Chapter:18 Off League

Renko hurried off from behind the gravestone and made her way away from the approaching swarm of Fly-heads. It took a bit of effort, but she finally managed to evade the swarm.

She took a moment to catch her breath and scanned the nearby area for signs of any other curse spirits.

'Guess I should be more careful. If a Fly-Head can cause this much trouble, who knows what a dozen would be like.'

She cautiously skirted around the cemetery, keeping her distance from the central abode of higher-ranked spirits. And it was not long before she spotted more of them, but they were usually in groups of three or more so she skipped

After several minutes of skulking around, she finally spotted a mausoleum in the distance. If the information from the system was correct, then there was a semi-third-grade curse spirit in there. 

As if on cue, a vague figure clawed out of the structure and began to pace back and forth, its silhouette barely visible in the distance but close enough to use observation on it.

'Observe'

[Mourning Lament: Lv.15

HP: 550/550

CP: 800/800]

'Yep, I have no business here.'

And she made the smarter choice and walked away from this cursed spirit. After a couple of minutes of walking and several of crawling, she found herself near a columbarium, an eerie honeycomb-like structure containing dozens of funeral urns.

'Ah, the fourth-grade cursed spirit is supposed to be here isn't it."

With cautious, muffled steps, she approached the entrance of the columbarium. The structure itself seemed quite old and in need of immediate repair. The entrance door, which should have been adorned with carvings, was battered and rotten.

[WARNING!]

[You Are Entering The Territory Of A Elite Curse Spirit: Revenant]

Renko hesitated for a moment but decided to proceed. A few steps in and she was already facing the fourth-grade curse spirit head on.

[Revenant: Lv.5

HP: 50/50

CP: 50/50]

'Hmm, this one is not much stronger than the fly heads.'

Renko took a moment to observe the surroundings, the columbarium was silent and eerily dark. It seemed like the perfect setting for a cursed spirit named Revenant. She pondered her options.

Should she go head-on and exchange injuries for injuries?

Or should she take the more cautious approach and chop away at its health?

'Let's give this a shot.'

Renko entered the columbarium cautiously, the shadows within growing darker as she ventured deeper.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the challenge. The encounter with the Fly-Heads and the observation of Mourning Lament had left her with no other option but to fight this one. Tightening her grip on the Bayonet, she prepared for a more formidable encounter.

The Revenant movements were deliberate, and its eerie, elongated limbs gave it an unsettling appearance. Renko took a moment to formulate a strategy, analyzing the creature's behavior.

'Okay, first, let's see how it reacts to a feint.'

With a deep breath, Renko focused her energy on executing a swift and convincing feint. She moved to the left, luring the curse's attention in that direction. The curse spirit reacted, turning to face the perceived threat. Seizing the opportunity, she lunged to the right, aiming to strike its flank.

[Damage: 12+1.8(15%)]

The bayonet connected with the creature, eliciting a low, eerie moan from the cursed spirit. However, it retaliated with surprising speed, swiping its elongated arm toward Renko.

Ducking and rolling to the side, she narrowly avoided the attack or not...

[-10HP]

[HP: 90/100]

Its claw left a long slash on her back. However, the creature continued to pursue her.

'Okay, so no chipping away.'

Renko decided to employ a more direct approach. Gripping the bayonet with both hands, she prepared for a series of well-timed strikes. Without waiting for it to attack again, she thrusted the bayonet straight at its head.

[Damage: 12+1.8(15%)]

[HP: 22.4/50]

Withdrawing the blade she went in for a short thrust at the creature's neck.

[Damage: 12+1.8(15%)]

[Durability: 8.6/50]

The creature seemed to not know how close it was to its demise and went in for a counter-attack and lunged at her. 

She sidestepped to avoid the attack and mostly dodged the attack however its claws still managed to leave a shallow wound on her cheek.

[HP: 84/100]

'Damnit!'

Her body was too clumsy to dodge the attack. But it sure as hell wasn't clumsy enough to miss such an easy opportunity to deliver the finishing blow. 

With a whirl, Renko plunged the bayonet into the creature's... armpit? or rather the area beneath its left arm, reaching the heart... maybe?

[Damage: 12+1.2(10%)]

The Wraith-Walker let out an otherworldly howl as its form dissipated into a dark and somewhat sickeningly squelching mist.

[Curse Spirit: Revenant: Exorcised]

[+25 EXP]

[Dropped Items:

- $20 or ¥2400

- 1*Undead Curse Spirit Flesh]

[Knife Mastery: +25 EXP]

[Innate Technique: Malevolent Arsenal(1): +25]

[Inferior Cursed Bayonet

Durability: 3/5(-1.5)]

Renko took a moment to catch her breath before wiping the blood trickling down her chin, which was all that was left of the wound. It appears that the blood drawn was the only remnant of the wound expect for the decrease in her HP.

Quite a useful feature for bluffing and pretending.

'That was tougher than expected. Better be more cautious.'

Soon, she walked out of the columbarium and continued to explore the cemetery, looking for a lone flyhead.

As she moved between tombstones and headstones, she spotted a lone Fly-Head hovering near a neglected gravestone.

'Observe'

[Fly-Head: Lv.4

HP: 10/10

CP: 20/20]

Renko contemplated her approach. After the Revenant encounter, she felt a bit more confident in her combat abilities, but caution remained her priority.

"Let's make this quick."

Gripping the Inferior Cursed Bayonet, she approached the Fly-Head with purpose. The curse spirit sensed her presence and began its erratic movements.

'Feint and strike.'

She executed a quick feint, drawing the Fly-Head's attention to her left. Anticipating its movements, she swiftly struck with the bayonet to the right.

[Damage: 12+1.8(15%)]

The bayonet pierced through the Fly-Head, dissipating it into a faint blue mist.

[Curse Spirit: Fly-Head: Exorcised]

[+10 EXP]

[Dropped Items:

- $5 or ¥600

- 2*Fly-head Wings]

[Knife Mastery: +5EXP]

[Knife Mastery(2): 5/200]

- 15% increase in attack damage with weapons categorized as knives.]

[Innate Technique: Malevolent Arsenal(1): +5]

[Inferior Cursed Bayonet

Durability: 2.5/5(-0.5)]

 "Well, that was much easier."

Renko continued her exploration, moving deeper into the cemetery. The occasional encounters with Fly-Heads were becoming more manageable as she honed her combat skills.

After navigating through the graveyard for some time, Renko sensed a stronger curse presence nearby. As she approached a dilapidated chapel, a warning appeared in her vision.

[WARNING!]

[You Are Entering The Territory Of A Boss Curse Spirit: Spectral Guardian]

Renko hesitated for a moment but decided to investigate. The chapel's entrance was half-crumbled, and the moonlight filtered through the gaps in its decaying walls.

'Spectral Guardian, huh?'

The boss curse spirit seemed to be lurking within the chapel, and Renko could feel its formidable presence. She took a moment to observe the surroundings, spotting remnants of cursed energy lingering in the air.

'Observe'

[Spectral Guardian: Lv.25

HP: 5,000/5,000

CP: 19,000/10,000]

Renko's eyes widened as she processed the information. The Spectral Guardian was a formidable adversary, and engaging it required careful planning.

'If I defeat the Spectral Guardian, the rewards could be substantial.'

With determination in her eyes, Renko decided to face the challenge.

'Yeah, no.'

And she turned around and went away from the chapel as fast as she could.

'No need to rush into a fight that could be a one-way ticket to a game over.'

As she distanced herself from the chapel, the warning message disappeared, and the atmosphere became less oppressive. Renko decided to explore other parts of the cemetery, avoiding territories with higher-level curse spirits.

Her cautious approach paid off, and she gained a bit more experience by dispatching one more lower-rank spirit, allowing her to finally level up.

[Curse Spirit: Fly-Head: Exorcised]

[+10 EXP

 + $5 or ¥600

 + 2*Fly-head Wings]

[Knife Mastery: +5EXP]

[Knife Mastery(2): 10/200]

[Innate Technique: Malevolent Arsenal(1): +5]

[Inferior Cursed Bayonet

Durability: 2.5/5(-0.5)]

[Level Up]

[+5 Stat Points]

[Max HP: +50]

Renko pondered where to allocate them.

[Name: Renko]

[Occupation: High School Student]

[Level: 2]

[HP: 150/150]

[CP: 100/100]

[Experience: 5/200]

[Attributes:]

[Strength: 7]

[Vitality: 9]

[Dexterity: 10]

[Spirituality: 10]

[Wisdom: 5]

[Luck: 100]

[Stat Point: 5]

'Fuck Yeah! I can finally increase the CP regen rate.'

Strength: 7

Vitality: 9

Dexterity: 10

Spirituality: 10

Wisdom: 5(+5)

Luck: 100

"Alright, this should make things a bit smoother."

[CP: 100/100]

[CP Regen: 1CP/Per Min]

Feeling more prepared, Renko continued her exploration of the cemetery, focusing on finding lower-level curse spirits to gradually gather experience points.

[10*Curse Spirit: Fly-Head: Exorcised]

[+100 EXP

 + $50 or ¥6000

 + 20*Fly-head Wings]

[Knife Mastery: +50EXP]

[Knife Mastery(2): 60/200]

[Innate Technique: Malevolent Arsenal(1): +50]

[Inferior Cursed Bayonet

Durability: 0/5(-0.5*4)]

[1*Junk: Broken Bayonet]

[Inferior Cursed Bayonet

Durability: 2/5(-0.5*6)]

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an ethereal glow over the graveyard. Renko's footsteps were silent as she continued her exploration, attempting to map out the place before returning to her apartment.

[12:05]

After a few more careful maneuvers, Renko found herself near the entrance of the cemetery. The night had deepened and she exited the haunted grounds.

[Exiting 'Yūrei Yama Cemetery']

The warning messages disappeared, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted. Renko felt a mix of relief and accomplishment.

'Not bad for a night's work.'

As she made her way back to the mountain trail, she reflected on everything she encountered in the cursed cemetery. Her fights had been somewhat easy except for the fact that she was so slow that dodging attacks had been a pain in the ass.

[12:30]

Arriving back at her apartment, Renko felt a sense of accomplishment, at least she had leveled up once and would most likely be returning to the cemetery again. With the night's adventure behind her, she decided to rest and recover, knowing that she would most likely be going on a shopping spree tomorrow.