BOOM. BOOM.
The ground trembled as the massive corpses of the Giant Roaming Corpses collapsed, their hulking frames kicking up swirling clouds of dust and debris. Where their chests had once been, there now existed only gaping, fist-sized cavities—as if some invisible, monstrous hand had reached inside their ribcages and crushed their vital organs into bloody pulp.
The intricate cursed markings that had once pulsed with malignant energy across their grayish skin flickered weakly, like dying embers, before finally dissipating into nothingness.
Ethan exhaled slowly, observing the results of his experiment. His newly enhanced Bloodprice Curse had performed beyond expectations.
The moment the two D+-ranked abominations had come charging at him, he had:
Marked them with his curse—an invisible brand that linked their life forces to his will.
Transmuted their beating hearts into fragile straw constructs through his Strawskin Manifestation.
Detonated the cursed straw hearts remotely, while the 150% damage reflection from his upgraded curse ensured the creatures essentially killed themselves by attacking him.
The entire process had taken less than three seconds.
The Silent Massacre
Behind him, Lucian Steelgrave's jaw went slack. Sophia Laurent's fingers unconsciously tightened around her sidearm until her knuckles turned white. The assembled Bureau operatives and Awakeners stood frozen in place, their faces a mixture of disbelief and dawning terror.
There had been:
•No flashy martial arts moves—no spinning kicks or bone-crushing punches.
•No elemental pyrotechnics—no roaring flames or crackling lightning.
•Not even a visible activation of any ability.
Just two D+-ranked Entities—each capable of tearing through armored vehicles and requiring entire squads to subdue—snuffed out like candle flames between thumb and forefinger.
And Ethan hadn't even broken stride.
As he stepped over the rapidly disintegrating remains, the corpses crumbled into fine gray ash, carried away by an unfelt wind. Two serpentine tendrils of black miasma—visible only to his enhanced perception—coiled through the air before being absorbed into his body.
[Ding! Host has slain D+-ranked Entity: Giant Roaming Corpse. Reward: 1.5 Supernatural Points.]
[Ding! Host has slain D+-ranked Entity: Giant Roaming Corpse. Reward: 1.5 Supernatural Points.]
Ethan's brow furrowed slightly as he noted the diminished returns. Previously, these creatures had yielded 3 SP each. His growing power was apparently recalibrating the system's reward structure—stronger hunters earned less from weaker prey.
But this derelict high-rise was a warren teeming with Entities.
"Let's see if quantity can compensate for quality," he mused, his lips curling into something that wasn't quite a smile.
Without hesitation, he strode into the building's gaping maw—as nonchalant as a man entering his favorite café for a morning coffee.
The Awakening Classification System
Lucian Steelgrave's hands trembled slightly as he processed what he'd just witnessed. His military-trained mind automatically categorized the display into the three known Awakening classifications:
Physical Enhancement (The Common Path)
•Abilities like Iron Hide, Steel Bones, Hyper-Regeneration.
•Direct strength and durability boosts.
•Critical Weakness: Utterly ineffective against spectral Entities.
•Status: Considered the "grunt" class—useful but limited.
Elemental Mastery (The Elite Path)
•Control over fire, ice, lightning, shadow, etc.
•Can damage all Entity types, including ghosts.
•Status: Highly prized—most Bureau squad leaders are Elemental Awakeners.
Esoteric Abilities (The Mythic Path)
•No two Esoteric Awakenings are identical.
•Documented cases include:
•Fate Perception: Seeing an individual's exact death date.
•Phoenix Regeneration: Reforming from complete disintegration.
•Soul Harvest: Stealing life essence to fuel personal evolution.
•Status: So rare most operatives will never meet one.
Lucian's breath came faster. What he'd just witnessed defied both Physical and Elemental paradigms.
There was only one explanation:
Ethan Cross was an Esoteric Awakener.
The Bureau's Epiphany
Sophia Laurent's mind reeled. She had assumed Ethan was perhaps D-rank, relying on some stealth-based Physical ability to infiltrate the building.
But this?
No physical contact. No elemental signatures. Just instant, inexplicable death.
Her police training screamed that this violated every known rule of Entity engagement.
Yet the evidence was undeniable—two Giant Roaming Corpses reduced to ash without their attacker lifting a finger.
Around her, hardened Bureau operatives—men and women who faced horrors daily—looked like rookies witnessing their first massacre.
One grizzled veteran crossed himself. Another muttered what might have been a prayer.
The Misunderstood Reality
What none of them realized was:
Ethan hadn't used an innate Esoteric ability at all.
His power was something far more terrifying—the systematic application of curses with the precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel.
But in this world, where mystery often trumped logic, sometimes...
The truth was far stranger than the legends.
Lucian's Calculated Realization
Lucian turned to Sophia, his earlier desperation replaced by something dangerously close to reverence.
"Police Captain... you've somehow enlisted a living WMD," he said, voice hushed. "Do you have any idea what a C-rank Esoteric's services cost? The starting bid is a billion—and most wouldn't dirty their hands for mere currency."
His gaze turned appraising. "He must have... alternative motivations for taking your contract."
Sophia's pale skin flushed crimson as the implication landed. Around them, operatives began whispering—some with naked envy, others with newfound wariness.
A young female agent eyed Sophia's figure, then sighed dramatically. "Lucky bitch."
The Ironic Truth
As the speculation swirled, the real reason for Ethan's involvement was far simpler:
1.The building was packed with Entities = High SP yield.
2.Sophia had paid upfront = No collection hassles.
3.Testing new abilities required live subjects.
But sometimes...
Letting people believe in legends made life easier.