Chapter 122: Cursed Land (1)
[All 50 participants have been selected!]
[Moved to the Cursed Land!]
The scenery shifted in an instant.
A pitch-black land, rotten and crumbling like decay itself. Ruined cityscapes dotted the landscape here and there.
‘Judging by the architecture, it looks like a fantasy world…’
A message appeared.
[The second exam begins.]
[You have entered the ‘Cursed Land.’]
[This is a special stage where you cannot gain experience points.]
[Scores will continue to accumulate. However, if you haven’t experienced anything special so far, nothing will change going forward.]
[The rules are now being displayed.]
[Rules]
[1. Participants are scattered throughout the area.]
[2. Participants cannot leave the Cursed Land.]
[3. Do whatever you want. Survive here for one month.]
[4. If participants share the same nationality, their locations will be displayed at the top of the screen.]
The objective was simple.
Survive for one month.
Kim Minwoo immediately checked his inventory.
Food, equipment, consumables, and more.
‘No restrictions on use?’
The ground wasn’t swallowing feet whole, and no curses seemed to be afflicting them either.
What was this?
It seemed too easy.
‘There has to be more to it.’
He glanced at the top of his screen.
One red dot and two blue ones.
The red was him.
The blue ones were the rest of his guildmates, most likely.
‘Shouldn’t be hard to find them.’
Before moving, he summoned Merhen and Cedric first. Merhen, scanning the surroundings, furrowed her brow slightly.
―This place… feels off.
“It’s called the Cursed Land.”
―Yeah, I can tell.
She scooped up a bit of the pitch-black soil and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes narrowed soon after.
―…It’s all mixed together?
“Mixed?”
―Yeah. The taste is complicated. Like a chimera.
Merhen then looked at him and asked.
―What do we have to do here?
“Survive for a month.”
―That’s… not great.
“Why?”
―It’s angry.
That was when it happened.
The ground began to rumble like an earthquake.
―Kuooh!
A faint, echoing roar spread across the entire land.
Cedric’s eyes blazed.
―Something’s coming.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
Kim Minwoo drew his necromantic sword.
Bulge!
Bulge!
The rotten earth swelled up like boiling water bubbling over.
Pshh!
The ground burst open like bubbles in all directions.
From within emerged grotesque tentacles.
Dozens of them at least, forming a encirclement. Each one about 3 meters long, writhing disgustingly.
‘There’s a lot of them.’
That was when it happened.
―Gross. Die.
[Merhen uses Cyclone (SS)!]
Whoooosh…!
A massive gust ripped through, yanking all the buried tentacles free. They writhed and converged into a single point.
[Merhen uses Great Explosion (SS)!]
Boom boom boom!
A chain of massive blasts erupted.
The tentacles shattered into thousands of fragments, raining down like a storm onto the ground.
‘They’re weak?’
Of course, Merhen’s magic was SS-grade, but even accounting for that, the tentacles weren’t particularly strong. Just repulsive-looking.
That was when it happened.
Some of the shredded tentacle fragments suddenly began clumping together toward one spot. Like playing with clay, the wriggling pieces formed the shape of a person—no, that wasn’t all.
“Gah!”
A desperate gasp escaped.
“Hey, you okay?”
“W-water…”
A withered, blonde man desperately sought water. Despite the strange language, it translated, just like in the first exam.
He looked in bad shape. Instead of water, Kim Minwoo poured a top-grade potion down his throat.
The man’s body convulsed violently, but his complexion improved slightly.
“Huff. Huff…”
“Feeling better?”
“Wh-where… is this…”
“You were one of those weird tentacles until just now.”
The man stared blankly at the tentacle fragments.
“Huh…”
He let out a hollow sigh, as if he couldn’t believe it.
Kim Minwoo’s expression hardened. Even after the top-grade potion, there was no real recovery.
‘All his life force sucked dry?’
When someone’s fundamental life force was drained completely, they reacted like this.
Potions couldn’t save him.
They only activated existing life force, not created it from nothing.
“Cough!”
Sure enough.
Moments later, the man began vomiting blood.
“Sorry, but you won’t last long.”
“…I figured as much. But you… how did you end up in this demon’s den…?”
“…Demon’s den?”
“You don’t… know… where this is…?”
“No idea. Know anything?”
“This is… a prison… for locking away horrific monsters…”
“Tell me more.”
He poured another potion into the man’s mouth. The info was worth it.
The man’s eyes lit up.
“There’s a monster underground. It wakes if you don’t offer sacrifices. Hoo… Dark wizards… took over this place…”
“Dark wizards?”
“…As long as the monster stays asleep… it’s perfect for their training. So they… kidnap people… offer sacrifices regularly…”
Cursed Land, indeed.
Seemed like a match made in heaven for dark wizards.
“How often do you need to offer sacrifices?”
“…Once… a day… The stronger the sacrifice… the stronger the curse… No reason for dark wizards… to refuse…”
Damn.
The man didn’t have much time left. Another potion did nothing.
Kim Minwoo watched his mouth closely for more info.
“Be careful… They’ll… target you… because you’re… different… Huff.”
With those final words, the man stopped breathing.
Kim Minwoo closed his eyes.
‘Got the gist of it.’
From the dark wizards’ perspective, this place was a honey pot as long as they fed the sacrifices.
‘And participants can’t escape.’
Collision with the dark wizards who’d taken over was inevitable.
They’d wake up to prime sacrifice material rolling in overnight.
‘On the flip side.’
Not so bad for us.
Without the dark wizards, infighting among the awakeners would’ve broken out nine times out of ten.
Some would’ve figured offering each other as sacrifices was easier than fighting unknown monsters.
‘That roar sounded pretty intense, though.’
The thing underground seemed way stronger than Timorn the Duke…
‘They can handle tentacles on their own.’
Not a big deal.
Any awakener here for the second exam could mop them up easily.
Like how he’d gotten info from this blonde guy, others had probably pieced things together by now.
‘First, find the guildmates.’
Their locations were marked at the top. He’d run into dark wizards en route and gauge their strength.
He advanced with his two legion commanders.
* * *
Long ago, the dark wizards discovered a land like a blessing.
A land where a monster slumbered.
They razed the cities above, offered sacrifices over ages to nurture the monster’s growth.
The curse’s power spread across the land.
They erected barriers to prevent its escape.
Thus, the Cursed Land became a holy site for dark wizards after eons.
As long as they followed one rule, the wizards of the holy site could bask in glory forever.
Offer a sacrifice once a day.
But in this holy site.
“…Intruders?”
“Reports are coming in from all over.”
Mortan, high priest of the holy site, tilted his head.
“No breach in the barrier?”
“No, it’s intact. That’s what’s puzzling. How did they get in…?”
“What’s their level?”
“Some acolytes have already fallen.”
Acolytes taken down.
Mortan’s eyes gleamed.
They’d make fine sacrifices.
“How many?”
“At least twenty that we’ve confirmed.”
“Perfect timing. We needed decent sacrifices.”
“Yes. His grace must be watching over us.”
“…You’ve been forgetting lately. We don’t worship a god. We’re just trading with a monster.”
“…Ah, yes. My mistake.”
“Go.”
Mortan rose.
He exited the temple with his dark wizard subordinates. About two hours in, tracking via crystal orb.
His head snapped around.
His pitch-black pupils dilated, vision expanding.
Far off, three figures.
‘Found them.’
His form glided forward. The first to react was the awakener in beast-like gear, Liu Wei.
“Grrraa!”
Liu Wei morphed into a leopard in an instant, lunging at him.
Agile movements.
But to Mortan, pointless resistance.
High priest ruling this place for decades.
His power wasn’t for mediocres to withstand.
With a gesture, black thorns erupted from all sides.
Liu Wei, now a bear, curled up. Thorns shredded thick fur, piercing flesh.
“Raaagh!”
The massive bear strained to move.
“Not bad strength, at least.”
Mortan sneered.
The other two Chinese awakeners flinched.
Lucky to link up quickly since they were close.
They’d expected dark wizards after dealing with tentacles.
The problem was this.
‘What the hell are we supposed to do against this?!’
Liu Wei was top-five among participants. Yet taken down without a fight.
And the wizard wasn’t done. More in black robes swarmed from behind.
“Vermin defiling the sanctuary. Your sins…”
That was when.
Liu Wei, back to human form, shouted desperately.
“W-wait!”
“…?”
“We’ll help you! Let us help!”
“Help us?”
“We’re not the only ones here! You need to catch them all, right? We’ll help with that!”
“…Aren’t you allies with them?”
“Allies? Don’t you have nations here too?”
“We do.”
“They’re from other countries! Total strangers!”
He protested so earnestly, it didn’t seem like a lie.
‘Hmm…’
Mortan pondered.
The holy site was vast, intruders strong.
He’d have to chase scattered flies himself.
But using these?
Cleanup would be a breeze.
‘Fight poison with poison…’
Good idea.
“What do you want?”
“Let us live. That’s it.”
“Fine. Prove your loyalty.”
“…Prove how…?”
“Accept the brand.”
Liu Wei swallowed hard.
‘Damn. Knew it wouldn’t be easy.’
Looked like some creepy ritual.
No choice.
“…Alright. But one question.”
“Nothing much. Just engraving a mark on your hearts.”
“…”
The Chinese awakeners’ faces twisted like they’d eaten shit.
Mark on the heart.
Definitely not nothing.
“…Yes. Do it.”
Liu Wei nodded first.
If you can’t dodge, enjoy it.
‘Not hopeless.’
This place seemed like a separate dimension, gate interior.
Different races, languages, appearances.
‘Just get back to Earth.’
Whatever mark on the heart wouldn’t cross dimensions.
Survive a month.
Exam over.
‘Might even be better.’
Even he, 5th in first exam, got crushed without breathing room.
Safer siding with these guys, hunting awakeners for sacrifice.
Only wildcard: the 1st place with 15 million points.
‘Not skill. Must’ve cheesed it.’
That’s what he’d believe.
Refuse out of fear, die now.
“You two? Refuse?”
“W-why would we?”
“We’ll take it! Prove our loyalty!”
Mortan finally smirked.
His hand plunged into the subdued Liu Wei’s chest.
“Gahk!”
“Pain’s fleeting.”
The brands seared into the Chinese awakeners’ hearts.
His hand withdrew.
“Huff!”
They gasped.
Then shuddered.
Strange vitality surged within.
Mortan smiled coldly.
Did they know?
The brand drained life force, burning it away.
Never planned to let sanctuary-defilers live.
Use them up, discard as sacrifice when spent.
Perfect.
He commanded.
“Find them. Bring them to me.”
“Understood.”
The Chinese awakener group moved out.