CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: MISSION COMPLETE

Wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and a black hoodie, Zayden left with his car.

His destination was the Live House Screaming Hollow.

There, it was common to play music from the aggressive Screamo subgenre.

Right at the entrance, he saw the sign: Screaming Hollow.

’I feel a strong vibration of negative thoughts in this place...’

Zayden had become sensitive to this ever since he acquired the ’Heightened Perception’ ability.

At the entrance, there was a tall, strong guy.

After parking the car, Zayden went to the entrance and was stopped.

"Ticket, please," the security guard requested.

Without saying a single word, Zayden took out a ten-thousand-yen note and placed it in the guard’s hand.

"You can go in," he allowed Zayden to pass.

"This is the part for all the girls who are like you

This is the part where all the guys will think you’re cool

This is the part where you want the girls to think you’re cute

This is the part where you want the guys to think you’re cool

But you’re not, no, because you suck!!!"

As soon as he entered, he heard the powerful voice of a singer covering an band.

Even though the song’s lyrics literally said "you suck," the crowd was going wild, screaming and headbanging with hand gestures.

Zayden observed for just a few seconds and already managed to spot at least ten obsessive ghosts.

While the music played, the crowd went crazy, and the smell of alcohol rose, Zayden made a gun shape with his hand, and at the tip of his finger, spiritual power condensed.

He aimed at an obsessive ghost of the human type. The number [2] was visible.

*Whoosh!*

When the shot was fired, no one noticed... Or at least, no human did.

The obsessive ghost noticed when the shot was fired and opened its mouth enormously. The ’tear’ in its mouth was visible as it opened abnormally and screamed.

When the spiritual bullet hit the ghost, it worked, but not entirely. And, somehow, the scream alerted the other obsessive ghosts.

They all turned and looked in the same direction, even if they didn’t know whether it was him or not; it was a fact that they were looking in the right direction.

Flying, the one Zayden hit floated toward him while its tattered clothes danced in the wind.

The rest followed.

There were more than ten ghosts coming toward him.

Strangely, Zayden managed to stay calm.

There were many, but he wasn’t afraid.

He breathed and sighed.

’Nitōryū,’ he thought.

Soon, spiritual power condensed at the tips of his index fingers.

Aiming at the ghost he had hit before, he fired and targeted another one at level 1.

*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

[+1 EXP!]

The level 2 ghost spun in the air and narrowly escaped; the level 1 ghost wasn’t so lucky.

Using the ’Heightened Perception’ ability to its fullest, he found himself moving backward without looking, dodging people, and shooting.

*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

[+1 EXP!]

[+1 EXP!]

[+1 EXP!]

Three more level 1 ghosts were gone.

Moving sideways like a crab, he kept shooting.

The level 2 ghost still managed to dodge skillfully.

There was a level 3 ghost that also started chasing him.

It had an appearance very reminiscent of a reaper. All in black with red eyes without pupils.

Aiming at the level 2 ghost, he fired four consecutive shots.

*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

*Pow!*

*Dum!*

"Haaaar!"

The ghost managed to dodge the first and second shots, but the third hit its forearm, and the fourth hit its head.

Before disappearing, the ghost screamed loudly.

[+2 EXP!]

───────────

[Hidden Mission: [First ’Death’] successfully completed!]

[Reward:

[2x [Mysterious Silver Gift Boxes]]

───────────

The level 1 ghosts fled upon seeing several of them, including a level 2, being eliminated.

However, the level 3 ghost didn’t flee, but it also didn’t approach; it just circled him cautiously.

’The higher the level, the higher the intelligence of these things?’

"Y-You... You... You can... You can..."

Suddenly, the level 3 ghost opened its mouth, seeming to want to say something to him.

It was at that moment that the music stopped, and a new band was introduced.

"Here they are... Crimson Petals!"

The moment this announcement was made, the level 3 ghost turned to the stage and became dazed.

"S-She... S-She... I... S-She..."

Like something magnetic, the level 3 ghost started floating toward the stage, or more precisely, toward the tattooed lead singer with blue and white hair, a nose piercing, lip piercing, eyebrow piercing, and heavy black makeup.

The emblem on Zayden’s hand activated, and he used the first gear, taking advantage of the ghost’s moment of distraction to move very quickly.

When he got right below the ghost, there was a ball of spiritual power in the palm of his hand.

The sphere underwent a repulsion effect and shot from his hand toward the creature’s head.

*Whoosh!*

"Garh?"

When the creature noticed, it was too late!

*DUM!*

[+3 EXP!]

He saw the moment the creature’s head exploded like a balloon. The ghost’s body began to disintegrate.

The ashes fell on the people, but no one noticed them.

It was as if nothing had happened, and even his strange actions went unnoticed.

The crowd screamed loudly as the five-girl band ’Crimson Petals’ started playing.

"Idiot!!"

That was the first word shouted by the singer. And then came several "Idiot!" followed by "My body is on fire, your body is on fire...!"

Zayden started to leave.

...

Outside, Zayden’s heart was beating hard in his chest.

Being able to take down several obsessive ghosts was something new for him.

Even though he managed to stay calm during the moment, it didn’t mean he felt nothing.

However, he had confidence in himself.

The fact that he still had spiritual power left and hadn’t used the power of the emblems gave him that confidence. In the worst-case scenario, he would’ve been able to escape.

But it also made him think: ’I shouldn’t take risks in places with so many of these creatures.’

He may have been lucky this time, but he couldn’t expect it to always be like that.

’Well, I achieved my goal,’ he thought.