That Time My Anime Life Got Cursed by Outer Gods-Chapter 80 - 79: If Only My System Was More Powerful

When Sayuri Sawamura heard Shiro's praise, her eyes crinkled into crescent moons, and she eagerly scooped a bowl of soup for him.

"Come on, eat more if it tastes good!"

Sitting beside him, Eriri could only feel a slight irritation, watching her mother fuss over Shiro as if he were her biological son. While she was busy feeding him, Eriri was left on her own.

Fortunately, despite the peculiar sweetness of the Mapo Tofu, the other dishes tasted just fine.

In the end, under Sayuri's pleased gaze, Shiro polished off every dish on the table, much to Sayuri's delight.

"You two chat for a bit. I'll clean up," Sayuri said, standing and leaving the room.

Once Sayuri left, Eriri flicked her ponytail and said, "Come with me. Everything's in my room."

As they entered her room, Shiro's eyes widened. The space was cluttered with various theoretical books, human anatomy diagrams, and portfolios. It was clear Eriri took her art seriously. On one side of the room, there were stacks of paintbrushes, paints, and canvases. Some plaster statues were also scattered around for observation and practice.

Shiro examined the scene, noting that while it was a bit overwhelming, with his talent for learning and control over his body, he could easily adapt to both traditional and digital art forms. The connection between drawing on paper and on a computer was more analogous than he'd initially thought—one could complement the other.

If only my system was a bit more powerful. A space ring would make things much easier, Shiro thought with a sigh. He'd have to manage with what he had.

"You'll need to study the books yourself. If you don't understand something, just ask me," Eriri said, her tone suddenly professional.

"Tonight, I'll teach you how to use the software and plugins, as well as what to keep in mind when drawing," she added, enthusiasm creeping back into her voice.

Shiro nodded. He had an exceptional ability to learn, and his understanding of artistic principles allowed him to pick things up quickly. However, things like creative expression and specific techniques would take time. Those skills couldn't be learned overnight; they required constant practice and introspection to develop.

By the time Shiro left, Eriri was in shock. In just one evening, he had practically emptied her entire inventory of art supplies and books.

"You must've known all this already and came here just to mess with me, right?" Eriri huffed, crossing her arms and giving him a playful scowl.

Shiro grinned. "Wrong. I only knew a bit about traditional painting before. This is all new to me, too."

Eriri clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed. "Fine. Go ahead and practice. I'll be checking your progress later!"

Just as Shiro was about to leave, he received a call from a taxi. He loaded his things into the car and waved at Eriri. She walked over, and before she could say anything, Shiro pulled her into an embrace and kissed her lips, catching her off guard.

Eriri tensed at first, but then her body softened, and she didn't pull away. It wasn't until the taxi driver honked impatiently that they broke apart.

Shiro smiled, stepping back. "Don't forget, Teacher Eriri. You're always welcome at my humble abode for technical guidance."

Eriri, flustered and now without her usual bravado, simply shot him a playful glare, the usual arrogance in her demeanor completely gone.

As Shiro climbed into the car, the taxi driver, a middle-aged man, chuckled and gave him an amused look.

"You young folks... always with these little acts. At least think about us working overtime at night," he said with a hint of envy.

It was clear that the driver was referring to the luxurious villa where Eriri lived, a place Shiro could never afford—even if he worked as a taxi driver for a hundred years without eating or drinking.

---

Back at his apartment, Shiro placed his newly acquired materials in the spare room. He transformed it into a studio dedicated to his art. The 300-square-meter apartment had plenty of space for his newfound creative pursuits.

Just as he settled the items, a message from Haruno Yukinoshita popped up on his phone. The contract had been finalized, and she asked him to come by sometime to sign it.

Shiro wasn't worried. He trusted Haruno completely, so the details of the negotiation didn't concern him much.

At the same time, he received a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha. Her text was filled with praise for the novel he'd written, and she wanted to know how he felt about it.

Shiro read through her long message, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. He hadn't even had the chance to unpack the novel Kasumigaoka had given him.

However, love was a complex and simple thing. He knew that Kasumigaoka's biggest struggle was that she had never truly experienced love herself. It made it difficult for her to capture its essence in writing. But Shiro understood—his previous life's experience with novels gave him a solid foundation to recognize the gaps in her work. After reading through her text, he felt confident that he could help her improve.

As he thought about her struggles, Kasumigaoka, still working on her novel, picked up her phone. She saw Shiro's long response and felt a spark of inspiration. After reading his words, she was able to pull her scattered thoughts together and started writing with a newfound clarity.

She had not forgotten that the deadline for her debut novel was tomorrow. If she couldn't finish it, her first attempt at writing would likely end in failure.

However, as she wrote, something strange began to happen. A shadow appeared in the reflection of her mirror. The air in her room grew thick and cold, and the glow of the meditation talisman she had been carrying dimmed, flickering weakly.

---

The next morning, Kasumigaoka woke up to find black ash falling from her body as soon as she got out of bed. She was confused. She didn't smoke, nor had she burned anything. The black ash seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Checking around her room, she was shocked to discover that the meditation talisman Shiro had given her was gone. The rope that had held it was still there, but the charm itself had vanished.

"Could it have ignited on its own? But... there was no burning sensation..." Kasumigaoka muttered to herself, deep in thought. The disappearance of the talisman didn't make sense. She had no explanation for it, and the only conclusion she could reach was that the talisman was somehow taken from her room—likely from the bedroom itself.

Her confusion only deepened as she realized that the talisman's disappearance had happened far too quickly. Two years would have been required for it to turn to black ash...

---

Meanwhile, Shiro had just finished class when he received a message from Kasumigaoka. Her message confirmed his suspicion that something strange had happened in her room.

With his spiritual power, the meditation talisman should've lasted much longer. Something had interfered with its effectiveness. He quickly deduced that the presence of strong Curse energy in her room had probably caused the talisman's rapid deterioration.

Shiro's instincts told him that the source of the disturbance likely came from her bedroom. He would need to investigate further.

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