Read A Thief Of Suffering :: A Curse Is Born

The world narrowed to two gun barrels.

"Clean this up," the man with the dragon tattoo had ordered. And now, his two bodyguards intended to carry it out. I saw their fingers tightening on the triggers.

Wrong sound.

The thought flashed through my head, followed by something else. A voice. Not from outside, but from within my own mind.

///

[Survival... Activated.]

///

[A thief... activated.]

///

Everything changed.

It was as if a transparent film descended over my eyes. The movements of the two bodyguards, which had been a blur, suddenly unraveled into a stream of data, tensing muscles, shifts in body weight, eye blinks that signaled intent.

The one on the left would shoot first. His right foot was a fraction forward.

This instinct came unbidden. Not as knowledge, but as an irresistible physical urge.

///

[A Thief..... Activated.]

[Activated.]

///

My body moved on its own, copying the left bodyguard posture exactly.

///

[Pain..Paid..... Activated]

///

Pain.

Not ordinary pain. It felt like my muscles were being forced into stretches they weren't meant to do. My bones screamed in protest.

But my body kept moving, dodging perfectly as the first shot roared through the cramped room and missed.

///

[Movement: Basic Evasion – Successfully stolen.]

///

[Added to Skill Storage. Slot 1/5 now occupied.]

///

[Movement: Basic Evasion – Activated]

///

The bodyguard on the right was startled, shifting his aim. I saw his shoulder stiffen, his arm bracing for a strike. Again, my body moved to copy, my hand parrying the attack with a precision that wasn't my own.

Pain again. Like an electric jolt in my joints.

///

[Movement: Basic Parry - Successfully stolen.]

///

[Added to Skill Storage. Slot 2/5 now occupied.]

///

[Movement: Basic Parry – Activated.]

///

They were confused. Me, a mere waiter who should have been easy to kill, was suddenly moving like them. Their advantage was gone. In that moment of confusion, this curse gave me one final thing.

I saw an opening. A low kick I'd seen one of them use earlier on a noisy patron.

I kicked. Copying it exactly.

///

[Pain..Paid..... Activated]

///

AGH!

The pain made my vision swim. But the result was decisive. My kick connected with the bodyguard's knee with a sound.

KRAKK..!

He screamed and crumpled.

The other, panicking, sprayed bullets at me. But my body was already moving according to that "film," rolling out of the way, every movement paid for with gnawing pain, before I finally managed to sweep his legs out from under him.

He fell.

His head hit a trolley with a dull thud. He didn't move again.

***

I stood between two corpses and one dead friend. My breath came in ragged gasps. My entire body throbbed with indescribable agony.

I won my first fight, but it felt like a loss. This power wasn't a blessing. It was a whip, torturing me into surviving.

Suddenly, the sound of slow, deliberate clapping came from the doorway.

***

"An interesting performance," a man said in a smooth voice.

I turned.

There stood a man in a neat black suit, his hair also black and tied back neatly. His sharp eyes narrowed, as if observing a rare specimen.

"The curse has been born, haven't you?" he said, stepping closer, his movements light as a dancer. "The scent of your curse... so raw and noisy. Like a fire alarm."

I didn't understand. Curse? What was he talking about?

"My name is Felix," he said, stopping a few steps from me. "From the Black Crow. My boss, Viggo, likes to collect... unique things like you."

I remained silent, my body trembling from pain and adrenaline. Felix gaze swept over me from head to toe.

"You killed two Guild members on Guild turf. That's a death sentence." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "But perhaps, if you come with me, you might survive longer than five minutes."

I looked at him, then at Ben's body. This man was a clue. He knew something about this world, about this power, or perhaps this damned curse.

"The man with the dragon tattoo on his right arm," I said, my voice hoarse. "I'm looking for that man."

Felix threw his head back and let out a small laugh. "Oh, ambitious. Aiming straight for one of the top players. That makes you even more interesting."

***

He took a step forward. I reflexively fell into a stance, ready to copy his movements, whatever the cost in pain.

"Relax, I'm here to make an offer, not to."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Suddenly, his expression completely changed. His smile vanished, replaced by frozen alertness. His eyes widened, staring at something behind me, or perhaps sensing something I couldn't.

///

[WARNING]

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[High-level curse signature detected!!!]

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[A Thief.... Fail]

[Fail]

///

The voice in my head screamed, louder and different than before.

"Impossible..." Felix whispered, his face pale. "He's found you already? Quick!"

He suddenly froze. His head tilted to the side, as if hearing something I couldn't. His casual aura vanished in an instant.

Something hard hit my temple.