Three days. That was how long the migraine lasted as two completely different lifetimes violently stitched themselves together in my head.
On one hand, I remembered being a fiercely ambitious, solitary university student who had just secured a fast-track corporate internship before getting obliterated by a delivery truck.
On the other hand, I remembered being Ren Ichijou. The eldest son of the Shuei-gumi Yakuza syndicate. But unlike the stereotypical Yakuza heir, I was famously frail. I had spent most of my childhood battling fevers and respiratory issues. Because of my weak constitution, the syndicate's hardened enforcers practically ignored my existence, placing all their hopes and expectations onto the shoulders of my younger half-brother.
I sat at the low wooden table in the Ichijou estate dining room, rubbing my temples as the last few fragmented memories settled into place. I was sixteen. I was finally well enough to start high school today. And my younger brother was currently having a minor breakdown over his breakfast.
"I just want a normal high school life, Aniki," Raku groaned, letting his head hit the table next to his untouched rice. "But the old man keeps talking about the Bee Hive gang, and the men keep calling me 'Young Master' in front of the neighbors. And now they're talking about forcing me into an engagement with that violent blonde gorilla just to stop a turf war!"
I looked at Raku. He was wearing the same crisp, dark uniform of Shuchiin Academy that I was. Unlike him, I don't mind to inheriting the seat. In my past life, I had clawed my way up the corporate ladder with zero free time. Here? I had the wealth and resources of a syndicate, but because everyone expected Raku to be the next boss, I'm completely free of the political baggage.
"Breathe, Raku," I said smoothly, picking up my tea. "You know Father is just doing what's best for the family. I'm just a fragile bookworm. I'll help you with the paperwork and the accounting behind the scenes, but you're the one who has to play the boss."
Raku lifted his head, a miserable but resigned look on his face. "You mean it? You'll help me with the syndicate's finances?"
"Of course," I lied effortlessly, offering a warm, supportive smile. I had absolutely zero intention of doing Yakuza accounting, but keeping Raku comfortable in his role as the heir was the best way to keep the spotlight off me. "We're brothers. I've got your back."
The walk to Shuchiin Academy was peaceful, at least for the first ten minutes.
As the massive, wrought-iron gates of the school came into view, a translucent blue loading bar that had been hovering at the edge of my vision for three days finally ticked
from 99.9% to 100%.
[EVO SYSTEM: INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[Host: Ren Ichijou]
[Calibrating Core Attributes...]
I stopped walking. A sharp, freezing sensation suddenly pierced right behind my eyes.
[Skill Acquired: Spirit Vision (BasicProficiency)]
I blinked, the pain fading as quickly as it arrived. But when I opened my eyes, the world was fundamentally wrong.
The pristine cherry blossoms lining the walkway looked the same, but huddled in the shadows beneath the branches were... *things*. Disgusting, amoeba-like blobs the size of footballs, murmuring incoherently. I didn't know what they were yet, but basic logic told me these weren't standard Japanese wildlife.
I kept my face perfectly neutral, falling back on my past-life corporate discipline. I adjusted my grip on my briefcase and walked onto the campus, trying to ignore the hideous little flies.
The shoe locker room was crowded with first-year students bustling to find their assigned spots.
I found mine near the back row. As I approached, I noticed a girl standing a few lockers down. Even in a sea of wealthy elites, she stood out. She had striking, raven-black hair and her posture was so rigidly perfect she looked like a porcelain doll.
But it wasn't her beauty that stopped me dead in my tracks.
Hovering right above her shoulder, practically coiled around the top of the lockers, was a monster. It was vastly different from the pathetic blobs outside. This thing was easily the size of a large dog, resembling a centipede made of human arms, its face a cluster of unblinking, bloodshot eyes.
My breath hitched. My heart slammed against my ribs.
Every single survival instinct in my fragile body screamed at me to run. The system hadn't given me a tutorial, but I didn't need one. I could feel the sheer, suffocating weight of the creature's existence. It was dense. It was lethal. And I was just a medically fragile teenager. I didn't have powers. I didn't have weapons.
The monster's cluster of eyes suddenly snapped toward me.
It noticed me looking.
Pure, unadulterated fear spiked through my veins. 'Don't look at it. If you look at it, you acknowledge it.'
In a moment of pure panic, I violently averted my eyes downward and locked them dead onto the raven-haired girl's crimson eyes.
She flinched, startled by the sudden, burning intensity of my stare. Her icy, aristocratic mask faltered. I wasn't just looking at her; I was staring at her like my life depended on it—because it absolutely did. My eyes were wide, my breathing shallow, my entire body tense.
To her, I was a transferring male student boldly invading her personal space, staring into her eyes with a terrifying, unyielding passion.
"C-Can I help you?" she asked. Her voice was cold, trying to maintain authority, but there was a distinct tremor of confusion and fluster in her tone.
I swallowed hard. The centipede thing above her chattered its teeth, but seeing me fixated entirely on the girl, it assumed I couldn't see it. It slowly slithered back into the dark ventilation shaft above the lockers.
Once the pressure vanished, my knees nearly buckled. I couldn't kill that thing. I couldn't even scratch it. If it had attacked, I would have been torn apart. I took a shaky step back, breaking eye contact with the deeply confused girl.
"No," I muttered under my breath, my voice raspy. "I... I can't do anything about that. I'm too weak."
Without another word, I grabbed my indoor shoes, slammed my locker shut, and practically power-walked out of the room, leaving her standing there in stunned silence.
I didn't stop walking until I found an empty stairwell. I leaned against the cold concrete wall, gasping for air.
"System," I thought desperately. "Show me everything."
A blue panel materialized in front of me.
[STATUS]
Name: Ren Ichijou
Age: 16
Rank: F
ATTRIBUTES
Constitution: 4
Dexterity: 4
Perception: 4
Spirituality: 5
Charm: 7
TRAIT
None
SKILLS
[Spirit Vision (Basic Proficiency)]
EVO POINTS (EP): 0.0
I stared at the numbers. My Charm was high. A Constitution of 4 explained why I was always sick.
A new set of prompts blinked onto the screen.
[Notice: Curses are naturally superior to humans in physical output. Direct combat without Cursed Energy is highly discouraged.]
[Notice: Exorcising Curses rewards Evolution Points (EP).]
[Notice: Spirituality must reach Level 6 to manifest tangible Cursed Energy for offense/defense.]
[Notice: Attribute Upgrade Costs scale by Rank. Current cost to upgrade Constitution from 4 - 5 is 10 EP and Spirituality from 5 - 6 is 25 EP]
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. I needed 25 points and right now, I had exactly zero.
Then, a golden icon flashed at the bottom of the screen.
[First-Time Initialization Bonus: Free Beginner Gacha Roll]
[Please select a category to draw from: SKILL | ITEM | TRAIT]
My heart leaped. An item could break or run out. A trait was passive. But a skill? A skill could bridge the gap. I needed something to help me survive while hunting points.
'I choose Skill,' I thought.
A virtual wheel spun rapidly in my vision before shattering into golden light.
[Acquired Skill: 'Presence Concealment' (Basic)]
[Description: Allows the host to suppress their life force and spiritual signature, making them appear completely unremarkable to Curses and humans alike.]
I let out a breathless laugh, sliding down the concrete wall until I was sitting on the steps. It wasn't a powerful attack like i expected.
It wouldn't let me exorcise that nightmare in the locker room.
But it would keep me alive. And right now, surviving my first day of high school was my absolute top priority.