Chapter 83: You Have Been Cursed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: You Have Been Cursed
There are roughly two types of curses.
The first is the offensive type, which is fired directly at a target.
The second is the trap type, which triggers automatically when specific conditions are met.
What currently blanketed the 4th floor was a trap-type curse.
The trigger condition: gazing.
Simply looking at it would induce mental derangement. Unless one possessed exceptional willpower or defensive capabilities, they would succumb to the curse and collapse the moment they stepped onto the 4th floor.
What was even more terrifying was that this curse didn't just target adventurers.
"You're saying even the monsters on the 4th floor were lured in?"
"Otherwise, there's no way it could be this devoid of life. I don't even see any corpses."
Just as Sasaro said, there were no monster corpses to be found. They had all vanished somewhere without a trace.
"There is a very high probability they are gathered in one place."
"So the monsters that should be roaming the 4th floor are condensed in a single location."
"It is likely... something frequently used by the heretics..."
Paramel, the Recorder, shared his information. It was a method the heretics had favored in the Labyrinth thirty years ago.
"There is a high chance it is a Corpse Golem... The base monster is likely a High Orc or a Werewolf from the Underground City..."
Using a monster from the Underground City as a foundation, they had 'lured' and devoured every single monster on the 4th floor.
I couldn't quite picture what it would look like just from the description. It wasn't a monster one encountered under normal circumstances. It was a peculiar variety seen only during heretic uprisings.
Wait, maybe...
As we descended to the 4th floor, I had been feeding the remains of monsters to my Bracelet of Growth. I’d fed it the rotten blood of zombies, the bone dust of skeletons, and even the ectoplasm spilled by wights.
As a result, the Bracelet of Growth was significantly boosting my Willpower and Mental Strength stats.
This might be a chance to obtain materials I won't be able to get later.
It was best to feed the Bracelet of Growth as many different types of monsters as possible. Therefore, it would be a huge gain to let the bracelet consume as many of these event-specific monsters as I could during this heretic uprising.
Once we wiped out the heretics, there was a chance we’d never encounter the monsters unique to their uprisings again.
"It seems they are waiting for us in that direction."
"Porter, how large is the room?"
"It's a bit wider than the Adventurer's Guild."
I estimated the approximate size of the room through my Map Creation and informed them. It was a considerably large space—essentially a boss room. The transfer stone leading down to the Underground City would likely be right next to the Corpse Golem.
"Let's take it out in one go and move on."
Raphael took the lead and marched forward. The rest of the party followed behind him.
Since Raphael and the Saintess possessed bodies so durable they were practically immune to traps, the two of them acted as the vanguard, clearing the path.
"That's the one."
"Ah..."
Soon, we came face-to-face with the Corpse Golem.
It was a grotesque creature built upon the base of a High Orc from the Underground City. The monsters of the 4th floor were fused to its body, expanding it haphazardly, and bones protruded from its torn abdomen like teeth, snapping open and shut.
It had been bloating its size by devouring the monsters lured in by the curse through that wide-open belly.
The smell...
A nauseating stench of rotting corpses wafted toward us. Paramel’s face turned pale, and the party members drew their weapons in unison.
"What on earth have they done..."
"I feel an intense malice."
It wasn't just made from High Orcs.
...How many are there?
My Spiritual Eye activated on its own, revealing the vengeful spirits of those clinging to its body.
It wasn't just one person. There were at least seven. Among them were faces I recognized—people I had occasionally passed by at the guild.
They had used humans as materials. Their souls were screaming.
"...."
They were reaching out to me—to us. Pleading for release from this agony.
—Stop. Stop. Stop...
—Please... take me out of here... please...
—It hurts...
The Spiritual Eye deactivated.
Before I knew it, the Interrogators had charged forward and were pummeling the Corpse Golem.
What... will happen to them?
The Corpse Golem collapsed, its arm severed by Sasaro’s sword and its leg slashed by Raphael’s greatsword. The Saintess stepped on its head, crushing it.
Even though the monster was dead, the vengeful spirits were still clinging to it. They seemed trapped.
Trapped in this Labyrinth.
I can't leave them behind.
Sacrificed by heretics, unable to ascend to the surface, their souls would wander the Labyrinth until they were completely worn away and vanished. Just like Shaka. They would wander endlessly, just as he had.
I couldn't leave them. If I hadn't seen them, it might have been different. But I had seen them, so I had to take them with me. The thought kept circling in my head that I simply had to.
"Porter. What are you doing?"
"Ah, well... I'm sorry, but could you give me a moment?"
"A moment?"
"Yes... just a very brief moment."
"You want to stay alone in the room with the corpse?"
"Yes. It's... it's very important."
Even with the Interrogators' prayers, those vengeful spirits couldn't escape the Labyrinth. Only I could send them up.
I had to rescue them. But I didn't want the entire party to witness the scene. Sasaro and Paramel, in particular, were a bit risky. They were the type of people who wouldn't be able to accept such sorcerous actions.
"I'm not sure what it is, but I'll leave Rosier behind. She is your guard, after all."
"Understood."
Thanks to the Saintess's consideration, the rest of the party left the room.
In the room where only Rosier and I remained, I reached out toward the remains of the Corpse Golem lying in the center. I thrust my hand into the monster's body, which was covered in burns from the holy power.
"Porter, what are you doing?! That's filthy!"
"I know! Just a second!"
"No, a Corpse Golem doesn't have any materials worth salvaging!"
"Ah, got it!"
I felt it.
Inside the belly of the Corpse Golem, my hand touched something. It wasn't a physical hand. It was a spiritual body that I felt with my hand.
I had made contact with one of the many vengeful spirits reaching out to me.
Just a little more...
I gripped that hand tight and pulled with all my might. Soon, the souls of the victims, which were being devoured and dissolved inside the monster's gut, began to emerge.
—Ah... ahhh...
—The light...
The vengeful spirits clung to me. They were naturally drawn to my Spiritual Eye, and their souls weighed heavily upon my shoulders.
Crazy.
Does a soul actually have weight? It felt similar to when I was with Shaka. A heavy sensation settled in my chest, pressing down on me.
It was bearable. It didn't hinder my movement at all. It was just a matter of how it felt.
"What exactly did you pull out?"
"Ah, well..."
When I couldn't give an answer, Rosier simply nodded as if she understood.
"Hmph. I suppose there was something there. For now, wash your arm. It's filthy."
Rosier didn't ask any further. I was grateful for her discretion as I took water out of my inventory and washed my arm. Then, just in case I caught some skin disease, Rosier cast a Sigil of Purification on me.
The blood of the Corpse Golem had also seeped into the Bracelet of Growth, and I felt an increase in some unknown stat. I knew immediately because a sensation similar to when I underwent Mana Adaptation brushed through my body. Something had definitely grown.
"Ugh..."
"What's wrong?"
When we finished up and stepped out of the room, we found Raphael slumped in the hallway.
"I'm currently detoxing the curse... Just a moment..."
"My head is spinning."
Raphael’s left eye had gone bad because of the curse. Because his innate magic resistance was high, he hadn't gone completely insane, but a moment of carelessness had resulted in a problem with his left eye.
"There... done...!"
Fortunately, Paramel the Recorder was an expert in this field, and he quickly countered the curse affecting the slumped Raphael.
"Raphael, I told you to be careful."
"My apologies, Saintess. It just hit me all of a sudden."
"By the way, Porter, are you really alright?"
"Me? Oh, I'm fine."
For some reason, I had been perfectly fine since we first entered the 4th floor. Even the Inquisitors were affected by the curse if their concentration slipped even slightly, but I had no issues at all.
"That's strange."
The Saintess stared at me intently, as if trying to find something she didn't know.
Is it because of the Spiritual Eye, or is there another reason?
I couldn't be sure of the cause, but for some reason, the curse didn't work on me.
"Um... if you don't mind... may I take a look at you...?"
"Oh, is it necessary to check?"
"We need to identify the cause... to lower the chance of variables occurring later..."
"Right. It would be best to check before we head down to the Underground City."
"Understood."
Paramel, having finished Raphael's counter-curse, approached me and began chanting an unknown incantation.
"It's a Sigil of Identification. You can relax."
Rosier patted my shoulder. An unknown energy swept through my body once, and then Paramel suddenly flinched and recoiled.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Sasaro the Interrogator immediately sensed something was off and placed his hand on his sword hilt. Whether it was experience or cold-bloodedness, Sasaro moved as if he would strike the moment anything seemed amiss.
"T-That... Porter... are you currently cursed?"
"What? A curse? Me?"
"Yes... I've never seen a curse like this before... Something is latched onto your heart."
"What?! There's something on my heart?!"
"I don't know either...!"
"Good grief, Porter. We have a problem."
"A curse on the heart. Is it related to a covenant?"
"Has anyone asked you to sign something recently?"
"Porter. Look into my eyes. You're definitely possessed by an evil spirit."
"Gwaaaaah!!! That hurts!!!"
That crazy barbarian was trying to pull my head off!
"Hey! Raphael, calm down! You're going to pop his head!"
"Ah!"
Raphael finally let go of me after the Saintess intervened.
Soon, Paramel offered his hypothesis. He suggested that if a curse was placed on the heart, it was likely a type of covenant or oath. In short, it meant I had consented to it.
Listening to Paramel’s thoughts, the Saintess stroked her chin and spoke.
"Hmm. This is serious. If it's the type that affects the heart... there's a high probability that you agreed to it, Porter."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes. A curse is usually like throwing filth at someone unilaterally. They are mostly engraved on the skin or hair. That's why the Curse of Transformation changes one's appearance."
"Aha."
So that was the lore.
"B-But... a curse on the heart... is usually related to covenants, oaths... or empowerment through restrictions... black magic... or sorcery..."
"Mr. Paramel, you're scaring me."
"I'm scared of you too... Porter... Please don't come any closer..."
"No! I'm perfectly fine! What's wrong with you all! Why is everyone distancing themselves from me!"
"Porter. You're too agitated. If you lose your reason to agitation, you'll be more easily consumed by the curse. Calm down."
Rosier approached me and took my hand.
"No, I'm seriously being framed here."
"I know. I know you feel wronged, Porter. Paramel."
"Yes, Saintess."
"Analyze it accurately."
"B-But the backlash is too strong..."
"You must be faithful to your assigned duty. Are you planning to abandon your obligations as a Recorder?"
"....U-Understood..."
Paramel cast his sigil magic again and focused for a long time. After about twenty minutes, he wiped away cold sweat and shared the results.
"Three different things... are all mixed together..."
"Three things?"
"Yes... Does that ring a bell...?"
What? If it's three things, it has to be the Three Villainesses.
"Because the curses are so powerful... it seems other curses can't take hold..."
"Is that even possible?"
"Yes, yes... it's possible... Like fighting poison with poison...?"
"Huh..."
I had just discovered a new effect of my contract with the Three Villainesses.
Apparently, almost any curse that was weaker or of lower quality than the contract they had placed on me would be nullified.
In essence, I was practically immune to the curses cast by the heretics.