I noticed it an hour later.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Attention.
---
Wherever I drifted, something tugged at my core.
A faint pull.
Like a hook buried too deep to ignore.
---
> [Hunter Mark: Active]
Effect:
• Location trace (intermittent)
• Increased detection chance
• Attraction of hostile entities
"…That's not a mark."
"That's a tracking curse."
> [Correction: Hybrid.]
Great.
---
I avoided open areas.
Stayed high.
Moved fast.
Still—
Eyes followed me.
Not human eyes.
---
A shadow detached itself from a wall.
Another malformed spirit.
Then another.
Drawn in.
---
> [Residual Wraiths: Multiple]
"So the mark makes me bait."
> [Conclusion: Accurate.]
---
One lunged.
I didn't hesitate.
---
I gathered emotion—
Fear from nearby streets.
Anger from a late-night argument.
Exhaustion from the city itself.
Compressed.
Released.
---
> [Skill Used: Emotional Pulse]
The alley shook.
The wraiths shattered like glass.
---
> Spirit Energy Gained: +Moderate
Spirit Core Growth: +2%
> Spirit Core Integrity: 70%
"…So killing them feeds me."
> [Observation: Yes.]
"That feels morally questionable."
> [No objection detected.]
---
But the pull didn't stop.
If anything, it intensified.
---
> [Warning: Hunter Network Synchronization Detected.]
I froze.
"…They're triangulating."
---
I felt it.
From three directions.
Cold.
Precise.
Closing in.
---
Running wouldn't work.
Hiding wouldn't either.
Not like this.
---
"…System."
> [Listening.]
"I need a way to suppress the mark."
Silence.
Then—
---
> [Option Available.]
Temporary Mark Suppression
Method: External Interference
Risk: High
Requirement: Contracted Entity Assistance
---
Only one name came to mind.
"…Mira."
---
The air rippled.
Like it heard me.
---
From the edge of a rooftop—
She stepped forward, clapping slowly.
"Took you long enough."
---