“Mr.
Gojo, I hate you!”
However…
The expected scream didn’t ring out.
Only three crisp “ding, ding, ding” sounds were heard.
Ijichi opened his eyes, his jaw nearly hitting the steering wheel.
He saw Lin Ye still sitting in his original spot, his posture unchanged.
Except his right hand had been raised at some point.
Two fingers.
Just two fingers!
He had actually caught those three high-speed nails firmly between them!
It was as effortless as holding a cigarette.
Cursed Energy surged at his fingertips, but it couldn’t advance an inch!
“This…”
Nobara Kugisaki’s pupils constricted violently.
She was stunned.
Completely stunned.
“How is this possible?!”
“That was an attack imbued with Cursed Energy!
Even if I didn’t use full power, it’s not something that can be caught barehanded!”
“Are this guy’s fingers made of iron?!”
Lin Ye looked at the nails still trembling slightly between his fingers, a playful curve touching the corner of his mouth.
“Is this the extent of your strength?”
“The Wild Rose of Morioka?”
“It’s nothing special.”
“Too slow.”
“And…”
Lin Ye applied a bit of pressure with his fingers.
“Snap!”
The three steel nails were bent directly by his pinch!
Then he casually tossed them into the car’s ashtray in the front row.
“You should put away these children’s toys.”
“They can’t hurt anyone.”
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Nobara Kugisaki stood with her mouth agape, unable to say a word for a long time.
Her worldview had been slightly shaken.
This pretty boy who seemed only capable of smooth-talking…
Was actually an expert?!
The burst of Cursed Energy just now, though brief, that sense of weight…
Was definitely above her own!
“Who…
who are you exactly?”
Kugisaki put away her contempt, her gaze turning wary.
Lin Ye shrugged.
“Me?”
“My name is Lin Ye.”
“A soon-to-be classmate of yours…”
“A very handsome guy.”
Kugisaki: “…”
She had never seen someone so thick-skinned and shameless!
[Ding!
Congratulations, Host!]
[Through a show of strength, you have successfully caught Nobara Kugisaki’s attention!]
[Favorability change: -20 -> -5 (That’s it?
She doesn’t hate me anymore?
Hmph, women).]
[Evaluation: She is now full of curiosity and defiance toward you; this is a good start.]
Lin Ye felt a secret thrill.
That’s more like it.
Only the strong deserve the right to conquer.
Just as the atmosphere inside the car relaxed slightly.
Suddenly.
“Boom!!!”
A loud crash! New chapters come out on g.com first.
The entire black luxury sedan was hit hard by something and sent flying sideways!
“Ah!!!”
Ijichi let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
The world spun!
The airbags deployed instantly!
The car rolled several times on the highway before finally slamming into the roadside guardrail and coming to a halt.
Thick black smoke billowed from the hood.
Glass shards were scattered everywhere.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
The inside of the car was a mess.
Nobara Kugisaki was a trained fighter after all; her reactions were fast, and she protected her head the moment the car flipped.
But she was still left dazed and disoriented by the impact.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
“What the hell?!”
“Ijichi!
Did you buy your driver’s license?!”
Kugisaki kicked the door open and crawled out unsteadily.
At this moment.
They were in a dark highway tunnel.
The lights in the tunnel flickered, making a buzzing electrical sound.
A cold, damp, and malicious aura was rapidly spreading.
“It…
it wasn’t me…”
Ijichi crawled out of the driver’s seat covered in blood, one lens of his glasses shattered.
He pointed fearfully toward the front of the tunnel.
“It’s…
it’s that thing!”
Kugisaki looked in the direction he was pointing.
Her pupils instantly contracted.
There, on the ceiling of the tunnel.
A massive Cursed Spirit was hanging upside down.
It looked like a gecko magnified a hundred times, its entire body covered in nauseating green slime.
Its distorted, human-like face was covered in a dense cluster of eyes.
“Hehehe…”
“So many people…”
“Smells so good…”
“Want to eat…”
The Cursed Spirit let out a piercing laugh, its long tongue whipping through the air.
“Grade 2…”
Ijichi’s voice was trembling.
“No…
this Cursed Energy reaction…”
“It’s close to Semi-Grade 1!!”
“Why is there a Cursed Spirit of this level here?!”
“We were clearly taking the standard route!”
Nobara Kugisaki gripped her hammer tightly, her expression becoming incredibly grave.
“Semi-Grade 1.”
“For her, who hadn’t even officially enrolled and was only Grade 3, this was an immense challenge!”
“It could even be called…”
“A life-or-death crisis!”
“Tch!”
“I don’t care if it’s Grade 1 or Grade 2!”
“Daring to wreck my car and mess up my hair…”
“You’re going to die!!!”
Kugisaki roared, forcing down the fear in her heart.
She pulled three spare long nails from her pouch.
“Straw Doll Technique: Hairpin!”
Though she talked tough, her palms were drenched in sweat.
This pressure was too intense!
Just then.
A hand was placed on her shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Don’t push yourself.”
Kugisaki looked back.
She saw that Lin Ye was already standing behind her at some point.
There wasn’t even a speck of dust on him.
He still had that nonchalant look, hands in his pockets.
Though his sunglasses were crooked, his cool factor was still intact.
“Huh?!”
Kugisaki laughed out of pure anger.
“Who are you looking down on?!”
“If you don’t want to die, get lost!
Don’t get in my way!”
With that…
Kugisaki didn’t listen to the warning at all and charged straight ahead!
“It seems if I don’t let you suffer a bit, you won’t know how harsh the world is.”
Lin Ye shook his head and didn’t stop her.
Perfect.
This is a perfect opportunity to increase favorability.
The ‘hero saves the beauty’ trope might be old, but it works!
“System, open the shop.”
“Exchange a handy weapon for me.”
“That fruit knife from before was too cheap; I want something fierce this time.”
[Ding!
Recommended items:]
[1.
Special Grade Cursed Tool: Inverted Spear of Heaven (Replica): 5,000 points (Too expensive, can’t afford it).]
[2.
Grade 2 Cursed Tool: Steel-Shattering Sword: 800 points (Mediocre).]
[3.
Grade 1 Cursed Tool: Black Iron Long Blade: 1,500 points (Though it has no special technique, it excels in hardness, sharpness, and durability; paired with Seven-Three, it’s practically invincible).]
Lin Ye glanced at his pitiful point balance.
He had 1,800 left before, and with various miscellaneous rewards, he now had exactly around 2,500.
“This is the one!”
“Exchange for Grade 1 Cursed Tool: Black Iron Long Blade!”
[Ding!
Exchange successful!
Points -1,500!]
[Item has been delivered to the System Space and can be retrieved at any time.]
Right now.
On the battlefield.
Nobara Kugisaki was already locked in a bitter struggle.
“Resonance!”
She slammed a nail into a piece of flesh that had fallen off the Cursed Spirit.
The hammer struck heavily!
“Clang!”
An invisible shockwave of Cursed Energy shot straight toward the Cursed Spirit’s main body!
“Die for me!”
However…
The gecko Cursed Spirit only shook its head, letting out a mocking laugh.
“Doesn’t hurt…
doesn’t hurt…”
“Too weak…”
The next second.
The Cursed Spirit’s massive tail swept across!
It was as fast as lightning!
“What?!”
Kugisaki turned pale with shock.
Her “Resonance” actually didn’t cause any flinching?!
This Cursed Spirit’s hide is too thick!
It was too late to dodge!
“Bam!”
The massive tail slammed hard into Kugisaki!
“Pfft—”
Kugisaki spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire body flying backward like a kite with a broken string!