The Majarlican Demigod

How to be a phantom?

The Majarlican Demigod

Chapter 32: How to be a phantom?

After three hours, the first team didn't find any leads. As the first team takes their break, it's our turn to search. We moved to the next neighborhood, which is the heart of their state. There, we saw magnificent infrastructure that looked like it came from another world.

"Wow! I feel like I'm back to Earth again!" Talia said, "It's like Paris and New York together!"

"More like Tokyo to me," Xanthal said.

"Oh! You two were from Kingdom Earth!" Prince Roux is amazed. " It sounds crowded to me."

"Cities are meant to be more crowded than you think they would, Your Highness," Xanthal responded, "Also, we don't call it Kingdom Earth. It's planet Earth. The episteme here is limited because of how this dimension was created."

"Let's keep moving, people," Brighton demands, "We're fourteen in the group, so let's go by fives."

Hans, Talia, Francis, Timotheus, and Terrence for the first group. Prince Roux, Xanthal, Randall, Zephyra, and Andreius for the second team. Brighton, Juliano, Phoenix, and I were in the third group. Our team took on the lead and the one who went to the farthest in the neighborhood. The clue is elusive. Not even Brighton can actually work it out.

"Is it the work of Artes that we can't seem to find a trace?" I ask Brighton.

"Yes. It was done by Artes' pawns to distract us. He hides their traces." Brighton answered confidently.

"So not even a demigod like me would find a demigod’s trace?"

"You need tons of concentration before you trace Artes," Brighton's too honest, "There's only one way for me to find it. But I need to leave this body and look for the trace."

"We’re staying here until tomorrow?" I reconfirm, "You better keep your word when you said you'll take care of it."

Brighton did not answer.

We stayed wandering around the city, unable to get any helpful information. Everyone, on the other hand, is working hard to get it done. My clubmates knew that the portion of this case that was hard to resolve was that the attacker was Artes' accomplice.

The night struck, and given our situation, Saphrias rented an inn for us, and we were divided into five again. The first group will work before us, so five rooms are more than enough. The second group is trying to get some sleep before watching at midnight. According to Brighton, it's the best time for him to return to his original form to start working on finding the attackers.

Waiting will always make you sleepy or anxious. And why should I be worried? It would be better if I tried to think of how I could find the attacker. Artes is a formless being, and Brighton said he can only see a lead if he is in his celestial form. It only means that unless you're intangible like Artes, then you won't be able to get a trace!

That's it! But how would I take my soul out of my body without having to die?

There's only one person from whom I can get that ability! But first, I must copy the invisibility power to go out without being caught by Saphrias.

I teleported from the girl's room to Roux's room. He happened to be still awake when I reappeared in their room.

"Your Highness, I need your help," I tap on his shoulder.

Roux looked surprised that a low-ranked royal person approached him this way for a favor, "What is it?"

"Please go on invisible while touching your shoulder," I responded.

"That's it?" he was more surprised.

"Yes, it is."

Prince Roux took a deep breath, and while I was touching his shoulder, I felt the energy he released go invisible, so I grabbed the chance to absorb the power. He reappeared right away, so I took the opportunity to see if it was working.

"Ally?" Roux was surprised that I disappeared, "Wow, she didn't even say thank you,"

It worked!

I reappeared, "Thank you, Your Highness. I'll be taking off now!" then I teleported from their room and went outside.

I'm getting closer to my goal. I went invisible as soon as I reached the exit to the inn and started looking for the first group. As Saphrias instructed earlier, we will guard the entire neighborhood this time. I flew around to look for my target. Saphrias put her somewhere farther. I went to the farthest post we were told to guard, and there I found the mind master I am copying my new ability from. Astral projector, Lauren Kohl. I found her sleeping on the lanzadera that we had. I can see the energy she's releasing. This only means Lauren is doing her astral projection, so I touched her forehead to absorb the ability.

After copying Lauren's ability to separate her soul from her body, I returned to our room by teleporting. Now, all that is left to try is to crawl to the bed beside Talia and Zephyra, and then I remove my soul from my body.

At first, it felt like nothing was happening until I saw myself levitating. At the same time, my physical body lay still on the bed. I'm so lightweight that I might trip in the air, so I got to be careful. The moment I went invisible, my body went invisible, too. I have to let it be so I can catch up with others. When I went outside, the surroundings became different. Human souls are wandering around here. Maybe they were dead mutants that wanted to stay a bit longer. Some fingerprints became more visible. If so, I will return to the first crime scene.

The borders of the East are surrounded by trees, given that this is the land of Natural Skilled people. It's not a coincidence that the first target is the area near the sea. It was purposefully done. The attackers must be planning to take down the entire state. At the forest, Ninna and Hamilton are watching the area.

"Are you sleepy?" Ninna asked Hamilton.

"Team captain will never be sleepy while on watch, Ms. Adorre," Hamilton answered.

Ninna laughed at him, "You're seriously the team captain?"

"I may not look strong to you, Ms. Adorre, but I'm the team captain for a reason!" Hamilton asked, "Anyway if you are sleepy and want to get coffee from that cafe while they're still open,"

Ninna went to the café while the arrogant team captain guarded their post.

"Tss… That girl doesn't have any useful skills. Seriously?" Hamilton looks confused as he blushes when he disses Ninna. Why does she have to be that pretty, though? I'll never get a chance with a perfect girl like her."

I can't help but find it hilarious. I should let that alone and keep on looking. I flew into the darker area of the forest. Tiny voices whispered behind the bush. It sounded like small children. I went in to see what they were doing.

"Aren't you scared?" the kid on the left asked the kid on the right. They were both wearing capes with hoods that hid their faces. They were holding something in their hands that hung on their necks.

"If we die tonight, Big Brother promised that he will revive our bodies," the kid on the right responded.

"You think we will still think like humans?" the other kid asked.

"Big brother said we would be real Majarlicans if he could revive our bodies. There's no way that mutants' orphans will be real Majarlicans, you know."

"Children, why are you talking about dying?!" I can't help myself but ask.

Both of them looked terrified.

"W-ww-whoo- who's there?" the kid on the left stands up.

I forgot that they won't be able to see me!

"Listen, I'm a person from the West, and I have to know some facts from you kids," I told them.

"Show yourself, coward!" the other kid amends.

"Goodness, um, calm down, kids. You can't see me because I'm just a soul, OK?" I told them.

The kids were even more terrified, "You're a ghost?!"

"Goest? What is that?"

"A person whose body is dead, but the soul is still wandering around," one of them answered.

"Oh, you mean phantom!" I figured it out somehow, "Well, I can be a phantom. That's why you can't see me."

"Are we going to believe this voice?" the kids asked the other.

"Before you judge me, kids. What exactly are you doing here? And what is that thing you are holding in your neck?" I draw nearer to see what they have.

It's a black metal with a lemon shape with diagonal cuts.

This is my first time seeing this object. "What do you call this thing, mutants?"

"It's a grenade. If you pull this string, there will be a big explosion, then… I'm no longer human," a fainted voice came from a 3-foot-tall person.

"This is unforgivable! You're the same age as my sister. You can't die!" I told the kid, who answered, "Listen, if your body blows up, no Majarlican can fix it. The pieces of your body will go all over the place or burn along with the explosion."

"How did you know?"

"Are you saying that our big brother is lying to us?"

I'm getting more nervous now, "I don't know who that big brother was, but if he truly cares for you, he wouldn't ask for you to do this."

The kids looked at each other and turned silently, sad that tears started falling from their eyes.

"Big brother says that if we do this, Kingdom Majarlika will let us stay here even though we won't have powers like you," the kid on the right said.

"Will you help us, a lady from the West, if we tell you what you need?" The other kid removed her hoodie. She turned out to be a girl and had a lot of dirt on her face.

They are only using these kids, "I will take care of you from now on," I told the two of them, "I don't know how dangerous those grenades are, but you need to take them off your bodies. Also, can you tell me who is that big brother? What is he planning to do, and where can I find him?"

"We can't see you, but we will trust your words," the other kid said. Big Brother wants to eradicate the club called TNGY. He said that they were a bunch of selfish people who eliminated humans who didn't have powers. Big Brother spread encircling the whole East, and he wants to kill all the old and new members of TNGY here."

That's a grave plan! I must warn everyone before the whole city is taken down.

"We cannot detach these grenades anymore," the little girl said, "If we do, it will cause an explosion."

"Big brother is currently staying in a hotel room at the city's center," the other kid said.

"I see. What time is the planning to eradicate the city?"

"He wants to do it when everyone is asleep," the little girl answered.

"OK. I got all the information I needed. You will not go anywhere, OK?" I told them, "I will be fetching my body quickly, so don't move."

Both of them nodded, so I teleported from the forest back to our room. The room had a slumber ambiance, and this was not the time to feel sleepy. I returned to my body.

Suddenly, it feels heavy to be on my physical body.

"Zephyra, Talia, time to wake up!" I pull both of them from the bed.

(To Be Continued)