Chapter 3
Ruined Life

Hekalys was a world of wonders. From towering dragon to thrumming machines, it was the home of many dangers for the struggling humans.

Yet, ten human monarchs had risen to power, each wielding miraculous abilities. Revered and feared, they bestowed blessings to their loyal chess pieces and competed for world domination.

Blessed sovereigns raised magical cities and called beings from other worlds to carry out their bidding.

Blessed towns disfigured the land to fulfill the needs of their residents.

Blessed heroes commanded armies and dominated the battlefield.

But there were only so many blessings to be granted.

The weak could only submit to the crushing inequality, as if they were born to be exploited.

As long as the blessings existed, this social order would remain unchanged.

Yearning for power, countless mages sought artificial blessings.

Violet was their test subject, a weak sample scheduled to die as an insignificant statistics for the footnote of a paper.

But before she died with her weak siblings, a dream saved her.

A mountain towered over Violet, casting a distant gaze that blended with the blue sky. ‘Her’ upper body was covered in immaculate snow, while ‘her’ verdant legs meshed into the forest. ‘Her’ exposed flesh was stone as if she was carved straight from the mountain.

Experimental Ersatz Warlock
Violet
‘M-mommy?’ Familiarity and yearning swept Violet’s heart, but her voice couldn’t come out in this dream.

???
?
“Shall I grant you power?” the mountain’s distant echo asked.

Violet nodded crazily since she couldn’t speak.

???
?
“The cost of my blessing is heavy. You will carry my will and suffer hardship for as long as you live. Even so, will you take it?”
Her tone of pity contradicted her aloof expressionless face.

Experimental Ersatz Warlock
Violet
‘Yes, give me power! No one will steal my chocolate cake anymore!’
She was unable to scream her desires, so she made a fuss with gestures. One could mistake her headbanging for a seizure.

???
?
“The contract is made.” The mountain spoke these last words before the dream faded.

The act of probing Violet’s determination wasn’t to grant her the freedom of choice, but the burden of responsibility.

That morning, young Violet woke up from a deadly experimental procedure and received the first words of her blessing.
Blessing of Hekalys
You acquired the title ‘Avatar of Spite’.
Avatar of Spite
Title slot requirement: 0 - cannot be removed
Effect: Bestow the authority of ‘Blessed Hero’. Grants complete mastery over earth school of magic. The world supplies you with mana. You do not obey any Monarch.

You carry the will of Hekalys.

And with that, she climbed the ranks, and ruled her own country with her mighty magic-

-until everything went downhill.
???
Until what?

Town Place
Violet stood on a wooden stage in the middle of her capitol in disgraceful rags.
The citizens rejoiced at her shameful display and booed her.

Higher on a podium, the ‘crownbearer’ looked down on Violet’s wretched figure with disdain.
The crowd of citizens quieted down at his mere hand wave.

Umbrine stood next to her superior like a faithful servant.

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you damn traitor!” Violet shouted at her sister with outrage.

Umbrine merely shut her eye and ignored the profanities.
The crownbearer silenced Violet with an intimidating strike of his staff on the wooden podium.

Crownbearer
???
“Violet Ylenward, it was only a couple of years ago since I gave you the rank of sovereign.”

Crownbearer
???
“Your territory developed at an unprecedented rate, but at the same time, I only received a flood of complaints about you. So let’s hear them together.”

The citizens bellowed in rage. Shouts like “Return my child!”, “Give my family back!” or “You ruined my life, murderer!” could be easily picked up among the cacophony of grievance.

Violet’s blood boiled in outrage. How could those ungrateful hypocrites complain? Sacrifices for the sake of Magic was the very foundation of the Dungeons! Their lives were built upon the unfettered pursuit of knowledge!

This country had thrived solely thanks to Violet’s unrivaled power and the countless sacrifices of ‘siblings’ made to reach it.

If they hated it so badly, why didn’t they stop the mage guild from using her as test subject? Why did they live in a Dungeon?

Violet shed all her former expectations of the plebeians. Those ungrateful leeches turned their back on her at the first sign of weakness.

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“A-ah-” Only unintelligible mutters came out from her mouth when she tried articulating how wronged she was. Her voice drowned in the crowd’s louder screams.

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
‘I’m not cut out to be a sovereign…’ She clenched her jaw, overwhelmed with a hatred towards everything and everyone. Her heart was split between the desire to slaughter the crowd and cry herself to sleep in a hole.

Crownbearer
???
“This city isn’t the only place you have ruined. Discounting your pointless slaughters in your own cities, your abominable creatures ravaged a precious Dungeon and drove a hero crazy.”

Crownbearer
???
“Answer me, Violet! How are you planning to take responsibility for touching our Monarch’s assets and tormenting your fellow Dungeon dwellers?”

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“The destroyed cities were Umbrine’s fault! And my creatures did what?! Those poor babies lashed out because they weren’t treated properly!” Rather, she should be the one enraged for accusing her innocent lovely familiars.

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“The destroyed cities were Umbrine’s fault! And my creatures did what?! Those poor babies lashed out because they weren’t treated properly!” Rather, she should be the one enraged for accusing her innocent lovely familiars.
※The poor babies:

Crownbearer
???
“Brazen for someone who made the queenbearer clean up after her mess! You can’t even tell that you’re supposed to be on your knees and beg for my mercy, stupid bitch!”

He jumped off the podium and knocked down Violet with a punch in the face.

Her face crashed against the rough stage. She rubbed her bruised cheek in shock but it wasn’t the end of her troubles.

The crowd called for more punishment with a deafening clamor. “Off with her head!” “Death penalty!” “Execute her!"

The Crownbearer kept striking her for a bit, before Umbrine reminded him of his primary task.

Violet couldn’t move. It had been a dozen of years since the last time she was physically hurt during experiments. She thought she was used to it, but her tears welled up.

Just like before, she was all alone. Her dearest friends had died or left, like her favorite harpy maid.

The capitol, where she had poured all her blood and sweat, now seemed bleak, unfair, and hopeless. This world was a cold place, but that was something she had always known.

The minotaur pulled Violet’s collar, forcing her to stand up on her own.

That’s right, she couldn't catch a break. She had to stand tall.

If the world hated her then she would hate it back with equal intensity. It didn’t matter if it was a thousand or a billion people worth of resentment, she would find as much spite as needed from her sundered heart.

Her face was swollen, teary, and bloody, but she still bared her teeth and glared at the Crownbearer. If it wasn’t for her magic restraints, she would have crushed this town.

He couldn’t repress the shudder that traveled along his spine from Violet’s glare. The tinge of fear filled him with shame and anger.

Crownbearer
???
‘I can’t underestimate that crazy fool. She’s a mass murderer, an unprecedented calamity.’
He unconsciously brought his staff forward as if to defend himself from Violet.

Crownbearer
???
“Maybe I should listen to the crowd and get rid of you-”

A woman fearlessly climbed the stairs of the wooden platform, followed by a cortege of workers from the mage guild.

Sovereign
?
“My, my, did the Monarch approve a summary execution?”

She cast a predatory smile at Violet.

Destitute Sovereign
Violet
“Sister, please save me!” Violet had never been as happy to see a bully from her family. She threw herself at her feet to beg.