The Goldmine - Chapter 66

Chapter 66 - The Goldmine

Ren sat there, slouched in his seat, as the classroom buzzed faintly with low murmurs and light footsteps. The lesson had long since become background noise. His eyes remained fixed ahead, but he wasn't paying attention.

His mind, as always, was elsewhere.

"Yes, blood manipulation would be perfect…" he thought, arms folded and foot tapping faintly. "It would help me make the circuit. It would stop most of the problems and, in fact, give me a way to pretty much loosen the risks of making the perfected Red Cursed Circuit go down by 80%... or that's like, give or take, but still. It would help. A lot."

Ren's fingers tapped the desk rhythmically. No notes. No doodles. Just him lost in analysis. Calculation. Planning.

"Plus, the Cursed Womb: Death Painting… Only three of them were ever brought back to life. Choso, Eso, and Kechizu. Other than that, there were six more. Just… never used. Until the end of JJK, right? Before Sukuna's whole rise. Yuji eats the other six Death Paintings… and then he gets a cursed energy boost and 'blood manipulation'—but who cares? Whether Yuji gets that boost or not… Honestly, that's way, way far in the plot."

His foot stilled. His jaw clenched slightly.

"By then, if I'm not strong, it won't matter. I'll be dead. Nothing more than a memory. But I wonder… what will I get? If Rika eats all the other six Cursed Womb Death Paintings… I should get blood manipulation, or maybe some insight into the other techniques Eso and Kechizu used."

Ren narrowed his eyes.

"Anyway, that's not the reason I want them. I mainly want blood manipulation because it will help me perfect my Red Cursed Circuit. That's it. But while doing that… what more can I do?"

A grin flickered on his face.

"The cursed warehouse might be full of stuff. Again, Gege never told us what was inside. A mystery box, really. Who knows what kind of tools or weapons or scrolls could be there? Ah, but I can't sneak into it unless it's night. And even then… if I get caught, it's over. Like, over over."

Ren sighed and slumped further into his chair.

"Am I rushing things? No. Blood manipulation will absolutely help with the circuit. No question. But is it worth the risk? Getting caught?"

A pause. Silence in his thoughts for once.

"...No. I have to stop thinking like that. I'm still not strong enough. But… I can let go a little, for sure. I'm getting there."

The list formed naturally in his mind. A checklist. A foundation.

"Before going full madman mode, I need three things."

"1: Perfect the Red Cursed Circuit."

"2: Build out my cursed technique—Red Stitch. Right now it's basic. Too simple. It needs edge, versatility, and maybe a deeper vowel structure."

"Once I have those two in place… the third thing I'll need is…"

Ren's breath grew slow.

"A way against Gojo. A way to deal with him if it comes to that."

He didn't like thinking about it. But he had to.

"Gojo… He's not stupid. Right now, he's all smiles and blindfolds and stupid poses. But if he finds out what I'm planning? Even a whisper of it? He'd erase me. Not talk. Not ask questions. Just remove me. Red in the face."

Ren rubbed his temples.

"So… I'll need a countermeasure. Something to keep him at bay. Keep him unsure. Maybe… something that could even put him down. But that's far off..."

He took a long breath.

"But does it matter how far off it is? I have limits. Right now. But Jujutsu High is a goldmine… I didn't even think about half of it before. The cursed warehouse, sure. But the morgue? Where do they keep the bodies of dead sorcerers?"

Ren's head tilted.

"What if Rika ate them? Each one might have a cursed technique locked away. Maybe even one of those lost or forgotten ones. The potential there… the power… it's huge."

A bitter laugh escaped him under his breath.

"Ugh. Why are all the easiest ways to gain power so evil?"

He tapped the edge of the desk.

"But again, cursed energy itself is evil. So it makes sense, right? That to gain more of it… to master it… you have to do evil shit."

The bell rang. Class ended.

Ren didn't move. Still deep in his thoughts, his eyes stared through the wall in front of him.

"Even though I know I have to do bad things… I didn't expect to do them so soon. I have to stop limiting myself."

He finally stood up. His chair scraped lightly as he pushed it back. His steps were slow and quiet. He walked out of the class without a word to anyone.

Behind him, Maki looked up from her notebook.

She watched him as he left. Brow slightly furrowed, mouth twisted in thought.

Ren didn't notice. He was lost again.

His thoughts rang clear.

"I'll perfect the Red Cursed Circuit…"

"Then I'll forge my technique…"

"And then I'll prepare something for Gojo."

Each step down the hallway echoed. His future? Unclear. But his focus? Razor-sharp.

There was no turning back.