Somewhere between planning a heist and squatting in a haunted tower, I found myself rubbing ash into my face to look more "peasant chic." You know, just a normal apothecary trying to attend a noble gala without blowing his cover or vomiting from nerves.
The event was being held in the town's old temple converted, of course, into a private ballroom for House Valdris's "Annual Charity Banquet for the Upliftment of the Lower Masses."
Subtle.
I slipped in through the servant entrance with a forged invitation (thanks, System Counterfeit Generator) and my best neutral expression. The main hall was a portrait of luxury: chandeliers fashioned from mana crystal, golden cutlery engraved with House Valdris's sigil (a bleeding sun, in case you forgot they were evil), and nobles floating around like they owned the concept of air.
[System Notification: Infiltration Active – Disguise Holding]
Objective: Observe Targets. Map exits. Avoid detection.
Bonus Objective: Gather Material for Future Blackmail
I weaved through the crowd, pausing to cough politely when someone looked at me too long. Most just turned away. Servants weren't people here. We were mobile furniture.
Which made it really easy to listen.
I watched Lord Darrion Valdris himself smile at a crowd of donors while casually signing an order for a new chain gang. I listened to his daughter laugh about executing "that sticky-fingered street urchin" like it was a punchline.
They were smiling. Preening. Giving speeches about how generous the House had been to "these grateful villagers."
Meanwhile, outside, the same villagers were eating boiled weeds and hoping not to sneeze too loud.
I felt my knuckles whiten under my sleeves. But I couldn't afford to act yet.
Not until I understood what I was really capable of.
I don't have magic.
Not really.
What I've been using—the Shadow Pulse, the illusion cloak, even that one time I accidentally turned a monster inside-out? It's basically a demo version. A magically enhanced free trial granted by the Villain System. Just enough to keep me from dying while the real stuff warms up.
Every day, I check my Embodiment Seal Completion Meter.
Today: 5%
When it hits 100%? That's when the magic becomes mine.
Permanently.
But there's a catch. There's always a catch.
Magic in this world isn't something you learn. It's something you become. Every action you take writes itself into your soul, your fears, your choices, your victories, your regrets. That's the Virtue & Vice Matrix.
Do enough good? Maybe you'll unlock magic tied to protection, healing, hope.
Do enough evil? Well…
The Seal locks the moment your soul hits a breaking point. After that, no take-backs. Your magic reflects the truth of who you are forever.If I keep going down this path, I might unlock something powerful.
But also something monstrous.
Back in the banquet, a servant tripped, sending a tray of enchanted wine glasses crashing to the floor. The room gasped. A Valdris enforcer reached for his whip.
Reflex kicked in. I raised a finger under the table and whispered, "Shadow Dart."
A sliver of darkness zipped across the room and struck the enforcer's heel not enough to hurt, just enough to make him stumble and fall flat on his face.
The crowd burst into polite, scandalized laughter.
The enforcer stood, red-faced, muttered something about "slippery tiles," and slunk off.
[Crisis Diverted – Detection Avoided]
[Creative Spell Use: +20 Evil Points]
[Bonus: False Identity Sustained: +100 Evil Points]
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Just a servant. Just a shadow.
But tonight, I learned the truth: House Valdris wears masks in public. That's their greatest weapon.
The illusion that they're just.
So I'll wear one too.
Let them think I'm nobody. Let them believe I'm a stray dog licking scraps from their tables.
Because when I do finally strike?
It won't be with borrowed spells and petty tricks.
It'll be me.
The true magic. The real Seal. The consequence of everything I've done.
And I won't need to fake a smile.
End of Chapter Five
[Evil Points Total: 355]
[Embodiment Seal Completion: 5% -> 6%]
[Viewer Count: 121,911]
[Top Comment: "He's lying to himself. That's the scariest part."]
[Narrative Tension: Rising – Moral Instability Noted]