Chapter 48: Letting You Off Easy

[Ghost Tamer Alliance] Guild Hall.

In the management meeting room on the top floor, a young man with golden hair and blue eyes sat in a carved armchair against the wall. The elaborate chair was set upon a circular dais, its high back soaring into the ceiling above.

He wore a mage’s robe of intricate design, shimmering with a faint violet luster shot through with golden patterns, which rippled and gleamed in the dim meeting room light.

Leaning back in his seat, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, his boots rested on a footstool. He raised his hand, took a crystal goblet from the side table, and sipped his wine.

“Mmm…”

A soft, muffled whimper escaped from a woman beside him.

His brow furrowed, a shadow passing through his gaze, as if annoyed that his pleasure had been interrupted. His brilliant blue eyes lowered to the woman by his chair.

Her skin was pale as chalk, long silver hair cascading over her shoulders and fanning out across the floor. Crimson cords bound her hands and feet, forcing her into a twisted kneeling posture. Her head was thrown back, and her mouth was gagged with an ornate hollow sphere engraved with twin dragons chasing a pearl, making speech impossible.

The moment her eyes met his, the silver-haired woman shivered violently, shrinking back instinctively, desperate to retreat. But the sigil etched at the nape of her neck flickered with silvery light, forbidding her any escape.

The golden-haired man raised his hand, revealing a matching circular sigil glowing in his palm. He brought his hand close to her cheek, slender fingers pushing the gag deeper into her mouth.

“Keep it in.”

His tone was soft, almost gentle, but it sent another shudder through her.

His lips curled, fingertips wiping away the drool at her lips. “If you let it fall again, I’ll simply remove your tongue.”

Her pupils shrank with terror. She shook her head desperately, cold sweat dripping to the floor. She knew well enough—this man always meant what he said.

“President!”

A knock came at the door.

The golden-haired man looked up. The heavy doors creaked open, and all the lights in the room flared on. Only now was the full spectacle revealed atop the dais:

The footstool beneath his boots, the cushion beneath him, the side table holding his wine—all were formed from women of exquisite beauty, posed gracefully. His hands, covered in circular sigils, glowed with silver light that flowed from his fingertips up his arms, vanishing into the sleeves of his mage’s robe.

Throughout the room, every woman was similarly marked and controlled, each held in unnatural, puppet-like positions by the power of those sigils.

A short, rotund man entered the meeting room and stopped in shock at the sight before him. He seemed to realize he’d interrupted the president’s amusement and hesitated, unsure if he should quietly withdraw.

But the golden-haired man spoke, his voice still gentle, “News from the Trial Map?”

The stout man nodded eagerly, “Yes! Preliminary judgment is that the prophecy is true!”

“Oh?” The man pressed on, “I hacked into the system of one of the NPCs and, through it, tracked down Jun Wuming—”

“What did you say?!”

The president’s voice rose; his eyes narrowed dangerously.

The short man had never seen such a look on the president’s face before. He began to tremble, teeth chattering, legs shaking, bewildered that he had barely begun his report and the other party was already furious.

“You spoke to Jun Wuming as an NPC?” the president asked, enunciating each word.

Shivering, the short man replied, “Y-yes… just one sentence…”

He had only spoken five words to Jun Wuming—“Miss, do you want more?”

What could possibly be wrong with that?

But before he could explain, the golden-haired man drew a wand from his sleeve. The gem at its tip gleamed with an eerie blue light.

The Grand Archmage's Wand fragment?!

The short man dropped to his knees with a thud, “President! Please spare me! I swear upon all I own, Jun Wuming absolutely didn’t recognize me! Presi—”

Before he could finish, a flick of the wand.

“Aaah—!”

Bloodlines crisscrossed every inch of his skin, and in the next instant, his body fractured into a cascade of small blocks, scattering across the floor like pieces of a game.

“I have no need for fools here.”

The president cast a cold glance at the bloody remains and spoke in a chilling voice.

After a moment of silence, he looked up, gaze drifting into the distance. He took another sip of wine and murmured,

“Jun Wuming, you got lucky this time.”

…

…

Outside Seventh High School, at the entrance to the internet café.

Reading the terse message from Yu the Straight-A, Wen Nan smiled helplessly.

He remembered clearly the gentleman’s agreement they had signed. Clause Six stated explicitly that before the final mission settlement, Party A promised to share his equipment reserve slot with Party B once.

So, it seemed Yu was here to borrow his equipment slot.

But… the timing was almost uncanny. Not too early, not too late—he came just as Wen Nan’s mission progress ticked to 100%.

Still, an agreement was an agreement. Wen Nan would keep his word.

He closed the chat window, stood up, and headed outside.

At that moment, Little Pepper had just been killed in the game Black Cat and was storming out, bat in hand. Noticing Wen Nan, she called out, “Where are you going? Come help me take down the big boss! He’s too tough for me!”

Without breaking stride, Wen Nan replied, “Ask Guangzhi to help you.”

Leaving the café, Wen Nan caught up with Yu Shujun and followed her back to the school grounds, stopping in the middle of the track field.

A perfect place for a transaction.

“Lend me your equipment reserve slot now,” Yu Shujun said bluntly, getting straight to the point. Then she squatted down and began pulling out the items she’d scavenged, one by one, from her oversized school uniform.

Seeing her bulging uniform, Wen Nan was sure his hunch was correct—every hidden piece of equipment on the map had ended up in Yu’s hands.

“You really cleaned the place out…” he muttered.

Yu Shujun paused, giving him a strange look. “…What?”

Realizing the possible double meaning, Wen Nan coughed awkwardly. “Nothing, go on.”

Yu Shujun had no time for banter and continued unloading equipment.

As Wen Nan gazed at the gear spreading across the field, he couldn’t help but be amazed.