《Occult Clash : Infinite Quest》 997th life (1) In a well-known restaurant in Osaka, Japan, there was an unusual group of three old men, all 100 years old, quietly chatting over coffee. "Haha... I can''t even laugh out loud anymore... afraid I''ll have a stroke. (coughs)" "Shut up, old man, I''m listening to the news." In front of them was a TV. The old men were watching the evening news. The journalist¡¯s voice was on high alert. [Dear viewers, we ask that you avoid confronting them as much as possible. Leave the members of the... Ahhhhhh bzzzzzzzzzzzz. No, no... Ahhhhhhh... bzzzzzzzz... (cut off)] This was the first reason why these three old men were far from ordinary . While they were peacefully sipping their coffee in an almost destroyed, empty restaurant, outside¡ªno, across the whole world¡ªit was chaos. Everyone shared the same thought about the situation: "Illogical." "Absurd." Even those two words weren¡¯t enough to describe what was happening. Out of nowhere, supernatural beings or things had appeared, starting to attack all forms of life on Earth. Ghosts, Yokai, demons, zombies, modified animals, superdeveloped machines, giants, etc. It was as if all the fictional creatures used to scare children had now become reality. Humans were caught between despair, fear, madness, and all sorts of extreme emotions. However, there was a group of people facing these abominations with equally supernatural abilities. They had taken control of world administration because, apparently, these people had been fighting these creatures in the shadows for centuries. Thanks to them, humanity had held on for over two years. They were humanity¡¯s hope. "Hahaha... (cough cough) After living through 996 lives, I really thought nothing could shock me anymore." It was Hiroshi Girard speaking, one of the old men.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "......" There was a brief silence, then another old man, named Daiki Anderson, broke it: "There¡¯s no doubt now. This is exactly what those bastards have been warning us about for nearly 1000 years." Given his wrinkled face and advanced age, no emotion showed on him, but his hand, holding the teacup, trembled slightly. Then the third old man, who stood out a bit from the others because, despite his old age, he was in the best shape among them, looked like an old Shaolin master. His name is Akira Ishida. "(smiling) Hey, seriously, is this what those bastards want us to face?!" After his question, everyone closed their eyes, seemingly remembering something terrible¡ªand they were right to. Until yesterday, humanity had fought and regained hope thanks to the Bureau of Strange Affairs, who fought the abominations, but it turned out to be a false hope. For in the center of the Earth (the Gulf of Guinea), something indescribable appeared, sitting as if it were doing yoga, but its head was not visible. It was so gigantic that the whole Earth could see it. It appeared without warning, and when it arrived, not only did the abominations'' powers double, but the demons'' powers quintupled. At that moment, the world was doomed. The agents of the Bureau of Strange Affairs continued to fight, but deep down, they knew: "The moment that giant moves, we¡¯re dead." The restaurant and everything around it began to shake. It was a giant walking and casually crushing everything in its path. It was ten steps away from the restaurant where the old men were. "Finally." Strangely, they all now wore an indescribable smile on their faces. "I guess we¡¯re starting to lose our minds, hahaha," said Shaolin master Akira, speaking joyfully. Daiki Anderson: "It¡¯d be weirder if we were still sane after living nearly 1000 years, right?" "You¡¯re right... My buddy." The three old men downed their coffee in one go. "You ready?" asked Akira. "........" "........" Daiki and Hiroshi answered Akira¡¯s question in sync: "¡°If we have to, even a god will be screwed!!!!¡±" Akira said, with a grin as wide as his friends: "These aren¡¯t the kind of expressions old men like us should be using, but hey, from this regression (smiling), we¡¯re smashing everything!" 0 steps (the giant crushes the restaurant) The old men are dead. The second reason these old men were anything but ordinary was that they had lived exactly 996 lives. Every time they died and their lives ended, they always returned to being 15 years old. They weren¡¯t childhood friends or classmates. No, they lived in completely different countries: the United States, Japan, and France. It wasn¡¯t until their 72nd life that they met online, through an international community dedicated to researching supernatural phenomena. They were desperately looking for a way to escape their cursed fate. Since then, they¡¯ve coordinated their actions in every new life, clinging to the hope of breaking free from this time loop. But they had one clue. Every time they died, before regressing, they found themselves in a completely empty, white space. In that void, words would appear in an unknown language on a gray platform resembling a game interface. Strangely, they could always understand it: [Personal Quest: Destroy a Supreme Entity, enemy of time, so your time may flow again.] [Difficulty: ¡Þ] They had seen this message 996 times but never understood it. But now, it all made sense. Interestingly enough, in all their 996 lives, this was the first time they had reached 100 years old. These bastards... Seriously? What kind of insane difficulty is this? Once again in that empty space, standing before the gray platform, something was different. This time, they wore crazed smiles. ¡°No matter how many regressions, no matter this stupid void or that damned system¡ªwe¡¯re going to make you cry!¡± First plan (2) "Wake up, you idiot!" Ah... This feeling, I¡¯ll never get used to it¡­ And why is it always at this exact moment that this annoying girl decides to shatter my eardrums first thing in the morning? Akira had regressed to his 15-year-old self. It was 6:30 AM, and Akira (the Shaolin master) was lazily lying in his room, as if time itself waited for him to move forward. And in a way, it was true. A beautiful girl with green hair, just like Akira¡¯s, had a look of disgust on her face as she stared at him as if he were nothing more than an insect. Her name was Miku Ishida, Akira¡¯s twin sister. Unlike her lazy brother, deemed a failure by the great Ishida family, she was a brilliant girl with a promising future. She had an extraordinary talent in a very specific field, classified as a secret to ordinary people like Akira. As a result, she attended an equally secretive school in the United States. For some reason, she had returned to Japan to settle a matter. The pride of the family. Although they were twins, they didn¡¯t get along. No, it would be more accurate to say that Miku despised her brother. Akira, for his part, is far from his sister Yet there was a time when they were very close. "You have school today, don¡¯t you? So why are you still lying there like you have nothing to do?" "(Yawn) You¡¯re energetic today, sis. What¡¯s new?" Miku replied coldly: "Do you not realize that your disgraceful attitude tarnishes the Ishida name?" This guy is acting weird today¡­ Hmm¡­ her brother who was always intimidated by the star of the Ishida family that she was, spoke to her in a casual manner. "I believe I¡¯ve told you before not to call me your sister, haven¡¯t I?" On the outside, Akira seemed like he¡¯d lost all interest. He stared blankly at the ceiling, but his thoughts were filled with nostalgia, entirely different from his attitude. Despite all his regressions the only things that allowed him to hold on and not go crazy were his friends and his sister. Too cute, my sis. I feel like hugging her. But then again, it¡¯d be ridiculous to die right after returning, wouldn¡¯t it? During the invasion, I never saw her again¡­ her, father, or grandfather. What happened to them? His expression hardened for a moment: no matter this time it would be different! "You bastard, are you ignoring me?" She said it with an expression colder than before. At her words, Akira calmly got up and sat on the bed. Then, he stared at her for two seconds. Despite her impassive face, Miku was shocked deep inside. Because in that brief glance, she saw so many emotions in her brother¡¯s eyes: joy, sadness, determination, fear, and more. She could perceive all that because she was Miku. Yes, Miku of the Ishida family. And perhaps also because of the invisible bond that tied the twins together. Something has definitely changed about him. How can a person feel so many emotions? What happened to him while I was in the United States? "Hey, what are you¡­" Miku started but stopped abruptly. Akira had already approached her, reaching out his hand above her head. At first, she wanted to step back, but for some reason, she chose to stay. I''m not dreaming?....... This good for nothing has just erased his presence Miku''s hands were shaking slightly Then, nonchalantly, Akira gently stroked his sister¡¯s hair as if he were petting a small kitten. Miku¡¯s lips moved slightly, as if to say something, but this time, Akira pulled her into his arms. Ah, screw it. I¡¯m not going to die over something this small, am I? I missed her too much¡ªit¡¯s stronger than me. Akira opened his mouth and whispered softly into his sister¡¯s ear: "You don¡¯t need to worry anymore, princess. I¡¯ll take it from here." .............. "Princess" was the nickname Akira gave his sister when they were still little. For some reason, they stayed like that for a moment. Miku, in her brother¡¯s embrace, no longer had any trace of the proud and arrogant girl from earlier. There was only a timid little girl in the arms of her big brother. After a minute, she gently pushed Akira away, and a sinister smile appeared on her face. I¡¯m not going to die, right? (Auth: Good luck, bro.) That day, Akira¡¯s room was stained with pure red. She casually walked out of her brother''s room, bloodstains on her clothes, and found her mother sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. Miku asked her mother:" Mom, has Kira learned martial arts recently?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Kira?" Her mother seemed slightly surprised because, for the past few years, Miku had been calling her brother degrading names like "trash," "good-for-nothing," or "bastard." And now, she was calling him the way she used to when they were kids. "Not that I know of." As if she had lost all interest, her mother refocused on her newspaper. It could undoubtedly be said that this was no ordinary family because, despite the blood on the girl¡¯s clothes and the screams that had echoed earlier from the room, no one seemed bothered. Neither the mother nor the household staff. "Alright, I¡¯ll take my leave now, Mother." "Are you heading back to the United States?" "No, I¡¯m going to see Grandfather. I have some business to settle with him; that¡¯s why I came back to Japan." "Ah, okay. Send him my regards, and good luck." "I won¡¯t forget. Thank you, Mother." Once outside the house, she called out a name: "John." "I¡¯ve got a job for you." Back in the blood-stained room. Akira was sitting at his desk in front of his computer, on a video call with two people. Money Man: [Hahaha! Damn, where¡¯s our green man gone? Hahaha¡­] It was Hiroshi Girard, the boy with red hair. He was wearing his school uniform, and judging by the background, he seemed to be in an internet caf¨¦. Hiroshi had regressed back to his 15-year-old self. His laughter was justified because Akira, who was in front of him, looked like a human tomato. His face was entirely red, with bumps on his head as a bonus. HACKMASTER: [I don¡¯t even want to ask why you look like that.] This was Daiki Anderson, the man with glasses and dark blue hair. Unlike the other two who were skipping class, he was in a classroom at a computer science school, where using a computer was allowed. He was sitting at the back of the class, whispering to avoid being noticed by his teachers. Daiki Anderson had also regressed to his 15-year-old self. Green Shaolin: [Sigh. It¡¯s a long story.] This was Akira¡¯s username on the internet. HACKMASTER: [Okay, okay, let¡¯s move on. I don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s make this quick¡­ Hey, you idiot, stop laughing already!] Money Man: [Hahahahaha, sorry, sorry. You actually look kinda cute like that, bro.] With a sarcastic expression, Money Man gave a thumbs-up. Green Shaolin: [Haha, very funny. Laugh it up, jerk.] Akira said, flipping him off. Money Man: [So, we¡¯re looking for a way to meet up again like before, right? This time, you guys are coming to my place¡ªit¡¯s my turn.] Green Shaolin: [Tsk.] Akira clicked his tongue. Money Man: [Why do you always sulk when it¡¯s my turn, huh?] Each time they regressed, they somehow managed to gather at one of their homes in turns. This time, it was Hiroshi Girard¡¯s turn, which meant they would have to head to France. Green Shaolin: [Well, maybe because¡­] Akira started to answer before being interrupted. HACKMASTER: [Guys, I think it won¡¯t be productive if we do it this time¡­ No, I even think it¡¯s a waste of time.] Money Man: [Even you, Hacker?] Green Shaolin: [What do you mean?] HACKMASTER: [You remember the Bureau of Strange Affairs, don¡¯t you?] Green Shaolin: [How could we forget? We need to contact them¡ªno doubt about it.] HACKMASTER: [Back then, I researched them and found out their recruitment methods¡­] There was a brief moment of silence, then Daiki continued: HACKMASTER: [They are constantly searching for people who have any kind of connection to spirits or even those who are simply interested in them. Then, they make them take a test. If they¡¯re eligible, they¡¯re integrated into the organization. If not, their memories are erased one way or another.] Money Man: [How the hell did you manage to get this top-secret information, even for the state?!] Daiki (HACKMASTER) removed his,glasses, casually wiped them with a handkerchief from his pocket, and said with an expressionless face: HACKMASTER: [The internet is terrifying.] Green Shaolin: [Hmm... So you¡¯re suggesting we get noticed individually? That¡¯s a good idea, but don¡¯t we need to regroup as quickly as possible? Especially knowing the events that are about to begin.] Money Man: [I was thinking the same thing.] HACKMASTER: [That¡¯s not a problem. Those who are eligible are transferred to the International Academy of the Bureau of Strange Affairs for training before being deployed. And this base is located in the United States¡­] [...] [...] Hiroshi and Akira were frowning as they stared at Daiki. Money Man: [You bastard, just admit you¡¯re too lazy to come to my place!] Green Shaolin: [So, what¡¯s the plan?] HACKMASTER: [We simply make ourselves noticeable to them. Money Man, do you have any ideas for that?] Money Man: [Money is terrifying! What about you?] HACKMASTER: [I already told you: the internet is terrifying.] Green Shaolin: [¡­] A moment of silence fell as they waited for Akira to speak. Green Shaolin: [Martial arts are...] Money Man: [Sigh. With that bloody face, you¡¯re really convincing, trust me.] HACKMASTER: [You have no idea, do you?] Green Shaolin:[¡­] HACKMASTER: [Pfff... Tonight, I¡¯ll do some research on supernatural events currently happening in your area. I¡¯ll email them to you. Try to handle them using the advice of our shaman, Money Man.] Money Man: [Screw you! And who¡¯s the shaman, anyway?] HACKMASTER: [You, of course.] Money Man: [Not true.] They all smiled. Green Shaolin: [Now that the big picture is set, let¡¯s give it our all. We have to succeed, no matter what. Let¡¯s meet at the academy in one month.] Money Man: [Hehehe.] HACKMASTER: [Hm.] ¡°Mr. Daiki Anderson, you seem very focused. Can you repeat what I just said?¡± HACKMASTER: [Bye.] He ended the call. Money Man: [I guess I¡¯ll get started and put my plan in place since someone set a one-month deadline.] Hiroshi said sarcastically. Green Shaolin: [Time is precious.] Money Man: [Yeah, green geezer... Or should I say red geezer? Pouhahahahaha.] Green Shaolin: [Bastard.] Green abruptly closed his computer. Although they laughed or joked within them a deep hatred and determination animated their hearts. The burning desire to change destiny.
John: [This is what happened.] Miku: [Huh? What did you just say?] What? Perfect scene(3) France, specifically Paris (6:00 PM) A boy in school uniform was sitting in a crowded cybercafe, in front of a computer. It was Hiroshi Girard (Money Man), the current and only son of the CEO of the luxury brand POWER. ¡°(sigh) I just hope they won¡¯t notify Dad about my absence. Pfff, that damn suck-up director...¡± He was talking about his school principal. With a long sigh, Hiroshi leaned slightly in his chair and showed a serious expression. Hmmm, the sooner, the better... In my previous life, I overheard one of our employees talking about the Bureau of Strange Affairs, but back then, I didn¡¯t really pay attention to it. It was only when they revealed themselves to the world that I remembered the conversation. But the problem... Frustrated or annoyed, he ran his hand across his face. I¡¯ve forgotten his face... Then a small smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Money is really terrifying!¡± --- United States, specifically New York (10:10 PM) Daiki Anderson (HACKMASTER) was in his room. He was sitting on a chair, and right in front of him, five computers were on a table, surrounded by high-tech cables and numerous peripherals. The screens were still off, his glasses resting on the table, and he had a thoughtful look on his face. During the chaos of my previous life, I took advantage of it to research and hack into the Bureau of Strange Affairs¡¯ system, just out of curiosity. But their system was much stronger than I had expected. Back in his first life, Daiki, or rather HACKMASTER, was already very famous on the dark web as a genius in computing. From programming to hacking, there was practically no one who could match him ¡ª at least, he had never met anyone on his level. And after 996 lives of computing experience, it could be said with confidence that he knew computing better than computing itself. But he had struggled to break into this mysterious company¡¯s network, despite its weakening after the battle against the abominations (it took him an hour). Daiki grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, then wrote something down.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The plan was simple: ¡°If a 15-year-old boy from nowhere can hack into their high-level systems, that should be enough to get noticed, right?¡± ¡°Before anything, I need to deal with Green. All he knows how to do is fight, pfff...¡± He picked up his glasses, gently cleaned them, put them on, and murmured: ¡°The internet is terrifying!¡± --- Back in Osaka, Japan A conversation between two completely different individuals was taking place in a luxury villa. It was Miku, sitting on a sofa, sipping her tea with a perplexed look on her face. Her interlocutor was far from ordinary, as it was a black cat that could talk. ¡°John, this isn¡¯t a joke, is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, madam.¡± How could he have heard about the Bureau of Strange Affairs? And even the Academy? ¡°Is that all you heard?¡± ¡°Yes, madam. At first, I didn¡¯t pay attention to what he was saying, since he was just exchanging trivialities with his friends during a video call. It was only when I heard these keywords that I tried to listen more closely, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± I had the feeling he was looking at me... No, as if he was letting me listen intentionally... No, that¡¯s impossible. This good-for-nothing had been useless until now. Why would that change overnight? ¡°The conversation was already over.¡± ¡°......¡± This guy... Is someone training him in secret? No, this family is full of cold and indifferent people, so it¡¯s impossible. But how could he have heard about it? As far as I know, none of the organization¡¯s members can speak about it to anyone unless they¡¯re at least at the Quest Executor S-level. An elderly man with white hair slowly descended the stairs leading from his room to the living room where Miku was sitting. Yes, the house was so big that it could be considered a castle. The color that struck anyone entering the castle was white, a pure white, as if it was always winter in this house. As he walked forward, he greeted his granddaughter Miku, because yes, the one descending was Miku¡¯s grandfather and the current head of the large Ishida family. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived earlier than expected, my little fairy.¡± ¡°John, follow my brother until we leave Japan, and report to me every day. I think our stay will be long.¡± ¡°Understood, madam.¡± John disappeared instantly. With a nervous smile, Miku said to her grandfather: ¡°Isn¡¯t this an excessive way of training your fairy, grandfather?¡± For some reason, the room became icy. With the color, it really looked like it was winter. ¡°See, there¡¯s never excess when it comes to evolving.¡± Damn, that old fart... Akira was lying on his bed, staring at his messaging app for over an hour. He was waiting for a particular message. Cling He finally received the message on his TG app. The sender¡¯s name was HACKMASTER. HACKMASTER: [File.PDF] [I would have called you now, but I don¡¯t have time, I also need to get moving on my end. Our Shaman (Money Man) will help you with the method. For the rest, you¡¯ll manage, right? See you later.] Akira clicked on the file Daiki had sent and saw a photo with a note at the bottom. The photo showed a wild-looking man, his muscles tense as if ready to explode at any moment. His face was twisted in an expression of rage: furrowed brows, his jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth were grinding, and his lips curled back, revealing clenched teeth. His gaze, fixed and intense, seemed to burn with uncontrollable anger. Below the photo, the note read: "The text comes from a Japanese community dedicated to researching supernatural phenomena, recounting the story of Kenji Takahashi, a man whose family began to suspect he was possessed by a spirit. His increasingly strange and violent behavior led them to believe that a supernatural force was controlling him. Unable to approach him due to his uncontrollable rage, they stopped trying to help him themselves and sought help from this specialized community. After several failures, they decided to take him to the forest of Osaka, hoping that the mysterious place could calm the spirit that possessed him. But in the darkness of the ancient trees, the threat of the spirit remained, and no one knew if Kenji would ever be freed." "Daiki is really impressive. I searched on my end, even though I¡¯m in Japan, but I didn¡¯t find anything in the Osaka area, and he managed to do it from the United States." A small smile appeared on Akira¡¯s face. Everything is in place now. He was right. Yesterday, when he was talking to his friends on the computer, Money Man had written to him about the presence of a Yokai behind him (John). They called Hiroshi "Shaman" because, in addition to being an international businessman, his father was also a specialist in all things related to spiritualism. It was a hobby for him, at least that¡¯s what he told them in a past life. Naturally, his son had become interested in it too, and with his genetic predisposition, he could already perceive the presence of malevolent spirits. With hundreds of thousands of years of experience on top of that, Hiroshi could sense the Yokai watching him. He had subtly suggested to his friend to mention keywords like Bureau of Strange Affairs. And when Akira did, the Yokai had a small reaction, at least from Hiroshi¡¯s perspective, who didn¡¯t fail to mention it briefly to his friends. At this rate, we¡¯ll get into that damn academy in a week.