The time was 4 PM. Ronan now sat on his apartment couch, staring at the floating hologram in front of him with a satisfied grin.
His full attention was on the three skills he'd recently acquired—Vital Strike, Fire Fist, and the newly obtained Energy Channeling.
"Upgrade the Fire Fist skill," he said.
[Are you sure you want to upgrade the combat skill: Fire Fist?]
"Of course," he replied without hesitation.
[Fire Fist skill has been upgraded to Starflame Meteor]
Suddenly, intense heat surged through his body. It felt like an electric current shocking him—painful and thrilling at once. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation.
When he opened them again, he knew—he had become stronger.
"I have to test this out," he muttered, excitement glinting in his eyes.
He rushed toward the window, stepping up on the frame. Open air stretched before him, with a significant gap to the next building. Anyone nearby could probably see him, but honestly, he didn't care.
Focusing his mana into his right hand, red flames burst out violently, hotter and wilder than before.
With a deep breath, he punched upward.
FWOOSH!
A massive torrent of fire erupted from his fist, like a meteor blazing through the sky. It soared high into the evening air, leaving a glowing trail of flames in its wake.
Ronan dropped backward, hitting the apartment floor hard. His skin turned pale, his breath short.
One strike had drained everything from him.
And yet, a satisfied grin crept onto his face.
He had a real, deadly move now.
---
The next day passed in silence. Ronan spent it entirely in his apartment, letting his body recover.
Now it was Saturday morning, 8 a.m.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, absorbing energy from the nine Soul Stones he'd gathered from the Ridgewood forest. Eight of them were already dim and lifeless. Only one remained, still glowing faintly green, though its color was quickly fading.
Ten minutes passed.
A thin aura curled around his body, barely visible. A refreshing sensation coursed through his veins, light and revitalizing.
He opened his eyes slowly, then stood up and clenched his right fist. Strength surged in his muscles like a tide ready to crash.
[Name: Ronan Raylinde]
[Age: 18 years]
[Cultivation Base: Human Realm Level 3]
[Special Ability: Starflame (S-Class)]
[Unique Skills: Devil's Covenant]
[Combat Skills: Starflame Meteor+2, Vital Strike, Energy Channeling]
[General Skills: Home Cook, Beginner Cyclist, Speed Reading, Beginner Driver]
[Skill Points: 20]
[Skill Enhancement Scale: Level 1 requires 100 skill points]
Ronan nodded in satisfaction. From just nine Soul Stones, he had pushed his cultivation to Human Realm Level 3 overnight. Not bad at all.
He glanced at the clock—8:30 a.m.
No school today. It was Saturday.
He stepped out of his room and into the living room. With a lazy yawn, he poured himself a cup of instant coffee and grabbed his phone from the table. Steam curled from the cup as he took a sip and unlocked the screen.
His feed was clean—always was. No gossip, no trash. Just news. Updates about awakeners, dimensional rifts, politics. Stuff that mattered.
The top headline nearly made him drop his cup.
—Alistair Crowne, Head of KRAKEN's R&D Department, and his granddaughter Zara Crowne, were nearly killed in Ridgewood Forest last night—
Ronan's eyes widened. He nearly choked on his coffee.
"...What the hell?"
He clicked the full post, reading rapidly. Alistair had apparently requested a public interview, warning citizens about the dangers of Ridgewood and recommending proper preparation before venturing near active rifts.
But the real kicker was halfway down the post.
They were saved by a young man—identity undisclosed, known only by the alias 'RR'. Alistair described him as an exceptionally talented awakener, potentially on par with—or even beyond—Victor Edenfield. Young, likely around eighteen, and still a student. He's expected to join one of the major academies soon.
Ronan's expression tightened. He kept scrolling.
At least Alistair hadn't mentioned his real name. Smart move, old man.
Staying low-key was part of his plan. The fewer people who knew about his real strength, the better.
The comment section, though, was exploding.
"No way someone's better than Victor. RR? Really?"
"Reed Richards? Lmao."
"Alistair doesn't praise just anyone. This is serious."
"RR, show yourself already!"
"I wonder how Victor's gonna react to this..."
A smirk tugged at his lips. A quiet heat bloomed in Ronan's chest—not ego, not arrogance. Just… satisfaction.
If he told them the truth, they'd laugh. An orphan, broke, zero connections? No way he was that RR.
"Well... this isn't bad after all," he muttered, sipping his coffee.
He scrolled past the post, but another headline made him pause.
—Another Life Claimed by an Unresolved Dimensional Rift. Victim: Class B awakener, Sean Lanning—
That wasn't what grabbed his attention, though—it was the location.
Blackburn Forest.
Just five kilometers from his apartment.
Now that was interesting.
-----
In another location.
The room was dark, lit only by the dim glow of several blue candles burning along the gothic stone walls. The scent was sharp yet clean—like expensive incense burning slowly. The walls were lined with bookshelves and ancient artifacts, while a black leather chair sat at the center of the room, as if it were a throne.
Morning air couldn't enter this place, yet the cold still crept in—not from the weather, but from the atmosphere shaped by the presence of a single person.
Two sharp crimson eyes stared straight at the screen before his face. His gaze was deep and unblinking, like the eyes of a predator watching its prey.
On the screen, news from Ridgewood Forest played on a loop. No names. Just an alias.
RR.
A name whispered with awe. A figure—rumored to surpass even Victor Edenfield.
He clicked his tongue, the sound quiet but sharp.
"RR… I hope you're like the others. Otherwise, what's the point?"
His voice was calm. Too calm. Devoid of excess emotion. But that was exactly what made his words sound dangerous.
It wasn't a hope. It was a sentence.
His eyes shifted. Slowly. Another hologram flickered to life beside the first, hovering in the air like it had been waiting to be summoned.
[Ultimate Villain System]
[Name: Victor Edenfield]
[Age: 20 years]
[Affiliation: Edenfield Family, Divine Judgement Order, Aethermoor Academy]
[Cultivation Base: Sage Realm Level 3]
[Unique Title: Heaven's False Star]
[Special Trait: Sovereign Bloodline (Edenfield), Absolute Memory, Dragon's Heart]
[System Mode: Villain Path]
[Destiny Threads: 231 Active – 14 Terminated – 3 Marked for Erasure]
[Primary Targets:
(1) Lucien Dawnbringer – Heroic Path
(2) Kassandra Aetherion – Saintess Path
(3) Dorian Hellthorne – Demonic Path]
Victor rose from his seat. His movements were calm and measured. His long cloak trailed behind him, golden patterns embroidered on the collar and sleeves—markings of his status as a descendant of the Edenfield family, one of the oldest awakeners' bloodlines in the world.
He moved toward the window. Beyond the tall glass, morning mist clung to the city like a veil, softening its edges into shadows. He stared through it, unmoving.
Then he spoke—quietly, but with a blade's edge.
"Looks like I'll have to accelerate my plan."
The candles flickered once.
And then the room was empty.