Dark Past

"There's no issue; it should be an external curse," Jin said after examining Adam for a while, shaking his head. "Don't worry too much. Casting an external curse is extremely complex and requires very specific conditions. Even for a master in this field, it takes a great deal of effort and sacrifice to harm someone with an external curse."

"But it can still be done, right?" Adam asked, opening the book he brought from the Reflection Tower.

Anthony and Alva likely both dabbled in the mage profession, with similar meditation methods and training conditions.

However, Anthony focused on creation magic, while Alva chose curse magic.

As Adam continued reading, he gained more understanding of curse magic.

Curses generally fall into two types: internal and external.

Internal curses use the three elements as a medium, implanted into the target's body through various methods. These curses parasitize the target, continuously affecting their mental and physical activities.

External curses are much more complex.

They require various means to locate the target's existence, then utilize special natural forces from the environment to form the curse.

The trigger conditions for external curses vary. Some are always active, while others activate only when the target touches or does something specific.

The main challenge of external curses is the targeting, which is even more difficult than implanting an internal curse.

Common targeting methods include using the target's biological material, such as hair, skin, or blood.

There are also more specialized methods, like using a true name, the pinnacle of external curses.

A true name isn't just a special name; it's the world's recognition of you. The traces you leave in the world and others' perceptions of you carry strong personal information. These can converge on another level to form your tag in the world, representing the world's acknowledgment of you.

True name curses leverage this concept. By touching your tag in the world, the curse is unavoidable as long as you're in this world.

Besides curses, true names also hold immense power. Knightly merits are said to be a limited manifestation of true name power.

The book Adam read didn't contain much detailed magic, just some extremely basic techniques that could hardly be called spells.

For example, using certain beans to cause diarrhea if someone eats them.

Poisoning, in some ways, overlaps with the definition of curses.

However, the book did contain some practical knowledge.

For instance, creating a specific spiritual frequency and implanting it into the target to cause insomnia. The key isn't the insomnia effect but the method of implanting the spiritual power.

"Hiding spiritual power in the eyes and transmitting it through eye contact, unnoticed?" Adam tried it and found it not too difficult.

Eyes are called the windows to the soul. In the mage field, eyes are seen as outlets for spiritual power. When emotions surge, people unconsciously release spiritual power through their eyes.

Since spiritual power naturally leaks from the eyes, hiding a curse within it makes detection harder.

"Especially since I can use my extraordinary charm as a cover," Adam thought. Transmitting a curse through eye contact would attract the target's attention, but his inherent charm could make them oblivious to the curse.

"Jin?" Adam suddenly called out, causing Jin, who was about to leave, to turn and look at him.

He saw Adam sitting at the desk, propping up a book with one hand, the other resting on the desk. Candlelight illuminated half of Adam's face, making Jin recall his own youth.

The candlelight reflected in Adam's eyes, making them seem like they held stars.

"Wait!" Jin shook his head after a moment, realizing the insomnia curse Adam cast had already broken.

"You're testing curses on me?" Jin, scratching his cheek, felt both annoyed and amused. Adam's captivating demeanor made it hard to stay mad, even after being cursed.

Jin's face twisted in a mix of emotions before he stood up, pulling a handful of breadcrumbs from his pocket to feed the bird that loved perching on Adam's head.

"Little fatty, eat more! Get fatter!"

"Hahaha," Adam laughed at Jin's childish antics before regaining composure and asking, "How did the curse work?"

"It was quite successful. At first, I didn't notice the curse at all. Only when it became more apparent did I break it. The curse was too simple to hide for long, but your technique was sound," Jin admitted.

"So the method is solid," Adam noted with satisfaction. If Jin, an expert, fell for it initially, his method should work on others not as proficient in spiritual power, excluding masters like Anthony or Alva.

While Adam studied curses, at the southern district chapel, the head monk, Shaya, sighed quietly.

Hunched over, he retrieved a box from a cabinet, containing a graduation medal from the seminary.

"Still can't let go of the past, Poldo?" Shaya placed the medal back.

The Saint Sound Church, following the Holy Sound of God, generally pursued truth, goodness, and beauty. However, the holy texts didn't always depict pleasant things, and not all monks were good people.

The holy texts dictated their actions, and what wasn't forbidden by the texts was permissible.

This interpretation was popular among monks.

Thus, even a vast church had its share of scoundrels.

Shaya, an orphan, found it easy to enter the seminary before its reform. At that time, children like him were admitted to a preparatory seminary attached to the main one.

Poldo entered the seminary with Shaya.

They experienced a dark childhood there, but Shaya eventually entered the main seminary, meeting Larva and Anthony. The trio became famous as the Saint Sound Trio, while Poldo faded into the background.

Both spent their lives healing from their childhoods. Shaya succeeded, dedicating himself to redeeming others and fully embracing the light.

Poldo, it seemed, did not.

Recently, Poldo visited Shaya, bringing some candied fruit, before heading to Xitu Kingdom.

Unexpectedly, the next news Shaya heard of Poldo was that his old friend had defected and was heading his way.

"So you had a purpose last time you visited?" The church suspected a mysterious organization in the border regions, and Poldo might have long been connected with them.

During the Ancient Sea Witch's unrest, Poldo acquired something and immediately defected, hinting at a deep conspiracy.

"Using the guise of visiting me to contact the organization in Roya, now heading here—Poldo, have you truly fallen into darkness?"

Shaya frowned, feeling Roya was facing turbulent times.

"Will he come here swiftly after dealing with the Sea Witch?" Shaya wondered if the news sequence was reversed.

"Was he originally planning something in Roya?" Shaya looked at the files. "We're to watch for a white-furred werewolf?"

"Fla and Raven encountered a white-furred werewolf before. Is there a connection?"