Seth frowned a little.

He had been quite fond of the bone mask since he first saw it.

It fit his sense of aesthetics perfectly.

As someone who had watched many fantasy shows in his previous life, he knew this kind of mask was popular in stories...

Dark skull masks always looked cool!

Because of that, he was reluctant to part with it.

The slight disappointment he felt was quite real.

For a short moment, a simple idea crossed his mind...

'Perhaps I should just steal it later…'

But as soon as the thought appeared, Seth's mind became alert.

That was not normal.

Even if the mask looked cool, it was just an item...

He should not feel that attached, especially not to the point of planning to steal it.

He had never been the type to obsess over random objects.

This sudden desire was suspicious...

He reminded himself immediately...

This world was filled with supernatural things.

He had seen proof already.

With his intellect, there was no way he would ignore a clear warning from someone who had no reason to lie.

After all, his fate had been manipulated several times before his first death in this world.

He had learned to be careful...

He had learned that things were not always what they seemed!

This mask was definitely cursed.

'It's able to form attachments with people just by being near it?'

Seth thought.

That alone was enough reason to avoid it.

With a quiet sigh, Seth put the bone mask back on the shelf.

Then, he picked up a simple porcelain mask.

It had no face, only smooth white surface, with a small hole to breathe through the nose.

It did not look interesting, but it would hide his identity.

The old man nodded slightly.

He handed Seth some change, since the porcelain mask was cheaper.

Seth did not speak further.

He simply left the shop with the plain mask in hand.

...

After Seth's figure disappeared from view, the old man behind the counter slowly put his book down. He picked up the bone mask and examined it closely.

Then he looked through the window, watching Seth's fading silhouette.

"Only certain witches can resist the bone mask," he muttered.

"A coven witch… or a stray witch?"

His eyes narrowed.

"The sin energy he holds is something I've never felt before. It resembles the sin of Ignorance, but not quite…"

The old man shook his head.

"Matamisan is becoming more dangerous and unpredictable by the day. The prophecy made by that man might truly come to pass..."

"Perhaps it is time we leave."

As he said those words, the bone mask in his hand twitched.

Its surface shifted, the white bone stretching into thin limbs.

Within seconds, the mask turned into a small, strange bone creature.

It crawled onto the old man's shoulder and clung there, like a silent pet.

The old man did not seem surprised.

He simply looked out the window once more, eyes filled with worry.

Outside, Seth walked away, not bothering to think about the bone mask in fear of growing "attachments" that would lead him to get it back.

The night breeze was cold.

The city was quiet.

And the path ahead was growing darker.

...

Walking away, Seth had his own thoughts about the old man.

The man said that everyone who wore the mask became unlucky or cursed.

Anyone who did not think too deeply would simply accept that explanation and move on.

After all, in this world, things like cursed items were not impossible.

However, when Seth thought about it more carefully, several problems appeared.

First, if the mask had been sold to "many owners," how did it always return to the same shop?

This was not a small matter.

If those owners suffered misfortune, then they should have either destroyed the mask, thrown it away, or passed it to someone far from the original seller.

Yet the mask always ended up on the same shelf.

That alone did not make sense.

There was another point as well.

In this world, coven witches kept watch over anything supernatural.

If there truly was an object known to bring tragedy, then the coven would have heard of it.

They would confiscate it, investigate it, or seal it away to prevent further danger.

A cursed mask that killed owners would not remain quietly in a public shop, waiting for customers.

Second, the old man claimed that he himself never wore it because he wasn't curious.

Seth found that hard to believe...

The shop was filled with proof that the old man liked trying new things—carvings, perfumes, books about random arts and crafts.

His shelves looked like someone who picked up hobbies on a whim.

Such a person would definitely be curious about a strange mask, especially one with an eerie design...

To claim he wasn't tempted at all sounded like a lie.

Thinking about this, Seth shook his head.

The more he tried to make the story fit, the more suspicious it felt.

There were holes everywhere, and he had no interest in figuring them out.

He decided it was better not to return to that shop anymore.

He was also glad he did not do anything foolish like trying to steal the mask.

If there really was something wrong or supernatural about it, stealing would have only made the situation worse.

He chuckled to himself.

"Luckily, I learned something after stealing Reymond's money…"

As for the current mask in his hand, Seth traded it away with another shop.

He was quite cautious and did not want anything from that shop that could possibly make them track him down.

As for the porcelain mask he carried, Seth had traded it at a different shop.

He did not want any item connected to that strange place.

Even a mask could become a loose thread that someone might follow.

Seth preferred not to leave connections behind.

In a world filled with witches, curses, and unknown powers, caution was better than regret.

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