Supernatural: Reincarnated into the Hunt

The next morning, James woke up feeling groggy. His eyes slowly adjusted to the soft light coming through the hospital window. His body felt heavy, as if it was still recovering from the tough fight with the spirits. His breathing was shallow, but his mind was already racing. The events of yesterday were blurry, but the pain from the glass, the aching in his body, and the haunting wails of the spirits were still clear in his memory. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, fighting the urge to fall back asleep.

For a moment, James thought about staying still and letting the exhaustion take over again. But deep down, he knew he couldn't afford to sleep any longer. The incident had taught him some valuable lessons.

Though he wouldn't admit it, he had let his newfound strength get to his head. After defeating the poltergeist, James had started to think he was invincible. The feeling of power had clouded his judgment, making him believe he could handle anything—even spirits far stronger than the ones he had already faced. The harsh reality of yesterday's battle had shattered that illusion. It wasn't just about raw strength; it was about control, precision, and knowing when to pull back.

He had nearly died, and it was only his quick thinking and strong will that had kept him alive.

'Stay grounded, James. Don't get cocky.' He focused on the thought, reminding himself repeatedly.

After a long, deep breath, James slowly moved his hand, feeling the discomfort in his body.

With a quiet groan, he reached for his phone on the small bedside table, but stopped. His system panel... He had absorbed the essence of three spirits yesterday, and he needed to check what effect that had on his abilities. Now was the best time to take stock of his progress. With a steadying breath, he closed his eyes and summoned his Essence Sovereignty system panel.

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System Panel

Name: James Bennett

Constitution: 1.9

Principle: Essence Sovereignty Level 2 (11/1000) exp

Essence Energy: (1000/1000) units

Essence Regeneration Rate: 50 per minute

Abilities

1. Essence Sense (Basic)

{48/100}

2. Essence Shield (Basic)

{8/100}

3. Essence Strike (Basic)

{2/100}

4. Essence Absorption (Basic)

{15/100}

5. Essence Flame (Basic)

{55/100}

6. Essence Guard (Basic)

Description: Essence Guard gives the user the power to create a protective shield around themselves. This shield blocks attacks, both physical and supernatural.

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James stared at the panel, reading through the information in front of him. His breathing steadied as he processed it. The changes were clear, and they weren't just small upgrades. His Essence Sovereignty had leveled up to Level 2. While it wasn't a massive jump, it felt important. It wasn't just the essence energy that had increased—it was something deeper. His Essence Energy had grown from 100 to 1000.

That was huge. He could feel it already. His body hummed with power, as though the very air around him was charged with potential. His mind raced as he thought about the possibilities. His Essence Regeneration Rate had also gone up, now at 50 per minute.

His thoughts moved to the abilities listed in the panel. Each one had improved in some way, and James could feel the difference.

And then there was Essence Guard. He hadn't even noticed it until now, but it was a new ability, one that could protect him even more. Essence Guard allowed him to create a protective shield around himself, blocking both physical and supernatural attacks.

If he had this ability yesterday then he would have blocked the glass shrads easily.

James felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked at his abilities. He was growing stronger, but he also knew he had to be careful. The supernatural world was unpredictable, and no matter how strong he became, there would always be something stronger out there. He needed to stay grounded.

As James lay in his hospital bed, still feeling the effects of the battle, the door to his room opened without a knock. He looked up to see a familiar face step in.

"Come on, man, knock first," James muttered, his voice tired but amused.

Ash entered the room casually, grinning as always, though he was still limping which didn't do much for his image to act cool and casual.

"What, you think I need permission to check on my partner?" he said, strolling in like he owned the place.

James rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint smile forming on his face. Ash had a way of cutting through the tension, making things feel less heavy. James wasn't sure if he should be grateful for that or if it was just frustrating sometimes.

"Wait, are you allowed to come in like this?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't the nurse say anything to you?"

Ash smirked, waving his hand dismissively. "In a lot better shape than you, man. I sneaked out when the nurse wasn't looking.

"What, you couldn't wait a little longer?" James muttered.

"Got a lot of stuff I need to talk about, especially with your little fire show and... well, the fact that you can see spirits." Ash leaned in as he whispered.

James sat up on his bed, rubbing his temples as he relived the events. "It all started the night that demon... ruined my family. That's when everything changed." He paused for a moment, his eyes darkening at the memory. "I was just trying to fight the damn demon, trying to protect my mom and dad. But it was too strong... And then... I don't know. Something snapped inside me."

Ash leaned forward, his face serious. "What do you mean, snapped? You're talking about that crazy fire that came out of you? The one that burned the spirits but didn't even touch you? What the hell was that?"

James closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't just the fire. It was something more. That demon... it awakened something in me. Some power I didn't know existed. It's like... I can feel it now, inside me. It's raw, like energy... and I can control it—sort of. But I don't fully understand it yet. That fire, though, I think that was a glimpse of what I can do when I really tap into it."

Ash was quiet for a moment, digesting the seriousness of James' words. "So, you're telling me you have superpowers? Are you a mutant or something or some demon in disguise?" The last part he spoke was just him trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I wish...at least I would have been able to save my parents," James muttered,

Ash's face softened when he realized what he had said. "Shit, man, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring up your parents like that," he said, his voice quieter than usual, looking genuinely regretful.

James shook his head, not letting it bother him. "It's fine," he muttered, his voice rough. "We're in this together now, so you deserve to know what's going on. You decided to work with me, right? Just... just don't make a big deal out of it."

Ash's grin returned, though now it was a bit more genuine. "Yeah, man. We're partners... life partners," he said with a playful smirk, raising his eyebrows. "Life partners gotta trust each other, right?"

James stared at him for a moment, his face scrunching up. "Jesus, why the hell you gotta make it sound so gay?" he groaned.

Ash burst into laughter, not even bothering to hold back. "What? It's not my fault you're overthinking it. I'm just calling it how it is."

James rolled his eyes, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "Whatever, man."

But then, Ash's face grew serious again, and he leaned forward, his voice low. "Alright, alright. So, what the hell did you see in the manor? You've been avoiding talking about it, and I'm getting curious."

James' smile faded as the memory of the manor came back, and he stiffened slightly. He took a breath, letting it out slowly, before he answered. "I think... there were at least thirty spirits there. Angry, wild, completely out of control. Murderous, too. It was like being surrounded by a goddamn storm." He paused, shaking his head. "And I have no idea what the hell happened in that place. All I know is it felt wrong—like there's something dark and twisted hidden there."

Ash leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening as he processed James' words. "Thirty spirits? Shit. That doesn't make sense. There's nothing in any government database about that place having that many deaths. The Walkera family... sure, they're known, but that's just one family. And another from a decade ago, but the number of deaths tied to them? Maybe six, tops. So how the hell are there thirty spirits floating around?"

James narrowed his eyes, frustration bubbling up inside him. "Exactly. It doesn't add up. Those spirits— they're tied to something. Maybe some ritual, or some fuc*ed up energy that's been feeding off the place. But something's definitely wrong with that manor. We need to figure out what happened. What caused it."

He definitely didn't want to let go of all those juicy spirits which could help him level up.

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