Becoming the Dark Lord

Luke had been chasing a pack of Scaled Striders across the so-called Wild Fields when Franky’s triumphant shout made him glance back. The creatures looked like velociraptors and, from what Luke had heard, were fast enough to serve as mounts for the obscenely rich. The Striders were fast, but Luke was faster. Much faster.

The last Strider hit the ground behind him. Luke ripped out its core, tossed it into storage, and turned toward Franky’s shout.

“I did it!” the little boy shouted.

Franky laughed and bounced around in celebration. “I hunted my own food!”

For him, this probably was a dragon.

Franky was a mage, and with Luke’s help, his class had already reached level 2. His new body, however, was still only level 1.

With the wand Luke had bought him, the boy took aim at a group of butterflies the size of dogs. A blue arrow formed at the tip of the wand and shot toward one of them, striking it in the body. Franky immediately fired another, clipping its wings and bringing it down.

At least he’s smart.

The monster butterfly lay sprawled in the dirt, its wings damaged. Franky finished it off. For half a second, nothing happened.

Then the notification appeared.

[Frankzaroth has reached Level 1! Jormungandr (Rank F)] (+1 bonus point to all attributes, +1 free point)

[Frankzaroth unlocked a Race Skill]

“I did it, human! This will be our dinner!”

No. I’m not eating that.

Luke checked Franky’s new skill.

[Identify (Common)]: Allows you to analyze objects, equipment, and creatures to reveal basic information. The higher the skill level, the more detailed the analysis becomes.

More butterflies appeared. Franky aimed his wand and fired again, but this time the creatures dodged with sharp, erratic movements. The boy tried to cast another spell, then froze in confusion.

“Come on! Do it again!”

The two butterflies charged at once, slammed into Franky, and knocked him into the mud. Luke sighed, appeared at his side, and killed both with a single swing of his kukri. They were only level 1 creatures.

“Why did it stop working?” Franky asked, staring at the wand as if it had betrayed him.

“You ran out of mana. Please tell me you at least understand how mana works.”

“But I didn’t feel it running out.”

Luke pulled him to his feet and looked at his mud-covered clothes. “Great. Now I have to clean that.”

“Why didn’t it work?” Franky insisted, now staring directly at the tip of the wand.

Luke pushed the wand away from his face. “Don’t point that at yourself. I already have enough problems.”

“Explain it.”

“You’re not a snake anymore. Instinct and feelings aren’t enough now. You have a system screen for a reason. When you’re not sure, watch the number. If it hits zero, you’re out of mana.”

Luke summoned the Spectral Beast and fed it the Strider’s core.

“I can’t read. What does this mean?” Franky asked, pointing at his screen.

“That’s your stamina, not your mana. Mana is above it.”

Name: Frankzaroth

Level: 1

Race: Jormungandr

Rank: F

Class: [Mage (Lvl 2)]

Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord]

Bloodline: [Bloodline of Queen Jormungandr]

Health Points (HP): 69/70

Mana Points (MP): 0/150

Stamina: 22/30

Stats:

Strength: 4

Lethality: 3

Agility: 4

Dexterity: 2

Endurance: 3

Vitality: 7

Toughness: 4

Perception: 6

Wisdom: 15

Intelligence: 5

Willpower: 9

Free Points: 3

Class Skills: [Basic Magic Conjuration (Common)], [Mana Arrow (Common)]

Race Skills: [Identify (Common)]

Bloodline Skill: [Transcendent Jormungandr (Mythic)]

”I still can’t believe you started with one point in Agility and Dexterity. Well, you really are a child...”

Luke also noticed that Franky was burning through stamina far too quickly, even though he had barely done anything.

Definitely because he has a child’s body. Still, it’s surprising this guy started with ten Wisdom.

He spent the next few minutes explaining the attributes to Franky in the simplest terms possible.

“I want strength,” the boy said. “I want to be much stronger.”

“But you’re a mage.”

“Then how am I supposed to crush and devour monsters?”

“Mages don’t do that.”

“Don’t tell me I’m going to spend forever pointing this stick at things.”

“Did you listen to a single word I said about mages?”

“What do you think, Luke?” Artemis asked. “You really think the squirrel brain over here understood any of that? He just wanted a class.”

“Yes, exactly,” Franky said.

“She’s making fun of you...”

At least he had unlocked an offensive skill at level 2.

[Mana Arrow (Common)]: Conjures an arrow of condensed mana and fires it at a target. A simple, reliable option for dealing piercing magical damage at range.

“Just be careful not to break the wand.”

While Franky continued staring at the item as if it were a legendary weapon, Luke checked which abilities the Spectral Beast had acquired from the core.

[The Spectral Beast is awakening skills from the Scaled Strider..]

A spectral version of the creature appeared before him. The Scaled Strider was a fast, bipedal mount, not something meant to pull wagons. From what Luke had learned, young nobles often rode them. In this society, however, “noble” did not always mean someone who held a system-granted title. The term could also refer to wealthy families, powerful merchant houses, and old knightly bloodlines.

“Why don’t we use that super-awesome flying ship of yours?” Artemis asked.

“Because once I take it out of the bottle, that’s it. I can’t put it back.”

Luke and Franky walked beside the Spectral Beast, moving away from the butterflies before more could appear.

“And I’m not piloting that thing. It’d draw way too much attention. Besides, I barely know how to handle a normal ship on my own, never mind a flying one.”

“What a shame...”

Luke opened the interface.

Core: Spectral Beast

Rank: E

Rank D Cores: [511/1000]

Core Skill: [Form Devourer]

Beast Skills: [Spectral Rend (Rare)], [Predatory Sovereignty (Epic)], [Typhon (Mythic)], [Form Devourer Slot I (Legendary)], [Extended Bond (Rare)], [Spectral Roar (Rare)], [Spectral Devour (Epic)], [Spectral Fusion I (Legendary)]

Form Devourer: [Ivory Leaping Spider (Rank E)], [Scaled Strider (Rank E)]

Form Devourer Skills: [Silent Stalker (Rare)], [Predator’s Pounce (Ultra-Rare)], [Venomous Fang Strike (Epic)]

Form Slot I Skills: [Longstride Gallop (Common)], [Surefoot Leap (Uncommon)], [Terrain Step (Rare)]

He read through the Strider form’s skills.

[Longstride Gallop (Common)]: Enters a steady running rhythm, allowing the Scaled Strider to cover long distances while using less stamina.

[Surefoot Leap (Uncommon)]: Safely leaps over logs, rocks, ditches, narrow streams, and similar obstacles.

[Terrain Step (Rare)]: Adjusts its footing to maintain speed on poor trails, through tall grass, across gravel, and over uneven ground.

Now that was worth the core.

“What about our butterfly dinner?” Franky asked.

“We’re not eating butterflies.”

Luke pulled a saddle from his storage item, another earlier purchase, and fitted it onto the Spectral Beast, now in the form of a Scaled Strider. Then he mounted and settled Franky in front of him. There were even reins for them to hold.

“Think travelers on the road will notice anything strange about the creature?” Luke asked.

“You mean the fact that it looks like a terrifying monster capable of devouring small children? No, of course not, Luke,” Artemis replied.

And so they continued on their way. The Scaled Strider tore across the plains at brutal speed. Franky nearly fell during the first burst of acceleration, startled by the sudden force. Empowered by the Spectral Beast, the level 60 creature was faster and far more capable than before.

“Great. Now hold the reins yourself, Franky.”

“What? What about you?”

“I’m running beside you. With me off its back, there’s less weight, so it can go faster. If you want to help, hold the reins tight.”

They traveled side by side, Luke adjusting his stride to match the beast’s pace.

The Spectral Beast’s power combined with these mount skills will definitely make this trip faster than using the spider form.

They encountered their first real danger after nightfall. Level 15 wolves. Franky was eager to fight them and even fired a few magical arrows, which only attracted more wolves. Luke pulled him back and told him not to start fights without warning, especially with anything that could actually kill him.

The Spectral Beast handled anything that came close. Every hit, empowered by [Spectral Rend], tore deep wounds into the wolves.

[Spectral Rend (Rare)]: Delivers a brutal, precise strike that tears open deep wounds. The wounds bleed heavily, resist healing magic, and continue draining the target’s health as if the flesh itself refuses to close.

After a dinner of actual food, not butterflies, they kept moving. Over the next few days, they crossed forests, broken trails, and terrain that would have stopped any ordinary wagon. Nothing tried to kill them. A welcome change. Eventually, Luke stopped caring about drawing attention. He simply ran beside the Spectral Beast as they passed wagons and travelers, no longer worried about being seen.

That afternoon, after passing through a town, Luke decided to stop. They made camp near a river, close to Rosemark’s main road.

I’m finally near the road that actually leads to the kingdom’s capital.

The difference was obvious. The main road was wider, kept well clear of the Wild Forests, and even paved with stone in places. Nearby towns and the kingdom maintained it, and patrols traveled it regularly.

Sitting at the campsite, Luke ate a piece of chicken while piecing together information from two road pamphlets he had bought.

“Why the fuck don’t they just sell a map?”

He looked at Franky, who was enthusiastically chewing on a chicken leg.

“Don’t repeat the word I just said.”

Clara would pull my ear off.

“All right,” Franky said through a mouthful of food. “This is good, human. Everything tastes better now. The human tongue may be ugly and small, but it’s different in that way.”

“Welcome to the world of mammals and our sense of taste.”

Luke left Franky to eat and went to the river to fill a barrel. He had to think about everything now. Baths. Drinking water. Regular meals. A sleep schedule. Luke was Rank D and could go months without eating. Franky was still Rank F. He needed food and sleep like any normal child.

After the meal, Franky crawled into the tent and passed out almost immediately. A few moments later, he was snoring.

“Looks like our Baby Yoda never learned to keep quiet in a forest,” Artemis said.

Luke sat with his back against the barrel, writing down which towns they could stop in and which ones they should avoid. Some were under military rule and openly hostile to outsiders. Their gates opened only for authorized travelers, and guards kept a close watch on the surrounding land.

“I should introduce these people to GPS. Why write pamphlets instead of making a damn map?”

He had been completely unable to buy a local map.

“Welcome to the medieval world of our beloved isekai, my friend,” Artemis said. “Geography is power. No kingdom is going to hand strangers a map of its roads, cities, and weaknesses.”

Strange or not, it made sense.

“So I make my own?”

“Or buy one illegally. Either way, some random traveler isn’t getting a complete map of the kingdom.”

“I miss the internet... At least the main road helps.”

“That’s exactly why kingdoms build main roads. That advice was free, courtesy of your dear friend Artemis. Next one costs food.”

After making sure Franky was asleep, Luke opened the boy’s system interface. He had already gone through the information once. Now, with Franky asleep, he could take his time. There were things on that screen Franky wasn’t ready to know. Not yet.

[Bloodline of Queen Jormungandr]: Jormungandrs are mythical serpents capable of living for millennia and growing to colossal proportions. Even among the great serpent races, these ancient beings are regarded as living calamities. Their acid is one of their most feared weapons, a manifestation of their corrosive power and predatory nature. Only a Jormungandr Queen possesses the bloodline authority to produce new Jormungandrs. Even she can lay only one egg in her lifetime with the potential to become another Queen. Though rejected by his mother, this serpent inherited the Queen’s blood, ferocity, and immense potential. At higher ranks, this Jormungandr may become a Transcendent.

The humanoid system really is more detailed. Franky probably couldn’t see any of this in his snake form.

The bloodline details only appeared when Luke examined them with [Identify]. There was no reason to tell the boy yet.

He doesn’t need another reminder of what his mother did.

Luke opened the system notification history and went through it again.

[The Dark Lord has strengthened his own bloodline!]

[The Dark Lord has strengthened his Familiar!]

[The Dark Lord is evolving his Familiar into a Servant!]

[Evolution into a Servant will forge a Soul Core using a Beast Core!]

[Detecting cores...]

[Cores Found: Jormungandr and Ancient Wyvern]

[Choose a Core to sacrifice!]

[Choose a Core to sacrifice!]

[Choose a Core to sacrifice!]

[Choose a Core to sacrifice!]

[Choose a Core to sacrifice!]

The same warning had appeared far more times than that. The system hadn’t stopped until Franky chose.

[Core Chosen: Ancient Wyvern]

[Forging Soul Core...]

And then there was the final message.

[Choose your Class wisely...]

That was how he’d gotten his human form.

Luke thought back to Azazel.

Azazel knows how to forge a Beast Core and fuse it with someone who already has a Soul Core. The Servant System applied the same principle in reverse, using Franky’s second Beast Core to forge a Soul Core. Of course a Primordial God would come up with something this insane. I bet Vaelor has no idea this is even possible.

The process had been painful for Luke. For Franky, it had probably been much worse. He returned to the Bloodline Skill.

[Transcendent Jormungandr (Mythic)]: Only truly powerful Jormungandrs can transcend their monstrous nature and attain a humanoid form. This serpent awakened that state not through blood alone, but through the power of the lord he serves. His bloodline was forced to reach a stage normally attainable only at far higher ranks. As a Transcendent, both forms now progress together. Serpentine traits and powers may awaken within his humanoid body, while that form’s faster metabolism accelerates the growth of his serpent form, compressing centuries into mere decades. Transcendence affects far more than physical form.

Becoming a Transcendent had given him a Soul Core.

And he’d done it all at Rank F. Luke looked at the sleeping boy.

Your mother was wrong about you, Franky. One day, you’ll be stronger than she ever was.

His human form hadn’t made him weaker. Quite the opposite. It had made him even more powerful.

The next morning, Franky jumped up and down in celebration beside the river.

“I did it! I did it!”

[Frankzaroth’s Class [Mage] reached Level 3!] (+2 Wisdom, +1 Vitality, +1 Agility, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point)

[Frankzaroth has unlocked a new Class Skill!]

[Helping Hand (Common)]: Creates a ghostly hand that floats nearby. It can assist with simple tasks and hold or grab objects. Its usefulness depends on the mage’s creativity.

“Congratulations,” Luke said, drinking tea as he watched the sunrise.

Several fish floated in the river, struck by Franky’s mana arrows, which vanished moments after impact.

“That’s how you hunt, human. Now I’ll put them on that fire and...”

Luke grabbed him before he got too close.

“Stay away from the fire. You’re fragile. And I have to clean the fish first.”

“Fine! But serve my kill, all right? My kill,” Franky said proudly. “I’ll... let you have the biggest piece.”

“No, I don’t care that much. I don’t need to eat as much as you do. You’re Rank F.”

“You don’t want any of my kill...?”

Luke opened his mouth to answer.

Then he sensed a disturbance in his Perception field.

“Quiet.”

“What?”

“I said quiet.”

“But—”

Luke covered Franky’s mouth, picked him up, and carried him back toward the camp. He gathered everything important and tossed it into his storage item.

“I’m putting you in my soul. Don’t argue.”

The sound of galloping echoed through the area. Luke wanted Franky hidden in his soul, but it was too late. Whoever was approaching had probably already seen him.

“Stay behind me. And put that wand away.”

Twelve riders on Scaled Striders burst into view along the riverbank, their mounts’ heavy footfalls pounding the ground. They slowed as they approached Luke stayed ready. One hostile move, and he would strike.

“Good morning,” one of them said.

He was a broad, red-haired man with a beard and a sheathed sword. Luke quickly assessed the group, guessing their classes from their posture, equipment, and weapons. One carried a staff. The rest carried swords.

“Good morning,” Luke replied.

He studied the emblem on the riders’ clothing and armor.

A lion. But Rosemark’s symbol is a rose. Huh. So lions existed on this continent.

“Are you alone?” the red-haired man asked.

The rest of the group remained silent, but every one of them stayed alert. Some watched Luke. Others examined the camp. Not one of them had truly lowered his guard.

“Why do you ask?” Luke replied.

“We spotted your smoke from the road and came to take a look.”

The red-haired man moved his hand away from the hilt of his sword.

“No need to worry. Solvar and Rosemark are allies. The lion stands with the rose,” he added, a hint of humor in his voice.

“It’s just me and my son.”

Franky stood behind Luke, peeking out between his legs.

Easier than explaining why the little menace keeps calling me human.

“Where are you headed?”

“I’d rather not say. Dangerous times, gentlemen. Not that I’d stand much of a chance against twelve knights.”

“Fair enough. But bandits don’t usually carry gear like ours, and they definitely don’t keep it this clean.” The comment drew a laugh from the group. “I should apologize for prying. We can escort you if you’re headed our way.”

“Riverwood,” Luke said.

“Well, Mister...?”

“James.”

“Unfortunately, Mr. James, we’re leaving Rosemark and returning to our own lands. But take your son and get out of this forest. Head straight for Riverwood.”

“The Duchy again? I figured as much. Either way, I appreciate the warning.”

“No. Worse.”

“Worse?”

“Orcs. They’ve been spotted in these lands.”

Orcs? I haven’t seen one since the tutorial.

Strangely, the memory almost made him nostalgic.

“Understood. Thanks for the warning.”

“Take my advice, Mr. James. Have a good day.”

The riders galloped away and soon disappeared among the trees.

“You can come out now, Franky.”

***

Garen Voss galloped toward the road, the stranger’s campsite disappearing behind him. The message from Rosemark’s royal family had to reach his king as soon as possible.

“That man is an idiot for leaving himself so exposed,” one of the soldiers said. “Especially with a son. Completely irresponsible.”

Garen rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. That man hadn’t been defenseless. Not even close.

“Sir, didn’t you say you sensed something dangerous back there?” Orvan asked.

“For a moment, I thought I did. I was mistaken,” Garen replied.

Orvan sighed.

“I wish it had been orcs. I’m sick of cutting down anomalous roadside beasts.”

“Don’t joke about that,” Garen said. “Orcs this close to settled lands are no joke. Trouble always follows them.”

For a moment, only the thud of the scaled striders’ feet echoed through the forest.

“At least we’re not stupid enough to camp in a place like that,” Darian said.

“That’s true,” Orvan replied.

The other men laughed. As the wind cut across his face, Garen glanced back at the forest they had just left.

Then why were my instincts still screaming at me?

***

“I got another one!” Franky shouted.

[Frankzaroth’s Class [Mage] reached Level 5!] (+2 Wisdom, +1 Vitality, +1 Agility, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point)

[Frankzaroth has unlocked a new Class Skill!]

Even though he could not read, Franky loved watching his level numbers rise.

“What did I get, human?” he demanded, bouncing in place.

Luke opened the notification.