"Are you a Hunter too?" she asked.
I nodded slightly. "Yeah... why?"
I felt a little confused by her question. Wasn't it obvious that anyone entering a dungeon was a Hunter? Well, there were cases where people hired porters from guilds, so maybe that's what she meant.
The woman stared at me for a few seconds before speaking, "Are you new here? I've been in beginner dungeons like this a few times, but I don't think I've seen your face before."
Hearing that, I wondered, could she really remember every person who entered a dungeon? Hah, who knows, I had no idea.
I answered, "Yeah, I awakened recently, so I have no choice but to start from beginner dungeons," I replied.
"Recently awakened? That's odd, it's pretty rare for young people to awaken late like you," she said, her gaze showing curiosity about my situation.
"Well, what can I do? We can't exactly choose when we awaken, so I had to wait quite a while for my system to activate," I answered.
Honestly, I felt a little annoyed by her words. There was a slight arrogance hidden in her tone for some reason.
"...alright, you've got a point," she replied.
"Mind if I sit nearby? I've only hunted a few times and I'm already tired," she said.
"Just sit, you don't need to ask for my permission like that. Besides, this is a public dungeon," I replied.
She sat a few meters away from me on a decently shaped rock. From a distance, I saw her take out a bottle of water and some snacks from her inventory to eat.
Seeing that, I also focused on resting for a while before continuing my hunt.
... ... ...
After some time, I stood up, ready to continue hunting.
Suddenly, I heard a female voice behind me.
"Um, sorry if this is a bit forward… but would you like to form a party?" said the girl I met earlier.
I was a bit surprised. Why would she want to party up with someone she just met today?
"Form a party? Are you serious? We don't even know each other's names," I said with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Ah-"
"Sorry… that was my mistake, I forgot to introduce myself first. My name is Keira… I actually awakened quite a while ago… around two years, I think? And I've been hunting in beginner dungeons for quite some time because of certain circumstances."
Two years ago? If she had been an active Hunter for about two years, why was she still hunting in a beginner dungeon like this? What kind of circumstances was she talking about?
"...Hmm, since you introduced yourself first, it would be rude if I didn't introduce myself too. I'm Lathan… Lathan Louvain. I awakened recently, so I'm still low-level and it's nice to meet you," I said, returning her introduction with a slight smile.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too," Keira replied.
"...sorry, can I ask you something?" I asked.
Seeing me wanting to ask something, she seemed to realize what I was going to say. She looked a bit uneasy.
"Yeah… you can ask," she replied.
"You said you awakened two years ago, right? And you've entered dungeons quite often, so… why are you still hunting in beginner dungeons like this?" I asked, curiosity clear in my tone—who wouldn't be curious?
"...."
"...."
She stayed silent, her beautiful face clouded with a gloomy expression, her sadness apparent.
"...sorry if I asked something out of line. If you don't want to answer, it's fine," Lathan said, feeling a little guilty for crossing the line.
"..no, it's okay… it's only natural you'd be curious," Keira replied.
"But I hope… after I tell you this, you won't leave me like the others did."
"I… I have a curse in my system, one that makes it extremely difficult for me to level up…" Keira said with a sad tone.
"A curse?"
"Yeah… it's actually kind of strange…" she responded.
"Two years ago, when I awakened my System… I was so happy at first, but at the same time, I fell into despair… I received a passive skill that's completely cursed… it's called 'Genesis of Calamity'… it has effects like -80% personal EXP gain, -50% to all stats, -80% EXP for all party members, reduced effectiveness of all personal and party skills by 50%, and -30% to all party member stats," Keira explained.
… …
Insane… absolutely insane. I was left speechless… reduced EXP gain, not just for herself but for party members too? Reduced skill effectiveness for herself and others? -50% personal stats? And -30% for the party? Maybe it sounded cruel, but… how was she even alive until now? If it were me…
"…what do you think? Disgusting, right? I awakened, only to be cursed like this…" Keira said in a sad, desperate voice.
I stayed silent. I was afraid to give an opinion. I couldn't deny it, even though there were cases of cursed skills attached to players, this… this was just way too extreme.
"…..So? After hearing all this, would you still be willing to join my party?" Keira asked.
"I… I'm even willing to pay you if you're willing to party with me… I've tried inviting others before, but after I told them and they experienced it themselves, they immediately backed out and no one wanted to party with me again…" she continued.
"Hmm…"
I was still thinking. Even if a beautiful girl wanted to party with me, this wasn't something I could ignore just because of appearances.
"Ah—" I muttered.
I suddenly remembered—I had the Observe skill that allowed me to see other people's status windows. I figured I should use it first.
"Give me a second, let me think about it," I said to Keira.
Keira nodded and sat down, waiting for my answer. Her face showed just how sad and desperate she was.
Staring at her with sharp eyes, I muttered, "Observe," to activate my skill on Keira.
________________________________________
||Name: Keira Nirmala
||Level: 9
||Age: 18
||Race: Human
||Job: None
||Affiliation: Nirmala's Family
||Str: 22 (-11)
||Agi: 23 (-11.5)
||Int: 35 (-17,5)
||End: 20 (-10)
||Luck: 10 (-5)
[|Skill: Genesis Of Calamity (Cursed), ???, ???|]
________________________________________
….
….
She was level 9 with pretty decent stats, but with the cursed skill halving everything, it basically brought her back to level 1.
Let me try to observe her cursed skill.
I pressed on the skill name, and suddenly, a system alert popped up.
[|DING!|]
"!"
[A powerful curse skill has been detected on the player named Keira, and due to the overwhelming curse, the player is unable to observe it]
[|DING|]
[Due to the player's will, the skill [|OVER LIMIT|] is strengthening [Observe], allowing detailed observation of the 'Genesis of Calamity' skill]
[May luck always be with you, player!]
…
Well, at least this skill was proving useful. I was curious about the exact details of Keira's skill.
________________________________________
[•Genesis of Calamity•] (Lvl 1)
Description:
"From a curse that nearly destroyed everything, comes strength and blessing only for those who refuse to crumble."
Genesis of Calamity is a forbidden blessing granted only to those who survive the curse of awakening. Who knows what rewards await those who can endure it?
Skill Effects:
•Reduces personal EXP gain by 80%.
•Reduces buff and positive status effects by 50%.
•Reduces effectiveness of personal and party skills by 50%.
•Reduces EXP gain for all party members by 80%.
[|??|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||??|]
Cursed Omen:
•Calamity itself will be enraged if anyone dares to harm the owner, casting deadly curses upon those with ill intent.
•Touching with malicious intent triggers instant "Scorch" effect.
•Touching the owner stealthily without permission within 20cm triggers blindness, paralysis, muteness, and a powerful rebound effect that launches the offender violently.
•If the owner loses more than 50% of total HP, it triggers "Shared Fate," reflecting the exact same damage back to the attacker.
•If the owner's HP drops below 5%, it triggers instant death on the attacker, unresistable by any means.
•Grants immunity to instant death effects. If the owner is targeted by such a skill, the caster will be instantly paralyzed for 2 days. The effect will become stronger and last longer as the player's level increases.
[System Note:
- All effects "Cursed Omen" above apply fully against other players. Against monsters, all skill effects are reduced by half.
-These negative effects cannot be resisted by any means, not even by gods descending upon the world.
-If the owner loves the person who touches it, all the above effects will be canceled and Who knows what blessings the person who has pulled the heart from the disaster will receive?]
________________________________________
...
...
...
Crazy… absolutely crazy!
Just hearing the skill effects had already shocked me, but seeing the full description and details? It blew my mind even more. And what the hell was that "Cursed Omen"? Insane… even though this skill severely cursed its owner, it was also extremely protective of her. And the effects didn't apply to someone she loved? I couldn't wrap my head around it. Was this skill a blessing or a curse? If I had to comment… it felt like this cursed omen was like an overprotective father hovering over her.
I then checked Keira's skill description window and noticed a section that was blurred out with a mosaic filter.
"What's this mosaic?" I muttered.
I tried pressing on the blurred section and a message appeared.
[|??This effect lasts until level 10??|]
Lasts until level 10? What was that supposed to mean? My curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on it again, revealing a hidden skill description.
________________________________________
||Reversal Effect||
Upon reaching level 10, the Reversal Effect will activate, transforming the skill into something entirely different.
Skill: Requiem Ascend (lv 1)
"From the despair and suffering that nearly destroyed everything, rises a soul forged by the curse. No longer bound by misery, a grand destiny awaits atop the peak of power."
Description: Requiem Ascend is a blessing born from the calamity that has been conquered . This skill activates once the user survives the Genesis of Calamity.
Effects:
• +10% to all stats
• 40% chance to receive x2 EXP when defeating enemies
• 20% chance to receive x4 EXP
• 5% chance to receive x8 EXP
Echo of Rebirth:
-All enemies within the radius will suffer a 10% debuff.
-Party members within a 20-meter radius also gain EXP multiplier chances, but with halved rates:
• 20% chance x2 • 10% chance x4 • 2.5% chance x8
[Cursed Omen will remain, protecting its owner]
[System Note: Once this skill activates, when the player reaches level 20, "Genesis of Calamity" will reactivate and "Requiem Ascend" will be temporarily disabled. When the switch occurs, all cursed effects except "Cursed Omen" will weaken, while the Reversal Effect will grow stronger.
Upon reaching certain set levels, the player will have two options—every 5 or 10 levels—to choose between activating the curse or the reversal. This decision will be made by the system through a coin toss mechanism.]
________________________________________
I was speechless… again. How many times had I said this today? This was completely insane! So this was why the calamity still had a hidden blessing. Maybe I should tell Keira about this… but how? Should I reveal that I could see other people's status windows?
…
…
…
Whatever… I guess Keira could be trusted.
But… what about the negative effects?
[|DING|]
[The System has detected the player's concern after viewing the negative effects of another's skill. As a bonus, we will answer the deepest worry in your heart regarding the cursed player.]
Concern… yeah, my biggest worry was the debuffs. I wanted to help her, but I also had to be rational. If these penalties affected me, it could be dangerous.
[The System answers: The player Lathan Louvain's system will not be affected by negative effects from the outside world. The skill Over Limit will also prevent any negative status effects from harming the player.]
[We hope this clears your worries. May fortune always favor you!]
Oh! Thank you! Just as I hoped—Keira's debuffs wouldn't affect me. Now I could party up with her without a problem!
Wait… how long had I been lost in thought? Five minutes? Ten? Whatever, I should tell Keira now.
"Hey…" I called out.
Keira turned toward me, her sad eyes clearly expecting me to refuse.
"Yeah… so… what's your decision?" Keira asked.
"I… I think I'll party up with you. Don't worry about your condition. I don't mind," I replied.
Damn, I still wasn't sure if I could fully trust her… but I wanted to help her.
Keira's gloomy expression instantly lit up, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at me.
"Really?! You'll party with me?!" Keira asked, her smile warm and genuine.
"Yeah, I'm serious," I replied.
"Finally… finally… finallyyyyy!" she shouted, jumping up and down like a child who just got a long-awaited gift.
"Finally! Thank you so much, Lathan!" Keira cried out joyfully, running toward me and pulling me into a hug.
Keira hugged me with so much happiness… even though we'd just met today. How much suffering had she endured all this time? Enough to make her react like this? Either way… I wanted to help her.
"Umm, Keira? Could you let go of me? I think you might feel uncomfortable hugging someone you just met today," I said, gently patting Keira's shoulder.
Hearing my words, Keira quickly pulled away from me, her face immediately turning red.
"S-sorry, I got too excited and didn't realize what I was doing," Keira replied, flustered.
"Besides… it's not like I'm uncomfortable hugging you… you're really kind to a stranger like me, even after hearing about my condition," Keira mumbled.
"Huh? What was that, Keira? I didn't hear you," I asked.
"It's nothing! Let's form a party now, okay? Accept my party invite. Have you ever formed a party before?" Keira asked, still blushing a little.
"Oh, not yet. How do I do it?" I asked.
"Alright, I'll teach you. It's really easy. Just imagine the person's face and name, or even just their nickname, and if they're within a 10-meter radius, the system will automatically send a party invite," she explained.
"So it's not like those RPG games where you have to invite people manually? That's pretty convenient," I replied.
"RPG? What's that?" Keira asked.
"It's… like role-playing games, games similar to the system we have now."
"Ohhh, games… sorry, I don't really know much about games. I hardly played them," Keira admitted.
"It's okay, not everyone's into games," I replied casually.
"By the way, what level are you, Keira?" I asked, even though I already knew. It felt more natural to ask out loud… plus, I wanted to see if she would be honest.
"My level? I'm level 9… even though I've been leveling quite a bit, my level's still low," Keira answered.
"That's fine, Kei. With your condition, everyone would totally understand," I replied.
"Ehh, don't call me 'Keira' like that. It feels a bit stiff. When we're chatting like this, just call me 'Kei,' okay?" Keira said, pouting slightly. Even when she pouted like that, I couldn't help but think she looked cute… and beautiful.
"Y-you sure? We just met, you know," I stammered, cursing my lack of experience dealing with girls.
"It's fineeee! Besides, we're going to be friends from now on, right?" Keira replied cheerfully.
Honestly, my first impression of her was that she was cold and indifferent… but after learning about her situation and offering my help, she completely changed. I was genuinely happy to see her smile like this.
"F-friends? Me?" I asked, a little dazed.
"Yeah! We're friends now!"
"You… don't mind being friends with me?" I asked awkwardly.
"It's not like I don't want to… I'm just surprised… a pretty and cute girl like you wants to be friends with someone like me," I replied honestly.
Keira turned away shyly, her voice a bit quieter.
"Pretty? Cute? Me? Am I really that pretty and cute?" Keira mumbled to herself, clearly flustered.
"Haha, alright, let's go leveling," I said, deciding to break the tension.
"Oh, by the way, Kei, I forgot to mention something."
Maybe I should tell her… just a little bit.
"You won't be suffering much longer… once you hit level 10, everything will change for you. I promise," I said.
"What do you mean by that, Than?" Keira asked, her voice back to normal.
"It's nothing… just a gut feeling," I replied with a grin.
"Hmmmm," Keira pouted.
[|DING|]
[Congratulations, player! You have accumulated 'Nature Shelter' stacks by performing an act of kindness. Current stacks gained: 20.]
Ohh, so this is how I get stacks for the passive skill Vow of Yggdrasil? Not bad… not bad at all.