In the next hour or so, Deklan had been hunting bronze-rank Ghosts.

Some of the Ghosts he killed were weak in comparison to him, but some Ghosts were on par with him. But killing them from long range with his spear made that meaningless. Be it the strong one or the weak one, Deklan killed them with one strike.

He was debating initially whether he should use a gun or a spear.

After all, he was still new to a spear and might miss his mark entirely, which would be troublesome.

But considering the loud bang a gun produced, he opted to stick with the spear.

Just as expected, he missed a few.

Fortunately for him, with the Small Ghost trait, it was harder for these Ghosts to track him down.

And that allowed him to usually make another strike before being caught.

In under an hour, he managed to track down and kill at least six bronze-rank Ghosts, raking in almost 200 Spooky Dollars. He also harvested their Paranormal Hearts to get their traits—and secure their carcasses into the inventory.

Of course, he also didn't forget to check the Minor Presence he could absorb from them.

But none is better than the Shadow Beast Weapon Persona that gave branding effect to his attacks.

"I got the Touch, Smell, and also Taste," Deklan muttered as he looked at his inventory. "One more remaining, the Sight Trait. And there's only one more bronze-rank Ghost I can sense in the area, which means this will be my last chance for today."

Deklan could move to another part of the forest and hunt more bronze-rank Ghosts, but he couldn't.

His body strained from using that skill multiple times in a row.

Even though he could replenish his mana, there's a limit as to how much his body could take, especially since mana is a part of his body's composition. It wasn't an external fuel—that was stored inside, like it was for Exorcists.

Pushing past that limit meant tearing at the foundation of his own body.

So, Deklan has to know when to stop.

I can keep going a few more times, but let's play it safe. I will need to defend—the Shadowed Town soon, after all. Getting hurt right now would be fatal. Just like studying, it's best to rest the day before the test to retain peak condition.

Deklan moved swiftly and hid behind a tree.

At this point, his movements were already measured and strong.

He was already accustomed to hunting in the forest.

Across from him was a small waterfall that fell to a medium-sized basin the size of a few houses.

I sense it around here, but where…?

Deklan followed his senses and ended up near this waterfall—but he couldn't spot the last bronze-rank Ghost. His eyes scanned the area as he was quite sure the Ghost was somewhere nearby, but there was no luck.

But then, a thought came to mind.

Is it inside the basin?

Splash!

Deklan recoiled when he heard a splash.

He hid for a second as water splashed everywhere, wetting the surroundings.

Once he felt like he was in the clear, he risked another glance toward the waterfall and there it was, the Ghost he'd been looking for. It wasn't lurking inside the basin—as he'd assumed. Instead, it was bathing under the waterfall, bathing in the torrent like some ancient hermit lost in secluded meditation.

And its appearance… Deklan has never seen something like this before.

"It's ugly and scary as fuck…"

Before him was nothing short of a monster Ghost.

It had the bulky, fur-laden body of a beaver the size of a full-grown grizzly, a long neck and head of an owl, the wings of a bat, a tail that bristled with black bone spikes, and two disturbing pale human arms. A creature stitched from mismatched natures.

Just its very form alone radiated monstrosity that defied all sense and sanity.

"No problem," Deklan shook his head and summoned the Albino Spear. "One strike is all I need."

Deklan shifted his stance, drawing his arm back until the spear's shaft trembled with pent-up force.

Unaware of his presence, the Ghost still stood beneath the waterfall with its eyes closed.

It was practically begging to be killed.

Deklan had claimed every target tonight without a single miss—and this one wouldn't be the exception to that. Even though it was scary-looking, the other Ghosts he killed also had their own version of scary, and yet, all of them died with one strike.

So, this would end the same way.

Swish…

Mana seeped into the spear and manifested in a thin outline as Deklan used his Astral Strike skill.

And with a deep inhale, his eyes widened as he threw the spear.

Swoosh!

Making sure that there would be no mishap in his last hunt for tonight, Deklan used a bit more power than normal to give the Ghost no chance to dodge. He watched with a small smirk as the spear sliced through the air and reached the Ghost's neck.

Even until the last moment, it still hadn't opened its eyes.

Now, I hope this thing has the Sight Tra—hmm?!

Clang!

Deklan's eyes shot open when the Ghost's wing curled in the nick of time and blocked the spear.

It pierced through the wing easily, but the force lessened greatly—and the spearhead couldn't reach the Ghost.

Deklan's heartbeat pounded hard against his ribs as the Ghost's eyelids lifted—slow, deliberate. The moment they opened, he froze. Those eyes were already fixed on him, as though they had been watching long before sight returned.

It wasn't simply alert; it was a Ghost that is aware even with its eyes shut.

And if that was the real reason, Deklan has no chance from the start to snipe it down.

Swish!

"Fuck!" Deklan looked around in alert when he saw the waterfall splashing, and the Ghost disappeared from where it was supposed to be. It happened in an instant that he was a second too late to react. "What is the deal with this guy?"

Deklan looked around in worry.

He was facing an agile Ghost unlike the Ghosts he had been fighting up until now.

Even now, he could hear the sound of rustling leaves and branches.

And he could also feel it circling around him, but he simply found it hard to keep up with its movements.

[Minor Presence: Blurry Illusion has affected the host!]

[Sanity has been decreased by 5 points.]

[Agility has been reduced.]

[Status Effect Applied: Confusion.]

[Status Effect Applied: Panic]

Deklan gritted his teeth as notifications flooded into his vision, telling him that he was afflicted by a Minor Presence. But even though it was supposed to be a difficult situation, the corner of his lips curled upward.

Yes, the situation was surprising and bad.

But on the bright side, from the Minor Presence's name and debuffs, Deklan could tell that this particular Ghost has the Sight Trait, the last one he needed. Good. Very good. It wouldn't feel good if I got the last trait that easily.

Bam!

Deklan hissed as something struck him from behind.

He felt searing pain tear across his back—the Ghost's claws raked through flesh and left three burning, blood-slick tracks that forced his body to recoil forward.

Before he could recover, another attack raked his sides.

Then, his front.

Then his back again.

In a matter of ten seconds, Deklan suffered five consecutive attacks that gave him no room to breathe.

Even though he met the blows head-on, in truth, he was focusing more on fixing his gaze on the Ghost rather than dodging the attack. But all he could see was its blur. Its form wavered into a smear of motion, impossible to track.

Coupled with the panic and confusion debuffs, it was even harder for him to look at it.

Just the simple act of looking straight at it feels like driving needles into his skull.

And even if he could see it for a fraction of a second, he was seeing doubles or triples of it.

I need to go to an open area.

Swoosh!

Deklan dashed forward, utilizing the Breeze Affinity to push him toward the waterfall.

Being surrounded by trees made it harder for him to find the Ghost, and it also put him at a disadvantage since there are a lot of things that could obstruct his view. But here, in an open place with the night sky above him, he can certainly fare better.

Clang!

Deklan raised his spear in time and smiled, finally managing to block one attack.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

He blocked three more attacks in succession.

Getting out of the forest was the right move as his high perception was now open in full display.

Of course, he might not be able to look at it straight, but he could feel where it would attack better.

It's not even that it's quicker than me… It's the damn debuffs making its move quicker than it really was.

In that case… I'll have to slow it down.

Deklan glanced over his shoulder and sensed another attack coming from behind.

He rolled to the right to dodge the attack.

A heavy whimper echoed across the area as Deklan's lips curled into a smile.

Even though he couldn't see it, he managed to slash the Ghost by using its momentum and diving angle to his advantage. He merely created a sharp, long knife with the Ghost Conqueror skill and waited for it to strike.

Deklan looked up, and for a moment, he saw the Ghost.

Near its left wing, there was a cut that seethed with a dark energy.

It was the Shadow Beast Weapon Persona's effect—the slash had branded the Ghost, priming it to suffer far greater damage from the next blow. Deklan didn't stop there; he refused to waste this opportunity to end the Ghost.

He immediately bends the air currents around the creature.

As opposed to breezing to the right, he forced them to press down on the Ghost, making its body heavier.

But the Ghost noticed and immediately flew away.

"Shit! It's running aw—hmm?" Deklan was panicking at first, but he frowned when he noticed the air currents followed the Ghost closely. No matter how hard it tried to get away, the currents kept pushing it down.

Naturally, it was far slower than earlier.

Deklan's eyes sparkled, "Oh… Is this what the shadow property does?"

Instead of needing to focus the currents on the target, the currents automatically followed the target like a shadow. Deklan does not need to waste his focus on following the Ghost, as the air currents do it for him.

Realizing this pleasant property, Deklan summoned the Albino Spear again and tossed it upward.

He leaped high with the help of the Breeze Affinity and grabbed the spear again.

Cocking it backward with eyes fixated on the Ghost ahead, he smirked as he threw the spear hard.

"That's bullseye again…" Deklan smirked.

Splash!

"Kyaah~!"

"Someone help!!"

Before he could revel in his victory, his head snapped to the side, hearing people in trouble.

"Fuck is going on?"

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