Chapter 26: Good Teacher and Helpful Friend, Life Mentor!
[Notification]: [Occupation Mission (Exorcist)]: Kick the ghosts' butts. Help others with supernatural problems completed (20/20)! You have received a reward: Dream Necklace.
[Dream Necklace]: When wearing this necklace and entering sleep, you can enter the dreams of the nearest person. You can move freely, but if your presence exists within this dream, you will be subject to certain constraints by the dream's host; you can also freely enter dreams whose content includes you.
[Notification]: You have received a new mission—
[Occupation Mission (Exorcist)]: You have a place in the exorcism world. It's time to pass down your skills. Train one apprentice. Training standard - able to eliminate evil spirits independently: 0/1.
Well, damn.
Originally, he planned to have Yotsuya Miko issue him requests: one request per evil spirit.
Then he would eliminate these spirits one by one to grind the progress of his occupation mission.
Then this stupid system gave him a new type of mission.
It has intelligence, doesn't it?
Just when he thought he found a way to exploit a bug, it changed the mission after only one completion.
Previously, it was always missions to solve 10 or 20 supernatural problems.
Really...
"Alright, stop shouting, that's enough," Luke called out to Yotsuya Miko.
Since the system changed the mission, let it be.
"Oh." Yotsuya Miko regretfully stopped shouting.
Looking at the now empty and tidy alley, she excitedly bounced on her feets.
"Let's go," Luke tugged the back of her collar.
Luke took the girl to a dessert shop and randomly ordered some food.
Luke then carefully observed the girl before him.
Honestly, he was somewhat surprised.
This girl had Yin-Yang Eyes, the talent to perceive ghosts and spirits clearly.
People generally believed to be able to communicate with the dead are called spirit mediums.
Spirit mediums can sense, see, or hear the spirits of the deceased and, to some extent, interpret and convey their messages.
And traditionally, only a very small number of people have the potential to be spirit mediums.
These individuals invariably carry the bloodline continuation of their ancestors.
If it were just Yin-Yang Eyes, whether innate or acquired wouldn't matter, but the key was...
Yotsuya Miko could not only see evil spirits but also some ordinary souls.
Under her gaze, these ordinary souls would actually get entangled with and attack her.
This was truly unheard of.
With abilities like hers... Luke felt a term Kasumizuki and the others often used was most suitable to describe her—
Reincarnation of an evil spirit or yokai.
Yotsuya Miko sucked on her sundae, occasionally looking up to see Luke still watching her.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Nothing... But, are you sure nothing strange happened to you?"
Luke frowned, asking again.
Acquired Yin-Yang Eyes were really strange.
Yotsuya Miko could only shake her head.
"Nothing happened."
Luke nodded silently, picking up his spoon and gently digging into the strawberry cake in front of him.
After hesitating for a long time, Yotsuya Miko watched the sundae level continuously drop.
Finally, unable to hold back, she mustered her courage and spoke—
"Th-that..."
"Hmm?" Luke stopped chewing, his thoughts interrupted.
"C-can you teach me how to exorcise spirits? Can I become your apprentice?"
Yotsuya Miko blurted it out in one breath, feeling a sense of relief.
But as Luke's spoon tapped up and down lightly, she tensed up again.
Yotsuya Miko's whole body stiffened, her expression nervous.
Her hands tightly gripped the cold glass, suppressing her panic.
At this moment, she felt like a criminal awaiting the judge's verdict.
"I-if, it's not okay, th-then forget it," Yotsuya Miko awkwardly rubbed the glass.
"I can also, can..."
"I agree," Luke said faintly.
"Ah!" Yotsuya Miko cried out in pleasant surprise.
Luke ignored the beaming girl, lowering his head to contemplate her training method.
Unlike proper exorcists like Kasumizuki, he didn't know any rituals or incantation-type skills.
He relied on items left by his elders and rewards from the system for exorcism.
Perhaps a traditional exorcist like Kasumizuki would be more suitable for Yotsuya Miko?
Forget it, Yotsuya Miko would be worked to death.
That Shady Merchant...
Besides, the current priority was to make her stop fearing evil spirits and build up the courage to face them.
"It's decided then."
Luke stood up and said to Yotsuya Miko, "My name is Luke, professional exorcist. Call me whatever you like. I plan to teach you my specialty first—Physical Exorcism Technique!"
"Physical? Exorcism Technique?" Yotsuya Miko tilted her head, looking at him quizzically.
"Mm." Luke took out the Book of Strength.
"The Way of Exorcism Lies Within—!"
...
In the park sandbox.
Yotsuya Miko stood trembling before an evil spirit.
Watching the humanoid spirit wriggling towards her, dragging its bloated, ball-like belly, her heart trembled, and her legs too...
"Don't be afraid. Even the strongest evil spirit is just a mere soul. Compared to humans with physical bodies, they have a natural disadvantage."
Luke sat on the swing, instructing his new apprentice: Yotsuya Miko.
"What you need to do now is infuse your attacks with your conviction, instead of letting fear drive you. That will only make it stronger."
Yotsuya Miko swallowed dryly twice.
"Can you see?"
The evil spirit lay prone on the ground, lifting its head to ask her frantically.
"Strike with conviction," Yotsuya Miko murmured his earlier words, looking at the approaching spirit.
"Conviction, conviction!"
Yotsuya Miko mustered her courage and threw a punch with all her might.
Ah! I did it.
Yotsuya Miko hit the evil spirit's body and felt a wave of relief wash over her.
But the evil spirit didn't turn to ash as she expected—
"She can see! She can see!"
The evil spirit roared, grabbing at Yotsuya Miko.
"Teacher, save me!" Yotsuya Miko turned tail and ran in panic.
"Miko, don't run towards me, I won't interfere. Like I said, don't let fear drive you."
Luke swung on the swing, flying into the air, watching Miko approach, covering her mouth, little pearls (tears) falling.
"Ooh~~~" Miko shook the little pearls off her face and could only turn to flee again.
"Good luck!" Luke cheered her on.
As his body swung back and forth with the swing, his thoughts became serene.
A child like Yotsuya Miko, developing Yin-Yang Eyes later in life, must have had a difficult life.
Yet, she was fortunate enough to meet a good teacher and helpful friend, a life mentor like himself, at a critical moment.
Just as the common saying goes:
Associating with good people is like entering a room full of orchids; over time, you become fragrant yourself.
Associating with bad people is like entering a fish market; over time, you stink yourself.
Luke glanced at Yotsuya Miko in the center of the field, being chased all over by the evil spirit.
Having a teacher like him...
Mm, I really envy her...
Really, compared to a certain someone who trained students with go-karts, I'm already merciful enough.
Mm!
...
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