If his previous Cursed Energy was like a pile of loose sand…
Then now, he was learning how to gather that sand into a solid brick.
The kind you could smash directly into someone’s face.
At that moment, Satoru Gojo seemed to notice Lin Ye’s composure.
He leaned in, looking like a curious child.
“Oh?”
“Student Lin Ye doesn’t seem disappointed at all?”
“Could it be that you like these kinds of gloomy places too?”
“Your tastes are quite unique~”
Lin Ye glanced at him and put away his phone.
“Disappointed?”
“Why would I be disappointed?”
“A place like this…”
Lin Ye pointed at the abandoned building, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
“…is actually the perfect place for ‘hunting,’ isn’t it?”
“Besides…”
A playful smile curled at the corners of Lin Ye’s mouth.
“Rather than going shopping…”
“I’m more interested in seeing what kind of trial the so-called’strongest’ has prepared for us.”
Gojo Satoru was taken aback for a moment.
Then, the curve of his smile widened further.
“Hahahaha!”
“Interesting!”
“So very interesting!”
“Student Lin Ye, you really are to my liking!”
Teacher Gojo clapped his hands, calling over Nobara and Yuji, who were still rolling around on the ground.
“Alright, alright, stop acting.”
“This is an entrance test!”
“If you fail, you’ll be expelled~”
As soon as she heard the word “expelled.”
Kugisaki instantly bounced up from the ground and smoothed her skirt, as if the person throwing a tantrum just now wasn’t her.
“Tsk.”
“You should have said so earlier.”
“It’s just fighting monsters, right?”
“I can handle curses in a dump like this in minutes.”
Itadori also stood up, clenching his fists.
“Me too!”
“I’m going to prove myself!”
Satoru Gojo nodded and held up a finger.
“This mission is very simple.”
“There are several curses lurking in this building, born from resentment.”
“You go in and exorcise them.”
“It’s as simple as that.”
Having said this, Gojo paused.
His gaze swept over the three of them.
Finally, it rested on Lin Ye.
A hint of craftiness flashed in his eyes.
“However…”
“Because Student Lin Ye’s strength is a bit ‘above the standard’…”
“This test will be conducted in groups.”
“Yuji, Nobara, you two are a team, responsible for clearing the curses from the second floor to the roof.”
“As for Lin Ye…”
Teacher Gojo pointed to a pitch-black basement entrance next to the building.
It was locked with iron chains and covered in yellow talismans.
A nauseating, fishy stench was constantly pouring out from the cracks.
“You’ll be responsible for the basement.”
“There’s…
a big guy down there.”
Kugisaki glanced at the basement entrance and couldn’t help but shiver.
“Hey…
that place feels really wrong.”
“Even I’m getting the chills.”
“Sending that pretty boy alone?
Is that really okay?”
Though she called him a pretty boy. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Kugisaki’s words were clearly laced with a hint of concern.
This was the effect of 30 Favorability.
Tsundere as she might be, she still cared a little bit deep down.
Itadori was also a bit worried.
“Teacher Gojo, why don’t we go together?”
“There’s strength in numbers!”
Satoru Gojo wagged his finger.
“No, no~”
“Those are the rules.”
“Besides…”
Gojo looked at Lin Ye and asked with a smile:
“I’m sure Student Lin Ye shouldn’t have any problems, right?”
“After all, this is the man who killed a Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit in one hit on the bus.”
With such high praise being thrown around.
If Lin Ye refused, it would be the same as admitting he was a coward.
“A provocation?”
Lin Ye sneered inwardly.
This Satoru Gojo really was an old fox.
He was trying to force out my trump cards.
However…
That suits me just fine!
The stronger the Cursed Spirit in the basement, the higher the EXP and points!
Only a fool would refuse a chance to hog all that experience!
“No problem.”
Lin Ye shrugged, looking relaxed.
“It’s just taking out the trash.”
“I’m enough on my own.”
With that, he walked straight toward the talisman-covered basement entrance.
As he passed by Kugisaki.
He stopped in his tracks.
Turning his head, he whispered into Nobara’s ear:
“Don’t die, Wild Rose.”
“If you kick the bucket, who will I bicker with?”
Kugisaki’s face turned beet red again instantly.
“Get lost!”
“You’re the one who’s going to die!”
“I’ll definitely live longer than you!”
She glared fiercely at Lin Ye, but her hand unconsciously tightened its grip on her hammer.
Watching Lin Ye’s cool back as he walked away.
Kugisaki suddenly felt a strange sensation.
That feeling was called—peace of mind.
It was as if as long as this person was there, he’d hold up the sky if it fell.
“Dammit…”
“What’s with this damn sense of security?!”
Kugisaki shook her head, forcing the thought out of her mind.
“Let’s go, Itadori!”
“We’re going in too!”
“We can’t lose to that show-off!”
…
Basement entrance.
Lin Ye kicked open the rusted iron door.
Clang!
The talismans burned, and the iron chains snapped.
An even denser stench wafted toward him.
It was the smell of rotting corpses mixed with sewage.
An ordinary person would probably vomit for three days after one whiff.
But Lin Ye only frowned.
“System, block my sense of smell.”
[Ding!
Sense of smell has been blocked.]
The world instantly became peaceful.
Lin Ye walked down the damp stairs step by step.
It was pitch black all around.
He couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face.
Snap.
Lin Ye snapped his fingers.
This was the latest result of his control over Cursed Energy—”Cursed Energy Illumination” (Self-Created).
While it had no offensive power, it was very practical in this environment.
The basement was huge.
It looked like an abandoned parking lot, or perhaps a massive morgue.
There was messy junk everywhere, along with some unidentified bones.
Drip…
drip…
The sound of water droplets echoed in the empty space.
[Ding!
Strong Cursed Energy reaction detected!]
[Target is fifty meters ahead!]
[Grade Warning: Semi-Grade 1 (Elite Monster)!]
[Type: Vengeful Spirit Aggregate.]
Lin Ye stopped in his tracks.
Not far ahead of him.
A massive dark shadow was hunched over the ground, gnawing on something.
The shadow was as large as a truck.
It had three heads, and its body looked like it was stitched together from countless pieces of rotten meat.
Hearing the footsteps.
The three heads turned simultaneously.
Six blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Lin Ye.
“Meat…”
“Fresh…
meat…”
“Smells so good…”
The three heads spoke with different voices that overlapped in the air, making one’s skin crawl.
Looking at this monster, Lin Ye wasn’t afraid; instead, he showed a hint of disappointment.
“That’s it?”
“I thought it would be a Special Grade.”
“That Blindfold Monster Gojo Satoru is using this kind of thing to test the recruits?”
Lin Ye shook his head.
He took out the [Grade 1 Cursed Tool: Black Iron Long Blade] from his system space.
The blade emitted a faint, cold glow in the darkness.
“Since I’m here, let’s not waste time.”
“I’ll just use you to test my newly purchased ‘Cursed Energy Compression Method’.”
Lin Ye took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes.
The Cursed Energy inside his body began to surge wildly!
It was no longer pouring out recklessly as before.
Instead, it was constantly compressing, spinning, and condensing within his meridians!
The originally blue Cursed Energy actually began to show a faint black light!
“ROAR—!!!”
The three-headed Cursed Spirit seemed to sense a threat.
It roared and charged toward Lin Ye with heavy strides!
The ground was shaking!
Its aura was terrifying!
If it were the old Lin Ye, he might have chosen to use his speed to kite it and look for an opening for a fatal blow.
But now.
He didn’t want to dodge.
He wanted to try a direct head-on clash!
“Come on!”
Lin Ye snapped his eyes open!
Blue light exploded from his pupils!
“Ten-Stroke Cursed Technique: 73!”
“Cursed Energy Compression: Burst!”
He gripped the sword with both hands and charged forward instead of retreating!
He slashed down fiercely against the mountain-like monster crashing toward him!
There weren’t many flourishes.
Only extreme power!
And extreme compression!
“BOOM—!!!”
The blade collided with the Cursed Spirit’s body!
A deafening explosion erupted!
The entire basement seemed to shudder!