CHAPTER 132: THE CURSE CORE

[POV: KiRA.]

I want you to imagine a fox-like creature that seems to be a mix of a fox and a cat, with the cutest combination of both creatures.

Imagine a young child and not an adult creature, though.

Now imagine the same, cute, pretty, soft, furry creature to have an adorable voice and even more adorable personality.

Imagine that as soon as you try to go near it, it comes to you and immediately trusts you and becomes friendly with you.

It comes to you and plays with you, licks your hand with its soft tongue, and you just hold the fluffy, warm creature in your hands, seeing the happiness on its face as if you’re the brightest light in its eyes, that you’re the heaven-sent savior that the creature had always been waiting for.

The adorable creature, the more adorable voice, the way it curls its body around you and becomes something like a muffler, and then shares its innate energy with you so that you get warmer, that you recover your wounds if you had any... all this happens, and you know that this small one will have to die, what would your inner thought process be?

’Personally, the first time I discovered this little one, I did not know how the hell it even got here.’

Being from a long lost lineage of the [Spirit Foxes], a creature that is half physical and half spiritual, these creatures are only found in a few places.

If you think about it from the perspective of the higher floor residents, these creatures are some of the most unique beings that have a natural disposition for any kind of energy... the Magic tower mages have given them the unique Title of [Universal Conductors].

They are precious and protected throughout the tower, but thanks to the various uses they have, there are also people and organisations that always hunt them, chase after them throughout the floors they are found in.

’I do not know how this one got here. I do not know whether it was the witch who put the curse or something that came after her who brought it here. I do not know who made this little guy the core of the whole curse, but... It’s the reason this curse is able to manifest on the floor.’

And as worrisome as it may be, the fact that the creature is a precious entity still stands above its fate...

The Curse Core.

It’s not common for the core of the curse to be a creature. A curse, in its natural form, is a kind of spell that is made with a spiritual medium and is powered by a certain kind of emotion.

Unlike how we usually may understand the curses, the curses that are cast by those proficient in witchcraft, wizardry, or other mystical Job Classes are unlike any of the ’blessing’ curses that are given by the higher beings.

The spell is a complex negative formula made with the help of many materials, perhaps sacrifices, mediums, and above all, the spell has a core that acts as a center that knowingly or unknowingly regulates the spell.

’The curse core, whether alive or unalive, is an object.’

Even if we kill the fox, there would be no end to the curse itself, so the reason I brought it with me was actually to save it from the monsters, to not let it die from the monsters that were running rampant around the forest.

’The fox is not affected by the rain thanks to its spiritual side, and it is not affected by the Red moon thanks to being the core itself.’

The little guy is adorable. I know it’s not something that should die at this point, so I’m going to do just that– save the little one and end the curse on the floor by taking away the position of the core of the curse from it.

’Though it’s not going to be completely possible to eliminate the curse through the process itself.’

The curse itself is not something that could ever be removed with the kind of forces that we have right now.

To end the curse, we would have to uninstall the entire curse spell that is cast on the floor, and for that, we would need someone who is at least at the level of a high-mage of the magic tower, a being that was easily (100+ Levels) in strength.

Still, they are not simple people, and it’s not easy for them to come down to the lower floors, so we won’t be wiping the curse anytime soon.

Though, as far as the end of the red night and the entire event goes, we should be able to take care of it with some proper work this time.

’Now that the curse core is secured, all that’s left would be to deal with the upcoming waves.’

Bringing the creature back with me, I was now looking after the rest of the cities from the control room, checking the happenings around the floor, and reading the reports from the various factions that ’our’ spies were sending us.

’The skill really is too flashy.’

I watched the reaction of the other people on the forums who saw me using the skill to take down the black slime with an embarrassed look. The way they were praising me, especially the natives’ reactions, was all pretty exaggerated.

If we think about it, the skill wasn’t really all that flashy on its own. The Red moonlight and the lightning from the red rain were what made all the difference... but then again, what can I do about it anyway?

’It doesn’t seem like they will know who it was with the angels being fixed and all the light, so it’s at least for the better.’

But then again, I don’t like it. The attention I’m getting will only get in my way, so I’d better make use of all the fuss while it lasts and make as much from it as I can.

’It’s pretty easy to use all this attention in my favor anyway.’

Since no one knew who it was, no one person could come forward and say that it was them without any way to prove themselves.

In an era like this, where skills and items were what people believed in more than words or proof, the masses would only settle down after seeing the results.

’There are only a few skills that could even replicate what I did, much less recreate it.’

It took almost all the Holy Power I had just to keep the skill active. We aren’t even talking about how the skill was used at the expense of doing something for the system in the future.

The price was not small in any manner, but what can we do about it anyway? It’s all done now.

"Now that we are almost reaching the end of the waves, I think we have to start preparing for the boom." Finishing my monitoring and recovering some of my energy, I moved to a different location, this time outside in the city area.

The scarf around my neck attracted attention from the natives, who knew me as one of the people that the captain and the commanding captain, Izzy, trusted the most.

They knew I had done a lot in the battles until now, but since we had a window of break after the last wave, they did not mind me and continued on with their work.

They did not know I was the one who took down the black slime, and that was a good thing— I could already see what kind of reaction we would have around us had the natives known about it.

’As for this scarf around me...’

It was cold for sure with the rain continuously pouring in since earlier, but you wouldn’t see someone wearing a furry scarf like this one in the rain.

Many of them thought it was some kind of unique item and overlooked it, but some who were perceptive enough noticed the cute face of the creature and were stopped in their places, even wanting to come up to me to ask me about the being.

For now, however, they controlled themselves.

"Kai, you’re here." I was back on the battlefield in no time, though this time, we were all above the walls.

Eight waves had passed already, and the final wave, perhaps an empty one most likely, was about to arrive next.

Once the final wave finishes, the primary goal that all the players had on this battlefield, on this floor, would close. After that... we will be fighting a different war altogether.

"How’s your health now? Just stay here if you’re still feeling any-."

"I’m fine, Izzy."

I had to reassure her with not just my words but also a little kiss, one that also shut her up immediately.

"It’s almost time now, so how about we finish this up and then think about the other things?" Guiding her attention towards the forest that seemed to show signs of life, we finished the talk about my health.

"How’s she doing?" But Izzy still asked one final question out of concern.

"Good, for now. She will have to suffer a little after this, though..." The process of saving the creature was not going to be easy.

But the process of saving this floor, as well as everything within it, including Captain Rose, would be what poses the most threat to any of us.

’It has always been a challenge in that tower.’

Now, I was quite excited to see how this nightmarish version of the dreadful tower presents the final phase of the 3rd floor’s war...