Huh?!
Lorien's eyes sharpened as he whipped around—
Behind him stood a semi-transparent figure, its face identical to the corpse on the bed.
A Real-Life Ghost?!
His first instinct was to reach for his gun—
But then he paused.
Wouldn't ghosts be immune to physical damage?
Instead, he slipped a hand into his coat and pulled out a shadow-wrapped black blade—
A weapon imbued with darkness, its ominous energy swirling like a living thing.
Very intimidating!
At the same time, he activated his bloodline connection, ready to summon Jack at a moment's notice.
The Ghost's Perspective: ???
The spirit froze, clearly confused.
"You… can see me?"
Lorien arched a brow.
"What do you think?"
The ghost visibly twitched—
"Hah… You're the first person who's ever noticed me."
His half-transparent face twisted in disbelief.
And then—
His eyes flicked to the dark blade in Lorien's hand.
It radiated a deep, unsettling aura—
One that felt like it could kill him again.
The ghost wisely kept his distance.
A Cursed House?
"Are you the owner of this house?" Lorien asked, gesturing toward the decaying body on the bed.
"That's right."
The ghost nodded.
"Name's Benson. I was a lawyer before I died—spent three years saving up just to buy this place. I moved in less than a week ago, and then… well… this happened."
He sighed.
"The previous owner warned me it was a haunted house—but I was a man of logic and reason, y'know? I thought it was just superstition. The price was incredibly low, and there were government incentives for buying it, so I figured, why not?"
"…Turns out I shouldn't have been so cheap."
Benson floated in a slow circle around Lorien, still keeping his distance from the blade.
He muttered in curiosity:
"Are you a demon hunter? Or a magician? I used to think that kind of thing was just myth—never thought I'd see one in person."
Demon Hunter?!
Lorien nearly laughed out loud.
Me? A demon hunter?
If anything—
I'm the one they're supposed to be hunting.
"How did you die?" Lorien asked instead.
"Honestly? I have no idea."
Benson scratched his ghostly head.
"It happened last week. I came home from work, had dinner, washed up, went to bed… and then woke up as a ghost."
"When I saw my own dead body lying on the bed, I actually thought someone had broken into my house—scared the hell out of me."
You Died… in Your Sleep?!
Lorien was speechless.
He had expected some kind of paranormal murder, maybe a vengeful spirit or a forbidden curse—
But this?
This was just anticlimactic.
Still, he stepped closer to examine the corpse.
It was already rotting, the stench of death thick in the air.
His skin was darkened with purplish decay, no visible wounds—
But the body itself looked strangely shriveled, almost mummified.
The Ghost's Concern: Corpses & Zombies
"Demon Hunter, sir…" Benson's ghostly voice wavered.
"My body isn't going to… you know… turn into a zombie, is it?"
"And if it does?" Lorien said casually.
"Will that be a problem?"
"Of course it's a problem!" Benson panicked.
"I mean, I'm fine being dead and all—hell, I don't even need to eat or pay rent anymore, saves me a fortune—but if my body starts attacking people, that's a real issue!"
Lorien shrugged.
"Hard to say. I'm not an expert on the undead."
"I'm more of an expert in making people dead."
Benson's ghost flickered violently.
"…Are all demon hunters like this?!"
Something felt off about this guy…
Wrong Assumption
"So… you're a demon hunter, right?" Benson asked cautiously.
Lorien blinked.
"No."
"…Wait, what?!"
Lorien tilted his head.
"Did I ever say I was?"
"You're the one who just assumed that."
Benson felt an ominous chill crawl down his spirit.
"Then… what are you?"
Lorien grinned.
"Oh, me? I'm just a demon from hell, passing through."
"A primordial vampire, to be exact."
"I spend my nights hunting unfortunate souls, killing them, and turning them into my servants."
Benson: "Haha… Good one."
Lorien simply smirked.
A Dead Lawyer? Useful.
"So… you were a lawyer, huh?" Lorien suddenly asked.
"Yep."
Benson nodded proudly.
"Worked for Black Gold Law Firm—not as big as the Magic Circle, but still had some decent influence in London."
Lorien's eyes brightened.
A lawyer could be useful.
"Ever thought about going back to work?"
Benson froze.
"I… uh… well, yeah. Being broke sucks. But…"
"I'm dead."
"So what?" Lorien smirked.
"Lots of people are dead—doesn't mean they stop working."
Benson looked intrigued but hesitant.
"Problem is, no one can see me."
"How the hell am I supposed to work?"
Lorien reached into his coat—
And pulled out a small vial of blood.
"Try drinking this."
Benson raised a brow.
"What is it?"
Lorien coughed lightly.
"Let's just call it a magical elixir."
"Might help you… y'know… interact with the physical world."
Benson hesitated—
But then figured, What's the worst that could happen?
He reached out—
And his hand passed through the vial.
His expression fell.
"Damn. Guess I really am just a ghost, huh—"
Then—
His fingers suddenly twitched.
An icy sensation spread through his hand.
"Wait… What?"
A surge of energy rushed through his form—
And his semi-transparent body began to solidify.
"Hah!"
Benson grinned excitedly.
"I can touch things again!"
Lorien leaned back with a satisfied nod.
"Good. Consider that your salary."
"I'll give you a new dose every month—you just work for me."
"Deal!" Benson agreed instantly.
Then, he paused.
"Uh… what exactly am I working on?"
"You'll find out soon."
"For now, just stay put—I'll be sending some 'employees' your way later."
Benson nodded, then suddenly recalled something.
"Wait, were you guys looking for someone?"
Lorien's expression sharpened.
"Yeah. A boy named Walter—a chimney sweep. Did you see him before you died?"
"Yeah, I remember him." Benson frowned.
"The kid had bruises all over—looked like he got beaten a lot. I felt bad for him, so I paid him extra."
"Where did he go after?"
"Left with another kid—looked like a street orphan."
A street orphan?
Lorien's gaze darkened.
Then, from the stairwell below, Winnie's voice called out:
"Hey, Lorien! Find anything?"
To be continued…