Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 71 Human Malice, The Real Person (First Update)

"This thing wasn't here when you were eating earlier, was it?"

Although it had just been modified, it had become a sorcerer after all. Shunping naturally sensed the ominous aura emanating from this thing, swallowed hard, and subconsciously spoke up.

"What is this?"

"The top-grade cursed artifact—'Ryoumen Sukuna's Fingers'—is extremely dangerous even in the eyes of sorcerers. The aura it emits has a fatal attraction to cursed spirits, and if it is not handled properly, its location will soon become a gathering place for curses."

"You still think I'm lying when something so incredibly dangerous suddenly appears in your home?"

Yue Ren did not hide anything; he knew the other party was intelligent and would make his own judgment.

The irrefutable evidence and the cruel reality left Shunping in disbelief, his body instinctively going limp and him collapsing to the ground.

Fortunately, there was a soft cushion, so he was not injured and his mother, who was sleeping next to him, was not woken up.

After staring blankly at the object in Yue Ren's hand for a few seconds, the boy, who had gone through countless mental storms, finally calmed down a bit.

"But why...?"

The Yue man shrugged.

"Based on the current situation, I speculate that it's a matter of going with the flow, using an unexpectedly appearing piece as a starting point."

"Am I... a chess piece?"

"Gazing into the abyss always comes at a price. Why do you think sorcerers consider cursed spirits their mortal enemies?"

"You should be glad, kid. If it weren't for that cursed spirit thinking you were still useful, the moment you came into contact with it, you would have pushed yourself and the people you cared about into the abyss."

"From this perspective, dextrose actually saved your life."

The real person might be interested in Shunpei, but if it weren't for Itajō, Shunpei's usefulness would probably be limited, and it wouldn't be surprising if he were suddenly modified by the real person at some point.

In the other party's eyes, he was nothing more than a self-righteous fool who thought himself clever, only slightly smarter than those who bullied him.

"Why? What use am I to Hades that they would plot against me?"

Shunping looked utterly bewildered; something he had just built was now crumbling.

"Here's a hint, Dr. Hodja, he's a really good person, right?"

'

Shunping nodded subconsciously. There was no doubt about it. Even after only a day of contact, he could clearly feel the warmth emanating from the boy's soul. It was wonderful and something he longed for.

"And what if someone wanted to break him mentally?"

66

'

Shunping was very clever; as soon as Yue Ren said that, he immediately made some connections.

"If Itadori truly considers me a friend, then if I die, will he be heartbroken...?"

"Or go even further, kill your mother first, frame those you hate, and then make the corrupted you face him..."

'

Hearing this, Shunping's pupils trembled, and he felt nauseous. What malice! The cruelest curse couldn't be more devastating... Wait, a curse!! ? ?

Remembering the other person's identity, Shunping suddenly looked up at the Yue man.

The latter looked at him calmly.

"That's right, now you understand, right? They are real curses, the darkest malice in people's hearts. Why do you think... they are genuinely helping you!"

The cruel words seeped into his bones like a cold wind, bringing him a chill from the depths of his soul.

"Compared to those malicious smiles you've witnessed, this seemingly gentle yet more vile curse than anyone else's is the true curse of humanity."

At this moment, recalling Mr. Zhenren's gentle smile again, Shunping felt a chill run down his spine.

So, I was just an innocent little brat after all? Is this the kind of terrifying curse truly reserved for adults...?

Having seen things more clearly, Shunping felt that some of the hesitation in his heart had shattered.

The next moment, Yue Ren suddenly flicked his hand, and a bright flash appeared in Shunping's field of vision. He was startled and subconsciously turned his head.

Then he saw something even more horrifying: in the corner where the living room wall met the ceiling, a disgusting monster was pierced by a blade and vanished as if corroded amidst screams.

That knife... what is it? And that disgusting thing, is it... a cursed spirit?

Before he could react to what was happening, the boy's calm voice rang out.

"The cursed spirit attracted by the finger is probably at level three, but it's enough for an ordinary person to deal with your mother."

'

'

The boy lowered his head and remained silent; at this point, he had nothing more to say.

The facts were staring him in the face. He couldn't imagine what would have happened to his mother if it weren't for the arrival of his peer.

After a long while, the boy looked up again, and most of the confusion in his eyes had disappeared.

"Thank you. Is there anything you'd like me to do?"

'

Yue Ren smiled slightly. This was the joy of talking to intelligent people; he didn't need to explain much himself.

"Tell me everything you know, and then I want you to help me devise a plan to lure that guy out!"

The unexpectedly simple request surprised the boy, whose mood had just calmed down. After glancing at his mother, who was sleeping peacefully beside him, he looked at Yue Ren and nodded seriously.

Information from Ijichi, the assistant supervisor specializing in sorcery:

The day after the incident at Rissaku High School, Yoshino Junpei's biological mother, Yoshino Fuu, was found dead in his home, along with the special-grade cursed artifact, Sukuna's right little finger joint.

It is speculated that Yoshino Kaze was attacked by a cursed spirit attracted by Sukuna's fingers. His body was completely missing, with only some flesh and blood still attached to his hair remaining.

Itajō looked distressed and didn't even dare to glance at Nanami beside him.

He received this news from Ijichi, and he had just learned that Nanami had almost been seriously injured when she encountered an enemy while making friends.

The harsh reality tormented Itsuji's heart; the fact that he was a weakling constantly tormented his conscience.

But he still wanted to find the missing Shunpei, even though Nanami disagreed with him going.

The sunrise appeared as usual, but at Rissaku High School, an unseen vortex of danger was churning.

Not far away, Yue Ren, who was overlooking the entire area from a high vantage point, quickly noticed the "tent" that had suddenly enveloped Riying High School, and he smiled.

The plan went smoothly, and the other party took the bait.

Yue Ren took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Yes, it's Rissaku High School. Hurry up, or you might miss it."

After hanging up the phone, Yue Ren set off without further hesitation.

Inside the high school, Junpei expressionlessly instructed his shikigami to give the classmate who had bullied him in the past a good beating. Just then, Itadori pushed open the door and arrived.

Seeing his classmates lying on the ground and one of them being beaten up by Shunpei, Itadori found it hard to accept.

So he rushed forward without hesitation.

Not far away, the real man watched with great interest as the two newly acquainted friends killed each other.

But things soon took a turn for the worse than he had anticipated.

After being specially trained by both Echigo and Gojo Satoru, Itadori's punches are no longer something that Junpei can easily catch.

Seeing Shunping lying on the ground after taking a few punches, Zhenren was filled with disappointment.

"No, Junpei-kun, how can you be so easily swayed by a few words? Pain and sorrow are the true value of life. You're putting me in a difficult position."

Seeing that Shunpei was about to be convinced by Itajō's physics, Masato decided to take action.

Before Huzhang could even celebrate his success in persuading Shunping, he heard footsteps coming from beside them. Turning around, he saw a creature that was neither human nor inhuman approaching.

"Who?"

"Nice to meet you, Sukuna's vessel."

The next moment, the right arm of the strangely stitched-together face swelled and changed, as if it were about to launch an attack.

However, to Zhenren's surprise, the sound of flesh being pierced rang out from beside him the next moment. Looking down, he saw that a sharp jellyfish tentacle had already pierced his body, and the toxins on it were spreading.

"?"

Looking up, the boy named Shunping's face no longer held any complex emotions, only naked hatred, and the target was him.

The source of this attack is now quite clear: it is Shunpei's shikigami.

"Mr. Real Person, didn't I tell you not to lay a hand on my mother?"

The sound of clenching teeth rolled out of the boy's throat with difficulty, showing how angry he was at that moment.

Upon hearing this, Zhenren's eyes widened involuntarily, and then he showed a surprised expression.

"You... you actually knew?"

"Yes, so die, damn curse!"

After receiving confirmation, Shunpei could no longer suppress his anger and ordered his shikigami, Yodotsuki, to thrust out another tentacle. However, it was immediately knocked away by the fist that the cursed creature on the other side could change at will.

Behind Shunpei, Itajō, who had just been happy, was now in complete chaos. What was going on?

Who is this guy? Why did Shunping suddenly attack him? And what about his mother and aunt? Aren't they already...?

Realizing that his attack was as ineffective as the person had said, Shunping suppressed his anger and ultimately chose to use his best ability—calmness—to control his mind and continue to carry out the plan.

After yet another attack was easily blocked.

"Tch... Itajimaru, create some distance for me, this guy's cursed, a top-tier one!"

A simple sentence from Shunpei changed Itajō's expression; his confusion and helplessness vanished, replaced by absolute focus on this new enemy.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Shunping by the waist, hugged him, and ran backwards. Amidst his terrified screams, he jumped off the building and headed straight for the spacious playground.

"Hahaha, things seem to be getting interesting. How did you know? Were you acting yesterday? Shunping, I'm suddenly interested in you again!!"

Upstairs, watching the boy being pulled down by Itajō, Makoto smiled happily.

Things seemed to have gone against his expectations, but for this soul that craved excitement, it wasn't unacceptable. "Shunpei, what exactly happened?"

Having confirmed that the distance had been created, Itsuji finally had the opportunity to ask the question that had been on his mind.

"To put it simply, it was all an act just now, just to lure out this guy in front of us."

"Oh, so all those expressions you made just now were acting?"

"How is it? Not bad, right?"

Shunping gave Huzhang a mischievous smile.

It's not just good, it's practically flawless... So he's alright, and all my distress was for nothing?

Haddō was speechless, but mostly relieved. So Shunpei was alright, that was great.

But we can't relax, because the real person is catching up again.

What followed was a classic two-on-one brawl, but in the end, Shunping, who had just awakened, was more of a burden.

The real man naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. After being nearly killed by Tiger Staff's punch, the real man instantly realized that Tiger Staff was his nemesis.

His attacks can strike the soul directly, so he can hurt himself. And the troublesome weapon in his hand can amplify the damage of such attacks. If he is hit in the body completely, he may be killed instantly.

On the other hand, Shunping is different; he's just an ordinary little devil who has just awakened his magic. If they seize the opportunity to kidnap him, they can control Sukuna's vessel when the time comes...

Having just recovered from the attack by Tiger Staff, the Master set this extremely insidious goal.

After all, Itachi is still a newcomer, and his insidious schemes are no match for those of a real person. After being misled, he also opened up his defenses against Shunpei behind him.

The real person took this opportunity to kidnap Shunping.

However, just as his ambush was about to be completed, a short knife appeared halfway through its hand touching Shunping, forcing it to retreat.

The first-level sorcerer, Nanami Kento, finally arrived.

As a first-level sorcerer, Nanami began analyzing the battle the moment she entered the arena. After learning that the real man's injuries were caused by Itajitō, she grasped the key point: Itajitō seemed to be the only one on the scene who could deal with this guy.

Having thoroughly understood his opponent's techniques from the previous day's battle, his own ten-stroke incantation "Waluo Waluo," along with the knife given to him by the Yue people, should have been a powerful weapon against all cursed spirits. However, facing this guy who could heal as long as his soul was not injured, he suffered a setback for the first time.

His attacks only had two effects on this guy: one was to temporarily suppress his movements, and the other was to deplete his stored magical power, preventing him from inflicting a fatal blow.

Since that's the case, let's give the Japanese knotweed a chance to exorcise it.

So, Shunpei was moved away from the battlefield and allowed Nanami to take over, and a new two-on-one battle began.

A burden was replaced by an experienced first-level sorcerer, which greatly increased the pressure on the real man. He unconsciously began to fall into a disadvantageous position, but because of this, he made rapid progress in this life-or-death battle.

The main reason why Zhenren was chosen as a leader candidate by the other three great natural disaster curse spirits is that he still has a lot of room for growth as a curse spirit, and he is definitely a genius among curse spirits.

This guy has a natural advantage and restraint when it comes to fighting humans.

With the help of cyborgs and other disgusting methods, Itadori and Nanami were never able to kill him with a single blow.

And on the verge of absolute death, the cursed spirit called "True Man" is about to seize the outline of his own soul.