It was just the three of us in the carriage, myself, Enzo, and Marielle. The wheels rattled over the cobblestones as the horses drove us hard.
I sank into meditation, reaching for Mother—goddess Asclepia.
Mother… is Alex still alive?
No answer.
Asclepia was beyond nature. To a worm like me, her thoughts were incomprehensible. She was not so kind as to grant aid simply because I asked.
But she was watching.
She observed what I did.
That alone was enough. Communion with Mother was not dialogue, but silence. Not words, but presence.
And so it was fine.
A parent must eventually die. Yet even without form or voice, they watch the child’s path. And the child left behind spends their life moving forward—without time to reflect, only pressing on, onward, ever onward. In that figure, in time…
My meditation deepened. And there, unmistakably, I felt her presence.
◇◆
Continue to live.
In time, you will understand.
◇◆
I surfaced from meditation, and at once smelled the reek of death in the air.
I let out a long sigh.
“Hey, Enzo. Out of the five in that dungeon raid—want to bet how many are still alive?”
Enzo bristled and flinched like a cat on edge.
“That bad, huh?”
“The closer we get, the clearer it is. The situation’s rotten.”
The storm of death thickened with every step. I judged half of the survivors' vitality already gone. As for Alex’s party… already—
Someone unlucky was dead.
Someone lucky still clung to life.
I gripped my backpack tighter and leaned against Enzo’s back.
“Alright, Doc. Hang on—I’ll run. Don’t fall off.”
Marielle’s anxious gaze followed us as Enzo sprang from the carriage.
The wind tore at me. He hadn’t lied; over a short stretch, he was faster than a horse. In a moment, we left the carriage and the elf far behind.
Clutching his neck, I forced my eyes open against the gale. The dungeon entrance yawned ahead, a gaping wound in the earth, swarming with shouting adventurers.
“…Not good,” Enzo muttered.
I didn’t ask. I could already see it—black flames flickering in the air.
“Enzo. Stay sharp. There’s a curse here. Strong. Alex and the others… they’re tainted.”
“…Understood.”
He exhaled, nodding.
Around fifty adventurers crowded the entrance in a storm of noise and confusion. Carrying me, Enzo circled them warily, gauging the scene. And then—
“There. That’s Alex.”
“…”
At the center of the crowd, Alex knelt, head bowed, staring at her hands.
“Doc… safe to approach?”
“Wait. Let me observe a moment longer.”
Enzo halted. From his back, I scanned the scene.
“The curse is not contagious. But it’s potent, vile. I don’t see the others. Dead, then?”
Not the full picture, but one thing was certain—Alex hadn’t abandoned her party. That left only one possibility: total annihilation.
Enzo exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
“So, only Alex crawled out alive. As expected of her, I suppose.”
“No, she’s dying too. Move, Enzo. We treat her first.”
“Understood.”
Enzo burst forward, roaring at the crowd.
“I’m Enzo of Olympus! Out of the way, you bastards!!”
The throng parted, leaving Alex slumped in the center. The vigor I’d seen days ago was gone. Her hollow eyes locked on her hands, hands melted to bone from the wrists down.
Enzo halted. I leapt from his back with a smile.
“Well, well. Muscle-head, you still cling to life, huh? Lucky bastard.”
Alex gave a hollow, self-mocking grin. She had no strength for words.
“You fool. What did you fight?”
“…A Hydra variant. Undead.”
“I see.”
The curse clung thick around her. I pulled a blue stone from my pack, bit open my thumb, and smeared blood.
Seizing her hair, I yanked her close and painted a holy seal on her brow. Enough to wrench her back from death’s edge, but not to save her. I marked the stone with blood next. The holy water prepared at the clan was too weak. It would never purge this taint.
“Five hundred silver. A hundred for the right hand, fifty for the left.”
“—!”
Her eyes lifted.
“My hands… will they heal?”
“Not quickly. But yes.”
For an adventurer, hands were life. To lose them was death. Regaining them was the only salvation. Resolve sparked in her gaze. She answered without pause.
“I’ll pay.”
That would do.
The blue stone cracked. Holy water gushed forth. I splashed it over her head, forcing purification.
“If this fails, then that’s your fate. Accept it.”
Blood-sealed holy water. The strongest I could currently make.
At once, smoke rose from her body, trailing away like mist. For a moment, I thought it might be enough.
But…
I clicked my tongue.
“Damn fool. It slipped away.”
“Undead, after all…”
If the curse’s origin still lived, it was troublesome. The holy water burned it, yet fresh corruption surged at once. The thing hadn’t given up—its hatred clung to Alex, feeding the curse again and again. And I didn't have enough holy water.
“Enzo. Where’s Marielle?”
She was a mage, her means of fighting curses would differ, but she might have had a counter.
“Not yet, Doc. Think you can’t manage?”
I bit down on another curse.
Life was nothing but cruel jokes strung together.
This was a trial. For someone as green as me, it could cost my life.
Asclepia would not help. But she was watching, watching what I chose.
Then…
“Enzo. Cover your ears. As for the onlookers… never mind.”
“What? What are you… Doc, what the hell are you about to—”
If it would not relent, then I’d force it. To crush a curse this strong, you needed one stronger still.
The Tree of Life sheds its leaves.
Asclepia has two hands—
One heals.
One takes.
This time, I would use the Hand That Takes.
A curse-return. Dangerous for me, but in matters like this, the one who falters first loses.
One leaf… then another…
Enzo’s face twisted with terror as he realized.
“You idiot! Not that! That’s the Death Litany! Everyone get out of range of his words!!”
I had told him to cover his ears.
What still burns bright will soon burn out.
Enzo bolted. The onlookers scattered in panic.
Over corpses the stiff wind blows.
Over you, Mother stoops.
But her eyes do not see you.
All things pass, all vanish.
All die, and gladly.
Only Mother endures.
Just a little more. One more phrase, and the Death Litany would be complete.
The divine power spilling from me tore far beyond my limits.
Within me, Dietrich screamed, Stop!
Within me, Asclepia whispered, Do it.
Of course I would.
Grinning, I spoke on.
Mother’s playful fingers write your name upon the void.
One more word. Just one more, and the curse-return would be complete, dragging the undead Hydra straight into hell.
“…”
My eyes half-opened. Alex stared at me, lips trembling blue.
I laughed.
“So you’re still here, huh? Blame Annette. She told me to try it.”
Mother’s hand did not choose its target. I had wagered my own life as well. Alex was no exception.
Mother Asclepia, am I not just?
Be thou from this moment—
It was then, at that very instant, that it happened.
“…!?”
A torrent of black flame erupted from Alex, enough to blot out the sky, then vanished, scattering into the air.
“Damn it!”
The curse slipped away. Escaped.
Infuriating. If I were stronger, I could have cut the litany short and dragged both Alex and the Hydra into hell.
Instead, I was left with this half measure. Foul. Unsatisfying.
I spat venom at the woman before me.
“…Lucky bastard. You half-dead wretch.”
But before I collapsed, there was still one thing left.
“The other day, you paid me more than my due. Consider this change. Take it.”
Alex still shuddered, teeth chattering from the brush of death. At her feet, I tossed the object I’d carried from the Palma’s slums.
“The Pale-lipped woman. In truth, a serpent. She loves sacrifice, loves revenge. To you, adventurer Alex—her blessing. Or her curse.”
With my right hand, I traced the holy sign, bowing my head.
Trash belongs in the trash.
All that remained was a severed cat’s tail.