[Exorcised Level 1 Cursed Spirit, gained 500 Cursed Soul Points]
[Exorcised Level 4 Cursed Spirit, gained 100 Cursed Soul Points]
[Exorcised Level 4 Cursed Spirit, gained 100 Cursed Soul Points]
[Exorcised Level 4 Cursed Spirit, gained 100 Cursed Soul Points]
...
Once Shinji entered the Red Scale Surge state, he immediately launched into a brutal killing spree, swinging his decapitation greatsword to wipe out all the remaining furball monsters in one sweep.
The system notifications began flooding in.
1 [Level 1 Cursed Spirit] plus 23 [Level 4 Cursed Spirits].
From just this wave, he gained 2,800 Cursed Soul Points!
Adding the cursed spirits he'd slain earlier, along with the efforts of his working-class partner Hidan, his total Cursed Soul Points instantly reached 5,200.
Compared to before, it was nothing short of overnight wealth!
And it was clear that the monsters here weren't limited to the ones in front of him.
"Comparing the numbers, it seems that slaughtering low-level cursed spirits is actually more efficient. Exorcising one Level 4 spirit nets 100 points with ease, but taking out a Level 1 spirit only gives 500 points… that's a bit off."
Shinji hoisted his gleaming greatsword onto his shoulder and began calculating carefully, weighing every point.
After all, a [Level 1 Cursed Spirit] was far stronger than a [Level 4 Cursed Spirit], yet casually killing five [Level 4s] yielded the same reward as a single [Level 1]—that didn't seem entirely reasonable.
More importantly, the number of Level 2, 3, and 4 cursed spirits was clearly much greater than that of Level 1.
So was this stupid system malfunctioning?
Or in the system's judgment, was a [Level 1 Cursed Spirit] really nothing special, hence the reward being roughly the same?
Shinji thought it over for a while but couldn't reach a conclusion. Since the system had already set the rules, and he had no bargaining power, he might as well follow them—he wasn't losing anything anyway, and there might even be a chance for a bigger haul!
He looked up, determined the direction for his next stop, and prepared to move out.
The Hidden Leaf ninja hiding nearby let out a relieved breath. Luckily, that terrifying guy seemed to have forgotten about him.
"Just you wait. Do you really think these monsters are so easy to deal with?!"
"The ones who died just now were nothing but cannon fodder. When the time comes… everyone will die!"
The Hidden Leaf ninja seemed to recall a memory of a monster ripping apart a Jonin with sheer force, making his whole body tremble uncontrollably.
At that moment, a sharp gleam of steel flashed under the night sky.
Clang!
The dilapidated house he was hiding behind was split cleanly in two!
"Almost forgot about you."
Shinji returned without even glancing at him and walked away.
Though he didn't consider himself a good man, anyone betraying others—like this ninja—he would kill on sight!
"Mer…."
The Hidden Leaf ninja barely managed to squeak a single word of plea before half his body slid along the blade's path, sliced cleanly in two.
...
"Damn it!"
Shinji paused a short distance away, slapping his forehead.
"That guy was wearing a Hidden Leaf forehead protector. I should've asked about the location of the sacrificial offerings before killing him."
But even as he said it, he immediately shrugged it off.
"Ah well. I never planned on actually finding these offerings anyway. Once I return, I'll just blame the monsters for everything."
So, Shinji—who had never intended to uncover the truth—turned back, took the bloodstained forehead protector as evidence, and finally nodded in satisfaction.
Now with proof in hand, all that remained was to exterminate the monsters here before he could report back.
Following the sounds, he passed through two streets.
Just as Shinji was about to continue slaying monsters for points, he realized the scene ahead: two groups of people were fighting each other, while a few half-naked women were hiding inside a nearby house.
From their expressions, it seemed they had given up entirely, choosing to release the ugliness in their hearts in the final moments of their lives.
Whether it was a dispute over spoils or a question of who attacked first, it was unclear.
Shinji had no interest in dealing with them and intended to continue hunting monsters. But surprisingly, trouble came looking for him instead.
"Damn it, another one not afraid to die, trying to grab a piece of the pie!"
"Let's kill this latecomer first, then we'll settle our fight properly."
"Fine, I'll trust you this time. We're all doomed anyway—I've had enough!"
Perhaps it was Shinji's striking appearance that caused these two previously warring groups to suddenly unite, deciding to eliminate this 'suspicious opportunist' first.
Shinji's greatsword might normally intimidate them.
But when people have already given up on everything, including their own lives, they don't care how powerful a sword is.
It's like the world ending: everyone's about to die, so would you tremble in fear just because someone points a gun at you?
These mad, desperate people were in precisely that state of mind.
The more suppressed their normal inhibitions, the more they wanted to go crazy one last time in their final moments!
Shinji couldn't help but smile. Since they were courting death, he naturally showed no mercy.
It was also perfect for charging his greatsword and relighting the Seven Kill Lamps.
Perhaps because Cursed Spirits weren't human, his previous kills hadn't triggered the
Soul Imprisonment skill.
Now, the only lit Seven Kill Lamp was the one activated by the Hidden Leaf ninja he had just killed.
Looking at it this way, the Executioner Blade — Cursed was actually more suited for fighting humans, especially in group battles or chaotic skirmishes.
Against Cursed Spirits, its power was reduced, unable to unleash its full potential.
"So next time, I'll need a tool designed specifically for slaying cursed spirits."
Shinji muttered to himself, and without even activating Red Scale Surge, he charged forward.
Screams of agony and wails echoed through the streets!
Limbs severed, heads flew—chaos reigned!
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen people were dead, leaving only dismembered bodies scattered on the ground.
Shinji was grateful for their selfless sacrifice—their final moments had relit the Seven Kill Lamps, giving him a chance to use Piercing Shadow Strike.
If he later eliminated all the monsters and saved the remaining people, these men certainly deserved some credit.
He just regretted not knowing their names.
True heroes do good deeds without leaving a name!
Of course, there would be no diary entry either.