Beneath the Velerion estate lay a forgotten ruin—an old servants' shelter built during the Great War, long sealed off due to a mana leak. No nobles visited. No servants dared enter.
It was perfect.
This was where I trained.
---
The first reward I received from the kill was the Martial Technique: Shadow Serpent Step.
At first glance, it was simple: enhanced movement, silent footwork, a burst of speed.
But I'd studied martial techniques before—even in Korea. The fundamentals never changed.
This wasn't just a technique. It was predator instinct made into motion.
---
I marked a narrow stone hallway as my training path. My goal: cross it without a sound, without a shift in mana, without disturbing even the dust on the ground.
The first attempts were crude.
I moved too fast. My heel scraped. My mana flared uncontrollably. The system sent alerts:
[Shadow Serpent Step – Failure]
Tip: You are a snake, not a wolf. Coil before you strike. Flow before you vanish.
---
I adjusted my breathing. Loosened my joints. Thought not like a human—but like a snake.
Again.
My steps began to flow, low and coiled. My presence thinned. Each motion glided with purpose.
Success.
The air didn't even notice me.
---
I trained for six straight hours.
Each repetition cost stamina and mana, but the Demon Heart helped—it absorbed ambient mana, letting me recover faster than any ordinary human.
By the time I stopped, I could walk through the ruins completely undetected.
Even the rats didn't notice me anymore.
---
Next was the Cursed Dagger: Whisperfang.
It wasn't made of steel. It was something darker—a black metal that hummed faintly in my hand. Light bent strangely around it. The blade itself wasn't sharp… but it cut mana.
I tested it on a summoned mana wall.
Most blades clanged against magical barriers.
Whisperfang phased through and slit the barrier like silk.
Deadly against mages.
Perfect for a noble house obsessed with spellcraft.
---
And lastly, the Demon Heart Fragment.
That… was harder to control.
The moment I let it pulse, my vision warped. I saw veins of mana in the stone. Heard the heartbeat of distant beasts. My muscles twitched like they remembered battles I'd never fought.
It was addictive.
It was also dangerous.
---
The system warned me:
[Demon Heart Fragment – Synchronization: 4%]
Warning: Emotional instability may occur above 10% without anchor traits.
Suggest developing a Core Will to resist demonic instinct.
---
I closed my eyes and forced the pulse to stop.
That would be the true battle—not against enemies, but against the hunger growing inside me.
The desire to kill. To dominate. To erase heroes from this world.
---
After resting, I activated my system again.
[Quest Chain: Demon's Path – Active]
– Kill 5 Hero Candidates
– Synchronize with the Demon Heart (10%)
– Develop or steal a martial core
– Unlock Second Stage of the System
Reward: Shadow Martial Art – "Abyssal Fangs" + Demon Core Shard
I smirked.
I'd only just begun walking this path.
But every step felt more natural.
As if I'd always been meant to be the villain.
---