Chapter 45 Are you in pain? Are you hungry?
Aiwass returned along the same route.
Cross the barren mountains and cross the dirty rivers.
It was another half an hour after he arrived at the abandoned warehouse where the stones were stored... before Aiwas received the curse.
A strong discomfort suddenly came from deep within his body.
Just like when you have a cold and a fever, your body starts to feel cold and shiver uncontrollably. Then your limbs start to become weak, your breath becomes burning, and your skin starts to ache - that's because the nerves under your skin are beginning to be damaged by the curse.
What a familiar feeling.
"...You're so slow, you're only here now."
Aiwass murmured softly, and his pace gradually became slow and heavy.
He felt his eyes becoming red and swollen, and his head gradually became dizzy and painful.
He murmured to himself, "It's like dreaming back to my childhood."
This was the "Fever Curse," the same curse he had exorcised from little Aiwass.
This was also the curse that Aiwass was cursed with when he was a child.
It's on the same level as the "Poisonous Food Curse" that caused Lulu to vomit blood, and slightly weaker than the "Tainted Blood Curse."
"...a demonologist specializing in the curse faction."
Aiwass was clear about the other party's identity in his mind: "This doesn't look like a Star Antimony person."
As a demonologist from Xingti, his greatest skill is actually ritual studies, followed by demonology.
However, curse studies are not included in official textbooks.
Because even the Star Antimony Kingdom, which allows the existence of demonologists, does not want anyone to curse and kill their nobles and officials easily.
The Hook Demon isn't a very useful demon either.
Its low intelligence and single attack method mean that many tedious tasks cannot be assigned to the little devil; and because of its low energy level, the demonologist cannot strengthen himself by signing a contract with the shadow demon like he did with Aiwass.
Generally speaking, the demons that demonologists contract are stronger than themselves. Otherwise, there would be no point in selling their souls.
——Selling my soul to sign a weakling with a bad temper, why don’t I just accept a hardworking disciple?
This demonologist's proficiency in casting various curses suggests he's certainly of a high rank, at least upper second level, or even third level. However, the demon he contracted is noticeably weaker; the fact that he consistently hides in the shadows and doesn't personally attack suggests he's likely not as skilled in ritual magic as Da Zi.
Demonologists who are particularly skilled in curses are a hallmark of the Eastern desert dwellers. In the intense desert wars over sacred water sources and oases, cursers capable of viciously attacking key enemy figures are a valuable resource. However, in the resource-scarce desert, it's difficult to gather the materials for complex rituals, so ritual studies haven't flourished among the desert dwellers.
This also fits with him working for the Mastermind, and is even more consistent with Jack the Ripper's statement that the Master eventually left Avalon and headed east of the desert.
A curser from the desert made his way to the Kingdom of Avalon. He took refuge with a powerful figure, accepting payment for "cursing and killing on his behalf," earning money and profit by cursing designated targets. After making enough money, he fled back home. This is probably the full story.
...This shows that the big shot is quite kind. He knew so many of his secrets, yet he didn't kill him and let him go.
Of course, it's also possible that he has been silenced, but Jack doesn't know.
This hook demon is just a part of the mature curse ability system of the murderer behind the scenes.
After weakening his target with a curse, he would then send the Iron Hook Demon to deliver the final blow. The Iron Hook Demon was only his ability to finish off his enemies, but it was not the core of his power.
——No wonder he didn’t specially train the Iron Hook Demon.
He had the knowledge, but he didn't do it himself.
Because there is no need.
This demon was originally just a tool - this was evident from the fact that he could easily abandon it to a student he had just met.
If one cherishes this demon too much and strengthens it through rituals, like Jack the Ripper did, one might become too famous.
Although after the Iron Hook Demon was strengthened, Jack was able to temporarily put his consciousness into the Iron Hook Demon and use his brain to control this little demon who was mentally retarded but really tough and dealt high damage.
But this strengthening ritual carries its own risks.
Because for a curse caster, fame isn't a good thing. Just like when Sherlock lifted his own curse... when someone knows they're cursed, the curse isn't so scary anymore. Different curses have corresponding solutions.
Success and victory lies in the existence of the curse master being unknown to others.
"The target died in an accident" is the highest compliment.
"So... this is how my biological parents died."
Aiwass murmured.
The increasingly severe fever made his mind confused, but his memory was gradually sorted out.
Judging from the Jack the Ripper incident, this combination of the Curse Master and the Hook Demon should also have existed in real history.
When Aiwas was a child, he was cursed with a fever, which caused him to faint and lose consciousness. Therefore, he does not remember what happened afterwards.
But as a fragile child, he suddenly suffered a high fever and lost consciousness, but he did not die in the end - there is only one possible answer, that is, his curse was dispelled.
The difference is that it was not Julio who should have dispelled the curse, but Bishop Mathers.
In real history, he would not be banned because his level was too much higher than this copy, and Julio could have come into contact with Mathers.
This also explains why Mathers was so concerned about Aiwass, so enthusiastic on their first meeting...even willing to lend him the key to the chapel. He said he was repaying Professor Moriarty for his help, but I'm afraid the real reason was probably Julio.
When they first met, he recognized Aiwass as the child of his student Julio Alexander because Aiwass had obvious traces of "Julio" and "Annie".
He felt remorse and grief for not saving his student that year. In order to avoid repeating the same mistake, he made up his mind to protect Aiwass at all costs.
From his attitude, Aiwass could make the opposite judgment - it was because Bishop Mathers thought he could solve this incident, but ultimately failed to do so, that he felt so regretful.
Combined with the requirements of this mission.
They needed to leave the cathedral and head to Legal Square.
This place name couldn't have appeared out of thin air. Firstly, it couldn't be the location of the curser, as there simply wasn't enough space for a complex ritual platform. Therefore, this place could only be related to the death of Aiwas's biological parents.
In other words, after the curse on Aiwass was dispelled, Julio chose to go to the Legal Square for some reason.
By this time, Aiwass had fallen asleep, so he didn't know what happened next.
The story from now on should be the same as what is happening now.
The difference was probably that the other ritual participants unrelated to the Aiwass family weren't cursed by the curser—just as Anne couldn't have been a transcendent of the Path of Beauty in the correct history; and certainly there wouldn't have been a newsboy who was a mage. On Glass Island, it was even more impossible for so many transcendents of different paths to exist.
The only ones who should be cursed are the Aiwas family.
Perhaps one of them was cursed first and killed, or perhaps they were cursed together. In the end, the sleeping little Aiwass was put aside, and the two of them led the enemy away.
This shows one thing: the murderer didn't want to kill Aiwass or his cousin at all - his target was Julio or Anne, so Aiwass survived and was safely sent to the orphanage.
Now there's just one problem.
——Why did he kill his parents?
"It seems that I can only go and ask in person..."
Aiwass murmured softly, his downcast eyes becoming gloomy: “I hadn’t planned to do that.
“But you are so incompetent.
"You're really causing me trouble. I gave you so much time, but you started cursing me when the ceremony was almost over..."
——Are you still trying to kill the bone sculpture?
He stared at the corner of the abandoned stone warehouse, where traces of crimson were gathering.
The terrifying red outline of the Iron Hook Demon had partially appeared. Aiwass saw it showing him a hideous smile full of murderous intent. Each of its four arms had a slender iron hook, which was enough to easily tear the body apart.
There were obvious signs of frostbite and frost on its body, which were signs of damage caused by the power of the Dusk Path.
"Ah, hello, child..."
Aiwass greeted it politely, without any fear or disgust.
He opened his mouth and asked slowly, "Are you in pain?
"Are you...hungry?"
Without waiting for the hook demon to fully appear or for it to respond, Aiwass easily pulled out a paper cutter.
He took the initiative and inserted his backhand into his neck!
——Blood spurted out!
(End of this chapter)
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