manynovel Page 382
Page 382
The cursed spirit within the cube began to disintegrate at a visible rate. It wasn't burned or torn apart, but rather "deleted" line by line, like error code in a computer program. Its body transformed into the most basic data stream, and then completely returned to nothingness.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
That powerful being who filled Zenin Maki with despair simply vanished... without leaving a trace.
silence.
Deathly silence.
Maki's mouth gaped open, her hand gripping the naginata trembling slightly. She stared at the man with his back to her, as if he had merely swatted a fly, her mind blank.
god……
That was the only word she could think of.
Zhou Ye turned around, looked at her, and the smile on his face remained.
"Alright, now we can have a proper chat. Tell us about this world, starting with your so-called world of sorcery."
Chapter 334 Financial Entities and Boards of Trustees
Not far from the abandoned building, the atmosphere in a 24-hour family restaurant seemed somewhat eerie.
In a booth by the window, Zhou Ye and his group occupied a table. Kasumigaoka Utaha was enthusiastically flipping through the menu, showing a keen interest in the desserts of this world. Gil, on the other hand, vigilantly observed her surroundings, not relaxing her guard even in this seemingly safe environment. Yotsuya Miko sipped her hot cocoa slowly, trying to avoid looking at the blurry, dark shadows clinging to the ordinary people passing by, shadows visible only to her.
Despite having gone through so much and possessing the power to change and become a cursed spirit, it seems that she was too well protected before and her mindset hasn't changed.
Opposite them, Zenin Maki sat upright, her body stiff, not touching the ice water in front of her from beginning to end.
Her brain was still in a state of malfunction.
From that earth-shattering display of power to the other party casually bringing her to a place where ordinary people eat, everything felt surreal and absurd. She even secretly pricked her palm with the tip of the cursed tool; the pain told her this wasn't a dream.
"so,"
Zhou Ye stirred the coffee in his cup, breaking the silence.
"The power system of this world is built upon a negative energy called cursed power. And you self-proclaimed sorcerers use this energy to exorcise cursed spirits born from it. Am I right?" 24
His summary was precise and concise, like reading a product manual.
Maki nodded with difficulty.
"……Yes."
"Furthermore, your world of jutsu is controlled by three major families—the Gojo family, the Zenin family, and the Kamo family—forming a corrupt and stubborn feudal management system. And currently, the strongest fighter in the jutsu world is a guy named Gojo Satoru, because he has six eyes and limitless techniques, so he can maintain the balance of the entire world all by himself?"
"...That's basically it."
Maki's voice was a little hoarse. These were secrets that should have been kept by the higher-ups in the world of sorcery, but the other party spoke of them so casually, as if they were common knowledge.
"What an interesting ecosystem."
Kasumigaoka Utaha closed the menu and interjected in her characteristically languid voice,
"A closed, conservative, seniority-based elite circle that relies on the power of bloodline inheritance, which calls itself the guardian of the world, yet knows nothing about the vast world outside the circle. Despite possessing extraordinary power, they are still playing family political games from hundreds of years ago. I could write a light novel with a more promising premise than this."
Her words hit the nail on the head, making Maki's face even uglier. She knew that every word the other woman spoke was true. She herself was both a victim and a rebel against this corrupt system.
"So, one last question."
Zhou Ye put down his coffee cup, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly at Maki.
"For a near-level one cursed spirit like that, what level of sorcerer do you usually need to deal with it? How long does it take?"
Maki hesitated for a moment, but still answered truthfully:
"At least a Level 1 sorcerer is needed. If the spell of the cursed spirit is particularly strange, multiple Level 1 sorcerers may be required to work together. As for the time... it depends on the situation, ranging from a few minutes to tens of minutes, or even longer."
"is it?"
Zhou Ye leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face that sent chills down Maki's spine.
"But I solved it in less than three seconds. What do you think that means?"
What does it represent?
It represents an absolute, incomprehensible, and dimensional power gap.
This suggests that these so-called sorcerers, in the face of their opponent, might truly be no different from primitive people.
Maki fell silent; she didn't know how to answer.
"Alright, we've finished gathering the intelligence. Let's get down to business." Zhou Duye snapped his fingers, and a waiter immediately came over. He expertly ordered several sundaes and cakes, then told the waiter, "Send the bill to this address."
He handed over a black card with only a simple badge made of data streams on it.
The waiter was taken aback for a moment, but still accepted it respectfully.
“We are new here and need a local identity, as well as a place to stay.”
Zhou Ye said to Maki,
“I’m not interested in your sorcery academy, which is like playing house, and I don’t want to deal with your old fogies. So, I’ve decided to start my own organization.”
"organize?"
"Mm." Zhou Ye nodded.
"Let's call it... Sky Dome International Holdings Group. It sounds like a legitimate financial company. Our group has a wide range of businesses, from biotechnology and energy development to cultural entertainment and private security. We do everything."
Kasumigaoka Utaha added from the side:
"Of course, our core business is unconventional disaster avoidance insurance and the recovery and safekeeping of top-grade cursed artifacts. Simply put, we can handle what you sorcerers can't. We can store what you can't. We provide services, and you pay us."
Maki was stunned.
"You... want to do business in the world of sorcery?"
"No, no, no, you misunderstood."
Zhou Ye shook his head and corrected him.
“We’re not here to do business with you. We’re here to set new market rules and become the trust in this industry. You can choose to be our customer, or… be eliminated by the times.”
These words were filled with an unquestionable domineering tone.
"What right do you have...?"
Maki instinctively retorted.
“Based on this.” Zhou Duye flicked his finger, and his phone screen lit up, projecting a real-time dynamic map of Tokyo. The map was densely marked with hundreds of red dots.
"This is a map I just scanned, showing the distribution of all cursed spirits within the Tokyo area that meet or exceed the level 2 standard. It includes their energy levels, activity patterns, and potential danger assessments."
He pointed to one of the points near Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens, flashing a blinding red light.
"For example, this one is of the highest grade. According to my model calculations, it will be fully formed in 72 hours, at which point it will turn the entire Shinjuku district into a dead zone. May I ask, has your Jujutsu High School's early warning system detected it?"
Maki stared intently at the red dot, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
She didn't know. She was certain that the people at the vocational college didn't know either. Their investigative methods simply couldn't achieve that level of precision and efficiency.
"And we can not only discover it, but also, before it takes shape, like this..."
Zhou Ye lightly swiped his finger across the screen, making a "delete" gesture.
"...Let it disappear from this world completely. That's our right."
Just then, an urgent financial news report was broadcast on the restaurant's television.
"Breaking news from this station: A mysterious conglomerate called Sky Dome International Holdings Group announced its establishment early this morning. Through a series of astonishing capital operations, it completed the acquisition of controlling stakes in Japan's three major telecommunications giants, four major energy companies, and the largest general commercial bank within just a few hours. Currently, the group has become an emerging force that cannot be ignored in Japan's economic field. The source of its capital remains a mystery, attracting high attention from the financial world..."
The television screen showed an aerial view of a building.
It was a futuristic skyscraper situated on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Constructed entirely of some unknown black metal, its surface flowed with pale purple data patterns, its design utterly sci-fi and clashing with the surrounding architecture.
Maki recognized the place; yesterday it was still a barren wasteland waiting to be developed.
Overnight, a skyscraper was built? And half of Japan's economic lifeline was acquired?
She felt that her worldview was being crushed and reshaped time and time again.
That's our temporary headquarters.
Zhou Ye pointed to the television, his tone so calm it was as if he were saying...
That's my garage.
"Our group's philosophy is that to solve problems in the superstructure, you must first control the economic base. Problems that can be solved with money shouldn't be solved with violence. Of course, if money can't solve them..."
He glanced at Jill. Jill understood, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"...Then we'll deal with the troublemakers."
The sundae and cake were served. Kasumigaoka Utaha elegantly scooped a spoonful of cream into her mouth, her eyes squinting with satisfaction.
"Then, Ms. Zenin Maki."
As she savored her dessert, she casually asked,
"Our Sky Dome International is in its early stages and urgently needs a consultant familiar with the unique rules of this local industry. We offer the highest salary and benefits in the industry, full social insurance and housing fund, a complete set of top-grade magical artifacts as a welcome gift, and we can provide you with a personalized physical enhancement program, guaranteeing that within three months you can completely dominate those old men from your Zen family with your physical skills alone. Are you interested?"
Every word of these words struck a chord with Maki.
Salary? She didn't care.
A top-grade cursed artifact? She had been dreaming of it.
To trample those stubborn old fogies of the Zen temple underfoot? That was her ultimate goal in running away from home.
She looked at the group of mysterious, powerful people in front of her, whose behavior was completely unconventional, and then at the incredible building on the television.
She knew she was standing at a crossroads of fate. On one side was her familiar yet loathed past, and on the other, a future full of unknowns yet brimming with infinite possibilities.
She took a deep breath, let go of all her guard and pride, and solemnly lowered her head.
"How...should I address you, boss?"
Zhou Ye smiled.
"Just call me Chairman."
He said, "The Sky Dome International Global Abnormal Assets Handling Council sounds more impressive."
Kasumigaoka Utaha muttered to herself: