On the way back, Sosuke endured the pain and pretended to be nonchalant, gently coaxing the two girls. Then, using the excuse that he had other matters to attend to, he quietly went to the hospital alone for a checkup. Fortunately, no bones had been broken, as he had feared. Unbeknownst to him, his body had already become much stronger.
In his past life, no matter how much the human body was trained, even the body of a top-tier martial arts champion could be easily harmed by something as small as a knife. But here, training the body to surpass steel, kicking through steel bars, crushing iron nails with teeth, and even squeezing coal into diamonds with bare hands... such feats, though bizarre, were not entirely impossible. Probably.
When Kitahara Sosuke left the hospital, a thick bandage was wrapped around his hand, giving off the unpleasant smell of medicine. He had also bought a new jacket, draped halfway over his body. With one sleeve missing and injuries on his body, he looked like a homeless person on the street—though a remarkably strong one.
In any case, with the help of the fox mikos, he hadn't faced much trouble defeating that creature. But the opponent's single attack had caused him a not-insignificant injury. That was an undeniable fact. He was still far from being strong enough.
However, there was no discouragement in Sosuke's heart. He already knew this truth, and there was only excitement.
It was because he had seen that god. That appearance, which would have been considered ugly and terrifying by ordinary people, seemed beautiful to him, with an allure unlike anything he had ever known.
"I want to obtain power that ordinary people cannot possess."
This thought had an extraordinary appeal to him. With that feeling in his heart, Sosuke took a detour before heading home. He turned left and right, squeezing through a small alley in the shopping district not far from his place. What he found was an old neighborhood with various strange shops engaged in all sorts of unknown businesses.
After surveying the area, Sosuke finally spotted his target: a small fortune-telling shop. Inside, an old woman with a face marked by time sat, draped in a dark blue cloak. At first glance, she looked like a charlatan.
"Welcome! Whether it's wealth, career, love... or any other troubles, this place can help you solve them."
Sosuke casually called out, "Granny, you're still swindling people? It's time to retire and go home to look after your grandchildren!"
His words were loud and familiar as he walked past the front desk and entered the shop. He took in the strange assortment of items lining the shelves.
"What the... it's you again, kid! If you're not here to buy something, get out and don't block me from attracting customers," the old woman grumbled, but Sosuke could tell she was more fond of him than she let on.
Sosuke, who was about the same age as her granddaughter, smiled. "Did something happen?"
The old woman noticed the gauze wrapped around his hand. "Is it nothing serious?"
Sosuke casually replied, "It's nothing big. Just thought... no one ever comes to your shop, Granny."
He spoke the truth. Sosuke had visited this shop many times out of interest in the strange world that existed beyond the ordinary. Yet, almost every time he came, it seemed deserted. The business was clearly struggling, and he often wondered how it managed to survive.
The old woman puffed up in indignation. "You little brat!"
Sosuke chuckled. Despite her outward anger, he knew she wasn't the type to turn him away harshly. She had been well-known for her skills when she was younger. His parents had even experienced her work firsthand.
Back in the day, there had been a string of unexplained deaths in a nearby neighborhood where the Kitahara family lived. Despite the police's investigation, they found no concrete answers except for an anomaly in the magnetic field. After that, the people who moved in were not deterred by superstitions, and they, too, suffered misfortunes. It was believed that an evil spirit lingered there. It was the old woman who had resolved the mystery and was respected as the "Shitamachi Mother God."
But as the years passed, her powers weakened, and she gradually became seen by younger generations as just another swindler. Still, Sosuke knew that she was one of the few people he had encountered with powers beyond the ordinary during his time here.
Sosuke often visited her shop, not only for the curiosity that stirred within him about the extraordinary but also to keep the lonely woman company. Over time, the two had become quite familiar with one another.
Sosuke continued to peruse the shop, occasionally commenting on its rundown state.
"If you really want to do business, Granny, you should at least renovate this place."
The old woman huffed. "You brat! You have no idea how hard it is to run a household. Stop talking nonsense."
Her son and daughter-in-law were struggling financially, and her granddaughter, now in high school, needed to be supported for cram school. It was for her granddaughter's future that Granny kept the shop open, doing half-authentic, half-fake exorcism work despite her son's objections.
Sosuke, having supported himself from his second semester in his previous life, understood hardship. But with his better financial situation now, he wasn't as driven by the same need for money.
"Alright, alright, say what you need to. I have business to attend to."
"I want to learn from you. Teach me how to deal with those things," Sosuke said seriously, his frivolous demeanor fading.
The old woman quickly responded, "I've told you many times—I don't take disciples."
Sosuke wasn't deterred. "It doesn't matter if you don't take me as a disciple. Just teach me some ways to deal with those things. I'll pay."
Sosuke pulled out a few Fukuzawa Yukichi bills from his wallet. The change in the old woman's eyes didn't escape him. Though his expression remained impassive, he smiled to himself.
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Need More Chapters
Every 300 Power Stones
2 Bonus chapter
Every 500 Power Stones
4 Bonus chapter.
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