Chapter 61 Origin Of Curses

Eid Mubarak everyone! I might not be able to publish any chapter tomorrow since I will be busy with the festivities. But I will try to do at least one chapter.

Stay tuned! Enjoy!

*********

Eulene was shocked. She took a step back from the machine. Just what kind of process could have turned a fleshy human body into that wooden machine?

The artefact, on the other hand, remained silent.

Eulene turned to Xavier and asked, "What do you mean? Was he cursed, or something?"

"No." Xavier shook his head. "If I am not wrong, she is just another author who sold her soul."

"She?" Eulene turned back to the typewriter. It did not retort. Eulene suddenly remembered her shenanigan.

She composed herself and asked the artefact, "Is what he said true?"

"Yes." The typewriter responded.

"What happened?" Eulene asked.

"We have already fought a curse before," Xavier said, "Do you know where these creatures originate from?"

Eulene had indeed fought one before. And the one she had fought in this world was not the first ever she fought in her life. There were beings which were not very different from these creatures back in her home world. They were also made of Yin energy.

"From the lingering feelings and resentments of the creatures in this world?" She replied.

"Yes." Xavier nodded. "In essences, the Curses are the retribution of our own sins. Our pain and resentment, once accumulated enough, began to overflow out of us and transfuse into regular objects. Once the objects gather too much negativity, it turns into a cursed artefact."

Eulene turned back to the machine. All the Yin energy she felt from the typewriter began to make sense.

"What about the creature we fought?" Eulene asked Xavier.

"It born from a cursed artefact. Only when an object receives an overwhelming amount of negativity and resentment, can it manifest a whole body of Curse. To make it possible, generally it is not possible from the resentment of a single man. Hence, only high resentment from a huge group of people can give birth to a Curse."

Eulene nodded in understanding. The process of forming 'Resentful Spirits' was different back in her world, but not that different. It probably had to do something with the difference of demographics between the two worlds.

Eulene suddenly felt a tinge of sadness and fear. She discovered that it came from her link with the typewriter.

"What happened?" She asked the artefact.

*Are you going to destroy me?* It typed slowly. Even the ink on the paper seemed dimming.

Eulene, in response, turned to Xavier. "Does it have powers like the Curse we fought? You know… that special stuff?"

"Why are you asking me?" Xavier turned to the artefact. "Oi. This is your chance of survival. Prove yourself useful."

The machine stayed silent. After a few seconds, clicking sound resounded.

*Show me that watch of yours.*

Xavier complied. He brought out his golden watch and pressed the lid open.

The typewriter did not say anything further. Xavier also remained silent, with the watch still positioned on his hand.

After a whole minute, the typing sound returned.

*It says 'Thank You'. It says that it had been holding you back. Your brain is already sharp enough to know the exact time any second. But you still have not discarded it because it was something your friend had created for you.*

Xavier's entire body shook. His mask turned blank. He turned to the golden watch in his hand—it's visible escapements rolling, and hands moving. "Is that so?"

His eyes fell on the sign on the dial- 'Zeitmann'.

​ "No." Xavier shook his head and muttered. "Thank you. It's because of you I don't have to count every second and for that, I am still sane."

He sighed and closed the watch before putting it back into his pocket.

Eulene had witnessed everything. This was the first time she saw his sadness. His mask was still hiding his face. But she could bet that behind it, his face was that of bitterness.

And she was right.

But Xavier composed himself in a second. He turned to the typewriter. "So, you can communicate with inanimate objects?"

*No. I can only speak with machines.*

Xavier nodded. "That's quite the special power you have, and… thank you."

*It was nothing.*

Xavier turned to Eulene. "Bring it with you."

"Can I store it in?" She asked.

"Artefacts are still inanimate objects," Xavier responded and turned back. He began to hover towards the door.

Eulene nodded and pointed her storage ring to the 'cursed artefact'. "This might feel a bit weird."

The typewriter turned into a beam of light and shot into Eulene's ring. She then followed Xavier.

Before Xavier could open the door, Eulene interrupted. "Wait!"

Xavier looked back.

Eulene brought out the artefact and ordered it to clean the mess in the hall.

It complied. The whole hall began to quake as the gears on the wall rotated and the maze walls sunk back into the walls and floors. Only the destroyed pieces of wall remained on the floor.

As for everything else, they returned to its previous position. Eulene began to move around and store all the remaining pieces of invaluable machines—the clocks, the watches, the gigantic printing and looming machines, the sewing machines etc.

Xavier understood what she was doing. And the smile on his face returned. Unlike the scary, mocking or malevolent smiles, it was a smile of genuine happiness.

The whole room was soon empty. Eulene had basically robbed a third of an entire museum. As for another third, she had already destroyed it.

Clicking sounds resounded in the room.

*Thank you!* the artefact typed in a completely blank page.

"Go join your 'subjects'." She stored the typewriter back into her ring. "I am done. Let's go." She flashed to Xavier's side.

Xavier opened the door, and giving way to Eulene, before exiting himself.

The wide corridor turned normal. The endlessness of the corridor disappeared. Instead of another loop, a large door appeared.

They walked through.