My Mystique Hunting System

Chapter 4 — Running Into A Malevolent

"Why did we stop?" Jason was forced to close the system panel screen when he noticed the vehicle come to an abrupt halt.

"We are just going to grab some stuffs. Till then make sure you wait in the car. Whatever you do don't step out alright?" Aletta warned Jason sternly as she got down from the car.

The car was currently parked in the parking lot of a convinence store.

"Hm" Jason merely hummed.

"Let's go " Stephen gave Jason one long look before leaving the car as well. Jason watched silently as both siblings made their way into the convinence store. It was currently late noon and the inflow of customers was very high. As such both Siblings were instantly drowned amongst the large crowd of people making their way in and out of the store.

Only after Jason had confirmed their departure did a sly grin grace his lips. Opening his palm, a strange object suddenly materialized, landing on his palm.

It was a pair of crimson colored pupil lenses . This was one of the three items of the starter pack that Jason received from the system; The Sprite Pupil.

"Let's see if this stuff really even works" with skeptism, Jason brought the pupil lenses closer to his face. Pasting them into his cornea, he suddenly gasped in shock.

  That was because his vision underwent a ridiculous transformation. Whether it was the walking pedestrians, the moving vehicles, the thick walls of the various stores lining the walkway, Jason could clearly see through them, kind of like an x-ray vision. He could see through the skeletal structures of the walking pedestrians, the inner working mechanism of the vehicles, what was happening through the thick walls of several stalls.. he could see through everything!

"Arrgh!!" a raspy groan escaped Jason's lips as he tightly clutched his head. The sudden switch in vision caused a tsunami of headache to flow into Jason's brain. It was a stinging feeling.

However after blinking rapidly and shutting his eyes for a few moments, the feeling dispersed.. However Jason had now learnt his lesson and didn't dare to look around carelessly.

  Just as he was about to put away the Sprite Pupils, he suddenly received a notification from the system.

—[A Malevolent has been detected!]

"Malevolent?" just as Jason was musing about what the terms meant, another row of words appeared on the system panel screen.

—[After the physical body dies, a living entity is left with a soul. At this stage, there are two options.. either the soul gets taken away to Hell by the Grim Reapers.. or they become Hermits..]

—[Hermits are wandering souls who still retains emotional attachment to the world of the living, unwilling to move ahead. After a long time, these Hermits tend to become corrupted by the seven emotions and six desires, transforming them into a shadow of their original selves.. transforming them into Malevolents]

—[The power level of a Malevolent broads down on two things.. the accumulated intensity of their corruption and the number of Hermits they have absorbed into themselves]

—[You are 300 meters away from the Malevolent]

.

.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A teenage girl with twin pigtails clad in snow white denim jackets and shorts underneath a lace leggings panted heavily as she was engaged in a sprint along the main road.

However the most puzzling phenomenon was that although she was running through the main road, the moving vehicles always seemed to move past her while the pedestrians walking by the sidewalk seemed to be ignoring her impulsive and suicidal efforts.

It was like she didn't exist in their eyes.

"Ah. Ah. Ah" panting heavily, the strange girl leaned against the entrance wall of an alley way as she seemed to be in the process of catching her breath.

"You.. You are a ghost?" a startled voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

"Huh?" turning back, the strange girl noticed a teenage boy staring at her, with slightly shaky feet.

"You can see me?" she pointed her chest as she appeared shock.

"Yeah?" currently Aiden was putting on the Sprite Pupils, as such he didn't know that he was the only one who could see the invisible ghost girl.

Fortunately for him, they were at a slightly abandoned alleyway, or passerbys would've started giving him strange looks for talking to thin air.

"Thank goodness! I thought I was going crazy already!" the ghost girl appeared relieved as she inched closer to Jason, only for the teen to take two steps back.

"Don't worry, I am not like the others" she smiled sadly when she saw his cautious behavior.

"The others? what do you mean?" Jason inquired suspiciously as he took another step back.

"I remember dying after three months in coma. Then this guy in black suit asked me to follow him. Naturally I refused. However.. after he left I noticed that everybody around me seemed to not have the ability to see me. Not to mention anything I touch goes past me. Just as I was feeling confused, this strange man came along and said he could see me and take me to a better place"

" When I refused, he and another lady suddenly attacked me. And that's how I ran until I met you. Are you dead like me too? " the ghost girl spoke so fast that of it was a regular human, they would already be choking for breath.

"No.." Jason shook his head when suddenly his eyes lit up in realization.

"Uhm.. when did you say you died again?"

"About three hours ago?"

"Eh? then you must be a Hermit.. you can't be the Malevolent then.. however if you are not it... then where is it?" Jason was in the midst of mulling over this when the ghost girl suddenly cried as she pointed behind him.

"Watch Out!"

The warning had just come out when Jason suddenly felt a wave of icy air overwhelm him. Without even thinking, he jumped to the ground . He had only done so when a couple of broken bottles flew past his head, smashing into the walls. If he hadn't reacted quickly, his head would've already been smashed into a bloody pulp.

"Huh?" looking over, he saw his attacker through the Sprite Pupils.

It was a middle aged bald headed man sporting dirty t shirt and khaki shorts. His eyes were currently silver in color and through the Sprite pupils, Jason could spot a crimson halo surrounding him. From afar, Jason could sense a bone chilling cold sensation from this crimson halo. It reeked of death and malevolence.

Without even checking a text book, Jason instantly recognized the other party.

"Little Girl, better give up trying to escape. You cannot escape from me" the Malevolent spoke in a weird voice that resembled teeth grinding against each other in the cold nights of winter.

Just then, Jason received a series of notifications from the System.

—[A Level 2 Malevolent has been spotted!]

—[You have unlocked Two Missions]

—[Main Mission; Defeat the Malevolent]

—[Malevolents are wicked creatures who terrorize the innocent folks and gives them nightmares. A large majority of them were terrible sinners while they were alive. As a Mystique Hunter and the Host of the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System, it is your job to rid the world of these vile creatures]

—Mission Reward: +200 Mystique Coins]

—[Side Mission; Protect the Wandering Damsel In Distress]

—[The Malevolent before you wishes to absorb the Hermit Ghost Girl behind you. As the Host of the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System, uphold your honor by serving as her Knight in shiny armor]

—[Mission Reward: +20 Mystique Coins]