Playful Cloud

As the morning light filled the room, Takashi slowly woke up from his much-needed rest. He stretched his limbs and took a moment to reflect on the events of the previous day. The experience of being transmigrated into the world of curses and sorcery still felt surreal, but the tangible evidence of the Curse Academy System and his newfound abilities assured him that it was indeed real.

Just as he was about to get up, he saw the system appear.

The holographic interface of the Curse Academy System materialized before Takashi once again, displaying a new task assigned by the system.

[New Task Assigned]

[Task: Train your physical body, and mastery over your cursed energy!]

[Objective: Train your physical body to enhance your strength, agility, and endurance.

Master your cursed energy manipulation to improve control and refine your cursed techniques. Rewards will be issued daily, depending on your performance. Do note that if you don't train hard enough, there will be no rewards.]

Takashi took a moment to read through the new task assigned by the Curse Academy System. It seemed that the system was now challenging him to push himself even further in his training and development.

"Train my physical body and master my cursed energy... Sounds like a solid plan," Takashi murmured, feeling determined to take on the challenge. He was already thinking of ways to use a Heavenly Restriction to help him aid in his training.

He understood the importance of honing both his physical abilities and his cursed energy manipulation skills. They were essential components of becoming strong and fulfilling the system's objective of creating an academy for cursed spirits, after all, how could the Principal of such a place be weak?

So, with that in mind, he decided to start with physical exercises, but first, he created a Heavenly Restriction on his body. The cooldown was already over, as it was only a Minor Restriction on his technique.

With determination in his heart, Takashi activated the Curse Academy System's interface to apply a Heavenly Restriction on his body, while reciting mentally what restriction he wanted to place on it.

[Heavenly Restriction: Physical Body]

Select the degree of restriction:

[Minor Restriction: Increased gravity on the body by 45%, in exchange for a minor increase to adaptation.]

[Moderate Restriction: Increased gravity on the body by 70%, in exchange for a moderate increase to adaptation and slight improvement in agility.]

The options for the Heavenly Restriction on his physical body appeared before Takashi, and he carefully considered the choices. Both options offered increased gravity, but the degrees of restriction and benefits were different.

"I choose the 'Moderate Restriction' on my physical body," Takashi declared with determination.

Instantly, Takashi felt the added weight pressing down on him, simulating a gravitational force that was 70% stronger than normal. His body sank slightly under the increased pressure, and he could feel his muscles tensing up to adjust to the change. The air around him seemed denser, as he had a bit of trouble breathing.

Embracing the challenge, Takashi began his training. He started with warming-up, but even that tired him out as he struggled to catch his breath. However, that didn't discourage him, instead, he smiled at the challenge.

As Takashi lay on the ground, his entire body covered in sweat and his breaths coming in heavy pants, he felt a sense of satisfaction. The training session had been intense, but he knew that he had given his all, and that made him proud.

'Haah.. that was exhausting.' sighed Takashi, as he got up from the ground. 'I'll continue with Cursed Energy Manipulation once I've eaten something, I'm hungry.'

Luckily, there was plenty of raw meat in the fridge, and he also found a bag of rice after searching for it. With that concluded, he began to cook. Although Takashi wasn't a cook in his previous life, but he did some cooking based on recipes.

With his meal finished, Takashi returned to the main room and sat cross-legged on the floor, preparing to meditate and delve into his cursed energy manipulation practice. He took a few deep breaths to center himself and cleared his mind of any distractions.

"Focus, Takashi," he whispered to himself. "I know that thinking of one's body as different sections delays their flow of energy, so I must understand that my mind, body and soul are one."

Thanks to Aoi Todo, Takashi knew the importance of viewing his mind, body, and soul as one interconnected entity when it came to manipulating cursed energy. It wasn't just about physical strength or mental focus; it required a deep understanding of oneself and the ability to harmonize all aspects of his being.

He closed his eyes and began by focusing on his breath, clearing his mind of any distractions. Slowly, he felt the cursed energy within him, a potent force that connected his physical body and his soul. Takashi imagined it as a brilliant blue light that pulsed with each breath he took.

In his meditation, he visualized the cursed energy flowing through him like a river, circulating effortlessly between his mind, body, and soul. He felt a sense of oneness, as if he were no longer separate parts but a unified whole.

Takashi began to coat his body in cursed energy, starting from his fingertips and gradually enveloping his entire form in a blue aura.

However, it instantly dispersed as he suddenly felt a buzz in his mind, and a holographic screen appeared before him with new notifications.

[User trained hard enough to get a reward, since this is the first time user completed the daily task, the 4 rewards were fused into one that suits the user's current needs!]

[Playful Cloud: A duplicate of the Special Grade Cursed Tool, a three-section staff. Its strength relies on the user's raw power.]

Takashi's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the holographic notification. He also understood that he only had a defensive cursed technique, and didn't have any offense, and that's why the system decided to give him this reward. Of course, he knew about this Cursed Tool, after all, it was used by the likes of Geto, Maki and Toji due to its immense power.

Eager to test the new weapon, Takashi stood up and accepted the reward. In a flash of light, the staff appeared before him, gleaming with an ethereal blue glow. It was a magnificent weapon, with intricate designs along its length, giving it an otherworldly appearance.

He picked up the staff, feeling its weight in his hands. It felt lighter than expected, even with the gravity increased.

As he twirled the staff experimentally, he could feel the cursed energy within it resonate with his own. The Playful Cloud seemed to respond to his movements effortlessly, as if it were an extension of his body.

Satisfied with the weapon, he decided it was time to head to a library to understand more about the world he's in, while also testing the Cursed Tool. He was curious to know what year it is, as it would determine his plans for the future.

With that in mind, he folded the staff and placed it into a backpack along with the money he found at the apartment.

As he walked the streets, he saw a shop that was selling mobile phones, so he decided to head inside.

Entering the mobile phone shop, Takashi was greeted by a friendly salesperson who approached him with a warm smile.

"Hello there! Welcome to our shop. How can I assist you today?" the salesperson asked.

Takashi returned the smile and replied, "I'm looking to purchase a mobile phone. Could you show me some options?"

"Certainly! We have a variety of models and brands available. Are you looking for something specific, like a particular brand or feature?" the salesperson inquired.

"I don't have any specific brand preference, but I'd like a phone that's reliable and has decent battery life," Takashi explained.

After careful consideration, he selected a model that seemed to meet his needs.

"I'll take this one," Takashi said with certainty, handing over the money he found at the apartment to make the purchase.

The salesperson completed the transaction, and Takashi left the shop with his new mobile phone in hand. With this modern device, he knew he could stay connected and gather information more easily in this new world.

As he fiddled with the phone, he checked for the current date.

'So it's January 2018, huh. Just a few months before the story starts.'

Takashi's heart skipped a beat as he realized the significance of the date. 'I want to get strong enough to start the academy before the story starts.'

He knew that this goal was entirely possible with the system, but getting strong alone was not enough. He had to take some risks to gather battle experience, and get familiar with weapons.

So with a determined face, he started to look for cursed spirits.

(A/N: Please give me some ideas on what to name the academy, I can't think of a good one. 😭)