With Monster's bright headlights on, Lyra watched through the windshield as Edict took out an ID card and showed it to the men.
They brought out a medium-sized square machine from their armored pickup and inserted the card into it. Edict didn't hesitate to bite her finger. She squeezed a drop of blood onto the machine's glowing red screen at the top and watched it beep green.
The expressions of the men instantly shifted from stoic to respectful after confirming Edict's identity. They saluted before tapping several hidden spots on the black veil-like dome.
Lyra wasn't stupid, so she understood what was happening. The car door slammed shut as Edict restarted the engine.
The ethereal black veil began rippling like gentle water waves before separating, forming a tall opening nearly twelve meters high that resembled folded curtains.
The view beyond was finally revealed.
It looked like dawn because of the countless lights shining in the distance. The tall buildings and blazing streetlights should have made Lyra ecstatic.
But she simply leaned back in her seat with no expression on her face as they drove into the city beyond.
...
The next morning.
Light's left eye twitched twice before it began to itch.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to be assaulted by a splitting headache that made him curse under his breath. His head felt heavy, wrapped tightly in thick sterile bandages.
His itchy left eye was watery. He had been crying in his dream as memories of his mother flooded his mind.
The scar on his left eye always itched whenever he thought about her.
After all… she was the one who gave it to him.
His mother had blamed him when he was only nine years old for the death of her husband. She injured him during their argument before storming out of the house.
Moments later she was hit by a car outside.
She died instantly.
Light wanted to grab his head, but he noticed a drip line attached to the back of his palm.
Before he could think further, a familiar notification appeared.
{System Notification}
{Location Change Detected: Aedoh → Falcon City — The Heart of Radiance}
{Source of Light Nearby — Light Eater Villain Attribute In Effect}
Light finally looked around and realized he was inside a hospital ward. The air smelled of disinfectant.
The light peaking through the curtains felt strange. It resembled real sunlight instead of the dull artificial glow he had grown used to in Aedoh.
His survival instincts finally kicked in when he noticed something else.
He was alone!.
Light immediately yanked the needle out of his hand and sprang toward the window.
"You've recovered, I see."
The voice froze him mid-step.
Light turned around and saw a young man in his early twenties that he had missed, leaning casually against the farthest wall.
It was Edict's assistant.
The man squinted slightly as if trying to see through him.
'He already has a skill without completing any quests?… No, not a skill, he's not leaking even a drop of Ether.
Then how do I classify this?. It almost worked on me even while I was staring straight at him.'
"Did you really think we'd leave a potential calamity like you unguarded?" the man said as he pushed himself off the wall and began walking toward Light in slow, measured strides.
"I'd suggest you don't try anything funny with me. I'm not known for patience."
He stopped a few steps away.
"I've been ordered to escort you to the GAA Prison School once you recover."
Light stared at him silently when another notification appeared.
{Host Has Spotted an Opposition}
{Opposition Info:
Name: Kingsley
Rank: Acolyte — Level 9}
{Opposition Hostility: Mild}
Kingsley pulled out a small metallic sphere.
The sphere unfolded in his hand and extended into a pair of Ether-suppressor handcuffs.
Before Light could react, Kingsley grabbed his wrists and locked the cuffs behind his back.
He felt the Ether flowing through his channels suddenly halt.
"Let's go," Kingsley said casually.
He escorted Light out of the ward.
—
Another notification appeared.
{System Notification}
{...}
{New Quest Available}
{Quest: Perpetrate chaos in the Prison School and leave}
{Quest Expiration: May 10th, 50th E.E}
{Failure Penalty: Two Months of Irrationality}
{Temporal Quest Skill Granted: Smooth Talker}
{Ether Points Required: 7}
{Skill Effect: Increases persuasion success. Effectiveness depends on the target's size or mental fortitude.}
{Skill will lock once the quest is completed or failed. Villain Points can be used to permanently purchase the skill in the store.}
Light stared at the notification quietly as Kingsley dragged him down the corridor.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face as his thoughts raced.
'The world branded me 'Lightless' before I even knew what power was. They call this a path of evil? I call it the ultimate survival path. It is a path that does not lie about false virtue. It is a path where I can live comfortably without giving a damn about a morality that shackles ambition. I will walk the world without caring about any of its inhabitants. Only I matter.'
A persistent emotion flashed across his expression but was instantly crushed again.
'I am done being a victim of 'misfortune.' If the system wants a calamity, I will give it one in my own way. No more obligations. No more hesitation. I am the shadow that this world and both paths deserve.
I would embrace the shadow without hesitation.'
They stepped outside, and the sunlight of Falcon City poured down from the sky.
Light looked up at it and sighed quietly.
'I'll keep surviving from now on.
I'll say it again, this time without regrets.'
He was shoved into Monster's back seat, which was parked outside, and the door slammed shut in his face.
'Fuck you, life.'
Edict was seated comfortably in the driver's seat with a cigarette between her lips.
She had intentionally stayed behind, using Kingsley as bait to see if any stronger villains would try infiltrating the hospital.
Naturally, Edict had already locked down the surrounding space, making the use of the space manipulation impossible.
She puffed out a stream of smoke before glancing back at Light.
"I'm hero Edict. I brought you here."
She studied him briefly.
"Do you have a wish to switch paths?"
"No, I don't," Light replied simply, his arms still shackled behind him.
"Well, we have the best persuaders in the Prison School," she said casually. "They'll teach you the benefits of being a hero through psychological counseling of sorts."
She rubbed the end of her exhausted cigarette against the dashboard and was about to toss it out the window when she noticed a panicky security guard staring at her with hesitation.
She sighed and dropped the cigarette inside the car instead before starting the engine and speeding off.
"I should tell you something," she continued.
"S-class heroes climb the ladder of fame faster than you can imagine."
"You could probably be as strong as me within two years or three if you convert this early."
She shrugged slightly.
"It's up to you though. You could also waste your time with most of the mid and lower-class vagabonds at the prison school."
"But just remember this… you can change your destiny anytime with a single wish to become a hero."
'How effective would Smooth Talker be if I used it on her?'
Light ignored her words and activated Smooth Talker.