I walked out of my room after an arduous struggle.
Instantly, a new world opened itself up before me.
Marble linings and golden engravings stretched along the entire passage.
I gasped softly at the sight, my eyes sweeping across everything with an incredulous expression.
Although I had already seen all of this in my mind, witnessing it with my own eyes stirred an entirely different thrill within me.
My gaze drifted toward the walls, where large paintings had been etched into the stone.
If my guess wasn't wrong, these paintings were meant to honor the geniuses the family had produced over the years.
In one of them stood a youth who looked no older than eighteen, a massive broadsword resting across his shoulder.
Before him loomed a monstrous creature that spanned tens of meters.
It had countless writhing tails, while dark green liquid poured endlessly from the many holes scattered across its grotesque body.
Yet in the face of such a terrifying beast, the youth showed no fear.
Only a chilling ruthlessness and a killing intent sharp enough to cut through the air.
In another painting, a young lady stood calmly with a drawn bow.
Before her stretched a sea of skeletal creatures numbering in the tens of thousands.
Just like the previous figure, her eyes were steady and confident, and a heroic aura seemed to radiate from her very presence.
'My elders and ancestors…' I muttered quietly, feeling a strange reverence stir within my chest.
The emotion clearly came from the lingering memories of my predecessor.
Shaking my head slightly, I ignored the remaining paintings and continued toward the training ground.
A few steps later, I encountered the first set of guards.
Two middle-aged men clad in bronze armor stood at attention, faint killing intent leaking from their bodies.
Bang!
The moment they noticed me, they struck their fists against their chests and bowed respectfully.
"We greet the young master!"
There wasn't even a trace of arrogance or disdain in their voices.
I gave them a small nod and continued on my way.
Only after I had left did they finally dare to speak.
"That… is that really young master? How did he change so much in a matter of hours? Just yesterday he didn't look like this!" the first guard exclaimed in shock.
The second guard remained silent, but his eyes flickered strangely as he murmured under his breath.
"Perhaps he's become a cursed warrior…"
…
I didn't hear the discussion behind me, but remembering their dumbfounded expressions made me chuckle faintly.
Along the way, I encountered a few more guards, and all of them showed the same level of respect.
Thirty minutes later, loud shouts and something resembling war cries began echoing through the air.
I quickened my pace and soon passed through a massive doorway.
Immediately, a vast grassland stretching for over a kilometer spread out before my eyes.
Roarrrrr
Hisssss
My breath caught in my throat as towering behemoths clashed violently with humans clad in battle armor.
My mouth opened slightly in shock at the sight.
One of the beasts resembled a massive bull, yet its strength was no greater than the warrior battling it head-on.
Elsewhere, soldiers fought amongst themselves.
They moved with practiced grace, wielding all kinds of weapons, spears, swords, staffs, long blades, and bows.
Some fighters even coated their fists in a radiant blue energy as they exchanged brutal blows.
At a glance, I could already tell what that energy was.
Cursed energy.
I stood rooted to the spot, absorbing the spectacle, when suddenly a voice sliced through my thoughts like a blade.
"What the fuck are you doing standing around for?"
Hearing the female voice, my head snapped toward the source.
A gallant woman carrying a long spear was striding directly toward me.
'This woman… Rosaline.'
From my memories, I had seen her alongside my sister several times.
If I wasn't mistaken, she was the one in charge of the training ground.
One of the commanders of the Targaryan Legion.
She wore a tight pitch-black suit of armor that hugged her figure closely, accentuating the firmness of her chest and the sharp lines of her waist.
Anyone could tell she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
If not for the eye patch covering her right eye.
Around the edges of the patch, faint arcs resembling black lightning flickered across her skin.
It was said that while fighting several cursed monsters, her brain had been pierced by lightning.
The fact that she survived was nothing short of miraculous.
'Even with the eye patch, it barely hides her beauty,' I thought, briefly admiring her.
"I asked you a question." Rosaline stopped in front of me and spoke sternly, her gaze scrutinizing me from head to toe.
"I came to train," I replied respectfully.
"Have you learned how to absorb cursed energy?"
"No."
"Come with me."
Rosaline turned immediately and began walking.
I followed behind her, noticing the curious gazes that fell on the two of us.
"The fuck are you looking at?" Rosaline spat toward them.
Instantly everyone turned away and resumed their training as if nothing had happened.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"Hmph!" Rosaline snorted before quickening her pace.
Surprisingly, I was able to keep up with her without losing my breath.
Most likely thanks to my cursed nebula physique.
I caught the brief flash of surprise in her eye before she quickly hid it.
Still, it made me smile inwardly.
Soon we arrived before a small fortress-like building roughly ten meters wide and about twelve meters long.
"Follow me," Rosaline said as she led me inside.
Once inside, she walked toward a wooden table and handed me a scroll.
"Here. Try cultivating this. It's the basic curse absorption technique everyone starts with. After becoming a curse user, you can diversify."
I accepted the scroll and opened it carefully.
Inside were detailed diagrams showing how cursed energy could be drawn into the body and how one's genes could be awakened and altered to absorb it.
These genes were both real and intangible at the same time.
When activated, they would transform the heart into a vessel capable of storing cursed energy.
The author also left a clear warning.
'It is akin to a curse. Absorb too much cursed energy too quickly, and your heart will explode, bringing an untimely death.'
To become a cursed fighter, one first had to condense a single star within the heart.
That star would drastically increase the amount of cursed energy one could store.
Only by forming more stars and continuously evolving one's genes could a person ascend to higher stages.
After finishing the scroll, I slowly exhaled.
I didn't know if I was truly ready to walk this path.
Once I started, there would be no turning back.
But if I refused… if I ran from this step…
Then I would remain a coward forever.
Taking a steady breath, I followed the instructions I had just read.
According to the scroll, cursed energy was invisible.
At the beginning, one could only sense faint wisps of it.
Only through constant exposure would one's senses gradually sharpen.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Those born with powerful bloodlines, like the Targaryans, started far ahead of others.
The moment I closed my eyes, I reached out with my senses, trying to grasp even the smallest trace of energy around me.
I inhaled slowly.
Suddenly, waves of icy force crashed violently into my body, sending a biting chill through my veins.
"You… what?" Rosaline suddenly cried out in shock.
The cursed energy in the entire room had vanished in an instant.
"Fuck!" she cursed loudly as she saw me spit out a mouthful of blood.