"A locked skill has been unlocked."

  The meaning of this system message couldn’t have been clearer.

  It implied that one of Nikelus' unique abilities—all incredibly powerful but sealed—was finally becoming accessible.

  But could it really be true?

  Eager to find out, I doubled down on my hunting efforts.

  Now, after relentless monster slaying, I stood on the cusp of achieving a 100% quest completion rate.

  "This is it. Just one more to go."

  I set my sights on the last Mana Core before me.

  At the moment, I had defeated 10 monsters and destroyed 9 Mana Cores.

  Opening my quest window displayed the following:

  Sub-Quest (1)

  - Hunt 10 monsters in the western forest of the Blonka region. (10/10) (Completed)

  Sub-Quest (2)

  - Destroy all suspicious Mana Cores in the western forest of the Blonka region. (9/10) (Incomplete)

  Had I pressed the "Complete" button for the first sub-quest, I might already have unlocked the skill to see what it was. The system message had clearly stated that defeating 10 monsters was sufficient.

  But I held back.

  I wanted to finish both objectives first—to complete the Mana Core quest entirely and cleanly before claiming my rewards.

  And now, destroying this final Mana Core would bring me to my goal of 10.

  I raised my sword, brimming with anticipation.

  Slash!

  The grotesque, alien egg-like structure that housed the Mana Core shattered in one swing, oozing viscous fluid.

  This disgusting sight was par for the course with Mana Cores. These objects, brimming with condensed mana, were the birthplaces of monsters roaming this world.

  "Ugh... revolting."

  Gagging at the sight of congealed lumps within the sticky liquid, I stepped back. Were those unhatched monster embryos? Whatever they were, they’d soon disintegrate into ash. Still, I wanted no part of this filth touching my boots.

  I moved to a clean spot and reopened the quest window.

  Sub-Quest (1) (Completed)

  - Hunt 10 monsters in the western forest of the Blonka region. (10/10)

  Sub-Quest (2) (Completed)

  - Destroy all suspicious Mana Cores in the western forest of the Blonka region. (10/10)

  Seeing the (10/10) next to both objectives filled me with pride. With a satisfied sigh, I tapped the "Complete" buttons for each quest.

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  Ding!

  The reward notification chimed cheerfully:

  Sub-Quest Completion Rewards:

  

  
• Karma Points: +150


  
• Current Karma Points: -2,982


  

  Alignment: Evil

  "You stood by as a world crumbled to ruin. You’re as despicable as a traitor!"

  "If you don’t atone for your sins soon, you’ll become a demon!"

  Time Remaining Until Transformation (Human → Demon): 789 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes

  Seeing my Karma Points edge slightly closer to zero left me torn between relief and despair. The number was still catastrophically low—an abysmal score that could pierce Earth's core.

  And it wasn’t just a status effect. In Melthebu, low Karma came with a severe penalty: locked skills.

  "What a joke. I lived a decent life before all this. It’s Nicelus' original sins that cursed me, not mine."

  Before I possessed this body, I’d been an ordinary person. Yet here I was, saddled with this cursed legacy.

  Ding!

  "By completing all sub-quests, one locked skill has been unlocked!"

  "The skill [Blasphemy! (S)] has been unlocked!"

  Finally, the message I had been waiting for appeared.

  An S-rank skill, no less. My excitement soared as I opened the skill menu.

  [Nikelus Van Lucidmillar (S)]

  Unlocked Skills:

  

  
• [Blasphemy! (S)] (New)


  
• [Sanctified Non-Aggression Pact (S)]


  
• (Currently Locked)


  
• (Currently Locked)


  
• (Currently Locked)


  

  Current Karma: -2,982

  For the first time in ages, my mood lightened as I stared at the shimmering "New" badge beside the skill name.

  "Blasphemy? The name’s bizarre. What does it even do?"

  Curious, I tapped the skill for its description.

  "Your Grace, are you here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

  The sudden voice of Luciana, my knight captain, startled me. Instinctively, I closed the status window to hide my Karma score. Then I remembered: NPCs couldn’t see my interface anyway.

  Awkwardly, I let my hands drop, though Luciana was already eyeing me suspiciously.

  "What… are you doing?"

  "Just… swatting a bug. Anyway, how’s the preparation going?"

  Luciana’s skepticism lingered, but she answered, "It’s done. Shall we begin unsealing the ruins?"

  "Yeah. Let’s get started before nightfall."

  Arriving at the ruins, we stood before five colossal crystal pillars surrounded by priests. The crystals hummed faintly with latent divine energy.

  "Begin," I commanded.

  At my signal, the priests imbued the pillars with their divine power. The crystals began to glow, emitting a low, mechanical hum reminiscent of a computer booting up.

  Finally, a holographic interface flickered into existence:

  "Verification required. Please log in with your ID and password to proceed."

  ID: _______

  Password: _______

  "If you’re not a registered user, please click below to create an account."

  <>

  "This… is ancient technology," I muttered.

  The priests around me gawked in confusion. The screen displayed text in an ancient language none of them could read—but for some reason, I could.

  Ever since arriving in this world, ancient languages came as naturally to me as my native tongue.

  "Step aside. I’ll handle this."

  Pushing past the bewildered priests, I tapped the <> button.

  "Do you wish to proceed with account creation?"

  - Yes

  - No

  Despite the ominous phrasing, I selected Yes without hesitation. Entry was impossible without an account.

  Then, the ground began to rumble violently.

  "A qualification test will now commence. Prove your worth to Nerblocca, the God of War and Victory!"

  The earth shook as something massive stirred beneath us.

  The knights snapped to attention; weapons drawn. Luciana rushed to my side; concern etched across her face.

  "Your Grace, the guardian is awakening. You should fall back."

  "No," I replied, stepping forward.

  Luciana’s expression darkened.

  "You can’t be serious! This is no time for pride or recklessness!"

  "It’s not pride," I said calmly. "I’ve faced guardians before. Trust me."

  Drawing my S-rank sword, [The Last Conscience of the Corrupted Pope], I turned to face the emerging threat.

  "Stand back. I’ll handle this."

  For the first time, Luciana hesitated, her resolve faltering.