"Consumed by the flames of revenge, a soul can lose it's very purpose."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
I slept till the next morning, and was transported to the infirmary.
Each student came out of the dungeon holding something new, saying that this was the 'reward'. For those who chose weapons, their old weapons were returned to the Academy.
My four teammates were interrogated for information about the dungeon and how they managed to beat it, personally by the principal.
All four of them cooperated fully, giving all the details they could remember.
But, since the four did not have direct contact with the boss, the principal had to wait for me to wake up.
When I woke up, I didn't respond to the summons of the faculty members, even the principal's.
Immediately going to my dorm room, I picked up my phone. I saw multiple missed calls and messages from my parents.
But more importantly, there were a few messages from the people I had told to investigate Ryogaku and Johan's pasts.
They had finished compiling all the information and sent it to me.
As I read through the information, my eyes widened, the information hitting me like a truck on a highway.
Firstly, Johan's past was unclear, as he came from a faraway village.
But it is confirmed that his village does not exist now. So I assume that his village had been destroyed, him being the only survivor.
Pretty basic backstory, you say?
Well its a problem because in the original story, he had no such past, his village still existed and he visited it from time to time.
Secondly, Ryogaku's village was burned to the ground and everyone was killed.
Again, normal backstory, but in the game, only his parents were killed.
This information was available because my father had agricultural trade relations with that village.
It was quite humorous how just my existence had caused the storyline to deviate so much.
I closed my eyes, a sigh escaping my mouth as I placed the phone back on the table. A sphere suddenly appeared on my hand.
It was the item [Equivalent Exchange] that I got as a reward from the dungeon. I had taken this out from my inventory.
I looked at the softly glowing ball in my hand, focusing my Cursed Energy on it, it started glowing brighter and making a low-pitched humming sound.
Abruptly, a message came up on the System.
[What do you wish for?]
I thought for a few seconds, I could ask for Anos's powers, or Yogiri's, but that would be out of bounds, probably.
Finally coming to a decision, I said with a low voice...
"Remove the limit on my physical abilities."
"And also, remove my upper limit."
The Upper Limit was a concept in the game.
It was the point during one's growth in strength where the rate of growth would start stagnating.
There was never a limit to strength, only a limit to growth.
Given infinite time, anyone could reach infinite strength in this world. The growth of strength was endless.
Moreover, removal of the upper limit also creates some other consequences.
Usually, creating a new skill, or even spell from scratch is extremely difficult, but with a removed upper limit, and with enough practice, it can be done easily.
Furthermore, removing the upper limit meant that one's growth rate would always be more than the rate he would have if the upper limit was present.
Therefore, even when not practicing, and staying idle, the growth rate will not drop to zero.
This means that even if I don't practice, my powers will keep growing and evolving.
[What do you offer in return?]
"I offer..."
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(Following Sukuna...)
Sukuna had an interrogation with the higher-ups of the school, he told them about the fight with the boss, which left them awestruck, even though he took out some details.
All this information was sent to the Head of the Hunter Association.
The event was kept private, being told as just a mishap in a D-Rank dungeon, and we were given a perfect score on the test.
A few days later, it was announced that the Head of the Hunter Association would be spectating the Tournament taking place in 3 months.
The interrogation of Sukuna was very difficult for the people to asked him the questions, here is a snippet from their conversation...
"So you made the plan to divide your team into three parts?" A woman dressed in a suit, who was sitting in a chair in front of Sukuna, asked.
"Yup," Sukuna, who was sitting in a metal chair, slightly leaning towards the interrogator, answered nonchalantly.
"Then you killed the ranged support as your teammates took care of the monsters?"
"Dead," his relaxed voice reached her ears again.
"Alright, so you cut the floor and made everyone fall into a huge pit with thousands of skeletons." She asked, rechecking if she read what was written correctly.
"Yup" Came the nonchalant response of Sukuna.
The woman wrote something on the paper in front of her with practiced strokes of the pen.
"Okay, also here, you did not mention how you finally killed the boss after all its summons were finished off, can you explain to me, please?" She said, her voice businesslike.
Sukuna's expression morphed into a playful smirk as he leaned in closer to her, before opening his mouth just to say...
"Nuh uh." *locks in*
The woman's pen tapped rhythmically on her clipboard, her frustration evident. "Can you at least describe the final blow?"
Sukuna leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Nuh uh."
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After the interrogation was done, the woman was sitting alone in the room, tapping her pen on the clipboard.
The file in front of her was a mess of scribbles and crossed-out notes. This first-year, Sukuna, was like a puzzle with missing pieces.
How could he have taken down a B-Rank dungeon boss single-handedly? And why was he so tight-lipped about the final blow?
Frustration gnawed at her mind, but a flicker of admiration lingered in her eyes. There was something captivating about his nonchalant confidence.
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(Later...)
Sweat dripped down Sukuna's face as he slammed one last punch into the heavy bag.
His muscles screamed in pain, but the fire in his eyes was unwavering.
He was not going to rely only on Cursed Energy, that would be fool's play, which is why he was giving a lot of time to physical training.
He was going to take a rest, completing his workout for the day, which is when he got a phone call.
He picked up the phone, still breathing heavily due to exertion.
"Sukuna," he said, waiting for the response.
"The principal requests your presence in his office," a polite voice came from the other side of the call.
"I'll be there," saying this, Sukuna cut the call and went to change his clothes.
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(In the Office...)
"We all are very pleased by the performance of you five, and hence, we have decided to give each one of you one thing you ask for, if it is reasonable and within our abilities."
The principal announced to the team of five standing in his office.
Everyone was thinking deeply about this, the first one to speak was our main character himself.
"I want the permission to enter dungeons, alone."
Usually, Hunters could enter dungeons one rank lower than their Hunter rank, alone, but for ones of their rank or higher, they needed a team, and they were not allowed to enter dungeons of more than one rank higher than their Hunter Ranks in any case.
Confused? I'll give examples.
For example, a B-Rank hunter can enter dungeons of C-Rank or below alone, dungeons of B and A-Rank with a team, and is not allowed to enter dungeons above A-Rank in any case.
Still confused? You're dumb. I'm kidding, I need your power stones. Anyhow...
"If that it too much, I am fine with restricting it to only D-Ranks and lower," said Sukuna, trying to convince the Principal.
The Principal stroked his chin, contemplating Sukuna's request. "Entering D-Rank dungeons alone," he said, amused. "That's a hefty request, even for someone as talented as you."
Sukuna's expression, too, turned into one of amusement, he had succeeded in convincing the principal.
"After all, talent without practice is like a blunt sword," Sukuna countered, his voice firm yet respectful. "I need to push myself to my limits in real combat situations."
"I will try my best to provide this for you," this request was acceptable to Blaze.
He could have a talk with the Association, if they decline, he could just have a high rank Hunter follow Sukuna into dungeons as a ghost teammate.
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(POV: Unknown)
A boy sat in a silent, dark room, the only sounds being the dripping of water in the sink.
There was a distinct smell of sweat, as the boy's clothes were drenched.
It was obvious that he had just finished training, and was now sitting on a chair, looking at his computer screen.
On the screen, was written... "This Tournament's Hype"
This was an article saying how people were even more excited for the Tournament this year compared to ever before.
He slammed down the flap of the laptop, getting up from the chair, his eyes fixated on a framed picture on his desk.
The picture contained two people – a man and a little boy – father and son.
The boy clenched his fists, his body barely containing the rage that he felt.
"Three months," he whispered, his teeth grit.
"In three months, I will finally see you. I just have to hold out until graduation, after that I will be free..."
"...and then, I will kill you..."
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"...Ryomen Sukuna"
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HE IS FINALLY UNNERFED.
You know, this and the last chapter were supposed to be one, but I split them because it was too long.
now, gimme gimme POWER STONES.