The Dreaming World has a unique setting when it comes to curses.
It is the fact that if a higher curse exists, lower-tier curses do not take effect.
You can place as many curses as exist, but if a higher curse already exists, lower curses cannot be used.
Therefore, the two curses that currently exist for me are:
The physical curse, [Drunkard], and the mental curse, [Alcoholic].
However, it was entirely uncertain if this system would apply in reality.
Thus, this is a kind of gamble.
To prepare in advance, I drink alcohol and arrive at the place where the Doomsayers agreed to meet me.
[Current intoxication level: 5%]
As I feel the needle entering my arm in a dizzy state…
Thud.
And I wake up in a small coffin.
What I see around me is a black space.
I realize that escaping by myself will be difficult; I can only hope someone will come and take me out.
Suddenly, black smoke fills the surroundings.
It starts to envelop me, filling this space completely.
Strange substances enter through my nose, ears, and eyes, every possible opening.
Crawl.
They provide a sensation of swirling within my brain, making my head spin.
It feels as if something is forcing itself into my consciousness, trying to fill it with another presence.
“Ugh…”
I hope it works.
I don’t particularly like brainwashing…
Sizzle.
[External interference detected.]
[
Sizzle.
[A higher curse currently exists.]
[
[Mental power decreases.]
[Maintained.]
[Mental power decreases.]
[Maintained.]
[Mental power…].
.
.
.
[Lower-tier curses are being extinguished.]
[External access evaluation results.]
[Mental power confirmed to be above necessary levels.]
[Infection attempt detected.]
[Invasion.]
[Attempting defense.]
[Success.]
[Mental infection has been successfully defended against.]
.
.
.
“Ugh…”
I feel sick.
“Haa… haa…”
My head hurts.
It feels like my brain has been completely turned upside down.
And I immediately start to think if I have done something wrong.
Destruction, end, nothingness.
It’s common for brain infections by those I know to show a positive reaction to these words, but I don’t want to respond positively.
If I had to choose between affirmation and negation, my mind is certainly stable enough to choose negation.
Thus, I defended against it.
“Huuuh…”
Realizing this, I see a sentence before my eyes.
[You have withstood the curse of those who walk in the wake of the end.]
[A new achievement will be recorded.]
[A small amount of additional stats is permanently granted.]
Finally, the status screen has displayed some meaningful sentences.
“Haha.”
As I clench my fist in the coffin, what I feel is definitely a different power.
While there was no noticeable increase in muscle, the strength entering my body has certainly changed from a few hours ago.
If I were to fight against the previous me, I could probably handle up to two of them.
Even if it’s just a small amount, the impact is certainly significant.
After all, it’s always a good feeling to take risks and receive guaranteed rewards.
Though it’s unfortunate that I can’t choose how the additional stats are distributed, it’s fine since they will have been distributed evenly.
However, I still shouldn’t celebrate.
If my thoughts are correct, this place is one of the branches of the Doomsayers.
Surrounding this coffin, various Doomsayers will likely be waiting for me to come out.
Just as that thought crosses my mind, the coffin opens with a creak.
Creak.
The sound of wood resonates strangely as I rise from my place, looking at the ceiling.
And then I realize there’s a mask placed on my face.
I hadn’t even realized the surroundings were completely dark.
“Hello.”
“Yes.”
I respond casually as I match their rhythm in thought.
“Are you ready to accompany us?”
“I am ready.”
Now, what should I do with these guys?
For my immediate safety and the danger level of the situation, it would be better to either kill or incapacitate them and escape.
But on the other hand, these guys are a solid stepping stone for my growth.
At the very least, they would take everything useful from their branch to try and bring down the Academy.
In the meantime, if I can just collect valuable items, it will significantly help my stat growth, let alone making money.
Moreover, I am still too weak to take all of them down.
I still don’t have a good grasp of the overall power level of my opponents, and the moment I topple this branch, the others will surely notice something’s off.
So then…
Isn’t the answer simple?
“Now, please carry out your tasks.”
I hold back a smile that rises and respond.
“Understood.”
If I were to list the dangerous things that can emerge from a group, there are various threats.
Incompetent superiors, comrades who don’t follow the rules, and everything else.
And this can be summed up as ‘internal enemies.’
Willingly, I plan to consume everything that can be eaten from within.
“Laugh ha ha!!”
“Hehe…”
No one will probably know.
Everyone present is laughing, but only one person is doing so for a different reason.
***
After returning to the lodging, they gave me a command.
“On exactly the day the new moon begins this month, please capture all the personnel within the Academy.”
“Understood.”
Watching their retreating figures as they leave, I lie down on the floor, pondering.
The event is supposed to happen as originally planned.
The day of the new moon is the day when the moon will be precisely between the sun and the earth, appearing invisible.
Whether it’s day or night doesn’t matter.
It’s just that it happens to be the day that these guys like the most.
And it is supposed to be the day when Noah will die.
“That can’t happen.”
As I chug the rest of the alcohol that I had left over, I think about how to best ruin their plans.
I don’t feel sorry for them.
Although it’s not shown in-game, those bastards use even children as their means.
On that day, when they think everything will go perfectly, the Doomsayers will face their most horrific failure.
“Hehe…”
After thinking happily for a while, I noticed the mask carelessly thrown nearby and picked it up.
“I didn’t take this.”
Is it not important?
They always come in wearing masks similar to this every time they invade the Academy, so it doesn’t seem like something of lesser importance.
“…”
As I quietly looked at the mask, a new status screen popped up, detailed for the first time.
[False Mask of the Doomsayers]
[Grade: Rare]
[Information: The end shall come unto you.]
[Ability: Permanently grants a small amount of stats once a month, but decreases mental power each time it is used. Additionally, there is a possibility of brainwashing if mental power falls below a certain level while wearing the mask.]
The first time I saw that content, it properly displayed the information about the mask.
The fact that such an occurrence happened for the first time means…
“Aha.”
It appears that only items that have accurately become mine will have their information revealed.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.
Judging by the fact that I didn’t receive information on the gloves or gun I got from the Academy, it must be because those are still Academy equipment or they’re below rare grade.
Moreover, looking at the description of this mask, it seems the strange smoke earlier was also from it.
“Should I just discard it?”
The stats are one thing, but the fact that it’s once a month, and it feels unpleasant as well.
Even I, who am not cursed, do not want to keep it nearby too much.
But just throwing it away might trigger some unknown event, so discarding it in a waste bag feels too risky.
Having seen many movies where people throw nuclear waste into rivers or oceans and monsters are born from it, I can’t shake the feeling that just throwing it away might cause something to happen where I don’t know.
“Hmm…”
Should I just hang it up in a corner of the room?
It gives a fancy house vibe when hung up like that.
Having just that one piece in an otherwise empty room without even a desk or chair makes the atmosphere feel chilly, but summer is around the corner, so isn’t it better to have something than nothing?
After concentrating again and organizing my plans for a moment.
“What? It’s all gone.”
Realizing that the alcohol I had stored up was completely gone after taking a few sips, I noticed it was almost time for the convenience stores around me to close.
I hurriedly put on some clothes and dashed outside toward the nearest mart.
The owner of this mart had previously not cared about ID checks if it was for errands my parents asked me to run.
Normally, it would make sense to report it, but for me, it was truly a ray of light in being able to purchase alcohol.
Other convenience stores or places like this were checking IDs, probably because I either look young or small in stature.
Upon arriving, I was relieved that the lights in the mart were still on, and while heading towards the alcoholic section, I spotted a familiar back.
“Uh? Yoon Si-woo?”
I don’t know why that guy is here, but I don’t have any good memories with him, so I intended to avoid him…
Thud.
He spotted me among the other items he was examining and suddenly started walking toward me.
‘What’s he doing coming here?’
