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[Evolution: The Thirteen Veins]

[Species: Vampire]

[Rank: Special]

[Description: Hated by even withing your own species, you are not just a cursed being... You have become the curse itself. Sacrifice the curse manipulation to manifest thirteen curses, waiting to be unleashed]

[Authority: Curse]

[Skill: <Cursed Veins>, <Mark>, <Hunger>]

[Bonus: +15 Spirit, +5 Unassigned]

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’So, I can get these powerful curses, but I will lose my power of curse manipulation... I can’t use curse spells anymore and have to rely on skill alone for anything to do with curse,’ Lucian thought, understanding the underlying meaning of the description.

At first, he thought it was a stupid deal. Why would anyone want to exchange presumably hundreds of spells or even more for just thirteen powerful curses... this, when there is clearly no mention of how strong they are.

Seeing that the evolution was of special rank, Lucian understood there must be more to it. And as he ponders over it, something clicks inside his head.

All the work of the curse can be done by my quirk... hmm! Aside from damaging that hunter’s sword, I haven’t done anything with it. Aren’t I just wasting the manipulation... and anyway, focusing more on one element is better in the long term.

As he continued to spiral into a web of questions and answers, Lucian understood that randomly going on wouldn’t help him. Recognizing his goals, he first created a cohesive mind map.

’I want to be on the master side... heal him. Fend off any danger without them getting closer to him. Do his works... improve the dungeon... fill the treasury... find his way back to home...’

He went on and on... some at the surface level and some that needed deep planning and a lot of time and patience.

There isn’t really a need for the curse in all these... it would be better if I had it, but sacrificing it doesn’t put me at any disadvantage either... anyway, the rest of evolution isn’t really that great either... is it worth it to sacrifice the curse for these...

Lucian contemplated these for some time, and in the end, he came up with the answer that. Yes, it is worth it. Having made up his mind, he looks up at the skills.

[Cursed Veins: Thirteen potent curses are sealed within your body, one bound to each major vein. They fortify you from within.

Rank: Tier ⅠⅠⅠ (Upgradeable)]

[Mark: Marking a being with your stigma puts them in your vision. The damage dealt by the curse on the marked being is stronger. But be cautious, as the removal of stigma creates an intense backlash.

Rank: Tier ⅠⅠ (Upgradeable)]

Eater: You can eat the misfortune of others to grow the curses residing within your veins.]

Rank: Tier ⅠⅠ (Upgradeable)]

’These skills really have a wide range of application... this is what I call skills and not whatever garbage the rest of them were.’

’But they aren’t all sunshine and rainbows either...’ As Liucian was thinking about it, he frowned. Scratching his head, he asked himself.

"What is this rainbow thing?"

This wasn’t the only time. There had been many moments when he spoke or thought about things he did not truly understand. How and why this kept happening to him remained a complete mystery as of now.

Lucian was pondering over this for a few seconds when suddenly it slipped out of his mind. Frowning, he tried remembering what he was thinking, but couldn’t put his mind on it.

Forgetting about it completely, he moved the skills.

I have to use the skill mark carefully, or else I could be in serious danger... expect that everything is fine... it has already given me ways to upgrade the curse as well.

Will it work if I cause them the misfortune and harvest it then... is there any restriction preventing it? I have to check it... sigh!! I really need some test subjects.

Having made up his mind, Lucain moved out of the church and stretched himself. Clasping his hands together, he began moving around the many churches in search of anything that could be useful.

There were many things around, but limited by the physical constraints, he couldn’t do anything. Having nothing more to do, the little demon confirmed his evolution.

[Do you want to continue your evolution as The Thriteen Vein?]

[Yes/No]

Lucian nodded his head as another panel appeared, asking him to distribute his stats. Keeping in mind that this evolution can put him in danger, he opted to put all five points in stamina.

As he confirmed it, a sudden drowsiness washed over him, slowly pulling him into sleep. The realm around him shuddered as it began to close in on him. Everything was drawn back inside him until only his body remained in the endless void.

***

"Thanks for being honest with me... You can venture out. There aren’t many things yet, so the only place available is the jungle..."

Michael looked at the dungeon’s master, who told them to move out of the room.

Nodding, Michael patted Misha on the shoulder and started walking away. After they had traveled for a while, an adult goblin appeared and escorted them to the edge of the jungle.

Leaving them there, the monster moved away, heading toward the place where the fight had taken place.

Seeing the monster disappear from sight, Michael leaned closer to Misha.

Startled by his sudden movement, Misha flinched. Hearing him whisper in her ears, she understood it was a misunderstanding.

"Do you have any spells that can stop others from eavesdropping?"

Misha nodded and began weaving mana around them. Without her staff, it was difficult to control the spell precisely, but after a few attempts, she cast it, forming a faint shimmering barrier around them.

Sighing, Michael looked at her with a worried expression and whispered, "There is something wrong with Master..."

Pausing for a moment, he recalled their conversation and added, "First of all, a Tier ⅠⅠ monster shouldn’t be able to speak this fluently. The demon is even stranger... not only can he talk despite being only Tier Ⅰ, but he can also make plans, negotiate, and understand people. It’s... it’s almost as if there’s a part of a human inside him."

Instead of answering, Misha lowered her head and apologized. "Michael, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have helped the monster. If I hadn’t, Master would have died and—"

Before she could finish, Michael interrupted her, "But we would’ve died too."

"Y-yes..." Struggling to speak, Misha nodded.

"Even though I don’t like the Director, he was right about one thing... prioritize your own safety. Become a coward if you must. You only followed what we were taught, so there’s nothing wrong with it. I would’ve done the same in your place."

Pausing, he lifted his head toward the sky. The sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon, painting the heavens in soft shades of orange, pink, and red. Scattered clouds reflected the fading light, making the view even more mesmerizing.

’It’s beautiful...’

Turning back to Misha, he added, "Anyway... we’ll survive this."

Misha knew Michael was a confident person, and he had the skill to back that up. Still, seeing him act this overconfident in their situation felt strange to her.

"Why do you think that...?" she asked softly.

"I wrote a letter to my grandma," Michael replied.

"I told her to contact the necessary authorities if I didn’t return within a week." He remembered how just before moving out of the academy, he had written a letter to her.

Frowning, Misha hesitated before asking, "B-But the oath..."

"I’m already as good as dead," Michael said calmly. "And if I had returned safely... no one would’ve heard a peep of it."

The shimmering barrier around them slowly faded into the air like mist. As it vanished, a strong wind rushed past Michael, causing his hair to flutter wildly across his face.