Ultimate Man [JJK X SOL]: Loading Golden Entries at The Start

No matter which direction they tried walking forward, backward, or even through the forest flanking the path they always ended up back at the same spot.

They even tested splitting up. One person walked forward, another backward, and the last through the forest. Yet, all three returned to the same place.

It was as if they were trapped in an endless looping space. No matter what they did, the outcome remained unchanged.

At first, they had been confident they could find a way out of this bizarre situation. But as time dragged on, that confidence gave way to unease, and unease quickly turned into fear.

"Are we really going to die here?"

"..."

For once, even Maki didn't have an answer. She didn't want to die here, but the situation was becoming increasingly hopeless.

"Ahhh!"

Yuji however, remained strangely energetic.

Though lying on the ground moments ago, he suddenly sat up, slapping his face repeatedly to jolt himself awake.

"???"

Maki and Nobara exchanged baffled glances at Yuji's behavior.

"Did… he lose his mind?" Nobara whispered.

Thankfully, while Yuji's actions seemed ridiculous, there was a method to his madness.

"Don't sleep! Don't sleep! Stay awake!" Yuji shouted to himself.

From the second day of being trapped, Yuji had been attempting to make contact with Sukuna, the curse residing within him.

Though he despised relying on the malevolent King of Curses, Yuji couldn't think of any other solution. After all, Sukuna had been the most powerful sorcerer a thousand years ago. If anyone could get them out of this situation, it was him.@@novelbin@@

Unfortunately, Sukuna had shown no response to Yuji's repeated calls. It was as if the curse was completely dormant.

That lack of reaction frustrated Yuji to no end. By this point, he was willing to try anything to get Sukuna's attention.

"Sukuna! Ryomen Sukuna! Wake up already!" Yuji yelled, his voice echoing through the empty forest.

"..."

At first, Maki and Nobara didn't understand what Yuji was trying to do. But as they listened, realization dawned.

Yuji was attempting to wake Sukuna to ask for his help.

After all, desperate times called for desperate measures. They had learned at Jujutsu High that Sukuna's power was highly dangerous, and relying on him was something to be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

But this situation was as desperate as it got.

Even so, watching Yuji repeatedly slap himself in the face was a sight neither Maki nor Nobara knew how to respond to.

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

The sound of Yuji's hands smacking his cheeks echoed loudly. He didn't hold back, and his face quickly began to swell on both sides.

Maki and Nobara winced. It was hard to tell whether they were more shocked or concerned.

"Alright, enough already! That's enough!"

Finally, Sukuna's voice rang out, interrupting Yuji's self-inflicted punishment.

A grotesque mouth formed on Yuji's cheek, and Sukuna's irritated tone spilled forth.

"You're seriously annoying, you know that?"

"Great!" Yuji exclaimed, relief washing over him. He immediately stopped slapping himself, though the sting on his face reminded him just how hard he had been hitting.

Ignoring the pain, Yuji wasted no time getting to the point.

"Sukuna, you don't want me stuck here forever, right? Do you know how to get out of this place?"

Both Maki and Nobara turned their attention to Yuji, waiting anxiously for Sukuna's response.

"Hah," Sukuna sneered, the disdain in his tone unmistakable. "Are you trying to threaten me?"

Yuji's bluntness clearly irritated Sukuna. While it was true Sukuna would be inconvenienced if Yuji's body were to die, being threatened by his host was something the King of Curses did not appreciate.

"Call it what you want," Yuji replied, unfazed. "But do you really think I won't do it?"

Yuji wasn't like most people who quaked in fear at the thought of Sukuna. While he didn't underestimate the Curse King, he also wasn't afraid of him.

As a sorcerer, Yuji had come to terms with the possibility of dying the moment he entered this world. That unshakable resolve allowed him to stand his ground even in the face of Sukuna's intimidation.

"..."

Sukuna fell silent for a moment.

While the King of Curses despised Yuji's guts, he couldn't deny the strength of the boy's spirit.

How irritating, Sukuna thought. This brat is far too good at pushing my buttons.

Still, Sukuna didn't escalate the confrontation. There was no point. As much as it annoyed him to admit, Yuji was right. Sukuna didn't want his vessel dying in this godforsaken loop.

"Fine. I'll tell you this much, you're in a domain space."

Sukuna's voice was laced with mockery, though his words carried the weight of truth.

He had known for a while now that they were trapped within a cursed domain. But, of course, he had no intention of saying anything until it became absolutely necessary.