The silence in the Great Cathedral of Saint-Valerius was suffocating for them, but for me, it was home. The scent of incense they so revered was utterly overpowered by the aroma of sulfur and iron wafting from my robes. The lingering "souvenirs" of my blood-soaked old world.
At my feet, King Alaric III remained prostrate. The old man trembled violently, staring at the tips of my pristine white boots as if he were witnessing the apocalypse. I knew he had sacrificed everything for this Hero Summoning ritual: treasures, mana crystals, even seventeen archbishops.
He expected light. How pitiful.
When he finally dared to look into my eyes, I saw my reflection in his shrinking pupils. He didn't find a hero there. He found only a bottomless void.
"O... Lord Hero..." his voice cracked, "Our holy detection instruments... they shattered the moment you appeared. But the prophecy said—"
"Prophecies are often written by people who are far too optimistic," I cut him off softly.
My voice wasn't loud, yet I could feel every word I spoke slamming into their chests like a sledgehammer. I turned slowly, scanning the rows of bishops whose faces were already as pale as corpses.
Suddenly, a crystal ball in the corner of the room vibrated so violently that it cracked. A black liquid seeped out, and in the corner of my eye, a familiar system interface reappeared.
[WARNING: OVERFLOW ERROR]
[Target Infamy Level: BEYOND CLASSIFICATION]
[Moral Alignment: ABSOLUTE VOID]
"W-what is that?" whispered one of the bishops. "The score... what is that score appearing above his head?"
I looked up, seeing numbers colored in a blood-red so dark they looked like a black hole floating in the air.
[-9,999,999,999]
I gave a thin smile. "Ah, so you can see it too? In my world, that number meant I couldn't enter any city without being attacked by every guard. But here... it seems you've opened the very heart of your kingdom to me."
"Wait! Something is wrong!" screamed Archbishop Valerian. He raised his golden staff, trying to gather a holy light that looked dim and frightened. "This aura... this is no hero! He is a calamity! Soldiers! Destroy this entity!"
The cathedral doors burst open. Hundreds of Royal Guard knights surged in, their silver armor glistening. They moved in polished formations, the kind of troops trained to slay dragons, but in my eyes, they were nothing more than ants wearing sardine cans.
"Soldiers? Silver swords? How classic," I murmured.
I flicked my fingers.
Sring!
The air behind me rippled. Ten, thirty, fifty Gates of Void opened simultaneously. From every golden ripple, I recalled my collection: blue-fire greatswords, black lightning spears, even dragon-bone daggers.
"Do you know what hurts the most about being killed by me?" I asked, stepping calmly toward the throng of knights. "It's not death itself. It's the fact that you will die by the weapons of heroes far stronger than you... people I have already finished off."
"Attack!!" their captain roared.
I simply waved my right hand, as if shooing away a fly bothersome to my afternoon nap.
SWISH—BOOM!
Ten legendary weapon projectiles streaked forward, shattering the sound barrier and blowing every stained-glass window in the cathedral to smithereens. The knights in the front row didn't even have time to scream. Their bodies disintegrated, their armor pierced as if it were made of dried mud.
Blood splattered toward my robes, but as usual, the red liquid slid off without leaving a stain. My cloak was far too arrogant to be soiled by the blood of "lowly creatures" like them.
"Stop! Stop it!" King Alaric shrieked hysterically.
I stopped right in front of the king. I leaned down slightly, meeting his eyes with my most "friendly" smile. The kind that usually made my enemies beg for a quick death.
"Why stop? Didn't you want the power to change the world?"
I reached out and plucked the golden crown from his cold, sweaty head, twirling it dismissively before dropping it to the floor and crushing it flat under my boot.
"The world will indeed change, Your Majesty. But not into the paradise of your dreams. I will make it my private garden. And a beautiful garden... needs plenty of fertilizer."
I felt my aura spread, enveloping the entire cathedral until the shadows on the walls began to move restlessly according to my will.
"Now, tell me," my voice turned cold. "Where do you keep the rest of this kingdom's mana and holy artifacts? I hate wasting time."
Valerian tried to chant a spell behind me. Foolish. Before his last word could escape, I sent a black dagger straight through his throat without even turning around. He collapsed, eyes bulging.
"One more rule from my world," I said, walking toward the now-vacant golden throne. "Do not speak while I am asking a question. It's impolite."
I sat there, crossing my legs and resting my chin on my hand. Behind me, hundreds of swords still hovered, ready to rain down death whenever I pleased.
"So, who wants to be the next 'fertilizer'?"