Cursed System-Chapter 62: Notification message 2

’...It truly smells delicious.’

That single thought echoed in my head, drowning out everything else as my face drifted closer on its own, my body betraying me completely, and no matter how hard I tried to describe the sensation clawing at my senses, all I could grasp was the terrifying certainty that whatever this was, it felt right.

The scent alone was enough proof for my body to declare it irresistibly appetizing, as if every instinct buried deep within my flesh was screaming that this was the most exquisite thing in existence.

My mouth hung open without my permission, stretched wider than it ever should have, and I felt something sharp pushing against the edges of my teeth, something emerging, as my face hovered mere inches above the corpse before panic finally surged through me and I tried—desperately—to stop myself from crossing a line I knew I could never return from.

"What the hell is happening to me...?" I whispered, my hands trembling so violently I could barely feel my fingers.

Every time my eyes flicked down to the corpse cradled in my arms, a strange, overwhelming urge flooded my body, and before I could even register what I was doing, I had lifted the dead noble closer to my face, my mind screaming in protest while my body moved with horrifying certainty, as though it no longer belonged to me.

I didn’t know what had come over me, and the unfamiliarity of it made panic tighten around my chest, yet it was useless—my body was acting on its own, my head leading the way while my thoughts lagged helplessly behind.

A part of me vaguely registered that this was a human’s corpse, that treating it this way was beyond disrespectful... yet another part of me whispered that burying such a body without tasting it would be nothing short of a complete waste.

And worse—

I had no control.

My tongue brushed against the corpse’s neck.

That was all it took.

The moment my tongue made contact, my teeth surged forward on their own, countless sharp edges swarming onto the flesh as they tore in with greedy precision, and a mouthful of liquid—both warm and cold—flooded my mouth and slid down my throat, the initial sourness vanishing instantly as the flesh dissolved beneath my teeth, replaced by a sweetness so overwhelming I couldn’t even begin to comprehend it.

It was refreshing.

No—invigorating.

Like biting into freshly grilled meat paired with sharp white wine, a sensation so intoxicating I found myself wiping the blood from my lips without even realizing it.

Before the weight of what I had done could crush me—

The pain gnawing at my stomach slowly faded.

[Hunger has been suppressed]

[Hunger has been suppressed]

[Hidden Quest Completed]

The realization hit me all at once, and disgust roared up my throat as I violently threw the half-devoured corpse away, my body trembling as warmth surged through my veins and flooded my Mana Core, a tingling sensation racing across my skin as I felt my physique grow undeniably stronger.

’...Was this what eating a human felt like?’

Was this how it felt for a Cursed child to starve?

If feeding made me stronger, then that meant one thing—

I had to avoid corpses at all costs.

Thankfully, no one was there to witness it, because I didn’t know what I would’ve done otherwise—would I have hidden? Silenced them? The thought alone sent a chill down my spine.

Something inside me had changed, and I didn’t know whether my body would crave such a way of feeding again, or when, or how often. The novels and movies I remembered from my previous life offered no guidance for a situation like this.

If things grew worse... I could run.

I could leave the village entirely, rather than let my family witness this other side of me.

But before any of that—

I had to clean up my mess.

I dug deep into the earth, meters down, tearing through stubborn tree roots as I buried both human and horse alike, erasing every trace of what had happened to prevent suspicion or future trouble.

By the time everything was done, exhaustion weighed me down too heavily to even check my notifications, and after using the cursed meditation technique to recover what little strength I had left, I made my way home.

As I approached my house, pity twisted in my chest.

"Such good horses... such fine equipment...’’

But there was no plausible excuse to hide them, and the risk far outweighed the gain. Disposing of them had been the right choice.

After cleaning myself, I slipped inside, and with nothing left to distract me, the images of what I had done replayed endlessly in my mind.

Strangely—

I felt no remorse.

I knew I had killed people.

And yet... nothing.

Is this what it means to be a Cursed Child? Was this the actual Curse?

With that thought, I turned my attention to the system panel.

Two hidden quests...?

[Hidden Quest Completed][Kill five people who held malicious intent toward you][Rewards][+1000 EXP][+2 Agility][Hidden Quest Completed][Feed][Rewards][+10,000 EXP][+5 Attribute Points]After confirming the rewards, I smiled faintly before surrendering myself to sleep.

The next day passed quietly. I sold vegetables not at the market, but to Aunt Lilith, and with the earnings, I decided Oge should be the first to benefit. I asked my sister Ada to buy warm furs for her—fine ones—so Ogee could spend more time with everyone during winter.

To me, my family was worth more than any amount of money.

Except that bastard Gustav.

I loved them deeply, and I wasn’t willing to let anyone—villagers, sickness, or fate itself—take them away from me.

The thought of how little joy Belle could experience because of me gnawed at my heart, and so I resolved to support Father’s idea of acquiring a wheelchair-like device for her.

No matter what I became—

I would protect them.