The morning light slipped through the broken curtains of Rudra's small apartment, but he barely noticed. His eyes were fixed on the black screen of the laptop that had just turned itself off. The chilling voice from the night still echoed in his mind:
"You were supposed to die that day. But you didn't. Now... everyone is watching."
Rudra didn't sleep a second. He didn't yawn. His body was tired, but his mind was wide awake. It was like something inside him had finally woken up after years of sleeping. Something dark, powerful, dangerous.
The demon blood.
His father's blood.
He stood up slowly and walked to the small bathroom. As he washed his face, he looked into the mirror. His eyes didn't look innocent anymore. They looked sharp, focused, and just a little bit... cold.
[System Message: Sin Points Cleared – 500][Villain Status: Hidden Mode Activated][New Trait Unlocked: Calm Under Chaos]
Rudra smirked. "So I get stronger... by acting like a villain to do good?"
He wasn't stupid. This wasn't some normal system. This thing was alive. It didn't force him to kill or harm, but it didn't care if he did. It only measured impact. If he saved a life while terrifying a thousand others, it cleared his "sin." It was twisted. But powerful.
And power… was something Rudra now knew he would need.
Because whoever tried to kill him yesterday wasn't finished.
They had failed once.
They wouldn't fail again.
As he stepped out of the bathroom, a sharp knock came at the door.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
His body tensed. No one ever visited him. No friends. No family. He stayed invisible on purpose.
Quietly, Rudra picked up a knife from the kitchen. He walked slowly to the door, tiptoeing.
"Who is it?" he asked.
A soft voice replied, "It's... me. Rhea."
His heart skipped. Rhea?
Why was she here?
He unlocked the door and opened it just a little. There she stood, dressed in a school uniform, holding a bandage kit in her hands.
"I heard about the incident at the hospital…" she said softly. "You got hurt, didn't you?"
Rudra stayed silent.
"I asked around. No one told me anything, but I… I felt like I needed to see if you were okay."
He opened the door wider, confused. "Why do you care?"
She blinked. "Because... you're always alone. And yesterday, you saved a little girl. I saw it on the news."
"You saw?"
"They didn't mention your name. But I recognized you."
Rudra stepped aside and let her in. She walked in nervously, looking at the plain room, the broken fan, the messy table. Her eyes stopped at the laptop.
"You're not safe here, Rudra," she said, suddenly serious. "I don't know what's going on, but something feels wrong."
He said nothing.
She walked up and placed the bandage kit on the table.
"You don't have to tell me anything," she whispered. "But at least... let me help."
As she gently touched his arm and opened the sleeve to rebandage the graze, Rudra's eyes softened slightly. He wasn't used to kindness. Especially not from someone like Rhea, the top student, always surrounded by others.
And yet here she was.
Trying to help him.
[System Update: Emotional Anchor Detected – Rhea Kapoor.][Optional Quest: Protect Rhea at all costs.][Rewards: ???]
His eyes narrowed. "System… are you messing with me again?"
But then the screen flashed another message.
[Warning: Assassin Detected – 200 meters away.]
[Time Remaining: 2 minutes before arrival.]
Everything froze in Rudra's mind. An assassin. Again?
He stood up fast. Rhea looked confused.
"What's wrong?"
"Get out," Rudra said sharply.
"W-What?"
"Rhea, leave. Now."
"But—"
He grabbed her arm. "Please. Trust me. Run. Don't ask questions."
Something in his voice made her obey.
She left.
Thirty seconds later, Rudra turned off all lights. He hid behind the curtain, watching the street below. His eyes scanned every shadow, every car.
And then… he saw him.
A man in a grey jacket, walking slowly. His steps were calm. His face was normal.
But Rudra felt it. Something in the way he walked. Controlled. Silent. Like a predator.
And he was heading straight toward Rudra's apartment.
Rudra's hand gripped the knife. His breath was steady.
But then—another notification.
[New Skill Activated: Intimidation Lv.1][Suggestion: Use fear instead of force. Optional Weapon: Your name.]
A strange thought entered his mind. Could he use his father's reputation?
He opened the door just as the man was about to knock.
The man stopped, surprised.
"I don't know who sent you," Rudra said coldly, "but tell them Raavan's son doesn't die so easily."
The man froze.
Something changed in his eyes. Fear.
"You… you're not supposed to know that name."
"But I do," Rudra whispered, stepping closer, knife behind his back, eyes locked. "And if you take one more step, I'll show you why my father was called the Devil."
The man hesitated. For a long second, no one moved.
Then… he turned and ran.
Just like that.
[Quest Complete: Intimidate the Assassin – 800 Sin Points Cleared][New Skill: Presence Suppression Lv.1][Villain Reputation: +1 in Local Underground Network]
Rudra closed the door slowly. His hand was still shaking. But his eyes were alive with something new.
Not fear.
Power.
Real power.
And for the first time, Rudra smiled wide.
"They're scared..."
He looked at the screen.
"…and that's just the beginning."