The morning sun filtered through the stained glass windows of the Nightshade dormitory.
Victor stood shirtless in front of a full-length mirror. His once somewhat pale, aristocratic physique was now sculpted to perfection, radiating an explosive, hidden vitality.
On his right index finger sat the unremarkable iron ring. Last night, he hadn't just stolen it; he had spent 500 Villain Points to forcefully extract the single drop of Ancient Black Dragon Blood hidden inside, completely obliterating the slumbering dragon soul.
[Ding!]
[Host's physical strength has permanently increased! Physical defense is now equivalent to an Expert-Rank Knight!]
Victor lazily put on his crisp, black and gold-trimmed Academy uniform, adjusting his cuffs.
"Time to see our tragic hero," Victor smiled, his eyes swirling with a dark, abyssal violet light.
The Grand Auditorium of the Royal Magic Academy was a magnificent, colosseum-like structure capable of holding tens of thousands of people. Today was the annual Talent Awakening Ceremony.
The air buzzed with excitement, but the main topic of gossip wasn't the upcoming test. It was yesterday's courtyard incident.
"Did you hear? The Nightshade heir humiliated that commoner, Leon, with a bag of gold!"
"I know! I thought Victor was just a mindless brute, but he was terrifyingly elegant..."
Amidst the whispers, Leon Bright walked into the auditorium.
He looked terrible. Despite scrubbing himself with magic soap for hours, a faint, phantom stench of swamp slime still lingered in his nose. His eyes were bloodshot, and his knuckles were white from clenching his fists.
I will not be defeated by a prank. I will not be broken! Leon chanted in his mind, desperately holding onto his Dao Heart. Today is my day. The heavens will bless me with a supreme talent!
Not far away stood Serena, the Silver-haired Saintess of the Church of Light. Her ethereal beauty made her the center of attention. Usually, she would cast a sympathetic glance at the hardworking commoner, Leon.
But today, her gaze kept drifting toward the VIP balcony.
There, sitting on a velvet chair with one leg crossed over the other, was Victor Nightshade. He was sipping morning tea, looking down at the crowd with absolute, bored indifference.
What happened to him? Serena thought, her heart giving a strange, inexplicable flutter. His aura... it's so deep, so dangerous. Like a beautiful nightmare.
"Quiet!"
The Headmaster, a Grandmaster-Rank Mage, stepped onto the central stage. Behind him floated a massive, crystal-clear Awakening Monolith.
"The Ceremony begins! When your name is called, place your hand on the Monolith!"
Hundreds of students went up. Most awakened C or D-Rank talents. A few B-Ranks earned polite applause from the nobles.
"Leon Bright!" the Headmaster finally called out.
The auditorium fell silent. Everyone wanted to see what the arrogant commoner was capable of.
Leon took a deep breath, glaring defiantly at Victor on the balcony, before marching up to the Monolith. He slammed his hand onto the cold crystal.
VMMMM!
The Monolith trembled. Suddenly, a blinding, majestic golden light erupted from the crystal, illuminating the entire auditorium like a second sun. Warmth and holy energy washed over the crowd.
"Heavens!" a professor gasped, standing up so fast his chair fell over. "That purity... It's an S-Rank Light Affinity! A supreme talent!"
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. The commoners wept tears of joy, and even the arrogant nobles looked shocked.
Leon stood bathed in the holy light, feeling his mana core expanding rapidly. The humiliation, the swamp slime, the gold coins—everything was washed away! He was the chosen one!
He turned around, pointing a glowing finger directly at the VIP balcony.
"Victor Nightshade!" Leon roared, his voice amplified by his new holy power. "Come down here! Let's see if your talent is as heavy as your gold!"
The auditorium fell dead silent. Everyone looked at Victor. Challenging a Duke's heir? Leon was either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.
Victor slowly placed his teacup down.
[Ding!]
[Protagonist is attempting a Face-Slapping event! Son of Fortune's Aura is peaking!]
[System Mission: Crush his pride utterly. Reward: 2,000 Villain Points!]
Victor stood up. He didn't take the stairs. He simply stepped off the fifty-foot-high balcony.
The crowd gasped, but before Victor could hit the ground, the shadows beneath him surged upwards like loyal servants, forming a staircase of pure darkness that gently lowered him to the stage.
The temperature in the auditorium instantly plummeted.
Victor walked past Leon without even looking at him, as if the glowing "hero" was nothing but empty air. He stood in front of the brilliantly glowing Monolith and slowly removed his white silk glove.
He placed his bare hand on the crystal.
For one second, nothing happened.
Leon sneered. "Is that it? Not even a spark—"
CRACK.
A terrifying sound echoed through the silent hall. A massive fissure appeared on the indestructible Awakening Monolith.
Then, the golden light was snuffed out. Not faded. Snuffed out, like a candle thrown into the deep ocean.
Pitch-black darkness exploded from the crystal, devouring all light in the auditorium. The shadows writhed and screamed. Following the darkness was an ancient, earth-shattering roar of a Black Dragon that sent pure, primal fear into the souls of everyone present.
CRACK! SHATTER!
The Monolith couldn't handle the sheer density of the power. It exploded into a million pieces of black dust.
A terrifying, abyss-like pillar of dark energy shot directly into the sky, tearing the clouds apart.
"S... SSR-Rank..." The Headmaster fell to his knees, his entire body trembling. "Shadow Sovereign... and the aura of an Ancient Dragon! A monster... a god has been born!"
The sheer pressure of Victor's aura radiated outward.
Thud.
Leon, who was standing the closest, felt an unimaginable weight crash down on his shoulders. The S-Rank Light in his body whimpered and hid. His legs gave out, and he was forced violently onto his knees, bowing directly at Victor's feet.
"No... NO!" Leon screamed, trying to push himself up, his eyes bleeding from the pressure. "I am the Light! I am the Hero!"
Victor slowly turned around. His violet-black eyes looked down at the kneeling, pathetic protagonist.
"Light?" Victor's voice was soft, yet it echoed in everyone's minds like the decree of a dark god. "How blindingly mediocre."
Up in the stands, Serena, the Saintess of Light, watched the man cloaked in absolute darkness. Her breathing became heavy, her face flushed, and her hands gripped the railing tightly. The holy teachings she had studied her entire life suddenly felt incredibly boring.
[Ding!]
[Protagonist's Dao Heart severely fractured! Heroine Serena's affection line altered!]
[Reward: +2,000 Villain Points! Acquired Title: The Abyss Walker!]
Victor smiled. Harvesting season had officially begun.