Becoming the Dark Lord

Chapter 532: War Is Inevitable

Luke opened the notification for the new skill unlocked at level 70 of Demonic Predator. He had reached that milestone when he killed the oni guarding the temple entrance.

Five options appeared.

[Paralyzing Knife Throw (Rare)]: By imbuing a knife with mana before throwing it, the Assassin creates a debilitating effect. If the blade strikes the target, there is a chance to inflict temporary slow, hindering movement and reactions.

With a flick of his hand, he conjured a black knife using [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife].

That would be a solid combination.

He was already stacking skills to become even deadlier on the battlefield. He routinely combined [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife], [Cursed Weapon], and [Telekinetic Impulse], maximizing damage on thrown attacks. With the impulse skill, he could strike distant targets without losing force, almost like a sniper. There was also [Mana Infusion], which could turn his knives into bombs, a trick that had helped him bring down the oni guarding the temple.

The first option was pulling ahead.

[Cloak of Darkness (Epic)]: The Demonic Predator's body is wrapped in a living mantle of Darkness, shaped from his own shadowy mana. This dense mist merges him with the night, rendering him nearly invisible in low-light environments. As he moves, faint ripples of shadow trail behind him, remnants of the power surrounding him. While the cloak is active, he becomes one with the darkness, moving silently like a predator lying in wait.

It was similar to the power granted by his assassin outfit, except this would be his own skill rather than something tied to gear. Still, it was inferior to the sheer range of possibilities offered by the first skill.

[Coagulated Blood (Rare)]: The Assassin accelerates the flow of blood through his body, forcing muscles and reflexes to operate beyond normal limits. While active, it grants +15% movement speed, useful for pursuit, repositioning, or quick escape.

It was a solid skill, tied to Agility, but Luke dismissed it without much hesitation.

[Burst Throw (Epic)]: Using what he learned from Force Infusion and Mana Infusion, the Assassin refines his technique by merging those arts with mastery of Knife Throwing. By channeling stamina as physical force and mana as internal power into a single thrown blade, the Assassin can charge the throw before releasing it. The longer the knife is charged, the greater the stamina and mana cost, and the higher the damage, accuracy, and penetration. When fully charged, the attack can break defenses, stagger enemies, and deal area damage. The skill gains a small additional bonus when scaling with Lethality, Agility, and Intelligence.

As he read the description, Luke's eyes nearly widened as countless ideas raced through his mind. This was power. The synergy between this and his existing skills was absurdly good. On its own, the skill was already strong. Combined with everything else he had, its potential multiplied.

He read the last option.

[Trap of Darkness (Rare)]: The Demonic Predator creates a circle of dense shadows on the ground. When prey steps into the area, the darkness condenses into a shadowy jaw lined with teeth, biting down and holding the target in place for a short duration. Ideal for area control and ambushes.

He had already made his decision.

[You have acquired the Class Skill: Burst Throw]

A smile spread across his face. Not a friendly smile. A predator's smile.

***

Luke kept walking until he reached a small rise. From there, the dark forest stretched out in front of him like a living mass of shadows. He conjured a black throwing knife and focused on the power of [Burst Throw].

He felt mana and stamina working together, flowing as one. It wasn't crude or violent like when he used Force Infusion or Mana Infusion, techniques that pushed weapons to the point of cracking. This was different. Natural. Harmonious. The throwing knife absorbed far more mana and stamina than it should have been able to hold, yet it showed no sign of breaking.

Then he threw.

The knife tore through the air toward a massive tree with a thick, ancient trunk. When it struck, the impact was loud and brutal. The tree split apart, wood snapping as it collapsed.

Luke smiled.

He conjured another knife, focused on [Burst Throw] again, and hurled it forward. The blade streaked through the air, and midway he triggered another skill.

[Telekinetic Impulse activated]

The knife shot forward like a sniper round toward the abyss wall. When it hit...

"Holy shit."

The impact was enormous, punching a crater straight into the stone.

Luke summoned another throwing knife, paying close attention to how the power behaved. The more mana and stamina he fed into it, the stronger the impact became, with additional damage scaling off Lethality, Agility, and Intelligence. This wasn't a static skill. It would grow with him, becoming far more dangerous over time.

With this… I might actually be able to do it. Maybe even take down a dragon.

***

Bill was moving through a network of caves deep inside the Dimensional Rift. He knew this place well. He had worked there for months before the baron's betrayal. The main base, where the exit portal stood, lay at the foot of the mountains. That area was now crawling with the Red Baron's men, but Bill knew the routes well enough to slip around them.

They entered through a cave hidden in the forest and traveled underground for days. Bill moved with a mixed group of mercenaries and soldiers. If the plan worked, they would reach an old mine where he had once worked, a place with easy access to the base. The plan itself was simple. They would get there and kill the baron.

As far as powerful enemies went, only the baron himself remained at the base. The rest of his forces were spread out in distant camps around the area, watching for movement. The battlefield had been set long before this. Both sides, the Baron's faction and Cassandra's, knew the war would break out sooner or later.

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"You sure this is the right direction, Bill?" Sergeant Thomas asked.

"I am."

"We've been walking through this place for days. I wouldn't even know how to get back anymore."

"We're close. I know it," Bill replied.

They had disobeyed Cassandra's orders and come here in secret to carry out the plan. Her original strategy had been to collapse part of the tunnels to prevent the baron's elite troops from using them during the war and striking from behind. She had intended to do that once open conflict began.

"The baron's a bastard," Kyle muttered, the leader of a mercenary group known as Eagle Arrow. "Hides behind his soldiers like a rat."

They pressed on through the caves until the tunnels widened and the signs of the mines appeared. Scattered tools, buckets, barrels of coal, and chunks of ore lay abandoned. Some of the men picked a few things up. Bill looked the other way. It was a royal mine, sure, but this wasn't the moment to play the honest officer.

"I saw something," one of the mercenaries whispered, raising his bow.

Everyone stopped. A mage lifted his staff, and a glowing orb of light bloomed into existence, illuminating the cavern far better than their torches ever could. A man sat calmly atop a rock.

"A soldier of the baron," someone said.

They recognized the uniform immediately.

"You're outnumbered," Thomas called out. "Drop all your equipment and surrender."

The figure remained seated, a spear resting in his hand. Slowly, he raised a hand to his hood. Kyle and the other archers tensed, ready to loose.

"One wrong move and you're dead," Kyle warned.

"I only want to remove my hood, gentlemen," the man replied calmly as he lowered it.

"Now drop the spear," Kyle ordered.

Bill froze.

"No fucking way," Bill said, lowering his crossbow in disbelief. "That's the baron…"

"What?" someone asked.

"It's the baron. It's Miles," Bill said, raising the crossbow again.

That couldn't be right. What the hell was he doing here?

"The baron? You think he'd really be here alone?"

"Is it true or not?" a mercenary asked Bill.

"It's him," one of the sergeants confirmed. "It really is."

Arrows flew, not to hit him, but embedding themselves in the ground around the baron.

"No invisible shield," Thomas said with a short laugh. "The bastard really is here alone."

"Surround him!" Kyle shouted.

The group spread out, forming a loose ring.

"Why are you here?" Bill demanded.

They checked the surrounding tunnels, searched for traps or magic. There was nothing. No hidden guards. No protection. The baron stood there alone, exposed.

"You really thought I'd stay inside the base?" the baron said calmly. "That place was an easy target."

"Bullshit," Kyle snapped, an arrow aimed straight at the baron's face. "From there you can reach the exit portal. It's your escape route."

"You're forgetting something obvious," the baron replied. "The portal sends you back to the same entrance you used. I came through a military base. If I leave now, I'll be trapped and marched straight to the gallows. I'm not falling into Cassandra's trap, or anyone else's."

The realization clicked in Bill's mind. Waiting here in case everything went wrong, disappearing for a long time, letting the war play out. It was the safest option.

The bastard had been planning this all along.

"That bastard really is a rat after all," Kyle muttered.

The baron tightened his grip on the spear. "I'm not surrendering."

"You're outnumbered," Kyle replied.

"I don't care," the baron shot back. "And besides, all I see is a pack of weaklings. If I surrendered now, after everything, I'd be a fool."

Kyle clicked his tongue. "So how much are they paying me for the baron's head?"

"Hey, we need him alive," Bill cut in. "We have to find out who funded him, see if there are more traitors."

The baron laughed softly. "My head? I might have played along for a bit. But not anymore. Cassandra was supposed to be here. Too bad my friend couldn't convince her to come."

Convinced her? Are there traitors, or is he bluffing?

Suddenly, the baron lunged forward.

"The bastard is comi—" The man didn't finish before a spear slammed into his stomach.

"Shoot him!" Kyle shouted to his soldiers.

"Wait, I need him alive!" Bill tried to argue.

The baron grabbed the wounded man and used him as a shield against the arrows, charging ahead. He moved fast, cutting down soldiers as he went, limbs flying as bodies fell.

Kyle drew back an arrow and fired. The projectile transformed midair into a net that wrapped around the baron.

"Mages!" Kyle yelled.

Bolts of lightning surged from the mages, electrocuting the baron.

"You're nothing but a coward, Baron!" Kyle taunted.

"Don't kill him!" Bill shouted.

The baron was restrained, muscles locking as electricity coursed through him, a low growl tearing from his throat.

"He slaughtered my men with those raids on the camps, and now he's right in front of me," Kyle said coldly. "I don't serve the kingdom. I serve myself. I'm killing this bastard for my men."

Kyle aimed the arrow at the baron's head. Bill tried to intervene, but Kyle's soldiers raised their weapons toward him.

"One step and you kingdom dogs die," Kyle warned.

"You really want to pick a fight with the kingdom?" Thomas snapped.

"You die here and no one will know or care," Kyle said, laughing. "And your gear will look great on my soldiers. We'll claim the bounty on the baron and still get paid by the king."

A knife pressed against Bill's throat. "Good luck in your next life, little soldier," the mercenary whispered.

They had been betrayed.

Kyle drew the bowstring back. "Goodbye, you son of a bitch," he said, and released.

Bill saw the arrow flying. The baron was trapped, wracked by lightning. The shot was about to hit his face when, suddenly—

The baron vanished.

What just happened?

A man behind Bill let out a strangled groan. Then another. The baron reappeared behind them, cutting them down in a blur of motion. The mages were next.

"Damn it, how?" Kyle shouted, firing arrows wildly.

The baron disappeared again. In the next instant, he was behind Kyle, driving the spear straight through him and lifting him off the ground.

"You really thought I'd go down that easily?" the baron said, hurling Kyle against the wall.

He finished off the rest with brutal efficiency. He was far too strong. Then he walked back to Kyle and crushed his face beneath his boot. Finally, the spear struck Bill. And there was nothing left but darkness.

***

The Baron emerged from the caves after wandering through them for a while. When he stepped outside, his soldiers were already waiting.

"Collapse the tunnels. The ambush failed. Cassandra didn't come," he ordered, heading straight for the base.

He could no longer afford to leave those tunnels intact. War was inevitable now. With each passing day, more soldiers arrived under his banner. He hadn't betrayed the kingdom without securing guarantees. He had a powerful backer behind him. From the upper levels of the base, he looked out through a window, spotting the enemy camp in the distance.

They really think they can defeat me? The thought made him laugh.

After reaching Rank E and unlocking his Rank Skill, he had become nearly unbeatable in combat. All of it was thanks to that skill.

[Last Moment (Rank F)]: Your failure to react before the final instant shaped this skill. When a blow or event would deal significant damage to you, time around you slows for a brief interval. While the world hesitates, you move freely for a few seconds, unrestrained, fully aware of the incoming impact. Consecutive uses reduce the duration cumulatively, until there is no time left to slow. Over time, the lost interval gradually recovers. Use with caution. The more you rely on this moment, the shorter it becomes.

"I'll kill every last one who stands against me."