"Special Admission, Rank 1."

That was the title on the golden invitation I threw into the trash three months ago.
Back then, I was the Crime Lord of Oakhaven. I had money, territory, and an ego that touched the sky. Why would a King lower himself to attend a school?

I was arrogant. I was foolish.

And I paid the price.

It took less than an hour for a single knight to turn my criminal empire into a graveyard. He didn't just defeat me; he ignored me. I was an ant beneath the boot of a god.

Broken and desperate, I used my last asset: a golden letter granting me entry to Zenith Imperial Academy as "Special Admission Rank 1."

It’s a lie. I’m not a prodigy. I’m a fraud with no foundation, surrounded by the strongest heirs in the Empire who want to see me bleed. I can’t cast their spells. I can’t hold their weapons.

But I can steal their lives.

My Authority is [Usurper]. While they study theory, I steal reflexes. While they practice honor, I copy trauma. I am not here to learn. I am here to hunt.

My targets are the "Four Calamities"—four women who hold powers strong enough to rewrite reality.

They think I’m their peer. They don’t know I’m the parasite waiting to hollow them out.

I’m going to make them mine.

Discord: https://discord.gg/FK9GfrSjtb

The evening light filtered through the tall, arched windows of Villa 3, casting long and golden rays across the polished marble floors. It was a stark contrast to the utilitarian dormitories of the other students. Here, the air was scented with expensive wood polish and the faint, sweet aroma of jasmine. The villa was not just a residence; it was a statement of status that Vane still found difficult to reconcile with his past. He stood by the kitchen island, watching as the staff moved with quiet and practiced efficiency.


Chapter 88 - The Hearth and the Blade