As Kastanos raced back to the castle, the memory of the recent battle played on repeat in his mind, a grin creeping across his lips despite the loss of one of his generals. His enhanced body cut through the air at breakneck speed, the wind howling past him.
"That human really thought I would spare him, after how much he'd insulted our name," he mused, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Such a shame I won’t be able to see his face when he realizes, especially after I gave him that fleeting glimmer of hope." His grin widened.
"He should feel honored. He’s one of the few who’ve lived long enough to receive that curse. Most die before I can even fulfill its conditions," he chuckled, the sound dark and low.
"But if, by some miracle, he survives..." He shook his head, dismissing the thought. "No, there’s no way. Curses can’t be broken, not even by the strongest healing skill."
As he approached the towering gates of the castle, a wave of anxiety hit him. His father had a way of knowing everything. Kastanos could handle the loss of a general, but disappointing his father was a different matter. He wouldn’t show it, of course. The son of an emperor couldn’t afford weakness. But still, the weight of expectation gnawed at him.
"I just hope Father doesn’t get too pissed off about the death of one of his Ascended Ones."
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Meanwhile, Mav hurtled through the sky, his body still aching from Kastanos's brutal throw. The midday sun beat down, casting harsh shadows across the landscape far below. The world around him blurred, the bright sky streaking into lines as he fought to steady himself. His grip tightened on the small mana potion, struggling to drink while soaring through the air. It was far harder than he had expected, but he managed to down the potion just in time.
The ground rushed up to meet him, and he cast his spell. "Suppression!" he called out, a double layer of dark green flames enveloping his body. When he hit the ground, it made little more than a muffled thud. He glanced down at the small dent in the earth beneath him, surprised by the minimal damage compared to before.
As the flames flickered out, Mav’s nausea was less severe this time. "Am I already getting used to this after just two times? Or is it because of the new form of the flame?"
He winced as he took a step forward, his left leg protesting with sharp pain. "Must’ve been from that bastard’s throw," he muttered, limping toward a nearby stream.
Despite the pain, one thought dominated his mind: he had survived… for now.
Reaching the stream, Mav knelt down, splashing cold water on his face. The chill of the water offered some clarity, refreshing him after the chaos. He sat beneath a large tree, seeking refuge from the midday heat. His mana reserves had dropped alarmingly low—17/120. He cursed under his breath.
"That bastard could’ve at least given me a high-tier mana potion if he was going to bother giving me one at all."
As he inspected his status, something new caught his eye. A small rectangular box appeared in the bottom-right corner of his vision, labeled "Daimoniki Database." He blinked in confusion.
"Is this... what that Dark Analysis was about before?" he wondered, recalling the brief message that had appeared earlier.
His curiosity piqued, he hovered his finger over the box and tapped on it. Immediately, a new menu unfolded, revealing a single name: Kastanos. His heart quickened as he pressed on the name, wondering what new information this would reveal about the terrifying figure he had just faced.
The menu expanded further, presenting detailed information in front of him, far more than he expected:
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Name: Kastanos
Level: 1440
Mav blinked in disbelief. "Is this really that thing's level? How is that even possible? Just how many high-level skills does he have?"
His eyes moved down to the next section.
Flame Affinities:
Red Flame: 240/240
Blue Flame: 240/240
Green Flame: 240/240
Yellow Flame: 240/240
"What?!" he exclaimed, his shock doubling as he processed the information.
"I thought affinity levels only go up to 120... How the hell does he have 240 in all the flames? What kind of monster is this thing? What are they doing over there?"
As he scrolled further, the details became even more alarming.
Skills:
Red Fireball (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
Red Armor (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
Blue Heal (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
Blue Creation (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
Green Protection (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
Yellow Enhancement (Beyond Maximum) lvl. 240/240
His stomach tightened as he read the absurd list. "This guy is a walking catastrophe. If he decided to attack one of the kingdoms, could anyone even stop him? Even if all the guild leaders banded together, I’m not sure they could take him down."
His mind raced as he stared at the impossible numbers on his status screen. Was this how far the gap was between him and beings like Kastanos? He had fought, struggled, and bled to survive, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was barely scratching the surface of the power held by the true monsters of this world.
He scrolled further down.
Special Skill:
[Unknown]
He frowned. "Why isn’t this information available? Is my level too low to see it? Or is it some kind of secret? Don’t tell me it's an even more broken skill than what that gorilla was using."
And then, at the very bottom of the screen, a single entry made his blood run cold.
Special Curse:
Skill Name: Guaranteed Death
Description: Kill any target within 60 minutes of activation.
Condition: Land more than 50 hits on the target.
Manacost: 60
Mav’s heart sank. "Hold on, he landed more than 50 hits on my shield, didn’t he? Does that count?"
He closed the window and returned to his status screen. There, in bold red letters, was the confirmation he dreaded:
Cursed: Guaranteed Death
Time Remaining: 44:44
The seconds continued to tick down.
"Well, shit," Mav muttered under his breath.
His mana reserves had barely recovered—18/120. "I’ve got one more use of Dark Yellow Transcendence left. But that means I won’t have enough mana for Suppression, and I won’t be able to run as fast. On top of that, my left leg might be broken."
He clenched his fists. "Still, I can’t die here. I have to try something."
Limping toward the main road, an idea formed in his mind. "I’ll give it five minutes. If no carriage passes, I’ll cast Dark Yellow Transcendence and make my way to the capital, even if I have to speedwalk with my leg like this." He chuckled bitterly, shaking his head at the absurdity of his plan.
"Please, somebody, anybody."
The minutes ticked by, tension mounting.
"Two minutes," he muttered, glancing nervously at the cursed timer, watching the numbers slip away.
Each second that ticked by seemed louder than the last, a steady drumbeat reminding him of how close death was. The curse was like a shadow, clinging to him, inescapable. The thought of what might happen when that final second dropped sent waves of panic through his mind. What would happen to him? Would it be instant? Slow? Could he still fight it?
Then, faint but unmistakable, the sound of hooves echoed from the distance.
His head snapped up, his heart pounding in his chest. "Thank God…"
Hope flickered once again.