Chapter:36 Strange Woman(3)

Gojo chuckled, seemingly amused by Renko's words,

"Oh my, I never took you for the caring type."

Renko turned to look at Gojo, her face sporting a look of absolute disdain,

"As if, I just don't want corpses anywhere near my apartment, or dealing with the police would be a pain in the ass."

Once they entered the apartment unit, Renko motioned for Gojo to take a seat while she prepared something to drink. Gojo made herself at home on one of the sofas and sighed,

"This one smells like blood."

Renko glanced at it, sure enough, it was the one that got stained with blood when the flyheads had attacked her. She ignored the other rather rude remarks that the white-haired woman made about the place stinking.

A couple of minutes later, she placed two cups of coffee and a plate of Choco-pies on the table and took a seat before her.

"Alright, Gojo. Start talking. I want answers,"

Renko demanded, her tone firm.

Gojo grinned and began to explain.

"Very well then, what do you want to ask?"

She picked up the coffee mug and took a sip.

*Cough*

"... I think you added too much beans."

Renko sighed, not expecting a straightforward answer on her first try. Nevertheless, she decided to focus on the more critical questions.

"Who are you really, Gojo? And what's the deal with this community you mentioned?"

Gojo leaned back, her playful demeanor persisting.

"Who am I? Didn't I tell you? I am your big sis Gojo! As for the community, well, we're a group of individuals who possess the ability to see, interact, and exorcise curse spirits. We call ourselves 'Jujutsu Sorcerers...'"

"Hold up!"

Renko interrupted Gojo's narrative,

"We're going too fast. First, tell me what the heck are these curse spirits?"

Gojo leaned back, looking thoughtful.

"Curses are essentially negative energy that is given form. It originates from the intense negative emotions of humans, traumatic events, hatred, fear, or lingering grudges. When this said negative energy accumulates, it manifests in the form of a curse ranging from minor annoyance like a flyhead to a powerful entity like a special grade curse spirit."

Renko processed the information, connecting it to her encounters with curse spirits.

"So, those spirits I've been seeing are concentrated emotions?"

Gojo nodded.

"Exactly, these curse spirits are dangerous, and that's where we, the Jujutsu Sorcerers, come in. We have the ability to see, interact, and exorcise these curse spirits, and therefore, it's our duty to protect people from the harm caused by these globs of someone else's rotten thoughts."

Renko couldn't help but frown,

'Duty? Yeah, right.'

There was no way a group of powerful and potentially deadly individuals would operate under something as flimsy as a sense of duty. There must be something that holds them back from taking control and that is most likely other curse energy users.

Gojo caught the skepticism in Renko's expression and grinned.

"Ah, you've got that look on your face. Sharp one, aren't you? Well, it's not just about duty, you see. There's a lot more to it. These curse spirits, especially the powerful ones, can wreak havoc if left unchecked. They harm not only individuals but also the balance of the spiritual and physical worlds. It's in our best interest to keep that balance intact."

Renko raised an eyebrow.

"So, it's a self-preservation thing?"

Gojo chuckled.

"Partly. But it's also about responsibility. Many of us have experienced firsthand the consequences of curses gone wild. We've lost friends, family, and loved ones. So, yeah, there's a personal stake in it for many of us. Plus, we're not heartless. We want to protect people from these curses, even if they don't know the danger they're in."

Renko leaned back, still processing the information.

"Okay, assuming I buy into all of this, why the secrecy? Why not let everyone know about these curse spirits and your little club of spirit busters?"

Gojo's expression turned serious.

"Because it would be a disaster. There are roughly ten thousand deaths every year that take place under mysterious circumstances. Now imagine telling the public that the cause of said thousands of deaths are invisible constructions of emotions that are based on their negative thoughts."

Gojo reached out and picked one of the pies and brought it to her lips,

"Imagine widespread panic, fear, and untrained individuals trying to deal with curses on their own. It would be a disaster. Curse spirits of higher levels would pop up on a regular basis and the death toll would shoot through the roof. To put it simply, this world isn't ready to confront the supernatural head-on."

"So, why me?"

Renko asked, still trying to process everything.

"Why am I suddenly seeing these curse spirits, and why are you involving me in all of this?"

Of course, she knew the reason why but it would be better to know what the acceptable cause for the same would be.

Gojo grinned mischievously.

"Well, that's where it gets interesting. It seems like you have a latent ability to perceive curses. Not everyone can see them, you know. It's a rare talent, and it usually awakens in individuals who have had some sort of intense encounter with curses. You, my dear Renko, seem to be one of those special cases."

Renko raised an eyebrow, she did indeed get blown to bits before being chucked across time and stuffed in the body of a girl who in turn got attacked by curse spirits.

Did that make sense? No.

Was she gonna tell her? Also no.

"But don't worry,"

Gojo reassured her.

"You're not alone in this. We'll help you develop your abilities and guide you in becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Although you are a bit too old for Jujutsu tech, however, I will try to have you catch up with the rest. Plus, you'll get to hang out with your awesome big sis Gojo. What more could you ask for?"

"I didn't sign up for this, you know,"

Renko muttered, a mix of frustration and resignation in her voice.

"Does the government know? Scratch that of course they know."

The strangely goofy smirk on Gojo's face answered her question before she finished it.

"Anyway, does being a jujutsu sorcerer or whatever have any monetary value or something?"

Gojo chuckled at Renko's question.

"Well, not exactly a nine-to-five job with a steady paycheck, if that's what you're asking. However, the government does promise us certain benefits like a regular monthly income based on our rank classification and the number of missions we undertake."

Renko sighed, feeling a mix of emotions—frustration, disbelief, and a touch of curiosity about what's the actual benefit of signing up.

"So, what? I hunt these curse spirits, risk my life, and in return, I get some government-sponsored allowance?"

Gojo nodded, still munching on the pie.

"In a nutshell, yes. Plus you get some useful benefits like free health care, transportation facilities, tax exemption, etc. But it's not just about the money. There's a sense of purpose, of doing something meaningful. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to grow stronger, learn some kickass jujutsu techniques, and be part of a community that's like one big, dysfunctional family."

But Renko didn't listen to all that to all that meaningfulness crap, instead, her focus was on two points.

"I got two questions for ya'. Do we get tax exemption? And is there any less unhinged beauty in this community?"

Gojo laughed heartily at Renko's questions.

"Ah, I see you've got your priorities straight! Yes, you get tax exemption. The government is quite generous in that regard, but considering the nature of our work, not many of us survive long enough to create a noticeable dent. And as for the beauty in our community, well, we've got all kinds. You'll find some real eye candy, don't you worry. Though, unhinged might be a common trait."

Renko couldn't help but shake her head at Gojo's nonchalant attitude.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's next? Training montage, secret hideout, and a magical weapon?"

Gojo grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Something like that. Training is definitely on the agenda. If you do accept the contract then I'll teach you the basics of jujutsu, and help you understand and control your abilities. As far as hideouts are concerned, well, we might be more of a hide-in-plain-sight kind of group, so you might be disappointed. But magical weapons? Oh, you bet. We've got some powerful curse tools. But it depends if you have what it takes to use them."

Renko sighed again, realizing that the offer was too good to miss out on. Not to mention the training, knowledge, and all that stuff about tax exemption and powerful curse tools.

"Fine, I will join. But I have conditions."

Gojo raised an eyebrow.

"Conditions? You drive a hard bargain, Renko. What are they?"

Renko crossed her arms, looking determined.

"First condition: I need all the information I can get about this curse spirit stuff and the Jujutsu Society business."

Gojo frowned, seemingly thinking about her demand.

"Fair enough, but you can only get what's common knowledge and the lowest level of Jujutsu Sorcerers have clearance for. You can get more classified information as you rise through the ranks."

Renko leaned forward, narrowing her eyes.

"Second condition: I'm not going to risk my life without proper training. If I'm going to be a part of this... Jujutsu Sorcerer thing, then I want to be prepared. None of this 'throw her into the deep end and see if she swims' nonsense."

Gojo chuckled.

"I agree. Training is crucial, and I won't let you face danger unprepared. What's your final condition?"

Renko hesitated for a moment before stating her last condition.

"Are you strong?"

{Authors Note: Look, I kinda, might've, lashed out at one of the reviewers. Or at least the latest one. 

So, I am really sorry about that reader(Reader cause I don't know your gender)

But seriously, their review said Renko didn't have the maturity of a soldier, I just wanna ask what kind of maturity a soldier, from a future where human lives were worth less than bread, has. 

Some sort of noble spirit! Or maybe some sort of inclination to help others? 

Bullshit! She killed a lot of people in her past and if you have read some of the previous chapters, you would notice she doesn't regret them but feels pity that she, a murderer, got a chance while they didn't. 

And that thought also vanishes when she suddenly gets horny from remembering her near-death encounter!

As far as world-building goes, I haven't even shown the world properly yet not to mention Renko doesn't know shit as of this chapter. The next dozen would be the ones which info dump her!

So anyone with the problem that world building is incomplete or power levels are not properly defined. Please try to remember that not even two weeks have passed since she began her journey in the supernatural world. What world-building, what power levels, she hasn't even been out of the shell called home yet.}

{Sorry for the rant}

[[Also, if anyone wats to, they can check out my OC story 'Frostbound Empress: The Multiverse Market']]