Cursed...

"Sex means whether you are male or female... I mean boy or girl," he began, emphasizing the binary distinction inherent in the system. Aether nodded, appreciating the clarity of the explanation, '....Am I joking to you?' He thought.

"Attributes describe the individuals' talent and power," Mortimer elaborated further, delving into the essence of what made each person unique.

"Strength shows how strong they are," he explained, gesturing towards the '-1' displayed under Aether's profile.

"Agility, on the other hand, measures how fast they move and react."

Aether absorbed the information, thinking about how these attributes reflected his own abilities, '.... Is he for fucking real?' He could only think while he did his best to pretend to be shocked and curious.

'I should have at least given it a shot in acting before...' He regrets.

"Intelligence shows how knowledgeable they are about Magic and how deep their understanding of the Arcane is" Mortimer continued, his voice carrying a weight of significance

'What is Arcane?' Aether pondered the implications of the '3' listed in his profile, realizing the value placed on magical prowess.

"Magic Affinity determines a person's ability to use which tier level of spells and as well as their different kinds of elements" Mortimer added, indicating the importance of this attribute in wielding magical capabilities.

'0...ah? ' Aether wondering about the implications of his apparent lack of affinity.

"By covering everything, Levels will be given to you and each person has a different calculation that is done by the Arcanes themself" Mortimer emphasized, linking the various attributes to the overarching concept of Levels.

'At least some usefulness..' Aether nodded, understanding that the numerical representation encapsulated the totality of an individual's abilities.

"Then.... Title," Mortimer sighed, his voice carrying a tinge of sadness, "It describes one's status in their current life"

"Think of this 'Log' as an ID Card," Mortimer concluded, bringing the analogy full circle. "No one could cheat this or even interrupt it or change anything..... because this goes against the Arcane Laws, The very nature of this world"

"That's all?" Aether asked, scepticism evident in his gaze.

"... Yes" Mortimer nodded, confirming the completeness of the information shared.

A smirk played on Aether's lips as he inwardly noted, 'So, he cannot see what my true profile looks like... ah.' It was a realization that offered him a measure of comfort, realizing that his facade remained intact in the eyes of the old man.

However, his curiosity lingered, prompting him to inquire further, "W-What does my Title say?" Aether adopted an innocent expression, concealing the uneasiness that began to creep over him.

'Shouldn't the fake profile also be visible to me? How am I supposed to tell someone if they question me by seeing my profile?' he pondered internally.

"W-Well...." Mortimer hesitated, grappling with a degree of uncertainty. 'That's also what I wanted to know...' he thought.

"You are currently a working servant here...." Mortimer finally disclosed, his words carrying a hint of reluctance.

"I see..." Aether nodded, attempting to convey an air of understanding. However, the lingering hesitation in Mortimer's expression left him unsure of whether the old man was telling the truth or withholding certain details.

'Servant? That's fucking slave!!' He screamed inwardly.

"C-Can you show me yours?" Aether asked, wearing an innocent expression that concealed his ulterior motive.

Aether didn't want to miss the opportunity to unravel the mysteries of others' systems or whatever they called. He needed to understand what others possessed in terms of abilities and information.

Mortimer stared at Aether, the innocence in the young man's request stirring a paternal warmth within him. He felt a sense of kinship, almost like a grandparent indulging a curious grandchild.

"Fine, but it's a secret. You should not tell anyone about this, okay?" Mortimer cautioned.

"Okay!" Aether responded, his face lighting up with happiness and sparkling curiosity, 'Fuck, acting like a teenage boy... Is really anno--- Actually, it's exciting to act like a teenage boy....hahah!!'

"Hehehe..." Mortimer chuckled, delighted by Aether's eager eyes. He couldn't help but feel as if he had gained another grandson or something of the sort.

Mortimer proceeded to demonstrate, uttering the command, "Log," and tapping the air while saying, "Ether."

Aether, was somewhat anxious about the outcome since his name was Aether, not Ether.

Thankfully, a black transparent screen materialized before Mortimer.

Sighing, Mortimer gazed at the screen, and Aether's eyes widened in shock as he processed the information before him:

/ 

Name: Mortimer Frostblade

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Level: 99 (Cursed)

Title: The Powerful Warrior in Aquaris Naiadae Empire, Ancestor of Frostblade Duke House, Father of Velc Frostblade, Savior of a Million People, Master of Arcane Energy, Master of Arcane Card, Intermediate Level in Ancient Language, The Glimpse of the Truth, The One and Only Thief, and Cursed by Arcane Energy.

Attributes:

Strength: 999/1000 (Cursed)

Agility: 999/1000 (Cursed)

Intelligence: 999/1000 (Cursed)

Magic Affinity: 999/1000 (Cursed)

/

'Holy fuck!! This old man is maxed out!' Aether screamed inwardly, grappling with the revelation of Mortimer's overwhelmingly powerful profile. 

Seeing Aether's shocked expression, Mortimer couldn't help but smirk like an old man proud of himself.

But then, Aether's inquiry followed,

"What's with that thief? and Why are you cursed?" Aether asked with a frown, speculating on the possibility that Mortimer might be staying in isolation due to the curse.

Mortimer hesitated visibly before responding, "I-It's because of something I did when I was young... You know, being young and all, playing around... ahaha...."

Aether chuckled inwardly, forming his own playful assumptions about the old man's past, suspecting he might have engaged in some mischievous or indecent activities to warrant a curse.

"So, the reason you are stay--"

"Yes, because of the curse, I can't use my powers fully, and sometimes my energy is even going out of control... So that's why I isolated myself," Mortimer explained with a heavy sigh, revealing the burden the curse placed on him.

"I see..." Aether nodded, absorbing the details of Mortimer's powerful existence being cursed.

"But you have lots of titles..." Aether muttered as the system/Log disappeared.

"If you do many things like me, you might get those," Mortimer suggested, hinting at the vast array of titles he had accumulated over the years.

However, before the conversation could delve deeper into the intricacies of Mortimer's titles, the old man's powers started to fluctuate. He was about to ask Aether to exit the room when...

"You said something about my village and a person, right?" Aether inquired, redirecting the conversation to the unresolved aspects of his own... no, Ether's past.