The tower chamber was silent, save for the low hum of demonic energy and Liam muttering curses under his breath.
"I blew up a mountain. Delayed a prophecy. Shouldn't that unlock something useful?"
[System Update – Progress Unlocked]You have delayed your death by: 0.8 chapters
Cultivation Path: [Sin Vein Codex – Stage 1: Heart of Hunger]Conditions: Meditate while absorbing Fear, Chaos, or Hatred
Bonus Detected: Minor Heroic Confusion➤ Fear +3%➤ Chaos +9%➤ Hatred +1%
Recommended: Begin meditation now.Warning: You are terribly unbalanced. Please stabilize your Qi before you explode.
"Exploding would be very on-brand," Liam muttered, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
A soft knock at the door broke his focus.
The vampire maid from before stood there, holding a tray of blood cookies and steaming black tea. Her stitched mouth had been removed, though faint scars still traced her lips.
"You asked to begin your 'evil cultivation arc,'" she said. "Do you require incense? Or… mood lighting?"
Liam blinked. "That's actually very thoughtful. Uh, no mood lighting. But… maybe a spooky gong?"
She bowed. "As you wish."
Moments later, a distant DOOOOOONG echoed through the fortress, deep and foreboding.
Liam sat back down and tried to focus. Fear. Chaos. Hatred. That was his "fuel." Which meant...
He needed to think like a villain.
He imagined the terrified face of the Hero when the mountain exploded.
He pictured all those council members from the holy kingdom flipping through their prophecy scrolls, freaking out because he wasn't following the script.
He even imagined the book's narrator panicking: "W-Wait! That's not supposed to happen!"
The system chimed softly.
[Cultivation Progress +1%][Heart of Hunger – 2%]Keep going, edgelord.
"I heard that," Liam grumbled.
Just then, another knock. This time, a massive orc stomped in, covered in armor made from dragon bones.
"Demon King," the orc said, bowing. "Urgent news. Your seventh general has defected. Again."
Liam groaned. "Which one is that?"
"The one made of fire and betrayal."
"Right. Flame guy. Of course."
[Side Quest: Deal with the Traitor General – Optional]Reward: Fear +15%, Chaos +30%, System Point +1Warning: He breathes lava now.
Liam stood up and dusted off his robe.
"Well," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Nothing says 'meditation break' like hunting down a lava maniac."
The vampire maid handed him a black blade that pulsed with darkness.
"For your walk, Your Majesty."
He sighed. "Why does every step I take make me look cooler?"
[System Response: You chose the "Overpowered Villain" class. Deal with it.]