Plague Curse

"Hekate, what are those two things on you?" Betty asked in shock.

The powerful figure who had appeared above the royal capital had left.

When she turned around, she saw two strange points of light on Hekate's body—one azure blue, one fiery red—both orbiting around her.

Hekate smiled. "It's a new spell I learned. I'm trying it out."

The Fire Curse Technique was still attacking Xias, and the Resonance Star state could not be canceled for the time being. She said, "After what happened, your father is probably worried sick. Why don't you go back and see him first?"

"...Right, I should go back." Betty froze for a moment, her eyes dimming slightly. Resigned, she said, "I'll take you back first."

Hekate nodded.

Eloping was impossible, but Hekate did not want to see Betty used as a sacrifice for peace either.

"Don't worry. Everything will be all right."

The King of Chaos was rather strong, with the power of a 5-star Archmage, but in the end, he was only a little more fire-resistant.

Betty forced a smile. "Mm, you're right."

The fact that an enemy Magus had appeared in the royal capital frightened quite a few nobles.

Count Fortes had gone out, though no one knew who he had gone to find. Her mother, second sister, and Natasha remained in the hall, their faces still filled with lingering panic.

The moment Hekate returned, her mother Audrey rushed over and hugged her, trembling all over.

After Hekate comforted them for quite some time, the few of them finally calmed down.

After returning to her room, she fully activated the Fire Curse Technique, burning Xias in the distant Chaos Kingdom until he howled in agony.

That night, Hekate began asking about what had happened during the day.

Since Xias had been driven back by her, the Chaos Kingdom's plans were bound to change.

Xias Elnan Bayla had been tormented to exhaustion by your Fire Curse Technique. He could only keep consuming magic recovery potions and focus on maintaining his magic shield.

He was fucking fire-resistant.

Hekate was a little speechless. From afternoon until now, her Fire Curse Technique had burned him for at least six hours.

The King of Chaos intended to find the person who had cursed Xias. Under the pretense of accepting the surrender agreement and needing to discuss further details, he planned to send people into Lundria—stalling the Uruk royal family while searching for that person.

After burning Xias, she would burn the king.

Hekate had already put him next on the barbecue list.

Finally, Hekate asked a question.

"Why did Princess Betty want to elope with me?" Hekate asked curiously. After Eternal Moonlight modified her Magic Level, she was only a 5-star Intermediate Mage. No matter how she looked at it, she was not a suitable person to elope with.

One could imagine that if she really were a 5-star Intermediate Mage and truly eloped with Betty, her fate would not be much better than becoming a hostage.

Some things would look ugly once exposed. We're all waiting for the blockhead to sprout.

Hekate: "?"

What kind of bullshit was that? Don't tell me you're trying to say Princess Betty likes me?

What a joke.

Hekate shook her head, lay down on the bed, and focused on burning Xias.

At that moment, Natasha suddenly pushed open the door, slipped into her bed, and hugged her from behind.

Hekate hurriedly curled up and threw back the blanket.

"Natasha, why did you suddenly crawl in here?" Hekate said in a panic. Even the magic power sustaining the curse trembled slightly.

At such close range, it would be very easy for someone to discover the issue with her gender. That was why Hekate disliked close contact with others. Even with her mother, it was limited to hugs.

Natasha's eyes were red as she cried, "Hekate, I'm scared... I'm scared that if I die one day, there'll still be so many things I never got to try..."

"...Don't worry. Nothing will happen."

Hekate could only spend more time comforting her before taking Natasha back to her room.

The next day.

At the breakfast table, her father said that Chaos had accepted the surrender agreement and would send people over to negotiate. For the time being, they would not need to pack up and flee.

Hearing this, the family all breathed sighs of relief. As long as the Uruk Kingdom was not destroyed, they would not become subjects of a fallen nation. They could retain their noble status and continue enjoying peaceful lives.

Hekate had no comment on this.

In truth, even without last night's Star Speech, she did not think the Chaos Kingdom would let the matter rest.

How did that saying go? Cede five cities today, ten tomorrow, and gain a single night's peaceful sleep. But when you rose to look at the four borders, the Qin army had arrived again.

Of course, with her currently roasting them, they would not dare act recklessly for the time being.

After returning to her room, Hekate checked on Xias's situation.

Xias had obtained a legendary fire-resistant piece of equipment, rendering him immune to the damage from your Fire Curse Technique. He was currently resting.

How could a nation not have specialized equipment?

That was only normal.

But Hekate had made preparations as well.

She took out a new spellbook: Plague Curse, a basic dark-element Curse Magic spell.

It was not that she could not afford advanced spells. It was simply that she could learn basic spells at a glance.

She did not have that much time to study now. In any case, with basic spells stacked together with the Star of Magic and Star of Dark Element, she could still kill him.

Hekate roughly glanced over the spell's incantation and magic power circulation route. She learned it within minutes, like a college student steamrolling kindergarten, instantly raising her proficiency to beginner level.

Plague Curse, target: Xias Elnan Bayla!

Inside the Chaos Knights' lounge in the capital of the Chaos Kingdom.

Xias lay on the floor, looking exhausted. Having taken too many magic recovery potions, he now felt extremely drowsy.

With Magic Equipment helping him nullify the curse's power, he no longer had to worry about the Fire Curse Technique's damage. He could rest for a while without concern. Once the king killed that hateful mage, he would finally be free.

As Xias thought this, his nose suddenly began to itch.

"Achoo!"

He opened his eyes. At some point, the Fire Curse Technique on his body had vanished. He rose to his feet in delight, only to discover that his body was even more exhausted than his mind. He could not summon a shred of strength. The moment he stood up, he collapsed limply back onto the floor.

"What's going on?"

Xias cried out in terror, then sneezed several times in succession. A bone-chilling cold rose from the depths of his heart, making him shiver.

"I'm sick?!"

Xias found this feeling of weakness familiar, yet strange.

Ever since becoming a mage, he had rarely fallen ill. For this sickness to come so suddenly was highly suspicious!

The Fire Curse Technique had disappeared, yet his body had been infected with disease.

Damn it, that person knew I was wearing fire-resistant equipment, so they used another curse!

Xias thought through gritted teeth.

There was no doubt about it. He had been hit by the basic spell Plague Curse!

"Damn mage, don't let me find where you are!!!" Xias roared weakly as he hurriedly cast a purification spell on himself.

However, the moment he purified the curse, another Plague Curse came.

Xias's body frantically cycled between sickness and purification. Before long, all his magic power was exhausted. He could only watch in despair as his body grew heavier and heavier, his weary eyes slowly closing as he plunged into the abyss of darkness.