Chapter 10

Julius stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

Justin simply shrugged.

“I don’t care about public perception.”

“And if people try to kill me…?”

A cold smirk formed on his lips.

“I’ll just kill them first.”

Justin’s firm declaration seemed to break something inside Julius.

The once dignified, wise-looking mage was now clutching onto his pant leg, desperately trying to talk him out of it.

“Please, think it over one more time!”

“I already did. This was a carefully considered decision.”

“Carefully considered?! You’re clearly caught up in some reckless fantasy!”

Wow, this old man is really losing it.

Justin sighed inwardly.

This wasn’t just some random whim—he actually had a plan for this choice.

“Just to confirm—do you even have the authority to undo a player’s choice?”

“…No, I do not. As a guide, it is not my place to interfere with your decision. If I did, my head would be the one rolling.”

“Then why are you so desperate to stop me?”

“Because you’re running straight off a cliff, that’s why!”

Julius clutched his chest dramatically, as if physically pained by the conversation.

He looked like a teacher watching a bright student ruin their future.

“The apocalypse doesn’t mean the end of everything,” he insisted.

“Yes, civilization will collapse, but the system will support reconstruction. People will quickly rebuild society.”

“I know that.”

“Then why the hell would you choose Warlock?!”

Warlock was a class that thrived on chaos and despair.

But in a stable society, they became useless.

The only way to remain powerful was to destabilize order—to actively weaken the very civilization they lived in.

It was a self-destructive choice.

“If you lead a group, it’ll be suicidal—you’d be sabotaging your own people.”

“If you join a group, you’ll be the first one they kill for being a threat!”

“And you still want to do it?!”

“Exactly!”

“…!!!”

Julius clutched his head in despair, twisting in frustration.

For a while, he just groaned, clearly struggling to process the sheer stubbornness before him.

When he finally recovered, his face was filled with exhaustion.

“…To be honest, I had high expectations for you.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re not someone who dies in the apocalypse. You could be a hero—someone who rebuilds civilization.”

Julius’s eyes searched his, practically pleading for him to reconsider.

“Are you really sure about this? You’re choosing exile from civilization, the path of destruction?”

Justin met his gaze without hesitation.

“Yes. I will become a Warlock.”

“…So be it.”

Julius let out a long sigh, accepting defeat.

With a resigned wave of his hand, dark energy surged forward, swallowing Justin’s body in a thick, black mist.

As the shadows seeped into him, a system message echoed in his mind.

《The dark magic of the demon realm blesses you.》
《Class changed from [Magic Student] to [Dark Mage].》
《Skill [Magic Missile] has evolved into [Black Missile].》
《New skill [Energy Drain] has been acquired.》

Justin immediately pulled up his status window to check his skills.

[Black Missile]

• Type: Single-target offensive magic
• Details: An enhanced version of Magic Missile empowered by dark magic.
• Effects: Spell count doubled, with significantly increased speed and power.
• Current uses: (20/20)

[Energy Drain]

• Type: Single-target curse magic
• Details: Continuously absorbs the life force or essence of a target.
• Effect: Absorbed energy restores spent magic slots.
• Current uses: (Unlimited)

A wider magic capacity. Stronger attacks. Instant spell recovery without meditation.

Justin grinned in satisfaction.

This was exactly what he wanted.

“I hope you actually have a plan,” Julius muttered darkly.

“You just locked yourself into the most limited future possible.”

“Don’t worry,” Justin replied, unconcerned.

“This was a calculated decision.”

Julius sighed again.

He said, “I trust you,” but his face said, “You’re doomed.”

It was honestly amusing to see.

“Well, there’s nothing more for me to teach you. I just hope we meet again—after the apocalypse.”

“We will.”

“What is with that confidence…?”

Justin simply smirked.

Now that he was a Warlock, his chances of survival had skyrocketed.

There was no way he would fall on the first day of the apocalypse.

If the timeline wasn’t too long, they were bound to meet again.

With his class advancement complete, Justin had one last thing to do before leaving the tutorial dungeon.

Test his new power.

Stepping toward the respawned goblins, he picked one and whispered,

“Black Missile.”

CRACKLE!

A dark bolt of energy crackled from his fingertip, launching forward at a terrifying speed.

It pierced the goblin’s skull before it even had time to react.

No scream. No struggle.

The goblin died instantly.

His eyes widened.

Damn, this is way stronger than I expected.

Everything about Black Missile was superior.

The speed, the force, the sheer lethality.

Before, even if enemies couldn’t dodge, they could at least see the attack coming.

But now?

The trajectory was nearly invisible, and the impact was devastating.

Even a body shot would guarantee a kill.

If it hit the head, there was nothing left.

“…They’re running?”

The remaining goblins—

Instead of charging at him, they turned and fled.

Justin blinked in surprise.

Up until now, goblins had always fought to the death.

But these ones…

They had seen the difference in power—and they knew.

He wasn’t prey anymore.

He was a predator.

Up until now, goblins had never retreated, no matter how many of them died.

And yet—They’re running?

“Does the strength of my magic affect how monsters react?”

A hypothesis formed instantly.

If a monster felt like it could win, it fought.

But if it recognized an impossible opponent, it fled.

It was only a theory, but it made perfect sense.

After all, Magic Missile often failed to kill goblins instantly—it wasn’t always overwhelming.

“Black Missile.”

BANG!

“Kiieeeek!”

Justin didn’t let them escape.

He aimed at their legs, immobilizing them.

The goblins screamed, writhing in agony.

Stepping closer, he activated his new skill.

“Energy Drain.”

Shwoooop…

A red aura seeped from the goblin’s body, stretching toward his hand.

He could feel it.

It wasn’t just magic—it was its life force.

《Energy Drain is restoring used magic.》
《Black Missile +1 charge.》
《Black Missile +1 charge.》

The goblin convulsed, then fell limp, dead.