The cursed leveler

The Cursed Leveler

Based on Solo Leveling, with a twist of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Chapter 1: Awakening in Another World

Death was supposed to be the end.

Riku Kaizen's final moments were filled with the sounds of chaos—shattering glass, deafening screams, and the rumble of a collapsing building. He had thrown himself in harm's way to save a stranger, a selfless act that cost him everything.

But instead of eternal darkness, Riku awoke with a sharp gasp, his lungs burning as if he had been suffocating moments ago.

He sat up abruptly, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings. A dirty room with peeling wallpaper and a flickering light greeted him. He caught his reflection in a cracked mirror on the wall and froze.

The face staring back at him wasn't quite his own. It was younger, thinner, and hollowed by exhaustion, but the eyes were unmistakably his.

"Where… am I?" Riku whispered, his voice hoarse.

Memories not his own flooded his mind—training as a Hunter, fighting weak monsters, and scraping by in a world where dungeons and monsters were everyday threats. This world was nothing like the one he'd known in his past life.

"I've been… reincarnated?" he muttered, gripping his head as the flood of information overwhelmed him.

The Riku Kaizen of this world was an E-rank Hunter, the lowest of the low. Barely stronger than an ordinary human, he was ridiculed by his peers and barely survived each dungeon raid. But he also had a younger sister, bedridden and sick, who relied on him to survive.

A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Kaizen! Hurry up, we're leaving!"

A gruff voice called from outside. The memory surfaced instantly—today, he was joining a small group of Hunters for a D-rank dungeon raid. It was supposed to be an easy job, a way to earn some quick cash to pay for his sister's medical bills.

With a shaky breath, Riku stood. "I don't know why I'm here, but I'll make the most of it," he murmured.

The dungeon was quiet—too quiet.

Riku trailed behind the group of six Hunters, gripping his dull sword tightly. Despite the memory of his body's former owner, he felt like a total amateur. His nerves were on edge, and the oppressive air of the dungeon only made it worse.

The group cleared a few rooms of weak monsters—low-tier goblins and skeletons. But as they ventured deeper, an ominous feeling settled over Riku.

Something was wrong.

They entered the final room, a massive chamber with black stone walls. The boss room. But instead of the expected goblin chieftain or skeleton knight, the air thickened with malevolence.

"What… is this?" one of the Hunters stammered.

The door behind them slammed shut, sealing them inside. From the shadows, a monstrous figure emerged—a cursed spirit unlike anything this world had ever seen. Its grotesque body twisted and pulsed with black energy, and its presence was suffocating.

"This can't be a D-rank boss!" someone screamed, panic spreading through the group.

The cursed spirit didn't wait. With an ear-splitting roar, it lunged.

Riku could only watch in horror as the others were torn apart one by one. His body froze, his instincts screaming at him to run, but there was nowhere to go.

The cursed spirit turned its glowing red eyes on him, its monstrous form towering over him.

"So, this is how it ends?" Riku whispered bitterly.

As the cursed spirit raised its claw to strike, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Do you wish to survive?"

The words stopped him cold.

"What…?" he gasped, his heart pounding.

"Do you wish to survive? Accept the curse, and I will grant you the strength to overcome this."

The voice was cold and commanding, yet strangely familiar.

Riku clenched his fists. He had died once already, and now, in this new life, he was about to die again? No. Not this time.

"I accept!" he shouted, his voice trembling with desperation.

The moment he spoke, a searing pain erupted in his chest. Black, tattoo-like markings spread across his arm and chest, glowing faintly. The oppressive aura of the cursed spirit seemed to lift slightly as raw, unfamiliar power coursed through him.

His vision sharpened, and for the first time, he could see the cursed energy flowing around the monster.

[Cursed System Activated]

• Abilities Unlocked: Cursed Energy Manipulation (Beginner)

The cursed spirit lunged again, but this time, Riku dodged, his body moving faster than he thought possible. His hands instinctively channeled the cursed energy surging through him, forming black tendrils that lashed out at the monster.

The cursed spirit recoiled, roaring in pain.

For the first time in two lifetimes, Riku felt something he hadn't in years: power.

"This is only the beginning," he whispered, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.

To Be Continued…