As the heroes led the army of survivors back to the city of Alderoth, frustration weighed heavily on their minds. The battle had left them shaken.
They had barely managed to defeat one elite demon, and the thought of facing two—or more—made their stomachs churn.
Max, who had always prided himself on his overwhelming strength, couldn't shake the humiliation of being overpowered by Zephyra. His twin blades, his raw physical power—it wasn't enough.
Leo, the mage whose ice spells had always turned the tide of battles, now felt his confidence falter. His magic had barely slowed Zephyra. His 'Winter's Grasp', which could immobilize lesser foes, had been little more than a mild annoyance to her.
Mei, the summoner, looked inward with bitterness. Her summoned spirits had been outclassed, their power limited by her own shortcomings. She knew she needed to grow stronger, to deepen her bond with her spirits.
Mia, the healer, was perhaps the most disheartened. She realized that healing alone wasn't enough. Her light magic had pushed back the darkness, but she hadn't truly contributed to the fight. She needed to master offensive magic if she was ever to protect her team.
And then there was Xender. To the others, he was the weakest—an enigma, often overlooked and underestimated. But Xender had his own plans. He knew he needed to surpass them all, to become stronger than the combined might of the group.
The road back to Alderoth was quiet, the weight of their temporary victory pressing down on them. They had survived, but they knew the war was far from over.
Zephyra was only a glimpse of the greater threat that awaited.
When they reached the grand gates of Alderoth, the mood changed. Citizens lined the streets, cheering and celebrating the heroes' return.
The sound of applause filled the air, and for a moment, the survivors felt relief. But behind the cheers, the heroes carried a bitter truth—they were woefully unprepared for what was to come.
Once inside the city, the celebrations faded into the background as the heroes turned their focus to training. Each of them was determined to grow stronger, to never face such humiliation again.
Max disappeared into the mountains. There, surrounded by jagged peaks and towering boulders, he let out his frustration by pushing his body to its limits. He lifted massive stones, sparred against nature itself, and honed his physical strength to surpass human limitations.
Leo retreated to the mage's guild, shutting himself away from distractions. The once flirtatious mage who spent his days chasing women now dedicated every waking hour to refining his spells. He poured his energy into unlocking higher-tier magic, determined to wield ice with the precision and power of a weapon forged in the heavens.
Mia immersed herself in offensive training. Her warm, healing light took on a sharper edge as she learned to harness its destructive potential. She practiced relentlessly, sending radiant blasts of energy at training dummies until her magic burned brighter and hotter than ever.
Mei secluded herself in the spirit chamber, meditating for hours each day. She worked to deepen her connection with the ethereal plane, envisioning new, more powerful spirits she could summon. She sought not just strength but harmony, learning to synchronize her will with the spirits she called forth.
Xender, however, walked a different path. With the heroes given the freedom to train individually, he seized the opportunity to act unnoticed.
Under the cover of night, he ventured into the dark forest alone. His steps were deliberate, his eyes sharp, as he sought the power hidden in the shadows.
For Xender, this was the perfect time to lay the foundation for his grand plan. As the others trained to protect the world, Xender trained to conquer it.
"I've been playing the weak hero ever since I got summoned into this world… It's about time I started acting like the strong villain I'm meant to be," Xender thought as he wandered deeper into the dark forest.
His footsteps were deliberate, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot echoing in the stillness. The forest was eerily quiet—most of its monsters had been rounded up by the demons for their army.
Killing the occasional weak creature was starting to bore him. The thrill of combat and the hunger for power gnawed at his mind.
"I need something more," he muttered, his gaze sharp as he scanned the shadowy terrain.
"If I'm going to grow stronger, I'll need loyal followers… and to get them, I have to become the kind of villain people fear."
For days, Xender roamed the forest, hunting monsters and testing his magic. His dark spells grew sharper, more refined, but it still wasn't enough. He craved a real challenge—a true test of his strength.
One fateful afternoon, his wish was granted. He stumbled across a group of adventurers resting by a small clearing. There were five of them: two armored swordsmen, a woman in a mage's cloak, and two lightly armed brawlers.
They were chatting casually, oblivious to the dark figure emerging from the shadows.
One of the swordsmen noticed him first.
"Hey! You there! What are you doing wandering around here alone?" he called out, his voice friendly but wary.
Xender smirked, stepping closer.
"What am I doing? Getting ready to kill you all," he replied, his voice calm and unnervingly cold.
For a moment, the adventurers were silent—then they burst into laughter.
"Kill us? Even if you were a demon, you wouldn't stand a chance against the five of us!" one of the brawlers jeered.
Xender's grin widened, his eyes glinting with malice.
"We'll see about that."
Before they could react, he cast his spell. "Dark Embrace."
Black tendrils of shadow erupted from the ground, wrapping around the adventurers' arms and legs like living chains.
They struggled, but the shadows held firm, tightening with every movement. Panic spread across their faces.
"What is this?!" one of the swordsmen shouted, his voice shaking as he fought against the magical bonds.
"How pathetic," Xender said, his tone dripping with disdain.
"You can't even break free? You're weaker than I thought."
The mage tried to cast a counterspell, her hands glowing faintly, but Xender's shadows smothered her magic like a candle in a storm.
"Don't bother," he said with a chuckle.
"You're already dead."
He raised his hand, his fingers curling like claws.
"Soul Thief."
A cold, sinister energy filled the air as the spell took hold. The adventurers cried out in agony as their life force drained from their bodies, flowing into Xender like a river of raw power.
His veins pulsed with newfound strength, his grin widening as he felt himself grow stronger.
"Please! Spare us!" one of the brawlers begged, tears streaming down his face.
"We'll do anything!"
"Anything?" Xender mused, tilting his head mockingly.
"How about this: die quietly."
With a snap of his fingers, five shadowy figures emerged from the adventurers' own shadows, taking on grotesque, humanoid forms.
The creatures moved swiftly, their claws tearing into their former hosts. The clearing was filled with screams, then silence.
Xender stood amidst the carnage, surveying his handiwork. Blood pooled on the ground, mixing with the dark tendrils that slowly receded back into the earth.
He felt no guilt—only exhilaration.
"This is power," he said to himself, flexing his fingers as his shadow creatures melted back into the darkness.
"The weak beg, the strong take. If I can do this now, imagine what I'll achieve when I master my abilities."
He turned, the forest swallowing him once more. As he walked, his thoughts raced. His 'Shadowmancy' and 'Soul Manipulation' were growing stronger with each kill, each soul absorbed. It wouldn't be long before the world feared his name.
"An overpowered villain," he murmured to himself, his voice echoing softly in the dark.
"That's what I'll become. And then, I'll rewrite reality itself."