King's steps were heavy, trembling with exhaustion, bruises still forming across his body. His parents walked beside him, heads bowed, tears silently streaming.
> "Forgive us, son," his mother whispered, clutching his hand. "It's… it's not fair you had to be born this way. To suffer so much…"
> "We… we should have done more," his father added, voice shaking.
King kept his gaze forward, silent. But as he pressed his cursed forehead gem, a window erupted before him, black and jagged, edges shimmering like molten metal.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL WINDOW — REWARD NOTIFICATION ⧉
Quest Completed: Flower Proposal
Reward:
• 1 Curse Removed (Total Curses: Reduced by 1)
• Black Pill Window Upgraded
• Additional EXP: 50,000
The glow reflected in his deformed eyes. He felt a flicker of relief, but then the system flashed another notification:
New Quest: Re-Admission Trial
Difficulty: Extreme
Objective: Gain permission from principal to re-enter school after expulsion.
Reward:
• 1 Curse Removal
• Window Upgrade
• EXP Bonus
King's legs trembled uncontrollably. His chest heaved, heart hammering like a war drum. This quest… was worse than anything before.
> "I… I have to do this," he whispered, fingers clutching the gem.
---
Evening — Using a Curse
That evening, in the dim light of his room, King sat on the floor, pressing the gem. The curse of deformed bones pulsed painfully, as if the window itself demanded compliance.
> "I… I'll use this now," he muttered.
Pain tore through his legs and spine as the system activated the curse, lifting him upright. His Black Pill Window glowed violently.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL WINDOW — UPGRADE ⧉
Level: 20 → 21
Curses Remaining: Reduced by 1
EXP Remaining: 80,957,600
King's limbs still ached, but he felt a new edge of strength. One curse lifted. One more step closer to the system's cruel perfection.
> "I… I can do this," he murmured, voice steadier than before.
He turned to his parents.
> "I want to go back… I want readmission," he said, trembling.
His father's lips pressed into a thin line, and he nodded.
> "It's not a problem," he said, voice neutral. "We'll deal with it."
In reality, King didn't know the whole truth: his father had begged his company boss to help him. The deal had been secured behind closed doors, but to King, it felt like a victory earned through his own will.
---
Arrival at School
They arrived at the school gates. Whispers erupted immediately as students recognized him, still bandaged, still cursed, still trembling from humiliation.
The principal eyed him coldly.
> "So… you want readmission," the principal said. "Fine, but the punishment stands. Suspension: three months. And you will be monitored every step of the way."
King's lips curled slightly, relief and rage intertwining. The punishment had shortened from indefinite torment to three months, and he had earned his first victory under the new system.
---
Black Pill Window Reward Trigger
The window appeared once more in his vision, elegant and symmetric, its edges dark and glinting.
Reward Activated:
• 1 Curse Removed
• Black Pill Window Upgraded
• EXP Bonus: +50,000
King's fingers brushed the gem again, feeling the subtle hum of power.
> "One curse down… many more to go," he whispered.
He straightened his trembling body as best he could. His parents walked behind him, silently proud, unaware of how much he had endured just to reach this point.
King's gaze hardened. The road ahead was brutal, unforgiving, and dark… but now, the system was firmly in his hands.