guards would ensure smooth sailing, but the result was disappointing. He found it hard to maintain 100% confidence in the extraordinary mbers of the City Guard like before.
What’s more terrifying is that those guests serving as "bait," are high-profile figures from across the city, representing not only wealth and power but also the city’s order in various industries.
He couldn’t imagine what disastrous consequences would follow if anything happened to these people today. To say nothing of redemption, he might even be torn apart by the enraged noble families.
As he roared, his back was drenched in sweat...
"As you command, sir!"
After bowing in response, Wood instructed the City Guards behind him to take action.
"Let’s move, get everyone under control first."
Wood’s thinking was correct: first control the non-related individuals to avoid accidental injuries and reduce interference from unexpected factors, making it easier to find the "Killing Ghost," hidden who knows where.
But soon, reality gave him a harsh slap.
"Sir, it’s not working! Their minds seem unable to think of anything else; even knocking them out or dislocating their joints can’t stop them from dancing."
"I’ve seen it!" Wood’s face was extrely grim, noticing more than his subordinates. As ti passed, more people among the crowd outside the dance floor joined in, becoming part of the dance.
Evidently, a chanism affecting the guests’ desire to dance was constantly in effect.
Unexpected exposure led the Evil Spirit to respond anew, and the dance rhythm within the dance floor gradually sped up, their dances beca increasingly exuberant.
But now there’s no music!
Realizing this couldn’t go on, Wood imdiately issued a new order: "Quick, let everyone leave the hotel. Mobilize personnel to search every room, find that monster!"
"Yes, Sir."
However, he didn’t notice his deputy, Chester, who responded while stealthily approaching him from behind.
Squeak—
Unbeknownst to him, Chester held a sword, its glint like a viper striking from a tricky angle, piercing Wood’s waist with lightning speed.
The surprise ca so suddenly and lethally!
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