Becoming the Dark Lord

Luke held the assassin’s blade, its tip still slick with poison, and turned back toward his cauldron.

“Assassins?” Layla whispered.

“Yes, Layla. There’s a dead guy right next to you,” he replied, stirring the brew without looking up.

“What are you doing?”

“Finishing the potion. Bottling it.”

“Have you lost your mind? You should be out there warning someone strong.”

“You hear people screaming and dying out there?” he asked calmly. “Anyone who needed warning already knows.”

Luke poured the healing potion into a vial. Layla peeked outside the tent.

“Tents are on fire, you bastard. We need to get out of here.”

“Good luck out there.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. Good luck, Layla.”

Luke reached for another empty vial when someone pushed into the tent. Layla instinctively raised her bow.

“You’re dead—”

The man never finished. Luke hurled a kukri straight into his neck and kicked the body back out of the tent.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

“What were you doing, Layla?” Luke snapped. “Trying to bleed him out all over my stuff if that arrow hit?”

[Magnetic Return activated]

The kukri snapped back into his hand.

“I, I…” She froze, completely lost.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Luke slipped into his assassin gear just outside the tent and activated [Assassin’s Tracking]. Steel clashed in the distance. Flames crackled. This wasn’t chaos. It was coordinated. He scanned the ground and picked up the footprints, moving through the camp as he activated his other skill, [Witch’s Gaze]. Mana traces shimmered faintly around the tents.

He stopped in front of one. When the person inside stepped out, Luke appeared behind him, locked an arm around his neck, and drove the blade in.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

Luke kept moving. He couldn’t just kill everyone he crossed paths with.

“Bastard assassin!” someone shouted, charging at him with a sword.

Luke sidestepped the swing and slammed the pommel into the man’s skull. A local mercenary.

Okay. Mistake. He just confused me.

Luke dove aside as a flaming arrow tore past him, smashing into a tree and bringing it down. More enemies rushed in. He sprinted for the treeline and rolled into cover.

“One’s getting away! Don’t let him!” a voice shouted.

Luke flicked a throwing knife, pinning one attacker through the hand. Then he rushed forward, a kukri in each hand, spinning through the gap.

Both men clutched their throats and dropped to their knees.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

Another rushed him, wielding twin swords, moving like a dancer as the blades flashed toward Luke. He twisted and slipped between the strikes.

[Corrupted Plant Growth activated]

A thick root burst from the ground, locking the man’s feet in place. Luke spun, kukri arcing cleanly. The masked man’s throat opened, blood spraying into the air.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

Another appeared with a crossbow already aimed.

Luke threw.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

A man charged him, his sword crackling with electric energy as he swung at Luke. Luke blocked with both kukris, sparks flying. The man spun, brought up a shield, and slammed into him, sending Luke skidding across the dirt.

“You’re not one of ours, but I like the outfit!” the man shouted, launching into another spinning slash.

Luke sensed movement behind him and threw himself sideways. Someone in assassin garb stood there, already releasing a knife. The blade glowed red, burst into flames midair, and detonated in a violent explosion. Luke sprinted into the trees as more knives followed, striking trunks and setting parts of the forest ablaze.

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The swordsman chased after him, attacking relentlessly. Luke ducked under a swing, surged upward, and drove a kukri into the man’s neck.

“Son of a b—” was all he managed before Luke’s next motion severed an arm and tore across his face.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

The assassin took advantage of the opening and struck from behind, but Luke spun on instinct and chopped off his hand. The man screamed. Luke kicked him into a tree and hurled a kukri straight into his face.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

Arrows suddenly whistled through the air. Luke bolted and leapt onto a thick branch. Spheres of lightning flew wildly, crashing between the trees and electrocuting everything they touched.

“Where the hell did he go?!” someone yelled.

A wolf burst from the brush, sprinting forward.

“Hund, find a different living scent!” one of the criminals ordered.

You’ve got to be kidding me. A familiar.

The wolf locked onto Luke’s position and started barking. The criminal followed its gaze and fired a bolt of lightning. Luke dropped from the branch and pointed his hand toward the ground.

[Teleportation Circle 1 activated]

He dashed forward as three criminals rushed him with swords. The lightning user pulled back and launched a blue sphere that exploded in blinding light. Luke pushed straight through. He grabbed one of the attackers by the skull just as the wolf lunged.

[Demonic Predator Hands activated]

The man’s head shattered in his grip.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

Luke planted his hand on the ground again. The lightning wielder advanced, one hand firing bolts, the other generating bursts of blinding light. Luke retreated through the trees, drawing him in. He pointed his hand at the ground again.

[Teleportation Circle 2 activated]

Luke stepped onto the circle.

[Teleportation Pentagram activated]

He vanished.

An instant later, he reappeared behind the lightning mage. Luke came in close and dragged the kukri across the man’s throat.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

He immediately threw the kukri into the wolf’s back, killing it mid-leap.

Then he charged the remaining three criminals who were scanning the area in confusion. He slipped behind two of them, plunging both kukris into the sides of their necks, then lunged at the third from behind, driving the blade straight into his skull.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

“You really shouldn’t have interrupted me while I was making potions.”

Luke turned back toward the camp and hunted down the remaining attackers in the surrounding area. When one of them got too close to Layla’s tent, Luke hurled a kukri straight into the man’s face.

[You have slain a human…]

[+1 Soul Fragments]

**Your class [Demonic Predator] has reached Level 62!**

Suddenly, Luke’s system interface flickered into view.

[One of your class skills is evolving…]

And then it vanished. Soon after, the camp was completely overrun by military forces. Reinforcements poured in from every direction. Luke removed his assassin gear. A soldier came running toward him with several others, staring at the bodies of criminals scattered across the ground.

“What mercenary group killed all of these?” he asked, stunned.

“Just me,” Luke replied.

Orders were shouted across the camp. Fires were extinguished. Lines were formed.

“I need you to come with us. Your testimony could help—”

“I’m not interested.”

Luke turned and walked back into his tent.

“Hello again, Layla.”

She was holding her bow, arrow already nocked and aimed.

“What the hell was that, you bastard?” she demanded, finally lowering the weapon. “Since when are you that strong?”

Luke stored the cauldron inside his pocket dimension.

“What do you mean?”

“You just went out there and slaughtered everyone.”

“Yes. I did.”

He began gathering his belongings, feeding them one by one into his necklace.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s almost dawn. I’m leaving. I questioned one of the assassins before killing him. They work for the Alchemists. There’s a base somewhere nearby. I might get more information there.”

He stepped outside.

“And what about me?” Layla hurried after him.

Luke started dismantling the tent. “What about you?”

“I’m not staying here. You saw what it’s like. That was the third attack this week alone.”

Luke folded the tent away into his pocket dimension. “Congratulations on surviving this long. Keep it up.”

He started walking.

“Hey, asshole. Wasn’t your plan to wait for the leader of this place and ask some questions? You’re not just going to leave me behind, right?”

“Oh, now I’m useful?” Luke replied without stopping. “What happened to me being a despicable guy?”

Tents were coming down all around them. Soldiers and mercenaries rushed through the camp, inspecting damage and securing the area. ℯℯ𝘭.

“You might be a little useful, bastard,” Layla admitted. “Besides, I have a mission to complete. I’m a super agent, you know.”

“I saw that super agent a few minutes ago begging an enemy not to kill her.”

“He was wearing dark clothes, a mask, and had a really creepy knife. I panicked. It felt like a horror movie.”

Luke continued forward, passing soldiers who watched him with uneasy expressions.

“Wait.”

The voice was familiar.

Luke turned to see Peter Weiss approaching, flanked by soldiers.

“You said you wanted to speak with me,” the officer said. “We can talk now. According to the reports, you practically handled the invasion by yourself.”

“Now you want to talk to me?”

“As you can see, the situation doesn’t allow me to waste time on just anyone,” Peter replied. “And you’ve proven you’re not just anyone. I also couldn’t exactly show respect to someone who humiliated my men.”

“Too late. I already got what I wanted,” Luke said. “And I’ll be adopting the same philosophy. I don’t talk to just anyone. Only your leader. Goodbye, officer.”

Luke turned and walked away. Layla hesitated, unsure what to do.

“What about me? Am I worth talking to?” A woman’s voice cut through the crowd.

She stepped forward wearing a white military uniform, a sword strapped to her waist, and a formal cap. The white fabric was splattered with blood and grime.

“I’m Commander Cassandra Weiss,” she said calmly. “Looks like we arrived just in time. Seems there was a bit of action.”