Yadav Clan – Back Garden, Afternoon
Priyanshu sat in the shade of a spirit tree, reading a book upside down, sipping tea like a bored monk.
From afar, everything looked normal.
But inside his mind...
[DING!]
❖ New Mission Unlocked:[Infiltrate a Noble Family]Reward: 1,000 CP + Influence Rank UpgradeBonus: First High-Tier Female Asset Unlock
❖ Bonus Objective: Leave no trace of involvement.
Priyanshu slowly flipped a page — still upside down — and smiled.
"Time to pay the noble brats a visit…"
Target Chosen: The Aranya Family
One of the oldest noble families in the empire.
Known for their strict rules, spiritual pride, and powerful bloodline — the Aranya Crystal Vein, which let them grow spirit stones from their own Qi veins.
They also had a daughter.
Ishika Aranya.
A girl known for being cold, powerful… and impossible to manipulate.
Until now.
Dark Heaven Society – War Room
Priyanshu stood before his lieutenants inside the candle-lit stone chamber.
Anaya knelt beside him, while the newly recruited assassin, Meera, stood silently with a snake coiled around her wrist.
He tapped the map on the table.
"The Aranya family controls half the capital's spirit mine output. I want to control them without ever stepping into their gate."
Anaya nodded. "Ishika is their future matriarch. The family listens to her more than her father."
Meera tilted her head. "Poison? Seduction?"
Priyanshu shook his head. "No. We'll save poison for pigs. She's not weak. We must corrupt her heart."
Meera's eyes widened slightly. "Interesting…"
He smiled.
"Let her believe she's uncovering a secret… when really, she's walking into my trap."
Step 1: A Book in the Wind
In the Royal Library, Ishika Aranya sat alone.
She was beautiful — long silver hair, snow-like robes, and a face that had never smiled.
She flipped through ancient formation scrolls, uninterested in the people around her.
Suddenly… a book dropped beside her.
Not just any book.
It was titled: "The Forgotten Path: How the Noble Families Are Being Used by the Sect System."
She frowned.
This was… illegal literature. Even possessing this was punishable.
But curiosity won.
She picked it up.
Inside were fake but convincing pages — showing edited records of how sects used noble families like tools and discarded them once their mines dried up.
She closed it… but her heart had changed.
Just a little.
Far away, hidden in the shadows, Meera whispered through a spirit link:
"Step one complete, Master."
Step 2: A Whisper in the Night
That night, Ishika sat on her balcony, thinking.
Suddenly, a raven landed on the railing, carrying a black note.
❖ "They've lied to you since birth. Come to the abandoned temple at midnight. Come alone."
Her heart raced.
Was it a trap?
But something inside her — a feeling of rebellion — burned brighter than her fear.
At midnight, she left her mansion… unseen.
Abandoned Temple – Midnight Meeting
Inside the crumbling temple, candles flickered across dusty floors. Statues of old gods stared silently.
Ishika entered cautiously.
Meera was there, hooded, her aura hidden.
"You're the one who left the book," Ishika said calmly.
"Yes," Meera replied. "But I'm just the messenger."
"Then who sent it?"
"He has many names. But for now… just call him the one who sees what others miss."
Ishika narrowed her eyes. "Why did he send this?"
"To offer you a choice. Keep being used... or see the world as it truly is."
A moment of silence.
Ishika clenched her fists.
"Prove to me it's not a lie."
Step 3: The Shattered Illusion
Over the next three days, Meera gave her documents, scrolls, coded letters — all forged under Priyanshu's orders.
Each one revealed how her family's 'high status' was nothing more than sect-level puppetry.
How the Aranya Crystal Vein was secretly monitored.
How their elder once tried to rebel and was killed silently.
She began to question everything.
Her pride.
Her loyalty.
Her future.
Meanwhile – Yadav Clan
Priyanshu sat in his favorite spot, feeding spirit fish as usual.
His father ignored him.
His brothers were out earning merit.
And the elders didn't bother anymore.
Perfect.
System Notification:
✔ Noble Family Target Engaged✔ Corruption Progress: 38%✔ Asset Conversion Path: [Special]✔ Hidden Bond Forming: Ishika Aranya → Curiosity → Conflict → Loyalty✔ Expected Asset Rank: High-tier Female Agent
Reward Pending: 1,000 CP + Organization Influence Upgrade
Back at the Temple – The Turning Point
On the seventh night, Ishika stood in the temple again.
This time, Meera bowed to her.
"He wishes to speak to you directly."
From the shadows… Priyanshu walked in.
No mask. No robe.
Just the average, weak-looking boy she had seen once or twice in the distance.
"You?" she said, stunned.
"You're the Shadow Lord?"
Priyanshu smiled gently.
"No. I'm just a nobody who realized this world is fake."
He stepped closer.
"They treat people like weapons. Gifts are tools. Power is a leash. I decided not to play by their rules."
Ishika's breath trembled. "Why show me all this?"
"Because even the coldest crystal… can melt in fire."
She stared at him.
Then, slowly, she bowed.
"I want in."
System Notification:
✔ Noble Asset Gained: Ishika Aranya✔ Rank: [High-tier Female Agent]✔ Loyalty: 62%✔ Traits: Ice Qi Bloodline, Crystal Vein Constitution, Mid-Stage Core Realm✔ Current Status: Emotionally Conflicted, Secretly Aligned✔ Bonus Gained: +1000 CP✔ Dark Heaven Society Influence Upgraded: Low → Medium
Final Scene – Ishika's Thoughts
Back at her mansion, Ishika lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time in years… she felt alive.
There was something thrilling about betraying the world.
And that boy…
He wasn't strong. He wasn't flashy.
But somehow… she couldn't forget his eyes.
Eyes that didn't chase power… but built it from the shadows.
She touched the raven feather beside her pillow and smiled faintly.