Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

The moment their eyes met, the Yue man did two things: he charged forward and swung his sword.

With the full power of his katana, capable of breaking through the defenses of a level-two cursed spirit by ordinary people, and enhanced by Yue Ren's special skills and curse power, he unleashed a slash of afterglow, as heavy as a kitchen knife cutting into tofu, instantly splitting the level-three cursed spirit in two.

He heard a notification sound indicating that his experience points had increased, but he ignored it and continued forward.

I just realized that the one's aura was probably too weak to be concealed, and with several layers of walls between us, we didn't notice it.

This also made the Yue people a little wary. Relying solely on the perception of the cursed vision had significant flaws, and they couldn't depend on this thing.

As he approached the depths of the temple, a violent tremor suddenly occurred, nearly causing him to fall. Thanks to his honed skills, he immediately crouched down to steady himself. Sensing the shockwave emanating from the depths, he was certain that Maki had already engaged the enemy.

He had intended to rush to provide assistance, but upon looking up, he realized it seemed unnecessary.

Because the next moment, Maki's figure appeared in the darkness in the distance, but... after seeing the truth, he turned around and ran away without hesitation.

"This isn't what we agreed on, Maki-nee! Shouldn't I be the one going to you in danger? Why are you bringing such a huge thing right here with me?!"

As he ran, Yue Ren couldn't help but complain loudly.

Indeed, the earth was still reeling from the shockwave. Before Yue Ren could even react, Maki emerged from the depths, leading a bizarre monster the size of a small mountain charging toward him. The sight was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Maki, who was busy running away, blushed with shame upon hearing this.

"Stop nagging. What can I do? Blame it on why you're here. I just found a way out."

"To the right, please go around a bit, we're kiting it."

"Oh, what kind of kite are you flying...?"

Before they could finish speaking, a huge, elongated maw suddenly snapped shut behind them, forcing them to jump away. There was no doubt about it; they were forced to separate.

"Tch, you better be reliable, or I'll turn into a curse and haunt you."

As she roared, Maki took off running in different directions, drawing the guys behind her with her.

The Yue people breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

"At a time like this, please don't say such terrifying things, okay?"

While complaining, he didn't slow down and took out a longbow and arrows from his "backpack".

Now that he's learning archery, how could he not make some preparations? This thing was something he'd crafted in the last couple of days. Although it couldn't compare to the katana he carried, it was still a real weapon that could amplify damage. Combined with the specially crafted arrowheads and his magical power, it should be able to inflict damage on that guy.

Holding his breath and concentrating, body, mind, and bow became one. The arrow's incantation power condensed, and before he could even blink, a streak of light accurately struck the enormous, filthy creation.

The level three archery skill, combined with the ability to detect the weakness of the test weapon, made this arrow more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

Although it didn't achieve the effect of killing instantly, it did live up to expectations by breaking through the defense and blasting open a large chunk of flesh from the neck.

The monster roared in pain and turned to look behind it, searching for the one who had hurt it. This was the moment Yue Ren had been waiting for. Another beam of light shot out, and another arrow flew straight at its face, but the monster, already on guard, used its tentacles to defend against it.

This guy is really something.

Looking at the large back in front of her, Maki smiled, gripped her naginata again, and leaped up, aiming a straight thrust at the spot where Yue Ren had injured her.

This thing's skin is indeed very hard, but it's just the skin. Hasn't it been broken open now?

When it comes to beating a drowning dog, especially a cursed spirit, Maki never feels embarrassed.

Sensing the danger, it was too late. The naginata pierced deep into the cursed spirit's flesh, and then, using skill and gravity, Maki slashed a huge gash in its back.

"roar--"

Such damage caused the cursed spirit to roar in anger, and just as it was about to turn around to deal with the little insect, another arrow, its trajectory almost invisible, shot towards it from the shadows in the distance.

Between two equally harmful options, the cursed spirit decided to focus on dealing with the arrows that could break through its defenses, as well as the little rat that ambushed it from the shadows.

Its massive body moved again, quickly climbing up the roof beam where the Yue people were, facing the incoming arrows.

Upon seeing this, the Yue people immediately retreated while shooting arrows to harass the spirit, and Maki, who was behind the spirit, did the same, taking this opportunity to launch a desperate attack on the spirit.

However, the opponent was a level two cursed spirit, and judging from the situation, it was focused on defense. Its physical strength was simply unbelievable. Its huge size made it impossible for Maki to inflict any major wounds even if she used all her strength. Moreover, its enormous regenerative ability meant that the damage she caused began to heal within a few seconds.

Seeing herself getting gua sha, Maki gritted her teeth. She should have brought a new knife. It's all that idiot Gojo's fault. He didn't tell her beforehand and said it was a very simple task. How could it be simple?

However, her troubles didn't last long, because—

"Maki-neechan, catch!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from afar, and something flew rapidly toward her. She instinctively reached out and caught it, and upon closer inspection, a katana appeared in her hand.

"I've replenished my spell power, so it should last about ten minutes. Please, Maki-nee."

Maki lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Ah, leave it to me."

And so—"Fierce Blade Draws"

With a flash of lightning, several slashes severed many of the dense tentacles behind the cursed spirit. There was no special effect, but the damage caused was considerable. The huge wounds and the burning effect at the edges of the wounds made the cursed spirit, which was focused on chasing Yue Ren, roar and stop.

The Yue people, of course, would not let this opening slip by, and after retreating to a safe distance, they launched another all-out arrow attack.

A meteor flashed by, and this attack shattered half of the opponent's mouth.

"That's amazing!"

Maki was genuinely surprised, not only by the damage caused by the boy, but also by the cursed artifact in her hand.

It felt completely different from his own naginata. If the naginata felt like cutting steel when it struck this guy, then this katana felt like chopping pork. The difference in level and power was obvious.

"It'll work. If we keep going like this, we can completely get rid of this guy."

Maki was excited. This guy was definitely the strongest cursed spirit she had ever faced. If she could defeat him, it would undoubtedly prove that she had indeed improved during this period.

However, the next moment, her smile froze on her face.

Because after suffering such damage, without any warning, that guy contracted his entire body and suddenly spewed out countless sharp spikes, turning the mountain of flesh into a mountain of porcupines.

Moreover, it happened so fast that she didn't even have time to react. It wasn't until she felt pain in her limbs that she realized her hands and feet had been pierced...

It wasn't over yet. The tentacles that had pierced her body suddenly softened and bound her up, pulling her close.

The katana fell to the ground, and Maki became a prisoner of the enemy.

Then, the cursed spirit turned her around and placed her in front of itself, while opposite her was where Yue Ren was located.

Maki realized that this guy didn't intend to eat her, but rather to use her as a shield!

For a moment, Maki's body began to struggle violently. Her pride would not allow her to suffer such humiliation, to become a burden to her teammates. She could not accept this.

However, the physical strength of a level two cursed spirit is extremely powerful. As a first-year student, Maki was no match for it; she couldn't break free from the tentacles binding her body.

"..."

She gritted her teeth, and a second later she looked up and shouted.

"Yue people, don't worry about me, kill it!"

The sound lingered in this cold, damp place, bringing with it a sudden and widespread despair.

And in the sky surrounding this temple, a man was floating in mid-air.

He tugged at the bandage near his eyes and chuckled softly.

"Is this the limit? As expected, Maki's Heaven and Curse are not complete. Is it because of the twins...? Yue's methods are somewhat unexpected. He truly deserves the title of future master of cursed artifact forging."

Then he stretched.

"Alright, that's enough. Time to go rescue my dear students... Hmm?"

Just as he was about to make his move, he suddenly noticed something new, and the corners of his mouth even curled up.

"Really?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the temple, Maki couldn't react to the sudden attack from the cursed spirit, let alone Yue Ren. However, this move seemed to be specifically targeted at Maki, with the overall distance of the spikes being only twenty or thirty meters. Yue Ren, who was more than a hundred meters away, was naturally unharmed.

Seeing Maki arrested, Yue Ren wasn't too surprised. After all, she was a level two cursed spirit. If she could be exorcised so easily, then the difference in strength between cursed spellcasters wouldn't be so great.

Therefore, you absolutely cannot be distracted during battle. When facing an enemy whose specific actions are unpredictable, you must not let your guard down until you have confirmed their death with a single, decisive blow. Otherwise, you may very well be killed by a counterattack while still low on health. This is a living example.

Now that the warrior responsible for controlling the situation has lost his ability to fight, leaving only a squishy ADC facing a tanky warrior, it's safe to say that he's unlikely to succeed.

Yue Ren thought that Gojo Satoru should be there, but he didn't plan to wait for him. After all, what's that saying again? "Don't seek outside yourself." If you can't even do it yourself, why should you ask others to help you? It's not good to develop the bad habit of relying on others.

So, upon hearing Maki's desperate cry of "Don't worry about me," he jumped off the roof beam and then drew his sword.

In this dark place, the sudden appearance of light instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Maki watched helplessly as her junior stood upright a hundred meters away, holding a sword—a double-edged straight sword used only by that great Eastern nation.

He held the sword in his right hand, while his left index and middle fingers, brought together, caressed the blade like an ancient swordsman from that land. With each movement, a pale orange energy enveloped the entire sword…

What is that? It's not cursed power, is it...?

What's this guy trying to do? Is he planning a one-on-one fight? Because of me? Idiot, this thing is cunning. What are you doing, a newbie who's only been learning for a few days, trying to be a hero? If you're not planning to attack from a distance, run! Go find backup, that's the best thing to do, isn't it?

I was about to offer a reminder, but—

Before she could figure it out, the guy behind her who was using her as a shield couldn't hold back any longer. Maki, who was very close by, could feel a very familiar emotion emanating from him—"fear".

Why? What's going on? Is it afraid of the sword in the Yue man's hand?

Before she could comprehend this fact, the monster moved, rushing towards Yue Ren at its fastest speed—a speed that made Maki feel the gust of wind sting her face—intending to kill the insect holding the thing that terrified it as quickly as possible.

But it was too late—

At a distance of several hundred meters, with such a massive body, it would take at least a few seconds to tear the Yue man apart, but the Yue man could swing his sword in less than a second.

--"cut"

As the boy moved and uttered a single word, a sword aura of energy, several meters long, was unleashed, instantly passing through Maki and the cursed spirit behind her. The movement was swift and clean, like a gentle breeze, and nothing happened.

"What did he just do? Swing his sword?"

Before she could figure out what had happened, the cursed spirit that was holding her stopped moving, staggered a few meters, and collapsed on the spot. Maki, who had been bound by it, also loosened her grip.

A bewildered Maki managed to steady herself and turned around to see the cursed spirit's body suddenly split in two. Strangely, no blood gushed out; instead, it began to dissipate from the gap, as if it had been eroded by something unseen. This was not the scene of a normal cursed spirit being exorcised.

However, strangely, the surrounding environment did not change at all. Such a huge slash just now did not cause any damage to the environment.

Belatedly, she suddenly realized that she had been injured. Looking at her hands and feet, the injuries had completely disappeared. How could this be!

This effect immediately made her think of something.

"This is... a reversal spell?"

Before she could get a response, the boy who was still holding his sword suddenly sat down on the ground, and the strange sword in his hand also fell to the side.

"Wow, this consumption is really high! Is it a huge mana consumer?"

All the curse power was converted into positive energy, and the total amount directly became half of the curse power. The high-precision control of continuous production, coupled with the fact that it was completely consumed in one strike, left him with no strength left. He felt like his body had been hollowed out, and his brain was also throbbing. This was the price he paid for his forced show-off.

"Mission Complete"

"Skill points +50, attribute points +50"

"Acquire Card: Copy Card (Silver)"

"What a magnificent masterpiece, Yue Ren, you always manage to surprise me."

The sudden familiar voice made the two turn their heads instinctively, and a familiar figure had appeared beside them without them noticing.