The Way of a Demon Lord

Afternoon.

"I am back." Adrian heard his maid's voice along with the sound of the door shutting. She was still in her uniform, unlike Adrian who was exempted from taking optional classes any further this year.

"Welcome back. How was practice?" Adrian, who was sitting on a cushion, absorbing magical energy, had his eyes closed.

"Not bad, I did pretty well while sparring with the level 5 assistant instructor." She said in a proud tone.

"How well?" His eyes still closed.

"I survived 11 minutes before he declared the match a draw." She arched her chest out.

"You are an assassin, your skills are not supposed to be measured in survival duration; how many bloody holes did you leave on him?" He finally opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I… I…" she started to look at the surroundings, avoiding eye contact with him at all cost.

"Zero, right?"

"But… but… he was a level 5." She said in a lower tone as she lowered her gaze.

"Hmph. Your young master can take down level 6 circlers even if he is on the brink of death, let alone a level 5." His voice grew arrogant as he straightened his back even further.

"Young master, isn't that-" she suddenly remember what a monster her young master was.

"Go, take a bath." He ordered before closing his eyes again.

She prepared to leave.

"Oh yes. Order two steaks for dinner, no- make it three."

His order had her tilt her head for a second, but she accepted anyway.

******

Evening.

"Young master, a delivery arrived." Isabella entered the room, with a wooden box.

He just pointed at the desk while continuing his practice.

Isabella left after placing the box on the desk. Though she was a bit confused, she did not dare to peak inside.

After a few minutes, Adrian got up before walking to the desk. He opened the box; the content inside brought a smile to his face.

"Everything's ready. I just have to wait. Let's see how patient they are." His content smile turned into a grin.

******

Night.

Adrian was sitting at the table while Isabella was preparing the food. The steak had arrived and it was ready to be devoured.

"Isabella, go and hide."

She looked around and squinted.

"But I don't sense anybody."

"I would have been surprised if you did. It's a level 6."

Isabella gasped but managed to calm herself.

"All the best, young master." She knew that all she could do was trust her young master.

A few moments later, the ground began to rumble. Soon, cracks began to appear on a part of the floor a few meters away from the dining table.

A hand suddenly reached out of the ground scattering some debris here and there. The hand pushed the floor to help the main body of a slender man get up from 'inside' the ground. His other hand had a battle-hammer held tight. Even though he came out from the ground, his white instructor uniform was completely clean.

The man looked around and noticed a young man with otherworldly looks sitting at the table with a smile on his face even in the face of such a bizarre scene, as if he were expecting it.

"Welcome to my humble, and now- damaged, abode. Please, join me in dinner." Adrian pointed at the chair which was to his left.

"Aren't you afraid?" He asked emotionlessly as he pulled out the chair before sitting on it. A steak was prepared right in front of him. He frowned at it.

'He was expecting me.' He grew wary.

"I might have been scared if a brainless fool or an ugly zombie popped out of the ground. You are not an ugly zombie, nor a fool-who would kill a possible ally- either."

"No wonder we lost Davian to you." He sighed, his heart grew warier.

"You flatter me. I was just training my maid." Adrian smiled.

'Training maid?' He squinted.

"You should be smart enough to know why I am here. We-"

"You have two tower masters behind your back. Almost one-third of the faculty, which includes one-fifth of the senior instructors, are part of your faction. And the vice principal is the master of the previous tier 5 talent, who is a part of this kingdom- not an outsider. Altogether, your faction out-powers the principal's. So, I should join you- that's it, right?" Adrian interrupted him.

"So, you should know that we will win anyway, vice principal Aston Ragov will become a tower master." He did not mind being interrupted as he was spared from explaining what Adrian just said.

"Exactly!" Adrian exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" He squinted.

"You are the stronger faction, you believe you will win. And that is the exactly the reason I am supporting principal Bell, not for some silly reason like her being my mother's master."

"I don't understand. Why?" He was really confused.

'Is he out of his mind?' He thought.

"Isn't it obvious- because it's FUN!" Adrian exclaimed as he stood up and slammed both of his hands on the table.

The slender man was taken aback. He wanted to say something but he couldn't as Adrian continued.

"It's fun to mess with the strong. The feeling when you drag someone, who already thinks that he won, to the ground, crushing him- it's… it's so exhilarating. Especially the looks of despair, regret, and extreme sadness on their face- it's… it's so… delicious, you have no fucking idea." Adrian's smile kept growing wider as he spoke until he could not anymore. He was almost drooling.

The slender man, on the other hand, had chills running down his spine- all of his body hairs stood erect. The young man in front of him- who was nothing but a mere first-year student- scared him.

"Ahem. Pardon my disgraceful showing- I lost control in excitement." Adrian composed himself as he bowed towards the instructor.

"Are you out of your mind?!" It was the slender man's turn to stand up and slam the table next.

"Relax. What's wrong with wanting a bit of thrill in life?" Adrian said casually.

"I thought you are smart. But you are just a child. Where is your guardian? Let the adults speak." His body was trembling from anger and nervousness, he still could not get over the bizarre scene he had just seen.

"What guardian?" Adrian smiled.

"The one who protected you from the assassins, don't tell me killed them yourself." He snorted.

"Bold of you to assume I did not."

"You!? So, you won't tell me easily. Let's see how he does not come out when I smash you."

He raised his hammer with his left hand and hit Adrian's chest. Adrian took two steps back from the impact.

"Is that the best you could do?" Adrian mocked.

He did not pay any heed to the mockery as he scanned around. He frowned.

'Is there really no guardians? Did he kill circlers three levels above his own by himself?'

"Exactly, I killed them myself. And if I am left alive, your whole faction will be the one to fall next." Adrian glared at him and showed an evil smile- his demonic aura manifested.

Again, a chill ran down his spine and he got goosebumps. 'Did he just read my mind?'. The more he looked into the young man's eyes, the more he felt threatened- that the little beast will actually destroy the faction. He could not let that happen at any cost. He made his decision- to go with plan C- kill!

Adrian stood there even though he felt the killing intent. The hammer came smashing at him, but this time- it was held by two hands and backed by the full strength of a level 6 earth circler.

*Bam*

Adrian was blasted away as he hit upon a wall.

"1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6…" The slender man could hear Adrian's voice as he was getting himself up from the mess, the right side of his chest all bloody, blood coming out from his mouth, the creepy smile yet to leave his face.

The man could not believe it, the young man in front of him was at most- a level 2. So, how could he survive that strike, let alone standing up.

"Is that the best you could do?" He mocked again.

The man with the hammer was incensed. He jumped as he used all of his momentum to crush the little beast to paste.

Adrian shielded his head with both of his forearms, left in front of the right. The explosive strike met his arms; he got on one of his knees, successfully defending the attack.

"7… 8… 9…" He said in a weak voice.

The man again found it unbelievable, but he could not let go of this opportunity as his target's sides were open.

*Bam!*

Adrian was once again blasted away, this time- to his right as he was hit from the left.

"10… 11… 12… 13… this should be enough." His voice was even weaker than before, but he stood up nonetheless.

"Die already!" The level 6 circler bellowed as he charged towards Adrian for the last time. He was sure it was the last because Adrian was not in the condition to defend, nor dodge. But alas, he was wrong.

*Sphhhlt*

Adrian elegantly dodged the strike as if he weren't injured at all. He stabbed a dagger into the man's heart before he could recover from that missed strike.

The man looked down in disbelief. He did not even sense any killing intent.

"Corrosion property!" Those were his last words.

Adrian's body looked worse than the dead body- his right chest and left side were smashed, his bloody left arm was hanging lifelessly, blood was coming out from his mouth- but the evil smile never left, even once. His right hand was still holding the dagger's hilt while the blade was inside the corpse's heart.

"I may be a bit too late to say this but- you're wrong.. It's corrosion sub-property."