Chapter 3: Eat

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining: One chance to extract a red entry! Do you want to use it?"

A red entry? So, in addition to gold entries, there are other types? I wonder what kind of result this red entry will yield.

Without much hesitation, Ryuji Hoshino immediately chose to use it.

"Extraction successful: You have obtained the red entry [Soul Devourer]! Do you want to load it?"

Soul Devourer? What kind of ability is that?

After his recent experience with Yin-Yang Eyes, Ryuji wasn't about to blindly load a new ability without first understanding what it did. At the very least, he needed to know the specifics before diving headfirst into something potentially dangerous.

"Soul Devourer: By devouring spirits, you can increase your strength without limit!"

Devouring spirits? How exactly do I devour them? Do I... eat them with my mouth?

Images of the grotesque creature he'd just seen flashed through Ryuji's mind, and he couldn't help but feel disgusted. There was no way he could stomach eating something like that, even if it did grant him power.

Unfortunately, the system didn't elaborate any further. Well, it was a power that promised limitless strength, so he figured he might as well load it first and see how it worked.

"Loading!"

This time, Ryuji didn't feel any discomfort, just the subtle sensation of a strange, latent energy circulating within his body. As for how to actually use this new ability, that was still unclear.

"I wonder if the system can give me a more detailed introduction?" he mused aloud, hoping for a response.

Silence.

"...System?"

Again, no answer.

Ryuji's face darkened as he realized something troubling. Could this system be one of those basic, no-frills types that doesn't have any form of intelligence?

Fortunately, though the system was rather unresponsive, it still fed essential information directly into Ryuji's mind. Little by little, he began to understand how it worked.

In short, the system operated by loading talents, or "entries," onto him. These talents could be triggered under certain conditions like how his Yin-Yang Eyes had been triggered by his encounter with Yotsuya Miko. It seemed that making contact with anime protagonists in this world was one way to activate talents.

As for the various types of entries, they were color-coded by rarity and power. The lowest rank was white, followed by green, blue, purple, gold, and finally red, the highest rank.

In addition to passively triggering talents, Ryuji could also use points to extract them. Ten points would get him a white entry, one hundred points for green, and one thousand points for blue. Each tier required exponentially more points than the last.

However, one key thing still eluded him: how to actually earn points. That part remained unclear for now.

"Open my character template!" Ryuji commanded mentally, knowing the system had to have something that tracked his progress.

In the next second, a transparent data screen appeared in front of him visible only to his eyes.

---

Talent Entry System

Host: Ryuji Hoshino

Bloodline: Human

Loaded Entries: [Soul Devouring (Red)], [Yin-Yang Eyes (Gold)]

Points: 0

---

It's a bit thin for now, but it's a start.

Ryuji couldn't help but wonder about the potential of his new ability, Soul Devouring. It sounded incredibly powerful limitless strength from devouring spirits? If that were true, the possibilities were endless.

But how exactly does it work?

Just then

"Would you like a bottle of water?"

The question, spoken in a hoarse, slightly aged voice, startled him out of his thoughts.

Out of reflex, Ryuji shook his head, assuming it was an elderly person offering a bit of kindness.

"No, thank you," he replied absentmindedly.

But when he turned around, what he saw sent a chill down his spine.

The one asking was not a person.

It was the monstrous creature he had seen earlier its twisted, hideous form looming right beside him.

"Shit!"

Ryuji cursed aloud. In his lapse of judgment, he had forgotten that this world was filled with bizarre and dangerous things. Yotsuya Miko had been tricked by something similar in the anime.

"You can see me!"

As expected, the monster's expression twisted into a gruesome grin, and its once vacant eyes now gleamed with sadistic delight. It lunged toward Ryuji, its intent clear: it was going to devour him.

"That guy?"

Yotsuya Miko, though pretending to look at her phone, had been keeping a watchful eye on the strange events around her. She hadn't expected to see someone else who could perceive these monsters just like her. But now, it looked like the boy was in serious trouble.

She was about to scream for help when, suddenly, the scene in front of her unfolded in a way that left her completely stunned.

---

"You bastard!"

Ryuji never imagined that he would actually fall for a monster's trick. The fact that it had even managed to bait him into responding made his blood boil with frustration.

As the creature lunged at him, Ryuji remembered the crucial detail: the moment they realize you can see them, they'll attack without hesitation.

In that instant, his face hardened with determination.

"Soul Devourer!"

If you want to eat me, I'll devour you first!

Initially, Ryuji thought he'd have to literally bite into the creature something he dreaded. But just as he activated the Soul Devouring ability, the space behind him began to warp and twist, and soon, a dark crack formed in the air.

"Swish! Swish!"

From that crack, several dark chains shot out and wrapped around the monster, binding it tightly.

"What is this?! Wait! Let me go! Let me go!"

The monster struggled desperately, but the chains held it fast. Without any chance of escape, it was dragged toward the crack. Its voice, once full of menace, now screamed in terror. In just a few seconds, the creature vanished into the void, and the crack in space closed up, leaving no trace behind.

Silence fell.

"Burp."

Ryuji blinked in surprise, a soft burp escaping him. Did... did I just get full from that?

He glanced around, confused. Except for Yotsuya Miko, who was staring at him wide-eyed in disbelief, the other passengers the office workers and the bus driver remained completely oblivious. They hadn't seen the monster, the chains, or the crack in space. To them, everything appeared normal.

"So... this is Soul Devouring, huh?"

Ryuji had initially imagined he'd have to physically consume the ghosts, bite by bite. But as it turned out, it wasn't that at all.

And as the monster's energy was absorbed into him, Ryuji could feel an immediate change a surge of power coursing through his body. It was as if something inside him had awakened.

Just moments ago, he had been a scrawny high school student with nothing to show for himself. But now, Ryuji felt like he could punch through solid concrete if he wanted to.

"Holy shit!"

He clenched his fists, feeling the raw strength swelling within him. A giddy, exhilarated grin spread across his face.