Narrator POV
—Aaahhh… I really shouldn't have stayed up until 3 a.m. I need a good cup of coffee… I already look like an old man. —Isagi muttered while staring at the System screen in front of him, its floating panels casting a dim glow across the room.
His expression was dull, eyes half-lidded with dark circles clearly visible beneath them. He took a sip from his mug, loaded with so much sugar it was practically an attack on his own health.
—Let's see… I've got two rewards I haven't used yet. The first is the Special Grade Cursed Object Box and the ticket for one spin in the System's limited-time event. —he murmured to himself, watching the two occupied slots in the virtual inventory hovering before him.
He had woken up early, so his brain still felt like it was "booting up." With a simple thought, he selected the slot corresponding to the Special Grade Object/Tool Box, and it lit up instantly.
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[Special Grade Object Box: Contains a Special Grade cursed weapon/tool from the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.]
[Do you wish to open this reward?] [Yes/No]
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—Obviously yes. That's why I selected it. —He redirected part of his luck points toward the reward, as if trying to force fate to take his side.
A reddish glow burst from the panel, bathing Isagi's face and making him squint even harder. The light flickered intensely before condensing in front of him.
When he saw what he had obtained, he froze completely. The mug hovered inches from his lips, steam brushing his face while he didn't even blink.
—Holy shit… This is unexpected. —He slowly straightened up, placing the mug on the table without taking his eyes off the object.
He hadn't foreseen this at all. And if he used it properly… it could become absurdly useful.
—(I'm not an idiot. I know she watches me from afar sometimes.) —Isagi thought as he sat at the table, right after leaving the kitchen with his still-steaming mug in hand.
He was aware that on more than one occasion, Makima had probably spied on him through the eyes of some bird. He had no direct proof… but no doubts either. That constant feeling of being watched wasn't something he could ignore.
That's why he avoided taking out the objects the System gave him—at least inside the house.
Except for the Gojo plushie. That one was sitting on the couch, a manga open between its tiny fabric hands as if it were actually reading.
—(Alright, enough joking around… let's go with the second reward. I could really use some speed. I've got a lot of strength, but not much explosive speed.) —he thought as the System screen shifted again, projecting its bluish glow onto the walls.
With a mental click, the section switched from inventory to the mystery roulette. All the rewards were covered by question-mark icons spinning slowly, creating an uncomfortable sense of uncertainty.
—I'm not a fan of gacha games because that shit's a scam. I once went a whole month without dinner trying to pull a skin… and it wasn't worth it. —he said irritably, remembering that financial humiliation he'd rather erase from memory.
He used all the luck points he had left on this final reward.
—At least give me something useful…
The roulette began spinning rapidly, the question marks blending together into a blurry smear. Without hesitation, Isagi pressed "Skip." He had no patience for dramatic animations.
All he cared about was the result.
[¡Ding!]
[You have obtained a speed ability!]
[Ability obtained: Quicksilver]
—Show me the description. —Isagi ordered, since the name felt strangely familiar.
The System screen flickered before displaying the information in front of him.
[Quicksilver: A speed ability that increases the user's overall speed—including processing and reaction speed—by 30%.]
—Quicksilver… Quicksilver… —Isagi repeated, lightly tapping his forehead as if forcing his brain to connect the dots. —Oh! I remember! —he snapped his fingers suddenly. —(It's the guy from the movie… don't remember the exact name, just that it was Marvel. So a 30% boost to overall speed? That should include attack speed, movement, and reaction… I sound like a damn power-scaling fan.)
He stayed thoughtful for a few more seconds, analyzing possible practical applications. Thirty percent didn't sound outrageous… but applied to everything at once, it could be ridiculously useful.
Isagi looked at his body and activated the ability.
And he felt nothing different.
—What happened? I look the same… —he glanced up in mild confusion. His dark blue eyes now carried a faint, almost electric glow—a clear sign the ability was active. —Holy crap… who turned up the server graphics?
He blinked several times. The environment around him looked sharper, more defined. Edges appeared cleaner, the movement of the coffee steam clearer… slower… as if his perception had been manually adjusted to a higher setting.
—I think I'm running at 120 FPS…
Isagi threw several punches into the air, followed by a couple of kicks. The whistle of sliced air sounded cleaner, faster. It wasn't an absurd difference… but it was definitely noticeable.
His fists and legs were now moving thirty percent faster.
—This is awesome… now I can hit faster. Looks like the System listened when I wished for a speed ability. —A sharp, almost predatory smile formed on his face. Because if he had already been strong before… now he'd be fast too. —Alright, time to grind till I drop. This work machine doesn't run itself.
.
.
.
.
.
Minutes later…
Isagi walked through a less crowded part of the city. It was quiet and calm; cars passed less frequently, and so did pedestrians. Strange for someone like him, who since arriving and stepping into the streets had always seen crowds going back and forth.
But this particular area was different. Quieter. Colder. The wind blew softly, slightly lifting the hem of his black coat. It was chilly today, and the gray sky added to that muted calm.
During the brief moment Quicksilver had been active, Isagi had thought about several things at once… and possible answers to each. Now he kept turning them over in his head.
—(Why did Denji never try to actually make Makima fall for him? I mean, aside from wanting to sleep with her… at least a hug and coffee first, right?) —he thought while walking with his hands in his pockets. He exhaled through his nose, faintly amused. —(Ah, I know why… because the idiot falls for almost every woman he sees. He didn't really try with Makima, didn't go all in with her. Though then again… who the hell chooses Makima? Dumbass. Guess I'm one too.)
He thought it with irony, though deep down he knew Denji wasn't entirely to blame. After all, the guy had practically grown up in the trash. It made sense he wouldn't know anything about healthy relationships… Or maybe he did. But he thought with the wrong head.
—(Not my problem.) —That was Isagi's final thought regarding Denji's current situation.
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End of the chapter.