My head was decapitated and my skull rolled onto the floor. The scythe plunged into the ground with that momentum.
“Ah, that startled me.”
Rubbing the area where my neck had been cut, I checked the condition of my new head. I had somehow survived thanks to the effect of [Life Obsession] which allowed the floating skull that remained upon death to become my new head.
Although I was on the brink of death, I had avoided dying. That was a close call. Let’s just say that this was also a good occasion to verify the effectiveness of the [Life Obsession] skill. However, it was somewhat disturbing that its first activation had been triggered by being decapitated by my own weapon.
“Are you okay?! Your head, it just popped off!”
“I’m fine thanks to my skill. But more importantly…”
I turned my attention to the scythe stuck in the floor. While Iris and I were looking away, the scythe had its shape greatly changed. It had previously looked brand new, with a blade and handle that were slightly darker than normal iron, but otherwise, it was a standard scythe.
And now? The handle was adorned with what seemed to be a sinister skeleton decoration, and the blade, which was once curved like a sickle, had suddenly become wavy. It was completely different from before.
“What’s going on here? Iris, do you know anything?”
“I’m not sure… But could the change be due to that?”
Iris pointed one of her tentacles at my skull, the top half of which had disappeared for some reason. Upon closer inspection, I could see that my skull was still gradually eroding. Observing one’s own skull eroding was certainly a rare experience.
But leaving that aside. The reason for the erosion of my skull seemed to be more than just because it was detached from my neck. I could say this because the eroded bones, turning into fine sand-like particles, were inexplicably flowing towards and being absorbed by the scythe, even though there was no wind. It appeared as if the scythe was devouring my bones.
“I think that the scythe completes itself by absorbing the heads of those it beheads.”
“A weapon that completes itself by killing its owner… It’s definitely not something an NPC can use.”
If Iris’s guess was correct, then there couldn’t be another weapon less suitable for NPCs than this scythe. After all, if they died, there was no coming back for them. Resurrection magic might make it possible, but unlike players, NPCs wouldn’t just respawn at a predetermined location if left alone. Who would want a weapon that requires the life of its owner to complete itself? Unless one had the means to avoid instant death like me, it should be considered a weapon exclusively for players.
While we were discussing this, my skull completely vanished, absorbed by the scythe. Then, a black mist reminiscent of my [Abyssal Aura] started to ooze from the blade of the scythe. Ugh… this could mean…
“Do you think it’s cursed?”
“Do you think so too, Iris?”
It reminded me of the atmosphere surrounding weapons occasionally left behind by Demon Spirits. However, I couldn’t just leave it as it was. I cautiously grasped the handle of the scythe and pulled it from the floor. As I did, the mist emanating from the blade intensified as if it were happy. Let’s use [Appraisal] for now.
――――――――――
- Hungry Soul Scythe – Quality: Fair, Rarity: G (God)
A scythe that has regained a part of its true power. It is indestructible and bound to its owner.
A cursed weapon that devours the souls of those it cuts and corrupts flesh and blood.
Enhancement materials: Dark Iron×20, Evil Spirits×4.
Equipment effects: [Dark Element Infusion], [Soul Absorption], [Blood Corruption], [Sealed], [Sealed]
※ This weapon is cursed and cannot be purified.
――――――――――
“Wha… A curse that can’t be purified?”
I couldn’t help but let out a disgusted sound. The nature of the curse was unknown, but the fact that it couldn’t be purified was surprising. Actually, I already knew how to break curses.
All you have to do is soak your cursed equipment in an item called holy water sold at the temple. Depending on the strength of the curse, the amount of holy water needed and the soaking time could be longer, but it was a simpler task than I had anticipated.
This holy water was available at the Temple of Birdy Perch and could be obtained in exchange for metal household items. Using the holy water she obtained, Iris had purified cursed weapons we had previously obtained and converted them back into ingots to create various weapons and handy gadgets. Most of the members who used metal equipment had switched to Iris’s new creations.
Meanwhile, Shiitake seemed to be experimenting with what could be done with cursed weapons. I had felt it from the moment we met, but she seemed to have a mad scientist streak in her.
Leaving that aside, the fact that purification was impossible for the scythe was still shocking. Visually speaking, a cursed weapon might suit my style better, but the idea of equipping something known to be cursed was a bit scary even to me.
“However, you took the trouble to enhance it for me. Maybe I should equip it after all.”
Even knowing it was cursed, I felt reluctant to let the weapon Iris had taken the effort to enhance just sit idle in my inventory. The effects of the curse were unknown, but upon equipping it, I might find the disadvantages to be surprisingly minimal. Alright, I’ll equip it!
――――――――――
You are afflicted with the “Curse of Forbidden Healing”.
While equipped, you can’t heal through magic or potions.
Natural recovery is halved.
――――――――――
Hmm, I was indeed cursed. The “Curse of Forbidden Healing” seemed to adversely affect all forms of healing. Fortunately, I could remove the equipment after combat, so it wasn’t a big issue. Besides, I rarely took damage being a rearguard and all, so the curse wasn’t too harsh for me. It would be more of a hassle, but that was it.
The disadvantages were outweighed by the benefits of the equipment. The “Dark Element Infusion” remained intact and two other effects were unsealed. The first, “Soul Absorption” allowed me to absorb magic power from enemies damaged with the scythe. The efficiency of absorption was unclear but since it worked on “damage,” I could drain mana even with ranged slashes. Not having to get close was a relief.
The second effect, “Blood Corruption” randomly inflicted status ailments when dealing damage. The probability was unknown, but the randomness made it difficult for enemies to counter which wasn’t bad at all.
Moreover, I possessed the [Abyssal Aura] so anyone who approached me would be constantly affected by the fear status ailment. However, I knew I couldn’t become overconfident due to its unstable nature.
“How did it go?” Iris asked.
“It seems I’ll only have difficulty healing. There’s no need to worry; it’s not like I can’t take it off ever again.”
“No, no. Not being able to heal sounds pretty dangerous, no?”
The one who interjected was Shiitake, who could now be considered the other mistress of this workshop. When had she arrived here?
“Well, I saw you two going into a small room…”
“Hey, were you watching from the beginning?”
As Shiitake laughed heartily while scribbling at the base of her umbrella, I found myself feeling a mix of amusement and annoyance. It’s not like I had done anything embarrassing, nor had I said anything I’d regret being overheard. However, the thought of being spied on the whole time left me with an uneasy feeling.
“Anyway, about that scythe. Are you really going to use it?”
“I will. I wanted to know what a cursed weapon was like and it’s a bit late for your advice since I’ve already equipped it.”
“Okay then. Let me know if anything weird happens~”
With that, Shiitake left. What was that all about?
“Um, could you please try using it for now? Our next expedition is tomorrow and it would be good for getting used to it.”
“That’s true. I’ll find someone to join me for a test run.”
“Please be careful.”
I left Iris’s workshop and she saw me off. First, I should head to the guild house to find someone available and head out to the field.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“So then, we’ll focus on providing support.”
“Sorry for dragging you into this.”
With that said, I found myself stepping into the “Gale Plains”. Accompanying me were Eiji, Shishu, Wool, and the pair of Hanna and Roja. Normally, Karl would be with me but he was sound asleep today so I left him undisturbed. Besides, with Karl’s current strength, we’d likely wipe out everything before I could even test the weapon’s new capabilities, so this was probably for the best.
Additionally, the pair forming cavalry wouldn’t join the battle. They were merely on a date and galloping across the plains. Thus, we hadn’t formed a party with them.
“If anything comes up, let us know. We’ll rush over as quickly as we can.”
“Thank you.”
“We’re the ones causing trouble. If anything happens, we’ll head over at full speed.”
Having said that, the pair dashed off into the grasslands. After all, their primary reason for starting the game was to enjoy the freedom of horseback riding. They seemed truly alive and happy with their long-cherished wish coming true. It was good to have fun during the game, and it was clear from their playful interactions that they had a strong bond as a couple. I couldn’t possibly think of interrupting them. Besides, Roja was there, so there was a real risk of getting kicked by a horse and having to respawn!
“We should get going too, then.”
“I’ll take the lead in the front.”
“The cursed weapon… it’s kind of scary.”
“Don’t worry~There’s no effect~ like it going berserk~ or anything~ like that~”
Shishu seemed slightly frightened at the prospect of me testing the cursed weapon, but Wool was there to calm her down. Hmm, maybe it’s the ominous sound of “cursed weapon” that’s unsettling?
“Magic Echo… Hmm, there are five enemies approaching from ahead. Stay alert,” I announced.
As we proceeded, I used Magic Echo and detected the presence of enemies. My companions quickly prepared for battle. What would emerge?
“””””Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!”””””
“Wind Lionesses, huh?”
The Wind Lionesses were fairly common monsters in this field. They were part of the field boss’s entourage so they boasted great strength. However, they weren’t much of a threat since their level was relatively low.
“They seem like a good match for a test cut. Everyone, stand back.”
I said so and stepped forward. Eiji and the others obediently backed away, clearly believing I could handle it alone with ease. As long as I was trusted, I couldn’t afford to show an unsightly display of battle.
“First, Flying Slash.”
“Garuaa?!”
I used Flying Slash, which was a martial technique of [Scythe Mastery]. The flying slash, imbued with dark element, cleaved through one of the Wind Lionesses that had been charging straight at me.
“Ga… Garuuu…”
“It seems my stats aren’t high enough for an instant kill. However, it looks like the effects of [Soul Absorption] and [Blood Corruption] are clear.”
I was pleased with the results of my first test cut and smiled. When Flying Slash hit, my magic power slightly recovered, and at the same time, the icon of the Wind Lioness showed a paralysis status effect. This undoubtedly meant that [Soul Absorption] and [Blood Corruption] were taken effect.
“Shall I continue like this? Short Teleport.”
“Gyan?!”
Using [Space-Time Magic], I teleported behind the enemy and slashed at one of the lionesses at the back. This time, I didn’t use a martial technique, but my magic power recovered again upon slashing. However, there were no status ailments.
“The effects of [Soul Absorption] seem stronger when directly slashing. Now, I should roughly gauge the activation rate of [Blood Corruption].”
Then, I continued to wield my scythe and advanced my experimentation. What became clear was that the amount of magic power absorbed by [Soul Absorption] was proportional to the damage inflicted, and [Blood Corruption] was more likely to activate when directly slashing with the blade. Well, that was as expected.
.
“Fumu… If I use magic, I might be able to defeat a Spartoi one-on-one. However, it seems impossible without magic.”
“No, no, if there were a mage who could win a melee battle against a vanguard of the same level, that would be downright astounding.”
“…That’s true.”
To conclude, relying solely on the scythe in battle would be reckless of me. The risk of damage taken didn’t justify the recovery of magic power. If I had been a vanguard specializing in using scythe weapons, it might have been a different story, but for the current me, the scythe was merely a weapon for dire situations. It seemed wiser to think of it as an enhancement to long-range attacks like Flying Slash.
“I think this is enough testing.”
“Then, shall we head to the ‘Black Death Ice Forest’ now? We’re close to evolving.”
“Of course, I don’t mind. What about you two?”
“Let’s go!”
“We’re going!”
If evolution was imminent, they probably wanted to gain as much experience as possible before the expedition. I was also in need of experience, so heading to the “Black Death Ice Forest” was a welcome idea.
“Then… Hm? What’s wrong, Eiji?”
“Isn’t that Hanna and Roja over there?”
Just as we were about to head to the “Black Death Ice Forest,” Eiji seemed to have spotted Hanna and Roja running towards us. Was something up?
“Hey! Everyone!”
“What’s the matter, Roja? You seem in a hurry…”
“We found an entrance to a Random Dungeon! Want to come explore it with us?!”
We exchanged glances and immediately nodded in agreement.
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