Aiwass retraced his steps back along the original path.
Climbing over the barren hills, crossing the filthy river.
It was a full half-hour after he reached the abandoned warehouse that had stored stones before… Aiwass finally met the curse.
A severe discomfort suddenly surged deep within his body.
It was like having a cold and a fever, his body began to shiver uncontrollably, and he became cold. Soon after, his limbs started to weaken, the breath he exhaled heated up, and his skin began to ache—this was the subcutaneous nerves starting to be damaged by the curse.
Such a familiar feeling.
"...So slow, it only comes now."
Aiwass murmured in a low voice, his steps gradually becoming slow and heavy.
He felt his eyes turn red and swollen with pain, and a dull, throbbing ache began to emanate from his head.
He mockingly said to himself, "It's almost like a return to childhood."
This was the "Fever Curse." It was the same curse that he had previously dispelled from Little Aiwass.
It was also the same curse that Aiwass had suffered from during his childhood.
This curse was on the same level as the "Toxic Ingestion Curse" that caused Lulu to vomit blood. It was slightly weaker than the "Blood Contamination Curse."
"...A Demon Scholar adept at the curse faction."
Aiwass was clear about the identity of the other party, "This does not seem like the work of a Star Antimony person."
A Demon Scholar of Star Antimony origin actually excels in Ritual Studies, followed by Demonology.
Cursing studies aren't found in official textbooks.
That's because even the Star Antimony Kingdom, which allows for the existence of Demon Scholars, wouldn't wish for someone to easily curse and kill their nobility and officials.
The Hook Demon is not a particularly useful demon either.
Its low intelligence and monotonous mode of attack mean that many tedious tasks cannot be entrusted to the lesser demons; and because of its low energy level, Demon Scholars cannot, like Aiwass, sign a pact with a Shadow Demon to gain affinity enhancements to strengthen themselves.
Generally, the demons that Demon Scholars sign contracts with are stronger than themselves. Otherwise, there would be no point in trading their souls.
—Why would I trade my soul for a temperamental weakling when I could just take on a hardworking and enduring disciple instead?
This Demon Scholar's proficiency in using a variety of curses indicates that his level must not be low. He would be at least upper second energy level, or even third energy level. But the demon he was contracted to was clearly weak; the fact that he always hid in the shadows and didn't attack personally suggests that he probably wasn't proficient in ritual spells like Da Zi.
Such specialized cursing abilities are characteristic of the Eastern Desert People. During the intense desert wars for control over sacred water sources and oasis regions, a Cursing Sorcerer capable of viciously attacking the enemy's important figures is an invaluable human resource. Additionally, the scarcity of resources in the desert makes it difficult to gather materials for complex rituals, so Ritual Studies have not developed among the Desert People.
This also fits the scenario of him working for the mastermind behind the scenes, and aligns with what Jack the Ripper said about his master eventually leaving Avalon for the lands east of the desert.
—Coming from the desert, the Cursing Sorcerer moved to the Kingdom of Avalon. He sought refuge under a certain influential figure, taking money to "curse on their behalf," earning money and benefits by cursing specific targets for a fee. After making enough, he fled back to his country. This is probably the whole truth.
...This shows that the influential figure was quite compassionate. Knowing so many of his secrets, yet allowing him to leave without being silenced.
Of course, he might have been silenced already. It's just that Jack doesn't know it.
This Hook Demon is merely a part of the mature cursing ability system of the actual villain.
After he weakens his target with curses, he sends the Hook Demon to finish them off with a decisive blow. The Hook Demon is merely his ability to finish off enemies, but it's not the core of his powers.
—No wonder he didn't bother to specially cultivate the Hook Demon.
He has the knowledge, but he didn't do it himself.
Because there is no need.
This demon is essentially an expendable tool—as seen from the fact that he could casually abandon it to a student he had barely met.
If he were to cherish the demon as Jack the Ripper did and used rituals to strengthen the Hook Demon, it could lead to becoming too well-known.
While after the Hook Demon was enhanced, Jack could temporarily project his consciousness into the Hook Demon, using his own mind to control this demon that is indeed stupid but also substantially strong and causes high damage.
But there is a risk with this enhancement ritual.
Because for a Cursing Sorcerer, being well-known is not a good thing. Just like Sherlock lifting his own curse... when a person knows they will be cursed, the curse is not so frightening. Because different curses have their own solutions.
The most successful and victorious state for a Cursing Sorcerer remains unknown.
"Death by accident" is the highest praise.
"So... this is how my biological parents died."
The increasingly severe fever made his thoughts drift, but his memories were gradually straightened out.
Based on the Jack the Ripper case, there must have been the duo of the Cursing Sorcerer and the Hook Demon in the real history as well.
Aiwass was cursed with the "fever curse" when he was a child, causing him to faint and lose consciousness. Hence, he could not remember what happened afterward.
But as a fragile child, suddenly falling unconscious from the high fever, yet not dying from it—there could only be one answer: his curse had been lifted by someone.
The difference is, the one who lifted the curse should not have been Julio, but rather Bishop Mathers.
In real history, he wouldn't have been banned from the replica because his level was too high above it, so Julio could have had access to Mathers.
This also incidentally explains why Mathers was so concerned with Aiwass, so enthusiastic upon their first meeting... even willing to lend him the key to the chapel. He claimed it was to repay Professor Moriarty for his assistance, but the real reason was likely Julio.
Upon their first meeting, he recognized Aiwass was the child of his student, Giulio Alexander, because Aiwass bore the unmistakable traces of "Julio" and "Annie."
He felt regret and sorrow for not having saved his student back then. To avoid making the same mistake, he resolved to protect Aiwass at all costs.
From his attitude, Aiwass could deduce the reverse—that it was precisely because Bishop Mathers thought he could solve the incident but ultimately didn't succeed, that he felt such regret.
Then, combining this with the requirement of the current mission.
They needed to leave the great cathedral and head for Judiciary Square.
—The name of this place could not appear out of nowhere. And it certainly couldn't be the location of the Cursing Sorcerer because there was no room to set up a complex ritual platform. Therefore, it could only be related to the death of Aiwass's biological parents.
That is to say, after the curse on Aiwass by Julio was lifted, Julio went to Judiciary Square for some reason.
And by that time, Aiwass had already fallen asleep, so he was unaware of what happened afterwards.
The rest of the story must be similar to what's happening now.
The difference, probably, is that the other ceremonial participants unrelated to Aiwass's family were not cursed by that Cursing Sorcerer—just as Annie in the correct history, couldn't possibly be the Transcendent of the Path of Beauty; of course, there wouldn't be a newsboy who was a mage. On Glass Island, it would be impossible for there to be so many Transcendents from different Paths.
Only Aiwass's family was likely cursed.
Some of them might have been cursed and killed first, or they might have been cursed together. Ultimately, the sleeping Little Aiwass was set aside, while the two of them drew the enemy away.
This illustrated one thing. The killer's target wasn't Aiwass or his cousin—it was Julio or Annie, which is why Aiwass could survive and be safely delivered to the orphanage.
Now there was just one question left.
—Why would he want to kill his own parents?
"It seems I need to ask him in person…"
Aiwass said softly, his downcast gaze turning somber, "I wasn't planning to do this originally.
"But you are too incompetent.
"What an inconvenience. I gave you so much time, yet you started cursing me only when the ritual was nearly over…"
—Could it still be trying to kill the Bone Sculptor?
He stared intently at a corner of the abandoned stone warehouse, where crimson traces were gathering.
The Hook Demon's terrifyingly red silhouette was partially revealed, and Aiwass saw it grinning at him with a malicious smile, each of its four arms gripping a slender iron hook, capable of easily ripping through flesh.
And it bore clear signs of frostbite and frost colors, the marks of having been damaged by the abilities of the Path of Dusk.
"Ah, hello there, child…"
Aiwass politely greeted it, showing no trace of fear or disgust.
He slowly asked, "Does it hurt?
Without waiting for the Hook Demon to fully appear, or for it to react, Aiwass quickly drew out a paper cutter.
Taking the initiative, he sharply thrust it into his own neck!