[Ding!]
[The host's Life Energy has reached a critical low, now at only 30%.]
"What?" Akira exclaimed, his eyes widening as a screen seemed to materialize before him, floating in midair like a hologram.
"What… What is this?" he whispered, watching the system interface flicker as though he'd stepped into a game.
[Welcome to the Ghost Hunting System, host!]
[This system is designed to help you survive... and even reach immortality!]
"Immortality?" Akira murmured, struggling to grasp what he was seeing. "I don't understand..."
His gaze fell upon the details listed on the screen. He felt confused when he absorbed each line.
[Host Status]
[Name: Akira Miyamoto]
[Race: ???]
[Evolution Level: 1]
[Life Force: 50]
[Yin Energy: 70]
[Yin Manifestation: 20]
---
[Skill Information]
[Vulturine Entity]
[The Ghostly Tamer]
[Touch Of Death]
---
[Ghost Information: None]
---
[Three Unsolved Mysteries Available!]
"This… just like a game," he mumbled, almost to convince himself.
His eyes narrowed, focusing on one unsettling detail after another. "Evolution? Why is my race a question mark?"
His heart thumped erratically. "What are Life Force, Yin Energy, and manifestation?"
When the screen didn't respond, but he saw marks beside his profile and decided to poke it. More information blinked into view.
[Life Force (LF) represents the vitality necessary for the host to remain in this world. LF decreases by -20 every day.]
Akira's breath hitched as he read. "So… I'll disappear if I don't gather the Life Force? That explains why my hands are starting to go translucent… But why? Why do I even need this system?"
He thinks back for a while, yesterday he dreamed of being dead and ran away. As it was not enough bad luck, he saw ghosts all over the place and now his hands started to see like spirits he saw.
'This must be because of that foreseen… It's not a dream, I might have really died and back to the past…' He started to theorize.
His stomach churned as the realization sank deeper. He was no longer fully human—and somehow, he would "evolve" into something else.
[To replenish LF, the host must absorb yin energy from humans or ghosts, spirits, or youkai.]
"Youkai…" he whispered, a memory stirring from his mother's words.
"They're more dangerous than any spirit. Cunning, deceptive, and not afraid of daylight."
The memory of his mother's words hit hard, and his heart pounded louder. The image of the ghost who'd murdered his seniors flashed in his mind.
'Was she… a youkai?'
"Ugh… That isn't important right now!" Akira ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it in frustration.
"How the hell am I supposed to absorb energy from youkai… or people? What does that even mean?"
Akira scanned over the skills, fingers hovering above each entry as he read.
[Vulturine Entity: Allows the host to absorb ghost, spirit, or youkai entities when their yin energy is less than 25%.]
"Ah, as I thought," he muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Then he selected the mark for another concept he didn't understand.
[Yin Manifestation (YM) represents the host's power to counter malevolent entities.]
[Yin Energy (YE) will be depleted whenever the host uses some of the skills.]
[Ghost Touch: Allows the host to touch ghosts, spirits, or youkai.]
A small, wry smile flickered across his face, thinking about the possibility of touching a ghost.
"So, does this mean I can actually hit ghosts now?"
He held up his fist, a strange thrill sparking within him. If he came across another ghost, he'd be ready to punch it right in the face.
His thoughts raced as he skimmed over The Ghostly Tamer. "Must be a skill to control ghosts somehow. But how do I even acquire it?" He rubbed his forehead, then moved to the next prompt.
"Unsolved Mysteries, huh?" He muttered, leaning in closer.
---
[Unsolved Mysteries Information]
[A Roommate (One-Star Difficulty): A ghost is lurking in the darkest corners—and one of them is inside your house. Find it to solve this mystery and claim your reward!]
[Lift From Another World (Two-Star Difficulty): Numerous pathways connect to the spirit world. One is the elevator. Use it under specific conditions—at midnight or during rain—to unlock this mystery and earn rewards!]
[The Perfect Akiko (Three-Star Difficulty): Sakuragaoka Academy is known for its seven ghost stories. Some tales are false, others hold truth. Discover the real stories to solve this mystery and gain rewards!]
---
Akira gulped, his hand scratching the back of his neck as he considered his options. He couldn't afford to wait.
If he did, he might not survive until tomorrow.
"In games, you have to finish quests to level up and get good rewards… Maybe these mysteries are like that."
His eyes flickered with determination. "I don't have a choice. I need to solve one of these."
After weighing his choices, Akira settled on the one-star mystery. "Better start small." He tapped the screen, selecting the first quest.
[Ding! The one-star mystery has been selected.]
[Hint: The mirror forms a strong connection to spirits. You may find a 'surprise' lingering within.]
[Time Limit: 14 hours 59 minutes.]
[Warning: Failing to solve this mystery will remove it from the selection permanently.]
Akira slumped back, exhaling sharply. "A mirror…" His gaze shifted across the dim bedroom, finally landing on the mirror in the corner.
"Great, just what I needed. A surprise."
He stepped toward the tall mirror that stood alone in his bedroom, looming like a silent observer.
Rain pattered steadily against the window, but he shut the curtains tight, sealing the room in darkness.
He'd know that ghosts were drawn to the shadows, and if he wanted to summon one, he figured it was best not to leave any light to scare it off.
He gazed into the mirror, seeing only his own reflection staring back at him, slightly distorted in the dim light. He was in front of the mirror for about fifteen minutes and nothing happened.
"Maybe another mirror?"
He decided to look at another mirror in his house, in the bathroom, his studio, another bedroom, and even his reflection in the window.
But nothing.
It has been three hours since he was searching for the ghost but he still didn't find it. He then gets back to his bedroom and watches the mirror again.
"Should I… play that game to summon the ghost?" he muttered to his reflection, eyebrows furrowing thoughtfully.
He remembered the last time he'd tried the game, back when he was still in the Supernatural Club.
Nothing had happened, of course—just an empty mirror and some embarrassed laughter afterward. But it had been easy enough to play, and right now, he needed something simple.
"Though… that one's usually done at midnight," he mused aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He glanced back at the window, hearing the rain's gentle rhythm.
"But… They say rainy days are when spirits are most active in the day." He gave a small shrug, meeting his reflection's gaze once more.
"Guess it's worth a shot."
With that, he turned away from the mirror, rummaging through a drawer in search of a candle.
The room was silent, save for the rain outside, and Akira didn't notice that his reflection hadn't turned with him.
Instead, it lingered, its eyes locked on him with an unsettling stillness, a smile beginning to twist across its face—cold, sharp, and unlike any smile Akira himself had ever worn.
The reflection's gaze followed his every movement with something sinister in his eyes.