"It's too quiet for a village."

Eri frowned and put her dagger away. The three of them went forward cautiously.

"Ugh, it feels dirty here! I'm not staying here!"

Uryu stopped and waved at the air around him.

"Dirty?"

Eri tilted her head. What's dirty?

"If I say it's dirty, it's dirty! Look I'm getting goosebumps! I don't have to see it to know it's filthy over here, hmph."

Uryu pulled out a white muslin towel and wiped his hands.

Eri raised her eyebrow. What is he doing? He clearly touched nothing out of the norm. Is this...a mental disorder?

"Gau! Gau!"

Whooooosh!

Alfie burst forward all of a sudden and clawed at the air. A gust of wind passed through them and Alfie ran after it.

"Alfie! Come back!"

"Gau! Gau gau!"

Eri chased after Alfie into the village and Rei followed closely.

"Tsk! Those bumpkins!"

Uryu looked down at the cloth in his hands. It was completely dyed in black. Those ignorant boons! This place is really filthy! He scowled, threw the towel on the floor, and went after them.

... ...

Eri chased Alfie into a simple log house. She hesitated. The door was already open, and there was no sign of people anywhere near.

Whimper...

Whatever goes! Eri rushed in when she heard Alfie groan. She thought there was nobody!

When she stumbled into the dark room, a musty air hit her face. The entire room was coated in a thick layer of dust. It felt heavy and dense, so much that it was hard to move and even breathe.

Alfie struggled on the ground but he wasn't fighting anything visible. He clawed at the floor and rolled over on his back.

"Alfie!"

Eri wanted to approach Alfie but his body started shivering. The light in his eyes went dim and flickered red. This is not normal! Eri gripped her fists tightly. She took a step closer to his body that was convulsing more violently than before. When she reached to touch his body, a wave of power struck her.

Sheng!

Eri bounced back from the strong collision, but Rei caught her just as she was about to crash into the wall.

"Eri!"

Rei lifted her by the shoulders. When he looked at her face, a small golden light flashed between her brows. It spun in a circle and morphed into the shape of a small flame.

Ding Ding!

[Skill Activation]

Inherited skill of light element, [Eyes Of Truth], is activated.

Eri creased her eyebrows when she saw the notification screen pop up. Light element? True eyes? No wait, did it just say 'inherited skill'? That must be referring to the inheritance of light Uryu mentioned the day before. Why? It must be that pearl!

She widened her eyes and looked at Rei. Did he know this?

Rei looked into her eyes and touched the mark between her eyebrows.

"Thank you, Rei."

Eri fell into thought after speaking. Why couldn't she touch Alfie just now? Moreover, why did this inherited skill activate all of a sudden?

She couldn't see what Alfie was fighting at all...No! She might be able to. She might just be able to see!

[Eyes Of Truth]!

Eri chanted and forced power into her eyes.

At that moment, her pupils shone gold and the dust in the air turned black at the speed of light.

"Ahh!!"

Eri waved at the air and backed away.

"Eri?"

Rei stepped closer to her.

Eri swung her arms in the air again and looked at Rei. The air is black? And Rei's body is shining?! Is this the [Eye Of Truth]?

She looked at Alfie's body. A black cloud was drilling into Alfie from his mouth, ears, and nostrils.

"What is this?! Rei! Do you see it?"

Eri pointed at Alfie's body.

"What are you referring to, my Eri?"

"That black air! It's in Alfie's body!"

"Don't touch it!"

Eri spun around at the sound of Uryu's voice. He was holding two branches in each hand and wearing a string of brown fruit cores on his neck. Eri frowned. What is he playing at now?

She looked anxiously at Alfie and back to Uryu. Wait, she remembers now! Didn't Uryu say it was dirty earlier? He knows, doesn't he? He knows what this is!

"Uryu! Please help me. What is this black air?"

He twisted his brows.

"Black air? Can you see it? Why did you come in if you can see the spirit of resentment?"

"Spirit of resentment?"

Eri turned back to check Alfie. If it's a spirit, then this is the so-called possession? Why did it possess Alfie but not them?

"You have to drive the spirit out."

Uryu spoke grumpily. He thrashed the dark branches in the air.

Eri's eyes widened.

Wherever the branches swayed, the clouds of dark air was blown away. There was a faint speckle of golden light covering Uryu's body. In a short while, the air around him cleared up.