Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 209 Mission

With legs slightly bent, the body's center of gravity lowered again.

With his left hand on the scabbard and his right hand gripping the hilt again, he changed his posture from drawing the sword with one hand to a frontal iaido stance.

This stance implies that the next strike will be a full-force attack, a head-on confrontation without dodging or evasion.

"Then please instruct me on my strongest move so far."

The moment she finished speaking, Lu Ziyun vanished from the spot.

A sharp clap of thunder erupted in the air, and the blinding light made everyone present instinctively squint. Several students instinctively took a step back, their backs hitting the railing with a dull thud.

Lu Ziyun's body transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, traversing the distance with near-instantaneous speed.

The blade was crackling with dense lightning, and arcs of electricity split from the blade into countless branches, ionizing the air into a blinding blue-white.

This is the "Thunder God's Strike" formed by pushing the lightning spell to its limit.

Speed, power, and spell density were all concentrated on the blade's less than one-millimeter-thick cutting surface, resulting in an ultimate strike that approached the speed of light.

This is Lu Ziyun's strongest attack so far.

Faced with this attack, the Yue people's approach was simple.

"The sword of light"

The four words fell to the ground, and the sword light had already arrived.

The speed at which Yuanhong was drawn from its sheath was so fast that the friction between the sword and the air generated heat, leaving a white arc of light in its trajectory.

The Blade of Light, as its name suggests, pursues speed. When an object can be accelerated to the speed of light without disintegrating, it represents unimaginable power.

Thus, in Lu Ziyun's eyes, the world fell silent at that moment.

A thought arose: Could it really be this fast?

A glass-themed café.

The doorbell rang quietly. The owner of the house looked up and was slightly surprised by who it was.

"What a rare guest! Someone as busy as you (or a big troublemaker) as you would actually come here?"

"I'm innocent! It's all trouble coming my way. You've changed a lot, teacher. You can actually say such harsh things. As a student, I'm very sad."

Yue Ren looked helpless. When did the gentle Glass Master become like this? People's hearts have really changed.

The beautiful teacher smiled slightly.

"Ha, don't give me that. I haven't changed at all. The key is that you need to reflect on your own actions, right? How much trouble have you caused in just a few days?"

'

""

He really couldn't refute that, heaven knows how he managed to escape from the principal's office a few days ago.

Tch, I should have hit harder. It's all that idiot's fault.

The moment the "Light Blade" was unleashed, Lu Ziyun's chance of winning was ruthlessly severed. That strike dismembered half of his body, and if Yue Ren hadn't used "Wuwei Transformation" to piece it back together in time, he would probably have been crippled if not dead.

But things won't end there; in fact, they've only just begun.

He had just finished treating the guy when a face that was as black as charcoal appeared, startling him.

The battle with Lu Ziyun didn't cause too much damage and was resolved in a very short time; otherwise, it might have really caused a lot of trouble.

"So, what 'important business' does the VIP have here?"

"No, I just came out to relax, like I'd been cooped up at home for too long and needed some fresh air?"

Work is work, and life is life. Although studying magic is a very interesting thing, it doesn't mean that he can work like a machine without stopping. After a while, he will want to take a break.

"Eurasia, in this respect, hasn't changed at all; very 'sincere' indeed."

As he spoke, he poured a cup of the new coffee for Yue Ren.

"That tone just doesn't sound right. Did I do something I don't know that displeased Master?"

'

"...No, not really, it's just that I felt a strange sense of familiarity, and it just happened without me realizing it."

How should I put it? Shoko gives me the feeling of my own good baby going out and being influenced by a bad boy (Gojo Satoru).

"I see..."

""

The person being referred to probably understood, and couldn't really refute it. To be honest, he might now understand Gojo Satoru's personality a little better. Those pranks were probably his little tricks for keeping life fun.

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yue Ren sighed helplessly, thinking, "Speak of the devil and he appears!"

"What's with that look on your face? Did I come at the wrong time?"

Seeing the two staring intently at him, Gojo Satoru looked at his body and found that he was no different from usual.

No, I just thought of you.

"Oh dear, how embarrassing! Is my charm really that great? But be careful not to fall in love with me, I won't accept it."

Please, before you say that, please stop grinning like that.

Yue Ren stared speechlessly at the guy, wondering if it would be better to find an opportunity to turn him back into a woman.

Seeing the malicious gaze from the Yue people, Gojo Satoru subconsciously shivered and restrained himself considerably.

That's right, it's never a good thing when Yue people give him that kind of look; he's almost developed a conditioned reflex to it.

The coffee machine emitted a deep hum, and steam hissed out of the nozzle, carrying a sweet, caramel-like aroma.

Shoko held the coffee pot, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Etsu and Gojo Satoru. A slight, ambiguous smile played on her lips. Without saying a word, she slowly poured a cup for each of them.

So...

""

The Yue man picked up his cup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you here for coffee... or to see me?"

Gojo Satoru plopped down on a high stool by the bar, his long legs casually crossed, his eyes behind his sunglasses narrowed into slits, and he smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish.

"Can't we do both things at the same time?"

"cannot."

Shoko spoke first, her expression turning somewhat dangerous.

Unlike her previous helplessness, she now has more things to care about.

"I don't offer multi-functional services here. If you want coffee, just have coffee; if you need to find someone, just find someone. Don't treat my shop like your meeting room."

Honestly, I just wanted to find a quiet place to be alone for a while, but things didn't go as planned. So many people come here every day.

"Wow—that's fierce."

Gojo Satoru exaggeratedly clutched his chest, looking as if he were injured.

"Shoko, you've changed. You used to be so gentle."

"The past is the past, the present is the present." Shoko wiped the coffee cup expressionlessly.

The Yue people couldn't help but laugh out loud.

To be honest, he quite enjoyed seeing Gojo Satoru get his comeuppance.

"Alright, alright," Gojo Satoru raised his hands in surrender, his playful expression fading, and his tone became slightly more serious. "Actually, there's a mission that requires you to come with me."

Yue Ren put down his coffee cup, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"That's amazing! What kind of task couldn't you handle alone, that you had to come personally to inform me?"

"Because it's more... well, how should I put it..."

'

Gojo Satoru tilted his head, seemingly considering his words.

"Due to the nature of the business, it's not very convenient to go through the school's channels..."

""

Upon hearing this, the Yue people immediately became interested.

Shoko paused for a moment, glanced at Gojo Satoru, then at Eshito, and finally said nothing. She simply put the cleaned cup back on the shelf and turned to organize the coffee beans.

With these two people together, there shouldn't be any problems.

"Explain in more detail." Yue Ren sat up straight.

Gojo Satoru took an envelope out of his pocket and threw it on the bar.

When Yue Ren opened the package, he found a stack of photos inside, all of them blurry night scenes that looked like some remote suburb.

Some of the photos show faint human figures, while others capture strange light sources, resembling residual traces from the activation of some kind of spell.

"I've heard rumors that a group of people are up to something shady."

Gojo Satoru's tone became serious, and his eyes behind his sunglasses sharpened.

"It's unclear what exactly it is, but it's said to be research related to cursed spirits, and the methods used are not very clean."

"A curse caster?"

"Most likely."

Gojo Satoru shrugged.

"No relevant records were found in legitimate research institutions, nor was it reported to the High School of Curses. This secretive and covert approach can be basically confirmed."

Unlike before, these guys seem to have learned to disguise themselves now, and it's easy to fool them for a while if there's not enough evidence.

As Yue Ren looked through the photos, his brows gradually furrowed.

The colors of the light sources in the photo are not right. When a normal spell is activated, the light from the incantation is usually blue or gold, but what is captured in the photo is a hazy dark purple, which looks unsettling.

"You brought me along because the trail has gone cold?"

"Well, one more thing is that your abilities are rather... fast and quiet."

As Gojo Satoru spoke, he pulled out a donut from who-knows-where and stuffed it into his mouth.

Yue Ren's abilities and personality allow him to handle events with speed and efficiency that even he can only admire. This matter is also quite special, not as simple as a "killing mission", which is why he was approached.

"If I go alone, it will be too noisy, and it wouldn't be fun if I alerted the enemy."

The man from Yue put the photo back in the envelope and stood up.

"Where is it located?"

"No rush, no rush," Gojo Satoru waved his hand and leaned back in his chair. "I haven't finished my coffee yet, wasting it isn't a good habit."

He picked up the cup, took a sip, and then his expression froze instantly.

"What the hell is this? It tastes awful!"

Without turning her head, Shoko said, "Of course, I poured you black coffee, without sugar."

"Then why didn't you pour this for the Yue people?"

"Because he's not as annoying as you."

Yueren looked at Gojo Satoru's distorted face and almost spat out his coffee from laughing.

It was already getting dark when the two left the coffee shop.

Autumn evenings come early; a touch of dark red still lingers in the western sky, while the eastern sky has already turned a deep blue.

The streetlights came on, their dim yellow light reflecting off the wet pavement, creating patches of blurry light.

Gojo Satoru walked ahead, his steps leisurely as if he were strolling in his own backyard, his hands in his pockets, humming some unknown tune indistinctly.

Yue Ren followed half a step behind him, scanning the surrounding street scene with his own light to confirm that no one was following him.

"Don't be so nervous."

Gojo Satoru said without turning his head.

"I've always wanted to say this, but when it comes to important matters, you like to act swiftly." While there's nothing wrong with that, it's not something that needs to be tense. Relax, just treat it like a walk.

"I just don't want you to say that to me..."

97

The two bickered as they walked through several streets and arrived at a secluded parking lot. Gojo Satoru took out his car keys from his pocket and pressed a button; a black SUV's lights came on.

Yue Ren looked at the carriage, then at Wu Tiao Wu.

"Are you driving?"

"What else, you drive?"

"I haven't gotten my driver's license yet."

"Then get on the bus obediently."

Gojo Satoru opened the driver's side door and got in, while Yoshito went around to the passenger side and sat down, fastening his seatbelt.

The car started, and the engine emitted a deep roar.

"Hold on tight."

As Gojo Satoru spoke, he floored the accelerator.

The car shot off like an arrow, and Yue Ren was pushed into his seat by the inertia. The scenery outside the car window rushed past, turning into blurry streaks of light and shadow.

Wait, this guy's a street racer too?

The hustle and bustle of the city gradually faded away, replaced by a desolate suburb.

By "tracing the source" to understand the details, the deceptive and warning measures set up by the other party completely failed.

Without anyone noticing, the two also found a place that appeared to be the enemy's lair.

The road became narrower and narrower, turning from asphalt to gravel, and eventually even the gravel disappeared, leaving only a bumpy dirt road.

The trees on both sides grew denser and denser, their branches and leaves intertwining overhead to form a dark dome that blocked out the last ray of sunlight.

It's a mountainous area again...

Gojo Satoru parked the car at the foot of the mountain, turned off the engine, and took out the key.

"This should be the place."

"6

Yue Ren pushed open the car door, his feet pattering softly on the ground.

The air was cold, carrying a mixed smell of earth and withered leaves. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the occasional bird call from afar.

He looked up at the sky; it was covered in dark clouds, and not a single star could be seen.

"This place is really remote, is it a no-man's-land?"

The Yue man said in a low voice.

"A classic hideout. These guys...have they been watching too many villain movies?"

"Shouldn't this be because the curse is so strong here?"

Some places where humans don't often live will gradually accumulate curses over time and under the influence of superstition, and this place in front of us seems to be one of them.

"Haha, just kidding, you're really not cute at all..."

""

"I just think this kind of conversation is really childish."

The two men's footsteps were exceptionally clear in the silent forest, rustling as they stepped on the fallen leaves, making no attempt to conceal their presence.

After walking in the woods for about twenty minutes, Gojo Satoru suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal Echito to stop.

"arrive.

""

He lowered his voice.

Upon arriving at their destination, Gojo Satoru was able to clearly perceive his surroundings thanks to his own sensory abilities.

About 100 meters ahead, there is an open space.