Chapter Four: Hakka’s Curse

After hearing this, Link's face once again took on the kindly smile that was a must for any true charlatan. He raised his hand, intending to pat Saga on the head, but given their difference in height, he could only manage a pat on Saga’s shoulder. “Child, don’t get so worked up. As I’ve said, as the representative of the Father God on earth, I ask nothing from you. Helping others is the doctrine of the Church of the Father God. I am simply fulfilling my duty as His envoy.”

With that, Link turned and strode into the room, leaving Saga with an elegant silhouette. In that instant, Saga felt that Link’s figure had become incomparably grand, like a great saint. This was exactly the effect Link sought. He truly had no personal demands of Saga—he only wanted faith. Yet he would never stoop to trading favors for belief, at least not openly.

Since learning of the system, Link had been pondering how best to develop his religion. After reflecting on the stories of the founders of various earthly faiths, he arrived at a simple truth: to found and grow a religion, one must put on a show—at the very least, one must leave people with an impression of sanctity and integrity.

Though Link felt little affinity for such methods, he didn’t reject them either. Having spent several years navigating society in his previous life, he understood perfectly well that anyone who wishes to rise must learn to perform; if you don’t, others surely will.

Thus, time and again, Link presented himself with an air of solemn righteousness, using Saga as a mouthpiece to reshape his image among the poor, hoping to develop followers and win Saga’s faith.

So far, the results were promising. As long as he could heal Saga’s sister, Saga would almost certainly become the second believer of the Church of the Father God and even help Link spread his teachings for free.

Thinking of Saga’s sister, Link’s gaze shifted to Yuna. The frail young girl, though asleep, wore an expression of deep pain; her face was utterly devoid of color, a picture of someone at death’s door. After a brief look, Link couldn’t help but ask, “By the Father God above, Saga, what exactly is this child suffering from?”

At the question, Saga’s face fell, and in a strained voice, he replied, “It’s the Curse of Hakka.”

“The Curse of Hakka?” Link raised an eyebrow. Hakka was the evil god of blood, but the actual illness had nothing to do with him—his name was simply attached to it. Drawing on Neil’s memories, Link immediately understood: in earthly terms, it was leukemia.

People in the world of Solacuum were generally healthier than those on Earth and untroubled by pollution, so leukemia was rare and no effective treatments existed. Over time, such illnesses were all labeled as curses of evil gods, with Hakka’s Curse being the best known.

Leukemia, even on modern Earth with advanced medicine, was hard to cure—it required a bone marrow transplant. In Solacuum, where medical equipment and techniques lagged far behind, it was a death sentence.

Seeing Link fall silent after hearing of Hakka’s Curse, Saga assumed he found the situation difficult and forced a bitter smile. “Father, you needn’t trouble yourself. I know Hakka’s Curse is incurable. Just do your best. Even if you can’t save my sister, I won’t blame you.”

Link snapped out of his reverie, flashing a confident smile. “Don’t worry. Just because others are helpless doesn’t mean I am.”

“You… you have a way to cure the Curse of Hakka?” Saga was stunned, staring at Link in disbelief.

Link didn’t answer. Leaving Saga with an inscrutable and imposing back, he knelt beside Yuna, placed his hand on her face, and closed his eyes to cast ‘Healing Touch.’

This was the source of Link’s confidence: a skill granted by the system. Its effect was simple—it consumed his own magical energy to heal the target’s illness.

No matter the disease, as long as it was an illness, it could be cured!

The spell’s effectiveness depended on the caster’s strength, but Link believed that even if he couldn’t cure her in one go, he could at least slow the illness. With a few repeated treatments, even something as dire as leukemia could be overcome.

Under Saga’s astonished gaze, a gentle green glow appeared in Link’s hand and flowed into Yuna’s body.

Through Healing Touch, Link could clearly sense the illness in Yuna’s body being suppressed, gradually healing her nearly extinguished vitality.

Slowly, the pain faded from Yuna’s face, her breathing steadied, and a look of peace replaced her former suffering.

Beside them, Saga was dumbfounded. He’d sought help for his sister many times, tried all manner of medicines, but nothing had worked. To witness such obvious improvement in so short a time, with nothing but a miraculous spell, was unheard of.

In that moment, Saga’s gaze toward Link changed—from respect and gratitude to reverence and excitement. Perhaps this man truly could save his sister!

At first, Saga had invited Link in sheer desperation, with little hope for his sister’s so-called incurable disease. Who would have thought the situation could take such a dramatic turn? Under Link’s treatment, Yuna’s condition clearly improved, rekindling hope in his once despairing heart.

Under Saga’s anxious watch, Link continued healing for a full five minutes. When he finally withdrew his hand, Yuna’s face was flushed with healthy color, no trace of her previous pallor—she looked as though she had just recovered from a serious illness.

Witnessing this near-miraculous scene, Saga turned to Link, trembling with hope. “Father, has my… my sister been cured?”

Link exhaled slowly, shaking his head. As Saga’s heart plummeted, Link smiled and turned back. “Not completely cured yet, but two more treatments and she’ll be well.”

Upon hearing this, Saga’s despair turned instantly to joy. “R-really? You can cure Hakka’s Curse? That so-called incurable curse?”

“By the Father God above, as the envoy of the King of Gods, not even the Blood God’s curse is beyond my reach,” Link replied with serene confidence, his air of mystery and authority growing ever more convincing.

Saga was beside himself with joy. If anyone else had made such a claim, he would have doubted them—but the improvement in his sister’s condition was undeniable. Overcome, he stammered, “F-Father, I-I don’t know how to thank you. From this day forward, whatever you ask, I will do for you!”

As he spoke, a flash of white light appeared above Saga’s head, and his full name—Saga Victor—along with his believer rank, materialized in Link’s vision. He had become a mid-level believer, higher even than Elia’s rank.

Link’s eyes lit up at the sight, though outwardly he maintained a calm, gentle smile. “Child, there’s no need for this. As I’ve told you, this is the teaching of the Father God. When He appointed me as His envoy, He instructed me to extend a helping hand to those in need. I have simply done my duty.”

Saga nodded, then murmured softly, “Father God Link… A truly unique deity, so different from the doctrines of other churches…”

As he spoke, Link noticed Saga’s believer rank rise again—to high-level believer.

A faint, knowing smile touched Link’s lips. Indeed, teaching a man to fish was far more effective than giving him a fish. Though it required more effort and subtlety, the faith thus gained was deeper and more sincere, far less likely to be poached by rival religions.

Just then, a wave of intense dizziness swept through Link’s mind, and he collapsed. Fortunately, Saga was quick to catch him, asking anxiously, “Father, are you all right?”

Link shook his head to clear the fog, then managed a wry smile. “To be honest, I’m ashamed—my powers are too weak. The strength bestowed by the Father God cannot be fully realized. Healing your sister has exhausted my magic completely.”

Saga nodded in understanding, his respect deepening. He ignored Link’s claim of weakness entirely; to him, it was simply modesty. After all, no priest or doctor he’d ever brought could improve his sister’s condition, yet Link had achieved remarkable results in just a few minutes. The difference was obvious.

In Saga’s eyes, Hakka’s Curse was extremely difficult to treat—Link must have expended immense effort. Such selfless sacrifice in saving others was truly noble. In his youthful heart, Saga now regarded Link as a living saint.

“Compared to Father Neil, priests and clergy of other churches are nothing but hypocrites!” Saga thought. In his mind, he compared Link to the representatives of other churches, and found the latter wanting. The other religious orders all shared a common flaw: indifference toward the poor. In their eyes, the impoverished were nothing but ants, unable even to make donations—unworthy of salvation or instruction. This bred resentment among the poor toward the churches, making Link’s nobility stand out all the more by contrast.

With this realization, Saga swore quietly to repay Link’s kindness. Even if Link asked for nothing in return, he would do all in his power to aid this noble priest.

Just then, a soft moan sounded. Link and Saga turned to see Yuna awakening.

Saga hurried to her side, his joy clear. “Yuna, you’re awake! Come, thank Father Neil!”

Yuna had only just awoken and was still in a daze, unable to comprehend what Saga was saying. Her little face was blank with confusion.

Watching from the side, Link shook his head with a sigh. “Saga, you’re scaring your sister. She’s just woken and isn’t fully conscious yet. Don’t overwhelm her with so much at once.”

Realizing his excitement had gotten the better of him, Saga’s expression became apologetic. “Sorry, I got carried away. Yuna, this is Father Neil, the man I brought to treat you. He’s truly remarkable—your illness is already mostly cured. Just two more treatments and you’ll be perfectly well.”