’Given enough time... they become four times stronger than any normal ghost,’ she concluded inwardly.

Taking a slow, steady breath, a faint gleam flashed across her eyes.

There was something else.

Mutated beast ghost essence was incredibly effective for restoring cultivation.

Her fingers tightened slightly. ’Axel...’

He had lost his cultivation because of her. But now...

’This might be my chance to fix that.’

Just as that idea settled in her mind, Mr. Crow’s voice echoed softly beside her.

"If you are already planning this much," he said calmly, "then you should also consider binding a few Shiki from this place."

Lana’s eyes lit up instantly.

"That’s true," she murmured, a hint of excitement slipping into her voice. "I can take control of some Shiki here."

A small grin formed on her lips.

"Mr. Crow... you really are the smartest."

As she stepped deeper into the forest, several ghosts emerged from the darkness.

But none of them posed any real threat.

With a flick of her wrist, she activated her exorcism talismans one after another.

Each talisman flared briefly before the ghosts let out faint, hollow cries and dissolved into nothingness.

Effortless.

At the same time, she spoke softly, "Mr. Crow, filter them for me. I only want the ones worth keeping."

Even after dealing with many ghosts, none of them met her standards.

She clicked her tongue lightly.

"Not a single one worth storing..."

Her gaze drifted to the jade bracelet on her wrist.

Compared to the one Lucian had given her, the jade bracelet she had gotten from that family felt noticeably weaker, lighter, almost fragile.

’If I store too much shiki in this... it might break,’ she thought, her brows furrowing slightly.

Shaking off the thought, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a tracing talisman.

"This should work."

The talisman fluttered faintly as she held it up.

Taking out a small piece of fabric belonging to James, which she had stored earlier, she attached it to the talisman and waved it gently through the air.

The next second, the fabric vanished.

And the talisman began to drift forward slowly, as if guided by an invisible force.

Lana followed it closely, her expression turning serious.

The deeper she went, the darker it became.

Eventually, the talisman stopped.

In front of her... was a cave.

The entrance was pitch black, like a gaping mouth waiting to swallow anything that came near.

From inside, faint sounds echoed human voices.

And something else. A constant... rattling.

Lana immediately stepped back and hid behind a large rock, her breathing steady as she carefully observed.

Then she saw it. The mutated beast ghost.

It had no proper arms or legs, only curved, severed stumps that twisted unnaturally. Its entire body was pitch black, featureless, like a shadow given shape.

Even without eyes, it radiated a suffocating pressure.

Lana’s expression turned serious.

’Charging in blindly would be foolish.’

Instead, she glanced at Mr. Crow.

He nodded.

In the next moment, several talismans appeared in Lana’s hand. One by one, Mr. Crow activated them.

A faint shimmer filled the air, and suddenly, multiple human figures appeared.

They had no clear faces, only vague outlines, but their forms were unmistakably familiar.

Lucy. Axel. Luke. Lucian. Even James.

If someone looked closely, they would notice the resemblance.

"This should be enough," Lana whispered.

Mr. Crow let out a sharp, echoing caw.

The mutated beast ghost instantly stopped what it was doing. Its head snapped toward the noise.

And then, it saw them.

Several human figures running through the trees, their footsteps rustling loudly.

A low, feral growl escaped its body.

Without hesitation, it gave chase.

Watching it disappear into the forest, Lana exhaled softly.

’Now’s my chance.’

She moved quickly.

Reaching the cave entrance, she stepped forward cautiously and passed through the barrier without resistance.

Inside, James sensed her presence immediately.

The moment he saw her, relief flooded his face.

"Lana!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly. "You’re here... did you bring reinforcements?"

Lana blinked once before shaking her head.

"I came alone," she replied calmly. "There was no time."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted and landed on the woman standing beside him.

For a brief moment, her eyes widened.

’Gwen Winchester...?’

The future powerhouse.

One of the most renowned spiritualists. Yet right now... she was looking at Lana with clear hostility.

Lana felt a flicker of confusion.

’What did I even do to offend her?’

But there was no time to dwell on it.

Her expression hardened as she turned back to James.

"We’re dealing with a mutated beast ghost," she said seriously. "This won’t be easy. And with both of you here, I won’t be able to fight it properly. You need to leave."

Gwen immediately stepped forward, her tone sharp.

"If leaving was that easy, we would have done it already," she snapped.

Lana frowned slightly, puzzled by her reaction.

Without another word, she took out a few talismans and glanced at James, her expression turning stern.

"Were you being careless?" she asked bluntly. "You could have used an invisibility talisman and escaped when you had the chance."

James fell silent for a moment before replying quietly, "We already used it."

Lana’s brows furrowed.

"Used it?"

Before she could question further, Gwen spoke up.

"It was because of me."

Lana turned to her, her gaze sharpening slightly.

"If that’s the case," she asked calmly, "then you must have encountered something dangerous. Were either of you injured?"

The question caught Gwen off guard.

She blinked.

’Why... is she not acting like I expected?’ she wondered, her brows knitting together in confusion.

’Wasn’t she supposed to be that annoying, attention-seeking type... the kind who always tries to outshine others?’

Taking a slow breath, Gwen lowered her gaze slightly and spoke in a much softer voice than before.

"I... I’m fine," she said quietly.

Lana simply nodded, her expression calm and unreadable.

She did not press further. Instead, she looked at both Gwen and James, her tone turning firm.

"You both need to leave. Now."