Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

"Forging complete: Skill points +30, Attribute points +30"

"Task progress increased..."

"Job placement task"

Difficulty: Intermediate

"Mission Objective: Forge an unconventional weapon imbued with energy (5/5)"

Time Limit: None

"Reward: Attribute/Skill Points, Class unlocks to the next stage"

"Mission complete. Please ensure you are in a safe zone before claiming your reward."

He smiled inwardly, but ignored the task prompts for the moment and instead focused his attention on the artwork in front of him.

"Want to give it a try?"

"Um."

Maki picked up this "large kitchen knife," whose appearance was a replica of the dual-blade Zanpakuto of Bleach's protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki, and swung it around a few times, feeling a powerful and impressive aura.

As the girl adapted, Yue Ren explained things to her from the side.

"Like my 'Abyss Rainbow,' it also has a restraining effect on cursed spirits. However, I made some modifications. Using it doesn't require any cursed power or 'positive energy' or anything like that. I modified the blade and spine separately. When it's swung, it automatically absorbs the surrounding cursed power, whether it's in the air or from what's being cut. See that slot at the hilt? Once it's full, it will prompt you to pull the mechanism at the hilt. The next swing will unleash an extremely powerful cursed 'sword aura,' which should make up for some of your lack of offensive methods."

"......Um."

Maki's feelings were complicated. This was the first time in her life that someone had cared about her so much, and this "respect" had a very special meaning for her.

A strange warmth suddenly welled up inside her, making her breath quicken and her body tremble slightly uncontrollably. Maki wondered if she was sick.

Seeing that the girl was satisfied, Yue Ren stretched out a big yawn without any regard for his image.

"Ah—alright, all done. I'm exhausted. See you tomorrow, Maki-nee, I'm going home now."

Let's just leave the stuff there. Nobody's going to steal it here anyway, and nothing will happen if it's left for a day. I'm just too tired today.

"Okay, take care on your journey."

"...Yes, thank you."

Yue Ren looked bewildered. Had he misheard? When had he ever heard Maki-nee say goodbye to someone like that?

Has she finally realized that she is an indispensable partner and is thus adopting the attitude of treating family? That doesn't seem so bad.

Waving goodbye to the girl, not even noticing her awkward movements, Yue Ren resumed his long run home.

This was torture for him, who was already exhausted from forging. Moreover, he had completely depleted his magical power that morning by exorcising the cursed spirits, and was now completely out of breath.

However, he had to carry out his decision even with tears in his eyes, so, under the setting sun, the boy ran home with tears in his eyes.

What he didn't notice was that the girl kept watching his back from the school gate until he was out of sight, at which point she stopped and turned back.

Back home, with his sister's expression saying that everything was really alright, Yue Ren finally lay back down on his bed.

As for dinner, let him rest for a bit before going down to eat. I've already asked my sister to stay behind. He really doesn't have much energy right now, so let him rest for a while.

Lying in bed, aside from physical exhaustion, he was in high spirits. He was indeed extremely tired today, but without a doubt, he had also gained a lot.

Aside from attribute points, there's a new card. Although it's only silver-tier, it looks pretty good.

"Copy Card (Silver)"

Description: When used on individuals within a three-meter radius, there is a chance to copy one of their abilities for your own use. (The greater the difference in strength, the higher the chance of failure. Duration is three seconds; leaving the release range during this time will result in immediate failure.)

The effect is simple and clear, and the limitations are also obvious. It's better than nothing. The important thing is that it made Yue Ren realize that what he gets from killing monsters is not just attribute points. He had forgotten that cards could also drop. So it seems that his opponents all along were not good enough?

It's so plain it's almost annoying.

After shutting down the system and regaining some strength, Yue Ren went downstairs to eat. He didn't want to linger too long and his sister would call him.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content and taking a shower, Yue Ren, feeling refreshed, returned to his room.

He opened the system task panel again, paused for a few moments, and then clicked on the task that he had worked so hard to complete.

The enhancement he received after completing the last trial was still fresh in his mind. This was the most obvious way to instantly improve his combat power, but the process was really tough.

However, he could tolerate being beaten.

He was filled with anticipation. The last test subject had benefited him greatly, so what about this time?

The next moment, the familiar world transformed, and a familiar voice appeared.

"You've kept us waiting a while, kid. Were you slacking off?"

As Yue Ren turned around, an old man he had met once before was standing there straight.

Yue Ren was about to speak excitedly, but was interrupted the next second.

The old man drew the katana beside him, its tip pointing directly at the Yue people.

"Come on, enough with the nonsense. Since you've come again, it means you were prepared. Things are simple for us, aren't they? Tell me through the 'temperature' on your sword!"

Feeling the sharp gaze of the other party that could cause phantom pain to the skin, Yue Ren dared not be careless at all. He quickly picked up a sword as well, and before he could even hold it firmly, the sound of swords clashing rang out.

"Oh? Looks like you've improved. Let's try again..."

And so, the battle symphony of steel and flames began—

In this world that belongs to the forgers, there is nothing but fire, steel, and faith.

Every clash between weapons is a clash of iron, a clash of steel, a clash of flames, and also a clash of beliefs and wills.

Yue Ren barely managed to hold on against the raging onslaught, and just as he was about to give up, the old man finally spoke up again.

"Very well, now that you have learned the principles of forging, I will now show you the Eye of Seeing Through, and also the Fire of Shaping."

As he spoke, another slash sent the Yue man flying. The man pushed off with his feet and instantly caught up with the still-flying Yue man, then swung the flaming forging hammer that had appeared out of nowhere and smashed it down.

As the metal clashed, the Yue people's already strained expressions became even more ferocious.

Because beyond the physical pain, amidst the clash of weapons, sudden memories and sensations flashed through his mind—scenes of countless forgings, scenes of unwavering conviction after witnessing the joys and sorrows of the world, scenes of a blacksmith seeking to transcend human limits and pursue the principles of the world...

This sudden change was so heavy, it felt as if it were about to crush him from the very depths of his soul.

Under the impact of this profound and soul-stirring memory, Yue Ren felt his spirit and will teeter on the brink of collapse. He realized that if he collapsed under these circumstances, he might die, or at the very least, become an idiot.

"What's wrong? You can't even handle this little bit of torment? Is your heart really that fragile? Are your steps on this path so frivolous? Didn't you learn from your last lesson? Now that you've come here again, I thought you were prepared. Are you going to... become a weakling who succumbs to reality?"

One after another, his honest and introspective remarks left Yue Ren speechless. Exhausted both physically and mentally, he could no longer speak and could only let out meaningless roars.

Yes, how could I have forgotten? This is both a legacy and a trial. I deserve this state of affairs because I was blinded by the results.

The attacks came wave after wave. The skills he had learned were no different from a child waving a stick in front of a real swordsman. But the old man always managed to strike the boy's weapon with his long sword, either knocking him away or shattering the weapon. The broken blades sliced ​​through the boy's body and pierced his flesh.

The blood that flowed down fell onto this forged earth and evaporated instantly.

Blood, sweat, and tears are the least needed things in this world. Nobody cares because they will evaporate instantly in the cruel environment.

"If you can't stand it, then leave. At least you can save your life. Isn't that what you're after? I don't want to commit any more killings."

Behind Yue Ren, the "door" leading out of this forge had already been opened.

Yue Ren turned his head and glanced around. Yes, that was his room. If he left now, he wouldn't have to suffer like this. So what if he became stronger? Even without this inheritance, he could still become stronger with the system. What did it matter...?

But why do I feel so unwilling to accept this?

Looking back on everything up to now, the way Maki, Panda, and the others looked at me—I used to enjoy it. Thinking back to my evaluation of Gojo Satoru—I used to be disdainful. Thinking back to my ordinary classmates from school—I used to ignore them…

So, at this moment, if you want to give up at the first sign of difficulty and try to achieve your goal through easy and shortcut methods, are you just making a fool of yourself?

So that's how it is. I've always been no different from them in essence, just an arrogant soul!

"..."

He stood up again, without saying a word, just holding his sword and looking at the old man.

"Oh? Are you still maintaining that little bit of pride in your heart?"

Not one to indulge him, Old Man Muramasa came to him again, wielding his sword with a fierce slash. He wanted to make him fully realize reality. Although it was a pity that there was no successor, at this moment, preserving one's own life was more important than so-called pride.

But to his surprise, the attack missed!

The next moment, a sharp glint of light flashed, causing the unsuspecting old man to instinctively dodge.

Looking up, the boy's eyes were lifeless and his movements were full of flaws, but for some reason, the old man felt a sense of threat.

Seeing this, how could the old man not know what had happened to the other party? A smile appeared on his lips.

"Interesting, you've actually surprised me a bit. Alright, let's see if you can withstand this heat. Don't die!"

In an instant, the steel, at full power, once again unleashed its sharpness—

The flames were forging the soul, making it tremble but unable to utter a sound, like a piece of iron that had just been heated red-hot in the flames, being impurities removed little by little by this most primitive and savage method.

The soul, unable to bear the strain, develops cracks, yet it slowly and imperceptibly heals itself.

Having clearly realized this, the old man slowed down his pace. As the most skilled blacksmith, he used his all-seeing "Karma Eyes" to find the most suitable method to forge this piece of "raw iron".

Whether it was the clash of steel or the piercing of swords, the old man laughed and shouted in a male voice.

"I can't see your limits!"

The soul remained silent, but unknowingly, the two frequencies had already resonated with each other and began to echo one another.

Here, only the soul and will can become weapons, and the Yue people gradually mastered the methods of "fighting" in this process.

Consciousness returned, and he couldn't stop roaring. It was the most primal and direct sound, a release from all burdens, like the first cry of a newborn baby. For the first time, he truly touched his own heart.

Looking at the heavy, burning blade, he fought back with everything he had.

That's iron! That's steel! That's infinity! That's absolute power!

The steel blade shattered, and the barrier pressing down upon us was finally broken—

Like rising from the seabed and breaking through the surface, freeing oneself from pain, burdens, and constraints, an unprecedented freedom fills the entire soul.

After this brutal baptism, the successor's soul finally revealed its brilliance, and at this moment, his "fire" was just ignited!

"With this spark, forge the infinite—"

Looking up, the boy with light in his eyes finally spoke.

"Come on, it's my turn for the second half!"

"..."

At this moment, the sky is no longer just a single color of dusk and fire; the half belonging to the Yue people has become blue sky and white clouds.

"Job placement advancement phase completed"

"Gained skills: Eye of Karma, Flame, Iron Will"

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.

"Maki, are you sure you're not talking nonsense?"

"Huh?"

During training, Maki turned to look at Panda with an impatient expression when he heard Panda's disbelieving question.

"Because it's just too unbelievable. A cursed tool that can instantly kill a level two cursed spirit is created so easily... Doesn't that seem incredibly unrealistic?"

"squid!"

Dog Roll chimed in. Although he wasn't an expert in magical artifacts, he knew how difficult it was to create one. His family was a seasoned family of sorcerers, and they had spent countless resources to make even a non-magical artifact.

"Who knows where he got such amazing skills? If you don't believe me, go find him and ask him to give you a few to try, just like this Zanpakuto!"

With a broad smile, Maki mischievously swept a sharp, sweeping motion across the panda's nose.

The latter instinctively stepped back to save its nose, but the panda still felt the oppressive feeling brought by the large machete in the girl's hand.

"Okay, but I wonder if he can make something like brass knuckles, not swords or other weapons?"

"I've never seen this before, but it should be fine."

"Ah, aren't they already here? Yue Ren, Ka Mang, come here quickly!"