The rain whispered against the broken pavement, a soft percussion in the suffocating silence of the abandoned street. She stood before the derelict building, an imposing husk of concrete and steel that seemed to lean toward her like a predator sizing up its prey. Seven stories of decay, of barricaded windows and walls scarred with graffiti, formed a jagged silhouette against the stormy sky. The air reeked of mildew, damp earth, and something metallic—like blood dried long ago.
The area surrounding the building was no better. Trash littered the ground in unkempt piles, water pooled in the potholes, and the remains of other forgotten structures loomed in the background, silent witnesses to countless unspeakable acts. It was the kind of place that swallowed people whole, leaving no trace behind.
She exhaled sharply, forcing her pulse to slow. "How do I approach this?" she murmured, her voice barely audible against the hiss of the rain. Her eyes darted to the cameras mounted on the building, red lights blinking like mechanical predators lying in wait. "What’s in there? Monsters? Beasts? Why does the system call this place a dungeon?"
The word hung in her mind, gnawing at her. Dungeon. It didn’t fit here, not in this desolate stretch of urban decay. Dungeons were supposed to be ancient, underground labyrinths, places where treasure and terror intertwined. This? This was just an abandoned building. Or was it? The system didn’t use terms lightly. That much, she’d learned.
Her gaze drifted upward, taking in the cracked walls and jagged window panes. Water streamed down the building’s facade, glinting like tears in the dim light. She could feel the weight of it, a malevolent presence pressing down on her like the air was heavier here.
"I can’t go in like this," she muttered, looking down at herself. Her sundress clung to her in the rain, her heels already sinking slightly into the damp ground. She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Yeah, because this screams, 'I’m ready for battle.'"
She turned away, her heels clicking against the wet pavement as she walked back the way she came. She didn’t notice her hand trembling slightly until she clenched it into a fist. Midnight. She’d return at midnight. Shadows would hide her, cloak her in anonymity. She needed to be invisible for what was coming.
But as she walked, her thoughts veered to Robert Lane or whatever his name was. His face floated in her mind like a specter, weary and resigned. A man with a low evil tendency score, a man riddled with guilt he begged for mercy, a man who didn’t even know he had powers, a man driven to commit a crime by desperation and circumstance. Yet the justice system had marked him. The law had condemned him.
"What makes a villain?" she whispered into the rain. Her footsteps faltered. She glanced at the cracks in the pavement, her reflection distorted in the murky water pooled below. The law saw villains in black and white: a crime committed, a villain born. But the Yggdrasil system? The system saw shades of gray. It didn’t care about the act—it cared about the soul. Evil tendencies weren’t about what you did; they were about who you were.
Her throat tightened as her mind shifted to herself. 100% Evil Tendencies.
The memory of that number cut through her like a blade. She clenched her jaw, her heart pounding harder. Was that who she was? Evil, down to her core? She didn’t feel evil. She didn’t revel in the suffering of others. She didn’t seek out harm. But then why? Why would the system mark her this way?
Her fingers dug into her palms, her nails leaving crescents in her skin. 'Is this why the system let me to be the host?' The thought was a bitter pill. 'Because I can do what others won’t? Because I’m the monster that hunts other monsters? Who even created this system?'
The rain intensified, soaking through her dress. She shivered but kept walking, her heels tapping a staccato rhythm against the ground. The questions swirled in her mind like a storm. What was she? A hero? A grim reaper? A weapon wielded by the system to strike down evil? Or was she just another pawn, dancing to strings she couldn’t see?
The derelict building still loomed in her thoughts as she approached her dormitory. She didn’t even realize she’d arrived until her hand brushed the cool metal of the doorknob.
She paused, staring at the faint outline of her reflection in the glass window beside the door. A woman drenched and haunted, her eyes darker than the stormy night behind her.
"Guess that’s what I get for trying to figure out what I am," she muttered, a wry smile tugging at her lips. Her voice was heavy, laced with exhaustion and something deeper—something fragile.
Pushing the door open, she stepped inside, leaving the storm behind. But the storm within her? That would follow her into the night. Midnight was coming, and so were the answers she feared most.
—
Now, Valerie stood in front of the seven-story building, her black outfit blending into the shadows. Only the bright orange ski mask and light blue goggles betrayed her presence, an odd splash of color against the dark, desolate street. She adjusted the goggles absently, their familiarity pulling her back to a happier memory—a vacation with her father two years ago. They had gone skiing in the mountains, laughing as they tumbled into the snow, her father’s deep, warm voice teasing her about her lack of balance. It was one of the few memories she cherished.
Her chest tightened. This was all for him. Every decision, every risk, every rule she had to follow—it was for her father. She needed to become a licensed hero, to keep him from working himself to death. But what she was about to do here could ruin everything. If anyone found out, the heroes would brand her a villain. No more hero license. No more saving her father.
She shook her head, forcing the doubts away, but the fear lingered, gnawing at the edges of her resolve.
“Hey!”
The voice shattered her thoughts. She spun around to find three men emerging from the shadows. The leader was clad in black armor, a katana glinting in his hand. His voice was sharp, dripping with hostility.
“What are you doing here? Spying on us? You better scram, or I’ll kill you.”
Valerie said nothing. She didn’t need to. Her gaze flicked over the trio, the glowing interface in her vision confirming what she already suspected: 100% Evil Tendencies.
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“Wrong move,” she muttered under her breath.
Before they could react, she moved. Her speed was unnatural, a blur that didn’t even register in their eyes. A moment later, the men lay crumpled on the ground, their bodies lifeless. She stood over them, breathing calmly, the katana now in her hand. Its blade was pristine, reflecting her face back at her like a silent judge.
“I… I don’t feel anything,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her grip on the hilt tightened. “No guilt. Not even a flicker. What’s wrong with me? Shouldn’t I feel something? Was I always like this?”
The silence pressed against her as she stared into her reflection, searching for answers she couldn’t find. The sound of a chime broke through her turmoil, and a familiar glowing text appeared in her vision.
---
Rewards received: 3000 EXP
Level up!
Level up!
Level up!
---
She blinked at the notification, her tension ebbing slightly.
“Well, that’s something,” she said, a crooked smile tugging at her lips. The absurdity of her situation hit her. Here she was, questioning her morality while getting a level-up like she was in a video game made her happy.
---
Objectives: Eliminate all targets – 3/180.
---
Her eyes widened at the number. “One hundred and eighty? What is this, a dungeon raid?”
She sighed, shaking her head. “Guess I’d better get to it. The EXP won’t earn itself.”
Her excitement for leveling up replaced her earlier dread as she approached the building. It loomed over her like a sleeping giant, its cracked facade hiding whatever horrors lay inside. She scanned for an entrance but found no windows low enough to break through. Her gaze landed on the door.
“Well,” she muttered, rolling her shoulders, “time to make an entrance.”
With one swift kick, the door flew off its hinges, smashing into someone unlucky enough to be standing behind it. The impact sent them flying across the room. Valerie stepped inside, surveying the scene. A dozen faces turned toward her, their expressions a mix of surprise and anger.
Her interface flared to life again.
---
All targets confirmed: 100% Evil Tendencies.
---
“Perfect,” she said, gripping the katana. A grin spread across her face, almost playful. “Let’s farm some EXP.”
The first floor was a chaotic mess. Bodies moved toward her, weapons gleaming in the dim light. Valerie moved like a dancer, every slash and strike precise. The katana cut through the air, accompanied by the sounds of combat—shouts, grunts, and the clang of steel.
Minutes later, the room was silent. She stood amidst the wreckage, her breath steady, the blade in her hand still immaculate.
---
Rewards received: 5000 EXP
Objectives: Eliminate all targets – 15/180.
---
Valerie glanced at the notification and smirked. “Not bad. Wonder how much I’ll get by the time I hit the top floor.”
She strode toward the stairwell, her boots echoing against the cracked tiles. “Let’s see what this dungeon’s got for me.”
The second floor was different—no quiet entry, no time to assess the situation. The moment Valerie stepped into the dimly lit space, a hailstorm of bullets and energy bolts erupted. They struck her with the force of a battering ram, but she didn’t flinch. The impacts felt like an irritating tap on her skin.
“Seriously?” she shouted over the chaos, dodging casually to the side. “I just got here! Can’t a girl make an entrance?”
She glanced down, realizing the blasts had left her skin unscathed, but her clothes were a different story. Her black outfit, carefully chosen for stealth, was now riddled with bullet holes and singed edges.
“Oh, come on!” she groaned, throwing her hands in the air. “This is precisely why heroes wear armor! I can’t keep going around looking like a Floran cheese piñata. Gotta start dodging. Note to self.”
With a smirk, she dashed forward, her katana slicing through the air like lightning. The floor was cleared in a blur of movement, the enemies dropping faster than they could reload.
---
The next few floors blurred together—wave after wave of enemies, each dispatched in seconds. By the time she reached the fifth floor, she was yawning.
“This is getting boring,” she muttered, stepping over the last enemy of the level. “No challenge whatsoever. Maybe the system overestimated this place.”
---
Then came the sixth floor.
Valerie stopped short the moment she stepped in. The atmosphere was different—charged, heavy. A single man stood in the center of the room, his black mechanical armor gleaming under the flickering lights. Blue streaks pulsed along the edges of his armor like veins of energy. He didn’t speak, didn’t move, just stood there, his katana held in a relaxed grip.
Valerie raised an eyebrow. “Yo, who are you? You look different. Wait, are you the boss?”
Before the words had fully left her mouth, the man moved. No, moved was the wrong word—he disappeared. In a fraction of a second, he reappeared inches from her, his blade already swinging. Instinct took over. Valerie raised her stolen blade just in time, the clash of metal on metal sending vibrations up her arms. The force of the strike drove her back several feet, her boots screeching against the floor.
“Whoa!” she gasped, her heart pounding. “Okay, you’re fast. Too fast!”
The man stepped back, his movements fluid and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. He lifted his katana, and the blue light radiating from it grew brighter, almost blinding.
Before she could fully process his next move, he was behind her. A sharp, searing pain erupted across her back. She screamed, dropping to her knees as blood seeped through the tears in her clothes. It wasn’t just pain—it was a shattering of her invincibility, a cruel reminder of her own limitation.
She clutched at the wound, her hands trembling as her mind raced. “This… this can’t be happening,” she stammered. “I’m bleeding. I’m actually bleeding!”
The man’s deep, resonant voice cut through her panic, calm yet commanding. “You have never known true pain,” he said, his words carrying a weight that pressed down on her like an unseen force. “How, then, do you claim to understand strength?”
She looked up at him, her vision blurred with tears. “Who—who are you? How did you do that? I am supposed to be invulnerable!”
“You wield the Yggdrasil system,” he said, his tone laced with both reverence and disdain. “And yet, you know nothing of its power or its purpose. You are but a child playing with a weapon meant for gods.”
Valerie’s mind reeled. “Yggdrasil system? No… No, it can’t be! I’m not a god. Only gods can use Yggdrasil! This is just a prototype!”
The man shook his head slowly. “Clueless child,” he said, his voice a rumble of disapproval. “You wield power without understanding. How do you hope to grow into a mighty warrior when your ignorance blinds you to the truth?”
She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to her feet despite the burning pain in her back. “Wait… you’re the Azure Oni, aren’t you? The infamous villain. The one who—why are you here? Are you going to kill me?”
The Azure Oni lowered his blade slightly, his stance shifting into one of quiet readiness. “Words are but wind. Stand, and I shall answer with my blade.”
Valerie gritted her teeth, forcing herself to her feet despite the pain. Blood trickled down her back, soaking into her already ruined clothes. She raised her katana, shaky but determined.
Before she could catch her breath, he attacked again. His movements were fluid, almost beautiful, but deadly. Valerie barely managed to dodge and parry, her own strikes clumsy in comparison. His blade bit into her skin more than once, each cut eliciting a sharp cry of pain.
Her system flashed warnings in her vision, but she ignored them. She stole a glance at him, desperate for some clue to his nature. To her shock, his Evil Tendencies were low—too low for someone with a body count like his. .
—
Judgement: 8% Evil Tendencies
Punishment: None
Execution: Forbidden
—
“What the hell are you?” she muttered, gripping her katana tighter as she prepared for his next assault.