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Chapter 291  The Dark Web!

The threads pulsed faintly, like veins pumping corrupted blood.

It was as if these were acting as strings, controlling the people like puppets and keeping the illusion from crumbling into pieces.

Oliver followed those threads with his eyes, slowly untangling them through his superior sight; despite the web-like tangled structure, he was able to separate them one by one.

With each thread he followed, the air seemed to press closer—thick and suffocating. Something powerful was watching, waiting.

The sensation lingered at the edge of his mind—a cold whisper, brushing against his thoughts like icy fingertips.

Measuring them, he traced the threads to their roots, slowly following the direction from which they seemed to emerge.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

The village remained silent as they walked toward the source of the espera threads.

The cobbled streets seemed quieter than before, the air unnervingly still. Even the occasional whispers of villagers had faded away.

Just like that, Oliver finally noticed it.

An ordinary village house, seemingly inconspicuous among the other houses. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing special about it.

However, he was different; he could see what others could not.

What he saw was a terrifying mass of dark espera gathering around the house. It was suppressed and sharp. Just sensing it sent chills down his spine.

The energy twisted and churned, thick and oily, like smoke rising from a smoldering corpse.

He closed his eyes and looked beside him at Agnes. After a moment of thought, he shared his decision.

“Agnes, you…” He paused and looked around. There was no one in sight; all he could see were empty surroundings.

The silence gnawed at him, unnatural in its depth.

“Teacher, what’s the matter?” Agnes asked as she followed his line of sight, seeing no one there.

“I am thinking of letting you stay here. The danger ahead is not something simple. I cannot guarantee your safety while navigating through it. What do you think?”

He sought her opinion, wanting to see how she would react in such a situation. Would she choose to stay with him or take a more rational path?

Agnes fell silent, contemplating rationally and using logic. In the end, she agreed with his decision and nodded.

“I will stay back then, teacher.”

She was acutely aware of how powerless she was compared to him, and if there was something he did not feel confident dealing with, she would support him by not being a burden. It was better to do nothing and wait rather than become his burden, risking both their lives simultaneously.

Still, her fingers curled slightly, betraying her frustration.

Oliver smirked.

It was a test of sorts, to judge her decisiveness.

Agnes had always been one to think ahead, from leading other slaves in the city to using the talisman when he was battling Sera. She was a natural-born leader.

He felt relieved that he was not babysitting her. She was mentally mature; the grueling life she had lived had shaped her.

Yet a faint worry lingered.

If anything, Oliver might even believe that Agnes had the protagonist template. Not only was she not broken by the demonic tyranny, but her spirit was ignited even further, fueling her desire for freedom and to lead her kind to a better future.

To assure her further, he advised her not to worry too much.

“I will make sure you can hide well. Don’t trust any villager under any circumstance, and don’t reveal your face either. Remember this: no matter what, don’t ever trust them.”

His voice sharpened at the end, firm and urgent.

He spoke in a grave tone, concerned that her naive and laid-back nature around demons could lead to deception. He repeatedly warned her.

“I understand.” Agnes seriously obeyed. If her teacher was emphasizing something repeatedly, she would be foolish not to listen and do as he asked.

She trusted him with her life, and her faith was unwavering. She would not trust or listen to the words of the villagers.

“Thanks.” Oliver patted her and made arrangements for her to remain discreet. As long as he willed it, he was confident she wouldn’t be discovered by anyone.

Still, a sense of unease twisted in his chest. Something felt wrong… off.

After all, he was capable of achieving such.

He did not waste time and sped toward the source of it all.

_________

The closer he got to the house, the heavier the atmosphere felt.

By the time he reached the door, the dark espera was as abundant as air. He couldn’t even feel a trace of normal pure espera in the surroundings; it was as if the whole air was filled with dark espera, and the little bit of pure espera was devoured by the dark espera.

The pressure pressed against his chest like a vice, tightening with every breath.

It was a nauseating feeling for an exorcist like himself; he felt an inherent repulsion to the energy present in the atmosphere.

“I have never felt such thick and potent dark espera before…”

He remembered that even Sera’s aura was not this dense, which made his brows tense even more.

If the opponent inside was stronger than Sera, was he doing the right thing by venturing further into this dangerous den?

But… he was trapped.

The village had blocked everything from the outside world, as if they were completely cut off.

It was as if the demon lands where he was and this village were two separate dimensions.

His hand stretched toward the cottage’s door; each second felt heavier than the last.

His fingers tingled, as if static crawled beneath his skin.

It was as if the closer his hand reached the doorknob, the more the effect of gravity increased.

However, he didn’t care; all he felt was a slight weight. His strength was abnormal; simple pressure wouldn’t affect him.

Click…

Oliver twisted the knob, and the door slowly started to open. What was revealed was endless darkness behind that ordinary door.

A wave of frigid air slithered out, chilling him to the bone.

Whoom!

Whoom!

The darkness inside erupted, as if a dam containing it had been opened. Like a tidal wave, it burst forward; the pressure, the intensity-everything was suffocatingly strong.

It slammed into him like a wall of icy sludge, sticking to his skin and seeping into his bones.

Oliver was instantly engulfed in the darkness, leaving nothing behind.

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