The more Elina thought about it, the more powerless she felt. She didn't know what to do anymore. She wanted to help me, to give me something soothing, but fear held her back.
What if doing something—anything—only made it worse?
While my sisters were already crying, I could feel the panic and confusion radiating from John and Elina.
Even without seeing their faces clearly, it was obvious—their thoughts were scattered, their bodies frozen by fear.
The only person with any medical knowledge was the midwife granny, but she lived far away. Even if they rushed to her with a mule cart, it would take too long. And even if they somehow made it in time, no one could imagine what state I might be in by then.
That helplessness crushed them.
At that point, all they could do was pray for a miracle.
The more Elina thought about it, the more powerless she felt. She didn't know what to do anymore.
She wanted to help me—wanted to feed me some herbal soup—but fear stopped her.
What if doing something only made things worse?
Meanwhile, I barely knew what was happening around me.
My consciousness felt like it was slowly slipping away. My eyelids grew heavier with every passing second, and my vision began to blur, as if the world itself were fading.
Then—
A sudden flash of light appeared before my eyes.
Strange characters surfaced within my blurred vision.
[Congratulations. You have met the requirements to become a Cursed One! Your fate has been changed!]
[You may choose to decline or accept]
[Will you accept?]
[Yes / No]
I was stunned.
Cursed One?
I thought I was already a cursed one?
What did that even mean? Would becoming a Cursed One help my current condition—or make it worse?
I remember seeing something about half-cursed soul before… Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Is this a trap? Or something intentional? And if so… why me?
Back on Earth, I grew up poor. Everything I had, I fought for. I never turned down anything that could save me a little money or give me an advantage.
But that was Earth.
This world was strange, dangerous, and completely unfamiliar—and now I was being offered something for free.
That alone made it suspicious.
Should I accept it… or decline?
I hesitated.
I was afraid—afraid that accepting might trigger something even worse than what I was already experiencing.
Before I could make up my mind, new words appeared.
[Half cursed soul has ten seconds to Accept or Decline to become a Cursed One]
I swallowed hard.
Was this real? Or was I being played with?
Either way, I could feel it—whatever choice I made now could either change my life… or ruin it completely.
{Ten}
{Nine}
{Eight}
It's already counting down? Fuck!
The white characters on the black screen changed every second, merciless and unyielding.
If things have come to this, I might as well take the risk.
But how can I be sure nothing bad will happen if I accept? A system suddenly offering me something powerful already sounds suspicious.
But if I don't accept it… what then?
I didn't say anything out loud. I only thought it.
And then, the system responded on its own.
[Error in System…]
[System undergoing abnormalities]
[System undergoing metamorphosis]
[System Evolution Loading…]
Before I could even react—
[Congratulations on accepting to become a Cursed One!]
[Cursed One requirements have been fulfilled!]
[Congratulations, Half cursed soul, for becoming a Cursed One]
[Cursed One High-Grade Meditation Technique acquired!]
[Half Cursed Soul will now undergo Transition, Examination, and Evolution]
[Host will now enter Slumber]
Wait—what? Fuck no!
Before I could finish the thought, my body suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
With every second, drowsiness washed over me, dragging my consciousness down. I fought it desperately, afraid of what might happen if I lost awareness now.
I was already in pain. Already terrified. And now the system expected me to sleep through something like this?
What if I never wake up?
The fear clawed at me—but my resistance was useless.
Darkness slowly claimed my mind.
Later, in a dimly lit room, Elina carried me gently to my cradle.
She brushed her fingers softly against my face, letting out a long breath of relief when she saw that I was sleeping peacefully. She wrapped me carefully in a thick blanket, her hands still trembling.
What had happened earlier had terrified the entire family.
But now, watching me sleep, it almost felt like nothing more than a horrible nightmare.
Despite my unwillingness, I had fallen into a deep slumber.
Unbeknownst to anyone, subtle changes were taking place—quiet, gradual, unseen. My body stirred faintly as if responding to something deep within.
Occasionally, I let out a soft sound in my sleep, though no one could tell whether it came from discomfort or dreams.
If I had been awake, I might have witnessed it myself.
[Completion of Cursed One: 25%]