Minori glanced at the data displayed on his status screen. Beyond the usual stat changes, two new metrics caught his eye the most: "Comprehensive Resistance" and "Specificity."
The former had jumped from zero to 150, and the latter from 20 to 60.
The massive boost in resistance was clearly linked to his passive traits: Complete Resistance to Curse and Dark Attribute Resistance. But the "Specificity" stat still puzzled him. His current theory was that it was tied to his advanced classes—perhaps how unique or focused his development path had become.
He exhaled softly and turned away from the now still, dead cemetery, feeling the night wind stir his newly crafted robes. The white and violet sleeves billowed faintly with each breeze.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Flashes of radiant flame burst forth around him.
In an instant, thirteen Fire Archangels materialized at his command. Of the fifteen summoning scrolls in his Item Box, only two remained.
"Go," he said, his voice quiet yet authoritative. "Cleanse the forest of every monster."
His status bar read: Experience Gauge: 17,250 / 10,000. One more level was ready to be claimed, but 20,000 was still his next target.
"…I wonder if they'll be enough," Minori mused aloud. "Even if I do reach it, it'll still fall short of another full level. No need to rush."
As the Fire Archangels vanished into the forest in orderly formation, Minori casually sat on a nearby stone, not bothering to clear the damp leaves beneath him.
From his Item Box, he withdrew the Orb of Death, gently channeling magic into it. Then he unfolded the bark scroll given to him by Duogan, the forest gnome.
"Magic Interpretation."
A soft light flickered in his eyes as the obscure dwarven script shimmered into legibility.
Without the spell, the archaic forest-dwarf runes would have been utterly incomprehensible—even to someone with his magical education.
The next morning – August 29th, Middle Fire MonthThe edge of the Great Swamp
The blood on Leinas' body had long dried and blackened. Her golden hair, once smooth, was matted and tangled. She sat slumped at the base of a thick tree, hollow-eyed but vigilant.
Monsters still prowled the fringe of the swamp. She had spent the past two days clearing them alone.
Ever since she'd been forcibly carried out by a summoned angel, her heart had been consumed by dread—for the man who'd gone in.
"…Two days now," she muttered. Her voice was hoarse, but resolute. "One more. If he's still not back—"
Her fingers tightened around the haft of her spear. Her azure eyes flared with resolve.
"What if I don't come out?" a calm voice interrupted.
Leinas jerked up in shock.
Emerging from the foggy treeline, Minori appeared, robes fluttering slightly as he approached.
Leinas scrambled upright, relief flooding her features the moment she confirmed he was unscathed.
"You left me behind," she said, straightening her back despite her disheveled state.
"Of course," Minori replied flatly. "If someone as strong as me died in there, what chance would you have?"
"…Cold-hearted," she huffed, trying to sound annoyed. "You don't look even slightly sad."
Minori raised an eyebrow. "I have thoughts on the curse now."
That one sentence cut through her pretense.
She stared.
He continued, "If you're willing, we can begin now."
Leinas had once believed her 'Cursed Knight' class was some strange coincidence. But after witnessing what happened to the forest gnome tribe—how not one of them gained that class despite being overwhelmed by curse—she no longer believed it was luck.
"…What do you need?" she asked, her voice tight.
"Just drink this."
Minori withdrew a murky bottle from his sleeve. The cloudy liquid inside was faintly brown-green, with bits of herbal residue still floating.
It looked like it had been slapped together in haste.
Leinas glanced between him and the bottle, then accepted it without a word.
Downing the whole thing in one go, she wiped her lips. "Now what?"
"Wait," Minori said simply.
Within seconds, her eyelids drooped. A wave of drowsiness crashed over her, and she collapsed before she could speak again.
"The venom sac of a Hanging Spider combined with Sleep Grass… still effective." Minori knelt beside her unconscious body and gently turned her over, brushing away the golden bangs that concealed the cursed right side of her face.
He lifted one finger, infused it with a faint trace of cursed magic, and pressed it to her forehead.
Passive Skill: Magic Infusion.
With slow precision, he directed a small amount of cursed power into her system—not to harm, but to coax the dormant force within her.
Her face twitched as the curse responded. The patch of rotting skin began to writhe.
Minori continued the infusion, carefully guiding the internal corruption to stabilize and merge with the power he'd injected.
The infected cheek slowly stilled.
Then, astonishingly, the cursed skin began to regenerate—reverse decay, shedding rot like peeling bark.
Five minutes passed.
When it was over, the once-ruined right half of her face had healed completely, mirroring the smooth ivory of her left.
"…It worked," he whispered.
Her body had accepted the power instinctively. Not as a foreign toxin, but as fuel. She hadn't just inherited the class—she'd always been meant for it.
With this, her 'Cursed Knight' class had truly stabilized at Level 1.
Half an hour later
Leinas stirred, groaning as she sat up, her head pounding.
Minori stood nearby, turning a black stone over in his hands.
"You…"
Her fingers flew to her face.
The texture was smooth.
She fumbled out a compact mirror, stared—and froze.
A full minute passed.
"…Thank you," she said at last, voice choked.
Minori turned slightly. "Congratulations on your recovery, Miss Leinas."
She stood, stunned. On reflex, she moved to hide her face with her hair—but then stopped.
The habit was no longer necessary.
Instead, she gathered the golden strands and tucked them neatly behind her ear.
Then, unexpectedly, she looked at Minori with fresh resolve.
"Sir Minori… is your adventurer team still accepting members?"