Becoming the Dark Lord

Charlie had activated [Vampiric Beast].

At first, everything seemed under control. To activate it, she had to use [Blood Orb] first, letting the orb draw in the blood from the corpses scattered around them. Only after she consumed the [Blood Orb] did the real process begin. Red veins spread across her entire body. Her ears sharpened into points. Her teeth turned jagged, not just the canines. All of them.

For a few minutes, Charlie talked to Luke like nothing had changed. She tested her strength in that state, flexed her fingers, examined her own body, and kept her glowing red eyes steady, like embers trapped inside her skull. It was still her. More aggressive, more intense, but still aware.

Then it all went wrong.

It started after she killed a crustacean crawling up the side of a building in the flooded part of the city. The strike was too fast, too brutal. After that, Charlie started moving like an animal. Her eyes lost focus. Her posture dropped low, predatory. And when more sea beasts appeared in their path, she threw herself at every single one without hesitation.

Luke tried to reach her. “Charlie!”

She did not answer.

If his Agility had not been so high, Luke would have lost her in seconds. Charlie was too fast, sprinting across broken walls, sunken rooftops, and structures half-swallowed by water. Anything that crossed her path was attacked. Sea beasts, smaller monsters, anything that moved. From the top of a building, she growled down at the drowned city below and launched herself into a leap far too high to look human.

Luke went after her.

“Charlie!” His voice echoed between the empty buildings, but she kept running.

At one point, when Luke managed to get close, Charlie turned on him. There was no recognition in her eyes. Only instinct. She wasn’t using a weapon. She didn’t need one. Her fingers now ended in long red claws.

“Charlie, it’s me. It’s Luke.”

She growled.

The next instant, she raised her hands and tried to rip him apart. Luke ducked on reflex, and the wall behind him was carved open as if invisible blades had struck it. Part of the structure collapsed right after, crashing down into the flooded street with a heavy boom. That had not been a punch. That had been [Vampiric Claws].

Fuck. She could’ve taken my head off.

Luke tried to pull her into his soul now that she was close, but nothing happened.

Right. I need her consent for that now. And she doesn’t exactly look conscious.

Charlie attacked again. Fast. Wild. Luke slipped through a chain of slashes, retreating over broken concrete while her claws tore deep marks into the walls, the floor, everything they touched. Every dodge only seemed to piss her off more.

“Good thing I’m faster than you in this state,” Luke said, leaning away from another strike. “Otherwise, I’d be in serious trouble.”

Charlie grabbed a huge chunk of rubble and hurled it at him. Luke drew his kukri and split the block in midair. Dust and fragments burst in front of him, but Charlie was already inside the cloud, using the debris as cover, a lioness hiding her pounce behind the stone. She lunged with her claws. Luke barely dodged and was forced back as she unleashed a savage flurry of attacks, one after another.

“This counts as domestic violence. We’re dating.”

The joke came out on autopilot, but he was not actually amused. Luke did not want to hurt her. Not Charlie.

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness activated]

[Cloak of the Arcane Witch activated]

[Despair Aura I activated]

Charlie immediately sprang back and retreated a few steps. For the first time since the chase began, she stopped. She watched Luke with her head tilted slightly, red eyes fixed on him like a beast sizing up prey. Luke did not wait for her to decide. He exploded forward with such absurd speed that he slammed into Charlie like a bullet. Before she could react, he wrapped her in a tight hold and shot into the sky.

Charlie thrashed in the air. Her claws shredded his back, tearing through flesh and clothing as she tried to break free. She even tried to bite him, jerking her head around, but Luke kept her pinned until they were high enough. Then he let go.

“It’s like Superman versus Doomsday, man,” Artemis said.

Charlie hit the ocean with a violent impact.

A moment later, Luke summoned the kraken. The creature rose from the dark water, massive, its tentacles moving like thick serpents around Charlie and trapping her underwater. After absorbing so many cores, the beast was far stronger than before. Even so, Charlie kept fighting. She growled underwater, clawed at the tentacles, bit them, and twisted with absurd strength.

The kraken complained to Luke. We’re not putting a single scratch on her.

That’s the idea. For several minutes, the fight continued beneath the surface. Water sprayed everywhere. Tentacles trembled. Charlie fought as if she meant to tear the ocean itself open to escape.

Then, suddenly, her face changed. Panic surfaced. Her body began shaking like she was drowning. Red particles slipped from her skin and dissolved into the water. Her ears stopped being pointed. Her claws vanished. The monstrous edge faded from her face. Her teeth returned to normal. The red veins disappeared one by one. Charlie closed her eyes and passed out. Luke pulled her out of the water immediately.

“We are absolutely not doing that again anytime soon,” he muttered, looking down at her unconscious body in his arms.

He carried her to the shore, but before he could relax, he noticed movement in the distance. A group was approaching, probably coming to check on the chaos their fight had caused. But when Luke looked closer, he realized they were not ordinary people.

Vampires...?

A red dog followed one of them.

A Blood Familiar.

Luke narrowed his eyes.

I think her Vampiric Beast form was tracking them.

He did not stay to confirm it. He took Charlie far away, using the cloak’s power to move through ruins, across rooftops, and over flooded stretches until he found a safe place. There, he laid out a makeshift bed on the floor, lit a fire, and spent some time making something for her to eat.

“We’re never doing that again, Charlie,” he said while she slept.

The power did not seem worth the cost to her sanity. It was strong, no doubt about that. Too strong, even. But if the price was turning Charlie into an uncontrollable beast, then it was not an advantage. It was a bomb with teeth.

The trick is probably investing points into Willpower so she can stay sane longer. But, like me, she probably won’t want to test that power again for a while.

And that was only [Vampiric Beast I]. Which meant the skill would still become much more powerful.

When Charlie opened her eyes, she sat up in a panic.

“It’s okay,” Luke said, moving closer without any sudden motions. “You passed out.”

“Master Luke...?” She brought a hand to her head. Her face looked tired and confused. “What happened?”

Luke explained. Not everything. He heavily edited the part where she tried to rip his head off and nearly shredded his back. Knowing his girlfriend, he knew Charlie would blame herself far too much just for trying to hurt him, even when she had not been conscious.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Luke leaned in and kissed her forehead.

Charlie blinked, surprised. “Hm... what was that?”

“What matters is that you’re okay. Now let me take care of you.”

That seemed to snuff out whatever guilt was still trying to take root. Charlie went quiet, lay back down, and accepted the spoonfuls of soup Luke brought to her mouth. When she finished eating, she fell asleep again. She was exhausted. Luke stayed beside her. The fire had already been put out, and Charlie was using [Vampiric Sleep I] to recover mana and stamina. Watching her sleep like that, he found himself thinking about vampires and how that ability actually lived up to the whole coffin-sleeping reputation.

One efficient way to kill a vampire is while they’re asleep in that state. Especially during the day. Hollywood actually got a few things right. Not the garlic.

Luke pulled the blanket more securely around her.

In the morning, the two of them walked through the Citadel. Charlie held his hand as they moved through the city. She was quieter than usual, but she was fine. Luckily, Luke had managed to stop most of her worries before they had a chance to grow.

That power is basically Goku with a tail.

”That was a good reference,” Artemis said.

Later, they had lunch with Anne and Angie. The two of them were a little worried because Luke and Charlie had spent the night out without telling anyone. Though Anne had said something like, “I get it, couple stuff,” she had very clearly understood something else. Luke did not correct her.

That afternoon, he stayed in the ship’s lab, staring at the system interface.

Name: Luke

Level: 107

Race: Half-Demon

Rank: D

Core: [Spectral Beast (Rank E)]

Class: [Shadow Phantom Reaper (Lvl 110)]

2nd Class: [Arcane Spellcaster (Lvl 104)]

Profession: [Guardian Botanist of Mother Freya (Lvl 99)]

Titles: [Dark Lord], [Myth Slayer], [Survivor of the Midnight Terror]

Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon]

Health Points (HP): 15610/15610

Mana Points (MP): 21987/24950

Stamina: 11423/11430 ℯℯ𝘭.

Stats:

Strength: 1206

Lethality: 2336

Agility: 2123

Dexterity: 869

Endurance: 1143

Vitality: 1561

Toughness: 835

Perception: 2313

Wisdom: 2495

Intelligence: 2560

Willpower: 1707

Free Points: 0

Class Skills: [Advanced Blade Handling (Rare)], [Advanced Shadow Knife Throwing (Ultra-Rare)], [Twin Blade (Common)], [Basic Dark Dash (Rare)], [Crimson Fang (Ultra-Rare)], [Predator’s Mark (Rare)], [Demonic Blade Dance (Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Advanced Shadow Stealth (Ultra-Rare)], [Assassin’s Tracking (Rare)], [Basic Archery (Common)], [Demonic Predator Hands (Epic)], [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife (Epic)], [Burst Throw (Epic)], [Stealth Critical Strike (Rare)], [Shadow Dive (Rare)], [Knife Storm (Epic)], [Feline Agility (Epic)], [Horns of the Demon of Darkness (Legendary)], [Shadow Phantom Reaper Dance (Legendary)]

Second Class Skills: [Advanced Magic Conjuration (Uncommon)], [Teleportation Pentagram II (Legendary)], [Curse (Common)], [Cursed Weapon (Uncommon)], [Shadow Ball (Common)], [Enhanced Telekinesis (Rare)], [Witch’s Gaze (Uncommon)], [Cursed Weapon Throw (Rare)], [Telekinetic Impulse (Rare)], [Telekinetic Pull (Rare)], [Witch’s Thread (Rare)], [Despair Aura I (Rare)], [Clear Mind (Ancient)], [Shadow Mana Explosion (Ultra-Rare)], [Spell Grimoire (Epic)], [Tactile Telekinesis (Rare)], [Telekinetic Stasis (Rare)], [Transmutation (Common)], [Basic Appearance Shift (Ultra-Rare)], [Cloak of the Arcane Witch (Legendary)], [Arcane Infusion (Epic)]

Profession Skills: [Herbology of Mother Freya (Ancient)], [Precise Extraction (Common)], [Advanced Potion Crafting (Uncommon)], [Corrupted Plant Growth (Rare)], [Plant Sensor (Uncommon)], [Botanical Bond of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Seed Conversion (Rare)], [Plant Manipulation of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya (Ultra-Rare)], [Thorn Mutation (Uncommon)], [Soil Analysis (Uncommon)], [Botanical Purification (Uncommon)], [Acid Blood Arrow (Epic)], [Vegetal Respiration (Common)], [Stomach of Mother Freya (Ancient)], [Bones of Mother Freya (Ancient)], [Soil Guardian II (Ancient)], [Botanical Transmutation (Epic)], [Tree of Mother Freya (Legendary)]

Race Skills: [Identify (Common)], [Demonic Perception (Uncommon)], [Dark Blood (Uncommon)], [Deep Meditation (Uncommon)], [Demonic Endurance (Uncommon)]

Rank Skill: [Soul Infiltration (Rank F)], [Soul Infection (Rank E)]

Bloodline Skill: [Servant of the Dark Lord (Unique)]

Servants: [Charlotte Vespertilio (Vampire) - Lvl 103], [Angie (Archangel) - Lvl 109], [Servant Slot Available], [Servant Slot Available]

Familiar: [Unavailable]

Maybe I should pay more attention to Dexterity and Toughness. They’re my weakest stats.

On the other hand, he was proud of being close to twenty-five thousand mana.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

More time with the Horns active. And the cloak too.

When he evolved into [Arcane Spellcaster], only one skill had evolved. It was [Mana Infusion], which had previously been part of his first class, but had now become [Arcane Infusion] and moved into the second class section.

[Arcane Infusion (Epic)]: By channeling mana into a weapon or projectile, the impact becomes charged with concentrated arcane energy, causing a magical explosion on contact. The more mana consumed, the more destructive the release becomes, capable of reaching extreme levels of power when pushed to its limit. However, due to the witch’s superior mastery over arcane energy, the infusion has become more stable, efficient, and refined. When applied to a blade that remains in direct contact with the witch, this energy stays under constant control, spreading harmoniously through the weapon and concentrating along the edge, making its cuts sharper, deeper, and more powerful while considerably reducing the blade’s degradation during infusion.

Luke now used not just two titles, but three. Upon reaching Rank D, he unlocked another slot, and he did not have to think very hard before filling it with a title that had been sitting unused but was still far too useful to ignore.

[Survivor of the Midnight Terror]: This title allows locked Fragments tied to the Midnight Universe to be opened whenever one is found. These Fragments linger in isolated dimensions, echoes of bygone eras waiting for bold scavengers in search of lost relics. While active, it grants +5% to all stats.

Five percent to every stat was far too much power to leave on the table. While looking at the [Dark Lord] title, Luke stared at something new tied to it: [Tree of Knowledge]. It was the reward he had received after completing one thousand soul fragments.

He closed the interface and went to the deck.

Time to run more tests with [Shadow Phantom Reaper Dance].

***

Luke watched the vampires from the rooftop, tucked deep into the shadows between the buildings. The entire base was already on alert. Torches raced through the courtyards, voices tangled into panicked orders, and dozens of red eyes searched for the intruder who had slipped past their defenses.

“It’s him. That’s the guy,” one vampire said, pointing up.

Another sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t smell anything on him.”

Luke rested one kukri against his shoulder and smiled. “I came for the count, not the trash. That’s why I stopped hiding.”

That got a laugh from the group. One of the vampires raised a spear and hurled it at his face. Luke tilted his head just enough to let it skim past, then jumped from the rooftop and landed in front of them with both blades in hand. Before the first vampire could finish stepping back, a head was already rolling across the ground.

“He’s fast!”

“I only saw a black blur!”

The next one tried to come at him from the side, but Luke’s kukri reached him before the sword was fully out of its sheath. Dark blood hit the stones, the body dropped, and the vampires’ smiles vanished.

“Use magic, you idiots!” one of the captains shouted.

Luke activated his new skill: [Shadow Phantom Reaper Dance].

His shadow peeled itself off the ground and took shape beside him, an identical silhouette made of pure darkness. The mimic raised its own blades, copying his stance with unnatural precision. Then the two of them moved as one creature split between two bodies.

Five vampire captains came at him at once. Luke stepped into the gap between them without slowing down, caught one sword with his left kukri, opened another vampire with his right, and when a third tried to strike him from behind, he switched places with the mimic. The vampire struck nothing but shadow.

Luke appeared behind him and cut him down before the enemy understood what had happened. After that, their formation collapsed. Every attack Luke made was echoed by the shadow half a second later, turning blocks into traps and dodges into executions. One captain lost his jaw. Another went down under two quick cuts. The last died still trying to figure out which blade was real.

Luke threw a kukri at a mage preparing a spell. The blade punched through, and he dropped before the chant could finish.

“Next?” Luke asked, grinning.

The vampires rushed him all at once, more out of panic than courage. Luke slipped through them like a black blur, cutting tendons, throats, and weapon hands without stopping long enough to be surrounded. In less than a minute, the charge turned into a rout. The survivors scattered through the base’s inner streets, tripping over each other as they tried to escape the dance.

Then something heavier entered the courtyard. The count walked in slowly, black armor beneath a red cloak. He held a metal club in one hand and a staff pulled from his storage item in the other. Flames rose over his head without burning his skin.

“I’ve never seen vampires run at night,” Luke said. “You trained them badly.”

The count lifted his chin. “Don’t get too full of yourself, little human.”

Luke tilted his head, still smiling. “Little? Not what your mother said.”

The count’s roar made the nearby windows rattle.

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness activated]

[Cloak of the Arcane Witch activated]

[Demonic Predator Hands activated]

Horns grew from Luke’s head. The black cloak wrapped around his shoulders like something alive, and dark blood seeped from the pores of his hands, forming claws over his skin. His smile stayed. His eyes sharpened. This vampire wasn’t trash he could toy with.

The count moved first. A torrent of fire burst from the staff, swallowing the courtyard in one continuous wave. Luke sprinted sideways, weaving between broken pillars and burning walls, trying to close the distance. The vampire slammed his club into the ground. The blow did not even need to hit him. A line of destruction tore through stone and wood straight toward Luke.

He jumped, barely clearing it, but the wave of fire came right after and forced him behind a half-destroyed building.

The count laughed from inside the flames. “Come on! Try to kill me!”

Luke watched the fire crawl across the streets, the rooftops, and the bodies scattered over the ground. The vampire was keeping his distance on purpose, convinced Luke was nothing but a close-range fighter. Luke conjured a black knife and threw it. The blade exploded in the middle of the firestorm. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then heavy footsteps began to echo from within the flames. Stones ripped free from the ground, pulled by magic, and gathered around the fire until they formed a twelve-foot creature of rock and living embers.

“If you won’t come to me,” the count said, laughing from somewhere behind the flames, “I’ll send my golem to you.”

The golem moved way too fast for something that big. Flames along its back pushed it forward like a living furnace while the count kept his staff aimed at the creature, feeding it more fire. The stone thickened, its arms grew larger, and the flames glowing through its cracks burned brighter.

Luke climbed onto a roof and narrowed his eyes. Man. He’s buffing his own golem.

The creature’s hand warped into a spiked ball of fire and stone, then crushed the building beneath Luke. He jumped before impact and switched places with his shadow midair, appearing lower, close enough to drive a black knife into the monster’s arm. When he pulled away, the limb burst apart in a shower of stone and fire. The blast opened a gap. Luke took it.

The cloak had already begun adapting to the heat, reducing the damage from the flames, while the horn layered invisible mana armor over him to blunt magical damage. The count didn’t know that. To him, Luke was still just a close-range fighter trying not to burn alive.

The golem raised its remaining arm and fired chunks of incandescent stone. Luke leaped from rooftop to rooftop, dodging the explosions that tore apart the buildings behind him, until he landed on a low tower.

The count stood behind the golem, far out of reach, still smiling. “You can’t reach me, can you?”

Luke bent his knees. “Close enough.”

The force of his launch shattered the roof beneath his feet. He shot forward like a black arrow. The cloak dragged him through the air, accelerating his body through the rain of fire. The count’s eyes widened, and he tried to reinforce the wall of flames, but Luke had already thrown a kukri at the golem. The blade struck the core exposed by the earlier explosion. The creature split down the middle and collapsed into a storm of stone.

Luke tore through the cloud of fire and landed in front of the count. The vampire swung on instinct. Luke slipped past it by a hair and answered with his kukri. The first cut struck armor. The second found flesh. The count tried to retreat and cast, but Luke gave him no room. He spun, pressed in, struck again, forcing the vampire to block every blow with club and staff.

“Stand still and let me hit you, damn it!” the count roared.

The second kukri flew back from the ruins of the golem and into Luke’s hand. His shadow appeared beside him again. After that, the count could not keep up. Luke attacked from one side, and the mimic echoed him from the other. The club stopped one blade. The shadow opened another cut. The staff raised fire against Luke, but the real strike came from behind. Each hit drove the count backward until Luke spun both kukris in a crossing arc and took off his head.

The body staggered. The head, still wreathed in flame, shot back toward the neck.

“Too slow.”

The mimic repeated Luke’s movement a heartbeat later, cutting the head away again before it could reconnect. The body fell from the building, but the head dodged the thrown kukri and flew back to it. By the time the vampire hit the ground, he was whole again.

Luke landed a few yards away. “Interesting. You used Vampiric Regeneration twice. Fifty Blood Energy each. Either you burned almost all of it, or you’ve got more than a hundred.”

The count breathed hard, his face twisted with hate. “You’ve earned my respect. Forcing me to use that card... But I’m still standing, hunter.”

“I’m not a church hunter.”

“Then why the hell are you after me? You’re not exactly human either.”

Luke spun the kukri in his hand. “You hunt humans for fun, don’t you? Same idea. Now it’s your turn.”

The vampire raised his staff, trying to summon another golem. Luke only lifted one hand and crooked a finger, beckoning.

“You’re waving me over?” the count spat. “You just got lucky.”

“I wasn’t calling you.”

[Telekinetic Pull activated]

[Telekinetic Impulse activated]

The fallen kukri came back like a bullet. The count dodged at the last second, saving his head from the blade, but that one second was enough for Luke to throw a seed.

[Plant Growth activated]

At first, the explosion was silent. Then wood erupted from the ground, the walls, and the cracks between the stones. Sharpened branches sliced through the air in every direction, roots coiled like snakes, and a twisted mass of trunks, leaves, and thorns grew around the count. His scream came a second too late. When the growth stopped, the vampire was trapped at its center, pierced by dozens of natural stakes. Blood ran down the branches. Roots cinched around his arms, legs, and neck while thorns kept sprouting from the living wood.

Luke approached, satisfied. “It worked.”

The damn thing barely looked like a tree. It was more like a pile of sharpened columns, aggressive roots, and carnivorous leaves growing crookedly together, as if several different plants had been forced into the same body.

“Worked better than I expected, actually.”

The count tried to speak, but only choked on blood.

Luke rested a kukri against his shoulder.

“Mother Freya’s Tree. Legendary seed. I spent a while modifying one with botanical transmutation. Parasitic plants, carnivorous plants, reinforced wood, draining roots... all kinds of crap. It held a ridiculous amount of mana before turning into this freak show.”

The count’s flames burst outward all at once, burning part of the tree from the inside. He tore himself free, stumbling out with his body wrecked, swaying between embers and dead wood.

Luke watched the plant die with a faint sense of regret. He had forced too much mana into the seed. It was breaking down, just like his kukris.

“Experiment failed. The plant didn’t last. Still worth it.”

“Expe... riment?” the count asked, his voice nearly gone.

Luke smiled. “Yeah. You were the test.”

The vampire still tried to raise his staff. Luke was faster. The kukri cut. This time, there was no regeneration. When the count’s body fell, the base had gone silent.

[You have reached Level 108! Half-Demon (Rank D)] (+8 bonus points to all attributes, +20 free points)

Luke looked one last time at the burned tree and sighed. The problem was, preparing another seed like that would take weeks. He didn’t have weeks. Luke sheathed the kukris, jumped over the ruined wall, and dropped into the dark water of the canal. The Spectral Beast surfaced beneath his feet like a living shadow, and he mounted it as the creature began swimming toward the citadel.

***

Luke watched Charlie sleeping in bed. She looked peaceful. On the nightstand, there was a covered tray. Under it, cake. Beside it, a note for him. Luke read it in silence, then carefully pulled the blanket over Charlie.

Always taking care of me.

He ate even though he was not hungry. Being Rank D pulled him a little farther away from humanity, one small detail at a time. Eating was still necessary, but no longer something he needed every single day. Even so, it remained comforting. Maybe it was even better now, since he could focus on the taste without hunger getting in the way. Daily sleep was no longer mandatory either, and yet Luke kept following the routine.

On Charlie’s desk, landscape drawings were spread out. Damn, she’s getting better.

She had started drawing during the tutorial, back when she was still a skeleton, and that hobby seemed to have returned now that things had finally calmed down. In the Citadel, Charlie had bought supplies so she could draw again.

What kind of profession let someone make a pencil?

Luke wondered whether he could train [Transmutation] and [Botanical Transmutation] enough to make pencils and paper for her. It wasn’t exactly a top priority in a world full of monsters, systems, and people trying to kill each other, but it still went on the list.

After that, he took a shower and lay down in bed. Charlie opened her eyes for a second, blinking sleepily. Before Luke could say anything, she scooted closer, kissed his cheek, and went right back to sleep like nothing had happened.

Hm?

Luke froze for a second. Then he rested a hand on her head and slowly ran his fingers through her hair, apparently deciding that was fair compensation for the sneak attack. While Charlie slept, he turned his attention back to the title interface and the reward he’d received for reaching a thousand soul fragments.

[Dark Lord]: Master of the dark forces. Supreme commander of monsters, demons, and abyssal creatures. This title grants authority to dominate and mold supernatural beings at will, commanding them as extensions of your will. The horde that follows you grows stronger simply by being near you.

(Bonus: +10 to all Attributes, +10% to all Attributes)

Title Path: [Tree of Knowledge]

Luke focused, and new information appeared before him.

[Do you wish to know what a Title of Power is?]

He had already read it before, but selected it anyway.

[Titles of Power]: Special authorities tied to an individual’s concept, nature, or destiny. Each Title possesses a Path, a sequence of requirements that must be fulfilled to release its true potential. These requirements usually demand that the bearer put the meaning of the Title itself into practice. The more deeply they embody that nature, the more powers are unlocked. In some cases, a Title of Power may also strengthen a Unique Bloodline, should the bearer possess a special connection to it.

Luke narrowed his eyes. That explained why he had unlocked a new servant slot after collecting one thousand soul fragments.

Title Path: [Tree of Knowledge]

He clicked.

[Tree of Knowledge]: Knowledge has a price, and you paid it with the sacrifice of one thousand human souls. With this tribute, your Title Path has been released: Tree of Knowledge. To reach the final power of the Dark Lord, offer the necessary sacrifices, fulfill the Path’s requirements, and unlock each Fruit of Sin. Each Fruit represents one stage of the Tree of Knowledge. Once unlocked, a Fruit grants a new relic, ability, or form of authority to the Title bearer.

[Unlock Fruits of Sin?]

Luke clicked “Yes.”

Title Path: [Tree of Knowledge]

Knowledge has a price, and each Fruit requires the bearer to prove their worth through action. To unlock a Fruit of Sin, the bearer must embody one facet of their Title of Power and offer the sacrifice demanded by the Tree.

Fruit of the Sin of Gluttony: The bearer still needs to embody Gluttony as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Greed: The bearer still needs to embody Greed as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Envy: The bearer still needs to embody Envy as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Lust: The bearer still needs to embody Lust as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Sloth: The bearer still needs to embody Sloth as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Pride: The bearer still needs to embody Pride as a true Dark Lord.

Sacrifice: ?

Reward: ?

Fruit of the Sin of Wrath: The bearer demonstrated the nature of Wrath by abandoning hesitation and turning his violence into judgment. His rage was not a directionless outburst, but a conscious force, used to destroy what dared stand in his way. Even so, the Fruit has not been fully unlocked. To release the power sleeping within Wrath, the bearer must offer the Tree a worthy sacrifice.

Sacrifice: Soul of a Hero.

Reward: ?

Luke stared at the last line for a few seconds. Apparently, Heroes get rewarded for killing me. And I get rewarded for killing them.

So we finally got to see Luke’s thousand-fragment reward: the Dark Lord Title Path and another servant slot. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I read a lot of your theories along the way, and some of them were really good. Just because they didn’t happen at a thousand doesn’t mean they’re out, either. Each fruit can still give Luke something interesting. I’ll stop there. What did you guys think?

Also, the next chapter chronologically is 715.5, not 716. It’s Patreon-only, but you won’t miss anything important if you skip it. Same as the other extras, if anything from it matters later, I’ll quickly cover it in the next chapter. Those chapters are mostly extra Luke and Charlie scenes, usually on the more intimate side. This one is called “Charlie in a Towel,” and there’s art for it too.

Anyway, that’s it for this one.