Cursed System-Chapter 65: Cursed Ritual

RAGNA POV...

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I ordered my parents and siblings to blindfold themselves. Oge was just a child—if they saw me carve open my hand, they would panic. I blindfolded myself as well; I didn’t want suspicion, didn’t want questions about what I was doing.

After taking a deep breath that felt heavier than it should have, I reached for the knife I had kept hidden by my side, the cold weight of the blade grounding me just long enough before I pressed it against my palm and sliced without hesitation, carving a clean wound into the center of my hand as sharp pain flared and warm blood immediately began to pool.

I clenched my fist tightly, forcing more blood to gather, then moved my trembling palm above Oge’s mouth, lowering my voice as I whispered for her to open it, my heart pounding so loudly I was afraid she could hear it.

Once she complied, I let my blood drip into her mouth.

The moment it touched her tongue, she tried to speak—tried to ask what I was doing—but her body betrayed her, locking up completely as if an invisible force had paralyzed her, the warm liquid sliding down her throat and robbing her of movement and control.

The process was difficult for both of us.

For Oge, the taste was strange and unsettling—salty, metallic, like rust dissolved in water—oddly familiar yet impossible to place, while for me the problem was far more dangerous, because the Curse ritual required a considerable amount of blood, and when it came to rites like this, too much was far safer than too little.

The second problem followed immediately.

My body was healing the wound far too fast.

I had to fight against my own regeneration, keeping my palm from closing while blood continued to drip, my teeth clenched as I watched in awe and dread, knowing that once this ritual crossed a certain point, there would be no turning back.

Inside Oge’s body, changes were already taking place.

I couldn’t see them, yet I somehow knew—her blood cells, once a sickly blend of light red and dark green, were beginning to change, turning a deep, vivid crimson wherever my blood flowed, spreading through her veins like fire.

Even as she lay still, Oge’s body began to heat up, warmth radiating from her skin, and for a fleeting moment she felt as if she had seen something impossible—a small, floating panel hovering before her eyes—before it blurred and vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Confused but overwhelmed, she didn’t dwell on it for long.

When everything finally ended and she opened her eyes, Oge looked as though she had just returned from a sparring session, breathing steadily and full of energy, while I felt like I had just run a marathon, drenched in sweat, gasping for air, my legs barely holding me upright.

"How do you feel?" I asked, forcing the words past my dry throat.

With my permission, she removed the blindfold and took several deep breaths, her eyes widening.

"I feel... really good?" she said, sounding surprised. "Little brother, I feel different—no, I feel much better!"

She moved to hug me instinctively, but I immediately raised my blood-stained hands and stepped back.

"First," I said weakly, "this red thing on my hands is dangerous. Second, I’m disgusting right now. Do not touch me or come near me. I need a bath, lots of food, and at least a few days of rest. Minimum."

Both my parents and my elder sister nodded, worry clearly written across their faces.

"Ragna... are you okay?"

I wanted to answer them, but before I could, my eyelids suddenly felt unbearably heavy, my vision darkening as strength drained from my body, and just before I lost consciousness, a final set of words echoed through my mind.

[Cursed Ritual successful]

[A relative has successfully completed the ’Cursed Ritual’ 1/2]

[Halfling has been created]

[Half Family created]

[Would Host like to dub a family name?]

Halfling...?

———

When I woke up, my head throbbed painfully, but one thing was clear—my theory had worked.

Still, several things were completely unexpected.

The same notifications appeared again, hovering before my eyes, and that was when I noticed the first shock—I had grown an extra pair of eyes.

"What does halfling even mean?" I muttered internally as I stared at the messages. "And half family?"

Then I remembered.

I had once been a halfling too.

Did that mean Oge would undergo another evolution like I had? And what exactly did half family imply?

The more I thought about it, the worse my headache became, my thoughts tangling as confusion twisted my expression into something close to ridicule.

If I kept thinking like this, I wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

At the very least, I was certain of one thing—my sister hadn’t turned into a full demon like me. She didn’t have two pairs of eyes. She was something in between.

A halfling.

She had also become part of my family pack, yet not completely, leaving her in an awkward state of being only half family.

Seeing no hidden quest completion left me more disappointed than I expected.

[Would Host like to name your created family?]

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, excitement slowly bubbling up as I stared at the message.

"So this is the part where I name my family, huh?"

After a brief moment of consideration, I spoke aloud.

"Ringwood family."

The excitement lasted exactly one second.

[Unable to add name to non-existent family]

"...What?"

I nearly cursed the system outright, frustration burning in my chest, before forcing myself to calm down and think.

If I couldn’t create a family name, then the problem had to lie somewhere—either Oge’s incomplete state, or me.

The realization unsettled me.

I had no idea when her evolution would begin, no system to guide her, no notifications to provide answers.

In the end, I could only sigh internally.

’The system suggested the cursed Ritual... so it must also have a solution.’

Until then, all I could do was wait.