The next night, Ashreign was ready.
He had spent the day pretending to be nothing more than a curious baby, giggling at Elara's stories, reaching for Garren's dagger when he visited, and letting Captain Riven carry him around the estate as he inspected the guards. All the while, his Shadow Communication Stone hummed quietly against his chest, delivering updates from the Black Fang Unit.
By sunset, they were ready to report.
As soon as the estate settled into night time quiet, Ashreign activated his new Shadow Step skill for the first time. Focusing on the dark corner of his nursery, he poured 50 mana into the ability. The world blurred around him for a split second, and he reappeared in the hallway outside, tucked neatly into a shadow cast by a suit of armor.
Not bad, he thought, grinning to himself. Beats scooting on my butt everywhere.
Using Shadow Step twice more, he made his way to the eastern training grounds, an open courtyard ringed with weapon racks, practice dummies, and stone targets. The Black Fang leader was waiting for him, hidden behind a tall hedge of shadow-thorn bushes.
"Lord Ashreign," the assassin whispered as he stepped out of the darkness. "We have cleared the area. The entrance is beneath the old practice ring. Look for the stone with the wolf crest."
Ashreign followed him to the center of the courtyard, where a single flagstone was carved with the same wolf-and-moon symbol as his crib. The leader pressed a hidden notch on the stone's edge, and the ground rumbled softly as a section of the courtyard slid open, revealing a set of stone stairs leading down into darkness.
"Our scouts report no traps or wards," the leader said, lighting a small dark magic torch that cast purple light without burning oxygen. "But we have detected old magic, likely from your grandfather's time."
They descended into a cool stone chamber lined with wooden shelves and iron-bound chests. Scrolls, books, and strange artifacts filled every surface, including a massive desk in the center covered with letters and maps.
As Ashreign approached the desk, his Basic Shadow Sense flared to life, and the system chimed loudly in his mind.
[HIDDEN QUEST TRIGGERED: The Truth of Kharon Khain]
[DESCRIPTION: Your grandfather's hidden study holds secrets that could change the fate of the Khain family. Uncover what he was hiding before the imperial court or family elders find out.]
[OBJECTIVES:
1. Read Kharon Khain's personal journal. Progress: 0/1
2. Retrieve all hidden documents related to his investigation. Progress: 0/1
3. Secure the artifacts without alerting others. Progress: 0/1]
[REWARD: 500 GP + 300 EXP + UNLOCK: FAMILY ARCHIVE ACCESS]
[NEW ITEM DETECTED: KHARON KHAIN'S PERSONAL JOURNAL]
[RARITY: B-RANK QUEST ITEM]
[DESCRIPTION: Contains detailed records of his investigation into imperial corruption and the true nature of the "Shadow Threat" that led to his execution.]
Ashreign climbed onto the chair behind the desk, using Shadow Step to boost himself up when he could not quite reach, and opened the journal. The pages were filled with neat handwriting, maps of the empire, and sketches of strange symbols he had never seen before.
"The so called Shadow Threat is not what the court claims," he read silently as his eyes scanned the words. "They are not monsters. They are refugees from the Eastern Continent, fleeing a plague of corruption that the imperial court created with forbidden magic. I have evidence that the Valerius and Aqua families are involved, along with high-ranking members of the Imperial Inquisition. If they discover I know the truth, they will destroy our family to protect their secrets."
A cold rage settled in Ashreign's chest. In Elyndor's Fall, the Shadow Threat had been framed as an invasion of dark creatures that the Khain family had colluded with. The truth was far more sinister. His grandfather had been murdered for trying to expose the empire's crimes.
As he continued reading, another notification appeared.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: SHADOW INSIGHT (LEVEL 1/10)]
[DESCRIPTION: Allows you to read hidden messages and detect forged documents. Grants +3 Intelligence while active.]
[SYSTEM COMMENT: "Turns out being a detective is just as useful as being a villain. Who knew?"]
Using his new skill, Ashreign saw faint writing appear on one of the maps, hidden with light magic that only dark magic users could detect. It marked a location in the northern part of the Central Continent: the Void-Sealed Temple, one of the ancient ruins he had seen mentioned in the system's Ruins Scanner preview.
"If anything happens to me," the hidden message read, "the proof is hidden there. Only a true heir of Khain can open the seal."
Just as Ashreign finished reading, the communication stone in his storage pulsed urgently.
"Lord Ashreign. We have movement at the entrance. Someone is coming down the stairs."
The Black Fang Unit immediately took up positions around the room, their weapons drawn as shadows gathered around them. Ashreign quickly tucked the journal into shadow storage and activated his Shadow Swaddle's light-bending ability, making himself nearly invisible against the dark stone wall.
A figure stepped into the chamber. Tall, cloaked in black, moving with the grace of a trained warrior. When they pulled back their hood, Ashreign's eyes widened.
It was Great Elder Kael Khain, the family's most powerful magic user and, according to Elyndor's Fall, the man who had betrayed Kharon to the imperial court.
But as Kael looked around the room, his face twisted not with greed or malice, but with sorrow. He ran his hand over the desk, tracing the edge of the wolf crest carved into the wood.
"Brother," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I am sorry. I should have spoken up. I should have helped you expose them. But they had my daughter. They would have killed her if I did not play along."
Ashreign felt his understanding of the world shift again. Nothing in Elyndor's Fall had mentioned Kael having a daughter or being blackmailed into betraying his brother. The game had painted him as a power-hungry villain, yet here he was, grieving in secret.
Kael pulled out a small leather pouch and placed it on the desk. Powerful magic pulsed from within. "I have kept your research safe all these years," he said quietly. "When the true heir is ready, they will need it. The empire is rotting from the inside out, and only the Khain family can stop it, if they do not destroy us first."
He turned and left the chamber as quietly as he had arrived. The Black Fang Unit remained poised to strike, but Ashreign waved them off. He had seen enough to know that the line between hero and villain was far blurrier than the game had ever shown.
Once Kael was gone, Ashreign had the Black Fang Unit pack up all the documents and artifacts. The most important ones were stored in his shadow storage, while the rest were hidden in a new location they had prepared. As the last chest was secured, the system chimed repeatedly.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED: The Truth of Kharon Khain]
[REWARD: 500 GP + 300 EXP + UNLOCK: FAMILY ARCHIVE ACCESS]
[REWARD: UNLOCK: RUINS SCANNER (LEVEL 7 REQUIREMENT WAIVED)]
[SYSTEM COMMENT: "You are uncovering secrets faster than we can keep up. Good job being nosy."]
[LEVEL UP CONFIRMED. CURRENT LEVEL: 3]
[LEVEL UP CONFIRMED. CURRENT LEVEL: 4]
[UNLOCKED: 10 STAT POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE FREELY]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FAMILY SECRET KEEPER]
[REWARD: 200 GP + 1 FREE A-RANK FORCE SUMMON COUPON]
[GOLD EARNED: 25,000]
Ashreign distributed his stat points immediately: +3 Intelligence, +3 Willpower, +2 Agility, and +2 Defense. His updated profile glowed bright blue in his vision.
[INFINITE GACHA SYSTEM: MAIN TAB]
[PLAYER STATUS]
Name: Ashreign Khain
Title: Reincarnator, Destined Villain, Force Commander, Family Secret Keeper
Level: 4
Age: 5 Months
Affiliation: Khain Family
Bloodline: Khain Bloodline (Partially Awakened)
Ability: Magic Swordsman (Dark), unlocks at Level 5
Mana: 1,800 / 1,800
Stamina: 1,200 / 1,200
[STATS]
Strength: 28
Agility: 35
Defense: 28
Intelligence: 46
Luck: ???
Willpower: 56
Charisma: 22
[CURRENCY]
Gacha Points: 1,150
EXP: 100 / 800
World Gold: 35,500
[FATE MANAGEMENT]
Current Fate Density: Medium
Status: Story events will begin to trigger more frequently. High-Fate NPCs may now seek you out.
[ACTIVE FORCE UNITS]
Black Fang Unit, A-Rank Elite Assassin Squad
Cover identities fully established
Current mission: Information gathering and underground network expansion
[UNLOCKED FEATURES]
Family Archive Access
Ruins Scanner
Shadow Insight (Level 1)
The Ruins Scanner immediately highlighted the Void Sealed Temple as a high priority location. A new quest appeared.
[NEW MAIN QUEST: The Void Sealed Temple]
[DESCRIPTION: Travel to the temple to retrieve your grandfather's hidden evidence. The truth could save your family or destroy the empire.]
[OBJECTIVES:
1. Reach age 6 to begin travel. Progress: 5 Months / 6 Years
2. Gather supplies and hire mercenaries. Progress: 0/1
3. Unlock the Khain Darkline ability. Progress: 0/1]
[REWARD: 1,000 GP + 500 EXP + Mythical Rank Item Clue]
As Ashreign used Shadow Step to return to his nursery, the weight of his new knowledge settled on his shoulders. He was no longer just trying to survive. He was fighting to clear his family's name, expose the empire's corruption, and rewrite a story built on lies.
And he had less than six years to prepare before Mai Lumina, the hero destined to kill him, would begin her journey.
They want me to be the villain, he thought as he curled up in his crib while dawn light crept through the window. Fine. This villain is going to save the world, whether they want me to or not.
The system window flickered one last time.
[SYSTEM COMMENT: "Reminder: being a hero in villain's clothing is still being a villain. But we like your style."].