Lord of the Mysteries Chapter 1424 - In Modern Day 22

The notebook flipped open all by itself without the window even being ajar. Did an intruder slip into my room? Or perhaps, am I witnessing some kind of spectral phenomenon?

Well, considering there is a literal ghost trailing me everywhere, encountering the supernatural is to be expected.

A barrage of thoughts raced through my head in that split second.

At the same time, my gaze landed on a monster illustrated on the page.

The creature bore a human shape, yet it was composed entirely of tiny, writhing worms.

While this sounds terrifyingly grotesque, it actually felt quite harmless. The drawing was so crude and simplistic it looked like the aimless scribbles of a toddler.

Is this a joke? Did some brat sneak into my quarters? Maybe a relative of my roommates? I grabbed the notebook and began flipping through the pages in a hurry, searching for any other evidence.

After skipping two pages, I encountered several lines of text:

“My talent for drawing is abysmal.

“The fault doesn't lie with me, however. I was once considered a master artist.

“War is art! War is aesthetics!

“It feels as though I am stuck in a recurring dream. The dream is saturated with such peculiar languages.

“What a decadent wretch I am!

“We truly are women!”

...

The lines were legible enough, but the content felt entirely deranged. A headache began to throb behind my eyes, forcing me to stop reading and snap the notebook shut.

There is something definitely wrong here!

It felt like reading an incantation for dark arts!

After the events of the last two days, I barely managed to keep my composure as I turned my attention toward the window.

There, the blonde female ghost who looks like she’s in a costume appeared against the glass.

“Do you have any idea who did this?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“An evil spirit is responsible,” the ghost replied, her voice sounding ethereal.

Evil spirit—it sounds far more formidable than a common ghost or poltergeist... As a modern young man who has spent time with foreign games and television, I couldn't help but think the name sounded rather cool.

“Uh... is an evil spirit stronger?” I inquired after a moment of thought.

The ghost gave a slow nod.

“Does this mean things are going to get more troublesome?” I thought about calling Madam Daly for another exorcism, but I worried she might not be equipped to handle an entity of that caliber.

“I am an evil spirit as well,” the ghost stated flatly.

“...Right.” I lacked any proper response.

“W-what is that evil spirit’s motive for scribbling in my notebook?” It took me a moment to recall my original question.

The ghost shook her head.

“I don't know.”

“...” I opened my mouth to pivot the conversation. “What should I call you?”

I couldn't just keep addressing her as 'female ghost,' could I? It seemed rude.

“Sharron.” Once she spoke, her figure faded until she vanished from the glass entirely.

Seeing her calm demeanor helped settle my nerves. Don't panic, it is just a crisis. Focus on getting some sleep, I muttered to myself.

I finished my nightly routine and eventually drifted off. The night passed without further incident.

I woke up right on time the next morning. After enjoying ten minutes of sluggishness, I finally left my room. While heading for the bus stop, I grabbed a burrito that seemed capable of wrapping up just about anything.

Holding my burrito, I rode the bus to the company. Once I sat at my desk, I grabbed a glass of water from the cooler and started my breakfast.

Sigh, if I hadn't treated myself yesterday, I would be drinking a cup of sweet soy milk right now.

My thoughts of sweet milk drifted to a new product recently released at the local shop.

Salted soy milk!

It seems to be a peculiar local custom. They add soy sauce to their soy milk!

I have no idea what that would even taste like... I focused on finishing my meal before prepping for the workday.

Just then, Rozanne burst into the office, nearly late, carrying a massive bag.

“Hey, I brought drinks. My treat!” she announced to the room.

She was well-liked by everyone. Most of the staff, myself included, stood up and gathered around her.

“What kind of drinks did you get?” I asked casually.

Rozanne set the bag down and started handing out the goods.

“Man, I had to buy a ton of these to get the ones I wanted. They come in so many different flavors. Honestly, if you're alive, you should have a bit of a gambler in you! Come on, let’s see what I ended up with.”

What on earth is she talking about?... I began to truly doubt Rozanne’s verbal skills.

However, I understood her final point well enough. I reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle.

I wonder what flavor this is? As I pondered this, I recognized the design instantly.

The bottle featured patterns that swirled like twisting snakes!

It looked just like the Assassin beverage I had before, but the hue was completely different!

It was black back then, but this one was a distinct shade of blue!

“...” I quickly rotated the bottle and read the label on the front: Instigator.

“Are you not going to drink it? Do you not like that one? How about you swap it for this last one?” Rozanne pointed at the final bottle in the bag, looking confused.

That bottle looked like a sphere of reaching flames. It was quite striking.

“No, I was just thinking... just thinking...” I deflected, searching for an excuse.

As the thoughts whirled in my mind, I blurted out, “I was just wondering if I should pair it with some snacks!”

With that, I pulled out the bag of dried mushrooms that Cattie Huang, the granddaughter of CEO Huang, had given me.