The thin young man’s sword came down in a wild arc – no technique, just anger.

He didn’t take Lucien seriously.

Lucien’s frail stature was deceptive, giving the impression of a weak person.

Lucien didn’t move. He entered the Heart-Mind fusion state, locking away his emotions.

At the last breath, he stepped forward, inside the swing. The blade passed behind his back, harmless. His left hand caught the minion’s wrist. His right hand brought the Fang up.

The blade slid into the man’s throat – soft, silent, final.

The minion’s eyes went wide. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Blood dripped down the dark steel.

Lucien pulled the blade free. The body crumpled to the grass.

"Next," Lucien said, his gaze shifting to Shea. "Or all at once. It doesn’t matter."

Everywhere fell silent. Only the fluttering of the trees could be heard.

Shea and his minions were shocked that Lucien was this strong. It was a clean kill. The Fang was still dripping blood.

Seraphina was also shocked. She knew this was the first time Lucien had killed a human. But it was too clean – no hesitation.

She looked at his eyes. There were no emotions. Cold and empty.

She immediately knew what had happened. Lucien had locked his emotions.

Lucien took a step forward. He didn’t wait for them to attack.

He charged amidst their shock and claimed a life with the Fang, like a grim reaper.

Before they could assume a battle stance, two more lives were claimed.

The others quickly attacked, fearing for their own lives.

But what can the weak do against the strong?

They followed their comrade on the journey to hell as Lucien harvested their lives.

And before long, dead bodies littered the ground, blood flowing like a river.

Only Shea remained alive to witness this scene.

He was beyond scared, unable to process his next move.

His legs shook with fear, rooted to the spot. His clothes were soiled.

Lucien’s footsteps were like echoes of death to him.

Lucien stood before him with those emotionless eyes.

This was the reality of the world. Only the strong survive.

Good cannot exist without evil. Light cannot exist without darkness.

Every being is born with both good and evil within. As a newborn, the two forces are in balance. That is why babies cannot comprehend whether their actions are good or bad.

But as they grow, a new factor enters: thought.

Thought breaks the balance. It tilts either toward good or evil. The two cannot remain equal.

The same is true of killing.

It is a matter of mentality – following where your heart leads.

Killing should never be done for satisfaction. It should be done for a reason – a good one. For protection, for example.

Ding!

The system notification rang in his mind, but he was in no mood or situation to check it.

"Please don’t kill me." Shea dropped to his knees and begged, clutching Lucien’s legs. Tears flowed from his eyes; snot dripped from his nose.

Lucien shook his head.

It is only at the face of death that you can know a person’s true character.

"If I were weak, would you have spared me?" Lucien asked in an emotionless voice.

Shea, who had been crying, fell silent. Lucien had his answer.

"This is the world we live in, and the path you chose." Lucien sighed.

The moment Shea heard this, his weeping face twisted into a smirk. He lunged with a short knife – a sneak attack.

But why was everything becoming blurry?

Shea felt the world shift. Lucien seemed to have grown shorter.

Then he saw a headless body falling to the ground, blood spurting from its neck.

Only then did he understand.

"Your fate was sealed the moment you harboured such dark thoughts toward my wife. Have a nice trip to hell."

Lucien’s words echoed in his ears as the darkness closed in.

Shea’s head thudded to the ground, his eyes wide with unwillingness.

Who told him to be greedy – to knock on hell’s door?

Lucien looked at the dead body. This is how life is.

You come with nothing into the world and you leave with nothing.

Isn’t it ironic?

He exited the Heart‑Mind fusion state, and he felt weary for no reason.

Seeing the dead bodies, Lucien began to feel nauseous.

He had locked away his emotions. So he was like a heartless killing machine.

Now exiting it, he had to face reality.

He had killed someone with his hands – not one, but seven.

This was the first time in his two lives.

His legs became weary. He needed something to rely on.

He was falling, but he fell into soft arms, smelling a familiar scent.

"How was it?" Seraphina’s soft voice resounded in his ears.

Hearing her voice lightened the nauseous feeling, but he still felt weary – a bit sleepy.

"Not something to be excited about." He let out a tired chuckle.

Entering such a state imposed a lot on his mind. His body might not feel anything, but his mind needed to process what had happened.

Transmigrating or reincarnating into a fantasy world seems fantastic, but can you withstand the darkness it holds?

How sure are you that you will not stray from the path you are meant to follow?

"Darling, what do you think? Should I just kill all the bad people in this world?" Her tone sounded serious, as she had no hesitation.

Lucien felt scared for a moment. Looking at her worried expression, he knew it was because of him she had such thoughts.

"If you kill everyone that’s bad and evil, that doesn’t mean you’ve killed all evil that exists. A good person can become an evil person in a few minutes, and an evil person can also become a good person in that same minute. It’s not about that. One can’t judge someone based on their appearance or outer behaviour."

"So, wifey, if I become a bad person, would you still love me like this?" Lucien chuckled as he asked.

"Of course." Her reply came in an instant, without hesitation. "Husband, have you forgotten our wedding vows? Our souls are bound together till death. I own your soul, body and mind. I can’t watch you become a bad person, and if you do, there should be a reason. So if the world is against you, darling, don’t forget your wife is behind you."

Lucien was stumped by this reply. She drew her face closer to him. He looked at her eyes, which were close to his.

He could feel the obsession flowing out from them. Her eyes had a special charm, her cheek red from it.

He smiled, snuggling closer as he fainted.

Seraphina watched his sleeping, relaxed face. She seemed to have made a decision, slowly caressing his face and hair.

"If the world dares go against you, then I will just destroy the whole world." She muttered, watching his sleeping face in contentment.