SHAMAN PROTOCOL
Chapter 59: Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 59: Till Death Do Us Part

[Host: Mikel Graves]

[Age: 17]

[Level: 32]

[Class: Protocol Upholder]

[Current Protocols Available: Exorcism Protocol (Tier II), Recovery Protocol (Tier II), Curse Techniques Protocol (Tier III), System Log (I), Emergency Protocol: Self-Termination Resistance, System Emergency Protocol]

[Abilities Gained: Night Vision (Passive), Exorcism Instinct (Passive), Curse Trigger (Active: 10-hour cooldown)]

[Weapon: Blood Chain — Bound]

[Current Curse Affinity with Host: 38%]

[Curse Suppression, Dark Relic Class]

[Two embedded shards.

Note: Three shards embedded may unlock its next technique.]

[Weapon: Book of the Dead — Active]

[Current Curse Affinity with Host: 26%]

[Spirit Absorption/Skills (3), Phantom Contracts (Open), Ghost Index (Open), Contract Rite (To be learned), Second Chapter of the Book (Open)]

[System Mall: Secret Shop Available]

[Secret Shop Catalog: Basic Talismans, Recovery Potions: Health and Spiritual Mana]

[Soul Credit: 4]

[Main Objective: Fill the Crystal.

Crystal Status: 60%]

[Side Objective I: Sign your first Phantom Contract.]

Mikel stared at the screen, not even daring to skim through the parts he already knew. After everything Doom had thrown at him, he’d adapted—reading and comprehending its messages was second nature now, whether he liked it or not.

One thing was clear, though.

He hadn’t won the battle against the Type X, but it had done something. His affinity with both relics had jumped, and his level — on which the system based his general capability for the protocol — also leaped. There was no reward, of course—that wasn’t how the Protocol worked.

The Protocol didn’t care for victories.

It wasn’t adaptive. It didn’t adjust to his struggle.

It had rules. And its rules were simple: fulfill the Objectives.

And right now, his objectives were still filling up that Crystal and signing a ghost or a spirit — anyone — in a contract.

He tried to raise his hand, but neither moved. Even the one without a cast felt impossibly heavy. Mikel didn’t push it and stayed flat on the bed.

"If I open the book now..." he rasped. "...would it fall on my face?"

[...Yes.]

He deadpanned. "How come it floats when it wants to?"

[The Book of the Dead floats only during high-intensity combat scenarios.]

[It rides the energy waves.]

Mikel frowned. He hadn’t noticed before, but Doom was right. The Book only ever hovered in battle. On normal days, it just clapped into his hand like any other cursed object.

"Can’t you just analyze it? You’re with it—I saw you. I remembered, Doom."

The void.

The faint voices.

The burning eye.

He remembered all of it.

A part of him felt like he shouldn’t.

But he did.

[I’ve always analyzed the Book’s content to help you understand it. However, I cannot do so unless you open it.]

Mikel blinked at the screen.

"So even you guys have structure, huh?"

[It is called respecting one’s privacy and consent, Master.]

He stared at the reply, too tired to react. Maybe later. When he could move again. After all, how could Doom respect the Book’s privacy, but not his sanity?

Silence returned to the room, and the screen flickered out. Mikel’s eyes drifted to the ceiling— familiar, but not quite.

"He reported it," Mikel murmured, thinking of that guy—Stefan. "Then Danika and Amon came to check the curse."

At this point, he didn’t need to guess what curse they meant. He held cursed relics. He was carrying Doom. Even if the whole world insisted he wasn’t cursed, he knew better.

"But she said she couldn’t feel any residue." He blinked as the screen flickered back into view. "What do you think’ll happen if Zone Zero finds out I’m cursed? Or if they figure out what you are—or the relics?"

[I may generate a few scenarios, but none bring a good result. Unless Zone Zero has a change of heart, in which case they might treat you as their last savior and offer you a cape.]

"Don’t—" Mikel muttered, shaking his head. "Don’t start, Doom. Not right now."

[...]

He stared at the ceiling again, wondering if anyone in Zone Zero was strong enough to unbind him from the Protocol and its cursed relics.

Probably not without scooping his eye out.

"Tempting," he said dryly, but the memory of the tank top man’s face and the blindfolded woman’s condescending laugh snapped him out of it.

"I haven’t settled scores with them."

[Not all corrupted are meant to be purified, and not all curses are meant to be exorcised.]

[Just like human law—not all murderers go to prison. Some go to the asylum.]

He raised a brow at the screen. "Are you saying even the strongest shaman can’t unbind us?"

[Till death do us part, Master.]

"I swear, if you start playing a wedding song, I will gouge this eye out and let the Homunculus Imprint fix me while it’s still active."

Which was quite on-point, since Doom had just started shuffling its playlist.

Mikel closed his eyes for a moment before asking, "Would they detect you?"

As the words left his mouth, he reopened his eyes, searching for an answer.

[They would, only if the cursed relics are active. Shamans can feel energy—cursed or not.]

"So that explains why the headmaster didn’t notice you, huh?"

Now that he thought about it, the ghosts hadn’t sensed the threat looming around them either, not just because the omen dressed itself as a harmless beaded bracelet.

Though Arthur had started to notice something was off once the Blood Chain grew restless with hunger. That was the only time.

"In other words, I’m safe... as long as it doesn’t act up."

[As long as the Blood Chain is fed, they won’t cage you. Yet.]

"I’m already caged. What are you talking about?" Mikel muttered dryly.

"Say, do you think this stolen imprint will fix me tomorrow?"

[It depends on how much damage there is. The Stolen Imprint from the Homunculus is temporary and only contains a fraction of its real ability.]

[It can only heal you based on how much essence the Book of the Dead absorbed during the battle.]

[It does not repair you the same way the Homunculus repaired itself. It merely sustains you—enough to support the Recovery Protocol.]

"I see." He yawned, eyes falling shut again. "Well... let’s hope I can walk tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll come home to an unfinished house and a bunch of ghosts who abandoned ship."

He paused, face twitching slightly.

"Worse... I’ll come home to another ghost labor movement."

[The horror.]

Mikel didn’t open his eyes to see what Doom had to say. But he did know one thing for sure:

Doom’s spite toward the ghosts was developing faster than its character arc.

"Goodnight, Doom," he mumbled, already drifting into a well-deserved deep slumber and peace, albeit temporarily.

[Good night, Master.]

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