I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

The heavy iron gate slowly closed behind us, making a sickening metallic clanging sound, completely isolating us from the outside wind and the roar of the Blackwater River.

Rod followed the old woman through the abandoned courtyard.

The stone path underfoot was covered with moss, and dark red ferns grew in the crevices. These plants usually only grow in cemeteries or areas with high spiritual concentration.

Upon entering the main building lobby, a musty, stale smell immediately hits you.

It smelled of dry ash and burnt sage mixed together.

There were no lights in the hall; the only source of light came from the dim yellow lantern in the old woman's hand.

The aperture swayed with her steps, casting distorted shadows onto the surrounding furniture.

All the furniture was covered with white dust cloths, and the portraits and mirrors on the walls were also completely covered with thick black velvet cloths.

Rhodes knew this was to prevent spirits from parasitizing or traveling through the mirrored passage.

For a family with spiritual medium lineage, this is essential common sense.

The old woman walked very slowly and made no sound.

Rhodes focused his magic into his eyes and activated his spiritual vision. The colors in his vision instantly faded, leaving only black, white, and gray, as well as the radiance that represented spirituality.

In my spiritual vision state, the old woman leading the way was not a living person.

Her body was surrounded by a grayish-white aura of death, with visible spiritual threads connecting her joints and extending into the dark depths of the upper floor.

Without making a sound, Rod placed his hand on the shotgun at his waist and unbuckled the holster strap.

They went up the wide, spiral staircase.

The varnish on the stair railing has peeled off, revealing the blackened wood grain underneath.

With each step, the wooden plank groaned in pain.

The temperature in the air gradually decreases as altitude increases.

When they arrived at the third-floor corridor, Rod's breath had turned into white mist.

The door to the room at the end of the corridor was ajar.

The old woman stopped at the doorway, turned to the side, made a stiff "please" gesture, and then stood motionless in the shadows like a statue.

Rod pushed open the door.

The room was large, with dark red wallpaper covering the four walls, some of which was peeling off due to dampness.

The fireplace burned with a ghostly green flame, offering no warmth whatsoever, but instead emanating a chill.

A figure sat in the armchair in front of the fireplace.

She was a girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old.

She wore an elaborate black lace dress, her skin so pale it was almost transparent, and you could even clearly see the bluish-purple veins beneath her skin.

Her legs were covered with a thick wool blanket, and an open Braille book rested on her knees.

Hearing footsteps, the girl did not turn around, but continued to stare at the green flame in the fireplace.

"Since you've seen through Martha's act as a puppet, why not just dismantle it?"

The girl's voice was soft and elusive, as if it came from all directions of the room at the same time.

"That's the master's property; the guest has no right to dispose of it." Rhodes entered the room and closed the door behind him. "Besides, dismantling a gatekeeper puppet won't be conducive to the conversation that follows."

The girl turned her head.

A black ribbon covered her eyes.

Although he couldn't see the eyes, Rhodes could feel a cold gaze piercing through the ribbon and landing directly on his soul.

"I am Cassandra Lowell." The girl slightly raised her chin. "What do you want from the Valen family? Secret arts? Ancient texts? Or my corpse?"

Rod pulled up a chair and sat down three meters away from the girl.

This distance is neither too aggressive nor too intimidating, while still ensuring he has enough room to react in case of emergencies.

"I need a key."

Rhodes looked directly at the other's face, which was covered by a black cloth: "Regarding the frequency lock of the bio-beacon. I know that the Valen family of the First Era possessed a special soul tuning technology that could convert soul wavelengths into a specific key."

A mocking smile appeared on Cassandra's pale face.

"A bio-beacon...a creation of that madman Mortimer?"

She stretched out her slender fingers and made a grasping motion in the air.

The green flames in the fireplace suddenly shot up, casting flickering light and shadow on her face.

"Do you know why the Warren family fell into decline? Because we heard too many things we shouldn't have. So-called mediums are nothing but prisoners of the spirit world. Curses flow in our blood, and everyone who tries to use this power ends up going mad."

Rod calmly stated, "I have the ability to pay."

"Reward?" Cassandra chuckled softly, a hint of desolation in her voice. "What can you give me? Gold coins? Status? Or a pardon from the church? These mean nothing to me. I'm dying, sir. The voices of the spirit world are slowly eroding my sanity; my soul is already cracked."

Rod pulled a test tube from his pocket.

The test tube contained a pale golden liquid that emitted a soft glow in the dim light.

It looked as if tiny stardust particles were slowly rotating inside the liquid.

This is a potion he concocted using extracts from the blood of the Ancient Siren, combined with a high-purity sedative.

"This is an improved version of the Siren's Tears." Rhodes placed the test tube on the round table beside him and gently pushed it towards you. "It can't cure your curse, but it can greatly soothe your restless spirit, building a barrier around your soul to block out those whispers. At least it will allow you to sleep well."

Cassandra leaned forward slightly.

As a medium, she instinctively sensed the powerful and pure energy contained in the potion.

It was an ancient and tranquil aura from the deep sea, exactly what someone like her, constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown, craved most.

"I can give you the formula for this potion, as well as subsequent improvement services," Rhodes continued, "In exchange, I only need a drop of your blood and a specific soul frequency to be recorded."

There was silence in the room.

Only the fire in the fireplace crackled and popped.

After a long while, Cassandra slowly reached out her hand, her pale fingers trembling slightly the moment they touched the test tube.

She gripped the test tube tightly, feeling its cool touch.

"make a deal."

She said in a low voice.

Then, she took a small silver knife from her skirt pocket and, without hesitation, cut her fingertip.

A drop of bright red blood with a hint of dark gold fell onto the glass shard that Rhodes handed over.

Immediately afterwards, Cassandra closed her eyes and her lips moved slightly.

The surrounding air began to vibrate, and an inaudible sound wave echoed in the room.

Rhodes quickly took out a black crystal covered in runes and aimed it at Cassandra.

The crystal began to glow from within, and the originally transparent crystal gradually became cloudy, eventually solidifying into a deep, dark blue.

"This is the fundamental soul frequency of the Valen family." Cassandra's face grew even paler, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. "Combined with that drop of blood, you can simulate 'Valen's Whispers.' But this can only serve as a key. If you try to use it to control things beyond your comprehension, you will bear the consequences."

Rhodes put away the slides and crystals and stood up.

"That's enough."

He straightened his trench coat, preparing to leave.

"etc."

Cassandra suddenly called out to him.

She held the pale gold potion in her hand, and although her expression was not visible, her tone became serious.

"The spirit world in the lower city has become very murky lately. Besides you, others are searching for the Valen family. They reek of a nauseating mechanical stench and sulfur."

Rhodes stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing slightly.

It has a mechanical odor and a sulfurous smell.

Those were the characteristics of the Lightforged family's steam knights and military special forces.

It seems that there are more people eyeing this key than he imagined, and they are acting faster than he expected.

"Thanks for reminding me."

Rhodes nodded, turned and walked out of the room.

In the corridor, the old woman still stood like a statue.

Rod ignored her and hurried downstairs.

After leaving Whispering Manor, Rhodes did not immediately return to the laboratory.

He walked along the banks of the Blackwater River for a while, then turned into an abandoned factory area.

Here, he stopped and turned to look at the deserted, dark street behind him.

"We've been following you all this way, come out now."

Rhodes' finger rested on the trigger, his voice cold.

A soft whirring sound of gears turning came from the darkness.

Three tall figures wearing gray trench coats emerged from the shadows.

They wore brass gas masks on their faces, and their backs were bulged out by implanted miniature steam boilers.

They carried heavy chainsaws, the blades still damp with undried machine oil.

"Hand over what you got inside."

The leader's voice, filtered through his mask, sounded dull and mechanical: "These are military-controlled items."

Rhodes looked at the three mechanically modified steam infantrymen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Just then, he received the key and needed to test whether it possessed any offensive resonance effect besides opening doors.

He took the dark blue crystal out of his pocket and tossed it gently.

What if I say no?