Chapter 6: Whispers of the Cursed Child
The coldness of the desert night slowly faded as the first light of dawn rose over the village.
One by one, the villagers woke up, beginning their daily routines.
Men and women opened their shops, while children hurried off to school.
Young warriors prepared for their morning training at the swordhall.
Among them was a boy, a bright smile lighting up his face as he walked toward the swordhall.
It was a special day for him.
After all the hard work and dreams, today would finally be the day he proved himself.
He muttered under his breath, "It's finally happening... I'll show them all. I'll earn the fame and respect I deserve."
This boy was none other than Zayen, the self-proclaimed genius of the village.
A twisted smile crept onto Zayen's face as he imagined the future.
"That trash Ariz is finally dead," he whispered to himself.
"Now, I'm the greatest talent of the swordhall. Ha! No one can stand in my way anymore!"
After attempting to murder Ariz the previous night and tossing his body into the river, Zayen and his two loyal minions believed their problems were over.
They returned to the village, blending in with the crowd, pretending nothing had happened.
However, what they didn't expect was the reaction of the villagers.
They found groups of people, including Ariz's grandfather, frantically searching for Ariz, calling out his name.
Seeing this, Zayen quickly ordered his men to intervene.
Before anyone could reach the swordhall to continue the search, they stopped the villagers and lied:
"Ariz already left the swordhall early in the morning," they said.
"Maybe he's wandered off somewhere."
The villagers hesitated but, trusting the words, turned back.
and now today zayen happily going toward swordhall.
He felt invincible, imagining the praise he would soon receive.
But halfway there, he spotted his two minions running toward him, faces pale with terror.
Confused, Zayen waved them over.
But as they got closer, he noticed something strange — the villagers they passed were whispering fearfully, casting suspicious glances at them.
When the minions finally reached him, they were gasping for breath, their faces twisted with horror.
Zayen frowned. "What happened? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
The first minion stammered, "Boss... we saw him..."
"Saw who?" Zayen barked impatiently.
"Ariz!" the minion cried. "We saw Ariz coming back to the village! He's alive!"
Zayen's smile froze.
He grabbed the minion by the collar and shouted,
"What nonsense are you spewing?! Have you lost your mind? How can a dead man be alive?!"
The second minion quickly added, "It's true! Many villagers saw him too — with their own eyes! He was walking back toward the village like nothing happened!"
Zayen's hands trembled. His mind spun with disbelief and rising fear.
The first minion continued, voice shaking,
"We followed your orders and spread rumors about Ariz's death all night...
But this morning, when he returned, people saw that he had no wounds, no injuries — not even a scratch!
Now... they're calling him cursed... some say he's a ghost!"
Zayen staggered back a step, heart pounding.
He clenched his fists.
"No! It's impossible! I killed him myself!"
He remembered the sight — Ariz's limp body, the river swallowing him whole.
There was no way he could have survived.
"How?!" Zayen growled, his face twisting in rage and panic.
"How is he back? How can he be... untouched?"
As fear and chaos stirred within the village, elsewhere...
Meanwhile, deep inside the swordhall, Ariz was undergoing brutal training under the guidance of the mysterious system.
After barely surviving death, Ariz had been granted a second chance — and he was determined not to waste it.
His muscles burned as he pushed himself through relentless exercises: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and runs under increased gravity.
The system, cold and mechanical, showed no mercy.
[Training Task Completed. Transferring host to Medical Recovery Pool.]
With a flash of light, Ariz's exhausted body was submerged into a pool filled with shimmering blue liquid.
The medicinal water soothed his aching muscles, mending the microtears and boosting his physical strength.
Ariz lay still, breathing heavily, feeling stronger with each passing second.
After half an hour of rest, a crisp mechanical voice echoed inside his mind:
[Ding! Second Task Issued.]
Second Task:
200 push-ups
200 sit-ups
200 pull-ups
20 km run (under 2x gravity)
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Reward: Sword Technique + 2 Stat Points
Penalty: Lose 1 Stat Point from all attributes.
Ariz slowly opened his eyes, determination blazing within them.
There was no time to rest.
The path he had chosen was one of blood and steel — and he was ready to walk it without hesitation.
While the fools outside laughed and conspired, Ariz was silently growing stronger in the shadows.
Soon...
He would return.
And when he did — he would not be the same boy they once mocked.
He would become the nightmare they could never escape.