David POV
I watched, heart pounding, as the woman charged at Calvin, knives gleaming in each hand, her twisted mouth stretched into a menacing grin. I braced myself, ready to intervene if he needed it, but Calvin stood his ground, calm and collected.
Just as she reached him, Calvin…sneezed.
In that instant, the woman froze, mid-sprint, her entire body encased in a solid block of ice. The transformation was so sudden that I barely had time to process it. One second, she was barreling toward him, and the next, she was immobilized, her expression of rage perfectly preserved in the icy prison. His second element, ice...I've never seen it be used in a sneeze before. Calvin let out a sigh, dusting off his hands before plopping down right there on the ground. He whistled for Duke to come over and he pulled out a worn notebook from Duke's small backpack, flipping it open as he muttered to himself, jotting things down.
I could barely catch the words he was saying.
"Speed…B-tier. Aggression is instant…" He glanced at the frozen woman, "Dash and fighting style…seems to be consistent across cases."
I stared, feeling a strange, surreal sense of familiarity wash over me. I knew that notebook. I'd had it in my hands countless times in my previous life, flipping through its pages as Calvin showed me his notes, his observations. This was where it all started...this was how he cataloged every encounter, testing different methods, tracking weaknesses, finding patterns...
So this was how he did it. He experimented. He fought ghosts like some kind of battle researcher, testing their limits and freezing them in place just so he could take notes. He then stuffed the notebook back before sending Duke away.
With a snap of his fingers, the ice shattered. The woman lurched forward, her twisted smile more furious than ever, knives flashing in her hands as she lunged straight for him. Calvin jumped back effortlessly, dodging the initial swipe with ease.
She slashed at him again, and again he sidestepped her, his movements calm, as if he were simply going through the motions. Every swing she took was either a hair too late or narrowly missed its mark, as Calvin weaved around each attack. He knew every move before she made it, anticipating each lunge, each desperate swipe.
As she grew more frenzied, he just kept dodging, his expression bored, like he was barely even trying. Then, in one smooth movement, Calvin reached for his waist, and from seemingly nowhere, he pulled out a blade...a slender, shining midnight blue katana. His first and main element...Spatial magic, a rare magic sought by everyone in all 4 nations, he can teleport with it, and store everything he needs into a spatial storage spell. So now he doesn't really need a backpack or wear a lot of things on him, though usually spatial magic users are support class, not on the front lines.
In one clean, decisive strike, he cut through her neck, his blade is coated with his mana, allowing her to explode plasma everywhere, returning this specific spirit back to the land of the dead.
It was believed that ghosts had started becoming visible a few centuries ago, during a time when the political order of the Land of the Dead fell into chaos. Spirits that had once remained hidden from the living world began crossing over, driven by anger or desperation, and they didn't come peacefully. Instead, they attacked, relentlessly and mercilessly, targeting humans without hesitation.
These encounters quickly became a crisis. Humans were dying at alarming rates, and towns and villages were abandoned as people fled from the horrors that lurked in their own backyards. But it didn't take long for humanity to push back. They discovered that only magic could harm these ghosts, and that among the elemental forces, fire and light were especially potent. It was as if those elements burned through the ethereal barriers that kept ghosts bound to this world, unraveling them and sending them back to whatever lay beyond.
Magic became humanity's greatest weapon. But it wasn't a power everyone possessed; only about 1 in 10 people were born with mana, the energy needed to cast spells. And even among those gifted with mana, only a rare few; 1 in 1000 had enough to go toe-to-toe with ghosts truly. These people became known as exorcists, and their role was both coveted and feared. They were the first line of defense against the relentless dead.
Among exorcists, most mages are born with only 1 element, the most common being fire. Rarely do you have people with multiple, I currently have 2, fire and light, but I will eventually have 2 more as I grow stronger.
Over time, the exorcists formed their own guild, a place where their skills and resources could be pooled to protect humanity as a whole. The Exorcist Guild became a central point of order, a place where exorcists from around the world would meet, train, and take requests to exorcise the restless dead.
"Someone bring a mop, this one is messy!" Calvin shouted to the townsfolk.
When a ghost was defeated, it didn't simply disappear without a trace. In its place, a faintly glowing substance would be left behind, a residue called plasma. This substance was solidified mana, a lingering fragment of the ghost's essence that had condensed upon its destruction.
Plasma had a strange, almost ethereal quality to it...shimmering, faintly pulsing, and cold to the touch. But more importantly, it posed a serious risk. Plasma acted like a beacon, its energy attracting other ghosts from miles around, drawn to it as if responding to some instinctive call. If left unchecked, this small remnant could easily become the focal point for new hauntings, starting a vicious cycle all over again. Some ghosts will even regenerate completely and merge back together again if the plasma is not dealt with, however, these ghosts are very rare, since they are usually ones that are at the stage of evolution into demons.
To prevent such disturbances, exorcists had to ensure that plasma was properly dealt with. It could be purified and disposed of using magic, usually fire or light elements, which were known to dissipate it completely. Alternatively, plasma could be contained, but only in specially enchanted vials designed to keep its energy from leaking and attracting other ghosts.
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"You, you know how to clean this up, don't you?" Calvin then handed me his mop as he went to sit down and write on his book again, "Prove yourself that you're my student."
"Of course, you liked using me for free labor, I'm very used to this."
"Good, now more cleaning and less talking, we'll discuss our special circumstances later, I need to finish writing the details of this ghost, C-ranked beautiful masked lady."
I then just cast a ray of light and erased every plasma nearby within an instant, causing Calvin to look up from his notebook.
"Find a spray bottle and spray the mana water everywhere, it should help deter ghosts for a while, at least till another exorcist is here." he ordered.
"The beautiful masked lady...did you really unfreeze it to study all of its moves? You could have ended it quickly and in a less messy way if the plasma was contained within the ice."
"Of course, but nobles aren't documenting this shit, learning their moves is useful for beginners, once you're good, you'd face enough of them to learn how they fight, but most people ain't documenting it, so I took it upon myself to do so. This one uses 2 knives, with the same ferocity, but the variant with one knife is stronger due to it being a more coordinated fighter. I would consider stamina into the equation, but ghosts have no such thing."
If I remember correctly, the Kuchisake Onna, or "beautiful masked woman" for the people of this world, was among the more infamous ghosts, a persistent legend that had kept people wary of dark streets and empty paths for generations. She appeared as a tall woman with long, dark hair, often dressed in tattered clothing and wearing a blood-smeared mask that concealed the lower half of her face. Her appearance was striking, even alluring at first glance, which was all part of her lure.
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The Kuchisake Onna operated with a particular method, usually approaching people alone at night. She'd ask a single, unnerving question: "Am I beautiful?" The person's response determined her reaction, though none of the options were especially safe. If someone replied "yes," she would remove her mask, revealing a grotesque, slit mouth stretching from ear to ear. She'd then repeat her question, more insistently, her eyes wide with a terrifying hunger. If the person hesitated or tried to flee, she'd attack immediately, swiftly, and brutally. If they still say yes...well, she'll make them look the same, you'll live of course...but still a brutal fate considering that healing magic is rare and expensive even for nobles.
To neutralize her safely, the best approach was to strike her down in a single blow while she was still asking the question when her guard was down. When taken by surprise at this moment, she remained at a low threat level, classified as a D-rank spirit. But that initial attack had to be perfectly executed; if she survived the blow, she'd transform into her angered state, where her rage would make her significantly tougher and more relentless, pushing her up to a dangerous C-rank.
Avoiding her completely was, of course, an option. The best way to stay safe was simply to ignore her presence altogether, walking by as if she were just another shadow. Acknowledging her or responding in any way could trigger her deadly curiosity. Alternatively, if you had triggered her curiosity, excusing oneself politely before leaving was known to confuse her long enough for someone to escape.
However, ignoring her only worked for so long. If she were disregarded by enough people, the Kuchisake Onna would eventually enter her angered state regardless. This transformation usually took anywhere from a week to a month of neglect, but once angered, she'd attack indiscriminately, targeting anyone who dared to pass by. For this reason, if a non-exorcist encountered her, the best course of action was to escape immediately and seek an exorcist's help.
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"I'm going to quiz you now." Calvin said as we were sitting, waiting for his reward, "Is my rank still D-rank in the future?"
"...Unbelievably...yes."
"Do you know why?"
"I believe that you angered several people in the royal capital of the Heart Kingdom, and you can't get promoted even in the other kingdoms since they used their connections to stop you from receiving any possible means of entering the royal capital."
"Have I ever told you the specifics of why I was banned apart from the angering some nobles excuse?"
"No. But you did say that they promised that you'd be allowed in again if you were to achieve S-rank...which...well..."
"Am I human?"
"Not fully, you never gave me a proper answer."
"Am I married?"
"You would joke that you are."
"I would never joke about such things."
"I was with you for a whole year, and I've never seen you go to your supposed home even once."
"Well, I am."
"You have no ring."
"Because I don't need one...last question, what do I collect?"
"Cursed blades."
"Alright, I'll believe your story."
"That's...it?"
"If you had failed, I would have found other ways to test you."
"Like what?"
"You want to find out?"
"No, I rather not."
"Good, you passed." he nodded.
"Wait...that was a test?"
"Yeah, if you had answered that you wanted to prove something to erase any doubts or something...well, I would have thrown you at an impossible opponent and see how you fight, and save you at the brink of death if I determined you to be an ally."
What a weirdo...
"If you want, I know where 2 of them are located."
"Which ones?" He asked.
"The sword of day and the sword of night."
"Alright, guide me thereafter. I'm planning to get to my new house today. You got somewhere to go?"
"No, I registered with the guild as an apprentice instead of joining the academy and have become a C-rank exorcist, I can go anywhere unless you want a bit of privacy."
"Help me find a carriage then, we'll talk more after, I'll find us food for the road."
"Ok."
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I took a bite of my sandwich, glancing over at Calvin, who was idly watching the countryside roll by outside the carriage window. He looked as ordinary as anyone might at that moment, but I knew the truth, his death had set off a chain of events no one could have foreseen. Calvin's death had been one of the biggest mistakes in our past timeline.
The four nations: the Heart Kingdom, Diamond Kingdom, Spade Empire, and the Clubs Republic each followed a strict hierarchy of power. They were structured like suits in a deck of cards, with their leaders, the "kings" and "queens," at the top. Then came the elite 10 led by the Jack, they served as personal guards of the kings and queens. And at the pinnacle of strength in each nation were the "Aces." These individuals were the nation's pride, its offensive force, wielded in times of war and crisis. The Ace fought on the front lines while the Jacks and the elite 10 protected.
But there was one card, outside the structure and loyalties of the four suits, that could change everything: the Joker. The Joker wasn't bound to any nation or allegiance, an unpredictable force who didn't answer to any throne. A Joker was a power of their own, someone who could disrupt the careful balance between the nations, tilting power in favor of whoever had them on their side.
The Joker card was a mystery.
Its criteria for choosing an owner are as elusive as the card itself. No one knew precisely how it decided, or why it appeared to some and not others. Scholars in each of the four nations had their theories, but none had ever unlocked its secrets. Some said it was chosen based on strength, and others said it required an unmatched will, we do know one thing though, and it's the only card that chooses its own owner.
I'd never learned what it was that made the Joker card choose Calvin. All I knew was that when it revealed itself, it had been the beginning of the end. In the days following, there was chaos. The Heart Kingdom, Diamond Kingdom, Spade Empire, and Clubs Republic each wanted possession of the Joker card, desperate to gain the unpredictable edge it represented. Wars ignited between nations as each faction vied to capture the card and claim the power Calvin had held in secret. It didn't matter that Calvin was gone; the card itself had become the prize, and the bloodshed that followed tore apart what was left of the world.
The card disappeared and was nowhere to be seen...so all of it had been in vain, the lives lost...reflecting on the past now...we never stood a chance.
"Why don't you just teleport to where we're going? At this rate, we'll have to sleep at the next village and rest there for the night." the coachman asked and turned toward us, "I don't mind being paid, but I'm just curious."
"I can only teleport to places I've been." Calvin answered, "And the village we're heading towards might need my services, besides...don't mention my element in front of them, there are only 5 other spatial magic users, and spreading it around will only let people come necessarily knocking on my doors."
"Ah sorry, sorry. But thanks for always helping my village out again, my son plans on becoming an exorcist like you in the future."
"No problem, it's my job. Tell your son to do well in his studies, I'm moving far away soon and can't be there all of the time."
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Calvin POV
We finally arrived at a small village just as the sun dipped below the horizon, I barely had a chance to stretch my legs before a local rushed up to our carriage with his face full of worry.
"You'll want to turn back, travelers," he said, waving his hands. "Our village's been overrun with Lingers for days. It's dangerous to stay here."
"Perfect timing, wouldn't you say? This here is Calvin, an exorcist." the coachman pointed to me, "Lingers are E-ranked ghosts, aren't they? He's more than enough."
"Ah then, can you come meet our village head? We were about to send someone to contact the guild at the next nearest village." he requested nervously.
"Of course...Duke, sniff em out while I meet the Village head, they could miss out on some of em."
He hesitated, then nodded and led us toward the village square, where the village head waited, wringing his hands nervously. Duke trotted close to my side, his ears perked up, taking in every anxious face around us before dashing off to sniff out the Lingers.
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When we reached the village head, he looked up at me, hope and desperation mixed in his expression as he was told that I would agree to help him out.
"Thank you for coming to our aid," he began, bowing slightly, "We don't have much, and I'm afraid we can't offer much payment, but we're begging you to help us rid our village of these Lingers."
"I don't desire much, not the money, anyway. I'll handle the Lingers free of charge." The village head's face lit up with relief, "But I will charge for the cleanup. It's...tedious. So here's what I'll need...a place to stay for me, my coachman, this guy, and the horses, and enough water for me and Duke here. "
The village head looked at me like I'd just lifted the world off his shoulders. He nodded quickly, almost stumbling over his own feet.
"Of course! Whatever you need, it's yours." he responded as Duke came up to my side and use his nails and drew the number 6 on the ground.
"6 Lingers...fun." I then turned to my supposed disciple, "You, go deal with it."
"What? Why?" he asked.
"And please only use what I supposedly taught you."
Linger is a faint, shadowy figure with blurry, indistinct features. It drifts just out of the corner of your eye, fading in and out of view as it draws closer. Its movements are slow and subtle, and it never appears directly in front of someone unless it's ready to use its ability.
Linger doesn't attack directly but instead has a draining aura. When it's within a certain radius, anyone nearby will feel increasingly fatigued, dizzy, or even short of breath, as though their energy is being quietly pulled away. The effect is slow and easy to dismiss at first but intensifies if someone stays in its presence too long. The aura isn't fatal unless someone remains near Linger for an extended time, but prolonged exposure could lead to fainting or disorientation, and eventually death.
Bright light forces Linger to vanish for a short time, but like all ghosts, they can only be killed using magic, so they are weak to exorcists, a person with a small mana pool who couldn't qualify to be an exorcist would have a hard time, and a small village like this, it's super dangerous if there's 6 of them.
Fun.