Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

As soon as I left the steel mill, the strong smell of rust disappeared, and the surrounding air instantly became fresh.

The rain has stopped, and the air is filled with the scent of earth and grass.

As the car engine roared to life, the group began heading towards the vocational college.

Unlike before, Rito sat by the window this time.

As he watched the scenery receding outside the window, the words Kugizaki had spoken in the steel mill came to mind.

"...An exchange meeting?" Rito murmured to himself.

"Yes, it's held every year by the two colleges in Kyoto and Tokyo. Didn't you know?" Fushiguro turned his head and explained.

"I know, but..."

"But you never thought you'd be participating?" Kugizaki popped his head out from the side, rubbing the bruises on his neck and wincing as he hissed.

"I only heard about it a few days ago. Normally, the exchange event doesn't have much to do with us first-year students. It's usually the second and third-year students' turn, but this year is different."

"What's different?" Even though the manager knew the plot, he still asked.

Nanami sat in the passenger seat without turning around: "Because this year's first-year students include Satoru Gojo."

Upon hearing this, Kugizaki began counting on his fingers: "You, me, Fushiguro, and Itadori, that makes a total of four. It seems that Gojo-sensei means that all first-year students will participate in this year's exchange meeting."

"Everyone..." Rito muttered to himself.

Of course he knew about the exchange meeting.

He remembered clearly the events in the original work: Hua Yu's invasion, the real person's infiltration of the warehouse, and the theft of the Nine Phases of the Cursed Embryo.

But the phrase "participation of all" still gave him a subtle sense of disorientation.

In the original work, Itadori was "resurrected" and brought back by Gojo Satoru just before the exchange meeting.

But now, because of my intervention, many things have changed.

"What, scared?" Kugizaki turned his head to the side, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Rito shook his head: "I'm wondering what kind of people the Kyoto school will send."

"Who else could it be? I heard they have a second-year student over there whose magic is related to mechanics, what's his name again..."

"Mechanical Pill," Fukuro continued for her.

"Yes, Mechanical Pill. And there's also a Level 1 mage, I think his name is... Toudou?"

"Toudou Aoi." Fukuro's tone carried a solemnity that Rito had never heard before.

"Level 1 Sorcerer, spell 'Injustice Game'. If you encounter him at the exchange event, don't fight him head-on, just admit defeat. There's no shame in it."

Kugizaki was taken aback: "Is it that exaggerated?"

"It's not an exaggeration." Nanami's voice came from the driver's seat, "Toudou Aoi's strength is among the top tier of all first-level mages. With your current level, you have no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation."

The carriage was silent for a moment.

Liren didn't say anything more and turned to look out the window.

The outline of the college was already emerging in the twilight, like a gray castle crouching in the mountains.

Exchange meeting, Hua Yu, real person, two months.

He saw his own eyes reflected in the glass.

Time is of the essence!

Before long, the roar of the engine gradually faded away.

The car door opened, and the familiar scent of grass and trees wafted in.

Kugizaki was the first to jump out of the car, taking a deep breath: "I'm finally alive."

Fu Hei didn't say anything, but his shoulders visibly relaxed.

Rito was the last to get off the bus. He glanced back in the direction he had come from, but the road leading to the steel plant had already disappeared into the night.

"Let's go." Qi Guan closed the car door.

The group walked towards the entrance of the high school.

Behind them, the car silently turned off in the twilight, as if nothing had happened.

......

Kugizaki went to the infirmary to get his neck injury treated so it wouldn't swell up and affect his mobility.

Fukuro didn't say a word and walked towards the underground training ground. Perhaps he felt a little pressured after seeing Rito's strength.

Rito, on the other hand, returned to his dormitory alone.

By this time, it was completely dark, and Rito looked to the side.

Huzhang's bed was empty, with the blankets and pillows scattered haphazardly to the side, without any deliberate tidying up.

"Perhaps we left in too much of a hurry."

Looking at the messy bed, Rito stood there for a while, then silently began to tidy up.

Only after he had tidied up Huzhang's place did he wash up and then lie down on his own bed.

"Once the task at the steel mill is completed, there shouldn't be anything else to do anytime soon!"

As Rito thought about it, the image of Maki-senpai instantly appeared in his mind.

The steel mill made a considerable profit from the trip, but the cost was equally significant.

The spot on my arm where the bone spur pierced my arm is still throbbing, and a thin scab has formed on the wound on my neck.

But it's worth it.

"Maki-senpai will definitely have a lot of training tomorrow. Although she has improved somewhat from the training in the past few days, she is still far from truly becoming stronger, and besides..."

Rito couldn't help but think again of the technique Tanaka had demonstrated during the day.

"The spells of sorcerers are incredibly diverse, with countless methods. The one Tanaka used is relatively easy to deal with. But what if you encounter the projection spells of the Zen-in family?"

Li Ren is acutely aware of his own shortcomings.

Although he understood that as a newcomer who had only recently awakened his spell, it was already quite an achievement to have reached this point.

But he knew even more clearly what kind of monsters he would be facing in the future.

It wasn't just the terrifyingly powerful special-grade curse spirits from the real people, but also those curse masters from the Zen family on the human side.

Even the most terrifying being—Ryomen Sukuna!

"Sigh, still too weak."

Rito sighed, then turned over and found a more comfortable sleeping position.

"If I mastered even one of these techniques—Black Flash, Reversal Technique, or Complete Domain—I wouldn't feel so insecure right now."

In the end, it's just a thought.

Li Ren knew better than anyone that he had no cheat codes, no system, and certainly no powerful backer.

To gain control of these things in a short period of time would require a miracle.

"Hehe, I'm afraid in other people's eyes, my ability to find a true awakening technique and master an incomplete domain in a short period of time is already a miracle."

Li Ren shook his head, suppressing all those unrealistic fantasies.

He closed his eyes.

Calm down and feel the power of the spell flowing slowly through your body, like a quiet river.

"If I can't control Black Flash and Reversal Spells in a short time, then I'll start with my own spells."

"You must master a killer move within two months, like Itajō's 'Ji-Nagai-ken'."

"And I absolutely have to find Mr. Gojo; he has to teach me no matter what. That's decided!"

If we're talking about who has the strongest teaching ability among those specializing in sorcery, then Gojo Satoru is undoubtedly the best.

Only with his personal instruction can one hope to improve their combat skills in a short period of time.

As her thoughts drifted away, Rito's breathing gradually calmed down.

The dull ache in my arm is still there, but I don't care about it anymore.

Outside the window, the night at the college was as dark as ink, and in the distance, the lights were still on in the direction of the underground training ground.

Training begins tomorrow!