The small clearing in the cluster of trees was peaceful until I noticed the many, many thin lines on the trunks of trees where something had slashed into them repeatedly.

“Can’t practise in my room or the main hall. Papa doesn’t even know I’m able to do the whole shitting magic whip thing and fend off demons and Hollows,” Maria said, sitting down on a small bench.

This area must have been open once but the overgrown trees and greenery now obscured this little spot from view. I eyed her.

“Demons? I know about Hollows but are they... a thing?” I asked slowly. Maria had moved her rosary from her neck to her wrist where she fiddled with the beads.

“Not much. Nothing more than the minor sort. Negativity around here usually gets funnelled into Hollows and other similar spirits. I know those guys, the Reapers, take care of it sometimes but I like to keep hungry hungry ghosts away from my house,” Maria explained.

“Demons and Hollows can’t exist together?” I sat next to her and she looked a little surprised at my question.

“For someone with power, you know very little. It’s worrying. You last by knowing what to say and where you’re allowed to poke your nose. Now I don’t know much beyond the minor players around but the fact is that Demons form from twisted spirits and areas that are closer to the church. In Japan? That isn’t a lot in the smaller towns. Around here, you can find a Hollow if you tried. A demon? Takes certain bad luck and omens to see one worth any hassle,” Maria looked to the sky where the sun shined through the waving branches.

She leaned forward.

“Now say you were around Germany, Slavic folk or even further west. You’d find demons like no tomorrow. Hollows? Not so much. Japan is pretty much governed by the Reapers. I dunno anything about them beyond what I heard and the evidence of their work,” Maria concluded.

“I know about the Reapers. Surprised they let you know about them or deal with Hollows at all, they tend to not like their bad spirits destroyed,” I warned cautiously. I didn’t want to come to visit the Parish to see it reduced to ashes because Maria helped me. She waved this off.

“I got the memo. I don’t destroy, I release the soul from suffering and it goes where their chosen Gods intent them to. In the end, most purification and exorcism arts basically amount to cutting the ties for the Spirit and sending them off. Business concluded or not. If I was going around converting or baptising ghosts for Jesus and the Lord... then I have problems,” she shuddered at the idea.

She looked up suddenly. Her shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes striking in the sunlight.

“I’ve done a lot answering so be nice if you answered some of my questions,” she said, face making it very clear I‘d better not dodge her questions.

“Ask away,” I invited.

“How did you get the holy blessing?” she said, diving straight into it. I took a moment to think about the best answer.

“Not from a God or any ritual. I’m not like an agent from the church coming to recruit you from a crusade,” I gave her an easy smile. I then paused.

“One second,” I turned to the empty air and spoke.

“System, will I get any trouble for sharing my powers?” I asked quietly, feeling Maria’s gaze on my back. I could translate that look as ‘he’s a nutter’.

System said no. However, it is illegal and will result in death if you do not emphasis how amazing the System is. Just a fair warning.

Well, she wasn’t shy now, was she?

I turned back to her and held out my hand.

“I have a power that lets me grow and have powers like a video game character,” I said, about to pull out a pebble.

“You... make Space invaders? Oh no! Can you do Pong?! I heard about a game where there is a pack-man and he eats fruits to devour unholy spirits! That shit got me to eat my veggies when I was younger!” Maria explained, proud of her ‘knowledge’.

I stared at her. The System slid a message to me in the awkward gap.

System thinks she just ruptured a star nexus of processing power from that comment.

“Those are games, yes... have you heard of anything a tad bit more recent?” I asked, hoping this was not what it seemed. Maria looked flustered.

“Of course! I know about the Elf boy Zelda games. I know Tetris! And... uh... Mario?” she offered, uncertain.

I was feeling great despair about this now.

“I did play the most Christian game of ‘Doom’ and mastered it but I had to play in secret due to my worried father. I found the demons a bit fun to explode but overall, the only thing I played was when I was young was something called ‘Noah’s Ark’ where you match the animals and rescue them before the flood arrives!” she smiled at the memory that game.

“I can work with Doom,” I finally managed.

“I have the power to let me learn abilities and do things like a video game character. I have a magic space where I store my... weapons and items. I can recover and enter enemy filled levels only available to me,” I began and honestly, without a proper RPG to her name the rest was going to be lost on her.

I pulled out my spare steel rod and she looked startled. I let her examine it and test the rod before she handed it back.

“Do you have a very big laser gun to explode Demons?!” she asked, very very serious. I leaned back at the intensity.

“Not yet,” I answered slowly. I turned on Pyro Infuse and the steel rod was covered in a darker flame than Flamebrand had. Maria did jump back this time until she noticed something. She cautiously held her hand near and feeling no heat, shot me a look of confusion.

“It should only burn when I need it to or if I hit a foe. A lot of my abilities are handy like that,” I hummed.

“You have the power of a video game character. I have heard of... fantasy games with magic, gods, and monsters. Would those games be where you got these fucking amazing powers from?” she began to pace as I nodded.

“I’ll do research. It shouldn’t be too hard for a simple handheld and some games. I don’t buy much else and I’m due for a teenage rebellion soon so Papa won’t mind,” she mused.

“Let me try something before you try to smite poor goblins and elves,” I said dryly and focused on her.

“Invite Maria Mercy!” and the system opened.

Please name party or select ‘suggest name’.

I hit suggest a name.

A window opened before Maria and me at the same time.

Maria Mercy has been invited to Party ‘Nuns and Nerds’

“I’m not a nun. I haven’t sworn to chastity or to wear the habit,” Maria corrected, voice faint.

“I’m not a nerd. I just collect bugs, use magic, and currently live in a basement that was given to me,” I also corrected.

“I’m seeing game boxes. I am seeing demons of the mind! Mother Mary on a fucking donkey to asstearing Bethlehem!” she cursed and threw sand from her pocket at the message box.

I stared in shocked silence as she crossed herself. She took steps back and the box followed.

“T-that’s my power... I invited you to a party so you could see my power in action,” I finally said and she paused.

“Damn... I just wasted good pure salt on nothing. A waste of a fucking hour,” she sighed and turned to me.

“Warn a poor church girl next time. I’m frail and easily startled,” she huffed. I decided not to comment on those words as she hesitantly hit accept.

Welcome Temporary User: Mercy-is-for-the-weak777. Please enjoy your complimentary welcome celebration.

Both screens had a picture of confetti falling as a jaunty tune sounded out.

“Meet the System, the wisest and wonderful System to ever be. Her grace is beyond mortal knowing,” I said, voice drier than a desert.

“Can I change my name?” Maria said instantly. I stood, ready to help her negotiate the System until she got used to the System’s... mannerisms.

“I wanna be DemonSlayer888!” she requested.

Request approved. You have gained 10 affection points with the System.

Maria looked at me, a large smile on her face.

“Your power is really useful and responsive. If you can do as you say...” she trailed off thinking. After a moment she spoke up.

“Your power, how much can it affect me?” she asked. I thought that was reasonable to ask since it was a lot to take in at once.

“We can ask the System and see. I’ve never done a party before so I need to learn as well,” I offered. Then I turned to the waiting box.

“You also said affection meters were for sociopaths,” I reminded.

A girl with countless limbs and a brain stored in another dimension is allowed her fun. To answer the question. EXP is gainable for party members at 1/3 of the gain rounded for the ease of the System’s favourite human. With Parties, you may invite people into Malice Zones where they can use skill gems and raise skills. Such a power is only possible in the Malice Zone. System cannot usually affect other players so the Malice Zones will be the only place to artificially see growth in other members.

“Can they use skill gems out of the zone?” I asked, worried that it would mean they were cheated out of boss gems if the area collapsed too fast.

Party members can use gems from Zones they have been in. Gems from other zones will not be useable. It is the best the System can do. Without a mainstay Gaia or a similar worldwide awareness... System lacks the ability to let Russel truly be the best Gamer he could be. System is... sorry.

“Don’t worry, that’s more than enough! You’re great and I wouldn’t trade you for that lifeless system in the original Gamer world even for the extra power,” I beamed.

System is thankful. Many users before have been unsatisfied with System’s parameters and limits. She was often referred to as ‘Suboptimal’ by some. The journey was not as fun as this one has been such a short time.

“That’s sad. People truly would mock such a blessing for the lack of another? They do not deserve to taste lukewarm shitty holy water let alone be gifted with power,” Maria stated.

Thank you, Demonslayer888.

“No worries, System. You aren’t my god but I find your manners and existence quite enjoyable!” Maria said back cheerfully. I was looking between them with a sad shake of my head.

This was going to be something. A gamer, a chatty box, and a bloodthirsty priestess walked into a dungeon.

I knew the punchline would hit me sooner than later.

---

I split the party as we headed back. Maria was going to look something up and research basic gaming terms on the church computer. She would be busy until late afternoon which gave me time to find another Malice Zone.

So far, they had been sort of more digestible than the impending Bleach plot. Messing with it just seemed to scream disaster and misfortune at me. Besides, I’d do my part from behind the scenes and reduce Karakura’s malice. That would help and with Maria, we could remove the few ghosts around to keep the issue down even further.

I didn’t need to get involved. It worked itself out and that hinged on a lot of tiny moments. Too many for me to really want to touch.

Once I found a Malice Zone, Maria promised to let me know about her very basic character sheet.

Maria had some ideas on where to start. Having been in town much longer than me.

I looked at the map in the System. Maria had been actually able to place markers for spots when she was in the party. She was like a kid when it came to using the System. It just seemed to excite her to be included in something so interesting.

It made me wonder if she had any normal friends...

The first spot was an abandoned train station. It was mostly a series of idle train cars left to rust with a few buildings long emptied. I looked around and found it would be quite easy to get lost in the middle of all those cars.

My Spiritual Sense was humming but it felt more like background noise than anything actively haunting the area. I was informed Observe would not level from merely scanning passing objects and train rails. A bit of a bummer.

But a new Malice Zone would give me juicy targets to scan. I still had King in my hair but the skill was very slow at levelling now. I supposed it’d take more than having him out now. Feeling like following the main path was getting me nowhere, I scampered up the side of a train car.

Climbing has reached level 5! Increased speed and grip.

Oh, I had forgotten about that skill. Karakura High seems like a long time ago but look at me... barely a day later. I peered around the area, looking for places that would suggest ‘hidden ticklish portal’.

I did see a series of deep large sheds where the trains would have been stored from rain and when they weren’t running. I hopped carefully along the top of trains. I nearly slipped when a message appeared.

You have gained: jumping!

Would you like to merge this skill into Climb to make ‘Parkour’? Level will become 3

“Go for it!” I said and the skills flickered before only one remained.

Parkour. Passive. Physical Lv 3: Allow you to move in directions not normally taken by people. Up a wall... over a roof, up a Menos’ leg... the world just got omnidirectional.

It did... feel like the world has shifted ever so slightly. I saw edges of the trains where I could grab, short hops I could make with much more confidence... an easy roll to the ground. I had a weird desire to climb somewhere high fight against my fear of heights.

I moved on before that got too confusing.

As I headed towards the shed-like buildings, made of brick and old looking, my heart skipped a beat as I saw it.

The Malice Zone portal. It was located in the far back of the building in an almost brick tunnel that had the traces of coal and soot permanently rubbed into the surface. I tossed down some Purity Stones and got King working. It was a damn tight fit in here and I was not coming out looking like a chimney sweeper.

“King, can you expand this tunnel without collapsing it in?” I asked and King tilted his head so far I could hear the ‘did you really just ask me that?’ in the motions.

“Of course... my bad,” I apologised before the ant nuzzled me, accepting my words and getting to work.

I was pumped. The first marker had a malice zone! Which meant... I had time to kill before Maria would be free to help me out with the hospital and if there was time, the new zone.

I focused on the portal.

You have discovered the Malice Zone ‘Midnight Train Graveyard’. Strength: G-2.

Russel’s current rating: G-5

Remember that rankings indicate pure numbers, nothing else. Tripping and getting knocked out will still let a G-1 kill a F-5 if things go south.

“Ego deflated!” I promised.

I watched King work his magic. Years of dirt and damage being cleaned by my stone and his natural ability.

I knew Rankings were a guideline, not a fact. But... I had a few hours to kill and I wanted to test some new ideas for skills. I mean, I still would rather be a G-6 going in than a G-5. That was just common sense.

I sat down on the ground, making sure to place more Purity Stones and flexed my fingers.

“A fire mage has good ‘boom’ power but I think it would be good to see how many elements I can get in a short time. I’d rather have ice at lv 1 than not have it all,” I admitted.

I just hope my firepower wasn’t locking me in. System said nothing so I focused on the feeling of a fresh winter morning. The first flake of Christmas... the red noses from the cold... the shaking chattering of my teeth.

I gathered it and focused on my hand.

---

Maria opened another tab and the old computer before her wheezed.

“Ganking is bad... Oh, EXP stealing is bad! I need to learn about this tank business. I assume I would be best to do that role. Being reasonable with this ‘loot’ is a must!” Maria wrote furiously down.

“I am not familiar with this ‘teabaggin’. Perhaps it is a gamer purification thing? I’ll ask Russ and see if he can explain it. If he knows it, it’ll speed the ghost issue along fast. Russ would be a ‘wizard’? It says here they are weak and need help. I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t get too far ahead,” Maria hummed.

“Here you go, Maria. I still had them in the attic,” her father said, sweating slightly as he placed a bunch of books down with depictions of dragons and men in armour.

“Thanks, Papa! Me and Russ are gonna have a good time with these games,” Maria promised. Her father sighed.

“Just remember that you play a priest and were raised on an island of virtuous women in your backstory,” he said and walked off.

Backstory? Maria frowned.

Was that... important?

Fuck it. She’d make one just in case.