"Good morning, Asagi-nee."
Kenmyo Isayama was heading out to throw away the trash when he bumped into Asagi Aiba, who was already waiting at his door. It looked like she had just arrived.
When Kenmyo saw her, she was holding a powder puff, dabbing at her face.
"Asagi-nee, could you step aside for a second? My trash is a bit bulky."
"Good morn— oh, okay."
It wasn't until he walked past her that Asagi realized it was her student. Still a bit dazed, she pulled out her phone to check the time.
What on earth? It was only 6:45 AM.
In the past, back when Sakura was still around, was the only time she'd seen Kenmyo get up this early.
Yawning and looking drained, Kenmyo pondered what category of trash a broken household appliance fell into while simultaneously trying to figure out a strategy to clear the "game."
As for why Asagi was at his doorstep, it was simple: "Responsibility." She wanted to make sure her student wasn't just experiencing a three-minute burst of motivation—bragging about returning to school only to ditch the very next day. If that happened, she'd be the laughingstock of the faculty lounge.
"Kenmyo, you look terrible," Asagi said, walking over with concern. "Are you getting sick?"
Even though she hadn't reacted immediately when he walked by, a glance from the corner of her eye was enough. He looked haggard, his spirit flagging; he looked like a walking corpse.
"No, I'm fine, Asagi-nee. I just stayed up late, that's all."
Exhausted, Kenmyo tied the trash bag tight and placed it in the designated area. He'd just have to call the appliance recycling company later.
He turned to Asagi. "Wait for me for a bit. I haven't finished packing my bag."
"That works out. I'll take a look at the homework you did."
"What? Not willing?" Asagi arched an eyebrow.
Kenmyo gave a helpless sigh and gestured toward the open front door. "Fine, go right ahead."
Back inside, Kenmyo handed over the homework he had finished at school the previous day. After flipping through a few pages, she tucked the notebook into his bag.
"How is it, Professor Aiba?" Kenmyo asked.
"Not bad. At least you actually listened during yesterday's class."
Kenmyo felt a wave of relief. He took the bag from her. "Let's go, then."
By the time Kenmyo sat in Asagi's red supercar and buckled his seatbelt, it was 7:00 AM. Since they had plenty of time before the 8:00 AM class, Asagi didn't floor the gas this time, driving smoothly instead.
"Asagi-nee, you don't need to pick me up tomorrow," Kenmyo said sincerely, not gripping the door handle for dear life this time. "Don't worry, I won't cut class like before. I can ride my bike or take the train."
"It's been a lot of trouble for you these past two days."
Asagi lived in the prime real estate of Chiyoda Ward, while Kenmyo's house was in a more remote area. Having his teacher pick him up two days in a row made him feel guilty.
"It's not for 'these few days,' it's for 'always,' okay?" Asagi's lips curled into a slight smile as she shot him a playful, reproaching glance. "The energy I spend on you is enough to open several research projects."
"Just focus on your studies and get into a good university. That way, you can make your... sigh."
She thought of Kenmyo's late sister, and a pang of sadness hit her. Fortunately, the boy had turned his life around just in time.
"Learning isn't something that happens overnight. Don't push yourself too hard at night."
Because Kenmyo's bag had been open on the coffee table and various signs suggested he had spent the night in the living room, Asagi assumed the "prodigal son" had spent the entire night studying.
"We have time today. I'll drive a bit slower. Close your eyes and rest for a while."
Kenmyo choked on his own saliva.
Me? Studying? Until late at night?
How come I didn't know about this?
Caught in a "misunderstanding," Kenmyo didn't know how to explain that he had actually been grinding a "dungeon" all night, which was why he was so exhausted. Seeing Asagi's heartened expression, he couldn't bring himself to correct her.
"Okay. Thanks for the concern, Asagi-nee. I won't study that late anymore."
"Need an eye mask?"
"No, no, I'm good."
Sigh.
Kenmyo closed his eyes, exhaling internally. He truly did need to rest his frayed nerves. His head throbbed; his mental energy felt completely overdrawn.
But that's what happens when a "noob" like him dies five times in a single night.
He had entered All Souls Temple five times. He died five times, experiencing five different ways to go. It was a "bloody" profit, to say the least.
Having his heart or lungs pierced and losing limbs were minor issues; his head and spine had been ripped out once, and he had even been eaten alive.
Total Points Gained: [3,200 points]
He had killed four vengeful spirits in total. Kenmyo discovered that the points varied per kill; the highest gave him 1,100, while the very first one was a pitiful 300.
While killing that first "Villager" spirit seemed easy, it was only because he was prepared with a riot shield and a chainsaw.
After the second run, Kenmyo began to view this as a game. Each kill served as a "checkpoint," but it wouldn't overwrite the original progress. For example, if he died in Round 2 after killing a spirit, Round 3 would start from the moment right after that kill.
This was the data he gathered:
Name: Vengeful Spirit (Villager)
Category: Humanoid (Intelligent Creature)
HP: 100%
MP: 300/300
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 1
Charisma: None
Even the lowest-level spirit had higher Strength than Kenmyo. No wonder the system labeled All Souls Temple as an ultra-dangerous area; even the "trash mobs" on the outskirts were life-threatening.
The "riot shield" he prepared was smashed to pieces by a Vengeful Spirit (Butcher) worth 700 points in Round 2. In their first encounter, the Butcher's blade sliced through the shield and half of Kenmyo's body in one clean, effortless motion.
His guts spilled onto the ground—the memory alone made him nauseous—and his head was severed a second later. Fortunately, Kenmyo had the foresight to unsummon his chainsaw before dying to prevent it from being damaged in the next run.
In Round 3, he set a trap, luring the Butcher into a pit before using the chainsaw to grind its skull to pieces for 700 points. He then picked off another lone Villager.
Round 3 was his smoothest run.
But his biggest haul was in Round 5: the Vengeful Spirit (Hunter) worth 1,100 points.
His death in Round 3 was caused by a paralyzing poisoned arrow shot from afar. The Hunter then used "monstrous strength" to rip Kenmyo's head and spine out while he was semi-conscious, before starting its feast.
In Round 4, he tried to ambush the Hunter, but his trap was spotted. He was skinned and eaten again. Luckily, the poison had a strong anesthetic effect, or Kenmyo might have had a mental breakdown during the "processing."
In Round 5, seeing the Hunter made Kenmyo see red. He ended up in a desperate "one-for-one" trade. He charged the Hunter like a madman, jammed the chainsaw into its stomach, and they both tumbled off a cliff.
While falling, Kenmyo caught a glimpse of a village-like cluster in the distance. If he wasn't mistaken, that was likely where all these vengeful spirits lived