Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Haunted Mansion

He had thrown away the doll; who would have thought that when he would return…the sofa lay overturned, its legs jutting awkwardly into the air as if it had been flung aside in rage?

Broken glass from the shattered lights crunched faintly underfoot, and the ceiling fan hung motionless, its blades stiff and lifeless.

It was a scene of complete chaos.

Baron stood frozen at the entrance, his chest rising and falling unevenly. Even he, who had tried to steel himself for this, felt fear clawing at his spine.

But what terrified him the most…was the doll. Sitting right in the center of the living room.

Perfectly still. As if waiting. As if mocking him. ’I threw you away… I got rid of you …’

Yet here it was again.

A cold shiver ran down his back. His fingers trembled slightly as he clenched his fists. ’No matter what I do… I can’t escape it …’

That was when his hunt truly began.

Now, staring at the doll, Baron slowly reached into his pocket and took out the talisman. The paper felt slightly rough against his skin, faint warmth lingering within it.

He recalled the instructions clearly. “Just wave it in the air.” …’

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand. And waved it.

For a split second… nothing happened. Then…the talisman shimmered.

A faint golden glow spread across its surface, growing brighter and brighter until it almost hurt to look at. Baron’s eyes widened as the air around him seemed to vibrate.

The talisman slipped from his fingers. And floated.

Slowly… deliberately… it drifted toward the doll before landing right in front of it. The next instant…a shriek.

A piercing, blood-curdling scream exploded in the air, so loud it felt as though it was right beside his ear, yet at the same time distant, echoing from somewhere far beyond.

Baron staggered slightly, his hands flying to his ears. “Ah!”

The sound was filled with agony. With resentment. With rage that had festered for far too long.

’It’s working… it’s actually working …’

Before his eyes, the doll began to tremble. Then… flames erupted.

Not ordinary flames, but something pale and eerie, licking across the doll’s surface without spreading anywhere else.

The fabric curled and blackened, the face twisting unnaturally as if something within was struggling to escape.

The shriek grew louder. More desperate. More furious. Until it stopped.

The doll collapsed into ashes. Complete. Utter. Gone.

Baron’s breath hitched as he stared, his heart pounding wildly against his ribs.

But it wasn’t over yet. The talisman…it didn’t disappear. Instead, it suddenly ignited.

The paper burned rapidly, turning into fine ash that drifted down, merging with the remains of the doll. For a brief moment, the ashes swirled together, as if caught in an invisible current.

Then…they scattered. Vanished into the air. Leaving behind nothing but a faint, burnt smell that lingered in the silence.

Baron stood there, stunned. Seconds passed. Then minutes.

He swallowed hard, his throat dry, and slowly looked around. The oppressive weight that had once filled the room was gone.

Tentatively, he called out, his voice low and uncertain, “Enzo…?”

Silence. He waited. Nothing. “Enzo…” he tried again, a little louder this time.

Still nothing. Finally, his shoulders slumped as he let out a long, shaky breath. ’It’s over …’

Over the next two days, Baron remained cautious. He watched. He listened. He waited. But nothing happened.

The cold presence that once lingered around him had disappeared completely. No more strange noises. No more inexplicable accidents or streaks of bad luck.

His house felt…normal. For the first time in a long time. Relief washed over him like a tide, leaving him almost lightheaded. ’It’s really gone …’

Overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, he immediately left a review.

A long one.

“The talisman works,” he wrote, his hands moving quickly across the keyboard. “I only used one, and it completely dealt with the entity. Worth every penny.”

He even mentioned that he had bought two talismans but only needed one, keeping the second as a safeguard.

“I finally feel safe.”

He didn’t stop there. He recommended it to friends. To family. Anyone who might need it.

Meanwhile, four days later, Lana read the review.

A faint smile appeared on her lips as her eyes moved across the screen. A strange warmth filled her chest, something unfamiliar yet deeply satisfying.

To create something with her own hands. And have it help someone. Her gaze lingered for a moment before shifting.

Work awaited.

She glanced at the task board, her expression sharpening slightly. Recently, her progress had reached a critical point, just one step away from the Heaven Rank.

That thought alone filled her with excitement. ’I just need one more push …’

Several cases were listed. Each one is more dangerous than the last. All of them involved spirits that were at least 150 to 200 years old.

Lana took a deep breath. And chose one. A 175-year-old ghost.

The case file detailed a mansion located in a suburban area, owned by a wealthy man. Under normal circumstances, the property could easily generate $20,000 per month, nearly $240,000 annually.

But now…it stood empty. Haunted. No one dared to rent it.

The owner had fallen into severe financial trouble because of it, forced to use his connections to list the case on Shadowridge University’s task board.

The moment he learned that Lana had accepted it, he arranged a meeting that very evening.

When Lana arrived, she found a middle-aged man waiting for her.

He had a potbelly, his posture slightly hunched, and deep wrinkles etched across his face, marks of a life filled with stress and hardship.

He greeted her with a flattering smile. “Miss Lana… thank you for taking this case.”

Lana gave a small nod. “Tell me everything.”

As they spoke, they made their way toward the mansion.

By the time they arrived, Lana had already pieced together most of the situation.

“This wasn’t originally a haunted house, was it?” she murmured, glancing at the structure.

The man sighed. “No… it wasn’t.”

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