The sky had fallen.
The once-dim dome of the nuclear power plant was now completely replaced by writhing flesh.
There was no way out, and no light.
"Domain Expansion: [SEA OF TEN THOUSAND CURSED CORPSES]."
As the three Special Grade Cursed Spirits shrieked in unison, the very space seemed to be crushed by an invisible hand and reassembled into a hell of pure despair.
Rumble!
The ground began to boil.
Countless pale arms reached out from beneath the earth like spirits from the underworld, hungering for the warmth of the living.
But this was only the beginning.
*Crack—crack—*
The grating sound of grinding bones echoed through the air.
The residual dregs of the curses that Yoru had just annihilated with a single strike were defying logic, reconsolidating within this domain.
Not only that, they were merging!
The corpse of a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit fused with the severed limbs of two Grade 2 Curses nearby. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a five-meter-tall stitched monstrosity covered in bone spikes.
And such monsters...
They were endless as far as the eye could see!
This was no longer a nuclear power plant; it was a literal ocean built from corpses and curses!
"Interesting."
Yoru stood in the center of the sea of corpses, his footing reduced to a single slab of concrete less than two meters wide.
Around him, an army of cursed spirits surged like a tide.
Above him, the three Special Grade Cursed Spirits looked down from their heights.
"Trying to overwhelm me with numbers?"
Yoru let out a cold laugh, slowly leveling the pitch-black Shiranui in front of him.
Although he spoke casually, his fingers tightened slightly on the hilt.
He could feel it—this domain was more than just summoning fodder.
Gravity had changed.
His once-light body now felt as if it were carrying a mountain. Every breath required several times more stamina than usual.
"Total Concentration: Thunder Breathing, First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!"
Since he was surrounded, he would carve a path through the blood!
Boom!
Yoru's figure instantly transformed into a streak of golden lightning.
He moved so fast that afterimages lingered on the retina.
Dozens of stitched monsters were decapitated in his wake.
However, just as Yoru prepared to launch himself toward the Special Grade Cursed Spirits in the air...
*Vwoom!*
Space suddenly distorted.
His linear trajectory was forcibly folded into a curve!
Yoru's pupils shrank as he twisted his body mid-air, narrowly dodging a bone spike that lunged from the void.
'Spatial folding?'
Yoru landed, his brow furrowed.
A moment ago, he had clearly been sprinting straight forward, yet he had somehow returned to his starting point.
Was this the ability of that spatial curse?
Combined with the suppression from the gravity curse and the infinite troops from the multiplication curse...
This was a perfect meat grinder!
"Roar!"
Before Yoru could catch his breath, the surrounding sea of corpses lunged again.
And this time, they seemed to have adapted to his speed.
"Sun Breathing, Third Form—Burning Sun!"
Yoru swung his blade.
A crimson arc of flame swept out like a scorching sun.
*Sizzle!*
The extreme heat instantly evaporated the monsters in the front.
But...
It was useless.
The severed limbs turned into black sludge the moment they hit the ground, quickly merging into other cursed spirits to form new monsters.
They were endless.
Absolutely endless!
"Huff... huff..."
Yoru's breathing rhythm began to falter.
This was the higher-ups' scheme.
They knew Yoru had no cursed energy and couldn't use it to reinforce his body and recover stamina like a sorcerer could.
While breathing techniques were powerful, they were ultimately physical skills.
Once his stamina was depleted...
No matter how strong a Sword Saint was, he would be at their mercy!
Inside the monitoring room.
Those Rotten Oranges watched the figure being swallowed by the sea of corpses, their smiles crinkling the wrinkles on their faces.
"Hahaha! Do you see?"
"Is this the so-called 'Pending Special Grade'?"
"In the face of absolute rules, individual bravery is nothing but a joke!"
"Make him kneel!"
As the words fell, the gravity inside the power plant surged again!
Boom!
The concrete slab beneath Yoru's feet shattered instantly. His knees buckled, nearly slamming into the ground.
"Damn it..."
Yoru gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
So heavy.
It felt as if his very blood was being pulled downward. In that moment of sluggishness...
Countless pale arms grabbed his ankles, his waist, and even his sword arm!
They felt no pain and knew no fear; they only wanted to drag this vibrant life into the endless abyss.
"Get off me!"
Yoru roared, the Slayer Mark faintly showing signs of surfacing.
"Sun Breathing, Sixth Form—Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
Boom!
A massive vortex of flames erupted with him at the center.
It was a strike delivered in absolute fury, clearing a massive swathe of the surrounding corpse sea.
But immediately, more monsters filled the void.
And those three Special Grade Cursed Spirits seemed to have finally tired of the cat-and-mouse game.
They descended slowly, surrounding Yoru in a triangle. The spatial curse with tentacles raised a finger.
The gravity curse, resembling a rock giant, slammed its fists onto the ground.
The multiplication curse, which constantly birthed more, opened its maw wide enough to swallow everything.
The finishing blow was coming.
Yoru leaned on his blade, gasping for air.
Sweat slid down his cheek and dripped onto the scalding blade, producing a soft hiss.
But he did not back down.
Within those red pupils, the fire of defiance still blazed.
"You want my life?"
Yoru slowly straightened his back, despite his bones screaming in protest under the immense pressure.
"Then come and take it."
"If..."
"You can afford the price!"