"Woahh." An older man in his mid-thirties exclaimed in shock. "It's been more than twenty years since the commander fought here at the training ground. Who's the new kid?"
"New kid?" another commented with a laugh. "That's the young master! He seems to have changed overnight. Looks like he's finally decided to get rid of his laziness and train."
"Hey… I heard he's always wanted to train, however…"
"However what?" someone questioned.
The man fell silent, suddenly feeling as though someone was watching him.
"The battle's certainly going to be interesting." A dark-skinned man holding a large glaive commented with a smirk.
"Bronson. Even you're interested? Do you think the young master would be able to at most land a blow on the commander?"
The question made the dark-skinned man chuckle in disdain.
"Land a blow on the commander? Even in his dreams he wouldn't dare imagine that!"
He didn't hold any disrespect for Aristarkh. However, he knew exactly how terrifying Rosaline was.
Even with her strength suppressed, landing a blow on her was simply impossible.
Aristarkh wouldn't be the first person she'd face. She had even defeated a rank-2 cursed warrior while she herself was only rank-1.
That alone showed just how terrifying her strength truly was.
…
I noticed the approaching crowd of soldiers and warriors as I lunged toward her, and it made my body tense slightly.
Still, I pushed forward.
I delivered a downward slash toward her head, but Rosaline merely used the bottom tip of her spear to flick my sword aside.
The impact travelled straight up my arm.
My hand quaked violently, and for a moment I nearly lost my grip on the longsword.
'The strength of a rank-one cursed fighter!'
(Please note that cursed fighter and cursed warrior are the same terms and are interchangeable.)
My first fight with a cursed fighter…
I had to give it everything I had.
Noticing the disinterested look on Rosaline's face, I frowned slightly and swung my sword again, this time aiming for her waist.
Swoosh!
My blade cut through the air at the fastest speed I could muster.
Yet once again Rosaline casually tapped it aside with the tip of her spear.
Still, I didn't stop.
Twisting my wrist mid-swing, I redirected the blade and thrust toward her midsection.
Rosaline didn't appear pressured in the slightest.
With smooth precision, she used the tip of her spear to slap my sword upward.
"I gave you three chances to attack… my turn." Rosaline stated coldly.
Instantly, I felt the air around her change.
'Fuck!' I cursed inwardly as I leapt backward.
But it was already too late.
Rosaline appeared in front of me like a phantom, her spear sweeping toward my right eye with terrifying momentum.
For a brief moment, I was certain I was about to lose my eye.
Reacting on instinct, I slashed my longsword upward.
Clang!
The two weapons collided with a heavy thud that echoed across the training ground.
"Impressive defense." Rosaline commented calmly.
Before I could even process her words, she swept the bottom of her spear toward my chest.
Our weapons were still locked together, yet due to the longer reach of her spear she was able to launch another attack instantly.
Shock surged through me.
I forced my body backward to create distance.
In the process, I instinctively let go of my sword.
Rosaline frowned.
A trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes.
She bent down, picked up my sword, and tossed it back toward me.
"Never let go of your weapon on the battlefield, no matter how tough the situation becomes." she said coldly.
"Abandoning your weapon is the same as abandoning your companion. Never forget that."
I caught the sword.
Only then did I understand the source of her dissatisfaction.
"Sorry." I muttered quietly.
Rosaline didn't seem to care much about the apology.
Suddenly my vision swayed.
A mysterious blue panel appeared before my eyes.
'Shit… why is the system showing up now?' I muttered aloud while trying to defend myself and glance at the panel at the same time.
The glowing screen obstructed part of my vision.
Because of that brief distraction, I couldn't properly see the direction of Rosaline's next attack.
Her spear slammed directly into my chest.
Bang!
My body crashed against the ground.
"Huh?" Rosaline exclaimed in surprise as she looked down at me. "Why didn't you defend?"
I cursed internally.
I wanted to defend.
But the system had chosen the worst possible moment to appear.
'What the hell is it even about?' I cursed again and glanced toward the panel.
The moment I read the message, my mouth fell open.
[Ding! Your bounded target has become a rank-2 cursed fighter.]
[Receiving 2x reward!]
[Congratulations on entering the first stage of a rank-1 cursed fighter!]
[Ding! Your bounded target has gained slight insight into the Dragon Flame Cursed Art.]
[Receiving 2x reward!]
[Congratulations on gaining slight mastery of the Dragon Flame Cursed Art!]
[Please increase affection of partner to receive higher multiple rewards!]
[Current affection: 29%]
'This… what the hell?' I gasped in disbelief.
At that exact moment, a mysterious energy erupted within my body.
It surged from my heart and spread through every bone, muscle, and nerve like a violent tide.
My entire body trembled.
It felt as though something inside me was being reconstructed from the inside out.
A sharp pricking sensation formed around my heart, as if something new was taking shape there.
My aura began to change.
Layer by layer.
It grew heavier.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"Huh… you became a cursed warrior already? But I didn't see him absorb cursed energy…" Rosaline muttered in surprise.
Thinking she must have simply missed it, she shook her head.
Instead, admiration appeared in her eyes as she looked at Aristarkh.
Such talent…
It was the rarest she had ever witnessed.
In fact, she doubted someone with such talent would ever appear again.
'He's a treasure… and he must be protected at all costs!' Rosaline decided firmly in her heart.
Meanwhile, I slowly stood up.
I could clearly feel the miraculous changes happening inside my body.
My muscles tightened and became denser.
Strength flowed through my limbs in a way I had never experienced before.
The difference between this and being a normal human was enormous.
Yet strangely…
It also felt as though someone was watching me from far away.
A distant gaze.
Observing.
Waiting.
At the same time, my mind expanded.
Something surfaced deep within my consciousness.
A technique.
No…
An art.
A cursed art.
'Interesting…' I muttered inwardly as I gripped my sword and fully stood up.
"Time for round two?" I asked Rosaline with a calm smile.
Rosaline grinned back at me.
"You seem confident…"
"I am confident."