The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The dawn's first light filtered through the high windows of my study, casting long shadows across the stone floor. I stood before the eleven cages that were filled with snarling goblins, my mind already racing with possibilities. Each creature represented an opportunity—a chance to explore the limits of dark magic and enhance my power.

The devil hobgoblin servant, now standing silently at my side, was the first successful result of my experiments. Today, I will delve deeper into its potential.

I began with a series of tests to ensure the creature's absolute obedience. It knelt before me, its eyes glowing with a malevolent red light. "Stand," I commanded, and it rose immediately, its movements precise and controlled. "Fetch that book," I ordered, pointing to a dusty tome on a high shelf. The creature moved swiftly, retrieving the book with care and returning to my side.

Satisfied with its response, I devised a series of more challenging tests. I set up a variety of tasks, from complex puzzle-solving to physical feats. Each command was executed flawlessly, the servant's obedience unwavering. Its intelligence and agility were impressive, far surpassing those of a normal goblin.

I wondered how much of this was due to the dark magic and how much was a reflection of its inherent capabilities.

My thoughts turned to combat. The creature needed real-world experience, and I wanted to observe its prowess in battle. I decided to send it to the forest, where it could face a variety of opponents. But I needed a way to monitor its progress. Recalling an ability I had recently discovered, I used my [Vision] to connect with the servant's senses, allowing me to see and hear through its eyes and ears.

"Go to the forest," I instructed, "and engage any threats you encounter. I will be watching."

The devil hobgoblin servant nodded and set off, moving with a fluid grace that belied its monstrous appearance. I settled into a chair, focusing my mind on the connection. My vision blurred momentarily, then sharpened as I found myself seeing through the servant's eyes. The world took on a new perspective—colors seemed more vivid, sounds more acute.

The forest was dense, its undergrowth teeming with life. The servant moved silently, its senses alert, every sound and movement amplified in my mind. A rustle in the bushes drew its attention. A pack of wolves emerged, their eyes gleaming with hunger. The servant tensed, ready for combat. The wolves circled, growling, and hackles raised as they sized up their prey.

The first wolf lunged, jaws snapping. The servant sidestepped with a speed that left the wolf grasping at air. A second wolf charged from the side, but the servant anticipated the move, slashing out with its claws. The wolf yelped as blood sprayed from its flank, the creature collapsing in a heap.

Another wolf attacked from behind, but the servant spun with blinding speed, its claws meeting flesh in a violent arc. The forest echoed with the snarls and cries of the wolves. One by one, they fell, the servant moving with lethal precision. Claws raked through fur and flesh, teeth snapped on empty air, and within moments, the wolves lay dead, their blood soaking into the earth.

Through the servant's eyes, I felt the thrill of battle, the rush of power as each opponent fell. Yet, this was just the beginning. The servant's combat abilities were impressive, but I needed to push it further.

As it roamed the forest, I directed it toward more challenging opponents. A massive bear lumbered into view, its bulk blocking the path. The servant paused, sizing up the new foe. The bear roared, rearing up on its hind legs before crashing down with a powerful swipe. The servant darted forward, avoiding the blow with ease, and slashed at the bear's side. The bear roared in pain, swinging again.

This time, the servant did not dodge but caught the bear's paw mid-swing, using its own momentum to hurl the beast to the ground. The servant's claws glowed with dark energy as it struck, cutting through the bear's thick hide like paper. The bear's struggles grew weaker until it lay still.

Next, I directed the servant to a band of rogue hunters. They were well-armed and experienced, their eyes scanning the forest warily. The servant stalked them silently, each step measured and deliberate. As the hunters moved through the forest, the servant struck, a blur of motion and shadow.

The first hunter didn't even have time to scream as claws tore through his throat. The others turned, weapons raised, but the servant was already moving. An arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing as the servant lunged at the archer. Claws met flesh, and the archer crumpled to the ground.

The remaining hunters fought back fiercely. One swung a sword, aiming for the servant's head. The servant ducked, the blade slicing through the air above. It retaliated with a vicious uppercut, the hunter's body lifting off the ground before crashing down, lifeless. The last hunter, desperation in his eyes, tried to flee, but the servant was faster.

It pounced, dragging the hunter to the ground and ending his life with a swift, brutal strike.

With each victory, the servant's confidence and loyalty to me grew. Its skills were honed to deadly precision, each encounter testing and improving its limits.

Returning to the estate, I decided it was time to experiment with magical enhancements. I retrieved a set of vials from my private collection—potent elixirs given to me by Revenant, the leader of the Deadly Hollows. These vials contained dark magic in its purest form, capable of enhancing any creature's power.

I combined this with the [Chyrisus' Touch], a spell that could amplify the effects of any potion.

"Drink this," I commanded, handing the first vial to the servant. It obeyed without hesitation, downing the dark liquid in a single gulp. I watched as its body convulsed, dark energy coursing through its veins. Its aura grew more potent, the shadows around it deepening. The transformation was remarkable. Its muscles bulged, and its claws lengthened.

The air around it seemed to crackle with dark magic.

"How do you feel?" I asked, curious about the effects.

"Stronger, Master," it replied, its voice a guttural growl.

I continued with the other vials, each one enhancing a different aspect of the servant's abilities. Its strength, speed, and magical affinity all increased dramatically. But as with all experiments, there were unexpected results. The servant began to exhibit new abilities—its shadow seemed to move independently, striking out at invisible foes.

It could also heal from wounds almost instantaneously, the dark magic accelerating its regeneration.

One particularly startling discovery occurred during a combat drill. I had pitted the servant against illusions of a group of enchanted constructs—stone golems animated by ancient magic. As the battle raged, I noticed that the servant's movements had become more fluid, almost as if they were predicting the golems' attacks.

It dodged and struck with an uncanny accuracy, its claws shattering the stone bodies with ease.

After the battle, I approached the servant, intrigued. "You fought well," I said. "How did you anticipate their movements?"

The servant then pointed at its shadow. He didn't say anything, but I could somehow understand that he meant he could sense their will and movement through their shadow, as even his shadow moves independently and could work as his clone.

This revelation was both exciting and unsettling. The dark magic had given the servant a form of shadow telepathy, allowing it to sense the thoughts and intentions of its opponents. I pondered the implications of this ability. It could make the servant an even more formidable warrior, but it also raised questions about the extent of its power and autonomy.

Satisfied with the day's progress, I decided it was time to shift my focus. The royal banquet was approaching, and it presented an opportunity as well as a threat in my current position. My recent experiments had given me a valuable asset, but I needed to consider how best to use it.

The banquet would be attended by the kingdom's most influential figures, and it is very likely that there will be my, Draven's enemies inside there.

"Alfred," I called, my voice echoing through the chamber.

The butler appeared at the doorway, his demeanor as composed as ever. "Yes, Milord?"

"Make arrangements for our preparations for the royal banquet. We have much to do."

"As you command, Milord," Alfred replied, bowing slightly before leaving to carry out my orders.

With the existence of the devil hobgoblin servant, I could now have a force that I could use only by sending a mental order. I currently still have four available slots left at the Devil's pen for other devil servants. I guess the next ones should not be goblin as well, I need to find other ones that could broaden my options, especially in battles.

Holding on the Devil's pen on my hand, I can't help but utter.

"This keep on getting interesting,"