When the big man finally stopped moving, Kaelen let out a long breath.
"That was close," he thought. "If the Golden Idol didn't hurt that ghost, we would all be dead."
Kaelen looked at the statue in his hands. It was dented, but it saved his life.
"Darius," Kaelen said firmly. "I'm buying this. I'll send 1,000 gold coins to your house."
Kaelen knew the White Face Spirit was dangerous. He didn't know if there were more of them. He needed this magic item to stay safe.
"Fine," Darius sighed. He looked around his destroyed shop. "Just take it."
The guards tied up the unconscious big man. They carried Dorian, who was bleeding from his arm, to a doctor.
Kaelen didn't want to stay any longer. He took his four guards and the Golden Idol and went straight home.
The Vane Estate.
As soon as Kaelen walked through the gate, a beautiful woman ran toward him. She looked terrified.
"Kaelen! Are you okay?"
This was Lady Rose. She was Lord Vane's second wife. She had taken care of Kaelen since his mother died. She loved him like her own son.
"I'm fine, Lady Rose," Kaelen said. "Why are you so worried?"
"Didn't you hear?" Lady Rose whispered. "The city is going crazy! Today, dozens of people suddenly lost their minds. They grabbed knives and attacked their neighbors. The City Guards are everywhere."
Kaelen frowned. Dozens of people? So there isn't just one White Face Spirit. There is an army of them.
"Stay inside, Kaelen," Lady Rose begged. "It's not safe out there. You are the only heir to the Vane family."
"Okay, I promise," Kaelen lied.
He sent Lady Rose away and went to his room. He told a guard to put the heavy Golden Idol on his table.
"Leave me alone," Kaelen ordered.
Kaelen locked the door. He sat in front of the Golden Idol.
He checked his System first.
He had gained some Divine Essence points earlier. He decided to use them.
[ Attributes ]
• Strength: 1.0 (Normal)
• Agility: 1.0 (Normal)
• Constitution: 1.0 (Normal)
• Spirit: 1.0 (Normal) [+]
• Charm: 0.9 (Normal) [+]
• Divine Essence: 0
Now, almost all his stats were "Normal." He wasn't weak anymore!
Kaelen looked at the Golden Idol. He knew it was magic, but carrying a heavy statue around was stupid. He couldn't fight with a statue.
"System," Kaelen commanded. "Deconstruct."
He touched the idol.
[ YES / NO — Deconstruct target: 'Sacred Golden Idol'? ]
"YES."
Flash!
The golden statue vanished. In its place, a pile of black rocks and shiny gems appeared on the table.
[ Deconstruct Successful! Obtained: ]
• Demon-Bane Iron (x10)
• Sun Gem (x3)
Kaelen picked up a Sun Gem. It was a smooth, yellow stone that felt warm. It glowed like amber.
"So this is why the ghost hated it," Kaelen realized. "These materials hurt evil spirits."
He had an idea.
"If I make a sword out of this iron, I can kill the ghosts easily. And I can put the gems in the handle to make it stronger."
Kaelen was a man of action. He wanted to do it now.
He grabbed a tablecloth. He threw the Demon-Bane Iron and Sun Gems into it and tied it into a bundle.
He threw the heavy bundle over his shoulder and opened the door.
But Lord Vane was standing right there, about to knock.
"Kaelen?" Lord Vane looked confused. "Where are you going with that bag?"
"To the blacksmith," Kaelen said. "I bought some scrap metal. I want to make a weapon."
Lord Vane's eyes lit up. "A weapon? I heard you started training martial arts! That is wonderful!"
Lord Vane patted Kaelen's shoulder. "My son is finally growing up! Don't worry about a blacksmith. I will hire the best weapon-maker in the kingdom! And tomorrow, I will hire Master Thorne, the famous warrior, to be your private teacher!"
Kaelen froze.
Private teacher? No way.
If a master watched him train, he would see Kaelen getting stronger too fast. It would look suspicious. Kaelen wanted to keep his System a secret.
"No!" Kaelen shouted. He pretended to be a spoiled brat.
"I don't want a teacher! I just want to play around! If you hire a teacher, I will get a headache! And when I get a headache, I won't eat dinner!"
Lord Vane panicked immediately.
"Okay! Okay! No teacher!" Lord Vane waved his hands. "Just don't skip dinner! Do whatever you want!"
The trick worked perfectly. The original Kaelen used this trick for 15 years, and it never failed.
"I'll go to the blacksmith myself," Kaelen grumbled. He walked past his father.
"Wait, son," Lord Vane reached out. "That bag looks heavy. Let your old dad carry it for you."
"No!" Kaelen pulled the bag away. "I can do it! I'm not a baby!"
He walked away quickly.
Lord Vane stood in the hallway, watching his son leave. He wiped a tear from his eye.
"He refused my help," Lord Vane sniffled happily. "My little boy is finally a man."