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Chapter 103 - Chapter 105: Treatment? 

As Imina disappeared into the shadows, Leinas's green eyes softened, relief evident in her gaze.

She took a step forward, her expression laced with cautious hope.

"I heard that the alchemical potion created by Your Excellency has the ability to heal all injuries."

Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the emotions she had long suppressed.

For years, she had sought a cure—through temple healers, holy water, powerful magic, and rare potions.

Yet nothing had worked.

At some point, she had begun to lose hope.

Not only because of what the curse had done to her body—

But because of what it had taken from her.

Her family abandoned her.

Her fiancé broke off their engagement.

For someone as proud as Leinas, that humiliation was far more painful than the curse itself.

"The rumors are exaggerated," Sakeer said, shaking his head.

Leinas's hope wavered, but before she could sink into disappointment, he added,

"As long as it's not a congenital defect or disability, it can be treated."

"!!"

Leinas's eyes lit up again.

She opened her mouth, ready to speak—

"Miss Leinas," Sakeer interrupted gently, "you helped us earlier. As a guest, there's no need to rush."

He gestured toward the stone table in the courtyard.

"Please, have a seat first."

Leinas took a slow breath, steadying herself, and followed Sakeer to the table.

She had observed him for days, ensuring that his alchemy was truly as miraculous as rumors claimed.

Now, after confirming it, she had come to seek his help.

As they sat across from each other, Sakeer's expression grew serious.

"Now then," he said, his sharp gaze settling on her, "let me take a look at your injury."

Leinas hesitated for a brief moment.

"My injury is… unsettling," she warned softly.

Then, with a deep breath, she lifted her right hand and tucked back the long strands of golden hair that concealed the right side of her face.

A faint, rancid odor drifted into the air.

Beneath the golden locks—

The right half of her face was a grotesque mass of rotting flesh, bloodshot and decayed.

The skin, marred with dark veins, seemed to squirm, as if infested with something unnatural.

Leinas's fingers tensed around the fabric of her robe.

She hated this.

She hated showing it.

And yet, she had no choice.

In that moment, her mind flashed back—

To the disgusted expressions of others.

To the averted gazes.

To the whispers of revulsion.

Would he be the same?

Yet, when Leinas dared to meet Sakeer's gaze, she found…

Nothing.

No shock.

No disgust.

At most, his brows twitched slightly at the sight of her ruined face.

But beyond that, his expression remained calm.

If anything—

Leinas thought she saw a flicker of interest in his eyes.

Her body stiffened.

Wait… Did I imagine that?

A shiver ran down her spine.

There were rumors about alchemists.

That some of them had peculiar fascinations…

Was that true?

She quickly pushed the thought aside.

Sakeer studied the contrast between her ruined flesh and the untouched beauty of her remaining face.

It was a striking duality.

But something about this case bothered him.

The "Cursed Knight" class shouldn't cause this kind of physical decay.

Had something changed in this world's mechanics?

Or was there more to this curse than he realized?

"Apply this potion to your face," Sakeer instructed, retrieving a small glass vial from his sleeve.

Inside, a clear, shimmering liquid swirled—the unmistakable glow of a high-grade regenerative potion.

Leinas didn't hesitate.

She took the vial, uncorked it, and poured the liquid over the decayed half of her face.

Zzzzzt!

The potion sizzled against the rotting flesh, emitting a sound like meat scorching on a grill.

A sharp sting erupted through her face.

Leinas inhaled sharply, her fingers digging into the edge of the stone table.

It felt like thousands of ants gnawing at her skin—

Yet, beneath the pain, she felt…

Something.

For the first time in years, there was a change.

A shift.

Her rotting flesh—it was reacting.

She snatched a small mirror from inside her robe, holding it up to see—

Sakeer, watching from across the table, let out a quiet sigh.

She carries a mirror with her?

He shook his head slightly.

No matter the world, women are always concerned about their appearance.

Even in the face of curses and death.

Under Sakeer's gaze, Leinas's decayed flesh began to heal, but at a significantly slower rate than other injuries he had treated before.

Three minutes passed.

As she peered into the mirror, disbelief flickered across Leinas's face—

Then, shock gave way to joy.

Her left hand clenched into a fist.

"Don't celebrate too soon."

Sakeer's calm voice cut through her emotions like a blade.

Leinas froze.

She looked up at him, about to speak—

But then—

A horrifying change began.

The flesh that had just been restored started to rot once more.

"How… how is this possible?"

Leinas's hands trembled as she clutched the mirror.

Sakeer leaned back in his stone chair, his gaze sharp.

"The injury on your face—it's not just a wound, is it?"

He paused.

"It's a curse."

This outcome wasn't surprising. The regeneration potion could only heal injuries categorized under 'limb damage' or other physical ailments.

But curses?

Those were an entirely different matter.

More than that—

The source of her curse wasn't just an external affliction.

It was linked to her very class.

Leinas's eyes reddened, her emotions in turmoil.

"You're right."

She took a slow breath, trying to suppress the wave of frustration rising within her.

Sakeer studied the still-rotting right side of her face.

"I've never heard of a curse that only affects half of someone's body."

His voice was steady.

"For such an anomaly, there's only one explanation—something is wrong with you."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Can you show me the nature of your curse?"

At his request, Leinas instinctively lowered her gaze, tucking her golden hair back over the decayed side of her face.

After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

"Alright."

She stepped back, putting distance between them.

Then—

RUMBLE.

A deep, ominous energy surged from within her.

Though it was late at night, the black mist radiating from her body was even darker than the surrounding shadows.

In an instant—

The energy erupted outward, expanding in all directions.

But—

Just as quickly as it surged, it began to dissipate.

"..."

Sakeer's pupils contracted slightly.

His sharp gaze locked onto the ground beneath Leinas's feet—

Where fresh, green grass withered and rotted away in mere seconds.

"I'm… not very skilled at controlling it," Leinas admitted, glancing up at him.

"Do you need me to demonstrate again?"

"No need."

Ding!

Then—

[System Notification]

► Skill detected: "Dark Wave"

► Requires the high-level class "Cursed Knight"

► Current class conditions: NOT MET

► Requires 3 Skill Points to unlock.

► No prior class requirement met: Requires 6 Skill Points.

► No basic class requirement met…

Ding!

► "Genius" trait activated.

► Basic class "Warrior" detected. Unlock conditions met.

► Do you want to consume 6 Skill Points to learn "Dark Wave"?

Sakeer's eyes narrowed as he took in the information.

It worked.

Faster than expected.

He had anticipated staying here for more than a month before making any progress.

But this—

This was unexpectedly smooth.

"Six skill points, huh?"

Sakeer recalled when he first obtained the mid-tier class "Sword Master"—

It had cost him only 3 skill points.

As for his other high-level class, "Magic Swordsman"—

That one had been unlocked automatically, since he had already met the prerequisites.

Would acquiring "Cursed Knight" trigger another unexpected reaction? 

The last time he unlocked "Magic Swordsman", his mana had gone into chaos.

If the same happened now…

Would he be prepared?

Sakeer let out a breath, then stood up.

"Your situation…" he said, glancing at Leinas.

"I need to think about it."

Leinas didn't hesitate.

"I can wait."

Sakeer nodded.

Without another word, he turned and walked toward his half-European, half-Byzantine-style residence.

He took a few steps before stopping.

Turning slightly, he glanced back at Leinas—

And at Imina, who was standing quietly nearby.

"If you two don't plan on leaving," he said, "there are spare rooms on the first floor."

With that, he continued walking.

On the third floor, in the quiet of his private chamber—

Sakeer exhaled slowly.

Then, in his mind, he gave the command:

"Unlock."

A low buzz resonated.

► [Skill Points: 39 → 33]

With the mastery of "Dark Wave," a new advanced class appeared in his profession list.

Class Information: Cursed Knight

Class: Cursed Knight

Level: High-Class

Ability Effects:

► Passive - 

"Cursed Full Resistance": Immune to all Curse-type attacks.

► Passive - 

"Dark Elemental Resistance I": Reduces Dark-element damage by 20%.

► Passive - 

"No Rest": When unleashing cursed energy—

  • Superior equipment (below level 40) loses durability.

  • Legendary equipment (below level 80) experiences double durability loss.

Active Skills:

► "Dark Wave":

  • Unleashes a wave of cursed energy, affecting all enemies in range.

  • Applies "Fear (Psychic Shock)" and "Curse of Weakness (Movement Limitation)".

  • Negative status is removed after an attack.

  • Deals double damage.

PS: Class Level 3 - Curse damage cannot be healed by low-tier healing magic; recovery effects are suppressed.

PS: Class Level 5 - Curse damage gains an "Instant Death" effect.

(For every level increase, HP, Physical Attack, Physical Defense, and Magic Defense each increase by 15 points.)

"Description: The unforgivable. The betrayed Dark Knight.

Cursed to wander the world for eternity, clad in broken armor…

A twisted life that shall never end."

(End of Chapter) 

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