The moment the curse spirit's arms lashed out, Ryder's hand made a strange sign, so fast it was nearly invisible.
If not for Gojo's Six Eyes, even he might have missed it.
The instant the hand sign completed, everything within a specific radius centered on Ryder was instantly refined into "cursed tools" by a miraculous force.
Even the dust and particles in the air.
The powerful cursed tools shredded the curse spirit upon formation. The terrifying cursed energy hidden within its body was absorbed, down to the last drop, by Ryder's Gluttonous Devourer.
"A near-Grade 1 curse only gives 2% progress?"
Ryder frowned slightly as he checked the system panel. Gluttonous Devourer had risen from 10% to 12%.
Based on his understanding of the system, unlocking the Eight Mystical Skills followed an exponential difficulty curve.
When absorbing the first few Grade 4 curses, each one provided a full 1% progress. But once Gluttonous Devourer passed 5%, it took five Grade 4 curses to gain 1%.
Now it was even worse. A Grade 2 sorcerer's energy barely gave 1%. A near-Grade 1 curse only pushed it up by 2%.
It seemed maximizing Gluttonous Devourer would be far harder than Divine Forge.
"Those were Grade 1 cursed tools, right?"
Gojo's cool voice pulled Ryder from his thoughts.
"Yeah."
Ryder rubbed the space between his brows. He had no intention of hiding his skills from Gojo. Under those heavenly eyes, nothing could remain hidden anyway.
But...
Ryder suddenly thought of the most mysterious and bizarre skill among the Eight Mystical Skills: Windcaller's Gate.
Cover the changes of the universe. Make myself the king.
Within the gate, I am direction. I am fortune and calamity.
Time and space can be distorted at will.
Ryder suddenly felt a flicker of anticipation. Could a domain where he controlled reality itself withstand Gojo's Limitless technique?
Thud!
Gojo hopped down from the high platform, leaving afterimages in the air.
In the blink of an eye, he stood opposite Ryder.
"Instantly creating cursed tools. Arbitrarily infusing curses into everything around you. That kind of jujutsu completely defies common sense."
Peering over his sunglasses, Gojo looked at Ryder with curiosity. That miraculous power was undeniably fascinating.
Cursed tools, by definition, were objects imbued with curses over time. Every powerful tool had a history.
But the tools in Ryder's hands were completely different.
In his hands, anything in the world could be granted cursed energy and become a powerful weapon.
Even a single leaf could be instantly refined into a top-tier cursed tool rivaling Grade 2 or even Grade 1 curses.
This was...
The power of Divine Forge!
"Defies common sense? By your logic, your Six Eyes are the biggest violation of common sense in existence."
Ryder rolled his eyes at Gojo's grinning face.
This guy was great in every way—personality, strength, chemistry as a friend. The only downside was his headache-inducing character.
"Hahaha! True, true! I'd love to see the Zenin family's faces if they knew your current strength. That old man would turn green with envy."
Gojo laughed loudly, then flashed to Ryder's side.
He slung an arm around Ryder's shoulders like they were brothers.
"The Zenin family? I don't owe them a damn thing. If they keep provoking me... it'll be troublesome, but..."
Ryder sneered. Though he didn't finish the sentence, the terrifying killing intent radiating from him was enough to chill anyone to the bone.
Sensing his friend's murderous aura, Gojo's playful smile faded slightly.
"You're not strong enough to take on the entire Zenin family yet. If people with bad intentions find out about your ability, it'll cause a lot of trouble."
For the first time, Gojo's tone carried a hint of seriousness. As one of his few friends, he genuinely cherished Ryder.
So he offered his sincere advice.
"Satoru, you know me. I'm lazy. Too lazy to hide, too lazy to dodge. So..."
Ryder's ink-black hair suddenly moved without wind. His silver eyes flashed with a terrifying cold light, and his lips curled into a cruel arc.
"Whether it's the Zenin family, other sorcerers, whatever. Anything that stands in my way..."
"I'll just destroy it all."
As the words fell, Gojo looked at his friend's face as if seeing it clearly for the first time. Like an eternal stone Buddha—cruel yet compassionate.
"Hahahaha!!" Gojo suddenly burst out laughing, gripping Ryder's shoulder tighter.
"You're right. You are Ryder Zenin, after all. And..."
"We are the strongest!!"
Hearing Gojo's words, Ryder felt a warmth in his chest. How lucky to have a friend like this.
"Satoru, don't you think saying stuff like that is kinda embarrassing?"
"What? I'm just telling the truth."
The two walked out side by side. Under the pale moonlight, their shadows stretched long and thin.
Behind his sunglasses, Gojo's eyes held a playful glint as he subtly glanced at a spot on the factory floor.
Ryder, meanwhile, wore a faint, enigmatic smile. For a fleeting moment, he looked like a demon revealing its fangs.
Moments after they left, a tiny wisp of weak cursed energy slowly surfaced from the ground.
"A sorcerer who instantly creates cursed tools. Interesting..."
A sinister voice spoke slowly, then quickly faded into silence, vanishing without a trace.