337-339

Chapter 337: Prime-Time Soap Opera 

Mary Shaw’s puppet-like mouth unleashed a swarm of tentacles, with a barbed, spiky tongue shooting out from the center. 

Roy reacted lightning-fast, ducking to dodge the tongue as it lashed toward him. 

When the attack missed, Mary Shaw quickly retracted her tongue, trying to wrap it around Roy’s neck. 

No way was Roy letting that slimy, spiked tongue touch him. He ducked low and hurled the Mary Shaw puppet across the room. 

The puppet slammed hard into the ground. Its body, crafted from a witch’s corpse, wasn’t exactly sturdy to begin with. 

Already crushed under a giant puppet earlier and now smashed by Roy, parts of the shell cracked and broke off. 

But that didn’t slow Mary Shaw down. The damaged areas sprouted fresh, red flesh almost instantly. 

Logically, Mary Shaw had been dead for decades—her corpse shouldn’t be doing this. And Roy swore he’d seen something like this before. 

The puppet sprawled on the floor, its limbs stretching unnaturally, its mouth gaping impossibly wide as tiny red tentacles sprouted inside. 

Then came a piercing shriek, followed by a familiar whispering in Roy’s ears. 

The Seed of Silence! 

Its presence confirmed Roy’s suspicions about the Hook Man’s origins. 

As far as Roy knew, only the Cabin organization used the Seed of Silence (he wasn’t there when Leonard Wolfe used it, so he didn’t know about that). That meant the Hook Man was definitely with the Cabin. 

And the Hook Man’s reckless style? Totally in line with the Cabin’s lawless vibe. 

“Damn Cabin again!” Roy growled, glaring at the puppet, his knife at the ready. 

Things were different now. This wasn’t the Crystal Lake days when Roy barely beat Jason after a grueling fight. He was stronger now. 

The Seed of Silence in Mary Shaw’s puppet finished its first evolution, charging at Roy with a wave of mental corruption. 

Roy, in his Ghost Wolf form, sidestepped the puppet’s lunge with ease, grabbing one of its legs. 

Then came the classic beatdown, courtesy of Roy’s signature slam-and-smash move. 

(Shoutout to action choreographer Dr. Bruce Banner.) 

After a thorough thrashing, even the Seed-controlled puppet was dazed and battered. 

Roy raised his execution blade, entered his finisher state, and effortlessly pierced the Seed’s core. The Mary Shaw puppet went limp, done for. 

“Didn’t expect that to be so easy,” Roy muttered. 

The Seed of Silence had crazy potential—it could mutate endlessly based on its enemy and environment, evolving indefinitely with enough food. But its baseline strength depended on the host. 

That’s why Jason, when possessed by the Seed, had overpowered Roy back then. But this Mary Shaw puppet? Roy curb-stomped it. 

The puppet theater returned to normal. With Mary Shaw’s evil spirit gone, the spectral space had dissipated. 

Roy rushed back to Jamie’s seat, only to find a puppet that looked eerily like her. 

Damn it! 

Jamie had been taken! 

No way Mary Shaw could turn someone into a puppet that fast. It had to be her and the Hook Man—they grabbed Jamie and left this puppet to taunt him. 

This theater trip was a bust. All Roy did was take out one Seed of Silence. Mary Shaw and the Hook Man got away, and Jamie was gone. 

The only silver lining? He found Jennifer’s soul. 

Mary Shaw probably wanted Roy to destroy Jennifer’s soul himself, hoping it’d break him. 

But Roy’s True Sight let him see Jennifer’s soul, ruining Mary Shaw’s plan. 

He pulled the puppet from his inventory, trying to use his Solomon’s Key knowledge to break Mary Shaw’s magic. 

Her spells were too modern and complex for Roy, a half-baked demon wizard, to crack. 

Not wanting to risk Jennifer’s soul, he gave up for now. He’d get Lilith, the pro, to handle it later. 

“Hold on, Jennifer,” Roy said, tucking the puppet back into his inventory. 

He started searching the theater’s backstage. This was Mary Shaw’s workplace and home—maybe he’d find something useful. 

Behind the stage, Roy spotted a wall with a visual trick. 

It looked like a dead end, but stepping closer revealed a corner. Keep going, and there was a staircase to an attic. 

That attic was Mary Shaw’s living space. 

Roy, having seen the movie, found it easily. 

The attic was littered with puppet parts—eyeballs in jars, limbs strewn about. If you didn’t look closely, you’d think it was a murder scene. 

There was the big cabinet from the movie, meant to hold puppets. It was empty now—Roy had sliced up all the puppets, freeing their souls. 

Too bad Michael and Rachel didn’t show up to check on his big win. Maybe they were grounded or something. 

“Jackpot!” Roy said, digging through Mary Shaw’s bedroom and finding a stack of notes. 

They detailed how to make puppets and bind souls to them. 

With this, even without Mary Shaw, Lilith might be able to craft a proper vessel. 

Roy was done with that old hag. Next time he saw her, he’d teach her how to be a proper ghost. 

After scouring the place, Roy figured the theater had nothing left to offer. He left. 

It was almost dusk. As Roy drove off, he didn’t know someone was still lurking in the theater. 

Once he was gone, they slipped back into the wrecked auditorium, picking up something from where Roy had fought. 

“Mr. Black, where to?” the driver asked. 

“Straight to Jamie’s house!” 

Since he didn’t catch Mary Shaw at the theater, it was time to play his trump card. 

Back in Ravensfall, at Jamie’s house, the sun had nearly set, with just a sliver of sunset glow on the horizon. 

Roy didn’t knock. He kicked the door open and stormed in. 

The house was dark, except for a light in the dining room and the sound of voices. 

“Ella, this soup’s amazing!” a man said. 

“Edward, glad you like it. Have some more!” a woman replied. 

In the dining room, Ella was feeding soup to Jamie’s dad, Edward, the two looking like a picture-perfect couple. 

You’d never guess they were both puppets. 

Roy’s sudden entrance startled them. 

“Mr. Black, you’re back!” Ella said. “Where’s Jamie? Edward and I thought you two weren’t coming home for dinner.” 

Ella’s voice had that same poised, slightly seductive charm from earlier. 

Roy gave her a knowing smirk. “Mrs. Ashton, don’t you know exactly where Jamie is?” 

Ella blinked, feigning confusion. “Mr. Black, what do you mean?” 

Her acting was Oscar-worthy. Madison had nothing on her. 

Roy’s smirk vanished. He strode toward Ella. 

Panic flickered in her eyes. 

She couldn’t help it. Edward could move his head and talk, but he wasn’t a fully conscious puppet. 

His body was hollowed out. Ella controlled his head by reaching into a hole in his back. 

His voice? Ventriloquism. 

Anyone standing behind Edward would see it instantly. 

“Mr. Black, what are you doing?” Ella stood to block him, but Roy shoved her to the floor. 

He glanced at Edward’s back. There was the hole, with a small bowl where his stomach should’ve been, holding the soup Ella had just fed him. 

Roy turned to Ella, his gaze ice-cold. “Mrs. Ashton, anything else to say?” 

Ella lay on the floor, her loose dress slipping off her shoulder, revealing a modest chest. 

She didn’t answer or fix her dress. Instead, she slipped into a self-pitying trance. 

“Men are all the same,” she muttered. 

Roy blinked. “What?” 

Was this turning into a prime-time soap opera? 

“Mrs. Ashton, what are you talking about?” 

Ella looked up, eyes red, tears glistening. “Mr. Black, do you know why I did this?” 

“I don’t care,” Roy said flatly. 

But Ella spilled her story anyway. 

She married Edward two years ago. Things were happy at first, but Edward’s true colors soon showed. 

Jamie’s suspicions were right—her mom’s death was tied to Edward. 

Edward had a nasty temper, especially when drunk, and couldn’t control himself. 

How else do you explain three marriages? Once or twice, sure, but three? That’s a pattern. 

About a year ago, Ella got pregnant with Edward’s kid. 

But one night, during a fight, Edward pushed her down the stairs. 

Ella survived, but the baby didn’t. 

Heartbroken, Ella stumbled across Mary Shaw’s story. 

Maybe out of revenge, she dug up Mary Shaw’s grave, broke the exorcist’s seal, and unleashed the evil spirit. 

That’s what kicked off the Dead Silence事件。 

(This was DVD bonus content, not in the main plot. Probably cut because Wan thought it was too soap-opera-y.) 

But Ella didn’t expect Mary Shaw’s vengeance to target her first. 

As the wife of the Ashton family patriarch, Ella was prime prey. Mary Shaw possessed her and turned her into the first “perfect” puppet. 

Talk about melodramatic. 

Roy rolled his eyes. It was like watching a bad soap opera. 

But then he thought—Edward must be in great shape to get Ella pregnant at his age. 

Unless… 

Roy grabbed Ella’s neck, lifting her off the ground. 

Her skin was cold. No trace of humanity. She was definitely a puppet. 

“So, what’s your point?” Roy demanded. 

“Kill me, Mr. Black,” Ella pleaded. “I should’ve died with my baby. Then I wouldn’t be suffering like this. I can’t feel pain, warmth, hunger, or sleep. I’m just a puppet!” 

Her eyes screamed despair. She clearly didn’t want to keep existing like this. 

Mary Shaw must’ve blocked her from killing herself, forcing her to linger as a puppet. 

Gotta admit, that’s rough. 

But Roy wasn’t about to let her off just because her story was sad. 

“Tell me where Mary Shaw’s hiding,” he said. “Do that, and I’ll give you a dignified end.” 

Ella’s eyes lit up with hope, but it faded fast. “Mr. Black, she put some evil spell on me. I can’t say anything about her.” 

Roy frowned. Of course Mary Shaw wouldn’t leave such an obvious loose end. 

No problem. He had a plan. 

Mary Shaw was still in Ravensfall, hiding with the Hook Man. 

The Hook Man was a master at staying hidden. He’d figured out Roy’s tracking abilities and used some trick to cloak Mary Shaw, even from Roy’s Hellhound specter. 

But Ella was Mary Shaw’s creation, still carrying her magic. 

That meant a connection between Mary Shaw’s soul and Ella. If Roy could tap into it, he could track her down. 

“Turn around,” Roy ordered. “Take off your clothes.” 

Silently, Ella turned and let her black dress fall, revealing a curvaceous figure. 

Gotta say, aside from a less-than-impressive chest, she had it going on—hourglass waist, long legs, and a rear that could prop up a phone. 

From behind, she was pure temptation. 

Man, what a waste not to get a massage with a back like that. 

Chapter 338: The Perfect Puppet 

Under the pitch-black night sky, two convoys sped toward Ravensfall from different directions. 

One convoy bore the FEAR logo, while the other sported a cabin emblem. 

Ravensfall, a quiet little town, was about to get lively. It seemed like everyone’s eyes were suddenly on this place. 

But being the center of attention wasn’t always a good thing. If Mayor Edward could come back to life and choose, he’d probably pass on all this spotlight. 

At the Ashton household, Roy stood in front of Edward’s corpse and told Ella to strip. 

Sounds a bit spicy, right? After all, Ella was Edward’s wife, and now she was standing bare in front of Roy. 

What’s more awkward is that Edward’s body was propped up in a chair, his lifeless eyes staring at this morally questionable scene. Intentional or not? Who knows. 

Roy: “Guess.” 

But Roy wasn’t in the mood for messing around, even if Ella’s pose was undeniably tempting and, well, thrilling. 

“Found it!” 

Roy ran his hand along Ella’s pale back, managing to pop it open, revealing what was inside. 

You could see that, though Ella had been turned into a puppet, her organs were shriveled, long past functioning. Yet her skin was soft, not stiff like a corpse. 

All thanks to Mary Shaw’s special touch. Roy spotted several magic circles drawn on Ella’s organs. 

Gotta hand it to Mary Shaw—she was a genius. Designing a perfect puppet like this? Impressive. 

Mary Shaw had left a backdoor in Ella’s body for easy control, and Roy’s job was to use it to track her down. 

“This should be it.” 

Roy found Ella’s heart—not her original one, but a carved wooden replica, so lifelike it was eerie. 

This was likely the core keeping Ella animated, etched with a magic circle Roy had never seen before. He couldn’t quite figure out its effect, but one symbol caught his eye—a chalice-like mark he knew all too well. 

Hiss! Wasn’t that the symbol of the Sin of Sloth? 

So, Mary Shaw was a follower of Belial? 

Come to think of it, that Hook Man’s crazy stealth skills kinda matched the vibe of a Sloth devotee. 

That world-deceiving power? Elizabeth had shown it off a few times. Roy couldn’t recall any other demon lord pulling off something similar. 

So, Mary Shaw and the Hook Man were both witches worshipping the King of Sloth? 

Roy’s expression turned weird. 

If that was true, could he have just flashed Belial’s mark earlier and avoided all this trouble? 

Too bad he’d already gone full throttle against Mary Shaw and the Hook Man. No backing down now, especially since he still had to avenge Francesca. 

“Damn it! What a mess!” 

Roy stuffed the wooden heart back into Ella’s body. 

Since Mary Shaw was tied to Belial, there was an easier way to find her. 

“Hey, Professor Elizabeth.” 

“Little Roy, calling me at this hour? Something up?” Elizabeth’s lazy voice came through, with faint shouts of “Daddy!” from Eluresha in the background. 

Had Eluresha’s ascension finished already? 

That’s good news! 

“Uh, Professor, can’t I just call to chat?” 

Elizabeth’s voice took on a mock-hurt tone, like a neglected wife. “But, Roy, you only call when you need something!” 

Okay, fair. Roy wasn’t big on calling Elizabeth—usually just texts unless something serious was up. 

Her attitude gave him a headache, and then an even bigger one hit. 

Zzzzt! 

Ella grabbed him, and in a flash, things got heated! 

“What are you—cough—Professor, I do need your help with something.” 

Roy tried to stop Ella’s risky move. 

This woman was staring up at him, blank-faced, like she wasn’t the one sneaking a post-dinner dessert. 

Being a puppet, Ella didn’t have to worry about human limits—no throat issues here. 

It was a weird mix: the warmth of a living body with a ghostly chill. 

But Ella’s expression made it seem like Roy was forcing her, when she was the one ambushing him. Now he couldn’t even pull away. 

“Roy, why’d you go quiet?” Elizabeth sounded annoyed. 

“Sorry, thought I heard something weird. Figured it was an enemy, got distracted.” 

Roy tossed out a quick lie, forgetting Elizabeth, the master of deception, could sniff out lies like a bloodhound. She instantly knew he was fibbing. 

Then, through her mark, she saw what Roy was up to. 

Normally, a Hell Lord like Elizabeth would be pissed, but instead, she felt… intrigued. So, she played dumb, secretly watching the live show while crossing her legs. 

“What’s so important you had to call me?” 

Roy didn’t catch the shift in her tone. He was too busy covering the phone, trying to shove Ella’s head away. But she was locked in, not budging. 

No choice—he’d finish the call first, then deal with Ella. 

“Here’s the deal, Professor. I’m out of town and ran into two people who might be your followers. Things got messy…” 

Elizabeth squirmed, tempted to get crafty, but Eluresha was staring right at her. Not the best time. 

“I get it. Do whatever you want with them. I don’t care.” 

Belial was the least territorial of the Seven Hell Lords, dealing with humans on a whim, so she didn’t sweat her followers. 

Roy, though? He was the exception. Elizabeth could ignore others, but not him. 

During Lilith’s ritual to hide Roy from the Reaper’s gaze, Elizabeth had trekked all the way to New York to check on him—a rare move for the ultra-lazy Sloth Lord. 

Roy gritted his teeth, fighting the weird sensation. Ella was too good, spinning her head like a drill in a way he’d never experienced. 

“I was wondering if you could help me track them down?” 

The line went quiet for a sec, and Roy swore he heard odd panting. Maybe he misheard. 

“No problem! I’ll give you access. You’ll be able to sense all my followers on Earth!” 

That was like making Roy an apostle of the Sloth Lord, on par with a pope. 

“Cool, I’m hanging up now.” 

“Daddy, when are you coming back? I miss you!” Eluresha’s voice, now more mature, came through, though her succubus devotion to Roy hadn’t changed. She sounded like her mouth was full of water. 

Call ended. Elizabeth patted Eluresha’s head, growing fonder of Asmodeus’s daughter. So well-behaved. 

“Good girl, keep going!” 

“Wah! Mommy Elizabeth, when’s Daddy coming back?” 

“Soon, sweetie. Don’t worry!” 

Back in Ravensfall, Roy tapped into Elizabeth’s authority. A flood of info hit his brain—mostly useless thoughts from Belial’s followers. 

Like Christians tossing around “Jesus,” Belial’s devotees constantly invoked the Sloth Lord’s name. 

Call Belial’s name, and the Sloth Lord hears. Now Roy had that power, too. 

Good thing he could mute it, or he’d never think straight. 

Soon, he sensed two Belial followers nearby, up in the Rockies outside Ravensfall. 

“Got you!” 

Roy started to move, accidentally dragging Ella a few steps. She followed like a hooked fish, trailing wherever he went. 

“Mrs. Ashton, what’s your deal?” 

Ella mumbled, “Mr. Black, please kill me.” 

Roy’s face darkened, his expression turning feral. 

“You crazy woman!” 

He pinned Ella down, yanking her jaw off with a twist. Retrieved his “weapon” and snapped her jaw back on. 

Yep, puppet perks—Ella’s parts were detachable. That 360-degree head spin? No human could pull that off. 

“Kill me! Please!” Ella clung to Roy’s leg, refusing to let go. 

“Don’t think I won’t!” 

Furious, Roy slammed Ella to the ground, and things took off like a rocket. 

Ella showed no emotion—no pain, no pleasure. As she’d said, being a puppet meant feeling nothing. 

No pain, no joy, no need for food or sleep. 

Losing a few senses might be bearable, but losing all of them? Rough. 

Honestly, Ella’s state was worse than a ghost’s. At least Francesca, Sadako, and Kayako could still feel something through special means, which is why they stuck with Roy. 

Ella stared at Roy numbly. “When you’re done, will you kill me?” 

Roy twisted her head off. “You want me to kill you? Then I won’t!” 

Rebellious streak kicking in. Roy sprinted, releasing pink energy from his body—the power of Lust incarnate. He channeled some into Ella. 

Slowly, Ella realized she was regaining some senses. Faint, but real. 

“Oh! How? This… fullness. I can feel it again!” Ella cried, tears of joy streaming. Regaining sensation felt like being reborn. 

Her senses sharpened, and she belted out a song to express her ecstasy. 

Her voice echoed through the house. Edward’s corpse sat silently, watching Roy restore Ella’s senses. 

Mary Shaw liked trapping souls in puppets. Edward’s soul was still in his body, aware of his surroundings, even if he couldn’t move. 

Wonder what Edward’s soul thought, watching Roy do “yoga” with his young, beautiful wife? 

Edward: Feels like my head’s itching. Grass sprouting up there. 

To thank Roy, Ella pulled out all the stops. As a puppet, she could do things no human could, controlling her body freely. 

Yeah, not just her head—her whole body could spin 360 degrees. 

In a piercing high note that rang across Ravensfall, Roy ended the “battle.” Ella’s detached head blushed, looking more human than puppet. 

[Ding! Obtained Ella Ashton’s Conquest Chest! Open it?] 

Panting, Ella gazed at Roy with indescribable joy. “Mr. Black, I really got my senses back!” 

Roy stood, drawing his mark on Ella’s abdomen, making her his follower. 

“I know. Now open your mind!” 

Ella willingly bared her soul, sealing the contract. Mary Shaw’s control was overwritten. 

Roy reattached Ella’s head and looked down at her. “Still want to die?” 

Ella shook her head, eyes misty. “No. It’s just pain and touch, but it’s hope. Maybe one day I’ll be human again.” 

Roy nodded. He’d had fun—killing Ella now felt wrong. 

“Alright, let’s find Mary Shaw. I sense her in the Rockies. Any idea where?” 

“The Ashton family has a villa up there. Edward used it for summer retreats. Mary Shaw might be there.” 

“Then let’s go!” 

Roy and Ella left, Edward’s hollow gaze following them. 

Chapter 339: A Burst of Rage in Extreme Anger 

Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a luxurious villa stood in solitude. 

This was a property of the Ashton family, who had controlled Ravensfall for over a century, amassing immense wealth. But the last member of this family was nearing the end of his life, leaving behind a vast inheritance with no clear heir. 

Jamie was tightly bound, facing a man in a white mask and the ghostly figure of an old woman. 

“Jamie Ashton, I’ve waited so long for this day!”  

Mary Shaw’s face lit up with an uncontrollable grin, the kind that comes from knowing revenge is within reach. 

“Mary Shaw, it was my ancestor who killed you, not me! Why do you have to come after me—and why did you kill my wife?!” 

“Hahaha… it’s all for the ritual! Once every member of your family is sacrificed, I’ll become a perfect puppet with human senses—a truly flawless creation!” 

It turned out Mary Shaw knew Ella lacked normal human senses, so her so-called “perfect puppet” was far from perfect. Mary’s body had been turned into a puppet by Henry’s father, making a normal resurrection impossible. 

So, Mary devised an ancient ritual—one that would let her exact revenge while granting her puppet full sensory perception, even the ability to eat like a human. 

“Sadly, my original body became the vessel for the Seed of Silence. It’s useless now,” Mary said, her expression tinged with regret. 

The Hookman, standing nearby, grew impatient. 

“Enough, Mary! Your old body was ugly and worn out—what’s there to miss? You’re a puppeteer; you can craft any puppet you want! Hurry up and finish the ritual. Mr. R is almost here!” 

“Heh, Hookman, always in a rush. Fine, bring it out.” 

The Hookman pulled a body from a long, wrapped bundle. Jamie’s eyes widened in horror—it was his wife’s corpse. 

“You bastard! Why did you bring Lisa’s body here?!” 

The Hookman placed the corpse on a chair across from Jamie. 

Mary Shaw floated between Jamie and Lisa. 

“It’s for the final step of the ritual, of course! Jamie, did you know? You’re not actually the last Ashton.” 

Jamie’s eyes widened as realization dawned. 

Mary Shaw’s face twisted into a cruel smile. 

“That’s right. When I killed Sally, she was already pregnant. Maybe she was planning to surprise you with the news?” 

Jamie’s mind raced, recalling Sally’s behavior before her death. It all lined up with what Mary was saying. 

“No! Sally! Why?! Arghhh!”  

Jamie screamed, descending into madness, unable to accept the truth. 

But Mary didn’t take his tongue just yet—she had more to say. 

“And when I killed Sally, I used a secret spell to preserve the fetus. The ritual requires the Ashtons to be killed in order.” 

“My child… is still alive?” 

The relentless blows had left Jamie numb. Even the news that his child was alive couldn’t bring him comfort—only despair filled his heart. 

“Now that you know the whole truth, let’s complete the final ritual!” 

Mary Shaw’s wicked grin widened as she reached for Jamie. 

But at that moment, an alarm the Hookman had set up outside the villa was triggered. 

“Mary, hold on! Someone’s here!”  

Mary frowned at the Hookman. 

“What? Is it Mr. R? I’m just two steps away from finishing the ritual!” 

“Better play it safe. Let’s check it out.” 

Reluctantly, Mary agreed, and the two cautiously headed toward the villa’s entrance. 

Suddenly, a lightning-fast shadow burst in from outside. 

The Hookman vanished instantly, but Mary wasn’t quick enough. The shadow drew a revolver and fired at her. 

“Ahh!”  

Mary let out a scream as a bullet released a stunning female ghost in a red dress, who began devouring her spiritual form. 

“Francesca!”  

From the shadows, the Hookman gasped in disbelief, recognizing the red-dressed ghost. 

“You really are Jack!”  

Francesca shot a glance at the Hookman, her eyes burning with unquenchable hatred. 

“Hookman, save me!”  

Francesca, infused with immense positive energy by Roy, was overwhelmingly powerful. Even Mary Shaw, a malevolent spirit born from a witch, couldn’t hold her own and could only cry out for help. 

The Hookman gritted his teeth, refusing to show himself. He knew he couldn’t face Roy head-on, so his only hope was to stall until Mr. R arrived. 

What he didn’t know was that Roy had gained Elizabeth’s authority, allowing him to sense the Hookman’s approximate location—and the closer he got, the sharper that sense became. 

“Come out, you coward! Are you just gonna let your partner die right in front of you?” 

The taunt had no effect. The Hookman was selfish to the core, prioritizing his own survival above all else. 

Roy paced the villa slowly, already sensing the Hookman’s rough position and even picking up on his silent prayers to Belial. 

But the Hookman seemed to exist outside of real space, meaning Roy couldn’t harm him directly, even knowing where he was. 

When the first taunt failed, Roy switched tactics. 

“Hookman, remember that cruise ship you robbed years ago? I took care of the evil spirit on board. My team’s salvaging the gold and jewels as we speak. How’s it feel to do all that work just to hand it over to someone else?” 

The air rippled faintly—Roy’s words were getting to him, but not enough. He needed a bigger push. 

Meanwhile, Francesca had beaten Mary Shaw to the brink of destruction. The red-dressed ghost licked her lips, scanning the room. 

“Jack, I know why you killed me. It wasn’t just about keeping the treasure for yourself. The real reason is you couldn’t face me, could you?” 

Roy raised an eyebrow, a strange expression crossing his face. He had a hunch where Francesca was going with this. 

“I always wondered why you never touched me, why you pushed me to seduce that bandit leader. Now I get it—you’re not even a man!” 

Words like that were a lethal weapon against any man, especially one with insecurities in that department. 

Even Cliff Layton, the calmest scientist, would lose it if Miss Joy said something like that. 

Roy sensed the ripples in the air growing stronger. 

Francesca wasn’t done, and her words grew even more explosive. 

“Guess what? I’m Roy’s woman now! Bet you didn’t see that coming. In death, I’ve felt ecstasy I never got close to with you!” 

The Hookman couldn’t hold back any longer. A figure emerged from the shadows—it was him! 

He pulled a doll tied with hair from his coat. 

“Don’t move! This is a cursed doll! One prick, and Roy Black’s dead!” 

A cursed doll? Must be from that hair I lost back then. 

“You think that thing can hurt me?” Roy smirked. 

He knew about cursed dolls—common in many witchcraft traditions, with voodoo being the most potent. But no matter the type, they shouldn’t affect him much, given his unique constitution. 

Still, the Hookman clung to the doll like a lifeline. 

“Try me! Let me and Mary Shaw go, and I’ll pretend this never happened!” 

Roy shook his head. No way he’d let these two walk. 

“Stab it if you’re gonna. Quit yapping.” 

The Hookman, seeing Roy’s indifference, gritted his teeth and drove a needle into the doll’s heart. 

Roy felt a faint sting in his chest, frowning slightly. 

But the pain was less than what he’d feel after a workout with Black Widow Zoe, and his superhuman healing erased it almost instantly. 

The Hookman stared, dumbfounded, as Roy stood unharmed. He stabbed the doll repeatedly, but it only caused Roy minor discomfort, nothing more. 

“You done poking yet?!” 

Roy unleashed his Fear Incarnation ability, plunging the Hookman into terror. 

Using the explosive speed of his Ghost Wolf form, Roy rushed forward, grabbing the Hookman by the throat. 

“Got you!” 

Roy’s fear illusions could trap someone forever, but to let Francesca have her revenge, he dispelled the effect. 

“No! This can’t be!”  

The Hookman couldn’t accept it, especially as Francesca drew closer. 

“Jack, ever since I became a ghost, I’ve dreamed of this moment—facing you again!” 

Francesca’s steps were graceful, but her eyes burned with deep-seated hatred. 

“Francesca, please! I’ll do anything for you!” 

Roy noticed the Hookman trying to cast some kind of illusion, likely through Belial’s power, to manipulate their minds. 

As a servant of Belial himself, Roy was immune, but Francesca faltered, confusion clouding her eyes. 

“Cut it out!”  

Roy punched the Hookman in the gut, disrupting his spell and leaving him retching. 

To prevent further tricks, Roy snapped the Hookman’s limbs and tossed him to the ground. 

“Francesca, finish it.” 

Clear-headed again, Francesca nodded silently, gripping her Smith & Wesson M629. 

“Goodbye, Jack.” 

With an expressionless face, she pulled the trigger, blowing the Hookman’s head apart. 

[Ding! Obtained the Hookman’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

Killing the Hookman left Francesca with a sense of relief, the resentment in her spirit vanishing. 

“Thank you, darling!” 

She approached Roy, kissing him passionately, her joy palpable—like she wanted to go three hundred rounds right there. 

But the timing wasn’t right, so Roy broke the kiss after a minute. 

“Francesca, we’ve got work to do. We can celebrate later.” 

“Mm!” 

Francesca gazed at Roy with love, ready to do anything he asked. 

“Go untie Jamie.” 

As for Roy, he wanted a word with Mary Shaw. 

Mary had been gravely wounded in her fight with Francesca. Her soul was leaking energy, on the verge of dissipating. 

It was similar to when the Cursed Twin Daggers were corroded by Mammon’s blood, damaging Sadako and Kayako’s souls. 

A skilled witch could seal Mary’s soul in a vessel and nourish it to restore her, but… 

“Save me! I’ll work with you! Just save me!”  

Mary’s arrogance was gone, replaced by desperate pleading. 

Roy shook his head. 

“I gave you plenty of chances, but you didn’t take them. Now, someone else gets to decide your fate. Ella!” 

Roy called out, and a tall, elegant figure stepped into the villa. 

Mary’s eyes widened. 

“You betrayed me!” 

In truth, Roy could’ve found this place without Ella—it just would’ve taken longer, possibly too long to save Jamie. 

Ella stared at Mary impassively. Mary had turned her into a senseless puppet and forced her to commit countless atrocities. 

To say Ella didn’t hate her would be a lie. 

“That’s right, it was me.” 

Furious, Mary tried to activate a rune hidden in Ella’s heart to kill her. 

But Roy had already cleansed Ella’s body with his Desire Incarnation ability during a prior positive energy transfer, overwriting Mary’s control with his own mark. 

So, in her extreme anger, Mary Shaw could only rage helplessly. 

Realizing her control over Ella was gone, Mary gasped. 

“This can’t be!” 

Ella… 

(Chapter End)