Cursed Immortality

Jacob observed for a little while, and when it became obvious that the Wisp of Virgo was not going to survive, he knew he had to intervene, not because he was afraid of the Grim Lich Pascal getting away with the Cosmic Vestige but because he didn't know if he would be able to earn the acknowledgment of Virgo after her Wisp's defeat.

Without hesitation, Jacob crouched low, his eyes locked on the Grim Lich Pascal, who stood in the midst of the battlefield, utterly engrossed in his assault against the Wisp of Virgo.

The Lich's bony fingers clutched his twisted, ebony staff, channeling dark energy to command his Dark Being Army. It was clear to Jacob that Pascal had no idea another person had entered the Tower. After all, how could he? The Legendary Master Key had granted Jacob entry, something Pascal would never have imagined possible.

With the Lich's attention fully occupied, this was the perfect opportunity.

Jacob steadied himself as he activated his stealth, infusing his soul force into it to blend seamlessly with the shadows of the battlefield. He had already learned that magic became more powerful by infusing soul force, and the hunter's stealth was the same, especially after the restriction of rectified stars was gone!

His presence became a mere whisper, invisible to the skeletal army and undetectable to Pascal's senses. The dark tendrils of Virgo's power twisted around the Wisp as she fought back, giving Jacob the cover he needed to move unnoticed.

Step by step, he closed the distance between himself and the Lich. His movements were silent, precise. Even as the Lich commanded his army, sending waves of dark energy toward the Wisp, Jacob continued his advance, undetected and unwavering.

He was mere feet away now, the Lich's back turned to him. Pascal was completely absorbed in his battle, the flow of dark magic from his staff overwhelming the Wisp of Virgo. Jacob's eyes narrowed as he prepared for the strike. Pascal had no idea what was coming.

Just as the Grim Lich's skeletal head twitched, sensing something amiss, it was already too late.

In an instant, Jacob unleashed his full physical strength, his body a blur of motion as he shot forward, his fist clenched and soul force surging through his arm. Even the crimson runic lines appeared on his arm again. He wasn't planning on holding back at all. He swung his arm with the force of a storm, aiming straight for the Lich's hooded face.

CRACK!

The impact was immediate and devastating. A shockwave erupted from the point of contact, rippling through the air and sending waves of soul force outward. The sheer power of Jacob's punch blasted the Lich's skull into smithereens, the fragments scattering like dust in the wind.

The next moment, Pascal's skeletal body crumbled under the force, his robes disintegrating as the blast echoed across the battlefield. Jacob's attack was so fast and powerful that Pascal didn't even know how he died. He only sensed a sliver of danger before everything was over!

His staff fell from his grip as the Grim Lich died, and the dark magic that had animated his skeletal army faltered. The undead soldiers collapsed one by one, their bones turning to ash as the binding spell unraveled. The battlefield grew still.

Jacob stood amidst the destruction, undaunted and steady. He won, and Pascal was no more. He quickly moved as he pocketed the Staff and the space ring of Pascal because he knew what was coming and didn't want to lose a legendary treasure.

But right at this moment, just when Jacob was done picking up the loot, something unexpected suddenly surfaced from the lich's headless body, drawing Jacob's attention, and his eyes went ablaze, shocked and killing intent because it was a black flame hourglass filled with golden sand.

'So, these bastards are here as well!'

How could Jacob forget what had happened in the Unique Plains? He almost died because of the scheme of ATLAS, and without Immortika's intervention, he knew his fate would've been dreadful.

He might not have liked Immortika taking over, but he had to admit he owed his life to the cursed book. Still, he wasn't going to forget or forgive the perpetrators of that event, the ATLAS.

Now that he knew these hourglass freaks were one of the hidden forces or might be the true forces of the ATLAS, he no longer underestimated them, and he had already decided to hunt them down.

At this moment, when the hourglass appeared, Jacob didn't waste any time. He felt a strong force originate from his cursed heart, which he was very familiar with.

Furthermore, he sensed that now he could control this force, so he pointed his palm towards the hourglass, which was about to flee. The hourglass instantly stopped and pulled towards Jacob's hand!

The hourglass instantly started to tremble and try to break free. Still, the cursed heart was like a bane of these hourglasses, and effortlessly, the hourglass was absorbed directly into his spiritual nebula before it vanished into the cursed heart!

Jacob instantly felt a few pulses from the cursed heart, and he was astounded when he sensed that his spiritual nebula seemed to have strengthened a little.

Although Immortika had told him that these hourglasses could help him evolve the hex cores tremendously, he needed a higher-ranked one. Now that his hex core was already a unique rank, he required these hourglasses from at least legendary-rank beings.

Nonetheless, he wasn't going to let them get away because they were his enemy, and now that he discovered this effect on his spiritual nebula, he was even more determined to hunt them down. Just as Jacob was gloating and planning the ATLAS's demise, his attention was drawn to the Wisp of Virgo. She had stopped her movements, the dark magic swirling around her slowing as she turned toward Jacob.

The eerie glow of her form illuminated the darkness as she stepped forward, her presence both mesmerizing and unsettling.

Her appearance was as Jacob had expected—an embodiment of darkness, her form graceful yet ominous. But there was something about her behavior that differed from the other Wisps he had encountered in the Towers of Taurus and Leo.

As she approached him, her faceless head seemed to fix on him as though she could see him through the abyss that covered her face.

Something even more unexpected happened: he almost attacked when she slowly reached out, her ethereal fingers extending toward him.

Jacob's instincts told him to move and be wary, but something about her presence held him in place as he didn't feel any malice from her. The Wisp's fingers grazed his face—cold, delicate, and yet with a strange fondness.

The feeling sent a chill down his spine, but what disturbed him more was that he couldn't see her face. It was as though he was staring into a void, an abyss that defied all light.

Her touch lingered, her fingertips tracing the lines of his features, and for the first time, Jacob felt uneasy. There was something about Virgo's Wisp, something ancient and powerful, that felt far more personal than the other Zodiacs he had faced. Her facelessness was unsettling as if she was more than just an opponent in this trial—she was the very embodiment of darkness itself.

Jacob held his breath, unsure of what would come next. Would she attack him now, or was this her way of acknowledging him?

All of a sudden, Jacob felt his vision blurred, and the next moment, he appeared in the reward space. However, he was not happy because the Wisp of Virgo didn't say anything at all, and her actions were unsettling in many ways!