Greedy Wolf let out a cold snort, gave Clyde a light shove, and silently retreated behind Kayden.
Kayden’s gaze flickered to Miguel before landing on Clyde. With a faint shake of his head, he boomed, “It’s not that I’m afraid to duel you. It’s that trash like you don’t even deserve the honor!”
His words fell with the weight of a thunderclap, ringing out with undeniable authority!
Clyde’s face stiffened. Rubbing his throat to steady himself, he sneered, “Just admit it if you’re scared! Don’t try to hide behind arrogance. You’re all bark and no bite. You’re a pretender who knows nothing at all.”
Then Clyde’s gaze drifted to Greedy Wolf. His lips curled into a smug smile. “Your so-called bodyguard, though-I like him. Gotta say it’s been a while since anyone dared to hold a blade to my throat, but he pulled it off with style.”
Leaning forward slightly, his voice dripped with mockery as he continued, “But let’s be honest-you don’t deserve someone like him. Hey, you, how about working for me instead? I’ll pay you ten times whatever this guy’s giving you. With you by my side, I’d have the perfect duo-a scholar and a warrior!”
A bodyguard!
Clyde’s words reduced Greedy Wolf’s presence to nothing more than hired muscle. Worse still, he had the audacity to try and poach him away from Kayden right in front of everyone.
Lewis’s jaw dropped, and his eyes widened with disbelief when he heard it. Was Clyde out of his mind? Did he not know who he was dealing with? Panicked, Lewis shouted, “Clyde Leland! What are you doing? Do you even realize who you’re talking to?!”
But before Lewis could expose Kayden’s true identity, Kayden raised a hand to stop him. Kayden’s expression remained indifferent yet commanding. Lewis was silenced by the gesture. Kayden wasn’t interested in such pointless conversations. Instead, his sharp gaze shifted back to Miguel. “Do you know why the bowl of water shattered just now? Do you know why the table shook so violently?”
His eyes bore into Miguel’s as if peeling back layers to reach the truth. These weren’t mere questions; they were interrogations aimed at the very core of Miguel’s confidence.
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances. They thought, hadn’t Miguel already explained? He’d said the strange phenomena were caused by an evil spirit trying to escape. Why was Kayden bringing it up again? Whispers of doubt spread. They’re doubting if Kayden was out of his mind.
To others, these two questions might have seemed confusing, even redundant. But to Miguel, these questions went like a blade slicing through his composure.
They hit him like a cannonball, crashing straight into his chest, leaving his heart reeling from the impact.
Even so, Miguel forced himself to feign calm. His lips curved into a stiff, insincere smile. “Didn’t I already explain? The evil spirit I vanquished tried to escape, and it just happened to step onto the table in the process.”
Kayden shook his head. “Is that so? Because from where I stood, I saw someone-yes, that evil spirit you’re talking about-standing in front of your ritual table. And when she heard you chanting that long string of incantations, she didn’t seem too happy. In fact, she flipped your table in anger and crushed your water bowl with her bare hands.”
The words ignited a sudden shock wave through Miguel’s body. He gulped involuntarily, his throat bobbing as a cold chill swept over him. His eyes darted about nervously, scanning the room as if something might leap out at him at any moment.
Clyde also felt his own nerves tighten at Kayden’s accusation. Panic creeping into his voice, he barked, “Stop spouting nonsense! You’re just too scared to face Mr. Remington in a proper duel of spiritual power. If you’re scared, just admit it! Don’t resort to wild talk and distractions.”
But Clyde wasn’t defending Miguel. He was actually trying to convince himself. He refused to believe he’d put his faith in the wrong person. Deep down, tiny but persistent doubt gnawed at him. Yet admitting the truth would be disastrous. If he had indeed backed the wrong horse, he’d have countless enemies lining up to settle scores. Forget the future repercussions, but just leaving the Henderson Mansion alive today would be a miracle. After all, it was he who had hyped up Miguel as a “Demigod,” brought him here, and recommended him to Old Mr. Henderson.
Left with no other choice, Clyde made a desperate gamble, staking everything on Miguel.
Sensing the pressure, Miguel eagerly jumped on the lifeline Clyde threw him. “Exactly! Stop talking nonsense! Do you think that just by saying so, you’ve suddenly gained the ability to see spirits? Whatever was inside has already been dealt with by me! If it’s still here, let it come out and face me!”
Seeing the two men were so stubborn, so determined to deny everything, Kayden let out a faint sigh and shook his head. “Very well, since you insist on clinging to your delusions, I’ll gladly show you what you’re up against.”
As soon as the words fell, Kayden’s gaze drifted toward the shadowy figure lurking in the corner. Almost as if answering his silent command, the phantom made a move. A thunderous bang shattered the silence. The table before them suddenly flipped over with brutal force, crashing to the ground. Candles toppled, papers fluttered like panicked birds, and the bowls on the table shattered into jagged shards.
The sudden commotion sent Miguel stumbling back two steps. His face went pale with fright. Even Clyde, who was usually composed, couldn’t stop himself from retreating instinctively.
Everyone was standing at least five meters away from the altar, so the table was at a distance far beyond anyone’s reach. Yet it had been overturned, right before their very eyes, by some unseen force. If this wasn’t the work of a ghost, then what else could it be?
Miguel’s head snapped toward Kayden, his heart racing. But just as he turned, an icy chill swept over his back, so cold it felt like frost creeping along his spine. It was as if something intangible was standing right behind him, breathing cold air onto the back of his neck.
“Who’s there?!” he shouted, whipping around to find who was standing behind. But there was nothing there. Still, the chill remained, seeping into his skin and carrying an unnatural, oppressive weight. It wasn’t a gust of cold wind; no, this was something else entirely. It felt alive.
Could it really be that thing? The ghost?
The thought clawed at his mind, sending a jolt of terror through his chest.
Some people claim not to fear ghosts. But that’s because they’ve never truly encountered them. Miguel, however, lived in a world steeped in the supernatural. He knew ghosts. He knew their capabilities, their malice. He understood the countless ways ghosts could torment and destroy a person. And that knowledge made him the most terrified person in the room!
Seeing Miguel’s flustered and uneasy demeanor, Kayden couldn’t suppress a smirk. “Lately, when you wake up, haven’t you noticed strange marks on your hands, like someone clawed at you during the night? Even after a full night’s sleep, those dark circles under your eyes won’t go away. I don’t need to explain further, do I? You already know that a spirit has its sights set on you!”
Miguel stiffened. For all his faults, he wasn’t ignorant about matters like these. He said nothing, but his unease was clear. His hand rose awkwardly to his face, brushing over his skin before lingering near his eyes.
“Stop spouting nonsense!” Clyde barked. He was more unwilling to admit the truth than Miguel. His voice brimmed with indignation as he jabbed a finger toward Kayden. “Do you think someone like Mr. Remington can be tricked by your hollow words? Do you even know what incredible feats this man has accomplished? Let me educate you! Mr. Remington has done things that shook the world! Brat, don’t overstep your place and don’t make a fool of yourself. Mr. Remington…”
“Ah! No! Get away!” Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream tore through the room, silencing Clyde mid-sentence. Everyone froze as they saw Miguel clutching the peach-wood sword and thrashing at the empty air with a wild, almost feral desperation. His panicked voice rang out as he shouted, “Who’s there? Who is it? Show yourself!”
“Mr. Remington! What’s going on?!” Clyde blurted, his earlier confidence dissolving into shock.
“There’s something here!” Miguel stammered, his words tumbling out in a frightened rush. “Just now something touched my skin! A cold hand! So cold it felt like it reached through my skin and gripped my very bones!”
His words sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The room was filled with nervous breaths. People recoiled instinctively. A few even screamed aloud, their voices cracking with terror.