The Cursed Knight class details captivated Adam, compelling him to read them multiple times.
Powerful!
Just from the description, Adam could sense the class's overwhelming strength.
He knew that even among same-tier classes, there were disparities in power, but the gap here was staggering. He'd always thought the passive effects of Magic Swordsman were decent.
Especially Magic Infusion, which aided in alchemy and scroll crafting.
But compared to Cursed Immunity and Dark Resistance I…
These were true passives!
Not to mention the negative status effects automatically applied by the class skill.
The only drawback, Unresting, seemed negligible to Adam. He didn't even own decent equipment to worry about.
On the soft bed, Adam sat cross-legged. With a thought, a dark, misty curse energy materialized in his palm.
"This is the power of curses?" Adam murmured, comparing the palpitating energy in his hand to what Leinas had unleashed.
The energies were identical, though his seemed deeper, more profound.
There was no difficulty in controlling it.
Adam felt the energy move as naturally as an extension of himself.
With another thought, the black mist dissipated, as if it had never been.
"Complete control, easy to summon and retract." Adam mused, instinctively touching his cheek. "No rot like Leinas's, either."
"So, Leinas's half-rotted face isn't solely due to the Cursed Knight class."
Recalling Leinas's background, Adam noted she'd gained the high-tier Cursed Knight class after being cursed by a unique monster during a sweep of her family's territory.
The curse disfigured her and indirectly granted the class.
A unique monster?
Adam's curiosity piqued. Could a high-tier class really be acquired just from a monster's curse?
The creature, weak enough for Leinas to slay back then, couldn't have been strong. Even now, Leinas's strength was at best Orichalcum-rank among adventurers.
There had to be some unknown factor at play.
Adam took a deep breath, resolving to investigate. This could lead to a significant discovery.
"Now I can finally deal with this magical item." Adam said, his eyes glinting as he chanted softly, "Undying Spirit!"
A flash of mana enveloped him, bolstering his mental resistance.
Adam reached into the void, summoning the Orb of Death into his palm.
Instantly...
"Human, what have you done?"
"Where is the great will of death?"
"This isn't a graveyard! Where is this place?"
"Death is eternal! Only the dead are life's final destination!"
"Embrace death!"
"…"
"Want power? Crave strength?"
A cacophony of voices erupted in Adam's mind, like a swarm of buzzing bees.
Adam's face remained impassive, coldly staring at the Orb of Death. After a moment, realizing the orb's clamor showed no sign of stopping, and was growing louder, he frowned deeper.
No effect?
According to Cursed Knight's passives, it should influence the orb. Yet nothing had changed.
Unless..
Adam re-examined the Unresting passive, his eyes lighting up.
Swish!
Dark curse energy surged from Adam's body. The moment it touched the Orb of Death, the orb's surface flared with black-iron light.
"Ah, what is this?!" The orb's consciousness shrieked.
Despite the orb's desperate bursts of mana to resist, the curse energy melted its light like snow in summer.
Adam's heart stirred. He halted the curse energy, stopping the erosion.
"Like Magic Swordsman, the class's passive traits have indeed changed." Adam said, ignoring the orb's piercing wails, his spirit invigorated.
He'd closely studied Unresting's description, noting the phrase "when using curse abilities."
After the brief experiment, Adam confirmed the passive's negative effect only triggered when curse abilities were active.
Without using curse energy, the drawback remained dormant.
This wasn't how it worked in the game!
Adam recalled Ulbert, one of Nazarick's 41 Supreme Beings, who held the World Disaster class, a devastating magic-focused profession.
It had a passive drawback that doubled mana costs, unchangeable in-game.
But Ainz, after arriving in this world, had noted that if Ulbert were here, he could toggle such negative traits off.
"Magic Infusion: Curse!"
Using Magic Swordsman's passive, Adam channeled curse energy directly into the Orb of Death.
"Human!!!"
"Who are you…?"
"How can this world hold… power greater than death?!"
The orb wailed shrilly.
The next morning, Adam carefully withdrew the curse energy, eyeing the now-dull black stone in his hand. He exhaled softly. "Success."
…
[Item: Magical Item · Special Craft · Orb of Death]
[Rank: Superior (Level 30–40)]
[Effects: Energy Gauge (0/280)]
[Passive:
[Negative Energy Absorption: Absorbs negative energy to restore the energy gauge.]
[Active:
[Bone Dragon Summon: Consumes 100 energy.]
…
Reappraising the Orb of Death, Adam noted its drastically altered stats.
The energy gauge had dropped from 300 to 280.
The biggest change was the loss of three passive traits and three active magic skills, leaving just one of each.
Still rated "Superior." its effective rank had plummeted by at least two tiers.
"This item, tailored for necromantic casters, is now near worthless." Adam mused. "But for me, it's perfect."
Despite not sleeping, Adam's spirit was electrified.
"Dawn already?" Adam glanced out the window, stowed the orb, and headed downstairs.
Someone was likely more anxious than he was.
In the first-floor living room, Leinas and Imina waited.
They sat on opposite sides of the sofa.
Leinas wore a kind smile but seemed distracted.
Imina, arms crossed and leaning back, occasionally glanced at Leinas, her amber eyes wary.
As Adam descended the stairs, both women's gazes snapped to him.
Leinas rose immediately, her eyes a mix of hope and fear of disappointment.
Before she could speak, Adam, still descending, cut in bluntly, "Two methods."
***
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