Chapter 5: Father's Kindness, Son's Filial Piety

How did this human suddenly turn into a Hannya that even ghosts avoid?

"Mother" and "Younger Sister" stood frozen in place, rigid all over — partly due to the hard-control effect of "Fear Smile," partly because the evil spirits' simple minds couldn't process it.

The two translucent evil spirits wanted to turn and escape this haunted house immediately, yet could only watch as Uesugi Toru walked over step by step, unable to move a muscle.

"Old Mother, long time no see."

Uesugi Toru eagerly embraced the evil spirit resembling his original body's mother, arms locked, Ghost God Power surging through him, twisting the evil spirit little by little into a pretzel shape.

"Ugh... ugh..."

Right before "Younger Sister's" horrified gaze, the "Mother" embraced by Uesugi Toru could not bear the burden and burst with a bang into a floor full of gray mist.

【You killed a Stray Spirit, gained 10 Soul Ash】

Uesugi Toru shook his head regretfully: "Old geezer, didn't you pay your pension insurance for twenty full years? How come you only dropped this little gold?"

"Well then, next..."

Staring at "Younger Sister" who had slightly recovered movement ability and was shivering, Uesugi Toru asked doubtfully: "Old sis, didn't I say I wanted to live peacefully alone? Why did you come disturb me?"

"Go... go! I'll leave right now!"

"Younger Sister" wept blood from her eye sockets, letting out a low sob; she hurriedly turned and tried to float out of the room.

"Since you're here, make yourself at home."

A blue-black clawed hand clamped onto "Younger Sister's" shoulder; the terrifying pressure rendered the frail evil spirit's struggles utterly futile.

Watching "Younger Sister" struggle ceaselessly, Uesugi Toru fell into thought.

— With his current strength, he seemed to already fear no so-called Stray "Spirits" — the ghosts ordinary people most commonly see, the A-Train Ticket and such.

The Terror Smile's effect wasn't bad either; it could hard-control Stray Spirits for nearly fifteen seconds, and it was a large-area AOE.

Then let's try...

Uesugi Toru moved his mind, equipping the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eye onto the 【Laughing Hannya】 card.

Instantly, he felt his vision blur.

When he could see clearly again, Uesugi Toru shockingly discovered his vision had increased from 180° to roughly 270° forward!

A subtle nausea struck.

Facing the suddenly expanded vision, even Uesugi Toru in Laughing Hannya form felt somewhat dizzy and swollen-headed.

But this minor issue would be fine with more adaptation.

Standing in place and turning his gaze a few circles, Uesugi Toru couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed — could the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eye's utility and effect be just this?

Might as well let it fly up and serve as a scout.

He shook his head, but when he redirected his gaze onto "Younger Sister" he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Because, above "Younger Sister's" head, a faint clump of white mist tinged with yellow was now conspicuously floating.

This mist had not appeared before equipping the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eye.

But what does this mist represent...

Uesugi Toru pondered briefly, first taking from his pocket the Doll he had "accidentally" wrapped eyes with a large wad of tissue on the way, and saw nothing above its head.

So it has no effect on dead objects, even supernatural Items?

"You stand right there, don't move for now."

After informing "Younger Sister" who didn't dare breathe, Uesugi Toru walked to the balcony and looked toward the Street through the gap in the curtains.

Just then, an illusory human figure drifted under a Street Lamp not far away; a clump of white mist also floated above its head, but far fainter than "Younger Sister's," and without any yellow presence.

I see.

"Old sis, thanks for your trouble."

After giving "Younger Sister" a quick end and harvesting another 10 Soul Ash, Uesugi Toru thought:

— The second effect of equipping a Yokai Avatar with the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyeball is probably the ability to discern the target's strength.

Although it's still unclear whether this "strength" is objective power roughly equivalent to Star Rating division, or subjective strength relative to one's own power.

But in any case, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyeball's effect is quite satisfying to him.

Retracting the Laughing Hannya's Mask, Uesugi Toru leaned on the soft Sofa.

He did not plan to directly use these newly gained 20 Soul Ash for a Gacha Pull in the Half-Star Gacha 【Profound Bamboo Grove】, but intended to save up a batch and pull after unlocking the One-Star Card Pool in the future.

After all, the Half-Star Gacha's drop rate is simply too low.

Even if one momentarily gets dog-luck and pulls Laughing Hannya, Hundred-Eyed Demon Eye — such versatile good cards — it cannot cover up the fact that the vast majority of pulls only yielded 【Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor)】.

Those are the small EXP bottles polluting the Gacha Pool.

As for how to unlock the One-Star Card Pool...

Just need to possess a One-Star Yokai Incarnation Card.

The simplest method currently is to cultivate the Half-Star Laughing Hannya to One-Star — as for directly pulling a One-Star Yokai Avatar, the sub-one-in-a-thousand probability made Uesugi Toru dismiss the idea outright.

Never mind that he doesn't have enough Soul Ash; even with enough, Uesugi Toru wouldn't waste it like that.

Better to be practical and Star Upgrade the cards already in hand.

Select 【Laughing Hannya (Juvenile Form)】 in the interface.

Then the 【Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor)】 faintly glowing in the pack can be fed to it.

Uesugi Toru tried once; the single feeding upper limit is 10 portions, and he currently has 12 portions total.

【"Laughing Hannya (Juvenile Form)" upgrading: 0%】

Watching the Laughing Hannya Mask rotating inside the exquisite card, Uesugi Toru couldn't help but marvel:

Damn dog planners, did they even calculate this!

Pull a pile of Soul-Calming Incense Ash from the Gacha Pool, feed the ash to the Yokai Avatar, then use the Star-Upgraded Yokai Avatar to unlock a more expensive New Gacha Pool...

This is simply a perfect mechanism of internal circulation and digestion.

Still, the feeling of being able to intuitively watch Xiao Banruo slowly become stronger is quite nice.

After all, Xiao Banruo becoming stronger is equivalent to him, Uesugi Toru, becoming stronger!

Just don't know if Xiao Banruo eating these 10 portions of String Hun Xiang Hui alone can Star Upgrade...

Looking at the progress bar that showed no sign of movement for several seconds, Uesugi Toru estimated it would take at least two or three days to finish eating, and if longer, even over a week is not impossible.

Judging from the matter of "Mother" and "Younger Sister" suddenly appearing in the house tonight, and Nanjo Ai's previous words, although Spiritual Events are not common, they don't seem to be extremely low probability situations either.

So during this time Xiao Banruo upgrades, I also need to hurry up and develop.

If I run into Shizuku tomorrow, I'll have to tell her too, let her not send people to investigate that Club for now, otherwise attracting the Taijun would be bad.

While Uesugi Toru was calculating, the sound of a football match from the television suddenly reached his ears.

He was dazed for a moment, and many warm scenes of getting along with "Father" suddenly surged up in his mind.

Then, Uesugi Toru smiled towards the side: "Dad, how come you're still not sleeping this late?"

Beside Uesugi Toru, the middle-aged man didn't reply, just silently stared at the football match playing on the television screen.

"Ah, forget it." Uesugi Toru shook his head: "You old man just stay here and watch the match all night, I'm going to sleep."

After speaking, he got up and walked towards his room, and halfway there he didn't forget to untie the "Binding" in front of the doll's eyes.

Then in the room he found a small string, and hung the doll suspended at the room doorway.

Nanjo Sister's doll for me, I'll just use it as a door god, and bring it on me when I go out.

Bang.

Uesugi Toru stared at the 【Entering the Common World】 option that suddenly popped up before his eyes, and eagerly closed the room door.

Outside the room, the doll suspended in mid-air rotated nimbly, its pitch-black pupils reflecting the middle-aged man's featureless face.

End of Chapter