Chapter 18: Haunted!

Poplar had a terrifying nightmare.

In the dream, he was sucked into a dark, damp place, chased by a swarm of decaying, headless corpses and long-haired female ghosts reminiscent of Sadako.

His sleep that night was anything but restful; when he woke up in the morning, his head was muddled and a cold sweat drenched his back.

"Strange... Why does it feel so much colder?" As soon as he left the warmth of his bed, Poplar sensed something was off.

He glanced outside the window. When he first crossed over to this world, it was autumn, and now a month had passed. After carefully calculating, it seemed winter was fast approaching.

A sudden drop in temperature wasn't unusual for this season. Poplar didn't dwell on it, dressed himself, and took his two spirits to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Passing by the training grounds, he saw Gang Nishida teaching his students.

Unlike Poplar, Gang Nishida was an instructor for the spirit attribute class. Besides teaching basic knowledge in the classroom, he occasionally held practical demonstrations on the field.

Gang Nishida spoke, "What I want to say is that attribute superiority doesn't guarantee victory. Through a trainer's guidance and nurturing, it's still possible to overcome opponents even when facing attribute disadvantages."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Poplar, who was just passing by. "Teacher Lamb, could you come here for a moment?"

Poplar had no idea what he wanted, but still walked over, grumbling, "Didn't we agree not to call me by that name?"

People in the spirit world liked to prefix names with 'little,' like Little Ash, Little Brock, Little Misty. After becoming familiar with him, the teachers at the school tacitly changed his name from 'Poplar' to 'Little Lamb.'

Gang Nishida chuckled, "It sounds friendlier!"

Poplar sighed, "So, what do you need me for?"

Gang Nishida nodded, "I'm explaining attribute matchups, and I heard from Rika that you recently caught a grass-type spirit. Would you be willing to have a spirit battle with me?"

As he spoke, he produced a red-and-white ball, and with a flash of white light, a Crawfish Soldier appeared beside him.

Poplar reminded him flatly, "You've been a trainer for seven or eight years now, while I'm still a rookie."

Wasn't this just bullying?

Gang Nishida scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah, I almost forgot about that. But don't worry, this Crawfish Soldier is newly caught and hasn't fought much yet."

"That works," Poplar's interest was piqued; it was a good chance to test Shame Bud's moves.

The two stood at opposite ends of the practice field, while the students excitedly surrounded the arena.

May shouted expectantly, "Teacher Lamb, good luck!"

Following her lead, the other students cheered loudly, all for Poplar.

Seeing this, Gang Nishida's face darkened with disappointment, "Why is no one cheering for me?!"

"Teacher, you have years of battle experience, while Teacher Lamb just became a trainer. It's not fair!" May wagged her finger.

Gang Nishida had nothing to say in reply.

Poplar nearly burst out laughing, struggling to keep a straight face. "Shall we begin?"

"Nee nee!" Shame Bud's little face was full of fighting spirit; yesterday's feast had filled it with energy.

"The rules are one-on-one. Each person may use only one spirit, and the battle ends when one spirit loses the ability to fight!" May acted as the referee, imitating the proper demeanor.

The match officially began. Gang Nishida decided to strike first, ordering loudly, "Crawfish Soldier, use Bubble!"

"Cha!" Crawfish Soldier raised its two large pincers, releasing a barrage of transparent bubbles.

"Shame Bud, dodge to the left!" Though it was his first formal spirit battle, Poplar wasn't overly nervous. Instead, a surge of unprecedented excitement bubbled within him as he calmly issued his command.

Bubble was a simplified version of Bubble Beam; its density and speed in midair were inferior to Bubble Beam.

Before they could reach Shame Bud, it had ample time to move out of their path.

Gang Nishida saw what he was planning and pressed the attack, "Crawfish Soldier, charge and use Clamp!"

Poplar commanded, "Use Paralyzing Powder forward!"

"Cha!"

"Nee!"

Crawfish Soldier ran over, its steps rapid, while Shame Bud let out a forceful cry. Pale yellow powder spread from its flower bud, enveloping Crawfish Soldier.

"Cha?!"

Crawfish Soldier’s body stiffened, unable to move.

"Seed Bomb!" Seeing this, Poplar quickly launched a follow-up attack.

"Nee!"

A large green seed formed atop Shame Bud's flower bud, which it hurled straight at the paralyzed Crawfish Soldier.

As expected, it hit with precision.

True to the move's name, the moment it struck, it exploded instantly.

A direct hit!

"Cha!"

Crawfish Soldier cried out in pain. Perhaps due to its poor resistance, it failed to recover from the paralysis.

Gang Nishida felt breathless at the sight.

Poplar seized the opportunity, "Another Seed Bomb!"

As anticipated, the grass-type move, doubly effective against water, knocked Crawfish Soldier out of the fight.

"Nee!"

Shame Bud happily leapt into Poplar's arms—it had defeated its enemy!

Until now, it had always been the one defeated in the wild. Not just Poplar, this was its first victory!

The joy of triumph was indeed exhilarating.

"You did great! Let's keep working hard together!" Poplar praised generously.

"Teacher, is it really hard to win battles with attribute disadvantages?" a student asked.

Gang Nishida recalled Crawfish Soldier, thanked it for its effort, and gave a sheepish smile, "Your Teacher Lamb is just too skilled. But as I said earlier, victory is still possible even when facing attribute disadvantages."

Poplar added, "Your teacher's right. Attribute advantage isn't absolute. When you start your own journeys, you'll surely encounter such battles."

"But, as long as you understand and trust your partners, observe your opponent's moves carefully, and anticipate their actions, there’s always a chance for victory."

Poplar analyzed the difference between Crawfish Soldier's Bubble and Bubble Beam.

If Crawfish Soldier had used Bubble Beam, Shame Bud wouldn't have been able to dodge, and Gang Nishida would have immediately pressed the attack. In that case, the outcome might have been very different.

"Is that so?" May pondered aloud, then her eyes shone with admiration. "We'll remember!"

Gang Nishida nudged Poplar, whispering, "I think you might be better suited as their battle instructor... Maybe I should suggest it to the principal?"

Poplar replied, "I still think being the ecology teacher suits me better." Fewer classes meant he had plenty of personal time.

"Alright then," Gang Nishida said.

Poplar turned to leave, "I have another class soon, I'll leave this to you."

He slipped away, taking Shame Bud to do radio calisthenics.

——

After a day of teaching, Poplar returned to his dormitory with Ancient Moon Bird and Shame Bud.

Just as he entered, he shivered involuntarily and said to Shame Bud, "Do you feel it's much colder in here than outside?"

He hadn't noticed it before leaving that morning, but now the difference was obvious.

Shame Bud frowned and nodded, "Nee..."

What was going on?

Poplar stood in the living room, scanning his surroundings. Was anything different at home?

If there was one thing out of place, it was the addition of a new object.

His gaze locked onto the dark purple orb sitting on his desk.

Poplar approached and picked it up.

Upon touching it, a chill spread through him.

So the problem was here after all.

This orb was called "Cursed Orb."

He couldn't help but recall the nightmare from last night and the odd behavior of the adventurer.

Was it related to this item as well?

Poplar narrowed his eyes. If there was a problem, the adventurer had surely fled by now.

To test if this item was causing his nightmares, before bed he took it outside and buried it in a secluded spot.

He had hoped for a peaceful night, but when he woke up the next morning, the strange orb was back on his desk.

"So it's really cursed..." After enduring another night of nightmares, Poplar finally understood why it was named thus.

Damn, this place is haunted!