Chapter 2 The Invincible Temptation
The air in the alley seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
The blue-haired boy clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, his bloodshot eyes scanning back and forth between Gojo Satoru and the floating bricks, his chest heaving violently.
He could clearly sense that the other party meant no harm, but the idea of "taking a complete stranger as a teacher" was simply unrealistic in the chaotic city of Soto.
The goodwill here is mostly laced with scheming; weakness is the original sin.
"Why...why did you take me as your disciple?"
The boy's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, and filled with deep wariness: "I have no money, and I'm useless."
"It doesn't matter if you have no money or no skills."
After finishing the last grape, Gojo Satoru casually flicked the seeds away, his tone nonchalant yet undeniably confident, "What I value is your potential, kid."
"And by following me, you'll not only have enough to eat, but you'll also become stronger than anyone else, and you'll never have to eke out a living in a place like this again."
With a flick of his finger, the suspended bricks slowly landed without making a sound. "You felt it just now, didn't you? My power can protect you."
The boy's eyes wavered.
Food and safety were his greatest hopes for survival in Soto.
Although the white-haired youth in front of him was strange, his seemingly effortless yet powerful strength was something he could not ignore.
Just as he hesitated to speak, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from the other end of the alley, accompanied by vulgar curses.
"You brat, where do you think you're going? You owe us protection money, and you'd better pay it off today!"
Three burly men wearing tattered leather armor and carrying short sticks appeared at the alley entrance.
With fierce and menacing expressions on their faces, their gazes swept over the huddled boy, and greedy smiles instantly appeared on their faces.
The burly man at the head of the group noticed Gojo Satoru, frowned, and spoke arrogantly.
"Where did this pretty boy come from? Get lost, don't delay my business!"
The boy's face turned deathly pale instantly. He instinctively shrank back into the corner, his right hand once again pressing against the short knife at his waist.
These three are notorious thugs in the area who make a living by exploiting lower-level Soul Masters. He had been robbed of his few copper Soul Coins before.
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, a hint of impatience flashing in his azure eyes.
Just when he was about to get the first student on board, someone came to interrupt him. It felt like biting into a pebble while eating mochi – disgusting and a real downer.
"roll."
A single word, light and airy, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of oppression.
The Limitless Technique quietly activated, and an invisible force instantly enveloped the three burly men.
Just as the three burly men were about to retaliate, they suddenly felt something pressing down on their bodies, making it impossible for them to move or even breathe.
Their arrogance instantly turned into terror, and cold sweat streamed down their faces.
"Who...who are you?!"
"I?"
Gojo Satoru stood up straight, his short silver hair shimmering in the light, a smug smile playing on his lips. "I am his future teacher."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and three invisible forces struck the chests of the three burly men respectively.
The three of them were instantly struck as if by a heavy hammer, flying backward and crashing heavily at the alley entrance, wincing in pain and unable to get up.
"If you dare to harass him again, next time it won't be as simple as just a fall."
Gojo Satoru's tone remained languid, yet it carried the unique intimidating power of the "strongest".
The three burly men were so frightened that they scrambled away and ran without daring to utter a single harsh word.
The alleyway returned to quiet.
The boy looked towards the alley entrance, then glanced at Gojo Satoru beside him, and the wariness in his eyes completely disappeared.
Instead, there was a strong sense of shock and longing.
Is this... absolute power?
He suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to Gojo Satoru, his voice trembling slightly but unwavering.
"I'm willing! I'm willing to become your disciple!"
[Ding! Successfully recruited your first potential student (S-level) and signed a teacher-student contract!]
[Trainee's potential rating has been detected as S-level, triggering a special reward mechanism!]
[Newbie quest completed! Basic rewards: 10 limited-edition edamame puree and whipped cream daifuku vouchers, system inventory unlocked, and the Newbie Teacher Set added to your inventory.]
[S-Rank Special Rewards: Unlimited Techniques and Soul Power System Fusion Manual (Beginner), Kamui Sharingan (One Tomoe), Student Lan Yu's Exclusive Potential Development Fluid x1, Gold Soul Coins x500, Martial Soul Awakening Auxiliary Crystal x1]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, and Gojo Satoru's eyes lit up.
He received his Daifuku voucher!
He patted the boy on the shoulder, smiling brightly: "Very good! From today onwards, you are my student. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet."
"My name is Lan Yu."
The boy looked up, his eyes shining again. "Teacher, what is your name...?"
"Gojo Satoru."
The white-haired youth gave a thumbs-up, his azure eyes brimming with confidence. "Remember this name. Follow me from now on, and I'll show you what true 'invincibility' is!"
[end of the chapter]