Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Upon hearing this, Yue Ren nodded slightly, placed the documents back on the table, and then got up to go to his room on the second floor.

"It's getting late, sister, you should get some rest. I'll go to the workshop tomorrow. Since the old man intends for me to inherit the business, and you have no objections, I won't refuse. In the future, when you have children, I can also teach them."

Halfway there, he stopped and added another sentence.

"I'll go to the school as soon as possible, so you don't need to worry, sister. I hope you can focus on your studies. I think the college entrance exam is coming up soon. Good luck."

After saying that, Yue Ren left without waiting for the other person's reaction, knowing that the other person needed to be alone for a while.

Sure enough, after confirming that he had left, the beautiful figure behind her finally couldn't help but curl up and sob softly.

Kawasaki Hitsuru, the reliable genius and beautiful girl in the eyes of others, cried at this moment, relieved of all her burdens. At this moment, she felt that all the hard work she had done over the past few days was worthwhile. He was still the younger brother who would give her warmth without hesitation when she was in trouble, and that was enough.

She was just an ordinary high school student, at the most innocent age, yet she had to shoulder a sudden responsibility. Her grandfather and younger brother had both had accidents, and before she could even grieve, someone was already eyeing her. If it weren't for her abilities, this family would have collapsed in an instant. Heaven knows how she got through these past few months.

Upstairs, the door opened, and Yue Ren lay down on his back on his bed.

The old man was very unfair, as could be seen from his will. This house alone was almost equivalent to his savings, not to mention the more valuable workshop. Even so, he still wanted to take a portion of the money from his sister to give to the Yue people.

Logically speaking, a grandfather who is usually very fond of his grandchildren shouldn't be so harsh on them. I didn't understand it before, but now that I think about it carefully, there might be a reason.

The old man had long been disappointed by his sister's father's "unfilial son" behavior, and he regarded this unexpected granddaughter more as a burden.

As for the other reason, the "choice" he made when he was six years old might also count. He was six years old and his sister was eight. One day, the old man asked the two of them to learn about forging after school. He taught them step by step, from theory to practice. Six months later, the old man asked the two of them to make a choice: whether they would continue to hold that hammer from now on.

The older sister gave up immediately. In her youth and ignorance, she was exhausted, her hands were blistered every day, the knowledge was boring, and there was no female blacksmith... All these reasons led her to make her choice after hearing the old man say that it was okay to give up.

Yue Ren didn't, because he found it very interesting. Perhaps boys are naturally fond of things like swords. Although he also found it difficult, after seeing the exquisite works made by the old man, he chose to persevere and pick up the hammer. At that time, he fantasized about quickly making one to show off to his classmates and friends.

So, the old man's attitude changed after that.

He doted on the Yue people, but was also strict with them. As for his older sister, besides providing her with food, clothing, and education, she lost the most important thing: the old man's care and love.

Many things happened afterward, which ultimately led to the somewhat awkward relationship between Yue Ren and his sister.

Yue Ren understood; after all, two children living under the same roof were being treated so differently—one was showered with love, the other with cold indifference. Anyone would feel resentful in that situation.

Fortunately, thanks to his consistent efforts to maintain the relationship, the two have not deteriorated to the point of becoming enemies. However, as he gets older, he senses his sister's deliberate distancing.

My sister is really amazing. What she said just now sounded so casual, but as a man with a mature soul, he knew that things were definitely not as simple as she made them out to be. She must have sacrificed a lot during this time. Now that he was alright, it was time for him to take on the responsibilities of a man.

Maintaining those inheritances is not a problem for him now. If it were a peaceful world, going to university or becoming a swordsmith would have been good options. With that inheritance and his grandfather's skills, he could have easily become a lazy, idle man who did nothing but forge iron and live a life of leisure.

No matter what, now that the old man is gone, the only person he can call family is his sister. He can't let her leave alone. Besides, the house is so big, wouldn't it be uncomfortable for her to live alone, especially in a world with ghost-type enemies?

"Improving our strength needs to be put on the agenda..."

Lying on his back in bed, he tapped the black and gold card.

"Extracting..."

"Congratulations on your awakening: Swordsmith (Muramasa Senji)" (Black Gold)

"...What?!"

Yue Ren sat up abruptly in bed, staring intently at the four characters, afraid he might have misread them.

The next moment, the figure of a red-haired youth that he knew all too well appeared on his retina.

"Oh, it's you. Then come with me."

Before he could react, the world shifted as if in a dream, and he was suddenly transported to a world filled with fire and weapons.

Morning--

"The Yue people, the Yue people..."

Consciousness gradually returned with the shaking and the calls of the voice, and the blurry vision gradually cleared, revealing a delicate and familiar face in front of me.

"It's already this late, hurry up and get up. Breakfast is ready for you, remember to eat it while it's hot. I'm going to school now."

After saying that, without waiting for her younger brother to react, Rihe, dressed neatly, concealed her unnoticed panic and turned to leave the room.

"Take care on your journey."

In a daze, I subconsciously said something.

"Yeah, you are the one. Cheer up."

With a crisp sound of the door closing, Yue Ren woke up completely and sat up on the bed.

I turned around and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table.

——08:52

I set my alarm for 8:30 but didn't hear it at all. I got really badly punished last night.

Feeling the lingering sensation on his hands, Kawasaki Koshihito gave a wry smile.

With a thought, he opened the "Character" panel, found his skill bar, and there was no doubt that yesterday's results were displayed there, which gave him some comfort.

「技能：阅读lv4（2/50），锻造lv4（21/50），剑术lv4（0/50）」

Special Skills: Innate Technique (Tracing the Origin) (2/10), Test Item (4/10)

......

"Test piece"

Introduction: Also known as test-slashing or sword-testing technique. A technique used to test the sharpness and performance of swords. Senji Muramasa is able to freely unleash the power of his weapons. If he so desires, he can even unleash the maximum power of his weapons with a single swing, enough to cause his own destruction.

My forging and swordsmanship have each leveled up, and I've also gained a special skill.

Seeing the tangible things above, Yue Ren felt a sense of joy at finally gaining a sliver of self-protection. However, when he recalled how he obtained these things, he couldn't help but show a pained expression.

I let out a long sigh, threw off the covers, got dressed, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Whether it was sheer luck or a newbie perk from the system, he did indeed get a gold item in a single pull last night. He pulled a Servant from a certain game, the old man Senji Muramasa.

Before he could even process his joy, he was pulled to what appeared to be a natural barrier. The old man then briefly introduced himself as a swordsmith before casually picking up a weapon that was stuck in the ground beside him and beginning his "tutorial" for Yue Ren.

The process was roughly this: a martial arts master would talk while brandishing and slashing at an ordinary person with a weapon. The scene was terrifying.

Startled, he hurriedly grabbed a weapon to defend himself, but it had almost no effect. Trying to fight this old man with his rudimentary swordsmanship was practically suicide. The key point was that the old man was "unkillable." He could feel intense pain when the swords struck him, but he would recover completely in a few seconds, not even giving him a chance to lie down and beg for mercy.

There was no other way. Since he couldn't beat him, he might as well enjoy the experience. With that thought in mind, he began to learn and memorize the various movements he spoke to the old man. After an unknown amount of time, when he understood the knowledge and skills and used the same movements to block the old man's weapon once, he finally saw the old man stop and reveal a slight smile on a very familiar face.

Just as Yue Ren was relieved that they could finally communicate normally, that arrogant old man simply left with the words, "Not bad, I'll have to test your knowledge next time we meet."

Then they kicked him out of the inherent barrier without any mercy.

Back in his bedroom, Yue Ren was so exhausted that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. That's why he couldn't wake up from his alarm this morning and had to be woken up by his sister. You know, he's usually the kind of person who would jump out of bed and turn off the alarm the moment it goes off.

After a quick wash, I arrived at the dining table, where a delicious breakfast was already laid out: a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap, a glass of milk, a small bowl of miso soup, two small grilled fish, and a tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).

The grilled fish and tamagoyaki seemed to have been made especially for him; the plates on which they were served remained untouched.

A warm feeling rose in his heart, and Yue Ren, feeling his stomach growling, couldn't wait to sit down at the table and start wolfing down his food. His movements were somewhat fierce, as if he had remembered a face that made him grit his teeth.

You're a knife-maker old man with the face of a righteous hero. I didn't think much of it before, but now it's just so awkward. And now that you've beaten yourself up so badly, you're even more annoying.

Having vented his negative emotions by enjoying the delicious food, Yue Ren began to ponder some things he had come to understand yesterday, moving from a passive to an active perspective.

First of all, skill progress can be increased through your own training, as evidenced by forging and swordsmanship.

The skill of "testing the blade" is a product of the combination of forging and sword-making techniques. Its ultimate goal is to gain a more "fundamental" understanding of swords, to master their strengths, weaknesses, characteristics, and other knowledge and methods, so as to perfectly control the weapon in hand, and even to perform exceptionally well through self-destruction.

It is undoubtedly a very practical ability and the reason why other skills can be improved.

Yesterday they were at level three, but after an unknown amount of training from the old man, they both advanced to level four without even realizing it. However, judging from the intensity of his training (and the beatings) yesterday, upgrading skills through training alone is a matter that requires hard work, perseverance, and comprehension.

In addition, these training sessions also affect basic attributes. After yesterday's training, the values ​​of strength and speed have increased to some extent, but it didn't achieve a qualitative change, so it just added points.

Yue Ren agreed with this, so the panel was more of an accurate projection of his own situation, while the mission system provided him with a paid way to acquire power, which made him feel much more at ease.

That's all I know for now. As for other things, I'll have to get to know them gradually.

After finishing the last bit of the soup, Yue Ren picked up all the tableware with one hand and carried them to the kitchen to wash. The whole movement was smooth and effortless, a testament to the precise control he had gained through skill enhancement. Perhaps in the future, he will be able to casually toss plates into the kitchen without them breaking.

After washing and putting the leftovers back where they belonged, Yue Ren prepared to change her clothes and go out. Her sister had already cleaned the house very thoroughly. Ever since realizing that she had been "abandoned" by the old man, her sister had tried countless ways to regain his approval. Her skillful housekeeping was one of them, but the effect was minimal. The old man always accepted everything readily but gave almost no feedback.

On a few occasions, he would offer a few words of praise out of consideration for Yue people's feelings.

June, today is another hot and nice day. After changing into a cool and loose short-sleeved shirt and trousers, Yue Ren was about to go out when she caught a glimpse of something familiar out of the corner of her eye: a square object wrapped in a tablecloth. Opening it, she found a tightly woven azure blue lunchbox with a meal inside.

"..."

Sister, can you be this careless?

Yue Ren was a little confused. He remembered that his sister had always had a very good memory and had never forgotten her lunchbox before...

That's right, this is my sister's lunchbox. I bought it for her with my own allowance when she was in elementary school. Is she still using it now? Well, it's not so bad. I bought it at the largest size so that she could eat more. Now it seems like a wise choice.

Well, I don't have much to do today anyway. I'll go check out the workshop and talk to the school. If I'm careful with the time, it should be fine.

You can see the traces of time in the details, but it still has a strong heat-preserving effect, so it seems to have been well cherished.

He then rewrapped the lunchbox and took it with him.

He planned to visit the workshop first, and then deliver the goods to his sister's school before noon.

I changed my shoes, pushed open the door, and felt a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves.

The sun was already showing its majesty. Although it was still morning, the temperature was so low that even people with weaker constitutions would only feel cool in a single layer of clothing. The fresh and delicate fragrance of the surrounding flowerbeds was captivating.

Perhaps because most of the residents here are successful office workers, there are hardly any people to be seen near their homes at this time of day. Yue Ren is naturally happy to have some peace and quiet. After all, based on his past memories, if he ran into an acquaintance, he would have to greet and exchange pleasantries. It wasn't a big deal before, but now that his memories have been awakened, he always feels a bit awkward.