Shaman found himself once more inside the Curse Prison. At first, he thought he would be turned into a cursed spirit to serve Fethan. But upon becoming a spirit of the Eternal Realm, he instinctively realized this wasn’t the case.

Simply being killed by Fethan was enough. No rituals were necessary—Shaman had instantly become one of Fethan’s vassals.

Actually, calling him a servant wasn’t quite right. Fethan didn’t force labor or bind him with contracts. Like the other spirits of the Eternal Realm, Shaman was free to do anything—as long as he followed two unbreakable rules:

First, no citizen of the Eternal Realm could defy or oppose the Lord of Everland.

Second, all citizens must pay monthly taxes to the Lord of Everland.

The Lord could only impose punishment if a citizen violated these rules—like refusing to pay taxes or disobeying enacted laws. So long as he didn’t act like an idiot, Shaman could live as just another resident of this strange paradise.

‘What is this place? Where… am I? The spirit energy is so dense… I don’t feel hungry or tired… or even sick.’

Shaman had been a chronic smoker with damaged lungs. He suffered from persistent respiratory issues—but here, there was none of that.

‘I’m definitely dead. That brat’s curse killed me. But why… why does this feel like heaven?’

His mind was hazy, like he’d just been roused from anesthesia. He couldn’t think clearly, utterly disoriented. The only thing he could conclude was—this must be heaven.

No need to die. No need to eat. No sleep deprivation. This was heaven in its truest form.

That was, until the door opened—and the young man who had killed him entered, flanked by Azrael the warden and Ricky the Groveler, who stared at his former master with pure, unfiltered contempt. He’d come here just to gloat.

Facing Fethan, Shaman didn’t dare posture. His instincts resisted any defiance. He bowed deeply, unable to meet the Lord’s gaze. Fethan stared down at him from a superior position.

"Well, Shaman. Welcome to the Eternal Realm. You can learn the rules from the others. I’m here today because I have a request. And it’d be best for you if you cooperate."

"Cooperate? With what? Go ahead—turn me into a cursed spirit! Toss me in a blender! Sacrifice me to some bug god—I’m ready!"

"No, you’re misunderstanding. I want something from you. I know someone like you must have a Bitcoin wallet. If you give me the email and the passcode, I’d be very grateful. I mean, you’re dead. You don’t need it. But I do."

“...”

Shaman had imagined horrific post-mortem tortures: his soul mutilated, fused with dung beetles, his dignity trampled, or being sacrificed to eldritch gods. But this? This request nearly made him faint.

Dark mages were criminals. Their assets were underground—and cryptocurrency was one of the main forms of dark currency. Easy to exchange, no physical risk. Shaman had converted everything into Bitcoin.

Too bad he’d ended up here, stuck as a citizen of the Eternal Realm.

"And if I give it to you, what do I get in return?"

"Mr. Shaman? I don’t understand. Return? What do you mean? This isn’t a transaction."

Fethan smiled darkly, letting Shaman imagine what might happen if he refused. The ex-dark mage’s face turned pale.

In the end, Shaman gave him the wallet address, email, and two-factor authentication details.

Fethan smiled, relieved—at least the money problem was temporarily solved. He left with Azrael. The Lord of Everland and Warden of the Curse Prison chuckled down the corridor, having fleeced their new inmate.

Shaman, bitter and empty, turned to Ricky.

"What are you looking at?"

"Just a man who lost everything."

“...”

Shaman clutched his chest. Even though spirits couldn’t feel physical pain, emotional devastation hit harder than any curse.

‘Angel…’

Stella’s eyelids fluttered. An unknown warmth embraced her like a mother’s hug. The scent of lilies filled her heart. She opened her sleepy eyes to see a plain ceiling. The soft bed made her never want to move.

Her groggy mind cleared. She suddenly bolted upright. Her last memory was of Shaman’s ritual circle. Everything after was blank.

She got off the bed and went to the window. Before her was a vast ten-thousand-square-meter territory surrounded by darkness. She saw Hellhounds and Sewer Rats hammering nails and pouring cement—building homes from scratch.

Fethan stood arms crossed, sweating profusely as he watched their sloppy construction. He regretted wasting precious materials. He had emptied Shaman’s wallet to build the Hellhound and Sewer Rat villages—only to discover that unlike castles, shops, or prisons, ordinary buildings had to be manually built with physical-world resources.

"If you idiots waste those materials, I swear I’ll show you hell!" Fethan shouted at a Hellhound. It flinched, trying to grip a hammer with its soft paws. Expecting finesse from a paw was a joke. The Sewer Rats, however, worked with team efficiency. Their homes rose smoothly—if geometrically questionable, looking like asymmetrical junk heaps.

"Mr. Fethan!"

From the castle’s upper floor, Stella called. Fethan looked up to see his sister awake at last. He rushed back inside. She sat on the bed, filled with questions and confusion.

"This is the Eternal Realm—my special power. Don’t be afraid, it’s safe here. No cursed spirits. No evil mages."

Fethan reassured her without mentioning the battle. He silently watched for any unusual changes in her condition. Stella fought back tears. Relief and joy overwhelmed her.

"I’m so glad. So glad you’re alive… Thank you. Thank you so much."

She wiped her tears with her sleeve. Fethan stared at her—and a woman’s image flashed in his mind.

"Let’s go meet the others. Can you walk?"

"Yes."

She reached for his large, rough hand. He guided her through the realm.

At the training grounds, Hellhounds and werewolves drilled. Sewer Rats raised homes. Magical crops sprouted from the fields. Luminus cleaned the shop that would soon open.

Stella had seen Luminus before, but they’d never spoken. She had assumed Lumi was a dangerous spirit and avoided her. Now, Lumi hugged her like a real sister. Stella blushed and helped clean the Eternal Realm’s shop.

That night, while Stella slept, Fethan and Luminus talked.

“Stella said she had a guardian angel who always protected her from cursed spirits. I think that angel was her mother—Sabina—who cursed herself to become a cursed spirit.”

Though it sounded unbelievable, Fethan was sure. Sabina, the woman who gave him Reverse Curse Magic, was Stella’s mother.

Stella had no memories of her mother. Sabina gave birth and left her at an orphanage. She never returned. Stella never knew her parents—until she was sent to Fethan.

"The most twisted curse is love, huh? To protect her cursed daughter, she turned herself into a spirit. Only cursed spirits can linger in the living world for long."

Luminus felt sad. Sabina must have loved her daughter dearly. She gave up everything—her soul, her legacy—to help Fethan save Stella.

"Have you told her her guardian angel was her mom?"

"Not yet. Maybe when she’s older. Besides, Stella’s identity is still a concern. If the system didn’t lie, her full name is Sabina Christina Hedison. I think we both know who her grandfather is."

Luminus froze.

Even someone like her—who disliked thinking—could guess. Stella was the granddaughter of Gamo, the previous Dark Magus who died twenty years ago. Fethan’s father, a Demon Slayer, had a child with Gamo’s daughter—and had both Gamo’s journal and the Map of the Dead.

"My father fell for the enemy’s daughter while infiltrating Gamo’s ranks. After Gamo died, there was a purge. Sabina likely knew she’d be killed. She gave birth quietly and left the baby at an orphanage."

"That’s horrible… but…"

Luminus fell silent. Her parents were Demon Slayers too—part of the purge. Those dark mages were wicked. If not eliminated, they’d wreak havoc. Sabina, Gamo’s daughter, was marked for death.

Maybe the Sterling family—her family—had been the one to kill Sabina.

Her heart sank.

"There’s one more thing I don’t understand. Maybe I was hallucinating… but Sabina’s last words were, ‘I love you all.’ It didn’t sound like something she wanted me to pass on to Stella. It felt like… she was saying it to me."

But Sabina wasn’t Fethan’s mother. He’d never forget his real mom’s face. Maybe he was just groggy from the ordeal.

Sabina—the guardian angel—was gone. He couldn’t sense her anywhere in the Eternal Realm. He had merged her soul to save Stella, and she had vanished.

"Well, that clears up Stella’s origin. She’s Gamo’s granddaughter. My father probably stole the real journal and map from Gamo. Sabina may have helped him. What I don’t get is—why didn’t Dad give the real journal to the Demon Slayers?"

"Maybe he didn’t trust them. Maybe he saw something dark within the organization. Sometimes it’s safer to keep dangerous things close."

Luminus offered perspective. Raised in the Demon Slayer clan, she didn’t believe they were pure. If Fethan’s father had seen their corruption, his actions made sense.

"Speaking of the journal, I wondered why Gamo didn’t write resurrection spells in it. But after talking to Shaman, I think maybe—there’s a second book. One focused only on resurrection."

"Fethan…"

Luminus looked at him with weary eyes. He was resolute. His life had taken a path with no return. He had stepped into the occult world—fully.

"I won’t give up, Lumi. I’ll bring you back to life. But I won’t drag innocents into this. Even if I now wield the power of the Dark Magus—I won’t lose myself. My magic exists for one purpose only—to kill other dark mages."

A few days later, the Sewer Rat Village was completed. The Hellhound Village was still an embarrassment. The Sewer Rat King approached the werewolves with a contract: the rat company would build their homes—for a fee. Spirit Coins.

Thus, the Eternal Realm saw its first economic transaction.

The realm had five special buildings: Castle, Barracks, Shop, Prison, Forge. Normal buildings included the Hellhound and Sewer Rat villages, and magical farms.

All citizens gathered in front of the castle for the first official awards ceremony. Fethan stood atop a wooden-and-brick podium with Azrael and other key members lined up beside him.

Thousands of eyes turned to them.

"Azrael—great merit in defeating the four cursed spirits, merging with me to cast the grand spell, protecting Stella’s soul, and advising me to defeat Shaman. Reward: 2 Red Soul Fragments, 10 Spirit Coins, 10% tax reduction for 3 months. Promotion: Official Head Warden."

“!!!”

Azrael’s eyes widened like goose eggs. He bowed deeply, moved to tears, and stepped down. The werewolf stepped up.

"Werewolf—great merit in battling cursed spirits and leading the Hellhound troops. Reward: 1 Red Soul Fragment, 5 Spirit Coins, 5% tax reduction for 3 months. Title granted: Lycaon."

“Woof.”

His role hadn’t been as flashy as Azrael or Ricky—but without him, they might’ve lost. He accepted his prize, not fully understanding its value.

The Sewer Rat King came next.

"Great merit in evading enemy detection and launching a surprise attack that turned the tide. Reward: 1 Red Soul Fragment, 5 Spirit Coins. Title granted: Blotfang. Appointed village chief."

Blotfang grinned, bowing deeply. He received no tax cut—but gained leadership.

Then came Ricky.

"Ricky the Groveler—great merit in aiding me against cursed spirits and dark mages. Demonstrated initiative in crisis resolution. Reward: 1 Red Soul Fragment, 5 Spirit Coins, 7% tax cut for 3 months. Title granted: Vermwrath. Appointed Deputy Warden."

Vermwrath bowed low. Shaman had never rewarded him for anything. But Fethan gave him value, a home, a community. Receiving a new name was like being reborn.

Fethan continued awarding the surviving Sewer Rat knights. Luminus and Stella watched from below. He stood with more dignity than ever. When it ended, all eyes turned to him—the pillar of the Eternal Realm.

He surveyed the orderly crowd.

"I’ve never introduced myself properly. My name is Fethan Bloodstar. I gained this power by accident—it changed my life. At first, all I wanted was to revive my lover, Luminus. So I studied the dark arts. Planned to quietly develop the Eternal Realm as a retirement plan."

"Then I found out my father left behind a half-sister. She’s sweet—but cursed. Because of my carelessness, I brought a dark mage into our home and nearly got us all killed."

"This experience taught me one thing—I can’t live in peace. I was naive to think I could save my lover without fighting. Everything I have is coveted by dark mages—the journal, the map, and even my sister, a perfect vessel for a Curse Queen."

"So instead of waiting to be hunted—I’ll become the hunter."

The moment those words left his mouth, Luminus felt it clearly—he had changed. His gentleness was buried deep, replaced by commanding strength.

Luminus had been killed by unknown dark mages. Stella, a cursed vessel, attracted evil. If history repeated, they’d lose everything.

Fethan needed power—enough that no one could challenge him.

"This battle won’t be the last. Stronger foes will come. I want everyone to remember my words today. This will be a long war."

"I, Fethan Bloodstar, Lord of the Eternal Realm and Dark Magus, hereby declare war against all dark mages. I will not stop until my mission is complete. Together—we’ll build an eternal paradise that no one can destroy. And then… we will find everlasting peace."