Mikel reached down toward his ankle, not wrapped by a hand, but by water itself. Not just water, but something shaped like it. Something pretending to be part of the river.
For crying out loud…
His eyes glowed in the murky water, giving him a clearer view of his surroundings. Fighting malevolent spirits was always a nightmare, but after facing a handful, he was getting used to the routine—the pain, the panic, the pressure. The strain came in layers: physical, psychological, spiritual.
So, he could say fighting midair was much easier than drowning.
Why did he always have to curse them? Why turn problems into worse ones?
He ground his teeth, aware of the consequences of the Curse Activation. By triggering a curse on the river ghost, he had turned it from a malevolent spirit into a full cursed entity—unleashing its true potential
Reckless? Yes.
Did he have to do it? No.
Then, why did he keep doing it, regardless?
Because there were reasons. One — he needed to master the basic incantations. Two — cursed spirits filled the Blood Chain faster. And three — it boosted his Main Objective progress: filling the Crystal.
Above all, he had observed that increasing the stakes also helped increase his resistance and resilience.
Tonight, however, he probably made a bad choice.
The force around his ankle yanked again, a cold reminder that this wasn't over. Not even close. He tried to kick the force around his ankle, but to no avail. He just kept sinking more and more, reminding him that even if he managed to come back to the surface, it might be a little too late.
Looking up, the faint light over the surface rippled and grew dimmer.
Chain…
Instead of flicking the chain around, he shot his hand up, and the chain quickly lashed upward. Within seconds, the Blood Chain shot through the surface of the river and wrapped around the nearby tree.
"Kyah!"
The ghosts, who were hiding behind the tree, jumped back in shock when the Blood Chain almost shot through them as it wrapped around the tree. They shuffled back in sync, eyes locked on the rusted chain tightening around the bark like it was alive.
Holding their breaths, they turned their heads to the river where Mikel was. Unlike its previous calmness, the surface of the river waved as if the current from underneath was growing harsher.
"Uh-oh…" the male ghost stuttered, wide-eyed. "What in the world is going on in there?"
The female ghost's mouth trembled. "Is he—is he fine?"
---
Meanwhile…
As soon as Mikel felt that the chain had managed to anchor itself into something, he stopped sinking. But at the same time, the force on his ankle yanked him. The pull stretched his body taut—from leg to torso—like something trying to snap him in two.
He winced, grinding his teeth as his eye glowed brighter in the darkness. The current whipped him harshly while he clung tightly to the chain. The water made it hard for him to see through the murk, and he grunted as small pebbles started grazing his skin.
[Do you need help, Master?]
Mikel wanted to ignore it, knowing it was just another of Doom's unhelpful attempts. However, he did need help—his oxygen was on a fast countdown at the moment.
Is there anything you could do?
[System Trigger: Combat Playback Activated. Now Playing: "You vs. Sewage Ghost."]
Then, the screen audaciously showed the afterimages of Mikel's previous exorcism with the sewage ghost the night before.
The hell? This is useless! I already know that—I was there!
[Repetition breeds perfection. Now, swing harder, Master.]
Mikel raised his arm to protect himself from the whirring current that was sucking him in. Had it not been for the Blood Chain and his tight grip on it, he would've been swept away. He peeked from one eye, still catching the screen glowing while playing a replay of his previous battle, focused on the technique he used to win.
[Watch here, Master. This is where you almost died. Stunning.]
Infuriated at Doom, Mikel still checked out the replay. It showed how he used the Blood Chain to bind, strike, and finish his previous opponent. There wasn't anything special about it—he had been doing the same routine every single fight—but now, that wouldn't work. He was underwater, and the cursed river ghost controlled the entire setting.
Still, the Blood Chain was harder to control in whip form underwater… but there was another way.
Now!
He yanked, and the chain released from the tree where it had anchored itself. As soon as it loosened, Mikel's body was quickly swallowed by the current. The Blood Chain quickly reverted to a bracelet. He winced, arms up to shield himself, surrendering to the current.
He squinted, Night Vision straining at full alert. Despite his body hitting some larger rocks, he kept his focus on the fast-moving water around him until—
There!
Mikel caught something just outside the whirlpool where he was stuck. He extended his arm—only for another rock to slam into it. Blood quickly seeped out, but he kept reaching, regardless of the assault.
[Warning: Recovery Protocol Overdrive…]
He ignored it, keeping his focus until his hand reached the whirlpool's edge.
Now!
The Blood Chain instantly extended at his command, shooting right through the figure floating calmly deep in the water. Despite its precision, the current knocked the chain off course—the river ghost was still in control here.
"Tehehe~" the ghostly aquatic figure chuckled as she simply dodged it, watching the Blood Chain's length miss her by a huge margin.
The chain slammed into a rock wall with a jarring crunch, completely missing its mark.
She cocked her head back, her long hair floating around her. As she grinned, her long tongue slipped out through her razor teeth. Shifting her thin pupils in Mikel's direction, she reached out and seemed to claw the water.
Her action caused the current to move faster.
"Ugh…" Mikel groaned, feeling like he was in a blender, with all these stones hitting his body. However, like he said, he would not die against something he had cursed himself.
Pull!
Clasping the chain, Mikel let himself get pulled out of the whirlpool with the Blood Chain shrinking, its other end still stuck in the river wall.
Yet, in the river ghost's eyes, that kind of slow reaction was not enough to win against her. She could simply create another whirlpool and kill him—stoned to death underwater.
"Tehe…" she chuckled, raising her sharp, mud-caked nail before starting to make a slow swirl motion.
Mikel, on the other hand, felt his entire body throb upon catching the movement. He held his breath longer, knowing he was on his last straw before being knocked out cold.
As another whirlpool began to form, he yanked the chain out of the rock. It slapped around his wrist at the same time he reached out with his other hand.
Your turn!
That second, the space behind the river ghost quietly zipped open. Emerging from it was the Book of the Dead, already opened to a singular page.
Lawrence Gatsby.
His eyes glinted in a sharp red, and at that moment, the river ghost froze. Her breath hitched, her small eyes slowly dilating at the ominous aura crawling from behind her.
Extended limbs started crawling out of the page—the same limbs that wreaked havoc in the South Block of District 5. After another moment, a large group of limbs shot out from the page, piercing through the river ghost from behind and pushing her toward where Mikel was drifting.
Mikel breathed out heavily, welcoming the river ghost. When she was close enough, he spread his arms and wrapped himself around her. His arms and legs locked her in place. Without wasting a second, he grabbed her face while his bracelet latched onto her as well.
He used his last breath to chant:
"By the chain of the accursed, by blood unspoken…"
He paused as his breath was knocked out of his lungs. But regardless, even if his consciousness was slipping, he continued out of sheer spite.
"Tear the rotten from the twisted wicked."
"…Eyes that see… hands that are bound… by the breath of mercy, rest where no chain remains."
Another shrill scream erupted from the river ghost as her body convulsed and writhed in agony. However, Mikel clung to her as tightly as he could, his heart racing in panic at his low oxygen level. He squeezed the ghost's face as the Blood Chain fed on her essence, while the Book of the Dead burned through her soul like fire in water.
And as the last wet letters appeared on its page, Mikel choked—just as the river ghost's memory joined him in unconsciousness.
[Cursed Elemental Spirit Exorcised.]
[Host Condition: Critical.]
[Initiating Passive Enhanced Recovery Protocol…]
[Host Incorporated Environmental Adaptation Technique. Logging combat learning progress.]
[Crystal Status: 31% – More basic incantations unlocked.]
[Congratulations on exorcising your first cursed Elemental Spirit, Master.]