Name: Richard Santen
Age: 23 Years Old
Gender: Male
Level: 3
Class: --
Strength: 40
Vitality: 40
Defense: 40
Agility: 40
Cursed Energy: 9120
Cursed Energy Output: 30
Skills
1) Reverse Cursed Technique
Seated on the bare ground, I readily welcomed the rush of insight that came with the activation of the Status Plate. A simple drop of blood on the designated port in the corner lit up the rectangular artifact of dull silver with blue glow in the dark writings.
According to these numbers, I had the durability, stamina, and healing of four of my previous self compressed into one body, the strength to lift four times my weight, and a maximum sprint speed of 40 mph.
And this was without the infusion of cursed energy. Don't even get me started on the cursed energy. The explanation for the absurd number beside the attribute didn't come from the Status Plate.
The cursed energy info dump was responsible for that one. 10,000 it turns out was my total, a number I had come to learn meant my potential, had I been reborn in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, would be peak Grade 1.
Frankly, I wondered why my benefactor didn't shoot straight for Special Grade. They had to know it was impossible to increase one's cursed energy reserves.
I refused to believe they didn't have a plan for that if my guess for why I was reborn turned out to be the right one. This peak of this world's magic could warp reality, and I was in one of the gauntlets designed to grant those who completed it a portion of that power.
Compared to the things Hajime could do after clearing this labyrinth alone, cursed energy that wasn't Special Grade seemed hilariously impotent in comparison. Coughing baby hydrogen bomb type situation.
I also didn't have an innate technique, meaning no domain expansion. What's up with that?
Though the ability to use reverse cursed technique in this labyrinth of all places hinted towards something I desperately hoped would pan out as I imagined.
Healer: Cursed energy is capable of a great many things, but it does have its limitations. As an innately negative form of energy, it is impossible to use it to heal oneself or others in its base form, for instance. Yet there is a way around this: a method known as reverse cursed technique. By multiplying cursed energy against itself, it instead becomes a 'positive' form of energy, and thus can be used to heal. While this sounds simple, it's a rather complex thing in practice, with many talented sorcerers being unable to grasp the process.
You, however, don't struggle with this at all, being a true master of reverse cursed technique. The most obvious benefit this gives you is the ability to heal yourself as well as others through physical contact. Though you may leave some scars behind for more serious wounds, with this you're capable of healing anything from cuts and bruises to slit throats and missing limbs. The more severe the injury and the faster you wish to heal it, however, the more energy will be required, and there are certain things that are more difficult to cure. Poisons, for example, take a lot of concentrated effort to neutralise, and damage to the soul cannot be healed at all.
This is only one use of reverse cursed technique, though: significantly, it can also be used in conjunction with one's cursed technique. By powering one's cursed technique using the positive energy generated through reverse cursed technique, its effect becomes reversed. A technique that pulled people closer would be made to repel them, while one that weakened gravity in an area would amplify it instead. While any user of reverse cursed technique would be able to use this, purchasing this perk allows you to apply this reversal of effects to any other supernatural powers you may possess.
Treasure Trove: Etched into a piece of jewelry, this is a powerful artifact that contains a small pocket dimension attached to it. As useful as can be to store things that you can't carry around normally. When called or desired the objects will appear at arm's length from you. If you want, it can be something like a bag or something else, although jewelry is the default for a reason.
Status Plate: A 10 x 5 cm card, touchscreen with scroll option, that lists all your powers, abilities and perks. It also serves as an identification card in this world. If you want to, you can
choose what powers can be displayed in the card, to avoid too many questions from others. If stolen or lost you will find it again in your pocket or warehouse an hour later.
Harvesting Kit: A set of knives and scalpels, some cleaning potions and materials. It has everything you need to cut up and preserve a magical animal perfectly, without any part going bad. Generates sanitized glass containers to prevent anything getting contaminated, the containers are indestructible. The materials in the kit naturally replace themselves over time when used up and you know how to use all of them.
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean: A paper bag filled with jelly beans enchanted to have one random flavor. ANY flavor and your packet is endless.
Magic Cooking Pot: A simple iron pan that can magically light a fire underneath itself when set up. Even when off of a fire, it will heat items placed in it to the desired temperature. All meals and elixirs cooked on it will receive a boost in quality, and can provide a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the ingredients used. Magically provides a comfortable temperature nearby when in use.
Magic Compass: This magical compass has been imbued with your soul. Not in a bad way, just enough to create a link. The needle always points to whatever you most desire, or the means to get to that which you desire. It can be hard to tell. Anyways, at least you'll always know where your next step is, so long as you know what you want. If you don't know what you really desire, the compass doesn't either.
Forgotten Relic: An ancient item left by your ancestors, the legend says it was made by either a group of "Liberators" or by a mad god. In terms of materials, supposedly it won't lose against the Holy Sword that the summoned hero wields, and it has a good number of tricks that are yet to be discovered. It may be a rod that absorbs mana from enemies, or an axe capable of ignoring all defenses. In any case, you can be assured it's both powerful and it mashes well with your combat style. Feel free to import another weapon into this role.
Anti Gravitic Darksword - For those who desire to break the rules of physics. The blade is thick and wide, requiring the wielder to hold it in an unusual manner. It holds onto the power of the occult and dark surprisingly well and the technique imbued into it nullifies gravity around the blade, making it weightless. Imbuing it with reversed cursed energy however will yield some… interesting results…
Placing down the Status Plate with a sigh, I looked at the item in my right hand and flicked it open with my thumb, revealing a needle that allegedly pointed towards what I wanted most at this moment… a way to grow stronger.
Shifting my gaze up a little bit brought the dead rabbit into view, its cooling corpse and the magic compass' guidance to it a confirmation of what I needed to do.
I lowered the mystic wayfinder to the ground and looked at two of the other items I'd retrieved from the ring. They were a small, travel size suitcase and a cooking pot with a self generated flame burning underneath.
I alternated my gaze between the two, going over their functions and piecing together how their synergy would give me what I wanted.
There was little doubt they had been chosen along with the reverse cursed technique to help me undertake this potentially lethal endeavor. They had to be. It was the only thing that made sense.
The reverse cursed technique hadn't failed me when blood pooled in my mangled throat. There was no reason to doubt it now.... other than my own paranoia that this was somehow a trick designed to make me die painfully.
I shook my head at that convoluted theory and dragged the wooden case forward, flipping it open and getting a refresher course on its neatly arranged contents.
Nodding to myself after determining what I needed for what came next, I grabbed a small knife, an even smaller scalpel, a clean, folded rag, and a potion vial filled with a clear substance.
Careful in my handling of the glass container, I moved to the edge of the small crater where the rabbit lay in a pool of its caked blood. I pried it from the clingy, black red carpet and turned it over in my hands, the knowledge from the kit guiding me on where to start cutting.
What followed was a messy but fruitful affair that involved skinning, deboning, and a host of other terms I had no idea were even related to the processing of animal carcasses.
Almost an hour later, I sat before the magic cooking pot, peering at its dry and oilless bottom, hoping that its magical properties would at least improve the taste of the literal death meat I intended to eat.
The things we do for power… and this was my first day.
With a subtle head shake, I dropped every neatly cut piece of the rabbit into the wide and hot pan, filling my temporary safe haven with a light sizzling and smoky aroma.
Being so close to it, I noticed the tiny flame beneath the pan intensify on its own, increasing the amount of warmth and light in the barrier by a noticeable amount.
Saying another wordless thanks to no one, I poked and prodded at the meat with the tiny knife (cleaned of course) and flipped them over from time to time, getting a sense of progression from the pan itself.
Less than ten minutes later, the flame went a few notches lower and the sizzling followed suit. The pot had finished working its magic.
I stuck a knife in the smallest of the slices and brought it to my lips to blow on it, thinking about the subtle thirst that had crept over the last couple of hours.
Whatever. There was a stream on this floor if I remember correctly. I could find it with the magic compass, however that meant leaving the safety of this barrier.
I had given it a condition that monsters could not cross it whatsoever. That didn't mean they couldn't just sit and wait for me to emerge. They were magical monsters, and I chose to assume the worst when it came to their intelligence.
Besides, I had a clear route to gain more power right here and now. An actionable way to increase my chances against anything and everything out there. Not taking it would make me a coward and a fool.
Power and the willingness to use it was the cheat code to life, and I would be damned if I didn't enter the damned keys when given the chance.
Propped up by my many mental abilities, any and all hesitation melted away to nothing.
Cursed energy responded to my call and wreathed everything below my skin from head to toe, its nature shifting to its positive and restorative version not a moment later.
With a wide and complete bite, the slightly steaming meat disappeared from view and I started chewing, eyebrows rising at the not terrible taste. It was way better than I expected, like the lowest effort prepared steak.
Truly not bad.
With further, surprising gusto, I poked another slice in the pot and stuffed the whole thing right as my mouth's former occupant went down to hopefully not kill me.
Emboldened by the passable taste of the poisonous delicacy, I wolfed down slice after slice, finding myself unable to stop. Guess I was really hungry.
Optimized metabolism didn't mean jack shit if there was no gas in the tank.
With my jaws hard at work breaking down the last of the treacherous meal, I grabbed another clean rag from the harvesting kit, noting how the stock had been replenished, and wiped my hands and lips.
Some cool refreshing water would actually be great right about now but, oh well. The things we do for power.
Throwing the rag aside, I shut my eyes and focused on maintaining the reversed state of my cursed energy, the reality of what I'd ingested chasing away the high that came with being satiated.
I sat there and waited, ignoring the slight uptick in my heartbeat, the heat clinging to me like plaster, and the claws of thirst growing longer and sharper in my throat.
The change hit me all of a sudden.
One moment I had my head lowered with both hands joined in a sign that helped me focus, the next, I clutched at my chest with urgency, internal organs in a metal grinder and my heart threatening to burst.
I fell back and writhed like a dying snake, my mental powers, the suddenly easier control of cursed energy, and the drool flowing down my open lips serving as the lone anchors for my conscious mind.
I regained enough control after the first few seconds and took back control of the cursed energy, a small part of me appreciating the tiny improvement in its obedience.
The familiar soothing of reverse cursed technique enveloped me from head to toe and my struggle melted like snow in the daylight, the biggest breath of relief rushing out my chest.
Laying flat against the ground, I watched my bloodied shirt rise up and down with my quickened breath, wondering if this was it. The answer came to me promptly as the world blurred and I experienced the closest thing to being fed to a woodchipper. Again.
Again and again, the cycle of being ground to nothing and pieced back together repeated, the many mental abilities I possessed making sure I didn't miss even a millisecond of the agony.
I didn't count how many times I had to pull myself back from the brink. I was too busy whimpering, wishing, praying, and begging for it to end, and it seemed someone heard my pleas.
After more than a minute with no flare ups, I cycled healing energy through my whole being for another full one. The expected agony was a no show, making me close my eyes and sigh in true relief.
With a sharp tilt of my head, I peeled my face from the ground and drool puddle, frowning at the black veins lining my forearm as I forced my whole body up and wiped my lips.
A similar scene revealed itself on my other arm, chest, and abdomen, and an explanation for this development rushed to mind. It was a cosmetic side effect of being mutated by the monster meat.
The same thing happened to Hajime after his transformation, though mine didn't pulse with red light like his own or the monsters. I grabbed the Status Plate to put eyes to (hopefully) any changes and paused at the vague reflection on its dull silver surface.
My features weren't too clear, but I could make out the gem-like red of my eyes, my well groomed pencil mustache, and the messy neck-length hair with thick strands stuck to my sweat stained forehead.
The latter two were not the jet black I'd known all my life. They had done a complete 180, reversed to a sterile white that matched the fur I used to clean the crusted blood off my hands.
I tilted the plate for a better look, pushing the hair out of my face and slicking it back, brushing the length of my bleached facial hair right after.
It was a… unique look, but I digged it. This was a fantasy world and I had fantasy powers. Might as well look the part. The only thing I'd change would be the veins. They were a no for me. I stared at the unwelcome changes for a good few seconds before shrugging and focusing on the Status Plate.
There was no use at gawking if it wasn't going to fix the problem.
I triggered the plate with no small amount of curiosity, fear, and anxiety. All muted of course. The artifact lit up with a luminous blue that would soon grow familiar and ohhhh boy did these readings put a smile on my face.
Name: Richard Santen
Age: 23 Years Old
Gender: Male
Level:12
Class: --
Strength: 200
Vitality: 100
Defense: 200
Agility: 400
Cursed Energy: 10100
Cursed Energy Output: 100
Skills
1) Reverse Cursed Technique
[/spoiler]
My smile was all teeth.
Despite my disappointment at the distinct lack of the famed "Iron Stomach" and the monster rabbit's air superiority abilities, I couldn't bring myself to complain about the sparse skill section.
Not only did my cursed energy grow—a hint that the mutagenic effects of the meat transcended the physical—the boost to my attributes were way higher than expected due to the magic pot's influence.
If I had to gauge it, I'd say it doubled the gains… roughly, and all I had to do in exchange was withstand being torn apart and sewn back together over and over.
The thought didn't dampen my enthusiasm one bit. If my apparent incompatibility with this world's enviable magic didn't do it, there was no way some meager pain would.
Energized and eager to put my strengthened body through its paces, I shut the harvesting kit case and focused on it, the magic pan, the compass, and the Status Plate, shunting them into the Treasure Trove.
Cyan portals ringed with writing I couldn't decipher appeared beneath the chosen items and sucked them in before vanishing, leaving behind two items: a bag of jelly beans and a black sword three fourths my height and nearly half my width.
Judging that my height of 5 foot 8 inches hadn't changed even with the multiversal and mutative hoops I'd gone through, this was a big ass sword.
Leaning the weightless blade against my chest, I hooked my head around its handle and fished out some of the jelly beans from the paper bag, the smell of chocolate tickling my nose.
I made sure my mouth was full with the stuff before storing the bag and grabbing the sword by the handle.
Long past doubting my abilities, I pull all my trust in the one that made an overnight master in the sword and eased into the memories and instincts it had ingrained in me.
Master Swordsman: You possess the incredible skill of a seasoned swordsman. Your reflexes, precision, and technique are at a level that only the most dedicated of sword fighters can reach. Whether you're armed with a katana or any other blade, you can easily slice through enemies with devastating accuracy. With every swing of your sword, you can precisely cut through opponents or deflect incoming attacks, leaving your enemies in awe of your skill. This is the foundation of Atomic Samurai's incredible swordsmanship.
I went through some motions just to get the blood flowing before ending in a guarding stance, cursed energy responding eagerly to my wishes of reinforcement and reversal.
Through a short experiment, I'd discovered that reverse cursed energy could be used for reinforcement just fine, it just cost double the amount needed to start and maintain the state.
Worries of draining myself dry obviously came to mind, but turns out I had an ability that helped mitigate this problem. My confidence at conquering this labyrinth, growing more powerful, and prospering in this new life was at an all time high.
Kei Conservation: You have learned how to make do with less. You require 25% less energy for all techniques, this is increased to 50% for techniques that require constant energy use.
With reinforcement at an acceptable level, I focused all my senses and dropped the barrier, the energy construct responding to my will and popping like a balloon.
A flash of white moved in the corner of my vision and I spun to face it, angling the sword in such a way that my body hid safely behind the hunk of black metal.
Strong winds buffeted me as my ears threatened to bleed, the horrible scraping of multiple blades against the sword making me wince. The assault on my senses lasted a few seconds before the force that would've sliced a normal person to ribbons dissipated.
The perpetrator, a bear-like monster with a color scheme matching that of my prior kills, stood to its full 2 meter height and unleashed a roar I felt in my bones, its long arms swiping towards me in quick succession.
Six blades of yellow wind leapt off its dagger-like claws and cut through the distance like the knives they were.
I was already moving, my sword wreathed with cursed energy as I met the lethal constructs head on. A left downward slash reduced the first three blades to harmless wind while a right upward one smoothly followed and did same to the three right behind them.
Feet still beating against the ground, I entered striking distance less than a second later and continued the motion of the upward slash, shifting it into an overhead one that saw the sword line up perfectly with me and my target.
Decades of knowledge and muscle memory guided my grip, stance, and movements as I brought the giant blade down on the frozen bear, the latter surprising me with its last moment reaction and a sudden expression of fear.
It titled its head back and raised its offending arms right before tragedy struck, an act that saved its head but still proved inconsequential.
The strike, amplified by the reversal of cursed energy right before impact, cut through its hastily raised arms, did the same to its massive torso, and hit the ground with a loud clang that sent rocks flying.
Dragged down low by my inadequate mastery of the weight-switching maneuver, I didn't waste time trying to undo the cursed energy reversal nor lift the sword back up.
I simply let go with my right hand and threw it upward in a punch, ignoring the blood that spilled on me. The uppercut caught the bleeding monster right below the snout and sent it staggering back with heavy steps.
The sword returned to its base weightless state and I raised it for another attack, only to stop and lower it. Right down the bear's midsection, a thin red line grew with the monster's frantic movements.
The crimson deepened and widened until the monster's torso burst open like a ripped curtain, fresh red guts and blood spilling and pooling at its hind legs.
In human-like fashion, the monster dug its long arms into the mess and tried to scoop up its innards, but the loss of its paws and the devastating nature of its injuries proved too much for even its immense vitality.
A low bang and a meaty thud echoed in the vicinity as it fell face first, its red eyes conveying a promise of murder. Was that some last act of defiance type thing? Such bullshit. It almost made me laugh.
An errant thought flashed through my mind, but I squashed it immediately. Healing it and beating it to death with my fists would serve no real purpose than to satisfy my ego. That would make me worse than an animal. And I was no animal.
Dragging the sword on the ground behind me, I kept up the reinforcement and drew close to the fruits of my labor, scrunching my face at the almost literal wave of blood and other… things.
I fanned the air in my face and crouched, multiple cyan portals coming to life around me.
"Nasty bitch."