---
[Resurrection complete.]
Auren's eyes shot wide open. His hair and face were matted with his own blood, some parts of his jet-black hair mangled and stiffened from the dried crimson.
Straightening his back, he found himself momentarily frozen in awe.
'I thought I died…'
The memory was vivid. He was sure he had died—crushed beneath the pounding weight of the Cursed creature's massive fists. Each blow had sent searing pain coursing through his skull, reverberating through the rest of his body until it all went dark.
'Ah! Right, that bastard!'
Suddenly remembering, Auren sprang to his feet.
Looming before him, like a grim reaper waiting to claim his soul again, stood the creature. Its grotesque eyes, burning with vicious red reflection, were slowly reigniting.
During the time Auren had stayed dead, the creature seemed to have lost interest in him.
Perhaps it had been satisfied with simply killing him or had taken a bite of his flesh and grown bored.
Whatever the case, it had been shuffling away, only to pause and turn as Auren moved.
The predator's twisted features contorted in something resembling confusion.
How is he alive after being crushed like that?
Auren could read the bewilderment in its fiery gaze.
'Trust me, I'm as confused as you are right now.'
The creature let out a piercing shriek, shattering the fragile stillness of the night.
At Auren's feet lay his companion—the same crude stone he had wielded before his demise. He quickly picked it up, gripping it tightly as his mind raced.
Countless thoughts jostled for dominance, most of them impractical given his dire situation.
But one idea stood out—a fleeting curiosity sparked by the mysterious voice he had heard upon waking.
This was his second time coming back to life, and the words accompanying his resurrection had been the same: he had leveled up, gained stat points, and commenced resurrection.
'Could I use those stat points for something?'
Though Auren knew little about games, he had overheard his peers at the academy talk about complex, advanced ones. A term he had caught from their discussions was leveling up.
But what to do with these stat points? He had no idea.
As if responding to his confusion, a holographic weave of runes materialized before his eyes. The monotonous voice returned, emotionless and direct.
---
[Stat points are used to increase your physical stats.]
[Stat points can be allocated to six categories.]
[Strength: Affects physical damage output.]
[Agility: Influences attack and movement speed.]
[Dexterity: Determines accuracy and dodge/evasion ability.]
[Endurance: Determines stamina and physical defense.]
[Constitution: Determines HP (health points) and resistance to status effects.]
[Do you wish to allocate stat points to…?]
Auren barely skimmed the descriptions. Time wasn't on his side. The Obese Crawler was closing in, its hulking fist already descending.
"Allocate 10 points to Endurance and 10 to Strength!" he yelled, instinctively throwing his arms up to block.
The creature's massive fist connected, sending a deafening shockwave through the night.
Auren's eyes widened. Instead of being sent flying, his body held firm. He felt a newfound vigor coursing through him, as though his bones had been fortified.
A grin spread across his face.
'I can win this.'
Confidence surged within him, blinding him to the reality of the creature's true danger.
The Cursed suddenly withdrew its fist, stomping its grotesque fist against the ground with terrifying force. The earth trembled violently, throwing Auren off balance.
As he staggered, the monster lunged, jagged crimson spikes erupting from its malformed body to skewer him.
Auren let himself fall, narrowly evading the spikes. But in doing so, he left himself vulnerable to the creature's relentless assault.
The Obese Crawler's massive fist came down again.
At the last moment, Auren rolled away, springing to his feet. However, he quickly realized his escape wasn't due to his own skill.
A massive slab of metal protruded from the creature's chest, emitting a radiant blue light that seemed to consume it from within.
Auren's eyes narrowed. He recognized the phenomenon immediately. He had seen it demonstrated countless times during his education.
When the weapon of a Blessed pierced the core of a Cursed creature, a purifying reaction occurred, leading to the Cursed's complete destruction.
The same fate awaited a Blessed if the situation were reversed.
The Obese Crawler thrashed wildly, its malformed body convulsing as it fought against its impending demise. Pale hues overtook its once-vibrant form, and with a final, sluggish groan, it collapsed to the ground.
The massive weapon—a sword-like slab of metal—was pulled free, its handler staggering back.
Auren's breath hitched as the creature crumbled, revealing the person behind it.
"Relisé?"
The woman's face mirrored his shock, her pale features lined with exhaustion and a sudden relief.
"Young Master?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Letting the massive weapon clatter to the ground, Relisé ran to Auren, throwing her arms around him.
"You're alive! You're alive! How… how are you alive?!" she cried, pulling back to study his face, her expression a mixture of joy and confusion.
Auren hesitated, unsure of how to answer. He wasn't even sure himself.
After a moment, he gently removed her hands and stepped back, his expression cold and distant.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Relisé flinched at his tone, her heart twisting painfully. But she understood.
Her young master had been executed without cause, denied the chance to transition from childhood to adolescence, to become a Blessed and honor his late mother's memory.
Even his own father had stood by, complicit in his death.
She had tried to save him, fighting with all her might, only to be restrained by the Duke himself.
And now…
Lowering her head, Relisé bit her lip, tears threatening to spill.
"I came to retrieve your body… to give you a proper burial," she admitted softly.
Auren nodded, his gaze darkening. 'Of course.'
He wasn't surprised—not really. If anyone cared enough to reclaim his discarded body, it would be Relisé.
She had always been loyal to him, hired personally by his late mother. Relisé often spoke of how much she owed his mother and treated Auren with unwavering care.
For that, he was grateful. At least one person had remained on his side.
But for her sake, he knew she had to leave.
Then, a startling realization struck him.
'Wait… Relisé is a Blessed?'