[Location: The Screaming Woods - Safe Zone]
[Time: 2:00 AM]
The fire crackled. It was made of burning ghoul bones, so the flames were green.
I sat on a log, counting my money.
[Current Gold: 5,250,000.]
[Mana Crystals: 180,000.]
I was rich. Filthy, disgusting rich.
But money is just a number. Power is the asset.
I looked at the Crown of the Whisper King in my lap.
It floated slightly, humming with necromantic energy.
[Item: Crown of the Whisper King (Legendary)]
[Effect: Intelligence +50.]
[Active Skill:
A sane person would wear it.
I am not sane. I am a Min-Maxer.
I looked at my Void Ring. It was pulsing, hungry for a snack.
"System," I whispered. "Fusion."
I placed the Crown (Necromancy) next to the Void Fang Dagger (Space/Void).
[Warning: Attempting to fuse Equipment types (Headgear + Weapon).]
[Risk: Total Item Destruction.]
[Success Rate: 5%.]
"Do it," I ordered. "My Luck stat is 'Yes'."
[Fusing...]
Purple lightning arced between the two items. The Crown shattered, dissolving into a stream of silver dust. The Dagger drank it in.
The blade turned translucent. Ghostly.
[Success!]
[Item Evolved.]
[New Item: The Soul-Eater's Fang (Mythic - Growth).]
[Attack: 800.]
[New Effect: Slain enemies are resurrected as 'Shadow Slaves' for 1 hour.]
I grinned.
I didn't need to cast spells to raise the dead. I just had to stab them. Efficient.
"You... you destroyed a Legendary artifact?"
A soft, trembling voice came from across the fire.
Seraphina.
She was hugging her knees, staring at me like I was a puzzle she couldn't solve.
"I upgraded it," I corrected.
I looked at her.
[Target: Seraphina]
[Status: Exhausted. Confused. Faith Shaken.]
[Loyalty: 15% (Fear-based).]
"Why are you staring, Saintess? Go to sleep. We have a city to buy tomorrow."
Seraphina stood up. She walked around the fire.
She didn't look scared anymore. She looked... determined.
"Cain," she said.
"Boss," I corrected without looking up.
"Boss. Let me see your Status Window."
I stopped polishing my dagger.
"Excuse me?"
"You possess the Hero's Talent," she said, her voice gaining strength. "You use Void Magic. You use Necromancy. You use Holy Buffs. That is impossible. The System doesn't allow triple-hybrid builds."
She raised her hand. It glowed with soft, white light.
[Skill: Truth Seeker's Gaze.]
(Allows the user to view the Target's Soul and Alignment).
"I need to know," she whispered. "Are you a Human? Or are you a Demon wearing a skin suit?"
She reached for my forehead.
"If you are Evil... I have to purify you. Even if you kill me."
Brave. Stupid.
I didn't move.
I let her touch my forehead.
ZAP.
Seraphina gasped. Her eyes rolled back.
She didn't see a Status Window.
She saw the Truth.
She saw the timeline where she died. She saw the beam of light vaporizing her. She saw Arthur crying while she burned.
She saw the "System" for what it was; a harvesting farm.
And she saw Me.
Not as a Demon. But as a glitched smudge of static standing in the center of the universe, holding a knife to God's throat.
"AAAAHHH!"
Seraphina ripped her hand away, screaming. She fell backward, scrambling away from me in the dirt.
"What... what was that?!" she hyperventilated. "The death... the fire... I felt it!"
I stood up.
I walked over to her.
I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me.
"That," I said softly, "is your future."
"The 'Prophecy'? The 'Goddess'? It's a lie, Seraphina."
I leaned in.
"Do you know what the Church does with Saintesses when they turn 25?"
Her eyes widened. "They... they ascend to the Heavens to serve the Goddess."
"No," I corrected. "They are eaten."
"The Goddess uses your souls as batteries to keep the System running. You aren't a chosen one. You're livestock."
"Liar!" [1]tears streamed down her face. "That's heresy!"
"Is it?" I smirked. "Then why did you see yourself die in my memory? Why did Arthur fail?"
I let go of her.
"I am the only one who knows the script, Seraphina. The Church wants you to be a sacrifice. I want you to be a support unit."
I extended my hand.
"I won't save your soul. I don't care about your soul."
"But I will keep you alive."[2]
"So. What's it going to be? The 'Holy' death? Or the 'Sinful' life?"
Seraphina looked at my hand. Then at her staff. Then at the sky where the "Goddess" supposedly watched.
She felt the cold logic of my words. It resonated with the doubt she had buried for years.
She reached out.
She took my hand.
[System Notification]
[Loyalty Updated: 80% (Dependency)[3].]
[Trait Activated: 'Fallen Saintess[4]'.]
[Her Healing spells now have a 'Lifesteal' effect.]
"Good girl," I said.
I pulled her up.
"Now stop crying. We have to go back to the Capital."
"Why?" she sniffled, wiping her eyes.
"Because," I pulled a crumpled flyer out of my pocket.
It was an advertisement I had ripped off a wall in Storm-Wall.
[The Royal Academy of Oaklan]
[Entrance Exams: Tomorrow.]
[Grand Prize for Top Student: Access to the 'Vault of Forbidden Knowledge'.]
"I need to go to school," I said.
——————————————————————————————————————————
[Location: Storm-Wall Capital - The Gates]
[Time: Morning]
We walked back into the city.
It was different.
The fires were out. Construction crews were already rebuilding the destroyed statue (paid for by my generous 'tax', of course).
But the atmosphere had changed.
People didn't look down. They looked... sharp. Nervous.
When they saw me, they didn't boo. They parted.
"That's him," a merchant whispered. "The Guild Master of Avarice."
"I heard he bought the King's underwear."
"I heard he ate a dragon."
Rumors. Free marketing.
I walked straight to the Adventurer's Guild registration desk.
The receptionist, a cat-girl named Mimi, turned pale when she saw me.
"L-Lord Cain!" she squeaked. "How can I help you? Please don't blow up the building."
"Relax, whiskers," I said. "I'm here to register for the Academy Entrance Exam."
Mimi blinked. "The... Academy? But sir, you are already stronger than the Professors."
"I have a thirst for knowledge," I lied.
"Okay... Name?"
"Cain Cross."
"Age?"
"20."
"Class?"
I paused.
If I put "None" or "Porter," they'd laugh.
If I put "Usurper," the System would flag me.
I needed a cover.
"Put down [Spellblade]," I said.
"And... rank?"
I flared my mana. Just a fraction of it. The purple aura cracked the countertop.
"S-Rank."
Mimi dropped her quill. "S-Rank? But... the highest student is B-Rank!"
"Then it will be a short exam."
"Understood! Here is your badge number: 666."
"Cute," I muttered.
I took the badge.
As I turned to leave, a commotion broke out at the entrance.
A group of students walked in. They wore the blue and gold uniforms of the Academy.
Leading them was a girl.
Silver hair. Ice-blue eyes. Carrying a rapier that radiated freezing air.
[Target: Sylvia Frost]
[Princess of the Northern Empire (Draconia).]
[Class: Ice Queen.]
[Level: 25.]
The "Rival" character. In the original story, she looked down on Arthur, then fell in love with him after he defeated her.
She walked past me.
She stopped.
She sniffed the air.
"You smell like blood," she said, not looking at me. "And money."
I stopped.
"And you smell like daddy issues and a superiority complex," I replied.
The Guild Hall went silent.
Sylvia turned slowly. Her eyes narrowed.
"Do you know who I am, commoner?"
"I know what you are," I said, checking my watch. "You're the person currently blocking the door."
Sylvia's hand went to her rapier.
"You have a sharp tongue. Let's see if your blade is as sharp."
She drew her weapon. Frost coated the floor.
[Duel Challenge Issued!]
"Not here," I yawned. "Save it for the Exam, Princess."
I stepped closer, invading her personal space.
"I'd hate to ruin your confidence before the semester even starts."
I walked past her.
"Seraphina, let's go."
Seraphina bowed politely to the fuming Princess and followed me.
As we exited, I heard Sylvia scream in frustration and blast an ice sculpture into smithereens.
"Boss," Seraphina whispered. "That was the Imperial Princess. Starting a war with the North isn't efficient."
"It is," I corrected.
I touched the Void Ring.
"Why?"
"Because she has the [Ice Dragon Bloodline]."
I licked my lips.
"And I need a fridge for my potions."
[Quest Updated: The Academy Arc.]
[Objective: Humiliate the Students. Terrify the Teachers. Loot the Vault.]
[Bonus Objective: Harvest the 'Ice Dragon' Talent.]
[1] Verily
[2] That way, she can keep on keepin' on!
[3] It worked!
[4] I'm cracking up!