Chapter 1: To Kill My Fiancée
PPfwThere once lived a singular man who became a great mage solely through hatred.kVoXRc
EsslAMBHis name was Perda Rosnova.AY4
NMVABorn as the third son of the Rosnova knightly family, he was particularly frail in body.hd2Mv
XcgH1XVIn addition to being the son of a concubine, he did not possess the family’s distinctive brown eyes passed down through generations, but rather blue eyes, for which even the household servants despised him.iUWc0RI
0QkxaisEventually, his father, Eremvalt Rosnova, gave him some news when Perda turned 18.kYKPA
6up“Your engagement to the Queen of Valdrova has been arranged.”OW5y
DW2yIt might have sounded like a mere engagement ceremony, but among nobles, “to be engaged to the Queen of Valdrova” had already become a common saying.Lo53BT
zj4JIn short, it was equivalent to a death sentence.vD6xwPL
YjhAccepting the engagement meant dying along the way, and rejecting it meant defying the will of the family, which implied exile.c1Wgj
LBwqc5“I will follow my father’s will.”OTf
rWLHk“Good.”KTd
TQO6yFor Perda, life was more important, so he chose to live. He had to abandon the Rosnova name and head into the outside world.UxOGIM
Er6LsA deep sense of betrayal took root in his young heart.YrHlIeV
8wEyuHe could never forgive the brothers who belittled him, nor the servants.Ef87Q
gbwEd6nBut what enraged him the most was his father.aBHTZjq
CjvQ6‘To think that all this time you knew how hard I was trying…’ThC
3pxTo be acknowledged as a member of that house, he had forced his frail body to bleed day after day, training until his hands were covered in calluses.oYrC246
fpjDHis father had watched him with a gaze that seemed to appreciate those efforts.qEn0Daj
JZ4hUBut as years passed and he showed no real progress, that expression gradually changed—until he looked at Perda as if he were nothing but a failure.F5jXgSk
BxMnuWhen he was expelled, his father’s gaze was that of someone discarding waste.HXmkLD2
Ipu10DNEven days later, that look still haunted him.afN7AR
wMJzo3W‘I will never forgive him.’WMm
dbtspkdSadness turned into rage, and that rage ignited into the flames of vengeance.CCz
i7vV‘I will make them regret abandoning me.’8FpuCb
H1yokPerda clenched his fists. At that moment, he felt something stir within him.vyFQ36
Qx7DOwXMana began to swirl inside his body—the moment a circle opened, the mark of a mage.ewK
X52FjOn the very day he was cast out of the Rosnova family, Perda Rosnova awakened as a mage.SVLGke
jP9EH***9BIu
HUZAwakening as a mage was a blessing. On the continent of Serdes, the mere ability to wield magic changed one’s social status entirely.CusNA
nlh8k5XBut for Perda to awaken at 18 was pitiful—far too late.bxC29
RrMH8FuA mage needs inner strength as their engine. To master that concept, one must begin training from childhood.FyENZL9
UeD3KIf not trained from a young age, the learning process as an adult is several times more painful.wjbExT
1WCi1bAnd yet, for Perda, this late awakening posed no obstacle.vpLHh
OqbBecause the source of his mana was hatred and the desire for revenge.dyHO
M5PUETv— At that age and still dreaming of becoming a mage…F8bjJ3
KoR— As long as he obeys orders, he’ll be a useful slave until graduation.l1Mw
RO8vKHis drive came from the veteran mages who scorned him and the younger apprentices who mocked him.7tTp4x
U2uEVRWith each passing day, new reasons to hate piled up.j6lNdp
DDCrD‘Bark all you want. I’ll make you lick every corner of my feet!’N5F
9QY3fzLHis obsession with becoming stronger and his thirst for revenge never faded, and day by day, they made him more powerful.sOsSrL
8gzFCUSoon, he surpassed the most promising mages—even his own master.QXRP
LyADFor a time, so many subordinates walked at his feet that they didn’t even have time to gather dust.GpXbk
zpSPerda believed his power was a blessing.8YAI
FXV‘As long as I hate someone, I will grow stronger.’Ptd
m9d5QAnd the world was full of targets to hate.ywdI8
F38YL0AHis rapid growth made his temperament increasingly brutal.wkEroQW
I7ln9Thus, when Perda reached the rank of Archmage—one of fewer than a hundred across the continent capable of opening the sixth circle—he crossed the forbidden line.5hiwmg
FcMfoxaHe returned to the Rosnova household and annihilated them all.qch3ww
2FuLHe forced the servants who had humiliated him to take up knives and kill one another.Dj2Bsjm
wTyt77iHe manipulated his two older brothers into hating and destroying each other.y3Cs8se
C4RlqRAnd his father, the one he hated most, was made to witness how everything he had built crumbled into misery.u3k
FVr11Eremvalt went mad, aging rapidly as though he’d lost decades in a moment, becoming a living specter.ZqW
zimgzEverything tied to the Rosnova name disappeared—except Perda.yHBxq
UU1FSSHis vengeance, twisted though it was, brought him indescribable catharsis.w1iKsm
OJCId93‘…There are still enemies left.’qI2O8
ba4tmPAnd with that, an insatiable thirst.TAW0Wc
qAPkPerda was no longer human, but a monster driven by a single emotion.kbIQfr9
2mLL‘I must erase them all. For that, I need even greater power.’K4wdL1
cqDgAHis rage, once aimed at his family, did not die. It shifted—and grew even larger.dDU8w
CtygBwIn the face of his atrocities, many drew their swords.nL8gKB
tFZHe was declared a public enemy of the continent, and dozens of strategies were devised to take him down.8JP
7L7But each trial only made him stronger.8kZFYL
ktv0At the age of 45, Perda reached the eighth circle—the level of Mana Lord, the highest peak a human could attain.bckN4x
gQfHThe continent’s only great mage.xOnoIH6
lzis‘It’s not enough.’HW1xJoR
fkbzxEven with everything beneath his feet, the fire in his heart never extinguished.OOi0
1rH‘They still hate me. One day, they’ll try to kill me again.’gnVYfR
D6b4YPerda, fully aware of the unending chain of hatred and revenge, could not allow that.yAh8PA
H7G8ds‘I must crush them, eliminate them—forever.’B9LE5
WqaVTo create his own utopia, he began probing into the realm of the gods.WaPFR7
xpy51rzAfter five years of research, he discovered the supreme material the heart of a red dragon.Y9ozjBH
5fIFate mocked him.ruN
F8dAF‘The Queen of Valdrova…’oiAWLO
HVTHis fiancée.Vlrr
oc2X9RBThe pretext Eremvalt had used to cast him out.B6Z
pak9That being was none other than the red dragon.Fgo
k7mt***9hMnK5J
2vR— Fate is certainly cruel.i1M
0cBFoThe one who spoke was the dragon himself, considered the most powerful being on the continent.fCW
058XlHis red scales, magnificent horns, imposing eyes, and wings that covered the sky were symbols of his supremacy.ixC7GK
LsAzPubBut now, he was different—his scales fallen, his horns broken, and blood streaming from his body.huoI
rHZThe one who had brought him to that state was a single mage.vPV
9mZ3— I never imagined that the one meant to be engaged to me would come to kill me.sWp
GPCFzPerda smiled. A smile barely concealing arrogance.mhn2
PhsQZMaThough he had reduced the dragon to such a state, he himself was not unscathed.m5Fna
J8spmc4“It would be best if you died quietly by my hand, Valdrova.”hos
D1L35w— I know they call me a tyrant. But in all these years, even before you were born, I never revealed myself nor harmed any human. So why do you look at me with such hostility?of0
zxxL“You say you did nothing?”3ktSqV
0OCIxThe dragon’s serene tone sounded irritatingly indifferent. Perda felt fury boiling within him.G3A
wJFu8V“You’re the cause of my misery! It was because of your useless whim to seek a fiancé that my father found the perfect excuse to expel me.”6AA
YYC— Because of me…?8Vlb
9ESR08“Exactly! Because of the absurd greed of a beast who wanted to take a human as a partner, all my misfortune was born! Do you understand?”FU9kSSY
2IPPerda breathed heavily, then gave a crooked smile.eIfJ1
IMayzG3“But I also thank you. Thanks to that, I made it here.”nTlLnAA
tiTfMZ— I see…DS9wj
X5aThe dragon’s face tensed. Rage? His last outburst before dying? It didn’t matter.8sNE
EvCsKfAs those twisted emotions erupted, Perda activated the red circle. He was ready.l4d
cuprT— Now I understand.l5T
UolrdXThe dragon moved his enormous body. He revealed his claws—sharp as blades capable of tearing knights apart with a single swipe.pzc
o1qPerda hastily prepared his magic circle. Even if late, at least he could drag the dragon to death with him.mwkF
n1rOimQBut the claw didn’t strike him.9Wys
HYC7tHtThud!eyoC
LoQp05FThe claw plunged into his own chest.VXDamwO
m8gN3xGPerda was stunned.FH3sdh
oeLsO“What…?”E00lVU8
wzYpThe scales tore apart, revealing viscera.G5p7lFB
nsOSf— Your magic requires my heart, doesn’t it?MmX
5n7Qn06Crrrack—!s9P8
AZeThe sound of veins tearing.Bb3lc15
MwFNIn that instant, Perda understood. He was destroying his own heart.g7aeu
RIgy2Y“No!”MdXYOab
OL9uPerda hurled his spells at the dragon’s face.mDMc
eQRP2G“No, you damned lizard! Stop right now!”HysZa
fZtHjnZHe couldn’t let the dragon destroy himself. It was his only chance to reach the ninth circle.frZW5
nTNThe dragon’s head scales shattered into fragments, but his hand did not stop.qyul
oSs3psbThe sound of muscles and vessels tearing continued.IOp
y1mnj— You need my heart, don’t you?Sfbo
TAMAs he pulled the claw from his entrails, a piece of flesh larger than Perda’s head appeared.W1syz
WUl0mxO“…A heart?”hIdoq
1E3svIt was intact. He hadn’t destroyed it—he had extracted it.2DDtU
CHKz— Take it.d4jXN
X9jnkHalf of the dragon’s face, crumbling away, uttered those words.7QxxPg
YhVtPnAny other Perda would have accepted it with gratitude.tOtHMW
SWy2S6mBut even he, twisted as he was, could not understand this act.egTJhuj
TDBfAHe stared at the heart in silence.lg8nf
H9R“…Why did you choose to do this?”IVn8H
ivOyVwPerda asked the question.JaAN8P
rAenT“If you had attacked… couldn’t you have easily killed me? You couldn’t ignore that.”A23
B8EYIS“If I had resisted with my final breath… surely you would’ve died as well. I knew that.”AJhygPG
TQ1c“Then why didn’t you?”ty1i
wt1eB“Because you were unhappy because of me.”tx3vje
eJEw2DEven then, Perda froze.UHgOD
kfG3Valdrova no longer had the strength to hold up his own neck.BIxhn7V
rqiXjk“For a long time… I’ve hated myself.”vBHdcIr
vfxIn his serene tone was a dense trace of loathing.OolBaz
aRl“I hate the cruel blood that runs through these veins. I hate that senseless rage, that urge to destroy. And most of all, I hate that this part of me frightens others.”pii
mVE7DuoThe gold in his eyes was fading. Something swelled in them and rolled down his cheek.2K56
a14FIt was a tear.RCQ
RR7mXmA dragon’s tears are unlike those of humans. A dragon is not sentimental enough to cry from sorrow.kdC9i
bacAnd yet, that tear seemed to be made of pure grief.jrJHS6
3jeQ“If I die, everything will be resolved… but I wanted to live, hoping for happiness. My foolish dream only brought misfortune to too many people.”CfkV
eqyNHr0“……”ZOXs5h
NHP2U“Because of me, you were unhappy. Mortal, you who suffered due to my selfishness—I want you to be happy because of me. That will be my final…”OvKC3
WCrTXWWith his last breath, a whisper was etched into the air.LngHbe
FcRaai“Be happy, my betrothed.”47PXiYF
ZmWjqkThus died Valdrova, the hidden tyrant of the continent.OOY
dU7Perda looked at him in silence, eyes closed.kpsxjhN
Kj75For the first time since he became a mage out of pure rage, he felt something strange.seBQ6m
uHr9qsT‘Why does this leave such a bitter taste?’XY0
RQmHe instinctively brought his hand to his chest.XXQ5CbQ
win1eQHe had come this far over piles of corpses.Eo0ybjj
ROOHe had killed anyone who stood in his way, stolen what he needed to grow strong.5bDm
HZUDCBHe knew he was a broken being, without conscience or empathy.3EO8939
LyJAnd yet, her death held him back.peNM
cfpAs if it were a curse cast upon him.5sSudF
TjPWb‘Don’t think about it, Perda.’fxKjb
5sWHe had to keep going.56N5
H3HTake what he had always wanted.aosMR
xfDcOHe had already crossed a river he could never return from.QGUD6T
iWNg6rUHe took what she had left behind.cj2XF
65jZIwThe heart of a dragon.J00
RjcZXmThe origin that allowed one to reach the ninth circle—the dream of every mage.mUc
4sW7The object capable of raising him from great mage to demigod.wq8
XOEHe would absorb it.Iox
2uaZAnd, as always, he would continue to take revenge on all that had made him unhappy. Even though he had long forgotten the reasons behind that vengeance.UQqtNv
0oL2FPerda absorbed the essence contained in that heart.IC0kEX
jk8bSIWhen the energy of the dragon, alive since ancient days, coursed through his veins, his blood began to boil.fQq9DwP
hzJ2UAlong with that torrent of power, he felt something unusual.hLz6kN3
qQasQ‘This is…’Z8xu
fvo9A sensation—the entire life of Valdrova.qQqHE
ddC2llC‘Her emotions?’Kx8fq9A
V4ZThose emotions embedded themselves in Perda before he could resist.Ori
smSUG“Ah…”ZP6jvCL
neZR2bA gasp escaped his lips.Xpj8K
NR9JHis mind began to clear.aaXxP
OaW5ukgThe hatred and thirst for vengeance that had fueled his power faded.2C85yRk
2Zl6auWas it her blood that was purifying his mind?SVjqdh4
hOQ6dcg‘No.’tZYyjGX
zTeVuWhat he perceived from the heart was closer to absolute denial.CEk9o
ZQ3YvA feeling far deeper than his own hate or rage, as if he stood on the edge of an infinite abyss.MBEbJ
c0sIV2The red dragon who had lived for millennia without being loved even once.CcAfTAv
BaDUuCUncontrollable rage, “Evil Dragon,” “Slayer of Men”… titles soaked in infamy that painted her as a true tyrant.9ySu
gTV5wSThey were curses accumulated over the years.VV54ZB
dJ0wKpZBut Valdrova had even loved those burdens.36Jh
n1GdThat’s why she chose to hide.fS3E
HmHShe loved everyone and endured the loneliness and pain in silence.kAZEd
AorvAnd Perda had severed that final thread.Cvg
5BNThat’s why his mind now felt so clear.KRU9
xZE8FHe understood how insignificant his hatred and rage had been.fVF9tD
nOZc1“Ah…”TdVY3Fm
pC5j7gdA weak sigh left his lips.gQXw
kSdNJtFor twenty years, he had never been in his right mind.UtH
jwIF8Now, for the first time, he was fully himself.JqO1
DHDxLxn“What… have I done?”JjhU
GFbBlinded by his emotions, he let himself be consumed by his own power and destroyed everything.wIMdb
pXm40LSomeone, entire families, villages.CiF
ubpT7“Was that really what I wanted?”zwLxb
Omq3l8“Ah…”gQ5
QLr5SPerda dropped to his knees. With a blank mind, he watched a circle appear before him.hnvsh
8t2cAOne after another, they completed.cprtprr
m59mAnd with each circle, his life flashed like lightning.Cv9o
pmp1The first circle—the sorrow of being expelled from his family.Wk6BB8l
TGWbtThe second—the rage of being ridiculed for lacking talent.EPniNU
gxd40Inferiority, resentment, envy, betrayal…TBD
0DydQAll of Perda’s circles were built upon negative emotions. To survive, he had not hesitated to betray; to grow, he had repeated vile acts.OrDOZK
WTwMThat’s how he became a great mage of the eighth circle. And now, as he reached the ninth, what he felt was—5imf
3FZH‘Emptiness…’X4hc0ZJ
cIJp967The sense that nothing had meaning.JZg
jNmAnd at the same time, anger.JvHe
Ro0VValdrova—that woman—had turned all his achievements into a mistake.MlVeSau
Prqvj2F“Stupid… fool…”qEDd
1cqaVHe tried to blame her.rpW
LUrBut he no longer felt it as before—there was no force behind those words.MPjEp
V0z1vHe knew perfectly well they were hollow.nh4
QaB3yThe truth was, the fool had been him.XYU
A3mHFrom the beginning, she had only been a pretext.APw
nHP1EbEremvalt would have expelled him anyway; if not her, he would have found another excuse.k9dpxh
jD9He knew that, and yet he poured all his hatred into her.txx
41ApUAoValdrova accepted that absurd burden.6ZtoZp
H15ckAnd still, she wished happiness for someone.HDv
JeuPeDEven for the one trying to kill her.SW3x
uxJM8RFrom the heart.j5IyU
BZJYPerda laughed bitterly.xW26V
xY4vBut meanwhile, the circle of the ninth level glowed intensely.XAXma
uSBDA ninth-circle mage could cast only a single spell.FDkF9
z4t1Tel“Wish.”CIj
A4rjoKaAn absolute power capable of granting anything, bending the laws of the world.Zokm
2kJrA spell as simple as speaking it aloud.3KtLe
MglnlHe had obtained what he desired most, and yet his throat was closed.fOp
13oUOHe couldn’t think of a single wish.stC3gGu
IePU‘What was it that I longed for so badly?’MgFFmA
ihmtYlTo eliminate everything that rejected him. That had been the dream of the madman he became.KFAiGja
dNDbOVeBut now there was no such dream.uen
JxX6He suddenly recalled that childhood dream.uGdvO
KUvtA clumsy drawing, made with colored pencils.LbI
0EJ‘I just wanted a simple family and to live in peace.’Oz8n
E37XpThat was also Valdrova’s wish.zPgJEY
MzcBut now, he could no longer ask for such a thing.r1P
vZi8After so much bloodshed, how could he hope for a peaceful life?PkZfw
jRSAnd the worst part—he had killed the one who was meant to be his betrothed, and Valdrova had died at the hands of the one meant to be hers.d6wpIG
tmHtRQIt was as if he had murdered his own fiancée with his own hands.HUU
x3XMzHow could a man like that dream of happiness or a family?2AMl
zkBy4eK“Be happy, my betrothed…”04ezO
JvnoAAThe voice of his reborn conscience repeated those words, tormenting him.9hxW
deLIt condemned the decades spent chasing only power, despised the pettiness of having remembered every name for revenge.Ggh
AVvx5VTThat feeling, impossible to describe, was understood by his own heart.ByFmr
Us3zI“It’s meaningless…”zfdvW
6P6BJsuThe magic circle shone with intensity.ExOSQsu
phwAnd when the light vanished completely, the ninth-circle mage had disappeared without a trace.XKgsP
PyIjSF***tzD2s
Voqu3g“……rda?”tFAa0W
YR9Ouoi“……”vWucg
T3IS“Perda.”tKY7s0O
IN9No, he had regained consciousness.mqnYq3
seTVLpxThe brilliant light faded, and upon hearing his name called, Perda opened his eyes.Xejp
YHbIn front of him was not a bleeding dragon, but a middle-aged man sitting down.Nlzk
ZCR“Perda, are you listening to me?”TTiK
WKq7gwO“…Yes?”v3Y5bhp
orf“Yes, you say? Your father is speaking to you and all this time you’ve just been staring blankly?”kpNDnI
6TPPdSPThe man frowned.6JE
c9WummKPerda knew who he was.Wq6coTY
L8S‘Eremvalt Rosnova.’cbmIWSq
XOgesThe one he had once affectionately called father.vszX
XGwAnd he looked much healthier than the last time he saw him.ZBUpF
RMjYhWas he dead and in the afterlife?N0rrJ9Y
ry2lUAnd yet, all of this felt strangely familiar.Qph0
31jts‘This place is…?’DaW0ld
RmERHe realized it instantly.EouMg0
giMplThe only time in his life he had been alone with his father and they spoke face-to-face.kYuAH
8qE42“Your engagement to the Queen of Valdrova has been decided. It’s a matter determined by the kingdom, so I expect you to accept it without protest.”zQDZG
ijq4The engagement to the Queen of Valdrova.wl8
Ok5jPO‘Have I not died, but returned to that time?’779U
83uULiThat moment he had always considered the beginning of all his misfortune.IrHqv6w
two5rThe starting point of the vengeance he could never stop.xycs
halz‘Why?’jL4i
0JVHis mind still didn’t understand, but his heart already knew.6vD
mgcHUz0Amid that emptiness, he knew what he had truly desired.J1GtI
0HKo“Ha…”Mou
qGnNA strange sigh escaped his lips.76v50IW
C2w68“What’s wrong, breathing deeply while I’m talking?”QjFf9gt
Xdr“I’m sorry, it’s nothing.”wqxr
smzgP8“Then repeat what I just said.”O3vCjn
jsKOs8“You said I will be engaged to the Queen of Valdrova.”e5b9OB
sD7f“You know well what that means, don’t you?”no7
d796“I do.”PHU
4MfVODvThat he must leave that house.gQ4
KJYb8Perda understood this, and responded to his father.9CS
dtzHY“Alright.”Ilo
fk55KQ“Yes, I also thought you’d suffer a lot with… Huh?”F2lPPL0
EWw5eEremvalt opened his eyes wide and looked at him again.s6KX
XuAhv“W-what did you just say?”cYcq
kgiR5sPerda looked down at the documents in front of him and calmly repeated.tKQ
Ni1cThe meaning of this regression was to face what, in his previous life, he had never been able to do.Aaxq
uWkh“I’ll do it. I accept the engagement.”d929e7i
ecOPHe formally accepted the engagement to the tyrant Valdrova.iZ68p
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationOho guest huh 😏
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationFinally.