I was deeply immersed in the diary, barely noticing that night had crept in.
Shuffling footsteps snapped me out of it, and my face whipped toward the sound—Blade was approaching, carrying a deer on his shoulder.
It had a clean cut to the neck. No other injuries.
"Tonight we feast... tomorrow we return as heroes!" he laughed, and the others laughed with him.
Pa!
I shut the diary with a loud slap and watched them approach. As they got closer, their eyes flicked to the book in my hands, then to the crate filled with old tomes.
"What's going on?" Blade asked, slowly pulling the deer off his shoulder and dropping it to the ground with a dull thud. "Weren't you planning to rest?"
I simply shook my head and stood.
"I did," I lied, calmly. "Then I decided to go through these books in search of a clue on how to open the vault."
Buzz!
The air shifted.
They all exchanged glances before stepping forward at the same time.
"Did you find anything?" Angel asked, her voice sweet and curious.
Her white hair framed her big, innocent eyes, and the dimples on her face only added to her beauty. She had a petite build, and her cute face was powerful enough to disarm any man.
But I wasn't any man.
I was Eugene Larson.
The man who murdered his wife and kids over fifty times—without hesitation or remorse.
Still, their question lingered in my head.
How did they spend three months here and never once read the books they tried to steal?
Then I remembered life at the academy.
Carefree.
Fun.
Liberal.
No one forced you to attend classes or train.
No discipline. No purpose. Just vibes.
That's why they would always be inferior to me.
"Yes," I lied again.
Their eyes sparkled like they'd just won the lottery.
Blade rushed forward and gave me a crushing hug. For a second, I thought he might snap my bones with just a bit more pressure.
By the time he dropped me, I was surrounded. They gazed at me like I was some kind of lucky charm.
The deer? Forgotten.
"How?!" Blade asked, voice tinged with excitement.
I smiled.
I've never seen someone so happy to walk into death.
"It's something you need to see for yourself," I said, then snapped my fingers.
[Door Skill Activated]
Buzz!
They stepped back as a ghastly white gate emerged behind me. It creaked open with a loud screech, then slammed wide with a bang—revealing nothing but flowing white light beyond.
"This…" Angel muttered, stunned.
I understood her reaction.
Until now, they'd only seen me tear space forcefully—and torn space was always small. Never had they seen me create a massive, majestic gate like this.
I turned toward the gate, then glanced back over my shoulder.
"Come on."
With that, I stepped through—exiting inside the room where Lord Ravus and his wife were still positioned.
I walked casually toward them as Blade, Angel, and the rest of the non-combat personnel followed through the gate behind me.
Their eyes widened when they realized where we were.
Whoosh!
The gate vanished behind them. Their horrified gazes followed my every step.
"BRO, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Blade yelled—loud enough to drown his fear.
I just chuckled and stopped walking once I reached Lord Ravus's kneeling corpse.
I reached out and gently touched the cold cheek of the vampire lord.
"The key to the vault," I said, as a crimson glow flickered in my eyes.
[Blood Pact Activated]
[-10HP]
Suddenly my veins bulged, releasing a bright crimson flash that gathered at my fingertips. The energy poured into Lord Ravus's stone-encased body—cracks raced across the gray shell, leaking red light.
The team staggered back in panic, and a cruel grin spread across my face.
"Wh-what are y-you doing?" Angel stammered.
I said nothing.
Bang!
The rocky shell exploded, revealing Ravus's pale skin, every vein pulsing crimson. He looked almost unchanged—save for dark circles and fractures around his eyes. The glow in those eyes was gone, replaced by endless black.
Ding!
[ Name: Lord Ravus Noctis]
[Race: Vampire / Lesser Thrall]
[Stats]
[Strength] 15
[Speed] 15
[Vitality] 15
[Intelligence] 1
[Health Points] 200 / 200
Ding!
[Lord Ravus's power is suppressed by your weak talent. Upgrade Blood Pact to awaken his full strength.]
"Oh?" I tilted my head in real surprise. Fifteen points each, yet still held back?
I burst into laughter, clapping as I staggered backward. Blade, Angel, and the others stared, horrified, while Ravus let Maria's corpse drop and slowly rose to his full height.
A guttural growl rumbled from his throat as he fixed on Blade and the rest like beasts ready for slaughter.
"What is going on?!" one of the non-combat troopers cried, panic thick in his voice.
The thrill of outsmarting someone never grows old. Their terror mirrored my wife's and brother's faces when I caught them. Her pleas for mercy were sweeter than her gruesome death.
Pa!
I clapped again. The ghastly white gate opened behind me.
"Kill them—all of them," I ordered.
I stepped backward through the portal, leaving my hand raised a moment longer—long enough to see every face twist in fear—then let the gate seal shut.
I didn't need to watch the massacre; a certain diary awaited me. But I would remember each of their expressions.
I never forget the faces of my victims.
---
Once inside my pocket dimension, I dropped onto my back. It didn't hurt—the ground here was padded.
I pulled out the diary, flipping through the pages in search of where I'd stopped.
A few seconds later, I found the spot. But before I could start reading, a flurry of notifications appeared.
Ding!
[Limitless killed within territory]
[+2 Limitless fragments.]
[Limitless killed within your territory]
[+3 Limitless fragments]
[Human killed within territory]
[+1 Universal fragment]
[Human killed within territory]
[+1 Universal fragment]
[Human killed within territory]
[+1 Universal fragment]
[Human killed within territory]
[+1 Universal fragment]
"So fast!" I gasped.
It had only been seconds—and Lord Ravus wasn't even at full strength.
"How strong are Pamela and Viktor?" I muttered thoughtfully.
Those two held their ground against Ravus even at his peak.
Does that mean I still don't fully understand what they're capable of?