SHAMAN PROTOCOL
Chapter 113: A Tragedy of a Cursed Bearer

Chapter 113: A Tragedy of a Cursed Bearer

Mikel stomped his way to the school’s gymnasium, where they first "spawned." After walking through different cursed zones before, there was one thing that they all normally shared: the entrance and exit.

Breaking through the cursed zone from the spot where they entered was often the weakest link. The chances of breaking out of it were higher than anywhere else. Although Mikel knew he could probably break through this cursed zone anywhere, it was better safe than sorry.

After all, he was aware that he never fit the shamanic system. If he did, Gallos—Ran’s phantom—wouldn’t keep asking.

But as Mikel reached the gymnasium, a voice stopped him.

"Mikel!"

The young Mister Nocty panted for air, his hands falling on his knees. When Mikel looked back at him, all he saw was a sweaty kid trying to catch his breath.

"This body is really weak," Mister Nocty mumbled before he straightened himself, facing Mikel squarely. "I’m sorry."

Mikel’s brows rose, not really expecting an apology from him. "What now?" he asked flatly.

"Let’s get out of here," Mister Nocty gulped, nodding at him.

"..." Mikel narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the determined look on his teacher’s face. Strange how it felt like their roles were reversed in this cursed zone, but then again, Mister Nocty was quite small as a teen.

"Our chances are slim, but we can get out of this cursed zone if we find its heart." Mister Nocty’s eyes shone with determination. "In this cursed zone, my body is regressing to match its timeline. And by this, it also affects my control over my spiritual energy. However, since I am yet to fully merge with the timeline, I can still do something about it."

His breathing stabilized as he pointed at the gymnasium behind Mikel. "I will need your help. You’re a white stripe student, aren’t you?"

"..." Mikel blinked.

"Lend me your spiritual energy."

[That is a bad idea, Master. Your spiritual energy will consume him.]

"Sure," Mikel ignored Doom’s comment and nodded. "Whatever you need."

At this point, Mikel knew that hiding whatever stripe color he may be carrying was pointless. However, he didn’t like the growing atmosphere in this anima. It was as though it was waiting... waiting for Mikel to show what he was capable of.

And what Mikel learned throughout his journey since gaining the protocol was to always listen to his instinct. Doom would leave out some important details, but his instinct never failed him—not even once.

With that, Mikel turned around and faced the entrance of the gymnasium. But just as he reached for the knob and Mister Nocty took a step forward, their surroundings suddenly dimmed.

"Hmm?" Mikel’s brows rose, intuitively looking up at the sky.

He blinked, and now, the sky was already dark like it was nighttime.

[System Warning: The cursed zone is moving faster than it should.]

Mister Nocty also looked around at the sky and their dark surroundings. When he turned, his eyes widened in shock. It didn’t take long for Mikel to catch what Mister Nocty was staring at.

There, in the farthest building from them, was fire.

"Isn’t that... the men’s dormitory?" Mikel blurted out, side-eyeing Mister Nocty.

The latter’s complexion was pale, eyes wide. The flames that were lighting up the night and engulfing the building like a hungry beast reflected in his wide eyes.

"No," he breathed out, balling his hands into tight fists. "No, no, no!"

Without thinking twice, Mister Nocty jumped from his spot and jogged to the burning building. Mikel was about to follow him when he heard some chuckling from inside the gymnasium.

Mikel paused, turning his head toward the gymnasium. His brows knitted, glancing at where Mister Nocty had run to the gymnasium behind him. After a moment of hesitation, he forwent following his teacher and faced the gymnasium.

Slowly, he reached for the door. The moment he touched the gymnasium’s entrance, Mikel’s eyes sharpened.

It’s in here, he thought. Whatever is happening in there... it’s in here.

Unfazed by the danger lurking within the gymnasium, he pushed the door open. The door creaked, its hinges almost as if they were about to fall off.

As soon as the door was wide open, Mikel’s eyes fell on the middle of the wide gymnasium. There, in the middle, was a student slumped on the floor. There were candles around him, giggling as he wrote on the floor with the blood on his fingertips.

"Doom," he whispered as he walked in carefully. "Scan."

[Scanning...]

[Ritual plane detected...]

[Threat Level: High]

[Master, I can sense black ritual in here and a growing homunculus.]

Yet, Mikel approached the student in the middle of the gymnasium. He only stopped a few paces away, enough for him to get a glimpse of a severed head placed in front of the student.

"Hey," he called to get the student’s attention. "Hey—"

As soon as the student turned his head, Mikel held his breath. There, standing in the middle of the candles and on top of the red writing, was... Everest.

"Huh?" Everest hummed, tilting his head to the side. "Who are you?"

Mikel didn’t answer, eyes falling on the severed head near Everest’s foot. It was the head of a young lady, and by looking at it, Mikel sort of recognized whose head it was.

It was Sabel.

"What did you do with her?" he asked under his breath, eyes unblinking as he held Everest’s gaze once more.

Everest and Sabel were the same people he had just watched get punished for fighting. They were the same people Mister Nocty called his friends. Mikel hadn’t stayed with them that long, but he was sure that Mister Nocty’s friends were good people. And that they were real friends.

But now... this?

Everest smiled at him as he picked up Sabel’s head by the hair. He lifted it until it was at the same level as his height. Turning his head, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smirk.

"I took her head," he muttered, chuckling as if someone had just tickled him. "The bitch’s been too annoying."

His eyelids drooped, shifting his eyes toward Mikel. "She shut up now, did she?"

Mikel’s jaw tightened, trying to search for the homunculus in sight. But there was no one in there—just Everest. Yet, somehow, Everest didn’t give off the same feeling as those homunculi Mikel had faced before.

"Sabel." Suddenly, Everest tossed the head, and midair, the rough edge of Sabel’s neck swelled as if something was coming out of it. Once she landed, Sabel now had a body.

Sabel cracked her neck from one side to the other, producing a sickening crunch. Her body stood bare, yet her chest had no nipple, and her private part below her waist was... blank.

"Shut him up, Sabel," Everest whispered, smirking as he slowly spread his arms, revealing the markings crawling across his skin. He stared at the ceiling, his body trembling as he breathed out.

"... Satan."

At the same time, Sabel propelled herself toward Mikel. Watching her shoot in his direction, Mikel snapped his hand open as he summoned.

"Carnage."