More Chapters and fanfics ?
My p@treon: [email protected]/Hemlet (remplace a to @)
---
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight gently pierced the sky.
Ryosuke stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk on his lips. He waited patiently for the moment to arrive. He didn't have to wait long.
A joyful scream suddenly rang out from Sayuri's room.
"KYYYAAAA!"
Ryosuke shook his head slightly, amused. She found it, he thought.
The bedroom door burst open. Ryosuke saw Sayuri, still in her pajamas, with the kitten in her arms.
Her eyes sparkled with joy. She hugged the tiny ball of fur against her chest, then suddenly stopped, staring at Ryosuke with a suspicious look.
"What's the catch?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, doubtful.
Ryosuke laughed, raising his hands in mock innocence.
"Hey, I'm hurt!" he replied with a grin. "You really think I'd play a trick on you while giving you a gift?"
Sayuri raised an eyebrow, still wary, but her attention was quickly drawn back to the kitten gently meowing in her arms. She looked at it with adoration, then glanced back at her brother.
"Can I really keep it?" she asked cautiously, as if afraid someone might take her new treasure away.
Ryosuke nodded. "Yeah, you can keep it. Mom said it's okay."
A second cry of joy escaped Sayuri's lips. She spun around, delighted, then looked at the kitten with a beaming smile.
"I'm gonna call you… Yuki!" she declared decisively. "Because you're as cute as a snowflake!"
The kitten seemed to agree, snuggling even closer into Sayuri's arms as she grinned from ear to ear.
Ryosuke watched the scene with amusement. He stepped forward, placed a hand on his sister's head, and ruffled her hair.
"Alright, have fun with Yuki. I've got stuff to do."
Sayuri looked up at him, her smile still glowing. "Thanks, Nii-chan! I promise I'll take care of him!"
Ryosuke smiled back, a little teasing. "You better. He's your responsibility now."
He turned and left the room, leaving Sayuri to her joyful cries and her new companion. The smile on his face slowly faded as he went down the stairs.
It's done, he thought. The cat is in place. Everything's going according to plan.
A long day awaited him. Today, he would finally test his abilities in a different environment.
The abandoned psychiatric hospital.
That's where it all begins.
Ryosuke quickly got ready, threw on a dark jacket, and made sure his bag contained everything he needed. He took one last look at the house before stepping outside. The sun was just rising, and the cool morning air pricked his skin. The streets were still empty, which suited him perfectly.
He hadn't told anyone about his plan for the day. He was allowed to go out on weekends, as long as he finished his chores and came back before dinner.
He boarded the bus headed toward the city outskirts. During the ride, he reviewed the information he had found about the hospital one last time. It was a place where many mysterious events had occurred. People had claimed to see shadows there, ghostly forms wandering the crumbling hallways.
The bus finally stopped at a remote station. Ryosuke got off and found himself alone on a small road surrounded by forest. The hospital wasn't far now. He walked for about twenty minutes, his bag bouncing against his back with each step, until the trees parted, revealing a massive, decrepit building, half-covered by vegetation.
The place was eerie, straight out of a nightmare. The windows were shattered, and the once-grand entrance hung crookedly, half-torn from its hinges.
Ryosuke paused to observe the hospital, heart pounding. A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't hesitate long. He took a deep breath, activated his "third eye," and stepped through the rusted gates.
The moment he activated his "third eye," the scenery changed. All around him, curses appeared, floating in the air, wandering aimlessly around the decaying hospital. These shapeless creatures seemed barely aware of his presence, circling without attacking.
Low-grade curses—harmless. Ryosuke ignored them. They weren't what he came for.
He stepped into the building, his heart beating faster. As soon as he crossed the threshold, a strange sensation gripped him. Something was here, something different. A presence far stronger than any curse he had encountered before.
A nervous smile crossed his lips as he tightened his grip on the rusty metal rod he had picked up earlier.
Driven by instinct, he climbed the creaky stairs, floor by floor, until he reached the third. And there, at the end of the dark hallway, he saw it.
A giant, misshapen curse crouched in the shadows. Its body was a twisted mess of limbs, and its face a grotesque mass of misaligned eyes and mouths. When it noticed Ryosuke, it flinched.
"What's a human doing here?" the creature growled in a deep, rough voice.
Sweat beaded on Ryosuke's forehead. According to what he'd read in the manga, a talking curse was likely Grade 1. A far more dangerous opponent than he had planned for.
The curse approached, its hideous face just inches from Ryosuke's.
"How can you see me? Other humans can't."
The nauseating stench coming off the creature almost made Ryosuke recoil, but he stayed still, gaze averted to avoid showing weakness. His fingers tightened around the metal rod, which suddenly transformed into a brand-new, gleaming, razor-sharp weapon.
Ryosuke smiled slightly, keeping calm.
"It's a good thing you're strong," he whispered. "You're going to help me level up. Don't disappoint me."
The curse backed off, visibly startled by the surge of energy.
Ryosuke didn't wait another second. He leapt forward, wielding his transformed weapon. The impact shook the walls, and the creature crashed violently into a crumbling wall, revealing a hidden room behind it.
Ryosuke straightened. "First strike, confirmed," he murmured with satisfaction.