Becoming the Dark Lord

Luke activated the skill he’d unlocked at class level 95.

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness (Legendary)]: Horns are a demon’s true weapons, as natural to them as a predator’s fangs. This skill causes a pair of horns like those of the Darkness Demon to grow from your forehead, awakening a symbol of power, dominion, and terror. While active, the horns increase the power of all offensive spells you cast by 25%, while reducing the cost of all other skills by 25%. Like a demon’s crown, they force your enemies to recognize the creature standing before them: any target that looks at the horns and meets your gaze will feel Fear press down on their mind. The horns also cloak the user in an invisible mantle of mana, reducing the effectiveness of incoming magical attacks. The horns also remove the need for channeling artifacts, allowing the demon to cast magic without relying on wands or similar instruments. Compatible offensive spells can also be fired directly through the horns, turning them into natural conduits of destruction. When necessary, they can also be used as brutal physical weapons in direct combat. By absorbing the power of [Dark Blood], the horns further increase the effectiveness of wound regeneration, strengthening the demon’s monstrous nature. May your ascension as a demon raise your tyranny to new heights.

“A demon’s not a demon without—”

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness activated]

With his 360-degree vision, he watched the horns push out of his forehead. They were black as obsidian, a pair of curved spikes rising upward into sharp points. Dark veins spread across his skin, linking to the horns like living roots.

[Dark Blood].

Then power flooded through him. An invisible mantle of mana wrapped around him, dense and silent, molding itself to his skin.

“Now that’s more like it.”

Luke stood atop the only building still standing in the city. Every other structure was gone. Because of him.

From there, he watched the lake in silence. “Feels just like the first time I activated this thing.”

He lowered his eyes to his own hands, then to the ruined city below.

“Power.”

It was not just strength. It was an absurd sense of superiority, as if his mind had been lifted to some cold, distant place where it could analyze reality without fear, anger, or hesitation clouding anything.

My emotions are being suppressed. Pairs damn well with Clear Mind.

[Clear Mind (Ancient)]: A skill granted to accomplished Witches who have endured harsh trials and tempered their minds within chaos. This skill helps maintain a calm mental state. Even in dire situations, the Witch can act without succumbing to panic.

Without the mental self-control he already had, Luke was sure his empathy would have been ripped out completely.

“It also has synergy with Despair Aura.”

[Despair Aura I (Rare)]: The Witch carries an unsettling presence wherever she goes. Having learned that her enemies must fear her, she channels her bond with the dark arts to intensify this sensation. The Despair Aura releases a faint wave of terror around the Witch, making the air feel heavier and unstable. Those who meet her gaze feel an amplified sense of fear. While the fear inflicted is still minor, this is the first step toward a future where even the Witch’s strongest enemies may freeze under her stare. The skill gains a small bonus based on Perception, Willpower, and Intelligence.

Luke touched one of the horns with his fingers.

A demon’s horns really are a crown. Right now, I feel like a king.

He looked back at the lake and zoomed in with his special eye, bringing the dark surface into sharp focus.

“Let’s get started, then.”

Luke conjured a [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife] and began pouring power into [Burst Throw].

[Burst Throw (Epic)]: Using what he learned from [Force Infusion] and [Mana Infusion], the Assassin refines his technique by merging those arts with mastery of Knife Throwing. By channeling stamina as physical force and mana as internal power into a single thrown blade, the Assassin can charge the throw before releasing it. The longer the knife is charged, the greater the stamina and mana cost, and the higher the damage, accuracy, and penetration. When fully charged, the attack can break defenses, stagger enemies, and deal area damage. The skill gains a small additional bonus when scaling with Lethality, Agility, and Intelligence.

“Time to drag you out of your hiding spot.”

When the knife reached its limit, Luke threw it with everything he had.

[Telekinetic Impulse activated]

The blade cut through the air like a sniper round, pierced the water, and struck the kraken at the bottom of the lake.

[Stealth Critical Strike activated]

Luke smiled. “It worked. Damn bonus triggered on its own.”

[Stealth Critical Strike (Rare)]: The first hit of an Assassin is often the deadliest, especially when the target never sees it coming. This skill transforms the first blade attack against an unsuspecting enemy into a critical strike, dramatically boosting its power. Works for close-range ambushes as well as precision knife throws at long distances.

He stepped onto a teleportation circle and reappeared on the lakeshore. Without wasting a second, he dove in, swimming for the bottom as he enhanced his body with [Feline Agility]. In the distance, the kraken writhed from the damage it had just taken. Luke touched the submerged ground and marked another teleportation circle.

The monster roared underwater, the sound shaking the entire lake before it charged.

Come on, you bastard.

Luke threw two knives.

[Knife Storm activated]

The blades multiplied midflight and slammed into the kraken’s colossal body.

[Shadow Mana Explosion activated]

Black shockwaves spread through the water. The horns increased the damage even further, and Luke kept swimming, throwing knife after knife, each one detonating against the creature as it tried to push through the blasts.

If mana’s infinite here, I can keep this up.

When the kraken was about to reach him, Luke pointed his hand upward. Something plunged down from above. A massive sphere of compressed rock and rubble tore through the water and smashed into the kraken, dragging it down to the bottom. Luke controlled that mass with [Enhanced Telekinesis]. Then he raised his other hand and activated [Telekinetic Stasis] on the entire structure.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author’s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Let’s see you move that in stasis.

[Demonic Predator Hands activated]

Luke charged. He fired knives into the tentacles, then closed the distance and began tearing into the creature’s flesh with his claws. The kraken roared, thrashing beneath the rock. Luke grabbed one tentacle already ruined by the explosions and pulled hard, ripping chunks away as the monster tried to break free.

Then the kraken finally broke free from the pressure of the rock. When it surged forward to crush him, Luke vanished as he stepped onto the teleportation circle at the bottom of the lake. The next instant, he reappeared behind the creature and launched more explosive knives. The kraken tried to turn, but Luke disappeared again, emerging from another circle. Every move it made brought another rain of blades. Little by little, the creature was trapped, punished from every direction.

The monster started to adapt. It used its remaining tentacles as shields, trying to block the attacks. Another giant stone fell from above.

Now that’s a trap.

The kraken swam upward, escaping around the side of the rock. Luke didn’t let it breathe. He kept firing knives without pause, setting off explosions all around the creature. Then he pointed both hands downward and launched spheres of mana with [Mana Infusion], launching himself like a rocket. As he charged, he concentrated [Force Infusion] and [Mana Infusion] into his horns.

No kukris. This’ll do.

The impact hit like two monsters colliding.

Luke struck the kraken with his horns, and the force of the blow tore through the water in a violent wave. The creature roared as it was hurled all the way to the lakeshore. Blood streamed down Luke’s face, but the horns held. [Dark Blood] spread over the wound, sealing it beneath the dark layer. The kraken tried to slide back into the water.

Luke stepped into its path. “Now you’re on my turf, calamari.”

The kraken roared, glaring at him in fury, and tried to grab him with what was left of its tentacles. Luke raised his hands and ran. He moved with feline agility, dodging, cutting, and tearing with his claws. Acid ate deep into the tentacles, driving the monster into desperation.

Luke jumped. In midair, he knocked aside a tentacle lashing toward him and landed on the creature’s head, right between its two eyes.

“Look me in the eyes, you bastard.”

The horns glowed. A [Shadow Ball] began forming between them.

The kraken thrashed, but Luke held on tight and fired point-blank. The explosion struck the creature’s eyes, and the horns kept conjuring new [Shadow Balls] while Luke attacked with his claws, giving it no space to breathe, no opening to retreat, no chance to reach the lake.

Back in the real world, Luke opened his eyes. And smiled.

“I did it.”

[The Spectral Beast is awakening the Juvenile Sunken Kraken’s skills…]

The kraken was his.

Core: Spectral Beast

Rank: E

Rank D Cores: [98/1000]

Core Skill: [Form Devourer]

Beast Skills: [Spectral Rend (Rare)], [Predatory Sovereignty (Epic)], [Typhon (Mythic)]

Form Devourer: [Juvenile Sunken Kraken (Rank E)]

Form Devourer Skills: [Titan Grip (Uncommon)], [Maelstrom Dominion (Epic)], [Leviathan’s Embrace (Legendary)]

After so long unable to use his beast, Luke finally had it back. And now it had a new form.

[Titan Grip (Uncommon)]: The kraken wraps its tentacles around the target and crushes with brutal force, completely restricting movement. The continuous pressure smashes flesh, bones, and anything caught within its grasp, leaving its prey helpless before the monster’s strength.

[Maelstrom Dominion (Epic)]: The kraken spins its body and tentacles in a monstrous rotation, creating a colossal whirlpool around itself. The current drags enemies closer, shreds smaller vessels, and traps everything within reach of its tentacles, turning the area into a true maritime killing field.

[Leviathan’s Embrace (Legendary)]: Leviathans are the titans of the ocean abyss, and this young kraken carries that blood in its depths. By reinforcing its tentacles to their limit, it unleashes a devastating attack against a massive target, wrapping it with every limb in a monstrous embrace. The pressure is enough to crush its prey while dragging it toward the depths, an attack reserved for enemies as relentless as the kraken itself.

Still smiling, Luke conjured his Spectral Beast. A black thread slid out from his stomach, and its tip began forming a dark mass in the water. The thing swelled, expanding far beyond the megalodon’s old size. From that black mass, the kraken took shape, fierce and violent.

The two stared at each other. There was fury in the creature’s eyes.

Submit.

The kraken submitted beneath the water. One tentacle lowered toward him, allowing him to climb on. Luke stepped onto the dark skin and was carried to the top of the colossal squid’s head.

Let’s see what you can do.

The kraken dove deeper into the ocean, passing over mountains covered in underwater forests until it reached the territory guarded by the Sea Guardians. Three Sea Guardians appeared, circling the kraken like sharks around prey. Luke controlled the creature and activated [Maelstrom Dominion].

The kraken spun violently. The water around it churned, forming a brutal whirlpool that pulled the Sea Guardians closer and sent them spinning out of control. Then the tentacles moved, grabbing each creature.

[Titan Grip]

Luke controlled all ten tentacles at once, immobilizing the Guardians. Then the kraken squeezed. All three died, crushed under monstrous pressure.

Excellent.

***

“This cave network just keeps going deeper,” Angie said as she swam.

She was using an item that allowed her to breathe and speak underwater. The group had entered the mountain protected by the Sea Guardians. The entrance was an enormous hole, more crater than tunnel, and from there they followed tunnels that plunged farther and farther down.

“There’s a Sea Guardian coming,” Charlie warned.

She was using an item borrowed from Jack, a necklace that created a bubble of air. As a vampire, Charlie did not need to breathe, but the necklace let her speak underwater without looking like an idiot playing charades at the bottom of the ocean.

“I’ll summon the kraken,” Luke said.

His voice came out muffled through the [Abyssal Mask], but clear enough.

The kraken appeared in the cramped cave and seized the Sea Guardian the moment it got close. Angie threw her spear, striking the monster and sending electricity crawling across its body.

[Angie has slain a Sea Guardian - Lvl 91]

Angie’s 2nd Class [Light Cleric] reached Level 81! (+22 WIS, +14 WIL, +8 VIT, +7 TGH, +5 END, +4 INT, +2 PER, +15 Free Points)

“What level was it?” Charlie asked. “That one was small.”

“Level 91.”

“Low again. Every Guardian in here is young,” Luke said.

“Younger Sea Guardians live in areas closer to the surface, at the top of one of the Great Volcanoes, before migrating to the Abyssal Zone,” Cadmus explained.

“I know, robot. You say that every damn time.”

“I am simply doing my job. Still, you are right to find it strange that they are all working together.”

The group kept descending until they reached the cave floor. At the bottom, everything changed. A forest of glowing coral filled the cavern, casting cold, pulsing colors through the dark. At the center stood a huge glowing tree, its shape cutting through the water like something that had no business existing this far down.

Another Sea Guardian attacked. The kraken moved before anyone else and grabbed the creature, binding it with its tentacles. Beside Charlie, a red sphere floated: the [Blood Orb]. She activated [Vampiric Strength I] and charged in with [Vampiric Claws], ripping into the monster while Angie impaled it with her spear.

A short time later, the Guardian died.

That one was low-level too.

[Charlotte Vespertilio has reached Level 90! Vampire (Rank E)] (+2 to all stats, +7 free points.)

[Charlotte Vespertilio has unlocked a new Race Skill]

Finally.

She’d done it. A list of rejected ancient vampire skills appeared in front of Charlie, but she dismissed the system interface without choosing.

Angie pointed her spear at the glowing tree. “I think this is what they were protecting.”

Luke swam over, approaching slowly. The glow pulsed around something caught between the roots.

He narrowed his eyes. “Is that… an egg?”