Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

Chapter 66 Selling Poison Antidotes, The Curse's Side Effects

The dark, bristling trees of the Toxic Forest loomed ominously.

At the forest's edge, Alex teleported, then immediately began to set up his makeshift stall, placing his 46 vials of high-quality poison antidotes in neat rows.

The [Bony Knight] and [Spectral Wraith] teleported too, so it seems that Fast Travel could teleport his undead if he wished

The undead stationed themselves on either side of him, acting like bodyguards.

The sight alone caused many nearby players to pause, their eyes widening at the sight of FateBreaker's monstrous protectors.

Alex began the sale, his face calm as a few players approached, nervously eyeing the undead guards.

"Four silver coins per high quality poison antidote," he announced evenly, prompting a few eyebrows to raise.

[Poison Antidote - 4 Silver Coins]

You couldn't check the quality, meaning that the merchant could be lying, but it still one silver coin under market price.

Some muttered about the price, but before anyone could turn away, one brave soul stepped up and paid, gulping as they reached for the antidote.

Their face lit up moments later as they inspected it, "It's actually high quality," they said aloud, surprised.

And suddenly, the antidotes began selling like wildfire.

Within minutes, Alex had nearly cleared his stock.

"There's too many people, should we steal?" he could hear some people.

"Are you out of your mind? That's FateBreaker!"

"Don't you see those massive undead around him?"

"Oh, right…"

It seems that people actually recognized his appearance now.

Even though Alex hadn't worn a mask in some time, the reputation of FateBreaker had spread far enough to make concealment pointless.

Though he didn't really plan to do that anyway.

Finally, after just ten minutes, the last antidote vial was sold, and he pocketed his earnings with a quiet smirk, this sale granted Alex 184 silver coins, which means 1 gold coin and 84 silver coins!

[Balance/Money: 2 gold coins, 71 silver coins and 85 copper coins.]

"Alright," he said as he stood, his movement alone prompting a ripple of nervous backward steps from the crowd.

Even his undead felt the surge, the [Bony Knight] clanking its armor as it moved, making some players scatter.

Why did he even have two undead beings with him?

Were they pets?!

"Come back," Alex whispered to his summons, and with a faint hiss, they both dissolved into dark mist, their spectral forms merging into his body.

Ding!

The game notification rang in his ears.

[Since you have called your undead back while they were still active, you recover half of the mana spent to summon them.]

[+8750 mana.]

"Oh wow..." Alex muttered.

It seems that if an undead is out of battle, and Alex wanted to bring them to him, he wouldn't get nothing out of it!

It cost 17500 mana points to summon and keep the bony knight and spectral wraith up, so bringing them back while they were still active and not dead meant he wouldn't lose all of it!

It was a good thing to remember.

"FateBreaker!"

"Look at me!"

A group of people tried their hardest to look at his face, wanting him to acknowledge them.

"Heh..." Alex wasn't used to this kind of popularity, and so, flustered, he immediately opened his [World Map] and clicked on [Bell City].

Without another word, he nodded at the players who had bought from him. "Thanks for the business," he said, disappearing in a flash.

"Hey, wait!"

"Damn, I wanted to talk to him…"

"What's with that teleport? So strange…"

The crowd muttered as they began dispersing, some proudly showing off their new antidotes, happy they made such a great deal, since it was guaranteed they could enter the forest now.

Alex's reputation was unexpectedly rising among players.

...

Ding!

Alex teleported to the entrance of Bell City, dropping right on the ground in front of the gate.

"I did everything for today, just need to figure out a way to get to the 20th floor by the end of the week, huh."

[SS-Level Hidden Quest; "Save the Beast Tribe Princess"]

[Reward: None.]

[Time Limit: 1 week.]

[Description: The Beast Tribe Princess is inside the nest of the spiders, go inside and rescue her before she becomes a feast for the spider queen.] Only on m v|le|mp|yr

...

There was almost no chance he could do it, but might as well try while he had nothing to lose.

One or two deaths were nothing to him, who had died hundreds of times in his previous life.

Taking a steadying breath, he steeled himself for the task ahead.

But as he took a step forward, a sudden pain exploded in his chest.

BAM!

"GARGH!" His knees buckled, the world swaying around him as his heart felt as if it had been struck with a hammer.

Sweat poured down his brow as he gasped, barely managing to keep himself upright.

"What… the hell?" he choked out, clutching his chest.

BAM!

Another pulse hit, each one a fresh wave of agony.

He dropped to the ground, his hands digging into the earth as his vision blurred.

Then he heard it—a cold, mocking laugh echoing in his mind. "Oh, so it's starting," the [Undead King] sneered, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "Enjoy the side effects, human."

"The side… effects... of your curse?" Alex groaned, barely able to get the words out as each beat of his heart sent pain flooding through his body.

"Precisely," the Undead King taunted. "Did you truly believe such power came without a cost?"

Gritting his teeth, Alex forced one eye open. "Of course… not," he muttered.

As the pain dragged on, his initial shock began to dull.

The searing agony became tolerable, his body adjusting to the relentless hammering of his heart.

Ding!

Another notification appeared, almost mockingly.

[Your Undead King Curse has initiated.]

[Side Effect: Uncontrolled desires may surface at inopportune moments.]

Alex glanced down at his body, realizing the full, embarrassing effect of the curse.

Alex looked down, and indeed, he saw that his member was erect, as hard as steel.

"You know, they used to call it the 'Incubus Curse', but it was less powerful than it is now, though the side effects are the same."

"Damn it…" Alex cursed under his breath.

The Undead King's taunt was no mere jest.

The curse came with its own, painful conditions.

If he didn't find a way to satisfy rising desires, his very soul could be damaged, possibly even shattered, which meant real life death, not just in game.

"Need… to… find… Alice…" He whispered as he pulled up his Friends List and selected Alice's name.

...

[FateBreaker: Alice, where are you?]

[StarPillow: At our home. Why?]

[FateBreaker: I'm coming.]

[StarPillow: Oh, okay, I'm in the living room if you need me!]

He hesitated, his finger hovering over the Logout button.

He truly didn't know if he would be able to satisfy him, or how bad this curse was.

A panel appeared in front of him again.

[For your information, this curse doesn't care about realms. It follows you back to reality.]

'I already know...' Alex shut his eyes in frustration but accepted it.

There was no avoiding it; escaping Universal Descent wouldn't free him.

He had to confront the curse head-on.

[Do you want to leave Universal Descent?]

"Yes," he replied, already feeling the strain as the world around him faded.

Alex flashed in blue light before teleporting out of the game.

The transition was almost instantaneous.

Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on his bed in the real world, his body still reacting, still cursed.

He expected the curse's side effects, but didn't expect them to hit this hard.*

The more powerful a curse is, then the strongest are its side effects.

Did it mean that the undead king curse was one of the most powerful ones?

After all, as the undead king became more powerful, his curse would increase Alex's power as well.

The pain had dulled, but the effect lingered, his mind fogged with an overwhelming urge he could hardly keep in check.

Shifting out of bed, he steadied himself, breathing deeply as he tried to compose his thoughts. Alice was in the living room. In his current state, he couldn't approach her without explaining the situation.

But even as the curse dug its claws into his mind, he knew he'd endure it.

He'd find a way to wield its power without being consumed by it.

Alice was currently in the living room, and so, while trying to calm down his member down, he began walking toward her.