Cursed Reincarnation in Dicathen

Alex had read The Beginning After the End seven times. He knew every plot twist, every character death, every power-up. So when he died—choking on a bagel of all things—and woke up as a newborn in the middle of a forest near Xyrus, he wasn't exactly surprised. What surprised him was the glowing blue screen that materialized before his infant eyes.

[Jujutsu Kaisen System Activated!]

Welcome, Host. You have been granted the powers of a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Cursed Energy level: Negligible. Techniques: None. Reward: By completing missions, you may unlock Cursed Techniques and Cursed Tools.

Alex blinked his tiny, blurry eyes. A system? And not even a good one—Jujutsu Kaisen? He'd rather have a simple mana core like everyone else. But nope, he got cursed energy, which was essentially negative emotions given form. In a world full of mana beasts and bloodthirsty nobles, that was going to be… interesting.

Fast forward twelve years. Alex, now known as Aelric, had grown up in the orphanage of Xyrus City, hiding his system from everyone. He'd managed to avoid the main plot entirely—no meeting Arthur, no joining the Academy, nothing. He just wanted to live a peaceful life and maybe unlock a cool technique or two. But the system had other plans.

[New Mission: Interrupt the Lance Selection Ceremony. Reward: Cursed Technique: Infinity (Untouchable). Penalty: Death.]

Alex stared at the screen, his fork halfway to his mouth. "You've got to be kidding me."

The orphanage matron, a kind old woman named Helen, looked at him oddly. "Aelric, dear, who are you talking to?"

"No one," he said quickly, stuffing the bread into his mouth. Infinity? That's Gojo Satoru's technique. If I get that, I could literally be untouchable. But interrupting the Lance Selection? That's where Arthur becomes a Lance! I'll derail the entire plot!

But the penalty was death, and the system never bluffed. So, with a heavy sigh, Alex scraped together what little savings he had, bought a cheap hooded cloak, and made his way to the Grand Cathedral.

The ceremony was in full swing. King Glayder, the Lances, and a crowd of nobles watched as the candidates displayed their powers. Arthur, looking annoyingly confident, was about to step forward when Alex pushed through the guards.

"Stop!" he yelled, his voice cracking slightly—puberty was not kind to him.

Every head turned. Arthur raised an eyebrow. The Lances tensed. King Glayder's face shifted from surprise to irritation.

"Explain yourself, boy," the king said.

Alex's mind raced. He hadn't planned this far. "Uh… this whole ceremony is a sham! The real threat isn't from outside Dicathen—it's from within!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Arthur looked amused. Lance Varay Aurae, the Ice Lady, narrowed her eyes. "And what threat would that be?"

Alex improvised wildly. "The… the corrupted mana beasts? They're being controlled by a secret sect! I have proof!" He didn't. But maybe if he stalled long enough, the system would count this as an interruption.

[Mission Progress: 50% - Disrupted Ceremony. Continue disruption to full completion.]

Dammit.

He needed more chaos. So he did the only thing he could think of—he channeled his meager cursed energy into his palm and formed a tiny, wobbly ball of purple-black energy. It looked pathetic compared to the mana spells around him, but it was enough to make the guards step back.

"A dark mage!" someone screamed.

Before anyone could react, a figure stepped forward—Arthur Leywin himself. His azure eyes studied Alex with a mix of curiosity and pity. "You don't have mana, do you? I sense something else. What are you?"

Alex gulped. Of all people to notice, it had to be the protagonist. "I'm… a sorcerer. From another world."

Arthur's expression flickered with surprise, then amusement. "Is that so?" He glanced at the king. "Your Majesty, may I handle this?"

The king nodded, clearly eager to avoid a scene.

Arthur approached, circling Alex like a hawk. "You know, I've met a few interesting people, but a dark mage with weird energy who interrupts a Lance selection? That's new. What's your goal?"

Alex sighed. "I honestly just wanted a skill. The system threatened to kill me if I didn't cause a ruckus."

"System?" Arthur's eyes lit up. "Now that sounds familiar. You're like me, aren't you? Reincarnated?"

Alex gaped. He figured it out that fast? "Uh… yes? But I'm not from your world. I'm from Earth. I read about you in a novel."

Arthur laughed, loud and clear. "A novel? So my life is a story to you? That's hilarious. Come, let's talk. I promise I won't hurt you."

[Mission Complete! Reward: Cursed Technique 'Infinity' unlocked.]

Alex felt a surge of power as the knowledge of Limitless flowed into him. He could now automatically filter threats using cursed energy. Awesome.

He followed Arthur to a quiet balcony overlooking the city. The night air was cool, and the stars were out. Arthur leaned against the railing and looked at him expectantly. "So, tell me about this novel. And what's with the weird energy?"

Alex explained everything: the system, Jujutsu Kaisen, his knowledge of the future. Arthur listened intently, occasionally asking questions. When Alex finished, Arthur smiled.

"So you know about Agrona, the war, my future power-ups. And you have a system that gives you abilities from a manga. That's… convenient."

"Not really. The system keeps giving me missions that mess with the plot. I just wanted a peaceful life."

Arthur chuckled. "Peaceful? In this world? Good luck. But since you know what's coming, maybe you can help me. I could use someone with outsider knowledge."

Alex considered it. Staying with Arthur meant danger, but it also meant better missions. And Infinity was a game-changer. "Fine. But I'm not fighting any Scythes until I get at least a Domain Expansion."

"Deal."

They shook hands, and a new screen appeared.

[New Mission: Accompany Arthur to the Beast Glades. Eliminate 100 mana beasts using Cursed Techniques. Reward: Cursed Tool 'Playful Cloud.' ]

Alex groaned. "Of course. The first mission with you and it's already a grind."

Arthur grinned. "Welcome to Dicathen, sorcerer. Let's make some chaos."

And so, the two reincarnated souls set off, one with a core of mana, the other with a core of curses, ready to change the fate of the continent—or at least get some cool rewards while cracking jokes at the absurdity of it all.

"Hey, Arthur, if I use Red and Blue, can I call it a Hollow Technique?

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but sure."