The continuous progression of magi-technology has slowly made the slave industry a relic of the past. The application of spells and rituals to solve everyday problems has made the produce from slave labor, known as D-class, both less necessary and profitable as the years go by. I, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, have developed a business model that honors our culture and heritage by paying respect to our sacred tradition through the usage of curses.
Curses stem from a branch of the arcane arts known as black magic. It allows you to channel certain dark energies to cause negative effects to the intended target. This is done through a spell or ritual, and can affect individuals regardless of location, so long as the required ingredients are used. However, this branch of magic is rarely used due to the blowback subjected to the person that performed it. When the spell is channeled on a target, the equivalent of that damage to that individual is inflicted on the user. If a witch wanted someone severely crippled or killed, they would routinely suffer the same fate. I have solved this problem through a go-around with the creation of the curse mark. These curse marks are applied to a D-class in the process of the ritual. When the spell is completed, the negative energy resulting from it will be absorbed by the curse mark itself. This causes the backlash to affect the wearer instead of the user. Curse marks are now used by witches in my field, who purchase expendable people who won't be missed. This individuals will suffer the blowback of curses, freeing the users to perform curses to their hearts content without fear of the backlash. This has saved the slave industry, turning it into a money making business that is profitable. Lately however, problems have risen which has unfortunately hurt the bottom line of those in this line of business.
It has been discovered that the amount of slaves needed in the application of black rituals have been increasing. When once, a witch could count on the use of a single person to absorb the blowback, that number slowly increases the more curses that witch performs. This number rises to two, then three, and continues as time goes on. This puts a strain on a witch's resources, as the rising expenses forces them to shell out more capital to purchase more D-class to achieve the same results. This cycle will ultimately push a business into the red, as it lowers their profit margins and reduces the return on investment. How can this be happening?