Occult Clash: Infinite Quest

In France, specifically in Paris (6:00 PM)

A boy dressed in a school uniform sat in a crowded internet café, staring at a computer screen.

This was Hiroshi Girard, also known as "Money Man," the only son of the current CEO of the luxury brand POWER.

POWER was a major French luxury brand that had managed to establish itself even against giants like "Addas" or "Knight" from the United States. Needless to say, it ranked among the most lucrative companies in France.

Now, the question is, why was the son of such a prominent CEO sitting in a neighborhood internet café? The answer is simple: "Il tirait les cours."

This French expression meant he only went to school when he felt like it, and always behind his father's back.

"Sigh I just hope they don't inform Dad about my absence again. Ugh, that damn bootlicking principal," he muttered.

He was referring to the principal of his high school. With a heavy sigh, Hiroshi leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression turning serious.

"Hmm, the sooner I deal with this, the better... In my previous life, I overheard one of our employees casually mention the Bureau of Strange Affairs. Back then, I didn't pay it much attention. It was only when they revealed themselves to the world that I remembered the conversation."

But the problem was...

Out of frustration, he ran his hand across his face.

"I've forgotten what that employee looked like…"

Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Money really is terrifying!"

---

In the United States, specifically in New York (10:10 PM)

Daiki Anderson, also known as "HACKMASTER," was in his room. He sat on a chair, and in front of him was a desk lined with five computers, all interconnected with high-tech wiring and numerous peripheral devices.

The screens were still off. His glasses lay on the table, and his expression was pensive.

"During the chaos of the previous life, I took advantage of the disorder to dig into and hack the system of the Bureau of Strange Affairs—just out of curiosity. But their system was far stronger than I had anticipated."

Even in his first life, Daiki—or rather, HACKMASTER—was infamous on the dark web as a computer genius. From programming to hacking, there was virtually no one who could match him, or at least, he had never met anyone of his caliber.

And after 996 lives of honing his computer skills, it was safe to say he knew modern computing better than computing itself.

Yet, even with his expertise, breaking into the network of this mysterious organization—despite their weakened state following a battle against the Abominations—had been a struggle. (It had taken him an hour.)

Daiki picked up a pen and a sheet of paper, then began to write something.

The plan was simple:

"If a random 15-year-old kid comes out of nowhere and manages to breach their high-level systems, that's enough to get their attention, right?"

"But first, I need to deal with Green. All he knows how to do is fight. Ugh."

He grabbed his glasses, wiped them gently, put them on, and murmured:

"The internet is terrifying."

Back in Osaka, Japan

A conversation between two vastly different individuals was taking place in a house—no, a luxury villa.

Miku was seated on a plush sofa, sipping tea with a perplexed expression. Her interlocutor was far from ordinary—a black cat capable of speech.

"John, this isn't a joke, is it?"

"It's accurate, madam."

How could he have heard about the Bureau of Strange Affairs? And even the academy?

"Is that all you managed to hear?"

"Yes, madam. At first, I wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, as he was just exchanging trivialities with his friends over a video call. But… the moment I heard those key words, I tried to listen more closely. However…" John paused momentarily, sinking into deep thought.

"However?" Miku prompted.

"I felt like he was looking at me… No, as if he was deliberately letting me listen… No, that's impossible. That good-for-nothing has been a useless wreck up until now—why would that change overnight?"

"The conversation had already ended." The situation was too complex for John, so he gave an evasive response.

"…"

This guy... Is someone secretly training him? No, that's practically impossible. In the family, his presence was as insignificant as that of an ant.

But how could he have heard about it? As far as I know, none of the organization's members could mention it to anyone unless they were at least at the level of an S-ranked Quest Executor.

An elderly man with snow-white hair descended slowly from the stairs leading from his room to the living room where Miku sat. The house was so massive it could easily be mistaken for a castle.

The most striking feature of the castle-like home was its whiteness—a pure, dazzling white that made it feel like winter lingered permanently within its walls.

As he approached, he greeted his granddaughter Miku. Yes, this man was Miku's grandfather and the current head of the illustrious Ishida family.

"You've returned sooner than expected, my little fairy."

John, follow my brother until we leave Japan and report anything suspicious you observe about him!

She transmitted this order telepathically to the cat-like creature.

"Understood, madam." John vanished instantly.

With a nervous smile, Miku turned to her grandfather.

"What kind of world sends a fairy from one country to another just for training? Isn't that a bit excessive, Grandpa?"

For some inexplicable reason, the room seemed to grow colder upon the old man's arrival. With the pristine white surroundings, it truly felt as though winter had taken hold.

"Nonsense. There is no such thing as excess when it comes to growth," he replied.

Tsk, this old geezer.

Akira was lying on his bed, staring at his messaging app for over an hour, waiting for a specific message.

Cling

A notification popped up on his popular messaging app, TG. The sender's name was HACKMASTER.

TG: A widely used messaging application.

HACKMASTER: [File.PDF]

["I would've called you right now, but I don't have the time. I need to get moving on my end too. Our Shaman (Money Man) will guide you on the method. As for the rest, you can handle it, right? Talk later."]

Akira tapped on the file Daiki had sent. It opened to reveal a photo accompanied by a short note below it.

The photo depicted a man with a wild appearance and tightly wound muscles, as if ready to erupt at any moment. His face was contorted with rage: furrowed brows, clenched jaws grinding his teeth, and lips curled back to expose tightly shut teeth. His gaze, piercing and intense, burned with uncontrollable fury.

Below the photo, the note read:

"This text comes from a Japanese research community focused on supernatural phenomena. It details the story of Kenji Takahashi, a man whose erratic and increasingly violent behavior led his loved ones to suspect possession by a spirit. Unable to approach him due to his uncontrollable rage, they turned to a specialized community for help. After numerous failed attempts, they decided to take him to the mysterious forests of Osaka, hoping the location's ancient energies might pacify the spirit possessing him. But deep within those shadowy woods, the spirit's threat remained ever-present, and no one could say whether Kenji would ever be freed."

Daiki is truly impressive, Akira thought. I've been searching from here in Japan, and I couldn't find anything about Osaka's forests, but he managed it all the way from the United States.

A faint smile crossed Akira's face.

Everything was falling into place.

He recalled how yesterday, during an online chat with his friends, Money Man had subtly pointed out the presence of a spirit lurking behind him. That spirit was none other than John.

They had nicknamed Hiroshi "Shaman" because, in addition to being an international businessman, his father had a deep fascination with all things spiritual—a hobby, at least that's what he'd claimed in a past life.

Naturally, Hiroshi had inherited this interest, and with some genetic predispositions, he could sense malevolent spirits. Coupled with his centuries of experience, he had detected the spirit's presence around Akira.

Hiroshi had discreetly suggested Akira speak certain keywords like "Bureau of Strange Affairs" aloud. When Akira did, the spirit reacted—subtly, but enough for Hiroshi to notice and mention it to their friends.

As Akira mulled over these events, a confident grin spread across his face.

"At this rate, we'll get into that damn academy within a week!"