*August PoV* 

After the eventful day I had I reckon that a good night rest would be a most welcome task to do right now. 

I was not tired, well at least not physically but mentally I'm famished, the talk I had with Shakti drained me more than I thought.

I can't help but think that it will not end anytime soon, that Shakti has something in store and that I won't like it one bit.

I made my way back home where I know a good meal and a soft bed awaits me and I really want to do all those things right now.

With a huff I dash towards home making sure to dodge the mortal traffic along the way, I made a quick turn in the alley which would allow me to move faster since there aren't any people that can hinder me in moving at a faster pace.

As I move I suddenly smell something odd, it was surprisingly calming yet repugnant at the same time. My body suddenly felt heavy as my vision swirled, I feel sleepy, it's like I'm drunk. I stopped moving trying to compose myself.

"What the hell is this?" I said as I shook my head side to side to shake this sudden drowsiness I felt. 

"August." I suddenly heard someone calling my name. But what caught my attention was that the voice is eerily familiar.

I spun around only to see no one there. I looked everywhere in the alley and found nothing. Not a soul on sight. 

"August." there it was again, and right now I'm pretty sure I knew who that voice belonged to.

"P-papa?" I asked, my voice was shaky. How is this possible? Why am I hearing his voice? No it isn't, he's dead, I watch his body burn along with the others who died that day. I slap myself making sure this isn't a dream of some sort.

"August... Pathetic." my head started to hurt, as pain assaulted me in burst. 

"SHOW YOURSELF!!!" I roared, I'm pretty sure there's someone attacking me right now, using some kind of spell, tampering with my mind, with the memories of my family.

"You let us die." another voice joined in, it was my mother's. As a mixture of her screams, laughter of the goblins who killed her, and the cries of Maya echoes all around me.

"This isn't real, this isn't FUCKING REAL!!!" I kept on repeating those words as my body trembled in the alley. My ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming closer. I gripped my spear and stabbed it at the direction of the footsteps.

*Schlack* 

I felt my spear penetrating flesh, warm blood splashed on my face as I stared at the rotting corpse of my father who was smiling creepily at me. 

"You l-let us die... You killed us... Useless, you're fucking useless..." it draws closer to me as it moved its skewered body closer. "You're a fucking disappointment August. You should have died with us."

I felt dread as I hurriedly took a step back. The words stung my heart as I look away only for my eyes to land at the dismembered body of my mother, along with the beheaded corpse of my elder brother Ludwig.

"You should've died with us." their voice keeps on repeating over and over again, as it did, guilt washed over me. 

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*Narration* 

August felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest, his body was shaking out of control at what he was seeing right now. 

The events of what happened 9 years ago kept on repeating over and over again, the memories becoming more vivid at every repeat. 

He felt like a century had passed but in truth it has only been a couple of seconds.

Right now he is under a powerful curse, an illusionary curse that makes August see his most beloved person and relive the greatest tragedies of his life. And the owner of that curse was watching August as he fell on his knees pressing his head.

"Yes... Just like that, it will all be over soon." the caster of the curse spoke in a slimy fashion.

His name is Seale, an elf and a level 4 adventurer, his main occupation is a mercenary, and right now his job is to kill August.

Seale was different from most adventurers, he gained his level and stats from killing mortals, specifically adventurers, but he himself is not strong, he doesn't know the first thing about combat, so even when his status rose he was still weak that even a level 2 adventurer can beat him in a straight up fight. 

He killed his opponent with his curse, Har Resheph, gaining excilia and leveling up, but his skill and technique were barely mediocre and his ability points were also minimal. Because of this he considered himself the weakest Level 4. 

But he loved it, killing someone much stronger than him brings him pleasure, he revels at the fact that even those who people deemed as strong will fall at his feet and die by his sword.

"Kukuku... I can't wait to slice you up Gáe Bulg, all of that strength and talent, I can't wait to snuff it out with my blade." he felt a rush watching August struggle helplessly, it brings him so much pleasure that he can't help but touch himself as he imagined killing such a strong adventurer.

"ARGHHH!!!" Seale heard August scream, he reckoned that his mind already broke because of his curse. It's finally time for him to reap his prey.

August felt sick as he watched everything burn, all of his family stood in front of him as their bodies rot and decay. 

Their words echo in his mind, how he let them die, how he was weak, how he was pathetic, how he should just die right now.

He bit his lips and drew blood from it, as the blood trickle-down his chin a drop fell and landed on his spear.

He was suddenly transported to the abyss, his body floated in the endless void as his vision was filled with black nothingness.

"August..." a deep voice called to him, like a primal growl, August recognized who it was.

"Beowulf..." August called, his voice filled with anguish, guilt, and rage. 

"August you are under a curse. You must snap out of it befo-" Beowulf tried to explain but August cut him off.

"I know, the moment I heard my father's voice I knew that that wasn't real." his voice carries a lot of emotions in them, emotions that aren't healthy for anyone. Anger, pain, guilt, sadness, emotions that made a man long for revenge. "I let it happen, I thought that seeing them one last time even if it isn't real would bring me closure. I knew that falling for that curse will make memories that I buried deep rose to the surface. But I'm afraid that I may forget their faces so I let my body go, I let the curse take hold."

"..." Beowulf was silent, it knew August was special the moment the boy held it, but this... This was something else entirely. 

"I let the curse run its course, I even let it draw more memories from me, I guess I wanted to hear that from them..." August spoke in a cold voice, his mana fluctuates as the abyss shakes in his anger. "I needed to hear them say those words because I'm starting to forget why I desired strength in the first place."

Beowulf couldn't believe what it was seeing and hearing right now. August was in control of that illusion the whole time, he wanted those visions, he wanted the pain, the sadness, he wanted all of those in order to fuel his fury, his anger, his rage. 

"I didn't want to be strong in order to dive deeper into the dungeon, I wanted strength in order to rid the world of monsters and that illusion, that curse, reminded me of what my goal is." The abyss shook even more as August let his anger flow. He looked at the 

'Revenge is a powerful motivator, but it can drag you down into the depths of tartarus.' Beowulf thought as it stared at August, it felt the unyielding rage boiling inside its master. 'I fear that August may crumble and break if he pursues this path of revenge. He might become the monster he so wishes to destroy.' "Be careful of the path you choose... My master." Beowulf spoke, its voice brought a calm serenity in the abyss as it made the trembling of the void stop. 

August then felt like he was falling as Beowulf's presence vanished. He was back at the dark alley, back in the dungeon city of Orario, and right now he can feel the presence of the one who placed the curse on him.

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As Seale draws his sword he feels a violent surge of mana, he suddenly loses his ability to breathe. Coldness seeps into his skin as he feels bloodlust coming from his prey.

"I must say..." Seale heard August speak, his eyes bulge out of its socket because of it. He couldn't have spoken, he is still under his illusion, his curse. "You really should choose your target better next time." 

August who was kneeling had his eyes looking at Seale, the eyes of a predator looking at a useless rock on the side of the road. Seale saw that he wasn't even considered as a prey for August. He tried to speak but no words could escape from his mouth. He felt a hand gripping his neck and a chain wrapping his heart.

"I should thank you, you made me remember something important." August spoke coldly, his eyes unmoving, unfeeling, like that of the dead. He slowly stood up, and walked in front of the elven mercenary. "but it doesn't change the fact that you've come here to kill me."

August's voice carried no emotions, it was just cold, it sent shivers down Seale's spines. He realized at that moment that he was going to die.

"Oh you are gonna die." August said which made Seale even more afraid, it was like he was reading his mind. "But it's up to you if you want to die quickly and painlessly or..." with a quick move, August slashed the left arm off of Seale from the shoulder down. He then catches the limb as it falls to the ground and shows it to the elf. "you suffer as I cut you piece by piece leaving you alive as you feel pain and torment until you tell me what I want to know."

Seale got to his knees, blood gushing out as he tried desperately to stop the bleeding using his left hand. "ARGH--" Seale tried to scream as the pain of having your arm cut entered his system. But August shoved his own arm that he cut off down his throat stopping him from making a sound. His muffled voice filled the alley unable to reach anyone.

"If you scream I'll feed you every part that I cut from you." August voice filled Seale with dread. He can fill his throat tightening as his fingers touch inside him he vomited but he ended up swallowing it again since August is still shoving his very own hand down his throat. The nails of his hands scratch inside his throat making him repeat the whole process over and over again. Tears and snot fell out of his face as he started to wet himself from fear. "this will all be over soon, I'm gonna remove your hand now, remember what I said would happen if you scream." Seale nodded lifelessly at August question. Right now all the elf wanted was to die so that he can get away from August.

August slowly pulled the arm out, a mixture of blood, vomit, and saliva clings into it. He stares at the elf, he can see no more will in him to fight back.

"Now answer the question, if I don't like the answer... You know what will happen." August spoke and smiled at him, but his eyes weren't smiling. And for Seale, he was looking at a monster. "Let's get started."

That evening, civilians who walked by the alley swore they could hear muffle screaming coming from a person. But the moment they tried to investigate the sound they felt a force pushing them back outside, something akin to a six sense screaming at them that if they continue, death would be waiting for them. 

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Chapter 37 is done now, how do you guys like the story so far?

Please leave a comment, a review and feedback so I can improve on writing this fanfic. every little thing helps as it allows me to see your preference on things and would help me write a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.

thanks for picking up this fanfic. hope you guys like it.

good day, love y'all.