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[HSRGSS] Chapter 57: The Curse That Kills, The Blessing That Heals
🕑 Added 2025-07-23 00:44:41 +0000 UTCAmphoreus, Eternal Holy City of Okhema.
A chaos had just ended in this city.
It was caused by the Titankins of the Strife Titan, who had charged into Okhema, causing destruction and killing people everywhere.
"Luckily, this chaos wasn't too serious. It should have only been Nikador testing the waters this time."
Aglaea closed her eyes, using her golden threads to sense the entire city.
Ever since Strife Titan Nikador had gone mad, they would send their Titankins to harass Okhema from time to time, so she had already grown used to it.
"It will not be many years before Nikador launches a full-scale attack on Okhema. We must obtain the Coreflame of Strife before then."
Castorice stood behind Aglaea, her expression troubled.
Whenever she saw people injured or killed, Castorice could not help but feel sorrow. For a thousand years, she had witnessed too many deaths and had even sent off countless lives herself.
"Nikador is Kephale's mortal enemy. As a god, Nikador now behaves like a wild beast."
A handsome man with messy white hair and bright cyan eyes spoke solemnly.
He was Phainon, one of the Chrysos Heirs.
"Hmph, the rear is secure already. Honestly, that fight wasn't satisfying at all."
Just then, a burly man with beige and red hair, wearing only half a shirt and exposing one side of his chest with a red tattoo on his torso, dragged a Titankin along as he slowly walked over with a confident, even arrogant, smile.
"Mydei, if you wanted to have your fill, how many civilians would have died?"
Phainon shrugged, his face practically spelling out 'provocation.'
"Hmph, you were just too weak, Deliverer. If you were strong enough, no civilians would've been hurt."
Mydei immediately fired back, his own face also full of provocation.
"Enough, you two, settle down."
Aglaea quickly put a stop to the two men's bickering.
Because both Phainon and Mydei were Chrysos Heirs, important figures on the Flame-Chase Journey, and both served under Aglaea's leadership, they obeyed her words.
"Agy, Cas, Snowy, De, we're back!"
At that moment, several Century Gates opened up around the four of them.
Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon were the first to appear, then a whole group of little Tri emerged.
Seeing so many Century Gates appear at once, everyone couldn't help but marvel at them.
"Teachers, is it really okay for you to open so many gates?" Aglaea asked the three little Tri, looking worried.
She knew her teacher had grown much stronger after some adventures, but opening so many Century Gates always took a toll, so she couldn't help but worry.
"Please take care of yourselves." Castorice chimed in gently, genuinely caring for Tribbie and the others. "Try not to open unnecessary Century Gates."
"It's fine!" Trianne replied with a big smile. "With Lucian's blessing, we don't feel any drain at all! Hehe!"
Trinnon nodded in agreement, and the others echoed her words.
Tribbie glanced around at her many split selves, feeling they took up too much space, so with a flash of light, the crowd of little Tri merged into the tall, beautiful Tribios.
"No need to worry about me, everyone. I really can open the Century Gate freely now."
As she spoke, Tribios's tone shifted back to that of an elegant, mature woman before she walked over to Castorice and took her hand.
Everyone watched as Tribios's hand began to turn black and disintegrate into purple butterflies upon contact with Castorice.
Everyone knew that this was Castorice's innate curse, where anyone who touched her would die, dissolving into butterfly-shaped motes of light.
However, what amazed everyone was Tribios's condition.
As soon as Tribios's hand disintegrated, it rapidly regenerated, completely unaffected by Castorice's curse of death.
"How nice..." Phainon said enviously. "If I had Lady Tribios's miraculous regeneration, I'd just handle Nikador myself."
Mydei, who overheard him, couldn't help but scoff.
"Heh, not everyone gets a miracle. Besides, I'm immortal too—why aren't you jealous of me?"
Everyone knew that Mydei had an immortal trait, where even if he died, he would come back after a while.
Phainon naturally would never admit he was jealous.
"Heh, you take a while to revive after dying." Phainon scoffed back. "Look at Lady Tribios—she literally can't die."
Just like that, the two men stared each other down, neither willing to give in.
Seeing them start to bicker again, Aglaea decided not to say anything else and just let them be. What truly caught her attention now was the special and miraculous ability her teacher had obtained.
If even Castorice's curse of death could not threaten her teacher, then it only meant that Lucian's blessing was far stronger than Castorice's curse.
If all the Chrysos Heirs received such a blessing, why would they ever fear not obtaining the Coreflames?
'It's now the seventh day of hoping for Lucian's blessing...'
Just thinking about how, after all this time on the Flame-Chase Journey, they had still not secured even half of the Coreflames, Aglaea couldn't help but feel helpless.
"Lady Tribios, you really don't need to do this..." Castorice said with a sorrowful expression, weighed down by guilt.
"It's all right." Tribios smiled gently. "In the first place, this is exactly what this power is meant for."
Upon hearing this, Castorice's eyes welled up with tears.
She had been cursed since birth, unable to touch anyone.
Holding hands, hugging, being close—these were all luxuries to her, because anyone she touched always died without exception. It was only thanks to Lucian's blessing, his divine power, that she could finally make contact with someone.
However, she knew that even though Tribios would not die, she would still feel the pain of disintegration—every second of contact was like having her bones scraped away.
"It's enough, Lady Tribios... I'm already content..." Castorice, sobbing, shook her head and let go of Tribios's hand. "Please don't suffer for me anymore..."
"You know what, if it were Lucian, he would definitely do the same as I do without hesitation." Tribios said with a gentle tone. "He would definitely hold your hand, hug you, and make sure you're never so lonely again... I mean, that's just the kind of gentle person he is..."
Everyone could see the light in her eyes as she spoke—this female demigod had truly fallen deeply in love with that man called Lucian.
"Why do I smell the sour stench of romance?"
Phainon joked while scratching his head, but his words were met with a cold glare from Aglaea.
"It's sweet. Get it right."
Aglaea firmly defended her teacher's reputation.
As soon as Aglaea's words fell, Castorice suddenly felt her eyelids grow heavy as overwhelming drowsiness washed over her.
"Styxia... Death Titan... Polyxia..."
Castorice mumbled in a daze before collapsing.
Tribios reacted first, immediately moving closer to check on Castorice.
"What's wrong?! What happened?!"
Alarmed by Castorice's sudden collapse, Phainon asked anxiously.
"Maybe she's just too tired and fell asleep?"
Gazing at the unconscious Castorice, Mydei guessed with a frown.
"No, my golden thread connection to Cas has disappeared..." Aglaea shook her head. "It seems she's entered some kind of mysterious state... just like Teacher..."
As she spoke, when Tribios reached out to touch Castorice, she found she could not make contact at all. It was as if Castorice were an illusion or a hologram, just like when Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon had entered this same state.
Aglaea remembered clearly that after waking up from that state, her teacher had suddenly obtained a miraculous power—a power from beyond this world.
"It must be Lucian again..." Aglaea spoke calmly. "I believe he has chosen Cas... this is her chance."
Hearing that Castorice was all right, Phainon breathed a sigh of relief, but then he let out another, this time a helpless sigh.
'Why wasn't I chosen?' Phainon thought with regret.
In the end, after some discussion, Aglaea sent Phainon and Mydei to help the civilians, while she and Tribios stayed to watch over Castorice.
===
At the same time, Castorice began to dream.
She dreamed of wandering the lands of Amphoreus alone after the fall of Aidonia.
She encountered conflict and death again and again.
In her dream, she had just sent off a thousand fallen soldiers with her own hands.
Exhausted in both body and mind, she came to a deserted riverbank, took off her clothes, and prepared to wash away the dust of the journey.
