The North Estate was not a home; it was a corpse of a once-grand manor, left to rot in the damp embrace of the weeping mountains. Dust danced in the pale moonlight that filtered through shattered stained-glass windows, and the air tasted of ancient dampness and forgotten sins. But for Arain, it was the most beautiful place in the world. It was a place where the prying eyes of the Duke and the venomous gaze of the Baroness could not reach.
Arain sat on a throne made of rotted velvet and splintered oak in the center of the derelict ballroom. His small body felt heavy, his mana veins still humming with the aftershocks of the confrontation in the Great Hall. His nose had stopped bleeding, but the metallic tang remained at the back of his throat.
[Location: The North Estate - Sanctum of the Fallen.]
[Ambient Mana: High (Shadow Element).]
[Security Level: Zero.]
"Kael," Arain's voice cut through the silence, echoing against the peeling wallpaper.
Kael, who had been trying to light a fireplace with trembling hands, immediately stood at attention. "Yes, Young Master?"
"The Duke gave us this place because he thinks it's a prison," Arain said, his violet eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "He thinks without his gold and his knights, I am just a child playing with toys. We are going to prove him wrong. We aren't here to hide, Kael. We are here to build an empire that will swallow his 'Holy' house whole."
Kael looked around at the cobwebs and the holes in the ceiling. He wanted to ask how a six-year-old and a disgraced servant could build anything in a ruin, but then he looked into Arain's eyes. The doubt died in his throat. "What are your orders, Master?"
"First, we need eyes," Arain commanded. "The shadows of this estate have been hungry for a long time. It's time to feed them."
[System Notification: Domain Expansion Available.]
[Requirement: Sacrifice 500 Soul Points to claim the North Estate as 'Sovereign Territory'.]
[Current Soul Points: 2,150.]
"Accept," Arain whispered.
A wave of black energy erupted from Arain's seat, moving like a ripple in a dark pond. It climbed the walls, snaked through the floorboards, and surged into the very foundations of the manor. The dust stopped dancing; it froze in mid-air. The shadows in the corners didn't just exist anymore—they breathed.
[Sovereign Territory Established!]
[All shadows within the North Estate are now under the Host's direct control.]
[Passive Buff: 'King's Rest' – Health and Mana regeneration increased by 50% while inside the territory.]
Arain let out a long, shuddering breath as the 'King's Rest' took effect. The agonizing ache in his muscles began to fade, replaced by a cool, soothing sensation. He closed his eyes and felt the manor. He could feel a rat scurrying in the cellar, a loose shingle flapping on the roof, and... three figures moving through the overgrown tall grass outside the perimeter.
"Intruders," Arain murmured, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"Intruders? Already?" Kael reached for a rusted poker from the fireplace. "Is it the Duke's men?"
"No," Arain replied, standing up. His small frame seemed to grow taller as the shadows around him began to coalesce into a cloak of shifting darkness. "They smell of cheap ale and desperation. Scavengers. They think a neglected estate is an easy mark."
Outside, three men crept toward the side entrance. They were local bandits who had long used the 'cursed' North Estate as a hiding spot, assuming no one would ever return to it.
"I'm telling you, I saw lights," the largest one whispered, gripping a jagged dagger. "The Duke sent that brat here. He's probably got jewels or gold hidden in his rags."
"He's just a kid," the second one hissed. "We kill him, take the loot, and burn the place. No one cares about the 'trash' of the Luxmores."
They reached the heavy oak door, but before they could touch the handle, it swung open on its own.
The interior of the manor was pitch black. Not even the moon's light seemed to penetrate the threshold. From the darkness, a small figure stepped out. Arain stood there, his hands tucked into his pockets, looking utterly bored.
"You're trespassing," the boy said.
The bandits froze, then burst into laughter. "Look at this! The little prince wants to play tough. Listen, kid, give us the gold and maybe we'll kill you quickly."
Arain sighed. "I gave you a chance to run. But I suppose my new soldiers need a foundation."
"Abyss Sovereign Skill: Shadow Puppet – First Rite."
The bandits didn't even have time to scream. Their own shadows suddenly rose from the ground, wrapping around their ankles like iron chains. The shadows didn't stop there; they climbed up their bodies, stitching their mouths shut with threads of pure darkness.
Arain walked toward the lead bandit, who was wide-eyed with terror, his muffled groans echoing in the silent night. Arain placed a hand on the man's chest.
"You wanted gold?" Arain whispered, his eyes turning a predatory red. "In my world, the only currency that matters is the soul."
[System: Soul Extraction Initiated.]
[Processing... 3x Common Souls acquired.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Guard Creation.]
Arain didn't kill them—not exactly. He stripped them of their will, their memories, and their humanity, leaving behind hollow husks of shadow-infused flesh. Their eyes turned a dull, glowing purple, and they knelt before Arain in perfect unison.
[Units Created: 3x Shadow Thralls (Level 5).]
[Orders?]
"Clean the manor," Arain commanded. "Repair the roof. And if anyone else enters these woods without my permission... feed them to the mountain."
Kael stepped out of the house, watching as the three men began to move with unnatural, mechanical efficiency. He looked at Arain, a cold shiver running down his spine. He realized then that Arain wasn't just "different"—he was becoming something that didn't belong in the mortal realm.
"Master... what are they now?" Kael asked.
"They are the first bricks of my fortress," Arain said, looking up at the dark peaks of the mountains. "Kael, tomorrow you will go to the village. Use the gold I 'borrowed' from the Baroness's room. Buy supplies, seeds, and books on ancient geography. Tell them the North Estate is haunted. Tell them that a demon has taken residence here."
Arain turned back toward the manor, his shadow stretching across the grass like a giant's hand.
"Let the world fear the North," he whispered. "By the time the Hero of Light realizes I am still alive, I won't be a child hiding in a ruin. I will be the storm that breaks his sun."
[Evolution Progress: 22%.]
[Status: Level 18.]
[Current Goal: Reach Level 20 to unlock 'Volume II: The Awakening of the Abyss'.]
As the night deepened, the North Estate began to transform. The sounds of hammering and cleaning echoed through the halls, performed by silent, shadowed workers who never tired. In the center of it all, the Shadow Prince sat on his throne, staring into the "Record of Souls", planning the fall of an Empire.