FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Scarlett]
[PR: Azrial]
Chapter 1
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The Great Extra.
That was my nickname once upon a time, back when I was part of the Hero's Party. I had a slew of other nicknames too, all thanks to my exceptional talent leaving its profound mark on the Age of Destruction.
They called me the Saint of the Abyss, the Discoverer of Light, the Lantern in the Darkness…
'Yet in reality, I did all that just to make a quick buck, and all I got for it in turn was fame that didn't pay.'
I coughed, blood splattering from my mouth as my impoverished past flashed before my eyes.
Twenty years of age was all I had to my name when I escaped from my dysfunctional family. While I toiled and barely scraped by to survive the backstreets, my mind was fixed on dreams of success.
But then, the Demon King of Carnage from the Magic Empire invaded the Dominion of Light, signaling the start of the Great War.
'This is my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,' I'd thought at the time. 'I'll make my mark through great feats, and when the war ends, I'll be entitled to unimaginable wealth and glory!'
Spurred on by naive determination, I tackled numerous challenges, accomplishing countless tasks along the way until eventually, I managed to join the Hero's Party.
However, it was all in vain.
The Hero's Party was defeated in the end, and the Magic Empire, led by the Demon King, obliterated the Dominion of Light.
'Ah, what the hell? If I'd known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have even bothered.'
At the very least, I wouldn't have gotten involved with the Hero's Party. But regret always comes too late.
"So, this is how it ends."
In my final moments, a chorus of voices saw me off. The flashbacks made me grind my teeth.
The first voice was of the Hero Evan: "Chris, it should have been you, not me, who became the hero."
Then came the Archmage Ranya, standing beside him with a wry smile. I could picture her concurring nod even now. "You're right. If Chris had just focused on mastering swordsmanship and magic instead of juggling all those other random skills, things wouldn't have ended this way."
Such were the constant complaints of the Hero's Party.
My impressive achievements during the Age of Destruction were due to my exceptional talent—a talent that enabled me to learn anything instantly and excel in it. The unique ability allowed me to acquire a variety of skills and assume many distinct roles, from becoming a divine doctor to a guide who could look a thousand miles ahead to even a master craftsman.
However, regrettably, I never learned the sword or the art of magic.
'Though, I did manage to get pretty far by just tagging along with them.'
4-star. That was the level I ultimately reached, just by watching the Hero's Party.
To put it into perspective, reaching 4-star Prime-class was an accomplishment that the talentless could never hope to achieve in their lifetime. Yet without any formal training or practice, I had simply observed and come to attain it—and in both swordsmanship and magic too.
I had joined the Hero's Party less than three years prior, one day late in the Age of Destruction, which meant that my accomplishment was undeniably extraordinary. It was no wonder, then, that the party couldn't help their collective agreement:
"Chris should have focused on mastering swordsmanship and magic, not those other, unnecessary skills."
They genuinely believed that had I put my all into my mastery of said arts, the war would have taken a different turn entirely. Perhaps I might have reached 10-star, they reasoned, surpassing even the Hero and Demon King in their 9-star level. The party had even gone so far as to say something ridiculous.
"If only we could turn back time, we would have made you the Hero."
My face twisted at the thought of it. 'Me, the Hero? No, thanks.' This life had been tiresome enough. If I were given another life…
'I want to be the son of a wealthy family, living a life of luxury…'
However, I couldn't afford to entertain such thoughts any longer, not when the twilight of everything had taken its course. The Demon King of Carnage had not limited his ambition to mere world domination, no. He had wanted to bring about the true apocalypse, Ragnarok.
A sinister black light swallowed the world, leading it to an end.
For some inexplicable reason, one thought passed through my mind in that final moment.
'Please, let me be born into a wealthy family in my next life…'
Perhaps that wayward thought was why I regressed roughly fifteen years back in time.
I was back in the past, five years before the Age of Destruction—not as my former self, but as the child of an incredibly wealthy family, just as I had wished.
However, there was a problem. The family was indeed extremely wealthy but bore the title of the Dark Magic Clan. As the ominous name suggested, it was an elite clan of the Magic Empire.
I, who was once a beacon of hope for the Dominion of Light, was now a young master in the Dark Empire that had destroyed the world. And worst of all was my current body…
It belonged to an absolute bastard.
'Damn it, this can't be happening.'
Chris stared out the window, his face set in a grim expression. The view was dominated by an opulent mansion… and something altogether more peculiar than that.
CRASH!
Goblins were diligently tending to the garden trees with a gentle touch, but that wasn't all. From the imposing mountain in the background, the harsh sound of an axe resonated as a troll chopped down trees with unwavering determination. Then suddenly, a wyvern swooped down from the sky, dropping a letter into Chris's lap before vanishing into the unknown.
The boy fell silent.
Creatures typically only seen in the Demon Realm were calmly going about their tasks, as if it were not the peculiar sight one noble boy saw but something natural—expected, even. After all, this was the Dark Empire. What else could one expect of a place populated by fiends, dark mages, dark spirits, and demon beasts under the dominion of the Demon Kings?
Well, that very same empire that would one day destroy the Dominion of Light.
'Why, of all places, was I reborn into the Magic Empire? Ugggghhhh!' he lamented, tugging at his hair in a fit of frustration. 'All I ever wanted was to be a normal, rich kid!'
Yet no amount of hair-pulling would change his reality. Three days later, he began to grapple with the new status quo presented to him, knowing he needed to figure out his next move.
He pondered his options. Should he simply turn a blind eye to whatever came next and bask in a life of wealth and luxury? It seemed like a plausible choice. After all, the Dark Magic Clan was among the continent's most esteemed elite families. Their very name was synonymous with immense wealth.
However…
'Argh! I can't stand the thought of that! I can't just sit idly by while the Dominion of Light crumbles! If that happens, I won't be safe either!'
Chris had good reason to be wary.
'Who would have thought the Demon King of Carnage was such a lunatic?'
In the beginning, no one much concerned themselves when the Magic Empire invaded the Dominion of Light. The Magic Empire from the Dominion of Darkness clashing with the Crusade Alliance from the Dominion of Light had long since become the usual fair.
However, as the Great War approached its climax, the true intention of the Demon King of Carnage was exposed, and he certainly wasn't aiming for something so measly as conquering the Dominion of Light.
'Ragnarok. His goal was the obliteration of the entire world.'
By the time everyone realized what was happening, the Demon King of Carnage had become an unstoppable force. He slaughtered every human from the conquered camps, using them as sacrifices to initiate Ragnarok—to obliterate not just the Dominion of Light but the entire world.
If Chris didn't step in, he too would die once the world ended.
He bit his lip in frustration.
'Damn it. I have to stop him. The problem is, I've regressed into the Magic Empire. I need to figure out how to save the world as a fiend of all things… Argh!'
It would have been far more convenient if he had been reborn as a citizen of the Dominion of Light. Instead, now, he was a fiend. He couldn't imagine a worse boat to be in.
'Given the circumstances, there's only one way.' The thought of it had him gritting his teeth. 'I need to ascend to the top of the Magic Empire.'
Merely stopping the Demon King of Carnage wasn't going to be enough. Although he was the primary instigator, the Demon King wasn't the only one who wanted to bring about the apocalypse. Numerous followers had shared his vision.
'I need to reach the top of the Magic Empire and gain the power to stop them. I have to become the highest-ranking Demon King.'
Chris laid out the details of his plan in his mind.
'First, I'll seize control of my clan, the Dark Magic Clan. Then, I'll ascend to become the highest-ranking Demon King and rule over the Magic Empire.'
It helped that his plan's success would be enormously beneficial to him. Despite the dire situation, he couldn't help but cling to his personal ambitions. The Magic Empire was universally acknowledged as the most powerful nation on the continent. By becoming the Demon King of such a nation and rising to the top of its ranks, he would be privileged with wealth beyond all imagination.
Chris steeled his resolve. 'Fine. I'll become a powerful Demon King and prevent the apocalypse. After that, I'll kick back and enjoy the pinnacle of wealth and luxury without a care in the world!'
However, there was just one problem: the body he currently inhabited.
His social standing was no barrier. He was part of the Dark Magic Clan, after all, a distinguished lineage within the Magic Empire and one that placed him near the heart of the Magic Empire.
The real crux of the matter was that the original occupant was a bastard.
'Not just any bastard, but a bastard among bastards.'
Yes, the original occupant had a reputation for being a good-for-nothing so infamous that the news of it had reached even the Dominion of Light. And that was before mentioning the gruesome end he would eventually meet.
"What a good-for-nothing douchebag. If it weren't for his family's protection, I would tear him apart."
"He's running out of time. Even his own family is considering disowning him."
Those were the words spoken behind his back. In essence, the original owner of his body was an absolute scumbag whose notoriety left him open to being eliminated at any moment.
It was a difficult predicament, needing to rise to the top of the Empire in the body of such a despicable character.
'I can do it. It's definitely possible.'
Chris's confidence wasn't unfounded.
'Because I'm a genius.'
He was the same man who accomplished numerous great feats during the Age of Destruction. The same man who possessed talent so extraordinary that even the term "genius" fell short of capturing his abilities. So he knew he could do it.
'Let's get started.'