The Cursed You - Part 2
Lee Eun-sung was universally recognized as the greatest mage of our time.
Lacking even a shred of talent for magic, I had my hands full just trying to keep up with him with nothing but a single sword.
"Even if I have to suffer a bit, it's fine as long as it keeps everyone else safe."
He was a genius of a mage, but he was also a massive pushover, foolishly desperate to protect others. Despite bearing the incredibly arrogant epithet of "the mage of unprecedented talent," his devotion to saving people was entirely genuine.
"Why do you go that far?"
"Because I have the power to! If I don't do it, who will?"
He chuckled as he answered.
He had a massive narcissistic streak, but his desperate struggle to save others felt fundamentally right. It inspired me to push myself just as hard.
We saved people as if we were competing. After some time, he and I found ourselves sitting side by side at the very top—ranked number one and two in the world.
It wasn't a position I had ever coveted. It was simply a reflection of just how much we had achieved.
"...And then you went and died on me."
Standing in a city scorched completely black, I stared down at his corpse. Right beside him lay the shattered fragments of his gear and the mangled carcass of the dragon, with not a single intact scale left on its body.
His body was slashed, torn, charred, frozen, crushed, and broken. Just looking at his remains, I could easily picture the sheer volume of spells he must have unleashed to bring that dragon down.
"Sigh."
I lifted his body. Tucked away was his Organ Donation Card, signed in blood—likely in his very final moments.
Donating every single organ, huh? It was just like him. A people-loving pushover right to the bitter end.
Well, nothing can be done about it now.
With him gone, countless people would be left helpless. Since there was no other choice, I would have to take his place.
I couldn't pull off his flashy style of casting dozens of spells in the blink of an eye, but I was still a top-tier hunter in my own right.
...After that, my life became a blur. I threw myself into helping people, slaying monsters, and passing on my know-how to the rookies.
A year passed in that manner.
A lot happened during that time. There was the controversy surrounding the organ donations from Lee Eun-sung's body, the sudden rise of a rookie who became an S-class awakened in the blink of an eye and climbed to the rank right below me, and the sudden, worldwide surge in monster numbers.
I eventually claimed the number one spot, only to be betrayed by the very bastard who had risen to number two. Fortunately, I had taken a lesson from Eun-sung's death and prepared a single-use emergency escape device. It was the only reason I managed to cling to life.
"Sigh."
I had survived, but I couldn't escape the curse. If there was any silver lining, it was that the affliction was a Level Drain type. The method to lift a Level Drain was clear and straightforward, which made it far better than being struck by some mysterious, unidentifiable hex. With curses, identifying the affliction was always the hardest part.
"I barely managed to... keep myself alive."
But with that number two bastard out there, I couldn't afford to wander around in the open. The fact that he had set a trap specifically to inflict this curse meant he was dead set on finishing me off. That was why I decided to buy a Doll and go into seclusion. It was the best way to save time and minimize my contact with the outside world while I underwent the grueling training required to restore my lost levels.
The problem was that this Doll was anything but ordinary.
To start with her appearance—honestly, she was exactly my type. Her hair and eyes shimmered like a starry galaxy, and her body... well, it was the physical embodiment of a man's wildest dreams. At first, her incredibly modest and graceful demeanor had only made her more appealing.
"Here. Kimchi fried rice."
"..."
...Only, once I peeled back the wrapping, the soul inside turned out to be Lee Eun-sung. The kimchi fried rice was neatly plated in a bowl, though its presentation left a bit to be desired.
Well, it can't taste that bad. It's just kimchi fried rice.
Tensing up slightly, I scooped up a spoonful and popped it into my mouth.
"Oh."
It actually tasted decent. No, it was better than decent—it tasted better than most restaurant versions. I had no idea what kind of seasoning he had used, but it was far more delicious than any ordinary kimchi fried rice.
"How are you so good at this?"
"The recipe is programmed right into my head. Of course I'm good at it. It's only natural for a genius like me."
His habit of spouting obnoxious nonsense hadn't changed a bit. Knowing that arguing would only lead to him dragging out some pointless, petty debate, I decided to just let it go.
"If you say so."
As long as I was provided with high-quality meals, I didn't care. Besides, his arrogance was nothing new. If anything, after a year of his absence, I had almost missed it.
"Well, keep eating."
"Yeah."
Eun-sung trotted out of the kitchen with quick, light steps. A moment later, a heavy clunk echoed from down the hall. It was the sound of the washing machine door opening.
He's really taking this seriously.
His motto had always been to do things thoroughly if he was going to do them at all, but I hadn't expected him to throw himself into cleaning and laundry with such enthusiasm.
...Alright. Once I finish eating, it's time to start my training.
Click. Click. Click.
I finished the dishes and the cleaning by using telekinetic magic, firing precise threads of mana from my fingertips to manipulate the objects. Why do things by hand when you can multitask with magic? It was simply far more efficient.
Besides, it serves as excellent practice for sensory synchronization.
This body wasn't my original, magically blessed form. While my brain remained intact, every other part of me was an artificial substitute constructed through a blend of magic and engineering. Compared to my old self, this body was ridiculously, frustratingly dull when it came to handling mana.
I've optimized it as much as I can, but...
At best, I was operating at about ten percent of my original capacity. Just thinking about the sheer volume of magical reagents I would need to brew to elevate this artificial vessel to the level of a natural-born body made me want to sigh. To make matters worse, as a Doll, I couldn't exactly go out and get a job to fund my research.
"Ah."
While I was lost in thought, the dishes, sweeping, and mopping had already been completed. Even with my mind elsewhere, my fingers had moved flawlessly, guiding the household tools with absolute precision.
Whew. I know I'm a genius, but this is just ridiculous. Such flawless casting! Even in a different body, my genius remains completely untouched.
"That takes care of the main house."
While cleaning, I had mapped out the entire layout of the estate. The main house was a modest two-story building. The annex, however, was an ultra-luxurious training facility. There was also a basement, which served as a storage space piled high with miscellaneous junk. Right next to it sat a magically sealed room. When I bypassed the lock and stepped inside, I found an armory lined with an impressive collection of masterwork swords.
Well, a guy of his caliber ought to have at least that much.
Back when I was alive, I had converted my entire basement into a state-of-the-art herb cultivation facility—a fully automated greenhouse that nurtured rare magical plants twenty-four hours a day. It had cost me an absolute fortune to build. I wondered what had become of it now.
Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk.
"This room will do nicely."
The room I chose for myself was tucked away in a corner on the first floor. It was cramped—barely enough space for a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk. However, it sat directly atop the local leyline's nexus. For a mage, the flow of earth energy was infinitely more important than mere square footage.
It also makes managing the Barrier much easier.
Sung-jun had set up a basic detection Barrier around the estate. He had probably installed it as a simple security measure, but I had gone ahead and given it a major upgrade. It was no longer a mere alarm system; it was now an absolute defense system that completely barred unauthorized entry. On top of that, I had linked it to the leyline, allowing it to automatically draw energy to self-repair. If I had access to better materials, I could have easily added an automated counterattack system to vaporize intruders, but a lack of time and budget made that impossible for now.
Come to think of it, I was going to need a lot of things. Now that the main house was clean, it was time to go present my list of demands to my landlord.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment I slid open the door to the training annex, my eyes fell upon Sung-jun. Despite his shrunken, child-like stature—looking like a middle schooler at best—he was gripping a heavy, adult-sized training sword, unleashing a relentless torrent of downward slashes.
He's really pushing himself.
The air in the training hall was hot and stifling. Sweat poured from him, soaking his hair completely, and the floor around him was scuffed with frantic, messy footwork. Every detail painted a vivid picture of just how grueling his regimen was.
But... was his body even capable of enduring this? Under the effects of a curse, his physical vessel shouldn't be able to keep up with his mental drive.
"Urgh!"
Clang!
My suspicion was proven correct. Sung-jun's grip failed, and the training sword slipped from his hands as his entire body began to tremble violently. His palms were torn raw, a messy mixture of sweat and blood dripping onto the floor.
"Look at you, overdoing it."
I clicked my tongue and channeled my mana. A soft, warm glow of healing magic enveloped his battered palms. Rather than casting an instant-heal spell, it would be far more beneficial to cast a regeneration-boosting spell to stimulate his body's natural recovery.
"W-when did you get here?"
"Just now. Take a break."
"No. I can't afford to..."
He forced his trembling legs forward to retrieve his sword. Or rather, he tried to. His shaking limbs utterly betrayed his resolve, locking up as if they had reached their absolute limit.
Like a child tripping over a stone, he lost his balance and went crashing to the floor.
"You need to rest when your body tells you to."
Words alone would never pierce through his stubborn obsession. I cast a quick telekinetic spell, lifting his small frame and pulling him straight into my lap.
"W-what do you think you're doing?!"
"Hey."
He tried to protest, but I cut him off. My business came first.
"Hand over your wallet and your phone."
I had a shopping list to take care of, after all.