144. Collington
Two weeks later, at the Colington Manor.
The Collington family made their fortune in livestock farming, and at this time, the estate was owned by Lux Collington, a man who was madly obsessed with aristocratic etiquette.
He loved glamorous clothes, exquisite food, and grand banquets on his estate. He held himself and his servants to strict standards, seemingly hoping to shed his nouveau riche image and break into the upper echelons of the Federation.
But just six months ago, Lux ran into trouble.
An Evil Spirit that exists in his dreams has come after him. According to him, the Evil Spirit is constantly chasing him in his nightmares, preventing him from sleeping peacefully.
Of course, that's all.
No matter which doctor he saw, nothing could relieve his suffering.
This situation continued until three months ago, when a series of bloody incidents occurred on the manor, and the victims were not human, but animals!
From the gardener's cat, to the guard dog, and finally, Lux's beloved horse.
As the situation worsened, the wealthy man offered a reward.
Unfortunately, the nightmare situation remains unresolved.
The Evil Spirit in the dream was very cunning. Even if extraordinary people could scare it away, it would inevitably come back once it left.
This has happened several times before.
Even the local bishops of the Church of the Goddess of Light didn't have a good solution to this.
After all, he had more important things to do and couldn't be here acting as Lux's bodyguard. And the Evil Spirit seemed to be relatively restrained—it hadn't killed anyone so far, and it wasn't Expansion, so it wasn't too dangerous.
Slowly recalling the information he had gathered, Sulu arrived at the Colington Manor.
Hello, may I ask who you are?
A male servant came out to greet him and politely inquired.
"Sean, a private investigator, has a prior appointment!"
Sulu revealed his new identity.
He didn't have Rhode's guts to impersonate a Federation law enforcement officer.
However, being a private investigator is enough.
The combination of the "Occultist" and his ability to invade minds made his disguise flawless; indeed, there was such a person in the files.
"So it's Mr. Otto, please!"
The servant clearly recognized the name and invited Sulu into the manor, leading him to a living room.
A short while later, a butler with a full head of silver hair and a slightly listless demeanor came over and politely invited Sulu to sit down and enjoy afternoon tea, a specialty of Kangni State.
It's clear that their movements have undergone specialized training, and the black tea and desserts are exquisite.
That Lux, he really knows how to enjoy life.
Sulu sighed inwardly, when he heard the butler's voice:
"The host is meeting with a guest. Please wait a moment."
"No problem."
Sulu ate his snacks, admiring the exquisite furnishings and antiques around him, while also observing the changes in his own attributes.
"Hmm, my spirit has increased to 5.1, but my constitution has decreased to 1.8. The effects of the Vicious Potion are still very strong; it didn't even stack with the drug resistance. But... this is bait!"
Although there was no weakening effect due to drug resistance, Sulu knew very well that repeated large-scale use in a short period of time would cause mental pollution to increase to an irreversible level, and the outcome would be extremely tragic!
Perhaps this is a forbidden area that even many [Witch Doctor] do not understand!
Fortunately, he remembered the reminder in the Attribute Panel and carefully used the Vicious Potion to boost his mental strength during this time, breaking through the 5.0 mark.
Furthermore, try to space out the time of consumption to minimize contamination.
Now, he has fully met the requirements for advancing to the third tier of [Thaumaturge], but unfortunately...
'I lack experience... Advancing to the third tier [Thaumaturge] requires 1000 experience points, but... even if I can advance, I'll hold off for a while. However, I must maintain the ability to advance at any time; in a crucial moment, I might be able to trick Beatrice...'
As for the resulting decline in physical fitness, Sulu felt it was well worth it.
'After taking it three times, the concentration of mental pollution has reached a critical level, and it cannot be increased with more Vicious Potion for a long time... unless I want to go insane!'
It was precisely because of this state that Sulu, having prepared all the necessary methods, began searching for the ' Face-Snatcher's ' trail.
"' Face-Snatcher ' are Tier 2, and with my abilities, I'm not afraid at all... This is a good opportunity to acquire materials and experience."
Of course, Sulu wouldn't just follow the crowd; he was wary and had already gathered some information.
At least, the Evil Spirit in this manor don't seem to be the bloodthirsty type.
After ravaging the area for six months without killing a single person, the level of danger was indeed very low.
Even if you're not Face-Snatcher, it's worth it for the experience points.
"Enough! I told you... that wasn't my hallucination, I need protection! More protection!"
Just then, a group of people appeared from the second floor.
Sulu looked over and saw that the leader was a tired and irritable old white man.
He wasn't very old, but the long-term suffering had turned his hair white, his eyes were sunken, and he had thick bags under his eyes; it was clear at a glance that he hadn't had a proper rest in a long time.
"Those Federation officials... I pay so much in taxes every year, and what's the result? When danger strikes, who will protect me? And the Church of the Goddess of Light... I've donated so much, and they only sent a bishop to look after me for half a month..."
Lux complained, glancing at the butler.
"Master, this is the private investigator you booked!"
The butler immediately stepped forward and introduced Sulu to Lux.
"You're Sean?"
Lux's critical gaze swept over Sulu: "You know what I'm asking for!"
Behind him were several bodyguards and private investigators, clearly indicating that he had hired more than one person.
"I know... I'm powerful enough!"
Sulu smiled and emphasized the syllables in the following words.
"Yes, protecting me is the top priority. It would be best to find that Evil Spirit and deal with it!"
Lux calmed down, lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and, feeling slightly refreshed, exuded the air of a successful businessman. "Sorry... I was having some neurasthenia earlier."
"It doesn't matter!"
Sulu politely replied that it was no problem.
"So... let's get back to our question, how do you prove your strength?"
"Lux I asked in a deep voice."
"If you insist on doing it this way..."
As soon as Sulu finished speaking, he flashed to Lux's side, parried one of the bodyguards with his right hand, grabbed the gun from the other female detective with his left hand, and returned to his seat.
It all happened so fast that by the time the other bodyguards reacted, Sulu was already fiddling with his gun.
"Stop!"
Lux stopped the others from moving, his eyes lighting up. "Great... you're hired. Sign a contract with my butler, and the salary will be the same as promised."