In the quiet of the night, the flickering candlelight inside Priyanshu's hidden chamber revealed a glowing blue screen:
[Hidden Villain System Activated]🔹 Mission Complete: Humiliate Royal Guard Commander (Secretly)🔹 Reward: +500 Villain Points, +1 Loyalty Token, Skill – "Shadow Web (Basic)" Unlocked!
Priyanshu's lips curled into a confident smirk.
"Things are finally in motion."
After the previous chapters of strengthening his Dark Heaven Society and planting his informants, it was now time to connect everything — like a spider weaving an invisible web. Every corner of the kingdom would unknowingly become his ears and eyes.
The skill "Shadow Web" was no joke. When activated, it could mark selected targets and transmit all conversations or activities back to Priyanshu's personal mental space. A passive, undetectable spying ability.
[Do you wish to activate Shadow Web (Basic) on 5 targets?][Warning: Each mark costs 100 Villain Points. You currently have 700.]
"Confirm," Priyanshu whispered, selecting five targets:
Crown Prince Aryan
Head of Internal Security
Academy Headmaster
Grand Elder of Alchemy Pavilion
Princess Yasha
He chuckled at the last name. "Let's see if this 'righteous' princess is truly what she appears to be."
Meanwhile, Inside the Royal Palace – Princess Yasha's Chambers
Princess Yasha, known for her cold nobility and fierce sense of justice, sat alone near her window. But contrary to her usual image, she sighed deeply and whispered, "Why do I feel like I'm being watched lately…"
At that moment, Priyanshu, who was viewing her scene through his system's [Shadow Web Feed], tilted his head with amusement.
"She's sharper than I expected."
Back to Priyanshu's Hideout
At the inner sanctum of Dark Heaven Society, the core members had assembled.
Vice Master: Shadow Blade (Stage: Golden Core Peak)
Third Seat: Poison Ghost (Stage: Foundation Realm Late)
Fourth Seat: Moonshade Widow (Stage: Core Formation Early)
Fifth Seat: Mirage Monk (Stage: Foundation Realm Peak)
They all kneeled before Priyanshu, masked and cloaked in deep black with the silver emblem of the Dark Heaven Society—a fractured moon over a cross-shaped dagger.
"Master," Shadow Blade said, "Phase One is complete. Informants from the merchant guild, the northern barracks, and even the central treasury have been planted. With a word, we can halt the capital's economy."
Priyanshu raised his hand, signaling them to stand.
"Good. But now comes Phase Two."
He walked forward, hands behind his back, his eyes sharp and commanding.
"From today onward, we're building the Whispering Network — a parallel intelligence line that listens, collects, and manipulates information. Even the Crown can't trust their own ears after we're done."
A new notification appeared on the system:
[Villainous Innovation Detected: Whispering Network (F-Rank Prototype)]🔸 Passive effect: 10% chance to detect hidden plans across the kingdom🔸 Upgrade potential: Up to SSS-rank
"Ha!" Priyanshu laughed. "So even my creativity gets rewarded."
He turned to the group. "Each of you will train a group of Whisper Agents. They will be shadows among servants, beggars, shopkeepers, and even students of the Academy. Give them fake names, rotating identities, and send false information to confuse the Empire's spies."
Poison Ghost stepped forward. "What about counter-intelligence? If someone suspects the Dark Heaven Society—"
"They won't," Priyanshu interrupted, his tone confident. "Because our existence is not even a rumor yet. We are the noise beneath the silence. And if anyone even speaks our name—"
He paused, activating a hidden formation in the floor. A small cage rose up, revealing a bound spy who had dared to sniff around the Society's base.
"Let them be an example."
The spy looked terrified. "Please… I don't know anything… mercy!"
Priyanshu didn't answer with words. He activated [Dark Pulse], a power learned through the system recently.
[Skill: Dark Pulse – Sends a compressed shock of corrupted energy, disabling both mind and meridians.]
A flash of black light shot into the man's chest. He convulsed, then went silent.
Everyone knelt again in fear and reverence. No one dared to challenge Priyanshu's authority.
Later That Night – Alone Again
In his quarters, Priyanshu checked his system.
[Villain Points: 800][New Trait Gained: Cold Charisma (Passive) – 20% more effective when commanding subordinates.][Main Mission Update: "Control 3 Strategic Departments in Capital City – Progress: 2/3"]
"Almost there," he murmured. "Once I control the Academy's treasury, it's checkmate."
The smile on his face wasn't just cold — it was devilishly calm.
Because while the world chased heroes and saints, Priyanshu was building a dynasty of shadows.
From the background.
Silently.
Irrevocably.