The portal's crimson hue pulsed. Casting an eerie glow across the faces of the gathered adventurers. The once-bustling atmosphere around the World Tower's entrance fell into stunned silence.
Broken only by soft whispers.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Leo stood as if turned to stone. His eyes locked onto the shimmering surface that had so violently expelled him moments before. The air thickened around him, heavy with tension. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum in his ears. His mind raced, scrambling for an explanation.
Then.
A massive notification materialized before the gate.
A resonant chime echoed, and golden letters appeared mid-air, their message both clear and damning:
[System Notification] CURSED BEINGS ARE PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING THE WORLD TOWER
Below the message, intricate runes pulsed with angry red light. Their arcane patterns shifting and intertwining, emanating a force that actively repelled Leo's presence.
Detected user under the Blight of the Vanquished curse.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Heads turned, eyes searching until they found their target. Leo felt the weight of countless stares, a pressure almost as tangible as the force that had expelled him from the portal.
On his hand, the sigil of the curse glowed with an ominous, blood-red light. The twisted lines carved deep into his flesh, jagged and malevolent. The curse that had been his silent companion since his battle with the Dragon Lord was now a blazing beacon.
Marking him.
Leo clicked his tongue in irritation. A subtle gesture betraying his simmering frustration. Inside, his mind raced, formulating his next move. He rose to his feet, brushing off the dust from his clothes with intentional slowness. His jaw clenched, the only outward sign of the turmoil within.
Maintaining his composure, he turned and made his way back to Ai. The white cats wove through the crowd, their playful movements contrasting sharply with the somber atmosphere.
Whispers grew louder.
A rising tide of speculation and fear.
"A system user... actually barred from the tower?"
"The curse... it truly exists?"
"I thought it was just a legend..."
Snatches of ancient lore mingled with fresh fear in the hushed whispers that spread through the crowd.
"We all knew the curse weakens its victim," a battle-scarred warrior murmured, his eyes fixed on Leo.
"But this is something else entirely."
"Aye," his companion nodded, her voice tight. "Barred from the World Tower itself? That would be devastating even for system users."
The crowd shifted uneasily. Their gazes darting between Leo and the now-placid portal. A young mage, her robes still pristine, voiced the thought many were too afraid to utter:
"If it can deny entry to the World Tower, what else might it do?"
The air hummed with tension as adventurers grappled with this unsettling reality. Some edged away from Leo, as if mere proximity might infect them. Others leaned in, morbid curiosity overriding caution. Desperate to glean any information about this legendary curse now brought to life before them.
Leaving only uncertainty.
And the truth.
Hidden within the shadow of a nearby pillar, a cloaked figure observed the scene intently. Clad in dark, form-fitting attire. Her face concealed except for piercing eyes that missed nothing. She moved, trained in the arts of stealth.
Her eyes, sharp as a hawk's, had not left Leo since the moment he'd been expelled from the tower gate. Now, as the implications of what she'd witnessed sank in, a shiver of excitement ran down her spine.
"He's a cursed system user," she breathed, her words barely a whisper. "This information is invaluable. I must report to the Queen at once."
She reached in between her chest. A scroll. Her fingers flew across its surface, recording every detail of what she'd seen.
In the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving behind only the faintest rustle of leaves to mark her passing.
The tension around the World Tower's entrance continued to build. Leo stood at its center, the glowing curse a constant reminder of the barrier that now stood between him and his goals. As adventurers whispered and pointed, his mind was already racing, searching for a way forward. The path to saving Amanda and Roxanne had just become far more complicated.
Or is it?
After a few tense moments, the portal's angry red glow began to wane. The pulsing crimson hue ebbed away. Replaced once more by the swirling, multicolored vortex that had initially captivated onlookers. The vibrant colors danced and intertwined, casting a mesmerizing tapestry of light across the faces of the gathered adventurers. The imposing notification that had hovered ominously before the gate flickered and vanished.
Leaving behind the haunting memory of its forbidding message.
But for Leo, the challenge had only just begun. The curse he bear a constant reminder of the obstacles he had yet to overcome.
As Leo reached Ai, the healer who had been tending to the injured adventurers rushed forward, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "Thank you," she breathed, her voice thick with emotion. "Your kindness saved lives today."
Leo's gaze swept over the group, lingering on each face marked by the recent brush with death. His expression remained stoic, but a flicker of emotion glinted in his eyes.
Compassion.
Calculation.
"It's fine," he said simply, his tone neither warm nor cold. "Just remember this favor when the time comes."
The healer's smile faltered for a moment, surprise and uncertainty warring on her face. But as the weight of his words sank in, she nodded slowly. A look of solemn understanding settling over her features.
"Of course," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "We owe you our lives. Whatever you need whenever you need it."
As Leo turned, his eyes fell upon a still form lying apart from the others. The sight of the lifeless body, a pure reminder of the tower's unforgiving nature, sent a chill through the gathered crowd.
His jaw tightened.
A muscle worked beneath the skin.
"My condolences," he said, the words heavy with a weight that spoke of personal loss. The healer's companions bowed their heads, grief etching lines into their faces.
Turning to Ai, Leo's voice took on urgency. "We have nothing left to do here. Let's go to Amanda."
Ai nodded, her fingers dancing through the air with inhuman precision. A shimmering map materialized beside her, continents and oceans rendered in glowing lines of energy. With a few more calculated gestures, she zeroed in on their destination.
Move to Elven Domain?
The crowd of adventurers gasped in unison as Ai tapped 'Yes.'
Instantly, a brilliant magic circle blazed to life beneath Leo and his companions. Its complex runes and symbols weaving together in a hypnotizing display.
The ground trembled underfoot.
An electric charge set teeth on edge and raised goosebumps along every arm. The sheer intensity of the magic nearly overwhelming those who stood nearby.
In a blinding flash, they vanished, leaving behind a stunned silence and a swirl of unanswered questions.
Then the light faded.
Leo found himself standing at the edge of a forest unlike any he had ever seen. Ancient trees towered overhead. Their colossal trunks dwarfing even the tallest watchtowers of the human kingdom. Their leaves shimmered with an otherworldly luminosity, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.
The air was thick with magic, each breath infused with the earthy scent of ancient woodlands and whispers of arcane secrets. An otherworldly aroma permeated the atmosphere. A blend of sweet nectar, rich loam, and an elusive, ethereal note. It was intoxicating and slightly disorienting. Making Leo's enhanced senses tingle with each inhalation.
For a moment, Leo stood engrossed in the majesty of the Elven Domain. But his newfound abilities picked up something else.
A presence.
Multiple ones.
Moving within the depths of the forest. Giant figures, their exact nature unclear, roamed among the trees. Subtle tremors pulsed through the earth beneath his feet. Each one hinting at the passage of colossal beings hidden within the forest's depths.
The boundary between the familiar world and this realm of ancient magic was evident. Leo stood at the threshold, keenly aware that each step forward would take him deeper into a world of wonder and danger.
Where the rules he knew might no longer apply.