I was still standing there when I felt it.
Eyes on me.
A large man stepped out from behind a tree, his face twisted with rage and disbelief. His hands were shaking, his breathing uneven, eyes locked onto me like I had stolen something precious from him.
"How did you do that?" he demanded, voice cracking. "That shouldn't be possible. It shouldn't. I should be the strongest. I should be better."
He kept talking, words spilling out faster and faster, each one more pathetic than the last.
As I listened to him ramble, I realized something.
I wasn't angry.
I wasn't threatened.
I was… disgusted.
The way he looked at me—like my power was something he deserved. Like my strength offended him simply by existing. The thought made my skin crawl.
He thinks he's anywhere near my level.
How revolting.
I stepped toward him while he was still ranting, still drowning in his own jealousy. He didn't even notice until I was right in front of him.
Then I stabbed him.
No hesitation.
No rage.
No hatred.
Just a single, efficient thrust.
His eyes widened in shock as blood filled his mouth. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. I pulled the blade free and let him collapse at my feet, twitching once before going still.
I looked down at his corpse, feeling nothing but relief.
Don't compare yourself to me.
A soft chime echoed in my mind.
Green-black text unfolded before my eyes.
• Target motivated by jealousy
• Elimination without emotional instability
• Rejection of comparative desire>
I stared at the notification, a faint smile forming.
So that's how it works.
Wrath burns.
Pride elevates.
And Envy?
Envy cleanses the world of those who dare to want what's mine.
I wiped the blade clean on the grass and turned away, already losing interest in the body behind me.
He was never worth the comparison.
I stepped away from the body, wiping the blade clean, when a notification blinked before my eyes.
I opened my system to check the aftermath of the kill, curiosity barely contained. The numbers blinked and shifted before my eyes.
The system didn't hesitate. I felt a sudden surge of energy course through me.
I opened my status again, heart hammering with anticipation:
Name: Leon
Level: 3 (EXP 0 / 300)
Race: Human (Blocked)
HP: 120 / 120
MP: 180 / 180
SP: 95
STR: 12+
DEX: 12+
CON: 12+
INT: 18+
Contracts: 1
• Shadow (Named)
Skills:
Bloodlust Strike (Wrath)
Steal (Envy)
I let out a low, satisfied hum.
Every stat had grown. My HP and MP increased, my body felt heavier and faster, my mind sharper. I could feel the new skill thrumming beneath my skin—Steal wasn't just a tool, it was a promise.
A single thought raced through me:
I could take anything. Anything at all. And no one could stop me.
Shadow looked up at me, tail flicking with anticipation, as if understanding the change.
I smiled, wickedly and coldly.
The world had just gotten… infinitely more interesting.
I decided it was time to head back to the safe camp, the streets eerily quiet after the chaos I had left behind.
That's when I saw him.
The one people whispered about in awe, trembling voices calling him The Paragon.
He stood in the middle of the clearing, light seeming to cling to him, as if the world itself refused to let him be touched by shadow. Tall, perfectly proportioned, with hair so white it almost glowed, and eyes the color of a cloudless sky—calm, unwavering, impossible to read. Every movement was deliberate, precise, effortless. Even the monsters that dared approach him hesitated, their instincts telling them something about this man was… unnatural.
The people around him bowed, eyes shining with hope, mouths open in worshipful praise.
And I felt… nothing.
Disgust.
No one is that pure.
If someone really could carry that kind of light, it wasn't noble. It was stupid. Dangerous. Fragile.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. My mind screamed: Why do they put idiots like him on a pedestal? How dare he move as if the world belongs to him?
Shadow padded silently behind me, its tail flicking, sensing my mood.
I took a step closer, and the words ran through my head again, sharp and cold:
No one is better than me. Not yet. Not ever.
And in that moment, I knew—The Paragon wasn't a challenge. He was an irritation, a symbol of everything the system and the world thought mattered that I could crush.
I didn't need anger. I didn't need Wrath. Just disgust.
And that… was more than enough.
I leaned against the wall of the alley, Shadow coiled at my feet like a living shadow, both of us silent.
The Paragon continued his performance in the distance, surrounded by humans who worshiped him blindly. I didn't care. I didn't need to fight him yet. Tomorrow, that would come.
For now, preparation mattered more.
I opened my system once more, checking every stat, every skill, every contract. Bloodlust Strike was primed. Steal hummed faintly, impatient, as if eager for more. Shadow's strength had grown alongside me, his senses sharper, his speed deadlier.
I thought about the humans in the safe camp, about the monsters lurking beyond the streets, about the chance to test Steal, maybe even on someone who thought themselves my equal.
Patience, I reminded myself. Everything has its time.
I sharpened my iron sword, the faint metallic scrape echoing in the empty alley. Each strike, each swing, was deliberate, a rhythm I couldn't let go of. My mind plotted, calculated, imagined every possibility. Tomorrow, I would strike where it mattered most.
I glanced at Shadow. His amber eyes caught mine, and I smirked.
Rest for now, I murmured. Tomorrow, the world bends to me.
I retreated into the apartment, securing the door behind me. The city outside had gone quiet once again, but I knew it wouldn't last.
And I wouldn't wait for it.
This was only the beginning.