"Sleep," I said as I made a criminal collapse to the ground. As he fell, I grabbed him by the jacket and dragged him somewhere no one would interrupt me.
What do I want to do?
That's probably what you'd ask.
It's simple.
I'm hungry.
Yeah, hungry… but not for food. It's not like I want pizza or anything like that.
No.
What I have is a hunger for power.
For chaos.
I need that chaos… and I'm going to get it. I can consume it through life energy, but that's not the point.
It's not enough.
I want more.
And this criminal…
He's not ordinary.
As I dragged him through the sewers, I dropped him into a hollow and began casting spells.
I wanted to control him.
I still want to keep this hero body for now, but I'll change it soon. I've been taking loans after loans… millions of dollars, thanks to my status. All of that will go toward my plans.
It's… fascinating.
With the savings and the money, I'll be able to complete everything.
What plan?
Remember the Lich's pit—the one he needed to complete his power?
I want to replicate it.
On a much larger scale.
With crowds.
Right now, I have a villain with good information. I want a place filled with bad people. As many as possible.
The more evil…
the better.
A few innocent people might fall.
But…
so what?
After finishing the incantations, I watched as his eyes turned completely black, and he dropped to his knees.
"At your command."
I'll call this one King.
"Find me a place with the highest concentration of villains possible. Understood?"
"Understood, my lord," King said as he stood up.
He put on glasses I gave him to hide his eyes. I also gave him instructions on how to blend in… though those eyes couldn't be fully hidden.
A clear sign of control.
I went back to patrol, capturing the occasional thief and handing them over to the police. I also caught some mutants—but only if they were doing something wrong. I'm not that bad, you know? I mean, I don't really have a conscience… but I do have common sense. Or something like it.
I want to bring down the Hero Association—doesn't that count for something?
Or maybe it's just a whim.
So… 50/50.
After patrol, I started funneling money to King, who will likely be my next body. I gave it all in cash. I've been refining my spells and making certain deals… let's just say I've been pulling millions out of the bank without raising too much suspicion.
That money goes to King. He stores it, buys land, gathers what I need…
Though honestly…
I'll probably need even more.
After all that—which took about a month and a half—I just kept up normal patrols. At night, I hunted bad people.
I could grow stronger using good people too…
But let's just say I have a personal rule.
I don't touch them.
Protect them?
Nah.
Not that far.
My instincts tell me I should kill everyone…
But I resist.
Because I choose to.
Shaking my head, I pulled up a hood.
The Lich's hood.
Pretty nice, actually.
I'm also using the name "Lich" for this.
I like it.
As I looked up at the sky, I noticed something below.
A hero beating up what looked like a little girl.
What the hell is a kid doing here?
I landed on a rooftop and looked closer.
And what I saw…
Made me shake my head.
Two things.
First: neither of them was a kid.
Both were adults, probably waiting to ambush someone.
Second:
The amount of malice they carried…
Was interesting.
Equivalent to about ten regular thugs.
Fascinating.
I couldn't help but lick my lips as my eyes turned green, faint flames flickering from them.
I watched closely.
Then I felt it.
Two more presences nearby.
And…
they were already watching me.
"Damn…" I thought, resisting the urge to turn my head.
But since I was here…
Might as well have some fun.
I dropped down, taking on a more "heroic" stance.
Time to act.
The Lich had acting skills.
"Hey… what are you doing to that girl… guy?" I said, using a different voice.
"What's it to you?" the so-called hero replied sarcastically.
The "girl" was on the ground, bleeding—though not her blood.
I kicked the man.
He flew back easily.
I grabbed the "girl" and tried to leave.
Tried.
Because the moment I touched her—
she latched onto me.
I felt something activate inside her body.
I smiled behind the mask.
She was trying to rot my organs from the inside.
Interesting ability.
But…
I already do that.
I coughed up a bit of blood, making my body tremble, pretending to weaken.
She smiled.
Or rather—
that woman disguised as a child.
Then she kicked me.
I didn't feel pain.
But I sold it perfectly.
The man I kicked earlier walked back toward me, smiling. Behind him, the other two appeared—both looking like generic thugs.
Seriously… what's with that haircut?
Half shaved, half long.
Didn't matter.
The four of them started beating me over and over.
One tried to remove my hood—
That's when I stopped acting.
I already confirmed what I needed.
No one else around.
"Stop."
They froze.
All four.
I stood up slowly. There was a faint sensation in my skin… phantom pain, maybe.
I walked toward the one that caught my attention.
I entered her mind just enough to learn her name.
Kenia.
"Hello, Kenia."
Even frozen, her eyes filled with panic.
"Heh…"
I raised my hand.
"This insolence will cost you your life… a thousand times over."
I placed my hand on her forehead.
A few seconds.
That was enough.
When I was done…
There was nothing left.
Just the body.
What happened in her mind…
Was too much.
Far beyond what anyone could endure.
Now she was just an empty shell.
"Heh…"
I turned.
The others stared at me in absolute terror.
They couldn't move.
Couldn't scream.
Only wait.
I formed green fire in my hand.
Walked toward them one by one.
"I am the end," I whispered before taking their lives.
I looked at the bodies.
They could've resisted longer if they had will.
But they didn't.
Just ambition.
No purpose.
No mind.
Nothing.
I shook my head.
Reduced them to ash.
I could've used them for the pit…
But I didn't want attention.
Not yet.
I took off, continuing to grow stronger.
I have one goal:
To become the strongest in this world.
Nothing else matters.
If All Might showed up right now, I'd have problems.
Would I lose?
Obviously.
I'm a skeleton.
One punch from him can destroy entire blocks.
But I'm not like the original Lich.
He ignored his limits.
I don't.
That's why I'll create the most powerful pit ever.
When I got home, I used a concealment spell to bypass the cameras. I checked my surroundings—no one nearby.
Good.
I let my body collapse.
The few remaining organs inside had deteriorated from overexertion.
Now I had to fake breathing.
Keeps the mind busy.
I sat on the couch and closed my eyes.
Focused.
I looked through King's eyes.
He was doing well.
Managing things.
Finding a location.
Deika City.
That name…
Familiar.
I approved it.
Silence.
Thinking.
"Deika City…"
That wasn't random.
There was something there.
Something big.
And according to King…
Full of chaos.
"A place where people believe in absolute freedom… where they think nothing will happen to them."
I smiled.
"How convenient."
More people.
More disorder.
More material.
"This isn't coincidence. This is perfect."
My eyes opened slowly, glowing faint green.
"It's perfect."
A small laugh escaped.
Two voices.
Mine.
And the Lich's.
"Then no one will complain when everything burns."
Far away—
Someone noticed something.
"What is this…?" a woman muttered, seeing unusual access logs.
She frowned.
Analyzed.
Then noticed—
All access pointed to one place.
"Jonny…?"
She paused.
"…not important."
Her expression turned cold.
"Eliminate him."
Elsewhere—
Someone received the order.
And smiled.
"So… Jonny, huh?"
And began investigating.
End of Chapter 3.