Chapter 4: New Job (Part 1)

On the first floor, Tommy, Cleran and Leo were still nonchalantly watching movies and eating popcorn on the big screen TV in the hotel lobby. The movie they were watching was The Lone Ranger (2013), Tommy said:

"Damn, I mean, it's underrated. It's not great, but it's great for entertaining at the end of the day."

Cleran replied:

"Old man, you've seen this movie for the 69th time."

Tommy said:

"Good movies must always be rewatched or they lose their artistic value."

Charlie the monkey dipped its head in a bag of popcorn to eat it all. Leo was repeatedly hit in the face by popcorn even though it went through him, he was annoyed and said:

"Ah shit, when Ethan and Madam just finished talking. It's been over thirty minutes, no noise or anything."

Tommy replied:

"Relax, I guarantee that kid will get this job."

Cleran said with laziness:

"Geez, if he could, I wouldn't have to stay up late to work as a receptionist."

Suddenly the elevator opened and Madam and Ethan stepped out, the other three hurriedly hid their popcorn and turned off the TV then ran to them. Tommy said with enthusiasm:

"You know what I mean, don't you? He's perfect for the job."

Madam approached Tommy and said:

"Yes, he is. But..."

Madam quickly pulled a kitchen knife from Tommy's belt and stabbed it in the middle of his chest. Tommy lay on the ground and died, then Tommy's soul flew out of his body and he said dejectedly:

"Come on, what did I do wrong? We need more people."

Leo was about to quietly escape but was pulled back by Madam's chain magic, he could only smile wryly and said:

"I agree with this month there is no salary."

Madam looked at the two of them with cold, angry eyes, Tommy was still very carefree but Leo was terrified. Madam said angrily:

"You two brought an innocent person here. And want him to get a job he hasn't decided on whether or not?!"

Tommy replied:

"Basically, yes, he can totally do the job. I'm sure, not lying. And he already agreed in the car."

Madam sighed and said:

"Yes, I've already agreed to hire Ethan. But his experience is still too little so you two should make sure he gets the best for hunting."

Tommy replied:

"Alright, alright. Pull out the knife, please."

Madam coldly withdrew the knife from Tommy's chest and his soul immediately returned to his body. Ethan screamed in fear:

"Ugh! AHH! He just died then came back!"

Madam gave Tommy the knife and said:

"Three and a half minutes, very close. Next time I'll let you die faster."

Tommy took his knife back and replied:

"I'm sure you will, Madam."

Ethan saw that the wound on Tommy's chest had healed very quickly. Madam said:

"So Ethan, take some rest, tomorrow morning is your first working day, remember to prepare everything to welcome guests."

Ethan bowed to Madam and replied respectfully:

"Yes, Madam!"

Madam continued:

"And here's your salary this month first."

Madam took out two Gold Coins, on the face of the coin was an eye with wings. Madam threw it to Ethan and he took it, Ethan studied it and thought:

"Wow, it's shimmering."

Then Madam said:

"And Leo, I agree to your condition, no salary this month."

Leo was shocked like a lost soul (Ah forgot, he was already a ghost), he said with inner pain and a smile on his lips:

"Yes... MADAM!"

Madam said:

"Well then, everyone get some rest, tomorrow morning is another day. And I want to make sure everything is perfect before dawn."

Everyone bowed to Madam and said in unison:

"Yes, Madam!"

Madam returned to her floor. Leo knelt on the floor and screamed in pain:

"Not again! It's the 20th time! When will I have enough Gold Coins to go to Path of Eternal!"

Ethan held up a Gold Coin and said:

"Ah, you mean this thing? You can take a dime from me, it's partly my fault that you got a pay cut this month."

Leo quickly grabbed the coin and said:

"Oh Ethan, I'm so thankful and grateful to you for this. But if I could..."

Ethan replied with curiosity:

"What can I do for you?"

Suddenly Leo flew up and said with cunning:

"Give me all your Gold Coins!!!"

Ethan was startled and backed down, but Cleran lunged forward and kicked Leo hard in the face. Leo lay on the floor and passed out. Cleran said:

"Stupid guy."

Ethan scratched his head and said:

"Sorry, sorry. For letting you help me."

Cleran said nothing and coldly left. Tommy said:

"Haiz, don't mind her, she doesn't talk much. So, this way Ethan, staff rest room."

Ethan nodded and followed Tommy, Cleran returned to the front desk and Leo fainted on the floor. They went to an elevator opposite the elevator that went up to the hotel floors and went inside. Tommy said:

"We have our own elevator and the hotel has three floors below. -1 floor is our rest room or storage. -2 floor is the electrical room, providing electricity for both the hotel and the facilties. And the -3 floor is the most mysterious, only Madam knows so don't ask me. We will go to -1 floor first."

Tommy and Ethan went down to floor -1, when the elevator doors opened, in front of them was a short hallway with bright fluorescent lights and a left turn, with empty cardboard boxes on the floor. They went ahead and turned left, continuing a longer corridor but clearly seeing the other end, on the corridor were wooden doors to the hotel's inventory. Tommy led Ethan to a wooden door with a "Rest Room" sign on top, he said:

"Here we are. Come in."

Tommy opened the door and took Ethan into the staff rest room. It was a large room with three sofas and a glass table in the middle of the room. In the left corner of the room were five tall lockers, there was a clothesline hanging in the lower left corner and drying Tommy or Cleran's clothes. Near the lockers was a desk filled with someone's unfinished papers. In the right corner of the room was the shared toilet, nearby was a bucket and broom and mop, there was a small kitchen corner in the lower right corner of the room. On the door hung a clock, it was now two o'clock in the morning, and around there were pictures of many other people, probably former employees of the hotel. Also the room was a bit messy and dirty. Tommy said:

"Never mind that mess, you'll sleep here tonight, I'll give you some pillows and blankets."

Ethan went to sit on the sofa and Tommy opened the locker in the corner and pulled out a pillow and blanket, he said:

"This is all we have, there are usually very few people here, so there are not many things. Take it."

Tommy threw the pillow and blanket at Ethan and he caught it with one hand, he dropped it on the sofa and said:

"Thank you, Tommy."

Tommy replied:

"You can call me Tom for short. Anyways, take the sleep and you can temporarily leave the urn on the table. You too Charlie."

Ethan put the urn on the table and dropped the bag on the floor. Then he put the pillow and lay down, he said:

"Wow, so soft. It's been a while since I slept on something so soft."

Tommy smiled slightly and replied:

"Yeah, fine for you. So good night, I'll have some whiskey to warm me up first."

Ethan said:

"Good night Tom."

Tommy smirked and left the room. Ethan covered his blanket and Charlie lay on top of him and slept. Ethan shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. Then he closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes again and looked up at the ceiling again. Ethan remembered when Madam decided to make him an employee of the hotel. Ethan said with panic:

"But wait, I told you I didn't want this job. Please, I don't want to have to kill Evil Spirits whose people were unjustly killed."

Madam replied calmly:

"Did I not make it clear? My orders are unique and absolute, you cannot dispute them."

Ethan said as if controlled:

"Yes, Madam."

Ethan was surprised because his mouth said it on its own. Madam said:

"Sorry Ethan, your ability has bound you to stay here forever. You have to work here. Or if you don't agree then..."

Madam pointed the revolver at Ethan, he couldn't move and dodged. Madam continued:

"You will die, and I will never hesitate because there will be more people who can see ghosts like you.

You see, this is not an agreement, but rather a mandatory invitation."

Ethan gulped because he was afraid of Madam's power, he said with concern:

"Yes, Madam. I understand."

Madam released Ethan and threw the revolver at him. Ethan caught it and looked at Madam, she said:

"It's yours now. Use it to destroy Evil Spirits. But since I also understand that what you want is to save those innocent people, I give you this."

Madam held out a Gold Coin, Ethan was fascinated by that coin, Madam said:

"Look at it, gorgeous, isn't it. But it's not real gold, it's made from the purity of the soul. A Gold Coin is generated from ten ghosts when they are at peace and travel to the Path of Eternal. And if you have a thousand Gold Coins, you will get a place to the Path of Eternal, despite your sins in the process of obtaining them."

Ethan replied with curiosity:

"But what do I really need it for?"

Madam said:

"To baptize Evil Spirits. A Gold Coin is indeed capable of saving unjust souls in an Evil Spirit.

When you pick up an Evil Coin, pair it with a Gold Coin, you will learn about the reason the Evil Spirit was created, specifically its past, then you can save a person in it. But that's up to you to decide."

Ethan replied:

"But in Path of Punishment, they don't forgive people who die unjustly like suicide?"

Madam said:

"Oh Ethan, it's not suicide that's a sin, it's disapproval and remorse that is a sin. When they die, they do not accept that they are dead, so they want to drag many innocent people, even their families, to die with them. That is already a sin. Those who commit suicide when they die regret their actions, it is also a sin to bring bad things to those who stay in the human world. In the Path of Punishment, all sins are punished equally, even the smallest. But you Ethan, if you want to, save them who deserve a second chance to change themselves, make them live again, lead them to Path of Eternal."

Madam waved her pipe and appeared on the table a sheet of paper and a quill and a bottle of ink. Madam took a quill, dipped it in ink and wrote it down on a piece of paper into an employment contract. She said coldly:

"Read it, and sign it."

Ethan picked up the contract and read:

"I, Ethan Vend. From now on, I will become an employee of Hotel Melody. My duties will be receptionist, carry luggage and bring food to the room, clean the corridors and hotel rooms and hunt Evil Spirits.

My remuneration guaranteed by Madam was two Gold Coins a month and five thousand dollars a day. I will work seven days a week with no days off and until I complete my mission.

I swear in the name of the Demon King Zen and the Chosen One Morbias Great to be faithful and hard working at Hotel Melody, protecting and bringing pure souls to the Path of Eternal and destroying and sending the Evil Spirits down the Path of Punishment.

Sign "

Ethan read through the contract, the quill flew up and into his hand. Ethan closed his eyes and opened them, then determinedly said:

"I want to add one more thing in this contract, I want to save the people who died unjustly. If possible please let me do it, please."

Madam nodded and the contract added one more thing to Ethan's job and responsibility to rescue the unjustly dead souls in Evil Spirits. Ethan looked down at the signature and put the quill in it. Ethan was now looking at his Colt 1872 SAA revolver and his first Gold Coin, he thought to himself:

"If there's a possibility to change something, someone. I don't regret to keep doing it no matter how hard it is."

Ethan put the gun on the table and put the coin in his pocket. He looked up at the ceiling again as if thinking about his future. Then Ethan sighed wearily and said:

"I finally got a decent job. And it was weird. And I feel like I've been attached to this job for real."

Ethan closed his eyes and fell asleep. But suddenly Tommy burst into the room and shouted:

"It's time to shop! Let's go!"

Ethan opened his eyes, his eyes red as if he hadn't slept for long. It was four o'clock in the morning and Ethan said with confusion:

"What?!!!!"