That night, as he was walking home, Kenji's surroundings twisted. The once-familiar streets stretched unnaturally long. A deep fog rolled in, and an unbearable chill ran down his spine.
Then, he heard it. A whisper.
"Your time is up."
His heart pounded. Turning his head slowly, his blood ran cold. A ghastly figure loomed before him—a grotesque, decayed specter with hollow eyes and a mouth stretched too wide. It lunged at him.
Kenji stumbled back, falling onto the ground. The curse was reaching its final phase. He had lasted a year, but now… now it was time for the ghost to claim him.
"No… I don't want to die!" Kenji clenched his fists, but he was powerless. He was going to die—
Until everything froze.
System Awakens - A New Hope
Suddenly, a bright blue holographic screen appeared before him. A robotic voice echoed in his mind.
🛠 [System Activation: Ghost Binding Interface Unlocked] 🛠
⚡ Skill Acquired: Contract Initiation ⚡
Kenji's eyes widened. "A… system?"
The specter in front of him screeched, but before it could attack again, new options appeared:
[Contract] | [Extract Skill] | [Destroy]
His hands trembled. He reached forward—
"EXTRACT SKILL!"
The ghost howled as blue chains erupted from the system, wrapping around its decayed body. Kenji felt a sudden rush of power, control, dominance—a feeling he had never known.
Ding! [EXTRACT Successful - Ghost Bound: "MENTAL CULTIVATION": Rank C]
Panting, Kenji stood up, his body trembling. The ghost was no longer his enemy… it was his.
And this was only the beginning.