Chapter 3: The Eyes of the Empire
The news of Suzan's awakening and his kill at the border spread faster than wildfire.
A boy with two martial souls, one of them an ancient dark spirit, and the other a sword of legend, defeating a 1-Star beast on his first mission?
That wasn't just rare. It was unheard of.
By the time Suzan returned to Elvador Keep, the capital was already buzzing with whispers. Some hailed him as a genius blessed by the heavens. Others muttered of heresy, darkness, and forbidden power. But one truth echoed louder than all the gossip:
He had awakened the bloodline of a conqueror.
In the Duke's study, Renald Elvador stared at Suzan from across a massive oak desk. Behind him hung the blade Dawncleaver, the very sword Suzan's soul had mirrored.
"You understand what your existence means now, don't you?" Renald asked, voice firm.
Suzan nodded. "I'm a threat to many."
"Good." The Duke's expression didn't change. "That means you're worth watching—and fearing. Already, envoys from the Zarephian Court and the Vael Thorne Beastlands are sending inquiries. They want to see the dual-soul heir for themselves."
Suzan frowned. "Let them watch. I'll show them what fear truly is."
Renald leaned back, appraising his son carefully.
"You've grown different, boy. Cold. Calculated." A pause. "But maybe that's what this world needs."
Two days later, Suzan stood in the Trial Grounds, a secret training field carved beneath the keep itself. Torches lined the obsidian walls, and a circular arena filled the center.
Opposite him stood three elite 1-Star warriors—his sparring opponents for the day. Not ordinary knights. These were trained by the Duke's personal division: the Iron Fangs.
The signal was given.
The first attacker lunged, a spear thrust straight at Suzan's chest.
Suzan didn't move. His Dark Soul snapped into existence, intercepting the blow and shattering the spear's shaft with a flick of its arm.
The second attacker moved in from the flank—swift, precise.
Suzan's Sword Soul shimmered into view, floating beside him. With a flash of golden light, it slashed the attacker's shoulder, leaving a clean wound through enchanted armor.
The third hesitated.
Big mistake.
Suzan moved himself this time—his body infused with 1-Star strength. He closed the distance in an instant, slammed his palm into the man's chest, and swept his legs. The warrior hit the ground hard.
[System: Combat data recorded.]
[No kills detected. No EXP gained.]
Of course. Sparring didn't feed the system.
But that wasn't what he came here for.
Suzan was testing something new. As his Dark Soul hovered behind him, he gave a silent command: Split.
The shadow began to ripple—two, then three forms emerging from the original. Faint copies, unstable and weak... but they existed.
"It can evolve," Suzan muttered. "My martial souls can grow. Just like me."
That night, under the crimson moon, Suzan stared out at the glowing city below.
He wasn't just another noble child. He was an anomaly, a weapon that fed on death.
And deep inside, the System pulsed, hungering.
[Next requirement: Absorb a human cultivator (1-Star or higher).]
[Reward: Shadow Minion skill unlocked.]
His path was clear.
No peace. No rest. Only the path of blood, blades, and devouring.
Suzan clenched his fist.
"If the world watches me like a monster—then I'll become one."