'Next one is a D-grade Haunt. I guess I'll need more than 100 curse energy for that. It looks like a tree, eh?'

[Yep. This one is more defensive since it's plant-based Haunt. A small tree with the power to suck blood with its vines.]

'So those tendrils floating around from the ground are its vines?' Aeron focused on his Field and observed the Haunt. He couldn't get a clear-eye vision of the Haunt like seeing with naked eyes using Field, but it was a strange colored vision with the Haunt's shape highlighted and brightened.

[Gauge its aura and intensity. Based on that, create a power sphere like before to kill it in one shot.]

Aeron faintly smiled with a hint of confidence and focused.

After consuming 100 spirit energy to create a sphere, Aeron infused 380 curse energy in it.

The orb was on the verge of exploding right there on his palm, but Aeron narrowed his eyes, exerted his control, and compressed the sphere, making it smaller and further condensing the curse energy within.

[Very good. This is also how you make your attack stronger. The more compressed and condensed it is, the more powerfully it will explode upon impact.]

The dark violet orb flew up from Aeron's palm with ease as he manipulated it and shot it toward the D-grade Haunt.

Instead of striking its truck, Aeron struck it on the ground near its root because, in his Field, the brightest source of that Haunt was there.

*Boom!*

Lapis raised her eyebrows. She thought Aeron wouldn't notice and strike the Haunt, and then she would teach him about the nexus of Haunts, but it seemed that she didn't need to do that.

[You have purified a D-grade Haunt. +50 Phantom Points.]

'Got it,' Aeron grinned.

[Good job. That slightly brightened area is the nexus of a Haunt. It's harder to detect on stronger Haunts, but not impossible. Destroy it, and they are dead.]

'I see.' Aeron nodded before he wryly smiled. 'But 5% is too low for me to get something from that D-grade Haunt. How do I increase the chances?'

Lapis smiled.

[The first upgrade of Phantom Spark costs 1000 Phantom Points. And for that, it's time to move things up a notch. Given the amount of Curse power you have, you should be able to kill C-grade Haunts with ease.]

'Let me kill the other two Haunts quickly first,' Aeron said before he stretched his both palms and created two Spheres of 50 spirit energy each.

He infused 120 curse energy in each of them and condensed them simultaneously.

'Easy peasy, haha.'

*Swoosh.*

[You have purified two E-grade Haunts. +20 Phantom Points.]

'Hmm, maybe I can also power up my spear with the things I've learned?' Aeron rubbed his chin as he popped out the Blood Ripped Spear in his hand.

'Enchant.'

The spear's patterns glinted with a dark purple aura as Aeron infused 100 curse energy. The spear's power clearly rose, causing Aeron's eyes to shine.

[Yep. This was what I was about to suggest next. Using your Enchant on an object, you can power it up according to your Curse Power and the said object's capability to house curse energy.]

'So the higher-graded Phantom Gears can probably house more, right?'

[Yes. Cursed objects and Phantom Gears can be powered up more. This spear's limit is probably 500 curse energy. Infuse that amount and create a Veil of 50 spirit energy around it.]

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'Why Veil?' Aeron was confused.

[To prevent the spear from leaking curse energy. This way, the powered-up spear will last longer. You will use Veil on almost everything, but the smaller the amount, the better because Spirit energy can adapt, and your current Spirit Power is low, so you lack Spirit energy compared to curse energy.]

'I see.'

Aeron nodded and created a Veil on the spear's surface, costing 32 spirit energy. Narrowing his eyes, he removed a few more spirit energy to make the Veil worth 27 spirit energy.

The white-gold dreamy Veil on the spear's surface slowly changed and turned into purple with violet hues.

[Perfect. Thanks to your 15k Curse power, this spear's current power is enough to kill a C-grade Haunt. However, your defense is not enough even if you use Enchant on yourself. If a C-grade Haunt attacks you, you'll get severely injured or die.]

Aeron grinned, 'Welp, it's time to learn some defensive tricks with curse and spirit energy.'

Lapis smiled and nodded.

[You were unsatisfied upon hearing how Enchant wouldn't increase your physical power even if you use more Curse energy, right? Well, here's a trick that can do that.]

'Great!' Aeron's eyes shone. 'What do I do?'

[Do you know why I said no matter how much curse energy you use for Enchant on your body, it wouldn't get power up?]

Aeron frowned and used Enchant on your body instead of answering her.

He used 100 curse energy in his arms and then infused more curse energy.

[Use a bit of both curse energy and spirit energy in your eyes, and then observe your arms.]

'Oh?' Aeron curiously did just that and looked at his arms again, only to see the curse energy just getting stored and making the aura darker instead of powering up his arm.

But a light bulb lit up in his head after learning many things. 'If that sphere gets powerful the more curse energy I use and condense in it then…'

Aeron used spirit energy as well this time, creating a veil around his arms pushing curse energy, and condensing gathered curse energy in his arms, only to disperse everything he did in the next second.

"Arghhg, w-wtf…" Aeron was startled by the sudden pain in his arms at every spot.

[You went in the right direction but in the wrong order. To prevent harming yourself, you'll have to first create the thinnest Veil possible around your arms, and then Enchant it with your curse energy. The more curse energy you use and condense in those arms veils, the stronger your arms will become.]

'Haha, great! Since it's only arms that I need to Veil, I can use less spirit energy.'

[Yep.]

Aeron did it again, and this time, he could indeed feel his arms getting exponentially stronger as he used 300 curse energy with a Veil of 13 spirit energy around his arms.

[This advanced technique is called Fortify. Now, you have learned three advanced techniques so far—Field, Focus, and Fortify. The trinity basic that every Phantom Hunter must learn before venturing outside of a Sanctuary City.]

'Focus is that spirit and curse energy infusing in my eyes?'

[Yes. Focus is important to discover hiding Haunts, a Phantom Hunter's Field, people who use the Veil to hide themselves, and other things.]

'Nice. So I graduated from the school, eh?' Aeron grinned.

[From middle school, yes.]

Lapis chuckled.

[Now, use the spear, Field, Focus, and Fortify according to the situation and make your way toward the city following this river. I want to teach you more, but we are running out of time. The longer we stay here, the stronger the danger and chances of survival.]

[The distance left is 23 kilometers. Your 'Specialism' can also awaken any time soon, so our chances of survival will increase.]

Aeron looked at the raging river from the tree and grinned. 'How about we speed up towards the city?'

[What do you mean?]

Aeron fortified his feet and jumped over ten meters at once, arriving on another tree's branch near the river.

[What are you doing?]

'Just watch.'

Aeron jumped down from the tree and fortified his palms before chopping the tree from the bottom.

*Krakk…thud.*

The tree fell, and Aeron swiftly cut off its branches as he looked at the bald trunk.

'Perfect.'

Aeron's eyes flashed as he marked the tree trunk with a bit of spirit energy and manipulated it. The tree trunk floated above the river's raging flow.

[Don't tell me, Aeron!]

Lapis was dumbfounded as she saw Aeron drop the trunk on river before he himself jumped and landed on it.

However, Aeron slightly used Fortify on his feet and glued them to the trunk he manipulated so he wouldn't have to worry about maintaining his stand.

*Shaa!*

An E-grade fish Haunt jumped from the river to attack Aeron, but he swiped his spear, instantly killing it.

Aeron enacted his Field in a ten-meter radius for lower consumption and to discover any Haunts instantly the moment they entered within ten meters of him.

[…+10 Phantom Points.]

'One,' Aeron grinned. 'Let's farm and reach the city.'

[This…is indeed a good idea. But be careful and remain fully cautious.]

Lapis wryly smiled. 'This brat is a handful but reassuring.'

[…+10 Phantom Points.]

'Might as well use that Phantom Ability to attract more fish, haha.'

Aeron's eyes glinted as he used the Phantom Ability while flowing in this fast and raging flow of the river with nothing but standing on a tree trunk.

Just as he used the Gong-Fish Phantom Ability, E-grade fish Haunts started appearing, jumping from the river and attacking him.

'Haha, awesome!'

Aeron waved his spear with ease using his right hand and punched some Fish to death with his Fortified left hand.

Lapis was speechless, but seeing how he was enjoying this dangerous ride on the river with a grin on his face, and even doing well, Lapis stayed silent.

'His proficiency of all techniques is increasing….' Lapis thought, feeling a strange sensation and thrill. 'As I thought, he is indeed a genius in this regard.'

'He was born to walk this path. Even if this path was opened by some coincidence, he had shaped it for himself.'

At the moment, Lapis also felt great excitement as her expectations and hope rose watching Aeron.