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As an RPG, Sinners Academy allowed players to level up all characters. Their level caps were limited by Spiral Tier—the higher the tier, the more levels and stats they could gain.
Stats weren't earned solely through leveling. Special stat-boosting items and spending "Free Time" at the Academy—exercising, researching, or working—granted bonus stats, especially to the protagonist.
Elemental Affinities were fixed and couldn't improve through repetition. However, they could increase through Bonds with specific characters or by using affinity items.
Incarnations and Abilities were tied to the Spiral and grew alongside it. By mastering their powers and learning their limits, players could unlock new Incarnations and Abilities as the Spiral Tier increased.
"I should use this now that I have the time."
Louis took out a small black and dark purple orb—the Spiral Stone from the Necromancer he had killed. He placed it in his mouth and began chewing. It felt like tasteless candy.
"Gulp."
After swallowing, Louis felt dizzy and nearly vomited. He sat down, gasping for air. Fortunately, no workers were nearby.
As he caught his breath, Louis looked at his hands. Black energy began to gather within them, and twisted visions followed.
A man laughing while holding a knife, stabbing his own brother.
His face twisted with wickedness as he seized his brother's soul, blackening it and controlling it like a puppet.
The man walking through a dark forest, dozens of zombies trailing behind him. He spoke to them as if they were his true family.
Then, being captured and implanted with a chip by men in black armor, forced to serve them against his will.
Louis heard a whisper, a name.
Cardoon Zorba.
A man with long purple hair and a third eye on his forehead.
Then, it ended.
"That bastard was a Sinner like me... a rogue one caught by the Vultarn High Dominion and enslaved as a soldier. If I had known his past earlier, I might have convinced him to become my soldier. But I'd need to find a way to remove that chip from his head."
Louis didn't want to think about dying again, but if it ever happened, he entertained the idea of recruiting that man—if he played his cards right.
"Now, what did I gain?"
He checked his system notifications. A few verses appeared:
{The Spiral Of Desecrated Souls}
["When the Sorcerer despaired in his own ineptitude, he sacrificed the soul of his own flesh and blood, forming a Spiral of Death and Decay. Those who walk this path are no longer human."]
[A well-known Spiral born from the despair of a nameless sorcerer. A Spiral only for those who cannot accept their destiny as inept and talentless and are willing to sacrifice a family member to obtain forbidden power. Breaking bonds of flesh and blood in exchange for strength to defy destiny. Yet in the pursuit of power, the Necromancer loses himself amidst a mountain of corpses, never able to find his own soul or identity again.]
[You have inherited the Fragment of the {Desecrated Soul}, born of despair and cruelty. Each life you take feeds the Spiral Fragment and reveals the deeper truth behind your identity: you are nothing but a hollow husk, no longer human, no longer alive. Thou art death.]
[As the owner of a small Fragment, you cannot become the master of the Ninth Spiral, the Death Walker.]
[You have awakened a small fragment of the Spiral Incarnation: Necromancer.]
[Your Fragment manifests as a weakened version of {Soul Enslavement (Tier 9)}: Enslave the souls of people you have murdered. Limited to 3 instead of 12.]
"I couldn't obtain the entire Spiral, that's expected. But I gained a fragment of the Incarnation and even a weakened version of the ability. These are incredible gains!"
Louis, surprisingly humble, felt immense joy at his newfound power. He quickly attempted to summon the Incarnation Fragment.
And...
"Huh?!"
All he could summon was a floating skeletal hand, hovering ominously beside him, ghostly flames engulfing its white bones.
The Necromancer was known to be a giant white skeletal ghost cloaked in shadows. Yet what he saw wasn't even its full arm—just a hand.
"This is... well, it's better than nothing."
Louis sighed, realizing he would need to channel the Ability through this skeletal hand.
"Wait..."
He extended his hand, overlapping it with the skeletal one until they melded. His hand transformed into bone, wrapped in ghostly fire.
"Huh."
By merely wishing it, his hand could become skeletal and ablaze, allowing him to enslave up to three souls of people he had murdered.
He couldn't abuse it by killing small animals—it had to be "people."
Humans.
"Hm, who should I kill? Some scum nobody will miss? Well, I am a prince. I could simply tell the guards to bring me a poor bastard to murder."
However, remembering his mother's kindness toward innocents, especially those from Frostbane, Louis shook his head.
"No, I can't betray my mother like that. For now, I'll keep the ability deactivated. I might use it later, if the opportunity arises—or if I find someone worth the effort."
Feeling satisfied, Louis returned to his room, walking through Floor 1 toward the exit. But as he walked, he encountered someone he wished to avoid. A girl his age, with long silky black hair and red eyes.
"Mirai..."
She seemed to be waiting for him, sitting near the small garden at the center of the first floor, where the offices were.
"Hm? Ah, Louis?"
Mirai noticed him and approached with a relieved expression. Louis felt disgust just looking at her. The memories of being eaten as William lingered, making him flinch.
"Don't get closer. This is your first and only warning."
"Eh?"
Though Mirai looked adorable, Louis knew her true nature—a desecrated monster from hell, the embodiment of the Primordial King of Demons, Pandemonium, and the Primordial Queen of Entropy, Chaos. Their reincarnation and daughter all at once.
Beneath her innocent façade lay a monster destined to destroy the world. If he could, he would kill her now and end that terrifying fate.
Yet another part of him felt something else.
That part was William, who, despite being killed by her, had grown fond of her. She was the protagonist, and he pitied her for never forming any bonds.
"...Never mind."
Louis shook his head, realizing how ridiculous he looked—afraid of a girl who appeared younger than him, even though they were both eighteen.
"I apologize for my behavior. As you can see, I'm not in the right state of mind."
"Ah... well... all Sinners have problems."
"No, Mirai. I mean it. I'm sick, hopeless, and insane. Don't talk to me. I'm not a good person."
"But you're Doctor Gustaf's son. Surely you're a good person. Lady Benladra was so kind."
"It seems you know my father better than I do."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you and your father weren't close. But... he always speaks well of you."
"So? If he never says it to my face, it doesn't matter."
"Ah... Um."
"What do you want?"
"I..."
Mirai fidgeted with her hair, gathering courage, then looked at Louis.
"I want to become your friend."
"What?!"
Louis' face twisted in disgust, shock, and embarrassment. Mirai recoiled slightly at his strange expressions.
"I've dreamed of being your friend since I was a child. Doctor Gustaf and the others always talked about you. Even though we never met, I imagined we were siblings."
"...?!"
Louis stepped back, sensing something strange in her tone. From William's memories, Mirai had never shown such emotions before.
Then again, in Sinners Academy, Mirai was a silent protagonist. Perhaps this was her true personality.
Then he saw it.
From Mirai's chest, a small red thread extended toward him—a strange parasite trying to bind itself to his heart.
"I see, so this is her power...!"
Louis smiled in disbelief, resisting the urge to laugh.
In the game, Mirai had the power of Bonds, just like him. It appeared as a red thread connecting her to others.
She drew power from those she bonded with—perhaps unintentionally.
She was an emotional parasite.
"I will not give you my power, Mirai."
Why would Louis accept such a parasite?
"You want to be my friend? How adorable."
"Adorable?"
"You really don't understand this world. Fitting for a lab rat raised here. Let me tell you something."
Louis stepped forward, locking eyes with her.
"I am the Prince of Frostbane, second only to my mother and father. You dare speak to me so casually? With a word, I could send you to prison."
"...!"
Mirai's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, I... Of course I knew. I don't know why I acted so casually."
She bowed, asking for forgiveness. Louis smirked, then looked away.
"Are you sure you want to be my friend, Mirai?"
"Ah?"
Louis gently lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes. Mirai flushed and began to sweat.
"I'm not a good person. If you become my friend, I'll manipulate you. I'll use you. And I might discard you when you're no longer useful."
"...!"
"That's the kind of person I am. Understand? Do you still want to be friends with someone like me? Tell me—do you truly wish for that?"
Mirai looked stunned, her expression wavering. Yet perhaps charmed by his golden eyes, his ethereal beauty, and the regal aura he carried, she bit her lip and averted her gaze.
"You may say those things, Prince Louis, but... I know you're a good person deep down."
"...What?!"
"Your mother and father raised you. It's impossible for you to be evil."
"..."
Louis' brow twitched. He was taken aback by the sheer obsession this girl had with forging bonds. She might not be aware of her parasitic nature, but it seemed instinctual, ingrained in her very soul.
Yet she wasn't alone.
Louis had seen it himself. He also possessed the "Bonds" option.
He too was a parasite.
Closing his eyes, Louis rubbed his chin, contemplating the implications.
"I'll leech off her while she leeches off me... Then, once she has nothing left to offer, I'll discard her."
Perhaps it was best to forge a bond with the protagonist now—before she made more friends and raised her standards.
"Very well, Mirai. I'll become your friend."
Louis smiled and shook her hand. Mirai blushed, her eyes glowing as the red thread pierced Louis' Fantasy Heart.
"Ngh..."
He felt a sharp twinge of pain—perhaps imperceptible to others, but not to him. As the red thread entered his heart, a gray thread emerged from his own chest, intertwining with hers and piercing her heart in return.
"Huh?"
Mirai blinked, sensing something strange. But when she realized she was unharmed, her heart racing, she dismissed it. After all, this was the first time she had been so close to a boy her age.
"Thank you..." Mirai smiled, her cheeks flushed. "I'm looking forward to our friendship, Prince Louis. I'll try to be more respectful too."
"You should," Louis replied with a nod. "Now, as my friend, here's my first request—bring me coffee. Quickly."
"Um... Coffee? Sure," Mirai nodded and ran to the cafeteria. She returned with a cup of coffee and two donuts, one already half-eaten. "Prince Louis, I'm back... Prince Louis?"
But Louis was gone.
♢♢♢♢
"Such an annoying thing."
Louis rolled his eyes as he finally arrived at the castle. Frostbane Castle was quite literally made of Magic Ice—a clear blue substance sculpted by his mother. This Magic Ice was only slightly cold to the touch and kept the place refreshingly cool during hot summers.
He was greeted by a pair of Ice Knights, the Kingdom's shields and his newly assigned guards. They were tall, strong-looking men who had awakened magical power by sharing his mother's abilities through a Divine Sigil.
Divine Sigils were magic from Yggdrasil, wielded by powerful beings often called "Gods." They allowed these beings to grant divine protection and blessings. Even those who weren't Espers or Sinners could develop resistance to Fantasium and gain the ability to harbor it as Mana—a weaker, less toxic version of Fantasium. Mana was easier to use but not as explosively potent.
"Welcome back, Prince Louis. We heard about your recent awakening."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."
"Yes, yes, whatever."
Louis waved his hand and walked into his room.
"Now leave. I need privacy."
"Excuse us..."
The two knights quickly retreated, choosing to guard the hall outside Louis' immense room. Here, he could finally rest without being under surveillance. Gustaf's cameras couldn't function inside the castle due to its magical force field.
Louis sat cross-legged on his bed, eyeing a new system notification. His expression was a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
[You have forged a {Bond of Friendship: Level 1} with Mirai]
[Your {Bond of Friendship} has leveled up to Level 2.]
"What? It leveled already. How? I abandoned her... I don't get it. How does her mind even work?"
Despite his confusion, Louis could feel the change. He had definitely grown stronger. His stats hadn't increased, but Bonds carried hidden bonuses.
Still, he hadn't received any elemental or ability bonuses yet...
However, his Fantasium Affinity had reached 93% thanks to the Bond.
"Just a little more and I'll unlock a random bonus."
Louis began practicing Ashen Frost while summoning the Gravewalker. He wanted to test his limits by repeatedly conjuring this strange magic.
Gray ashes gathered around him and began to freeze, forming ice crystals that absorbed heat. He discovered he could use "Despair" from his past lives to enhance the spell's power.
This Despair accumulated like stored energy within his psyche. The more he experienced, the stronger the Ability became. It also grew with environmental Despair—if he intimidated his foes, his power increased.
"An interesting power."
Louis spent his time reading Magic Spell books he had collected over the years, many gifted by his family from Yggdrasil. He had already learned the Yggdrasian language, so reading the runes was easy. However, he had never been able to use these books until now.
He couldn't help but feel excited. He could finally use Magic. There was no Ash Magic, though—only dozens of books on Ice Magic and a single book on Void Magic, gifted by his Uncle Drakda on his tenth birthday in hopes Louis would awaken the same power.
"Is Ash Magic that rare?"
Frustrated, Louis searched for Ash Magic in the database. It was nowhere to be found. Despite seeming common, it was incredibly rare. There was Dirt Magic, Fire Magic, and even some spells that mentioned Ash, but they were combinations of Earth and Fire Magic.
"I'll have to figure out spells myself."
Louis began drawing in the air with his hands, infusing Fantasium and combining it with Ashen Frost to create floating ice runes that danced around him.
Each rune was a word from Yggdrasil with a specific meaning. When connected, they formed a spell.
The meanings he gathered were Ice, Cold, Gather, Explode, Power, Destruction.
And the spell was...
"Icicle Rain!"
Like a madman, he unleashed a rain of icicles, destroying furniture and cracking the floor of his room.
BOOM!
"Hahah...! Magic! So this is Magic!"
Louis laughed at the mess he had made. His two guards rushed in, alarmed by the explosion.
"P-Prince Louis?!"
"What...! Please don't practice magic inside your room!"
"Then where?"
"Ah..."
"Well..."
"Where can I practice Magic?"
The guards sighed and led Louis to a vast open area behind the castle. It was mostly empty today, but it served as the barracks where soldiers and knights sparred, exercised, and practiced weapons and magic.
"You can go all out here, Your Majesty."
"You must be excited about—"
"Void Bullet!"
Louis combined ten different runes to cast Void Bullet, creating a small sphere of black void and firing it at the barracks.
BOOM!
A massive explosion consumed half the area, leaving a ten-meter-wide crater. The knights stared at Louis in awe.
Just yesterday, he had been bitter, lonely, and angry, cursing himself for being powerless and talentless.
But everything had changed overnight.
"Haaa... I'm tired."
Louis sat down to rest. Two spells seemed to be his limit. They were powerful, but with smaller spells, he could probably cast four or five.
Using the Mana Breathing Method from his magic book, he inhaled and exhaled slowly. This increased his Fantasium recovery by absorbing Mana from the air and refining it back into Fantasium.
At the Beginning Stage, his recovery speed was 20%. At Grand Perfection, it could reach up to 200%.
"Yggdrasil is truly a wonderful fantasy world. It's full of knowledge that helps us wield our power properly, right, Fernard, Alises?"
"Yes, my lord," Fernard replied stoically.
"It seems you've already learned the Mana Breathing Method! Congratulations! You're a true genius!" Alises, the bootlicker, chimed in. "We never lost hope in you, Your Majesty! I hope that once you reach the level of the strongest beings, you'll remember our kindness."
Louis rolled his eyes. If he could, he'd get rid of these two annoying men. But for now, they were stronger than him together, so they made decent bodyguards—or meat shields in emergencies.
He might appreciate them more if he hadn't overheard them complaining about their job behind closed doors.
"There's a year before the Academy begins. I need to learn as many Cultivation Methods and Spells as I can... and I might as well recruit some loyal retainers."
Louis had a few people in mind. If they refused, he could kill them and make them his Undead Slaves. These were villains or potential allies who would join the Academy later or threaten students.
They lived in the worst slums of Frostbane Kingdom, desperate for any chance to escape. His mother, Benladra, had done everything she could to end poverty, but even with divine power, it always returned. One person couldn't solve everyone's problems or guarantee eternal happiness.
Louis spent the month immersed in books, learning various Ice and Void Spells, along with Mana and Body Cultivation Methods. His Mana Breathing Method reached the Middle Stage through constant use—even while sleeping. He also learned the Mana Body Reinforcing Method, which infused Mana into the body for durability, and the Mana Consciousness Expansion Method, which expanded his senses through Mana.
Among the Ice Spells he mastered were Icicle Rain, Frost Blade, Ice Wall, Ice Mirror, Frozen Floor, and Freezing Ray.
For Void Spells: Void Bullet, Dark Ray, Shadow Movement, and Shadow Void Storage.
Shadow Void Storage became his main focus. It allowed him to create a small alternate dimension inside his shadows. Created by Uncle Drakda, it required a ritual to imprint runes into his shadows.
With this, he no longer needed physical storage items. The only way enemies could access his belongings was by killing him—at which point the shadows would vanish and release the items.
But if he died, it wouldn't matter.
As for Ash Magic, Louis created two spells by experimenting with random runes daily.
Ash Trap infused Ash Runes into surfaces to trigger blazing explosions. Smoke Bomb generated a cloud of ash that dulled senses for a few seconds, allowing escape.
"A month has passed already..."
While studying, Louis occasionally received system notifications. His Intelligence Stat increased by five points through intense study.
His Fantasium Stat increased by 100 thanks to constant use of Mana Methods and spellcasting until exhaustion.
He also exercised casually, gaining 2 points in Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity.
During this time, his father hadn't contacted him, nor had anyone from VPI. However, Mirai sent emails inviting him to visit whenever he wished.
As a contained Sinner, Mirai was prohibited from leaving headquarters. She could only access Floor 1 and was never allowed to exit.
"Exercise alone won't work. I need a sparring partner."
Mirai wasn't an option—she'd break his bones.
So he chose something easier.
"You two fools, come with me to the barracks. Starting today, you'll be my sparring partners. Teach me every weapon technique you know."
"E-Excuse me?"
"You want to spar with us, Your Majesty?!"
"Yes. Come now. I won't get stronger by sitting and reading books. I've learned everything I can use for now."
Of course, dozens of books remained half-read. Most contained spells are too complex for his current power level.
One spell he hoped to master someday was called Freezing Time—a legendary technique created by the Dragon King. It allowed the caster to expand the Divine Domain of Ice and freeze time itself, rendering enemies powerless for several seconds or even minutes.
It belonged to the "Ultimate Spell" category. According to its description, the Dragon King had used it only a handful of times against exceptionally powerful foes, freezing them in place and eliminating them with ease. The spell was especially effective against fast-moving enemies or those capable of teleportation.
Louis knew that reaching that level would require gradual progress. Reading and accumulating Intelligence wasn't enough. He had to train his body, spar regularly, and expand his Mana Pathways. This would allow Mana to flow more freely, increasing his maximum Fantasium capacity and enabling stronger spellcasting.
Everything was interconnected. Even physical exercise contributed to magical growth. He couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
Additionally, to reach Tier 8, he would need to achieve "Enlightenment" and discover a unique "Ritual" to ascend. Unlike other Spirals, which had documented methods stored in the VPI database, Louis' Spiral had no such records. He would have to forge his own path to strengthen it.
Consuming Fantasium-rich materials and potions was another route, but compatibility mattered. He needed substances aligned with his Spiral's primary elements: Ash, Ice, and Void.
"Are you sure about this, my lord? I worry about you. Ever since you awakened your Spiral of Incarnations, you've become very reckless..."
A tall woman beside Louis spoke with concern. She was his personal maid, Catrise—an Ice Giant from Yggdrasil who had sworn loyalty to his mother. Benladra had entrusted her to Louis at birth, commanding her to protect him no matter what.
Catrise was one of the few people Louis genuinely respected. He knew she cared for him sincerely, without ulterior motives or gossip behind his back.
"Catrise, I'll be fine. What? Do you want to spar with me instead?" Louis asked with a cocky smirk.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't you be resting? Your father warned me that Awakened Sinners are prone to intense madness. Have you been taking your medicine?" she asked.
"I have. Every day. I won't let the voices manipulate me again," Louis replied, his eyes filled with resolve. "Catrise, I have to do this—not just for myself, but for our country. I'm the heir to the throne. Once I come of age, my father will pass it to me. He clearly has no intention of ruling, and my mother... well, we're still searching for a cure. There's so much I need to accomplish, and to do that, I need strength."
"I understand," Catrise nodded, sighing. Her long red hair was tied into two braids resting over her shoulders. She wore glasses and had freckles across her face and shoulders, giving her a gentle appearance despite her towering height of three and a half meters. "Then I'll be watching over you from now on. Ever since that incident in your room, I've made up my mind—I won't leave your side."
"Okay, fine. Just don't get too close when I'm sparring," Louis groaned, glancing at the training grounds. "Let's go."
He descended the stairs, reached the barracks, and grabbed a Magic Spear from the armory. It was a basic model, a Bronze-Tier Magic Artifact forged by the Court Blacksmith, a Dwarf from Yggdrasil brought by his mother.
Frostbane Kingdom was the only nation in the world that had integrated Anomalies as citizens. Races from Yggdrasil—Ice Giants, Elves, Dwarves, Fire Giants, Mountain Giants, Orcs, and Beast People—were common here. Due to international regulations, they weren't allowed to leave the country unless they were VPI Agents or government officials.
"I should gather materials and ask that dwarf to forge something better for me one day... But judging by his standards, it won't be easy to convince him."
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