Leonel’s figure flickered, and in an instant, he appeared before Damon. His palm pressed firmly against the boy’s head as his mana seeped into his body, scanning through his essence. Almost imdiately, his eyes widened in shock. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he muttered in a shaky voice, "How are you even alive?"
Then, sothing else caught his attention—the pendant hanging around Damon’s neck. His fingers instinctively grasped the small piece of tal, turning it over to examine it. The mont he saw the engraving on its surface, his breath hitched. There, in bold, unmistakable letters, was the na "Voidsworn." His expression darkened, and his shock only deepened.
Zeke, observing his grandfather’s reaction, stepped forward and asked, "Grandpa, do you recognize that na?"
Leonel inhaled sharply, taking a mont to regain his composure. But instead of answering imdiately, he threw his head back and burst into wild laughter. The sound echoed through the space, filled with sothing between relief and incredulity. He wiped a tear from his eye and exhaled, shaking his head.
"Oh, you insane bastard! You really did succeed. After so long, you’ve finally succeeded."
Zeke furrowed his brows, confused. "Grandpa?"
Leonel turned to him, still smiling, but there was an undeniable weight in his gaze. "You were right. He’s just like your parents. And yes, I do recognize the na."
Damon, feeling lost in the conversation, finally spoke up. "Sir, please tell what is going on. What is Project Half Blood? And what does my na an?"
Leonel’s smile faded slightly. He exhaled again, this ti more asured, before explaining. "Project Half Blood was an attempt to make our species more powerful by fusing other bloodlines into our own. Think of it as Demi-Humans on crack. It was an effort to level the playing field between our race and the others. And it was shut down for a reason."
His voice grew heavier as he continued. "Voidsworn refers to Benjamin Voidsworn, the mastermind behind Project Half Blood. When it ca to genetics, his genius surpassed even mine. And that’s saying sothing."
Leonel took a step back, folding his arms as he gazed at Damon with a complex expression. "You have to understand, those were desperate tis. Humans were weak. We were constantly overshadowed by the other races and their innate abilities. Benjamin wanted to change that. He sought to create sothing without limits—sothing that could stand against anything."
He shook his head. "Now, rember when I said his genius surpassed mine? So did his insanity. Compared to him, I am an innocent lamb."
Damon hesitated before asking the question that had been plaguing him for so long. "But... what about my nightmares?"
Leonel’s eyes narrowed. "What nightmares?"
Damon clenched his fists and described the recurring dreams—the whispers, the shadows, the overwhelming sense of being pulled into sothing greater than himself. The feeling of being watched by sothing far beyond his understanding.
Leonel clicked his tongue in frustration. "Wily bastard didn’t even spare his own descendants..." he muttered under his breath. Then, looking directly at Damon, he continued, "What you’re experiencing is a bloodline curse."
Damon stiffened. "A... bloodline curse?"
Leonel nodded. "Yes. Benjamin turned his resentnt, his obsessions, and his willingness to do anything to achieve his goals into a curse. It’s embedded in your very existence. And it won’t break until his wish is fulfilled."
Damon swallowed hard. "And what exactly is his wish?"
"For you to beco the perfect lifeform."
A heavy silence settled over the group. Then, Zeke spoke up. "Or... just suppress his will with your own. Since it’s a matter of WILL."
Leonel nodded slightly. "That could work. Except for one major problem—the curse is already suppressing the growth of his WILL stat."
Zeke crossed his arms. "That should diminish if he practices the Visualization technique."
Leonel’s expression darkened. "That technique only works best for Neo-Nephilims... wait. You’re not thinking of turning him, are you?"
Zeke didn’t answer imdiately.
Leonel’s voice beca firm. "No. It’s too risky. He’s already unstable as it is. If you introduce a bloodline like yours into the mix, no one can predict the results."
Zeke finally spoke. "Just hear out. Do you know which bloodline your friend chose for his experints?"
Leonel frowned. "No. He was working with a variety of them."
Zeke turned to Damon. "Show him your Status Page."
Damon nodded and complied.
------------------[Status]-------------------
Na: Damon Voidsworn
Race: Neo-Human/Dark Fairy???
Affinity: Soul, Devour
Grade: E
Level: 55
EXP: 0%
MP: 100%
HP: 100%
SP: 100%
STR: 2 Star
AGI: 1 Star
VIT: 3 Star
STA: 3 Star
MANA: 2.5 Star
SPIRIT: 2 Star
WILL: D Grade
---------------------------------------------
Leonel’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "The fuck!? Fairy?! How—how even... so he succeeded in that as well!?"
Zeke smirked. "Now do you understand?"
Cass, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Wait. What the hell is a Fairy? And why is it such a big deal?"
Leonel exhaled. "Fairies were a legendary species. One that is now extinct. They were born from one of the purest energies in existence—the Aether of Beginning itself. Each Fairy was the embodint of an elent. And their potential? EX Grade from birth."
Damon frowned. "If they were that powerful, then how did they die out?"
Leonel’s expression darkened. "Because balance must exist. Everything that rises will eventually fall. And they fell—to one of their own."
Damon shuddered. "One of their own?"
Leonel nodded. "The Dark Fairy. The embodint of darkness. And like darkness itself, it consud all. It didn’t just kill the Fairies—it consud them. Even itself."
Cass’s face twisted in horror. "Consud?"
Leonel sighed. "Consud is the wrong word. It devoured everything. But balance must exist. The darkness could not go unchallenged. It could not sustain itself. It collapsed. And from its remains, the Fair Folk were born."
He turned his gaze back to Damon. "Benjamin must have purified the bloodlines of countless Fair Folk with the Darkness affinity to extract even a trace of Dark Fairy Essence. That’s the essence now keeping you alive."
Leonel let out a short laugh. "If only he knew... we Neo-Humans aren’t as weak as he thought. Our bloodline adapted to even this."
Silence filled the space for several monts.
Then, Damon finally asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.
"So... what exactly did you guys an by ’turning ’?"
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