At the pinnacle of the demonic path, betrayal was the last thing he expected.

When the people anchoring his soul abandoned him during ascension, a mage who had reached the pinnacle of the demonic path met an untimely end. His final lesson was simple: never trust anyone.

Then he opened his eyes in the body of Cassian Valter, a doomed villain from a romance fantasy novel.

Cassian's talent had been deliberately poisoned by the very maid entrusted with his care. His future was already written, but the new occupant had no intention of following it.

He dealt with the conspirators, repaired his damaged spiritual circuits, and returned to cultivation. The ducal family, its inheritance, and the people around him meant little. If the duchy could provide resources for his ascent, he would use them. If someone stood in his way, he would remove them.

He had already learned what trusting others could cost him.

This time, he would cultivate alone.