Chapter 1612: A Body

Erend knew someone he could turn to when he encountered a problem he couldn’t understand. That ’person’ have an extraordinary amount of knowledge and information that Erend couldn’t have. That ’person’ was Veyrun, the administrator of the System’s power, and was the most suitable being to consult whenever Erend needed answers about something beyond his understanding.

While Erend considered his next move, Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira began taking out their equipment, which mostly consisted of books, papers, and writing materials for recording their observations.

They hadn’t brought out any specialized instruments or elaborate equipment for examining the curse yet because their investigation was still in its early stages.

For now, they needed to organize their findings and compare their observations before deciding how to proceed with a more thorough examination.

Erend told them that he would leave them to their work. The three Archmages acknowledged him with brief nods before returning to their discussion, already comparing notes.

Seeing that they were occupied, Erend decided not to interrupt them any further and walked away to find somewhere he could rest while consulting Veyrun.

He eventually stopped behind one of the buildings, where he could remain out of the way while still keeping himself close enough to return if the others needed him.

The oppressive energy surrounding the district continued to weigh on him, making him uncomfortable the longer he stayed there.

Although he had encountered countless dangerous places during his travels, there was something particularly unsettling about this city’s curse. He wished he could leave as soon as possible.

Erend leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes while remaining on his feet.

He focused his thoughts and reached out through the System, entering the familiar white room covered in a black grid where he usually met Veyrun.

The oppressive atmosphere of Scadri disappeared as the familiar space formed around him, giving him a brief sense of relief from the cursed energy that permeated the city.

Veyrun materialized in the room not long afterward. As usual, he appeared without any obvious sign of having traveled there, and the two of them soon settled onto opposite couches facing each other.

"What do you need this time?" Veyrun asked.

Erend didn’t waste time with unnecessary pleasantries. He explained what he and the three Archmages had discovered about the curse.

After describing their preliminary findings, Erend asked whether Veyrun had any information that might help them understand what they were dealing with.

Veyrun listened without interrupting. For a moment, he seemed to be searching through the vast amount of knowledge available to him before finally responding.

"I might have some information that could be relevant to this situation."

Erend immediately leaned forward. "Tell me what you know."

"Based on what you’ve described, it’s possible that what you call a curse isn’t actually a mass of evil Magic," Veyrun explained. "It might be the physical presence of the creature that created it."

Erend frowned in surprise. "You mean the curse itself is a creature’s body? How is that even possible?"

"Because you’re assuming that the curse and the creature responsible for it must be two separate things," Veyrun replied. "That isn’t necessarily true. Some beings have the abilities that allow them to spread their existence through the environment rather than just release their power into it. In such cases, what appears to be an effect of Magic may actually be an extension of the being itself.

"Think about the signs your companions observed. The cursed energy doesn’t seem to behave like ordinary Magic, right? Instead, it occupies the entire area as though something big exists on top of it. The dark tendrils might be extensions of that entity, while the black substance spreading across the ground could be another manifestation of its presence. Even the strange lights in the sky might be connected to it, although I can’t confirm that from your description alone."

Erend listened carefully, trying to reconcile Veyrun’s explanation with the Archmages’ findings.

If the curse really was the body of a creature, then they could be parts of a living entity, making the entire area resemble a single enormous organism.

"But if that’s true, why hasn’t anyone noticed it before?" Erend asked. "The people of the city have been studying this curse for decades. Surely someone would have realized that they weren’t dealing with ordinary Magic."

"Not necessarily," Veyrun answered. "If the creature’s body has existed in this state for a long time, its presence might have become indistinguishable from the curse it produces. Its energy could seep into the surrounding environment, alter the bodies of living beings, and gradually change the land until no clear boundary remains between the creature and the area it occupies. Those studying it might believe they’re examining the effects of a curse when they’re actually standing inside the body of the being responsible for it."

Erend’s expression grew more serious as the implications became clearer.

If Veyrun’s theory was correct, then the people of that city might have spent decades trying to dispel something that couldn’t be removed through conventional methods because it wasn’t just a Magic curse.

"Then how do we get rid of it?" Erend asked. "If the curse really is the creature’s body, can we destroy it or force it to retreat?"

"That depends on the nature of the creature and the relationship between its body and its power," Veyrun replied. "You would need to understand what the creature is and how it sustains its presence before. For now, treat this as a possibility rather than a confirmed answer. You should encourage the Archmages to investigate this aspect carefully."

Erend leaned back against the couch and fell silent for a moment.

He had expected Veyrun to offer some useful information but the possibility that the curse might actually be the body of an unknown creature was far more unsettling than he had anticipated.

If that theory proved correct, then the entire cursed district might be part of something alive, something that had remained hidden in plain sight for decades.

He opened his eyes slightly and considered what he needed to tell the Archmages when he returned.

"Thank you, Veyrun. You’re helpful as always."

Then Erend returned to the real world.

—