Chapter 003: Life of a Curse Bearer

A small cloaked figure made her way through the crooked streets that were made up of crooked lines of rickety wooden buildings that didn't even use metal nails.

"Metal is too precious to waste like that…"

She wasn't the only one, though.

"Look there, it's a kid, she should sell pretty good!"

"What's the point when we barely made it out of the city with our life?"

"We still have our connections; plus we barely managed to grab any of our savings before those bastard guards caught up so we need to earn some cash."

"... Right, well, let's just do it the safe way." 

Two others (a man & woman) obviously noticed the little figure so looked between each other with hauntingly fowl smiles. That woman ran ahead to fall into the street to distract her. Following that was the man who attempted to sneak up behind the girl only for that girl to step on top of the woman.

Not even slowing down as that woman cried out in pain - her spine crunching under the power hidden in that little body - with the man freezing up in surprise. Ignoring his sputtering partner who screamed in pain as the cloaked figure just walked away. Paying no attention to either of them.

Tired green eyes, thick with bags, peered out from her hood to take in the sight around her. Her voice raspy and muffled on account of the rugged scarf thrown around her mouth. That figure moving her dainty yet clearly scarred hands to her scarf to ensure it covered her mouth then moving to her hood.

Making sure that nobody could make out any identifying features even if a single investigation-type skill of tier 3 or up could easily break through her disguise. Depending on effects maybe an even lower tier skill could discover her identity. It wasn't her identity but physical features that she wanted to hide, however.

Fortunately such a choice in outfit was not usual as anyone who could afford it covered themselves from head to toe. Everyone here lived without an identity or nationality. Those thrown away with nothing from their old lives with them.

Everywhere one looked there were signs of crime; some nestled bloody wounds while others sorted through stolen items that they were looking to pawn off.

There were also many crimes in progress.

That figure spying a man who was being held at knife point for the chance to earn a few coins. A scene that no one paid any attention to - not even the girl did as she carried herself with the same experience as everyone else. If you want to live long, you don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.

Though only a few made it past 40 in the wretched conditions of the makeshift city; at least those who were stuck there. Along with crime there were countless scenes that would make a doctor shudder. With no governance there was no one to perform any kind of public service.

If someone died in the middle of the street their body wouldn't be moved unless it got in the way or it had some use to someone else.

This meant that disease ridden rodents & plagues were rampant among those who didn't have the constitution to resist. Although illness was rare to those with higher tier gifts. Then there were those who were unwelcome even in a city of crime.

"DEATH STAR!"

That scream caused the cloaked figure to pause just like everyone else - looking just to see who that person was screaming at. Witnessing as a muscular man covered in scars dragged a woman by her hair out of one of the randomly placed houses. Both of them in various levels of undress.

It was quite clear what was happening since there were still some "strands" connecting them. That didn't stop him from chucking her onto the floor with a mixture of disgust & fear on his face. Despite his superior physique he still looked on with caution even with the obvious desire to crush her head.

The organs inside being more useful than the girl herself - though there was no telling what her curse could do to him if he attacked her.

"I'd kill you if I didn't know that you cursed bastards sometimes take your killer with you!"

"Y-you're wrong, I'm not cursed, you are the one whose cursed you bastard!"

Such a gift was impossible to have, one that requires you to die, however the same couldn't be said for those who bear the cursed four point star.

Their existence is marred by the cost that they take. Most gifts (if they require something to empower them) often require a simple decrease in mana that will recharge after a bit. A few rare ones require different forms of energy that require training yet even then it is something that'll regenerate with time.

Those with the black death star, however, will need to sacrifice in order to activate their ability. Often the effect won't be too spectacular yet their effect is at the very least far above what a regular one star is capable of achieving. Yet that is the thing… They only get one star.

Forever making sure they remained as cursed individuals who stood no chance of competing against the gifted nobles who could easily have 5 or more stars. Not that the nobles saw them as a risk. Letting them scurry around in places like this; where the only law that existed was to keep to yourself.

While most looked on at the woman with disgust, the cloaked figure just let out a sigh, turning away to continue on their journey.

Not looking behind as they headed through the alleyways. Though it was difficult to say what counted as an alley and what counted as a street with how the placement constantly shifted. Sometimes being wide enough to fit several carriages and other times so close that only a rat could slip between.

Despite that, the girl had no issues making her way through, easily navigating the winding route with such certainty that anyone following could only rush after her. Eventually she came upon two thick wooden doors that seemed to just sit on the ground. Reaching down she knocked on the door.

It was a strange pattern so it was simple to guess why she did it.

Sure enough - her knocking led to those two doors creaking open - a man on the other side quickly motioned for her to get inside. She didn't refute him as she headed down. The tunnel down into the ground wasn't exactly spectacular by itself but it went quite some distance underground.

There was nothing special about it, just dirt being supported by interlocking wooden beams, but to the people in this city? This alone was enough to show the organisation responsible were powerful even if just in terms of their manpower. They even managed to use metal nails on the support!

A few minutes later she finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Looking around revealed what was pretty much just a large square chamber with the same basic design as the stairs. Just a room made from compacted dirt that was being kept via countless wooden support beams which made it.

Within the room itself were a bunch of fellow cloaked figures while at the centre was a structure actually made from stone.

Another flight of stone steps that led up to a raised stone platform; more members stood atop with paintbrushes in their hands. Carefully they drew intricate patterns with a viscous crimson liquid. The thick scent of iron filled the entire chamber as the girl walked up.

No one stopped her as she pulled down her hood to show silverish-blue hair which was all those people needed to fall onto their knees. Unwilling to even accidentally get in her way. Her green eyes studied those paintings with what could only be thought of as blood.

Trekking up the large stone stairs with her tiny legs yet no one dared approach to help.

Their eyes were shining as they looked upon her.

"She truly does bare the hair of the royal family!"

"Death princess."

"Our only hope..."

"The one that holds potential."

"A blessing of the accursed!"

Countless whispers echoed throughout the chamber but she was already used to such whispers over the last seven years of life. Instead she focused on the future. Specifically she had all her attention on the blood pentagram with several more symbols inside that was painted at the end of the platform.

This symbol was information she had received in her mind shortly after she first gained her ability and connected to a certain entity. After being found by the group they had tried to find what demon or spirit they were trying to summon but never managed. It was a summoning circle that hadn't been seen.

They were probably the organisation most knowledgeable about summoning otherworldly entities by now since a lot of cursed stars involved something similar.

"Soon…"

She quietly mumbled as she looked at the symbol as another woman walked up - a warm smile on her face as she looked down at the symbol as well.

"In a moment we'll finally both make use of our abilities for these people."

"Yes… Susan."

Elizabeth silently turned to the other woman who was likely to die today on her birthday; both using their skills in tandem to summon whatever entity she was contracted to. It was a risky bet but neither of them would be around to worry about that. Since both of them would die.

Susan's curse allows someone to avoid the required sacrifice of a summon by sacrificing herself instead. It was the only way to reasonably summon stronger entities which made her vital. She was therefore hunted down by most organisations in hope to use her to achieve their wishes.

Even the church & royal family desired her for her cursed ability.

In the end… She didn't care.

Soon enough the time arrived as Elizabeth found that her connection to that half-dead entity finally solidified as she looked towards Susan who just gave a bright smile. Once again she found herself wondering what sort of god would do this to them? Her hatred of the divine only grew. 

An old man stepped at the top of the stairs with his arms held out towards the crowd.

"Today we ascend past those merely born lucky!"

She didn't pay much attention since it likely wouldn't matter to her. Placing her hands on the corner of the bloody circle while Susan stood in the centre with an apple held in her hands. A reverse cross had been carved onto one side of the apple.

Pushing her mana into the circle to cause it to glow - her mana inhumanely plentiful which has allowed her to survive for so long. That light soon turned violet as it expanded to consume the entire circle. There was not even a scream as Susan vanished in the light.

Elizabeth, herself, felt a powerful surge of energy through her blood vessels causing them to bulge out as she began to cough out blood. Falling to the floor just as the light scattered. Turning into violet petals that floated throughout the entire room with an invisible pressure falling onto all those still awake.

Where Susan once was was a massive obsidian coffin covered in barbed chains & pierced with weapons of all types.

The sound of stone grating erupted through the silence of the chamber.

That massive stone/glass door opened just a bit.

A piercing violet eye with a crimson slit peeking out from the darkness of its prison.

That old man didn't even need to look behind him to know that they had succeeded - raising his hand to the sky to cheer happily.

"WE WILL-"

Unable to finish, a silver spear suddenly went right through his chest before continuing on, dragging his body, to pierce the eye that peered through the gap.