Ultimate Evolution I Became the Master of the World
Chapter 45 Jane Alvarez

'Alright, first things first, I gotta deal with this ghost and make sure I'm safe. As long as I don't tap into the ghost inside me, it's not a loss. Plus, that guy Ethan seems pretty special. I wanna see what makes him tick and if there's anything I can

learn from him.' Michael thought.

Michael watched the group running away, his face totally blank.

If he had used the Ghost Realm just now, he could've whisked these people outta here in no time.

But that would've been a dumb move with no upside. Michael wasn't about to do that.

He'd only step in when these folks were at their most desperate and scared.

Got the most bang for his buck with the least effort.

People didn't value stuff that came too easy, so he didn't even bother negotiating earlier.

Let Mr. Wagner sweat it out first, then it'd be easier to talk. Plus, there was Ethan sniffing around for business too.

If this ghost turned out to be a tough nut, Michael would just bail and let Ethan handle it. After all, that guy was here for the ghost.

Not worth fighting over. Using the ghost's power too much would just speed up his own demise.

After mulling it over, Michael grabbed his flashlight and casually headed to the restroom.

As he was holding the flashlight in his mouth and taking a leak, the light hit a corner of the restroom, and he suddenly saw a foot sticking out from the last stall. The foot was in black stockings, small and slender, definitely a woman's foot. 'What's a woman's foot doing in the men's restroom? Is it some perv, or another corpse?' Michael was taken aback as he thought about this. He cautiously walked over with the flashlight and carefully opened the door to take a look. Inside the stall was a woman curled up, wearing a white blouse and a short skirt, probably a mall employee. Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed. It was hard to tell if she was dead.

He reached out to check her breathing.

She was still breathing, not dead.

Michael was surprised. If she had been a corpse, he wouldn't have been shocked, but she was alive.

He had seen the mall staff over the past couple of days. Even if he didn't know all of them, he would've at least recognized them. But he was sure he hadn't seen this woman before. Because she was quite pretty.

The female staff in the mall weren't particularly memorable, making them easy to forget.

"Hey, wake up." Michael nudged her.

After a bit, the woman slowly came to. But when she saw Michael, her eyes went wide with fear, and she shrank back like she'd seen a ghost, trying to scream. Michael quickly covered her mouth.

"Don't scream. If you attract the ghost, you're the one who's gonna die," Michael said urgently, keeping her mouth covered.

Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, Michael got ready to leave.

"Wait," the woman behind him suddenly said.

She grabbed Michael's hand, looking up with fear and unease. "Are you human?"

"Of course I'm human. Otherwise, would I be standing here talking to you?" Michael said. "Are you a mall employee?"

"I'm the mall's accountant, Jane Alvarez. Who are you, why are you here, and why are you dressed like this?" Jane asked, still holding onto Michael's hand.

Michael chuckled, "I'm the new security guard. I came here to use the restroom. Why else would I be here? But you, a woman, hiding in the men's restroom with a foot sticking out, scared the crap outta me. I thought it was a dead body." "There are ghosts outside. I'm too scared to go out. I've been hiding here for four days, surviving on a pack of cookies and tap water. I'm starving. Do you have any food?" Jane said.

"Hold on, let me check." Michael patted his pockets. "I don't have any food, but there's food outside. How about we go out?"

"But there are ghosts outside," Jane said, her face showing fear.

"You know there are ghosts outside, so you've seen one?" Michael quickly asked, "What does it look like? Where is it?"

If Jane had really seen the ghost, it would be a huge help.

A ghost you could spot and identify wasn't as scary. At least you could keep an eye out for it.

The worst ones were the ghosts you couldn't replace.

Jane nodded.

"Then spill it. There's a haunting going on outside. If this isn't sorted out soon, I'm out a million bucks," Michael said.

Jane hesitated, "Give me something to eat first. I'm starving."

"Didn't expect you to bargain," Michael said, giving her a peculiar look. "But seeing how pitiful you are, I'll get you something to eat first."

He immediately left the restroom.

The first floor of the mall was empty, but there were noises coming from upstairs, meaning Mr. Wagner's group hadn't left yet.

Michael grabbed some cookies, snacks, and water from a closed snack shop and headed back to the restroom.

Seeing the food, Jane's eyes lit up, and she tore into the packaging like a starving wolf.

In no time, the food was gone.

"Got any more?" Jane asked, looking at Michael expectantly.

"Nope, except for a sausage," Michael replied.

"Where is it? Give it to me," Jane demanded urgently.

"Can't you see it?" Michael looked down.

Jane gave him a seductive look, "If you can get me out of here, I wouldn't mind."

Michael glanced at her, about to refuse, but then he stopped himself.

Though Jane looked a bit haggard, she was indeed quite attractive, a solid seven out of ten. She had that mature woman's charm, with a slender waist and curvy hips.

Michael snapped back to reality, silently thinking, 'Oh my god. Female allure is truly terrifying.'

"Anyway, you said you saw the ghost? Can you tell me what it looks like or what kind of entity it is?" he quickly changed the subject.

Jane seemed to recall a terrifying memory and said with some fear, "It was four days ago. I was working in the mall as usual. That day, I went to the restroom and happened to see Emily, the cashier. I was about to leave the restroom when I saw her outside. At first, she was shaking her head in front of the mirror. I found it strange and was about to ask her when I suddenly saw her take her head off."

"I mean literally. Like a doll, she lifted her head with both hands and took it off. I was scared stiff. When she put her head back on, I ran out of the restroom." Jane gestured with her hands, her emotions agitated.

Then she went on, "But as soon as I left the restroom, Emily turned and looked at me. I was so scared that I accidentally ran into the men's restroom and have been hiding here ever since. I thought about running out, but every time I saw Emily sitting nearby, waiting for me outside the restroom. If I go out, she'll kill me. I heard that ghosts don't dare enter men's restrooms, so I stayed here to stay safe."

Michael immediately said, "It can't be. She can't be a ghost."

"I'm not lying. It was really her. I saw it with my own eyes," Jane insisted. "You have to believe me."

"It's not that I don't believe you, but I trust my eyes more. Emily is already dead," Michael said seriously.

The head that rolled in the mall earlier was Emily's.

If she were a ghost, how could she have lost her head? Did ghosts have suicidal tendencies?

"It's true. She really took her head off. I saw it clearly," Jane said.

"Wait, someone's coming," Michael suddenly said, covering her mouth and turning off the flashlight.

In the darkness, footsteps approached the restroom.

The sound of footsteps was normal, just like a regular person walking.

Something was off. Michael's expression tightened.

The first floor of the mall was empty. Even if someone were there, the footsteps wouldn't be so calm in the pitch-black environment. Could it be Emily? He thought of the head in the mall that reeked of decay.

If Emily were really a ghost, it wouldn't be impossible.