CH 205

I suddenly realize I have my old body back.

But I still can’t move.

《Can I move my hands? Hm? What is this? I’ve never seen an ornament like this.》

I raise my left arm, and see two chain bracelets. One is pretty thick, and has a silver shine and is decorated with a sword, shield, and wing. And right next to it, is a very thin chain bracelet with a skull.

As I think that this is odd, a person’s blurry silhouette becomes more clear.

This person’s robe is as black as darkness itself. No, some parts seem disheveled and look like they’re dissolving into space. It’s like they’re wearing darkness itself as a robe.

I get the feeling that I’ve seen this face before, like it’s a somewhat featureless face I’d see anywhere. It feels like there is no light in those eyes, and their expression doesn’t change. It feels a little uncomfortable, but is that the shaman?

I can’t move. And as I look at the man in front of me and wonder what’s going on, the expressionless man’s robe spreads like it’s dissolving, and approaches me. It’s creeping up my body.

It keeps coiling around me, enveloping both me and the man in front of me.

《I guess this thing really is a curse. It just feels like cloth thought.》

I wave my arms, the only things I can move, to try to shake off the thing coiling around me.

I definitely feel something when I touch it, but when I try to vigorously shake it off, it just slips around my arms.

The curse scatters and changes for a second, before turning back into what feels like cloth, and wrapping around me again.

《I guess it’s no good.》

When it finally reaches my neck and I’m completely covered in it, the cold looking walls and floor change suddenly, like the whole setting is changing.

What appears in front of me is a plain somewhere.

I’m still covered in this black curse, as it slows down and advances from my neck to my face.

But the man that was supposedly covered in this cloth shaped curse is nowhere to be seen.

《No, there he is. Hm? What? Was he just born or something?》

The man without any distinctive features is standing on this plain. His height is the same, but he feels young and innocent somehow.

《First memories.》

Thoughts that aren’t mine are mixed up here.

《Are these the shaman’s memories? Ah, I see. Are they flowing to me through the connection of the curse? I see I see. Is this where the shaman was born? It feels nostalgic, but these are his feelings, not mine.》

The man looks around, feeling uncertain about this world he doesn’t know.

《Alone… There aren’t any other NPC yet.》

《The shaman was created directly by god, but he was just imprinted with a duty and curse skill and abandoned…》

I half-heartedly read the surface level of the memories and feelings of the shaman that are flowing into me. I’m not that interested, but there’s nothing else to do.

《He wants to make his consciousness flow into me, assimilate my spirit, and in the end, take over my body in one go. Hmm, that’s a problem… There doesn’t seem to be anything I can do about it.》

Through his memories, I can read the purpose of the curse he set. It looks like he can take over other people even after he dies. And we’re right in the middle of that process.

But there’s nothing I can do, and I don’t feel too panicked. Although he’s probably already eating away at me.

《Eight particularly promising players have logged in. Raise who can become a demon king. Defeat your counterparts, heroes.》

《Are those the commands god (server) implanted on the shaman? Hm…》

The fact that he’s been bound to this nonsensical idea for almost thousands of years actually makes him pity a little, despite not caring about him. Or is that just a result of him assimilating my consciousness?

The curse cloth finally covers my face, meaning my entire body is covered.

It’s completely dark.

In the darkness, I see the shaman without his curse robe.

His expression is still completely blank. His eyes aren’t even focused on anything.

He walks towards me clumsily, like he’s being controlled by something.

And then, he raises a hand that looks like spider legs, and thrusts at the hole in my abdomen.

Next, his hand bursts into flames.

It quickly spreads to his hand, and then to the rest of his body.

《Ah, the undead dragon did say that my flesh smelled a lot of chemicals. I guess there’s still enough to have an effect on him… I should probably be careful about drinking so many potions.》

This thought crosses my mind, as it’s still in the process of being assimilated, and a crack opens in the darkness covering me.

Light hits my left arm through this crack, and suddenly, the two chain bracelets start shining.

For some reason, they start stretching upward.

The two chain bracelets stretch and stretch, until they break through the darkness.

The light from the chains compresses the darkness very quickly. It gets smaller and smaller, until it becomes a black cube that’s smaller than the palm of my hand.

I see this thing that looks like a 《box》, and half unconsciously swipe it with my right hand.

I feel my left arm being pulled.

It’s the chain that stretched upward, it’s pulling my entire body. Suddenly, my body is lifted by the chain.

◇◆

“Ouch…”

I press my left arm.

“Rust! Thank goodness! I used my spare potions to close your wound, but you wouldn’t wake up. I thought you were a goner.”

Master Halhammer is looking at me with a concerned expression.

And behind him are Kalin, Taula, Ahri, Roa, and Seilook.

“Ah… Am I back?”

It looks like I’m right next to where I was stabbed in the abdomen. I rub it while feeling dazed, and realize the wound really is closed. But there is blood coming out of my left arm. The wound looks like the one I had when I formed a contract with Seilook.

Ah, did Seilook and the undead dragon do something to bring me back? Is that what those bracelets were all about?

And then, everyone starts talking. It all starts very suddenly, and I can’t understand anyone, but I can at least see they’re worried.

“Stop talking for now! Rust, do you remember what happened?”

Master Halhammer tells everyone to be quiet, because he probably noticed me blinking rapidly and not knowing what to do. That’s the always reliable old-man’s wisdom.

“Yes, my memory is fine. I’m sorry I worried you all.”

I put my right hand on the ground to try to get up.

Something feels odd about the palm of my right hand.

I peek that way, and see a black thing between my hand and the ground.

I close my hand tightly, and it disappears.

As I try to put on an unconcerned expression, I get up while making sure not to open my right hand.

Everyone still looks worried, so I respond with a cheerful tone to try to ease their worries.