The Ghost of the Dannis Residence

"Don't be so surprised. I just happen to have a special method to distinguish how many mystery relics are in your home." Lynch sneered, "Don't you plan to explain?"

Randall's expression grew somewhat tense: "That is my freedom. I have no obligation to tell you what relics I possess. As long as they haven't entered an uncontrolled state, you have no right to question me."

"Then we won't question you. We'll find the answer ourselves."

Lynch asked the officer:

"Officer Angel, since we didn't find the target just now, could it be that he used other relics to hide it?"

"That is indeed a possibility." Officer Natalie looked at Lynch with suspicion, but answered anyway, "While there aren't many relics with similar functions, they do appear from time to time. However, relics can only hide visual effects; the reaction of mystical filth cannot be hidden."

"So it is still the reaction of two relics. I see." Lynch nodded, "Now I can be certain that he doesn't have a relic on his person. Therefore, this relic must either have a remote effect, or he himself is not actually in front of us."

The situation was not convenient for further questions. Officer Natalie set aside her suspicious gaze: "Low level relics rarely have remote effects. It can basically be confirmed that he is not in front of us; what is before us is merely a phantom."

"But there is only one relic other than the statue."

"Then the two effects must be considered together. It can hide the object while also creating a phantom that acts normally." Officer Natalie gave Randall a cold smile, "I have already guessed what it is. The Ghost of the Dannis Residence, a fear grade mystery relic. It is an oil painting. In a contained state, it works as long as it is hung on the wall as a painting. Once activated, the scene in the painting changes according to its location, swapping the scenery inside the frame with the outside room, while simultaneously projecting a virtual image of the user hidden within the painting. The virtual image cannot leave the confines of the building; it is just like a ghost of the house."

Randall's complexion turned extremely ugly in an instant.

"Mick, search again. Find me an oil painting about half a meter in length and width, depicting the very room it is in. Randall, I gave you a chance to confess and you refused. Now you had better pray we don't find the thing you are relying on, otherwise, hehe..."

As she spoke, the officer clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking loudly.

"Do you think you have already won?" Randall completely abandoned his elegant demeanor, grinning as he said, "The plan has already begun. Even if you know what you are looking for, it is too late. Hahaha, Lynch Levive, you have no chance left."

Reaching out to touch his chest, Lynch could already feel the withered veins extending toward his heart. He felt the pressure of death with increasing clarity, but at the same time, a surge of blood rose from the bottom of his heart. Lynch also sneered and said: "It doesn't matter. I will drag you out even if I die. If you want me dead for no reason, then let's see who is faster. Officer Natalie, I hope to participate in the search as well. Believe me, I will find it more accurately than those officers."

"Are you truly certain?" Officer Angel could not help but frown when she saw Lynch's condition, her voice carrying a bit more concern: "Fine, I will go with you."

Randall said viciously, "No matter how you struggle, it is useless. The plan has begun, and your death is already destined. There are at least hundreds of paintings hanging in this house. Take your time searching. I wonder how many rooms you can find before your time runs out."

How unfortunate. I just happen to have a way to search quickly.

Knowing his time was pressing and that he could collapse at any minute, Lynch only glanced at Randall casually. He stood up and walked quickly toward the stairs with Officer Natalie to start searching from the first floor, letting Randall's image chatter away beside them while neither of them paid him any more mind.

However, just as they reached the stairs, Lynch suddenly stopped and turned his head sharply.

"What is it?" Officer Natalie asked in confusion.

"Something is wrong. His reaction was too extreme. He was desperately trying to provoke me, giving me the feeling that he was terrified we wouldn't leave here to go searching elsewhere." Lynch's gaze slowly turned toward the strangely behaving Randall, "This makes me realize that since we entered this mansion, no one has actually searched this living room thoroughly."

"Hmm?" Officer Natalie was stunned for a moment, realizing this was indeed true.

The two of them had followed Randall to the living room from the start, so the other officers had avoided this area. With Randall constantly distracting them, they hadn't searched carefully either.

The living rooms of such wealthy families were simply too large, easily over a hundred square meters. Sitting on the sofa in the center, Lynch's three meter perception range could not definitively determine if there were any relics around the walls.

And if they decided to participate in the search and left like this, they feared no one would pay attention to the living room until the entire building had been searched, meaning the living room would remain a vacuum zone from beginning to end.

"No wonder you ushered us into the living room from the start."

Lynch felt a lingering fear. It was fortunate that he had instinctively turned back to look; otherwise, he would have been truly deceived.

An otherworld version of hiding in plain sight.

Randall's expression had become quite distorted. Clenching his fists with veins popping on his forehead, he suddenly stamped his foot and vanished into thin air before them.

"That's right, I hit a sore spot. It must be in the living room."

Lynch and Officer Natalie exchanged a look, joy rising in their hearts simultaneously.

I have caught you this time.

"Start from the wall. My perception range is limited, and this place is too big."

Since the officer said it was 'hung on the wall as a painting,' searching along the walls would definitely not be wrong.

With his mind made up, Lynch ran to the wall at once and, under Officer Natalie's tense gaze, ran along the wall.

I'm counting on you, Witness. Help me find it.

Instinctively clutching the red moon pendant at his neck, Lynch took several steps, running past the bottom of one portrait after another.

When he reached the fourth portrait, he stopped abruptly, wearing an expression that looked like both crying and laughing.

A bizarre scene finally flashed before his eyes.

It was an ancient, dilapidated building where a pale, ghostly figure wandered aimlessly.

At the same time, the gentle female voice he had been waiting for finally sounded in his consciousness.

【Mystery relic, Ghost of the Dannis Residence. My longing lingers in the memories of the old home, like a ghost.】

"Did you find it?" Officer Natalie caught up.

"It's right here. It must be covered by this painting."

Lynch suddenly felt an urge to cry. After hours of racing against death and having his emotions tossed about, seeing a glimmer of hope now actually made him feel like he was going to collapse. But he braced himself against the wall, biting his lip tightly to control his emotions, wiped his eyes, and gritted his teeth: "It is time to drag the rat out."

A strong hand patted his shoulder. When he turned back, he saw Officer Natalie with an apologetic expression, giving him a thumbs up. Her tone even held a hint of disbelief: "You were actually able to go this far. You, I, phew, I must apologize to you, Mr. Levive. My attitude when we first met was too excessive. What you are capable of far exceeds my imagination. I am sorry, please forgive my terrible attitude."

"Let's wait until I win that bet, Officer. Then we can settle our accounts properly." The gloom in his heart suddenly vanished. Lynch mimicked the way the officer had left his home, tipped his hat, and nodded cheekily.

"Hmph, I'll be waiting." Officer Natalie's expression stiffened. She gnashed her teeth, waved her fist, quickly looked away, and began issuing orders to the blue uniforms who were being called up.

Soon, a dozen blue uniforms surrounded the entire living room. Every officer drew their sword, aiming at the empty room.

Two other blue uniforms carried chairs to the wall and roughly ripped the oil painting off.

Sure enough, a small picture frame was hanging against the wall behind the huge frame, exactly a half meter square.

"Ready."

Officer Natalie raised her hand, and the dozen or so surrounding blue uniforms immediately tensed up, ready for battle at any moment.

The officer took a deep breath, suddenly lunged forward with her sword, and stabbed the oil painting with force, knocking the frame down.

The state of being hung on the wall as a painting was broken.

Immediately, a circle of figures suddenly appeared out of thin air in a larger open space in the living room.

These people were kneeling on the ground in a circle, and in the very center sat a bizarre, palm sized statue.

The sudden appearance of the crowd made the officers pause. Taking advantage of this opportunity, one of the kneeling people suddenly leapt up and rushed toward the window.

Wearing a formal suit and a hat with a blue L mark on it.

It was the missing Randall.

However, after running only two steps, a fist slammed into his face.

Lynch's fist.

Lynch had been waiting for this. Seeing this outfit, he reacted faster than anyone else and instinctively swung his fist.

The punch landed squarely in the eye socket.

With a scream, Randall clutched his face and stumbled back a few steps. Before his wailing could continue, a second punch slammed into his face.

One, two, three punches.

The more he hit, the more refreshed he felt. Lynch's eyes were red as he struck, and the attack only slowed down after several consecutive punches.

Because he discovered that Randall's body seemed to be something wrong.

It had only been a few minutes, but he had already become as eerie as Granville from the antique shop. His body was withered like rotten wood, with only his head still appearing normal, and he no longer had the strength to even move.

"You couldn't have found it. The Master said it was impossible to be discovered. You, you, you... how did you do it? Impossible, impossible." Randall lay limp on the ground, trembling all over. He muttered weakly between groans, his tone full of remorse, "I shouldn't have chosen you. The Master shouldn't have chosen you. Otherwise, this much trouble wouldn't have been stirred up. The Master's plan, the Master's plan..."

There was indeed someone behind him. This matter was by no means simple.

Lynch's heart tightened. He grabbed Randall by the collar and hauled him up: "Who is the Master? Why target me? Tell me, quickly, there is still time."

"Lynch, Lynch, don't be happy. It was you who made the relic go out of control. You will soon come to keep us company, hahahaha. Even if you escaped today, you won't escape in a month. I'll be waiting for you. It will be over soon, hahahaha..."

Randall found strength from somewhere and suddenly raised his hand, gripping Lynch's wrist tightly.

"I can live until now, so it is you who will die instead. Then I will be able to live on, although you won't be able to see it." Lynch gritted his teeth and sneered, "Tell me who your Master is, let me go find him. Perhaps he can help you see me sooner."

"Hahaha, no need. He will come to find you, hahahaha." After a burst of frantic laughter, Randall's body suddenly made a light puffing sound.

Having been on guard, Lynch yanked his wrist away and backed off a few steps. Sure enough, Randall's body, like Granville's, quietly dissolved into a pile of sand. Only his head rolled from the pile of 'sand' to Lynch's feet, a pair of eyes staring eerily at Lynch, filled with resentment that he could not close his eyes in death.

At the same time, the blue uniforms nearby also let out shrill screams.

Following Officer Natalie's orders, they had lunged at the group of servant-dressed people kneeling on the ground.

No one resisted. All the kneeling figures let the officers press them to the ground. All eight people simultaneously revealed extremely eerie smiles, their mouths rattling. The next moment, with a few puffs, all their bodies shattered simultaneously, meeting the same end as Randall.

Several blue uniforms had no psychological preparation and were covered in 'sand.' Their reactions were far more severe than what Lynch had experienced the first time. Screams of terror almost shattered the glass as they scrambled backward, pale faced, with some leaving a trail of water on the floor.

"Damn it. Everyone out now, immediately." Officer Natalie had now reached the statue, staring at it like a formidable enemy, "Without my order, no one is to come in. Damn it, the relic has gone out of control after all."