Devil's Rise

"That should give us plenty of time to get our bearings. I never want to eat so much again, young lord!" said Wanfang.

"Agreed Wanfang. The Curse Dao is a powerful tool. I am happy I am learning it now. Rather than one day being attacked by my enemies with it. Though I believe our Daos could counteract curses at the same level." I said.

"Here we are Daoless, only able to use Curse Dao to counter curses. It makes for a perfect environment to appreciate this craft."

"Rest well, young lord!" said Wanfang.

After a week of much-deserved rest, we entered the fourth trial grounds.

The main road that led to and from the trial grounds was frail and no longer able to support anything or anybody without the rest of it collapsing under their weight. Dry grass, dying bushes, and withering flowers are all that's left of the once well-kept gardens.

Doors were broken, rotten, and in most cases barely a door at all. Whether this was the work of looters, animals or the elements was unclear, but it didn't really matter. A few rusted carriages stood in driveways, though most were stripped of all their spare parts.

This town was but an eerie shell of its former self. Silence had taken the place of the sound of playing children, talking neighbors, and the sounds of a working community. The silence was deafening. The town hall, once the pride and glory of this town, was turned into a new pride and glory by the various animals that lived here.

Birds, cats, dogs, and many rodents had all taken their spots. Were it not for the animals that had made their home in many of the buildings, this town would've surely been a far more unsettling sight. But there was an awful feeling of hopelessness you couldn't escape from.

We were in a genuine life or death situation now. The birds, cats, dogs, and everything around us from a second view were corrupted! They were all suffering from a withering curse that even affected the land.

I could feel my Devil qi actively draining from me. Wanfang felt the same way about his Elementalist qi. We were truly in dire straits. If we could not understand the Curse Dao, we would die. Without access to our Dao, we were mere mortals!

"Gather the creatures and begin studying them. We will approach this how we did the cursed objects. This curse is much more powerful even effecting the land," I said.

"Yes, young lord. This relic is interesting. Usually, we can just learn Daos by studying Arts. The relic requires us to immerse ourselves within the Dao for understanding," Wanfang said.

"This way of learning is actually very effective. You are talented in all four Daos present in your world. In the Abyss there are innumerable Daos. Picking up a Dao one is not naturally talented in is exceedingly difficult," I said.

"Yes, young lord. I will value this serendipity we are receiving," said Wanfang.

"Don't go enjoying it yet. We must break through to the Knight level in Curse Dao to survive this. Otherwise we will fall in this relic." I said.

Soon Wanfang and I came to a frightening discovery. We could no longer access our storage devices. Without our storage devices, the only food and water we could consume were in this cursed land.

We would have to eat, drink, and breathe this curse. This would make surviving it many times more difficult than I had expected.

"Our qi is always draining and we have nothing to replenish it with. We must fully embrace this [Withering Curse] like we did the [Enfeeble Curse] only then would our Dao understanding breakthrough fast enough for us to survive," I said.

"I agree, young lord. I don't see us surviving without immersing completely in the curse. It's too overbearing. If we attempt to use our qi to purge the food and water, we would quickly no longer have enough qi to support ourselves," said Wanfang.

"I will let you taste some of my barbecue Wanfang. Your young lord is a chef," I said.

"Young lord, I am honored to enjoy some of your fine cooking," Wanfang said.

The two enjoyed their poisoned meal. It was delicious. However, the after-effects were abominable. The withering curse fully effected them. Their health, their qi, everything was draining from them.

I began meditating as I withered.

My health withers… My body withers... My mind withers... My soul withers... This is withering...

Everything on this land withers. This is [Withered Land].

This land has reached, balance. It has withered for so long the creatures that live here see it as natural. I must wither naturally. My body withers because I allow it. It is not a curse upon me!

I willingly accept this curse to prove my Dao. My Devil Heart withers, seizing the Curse Dao!

Once I broke through the place felt natural to me. I was still withering, but it no longer affected my health and qi. My meditation had taken three weeks.

My body was gaunt with my cheeks sunken in. I was thinner than I'd ever been before.

If I did not breakthrough, I would have died to this curse. The Curse Dao shall serve this young noble's arsenal now.

Wanfang had a similar experience. He broke through in the Curse Dao a few days before me. He did not disturb my meditation as it was a life and death situation.

"Congratulations on gaining a new Dao young lord!" said Wanfang.

We exited the staging ground and went back to the central area.