Accompanied by a loud explosion, one of Nue's wings was directly broken.
It wailed as it lost its balance, falling like a kite with a severed string, with Lynn's foot stepping on its chest as it plummeted toward the ground like a meteor.
Boom!
Another large crater was formed.
[Subjugation successful.]
As the third shikigami returned to its place, Lynn felt that the interval for the next Subjugation would be as long as twelve hours.
"It seems this is the limit for today."
Lynn rubbed his temples and gave up on the idea of continuing to challenge Eight Handled Sword Divergent Sila.
Though it was a bit of a pity, he nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the four powerful shadows gradually receding into the darkness behind him.
Divine Dogs, Toad, Great Serpent, Nue.
The four types of shikigami covered ground reconnaissance, single-target control, physical burst, and aerial suppression.
For someone who had obtained a Cursed Technique less than 24 hours ago, this was a level of progress that would drive the Jujutsu World to despair.
"Work's done, back to the shop."
Lynn snapped his fingers, and the terrifying behemoths behind him instantly turned into black shadows, merging into the shadow at his feet like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
Junpei quickly ran over, handing him a handkerchief with eyes full of admiration:
"Boss, that just now... the one flying in the sky, was that also a shikigami? So cool!"
"That's 'Nue'. If the power goes out in the summer, we can use it to generate electricity; it'll save a lot on the bill."
Lynn took the handkerchief and wiped his hands, cracking a casual joke before getting into the car.
"Drive, Junpei. Let's go back to the shop and see if there's any new business. For these big guys, my savings took a major hit; I need to find a way to earn some back."
...Exchange No. 8.
By the time they returned to the shop filled with a mysterious aura, it was already afternoon.
Lynn slumped on the leather sofa, enjoying freshly brewed black tea while checking the system mall.
Although he still had tens of thousands of points on hand, for dealing with the upcoming Shibuya Incident, this small amount of money was far from enough.
He needed more 'goods'.
Whether it was Cursed Tools, cursed objects, or those Curse Users with high bounties on wanted posters, in his eyes, they were all walking points.
Just then, Junpei, who was organizing intelligence behind the counter, suddenly let out an exclamation.
"Boss! I found it!"
Junpei rushed over holding a laptop. The screen displayed a dark red web interface filled with distorted characters and uncomfortable background images.
"What is this? The Dark Web?" Lynn raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, this is an account left by that Curse User we took down earlier. I just cracked his encrypted email and found a new invitation."
For the system, the points required to exchange for a computer talent unrelated to sorcery were quite low.
Therefore, Lynn didn't care much and directly exchanged it for Junpei to put him to work.
Junpei pointed at a blood-red title on the screen:
[Invitation: The 17th 'Pure Land Hall' Underground Treasure Auction]
"Pure Land Hall?" Lynn took a sip of tea, the name sounding a bit unfamiliar.
"It's a very famous underground black market in the Curse User circle," Junpei explained quickly. "It's said to be jointly organized by several Grade 1 Curse Users on the run, specifically trading dangerous items strictly forbidden by Jujutsu High. For example, cursed human organs, special grade cursed objects used for killing, and even... living people."
Hearing this, Lynn put down his teacup, his gaze turning a bit more serious.
"Sounds like a good'supply channel'. But that shouldn't be enough to get you this excited, Junpei."
"The point is the items! Boss, look at this!"
Junpei scrolled the mouse and pulled up a blurry picture.
It was an object sealed in a glass jar, looking like a piece of dried-up face skin emitting an eerie purple light.
"According to the intelligence, this is the grand finale item of this session—the special grade cursed object: Soul-Returning Face. It's said to contain an extremely massive amount of Cursed Energy, with a starting price of fifty million yen!"
"A special grade cursed object..."
Lynn's eyes instantly lit up.
This kind of illegal gathering was practically an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Interesting."
Lynn picked up the black trench coat hanging on the rack, draped it over his shoulders, and casually grabbed that black cane.
"Junpei, get ready. Tonight we're going to attend a 'feast'."
Junpei was stunned for a moment: "Are we going to steal that cursed object?"
"Steal? No, no, no, we are legitimate merchants."
Lynn adjusted his tie and elegantly pushed open the shop's door.
"We are just going to... maintain the fairness and justice of the market."
...Tokyo, Minato Ward, an abandoned subway station entrance.
This was one of the entrances to the "Pure Land Hall."
The night was deep, and several black sedans were parked silently by the roadside.
Lynn led Junpei out of the car.
Tonight, he had specifically changed into a high-end custom suit that looked like he was "not to be trifled with," and a faint pressure of a Jujutsu Sorcerer emanated from him—it was the best pass.
"Remember, talk less once we're inside."
Lynn instructed in a low voice.
"Don't show any fear."
Junpei swallowed nervously, nodded, and followed closely behind Lynn.
The two passed through the dark tunnel and pushed open a heavy iron door.
The noise, decadent music, and the thick smell of blood and Cursed Energy stench instantly hit them.
Inside the massive underground space, the lights were bright.
Countless Curse Users and underworld buyers wearing masks and strange costumes were gathered here, waiting for the auction to begin.
In the VIP boxes on the second floor, several figures wearing traditional kimonos with arrogant expressions were coldly watching below.
Lynn felt something and looked up, seeing those figures.
Although he couldn't see their faces clearly, he could feel that this group was one of the most formidable groups in the venue.
Seeing Lynn's gaze, the other side didn't pull back; instead, they continued to stare at Lynn.
Lynn felt a bit puzzled, furrowed his brows, and wondered what they were doing.
A staring contest?
Lynn didn't play the staring game with them, simply scanning the entire hall as if nothing was wrong.
The place was filled with a nauseating atmosphere of revelry.
At the edge of the dance floor, one could even see some low-level Cursed Spirits chained up like pets, greedily sucking in the malice and desire emitted by the guests.
"Boss, the concentration of Cursed Spirits here is so high..." Junpei whispered, his face a bit pale, his hand instinctively pressing against the pocket where his Cursed Tool was hidden.
"Relax. For Curse Users, this is heaven; but for us, this is just a hunting ground."
Lynn gave a light chuckle, his black cane tapping rhythmically on the ground.
He withdrew his gaze and ignored that group of inexplicable people on the second floor.
Leading Junpei through the crowded throng, he walked straight toward the stairs leading to the VIP area on the second floor.
"Since we're here to stock up, we naturally have to sit in the position with the best view."
Lynn stepped onto the stairs.
Those gazes from above remained stuck to his back like maggots on a corpse.
"Truly strange. Could it be they recognize me?"
Lynn was somewhat puzzled. He usually kept such a low profile; how could he be recognized here...