Chapter 164 Su Nuo's Finger

After dark, Chen Nuo arrived at the Ling Yan Society's classroom as promised.

Sasaki and Iguchi had been waiting there for some time. Each holding a candle, their expressions flickered in the candlelight, and even their voices had taken on a gloomy tone.

"You're here~."

*Click*

Chen Nuo flipped the classroom light switch.

The sudden brightness harshly dazzled their eyes.

"Isn't there electricity?"

Chen Nuo lifted his eyelids slightly as he spoke.

"Turn it off quickly, or you'll attract the security guard!"

Sasaki said, squinting her eyes.

*Click*

The classroom plunged back into dimness, but the carefully crafted atmosphere had been shattered by Chen Nuo. Sasaki pouted; she had just gotten into the mood.

"President, where's the big activity you promised?"

Chen Nuo got straight to the point.

"Impatient, are we? Come with me, quickly."

Sasaki said mysteriously.

She tiptoed, leading Chen Nuo to a seat.

She beckoned, bringing their three heads close together, then pulled a long, tightly paper-wrapped object from her pocket.

The paper was covered in incomprehensible writing, giving it a distinctly aged feel.

"It looks like some kind of sealed object."

Chen Nuo focused his gaze on it and spoke.

"Exactly, exactly! Letting you join the club was definitely the right choice!"

Sasaki nodded excitedly. This immersive sense of participation was exactly what she wanted. As the president of the Ling Yan Society, how could she not know whether ghosts and supernatural phenomena truly existed in this world?

If she really believed in these things, she'd be avoiding them, not seeking them out. What normal person would willingly approach them?

To put it bluntly, the Ling Yan Society was just a group for seeking thrills and playing role-playing games.

So, not ruining the atmosphere was crucial.

"Can I take a look?"

Chen Nuo reached out his hand and asked. Sasaki reminded him with a serious expression.

"Be careful, Nuo. I can sense extremely evil Cursed Energy from this!"

"...I'll be cautious, President Sasaki."

The corner of Chen Nuo's mouth twitched slightly. Anyone who didn't know better would think she actually felt it.

In fact, this was indeed a sealed object. Inside was a Special Grade Cursed Object named sukunas finger.

Literally, it was a finger.

It belonged to the King of Curses from a thousand years ago.

Similar Cursed Objects were actually quite common; almost every school had one placed somewhere to suppress resentment.

This just showed how immense the academic pressure was in local schools, all to prevent the breeding of Cursed Spirit.

However, the seal on this Cursed Object had developed a problem.

Whether it was due to age, the seal not being renewed in time, or someone tampering with it, Chen Nuo could sense that the seal applied to it was extremely fragile.

Even an ordinary person could peel it off.

"Where did this come from?"

Chen Nuo examined it for a moment before asking.

"Yuji found it on the road."

Sasaki thought for a moment before answering.

Found a Special Grade Cursed Object on the road?

Not even bothering to pretend anymore?

Having read the script, Chen Nuo naturally understood the situation.

Itadori Yuji was a tailor-made experimental vessel. The so-called accidents were all carefully orchestrated.

A world dominated by Cursed Energy inevitably had its share of issues.

After all, Cursed Energy needed to be refined from negative emotions.

If you constantly immersed yourself in painful memories of the past, how could you remain normal?

As for Cursed Spirit, they were spiritual entities born from human negative emotions.

"Nuo, open it up and see what's inside!"

Sasaki urged, her expression tense and expectant, like a horror movie enthusiast enjoying the thrill of fear.

"Better not. Something bad might happen. You're timid; I'm afraid it'll scare you."

Chen Nuo tried to dissuade her.

"Who's timid?! I'm very brave! Hurry up and open it. I want to see what bad thing could possibly happen."

Sasaki widened her eyes, determined to defend her dignity as the president of the Spiritual Research Club.

"..."

He rarely showed kindness, and now she didn't appreciate it.

Chen Nuo was a bit speechless.

But maybe letting Sasaki experience this once would be good.

It might stop her from constantly researching supernatural events. What if she actually encountered something real next time? Would she survive?

In reality, the number of people who died due to Cursed Spirit wasn't that high—only about ten thousand a year. This number was insignificant compared to the total population's death toll.

Encountering a Cursed Spirit was similar to being in a car accident.

It was a matter of extremely low probability, but if you insisted on seeking it out, that was different.

Chen Nuo fiddled with it a bit and tore off the sealing paper.

What met their eyes was a dehydrated, blackened index finger.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. Sasaki and the other person's breathing unconsciously stopped. Her voice trembled slightly as she said,

"Is it real...? A human finger?"

A cold gust of wind blew in, extinguishing the candle flames. The floor trembled slightly. In the dim classroom, several pairs of twisted, grotesque eyes seemed to materialize, staring at the three with malicious intent.

The seal was completely broken. The immense Cursed Energy contained within sukunas finger was released. Cursed Spirit within the vicinity swarmed towards it like fish drawn to blood.

These low-grade Cursed Spirit were born from categorized negative emotions. They lacked complex thought, their minds filled with various desires, but evolution was an instinct of their existence.

sukunas finger was an immense temptation for them.

However, this aura also instilled fear in the low-grade Cursed Spirit, making them hesitate to act immediately.

"Nuo, I feel a bit cold."

Sasaki still hadn't grasped the severity of the situation. She hugged her arms and rubbed them. Iguchi beside her was in worse shape, curled up in his chair.

"Feeling cold is normal. That thing is breathing on you."

Chen Nuo pointed. In his vision, a lizard-like Cursed Spirit had its head pressed against Sasaki's face.

"Don't scare me. I'm easily frightened."

Goosebumps rose on Sasaki's face. She didn't dare look beside her, but the chilling sensation grew even stronger.

Generally, ordinary people couldn't see Cursed Spirit.

And most low-grade Cursed Spirit had very limited ability to interfere with reality.

Cursed Spirit, Cursed Spirit.

The name itself indicated they were spiritual constructs, lacking substantial physical forms.

Therefore, most Cursed Spirit couldn't directly threaten human lives. They relied on absorbing negative emotions from humans to strengthen themselves. Only upon reaching a certain grade could they truly exist within the Material Realm.

However, there were some special circumstances.

Like right now.

The vast Cursed Energy released by sukunas finger was gradually blurring the boundaries of the Material Realm, allowing Sasaki and the other ordinary person to gradually sense the real presence of Cursed Spirit.

And the emotion of fear would further tear these boundaries.

The basic principle was: Cursed Energy originated from negative emotions and existed within almost everyone. So, when you were extremely afraid, you would instinctively activate this power.

Chen Nuo turned his head to the side. One Cursed Spirit couldn't resist reaching out for him.

Its grotesque face displayed a twisted craving.

Then, its face burst like a punctured water balloon.

However, the Cursed Energy that originally belonged to it didn't dissipate. Instead, it flowed along Chen Nuo's fingertip and was absorbed into his body.

"This feeling... is really good."

Chen Nuo savored it for a moment before giving his evaluation.

The Cursed Spirit's Cursed Energy had been digested and absorbed by him just like that.

Chen Nuo was originally just an ordinary person who hadn't awakened an Cursed Technique. But after the Three Nuo Power merged with him, his body underwent some changes. Or perhaps, this was the result of his technique awakening.

Chen Nuo could absorb and digest Cursed Energy, converting it into improvements in other basic attributes.

The cost was that he could no longer generate Cursed Energy himself.

Now, when Chen Nuo looked at the Cursed Spirit before him, there was a different gleam in his eyes.

Although it was only a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit, the attribute boost it could provide Chen Nuo was almost negligible. But everyone understood the principle of accumulation.

Moreover, this was only relative to Chen Nuo's current physique. If added to an ordinary person, the effect would be quite significant.

My, Chen Nuo's, path to invincibility begins today!

"Nuo, watch out!!"

Sasaki screamed in terror.

In her vision, an indescribable, curse-embodying giant creature was seeping down from the ceiling. Its arm, covered in cysts, reached for Chen Nuo's head.

If Sasaki were a Jujutsu Sorcerer, she could judge from the Cursed Energy it emitted that this was probably a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit.

Its danger level was already quite high.

If the destructive power of a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit was roughly at the level of a baseball bat, then a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit was equivalent to a tank.

The strength gap between each grade of Cursed Spirit was immense.

A Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, relying solely on the volume of its Cursed Energy, was enough to cause serious damage to the real world. Moreover, conventional firearms were often ineffective against them.

The optimal solution for dealing with Cursed Spirit was still Jujutsu Sorcerers.

Hearing Sasaki's shout, Chen Nuo didn't even look up. He clenched his fist and swung it upward.

Only a low, rumbling sound of air was heard.

The Grade 2 Cursed Spirit's body vanished as if vaporized.

Several floors were pierced by Chen Nuo's fist wind, creating a hole several meters in diameter. Clear moonlight streamed through, illuminating the dumbfounded faces of Sasaki and Iguchi.

Hey, guess what? I'm already invincible.

Although the journey started today, I took a single step and landed at the finish line.

It must be noted that the first thing Chen Nuo converted into various attributes was his own original Cursed Energy.

Chen Nuo had no idea how vast the Cursed Energy he should possess after merging with the Three Nuo Power could be.

To be specific, one would have to ask how deep the resentment was in the heart of Old Nuo from the titan world. It was truly oppressive.

"This really is a good thing."

Chen Nuo hefted sukunas finger in his hand, dismissing the thought of digesting and absorbing it.

If the plot completely derailed from the very beginning, it wouldn't be a good thing for him.

"Nuo... are you even human?"

Sasaki trembled, thoroughly frightened.

Tonight's stimulation was too much for her to handle.

"Insulting me?"

Chen Nuo glanced at Sasaki. She really had no sense of having been rescued.

"No, that's not what I meant, I..."

Sasaki was momentarily at a loss for words, tongue-tied.

However, her reaction was still relatively good. Iguchi beside her kept his head down, not daring to utter a word, his face pale and breathing labored.

"If it weren't for me, those Cursed Spirit would have arranged you in eighteen different positions by now."

Chen Nuo pointed at Sasaki with sukunas finger.

"Huh? Do Cursed Spirit have that kind of interest too?"

Sasaki's focus was a bit strange.

Well, girls this age might not know less than boys. It seemed our Sasaki was also an enthusiastic learner.

"I meant arranged on a platter for a meal. What's going on in your head?"

Chen Nuo was speechless. He stomped his foot, crushing a Cursed Spirit trying to emerge.

The release of sukunas finger had directly triggered a Night Parade of a Hundred Demons within the school.

Tonight's feast had only just begun.

"You two, stay in the classroom and don't move."

Chen Nuo pocketed sukunas finger, pulled open the classroom door, and walked out.

"Wait, don't go. I'm scared alone!"

Seeing this, Iguchi let out a girlish scream.

Sasaki looked at him, her mouth agape. How did he say my line?

"These Cursed Spirit are attracted by the finger. If I take it away, it'll actually be safer for you."

Chen Nuo quickened his pace and soon disappeared from their sight.

Seeing this, Sasaki and the other could only tightly shut the classroom door and huddle inside, trembling.

Fortunately, as Chen Nuo had said, after he left, the gloomy, ominous atmosphere around them eased considerably. The feeling of being watched and spied on also vanished.

...

...

Meanwhile, Itadori Yuji and Fushiguro Megumi were still rushing towards the school.

Just as they saw the school building, they both sensed the ominous, heavy pressure of Cursed Energy.

Although he appeared ordinary, Itadori Yuji, who was anything but, was left outside the school by Fushiguro Megumi as a protected subject.

As for Megumi himself, he charged into the school alone.

Having never encountered such events before, Itadori Yuji's first reaction was naturally fear and hesitation. But then he remembered his grandfather's dying words.

(With great power comes great responsibility.)

Hmm, that didn't seem quite right.

(You are strong. Go save others.)

Yes, that was the correct last words.

Having made up his mind, Itadori Yuji instantly suppressed his inner cowardice, vaulted over the school fence in one leap, and ran towards the school building.

Soon, Itadori Yuji caught up with Fushiguro Megumi.

However, what appeared before him wasn't some inhuman Cursed Spirit, but a boy wearing the same school uniform.

"Who are you?"

Itadori Yuji asked, puzzled. He found the person before him somewhat familiar. He was definitely a classmate.

"Don't go any closer. There's something very wrong with this guy!"

Fushiguro Megumi reached out to stop Itadori Yuji. He could sense the Cursed Energy aura of sukunas finger on the other person.

But strangely, that was the only aura. If he couldn't see the other person with his own eyes, he would doubt his actual existence.