“Nice to meet you, Master Jerdin of Black Cat. I am Liliana, the daughter of Duke Dayan.”
Liliana held out the demonic sword Dekion toward the man.
“Liliana Dayan, the owner of the demonic sword Dekion who has completed the first proof, seeks the second proof.”
In an instant, the man’s expression froze.
He waved his hand, sealing the shop door with magic, and even cast a soundproofing spell.
“How do you know about that?”
Liliana smiled faintly.
She remembered the moment when she obtained the demonic sword.
The demonic sword Dekion had been sleeping inside the nest of a demonic dragon, within lava.
It was said that Cartel, the Dark Emperor who had been the master of the demonic sword, fought the demonic dragon there and defeated it.
Although he was the one who won the battle, he too couldn’t avoid suffering fatal injuries.
Realizing his own death, the Dark Emperor Cartel sealed the demonic sword in the nest of the demonic dragon. And he left behind a fragment of his consciousness there.
For those who might come searching for it someday.
However, none of those who came afterward were able to obtain the demonic sword. And they couldn’t awaken his remnant will either.
Then Liliana appeared.
Desperate, she fought tenaciously to obtain the demonic sword. And at last she reached the sealed place and obtained the demonic sword.
Even to her, the demonic sword imposed a trial.
The trial was to survive after fighting dozens, hundreds of times within an illusion that was like hell.
Liliana endured the trial as if her life depended on it.
At last, when the trial ended, she was able to meet the fragment of consciousness of the Dark Emperor Cartel.
[Child, what has made you become like this?]
Cartel glimpsed the deep darkness dwelling within Liliana’s heart.
[Your hatred has become darkness. I like it. I acknowledge you as my successor.]
Through his acknowledgment, Liliana gained an enormous amount of dark mana.
[My descendant, go and find Black Cat. Through the proofs, they will lend you their strength. I hope you achieve what you desire.]
At first, she didn’t know what the proofs were.
Then she found Black Cat and learned about them.
There were two proofs.
The first proof was to confirm that she was the successor of the Dark Emperor Cartel.
For that, it was enough to prove that she was the owner of the demonic sword Dekion.
And the second proof was to obtain the demonic essence he had left behind.
Jerdin spoke with a stiff expression.
“To have become the owner of the demonic sword Dekion through the first proof is impressive. However, there is something you should know.”
Jerdin’s eyes flashed sharply.
“If you fail the second proof, you will lose your life.”
“I know.”
“Are you not afraid?”
“Not at all.”
It was tremendous confidence.
“You may regret it. Will you truly attempt the proof?”
“I will.”
At the answer without even a hint of hesitation, Jerdin nodded.
“Very well. Then, let us move at once.”
Jerdin cast a teleportation spell and led Liliana into an underground space.
It was a wide circular chamber. In the center stood an altar, and around the altar there were three magic circles.
Liliana looked at the pitch-black sphere floating above the altar.
It was the magic core, the essence of demonic energy that the Dark Emperor Cartel had left behind for his successor.
‘It really was still here.’
She had wondered just in case, but it was no different from the past.
Liliana’s eyes, as she looked at the magic core, were filled with regret.
She remembered the first time she had come here.
The magic core she saw in order to attempt the second proof after completing the proof of the demonic sword.
The Dark Emperor Cartel had originally been a half-demon.
A being born between a human and a demon.
His black skin and vertically slit pupils like a cat’s eyes were eerie.
Humans deeply despised that appearance of his.
Because of that, he and his parents became targets of subjugation, and in the end his father lost his life to the holy knights.
His mother fled with him but was struck by a stray arrow and died.
As she died, she left him with the final words to survive.
He kept those last words and survived tenaciously, and he decided to become strong.
Fortunately, because he strongly inherited his father’s blood, he possessed the ability to wield dark magic.
Naturally, he walked the path of a dark mage and grew strong.
Rather than revealing his strength, he helped children who were in situations similar to his own.
Those children too had been oppressed for being different from others.
Cartel took the children and hid in the darkness.
He taught those children everything necessary to survive.
Together with the children raised that way, he created an organization called Black Cat.
They expanded their power through information, espionage, assassination, and black market dealings, becoming a powerful organization of darkness.
Thus, to them, the Dark Emperor Cartel was not only their spiritual pillar, but also an irreplaceable and powerful existence.
On the day he went to fight the demonic dragon, the Dark Emperor said to the children of Black Cat:
“If I don’t return, don’t wait and live your lives. And if a successor who will inherit my will appears someday, help them.”
It was as if he had known the future when he said those words.
Cartel, who departed to fight the demonic dragon, never returned.
Black Cat faithfully followed his final words and waited.
They waited for the successor who would appear someday.
If someone asked how they could go that far, there was no proper answer.
They were simply carrying on Cartel’s will.
And to them, Cartel’s words were absolute.
“The second proof is to absorb the demonic essence left behind by Lord Cartel. Will you do it?”
Instead of answering, Liliana nodded.
“Understood. The second proof will proceed under the witness of the Four Masters of our Black Cat.”
When he infused mana into the three magic circles around the altar, three people were summoned.
The three people looked at Liliana and introduced themselves.
“I am Intelligence Master Tania Portman. I will observe.”
“Assassination Master Kasar Chern. I will observe.”
“Black Market Master Paris Lian. I will observe.”
“And lastly, Information Master Jerdin Cammel. I will observe your proof.”
The presence emanating from the Four Masters was formidable.
Intelligence Master Tania was a half-elf woman with black skin and white hair.
However, her sturdy build and the aura radiating from her entire body were truly powerful.
Assassination Master Kasar was a figure dressed entirely in black, carrying a presence like a finely sharpened blade.
It felt as if one would be cut the moment they came close.
Lastly, Black Market Master Paris had the impression of a mischievous rogue, but his gaze was far from ordinary.
His sharp eyes, as if piercing through a person, made one’s legs tremble.
Whether in the past or now, they hadn’t changed.
Seeing them again after such a long time stirred unusual feelings.
Liliana glanced over the Four Masters and without hesitation reached out toward the demonic essence.
She felt the cold touch of the magic core.
‘It has been a long time since I felt this sensation.’
Looking at it, Liliana’s eyes shone.
“Answer the call of your master.”
An enormous amount of demonic energy burst out from the magic core.
Liliana struggled desperately so as not to lose it.
She had felt it before as well, but it was truly an incredible power.
“Become mine.”
Dark magic power erupted from her entire body.
That immense power was the magic once possessed by the Dark Emperor Cartel.
The four people couldn’t hide their shock as they witnessed the power of the magic Liliana possessed.
They could feel it because the same magic as Liliana’s was flowing through their own bodies.
‘This is Lord Cartel’s magic…’
It was an extremely familiar magic.
They could feel Cartel’s warmth.
Liliana wrapped the violently resisting power of the demonic essence with her dark magic.
‘Submit to me.’
Overwhelmed by Liliana’s dark magic power surging like waves, the demonic essence began to yield. And at last, the demonic essence accepted Liliana’s dominion.
The demonic essence was absorbed into her at a terrifying speed.
As she absorbed the demonic essence, Liliana looked like the lord of the demon realm with black wings spread behind her back.
It was a wondrous sight.
A miracle that hadn’t been seen even once in the past several decades was unfolding before the eyes of the four.
Before long, the demonic essence completely sank into Liliana’s body.
Liliana turned around, and her gaze swept over the four people.
It was the gaze of a ruler.
The four people slowly knelt.
All Four Masters acknowledged Liliana as their Master and swore their loyalty.
“We swear loyalty to the true successor of Cartel.”
As the four spoke at the same time, the underground chamber echoed loudly.
Liliana looked at the four and extended her hand.
Demonic energy flowing from her fingertips created four weapons.
They were the weapons that had disappeared when Cartel died.
Since they were weapons created by Cartel’s power, the moment someone who inherited that power appeared, the weapons that had vanished revealed themselves once again.
The weapons were a ring blade, twin swords, a scimitar, and a short staff.
The ring blade belonged to Jerdin, the twin swords to Tania, the scimitar to Kasar, and the short staff to Paris.
Liliana returned the weapons to each of them.
Receiving their weapons back, they looked at her with moved expressions.
They had never expected the day would come when they would receive their weapons again.
The four people bowed deeply to Liliana.
“Thank you, Master.”
“We will serve you with loyalty.”
“We will devote our lives in loyalty.”
“We shall accomplish everything you desire.”
Each of their vows echoed through the underground chamber.
Liliana looked at them with a satisfied smile.
With this, just like in the past, she became the true Master of Black Cat once again.
