Trash: Chapter 157 Troubles With Housing (Patreon)

Chapter 157

Troubles With Housing

There are no easy deals in life. If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is broken in some way. Housing on the Unity University campus seemed to follow this exact policy.

“So,” Marcus began, trying his best to explain why the giant vacant house sat alone and was technically available for our team, but he was going to suggest one of the much smaller houses that seems like we would have to all double up with two people per rooms. “There is a test here, you can try to take the large house here, knowing that it has not been worked on in quite a while. Or we can take one of these other cozier houses that we can move into immediately.”

Seeing Marcus’s hesitation, I ask the one question gnawing at me, “what you are afraid of a bit of manual labor?”

Marcus paused and looked like he was going to protest, before finally answering truthfully. “While I do dislike manual labor as much as possible, I fear that this is much more than a cosmetic issue.”

“What are the resources not provided by the school?” Junior cut in, wondering if it was a matter of costs.

“No, actually the school will freely reimburse you for any items purchased for the maintenance of your dorm,” Marcus answered, throwing out that little nugget of knowledge. Once again, he was already paying for himself with what he offers in terms of campus wide facts.

“So what exactly is the issue?” I ask, wondering why Marcus is so hesitant to even suggest the much larger dormitory building with its own practice yard in the back. A practice yard that is wildly overgrowing with plants, but one good lawn day should easily fixt that problem. Then staring at the building, I see the issue. There floating between the windows, I could see the unmistakable outlines of apparitions. Psychic impressions of people whose physical bodies passed long ago, but are now clinging to life by their residual will and energy. Honestly, the whole thing sort of fascinated me, had it not been that my only interaction with the dead was as controlled spies by my fellow DiVoratre family members, I might have taken more time to interact with them. As it is, I feel relatively confident that I could take down a spirit. First, my bloodline allows me to gain power from absorbing their consciousness and converting it into energy. Then secondly, I have a number of divine infused skills that could be used to weaken these spirits.

As my mind is racing through the probabilities of what I can do now, versus where I came from, I realize two things. First, I’m not afraid of ghosts. Second, this unoccupied building that is more than large enough and spacious enough to house us all freely, along with giving us room to train will be ours.

“Well you see, there is a rumor that this building is—” Marcus began but trailed off not wanting to sound like he believed in superstitions.

“Haunted,” I cut in, my eyes glowing golden as I active my Divine Sight, the upgraded version of my bloodline’s unawakened Skill. As I speak, I can see the team move and react to my words in different ways. Junior and Lelia seem to react as anyone might, they shrunk back slightly, though Lelia recovered far faster than Junior did. As for Luna and Lucia, they both stood up taller and seemed to use that extra height to stare at the offending house.

“Well good, I guess I can show you one of the other—” Marcus began, trying to get us to turn away from a little haunting. Seeing his reaction, I just stared at him for a moment and shook my head.

“No, this will be our lot,” I declared.

“If it is the size you want, then know once some of the older healers graduate, the better buildings will be available,” Marcus pleaded. Explaining the common practice of seniority providing for better opportunities. While I understand the process, I am also one of these people who would want to find a place and make it my home. No moving about, no relocating, just one permanent base of operations that we can all go to when needed. That is why, when given the options I immediately shot it down.

“Lelia, go with Marcus to register this building for our team,” I began, then looking about I saw that Junior looked more than a little flustered. Seeing that he would only cause more tension if he stayed, I just paused before sending him with the others.

“Junior, go with them and get enough food to cook a celebratory dinner,” I declared, already feeling the minor pangs of hunger hitting me. These hunger pangs were the side effect of my using my magic too much, but I had to push through just a bit further and it would all be over. Junior looked like he wanted to protest, but then realized that if he did protest he would likely end up staying on the clearly haunted land. It only took an extra glare from me to get Marcus to lead the others out to both register the house to us, and to get supplies for a meal.

With them gone, it was just Lucia and Luna standing next to me.

“What would you have us do?” Luna asked, her feet prancing slightly a sign that she was nervous.

“Can either of you affect or interact with ghosts or apparitions?” I ask.

At my question both shake their heads no.

“Well then, looks like I’ll have to do this alone,” I stated as I reached down to unbuckle the sword on my right side. It looked like the duo was about to protest, but I stopped it with a quick unbuckling and delivery of my still sheathed sword.

“Here, hold this,” I say while holding out my sword for Luna to grab. Luna for her part looks confused for a second, before reaching up to grab the sword that I am holding one handed. Then after I drop the sword into both her hands she lets out an “oof,” sound as the sword was apparently heavier than she had expected. Luna takes it and immediately places the stone sword against the ground as gently as possible.

With the sword secure, I reach up and unstrap my violin from its case, this time just giving the now empty case to Lucia. Armed with just my violin and trusty violin bow I begin to make my way forward.

“Wait, is that all you are taking?” Luna asks, a note of concern in her voice. Seeing her concern, I feel a smile fill my lips as I realize this place has nothing on the creepiness provided by the DiVoratore family estate.

“Oh trust me, this is more than enough,” I declare as I begin walking forward while performing my pizzicato strum to make sure all my notes are correct. A few quick tweaks of the nobs helps me lock in the crisp sound that each note should offer. Then as if I planned it, I am ready to play.

Getting to the door, I can already see that it is coated in some dark-purplish residue. The residue is thick and seemingly caustic. For most people this would cause a deeper form of lethargy, maybe even paralysis if given in a high enough dose. Yet, for me and my newly acquired set of Skills, this is nothing.

Reaching out my hand, I grasp the giant door handle and wait, letting the purple slime roll over and coat my hand in its caustic mix. Seeing the attempt to spiritually poison me, I just smile, remembering how being struck with spitter thorns was far more challenging than this.

I could use Trash to get rid of the slime, but I instead focus on using a Skill that I have a hard time finding chances to use. Focusing on the foreign energy trying to seep its way into my body, I don’t resist. In fact, I let it enter, then once it is just below the surface, too far away to retreat, that’s when I spring my own trap and activate my Maximum Mana Conversion. The upgraded Skill that I used to survive my initial encounter with the spitters and am now using to gain the equivalent of a magically induced adrenaline spike before entering the house.

“You okay?” Luna calls out, a note of concern in her voice.

Realizing that I still have people watching me, I realize I should probably take this all inside. Still, I reach back with my left hand, the hand holding my violin and bow, and give a thumbs up. Then without hesitating, I turned the nob and entered the dark foyer. A room that is far too dark for this time of day. Fortunately, I don’t need light, as my eyes are providing all the light I need.

Entering the room, I feel a sudden swish of air behind me as the door is violently slammed shut. A parlor trick designed to scare most people. Fortunately, I am not most people. Taking a second to center myself, I pulled up my violin and presented it to the multiple apparitions in the house.

“I’ve come to stay here, now we can either do this the easy way—” I begin but instantly ducking away as a spirit projected book hurls past me and crashes into the wall behind me, leaving a scorching silhouette in its wake.

“The hard way it is,” I declare, as I quickly pick up my violin and begin playing and singing in unison. As I do, bolts of golden light begin manifesting around me, covering me like snow from a snow globe. A snow globe that reveals a dark and malevolent house.

I know that I should be scared, but part of me feels more alive now than ever.

***

(Marcus Ghulum)

Marcus walked away, leading the two team members that he had hitched himself to off to the side a bit. From their vantage point, they could still look back, and see what was happening at the house. There was still time, their leader could finally grow a brain and realize just how bad of an idea this truly was. No one had been able to move into the haunted house. In fact, that was its new official name on campus. While it had an official name and title at one point, its original name had been stripped away by the haunting and replaced with the now unofficial official moniker of it being the haunted house.

“What are you waiting for?” Junior asked, looking at Marcus who could only stare back in fear as their leader took off her sword and handed it away. Then did the same thing with her violin case.

“Is she only going to go in with her violin?” Marcus found himself asking the obvious question.

Turning back, Lelia and Junior just looked and then seemed to shrug in agreement, “looks like it.”

“But, she—” Marcus continued. Then stopped himself as he saw her go up to the door. Here it is, the first spot where their leader will find out that it is too dangerous and that this needs to be stopped immediately. Yet, to Marcus’s surprise the door nob seemed to do nothing to her, in fact she just gestured over her shoulder, gave a thumbs up and entered the haunted house.

Again, there was still time, as most people could get out of the house, so long as they left immediately. Yet, what Marcus saw next was something completely unexpected, for there in the completely darkened house, he saw a flash of golden light. Then he found himself asking the question that had no answer.

“What was that?”

But the light didn’t die, instead it only seemed to intensify as time went on.

“That is the captain,” Junior declared with more than a bit of reverence in his voice. Hearing him speak, Marcus had to wonder.

“Is she always like this?”