Erthos Ghost Grass

The coffee table was almost covered with manuscripts and notes. In the gaps sat a cup of cold coffee, a plate of scattered pastries, and, in one corner, a small flowerpot.

The plant in the pot was pitch-black with a faint hint of purple. It looked like a dried sunflower that had been soaked in ink, dried under the sun, then turned upside down and tossed somewhere—utterly inconspicuous.

Whoosh!

A gust of night wind blew open the curtains and swept through the living room, making the plant's dry branches and leaves twitch.

Had it been the wind?

The night breeze was gentle, though occasional stronger gusts made the desk lamp beside Tang Qi suddenly sway, its light swaying with it.

Amid the creaking came another sound.

"Puff~"

The withered plant in the flowerpot abruptly sprang up like some bizarre insect, lunging at Tang Qi's face with uncanny precision.

Asleep and with sounds interfering, a high school student would have had absolutely no means of defense.

He might not even have noticed it, right?

Screech!

In that instant, a silvery flash appeared. A sharp dagger plunged into the seemingly dried yet actually slick "plant." Then, with a bang, the tip pierced through the wooden coffee table and nailed the plant in place.

"Squeak~ Squeak squeak!"

A rat-like cry immediately rang out from within the plant, sharp and grating.

"Hm? Just as the notes described—a dark plant said to temporarily house souls... the Shadow Caged Mushroom!"

"Buzz!"

The moment Tang Qi uttered those words, the bizarre plant struggling and shrieking atop the coffee table—the Shadow Caged Mushroom—suddenly went still. Though it continued to writhe faintly in an attempt to ease its pain, it had indeed quieted down. Only several pitch-black, slick tentacles flailed wildly, as though trying to convey something.

Tang Qi was not at all surprised by this.

He silently turned around and went to the kitchen to bring back a glass of water.

He placed it before the pinned plant's tentacles, then spoke words that were rather chilling.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Cassel. You may call me Tang Qi."

Tang Qi did not offer his hand during the introduction, presumably because there was no need. After all, he was speaking to a plant.

Barely a plant, perhaps.

At least, the interface appearing in Tang Qi's vision did not deny it.

Supernatural Creature: Shadow Caged Mushroom.

Status: Activated State.

Information Fragment One: One of the oldest and rarest plants on the Saha Continent. Dark Witches and shamans call it "Erthos Ghost Grass." Its true name is Shadow Caged Mushroom. After undergoing special treatment, it can temporarily house a soul that has lost its body and maintain it in an Activated State, allowing the resident soul to search for a new body.

Information Fragment Two: Although activated, it is also extremely fragile—so fragile that an adult human could easily kill both it and the soul inside.

This information was why Tang Qi had deliberately brought it back.

Now, Tang Qi was entertaining the guest within.

Though the guest clearly did not care for his method.

Tang Qi blinked at the tentacles that had given up struggling. Without much small talk, he began in a calm, storytelling tone, "A history professor who had traveled everywhere and worked hard at his research in his youth finally gained immense status and wealth in old age. Oh, and fame as well."

"Unfortunately, just when he should have been enjoying it all, he contracted incurable cancer. His terminally ill body could not even satisfy his young, beautiful teaching assistant. Unable to tolerate her alluring body going unattended, the assistant seduced the school's charming head of security."

"The old professor could not bear it, so he recalled the knowledge he possessed—the mysterious fields, the bizarre secret medicines. He prepared two bottles of cursed potion and arranged for the assistant and her lover to drink them."

"Soon, two Spider Monsters appeared at the school. Unable to restrain their urge to kill, they murdered six people in succession before finally tasting enough human fear to gather the courage to seek out the professor—and successfully kill him."

"Unfortunately, they did not know that the professor had anticipated it all. At that moment, his soul transferred into the Erthos Ghost Grass. The old professor planned to wait for everything to pass, find a suitable body, and begin a brand-new life."

"Am I right, Professor Rick Cassel?"

After Tang Qi finished, he asked his question and fell silent.

After waiting for a while, one slick tentacle of the bizarre plant moved. It slowly lifted itself into the cup, dipped in water, and began writing on the coffee table.

It could hear but not speak? How fascinating.

As he watched crooked handwriting appear, Tang Qi marveled inwardly.

Though it was Professor Cassel's first time writing with tentacles, his control was quite good. A line of words appeared clearly.

"What do you want?"

Tang Qi was not surprised by the question.

After all, he was a professor nearing the end of his life. He would not truly be like the stereotypes in certain novels—high IQ, low EQ.

He did not ask what Tang Qi intended to do, but directly asked what Tang Qi wanted.

Clearly, the old professor also knew that in his current state, having fallen into the hands of someone obviously "supernatural" like Tang Qi, he had few bargaining chips left.

Tang Qi did not immediately state his demand. Instead, he glanced at him and stabbed another knife into his wounded heart. Tang Qi continued, "Before you hear my terms, I must tell you a cruel fact. Your attempted possession just now was extremely rude. And even if I had not resisted, your efforts would have been futile."

"I don't know where you learned that after transferring your soul into Erthos Ghost Grass, you could use the Activated State to possess human bodies at will. Regrettably, that is impossible."

"Erthos Ghost Grass can indeed be used to transfer souls, but it requires extremely stringent conditions. You must find a suitable vessel. Believe me, the word 'suitable' rules out most humans on Blue Star. At the same time, you need someone to perform the ritual for you, such as chanting the incantation."

"If those conditions cannot be met, you can only remain in this state until you wither to death ten days later."

As soon as Tang Qi finished speaking, a smack came from the coffee table. The glass had been swept over by a tentacle, while seven or eight slick tentacles writhed frantically, clearly shaken badly.

Lines of crooked little words were written out instinctively.

That damn wizard actually dared to deceive me?

I gave them half my funding!

I'm going to kill them!

For a full half minute, it vented its fury, yet it still could not break free from the dagger.

At last, a tentacle rose again and wrote the following words before Tang Qi, one word at a time.

Will you help me?

Seeing those words, Tang Qi lowered his eyelids slightly. His gaze grew distant, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.

"Of course!"

Tang Qi set down his coffee and smiled.