Like the saying goes, a happy employee is a productive employee, and pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
The same applied to the ghosts, who had temporarily enjoyed some snacks after so long. Their movements became more enthusiastic, with some not even using hammers to nail planks anymore. Instead, they relied on sheer force—or, in simpler terms, more physical disturbance.
Arthur watched the workforce with satisfaction. Standing beside him was the ghost engineer, chuckling at how everyone moved in near-perfect sync.
"This reminds me of when I used to work on one of your projects," Arthur said to the ghost engineer. "You always treated us well."
The ghost engineer laughed. "Yet you left before that project even ended."
"Heh." Arthur scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed by the memory.
Seeing his reaction, the ghost engineer laughed harder. "I'm kidding. I knew you had family matters to deal with—your wife was already due with your first child."
"It's really been that long, huh?" Arthur let out a defeated sigh, his thoughts drifting to his ten-year-old son, his eldest. Bitterness and longing flickered in his eyes at the thought of his wife and child, which the ghost engineer noticed a moment too late.
"I'm sorry," the old engineer said, the mood slipping into a brief, awkward silence.
"It's alright," Arthur replied quietly. "It is what it is."
They exchanged bitter looks, both trying to hide them behind faint smiles. Even with the distraction this construction offered, even with the small rewards they'd gained, one fact remained:
All of them… were already dead.
For them to still be here, still working, only meant one thing—they hadn't accepted their fate. Not yet.
"By the way, I haven't seen Mikel around," the ghost engineer changed the subject, glancing around. "I thought I'd discuss the courtyard plans with him."
"Ah… well, he went with the recruits," Arthur answered. "Since he's trying to replenish his energy, he figured he might as well handle the recruitment."
The ghost engineer raised his brows and nodded thoughtfully. "That explains it," he muttered. "But… I don't see any new faces here."
Arthur had no answer for that. He simply shrugged.
"Maybe he found some recruits to work as lookouts?" he guessed.
At that moment, he caught sight of an old lady ghost wandering near the entrance. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the broken fence.
"Who's that?" the ghost engineer asked curiously.
Arthur glanced at him. "One of the lookouts. I'll go check in—might be something important."
With that, Arthur jogged off while the ghost engineer strolled in the other direction to inspect the ongoing work.
---
"What is it?" Arthur asked as he approached the wandering ghost, an old lady who should've been at her post.
The old lady ghost scratched the back of her head. "That foolish ghost didn't come tonight!"
"Huh?"
"That fool disappeared last night, and he hasn't come back since!" she spat, fuming. "I'm not stupid enough to let him exploit me, leaving an old lady to handle all the work while the boss does his errands!"
"Granny, calm down a little—"
"How can I calm down when I'm the only one looking after the area you assigned me to?!"
Arthur smiled awkwardly as the old lady continued her rant. "I'll tell the boss. He actually hired some new lookouts. I'm sure your workload will lighten soon."
"Mhm! He better find better ghosts! And none of those young ones, you hear me? They're too eager! Always wandering where they shouldn't— and you know how that ends!"
As she went on, Arthur sighed lightly. But deep down, Mikel's absence and the new recruits stirred a growing discomfort in him.
He didn't know if that was because of the unsettling look in Mikel's eyes last night, or if something was just out of place.
---
Meanwhile…
Mikel led a small group into a more desolate part of South Block, District 5.
The night sky offered no light; the thick clouds smothered even the faintest ray of moonlight. The area was swallowed in darkness, and a heavy silence stretched over the recruits' puzzled glances and uncertain shrugs.
They turned their attention to Mikel, watching him perch on a toppled house pillar.
"Uh… boss, why are we here?" a younger ghost finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer.
As the question hung in the air, the others looked to Mikel expectantly.
But Mikel just stared at them. The bracelet on his arm glowed faintly and excitedly, making his arm tremble under its pulse.
At the same time, Doom's unwanted encouragement appeared.
[They wouldn't know, Master.]
[With how hungry the Blood Chain is, it'll be quick.]
"..." Mikel skimmed the message and pressed his lips into a thin, tight line.
His eyes swept across the seven ghosts before him. He swallowed hard.
I have to do it.
[It is out of necessity, Master.]
"Necessity…" he echoed under his breath, still looking at them.
His silence and piercing gaze brought up a creeping sense of unease that slithered up their spines. Some shivered as their surroundings oddly felt cold.
Something was wrong. And they could feel it.
"Is it just me? But I feel a little uncomfortable being led to an isolated area," a ghost muttered to the other, but the latter just cast him a side-eye. "You're a ghost."
One of them leaned to another ghost and whispered, "He's scary when he's quiet. Maybe we should've stayed dead-dead."
"Uh… boss?" one ghost called nervously, his voice tight. "Is… everything okay?"
Mikel almost scoffed, running his tongue along his inner cheek.
Damn it.
His breathing grew ragged, his chest rising and falling in rapid bursts. When he looked back at them, his eyes flickered with a dangerous resolve.
"Yes," he finally answered, standing and stepping forward.
As he advanced in their direction, the ghosts instinctively took a step back. Their nerves screamed for them to run—but they couldn't move.
Their feet felt locked in place, as if unseen vines had sprouted from the concrete, wrapping tightly around their ankles.
Mikel took another step forward and stopped. The bracelet on his wrist blazed brighter now, eager—hungry—waiting for his command.
He looked into their terrified faces, and their wide, trembling eyes mirrored the growing awareness of the danger before them.
"I…" Mikel's arm trembled violently, the bracelet's glow nearly searing his skin.
The ghosts turned paler than death itself. Their shoulders shook, their throats bobbing with hard swallows.
Mikel exhaled shakily, closed his eyes, and raised his fist slightly. When his eyes snapped open again, they were sharp with finality.
He stepped closer to one of them.
The ghost tried to back away, his hands raised in panic.
"B-Boss!" the ghost stuttered.
But before he could retreat, Mikel's fist flew past his cheek—
SMASH!
The sound of knuckles hitting stone echoed through the night.
The ghosts froze. Even the one Mikel had approached stood rooted to the spot, feeling the gust of air as the fist barely missed his cheek.
Blood trickled from Mikel's knuckles, slight wounds splitting open from the force of the punch.
"Bo — boss, what the f—"
But then—
SMASH!
Another punch, this time it was harder than the last. Everyone almost heard the faint sound of bone cracking. Yet, his eyes didn't even blink, and his face showed no pain.
[Master…]
"I can't," he whispered, his knuckles on the wall trembling with resistance. "Not like this."
On the third punch, the ghosts finally jolted with realization, but before they could react, Mikel spoke first.
"I brought you here because I have a task for you," he said, peeling his bleeding knuckle from the wall and straightening his back. His gaze bore down on them.
"Find me… a malevolent spirit. The wicked kind. Someone... nothing like you."
His breath came in a harsh, rattled exhale. "I don't care how strong or dangerous they are. Find one and tell me where they are."
I'll kill them.
Hearing this, the bracelet seared against his wrist in retaliation. Mikel could almost hear it scream as it burned his skin like a molten brand. But Mikel stood firm, teeth clenched against the pain.
He will not have it. Not tonight.
[Your morality is a lovely leash, Master.]