Chapter 1

Prologue: Part 0

"The population waned in the year 2020."

"It all began in the year 2019."

"When an unidentified plague descended on the earth, it scattered around the world for the entire year, 2019."

"2020 was the mark of the scientists and experts of this field began noticing these changes."

"However it was too late, the plague already has spread to all of the countries."

"Living creatures of Heaven and Earth began to deteriorate. The speed of declining was too fast that half tenth of the population of humans and the rest of the species were lost!"

"Fortunately, the year 2021 was the beginning of the rejuvenation. The plague which troubled the world began fading away."

"Humanity, which was intelligent species, rejoiced at this news."

"However,

In the middle of the year 2021, strange, bizarre things began to happen!"

"Transparent white figurines that almost identical to ghosts appeared bit by bit."

"These ghosts were unusual. Unlike the ghosts of old books, these ghosts could smash buildings and kill living creatures without hurting them."

"Once the people become aware, they began hunting these ghosts with powerful firearms and even to the point of using forbidden weapons."

"But despite their effort, ghosts were transparent, and didn't have physical bodies, hence firearms were useless against them!"

"Knowing this, humanity, that once rejoiced after deciphering the plague, were startled helpless!"

"They felt despair!"

"Half a year went by, and the year 2022, humanity's sanctuaries fell. Ghosts took over their habitats."

"But such saying 'god always leave a glimmer of hope', humans, who were once infected and survived the plague, undergone a massive transformation!"

"They acquire abilities!"

"Abilities that were once unexplainable and fictitious."

"Not knowing if it was coincidence or God's will, these abilities could hurt the ghosts and even exterminate them, entirely."

"Hence, with these abilities humanity regain their hope!"

Two hundred swift years went by and many things began to sprout. One of them was the birth of the ultimate ghost hunter!

...

Part 1: His normal life

The year 2222 —

United Human Sanctuary, Region 16, Class E foothold, Graze Wood City.

Ring! Ring!

The asleep Zhui Ming was awoken by the ringing of the alarm clock. He opened his eyes and shut off the clock, lazily.

Following which, he closed his eyes and curled up his entire body with the blanket for the next three minutes before crawling up from the bed.

Next, he went to the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He changed his cloth after and headed downstairs.

The smell of cooked meals drifted to his nose, as soon as he arrived. Smelling it, he felt tempted.

He hesitated no more and walked straight to the dining room.

Instantly, a middle-aged man — sitting on the chair and reading a newspaper — along with a beautiful mature woman — who is organizing the foods on the table — appeared on his vision.

Seeing this, Zhui Ming smiled. This middle-aged man was his older brother, Zhui Wutian. He hit 30 years old last November. He's also a worker with high status in the largest bank of the Graze Wood City. Zhui Ming — when seeing his older brother every time — would feel his heart warmth.

When Zhui Ming was ten years old, his brother was 23 then becomes the pillar of their kinship because of the reason they lost their parents, that day, from the horde of ghosts.

The horde of ghosts was powerful. They suppressed the ghost hunters of the former city they stayed in. Hence, the majority of the ghosts began slaughtering mortals to nourish their souls. His parents happened to be one of those people that died from them.

As mortals — who had no bloodline of the ghost hunters — they were powerless to do anything at that time, besides they were just kids. Hence, his parents were unfortunate and had died from the slaughter. Fortunately for the both of them, they survived after the Ghost Hunters' reinforcement arrived on time.

As for the beautiful mature woman, she was his sister-in-law, Lin Xueyu. She was also in her thirties, but three years younger than his older brother. Despite her age, she was an alluring woman capable of stimulating men. That doesn't include him, of course.

His sister-in-law and older brother were neighborhood workers. She works opposite of his older brother's working place. Working as a recipient of a coffee shop. Which coincidentally, his older brother happened to like coffees to ease his stress, hence the two perceived each other, gradually...

...Until she becomes his older brother's wife two years ago.

"Little Ming Good Morning. Quick eat your fill, today is the day of your College Entrance Examination."

"Relax sister Xueyu, it's only five in the morning. Examination starts at 8 A.M., and besides, here from the school is only a few minutes of walk. What's to hurry about?"

His sister-in-law, Lin Xueyu, noticed his existence right after and called his name out. He looked at her and chuckled.

He then sat at the table and greeted his older brother. His older-brother, Zhui Wutian put down the newspaper and glanced at him.

"Your sister-in-law is right. You've to be early in school. Especially at times like this."

"Yes, yes, yes Sir."

"You brat...Forget it."

He noticed his older brother sighed as he glanced at him. When he remained quiet for a moment, Lin Xueyu also looked at him before asking.

"Wutian, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. For real. It just today's news made me recollect the past."

"Today's news?"

Lin Xueyu looked at the newspaper at the table in front of Zhui Wutian and grabbed it. She scanned it and frowned.

Zhui Ming was eating and listening to the entire time. Curiously peeking at the newspaper he happened to see the highlighted words 'The cruel massacre, fifteen students died'. He wanted to read the details, but unfortunately, Lin Xueyu laid it down at the table, blocking his vision at the texts written.

"Sister Xueyu can I looked at it."

"Ei... Fine, here you go."

Zhui Ming requested. Lin Xueyu then followed after with hesitation, but ultimately agree after Zhui Wutian nodded.

Zhui Ming began reading. The longer he read the more he frowned. He no longer read the supplementary details and began eating his fill again.

The event happened yesterday on the western side of the Graze Wood City in a deserted area. A person who happens to walk in that place saw fifteen dead bodies on the ground and immediately reported the incident. It was unknown if either its human's doing or a ghost doing. Importantly, it was an event to frown about.

"Even inside an E-class foothold is not entirely safe..."

...

Part 2: His fate

After eating his fill, it was already 6:25 A.M., hence he immediately bade farewell at Lin Xueyu and Zhui Wutian before heading out of the three-story house.

On the way to the school, the sky had brightened considerably and clouds began to disperse as a glimmer of rays shone to the east. Zhui Ming peacefully walked alongside a few pedestrians and students just like him.

Zhui Ming was seventeen years old turning eighteen this year. He was already in senior high school, a little more push to become a college student.

To him, graduating and finding a job was meaningless. Of course, this was not the case for ordinary people. But for Zhui Ming, he dreamed to become a Ghost Hunter.

Hence, he felt like living an ordinary powerless mortal life was least better in a world full of magic, bizarre, and evildoers.

But unfortunately, he could not become one because of the limitations. He had no blood of Ghost Hunter, precisely.

Thus no other hope he had to pass this College Entrance Examination, to pass his time, to find jobs.

As Zhui Ming was threading his way towards the alleyway, he suddenly noticed two figures fifty meters away.

Seeing the two, Zhui Ming's eyes darkened. He looked at them with a hint of terror. After which, he commented and gasped: "This...this is a Ghost!"