Chapter 203
The world's greatest Curse Master, Veltoa Lacroix.
The day Kraush first met him was at a certain tavern.
[The smell of curses is so strong that it stings the nose. Is that so?]
Draped in a robe, he covered his nose with a face full of a thick beard and chuckled.
[What is this senile old man rambling about?]
Perhaps it was because Kraush was in a particularly foul mood, but harsh words spilled from his mouth.
It was because he was dying day by day, playing the only role he could as a Cursed One.
[You're that famous young Cursed One, aren't you? How about it? Want to strike a deal with this old man?]
To such a Kraush, Veltoa made a single proposal.
[Who do you think you are, old man.]
Seeing Kraush's deeply furrowed eyes, Veltoa smirked.
[Curse Master Veltoa Lacroix, the old man who will let you use your curse in an extraordinary way.]
That was the first meeting between Kraush and Veltoa.
And now.
Kraush was once again facing his first meeting with Veltoa Lacroix.
Back then, it was at a tavern.
Now, it was at the Forbidden Zone, the Unending Night.
Wiggle-
Beneath Kraush's feet, the Curse Centipede moved on its own.
The talismans attached all over its body forcibly maintained its form as a Curse Centipede.
Inside this creature, it was undoubtedly filled to the brim with curses capable of annihilating a human in an instant.
Even Kraush found the Curse Centipede extremely unsettling, but Veltoa rode on it without a care.
It was no wonder Kraush referred to him as a madman driven insane by curses.
"A story, huh."
Veltoa casually tapped the long pole with a lantern attached to it, which Kraush had been chasing.
Then, loosening his robe a bit, he flicked his fedora up with his index finger.
"This old man is just a Curse Master of no importance, huh?"
How could a Curse Master of no importance roam freely in the Forbidden Zone?
Kraush knew that the lantern he was holding was one that repelled Black Species Ghosts.
That was because in the past, Kraush had entered the Unending Night with Veltoa.
So he thought that this time too, he would carry the lantern.
As expected, he was right.
"On top of that, carrying around World Erosion Beings like they're nothing, huh."
Veltoa pointed at the carriage approaching from afar and grinned.
His reaction seemed to say that if they didn't introduce themselves quickly, he would throw them out immediately.
Despite the presence of two World Erosion Beings and an enigmatic Kraush, he appeared remarkably composed.
As expected of Veltoa.
And Kraush also knew well that if Veltoa decided to drive him out, it would be nearly impossible to resist.
"Kraush Balheim, a junior of Dorma Lacroix."
"Dorma? My youngest disciple has a junior?"
"Yes, Dorma is currently attending Rahelrn Academy."
"Rahelrn Academy, huh. Hmm, ah, right, that was the one Fighting Emperor wanted to create. He actually went ahead and did it."
He seemed oblivious to the world, reacting as if he was hearing about Dorma or Rahelrn Academy for the first time.
It was likely because he was so engrossed in curse research that he neglected the outside world.
"More importantly, Balheim, huh."
Stroking his beard, he looked at Kraush.
"Why would a child born into the most blessed family in the world end up like that?"
His eyes gleamed with great interest.
When it came to seeing through curses, he was unrivaled in the world.
Naturally, Kraush's current state could only intrigue him.
"If the balance shifts even slightly, your body will explode. Even I can't fix that."
Furthermore, Veltoa also realized why Kraush had sought him out.
"Are you hoping I'll remove the World Erosion and curses inside your body?"
"I have no intention of doing that."
Kraush immediately expressed his refusal.
There was no way he would give up the curses and World Erosion he had painstakingly gathered.
"If I removed those in my current state, wouldn't my body collapse completely?"
World Erosion and curses were imbued with yin energy.
On the other hand, aura and Aura were imbued with yang energy.
These yin and yang energies always maintained harmony.
If one of them disappeared, naturally, the balance of yin and yang would break, and as a result, the body and mind would shatter.
Kraush had learned this fact from Veltoa.
The most basic principle of neutralizing curses was to maintain this balance of yin and yang.
As Kraush demonstrated a deeper understanding than expected, Veltoa's interest grew stronger.
"It seems you've studied quite a bit."
Using the pole with the lantern as a staff, he stood atop the Curse Centipede.
"So, what do you want from me?"
He revealed his yellowed teeth and grinned slyly.
That grin was unmistakably that of a peculiar old man.
But Kraush desperately needed this old man's help.
Without Veltoa's assistance, obtaining the Highest-Level Curse was impossible.
"The Highest-Level Curse, Four Seasons."
Veltoa's hand, which had been stroking his beard, paused.
"I'd like your help in obtaining it."
His eyes reflected emotions stirred by something completely unexpected.
"......Are you out of your mind?"
When Veltoa finally opened his mouth, Kraush was questioned about his sanity.
It was an obvious reaction.
The curses labeled as Highest-Level were said to be on a completely different level.
The characteristics of these curses were all horrifying, capable of ruining a person's life in an instant.
Naturally, even Veltoa handled Highest-Level Curses with extreme caution.
Each one was so dangerous that even in the hands of the world's greatest Curse Master, a Highest-Level Curse was like a ticking time bomb.
And yet, now.
A boy from the Balheim Family, whom he had never seen before, suddenly appeared and requested help in obtaining a Highest-Level Curse.
It was, of course, not something a sane person would ask.
Unfortunately, however, Kraush was perfectly sane.
"There's no curse more fitting for me right now than Four Seasons."
Hearing this, Veltoa's eyes half-opened in bemusement.
Thinking of the characteristics of Four Seasons, he became even more puzzled.
"It seems there's something you don't know."
Veltoa looked at Kraush with disapproval.
It was as if he was watching a young man who couldn't wait to throw his life away.
"The so-called Highest-Level Curses are curses in name only......."
"In reality, they're closer to Erosion Species with their own will. That's why they're classified separately as Curse Species. Isn't that what you're saying?"
Kraush interrupted Veltoa, finishing what he was about to say.
Veltoa gasped in surprise.
As he had felt earlier, Kraush knew an extraordinary amount about curses.
Even things that professional Curse Masters didn't know.
"Did my youngest disciple tell you all this?"
Kraush shrugged.
Whatever answer Veltoa gave, it was unlikely to satisfy him.
"Hmm, well, it seems my youngest disciple hasn't researched that far yet."
He let out a chuckling laugh and looked at Kraush.
The Highest-Level Curse, Four Seasons.
That curse is an exceptionally peculiar one.
As mentioned earlier, the Highest-Level Curses are curses with their own will, to the extent that they are classified separately as Curse Species.
Especially in the case of Four Seasons, it was incomparably bizarre compared to other curses.
Once someone is afflicted by Four Seasons, it indiscriminately devours something specific inside the body.
And then, it replaces that spot with itself, enabling it to control the afflicted person at its will.
In the case of something specific.
It could be physical, like the stomach, liver, or brain.
However, those cases are considered mild.
According to the limited research on Four Seasons, it even devours aura.
It can even consume curses inside the body and replace the soul itself.
Thus, anyone afflicted by Four Seasons ceases to be themselves.
They must live eternally as a servant of Four Seasons, unable to return their soul to the cycle of life.
It was natural for Veltoa to frown upon hearing Kraush's intention to use such a curse.
Four Seasons is a curse that even Veltoa cannot easily handle.
Handling a curse that roams freely by its own will is, of course, not easy.
"Are you thinking of using Four Seasons to devour the curses inside the body? If so, you're mistaken."
As mentioned earlier, Four Seasons consumes curses and replaces them.
But that is merely substitution.
Four Seasons devours a curse and leaves behind an identical curse inside the body.
Therefore, curses cannot be resolved with Four Seasons.
"No. As I mentioned earlier, I have no intention of erasing the power of curses or World Erosion."
Veltoa frowned as if asking why on earth he wanted to acquire Four Seasons, then.
Seeing Veltoa like that, Kraush decided to reveal something he didn't know.
"As is already known, Four Seasons can replace anything it devours inside the body. But Four Seasons has one more unknown characteristic."
Four Seasons undoubtedly replaces something it devours inside the body.
"Four Seasons doesn't just replace what it devours. It can also substitute it with something else that has the same energy value."
If it devoured the brain and stomach, Four Seasons could create two stomachs instead of a brain.
And it does so without affecting the body's survival at all.
In fact, Kraush discovered someone afflicted by Four Seasons who had only twenty lungs left in their body.
Even in that state, their breathing continued uninterrupted.
Veltoa's eyes filled with doubt.
"What are you planning to do with that?"
Kraush raised his left hand, intending to show him directly.
Fwoosh!
Black Flame flared up from his left hand.
It was the power of World Erosion burned by Ignis.
Then Kraush raised his right hand.
Fwoosh!
White Flame flared up in his right hand.
It was the power of aura burned by Ignis.
"Both World Erosion and aura will be devoured by Four Seasons."
Veltoa's eyes began to widen slowly.
He also knew that Kraush's body was in a highly unstable state.
The powers of aura and World Erosion were constantly eyeing each other, ready to devour one another at any moment.
If they diverged even slightly, his body would face a life-or-death situation, splitting in half.
Amid such a precarious situation, Kraush came up with an absurd idea.
"And I intend to have Four Seasons substitute one of the two powers."
If that happens, only the power of aura or World Erosion will remain in Kraush's body.
Aura and the power of World Erosion are separate containers.
Separate containers, each filled with one.
However, Kraush was now talking about breaking the boundaries of those containers using Four Seasons and merging them into one.
The power of World Erosion obtained by substituting aura.
Or the power of aura obtained by substituting World Erosion.
That would undoubtedly make him several times stronger than he is now.
"......You're out of your mind."
And the price for that would be borne entirely by Kraush.
Putting aside the inherent risks of Four Seasons, which could go berserk at any moment.
At the point of substituting two powers into one, the body would undergo immense overload.
"But I won't die."
Four Seasons never allows the body to die.
Even if it creates twenty lungs inside the body, it somehow maintains that body.
And the same goes for the powers of aura and World Erosion.
Even if one power is substituted, the shock won't kill Kraush.
Because Four Seasons won't let him die.
Kraush's eyes glowed blue.
His blue pupils contained a madness that even Veltoa, obsessed with curses, found unnerving.
"Haha, fine."
Veltoa suddenly let out a laugh.
"In life, it's better to go mad properly once."
His mouth stretched wide, displaying a glistening smile.
"Good. Well, it's my first time handling a Highest-Level Curse in someone else's body, so it'll be a valuable experience."
Thud!
Veltoa struck the pole, and the Curse Centipede came to a halt.
The lantern swayed ominously in response.
Under that lantern, a grotesque smile curved like a crescent moon on Veltoa's face.
"Don't cry even if you die."
For curses come to those who laugh.