Lucius woke to warm sunlight bathing his face. For the first time in days, he breathed evenly, drawing in the clean, natural air around him. He pushed himself up slowly, surprised at how much better his body felt. A quiet thanks formed in his mind for the man who had saved him, even though his pride refused to let him say the words out loud.
He knew he would have to leave soon. These peace-loving, kind villagers had given him a rare moment of safety, and the thought of walking away made his chest tighten with reluctance. For the first time since arriving in this world, no one had called him useless. No one had looked at him with disgust or fear. They didn't know he was a mage, a noble, or one of the summoned heroes. To them, he was simply a stranger in need, and they had been kind anyway. The memory brought a small, genuine smile to his face. It reminded him of his mother, the warmth he had almost forgotten.
That fragile peace was shattered when distant cries cut through the air.
Cries? What's happening?
He tried to keep his voice steady. "What is happening?" But his body betrayed him. His chest rose and fell too fast, cold sweat prickled across his forehead, and his hands trembled as he moved toward the sound. With every step, his heartbeat grew louder, violent, slamming against his ribs. The empty paths only made the panic worse. No one in sight. Just the growing screams pulling him forward.
His steps quickened, then broke into a desperate run, legs pumping as fast as they could carry him. When he finally reached the source of the cries, he skidded to a halt.
What he saw stole the air from his lungs.
The once-peaceful village had been reduced to ruins overnight.
The once-peaceful village had been reduced to ruins overnight. Bodies lay scattered like broken dolls. Homes that had offered him shelter were now burning or collapsed.
His breath came in short, ragged gasps. His heart pounded so violently he thought it might burst.
Eron… the one who found him half-dead at the edge of the forest and carried him back on his back without asking questions. The woman who had smiled gently while handing him a bowl of warm stew yesterday, saying, "Eat slowly, child. You look like you haven't had a real meal in years." The little boy who had tugged his sleeve earlier that morning, grinning with missing teeth: "Mister, will you show me magic later? Papa says you're kind."
All of them… gone. Brutally stabbed, burned, or broken.
Tears streamed down Lucius's face before he could stop them. They didn't know what I was. They didn't call me useless. They just… helped me. And I brought death to their door.
Bodies lay scattered like broken dolls. Homes that had offered him shelter were now burning or collapsed. His breath came in short, ragged gasps. His heart pounded so violently he thought it might burst. Sweat soaked through his clothes, sticking the fabric to his skin.
The attackers turned at the sound of his footsteps. Lucius froze where he stood, unable to move.
Flashes of the village as it had been just yesterday crashed through his mind, smiling faces, warm meals, gentle words. Now it was all gone. Tears streamed down his face before he could stop them. He couldn't control his body anymore.
Before he could find his voice, one of the barbarians spoke, his tone dripping with mockery and irritation.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
"Big brother, I thought they were all dead," another said, clearly annoyed that anyone had survived.
"Tch, looks like a rat fled," a third added with a deep frown.
Lucius finally forced words out, his voice shaking badly. "Who… are you guys? What… have you done?"
A crack ran through his words, raw anger mixing with horror. Cold sweat rolled down his face as the full weight of the destruction hit him.
One of them laughed. "Cat got your tongue?"
The leader stepped forward, smirking. "Since you're going to die anyway, it won't hurt to tell you. We were hired to massacre this village. Someone wants that unstable hero Lucius dead. If you want to blame anyone, blame him. You people shielded him, after all."
The words landed like a blade in his gut. The small happiness he had found here, the kindness, the acceptance shattered just like it had when his mother died. Memories flashed violently behind his eyes. He shook his head hard, tears falling freely now.
"No… it can't be…"
The attackers saw the tears and exchanged satisfied glances, believing they had already broken him. They had no idea they were standing in front of the very Lucius they had been sent to kill.
The leader laughed again, voice thick with mockery. "If you bring Lucius to us, I might let you live."
They all burst into laughter.
But Lucius stood frozen, staring at the bodies. The villagers who had smiled at him yesterday. The man who had saved his life, now brutally stabbed and lifeless. The images kept flashing, over and over. His hands wouldn't stop trembling.
Then something inside him snapped.
A terrifying coldness settled over him. When he spoke again, his voice came out chilling, completely empty of warmth.
"Lucius, right?" He laughed a low, dangerous sound that made the attackers flinch. He pointed to himself, no longer shaking, no longer showing any trace of fear or pain. "I was never a hero. This world decided to mock me from the start. I was just trying to survive by playing the part… but I finally realized it's better to let your enemies see your true colors. That way they underestimate you."
Am Lucius he spoke words that came out in a very dangerous tone
The leader forced a mocking grin, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "Boys, this is the infamous fifth hero."
"You guys aren't worth keeping alive," Lucius said quietly.
Even though he had sworn to himself he would never kill anyone, his body moved on its own. Faster than before, he drew the sword formed from cursed energy. It materialized in his grip, dark and humming with malice, as he launched forward.
The first man barely had time to raise his weapon. Lucius's blade sank into his chest with a wet crunch. Hot blood sprayed across his face and hands. He felt nothing, no trembling, no fear of himself, only a burning hatred that filled every corner of his mind.
In the back of his thoughts, the shadow's voice laughed dangerously. Kill them.
He moved like a storm. Another attacker swung at him; Lucius twisted, drove the cursed sword up under the man's ribs, and twisted. A gurgling scream cut short as the body slumped. The metallic smell of blood mixed with smoke and fear-sweat hung thick in the air.
Despite attacking as a group, they were no match for Lucius now fully lost to the hatred. Their formation broke apart as he cut through several of them in seconds. Screams and the wet sound of steel meeting flesh filled the ruined village.
"No one told us he was this strong!" one screamed in terror, looking at Lucius like he was the real monster.
"He is a monster!"
"Shut up!" the leader snarled, anger and fear mixing on his face. "You think I'll lose to him?"
A few of the attackers broke and tried to run. "I can't do this!" But Lucius appeared in front of them instantly, ending their lives before they could escape. Soon only four remained.
"You three cover me and kill him now!" the leader ordered, his voice cracking with terror he could no longer hide.
"What loyal brothers," Lucius said coldly, mockery dripping from every word. "Ready to die for you."
The three men looked at each other, then at their leader. "So you plan to use us as sacrifices?"
"No, my brothers, would you let this stranger come between us?" the leader pleaded.
"Stop. We've had enough," one of them spat. "You always say that, but you never treat us like brothers."
Lucius watched with a low, cold smile. "It looks touching… but that doesn't mean any of you get to live."
"Mr. Lucius, we were confused, that's all!" the three begged, dropping to their knees. "We won't follow him anymore. Please, let us go!"
"Oh, I see," Lucius replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Why not?"
Before they could react, he killed them in one swift flash. The leader was now shaking so badly he could barely stand, watching all his men fall.
In desperation, the leader suddenly remembered the crystal stone he had been given. Without thinking, he swallowed it. Moments later, his body transformed, horns sprouted from his head, his skin turned black, his eyes glowed red with huge claws. He grew twice Lucius's size, roaring with inhuman strength.
Lucius looked surprised. He had thought only animals could change like that. How could a human do the same? Before he could react, the monstrous leader hurled him across the battlefield with brutal force. He crashed into the ground, bones cracking on impact. The earth shook from the blow.
His power activated instinctively to save him, but this time the healing was slower, weaker than before. Pain flared through his body. He knew if he didn't fight back, he would die here.
Gritting his teeth, Lucius activated everything he had left. His curse-eating ability flared to life, slowly draining the dark energy from the leader as he walked forward. Instead of screaming in pain, Lucius smiled a cold, broken smile that clearly confused the monster.
The leader roared and slashed at him with massive claws, cutting deep into Lucius's side. But Lucius refused to back down. He kept moving forward, hands open, refusing to use his sword yet. The leader attacked again and again, growing more frantic as he felt his own power being drained away.
Only when the leader had grown weak did Lucius finally summon his cursed sword and finish him off in one clean strike.
What felt like forever was now over.
Lucius stood there, breathing hard, staring at the bodies scattered around him like broken puppets. Blood soaked the ground. The faces that had smiled at him yesterday — Eron, the woman with the warm stew, the little boy with the missing teeth — now all died.
His hands, still gripping the cursed sword, wouldn't stop shaking. The hatred that had burned so hot moments ago was fading, leaving behind a hollow sickness twisting in his gut.
What have I become?
A low, familiar laugh echoed deep inside his mind. The shadow's voice slithered through the silence, warm and cruel at the same time.
See? That wasn't so hard. You felt alive, didn't you? No more running. No more pretending.
Lucius squeezed his eyes shut, but the images wouldn't leave. The kind villagers. The first real kindness he had known in this world. All gone — because of him.
He dropped to one knee, the sword dissolving into dark mist. Tears mixed with the blood on his face as the full weight crashed down on him.
And in the growing darkness, the shadow whispered one last time, soft and inviting:
Next time… you won't hesitate.