Becoming the Dark Lord

The days passed far too quickly. Luke didn’t go looking for his mother again. Not because he’d given up, but because he wouldn’t find her unless she wanted to be found. Elizabeth Moon clearly knew how to shake an assassin. She hadn’t reached D-rank for nothing. And on top of that, she had a God protecting her. If she wanted to stay away from him, she could do it easily. Except at the final briefing. All participants had to attend before they were cleared to return to New Earth. She’d have to show up for that.

[Vessel Fusion complete!]

The past two days had been a constant battle of concentration. Taming the black mass floating before him had taken more than mana. It demanded intent, will, and fragments of himself. To control it, he channeled his anger, his hatred, and every ounce of anguish he had accumulated. The process became a lesson of its own. Luke began to understand his Sin of Wrath more clearly, and Wrath had always come easily to him.

He poured his flaws into the mass, fed it everything rotten inside him, then used that same hatred to beat it into submission. Luke would not serve Wrath. Wrath would serve him. It was nothing more than a tool. Only after he accepted that truth did the process finally move forward.

The Sins would not shape him; he would bend them to his will, just like his beasts, rabid dogs kept on a leash. He would be their master, the one holding the whip. At last, the black mass stopped resisting.

[The selected Vessel has been sacrificed.]

[The Relic has obtained a physical form.]

According to Artemis, the Relic needed to take a form Luke could easily access and use. But that power came with a burden: the object could be stolen, torn from him, or destroyed. That was the price. If he wanted the power, he had to accept that someone could take it from him.

A Title Relic wasn’t exclusive to Luke. Special demons capable of earning the title of Lord could forge Relics of their own. Some chose crowns. Others preferred scepters, breastplates, or anything else that served as a symbol of power and authority. Luke chose something better suited to him. An assassin didn’t need to draw attention. He needed something discreet, easy to reach, and always on him.

“No way in hell am I passing up the chance to own one of these.”

[The Dark Lord’s Relic has awakened.]

[Form: Ring]

Luke grinned.

He had considered the [Abyssal Mask], the [Assassin Mask], the [Pirate Navigator’s Compass], and even Allison’s bracelet. In the end, he’d chosen the old witch’s ring he bought after leaving the tutorial. Easy to carry. Hard to notice. Perfect for an assassin.

The black object hovered in the air for several seconds before dropping into Luke’s palm. Its original appearance, however, was gone. The darkness folded in on itself, compressing into a point of silver light. The metal emerged as silver, beautiful and cold, carrying a presence the old ring had never possessed. It was no longer the same ring. The old one had been nothing more than a shell. A body sacrificed for the Relic’s birth.

It’s actually pretty.

If it had been gold, the reference would have been perfect. Still, this was close enough.

[The Relic has bonded with the Dark Lord!]

Dozens of whispers flooded Luke’s mind, followed by screams, images of himself, rage, and hatred. Then the notifications began.

[The Relic has awakened the Skill: Soul Reservoir]

[The Relic has awakened the Skill: Living Relic]

[The Relic has awakened the Skill: Sinbound Will]

[The Relic has awakened the Skill: Relic-Borne Authority]

[The Relic has awakened the Skill: Dark Lord’s Bond]

Five skills at once.

Luke stared at the ring. Little by little, the whispers and the strange voice began to fade, as if they were being pulled back inside it. The ring felt strange in his hand. One moment, it seemed to weigh a ton. The next, it felt almost weightless.

[Awakened Sin detected...]

[The Relic has awakened the Sin of Wrath.]

The ring flashed. Luke felt something wrap around his very being, binding him to the Relic. For an instant, it felt as though they were one and the same.

[Sin Manifestation awakened: Wrath of the Usurper.]

[Sin Curse awakened: Protection of Wrath.]

The Relic seemed to call to him.

“Looks like you’re afraid of being destroyed.”

It was probably related to the Death Spirit used during the forging process. The entity had vanished the moment the ring was completed, leaving no trace behind.

“You serve me. Not the other way around.”

Luke slipped the ring onto his finger, and the whispers went silent. He flexed his fingers around it. Even with the voices gone, something cold lingered beneath his skin. He smiled as a new interface appeared, triggered by the Relic’s direct contact with his body.

Relics really are powerful. They aren’t just items. They have their own system.

Curious, Luke removed the ring and set it on the table.

[Removing status bonuses granted by the Dark Lord title.]

So that was the penalty for taking it off.

[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], [Dark Lord’s Relic]

Without the ring, I lose the title bonuses and everything in the Title Path.

That was a hell of a price for taking off a ring. The Relic, the Demon Lord, and the title were all connected. Lose one, and everything else took a hit.

Luke slid the ring back onto his finger. The title bonuses returned, along with his connection to the artifact.

“Let’s see what you can do.”

The interface opened.

[Dark Lord’s Relic]

Sins Absorbed: 1/7

Soul Energy: 0/1000

Relic Skills: [Soul Reservoir], [Living Relic], [Sinbound Will], [Relic-Borne Authority], [Dark Lord’s Bond]

Sin Manifestation: [Wrath of the Usurper]

Sin Curses: [Protection of Wrath]

The Relic inherits the Sins’ powers. Right now, it only has Wrath.

But the Relic had powers of its own, too.

[Soul Reservoir]: The Relic absorbs Soul Energy from enemies slain by the Dark Lord. The absorbed energy is stored within the Relic and can be used to fuel powers, skills, rituals, and future functions awakened through the [Tree of Knowledge].

Soul Energy: 0/1000

Does this work like Soul Fragments?

The description even mentioned rituals.

I guess I’ll figure out how to use it later.

[Living Relic]: The Relic is a living artifact, created through the sacrifice of one thousand human souls and infused with the power of the Dark Lord. It grows alongside its wielder, becoming part of his journey and gathering within itself his progress, awakened Sins, and the powers granted by the Tree.

So it really is alive. Not a soul. A will.

Luke studied the ring again. This thing is powerful as fuck. It took a thousand souls to make it.

A thousand systems. A thousand soul cores. All of it compressed into a single ring. An insane concentration of power.

[Sinbound Will]: The Relic possesses a will of its own and desires to be wielded by the Dark Lord. It responds more strongly to the actions, choices, and awakened Sins of its true wielder. Any other wielder may activate a portion of its powers, but will be influenced by the Sins contained within the Relic.

So it’s true. The Relic can be taken from me and used by someone else.

That also meant it wouldn’t be safe to leave it with Charlie or Angie.

What exactly does it mean by influenced by the Sins?

[Relic-Borne Authority]: The full bonus of the [Dark Lord] title can only be maintained while the Relic remains in direct contact with its true wielder. If separated from him, the Dark Lord loses a portion of the authority concentrated within the artifact until it is recovered. Any other wielder who keeps the Relic in their possession receives +5% to all Attributes, a fraction of the artifact’s power granted to ensure its survival. This benefit does not represent loyalty. The Relic grants enough power to be desired, protected, and used, but never enough to truly belong to another.

So whoever steals it gets stronger, and I get weaker.

Luke curled his fingers around the ring. That had to be one of a Demon Lord’s known weaknesses. The kind enemies killed to exploit. The final skill, however, was the most interesting.

[Dark Lord’s Bond]: The Relic belongs only to the true Dark Lord. While in direct contact with him, it becomes indestructible and can manifest the full extent of its power. If torn from its wielder, its protection disappears. In that state, any other wielder may use only a fraction of its power, and the Relic can be damaged or destroyed.

This thing and I really are joined at the hip.

Luke narrowed his eyes. But the indestructible part is new. Fuck, if I’d chosen a breastplate, would I have gotten indestructible armor?

There had to be a catch. He hadn’t just passed up the chance to own literally indestructible armor... had he?

Luke thought about it for a few seconds. If it were that simple, Artemis would’ve told me. Probably.

Maybe the Relic adapted to its form. Armor could break and repair itself. A ring couldn’t survive being crushed and still remain a ring.

Yeah. That had to be it.

Probably.

According to Artemis, many Demon Lords chose crowns out of pride. They wanted everyone around them to see the Relic and immediately recognize their status.

“Those guys are idiots.”

He still had the [Sin Manifestation] and [Sin Curses] to examine, but Luke already understood the artifact’s basic functions. By the time he finished studying the Relic and testing his connection to it, several hours had passed. His time was up. Luke gathered his things and prepared to leave.

It was time to go.

“What a shame,” Artemis said. “Goodbye to our little love nest.”

Luke had been allowed to put his old equipment back on. It already felt like a goodbye.

“Are you staying at the hotel after I leave?” he asked.

“No. I have to go back to that planet where I’ll spend every day being tediously worshiped by servants and eating only the finest food.”

“Sounds like a pretty luxurious prison.”

“The perks of being Super VIP.” She flashed him a peace sign.

Luke watched her for a few seconds. The question left his mouth before he could reconsider it.

“What if I tried to get you out? Is that even possible? Could I... buy you out or something?”

“Well, well.” Artemis stepped closer, a seductive look in her eyes, and placed a hand against his chest. “Planning to buy me for the night, my brave knight?”

“You know what I meant.”

“Not happening, man. I’m priceless. Besides, the guy with the key to my chains is trapped in the Void.”

“Azazel.”

“The one and only.”

“He likes me. Maybe if I asked him for a favor...”

“Oh, sure. Just ask a Primordial to free the prisoner who knows all his secrets. His Order’s, too. Totally doable.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Okay... I got the sarcasm. Is it possible or not?”

“Of course not, Luke. He has the key, and he’s in the Void. That place is basically game over. Even gods aren’t crazy enough to go there.”

“And what exactly is the Void? Is it really that dangerous?”

Artemis burst out laughing so hard she doubled over.

“Right, right... I forgot how completely clueless you are.”

“Was that seriously such a stupid question?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to rub it in.”

She ruffled his hair with an ease that was almost affectionate. “Better to hear it from your Goddess than from someone else.”

Artemis cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “Let me put it in terms you can understand. Imagine stuffing a prison inside a baseball. Now put someone on the Moon and have them hit it straight into deep space. That’s what they did to Azazel. They launched him so far into the Void that only an idiot would even try to reach him.”

Luke frowned. “But why would he let them imprison him?”

Artemis turned her back to him.

“If you ever become a god, I’ll tell you.”

She opened the door, then stopped before stepping out.

“Oh, wait, Luke. We need to do something first.”

Artemis walked back to him.