Noir's presence alone sent waves of fear through him. Everyone in the academy knew that some caves were used to contain dangerous beasts, but none had ever heard of this one—a humanoid goblin capable of speech, loyalty, and obedience.
Dave realized it too late: this wasn't a human. Johan wasn't human. He was a monster wearing a boy's skin.
"Master," Noir said, eyes gleaming, "May I take his right leg?"
"Go ahead," Johan nodded.
Noir crouched beside Dave and took a bite—slow, deliberate. He chewed thoughtfully.
Dave's screams were weaker now, his voice cracking from overuse. His throat had gone raw.
"You're too broken to be of any more use," Johan muttered with disappointment. "No more fear to harvest. You've run dry."
Without ceremony, Johan placed one hand under Dave's jaw, the other behind his neck—and ripped.
Dave's head separated from his shoulders. He didn't fight it. There was nothing left in his eyes. No defiance. No fear. Just a hollow surrender.
[Soul Absorber Activated]
Petrification Ability Acquired
"You're not just going to leave the body like that, right?" Lucy's voice echoed in his mind. "I'm sure the academy knows by now that someone's dead. Let Noir eat the body. Store his watch in Noir's dimension. Then disappear."
"Right."
Johan gave the order, and Noir complied—devouring the remains before the academy's tracking system could trace the scene.
As a diversion, Johan allowed Noir to remain in the forest temporarily while he activated Dis-summon, sending him into the beast dimension just before the patrol team arrived.
To mask his identity, Johan switched outfits, placed his glass in his shirt into the Unlimited Void, and removed a simple peg from his pocket.
Night had fallen.
He returned quietly to his dorm, exhausted but triumphant, and lay on his bed.
But first—he checked the system log.
[EXP + 100 × 200]
[EXP + 200 × 1]
[Screams × 50]
[Fear Points + 50 × 20]
✅ Requirements Met.
✅ Reward Unlocked: New Skill Acquired – Phase
Skill: Phase
Description: Grants the ability to pass through solid matter. Can be toggled for limbs or full body. Effective against physical attacks, walls, prisons, and physical constraints.
Johan smiled faintly.
"A devil's work is never done."
The next day, Johan didn't attend any classes. He had no reason to.
Instead, he made his way to Claire's house.
"I'm looking for Claire," he announced bluntly at the entrance. One of the guys lounging nearby opened the door without question. Johan walked in, uninvited, and headed straight to Claire's room.
Before he could knock, Claire's voice rang out from inside, "I'm coming!"
Yet, the moment she opened the door and met Johan's gaze, her body hesitated… but then obeyed, almost involuntarily. The unspoken pressure in his presence left her unable to resist.
Once inside, Johan got to the point.
"I want to buy an ability—something with ice attributes," he said. "You still have the money I told you to prepare?"
Claire nodded. She walked over to her connecting device and tapped into her mini teleportation disk, opening access to ability markets across their network.
They browsed for several minutes in silence.
"It says here there are no ice-based abilities available in the general shop," Claire finally reported.
Johan frowned slightly. "Are you sure that's the only place to get them? I want something paired with ice."
"I could check the Black Market," she offered, and without waiting, input a few advanced codes.
After a moment, the results loaded.
"There are four ice-based abilities currently available on the Black Market: Ice Main, Ice Flame, Ice Embodiment, and Ice Ammonia," she said, scrolling through them.
"Descriptions?" Johan asked.
Claire began reading:
Ice Main – A magic-based ice elemental ability. Allows the user to create weapons and structures of the imagination using solid ice. Highly durable.
Ice Flame – A rare elemental ability that fuses extreme heat and cold simultaneously. Victims feel like they're burning on the inside and freezing on the outside. The user can form constructs, but they're less stable than Ice Main.
Ice Embodiment – Allows the user to convert parts of their body into ice and weaponize them at will. Useful for close combat and regeneration tactics.
Ice Summoner – Grants the ability to summon ice-elemental beasts. Beasts are bonded to the user and can assist in battles or environmental manipulation.
Claire's voice echoed.
"Johan, I suggest you go with Ice Flame."
"Why?" he asked internally, his face unreadable.
"I can't say for sure… but if this is the legendary Ice Flame I'm thinking of, then it degraded and lost its master. That's likely why it's in the market pile now. The fusion of opposing energies hints at a soul-bound relic."
Johan nodded. "Your instincts are always on point."
He looked at Claire. "Buy it. I've decided."
Claire hesitated. "Are you sure? It says here—"
"Buy it," Johan cut her off sharply, his voice cold. The irritation in his tone silenced her.
Without another word, she confirmed the purchase.
The teleportation disk spun rapidly, glowing with swirling energy. Then—whoosh—a sleek metallic box materialized in front of them.
Johan stepped forward, opened the box, and removed the ability pearl inside.
The moment he touched it, the room's temperature plunged and rose chaotically—ice forming, then melting, heat waves crashing over patches of frost. The air itself became unstable.
Johan placed the pearl in his mouth and paused, letting it sit without swallowing.
Claire stepped back instinctively.
"Johan… I think the previous owner consumed an ability pearl too," Lucy warned. "There's a secondary energy signature inside. That could mean it carries residual will... or a fragment of their soul."
"I know," Johan replied mentally, eyes shut in focus. "I'll try to absorb it anyway."
"Try using the Soul Absorber skill too," Lucy added quickly. "It might fuse properly. If there's a soul fragment inside, you could gain more."
"Ah. Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Johan muttered in thought.
Seconds passed. Then—
"It worked!" Johan exclaimed joyfully through the link.
His eyes shot open—and two new messages hovered before him.
✅ New Skill Acquired
Skill: Ice Flame
Description: Allows the user to simultaneously burn and freeze targets. Generates constructs from unstable, high-energy elemental ice.
✅ New Skill Acquired
Skill: Blink
Description: Grants short-distance teleportation. Range depends on user's energy level and skill mastery.
Lucy chuckled through the bond.
"Looks like you hit a jackpot."
For a fleeting moment, Johan's crimson eyes turned icy blue, then quickly shifted back.
Claire noticed—and for the first time, she felt a strange flutter of hope. His tone had softened slightly. The chaotic energy had settled.
Maybe… just maybe, he wasn't all bad.
"Do you have a place to train?" Johan asked, his voice more composed.
Claire blinked. "Yes. Come with me."
They walked behind the house and emerged into a massive private training field—a park with high-tech training dummies, gravity fields, elemental zones, and terrain simulation platforms.
Johan stepped forward slowly, his palm raised.
"Let's see what Ice Flame can do."