I made my cursed energy thinly spread throughout the room. The good way to improve my Curse energy control is to spread Curse energy like threads in the room and control each thread independently.
And I have to say, so far it's going great, much better than my Reverse Cursed Technique. Seeing the threads of CE, a sudden idea formed in my mind.
I tried picking up the flower vase, which is on the table, with my crutch. One thread didn't do much, so I added five more, but that only had the power to give a slight budge, so I added five more, and the flower vise started floating.
"Literally telekinesis, well, more like puppeteering, but telekinesis is cool," I murmur to myself as I control the vase up, down, and side to side. I noticed my CE is draining faster than usual. "Does this only work on solids, or can I also control liquids?"
I then looked at the water jar. I removed its cap using the Cursed energy threads (CET) or telekinesis; well, let's call it telekinesis because it very much looks like that. I mixed my Cursed energy and tried to let the water float, but it didn't do anything. I let even more CET absorb into the water, but nothing happened.
"Maybe I am thinking wrong. Maybe I should make my cursed energy in a pan or bowl shape; let's consider cursed energy as solid." I murmur myself.
And this time it worked. Water floats in a plain shape. "It doesn't look good in plain; Sphere is good."
According to my intent, the curse energy changed the shape of the water sphere. The curse energy acts as a protective binding much like how a balloon holds air inside it. If too much water is inside it, the balloon will burst, so a thicker balloon will be needed, and just like that, if too much water is present, I will need to spend even more curse energy to build a thicker circumference.
Which also mean different shape extract different Curse energy inputs, with the plain shape being the minimum spent.
"Can't believe I just casually invented such a technique. Am I a genius or what? Or maybe some already tried it but maybe found the disadvantage," I thought to myself.
The only way to learn more about this is to engage in an actual compact. In a compact I can learn how my opponent's curse energy interferes with this technique.
"If this actually works in compact, I literally start a magic battle. My enemies look at me with awe as I fly down a concrete piece in their head."
---
It has been quite some time; my wounds have pretty much healed, and my control over cursed energy has also increased, but I still haven't made any breakthrough in the Reverse Curse technique.
I was on my way to meet Maki and Mai. They haven't come to meet me a single day; they are probably restricted from meeting me by their father. So I just decided to meet them in their room.
I turned the corner of the corridor and stopped.
A woman stood there waiting in between my path and destiny.
Maki and Mai's mother.
Her expression was difficult to read. She is what you call a difficult women.
"You should stop visiting them."
Her voice was quiet but firm, the first time hearing her talk to me. In fact most of the time, she just walk past me with her eyes on the floor.
I stared at her for a moment.
"…Excuse me?"
"You only bring them suffering," she said.
Her gaze shifted away from me slightly, toward the garden outside.
"If you continue to involve yourself with them, their punishment will only worsen."
For a second the words just hung in the air then I exhaled slowly.
"That's not for you to decide."
Her eyes snapped back to mine.
There was no anger in my voice. I stepped closer.
"Where are they?"
Silence lingered between us for a few seconds. She studied my face as if searching for something.
Finally, she lifted a hand and pointed toward the far side of the compound.
"…The storage warehouse."
My eyes widened.
The moment she said it, realization hit like a punch to the gut.
It was where old training equipment, damaged weapons, and discarded junk from the estate were dumped.
I didn't say another word.
I started walking quickly.
Then faster.
Then I broke into a run.
Pain flared in my ribs, but I ignored it completely.
The warehouse sat at the edge of the property, half-hidden behind tall bamboo fencing. Its wooden doors were shut tight.
Locked from the outside.
Of course they were.I grabbed the handle.
Pulled. It didn't budge. So I kicked it open.
The door slammed open with a loud crack.
Dust swirled in the air as sunlight spilled inside the dark building.
And what I saw made my chest tighten.
They were sitting on the floor near the back wall.
They were bruised, dirty, and covered in cuts. Both of them.
Worse than the day of the Grade 1 curse. Like literally, there wasn't this much wound in them when I protected them from that curse.
For a moment none of us moved.
Then Maki looked up.Her eyes widened. "…You came."
Before I could say anything, both of them ran toward me.
"Maki—"
"Mai—"
They slammed into me, arms wrapping tightly around my waist as if afraid I might disappear.
I stumbled back slightly from the force.
Their shoulders shaking and they started crying.
"You idiot!" Mai choked out. "Why did you do that?!" Mai said to Maki as if asking why she started crying first; because of that, she also started crying.
Maki didn't say anything at first.
She just clung tighter.
Then suddenly both of them started checking me frantically.
Their hands moved across my arms.
My shoulders.
My chest.
"Are you hurt?!"
"Did your ribs heal?!"
"Let me see—!"
Mai pressed her palm against my chest, panic in her eyes as if expecting blood to start pouring out again.
I caught her wrist gently.
"I'm fine."
They didn't look convinced. Maki leaned back slightly, studying my face closely.
Only then did I notice the bandage wrapped around her side.
The same place the Grade 1 curse had injured her.
Except now the bandage looked older. Probably the first bandage, and it hasn't even changed ever since. Instead of worrying about their health, they are worried about me.
"What happened?" I asked quietly.
Neither of them answered immediately.
Their eyes lowered, then Mai spoke first, her voice was trembling as she spoke.
"…Father locked us here."
"Why?"
Maki finally looked up. Her expression was calm.
"Because you got hurt."
Like it is what it is.
"…What?"
"You got wounded protecting us," Maki said. "So he said we were responsible."
"He said if we weren't weak, you wouldn't have needed to protect us."
Even though I am a coward and not much of an angry person. Hearing Maki and Mai say that with a look suggested that 'it was our fault that he got hurt.' The anger, which I thought I had burned all of in previous lives, came to me like the last ember in the ash.
I will fucking bury that piece of shit alive.
~~~
Bonus Ch for 100 power stone, while haven't reach the milestone exactly? But 6 or 7 more PS to go.
I like the idea of people who reading my novel leaving their make on my book so Give me lot of comments and Power stones. Give me inspection. Give me reviews.
POWER STONE, GIVE IT ME.
100 POWER STONE FOR BONUS CHAPTER
Posted some extra 30 chapter in patron, if you are interested check it out, link is the synopsis.