291-293

Chapter 291: Ghost Ship 

It's just a shame that the famous Sirens in legend were a trio of sisters. Maybe next time I can get Dalia to play this little game again. 

After taking a break, Heather and Penny got up, got dressed, and prepared to make something to eat. 

After all, it had been since early morning, and no one had eaten anything. After all the strenuous activity, their stomachs were starting to rumble. 

Heather went to the storage room and came back with a rather troubled look on her face. 

"Roy, I checked the storage room, and it looks like we don't have enough food for everyone!" 

"Oh? How much food is left?" 

"If we don't count your appetite, there's probably enough for the rest of us for about three days." 

If Roy's portion was included, there definitely wouldn't be enough for even one day. 

Clearly, Roland Golden had planned to get the Lament Configuration within a few days, complete all the sacrifices, and leave after relieving his pain. He hadn't intended to stay at sea for long. 

"Go wake up Finnegan and ask him what we should do." 

After all, this kind of thing needed to be handled by a professional. Although Roy knew how to sail, he didn't have any experience living at sea. 

Finnegan arrived at the cockpit, yawning. 

"Is something wrong?" 

Heather explained the problem they were facing. After listening, Finnegan looked at Roy in surprise. 

"Mr. Black, do you really eat that much?" 

"Uh-huh! With great power comes a great appetite." 

This made Finnegan laugh. 

"Alright, hopefully Failure Man won't charge you royalties! But I think the food situation isn't a big deal. I usually store some fuel, food, and fresh water on some small islands. At our current speed, we should reach a storage point by midnight at the latest, so we can eat without worrying." 

Roy felt relieved after Finnegan said this. 

"Okay, then let's empty the storage room and have a good feast!" 

Mainly, Roy was just too hungry. The constant transformations on the Santiago had consumed a huge amount of energy. 

However, Penny still seemed to have some doubts. 

"Let's keep a little bit, just in case something happens, okay?" 

Finnegan looked completely relaxed, seemingly very confident. 

"What could possibly happen now? Is the speedboat really going to be unlucky enough to break down?" 

You really shouldn't jinx things like that. Just as Heather and Penny had finished emptying the storage room of food, allowing everyone to eat their fill, the speedboat broke down not long after. 

First, there was a violent shudder, and then the whole boat rocked back and forth as if it had jammed. Black smoke quickly started billowing from the engine area. 

Finnegan quickly shut down the engine and asked Joey to check it out. 

"The propeller got tangled in seaweed, which caused the engine to malfunction." 

Joey's expression wasn't good when he came back from checking. 

Roy felt a bit speechless. They were in the deep sea, and who knows where this seaweed came from? They were really unlucky. 

"Can it be fixed?" 

"Some parts are broken. It could be fixed if we had spare parts, but we don't have any on board." 

Roy was very frustrated. Why did this broken boat have nothing? No food, no spare parts. 

"Finnegan, what exactly is on your boat? Why aren't you prepared for anything?" 

Finnegan could only offer an awkward smile in response. 

"This boat was actually prepared by Ms. Catherine, it's not mine. I thought this job wouldn't take much time, so I didn't pay too much attention to the details." 

Everyone's eyes turned to Catherine, Roland Golden's secretary. The middle-aged woman, nearly fifty, also looked a little embarrassed. 

"I was just following Mr. Golden's instructions when I did that." 

Well, that blame was already being placed on a dead man. 

"So, does that mean we're stuck out here at sea?" 

Serina's face was full of worry. Being in the middle of the ocean with no food was a terrifying thought. 

Roy wasn't that scared. If worse came to worst, he could just call Elizabeth and have her take everyone away, though altering some people's memories would be a bit of a hassle. 

Elizabeth would definitely use this as an excuse to exploit Roy. 

Just as he was about to reassure everyone, Joey suddenly spoke up to explain. 

"Things aren't that bad yet. Only the main engine isn't working; the auxiliary engine can still be used." 

Hearing this, even Dalia, who had the best temper, got a little angry. 

"Why didn't you say so earlier? I was about to be scared to death!" 

"You didn't ask me!" 

Joey looked a bit wronged. Finnegan, being his friend, quickly stepped in to mediate. 

"Sorry, Joey can be a bit slow to react sometimes. But the auxiliary engine has less power, so we still need to send out a distress signal. Maybe a nearby ship can rescue us." 

Finnegan looked at Roy, seeking his opinion. 

Roy rubbed his chin, feeling like this might be a good option. At least this way he wouldn't be exploited by Elizabeth. 

"Okay, go ahead and send the distress signal." 

Finnegan breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled the quiet Joey along to start working. 

The speedboat restarted, its speed reduced to only a third of what it was before. This was even after Roy and the others had thrown all the ballast explosives into the sea; otherwise, the speed would have been even slower. 

This meant that the supply island, which was originally scheduled to be reached by midnight, might not be reached until the afternoon of the next day. 

The only good news was that Finnegan's distress signal was quickly answered. The other party told them to bring the boat to a designated area to rendezvous. 

"Mr. Black, should we follow their instructions?" 

There were now two options before Roy. 

One was to continue following the original plan to the island where Finnegan had stored supplies, but Finnegan's reserves probably wouldn't be much, so in the end, Roy and the others would still face the problem of not having enough food and fresh water. 

At the speedboat's current speed, they definitely wouldn't reach the next storage point either. 

That left only the other option. 

Although the ship sending the signal was somewhat mysterious, it didn't respond to Finnegan's radio at all, only continuously directing them towards the designated area. 

But no matter how bad it was, it couldn't be worse than the first option, could it? 

Even if the signal was from pirates, there wouldn't be any problem with Roy around. 

"Finnegan, head towards that area." 

Finnegan nodded, turned off the speedboat's autopilot, and switched to manual steering. 

Around eleven o'clock at night, the speedboat began to approach the coordinates given by the signal. However, at this point, the people on the speedboat noticed that a fog had appeared around them. 

Although fog at sea wasn't uncommon, this fog seemed different. 

All the electronic equipment on the boat malfunctioned, and only the radio signal continued to guide the speedboat towards the target. 

Furthermore, this area of the sea was unusually calm, with no wind or waves to be felt, like stagnant water. 

This eerie phenomenon reminded Finnegan of a certain rumor. 

"A ghost ship?" 

Roy looked at Finnegan in surprise. 

Finnegan nodded. 

"An old captain once told me something. One night he received a mysterious distress signal, and out of kindness, he followed it into a foggy area of the sea. In this area, all electronic equipment would fail, and then he saw a huge cruise ship. The distress signal was coming from that cruise ship." 

"And then?" 

Serina, hearing such an exciting story, immediately pressed him eagerly. 

"That old captain was more cautious and didn't board the cruise ship, but he had a few bolder crew members who climbed aboard to explore. The old captain spent the whole night on his own boat, feeling anxious. He felt like he could constantly hear screams ringing in his ears!" 

The women present felt a little scared hearing this story and all started moving closer to Roy, as if only his presence could give them a sense of security. 

"The next day, when the sun came out, that strange cruise ship and the thick fog both disappeared. And the crew members who went aboard to explore were never seen again." 

Something like that actually happened? 

Roy rubbed his chin, finding it a bit interesting. 

In fact, legends of ghost ships have existed since ancient times. The most famous ghost ship is probably the Flying Dutchman, which has appeared in more than one film and television work. 

Roy now suspected that he was being drawn into the plot of some horror movie again. 

At this moment, the sharp-eyed Joey pointed out the window and shouted. 

"I see the ghost ship you were talking about!" 

Everyone looked out the window together and saw a large ship quietly anchored in the distance. 

This large ship was about half the size of the Santiago and could also be considered a giant cruise ship. 

The hull of the giant cruise ship was rusty and covered in barnacle-like parasitic creatures, as if it had been submerged at the bottom of the sea for hundreds of years. 

Even the name of the cruise ship originally written on the hull was difficult to make out. 

"Antonia Graza?" 

Roy managed to make out the ship's name. Upon hearing this name, Catherine flinched. 

"I think I've heard that name before!" 

Everyone looked at Catherine, and the secretary quickly explained. 

"It's a cruise ship registered in Italy. I remember it sank in a maritime disaster more than ten years ago, and the wreck site has never been found. I know the name because I was instructed by Mr. Golden at the time to short the stock of that shipping company, which is why I remember it." 

Hearing Catherine say that, Charles also remembered, as he also owned a shipping company. 

"I think I've heard of that ship too. It did indeed sink more than ten years ago!" 

"It seems like this is indeed a ghost ship." 

Roy looked at the Antonia Graza getting closer, an expression of interest in his eyes. 

Joey swallowed hard. He was already timid, and now he felt like his bladder was about to give out. 

"How about we just turn the boat around and leave quickly?" 

As soon as he finished speaking, the speedboat, which was still moving slowly, completely broke down. 

Joey ran to the engine room and checked for a long time but couldn't find anything wrong with the auxiliary engine. Sweat beaded on his forehead from anxiety, but the speedboat just wouldn't start. 

"It seems the ghost ship doesn't want us to leave!" 

Roy had a rough idea of what was happening. Through his Eye of Truth, he could see that the ghost ship was filled with vengeful spirits, possibly thousands of them. 

The combined psychic energy of thousands of vengeful spirits was enough to distort reality. Making the speedboat unable to work was just a small matter. 

This was much stronger than the vengeful spirit aggregate Roy had found in the Ghost Mirror last time; the number had directly increased by dozens of times. 

"Joey, can we find parts to repair the engine on a large ship like that?" 

Joey scratched his head, looking somewhat unsure. 

"Probably... we might? I'm not sure, after all, this ship sank more than ten years ago. Wait! Mr. Black, you're not thinking of boarding this ghost ship, are you?" 

Roy's face darkened, feeling like someone had stepped on his tail. 

"What do you mean 'boarding this ghost ship'? Ahem, I mean landing, landing!" 

Joey looked at Roy in surprise, a little confused about why he was getting angry. 

He couldn't help it. In a state of losing control before, Roy had accidentally made a mistake with a certain female robot. This was something he wanted to keep secret the most. 

After all, making mistakes with humanoids like humans, female ghosts, demons, and angels was one thing, but not even sparing a unicycle was truly outrageous. 

So when Joey mentioned "boarding" the ghost ship, Roy immediately thought of that incident. 

"Will it be dangerous?" 

Charles looked worriedly at the Antonia Graza not far away. The cruise ship was like a quiet giant beast, waiting for prey to deliver themselves. 

"Don't worry, nothing will happen! Don't forget, I can transform into an angel!" 

Since Roy said so, Charles didn't try to persuade him further. 

Next, Roy began organizing a team to enter the Antonia Graza with him. 

Joey definitely had to come; he was the only mechanic there, and only he could identify which parts were usable and which weren't. 

The rest would depend on volunteers. 

Dalia was the first to say she didn't want to participate; she still had to take care of her daughter, Ceci. 

Then Amy, Charles, and Catherine all expressed no interest in joining. 

Heather and Penny were indifferent and would go along with whatever Roy decided. 

Finnegan was a brave person, otherwise, he wouldn't be in this line of work, but because someone who could steer the boat had to stay on the speedboat, he had to remain behind. 

Only Serina clearly stated that she wanted to go explore the Antonia Graza with Roy. 

Following that was Cui Lin. He was surprised that this woman also expressed a desire to enter the Antonia Graza with Roy. 

Cui Lin then offered an explanation. 

"I remembered one of my seniors saying that there was a jewelry exhibition on a luxury cruise ship at the time, and it sank directly at sea. The jewels on board have never been found, and I think that luxury cruise ship must be the Antonia Graza. Roy, those valuable jewels should still be on the ship. If you protect me and help me find them, how about we split the money fifty-fifty?" 

As expected, the only thing that could make Cui Lin overcome her fear was probably money. But this woman really had a nice dream. 

Roy looked at Cui Lin with a half-smile. 

"Now that I know this secret, why shouldn't all the money belong to me?" 

Hearing this, Cui Lin's face instantly fell. She had forgotten that even though Roy could transform into an angel, his personality was sometimes very nasty. 

"Alright, since you called me Daddy before, I'll leave a share for you." 

Cui Lin (Phoenix Girl version) 

Chapter 292: Whose Rude Kid Is This? 

"Ah! How could you say something like that?!" 

Cui Lin stomped her foot in anger, but Roy just grinned. He enjoyed seeing her flustered and helpless—honestly, it was way too entertaining. 

As for the two remaining mercenaries, they were tied up and locked in the storage room. They didn’t get a say in anything. 

In the end, Roy decided to form a five-person team: himself, Joey, Serena, Cui Lin, and Heather. Together, they would board the Antonia Graza to search for engine parts and any valuable jewels. 

The others stayed behind on the boat to wait for updates. 

Even though Finnegan’s story claimed nothing would happen as long as you didn’t board the Antonia Graza, they couldn’t be sure the story was true. That old captain might’ve just gotten lucky. 

So Roy handed Mason’s digital camera over to Penny, letting her monitor the situation from the boat. 

After Roy gained the Eye of Truth and the Eye of Judgment, the camera wasn’t all that useful anymore. Most of the time, it was just for fun. 

Take Madison, for example—she loved performing in front of the camera. Total drama queen, which made sense since she used to be a child star. 

Heather also liked using the camera, but more as a director. Her directing instincts were strong, though her acting was honestly a step below Penny’s. 

Thanks to the grappling hooks the mercenaries brought, the five of them quickly boarded the Antonia Graza. 

The condition of the deck was just as expected—covered in parasitic sea creatures and a bunch of dead fish. 

But once they entered the ship’s interior, everything changed. It looked untouched by seawater. In fact, it looked even cleaner and better kept than their own boat. 

Serena looked around in astonishment. 

“How is this possible?” 

“It’s an illusion. Stay close to me!” 

With his Eye of Truth activated, Roy could see the ship’s real state—bones scattered everywhere, furniture in disarray. 

Strangely enough, there were no sea creatures, and it was oddly clean, not at all like something that had been underwater for decades. 

Following the hallway, they soon reached the grand ballroom. The moment Roy stepped inside, everything changed. 

And suddenly—everyone around him vanished. 

They were replaced by elegant strangers in formalwear, dancing and mingling. 

Damn it. He’d been pulled into an illusion! 

This one was powerful—so strong even the Eye of Truth couldn’t see through it. 

Turns out the Eye of Truth still had limits, depending on Roy’s mental attributes. This ghost ship’s illusions had clearly surpassed them. 

Roy clenched his fists. He had to find the others—fast. 

Cui Lin, upon entering the ballroom, blinked—and the others were gone. 

Fear crept in as she carefully scanned her surroundings, whispering: 

“Roy? Where are you?” 

No one answered. The people around her kept dancing, completely ignoring her existence. 

She wanted to leave, but when she turned around, the corridor was gone—replaced by a wall. 

“What the hell…?” 

Panic rising, she pushed through the crowd looking for Roy—only to trip on something. 

“Ow!” 

When she got up, she saw a row of display cases—filled with massive jewels. She froze. 

If she could bring these back… she’d be a millionaire. 

Her greed took hold. She licked her lips, a little voice in her head urging her to smash the cases and take the jewels. 

Her eyes glazed over, and she reached for one of the displays—until a sharp cough snapped her out of it. 

“Ahem!” 

Cui Lin blinked. The “display case” was no display at all—it was a noose. One more step and she’d have hung herself. 

This… this was what the spirits wanted. In Christian belief, suicide was a grave sin. Those who took their own lives were doomed to Hell. 

And on this ghost ship, suicide meant staying here forever, trapped with the damned. 

Shaken, Cui Lin looked around for the person who saved her—but no one was there. 

That voice... it sounded like a young girl. 

Who had just saved her? 

Meanwhile, Serena was overwhelmed by the golden splendor of the ballroom. When she snapped out of it, a stunning blond, blue-eyed man stood before her, reaching out. 

“My lady, may I have this dance?” 

She instinctively reached out—but then stopped halfway. 

Ever since she met Roy, other men just didn’t compare. 

“Sorry, I already have a dance partner.” 

As soon as she said that, her vision blurred again. The handsome stranger was gone—replaced by Roy. 

“Roy? Is that you?” 

“Roy” didn’t answer, but he nodded. 

Serena’s eyes softened. She reached for him. 

But just before she touched him, another hand grabbed her arm. 

“Serena, what are you doing?” 

Startled, she turned and saw Heather. 

In front of her, where Roy had been, was now a skeleton holding out a bony hand. 

“AHH!” 

She stumbled back in horror. 

“Thank you, Heather!” 

Heather shrugged it off, curious. 

“What did you see just now?” 

Serena looked embarrassed. 

“I thought Roy was asking me to dance…” 

“You too? I saw the same thing. But I could tell right away it wasn’t the real Roy. He hates dancing.” 

Serena blinked, a little embarrassed—after all, she’d only known Roy for a few days, not even a full month. 

“So… maybe these illusions show us what we desire most?” 

“Seems like it. Makes me wonder what Roy’s seeing.” 

The ballroom returned to normal, but Roy and Joey were nowhere in sight. Cui Lin, confused and wary, had reappeared at the center. 

“Did either of you hear a young girl’s voice just now?” 

“A girl? What girl?” 

Cui Lin explained what she’d just experienced. 

“Wait, you didn’t see the same thing?” 

Serena gave a thoughtful nod. 

“That confirms it—the illusions are tailored to our desires. Heather and I both long for Roy’s affection, so we saw him. You, on the other hand, want wealth—so you saw jewels.” 

Cui Lin pouted. 

“I’m not like you rich girls. What’s wrong with wanting a little money?” 

Heather shrugged. 

“We’re not judging. Why so defensive?” 

Cui Lin, momentarily flustered, realized she might’ve overreacted. 

Damn it, Roy’s fault somehow! 

(Roy: ???) 

Serena then noticed the display cases around Cui Lin. 

They were real—but empty. The glass was intact, which meant the jewels had been missing long before the ship sank. 

“Weird… if this was just a shipwreck, where’d the jewels go?” 

That got Cui Lin thinking. 

“Could it be… someone stole the jewels and sank the whole ship to fake a disaster?” 

Serena shivered. 

“If that’s true… that’s horrific. There must’ve been at least two or three thousand people onboard. All of them, killed for money?” 

Heather shook her head. 

“We’ve got no proof yet. Right now, we need to find Roy and Joey.” 

So—what was Roy doing? 

Watching a performance, actually. 

At the front of the ballroom was a stage, where a jazz band and a beautiful woman in a red dress were performing. 

Side note: although Cui Lin had worn a red dress earlier, she’d changed into casual clothes on the speedboat—dresses weren’t great for moving around. 

Roy was intrigued by the singer. Given everything he’d experienced, it wasn’t hard to guess—this was another illusion designed to tempt him. 

The ghost ship really did its homework. It knew Roy liked beautiful women. 

The woman had an hourglass figure—curvy in all the right places, with the sultry aura of a classic Latin beauty. Absolutely smoking hot. 

(Francesca Retondini from the film, by the way—hard to screenshot her scenes because they’re… revealing.) 

Even Roy, who’d seen plenty of beautiful women, couldn’t help clapping for this one. 

She winked at him flirtatiously. 

The song ended. Applause surrounded him, as if people were congratulating him. 

Roy was confused. He hadn’t done anything. 

Then, the red-dressed woman walked off the stage and hugged him. 

“Darling, you were amazing!” 

Roy raised an eyebrow. 

I didn’t even do anything yet. 

Suddenly, she vanished from his arms and reappeared by the stairs, beckoning him. 

“Come here, darling.” 

Now, Roy was a very disciplined man. 

So of course, he followed her. 

No hesitation. 

He moved fast, but every time he got close, she’d vanish and reappear further away. 

Soon, he’d left the ballroom and entered a luxurious bedroom. 

The woman stood with her back to him, hips swaying. Her red dress slowly slipped off. 

She had a body that could compete with any of Roy’s current companions—maybe even surpass them. 

Amy, Sartaña, and the Four Little Ones from the Apocalypse Society didn’t quite match up. Although, to be fair, those four were still developing. Amy and Sartaña, though—they were pretty much done unless they underwent Roy’s bloodline fusion ritual. 

Latina beauties, man… built different. 

Roy walked toward her. She turned halfway, covering her chest with one arm, trying to seduce him again—before vanishing. 

But this time, Roy wasn’t playing games. He unleashed the Cursed Hair, trapping her before she could disappear. 

The Cursed Hair, aside from being tough and fast-growing, could also touch spiritual entities—because it came from Sadako, after all. 

Bound, the red-dressed beauty froze. Roy caught her, dipped her in a ballroom-style pose, and leaned in. 

[Special Character Detected: Francesca. Absorb Fate Energy to receive a reward!] 

(Choreography by Tom-sensei) 

“What’s your name, beautiful?” 

The woman blinked, surprised. 

“Francesca.” 

Classic Italian name. Francesca was the feminine form of Francis, and her accent had that Mediterranean flair. 

"Oh, you are truly beautiful!" 

Francesca tried to struggle, but Roy had already covered the surface of his body with mental energy. Her strength simply wasn't enough to break free from his embrace. 

Seeing that Roy was about to kiss her, Francesca quickly put her hand up to block his mouth. 

"Sir, I... I don't even know your name yet!" 

"That's not important at all. What is important is that God brought us together here today, so we should do something worthy of His blessing." 

As he said that, Roy had already started to unbuckle his pants with one hand. 

Since the ghost ship dared to use a female ghost as bait for Roy, Roy was more than happy to just take the bait directly. 

It's just a female ghost, right? It's not like it was Roy's first time! 

"Hold on a minute, sir! Isn't this moving a little too fast?" 

"What the hell? You've already stripped completely naked, and now you're playing this game with me?" 

Hearing that, Francesca struggled even harder, completely forgetting who exactly had been seducing whom just moments before. 

Right at that moment, Roy heard a distinct, clear cough. 

"Who's there!" 

Being interrupted when things were getting good made Roy a bit annoyed. He turned his head and saw a young girl in a white dress standing at the bedroom doorway. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, vanished without a trace. 

Seriously, where did such a rude kid come from?! 

Chapter 293: Change Back! 

Roy tied Francesca up in a position straight out of an adult film using his cursed hair, then walked to the bedroom door and slammed it shut. 

The white-dressed ghost girl, who had run off earlier, froze in confusion. Roy hadn’t come out of the room—instead, strange noises started coming from inside. 

"Alright, beautiful, now no one will disturb us!" 

As soon as Roy finished speaking, rapid knocking sounded at the door. 

Again?! 

Roy was furious. He turned and yanked the door open, only to see the white-dressed girl standing there. The moment she saw him, she tried to bolt, but Roy was faster—he grabbed her in one swift motion. 

"Kid, where are your parents? Go get them!" 

The girl thought, If I really called my parents here, you’d die of fright. But being a kind-hearted ghost, she still tried to warn him. 

"Sir, this place is dangerous! You should leave now!" 

Roy glared at her. 

"I know whether it’s dangerous or not! Stop interrupting me, or I’ll spank your ass! Now scram!" 

He tossed her out and slammed the door shut again. 

The ghost girl landed softly, completely stunned. 

(White-Dressed Ghost Girl, Hairline Slightly Receding) 

As the only benevolent ghost on the haunted ship, she had always tried to save those who accidentally wandered aboard. Though her efforts had never succeeded—no one had ever left the ship alive—no one had ever been as stubborn as Roy. 

After some hesitation, the kind-hearted ghost girl decided to try one last time to snap Roy out of his delusion. 

But as she reached the bedroom door and raised her hand to knock, the door swung open from the inside—Roy had been waiting for her. 

All those strange noises earlier? Just a ruse. 

"Sir, this place is really danger—AHHH!" 

Roy wasn’t in the mood for her warnings. He yanked her over his knee and started spanking her like a drum. 

Honestly, it had been a while since Roy had engaged in this particular activity. Maria and Emma had been so well-behaved lately that his skills had gotten rusty. 

On the other hand, his African drumming techniques had improved dramatically—the four little witches of the Apocalypse Society seemed to love it whenever he played. 

"Ouch! Stop! I’m sorry! I won’t bother you again!" 

Roy wasn’t buying it. 

Wait, she’s literally a ghost, so of course she’s spouting ghostly nonsense. 

"Hmph! If I see you again, I’ll spank you harder!" 

He tossed her out once more and shut the door. 

Tears of blood streaming down her face, the ghost girl rubbed her sore bottom and stormed off in a huff. 

Inside the room, Francesca had tried to free herself from the cursed hair while Roy was dealing with the ghost girl. But she had underestimated the art of Asian rope bondage and the durability of cursed hair. 

By the time Roy returned, she was still tightly bound. 

"Alright, Francesca, now that no one’s interrupting us… let’s continue." 

Rubbing his hands together, Roy approached her. The Latina ghost’s eyes widened as if she wanted to scream, but Roy covered her mouth before she could. 

Unlike the obedient Japanese ghosts, this Latina specter was still resisting—even trying to bite him. 

Unfortunately for her, Roy was far tougher than she expected. If she’d still been alive, her teeth would’ve shattered. 

Roy loomed over her, his gaze commanding. 

"Francesca, struggling is pointless. Keep your eyes on me." 

Bound by the cursed hair, Francesca was forced to maintain an utterly humiliating position. 

After multiple failed escape attempts, she finally realized how terrifying Roy’s strength was. She stopped resisting, but her eyes burned with hatred. 

"You’ll regret this!" 

Roy grabbed her beautiful brown hair like reins. 

"Shh. Keep going." 

The next second, Francesca’s face began to change—aging decades in an instant, transforming into a wrinkled, white-haired crone. 

"Do you still like me like this?" 

Evil spirits fed on fear, so they loved terrifying the living—it weakened their victims and strengthened themselves. A win-win. 

Back when Roy had dealt with Sadako and Kayako, the two ghosts had pulled the same trick, trying to scare him off with their horrifying forms. 

As if Roy would back down halfway. 

Roy pulled out his cursed daggers and stabbed them into Francesca’s shoulders. The curse’s power immediately began corroding her body. 

Her expression twisted in pain. 

"Change. Back." 

Compared to being outright killed by the cursed daggers, servicing Roy’s scepter was nothing. 

Sadako and Kayako emerged from the daggers, helping Roy control the situation so he could focus. 

Helpless, Francesca reverted to her beautiful form and silently endured the humiliation. 

The sensation of a ghost was different—like chugging an ice-cold soda on a scorching summer day. The occasional change of pace was refreshing. 

Especially with two obedient ghosts assisting him. 

Roy felt like an ancient decadent emperor, with servants anticipating his every need. 

A single glance was all it took for Sadako and Kayako to reposition Francesca, turning her rear armor toward Roy. 

"Wow. Now that’s a rare sight." 

Among the women Roy knew, many had impressive headlights—Elizabeth, Heather, and even Jennifer after her bloodline fusion ritual. 

But rear armor of this caliber? Rare. 

American beauty standards hadn’t yet reached the future’s obsession with exaggerated proportions, so not many focused on training—or modifying—their rear armor. 

Roy couldn’t resist giving Francesca’s backside a sharp slap, producing a loud smack. 

The humiliation only deepened her resentment. 

"I’ll never forgive you!" 

Roy smirked, leaning closer. 

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing. I’m not letting you go either." 

With that, he pulled out his beloved Smith & Wesson M629 ivory-handled revolver and placed it in front of Francesca. He planned to seal her inside, just like he had with Sadako and Kayako. 

Such a beauty would be a waste to simply destroy. Better to take her along. 

Francesca turned her head in shock, immediately understanding his intentions. 

"You dare—" 

Roy cut her off roughly, making her relive the sensation of her own death. 

"No more talking. Just feel." 

Francesca’s eyes glazed over as she felt her soul and will being slowly tamed. She didn’t want to submit, but she was powerless against Roy. 

Even Sadako and Kayako alone could suppress her, let alone Roy himself. 

"No… Antonia Graza, save me!" 

Wait, who did she just call? 

Roy frowned. Antonia Graza was the name of the ghost ship. If Francesca was calling for help, shouldn’t she be summoning other ghosts on board? 

Unless… 

Before Roy could ponder further, the temperature in the room plummeted. The luxurious bedroom began rotting away, peeling like the shift between Silent Hill’s real world and its nightmare counterpart. 

The elegant wallpaper and decorations crumbled, revealing the decay beneath. 

So this ghost ship has its own alternate dimension too? Interesting. 

But compared to Silent Hill’s meticulously crafted hellscape, this one was far less refined. 

Silent Hill’s world was nearly complete—proof of Samael’s grand ambitions. He had likely wanted to replace God after His disappearance. 

But Samael had failed. Silent Hill’s world was flawed, incapable of becoming a self-sustaining reality. 

Sometimes, even a 0.01% deviation was a catastrophic error. 

Twisted, deformed ghosts began flooding the room, wailing, sobbing, and cursing—an unbearable cacophony meant to terrify. 

"Shut up! Can’t you see I’m busy?!" 

Roy’s roar sent Sadako and Kayako charging into the horde, slaughtering without mercy. 

The two ghosts had long since recovered from their injuries sustained in the battle against Mammon. In fact, they’d grown even stronger—thanks to Roy feeding them evildoers over the past few months. 

Now, they were nearing the peak of evil spirits’ power. One more step, and they’d become Spirit Lords—equivalent to Eastern Ghost Kings. 

At that level, a ghost could single-handedly create a haunted domain. 

In fact, Roy suspected the ghost ship already housed a Spirit Lord. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to generate such dense fog. 

Considering Francesca’s earlier plea… 

Wait, why does this suddenly feel like I’m cucking someone? 

The last time he’d felt this way was when he’d discussed Samael with Lilith. 

While Roy was lost in thought, Francesca had reached her limit. 

"Why…?!" 

At this critical moment, she lost control of her body, overwhelmed by despair and pleasure until she blacked out. 

If she’d been human, Roy would’ve stopped to avoid killing her. 

But since she was a ghost? No mercy. Best to finish this quickly. 

With that in mind, Roy began rapidly stacking Lethal Tempo, repeatedly sending Francesca back to the grave. 

Each time she revived, he immediately knocked her down again—like spawn-camping in a video game. 

[Ding! Obtained Francesca’s Conquest Treasure Chest! Open it?] 

Roy took a step back, and Sadako and Kayako immediately rushed over, competing to clean his weapon. 

"Hold on, not yet. Let me deal with Francesca first." 

The two ghosts obediently knelt to the side, watching eagerly. 

Roy’s next step was simple—he carved a sigil into Francesca’s back using his own blood, similar to the mark Elizabeth had placed on him. 

This mark required the target’s willing submission, functioning like a demonic contract. 

Compared to the sealing technique used on Sadako and Kayako, this was more demanding—the caster had to be a high-ranking demon. 

But the payoff was worth it. 

Francesca’s rebelliousness meant Roy couldn’t just seal her away in a random magical item. He couldn’t use the Hound’s Ring (too precious) or the Executioner’s Blade (too dangerous). 

"Lost soul Francesca, I, Roy Black, offer you this pact. Do you accept?" 

Francesca lay motionless, still unconscious. 

"I asked you a question!" 

Roy delivered another sharp slap to her raised rear armor—the sheer elasticity was unreal. 

Francesca jolted awake, her mind still foggy as she stared blankly at Roy. 

"Well? Do you accept?" 

Her first instinct was to refuse, but Roy grabbed her throat and resumed his disciplinary action. 

The sheer G-force was unmatched. 

"ANSWER ME!" 

"Waaah… I accept! I accept!" 

In the end, Francesca’s soul fully surrendered to Roy’s overwhelming justice, sobbing her agreement. 

As she spoke, the bloody sigil on her back ignited. 

At the same time, the room’s environment shifted once more. 

(End of Chapter.)