NOVGO.NET Chapter 1779: The Silent City
Chapter 1779: The Silent City
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The White Ghost Race valued silence above all else and despised unnecessary noise. They moved without making a sound and could communicate through their Ghost Language without producing any audible words.
They were cold by nature. Whenever someone stared at them, they returned the gaze with open disdain and disgust. They were difficult to approach, intensely proud, yet also silent and highly calculating. The women were often playful with a hint of sadism, while the men tended to be utterly emotionless.
Lisette was an exception. Perhaps because he was still a child and had not fully assimilated into White Ghost culture, he did not behave like the others. Instead, he was a lively and extremely talkative boy.
“Hmm, are we lost?” Elayne asked, using Spirit Talk to communicate with Yaga.
“No, I’ve been here before,” Yaga replied. “Just follow me and don’t cause a scene.”
“Okay, okay…” Elayne nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with the locals.
Despite the apparent peace, tension hung thick in the air. They drew occasional stares, and Elayne could overhear some of the hidden conversations. Thanks to her Spiritual Hearts, she could understand their Ghost Language perfectly.
“Who is that old blue goblin?”
“She seems to have quite a few bodyguards.”
“I’m jealous. I wish I had that many Undead slaves…”
“Hmm, they do look strong.”
“That blazing skeleton is a rare type of undead, isn’t it?”
“She even has a Shadow, impressive!”
Elayne felt a quiet irritation. To them, Undead were nothing more than products, objects to collect, play with, and eventually discard. They did not see them as tormented souls who had once lived and suffered.
Of course, not every individual was cruel. Elayne knew that beneath the surface, each person was unique. Though they followed their racial instincts, some still possessed kindness.
“I wish Undead weren’t treated like slaves…”
“Who is that child with her? Is he a slave too? Ridiculous!”
“Ugh, another boring day…”
“I can’t wait to tell my wife I finally earned my Necromancy License!”
“That Phantom Magic Exam was brutal… I don’t know if I’ll pass…”
Some had perfectly ordinary worries and celebrated perfectly ordinary achievements. Elayne smiled faintly. Even in this world, life still held many similarities to the Living World.
They walked for several minutes through the pristine white city and finally reached their destination: a much livelier and noisier market street lined with shops. Here, a greater variety of races mingled, and it was one of the few places where noise was tolerated.
A barrier surrounded the entire market to contain the sound, most likely erected by the White Ghost Race Lord, so the locals would stop complaining about the merchants’ racket. Annoying as it was, the market was essential to the town’s economy.
“Come here! Finest Nether Herbs in the city!”
“Fresh Ghostly Bone Dust! Straight from newly processed Undead!”
“Thirty percent off everything today only! Buy me out so I can go home!”
“Cheap Small Nether Beast parts! Bones, flesh, organs, hides! Best prices in the market!”
“Hey, goblin lady! Want to try this Nether Slime Unguent? Perfect for old, wrinkly skin like yours!”
Besides White Ghosts and Blue Ghostly Goblins, Elayne spotted several other races selling their wares. Red-skinned muscular giants with multiple arms—some had three, others four, a few even six—stood out prominently. Black horns curved from their foreheads, and they possessed four, five, or even six eyes depending on their bloodline strength.
These natural warriors who radiated demonic power were the Asura Race, descendants of ancient Demons from Purgatory that had spread across the Demon Continent long ago.
They mostly sold what they hunted: Nether Beasts, Ghostly Beasts, Bone Beasts, and surplus weapons. The weapons immediately caught Elayne’s interest.
“Um, excuse me. How much is that bone sword?”
“Oh? A talking zombie. Now that’s rare…”
Elayne spoke impulsively and immediately regretted it. She took a step back.
“S-Sorry…”
“No need to apologize. I don’t hold grudges against Undead. Your master treating you well?”
“Um… yes…”
“All right, all right. You don’t like talking much.”
The old Asura laughed heartily. He looked like a man in his fifties but was surely much older. A long black beard framed his bald head, and countless battle scars and dark tattoos of flames and beasts covered his red skin. He had four arms—or rather, three now, the fourth clearly severed long ago, perhaps devoured by some monster.
“I’ve got all kinds of weapons. Like this sword? One of my old favorites, still in perfect condition. I just found something better,” he said with a grin. “It’s called the Bone Beast Blade. Over a hundred Nether Beast Souls are sealed inside. Not easy to wield, but if you turn it into a proper Soul Artifact, it’ll be a faithful partner for life!”
“Oooh…” Elayne was genuinely fascinated by the legendary-looking sword, but she lacked the funds. “I don’t have enough right now… I’m sorry. I’ll come back once I do.”
“Hah, no worries!” the Asura laughed, taking a swig from his bottle. “Just because you’re so polite—and beautiful—I’ll give you a huge discount. Eight hundred crystals. How’s that sound?”
“Oh wow, really? Thank you so much!” Elayne nodded eagerly. “I’ll definitely return.”
She hurried back to the group. Yaga immediately scolded her for wandering off, making everyone wonder where she had gone.
“What were you doing? I told you it’s dangerous!” Yaga said angrily.
“I’m sorry… I got distracted by a sword,” Elayne admitted. “Anyway, where are we selling our things?”
“There are several large emporiums that buy anything,” Yaga explained. “We’ll visit each one and sell to whoever offers the best price. Let’s move.”
They approached a row of large buildings where merchants constantly came and went. This area allowed sellers to offload goods quickly without setting up their own stalls, exactly what Yaga preferred.
There were three emporiums in total, each owned by different individuals. The first, the White Hall, was the quietest and run entirely by a family of White Ghosts who maintained serious, silent expressions.
After waiting in line, Yaga and Elayne stepped forward to present their goods. Elayne discovered she could connect to her Domain and retrieve items directly, as if using Spatial Storage Magic.
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