In the dense wilderness that was once a wildlife sanctuary before being repurposed by the British in 1890, a man walked cautiously. His breath was held, ears keenly tuned to the sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot. A foul stench stung his nose, making him wrinkle his forehead in disgust.
"This place is so old now... I can't deny it," he murmured quietly, his hand brushing against the decayed wooden walls covered in moss.
His eyes scanned the silent room, lit only by the dim glow of the lantern in his grip. He let out a heavy sigh. "This place used to be filled with the laughter of children... Now it's just a nest for mosquitoes and insects."
Suddenly...
Crack!
"Oh, damn it!" He gasped, his body tensing. The lantern slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, its glass shattering into pieces. A small flame began to spread in the corner of the room, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
But it wasn't the fire that froze him in place. From beneath the grime and the debris of decaying wood, something moved. His hair stood on end. Swallowing hard, he reached out with trembling hands to clear away the shards of wood covering the object.
And then...
"This... is a corpse?" His voice trembled, his eyes widening. His breaths came rapidly as he stared at the rotting body before him.
Hours later, he went to report to his superior, his body still covered in dust and the putrid smell lingering. His superior raised an eyebrow before letting out a long sigh, staring at him blankly.
"You smell terrible. Go take a bath."
He stood silent, looking at his superior with an expression that was hard to decipher—caught somewhere between annoyance and despair. But he was too exhausted to argue. Dragging his feet, he headed to the bathroom, turned the faucet, and let the cold water touch his skin.
Yet, as the water flowed over his body...
"AARGH!"
A searing pain coursed through his entire body. His skin felt as if it were burning from within. He collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony, his mouth foaming with a mysterious venom.
By the time the officers found him, he was lifeless.
A hundred years passed, but his death remained a subject of endless discussion.
In the heart of the city, two young men were having a serious conversation.
"Hey, have you heard of the biggest mystery of the century?"
The guy across from him scoffed. "What mystery?"
"The death of Will Orsedd, the archaeologist who visited the Kahrerr asylum in Spain."
The other frowned. "So, it must be related to the corpse he found, right?"
"Yes, and I have a theory," he said, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "What if the place was actually a buried pyramid?"
The other young man gave him a flat stare. "Do you really think the corpse he found was a mummy?"
"Well... I'm not sure..."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted from behind.
"Could you guys shut up already!"
They jumped in surprise.
"Come here! I need your help!"
They exchanged glances before hurrying toward the source of the voice. One of them raised an eyebrow, looking at the young man in front of him with a skeptical expression.
"What's your name, kid?" he asked challengingly.
The young man crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Why do you want to know my name?"
Thud!
Without warning, a punch landed on his cheek.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!" He retaliated angrily, his fist flying without a second thought.
A small scuffle broke out amidst the crowd, drawing the attention of the bystanders.
"YOU TWO, STOP IT!"
Another man tried to break them up, but they continued glaring at each other with raw emotions.
"But he started it!" one of them shouted, his face flushed with irritation.
"No way, you're the one who mocked the case as nonsense!"
"ENOUGH, JUST STOP IT!"
From a distance, a woman with a cold expression shook her head, observing them with sharp eyes.
"Ferry, what now?" she muttered flatly.
With steady steps, she approached them.
"Ahem."
She lightly tapped Ferry on the shoulder, enough to make him shiver.
"Could I borrow you two for a moment?" she asked with a smile that was... unsettling.
The two who had been fighting instantly went pale. Without further ado, they bolted, leaving Ferry alone, beads of sweat trickling down his temple as he faced her.
"So, Ferry, where were we in our discussion?" she asked, still smiling.
Ferry swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah..."
They resumed their conversation.
In the middle of their exchange, someone shouted from another direction, "Hey! You need to pay for the mess you caused!"
Ferry instinctively turned and immediately recognized the speaker.
"Damn it, I didn't even realize it was you, Lady Jissie....
The shouting voice instantly fell silent.
Lady Jissie approached with a sharp gaze, her aura radiating authority.
"You're not going to delay the deal, are you?" she asked firmly.
Ferry raised his hands in semi-surrender. "I know, I know... But we can't talk about this in such a public place, right?"
Lady Jissie gave a faint smile, then...
Click.
She casually cocked a pistol in front of Ferry.
"Let's talk right here."
Ferry instantly broke into a cold sweat. "You military folks... Always abusing your authority!"
Lady Jissie leaned in, pressing a knife to Ferry's neck.
"You should choose your words carefully, Ferry," she whispered in a dangerous tone.
Ferry swallowed nervously, his breath hitching.
"But you're not going to kill me right now, are you...?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Lady Jissie smirked. Without warning, she leaned closer and planted a light kiss on Ferry's neck.
And instantly...
Thud!
Ferry fainted from the shock.
"Take him." Lady Jissie directed her guards.
When Ferry woke up, he found himself in a military office.
"Awake now, my dear?"
Jissie greeted him with a cruel look.
Ferry immediately dropped to the floor.
"Forgive me, Lady..."
"Forgive me..."
"Please..."
"Lift your head."
With trembling limbs, Ferry slowly raised his head.
"Well? Ready to hand it over?" Jissie asked.
"Apologies, Lady... My company's shares have gone bankrupt... Please have mercy," Ferry pleaded in fear.
He knew Jissie wasn't someone who entertained negotiations. If he failed to meet her demands, his life could very well be at stake.
"I said, lift your head."
Once again, Ferry raised his head.
"If you can't pay it now, that's fine," Jissie said casually.
"But in return..."
She raised her hand, pointing west.
Ferry frowned. "What do you mean, Lady?"
"Ugh, how shallow is your brain?" Jissie sighed. "There's a school over to the west. My nephew studies there, and I want him to be the top student."
Ferry looked at her in confusion. "That's it?"
"Yes, that's it. I want you to tutor that stupid kid. He's only burdening himself with his own thoughts."
Ferry wanted to refuse, but he knew full well that Lady Jissie was the most feared person in the city.
"But... why me?"
"There's no specific reason," Jissie replied nonchalantly. "You just happen to be the brightest mind around here."
Ferry let out a sigh. "I know this might be presumptuous, but... will I be paid?"
"Don't worry about payment. I've got it covered," said Jissie.
"What about life insurance, property insurance, severance pay..."
"You want more?" Jissie raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, Lady," Ferry replied without hesitation.
"Fine, very well," Jissie said with a sly smile. "Then join us. Hey, you wasted, unemployed genius!"
"Wait a minute, Lady! That's not what I meant..." Ferry stammered.
"Let's do this instead: How about you join us? You won't need to surrender or manage your company anymore. What do you think?"
"That offer..." Ferry bit his lip. "What should I do...? But I don't want to let go of my company..."
"Alright, in that case," said Jissie, crossing her arms.
"For now, just become my nephew's private tutor. That way, your debt will be cleared. Deal?"
Ferry thought for a moment.
"Not enough?" Jissie asked.
"Huh? It's just..." Ferry hesitated.
"Alright, I'll add royalties to your company," Jissie offered.
"What do you mean?" Ferry frowned.
"You can take a share of your company with the royal trademark," Jissie explained.
Ferry's eyes widened. "What?! Are you saying... my company could acquire royal profits?!"
"Yes," Jissie replied with a small smile gracing her face.