As Alex relaxed, his mind still raced with possibilities for Ice Magic—his newly acquired second affinity. Even though it was only F-rank for now, he knew he could increase that. But more importantly, he now had options.
Just then, a system notification caught his attention—one he had missed earlier in his excitement.
Alex blinked as he read it. 'Purchasing that filled the shop experience… and now the shop can be upgraded?'
[Does the host want to update the system shop?]
[Update Time: 12 hour]
[Update Cost: 250 SP]
[Y/N]
A grin tugged at his lips. "Well, I see no reason to refuse." he muttered before quickly selecting Yes.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
After a relaxing bath and a satisfying dinner, Alex lounged on the sofa alongside his master, Alicia, and Priscilla. The dim glow of the television cast flickering shadows on the walls as a horror movie played—a film filled with vengeful spirits, grotesque zombies, and tormented souls. The cozy warmth of the room stood in stark contrast to the chilling visuals flashing across the screen.
Priscilla, much like Alicia, was anything but normal. To the outside world, she was the picture of grace—elegant, kind, almost saintly in demeanor.
But behind closed doors, she was entirely different. In truth, she was lazy, carefree, and—if Alex had to put it bluntly—a complete shut-in. She preferred the comfort of her home, spending hours indulging in movies, dramas, and whatever else caught her interest. If given the choice, she would rather lounge around all day, wrapped in a blanket, binge-watching entire series than deal with anything remotely troublesome.
Alex had grown used to her antics over time, even if they sometimes caught him off guard. She might have had the aura of a refined lady in public, but in private, she was just a slacker who enjoyed a good story and avoided work whenever possible.
Like now.
She had chosen this horror movie—a film that, under normal circumstances, might have been just entertainment. But in this world, where ghosts, the undead, and monsters actually existed, the horror felt unsettlingly real.
A scream erupted from the TV as a character was twisted unnaturally by a shadowy apparition. But before Alex could focus on the film, Priscilla suddenly turned to him, steering the conversation in an entirely different direction.
"So, how was your little outing today?" she asked casually, munching on popcorn as if they weren't watching a film designed to make people lose sleep.
"Went pretty well. Took care of some things, explored a dungeon." Alex replied evenly.
Priscilla arched an eyebrow. "And by some things, you mean…?"
"Killed three people." he said bluntly, his expression unreadable.
Priscilla didn't flinch. Instead, she hummed in approval. "That's good. Won't be easy, but you need to let go of your morals if you want to survive out there."
There was something in her tone—something distant, as if she were recalling a past buried beneath layers of time.
Alex studied her, waiting.
After a moment, Priscilla continued, her voice strangely calm. "My first kill was when I was barely thirteen." She idly twirled a strand of her long hair. "It was my uncle. He raised me like his own daughter… or at least, that's what I believed."
A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. "One night, he came home drunk, intoxicated and filled with rage. He never accepted that my father became the family head instead of him. So, he decided to take it out on me."
Priscilla's smile was unreadable as she continued, "I suppose he thought I was an easy target. A helpless little girl. But when he tried to force himself on me, I… snapped. One moment, he was looming over me, and the next… he was on the floor, bleeding out."
She exhaled softly, as if shaking off the memory.
Alex glanced at Alicia, who remained silent. But Priscilla spoke for her. "Her first kill was when she was eleven."
Alicia's voice was calm, detached. "I was kidnapped by cultists. They planned to sacrifice me, but I managed to gain the upper hand and killed two of them."
She spoke as if it was normal, as if it were just another story from the past.
Aurora's voice suddenly echoed in Alex's mind, laced with dry amusement. "Well… that escalated quickly."
On the screen, another terrified scream rang out as the horror movie played on, its eerie whispers blending seamlessly into the unsettling atmosphere of their conversation.
The silence broke as the conversation shifted back to Alex.
Alicia, leaning back against the couch, crossed her arms and frowned. "My disciple, why do you still need to hide the fact that you can use Dark magic?" she asked, her icy blue eyes sharp with conviction. "If anyone dares to come after you, I'll cut them down myself."
Priscilla, lazily lounging with a cushion in her arms, sighed. "And that's exactly the problem," she said, tilting her head slightly. "If it were just about fighting, sure, you might be able to protect him. But it's not that simple, Alicia, you also know that."
Alex had kept his Dark magic affinity a secret for a reason. Back when he was a nobody, when he had no backing, revealing something like that would have painted a target on his back. But now… things were different. He had his master.
Was it really necessary to keep hiding it?
Priscilla, as if reading his hesitation, continued, "It's not just about the affinity, Alex. It's the rank of your Dark magic that's the real problem. You might not realize it, but even among so-called geniuses, your affinity is unheard of. People will take notice. And when they do, chaos will follow."
Alicia scoffed. "Let them come," she said. "If they want to make an enemy of me, they're welcome to try."
Priscilla pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alicia, you can fight a hundred, maybe even a thousand enemies. But you can't fight the entire world. And Alex will be the one paying the price."
Unknown to them, Aurora silently agreed from within Alex's consciousness. There were beings in this world far beyond Alicia's current strength—beings that would see Alex as more than just a threat.
Seeing the tension rise, Priscilla exhaled and offered an alternative. "Instead of openly showing your Dark magic, why not create a second identity? A completely separate persona—one that wields Dark magic freely, without anyone linking it back to you."
Alex furrowed his brows. "A second identity?"
"Yes," Priscilla nodded. "Think about it. You can train without constantly worrying about others. You'll be able to act in ways that Alex—the 'promising but non-threatening individual'—cannot. A non-magic user suddenly developing Dark magic of this level? That's too suspicious. But an unknown figure appearing with a high Dark magic affinity? Eye-catching, sure—but within an acceptable range."
Alicia remained quiet, considering the idea. Meanwhile, Alex let the thought sink in. Hiding his true strength, escaping political and social constraints… and at the same time, letting his alias roam freely without consequence.
It was an intriguing idea.
And the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Alicia clenched her fists, her displeasure evident. She had always believed that strength should be displayed openly, that one should never cower in the face of others. If it had been any other affinity, she wouldn't have hesitated to let Alex reveal it.
But Dark magic was different.
No matter how much she despised the thought of Alex holding back, she wasn't blind to reality. If word got out, it wouldn't just be ordinary enemies coming after him—powerful factions, cultists, and those whose interests his power threatened would all make their move.
Heck, even the government wouldn't sit back and ignore something like this. A non-magic user suddenly awakening Dark magic with an absurdly high affinity? That alone was enough to send alarm bells ringing across the entire world.
A sharp exhale escaped her lips as she ran a hand through her jet-black hair. She hated this. Hated the idea of forcing her disciple to suppress his talents, to hide what made him exceptional.
But in the end, even she had to admit—this was for his own good.