World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 186 The Shadow of the Ghost
The scenery outside the window rushed by as the car sped along the roads of Dietrich, heading towards the International Bridge.

Doris, seated, had just received news that the Foundation had sent men to attack Cassandra and Carlo Bennett's giant ship.

Unexpectedly, less than ten minutes later, she received another bolt from the blue—her warehouse had also been damaged.

Fortunately, no one discovered the warehouse's true secret...

But who did this? Doris wondered, and what was their motive?
It shouldn't be "Balfmet's Witch," because we already made a deal to keep to ourselves.

As for the St. Anilov Foundation, that brat, although he likes to ruin my plans, knows when to stop.

So, could it be...?

Doris thought of a name that had been lingering in her mind recently. It was not only her biggest worry, but also the number one enemy that the Foundation had investigated for many days without success and ultimately closed the case hastily.

The Ghost of Dietrich.

A mysterious "wild" individual, suspected to be at the source level and not belonging to any known force.

Doris couldn't sleep soundly until its true nature was revealed.

Sure enough, her premonition came true. At the most crucial moment before her departure, the presence of what appeared to be a ghost ruined everything she had prepared within just two hours.

Doris was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unexpected, upon receiving news that the St. Anilov Foundation had targeted the Black Ship; after all, that brat wouldn't let her leave Dietrich so easily.

"Contact that guy and have him give you a number." Doris had already given the order to her subordinates, and now, taking the communicator, she personally stepped in. "The Foundation, who killed the people I left near the port?"

“I don’t know him! I’m not familiar with him! I followed him before, planning to ambush him in your warehouse—but I got a really bad beating!” A deep male voice replied in an awkward, childish tone.

"He killed your clone?" Doris narrowed her eyes. "And, you went into my warehouse?"

"Don't worry, I was killed as soon as I got here, I didn't even have time to do anything."

"Your energy fluctuations blocked the signal from the warehouse surveillance video; otherwise, I could have remotely seen the whole story."

"Do you still want to make a deal, Doris Wood?" The voice suddenly turned stiff and cold. "Don't forget that your ship has sunk. Now only our foundation can provide a ferry to set sail."

"..."

"Hahaha, scared, huh! What do I want? I want to see you make a fool of yourself, of course!" The voice chuckled. "Hurry up and fight that guy! Only the victor will have the right to contact me again. Bye-bye!"

"That person... is that [Ghost]?" Doris muttered to herself, then cut off the communication.

On the other side, the man held a rabbit covered in inscriptions; its blood-red eyes dimmed, and it no longer made a sound.

He bit his thumbnail, seemingly finding new amusement in it.

"President Emmanuel, the matter has been resolved. Is there anything else you require?"

A deep female voice came from behind. The man turned around and saw a coroner wearing a heavy cloak and a titanium alloy mask waiting for his instructions.

"Vanessa, come here, let me show you something nice."

…………

Upon opening the warehouse door, the stench of blood assaulted the senses.

The horrific scene caused Doris's entourage to gag, struggling to control their churning stomach acid.

"Oh, you've done a terrible job!" The woman, wearing a suit jacket, covered her mouth and nose with a scarf, letting the incense dispel the stench. "Miss Wood, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

Doris glanced at Adria beside her.

This woman had recently been "kidnapped" from the university campus, yet she remained calm and composed throughout the journey, maintaining her noble and elegant demeanor, and even now she maintained her impeccable manners.

“Professor Hughes, destroying someone of your stature is no less than setting fire to the Temple in Jerusalem. I am sorry and heartbroken, but I have no other choice.”

Adria coughed softly and wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief.

“I hope to have the opportunity to say goodbye to my husband and son, especially the latter, whom I have never fulfilled my obligation to raise, and I sometimes regret that decision. In any case, at least he deserves to know that his mother has passed away.”

Doris narrowed her eyes. She had investigated Adria and knew her background.

If it weren't for the irrefutable report, Doris would never have guessed that Adria was Lin An's mother; her resume didn't seem like that of a woman with children.

"Based on my observation, you don't seem to care much about your son."

“Miss Wood, the older a person gets, the more they crave certain comforts, not all of which are reasonable. It’s just a way to keep living.” Adria smiled slightly.

"I don't understand; it sounds more like a physiological need for old age."

"That's an interesting point. Instinct is a fascinating subject. It can't be explained in just a few words, but we can't ignore its importance to human emotions."

Inside the container, Lin An listened quietly to his mother's cold voice. Her words, delivered slowly and deliberately, revealed a hint of loneliness and a belated awakening of maternal instinct. Fear gripped Lin An, filling him with utter terror.

He was afraid of the uncontrollable beating of his heart in his chest. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pure joy, while at the same time feeling indignant because it was a betrayal of the past 21 years of his life.

Lin An's mother abandoned him when he needed her, so what right does she have to start repenting now that she is getting old and needs help?

Stop thinking about it!
Lin An said to himself.

The world is so vast, and mysticism is so mysterious, why cling to the meager love a mother can have?

“Professor Hughes, I wish we could continue as teacher and student forever,” Doris said. “But I cannot grant your request. Rather, it would be best for him to live on in complete ignorance.”

Adria smiled without saying a word.

Doris felt a chill run down her spine. Even she found it difficult to cope with this woman who showed almost no emotional fluctuations.

If Doris hadn't been absolutely certain that Adria was just an ordinary person, she would have almost thought Adria had a backup plan.

"Teacher, who are they?" Joshua asked, listening intently to the noise around him.

"Defeat the final boss of the new recruit trial, and you can join our organization," Lin An said expressionlessly. "Steve, are you willing to accept the test?"

"of course."

"Because they are so powerful, I will stay here to oversee the battle and prevent you from suffering serious injury."

“I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations, teacher.” Joshua nodded. “And what exactly are these statues…”

"They're just stand-ins for headquarters, like surveillance cameras. They remotely observe your performance and give you a score."

Lin An explained quickly, and then footsteps stopped at the container door. Doris had already discovered that someone had entered the treasure vault, and a terrifying pressure surged in like a tsunami.

Open the door and release Joshua!

The former head of the inspection team, the pinnacle of the Eagle Nation's combat power, did not disappoint Lin An's expectations. He walked out proudly, and Doris and her subordinates' expressions tightened when they saw him.

Is he a ghost?
wrong!

Doris suddenly realized that the Hebrew writing was flowing slowly and the pentagram was dim, meaning that her "hidden space" magic had been broken!
Moreover, shadowy figures were moving through the gaps in the containers, creating an unusual atmosphere.

There's another mysterious person inside!
In that instant, Doris realized a fatal possibility!
The man before her was merely one of the Ghost's henchmen. The real Ghost had cracked her secret and was currently inside the treasure vault, presumably planning something!
This mysterious guy... could it be that he was after her from the very beginning?
With the hidden space exposed, Doris was extremely anxious. She wanted to kill the ghost immediately, but dared not unleash a wide-range attack that would affect the ritual offerings. She had no choice but to rush into the container first.

However, the ghost's henchmen stood firmly in their way.

"That's in the way!"

Doris snorted coldly, and dazzling Hebrew characters shot into the sky. A dark blue glow descended from above Joshua's head like a furnace, and the aura of death permeated the air.

This is the stone tablet she gave to Carmen, a spell that burns the soul!

The ethereal hymns continued to resonate, transforming into phantom angels that encircled Joshua in a ring. Joshua's expression remained unchanged as he pointed his finger at the misty light.

"Hoohoo!"

Twisted brass-colored inscriptions climbed up the angel's body, while the dark blue Hebrew characters froze and slowly disappeared, causing Doris's pupils to shrink.

What a powerful and overwhelming force...

At least at the mythical level, and with a small chance of reaching the origin level!

So, this man couldn't possibly be one of the ghost's subordinates, but rather the ghost himself?

After a defeat due to underestimating her opponent, Doris played with her smooth, short hair and tentatively opened her mouth.

"It is extremely rude of the ghosts of Dietrich to come uninvited."

“A ghost?” Joshua shook his head. “I am not a ghost.”

Doris was taken aback. She looked Joshua up and down, not connecting him with the members of the two major factions in Dietrich. She thought to herself: If those ancient dynasties sent people to the Eagle Kingdom, my father would have reminded me. So he must be that free mystic, the Ghost.

Perhaps he didn't know his code name?

Sensing Doris's gaze, Joshua glanced back at the container and suddenly realized what was going on.

“My name is not important. The person over there is my teacher. In fact, I don’t know his real name. Perhaps he is the Ghost of Dietrich.”

Joshua, speaking the truth, was unaware that his words were stirring up a storm in Doris's heart, and continued speaking to himself.

"The teacher is supervising my fight and will only intervene in critical moments, because I plan to try to handle the crisis on my own first. Are you all coming at me together, or one at a time?"

(End of this chapter)