The brewery lay quiet after the fight, corpses dissolving into shadow mist at Klaus's command. Selene leaned against the counter, foxfire tails flickering faintly. Liora's silver eyes still glowed with constellations.
Klaus stood in silence, six wings spread, the Crown burning on his brow. Power hummed in his veins — something new, something deeper than mana or blood.
Then the glyphs appeared.
[SYSTEM ALERT] Crown-Bearer Has Awakened Forbidden Paths.][NEW LAW ACQUIRED: Shadow Law 1%]→ All shadow skills and Domains +1% effectiveness. Clones last longer, harder to dispel.
[NEW LAW ACQUIRED: Celestial Law 1%]→ Celestial abilities +1% effectiveness. Constellation and starlight techniques pierce +1% stronger.
[NEW LAW ACQUIRED: Dark Law 1%]→ Void/Corruption aura +1% effectiveness. Enemies near Klaus weakened slightly.
Klaus's breath came sharp. The air bent around him — shadows grew heavier, stars burned brighter, even the silence carried weight.
Lucifer's voice curled through his skull like smoke.
[Lucifer]: "Hah… delicious. Laws are not spells, Crown-Bearer. They are the roots of reality. Each percent you carve into them multiplies your dominion. Grow them high enough… and even gods must kneel."
Klaus flexed his hand. The shadows stretched further than before, swallowing light. Above, Liora's constellations flared brighter in answer. Even Selene flinched, her illusions warping against his aura.
"Affinity…" Klaus whispered. "Every Law makes my Domains sharper. Stronger. Harder to resist."
Testing the Laws
He spread his wings, activating his Shadow Domain.
The room drowned in black flame, clones flickering at every corner. This time, the clones didn't waver — they held. At just 1% Shadow Law, his Domain had become thicker, stickier, more suffocating.
Then he summoned the light. Stars burst above his head, constellations dripping silver fire. At just 1% Celestial Law, his starlight cut sharper, the heat making Selene sweat.
Finally, he inhaled — letting the Dark Law seep through him. The shadows carried a corruptive hum, pressing on the assassins' corpses until they cracked and dissolved faster. Even the wolf and crow crouched lower, sensing a deeper hunger.
Dialogue & Stakes
Selene stared, wide-eyed. "You're… bending the battlefield itself."
Liora whispered, constellations flickering in her gaze. "That wasn't starlight before. That was… Law."
Klaus's lips curled into a sharp smile. "Then I'll burn more of them. Until even the heavens themselves choke."
Lucifer's laughter echoed, mocking and thrilled.
[Lucifer]: "Careful, Crown-Bearer. Every Law you touch is a chain — but also a throne. Gather enough, and you won't just use Domains. You'll rewrite them."
The Crown pulsed with a new directive:
[SYSTEM QUEST UPDATE: The Laws That Burn.]Objective: Grow Laws through combat and blood.• Each kill may yield +1% Law affinity.• Absorbing stronger foes yields greater Law increases.Reward: Domain Evolution (10% Threshold).Penalty: Overuse burns lifespan at accelerated rates.
Cliffhanger
Klaus clenched his fists, feeling the shadows cling tighter, the stars burn hotter, the void whisper louder. For the first time, he felt as if the world itself was yielding to him.
Selene's voice trembled, torn between awe and fear. "Klaus… if you keep growing like this, you won't just be a man anymore."
He smiled darkly, crimson-silver eyes gleaming. "Good. I don't intend to be."
The black torches flared, and the SYSTEM burned across his vision:
[LAW PROGRESSION ENABLED.]• Shadow Law: 1%• Celestial Law: 1%• Dark Law: 1%
The Laws had begun to burn — and they would never stop.