He instantly opened up the [Contract] option and saw—
[s.h.i.+ka Kagura]
[Beginner-level Spiritual Retainer, uncontracted]
[Special characteristics: Possesses a unique ability. Well-balanced type. High growth rates. Incredible potential]
[Available contract: Connectivity Contract.]
Seiji inspected the [Connectivity Contract] more closely.
According to his system’s explanation, a [Connectivity Contract] was a contract that would automatically become available when a potential retainer character’s connectivity rating to him exceeded 100. After both parties agreed to the contract, the retainer would change from [Uncontracted] to [Connectivity Contract] status, which would decrease his [Spiritual Power] stat by 10 in order to maintain. In return, 10 points would be produced every day, and the retainer’s abilities and growth would be greatly increased, with new abilities being awakened as well!
All this seemed quite good.
However, Seiji tugged his lips when he saw the next message.
[Contracting condition: Make the potential retainer into a contracted Spirit-branded Retainer in the real world.]
Although he was willing to contract s.h.i.+ka as his personal Spirit-branded Retainer, he wasn’t even a Yin Yang Master!
This thing wasn’t something he could use immediately. Why did such an option appear, anyway?
Seiji checked his system’s message history in order to understand what had happened.
Moments later, he understood.
After activating the [Spiritual Power Transference] ability, he had received a huge shock to his physical body… and while he was in a state of semi-unconsciousness, many things had happened.
The [Spiritual Power Transference] ability activated automatically and began transforming the [Karma of Reaper’s Curse] power into [Spiritual Power].
The system didn’t give any explanations for this so-called [Karma of Reaper’s Curse], but it was most likely referring to the abnormal catastrophes that were supposed to befall him as a result of approaching the [Reaper’s Curse].
This [Spiritual Power Transference] ability pa.s.sively converted the [Reaper’s Curse] into his own [Spiritual Power]!
It also used up a portion of his stockpiled points as payment.
He was able to absorb 5 [Spiritual Power] in this conversion, costing him 25 points.
A ratio of 1:5… it was acceptable.
Seiji paid more attention to the fact that his dating sim system was able to transform the [Reaper’s Curse] ability into his [Spiritual Power], as it helped him to gain some insight into the system’s workings.
His [Spiritual Power] increased to 5 points, and his two character reward cards from Hos.h.i.+ and s.h.i.+ka gave him a bonus of +6 to all his stats, so he actually had 11 [Spiritual Power]. This helped to activate three new options: [Spiritual Power increase], [Mana increase], and [Contract].
The first two options required a minimum [Spiritual Power] of 10 points to activate.
The [Contract] option also required 10 points in addition to a retainer character with a favorability or connectivity rating of above 100 to activate.
That was how he obtained these three options.
It was quite wonderful that his system wasn’t bugged.
Of course, the system didn’t reply and stayed silent as always.
Seiji quietly stared at his system’s menu as if he could pierce through it with his vision and see it for what it really was.
"According to Natsuya Yoruhana, the only person in history to ever successfully suppress the [Reaper’s Curse] was Seimei Kamijou, my ancestor. I… as Seimei Kamijou’s descendent, I have a mysterious and powerful system.
"This system has the ability to absorb and transfer power from the [Reaper’s Curse]. In conclusion… system… dating sim system, DS system, whatever I call you, you’re actually the strongest Yin Yang Master in history, Seimei Kamijou, aren’t you?" he stated his inference out loud in a light tone.
This was doubtlessly a shocking revelation.
Seimei Kamijou… although Seiji still didn’t know much about him, Seiji faintly detected just how far his ancestor’s power spread throughout the realm of Yin Yang Masters.
If this person was still alive or still existed somehow in a unique method in one of his descendant’s bodies… just how much of a wave would it cause in the Yin Yang Master society?
Others notwithstanding, the Haruta family would surely be thrown into utter chaos!
Their most venerated ancestor still existed in this world, within the body of one of his descendants… not to mention a descendant that had been exiled from the family! This would surely shake the entire family down to its core.
Seiji thought to himself that it even seemed like a cliché story trope that he would often see in his previous life.
Well, this was still just his guess.
As always, the system didn’t respond to anything he said.
Perhaps the dating sim system was actually Seimei Kamijou, or perhaps it was a power derived from his bloodline, or something else entirely.
Or maybe Seiji simply mistook everything in the first place, and this system had nothing to do with Seimei Kamijou. It simply had power equivalent to his ancestor’s.
The system… he decided for himself to call it a dating sim system, but he still didn’t know just exactly what it was.
It seemed probable that it was connected to Seimei Kamijou, but in the end it was just his guess.
Seiji smiled after silently thinking it over for a while.
"Well, no matter what you are, system, I… I’m truly grateful to you. I don’t know whether or not you were responsible for taking my soul into this world after I died on Earth, so that I could live again. If you were responsible, then I owe you my life.
"Also, I was only able to save Mika, Hos.h.i.+, and s.h.i.+ka-chan thanks to you… I have no words with which I can express my grat.i.tude… And apart from this, you’ve helped me learn how to fight, how to write… and you’ve given me so much a.s.sistance.
"At any rate, thank you so much," Seiji sincerely said all this out loud.
Perhaps there was a hidden motive to the system helping him, but so what? He had already died in his previous life as an otaku, so even if something happened to him, it couldn’t get much worse than dying again.
Seiji was rather open-minded.
He didn’t know what the system was. Maybe he would find out in the future, or maybe he would never know.
Seiji continued checking out his menu after expressing his grat.i.tude.
Unbeknownst to him, a hazy white shadow had appeared behind him.
The faint shadow seemed androgynous, and it exuded a gentle silver light from its eyes. Its mouth was arced upwards in a faint smile.
‘No need to be polite, Lin…-kun,’ the white shadow silently mouthed before disappearing silently.
It was as if it had never appeared.
Seiji inspected the [Spiritual Power increase] and [Mana increase] options.
The only option under [Spiritual power increase] was called [Visualization], and it was grayed-out and not selectable. According to the explanation, a [Spirit Image] was required to a.s.sist him in [Visualization].
There was no explanation available as to what a [Spirit Image] was supposed to be.
As for [Mana increase], there was only one option of [Beginning Technique], which was also grayed-out. The explanation said that he could only choose it when he was wearing a [Mana Cultivation Outfit].
Fine then, a [Spirit Image] and a [Mana Cultivation Outfit]…
Seiji felt that he would need to ask President Yoruhana about these.
But she viewed him as a normal person who knew nothing about spiritual cultivation, so asking these specialized vocabulary terms all of a sudden would surely raise her suspicions.
‘Hmm… how should I ask her about it? Wait... perhaps I can ask s.h.i.+ka-chan instead?’