Shikigami Summoning in Konoha

Chapter 73: Bounty Seal and Ghost Gourd

After completing the "Path of the Ninja" mission, Katsuragi had set aside a whopping 2.2 million yen, though it wasn't enough to elevate Shuten-doji to six stars, it was more than sufficient to upgrade him to five stars.

Opening the Shikigami Record, Katsuragi located the Shikigami card formed after summoning Shuten-doji, chose the equipment, then purchased enough Dharma needed for upgrading from the store, and promptly upgraded Shuten-doji to five stars.

"Ghost Gourd"

Mystical power transforms into a ghost gourd.

Katsuragi looked at the gourd behind Shuten-doji, wondering if he would have to carry a gourd in the future, which seemed somewhat detrimental to his image.

"Fury"

During battle, the ghost gourd concentrates its battle spirit, granting a threefold increase to its combat abilities.

The next ability of Shuten-doji left Katsuragi momentarily dumbfounded. Although the description was simple, it was a power that tripled strength, though it was uncertain if it would work on Yuki-onna and the others.

"Howling"

The ghost gourd consumes battle spirit to produce ghostly sake, which can heal injuries.

Katsuragi looked again at Shuten's ghost gourd, a bit helplessly, wondering if Shuten typically brewed his own sake like this. However, he was unsure about the conversion rate and decided to test the skills later.

Subsequently, Katsuragi frowned slightly. Although one of Shuten-doji's abilities could triple his power and even heal himself, this seemed insufficient in his view.

After all, Shuten-doji was an SSR Shikigami, a Ghost King, with only other powerful beings like the Great Tengu and Tamamo-no-Mae comparable to him. Although Tamamo-no-Mae was absurdly powerful, Katsuragi felt the current Shuten seemed somewhat weaker.

Staring at the unruly Shuten-doji, Katsuragi hesitated before asking, "Shuten-doji, may I ask you a question?"

Shuten lay on the bed, propping his chin with one arm, while the ghost gourd floated in the air, pouring out a stream of blood-red sake. After taking a sip and filling the room with the smell of alcohol, he glanced at Katsuragi and responded, "Speak."

"Uh"

Facing the lordly attitude of Shuten, Katsuragi was a bit helpless but avoided further complications by asking directly, "Do you feel any change in your power?"

"Hmm," Shuten-doji furrowed his brows, sensing carefully before replying, "Currently, it's about one-fifth of my original strength. But that's more than enough to deal with you all."

""

Katsuragi was speechless, thinking to himself: If it's only one-fifth, that might be acceptable, especially since it's just a five-star Shuten. Maybe upgrading to six stars would strengthen him further. Still, he was somewhat doubtful about the true extent of a Ghost King's power.

"And, three million yen."

Thinking of the cost to upgrade from five to six stars made Katsuragi's head ache. Although the previous "Path of the Ninja" mission had provided him with a substantial amount of money, only about 1.5 million remained after upgrading Shuten to five stars, still half short of what was needed for the next upgrade.

"I'll leave you be then."

Watching Shuten continuously drinking, Katsuragi commented and decided to check the upgraded bounty seal in the yard, his main source of income. After all, possessing Shikigami without funds for upgrades was futile.

Arriving in the courtyard, Katsuragi was greeted by Enenra under the cherry blossom tree. He approached her, saying, "Thanks for earlier, Enenra."

"It's nothing," Enenra smiled, then glanced curiously at Shuten's room, whispering to Katsuragi, "Katsuragi, is Shuten really the leader of the ghost clan?"

"Ah"

Katsuragi was taken aback, recalling that Enenra had previously mentioned knowing of Shuten as a pinnacle figure of the ghost clan.

Seeing Katsuragi's expression, Enenra quickly added with a smile, "I only said that because you told me he was the leader of the ghost clan. I only know he's from the ghost clan."

"So you haven't actually heard of Shuten-doji before?"

Katsuragi was exasperated, wondering if the prettier the woman, the more deceptive they could be. He hadn't sensed any dishonesty from Enenra at the time.

"Mm," Enenra nodded smilingly.

"That makes sense."

Katsuragi quietly agreed, now understanding why Shuten might have backed down so easily. He also started to question whether the Shikigami summoned was from a particular period and whether there could be significant disparities in strength among Shikigami of the same level due to their rarity.

"Alright, Enenra, I still have some things to handle. Make sure to keep an eye on the three-tailed fox and prevent her from causing trouble," Katsuragi instructed before sitting under the cherry tree to examine the changes to the bounty seal.

After carefully checking the courtyard's information, Katsuragi found both good and worrying news. The upgraded bounty seal had simplified, removing the daily refresh limitation and switching to a trigger-based system. Any display of hostility or murderous intent towards him by another being would now initiate a mission.

"Are they expecting me to make enemies everywhere?"

Katsuragi mused, also considering this feature as a type of warning device. The presence of a mission trigger surely indicated danger.

Looking at the empty mission panel, Katsuragi speculated about the rewards post-upgrade, assuming they would correlate with the strength of the opponent—likely, the stronger the opponent, the higher the reward.

Afterward, Katsuragi checked the surroundings of the courtyard, noting that it had expanded once again, with trees beginning to appear, suggesting a forest outside their location.

Leaving the courtyard, Katsuragi began to assess how significantly Shuten-doji's presence had enhanced his own strength. Heading to the training room, he first tested his strength and speed. His speed hadn't increased much, thanks to the full-star awakening of the three-tailed fox, but his strength and defense had improved notably.

Next were his special abilities. Ensuring no one was around, Katsuragi started to manipulate the mystical power to materialize the ghost gourd. A gourd similar to Shuten's, adorned with fangs, instantly appeared in front of him.

Seeing the gourd nearly as tall as himself, Katsuragi felt a headache looming. How was he supposed to carry such a thing? Was he expected to carry it on his back like Gaara or Shuten?

Suddenly, Katsuragi thought of a certain monkey whose weapon could change size. Maybe this object could too. With that thought, he began to study it earnestly.

To his surprise, it indeed worked. Observing the ghost gourd successfully shrink to the size of his palm, Katsuragi felt immensely satisfied. While the transformation continuously drained mystical power, or chakra, the consumption was manageable.

End of chapter 73