After several hours, Celestia jolted awake, her body aching as she scanned the dimly lit room. Across from her, Solace sat leisurely in a chair, flipping through the pages of a thick tome.
"What time is it?" she muttered, her mind catching up to the fact that she had lost.
"Past midnight," Solace replied, closing his book with a soft thud before turning to face her. His sharp eyes locked onto hers. "Now, tell me—what the hell was that?" His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.
Celestia tensed. "What do you mean?"
He leaned forward slightly. "I was there when the priest tested your affinities. You had none. Yet in that fight, you wielded magic. So, explain." His words were like ice—calculated and unyielding.
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. "... I-I guess I was just a late bloomer?"
Solace scoffed. "Late bloomer? Don't insult my intelligence. Affinities are determined at birth. In over three centuries of recorded history, not a single case of a 'late bloomer' has ever existed." His gaze lingered for a moment before he suddenly chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Eh, whatever. I don't really care. Just make sure you know what you're doing with that power of yours." Without another word, he reopened his book, now engrossed in the writings of Grand Scholar Edric Vael.
Celestia let out a quiet breath before pushing herself off the bed, stretching her stiff limbs.
━━━『 Villainous System 』━━━
New Quest Available
Title: Robbery
Task: Rob the newly wedded couple heading west on the nearby road.
Rewards:
EXP: 10
Bounty: 30 Silver
Fear Rating: +2
[Accept/Decline]
She skimmed through the details before pressing Accept without hesitation.
"Solace, how do I get to the nearby road from here?" she asked, feigning casual curiosity.
"Leaving already?" He barely glanced up. "Just head straight out the door. You'll see the road soon enough. Need your horse?"
"That would be nice."
A flash of light illuminated the window, and outside, her horse materialized.
"There you go." Solace shut his book and sighed. "I'll check in on you from time to time... and I expect a rematch whenever I do."
Celestia smirked. "Looking forward to it. I'll win next time."
With that, she strode out, the cool night air greeting her as she mounted her horse. The hunt was on.
Celestia mounted her black stallion, its sleek coat gleaming under the moonlight, a single white stripe running down its face. Gripping the reins, she rode forward, her emerald eyes scanning the dimly lit forest ahead. Soon, the distant rumble of wheels and the faint glow of lanterns signaled the approach of a carriage heading west.
A smirk tugged at her lips.
With a sharp tug, she halted her horse in the middle of the road, forcing the carriage to slow. She slid off gracefully, landing with a soft thud before stepping into the path of the approaching vehicle.
The coachman pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a full stop. He dismounted cautiously, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him—a young woman with long, flowing white hair, her elegant posture unmistakably noble.
"Is something wrong, miss?" he asked, taking a few careful steps toward her.
Celestia softened her expression, allowing just the right amount of distress to seep into her voice. "It's my horse… I think he sprained his ankle. I'm not sure what's wrong. Can you help please?"
Her skill [Manipulation] flared to life, twisting her words into an irresistible plea.
The coachman's stern face melted into concern. "Of course. Let me have a look."
He knelt beside the horse, running his hands over its front legs, inspecting carefully.
Meanwhile, Celestia rolled her neck, exhaling slowly as she walked toward the carriage door. She knocked twice, her fingers grazing the cool metal handle as a muffled voice answered from within.
"Who is it?"
The door cracked open slightly, revealing a well-dressed man who immediately locked eyes with her.
[Dragon's Gaze] activated.
Celestia felt a shift within herself, the cool emerald of her irises flared into a vivid, reptilian green, slitted pupils burning like molten jade. The moment their gazes met, the man's breath hitched, his entire body locking in sheer terror before he collapsed backward, tumbling onto the floor of the carriage.
His wife, seated beside him, barely had time to react before she turned toward Celestia's gaze—and fell forward limply, landing on top of her husband.
Celestia exhaled sharply, her gaze returning to normal. "Damn… this skill is useful," she mused. "Though, I need to figure out if I can activate skills manually…"
Pushing the thought aside, she stepped into the carriage, her eyes flicking between valuables scattered around the interior. Gold coins, an intricately designed watch, a map, and a set of journals caught her attention. She swiftly gathered them, stuffing them into a bag left inside the carriage before transferring everything into her own. With one last glance at the unconscious pair, she hopped out silently.
Just as she turned toward her horse, the system's notification flashed before her eyes.
━━━『 Villainous System 』━━━
Sudden-Quest Available
Title: Leave No Witnesses
Task: Eliminate everyone at the carriage and vanish into the night.
Rewards:
EXP: 45
Bounty: -30 Silver
Fear Rating: +2
[Accept/Decline]
Celestia's smirk deepened as she read the quest. Her fingers curled around a dagger resting on the carriage seat.
The blade glinted under the moonlight as she leaned down, her hand slowly clamping over the man's mouth. With a silent, quick motion, she sliced his throat open, the dagger's edge carving deep into his flesh before she plunged it into his chest for good measure. As his body twitched violently, she moved onto the woman, who barely stirred before she met the same fate—her throat sliced open, blood pooling onto the floor beneath them.
Celestia took a step back, glancing down at herself. Not a single drop of blood stained her clothes.
With silent, measured steps, she approached the coachman, who was kneeling beside the horse.
"Strange… I don't see any sign of a sprain…" the coachman murmured, rubbing his chin.
The horse shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Celestia before, with eerie intelligence, it suddenly collapsed onto its side, letting out a dramatic huff.
The coachman frowned. "Huh. Maybe I need to improve my skills as a doctor-in-training…" He leaned down again, his fingers brushing against the horse's front leg.
In a flash, Celestia's dagger plunged into the center of his throat, piercing through flesh and cartilage. A choked gasp escaped his lips as his eyes widened in shock, the realization of death setting in. Without hesitation, she twisted the blade, slicing sideways in a brutal arc. Blood sprayed across the dirt as the dagger tore free, leaving a gaping wound. The coachman staggered, clutching at his throat, but the effort was futile—only a wet, gurgling sound escaped.
He collapsed backward, gasping soundlessly, his life draining away as he tried to process what had happened.
The horse stood up instantly, its wide, dark eyes watching Celestia carefully as she swung herself back into the saddle.
The coachman's vision blurred, his body growing colder by the second. The last thing he saw was the silhouette of a woman with long, white hair, riding away on a black horse beneath the moonlit sky.
And then—darkness.
━━━『 Villainous System 』━━━
Quest Completed
Title: Robbery
Task: Rob the newly wedded couple heading west on the nearby road.
Rewards:
EXP: 10
Bounty: 30 Silver
Fear Rating: +2
Sudden-Quest Completed
Title: Leave No Witnesses
Task: Eliminate everyone at the carriage and vanish into the night.
Rewards:
EXP: 45
Bounty: -30 Silver
Fear Rating: +2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Aria grinned, leaning back against the saddle while keeping a firm grip on the reins. The cool night air brushed against her skin, and a satisfied sigh escaped her lips.
"This... has been amazing so far," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and curiosity sparked in her emerald eyes.
"Maybe I can see the experience bar now," she mused aloud, summoning the system interface.
━━━『 Villainous System 』━━━
Name: Celestia Solara
Age: 18
Elements: Dragon-Tempest
Level: 2
EXP: 555/1,000
Information Available: Skills, Second Seal of ???
Skills: [Manipulation] - Level 5
[Tempest Arts] – Level 5
[Dragon's Gaze] – Level 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A smirk tugged at her lips as she scanned the details.
"So, the EXP bar only appears after reaching a certain threshold... makes sense. It didn't show up when the system first activated," she noted, tapping her fingers idly against the saddle.
Her gaze shifted to the Information Available section, and she tapped it.
[Which of the following would you like information about?]
[Second Seal of ???]
[Skills: Manipulation]
[Tempest Arts]
[Dragon's Gaze]
Instead of immediately making a choice, she chuckled to herself.
"Instead of sealing my fate... ha, get it? Sealing my—" She groaned, shaking her head in disappointment. "Gods, that was terrible."
Pushing aside her own embarrassment, she tapped on [Dragon's Gaze].
The text pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging her selection, before shifting into a new message.
━━━『 Skill Information 』━━━
[Dragon's Gaze – Level 4]
Description: A skill born from the might of dragons, allowing the user to invoke the overwhelming presence of a dragon's gaze. When activated, the user's eyes shift into the luminous, slit-pupiled irises of a dragon, radiating an intense pressure that strikes fear into those who meet their gaze.
Effects:
Instills fear, paralysis, and submission in weaker-willed individuals.
Causes hesitation and slowed reaction time in those of equal strength.
Against anyone with a stronger will than the user, it has no effect.
Higher levels increase effectiveness, range, and the intensity of fear induced.
She read through it slowly before clicking on [TempestArts]
━━━『 Skill Information 』━━━
[Tempest Arts – Level 5]
Description: A high-level, and unknown martial art infused with the power of raging storms, granting the user increased proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. While active, the user's speed, reflexes, and striking power are enhanced by the violent force of atempest, allowing them to move like the storm itself. All side effects are nullified, incoming damage is reduced by 6x, and all limitations for the user are temporarily nullified.
However, once the skill deactivates, the accumulated damage returns with 3x intensity, and all side effects casted upon the user will return with 3x intensity as well.
"O-oh… so this replaced my Martial Arts skill… which means the deactivation thing probably stayed the same?" Celestia muttered, her fingers tightening around the reins. A wry chuckle escaped her lips as realization sank in.
"That explains a lot..."
With a resigned sigh, she hesitated for a brief moment before reluctantly tapping [Second Seal of ???].
The [Second Seal of ???] was forged by the same enigmatic figure responsible for the creation of the First Seal. This is the second in a series of three seals, each more dangerous than the last. Unlike the First Seal, which primarily affects elemental abilities, this Seal specifically targets the person's ability to use Void Arts, Sword's Will, and Divine Contracts.
Would you like to attempt an unseal?
[Yes/No]
Requirements:
Level: 05
"...Void Arts?" Celestia murmured to herself, her curiosity piqued. She exhaled slowly, letting the question hang in the air. "I'll deal with that later. I can't even attempt the unseal right now anyway... I'm still at level 2."
With a resigned sigh, she closed the system, pushing the thought to the back of her mind for the time being and grabbed the reigns tightly as she continued North.