Come Savor Some Killing Intent, Please Vote

()

The more deeply in love the people targeted by a Ghost Infant were, the less effort it took to activate its skill, and the more dialogue and actions it could choose from.

If they were enemies, however, it took a great deal of energy, and the dialogue it could compel was extremely limited.

The Ghost Fetus had discovered its new ability as well.

It was especially pleased with it. Its ghostly eyes sparkled as it happily let out a few little cries.

After signing the Contract, it could only use its skill when Jiang Xia commanded it to.

Fortunately, that was the case. Otherwise, Jiang Xia suspected that one day, this ghost would sneak off to Kinoshita Yoko and forcibly pair her up with some handsome actor.

Jiang Xia stared at the skill in slightly speechless silence for over ten seconds.

In the end, he decided to name it first, just to calm himself down.

He would keep it simple and call it Forced Confession.

At first glance, the skill seemed pretty useless.

However, if he could find enough materials in the future to upgrade the Ghost Fetus, its skill would upgrade along with it.

For instance, the current "Forced Confession" could only make people move their lips. Other confession-related actions required double the Killing Intent.

After upgrading, though, perhaps it would become possible to use just a little Killing Intent for "Forced Hand-Holding," "Forced Hug," "Forced Kiss," "Forced @$%;," and so on...

As long as it could make an enemy lose control of their movements, it would be useful.

All in all, it was not completely worthless. Used well, it might have surprisingly effective results...

And with the Ghost Fetus, he could begin constructing a "puppet."

Although the Ghost Infant's size meant he could only make the shell of a child, it would certainly come in handy if used properly.

After briefly consoling himself, Jiang Xia left the Basement with his newly acquired Ghost Fetus.

After signing a Contract, a Spirit Medium's control over ghosts greatly increased.

But accordingly, they also had to provide meals, handle upgrades... and take care of all sorts of miscellaneous matters.

It was basically like adopting an obedient serf whose food, lodging, and education all had to be provided.

Normally, the Ghost Fetus could be stored in the Pattern Seal over his heart, where an unscientific space existed.

All the Killing Intent Jiang Xia usually collected was stored there.

But at present, Jiang Xia did not have many ghosts... more precisely, he only had one.

So he did not put the Ghost Fetus away.

In any case, the Ghost Infant was tiny and easy to carry. It was better to leave it outside, so he would not need to bother retrieving it whenever he needed it.

After the Contract, the Ghost Infant's attitude toward Jiang Xia improved greatly. It felt close to him whenever it saw him.

It climbed up Jiang Xia's arm to his shoulder, rubbing its face against his. It looked no different from how it treated Kinoshita Yoko.

However, rights and obligations usually went hand in hand.

Just as Jiang Xia was thinking that, the Ghost Infant poked his face, then patted its own belly in a clear hint.

—it was hungry.

Jiang Xia: "..."

Raising ghosts was such a hassle.

But he still had to raise it.

Contracted Ghost Fetuses naturally had an increased fondness for their Spirit Medium.

In other words, even if the Spirit Medium was a bit of a scumbag, they would forgive their master through tears.

But if a Spirit Medium abused that favor and ruled them tyrannically, treating them too harshly while also possessing many Ghost Fetuses... then things could very easily go wrong.

Once the Ghost Fetuses were truly abused into losing control, the Spirit Medium's end would often be particularly miserable—miserable enough to be printed in textbooks as a cautionary example and passed down forever.

In short, most Spirit Mediums treated their ghosts quite kindly.

It was basic professional ethics.

Thinking this, Jiang Xia reluctantly tapped his chest. Through his clothes, he unwillingly drew out a wisp of hazy Black Line.

This was one of the strands of Killing Intent he had stolen from Gin.

He had been saving it and could not bear to use it—even compared to his previous life, where resources had been relatively plentiful, this was exceptionally high-quality Killing Intent.

Jiang Xia had originally drawn out an entire strand.

But after looking at the Ghost Infant's tiny frame, then considering how little he had in reserve, he thriftily tore the Killing Intent in half and put one half away.

Then Jiang Xia stared at the remaining half for a moment, slowly reached out, tore that half in two, and put another half away.

The Ghost Infant silently watched the Killing Intent grow shorter, shorter, and shorter: "..."

When Jiang Xia had asked whether it wanted to sign a Contract, perhaps... it should not have nodded so quickly?

Yet it was too late for regrets now.

—Bound by the Contract, the Ghost Fetus did not find Jiang Xia excessive at all. Instead, it was extremely understanding.

With tears in its eyes, it patted Jiang Xia on the shoulder, indicating that it would work hard to collect Killing Intent to raise its master in the future, so he would not have to be so frugal.

Jiang Xia felt greatly comforted and tore it once more.

Then, carrying that tiny sliver of Killing Intent, he prepared to feed the ghost.

Of course, he could not feed it directly. That would be hard to digest.

Jiang Xia returned to the first floor, found his coat, took out the cigarette pack from inside, and tapped out a "cigarette."

Although this thing was rolled into the shape of a cigarette, its filling was not tobacco, but dried fragments of several plants.

In the world of Spirit Mediums, it had an official name: Ghost Mint.

Jiang Xia had once suspected that the person who invented it kept a Cat at home. And he felt that he had already found the evidence.

However, although its name sounded a lot like Catnip, Ghost Mint itself held no attraction for ghosts.

It was simply very good at absorbing the negative emotions captured by Spirit Mediums—such as the sliver of Killing Intent in Jiang Xia's hand.

Gin's product was of excellent quality.

Best of all, it actually carried a faint Sake Flavor—another sign of high quality.

Jiang Xia brought the torn-off Killing Intent close to the Ghost Mint. It quickly melted into the cigarette.

Then Jiang Xia lit it.

Smoke rose, and the Ghost Infant climbed onto the Back of Hand, hugged the Cigarette Butt, and took a blissful deep breath.

Jiang Xia could actually consume Killing Intent too.

Not to fill his stomach, but to replenish his energy.

But at the moment, he kept a healthy schedule and had not used any skills, so his energy was abundant.

Thus, although he craved it a little, he did not fight the Ghost Infant for food.

Perhaps because the Ghost Infant was too hungry, or because there was too little Killing Intent.

It had only inhaled for a few seconds before more than half the cigarette had already burned away.

Jiang Xia flicked a long section of ash into the Ashtray.

Just after he did, the last bit of Ghost Mint mixed with Killing Intent was inhaled away as well.

Jiang Xia: "..."

This ghost seemed to have quite an appetite.

Worried, he released his hand and tossed the already extinguished Cigarette Butt into the Ashtray.

The Ghost Infant rubbed its belly, looking as though it wanted another one.

Jiang Xia checked its condition and found that it had already recovered from the blow of its shattered ideals and was now very healthy.

So he decisively turned his head away, pretending not to understand the Ghost Fetus's hint as he carried the Ashtray to the Restroom to rinse it out.