Aeterum Village Square - Night
Lemone stands before Griselda, her piercing gaze fixed on hers. He whispers in her ear, his voice chilling with menace.
Lemone: "Listen carefully, Griselda. If you dare say a word about what happened here, if you dare reveal my true nature, I will cut off your head without hesitation. Do you understand?"
Griselda nods, terrified. She knows she has no choice but to obey Lemone.
Lemone: "Good. So get up and help me clean up this mess."
Griselda gets up, trembling, and follows Lemone towards the bodies of the villagers. They spend the night dragging them into the forest and burying them summarily.
Lemone: (Wearily) "Finally over. This village no longer exists. No one will know what happened here."
Griselda: (In a weak voice) "And what shall we do now?"
Le Monde: (In a thoughtful tone) "My journey to Aetherium Palace will wait. I must first ensure that no one survived my massacre."
Lemone and Griselda depart into the night, leaving the village of Aeterum reduced to ashes and silence. Lemone's secret is buried underground, but for how long?
Lemone and Griselda search the forest for possible survivors of the massacre. They search the woods, wary of the slightest noise.
Suddenly, Lemone hears a muffled sob. He follows the sound and discovers a little girl, about eight years old, hiding behind a bush. She is terrified, her eyes wide with fear.
Lemone: (In a gentle tone) "Don't be afraid, little one. I won't hurt you."
The little girl looks at him suspiciously, unable to speak.
Lemone: (In her head) "What should I do? Finish him off to eliminate any witnesses?"
Suddenly, the dark entity whispers in his ear.
Dark Entity: (In a deep voice) "Don't kill her. She will be useful to us."
Lemone is surprised. He didn't expect the entity to give him such an order.
Lemone: (In her head) "But why? What could a little girl bring us?"
Dark Entity: (In an enigmatic tone) "You will understand soon. For now, bring her to the village."
Lemone obeys the entity. He takes the little girl by the hand and leads her back to the village of Aeterum, in ruins since the massacre.
Lemone: (In a determined tone) "This village will be rebuilt. It will be bigger, more beautiful, more modern. And I will be its leader."
Griselda and the little girl look at him with questioning eyes. They don't know what the future holds for them, but they feel that life in the village of Aeterum will take a new turn.
Lemone, examine the ruins of Aeterum Village. He reflects on the events that happened and the decisions he made.
Suddenly, a notification appears on his screen.
Notification:
> Congratulations! You have eliminated around a hundred sword-wielding individuals.
>
Rewards:
* Buff: +20% sword damage for 10 minutes
* Debuff: -10% physical resistance for 5 minutes
* XP: 450 XP earned (New level: 12)
* New skill: Creating buildings
Lemone is surprised by the notification. He didn't know there was a reward system for his actions.
Lemone: (In her head) "Creating buildings? What does that mean?"
He focuses on the new skill and a wave of information floods his mind. He understands that he can now use his intelligence to create structures from raw materials.
Lemone: (In a delighted tone) "It's amazing! I can finally rebuild the village and make it more powerful than ever."
He turns to the little girl, who observes him curiously.
Lemone: (In an optimistic tone) "Don't worry, little one. This village will rise from the ashes. And it will be magnificent, then you will become my slave."
The little girl lowers her head shyly.
Exteriors - Aeterum Village Square - Day
Lemone stands in the middle of the desert village, surrounded by smoldering ruins. Griselda and the little girl stand beside him, observing the desolate landscape.
Lemone: (In a determined tone) "This is where we will build our new village. A modern, prosperous, and powerful village."
The little girl looks at him with amazed eyes. She has never seen such structures and cannot imagine what the future holds.
Lemone: (Addressing the little girl) "And you, little one, what is your name?"
The little girl, shy, whispers her name: "Eléa."
Lemone: (Smiling) "Eléa, that's a pretty name. And tell me, Eléa, do you have any special talents?"
Eléa hesitates for a moment, then responds in a soft voice: "I can... transform metal. I can shape it, model it, change it into any object."
Lemone is stunned. He didn't expect such an ability.
Lemone: (Incredulous tone) "Any object? You mean you can create computers, machines, weapons?"
Eléa nods, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Eléa: "It's what we call skills, which is sometimes accompanied by statistics."
Lemone: (In a delighted tone) "That's amazing! You're going to be a valuable asset to our village."
Eléa smiles proudly. She knows she can make a difference and help Lemone achieve her ambitions.
Lemone, observes Eléa and Griselda with a thoughtful look. He reflects on recent events and the changes that have occurred in his life.
Suddenly, a deep, sarcastic voice echoes in his head. It is the dark entity.
Dark Entity: (In a mocking tone) "So, Lemone, you finally found yourself a little army? A little girl with miraculous powers and a woman subject to your every desire? You are truly a lucky Demon."
Lemone ignores the entity's provocation and concentrates on her thoughts.
Lemone: (In her head) "What does she want? Why is she talking to me about stats and skills?"
As if to answer his question, the entity opens an interface before his eyes.
Dark Entity: (In a didactic tone) "Look closely, Lemone. These are your stats. They represent your physical and mental abilities."
Lemone examines the numbers displayed.
Lemone's stats:
* Strength: 28 (Average Level)
* Speed: 110 (High Level)
* Endurance: 43 (Average Level)
* Intelligence: 1000 (Exceptional Level)
Dark Entity: (In a mocking tone) "See? You are strong, fast, and above all, you have extraordinary intelligence. But that's not all. You also have skills that allow you to accomplish extraordinary actions."
The entity points to the skill "Building Creation Lv1 (Versatile Type)".
Dark Entity: (In an explanatory tone) "This skill allows you to create structures from raw materials. At level 1, you can construct simple buildings such as houses, walls, or watchtowers."
Lemone is fascinated by the possibilities his stats and skills offer him. He understands that he has immense potential that he can exploit to achieve his goals.
Lemone: (In a determined tone) "I will use my power to rebuild this village and make it more powerful than ever. I will become the master of this world!"
The entity laughed a sinister laugh.
Dark Entity: (In an ironic tone) "Ambitious, aren't you, Lemone? But don't forget that power has a price. And you're far from having paid yours."
Lemone ignores the entity's threat. He is focused on his plan, on his future. He knows he has the power to change the world, and he is determined to do it.
-End of chapter -