The Strongest Curse Master - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Initiation Ceremony Chapter 211: Initiation Ceremony The once modern and luxurious living room now looked like the setting of a grisly ritual.

All the furniture had been pushed to the walls, creating space for a massive occult circle etched in blood at the center of the room.

The metallic scent hung heavily in the air, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

“Go stand in the middle of the circle,” Janice instructed, her tone brisk as she extended her hand toward Lola.

“I’ll hold onto the plush and the pendant until you need them.” However, to her surprise, Lola clutched the plush tighter, her knuckles whitening as she shook her head slightly.

The McSuile siblings exchanged a concerned glance, their brows furrowing in unison.

“Can’t I take them with me into the cursed array formation?” Lola asked, her voice soft but tinged with desperation.

It wasn’t just a question-it was a plea.

Janice tilted her head, eyeing the plush warily.

“Lola, I’m not sure that’s a good-” “She hasn’t let go of it since she got here,” Jason interjected, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

His sharp eyes softened just a little as he studied the younger girl.

“It might be more important to her than we realize.” Lola’s grip on the plush only tightened as she looked between the two siblings, her gaze darting nervously.

“I just…

I feel safer with it,” she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Though her cheeks and ears were flushed red.  Janice sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before giving in.

“Fine.

Take it with you.

But if it interferes with the array, we’ll have to remove it immediately-no arguments.” Lola nodded quickly, her relief evident as she hugged the plush close to her chest.

Jason smirked faintly, muttering under his breath, “You’re going soft, Janice.” “Shut up, Jason,” Janice snapped, though there was no real bite in her voice.

Her eyes stayed on Lola, a hint of concern flickering beneath her otherwise composed demeanor.

With a deep breath, Lola stepped toward the circle, her steps hesitant but determined.

She clutched the plush like a lifeline as she crossed into the heart of the blood-drawn formation.

“Once I activate the array formation, you’ll start sensing the negative energy,” Janice explained, her tone firm as she adjusted the runes on the edge of the circle.

Her gaze flicked to Lola, serious and stern.

“Don’t get overwhelmed by the negative emotions in your heart.

They’ll actively try to consume your sanity.

You must hold your ground.

If you let it cloud your mind or judgment… it’s game over for you.” Lola swallowed hard and nodded, but Janice wasn’t satisfied.

Her voice sharpened as she repeated, “Do you understand?” “Yes, I do!” Lola replied, her voice loud and resolute like a cadet responding to a commanding officer.

Jason couldn’t help but snicker, finding her sudden formality endearing.

But his amusement was cut short when Janice shot him a cold, warning glance.

He coughed and straightened, reminded of just how critical the situation was.

For a regular mortal with an aptitude for curse energy, even the minimum amount of negative emotions required for attempting to condense mortal-tier curse core was a grueling and perilous task.

Many failed-those lucky enough to survive were often left with scars, both mental and physical, and would have to start over.

But Lola’s situation was leagues beyond the norm.

She wasn’t just dealing with the weight of a mortal-tier curse core.

She carried enough negative emotions to condense a knight-tier curse core.

The sheer scale of it was unfathomable, and no one could predict how her mind would hold up under such pressure, let alone how she’d manage to condense not one but two curse cores.

Despite the enormous risks, Janice encouraged her.

She wasn’t blind to the dangers; she knew exactly what was at stake.

But based on everything she’d observed, Lola’s innate curse master physique was the key.

No ordinary mortal could carry such an immense burden of negative emotions and still function like a normal person.

It was proof of Lola’s unique resilience.

Janice adjusted the emerald ring on her finger and gave a short nod, her voice softening just a fraction as she said, “I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t believe you could handle it, Lola.

Trust me-you’re stronger than you think.” Lola’s hands trembled slightly, clutching her plush tighter, but she nodded again.

“I trust you,” she whispered, her voice quiet but steady.

Jason crossed his arms, watching the exchange.

He glanced at the blood-drawn circle and then back at his sister, muttering, “You’d better be right about this, Janice.” He could almost see his freedom waving goodbye at him.

But he decided to trust his brilliant sister anyway.

“I am,” she replied without hesitation, her voice resolute as her fingers hovered over the circle to activate the array.  As soon as Janice activated the cursed array formation, the circle began to pulse rhythmically with a deep crimson hue, casting an eerie glow across the dimly lit room.

Lola stood in the center, gripping the plush tightly in one hand and clutching the cross on her pendant with the other.

Her eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing slow and deliberate as she focused inward, becoming acutely aware of her body and mind.

Just as Janice had warned, Lola could now sense the negative emotions gathered in her heart.

But instead of being overwhelmed, she was taken aback by what she discovered.

The negative emotions weren’t hostile or malicious toward her as Janice had described-they felt strangely docile, almost…

protective.

Still, the sheer magnitude of the emotions stunned her.

How could her small heart hold such a colossal, formless mass of negative emotion and still function like a normally?

For the first time, she truly understood the shock and concern she had seen on the McSuile siblings’ faces.

Lola took a shaky breath as she continued to explore the energy within her.

Slowly, she realized something extraordinary: the negative emotions seemed to respond to her will.

Intrigued, she decided to test it.

With a simple thought, she commanded the formless energy to split into two equal parts.

To her delight-and astonishment-it obeyed instantly, separating into two perfectly balanced orbs of dark, swirling mass.

Her lips parted in awe as she stared at the orbs in her heart.

The experience was overwhelming yet exhilarating, and a small, nervous smile crept onto her face.

But she quickly reminded herself of the task at hand.

Her joy faded as she refocused, knowing her priority was to condense these negative emotions into two curse cores.

Still, as she held control over the orbs, another thought struck her: what if she could simply will the entire formless energy to condense into knight-tier curse cores directly?

The idea felt…

plausible.

She sensed the energy’s responsiveness, its willingness to bend to her intentions.

If she wanted, she was certain she could condense two mortal-tier curse cores simultaneously or even create a single, more powerful knight-tier curse core.

Lola frowned, lost in deep thought.

Her mind swirled with possibilities, weighing the pros and cons of her options.

A single knight-tier curse core would undoubtedly make her stronger and more formidable, but two mortal-tier cores might offer her greater flexibility and stability.

The room around her seemed to disappear as she became engrossed in her internal debate.

The crimson glow of the array reflected faintly in her eyes as she opened them, revealing a mixture of determination and uncertainty.

She knew she had to make a decision soon-but which path was the right one?

Lola didn’t have enough knowledge about curse cores or curse masters to make this decision with confidence.

She felt completely out of her depth.

But as her fingers brushed against the pendant on her neck and her arms tightened around the plush in her embrace, she realized something: she wanted both of them to become her innate curse tools.

The thought of choosing between the two was unbearable-they were both precious to her, tied to her sense of comfort and self.

With that in mind, she finally made her decision.

She would condense two mortal-tier curse cores.

This way, both the pendant and the plush could become her innate curse tools, and she wouldn’t have to let go of either.

If Janice and Jason were to learn about her decision, their reactions would probably be priceless.

For a brief moment, Lola considered stopping the ceremony to get their opinions.

She almost opened her eyes to glance at the two, to inform them of her development and gain their opinion.

But then she remembered Janice’s stern warning: You have to condense both curse cores on the first try.

The weight of her friend/mentor’s words settled heavily on her shoulders.

It seemed like there was something more to that warning, something significant that Janice hadn’t fully explained.

Letting out a slow, shaky breath, Lola pushed her doubts aside.

She clenched the pendant tightly and hugged the plush closer.

‘This is my choice,’ she thought.

‘I’ll see it through, no regrets!’