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.

With his Flame Dagger in one hand and the Curse Sword in the other, Seojun stayed alert, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. He had a bad feeling, and it wasn't long before it proved true.

More skeletons began to emerge from the shadows, their hollow eyes glowing in the dim light. Several Skeleton Knights, their cursed swords glinting dangerously, led the way.

Seojun's heart raced as he tightened his grip on his weapons. 'I can't let my guard down' he reminded himself, remembering the pain of being stabbed before. The memory made him shudder. "I don't want to get pierced again—it hurts too much!"

The Skeleton Knights charged at him with deadly intent. Seojun moved quickly, dodging their attacks and striking back with his Dagger. The first Skeleton Knight crumbled quickly under the Flame Dagger's burning power, but more kept coming, each swing of their swords aimed to take him down.

Seojun fought as hard as he could, slashing and stabbing with both weapons, dodging blows, and countering with precise strikes. Each time he defeated a Skeleton Knight, another one took its place, attacking with relentless force.

His breath became heavy as the battle dragged on. Sweat dripped down his face as he focused on every move, knowing one mistake could be fatal. The Curse Sword's dark aura pulsed in his hand, a constant reminder of the danger it posed. He could feel its influence trying to cloud his mind, but he fought to stay focused.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the last of the Skeleton Knights fell to the ground, defeated. The hallway grew quiet, the only sound being Seojun's heavy breathing.

He looked around, expecting more enemies to appear, but nothing happened. 'Maybe that's the last of them,' he thought, cautiously lowering his guard.

But just as he began to relax, a cold wave of dread swept over him. His vision darkened at the edges, and a strange dizziness took hold. His legs wobbled, and he stumbled, catching himself against the wall.

[System Notification]

Curse Effect Activated: Shadow of Despair

Seojun's eyes widened as he read the notification. The curse was taking effect. He could feel his willpower draining, his thoughts becoming foggy and confused. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, and a deep sense of hopelessness began to creep into his mind.

He gritted his teeth, trying to fight the curse. "No... not now..." he muttered, shaking his head to clear the dark thoughts. But the curse was strong, wrapping its tendrils around his mind and squeezing tighter with each moment.

A wave of exhaustion hit him, and his body felt heavy, like it was being pulled down by an unseen force. He could feel his strength slipping away, his grip on reality weakening. The fear and despair were growing stronger, whispering that he couldn't win, that he should just give up.

'No... I can't... give in...' Seojun thought, struggling to stay on his feet. His heart pounded, his breaths coming in short, desperate gasps. The hallway spun around him, and shadows seemed to crawl along the walls, their shapes shifting and twisting.

'I have to keep going... I have to...' But the curse's power was overwhelming, and Seojun could feel himself slipping further into darkness. The pain in his head was intense, and each step felt like a huge effort.

He fell to his knees, clutching his head as the curse tightened its grip on his mind. The weight of despair was crushing, and it felt like he was drowning in it. The world around him grew darker, the shadows closing in.

Even as he fought, his strength was fading. The curse was too powerful, and he was losing the battle against it.

In his mind, he saw brief flashes of his mother's worried face. 'I have to survive... for Mom...' That thought was the only thing keeping him from giving in completely.

He dug deep within himself, finding the last bit of willpower he had left. Slowly, he forced himself to stand, his body shaking with the effort. The shadows still loomed around him, but he wouldn't let them drag him down.

"I won't... give up..." he whispered, taking another step forward. Every movement was painful, but he refused to stop. The curse was strong, but his determination was stronger. He had to keep moving, no matter what.

Seojun walked down the long hallway, each step feeling heavier as the curse wore him down. But he kept going, After what seemed like forever, he finally reached the end of the hallway and found a staircase going down.

Without thinking twice, he went down, knowing the second floor was ahead. As soon as he stepped off the last step, a sharp whistling sound filled the air. Seojun barely had time to react before an arrow, glowing with dark energy, hit his shoulder with a painful thud.