Chapter 375: The Ghost's Consultation
Sora scanned her terminal three times, verifying that no "Ghost-rank"
appointment had been bypassed by the system.
There were none.
She walked back behind her desk and organized the dossiers scattered in front of
Bochi, completing the daily progress memos. Bochi remained flat against the
tabletop, his black-bead eyes locked onto the entrance.
"Sora, did Master truly go to find a ghost?"
"It appears so."
"Does a ghost… also require a 'Union' event?"
Sora considered the variable. "Unknown. The parameters for post-mortem romance
are currently undefined in my database."
Bochi fell silent for a beat. "If a ghost finds a partner, will the other unit
even be able to perceive its existence?"
That was a query for which Sora possessed zero data.
Kaito exited the main thoroughfare and turned into a narrow alleyway.
The alley was a relic of the "Pre-Empire" era—one of the few spots where the
reconstruction hadn't yet overwritten the scars of the Scourge. The brick walls
were etched with Tier-2 claw marks that had never been fully repaired.
He stopped in front of a doorway deep within the alley.
There was no signage, no bell, and no actual door—just an empty masonry archway
leading into a derelict courtyard.
The "Appointment" hadn't manifested via the terminal or any standard Imperial
signal. It had drifted directly into Kaito's soul-perception—a psychic leak that
had bypassed all technological mediums and rippled like a leaf falling into a
pool of water.
The content had been sparse: [I also wish to find someone.]
Kaito walked into the courtyard. His bony boots made zero sound as they crossed
the rubble-strewn ground. The space was vacant, save for a withered tree,
several pieces of rotting timber, and a shattered ceramic pot in the corner.
Then, he perceived the entity.
He didn't see it with his ocular processors; he detected its Od.
Leaning against the withered tree was a cluster of existence with incredibly low
density. It looked like someone had sculpted mist into the silhouette of a human
and then forgotten to clear the assets.
A Ghost. Tier-0 or below. An entity so faint it couldn't even trigger an
"Autonomous Manifestation."
A normal human walking into this yard would feel nothing more than a slight drop
in atmospheric temperature. They would see nothing. They would sense zero
variables.
Kaito found a piece of timber that was still structurally sound and sat down.
"Your designation?"
The cluster of mist rippled, shifting approximately half a step to the side.
Then, a voice manifested. It was faint—as if someone had placed the words inside
a teacup, sealed the lid with three layers of cloth, and whispered from the
bottom.
"I no longer… possess a name."
"Previous designation?"
A pause. "Chen Xu."
"Chen Xu," Kaito repeated, his soul-fire stable as he leaned back. "Male?"
"…Mhm."
Kaito's soul-fire remained flat and clinical. "State the method by which you
broadcast your inquiry to my perception."
"I do not know," Chen Xu's voice wavered. "I simply… desired to speak with
someone. The intent must have leaked out of the yard. And then you arrived."
Kaito processed the logic. The spiritual ecology of the Eldritch Realm was
significantly more chaotic than the Empire's home planes. This turbulence
occasionally allowed low-tier ghosts to "tunnel" through standard communication
channels—not as a deliberate hack, but as an emotional overflow once their
loneliness hit a terminal threshold.
"Duration of your deceased status?" Kaito asked.
"Indeterminate," Chen Xu replied. "Time is a blurred parameter here. I've simply
been in this yard… for a very long time."
"And you are seeking a partner."
"Mhm."
"State the objective."
The silence stretched. "Because… the yard is too quiet," Chen Xu's voice drifted
back. "During the Scourge, there was constant noise outside. People running.
People screaming. Occasionally, someone would manifest in this yard to take
cover before sprinting out again."
"I could not speak to them, but at least… there were people."
"Now, there is zero activity."
"The Empire arrived. Safety protocols were established. No one needs to hide in
ruins anymore."
"The yard is now an absolute silence."
Kaito audited the situation. This wasn't a standard matchmaking request. A
standard request could be offloaded to Sora. But Sora lacked the high-order
perception to even see a ghost of this density.
For this entity to engage in a "Union" event, two variables had to be
recalibrated:
1. Chen Xu's Soul-Density: It needed to be bolstered to the point of
"Autonomous Manifestation."
2. The Partner's Perception: The other party required either a natural "High
Soul-Sensitivity" trait or a technological medium.
The first variable was a low-tier task for Kaito. The second was the primary
"Variable."
Kaito's bony fingers tapped the timber. "Preferences for a partner?"
Chen Xu rippled, his voice carrying a trace of cautious, long-repressed hope.
"Someone who can hear me."
"That is the only parameter?"
"…And someone who doesn't mind if I talk too much."
Kaito's soul-fire pulsed. This requirement, when placed alongside the Tier-4
Anomaly's request, created a bizarre symmetry.
One wanted "Life and Temperature." The other wanted "Reception and Patience."
"Acknowledged," Kaito stood up, surveying the courtyard. "We will begin by
recalibrating your soul-density. I will initiate a 'Soul-Hardening' protocol.
Once you can maintain a manifest form, we will discuss the remaining logistics."
The cluster of mist trembled. "You can… achieve that?"
"I am the Sovereign," Kaito replied, his tone flat. "Manipulating Od at this
level is a rudimentary process."
Chen Xu was silent for a beat. "Then… thank you."
"Stand by for the command." Kaito extended his bony hand. Authority began to
seep from his fingertips.
The blurred mist began to condense. The silhouette sharpened, line by line,
pixel by pixel—
Then, Kaito ceased the output.
He couldn't finalize the update in one session. A ghost's soul-structure was
incredibly brittle; pushing the parameters too fast would result in a total
structural collapse. This density of existence couldn't handle a "Rapid Patch."
"This concludes phase one," Kaito said, withdrawing his hand. "We resume the
sequence in two days."
"…Understood."
Chen Xu's voice was marginally clearer now. It no longer sounded like it was
trapped in a sealed cup; it simply sounded… soft.
Kaito turned to leave. As he reached the archway, Chen Xu's voice called out
from behind.
"Are you… the Great Sovereign?"
Kaito didn't stop his gait. "Mhm."
"Does the Sovereign… truly help ghosts find partners?"
"I facilitate the 'Union' protocols for all sentient entities capable of
submitting a valid inquiry."
The courtyard went silent for a second. Then Chen Xu's voice drifted over, so
faint it was nearly swallowed by the wind.
"Then… do I count as a sentient entity?"
Kaito paused outside the archway. "You can submit an inquiry. You can process
thought. You can express variables." His tone remained clinical. "You count."
Then, he walked away into the alley. Behind him, in the abandoned yard, the
blurred mist stood beside the withered tree, possessing slightly more "Mass"
than before.
Kaito returned to the bureau just before 18:00. Sora was busy organizing the
day's dossiers. Bochi, still on the desk, saw Kaito and immediately launched
himself into the air.
"MASTER IS BACK!!"
Kaito caught him and tucked him back into his hood before taking a seat.
"Add a new client log," Kaito commanded.
Sora picked up her pen. "Parameters?"
"Name: Chen Xu. Species: Ghost. Soul-density: Low (currently undergoing
recalibration). Non-visible to standard human perception," Kaito paused.
"Requirements: High Auditory Reception. Tolerance for high word-counts."
Sora's pen stopped. "…A ghost."
"Correct."
"The kind that ordinary humans can't see?"
"Mhm."
Sora set down her pen. At the bottom of the client chart, she added a new slot.
Under 'Name,' she wrote Chen Xu (Ghost). She bit the cap of her pen, staring at
the entry for three seconds.
"Mr. Kaito… how am I supposed to find a match for a unit that doesn't exist on
the visible spectrum?"
Kaito's soul-fire was steady. "Once his Manifestation Protocol is complete, you
will organize the session."
"How long until he's visible?"
"At the current progression rate? One month."
Sora wrote a memo in the remarks column: [Awaiting Visibility. Status: Shelved.
Follow-up: Kaito.]
She closed the ledger and looked at the day's collection.
- Gu Mu & Ayla: Progressing.
- Wen Xiao: Awaiting Private Interview.
- Mr. Cold: Awaiting Elven Feedback.
- Chen Xu: Awaiting Manifestation.
Four threads.
Sora looked up at the window as the Imperial streetlights hummed to life. "Mr.
Kaito… what kind of person do you think would fit someone like Chen Xu?"
Kaito thought for a second. "Someone capable of sitting in a silent yard and
staring at the void."
Sora: "..."
"Someone who isn't repelled by silence, possesses high soul-sensitivity, or is
willing to utilize a medium," Kaito added. "Avoid high-aggression types. Avoid
low-word-count types."
Sora reopened the ledger and added those parameters to Chen Xu's memo. When she
finished, she noticed Bochi peeking out from Kaito's hood, his eyes sparkling.
"Sora! Have you identified a compatible unit yet?"
Sora thought of Wen Xiao. High temperature? High sensitivity? "Unknown," she
replied.
"Why unknown?"
"Because some variables can only be audited in person."
Bochi processed this and nodded solemnly. "Then schedule a manifestation."
Sora smiled. "...You're exactly right."
She picked up her pen, flipped to Wen Xiao's page, and added a final note:
[Soul-Sensitivity Audit: Pending.]
☆☆☆
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