"Hmm? There are other rewards?"
This time the system was actually so generous, which was truly an unexpected joy.
Gojo Satoru answered without any hesitation: "Check immediately."
Right after, a semi-transparent light screen unfolded before his eyes, dense words and charts pouring down like flowing water.
[Ding! Congratulations Host for obtaining the extra reward——System Optimized Version "The Production Guide of Cursed Corpses"!]
[This guide is born based on the cursed corpse manufacturing method of the jujutsu world, and is a version specially optimized according to Host's ability.]
"Cursed corpse..."
Hearing this familiar noun, Gojo Satoru's eyes under the sunglasses opened slightly wide.
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, cursed corpses are puppets or artificial creatures created by jujutsu sorcerers through injecting cursed energy, the carrier usually being a lifeless object like a doll, which can be used for training or combat assistance.
Generally speaking, ordinary cursed corpses can only execute simple instructions of jujutsu sorcerers, while lacking thinking ability. However, puppet masters like Yaga Masamichi can make high-level cursed corpses through techniques, and after long-term cursed energy nurturing, let them obtain self-awareness, capable of moving freely.
For instance, the panda Panda called the "highest masterpiece" by Yaga was no different from ordinary people in terms of emotion and thinking, and was even more abundant.
After a brief surprise, Gojo Satoru thought: "Since it is an 'optimized version,' then it also means... what can be made is not some ordinary cursed corpse, right?"
"Correct~ As long as the production conditions are met, this version of cursed corpse can directly give birth to self-awareness, and无条件 obey the orders of the maker, achieving barrier-free communication, naturally carrying extremely high learning power and loyalty." The system explained: "Only a short-term cursed energy nurturing is needed, plus giving a certain technique and cursed energy, and it can make them move. As for the carriers used as materials, we will also provide a part for Host."
"A total of seven sets of models, Host can freely choose the anthropomorphic form or animal form. Moreover, their mimicry level is quite high, even if ordinary people get ever so close, they can't see their true identity."
Just as the words fell, a 3D model diagram appeared in Gojo Satoru's brain.
A few life-like dolls were rotating slowly. Whether it was the texture of the skin, the curve of the eyelashes, or the texture of the hair strands, they were all no different from a real person, seemingly able to perfectly simulate even the touch and temperature.
For some reason, he recalled those training dolls made by Principal Yaga instead, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.
The dolls in that uncle's hands were everyone ugly-cute, not delicate, making people feel irreplaceable instead.
Though saying so, placed within the Conan plane, compared to weird dolls that could run and jump and were easy to be treated as urban legends, the human form held more advantage.
Thinking carefully, Gojo Satoru truly needed such a batch of "hands" by his side urgently. As for the reason, it was naturally because he had almost no one available to use.
Now, someone would ask—as the grand head of the Gojo family, could he still lack people to order around?
In reality, whether it was those Gojo clansmen who viewed the Six Eyes as the symbol of the Divine Child, or those members in the organization who were once convinced by "Caesar" or received his protection, their awe and admiration for him were beyond doubt.
However, awe and admiration did not mean trustworthy. A poet once said that longing is the feeling furthest away from understanding. If it was simple interest collaboration it was fine, but if it involved deep-level hidden matters, the risk was too uncontrollable.
Except for the system and Tama, plus White who had already gone offline, he temporarily had no target he could absolutely trust. Even Gin, who was viewed by himself as a close friend, would also make it difficult for him to reveal his true feelings without reservation due to the divergence of the two people's positions in the organization.
Therefore, what Gojo Satoru needed precisely was artificial creations that could be completely loyal to him, unaffected by any external factors.
Won't hesitate because of moral constraints, won't betray because of interest temptations, and won't question his decisions because of third-party interference, being the perfect shadow hidden in the dark—
Thinking that he could mass-produce such "talents," Gojo Satoru's mood became joyful instantly.
With absolutely loyal cursed corpses, a lot of grey-area affairs could be handed to them to handle. For example, monitoring others' movements, collecting secret intelligence, and also helping to execute some missions where it was inconvenient for him to show up personally.
Although he could do many things himself, wasn't that too tiring. Cursed corpses were simply a good helper for home travel, breaking the law and committing crimes... ah no, executing justice.
Gojo Satoru browsed roughly through the steps written on the production guide, the confidence in his heart already reaching ninety percent. However, when he turned to the last page of the production guide, his brow knit slightly.
[Note: The core of high-level cursed corpses needs to be injected with the dead person's soul to produce self-awareness, otherwise it can only execute simple instructions.]
"I thought after the system optimized it could omit this link, in the end I still failed to escape it." Gojo Satoru sighed.
"True, if there is no soul as the core, how should self-awareness be born out of thin air?"
"Actually it has already been omitted!" The system didn't want Host to question its professional ability, shouting: "Must know in the jujutsu world, wanting to make a cursed corpse with perfect awareness like Panda needs three soul cores, we only need one now, isn't this very worthwhile? Think about it, what is least lacking in the Conan world is dead people, we can just go to a luxury cruise ship at random, scooping up several hundred souls is completely not a problem..."
"Hey hey, this has no relation to quantity!"
Although knowing souls were a thing within easy reach, unless necessary, Gojo Satoru didn't want to disturb the peaceful sleep of the dead.
The reason Yaga Masamichi injected the souls of the dead into cursed corpses was not solely for combat, but to let it possess a personality and behavior manner similar to the dead, thereby letting the relatives of the dead reduce pain and glow with new life.
If placed on Gojo Satoru, it wasn't impossible to consider. However, for current him, making a batch of assistants who could be absolutely trusted was the priority item. Besides, if injecting some souls filled with obsession or resentment, the personality and memory of the cursed corpse would inevitably be affected by the original owner, and the loyalty heart toward the maker might very likely also be weakened somewhat.
"Tongzi, is there any other method to produce a high-level cursed corpse with awareness?"
"This..." The system's electronic sound became a bit hesitating: "The data says the method to give non-living bodies true 'self-awareness,' the core is all related to soul energy or similar high-dimensional information carriers. Currently the most stable and operable method known is still 'soul injection'."
"Is that so..." Gojo Satoru fell into deep thought.
"Host can explore by yourself first, what if you truly can find an alternative plan?" The system praised without stinginess: "Our Wuwuzi is the universe's number one genius, opening a new path is definitely not a problem!"
Gojo Satoru couldn't help laughing out loud: "You fellow are truly more and more able to speak."
Unknowingly, the rain had stopped and the sky cleared. The sunlight passed through the cloud layer, plating a layer of gold edge for his silver-white hair.
"It's time to go back..." Gojo Satoru closed the black umbrella, looking at the direction of the cemetery one last time, his figure vanishing from the spot abruptly, leaving only a few fallen leaves rolled up by the wind, floating down slowly into a corner no one noticed.
...
Three days later.
A Japanese room in the Gojo family main house, the clear and quiet scent of sandalwood spreading in the air.
"Kacha——"
The room door was pulled open gently, the expressionless maid who combed a braid as always walked in holding a tray. Her organic-matter-like eyes scanned past the doll parts scattered all over the floor, the joint parts accidentally broken, and more than ten cursed corpses with different forms but all obviously failed, finally falling on the white-haired youth who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a pile of materials.
Gojo Satoru wore a dark blue yukata, the collar opening loosely, revealing delicate collarbones. He had no reaction to the maid's arrival, just staring without blinking at the plush bear in his hand which was being injected with cursed energy, his expression extremely serious, observing the changes that might appear at all times.
"Head, your afternoon tea." Tama's voice was calm without waves, placing the tray on the small table beside Gojo Satoru: "Today it's two portions of caramel pudding, one portion of lemon cake, and a cup of Darjeeling black tea."
Gojo Satoru only then raised his head as if waking up from a dream: "Hmm... already this time?"
His nose tip twitched slightly, the aroma of sweets seeming to finally awaken the sleeping sense of hunger.
"Wow ah——Tama you are truly an angel!" He opened his arms with exaggeration: "Just happened to be starving to death~"
Just as the words fell, he stuffed a big mouthful of pudding into his mouth.
"Mmh... this caramel layer is baked too excellently." Gojo Satoru squinted his eyes happily: "Two are completely not enough to eat~ give me ten more, okay?"
"Do you know how to write the two words 'moderation'?"
Ever since Gojo Satoru tore off the vest and his awareness returned to the main body, he had been high-intensity ingesting sugar almost every day. Conversations similar to this were also staged every day, making Tama feel a long-lost helplessness.
In the blink of an eye, Gojo Satoru finished one portion of caramel pudding. Just as he picked up the second portion of pudding, Tama spoke: "Speaking of which, you haven't really handled family affairs these few days, right?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously: "When everyone was having a meeting in the morning, what exactly were you doing hiding here?"
"Aiya~ You saw it too, I am working hard to study cursed corpses." Omitting the part of playing video games reasonably, Gojo Satoru said with straight rightness: "Wait until I research successfully, they have self-awareness, won't they be able to help do work and reduce your burden, Tama?"
"As for not attending the meeting... this is to train everyone's independence. Can't be so dependent on the head's decisions, this way they can make progress, know that?"
"...Clearly it's because you got used to slacking off this half year, and your style is more and more lazy."
Gojo Satoru finished the second portion of pudding, pretending his ears couldn't hear, looking toward the plush bear emitting a faint blue light before him. After flashing repeatedly, the light dissipated gradually, and the small bear also raised its head slowly, its dark eyeballs containing no emotion.
"Gugu... jiji... gujiguji..."
Gojo Satoru: Eh? Is this the sound a small bear should make??
"No matter how, it should be 'awu awu' instead." He muttered a sentence, and said with regret again: "Still a look unable to communicate... seems it's another failed attempt."
These few days, he got a lot of materials like dolls to carry out experiments of making high-level cursed corpses. If there wasn't perfect preparation, he definitely wouldn't use the mimicry dolls provided by the system, avoiding wasting them in vain.
Gojo Satoru followed the method on the guide, practicing the technique needed to manipulate puppets to a flawless degree, plus his cursed energy close to "infinite supply" under the addition of the Six Eyes, he quickly mastered the production and control method of low-level cursed corpses.
But once involving high-level cursed corpses possessing self-awareness, there was no more following text. Either the expression was stiff, or the reaction was slow, completely unable to exchange words.
"Surely not that simple..."
"Don't tell me there truly doesn't exist a method except for injecting a dead person's soul?" Gojo Satoru sighed, tapping the small bear's nose idly with his fingertip, manipulating its actions at will with the puppet technique.
"Hey, small stupid bear, give you an opportunity to perform."
The soft plush toy shook its ears, standing up clumsily. The handsome youth with white hair and blue eyes stuffed the silver spoon into the bear's fluffy paws, pointing at the lemon cake on the table, and pointing at his own mouth, making an "ah" sound.
"Come on, feeding grand general!"
The small bear walked rockily to the front of the cake, holding the silver spoon with two small paws, scooping a small piece of cake hoveringly. Just as it was about to send it into Gojo Satoru's mouth, it was tripped a stumble by the plate under its feet, letting that small piece of cake paste on Gojo Satoru's face with a "paji," the cream sliding down slowly along his high nose bridge, looking a bit comical.
"...Puff." Tama's shoulder on one side shook suspiciously.
Gojo Satoru wiped his face dry with expressionlessness: "I announce your general position has been canceled."
"Also, maids are not allowed to laugh at the head——" Just when he prepared to teach Tama a good lesson, the tablet computer on the workbench lit up suddenly.
[Kuroba Chikage Video Call Request]
Hmm? The cheap cousin is calling with video?