Chapter 79: Prelude
Time quietly flowed by amidst scattered missions and high-intensity training. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed since that life-and-death battle with the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Gargoyle.
In these two months, Rin went on several more missions with Miguel, but most of them were clean-up operations for low-grade Cursed Spirits. He hadn't encountered another Special Grade opponent that would allow him to go all out.
For the remaining time, he practically treated the training ground as his second "home," dedicating himself to honing his Cursed Technique and combat skills.
The metal floor of the training ground gleamed with a cold, hard luster, and a newly purchased batch of iron puppets from Geto Suguru were neatly lined up in the corner.
These Grade 1 Cursed Tools, inscribed with Cursed Markings that enhance hardness and attack precision, have a long production cycle and are expensive, making them rarely seen by ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerers.
However, for Geto Suguru now, as long as it helps improve combat power, these costs are insignificant.
Rin stood before a brand-new iron puppet, not assuming any defensive combat stance. He simply stood casually, his hands naturally hanging at his sides, with no trace of Cursed Energy flow detectable around him, as if he were merely observing an ordinary creation.
Suddenly, a black and red Cursed Energy bullet shot past Rin's side, moving so fast that it left only a blurry afterimage.
The next second, with a muffled "bang," the iron puppet's head was instantly blasted into pieces. Wisps of smoke rose from the broken surface, and its uncontrolled body crashed to the ground with a "clatter," raising a cloud of dust.
The entire process took less than half a second. Rin remained standing in place, not even shifting his toes, as if the attack, powerful enough to instantly kill a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, was merely a flick of dust.
He slowly walked to the remains of the iron puppet and looked down at the jagged break, but gently shook his head. He had recently been specializing in the "Instant Bullet Cursed Technique," striving to launch attacks without exposing any Cursed Energy fluctuations or making any preparatory movements.
However, although the Cursed Energy bullet just now accurately hit its target, it still leaked a tiny energy fluctuation, far from his envisioned "perfect instant activation."
Ryomen Sukuna's figure involuntarily appeared in his mind. The King of Curses's slashes were always silent, sudden, and without any warning, as if such a fatal cut should naturally exist between heaven and earth.
Although Rin could now launch instant attacks, it was far from Ryomen Sukuna's effortless ease. That domineering "raise a hand, and it becomes law" was the composure of truly standing at the pinnacle of power, not a deliberately applied technique.
"The King of Curses truly lives up to his reputation,"
he murmured softly, unconsciously rubbing his fingertips:
"When I watched the anime before, I only thought his'strength' was for plot convenience. It wasn't until I personally stepped into this world and became a Jujutsu Sorcerer that I truly understood that his terror couldn't be conveyed by visuals. That power, which crushes everything, is ingrained in his very being."
He looked up at the target at the end of the training ground, black and red Cursed Energy flickering at his fingertips, his eyes growing more resolute:
"This much progress isn't enough... I still have a long way to go."
Putting aside his thoughts of Sukuna, Rin slowly raised his right fist, his arm relaxed and hanging down, without deliberately tensing his muscles or any sign of Cursed Energy mobilization.
He slowly threw a punch towards another intact iron puppet in front of him. His fist lightly landed on the iron puppet's cold chest, with a force so gentle it felt like just a fingertip touching the metal casing.
But the next second, a thunderous "boom" suddenly erupted!
Beneath the seemingly light fist, a highly destructive burst of Cursed Energy suddenly exploded, and black and red energy violently diffused within the iron puppet's chest cavity.
The metal casing was torn like paper, instantly blasting open a hole the size of a bowl. The edges of the iron plate were scorched and curled by the Cursed Energy, emitting tiny sparks, and fragments splattered onto the ground several meters away, making crisp clinking sounds.
Rin withdrew his fist, looking at the hole in the iron puppet's chest, his fingertips still faintly trembling from the Cursed Energy burst.
This was not purely physical damage, but the core result of his training over these two months: perfectly integrating Cursed Techniques into physical attacks, making his fists and feet the "vessels" for Cursed Techniques.
Before, his attacks were clearly delineated: physical techniques relied on physical strikes of strength and speed, while Cursed Techniques were long-range attacks that required raising a hand and charging up. The two were like parallel lines, always separated by a layer.
But now, he can compress Cursed Techniques at the moment of impact, silently infiltrating the target's interior along the punch, and then detonating it at the moment of contact.
There were no superfluous movements, no obvious Cursed Energy fluctuations. The enemy would think it was just an ordinary punch or kick, unaware that a deadly Cursed Technique was already hidden within.
He then lifted his left leg, seemingly casually kicking the iron puppet's leg. The instant his foot touched the metal, Cursed Energy erupted again, and the iron puppet's knee joint was instantly shattered, causing the entire leg to collapse to the ground with a "clatter."
"Finally, I've mastered it."
Rin flexed his wrist, black and red Cursed Energy flashing across his fingertips, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Now, every one of his physical attacks could conceal a deadly Cursed Technique strike. Close combat was no longer purely "physical confrontation."
Instead, it was full of variables from Cursed Technique surprise attacks. This "Cursed Technique-Body Fusion" attack style increased his close-range threat by more than double compared to two months ago.
As Rin examined the iron puppet's remains, replaying the details of the Cursed Technique-Body Fusion attack, he suddenly heard a crisp round of applause from behind.
He turned at the sound to see Geto Suguru standing at the entrance of the training ground, a familiar gentle smile on his face.
"That's really impressive," Geto Suguru slowly approached, his gaze sweeping over the damaged iron puppets on the ground, his tone full of admiration:
"Your progress speed is getting faster and faster. In terms of current combat ability alone, you've probably surpassed me."
Facing this praise, Rin merely smiled faintly, without any hint of pride or complacency.
The increase in his strength did not make him relax his guard; instead, it made him more clearly aware of his shortcomings. In the long "survival marathon" of the Jujutsu World, he might have surpassed ninety-nine percent of Jujutsu Sorcerers.
However, he was still an unreachable distance from the two beings standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid: Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna.
As long as these two existed, he would never feel truly safe.
Thinking of this, Rin gently shook his head, his tone humble:
"Teacher, you jest. If you hadn't constantly guided me on the application techniques of Cursed Techniques and provided me with such excellent training conditions, how could I have progressed so quickly? Ultimately, it's because you teach so well."
These words were not deliberate flattery, but they made Geto Suguru's smile deepen, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He had always admired this quality in Rin.
The stronger one becomes, the more one learns to temper one's sharpness, neither underestimating oneself nor becoming arrogant.
The two stood in the training ground and chatted for a few more moments, their conversation ranging from Cursed Technique skills to recent developments in the Jujutsu World, the atmosphere relaxed and casual.
After about ten minutes of conversation, Geto Suguru put away his smile, his tone becoming a bit more serious:
"To business, there's a mission I need you to handle with me."
Rin didn't hesitate at all: "Okay, I have no problem. Do we need to leave now?"
"Yes, no time to lose." Geto Suguru nodded. "No need to pack anything special, we'll go directly. We should arrive in half an hour at the fastest."
Rin responded, casually tucking the document into his pocket, then turned and followed Geto Suguru towards the training ground exit.