Chapter 65
“Cursed Doll Marionette? Sounds like some new horror movie title.”
Even after digging through my past life’s memories, the most useful thing I knew about the Western Shaman—among his handful of bragging claims—was this one skill.
A Skill granted the moment someone accepts a god.
A curse that activates with 100% certainty as long as there’s a “medium” that can identify the target.
The worst curse Skill on earth—layering debuffs, inflicting inexplicable pain, and ultimately ending in death.
That was [Marionette], the Western Shaman’s hidden curse skill.
You might wonder how I can trust this when I said most information about him was unreliable.
‘Because Park Chung-ho said it himself. When he was rebuilding the Azure Lake Guild.’
In my past life, Park Chung-ho swallowed the Haeundae Guild and renamed it the Azure Lake Guild.
He didn’t stop there. He declared a ranking war against the Baeksan Guild—Korea’s number one at the time—and became the nation’s biggest issue overnight.
Whether it was intimidation or simply arrogance, he openly talked about the Western Shaman’s hidden curse skill, [Marionette], in an interview.
The impact was enormous.
Not only was it an absurd ability, people even whispered that if such a skill truly existed, the world’s number one should be the Western Shaman, not Jeonsin.
However…
Much later—after the Azure Lake Guild drove out the Baeksan Guild and seized the top spot—Hwang Gyeong-seok, a Baeksan remnant and a high-ranking executive, revealed everything he knew about [Marionette].
‘In short, it’s a one-year cooldown instant-death curse. The hidden counter is a saintess with an SSS-rank purification skill.’
And when Jeonsin later backed up Hwang Gyeong-seok’s statement, that became the world’s only confirmed information about the Western Shaman.
‘Whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper.’
The Western Shaman muttered words no one could understand, and a green doll formed in midair.
Even after revealing [Marionette], he kept muttering—eyes washed completely white.
The green doll drifted closer.
As if he’d prepared for this long ago, the Western Shaman extended his hand.
A strand of hair—prepared from who knows when—was placed on his open palm.
“Is it over?”
[Regression Mode has ended.]
[Cooldown has started.]
My viewpoint dropped.
[Regression Mode] released, and I returned to normal body.
“So you were a [Hidden Class] holder, same type as Yaksha?”
Maybe thinking I was about to die, Park Chung-ho’s hoarse voice—watching my changed appearance—suddenly gained strength.
‘If I’d had ten more seconds, I could’ve killed him right here.’
Hearing that made my stomach churn with regret.
His wrist. His wounds.
If I played it perfectly, I really could’ve ended him today.
But as long as the Western Shaman—an unknown variable—was still standing, I couldn’t be sure.
If it’s uncertain, you don’t do it.
I remembered what the man who raised Hyuk-min into a human being once said.
‘Everything has its time.’
The Western Shaman’s recovery speed.
His containment.
And the remaining time on [Regression Mode].
No matter how I ran it through my head, today wasn’t the day that bastard’s tenacious life would end.
‘Yeah. Let’s accept that.’
Hyuk-min’s plan wasn’t over.
Opportunity and timing belong to the ones who force them into existence.
I took a slow breath and pushed the lingering regret out of my chest.
How many times in my past life had I learned that meaningless greed only gnaws at the one who holds it?
‘I’ll achieve everything in this life without regret. First: this Dungeon. And Park Chung-ho.’
Even while glaring at me like he wanted to tear me apart, Park Chung-ho was smiling—like he was enjoying himself.
The green doll swallowed the strand of hair.
At the same time, Park Chung-ho’s smile deepened.
The doll vanished without a trace.
“I didn’t expect…”
Every condition for [Marionette] had been met.
I let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity.
“You’re really going to burn a one-year card on me.”
And the most ridiculous part was the look in Park Chung-ho’s and the Western Shaman’s eyes—like they were waiting to watch me collapse.
[You have been afflicted by ‘Marionette’.]
[The resentment within ‘Marionette’ adds the ‘Cold’ status.]
“Even with all the trouble, it was good to have prepared.”
The reason I’d tried to kill the Western Shaman first.
The reason I’d treated him as the biggest variable.
It unfolded in front of me, clear as day.
Beep!
[Immune to debuffs due to the basic passive effect of ‘Poison Shadow Art’.]
“Interesting.”
Smirk.
The countermeasure I’d built to crush that variable kicked in perfectly, almost like it was showing off.
[The anger within ‘Marionette’ adds the ‘Heat’ status.]
Beep!
[Immune to debuffs due to the basic passive effect of ‘Poison Shadow Art’.]
Park Chung-ho’s expression stiffened.
Maybe he’d seen someone afflicted by [Marionette] before, because my unchanged state planted doubt in his eyes.
He snapped at the Western Shaman.
“What, why is he fine? Did you use it properly?”
“Judging by the cooldown, it definitely activated.”
“Then how the hell is that bastard standing on two feet like that!”
He must’ve expected me to be writhing on the floor.
Watching Park Chung-ho and the Western Shaman falter, I slowly shook my head.
[The poison within ‘Marionette’ adds the ‘Rot’ status.]
Beep!
[Immune to debuffs due to the basic passive effect of ‘Poison Shadow Art’.]
After that, curses kept stacking—one after another.
And [Poison Shadow Art] kept erasing them.
Each one turned into noisy alerts across my vision.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
The warnings didn’t stop, proof of how many curses were being forced onto me.
Then, without any warning sound, a message appeared.
Ting.
‘Is this the end?’
The moment I read it, the laughter I’d been holding back burst out.
“So this is what Jeonsin meant. The last curse is this.”
[‘Marionette’ changes your status to ‘Death’.]
[The Revenant’s passive Skill is activated.]
(T/N: What a fucking perfect counter.)
In my past life, after Jeonsin finished reviewing [Marionette], he was asked this in a later interview.
– “If you, Jeonsin, were afflicted by Marionette, could you survive?”
Jeonsin answered without hesitation.
– “Yes.”
– “How? You said the only one who can stop it is the saintess in England.”
– “The method is difficult, but there are still a few people who can stop it.”
– “There’s a way?”
– “You need two things. First, a hidden title or passive skill of SS rank or higher that makes you immune to curses and debuffs. Second, either a purification skill with no cooldown, or a skill or class that allows you to return from death once. If you have those, you can stop Marionette.”
– “Excuse me…? How many people have an SS-rank skill…”
– “That’s why I said only a few.”
– “More than that, return from death? That’s possible?”
– “The last curse of Marionette is death. That’s why it’s called the curse of desperation. As I said—if you have those two things, you can stop it. There may be only a few in the world.”
An SS-rank immunity passive, [Poison Shadow Art].
And the [Party Skill: Partial Revenant] trait—No Death’s skill that rejects death.
Just as Jeonsin said, those two perfectly countered the Western Shaman’s [Marionette].
‘Sorry, but there’s one more person Jeonsin doesn’t know about.’
From the beginning, the counter to the curse of desperation wasn’t only the saintess.
There was also someone who cannot die, even if he wants to.
And right now, that Revenant was pretending to be dead in front of the reward room.
A perfect counter to [Marionette].
‘Trying to solve the Revenant’s lifelong wish with a one-year skill… the System isn’t that sloppy.’
Thinking of No Death—who couldn’t die even if [Marionette] demanded it—I couldn’t help laughing.
It was time to finish this.
I turned toward the reward room and shouted.
“No Death! Start!”
Everyone’s eyes snapped to No Death.
Everyone knew what they were supposed to see—him struggle, then die.
“Now you are even making me act. This is just too much.”
But No Death’s voice—clear enough to crush every doubt—lit up the Dungeon.
“Wh, what…”
The most shocked of all was Yaksha.
He had torn out No Death’s heart with his own hands.
No matter how strong your healing was, it meant nothing without a heart.
“Why are you staring? Never seen someone come back from the dead before?”
Despite all that common sense, No Death stood perfectly upright.
Not only that, his movements—wrapped in black smoke—were just as fast as before.
In that brief moment of shock, No Death stepped out of the smoke and headed straight for Jang Han-bit, who stood in front of the reward room.
“[Attraction Barrier]!”
As expected, the most troublesome one in Park Chung-ho’s group was the Western Shaman.
While everyone else froze, he moved first.
Invisible barriers inside the Dungeon reacted to his mana.
His shout became the key, triggering mechanisms he’d laid in advance.
Just as No Death was about to fully emerge from the smoke, a yellow mana chain snapped out from behind him and seized his wrist.
Charrrr!
The chain was so solid that even No Death couldn’t break it.
A deep displeasure flashed across No Death’s face—he’d thought he was landing the decisive blow, only to be halted.
But the one making him feel that displeasure wasn’t the Western Shaman.
It was the bastard standing far away, watching everything like he already knew the ending.
‘Thank god we’re actually a team. He’s a lunatic…’
Hyuk-min.
– “So the Western Shaman is meticulous, right?”
– “He must’ve laid countless barriers inside the Dungeon that can be activated instantly.”
– “How do we break through a fortress like that?”
– “Even if there are hundreds, in the end it’s a person moving them. People make mistakes. For example—when an unexpected variable appears.”
No Death stared at his bound wrist, dagger clenched tight.
Then Hyuk-min’s last request surfaced again.
– “You have to hide the fact that you’re a Revenant who can revive even if you lose part of your body until the very end. Because that’s our best hidden card.”
No Death looked from his bound wrist to Hyuk-min.
Hyuk-min shook his head.
‘Not now?’
Every step of the plan had already been triggered. This was the final stage.
No more traps. No more devices.
The only remaining card was No Death.
Then the Western Shaman’s sharp voice sliced through the air.
“Jang Han-bit!! What are you doing right now!!”
Jang Han-bit, holding the black orb, suddenly raised both hands toward No Death and started walking to him.
It was Jang Han-bit—loyal to Park Chung-ho above all else.
And yet he was walking toward No Death with the reward in his hands.
No Death looked at Hyuk-min again.
Nod.
A silent nod. Firm and certain.
‘Ah…’
So this was the moment.
No Death didn’t hesitate.
He severed the wrist bound by the yellow chain and grabbed the black orb from Jang Han-bit’s hands.
“Yo, you crazy bastard!”
“No!!”
They hadn’t expected him to cut it off.
As the Western Shaman screamed, dozens of yellow chains erupted from all directions and shot toward No Death.
Even in panic, their response was fast—No Death’s entire body was wrapped tight in yellow chains.
“Reward! Find out where the reward is!”
No Death was bound so tightly he couldn’t move.
Park Chung-ho and Yaksha rushed in and searched him from head to toe.
But no matter how they searched, they couldn’t find it.
Then a sick thought crept into Park Chung-ho’s face.
“Could it be…”
He leaned close to No Death, voice gone strangely blank.
“You don’t… you don’t have an [Inventory], do you?”
A deep smile spread across No Death’s lips.
“You realized it quickly.”
“You crazy bastard!!!”
Park Chung-ho’s punches slammed into No Death’s abdomen through the chains.
The cocooned body shook violently with each blow.
“Cough! Cough!”
No Death spat blood, then smiled again.
“You’re so pitiful. How did you end up making an enemy out of a monster like him?”
He lifted his head and looked toward Bang Hyuk-min, still standing far away.
Then he shouted.
“Mission complete! I’m leaving! See you later~”
Park Chung-ho stared, disbelief written across his face. There was no way he could just leave.
“Good work~”
Charrrr.
Right in front of Park Chung-ho’s eyes, No Death’s bound body vanished.
The chains—losing their target—whipped back and struck Park Chung-ho’s body from every direction.
“This is…”
He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“Yo… you…”
How long had he prepared for this Dungeon?
He was past anger—something in his head had snapped.
Staggering, he turned toward the last one left.
“Yo… you bastard…”
Park Chung-ho was gasping, trembling with rage.
Hyuk-min watched him calmly for a moment, then tossed out a single line.
“Get a grip. It’s no fun if you fall apart over this. We’ve got a lot to do in the future.”
“You bastard!!!!”
The berserker’s Red Mana exploded outward.
“I’ll kill you!!!!”
“Guild Master! No! We have to keep him alive—”
The Western Shaman shouted, but Park Chung-ho didn’t hear him.
Nothing was going his way.
All he wanted was to kill Hyuk-min with his own hands.
He charged and threw a punch.
But—
“Dark Ring. [Body-Transfer].”
Even that didn’t go the way Park Chung-ho wanted.
Hyuk-min vanished without leaving a trace, and Park Chung-ho’s fist only tore through empty air.
“Kuaaaaaaa!!!! I’ll kill you!!! I’ll kill you!!!”
That day, unlike in his past life, Park Chung-ho gained nothing from this Dungeon.
Only one thing remained.
A burning hatred toward Hyuk-min.
And with nothing else to vent it on, he poured it into the innocent Dungeon itself.
(T/N: It was really satisfying to wrap it up like that, but I’m still unsure whether [Marionette] should be renamed to [Voodoo Doll (부두 인형)]. The raw literally calls it “Marionette (마리오네트),” but marionettes are more like puppets, while this Skill’s curse mechanics feel closer to a voodoo doll. Not sure—this author’s naming sense can be pretty weird.)