Kian raised an eyebrow and tapped the glowing notification.
"Yeah, open it."
The golden window expanded.
[ Quest: First Hunt ]
Type: Class Quest
Difficulty: Beginner
Objective:
— Collect at least 1 Rare-ranked soul
— Collect 5 Uncommon-ranked souls
— Use them to create your first Wraith using Wraith Creation
Rewards:
— Skill Unlock: Shadow Realm
— +1 Level
— +50 MP
— +5 Soul Power
— One Random Skill (Related to First Wraith Created)
Kian whistled.
"…Okay. That's a lot more serious than I expected."
Another line of text appeared below the quest.
[ Souls are ranked as follows:
Common - Uncommon - Rare - Epic - Unique - Legendary - Mythical ]
Kian rubbed the back of his neck.
"So I need six souls total, and the rare one is the biggest deal… Then I fuse them to make my first Wraith?"
Coiny confirmed:
[ Correct, host. Those souls will form the base of your Wraith's personality, power, and abilities. Stronger or higher-ranked souls will result in a more powerful creation. ]
Kian frowned thoughtfully.
"So if I use a Rare soul… my Wraith won't be trash-tier."
[ Yes. Even a beginner Wraith made from a Rare soul will be much stronger than normal undead creatures. ]
He nodded, letting that sink in.
"…Guess I really am going hunting."
He walked over to the window and looked out at the night-lit streets of Hell's Kitchen. Sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
"Criminals, thugs, low-level villains… This place has plenty of targets."
Coiny reminded him gently:
[ Host's mana is still low.
Current MP: 41 / 310 ]
"Yeah, yeah. I'll leave once I hit fifty percent."
Kian paused… then shook his head.
"Scratch that. Not feeling suicidal today. I'll leave after I'm back to 100% mana."
He nodded firmly at his own decision. No way he was going out with only half a tank in the Marvel world. That was basically begging to get mugged by a random super or some alien pigeon.
As he settled on his bed to wait, another thought suddenly hit him.
"…Crap. Identity."
He rubbed his forehead.
"I need a mask. If I start absorbing souls out in the open, someone is bound to notice. And Marvel is not exactly the safest place. If people find out, they'll come after my mom too."
Coiny responded calmly:
[ Host is correct. Maintaining a secret identity is recommended for safety. ]
Kian sighed.
"Great… another thing to deal with."
He looked around his room, eyes landing on his school bag, some old clothes, and a hoodie thrown over a chair.
"Hm… I could make a basic mask myself. But it needs to look decent. And not fall apart the moment I fight."
Coiny helpfully added:
[ Host can use basic cloth, leather, or even a cheap store-bought mask until better resources are found. Later, quests or crafting skills may allow Host to create enhanced gear. ]
Kian nodded slowly.
"Alright. First, full mana. Then, get a mask. Then… I start hunting."
His eyes drifted back to the window, watching the streetlights flicker below.
"Yeah… If I'm going to survive in this world, I need to stay sharp. And hidden."
Kian started rummaging through his closet, drawers, and under his bed like a desperate raccoon on a mission.
"Come on… something, anything…"
Finally, at the bottom of an old storage box, he found it.
A Halloween mask.
Specifically—an Iron Man mask.
Kian stared at it.
"…Nope."
He tossed it aside immediately.
"Yeah, that'll definitely get me shot by Tony if he ever sees me. Not wearing that."
With no better options, he grabbed a black hoodie, pulled the hood low over his face, and wrapped a dark scarf around the lower half of his head.
It wasn't stylish…It wasn't cool…But it hid his face.
"Good enough for now."
He checked the time.
11:47 PM.
Almost midnight.Hell's Kitchen would get much quieter—and much deadlier—after that.
He spent the time waiting reading the skill details on the system screen again, memorizing how much mana each ability cost and how long he could safely use them.
By the time midnight struck, his mana bar was finally full:
MP: 310 / 310
Kian exhaled slowly.
"…Alright. Showtime."
He slid his window open, the cold night air hitting his face.
"Damn—that's cold," he muttered, shivering.
Still, he climbed onto the windowsill, tightened his hoodie, and jumped down carefully into the narrow alley behind his building.
His landing wasn't graceful.He stumbled and nearly fell.
"…I need Agility training. Badly."
Kian straightened up, brushing dust off his hoodie as he looked around the alley.
Empty.
Good.
"At least no one saw me," he muttered under his breath.
He pulled his hood lower and began walking slowly toward the street, keeping to the shadows. As he moved, he quietly activated Soul Sense again.
A soft hum spread outward—
the world dimmed, colors muted, and faint outlines appeared in the air.
He walked for ten minutes, scanning corners, alleys, dumpsters, fire escapes—anything someone could die near.
Finally, near an abandoned doorway, he saw it:
A faint, pale blue wisp floating weakly above the ground.
Kian blinked.
"…A soul."
Not strong.
Not bright.
Just a small, flickering presence.
A Common Soul.
Still, he approached and reached out with Soul Devour, forming a small vortex just big enough to absorb it.
The wisp vanished into his palm, gently, without resistance.
Kian frowned.
"What… happened to this soul before I took it? Does absorbing it hurt them?"
Coiny answered immediately:
[ Common souls have already lost most of their power. They have no consciousness left. Without guidance, they would fade naturally and return to the afterlife cycle. ]
Kian let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"…Okay. Good. So I'm not… ending them or anything."
[ Correct, Host. You did not kill anyone. You simply collected a fragment that would have vanished on its own. ]
He nodded, relieved.
"One down… but I need Uncommon and Rare souls. This'll take a while."
He tightened his hoodie again and kept walking deeper into Hell's Kitchen, Soul Sense still active.
He couldn't help but say it.
"Hey, New York sleep tight as Ghost buster is now in sight~~"
Coiny paused.
[ Host… that was a terrible joke. ]
Kian winced. "Yeah, yeah. Bad joke. I know."