[Contractual bond: active. First contract COMPLETED. Calculating rewards…]
I stayed on the ground.
My chest heaved. My shoulder throbbed. My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
The alley was quiet now. Too quiet. No screaming. No twisted shadows lunging at me.
Just trash bags. Wet stone. Flickering light.
The system chimed again.
[Rewards granted.]
[+15 XP]
[+250$]
[Item acquired: Wraith Crystal]
I blinked.
"…Two hundred and fifty?"
The words didn't register at first.
Money wasn't a concept to me. It was stress. Fear. Numbers that never worked out.
But the system didn't care.
My phone vibrated.
I froze.
Slowly, carefully, I pulled it out.
Bank notification: +250.00$
I stared at the screen.
My breath caught.
It was real.
Not points. Not fake currency. Not some game number.
Real money.
My legs went weak again and I sat back down hard.
"That's… rent" I whispered.
Food. Medicine. Bills.
For the first time since Eleni—
My chest tightened.
For the first time, something worked.
The system flickered once more.
[Level up available.]
My heart jumped.
"Yes" I said immediately. "Do it"
No hesitation.
[XP threshold reached.]
[Level increased: 2]
A warm pulse spread through my body. Not explosive. Not painful.
Just… stabilizing.
Like my bones settled into the right place.
[Status updated.]
[Level: 2]
[Passive Ability: Soul Sight — enhanced clarity.]
The world sharpened.
The alley came into focus again, but differently this time. I could see faint residue where the wraith had been. Scratches in the air. Like burn marks on reality.
I stood slowly.
My shoulder still hurt—but less.
Not healed.
Just… manageable.
"Okay" I muttered. "Okay. This is real."
I checked my pocket.
The Wraith Crystal sat there, cold and heavy. When I focused on it, faint whispers brushed the edge of my hearing.
I ignored them.
One problem at a time.
The walk home felt different.
Still terrifying.
But clearer.
I could see spirits now without panic blinding me. Most were weak. Fragments. Leftovers.
They didn't attack.
They just drifted.
I realized something as I walked.
They weren't everywhere.
They clustered.
Near hospitals. Old buildings. Dark alleys.
Places where people broke.
Places like mine.
The apartment door shut behind me.
I locked it.
Then I leaned against it and laughed.
Not happy.
Not sad.
Just… cracked.
"I killed a monster" I said out loud. "And got paid."
Alex the great monster hunter. It seemed funny, just a new title between kitchen helper and student.
My phone buzzed again.
Balance: No longer zero.
I slid down to the floor.
Eleni's face flashed in my mind.
I swallowed.
"I could've paid a doctor" I whispered.
The thought hurt more than the wraith ever did.
The system appeared again.
[Patron: HADES — observation ongoing.]
"Yeah" I said quietly. "I figured."
No answer.
Then—
New text.
[New contract available.]
My heart skipped.
[Objective: Capture or neutralize 3 corrupted wraiths.]
[Difficulty: Low–Moderate]
[Rewards:]
[+45 XP]
[750$]
[Bonus item probability: medium]
I stared at the numbers.
Seven hundred and fifty.
My breath came shallow.
That was more than a week of work.
More than killing myself in a kitchen.
More than choosing between food and electricity.
"This is insane" I whispered.
My hands trembled—but not from fear this time.
From need.
From hope.
From something sharp and dangerous forming in my chest.
I remembered the scream of the wraith. It echoed as if coming from the depths of my soul... It terrified me to have to face this again... I wasn't built for this... Then I remembered the notification.
+250$.
Real money... Money I can use to get out of this cycle, to pay debts...
To have a cozy life if... WHEN I get my sister back.
"…Three wraiths" I said. "I can do that."
The system waited.
I didn't hesitate.
"I accept."
[Contract accepted.]
The words burned into my vision.
Somewhere deep below the world—
Something smiled.
And this time?
I was ready to hunt.