— A Sacrifice Without Blood —
This was clearly deliberate—and likely done by someone local.
The question was why.
Victor frowned, thinking for a moment.
"Well..." he began slowly, "this land is pretty remote. It used to be a cement plant—far from the city center. No one really cared to develop it."
He paused, then added, almost defensively, "The owner wanted out badly. I even managed to negotiate the price down."
"Business rivals?" Jasper cut in.
Victor shook his head. "I don't think so."
"What about disputes?" I asked.
"Everyday frictions happen," he said after a brief hesitation. "But nothing that would push someone this far."
He exhaled quietly, then continued, "As for the workers... I'd need to check. During construction, I only came by occasionally. I wasn't here full-time."
"Alright," I said. "Look into it."
Then, as an afterthought, I added, "Also, ask your two investor friends. This might involve them."
---
An hour and a half later, we arrived at a psychiatric hospital in Donghai City. A doctor led us to the isolated room where Victor's bodyguard was held.
The man was imposing—around six feet tall, muscular, shirtless, with a dragon tattoo coiling around his arm. He had a thick beard and an intimidating presence, but now his eyes were vacant, fixed on the ceiling.
The doctor explained, "His mental state is highly unstable. Sometimes he sits there staring at the ceiling all day. Other times, he's like a wild animal—screaming about ghosts, attacking other patients. Several have been injured since he arrived. One patient even lost a piece of flesh to him."
"I'm terribly sorry for the trouble, Director Veyne ."
"No need to apologize. It's our duty. But... have you notified his family?"
"I have, but..." Victor trailed off. Men like this were often abandoned by their families. Earlier in the car, he'd mentioned the bodyguard was an ex-con who started working for him right after release.
Director Veyne nodded understandingly. "Just asking, no other meaning."
"Can I go inside?" I asked.
"Well... yes, but we'd need to sedate him first. If he becomes violent, he's hard to control."
"That won't be necessary."
The director glanced at Victor, who looked to me. I nodded. "It's fine."
The heavy iron door clanged open, but the sound didn't even register with the bodyguard.
"Mr. Arcturus, we'll go with you," Victor said, stepping forward.
I stopped him. " Stay here. He's not fully present."
"Rhan, let me come. If he tries anything, I'll—" Jasper started eagerly.
I raised a hand to silence him and stepped inside alone.
The bodyguard kept staring at the ceiling, ignoring me completely.
I closed my eyes briefly, clasped my hands, and murmured an incantation. Then, with my left middle finger, I pressed lightly between his eyebrows.
He collapsed onto the bed instantly. A faint glimmer lingered where I'd touched him.
Less than a minute later, he woke up. Seeing me, he tensed. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"Your employer hired me. Look outside."
He turned toward the door and spotted Victor.
"Boss."
His voice carried relief—thin, fragile, like someone clinging to the last familiar shape in a broken world.
"Algernon, this is Mr. Arcturus. He's helping me." Victor sounded stunned but composed.
"Mr. Arcturus, can I leave?"
"Not yet. I need to ask you something, Algernon. What did you see at the film city that night?"
"The film city?" His expression shifted to terror. "Ghosts. I saw ghosts. The training ground was full of them, so many... They looked horrible. No eyes. None of them had eyes."
That matched what we'd seen—but it wasn't what I needed.
"Anything else? Did you see anyone?"
"No... I was too scared. I only saw Pete—the guy who came in with me—get stabbed to death by them on some glowing ground. I tried to run, but I couldn't move. Two eyeless men pinned me down. They were going to kill me too... I must've passed out from fear."
Stabbed. That was a sacrifice. But why had they spared Algernon? A thought struck me.
"Did Pete have any tattoos?"
The question seemed to startle him. He shook his head slowly. "No. Why?"
"Pete died. You didn't. That's why." I touched the dragon on his hand. "Rest here a few more days. Once this is over, you'll recover."
"What do you mean? Where am I? Can't I leave? I didn't kill anyone—it wasn't me!" He thought this was a prison. I didn't answer, turning to leave instead.
"Boss, help me! I'm telling the truth!" Algernon cried out—then gasped and fell back onto the bed, unconscious.
Outside, the others stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief. Director Veyne looked utterly astonished.
"Mr. Hale... is this gentleman a doctor? What method was that? How did he restore the patient so quickly?"
"He's not fully recovered yet," I explained. "Keep him confined for now. He'll improve in a few days."
"But he seemed fine just now..."
"It's temporary. He'll revert once he wakes." I didn't want to elaborate—the less the director knew, the better for him. He clearly had more questions, but I was already walking out. Explaining was Victor's job now. My focus was finding the one behind this.
---
In the car, Victor asked, "Where to now, Mr. Arcturus?"
"Food," Jasper cut in, patting his stomach. "It's almost mealtime."
"Right, of course. My apologies."
As we drove, Jasper couldn't contain his curiosity. "Rhan, Algernon seemed fine earlier. Why did he pass out again? Will he really go back to being... like that?"
Victor glanced at me, equally curious.
"Yes," I said. "Extreme fear displaced his spirit. That's what shattered his mind. He lost control of his mind and actions."
"So... are all mental illnesses caused by lost spirits?"
"Only some." It was too complex to explain fully then.
Jasper accepted this with a reluctant "Oh," then pressed on. "How did you bring him back, then?"
" I borrowed a spirit—just enough to restore his awareness for a short time."
"Borrowed a spirit?"
"It's an esoteric art. My ability is limited—I can only borrow for a short time. It depends on one's cultivation. The deeper the cultivation, the longer the borrowing lasts." I'd only read about it recently in the Meta Codex Valeria gave me, and this was my first attempt.
"And the really skilled?"
"They can borrow for extended periods, even repeatedly. But it goes against the natural order. It requires profound attainment and strong inner energy to achieve one's purpose."
Victor, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "Mr. Arcturus, one thing puzzles me. Algernon said Pete was stabbed to death, but when we found him, there were no wounds."
"They weren't stabbing his body. They were stabbing his spirit. They used Pete's soul to awaken what was sealed there. It's a ritual—a soul sacrifice."
"A soul sacrifice..." Victor repeated quietly.
---
We soon stopped at a restaurant. After eating, I asked Victor to arrange accommodations.
Once in our room, Jasper immediately asked, "Rhan, do you think Victor offended someone dangerous? Someone he's not telling us about?"
"No. It's not in his nature to make such enemies. At most, there might be arguments or curses—not this."
"You're sure?"
"Victor carries the fortune of eight generations behind him. His luck is exceptionally strong."
We fell silent. Having slept little the night before and risen early, I soon drifted off. I didn't wake until past seven in the evening—just as my phone rang.
It was Victor. "Mr. Arcturus," Victor said. "We found something you should see."
"Tell me."
"Better to discuss in person. Come downstairs."
"We'll be right down."
I called Jasper, and we headed out.