Jellyfish

Champagne Avenue, No. 233.

Sulu and Rhode stepped outside and took a deep breath of the cool night air.

Behind them, the two-story building had returned to normal.

"So, can we say we've dealt with it?"

Sulu asked, still shaken.

"Hard to say... I found some evidence of demon worship in his house, but the level of devotion clearly wasn't enough to turn him into a second-tier Evil Spirit... Some things must have been hidden because Galan died."

Sulu hadn't even considered using Spirit Mediumship to ask the dead. He was wary of spirits possessing people, especially in such a dangerous place.

Rhode hadn't brought it up either. He pursed his lips. "Even if it looks like we destroyed the Evil Spirit, we might have attracted the attention of a demon or some other entity... This place could erupt in terror years from now, or even a decade or more down the line!"

He paused and fixed his gaze on Sulu. "Now... you must be tired. Go back and get some sleep!"

"What about you?" Sulu had caught the scent of blood in Rhode's words.

"I'm going to find the person who posted the job and have a nice, long talk with him!" Rhode made no attempt to hide his intentions.

Even if the man hadn't deliberately concealed anything, his misinformation had nearly gotten them all killed. How could they just let him off?

"If that's the case, why don't I..."

Sulu was eager to go along.

Ever since he had shot Galan, something subtle seemed to have changed in his mindset.

"No! You're going back!"

Rhode was unusually stubborn this time. "Get some rest and learn to use your [Medium] abilities. No supernatural power is absolutely safe!"

What he really meant was that a [Medium] was good at dealing with spirits, but had little combat power against ordinary people, right?

Sulu rolled his eyes to himself.

He estimated that his mental stats were probably even higher than Alanis's!

That was thanks to the mental boost he'd gained when he first crossed over. It was enough to give him an edge over ordinary people.

As long as they're not mentally gifted, one blast of my Sulu-brand Medium Haki should make them hit the floor! It's a perfect crowd-clearing skill... Of course, it only works on weaklings. It's useless against anyone even a little stronger...

Sulu thought to himself, but when he saw Rhode's expression, he fell silent.

When this guy got stubborn, he was harder than a rock—just like the father of this body.

With a sigh, Sulu said goodbye to Rhode and returned to the dormitory. He took a refreshing shower, changed into loose clothes, and sat cross-legged on his bed.

"The scars on my arm disappeared as soon as I took the [Medium] profession... My mind must be beyond ordinary now, right?"

Sulu carefully sensed the changes that came with becoming a [Medium].

"The worst part is that I didn't get any experience from that Evil Spirit. Since I wasn't the main fighter or the one who delivered the final blow, I got nothing at all..."

Sulu sighed and picked up a mirror.

When he opened his Inspiration, he saw tiny flecks of black in his eyes, giving them an eerie look.

At the same time, everything around him seemed to lose its color and become slightly transparent.

"So this is how the world looks to spirits?"

Sulu looked around in wonder, as if he'd discovered a New Continent. "It really is... strange!"

The feeling of wielding true supernatural power was an entirely new experience.

"It's like this whenever I use Inspiration. If I use the skill [Soul Projection], I'll definitely be able to see things on a higher level—like... certain points where reality and the Spirit World intersect?!"

The so-called Spirit World wasn't a world of its own.

It existed in dependence on the real world, and the two overlapped in subtle ways.

There were even many layers to it.

If one entered the deepest layers, they would reach the Abyss or the Divine Kingdoms of the gods!

Sulu couldn't help recalling something Rhode had said.

"Some researchers believe that the Seven Gods reside in their Divine Kingdoms. But those kingdoms are merely at the edge of the world, in dark regions we've never discovered or explored... Many countries organized expeditions during the Twilight of the Gods, but even then, the edge of the world remained dangerous. There's no need to mention how it is now."

Sulu sighed and was about to close his Inspiration when his expression suddenly changed.

A naive, curious spirit suddenly appeared around him, bobbing through the dormitory like a floating jellyfish. Its translucent body glowed faintly.

"A spirit?"

Sulu stared in surprise.

Usually, spirits like this existed in the Spirit World, separated from reality.

"Did opening my Inspiration draw it out?"

Sulu held out his palm and let the jellyfish float over. It extended a cluster of tentacles and rested them against his hand.

"Most spirits are neutral, and my [Medium] constitution naturally makes me attractive to spirits... So it feels comfortable around me?"

Sulu had an idea.

Most spirits were unconscious.

Once they developed their own thoughts and preferences, they would advance and become benevolent or Evil Spirits.

Drawn to the real world or influenced by rituals and sacrifices, they could descend from the Spirit World into reality, often bringing terrible disasters.

Like the spirit that had been the wife of Mr. Galan—or, well, it wasn't even certain she had really been his wife.

"Time to go... little one!"

Sulu was about to send the spirit back to the Spirit World and then try [Soul Projection] when he heard a noise outside the bedroom.

He got up and went out. Sean had just woken up and was rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Sulu, you're back? My interview fell through again... Good heavens, we're getting kicked out tomorrow, and I still haven't found a job!"

On top of that, Instructor Catherine's disappearance had dealt him a heavy blow.

Sean had dark circles and bags under his eyes. He seemed to radiate a weary, despondent gloom.

Sulu's eye twitched.

The glowing jellyfish-like spirit was slowly crawling onto Sean's head, its many tentacles wriggling as if it were delighted.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing Sulu's strange expression, Sean rubbed his face in confusion.

The glowing jellyfish on his head had already extended several tentacles into his nostrils.

"N... nothing!"

Sulu stepped forward and flicked the spirit down with his right index finger, sending it back to the Spirit World. "I just wanted to ask what you're planning to do."

"What else can I do? I've got another interview tomorrow, and after that... I might have to go back home..."

Sean was clearly miserable. He must not have been sleeping well lately.

"Hang in there. You've still got a chance!"

Seeing that the spirit had disappeared, Sulu let out a sigh of relief and returned to his room.

Since [Mediums] are naturally attractive to spirits, they're more likely to draw them in—or ghosts, if you like. Harmless ones are fine, but if a vengeful ghost or Evil Spirit sets its sights on you, things can get troublesome... You could even be possessed by some entity. That's dangerous!

All supernatural power came at a price!

Happy Children's Day, everyone!