"Regret lies within both choices."
A hundred years ago, in a time of war and death, humans stood at the pinnacle of power and status. Monsters, demons, angels, demi-gods, and pseudo-humans... none of these races were able to eliminate those they deemed the lowest and weakest of all. Humans proved them wrong by defeating every powerful force, emerging victorious over all other races.
The nation of humans that led them to victory was a group of talented, skillful, and "Incursed" individuals. They wielded power and strength unparalleled by those who saw them not as equals, but as mere dirt to be stomped and flattened. The unrivaled capabilities of humans eventually forced the other races to join hands in an attempt to eliminate the sole threat to their existence.
But despite their great efforts and cunning betrayal, the so-called superior races failed and fled in fear of total annihilation. Now, a hundred years later, there are still no signs of them on the surface. No one knows where they are, aside from the pseudo-humans and monsters who didn't feel the need to hide; in their defense, they had done nothing to the humans. In fact, they used to seek peace and coexistence. Other sub-races were successful in coexisting, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, and many others.
Despite the greatness of humans and their achievements a century ago, most of human history was buried and forgotten. Only a few know the truth: those who are still alive to tell the tale and those who decided to keep human history alive by writing manuscripts and narratives of the war. Along with the buried history of human greatness were the names of individuals who served as heroes during the Race War a hundred years ago.
However, a hero must still remain for the people to look up to and serve as an inspiration to achieve even greater greatness. Amidst every problem and circumstance, two heroes emerged and were solidified in human history, while the rest remained buried deep within the lies of the continent's past.
"Ivel and Valei... the two names of the heroes who cemented their reputations and valiance. One was talented while the other was a skillful mage. Their dynamic far surpassed any duos who tried to rob them of the title 'Paradoxical Duo,' which I think was a fitting title considering their talents and skills."
"And as for the Incursed, they remained rumors of the past—an unforgotten gossip even after a hundred years."
Only those who have the capacity to withstand their curse and live through it their whole lives have the chance to become an Incursed. Anyone can harbor deep hatred toward someone or something and curse them; however, not everyone can become an Incursed. Therefore, there are next to no encounters with Incursed individuals, highlighting the rarity of such people.
As they were tending to Hael's sufferings, they witnessed something unbelievable and impossible. The harrowing dark marks began retracting ever so slowly. Hael's breathing gradually stabilized, and his paleness eventually disappeared. What felt like an eternity of unraveling pain for Hael came to an end. The eternal torment was not, in fact, eternal, but rather an ephemeral series of mental and physical torture.
"No way!" Marx was beyond shocked. He was utterly perplexed by the scene. "Are we really witnessing the birth of an Incursed?! Just what did he go through to end up in such a cursed state?!"
When they first saw Hael, his body was covered in wounds, pale, and frail from starvation. Now, his features seemed normal and the wounds and scars on his body had disappeared, though his frailty remained visible.
"If this is the effect of becoming an Incursed, then we are witnessing history." Left's head began to ache. He clutched his head, remembering how he hadn't slept since getting there, although he would take quick naps.
"Urgh...!" Hael's eyes opened to find Left resting Hael's head on his lap. "Who are... you?"
With a fuzzy head and weak state of mind, Hael took Marx's hand as he offered help. Hael rose from Left's lap and assisted himself onto a rock to sit down.
"Hey, do you feel any different? By the way, I am Left and the other guy is Marx," said Left as he got up from the pile of leaves, wiping dirt from his clothes.
Still dazed, Hael looked at them without saying a word, his eyes remaining observant.
"It seems he is still processing what happened. We don't actually know what kind of hardship he went through to survive."
Instead of pressing while Hael was still recovering from mental distress, they waited patiently. As Hael silently glanced back and forth between them, Left continued butchering the rabbit until a growl echoed in their ears. It was Hael's stomach; he hadn't had a proper meal since the invasion of the monsters.
"You'll have to wait a bit," laughed Left, cutting the rabbit meat into small pieces after flaying the skin. He put the pieces into a small pot—its outer layer covered in black ashes—with water from the stream, some salt, crushed black peppercorns, and pandan. He had found these after scouring houses for spices and other valuables.
"I'm Hael," he suddenly replied. "I feel light and free for some reason."
His face looked peaceful as he stared at the sky through the large gaps between the tree branches. Like a bird freely flapping its wings in the air, Hael felt the same.
"I can see that." Left had felt that feeling before—being free from the shackles of fate and the inevitable. "Anyway, get some rest while we cook lunch. Your body needs energy."
Expending a huge amount of strength to hold himself against the eight royal guards of the Lich had taken a toll on his frail body. He needed long rest and plenty of nutrients. However, being on Mount Catan gave him no time to rest, for the monsters lurked, aiming to conquer.
"But don't you feel any different?" Marx prodded, placing more firewood into the pit. "You have just undergone a curse break, Hael."
Upon hearing Marx's question, Hael fell into a trance. His mind reminded him of the endless torment he had overcome. Glancing at his hand, then his wrist, arm, and torso, Hael huffed, and his body suddenly gained muscle and bulked up.
"Is this what he gained from becoming an Incursed?! But this is just a mere reinforcement of his whole body," Marx critically remarked, scanning for any changes other than the muscle reinforcement.
"A part of what he will be capable of in the near future," Left calmly answered. The response came out of nowhere; even he was surprised by his own words, but he did not let it show.
"I guess, since an Incursed human is one of the strongest individuals on the continent. They are kingdom-level fighters."
Even with that being said, Hael remained the weakest for now. However, his newfound strength gave him the confidence he sought to avenge those he had killed with his own hands. He couldn't let things slide, especially with the memory of his bloody hands every time he recalled the sensation of killing his friends.
"I'm clueless as to what happened to me, but based on your discussion, I am supposed to become strong, right?" Hael asked, and the two nodded. A smile formed on his face as he realized his profound vengeance could be fulfilled. "Help me! Make me strong. I'll do whatever it takes just to become powerful!"
Sheer determination and fiery confidence burned deep within Hael's eyes. He was keen on understanding his strength and power to use it against the monster forces that sought to trample the lives of peaceful humans.
"Not just strong or powerful, but one of the strongest and most powerful. That, I assure you."
The long-awaited preparations for a planned raid were finished. Adventurers of all ages and from all places gathered for an extreme job: to eliminate the growing threat on Mount Catan and reclaim what once belonged to humans. A month had passed since prerequisite jobs were assigned to those who wanted to participate in the upcoming massive raid. About twenty-one groups had returned and completed their goals.
"Five groups didn't make it," reported a demi-human who was half-human and half-tiger. "A particular group has been gone for more than a month since they went to Cattlea City, and they haven't come back. So, I sent another group to investigate. The guards said the group went inside and even showed the gate pass we provided. My men came back empty-handed."
"Hmm... I'll think about that once we reclaim Mount Catan."
A large group of adventurers stood on the outskirts of the mountain range, setting up camp before dark. They made fires and cooked for everyone, since the guild was in charge of provisions.
"Chief," called out the demi-human assistant. "It was smart to send out scouts first."
"How many enemies are we talking about?"
"You would not believe this! Scout Alpha reported a large number of ogres and orcs around the foot of the mountain. As they progressed up the steep slopes, they spotted Red Orcs and Grey Ogres mounting what appeared to be inexplicably large rats!"
The chief, who had been writing, halted his hand and turned to look at Camie, the demi-human—half-tigress, half-human.
"Is it..."
"But how could they be here?"
After thinking for a moment, the chief replied, "I can only think of a transportation spell or teleportation magic, but that would require tremendous mana and a great understanding of magic."
"I don't want to think it's just a coincidence and that the rats are just identical to the ones from the city of Cattlea."
"Either way, we can't let the public know about the disappearance of the group. Because if the Lich used transportation spells, then the worst-case scenario for Marx's group is that they were teleported to Mount Catan over a month ago!"
~