Imaginary vengeful spirit [Bonus chapter 0.5]
Their destination was Daejeon-gu, quite far from the high school; it took them almost two hours to drive there. This century-old hot spring inn is famous because it has a natural hot spring, attracting many visitors.
However, it's currently the off-season for tourism, so there are fewer people staying in hotels than usual.
After the incident, someone reported it to the police. Due to the seriousness of the matter, the police station in Ota Ward immediately dispatched officers to investigate. The officer in charge of the case, Officer Ita, was a seasoned veteran. He was physically fit and, despite being nearly forty, maintained a good daily fitness routine. He stood outside the hot spring hotel in his police uniform.
After getting out of the car, the assistant supervisor went straight up to Officer Ita and started talking to him.
Tsurumi Kawaru stood outside the century-old hot spring inn, looking up at the grayish-black miasma swirling in the air. He stared at it for a few seconds, then turned to Natsuyuki, who was standing beside him: "Is this caused by a cursed spirit?"
He had encountered this filthy, sticky, and slippery filth before when he exorcised that level-two cursed spirit. The foul-smelling, dirty liquid would burst and splash from the cursed spirit's body, but once the cursed spirit was exorcised, these residual filth would disappear into the air.
Xia Youjie's expression was somewhat serious. He glanced coldly at the foul air swirling above the inn and nodded solemnly: "Yes, the cursed spirit inside is a bit troublesome. Its strength has probably reached level one."
Xia Youjie had previously subdued a level one cursed spirit by chance, so he had a general understanding of level one cursed spirits. However, the aura of the cursed spirit in the hotel was much stronger than that of the level one cursed spirit he had subdued.
Tsurumi Kawa was slightly taken aback, and looked up at the foul air in the sky.
At that moment, Gojo Satoru walked over, squeezed between the two, stretched out his arms and put them on their shoulders, and said in a carefree and arrogant manner: "What's wrong with you two? This is our first mission, don't look so serious."
The white-haired boy finished speaking with a grin, then glanced at the hot spring inn in front of him, his smile widening: "Not bad, it's actually a simulated vengeful spirit. Jay, do you want it?"
"Imaginary vengeful spirit," Tsurumi Kawakami turned to look at him, puzzled.
Gojo Satoru: "It's the kind of curse that comes from the fears in human imagination, like the ghost stories about Hanako in the toilet, the slit-mouthed woman, and the scissor man."
Upon hearing his explanation, Tsurumi Kawakami suddenly understood. Looking at the foul air hanging over the inn, he said, "So the imaginary vengeful spirit inside is also a curse born from ghost stories."
Xia Youjie paused, took out his phone from his pocket, and searched for paranormal events related to this long-established hot spring hotel.
Gojou knew what he was thinking as soon as he took out his phone, and leaned closer to look at it. Tsurumi Kawaru paused for a second, then came over and clung to Xia Youjie, the three of them looking at the information that popped up on the phone.
"This hot spring inn has quite a few paranormal incidents." Gojo Satoru looked at the screen full of rumors and pulled down his sunglasses with some surprise.
Xia Youjie scrolled through the screen and clicked on the most popular one: "...Legend has it that after midnight, no matter where you are in the inn, as long as you put your hands together and call out 'Hot Spring Granny' three times, you will receive a plate of delicious wagashi (Japanese sweets)..."
Tsurumi Kawakami's eyes lit up, then he realized what was happening, glanced at the screen strangely, and looked up at them, saying, "This ghost story isn't scary at all, and there are even free wagashi (Japanese sweets) to eat."
Gojo Satoru was a little puzzled, so he snatched Natsumi's phone and continued reading: "Hmm, this is more like a hotel enshrining some kind of being than a ghost story. Many people here are here for this 'hot spring granny'."
Xia Youjie looked up at the hotel, took the phone back from Wujiao Wu, and said with a serious expression, "No matter what the 'Hot Spring Granny' is, I think we'd better exorcise the cursed spirit inside as soon as possible. I have a feeling something is wrong."
Distracted by this, Tsurumi Kawakami also regained his composure. He turned back to look at the inn shrouded in foul air, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart.
At this moment, the assistant superintendent, who had finished speaking with Officer Ita, came over and whispered to them: "It is now confirmed that a total of 54 people, including staff, are trapped inside the hotel... I'll leave the rest to you."
After saying that, the assistant supervisor began to set up the accounts.
"Born from darkness..."
After reciting the incantation for the tent, Tsurumi River saw a huge, black, glass-like object that completely covered the hot spring inn from top to bottom.
After the tents were set up, the inn seemed to change completely, becoming dark, filled with foul odors, and eerily abandoned as if it had been abandoned for many years. The aura of the cursed spirit immediately became clear, and that filthy, foul odor was everywhere.
"Let's go, let's meet this cursed spirit." Gojo Satoru took the lead and entered the hotel, which had undergone a complete transformation.
Xia Youjie waited for Tsurumi Kawaru for a moment, and then the two of them followed Gojo Satoru's footsteps.
Although the hot spring hotel had changed a lot, the basic layout remained the same. As soon as they entered, they saw the stained lobby. The once clean and bright floor had turned yellow, and dark red dried liquid had splattered on the walls and ceiling.
Tsurumi Kawaru looked at what was on the ground, paused, turned to look at Xia Youjie and the others, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. If he wasn't mistaken, this should be dried blood.
Gojo Satoru, who was walking at the front, noticed his unnatural expression, turned his head to look at him, and said, "That's right, this should be blood. Someone is probably dead here."
The white-haired boy wore sunglasses, making it impossible to see the emotions in his eyes. Although a smile still lingered on his playful face, Tsurumi Kawaru's intuition told him that Gojo Satoru was not in a good mood.
At this moment, Xia Youjie took a hotel brochure from the front desk not far away. The first page had a complete floor plan in the lower right corner.
"Wu, let's split up." He had obviously heard what was said earlier and was worried about the trapped ordinary people. "I'll go to the right with Liu."
Upon mentioning his name, Tsurumi Kawaru turned to look at Natsumi Yujie, who nodded in agreement to split up.
Gojo Satoru casually pushed up his sunglasses with one hand in his pocket, saying coolly, "Let's have a competition to see who can exorcise it first."
The three split up, with Tsurumi Kawaru following behind Natsuyuki, and the two strode towards the natural hot springs on the right. Because they were natural hot springs, even after the incident at the inn, the springs still emitted heat, steam rose, and the air was filled with moisture and the unique aroma of natural hot springs.
Tsurumi Kawaru pulled at his collar and fanned himself; the temperature here was higher than outside, and he soon began to sweat. His gaze swept over the open doors, and as he passed a hot spring room, he glanced inside. The room's occupant seemed to be in a hurry and flustered state; the chair was tilted to one side, and a white bath towel was hanging on the armrest.
The other room was in a mess, with the room's owner's personal belongings scattered on the floor: a cartoon wallet, a phone covered in rhinestones, and a high heel.
Tsurumi Kawakami's gaze suddenly paused. He stopped and called out to the person in front of him: "Jay—"
He glanced at Xia Youjie, who had stopped and turned to look at him, then strode into the room. Tsurumi Kawaru walked around the scattered items on the floor, his gaze following the high heel to the bathroom door where the shower was located. He stepped on the non-slip mat at the door and vaguely saw a figure lying inside through the half-open glass door.
Tsurumi Kawakami didn't push the door open; he could already smell the strong stench of blood emanating from inside.
Xia Youjie, who had walked over a step later, also realized the problem. His hand, which was hanging at his side in preparation for releasing the spell, suddenly clenched. He glanced at Tsurumi Kawaru, who was standing at the door with his lips pursed, took a step forward, blocked the other's view with one hand, and pushed open the glass door of the shower room with the other hand over his shoulder—
A young woman's corpse lay with her back against the wall, facing the doorway. She had been dead for some time, and lividity was visible on her exposed arms and legs. A fruit knife was stuck in her chest, and blood stained her clothes.
She stared wide-eyed, her expression one of utter astonishment.
Xia Youjie quickly scanned the area and his conclusion made him frown. He pulled Tsurumi Kawaru away from the shower room, his voice filled with a chilling coldness: "It wasn't a cursed spirit; someone killed her."
Tsurumi Kawakami nodded, seemingly unsurprised. He led Xia Youjie outside and pointed to the high heel on the ground, saying, "She must have been knocked unconscious by the heel; there's blood on it."
Tsurumi Kawakami stopped in his tracks because he saw the bloodstains on the high heels.
Hearing his words, Xia Youjie frowned and looked at the red high heels on the ground. After a closer look, he realized that there were indeed some faint bloodstains on the heels.
Xia Youjie looked at him with some surprise, then took out his phone and called Wutiao Wu to tell him about the situation.
"This is a bit of a problem. There's been a murder at the hotel, and we don't know anything about that imaginary vengeful spirit." Xia Youjie, who had just entered the world of sorcery, hadn't been assimilated yet, and the thought of calling the police came to his mind immediately after seeing the murder.
Thinking of the police officer he had just met outside, Xia Youjie began to suspect that this hot spring hotel might not have been known because of the cursed spirit, but because of a murder that had occurred there.
Tsurumi Kawakami understood the seriousness of the situation, and his expression turned serious. He and Natsumi Yujie quickly checked the remaining rooms with a stern face. They found neither the trapped person nor the imagined vengeful spirit.
Just then, Xia Youjie's cell phone rang. It was Gotiao Wu calling.
As soon as the call connected, I heard terrified screams from the crowd on the other end, followed by Gojo Satoru's arrogant and unrestrained voice.
"Jay, I won! Both the person and the cursed spirit are with me." Gojo Satoru said with a hint of pride. "You and Ryu, come over here now. I've already notified the assistant supervisors outside. This cursed spirit is quite interesting."
The call was quickly disconnected. Tsurumi Kawakami and Natsumi Yuuki exchanged a glance and ran towards Gojo Satoru.
Meanwhile, on the other side, time rewinds ten minutes—
After parting ways with Xia Youjie and the others, Gojo Satoru walked straight down the corridor. With his six eyes, he could accurately analyze the flow of cursed power, so he quickly found the room with the most cursed power.
After blasting the door open, the moment he saw the room, Gojo Satoru's face clearly showed confusion. He even took off his sunglasses and looked directly at the room with his six eyes.
The seven or eight people in the room, along with a cursed spirit, had different expressions when they saw Gojo Satoru.
The couple who ran the inn were the first to react. They hid in a corner behind a cabinet, looking panicked, glancing at Gojo Satoru at the door while staring at the others in fear.
Gojo Satoru looked at the three groups of people facing off in the room. Five men and women stood together, each holding sticks or other weapons they had somehow acquired. Standing opposite them was a tall, muscular man who clearly had a habit of working out. He held a cold, menacing knife in his hand with a fierce look in his eyes.
Diagonally opposite them was the imagined vengeful spirit—an old woman in a light gray kimono, with silver hair coiled at the back of her head, four eyes, and a plate of Japanese sweets in her hand.
What puzzled Gojo Satoru was that this hypothetical vengeful spirit was subtly protecting others. But was that possible? How could a cursed spirit, born from negative human emotions, possibly protect humans?
Before Gojo Satoru could react, the burly man wielding the long sword seemed enraged, brandishing his weapon and charging directly at the five people opposite him. In an instant, a terrified scream rang out, and the imaginary vengeful spirit also moved, throwing the wagashi (Japanese sweets) in her hand at the man. The wide sleeves of her kimono fluttered without wind, and her cursed power wrapped around the man's wrists and limbs.
Gojo Satoru blinked his six eyes, took out his phone and sent a text message to the assistant supervisor, and then called Natsumi Yukichi.
“…This cursed spirit is interesting.” After saying that, he hung up the phone, stepped forward, grabbed the muscular man by the collar with one hand, knocked him unconscious, and dragged him aside.
Then, like someone observing some rare species, Gojo Satoru cornered the cursed spirit against the wall.
The others stared at him in bewilderment. The couple hiding behind the cabinet realized what was happening, glanced at the open door, and then ran towards the door in unison.
"I suggest you guys don't wander around, you might run into something." Gojo Satoru didn't even turn his head. "I've already notified them, you can leave in a bit."
As soon as he finished speaking, the couple who had run to the door looked at Gojo Satoru with suspicion and then withdrew their feet and went back.
Because the cursed spirit hadn't been exorcised, the filth and foul air in the hotel hadn't disappeared; the eerie and terrifying atmosphere remained. The other five men and women exchanged glances, and a bespectacled, overworked young man stepped out.
"Excuse me, are you a professional who specializes in handling these kinds of issues?"
Ordinary people don't normally have the ability to see cursed spirits; they can only do so when they are near death or within a specific area. However, because of some past events, they can now see the hot spring granny.
As if reminded, Gojo Satoru turned and glanced at them, then his gaze shifted to the couple who ran the inn: "Hey, what's going on with the onsen grandma?"
The couple clearly knew what was going on. When they heard Gojo Satoru's question, they exchanged a glance, their eyes flickering as they shook their heads without answering.
Gojo Satoru clicked his tongue and looked at them with an extremely oppressive gaze. Just then, a short-haired girl next to him suddenly spoke up.
"The story of the 'Hot Spring Granny' has only been circulating in recent years. Originally, this hot spring inn was almost sold due to poor management, but at that time, the story of the 'Hot Spring Granny' came out, attracting many people, and the inn's business improved as a result."
Seeing the surprised looks on everyone's faces, the short-haired girl pushed up her glasses and explained seriously, "I am a paranormal enthusiast."
Upon hearing her words, Gojo Satoru became even more curious about this imagined vengeful spirit.
At this moment, Xia Youjie and Tsurumi Kawaru also rushed over.
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I've already posted a pre-order link for "After Drawing an Identity Card, I Became the Strongest" in my author page.
Synopsis: You've played a game called "Spellcaster Life Simulator," where you start by drawing identities and talents, experiencing vastly different lives.
You venture into the hidden underworld of the game, where cursed spirits reside, but you can't seem to draw the special identity card. After restarting the game countless times as an ordinary player, frustrated by the lack of enjoyment, you angrily spend money on in-game purchases, and this time you finally get the identity card you wanted.
[Identity Card: Heir of the Starter Family]
[Note: As a family of sorcerers that has continued from the Heian period to the present day, the Kamo, Zenin, and Gojo families are collectively known as the Three Great Families. You are the next legitimate heir of the Kamo family, possessing the Kamo ancestral technique "Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique."]
[Orange Talent: God's Mask]
[Note: As long as you wear the mask of God, no one can see through your disguise. It is quite deceptive and may produce unexpected results.]
[Blue Talent: Sickly as Xi Shi]
[Note: You possess an even more delicate and fragile appearance than Xi Shi, the legendary beauty who clutched her heart; anyone who sees you will subconsciously lower their guard.]
[Purple Talent: Villain Aura]
[Note: You are more resilient than the average person and have exceptionally good luck, always managing to achieve your goals smoothly. Note: This aura is second only to the protagonist's aura and has a chance to upgrade to the protagonist's aura.]
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In the same year that Six Eyes was born, the Kamo family, one of the three great families, also had a legitimate son, who was named Go, a name on whom high hopes were placed.
When Kamo was six years old, he lived up to expectations and successfully awakened the Kamo family's ancestral technique—the Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique.
Having survived his childhood, he was allowed to move around and began exploring the map, where he discovered an extremely evil manuscript of sorcery experiments in the library.
After securing his position as heir, Kamo Miyuki exercised his rights as the next head of the clan. While cleaning up his entourage, he discovered a clansman with sutures on his forehead and a strange aura about him.
Side Quest: Investigate the Kamo family's past regarding the evil sorcerer Kamo Kenrin, who was exiled a century ago. (Incomplete)
Main Quest: The world has both light and darkness, and every choice represents the direction of the future. What secrets does the Kamo family, shrouded in fog and shadow, hide? As the next head of the family, are you ready to take over as the new leader? (Incomplete)
Early game map: Kamo House
Kamo: Explore the map, diligently uncover side quests, grind for mission points, and improve your development skills.
Later Map: Tokyo High School
Kamo Mikoto: Start socializing, work hard to develop connections, win over the three starter families, and become the strongest in the world of jutsu... the mastermind behind the scenes.
[Congratulations on achieving the True Ending! You have obtained the following achievements: Strongest Behind-the-Scenes Villain, Top-Grade Sorcerer, Reformer of the Sorcerer World, Life Mentor, and Expert at Picking Fruit.]
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