In his previous life, Luke had been an ordinary corporate wage slave.
Then, after a freak stroke of luck, he transmigrated into the Jujutsu world.
According to the story he remembered, the main plot would officially begin in about a month.
One Special Grade enemy after another would emerge, accompanied by disasters both natural and man-made.
Eventually, Ryomen Sukuna, the “King of Curses” and the strongest sorcerer in history, would return.
With overwhelming strength and cunning methods, he would sweep through the strongest fighters of the jujutsu world.
Even Satoru Gojo, who currently stood at the pinnacle of jujutsu society, would eventually be cut in half.
By then, Tokyo would become a battlefield for monsters.
Any sorcerer at Jujutsu High with a bit of strength would eventually have to step forward and take on Sukuna.
Naobito thought Luke had plenty of time.
But Luke knew he only had about a month left to become stronger, and little more than half a year before the final battle.
If he couldn’t develop the Ten Shadows Technique to its limit during that time, Luke strongly suspected Sukuna would slice him into minced meat the moment he tried to fight him.
He might not even make it to the final boss before getting killed by one of the four disaster-level Special Grade cursed spirits along the way.
That was why Luke had spent the past five months desperately searching for ways to grow stronger.
The Ten Shadows Technique had both a high floor and a high ceiling.
But in gaming terms, using it was an awful experience.
It demanded far too much skill and raw stats.
If he couldn’t land Black Flash, learn Reverse Cursed Technique, or master Cursed Technique Fusion, Luke had no idea how he was supposed to overtake everyone else.
The problem had been giving him a serious headache.
Naobito was still lecturing him.
“Brat, keep your feet on the ground and train properly. You need to understand that sometimes the long way around is the real shortcut. Be patient and endure these next few decades.”
A few decades?
In another half a year, you’ll be dead too, old man.
Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes and silently calculated his options.
“If I really can’t get strong enough in time, I can always leave Tokyo before the main storyline begins. Once Sukuna gets taken down by the protagonists, I can come back. Anyway, it’s basically only Japan that has all these monsters and supernatural disasters…”
Luke muttered inwardly.
Of course, that would also mean Naobito dying at the hands of cursed spirits and the enormous Zenin clan collapsing.
Luke didn’t feel much attachment to the clan itself.
The only person he cared about was Naobito, the elder who had always looked after him.
Listening to the old man lecture him the entire way, the two finally reached the Zenin clan estate.
Before getting out of the car, Naobito repeatedly warned him,
“Don’t tell anyone about your plan to accumulate cursed energy for taming Mahoraga. That includes the clan, your teachers, and those bastards among the higher-ups.”
Naobito was an extremely shrewd man.
Mahoraga was one of the Zenin clan’s greatest trump cards.
A Ten Shadows user who genuinely had a chance of taming Mahoraga could easily attract malicious attention.
That hostility could even come from within the Zenin clan itself or from the rotten upper ranks of jujutsu society.
Luke agreed.
“I know. There’s an old saying from across the sea: keep a low profile and don’t draw unnecessary attention. I’m not going to tell people about it.”
“Hahaha! Good. As long as you understand what I mean.”
The old clan head laughed in satisfaction.
Then he warned Luke again.
“Your usable cursed energy in daily life is only half of what it used to be. Grade 1 exorcism missions are still too dangerous for you.”
“In the next few days, I’ll submit a request to the higher-ups to have your sorcerer grade lowered. From now on, you’ll operate as a Grade 2 Sorcerer.”
There was an authority in Naobito’s voice that left little room for argument.
Before establishing the Binding Vow, Luke had indeed been capable of exorcising Grade 1 cursed spirits without much difficulty.
But in exchange for gaining a future opportunity to tame Mahoraga, he had accepted the condition that he could only use fifty percent of his cursed energy in ordinary combat.
It was an equivalent exchange.
Luke accepted greater risk during his everyday battles in return for a much larger payoff when the time came to tame Mahoraga.
Such behavior wasn’t rare in the jujutsu world.
For example, Luke’s senior, Grade 1 Sorcerer Kento Nanami, restricted himself to only eighty to ninety percent of his cursed energy during working hours in exchange for increasing it to one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty percent during overtime.
That was a relatively rational method of allocating cursed energy.
Luke’s choice was considerably more extreme.
After all, defeating Mahoraga required meeting extremely harsh conditions.
If Luke wanted to obtain that shikigami within his lifetime, he had no choice but to pay a greater price.
Still, Luke didn’t immediately agree to Naobito’s suggestion that he be demoted.
He hadn’t completely given up on the path of becoming stronger through combat.
If he could truly break through his limits and master more advanced jujutsu techniques, it would greatly help both with the upcoming crisis in Tokyo and his future attempt to tame Mahoraga.
Seeing Luke hesitate, Naobito looked helpless.
But he had no intention of letting Luke continue doing whatever he wanted.
His voice became extremely serious.
“I don’t care what you’re thinking. As head of the Zenin clan, I forbid you from taking part alone in any exorcism mission involving a cursed spirit above Grade 2.”
When it came to protecting talented members of the clan, the normally open-minded, pragmatic, easygoing, and protective old man finally showed a forceful side.
Luke knew Naobito meant well, but he still gave him a dead-eyed stare.
“Fine, fine. Damn old man. There’s really no arguing with you.”
Luke sighed helplessly.
With Naobito taking this kind of attitude, he really did need to consider packing up and leaving before Tokyo descended into chaos.
The disasters coming over the next year weren’t something a demoted sorcerer like him had any business getting involved in.
Naobito had no idea what Luke was planning.
Seeing that he had apparently given up on taking unnecessary risks, the old man spoke in a much more satisfied tone.
“Don’t look so depressed, brat. You’re the future of the Zenin clan. Show some spirit.”
Deep wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes as he gave Luke a meaningful smile.
Luke pursed his lips.
According to Zenin tradition, someone who inherited the Ten Shadows Technique had the greatest qualification to compete for the position of clan head.
And in the current generation, there were only two Ten Shadows users…
Luke could more or less guess what Naobito was planning.
But just as they stepped through the gates of the main Zenin estate, a frivolous, irritating voice drifted over from the entrance corridor.
“Well, look who it is. Isn’t this the most promising Grade 1 Sorcerer in the Zenin clan? I thought you’d still be lying in a hospital bed right now. I was even wondering whether I should go visit you.”
A tall figure leaned casually beside the gate.
His blond hair reflected a cold gleam beneath the indoor lights.
He had an aggressively handsome face, sharp features, and slightly upturned eyes that naturally carried contempt and carelessness.
The traditional clothing of the Three Great Families should have made him look dignified, but on him it only emphasized his arrogant and unruly nature.
Naoya Zenin.
He had an extremely unpleasant personality, a strong exclusionary streak, and an intense desire to become head of the Zenin clan.
He had appeared now specifically to laugh at Luke’s misfortune.
Luke’s expression immediately turned cold.
Before the two could clash, Naobito snorted.
“Luke needs rest.”
Naoya clicked his tongue.
Even toward his biological father, Naobito, his attitude was extremely casual.
He ran a hand through his hair and walked past the old man.
“Old man, I think you should reconsider. It’d be better not to let someone who keeps embarrassing himself serve as the face of the Zenin clan.”
With that, Naoya brushed past his father and headed outside.
Naobito frowned deeply as he watched his troublesome son leave.
But there was only so much he could do.
Or rather, the entire Zenin clan was like this.
Both its culture and family system were thoroughly rotten, filled with rigid hierarchy and endless calculations over personal interests.
Naoya was practically the embodiment of that environment.
Naobito disliked both his son’s behavior and the atmosphere within the clan.
He didn’t even dare let the other clan members know that Luke was planning to tame Mahoraga.
Compared to those rotten clan members, Naobito clearly had much higher hopes for Luke.
“Don’t pay attention to someone like Naoya. What you need to do now is recover and adjust your condition.”
Luke nodded slightly.
He had no intention of wasting his time competing with those clan members either.
One day, they would bring destruction upon themselves.
After returning to his room in the clan estate, Luke lay on the bed and stared straight at the ceiling.
“If the old man wants me to keep my head down and develop quietly, then I can’t stay in Tokyo. When should I leave?”
“It’d be best to find a suitable excuse to go abroad for a year. That way, after the final battle ends, I can return to the jujutsu world naturally and inherit whatever the Zenin clan leaves behind.”
Future events played through Luke’s mind.
When he thought about Naobito, who had always taken care of him, eventually being severely injured by one of the four disaster curses and dying, Luke couldn’t help feeling a little melancholy.
“Ah, old man Naobito… it won’t be me who gets you killed. It’ll be this chaotic era.”
There was a heavy feeling in his chest.
Luke felt bad about it, but he also understood the reality of his situation.
At the moment, he wasn’t even confident he could exorcise a Grade 1 cursed spirit, much less confront the four disaster-level Special Grade cursed spirits.
If it was time to run, then he had to run.
Luke suppressed his disappointment and began packing his belongings while planning his escape.
It wasn’t until late at night that he finally completed a rough version of the plan.
Still carrying some unwillingness and helplessness, Luke fell back onto the bed and gradually drifted to sleep.
…
When his consciousness returned, Luke opened his eyes.
Instead of the ceiling, he saw three figures standing around him.
Before he could clearly make out their faces, one of them laughed.
“You’re awake. The surgery was a success. You’re a cute, soft girl now.”
Luke’s eyes widened instantly.
He threw a punch at the speaker.
The figure hurriedly explained,
“Calm down. It’s just a meme…”
The Jujutsu Luke’s fist still flew straight toward his face.
The sudden change in surroundings and the appearance of unknown people were suspicious enough on their own.
As a sorcerer who regularly walked the line between life and death, Luke was extremely vigilant.
But his punch passed straight through the man’s face.
It was as though he had struck untouchable air.
The man wasn’t injured at all.
He spread his hands.
“We can’t hurt each other inside this space.”
The Jujutsu Luke frowned and slowly withdrew his fist.
Only then did he realize, to his surprise, that the man had his face.
More precisely, the face Luke had possessed in his previous life.
The Jujutsu Luke froze.
The man laughed.
“Surprised?”
The Jujutsu Luke frowned as he carefully examined him.
Although the man had Luke’s old face, his appearance was that of a proper British gentleman.
He wore a black fedora, a knee-length black coat, a long waistcoat, and trousers.
Despite the distinctive clothing, his overall presence was unobtrusive, like a traveler who could disappear around the next street corner at any moment.
The man looked at the Jujutsu Luke enthusiastically.
Seeing his confusion, he immediately explained,
“Odd changes, even stays; signs depend on the quadrant. Nice to meet you. I’m Luke Abraham. We’re all Luke. It seems the same soul was split into countless fragments and transmigrated into different worlds at the same time.”
The Jujutsu Luke raised an eyebrow.
Only then did he notice the other two people surrounding him.
Their clothing was completely different, but both had the same face he had possessed in his previous life.
A strange realization surfaced within the Jujutsu Luke.
He could sense that the essence of his soul and those of the three men before him came from the same origin.
Luke Abraham said,
“Come on. High five. We can share the memories of our worlds.”
The Jujutsu Luke didn’t hesitate for long.
He raised his hand.
Their palms met.
The instant they touched, the other man’s memories flooded into his consciousness.
The Jujutsu Luke immediately understood which world Luke Abraham had transmigrated into.
Lord of Mysteries.
It was a dangerous world shrouded in madness and mystery.
There were gods standing high above the world and Outer Deities gazing down upon humanity.
The entire supernatural system was built around twenty-two Pathways leading toward godhood.
Each concealed the secrets of becoming a god while also burying the curse of madness within it.
Luke Abraham had been born into the Abraham angel family as a Sequence 9 Apprentice of the Door Pathway.
Recalling what he knew about that world, the Jujutsu Luke immediately complained,
“Your luck is seriously terrible. Being born into the Abraham family from the start is basically getting screwed immediately.”
Luke Abraham’s mouth twitched as he mocked himself.
“Exactly. My wonderful ancestor tries to scream his descendants to death every month. Now I don’t even dare advance through the Sequences too quickly.”
In the Lord of Mysteries world, the Abraham family had once been one of the great mystical noble houses active during the Fourth Epoch.
Its most famous member, Mr.
Door—Bethel Abraham—stood at the pinnacle of the Door Pathway and was a King of Angels only one step away from becoming a god.
Unfortunately, he was corrupted and controlled by one of the most powerful evil gods, forcing the righteous gods of Earth to work together to exile and seal him away.
Because Mr.
Door stood at the peak of the Pathway and was connected to the family through blood, every full moon he would madly scream and whisper to his descendants.
The higher their Sequence, the more severely they were affected, and the more likely they were to suddenly die.
As a result, the once-glorious Abraham angel family had completely declined during the Fifth Epoch.
They no longer had even a single demigod.
That was Luke Abraham’s current situation.
“I’m only Sequence 9 right now, so I’m still doing alright. But every time I advance another Sequence, my ancestor’s influence will become stronger. My mental state will get worse, and the chances of losing control and dying will keep increasing.”
Luke Abraham sighed, clearly troubled.
Still, a starving camel was larger than a horse.
Being born into the Abraham family meant having resources and an inheritance from the very beginning.
Rare Beyonder materials that independent Beyonders struggled desperately to find.
Powerful and scarce Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts.
Secret potion formulas unavailable to outsiders.
The Abraham family had all of them.
With its enormous accumulated foundation, the former angel family should have been fully capable of producing several high-Sequence demigods.
And the middle and high Sequences of the Door Pathway were extremely powerful.
They possessed exceptionally versatile Beyonder abilities involving divination, spells, teleportation, spatial travel, replication, sealing, banishment, concealment, and spatial tearing.
Calling the Door Pathway one of the strongest first-tier Pathways in the entire Lord of Mysteries world would hardly be an exaggeration.
It really helps the fic grow!