Eden successfully infiltrated the restaurant's basement with ease, hiding in a dark corner as he patiently waited for everyone upstairs to fall asleep. His wait wasn't long, as silence quickly enveloped the place. In this world, devoid of entertainment, common folk tended to sleep early, unlike the nobles who indulged in lavish pleasures late into the night.
Emerging from the shadows like a moving silhouette, Eden moved toward the staircase leading to the upper floor. His steps were calculated, silent—his presence so subtle that even the ground beneath his feet seemed unaware of him. In no time, he reached the top. Pausing briefly, he cast a fleeting glance at the familiar house. A cold smile, laced with mockery and disdain, spread across his face before he proceeded down the corridor leading to the bedroom of his former brother-in-law from his past life.
He opened the door slowly, as if even the air itself had failed to notice his intrusion. The spacious room greeted him with a heavy silence. Its design was simple: a wardrobe, long mirrors lining the opposite wall, and a small table cluttered with cosmetic products scattered haphazardly. At the center of the room lay a large bed, its occupants—a middle-aged man and woman—deeply asleep.
Eden approached the bed with confident, predatory steps, like a hunter closing in on his prey. For a moment, he gazed at the man, who remained oblivious to the presence of death mere breaths away.
From the storage of his system, Eden retrieved a sharp dagger, its blade catching a faint glimmer that danced on his black mask. In one swift, precise motion, he plunged the dagger into the man's throat. The sound of the stab was muffled, as if the surrounding air itself conspired to silence it. The man struggled for breath, but blood surged from his neck, drowning both his bed and his final moments.
Before the woman could utter a sound, Eden leaped lightly onto the bed, swiftly directing his blade toward her. She had just begun to stir, sensing an unfamiliar disturbance. Without hesitation, he drove the dagger into her heart with force, tearing through flesh and bone until it struck her ribs. Her eyes widened in horror, but death claimed her before she could scream.
The room fell silent once more, save for Eden's slow, steady breathing. He wiped his bloodied hands on the edge of the bed, maintaining a deadly calm, like a still, undisturbed lake. Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed from outside the room.
Eden leaped off the bed and sat on its edge opposite the door, waiting for his true target. Moments passed, and then the door creaked open slowly.
A young girl, no older than ten, stepped into the doorway. She had short brown hair and bright hazel eyes, her childish cheeks soft and round. Dressed in a simple cotton shirt and a short skirt, she stood frozen in the doorway, her wide eyes fixated on the gruesome scene before her.
Eden spoke in a calm voice, his tone carrying a strange mix of bitter nostalgia and contempt:
"It's been a long time, Sona."
That was the name of the girl he had loved in his previous life. She had meant everything to him, and he had done the impossible to make her live as a queen. Yet, she was the first to betray him, despite knowing everything about him, his pain, and his suffering. She had sold her loyalty for wealth, fame, the title of nobility, and power. In this life, Eden had resolved to claim everything he desired, to compensate for the regrets of his past—no matter the cost.
Sona stood motionless, trying to process the massacre before her. The blood of her parents painted a macabre scene on the bed and walls, and the voice of the masked man ignited an indescribable fear in her heart.
She whispered, her trembling voice barely audible:
"Who are you? Did… did you do this?"
Eden took slow, deliberate steps toward her, his eyes piercing her with an icy gaze. For a fleeting moment, a faint glimmer of nostalgia flashed in his eyes before it vanished entirely.
"It doesn't matter if it was me," he said, his voice calm and dripping with mockery. "What matters is that the blame lies solely with this world."
Sona stepped back, her small body trembling uncontrollably.
"Why? What did we do to you? Who… who are you?"
A cold smile formed beneath Eden's mask, though it never reached his eyes.
"Who am I?" he repeated. "I am the darkness that has returned to consume this world. I am the curse sent upon you, the calamity that has descended to claim you all."
With every word he spoke and every step he took, Sona felt like she was sinking into an endless abyss of darkness. Before she could fully grasp his words, he suddenly extended his hand and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her effortlessly off the ground despite them being the same age. His grip was like steel, far too powerful for a young girl to resist. She began to choke, desperately trying to free herself, but it was in vain. Slowly, her body weakened, and the light in her eyes faded.
Moments later, she stopped moving entirely. Eden dropped her lifeless body to the ground without a care, staring at his bloodstained hands. For a brief moment, he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart.
Suddenly, a notification appeared from the system:
[A significant world event has occurred.]
[A mysterious reward has been obtained.]
Eden's eyes widened in shock.
"What is this? How can killing this insect cause such a major change in the world?"
The system responded:
[Administrator, what may seem small in your eyes can have immense repercussions in this world.]
[This girl you just killed was destined to give birth to the child of a noble. To gain recognition for their status, that child would endure harsh training. At their awakening ceremony, they would have become an exceptionally talented mage, eventually reaching the Black Ring rank. With determination and hard work, they were fated to stand against the Abyss invasion, fight its kings, and become one of the greatest heroes in this world's history.]
Eden was stunned as he looked at Sona's lifeless body. A whirlwind of emotions surged within him—shock, regret, and disbelief. He never imagined that this girl, whom he once considered a traitor, could have birthed a mage of the Black Ring.
In this world, knights and mages were ranked according to a color-based system, with each tier divided into four levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak.
Knight Ranks:
White Star
Yellow Star
Green Star
Blue Star
Orange Star
Red Star
Black Star
Mage Ranks:
White Ring
Yellow Ring
Green Ring
Blue Ring
Orange Ring
Red Ring
Black Ring
Reaching the rank of Black Star or Black Ring was considered an extraordinary achievement. Not everyone possessed the talent or resources needed to rise to such heights. The required resources were immense, and innate talent was a fundamental requirement.
In the world of "Arcania," beings of black rank were exceedingly rare, even among legendary races like dragons. For humans, with their average abilities compared to other races, the appearance of a black-ranked individual was nothing short of a miracle.
Reaching Black Star or Black Ring rank meant you could:
Become a noble.
Establish your own team or sect.
Build a personal magic tower.
While red stars or rings were considered a rare talent appearing once every century, black stars or rings represented a phenomenon that occurred only once every thousand years.
Of course, there were exceptions, especially in this era, which would witness the rise of the hero, where every member of his cohort would achieve either red or black rank. Additionally, ancient humans who had survived for millennia were still alive, making the competition even fiercer.
As Eden pondered the system's words, a crazed smile appeared on his face, soon transforming into hysterical laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He laughed loudly for a full minute before gradually calming down.
"So what? Isn't this better? Let this world drown further in chaos and despair. If necessary, I'll kill anyone who tries to resist the Abyss."
There was no regret in his actions; on the contrary, he barely cared. He was determined to continue down his path—a path paved with destruction and ruin.
He placed Sona's body and her parents' bodies into the system's storage.
"Even your corpses are still useful. I'll make the carnival happening in two weeks much more thrilling."
Afterward, he began collecting all the money and valuables and prepared the place to burn after he left. He didn't want unnecessary trouble, especially since this restaurant was under the protection of the "Black Bear Gang."
When he remembered the Black Bear Gang, a dark glint shone in his eyes.
"The Black Bear Gang... you're on my list too."
The Black Bear Gang was a group centered in Iron Fortress City, extorting protection fees from shops and restaurants and bullying the weak. Their leader was a Yellow Star-ranked knight with a thousand subordinates. In his previous life, Eden suffered greatly under their harassment.
But now was not the time for a direct confrontation with the Black Bear Gang.
"One year... that's how long the Black Bear Gang has left to live."
Eden decided that after enrolling in the Academy of Light and training for a year, he would return to carry out a massacre against the Black Bear Gang. After finishing everything, he prepared to leave and wrote on the wall:
"The King of Beasts, Lord of Death, has passed through here."
Eden left the house and disappeared into the night, leaving the flames to consume the place bit by bit.
He quickly returned to the inn where he lived, quietly sneaking into the upper floor and entering through the window. He changed his clothes and lay on the bed, ready to examine the mysterious gift he had received.
The gift was a black bracelet, seemingly ordinary and unremarkable.
[Black Bracelet
Rank: ???
Function: ???
Description: Requires specific conditions to activate.]
Eden was puzzled by the bracelet, which revealed no information other than its name and description.
"What conditions are needed to activate this bracelet?"
But it seemed the system had no intention of answering his question.
At the same time, patrol soldiers noticed the fire consuming the restaurant and the house Eden had burned.
In the center of the Salamander Continent lay the Holy Land, where the Sacred Council was convened. A meeting was held between the council members regarding an ancient prophecy.
At the heart of the Holy Land, within a grand castle, there was a dimly lit meeting hall. In the middle of the hall was a table surrounded by 12 chairs, occupied by projections of shadowy, indistinct figures.
"Are you sure this is true?"
"Of course, this time it's no false prophecy."
"What if it's like every other time, just a false alarm?"
"This is verified news, confirmed by all the temples across the entire continent. Even the Saintess of the Holy Land confirmed it."
"The Child of Prophecy has appeared."
"The more important question is: does he belong to our human race, or another race?"
An uncomfortable silence filled the hall.