Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

"But have you ever thought about this," Yue Ren's gaze fell on him, "what use are those cursed spirits besides being cannon fodder?"

Xia Youjie fell silent. Although he wanted to refute it, the answer seemed to be that the other party was right. Once he encountered an opponent like Gojo Satoru, his cursed spirits were indeed no different from cannon fodder.

"Most of the cursed spirits above level one have spells or techniques," Yue Ren said.

Xia Youjie's pupils contracted slightly.

"What are you trying to say...?"

"Since remote command isn't very effective, why can't you, as their master, use their spells?"

This question is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.

Xia Youjie was stunned, as were the people around him, and even the two angry girls were stunned.

Lord Xia Youjie used the spell of the Cursed Spirit?

Is such a thing even possible?

Looking at Xia Youjie's expression, Yue Ren felt somewhat helpless.

Sure enough, this guy hadn't considered this aspect at all; he's quite the genius.

However, it's not surprising. The development of techniques is limited by the user's understanding, which isn't an outrageous reason. Since that's the case, let's give this guy some pointers and find something for him to do, so he won't have to do all this nonsense.

"Your technique is called 'Spirit Manipulation.'" His voice was soft. "It shouldn't just be about controlling the spirits themselves, but also everything about them."

He paused.

"This naturally includes techniques."

Xia Youjie remained silent for a long time.

He stood there, motionless, like a statue, but his eyes were darting around as he thought rapidly.

Finally, he spoke:

"Is this really possible?"

"You know it's theoretically possible," Yue Ren said, "it's just that you haven't explored it yourself."

"Leaving aside the domain for now, your Extreme Force has far more uses than just being used as an energy cannon. Since you are the master, why not try to take control of this 'subordinate's' power in this way?"

The point has been made quite clear.

"..."

Yue Ren spoke Xia Youjie's thoughts. Yes, he had never thought about this issue. Just as sometimes things are simply in the wrong direction, Xia Youjie was not without talent, but he had never considered this aspect, and naturally, he had not made any effort.

Xia Youjie's "Spirit Manipulation Technique" is undoubtedly another extremely overpowered technique in this world. Theoretically, Xia Youjie, who possesses such a technique, could become the master of all "Spirits". However, as mentioned before, his level of development is less than one-thousandth of the upper limit.

According to the original storyline, the "Gundam pilot" Rōzō who later took over his body developed the ultimate version of this technique's ability—"Technique Extraction".

To put it simply, it means that one can extract spells from spirits of quasi-level one or higher for one's own use. Although the cost is that the strength of the spell can only be fixed at the moment of being subdued, considering that there is no upper limit to the manipulation of spirits, it is not an exaggeration to say that one can use the spells of all spirits.

With a vast number of cursed spirits and a wealth of spell techniques, one person is a perfect army. Therefore, once this spell is fully developed, it is enough to make any opponent feel troubled.

Unfortunately, it's only in theory; the guy in front of us hasn't actually gotten to that point yet.

"You're... "

Before he could finish speaking, Xia Youjie suddenly stopped, realizing something.

Yes, how could I have forgotten his technique? Didn't he just demonstrate it? This incredible "omniscient" ability.

He just didn't want to admit that the other party's technique was so outrageous.

He had never thought that he possessed the spell formula of the cursed spirit in his own hands. Perhaps the other party was right; he might not be the one who understood his own spell formula best.

Meanwhile, the answer to another question was also revealed: perhaps the other party let him go last time, which was one of the reasons.

Haha, what an embarrassing answer!

Xia Youjie's face was burning, and he really had the urge to find a hole to crawl into.

It's incredibly shameful for a warlock to know less about their own spells than an outsider.

And to make matters worse, he gathered all his companions together, which was simply asking for humiliation.

After witnessing the rich changes in Xia Youjie's facial expressions, Yue Ren got up with satisfaction.

He'd finished his work, gathered the intelligence, and said what needed to be said. As for what he could achieve next, that would depend on his own methods.

He took a few steps and then stopped.

"I suggest you hurry up," his voice came from ahead. "You should know better than me that the enemies we're about to face are no pushovers."

The door closed behind him.

In the luxurious underground space, only a deathly silence remained.

Xia Youjie stood there, staring at the closed door.

Much later, he smiled.

"Lord Natsuyu?" Mimi asked cautiously.

Xia Youjie raised his hand to stop her from speaking.

He stared at the door, muttering to himself:

"The incantation to use a cursed spirit..."

His eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"I see... I see..."

He turned around and looked at his cursed spirits.

Those things that were just tools in ordinary times became completely different in his eyes at this moment.

"Interesting," he said. "Really interesting."

The Yue people walked out of the building and stood on the street.

The sun in Japan in mid-July is very bright, especially today, which is a sunny day.

He squinted and looked up at the sky.

A few clouds drifted lazily across the sky, the weather was perfectly ordinary, as if nothing would happen.

But who could have imagined that beneath this peaceful facade lay a completely different world, rife with undercurrents?

He wasn't afraid of the guy hiding in the shadows, but his inner vigilance was raised to its highest level because of the unknown.

He was never worried about himself, but about the people around him.

After all, even if the opponent wasn't of the caliber of Gojo Satoru or Sukuna, just the level of the Four Calamities was already an unimaginable formidable foe.

Judging from all his actions, that guy's attack ability is extremely high.

The spell spirits enhanced by his methods are all extremely aggressive, and the power they unleash in an instant is so great that even the armor provided by the Yue people cannot protect them enough—this is what he is most worried about.

Although his sister has been temporarily sent to his homeland in the previous life under the guise of labor dispatch by him using his first-level sorcerer privileges, there are still other people here, aren't there?

He had to find the enemy or gather more information as soon as possible, otherwise countless people would die in the ensuing battle. He had a strange premonition about this...

Yue Ren withdrew his gaze and walked towards the direction of the college.

My steps were slow, and countless thoughts were swirling in my mind.

Then--

"That guy over there."

A seductive female voice came from the roadside.

Sensing that the voice was calling him, the Yue people instinctively turned their heads.

A fit and athletic woman with a great figure parked her motorcycle on the side of the road.

With her long, light brown hair and cheerful smile, she gives off the vibe of a beautiful, bossy older sister.

The sunlight shone on her, outlining her smooth and comfortable lines and contours.

The Yue people stopped in their tracks.

It wasn't because of her beauty.

Because of--

What type of woman do you like?

At first, they weren't quite sure, but as soon as she said that, Yue Ren instantly recognized her identity.

One of the four top-tier sorcerers in the world of sorcery, and the only female sorcerer among the top-tier sorcerers, Yuki Tsukumo.

Her life trajectory is extremely bizarre. She herself is a "Star Essence Body" suitable for assimilation into the Heavenly Origin, and is also a rare sorcerer-scientist. When Xia Youjie fell into a period of confusion and depression due to a series of events caused by the "Star Essence Body" Tian Lizi, she explained to Xia Youjie her exploration and understanding of the "future of sorcerers", indirectly inspiring Xia Youjie to embark on the path of darkness.

Later, during the Shibuya Incident, she failed to arrive in time to share information, which allowed Rōsō to successfully subdue the real person and start the "Death Annihilation Return".

Therefore, she was jokingly called "Sister of Full Responsibility" by netizens.

Yue Ren herself doesn't see it that way, because if you look closely, both Xia Youjie's descent into darkness and Lu Suo's affairs were largely beyond her control and can't be considered her fault. Instead, it gives people the feeling that she was being played by the world and fate.

Her ideals and original aspirations showed that she was undoubtedly a good person, but fate always seemed to play tricks on her, and she always made some unfavorable moves in a muddle at crucial moments. This situation did not change even when she died.

One of the four top-tier sorcerers was actually killed by an operation devised by "his own people"—can you believe it?

You might say she's stupid, but that's not quite right. On the contrary, she might be one of the smartest sorcerers out there. But her life is just that ironic and dramatic.

Fate has played too many tricks on her.

But at this moment, she was standing right in front of him.

Yue Ren looked at her, a slight smile curving his lips.

Clearly, this meeting was not accidental, and unsurprisingly, it piqued the interest of the Yue people.

"If I said you were like this," his voice was very calm, making it impossible for Ninety-Nine to tell whether he was joking or not.

"Do you feel shy?"

Yuki Tsukumo blinked, and then she smiled.

That smile held surprise, interest, and a hint of embarrassment at being seen through.

"Oh, not cute at all, bro." She waved her hand, then surprisingly showed a hint of shyness on her face: "But if what you're saying is true, I might consider it."

The Yue people watched, silently appreciating her performance.

As for the second half of her sentence, Yue Ren could only say that he didn't have the habit of dating younger men. Although she was indeed a beauty, Yue Ren had seen many beauties, and if he really cared about looks, he wouldn't be single now.

You should know that during the time he offered to forge magical artifacts for sorcerers, quite a few beautiful female sorcerers offered him opportunities.

"Then come on over," he said. "I happen to be somewhat interested in your research. If you'd like to exchange ideas and share your findings, feel free to join me. I'm a bit hungry right now, let's find a place to eat and chat. By the way, it's on me."

After saying that, he started walking forward, no longer paying attention to the woman not far away.

Tsukumo Yuki paused for a moment.

Then she laughed even harder.

"Oh? Not a bad idea, young man. You're quite impressive."

She followed, pushing her motorcycle...

-

A dozen minutes later.

A restaurant that isn't particularly upscale, but is very quiet.

By the window, sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a warm yellow hue across the tabletop.

The Vietnamese man handed the menu he had ordered to the man opposite him, Jiujiu Yuki.

"Don't be so polite with me," he said. "I recommend their signature dessert; it's pretty good."

Yuki took the menu but didn't look at it; she just stared at Yue Ren with a playful look in her eyes.

"Hmm? That's a bit of a surprise," she said. "I thought Kawasaki-kun was the type who was focused solely on his work."

A black line appeared on the forehead of the Yue person.

It would be better to just say he's a workaholic.

"Work is work, and life is life." He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "My work already involves risking my life, so there's no need for me to make myself suffer the rest of the time, is there?"

"I agree," Yuki Tsukumo laughed. "It seems we'll have plenty to talk about."

She finally looked down at the menu, randomly ordered a few items, then closed the menu and pushed it to the waiter.

After the waiter walked away, she looked at Yue Ren.

"So, you came all this way specifically to see me?"

Bingo.

Tsukumo Yuki crossed her hands, rested her chin on them, and adopted a posture of attentive listening.

"Since you know me, there's no need for introductions. I'll just get straight to the point."

"A month ago, I had the chance to see your work," she said. "It was a masterpiece; I thought it was a rare gem from some era."

She paused.

"And that's how I got to know you."

"Your designs," her gaze turned serious, "made me decide to come and meet you."

Yue Ren looked at her quietly, still offering only a polite, slight smile.

"Now that you've seen it," he said, "what are your thoughts?"

Ninety-nine Yuki tilted his head.

"Well—" she drawled, "it's a secret for now."

She leaned forward.

"I'd like to hear about the original intentions behind your designs."

"Oh?" Yue Ren raised an eyebrow. "Not including how I did it?"

Tsukumo Yuki laughed.

That smile was radiant, as radiant as the sunlight outside the window.

"Hahaha, everyone has their own secrets." She waved her hand. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I still have this much common sense."

She stared into the Yue man's eyes.

"If we get along well," she said, "you won't hesitate to tell me, will you?"

The Yue man was silent for a second.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"I agree," he said. "It seems we do have things in common."

He put down his teacup and looked out the window at the street.

The streets were bustling with people and traffic. Ordinary people went about their ordinary lives: buying groceries, going to work, picking their children up from school. They were unaware of the existence of cursed spirits, the existence of sorcerers, and the existence of another side to this world.

They were simply alive, living fragilely.

"My designs," Yue Ren began, his voice soft, "were primarily designed to serve my purposes."

Ninety-nine Yuki's eyes lit up.

"Oh?" she said. "Would you like to hear more?"

The Yue man withdrew his gaze and looked at her.

"I want to make the human race undergo another 'evolution'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the look of surprise on Yuki Tsukumo's face froze.