Solo Cultivating in Superhero Academy
Chapter 52: Rewards and curses

Chapter 52: Rewards and curses

Elius tapped the next one.

Ding!

System Message: Unique Host Evolution Detected

Congratulations! You have slain an Elemental Being of Fire and Earth — Lava Scissor.

As a result, your spiritual affinity with Fire and Earth has been significantly enhanced.

Elius narrowed his eyes. "Enhanced?"

The screen expanded with a sudden cascade of glowing text.

—

Host Evolution:

The absorption of residual elemental cores has altered your meridian network.

Fire and Earth spiritual veins have formed within your body. These secondary meridians allow:

300% Faster Qi Absorption Rate when cultivating Fire-type or Earth-type energies.

Cultivation Speed multiplier increased to x5 when inside fire-type or earth-type dimensional zones.

Qi Purification Speed increased by 400% for Fire and Earth-based techniques.

Internal spiritual harmony significantly stabilized when using dual-element techniques.

Resistance to elemental backlash from incomplete Martial Skills significantly increased.

Special Passive Unlocked:

Elemental Root Stabilization (Fire/Earth): Even after party disbandment, all Fire and Earth-based martial skills and techniques acquired will retain 100% potency and efficiency.

—

His eyes widened.

"...Wait..."

Elius quickly scrolled through the wall of glowing text again, reading each line, each benefit, each passive buff.

"...Even after the party is disbanded?"

He remembered clearly. How after the party link broke, his flying sword technique’s healing was cut in half. His ghost step reduced. Dragon claw weakened. All of it—a direct result of the party severance.

But this.

This—was permanent.

As long as it was Fire or Earth, it wouldn’t get nerfed.

His jaw dropped.

"Holy... Holy mother of shit!" he blurted out, leaping from the bed.

He actually jumped. Arms raised. Blanket tossed behind him. He almost kicked the food tray across the room.

"Holy MOTHER of earth and sun!"

He ran in a small circle in the room, arms flailing slightly in excitement, his eyes practically glowing.

"That means I can train! I can actually keep my techniques even if I don’t have a team! No more reliance! No more downgrades!"

He spun on his heel, pointing a triumphant finger at the system screen still floating patiently.

"I knew killing that freak wasn’t just about power points!"

He stopped.

Paused.

Then remembered.

"I killed an elemental being," he whispered again, more softly this time.

His breathing slowed.

The elation remained, but it mellowed. Beneath the celebration, he felt a new kind of pride building.

Not arrogance.

Not false confidence.

Real pride.

He defeated Lava Scissor. Not just any villain. But the unkillable. The kind of threat meant for elite S-Class teams or national deployments. And he did it solo. While technically still a first-year.

Even if his father had to fix whatever went wrong with the earth’s core afterward... it didn’t change the fact that he did it.

He did what no one else could.

Elius stood still for a long moment, smiling faintly to himself.

He walked over to the side table and finally grabbed a piece of the toast his mother had left him. He took a bite, chewing slowly. The buttery warmth filled his mouth and brought him back to reality. Familiarity. Home.

The notification screen dimmed, waiting silently.

Three messages had remained.

Now only two.

"...Let’s look at the fifth message," Elius said quietly, brushing crumbs from his lips. His eyes flickered with curiosity. "What could that be?"

Elius stared at the system screen with narrowed eyes, the excitement in his chest cooling like molten rock left too long in the open air.

He tapped the next unread message with a slight tremble in his fingers, still chewing the last of the buttered toast as if it might somehow keep him grounded.

Ding!

System Warning: You have incurred the Curse of Elemental Desecration.

Due to the slaying of a Pure Elemental Sovereign-Class Entity — Lava Scissor — without the formal rites of ascension or divine clearance, the Host is now marked by the Pantheon of Fire.

His eyes widened.

Curses Incurred:

1. Infernal Retaliation (Bound Curse): You will be sought after by the Lava God Hierarchs — primordial servants of the Infernal Crown Pantheon.

These are not mortals. These are not pseudo-elementals. These are conceptual beings, each embodying a pillar of fire-based destruction. The following are confirmed as being alerted to your presence:

— Arch Inferno Rex: The Crownless Heir of Flamefall Abyss.

— Solarus of the Bleeding Comet: The Eternal Ember who burns through voidships.

— Mol’Terra Crucible: Warden of the Volcanic Crucible and Cradle of Living Mountains.

— Emberwail Matron: Queen of Pyre Souls and the Screaming Fire Maidens.

— Ekon the Deep Furnace: The sleeping sun beneath the Realm of Magma Gods.

All of them possess astral consciousness and are able to smell the scorched essence of Lava Scissor that now coats your soul.

Elius physically jerked back in bed.

His heart pounded against his ribcage like a drum being played in panic.

What the hell is this?!

He kept reading despite the rising nausea.

2. Brand of Anathema (Permanent): All Pure Elemental Beings of Fire and Earth now view the host as a desecrator. Unless sufficiently disguised or protected by an opposing elemental balance, you will be marked for death on sight.

This includes, but is not limited to:

— Fire Djinns

— Earth Elementals

— Lava Slimes and Volcanic Crawlers

— Craterborn Wurms

— Flame Eagles of the Ashen Skies

— Cults that worship fire-based gods

— Ancient ruins that awaken in response to elemental interference

Warning: As the Pantheon of Fire maintains influence in over 39.7% of all dimensional rifts globally registered by the Hero Association, you may encounter hostilities even in low-threat zones.

He blinked, his throat dry. "...Thirty-nine percent?" he whispered.

3. Astral Sight — Activated: The Pantheon of Fire now knows your face. Your name is being spoken in their tongues.

Every time you enter a dimensional rift, there is a passive 5% chance that a Herald of Flame will descend. This chance increases by 3% per use of fire-based techniques, and by 10% per slaying of a fire-aspected creature.

Elius scrolled faster, his hands now clammy with sweat.

4. Dream Infiltration: Beware. The Lava God Hierarchs have infiltrated the dream dimension. Avoid meditating within high temperature zones or near fire sources. You may be drawn into an Infernal Test.

Survivors of such tests — if they exist — are cataloged as mythic-level anomalies.

Do not attempt to form pacts with elemental spirits of fire. They will reject you.

Do not rest in volcanic, desert, or geothermal hot zones. Your soul is considered an invader.

Elius slowly exhaled. "This... this is ridiculous."

5. System Advisory: This Curse will remain permanently unless cleansed by one of the following:

— The Waters of Primordial Glaciera

— The Blessing of a World Tree’s Core

— The Touch of the Obsidian Oracle (Status: Unknown, Missing)

— The Death of All Lava God Hierarchs (Recommended: Not advisable. Death rate exceeds 99.9999997%)

His eyes twitched.

"...What in the holy shitstorm did I get myself into?"

A new message line appeared automatically beneath the wall of curses.

Secondary Alert: The Pantheon of Fire has marked you. Your soul now glows to all their worshippers. Proceed with absolute caution. Fire-based assassins, cultists, and rift monsters may now exhibit coordinated behavior against the Host.

"This is real," Elius breathed. "This is not just some story stat—this is cosmic-level shit."

He remembered the comics.

The panels where the Hierarchs were only mentioned as background forces that even the big-name SS-rankers feared.

Cultist groups dedicated whole planets to summoning fragments of their power.

One of them—Emberwail Matron—had supposedly turned a moon into a screaming pyre that lasted three years.

They were beings that didn’t even need to move. Their names alone melted regions.

And now... they knew his name.

"Fuuu—" He stood up, paced in frantic circles. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

He was only in the Qi Condensation stage!

That was, what—level seven? A literal crawling stage compared to the mountain-sized power scales of the multiverse.

He could destroy Lava Scissor only because of the cultivation system cheat and because his unique abilities enhanced his damage and all his stats were multiplied. But that only worked within the lower cultivation realms! And only because Lava Scissor was under Body and Qi Condensation tier!

"Shit," he muttered, clutching his head. "I’m so, so, so fucked!"

The realization struck him like thunder.

His invincible slam wasn’t invincible anymore.

It only worked against lower-tier enemies. Anything in the Foundation Core stage or above might tank it—or worse, counter it.

And now he was walking around with a glowing target on his back.

All elemental beings of Fire and Earth.

Automatically hostile.

They would attack on sight.

Anywhere. Any time.

This wasn’t just a death sentence.

It was an existential problem.

But then... he froze.

Because somewhere, deep inside that rising spiral of panic, he heard a whisper of reason.

Elius looked up at the screen again.

Back to that one beautiful section in the previous message.

"All Earth and Fire-type martial skills will retain full efficiency even after party disbandment."

"Qi absorption rates x5. Martial stability x4. Increased resistance to elemental backlash."

He closed his eyes. Steadied his breath.

His hands stopped trembling.

"...There’s still a way," he muttered.

He had permanent elemental affinity now. Real, pure Fire and Earth spiritual veins.

Most people in Qi Condensation were lucky to get a tinge of elemental attunement. He had full spiritual veins forming.

He could cultivate fire. He could cultivate earth.

Faster. Stronger. More efficient.

His own skills would scale harder. No backfire. No instability.

That meant—he could fight them. Not now. But someday. Someday soon.

He thought back to the ancient manuals he’d browsed through in the rift archives, the hidden shops behind the training fields, the artifacts listed in the restricted sections of the academy database.

I know where to find what I need.

There were treasures—pure elemental counter-artifacts, anti-elemental qi scripts, spiritual suppressors, and protective talismans that neutralized elemental signatures.

And more importantly... he knew where to look.

He wouldn’t just hide.

He’d prepare.

"Alright," he exhaled slowly. "Let them come. I’ll meet them one day."

He reached toward the screen again, his hand steady now, the fear carved away and replaced with hard intent.

There was one last message.

He tapped it.

"Let’s see what the last one is."