A sip of warm beer slid down his throat, and Lu Ping felt a comforting warmth rise in his stomach.
He looked at Kamo Chitsubaki and Ieiri Shoko chatting happily beside him, and a trace of regret welled up in his heart.
If Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo were here, things would definitely be much more lively now.
Last time we had a get-together at a barbecue restaurant, Gojo couldn't come because he was abroad. I wonder where he is now, causing trouble for Cursed Spirit in some desolate wilderness.
While listening to the two chatting, Lu Ping unknowingly finished the can of soda.
This small amount of alcohol was instantly digested by the body's [Three Corpses Manipulation], barely even qualifying as a slight buzz.
Even the high-profile banquet at the Zen Zenin last night couldn't get him drunk, so a mere can of Kirin Beer is no problem for him.
I drank it a little too quickly, and the wine was deliberately warmed, so I feel a slight dryness in my mouth right now.
"I've finished my drink. I'm going to go to the supermarket up ahead to buy another bottle of iced tea to quench my thirst."
He stood up, casually tossed the empty metal can into the nearby trash can, and greeted his two female companions.
"Is there anything you'd like to drink?"
"Give me another bottle of Kirin beer~" Qian Chun touched the deflated plastic bag behind Shoko and raised her hand.
Buy me a lighter.
Shoko patted her pocket, stubbed out the nearly burnt-out cigarette butt on the ground, and then flicked it into the standing trash can.
Lu Ping nodded, then turned and left.
Before leaving, the three of them quickly finalized their next plans: after resting, they would take the train together to Akihabara to go shopping and help him pick out a sturdy new phone.
Watching that tall, straight figure disappear around the corner, the two turned their gaze away.
"Hey, Shoko." Qian Chun pinched the edge of the can between her thumb and forefinger, tilted her head back, and poured the remaining liquid into her mouth at an angle. "What's your opinion of Lu Ping?"
Ieiri Shoko a lighter, lit a new cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and didn't think much of it.
"He's a very reliable companion," she said, giving him high praise. "And he's a Ten Shadows Sorcerer with Limitless potential. Compared to the other two strongest duo who like to talk to themselves," this guy is much more dependable.
Moreover, his fighting style is the type that deliberately takes care of his teammates. If Lu Ping could continue to be active on the front lines, the workload of emergency care in the infirmary might drop dramatically.
"Indeed."
Qian Chun nodded in agreement and placed the empty can at her feet.
However, having those two strongest at the very top is both a blessing and a curse for novice Jujutsu Sorcerer.
While top-tier combat power provides reassurance, it's precisely because those two are so dazzling that the younger generation at the Jujutsu High college often subconsciously develops a sense of complacency, thinking, "There's always someone to fall back on." Doesn't this illusion of ease inadvertently stifle the possibility of the new generation pushing their limits on the brink of life and death?
Upon hearing this, Shoko fell into a brief silence.
After a long pause, she sighed softly.
That makes sense, but as a medical professional wielding a scalpel, she only hopes that there will be fewer severed limbs lying on the emergency bed.
The requirements for training a qualified Grade 1 Sorcerer are extremely demanding.
It requires not only innate talent but also extensive practical experience and in-depth development of Innate Technique.
This is why level one and two Curse User who take on private jobs on the black market often can't beat official casters of the same level who have undergone systematic training.
Take the young lady of the Kamo Clan, for example.
In addition to receiving Jujutsu High vocational education, they also have access to the Cursed Technique experience passed down through ancient clans for hundreds of years.
She doesn't even need to fumble around like a headless fly to unleash most of the potential of [Blood Manipulation].
Even his naturally weak and sickly body could be reduced in danger through his external healing with his [Reverse Cursed Technique], which can be described as a miraculous cure.
This is entirely based on building on the shoulders of giants to achieve a favorable situation.
Meanwhile, those untrained, grassroots sorcerers outside rely entirely on guesswork to develop their Cursed Technique, and they have to swallow the consequences of going astray in their cultivation.
They suffered serious injuries but lacked adequate medical and logistical support.
Reaching the highest rating is less a matter of exceptional skill and more a matter of incredible luck.
On the other side, the supermarket's main entrance was bustling with people.
A factory worker in a cheap shirt brushed past a housewife pushing a stroller.
Lu Ping used the spare change he had with him to pick out a can of Suntory Oolong Tea from the refrigerated display case.
As soon as he stepped out of the air-conditioned sensor door, a strange sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart, whether it was the excessive heat of late summer or the lingering effects of the hot beer he had just drunk.
My right palm feels slightly warm.
The Three Corpses, lurking deep within the meridians, also began to stir restlessly.
He quickened his pace unconsciously and swiftly turned back to the corner behind the supermarket.
Only when he saw the two familiar figures, safe and sound, next to the discarded cardboard box did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
As Lu Ping walked forward, he raised his hand and hooked the pull tab on the can with his index finger.
Just as the aluminum sheet snapped with a crisp sound...
Boom!
The scene before him seemed to turn the world upside down, with the ink-stained earth filling Lu Ping's vision.
After finally managing to stand firm, a massive, viscous, and foul-smelling malice, seemingly solid, rolled over from the distant horizon without warning.
The Three Corpses' extraordinary senses sounded an alarm in their minds.
He felt as if some indescribable, terrifying being was staring at his back with a malevolent gaze, as if looking at a dead man.
A bone-chilling coldness shot up my spine and straight to the back of my head.
Lu Ping turned his head sharply, his piercing gaze piercing through the shadows at the alley entrance, trying to pinpoint the source of that malice.
However, all that could be seen at the horizon were the gray outlines of towering buildings.
The source of that eerie aura was completely outside the range of his Cursed Energy, as if it came from an extremely distant other side, making it elusive.
In the instant his attention was forcibly diverted, his hand movements underwent a barely perceptible distortion.
"Hiss-
My fingertip inadvertently brushed against the sharp metal edge of the broken pull tab.
A tiny wound instantly split open.
A few drops of bright red blood silently seeped from beneath the skin, following the lines of the cracked flesh.
Looking at the wound on his finger, Lu Ping sensed through his Cursed Energy that he could vaguely see eyeballs made of blood vying for position, each trying to squeeze out of him.
Just like yesterday when the [Blood-Eyed Curse] flared up at my Zenin Clan.
But didn't I already use the "Blood Corpse" to devour this blood-mediated curse? Why is it still flaring up?
To verify his hypothesis, he held the beverage can in his left hand and spread his five fingers in his right hand.
Sure enough, beneath the newly healed, fair skin, a pair of red compound eyes met Lu Ping's gaze through a thin layer of skin.