The royal courtyard exploded into chaos.
Guards shouted, civilians screamed, and the executioner's lifeless body dropped like a sack of grain. Lucian stood over the corpse, his chest rising and falling with unnatural calm.
[Execution Escape: Objective Complete.]+100 System Points Awarded. New Feature Unlocked: "Shadow Market."Karma: -12 (Villainous Act: Murder – Public Execution)
His eyes flicked as blue screens danced across his vision, invisible to everyone but him. The system's voice was cold and neutral—utterly unmoved by the blood he'd just spilled.
A spear shot toward him. Lucian twisted, grabbed the shaft mid-air, and drove the guard's own weapon through his chest in one motion. Another kill. Another step down the path he never wanted—but had no choice but to take.
[+10 System Points | Karma -3]
He didn't flinch this time.
"HE'S A DEMON!" a noble shrieked. "SOMEONE STOP HIM!"
Lucian laughed—short, bitter, and full of pain. He'd been the kingdom's most loyal knight. He'd bled in their wars. He'd saved their princess. And now he was the demon?
Fine.
If they wanted a villain… he'd be their nightmare.
He moved like smoke through the guards, dodging, disarming, and dropping them one by one. Not with elegance—yet—but with a strange efficiency that bordered on unnatural. As if something inside him guided each kill, each strike.
[Skill Awakened: Combat Instinct Lv. 1 – Auto-predicts enemy movement within 3 meters. Passive.]
Lucian grinned as he ducked a blade and elbowed the attacker into unconsciousness.
"This is insane," he muttered. "This shouldn't be happening. This isn't real…"
[Reality Check: You are alive. They wanted you dead. The System has only one goal: Survival.]
"By making me a villain?"
[Correct. Survival in this world requires strength, fear, and reputation. Heroism has no currency here.]
A flash of movement caught his eye. On the upper balcony—the princess.
Arabelle.
She was staring at him, pale and trembling, her eyes wide with horror. He met her gaze. She didn't speak. She didn't reach out. She turned and ran.
That broke something.
Lucian's jaw tightened. She hadn't even tried to save him. After everything.
[Emotional Catalyst Triggered: "Betrayal." Unlocking Villain Trait: Cold Resolve Lv. 1 – Immunity to emotional hesitation during combat.]
He didn't wait for more guards to surround him. He dashed toward the inner wall, scaling it like a feral beast. His body moved better now, stronger—driven by the System and rage alike.
Minutes Later – Forest Outside the Capital
Lucian collapsed against a tree trunk, panting hard. His body was soaked in blood—some his, most not. The rain had slowed, but his mind stormed with memories.
How did it come to this?
A knight. A protector. A man with dreams of honor. Now… a killer. A fugitive. A system host destined for villainy.
[You have survived your execution. Status: FUGITIVE – Tier 1 Threat.]System Mode: VILLAIN | Class Path: UndecidedAvailable Paths: Shadow Tyrant | Curseblade King | Rogue CommanderChoose wisely. The world will shape itself around your darkness.
Lucian looked at the options.
Shadow Tyrant – Control and fear. Rule from the shadows, manipulate nations.Curseblade King – Solo power. One man army. High-risk, high-reward.Rogue Commander – Build a villainous faction. Lead criminals, outcasts, and monsters.
"…I'll decide later," he whispered, rubbing the blood from his hands. "Just let me breathe."
[Accepted. Temporary Path: Rogue Villain.]
A rustle nearby made him tense. A cloaked man stepped from the brush, a curved dagger in hand. Eyes like glass beads. No kingdom emblem.
A bounty hunter?
"Lucian Arkwright," the man said. "Didn't think you'd escape. I was hoping for a fight."
Lucian didn't answer.
[Mini-Boss Encounter Detected: Bloodshade Assassin Lv. 12]Warning: Enemy is stronger than Host. Recommendation: Use Shadow Market or Flee.]
"Shadow Market," Lucian whispered.
[Opening Shadow Market…]Available Items (Points: 110):
Throwing Knife – 10 pts
Smoke Bomb – 25 pts
Quick Heal – 30 pts
Curseblade Token (Unstable) – 100 pts
His fingers hovered over the last one.
[Curseblade Token: One-time skill. Channel darkness to cut through stronger foes. Risk of backlash.]
He bought it.
The token appeared in his palm—a jagged shard of black steel, humming with hunger.
Lucian stood tall, flipping the token between his fingers.
"Fine. Let's see what a villain really looks like."
He lunged toward the assassin.
TO BE CONTINUED…