"Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die!"
A flurry of fists transformed into shadows, completely engulfing Hayashi.
After a mad barrage of punches lasting seven or eight seconds, Ice Bearer, the cursed womb, realized something was wrong. Despite its incredible speed, not a single punch had landed on Hayashi. Each punch had been aimed directly at his body, and each one should have connected.
But strangely, just before the punches touched Hayashi, they twisted!
Yes, it was a visual distortion. This twisting effect caused every punch to miss, leaving Hayashi standing still, unmoved, and untouched by any blow.
The most terrifying part wasn't that. What frightened Ice Bearer more was that despite its incredible speed, its cursed energy consumption was increasing exponentially.
It felt as though its cursed energy was inexplicably leaking out, with no way to control it. All it could do was watch helplessly as its power drained away.
It was a feeling of utter despair, like a person who had been poisoned and was told by the doctor that nothing could be done. They would die, knowing exactly when their time would come and feeling their body slowly crumble with no way to stop it.
"No matter where you are, you can't harm me. This is my domain, Amaterasu Tsukikage."
Hayashi's words pierced Ice Bearer's heart like a knife. Despite the calm tone, the words echoed in its mind like thunder, amplifying its fear to the extreme. For the first time, Ice Bearer began to break down.
Its body trembled uncontrollably. The fear was unstoppable. This young man before it was like a devil, toying with it.
Watching the special-grade curse tremble like a helpless infant before him, Hayashi felt a wave of satisfaction. This was the first special-grade curse to fear him, but it wouldn't be the last!
"If I had more time, I'd be happy to play with you longer. But my allies can't hold on much longer, so… playtime's over." Hayashi's voice was as cold as ice, dragging Ice Bearer into a frozen abyss.
Ice Bearer seemed to want to plead for mercy, but Hayashi didn't give it the chance. He raised his black blade and slashed across its neck, cutting the powerful special-grade curse into pieces, slice by slice.
Hayashi reached into its body and pulled out a small object. Upon closer inspection, it was a tiny red gourd, no bigger than a thumb. The red gourd had the character "吞" (swallow) inscribed on it, exuding a mysterious aura.
As Hayashi took the red gourd, Ice Bearer began to completely disintegrate, vanishing into thin air in an instant.
With the Amaterasu Tsukikage domain dissipating, the surrounding ice palace started to melt and collapse. Hayashi glanced at the unconscious Kong Yue and Zhang Yiyi, lifted them both, and dashed out.
"Boss, look! The ice is melting!" Jie Zhiyong, who had been keeping an eye on the ice layer, suddenly noticed it starting to melt and collapse.
"Did Yiyi and the others succeed?" Yan Dao excitedly exclaimed. He had been worried about the trio's safety the entire time. Now that the ice was melting, it was clear that the curse had been exorcised.
With the curse removed, their mission was complete, and they could now collect the reward.
Of course, the happiest one was the boss. With the ice gone, he could resume his work, and the money flow would quickly return.
In a flash, Hayashi used his speed technique, bringing Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue to the shore. Jie Zhiyong and Yan Dao, who had been ecstatic just moments before, now grew tense and rushed toward them.
"What happened to Yiyi and Kong Yue? What's going on?" Yan Dao caught Zhang Yiyi, while Jie Zhiyong supported Kong Yue. He noticed blood flowing from Kong Yue's abdomen and urgently shouted, "Kong Yue is seriously injured! We need to get to the hospital now!"
"Yes, take them to the hospital first. We'll talk about everything else later." Hayashi called to the stunned, bald-headed boss nearby, "What are you standing around for? Get a car ready to take them to the hospital!"
"Oh, right! Right away!" The boss snapped back to reality, realizing that two of the three were seriously injured and unconscious, meaning he'd have to cover the medical costs as well.
Once Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue were taken to the hospital for treatment, Yan Dao brought Hayashi to the rooftop to ask what had happened. "What exactly went down down there? Why are Yiyi and Kong Yue so severely injured?"
Without much emotion, Hayashi replied, "We encountered a special-grade curse. Yiyi and Kong Yue were ambushed and seriously injured."
"A special-grade curse?" Yan Dao had imagined the worst, knowing that running into a special-grade was the worst-case scenario. He had tried to stay optimistic, but deep down, he had suspected as much. A curse strong enough to create such a vast ice layer could only be a special-grade.
"So why are you unscathed?" Yan Dao realized his words were poorly thought out. Even though Hayashi had defeated the special-grade curse, compared to the injuries Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue suffered, Hayashi appeared relatively unscathed.
"I was just lucky. If it weren't for Yiyi and Kong Yue's help, none of us would have made it out." Hayashi wasn't about to reveal the full truth. Some things were better kept secret.
Certain curses could read thoughts, and the fewer people who knew, the better.
Honestly, Hayashi had been anxious during the fight, but he had his accumulated points to fall back on. Without those points, merely relying on the "power multiplier" wouldn't have been enough.
In the Ice Bearer's domain, no matter how strong Hayashi's attacks were, he would have been worn down eventually. But with his own domain, the outcome flipped entirely.
Hayashi gave a brief recount of the events under the ice. He said what needed to be said, but Yan Dao couldn't pry out anything he didn't want to share.
...
A day later, Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue both woke up. Though gravely injured, their vital areas hadn't been hit, so their recovery was quick.
The hospital didn't employ only ordinary doctors—there were also specialists for those dealing with curses—so the treatment was particularly effective.
"Am I dead?" Kong Yue sat up suddenly, but a sharp pain hit him, forcing him back down. He gingerly touched his ribcage, still aching.
Zhang Yiyi remained silent, her large eyes fixed on Hayashi.
Hayashi felt a bit uncomfortable under her intense gaze, like he was being scrutinized while standing completely naked. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Zhang Yiyi finally spoke. "How did we make it out?"
"Isn't it obvious? We got out because the curse was killed." Hayashi spread his hands, feigning a relaxed attitude.
"Impossible!" Kong Yue suddenly shouted, recalling the events. His expression darkened again. "That curse wasn't something we could exorcise. It had a domain! We should have all died there. It's impossible we made it out!"
"What?"
"A domain?"
Yan Dao and Jie Zhiyong shouted in shock. A special-grade curse with a domain was a completely different level from one without. If Kong Yue's claim was true, there was no way they should have survived.
Zhang Yiyi had been unconscious before the Ice Bearer activated its domain, so she didn't know what had happened afterward. Now, hearing Kong Yue's words, she immediately looked at Hayashi, seeking an answer.