Chapter 113

Arietta Morgan, in truth, has rather vague memories of her childhood.

‘…The only things that come to mind are that there were many very cold and hungry days.’

Arietta was once a vagrant.

Despite her young age, she wandered the streets, busy every single day just trying to survive due to the harsh environment.

‘…….’

Around the time she was eking out an existence day by day, sometimes begging for money on someone’s orders and sometimes stealing things, she happened to encounter Myeongyool, who had come to England to meet an acquaintance.

That completely changed Arietta’s life.

[Come with me. From now on, let’s live together.]

For some unknown reason, Myeongyool took a special interest in Arietta, and Arietta in turn opened her heart to him, being reborn as his true family.

However, the very next year, Arietta suddenly collapsed for reasons unknown and was unable to rise from her sickbed for a year from that point.

Myeongyool only said she would be fine, but from his unusual reaction, Arietta could inwardly guess at her own future.

And so, Arietta had once resigned herself to everything.

But.

[Sleep well. When you wake up, you’ll be able to return home and live together as before.]

For some reason, Arietta regained her health, and in fact continued her days with Myeongyool in even better condition than before.

It was probably around that time that she became aware that her body was different from others’.

Once, when Arietta, unable to contain her curiosity, probed about it, Myeongyool answered like this:

[It’s fine. To have a body that excels beyond others, isn’t that also a blessing you were born with? If it weighs on your mind, you just need to use that power in the right place.]

It was certainly a correct argument, so Arietta didn’t dwell on it afterwards either, but she vaguely knew that wasn’t all there was to it.

And after hearing Shin Dohoon’s extraordinary recovery ability and his stories, Arietta could vaguely grasp the secret of what had happened to her.

‘Master…’

She didn’t resent him. Surely Myeongyool wouldn’t have been able to stand by and watch her die like that.

But if she too was now no longer human, then she couldn’t continue living among others as she had until now.

As she roused her returned consciousness and opened her eyes, she saw Han Kangyoon supporting and holding her.

“Are you awake?”

A lingering sweetness still remained in her mouth, and an appetite-stimulating fragrance persistently assaulted her nose from all directions.

Realizing this, Arietta opened her mouth towards Han Kangyoon with a trembling voice.

“Did I… bite you, junior?”

The liquid in her mouth, carrying an indescribably ecstatic taste. Its identity wasn’t hard to figure out.

Because the exact same scent was wafting from Han Kangyoon, who was holding her.

“……”

To Arietta, whose expression had stiffened completely, Han Kangyoon shook his head.

“To be precise, it was almost a bite. I intentionally let some blood flow into your mouth for the sake of calming you down first. I apologize if it was unpleasant.”

“Ugh. No, it was very sweet… I mean, no. Are you hurt?”

“Yes. Aside from some bruises, I’m fine.”

At Han Kangyoon’s attitude, which was more detached than she expected, Arietta slowly calmed her mind and, with his support, raised her body.

As she did, she asked Han Kangyoon.

“…Junior. Am I really… not human?”

“……”

“This is the first time I’ve fallen into a state like this. But there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.”

That was a natural thought. Her body had fallen into an uncontrollable state and attacked an acquaintance right beside her; she couldn’t just brush it off as nothing.

However, Han Kangyoon answered without much concern.

“Is there a need to dig that deeply? The world is full of people with that degree of peculiarity.”

“…Junior, this is a serious concern right now.”

“My answer is also serious. There are so many special beings in the world that being a bit stronger and recovering quickly is considered nothing noteworthy.”

“Where exactly?”

“I, right in front of you, am at that level too.”

As Arietta looked at him with a puzzled expression, Han Kangyoon shrugged his shoulders and uttered a meaningful statement.

“I can come back to life even if I die once.”

“…No matter what, that’s too much of a lie.”

“I don’t make idle talk about things like this.”

At his utterly brazen attitude, Arietta was at a loss for words and stared blankly at Han Kangyoon.

As she did, somehow the worries she herself harbored seemed to lose their meaning.

Arietta made a slightly displeased expression and opened her mouth.

“…Fine, I’ll think about it later.”

“Yes. Because there’s something we must do first right now.”

According to Han Kangyoon’s testimony, it seemed Shin Dohoon had gone to find Myeongyool to get his hands on that Forbidden Curse of Undeath.

If so, there was no time to sit still here, lost in thought.

Arietta composed herself and filled her two feet with strength once more.

“Junior, I’m going to run the shortest route.”

“Yes. I’ll rely on you for guidance.”

And so, Arietta headed towards Gu-Ryong Mountain, where Myeongyool was, with Han Kangyoon to stop Shin Dohoon.

Ding.

【Unidentified Trait recognized.】

▶【True Noble Blood (S)】

Completely unaware of the significant change that had occurred in her own body.

Mid-slope of Gu-Ryong Mountain.

An empty, deserted academy, strangely devoid of any presence unlike usual.

Arriving there, Shin Dohoon could sense two familiar energies emanating from within.

“My, my. It seems you were waiting for me after all.”

“…As expected, you were alive.”

Myeongyool, revealing himself from within the dark room, slowly walked outside and met Shin Dohoon’s gaze.

“You’ve truly become a fitting form for the word ‘specter’.”

“Kukukuku. Is that something you, who turned a blind eye to us knowing this would happen, should say?”

Shin Dohoon, who laughed hollowly for a moment, completely changed his expression and threw a sharp question at Myeongyool.

“Hey, Myeongyool. You were following the higher-ups’ orders back then. Right?”

“…That is correct.”

“And then, you tried to dispose of all of us, who were caught in the Forbidden Curse, neither dead nor alive, according to orders.”

“……”

“Right, I can understand up to that point. You had that responsibility.”

But immediately after, Shin Dohoon ignited an intense killing intent in his eyes.

“But you, weren’t you actually aware of everything? The fact that we, who were thought to be dead, were alive, and that from then on we would become the higher-ups’ test subjects to be used in Forbidden Curse research.”

“…I haven’t heard anything about that either.”

Myeongyool didn’t seem to be lying. But Shin Dohoon, as if suppressing something, closed his eyes and continued.

“Answer me, Myeongyool. Then why did you cut off my finger, which you thought was dead that day, and keep it preserved until now?”

“……”

“Answer properly!”

But Myeongyool had nothing to answer. He too didn’t know the whole truth, but it was also true that he had vaguely guessed the truth in a corner of his heart.

“…Right. I see. I understand perfectly.”

Shin Dohoon understood that silent answer and immediately discarded his emotions, regaining tranquility.

“Truly a nauseating bunch. Tempted by the nice-sounding phrase ‘life extension’, they deliberately tampered with the Forbidden Curse to try and research it. To them, we were just convenient lab rats for cleanup.”

“…Let me say this, but I did not cooperate with them.”

“Shut up. No matter what excuses you make, you’re the same as them.”

Shin Dohoon ground his teeth and snorted with an indifferent gaze.

“Let me tell you one thing, Myeongyool.”

“……”

“The one who planned this ridiculous play and ordered you to be killed to bring the Forbidden Curse, whose existence isn’t even certain, is none other than one of the commanding officers from the time of the incident. Just like back then.”

With those words, Myeongyool too could roughly grasp the circumstances.

The victims attacked until now were merely a pretext to create a justification.

Although he had stepped back from the front lines, Myeongyool’s death would be quite a noisy affair, so they had sequentially targeted figures from the time of the Night Parade of One Hundred Specters to create a kind of story so their tracks wouldn’t be caught.

Ultimately, their goal was clearly to kill him to silence him and extract information about the Forbidden Curse.

“…In the end, it seems everything comes full circle.”

“I didn’t believe it at first, but that greedy bastard’s intuition seems quite accurate. Isn’t it? To actually steal and complete the Forbidden Curse, it’s truly astonishing.”

But to Shin Dohoon’s words, Myeongyool shook his head from side to side.

“Sorry, but I destroyed the Forbidden Curse. No matter how much you search, you won’t find it.”

“…Don’t lie. I came here after seeing the completed work you made.”

“You, don’t tell me you met Arietta?”

For a moment, Myeongyool’s expression twisted greatly. To that, Shin Dohoon answered with a nonchalant attitude.

“I didn’t really do anything to her. I have an interest in the completed work too, so there’s no need to touch her right now.”

“…Don’t lay a hand on that child.”

“Well, I wonder about that?”

“You…!”

This was bound to happen anyway.

Accepting the unavoidable fight, Myeongyool slowly summoned Spiritual Power into his body, which had been resting for many years.

“Since things have come to this, if we don’t finish it decisively, neither side will be satisfied.”

“Right, that’s how you should be. Come on, show me that famed skill with your old body.”

Swish.

Whoosh!

As Shin Dohoon finished speaking and raised his hand, a sound of destruction came from inside the academy, and something flew in and landed on it.

It was Shin Dohoon’s index finger, which Myeongyool had sealed away.

Crunch.

Crackle.

As he retrieved and regenerated it, an immense energy began to surge from Shin Dohoon’s body.

It seemed that by recovering the lost fragment of his body, he had fully restored his previously incomplete power.

“This is truly a refreshing feeling. I’ve been waiting for this day ever since that time ten years ago.”

Myeongyool, sensing that undeniable power, also raised his tension to the utmost.

And so, the battle finally began.

Boom!

Crash!

Crackle-crack!

‘He’s completely tainted by the Forbidden Curse…!’

At the point thirty minutes after that, the battle itself was proceeding with Myeongyool overwhelmingly in control.

Shin Dohoon’s body had been torn apart numerous times by Myeongyool’s Cursed Technique, while conversely, Myeongyool hadn’t received any noticeable wounds.

However, as this repeated over and over, the situation gradually began to change.

Slam!

“You’re tired. Even you can’t hide your age, it seems.”

“……”

Compared to Shin Dohoon, who had directly received all damage and recovered, Myeongyool was noticeably short of breath.

“What, surprised? This is the karma you brought upon yourself. Countless comrades lost their existence, unable to accept the Forbidden Curse’s power, but I alone adapted nearly perfectly. Soon I will reach the same state as that completed work you’re so proud of.”

“…Huff, huff.”

Finally exhausted, Myeongyool collapsed on the spot. Soon after, Shin Dohoon approached him, pointed a Short Blade at Myeongyool’s neck, and spoke.

“Even if you really did destroy the Forbidden Curse, your head should contain all of it intact.”

“……”

“The moment I behead you with this Cursed Tool, all your memories will flow into me. Any last words?”

But on Myeongyool’s face as he looked at Shin Dohoon, there was only pity, not fear.

“That’s not it.”

“What?”

“You haven’t adapted to the Forbidden Curse.”

“…What do you mean?”

Others might not have known, but Myeongyool, who had already witnessed the completion of the Forbidden Curse once, could tell at a glance.

“You’ve been completely consumed by the Forbidden Curse. That bizarre regenerative power proves it. No matter the outcome of this fight, you will soon meet your destruction.”

“Don’t make me laugh. This is merely the result of reaching the completion of the Forbidden Curse. The completed work should possess the same power.”

“…Aren’t you constantly restoring your body right now without the flesh and blood of humans or Specters? What do you think that’s being achieved at the cost of?”

What the Forbidden Curse was devouring was Shin Dohoon’s very soul.

Though he conveyed that fact without concealment, Shin Dohoon ultimately couldn’t accept it.

“…Shut up. Don’t struggle pathetically; just quietly atone for your sins.”

Thus, the Short Blade in Shin Dohoon’s hand reflected the moonlight, emitting a bluish glow.

And, at that exact same moment.

“Eight Void Spiraling Net Curse!”

A powerful wave of Spiritual Power engulfed Shin Dohoon.