"Could it be...?"
Gojo suddenly recalled the strange surge in power he experienced yesterday, that bizarre sensation of the world's limits being lifted higher.
An absurd yet exciting thought immediately appeared in his mind.
Could it be because I've become too strong?
So strong that I can no longer properly sense such weak cursed energy?
Like how humans know bacteria exist but cannot see them with the naked eye.
Yes, that had to be it.
The more Gojo thought about it, the more convinced he became.
How lonely being invincible must be. Even my perception standards have evolved.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, his mood improving even more as he quietly chuckled to himself.
"Gojo-sensei, what's so funny?" Itadori asked curiously after hearing him laugh.
"Nothing, nothing." Gojo waved casually. "I just thought of something interesting."
He completely pushed Sol's strange cursed energy issue to the back of his mind, fully immersed in the joy of believing he had grown even stronger.
What he did not realize was that the truth was the complete opposite.
It was not that Gojo had become too powerful to perceive weak cursed energy.
Rather, Sol's existence itself exceeded the level this world could fully comprehend.
Like an ant standing at the base of a mountain, incapable of seeing the full scale towering above it.
Sol had simply suppressed himself even further, allowing his presence to blend more naturally into the world's laws.
And at this moment, Gojo and every other sorcerer were no different from that ant.
They could sense Sol's existence.
But none of them could glimpse the true depth hidden underneath.
The taxi eventually stopped in a quiet district far removed from Roppongi's glamorous atmosphere.
In front of them stood an abandoned office building.
Its walls were weathered and cracked, several windows shattered, while caution tape surrounded the area. A damp and unpleasant aura lingered heavily in the air.
"We're here!" Gojo stepped out of the taxi first before spreading his arms dramatically. "Tokyo's famous haunted building sightseeing spot!"
The excitement on Itadori and Nobara's faces instantly disappeared.
"Eh?!" the two shouted simultaneously.
"What happened to the luxury restaurants?!" Nobara pointed furiously at the ruined building. "What happened to the fashionable shopping districts?! This is obviously a scam! Gojo-sensei, you're seriously the worst!"
Itadori's shoulders dropped in disappointment. "This isn't the Tokyo sightseeing trip I imagined at all..."
Megumi stood nearby with an expression that practically screamed, I expected this.
Sol calmly stepped out of the taxi and glanced toward the building. His senses instantly picked up the twisted cursed energy inside, along with the presence of a relatively weak curse lurking deeper underground.
To him, the curse felt insignificant.
Gojo ignored the complaints entirely as he casually lifted the caution tape.
"This is an extremely valuable practical lesson," he said with a grin. "As Jujutsu High students, exorcising curses is your actual job."
He pointed toward the building again.
"And technically, the view from the upper floors still counts as sightseeing."
"How does this dump count as sightseeing?!" Nobara snapped, her voice rising sharply. "You're absolutely doing this on purpose!"
Itadori weakly nodded beside her. "Yeah... this feels like false advertising."
Gojo paid no attention to their suffering as he walked toward the entrance.
"Alright, enough complaining."
"A curse has recently appeared inside this building and caused several incidents, so this makes the perfect test for you first years. Megumi already has experience, so he'll stay outside and observe this time."
He turned around and raised a finger while looking at Itadori, Nobara, and Sol.
"Mission objective, exorcise the curse inside."
"Itadori Yuji, since Sukuna is inside you, your physical abilities are far above normal humans even though your cursed energy control still sucks. You'll handle frontal engagement."
"Nobara Kugisaki, you already know how to fight properly, so keep an eye on your teammates."
Finally, his gaze shifted toward Sol.
Gojo paused slightly.
Even now, Sol's cursed energy remained absurdly faint in his perception.
Gojo recalled the information written in Sol's enrollment file.
Cursed technique specializes in physical enhancement.
"Sol, your technique seems more suited for strengthening your body, so support Itadori depending on the situation, or follow Nobara's lead. Just adapt as needed."
"Understood!" Itadori answered immediately.
Although he was disappointed about the ruined sightseeing plans, his enthusiasm quickly returned once the mission began.
Nobara clicked her tongue before pulling out a hammer and several nails from the pouch at her waist.
"Fine. Let's finish this quickly so we can go somewhere normal afterward."
Sol simply nodded. "Sounds fair."
Gojo clapped his hands happily.
"Perfect. Then go have fun."
He pointed toward the dark hallway leading deeper into the building.
"Megumi and I will wait outside for your success. Also, curses usually gather in places filled with negative energy, basements and underground floors especially."
The three students watched Gojo and Megumi step back beyond the caution tape before turning toward the building entrance.
Itadori inhaled deeply before stepping forward first.
"Let's get this over with quickly."
Nobara followed behind him while gripping her hammer tightly.
Sol walked after them at an unhurried pace.
The interior of the building looked even worse than the outside.
Dust and mold filled the air while dim sunlight barely entered through the broken windows.
The hallway was cluttered with abandoned debris and shattered construction materials. Large sections of paint had peeled from the walls, revealing dark stains underneath.
"That smell is awful." Itadori frowned. His senses were sharper than an ordinary person's, allowing him to notice the unpleasant cursed aura more clearly.
"That's the smell curses leave behind," Nobara said while carefully observing the surroundings. "Disgusting."
Her grip on the hammer tightened slightly.
"There could be more than one, so stay alert."
Meanwhile, Sol's perception had already spread throughout the entire building.
Aside from the stronger curse hidden underground, there were several weaker cursed remnants scattered around the upper floors.
None of them posed any threat to Itadori or Nobara.
Sol kept that information to himself and quietly followed behind the two.