Becoming the Dark Lord

Before Luke, five options glowed across his system interface, each one a potential evolution of his profession as Herbalist. He had seen something like this before, when his Assassin class evolved, and again when Princess Charlie’s warrior path transformed. But this… this felt different. It was deeper.

“I can’t stay in the room,” Kalysto said, her tone more serious than usual. “This is a personal choice. I’ll leave you to it.”

She didn’t wait for a reply. Her footsteps faded quickly, leaving only the soft bubbling of potion flasks and the quiet sound of Luke’s breath. He’d wanted to ask her more, especially about divine orders, but the message was clear: this moment was his alone.

**Herbalist Profession Evolution!**

Your profession can evolve and branch into different paths depending on how it has been developed. Several factors can influence these changes, such as the tools you choose to wield, the abilities you awaken, the way you apply your knowledge, and even fragments of legacies gifted by the gods or uncovered throughout your journey. The possibilities are vast, but not limitless. With each path you take, certain doors will close. Choose wisely.

Warning: If you select a profession different from your current one, you will stop progressing the knowledge you’ve already acquired. Some skills will cease to evolve, and you won’t advance them further.

The structure was almost identical to what the system had used for his class evolution. But now, there was something more.

That warning... if I choose a path that veers too far from where I’ve been, the knowledge I’ve gained might become obsolete. No more progress.

Luke also noticed the direct mention of legacies and gods. He recalled Samael’s words about divine coins tossed into their cosmic investments. These five options were likely that. Coins tossed in his favor, or perhaps awakenings triggered by accident, the result of how boldly he had explored his craft. He opened the first one.

[Veteran Herbalist: You are no longer a novice wandering the trails of herbology. Through consistent practice and close communion with nature, you’ve honed your skills in harvesting, identifying, and extracting the properties of plants. Your eyes can spot rare herbs, and your hands know precisely how to handle them without destroying their essence.

You’ve uncovered magical and medicinal potential in plants far beyond what any book could teach. Potions, balms, and infusions have become part of your craft, each new mixture bringing you one step closer to mastery. This profession is devoted to the detailed study of both the natural and arcane effects of plants, a bridge between knowledge and the living magic of the earth.

There is still much to learn, and the path toward true mastery is long and demanding. But you’ve already taken the first steps, steady, deliberate, and full of intent.]

(Attribute Bonuses per level: +4 Intelligence, +2 Vitality, +2 Perception, +2 Free Point)

Luke was surprised. Even though he hadn’t yet produced a fully functional healing potion, the system had acknowledged his growth in the field: the camouflaged mud, the shadowy mixture, the wild extracts, the flawed potion... It all counted.

Was it because I found that stamina plant? Or maybe it was when I used mana to help the sprouts grow?

Still, this was the natural evolution, safe, reliable, and with absurdly strong bonuses. Double the usual attribute points. But Luke knew: the real value wasn’t in the numbers.

It was in what each path unlocked. This choice would lead him toward mastery of potions and healing, a deeper dive into the traditional and arcane uses of Herbology. A solid path. But... was it the right one for him? Luke took a deep breath. And moved on to the next option.

[Venomous Herbalist: While many restrict themselves to the healing properties of plants, you walk among thorns and shadows. You are a Herbalist who has learned that nature is not only a source of life but also of death. Your focus is not easing pain, but wielding nature’s toxins with subtlety and precision.

You specialize in crafting complex poisons, hallucinogens, paralyzing agents, and mixtures that rot the body from within. Every leaf is a blade, every flower a potential vial. Your mastery of herbology is sharp and refined, like a poisoned needle, and your pursuit of power goes beyond traditional medicine: you seek to prove that plants can be weapons as lethal as any sword or spell.

You do not fear nature, you command it. And you’re ready to make it your accomplice on the path to ascension.]

(Attribute Bonuses per level: +3 Endurance, +2 Vitality, +2 Perception, +2 Intelligence, +2 Free Points)

“Whoa…” Luke murmured.

This would definitely expand his toolkit as an assassin. Diving deep into poison-making could be a powerful trump card. The system had clearly picked up on the indirect efforts he’d made. Especially after that healing potion, one that turned into corrosive acid the moment he spilled Dark Blood into the mix. But Luke… he wasn’t particularly interested in making poisons. He wanted to fight them.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

He couldn’t quite explain it, but something deep down told him that using poison wasn’t his path. He opened the third option. And everything changed.

[Alchemist of Ardan: The Alchemists of Ardan walk the razor’s edge between brilliance and madness. Where others see failure, you see incomplete formulas. Your experiments, often volatile and unpredictable, have revealed a path where science and magic blur into a chaotic harmony.

You will learn to transmute materials, craft refined elixirs, and create alchemical bombs with a variety of effects, from smoke clouds and corrosive acids to mind-numbing brews and deadly toxins. Your vials and flasks aren’t just tools; they’re extensions of your restless mind, a laboratory and battlefield in one.

The Order of Ardan chose you not despite your failures, but because of them. To Ardan’s followers, every misstep is a gateway to discovery. Your defiant brilliance pushes past the limits of logic and traditional magic. Your recklessness makes you dangerous, and therefore, respected.

Praise Ardan, God of Alchemy! May your formula bring ruin to the fools who dare challenge true alchemy.]

(Attribute Bonuses per level: +3 Endurance, +3 Vitality, +3 Perception, +3 Intelligence, +3 Free Points)

“What the hell…” Luke narrowed his eyes.

He glanced at his acid potion.

Yeah, this path definitely emerged because of that.

The potion had been an accident. He thought his magical blood might serve as a catalyst for healing. Instead… he’d created a chemical weapon by mistake.

Am I about to join a fanatical chemistry cult if I accept this?

The part about bombs and transmutations was tempting. Very tempting. But the whole “Order of Ardan” thing sounded intense. The kind of “intense” that used radioactive cauldrons as pillows and blew up their own house just to test a new formula.

Is this going to turn me into an alchemical war criminal? And more importantly, does my bloodline contract with Azazel even allow this?

So far, Samael had only imposed one condition: “Don’t go around getting women pregnant.”

Luke frowned. Does Azazel’s religion have a specific profession?

Suddenly, he felt like an idiot for never asking. Though the test from Azazel, delivered through Samael, had only required that he find a profession linked to witchcraft, the real mission was deeper: To find something he loved enough to pursue with everything he had.

The next option on the screen mentioned Mother Freya.

[Botanist of Mother Freya: By offering your own precious blood to the soil, you proved your devotion, and in return, nature answered your call. The Botanists of Mother Freya are more than scholars; they are spiritual heirs to an ancient bond with the natural world. By walking in the Matriarch’s footsteps, your connection to flora will become so deep that your knowledge will cease to be theoretical. It will become part of who you are.

Nature is your teacher, your ally, and if needed, your weapon. While others see healing or poison, you see purpose. Where many see nothing but leaves and roots, you uncover secrets lost for millennia. Your path is a solitary one, for this profession has long been considered extinct, but in the forgotten trails of the forest, in the whispering trees and singing wind, you will find wisdom.

You do not manipulate nature, you listen to it, respect it, and walk beside it. There is no Divine Order to serve, only the call of the earth, of flowers, of wild life. You won’t use plants as tools, you will wield nature itself as an extension of your being. And it will answer.]

(Attribute Bonuses per level: +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +2 Endurance, +2 Vitality, +2 Perception, +2 Intelligence, +4 Free Points)

Luke stared at the book lying on the table. It was that book that had indirectly helped him unlock this profession. A forgotten legacy. A path nearly lost to time. He moved to the final option. This one felt a bit radical.

[Beekeeper of Mikhayla: The Beekeepers of Mikhayla are viewed with awe, sometimes as lunatics, sometimes as visionaries. By choosing this path, you have turned your back on common logic and embraced the hum of the unknown. You saw in honey a source of power, in stingers a precious venom, and in bees... loyal allies.

You will learn to raise your own colonies, to communicate with swarms, to use them as spies, scouts, even winged assassins. Your body moves to the rhythm of wings, and your combat style becomes fluid, agile, and unpredictable, like an ambush from a thousand invisible stingers.

This profession pairs seamlessly with assassins. Those who rise among the Beekeepers may ascend the hierarchy of the Divine Order of the Yellow Hive, a religion devoted to the Great Queen Bee Mikhayla, an entity who guides her faithful through sweetness and venom alike.

Praise be to the Goddess Mikhayla! May her hive spread across the realms, may the worlds echo with the hum of submission, and may all become slaves to the honey. Praise her!]

(Attribute Bonuses per level: +3 Strength, +2 Agility, +3 Endurance, +2 Vitality, +2 Perception, +2 Intelligence, +3 Free Points)

“…Okay. This has major Charles Manson vibes,” Luke muttered.

But if I choose this profession, I might throw away most of what I know as a herbalist.

He looked at the jar of honey on the counter. “Is that why this profession appeared?”

It made sense. If the tutorial contained contributions from various gods, then these “coins” were probably scattered everywhere, latent, just waiting to be found, consumed, or mixed into potions.

I hate bees. Is this goddess, like, literally a giant bee?

The five options floated before him now, each shimmering with possibility. He would have to choose. Either he remained on the Herbalist’s path, or he embraced something new, and with that choice, all his future abilities would, of course, be tied to that profession.

Which one should he choose? That was the question pounding in his mind.