Occult: World of Yandere - Volume 1 Chapter 2 - The Family Curse

“Nier…

Benson called out to him, a questionable but equally worried look was plastered on his face.

On the other hand, Nier simply responded with a fake smile and said.

“Hehehe… Just kidding, I would never hurt anyone do I look like I have that drive in me.”

“Fweeehhh!!!…

Benson said, the worry on his face evident for a moment but clear now, thanking the heavens above Nier was just fucking with him.

But he continued his previous comment by adding.

“But Nier, this world is a shit place to live in.”

Benson said, his tone heavy with concern. 

“At least use that weapon of yours safely. Damn Fluxes are making daily life a pain to deal with. 

“You’re not even safe in your sleep.”

Nier just nodded and said.

“Yeah… yeah… I hear you.”

Nier reassured Benson.

Either way, he has no plan to die, given he has his own demons to fight; but at the same time, he kind of didn’t want anything bad to happen to Benson either.

After all, Benson was one of his rare smoking buddies. Nier didn’t have many friends—he loathed the idea of going out, as it put him at more risk than he liked.

Even before Fluxes became a widespread problem, Nier had been burdened by a powerful curse that had plagued his family for over 157 generations.

He himself is the 157th bearer of this curse.

The curse of the Augustus family.

The origins of the curse can be traced back to the sixth Augustus, who had documented his affliction in a Codex. However, the problem lay in understanding the language it was written in a now-extinct language or script called Arthorian. 

It wasn’t until the 81st Augustus that the family managed to decipher some of its meaning. By that time, the common universal language was English, and Arthorian had long been lost to history.

Fortunately, Nier’s father Joseph Agustus had taught him the Arthorian language before his untimely death at the hands of Nier’s own mother, who later took her own life. 

Learning the ancient language had been a grueling task, but Nier managed to master it.

It was something his father made sure he learned during his childhood.

However, the knowledge he gleaned from the Augustus Codex, a family heirloom passed down to each generation’s heir, was invaluable. The Codex contained forbidden secrets and crucial information about their lineage. One of the most notable details was that the Augustus family could only produce male offspring.

Every Augustus child was born normal, but the heir would inherit the “Curse of Ishtar,” while all others would die before reaching the age of 69 in horrific ways. To control this deadly cycle, Augustus men from the 97th generation onward had genetically modified their line to allow only one child per lifetime, with a 69-year interval between births.

The curse itself was horrific: it attracted obsessive, dangerously unstable women to Augustus men, making them fall madly in love. 

But what truly made this curse terrifying was the fact that, with each generation, it evolved and grew stronger.

Initially, before its current form, the curse merely attracted unstable women to the afflicted male. However, it adapted over time and could now corrupt ordinary women, turning them dangerously obsessed. This made it far more perilous, as the curse now activated through something as simple as eye contact.

According to the Codex, there were ways to mitigate its effects. For one, never hold eye contact with a woman for more than five seconds—even three seconds might prove fatal. Another rule was to avoid situations that could trigger what the Augustus men called a “route.” Unfortunately, routes were almost impossible to dodge; they always found a way to manifest.

‘Sigh… The curse evolves with every generation. I don’t know how it will change for me… but if another route is triggered, before it blossoms into something uncontrollable, I’ll have to take extreme measures yet again. It would be a pity if someone mysteriously went missing, never to be seen again.’

Nier said to himself, on the other hand, he gave Benson a knowing smile, as he took back his AFAHCv4, or Anti Freak Artillery Hand Cannon, Generation 4. And placed it back in his bag, he had to be careful with this, given how powerful this weapon was.

The AFAHCv4 isn’t just a weapon, it’s a lifesaver for those living in a world on the brink. With two modes, Quick Shot and Massive Charge, it’s built to handle anything thrown your way. At full power, it fires bolts of pure lightning, as fast as a blink, with enough force to bring down small buildings. 

The blast doesn’t just hit, it spreads out in every direction within a complete radius of 25 meters when one uses it at maximum charge, making it perfect for taking down multiple threats at once.

Getting your hands on one ain’t cheap either.

The look of the AFAHCv4 alone is enough to turn heads. It’s sleek and sturdy, with sharp edges that scream power. The matte black finish is lit up by glowing blue patterns, faintly pulsing like a heartbeat when it’s powered on. A small screen on the side gives you all the info you need, charge levels, settings, and more, right at your fingertips.

But what really makes it special? The way it works. It pulls moisture from the air around you, using that to create the raw energy for its lightning blasts. It’s like holding a storm in the palm of your hand, ready to unleash whenever you need it.

On the other hand, Nier began to head to the door, as he waved Benson goodbye and said as such.

“Well, Benny, I’m off now. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Honestly, you should be worrying about yourself. You’re the only one here on the first floor, and Mr. Welshier’s all the way up on the top floor. Stay safe, alright?”

Benson just laughed at this as he casually said.

“Yeah, yeah… drive safely. I’ll be fine here. See you Monday.”