Ghost Billionaire
Chapter 83: Ritualistic Awakening

Chapter 83: Ritualistic Awakening

"He isn’t helping?" Dean asked, his expression ugly.

"No," Adam said. "I talked to Lenox, but he said only Matthew can tell the dean to lift the suspension. He said his father would now listen to whatever Matthew says."

Dean frowned.

"If you badly want to get into the school, then why not just sneak in? Is this really that big of a problem?" he asked. Even if there are cameras everywhere, no one actually checks them all the time. "As long as you don’t let others see you, then you should be fine."

Dean said nothing. He could, of course, sneak in, but this wouldn’t satisfy the conditions of the ritual. If that happened, even if he defeated the creature, he wouldn’t be able to absorb its core. Then everything would be for naught. Isn’t that a waste of time?

Dean narrowed his eyes. He had other methods, but those would be illegal and would attract attention. Besides, this might even reach his father’s ears. Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of why he came here?

"No," Dean said. This is the world of humans. He had been following all human laws just to stay out of trouble and prove to his father that he could do whatever he wanted and accomplish something, even without his help.

Moreover, doing a ritualistic awakening is different.

Each ritual needed to be precise. The books of the olden days were very specific about this matter. Before he could set foot inside the entity’s territory—and even think of confronting it—he had to obtain permission from the property’s rightful owner.

"The school is owned by the Lindberg family, right?" Dean asked.

"Y–Yes? Isn’t it named Lindberg University for a reason?" Adam answered.

Adam leaned against the hallway wall, rubbing his thumb over his phone screen. "The school sits on land the Lindberg family originally donated. But a board of trustees handles day-to-day operations. They work alongside the state’s education department."

Dean’s brow lifted. "So you’re saying even if the Lindbergs own it, they don’t call the shots?"

"Exactly," Adam replied.

"But the land used to be owned by the Lindberg family?" Dean asked. In fact, he had researched this in the past and knew about it. However, he thought being in school should be enough to gain permission to be on Lindberg land.

A suspension would change that, as it would ban him from entering the school—the entity’s territory.

"Yes," Adam said. "It’s part of history. Basically, Lenox’s grandfather fought in the war... well, he was a well-known doctor and helped a lot of people. He didn’t want to inherit the family business and instead became a soldier who helped many. Because of that, he received some medals and then established this school."

"So it’s really the Lindberg family." Since Lenox is the heir, his word should count.

Dean nodded slowly. "Then I have to talk to Lenox."

Adam shrugged. "Lenox no longer lives with Matthew. His own father kicked him out of the mansion in favor of that bastard Matthew. Makes me wonder if Matthew’s his bastard son or something."

"A bastard move," Dean muttered. Inwardly, he vowed that once he awakened using Lenox’s help, he would teach that bastard of a father a lesson.

Adam cracked a faint smile. "Yeah, I know."

Dean’s eyes flicked upward. "Where’s Lenox now? If I can’t get into the school..."

"He’s staying off-campus—some condo right down Lincoln Avenue. We could ask around."

Dean straightened. "Thanks for the info and the lead."

Adam locked eyes with Dean. "You owe me, though."

"I know. We’ll meet up at the market after you show me where Lenox lives."

Adam’s grin returned. "Sounds good."

Inside his head, Adam replayed how everything began. It was Dean who had introduced him to the possibility of being a Nexian. At first, it sounded like fantasy, wishful thinking by weird kids. But Dean had shown him, first through subtle observations, then through undeniable proof.

There is a new world out there, a world that he didn’t even know existed.

Adam knew about the conditions of the ritual Dean was about to perform. Dean wasn’t very specific about the other requirements, but at least he knew that Dean needed the acknowledgment of the university—or at least their approval—to set foot inside the school premises to perform the ritual.

If Dean got back inside and awakened his core, then maybe the same world could open for Adam.

He poked at his phone. "Alright. The market’s at eight. I’ll meet you at the corner by the bakery. Let’s go get Lenox’s permission, then... we can go and get something."

Dean nodded. "Right... let’s go."

Meanwhile, Matthew was just finishing his last class for the day. He had been in a good mood since both Catherine and Lenox were not in school today. Aside from this, he also had other plans for the day. Since the exams are done, he could finally visit the black market. It had been a few days since his last visit, but who could blame him?

He had exams, alright?

"Hey, Matt... aren’t you supposed to visit Dr. Muni today?" Teddy’s words made Matthew pause.

"Huh?"

"You are his intern, right? You should start now—after class. Or did you quit or something?" Teddy asked.

Matthew blinked. Dr. Muni.

He’d almost forgotten about the old man. The ghost girl’s nonstop chatter had pushed the thought from his mind. Matthew scowled. Why had Dr. Muni picked him as an intern? He wasn’t even that good at stats, he had only managed by leaning on his ability and a few recycled memories.

He let out a sigh.

He shouldn’t have done that. Now, he had accidentally attracted the attention of that old, grumpy man.

After his class, he grabbed his bag and made his way to the college building. Again, he paused at the place where they had put up Jerome’s picture, stared at it for a moment, listen to the ghost girl’s chattering about the poor college guy, then continued walking.

"Hey, kid!" a voice interrupted him.

Matthew turned and found someone wearing a staff uniform holding a mop. "Do you need something?" Matthew asked.

"I noticed you looked at that picture," the man said. "Do you know that guy?"

"You mean the one who died?" Matthew asked. "No? I’m not even from this department."

The man looked at his uniform before muttering an apology and walking in the opposite direction.

Seeing this, Matthew frowned. Why did that man look a little... familiar? Matthew thought.

"Hey, that man..." the ghost girl suddenly said. "I think... he may be a Nexian."