Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 955

Jenkins and Chocolate sat on the sofa to one side of the study, watching the women open the box. As the three voices spoke the final words, the cube of water disintegrated with a great splash, soaking a patch of the study's carpet. As the film of water vanished, a small, cyan gourd dropped down, landing with a crisp thud. Follow current novels on NoveIＦire.net

Judging by the sound, the gourd was hollow.

The four of them said nothing, watching as a wisp of white smoke drifted from the gourd's mouth. When the smoke cleared, a transparent blue spirit materialized above it. It had the form of a man, his hair tied up in a high topknot, bare-armed and clad in a sleeveless vest. His lower body was legless, trailing off into smoke that connected him to the gourd's opening.

"Oh, damn it all... Just how long was I asleep?"

Its first few words were in a language other than the common tongue of Hamparvo, but the speech seamlessly transitioned into one they could all understand.

"The seal is broken at last! Oh? And was I rescued by such lovely ladies? I can grant each of you a wish—any wish your heart desires~"

He extended a finger, wagging it gently. His tone was so affable that it was hard not to feel a sense of warmth toward him.

The women remained silent. Julia stole a glance at Jenkins; he had written a story quite in his "Stranger's Story Collection."

Jenkins blinked. His sight confirmed it was a Cursed Item, radiating a black aura. The fingers of his left hand began to tap a steady rhythm on the arm of the sofa as he rapidly tried to place it.

It was Alexia who answered Jenkins's unspoken question, and if she said it, it was undoubtedly correct.

There was no question that the entity before them was a Cursed Item. The real mystery was why something so securely sealed would have the key to its release etched right on the surface.

All three women knew it was best to say nothing until they had a clearer picture of the situation. The "wishes" this transparent blue spirit offered were, in all likelihood, anything but a blessing.

"You can play this little game of silence if you wish," the spirit said, "but I have no intention of leaving until I have granted your wishes."

It floated silently in the center of the study, slowly spinning as it observed each of their expressions. If Jenkins hadn't been worried about the dire consequences of a rash attack, he would have been tempted to split the gourd in two right then and there.

"You can grant *any* wish?"

Jenkins suddenly asked. The spirit had clearly been disinclined to address the lone man in the room, but with the women remaining silent, it had little choice but to engage with him for now.

"Yes," the spirit confirmed. "Any wish."

As the spirit spoke, Alexia recalled the details associated with the item's designation.

"A-11-01-7421, 'The Compulsory Wisher.' Whoever is offered a wish by it must state a detailed and specific wish within half an hour. Otherwise, they will vanish without a trace. The spirit is incredibly powerful and can grant nearly any mortal desire. But it always fulfills the wish through malicious means."

"This means that the wisher is highly likely to suffer some misfortune as a result, a misfortune that will inevitably entangle those around them..."

The stipulation of a "detailed and specific" wish was a common trope for abilities and artifacts related to wish-granting. It was a standard rule against vague, open-ended requests like "I wish to be a god," "I wish for world peace," or the classic "I wish for three more wishes." It was fundamental knowledge for anyone dealing with such magic.

Based on Alexia's information, the method to neutralize the spirit was simple: propose a wish that met the criteria but was impossible for it to fulfill.

Alexia understood this without needing any prompting from Jenkins. The reasons for this Cursed Item's sealing would require further investigation, but for now, the priority was dealing with the immediate threat.

"I was once given an exceedingly difficult mathematical problem," Alexia declared. "My wish is for you to provide me with the solution. And I want you to give me the answer directly, not simply arrange for me to meet someone who can."

As she spoke, Alexia extended her right hand, and the blue cube, filled with complex mathematical operators and numerals, immediately materialized in her palm.

A wave of power emanated from it, but the transparent cube merely displayed the problem Jenkins had once posed regarding the pattern of prime numbers, expressed in a flurry of operators. It showed no signs of aggression.

The strange spirit, originally a tranquil blue, flashed white for a split second upon seeing Alexia's problem.

Its affable expression abruptly twisted into one of incomparable ferocity, its features contorting to a terrifying degree. The Cursed Item's mind-corrupting properties flared without restraint, and the sheer horror of that instant even startled Jenkins.

But it only shot Alexia a venomous glare, not attacking her directly. Then, it turned its head toward Miss Stuart and Julia.

The two women instinctively took a step back. Miss Stuart pressed her lips together, her eyes fixed on Jenkins, who was still seated on the sofa.

"And what of your wishes, then, beautiful human women?"

Its expression smoothed, returning to its original benevolent and affable demeanor.

The ladies still did not reply. Jenkins rose from the sofa, moved past the others to the writing desk, and scribbled a few words in a blank space on Miss Stuart's homework before holding it out to her.

But before the princess could take it, the paper abruptly burst into flames. The sudden fire made Miss Stuart flinch back, and Jenkins casually tossed the burning sheet into the nearby fireplace.

The wish-granting spirit extended a long, slender finger and pointed it at Jenkins, its face contorting back into the same ferocious mask it had worn for Alexia.

"Listen here, sir," it snarled. "I am here to grant the wishes of these lovely ladies, not yours. Do not interfere."

Jenkins nodded, his hand in his pocket toying with his pocket watch.

Under the watchful eyes of the three women, he returned to the sofa and sat down. Without a word, he took out his pocket watch and stared intently at its face. He prodded his cat. Chocolate, who had been dozing, got to its feet with great reluctance and, with a flick of a hind leg, kicked the porcelain plate of pastries off the table.

The kick was surprisingly skillful; the plate sailed past the soft carpet and landed on the hard floor. With a loud crash, the expensive, beautiful plate shattered into five pieces.

"Oh, it appears to be permanently damaged."

Jenkins's tone was one of mock reprimand. Then, still holding the watch, he winked at the three women.