Chapter 50 – Ruins Arc
The following day 31 of the sun season at Iris room.
I start the day by being woken up by a voice, "Iris... Iris... Wake up..."
I half-open my eyes and see a naked girl next to me, "just 10 more minutes sister," I turn around closing my eyes fully.
"I'll be going on ahead Mark is waiting for me, if you don't get up I'll leave the room naked."
The steps she takes to the door echo and when her hand is about to reach the handle... my body automatically moves out of bed. My palm aims to the handle and I imagine it being frozen.
Notice: 100 mana has been deducted.
I open my eyes and speak angrily, "where do you think you're going in that state idiot sister!?" I approach her taking 3 big steps.
"You know you didn't need to freeze the door right? How are we going to open it now?"
I kick her in the back of the leg, near the knee making her fall, "that doesn't matter you shall get dressed right away!"
I throw her some clothes and dress some myself.
"So harsh right from the morning, I won't wake you up next time," she laughed after using a mocking tone.
"Hopefully not the way you did today, next time I'm freezing your entire body."
"Then I'd become an ice crystal," she imagines herself inside of one," it wouldn't be so different than being trapped inside the mirror, but at least I'd be quite beautiful."
I let out a yawn still feeling drowsy," that's true, talking about the mirror did you figure something out yet?"
"Aside from it decreasing back to level 1 after I exhausted my soul power no."
"It decreased level!?" I shout confused startling her.
"Yeah, I don't get what soul power had to do with it or if that was even the reason for it."
"What if it needs someone with a big soul?" I ask with expectant eyes filled with curiosity while smiling happily.
"I could give the mirror to you if you'd like, aside from its hardness it's pretty useless."
"Sure let's try it, but... can you even give me skills that belong to you?"
"Worth an attempt, give the mirror to Iris," a voice pops up in my mind after Aurora tries to give me the skill.
Notice: A cursed skill has been received.
Notice: Soul-bound curse has gotten stronger.
Notice: Aurora and Iris's Souls have resounded with one another.
Notice: 400 mana has been deducted by Appraisal.
[Soul power from Aurora can now be added to Iris soul to increase it further, due to a system failure the rate is already 10 times higher.]
Aurora looks at her sister who has gone silent for a while after the mirror vanishing and speaks, "You okay Iris?"
With a dumbfounded expression, a voice comes out from me," Yes it seems as you can now give me your soul power to make my soul stronger, it seems both of them have resounded, not sure what that means."
"In this case, I believe it means we've linked further, kind of like having a direct connection between our souls like they glued one to another. I suppose since I believe we were split by the system through this new body of mine, and with both contracts, we were able to maintain it to some extent."
"I think I understand, also due to some system failure the amount you consume is 10 times higher than normal, in other words, I receive it like that too."
"That's good I guess? I don't really know how that would help you, but in my case, it sure speeds my growth as a weapon a lot."
"True, and I'm not sure myself, but let me check status see if I can figure something out. Perhaps soul-bound will show useful information.."
Notice: 10 mana has been deducted.
Status:
Level: 12 | Experience 140/1200
Fame: 250 | Disgrace: 13620
Unique Class: Babel Witch | Rank 3 | Experience 1280/8000
Race: Human | Name: Iris | 8 Years old
Health: 540/690 | Mana: 2330/2840
Status Points:0
Strength: 185(+9) | Stamina: 66(+3) | Agility: 85(+6) | Dexterity: 107 | Intelligence: 174(+10) | Wisdom: 275(+9)
Attack: 0 | Magic Attack:0 | Defense:0 | Magic Defense: 0
Soul: 7720
Titles: Reincarnated+(S), Mana(S), Mana Exhaust(S), Health(S), Beginner Reader(S), Purchase(S), Wisdom(S), Reader Series(B), Body Training(S), Animal Slayer(S), Intermediate Reader(S), Cooked Fish(S), Preyed Upon(F), Cheater (S), Heritage(S), Amalgam(S), Ice(S), Cooked Bird(F), Cooking Series (E), Slayer Series(F), Sale(S), Advanced Reader(S), Soul-bound(S), Element(S), Contracted(S), Peasant (F), Class(A), Monster Slayer(D), Slime Slayer(C), Skill Mastery(A), Tree Chopper(C), Tree Type(S), Tree Series(D), Log Maker(C), Tree Planter(S),? Book Thief(D), Criminal(D), Expert Reader(F), Herbs Gathered(S), Herbs Types(S), Potion Brewer(S), Potion Types(E), Status Mastery(D), Beast Slayer(D), Horned Rabbit Slayer(C), Potion Administered(F), Goblin Slayer(E), Orc Slayer(F), Assassination(S), Herbalist Series(C), Skeleton Slayer(C), Noticed(S), God Series(D), Potion Selling(F), Potion Failed(D), Potion Succeeded(D), Alchemist Series(F), Money Maker(S), Merchant Series(C), Trading(S), Herbs Sold(S), Herbs Bought(S), Acknowledged(S), Disgraceful (S), Ignored(S),? Forgotten(S), Zombie Slayer(F), Creation(S), Ilusion Series(A), Deluded(S).
Completed Series: Fishing(S), Farming(S).
Skill Points: 2
Actives: Status level 54(D), System Library level 50(D), Mana Coat level 20(E), Mana Wave level 3(F), Ice Bind level 10(F), Ice Sword level 1(F), Icicle level 15(F), Long Slash level 13(F), Ice Expansion level 4(F).
Passives: Bleeding Resistance level 20(E), Swordsmanship level 23(E), Sword Mastery level 14(F), Mana Control level 35(E), Ice Control level 25(E), Slight Wisdom Boost level 9(F), Slight Mana Recovery level 15(F), Acid Resistance level 1(F), Ax Art level 1(F), Ax Mastery level 1(F), Corpse Dismantler level 10(F), Brainwash Resistance level 66(C), Night Vision level 10(F), Slight Stamina Boost level 3(F), Slight Agility Boost level 6(F), Slight Strength Boost level 9(F).
Class Actives: Dark Alchemy level 52, Magic Analysis level 50, Destiny Cards level 1.
Class Rituals: Snow Falling level 10.
Class Passives: Dark Alchemy Mastery level 40, Witchcraft level 42, Curse's Mastery level 14, Ritual's Mastery level 14, Magic Control level 33, Magic Knowledge level 23, Ice Mastery level 15, Babel Mastery level 1, Grimoire Mastery level 1.
Babel Arts: Grimoire Possession, Grimoire Renouncing.
Unique: Appraisal level 42, Sealed[2/3].
Cursed: Unidentified Skill, Mirror level 7.
Rare Element: Ice.
Cursed Soul-bound(Grimoire Rank D: 184/400)
'Seems like I won 2 skill points, probably from the skill mastery title which is rank A only one more to go.'
"In my case, the mirror is level 7 Aurora, and my soul is worth 7 thousand."
"I had between 0 to 2000 soul so between level 1 to 2. Since I was always going up and down it probably didn't matter much, but since you have it at a higher level it should work better for you. Could also be because I'm a weapon too with soul power instead of soul."
"True that now it is time to find out the truth, appraise mirror."
I point towards the mirror word on my screen with a big smile.
Notice: 10 mana has been deducted.
[Very sturdy mirror protected by an unidentified barrier, failed to appraise the magical component.]
'A unique skilled failed to appraise a cursed skill? I guess one rank away is too much... perhaps it has a different solution. What if I try something else,' I point my palm towards the room floor, "mirror."
Once the big mirror appears," magic analysis."
Notice: 50 mana has been deducted.
Notice: Analysing barrier... Failure.
"So you want to fight me eh? I will let you know that this skill even worked against a god barrier! Status spam it till it works!" Aurora looks at me confused and quietly while I'm speaking alone, tilting her head in the process.
Notice: 400 mana has been deducted.
After 8 tries it finally worked.
Notice: Analyzing barrier... Success.
Notice: Space element detected, portal type of space unidentified location.
Notice: Curse detected may form a pact with the mirror to use it, however, might get cursed by the old owner barrier.
I start losing my senses and place my hand on the head, "damn not now, Aurora please give me the brainwash resistance skill fast."
As Aurora changed into grimoire form to proceed to that, a very cold tone came out of my mouth, "Grimoire Possession," she got pulled into Iris's hand and their souls resonated further increasing the personality alteration. A wicked smiled appeared on the girl's face.
"Learn cursing objects and decay skills," an unusual low tone echoed in the room as a chill aura spread from Iris's body.
Notice: Skills successfully learned; Status updated.
Iris drew an empty circle around the room with her mana and then spoke," snow falling ritual."
Below the girl, the empty circle was filled with a five-point star.
Iris smiled, "magic analyses, appraisal, status, system library, snow falling ritual ten-pointed star."
Notice: 1500 mana has been deducted from the grimoire.
The star inside the circle transformed into a ten-pointed star, slowly filling the entire room with higher mana density.
She approaches the mirror and places a hand in the now visible barrier due to the room filled with mana, and pieces of snow falling, "decay cursed barrier."
The barrier transforms into a shadow who looks around grasping the situation around. Then noticing the danger, tries to return to its master while the girl without losing time, voices out the next command, "magic analysis."
Notice: 50 mana has been deducted.
Notice: Analysing shadow.
Notice: Weakness was analyzed successfully.
Notice: Due to decaying, the curse can no longer attack Iris, but it's trying to return to warn its master, Romeo the sage.
A voice full of ill intentions that sounded demonic left her lips, "that would trouble my master," an evil smile then filled her expression turning a little girl into a very scary one.
She raises her arm pointing with a finger to the curse," dark bind."
A dark hand was summoned below the shadow close to the mirror grabbing it, "ice sword, curse object it."
Notice: 300 mana has been deducted.
Notice: Object successfully cursed, due to magic analysis skill, it was cursed with the proper countermeasure.
"Dark bind," a second dark hand entangles the shadow that has no shape, and then the two of them pull it towards the sword.
Notice: 100 mana has been deducted.
"Begone worm," Iris pierces the shadow completely corroding it, enhanced by the curse and decay effect making the shadow curse unable to resist, ending up perishing.
System: The title Curse Slayer has been received.
Notice: 1000 experience has been rewarded from a sentient curse.
"Grimoire renouncing," Aurora transformed back into human form and spoke," who are you? Why did you call Iris master?"
A kind smile appeared on Iris's face and then with her mana, she wrote the word Iris on the mirror, and spoke, "copy me Aurora."
Notice: 50 mana has been deducted.
Aurora knowing everything that transpired copied her sister's behavior, writing her own name on the opposite side of the mirror.
"Can you at least tell me what's on the other side of this mirror?"
Aurora approached Iris who decided to push her into the mirror with an evil smile.
"If you're that curious, go find out yourself," as the words left Iris's mouth, Aurora was sucked into the mirror while screaming due to her trauma.