"Something's wrong with this sword!"
Wu Shuang exclaimed in alarm as he was yanked forward once more. It was fortunate that the shark-headed goblin was blind, utterly unable to see, and covered in wounds. Otherwise, that bite really could have devoured him; it had come agonizingly close to catching him.
"How could this..."
Mia was equally stunned. This was supposed to be her sword, yet at this moment, it felt entirely alien and eerie to her.
The sword was drinking Wu Shuang's blood; every drop that spilled onto the blade was absorbed completely.
【Warning: Your Humanity is draining...】
Receiving the system warning, Wu Shuang's eyes widened. He looked down at his blood-soaked right hand as realization dawned on him.
The sword had come alive. It was no longer a simple sword, but some kind of monster.
"Mia, chop off my right hand with the axe, quick!"
Wu Shuang urged, but Mia hesitated.
On the other side, after missing two consecutive bites at Wu Shuang, the shark goblin's strength began to wane. Its body felt heavier and heavier—it was near death, having almost completely bled out.
Yet it refused to yield, wanting to drag Wu Shuang down with it in death. Forcing out its last breath, it yanked Wu Shuang toward itself, intending to crush him flat beneath its entire weight.
Wu Shuang noticed the goblin falling over and urged Mia to act while resisting the pulling force. Ignoring the thorns digging into his skin and muscle, he yanked backward with brute force, his arm nearly being torn apart.
"Mia! Do it! Or I'll do it myself!"
he urged.
With a conflicted expression, Mia looked from Wu Shuang to the collapsing shark-headed goblin. Closing her eyes, she controlled the axe and swung it down.
CLANG!
There was no sensation of cutting through flesh or bone.
What echoed back was the sound of metal clashing against metal.
Mia opened her eyes to check and gasped in disbelief. The metallic thorns had extended, creeping upward toward Wu Shuang's right shoulder, using themselves to protect his arm.
"What the hell..."
Wu Shuang was stunned as well. This weapon actually protected him... No, wait, it was just guarding its food!
Suddenly, he tumbled backward, taking several quick steps back before landing flat on his butt, just as a deafening crash resounded right in front of him.
The ruined body of the shark goblin collapsed, making a noise no less intense than a building coming down. The shark head slammed down right before Wu Shuang, spattering shredded flesh onto his face. Had Mia not helped him split his legs into a side split just in time, he likely would have lost his legs.
His ligaments, though...
Wu Shuang couldn't get up even after ten seconds. Looking at the sword, he realized the tip had split into seven prongs at some point, severing the goblin's hand that had been clutching it. That was how Wu Shuang had managed to break free, narrowly escaping being crushed to death.
That shark-headed goblin was truly fierce, trying to take Wu Shuang's life down to its final breath.
As for this sword, however...
Wu Shuang tried to control it, but to little avail. He seemed able to manipulate its orientation, but he couldn't calm it down. He could only pin it beneath his foot, noticing that the sword didn't seem to attack him directly—likely out of the same "guarding its food" instinct.
Yet there was no way to detach it; it wrapped around him even tighter, as though taking root.
He immediately cast Appraisal Spell and summoned the handbook to check the status.
【Name: Blood Rose (Red Curse)】
【Quality: Perfect】
【Description: A cursed magic sword that maintains its vitality by feeding on the user's blood and Red Humanity. It automatically attacks and strangles nearby targets, further enhancing its destructive power as it absorbs blood and Humanity, while suppressing wound healing and causing continuous bleeding.
The hilt will bite firmly onto the user until the host is drained completely and transformed into a puppet.
God of Craftsmen ①: All high-quality (Perfect rank and above) equipment and creations cannot exist without the blessing of the God of Craftsmen.】
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【Red Curse: A category of curses commonly found on weapons. It turns the user's Humanity red, affecting their mind and making them bloodthirsty and insane.】
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Wu Shuang quickly read through the contents of the handbook's encyclopedia.
"God of Craftsmen... curses..."
His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered that Royal City Knight Shield.
No wonder it was only of Fine quality—it wasn't due to limitations in materials or craftsmanship, but done intentionally. Once equipment reached Perfect quality, it would be cursed.
This...
"Wu Shuang, did you figure it out? What do we do now? This weapon is bound tight to your right hand—it won't come off at all!"
Mia spoke, attempting to use her hair to pry out the thorns embedded in Wu Shuang's arm. However, she failed, snapping a good deal of her hair in the process. The only feasible solution seemed to be severing the arm, but it might have to be cut off from the shoulder, a wound equally fatal.
"Red Curse... Red Humanity."
Wu Shuang quickly seized upon the key point. A certain possibility struck him—outrageous as it was, it was worth a shot right now.
He looked at the equally anxious Mia and said earnestly,
"Mia, I need to ask you for a favor."
"What? Speak up! There's no time to dilly-dally—are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Umm... Right now, kiss me! Hurry!"
"Okay, r—right now..."
Mia had still been staring at the restless sword, but upon hearing Wu Shuang's words, she completely froze and looked over.
"Are... are you out of your damn mind?!"
"No! Quickly, there's no time to explain!"
"Are you... dying?" Mia asked, visibly moved.
"I..."
Wu Shuang was at a loss for words, astounded by the wild leap in Mia's logic.
However, if they kept dragging this out, he really might die—his Health had already dropped to 47%. Deciding to be forceful, he cupped the back of Mia's head with his left hand and leaned in, her eyes widening in shock.
...
A few seconds later, Wu Shuang heard the sound of Humanity shifting. He then looked down at the sword pinned beneath his foot.
Sure enough, the sword grew listless as its split blades folded together, losing their vitality. Immediately afterward, the thorns coiled around his arm began to wither and retract, gradually reverting to the openwork guard it had originally been. However, its color had turned a rusty red, mottled as if stained with blood, and covered with numerous added barbs—looking less like a guard and more like a tool of self-torture.
Nevertheless, the sword finally quieted down, slipping from his grasp and clattering to the ground.
Mia witnessed this as well, her face filled with astonishment and her cheeks still flushed with a rosy blush as she looked at Wu Shuang.
"Wh... What's going on?"
"I'll explain later. Help me stop the bleeding first—quick, my Health is still dropping! There's clean linen in my bag."
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