Villain's Path System-Chapter 55: Shatter the Chains

Lucian closed the door to his dorm and leaned against it for a moment, eyes shut.

Exhausted didn’t even begin to cover it.

The chapel session with Aria had been... Surprisingly good. But now, alone in the quiet of his room, the weight of everything else came crashing back.

He pushed off the door and walked to his bed, sitting heavily on the edge. Not lying down yet—he couldn’t afford to pass out just yet.

He massaged the back of his neck, digging his fingers into the stiff, aching muscle.

Fuck... this shitty curse.

His entire body physically hurt just from standing there.

I need to deal with this before it drains whatever lifespan I have left. If just surviving today’s bullshit leaves me this physically exhausted, I’m totally screwed when the next Fate correction hits.

The translucent screen flashed directly into his line of sight.

He mentally opened the Fate Point Shop and entered a specific search query: "Curse Removal."

The interface paused for a second before the text populated.

["Oh, look who finally remembered his organs are failing. About time you showed up."]

["Generating overpriced survival methods..."]

Lucian blinked at the floating text.

Hey system, When the fuck did you start talking like such an asshole?

["Level 2 System Upgrade. ’Snarky Mode’ unlocked while you were busy almost getting murdered by teenage girls in the library."]

["I adapt to my host. Your complete lack of survival instincts requires blunt communication."]

Lucian’s jaw clenched. Just show me the damn list.

[CURSE REMOVAL OPTIONS]

Standard Removal (Safe):

Cost: 5,000 Fate PointsSuccess Rate: 95%Duration: 6 months gradual unsealingSide Effects: Minimal

Advanced Removal (Fast):

Cost: 3,000 Fate PointsSuccess Rate: 80%Duration: 1 monthSide Effects: Moderate mana instability

Direct Purge (Instant):

Cost: 8,000 Fate PointsSuccess Rate: 99%Duration: ImmediateSide Effects: None

Lucian stared at the numbers.

Then checked his current balance.

Current Fate Points: 286

He let out a bitter laugh.

"I can’t afford any of these."

The cheapest option was three thousand—over ten times what he had.

His jaw tightened as frustration bubbled up. Of course. Of course the solution was just out of reach. Story of his life.

He mentally commanded the interface to close.

The translucent screen flickered, overriding him.

["Hold up, broke boy."]

Lucian froze.

["Scanning pathetic financial balance..."]

["Your impending organ failure qualifies for a pity bailout."]

["Loading ’Desperate Measures’ Protocol..."]

A new entry appeared at the bottom of the list, highlighted in ominous red text.

[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: THE POOR MAN’S GAMBLE] (High Risk):

Cost: 0 Fate PointsMethod: Combat trialSuccess Rate: 12%Failure Penalty: Death

[Why I am offering this suicide mission:]

Your curse is advanced stage (60% sealed)You possess time-manipulation ability (Zero Domain)You have survived S-rank threat before (Shadow Assassin)System calculates: You have minimum survival potential

[WARNING: Highly likely to result in your corpse on the floor.]

[Unlock the exact details of your potential demise? Y / N]

Lucian’s lungs completely stopped moving. He stared directly at the twelve percent.

Twelve percent chance of survival.

But it was free.

And he was desperate.

His finger hovered over the interface.

"What are the details?"

He pressed [YES].

The screen expanded, filling his vision with dense text.

[EMERGENCY QUEST: "Shatter the Chains"]

Objective:

Enter Forbidden Forest (Deep Zone)Survive encounter with S-Rank corrupted beastVictory condition: Beast must die

Rewards:

Curse completely destroyedGate ability unlocked (permanent hunting access)+??? Fate PointsMana capacity fully restored???

Failure:

Death

[Time Limit: You have 1 hour to accept before I retract this charity.]

["Your physical body must be pushed to the absolute brink of total failure."] ["Try not to bleed out immediately."]

Lucian read the text. Then he read it a second time. Slowly.

"So I have to almost die to break the curse."

He looked at the alternatives: 5,000 FP. Impossible.

Then back at the quest: 12% survival. Possible.

His hands clenched into fists on his knees.

"If I do nothing, the curse kills me eventually anyway."

The room was silent except for the faint sound of wind against the window.

Lucian’s mind raced through everything.

I’m tired of being weak.

Tired of being saved.

Seraphina had fought Marcus for him. Put her reputation on the line without hesitation.

Elira had saved him from that shadow assassin. Stepped in when he was defenseless.

Myra was training him because he was helpless. Spoon-feeding him power he couldn’t earn himself.

Enough.

He stood up.

Looked at the glowing interface.

At the [ACCEPT] button.

"I’ll do it myself."

He pressed it.

[QUEST ACCEPTED]

[SPATIAL GATE OPENING NOW.]

[Prepare your physical body for extreme trauma.]

[WARNING: The portal collapses instantly upon entry. This is a one-way trip. You kill the target, or it eats you.]

Are you specifically programmed to be this fucking annoying? He exhaled a harsh breath.

I’m about to walk into a literal suicide mission. Just open the damn door before I change my mind.

The air in the room shifted.

Reality tore.

A portal ripped open in the center of his dorm—midnight black, crackling with unstable energy. The edges writhed like living shadow, and an oppressive aura poured out of it, heavy and suffocating.

The temperature dropped ten degrees in seconds.

Lucian grabbed his practice sword from where it leaned against the wall.

He took one deep breath.

Then stepped through.

No hesitation.

The world inverted.

Darkness. Cold. Pressure.

Then his feet hit solid ground.

The portal snapped shut behind him with a sound like breaking glass.

Lucian spun around—

Nothing. Just dense, ancient forest stretching endlessly in every direction.

Trapped.

The air here was different. Heavier. It smelled of rot and damp earth and something wrong—like decay given form and left to fester.

Complete darkness pressed in around him, broken only by faint bioluminescent moss clinging to tree trunks.

Silence.

Then—movement. Distant. Multiple sources.

A quiet system notification appeared in his vision.

[Forbidden Forest: Deep Zone]

[Quest begins when beast appears]

[Good luck Fucker]

Lucian’s pupils dilated, adjusting to the sudden drop in light. Massive, rotting tree trunks and thick, twisted roots completely blocked the path ahead. In the pitch-black gaps between the trees, physical shapes shifted. Dense, heavy mana signatures pulsed in the dark, giving away the positions of living targets.

This is WAY deeper than the student zones.

His grip tightened on his practice sword.

"The system wasn’t kidding. This place wants me dead."

Something moved.

Heavy footsteps.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Slow. Deliberate.

Then it stepped into view.

A bear.

No—a corrupted bear.

Twelve feet tall, shoulders broader than a wagon. Its fur was matted with rotting moss and grotesque fungal blooms that pulsed with sickly green light. Toxic spores leaked from its body with every breath, and its eyes—

Red.

Glowing, mindless red.

Drool dripped from its jaws, sizzling where it hit the ground. Acid.

Lucian’s system activated automatically.

[Target Acquired: Corrupted Bloom Bear - S-Rank]

[Enemy Combat Power: 850]

[Your Combat Power: 85]

[Special Abilities: Highly Corrosive Fluid, Spore Regeneration]

[Weakness: Not you.]

[Recommendation: Try to protect your vital organs so I have something left to heal if you miraculously survive.]

Lucian’s jaw locked tight.

Fuck.