Exactly one hour had passed since Leon's frantic retreat. In that single hour, Heartfelt Country descended into absolute turmoil.
What occurred within the Magic Tower spread faster than fire, carried by terrified witnesses and half-screamed rumors.
At first, disbelief ruled the streets. A child? A prince? Causing such devastation Impossible. Yet fear does not ask for proof.
Citizens flooded the roads, lining both sides as Knights and Healers rushed toward the Magic Tower. Silence ruled until the squads returned.
And when they did—Bodies came with them. Children, mangled, burned, lifeless.
The sight alone shattered whatever hope remained. Mothers collapsed. Fathers clenched shaking fists. Rage replaced disbelief.
"A monster…"
"A demon child…"
"He ran."
"He didn't even look back."
A story formed—one written in grief, not truth.
Within the Royal Palace, Regald Heartfelt sat unmoving upon his throne.
Before him floated an observation crystal, its surface replaying the devastation on repeat. The King's once-commanding posture sagged, his gaze hollow.
Cecilia.
Broken.
Unconscious.
His fingers curled. Sorrow crushed his chest—but hatred followed swiftly after.
Leon. His son. Yet Regald was not a man ruled solely by emotion. Unlike the masses, he had not been present. He had observed from afar.
And observers questioned. Could Leon truly have done this? Then another image resurfaced.
Leon's face.
Blank.
Nonchalant. Too calm. Regald's doubt wavered.
"…Is my son truly a calamity?"
BOOM!
His aura erupted as his hand slammed into the throne. Knights collapsed instantly, knees striking marble as sweat poured from their faces.
Regald rose. Cold resolve replaced hesitation.Moments later, plans were set in motion—memories altered, truths buried, and a lie crafted for the world.
The Disaster of the Son of Calamity.
Leon Heartfelt ceased to exist.
One Month LaterThe world hunted a ghost.
Valeria's Knights found nothing. Seers searched the stars and found only emptiness.
Leon was beyond Fate.
Beyond Karma.
Beyond prediction.
Deep within an ancient forest, darkness ruled. Amassive Great White Wolf fled, terror etched into its beastly eyes.
Behind it—A child.
Leon moved like a shadow, leaping from tree to tree.
His body was leaner now, movements sharper. His presence alone warped the air.
Just as the wolf believed it had escaped—[Abyssal Touch.]
Leon appeared atop it.
Black, inky tendrils burst forth from his palm, flooding the beast's mind with madness.
Its body convulsed violently before erupting from within, devoured by something unseen.
Silence returned.
Leon stood still, ruby eyes glinting coldly. A panel surfaced.
STATUS
Name: Leon Heartfelt
Race: Half Human → Bearer of the Abyss (55% Complete)
Rank: Mortal Soldier → Mortal General
Class: Ancient Eldritch Ruler (High Mythical – Locked)
Titles:
Child of Calamity
Advent of Madness
Monster Slayer
Stats:
STR: 250
STM: 210
DEF: 255
MP: 100,000
Blank Attributes: 60
Class Skills:
Archaic Touch (Low-Tier)
Revered King (Low-Tier)
Cry of the Fallen (Low-Tier)
Racial Skills:
Abyssal Touch (Mid-Tier)
Mad Glutton (Locked)
Veil of Madness (Locked)
Tyrannical Shattering (Locked)
Leon exhaled slowly.
"Good."
But this was not where his story began.
[Flashback]
Night had fallen when Leon fled the country.
Blood soaked his sleeve. His right arm was gone. His eyes burned red—but his mind was fading.
I don't want to die…
As his consciousness faltered, the system seized control.
[Initiating emergency survival protocol.]
Leon's body moved on instinct alone, stamina forcefully restored again and again. Hundreds of miles vanished beneath his feet.
When he finally collapsed into a hollowed tree, the system spoke.
[You reject death.]
[You reject humanity.]
[Do you wish to become a Bearer of the Abyss?]
Memories flooded his mind. His past life—abandoned, powerless. This life—loved, then discarded.
Blood, he realized, was humanity's truest affection.
His answer was silence.
But his hatred screamed louder than words.
[Transformation initiated.]
His wounds healed.
His skin cracked.
His humanity fractured.
And when Leon awoke—He was no longer whole.
[Present]
Leon opened his eyes atop the branch. The forest felt small. His fingers curled slowly.
"They called me a demon," he whispered.
His voice was calm. Too calm. "So I'll become one."
The faces of the Magic Tower flashed in his mind.
The children.
The guards.
His mother's eyes.
Cold and rejecting.
His lips curved into something between a smile and a snarl.
"I'll return," he vowed softly.
"And when I do—"
The forest trembled. "I'll drown this world in tyranny."
Swoosh.
The shadow vanished.
TO BE CONTINUED.