Reinhard stood over his fallen enemy.
Berthold trembled on his knees, leaning on his bloodied sword, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Wounds, fatigue, and the fear of death—all of it paralyzed him, making even the thought of resistance impossible.
"He lost."
Yet, Reinhard did not rush.
He gazed at Berthold with cold eyes, as if he were nothing more than a slab of meat about to be carved.
At that moment, something flashed before his eyes.
A semi-transparent green window appeared in the air, slowly filling with lines of text.
And yet, Berthold's expression did not change. That meant only Reinhard could see the system window.
[System Message]
[Quest Reward Received: +0.1 AP]
[Please make a choice:]
[Kill Berthold and walk the path of a villain]
[Reward: Evil System]
[Spare Berthold and walk the path of redemption]
[Reward: Good System]
Reinhard pressed his lips together, glancing at the text.
"Spare him?"
He chuckled.
A hoarse, dark laugh, devoid of warmth.
— Hahaha… The path of redemption? No, thanks.
Berthold flinched.
— W-what? Wait… — He tried to rise, his bloodied hands clenching into trembling fists. — Spare me! I can be useful!
Reinhard snorted softly.
— Useful? — He tilted his head, studying the traitor like an empty puppet.
Berthold froze, feeling that icy gaze upon him.
A flicker of pleading, fear, and despair crossed his eyes.
But he had already lost.
And Reinhard no longer saw him as human.
Only a corpse that was still breathing.
— Too late.
The whisper of steel.
Reinhard swung his sword in a flash.
With one smooth, lethal motion, he cut through flesh.
Berthold's head soared into the air, then thudded heavily onto the stone floor.
His body remained kneeling for a moment, as if it hadn't yet realized what had happened.
Then, it collapsed, blood splattering across the ground.
Reinhard breathed in the scent of fresh blood.
And then…
[Evil System Message]
[You have become a Villain!]
[Reward: +0.1 AP]
[To unlock the Evil Shop: 10 AP required]
Reinhard pressed his lips together, briefly scanning the message.
"The Evil System, huh?"
The Villain's Path!
"Just like in my past life..."
Once again, he had chosen this path.
But before he could savor the moment, a muffled groan reached his ears.
He slowly turned.
Behind him, a man in a dark cloak collapsed to the ground.
An unknown figure.
The one who had given Berthold gold.
The one who had given Louisa poison.
The one who had wanted him dead.
He was trembling, his face twisted in horror.
— I-it can't be… — he gasped, his lips quivering. — H-how did you… How did you win?!
Reinhard said nothing.
He simply stared at him, indifferent, predatory.
The unknown man whimpered like a cornered animal.
Then, suddenly, he bolted upright.
— NO!
He ran.
Stumbling, gasping for breath, dropping coins from his pockets as he fled.
Running, believing he could escape.
Reinhard narrowed his eyes.
A sharp whistle.
The sword left his hand.
The blade sliced through the air…
…and instantly pierced the fleeing man's throat.
A dull crunch, a splash of blood.
The unknown man jerked, choking, his hands clawing at the wound, trying to stop the uncontrollable flow of crimson.
But it was too late.
Far too late.
He collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing in its final moments.
Reinhard calmly approached, yanking his sword from the dying man's neck.
Blood dripped thickly from the blade, leaving dark stains on the stone floor.
Reinhard sighed, sheathing his weapon.
They were gone.
But he knew this wasn't the end.
He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, brushing his hair back.
"Now, I have to get rid of 'Him'."
His lips curled into a slight, ominous smirk.
"Though… this one will be a bit trickier."
He turned to the exit, staring into the night's darkness.
The wind whispered through the bloodstained floor, filling the room with deathly silence.
Reinhard took a step forward.
He was now a Villain.
And he would not stop until he reached his goal.
⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌
Additional Notes:
AP (Achievement Points): Used to unlock system abilities.
Mana Storage:
Knights store mana in their hearts, using it to reinforce their bodies and create Aura.
Mages store mana in their brains, accumulating it and projecting it into reality through formulas.
⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌⬌