Shin emerged from the same place he had entered and resumed his sprint. His path intersected with that of a wretched homeless man, but Shin merely gave the struggling individual a fleeting glance before continuing onward.
Upon completing his jog, Shin returned to school and chose to spend the remainder of the day immersing himself in academia. He spent hours researching Curse Energy, Domains, and Shinigami, yet Shin failed to come across any information regarding the creation of curse tools. "A staff akin to Sun Wukong's would be most ideal," Shin mused, his hopes dashed as he realized there were no such resources available.
Feeling disheartened, Shin decided to venture around the city to pass the time until nightfall. Shin relished in sampling the local cuisine, admiring the beautiful landscapes, and exploring popular tourist destinations. After a five-hour stroll, Shin stumbled upon a secluded spot and indulged in ten packets of Ottogi Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snacks as he enjoyed some solitude.
As Shin peacefully basked in his alone time, he observed various small curses floating around him. Most of these curses were roughly the size of a volleyball and moved about aimlessly. However, to Shin's astonishment, they all suddenly ceased their movements simultaneously.
Shin paused his snack intake momentarily, gazing curiously at the curious behavior of the small curses. To his astonishment, they all turned in unison and began to march southward. Finishing off his noodles, Shin swiftly followed them, and soon realized that these curses were guiding him towards an abandoned cemetery.
As he entered the eerie grounds, a putrid stench assaulted his nostrils. He traced the odor to its source and discovered a severely injured Grade 3 Curse Spirit. The spirit was struggling with evidence of a fierce battle around it - blood splattered across the headstones, mangled gravestones, and disarrayed earth.
Intrigued by the smaller curses' behavior, Shin perched himself upon a nearby tombstone, providing him with an excellent vantage point to witness the unfolding scene. The injured curse spirit noticed its assailants closing in but could hardly muster any resistance against their onslaught. It raised its arms feebly, attempting to ward off the smaller curses. But to no avail.
The smaller curses swarmed around the weakened spirit, relentlessly attacking it. They jumped on top of the injured curse, pecking, pulling, punching, clawing, and biting at its body mercilessly. The spirit let out a blood-curdling shriek as it flailed wildly in an attempt to shake off its tormentors. Its limbs thrashed helplessly, but the curses persisted in their assault.
As Shin watched, the mass of smaller curses continued to rip and tear apart the injured spirit, enjoying a free meal. They grew stronger with each bite, their bodies expanding in size. "This is quite an interesting spectacle," Shin thought to himself. "Someone should definitely make a reality show out of this. show the wildlife of curses regarding their life in their natural environment"
Finishing my snack, Shin headed back towards the city center, where the nightlife was just as lively as it had been during the day. Drunk employees blacked out on the sidewalks, prostitutes aggressively hollering for attention, and passive curses hovering about on rooftops and atop people - it was all part of the show.
Intrigued by the toothpick given to me earlier by a woman dressed like a maid, Shin decided to practice a new skill, toothpick flicking. At first, my aim was terrible, but after hours of practice, Shin managed to kill a curse that resembled a bird. This new pastime became quite enjoyable as Shin flicked at curses attached to people's heads and shoulders, watching them react with surprise and pain. Fortunately, the toothpicks never hurt any innocent civilians - their force simply stopped upon impact with the curses.
As Shin continued his stroll through the city streets, Shin noticed a few incidents of street crime occurring in dark alleyways out of the civilian's perception. In each case, Shin took advantage of the opportunity to aim and fire a toothpick with deadly accuracy. Shin's target was always the same: the upper back where the neck connects to the head or thoracic region. The result? A quick and painless paralysis for unsuspecting criminals.
Shin relished the game, pausing intermittently to immobilize criminals as he strolled back. Upon returning home, Shin joined the others for dinner, engaging in conversation about my day, strategically omitting the encounters with criminals, an obvious omission.
Seeing that it was now 11:24 PM, Shin set the alarm for 2:30 AM and took a brief rest. As Shin closed my eyes, Shin envisioned himself seated in a dimly lit room, surrounded by watching eyes. When the alarm finally sounded, Shin swiftly prepared before making his way to the school's entrance.
Approaching the front, Shin noticed Gojo sensei already waiting for him. As they met, Shin pondered how they would reach their destination, considering most transportation services were inactive for the night. Sensing Shin's confusion, Gojo sensei reassured him, placing a hand on Shin's shoulder, and with a sudden 'pop,' they traversed from the school to an open field bordered by a derelict village.
Gojo, grinning: "We've arrived! Convenient, isn't it?"
Shin: "I feel a bit peculiar."
Gojo: "Don't fret, just let it pass, you'll feel better soon."
Surveying the surroundings, Shin noticed numerous sorcerers assembled, awaiting the remainder of the raiding party before initiating the operation. During the two-hour wait, Shin and Gojo delved into casual conversations about their interest in anime, culinary preferences, interests, curses, and various other topics.
As the last sorcerer arrived, Gojo opted out of the raid, tasked instead with erecting a protective veil, anticipating potential threats, since the target was not a special-grade threat.
When the veil descended, the assembly of sorcerers gathered. A figure emerged and organized the group into two factions: attackers and defenders. Shin eagerly joined the attackers, entrusted with the daunting duty of exorcising the Grade 1 curse known as the Hunger Deity.
Two seasoned sorcerers commenced their rituals, channeling incantations while a third played a haunting melody on a flute. The haunting tune seemed to dispel the tension, soothing the collective nerves of the assembled sorcerers. Suddenly, the eerie calm shattered as the Hunger Deity burst forth from the desolate confines of a nearby house, its deafening roar echoing through the air. From a distance, Shin studied the abhorrent sight: a towering 20-foot figure, its body possessing the frailty of a starved man, its emaciated limbs contrasting starkly against a grotesquely distended stomach.
The attackers, Shin among them, surged forward toward the formidable adversary. Flanking them, the defenders moved in unison, forming a protective barrier. With their approach, the Hunger Deity's roar echoed, summoning Grade two to three curses from the dilapidated structures around them.
Undeterred, the defenders sprang into action, intercepting the weaker curses, and carving a path for the attackers to confront the Hunger Deity head-on. As they converged upon the monstrosity, the group dispersed, each member executing their unique assault. Shin, armed with his trusty staff, honed in on the Deity's lower extremities, singling out its legs for attack.
Climbing swiftly to the towering entity's feet, Shin unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes upon its kneecap, his blows fueled by excitement and enjoyment from bashing flesh. The Deity, agitated, attempted to retaliate, its hand swiping menacingly toward Shin. However, astute sorcerers intervened swiftly, comprehending Shin's strategy.
With a sorcerer binding the Deity's right hand in ethereal chains protruding from the ground and another using their massive shinigami to pin down its left, Shin found an opening. Employing all his strength, Shin relentlessly assaulted the Deity's legs with his staff, finally managing to sever one after a prolonged exchange. Shifting his focus to the other kneecap, Shin started enjoying the raid festivity.
Perched atop the fallen limb stood a sorcerer wielding a katana with a crimson blade. With a single decisive strike, the red blade cleaved through the limb, yet upon impact, the scarlet hue faded, revealing a mundane blade beneath as it chipped and crumbled.
Shin swiftly redirected his focus to the Deity's arms, particularly the left one held in place. Accelerating his pace, he ascended the Deity's arms with remarkable speed, reaching its elbows before delivering a powerful blow that severed the left arm cleanly thanks to its malnourishment.
The loss of its arm destabilized the Deity, causing it to lurch to one side, struggling to regain equilibrium. Capitalizing on this moment, five sorcerers combined their efforts to sever the other arm, causing the Deity to collapse, rendered immobile.
As the incapacitated Deity struggled, all the sorcerers capitalized on the opportunity, charging towards its head to conclude the raid. However, as Shin prepared to make his final dash, a new presence infiltrated his senses. Sensing a peculiar fragrance, Shin diverted his attention to the right of the Deity, discovering three cloaked figures rushing towards it.
Reacting swiftly, Shin altered his course, aiming to intercept and confront the hooded figures. Upon noticing Shin, one of the cloaked individuals summoned a shinigami, whisking all three towards the Deity. Despite Shin's attempts to warn the other sorcerers, his cries went unheard amidst the chaos.
While in pursuit, Shin observed the three figures land unnoticed behind the Deity, hidden from both him and the sorcerers focused on assaulting the Deity's skull. Consumed by the urgency of alerting the group, Shin failed to notice a crucial change in the Deity's demeanor. Helpless, it lay vulnerable, its only defense residing in its resilient skull, impeding the sorcerers' efforts to terminate it.
Continuing their relentless attacks, the sorcerers abruptly withdrew, sensing a surge in cursed energy emanating from the Deity. Vigilantly cautious, they observed the Deity's actions, witnessing its sudden regeneration of lost limbs. To their shock and horror, the Deity composed itself before grotesquely beginning to consume its flesh.
The sight before them left the sorcerers utterly bewildered. The Hunger Deity, once a Grade 1 threat, now transformed into something much more terrifying - a Special-Grade entity. As it continued its horrifying act of self-cannibalism, they watched in horror as its body morphed and changed before their very eyes.
Suddenly, the Deity collapsed once again, this time releasing an explosion of liquid and flesh from its ruptured abdomen. From the mess emerged a smaller humanoid curse, adorned with antlers sprouting from its skull and legs that resembled those of a deer. As it stood tall at the average height for an adult, the sorcerers couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread.
With a roar that shook the very foundations of their being, the Special-Grade Hunger entity surged forward, its antlers glinting menacingly in the moonlight. The onlookers froze in fear, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the threat they now faced. But amidst the paralyzing terror, one voice rose above the rest, urging them all to launch a barrage of ranged attacks at the approaching behemoth.
Their efforts, however, proved to be futile - the entity merely laughed off their feeble attempts, undeterred by their assaults. Meanwhile, Shin, unaware of the true nature of the threat he faced, sped toward the hooded figures. In his mind, the Deity had been successfully exorcised, its deteriorating and dissipating mass having convinced him that the raid was a success.
As Shin hurriedly traced the hooded figure's unique scent, he glimpsed them preparing to depart after injecting something into the back of the deity. Rushing at full speed, he attempted to apprehend at least one, but they had already taken flight after achieving their objective. "Damn it."
Surveying the aftermath, Shin observed a needle-like tube inserted into the deity, filled with an unknown liquid. "Is this the same substance Jiu used? What does it do?" Suddenly, a burst occurred, emitting a putrid, nauseating odor. The stench was so repugnant that Shin instinctively covered his mouth and nose, but amidst this, he noticed unfamiliar footsteps emerging from the deity and scampering away. "What the hell was that?"
Reluctant to linger in the noxious air, Shin hastened back to the group, still unaware of the ongoing developments. En route, Shin spotted a colossal black sphere originating from where the group was situated. "Did someone initiate a Domain Expansion? What's going on? I thought the raid was over."
Upon his return, the black sphere vanished, unveiling a gruesome scene: his comrades' bodies and scattered limbs littered the once verdant ground, now stained red, the metallic scent of iron thick in the air. "What the hell happened here..." Suddenly, Shin sensed a formidable sound wave ahead, surpassing human capabilities, accompanied by the same repugnant odor Shin had detected near the deity's body.
As the source of the disturbance emerged, Shin was stunned to witness a figure reminiscent of a wendigo. On high alert, Shin stood prepared for combat, clutching his staff. The entity halted, locking eyes with Shin. Tense moments passed as both assessed each other. Then, in a chilling display, the being gripped both its upper and lower jaw, tearing them apart to reveal another visage beneath, whispering words barely perceptible to an average person, yet discernible to Shin.
"Domain Expansion, Unquench Hunger."