DIE

A rush of warmth coursed through Naisha's body as her status stabilized.

"What is this feeling?"

Naisha felt an invisible weight lift from her body.

It was like chains she hadn't even known were there, breaking apart. 

For the first time in a long while, she felt that she could move freely.

Something deep inside her stirred, like a part of herself waking up after being locked away. 

She was still the same. But the seal that had bound her was finally gone.

"Open your Status, babe," Draven said.

"Stat—"

But before Naisha could say her status, Draven suddenly coughed up blood.

"Draven!" 

But Draven's body had already collapsed.

He was on all fours, and he kept vomiting blood, his breath ragged and uneven.

'What the heck is happening?' Draven thought.

Then, a memory resurfaced. Mr. Goodness' warning echoed in his mind.

"Your body must be in proper condition before you use it. And make sure you're still alive in a minute."

Draven remembered his skill.

Skill: Veilbreaker S+ – Destroys any curse, barrier, debuff, and magical restriction regardless of strength. However, using this inflicts pain upon the user, depending on the curse.

'I thought it was just minor body pains. It did not say I would bleed like this!' 

Draven ignored this information before because he thought he could endure it.

"Draven, what is wrong?" Naisha asked as she held to Draven's back, worry evident in her voice.

"It's because of my skill… I lifted a Verdant's curse."

Everything suddenly made sense to Draven.

The Verdant were cursed by an unknown force. 

They weren't simply born without abilities or enhancements.

They weren't "unfavored" by nature.

Draven pieced everything together.

The system had detected the removal of magical restrictions, debuffs, curses, and barriers.

Someone or something has sealed the Verdant's abilities for over a thousand years.

A magical restriction preventing them from using their natural skills.

A debuff suppressing their enhanced physical capabilities (though their true potential remained unknown).

And a curse that carried through their bloodline, ensuring that even newborns inherited this suppression.

When Naisha heard about his skill, she suddenly remembered something.

Draven had shown her proof of this before. But amidst the chaos with the Bugbear, she had completely forgotten to mention it to Mother Venice.

Naisha shares how her body feels at that moment.

"You're right. I feel so much lighter, and even my wounds don't hurt as much anymore that I can move fast."

However, she quickly pushed aside her curiosity. 

Checking her status could wait.

Draven's condition was the priority.

"Tell me, what should we do to stop the bleeding?" she asked urgently.

Draven trembled.

There was nothing they could do.

It was simply the effect of his ability.

From a distance, the villagers saw what happened and immediately rushed toward Draven, concern evident on their faces.

"What's happening to Draven?" Felix and the others asked anxiously.

Mother Venice immediately ordered for bandages and healing herbs to be brought to her so she could tend to Draven's wounds.

Then, shifting her gaze to Naisha, she asked. 

"Are you okay, Naisha?"

"Yes. Take care of Draven first," Naisha replied without hesitation.

Without wasting any time, they carefully wrapped Draven's entire body with bandages due to the sheer number of injuries he had sustained.

Felix, still concerned, spoke up again.

"Why did Draven start bleeding earlier?"

Naisha subtly shook her head at Gil.

It was a silent signal not to reveal what Draven had just told them about his skill.

She understood that if the Verdants found out, Draven could remove their curse, but at the cost of his own health, it would only put more pressure on him.

"We don't know," she answered instead. "He suddenly started vomiting blood."

By now, Draven's bleeding had stopped, but his body was noticeably pale and weak.

"We should leave now," Naisha commanded. "Put Draven on a horse."

"What about him?" Gil asked, pointing at Second.

Before anyone could respond, Draven spoke up, his voice weak but determined.

"Deka, how far can you maintain your barrier?"

"I can leave it active at any distance as long as my endurance holds out," Deka replied. "I've rested a bit, thanks to the villagers."

"Good," Draven nodded slightly. "Toby, tie him up. Make sure he can't get back up."

While Gil kept his arrow aimed at Second, Toby tied him up.

His hands were bound behind his back, his feet restrained, and the ropes connecting his wrists and ankles pulled them together behind him.

Second didn't resist. 

He simply stared at Draven, his expression unreadable.

"You think you'll be accepted just because you defeated the whole Mad Clan?" Second sneered. "There are a lot more out there, waiting to swallow you whole."

Draven's lips curled into a twisted grin.

"Thanks for making this world exciting for me."

"Hihihihi..." Second let out a low, eerie laugh.

"A slave will always be a slave. And trash will remain trash. That has been our reality for thousands of years, and nothing will ever change it."

Naisha suddenly stepped forward, walking straight toward Second.

Second lay on his side, watching her approach.

Then…

"BOOM!" "CRACK!"

Naisha's fist slammed into his face, smashing his head into the dirt.

"You're really cool, babe," Draven grinned. 

But Naisha's attack wasn't just for show.

She wants to test something.

A surge of power was coursing through her body.

To test it, she struck Second without hesitation. And she confirmed it.

She really had gotten stronger.

"I think we don't need to put a barrier on him anymore," Draven said, glancing at Second, who was already knocked out.

The villagers wasted no time.

They quickly gathered their belongings, taking everything they could carry.

Draven was carefully placed on a horse, with Naisha riding alongside him to keep him steady.

"Wow, I feel like I'm just dreaming, being next to you."

"Shut up, I might just throw you off your spot."

But just as they began walking away, a beam from the sky shot down and struck Second.

The entire ground suddenly trembled.

Draven felt a sudden pressure fill the air.

It was heavy and undeniable.

"This is the same presence as the old man."

"No! This is much stronger!"

Even though he is not close to it, he still feels the tremendous power.

Without warning, Second was lifted into the air. 

The ropes binding him were now gone. 

His body was glowing with an overwhelming radiance. 

His eyes burned with an eerie blue light.

And his clothes transformed into a divine, celestial outfit.

His mere presence sent shivers through the surroundings.

It was a force beyond comprehension. 

The air crackled, shimmering with unseen energy. And for a brief moment, everything stood still.

Draven, a man who takes pleasure in strong opponents, who never backed down from a fight and welcomed every challenge, spoke only two words.

"EVERYONE, RUN!!!"

Second, or whoever he had become, raised his palm with his three fingers upwards.

"VERDANT, DIE."