Cursed System-Chapter 128: Devouring Marcus

RAGNA POV...

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[0:2]

[Devouring a cursed one has now begun]

I couldn't bring myself to care—not even a little. Whatever fragile line of hesitation still lingered in my mind snapped without ceremony, and before I even realized I had made the choice, my mouth opened on its own accord. I felt it then—the slow, nauseating stretch of my teeth as they elongated unnaturally, sliding out with a wet, deliberate pull.

They sank downward with dreadful precision, piercing into warm flesh as if it were nothing more than soft clay, and the moment they connected, a violent suction followed. Blood and flesh were dragged into me wantonly, greedily, as though something far older and far more vicious than myself had finally been let loose.

[HP: {150 → 42}]

…

Marcus froze.

I could see it clearly even through the haze clouding my thoughts. His eyes widened in pure, unfiltered terror, a faint blue light flickering inside them—expanding, contracting—like a dying signal flare. His entire body began to shiver violently as whatever had pierced his neck continued its merciless feast.

I felt it all through him: his flesh drying up, his blood being drained at an absurd speed, his life slipping away with each pull. A strange tingling sensation spread through his body, scrambling his nerves and crushing any resistance he might have mustered.

Even if he wanted to fight back, he couldn't. He was paralyzed—locked in place by the very thing feeding on him.

Marcus collapsed onto the ground, his expression twisting into something broken and hollow. He had believed—no, trusted—that I would save him when he saw me. He never imagined that calling out my name would instead seal his fate. That trust shattered silently as his body trembled beneath me.

Through the chaotic roar in my head, I vaguely registered his muffled, uneven breathing, the desperate hyperventilating sounds escaping him. I heard blood spill, felt flesh tear, sensed muscle being gnawed apart and ripped open. The pain wracking his body was unimaginable, and the strange, numbing pleasure flooding mine only made it worse. Each pull left him gasping, his body quivering uncontrollably as his strength faded.

A thick, metallic-red substance filled my lungs again and again as I fed without restraint. Marcus's once plump body shriveled before my eyes, collapsing inward the more I consumed him. And yet, I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I clung to what was quickly becoming a corpse as if my own life depended on it, my grip tightening even as his warmth faded.

Blood smeared across my cheeks, staining my face as I continued to suck hungrily, thoughtlessly.

[A cursed has been successfully consumed]

[Desire shall now deactivate]

Time lost meaning.

When awareness finally crept back in, my eyes trembled before slowly cracking open. The maddening hunger that had driven me began to recede, ebbing away like a retreating tide, leaving behind an unsettling calm. In front of me, a translucent panel appeared, its numbers climbing steadily. I watched as my attributes surged upward, my HP bar filling completely until it reached what I vaguely remembered as my former state.

{Host Attributes}

» Level (Rank-): 8

» Name: Ragna Ringwood

» Titles: Cursed one

» Race: Unknown

» Exp: 25,000 / 32,000

» HP: 150 / 150

[Attributes]

› Mana: 30

› Strength: 30

› Perception: 30

› Vitality: 30

› Agility: 30

› Mana Sensitivity: 30

› Mental Fortitude: 30

{Attribute Points: 200}

I embraced the nauseating sense of satisfaction settling in my stomach, paired with the overwhelming surge of energy coursing through my body. I felt whole—too whole.

[Main Quest has been successfully completed]

[Main Quest Details: Consume a cursed one]

» [Quest Reward] «

[Level Up]

Only when my hands finally loosened their grip did the reality crash down on me.

Marcus's shriveled corpse slipped free, reduced to little more than bones and torn scraps of clothing, rolling limply onto the cave floor. That was when my mind began working properly again.

My face drained of color as I stared at what remained of him, my thoughts spiraling as I struggled to understand how I had ended up here—how this had happened. Nearby, a vicious wolf gnawed lazily at what was left of Noah's leg, licking bone clean as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Then it came.

Suppressed memories burst free, flooding my head in brutal clarity. Images, sensations, system notifications—everything replayed itself mercilessly. Every action, every decision, conscious or otherwise, was narrated back to me in agonizing detail.

I was stunned.

Even though part of me desperately wanted to believe I hadn't been in control, the memories told a different story. I had done this. All of it. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

There was no time to break down. I had to leave—immediately. This cave was hidden, yes, but it wouldn't matter if the Black Steel Knights found me. If they did, there would be no escape.

Guilt and pity twisted together in my chest as I accepted the truth: Marcus was beyond saving. I had drained everything—his flesh, his blood, his energy, his very life force. Taking his body back would only expose me, and exposure meant execution.

Without wasting another second, I released my perception. It felt shockingly clearer than before, every detail sharper, more vivid. I activated cursed Charm on the vicious wolf, commanding it to scout the surroundings while I sorted through the chaos in my head.

One part of me screamed that none of this was real.

Another part screamed louder—that I had just murdered a child.

Earlier, I had felt my rationality slipping under the weight of that monstrous hunger, but I never imagined it would escalate so far. I had thought—foolishly—that I would only take a little flesh. Just enough.

Now I knew better.

From this point on, every drop of blood mattered. Losing control like that again wasn't an option.

But first… would the Black Steel Knights notice two children missing? Would they believe me if I claimed I was the only survivor? And if they uncovered the truth—would they kill me on the spot?

Before anyone could discover what happened, I had to erase all traces of it.

By the time the vicious wolf finished scouting, Noah's remains were already buried deep within the cave. I infused the surrounding rock with earth-elemental mana, causing it to collapse inward, sealing the grave completely.

Only then did I allow myself to peer out from the darkness. After one final sweep with my perception, I stepped outside, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air. I followed the trail of golden desert sand left behind by the vicious wolf—

—and suddenly, a violent tremor shook the ground.

It sounded like an explosion.

Like a grenade had just gone off back at the campground.