In the dimly lit living room, the air hung heavy with anticipation and a trace of unspoken fear.

Aeron sat rigidly on an old, creaking chair, its wood groaning under the weight of the moment as much as his own. His sun-set eyes, focused and resolute, were fixed on the fragile figure before him—his newfound little sister, Rosalie.

She stood straight, oozing out hope mixed with nervousness, and her eyes tightly shut close to brace the pain she expected.

Aeron's palm was resting on her stomach. Despite Rosalie's pajama covering it, the dark and twisting curse mark that crept across her abdomen like a malevolent shadow was visible. Glowing and moving, the curse mark was transferred to Aeron's palm.

He was temping it into his body, creating a substitute connection with it according to Lapis's instruction.

Rosalie opened her eyes slightly and tilted her head forward to look at her stomach, but her body immediately shook slightly at what she saw.

"Calm down," Aeron said, having sensed Rosalie's movement and emotion. A hint of fear also bloomed from her as she watched the half-curse mark already on Aeron's hand.

Aeron absorbed the fear and said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen to me or you."

Rosalie felt relaxed upon hearing him, feeling as if he cast some magic on her. She nodded, her fist clenched with anticipation, "Ok."

'The curse mark is moving to him…' Rosalie's heart was beating faster than usual, her emotions were calm thanks to Aeron's reassurance, and feeling grateful to him as she could clearly feel herself getting liberated from the curse.

The constant soreness she lived with for a year all over her body was leaving!

The chilling pain in her stomach was vanishing!

When the curse mark entirely left her body, she trembled and fell to the ground, feeling a washing comfort all over her body.

"I-I feel so light and comfortable…" Rosalie's lips trembled and her eyes turned moist, almost feeling surreal that the troubling curse mark was rid off so easily.

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"That feels good to hear," Aeron cheekily grinned and pinched her cheek. "Now, let's go. I got some loot, so we'll first sell it to get some spirit credits."

Rosalie brightly smiled and nodded. When she was about to stand up, she saw the curse mark traveling from Aeron's arm and went into his sleeve's stomach, visibly pulsing with a black glow.

"Y-you….why did you take it?" Rosalie was shocked. "Didn't you say you can remove it?"

"Hahaha, don't worry about it," Aeron cheekily grinned and patted her head. "This curse mark can do nothing to me. I can erase it anytime I want, but I am just keeping it to learn more about it."

[Why? Just destroy that mark.]

'Nah. I can feel some connection outward from this curse mark. I don't know where it's going, but it's going outward from this curse.'

Rosalie was dazed for a moment before she smilingly nodded. "OK, if you say so. Then should I go bring savings of brother Aeron if we want to buy an Ability Potion?"

"Yeah, bring it all. Let's get you a useful Phantom Ability."

Rosalie went inside the bedroom and took out a palm-sized pouch filled with coins.

"Here," Rosalie handed it over to Aeron. "Keep it carefully, okay? It's the saving of a year."

Aeron opened the pouch and saw tiny gold coins with black marks and a number carved on them. Some coins had 10 numbers carved, some had 20, while some had 50.

"Alright, let's go," Aeron smiled and waved his hand holding the pouch before Rosalie, causing it to vanish.

"How do you do that?!" Rosalie exclaimed. "You also did that with a Haunt core."

"Magic," Aeron grinned. "Come, let's get a Phantom Ability."

As the duo left the house, Rosalie locked the door and led Aeron to the nearest branch of Phantom Association.

Meanwhile, Lapis filled Aeron with knowledge of spirit credits.

[These coins are spirit credits and they are created with a special method that requires E-grade Haunt cores and E-grade resources. Only the Phantom Association is allowed to create the spirit credits and has a special way to detect fake ones even if one tries.]

[Oh yeah, people also have to pay a tax of 20 spirit credits per head every month in the Inner Area. It's lower in the Outer area, and more expensive tax for the ones living in the core area of the city.]

'Interesting. So they protect the city's residence in exchange for tax?'

[City Guards, City Police, and association-related work. They also have schools for kids to learn basic writing, reading, and then other paths.]

'Not bad. At least the top echelon and humans of the world know they need more people to survive and win,' Aeron chuckled, 'The world needs more people to become excellent Phantom Hunters and make progress in various fields to help them defend and get stronger.'

'I shall join in this race and pioneer further,' Aeron grinned, his budding thrill suffusing in him again. 'I wonder how are those other Sinisters if that Lady Shear is like that? Now that I know I can become stronger, I want to beat those ghosts, haha.'

[That's why you are here.]

Lapis rolled her eyes.

[But you need to get stronger. If you die, then you will waste a great chance, so don't be reckless.]

'I will move with my desire and continue to forge my way of life but I have no intention of dying so don't worry, haha.'