MTLNOVEL Chapter 5: Echoes of the Curse: The First Confrontation
Chapter 5 : Echoes of the Curse: The First Confrontation
Inside the Curse Hunters headquarters in Avalon, tension filled the air. The hum of magical detection devices pulsed rhythmically, reflecting the rising negative energy in a remote area. Field Commander Edric Fowler stood before the spectral display table, where strands of cursed energy flickered ominously on the magical map.
"The wave is unstable…" Edric muttered, watching the data stream in.
His deputy, Evan Kinross, furrowed his brows and said, "This amount of energy doesn't match the usual cursed spirits we deal with. These aren't just fifth or fourth-grade spirits… Something stronger is here."
"Did you request reinforcements from the main branch?" Edric asked, suppressing his growing unease.
"Not yet, but we've already prepared a third-grade squad for the mission. We have innate sorcerers in the team, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
Edric looked at the spectral screen again. The wave seemed to be hiding something deeper, something not immediately visible. But he had no other choice.
"Assemble the team. We move in five minutes."
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As the hunters prepared, a brief meeting was held to assess the situation. Edric sat at the head of the table, behind him a glowing image displaying the classification of curses and sorcerers:
Power Classification from Weakest to Strongest:
• Fifth Grade: The weakest, any novice sorcerer can handle them.
• Fourth Grade: Requires basic combat skills to eliminate.
• Third Grade: Strong enough to pose a real threat, can only be defeated with innate magic or advanced combat strategies.
• Second Grade: Dangerous monsters, requiring second-grade or higher hunters to engage.
• First Grade: Far more powerful than second-grade, necessitating elite teams to stop them.
• Auxiliary Grade: A transitional stage between first and quasi-special grades, possessing exceptional abilities but not enough to be classified as quasi-special.
• Quasi-Special Grade: Near absolute power, yet lacking something to reach the peak.
• Special Grade: Extremely rare, the strongest sorcerers in the world, their power equal to dozens of regular hunters.
Edric cast a sharp glance at his team. "Our mission is clear. If this is just a third-grade curse, we won't have much trouble. But if it's second-grade or higher, we send an immediate distress signal. Understood?"
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The team arrived at the target location—a dense forest saturated with negative energy. The air crackled with tension, and the mist obscured their vision. The moment they stepped inside, Edric sensed something was off.
"It's close…" one of the hunters murmured.
Suddenly, a twisted creature with contorted limbs and fangs dripping black venom emerged. It was a third-grade cursed spirit.
"Combat formation!" Edric shouted as the team sprang into action.
The innate sorcerers in the group unleashed their abilities:
• One sorceress conjured blue flames that burned through the shadows.
• Another summoned razor-sharp wind blades, slicing into the cursed flesh.
• A third used superhuman speed to deliver precise strikes.
Yet, despite their efforts, the curse rapidly regenerated.
"It's feeding off the surrounding negativity!" Evan exclaimed.
Edric stepped back, then activated his innate magic: manipulation of spiritual structures, attempting to reshape the cursed energy within the spirit and destroy it from the inside.
But then… the ground trembled.
From the depths of the shadows, a second-grade cursed spirit emerged.
"Damn it…" Edric muttered, realizing they had made a grave miscalculation.
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A few meters away, in the same battlefield, Ares was facing his own nightmare.
Before him, a second-grade cursed spirit moved with terrifying agility. It was far larger than the previous one, with glowing eyes and claws resembling massive talons.
He took a deep breath. His violet eyes gleamed with the innate magic of the Lovai family: "The Hundred Eyes."
He instantly perceived every weakness, every movement it was about to make.
But…
It was faster than he expected.
He lunged forward, forming energy blades through his second innate magic, "Creation and Manipulation," though he couldn't yet fully unleash its power.
He aimed for a strike from the right side, but before he could even complete the attack, the curse had already moved.
Its fist crashed into his chest, slamming him violently to the ground.
The air was knocked out of his lungs. Pain spread through his body.
Yet he refused to surrender. He attempted to move, but speed wasn't on his side.
A sudden attack from the right!
At the last second, he twisted his body and raised his arm, forming a fragile magical barrier. But it wasn't enough… the claw tore through it, cutting deep into his shoulder.
The spirit loomed over him, ready to end the fight.
But Ares wasn't done yet.
Analyzing…
Recalculating trajectory…
In an instant, he redirected his remaining energy, forming a condensed energy spike at his fingertips.
Just as the spirit lunged for the kill—
Ares drove the spike straight into its core.
A moment of silence.
Then, the cursed spirit exploded into blackened ash.
His vision blurred as he collapsed to his knees, utterly drained, before slipping into unconsciousness.
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When Edric and his team arrived, they found only the corpse of the second-grade cursed spirit… and the remnants of a fierce battle.
Evan knelt to examine the ground. "This isn't the energy of our hunters… Who did this?"
Edric turned and saw Ares' body, lying battered and wounded, but still alive.
"Could it be…?"
"Take him with us."
And in that moment, destinies changed forever.
End of Chapter.