Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

The shocking scene, unlike anything he had ever witnessed in his life, stunned him and left him frozen in place.

The heavy breathing seemed to be noticed by the other party, and the figure that had been turning its back to him turned around in his line of sight, and two eyes as big as sandbags saw the Yue man who was staring blankly at it.

"...Eat...food..."

It leaped up like a toad, and like a football kicked with great force, it hurtled towards the Yue man's face. One could vaguely make out the ugly face full of greedy desires.

Faced with this sudden situation, Kawasaki Koshito's mind went blank, but his body acted instinctively.

The power that had just appeared in his body and hadn't yet been felt was invoked, flowing through his body according to the methods in the extra memories. Part of it rushed to his limbs, briefly improving his physical functions, while the other part flowed from his arms to the knife he had somehow already grasped.

The body subconsciously follows the conditioned reflexes developed from long-term swordsmanship training when facing an enemy.

Faced with this threat aimed directly at his face, he swiftly chopped down with a knife in his right hand.

"Ugh..."

With a soft scream, a sensation like a knife cleanly slicing through pork entered his brain. The thing that launched the attack was split in two by the boy, and the corpse flew behind him to the left and right due to inertia, splattering a huge amount of disgusting purple blood all over Yue Ren.

Upon reconnecting, the consciousness subconsciously commanded the body to turn its head. The thing behind it was no longer moving. Even more miraculously, its corpse was rapidly carbonizing and disappearing, along with the blood on the Yue man's body, disappearing little by little, until it was as if nothing had just happened.

At this moment, another change occurred on the retina, and new fonts appeared.

"Mission Complete"

"Rewards are being generated, please wait..."

"Status bar: Backpack unlocked, rewards distributed. Please check your backpack."

"You've completed the beginner's guide. Wishing you a wonderful start to your life!"

"..."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, I finally realized what was happening—

He folded the knife and carefully placed it in his pocket. Looking around, he saw that it was still the same path, but the dark atmosphere was gone, and the eerie feeling he had when he first entered was also gone. Even the crow's corpse, which was now just remnants of flesh and blood, looked much more normal.

A peculiar feeling arises, as if a warm hue has suddenly been added to a gloomy scene, transforming the area from one that was subconsciously labeled as "dangerous" to one that is "harmless."

With a sigh of relief, Kawasaki Etsuto left the place with his hands in his pockets and a light step, without making any further moves.

Once again on the bustling main road, he looked up at the setting sun and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the still glaring light.

Suddenly... I want to eat ramen!

I turned around and blended into the crowd, as if nothing had happened.

The destination wasn't far, so there was no need to take the subway. Arriving at the familiar food street, ignoring the tempting aromas from various shops, I came to the familiar spot, where my usual ramen stall was right there.

At this time, the regular customers hadn't finished get off work yet, so there weren't many customers on the street, and the shop owners were all tacitly preparing.

I sat down in my familiar empty seat and started eating without even looking at the menu.

"Uncle Yotsuya, one bowl of ramen with extra char siu broth, please, a generous portion!"

As always, this is the best combination he has explored over a long period of time: ramen must have a rich broth and firm noodles to taste good.

"Oh, it's Brother Yue. That's rare. You're here so early today. Are you alright?"

The man who heard the voice turned around, his expression revealing a hint of surprise and joy. He was probably in his forties, with many wrinkles on his face, but not a single beard.

He temporarily paused his skillful movements, seemingly to get something from the side. In the next few seconds, a napkin and a side dish appeared in front of Kawasaki Koshito.

He neatly placed the 500 yen note he had taken from his wallet on the table and pushed it over, then said:

"Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling much better now. I'll be able to get back to normal school life in the next few days after I've settled in."

"Oh, you're fully recovered? That's wonderful! So today is your recovery celebration day? Okay, it's decided, your ramen is on me today! Don't refuse my kindness, Uncle!"

As he spoke, the man, with a smile on his face, pushed the money that Kawasaki Koshito had pushed over back to him.

Yue Ren was taken aback for a moment, but then did not refuse and simply put it away.

"Thank you so much, sir. I'll promote your stall when I get back to school."

"Haha, thank you so much... Just a moment, it'll be ready soon."

Watching the other person's busy back, Yue Ren's lips curled up slightly.

This country has some unique things, one of which is this Mr. Yotsuya. This stall, this ramen cart, has been here for at least five years. They've known each other for four years, ever since he started walking this road in junior high school. Over time, they became friends and know each other's basic information. They're like acquaintances who can chat easily, which is why he started the conversation.

The long-term dedication has resulted in a stable customer base and income. Of course, the unique flavor is also indispensable. The "natural tonkotsu ramen," which has been specially improved, has an exceptional broth that is the key to its success in gaining a foothold on this street.

In the relaxed atmosphere, Yue Ren, who planned to make good use of this time, reopened the virtual panel he had just become familiar with.

The message "Task Completed" remained there, and something else had appeared in the upper border. However, he didn't rush to check his inventory. Instead, he clicked on a small exclamation mark in the other corner of the screen.

Note: Except for the beginner quests, all quests are triggered randomly. The rewards remain the same, but the quantity and quality increase with the difficulty of the quest.

Special Note: This task is triggered based on the user's current action, and the system reserves all rights of interpretation.

The unfair terms and conditions conveyed an attitude of "take it or leave it," which made Kawasaki Koshito subconsciously breathe a sigh of relief.

Then turn your attention to the "Backpack" and click to enter.

The familiar small grid of web games, one item occupies one grid, a total of ten grids, two grids are already occupied, still semi-transparent, giving it a futuristic feel.

The interface looks outdated, but it's simple and clear, which is quite pleasing.

Turning our attention back to the two occupied slots, we found two cards shimmering with golden light, which looked like valuable items.

First, click on the card that is marked with a similar item. The item will appear directly in the center of the inventory screen, and its details will be displayed when zoomed in.

"New Player Bonus Card" (Gold)

How to use: Click

Brief description: Unexpected abilities and resources are granted depending on the world (essential for pioneering).

It's actually quite user-friendly; you get newbie equipment after completing the tutorial quests? Seems reasonable.

However, he wasn't in a hurry, and instead clicked on the small exclamation mark next to him, just like before.

User Manual

Cards are divided into four tiers: Common, Silver, Gold, and Black Gold.

The effect is "Use Extraction".

Draw prizes from the prize pool: attribute points, stat boosts, special items/effects, etc.

Item Rank: Common, Silver, Gold, Black Gold

Prize pool probabilities: Black Gold: 0.01% Gold: 0.1% Silver: 1% Common: 60% (Except for Common, the probability of obtaining a card doubles for each higher card level)

Special Note: This system reserves the right of final interpretation.

Good grief, there's no guarantee of a minimum return; the words reek of a ruthless scheme.

Kawasaki Koshito, his face full of exasperation, immediately closed the interface and prepared to look around to calm down.

With such a ridiculously low drop rate, wouldn't someone with bad luck be devastated? He's not some lucky genius; he's had his share of pity drops in gacha games.

"Hey, all done, Yue Ren, enjoy your meal."

The uncle placed the plated ramen and tableware in front of Yue Ren, and then thoughtfully poured him a glass of water.

"Thank you, sir."

Looking at the fragrant, steaming ramen, I swallowed unconsciously, putting my worries behind me, and picked up my chopsticks to enjoy myself. Of all things, eating is the most important.

The familiar delicious taste filled my entire mouth, and I instantly felt incredibly happy.

When the old man was still alive, he would sometimes be too busy with work to cook. At that time, he would have dinner here after school, about once every one to two weeks. So, as a meal to improve his diet, it still retains the original flavor that whets the appetite.

He suggested going home to cook and bring it to him, but he refused, saying that such things were unimportant compared to important matters, and that he should finish his homework as soon as possible and then go to the workshop to help.

The usually incredibly kind old man was unusually insistent only on this kind of thing, leaving him no room to refuse. But thanks to this, his studies and skills progressed steadily, and the idea of ​​going to the University of Tokyo was born in this environment.

However, it now seems that this idea, like any ordinary life, has become an impossible goal that is gradually slipping away from him.

"Cursed Spirits," "Cursed Power"... and the monster we just encountered. It's not like suddenly seeing the truth of the world, but rather like God playing a huge joke on us. We can't find any related memories in this life, but we found them in the memories of the previous life.

As a "useless person" who spends most of his time in bed, the advanced internet in his previous life greatly delayed his mental breakdown. He couldn't compare to those who devoted all their passions to games, anime, novels, etc., but he still kept up with a lot of great content.

Coincidentally, the two new terms he had just learned were both related to a very popular anime, which made him think about the world around him.

Curse Return

A world that is extremely dangerous for ordinary people. If that is the case, then he, who has gained magical power and vision, has undoubtedly been drawn into it.

He did not regret his decision to accept the mission, after all, it was a result of his careful consideration. Since he had already done it, he was determined to take on the corresponding responsibilities. He was just thinking about what to do next and how to adapt to this sudden change.

First of all, although the old man has passed away, it doesn't mean he's all alone. He still has an older sister. Although their relationship is a bit delicate now, they are still family members living under the same roof. Even so, to ensure her safety, he should think twice before acting in the future.

When a person possesses extraordinary power, they will inevitably look down on the mediocre majority from the bottom of their heart. This arrogance will make this person out of place in the normal world, and eventually lead them to break away.

Gaining power is certainly something to be happy about, but if it changes your personality and turns you into someone that the important person fears, then it will be meaningless.

The saying goes that a wise person should keep their talents hidden and remain vigilant at all times. If you don't know how to "hide," you will become an oddity in the eyes of others. Those who are less fortunate will isolate and ostracize you, while those who are more powerful may bully and destroy you.

While the principle may not be 100% applicable to the current situation, in the moment when we are just getting into reality and without a trustworthy and strong person to protect us, acting as if nothing has happened is the best way to avoid trouble.

For yourself, and for the people around you.

After finishing the last drop of soup in the bowl, I saw the words at the bottom: "This drop is the greatest joy."

The tea beside me was at the perfect temperature, so I picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

The cool, sweet tea slowly flows into the mouth, chest, and abdomen, cutting through the greasiness and bringing a sense of clarity to the whole body.

The surrounding area was already filled with diners. After greeting the busy uncle, Yue Yiyi got up and walked towards her residence with her usual pace.

Unlike ordinary apartment buildings and rental houses, the place that the Vietnamese call home is a manor house covering more than 100 square meters. In this country, it is undoubtedly a residence that only the wealthy middle class can afford.

Yue Ren didn't care much about this. Regardless of the style of the room, what he found noteworthy was the beautiful and quiet environment.

Being able to live here, it's clear that his family in this life is quite well-off.

It can only be said that he was lucky. The original owner of this manor was named Shinichiro Kawasaki, the one he called "Old Master," and his identity was that of a famous swordsmith.

He himself was not his descendant, but was found by the old man on the roadside one day and taken home to be adopted.

The old man had his own son, but the boy was very "rebellious" and unwilling to inherit his father's craft. He left home alone to do business when he was young, and later achieved some success in another place. He got married and had a daughter. However, fate is unpredictable. Not long after he tried to reconcile with his father, the couple died in an accident. Just when the old man was about to enjoy his golden years, he received a custody agreement for his granddaughter.

The man from Yue was someone he found on the road shortly after he brought his granddaughter back.

The old man then raised the two children as their grandfather until last month, when Yue Ren turned sixteen and his granddaughter Kawasaki Hizuru turned eighteen.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Kawasaki Koshito, who had just entered high school and whose memories had not yet awakened, was immediately traumatized. While wandering aimlessly on the road, he was involved in a car accident. Fortunately, the driver braked in time, and although he suffered a brain injury, this led to his current condition.

He used the key to open the iron gate surrounding the manor, and after entering, he closed it behind him with a metallic scraping sound. It was already past dusk, and the soft light emanating from the window proved that there were other people in the room. Yue Ren was not surprised and walked straight towards the room along the stone steps.