Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

"Yes, that's a good method, and it won't disrupt the existing setup..."

"But I'm curious how you know so much about Jay. How much do you... know about him?"

The Yue people, who had long anticipated this question, spoke frankly.

"One of the three-person team members, your former best friend, had his worldview changed by the cruelty of reality and embarked on what he believed to be the future of a sorcerer, a dead end. It seems his time to end is almost here, probably this time."

"..."

"As for how I found out, you know I fought him before, and I activated my own technique back then. Now, I can do it again with these eyes."

Every time he thought of this, he felt grateful. His technique was a very suitable excuse, so as not to arouse too much suspicion, which gave him more room to maneuver.

Looking into the boy's eyes, which seemed to hold a fire within them, Gojo Satoru was slightly taken aback, then nodded slightly, agreeing with what he had thought.

So it seems he's reached a very deep level in developing his technique... I'm increasingly convinced that this guy and his technique are a perfect match.

He suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. What kind of person could surprise him, someone who could see through any conspiracy the moment they met?

After seeing that Gojo Satoru understood, the man from Yue left.

His work wasn't over yet; he needed to make final preparations for the upcoming war.

I have fulfilled my responsibilities, and I will have a clear conscience no matter what the outcome may be. The rest is up to fate.

Open the task panel.

"Job placement task"

Difficulty: High

"Quest objective: Forge an epic weapon (10/10)"

Time Limit: None

"Rewards: Attribute/Skill Points, Class Layout"

After more than a month of hard work, he completed the job placement mission. However, unlike last time, he did not accept the "reward" immediately. Instead, he planned to wait until he was fully armed before starting, since the mistake he made last time was still fresh in his mind.

Muramasa's strength is beyond doubt. As a man who fought against the Machine God in his own story, if he were to come to this world, Gojo Satoru and Sukuna wouldn't be able to defeat him with one hand.

What is a "trial" for him might just be child's play for the old man, so he needs to be fully prepared.

And that point in time is now.

Because he has already maximized all the power he can.

Open the character attributes.

Name: Kawasaki Etsuto (Li Xunhang)

Age: 16

Height: 171 cm

Intelligence: 10 (2/3200)

"Strength: 9" (134/1600)

Speed: 9 (119/1600)

"Charm: 7" (13/400)

"Constitution: 9" (27/1600)

「技能：阅读lv4（2/50），锻造lv6（Max），剑术lv6（Max），箭术lv6（Max），医术lv3（13/30）」

「特殊技能：生得术式（溯源）lv5（33/100），试刀物lv5（99/100），反转术式lv4（12/50），业之瞳lv5（99/100），焰lv5（99/100），炼铁意志（Max），对魔力（咒力）lv3（11/30），阵地建造lv2（3/20）」

"Energy: Spell Power (500/500)"

Current status: Normal

(Note: The average attribute of a normal human being is 5.)

"Tracing the Origins lv5 (33/100)"

Introduction: Through contact with magical energy or eye contact, one can perceive the essence of an object, understand its history, and manipulate inorganic matter at will by attaching magical energy. (The more complex the object and the greater the difference in strength, the more magical energy is consumed.)

Note: Using it with a large discrepancy may result in failure and backlash.

"Test Item lv5 (99/100)"

Introduction: The swordsmith's skill is just one step away from reaching the pinnacle, maximizing the performance of the weapon.

"Karma's Eye lv5 (99/100)"

Introduction: By gazing into the flames, one can visualize the values ​​of "karma" and see through the prey, as well as the underlying causes and effects, finding weaknesses and loopholes that go unnoticed.

"Flame Lv5 (99/100)"

Introduction: All things gathered together, all desires of all things, all non-karmic actions, everything, are purified by this "flame".

This is the result after he cleared all his stored attribute points, and today's battle is the final test. Now, with his combat ability, he has undoubtedly reached the "Special Grade" level.

The three skills bestowed by Grandpa Muramasa have reached their limit and cannot be increased further. It is estimated that the trial is not yet over. He should need to undergo another "trial" to fully understand these things.

The Yue people have been preparing for this inevitable trial until now.

If I'm not mistaken, if he can successfully pass this next trial, it won't just be that his skills have reached their pinnacle; he might also obtain the old man's ultimate method, "Limitless Barrier - Sword Formation of No Element".

This power, which is somewhat similar to this world, will be the cornerstone of his ability to become a top powerhouse in the world.

Even excluding top-tier cursed spirits, this level of power is probably necessary to become a strong person comparable to Gojo Satoru. After all, both Gojo Satoru's "Boundless Void" and Sukuna's "Demon-Slaying Chef" emphasize crushing with "rules." In the face of such power, ordinary swordplay seems meaningless.

Even if it's for no other reason, he needs a simpler and more efficient way to counteract the power called "domain".

Back home, having made all the necessary preparations, Yue Ren didn't hesitate and immediately clicked to claim the mission reward.

The next moment, a familiar world of swords and flames enveloped Yue Ren, and not far in front of him stood a familiar man.

A scorching wind swept across my face, carrying the scent of rust and gunpowder. Beneath my feet lay scorched earth, and in the distance, hills strewn with swords were faintly visible—everything remained unchanged.

However, to the surprise of the Yue people, Senji Muramasa did not adopt a fighting stance this time.

An old man sat cross-legged on a barren hill, holding an unfinished knife blank in his hand, tapping it idly with a hammer, sparks flying and dissipating in the air.

"You're here?" Muramasa asked without looking up.

The Yue man stopped and removed his hand from the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"......yes."

"What are you standing for? Sit down."

The old man gestured towards the opposite side, as if he had prepared this place in advance, with countless swords guarding them all around.

The Yue man frowned slightly, but still sat down as instructed. Flames burned all around, but they were not scorching.

"You're not planning to take action this time?" he asked.

Muramasa put down the hammer and looked up at him. His eyes lacked their usual sharpness, instead holding an indescribable gentleness.

"Make a move?" The old man chuckled softly. "Kid, did you think the previous two times were a fight with you?"

The Yue people remained silent.

He also realized something: the first fight was a real brawl, where he was given sparring practice; subsequent fights probably wouldn't count. So, this time...

"That was just to see your 'true nature'." Muramasa placed the unfinished sword on his lap and stroked the curve of the blade with his fingers. "The first time we saw how long you could last, the second time we saw how far you could go, and now that we've seen that, it's time to see something else."

"What?"

"Heart."

The old man raised his hand and pointed to Yue Ren's chest.

The Yue man looked down at his heart, then looked up again, without saying a word.

Muramasa sighed, put the blank knife aside, and rested his hands on his knees, looking like an old man preparing for a long talk.

"What kind of person do you think is truly strong?"

The problem came suddenly.

The Yue man pondered for a moment: "The one who can win."

In his view, right and wrong are written by the victors. He doesn't crave any world-destroying power; he only needs the power to defeat and eliminate any enemies who stand in his way.

"Who will we beat?"

"enemy."

"Who is the enemy?"

The Yue man did not answer immediately.

Muramasa continued, "If it were Gojo Satoru, he would say that a strong person is one who can carry out their own will. If it were Sukuna, he would say that a strong person is one who can kill whomever they want. If it were that Natsuyuki, he might say that a strong person is one who can give up everything for the greater good."

The old man's voice was calm, as if he were stating the weather.

So, which one do you agree with?

The Yue man lowered his eyes, the flames dancing beside him, casting a swaying shadow.

He recalled the figure of Gojo Satoru standing on the roof of the high school, that lonely, unparalleled pride.

I recalled Sukuna's nonchalant killing spree in Shibuya, that absolute, indifferent power. I remembered Natsume's eyes earlier, that seemingly gentle gaze that already revealed a dead, insane madness.

"I don't agree with any of them," he said.

"Oh?"

"They all have their own principles," Yue Ren said, raising his eyes. "But those principles... make them less than human."

Muramasa narrowed his eyes slightly.

"And what about you?"

"I want to become stronger," Yue Ren said, "but I don't want to become like that. I want to live as a person, an upright and honorable person."

Muramasa didn't speak, he just looked at him.

Flames burned between them, making a soft crackling sound.

"The first trial left me exhausted, but the rewards gradually clouded my judgment," Yue Ren continued. "At that time, I viewed the world more as a 'game.' The second trial left me half-dead, and the fear of death jolted me awake. The world was still the same as it always was."

"and then?"

"And then I survived," Yue Ren said. "When I got back alive, the first thing I thought of wasn't how much stronger I had become, but... that I could go home, see the people I knew, and eat a hot meal from my sister."

He raised his hand and looked at his palm.

Those hands were covered in calluses, the marks left by day after day of forging and wielding the knife.

"I want to become stronger, not to become some kind of monster that controls other people's fates," he said. "I just want to live a good life as a human being, not to be killed, not to watch the people I care about die in front of me, and not to be pushed around by this messed-up world."

He stood up, pointing one finger to the sky and the other to the ground.

"To stand tall and upright is to be a person. I will stand firmly on the ground, with my spine straight, and strive to be a truly upright person."

Looking at the boy in front of him, Muramasa remained silent for a long time.

Then he laughed.

That smile was different from the previous two; it wasn't scrutiny or a test, but rather something akin to relief.

"I heard your voice." Muramasa stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said, "You want to live as a human being. That answer is much clearer than the one you gave me last time."

"In that case, you may touch it."

The Yue man was slightly taken aback.

You mean...?

"You've been prepared all along." Muramasa turned around, his back to him. "The thing you crave, this place has long been stained with your colors."

Following the direction the old man pointed, Yue Ren saw the sky. He didn't know when, but this seemingly battlefield-like wasteland of sword forging had quietly changed its appearance. With the location of him and the old man as the dividing line, the sky was divided into two colors. On Yue Ren's side, there was a cloudless blue sky, and the sunlight was full of hopeful vitality, while on the old man's side, there was a scene like a sunset.

Suddenly, the flames around them blazed fiercely, and the hills studded with swords and knives began to tremble.

"Go, go find it; with your current 'heart,' it will respond to you."

With a smile, the old man gestured for Yue Ren to come behind him.

Yue Ren paused for a moment, then took a firm step forward, and with each step, the "change" in the world slowly expanded.

"The Sword of No Element." Muramasa's voice came from behind. "This is my world, and the world you will inherit. But remember, it is yours now. No one can predict what it will become in your hands."

The Yue man looked around, and his shadow was reflected on the blades. In the shadows, one could vaguely see fragments of history that were etched into his heart.

"I will only say the incantation once," Muramasa said. "Listen carefully."

The Yue people held their breath.

As he left his footprints, flames gathered around him and then spread outwards. A sudden, intense pain, originating from his very soul, struck him as if his spirit were being scorched.

The man stumbled, but managed to steady himself in the next moment.

"What leads here is countless studies."

The surrounding blades began to resonate with the boy's will, emitting a soft hum.

"A mound of knives is piled up, to sever past karma through karmic connections."

Yue Ren felt something watching him. The feeling wasn't like the surge of power, but more like a confirmation—confirmation of the path he had walked, confirmation of the choices he had made.

"Arrival here is the convergence of all things."

Muramasa's voice grew farther and farther away, yet clearer and clearer.

"Severing ties, severing destiny, severing past karma, can also sever the self."

Using all his strength, he came to the blade that was "calling" him, grasped it without hesitation, and then—drew the sword!

The old man turned around and smiled slightly at him.

"The one who built the eight-layered wall said—this is the blade of a thousand sons."

Flames exploded.

As if from another world, or as if nothing had happened, when Yue Ren could see clearly again, he was already back in his room.

The setting sun outside the window was slowly sinking, bathing the entire room in a warm orange hue. On the table sat a knife blank, with faint flowing patterns of light visible on its blade.

Yue Ren smiled, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease.