The void creatures were really intriguing entities. They were ten times better, and used a strange type of power known as Void energy. The most corrosive form of energy known to man, it was so evil that anything it came in contact with either died or became infected.
Damon's eyes fluttered open like a sunflower responding to the sun's warming rays. "Urgg, my head," Damon groaned, holding his head in pain before observing his surroundings. He felt an awful familiarity with the area.
"I see you're finally awake. How do you feel?" Kenny asked, worried.
"I feel like I was hit by a truck," Damon exclaimed, pushing himself up and resting on the wall. 'He's awfully calm, which means he has no knowledge of me venturing into the Red Zone district. That's a relief.' But the question remained: if he had no knowledge, then how did he find me?
"Ehh! Kenny! How did I get here?" Damon asked.
"Well, you showed up by yourself, looking awfully different..." Kenny said, staring at Damon's appearance, which had changed drastically. "May I ask, on your scavenge, did you encounter any steroids and take them? Also, how did you get that tattoo on your right hand?"
"What do you mean by that?" Damon was suddenly speechless as his eyes glanced at his body, leaving him perplexed.
Unlike his frail-looking body structure before, his body had become more muscular. He now resembled someone in the first stage of bodybuilding aesthetics who visits the gym very often. His shoulders were broader, his biceps had grown, his abdominal muscles formed a six-pack, and his skin was tighter, displaying the changes further.
"What the heck did you eat?" Kenny asked. It was medically impossible to change one's appearance in less than ten hours of scavenging.
Before Damon could respond, a purple holographic projection suddenly appeared before his gaze.
**❰Body tempering complete❱**
**〘Body structure can only further increase after going through evolution〙**
"What the heck's this?!" Damon exclaimed, utterly shocked by the sudden appearance of the thing before him.
"What happened? Why did you curse so loudly?" Kenny asked, wondering if the slums were getting to Damon mentally. Unknown to Kenny, it had literally slapped Damon on the face to the point where he had almost committed suicide.
"Nothing, I thought I saw a bug," Damon lied. He wasn't sure what was in front of him, but if it was life-threatening, Kenny's safety was the top priority. It could even be a bomb, sent by someone from the main city to eradicate the entire slum population. He needed to tread carefully.
"Okay... you should rest. I think your brain's a little rowdy from losing consciousness," Kenny said, leaving the store to scavenge. Damon didn't bring anything back, so now he needed to find their dinner.
The moment Kenny left, Damon heard a ding sound in his head, and another holographic screen clouded his vision.
**❰The Cursed Grimoire has successfully merged with the host❱**
**❰You have now inherited the Curse of the Grimoire❱**
**❰The following features are now accessible❱**
**〘Status〙**
**User: //Damon Blackwood//**
**Race: Human (Tainted blood)**
**Unique Skill: Cursed tattoo**
**〖Attributes〗**
**Level 1: [0 / 50]**
**Health: 10/10**
**VE: [100/100%]**
**Strength: 10**
**Speed: 10**
**Stamina: 10**
"Curse? Grimoire? What's going on?" Damon was utterly perplexed. Firstly, the notification in front of him was awfully familiar to the games he once played as a child. When the war wasn't in this much chaos, and inflation with political issues was the problem people worried about. Other than going to war.
However, now the important thing was survival. People with no importance ended up in the slums, that's now the way of life. Damon really wasn't comfortable with this thing in front of him. What bothered him was the notification mentioned that he was cursed, a word that wasn't pleasant to hear for someone who had been unfortunate all his life.
**❰Hostility emitting from the host. The system means no harm.❱**
"What are you? And why does it say I'm cursed, motherf*cker?" Damon was freaking out, slightly questioning his sanity. 'I might just be delusional from that encounter with the rat. Even though I don't know how I am still alive when I was sure the rat broke my spine.'
Damon remembered what happened to him vividly. He received a fractured spine, and as the rats gradually approached, he lost consciousness timidly.
**❰Host, I am the system. I will be guiding you on the path of power❱**
Immediately upon hearing the word 'power,' Damon's interest skyrocketed. "Did you say you'll give me power, the power to become a Curseweaver?" Damon's thoughts of any suspicion or skepticism were instantly vanquished at that moment.
The thought of becoming an entity that possessed extraordinary abilities and could potentially level mountains brought contentment to Damon's heart. The hopes of being important and taking vengeance were now ignited again. There was an assurance.
Nonetheless, Damon was not someone to lay his reliance on anything, much less on something that just appeared. By the way, he knew that there must be a price. Any living thing, human or God, always wants something that benefits them. That was life, "the typical exchange."
Damon stared at the status notification again. He clearly saw his name, then his race, which was human.
"But why does it say 'tainted blood'?" Damon asked, but no answer came, practically talking to himself.
Seeing no response, Damon shifted his attention to the next feature. "This says I have a unique skill, but why does it have to be something about being cursed and a tattoo..."
Suddenly, Damon looked at his right hand. The strange pattern, a design that was now embedded into his skin. It was a tattoo of some sort, diamond and snake-like patterns, ink black hue with a hint of blue.
**❰Cursed tattoo: This is a skill that enables the user to have access to the grimoire's powers, empowering the host with void energy, and bestowing the Great Centuries Curse.❱**
Just by staring at the tattoos, a notification popped up with an explanation about it. It was a relief; it made Damon excited.
"The tattoos give me power to harness void energy? Void energy... Doesn't that mean I am a void creature?" Damon said in utter shock and bewilderment at his comprehension.