Chapter 42: Repetition breeds perfection.
Mikel reached down toward his ankle, not wrapped by a hand, but by water itself. Not just water, but something shaped like it. Something pretending to be part of the river.
For crying out loud...
His eyes glowed in the murky water, giving him a clearer view of his surroundings. Fighting malevolent spirits was always a nightmare, but after facing a handful, he was getting used to the routine—the pain, the panic, the pressure. The strain came in layers: physical, psychological, spiritual.
So, he could say fighting midair was much easier than drowning.
Why did he always have to curse them? Why turn problems into worse ones?
He ground his teeth, aware of the consequences of the Curse Activation. By triggering a curse on the river ghost, he had turned it from a malevolent spirit into a full cursed entity—unleashing its true potential
Reckless? Yes.
Did he have to do it? No.
Then, why did he keep doing it, regardless?
Because there were reasons. One — he needed to master the basic incantations. Two — cursed spirits filled the Blood Chain faster. And three — it boosted his Main Objective progress: filling the Crystal.
Above all, he had observed that increasing the stakes also helped increase his resistance and resilience.