The Adventurer's Mission Log

Chapter 27 Night Ghost

Tenor suspected the materials were of dubious origin, but it didn't matter; once he concocted the potion, it would have the same effect.

In just one night, he gathered the two main ingredients, only lacking the brain of a shapeshifter and the flesh and blood of a fourth-order demon, a very fruitful result.

Tenor returned to the Black Rose Tavern humming a little tune, even his greeting to Giovanni was much lighter. "A glass of mead, please," he tossed a silver coin.

"The rest... well, keep an eye out for shapeshifters for me. Don't forget to call me if there are any related requests."

He booked a room at the Black Rose Tavern for seven days, and if nothing unexpected happens, he'll renew it when it expires. It is indeed relatively safe here—at least there are no ratmen or demons.

"Fine, you damn rich man! I'd be happy if Your Excellency doesn't need any more service." It was almost time to leave work, and Giovanni was drowsy and barely had the energy to speak.

Tenor picked up his wine glass, feeling a bit sleepy, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, went upstairs.

As I climbed the stairs, a question slowly arose in my mind—why did I feel sleepy?

Yes, Thoreau could go without sleep for hundreds of years. Even if he were only half Thoreau, he could easily go a week without eating, drinking, or sleeping.

Have you been too tired lately?

Filled with doubt, Tenor returned to his room, tidied up, lay down, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, his consciousness gradually cleared, but his body felt as if it were encased in cement.

He instinctively tried to get up, but found he couldn't move at all. He couldn't turn his head or speak, and he couldn't even control a single finger.

He had a strange illusion that a blurry black shadow was slowly approaching from the shadows of the room, moving toward his body lying on the bed.

He tried hard to see what it was that dared to be so presumptuous in front of him.

Tenor heard heavy breathing, whispers, and some kind of inhuman hissing.

Come on! Let him see what it is clearly—he secretly cheered.

Footsteps paced slowly around the bed, then stopped, the sound so close it was as if the thing was breathing right next to his ear.

He felt a heavy weight on his chest, and he heard his breathing become shallow and rapid, each inhale feeling like a struggle against gravity.

Sleep paralysis?

What kind of monster dares to press down on Tenor's bed?

He was perfectly lucid and did not panic or struggle despite losing control of his body, because—he was at most half a person.

At this rate, he could stay in bed for a month.

Breathing? Just a quick breath is enough to keep me alive.

He's half-cold-blooded after all!

He attempted to become alienated, but he completely lost control of his body and could only dream about it.

A biting, musty wind blew past, and he could feel cold, rough fingers scratching his wrists and ankles, and something like claws pressing against his throat.

The claws began to tighten, gripping Tenor's throat tightly, but the effect was not good—Michael had also said that Tenor's external alienation was comparable to that of a senior half-human.

Ternor seemed to see it, a shapeless shadow that sometimes transformed into the appearance of a hunched old woman.

A night ghost? There's definitely something wrong with those eyes.

The empty, ghostly eyes scrutinized Tenor up close, and he saw hatred in them.

Could it be that the eyes of that night demon... belong to this night demon's blood relative?

Although he felt bad, he had to use those eyes, just like a wolf eats a sheep and a sheep eats grass.

The Night Demon strained in vain, but could not kill Tenor no matter how hard he tried, and he kept strangling him for a long time.

He heard the sounds of cars and people outside the window; it was dawn, and many vendors and workers were starting to move around.

The initial sense of danger had dissipated, and he was counting sheep one by one, trying to fall asleep or pass the time.

A chanting sound came from outside the house. The night ghost was startled, gave Tenor one last venomous look, and then disappeared into the shadows.

Tenor sat up abruptly, focusing intently on sensing the room—there was no trace of the Night Demon.

He got up to get the popular science books he had bought, and after searching through them, he located the records related to night ghosts.

"...These nightmares roam through nightmares, making them extremely difficult to capture..."

...symbols of Mor, the god of the underworld and dreams, such as ravens, sickles, hourglasses, and black roses, can ward off night demons...

...A violent struggle can break the Night Demon's control. If it doesn't manage to escape, you can try to kill it. Don't even think about catching the Night Demon; it can enter your dreams at any time...

There's only one situation that will cause the Night Demons to ignore the symbolism of the Dream God Mor and harass you: when you've taken away their True Eyes...

If you wish to rid yourself of the vengeful night ghost, contact Philip the Miracle Walker on Sunlit Street in the city of Laghettia. The consultation fee is 3 silver coins.

Upon seeing this, Tenor couldn't help but look up the author of the book—and indeed it was Philip the Miracle Worker.

Is this how you call GG?

It turns out that the ghost that night wasn't killed because of a blood relative, but because its true eye was stolen.

No wonder the eyes of this not-so-powerful monster can sell for 12 gold coins a pair—if you pull out the tusks, the elephant's spirit will relentlessly pursue you, and the price of the tusks will be driven even higher.

But why did that suspicious person sell it at such a low price?

Philip's consultation fee is only 3 silver coins!

Filled with doubt, Tenor tidied up and went downstairs, where several guests were having dinner together in the guest area.

After ordering, Tenor also joined in.

"Do you know Philip the Miracle Walker from Sunlight Street?"

"Who is that?"

"I vaguely remember. You mean 'unlucky' Philip? He was killed last month for messing with a high-ranking Night Demon."

"He's not a high-ranking night demon! He's mistaken a demon-possessed spirit for a night demon! My brother's neighbor's daughter's friend lives nearby and witnessed Philip being lured away by a demon-possessed spirit."

"So, who still knows how to get rid of the Night Demon's clutches?"

"Night demons? You've offended them? Alas, may the benevolent God protect you."

"Unless you can completely eliminate it or make peace with it, there is no good way."

Amidst a wave of sighs and regrets, Tenor's worries vanished.

He has many ways to eliminate problems.

[Mission: Escape the clutches of the Night Demon]

Difficulty: Low

[Reward: Tranquilizing Potion *1]

[Status: In Progress]

The reward is a potion that restores mental energy, just like its difficulty level—tasteless to consume, yet a pity to discard.

It's described as a potion, but in the preview it looks like an emerald.

Night demons are nothing to worry about!

Let's think about how to find clues about the shapeshifter.

The people were still talking, and what they were saying caught Tenor's attention.

"Have you heard? The Iron Blood Brotherhood's mad dogs have slaughtered another village."

"Alas, may God protect us!"

"Be careful leaving the city! I've heard that many Beastman chapters are colluding with those lunatics."

"Hey! I just escaped from the ambush of the Beastmen yesterday. If they hadn't been so lax in their guard, you wouldn't be seeing me today!"

They locked us in cages and took us to the tribe. I heard them calling out the name of an evil god, looking for some "Sorrow," saying that he was an enemy of the gods and that they wanted to offer him to the evil god.

Taking advantage of the fact that the horned beasts were shouting around the altar and no one was watching, I managed to cut the rope and escape.

I wonder who this unfortunate fellow Thoreau is; his name sounds really obscure! If anyone sees him, please remind him.

Tenor nodded in agreement like everyone else, but inwardly he was cursing.

—When did he get involved with the Beastman?

Hmm...it seems there's some old grudge.

Then someone else said, "Do you know the monk Anthony? I heard he was dragged out by the monks."

Tenor's eyes flashed coldly, but quickly returned to normal as he patiently listened to the rumors.

"It's no use. Those wizards are all useless. They let the criminal escape. I heard that someone saw the escaped Anthony in the outer city."

"Which street did you see him on?" Tenor couldn't help but ask.

Now that he has the Power Belt and the Shadow Cloak, he should be able to take down Anthony with a sneak attack.

This can be considered a way to put an end to the feud between the "Pleasure Association".

"You want to take on the challenge too? Okay, everyone wants to, but one more person won't make a difference. Anyway, no one can find him. The last time he was seen was at the dock."

"Nonsense! I heard he left the city, and someone saw him control a monster and drive away a group of beastmen."

While the others were still arguing, Tenor had already guessed the gist of it—the Emerald Order had conducted monster experiments in Pusala Village, leaving behind many monsters.

Since the Emerald Order was defeated and its main force was almost wiped out by the Skaven, the village became a no-man's land.

If Anthony finds relevant clues and learns about the stronghold, hiding in Pusala Village would be the best option—finding a way to control the monsters would be equivalent to having an army.

Not to mention recovering from his injury, it's not impossible for him to make a comeback.

How could Tenor possibly let him recover?