I've always loved Irina.
　I wanted to become a wizard in the royal court because I wanted to be a man worthy of her.

　Fortunately, I seemed to have a great talent for magic, and with the guidance of Valerie the Wise, who became my mentor, I improved rapidly.
　Eventually, at the age of seventeen, the youngest in the history of the Kingdom of Shaadi, I became a wizard in the royal court.

　He was nominated as a companion by Yuno, one of the seven heroes who appeared when the Demon Lord appeared.
　At that time, he was accompanied by Irina and Valerie.

　During our journey, we also met the warrior Riot, the female swordswoman Fara, and the knight Margo, and we have been fighting together as this group for the past five years.
　We've shared all of our pains and joys.

　For me, as an orphan, the party of heroes had become my family.

But I was the only one who thought that. ......

　I slowly wake up.

To them, I was ...... a tool that they could cut down at any time.

　And I was sacrificed.
　They sacrificed me to make the heroes stronger and kicked me out of the party.

　I was abandoned...
　That realization hit me with an intense sense of loss.

　I look around gloomily.
　I'm in the same forest as before.

　My body is heavy.
　I can't move a finger.

　When I looked closer, I saw something like a black chain clinging to my body.

"What is this, ......?

　The chain seems to be a kind of magical energy, not a substance.



　"The forbidden spell, the Dark Chain...



　Master Valerie's words crossed my mind.
　The intense pain in my body had already disappeared.

　It's just that... I feel as if something has disappeared from within me.

"There's no ...... magic power ......!

　I mumbled in astonishment.

　That's right, all the magic power is gone from me.
　I wonder if it's because of the spell cast by my master.

What the hell is this ......?

　I scratch my head, confused by the sudden situation.

　For me, magic was the fruit of hard work, acquired through more than ten years of training.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

　But it was lost in a flash.

　When he looked down, he saw that both of his arms had shriveled up like dead trees.
　The silver hair tangled in my fingers seemed to have fallen from my scalp.
　Just a few hours ago, my hair had been black...

　Wow on ......!

　Suddenly I heard a cry.

"......!

　I forced myself to sit up.

　A horde of sword wolves was approaching.
　As the name suggests, these demons bare their sword-like fangs and look at me.
　If I could only use magic, I could defeat them with a single attack spell.

"'Fireball'!

　I chanted the spell, but it still didn't work.

d*mn it. ......

　There's no way I can win with my bare hands.
　I try to escape, but my body is unusually heavy.

　Not only his arms, but also his legs were emaciated.
　He could only move slowly and annoyingly.

　In no time at all, I was surrounded.

Stick to ......

　I'm going to be eaten alive...
　Despair is rising in me.

　Ohhhhhhhhhh!

　In the next moment, Sword Wolves came flying at me from all sides.

　Fangs and claws rushing in.
　They tore at my arms, my legs, my shoulders and my thighs.

I'm not sure what to do.

　The pain runs through me.
　The blood that spurted out dyed the ground red.

The blood spurting out stained the ground vermillion. "Ha, g......a......

　In addition, the fangs of the swordswolves pierce the wrists and armpits.
　The pain is gradually numbing, and the sensation all over my body is fading.
　Your consciousness is fading.

"......... ......... .........

　So this is the end of me.

　Betrayed by the people I trusted and loved, used, discarded like a piece of trash, and finally eaten by a demon to end my life.

　Oh, what was my life like?
　Where did I go wrong?

　If I had made a different choice somewhere else, would I have found happiness?

"In a place like this...

　My body became hot as if on fire.
　The sudden thought was burning me from the inside out.

　I don't want to die.
　I don't want to die.

　Anger, hatred, revenge...
　And most of all... my own hunger for life.



　I still want to live.
　I don't want it to end like this.

　Never...



The sorcerer's despair and hatred values have reached the specified levels.
The ritual's progress rate has reached 70%.
The conditions for activating the power of Darkness have been met.
The ritual is in progress.
The fate coefficient of the sorcerer has been rewritten.
The power of Darkness has been granted to the sorcerer.
The sorcerer has been granted the ability to transfer skills to [Dependent].
The sorcerer has been granted the EX Skill [Fixed Damage].
Summary 1: The current damage value will be 1.
Summary 2: The range is 10 meters around the sorcerer.
"Do you wish to activate the skill?



　It was a clear, female voice.
　A near-death experience?



"Activate skill?



　Same question again.
　It's a hallucination, but it's persistent.

"...... No, wait.

　Skills.

　Whatever it is, I need you to blow up all the swordswolves around me.

　I'll call out in my mind.
　I almost didn't make it, but...



"Surgeon's intent confirmed.
"Executing.
I will now deploy the EX Skill "Fixed Damage.
Summary 1: Deals 1 fixed damage every 3 seconds to all enemies within range.
Summary 2: This is a permanent effect.



　The next moment, the black chains that covered his body burst open.

I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

　I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to do.
　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　The others all shuddered and screamed in agony.

This is...

　Soon, most of the swordswolves fled as if frightened.
　The few that were left still kept their fighting spirit and glared at me.

　This went on for what seemed like thirty seconds to a minute.
　Suddenly, all the swordswolves fell to the ground.

"They're dead ......!

　Those who didn't run away were wiped out.
　What happened to me? ......?

"You've been successfully awakened, my host.

　The voice from earlier echoed again.

Are you ......?
"It is the Darkness that resides within you.

　The voice said.
　Apparently, it's coming from inside me.

　Darkness...

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　The darkness said.

You've only just awakened. Nurture the anger, hatred, despair, and all other negative emotions within you. It will nurture the darkness and give you more power.
"Nurture [darkness] at ............?

　I couldn't really understand what the voice was saying.

　But I know what the word "darkness" implies.

　Anger, hatred, and despair.
　I've had plenty of that.
　By lovers and friends who betrayed me.

　I've felt a dark flame inside of me.

　A negative flame that would never go out.

Keep it up. You seem to be harboring a good amount of darkness.

　The darkness inside me said in a somewhat happy tone.

It seems that the power has increased now. The amount of damage from the EX Skill [Fixed Damage] has been increased from 1 to 2.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how you can use it.

The more negative emotions I have inside me, the stronger my ability like [fixed damage] becomes?

　I bit my lip.

　I'll use my hatred for them to grow this power.