Absurd.
Lucian thought that his situation was anything but normal.
The transition from being a regular human to an awakener was like jumping from earth to heaven, and returning to the former was no more unless he sought death.
[ Find a wandering soul and pray for them to find eternal rest. ]
A few hours ago, I was just a gamer living a worthless life, but now, I'm being asked to find a wandering soul... Seriously?
Lucian heaved a deep sigh. Among the seemingly endless classes that an awakener could be, it had to be the one closely related to death.
Fortunately, his desire to at least live for something else and not to be a burden to his sister was stronger, prompting him to thoroughly think of what comes next rather than to continue his senseless whining.
He remembered the story that Samantha had shared with him. In other words, he had no choice but to comply. After all, he would still benefit by doing so.
And if he had to face the consequences of fulfilling these missions, the best thing he could do was to at least face it head-on by himself, without dragging anyone around.
I may be overthinking things. Let's do this.
Lucian calmed his mind; he then proceeded to the next step.
"I am not familiar with ghost stories but to do this, let's get back to the basics."
In this spacious room with a high-quality computer, among other things, Lucian stood from his bed and sat in front of the PC that seemed to have become his year-long companion to escape reality.
After a few seconds, as it turned on, he began to browse the internet and tried to find some tips and information, particularly about ghosts, something that discussed any possible truths behind their existences, where they could be found, and how they came to be.
— Ghosts are difficult to eliminate without holy power. Be careful if you encounter any of them in a dungeon. —
— Spiritual-type monsters are troublesome. Unless you want to die, you need at least a priest or two paladins in a party. Anyone possessing holy-related skills! —
— Ghost! Ghost! Ah! Just like the former world religions that vanished since the arrival of the Era of Heaven, their existences are merely speculative and have no concrete proof. —
"Most of these are accounts based on the awakeners' experiences within a dungeon..."
Lucian pondered.
During the time Samantha was telling him a story, it was not a one-sided interaction as Lucian also asked her a few questions, which included if there were any special undead that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.
— "Undead is undead. Unlike the Shadow Army I've told you about, whether they are ghouls, zombies, or wraiths, no one can escape the eyes of awakeners unless, in certain circumstances, they possess a concealing-type ability."
"Does that mean wandering souls aren't considered undead...?"
Lucian mumbled, his low voice filling the night's chilling air.
Why does it seem unusually colder?
He rubbed his shoulders, only for his heart to almost jump out of his chest-
"Don't you dare compare us souls to those lump of monster bones and flesh..."
...because a frightening yet serene voice echoed just beside him, feeling a freezing breath.
In the next moment...
"Haa. Haa. Haa!"
Thud!
Lucian instinctively moved to the opposite side of the direction of the voice, slumping from his chair as his butt hit the floor.
Gasping for air, his amethyst eyes gazed at the standing figure, who was uncannily familiar. However, he subconsciously crawled backward until he hit the wall.
With his mind in turmoil, the girl in the white dress spoke.
"So you really could see me..."
Lucian gulped.
Pretending to not recognize her would lead him nowhere. Moreover, he needed to complete the absurd [ Daily Quest ] in which the rewards were unstated.
"Y-You... are the girl from before..."
It was the very same person who died in front of him after being hit by a truck, whose blood and other parts of the body landed on his very face gruesomely.
The girl tilted her head as if pondering something.
Can a ghost be rational? Damn it. I don't know anymore.
Upon encountering something that could shake the foundation of a founded belief, especially if it's not fortified, it could come crumbling in an instant like a wall of sand. Just like what Lucian had initially believed, that every ghost was simply a mindless creature who only recalled the last moments of their deaths.
"I'm Kim Sana."
"Y-Yes...? K-Kim Sana. Uhm, what d-do you want?"
Lucian stood and stuttered, his back on the wall.
"I'm dead now... Am I?"
Huh? Didn't she know that?
Momentarily closing his eyes, Lucian let out a deep breath.
As he tried to find composure, he then responded with a nod.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Will this sound weird...?
He then continued.
"But I want to help you find eternal rest."
From being recognized by a wandering soul to offering this very soul to find her rest... Even Lucian couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth.
It was unlike him. But he thought it was some sort of desperation and natural instinct on what to do in this situation he encountered for the first time in his twenty-one years of existence.
Upon muttering those exact words, as if the [ Cosmic Fall System ] was waiting, Lucian received a few notifications.
[ Ding! ]
[ Find out the last desire of the wandering soul, "Kim Sana," and fulfill it. ]
[ After fulfilling it, pray for her to find the rest she deserves. ]
[ May death become every soul's true peace. ]
***
"Really...? You want to help me?"
Kim Sana, a young girl in her early teens, around sixteen to seventeen years old, whose eyes were a pair of shimmering obsidian, with long black hair and a now lightly glowing body in a white dress, asked the newbie necromancer as she remained standing without moving an inch.
Lucian, on the other hand, nodded, albeit reluctantly.
But then, Kim Sana's next words caused his heart to thump even harder.
"Then, punish the one who did this to me!"
Huh?
Is she referring to the truck driver?
That's what Lucian initially thought.
But recalling the moment just before the incident, how this young girl was mindlessly walking on the road, Lucian spoke, his tone serious.
"Tell me what happened."
This time, his composure was inexplicably steadfast.
He sat on the bed, looked at this young soul whom he gestured to sit beside him, and attentively listened to her story.
Kim Sana was newly awakened and, according to her, was promised to be accepted in a guild known as the Black Rose Guild after her awakening.
Guilds were different compared to Clans in the sense that there were only twelve of the latter throughout the world and that each clan was led by an Eternal-Class Awakener collectively known as the Twelve Great Family Heads.
That being said, this lowly Black Rose Guild didn't commit to their promise and left Kim Sana hanging in the air. What's more, she discovered that the debt her mother had accumulated was due to the schemes of the very same guild.
She was promised that they would help her pay off the debts of her mother. However, when the Black Rose Guild discovered that she awakened as a mere Adept-Class, the second lowest among all Class Grade, they abandoned her.
After the debt was accumulated over time, with no proper solution, Kim Sana's mother, who was a normal human, became depressed and was hospitalized.
Even in the world of awakeners, financial crisis remained.
With no way to pay off the accumulating debt and hospital bills, Kim Sana was again approached by the Black Rose Guild's guild master with an enticing offer.
Debt erased.
Medical cost paid.
Listening with everything, Lucian was welcomed to the dark side of the awakener industry.
He was then reminded of the woman who killed his mother and called it a pity because she didn't know someone was stuck in the rubbles.
I wonder where you are...
After absorbing everything that Kim Sana had said, Lucian spoke.
"I hear your story. But first, let me set a rule—I will be the one to decide what kind of punishment he would receive. Is that fine with you? Of course, if you have something in mind, tell me."
Kim Sana didn't think twice and spoke.
"I want someone important to him... gone."
***
On her bed, with both of her hands at the back of her head, Samantha looked at the neat ceiling with her shimmering pink eyes; joy was evident on them.
Expression aside, various thoughts were filling her mind.
She then whispered, the air was her sole listener.
"My skill was undone. Does Oppa really have a status immunity or something? That must mean his Class Grade isn't to scoff at."
As she pondered, this time, her mind spoke as if there were unseen listeners.
Don't tell me, is he telling the truth about being the 13th Eternal-Class?
Samantha instinctively sprung from bed.
"There's just no way, right?"
Unable to sleep, she had decided to sneek up on her brother's room, knowing that he was probably awake at this hour due to his night owl nature.
Arriving in front of the door, while hugging a pillow as she donned her comfortable and usual sleepwear, Samantha sighed before knocking gently.
Knock, knock.
But no one answered.
Don't tell me... Did he leave?!
She grabbed the door's handle and twisted it.
It's open?
In the next moment, Samantha pushed the door as if to surprise Lucian, only for her to see the latter clicking and typing on his computer with his casual gaming face donning a cancelling noise headphones.
Yeah, Eternal-Class my foot. There's no excitement at all.