The so-called "points", Aragami Arashi had already obtained this special ability three months ago, when he reincarnated into this world.
These points corresponded to the rank of the Cursed Spirits. The stronger and higher-ranked the Cursed Spirit, the more points he would gain. And those points could then be exchanged for designated items.
The redemption system was somewhat like the games Arashi used to play in his previous life: a row of items laid out in sequence. At first, the required points were few, but the rewards were decent. As the points accumulated to a certain threshold, the next item would unlock.
In short, he just needed to keep earning and stacking points. Below was the reward system:
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
10 points → Cursed Energy Overflow
50 points → Blue-Black Flash (Beginner)
100 points → Technique: Cursed Energy Armor
150 points → Cursed Art: Energy Emission
250 points → Cursed Tool: Black Steel
350 points → Time Flash
450 points → Double Power
600 points → Domain Expansion: Sun and Moon
800 points → Space-Time Mirror(Unlocked)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The first two, Cursed Energy Overflow and Blue-Black Flash (Beginner), Arashi has already obtained. At the moment, he possessed exactly 60 points. Those two early rewards were quite a surprise. Basically, beginner bonuses, like starter gifts in a game.
Of course, the rewards that came later were far more tempting, but not nearly as easy to obtain.
And this was just the standard version of the system. There was also a deluxe version, which required 500 points to unlock. Its rewards were at least twice as powerful, but the point requirement was also staggering.
Still, since Arashi had just taken down a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, if the reward scale held true, that should earn him about 60 to 80 points. That was why he'd been so excited, those points had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep.
The whole reward setup was a bit of a scam, honestly. Just like the gacha games Arashi had once spent too much money on. All designed to tempt you into spending more for that next hit of dopamine. Classic gaming tactic.
Only now, the "currency" wasn't real-world money. He had to earn points by slaying Cursed Spirits or eliminating evil.
That part didn't bother Arashi. If you wanted to grow stronger, you had to put in the work. At least his effort produced something tangible, not some vague promise. Like they said: without a goal, there's no drive.
Thinking about all this, Arashi felt pretty lucky. Though he didn't fully understand this world yet, he had some faint memories from his previous life, enough to not be completely lost.
[Ding! You have slain a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit. Acquired 82 points.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind. Arashi's eyes lit up, a Grade 1 curse gave 82 points. That was equivalent to killing eight Grade 4 curses. Normally, this area only spawned weak Grade 4s, and not many at that. No wonder he was so thrilled by the massive reward.
"Eighty-two plus sixty... that's one hundred forty-two! I can redeem Cursed Energy Armor!"
As soon as he saw the progress bar light up under Cursed Energy Armor, he immediately selected "Redeem."
[Congratulations. You have obtained: Cursed Energy Armor.]
Arashi looked down at himself as a faint blue aura of cursed energy surfaced from his body, quickly shaping itself into a suit of armor that wrapped around his torso and head.
"Haha... now I'm not a glass cannon anymore. My attack's fine, and now I've got defense too. Guess I can finally survive in this curse-infested world," Arashi grinned confidently. The best part? Just one more Grade 4 curse kill and he'd unlock the next reward. How could he not be excited?
If his growth continued steadily like this, then maybe, just maybe, surpassing the prodigy Gojo Satoru himself wasn't impossible?
A nice thought, sure, but Arashi knew surpassing Gojo was practically impossible. That man was this world's walking cheat code.
Still, wasn't he, Arashi, destined to become the next bug in the system?
The night passed without incident.
———
Next morning—
"Grandpa... Grandpa!"
"My dear grandpa! Ahhh, it hurts... it hurts so much!", Hijikata Shichiro was wailing dramatically, sprawled across Hijikata Izumi's bed.
Though in Arashi's eyes, Shichiro didn't seem that heartbroken, in fact, 'He looks a little... excited?'
The truth was, Hijikata Izumi had already passed away during the night. Without the Grade 1 curse possessing him, his body finally gave out. A natural death, really. Months ago, this was how things should've ended anyway.
Arashi noticed a jade pendant clenched tightly in the old man's hand. It still carried faint traces of the curse's residual taint. That must've been the vessel the curse had attached to.
Just as Arashi was about to warn Shichiro about it, Shichiro, noticing the pendant in his grandfather's stiff hand, pried it open, "Huh? Isn't this the family heirloom jade that's been passed down forever?"
Then, without hesitation, he took the pendant and hung it around his own neck.
Arashi had originally planned to remind him to keep the pendant safe, but seeing how eager he was, he could only nod and say, "Take good care of that jade, all right?"
If a Grade 1 curse had chosen it as a vessel, it must be something special. Even now, with only residual energy left, it could probably ward off weaker curses.
After securing the pendant, Shichiro let out a deep sigh of relief, "The Hijikata Crematorium can't go a day without a master. I'll start running it right away."
Arashi gave an awkward smile. That was fast. The guy switched moods quicker than flipping a switch. Maybe he'd been waiting to "ascend the throne" all along.
Still, Arashi didn't call him out on it. After all, this had been Hijikata Izumi's dying wish, with just a bit of delay. Perfectly reasonable.
The day after the funeral, Hijikata Shichiro officially took over his grandfather's position. Perhaps thanks to years of exposure under Izumi, he managed things surprisingly well, busy but orderly, capable of handling everything on his own.
"Guess chopping wood and shoveling coal wasn't really his calling," Arashi chuckled softly. Now that Shichiro was in charge of the crematorium, it was time for Arashi to move on. He'd only been here to train and earn some money anyway.
"Ara-chan, do you really have to go?", Shichiro asked over dinner at a local tavern, having invited Arashi out for a farewell meal. He clearly didn't want Arashi to leave. Even offered him the position of his deputy, saying he'd never have to handle corpses again.
Arashi just laughed and shook his head, "What kind of tiny crematorium needs a deputy? You've got what you wanted, Shichiro. Manage it well. Oh, right, about that thing I asked you to help me with before... is it ready?"
Seeing Arashi's determination to leave, Shichiro looked a little down, but still smiled for his friend, "It's done. Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City, Sugisawa Third Municipal High School, right?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I can enroll?", Arashi's eyes brightened. He wasn't too familiar with this world yet, but he knew that if he wanted to truly understand it, everything began at Sugisawa Municipal High School #3.
"No problem. I can write a recommendation letter for you. You're just the right age for Municipal High School, and I'll even cover your tuition. Study hard there, okay? After all, dealing with corpses isn't something a kid your age should be doing. Oh, and don't forget to come back and visit me sometimes."
Arashi was only fourteen, eight years younger than Shichiro. At that age, he should be studying, not working in a crematorium.
As for Arashi's family background, that was always a mystery. Shichiro didn't know the details, and it seemed Arashi himself didn't remember much. The crematorium staff all treated him as an orphan and looked after him as best they could.
Shichiro raised his glass, looking at Arashi with reluctant eyes. Though they'd only known each other for three months, in that quiet little crematorium, Arashi had been his closest friend. Maybe his only friend.
Or rather... the only one who ever listened patiently when he ranted about anime girls.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.