I laughed.
Not just a short chuckle or a passing reaction, but a full, unrestrained bout of laughter that echoed through the forest around me. It lingered longer than it probably should have, fueled by the absurdity of my situation and the sheer irony of everything that had happened so far.
Eventually, though, it died down.
And when it did, I let out a long breath and refocused my thoughts.
"Alright," I muttered, straightening up. "Time to address the elephant in the room."
I paused.
"…Not a literal elephant," I added quickly, shaking my head. "Because that would be ridiculous."
The image popped into my mind anyway.
A massive elephant standing in a cramped room with a man, its sheer size overwhelming everything around it. One careless movement, one slight stomp, and that would be the end of the poor guy.
"Lights out," I murmured.
I sighed.
"See? This is exactly what I mean. I get carried away too easily."
Shaking my head again, I forced myself back on track.
Right now, the real issue wasn't imaginary elephants or wandering thoughts. It was something far more important.
My evolution. More specifically, my Ghost Pathway options.
"I've got two choices," I said, looking at the interface still hovering before me. "Wisp… or Wandering Ghost."
Both options were displayed clearly, each with its own set of abilities, its own advantages, and its own identity.
And honestly? "Both look pretty good."
They sounded interesting. They looked interesting.
And the abilities tied to them were, without question, useful. But even so, the answer to which one I would choose was already clear.
I didn't need to overthink it, didn't even need to hesitate.
"Gimme one order of Wandering Ghost, please."
The words came out naturally, accompanied by a small grin.
Immediately, the interface responded.
[Ghost Pathway – Wandering Ghost]
[Proceed with Ghost Pathway, Wandering Ghost – (Yes / No)]
"Yes," I said without missing a beat.
Then, after a brief pause, I added, "And just to be clear, that's a definite yes. You don't need to ask me again. Not a second time, not a third time, and definitely not a fourth."
My choice wasn't changing. There was no reason for it to.
"As far as I'm concerned," I continued, folding my arms, "Wandering Ghost is the best option here."
Wisp had its merits, sure. But Wandering Ghost? That was on another level.
Possession. Memory Hijack. Fear Pulse. Ghost Glide.
I listed them off in my head, one after the other, each one reinforcing my decision.
"Seriously," I said, staring at the interface, "what more could I ask for?"
The ability to possess someone alone was already powerful enough. Add in the capability to steal fragments of memory, disrupt enemies with fear-based energy, and move freely without the constraints of walking, and it became obvious.
"I really can't picture anything better," I admitted.
At least, not within the context of being a ghost. Of course, if I had been given complete freedom of choice from the start…
"Well," I muttered, a wistful look crossing my face, "I would've gone with an elf."
It was hard not to think about it.
Elves, as they were commonly portrayed, were practically perfect. Graceful, elegant, and undeniably beautiful. In most stories, they were considered the pinnacle of aesthetics among all races.
I couldn't help but imagine it. "Myself… but with elven beauty,"
The thought alone was enough to make me grin like an idiot.
"…Yeah, that would've been something." I shook my head, snapping myself out of it. "Too late for that now."
Before I could dwell on it any further, the interface shifted.
[Commencing Ghost Pathway, Wandering Ghost…]
The moment the process began, I felt it. A subtle change. It wasn't external nor was it visible at a glance, but something deeper.
I remained the same on the outside, my form unchanged, my appearance still that of my previous self. But inside… something was different.
It started as a faint sensation. Then it grew.
A presence began to form within me, gathering around the left side of my chest. It wasn't painful. If anything, it felt strangely pleasant.
Ticklish. Light. Almost… enjoyable.
"…Huh."
I focused on it, observing the sensation as it developed. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was noticeable enough that I couldn't ignore it.
And then, just as quickly as it began—
It ended.
The feeling settled, stabilizing into something constant, something that now felt like a natural part of me.
A notification appeared.
[Notice! Ghost has succeeded in the transition to Wandering Ghost]
[Ghost Existential Value has exponentially increased]
"…Nice,"
Another message followed.
[Display Ghost Template – (Yes / No)]
"Yes," I said immediately, curiosity getting the better of me.
The interface shifted again, presenting a new screen.
GHOST TEMPLATE
Origin Race: Ghost (Undead)
Pathway Race: Wandering Ghost (D-)
Level: 0/10
Spirit Essence: 10,000/10,000
Pathway Racial Skills: Possession, Memory Hijack, Fear Pulse, Ghost Glide
Origin Racial Skills: Thermal Discharge, Inconclusive Lifespan, Physical Pain Discharge, Ghost Sight
Experience Threshold: (000/500)
"…Seems nice," I said after a moment. Then I frowned slightly. "I think."
The problem was that I had nothing to compare it to. No baseline or any reference point to work with.
For all I knew, these numbers could be impressive. Or they could be average. Or they could even be terrible.
"I've got no way of telling," I admitted.
Still, there were some things I could understand.
The skills, for example.
"Thermal Discharge," I read aloud. "That one's pretty straightforward."
It explained why I couldn't feel the temperature. Heat, cold, warmth—none of it registered. I had noticed it earlier when I looked at the sky, when I tried to feel the sun.
Nothing. "I guess that checks out."
It was useful in its own way, I supposed. But at the same time…
"It's kind of empty," I admitted.
Not being able to feel anything at all left a strange void. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't comforting either.
Just… neutral. I sighed. Then my eyes shifted to the next skill.
"Inconclusive Lifespan."
That one didn't need much interpretation.
"I can't age," I said, realization settling in. "Which means… I won't die from time."
Immortality. Or something very close to it. I let out a low whistle.
"What people spend their entire lives chasing… I just got it handed to me for free." Then I paused. "…Well, not exactly for free."
I glanced at my transparent form. "I did have to give up my body for it."
Fair trade? Debatable.
Next was Ghost Sight. "That should let me see other ghosts," I muttered.
Useful. Very useful. And finally—
"Physical Pain Discharge."
I tilted my head. "That one's interesting."
From the name alone, it suggested immunity to physical pain. Attacks, injuries, damage—none of it would affect me.
"In other words…" I grinned slightly. "I'm invincible." Then I paused again "…As long as I can't be hit, I can't attack either."
If I couldn't interact with the physical world, then my invincibility didn't mean much. It just meant I couldn't be harmed.
Or harm anything else.
"…That's something to think about." My gaze drifted back to the list.
"Still," I said, a smile forming, "this isn't bad at all."
In fact, it was shaping up to be pretty good. "All that's left is to test it."
My attention shifted back to the rabbit lying on the ground.
"Let's see if possession works properly this time."
I moved closer, extending my hand. As expected, the interface appeared instantly.
[Notice! Would you like to use Possession on the dead Organism]
[Yes / No]
"Yes." There was no hesitation.
[Attempting possession on the dead organism, random rabbit]
[Ghost Rank: D- | Target Rank: G]
[Calibrating success rate… 100%]
[Commencing Possession…]
This time, there was no error. Instead, something else happened.
My body moved. Not by my command, but on its own.
It was a strange sensation, as though I were being pulled forward, drawn into something else. It felt like putting on clothes, except instead of slipping into them piece by piece, I was entering everything all at once.
Then came the near complete darkness. And then the awareness.
[Possession Successful]
"…Huh." I blinked. Or at least, I felt like I blinked.
"This is… interesting."
I was in the rabbit's body. Small. Light. Fragile. I could feel it.
"…I guess this is cool." But even as I said it, something felt off. "I'm not that impressed."
I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because the rabbit was dead.
Maybe it was because the body wasn't particularly strong or useful.
Or maybe it was just because the experience itself felt… dull.
"I expected more," I admitted.
Still, that didn't mean it was useless. "Let's test a few things."
First, I focused on my skills. "Physical Pain Discharge."
If it worked, I shouldn't feel anything. "…Nope." I felt it. The heat and the discomfort.
The environment pressed against me in a way I hadn't experienced before.
"Figures."
If Thermal Discharge wasn't active, then the others probably weren't either.
"This body doesn't carry my abilities."
That made sense. I wasn't using my own form. I was borrowing another.
Before I could continue, another notification appeared.
[Notice! 357 Spirit Essence consumed]
[Spirit Essence: 9,643 / 10,000]
"…Oh." I stared at the numbers. "So it costs energy."
That was important. Very important. Because it meant one thing.
"This isn't something I can spam endlessly."
I leaned back slightly, or at least attempted to within the rabbit's body. "…Good to know."