Chapter Four: I’ll Bet on Myself

Chu Fan opened his backpack and took out the three treasure chests he had obtained from the Grade One Cursed Spirits. There was one white chest, one blue, and one gold.

He decided to start with the smallest, subscribing to the tried-and-true philosophy of “priming the luck.”

As soon as Chu Fan opened the white chest, a blood-red diary appeared.

[Cursed Diary (White, Rare)]

Origin: Jujutsu Kaisen

Description: “All traitors must die.”

If you obtain the blood of an enemy and sprinkle it on a torn page, it can enhance the power of certain curse spells (such as Cursed Assassination, Voodoo Dolls, etc.).

Durability: 5/50

Paradise Buyback Value: 1000 Chosen Coins

Chu Fan flipped through the diary and found it filled with the tragic experiences of the ghostly woman during her lifetime. After marriage, she quit her job to become a housewife, working tirelessly without complaint, only to be despised by her husband, shunned by her parents, and the subject of constant gossip among neighbors.

The diary even recorded her thoughts of ending it all, and though it didn’t chronicle what happened after she became a Cursed Spirit and slumbered in the wooden cabin, Chu Fan could imagine further injustices she suffered.

The diary was certainly a valuable item, though not particularly useful to Chu Fan since he didn’t practice curse magic himself—rendering it something of a white elephant. Still, if sold to the right buyer, it could fetch more than the standard 1000 Chosen Coins. If he couldn’t find a suitable buyer before entering the next world, he’d simply sell it back to Paradise.

Although Chu Fan’s strength had improved dramatically—so much so that he was nearly unrecognizable from before—he still had no idea what the next world would be, nor the difficulty of the Chosen Missions Paradise might assign him beyond the main storyline. With so many uncertainties, he knew he couldn’t afford to hoard potentially useful items in hopes of a better price later.

Next, he took out the blue chest.

[Cursed Cleaver (Blue, Rare)]

Origin: Jujutsu Kaisen. The weapon the ghost woman used for revenge in life and continued to wield in death.

Durability: 50/50

Sharpness: 8 (easily slices through wood and, at full power, can cut through iron)

Attack Power: 10–30

Description: This cleaver is imbued with cursed energy and may erode the user’s mind over time.

Requirements: Minimum Strength 5 (Strength 15 for full effect); Minimum Spirit 5 (Spirit over 10 for prolonged use)

Bonus Attribute: Resentment—a curse that, over time, erodes the enemy’s body and significantly reduces the effectiveness of all healing abilities.

Paradise Buyback Value: 2000 Chosen Coins

Chu Fan could use this weapon himself, but since he already wielded the power of fire, wood and similar materials posed no threat; he could simply incinerate them. As for facing beings with bodies harder than iron, he doubted he would encounter such things right away.

He decided to hold off on making a decision—he’d explore the area first to see if he could find an alternative weapon. If not, he’d keep the cleaver for the time being.

Finally, Chu Fan turned to the last, golden chest, his heart heavy with worry. He’d begun with the white and blue chests, hoping to “prime” his luck for the final, most precious chest. Yet both prior openings had yielded decent but not extraordinary items. Now, he wondered if he’d squandered his luck, and the highest quality chest would only produce junk.

Nevertheless, the gold chest had to be opened. Chu Fan closed his eyes, prayed for fortune, and lifted the lid.

[You have obtained: Severed Hair of the Ghost Woman (Blue, Rare)]

As the voice of Paradise echoed in his mind, Chu Fan knew at once that the gold chest had indeed produced a dud. A gold chest ought to yield at least a gold-quality item, which even at its lowest tier should be more valuable than something blue.

He had outsmarted himself, hoping to manipulate fate, and only managed to shortchange his own luck.

Sighing, Chu Fan opened his eyes and examined the item’s description.

[Severed Hair of the Ghost Woman (Blue, Rare)]

Origin: Jujutsu Kaisen

Description: The ghost woman’s greatest pride was always her hair, which she cherished both in life and as a Cursed Spirit. After her death, it became imbued with cursed energy, granting it a unique effect.

If this hair is burned together with that of another living being, the target is afflicted with the curse of burning flames.

Durability: 1/1

Paradise Buyback Value: 1500 Chosen Coins

Seeing its buyback price, Chu Fan felt a measure of consolation. While it wasn’t a top-tier item, its effect was nonetheless astounding. No need for the caster to know curse magic—simply obtain the target’s hair and carry out the ritual to inflict the blazing curse.

The reason for its lower value compared to the cursed cleaver, he surmised, was its single-use nature, which greatly diminished its worth.

He decided to keep the severed hair for emergencies. Some enemies might be troublesome to face directly, but merely tracking them and collecting a stray hair wouldn’t be difficult. Curses were the most efficient means for the weak to overcome the strong, and the curse of burning flames could easily kill, or at least severely injure, anyone caught unprepared.

With the next world still a mystery, it was best to prepare as many offensive options as possible.

He stowed all three items back into his backpack, then turned his thoughts to the Fate System, eager to understand its true nature.

Yet no matter how he called for it, there was no response—almost as if his previous encounter had been an illusion. But the flame control skill, now at level 5, recorded in his personal information, told him it had been real after all. If he’d possessed that power and elemental body before, he never would have died so senselessly, struck by a runaway truck.

“Could it be that the Fate System doesn’t appear within Paradise?” Chu Fan pondered. This seemed the most plausible explanation. Whether he was right or wrong would be revealed in the next derivative world.

For now, he gave up trying to summon the Fate System, turned, and walked toward the door of his private room. With just over twenty hours remaining, he needed to find a place to acclimate to his new powers—and see what useful items he might be able to buy.

Repairing his body during the inheritance process had already consumed half his Chosen Coins, leaving him with only 7,500. If he sold the Cursed Diary as planned, he’d have at least 8,500 to spend—enough to purchase a few low-level supplies for the journey ahead.