Chapter 71: The Cursed Arts User
It was a skill.
Originating from some low-tier online game, the skill was called [Dark Tendrils]—a strong supportive buff that could enhance dark attribute skill damage for oneself or allies.
Although the effect was decent,
it held little value for Uchiha Itachi. His fighting style was all about precision and lethality. Whether it was the illusionary power of Tsukuyomi, the searing flames of Amaterasu, or his dazzling genjutsu techniques, everything he did was meant to end the fight swiftly.
A skill with lingering attribute damage provided minimal benefit to him.
He glanced at it briefly, then moved on, continuing to hunt Fallen Demons to gain experience and complete the trial as quickly as possible.
Soon after,
two more Fallen Demons dropped materials.
A kind of flesh crystal that slightly enhanced the power of the soul—harvested from the most concentrated essence within the demon's body.
Fang Yi, watching the loot drops, nodded in satisfaction. "Now this is more like the drop rate of a high-tier corrupted zone. Orochimaru and Kisame just had terrible luck."
He hadn't forgotten the secondary goal of sending players into minor trials: harvesting resources.
Even fringe areas in a high-tier corrupted world were rich in origin energy. Though the skills, tools, and equipment that dropped were only Level 1, their quality was extremely high.
It was meant to be the players' first real fortune.
But to his surprise, Orochimaru and Kisame, those two unlucky souls, had slaughtered their way through a heap of corrupted monsters and only managed to scrounge up a few materials.
It had made Fang Yi briefly suspect his reverse invasion plan had been exposed, and that the awareness of the Corrupted World had set a trap in advance to ambush him.
Luckily,
Uchiha Itachi's trial proved otherwise. Their bad luck had nothing to do with him.
"How powerful..."
Itachi had encountered the final boss of the trial: a Fallen Demon covered in streaks of crackling lightning.
A special variant among its kind.
It slashed with its claws and sent balls of electricity flying. Its skin was so tough that touching it would send violent shocks rippling through the body.
Left with no choice, Itachi traded in his Mangekyō Sharingan to acquire a beginner set that enhanced strength.
Feeling the surging power coursing through his limbs,
Itachi twisted his wrist, unfamiliar with the sensation. Strength had always been his weak point. The bloodline illness that had weakened his body had left his taijutsu severely impaired.
Whenever possible, he would avoid hand-to-hand combat in favor of genjutsu or ninjutsu.
But now, this sensation of brimming strength reminded him of his ANBU days.
Die.
Lightning arced over his entire body, his health dropping rapidly, but he used his newly gained power to overpower the electric demon.
Dark Tendrils.
The skill he had previously ignored now became essential. A stream of black energy erupted, attaching to his kunai like squirming tentacles.
He tore open the demon's neck.
"Forgive me. I have to kill you."
Itachi gripped his kunai tightly. The tendrils crawled along the demon's wound, invading its body from the inside.
As he stared into the glowing lightning eyes of the Fallen Demon,
he saw Sasuke's silhouette reflected in them.
Everything... is for Sasuke!
The demon collapsed.
Its flesh scorched by lightning turned to charred ash, and within that ash appeared a pitch-black ember.
[Seed of Cursed Arts]
Type: Class Item
Effect: Let the seed take root in your flesh and grow—granting you the power of Cursed Arts.
Note: Cursed Arts Users are a vile and twisted profession. They steal everything—and give everything in return.
Itachi's brows furrowed.
He couldn't quite grasp the capabilities of this class, leaving him hesitant and conflicted.
[Recommendation: Watch the Cursed Arts User class intro video – Cost: 2,000 Reward Points]
Most class introduction videos in games were free.
But did that matter to this game?
Itachi, unaware of the Reincarnation Game's monetization quirks, even felt a bit grateful.
He thought the game merchant had thoughtfully prepared a preview of this class in advance.
Even if it cost points, he saw no issue.
Just like the forbidden techniques sealed within the Scroll of Seals—every forbidden jutsu could sell for tens of millions. Knowledge itself was a form of power, and power was never free.
Purchase.
Itachi traded in the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror. He hadn't expected these two special chakra constructs—born of his Susanoo—to be individually sellable.
The game merchant really was fair to all.
A translucent screen lit up before him. Dazzling scenes and black text flashed by.
Cursed Arts Users, born from the abyss,
were naturally drawn to darkness and hell—but found redemption within it.
The class was an exceedingly rare dark-type support.
Unlike most light-based support classes—priests, clerics, and the like—
Cursed Arts Users derived their power from the Seed of Cursed Arts rooted in their flesh. Their skills were all based in darkness, including buffs that gave teammates dark affinity, dark-element attacks, and chaos-type effects.
Almost every dark-type class focused on self-empowerment.
Only the Cursed Arts User turned this on its head. They were immersed in darkness, yet served purely as support for others.
But the class came with a price.
All of their skills consumed soul power.
The more they used their soul, the more they would be gradually devoured by their own teammates, eventually becoming a soul sigil—an immensely powerful buff—and finally reduced to a rotting pool of blood and flesh.
"A class tailor-made for me..."
As the video ended, that thought suddenly struck Uchiha Itachi.
This otherworldly, peculiar class completely upended his understanding of what power meant.
He had once imagined himself supporting Sasuke by any means—helping him grow stronger, helping him advance. But in the end, the path forward still had to be Sasuke's alone.
But a Cursed Arts User—
Could truly and concretely empower Sasuke.
Itachi recalled the black flames Sasuke had released during their fight—a clearly dark-aligned technique.
Perfect for his buffs.
His original plan had been to die by Sasuke's hand after completing his mission.
If, in that moment of death, even the last shreds of his flesh could become nourishment for Sasuke's growth—
It would all be worth it.
"So it's true... fate has guided me to my path. I accept—I will become a Cursed Arts User!"
With firm resolve, Itachi picked up the ember, not even flinching at its burning heat.
The Seed of Cursed Arts,
once touched, sent fiery tendrils into his palm, burrowing deep into his body, traveling toward his heart.
Burning. Agony.
But Itachi's expression didn't change.
He had endured far worse. Now that the pain was fading, he welcomed it.
A smile—barely visible—emerged on the face that rarely showed any emotion.
The seed began to transform his body. His once-clear soul was now tinged with darkness.
[Congratulations! You have chosen the class: Cursed Arts User]
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