"This is a curse."
"This spell continuously drains the target's mana. Once the mana is exhausted, it begins to consume their life force. After that, their internal organs begin to fail, and finally, their heart slowly stops."
Beatrice's tone was calm, yet her words were like cold knives that pierced directly into the hearts of everyone present. Carlisle's heart sank, while Natsuki Subaru stood frozen in place, her mind completely blank.
"No… don't! Rem!"
Ram collapsed to her knees beside her sister with a dull thud, tightly gripping Rem's hand. Her tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks as her voice trembled with heartbreaking pain. She had never imagined that after only a brief separation, she would find her sister standing on the edge of death.
Inside the Forbidden Library, Rem's body trembled faintly. Her chest rose and fell violently, yet it felt as though an invisible hand was gripping her throat, making even ordinary breathing extremely difficult. Every labored gasp sounded like a desperate struggle against death itself.
Earlier, while searching for the Door Crossing magic, the loud noises Carlisle made had startled both Subaru and Ram. When Ram saw her sister lying there in such a miserable condition, her emotions instantly collapsed. While crying, she helped search frantically for the door to the Forbidden Library, desperate to find a way to save Rem as quickly as possible.
This was the first time Subaru had ever seen Ram so fragile and helpless. Her usual calm indifference and sharp tongue had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a sister consumed by fear and despair.
In the end, it was Subaru who found Beatrice's library, which led to the current scene.
"Betty! What should we do? How can we save Rem?"
Ram's voice almost broke as she shouted. Her body trembled slightly from overwhelming fear.
"Do you know who cursed Rem?"
Ram's breathing suddenly halted.
"Who… cursed Rem?"
Her thoughts exploded instantly as fragments of memory flashed through her mind. The only time Rem had left the Mansion during the past few days was during her routine trip to purchase supplies in Arlam Village.
"The villagers… is it one of them? Maybe… it's her!"
A figure appeared in her mind.
The new maid.
But in the very next moment, her eyes met Subaru's anxious expression. The girl had bitten her lower lip so hard that it was already bleeding. Her trembling fingers clutched the hem of her skirt, and her eyes were filled with helpless worry.
"No… that is not right."
It felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head. Ram's fist slammed heavily against the floor as she closed her eyes in pain and slowly shook her head.
"I… I do not know."
Beatrice let out a quiet sigh.
"It is too late. The curse has already been activated. Rem… cannot be saved."
"No!"
Ram's cry was filled with despair. She hugged her sister tightly as if by holding her close she could stop life from slipping away.
"Please… Betty… there must be a way. Please. No matter the cost, save Rem…"
Beatrice fell silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
"The only way now is to kill the one who cast the curse. But Rem does not have enough time. She is still alive only because that Knight is supplying her with mana."
Ram's expression turned blank again. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak, but no complete sentence came out.
"How could… No… please, Rem. Do not leave me alone…"
Her voice gradually faded into quiet sobs as the fear of losing her sister filled her heart.
Beside her, Carlisle continued pouring mana into Rem's body with both hands. Beads of sweat had already appeared across his forehead. He understood clearly that with the speed at which the curse was draining mana, Rem could die at any moment.
As he looked at her fragile state, a plan slowly formed in his mind.
It was a bold and dangerous plan, but in this desperate situation, it seemed to be the only way to save her.
What would be the cost?
The thought struck his mind like a shard of ice.
But he had already prepared himself for this possibility ever since he learned that forbidden spell.
The Blessing of Magic.
This was one of Carlisle's five blessings. It allowed him to adapt to all six magic attributes and granted him extraordinary talent in mastering any form of magic. It also allowed him to perceive and sense the flow of mana within his own body with perfect clarity.
"Betty, I may have a method that could work."
Carlisle's voice suddenly broke the suffocating silence of despair in the room.
Ram immediately lifted her head. A faint spark of hope appeared in her dull eyes. She almost crawled across the floor toward Carlisle and grabbed his clothes tightly.
"Please… save Rem… I will do anything if it means saving her…"
Her eyes were filled with desperate pleading, like someone grasping the final strand of hope.
Carlisle had no time for formalities. He explained quickly.
"I know a spell that can transfer magical effects within a human body. It is usually used to transfer beneficial Yang Attribute enhancements. But I have never attempted to transfer a curse before."
Beatrice listened before immediately shaking her head.
"No. Even if transfer magic could affect a curse, where would you move it? If you do not transfer it into another person's body…"
"I will become the vessel."
"What?"
Beatrice's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you an idiot? Even you will absolutely not survive the night if you do that. Are you planning to die for her?"
Her voice carried both anger and confusion. In her eyes, Carlisle's decision was nothing short of madness.
"What are you talking about? Absolutely not!"
Subaru's face instantly turned pale. She stumbled forward and grabbed Carlisle's arm tightly, trying to stop him.
She did not want anything to happen to Rem or Ram, but she could never accept Carlisle risking his own life. That was something she absolutely refused to face.
"No! Absolutely not! Beatrice said you will die!"
Carlisle gently pushed her hand away. The warmth of his palm made her heart tremble.
"Trust me. I will not die."
Just a few words, yet they carried an overwhelming weight.
Subaru's hands clenched into fists so tightly that pale marks appeared on her fingers. She wanted to stop him. She wanted to throw herself in front of him and block his path.
But she knew his character too well.
"No! Let me do it! I am her sister. Transfer the curse to me!"
Ram suddenly stood up. Her eyes were red from crying.
Her heart was filled with guilt and fierce protectiveness toward her sister. She was Rem's elder sister. How could she allow someone else to bear this suffering in her place?
She was ready to trade her own life for Rem's survival.
"Don't…"
Rem lay curled on the ground. Her consciousness was already fading, but when she heard someone willing to sacrifice themselves for her, she instinctively murmured in protest.
The night engulfed in flames flashed uncontrollably through her mind. The pain and despair of that memory surged back into her heart like a violent tide.
Her fingers trembled faintly as if she wanted to grasp something, but she did not even have the strength to raise her hand.
"No. It must be me. This is not a suicide mission. I have a plan."
Carlisle spoke calmly.
"After transferring the curse, I will be able to sense this mana. With the ability granted by my blessing, I should be able to roughly locate the source of the spell."
"Rem has not traveled far during the past few days. That means the caster should still be nearby."
"What a foolish plan. You are risking your life for a maid you have known for less than a week. Even if you find the caster, do you expect those two useless people to…"
"No. Ram will track the caster."
Carlisle's voice was steady.
"The rest… I will handle."
"What exactly are you planning?"
Carlisle did not answer.
Instead, he slowly crouched down and gently took Rem's hand.
"Ur Shamac."
In the next moment, his consciousness felt as if it had been pulled into Rem's body.
He could clearly perceive the flow of mana inside her. Following that flow, he saw it.
The curse.
Cold and sinister like a venomous serpent, it was tightly coiled around her life force while devouring it endlessly.
The moment Carlisle's magic touched the curse, a bone chilling cold instantly spread through his entire body. It felt as if he had been thrown into an endless frozen abyss.
The curse immediately began devouring his mana as well, trying to drag him down into darkness.
But Carlisle did not stop.
He clenched his teeth as pain twisted his expression while he continued absorbing the curse with all his strength.
As the curse gradually transferred into his body, his face turned pale and his breathing became rapid and uneven. His body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat covered his forehead.
Every second felt like unbearable agony.
Meanwhile, Rem's body slowly began to calm.
The terrifying paleness of her complexion gradually faded as a faint color returned to her cheeks.
Her eyelashes trembled.
Then she slowly opened her eyes.
Her blue eyes were filled with confusion and lingering pain.
"Carlisle… why would you save someone like me…"
Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, yet the sorrow and guilt within it were painfully clear.
The scene before her was too similar to the night when her life had stopped moving forward. Once again, she felt herself sinking into the abyss of self denial.
"Rem!"
The moment she heard her sister's voice, Ram rushed forward and carefully helped her sit up.
Relief flashed through her eyes.
At that moment, her heart was filled with countless conflicting emotions. She wanted to cry out loudly and release all the fear and despair that had built up inside her.
But Rem's life had been saved in exchange for Carlisle bearing the curse.
That debt was far too heavy.
So heavy that she did not even know how to face him.
She knew that now was not the time to release her emotions, because Carlisle was still suffering from the curse.
Carlisle remained seated on the ground. His face was pale and covered in cold sweat, and his body looked incredibly weak.
While enduring the freezing pain spreading through his body, he focused his mind and attempted to locate the source of the curse.
Following the trail of that malicious mana, his consciousness extended outward.
It passed through the Mansion.
And then into the depths of the forest.
---
"In the forest…"
Everyone held their breath as their eyes remained fixed on him. Every word he spoke now could determine life or death.
"Among the Mabeasts… I can feel them… they are gathering… they will arrive soon…"
His voice trembled slightly as the curse continued to affect him.
"Go quickly… call Emilia!"
...
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