Misunderstood Hero: My Family Are All Villains

...no.

No. No.

Malik was not going to forgive his father.

At least not yet.

Though, as the Sultan, he understood where Hakim had come from—the desperation of carrying his people’s last hope—knowing that his birth was the result of...

’Hm.’

It was no wonder his life was filled with tragedy.

He was born from it.

Born from manipulation and the cruel calculus of survival.

Born because his father needed someone to continue the bloodline, not because his mother wanted a child.

The revelation did not surprise him—he had always known, on some level, that his origins were not warm—but hearing it spoken aloud made it real in a way that rumors never could.

But if it were any consolation, Malik now confirmed why Amal was the way she was.

The only time he had met his father was when his child with Layla, his hope, was about to be born.

Hakim had appeared in the Holy Palace unannounced, somehow knowing of Amal and her critical condition.

Hakim knew what that birth would bring because of their opposing blood.

It was not just that Malik had only specific partners he could be with—the curse of the Al-Assad line, the fire that burned in his veins, rejecting all but a few. It was also that Layla, being from the East, carried blood that was anathema to his.

That was why Layla, and people like her, were called Hex Bloods by some.

Her ancestors had been touched by Corruption and were shaped by it, passing a trickle of it down through generations that should never have mixed with the flame.

Their marriage was a match made in Hell.

Every moment they spent with each other was a battle between two opposing forces that should never have been brought together.

And Amal—sweet, fragile Amal—was the result.

Thus, Malik had given his daughter to Hakim.

Had placed her in his father’s arms and told him to take her somewhere safe, somewhere the Corruption eating at her from within could be slowed, contained, and perhaps even stopped.

Hoping that she would live.

Hope.

That was all Malik had had.

A desperate hope that the child he had brought into this broken world would not be taken from it before she had a chance to live.

And she did.

Though frail and in constant pain...

Though still caged by the circumstances of her birth...

By Corruption...

She lived.

For that, at least, Malik was thankful.

"You may leave, Father."

But he would offer nothing else.

No forgiveness or condemnation.

His father would meet only the dismissal of a Sultan who had heard enough.

Hakim looked at Malik for a little longer, his golden eyes searching for something his son was not willing to give. Then he turned and walked toward the gates, his shoulders slumped.

He could not bear to stand there any longer.

Neither could Malik.

Now alone, he let out a long sigh.

After some time, he shook off the revelation and focused on the system.

His Ascension had been delayed long enough.

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 9 (Veil of the World)}

{Unlocking Class (8): 0 / 1,544}

{Fear Points: 1937 → 2026}

{Soul Glyphs: Shifting Ground (Single) x 1, Goliath’s Fall (Peak) x 1, Scorpion’s Sting (Peak) x 1, Devil’s Footsteps (Single) x 1}

{Invaders Fear}

—

It had been about three days since he began studying his kingdom, and in that time, he had gained nearly a hundred Fear Points passively.

The numbers had climbed while he slept, read, and sat in meetings with his people.

Sure, the gain was likely majorly boosted by his recent achievements—killing an Angel, terminating a faction, announcing his victory to the entire world—but nevertheless, it was incredible.

An amount that he would have wept over just weeks ago was now flowing into his metaphorical coffers passively, without him lifting a finger!

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 9 (Veil of the World)}

{Unlocking Class (8): 1,544 / 1,544}

—

Inputting a thousand five hundred and forty-four Fear Points, Malik braced himself, expecting incredible pain.

The last time he had Ascended, his body had felt like it was killing itself and regrowing anew, so he was sure that it would be many times worse this time around.

Ding!

—

╔═════════════╗

║UNLOCKED CLASS!║

╚═════════════╝

[You Have Stepped Closer To Your Truth.]

—

But surprisingly, he felt nothing.

Not even a whiff of difference.

His senses did not sharpen.

His Rukh reserves did not swell.

His body remained the same.

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 8 (Veil of the Unseen)}

{Unlocking Class (7): 0 / 3,105}

—

If not for the system window floating before his eyes, he would have thought it a lie.

But no, it was true, as was the incredible increase in required Fear Points.

Three thousand one hundred and five.

More than double what he had just spent.

That one was expected, though.

The curve was steep, and it would only get steeper.

Ding!

—

╔═════════════════╗

║GREAT RUNE UNLOCKED!║

╚═════════════════╝

[Devil’s Footsteps]

[Rune Description: This Rune leaves your feet to blossom hoofprints from Hell.]

—

Malik already knew of this Rune, of course.

He had used it earlier with a Soul Glyph, had felt the flames bloom beneath his feet, and crossed impossible distances in the blink of an eye.

But now he had fully unlocked it, allowing him to use it without the crutch of purchased power.

And apparently, it was a Great Rune, not a normal one.

—

╔══════════╗

║RUNE RANK UP!║

╚══════════╝

[Devil’s Footsteps (Rank 5 → Rank 4): 300 / 300 FP]

—

Without needing much thought, he decided to rank up the Rune as well.

From his battle with Mata, he came to realize just how useful and multifaceted it was.

But of course, just as he did so, he realized that it had taken him more than double the number of Fear Points than what the earlier Runes had.

At this point, he wasn’t so surprised.

The system always took more from him.

And well, it was a Great Rune, so it was expected.

Finally, he would no longer need someone to carry him around!

No more relying on Huda’s wind, Isha’s wings, Dunya’s Death, or the... kindness of strangers.

He could move on his own!

Furthermore, it would quell the doubters.

No longer would they raise a brow at how he moved, thinking him weak because he no longer crossed continents in a single step.

While he was still far from doing that, his speed remained great.

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 8 (Veil of the Unseen)}

{Unlocking Class (7): 0 / 3,105}

{Fear Points: 182}

{Runes}

[Ember’s Touch (Rank 3) — 0/400]

[Goliath’s Fall (Rank 3) — 0/400]

[Scorpion’s Sting (Rank 3) — 0/400]

[Devil’s Footsteps (Rank 4) — 0/600]

—

Though his total number of Fear Points had taken a massive hit, seeing how his arsenal was shaping up made him forget about it entirely.

He was Class Eight already, something that took most Magi decades to achieve—if they ever achieved it at all.

Of course, he was not Ascending here exactly.

The system was simply unlocking what was already there, stripping away the barriers that had been placed between him and his Truth, whether might, memory, or otherwise.

But the result was the same, so it did not matter.

’Three thousand, however... That will be—AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!’

Malik suddenly clutched his head.

Pain.

White searing pain.

It stabbed through his skull, forcing its way into his mind.

No.

He felt something worse.

A memory arose.

Blink.

***

He saw a scene.

Himself, but only slightly younger.

Malik was standing in a room he did not recognize.

In his arms, he cradled a baby girl.

Amal.

She was so small.

Her eyes were closed, her tiny chest rising and falling with each breath.

He looked at her with incredible sadness.

His hands trembled as he held her, as if he was afraid she would shatter at the slightest pressure.

And in his eyes, one could see a wilting black flower.

It was small at first, a shadow at the edge, but as he watched his own eyes, it grew.

Petals of darkness unfurled, spreading across the gold, drinking the light.

It reflected the first time IT cast its shadow upon him.

The time his first disciple, Jasmine, was claimed.