After countless hours of reciting mantras, meditating in the twilight, and balancing himself between light and shadow, Raka had finally managed to open his first gateway to the spirit realm.
It wasn't a full portal—just a thin ripple in the air, a whisper of cold wind that didn't belong to this world—but it was enough. He had crossed a threshold.
That morning, the old man came bearing three thick stacks of paper—not ancient scrolls or magical tomes, but… photocopies.
> "These are for you," the old man said, placing the stacks on the worn wooden table. "Three books: Basic Mantras, Ghost Hunter Ranking System, and the Encyclopedia of Spirits."
Raka stared at the paper bundles.
Each one was thicker than a phone book.
> "Are these all photocopies...?" he muttered as sweat began to bead on his forehead.
The old man—his strange mentor—smiled faintly.
> "I know you're determined to save your friends, so I'm leaving you these. Study them well."
Something about the way he said it made Raka uneasy.
> "Master… why does it sound like you're… leaving?"
The old man nodded slowly.
> "Because I am. But before I go, make sure you learn some mantras—at least enough to defend yourself in the spirit realm."
Raka hesitated, then quietly asked,
> "Master... I've never asked. What's your name?"
The old man let out a soft chuckle.
> "Now you ask? Call me Petapa Sukma. If you ever need to find me, just mention that name. I'm quite well-known… in the spirit world."
Then he turned to leave—but paused one last time at the door.
> "Oh, right. I'm leaving the nurse spirit with you."
Raka froze.
> "W-What?! Why her?!"
(Oh God, I'm going to be haunted daily by a ghost—even if her body is hot, that's still horrifying!)
The old man laughed.
> "You'll understand once you read the ranking book. She might be more useful than you think."
> "But Master, why leave so suddenly?"
> "Too many things I've delayed because of you. It's time I moved on. Take care of yourself, Raka."
And just like that, Petapa Sukma vanished into the morning mist.
---
Raka stepped back inside the house with slow, unsure steps. He sat down—trying not to panic.
In the corner, the nurse ghost without legs was already sitting. Her pale, corpse-like eyes stared at him in complete silence. Blood still dripped from her split lips.
> "Okay... if I ignore the missing legs, the blue skin, the blood, and the gaping mouth wound… she's actually… cute? No—no, Raka, what the hell are you thinking!"
He shivered uncontrollably, grabbed the nearest book, and opened the cover:
Ghost Hunter Ranking System.
---
Excerpt from the Ghost Hunter Ranking Book
> "To become a Level 1 Ghost Hunter, one must capture a single spirit and bind it inside a Soul Prison."
"Every 10 levels, a new spirit must be imprisoned to unlock further growth."
"For example:
Level 10 → needs 1 ghost to progress to 11.
Level 20 → total of 2 ghosts.
And so on…
Until Level 100, which requires 10 spirits.
Only then can one attempt to rise to Tier 2, by capturing a mid-tier ghost."
Raka's mouth dropped open.
> "So I literally need to grind ghosts… like some kind of exorcist RPG…"
"And I'm stuck with a ghost nurse sidekick?"
To truly become a Ghost Hunter, one must be able to summon their Soul Prison—the spiritual vessel where bound ghosts are stored.
Most people who've managed to learn basic mantras will eventually develop a Soul Prison inside their body.
But creating it was only the beginning.
They must be able to manifest it outward, then trap a ghost inside.
Once a spirit enters, its essence fuses with the prison, anchoring it permanently.
The Ghost Hunter could summon the ghost anytime… but at Level 1, the ghost's range was extremely limited—no more than one meter.
At Level 2, that range would increase to two meters… and so on.
More than just tools, ghosts could share abilities and even unlock sync skills with their hunter—if the connection between them was strong enough.
But there was a reason low-level Ghost Hunters were forbidden from capturing powerful spirits.
If a spirit resisted and shattered the Soul Prison, the backlash would cause the hunter to drop 10 levels—forcing them to rebuild their cultivation from scratch.
---
Raka sat cross-legged in the center of the room.
He had learned the Inner Eye, honed his Spirit Force, and even opened a gateway to the other realm. He could feel it now—something deep inside him—ready to emerge.
He turned his head toward the nurse ghost.
She stood still near the window, staring out like a tragic statue.
Despite her unnerving presence, there was a strange air of peace about her.
> Could this be why Petapa Sukma left her with me?
She's not just haunting me—he wants me to contract her…
Raka picked up the Basic Spirit Encyclopedia and flipped through the pages.
One had already been folded at the corner.
He opened it—and immediately froze.
> "Suster Ngesot" (Crawling Nurse Spirit)
'A ghost of a tortured caregiver. Her legs were destroyed in death, forcing her to crawl eternally. Has a long tongue that produces a healing saliva. Her breastmilk contains potent spirit energy when consumed directly.'
Raka's eyes twitched.
> "What the hell...?! What kind of description is this?! SENSEI, are you trying to corrupt me?!"
But he kept reading.
> "This spirit excels at healing but lacks any real combat ability. Highly suitable as a support-type familiar.
If replaced, the contract must be safely transferred to another spirit to avoid backlash."
Raka exhaled slowly.
> So... she's a healer-type ghost. And she's calm. No resistance. No danger…
He closed the book and straightened his back.
> "Let's do this."
---
He began chanting softly—drawing on the energy inside his core.
A strange warmth surged up from his stomach. Then, with one final push, it happened:
From just above his navel, a glowing red prison emerged—floating and pulsating with spiritual energy.
It was his Soul Prison.
He focused, adjusting its shape and size with nothing but willpower.
> "Do you want to come with me?" Raka asked quietly.
The nurse ghost turned to him.
Then, without a word, she glided forward and entered the Soul Prison.
No resistance. No struggle.
The prison sealed shut with a pulse of light.
Raka felt his breath catch as the ghost's essence was absorbed into the structure.
Suddenly, the red prison began to change—its form morphing based on the spirit inside.
It began to look… like a small apothecary. A place of healing.
Then it shrunk back into his body, lodging itself deep within his soul.
---
Raka stared in amazement.
> So… the Soul Prison changes based on the ghost you bind?
He clenched his fists.
For the first time, he didn't feel helpless.
> He was now a Level 1 Ghost Hunter.
And his first contract… was with a legless nurse ghost whose kiss once nearly gave him a heart attack.
After sealing the Crawling Nurse into his Soul Prison, Raka wiped the sweat from his brow. The glowing prison had disappeared back into his body, and the connection between them pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
He carefully placed the three thick photocopied books—Mantra Basics, Hunter Ranking Guide, and Spirit Encyclopedia—into his bag. Just as he stepped outside the house, a cold chill ran down his spine.
> "Oh crap… I forgot to ask—where am I?!"
In a panic, he pulled out his phone and opened Google Maps.
> Thank the heavens...
He was only 300 meters away from the haunted building where it had all begun.
So technically... he could go back.
But before taking another step, he stopped. His eyes fell on the mantra book in his bag.
> "I need to learn more spells… if I want to stand a chance against those ghosts."
---
That night, Raka lay on a mat with a flickering candle beside him.
He tried to focus on his mantra training, but... his mind wandered.
His thoughts returned to one peculiar line in the Spirit Encyclopedia:
> "The Crawling Nurse's milk contains high concentrations of spiritual energy. Must be consumed… directly."
Raka turned pale.
> "D-Directly…? W-Wait, does that mean… from the source?!"
He buried his face in the blanket, screaming internally.
> "Master Sukma definitely knew this would happen! That old pervert!"
But night after night, as he used his Inner Eye to search for his friends, he kept seeing them—still alive, but scattered across different realms.
The pressure built. He had to grow stronger.
> "Mental fortitude... Mental fortitude... I'm just a baby. Just a baby... No shame… No shame…"
And so, over the next 15 days, through desperate training and questionable methods, Raka miraculously reached Level 10.
His soul now hosted a second Soul Prison slot, waiting for a new ghost.
But to reach Level 11, he would need to capture another spirit.
---
Mantras Learned During Training:
1. Binding Light Rope
Creates glowing ropes of holy energy to trap wandering spirits.
2. Sacred Flame
Summons cold white fire that does not burn flesh—but scorches ghostly essence.
3. Featherweight Body
Temporarily removes weight from the user, allowing them to run on grass, water, or even mist.
("Honestly, I learned this because I'm still traumatized from falling off a building," Raka admitted.)