Cursed System-Chapter 86: THE RE: EVOLUTION

OGE POV...

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I swallowed hard when my brother said it out loud, his voice steady but heavy, that by making me a cursed child he might have doomed me, that what he gave me could become either a blessing or a curse depending on how fate decided to twist my life, and that no matter what happened he could never reverse it, and even though the finality of his words sent a shiver racing down my spine and made my heart tremble with fear.

It only hardened my resolve further, because if this was the path he had walked alone for so long then I would walk it too, even if it burned me alive.

After finishing his explanation, he told me to sit down with my legs crossed, and as I obeyed and settled onto the patches of leaves he had carefully spread across the ground, he continued explaining everything in detail—the demon techniques, the Sub-Techniques, how they worked, how they intertwined with the body and soul—while quietly filling the surrounding air with natural mana so dense that it made my skin tingle just breathing it in.

"If you learn the meditation technique as a halfling," he said seriously, "you can slowly nurture your body. If you feel no discomfort, it means you’re ready for the second stage. And if you master the Sub-Technique, it’ll help you control your power, maybe even act as a crutch so you can quickly understand your abilities."

I nodded and closed my eyes, crossing my legs properly on the leaves, inhaling and exhaling slowly just like he instructed, breath after breath, forcing my racing heart to calm down; I was scared, terrified even, but buried beneath that fear was a strange excitement I couldn’t suppress, a feeling that made my chest feel warm and tight at the same time.

My brother and my family were my entire world, and if I couldn’t help him when he needed me the most, I knew I would regret it for as long as I lived.

He had healed an illness that should have killed me, an illness that had tormented me for two long years, even when all odds were stacked against me and even when the midwife had already given up on finding a cure, and after suffering through those years that felt like an endless hell, I had already accepted my fate and expected nothing but the worst—yet my brother shattered that despair and gave me a new life, a brighter and more beautiful one, even making me someone important to him.

I was grateful... so grateful that it hurt, and I was ready to help him no matter the cost.

The thought of becoming a core part of my brother’s life filled me with euphoria, and as the mana density around us thickened, I felt it prickling across my skin like invisible sparks, until I could almost feel what he always called mana—moving around me, seeping into my body, flowing through my veins, and finally gathering at my solar plexus where a colorless, pin-sized phantom core slowly began to form.

’So this is what brother has been talking about all this time, I thought in awe. This must be the mana core of a demon he mentioned... now I understand—these heightened senses, this overwhelming feeling, this power coursing through me—I can’t get enough of it.’

The more I cultivated, the more amazed I became, as everything around me started to feel magical, unreal, like one of the fairy tales I had read over and over again in my storybooks.

’Brother must have gone through so much just to reach this point, I realized, my chest tightening painfully. And yet he shared it all with me without even hesitating... how long has he been living like this, carrying this burden all alone? Even if I’m forced or threatened, I won’t let anyone find out about this. Without him, I would’ve spent my life suffering, becoming nothing but a burden to everyone.’

As I cultivated, tears slipped down my cheeks, falling silently as memories of my past pain replayed in my mind.

"Is something wrong?" my brother suddenly asked, his worried voice breaking through my thoughts.

I hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

"Nothing... I just feel weird, that’s all," I replied vaguely, because I didn’t even know how to put what I was feeling into words.

My answer made him flustered, and I could practically feel his panic as he wondered if his techniques were causing something to go wrong.

"Okay... then tell me honestly, how do you really feel?" he asked again, clearly suspecting that my evolution might have already begun.

I took a few deep breaths through my nose before answering. "I feel hot... and hungry. Is that normal?"

"Yes," he replied immediately.

Even without opening my eyes, I could somehow tell he was lying through his teeth.

’What the heck? I could almost hear his thoughts screaming. Don’t tell me she needs flesh! It’s my first time awakening a demon too! As long as she doesn’t pounce on me, it should be fine... probably.’

Time passed slowly after that, stretching endlessly as he kept checking on me with his perception, neither of us daring to lose focus or grow tired, because until my awakening was complete, failure wasn’t an option—and he stayed nearby the entire time, unwilling to leave my side.

"I think I’m starting to get the hang of your Sub-Technique!" I suddenly said excitedly, unable to contain myself. "I can feel a warm flow, like a gentle breeze entering my body."

"That’s natural mana," he snapped back. "And stop talking unless you want to end up as a six-eyed maggot like me!"

His annoyed tone instantly crushed my excitement.

"When the process starts, you need absolute concentration. If not, the Sub-Technique might stop working!"

I snorted quietly to myself but didn’t argue, because I knew he was only worried about me, and after a while I shifted fully into the meditation technique instead, focusing deeply as I became keenly aware of the heat around me, the cool air brushing my skin, the rustling leaves, and the trees swaying gently nearby.

This time, I didn’t let my focus waver, visualizing my phantom core transforming—becoming more vivid, more real—while natural mana slowly revolved around it, sending continuous prickling sensations throughout my body.

Then, far away from my awareness—

[Halfling has reached the limit]

[Would you like to begin the evolution?]

My brother stiffened as a double notification echoed in his head, dragging his attention away from me and toward the floating system panel before him, his thoughts spiraling with worry when the next message appeared.

[Once the evolution has begun, further changes will be irreversible!]

This wasn’t about him—it was about me—and even though fear clawed at his heart, he knew he couldn’t delay it any longer, so after letting out a deep sigh and awkwardly making a cross sign, he said quietly, "Yes."

I was about to ask what he had just said when something struck me from within, surging violently through my body as it merged with my very existence.

[Congratulations! Re:Evolution has begun]

[Evolution process has been started]

All my earlier thoughts vanished, replaced by an overwhelming rush of pain that assaulted my body and all five senses at once, pain so intense it nearly shattered my concentration, pain worse than anything I had ever experienced—not even my illness compared—more than ten times worse than those days when breathing itself felt like a miracle.

Pain was an old companion of mine, but this... this was hell itself.

Still, I welcomed it, clenching my teeth and enduring it without breaking my meditation rhythm or losing focus.

"I guess her transformation has truly begun," my brother murmured solemnly, sensing the violent change happening within me.