Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 76 – Curse Of A Dying Soul

I sighed as I saw the blood on her palm.

“Haa… Are you sick?”

“I told you I’m o—”

“You’re lying.”

I cut her off, my tone firm, gaze unwavering.

“Old age doesn’t make you cough up blood like that. Why didn’t you tell me? I might be able to help. You saved my life. Let me repay that.”

For a moment, she was silent, her eyes drifting to the blood-stained hand. Then, she gave a small, defeated chuckle and scratched the side of her head—almost like a child caught hiding a broken toy.

“Haha… I guess I can’t hide it anymore.”

She sat down, her shoulders subtly trembling despite the smile she tried to wear.

“It’s… a curse. One that’s haunted me since my days of enslavement. Two hundred years ago.”

“Curse?” my brows furrowed.

I had assumed it was an illness—but this, this was far worse than I imagined.

Her gaze lowered, staring into the palm of her hand as though the blood held memories.

“Yes…” she said after a moment. “Back then, the empire sought to create a new element—something that could rival the sanctity of the holy element, but twisted… merged with darkness. They called it the Dark Saint Project.”

So it was the empire again—the same cruelty, just wearing an older face.

Her voice grew quieter with each word, the weight of them pressing heavily against her.

“They needed test subjects who had light element affinity,” she said. “I was one of them.”

Her fingers trembled slightly.

“They said we were ‘blessed’ to be chosen. That we were helping create something divine. But the truth is…”

Her voice cracked. She covered her mouth with her hand for a second, biting it gently to stop the tremble.

“We were nothing but fuel.”

Her lips pressed into a faint, bitter smile. Not out of amusement—just... exhaustion. Like someone who had already told this story in her head a thousand times and hated every retelling.

I said nothing. I couldn't. My chest tightened as I watched her struggle.

“Most of them died,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “Burned from the inside out. Screamed until their lungs gave out. Some went mad. Others... begged to die. I was the only one who didn’t perish. But I didn’t survive either—not really.”

She lifted her hand again, staring at it like it didn’t belong to her.

“I woke up with this curse etched into my body. They didn’t even know what it was. Neither did I.”

A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, but she didn’t wipe it away. She just kept talking, like she was afraid she'd lose the courage to finish if she stopped.

“I couldn’t feel anything at first. Just... cold. Like something had been hollowed out.”

Her hands moved to her arms, hugging herself. She shivered—not from the chill, but from the memory.

“One day, someone destroyed the lab. She saved the survivors—what few of us were left. I chose to follow her.”

She closed her eyes, a soft smile touching her lips.

“She was strong. Fearless. Kind. She taught me magic, taught me how to walk on my own again. For the first time, I felt like I was alive.”

Her voice faltered.

“And then… time caught up with her.”

She covered her mouth again, this time not to stop a cough—but to stifle the sob threatening to escape.

“She was human. She aged. And one day… she didn’t wake up.”

Another tear slid down Selena’s cheek. This time, she wiped it away with the back of her hand quickly, almost angrily, as if ashamed to show any weakness.

“I buried her myself,” she whispered. “No one else knew her. No one else cared. But I did.”

She sat there for a moment, silent, clutching her sleeves tightly in her fists. The room felt unbearably quiet.

I could feel something clenching in my chest.

She wasn’t just telling me a story—she was peeling back centuries of pain she’d forced herself to carry alone.

I didn’t know what to say.

All I could do was clench my hands in my lap and silently watch her—a woman who’d endured two centuries of horror and grief—and somehow, still found the strength to smile at me. To help me.

How could she still be so kind?

How could someone with so much pain still be so good?

My chest ached. And for the first time since I’d been reborn in this world, I truly felt small.

“...How long did you search for a way to purify the curse?” I asked softly.

She gave a long, slow sigh.

“My master and I… we tried everything. Saints, ancient rituals, forbidden magic, lost scrolls from fallen temples. She even risked her life traveling to a deserted land in the far south. We sacrificed time, energy—everything.”

She looked at me with tired eyes.

“Even a real saint from the Liberia Holy Kingdom once tried to purify it. But her power couldn’t touch the curse. It was like trying to cleanse something that didn’t belong in this world at all.”

Her voice cracked again on that last word, and she quickly turned her face away from me, pretending to look out the window—even though the curtains were drawn.

She pressed her palm to her chest again.

“And... after all those failures, the curse changed. It started to shift. I felt it... turning inward. Like it wasn’t just latched onto me—but sinking deeper.”

She fell silent for a moment. Then, with a breathless laugh, she said:

“And now, I know. It’s not just hurting me. It’s eating me. Piece by piece.”

Her hand trembled slightly against her chest.

“A few years ago, I felt something… change. Something inside me began to slip away. Not just health. But something deeper.”

She paused again. This time, when she looked at me, her smile was too tired to be comforting.

“My lifespan is being devoured. It’s subtle, but steady. I can feel the clock winding down. And if nothing changes... I probably won’t live past the next three years.”

“Three years…” I echoed under my breath, the weight of it settling in like ice.

She nodded slowly. “It’s not age. Not wear. Not the end of a long life. It’s this curse. And I don’t want to die from something so... meaningless.”

Then her voice dropped to almost a whisper.

“But... I’m so tired. I don’t want to hope anymore. Hope hurts more than dying.”

That last line struck me harder than anything else she had said.

I didn’t see a 397-year-old half-elf in that moment. I saw a woman who had lived with pain longer than most lives even last. A woman who had loved, lost, suffered, healed others... but never herself.

I clenched my hands, forcing myself to breathe evenly.

<“Aza… do you have any insights into this curse?”>

【I’ve searched the known archives for curses tied to both light and dark elements… but I’ve found nothing specific. No records of this curse exist in the known databases.】

<“I see.”>

A hollow pause.

【However...】Her voice carried that familiar tone—mischievous, yet sharper this time.

<“However?”>

【I might be able to analyze the curse directly. But I’ll need your help.】

<“What do I need to do?”>

【You’ll have to channel your light-element mana directly into her body. Preferably through sustained skin contact.】

<“...Skin contact?”>

【Yes. The most stable and efficient location would be her front… Well, her back would be fine too. Just your hand—flat, steady. I’ll handle the analysis from there.】

I stared at Selena for a moment.

Even now, she sat still—her fingers curled lightly in her lap, golden eyes staring off toward the closed window. A woman who’d accepted death long before it arrived.

She deserved better.

But... how was I supposed to explain touching her front… No, I mean, her back without sounding like some pervert?

I cleared my throat. “Umm… Selena?”

She turned to me, head slightly tilted. “Yes?”

“If... If there was a chance to dispel your curse, would you take it?”

She blinked at me, as though the question hadn’t crossed her mind in years.

“I would,” she said softly, smiling. “There’s still so much I want to do. Magic I want to test. Tools I haven’t built yet.”

Her eyes drifted downward.

“But… I doubt there’s a way. I’ve long since given up hoping. Even if it could be cured, I’m nearly 400. I’d die soon either way. So I’ve made peace with it.”

I clenched my fists. If it’s about her old age, I already have a way to solve it. The only skill that I haven’t used even for once.

So that leaves only the curse.

“No. Don’t.” I shook my head.

“Hm?”

“Don’t make peace with something that’s killing you.”

She blinked again—surprised.

“Would you... let me try something?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly. “What do you mean?”

“I want to analyze the curse directly. There’s a... method. I don’t know if it’ll work, but I want to try.”

She studied me quietly. “...How?”

“I’d need to channel my light-element mana into your body. Through your fr— I mean, your back. With my hand.”

The word ‘front’ almost slipped out of my mouth. Fortunately, I was able to change it quickly. Though, it still sounds like a pervert…

“Oh, sure. Go ahead.”

“Huh? You’re okay with it?”

I was surprised she accepted it so easily.

“Yes? Ahh,” she said with a smirk as if she just realized something amused. “So you want to touch my back?”

I flinched. “N-No! I mean, yes—but not like that! It’s not—!”

She burst into laughter, covering her mouth. “Relax. I trust you.”

“I just don’t want to seem—”

“You’re kind. I’ve known that from the beginning. I wouldn’t have let you stay here if I thought otherwise.”

Her voice softened, but her eyes quickly changed into mischievous once more.

“And besides… even if you were the type to do something indecent, I wouldn’t mind. I’m just an old hag now, right?”

“H-Huh!? No! I-I mean, sure, I wanted to—wait, no! That’s not—! I mean—! Arrghh—!”

The words tumbled out of my mouth faster than my brain could stop them. And once they were out—once I heard myself say “I wanted to”—my heart practically stopped. My face burned hotter than the dragon's breath.

I slapped both hands over my face.

“Forget I said anything!” I squeaked from behind my fingers.

Selena burst into laughter—soft, genuine laughter that echoed warmly through the room. Not mocking. Not scornful. Just… amused.

“Freed,” she said warmly, “I was only teasing. Really, it’s okay. If it might help... then go ahead.”

I nodded, flustered.

“So, you were hiding your light element, huh…” She muttered, but didn’t press forward as if she understood the reason why I hid it.

She stood up gracefully, then turned away from me. Without hesitation, she sat on the bed and pulled her pajama top just enough to bare her upper back, still keeping herself decently covered. Her silver hair slid forward, revealing the smooth, pale skin of her shoulders.

She looked over her shoulder.

“I’m ready.”

I swallowed hard. I bet if I looked into the mirror right now, my face would undoubtedly become red.

I shook my head to clear out my temptation.

Despite her words, despite the permission, I felt like I was trespassing into something fragile. This wasn’t about touching skin. This was about a person who had spent her whole life alone in suffering—and was now entrusting me with a piece of that pain.

I reached out and pressed my palm against her back.

Her skin was warm.

I closed my eyes and focused.

<“Let’s begin.”>

【Understood. Beginning analysis.】

I summoned my mana. Gentle. Steady. It surged from my core, aligned with light, and seeped into Selena’s body.

There was no resistance. No rejection.

She accepted it completely.

Aza guided the flow. My mana threaded through her muscles, her blood, her lungs, her nerves. Bit by bit, it spread through her, like sunlight searching through the shadows in an ancient ruin.

Once my mana saturated every corner of her inner body, it halted. Aza ensured no aspect of the curse was overlooked.

Eventually, it focused around her heart.

Then her brain.

Then both. Every ounce of my mana redirected itself there, intensifying the focus on these critical areas.

Minutes passed.

My mana on her brain began to move into her heart.

Then dozens of minutes.

And finally—almost an hour later—my mana began to withdraw, returning to my hand.

【Analysis complete.】

I opened my eyes and pulled my hand away.

“Is it done?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Yes.”

“What did you find?”

I paused. “First... put your clothes back on. And... could you grab me a glass of water? I’m a bit thirsty.”

“Sure. Be right back.”

She stood, redressing herself, then left the room.

I exhaled slowly.

The truth was—I just needed time to talk to Aza first.

<“Aza… now tell me everything.”>

【First of all... they were amazing.】

<“Huh?”>

I blinked. Did I hear that right?

What in the world was she talking about? Was Aza—an angel, no less—praising the people who experimented on slaves?

<“You’re praising them?”>

【Not them as people, obviously. But the theory. The ambition. What they attempted was beyond what most modern magical scholars would even dare to approach. Honestly, if they hadn’t been so... you know, evil and morally bankrupt, I might’ve admired them more.】

I groaned internally.

Figures. This was Azadia—the angel who cared more about knowledge and technologies than ethics. Still, her voice was practically shimmering with excitement now, like she couldn’t hold back the urge to lecture.

【Listen. They weren’t trying to create a new element. They were trying to revive a long-lost one—one erased from human history. A mythical state where opposing forces—light and dark—coexist in one body. True duality.】

She practically gasped inside my mind.

【And what’s incredible is... they almost succeeded. They had the right framework, the rituals, the merging structure—it all lined up perfectly. But…】

Her tone dropped with dramatic disappointment.

【They used the wrong ingredient. Instead of a pure dark element, they used one tainted by malice, rage, and hatred—probably harvested from other cursed or emotionally unstable individuals. That corrupted the process entirely.】

I rubbed my temples as I listened.

A long-lost element. A dual state of light and dark—two extremes held in balance. It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. And they’d been that close to achieving it... by using people like tools.

<“That’s what caused her curse?”>

【Exactly. What they were trying to create was harmony—a perfect equilibrium. Had they succeeded with a pure dark element, the light and dark would’ve stabilized. No backlash. No damage.】

Her voice became hushed, almost reverent.

【It would’ve given her both elements. A rare, beautiful balance. A power that doesn’t exist anymore. But what she received instead was a corrupted inversion. The impure dark element twisted the light inside her... and the result lodged in her heart like a parasite. A dark curse, not a dark element.】

【And let me tell you... a pure dark element is nearly impossible to obtain. Do you know why? Because almost no one—no mortal—is free from malice. Everyone carries some fragment of hate, fear, vengeance. Even if it’s buried. A pure dark element is completely emotionless. Unclouded. Cold and empty—but clean.】

I found myself falling quiet. It was rare—scary rare—to hear Aza speak with this kind of reverence.

She was rambling like a scholar unearthing a forbidden relic. Giddy. Passionate. It was unnerving.

But I grounded myself—forced the awe aside. She was excited, but Selena didn’t have time for excitement. She needed answers.

<“Her heart…”> I asked slowly, <“Is it dangerous?”>

Aza’s tone darkened instantly.

【It already is. That thing isn’t just sitting there. It’s active. It’s consuming her soul—slowly, but steadily. Like she said, If nothing is done, she’ll be dead within three years. Sooner, if the curse accelerates.】

I clenched my jaw.

But Aza wasn’t done.

【And in the worst-case scenario… her soul won’t reincarnate. It’ll be completely erased. Gone. Forever.】

That hit me like a punch to the chest.

No reincarnation. No other chances. Not even a fading memory in the next life. Just… nothingness.

<“Is there a way to purify it?”>

There was a long pause.

Then—

【Heh.】

She was really annoying. That smug, almost smug laugh was her way of confirming that there was a way. But she just couldn’t resist the dramatic buildup.

<“...Can’t you just answer like a normal being for once?”>

【Oh, come now. Where’s the fun in that? Besides—would you prefer a boring yes or no, or do you want me to tell you how amazing your role might be in saving a cursed, ancient beauty from eternal soul destruction?】

I let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down my face.

She was impossible.

But… if she was excited, that meant there was hope.

Even if it was buried under layers of mystery and complexity.