Chapter 315

Chapter 282: Curse

“Miss, if you believe that a curse can only target one person, then you are mistaken. Some powerful curses don’t just affect the initial victim; they also spread through bloodlines, affecting family members.

“Now, what the master is facing is precisely this situation. The powerful curse that the old master encountered in Northern Ufeiga has resurfaced. Although the old master is no longer with us, the curse continues to spread through the bloodline, affecting the master. If left unchecked, not only will the master’s life be at risk, but you, Miss, will also be affected! The entire Boyle family will be wiped out!

“Since the civilization buried beneath the sands of Northern Ufeiga referred to its rulers as pharaohs, we treasure hunters usually call these curses ‘Pharaoh’s curses.'”

Nustert turned his head and continued speaking to Nephnis. Hearing the old butler’s words, Nephnis stood there stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected the curse to be so powerful, capable of affecting bloodlines, impacting not just her father but potentially even herself.

“Nustert Grandpa… Is this curse really that powerful? But why, why is such a powerful curse only becoming active now?”

Nephnis asked Nustert again. If what he had said was true, her family should have been affected by the curse long ago, and they wouldn’t have had to wait until now.

Or more extremely, if her grandfather had been cursed when he returned to Prit, he likely would have died before starting a family, meaning neither Nephnis nor her father would exist.

So this curse suddenly becoming active after her grandfather’s d*ath seemed somewhat odd.

Listening to Nephnis, Nustert paused and then continued.

“This is the issue I will explain next, Miss. The old master spent nearly twenty years in Northern Ufeiga, exploring many ancient tombs. Without some abilities, it would have been impossible. In fact, the master himself was an Extraordinary Being capable of using some Extraordinary Abilities.

“Of course, Miss, you shouldn’t misunderstand the extent of the old master’s abilities. With his capabilities, he was insufficient to deal with the curse afflicting the Boyle family. The reason he and the entire family enjoyed decades of peace is mainly because he obtained an Extraordinary Item.”

“Extraordinary Item?”

Hearing Nustert’s words, Nephnis was slightly taken aback. Suddenly, she recalled the necklace her grandfather gave her when she was young. According to Dorothy, it was an Extraordinary Item that could resist poison. Nephnis used this necklace to successfully avoid being poisoned by Thistle’s attempt to contaminate the Secret Knowledge Society, but the necklace had since depleted its spirit and broken.

“Yes, in this world, not only people, but some items also possess extraordinary abilities. Such items are not uncommon beneath the sands of Northern Ufeiga…

“The old master happened to have an Extraordinary Item that could resist curses. Interestingly, the origin of this item is related to your grandmother, though I won’t go into details now. In short, Miss, you need to know that the old master relied on this Extraordinary Item to protect himself and the entire Boyle family from curses. Even after the old master passed away, the item continued to provide protection, but due to some unexpected events, its effectiveness has weakened, thus allowing the curse to take effect and impact the master.”

Nustert told Nephnis. Hearing Nustert, Nephnis immediately thought of her previous necklace and wondered if the Extraordinary Item protecting them had also weakened due to a lack of spirit.

“Unexpected events? What kind of event could cause our protective item to fail?”

Nephnis asked directly, and Nustert pondered for a moment before responding.

“Well, how should I put it? Miss, you must understand that in the world of Extraordinary Beings, any extraordinary power comes at a cost, known as spirit. This applies to both the effects of curses and their resistance. That means, the item left behind by the old master needs to continuously pay this price to remain effective…

“So, the Extraordinary Item indeed lost its effectiveness because of a lack of spirit? Has the spirit stored in the item over decades finally run out?”

After hearing Nustert’s words, Nephnis spoke plainly. Nustert was surprised by how quickly Nephnis accepted these concepts and accurately used them in her speech. Instead of explaining further, he decided to respond directly.

“Yes, indeed due to a lack of spirit, but not because the accumulated spirit has run out. The item cannot contain enough spirit to last for decades.

“In fact, we have always been consuming spirit from the item while continuously replenishing it, ensuring it remains effective. As long as spirit supply is maintained, the item’s effects will persist… However, the problem now is that we temporarily cannot provide new spirit to the item.”

“Cannot provide… What situation has arisen?”

Nephnis asked curiously. Nustert paused briefly and continued.

“Miss, you may not be aware that these extraordinary spirits come in different types. The item that protects against curses left by the old master requires a special type of spirit. Due to its rarity, this spirit is extraordinarily precious and hard to obtain. Fortunately, there exists a secret society composed of Extraordinary Beings. With a society comes trade. In Tivyan, there is the largest Extraordinary market in all of Prit. We usually buy this rare spirit at high prices from this market. In the past, we relied on this market to acquire spirit, spending a considerable amount each year.

“Recently, the power of the curse inexplicably increased, causing our stored spirit to deplete rapidly. Our spirit reserves became scarce, so I went to the Extraordinary market in Tivyan to purchase the rare spirit to replenish it…

“But, for some reason, the price of this rare spirit suddenly skyrocketed, increasing several times within a short period! It rose to the point where all the cash in the house couldn’t buy it!

“It’s madness!”

Nustert opened his hands and said, recalling the shock he felt when he heard the outrageous price at Golden Contract Bank.