It was during class.
"Willpower is something that continues."
It was Professor Eugene Baekdo’s curse studies lecture.
The name of the course was [The Continuation of Willpower].
Even though I was a professor, I was sitting in the back on purpose, listening to the lecture from behind the cadets.
And next to me sat Eve, who had been sticking to me like glue as a 1+1 set wherever I went lately.
"......."
While the cadets on both sides tensed up and kept sneaking glances, Professor Eugene gave us a faint smile and continued her explanation.
"At one time, people believed that ‘willpower’ was nothing more than a magical action of the brain, and that it scattered as it was transmitted into mana. But a lot of research has been proving recently that this is not the case."
The continuation of willpower.
This was a field of research that had been rapidly rising in the curse studies academic world lately.
And within Hiaka’s assassin department, Professor Eugene was quite an expert.
"Even the will to seize something good, and the will to escape from fear...... countless wills directly connected to life. They continue from the past into the present."
Professor Eugene, who always seemed to have a full belly whenever I saw her, was now skinny. Because she had given birth to her second child not long ago.
Anyway. She continued explaining while writing complicated curse formulas with chalk.
"Here, ‘the past and the present’ means something that continues along generations. Over a long time. At minimum, several decades. At maximum, even over several thousand years, certain wills sometimes continue."
And the three examples she wrote as cases were these.
[Case 1. The willful inheritance of the smell-fear combined memory]
The experimental method is simple.
After making a mouse smell a specific ‘scent.’
You administer an electric shock.
The poor mouse feels a sharp, jolting pain.
And the cruel researchers repeat that act many times.
"Bzzzt- squeak squeak!" (Aagh! You human X-bastards!)
At this point, it is only natural that the mouse (F0) feels intense stress toward that smell.
But. That will is transmitted through the mouse’s sperm, and ‘actually’ causes changes at the genetic level.
More precisely, it’s a format of moving a button that already exists in the mouse genome from + to -, but it’s complicated, so I’ll skip it.
That kind of trait-level variation is transmitted to the son mouse (F1).
And again, it is transmitted to the grandson mouse (F2) as well.
In several studies, there were even circumstances suggesting it was transmitted to the great-grandson mouse (F3).
"?? It’s a smell I’m smelling for the first time, but why do I feel this bad?"
-> Later generations including F1 become more vulnerable to the same stress, and increases in anxiety and depressive behaviors + behavioral changes directly related to deception are also observed.
"...A similar phenomenon is observed in humans as well."
"Huh? No way, did you give electric shocks to humans too?"
At one cadet’s words, the other cadets burst out laughing.
Then Professor Eugene replied with a calm smile.
"Of course."
"?"
"We had to administer an even stronger electric shock than what we gave the mice. Humans have hundreds of times more body mass, after all."
"??"
"???.."
Shock.
The cadets’ laughter died down.
Only then did Eugene smile.
"Just kidding. Hahaha. Conducting direct experiments on humans is forbidden under imperial agreements."
Only then did the cadets go, ah, and relax.
But from my perspective, it was different.
【 Baekdo Curse Studies Eugene: ‘Of course everyone knows, one way or another, but~’ 】
Ah!
Right. Human rights should be worse than a dog’s.
That place is the assassin department.
"Case 2 is as follows."
Eugene started writing on the board again.
[Case 2. The inheritance of defeat-stress lying and deception behavior]
For example, if a father was abused in childhood.
Human abuse continues for at least several years to over a decade. It takes root intensely in the deepest parts of consciousness.
This consciousness is transmitted through sperm... and causes changes in genetic methylation patterns.
Accordingly, the child (especially a son) receives significantly higher scores on the pathological lying scale at ages 7 to 10.
There are other cases as well.
If a father experienced war or participated in slaughter, there are quite a few cases where he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (There are especially many among assassins.)
When experiments were conducted on such people, likewise, certain genetic variations could be detected in the children.
And the children more easily fall into “moral hazard” in stressful situations.
They justify lies.
They engage in violent behavior.
Sometimes they become sexually promiscuous.
"Then is it only mice and humans? In other words, is willpower inherited only among living lifeforms?"
Professor Eugene began writing the third case.
From here, it was the main point.
The reason I had applied to sit in on this class.
[Case 3. The re-inher... of will that has lost its subject...]
That was when it happened.
"Professor. I have a question."
Cadet Ruine raised her hand.
"Yes. Ruine."
She was a female cadet who usually had a fairly strong sense of self-assertion.
At what she said next, Eugene’s expression hardened.
"Are there no studies that oppose those studies?"
"...Yes?"
"In Case 1, the mice. And in 2, the humans. They all seem biased."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You said willpower is transmitted, but there are only negative cases."
Professor Eugene asked back.
"Is that important? What is the problem with only negative cases existing?"
"Of course it is, isn’t it? The upper generation didn’t commit wrongdoing. They were the ones who suffered unilaterally. But it’s strange that only negative traits manifest in the children’s generation."
"Why is that strange?"
Unlike her calm expression, Eugene’s thoughts were being dyed with irritation in real time. 【This one’s acting up again....】
Whether or not, Ruine said what she had to say.
"Think about it. For example, let’s say they obtain a negative trait and that trait is violence. Then a violent kid has a higher chance of suffering too. And then negative traits get transmitted downward again, right? Then shouldn’t all humanity in the present life be negative?"
Bad memories -> a will of suffering -> negative inheritance -> even worse memories.
Ruine was talking about that vicious cycle.
"Of course, there are positive inheritances as well. However, positive emotions are felt differently by each individual, but negative emotions are felt similarly by everyone."
"So that means the research is biased."
"The research is not biased. It’s simply that the facts are that way. Just because red apples are found often in nature doesn’t mean researchers are ‘reds,’ does it? And Ruine, this course is curse studies. Curse studies is, in the first place, a place that deals with negative willpower."
"There’s no mention of green apples. And this isn’t pure curse studies, is it? If the course name is The Continuation of Willpower, I think it should be neutral."
At that point, honestly, I didn’t have much of a thought.
【 Cadet Ruine: ‘That’s unpleasant. So because my dad suffered, a kid like me is just supposed to have an X-ed-up personality or what?’ 】
I didn’t particularly care about Ruine’s position.
【 Baekdo Curse Studies Eugene: ‘......How impudent.’ 】
I also didn’t particularly care that Eugene was losing her mind.
"?????"
I also didn’t particularly care about Eve, who suddenly seemed like people were fighting and started tugging on my sleeve.
‘Whatever.’
‘Do whatever.’
Eve asked for mediation in sign language, but that wasn’t why.
【 Baekdo Curse Studies Eugene: ‘Why are those brats from the Blackdo side always like that? Makes me want to beat them.’ 】
Eugene was giving up on explaining logically. She had a temper.
If it stayed like this, the class would be a mess.
But since the class had stopped at the most important part, I had no choice but to step in.
"Ruine."
I only called her name. Even so, everyone’s gaze focused on me. Most of the cadets, who hadn’t known I was in the class, flinched in shock.
I felt my own position. These days, wherever I went, everyone reacted like this.
"Yes. Why are you calling me?"
Ruine, who had been tense, bit her lower lip and turned to look at me. She was in ‘I’ll say what I have to say’ mode.
At the same time, tens of thousands of 【rebuttals】 came to her small head, but I ignored them and spoke.
"About 70 years ago, right after the First Assassin Great War ended, Hiaka was soaked in defeatism for several years. Countless parents held mental pain, and the children born then were a bit more negative."
In the face of enormous pressure and wounds.
An era when everyone was soaked in defeat and wounds.
But now, Hiaka does not have an atmosphere as miserable as it did then.
"In the end, it was the previous generation that overcame wounds and pain and raised up the Hiaka of today."
"What does that have to do with anything? In the end, negative things are still inherited, aren’t they?"
"No one denies that. What you’re saying is true."
"Huh? Then-"
"Even so, here and now, in the Hiaka of this era, there are many people who are not as negative as you think."
"Then why is it like that? It’s a contradiction!"
"It is not a contradiction. Willpower continues, but it can also be newly created at any time."
Ruine’s eyes twitched.
Not everything originates from the past and continues forever. The world was not designed that way.
I brought up the First Assassin Great War on purpose because I knew Ruine’s grandfather had participated.
Grandfather (F0) suffered from PTSD.
He abused her father (F1).
But her father did not abuse Ruine (F2).
And Ruine, though she has a personality that speaks her mind, is growing up °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° well as a diligent Blackdo assassin.
Also, I know she has a very good relationship with her twin younger brother.
Good enough to team up and come to assassinate me.
What does this mean?
"Who you are when you’re born is your parents’ choice. Who you are when you die is your choice."
I could infer that Ruine’s father had cut off the negative continuation and raised his children with good will.
He ‘chose’ that.
"Was that an answer?"
"......."
Ruine’s expression became complicated.
Probably anger surged up as she thought about her father.
Then that thought touched her father again, and it seemed the anger subsided.
"......Yes."
Soon, she nodded and sat down.
She slightly bowed her head to Professor Eugene. As if to say she was sorry for cutting in.
【 Baekdo Curse Studies Eugene: ‘Oh my. I’m grateful. Anyway, what a wonderful man....’ 】
I pretended not to see the embarrassing 【Script】.
After that, the class regained peace.
However, Case 3 did not meet my expectations. Because it was only touched on shallowly.
***
"Huh?"
After class ended, I stopped Eugene in the faculty office and asked her.
"I have something I’m curious about regarding will that has lost its subject."
Case 1 was mice.
Case 2 was people.
Case 3 was neither people nor mice, and not even alive—willpower itself, the force that tries to continue on its own.
"What is it?"
"You said that the larger the stimulus magnitude that originates from willpower, the greater the tendency for continuation."
"Yes, yes. That’s right. According to the mouse research I mentioned earlier, the stronger the acetophenone scent becomes, or the stronger the intensity of the electric shock becomes, the more clearly the amount of decreased genetic methylation of the M71 olfactory receptor shows an increasing trend, and microRNA changes like miR-34c, miR-375, and—"
I ignored the complicated words I couldn’t possibly understand because the field was different.
And slipped in.
"Then does it apply the same way to a ‘curse,’ not a mouse?"
It was a reference to Case 3.
At my question, Eugene nodded.
"A curse is ultimately the most primal ‘will to attack’ directed at another person. A huge curse tends to try to continue even more hugely."
It is said that a certain ghost once wandered Europe.
A ghost called communism.
A very blind and intense will rides from person to person, but even in places without people, it moves on its own.
"Do you perhaps have researched figures as well?"
"Hmm, I think I saw it in a paper before... hold on a second."
As I waited a moment, Professor Eugene returned from the office and held out a paper.
"This one. If I explain roughly, curses are classified as stronger curses as the number gets higher, right? So if you take the average, curses in the 50s have about six times stronger ‘continuation’ strength compared to curses in the 40s."
"And the 60s?"
"The 60s are about seven times stronger than the 50s. Starting from the 70s, they become about nine times stronger than the 60s. There are no research results above that."
Because from the 70s onward, it is dangerous to handle them in a lab.
"It seems like exponential growth."
"Yes, yes. That’s what we’re also estimating."
Meaning the multiplier keeps getting bigger.
Eugene smiled.
"That’s why when a curse’s number gets higher, people don’t say a person uses the curse. The curse uses the person."
A curse uses the person....
She was right.
If you treat the will of a curse in the 40s trying to continue somewhere as 1.
The 50s are 6 times.
The 60s are 42 times.
The 70s are 378 times.
The 80s, I’d guess, would break at least 5,000 times.
The 90s would be around 130,000 times.
I began to understand the context of why Adele suddenly obtained Number 96, [The Curse of Instant Death].
The ‘Bikini Adele’ we met had only obtained an ‘error’ in advance.
But in the opportunity created by that error, [The Curse of Instant Death] appeared and latched on.
The context was the same for why the error Jinksythe had three curses in the 90s on its forearm.
Curses that were always searching for a host,
When an error appeared, thought ‘now’s the time’ and settled there.
"......Eve."
"??.."
At that moment, Eve, who was crouched by the sofa and gently rubbing Eugene’s belly (as if it was fascinating that what had been swollen was gone), startled.
"Stop messing around and come here."
"Ah, it’s fine, I’m. Isn’t it fascinating, Hero? She got skinny. Want to see a picture of the baby that was in here?"
"......!"
I let it go.
While thinking.
If it rises exponentially like that.
When the 90s are over 130,000 times.
A curse in the 100s would be about 5,000,000 times.
At that point, the willpower inside the curse would overwhelm humans.
Rather than a human blinded by vengeance moving around, it should have become a far greater monster, writhing somewhere in the world.
‘......Setian tried to add one more horn to his head through Curse Number 100, [The Curse of the End], but he was stopped.’
So, Setian tried to go beyond each “role” assigned by the game system.
Which, in other words, meant interfering with the “System” itself.
He was trying to interfere with the foundation of the world woven by Transcendence, and with the [Game System] itself operated by Systematic Order.
It was not destroyed separately.
It simply disappeared.
"......."
After parting with Eugene.
As I climbed the communications tower and looked down on the world, I frowned.
One year after Setian’s death. The world was far too peaceful.
Where did the curse in the 100s go.......
At that moment, Eve gestured.
‘Soft. Fluffy. Cream bun. Want to go eat?’
......Does it matter?
If it’s peaceful, that’s good.
‘Let’s go.’
‘Let’s go!’
The soft fluffy cream bun was soft and fluffy.
.
.
.
At that time.
In the basement of the grand mansion of the criminal constellation Agion, Harten Graju Empire Public Security Special Task Unit, Section 1, discovered something strange.
"Captain. There’s a strange structure underground."
"A strange structure?"
When they exposed the stone slab on the basement floor, the earth was revealed.
Under the dirt floor, there was another door.
"Steel?"
"It’s a much harder metal."
Surprisingly, it was eternal cold iron. A super high-grade metal worth millions of Hikah for a piece the size of a finger, formed as a single solid piece, protecting some kind of ‘underground room’ like a door.
"This is......."
Through the crack in that underground door, an impure, gloomy presence flowed out.
"......."
The task unit captain licked his lower lip.
It felt like something ominous had to be inside down there.