Bronze room, upon the throne.
The monster destroyed by Ian was just like this.
Exactly the same.
Even in the dried-up ravine and height and form, there was no difference!
"Ah? Was… was this what you killed before? I didn't dare look closely at the time." Cassandra was covering her eyes with Priest Laine's hands, and upon hearing Ian's words, she exclaimed loudly.
"Have you already encountered such a thing?"
Priest Laine's expression was very panicked, he hurriedly checked Cassandra's eyes, and after a close inspection, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness."
Priest Laine's relieved tone made Ian puzzled.
"Can someone explain what's going on here?"
Ian looked around at those priests, who had already gathered to inspect his eyes, as if confirming Ian hadn't been "infected" before they dispersed.
"This is a curse transmission pattern we've discerned at the cost of losing several comrades, along with many residents," Priest Laine explained gravely.
"The patients' eyes contain a special image, and anyone who sees that image will be cursed and infected, even us priests blessed with divine grace are not spared."
Priest Laine's words carried sorrow, other priests also showed sadness, with the Priestess even sobbing. Feeling the emotion, Ian knew that the Priestess had lost a loved one.
"How could there be such a curse!" Ian was greatly surprised, understanding dark power, yet having never heard of such a tyrannical and unreasonable curse.
A curse that even divine grace couldn't dispel?
With this might.
The three Unforgivable Curses could only be considered the weakest among the weak.
"It has appeared."
Priest Laine bitterly tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Those of our comrades and partners who fell victim to it, they only left their judgments before dying, several priests gave hints just before turning into monsters."
At this point, Priest Laine paused hesitantly, seemingly unsure whether to reveal the life-exchanged information to the unfamiliar outsider Ian.
"Can we trust you?"
Priest Laine gazed at Ian with some uncertainty.
"Can you still trust anyone else?"
Ian peacefully met Priest Laine's gaze.
He posed a counter-question.
"..."
Feeling that Ian made sense, after organizing his thoughts, Priest Laine slowly began to speak, his voice hoarse and heavy.
"Ordinary curses, of course, couldn't wield such power; it's a level unreachable by mortal men, a strength we're wizards probably unable to comprehend."
Priest Laine spoke vaguely.
"What do you mean?"
The Little Wizard asked, frowning.
"It relates to the image in these patients' eyes, which shouldn't appear in the mortal world, our priests cried out to us before dying…"
Priest Laine looked at other priests.
Paused for a moment.
"Whatever bears the symbols of angels, shall eventually become an angel… this is the source of the curse, someone saw what shouldn't be seen, then was assimilated by the thing not belonging to the earthly realm."
"This assimilation affects everyone, everyone who saw that glimpse through the eyes of the initial viewer, this is why I didn't let you look into their eyes."
"If you stare at them, your eyes will also bear what you cannot bear… the angel." Priest Laine's voice was compassionate, with a subtle despair hard to detect.
The dungeon atmosphere was somewhat silent.
"This…"
Ian felt his head itching.
Not that his brain was growing.
Just a simple head, as goosebumps rose on his skin. Honestly, Priest Laine's words did indeed sound very frightening and terrifying.
However.
If viewed through the eyes of alchemy surpassing this era, similar biological alchemy methods aren't impossible to achieve, a thousand years later, Slytherin's notes will mention similar methods. A curse [meme], rooted in alchemy creation, spread through this approach.
Its creator was not mentioned by Slytherin.
However.
Slytherin clearly stated the usage threshold—at least one must be a legend.