Zarek's heart pounded in his chest. He felt like he had stumbled onto something shocking here again. His mind couldn't help but flicker toward Gabe again.
Was it a coincidence that a Cursed individual was here in this city?
Gabe was still back at the GFI headquarters, but Zarek found himself thinking about this seemingly inconsequential man more and more these days.
This city had too many things going on, and too many of those things didn't involve just Zarek alone for it to still all boil down to his Karma being toyed with.
'Why is the mention of Godsfall the only deciding factor between whether one is Cursed or not…'
It was so odd. Why was Godsfall seemingly so taboo to the system that supposedly introduced it to the world? Why call it energy and not Godsfall, like it was?
And if it was such a taboo, why did everyone eventually learn of its real name in due time regardless?
Why did he feel like the system always had something out for him? It wasn't as though he was Cursed. He wasn't even the only one who was a Rebirther.
The obvious answer might be that the system hated all Rebirthers… but from Zarek's understanding and covert inquiries, that didn't seem to be the case.
"…So now we stand firm against demons who seek to bring magic back. We are a world of science, of research, of alchemy—but never of magic. We do not need handouts. We are better than that. Those that rely on the system should be unceremoniously crushed, as they are nothing more than cancers to our society.
"Now that you understand the reason for this, I hope you will be more accepting. Any worthless struggling will only end poorly for you."
After saying this, the young woman took a step and picked out a brush that had been soaking in a beaker. The liquid looked fluorescent—almost too stereotypically poisonous. But Zarek also doubted that such a toxin would be left to waft its fumes into the air so casually.
In which case…
The woman took a step with the brush and ripped Zarek's shirt off. Then she paused for a moment.
"I have a girlfriend I love very much, I'll have you know. If she saw you staring at me like that, she would probably gouge your eyeballs out."
The woman cleared her throat awkwardly, but she didn't look up, nor pause her movements. Her brush flashed, and she began to draw.
Half of Zarek wanted to start resisting right this moment, but his curiosity was budding. His instincts told him that poison wouldn't be handled so casually. The young woman wasn't even wearing gloves.
But that also didn't mean that this wasn't dangerous to him. He was certainly playing with fire right now.
'I have to take this risk…'
It was what he did best—take risks others weren't willing to. Belladoll had made one thing clear: she had the upper hand right now.
In fact, she might even have a hand in Zarek being here right now. She might even be trying to use the hands of others to kill him.
Zarek's eyes darted around the room until they landed on a bushel of swords. In the midst of the swords, he finally picked out his D-Class katana, and the separated blades of the claws he had stolen from the mink.
'Dammit…'
He silently cursed. The claws would be far less convenient to use like that. He'd need to find something else to fashion them to.
Finally, Zarek found his crossbow-shield as well, hanging from the wall like it was some cute ornament.
Zarek had never stopped paying attention to what the woman was doing at the same time, but she didn't seem to know this.
"There's no point in trying to find a way to escape. Even if you could get out of these chains—which I highly doubt—you are far too weak. You aren't a match for me, let alone Sir Gelland. Your best chance at survival is to hope I succeed. If I can find a method of separating you from the corrupt system, you would be able to live. In fact, you would even be greatly rewarded."
'So is that what this is? Experiments? Seemingly not too invasive or dangerous from what she's said… Her elder sister is also apparently the princess that I'm looking for.'
If she was the target, Zarek would be able to sense it thanks to his time affinity. She would be a pillar similar to Rebirthers on Earth. But this woman wasn't, suggesting that she couldn't be the one he had to save or kill.
But her words were very interesting.
Did this mean that if he could trick her into thinking the system had been removed from him…?
Zarek grinned on the inside.
At first, he continued to look around as though he were still trying to find a way to escape.
The princess sighed and shook her head, not minding it. She had tried to help; it was Zarek's problem if he didn't want to listen.
Minutes later, she finished writing out whatever incantation she was trying, and Zarek felt his body convulse. He wasn't expecting an actual reaction after so long of nothing, but he found that the pain in his body was actually mitigated a great deal.
'Ah, this thing is actually pulling the toxins out of my body. I guess this girl is useful after all.'
The princess frowned, then became excited. She took a hurried step backward, trying to avoid whatever sludge was being pulled out of Zarek.
'Dammit.' Zarek cursed. 'It's not enough.'
He could feel that some of the toxins were being pulled out, but it wasn't nearly enough. At this rate, the energy in the incantation would run out before it had even taken out 10% of it.
Zarek looked toward the beaker of liquid and cursed again. It seemed he would have to find another opportunity to fully expunge this thing. For now…
Zarek tilted his head back and unleashed a roar. As though tendrils of darkness were being pulled out from his body, streams of Lurker's Godsfall began to pool out of his pores.
What could he say? He was a great actor. Priya could attest to his roleplaying skills.