Bang!
The heavy door slammed shut, echoing through the study.
And in the silence that returned, the moment he was completely alone,
Celine's shoulders, rigid as steel until then, suddenly slumped delicately.
She steadied herself against the window frame with trembling hands.
The icy expression was gone, replaced by the fragile face of a girl on the verge of tears.
"Lin…"
She whispered the name softly, cautiously.
An old pet name from long ago, when the world had been kind, called by her big brother.
Before she knew the shackles of being a bastard child, before the family's cold neglect,
Just holding her brother's hand and running through the garden had been pure happiness for the little girl.
Back then, Evan had been her entire world.
But as reality often is, the world was cruel.
As she grew older and learned the truth,
Amid blatant discrimination and the whispers around her,
The kind big brother gradually lost his light.
His rage at the world turned to alcohol and debauchery,
And the warm gaze he once had for her filled with hazy lust and emptiness.
She could only watch helplessly.
She wanted to hold onto him as he crumbled,
But the family head's strict orders and the weight of the family's eyes were shackles too heavy for a young girl to bear.
The bitter guilt of not helping—not that she couldn't, but that she ultimately didn't.
To overcome that guilt, she shut the door to her heart.
She brainwashed herself that the kind big brother she loved was already dead.
That what remained was just an ugly wastrel wearing his shell.
She abandoned him and let go of all expectations.
It was the only way she could survive.
If she didn't convince herself of that, she felt she would go mad.
But today,
He appeared as a completely different person.
Even facing her contempt and disdain head-on, his eyes didn't waver.
He uttered the name Dreadnote, which she had hated so much.
His final words.
'I'm struggling so I won't live as a disgrace anymore. So I won't tarnish the Dreadnote name.'
They echoed in her ears.
Celine unwittingly looked out the window.
Far off, she saw Evan's back as he headed to the annex, drenched in sweat.
It was a firm, straight gait, not the drunken stagger of before.
A single hot tear finally traced down her pale cheek.
"Now of all times…"
A choked voice leaked out softly.
"After I've given up everything and erased you from my heart."
Why come back now?
You, who threw yourself into the abyss after abandoning everything.
In that form I longed for but had to turn away from.
Now, when I've convinced myself it was too late.
This wasn't salvation.
It was excruciating pain, digging into a wound already festering.
The emotion of hope, felt after so long, stabbed like a blade.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Leaving behind the girl glaring at me with fierce eyes, on the way back to my room,
I felt like I would collapse to the floor any moment, but each time I gritted my teeth.
If I fell here, it wouldn't just be embarrassing.
Getting mocked by my little sister for trembling legs in fear? Total loser.
"Phew!"
Keeping a composed expression,
The moment I barely made it back to my room and shut the door, I gasped for the breath I'd held.
"Whew… Thought I was done for."
How many times had my legs nearly given out?
As expected of a genius— the pressure Celine exuded was beyond imagination.
It was like walking on thin ice.
But the result was a resounding success.
"Worth it, though."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Authority: Authority of Shadows has risen to Lv. 2.] [A new skill has been unlocked.]
I checked the system window with gleeful eyes.
⚔ AUTHORITY OF SHADOWS (Lv. 2) ⚔
Master of shadows. You are qualified to become the ruler of all darkness.
You can grow your authority by absorbing negative emotions.
Skills acquirable at current level:
[Shadow Step] - Connect your shadow to another shadow for short-distance instant teleportation. Consumes mana.
[Curtain of Fear] - Infuse shadows with faint fear energy. Focus consciousness to amplify effect on a specific target. Consumes mana.
"Not bad, but…"
I murmured the descriptions of the new skills from the system window.
If the first skill was a utility specialized in movement and evasion,
These were debuff skills that directly affected the opponent.
It would dull their judgment by cowering them.
Used well, it could dominate not just battles but psychological warfare.
Definitely good skills.
But was this enough?
"No."
The firm conclusion came.
Not enough. Far from it.
It could weaken foes, but lacked direct killing power.
Against the monstrous talents in the academy—
Those who swung swords unleashing unstoppable sword qi, chanting spells that shook heaven and earth—what could fear do?
Would those freaks even feel fear?
…Honestly, couldn't imagine it.
They charged at dragons laughing.
The dragons ran away, as I recall.
"Growth isn't slow, but at this rate…"
Over a month had passed already, and like this, I wouldn't just survive—
I'd get caught in events and die like chum.
"What I need ultimately is power."
Overwhelming martial might.
The strength to behead any enemy, the body to withstand any attack.
That solid power.
Training with wooden swords like now had clear limits for this F-grade talent body.
No matter how hard I struggled, it couldn't bridge the gap with innate geniuses.
'Straight path won't work. Need another way.'
I sat on the bed, clutching my head.
Got the Dark Grimoire and was thrilled, but slow growth like this?
'…What did I do when stuck?'
I closed my eyes, rummaging through memories.
As a veteran of The Glory, the info I knew.
Main story, sub quests, hidden pieces…
'Huh?'
Hidden pieces?
A forgotten memory flashed.
"Right… Why didn't I think of that? There was a way!"
Fortuitous encounters.
Yeah, that's it.
In The Glory's world, hidden events, items aiding explosive growth—fortuitous encounters—were scattered everywhere.
Most found by protagonist Iris after academy enrollment, but some existed before.
Just for side characters' stat boosts, so I ignored them.
'…There was one. Definitely.'
My brain spun wildly.
Maps etched from hundreds of playthroughs, guides, settings.
'Dreadnote County… nearby forest.'
Found it.
Pieces clicked.
Darkfrost Forest.
Where beasts prowled, off-limits to civilians at night.
Early game, during Celine's route in her flashback, a fortuitous encounter there.
'There was a ring.'
An artifact amplifying strength, granting basic combat prowess.
Originally just slightly boosting Celine's magic—a speck of dust.
Because she's such a monster.
For me, it'd meaningfully enhance stats—perfect fit.
"…Need to get it."
But how?
Entering a beast-infested forest with my combat power? Suicide.
First, break the surveillance eyes keeping me in the mansion.
'No. I can do it.'
Escaping the mansion: Use Shadow Step.
Skilled enough to use eyes closed. Easy.
Map patrol routes and times, use their shadows to scale walls.
Forest is the issue.
Avoid beast fights. F-grades can't handle even a goblin.
Maybe not even a slime.
Then.
'Don't fight.'
I twisted my lips up.
New authority. Use that.
If focus amplifies on a target,
Conversely, spread consciousness wide, maintain faint fear aura around me?
Like a predator marking territory,
Weak beasts instinctively sense and avoid me.
Strong ones immune, sure…
Artifact's in forest outskirts.
Only low-grade beasts there.
No real threats.
The barbarians the family head and little brother face are bigger issues.
The Glory had a Dreadnote vs. barbarians event. Pretty big one.
'Whatever, later.'
Artifact first. More important.