Chapter 56 - Exorcist

"So? What are you going to do? Try to complete the quest anyway?"

Ria said to Sheila before she sipped on a coffee. It took both of them a few minutes to calm down their nerve, or rather they were still creeped out by the fact that someone has just entered Sheila's bedroom with a single girl uniform. Why would you go as far as to do that? No, maybe the app 'teleport' the outfit? Ria hopes that was the case since it wouldn't be that much creepy than an actual person breaking into a house, but still pretty scary nonetheless. After all, the plan Sheila had brought forward only to Ria was known to the person behind the system. 

But then again, is it really a person behind the system? What if it was actually an artificial intelligence? Either way, it's the only possibility that the plan was exposed to the system since they were talking about it in the Trial Tower. No one else should have known about it. 

"If I didn't know about the girl, I would have said no, so I guess I have to."

"And that's how you will get caught in the future trouble. If the quest had appeared first and you could reject it, you would have done so right?"

"Of course. I don't have any sort of obligation to do so; why should I?"

"Wait—what do you mean by future trouble?"

" Sigh , nevermind. So, how are you going to do about this whole exorcist evil spirit thingy?"

Sheila fell into deep pondering when she was asked this question from Ria. Do I have to buy a skill for that? But I don't have enough gold for that, Nah scratch that, I just don't want to use my gold for that. I only have about 500golds left! I had just bought Shadow Magic skill after all. I'd rather save the leftover gold for a just in case situation. This is an important quest, but she would rather find another way for it. 

Anyway, what was with the reward? She had already acquired the access to enter the Trial Tower by either via her phone or the key on Ria. Is it a different kind of access? If the system knows about her plan, then was the access actually for... Interesting.

While Sheila was deeply pondering on such a thought, her eyes glanced over to the figure in front of her, and a thunderbolt suddenly struck her mind. Why had she never thought about this? The answer was right in front of her.

"Ria."

"Hmm? What is it? Did you figure out something?"

"Yes, I found a way to exorcise the evil spirit."

"Oh, is that so? Then mind telling me about it?"

"Uh- actually, it got something to do with you so, yes, In fact, I wanted you to know about it."

Ria confusion was evidence as Sheila could see what kind of expression Ria was currently making since she was seated right in front of her. 

"What do you mean by that? What's this got to do with me? For your information, I know nothing about exorcism."

"You're healer, right? I mean, your class."

"I am, what about it? —Wait, are you going to say what I'm thinking right now?"

"Yes. In most RPGs, the healer was also known to be the most powerful weapon against the undead. Their healing magic was deadly against such a creature."

"But the evil spirit is not an undead right? Or let's say it is, does my healing magic even works against it? This is not a game, you know? What work in the game might not actually work in real life."

"Yes, that might be so, but my sixth sense was telling me that this is definitely going to work."

"How reliably can your sixth sense be that could risk both of our life?"

"It's definitely reliable. Don't worry; I got this far because I followed it."

"Maybe you shouldn't trust on such thing too much? You don't know for sure."

"Don't worry, just believe in me who believes in you."

"I'm getting even more worried now."

***

In front of Sylvia's house, two suspicious silhouettes could be seen walking around the corner of the street while looking around as if they didn't want anyone to see them doing something illegal. Both had a feminine and slim figure of a girl. One of them had red hair with a mask covering his/her face while the other has blue hair with also another mask covering his/her face from being seen. It was a weird duo who dressed up in an odd mask covering their whole face. Of course, the figures were none than Sheila and Ria.

"The disguise skill you have is pretty convenient. I wish I had those instead of wearing this blue wig on me."

"Maybe if you saved up enough gold for it and I might get you one."

"Nice! That's a promise then."

"Anyway, I will enter first to make sure it's safe before I give you a signal for you to get inside, okay?"

"I don't know how to feel about this, but okay."

"Just don't think about it, all right, I will go ahead."

Sheila said before jumping into her shadow, which caused a shocked from Ria since she hasn't told her that she had acquired a new skill. As she moves forward in the shadow, she soon came onto the shadow of the girl's mother. The evil spirit could still be seen floating around doing nothing but simply float in the air; Sheila didn't know if it was good or bad because there was no reaction from it even though Ria was approximately close to the house. 

Did it not feeling anything? Maybe some sort of racial danger as an evil spirit? I don't know how it works, but if it didn't notice Ria presence, then that would be good. But wait, will it make a reaction if I went ahead and knocked out the girl's mother? I don't want the scene to suddenly go into full horror due to the evil spirit possessing the body when the owner is unconscious. That's a big no.

Whatever it is, she had to do it. Please don't do that, please God. Sheila was praying to God as she slowly materialised herself from the shadow of the girl's mother. But she didn't wholly emerge herself before the evil spirit started to make a response to her sudden appearance as she immediately sent a chop to the neck before falling back into the shadow. 

Thud!

The body falls to the ground as it makes a bit noise when it hits the floor. It was a success, although now the evil spirit is causing a ruckus while it was floating in the air. I guess it's time to bring Ria to exorcise this evil spirit, with that thought in mind, Sheila jumped from one shadow to another until she saw the figure of Ria hiding behind a pole in an obvious manner for all to see. Sheila smoothly ignores the fact that Ria is terrible at hiding because she was already used to it from the time when two of them played hide and seek in childhood.

"It's safe now."

"!!! You surprised me!"

Ria exclaimed in shocked at the sudden appearance of Sheila coming out of the back her own shadow. Thankfully she didn't lose herself and scream which would alert the neighbourhood. 

"So, is this a new skill that you learned?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you but yes. It's a good skill, right?"

"It is, but hmm..."

"What?"

"You won't stalk someone with this right?"

"What—why would I do that? I'm not a stalker or anything like that."

"And you won't try to prank me by suddenly appearing behind my back?"

"Wait, the thought just crossed my mind!"

"Now that I know, you can't do it."

"Aww, what a bummer~."

Ria giggled at the sight of Sheila's devasted face like a kid who has got his/her toy taken away before even play with it. But the devasted look was overwritten soon with a serious expression, and Ria also stopped giggling before both of them slowly walked inside the house. With the help of Shadow Magic, the unlocking door is as easy as a walk in the park. Door locked? Just get inside the house via the shadow before unlocking the door for Ria to enter. That's how easy it is to break into a house. 

"Is it just me or the atmosphere started to feel cold?"

"Is it? Oh, yeah, it did. I didn't notice about this beforehand."

"So, where's the evil spirit? I don't ever want to look at it, but I try looking around and don't see anything."

"Oh, it was in the living room. Just a bit of walk and here we are."

The moment Ria and Sheila walked into the living room, they started to feel the atmosphere around it was even colder than the outside. Ria could feel the chill creeping all over her body, and if not for Sheila, she won't ever come here into this situation. Ria doesn't like scary stuff, after all. That was why she was currently hiding behind Sheila.

"U-Uh, where is it, Sheila? I didn't see anything?"

"What? But it was floating right there?"

"Nothing is there, Sheila. Perhaps, you could see it due to one of your skill?"

"Ah, maybe. Then could you aim your healing spell above that unconscious body over there?"

"I couldn't reach it from here, need to be a little bit closer."

"Is it close enough now?"

"Hold on; I'll give it a try."

Sheila nodded her head at Ria's words as she watched over the evil spirit, just in case it attacks Ria, she could become her shield. It didn't take her that long as Ria body started to lighten up until everything around her was shining brightly and she said.

"Cure."

And Sheila watched the ghostly figure screaming unintelligible voice as smoke started coming out of its body. But it couldn't completely extinguish the evil spirit. Sheila noticed the urgency of the situation and was about to warn Ria when suddenly, the evil spirit started to sprint at her with its red soaking eyes glaring on the way.

"Ria!"

That was the last word from Sheila before she was enveloped into the endless world of darkness.