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After more than 10 minutes of silence, Airen began to fix his posture and resumed his mana training. He was covered in his own blood and flesh, yet he continued, unfazed by the pain.
"Hmm... how long was I unconscious?" he thought. "My body has improved rapidly, almost beyond my control. My stats should be nearly double what they were before this evolution. Though my hair color is the same, my arms and body are now covered in black tattoos." Airen paused. "Not that it matters now. I won't get any answers just by wondering."
He continued his mana breathing, watching as the black tattoos on his body slowly faded, disappearing as if they had never been there. After stopping, he took in his surroundings before quietly saying, "Status window."
As Airen glanced over his status, something new caught his eye. It was a detail he hadn't seen before, yet he sensed immediately it wasn't good. He asked the system with a breaking voice, "System… wha… what is this on my status? What's 'Bloodline Curse'?"
[ BLOODLINE CURSE ] A spell that erases all inherited genetic factors of one's ancestors from the body, transforming the individual into a pureblood by removing all inherited traits, history, and essence.
Additional Effects of the Bloodline Curse:
+50% experience required for leveling up
+50% debuff to all status effects
No stats increase upon leveling up
Only half experience is gained
Maximum of 5 new skills can be learned every 10 levels
Buffs and effects only operate at 50% strength
Erases original attribute
Resets status window
Prevents earning of achievements
Prevents earning of titles
No additional points awarded at level up
No skill points awarded at level up
Current lifespan reduced to 3 years
"What?" Airen whispered, shock coursing through him. "So this is what they put on me during the ceremony when I was banished… Only three years left to live?" He took a shaky breath, anger simmering within him. "Not only did they banish me, but they erased every trace that I was once one of them. They want to make sure I don't survive this, to leave me without hope."
His thoughts raced as he absorbed the other effects. "An additional 50% debuff on status effects," he muttered. "Winter here is so cold that it gives everyone a 30% cold and slow effect. In a snowstorm, it's even worse—reaching 50%. For me, that would mean a 75% debuff." He clenched his fists. "And monsters can do this too. I'll have to account for that in every fight."
The high experience needed to level up, the lack of stats increase, and the restrictions on skill learning were all piling up against him. Even achievements and titles, which could have given him extra power, were out of reach. This curse wasn't just meant to kill him. It was designed to make him lose every hope in life. Covering his face in silence, Airen finally tore himself away from the system message.
"System! I'll take my reward now," he demanded.
[ WELCOME AIREN ]
[ YOUR REWARD HAS BEEN ADJUSTED ]
[ SINCE YOU HAVE WON THE BET WITHIN YOUR ORIGINAL TIME LIMIT, YOU SHALL BE GIVEN MULTIPLE REWARDS FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT ]
[ YOU ARE NOW ALLOWED TO CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS TO ADD TO THE SYSTEM ]
[ AFTER CHOOSING A SKILL, AN ADDITIONAL REWARD WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU ]
Thousands of system prompts appeared, surrounding him. They showcased skills from F rank all the way up to SSS rank. The townspeople watching him were filled with excitement, waiting to see which SSS rank skill he'd choose. Airen, however, remained unfazed.
"Remove all SSS to S rank skills and separate the F to A ranks in one place," he said calmly, leaving the townspeople dazed and questioning his choice.
"High-rank skills won't help me now," he murmured. "What I need is a skill that I can build upon, one that will serve me in the long run."
---
"The SSS to S Rank skills won't help me in the long run; they're really not that useful to me. And it looks like all the skills here are earth-based, just like my current attribute.
Celestial Golem, Meteor Shower, Moon Power… What even is that? Then there's Continental Crust, Earth Warrior, Earth Armor. Sure, they sound powerful, but they're useless to me. The mana needed to use them is far beyond what I have, especially now that I don't get any stat boosts when I level up. Large-scale area attacks? I'm not fighting an army here. Where would I even use something like a Celestial Golem? If I wanted revenge, maybe Meteor Shower, but the mana cost is… 15,000. That would drain me dry before it even formed.
Earth Armor seems useful, but with my stats, I'd be doomed just trying to hold it. Alright, what about A to C ranks?
Earth Shackle, Earth Spears, Iron Manipulation, Earth Spirit Summon, Earth Barrier, Earth Shard, Earth Protection… All of them are useless too. Alright, let's check D to F ranks now. Come on, just give me something I can actually use, something that doesn't need insane stats or flashy effects. Anything.
After scrolling through an endless list of skills for more than ten minutes, he felt an unusual sensation—like a familiar warning of danger, but also a strange pull toward something that felt different. It was as if the world itself was welcoming him, ready to embrace his existence.
An E-Rank Skill? Are you the one giving me that feeling?
Touching the skill card, all the other pop-up options vanished in a flash of light, transforming into golden dust that gathered in his hand, solidifying into a gleaming gold card with a brilliance unlike anything he'd ever seen.
[ Name: Earth Manipulation ]
[ Type: Growth ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ Rank: E ]
[ Skill Type: Card ]
[ Proficiency: 0% / 100% ]
Increased control and connection with the Earth attribute.
Earth-type magic and skills now cost only 20% of their original mana requirement.
Upon reaching 100% proficiency, the skill level increases, unlocking new abilities.
[ Level 1 Ability - Earth Ball ] - Allows the user to create a ball of earth.
[ Level 2 Ability - ????? ]
[ You have chosen your reward ]
[ Additional reward will now be given ]
[ The trait "Gluttony" will be granted as an additional reward. ]
[ Earth Power Stone will be given as an additional reward. ]
[ All rewards have been granted. ]
[ Instructions: To activate the new trait "Gluttony," swallow the Earth Power Stone. ]
"What?" Airen's mind spun with surprise at everything unfolding. Following the system's instructions, he swallowed the Earth Power Stone without hesitation.
[ You have consumed the Earth Power Stone. ]
[ The trait Gluttony has been activated. ] [ Proficiency has reached 100%. ]
[ Skill has advanced to Level 2. ]
[ Level 2 Ability - Mud Creation ] - Allows the user to create mud at will, without any water required.
"...What just happened? Am I dead? Is any of this real? Did I actually get three rewards from the system—a skill, a skill trait, and a power stone that boosted my skill level in one go?
And it's a growth-type skill, one that unlocks a new ability with every level up. Regular skills only grant new abilities at level 10, or if you're extremely lucky, level 5. But a new ability at every level up? What is this? Are the gods mocking me in my current state… or did they just give me a gift?"
