While In America, We Travel Through A Fairy Tale World Together!
Chapter 22 - The Haunted House of Evil Spirits!

Chapter 22: The Haunted House of Evil Spirits!

“Better head back for now.”

It had already been two and a half days since Rhode entered the space-time gate. While he still had enough supplies on hand, he had been missing from the real world for a while, long enough to cause trouble. Finding a quiet, secluded spot, Rhodes opened the gate once again.

Swish!

The space-time portal shimmered into existence. Rhodes stepped in without hesitation. There was a brief moment of disorientation, and when he came to, he was back in his familiar room. Rhodes flopped backward onto his bed.

“Home really is the most comfortable place.”

After a short nap, he went to the kitchen and cooked up two steaks. Once full and satisfied, he was about to rest again when—

Knock knock knock!

“Who could it be?”

Frowning, Rhodes glanced at the dimming light outside the window.

It’s late. Who would come calling at this hour?

Opening the door, he found three people standing outside. A middle-aged couple and a little girl. The couple looked to be in their mid-thirties to early forties. The girl couldn’t be more than seven years old, dressed adorably in a long white dress.

The man was tall and lean, wearing a sharp suit. He had the air of someone in a high-paying job like a doctor or lawyer. The woman wore loose, comfortable loungewear. Her golden, wavy hair cascaded casually over her shoulders. She had fair skin, a modest yet curvy figure, and wasn’t wearing makeup, though even bare-faced, she was a solid 8/10. Without a bra, her chest naturally parted into a loose figure-eight shape. Altogether, it was a very typical housewife look for someone from the West.

“Can I help you?” Rhodes asked, giving them a once-over. He didn’t recall ever meeting these people.

“Hello! We’re your new neighbors,” the woman greeted cheerfully. “We just moved in today, and brought a little gift for our neighbors. I’m Tasha, and this is my husband, Brewer.”

“Rhodes,” he replied, nodding as he accepted the gift.

Then, as courtesy demanded, he invited them in. “Would you like to come in for a while?”

“Oh, no need! We still have to visit the other neighbors. But feel free to stop by our place sometime!”

As he watched the friendly couple walk away, Rhodes suddenly had a strange feeling. The houses around here had been fully occupied for a long time. Where exactly had they moved into?

Thinking for a moment, he looked off into the distance. A three-story standalone villa came into view. A classic European luxury style, with a private yard and even a swimming pool. Aside from being a little run-down due to neglect, it was perfect in every way.

But Rhodes knew something others might not. That house had a reputation. It was a haunted house, a notorious one at that.

In just the past three years, the villa had changed owners three times. At least four or five people had died inside. And if you went back further, the number of deaths only increased. The house had been around for over a century. Who knew how many had died there? Of course, the police had conducted investigations after each incident. Every time, the official cause was “accidental death.” But the locals didn’t buy it. To them, it was a place haunted by evil spirits.

Rhodes used to be a firm materialist. He never believed in ghosts or evil spirits. But now… things were different. If werewolves could be real, then why not ghosts? Even though this was a different world, he couldn’t just dismiss the possibility anymore.

Back in his room, Rhodes examined the welcome gift in his hands. He wasn’t exactly a social person, but since his new neighbors had come by with a gift, it would be rude not to reciprocate.

“What should I give them in return?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

It didn’t have to be expensive. A simple homemade treat would do. The problem was, he didn’t know how to make any kind of dish. Then, an idea struck him.

The haunted house…

He remembered the potion-making skills he had just learned. In potionology, there were recipes for both revealing and repelling evil spirits. Better yet, they were pretty easy to make. He already had the ingredients in his portable storage space. Thanks to the old witch’s generous (if unintentional) contributions.

“Those cost a few lives, after all…” he muttered, preparing to make a few protective charms as return gifts for the new neighbors.

“Mugwort, garlic, lemon, a few drops of holy water…”

All of these were common ingredients, except perhaps the holy water. Technically, holy water was purified water blessed in a sacred vessel during prayer or baptism at a church. Infused with divine power, it was said to repel evil spirits.

Normal churches had little more than symbolic holy water. Only large, powerful churches might have the real thing. But for Rhodes, it wasn’t a problem. He took out a silver cross pendant and submerged it in water.

The pendant was made of blessed holy silver and carried divine energy. Once immersed, the water would instantly become true holy water.