A full week had passed since I successfully created the Book Ring and the Pen Ring. Those seven days went by with almost no pause, without truly giving my body or mind any space to rest.
It felt as if I were being chased by something invisible, a silent pressure clinging to my back, forcing me to keep moving forward. The pressure was simple yet cruel: a demand to become stronger in order to survive in this world, a world that clearly showed no mercy to those who let their guard down.
Within that single week, my body and mind were forced to adapt to a training rhythm far harsher than anything I had endured before.
My muscles screamed constantly, my thoughts often felt dull from exhaustion, yet I gave myself no choice but to keep adjusting. I treated every ache and every throb as a fair price to pay for strength.
Every morning, even before the city truly woke and life began to stir, I was already out of bed. The air was still cold, the streets were quiet, and the only sound accompanying me was the rhythm of my own footsteps as I began Saitama-style physical training around the orphanage.
I did one hundred push-ups, carefully regulating my breathing. At the beginning, my arms still felt light, but little by little heat spread through them, making each push feel heavier than the last. My palms pressed firmly against the ground while my shoulder muscles trembled under the strain.
One hundred sit-ups felt even more merciless. Each time I lifted my body, my abdomen felt as though it were being pulled tight and crushed from the inside. My breathing faltered more than once, sweat began to drip and soak my back and temples, yet I forced myself to finish without stopping.
One hundred squat jumps became the most agonizing trial of all. Every jump made my legs shake violently, my joints protesting fiercely against the brutality of the exercise. Each time my feet struck the ground, a dull pain spread through them, yet I kept jumping, refusing to give up until I reached the final count.
After that, I ran one hundred meters ten times, circling the orphanage grounds. My heart pounded wildly, my breathing grew heavier, and my footsteps struck the ground in an almost mechanical rhythm.
My vision blurred several times, but I maintained my pace until my body was completely heated through and drenched in sweat.
The afternoon was devoted to training my control over Cursed Energy. I ventured deep into the forest, choosing a location that was truly secluded and rarely visited by people. There, among tall, dense trees, I stood still and began circulating Cursed Energy throughout my body.
The energy felt cold yet heavy, seeping into my muscles, bones, and bloodstream. The sensation sent shivers across my skin, but I forced myself to control it more delicately.
I tried to keep the flow of energy stable, preventing it from surging violently, then gradually released it outward to strike the surrounding trees.
Tree trunks cracked instantly, some even collapsing with loud crashes. Leaves scattered through the air, the ground trembled each time the Cursed Energy erupted, leaving shallow craters and splintered wood strewn around me.
I deliberately chose this place so that the sounds of impact and explosions would not reach the city's residents. However, despite my caution, accidents still happened. Some of the explosions were too loud, and rumors eventually reached the ears of the people of Akiruno City.
For a brief moment, whispers spread about a massive explosion deep within the forest, making some residents uneasy. Fortunately, the rumors did not escalate and gradually faded without drawing excessive attention.
As evening approached, before returning to the orphanage, I continued my training by using my Innate Technique. This was the part that demanded the greatest concentration.
I sat still, closed my eyes, focused my thoughts completely, and began attempting to form various useful Cursed Tools.
Each attempt required precise control over the flow of Cursed Energy and an extremely clear image within my mind. Even the slightest deviation could cause the form to collapse, the energy to disperse, or the result to turn out completely different from what I intended.
Every failure forced me to start over from the beginning, rapidly draining both my stamina and concentration.
However, over the course of this full week, all that effort finally paid off. I succeeded in creating eight new Cursed Tools. None of them were mere experiments or empty practice. They were serious preparations.
I was in the midst of preparing all of this to face Cursed Spirits that I would use as combat training, the first step toward sharpening my battle experience before confronting threats far more real and deadly.
I intended to use every one of those Cursed Tools to fight the Cursed Spirits that roam Akiruno City after nightfall, when the light fades, shadows stretch long, and curses move far more freely without being bound by human supervision.
Nighttime was the most dangerous period, yet it was also the most suitable moment to hunt and to temper my combat abilities in a truly practical way.
The eight Cursed Tools each served different purposes and complemented one another. The first was the Movement Enhancement Shoes, the primary tool that formed the foundation of my mobility on the battlefield.
Next was the Shield Watch, which functioned as personal defense, the Blade Knife as my main weapon for close-quarters combat, and the Barrier Pen, which I used to restrict the combat area and prevent unnecessary commotion so the battle would not spill into the surrounding environment.
To detect the presence of Cursed Spirits, I created the Sand Sensor Compass, capable of reading subtle changes in the flow of energy around it.
If I had to deal with ordinary humans who were accidentally caught up in the situation, I prepared a Calming Perfume so they would lose consciousness and perceive everything they saw as nothing more than a vague, fleeting dream.
In addition, there was the Protective Hoodie Sweater to shield my body from direct attacks, as well as the Deceptive Ghost Mask, which I wore to conceal my identity and avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
None of those Cursed Tools were made from luxurious or rare materials. On the contrary, I crafted all of them by making use of discarded items scattered throughout Akiruno City.
During my morning runs, I deliberately paid closer attention to my surroundings, carefully scanning the corners of the city and discovering several neglected piles of discarded goods that people had long ignored.
From worn-out shoes with soles on the verge of coming apart, broken wristwatches with lifeless hands, to small objects that appeared utterly useless, I gathered them little by little.
Those items later became the mediums through which I created Cursed Tools using my Innate Technique, infusing lifeless objects with new functions that far surpassed their original purposes.
Exactly one day after I succeeded in creating the Book Ring and the Pen Ring, I produced the first Cursed Tool in this series: the Movement Enhancement Shoes.
These shoes became the cornerstone of my entire fighting style. I understood all too well that without the ability to move quickly, agilely, and with stability, facing Cursed Spirits would amount to nothing more than suicide. Speed was not merely an advantage; it was an absolute requirement for survival.
[Name of Cursed Tool: Movement Enhancement Shoes]
[Type: Active]
[Function:
1. By channeling Cursed Energy into the shoes, the user gains physical enhancement focused on both legs. This enhancement significantly increases propulsion, muscular strength, and the durability of the leg bones. With this effect, the user can run at speeds far beyond those of a normal human, perform longer and higher jumps, and execute extreme directional changes without damaging the physical structure of the legs, even when performing sudden maneuvers on uneven terrain.]
[2. As long as the flow of Cursed Energy remains stable and uninterrupted, every movement of the user's legs becomes more efficient and precise. Footing feels far more secure across various surfaces, whether soil, concrete, or rubble. Overall balance improves drastically, and energy loss from impacts or harsh landings is reduced to a minimum, allowing the user to fight longer without excessive fatigue.]
[Rules: 1. Activation of the Movement Enhancement Shoes occurs when Cursed Energy is channeled into them. Once activated, the shoes continuously enhance the user's leg physique for a full hour without interruption. After this time limit is reached, the enhancement effect disappears automatically without any gradual decline, regardless of the user's physical condition or desire to maintain it.]
[2. To reactivate the Movement Enhancement Shoes after the duration ends, the user must channel Cursed Energy again from the beginning, consuming an amount of energy equivalent to the previous activation. Usage time cannot be stacked, extended, or stored, meaning each activation always stands as a separate use and demands careful calculation before being employed again.]
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