Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Chapter 11: Cursed

Seojun's vision faded, and the last thing he remembered was the sharp, unbearable pain in his stomach. But suddenly, a ding  echoed in the darkness

Ding!
Level Up! You have reached Level 355!
Health Status: Fully Regenerated.

Seojun's eyes snapped open. He was lying on the cold stone floor, but something felt different. The intense pain in his stomach was gone. He lifted his torn, blood-stained shirt and stared in shock. The wound that had pierced through his stomach was completely healed, leaving no trace of the injury. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

'What just happened?' Seojun thought, still in disbelief. He quickly accessed his status window, noticing that his level had jumped to 355. But what really caught his eye was a small icon in the corner of the screen—a message icon with a red number flashing beside it.

'Why do I feel like the system is upgrading?' he wondered, clicking on the message icon. Several notifications popped up in front of him.

The first notification read:

[System Notification]
Congratulations! You have defeated the Skeleton Knight!

Rewards:
- Curse Sword (Cursed Item)

Acquired skills:
Bone Crusher: A skill that deals extra damage to skeletal and undead enemies.
   - Description: Increases damage to undead and skeletal creatures by 50%. Also has a chance to shatter bones, causing additional damage.

Revenge Strike: A counterattack skill that activates when Seojun takes critical damage.
   - Description: After receiving a critical hit, Seojun can perform a powerful counterattack that deals 200% of his normal attack damage.

"That's it? Well, The skills is helpful but!" Seojun exclaimed in shock. "Where are the gold coins?!"

As if in response, another hologram appeared beside him.

[There are no gold rewards. Don't expect much, Host. The true rewards are on the final floor.]

Seojun sighed in frustration, feeling a little cheated and But then he noticed another notification, this one in black. He clicked on it, and his heart sank as he read the details.

[System Notification]
You have been cursed by the Curse Sword.

Curse: Shadow of Despair
- Description: This curse shrouds the Host in a dark aura, causing fear and despair to those around you. However, it also drains your own willpower and mental strength over time, leading to fatigue and possible hallucinations. The curse can only be lifted by defeating the final guardian of the labyrinth or by sacrificing an equivalent life force.

Seojun gulped, feeling a cold sweat form on his forehead. The words on the screen seemed to loom over him, the reality of the curse sinking in. The idea of having his willpower drained and facing hallucinations terrified him. He could already imagine the creeping darkness, the fear slowly consuming his mind.

He gripped the handle of the Curse Sword tightly, his hand trembling. 'This is bad. Really bad'  he thought, his stomach twisting with anxiety. The curse was more dangerous than he had expected, and the thought of it affecting his mind filled him with dread.

he thought, his throat dry. 'I have no choice—I need to keep going.'

Seojun took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He knew the only way to remove the curse was to keep moving forward. The labyrinth was already proving to be more treacherous than he had imagined, and now he had this dark burden to bear. The fear lingered in his mind, but he pushed it aside as best as he could. There was no turning back now.

Seojun slowly stood up, still shaken by the curse's warning. His body felt lighter after regenerating, but his mind was weighed down by the fear of what was coming. Taking a deep breath, he began walking down the dark hallway again, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls.