Chapter 341: Curse Master, Beginner's Tutorial

Zhang Ming was a veteran gamer… at least, that’s what he thought of himself.

He first saw the virtual reality game *Spirit Candle* thanks to a long-time content creator known as the Storyteller.

The game’s lore and innovative gameplay fascinated him, and he’d been dying to get a spot in *Spirit Candle* for a long time.

But his Luck seemed as bad as ever. Despite applying countless times, he just couldn’t secure a slot, and it drove him mad with frustration every time.

But today, his luck had finally turned.

[Congratulations! You have been granted access to *Spirit Candle*. You may now enter the game and begin character creation.]

The moment he saw the message, Zhang Ming froze. A wave of elation washed over him, and he started dancing with excitement.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“My fucking luck has finally turned!”

“And I’m even lucky enough to get in right after the big update with the new bloodlines!”

“No more spending all day on the forums watching playthroughs! From this day forward, I’m a proud Candleman too!”

Bursting with excitement, Zhang Ming rubbed his hands together and eagerly launched the game.

After a moment of darkness, an azure firelight flared to life…

[Please enter your name]

After a moment of thought, he decided to go with his usual game ID.

[Xiaoming]

Speaking of which, the nickname Xiaoming had stuck with him from elementary school all the way through college. Although it had a slightly teasing tone, Zhang Ming didn’t mind it.

After entering his ID, the next step was, of course, character customization.

“Holy crap, I’ve gotta recreate my handsome face.”

‘He was even hoping to find some online romance in *Spirit Candle*.’

At the thought, Zhang Ming excitedly began customizing his character’s face.

「Three minutes later.」

Staring at the ugly creation before him, Zhang Ming’s expression contorted.

“Forget it. I’ll just make a few small adjustments to the default face.”

After a moment of internal debate, Zhang Ming said, a little reluctantly.

Still, he raised the height to 1.8 meters and added some muscle definition—it was his last little act of defiance.

“Done.”

Having made it past the character creation hurdle, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, something astonishing happened.

The Candle Spirit Body he had just finished creating suddenly split into four copies before his very eyes. Three of them began to transform, taking on wildly different appearances.

[Please select your bloodline]

[Human] [Frogman] [Demon Summoner] [Curse Master]

‘The Frogman was out of the question; Zhang Ming wouldn’t even consider that ugly thing.’

The Demon Summoner, meanwhile, had a mysterious and eerie cavity in its chest, within which swirled a blackish-purple aura.

[Demon Summoner: Tame powerful husks to serve as your hounds and communicate with mysterious entities. A combat style and system unlike any other.]

‘Gotta say, it looks pretty cool.’

As for the Curse Master…

[Curse Master: Commune with vast, unknowable Power and cast eerie Curses through a medium. A secretive group unknown to most.]

Zhang Ming frowned deeply, not because of the Curse Master’s description, but because…

‘This Curse Master… is a little too alternative!’

‘The blue tattoos were one thing, but they were all over its body. It also had some kind of skin condition that looked like Ashes, and the character model was much skinnier. It was just a little… strange.’

‘And its eyes were pitch-black, just like in the CG from the update announcement, which was honestly a little creepy. There were also faint grooves on its face…’

‘But judging by the bloodline description, it should be pretty good.’

‘At this thought, Zhang Ming decided to give it a try. After all, he’d gotten in right when *Spirit Candle* released a major update with new bloodlines. Was he really going to play one of the old classes instead of trying something new?’

‘As for the tattoos and skin condition… whatever. No one will see them under a set of clothes anyway.’

Having rationalized it to himself, Zhang Ming gritted his teeth and hit confirm, giving himself no time for second thoughts.

[Due to bloodline restrictions, your starting Weapon has been selected.]

[Loading game…]

After making his choice, his vision faded to black once more…

A moment later, a faint light revealed a series of dark, gloomy images.

Dilapidated ruins, eerie, terrifying scenes, and a flickering Candlefire in the gloom… all of it flashed past, accompanied by a sad, mournful chant…

[…In the distant Land of Burning and the Endless Sea… flame gave birth to countless lives…]

[…However, the world once filled with light and heat now marches toward ruin…]

[…At the sea’s end lies boundless darkness…]

[…Roars and wails echo from the dark corners…]

[…The Candlefire of hope grows stronger…]

[…O, Firelight from a distant land…]

[…Accept this Candle Spirit Body, and become a pioneer who delves into the darkness…]

The cutscene ended, but Zhang Ming was still immersed in the hyper-realistic visuals.

It was the first time he’d ever seen a first-person cutscene with such realism. The rain and the spray of the waves, the biting wind and the warm Candlefire, the weight of his armor—everything felt so real…

Stunning.

Zhang Ming’s heart was thumping in his chest, and it was a long time before he could calm down.

The cutscenes he’d seen on the forums were already amazing, but they were nothing compared to this immersive experience…

After the cutscene finished, his vision went black again.

But this time, Zhang Ming could clearly feel himself gaining the sorts of tactile sensations one could only have in a real body.

The hard ground, the frigid air, and… the warmth in front of him.

When he opened his eyes, Zhang Ming saw a Milestone Spirit Candle before him, awash in flowing, azure light.

[Touch the Spirit Candle Fire, anchor your Firelight.]

‘Is this the new player guide?’

‘Whoa, *Spirit Candle* actually has a tutorial now? That’s a surprise.’

As a regular on the Spirit Candle Forum, Zhang Ming knew just how hardcore the game was; he never expected them to add a tutorial after a major update.