Maria spoke.

[Your destination is the domain of the God of Order, Horai, where his Apostle rules the world of Arbosea. There, by the side of one blessed with divine blood, you shall make your choice. That is your task.]

“Could a Transcendent intervene?”

A world where the Apostle of the God of Order resided—such a place might attract the attention of a Transcendent. However, Maria shook her head.

[No, they won’t interfere. The order Horai imposes binds even himself. That’s why he never entered the labyrinth.]

A hint of mockery was in Maria’s voice.

[I respect the choices of all beings. Even if those choices lead to death, as long as it’s their will, it’s valid. But sometimes, choices don’t exist at all. I can’t stand to see that.]

Maria waved her hand, and Taesan’s body began moving against his will.

Taesan closed his eyes, bracing himself for the journey.

A sensation of the world shifting enveloped him.

When it subsided, Taesan opened his eyes.

He saw a massive forest. Bushes rustled, brushing against his ankles, and the strong smell of grass filled the air.

This was the world of Arbosea, governed by the Apostle of Horai, the God of Order.

He had arrived.

---

**Taesan’s Observations**

First, he needed to assess his surroundings. Gathering his dark energy, he activated Leraje’s detection field. Information flooded Taesan’s mind.

He sensed countless small creatures and pure, untouched nature.

“Nothing special about this world.”

It appeared to be an ordinary world, no different from many others. That was Arbosea.

The first goal of his quest was to find the one with divine blood.

[She sent you right next to them.]

By a tree, a young child was curled up, sleeping.

The child looked to be around twelve. He seemed exhausted but bore no visible injuries.

The boy lay unprotected on the forest floor, with only the dying embers of a fire nearby. Occasionally, he shivered from the cold.

Taesan reached down and stirred the dying fire back to life.

This quest came with little information. He had no idea about the state of the one with divine blood, the nature of the trial, or what kind of person this so-called Emperor was. Taesan would have to uncover it all himself.

Instead of waking the child, Taesan turned to his ghostly companion.

“What exactly is divine blood?”

The first thing he needed to understand was the nature of divine blood.

The only person he had seen wielding divine blood before was Helia. She had forcefully invoked her divine blood, gaining the strength and speed to challenge him.

This wasn’t a normal power. The ghost responded in a cautious tone.

[Even I don’t know much about divine blood. Those who possess it are rare, and they’re often persecuted and killed early on.]

“They’re persecuted?”

[From what I know, in rare cases, a person is born with blue blood instead of red. This is called divine blood, and those with it are often labeled as God’s illegitimate children.]

“Are they really descended from gods?”

[Probably not.]

The ghost’s voice held uncertainty.

[I can’t say for sure. After all, a God’s child wouldn’t necessarily inherit their powers. On the contrary, a child can have divine blood even if both parents are ordinary humans.]

“So, it’s a mystery.”

[The only thing certain is that there’s no predictable pattern to the birth of these so-called divine children.]

In other words, whether they were truly related to the gods was unknown.

Taesan asked the ghost another question.

“Why are they persecuted? Wouldn’t divine blood grant them great power?”

[Not exactly. Divine blood isn’t that convenient.]

The ghost refuted Taesan’s assumption.

[Yes, they’re extraordinary. They possess innate talents that far surpass normal people. But that’s it. They’re still human at the core. That’s why they’re often called devil children, shunned or killed, or driven out as harbingers of misfortune. Only a very select few, aware of their abilities, manage to live revered as noble beings.]

“Helia must have been one of the lucky ones.”

Her skills had involved forcibly drawing out her divine blood, amplifying her strength. A force so potent that even the deepest adventurers could barely handle it.

Taesan gazed at the child, who slept fitfully nearby.

“So this child was persecuted too?”

[Most likely. It’s a sad tale. Simply for being born this way, some choose death over life.]

It seemed that the boy, tortured and tormented by others, had given up on living.

Yet, Taesan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it.

A gut feeling told him things weren’t as they seemed.

He stoked the fire a bit.

Hours later, the boy awoke.

“Uh…”

He rubbed his tired eyes, brushing off the dirt on his body. As he became aware of Taesan by the fire, his expression shifted to one of mild surprise.

“Who… are you?”

His voice was drowsy, still clouded by sleep.

Taesan replied simply.

“An adventurer.”

“...Oh. Are you a mercenary?”

The boy glanced between the fire and Taesan, then gave a polite nod—a gesture he’d clearly been taught.

“Thank you for tending the fire. But… you should leave.”

“Why?”

The boy’s face fell as he answered.

“Because I’m a cursed child.”

“So?”

“Pardon?”

The boy was taken aback, not expecting such a response.

“...I am a cursed child.”

“And?”

Taesan looked at him, indifferent. The boy became even more flustered.

“Uh… I’m… a cursed child…”

“I don’t care.”

After all, Taesan’s quest required him to stay by the boy’s side.

The boy’s face showed his confusion. He seemed to want to say something, but no words came out.

---

The boy continued walking.

His shoes were worn, nearly barefoot. Taesan observed him briefly, then raised a hand.

Creak!

A nearby tree twisted and bent.

The wood shaved itself down and reshaped until a small pair of shoes appeared, perfectly fitted to the boy’s feet.

Taesan handed them to him. The boy accepted them, dazed.

“…Are you a wizard? I didn’t hear any incantation…”

“Something like that.”

Of course, it wasn’t magic. Since completing the Spirit God’s quest and forming a contract with the Spirit King, Taesan had gained influence over nature.

If he wished, he could quell a raging storm with a mere gesture. Crafting shoes from a tree was simple.

The boy couldn’t possibly imagine such power and assumed Taesan was an accomplished wizard.

“Thank you. But you should still go. I am cursed.”

“I told you, I don’t care.”

Taesan replied dismissively.

The boy hesitated, then slipped on the shoes.

His steps seemed more comfortable now.

‘Not an easy quest.’

The God of Choices tended to set up scenarios that Taesan found challenging. Although the deity favored him, they weren’t as affectionate as the Demon God.

The quest’s condition was that the bearer of divine blood would make a choice.

What that choice was, Taesan did not know.

More importantly, there were no visible injuries on the boy. His body was dirty but otherwise clean, unmarred by wounds.

If he’d truly been persecuted, as the ghost had suggested, he wouldn’t be unscathed.

‘For now.’

He needed more information.

Taesan followed the boy, who occasionally glanced back while continuing forward.

“Stop right there!”

Suddenly, a group of bandits blocked their path.

Blocking the road, the bandits grinned maliciously.

“This is Claden Bandits' territory! If you want to pass, pay the toll!”

They drew their swords. The boy stepped forward cautiously.

“Apologies, but I have nothing. May I pass?”

“If you’ve got nothing, then you’ll have to offer yourself! Where do you think you’re going!”

The apparent leader of the bandits shouted, only for a muscular bald man behind him to nudge him.

“Uh, maybe that kid’s… you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“The cursed one… you know, the one they say is cursed by all things…”

The leader’s face fell as the bald man whispered in his ear.

“That cursed child?”

“He looks like the one they talked about…”

“Sh*t.”

The leader paled and frantically waved his hands.

“Everyone, back off! Let them pass! Don’t touch him!”

“Yes, sir!”

The bandits immediately complied, as if afraid they’d be cursed if they didn’t.

They quickly stepped aside, clearing a path for the boy.

The boy walked past them with a resigned expression, though he seemed used to it.

“You see? You shouldn’t follow me. You’ll be cursed too.”

The boy muttered to Taesan.

Taesan didn’t move. The boy seemed relieved and continued on his way.

After the boy disappeared down the path, the bandit leader breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whew… almost died there. Think we got cursed just by being near him?”

“I heard a little contact’s okay, but… yeah, it’s creepy.”

“Maybe we should visit a temple for a blessing or something.”

“They’d probably refuse us if he’s a cursed child.”

“If I slip them a bribe, maybe they’ll do something. But still…”

The leader glanced over at Taesan, suspicion growing in his eyes.

“And who are you?”

Taesan didn’t answer him, still watching the

 boy disappear into the distance.

“Do those with divine blood also bear curses like that?”

[Hmm… I don’t know. There’s so little information on divine blood. If there are unique traits we’re unaware of, it wouldn’t be surprising.]

“I’ll need to figure it out.”

“You’re not cursed, are you?”

“There’s only one cursed child, so he’s probably just traveling along the same road.”

“Well, good news for us.”

The leader raised his sword again, eyeing Taesan’s clothing with greed.

“You look like you’ve got money on you. Pay the toll, or I’ll take your arm.”

“That’s my line.”

There was no need for magic. He didn’t even have to exert his will.

A mere fraction of his power would suffice.

Taesan snapped his fingers.

A tremendous pressure crushed down on the bandits.

“Grr…ugh!”

They couldn’t even scream.

Unable to exhale, their bodies began to tremble.

Taesan spoke casually.

“Answer my question, and I might let you live.”