Young Master's PoV: Woke Up As A Villain In A Game One Day
Chapter Summary
Hovering above his shoulder was a second Card — separate from his Origin Card — etched with faintly glowing scarlet runes that pulsed like embers. He had once introduced himself to Jake as his 'guardian angel' — back when the green-haired boy had accidentally found a suspicious Card in one of the vaults of the Archives. Or his personal favorite — Asmodeus' Voice, which was a compulsion so absolute it could bend the will of anyone as long as they were not much stronger than him.
Jake stood several kilometers away from the mushrooming explosions.
And yet, even from this distance, he could feel the heat wash over his face.
His lustrous green hair fluttered in the scorching winds stirred up by the colossal blasts, and in his eyes shimmered the reflection of the immolating infernos.
But despite the raging destruction in front of him, he stood there calmly with both hands in his pockets.
His previously chubby face had grown sharper, and his once-round frame was now lean and wrapped in silver armor that he conjured using his innate ability.
Hovering above his shoulder was a second Card — separate from his Origin Card — etched with faintly glowing scarlet runes that pulsed like embers.
"How do you feel?
" came a voice from his left.
Jake turned his head sharply.
A tall man in silk garments and a flowing gray robe was now present beside him, as if he'd been there all along.
That man was, without the slightest hint of exaggeration, the most beautiful person Jake had ever seen.
He had a flawless face and an ivory complexion, with long onyx hair spilling over his shoulder like a river of ink.
His scarlet eyes glowed with the intelligence of an ancient entity that had watched the rise of many empires and the fall of countless heroes.
If not for the dark crystalline horn that curled around his head like a crown of sin, and the two raven-like wings sprouting from his back, he might've passed for some serene eastern deity.
But right now, he looked like a demon.
Far more handsome than any demon had the right to look like — but a demon nonetheless.
His name was Asmodeus.
He had once introduced himself to Jake as his 'guardian angel' — back when the green-haired boy had accidentally found a suspicious Card in one of the vaults of the Archives.
Back then, Jake had believed him.
But not anymore.
Now he knew better.
He knew what Asmodeus really was.
A Defiled One.
A follower of the Dark God.
One of the princes in 'His' infernal army.
He was a malevolent being of mythic dread — a force so old and vast that mortals couldn't even begin to comprehend him.
…Regardless, the one fact that remained unchanged was that Asmodeus could make Jake powerful.
Far more powerful than his peers.
And in time, maybe even more powerful than the Monarchs themselves.
After all, a new era was drawing near.
The Dark God was about to awaken.
And in that new era, Jake wouldn't just exist.
He would reign.
That was the kind of power Asmodeus had promised him.
The power to not crawl like a rat.
But to rule like a king.
Jake stared at the man in silence for a beat, then slowly turned his gaze back toward the burning skyline.
To be fair, he was already powerful.
Insanely so.
With Asmodeus' Summoning Card, he could wield fragments of the Demon Prince's power.
He could borrow Asmodeus' Gaze, which forced anyone who met his eyes to reveal and indulge in their darkest desires.
He could use Asmodeus' Charm, which could enchant anyone (male or female) and render them incapable of harming him if they so much as get near him.
Or his personal favorite — Asmodeus' Voice, which was a compulsion so absolute it could bend the will of anyone as long as they were not much stronger than him.
It was using that Voice, Jake mind-controlled nine Cadets before coming to the Night Sanctuary, and armed them with the suicidal Spell Cards he had forged under Asmodeus' guidance.
Once the test began, he led his puppets to the edge of the Sanctuary and had them activate those Cards.
The moment they did that, their souls ignited.
Their bodies burned.
And sky-melting explosions shook the earth.
But the best part was that on any other day, Selene would've sensed something amiss with so many Cadets approaching the border of her Sanctuary at once.
But today, all the chaos of the test cloaked his movement.
And as soon as the test ended…The world began to burn.
"How do I feel?
" Jake murmured, his lips curling into a smirk.
"Warm.
I think I feel warm.
"The Night Sanctuary was enclosed within an invisible barrier.
It was the physical manifestation of Selene's Will.
So the self-destructive Spell Cards had been designed in a very specific way — when activated, most of the explosive force would be funneled directly into the barrier rather than spreading aimlessly.
That was why, despite standing relatively close to the blast zone, Jake wasn't feeling even a fraction of the true heat.
The beautiful man beside him let out a quiet laugh that sounded like wind chimes caught in a blizzard.
"Is that all?
" Asmodeus arched a perfect brow.
"You've just reduced an entire sector of the Night Sanctuary to cinders.
Nine people are already dead.
Hundreds more will follow.
Perhaps thousands.
And all you feel… is warm?
"Jake said nothing.
Asmodeus tilted his head with idle amusement.
"No fear.
No guilt.
Not even satisfaction.
Hmm.
Curious.
You truly are a strange little boy.
"He took a step forward, letting his feet hover just a hair above the scorched moss on the cracked pavement.
"…Asmodeus," Jake finally muttered.
When spoken aloud, that name hung in the air like thunder.
"Yes?
" the Demon Prince answered with a grin.
Jake's jaw tightened.
"You said this would make me one of the Chosen Ones.
""Ah.
" Asmodeus' grin widened, showing just a hint of too-sharp teeth.
"And it will.
But this is merely the first step.
Stay the course.
Be patient.
And do as I tell you.
"Jake was about to say something when he noticed a strange scene.
A few kilometers away — amidst the still-raging infernos and smoldering ruins — a column of pristine white light descended from the heavens.
And when the light faded, the silhouette of a woman became visible at its center.
She looked unburnt, though the flames licked the skies around her.
She looked unshaken, though the world lay in ruins beneath her.
She floated a few inches above the fractured earth, her bare feet never touching the soot-stained stone.
The heat there was intense enough to melt the very ground, but she was unaffected by it in a way a star is unaffected by the blaze of its own light.
Her long black hair flowed up weightlessly as if the laws of gravity did not apply to her.
She wore no armor and carried no weapons.
And Jake didn't need a second glance to recognize her.
She was Selene Valkryn, the mistress of this Sanctuary.
In the next moment, she raised her arms… and the world fell still.
The flames around her dimmed, flickered, and faltered.
The embers cooled to ash.
It was as if the very light had been drained from the infernos.
As if each flame were a candle caught in her breath, snuffed not by water, but by the absence of radiance itself.
It took Jake a moment to realize what was happening.
Selene… was absorbing it.
She was siphoning the very light from her surroundings.
And with it, she was taking away the heat and killing the flames.
The sky, which had been scorched crimson moments ago, now paled in her presence.
Darkness reclaimed the horizon.
And night started to return to the world.
…But it was too late.
The explosions had already done their work.
"Magnificent," Asmodeus whispered beside Jake, his intoxicating voice laced with amusement.
"She looks nothing short of a goddess.
All those Cadets we sacrificed had such high Potential — their souls should've kept the flames roaring for hours, maybe longer.
And yet… she snuffed them out in seconds.
Truly magnificent.
"He tilted his head, watching Selene with quiet fascination for a few more seconds.
"But not even she can stop a fate already set in motion.
"Then, he turned his gaze toward Jake.
"Go.
"Jake blinked.
"What?
""You've played your part beautifully until now, little boy," Asmodeus praised.
"Now return to the stage.
Mix with the chaos.
And prepare to do what we discussed next.
"Jake hesitated for a heartbeat.
Then nodded.
He glanced once more at Selene.
Apparently, Asmodeus was hiding his presence.
So even someone as strong as Selene wouldn't notice Jake unless she was actively looking.
Another perk of having a Demon Prince by your side.
Jake took a deep breath, then turned on his heel and began walking back.
His armor melted into liquid silver and reshaped into a massive battle-axe in his hand.
Behind him, the wind shifted.
The temperature rose.
And then——BOOM!
A deafening explosion of pure force split the land with celestial might.
The show was just beginning.