Ultimate Evolution I Became the Master of the World

Freya knew she messed up the second she lost her cool.

In the call center, this no-nonsense middle-aged man in uniform stomped over and rapped on the table in front of her. "Freya, chill out. This is crunch time. Leave your drama at the door."

"But Captain, this guy's playing dumb on purpose," Freya shot back.

"In high-stress situations, people freak out. You gotta be patient, understanding, maybe even a bit of a softie. That's why we mostly hire women for this gig. If you can't hack it, there's the door," the captain said, not budging an inch. "Got it, Captain," Freya mumbled, staring at her shoes.

"Think about what you did and don't let it happen again. I'll take this one and you better learn from this," the captain said.

"Hey there, I'm Freya's captain, Alessio. Sorry about her earlier. She didn't handle it right, and I've already chewed her out. But I need you to step up and help us with this international police investigation. If you're cool with that, we can keep talking."

Alessio's voice was calm, making you wanna trust him.

On the bus, Michael's eyes darted around as he clutched his phone. This was probably the highest-ranking guy he could get on the line for now.

"I'll spill everything about Nikolai, but I need something from you too," Michael said, "I didn't wanna talk to Freya 'cause she's too low on the totem pole." His voice was young but sharp.

Alessio grabbed a pencil and jotted down some notes.

"Name: David (TBD)"

"Age: Around 20"

"Personality: Way more cautious and smart than most his age."

"Alright, if you know about Nikolai, you probably know about the spooky stuff too. I can give you some deets on that. Now, what's Nikolai's deal?" Alessio asked.

"I told you, Nikolai's dead. He kicked the bucket last night around 8:30 PM at Maplewood High, fifth-floor hallway. Cause of death? The Ghost Baby," Michael replied. Alessio paused before asking, "So, the high school had a ghostly encounter that night?"

Nikolai must've tapped into some Vengeful Ghost Power, and usually, there was only one reason for that-something urgent went down.

"Yep," Michael confirmed.

"Can you give me the rundown?" Alessio asked.

"Sure, my buddies and I were in evening study," Michael started recounting the previous night's events.

Alessio signaled to Freya. "Get ready to start a new Vengeful Ghost file."

Freya quickly scribbled notes, old-school style with a pen.

"Ghost Realm, knocking sound kills, ghost in the stairwell restroom, knocking sound through the phone." As each event got logged, Alessio's face got more serious. Michael finished, "That's the gist. Any other questions?"

"So, kid, you're still holding back, don't fully trust us yet, but that's cool. It's smart to be cautious. Still, I hope you keep helping us out," Alessio said.

"How'd you get out of the Ghost Realm? You can't just stroll out of there," Alessio asked.

"Before I answer, can I ask you something?" Michael said.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.

"Shoot," Alessio replied after a moment.

"What exactly is a ghost?" Michael asked.

Alessio said, "Labs all over the world have tried to figure it out. Some think 'ghosts' are just some kind of weird energy, something science hasn't cracked yet. People don't get it, so they call it 'ghosts." "I want the real deal," Michael said seriously. "I've got some crucial info about that old man I haven't shared. I think it's worth a trade."

Alessio drummed his fingers on the table. "Science can't really pin down 'ghosts' yet. Some think it's soul-related energy, but most folks still lean towards idealism."

"What does that even mean?" Michael asked.

"A ghost is just a ghost, plain and simple. Science might be out of its depth here, and we might need to rethink materialism," Alessio said.

Michael's face got real serious. He'd hoped ghosts were just some weird energy thing.

But nope, ghosts were the real deal.

"Can we get back to our chat?" Alessio asked.

Michael nodded. "I got out of the Ghost Realm 'cause I became a Ghost Handler."

"Just as I thought," Alessio's eyes narrowed.

He'd figured as much when Michael said he escaped the Ghost Realm. No way out without becoming a Ghost Handler.

"Got any more dirt on that old man?" Alessio asked.

Michael said, "I wanna know more about Vengeful Ghosts."

Alessio replied, "Alright, I'll hook you up with a special website. It's top-secret, built by various governments. Only special personnel can log in. Use Nikolai's info to get in. I'll send you the details later." "Cool," Michael said. "So, here's the deal. The old man tracks people through knocking sounds and then kills them. It's all tied to a post by some user named 'King of Thunder.' You guys can start there, but watch out for the knocking. It's cursed. Anyone who hears it is marked."

He then gave a quick rundown on 'King of Thunder' and the forum address.

"Got it. We'll send someone to check it out," Alessio said. "Keep Nikolai's phone for now. It's built to resist Vengeful Ghosts and its battery lasts a year. It'll keep you connected even in other spooky situations."

"Thanks," Michael said. "I've told you everything. Alright, let's keep in touch."

"Alright, from now on, Freya's your go-to. Sorry again for earlier," Alessio said.

"It's cool. I got a short fuse," Michael said and hung up.

"Captain, we should get Nikolai's phone back. It's probably got loads of important info. Protocol says it shouldn't be with someone else," Freya said.

Alessio drummed his fingers again. "Things are different now. This guy's a Ghost Handler and needs special treatment. I think he's got potential. We should recruit him into the International Police, preferably in our Asia division. Freya, that's your next mission. Keep a close eye on him. Nikolai was in charge of Astoria's security, but now he's gone. If this guy can take over, that'd be perfect."

"He just became a Ghost Handler. Can he handle it?" Freya asked, wide-eyed. "He hasn't had any training."

"I know. If needed, he can start the job and train later. But until he's officially on board, we need someone else in Astoria. I'll report this. By the way, how's the file coming along?" Alessio asked.

"It's done. Just needs sorting. What's the code name?" Freya asked, looking at her notes.

"Ghost Knocking. Horror level, A, disaster level," Alessio said.

Then he added, "Tell the archive room it was my call."

"Got it," Freya said, a bit shocked.

A disaster-level vengeful ghost. Another one in Asia area.