After awakening the system and seeing his own stats, Jack finally understood why he had been saved by Gastly.
The mysterious Phantom Power—like Pokémon skills—could be leveled up using experience points. The same applied to Jack's own four base attributes.
Stamina represented his physical endurance and how quickly he could recover from injuries.
Focus was how long he could maintain concentration and effectively command his Pokémon in battle—something far more taxing than one might think.
Strength affected his physical power and resistance to damage.
Speed influenced his running speed, flexibility, reflexes, and reaction time.
As for Gastly's next evolution, Jack didn't plan to force it immediately. Back when Gastly had followed him around loyally, he hadn't received any proper treatment. Forcing an evolution too quickly could cause unexpected side effects. He wanted to give his companion time to settle first.
Of course, no one had kindly explained this to Jack. He had to exchange employment points in the system's shop just to access reliable Pokémon breeding knowledge.
In this world, whether it was a formal League institution or an underground organization, breeding knowledge was fiercely guarded—it was the cornerstone of power.
Opening the system shop, Jack exchanged for three more bombs, increasing his current stockpile to five. He also replaced the invisible surveillance camera destroyed in Carl's explosion, bringing his remaining employment points down to 1,700.
That was one of the flaws of invisible monitoring devices—they were fragile.
All the items Jack purchased, including the bombs and spy cameras, were automatically stored in his system's inventory space—one of the hidden perks of being a system user.
Satisfied with his loadout, Jack closed the interface, checked out of the hotel, and quietly left. Gastly remained hidden in his shadow, ready to act the moment danger arose.
Meanwhile, in another room, a conversation unfolded.
"Boss, that Ghost Fox guy was ridiculously fast. He finished Carl cleanly, but we never caught even a glimpse of him afterward. It's going to be hard to track him."
A man named Eric spoke with unease.
"It doesn't matter," his boss replied with a calm smile. "We'll just keep hiring him. Let him do the dirty work—eliminate all our competitors. Then we can inherit Carl's network legally, and even recoup some of our payment fees. Isn't that beautiful?"
The boss leaned back on a leather couch, his glasses reflecting a gleam of cold ambition.
"You're a genius, boss!"
Eric stopped questioning the plan. His loyalty was absolute—he knew he wasn't the brain of the operation. His job was to kill, and he was good at it.
These two were Pokémon hunters—part of the shady underground who had previously commissioned Carl as their broker. They were infamous in the local area for being efficient, ruthless, and well-coordinated.
But fame was a double-edged sword.
Sure, fame brought better jobs and more connections—but it also painted a target on their backs for League rangers and bounty hunters. The boss had decided long ago that Carl had outlived his usefulness. Now that he was gone, the plan was simple: take over his clients, his licenses, and his routes—and erase anyone who might challenge them, including the hired assassin they'd used: the Ghost Fox.
Carl had suspected they would make a move eventually, but he had underestimated just how ruthless they were.
At that same moment, Jack received a new message from his current agent. His previous employer, impressed by his skills, had another job lined up for him.
The target: a strong Pokémon hunter named Ray, rumored to be close to reaching Elite-level strength.
The payment? Fifty thousand Alliance Credits.
And then the system's task panel updated:
Mission Difficulty: EMission Objective: Eliminate RayReward: 1,000 EXP, 1,000 Employment PointsAccept or Reject?
Jack couldn't help but complain.
Seriously? That guy's nearly Elite level, and the system still lists this as an E-rank mission?You'd think the rewards would be adjusted…
But grumbling aside, Jack wasn't about to say no. He clicked Accept, then informed his agent he was in.
However, something didn't sit right with him. After all the training and missions he'd been through, his instincts were sharp now—and he was starting to smell a setup.
Especially after learning that Carl had been an agent, and this new target—Ray—was one of the original clients.
Jack wasn't rattled. So, they're trying to play tricks behind the scenes? Let's see who ends up laughing in the end.
He exchanged for three more bombs and two new spy cameras. Jack rarely engaged in head-on fights anymore. His standard procedure was simple: blow the target to pieces.
In his mind, only enemies who survived his bombs were worth fighting in the first place.
After accepting the mission, Jack didn't rush back to the town. Instead, he retraced his original route to avoid surveillance.
It wasn't until nightfall that he returned quietly, after confirming no one was following him. He tucked away the surveillance devices and slipped back into town under cover of darkness.
The employer had even provided a list of possible hideouts where Ray might be staying. It was convenient—but Jack knew better than to trust such information blindly. That's where Gastly's stealth and his new spy gear would come in handy.
Elsewhere, the boss had already begun moving in on Carl's former resources and contacts.
Ray quickly caught wind of the shift and couldn't stay still any longer. He hadn't intended to replace Carl at first—but with the opportunity now wide open, he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers.
But Ray didn't know: ever since he returned to town, a pair of cold eyes had been watching him from the shadows… ready to strike at the perfect moment.