The underground chamber was silent, save for the soft, rhythmic hum of the mana conduits embedded in the walls. Faint purple light pulsed through them, crawling like veins through stone. Adrian sat at the center of it all—on his throne of fractured metal and bone—his body bathed in the faint glow.
The remnants of Zhao's essence still flickered before his eyes. He could feel the echo of the Chinese hero's last moments reverberating through his soul. The scent of burning ozone and ash still lingered in his mind, the way Zhao's final scream had dissolved into silence.
Victory should have felt sweet.
It didn't.
Adrian's right hand twitched as he clenched his fist. His veins darkened, the corruption spreading a little farther up his arm. Each battle left its mark. Each death whispered something new to him—a truth, a curse, a warning.
> "They think they can stop me," he muttered under his breath. "But they've already lost. The moment they called me worthless… they sealed their fate."
From the shadows behind him, a figure stepped forward. A woman in a black coat, her eyes glowing faintly red under her hood. Her name was Selene, one of the few who had chosen to follow Adrian not out of fear, but admiration.
"Zhao's death has stirred the entire Heroic Alliance," she said softly, stopping a few steps away. "The world saw it, Adrian. The satellites captured everything—the fall of the Chinese guardian, the purple flames, your mark in the sky."
Adrian leaned back on his throne, expression unreadable. "Good. Let them see. Let them know that their 'heroes' can bleed."
Selene frowned, her voice trembling slightly despite herself. "But… they're calling you a monster. The media named you The Abyssal King. Even neutral countries have joined the Hero Council's emergency session. They've summoned the remaining top heroes."
"The next wave…" Adrian whispered, eyes half-lidded. "So, they're finally sending more."
Selene nodded. "Yes. The Korean champion, Han Soo-Min, and the African combat priest, Taye Okonkwo. Both are already mobilizing. The Council also issued a global bounty on your head."
Adrian laughed—quietly at first, then louder, more feral. "Bounties? Councils? Labels? It doesn't matter. Every system they create is another chain they forged to control us. Heroes, villains… all of them slaves to an illusion of justice."
Selene looked down. "You used to believe in that justice once."
Adrian's laughter stopped. The air grew heavier.
"Belief," he said coldly, "is what killed me the first time."
He rose from his throne. His shadow stretched across the chamber, swallowing the light around him. Each step echoed with a metallic weight. The sigils engraved on the floor lit up in response to his movement—his mana syncing with the core of the fortress.
Selene shivered as his aura washed over her—pure pressure, like standing on the edge of a collapsing star.
---
Meanwhile, miles away, inside a crystal tower in Geneva, the Heroic Council convened. The room was circular, filled with holographic projections of the ten nations still recognized for their "S-Rank Hero Systems."
In the center, Arthur Lenoir, the French paragon and the number one hero in the world, stood silently. His silver armor gleamed under the pale light, and his golden eyes remained fixed on the flickering image of Adrian projected before him.
"That's him," said one councilor. "The rogue. The anomaly."
Arthur didn't respond immediately. His gaze was calm, yet there was something distant in it—almost nostalgic.
"It's been twenty years," he murmured. "I remember his face. He was in the same examination hall… when they gave him the rank of FFF."
The others turned toward him in surprise. "You knew him?"
Arthur nodded slowly. "Back then, he looked… broken. But his eyes—those eyes—were burning. I should have known he wouldn't disappear quietly."
The representative from Korea spoke next. "Han Soo-Min has already departed. He intends to engage the target directly. If he fails, Taye from Lagos will follow."
Arthur closed his eyes. "Tell them not to underestimate him. He's no longer the man they think he is."
---
Back in the underground fortress, Adrian stood before a mirror. It wasn't an ordinary one—it was a shard of the system itself, pulsating with light and data. His reflection shifted, glitching between his current self and fragments of his younger body.
The system spoke in a voice only he could hear.
> [Progression Detected. Core Synchronization: 78%.]
[Emotion Resonance: Rage – Stable.]
[Warning: Overuse may result in permanent spiritual corrosion.]
Adrian smiled faintly. "Corrosion? You think I care?"
He pressed his palm against the glass. Purple cracks spread from his touch, the mirror reacting violently.
Behind him, Selene took a step forward. "You can't keep pushing like this. Every time you sync deeper with the system, it eats away at your—"
"Humanity?" Adrian cut in, his tone sharp as a blade. "That's already gone."
He turned around, his eyes now glowing like amethysts. "All that's left is purpose."
Selene hesitated, then bowed her head. "…As you wish, my king."
---
Hours later, the chamber grew quiet again. Adrian stood on the balcony overlooking the darkened valley. His fortress pulsed with energy below—mechanical beasts, corrupted spirits, and revenant soldiers training for the coming war.
The wind carried faint whispers from the east. Han Soo-Min was coming. Adrian could feel the hero's aura, distant but fierce, burning with holy light.
> "Another self-proclaimed savior," Adrian muttered.
"Let's see how pure your justice is… when it's covered in blood."
He closed his eyes. The faces of his past flickered through his mind—his parents, the classmates who laughed, the teachers who turned away, the heroes who smiled as his world burned.
When he opened them again, the light in his eyes had died completely.
---
Far above the clouds, in the orbiting fortress of the Heroic Council, Arthur stood alone by the window, watching the storms over Europe.
"Adrian…" he whispered.
"Why did you choose this path?"
A voice came from behind him—Han Soo-Min, already dressed in his ethereal armor, his sword glowing faintly blue. "Because the world chose it for him," Han said quietly. "We all did."
Arthur didn't respond. He just kept looking down at the clouds, his reflection merging with the storm.
---
Back underground, Adrian raised his hand. The system responded instantly.
> [New Mission Generated.]
— Eliminate Han Soo-Min, Rank 3 Hero of the World.
Reward: Core Fragment – Level Omega.]
A slow grin spread across his face.
> "Perfect," he whispered. "The next light to extinguish."
The purple glow intensified. The fortress trembled as the night screamed in anticipation.
And somewhere, deep inside his chest, the last flicker of the man he once was… finally went dark.