"Do you want me to scan it, Disciple? I prefer it if we don't, so it would be more fun."

Floriana Sabina smiled at Rant Valo. She thought that it was funny that Rant Valo was actually scared of ghosts.

"It's fine, Master Floriana. We'll see when we get there."

Rant Valo shook his head as he smiled wryly. Even he knew that it would not be fun if they spoiled themselves here. What would be the purpose of their adventure if they spoil themselves?

"That's the spirit, Disciple. I'm proud of you."

Floriana Sabina smiled in satisfaction. It was the response she expected of him.

"Thanks, Master Floriana."

Rant Valo smiled back at her. Her praises were really good. It gives him the confidence to believe in himself.

The group went deeper and deeper into the swamp when the air around them suddenly got foggy. It was different from the normal fog as it is black in color. Meanwhile, the blue sky above was slowly fading away from view as they traversed deeper.

"If I was still a mortal, I would most certainly be scared out of my wits right now."

Rant Valo couldn't help but say as they walked through the ice-cold water and the dark-silent surroundings. As he was a cultivator now, and his master was with him, his confidence was really high right now.

"What if a ghost suddenly pops out and whispers in your ear?"

Floriana Sabina snickered from the side as she teased him.

"Don't joke like that!"

Rant Valo shouted at her. He looked around left and right in fright. He was proving more and more to Floriana Sabina that he was terrified of ghosts.

"Hahahaha! I didn't know my disciple was actually scared of ghosts."

Floriana Sabina laughed heartily.

"Master, ghosts are nothing. I'll protect you from them!"

Veia consoled Rant Valo with a smile on her face. She was being sincere right now and none of her words were false. She wanted to protect her master and if ghosts scare him then she would protect him from them. It's that simple.

"Thank you, Veia."

Rant Valo smiled wryly at her words. He felt somewhat embarrassed that she said that.

"No worries, Master!"

Veia beamed a smile at Rant Valo.

They walked deeper into the cold and dark swamp when faint whispers sounded around them. They were brisk and intermittent.

"W-What's that?"

Rant Valo looked around them as the hairs on his body started to rise on end. He was a villager who was taught by his parents that ghosts were scary. It was only natural that he was feeling fear right now.

"Wandering Ghosts. They are the spirits of dead bodies that weren't able to let go of their past."

Floriana Sabina explained to him. Although she hadn't encountered one before, she still knew about them from her wealth of knowledge that resulted from reading thousands and thousands of books throughout her life.

"G-Ghosts! They really are real!"

Rant Valo exclaimed in terror. He didn't even care about his image towards Veia and the rest. He was just that scared of ghosts.

"Of course, they are real. Where do you think the bedtime stories of ghosts came from?"

Floriana Sabina retorted Rant Valo with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I see. Can we kill them?"

Rant Valo asked her. He would become more fearless if he was able to kill those ghosts. Otherwise, he would just stay near Floriana Sabina.

"Hmmm… Why don't you try to use your magic technique against them, Disciple?"

Floriana Sabina held her chin in thought before suggesting to Rant Valo.

"I'll try."

Rant Valo nodded his head. He was also curious if his weird magic technique would work against ghosts. If it does, he would happily use it to eradicate all of the ghosts in the world.

Rant Valo closed his eyes and focused on the mana inside his Core. He channeled it through his Mana Channels and released it outside through his palms.

"Tide of Bad Fortune!"

Rant Valo shouted before a white gush of mana flowed towards the darkness in front of them. For some reason, the dark fog was pushed several feet away when it came into contact with Rant Valo's magic technique. It hit a wandering faint white shadow and continued deeper in the darkness.

"Woah."

Rant Valo was amazed as he looked at the clearer visibility around them. The darkness was almost lifted and the bright sky above was now barely visible.

"Wait, what's that?"

Rant Valo saw the faint white shadow in front of them. When he pointed at it, it suddenly turned around and the faint white shadow took on the shape of a man. His face was blurry and it was hard to see his facial features.

He opened his mouth and started whispering words. Rant Valo immediately realized what it was.

"It's a ghost!"

Rant Valo immediately hid behind Floriana Sabina.

"Fufufu, look who's scared now."

Floriana Sabina giggled knowing that Rant Valo was hiding behind her.

The ghost continued whispering eerily when a sudden gust of wind from above blew away the dark fog. The sun's rays hit the ghost before it slowly and silently faded away into nothing.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Rant Valo, Floriana Sabina, Veia, and Nale Narene were speechless at what they just witnessed. The ghost was literally so unlucky that a wind blew away the dark fog protecting it from the sun.

"I'm impressed, Disciple."

Floriana Sabina turned her head to Rant Valo and smiled forcefully. She didn't expect that even a ghost would be affected by his magic technique. It was really surprising for her.

As for Nale Narene, he somehow felt pity for the ghost. It was just minding its own business when Rant Valo's weird magic technique hit it and then it was dead. It was even killed by the sun which could be said to be the scariest thing to it.

"Master, I think you should not be scared of ghosts anymore."

Veia smiled wryly at Rant Valo. She doesn't think that Rant Valo has any reason to fear ghosts anymore when he just killed one, albeit indirectly.