《Prime Evolver System》


 Chapter 1 - 1 - The Ritual (Part 1)

    The year was 2230. Mankind, as you know it was gone, what was left of them lived in gargantuan underground cities. Bunkers, Vaults, Metal Crypts¡­ they had many unofficial names, but their official term were ''Havens''.


    There were a couple hundred scattered throughout the globe with a few hundred thousand survivors struggling to keep going for yet another day.


    ''What happened?'' You may ask. You may even continue with your own theories like ''Was it a great war? Was it a virus? Was it a meteorite? An intergalactic civilization?''


    Well, nobody knows anymore. The truth is, something catastrophic happened in the year 2020 that in the span of a few years resulted in the deaths of billions. Above ground, as we know was no longer hospitable. The air became toxic to our lungs, the plant and wildlife underwent strange mutations and turned into ferocious monsters.


    Even our dead couldn''t rest anymore. The decaying corpses and skeletons of our deceased emerged from their graves attacking anything and anybody in sight. Our home, our planet turned into a hellish nightmare.


    The various powerful governments tried controlling the situation at the start, enforcing various regulations and New World Orders, but eventually, over the span of decades, their ideologies crumbled just like the old civilization.


    But, as the saying goes, life will always find a way. From the rubbles of the past, from the despairing darkness that descended upon us, a thin ray of hope broke through.


    Nobody is certain what happened to cause the change, but after around a hundred years of suffering, mankind found an incredible discovery. After successfully hunting one of the easiest creatures, the Mutant Rabbits, the hunting team found a strange, glowing green crystal in its body.


    The crystal itself was relatively small, with a strange gaseous substance swirling inside of it. There was a certain warmth to it, when the first hunter touched it, a desire began to bubble from deep within him. It was a primal urge, an instinct that he didn''t know he had.


    With decisive and sudden action, he did something that forever changed the remaining mankind and drove history to the unknown. He swallowed the small object, surprised that it was easy to crunch and swallow.


    As the dark green cloud traversed down his gullet and entered its stomach, the man suddenly felt an explosion of energy, power inside his stomach. He fell to the ground groaning, crying in pain under the shocked and scared gazes of his teammates.


    However, the pain slowly transformed. His body that was tormented with something unbearable, underwent some mystical change. He felt a new source of energy, a new foundation of power brimming inside him, coursing through his veins. At the same time, new, shocking knowledge appeared in his mind, informing him about the new power he just embarked upon.


    He was the first to awaken, the first of the ones later termed as ''Evolved''. A new stage, a new evolution for humanity. They were beings that awakened to new powers, they were stronger, faster, more intelligent¡­ simply put they were better than the ''Dredgers'' the average citizenry.


    Some gained mystical powers, some could control various aspects of nature, traverse incredible distances, or even summon a companion to his or her side.


    This was the beginning of the new era of mankind, something that held great prospects and hopes but in the end¡­ was the beginning to the end¡­


    ---


    On top of a dilapidated building, a figure could be seen standing, gazing down at the destroyed remains of a once gigantic metropolis garbed in a tattered, ragged dark brown robe. His face that was safely tucked away under a baggy hood was protected by a strange-looking metallic mask. Two circular-shaped blood-red lenses shone through the shadows.


    The figure, that looked to be a male merely by its body shape, was looking below the streets, seemingly unaware of the dangers that such a feat could contain. Above ground, various types of monsters, airborne or not could attack him and most likely take his life in seconds.


    A group of prehistoric-looking lizardlike creatures circled in the air, eyeing their prey, but for some strange reason, none of them dares to launch an attack. Below the ground, creatures of various sizes were eyeing his silhouette, but just like their flying brethren, they remained still and continued to growl menacingly.


    An invisible aura surrounded this man, alerting all the predators about the deadly dangers this being could unleash upon them. Their instincts which were much better than the humans were shouting, crying at them to keep their distance and do not get close to this terrifying existence.


    The man continued to silently gaze at the ground below, keeping his attention on the large variety of gathered creatures.


    A single sigh, escaped from behind the mask, causing the voice modulator to activate and release a robotic tune.


    Suddenly a gust of air blew by behind him, the sound of wings flapping could be heard.


    Despite being aware of the new presence, the man remained stoic, unmoving. His gaze was still plastered on the large congregation of creatures below, uncaring of the one behind him.


    Merely a moment later, an audible thud could be heard, the sound of something solid hitting the rabble rang out. A feminine soft voice came shortly after, bubbling with reverent devotion.


    "My lord, the preparations have been completed to your specifications. We are ready."


    A long robotic sigh came from the being as a response once more. A few seconds of silence ensued upon the two, none of them spoke a word.


    Eventually, after almost half a minute, the masked stranger broke the ensuing quiet, his robotic, modulated, emotionless voice rang out.


    "Did you find the artifact?"


    As if the question was already expected, the feminine voice came almost instantly.


    "Yes, my lord. We have found it, we have also managed to lock on to the target and the destination. However, if I may ask¡­ Is this truly the only way?"


    The robed being didn''t respond to the question at first, he simply raised his gaze, averting it finally from the ground below and focusing on the stars above.


    It was a late night. The dark sky was littered with golden, shining dots, each marking another star, and maybe, just maybe, another intelligent life. A new life, with new hopes and dreams¡­ Some good, some bad, each unique in its own way.


    "It has been too long¡­ I grew tired. I can''t go on like this any longer." He muttered, breathing his words into the wind. His long, tired sigh told tales of a life filled with countless stories.


    "B-but¡­ my lord¡­" A weak, meek response came from behind, passing by, ignored by the robed being as he continued.


    "Say, my dear Sera, what do you see when you look at the sky above?" He asked but did not wait for a response from the one behind him, and went further on.


    "I see the trillions upon trillions of shining stars, each carrying their own hopes and dreams. Each may very well nurture life on their own, just like ours. They may be similar to us or may not. They could suffer as we do, or they could strive in their utopia."


    Not sure of how to answer his master, the woman behind struggled to phrase a sentence.


    "M-my lord, I-I''m not sure¡­"


    Before she could finish, the robed man heaved a loud sigh once again and continued without bothering with the woman''s answer.


    "Don''t mind me, my dear Sera, I''m just a senile old man. I was just mumbling nonsense." He shook his head. From his tone, a deep sadness could be heard.


    He took one last look at the sky above, heaving yet another sigh before he finally turned around to take a look at the woman that just arrived.


    Sera, as she was called by the robed man, was a slender, graceful-looking woman. She had long, blonde hair, that reached all the way down to the lower parts of her back. Her bright, azure-colored eyes shined with a reverent passion focused on the master in front of her.


    She wore a dark purple business suit with a strange emblem, a skull-shaped goblet, embroidered with golden thread just above her heart.


    She looked average as if she wasn''t an awakened, but a simple dredger, but there was a strange, intangible, invisible aura that surrounded her. It was something unique to great warriors of legends, who survived countless battles, always emerging victorious.


    Strangely, despite the fact that the air was supposedly toxic and harmful to humans, she seemed perfectly fine even without it.


    Hearing her master talk like that, she shook her head with fervent passion, causing her generous curves to sway with her body.


    "No, master, don''t say that! You are the fi-"


    Before she could finish, the figure raised his right black leather gloved hand in the air, silencing the woman once again.


    "Please don''t, Sera. I''m old and tired now. It has been way too long. It''s time for me to go." Not willing to accept the fate his master has succumbed himself to, Sera shook her head in an obstinate, but sadly, pointless denial.


    She reached out, wanting to hold her beloved master in her embrace once again, only to stop and pull her arms back midway in the air.


    "M-master¡­ please don''t do this¡­ There has to be another way¡­ It is way too cruel of a fate, both for you... and for him."


    The robed figure stepped closer to the girl, who was now battling against her own tears, trying her absolute best to show a strong stand. She didn''t want to show weakness to her beloved lord, whom she served for so long¡­


    "My dear Sera¡­" The figure reached out with his right hand, gently touching and caressing the woman''s cheek with the back of his hand. "Don''t be sad, we all knew that my time will come. I was too weak in the end, I couldn''t hold it any longer¡­ Be strong, after all, this should be the last failed cycle. He is the one."


    The master''s words were too much for Sera, her tears broke through the blockade, and began their journey across her already bright red cheeks. She wanted to talk, she wanted to tell her master to not go, to not leave her alone. He was her everything. Her only family. Without him, she didn''t know how she was to go on.


    "Sera, you were never just a servant to me." As if understanding the girl''s tumultuous thoughts, the hooded man continued. His tone, which was melancholic just a moment ago, had some newfound warmness to it as he reminisced about the life they spent together. "You were my family, my beloved daughter. You know better than anyone, I can understand how you feel¡­ Still, we must do this."


    He pulled his hand away, as he continued. The warmness from his voice vanished, replaced by the melancholy he had just a few moments ago.


    "You know it just as well as I, that my time is done. I have failed, I can''t contain it anymore. I have to do this, we have to do the ritual¡­"


    Sera looked at the man in front of her, with a hazy gaze. Her eyes were still blurry with all the water that she was still trying to force back. She wanted to make her master, no, her FATHER proud.


    She gave a weak nod at his words, taking a long time to enjoy the moment. She knew he was right, she knew that what they were about to do was important. Still, it was hard to just accept it. The master, the father-figure she looked up to, she adored, was about to go through his final journey and leave her alone forever.


    "F-father¡­" She whispered meekly, looking longingly at the hooded, robed man. She wanted to reach out, and see his face one last time, but she knew that she couldn''t.. She shouldn''t.

 Chapter 2 - 2 - The Ritual (Part 2)

    Somewhere below the ground, in a gloomy, scarcely lit underground stone chamber, the shadow of a lone figure could be seen sitting cross-legged on the ground. Donned in old dark brown patched fabric, with his face carefully hidden behind under a baggy hood, he stood at the center of the room. Around him, a pentagram was painted on the floor with blood-red color.


    Along each of its edges and vertices, a white candle was burning, providing the obscure, eerie lighting.


    He was the only figure in this forsaken underground room that felt more like a crypt, than anything else. A crypt, a final resting place for a being that traveled the Earth, silently protecting the unaware citizens throughout the centuries, whilst desperately searching for a cure.


    He was looking for a resolution for the curse that plagued him and many others before him, slowly eating away their soul, leaving nothing but an empty husk behind. Darkness. The mysterious void.


    Unfortunately, in the end, just like the many others before him, he failed. He was still too weak. His body and soul submitted to the curse, slowly but surely embracing the corruption.


    Raising his gaze, he waved with his black leather glove-covered right hand in the air. From this simple motion, a black transparent image appeared, stably floating in the air at his eye level. Upon it, a countdown could be seen with bloodied, scarlet letters as they continued their slow but steady descent towards a dreaded moment.


    [ ¡­:::Time Remaining: 01 Hours 04 Minutes 27 Seconds:::¡­]


    An annoyed snort came from under the hood, the figure scoffed, angrily waving with his hand, washing the image away with it, causing it to vanish just as mysteriously as it appeared.


    "It should be enough. Once she arrives, I can begin¡­" He muttered with a hoarse, breaking voice. In the end, his words turned into heavy coughing, splurting a handful of blood on the dusty floor in front of him.


    Despite the obvious difficulty he continued mumbling as soon as the fit subsided.


    "¡­I am sorry, child, for placing such a heavy burden, and such a cruel fate on you. I truly am¡­ but I am too weak now, I can''t hold on anymore¡­"


    Once again, his words turned into a series of bloody splurts, as he resumed his coughing.


    "She should arrive soon¡­ I need to get ready¡­" He muttered, once again after his lungs calmed down.


    He reached for the left and light edges of the hood still covering most of his head. He hesitated, he didn''t want his beloved Sera to see him in this ugly state¡­ but, he knew there was no other way. He couldn''t entrust such a task to anybody else after all.


    Heaving a heavy sigh and steeling his resolve, he slowly pulled against the fabric, slowly revealing a face, hidden behind a black, ebony-colored, metallic, demon-faced mask. Long, white unkempt hair burst from the receding shadows, cascading all the way down, past his shoulder, reaching halfway down to his back.


    As if he accomplished something grand, the man heaved a heavy sigh. Giving himself a few seconds to calm down, he resumed to take off the layers that he was hiding behind. His right hand reached for the thin mask, that strangely, despite not having any straps on its sides, held itself firmly on the figure''s face.


    Grabbing the edge of the mask, azure-colored bolts of lightning zapped through the surface, as it slowly detached itself from its master''s skin, revealing an old, wrinkled, sickly visage. White, bloodless, sickly skin covered with deep cuts, gashes all around. A pair of fully dark, black eyes gazed at the demonic item, reminiscing the countless years it served him faithfully.


    "It''s time to pass it on¡­ Serve him just as well as you did me for all these years¡­"


    The ancient, archaic wrinkles on the man''s face slowly moved, contorting into a hideous grin-like smile. This item, this artifact, was a key to him lasting more than any of his predecessors. With 350 years, he was the longest living host of all of those before him.


    Still, in the end, he couldn''t find a resolution for this curse, for this mutation¡­ This¡­ virus¡­ He couldn''t thwart the disaster, he could only place all his hope on this one final gamble.


    The sound of footsteps awoke the figure from its lamentation. Straightening his back, he closed his eyes. He patiently waited, listening as the graceful steps got closer and closer.


    The blonde girl wearing the same business suit, appeared in the doorway, in her hands, she carried a black ancient-looking brown suitcase.


    She looked at the man in front of him with a heavy, complex look on her beautiful face.


    "Master, here''s the crystal." Resuming her trek, she approached the figure, stopping just outside the painted pentagram. Making sure her black leather high heels didn''t smear any of the paint, nor did it disturb any of the candles she gave a deep, respectful bow to the figure standing in the middle.


    Shifting her conflicted gaze, she admired the aged figure''s terrible condition, not minding his horrendous look a bit. Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she parted her lips, asking the question she already voiced multiple times in the last couple of hours.


    "My lord¡­ are you really, truly sure about this? Is this really the only way?" She spoke, continuing only muttering the next words under her breath, knowing full well that her master with her heightened senses will be able to hear it without issues. "I don''t want to lose you¡­ You are my only family¡­"


    The old man did not speak but slowly opened his dark eyes. He joined his hands together, forming a praying pose, and began to silently mutter something, whispering under his breath.


    Several minutes have passed, before the old man, stopped with his prayer. For the first time since she arrived, he raised his eyes and gazed at the blonde girl who kept looking at him with the same conflicted, sorrowful expression on her face, whilst carefully holding the small leather bag in her hand.


    Shifting his gaze, he glanced over at the small leather suitcase she was holding with such care. From the outside, it was just an average relic from a couple of centuries ago, nothing special. However, the object it contained in its belly was the most mysterious object through the times. Such a small, meaningless crystal, one that you could find millions if not billions throughout the planet. Yet, this one was special, unique, the only one of its kind.


    Not many knew about its existence and even less would have dared to dabble with it.


    Still, knowing full well of the dangers, the old man revealed a contented, satisfied smile as his eyes scanned the meaningless-looking small leather suitcase.


    Nodding, his lips parted, speaking a few words only.


    "Perfect. This is the one, I can feel it. Give it to me." He reached for the case, taking it over from the woman, who, after doing so, stepped back several steps, silently.


    She looked with forced calmness, however, her blurry eyes betrayed her true feelings.


    Holding the small suitcase, the old man waved once again in the air with his right hand. A moment later, the same dark image appeared, floating in the air, with the blood-red, scarlet countdown reaching closer and closer to the deadly finish line.


    Grabbing the brown leather bag, he hurriedly reached inside. Feeling the cold, smooth surface of the treasured artifact inside, he carefully grabbed it with his right hand, pulling it out and revealing it for the first time.


    In his hands, a dark, black-colored crystal was visible. The transparent crystalline walls tightly held the eerie, ominous dark gaseous substance.


    Seeing as the monstrous energy swirled with excitement as it seemingly realized that its time has finally come, the old man waved with his hand once again, summoning the dreaded screen with the countdown once again.


    [ ¡­:::Time Remaining: 00 Hours 08 Minutes 13 Seconds:::¡­]


    Seeing that he only had a little over 8 minutes left, he sighed, shaking his head.


    He was about to speak, give the final command to this demonic curse, only to find that the words were stuck in his throat, refusing to acquiesce to his commands.


    He turned to look at the lone, blonde woman, the only person that stuck with him for all his years. His most faithful servant, whom he truly, wholeheartedly considered his daughter, his only family just like the girl remarked silently earlier.


    "My dear Sera¡­" He whispered weakly. He knew he was out of time, but he just couldn''t leave without saying his farewells properly. Despite the harshness, the difficulty in doing so, he forced himself to speak what was in his heart, forcing the coughs back down for one last time.


    "My dear Sera¡­" He repeated, swallowing a big gulp before continuing. The blonde woman who stood further away, watching intently at the ritual, chuckled, almost breaking her stoic, stern, strong visage just with a mere mentioning of her name.


    Clenching her fists tightly, she nodded, awaiting his master''s last words.


    "My dear daughter¡­ Although my time is up, and I will leave this world shortly, my legacy will live on with you¡­ I know that the final mission that I am giving you will be a long and arduous journey, but I know that you will be able to do it¡­ Whoever will be the next host, please, watch over him or her¡­"


    He stopped his speech, as yet another coughing fit burst forth from his lungs, splurting another handful of blood on the ground. He took a few short moments to collect himself as he continued with a forced smile on his face.


    "...Watch over the one it chooses, but remember to keep your distance until he awakens. It may be hard to hold yourself back at times, due to the nature of the horrible fate this curse will bring forth, you will have to stay strong. Suffering will be important in shaping the mind¡­ For you and for the boy or girl¡­"


    Nodding, Sera spoke with a faint, meek voice. Her tone, which was on the verge of breaking into a desperate, sorrowful cry, was like daggers to the old man''s heart.


    "Yes, master. I will do so as per your request."


    The old man, listening to her, shook his head gently.


    "My child, I am your master only for a few more minutes¡­ Stay strong, I¡­" He couldn''t finish his words, he wasn''t strong enough. The word, the concept was just too hard for his ancient heart to grasp.


    Sera did not respond, but the defiant look was a clear tell of what her true feelings were. She stepped to the side, returning to the somber silence, watching the completion of the ritual.


    Knowing time was running out, the old man did not waste any more time either. He glanced at the floating dark screen in front of him, a scorn appeared on his face.


    "Even if I lost, you will not be victorious either¡­" He muttered tightly clenching at the dark crystal.


    His eyes suddenly lit up, the black void that was his sclera rapidly transformed to blood red. The small flames on the candles twisted, changing their orange gradient and matching the color of the pentagram.


    In the next moment, a silent breeze whisked through, carrying a mysterious, otherwordly cold with it, blowing the candles off one by one, following the pentagram''s outer layers.


    Once the last candle was blown the old man crushed the crystal and hurriedly digested it, making sure that none of the eerie dark cloud could escape. As the energy spread around his body, a mysterious whirlpool appeared in the depth of his soul, sucking in everything it could with lightning speed.


    The whirlpool gradually grew in size, soon breaking through the spiritual plane and making its presence known in the real world as well. The old man''s figure began to distort as the mysterious swirling, chaotic energy engulfed his very being.


    Before his figure completely disappeared, his last words were carried by the cold wind, reaching the silently standing blonde girl''s ears.


    "Once the ritual is complete, grab the crystal and swallow it! It will take you to your destination! Goodbye, my sweet daughter..."


    Unable to contain his grief any longer, Sera''s tears finally burst forth, her sadness erupted into a sorrowful cry. She raised her arms towards the floating, chaotic whirlpool of energy, as she cried out, hoping that his dear master, no, his dear father would hear her words.


    "Goodbye, Father¡­ I will miss you..."


    The whirlpool continued to madly suck in the air, processing it and turning it into even more energy. As time continued to pass, reaching the critical point, it suddenly shrunk in size, turning into a singular dark seed that floated in the air.


    Before Sera could react and think that the ritual was complete, the dot exploded in a loud shockwave erupted, blustering, roaring in the small underground chamber, shaking its ancient walls.


    The explosion, which was accompanied by a bright, blinding white light forced Sera to avert and shield her gaze for a moment.


    A few moments later, as the dust began to settle, the light began to fade, and the room returned to an eerie silence, Sera was focusing to see through the cloud that was still too thick to see through.


    However, as the cloud continued to dissipate and she could finally see through it, her knees buckled she fell on the ground. Her last bits of mental barrier that so far managed to hold back most of the grief and sorrow was finally broken through, she burst into a painful, wretched cry.


    At the middle of the pentagram, where the old man was just a moment ago, just the same floating dark, eerie-looking crystal was visible as it gently floated in the air. The old man, the master, and the father were nowhere to be seen....

 Chapter 3 - 3 - The Wretched One

    November 04th, 2013


    The orange rays of the morning sun shone with its all-powerful glory, scaring the despairing darkness away once again. As it slowly, but gradually rose from below the horizon, reaching higher and higher altitudes, it eventually peeked through the various tall skyscrapers of the business sector of the large metropolitan city, breaching into the well-known Slums, the Sector for the ''Poor Sods'' as the average citizenry referred to them, eventually reaching a particular, dilapidated, worn-down building.


    The vibrant daylight shone through the stained, filthy windows, illuminating the dark, gloomy rooms, and waking the small residents of the many rooms.


    Several square-shaped pillars of light breached the many large halls as well, replacing the previous night''s darkness, invigorating it into dim obscurity.


    The many beds placed one after another with only a small cupboard between them each held an owner. One by one, they showed signs of movement, under their patched, ragged covers they awoke from their short slumber.


    Small feet and tiny, fragile hands could be seen popping out from around the sheet''s edges, soon followed by a variety of young childish faces. An asynchronous chorus of yawns replaced the serene silence as the children sat up and stretched before reaching for their gruff iron mugs with the wooden toothbrushes placed on top of their cupboards.


    Each kid followed the same routine as if it was a well-oiled machine. All of them had the process seemingly ingrained into their brains. All, except for one single bed, still hiding in the dark, shadowy far right corner of the room. The only spot, the last bastion where the ''night'' still pervaded, and its lone resident was defiantly resisting this robotic, automated pattern.


    The other children simply ignored the one at the corner, only throwing the occasional frown, or a disdainful look in its direction. They all knew who that bed''s owner was. The weak, the measly, the rotten, the bringer of misfortune. The wretched one, Lucien Shaw.


    An imperceivable aura of misfortune seemed to surround this young boy, who lived his entire life behind the walls of this orphanage. Hatred and disdain were showered on throughout his life. He was the target of bullying, he was the one whose cries the caretakers ignored.


    One could ask, how could such a person be the cause of so much sorrow, so many accidents. Why was he the target of all the hatred and disdain? How could nobody, not even the adults seemingly not care about his wellbeing?


    Nobody truly knew, but the fact that wherever he was, bad luck always seemed to follow him. A mystical, invisible aura of wretchedness surrounded his very being.


    While strangely, he always seemed to be completely fine no matter what happened to him, that couldn''t be said to all the others that kept bothering him.


    Strangely, despite the many beatings, and accidents he had, he always came out mostly unscathed, apart from a few bruises and the lingering pain, nobody ever really paid attention to it. With his childish mind, at first, he thought this was normal, but when he was sent to the nurse''s office, he was reminded that this wasn''t the case.


    Still, his body was able to resist, and even if something managed to pierce his incredibly resistant skin, it healed up by the time someone even bothered to glance over it. This ability of his only added to his wretched reputation. He was deemed a liar, the one from the tale who always cried for the wolf that nobody believed after a while.


    This resulted in him being alone, his only friend was his imagination and the few animals kept in the orphanage. The boys and even the girls kept their distance, only coming in close contact when they wanted the food from his plate during meals, or when they needed a punching bag to vent their frustrations.


    He sat alone in a dark corner during lunch, or during lectures. In the afternoon, he wasn''t allowed in the same building as the rest of the children and had to attend the poultry and cows that the orphanage kept.


    Over the years, however, Lucien got used to this treatment. He got used to the beatings, he got used to being an outcast. He was also used to attending to the hens, the cows. They did not hate him, they did not shun him. Only in their presence could Lucien feel a bit of respite, only with them he could escape from the other''s eyes filled with the undeserved hatred and disdain.


    He hated the mornings. He had to wait until all the other children finished their morning routine and be left alone before he could do the same. He had to pretend to be still asleep to escape from their gazes before he could head to the canteen and hastily gulp down the previous day''s leftovers that were served for him as breakfast while the other kids got to enjoy the freshly made meals.


    Even this action proved to be a challenge sometimes.


    ---


    Lucien stayed in the bed, the bedsheet pulled over his head, creating his ''safe haven'' his bastion that protected him from the other''s disdainful gazes. He sighed, his eyes were focused trying to analyze all the small details of a strange, mysterious black, transparent image that floated just in front of his eyes.


    Bloody, scarlet-colored unrecognizable symbols were in the middle of the image, informing him of something he sadly couldn''t understand. This strange thing was with him ever since he was born. He tried asking at first, but the only thing he received was frowns and lectures. At first, he believed that this was only a figment of his imagination, like his illusionary friends, but over the years as he grew, it never left him. He could make it appear or disappear with a thought, but otherwise, he couldn''t do anything else.


    He was excited when he was finally at the age that he could learn to read, hoping he would finally solve the mystery behind the symbol, only to be let down. None of the letters matched the strange symbols.


    Later, when history lessons started, he saw the ancient hieroglyphics of the people of the past, but even then, none of the images he saw in the images matched. He spent countless hours in the library researching all the materials available, but nothing seemed to match, nothing worked.


    He tried asking the teachers only to be ignored, he tried asking the others only to be beaten by the older kids. He tried everything he could but got absolutely zero results. There was no progress, he never got closer to solving the mystery behind the symbols and the floating image that seemed to be only visible to him.


    The only thing he figured out, is that this floating¡­ image for the lack of a better word was somehow tied to him. It was a part of him. It was something he could bring up and dismiss with only a thought. The symbols were always the same, alien, unreadable to him.


    Still, he ''knew''.. he could ''feel'' that there was something important hidden in them. He felt a desire deep within him to uncover its secrets. He felt the need to solve this enigma. He wanted to, no, he HAD to know what they meant, what was the resolution that this screen held within.


    Just like every other day, while waiting for the others to finish up and leave the room, he brought up the black screen and kept studying the strange, blood-red symbols that slowly appeared.


    [¡­:::?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???!:::¡­]


    Whatever these symbols meant, he was sure it was something important, something¡­ related to him.


    Hearing that the noise had finally died down in the room, Lucien sighed, dismissed the black screen, and sat up from his bed. He had to get ready as fast as he could if he wanted to have a chance at breakfast, after all...


    As the cover fell down, revealing his face, a thin, pearl-white-skinned boy scanned the room with his dark brown eyes. He had matching, short dark brown hair, and an average, unhealthy visage. He was clearly starved and was provided only with the bare minimum to survive. He wore ragged, tattered clothing, a torn, short-sleeved khaki shirt, and dark brown pants. He slipped into his slippers and picked up his own dented, worn-down steel mug. The similarly aged, used toothbrush that rested in it, was in a much worse shape than the ones the rest of the kids had. He slowly, grudgingly made his way towards the single bathroom in utter silence and loneliness. Nevertheless, he didn''t mind it.


    It was better this way.


    ---


    After finishing his morning routine, Lucien rushed towards the canteen to get his breakfast, which would surely have a surprise just like every other day. Usually, a spat, a globe of phlegm, a booger, or something similarly disgusting was mixed in.


    He naively thought that people will get tired of this if he didn''t react to it, but the joke never seemed to grow old and kept on going for all the years. But, as with everything in life, over time, he got used to it.


    What he found utterly disgusting in the past, now he simply ignored, skipping the contaminated parts and ate what parts he could, leaving the rest for the trash.


    Just like every other day, as he entered the canteen that was already full and noisy with the happy chatters of the other children, he sighed, seeing that there still was a line of children still trying to get their breakfasts.


    Today, he wasn''t too late, which would be normally considered a good thing, but in his case, it only meant more troubles than usual. If he would have arrived late, he would be free to go to the counter and ask the lady for his portion.


    However, on days like today, when there were still other¡­ ''normal'' kids waiting, he had to go to the back and ask for his swill.


    Frowning at his luck, he turned towards the back door, ready to go and grab his meal, when an all-too-familiar voice reached his ears from behind.


    "Wretched one, what are you doing here this early?!"

 Chapter 4 - 4 - Birthday

    Lucien sighed upon hearing the sarcastic-toned question. Forcing a smile on his face, he turned around, only to see 3 much taller, older boys with the familiar, cruel grinning expression on their faces.


    "What is it today, Billy?!" He asked the tallest, blonde-haired, chubby teenager in the middle with a cold tone. Although he tried to force a kind, friendly outlook, he couldn''t control and hide the emerging annoyance in his tone. After all, this scene wasn''t a new one, it repeated way too often over the years. He knew that he should have tried his best to remain calm, and smiling, but it was just too early for that. Lucien was aware that this mistake of his, will earn him some extra ''attention'' from this bully and his gang.


    "What is that tone, Wretched One?! Do you not appreciate my kindness anymore? Is this any way to greet your one and only friend? After all, who would want to interact with someone like you?!" Billy, the leader of the trio of these boys, looked to be hurt by the coldness of Lucien.


    However, before Lucien could have had the chance to respond, his theatrical smile returned to his face, he stepped next to him, leaning his arm against his shoulders as he continued.


    "Don''t worry about your food, we have already taken it for you. Today, we even decided to allow you to sit and eat with us! What do you say, aren''t we the best friends you could have?" Billy grinned, forcing the cruelty behind his glinting eyes to the back. Still, this only gave him an even worse visage.


    While forcing the smile to appear on his face and doing his best to mask the increasing annoyance he felt, Lucien responded slowly. He was aware that he was no match to them physically, the best he could do was to ease the suffering he will surely receive.


    "Sure, that is indeed very nice of you, Billy."


    "Perfect! Come on then Wretched, let''s eat breakfast together, amongst friends!" Billy spoke with a giddy tone, his two lackeys nodded with elated looks on their faces. Today seemed to be turning out especially good as it seemed.


    As he followed along with the three bullies, Lucien lamented his luck today. Today of all days he had to run into this fat pig and be tormented for the next couple of hours. He had to ''enjoy'' his friendship and get beaten up. Today, of all days!


    ''Some birthday, huh¡­'' He ridiculed inwardly. Today, just for this one day, he wanted to be left alone. Not ridiculed, not tortured, not beaten up for the amusement of others. He just wanted to be by himself, maybe enjoy the garbage that he would probably receive as breakfast. Survive through the daily lecture and attend the animals.


    It wasn''t much, nobody really bothered to wish him ''Happy Birthday''. Not that he would have expected anybody to know or care. This was only special to himself. This day marked his progress of getting ever so closer to his dream of leaving this hellish place once and for all. After today, he ''only'' had to survive five more years!


    But no, even this little respite was denied from him. Even this small peace was something he couldn''t enjoy. He turned thirteen today, a number that was often referred to as the cursed, unlucky number.


    Throughout history, many civilizations feared this seemingly harmless two-digit numeric. In ancient Mayan culture, the end of the calendar, the thirteenth Baktum was superstitiously feared as the harbinger of the end of the world. For the catholic church, during the famous and just as equally famed Last Supper, there were 13 people sitting at the table. On the thirteenth day of October of 1307, France''s current ruler King Philip IV ordered the capture of the Knight Templars who were then horribly tortured and killed.


    In fact, the number is famed that it even has its own phobia in psychology, named triskaidekaphobia.


    Still, despite that, for Lucien this day marked that he now only had to suffer for 5 more years before he would be finally free. To him, this day, the beginning of the final countdown was a joyous occasion, something he wanted to enjoy with the only creatures in this hell that didn''t shun him just because of some superstition that surrounded his very being. The animals.


    Reminding himself of this fact, Lucien clenched his fists and stopped in his tracks causing Billy and his gang to take a halt as well. He looked at the fragile figure of the dark-haired boy with a wondrous gaze.


    Before Billy could inquire about the reason, Lucien spoke with a much colder, impassive tone. His figure was slightly trembling, but it was uncertain if it was due to fear or maybe something else.


    "Listen, guys. Today, I really don''t want to spend my morning like how I do usually. Can I just take my food and eat it at peace? Just this once?"


    "What''s the matter Wretched One? Are you not enjoying our friendship anymore? That really hurts you know¡­" After listening to Lucien''s request and his change of tone, Billy''s friendly facade also faded for a moment. However, a moment later he forced the same theatrical expression back to his wide, oval-shaped face.


    "You know, Wretched One, I would have expected you to be a bit more grateful than this. Not just that we are nice enough to take your meal without you having to go for it yourself and then allow you to be in our presence and eat it with us, we are also kind and generous enough to be your friends! Yet, you have the gall to be this ungrateful?!"


    Every time he could, he put emphasis on Lucien''s nickname, with an even wider grin stretching across his puffy face. Towards the end of his theatrical speech, he played the part of a hurt, offended youth, even going so far as to crumble a teardrop just for added effect.


    "Yeah, just like Billy says! Why are you being so ungrateful?!"


    "We spent a lot of time, making sure you got a decent meal and even got you the best table! Yet, you are so arrogant! Are you looking down on us?"


    His goons joining in chimed their own verbal insults loud enough for the entire canteen to hear, causing all eyes to be focused on them. Smirks and expectant glints could be seen in almost all of the childlike faces, knowing full well that a good show was about to start and the Wretched One would receive a good and well-deserved beating again.


    "Yeah, how can you be so cruel, Wretched One?!"


    "This is why nobody wants to befriend you! Annoying little sh*thead!"


    "Beat him up! Give him what he deserves!"


    Curses flew left and right from Billy''s friends and the audience as well. Nobody seemed to be on the small, weak little boy''s side¡­


    Billy, just like many times before, knew how to play to the audience''s wishes. He waited with an increasing smile on his face for a while, listening and nodding to the various insults flying left and right.


    After a couple of minutes, he suddenly raised his right hand in the air, silencing the expectant crowd.


    "Just so that nobody can say we aren''t generous, and forgiving, we will give you a chance to explain yourself and consequently apologize for your rudeness, Wretched One. Tell us, why do you want to leave us after you were offered the chance to enjoy your meal with us, your ONLY friends'' presence?" As he spoke, Billy kept his attention on the crowd, slowly turning his gaze from left to right only looking at the boy in question as he finished with his question.


    Being the victim of yet another of these little plays, Lucien just couldn''t take it anymore. Not today of all days. His annoyance, his anger was reaching dangerous levels, critical heights. He was visibly shaking, seething, trying to keep his boiling emotions down.


    Unbeknownst to him, a faint black saturation began to creep up to the outer edges of the visible parts of his eyes. His pearl white sclera now had a thin outer black, ebony border. This, however, went unnoticed by Billy, his lackeys, and even the nearby audience.


    Lucien clenched his hands even tighter, forcing the blood back, turning his already pale fists even whiter.


    "I will ask you again, Billy. Let me enjoy my meal alone. Just for today. We can resume this little play of yours tomorrow." He seethed, almost spitting out the words one by one.


    His request, however, didn''t seem to reach Billy''s ears. His smile that previously looked kind and friendly, was now clearly one of those that you could expect to see on especially cruel and savage homicidal maniacs. Whatever he planned to do with the little punchbag today, was now only further enhanced. He glanced at his lackeys, nodding imperceptibly. Upon his command they surrounded Lucien, cutting off any possible routes for an escape.


    As they slowly approached Lucien, with their hands balled into fists, looking at him as if he was the sheep and them the wolves, they were already expecting Lucien''s knees to buckle in fright and to start begging for forgiveness¡­


    "If you want to survive this without any injury you should kneel and apologize to everyone here for wasting their precious time. If you do that, we might just be generous enough to forgive you¡­" Already expecting how the scene should play out, Billy spoke up, the grin on his face reaching almost ear to ear at this point. He was clearly enjoying how the events played out, even if it was not following the usual script.


    The smile on his face was as vicious as it could possibly be, he was looking at the weakling, the Wretched One with a face full of contempt. There was no facade, no theatrical display anymore. What he wanted to see, to hear was the suffering of this boy. He wanted to hear his painful cry, follow the tears as they rushed down on his annoying little face¡­


    ---


    At an unknown location, in an office at a particular skyscraper, the back of a feminine figure jolted as a familiar sensation reached her. She jerked her head towards the direction where she suddenly felt a familiar presence for the first time in more than a decade. Her long blonde hair swayed in the air, her azure, deep blue eyes turned blurry, tears began to threaten to escape from the corner of her eyes.


    With a trembling voice, she whispered.


    "I-is it finally time?"

 Chapter 5 - 5 - Change

    The woman scanned the horizon, her beautiful azure blue eyes resting at a particular run-down large building at the Slums District. She sighed, shaking her head as a wry smile emerged, replacing the hopeful glint in her eyes.


    "No, not yet. His trial is just starting¡­" She sighed once again, as she looked up at the sky. "Oh, Master¡­ Watching what is going to come next will be incredibly difficult¡­ Knowing that¡­ that¡­ this boy is¡­" She couldn''t her thoughts, her mind was already racing with the power of a tumultuous storm.


    She heaved a deep, long sigh, keeping it in her diaphragm before slowly letting it out, calming her mind in the process. Tucking back the racing emotions she felt, she forced her usual cold, expressionless look back to her face, turned away from the windowsill, and sat back down on her leather chair.


    The time was not right, she had to be patient and wait for the time for the awakening. Only then were she allowed to finally get in contact with him. This first signal she felt, had merely marked the beginning¡­


    ---


    Lucien did not respond to the obvious taunts from Billy nor to the snorts and chuckles of his two mates. He stood still, trying his best to remain calm and not escalate the situation further. Today was very special to him, he only wanted to enjoy it in peace and quiet. He wanted to be left alone with his thoughts and with the animals. Sadly, as it seemed so far, today wasn''t fated to be a peaceful day.


    "What is it, Wretched One? Why aren''t you groveling beneath my feet and ask for forgiveness? You know your behavior is quite rude! You are wasting not just our time, but now, everyone else''s! Have you no shame? We tolerate you, we accepted you despite your obvious, horrendous faults and misgivings, yet you can''t even be appreciated for the friendship we so graciously share?" Billy spoke loudly, adding a bit more power to his tone, he gesticulated with such splendor that one could mistake him for an actor in the local theater.


    Listening to the garbage this obese, blonde-haired boy was spewing from his mouth, Lucien''s anger began to rise once again. Despite doing his best to contain this strange, new rebellious sensation, he was finding it harder and harder, as time continued. The dam he built around his heart began to crack, his decade-long pent-up emotions threatened to break out.


    He was never afraid of them, the pain was something he was used to, and they weren''t capable of doing any real harm. He wasn''t sure what was different with him, only that no matter how hard he was kicked, how hard he was punched or trashed, other than feeling the hellish pain, he was always fine. None of his bones ever broke, his organs never bleed, never suffered any fault. Other than feeling the constant, torturous pain he was always fine. He never even got ill either.


    So, no, he wasn''t afraid, there was no real reason to. Fear was quickly beaten out of him in his early years, after all. He was merely annoyed most of the time. He knew that whenever this blonde pig and his goons showed up, he would be in for some nightmare before they would eventually get tired and leave him. Sometimes they tied him up, or just simply threw him into the chicken coop.


    The black miasma at the outer recesses of his sclera, just slightly, barely visible to the scanning gazes continued to venture to further depths. Small, tiny spider web tendrils appeared as they crept closer and closer to his dark brown irises.


    However, as he kept his gaze plastered to the ground, nobody was aware of the subtle, unnatural changes he was going through.


    Lucien''s lips slowly parted, making everyone around wait with bated breaths what would he do now. The audience, Billy, his goons, even the nearby adults were watching with keen interest how the scene would play out. They were all already expecting Lucien''s meager resistance to crumble, and fall on his knees, apologizing to his bully. What was truly sad, that even the adults were hoping for this outcome, they didn''t seem to have even a shred of mercy, compassion towards this unlucky sod.


    "I am going to ask you one last time. Move away and let me be alone."


    His words surprised everyone, it wasn''t what they were expecting at all. This boy still dared to go against the script, and defiantly stand his ground against the obviously much stronger boy in front of him. Unafraid, uncaring about the already obvious outcome.


    Lucien''s answer was only fuel to the fire. Billy slowly stepped closer, his hands clenched into a pair of meaty balls of fists. Making the first step, getting closer to Lucien, he glanced at his two goons on the sides, giving slight nods at them.


    The two, understanding their boss''s command, reacted similarly, and slowly began to surround and creep closer to the meager, flimsy-looking Lucien. Their faces were contorted to the same cruel, menacing grin, the same that could be seen on Billy as he eyed his target.


    "Brave words Lucien. Tell me, what will you do, in case, we do not want to¡­ leave? How will you react if we demand some compensation for the insult we suffered today?!"


    There was no response coming from the boy, not even a sniff. Lucien stood still, his eyes plastered on the floor.


    Feeling he was being ignored and because of that, humiliated in front of such a large crowd, Billy''s anger rose once again.


    Without further ado, he cocked his right arm back and launched a fast and ferocious punch, aimed at the top of the boy''s lowered head. He wanted Lucien to fall to the ground, where they could kick and punch him to their hearts'' content. He could already imagine Lucien''s face hitting the floor. He could already hear the reverberating loud thud as the boy''s annoyingly unbreakable skull crashed against the marble tileset. This wasn''t a fight, no, far from it. Just like every other time, this was a simple beating, a morning exercise he and his friends were privileged to enjoy.


    As Billy''s fist sailed across the air, approaching the target destination, the top of Lucien''s head, something unexpected happened. Lucien suddenly jerked his head to the left, and slightly leaned back, evading the strike by a hair''s breadth.


    Shocked, Billy took a moment to pull his arm back and realize the fact he was once again, made fun of by this little brat in front of him.


    "How dare you?!" He was enraged. He was never humiliated like this. His happy mood, his fun was destroyed by this wretched bastard!


    "Get him, boys! Hold him tight!" He ordered the two on the side. He will make an example out of this and reclaim his reputation by giving an incredibly vicious beating today! There is no more fun time, no more playful tone. He was mad.


    How dare this weak, flimsy Wretched One humiliate him so much! His mere existence was an affront to nature!


    The two goons immediately reached ahead, trying to grab Lucien''s arms. However, just like what happened with Billy''s punch, Lucien evaded once again by abruptly taking a single step to the back.


    Although the movement seemed simple, in both cases the way Lucien reacted was strange. He didn''t even bother to look at the incoming attacks, nobody could see his eyes moving away from the floor. He never muttered a word, he just agilely evaded the incoming attacks.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GRAB HIM!" Billy roared with rage, punching and by now, kicking relentlessly at Lucien. However, no matter how hard he tried, how fast he struck, none of his blows could connect. Even when all three of them attacked simultaneously, Lucien could somehow dodge and evade each and every blow.


    "AAAARGH STAND STILL YOU BASTARD!" He roared almost going crazy by what was happening.


    Eventually, due to the lack of stamina and fitness, they tired themselves out. The speed, the intensity of their punches slowed down to a halt, they were heaving heavily.


    At the same time, Lucien was still unresponsive, he continued to stand silently, his eyes fixated on the ground. He seemed unresponsive, silent, almost eerily. By now, everyone in the canteen was shocked at his state, he didn''t even seem aware of what was happening anymore. He didn''t seem conscious at all. It was like¡­ as if someone or something was controlling him, and he was just merely a puppet¡­


    "JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! SAY SOMETHING YOU ASSHOLE!!!" Billy roared once again, throwing another punch.


    Suddenly, a change occurred.


    Billy''s fist was caught in mid-air, by Lucien''s small hand. It was quite a sight, a small little hand trying to hold a much bigger, meatier fist. Still, despite the anomalous situation, Billy felt as if his hand fell into a vice. He couldn''t pull it back, nor could he jerk it free. He felt an increasing pressure descending on his fingers, the pain slowly, but gradually increasing.


    Pain. The cracking of his bones and joints. This was a new sensation to him. He usually wasn''t on the receiving end, he had no willpower to withstand the smallest amount of such pressure.


    Grabbing his wrist with his other hand, he tried desperately to tug it free, only to be met with failure. He cried out, yelling at his goons in desperation.


    "AAAAAAA! DON''T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME! IT HURTS LIKE HELL!!"


    The goons, who were stunned just like the audience, were pulled back from their trance with their boss''s yell. Without hesitation they both throw out a kick aiming at the back of Lucien''s head, hoping to hit him strong enough to faint.


    Before their attacks could connect, however, they were suddenly blown away by an invisible force. They came crashing down violently on some nearby tables, breaking to pieces and subsequently falling unconscious almost instantly.


    Seeing both of his lackeys suddenly being flung back by some mysterious, most likely supernatural power, the last bits of Billy''s willpower crumbled. He turned to look at this boy, this demon with fear. He opened his mouth and was about to speak.


    Before he could do so...


    "You vile, disgusting, fat pig." A low-toned growling sound could be heard from Lucien. He slowly raised his head, elevating it from the ground level, reaching higher and higher altitudes.


    When their eyes finally met, the canteen could only hear a desperate, high-pitched squeal coming from Billy, before he was flung back, crashing against their own table and falling unconscious.


    A small stain could be seen on his pants around his crotch. Whatever he witnessed caused his bladder to react and release its contents.


    At the next moment, as the audience was still trying to make sense of what could have happened or raise any questions at the still-standing boy, he suddenly crumbled, falling to the ground, unconscious just like the defeated trio.


    Despite that, there was a faint smile on his face.


    Just before his mind fell into the void, the transparent, dark window with the blood-red letters appeared once again. However, unlike all the times before, this time they didn''t sit still. They began to change¡­ The previously unreadable, cryptic symbols have begun to spin, and shift, transforming into something he could finally understand.


    Unfortunately, he could only read the first few letters before his mind fainted¡­


    [¡­:::The P???§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???!:::¡­]

 Chapter 6 - 6 - The Unknown

    "Argh¡­ What happened¡­"


    In a dark room, devoid of any source of illumination, a boy''s groaning voice could be heard. As his eyelids parted, giving way to his irises to take a glance at the seemingly eternal void had found himself in, he groaned again.


    "Where am I?" He muttered under his breath as he slowly pushed his back up from the cold metallic frame he seemingly was lying on. As he twisted his body to the side, suddenly his legs fell down, although they haven''t reached the ground level.


    Surprised by this, the boy began to pat around him, trying to make some sense of the situation he found himself in. Soon, thanks to his efforts, he could make out the rectangle frame of a metallic bed. He also found leather straps around where his ankles were laid to rest earlier, and also a separate pair around where generally he would have his wrist.


    "What is this? How did I get here¡­" Suddenly, as he tried to force his mind to remember what could have happened, searing pain surfaced, causing agony unlike any other he had felt before. He quickly grabbed his head hoping he could massage the unbearable pain away.


    Thankfully, although not by his efforts, but the torment vanished just as abruptly as it appeared a few seconds later. However, he was no closer to finding a solution to solving the mystery about his situation.


    "Let''s see¡­" He mumbled, massaging his forehead. "I went to the canteen to get my breakfast¡­ I was ambushed by that fat pig and his goons¡­" Slowly, he tried recalling the sequence of events. However, no matter how hard he tried, the last clear moment he could recall was the face of Billy and his goon squad greeting him and ''inviting'' him to have breakfast with them.


    "Eh Lucien¡­ think! What happened? Did they beat you up so hard you got a concussion or something?!" He berated himself, but regardless of his efforts, the last image he could recall was him walking behind the boys.


    As he continued to lament about his misery and trying to make sense of what was going on, the darkness was abruptly replaced by blinding white lights, forcing Lucien to shield his eyes with his scrawny arms. The previously unseen set of led lights hanging from the ceiling activated, basking the room Lucien awoke with bright white glaze.


    Before his eyes could get used to the sudden change of the scenery, he heard the sound of a door sliding, followed by the mature voice of a woman as she giggled.


    "Ah, you finally wake up. Welcome young¡­ Lucien Shaw, right? How are you feeling?" The voice spoke amid her cheerful glee, approaching the seated figure of the black-haired boy.


    Feeling as the uncomfortable feeling has left from his eyes, he slowly pulled his arms back, taking a good look at the owner of the mature voice.


    A tall woman stood in front of him, or to be more precise in front of his metal bed. She was wearing a white lab coat over her slender body. She had shoulder-length black hair and a pair of similarly dark crescent-shaped eyes behind her round glasses.


    Light blue plastic gloves were pulled over her slick hands. She leaned closer to the still dizzy-looking boy, asking her earlier question once again.


    "How do you feel, boy?" Her tone carried a strange emotion, something she wasn''t overly familiar with. It wasn''t dark, no, it was quite pleasant to his usually alert heart.


    "Uhmm¡­ Not sure. Where am I? Who are you? What happened?" After scanning the lady, Lucien blurted question after question. He was confused, unable to make sense of anything that was happening around him.


    Whilst asking, he leaned to the left and right, trying to look around the small room the best he could. He was in a strange, empty seemingly box-shaped enclosed space. The only interesting thing, the only item in the room besides the uncomfortable metal bed was a large mirror that stretched all throughout the wall behind the woman. Besides that and the reinforced steel door that had no handle from this side and the four circle-shaped lensed objects attached to the four corners of the room, there was nothing of interest in the room.


    Awaiting the slew of questions from the confused youngster, the black-haired lady giggled with unmasked glee once again.


    "Ahaha, my young boy, you don''t remember a thing, do you?" Pausing for a moment, she waited till she calmed down, before continuing. "Tell me, what is the very last thing you remember?"


    "I was at the canteen and went to take my portion." He answered as he recalled the events a second time. Meanwhile, the lady that looked like some kind of a doctor of sorts nodded with a warm smile on her face, urging him to continue. "Then Billy''s group came to me and wanted me to come with them." He added.


    "Yes, yes that is right. They were called Billy Wohn, Marcus Lors, and a certain Sam Wills invited you to eat with them. That is correct." She nodded. "What happened next? Please continue."


    "After that, I¡­" He was about to go on, but suddenly suspicion rose within his mind. He changed his tone, shifting his expression to a skeptic look. Why did she need him to recall the events? Why was it important? "Wait, before we continue. Where am I currently and who are you? What is happening?"


    "Now, now Lucien, don''t be so hasty. We will get to it, but before that, I will need you to tell me what you can remember, so I can fill in the blanks where needed." The lady shook her head, the warm smile never leaving her face.


    "No. There''s nothing else for me to recall." Hearing his request denied, Lucien shook his head, denying any further cooperation with the mysterious lady. He wanted some answers, and he wasn''t getting any. Not to mention the strange feeling he was getting from this lady alerted him. The range of emotions he was subjected to so far in his thirteen years of existence was pretty narrow. He wasn''t used to these complex ones, he could sense from this woman. There were multiple ones, mixing together masked behind this smile of hers. Yet he could still sense it. Behind this mask of positivity, the woman carried endless darkness, something vaguely similar to the cruel vibes he most often could sense.


    The defiance, the childish tantrum the black-haired boy showed only earned another gleeful chuckle from the woman. Clicking her tongue, she shook her head with faked sorrow and sadness.


    "I''m hurt, Lucien. I wanted to be friends with you and help you. But it seems you don''t like me¡­ Well, no matter. If you don''t like kindness..."


    Suddenly her face morphed, the mask of kindness she wore crumbled, revealing a twisted, cruel smirk under it. Her crescent eyes squealed as they honed in on the helpless chap in front of her.


    "...then we can go with another, much more honest approach. They can''t say I didn''t give it a try¡­"


    She reached for the pocket on the lower right section of her lab coat, pulling out a cylinder-shaped, dark item from its depths. She pushed the top, releasing an audible clicking sound, as she lifted her attention, looking at the closest circular lens attached to the nearest corner of the room. With a loud, cold tone, she exclaimed.


    "Subject AM-003 is uncooperative. Activate Primary Initiation Protocol!"


    Although there was no visible response from anywhere, the lady smirked as she lowered her gaze matching the still confused boy''s. She revealed a scornful look, as she spoke to him once again.


    "You know, Lucien, I really hoped we could have done this differently, but sadly that''s not an option anymore¡­ I was hoping we could be friends and-"


    "Lies." Her monologue, her tangent that she was about to go into, was abruptly interrupted with the boy''s matching cold tone.


    "Excuse me?" Surprised by this, the doctor lady phrased the question.


    "Lies. You are lying. From the moment you stepped in, I could feel the disgusting darkness in your heart. You are just the same as all the others." He spoke with a cold look and matching tone. None of the lady''s earlier words, tone of voice, nor her hideous smiles were honest.


    This current look, this unmasked cruelty, the dark curiosity gleaming in her eyes. Now, this was honest, this was the true color of her soul.


    "Oh my! What an interesting specimen!" The doctor lady chuckled gleefully at the boy''s words. She wasn''t bothered by his tone or the cold, indifferent look in his eyes by the least.


    She took a while to calm down and take a deep breath to collect herself. As she did so, a cruel smirk appeared on her face as she leaned closer to the boy''s face.


    "Oh, you are so wrong, Lucien. You will learn that I am so unlike any other you have met in your short life so far. During your eternal stay here, you will come to learn that the life you have lived before was merely a dream, a hope that will be your only salvation. That life, just like your name, your identity has vanished.. The Lucien Shaw, the orphan, the ''Wretched One'' is no more. You are now known as Subject AM-003! Let me be the first to welcome you to the Institute!

 Chapter 7 - 7 - The Institute

    "You are now known as Subject AM-003! Let me be the first to welcome you to the Institute!"


    These words continued to echo inside Lucien''s mind for days, as he went through a variety of experiments.


    Almost five years have passed since that day when he was introduced to the demoness known as Doctor Frida Antschen. As the name suggests she wasn''t born in the United States, but as he learned from her during the years, she had migrated from a relatively small city called Eisenstadt. Eisenstadt was a moderately sized city in Austria, a country situated in the middle of Europe.


    She wasn''t a noble by birth or the child of rich parents. She wasn''t arrogant or wicked by nature. No. Her personality was shaped through the threads of fate.


    When she was just a child, she was the witness of the supernatural. She saw it with her own eyes, as one of his classmates, during a hostage situation, spontaneously combusted, bursting into a brightly smoldering human torchlight and destroying the terrorists. To her the burning ember, the flaming human boy was beautiful. Seemingly the flames had no effect on his skin, nor on his body. He had complete control over its violent characteristics.


    He could propel himself forward, crashing into the nearest terrorist, engulfing the brute with his flames. As the much taller, stronger adult man desperately cried, trying to quell the unquenchable blaze, the boy raised his hands towards the second masked terrorist.


    Before the man could pull the trigger on his machine gun, another incredible sight happened that forever set the path Frida would walk from that day onwards. A circular shape made out of flames formed from his palm, creating a ball of fire, a little miniaturized version of the very Sun, the Star that spewed the warmth of life towards our planet. The little fireball rapidly grew in size, eventually reaching the size of a baseball before it detached from its human master and rocketed towards the second man, the armed terrorist.


    Upon contact, a violent explosion erupted, releasing a powerful shockwave in the air, flinging the man like a lifeless doll back in the air. His death was swift and painless, from Frida''s memories, he probably died upon impact.


    During the experiments, Frida often mused to him, wondering what could have been that man''s last scene to witness? Was it the approaching ball of fire? Or perhaps, the bright blinding light that ensued when the magical ball exploded? Did he feel any pain, or did he die a painless death?


    Many questions were forever left unanswered. Many ideas she theorized during the course of years.


    Unfortunately, or maybe luckily Frida never got to the end of her origin story. After that, she usually skipped a couple of years, when she doctored in Cellular and Molecular Biology, with a keen interest in surpassing our own limits.


    She said that a visionary by the name of a particular Mr. Jacobson saw the potential in her and offered her a chance to visualize her dreams and ideas.


    From then on, it was only a couple of weeks when she packed her belongings, left her hometown, and migrated to the good old U. S. of A.


    During the years as Lucien was relentlessly tortured, experimented on with various chemicals, or when he was just being subjected to a wide variety of sources of pain she often sighed about her God, the wonderful Mr. Jacobson.


    From her description, he was the perfect man. A visionary, a seer, a human with a miraculous mind. The hope for humanity. The guide towards the next step. There were many titles she gave him. It was clear that she was deeply infatuated with the person, the owner of this prison that they simply called ''The Institute''.


    Lucien never really got to know the true reason behind waking up in this place. The only thing he was told after that fated first day was that he has supposedly caused something that caught the interest of Mr. Jacobson and was then carried here to be under the ''care'' of this demoness.


    He also learned that he isn''t the only resident of this place. There were 7 others with him, all living in their separate cells, probably subjected to the same torture than himself. 7 other souls living the very same torture, the same injustice as him. Do they suffer the same as him? Are they keep on surviving, keep striving forward, so that one day they can regain their oh so sweet revenge on these monsters wearing human skin.


    Today should be 2018, the summer has already blown its last breezes and the year now embarked on its last venture before the holiday season. Autumn, the season of passing, the transition from the warm summer afternoons to the cold winter mornings.


    This morning marked the last month before Lucien''s 18th Birthday, the 4th of October. In local folklore the first half of this month was referred to as the ''Indian Summer'', the second coming, the last taste of what you had, and to get ready for the chilly nights that would soon be upon us all.


    As the time hit 6, by clockwork the metal door to the so-called C-Cell or Containment Cell slid to the side, revealing the already gleefully smiling Dr. Frida Antschen at the other side. With her trusty tablet in her arms, she stepped inside the room, and greeted her favorite little patient, just like every other morning.


    "Good Morning 03! Did you have a good sleep?" She asked with a wide grin-like smile on her bespectacled face.


    The subject of her vision, a tall and thin figure of a short, black-haired boy could be seen sitting in the far corner of the room. His legs pulled closed he had planted his face in the cavity formed by his arms and knees.


    By now, he was used to the fake smiles, the dishonest tone, and the lies of this monster. Every day, like clockwork, she would come with the dawn to carry out the next day''s tests and experiments. Take some blood, some skin tissue, sometimes even more.


    What they found to be the strangest was that every time they took some sample, by the next day, there would be no sign of the incision. The damage would be healed up perfectly. The missing skin, meat, or bone tissue would be regenerated by Lucien''s enigmatic body.


    Further ''experiments'' also showed that no matter the damage, Lucien would be perfectly fine and healthy by the next day. Still, there was no progress made in the past almost 5 years which have started to take its toll on the usually calm mask of Dr. Frida.


    Seeing that once again, she was ignored by the little cretin, Dr. Frida snorted with an annoyed expression on her face.


    "Oh, let me tell you 03, you should have acted better. By the afternoon, you will really regret your morning attitude. That I am certain of. Oh well, let me explain to you what is on today''s agenda."


    With that, her usual smile returned to her face. She took a glance at the screen of her tablet, before continuing with her previous glee.


    "Today, we are going to start Phase 2 in testing. So far, whilst we have witnessed the miraculous, unique traits of your physique, we have yet to dive deeper, and explore the limits of what you are capable of."


    She stopped, taking a quick peek, hoping to get some reaction out of the boy. To her great annoyance, the boy didn''t even budge, continuing to ignore her existence. Seeing the boy''s response, or actually, the lack thereof, she scoffed, continuing in a more rigid, colder tone.


    "Today we are going to increase the level of your tests, and with that, we are going to need much larger samples as well."


    Snapping her fingers, two armed guards stepped into the room. These enforcers, armed with electric batons and uniquely designed pistols, were a special task force responsible for security in the entire institute. They were not your ordinary security company, they were elite soldiers handpicked by Mr. Jacobson from several countries, not just the US after careful screening.


    They wore black leather attire atop a full-body skintight black suit, with a similar black faceless reinforced plastic mask hiding their faces. Not one inch of their figures was left uncovered, even the back of their heads was covered with the dark skinsuit. On their chest, they all wore the logo of the Institute, the vague shape of the building crossed over by a bolt of lightning alongside their military-standard ranking.


    They were silent, effective soldiers, the Death Squad of Mr. Jacobson.


    Swiftly, upon her calling, the two guards stationed at the door came in, and by grabbing Lucien''s arms, they pulled him up from the ground. As they brought the boy in front of Dr. Frida, they grabbed the boy''s head and raised it to match the woman''s manic gaze.


    She leaned into his right ear and sensually whispered the words.


    "Tell me, 03... No, tell me, Lucien! Which part of you will you offer to science today?"


    Without waiting for an answer, she pulled back. Letting out a cheery giggle that caused shivers to spread down Lucien''s back.


    The demoness was already gleeful, already expectant of what''s to come today.

 Chapter 8 - 8 - Unexpected Results

    "Let''s get to it, shall we?" The terrifying chuckle of the bespectacled Dr. Frida rang throughout the small room. Sitting behind a pair of monitors, her sylphlike fingers rapidly hit numerous keystrokes on the keyboard in front of her, before finally, she smashed the large Enter button, initiating the experiment.


    As the sounds of a machine spinning and churning reached her ears as a consequence of her actions, she gave a contentious smirk. Pushing her chair slightly back, she stood up and walked towards the large, plastic, one-way window to take a look at the neighboring room where a young, naked lad was strapped into a metallic bed.


    Although it was a futile effort, he was squirming, trying to break free from the metal straps that clasped around his ankles and wrists holding him in place, stretched out on top of the metal surgical table.


    A loud, high-pitched noise came from the loudspeaker attached to the ceiling, shortly followed by the demonic chuckle that was all-too-familiar for Lucien by now.


    "Ehehehe, now, now 03, what is the point of this struggle? By now, you should be quite familiar with the futility of such childish actions." She paused, letting out another short chuckle, clearly enjoying herself looking at the little lamb strapped ready for the upcoming ''slaughter''.


    "Now then, as I mentioned to you earlier. The tests from now on will step up a level. Although the data you have so graciously provided so far has been an incredible help towards our goal, we need to start Phase 2. A few drops of your blood, a small cut here and there will no longer give us further insight into your capabilities. We need to really push the limits! Don''t worry, I''m certain you can handle it!"


    Just as the demonic doctor lady finished her speech, a small rectangle-shaped lid slid to the side in the ceiling. From the dark hole, a robotic arm came down, slowly approaching the helpless little boy.


    With great excitement and a small bit of lust in her eyes, the crazed woman''s eyes were glued to the steel arm, following it as it slowly, gradually inched closer to its designated target.


    Once it was only a couple of inches away from him, the arm stopped mid-air. From the top of its index finger, a small, dark ball-shaped glass head popped out. The churning and beeping of machines behind the ceiling could be heard, noises akin to a rapidly increasing spinning notion could be made out.


    Already behind her desk, Dr. Frida was madly typing once again, vehemently hitting the keyboard, inserting the next set of commands. Barely half a minute later, finished with her next set of instructions, she once again violently smashed at the Enter.


    This time, however, she couldn''t leave her chair, she had to monitor the data she was receiving in real-time and control the entire experiment. Still, not wanting to miss even a moment of the young boy''s struggle, at the top right corner of her second monitor, the image of a camera was showing the boy from a top-down perspective.


    "Now, let''s see how you will react to this one¡­" She muttered, zooming in on Lucien''s face, annoyed that despite knowing that the following moments will be incredibly painful and torturous for him, he still didn''t show any signs of fear. His grimace, just every single time in these years, still managed to show itself, not giving any satisfaction to the demoness.


    A small point of vermillion light suddenly lit up at the center of the dark ball-pen crystal''s smooth surface, rapidly gathering, increasing in intensity. The faint vermillion shade turned to a vibrant crimson as the laser released a short beam, penetrating the boy''s supple skin, creating a tiny hole of an incision on Lucien''s right shoulder.


    Already used to this amount of pain, Lucien''s face didn''t falter, his stoic grimace retained its dominance, refusing to give any satisfaction to Dr. Frida''s twisted mind.


    Still, this was only the beginning, as the doctor mentioned, today marked the beginning of the second stage of the experiments which meant even more pain, even more torture that he needed to withstand daily from now on.


    The laser didn''t cut off, its verdant crimson beam buzzed continuously as it made through Lucien''s body, exiting at his back after only a second.


    Once the screen showed the green checkmark signaling that the small hole was complete, Dr. Frida''s eyes paced left and right at lightning speeds quickly zapping through the incoming flow of data.


    A moment later, a small frown ruined her previously cheerful smile. Although she could clearly see Lucien''s nervous system lighting up, clearly sending signals to his brain about the pain, he managed to quench the fire and resist showing anything that could satisfy her visually.


    "No matter, it''s only the beginning. You will scream to me sooner or later. All of you abominations do¡­ I just need to hit the correct tune¡­" She muttered to herself, focusing on the continuous stream of numbers once again. The robotic arm began to slowly move, the vibrant crimson beam cutting through Lucien''s otherwise resistant skin and flesh.


    A small twerk appeared on the edges of Lucien''s stoic outlook, the pain he felt was incredibly intense. He had to focus all of his willpower to be able to bear with it. His nervous system was continuously flaring, sending signals as the searing, hellish laser slowly severed the entirety of his right arm from his shoulders.


    Still, he managed to withhold, and not let out any sound. He was despondent to ruin that sadist woman''s day even if it would be the very last thing he would do in his life.


    Large beads of sweat, the signs of his struggle could be seen on his face, glistening against the lenses of the camera. Amid the continuous pain as the laser kept cutting through his skin, flesh, and bones, he looked up, meeting the camera and although it was incredibly hard, he managed to reveal a defiant smirk.


    He muttered something that could not be picked up by the microphones, nor could Dr. Frida catch it through the screen. Despite that, she was sure that whatever he said was something irksome.


    "How could this brat withstand this¡­ We haven''t given him any dampeners¡­ He is feeling the pain in its entirety. Still, despite that, he could hold it in and not scream?" Although she was frowning and her tone sounded annoyed, a moment later a small, barely visible smile appeared on the edges of her lips.


    "Incredible¡­ absolutely incredible¡­" She muttered as her thoughts began to form a new theory. "Could it be, that his ability is related to pain?"


    At second thought, however, she shook her head, denying it completely.


    "No, that''s not right, we confirmed it multiple times that he can feel it fully. This must be willpower. His tolerance levels are probably incredibly high. Hmm¡­"


    As she was deep in thought, the sound of alerts interrupted her reverie. Multiple red texted notifications appeared one after another as they sent warnings about the erroneous stream of data coming from the subject.


    "Wait, what the hell..." Dr. Frida looked at the monitors with an incredulous look, quickly glancing over to the camera screen at the top right corner.


    By now, the laser successfully finished the precise cut, severing the entirety of Lucien''s right arm. Still, unlike what would be expected, there could barely be seen any of his precious blood dripping.


    Visible to the naked eye, a dark, black layer of a film appeared where the laser cut through, shielding the body and covering up the wound. It was similar to a bandage made out of some unknown viscous, gelatinous, organic material, forming a bouncy barrier atop the mutilation.


    "What on Earth is that? Why don''t we have any data on it? Where did it come from?!" Dr. Frida couldn''t understand, she couldn''t process what was happening. This was unlike anything else before. Every time they made an incision, every time, they made a small cut made with a knife, although the damage healed overnight without any sign to show the next day, they never witnessed anything similar to what they could see right now.


    Coming back to her senses, she began to madly type at the keyboard, giving an entirely new set of instructions to be carried out by the machine. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she tried to make sense of the strange inflow of data she was receiving.


    "This¡­ This is marvelous! Incredible! We need samples! Now, now, NOW!" Madly she kept hitting the keystrokes uncaring if she would trash yet another keyboard. This chance, this outcome was something she could not and will not miss. This could be the missing piece, that could give her the breakthrough! Finally¡­ after almost a decade, she may be able to complete the formula and create the serum!


    Before the chance of creating something that could change the course of history and elevate the entirety of mankind, what does it matter if she were to trash a keyboard or two?


    Or a human or two....

 Chapter 9 - 9 - Losing Control

    The black gooey viscous surface of the stump that just a few minutes ago served as the shoulder of Lucien''s right arm wobbled, sending small ripples through the covered area.


    At the same time, Lucien came back from her dazed stupor and momentarily stabilized his slowly waning consciousness. The familiar-looking black, transparent screen appeared. The scarlet, bloody symbols that so far was still a mystery began to change, revealing the same set of letters that appeared years ago.


    However, this time, it didn''t stop there. The next symbol began to flicker, and a moment later flip over, revealing another letter, stepping one step closer to deciphering this soon-to-be two-decade-old mystery.


    [¡­:::The Pr??§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???!:::¡­]


    A sudden surge of pain jolted, wreaking havoc in his body and mind, originating from the mutilated stump. The pain was unbearable, causing Lucien''s so-far resolute, defiant visage to crumble and cry out loudly.


    Although a moment ago, this was something that Dr. Frida would have reveled in, she couldn''t enjoy this cry of victory. On the left monitor, she pulled up the camera feed to full screen, while keeping her focus on the second monitor reading through the endless feed of numerical data that kept flowing in.


    There was a huge spike in almost all of Lucien''s parameters. His health dropped, while his emotions that he usually kept calm were raging. His heartbeat was fast and erratic.


    "What is happening?!" She muttered, unable to comprehend the abrupt change in the situation. Was this something they caused with the experiment? Is this the limit of his ability? Looking at the feed, she had to shake her head. There was no time to theorize and lament, the subject''s vital signals were rapidly waning.


    With a frown on her usually cheerful face, she pressed a large red button at the side of her desk, alerting the guards stationed outside the lab.


    As they rushed in, she pointed towards the other side of the room and with a cold tone, she gave the command.


    "Get the boy out and bring him to the Vital Chambers. We have to stabilize him. We are ending today''s tests."


    "Yes, ma''am!" Both guards exclaimed in unison with a salute, before turning around and rushing out. A moment later the metal doors, where Lucien was still yelling and struggling madly slid open, as the two armed guards rushed in.


    However, what they saw froze them in place. The veins on the sweat-covered, glistening body of the boy were swollen and turned to charcoal black. At regular intervals, a smaller bump could be seen as it traversed with rapid speeds in the darkened arteries. As if sensing their presence, the boy stopped struggling immediately as the doors shut close behind the armored duo.


    His eyelids snapped open, revealing a terrifying nightmarish visage.


    The boy''s irises vanished, the pearl white sclera in his eyes turned completely black. Unlike years ago, when he lost control against Billy and his goons. This time, his eyes were black as the night.


    Suddenly the metal straps shattered that held the boy, keeping him strapped to the metallic table. He slowly sat up, his demonic, terrifying eyes locked on the two guards.


    A vicious grin appeared on his distorted face. His lips slowly parting, a dark, unfamiliar, guttural voice echoed across the small room.


    "Need more¡­. Feed me¡­ Need more¡­ to complete¡­ the ritual¡­"


    At the other side of the room, Dr. Frida was listening intently to the strange words of the boy.


    "Feed? Ritual? What does he... Ooooooh!" Mid-sentence she realized what the boy most likely wanted. With swift reaction, she quickly hit the lock button on her keyboard, trapping the guards that already started backing away in the room with this awakened monster.


    "Sorry boys, but we do need as much data as we can get¡­" She muttered, once again taking her seat and focusing on the endless stream of data that kept flowing through her screen.


    Meanwhile, as she was busy analyzing all she could, in the room, the proud, seasoned mercenaries slowly backed all the way back to the door. Feeling as the automatic slider didn''t activate, the guard on the right hit the button on the right side of the wall, shouting with all the power he could muster from his lungs.


    "OPEN THE DOOR YOU BITCH! LET US OUT! THIS¡­ THIS IS NOT A KID¡­ THIS IS A MONSTER!"


    However, no matter how harshly he spoke, no matter how he threatened the doctor, the bespectacled woman didn''t acquiesce any of his demand-turned-plea. In her eyes they were now nothing more than the resources towards an unexpected test, she stumbled upon.


    ¡­.


    Whilst the two guards urged and begged the doctor to open the door and let them escape from this previously harmless-looking kid, that now instilled fear in them with his frightening, monstrous appearance, an inexplicable change began to transform the boy''s mutilated silhouette.


    The small visible bumps that could be seen slowly traversing in the boy''s swollen, black veins changed course, converging towards the boy''s remaining left arm. The thin, scrawny limb devoid of any substantial muscle mass convulsed and wobbled before it rapidly began to stretch out. The slender fingers on his left hand transformed, growing a set of curved, ebon claws in place of his messy nails. His previously pale, unhealthy tone turned a shade darker, mostly thanks to the darkened halo of arteries hiding just under his skin.


    The change was rapid and sudden, before the seasoned soldiers had a chance to realize it, the boy seemingly spontaneously rushed forward with a low crouching posture at a surprisingly fast pace. The guard closest to him being the first to realize that they were suddenly being attacked by the boy-turned-monstrosity.


    Although surprised, thanks to the many years of service, first to his country, then as a mercenary, an arms-for-hire, he raised his automatic rifle to his hip and pulled the trigger, spraying an array of bullets to the youthful but demonic assailant. The soldier shrieked in fear as Lucien was already at a mere few feet away from him, prompting the second guard to quickly come to his senses. Turning around, he faced the approaching abominable child, making eye contact with the viral, inhuman entity.


    The two guards proceeded to forgo all regulations and orders they had and use everything they had to fight back and hopefully thwart the approaching disaster. They fired their weapons unceasingly at their intimidatingly agile target who meanwhile changed from his frontal assault to a more strategic scatter. Lucien was continuously evading the majority of the gunfire, mostly by using the testing equipment scattered throughout the room, using them to his advantage. Although a few sparse bullets managed to grace by their intended target, they were all negligible and were easily expunged from the body. As the deformed metal cases fell to the ground, the damage they dealt was rapidly being regenerated.


    Sensing that the repeated gunfire could pose an issue, causing a further decline in his health, the strange entity that seemed to be in control of the boy''s body placed its efforts into creating a more advantageous habitat for itself. Swiftly scanning the room for a means to create a said environment it eventually noticed the multiple sources of lights coming from the ceiling of the small lab room.


    Quickly recognizing what had to be done, it grabbed all that it could find whilst continuing his agile evasive movements, appearing in spontaneous locations, avoiding the continuous spray of bullets all the while focusing on tearing the place apart and throwing anything that its large, clawed hands could latch and tear into with frightening accuracy. Each of his throws caused the room to gradually shift into darkness.


    As the room grew darker from the speed of which the lights were being destroyed, the guards were overwhelmed by their fear as the inhuman entity drew closer and closer with every dispatched source of light.


    With not much time passing since the all-out conflict breaking out, the room rapidly turned void of all source of light, making it nigh impossible for the two seasoned mercenaries to make out the boy''s location. Scrambling to the walls as a last-ditch effort to not be flanked and killed, they both scanned the dark room diligently for some means of fighting back.


    However, their resistance was futile. Being deprived of their visual senses the entity commenced its next round of attack.


    The first to be taken out was the guard that first erupted into crazed gunfire, being quickly overtaken and impaled through his chest in one fluent motion. The sharp claws on the boy''s transformed, remaining arm tore and plunged into the guard''s body, despite the reinforced vest that resided over his torso, it did absolutely nothing to guard against such a supernatural attack.


    Dragging the still alive and struggling guard into the shadows, the boy vanished, leaving the remaining guard alone, and giving him the time to change magazines and letting him once again resume his frantic gunfire due to the horror and dread he was experiencing.


    While this transpired, Lucien''s body that was still controlled by this unknown entity was already at the other end of the room with the now deceased body of the first guard, currently in the process of tearing off the very same right arm of the guard that he himself lost and placing it in the location where it used to be.


    Small miniature spiderweb black tendrils latched onto the flailing adult limb, temporarily substituting the loss of his own arm. As the black tendrils connected, the veins on the dead limb swelled and just like his left arm, the arteries turned a deeper shade of black. The process, while fast, made a lot of gore-filled sounds that resonated throughout the room, further affecting the already unstable psyche of the remaining guard.


    As all this was going down, at the other side of the door the bespectacled woman was watching his screens with keen interest. Although the equipment was destroyed by the boy-turned-monster, she still received her invaluable endless stream of numeric data. She didn''t care about the loss of a soldier, nor about the second that was just about to join his friend. What mattered to her, were the incredible discovery. This could be the breakthrough she was working on since joining the Director, Mr. Jacobson.


    Once the limb was completely assimilated, the entity examined it to confirm if it was still usable. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he returned his attention to the last remaining target in the room. Although hidden by the obscure darkness, a vicious smirk crept up on his face, he charged towards the madly spraying guard with flaring murderous intent. Merely a moment later, he appeared in front of the distraught guard and cleanly separating his torso from his body in one, clean, unobstructed motion, causing the upper half to slowly separate and fall down to the floor.


    Now, that he has successfully dispatched all perceived hostels in the vicinity, the entity crouched down and leaned over the corpse of the guard.


    "FEEEED¡­ I NEED TO FEED¡­."


    Saying it in a more frantic manner, Lucien''s jaw grotesquely dislocated. His teeth became jagged, he lunged forward with an agape maw and began to rapidly devour the body of the man.. His body was just as rapidly beginning to regenerate as he continued to assimilate the mass of his victim.

 Chapter 10 - 10 - Escape (Part 1)

    After the carnage and fear-inducing mayhem, in a corner furthest away from the glass wall, the sounds of bones breaking, and the munching of flesh could be heard. The devoid of light and the destroyed equipment made sure that Dr. Frida couldn''t get any visuals from the room. Still, through the microphones planted deeper into the ceiling, she could listen in as the monstrous entity that took control over Lucien''s body was still digesting the body of the guards.


    Although most of the scientific apparatus has been turned into rubble, there were still a few sensors active that kept providing an invaluable stream of data to the doctor woman''s screen.


    Despite being the horrific show that went down right in front of her eyes, she wasn''t shocked, she hasn''t experienced any trepidation. On the contrary, she was elated, she was brimming with delight.


    "This¡­" She muttered as she kept reading the numbers flowing through his screen, almost at the point of unable to believe her very eyes. "This is¡­ groundbreaking! Historic! Whatever is inside 03, is the key I need to complete my research! We need to investigate, I need to dig down to the source!" She lamented.


    From the readings, it was clear that someone or most likely something took control of the boy''s body. Lucien was merely a host to an organism, a parasite, or maybe a virus¡­ Whatever it was, it was powerful, most likely alien¡­


    The abilities it showcased were out of this world. To say that it was supernatural would be an understatement.


    "That rapid regenerative trait... It was capable of mending not just the skin tissue, but even the flesh. It could alter the muscle mass, probably to the cellular level¡­ And that speed! He was basically flashing throughout the room at lightning speeds! He was even faster than 02¡­" She kept muttering, as her eyes further examined the monitor.


    She grabbed her chin, gently squeezing it. Her brows furrowed, as she continued to process the events.


    "I can''t be certain but from the numbers, it can probably be safely stated that all of his attributes have spiked. Not just the speed, but his strength seemed to have received a massive burst. After all, he easily shredded both guards to pieces¡­ However, that could also be attributed to those strange claws he grew from his left arm¡­ The reinforced kevlar was like butter against a hot knife¡­ Hmm¡­"


    Trying to think back to the transformation, revelation suddenly hit him, she exclaimed.


    "That black substance, that strange fluid! It must be the source! Right before he transformed, the veins turned to the very same color, and they seemed to carry something, coalescing towards the mutilated stump! That must be it! I need a sample from that!"


    Sure, that she found the root cause of the change, the strange alien organism inhabiting with the boy, she reached for the pockets in her lab coat. She wanted to call up Mr. Jacobson, the Director, and Founder, her boss, and inform him about everything that happened.


    However, before she could do so, suddenly red lights lit up in the dark and now-silent room. At the same time, the sirens in the facility started to wind up blustering blaring sounds of a critical threat throughout the facility.


    A moment later, the very phone she was searching for began to ring in the lower right pocket of her lab coat. Quickly grabbing it, she pushed on the green ''Accept Call'' button.


    As soon as she did so, a loud yell came from the other side. The voice of an angry man could be heard, if not for the continuous, deafening sounds of sirens, outside the room as well.


    "WHAT DID YOU DO, WOMAN?!"


    Instantly recognizing the voice even as the caller was stated as ''Unknown'' the usually haughty tone of Dr. Frida, turned docile, subservient.


    "Ehrm, Mr. Jacobson, sir. May I ask, what is happening? I was conducting an experiment when-"


    Before she could finish, the man on the other side, Mr. Jacobson cut her off.


    "Don''t even try to lie to me! I know you enough to understand your methods. Since your research was critical to our plans, I didn''t bother with your little torture chamber down there. I allowed you to play with your ''little toys'', the subjects you gathered from various places of the world¡­ But now¡­ You have gone too far!"


    Confused about what he was talking about, the bespectacled woman gazed over to the screen once again, and immediately turned silent, realizing the reason for his calling. The previously endless inflow of data halted, the sensors couldn''t pick up anything from the room.


    Just to have no doubts about what could have happened, the metal doors in the room were wide open, deep claw marks showing the signs as they were forcefully pried apart.


    The subject, the key to her research, the boy, Lucien Shaw, or probably the entity that was still controlling him has escaped from the room.


    "What the¡­ How?!?!" She muttered, forgetting that she was still on call with her boss on the other end of the line.


    "Ah, you have just realized?! What the hell!! YOUR EXPERIMENT HAS ESCAPED, WREAKING HAVOC IN THE FACILITY! He hasn''t left the facility yet, our men are currently engaged with him."


    Realizing what his words meant, Dr. Frida''s face paled. For the first time, shock and trepidation appeared, replacing her usual smug outlook. Stuttering, she immediately yelled into the phone.


    "N-NO! Don''t kill the subject! Sir! We need him to-" However just like previously she was cut short.


    "I. DO NOT. CARE! That... ''thing'' or the ''subject'' as you are calling it, will be put down. He is too dangerous, you clearly can''t control him. Also, just to confirm, what happened to the guards stationed outside his room?!"


    "Sir... don''t kill him! We need him for the res-" Dr. Frida tried again, only for the line to be cut off mid-way her sentence. Clearly, the Director wasn''t interested in what she had to say, he was adamant in resolving the situation in the most effective way possible.


    Dr. Frida was in a state of panic right now. She was uncertain of what she should be doing. She had to do something, she couldn''t let her lifetime of research go to waste, but at the same time she couldn''t go against the guards, they wouldn''t listen to him. After all, they were the Director''s private elite force.


    ''What to do¡­ what to do¡­'' Stressed out, she wrecked her brain trying to come up with a solution. She had to save 03, he was hers, and hers alone! She needed him, or to be more precise, what was inside of him!


    She glanced over the screen where the data was flowing restlessly just a few moments ago. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind. A solution dawned on her, a method that will most likely severe her ties and relationship with the Director and the Facility¡­ However, that didn''t matter. This would ultimately ensure the safety of the boy, even if he were to escape as a result of that.


    Still, that would still give her a chance to meet him later and gather that much-needed sample¡­


    With the decision made, she picked up her trusty tablet from the desk, and turned to leave her office¡­


    ---


    A few moments ago, back in the demolished, dark lab room¡­


    Long since finished with his ''meal'', Lucien''s body had successfully absolved all the mass into his body, regenerating all the suffered damage, minus his lost right arm. If one would take a look at his new look, he or she would be surprised to see that the boy''s previously thin body was now slightly taller and healthier. A few pounds of muscle have been formed, giving him a lean, toned look.


    After his restoration and enhancements, Lucien had easily managed to escape the room he was forced to reside in by tearing up the metal doors where the guards came in just a few minutes ago. He ran through the facility at blurring speeds like an animal, on all fours, in search of an exit. In his wake he rampaged, slaughtering all the frantic guards in his wake with relative ease as he flashed from corner to corner unobstructed. With every dispatched guard, Lucien''s viral appendage, which was in place of his lost right frontal limb assimilated its victims with haste, wasting no time as the guards took every opportunity to fire upon him. Their orders which they received from the director directly was to stop this menace at all costs. They did not need to pull any punches, the order was simple: Kill on Sight.


    Even then, most of their attempts ended with futility as the entity controlling Lucien''s body evaded most of the incoming artillery.


    Closing in on his exact location, Lucien could be seen running along the walls of one of the many facility halls. Approaching a group of guards crouched behind a small barricade they formed from some laboratory equipment, they fired their rifles as soon as the monster entered their sights. A heavy spray of bullets was launched from multiple weapons simultaneously at Lucien whilst he drew closer.


    One of the guards separated from the group and went on one knee, throwing a massive cannon-like device over his shoulder, aiming at the rapidly moving Lucien through the self-targeting scope of the device.


    Lucien noticed this and abruptly increased his acceleration to dispatch the newest threat before he could fire this newly emerged weapon, jumping through the air at alarming speeds towards him. However, despite his greatly enhanced agility, he was too late; the guard managed to fire the shouldered weapon, allowing a large projectile to escape from the now steaming muzzle of the cylindrical-shaped weapon. The projectile spiraled through the air as it swiftly closed the gap between the monstrous entity that was Lucien and the guard itself.


    Caught in a disadvantageous situation as he was still in the air, within moments the large projectile slammed into his body with extreme force, prompting an explosion that almost encompassed the entire hallway.


    The blustering blast blew Lucien''s body back into the opposite end of the corridor from the barricaded guards, heavily denting the steel-lined walls of the facility on impact.. Witnessing the projectile making contact, the guard tossed the large device to the side as it was only a single-fire weapon and pulled out his firearm.

 Chapter 11 - 11 - Escape (Part 2)

    After collecting themselves from the shock, all the guards slowly made their way towards the cloud of smoke that was now at the end of the hall. All having their respective weapons at the ready as they went to check if their target has been successfully eliminated. Reaching a moderate distance from the still settling dust the group stopped and waited for the smoke to clear to increase visibility, continuing to stay alert so as to not be caught off-guard.


    Whilst they waited for a few moments, they began to lower their weapons due to them noticing no signs of movement from within the thick smoke, causing them to believe that their target had been taken care of. This belief was promptly shattered as a large viral black tendril burst through the dust and swiftly grabbed the guards closest to it, pulling him inside the mist with little effort. The rest of the group screamed in fright, firing the weapons frantically towards the dark, thick veil of dust in front of them. The sounds of flesh and bone being audibly mangled invaded the ears of all the guards as the screams of their kidnapped, forefront brethren were quickly cut off.


    Promptly after the scream of the guards dissipated, Lucien quickly escaped the shrouding smoke and rushed at the still distraught group of guards. His right arm now in the form of an elongated blade with a visibly serrated edge from the forearm down.


    "This is impossible! H-how is this monster still alive?!"


    "S-shut it, just continue firing! If that thing catches you, you will end up just like Jack!"


    "DIE you abomination!"


    What the guards had failed to notice when Lucien was hit by the explosive projective, was that before the imminent contact was made, he had hastily put forward his viral right arm as it quickly spread out into the form of a black shield formed from the same viscous liquid. The surface of the shield was reinforced, hardened through the help of the previously absorbed mass, protecting him from the majority of the blast''s destructive power. Although he was still greatly damaged by the sheer force of the explosion, being slammed into the steel walls at high speed, causing him to take refuge in the forming cloud of smoke momentarily while his body struggled to heal itself.


    Returning to the current events, Lucien was now cutting through the herd of guards that continued to endlessly pour in from all corners. Managing them in the dozens as he attempted to make his way towards a more open-spaced area. What escaped the view of the youth was the fact that the guards were slowly leading him into a specific area of the facility, a room holding much greater space than the rather thin halls of the structure.


    Eventually running by a dark room with the guards in tow, Lucien continued to move forward without hesitation, entering the place and turning around to face the incoming stream of guards that were supposed to be following him.


    To his intrigue, however, he watched as the door was quickly being closed by them, prompting him to stand confused, not understanding that he had just led himself into their trap. With a bright flash of light, the room quickly lit up, revealing his current location.


    Within what looked like to be a massive, empty storage room, Lucien glowed as countless red spots appeared across his body simultaneously, immediately drawing his attention to the hundreds of guards that were already stationed inside pre-aiming at his position.


    For a meager moment silence ruled throughout the room. The entity realized what he had walked into, but sadly, it was too late. Before he could react, a single shout came from somewhere behind him. A rough, hoarse voice yelled a singular command, prompting the beginning of the end of his little escapade.


    "FIRE!"


    Before he could fully register the situation, he was fired upon by all weapons that resided in the enclosed room, causing him to quickly attempt to dodge as many of the incoming projectiles as possible. He was running around, using all sorts of bizarre inhumane manner of movements, twisting and contorting his body in order to avoid getting hit. Though his strategy worked for a small percentage of the projectiles, he would still be hit by several with every step he took.


    Whilst he ran around dodging the bullets, he would also dice, and mutilate as many soldiers as he could using his heavily modified viral right limb as a variety of weapons, changing from a long blade to tendrils or to a shield if the need came based on the distance of his targets.


    This process of killing and running went on for an undefined amount of time, with new guards coming in to replace those that were lost. There was no end to the number of enemies he had to face. The director''s orders were absolute, he was to be put down at all costs.


    Realizing that no matter how many he killed, the numbers were quickly replenished, and the bombardment of gunfire was slowly increasing instead of being culled much to the entity''s dismay, fatigue had begun to settle in due to him having no means of replenishing his rapidly declining vitality.


    His movements gradually turned slower than they were before, his rate of dispatching the guards dropped as well. This caused him to be slowly being surrounded, all he could resort to was focusing all of his remaining energy into his left arm and using it to create a dome-like shield over his skin that rapidly expanded to cover his entire body, forming a temporary barrier made out of the black viscous liquid between him and the unceasing hail of bullets.


    Quickly reaching his breaking point, Lucien was growing desperate, the regeneration of his wounds was slowing in their pace to his rapidly depleting reserves to fuel his trait. A hint of fear relating to his inescapable death slowly crept up on him. As all the guards continued to advance up on Lucien, they failed to notice a disturbance in the movement around them. A disturbance that immediately began to affect them.


    On the floor, the walls and even the ceiling of the storage room, a cloud of green gas began to sneakily leak in from the ventilation systems. Though it went unnoticed at first, many of the guards began to notice that a lot of them were being incapacitated rather quickly.


    "W-what is going on?!" One cried out when his partner suddenly fell to the ground with an audible thump. Startled by the noise, several others looked around, just-now noticing that their numbers were rapidly declining.


    "Look! At the walls!" Another pointed to the closest ventilation grid as a barely visible green gaseous substance was being poured into the enclosed space.


    "What on Earth?! Who turned on the failsafe system?!" Just now noticing the guards, several of them cried out in fright.


    The remaining guards held their fire as they soon realized that the facility''s poisonous gas had been released into the storage room, causing them to panic as they turned towards the exits and rushed to bang on the doors. Sadly, to their dismay, all the doors were sealed shut as part of the failsafe protocol. There was no means to unlock them until the process was completed.


    Behind the door, at the other side, listening to the pleading wails of the guards, Dr. Frida could be seen grinning viciously from ear to ear whilst looking at the blinking red ''ALERT'' sign on her tablet. Obviously, she was the source of the sudden activation of the facility''s ''Gas Out'' protocol, slowly killing the occupants within the room.


    Although her current knowledge of the entity wasn''t anything substantial, she placed her trust in the creature''s incredible showcase of regenerative trait that seemed to be living in some form of parasitic relationship within his subject and that it would make sure that the boy would survive despite the deadly threat of the gas.


    Soon enough, the sounds of the guards trying to escape came to an ominous end, the room now being completely silent and devoid of all life except for one at its center. Lucien being the only one being left alive within the storage quickly realized the sudden end to the gunfire that once threatened to end him.


    Undoing his protective dome of shield, he appeared from it looking incredibly thin compared to not too long ago, his mass being burned throughout the fight and subsequently leaving him in a considerably weakened state.


    Although he survived, he wasn''t far off from the rest that threatened his life. The entity used all of his powers and means to survive even going as far as to put a heavy strain on the boy''s mind. He was barely being kept alive at this point.


    He wanted to replenish at least a sliver of his depleted reserves but realizing that the threat to his life was growing the longer he stayed in this god-forsaken building, he turned around and jumped to the closest and widest ventilation shaft. With his last bits of strength, he tore the metal grid bar cover opening a path towards hopeful freedom.


    Before Lucien crawled into the dark, metal shaft, he turned around and looked at the thick doors for a single moment. Looking sternly at the metal barrier barring sight to the one on the other side, he sighed, turning around and crawling into it and vanishing from sight.. He was wondering just who could have assisted his escape from his certain demise. Just who did he owe his life to in this place where he had no allies?

 Chapter 12 - 12 - Lost Little Lamb

    The echoes of the gradually distancing loud thumps -flesh hitting the thin layer of metal-, marked the route of a thin, beaten, and battered boy''s path as he slowly, but steadily made his way away from this hellhole that served both as his second home in life and his supposed prison away from society.


    He was heavily heaving as he dragged his tired body further and further. His monstrous features have long since faded, only the weak and scrawny youngster remained. A thin trail of red remained smeared on the bottom section of the metal behind him, marking the bloody path he traversed throughout the maze of shafts, eventually finding his way into the escape tunnels.


    The strange organism, the other, more powerful half of him, was gone. Whilst Lucien was aware of what happened, he was in control. He was merely a passenger in his own body. When the time came, someone, or most likely, something has forcefully grabbed the reins in his mind and made sure that he would make his way out to safety.


    Even then, with the help of the supernatural, the inexplicable, he barely made it. No, it was better to say, that he or they failed. He was led into a trap and was about to be gunned down when the truly unexpected occurred.


    Someone helped him.


    Someone, unknown to Lucien, made sure that he would be able to escape. Someone, who knew that he would be okay.


    ''Could it be¡­'' As he dragged himself higher and higher through a ladder, his mind wandered to an absurd, implausible thought. He smirked at his own stupidity, shaking his head as his left hand latched onto the next bar. With a low grunt, he pulled himself up once again.


    ''No¡­ That''s impossible. What am I even thinking?!'' Knowing he had no way currently of finding an answer to this nagging question, he shook his head, smirking at himself as he continued to ascend towards the distant latch where a faint source of light could be seen seeping through the cracks.


    Ultimately, what mattered now is for him to leave this place, and crash somewhere to spend the rest of the day. He was in dire need of some rest, every inch of his body was in constant pain. The viral appendage that was in place of his right arm changed back into something that was similar to a regular arm, albeit the skin was of a much darker shade, contrasting against the rest of his pale, pearl-white skin tone. In addition, whilst it mostly matched the shape of his body, there was a slight difference in his muscle structure. The limb was, after all, not his own, that he lost probably forever.


    Strangely though, there was no pain, the mutilated stub completely merged, his body assimilated this strange, new limb. Though he had control over it, with all the necessary functions and sensations working as they would with a normal limb, he still hesitated in using it. Whenever he looked at his right arm, he could remember the black, pulsating mass of tendrils, as they formed that alien-like appendage almost twice the size of his entire body. He could still see the horrified look on the guard''s face as the organism absorbed his flesh, turning it into some sort of energy that fuelled his abnormal powers.


    So in the end, afraid of using, relying on the parasitic organism that for some reason resided in his own body, he kept it hanging by his side, using only his legs and left arm to pull himself up through the ladder.


    It was a slow and tedious process, not just because it required much more effort and dexterity to grab each and every bar and then pull himself up, despite his weariness, but also because he was slowly approaching the unknown.


    He didn''t know what was on the other side. He truly had no clue. For all his life, the people around him made sure to protect the world from him. The world for him was the dilapidated walls of the orphanage, where his only friends were the animals. Even that, this incredibly small world of his was rudely taken away from him when he was brought to this hell. The last 5 years, this last part of his life was spent in a 2 by 2 small cell. His only daily activity was the daily experiments, tests, and torture ''in the name of science''.


    The biggest joke behind this almost 5 years was that he could still recall that fated day back in the orphanage. That was the day he was so looking forward to. He planned the entire day, he would eat his disgusting breakfast, then would survive the lecture before he would rush to the barn and spend the rest of his day with his friends. It was supposed to be a great and momentous day, marking the last few years of his struggle before he could finally leave that damned place that he hated so much.


    Now, looking back, after surviving this ordeal, he somewhat missed that place. He missed the contemptuous gazes of the other kids, he missed Billy and the bullies. Heck, he even missed the pigwash he got from the canteen.


    "Eh whatever¡­ at least everything is now behind me. After today, I can be free of the experiments, the torture. I can finally live¡­" Grabbing the last bar before the closed latch, Lucien sighed, mumbling to himself. He didn''t want to look back, he didn''t want to store any image of this place in his mind.


    If he could he would gladly forget these last 5 years. Sadly, that was impossible. The horrors, the struggles he went through here will forever be a part of him.


    Slightly wary of what awaited him on the other side, he grabbed the circular wheel at the center of the small hatch, and whilst planting his feet to not fall down, he pulled it to the side. Slowly pushing it open.


    His eyes not used to the natural light, squinted as a blinding ray of white exploded into the dark tunnel. The smell of leaves and dewy undergrowth reached his nose, suddenly, the tiredness that he kept pushing back washed over him with newfound power.


    With all his leftover energy, he reached for the ledges, almost squealing in surprise as his left hand touched the still damp mud at the other side. Grunting, he slowly pulled his weak body up, not even registering what he could see at the other side as he kicked the metal hatch behind him.


    Using every last bit of strength he had, he slowly pulled himself towards a nearby trunk of a tree, ultimately falling face-first into the undergrowth of leaves and (to him) fragrant and vibrant green grass.


    Barely being conscious, he grabbed the bark of the tree and pulled himself further into the dense thicket, ultimately falling unconsciously on the ground at the other side, shielded and hidden at the base of the thick trunk of an oak tree.


    Due to the multitudes of events, he failed to register the faint feeling at the back end of his mind. The strange, ominous dark screen with the bloodied scarlet runic symbols was changing once again, all the symbols rapidly flipping over, revealing their eerie content¡­


    ---


    As the sirens continued to wail in the remains of the now empty halls, a new source of noise, the platters of high heels clicking against the marble floors could now be heard. With a wide, satisfied smirk plastered on her bespectacled face, Dr. Frida was walking towards her office with hurried steps.


    Although she didn''t regret what she had just done, she knew she couldn''t stay in this place any longer. Once Mr. Jacobson finds out what happened, learns about her involvement he will undoubtedly come after him with a force, not too dissimilar of Lucien.


    Still, she couldn''t just watch as that primitive baboon would order his henchmen to gun down her subject. The boy held the answers to the age-old question that plagued many minds of mankind throughout history. He was the key to unlocking the secrets of the limitations in the human body. The catalyst in elevating our genome to the next level.


    Watching the screen of her tablet, she grinned with delight watching the confusion and chaos in the communications. Nobody understood what happened other than one of the specimens in the top-secret projects escaped from its cell.


    Knowing she still had a bit of time, she pushed the button, opening the automatic doors to her office, and quickly walked towards her computers to extract all her research data. Her slender fingers hit the keys at lightning speeds, as she rapidly cleaned her hard drives.


    ''Time to find a new place to work¡­'' She muttered to herself as the screens turned dark.


    It was time to leave, this place has served its purpose. She needed a new place to stay and also, find and grab her lost little lamb once again.


    After all, he was hers, and hers alone!

 Chapter 13 - 13 - A Hunting Trip

    The runic symbols flashed, transforming into recognizable letters, forming a single sentence, that, for the current Lucien, went unnoticed for he was completely out of commission, lying unconsciously in the undergrowth, at the base of the wide trunk of an oak tree.


    However, there was another existence, barely hanging by the thread, for he had spent almost all of his stored energy, going as far as consuming new mass in an attempt to save his host and ensure both of their survival.


    Still, maybe due to the whims of fate, even in this tragic outcome, both could rest easy, knowing that the feat they have accomplished together had ensured that a symbiotic relationship was created, even if their current synchronization was very low¡­


    ---


    The sound of a light twig snapping traveled across the thicket, alerting several nearby critters to an incoming threat. A pair of squirrels raised their heads towards the abrupt noise that rang out. They perked their heads towards the source for a couple more seconds before their small, black bead-like eyes spotted the large body of a hound, looking directly at them from a distance.


    Instantly, realizing the meaning behind the arrival of such a canine creature, they turned around and scurried towards the nearest tree. After all, the high branches provided a relative safety from that fearsome monster, although it wouldn''t save them from the flashing stick of its bipedal owner.


    Not too far behind the dark, short-furred hound, a man covered in a long coat and baggy, camouflage-colored jeans with a pair of dark brown boots stepped out from the bushes. A knitted cap warmed the top of his head and protected his ears from the cold.


    He held a single-barrel shotgun in his hands, he whistled to grab the attention of his canine partner.


    "Roxy, what did you spot? Show it to me!" He ordered the dog.


    Listening and understanding to her master''s words the dog barked motioning for her master to follow and rushed towards the spot where the pair of small mammals, the squirrels escaped towards the top of the tree.


    With her nose, she pointed towards the branches at the sky as she sat down at the base of the tree. Her eyes fixated upon an area covered by the leaves.


    "What is it?" The man arriving behind his friend and partner followed where she was pointing at. He raised his weapon, aiming at the leaf-covered part of the canopy.


    A few seconds later, the leaves rustled, and the two frightened critters rushed out, escaping even higher, away from this reaper of the forest animals.


    The man obviously had ample time to shoot, but such a game wouldn''t have been enough, it would have only been a waste of bullets. He frowned as he spotted the small, worthless animals, lowering his aim.


    Clicking his tongue, he verbally showcased his dissatisfaction.


    "Roxy, those are just some critters! You know we need something bigger! The hunting season is ending soon, and we need something worthwhile to survive the winter! Come on, girl, you can do much better than that!" He urged his companion, as he stepped back, and scratched his already balding head over the knitted wool cap.


    As Roxy barked once saying that she understood her master''s order, her eyes scanned the thick undergrowth once again whilst her sensitive ears and noses continued to find a scent or any noise to chase after.


    Suddenly, a strange, yet distinct smell reached her nose, her body jerked, as it stood up in attention, alerting her master in the process.


    "What is it, girl? What could have startled you this much? Go on, show it to me!"


    Giving an understanding bark to her master, Roxy bolted forward, jumping in the thicket of bushes and leaves, towards the source of a strange, yet familiar type of smell. What her sensitive nose picked up wasn''t any sort of game, yet it was something that was equally as important¡­


    Not too far behind, the elderly hunter followed along, towing behind his girl, trusting her honed senses. Meanwhile, he held his trigger finger at the ready, unsure of what could Roxy sense that alerted her to this extent. Usually, the girl wasn''t this agitated, she could keep her cool even if she would sense a potential enemy, a predator.


    The dog was speeding through the undergrowth at a lighting pace, leaving her master far behind. Still, just to make sure he wouldn''t be lost trying to tug along and follow her, Roxy''s barks ensured the safe route for the elder huntsman.


    Not too long, he arrived at the spot where his canine friend kept barking, standing guard over something at the base of a large oak tree.


    "What is it, girl, what did you find?" He asked, whilst stepping out from the bushes. However, as soon as he stepped closer, he froze. In front of his trusted friend and hunting partner, the body of a boy could be seen. The little fella was laying head-first on the ground, still, hopefully just unconscious and not worse. His weak and scrawny body was full of scratches and marks of various kinds of damage. On top, only ragged remains of what was once a linen shirt could be seen, bloodied and dirty. What was strangest, is that his right hand looked distinctly different than the rest of his body, the tone of his skin which was pale-light was several shades darker there. However, what grabbed his attention was that at the base of his right shoulder there was a visible scalding, a sort of perforation running along in a straight line around the top of his arm.


    "Just what on the Earth has happened here?!" He exclaimed with a confused look, rubbing his unshaven, silver chin. "Roxy! What trouble did you bring upon us this time! You know that¡­" He was about to berate his canine friend but stopped mid-way of his speech and heaved a long sigh instead when he saw the sad look on her face.


    "Eh, don''t worry about it, you did what was right, after all¡­" He waved his hand in a dismissive manner, stepping next to Roxy.


    Placing his rifle to the side, leaning it against the same tree, he crouched down, putting his fingers on top of the boy''s left wrist, trying to sense if he had any pulse. A few seconds later he sighed with relief: he could sense a faint but working heart!


    "He is just unconscious¡­" He felt relieved that he didn''t walk into a crime scene at the very least. "What should I do with you boy, hmm?" He asked the rhetorical question, scratching the top of his head.


    "I don''t have a phone with me¡­ But I can''t just leave you here¡­ Gosh darn it! Come, let me bring you home! Martha will nurse you back to health in a jiffy!" He reached below the body of the boy, flipping him over. Seeing that his front was in the same, battered condition as his back, the aged man frowned, before picking up the boy into a princess carry whilst standing up.


    "Grab the gun, girl, and let''s go back to the truck! We are done for the day!" He spoke, not waiting for any response before he was already crossing through the same path as he came. Not too far behind him, a very clever black female hound was following after his master with a shotgun held tightly in her jaws.


    ---


    "George, you good-for-nothing, what did you do this time?!" An angered exclamation of a middle-aged woman could be heard reaching outside a small, simplistic-looking cottage. A dark red, run-down pickup truck was stationed outside the house, its driver was already under pressure, being berated for a crime he didn''t commit. He was innocent this time, on the contrary, he saved a soul! He should be thanked, not yelled at!


    Still, he didn''t dare to voice his complaint for he would be signing up for a punishment equaling a death penalty.


    "Martha¡­Dear..." He meekly responded, squealing a response.


    However, the healthy-looking motherly-shaped middle-aged woman didn''t seem to be keen on listening to the man. Not yet at least.


    "Don''t you dare Martha dear me, George!" Standing in front of a couch where the still unconscious boy was laid down, she turned around to look at this worthless husband of hers.


    "You go out to catch something which could allow us to safely survive through the next couple of months, and instead of doing that, you cause an accident and run through this poor, innocent soul?! What happened to you?!" She yelled, jumping to pretty far-fetched and dire conclusions.


    "What?! I-I did not do anything like that!" Hearing what he was charged with, the elderly huntsman, George hurriedly denied the accusation. "I found the boy in the forest, laying over a pile of leaves just like this. I wasn''t sure what to do¡­ I had no phone with me, and I couldn''t just leave him there¡­ I''m not that heartless, woman!"


    Skeptical of the truth behind his words, the elderly woman, Martha turned towards Roxy for affirmation.


    As if understanding the meaning behind her stare, the black canine nodded and barked once.


    "I see¡­ It seems you are not lying at the very least. Still, the next few months will be hard without anything to sell¡­" Martha sighed, turning around to look at the still unconscious boy. Looking at him, her hard expression softened, a gentle warmth expressed itself.


    "Oh, you poor unlucky child¡­ Don''t you worry, no matter what horrors could have happened to you, you are in safe hands now¡­ I will nurse you back to health!"

 Chapter 14 - 14 - Waking Up

    "Urgh¡­"


    Laying under several layers of blankets, a young, gaunt figure''s faint voice could be heard. The long-closed protective skin over his eyes, his eyelids fluttered, slowly, powerlessly being peeled open as the boy''s awareness slowly, gradually returned to him.


    He felt extremely hot, his body was covered with sweat from head to toe. Desperately needing some fresh gust of air, he tried moving his left arm, only to come to the shocking revelation that he was unable to.


    Not that he was lacking yet another arm, nor did he lose the motoric functionality of his sole remaining forelimb. No, the reason was quite simple: It was heavily bandaged and was placed into a metallic sling.


    "What the¡­" Confused about the state of his body, it was just now that his mind managed to process a very simple, yet shocking fact: He was in a different place than where he laid down. Above him, instead of the thick canopy of the autumn forest scene, were a light brown, wooden ceiling. He wasn''t laying on a pile of leaves, no he was resting on a comfortable couch, covered with several layers of cloth and woolen blankets.


    Somebody brought him to this place.


    Still feeling weak after his ''grand'' escape, he struggles to get free from the comfortable prison amidst a slew of grunts and groans.


    Just as he was about to sit up, a mature woman''s voice reached his ears.


    "Oh, you finally woke up? We were beginning to think that you may be beyond saving. Glad to see that stupid ape was wrong! Haha!"


    Turning towards the source of the erupting laughter, Lucien could see a middle-aged woman stood in the doorway to what must have been the living room. Taking a sweep across the room with his eyes, it was clear to the woman, that the youth had no idea what was going on.


    Her expression turned sweet and kind, she stepped in and sat down in the arm-chair next to the boy''s temporary residence, the couch.


    Seeing the boy was startled, she slowly leaned towards him, with the same gentle, kind expression dominating her aging, wrinkled face. Her eyes radiated a warmth, a gentleness that was unknown for Lucien. He was on alert, not understanding the true motives behind the facade of smiles.


    Due to being currently wrapped up heavily, he tried to but failed to raise his left arm, whilst keeping his right one hanging. Albeit that one was free to use, he hesitated to rely on it. The horrific visions of what happened when he lost control were still too clear in his mind.


    "How do you feel, honey? Does it hurt anywhere?" The elderly woman broke the ensuing, awkward silence between them, with the same warming smile on his face. She wanted to reach out and gently place it atop the boy''s shoulder''s but seeing how he jerked to the other side when she attempted to do so, in the end she decided against such a forward attempt. At least for now.


    "W-where am I? Who are you?" Feeling no ill intent from the woman, Lucien asked the question, instead of responding to the woman.


    However, this was to be expected, she didn''t mind. She pulled her arm back to her side, resting them on her lap instead of on the armrests. She looked the boy in the eye as if trying to tame a wild cat, she only showed care and love with every one of her fibers.


    "You are safe here, do not worry. My name is Martha Lewis, my husband George found you unconscious in the nearby forest. You looked pretty banged up, without any papers to identify you. He didn''t know what to do, he brought you home, so I could nurse you back to health."


    "The mention of lack of identification visibly started the boy, he subconsciously clenched his palm, into a fist, the expression on his face turning into a slight frown. The still weary muscles in his legs flexed as he was ready to jump up and escape at the first sign of danger.


    Seeing the strange reaction, Martha immediately continued with a hurried explanation.


    "Don''t worry, we didn''t inform anyone about you. While we are not sure what could have happened to you, it was clear you have suffered a lot. Do not worry, you don''t have to explain anything you don''t want to¡­"


    She leaned forward, smiling gently at the boy.


    "However, whatever you can share, could help us better understand your situation and help. I am merely a retired nurse, but I did my best to pull you back from the brink of death. Although we are not rich, you can stay for as long as you want. If you are so against it, we will not alert the authorities. Okay?"


    The boy quietly listened to the woman''s words, only nodding at the end. Putting a bit more strength into his feet he wanted to stand up, but as he did so, he felt his knees wobbling, still too weak from the ordeal he went through, they buckled after a few seconds, he fell back down the couch.


    At the same time, he growled in pain, as a jolt of electricity caused havoc, tormenting his mind from some unknown source. Gritting his teeth, with great difficulty only a couple of muffled groans escaped through the barrier of lips.


    "You had similar episodes quite a few times throughout your rest. Unsure of what was going on with you, the best I could do is put some wet towels on you to try to combat the fever that followed." Martha spoke up, seeing the return of the same episodes that she battled several times already.


    Defeated, Lucien laid back on the couch, heaving a sigh as the pain temporarily subsided after brief torture.


    "H-how long¡­ w-was I sleeping?" He faintly whispered, towards the woman sitting not too far away from him.


    "Two full days and nights, sonny." She promptly answered with a wry smile. "With the same episodes repeating every 2 to 3 hours. I am not sure what is wrong with you, but I hope it''s not contagious! Ahaha!" Seeing that the boy started to ease up if even for a bit, she tried making a joke.


    Although Lucien remained stoic and distant, his wary heart started to calm down. There was absolutely nothing harmful about this woman, she was very different from that demoness. Still¡­ was it that very same evil demon that helped her?


    ''No. That''s impossible.'' He denied the thought fervently. That woman was evil incarnate, there was no way she would do anything that would benefit him. No. That would be impossible.


    Turning his face towards the woman, he whispered meekly once more, answering a question she dared not to ask so far but was in the forefront of her mind.


    "Lucien. Lucien Shaw. That''s my name. T-thank you for helping me. I''ll¡­ I''ll get myself together soon, and will be out of-"


    Before he could finish, the women interjected, silencing him. The gentle smile soured, looking slightly hurt at his words.


    "I told you, that you can stay for as long as you want. At the very least, stay for today, eat with us, and if you still feel like it, I will not stand against you. However, if you feel like it¡­"


    Suddenly, sorrow could be seen surfacing on her face, her voice almost cracked as she continued, stuttering ever-so-slightly.


    "If you feel like you enjoy our company, you c-could stay for a bit longer¡­ Neither of us would mind¡­ It would be like a f-family¡­"


    What followed shocked Martha so deeply, that she could not respond at first. What the boy asked with an honest-looking expression on his usually cold face was so troubling, and sad that her eyes instantly watered up, tears threatened the aging woman with their escape.


    "This family¡­ What is that?"


    She looked at the boy''s honest inquiring expression. What was the strangest, most shocking of what he just asked was the honest, clear look on his face. What did this teen go through?


    "Dearie, how could you not know? You know, your father, your mother, sisters, brothers, anyone that was close to your heart. The people you can think about and feel love in your heart."


    "No, I have none of these." He shook his head, a slight frown appearing on his lips. He turned away from the woman, as memories of his childhood life resurfaced in his mind. The horrible years in the orphanage followed by the long years of torture and experiments in the facility¡­ The only ones he could think of with no hatred were the animals on the farm. They didn''t hate him, didn''t curse at him when they spotted his scrawny figure.


    Throughout the 17, soon-to-be 18 years of his life, he was never treated as a human being. Sadly, the most warmth he felt was at this very moment, in this strange place with this middle-aged woman.


    Was this strange, inexplicable feeling he felt from her is the ''love'' she talked about?

 Chapter 15 - 15 - Awaken, Chosen One!

    In the relatively small, cozy dining room, three figures were sitting around the table, the silence surrounding them as they feasted on the modest dinner, some quickly made sandwiches. A single slice of ham was all the meat they could afford.


    Martha and George weren''t rich, they were at the lower end of the social spectrum. They did manage to live by with what they managed to earn. The government wasn''t too generous, despite reaching the age for pension.


    They sold the game George hunted during the season and lived off of that, as Martha''s pension she got from her lifetime of service as a nurse wouldn''t have been nearly enough to go by. Even then, they were happy, lived their lives in relative happiness. Their only regret, their only sorrow was the fact that they never got children.


    There was nothing wrong with either of them, at least none of the examinations and visits to the hospital turned up anything. They were told that they were simply ''unlucky''. Still, feeling they were cursed, after almost two decades of trying they gave up.


    They never turned to adoption either, however that was mostly due to the fact that they were desperately trying for themselves after being told that both of them were healthy. By the time they realized their attempts were futile, they were already ''too old'' to turn to that alternate route.


    So now, that they shared their table with this young man, a young teenager, they didn''t know how to react at all, how to reach the boy. Especially since the boy had the same, cold, indifferent look on his face ever since he woke up from his 48-hour-long slumber.


    While the two elders were trying to figure out how to approach the cold-looking boy, Lucien was still confused about everything happening around him. He just managed to escape the place that would others easily associate with the literal hell itself only to faint and wake up in an entirely different place. Two elderly figures with unknown intentions supposedly nursed him back to health, however, he just couldn''t figure out what did they want. What was their game here?


    Lucien couldn''t understand. The strange feelings he felt from the woman before just added to his confusion. During the years he got quite proficient in figuring out the always present underlying meanings behind each and every word that others uttered. He could see the familiar glints in their eyes, as they looked at him with disgust and contempt. Sometimes disguised, sometimes clearly displaying their true feelings.


    The only difference to this rule was the demoness herself, Dr. Frida. While she herself had her goals, and she was the worst of them all, there was never contempt, nor disgust in her eyes. No there was a manic grin, a deeply buried desire, a thirst for something dark¡­


    As his thoughts wandered, he finished his food. Taking a cough he stood up, looking at both adults with the same indifferent coldness.


    "Thank you for the food. If you do not mind-"


    Before he could finish, the woman jumped up from her seat and spoke up, interrupting him.


    "You can stay for as long as you like! Do not speak about such things for now! We can discuss it during breakfast tomorrow, okay?"


    "Yes, please.. Let''s just rest for now, okay boy?" The man added, both smiling with kindness and warmth, something that Lucien just couldn''t place anywhere.


    ''What do they want from me? They shouldn''t be aware of the Facility, that should be top secret¡­ To them I''m just a worthless, talentless boy¡­'' He lamented for a bit, before nodding at them.


    "Fine. In that case, I will go back to rest. Thank you for allowing me to stay a bit longer." He spoke with no emotion in his tone, turning around and leaving towards the living room.


    Watching his receding back both elders slumped back to their chairs, both heaving relieved sighs. George turned towards her wife, speaking in a hushed whispering tone.


    "What do we do now, Martha? I''m not sure if we could talk to him¡­ I also can''t understand why are you so adamant about this. We do not know him at all!"


    "Enough of this George! Heaven sent him to us, we have to protect him! He is the son we never could have, he is the family we missed so dearly! How could you just let him walk out of your life!" Barely being able to keep her raging emotions in check, Martha responded with an emotional look on her face.


    "But he himself doesn''t seem to want to stay! Also, think for a second! He was laying on the ground half-dead in the middle of the forest, bloodied and beaten! Whoever he is, someone is obviously searching for him! Someone we cannot offend! At the very least we need to call the police to let them know¡­ We could be complicit in some crime!"


    However, no matter how good he argued, how good his facts were, Martha was adamant about her position. She couldn''t be moved, no matter what he tried, she wouldn''t budge.


    "Enough, I''m not gonna listen any more of you! Fate has given you a chance and you want to throw it away! You clearly have no desire to have a family of your own! As long as you can go hunt every now and then you are content! Well¡­ I am not! I need more, George!"


    Her eyes were hazy due to the thick layer of tears forming a liquid barrier in her eyes. She turned away, storming out of the dining room, doing her best to hold back the inevitable outburst.


    Left alone in the kitchen, George sighed. Leaning back on his chair, he looked at the ceiling searching as if he was certain he could find the answer somewhere between the thin cracks. Sadly, that was not the case, he sat in silence, sighing every now and then, as thoughts of both sides kept tormenting him for hours after dinner.


    ---


    Lucien was laying on the couch, alone. His right arm was in front of his eyes, he was deep in thought, still in the midst of processing all the events that transpired in the span of one day. So much has changed in just a few hours. His life, if it could be called being a lab-rat like that, has turned upside down.


    He, who whilst was always defiant, never hurt anyone before. Now, suddenly he not just killed but even ate, consumed their flesh? What was he? A monster? Was this always inside him, or was this the result of some of those horrible experiments they conducted during the past 5 years?


    He could remember a new presence suddenly emerge from the depths of his mind, and fiercely push him to the back. It was a sentient creature, who wanted nothing more than to escape that place. However, in the midst of battle, he felt his hunger, he needed something from the deceased.


    He could feel this creature, this organism as it rapidly transformed his body. His cells reinforced, he showcased many incredible and terrifying abilities. He could feel like the creature sliced those guards apart with ease, he felt his pain as the storm of bullets pierced through his skin, tearing his flesh.


    As he thought back, he recognized another fact that he missed back then. In the end, as they emerged from the underground, he could feel his thoughts. He was concerned¡­ about him? He thought about the¡­


    MESSAGE!


    Lucien''s eyes abruptly sprang open, he sat up. Focusing his weary mind, he brought the dark opaque screen up and looked, as the blood-red symbols materialized one after another.


    But his shock couldn''t subside. For in place of the unrecognizable set of symbols a clear message has appeared in front of his eyes.


    [¡­:::The Prophecized time is upon us! Awaken Chosen One!:::¡­]


    Shocked of what greeted him, he unconsciously muttered the message, mumbling it under his breath.


    "The Prophecized time is upon us! Awaken Chosen One?! What does this me-"


    Before he could finish the thought, the screen changed once again, a new text slowly formed with the same ominous looking font.


    [Awakening Conditions Met, start up sequence initiated¡­]


    [...10%...]


    [...20%...]


    [...30%...]


    .


    .


    .


    [...100%...]


    [System loaded¡­ Merging with host¡­]


    As the message appeared a sudden surge of pain, similar to the tormenting headache he felt before surfaced once again. Electricity surged through his brain, akin to a bolt of lightning.


    Through great difficulty, Lucien managed to remain relatively silent, only muffled grunts escaping through the grid of his gritted teeth.


    The pain was temporary, after a minute it subsided by itself, slowly easing up on the pressure he felt.


    Following that, his vision turned blurry once again, as a much larger image appeared in front of him. It still had the same dark semi-opaque background, and the same blood-red, scarlet letters, showing a single message, a strange greeting at the top.


    [...::: Welcome to the Prime Evolver System, Host:::....]

 Chapter 16 - 16 - Prime Evolver System

    The pain continued its relentless torment, wreaking havoc inside Lucien''s mind. Just like when he lost control, a dark halo of his transforming veins swelled, the milky white sclera in his eye got a tinge of chaotic black mixed into it.


    With great willpower and almost bloodied palms due to how tight he clenched his fists, he managed to hold back yelling as he continued to concentrate on the slowly emerged blood-dripping text to appear one after another.


    [...::: Greetings Host :::...]


    [...::: Congratulations, you have successfully passed the Trial of Awakening! :::...]


    [...::: Checking Synchronization rate: ¡­ 1%...1.01%...1.02%...]


    The number kept rapidly growing passing by 2%, 3%, 5%... gradually starting to slow down at 9% but still reaching 10% before it slowed further to a snail''s pace as it eventually stopped.


    [...::: Current Synchronization rate: 11.03% - Minimal]


    [...::: Checking the state of ??§Ô????... Critical! :::...]


    Once again, the cryptic, runic symbols appeared blocking Aiden''s attempts to understand the meaning behind the message. However, he couldn''t linger on the subject as the messages kept appearing one after another.


    As they did, the muscles in his body convulsed, his heartbeat with loud rapid thumps. His whole body was covered in sweat at this point, drenching the couch and the blanket as well.


    [...::: Conditions met, Prime Evolver System boot is complete! :::...]


    [...::: Character Status ::: System Version: 01 - 0% :::...]


    Name: Lucien Shaw


    Synchronization: 11.03% - Mutualism


    Power Stage: Dredger ::: Rank: 1 ::: 0%


    ?????: ?????


    EP: 0


    ****


    Health: 10 / 10


    Energy: 10 / 10


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    Strength: 2.01


    Agility: 1.12


    Stamina: 2.25


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ****


    ?????: ???


    ****


    :::...]


    The screen expanded, as rows of texts appeared almost instantly, showing that Lucien couldn''t even find words for. Unfortunately, due to his childhood, he never had the chance to experience the joy of playing games on any device. In fact, he rarely even seen mobile phones, not to mention computers or consoles.


    So, when a screen, similar to a status screen appeared showing strange details, characteristics of himself in strange numerical formats.


    Lucien had no idea what to make of what he could see. What did all of these mean?


    ''What is Synchronization?!'' He mumbled reading from top to bottom. This term was mentioned the second time now, first during the initial flow of texts.


    His mumbling wasn''t meant for anyone, it was mostly to himself, as he was trying his hardest in finding any meaning behind the term.


    What did it mean?


    Was it related to the ''other one'' that took control and allowed his escape?


    Due to him being deep in thought he didn''t even notice that the pain and changes subsided. The dark veins covering his body faded, only leaving a glistening scrawny body behind. Still, behind the grimy sweat, Lucien was no longer tormented by any physical pain.


    However, it seemed the floating window could read his thoughts, as, in the next second, the blood-red letters on the dark transparent screen animatedly moved from their places, gathered together at the center of the screen before formulating an answer.


    [...::: Synchronization is the defined metric for the strength of connection, symbiotic relationship between host and ¡­:::??§Ô????:::...]


    ''''Huh¡­'' Lucien became startled seeing that the seemingly magical image responding to his queries. ''You can listen to my thoughts? What are you?''


    In response, the letters began to change locations again, forming an answer in a second.


    [...::: To answer host question: We are the Prime Evolver System. We are one with host, we always were, we always will. We are one. :::...]


    Once again, this was something that Lucien couldn''t fully process at the moment. His mind was tormented with questions, a lot of unknowns that wanted to get some answers to but could ask nobody.


    As expected, reading for the turbulent chaos in his mind, the text transformed again, forming a response.


    [...::: We were always with the host, the host was just unaware of our existence. For you were the chosen one, the next chosen guardian. We are ??§Ô???? , and as you have correctly guessed it, we were the ones that assisted in your escape from that place. Unfortunately, due to the fact that you were malnourished and were low on EP, we had to improvise on the spot. If we caused any discomfort to the host, we apologize. :::...]


    The System or whatever the creature was, as whenever ''they'' tried to refer to it, the text always came back encrypted, were strangely talkative all of a sudden. There however quite a few new questions that needed answers.


    ''Why are you keep referring to yourself as ''We''? Also, what is EP?'' He asked inwardly.


    The system was quick to form a response once again.


    [...::: We are we, the host is the host. We are many, host is one. As for EP, it stands for Entropy Points. We need Entropy, the living essence, the DNA of other organisms to strengthen ourselves and the host. Using the appendage, you have been gifted during your escape, the host can absorb mass. The host should be aware, that this process will require a faint, waning mind. Any sort of mental resistance can block the process, only wasting precious energy. :::...]


    ''I see.'' Contrary to what would have been expected he took what was displayed in front of him with relative calm. He quickly understood that the monster, or whatever it lived inside him, only wanted to help. Whilst he wasn''t too happy of being controlled, he had to admit that without that, he wasn''t sure when -if even it would have been possible by himself-, would he have escaped on his own.


    Still, there was something that he had to make clear. Now that he finally regained his freedom, there can never be a repeat of what happened. He will never be someone''s toy, subject, or puppet ever again. Nobody will trample on him again.


    ''Thanks for saving me, but don''t ever CONTROL me again. If you do, we are finished. Whatever it would take I would make sure we are separated. Got it?''


    [...::: Host should rest assured, that unless it would be critical, we will never repeat that again. :::...]


    The system displayed its response, causing Lucien to frown, and shake his head.


    With a stronger mental tone, he rephrased his statement. This time it was authoritative.


    ''No. There is no if. You will NOT do anything similar again.''


    This time, there was a bit of delay before the screen formulated a curt answer.


    [...::: Understood. :::...]


    Seeing the short text, Lucien sighed, turning his attention towards the ceiling, looking through the opaque, dark screen.


    His mind wandered back to the last years of his torture. Could what is happening now be a result of some of those cruel experiments? That would have been the obvious conclusion, but something didn''t feel right to Lucien.


    While it was true that he ''Awakened'' during an especially painful experiment, he was weird, strange, ever since he was born. He had this.. Malevolent, cursed air around him, following him everywhere. His entire life was full of cruelty and despair. So much so, that seeing a genuine smile and concern for the first time in his life was alien to him, he couldn''t even understand it.


    All of the events in his life pointed to the fact what the text has also told him. This¡­ whatever this was, curse, blessing, ability, mutation¡­ system, whatever it was called was with him since he was born.


    He was different from the others and because of that, his parents didn''t have any interest in him and left him. Because he was different from the others he was subjected to punishments. He never received the love that every child deserved. He never knew what family was like.


    Heck, the only time he saw a smile was when the person smiling wanted to cause him pain.


    Nobody wanted him, the whole world was against him.


    But it was all right.


    A smirk appeared on his tired face, as he slowly closed his eyes. It was already late in the night. Luckily neither of the Lewis''s checked up on him, for he didn''t want to scare them.


    ''What should I do now¡­'' he sighed, ready to turn to sleep, when suddenly the floating, bloodied text appeared on the very same dark background.


    [...:::Host is ready to receive his first task? :::...]


    A single question appeared, awaiting Lucien''s response. Curious about what it meant by it, he nodded, humming in acquiesce.


    The text changed again reacting to his motion. New and new letters appeared, rapidly taking their designated place.


    [...::: New Task Received! :::...]


    [...::: Take your first steps in the Evolution! :::...]


    [...::: Gather your first Entropy Points (0 / 10) :::...]


    [...::: Rewards: System Feature Unlocked :::... ]


    [...::: Note: Host is advised to be alone for the task. Leaving the two humans is advised. :::...]


    Reading through the new task he was given, and the advice at the end, Lucien gave a heavy nod.


    ''I know. I already planned to. I am still not sure about their intentions, but regardless, if they have any, they helped me, so I shouldn''t bring trouble to them. Those at the Facility will be most likely coming after me.''


    He sighed again as he turned to his side and closed his eyes. Before giving himself into the drowsiness, he muttered a single thought.


    "I will¡­ I will leave in the morning¡­"

 Chapter 17 - 17 - "It Is For The Best."

    As the rays of the morning sun brightened up the room, scaring the gloomy night away, Lucien was already awake. In truth, he barely slept, there were just too many things going on, for his mind to be able to fully calm down.


    He did manage to squeeze in a bit of shut-eye and was feeling relatively fresh, and ready for the day''s journey. Although this was the first time he wasn''t met with scorn or ill-will, no, because of it, he had to leave, he couldn''t linger.


    His mere presence brought disaster with it, it wouldn''t be fair to these strangely kind people to be brought into his troubles. The people from the Facility will be undoubtedly after him.


    He wasn''t an idiot, he knew that after five years, he was considered the government''s property. A test subject, a weapon, or whatever he was labeled, the fact was, he brought disaster for wherever he went. He had to be alone, away from the very people that showed him care for the first time in his short, cruel life.


    He sat up from his makeshift bed, the couch, and sighed. With a thought, he brought up the black, opaque screen just to make sure he didn''t just dream about the wonders of the night.


    The screen appeared, and this time, the bloodied, eerie, ominous letters formed into a menu-like interface. Displaying several options, the first two visible, but judging from the distorted lower section and the locked, unrecognizable runes at the lower half, there were several features still waiting to be unlocked. After all, the rewards for completing his first task already hinted at one of them.


    [...::: Prime Evolver System - Version 1 - 0% :::...]


    [....::: Host Status :::...]


    [...::: Tasks :::...]


    [...:::???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????:::...]


    The lower half of the screen seemed to be a garbled, unreadable mess, whilst the upper section was displayed with the same blood-dripping, horrific, but at the very least, recognizable letters. Seeing how the top, the header displayed the same text again, Lucien couldn''t help but mentally formulate a question.


    ''What does the ''Version 1'' and the 0% next to it mean?''


    Immediately, the letters began to vibrate. The screen rapidly changed, the cryptic symbols faded, whilst new letters appeared. Whilst the changes were grand, the screen transformed in a manner of a couple of seconds, formulating a response, just like it did last night.


    [...::: Version refers to the current stage of the Prime Evolver System, while the percentage marks your overall progress in reaching the threshold for a System Rank Up. :::...]


    Lucien shook for a moment, slightly startled by the fact that the floating image seemed to be able to read his thoughts and respond to his mental thoughts and commands. A moment later, however, he calmed himself down, remembering all the discussion they had during the night. He wasn''t afraid, although he was still slightly wary about using, relying on the monstrous, viral appendage that disguised itself as his right arm. After all, while he seemingly had control over it, it wasn''t truly his limb, it was related to the System, or the creature living inside him.


    ''What does a ''System Rank Up'' do?'' He asked another question after reading through the system''s response.


    Instantly, the letter''s reorganized themselves, forming an immediate response.


    [...::: A System Rank Up will provide various benefits, enhancements to the host. For further information, the host is advised to complete tasks. :::...]


    ''I see.'' Lucien nodded, not bothering to inquire further. Although what he got was vague, it still gave him a general idea and a direction to go forward.


    What he needed now was strength. The power to survive, and to defeat those that were undoubtedly after him. He needed to grow stronger, no matter how no matter the method. If he wanted to escape from his past, and earn his right to a brighter, better future he needed to use the opportunity that was given to him.


    His fingers on his right arm moved for the first time since his escape, clenching themselves into a ball of fist. He raised it in front of him, closing in on his fist. From the initial frown, he had whenever he looked at this alien, unknown mass of flesh, his face gradually transformed into a smirk.


    ''Whatever you truly are, I will rely on you. Together we will get stronger, and escape¡­" He spoke to himself in a muttered, hushed tone. Unbeknownst to him, when he whispered the word escape, a brief flash of light flashed through his right eye, a tinge of dark crept up at its edges as he corrected himself in a slightly lower tone.


    "...no! We will DESTROY those that are after us. Our enemies will serve as Mass, substance to our further growth! We will EARN our freedom!"


    Both his fists clenched he struck at the air, celebrating the forming of his new goal. He wasn''t lost anymore, he knew what he had to do, and that was to use this marvelous wonder he was born with, this ''Sentient System''.


    ''System, display my task once again.'' He gave the mental command after his double fist bump.


    In the next instant, the system responded, displaying the similar screen that he already saw yesterday.


    [...:::Tasks - System Version 1 - 0% :::...]


    [...::: Active Tasks: 1 :::...]


    [...::: 1) Take your first steps in the Evolution! :::...]


    [...::: 1) Gather your first Entropy Points (0 / 10) :::...]


    [...::: 1) Rewards: System Feature Unlocked :::... ]


    Strangely, the warning, the helpful note was not displayed anymore, but regardless, Lucien knew that he should be alone, as what was required from him was a gruesome, horrific sight, not something that he should show in front of this kind family that took him in.


    Reading through the objective once again, Lucien''s face returned to a calm, cold, rigid outlook. With a thought he made the screen fade away, and stood up, leaving the comfort of his couch-bed, and made his way out of the room, towards the dining area where he could already listen to the subtle noises of the Lewis husband and wife.


    What amazed him, was that his senses seemed to be enhanced, ever-so-slightly. He wasn''t entirely certain if he was above the average in this regard, due to lack of social contact, but he was, at the very least sure that his own hearing, sight, smell, and probably all the other of his 5 senses have increased by at least a grade.


    Even though there were several walls in between them, he could hear them, he could even listen to their hushed whispers as they made the table ready for breakfast. What was even weirder, is that as he left the living room, entering a short hallway, he could even make out the rhythmic thumping of their hearts, he could listen to the pulses.


    Combining it with the tone of their voice, he was fairly sure that they were nervous, agitated. They were talking about him, and seemed worried, dreading his decision about leaving them after breakfast.


    Listening to them as he slowly paced towards their direction, he understood a bit more about them. Just as he suspected, they had no ill-will against him, they didn''t wish him any harm, which was a first in Lucien''s life.


    They were good, kind people, something that was missing from his life. The warmth of familial love, the gentle care of a mother, the teachings of a father¡­


    New, unexplored emotions, sensations Lucien had to leave behind. He couldn''t get attached, he shouldn''t show any emotion. The less they knew about him, the better. These two didn''t deserve to be pulled into the chaos and despair that was his life.


    Arriving at the entrance, Lucien coughed, grabbing their attention, as he gave a cold, emotionless greeting.


    "Good Morning Miss and Mr. Lewis."


    Despite his tone, the woman, Martha, responded with a gentle smile. She approached the boy, giving him a warm, loving hug, returning the greeting with all the familial love and care she could muster.


    "Good Morning, dear. Have you slept well?"


    At the same time, the aging hunter, George Lewis nodded, muttering a response under his mustache and earning a glare from the mature lady.


    The sudden embrace caught Lucien off guard, almost breaking his forced stoic outlook. He had to fight not to reveal even the slightest of smiles, and remain cold, rigid. The less emotion he returned, the easier it was to leave these two for good.


    ''It is for the best.'' He repeated the phrase, his morning mantra to himself inwardly.


    The hug lasted almost a full minute before Martha eventually separated herself and motioned towards the set dining table which was set in such glory and richness that one could have wondered if it was some special holiday. Several different kinds of ham, bread, and cheese were displayed. For drinks, several bottles of a dark liquid, that smelled full of sweet and sour alcohol could be seen.


    Milky white, embroidered tablecloth covered the wooden panels, a set of the finest cutlery was put on.


    Obviously, Martha did all the stops she could, she wanted to do what she could to gain the favor of the boy. She wanted him that even if he decides to leave, he will leave with fond memories.. Even if their time together was destined to be short, she wanted it to be memorable.

 Chapter 18 - 18 - An Encounter

    "Remember, Lucien, whenever you feel tired, hungry¡­ or just need a shoulder to cry on¡­ Please, remember that you have a home here with us!" With watery eyes, standing at their front porch, Martha Lewis was doing her best not to crack and cry in front of the departing youth.


    Standing in front of their house, the husband and wife pair of the Lewis family were waving their heart-breaking goodbye to the lean, black-haired young man, Lucien. He was wearing a set of new clothes gifted to him by the motherly woman, Martha.


    He was wearing a long, black hooded raincoat with a zipper over a light blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans. With the dark grey sports shoes donning his feet and the dark brown leather gloves atop his hands he looked quite unique. Definitely not matching the average homeless he actually was.


    It was already close to lunchtime, Lucien already spent way too much time trying to leave this kind pair and set out alone. He had to admit, it wasn''t easy, he actually felt a new emotion, reluctance as his cold-looking pair of dark brown eyes gazed at their figure. The woman, the more honest with her feelings of the two, was on the verge of crying, something quite surprising considering they only spent a short time together.


    The elderly hunter, George, was standing with Roxy, his hunting aide, and partner to the woman''s right, standing with a stoic, strict outlook. Still, Lucien could feel their rapid heartbeats, they were emotional and reluctant to let the boy that they let into their fold go.


    Even George had to admit that this boy was the closest they ever get to be a full family. He was already on the verge of stepping into adulthood, but regardless, this boy, Lucien, was the closest to a son they never had the chance to be blessed with.


    This boy was heaven''s gift, but sadly they had to let him go and just pray that God will keep him safe.


    Although he projected a cold, emotionless farce on the outside, inwardly, Lucien was quite troubled to leave them behind. What they did was something Lucien never knew that he could receive. It was completely unexpected, a new sensation, a new side of the world was shown to him.


    They showed him love. Kindness. A taste of what it could have been if he had a family instead of the cold walls of the institute.


    Still, he had to turn his back on them and leave them behind. It was for their benefit. They shouldn''t be subjected to the curse that surrounded him, they shouldn''t suffer for not being as corrupt as the rest of the world.


    He glanced over the two adults, forcing the same insipid, emotionless expression, ultimately lingering slightly longer on the elderly woman''s watery eyes.


    Closing his eyes, he heaved a heavy sigh and bowed his head slightly.


    "Thank you for all the kindness that you have given me. I am forever thankful to you both. I¡­" He spoke, first with the same forced harsh tone he planned, but at the end, he still with wavering emotions. He couldn''t keep his distance. He stopped his speech and turned around before he would say or do something that would bear even worse consequences.


    He turned away, steeling his heart that for the first time was subjected to an unfamiliar warmth and at the same time, a newfound pain.


    Opening the small wooden gate, he stopped for a moment, turning his head sideways he muttered his goodbyes.


    "Farewell Martha Lewis, Good bye George Lewis. I will be forever thankful to you both."


    With that said, he turned away, and stepped out, slowly departing towards the south, the center of this small hillside village.


    As his figure slowly grew smaller and smaller, the husband and wife duo kept looking at his back. They didn''t want to let the boy go, but they couldn''t hold him back either. They could only hope that they will one day meet again...


    Lucien finally found a glimpse of what his childhood missed. He found the kindness and love that his heart was screaming for, yet he had to leave it all behind.


    Maybe this was his fate, his curse. He was destined to be alone, a stranger to these warm, kindling feelings.


    It wasn''t as easy as it may have looked, but he was sure that what he did was the correct choice. Maybe, just maybe after everything was resolved, and he was no longer hunted for simply existing he could return to this small slice of heaven he found¡­


    "Hope you will both be safe, and that I haven''t brought my curse upon you¡­" He muttered under his breath as he took one last glance towards them before turning around the corner.


    ---


    The "village" where Martha and George Lewis lived their lives in peace was a small, tiny settlement along the nearby hill. To Lucien''s surprise, he was told that he was still in New York state. It turns out he never left his ''home'', he was just taken somewhere to the northern borders.


    The ''village'' that the Lewis''s kept referring to was actually a hamlet, a small settlement with slightly above the 40 000 mark in terms of population. It was a small hillside town with nothing of interest. There wasn''t much traffic going in and out of the small town, it was akin to a communal reserve. A preserved little section of the past.


    Most of the locals lived by what game they hunted during the season, or by the crops of their fields.


    They have known each other through the generations they have spent here. It was a local community, friendly, and kind. With being at an average distance from the Big City, the townsfolk had nothing to truly worry about.


    After some thinking, Lucien decided to get back to the Big City, New York, and visit his old orphanage for some much-needed answers. He needed to know why he was shunned, why he was so hated, why he was sold¡­ and ultimately, who his parents were. Did he have a family out there somewhere? Why was he given away, why didn''t his mother and father love him? What did he do to earn such treatment from his own parents?


    While it may be futile, and an ultimately pointless goal, Lucien needed to understand, he needed to learn the truth. He was different from the others, which he learned very early in his life, but he never understood the depth of this dark hole. He never knew he had such a monstrous entity inside him, or that what purpose the floating eerie text served. Where did it come from, who did it truly serve? Was it a gift, or maybe, -and considering his life so far-, most likely a curse?


    ''I hope I will find some answers¡­'' He sighed, lamenting inwardly as he looked towards the mid-day clear sky as he traversed the streets alone.


    As he was deep in thought, his feet kept carrying him forward. Arriving at a crossing, without being aware of it, he stepped down from the sidewalk to cross to the other side, not keeping his attention on the red light.


    The blaring sounds of a horn and the screeching noises of tires brought him back from his trance. He quickly turned towards the source only to see a rapidly approaching front of a dark blue car. Without thinking, the muscles in his legs flexed, and contorted, he kicked himself up from the ground, jumping to a height he himself wasn''t ready for.


    His body flew upwards, reaching an altitude of almost 10 feet in the air, way above the car that ultimately sped through under him without touching a hair of him.


    The handbrake pulled the car was leaving a long tire mark on the ground as it loudly screeched to a halt, just in time as Lucien landed agilely as well. He himself, and all those nearby that saw his impossible feat was looking with wide eyes, incredulously at him.


    ''What just happened?''


    He looked with a daze in front of him, trying to process what had just happened.


    "ARE YOU OKAY?!" A heavenly, bell-like feminine voice reached his ears as it shouted a question with visible worry and concern behind her tone.


    Still, deep in his own little world, Lucien didn''t respond at the start, he was trying to make sense of the incredulity of the feat he has just accomplished.


    ''D-did I just fly up? What on Earth is going on?! Is this the System''s doing?'' He couldn''t really process that he was capable of something like this. Before today, he never had such superhuman strength, he wasn''t capable of feats of strength like this! Was this the result of the System''s activation?


    "Hey you, kid! Are you fine? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" The bell-like voice rang in his ears once again, this time much closer. He shook his head, coming back from his trance. He turned his head to look at the newcomer, the driver of the car to give him his mind.


    "Yeah I am, no thanks to you! Lady what were you doing?!" He exclaimed angrily, as he turned to glance at a long, blonde-haired beauty. She was of similar height as him, with gentle, generous curves where it mattered and matching slender and slim traits at other places. As their eyes met for the first time, Lucien felt something. His heart responded, thumping wildly, at the sight of this stranger.


    Stranger, yet at the same time, it was as if she had met this woman before¡­ Somewhere, he just couldn''t remember. He was fairly certain that she was never at the orphanage, nor did he ever saw her during any of the experiments in the past five years.


    Yet, still¡­ His heart just couldn''t let go of this feeling, it was as if they have met before...


    Unable to contain himself any longer, he asked another question, before the woman had a chance to respond to his first exclamation.


    "Lady, who are you?!"

 Chapter 19 - 19 - Meeting

    "I am sorry, I was just in a hurry and I wasn''t paying atten-... huh?" The woman stumbled, as the question was quite unexpected, coming from the boy. Trying to calm her agitated nerves, she took a breath of fresh air and slowly exhaled.


    Her eyes closed, she seemed to be doing a sort of makeshift meditative exercise. She exhaled a large gasp of air once more, and whilst slowly raising her hands towards her chest, she stored it in her diaphragm before slowly exhaled in rhythm with her slowly lowering arms.


    The repeated exercise seemed to visibly cool her senses, as she looked much more collected once her eyelids parted revealing her azure see-blue upturned eyes. Slightly swaying her head, her long blonde hair fluttered helplessly against the wind before it fell in line behind her back. She was of similar height to Lucien, with a curvaceous hourglass figure. She was wearing a light grey business suit above a dark deep blue lacy blouse with matching, light grey pants.


    As she calmed her nerves, she took another deeper look at the young man he almost turned into a paste on the pavement, only to gasp in shock.


    "Y-you! It is you! I was¡­ I am¡­" Her whole body was trembling as she realized who she was talking to. This man¡­ this boy¡­"


    ''No, calm down Sera, what are you doing?! You have a mission, you can''t fail the Master''s expectations!'' She berated herself mentally, as she once again, took another breath of fresh air, and repeated the earlier exercise a third time.


    Meanwhile, Lucien wasn''t sure how to react. Both of them were fine, and there was no harm done. Although he was still surprised by the extraordinary method of how he avoided being hurt, he would have left the woman already if not the nudging feeling of wanting to know more about her. So here he was standing with an increasing frown expressing itself over his face, waiting for this strange person to finally introduce herself.


    However, he was getting to the point of just turning around and walking away.


    "So¡­ *khm*" The woman coughed lightly to garner the young man''s attention. "I am Sera De''angelis, and I actually was rushing here to meet a very special person." She sighed as she grabbed her temples, muttering the next line mostly to herself rather than the boy. "As fate would have it, I almost hit him with my car¡­"


    Still, maybe due to his heightened senses and hearing, Lucien managed to catch that last thought. He took a step back, entering a guarded stance as he looked the woman in her eyes with cold wariness.


    "What do you want with me?! Who are you?!" He asked.


    Seeing the alert reaction from the boy, Sera immediately raised her hands trying to calm him. She hurriedly tried to explain, making sure that her nervousness wouldn''t be misinterpreted as something else.


    "No, no, it''s nothing bad I can assure you! I... " She looked around, seeing the many eyes that were still on them. This commotion wasn''t something she wanted when she would begin explaining herself, she pointed towards her car.


    "Would you let me invite you for a coffee? I would like to explain everything to you, but not here... There are too many eyes on us."


    She revealed a warm, friendly smile hoping her words were sincere and innocent enough for the alert youngster.


    Taking a moment to think it through, Lucien followed the many eyes that were on them. Although he couldn''t feel any hostility from the woman, the simple fact that she came specifically for him, going as far as knowing his current location, raised several warning flags. How did she learn about him so fast? He didn''t meet or talk to nobody from this small hillside town beside the Lewis family. Did they already give away his location? Was he wrong about them after all?


    ''I should at least listen to her. If worst comes to worst, I will just escape¡­'' He made the decision finally, giving a silent nod towards the blonde woman, and walking past her towards her car.


    "R-right then, let me take you out for a drink¡­" She mumbled awkwardly, following behind the boy.


    A moment later they were already seated inside. The tires screeched with excitement, as the car sped away in a flash towards the town center.


    "So, uhm¡­ do you have a place you like around here?" Speeding through the traffic, Sera tried breaking the ensuing awkwardness between them, she asked a question, which she would undoubtedly already knew the answer to. Still, it was the best, and the only idea she had trying to get closer to the distant youngster.


    Not showing any emotion, the young man with the unkempt, wild shoulder-length black hair kept looking at the window, watching as they sped through the traffic, seemingly ignoring the woman''s question entirely. The occasional scoffs and frowns were the only thing that she received, but even those seemed to be not aimed at her. He seemed to be not paying any attention to her, he was lost gazing at the traffic.


    "I¡­ I am not that familiar with this area, so if you don''t have any preference, let''s just try this place. What do you say?" Not giving up, Sera asked again, while she drove into a parking slot in front of a classy-looking diner.


    It was the average, not too shabby but not too elegant type either. The one that most of the working class would use to grab a bite for breakfast, drink the disgusting black oil that they tried calling coffee, or just sit in after work, order a burger with drenched fries and forget the day''s ordeals.


    Seeing that the boy once again ignored her attempt at starting a conversation, Sera could only sigh and park her dark blue, luxurious-looking sports car whilst already deep in thought about how to discuss everything with the boy she needed to. She needed to convince him, she needed to earn his forgiveness and understanding which seemed harder by the minute¡­


    Meanwhile, as she was driving, Lucien didn''t ignore her out of spite, but he was actually in a conversation with the strange, floating text, the mysterious system or to be more precise, the entity behind it.


    Going back in time, when he took his place at the front. As he sat down, he focused his attention on the System, bringing the floating, black transparent window up.


    A moment later, even without him asking a simple note have appeared from the order of the bloodied letters.


    ''[...::: Follow the woman. :::...]''


    ''Why should I? Who is she?'' He asked mentally whilst trying to hide the confusion that almost appeared on his face. Why would he need to follow this blonde girl? Who was she to him?


    ''[...::: She is important to the host''s progression. Follow the blonde woman. :::...]


    ''This doesn''t explain anything!'' He scoffed at the system''s response. That was basically just telling him ''follow after her because you have to''. He wasn''t willing to accept such a command, after all, the only thing he promised to himself that he will never again be pushed and ordered around. He will never again be someone''s or something''s puppet to play around with.


    As if noticing his bubbling emotions, the bloodied letters rapidly appeared, and changed positions, formulating a surprising response.


    ''[...::: We understand the host''s feelings, but the host should be patient and listen to the System. The woman didn''t come with any hostile intentions. On the contrary, her purpose was to meet up with you. Your destiny is entangled, the host should be understanding, and listen. :::...]


    Reading through the response, Lucien scoffed once again, as he made the screen disappear, and see that they have arrived in front of a diner.


    The large bright, yellow neon light read ''Momma Dana''s Diner'' at the front. Glancing to the windows, he could see a couple of figures already inside. He turned his head to look at the gently smiling Sera, and with the same distant coldness that he displayed before he asked.


    "Is this the place?"


    Finally receiving a response, even if it was in the form of a question, Sera felt happiness bubble up inside her. She nodded, responding with an unmasked eagerness.


    "Y-yes! Do you¡­ do you like it? Should we go inside, or do you want to go somewhere else?"


    Instead of responding verbally, Lucien opened the car door and stepped out of the car. Waiting only for a single moment, he slowly began to walk towards the entrance of the place, not bothered if Sera was following after him or not.


    He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing inwardly.


    ''I do hope that this won''t give me more trouble¡­''


    ---


    At the other side of the town, a silver-painted van entered the city limits. Sitting at the side front seat, a bearded, short figure was laser-focused on the screen of the laptop sitting on his lap. He was wearing a white lab coat, he ruffled his few strands of greyish hair atop his head.


    On the monitor, a stream of numerical data -similar to what Dr. Frida was reading with surprising ease a while ago- was flowing without stop.


    "Turn right here, we are close." He gave a vague order to the driver who was equipped with a familiar set of armor just like the large group sitting behind them.


    Each one of them was wearing a dark set of kevlar armor, with skull-like plastic masks protecting their identities. Each was armed to the teeth with a variety of deadly armaments. Long sabers with strange handles hanged on their backs, leaning against special, unrecognizable automatic rifles and shotguns¡­


    Reading through the stream of data, the bearded scientist figure smirked as he spotted the fences at the distance to a particular home.


    ''The subject was definitely here¡­ The signal is particularly strong there¡­ AM-03 couldn''t have escaped too far¡­''

 Chapter 20 - 20 - Your Choice�

    With a loud bell-like sound, the entrance to Momma Dana''s Diner clung open, and amidst the gazes of the ones already slurping their coffees and munching on their morning pancakes and sausages a woman that clearly didn''t belong to such an establishment, and a thin-looking black-haired boy stepped inside, making their way towards the nearest empty box.


    As they took their seating, a big, motherly, middle-aged woman approached them. A messy, greasy apron hanging from her neck she reached for the deep pockets of it and pulled out a note and a pen.


    Perching a wide, warm, friendly smile on her face, she looked at the newcomers. Focusing her attention first on the blonde lady wearing the business suit.


    "Hello my dears, welcome to Dana''s little corner of heaven! What''cha need? Want some grub and something to warm your souls?"


    "Greetings, Miss. We would like two¡­" Sera began to respond, stopping halfway her order, and looked at the boy sitting calmly in front of him.


    "What would you like? Does a coffee with sugar and milk sounds good?" She asked him, not sure what he preferred.


    Without thinking about it, Lucien silently nodded, not uttering anything verbally before he turned his attention towards the window and resumed looking at the cityscape outside.


    With an awkward smile on her beautiful milky-white face, Sera returned to the motherly waiter/cook and resumed to place her order.


    "..so yeah, two cups of coffee with sugar and milk, please. Thank you!" The awkward smile transforming into a friendly-looking one, she was polite all the way through.


    The motherly lady, scrubbed something on the notebook, before throwing both the pen and it to the depths of her pockets, and spoke with the same warm gentleness as before.


    While she did, she also pulled out the diner''s menu, a piece of laminated paper holding only a few options to choose from, the first being the ''Daily Special'' followed by the ''Momma Donna''s Pancakes''. Below that the typical morning diner-breakfast, the sausage+egg combo and finally you could also order scrambled eggs. Just the basics, but it was perfect for such a typical countryside place.


    "Alright dears, give me a few minutes and I''ll be back with your joes! Meanwhile, take a look at our menu, and just give a holler if you need anything, okay?'' She placed the menu in front of the blonde business woman, then turned around, and with an uncharacteristic speed, she vanished through the swinging double doors at the back.


    As her wide, apple figured went back to the kitchen to prepare their liquid substances, Sera, heaved a long-winded sigh, returning her attention to the cold-looking boy sitting opposite of her.


    "Listen¡­ as I mentioned before, I am Sera De''angelos, and I came specifically to meet with you¡­ Lucien." She began, trying to start up a conversation, hoping to at the very least earn the boy''s attention.


    Lucien''s eyes turned into slits, his hands were instantly clenched into fists as he heard the woman utter his name. Although he was fairly sure that she knew about him, it was still quite worrisome to hear it from the lady. After all, he never said anything about himself so far.


    Slowly, his eyes ventured from the window glass and met with Sera''s azure blue upturned-shaped gaze.


    For the first time since they sat down, he spoke, albeit with a cold, rigid, hostile tone.


    "What do you know about me?"


    "I¡­" Sera wasn''t sure how to actually continue. Even after practicing what she wanted to say for the last couple of years, now, facing the child that her beloved Master has selected¡­ She didn''t know what to say, how to properly or to be more precise, adequately explain a tale that just couldn''t be told.


    However, before she could continue, the kitchen double doors swung open and the kind-looking middle-aged mature waitress lady returned with a tray in her hand, holding their hot, fresh dark beverage.


    "Here ya go dears, enjoy! Just give me a holler if you''ll need anything, ''key?" She repeated her earlier offer, and with a bright, gentle smile she retreated back behind the counter serving the regulars already waiting.


    Lucien''s eyes remained on the wide back of the receding lady, the coldness momentarily vanishing from his expression replaced by a barely perceptible small smile. For a brief moment, he forgot to mask these complex feelings with his usual distant coldness.


    "So, you probably want to know more about the reason for me being here¡­" Sera gave a light cough, trying to regain the boy''s attention. Deciding not to wait any longer, she coughed once more, and whilst holding the small cup between her lithe fingers she began her tale.


    "Even after practicing for so long¡­ preparing multiple speeches, now, sitting in front of you, Lucien, I am actually not sure how to begin¡­ I guess the best way to start is to point out the fact that, by now, you have also come aware of: Lucien, you are special."


    Her words were vague, simple, yet instantly grabbed Lucien''s full, undivided attention. His eyes returned to their hostile slit-shaped forms, he grabbed the edges of the table, threatening to tear it to pieces.


    He didn''t speak a word but just based on his expression it was clear that he wanted the woman to continue on before he would decide what to do with her.


    *khm* She coughed, masking her nervousness, then went on explaining. "You are special, Lucien. You carry the mark of the old gods within you. You are their chosen one, the guardian of their ancient and eternal will. You carry a heavy fate with you, that continuously weighs you down."


    "Explain." Was the only response that Lucien coldly uttered, laser-focused on the woman in front of him. Unbeknownst to him, his agitated state started to bring forth the monster inside him. The corners of his eyes, the white sclera gradually started turning darker, as the miniature tendrils of the ancient power crept ever-so-forward.


    Sera was already expecting this, she slowly raised her arms, and tried to calm the boy.


    "Relax, Lucien, I know that my words may paint a dangerous picture but try to listen to everything I need to say. After that, you can decide what to do, I will not try to block your path. Just know that I will forever be here to help you if you happen to need it."


    She spoke trying her best to showcase the image of a kind, gentle familial figure to the boy. Seeing how the darkness didn''t expand any further, she sighed and continued on.


    "I am sure you have many, many questions about your childhood. Why did you suffer, why were you left alone... And ultimately, what happened that caused you to awaken to the powers inside you."


    Knowing that her next words will probably just serve as further fuel to the boy''s rising anger, she sighed once more, before resuming.


    "I have to tell you that it wasn''t easy to-"


    However, suddenly sensing something, she abruptly halted her speech and turned her attention towards the north. The gentle smile vanished from her face, replaced by a deep frown. She placed the still full cup down, and hurriedly stood up.


    Sensing the change in her mood, Lucien looked at her with a questioning gaze. He didn''t need to ask anything like the woman''s next words, which caused him to almost break the table as he jumped up.


    "The pair of elders that took you in are in danger. Those that want your power, have already found your trace. Come we have to go, we can''t waste any more time!"


    "Hey you two, did you have any issues with the coffee? Lemme know and I can fix another one for you, no charges!" The big woman yelled after them when she saw their hurried departure. However, by that time, they were already out of the diner, rushing towards the car they arrived in.


    Sera quickly jumped in the car, and fired up the engine, waiting for the boy to come after her. Once he got in, she pushed the pedal to the metal and rushed out from the parking spot at high speeds. The tires screeching, she was already slithering through the traffic, but not towards the elderly family''s direction, but towards the big city.


    "What are you doing?! They are in the other direction!" Lucien exclaimed with a nervous look on his face, noticing that they were going further and further away instead of going towards the Lewis'' to help them.


    Sera sighed, keeping her attention on the road, as she tried to explain.


    "They are after you, Lucien. We need to get you to safety. While I am sorry about them, but we first and foremost need to get you out of the threat. Back in the city, I have a place where-"


    "NO." Before Sera could finish, a could shout, froze the words within her. Taking a glance to the side, she saw the same hostile look on the boy''s dark eyes that he had before. However, this time, unlike before it wasn''t faked, forced. It was genuine.


    "Either turn back the car or I will just find myself out.. Your choice."

 Chapter 21 - 21 - Turn Back!

    It would be a lie if we were to say that Sera wasn''t expecting such a response from the boy. After all, that pair of elders were the people that took him in and helped him when he was at his lowest.


    It was obvious that he would not want to see them suffer and would want to help them. Especially if the cause of their misery was because of him.


    Sera could only sigh, as she slowed the car down. They have already left the city limits thanks to her speeding. Still, instead of turning around, she parked the car on the sideway but kept the doors locked, for the time being.


    Giving a soft sigh, whilst keeping both of her hands on the steering wheel, she looked at the cold, emotionless eyes of the boy.


    "Listen Lucien." She began, trying to ignore the rising hostility in his expression. "I know what you want to do, but before we rush back, tell me: What do you intend to do once you get there?"


    Lucien didn''t hesitate even for a second before he responded, something he felt was clear.


    "I would help them of course."


    "I see," Sera revealed a gentle smile as she continued to guide their conversation. "You would help them. How exactly? Do you plan to kill the soldiers? Do you think they are the same you defeated in the facility? Do you really believe that a man such as the Director of the Modern Institute of Technocracy, the place that managed to capture and hold many other mutants and experiment on them, would have no other methods to force you into submission?" She asked with the same smile on her face but with a slightly higher volume, startling the boy in the process.


    "Mutants?" Whilst her questions bothered him quite a bit, the main keyword he picked up was this strange term. What did she mean by that?


    Sera gave a light chuckle at the boy''s honest response. She was delighted that even if for just a few seconds, she managed to push through the barrier he erected to keep everyone at a distance and could finally speak to the ''real'' Lucien.


    "Mutants¡­ Superhumans, Beings with supernatural powers¡­ I could go on. They are people, man, and woman, boys and girls¡­ just like you, that at some point were deemed dangerous and got swiftly captured by their agents and placed in one of their underground facilities."


    Giving a short pause, she continued after a brief moment.


    "They are a secret organization, a hidden branch of the government, continuously working to create the next step in warfare, an evolved soldier that they have total control over."


    She smiled, looking at the boy in expectation, waiting for his next words. After all, what she revealed is not something that could be easily digested. She could see as the momentary shock slowly settled, returning to the previous agitated, cold outlook.


    He reached for the door''s lever before he spoke with the same cold tone in his voice.


    "I understand. Will you drive back, or do I need to walk there myself?"


    Sera could only sigh. She couldn''t force the matter, she had to do everything to earn the boy''s trust. Not trying to argue any longer, she nodded, as she restarted the car.


    "Sure. But remember, that I have warned you. These agents are not your average soldiers. They came prepared, knowing your abilities full-well."


    She muttered just loud enough for the boy to hear, as she pushed on the pedal and turned the car around. A moment later their dark blue blur could be seen slithering through the traffic, rushing towards the southern parts of the hillside town.


    Although they were speeding with maximum speed, Lewis''s home was still quite a distance away¡­


    They just turned in through the corner, when the loud bang echoed through the streets. The sound of a gun being fired reached their ears, causing Lucien''s pearl-white sclera to almost instantly turn into the void-like black.


    ¡ª


    In front of a particular suburban family home, a silver van could be seen parked down. The front gate was torn off from the fence, the front door also destroyed, only splintered remains could be seen hanging from where once it stood, trying to fulfill its purpose.


    The dozen-strong skull-faced mercenaries formed a circle around the pair of Lewis wife and husband. One soldier was holding them from behind. Several bruises could be observed, signs of the clearly unjust and rough treatment they had to go through in the span of the previous minutes.


    A short but stout man stood in front of them, wearing a white lab coat. Dark, round sunglasses hid his rigid, calculating eyes, a huge silver beard reached almost to the ground, giving a big contrast to his bald head that he tried to hide with a trilby hat.


    "It is quite commendable that you two are so insistent to keep on with this farce." He spoke, giving a welcome change to the groans and woes of the pair of elders. "Sadly, your stubbornness is pointless and will just give way to further completely avoidable pain."


    "Listen, this is just as hard for me as it is for you. So, let me ask again¡­" The dwarf-looking scientist asked again with a fake smile over his bearded face. He leaned closer to the still sobbing middle-aged woman. "Where. Is. The. Boy?"


    Martha, the middle-aged woman, slowly raised her head, revealing her red, cried-out eyes and woeful expression. She took a large gasp of air as if trying to collect herself before giving the expected response.


    However, instead of doing that, instead, she suddenly spat her bloodied saliva in the middle of the bearded man''s face, before heaving her previously heard, obstinate words.


    "You¡­ ugly¡­ little¡­ angry gnome¡­ Neither my husband¡­ nor myself¡­knows anything¡­" She gave a lightless chuckle, as she slowly uttered her closing words. "Hehe¡­ you are¡­ just¡­ wasting your time¡­ Assaulting innocent¡­ civilians¡­"


    The dwarf man took a long sigh, as he reached out with his right hand towards the closest soldier. A white piece of cloth, a handkerchief was swiftly placed in his palm, which he used to clean the disgusting dribble from his face.


    Instead of looking insulted, the man clicked his tongue and shook his head with a theatrical saddened, disheartened look.


    "That was not what I was hoping for, Mrs. Martha Lewis¡­ You see, I truly hoped we could solve this small matter without needing to resolve to¡­ unsightly means¡­ Oh well."


    He nodded at the nearby masked soldier as he turned around and stepped behind them.


    Before he could leave, the husband, George Lewis cried out after him angrily.


    "Do not dare to hurt her!"


    "Oh? What would happen if I do?" The dwarven man stopped in its tracks and approached the husband with an inquiring gaze.


    "Hmm? What would you do, huh?" He repeated the taunting question.


    In the next moment, he reached into the lower right, deep pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a small revolver from it. Before the aged husband had a chance to respond in any manner, he aimed the gun to the side, and without hesitation pulled the trigger.


    *BANG!*


    A loud blustering, explosive noise filled the room, reverberating and reaching all to the neighborhood as well.


    While the small white puff of smoke slowly evaporated the elderly hunter''s eyes turned hazy, he cried out with deep sorrow.


    A single, high-pitched whine could be heard, as the trusted hunting dog, Roxy fell to the ground in her own pool of blood. She looked at her master one last time before her eyelids closed. She died on the spot.


    Bursting into tears, George cried at the sight of his beloved partner''s dead body.


    "ROXXYYYY NOOO!!! PLEASE¡­. SAY SOMETHING¡­ PLEASE¡­ I BEG YOU¡­"


    But Roxxy didn''t respond. She didn''t budge. She laid motionlessly on the cold floor as her own blood pooled under her, painting the white marble tiles to a deeper shade of vermillion.


    Just like that, she was gone. Just to prove a point, just to make them understand that no matter what they think, nobody will come to their aid. They are the law themselves, the police, the neighbors will be powerless against them.


    His sobbing quickly died down, replaced by rhythmic breathing. He slowly turned his head back to the bearded man, looking at him with a hideous expression.


    "YOU¡­ YOU *SSHOLE!!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!!!" He cursed, only earning a giggle from him.


    "I highly doubt that. Before you try to come up with plans of revenge, you should first worry about your own wife. You can''t even save her. If I want, she could be put down just like this mutt and nobody would even bat an eye. I can do whatever the hell I want and nobody will be able to do ANYTHING about it. Especially someone as pathetic and meaningless as you."


    With that, he turned around and walked out of the living room, entering the short hallway and turning towards the kitchen. He wasn''t interested in what was to come next, he just wanted results.


    In the next moment, as if contradicting his earlier words of contempt, a dark blue sports car arrived on the spot, its tires loudly screeching on the pavement as it came to an abrupt halt.. The side doors of the car flew open as a dark blur of a figure flew out of it with high speeds, rapidly approaching his startled figure.

 Chapter 22 - 22 - Why…

    As the black blur approached with rapid speeds, the short stub of a man was startled, he wasn''t sure what that thing that was charging at him actually was.


    To be honest, for the first time in his life, he felt a sliver of a new, strange, but very discomforting feeling: Fear. For the first time, he was afraid of facing the unknown. He had no idea what that thing was, but he could clearly feel a massive amount of killing intent, swirling around the flying, rocketing black blur like an invisible cloud of smoke.


    Although he was searching for the boy, to be perfectly honest he never actually met him himself, nor did he get the chance to learn about them, as the latest reports were taken away by that annoying harlot when she suddenly took her stuff and left.


    The only thing his men managed to salvage was the video feed that the system in the facility recorded. Yes, most of the cameras were destroyed by that monstrosity, but he still managed to piece most of that fated day''s happening together. He also had a sort of clear picture of him thanks to the video feeds, before and after his transformation.


    What puzzled him first was that how did the toxic gas got released, as there were no system logs¡­ They all seemed to mysteriously vanish, however when his aide, Dr. Frida suddenly just up and left her post after so many years, he immediately had his suspicions.


    The woman was obsessed with this boy, ever since he was admitted to the Facility. The boy''s strange regenerative traits and the first witness reports about the strange dark, ominous aura immediately sparked something within that crazy woman. Ever since then, her main focus was on him.


    ''He is the key to solving the mystery! His genes will finally give us the answers we need to create the perfect serum!'' He can remember her words clearly, even now.


    Anyway, now that this strange dark blur was approaching him, he wasn''t sure what to do. He hurriedly closed his eyes and raised his arms against his head, hoping at the very least it would provide enough protection to avoid being killed on the spot.


    However, the blur ignored him completely and swiftly flew into the living room which he had just left. As the wind passed him, slowly, afraid of earning the ire of this mysterious creature, he opened his eyes, only to be stunned. The very same boy, Lucien Shaw came to them!


    Instantly, realizing this fact, the shock and fear were replaced by a smirk. He looked at the boy''s back with a pitiful look.


    ''Oh, you poor, naive boy. You really are just a helpless little animal caught in a very obvious trap¡­'' He thought inwardly.


    He stepped forward and was about to reach for his gun to end his charade even before it started when suddenly, he felt the cold of a steel push against his temple.


    Looking to the side, he saw the figure of a tall, blonde, gorgeous woman smiling back at him with a gentle, friendly-looking smile, whilst holding a dark metal gun. Her finger gently floating above the trigger, acting as if it was the literal, modern version of the mythical Sword of Damocles.


    She placed her index finger in front of her luscious lips, shushing the little dwarf scientist-looking man to stay silent.


    What caused the little dwarf to stay still and even be slightly scared of this angelic woman was the fact that he couldn''t even sense her presence at all. Not when she came in, nor right now.


    Being one of the ''Enhanced'' as he called his test subjects that got injected with any version of his Serums, he was used to sense each and everything around him. He could feel intent, gouge other''s strength¡­ even through walls. Even when he was met with assassins, or was being led into a supposed ambush, he could feel and ''sense'' each and every soldier from dozens of yards ahead.


    So now, being unable to get a grasp on this woman, he was startled, scared for the first time in his life. She was a complete mystery, he was only certain about one thing: If he were to move even a muscle, he was sure to meet an abrupt end today.


    ¡ª


    As soon as the car parked down, Lucien almost tore the car down and rushed into the home of the Lewis'' husband and wife pair. As they closed in, the dark screen appeared without his intention, giving him a strange notification.


    [¡­::: ??§Ô???? feels the host''s rage. The host''s skills have been temporarily boosted. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Note: Host should be warned. Due to the synchronization rate being at 11.03%, the strain on the host will be substantial. Additionally, please note that with the host''s current Energy Level, this state can only be kept active for a maximum of 60 seconds, before the host would lose consciousness. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: We wish the host good luck. :::¡­]


    While there were several questions with the strange texts, Lucien wasn''t sure where to place them. However, he wasn''t going to question them at the moment, as his mind was filled with one thought only: To save them!


    So when he suddenly felt this newfound power coursing in his veins, strengthening his muscles he wasn''t going to complain or question them. Even though he could recognize the similarity in it that turned him into that mindless beast, this time it was different. He was aware of what he was doing. He retained his sanity.


    At the same time, there was another difference. At the top-right corner of his vision, the bloodied, eerie-looking ominous text appeared once again, showing him what seemed to be his current and max energy, slowly being seeped away, similar to a countdown.


    [¡­::: Energy: 9.91 / 10 :::¡­]


    As the seconds passed, it continued to slowly creep ever-so closer to that dreaded zero. He wasn''t sure what would happen when he would run dry, but based on that he was given a warning, he wasn''t keen on finding it out.


    So, when the car stopped, he literally bolted out from the car and rushed in to where he could feel the several heartbeats, the living room.


    Although he felt a strange vibe from him, he ignored the small, dwarf-looking man in the hall, and flew into the room. As soon as his blackened, dark eyes saw the poor hunting dog, Roxxy lying in her own pool of blood on the floor, the helplessly sobbing old man George and Martha, held up by two buff strange-looking men each, his body trembled with the bubbling rage he instantly felt.


    He could sense the old man''s helpless anger, his desperate need for revenge. His beloved partner, the canine member of their family was shot down without a second thought. At the same time, he could feel the motherly woman''s despair, her struggle. Even now, he could feel that instead of worried about her own current state, she was worried about her husband''s¡­ Roxxy¡­ and strangely¡­ when their eyes met, his own self?


    She was worried about him? Did she want to protect him?


    ''Why?'' He asked inwardly, unable to understand why she felt like this. Did she really care about him? But why? They only met for just a few days ago? Why would she risk everything just to protect him?


    "Why¡­" He suddenly muttered, breaking the intense silence that had befallen on the room with his abrupt invasion. Unbeknownst to him, his hands were balled into tight fists¡­ He was clenching them so hard that a mixture of his dark, almost charcoal black blood was slowly dripping over the carpet on the floor. His eyes that were already mostly dark, turned completely black, if someone tried looking into his eyes, a feeling of dread, the void looked back at him.


    The veins in his right arm violently pulsed, the muscles convulsed.


    "What did you say?" Albeit startled, the closest of the masked mercenaries leaned closer to ask the strange boy.


    A drop of his tear escaped from the corner of his left eye, slowly making its way through the boy''s youthful face, eventually acquiescing to the ever-present gravitational force and fell down toward the ground.


    Time seemed to slow down, as the little droplet of tear slowly closed in on its destination. The fraction of a second that this action would have taken, seemed to suddenly take an eternity.


    As the little transparent liquid plopped into the carpet, Lucien repeated the question with a growling, much deeper tone of voice whilst he slowly raised his head, turning it towards the inquiring guard.


    In his eyes, an eternal rage could be felt, as it clashed against the poor soldier''s wain mind. Dread, a previously unknown fear of death, his own demise rapidly sank into the soldier''s heart as it tried to withstand this emerging monster''s gaze.


    "Why¡­ Why?" He slowly repeated the question.. However, he didn''t seem to care about any answer as in the next instant, his figure flashed forward, towards the stunned and startled group of guards.

 Chapter 23 - 23 - A Dangerous Gamble

    As his figure charged forward, Lucien''s right arm continued convulsing, changing at a lightning-fast pace. His pale skin tone turned several shades darker, his fingers growing thicker with a thick set of curved claws protruding from his fingertips.


    His face contorted into an angry grimace, a loud, angry battle shout escaping his lips.


    In a flash, he appeared in front of the questioning, startled guard, and without any hesitation, Lucien pulled all his might into a swipe at the man''s entire upper torso.


    As he did, another battle was happening inside his mind, he was doing his best trying to control his rage and not lose himself in the process. No, that would mean that the ''other one'' would take control again, and that can''t happen.


    His blackened, maddened gaze barely even registered what was happening, in his mind, he has already dealt with this first threat.


    *CLING!*


    However, much to Lucien''s surprise, his ferocious attack didn''t connect, his appendage, his claws hit against something cold¡­ something metallic¡­


    Startled, his mind quickly turned into a jumbled chaotic mess, he forced a strand of clarity back to his vision. As soon as his gaze filtered through the hazy cloud of rage, he was shocked to see as the man parried his (in his mind) unblockable, deadly attack. The dark, protector on the man''s right arm, effortlessly absorbed the force of his attack, his claws were unable to cause any lasting damage to the soldier''s guard.


    The man snorted and sneered at the raging boy whilst he cocked his right, fisted arm back against his body.


    "Heh¡­ What did you think boy? We are not like those weaklings you met in the Facility. We came prepared to bring back the Master''s little stray dog¡­ Now¡­ be a good little monster and take this!"


    At the end of his speech, he launched his cocked fist. His arm whistled through the air, carrying all the man''s gathered might, clashing against the center of the boy''s unprotected chest.


    The crunching sound of bones breaking was heard along with a loud smacking sound as Lucien''s body was helplessly flung back in the air, crashing into the couch and tumbling through it.


    A mouthful of blood was coughed up and spat out, as Lucien eventually landed behind the furniture, his tumble stopped as he hit the wall.


    Watching all this, Sera frowned, before she sighed. A clicking sound reached the short, bearded man''s ears; the hammer of the woman''s gun was pulled back.


    Her cold, commanding tone reached his ears, causing shivers to run down his spine.


    "Tell your man to cease action and to leave the room. You have 5 seconds¡­"


    "Wait, let me-"


    "4"


    "No, o-okay, I''ll do it but-"


    "3"


    A sense of dread and urgency washed over the short man. He raised his arms in the air and yelled out.


    "STOP! DON''T MOVE ANYONE! THIS IS AN ORDER!"


    Instantly, the man who punched the boy just a moment ago froze in his trek. All eyes on the room turned towards the door, fixated on the blonde assassin that held their master at gun''s point.


    "Tell your little monkeys to leave and get back in the car. Now."


    Not daring to play around any longer, the man repeated the woman''s commands without fail, he yelled out, ordering them to leave the pair of Lewis husband and wife as well as the boy, and leave the house.


    Although she was met with cold, hostile gazes from all these enhanced warriors, they all acquiesced to their master''s command, and swiftly left the house one by one. Sera, keeping his gun pointed at the dwarf''s temple, watched with a matching coldness, waiting patiently until the last of them entered the back of their van.


    As soon as they were left alone, her eyes lit up, basked in a glorious, white, milky light. Upon her back, the silhouette of a pair of huge wing-like appendages could be seen, although it felt like more of an illusion, a vague shadow than anything else.


    Suddenly an unfamiliar but thick aura burst from her slender body, clashing against the stump little man and throwing him out of the building.


    Before his men had the chance to rush out of the van and rush to protect their master, his small figure rapidly flew towards them, crashing into the side of the car.


    As his mind descended into darkness, and he lost his consciousness, a dreamlike, feminine, mature voice, vaguely resembling that blonde woman echoed in his mind.


    "Come after this family or the boy again, and your end will be swift. This is your first and last warning."


    As their men rushed out to help their master and to rush back, suddenly they felt an unbelievable pressure descend onto them, pushing them all down to the ground.


    An angelic, but an unknown source of the voice, the sound of a woman rang inside their minds.


    "Pick up your master and get out of here. If you dare to return, I will reap your souls. Don''t test me."


    Even though they were all subjects of their master''s serum and were one by one enhanced, they still understood the simple and obvious fact: Against this woman, they stand no chance. At least currently.


    So, whilst they wanted nothing more than to take rip them apart and get revenge for how their master was handled, they restrained themselves. They took their master''s unconscious body and brought it back to the back of the van, got in it themselves, and drove away. Moments later the car speedily turned towards the north in the street and left the city as fast as they could¡­


    For now, they had to return to the base, with their tails behind their backs. However, they all promised themselves to return the humiliation they received today¡­


    ¡ª


    Watching the speeding vehicle turning and swiftly vanishing through the corner, Sera sighed in relief. The glorious light dispersed from her eyes, the illusionary wings could no longer be seen, as well as the powerful aura she emitted was pulled back into the depths of her body at the same time.


    She had to lean against the wall as the backlash washed over her. She felt extremely tired, spent. She sighed once again, before turning around, and whilst using the walls as the support she got back into the elderly pair''s home and walked into the demolished living room.


    Although both elders were mentally and physically tortured, they both pulled their bodies towards the unmoving body of the boy. Seeing the big cave-in over his chest, and the lack of breathing they sobbed woefully over his body.


    Gently lifting his head and pulling his unconscious body into her embrace, Martha cried, her grief reaching unimaginable heights.


    "Poor boy¡­ My poor little boy! Why did you come back! We did all we could¡­ we tried our best¡­. Why?!" She kept sobbing, repeating the same question.


    Meanwhile, George''s body was trembling, as his anger peaked. He was mad, no, he was furious at himself over his helpless, pathetic state. He couldn''t do anything! Never mind saving his wife or the boy¡­ he couldn''t even do anything for dear old Roxy!


    Just to prove a point, that stump, bearded figure shot his dear, trusted partner¡­ He murdered her in cold blood, without flinching!


    One word came to his mind. Monster! He was the monster and not this boy that they wanted to get their hands on! What was the point? How could someone that was supposedly from their very own government do something like this?!


    "He¡­ He¡­ will be¡­ okay¡­ Do not cry¡­" The faint, weak voice of Sera broke both of them out of their grief, as she slowly pulled her tired body towards them, and fell on her knees as he reached Lucien''s body.


    Heaving another long sigh, Sera closed her deep blue eyes and focused her mind. What she did was risky and knowing the obvious threat the boy would be facing, it seemed not the most logical choice to do, she still believed in his master''s teachings.


    She had to trust the boy and let him follow his heart. She had to give him space and the option to face the danger headfirst and continuously fail. The order she was given was to keep him alive and guide him once he was to awaken but she was never allowed to force anything on him.


    Taking another breath, she cleared her mind and focused. She had to save the boy. She had to make sure that he¡­ his master would be kept alive, no matter the cost.


    A few moments later, to the shock and surprise of Martha and George, a faint warm light surrounded the strange woman''s palm that was placed over the boy''s destroyed cavity. However, although the light itself was already magical and unbelievable, what happened next caused both elders to almost faint from shock and surprise.


    Under the faint, white light that surrounded the slender hand of this unknown woman like a glove, the brutal, horrific damage on the boy''s chest began to rapidly heal!

 Chapter 24 - 24 - Gains, Through Failure?

    "Urgh¡­"


    Amidst the tremendous pain that continued to wreak chaos inside him, Lucien''s senses gradually began to return.


    Even before his still tired and weary eyelids parted, the bloodied dreary letters were already actively blocking his visual receptors.


    Serving as the header, the first information that Lucien''s still awakening mind processed were his most important details: his supposed health and energy.


    [¡­::: Health: 2.089 / 10 ::: Energy: 7.74 / 10 :::¡­]


    ''Well, that explains why I feel like this¡­'' He muttered inwardly noticing the laughably amount of health pool he had. He was so tired that even forcing himself to fully wake up still proved to be too much effort.


    Below the status bar, the system had several messages saved up for him.


    [¡­::: Host has received critical damage! As a result, the remaining energy had been used up to shield the host from fatality. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! Damages are being slowly healed. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! 1 Point of Entropy have been awarded! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! 1 Point of Entropy have been awarded! :::¡­]


    The line kept repeating several times, summing up the total gains to 5 EP. Funny though, this was also tracked via the far left side of his vision in a small, compact little box-like transparent window.


    [¡­::: Task 1: Gather Entropy Points ( 5 / 10 ) :::¡­]


    However, all of these seemed to be nothing compared to the last two lines that instead of the bloody red text, were glowing with a platinum shine.


    [¡­::: Power Gained! Rank 1 - 1% :::¡­]


    [¡­::: System Awakening Progress: Version 1 - 1% :::¡­]


    After reading through the lines, they slowly faded one by one, looking as if they were sentient and were only waiting for their master to acknowledge them.


    As the screen completely cleared, Lucien was about to dismiss the text, but before he could do so, the letters appeared once again, rapidly forming themselves into a new set of lines, spelling out another notification.


    [¡­::: Your actions have increased the synchronization rate with ??§Ô????. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Your current progress: Synchronization: 11.53% :::¡­]


    ''What is all this?'' Confused about the continuous slew of updates and the fact that although he horribly failed, he still seemed to have come out as the victor, Lucien mentally voiced a question to the system, hoping that it could shed some light to this mystery.


    Just as he had hoped, the letters quickly flew around the screen, whilst other, new ones appeared one by one, formulating an answer with rapid fashion.


    [¡­::: Host shouldn''t be too surprised. Only through constant hardship can one progress forward and push through their limits. :::¡­]


    Before Lucien could complain about the ridiculous response, the system continued.


    [¡­::: You have been healed with the usage of Holy Energy. Through this, the system managed to stabilize the host and also got to slightly strengthen itself, thus the increased stability both with the Synchronization and the System Progress. :::¡­]


    The system''s response raised another question in Lucien. Just what did ''System Awakening'' mean? What was that?


    As usual, before he was even able to state the question in his mind, the answer was already being formed by the mysterious body most likely communicating behind these text screens.


    ''[¡­::: Host''s current progress is too low for the System to be able to answer that question. Apologies to the host. :::¡­]


    ''Will I get anything from achieving that goal?'' Not satisfied with such an answer, Lucien pushed a bit more. How was he supposed to care about it if he weren''t even explained the very basics?!


    ''[¡­::: Each time the threshold is reached, a System Upgrade will be available for the host. Each Upgrade will provide new features and enhancement for the Host to use. :::¡­]


    Lucien could only sigh and move on, there was nothing more to be gained from the System in regards to this, that was obvious.


    ''And what about the EP? How did I gain so much? Didn''t you say earlier that I would need to absorb the flesh of others to gain them?''


    [¡­::: That is correct, host. :::¡­]


    The vague response stunned Lucien. How did he gain the EP? Did the monster inside him woke up and did something horrible again?


    Luckily, before his thoughts could trail further into the depths of despair, the system answered.


    [¡­::: Host should not worry. Whilst he was unconscious the Appointed Guardian has used her own energy to heal the host. As a result, holy Essence was directly injected into the system, allowing it to transform it into new strands and form the resulting EP. :::¡­]


    ''I don''t understand any of that¡­'' Lucien helplessly sighed, forcing his mind to completely wake up, and return to reality from this current, trance-like state.


    Lucien groaned again, as his eyes fluttered, slowly peeling themselves openly. His dark brown eyes popped open, only to be met with the warm, kindly smiling face of the blonde woman, Sera.


    "Good Morning, sleepyhead." She greeted with a calm, gentle tone. Unlike before, she was no longer wearing the business suit she had. She was wearing a milky white apron over a light green, long-sleeved shirt and light blue farmer jeans. Her golden, blonde hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head.


    As his senses came back to the land of the living one by one, the smell and the sound of sizzling bacon hit Lucien''s nose and ears.


    Noticing as his ears and nose perked up suddenly, Sera chuckled lightly, before she gently pushed him back down.


    "You must be hungry after sleeping for so long. Don''t worry breakfast is almost ready. Once you are ready, come out and eat your fill. Take your time, I will answer all of your questions by then. Just know that right now you are safe."


    She turned around and was about to leave, but before she could do so, she felt a hand pulling her back lightly.


    "Are¡­ Are they¡­ fine?" The weak, faint voice of the boy reached her ears. From the initial surprise the previous gentle, familial warmth settled once again on Sera''s face. She did not face him but only turned her head to the side as she answered with a reassuring tone in her voice.


    "Both of them are fine. I told you, don''t worry Lucien."


    With that she resumed her trek and left the room, leaving the still confused boy with his thoughts.


    Although not knowing much about this mysterious woman, from his observation he could understand that she did not mean harm. From all her actions, speech, and body language so far, Lucien could understand that she was honestly here to help him.


    Lucien watched silently as Sera left the room and closed the door behind herself. She was very kind, forthcoming all the while. Even as he tried his best to remain distant, she didn''t seem to mind, nor did she ever show any signs of hostility.


    On the contrary, the more he tried, the kinder, gentler she became. Yes, at first when they were speeding away from the time to the opposite direction of where the Lewis family was, he thought that she finally showed her true colors, but even then, she acquiesced to his demands almost instantly and only shown worry and concern in her actions.


    Lucien also had a suspicion that even if she wasn''t the one, at the very least she had some sort of hand in his healing.


    "Just who is she? What does she truly want?" He muttered, leaving his gaze on the closed wooden door for a while longer.


    Taking a long sigh, he cleared his head. There was no point in lingering on it. She said that she will explain everything after breakfast; he could only hope that she will be true to her words.


    Taking an extra minute of rest, Lucien slowly sat up on his bed, taking his time to take in the room he suddenly found himself in.


    Judging from the wooden walls, the ceiling, the wooden beams¡­ and the sound of the distant chirping of birds¡­ He guessed he was in some sort of wooden cottage. Was he back in the woods that he just escaped from?


    ''No, that can''t be, she was quite adamant on leaving that area as fast as possible¡­'' He lamented.


    The pain although lessened with time, was still incredibly torturous as he forced his body to move. Looking at himself as he finally left the protective cover of the blanket, he saw for the first time how much damage he must have received.


    His chest was wrapped up in bandages, along with most of his left upper arm.


    Strangely, his right arm, or to be more precise the viral appendage that was masking as his right arm seemed completely fine. Not even a bruise could be seen on it.


    Letting out one last groan, he finally gathered enough strength to push himself up from the bed, and by leaning against the nearest wall, slowly push himself towards the door.


    He wasn''t bothered by the fact that he was bare-chested, he was more focused on finding answers to all the burning questions he had.


    What happened? Where is this place exactly? How much time had passed after he passed out?


    How was he defeated so quickly? Who were those guys, that small man that should have been the leader and that dozen-strong group of black-masked warriors?


    How did they know he was there? Why did they attack innocent civilians? Shouldn''t they be with the government?


    Or the most important, most burning question that tormented him ever since he woke up: Just what is going on?!

 Chapter 25 - 25 - Breakfast

    As the door was pushed open, its loud creaking noise filled the small, cozy little house, battling with the sizzling strands of deliciousness for a very brief moment.


    "Ah, just in time!" The gentle voice of the blonde-haired woman, Sera came from the other end in the next moment. "In front of you is the bathroom, go do your thing, wash up and come to the living room!"


    Following her instructions, Lucien, still feeling weak in his legs, slowly pushed himself forward in the narrow hallway. Using his right arm as support, he kept it behind him, holding the wall behind him, whilst reaching forward with his left, trying to grab the metal lever on the door and push it open.


    With a bit of struggle, he was eventually successful. Once his fingers latched onto the door, he pushed himself away from the right side, walked, and leaned forward, grabbing the next wall in front of him once again for additional support.


    Finally, his efforts bore fruit, he pushed against the lever, opened the door, and wobbled into the small bathroom.


    A few seconds later as the door closed behind him, the sound of the running water reached Sera''s ears who was just finishing up with the breakfast.


    Fried eggs and bacon.


    Normally it wouldn''t be anything noteworthy, just your normal morning intake of calories with a bit of vitamin, antioxidants, protein, and of course, the best and at the same time worst of them all, fat.


    As the food was ready, the yolks were shining with a bright golden luster at the center of the egg whites, with two thin and crispy strips of bacon, Sera listened for a brief moment, confirming that the boy was still occupying the bathroom.


    With that knowledge in mind, she raised her right hand over the breakfast plate, closed her eyes, and focused her mind on a particular stream of energy circulating inside her body.


    A moment later, the very same bright white light appeared, surrounding her slender hand like a glove made out of energy and radiated towards the still steaming platter.


    She kept pooling and emitting the energy, even as small beads of sweat began to appear and convulse on her forehead. She gritted her teeth and continued to provide the food with her transcendent power. She could regain what she used up now, and it would serve a just goal. The boy needed all the help he could get, he needed to regain the strength he lost.


    She continued with it until she could no longer hear the streaming sounds of water from the bathroom. By the time the door opened up and the boy wobbled its way out of it, she was already back to her previous, ''normal'' self. She hurriedly placed the plate on the table and ran to the boy.


    "Come let me help, you are still weak. After all, you just woke up after spending so much in bed." She chuckled as she offered a helping hand.


    Although he wanted to resist and push the approaching hands away, he knew he couldn''t. He was barely standing. His legs still seemed to be incapable of supporting his weight. He felt worse than ever before.


    Even during the experiments back in his ''Facility days'', by the time he woke up, he was usually back on her feet, he was healed up, either by the continuous injections or by his unique regenerative trait.


    However, this time it seemed that this ability was either incapable of doing its job, or it was doing it way too slow.


    As if understanding his thoughts, Sera spoke with the same warm smile on her face as she grabbed the boy''s back and helped him walk in a more stable manner.


    "Your regenerative ability is currently inactive. Your energy was probably completely depleted when you were thrown back by that Enhanced. Don''t worry, it will kick back soon, and you will be back in your tip-top shape in no time!"


    She chuckled once again as they slowly walked towards the set kitchen table. She helped him sat down and pushed the plate in front of him.


    "Come, eat up, you need all the energy you can get!" Her warm smile seemed to finally calm the boy''s racing mind. He reached for the fork and knife and without waiting for her to take her seat quickly dug in.


    After all, he was just like she said, he was hungry, famished. When he smelled the bacon, the eggs, he almost couldn''t hold back salivating.


    However, as soon as he swallowed the first bite down, the knife and the fork fell from his hands.


    The system''s window instantly came up, and a notification appeared with the usual blood-red, eerie letters.


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! Damages are being slowly healed. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Health and Energy are being slowly restored. :::¡­]


    And just like the message had said, he could see both of his stats slowly growing at the very top of his vision.


    [¡­::: Health: 2.091 / 10 ::: Energy: 0.85 / 10 :::¡­]


    His health grew at a much slower pace than his energy, but the fact was, he once again came in contact with this mysterious source of energy. This time, however, the system seemed to have used everything he received as there was no EP generated.


    Instantly, his eyes darted at the warmly smiling woman. He became wary and instinctively reached for the knife with his right hand, using it as a makeshift weapon if the need would arise.


    Sera was obviously expecting such a reaction from the boy. He always seemed to be on alert against everybody. He felt that the whole world was against him, which, to be honest, was quite justified in his case. After all, all his life was spent with constant abuse, and the only source of light he had met was almost killed because of him.


    "Don''t worry. I know you have questions, and I have promised you answers, remember? I will answer everything you want to know, but for now, eat everything in front of you. You need to restore your energy so that your body could finally begin regenerating."


    She spoke, urging the boy to continue and not to be afraid.


    However, the boy was hesitant to do so. Although the food was delicious and the strange essence inside it was undoubtedly beneficial to him, Lucien couldn''t appreciate it. He made a promise to himself, that he will not be toyed with, he will not be a puppet to anyone''s will. Being led in the dark like this, was definitely not something he was willing to accept.


    "No." He coldly spoke, pushing the plate away from him. Whilst holding onto the knife as his only source of defense against any potential attack, he slowly pushed the chair back, and wanted to leave the table.


    Before he could do so, Sera placed her right hand over his left and spoke with a worried, concerned tone. As he looked at her, he could see the same worry that was visible before.


    "Don''t leave, please." She begged. "I know, I shouldn''t be hiding anything from you, but please believe me that I am only trying to help. You need the energy. You have received damage that should have been fatal. It was only thanks to your unique situation as the Chosen One, that you survived a strike from a Rank 3 Enhanced."


    Lucien looked at the woman with scrutinizing eyes, trying to see if there was anything behind her mask. Only after he felt like she was truly honest, did he sit back. Still, he didn''t reach for the fork but matched the woman''s gaze with his own cold, distant one.


    "What did you do with the food? Explain." His tone was rigid, hostile, like daggers piercing into the woman''s heart.


    Still, she didn''t show any pain, as she smiled and explained.


    "I used my own energy to further enhance the food. I didn''t mean to hurt or alert you, just wanted to help you get back to your peak self."


    For the first time since he began interacting with her, Lucien could see behind her gentle smile and could feel her pain. It was immense and felt as if she was still grieving¡­ someone?


    "What happened? Why are you in pain?" He asked, as he finally reached for the fork. The hostility vanished from his face, replaced by a neutral but inquisitory look. There was no coldness, no wary in his tone anymore, he was truly, honestly interested in learning more about this person.


    Sure, he wanted answers, but for the first time, as he got an insight behind the curtains, he felt that he could finally start stepping towards her.


    Hearing the question, Sera instantly understood what he meant. A pained, wry look appeared on her angelic face. She sighed as she responded.


    "Heh¡­ You truly are like him¡­ No wonder¡­"


    A drop of tear appeared at the corner of her eye, slowly flowing down, she took another long, pained sigh as she slowly began her tale whilst Lucien finally began to eat up his breakfast.

 Chapter 26 - 26 - A Painful Tale (Part 1)

    A long, contented sigh escaped through Lucien''s lips as he leaned back on his chair. With the magical breakfast finished, he felt much better, he could feel as the newly regained energy inside him coursed through his veins, revitalizing his depleted body.


    Focusing his mind, he brought back the dark, semi-transparent floating window and watched with a thin smile as the messages appeared one after another.


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! Damages are being slowly healed. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Health and Energy are being slowly restored. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Health and Energy are being slowly restored. :::¡­]


    Dismissing the long queue of repeated messages, his smile curved slightly higher with a mixture of surprise as a new message was revealed.


    [¡­::: Energy restored to 2.50. The Trait: Viral Regeneration (Rank 1) has been permanently unlocked. :::¡­]


    After it, yet another surprise awaited Lucien. With the creation of the first skill, the system has unveiled a new feature, the Skills section.


    [¡­::: The Skills feature has been unlocked! :::¡­]


    Below that, this new skill could be seen in full detail.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Viral Regeneration


    Category: Traits - Rank: 1 - Progress: 0 EP - ??§Ô - ??? (comment: depth)


    Description: A skill that has been the result of the successful initial fusion between the Host and ??§Ô????. As long as there is available energy, the skill will passively restore the host''s health, by replacing the damaged or dead cells within his body. Once the host drops below 25% Energy, the skill will automatically deactivate.


    Mechanics: Converts 0.01% Energy to 0.01% Health every ten seconds passively.


    Note: Traits are a special category of skill that requires no initial EP investment to materialize and create. :::¡­]


    Reading through the details, Lucien was quite surprised. If what was written on the screen was true then he had to admit, it was quite a handy skill to have. Also, by the skill''s wording, it seemed that he had this ability for a while now, it was just that now the system has recognized it as a bona fide skill and provided a description for him.


    ''Could I be having other skills still hidden from me? What do I need to do to get them unveiled?'' He lamented as he dismissed the current text and brought up his Status Screen.


    A moment later the bloodied, eerie text reformed, bringing forth his current details, with the new section, the skills being features as well.


    [...::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 0% :::...]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 11.03% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: ?????????k: 1 ::: 1%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 5


    ****


    ????????????????????????:4.94 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ????????????????????????:7.43 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    ????????????????????????????????: 2.01


    ????????????????????????????: 1.12


    ????????????????????????????: 2.25


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    :::¡­]


    Just as the skill description said, he was now continuously regenerating at the pace of 0.01% every ten seconds. Although this may seem too slow, too weak at a first glance, one must keep in mind, that the skill was passive, meaning it required no interaction from Lucien, and its low energy usage was something that could be almost ignored.


    Lucien revealed a contented smile as he read through the details on the screen. There were still many lingering questions and cryptic, runic texts that remained unresolved, but at the very least, he was walking in the right direction.


    Stretching his limbs, a loud, healthy yawn escaped his lips as he finally felt ready to tackle the day''s challenges.


    After the long-awaited discussion with this blonde woman that seemed to be adamant in assisting him, and learning where on Earth they actually were, he wanted to finally work on and hopefully complete the system''s task as well.


    "So¡­" Opening his eyes, he looked at the smiling woman patiently waiting and looking at him all the while he regained his healthy colors.


    While he still wasn''t completely certain about her true goals, Lucien now accepted that she meant no harm to him. With a lowered alertness, but still remaining slightly vigilant, he looked at the woman with a calm expression and spoke.


    "So, now that the breakfast is done¡­ I''m eagerly awaiting to hear your tale, Miss. Sera. Most importantly, I want to know the answers to three questions. Who are you, where are we, and most importantly: What do you want from me?"


    "Right¡­ I did promise that, didn''t I?" Sera chuckled as she leaned back on his chair and her arms to support her ample bosom.


    She took a moment to gather her thoughts before she leaned forward and placed her arms atop the table. The smile faded from her face, replaced by a solemn, slightly pained look.


    "What I will tell you, will be painful. Still, I ask you to try to listen and understand everything before you make your decision."


    With that, she finally began.


    "Let''s go through them in order. As I mentioned previously, I am called Sera De''Angelis, A devoted servant and follower of the previous Chosen¡­" A painful look flashed through her face for a brief moment before it vanished with a heavy sigh. "¡­ Your predecessor, actually. Before he¡­"


    Sera tried to be strong, but when she thought back to the moment of her departure, her voice cracked. She grabbed onto the edge of the table and sighed a few times before she could continue.


    "Before he left, he made sure his legacy will not die with him. He made sure that humanity will have a standing chance and will not succumb to the same fate. With his great sacrifice he made sure that with you, this world will be able to fight back the Great Disaster that will soon befall on this unsuspecting world."


    Listening to the woman, Lucien frowned.


    "I don''t understand anything you are saying¡­" He commented. "What fate? What Great Disaster? What predecessor? Was he my family¡­ my father?"


    With a woeful, pained look on her face, Sera nodded.


    "Yes¡­ In a way, I guess it was fair to say that he was your father. Although he wasn''t your birth father, you were the one he chose, his legacy continues to live through you."


    Seeing the rising anger on Lucien''s face, Sera hurriedly continued.


    "I know you feel hurt due to the long, torturous years of your childhood. Even though it may seem like it, he didn''t abandon you willingly. His choice was a necessity. He left not just you, but everyone¡­"


    A loud clap reverberated in the small room, Lucien''s hand hit the wooden surface of the table.


    "Enough!" He yelled with visible anger on his face. "He didn''t leave ''willingly''? HE THREW ME AWAY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH?! EVERYONE HATED ME!"


    "I know¡­ I was watching your progress¡­ keeping you safe." Sera meekly tried to argue, only to further fuel the fire in Lucien''s heart.


    "YOU KNEW?!" Another loud hit echoed in the room. This time his knuckles clashed against the wooden boards. His face further contorted, as all the pent-up emotion that he kept stored away throughout the years was released at the same time.


    "YOU KNEW?! AND YOU LET ME SUFFER?! Where were you when I was beaten? When I was crying alone? When I needed a friend, a shoulder to cry upon?!"


    Tears began to swell and escape through the corners of his eyes as he continued to lash out at the poor blonde woman.


    Sera didn''t even try to argue, she just listened with blurred, teary eyes as the boy finally vented all the hurt, he had to suffer through.


    "Where¡­ Where were you when they took me to the facility? When they experimented on me¡­ when they¡­ when they¡­" He couldn''t finish, he broke down and powerlessly plopped back on the seat. He hid his face between his arms on top of the table as he continued to cry his heart out.


    For several minutes only his sobbing could be heard in the room. Sera remained silent throughout and patiently waited till the boy was ready. She was well-aware of his woes and the injustice he had to suffer through.


    Eventually, Lucien managed to calm down sufficiently to regain some of his composure. He slowly raised his head, looking at Sera''s pained, woeful expression, and amidst his sobs, he asked the question that he so desperately wanted to understand.


    "Why? If you were watching, why did you never help? Why did you never take me away? Why did you let me suffer?"


    Sera could only sigh and respond with a wry expression on her face.


    "I¡­ I couldn''t. I had to wait for you to awaken to your power, to accept your inheritance. Master explained that there is a trial you have to go through yourself before I was allowed to step in."


    She heaved a sigh before she continued with the previously visible pained look on her face.


    "I had to allow fate to take its course even if it was painful to watch at times. Still, know that if it ever would have come to the point that your life was threatened, I would have come without a second thought and saved you."


    Tense silence ensued between the two figures sitting around the dining table.. Lucien looked at the blonde woman with an unreadable, conflicted expression for several, arduously long seconds before he coldly spoke.

 Chapter 27 - 27 - A Painful Tale (Part 2)

    Tense silence ensued between the two figures sitting around the dining table. Lucien looked at the blonde woman with an unreadable, conflicted expression for several, arduously long seconds before he coldly spoke.


    "I see. Continue."


    Listening to the boy''s once again cold, distant tone, Sera could only swallow the emerging pain from her heart and nod to continue as instructed.


    "Whilst there still a lot we could discuss, let''s leave the history lesson be for now, and instead let''s get to your second question, the ''where''."


    She took only a momentary pause before she resumed.


    "This is a safe place. Here they can''t find you. It''s actually not that easy to explain¡­" She sighed as the wry smile returned to her face.


    "We are still in New York state, but, at the same time, we are not. This is a place that we call a ''Sanctuary''. A hidden piece of land only accessible through special means."


    Lucien raised an eyebrow upon listening to her weird explanation.


    "What do you mean? What is a Sanctuary?"


    "Hmm¡­ It''s kind of hard to explain¡­ Let me show it to you instead. It would be better that way!" Sera stood up, waving at Lucien to follow along as she walked towards the door at the right end of the room.


    "Come, let me show you!" She smiled at him warmly, hoping that she could once again, quell his anger and cross the chasm that once again appeared between the two.


    With the boy following behind her, she swiftly approached the wooden door, and pushed it open, revealing a beautiful, idyllic sight for the duo to see.


    As Lucien stepped out to the small terrace, he instantly turned wide-eyed from the scene that unfolded before him!


    They were supposedly at the center of a lush, vibrant emerald green meadow somewhere inside an unknown forest biome. An interesting mixture of trees surrounded their little piece of heaven: oak, cherry, and beech. A lone big and wide willow tree perched behind the cozy wooden cabin, its large canopy providing a constant cool, and refreshing shadow to the cabin''s residents.


    He could hear a literal concert of all the chirps from a heavy mixture of birds from the distance. Even without asking, he was fairly certain that this place was rich with wildlife, and an abundance of species lived in this little slice of serene, tranquil land.


    The sky was light blue, clear of any clouds, he could see the bright orange sun proudly standing atop the world, his omniscient rays reaching even to this supposedly hidden place.


    As he took a long breath of fresh air in, he felt the same crystal clear quality that he ignored before. It was clean, devoid of any pollution.


    Lucien took several long minutes before he managed to calm his senses. Even then, he could only blurt out a single word to voice his deep-seated astonishment.


    "Incredible¡­" He mumbled, from which he only received a light chuckle from his side.


    "It is, isn''t it?" She added with a bright smile on her face. She walked towards the wooden bench that overlooked the entire place and took her seat at its right side. Not wanting to disturb his current peace, she silently waved at Lucien, inviting him to take his place next to her.


    She waited patiently as the boy slowly sat down next to her, whilst darting his gaze all around the place as he was trying to take in everything he could see.


    She waited a bit more before she eventually returned to her explanation.


    "What you can see around us is all this Sanctum can offer. A special reserve, a separate world only accessible through special means. They are protected by nature itself, the average onlooker can never intrude to this place."


    "A separate world? What does that mean exactly?" Lucien asked, his eyes not leaving the distant tree lines.


    "An alternate world, a sub-world if you will¡­ Eh¡­" Sera sighed, finding it increasingly difficult to put her thoughts into words. "If you are interested, I will teach you everything I know, but for now, just understand that this is like another world, different from the one you and I live in, but at the same time, it cannot exist on its own.


    There are several places, Sanctuaries around the world, just like this. Some are similar to this, while others contain different sorts of secrets and mysteries¡­"


    Heaving a loud sigh, she changed her tone a bit, she attempted to guide the conversation forward.


    "What is best about this, is that here, you are safe for the time being. The people that are after you will not be able to track you here. You can safely recuperate and gather your strength."


    In the next moment, her smile faded, replaced by the previously visible pained expression, she continued with a bit of sadness in her voice.


    "Unfortunately, you cannot stay forever. There are certain¡­ requirements to keep staying here, and at most, I can only keep us here for around another week. After that¡­"


    "After that, we would be forced to return, right?" Knowing what she was about to say, Lucien finished her words, with an expressionless face.


    Leaving the bench, he stood up, and walked to the edge of the terrace, looking towards the distant tree lines once again.


    "I understand the who and where now. Now, before I can decide¡­ I want to learn more about the ''what'' as well."


    "Certainly! Let me explain-" A gentle smile instantly emerged on Sera''s face. She was about to resume and continue with another long-winded explanation, but before she could do so, she was immediately silenced when Lucien raised his left index finger in the air.


    "Save it for now. Before you answer or sew great tales, I want to listen to you through your actions."


    Surprised, Sera looked at the boy with an inquiring gaze. Before she could ask, he spoke again.


    "I need to grow stronger. For that¡­ I need to¡­ hunt." Lucien found it surprisingly difficult to explain what he needed. After all, how could he explain what he himself couldn''t understand? He needed something called EP or Entropy Points, a sort of substance for this system that seemed to be tied together with his existence.


    After feeling a taste of defeat, he understood the need for growing stronger. He needed the strength to be able to defend himself from his pursuers and escape their clutches once and for all.


    To do that, he needed to rely on this so-called ''Prime Evolver System'' and hope that it could assist him to achieve his goal: True Freedom.


    To grow stronger, he needed to complete the tasks that this ambiguous, magical existence thrown at him. First, he needed to hunt and absorb the essence from those he killed.


    However, even this, seemingly easy task came with a slight problem: He never did anything like that. He had no idea how to begin, or what to do.


    That''s why he was willing to accept the offered hand and learn from this woman. Whilst he was conflicted and unsure of what exactly he was supposed to feel about her, right now he could only rely on her willingness to prove herself. She was clearly desperate to prove useful and to convince him to accept her help.


    "Show me how to do that¡­ Show me how to hunt¡­" He muttered as he kept his gaze at the distance, trying to not turn and look at the woman. He could already feel the emerging smile that stretched across her face.


    "Certainly." She nodded, as she turned around to walk back into the house. "Give me a moment, let me grab some weapons for us to use. Don''t worry, I will teach you everything you need!"


    With that she hurriedly ran back inside, her figure soon vanished. Not too much time later, she was already rushing back with a huge bag in hand and a pair of quivers and longbows over her shoulders.


    ¡ª


    The gentle bell rang as the door was pushed open. A feminine figure wearing a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses walked into this run-down establishment. Despite her rigid aura, she actually looked quite svelte and sophisticated. She walked towards the grimy counter and hit the bell.


    A few moments later a thin-looking man with long, greasy black hair and goatee adorning his head, appeared. He wore a black t-shirt with some metal band''s logo on it. He leaned against the desk, gave a disgusting smile to the new arrival, and gave his learned greeting.


    "Heya Missy! Welcome to the Flatiron Beavery Inn! What can I get for ya?"


    The woman took off her dark sunglasses and shook her head. Her black, shoulder-length hair fluttered in the wind as she slowly opened her pair of dark, crescent-shaped eyes. A gloomy scowl appeared on her face as she looked at the disgusting specimen in front of her.


    She took a couple of moments to calm herself before she responded with a cold, degrading tone.


    "Give me an empty room¡­ you cretin."

 Chapter 28 - 28 - The First Hunt (Part 1)

    As the sun stretched ever-higher on the clear light blue sky, the duo of Lucien and Sera stepped into this idyllic realm of nature. The forest they entered was oak-brown and fresh-smelling. The grasses were crispy beneath their feet as they crossed slowly deeper and deeper into this natural biome.


    The trees towered over them majestically. Their knotted arms rose ever upwards, as far as their heads could lift. They were hoary fortresses, standing proud and tall, undisturbed by the corruption of civilization in this little pocket of a safe heaven. The orchestra of birdsong that Lucien and Sera could hear from afar suddenly stopped as they crossed into this new luscious realm.


    A pair of jays, the scavengers of the bird world were screeching high up in the canopy of the trees. Their cruel bead-like eyes were always on the lookout for a smaller, feathered or a furred meal. While they mostly preferred the feathery version, they would occasionally grab the lone squirrel or even the youthful hare if they would scamper away from the protection of their parents.


    They drifted across Lucien''s vision in a flash of fleshy pink and charcoal black, trying to size up the sudden invaders. It was only a fleeting moment as the eyes of human and winged sentry met, they were a furtive species, full of suspicion; they swiftly bolted away.


    The morning stars peeped through the thick dome of the trees, looking down at the small sub-world like silver asters, glinting and shimmering. They looked happy, content in their solar-silver isolation. The simpering wind carried with it the smell of wild basil, which upon further inspection could be seen growing freely, unrestrained on the clumpy emerald-green mattress of the floor. The aroma was refreshing, akin to a mulchy mix of the pure, raw forest''s perfume.


    Breaking this tranquility, the whistling of an arrow could be heard, as it was suddenly released from its place and fired towards the distance.


    It swiftly flew through the air, its target was an unsuspecting little dark orange furred little squirrel standing with its back against the two figures on a high-up branch of an oak tree. It was busy filling up its storage with its latest loot of light brown, rich, and ripe acorns.


    Unfortunately for the small little critter, it registered the faint sound of whistling just a tad bit too late; before it could jump away, the steel triangle-shaped arrowhead pierced its small body with ease, carrying its faltering body forward with continued momentum.


    It continued to traverse the skies for a couple of feet more in a downward arc before it finally landed with a blunt thud amidst the crispy, vibrant grassy field.


    Releasing the bowstring, Sera hummed with delight, as she turned to look at the emotionless boy standing to her right.


    "See? Using the bow is actually one of the best ways to hunt. It''s silent, easy to use, and will not ruin the flesh and skin of the prey as much as a bullet would. Come, let''s go and check the animal, hopefully, it died swiftly and we didn''t cause it too much pain and suffering."


    She spoke, putting the long bow over her back. She gently touched the boy''s left hand and pulled it with her towards the little critter.


    Without showing any change of emotion, the short, dark-haired boy, Lucien, followed after the blonde woman. In his right hand, he held a long bow identical to the one the woman was using, a quiver full of arrows was hanging on his back.


    Although he looked insipid on the outside, inside a storm of thoughts was causing chaos. He was still in a spell after the woman''s sudden display of attack. He liked the elegant, simplistic action, and how it brought forth the expected and swift result.


    Still, another thought wrestled with this admiration. His boyish, childish nature couldn''t help but show slight dismay, dissatisfaction to this scene. His heart yearned for more, something¡­ wilder, more exciting. He had disgruntled, displeased dealing with the prey in such a way. He wanted to be face to face with the opponent, and deal the decisive blow in melee, and not from several feet or even yards away.


    As they closed in on the small body of their prey, the snapping, crunching sounds of twigs resounded around them, alerting the rest of the local fauna of the emergence of the duo with their threatening presence.


    Oblivious to his own carelessness, Lucien calmly followed a step behind Sera, his eyes focused on the tiny, orange-colored fur ball lying amidst the tall blades of grass.


    As they arrived, Sera didn''t lift up the body, but simply removed the arrow from the freshly deceased body of the squirrel. Using a marble-white silk handkerchief she slowly began cleaning the bloodied arrowhead, whilst she stepped to the side.


    She didn''t speak a word, only gave a knowing smile, fully aware of what the young man was about to do.


    Lucien didn''t even register the strangely, familiar look on the blonde woman, he was laser-focused on the small body lying on the ground. Memories of the recent past began emerging from the back of his mind, causing him the uncomfortably flinch upon being forced to witness the horror he did back during his great escape.


    No. It wasn''t entirely correct to put the blame on himself, since it was done by the ''other one'' sharing his life inside him. This other one, whatever it was, was another sentient being with a shared existence with himself. Their fate was tied, and no matter how much he continued to resist or struggle, there was no other path, but forward.


    He had to accept this other self, this monstrous but powerful entity. He had many enemies, that wanted nothing more than to bring him back to the hellish torment he had run away from.


    If he truly desired freedom, if he truly wanted to live here in the outside world, he had no other solution. There were no alternate routes, just this new, strange, and mysterious path. He had to accept this other self, as one of him, and stop resisting against it.


    Closing his eyes, he heaved a heavy sigh as he finally arrived by the small critter of the forest. He slowly crouched down and freed up his right hand by putting down the bow to the ground.


    He growled with gritted teeth, as he forced himself to accept this new reality, however hard it was. His right arm as it slowly reached out towards the small body, began to tremble with visible excitement.


    His hand gently clenched around the squirrel, lifting it up from the ground.


    As soon as it did, the surface of his limb began to slightly change, a dark shade began to creep up from the base of his shoulders, sending their black, ebony tendrils in the form of swelling halo of veins.


    At the same time, the dead body convulsed in his palm, bringing forth a new screen from his system.


    [¡­::: Forest Squirrel (Lvl 0 - Category: Critters) mass has been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing essence¡­ :::¡­]


    As the bloodied letters appeared in front of Lucien''s vision, the small body of the creature convulsed once more, turning wizened, dry at a lightning-fast pace. As its essences were continuously absorbed, it churned, turning smaller and smaller before its entirety seemingly vanished, seeping into the boy''s body, merging with him in a couple of seconds.


    As the process finished, Lucien hasn''t really felt any change, although he could feel a new sliver of energy course inside him for a brief moment before he felt it vanish or most likely merge with the sea of his own essence.


    Meanwhile, the text on the floating dark screen began to change, formulating new and new messages to the host.


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Forest Squirrel (Lvl 0 - Category: Critters) - Creature Page has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Creature Library has been unlocked! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Through the absorption the following updates has been granted:


    + 0.01 Agility,


    + 1 EP (Full Consumption Bonus),


    + 0.1% Power Increase :::¡­]


    Also, last but not least, the update for his currently active task has appeared as well.


    [¡­:::Task update: Gather your first Entropy Points ( 6 / 10 ) :::¡­]


    As he read through the list, Lucien was stunned by the sheer amount of surprise he felt. Absorbing the small little squirrel, gave him several benefits! Although the gains might seem small, one had to understand that this was merely his first prey they hunted, and it was just a tiny, defenseless little critter of the forest.


    Although the method through how he could grow stronger seemed cruel and gruesome, Lucien didn''t mind it. Although he wasn''t too keen on preying on creatures that couldn''t muster up any resistance, he knew he had to grow stronger, faster¡­ He needed more power.


    There were many dangers lurking in the shadows, that he already understood, and if wanted to ultimately come out on top and not fall victim to the harsh reality, he had to be cold and cruel.

 Chapter 29 - 29 - The First Hunt (Part 2)

    Even as the little squirrel was long gone, Lucien kept crouching, with the holding, grabbing position. His mind was in a daze, trying to comprehend and process all that had just gone down.


    Using the viral appendage that was in place of his mutilated right arm, he absorbed not just the essences of the deceased little critter but completely took it. Despite the horrific nature of the action, the main thought that actually troubled him was a pretty simple one.


    ''Can this be considered eating the creature? Or what did I do? Merged with him? The system strictly says the term ''absorb'' but I don''t know¡­ It feels pretty weird¡­'' He lamented inwardly, while he cleaned up his view from the helpful, but disturbing messages.


    His reverie was abruptly put to a halt when the bell-like voice of Sera rang out. She called out for the stoic, unmoving boy.


    "Hey Lucien, are you feeling okay?" She asked with visible concern in her voice. Strangely, as the boy slowly turned around to look at her, she wasn''t disgusted, horrified, or even surprised by the slightest.


    She was donning the same compassionate, kind smile over her face, exuding an aura of calm as she continued speaking.


    "This must have been your first, right? Master told me, that the first times can be quite hard to process and that you have to overcome the mental walls, barriers yourself. Still, despite that, if I can help you in any way¡­ let me know, okay?"


    "Huh?" Her words broke the last strands of his daze, Lucien looked at the blonde woman with surprise.


    He creased his eyebrows, not truly believing his own ears. Did she suggest that she was already aware of his nature? Was his predecessor, her Master the same as him?


    "What did you say?" He asked with an inquiring look, not sure of what response would he be truly hoping for. Would he want that she would be oblivious to the monster he truly was? Would he be happier to share this secret with someone and end up relying on and confiding in her?


    He wasn''t sure what would be the best.


    Sera''s smile curved slightly wilder, as she felt that once again, the distance between them slightly shortened. She hoped that this trend would only continue, and he would slowly begin to trust her. After all, being his guide, his trusted aide, was her mission. She wished for nothing more than to finally be able to stand by this youngster''s side and be able to call him once again, for what he was¡­ Her Master.


    "I said, that if there is anything I can help you that would make it easier for you to accept what happened, let me know. I wish for nothing more than to be able to help you, Lucien." She responded to the question with a gentle, warm smile.


    "You¡­How do you know about¡­m-" When he wanted to refer to the other, monstrous side of himself, he flinched. He felt it still slightly too difficult, too hard to refer to that side as ''me'', so in the end, he corrected himself. "¡­the other one?"


    Sera giggled at the troubled look of the boy before he responded.


    "Yes, I do. Remember I explained that my Master, was your predecessor. Although he awakened to a different set of abilities, his way of growing stronger wasn''t all that different from yours. Maybe slightly more¡­ graceful, I guess." She explained as she began to scan their surroundings once again, searching, scanning for a critter of similar in size for Lucien to try.


    Looking at her scanning the distance, Lucien got surprised when he saw her eyes began to emit a faint, colorless glow. A barely perceptible, thin layer of the same light slowly enveloped her body, giving her a thin, opaque film around her.


    A couple of moments passed by with tense silence, as Sera continued to scan and search the forest before she found a lone, grey-white furred hare munching itself through the tall blades of grass.


    With a shushing motion, Sera signaled Lucien to remain silent and pointed towards the direction of the not-too-distant east where she saw the little animal.


    "There¡­ about a yard to the east¡­" She whispered, pinpointing the exact location. "Squint your eyes and look where I am pointing. Can you see it?"


    Following her directions, Lucien tried his hardest to find what she was targeting, but he couldn''t see through the thick undergrowth of bushes that blocked his sight after a while. He sighed, helplessly shaking his head.


    "No¡­ I can''t." He admitted with a slight frown. Was she this powerful? Or what his sight, not up-to-par? He actually felt that his enhanced senses ever since he ''awakened'' were supernatural. Now he felt that compared to other ''Enhanced'' beings, he wasn''t all that special after all¡­


    "Oh? Let me help you then." Sera whispered, with a face full of smiles. She stretched out her right hand towards the boy and nodded.


    "Touch my hand. Let me share this gift with you." As she whispered the words, the palm of her hand began to radiate the same faint, hollow light that covered her entire body before. A wave of warmth could be felt radiating from it.


    Seeing his hesitation, Sera didn''t mind it a bit. It was actually quite understandable, the smile on her face stretched even wider, she gave words of reassurance.


    "Don''t be afraid, I will never hurt you."


    Albeit still not entirely convinced, Lucien decided to once again, place his trust in the blonde woman and reached for the offered palm. His right arm convulsed expectantly as it felt the warm rays gently caressing it. The veins hastily darkened, and engorged, turning the white skin a shade darker by the time his palm interconnected with hers and their fingers clasped upon the back of the other''s hand.


    Looking at her expression, Lucien found it still surprising that the girl wasn''t the least bit frightened, nor surprised. He now understood that what she was telling was truly the truth. The old man, his predecessor, her Master was truly a person with a similar fate as his. He shared the same¡­ condition.


    A moment later as he grabbed on her hand, he felt the warmth spread through his body. He felt the hungry sucking notion of his appendage, as it hungrily kept devouring the transferred energies from the woman.


    In the next instant, the system''s window came up once again. The dark, translucent screen slowly emerged, with a series of the eerie-looking blood-red texts appearing one after another, swiftly organizing themselves in an orderly line.


    Soon, a new notification appeared in front of Lucien''s stunned-looking wide eyes.


    [¡­::: Through the transferred holy energies, a new skill has been synthesized. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: The trait: Far Sight (Rank 1) has been created. :::¡­]


    "What the¡­" Shocked, Lucien immediately took his hand away and kept looking at his own palm looking for signs of a scar or anything that help him understand what just happened.


    However, there were no scars or any type of damages whatsoever. The black tendrils have returned to their original, hidden state, his arm regained its original color a second later.


    "What did you do?" Finding no answers in his own hand, he turned towards the main culprit, Sera.


    Unbeknownst to him, his original cold, distant attitude has slowly, naturally began to crumble down, he subconsciously began to step closer and closer to her.


    Sera smiled at the aimed question for a brief moment, before she answered.


    "I merely gave you a sort of welcome gift¡­ I suppose. Interestingly though, I gave you the very same skill, my Master have gifted to me back then¡­ Funny how things have come to a full circle¡­"


    Seeing the confused look on the boy, Sera continued to explain with a bit more detail.


    "What I have given you, will help you enhance your eyesight. Even though as you continue to accept and understand your ''other self or another one'' as you referred to earlier, your senses will sharpen by themselves, making the skill I have gifted you obsolete."


    She turned her attention back to the distance where the little hare was still munching on her breakfast, unsuspecting and oblivious to any threats aimed at its life.


    "Right now though, it will help you overcome this predicament. Try looking at the direction I am pointing again. The skill I have given you should automatically activate and enhance your eyesight the longer you hone your vision to the same spot."


    Lucien nodded at her words, following along and turning to the direction she was facing.


    Before acquiescing to her instructions, he focused in his mind, bringing up the skill description page.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Far Sight


    Category: Traits - Rank: 1 - Progress: 0 EP - ??§Ô - ???


    Description: The holy energies courses through your veins, enhancing your senses. The longer you focus your sight in the same direction, the more you will notice. Your sight will gradually sharpen the longer it is focusing on the same spot, allowing the host to spot even the smallest, most minuscule of details eventually.


    Mechanics: Focusing your gaze on a singular spot, your vision gradually clears, increasing the grade of magnification. Each magnification costs 0.1 Points of Energy.


    Note: Traits are a special category of skill that requires no initial EP investment to materialize and create. :::¡­]

 Chapter 30 - 30 - A Lesson In Archery (Part 1)

    With the newly acquired knowledge in mind, Lucien finally turned to look at the direction Sera was pointing at.


    At first, he saw nothing special: his vision was once again thwarted by the increasingly denser undergrowth in the distance. He couldn''t pierce through them, he couldn''t see what the woman was pointing at.


    However, before frustration could kick in, and he could voice a complaint, suddenly he felt a change. The edges of his sight began to blur out and fade away. In its place, the central point began to slowly expand whilst not losing any of its initial clarity.


    On the contrary, as it stretched out, it became gradually clearer, sharper. Now, he could make out the small razor-sharp leaves in the thorny bush that previously he could only see as a dark green, blurry mess.


    He found this change quite shocking, and at the same time empowering. Lucien kept focusing his gaze on a singular point, now understanding a bit more of how this newly acquired of his work. He wanted to see just how far it could take him.


    A moment passed again, and just like before the edges of his vision began to blur and fade away once more, whilst the central scope expanded again, all the while it retained its sharp, clear quality.


    Now, another wonder enfolded before Lucien''s eyes: The bush was now so close, so clear that he could see ''through it''. As its leaves were relatively sparse, they did leave several areas where one could see the world behind its leafy umbrella.


    He could see the continuation of the emerald grass, he could see the trunks of some distant trees and, which was the most surprising revelation to him: a light gray hazy ball of fur. He couldn''t exactly make out what it was, but his guess was that it had to be what Sera wanted him to see.


    Another second passed as Lucien retained his high concentration, this time focusing on the gray furry ball hiding amidst the tall blades of grass that blanketed the ground.


    His vision zoomed in once again, making the scene just another grade clearer. The previously hazy ball of fur now had a definite outline and a contour; he could make out what would seem to be some sort of forest rabbit, a hare.


    All this, that to him seemed like hours, barely took 3 ticks in reality. From the outside, the only visible difference that could be seen was her previously pearl-white sclera turning several shades darker, ending with a lighter shade of grey, whilst the edges once again had a rough, dark, blackened edge that had similar qualities to his viral appendage''s nightmare-inducing tendrils.


    "Can you see it now?" Breaking the ensuing silence, Sera whispered a question, careful enough not to break the boy''s concentration completely.


    "Yes. I can see it¡­ but I can still hardly understand what is going on¡­ H-how am I doing this?!"


    Although he asked the question aloud, he wasn''t expecting any answer from the girl. After all, whilst she seemed to be aware of most of the things going on, Lucien wasn''t sure that the existence of the system itself was revealed to her at any point by his predecessor. Opting for the side of safety, he himself decided to keep it a secret for the time being.


    "I believe Master called this skill Far Sight. It works roughly similar to how one would use the scope of a rifle, but this one is automatic¡­ passive I think was the term." Sera began to explain after thinking about it for a bit.


    "The more you focus on the same object, the clearer and sharper it becomes. It is such a useful ability to have, you will see." She smiled, picking up her bow from her back once again.


    "Now, whilst keeping your attention on the prize, slowly get ready. Pick up your bow and place an arrow in it."


    Without hesitation, Lucien picked up the weapon from his back, grabbing it by its grip with his left hand and raising it in front of him. Due to his vision being laser-focused on the distance, he couldn''t exactly see what or how he was holding the weapon, as he ended up holding it not right, but slightly at an inverted angle.


    He then tried reaching for the quiver in his back, only to miss it a couple of times before his fingers finally found something feathery. Reaching a bit lower, he grabbed one by its shaft and slowly pulled it out, trying to blindly place it in its attended rest, the shelf of the bow, albeit without much success.


    As his frustration began to rise and was about to lose his enhanced honed-in sight, Sera came to the rescue. Gently grabbing the boy''s shoulders, she walked behind him and leaned closer.


    "Let me help, Lucien. Stay focused on your target, don''t let your concentration break, I will help you."


    Still, despite her words, it wasn''t that easy for Lucien to keep his calm. As the woman leaned against his back, he felt the puffy pressure of her two generous mounds pressing against his shoulder blades. It was a wondrous sensation, but also quite disturbing at the same time.


    Not wanting to lose himself in the rising chaos of not-so-welcome thoughts, Lucien heaved a long sigh, clearing his head slightly in the process. He felt the woman''s warm embrace, she felt her arms stretch out along his own. She felt her slender fingers as her left hand slowly wrapped itself around his own, and slowly tilted the weapon, correcting his erroneous hold. He also felt her right hand wrap itself around his right hand, helping him learn the correct movement and motion on how to arm his bow. Then she guided his hand to reach for the bowstring and slowly stretch it back whilst placing his index finger above its end and the rest of his fingers below.


    "This is how you arm the bow. Learn how it feels, learn this posture. Now, whilst keeping your eye on the prize, let me help you with the aiming this time. For the rest, try to do it on your own. You need to learn to see where the arrowhead is pointing at as well. You can''t just keep focusing on your target, you need to see where you are aiming at the same time." She explained through whispers, still being careful to keep the boy''s concentration at its peak.


    "Okay¡­" Lucien responded, keeping most of his attention on the still calm and unmoving little furball in the distance. "What is the next step?" He asked, eager to get his prize now. Seeing the notification and gains from that small critter, he was eager to receive yet another benefit. More so, that this one would be hunted by himself this time. Well, mostly.


    Sera smiled at his question, very happy and satisfied that subconsciously she gained yet another step towards earning the boy''s trust.


    "Now, we have to stretch the string and get ready to fire. Here, let me show you how to do it."


    She answered with a smile, as he slowly began to pull his hand back towards his face. The string kept stretching further and further, becoming gradually harder to keep pulling it back. Once they reached roughly next to his face level, she suddenly stopped pulling it back and removed both of her hands.


    He felt the pressed-up mounds from his back slowly back away, as Sera took a few steps back.


    "Now you are ready. Once you feel it. Release the string and the arrow will be fired at the target. Keep your focus on the hare this time. For the next shoot, you will be doing everything yourself so try your best memorizing everything I have just shown you, okay?"


    She instructed, keeping her voice down.


    Lucien kept this stretched-out posture for a brief moment longer, trying to burn it into his memory. A moment later, his fingers stretched out, leaving the bowstring.


    *Twang!*


    The string snapped back, firing the placed arrow in the process. Lucien could hear the whistling sound as the little wooden projectile flew through the air. He only saw a blurry dark beam as it entered his vision from the lower end and saw as it easily pierced into the hare that he kept focusing on.


    A single wince was the only sound the little animal managed to utter before the life left it and tumbled a couple of feet backward due to the sheer force of the impact.


    Lucien didn''t react at all initially, he was stunned at this sight. He was shocked. After all, this was the first time, he took life by himself.


    Even though he already murdered dozens of humans, that wasn''t him at all, that was the ''other one'' he wasn''t in control. Those felt similar as if someone was watching a scene in a movie.


    Still, the shock was only blocking his mind briefly. A second later, he was pulled back to reality by the cheering sounds of the blonde woman.


    "Great shot Lucien! Beautifully done!"

 Chapter 31 - 31 - A Lesson In Archery (Part 2)

    Crouching in the tall grass, Lucien was now holding his first-ever prey in his hands. Wanting to test a theory, he grabbed the deceased critter with his left hand, wanting to see if there would be any reaction from the system.


    However, just as he expected there was no sound, no notification, nothing came up, confirming what he already expected: Only his right arm, the one that was severed and replaced would serve as a direct interface with the system.


    With that, he felt slightly better, he just had to be aware of what he touched with what hand, and no problems should arise. Although he was aware that this wasn''t a surefire way, and that eventually, he would have to learn how to control these ''abilities'', for the time being, this should be good enough.


    Picking up the little gray furball from the ground, he grabbed the shaft of the arrow, and with a swift motion he pulled it out from its body. As he threw the arrow to the side, he took another short minute to look at his right hand and calm his rapidly beating heart.


    Although he did it already once, he still felt a slight hesitation, he was still wary against what would come next. Still, he had to admit that the empowering feeling while ever-so-slight, it was still intoxicating. His eagerness was gradually overpowering the fear inside his heart.


    Taking one last look at his own palm, he reached out and grabbed the body of the dead hare with his right hand.


    Immediately, he felt the previously experienced changes. He felt the muscles convulse in his right arm and engorge. The veins swelled and rapidly darkened, carrying the strange charcoal black substance towards his connected hand.


    At the same time, the dark, transparent screen appeared in front of his vision. The blood-red letters appeared one after another hurriedly forming the lines that he was expecting by now.


    [¡­::: Forest Hare (Lvl 0 - Category Critters) mass have been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing essence¡­ :::¡­]


    The body of the deceased critter abruptly convulsed, he could feel the sucking sensation once more. The body of the hare began to dry up at a rapid pace as all of his mass and essences were rapidly absorbed and merged into the boy''s body.


    In a few seconds, the small critter, just like the one before, vanished without even a strand of his fur remaining for them to see. As it was merged into the growing sea of bodily mass of Lucien, the system notifications kept popping up.


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Forest Hare (Lvl 0 - Category: Critters) - Creature Page has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Through the absorption, the following updates has been granted to the host:


    + 0.05 Agility


    + 1 EP (Full Consumption Bonus)


    + 0.25% Power Increase :::¡­]


    Following that, the also expected update on his current progress on the task has appeared.


    [¡­::: Task Update: Gather your first Entropy Points ( 7 / 10 ) :::¡­]


    Surprised by the gains, he mumbled to himself, forgetting the blonde woman standing behind him.


    "Interesting¡­ I gained much more from this one than the other¡­" Standing up, he willed the system to bring up his updated status screen. He was interested in his current progress.


    After all, although the gain to his ''Agility'' attribute was 5 times than before, he still couldn''t feel any changes inside him. He was unsure of what he should be expecting. Was he truly getting stronger, faster? How could he even make sure?


    As he gave the mental command, the floating screen rapidly reformed, bringing forward his details.


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 0% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 11.03% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 1.35% -> (1 + 0.1 + 0.25)


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 7


    ****


    ????????????????????????:6.15 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (4.94 + 1.21 Regenerated)


    ????????????????????????:5.91 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (7.43 - 1.21 (Regeneration) - 0.3 (Far Sight))


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    ????????????????????????????????: 2.01


    * ????????????????????????????: 1.17 -> 1.12 + 0.05


    ????????????????????????????: 2.25


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    *???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    :::¡­]


    The gains from his first two hunts were reflected in his details. Additionally, he could see how his health was being passively healed as his Viral Regeneration Trait was passively restoring it at a slight cost to his Energy.


    Although the cost now was 1:1, he didn''t mind it. He continued to get better, to heal up without doing anything. This was an incredibly powerful ability to have.


    He himself could feel its effects, he felt the pain in his muscles and body gradually lessen, each step he took felt more and more comfortable. Although there was the slight weariness that crept up, he credited that to his lowering energy reserves. After all, it was continuously used up for everything he did.


    He needed to find a way to increase his currently quite limited pool, as even though this was okay for now, it did severely limit the range of his actions.


    Reading through the screen, he dismissed it with a thought as he turned around to look at the gently smiling Sera.


    "What''s next?" He asked, with a forced calmness on his face. Still, by now, he was looking forward to his next game. He wanted to continue their excursion and gain as many points to his system as he could whilst learning the art of hunting in the process.


    Sera could easily see through the mask the boy has presented to her, but she didn''t say a word. She retained her gentle, warm smile on her face as she responded, reminding him of the task she had given him just a couple of moments ago.


    "You will try doing everything on your own for your second shot. The only thing I will help is to spot for you, but you will do all the aiming and shooting this time around. We will keep using the bow for now, and only switch once you feel accustomed to using it."


    Lucien nodded, taking the bow into his left hand whilst reaching for a new arrow with his right.


    However, before he could do so, Sera came with another warning.


    "Don''t waste your shots, Lucien. The last arrow you fired should still be good for use. Remember: The capacity of your quiver is limited, you should always try to gather your fired arrows and see if you could use them again."


    As she spoke, she stepped closer to where the arrow was laying on the ground and crouched down to pick it up. Apart from being dirty with a bit of grime from the blood and gore of their last prey, it was still in perfect condition.


    She grabbed her milky white silk handkerchief and began cleaning the head while turning to face Lucien. A few seconds later she presented it to him, with her earlier warm smile.


    "Here. Try using it again, don''t mindlessly waste."


    "Yes, I will remember it¡­ Thank you¡­ Sera." Lucien thanked him, not aware that the hint of a smile began to curve his straight lips. The beginning of a smile started to make its appearance on his face, a clear indication of the gradually closing distance between them.


    Obviously, Sera was keen and didn''t miss this change of expression on the boy. Still, she didn''t show anything, but stepped to his side, began to look to the distance once more.


    Her eyes lit up, glowing with the same brilliant light as the last time. Her piercing gaze slowly scanned the forest, in search of a suitable critter for the boy to train upon.


    A couple of seconds later, spotting a similar ball of gray fur she pointed to the east.


    "There. Another hare." She exclaimed. "Try to get it on your own this time. Still, if you feel you need help, don''t hesitate to ask, I will be here and ready to assist." She added, stepping a step away, to give the boy space.


    Lucien did not respond to her but turned to the direction she was pointing at. He readied an arrow into the bow''s arrow rest and grabbed the string ready to arm for his shot.


    He focused his attention towards the direction Sera pointed at. This time, he was prepared as his vision began to magnify and zoom towards the distant point he was focusing on. What was a hindrance before, slowly, gradually vanished as several ticks went by before he could finally spot the little ball of gray fur in the field.


    "Got it." He muttered as he slowly pulled on the string, stretching it out, getting ready to fire his shot. He was getting ready to fire the shot.


    He could see the tip of his arrow as he lined it up with an imaginary line to the unsuspecting hare.


    Seconds continued to pass, as he gradually calmed his breathing, and steadied his aim.


    Just as he was about to release his grip on the bowstring and fire his shot, something unexpected happened. From the upper corners of his honed-in vision, a blurry, dark blob appeared and lounged at the little critter.


    Surprised by this sudden change, he released his grip and fired the arrow.. His target, however, had abruptly changed.

 Chapter 32 - 32 - The Unexpected Target

    As Lucien released the bowstring only then did he realize that his target was no longer the little ball of fur, but something else. He focused his sight, trying to make out what it actually was that suddenly decided to steal away his prize.


    He listened to the whistling sound as the released arrow flew with great speeds towards the unknown assailant. By the time his vision began to clear, and he saw the dark gray, almost black predator the arrow already made its way towards it rapidly closing in towards its hound-like head.


    However, the creature was unlike the previous two targets. As soon as it spotted the threat to its life, it jumped forward, causing the arrow to miss its original target, and instead drill into its side.


    A low-toned growl was released as the creature landed on its feet and turned towards its attacker''s direction. Its pair of yellow eyes ominously glowered towards the stunned boy. Seemingly not minding the wound it received, it planted its feet steadily on the ground, leaned its hind legs before pushing himself off from the ground, and flew into a charge.


    It swiftly accelerated, entering into a frenzied rush, whilst its growls echoed around the duo. A second later, its figure appeared in the far distance, rapidly closing the remaining distance.


    His momentary shock was broken once again by Sera, who jumped in front of him. The hollow, translucent image of a pair of bird-like feathery wings was glowing on her back. Her entire body had a faint aura of colorless light, acting as a coat of shield made out of pure energy.


    As she got into a battle-ready poise, a sword appeared in her right hand. The blade had a bright silvery shine, whilst the hilt which she tightly gripped on, were black as the night.


    In a moment she got ready for the incoming battle.


    "Stay behind me, Lucien. I will deal with this beast and keep you safe!" She exclaimed, with a stern tone. The previous calm and kind tone were now replaced with a stern, serious one.


    Still, Lucien didn''t mind it. From the initial look they shared with this monster, he immediately understood that his shot only irked the creature, he was ill-suited to deal with such a devilish predator.


    His thoughts were a chaotic mess, as although he wasn''t scared, he wasn''t entirely calm either. His heart was beating at a heightened pace, his right arm was continuously convulsing. He felt the strange energy coursing through his body, he felt his senses heightening.


    His sight kicked into overdrive, it almost instantly honed in on the charging wolf-like animal. His hearing sharpened, he could even hear a rhythmic thump coming from it; his agitated, beating heart.


    Even now, as the distance was still relatively large between them, he could already smell it. The dog-like taste of its fur was already causing a slight frown to appear over his expression.


    "For now, try to stay behind me, and do not attack this one. This is no simple wolf, it''s a warg!" Sera exclaimed, swirling the blade in her right hand, ready to jump at the approaching creature.


    The seconds stretched out, Lucien felt as if the time itself had slowed down to a crawl as he was looking at the black-furred, wolf which Sera referred to as a ''Warg''. It did seem bigger and bulkier than what he would expect from what he remembered. Its eerie, dark yellow eyes were also not something that he has ever seen in any of the books he read.


    Also, it seemed to be sturdier, much more resistant against damage. The arrow he fired clearly hit the creature and drilled itself deeply into its back. Yet, seemingly it didn''t even phase the animal, it only served as fuel to its fiery, burning rage.


    Lucien watched with bated breath standing behind and protected by the blonde woman as the warg got closer and closer. Its maddened, crazed gaze was still focused on him, ignoring the bright, glowing woman standing in front of him.


    Still, he felt no fear. He didn''t feel the trepidation, the dread one would most likely experience in a similar situation. His pathetic and short life didn''t play out in front of him, he wasn''t feeling the threat at all.


    On the contrary, he felt his entire body trembling with excitement. He felt the aching in his right arm, in the viral appendage, as it was already looking forward to the upcoming battle. He was thirsty for its blood. He needed to overcome such a dominant foe. He needed its essence and make it his own.


    He could barely hold himself back, and not lounge against the creature himself. He understood the warning Sera gave and that he was no match for it in his current state, but regardless¡­ He wanted to experience such a challenge.


    Focused on the rapidly approaching enemy, he didn''t notice the subtle change on his right arm. A set of dark claws appeared at the tip of each of his fingers, whilst the entire arm became swollen, growing a couple of sizes thicker as well as the skin turning several shades darker.


    At the same time, black tendrils began to creep up at the corners of his eyes¡­


    ¡ª


    It was quite a while since she had to wield Galdrine, Sera was feeling excitement rising in her heart. This feeling, facing off against a fearsome foe was something she realized just now that she was missing so much.


    Living on the edge, the constant threat against their lives¡­ The dangers of the apocalyptic future she is working hard to prevent¡­ She had to admit to herself that there were some aspects of it that she did enjoy.


    Facing off against all the monstrous entities of the end of times, back to back, shoulder by shoulder with her beloved Master¡­ She could only hope that she would reach a similar point with the young Lucien.


    Although wishing for something was not something she should be thinking about, not now when she was about to clash with this warg, and not ever. Wishing for the destruction of civilization as they now know it¡­ She would have to work on herself it seems.


    Seconds continued to pass, the charging animal got closer and closer. The distance between them now was only a couple dozen feet, she could now feel its thick bloody aura, its presence, the thick killing intent that he was aiming towards the boy behind her.


    "Oh no, you don''t! If you want to get to him, you have to get through me first!" She yelled, flaring up at the same time. Her aura expanded, the holy light surrounding her body intensified, blocking the pressure the beast was emitting.


    She pulled her stretched-out sword-wielding right arm slightly behind her, increasing her grip on the hilt.


    A faint smirk appeared on Sera''s usually gentle expression, she readied her stance and leaned against her knees as the beast got dangerously closer.


    As it finally arrived, the beast lounged itself into the air, whilst snapping its strong jaws ajar, and tilting its head to the side. At the same time, Sera also made its introductory attack, she swung her blade in a wide right-winded attack. The sword drew a beautiful arc in the air, creating a silver dome as it struck against the jaws of the warg, blocking its snapping attack with a loud blustering explosion and sending the beast rocketing towards the ground.


    What was simply a fraction of a second, felt like several long seconds to Lucien as he watched intently as the single attack seemingly dislocated the beast''s lower jaw, and subsequently sent the beast towards the ground, kicking off a sizable amount of dust in the process.


    The sheer power that was carried with that opening attack from the slender-looking Sera caused quite a surprise to the boy. He didn''t expect such strength within that thin-framed body of hers.


    Also, he had to admit that she looked like an otherworldly being, a bona fide angel with all this shining luster and glory surrounding her. Just what was she? What were her power, her role, and true purpose with the old man?


    Were they really just Master and Servant, or perhaps there was something else behind the scenes?


    There were several thoughts that Lucien desperately wanted answers to¡­ many mysteries that needed solving of their own.


    However, on the other hand, he felt strangely comfortable with all the inexplicable events that kept surrounding him. Enhanced, empowered human soldiers, magical pocket worlds, hidden from the outside¡­ fantastical powers¡­ and now, these monstrously powerful supernatural creatures¡­ After seeing what the ''other one'' was capable of when she was given free reigns, such things couldn''t phase him anymore.


    Lucien focused his attention looking into the cloud of dust that slowly started to dissipate. He could still feel a waning presence, the creature''s now irregular heartbeat. The damage it received was brutal, even though it seemed to have survived their initial clash, it wasn''t looking too good for it.


    Sera also seemed to be aware of this, she suddenly stepped aside, turning to look at Lucien with the previous vigor she had before this sudden clash.


    "Go ahead Lucien and take the prey as your own. Conquer it and take its flesh for yourself!"

 Chapter 33 - 33 - Gains

    As he stood atop the whimpering animal, he felt strangely calm. There was no compassion, no empathy in his heart towards the sad sight of this beast. On the contrary, he felt the thrill of what was to come, he felt the eagerness coursing through in his body. His whole body was trembling with excitement, it was hungry, thirsty for this much stronger beast''s essences.


    He felt the need to dominate, to consume this black-furred wolf-like unnatural predator, this warg''s mass, and absolve its dominant traits as his own. It was sturdy, it was strong, it was fast¡­ and all of these were soon to be his!


    He crouched down and looked at the beast with cold, impassive eyes.


    "You didn''t expect this when you charged in blindly, huh?" He asked mockingly, between to wails of the beast.


    His right hand slowly approached its head, almost without putting in any intent from him. It was as if it was having a mind of its own, and its main focus was to quell this unnatural hunger.


    As his arm inched closer and closer to its head, dread and consternation washed through the warg''s mind. It tried averting his yellow gaze, looking for a way out, but sadly it saw none. Its body was wracked with pain, its bones are crushed, broken beyond repair, several of its organs were in their last beats.


    It was painfully aware of the fact that it wouldn''t be able to survive for long even if it were to somehow miraculously escape this predicament. Knowing that this is the end of its road, it could only try swallowing the pain and growl with defiance.


    If it had to go down, if this was the end of the road, at the very least it will show its strong spirit till the last moment. Whoever these horrifyingly powerful creatures were, they should remember about his resistance, its fighting spirit!


    As his right palm cast its shadow over the warg''s eyes, Lucien''s right hand began to transform. A small dark dot, a tiny hole opened at the center of his palm. Although he felt faint itchiness, there was no pain, no true discomfort to him, so other than showing a mild surprise on his face, Lucien did nothing else, he kept reaching towards the beast''s head.


    In the next moment, as his palm was almost touching the warg''s dark fur, 6 thread-like dark tendrils shot forth from the dark hole, piercing, plunging deep into the warg, drilling through its thick skull with visible ease.


    Before he could react and pull back from the shock, Lucien''s hand was pulled forward and was forcefully latched onto the beast.


    "What the¡­ What is happ-" He yelled out, but even before he could complete his sentence, the now-familiar dark, translucent screen popped up, interrupting his thoughts.


    Bloodied, dark-red letters appeared one after another in quick fashion swirling across the surface, swiftly finding their place and forming into threads of messages.


    [¡­::: Common Black Warg (Lvl 3 - Category: Magical Beasts) mass have been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing essence¡­ :::¡­]


    Although unseen, the 6 tendrils that drilled themselves deep into the skull of the warg began to suck away everything they could. The beast that died the moment its skull was pierced, trembled abruptly, its lifeless body began to convulse and heavily contort. At a pace visible to the naked eye, it gradually turned thinner, as if it was aging at an incredible pace. Its strong, sturdy body acquiesced to the horror of the tendrils'' relentless suction. Its flesh, organs, and bits were vanishing at a visible pace.


    In roughly two minutes only its thick, black furry skin and its bones remained. The tendrils, finishing their assigned tasks, were pulled back, vanishing in the depths of Lucien''s right viral appendage, only leaving the dark hole behind that continued to suck and absorb the remainders.


    Crunching noises echoed around the duo, the sounds of bones breaking could be heard, as they were crushed under the otherworldly pressure before turning into bone dust, turning the dead body into an amorphous hairy sack before that itself were imbibed, sucked up.


    An extra half a minute later nothing could be seen, there was nothing left behind from the previously ferocious forest predator. The uncrowned ruler, the bloodthirsty magical beast was gone forever.


    At the same time, several texts appeared one after another in front of Lucien''s skin, driving his attention away from the peculiarities of what had just transpired.


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Common Black Warg (Lvl 3 - Category: Magical Beasts) - Creature Page has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: A Creature with more power has been consumed! Bonus Rewards have been awarded! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Through the absorption, the following updates has been granted to the host:


    + 1.25 Strength


    + 0.70 Agility


    + 1.52 Stamina


    + 5 EP (4 Base EP + 1 EP Full Consumption Bonus)


    + 8.75% Power Increase :::¡­]


    Lucien turned wide-eyed with shock after reading through the gains provided by the system. These were incredible, some of his current parameters almost doubled! Still, surprised by the lack of reaction in his body, he was about to stand up when¡­


    [¡­::: A New Skill has been synthesized! The passive skill: Sense Prey (Rank 1) has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Bonus! A New Skill has been synthesized! The active skill: Bestial Rush (Rank 1) has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Task Update: Gather your first Entropy Points (12 / 10) :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Task Complete! Reward: Essence Pool has been unlocked! :::¡­]


    Lucien was shocked speechless, after this latest attack of updates by the System. He gained so much, received such incredible rewards that he wasn''t even sure where to start, what to check or investigate.


    Still, before everything he wanted to know the reason for him not feeling any of the gains. Although he wasn''t sure what was supposed to happen, he was sure that receiving an almost 100% boost to his strength, he should feel the gains. Why was that not the case?


    ''System, why can''t I feel any change in my attributes? Shouldn''t I feel stronger, faster¡­ an overall¡­ better?'' He voiced his concerns inwardly.


    A moment later, the screen that was still in front of him flickered, the letters restructured themselves, formulating an answer.


    [¡­::: The gains are currently stored in the system bank and have not been completely assimilated to the host. The host has two methods to receive the updates: Either automatically when the host is not active, or by cultivation. :::¡­]


    Once again, for the umpteenth time today, Lucien was shocked beyond belief. What did any of what the system had just said mean? Living the life of an outcast throughout his life, his only enjoyment was through the orphanage library''s small collection of books. He read a few fantasy novels that revolved around this term, but that was just that. Fantasy, it had nothing to do with reality.


    On the other hand, what did the system mean by him being ''active''?


    Although Lucien didn''t want to spend too much time conversing with the invisible system and raise suspicion in the blonde angel-like woman, he did want to understand more.


    ''System, can you please explain what do you mean by ''me being active'' and also what ''cultivation'' means?''


    Without hesitation, the image instantly began to change, letters faded while new ones appeared and reformed themselves to new lines of texts, forming a response a single second later.


    [¡­::: The system will automatically convert the stored energy and assimilate it with the Host''s Essence and Mass when he in an inactive state. This could be during natural sleep, coma, or system-induced temporary hibernation. The last can only be activated by the host''s request or in extreme circumstances.


    Cultivation refers to a session of meditation where the host actively delves deeper into his subconscious and assimilates the stored energies himself. This method is not advised if the host has no knowledge about the process and has no technique and/or matching skill to assist in this process. :::¡­]


    ''Well¡­ I can sort of understand¡­'' He muttered inwardly, before phrasing another question. ''System, does that mean that what you would do automatically is something similar to what I could do myself? Are you cultivating the energy?''


    For the first time, there was no instantaneous response. The system took almost ten full seconds before the screen finally began to flash and change.


    [¡­::: During Cultivation the host transforms the stored energy and reform it into more power, growing in rank and in stage ultimately. The system will simply convert the stored energies into the related attributes. The two methods are different and will yearn for different results, it is not advisable to mix them up. :::¡­]


    ''I see¡­'' Lucien lamented, ignoring the slight jab from the system at the end of its answer. ''One last question: Why did I gain the rewards the previous two times from the two critters, and why is it different now?''


    Although he accepted the system''s answers, this different approach still bothered him. Why can''t he gain these rewards and why could he get the other two? Was it perhaps due to the volume? Or, was there something else at play here?

 Chapter 34 - 34 - System Storage Capacity

    ''I see¡­'' Lucien lamented, ignoring the slight jab from the system at the end of its answer. ''One last question: Why did I gain the rewards the previous two times from the two critters, and why is it different now?''


    The floating screen flashed upon him voicing his inquiry mentally, rapidly formulating the response.


    [¡­::: The critters are a special category of creatures, they provide minuscule gains even upon full absorption. Apart from some special circumstances, the host can assimilate these gains directly without cultivating or relying on the system''s Assimilation Process. :::¡­]


    Although there were many other things to check, Lucien didn''t want to waste more time here. He has completed what he wanted, his first task is now complete. To receive all the pending benefits, he now, due to the lack of a cultivation technique, needed to rest on it and let the system assimilate all the pending gains.


    Thinking about it, he wanted to see how his details looked currently.


    ''System, please bring up the Status Screen.'' He sent the mental command, watching the screen as it flashed, and swiftly brought up the requested page.


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 0% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 11.03% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 1.35% (Stored: 8.75%)


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 12


    ****


    ????????????????????????:6.45 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (6.15 + 0.3 Regenerated)


    ????????????????????????:5.61 / 10 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (5.91 - 0.30 (Regeneration)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    ????????????????????????????????: 2.01 (Stored: +1.25)


    * ????????????????????????????: 1.17 (Stored: + 0.70)


    ????????????????????????????: 2.25 (Stored: +1.52)


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????: 12.22% (8.75 Pure Energy + 3.47 Essence Mass)


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????? ???????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????????????? ????????????? (???????????????????????? - ????????????? 1)


    :::¡­]


    Looking at the screen, there were a few changes. However, what caught his attention was the new tracked category, the ''System Storage Capacity''.


    ''System, what does System Storage Capacity and that 12.22% mean?'' In the next moment, he gave voice mentally to his concerns.


    The system, just like him, was quick to formulate an already prepared response.


    [¡­::: System Storage Capacity is the bank where all the currently not assimilated energy is stored. The percentage refers to the full capacity. Currently, it can store 100 units of energy, no matter how this would be made up Pure or already transformed, Essence Mass. The current capacity has a 1:1 ratio between these two forms. :::¡­]


    Lucien didn''t miss the way the system phrased its answer. The ''current capacity'' suggested that either the ratio, the total amount that could be stored, or maybe both could be changed in some way in the future.


    Although he would have gladly continued his mental conversation, he knew he already spent too much time, and had to come back to the real world. With his current task finished he wanted to get back to the cottage and spend a bit of time with himself to reflect on all the changes. He still had many updates that he wanted to check and understand, but they all had to wait until he was safe and alone once again.


    Coming back to his senses, Lucien lightly shook his head, and stood back up. Turning around, he looked at Sera, who seemed to be patiently waiting for him. She had the same gentle expression coloring her jade-like face as she spoke up once she met the boy''s gaze.


    "Are you ready? Shall we continue? We still haven''t touched the guns and the melee weapons¡­" She asked, pulling the bag in front of her.


    Lucien, however, shook his head.


    "No. We¡­" He coughed, fixing his phrase before continuing. " *khm*¡­ I need to head back and rest. I feel¡­ spent after this encounter."


    "Spent?" Sera smiled upon hearing his words as if she saw behind the small lie. Still, she decided not to push about it any further and simply nodded her head, as she pulled the zipper up on the bag and closed it before throwing it back on her back. "Sure, no problem, let''s go back then. We can always continue tomorrow, there is no need to hurry."


    Taking a moment, she looked up at the sky, as if she wanted to see through the thick canopy of the trees, before squinting her eyes and sighing.


    "We still have around a week before we would need to leave this place. You should spend that time to the best of your abilities."


    Then, she turned around and looked towards the direction she came from.


    "Come, Lucien, let''s go back then. Rest up in the afternoon as I still have something to show you tonight." A bit of melancholy could be heard in her voice, despite her best efforts to hide them, push it back down, Lucien could still feel it.


    After all, such negative emotions, feelings, and depressive thoughts were basically home territory for him.


    He looked at the girl with interest, however, he did not ask anything. He silently nodded, only muttering a curt "Uhm" as he walked up to her right side, keeping up with her pace as they left the forest and ended their first little venture.


    There was a lot to process and check, Lucien was content with his first adventure, already looking forward to what tomorrow could bring. He wanted to focus on stronger beasts from now on, and not waste time and energy on these almost worthless critters. Besides giving a new page in this still unexplored ''Creature Library'' and the bonus EP he gained through the full consumption, they gave basically nothing.


    Apart from that, he had two new skills to check and learn how they worked beside the newly unlocked ''Essence Pool''¡­ There were many objectives to investigate besides assimilating the gains. His afternoon was looking to be quite busy!


    ¡ª


    "Hmm¡­ It seems that he was rescued, they escaped after pushing the boss'' Enhanced Elite Team back."


    Sitting in front of a laptop, Dr. Frida was watching the video recording of Lucien''s last ''meeting'' between her ex-boss, Mr. Jacobson, and his squad of Enhanced Soldiers.


    These warriors were all from the first generation, they all received the same first version of her serum. Although it did provide them enhanced physical traits, it turned them into these cold, emotionless shells. They had no, free will at all, they were more like simplistic flesh-made robots, a sort of androids, following simple directives, obeying their master''s every order without hesitation or needless questions.


    Whilst this all sounded more than awesome, as it essentially created the perfect super soldier, there was one slight issue with it. Among deriving the subjects of their free will, it also corrupted their nervous system. They lost all sensations, touch, pain, sense of hot and cold¡­


    At the same time, tests showed that the serum acted as a malignant tumor, a type of cancer; it continued to destroy the healthy cells in the subject''s body, gradually eating up its health, and ultimately killing it. This process was irreversible, and uncurable, causing these soldiers to die prematurely, giving them a ''relatively low expiry date of 2 years.''


    Still, Dr. Frida didn''t care about them. In her eyes, they were failed products, early stages in her grand research, expendable objects, nothing more than merchandise.


    Her second version, the upgraded, improved formula that was aimed to resolve these critical issues were never completed. At least not officially, she never handed the completed work over to the boss, she kept it to herself.


    Looking at the screen paused on the unknown blonde woman, surrounded by the majestic holy, white light, Dr. Frida was smirking. She wasn''t concerned, no, on the contrary, she was elated, gleeful.


    Whilst focusing her attention on the rough image of this newcomer on the cat and mouse game she was about to start with her dear little test subject Lucien, she held a vial of dark, purple-colored liquid, swirling it in her delicate hand, as a subconscious action.


    She was in a messy, run-down, disgusting room. The wallpaper was hanging like the leafy branches of a sad willow, holes, and grime of unknown substances decorated it. Beside the wooden table and chair, a single squeaky bed was the only piece of furniture.


    There was a single squared window that gave little-to-no sight, overlooking the neighboring building, you could only look at the top-right edge of the bright red neon sign of the adjacent structure.


    Despite these cruel conditions, Dr. Frida didn''t mind it one bit. Her only focus was to catch up and reunite with her little escapee and resume her research. The shelter didn''t really matter to her, as she only needed it temporarily.


    Tonight, she would rest in this pigsty, no matter how disgusting it was, and tomorrow she would descend to the dark underworld of the Big City and find herself a new base of operations.


    After all, if she wanted to continue her life''s work, she needed a suitable place¡­


    As for the many dangers that the darkness, hiding below the surface could hold¡­ Well, they have yet to meet the true terror, a real demon.


    "Mafia, thugs, and whatnot¡­ Hmpf! We''ll see who should be wary of the other!" She smirked, raising the vial in front of her mouth and swiftly gulping its contents down.

 Chapter 35 - 35 - The Hunter

    After a relatively short and silent trek back to the wooden cottage, Lucien walked back to the room he woke up in and closed the door behind him. Although the journey back was uneventful, he felt strange pulses, faint heartbeats all around him. It was strange, and honestly, quite disturbing, only once they left the forest did these noises seemed to calm down.


    As if aware of his current troubled state, Sera didn''t bother starting up any conversation and remained silent and smiling throughout their return, only reminding the boy briefly about her plans for the night before he closed the door to his room behind him.


    As soon as he was finally alone, Lucien hurried towards the bed in the room and sat down on its edge.


    Before testing out the system''s hibernation feature and letting it do its due course, he had a couple of updates to check.


    Focusing his mind, he willed for the system to bring up the Skill Description Screen for the first passive skill he gained, the ''Sense Prey''


    A moment later, the dark screen appeared, with the familiar interface.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Sense Prey :::¡­


    Category: Passive Skills - Rank 1 - Progress: 0 EP - Depth: 0


    Description: Spread out your sharpened senses around your body creating a 10-meter radius aura around yourself. Life forms, that could be counted as prey could no longer remain hidden once they enter this aura of awareness.


    Mechanics: Every animal and or critter creature that is below your power level will be automatically spotted, making you aware of their exact location. The skill is passive thus does not require energy to remain active.


    Note: The skill is passive, thus it does not actively require any energy to remain in effect. However, keep in note that in case you enter the ''Weakened'' state (The remaining energy goes to 0), all passive abilities will temporarily deactivate. :::¡­]


    Reading through the skill''s description, the realization hit Lucien, he now realized that the strange disturbances he saw and felt around him in the forest were most likely a result of this skill''s being in effect.


    However, unlike what the page said, this feeling, the noise wasn''t clear, it was faint, barely audible. Also, he didn''t exactly ''saw'' the creatures, he only felt the beating of their hearts¡­ Although they may have been the result of him not focusing on them at that point and was trying his best to ignore them, shut them off completely.


    He would have to pay more attention to the effects of this skill in the future to understand how it worked exactly. Still, it will surely be a welcome addition to his repertoire, and could already imagine many possible future uses, especially if he could somehow alter the skill''s range.


    Also, the previously encrypted section seemed to have been made available. The ''Depth'' was a new term, that he had no idea what it could have meant.


    ''System, what does ''Depth'' mean? What does it represent?'' He asked mentally in the next second.


    Instantly, the screen changed, formulating an already prepared response.


    [¡­::: Depth is the current maximum level of investment you made related to the skill in the Essence Pool. The level 0 means that the host has made no investment currently, the skill has not been enhanced, changed, or evolved. :::¡­]


    ''Doesn''t progress essentially shows the same? I honestly thought that it served a similar purpose¡­'' Confused by the system''s answer, Lucien inquired further.


    [¡­::: Progress is the total invested amount of Entropy Points the host spent in the skill''s Entropy Tree in the Essence Pool. Reaching a certain amount is the base requirement to evolve the skill into its next rank and stage. :::¡­]


    ''This is too difficult¡­'' Lucien sighed helplessly, clearly not understanding what the system was explaining.


    Deciding to not bother with it for now and focus on it more once he got to check out this new feature, he focused on the other skill he received, his first active one, the Warg Rush.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Bestial Rush :::¡­


    Category: Active Skills - Rank 1 - Progress: 0 EP - Depth: 0


    Description: Guide your rage and ferocity towards driving your muscles into overdrive, causing a sudden surge in your speed. Charge forward with an increased speed and momentum!


    Mechanics: Channeled Skill. Gain a 20% increase to your movement speed at the base cost 20% of your maximum energy and a continuous 1% every second as long as the skill is active.


    Note: Active Skills can be activated and deactivated by the host''s mental command. :::¡­]


    A smile began to appear and curve higher and higher on Lucien''s face as he continued reading through his first active skill''s details.


    He could barely sit still, he wanted to immediately stand up and run out to test the skill out! He wanted to play with it and understand how he could activate it and deactivate it. Eventually, he managed to reign in his childish elation and calm down. He would have the chance to do it later, for now, he needed to quickly finish up his remaining tasks, and begin assimilating the gains.


    There were many dangers, his time here in this safe space was limited. He needed to gain strength and power as fast as possible and as much as possible in order to stay safe.


    Also, besides gaining power, he also needed to solve the matter of how his enemies could track him. Somehow, they managed to find his trace and he brought harm and damage upon those that wanted nothing more than to help him.


    He felt that this was something he could follow up with the blonde woman, Sera. She seemed to be quite experienced and knowledgeable, not to mention powerful. For a being such as her to remain hidden within the modern society, she had to have some means he could also rely on.


    Thinking about the elderly pair that suffered so brutally just because he was in their house, caused Lucien to frown, and clench his fists with anger. He would not let such a thing happen again. He would protect those that are close to him and take just revenge on those that wished him and those that are close to him harm.


    With the help of this system, he will continue to grow stronger, gain strength, evolve¡­ and do whatever necessary!


    ¡ª


    The sound of splashes reverberated through the long, dark tunnel. A large, graceful figure walked forward, his dark, brown leather boot splashing into the thin layer of sewage water that streamed towards the darkness.


    A pale brown fur coat covered most of his body, just barely kept above the ground level and relatively clean. Dark jeans and black kevlar chest laid underneath the furry outer layer, he was holding a pair of strange, archaic-looking pistols in each of his hands, raised up, ready to lay waste to any threat that would have the gall to ambush him.


    He had short silver hair and a matching thick, full, scruffy white beard. He wore a stern look on his face looking deep into the darkness stretching out in front of him. A vertical cut ran across his left eye, a remembrance, a memento of past wars or conquests that left its gushing remark to remain forever etched into history. A couple of smaller scabs adorned this veteran soldier''s battle-hardened, rough-looking visage.


    His mouth that was constantly chewing on something stopped for a moment and he spat out something that was charcoal black and grimy.


    Although it was silent, he felt the slight change in the air. He cocked back the metal pins on both of his guns with his thumbs, readying it to fire their deadly projectiles. The stern look morphed into a scowl, as his eyes focused on the void ahead of him.


    "Come, you bastard¡­ Don''t make me get to you!" He muttered with his croaky, guttural voice.


    As if answering his whisper, in the next moment, a screech rebounded in the tunnel, sending small ripples across the surface of the filthy water. A pair of almond-shaped blood red eyes appeared, the owner of the hideous war cry, its body remaining in the shroud of the shadows.


    Immediately, a loud explosive sound rang out, followed by a blinding light. The pair of archaic-looking guns'' triggers were pulled, they violently spewed out their round-shaped silver metallic ball-like projectiles towards the direction of the creature.


    Before the owner of the strange, eerie pair of eyes had a chance to react, the metal bullets already made contact with its body, plunging deep into its skin. It shrieked in pain one last time before a loud thump signaled the premature end of its clash with this mysterious aged fellow.


    "F*ck you to you too." The man spat out a response before he lowered his guns and grabbed the small leather pouch hanging from the left side of his belt. He pulled out two new silvery, round metal balls from it along with a strange small vial filled with something that looked incredibly similar to gunpowder.


    He spat another dark grimy ball of saliva as he began reloading his weapons.


    "F*cking garkains making me waste these precious bullets¡­" He grumbled with a frown on his bearded face.

 Chapter 36 - 36 - Prospects Of The Future

    Looking at the corpse, the old man couldn''t help but frown when he looked at the hideous sight. Even after more than 3 decades of being in this ''business'', he just couldn''t get used to these hideous, horrific creatures.


    Don''t misunderstand, he wasn''t afraid of them. Not even the slightest, but merely disgusted at how they looked.


    Garkains, were a type of vampiric beasts, a hideous, horrific type of bloodsucking monster that would give the cryptologist a run for their money, that''s for sure. They were large bipedal creatures between 7 to 9 feet tall. What made their sight disgusting and disturbing was their constantly oiled, hairless, wrinkled dark brown skin. It was unlike anything else, it looked as if it was dripped to a bucket of some oily substance, and then loosely put back on them. It was as if their own skins didn''t fit their bodies, but instead, it was at least a size bigger, causing these baggy air pockets to appear. All of their fingers be it on their fore and hind limbs ended with short and sharp, ebony claws.


    Still, despite the disturbing sight of their bodies, it wasn''t even their worst feature. No. Their heads, or more like that hellish-looking faces was what took the crown in that regard. From a first glance, they looked like a hellish hybrid, an unnatural cross between a rat, a bat, and a dog or more likely, a wolf. They had a ball-shaped head, with a long nose stretching out at the front, and two antennae-like sharp, pointy ears at the top. Their mouth, that stretched out along with their noses had long white fangs in their front with an additional set of sharp row of teeth matching the traits of a natural predator.


    Despite being classified as vampiric beasts, blood wasn''t the only thing they enjoyed eating. No, they often ate the whole bloodied flesh as well, leaving only the skin and bones behind. Still, while they enjoyed the taste of flesh, they needed a steady supply of fresh blood to survive.


    They preferred dark, damp places like this sewer system, only coming out from their hideouts during the cover of the night to grab the occasional unlucky sod that went too close to one of the gutter covers that they laid in ambush.


    Like cockroaches, and even the rats their faces partly resembled, they were pretty hard to get completely rid of. Even now, as it looked dead, it was capable of regenerating and waking up a couple of hours later. Sure, it would be much weaker and hungrier, it would most likely survive, even after being shot by weapons such as the ones the old man was carrying.


    Whilst not completely certain, it seemed the fire was the only way to completely get rid of them.


    Reaching for his right chest pocket, the old bearded man pulled out a box of matches. He pulled out one match, lit it, and without hesitation threw it on the body of the Garkain whilst jumping back a step.


    Instantly as the lit match hit the Garkain, a huge flame flared up, covering the entire body immediately. The fire burned with an uncanny intensity, and seemingly with much greater heat than one would expect, as the body was quickly being burned away, remaining only ashes after only a few minutes.


    This strange, mysterious scene didn''t seem to phase the old man at all, he continued watching the burning corpse with the same sternness. Only after the corpse was turned into ash and the fire died down just as fast as it flared up, did his expression change.


    He scoffed, spitting another black grimy saliva in the pile of ash, scattering it away, before walking over it.


    "Disgusting creatures¡­ I hope I can find some clues at the very least, otherwise, I will be pretty pissed and will have a few words with that disgrace of a priest." He grumbled as he continued venturing ever-deeper into the ominous darkness.


    There were no traces of fear on his face, but instead, the sparks of determination and maybe a hint of concern could be seen shining in his eyes¡­ He gripped his archaic pistols tightly as he continued on¡­


    ¡ª


    ''Before giving myself into the system''s whims and let it do whatever it wants with my body to grow it stronger, I should at least take a peek at this supposed Creature Library.'' Lucien thought as he sat on the edge of his bed. Although he was eager to get started, it wouldn''t be good to ignore anything the system offered. He still had two features he had to check out, and whilst the Essence Pool seemed to be the more important one, he wanted to cross out this other one as well.


    Who knows, maybe it would be just as important?


    Making the decision, he looked in front of himself and gave a mental command to the system to bring up this newly unlocked feature.


    Immediately, the black, translucent screen appeared in front of him, with the now-familiar blood-red letters rapidly swirling, reorganizing themselves to their predetermined places.


    A couple of seconds passed before the system finalized and brought up a new interface. However, before that, there was a message from the system awaiting him.


    [¡­::: Creature Library :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Greetings, host. Welcome to the Prime Evolver System''s Stored Essence And Bloodline Bank, or the Creature Library in short.


    This section stores the growing database of the various creatures, beasts, monsters, and all other types of living existences that the host has successfully synthesized. Note, unlocking the complete page may require more than one complete assimilation of relevant mass and essences.


    Below Host will see only the currently unlocked categories. To complete the list, the host is advised to continue absorbing new examples.


    Also note, that the library is a critical requirement for the host to continue growing stronger. :::¡­]


    Lucien frowned as he read through the message. The system basically was forcing him on a very dark path. It wanted him to continue with hunting, killing, and using his horrific features to absorb the flesh of the dead. Just what kind of monster was he turning into? Was doing all of this, really okay? Was relying on this strange, and mysterious system¡­ this ''other one'' inside him, was truly the good choice, the correct path to take?


    Before he could descend even further into self-doubt, a notification rang inside his mind, causing a new, smaller screen to appear atop the current one, bringing forward its new notification.


    [¡­::: New Task Received! :::..]


    [¡­::: 2) Grow and expand the Creature Library! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 2) Continue Expanding the Creature Library with new pages! (3 / 5) :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 2) Rewards: Power Stage Rank Evolution :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Note: While there is no time limit on the task. The Host is advised to focus on it if he plans to survive once he is forced to leave Pocket Space Eden-N03 (Type: Sub-Dimension - Class: F). :::¡­]


    The notification brought forward his second task given by the system, this time aimed to the expansion of this creature library. Strangely though, he already had 3 out of the required 5 pages already registered, giving him significant progress right from the start.


    Still, this wasn''t the biggest surprise that was revealed to him. Not even the reward that mentioned something that he theorized should be related to the Rank that was displayed next to the Power Stage in the system. He had no idea what they really meant or what the numbers there represented, but he was sure that filling the progress bar would only be beneficial to his growth.


    The biggest shock was the note that came as the last line. Ignoring the slightly sarcastic remark, the system seemed to be able to recognize and also categorize this hidden world.


    He couldn''t help but ask the system once he read it.


    "System, what does this Eden-N03 mean? How did you identify it?"


    [¡­::: Every Pocket Space or Pocket World has a unique energy signature, a defining characteristic. This can be felt all around in the air and be identified with the relevant knowledge and skill. :::¡­]


    Before Lucien could ask anything, the system seemed to understand his thoughts and updates itself, giving another note.


    [¡­::: Currently the host is too weak to feel these small energy fluctuations, and has no access to them. The host needs to continue growing stronger if he wishes to interact with its parameters, read or make modifications to it. :::¡­]


    Once again, Lucien was stunned by what he had just learned. He could make changes to a whole world like this? What would that make him? Its ruler, its god?


    The thoughts and implications of it were almost making him dizzy. He shook his head to dismiss such pointless thoughts. Just as the system said, whilst it was fine to dream, the reality was that he was probably nowhere near to do feats such as the system talked about.


    He smiled at himself wryly, shifting his attention back on the system''s screen, and dismissed the text.. He watched with much greater interest than before as the Creature Library screen slowly appeared in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 37 - 37 - Assimilation

    Lucien watched with apt attention as the bloodied, ominous letters appeared and slowly took their respective spots on the floating dark, translucent system screen. What he thought was just an interesting but mostly useless feature of the system, grew in importance a lot after their brief discussion.


    It seemed that this feature of the system was one of the key requirements in terms of power. Whilst gaining attributes and increasing his physical traits were important, Lucien was fully aware that the true strength, the true power meant more than that. He understood the importance of growing his connection with this still cryptic other self of his, but his previous gains were nothing much.


    Now, although the system was heavily emphasizing the importance of the Library, Lucien at least felt some excitement as the screen has slowly appeared.


    [¡­::: Creature Library :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Available Categories:


    < Critters >


    < Magical Beasts > :::¡­]


    "Well¡­ Not much to see, but I guess that''s understandable. Well, let''s see the two critters first." He mumbled as he focused his mind on the Critters option. A moment later the screen updated, bringing up a list of choices that currently only had two options to choose from.


    They were the two critters he had killed and fully absorbed earlier: the ''Forest Squirrel'' and the ''Forest Hare''. Lucien picked the Squirrel first, watching as the outline of the creature appeared in red, and below it, a detailed description and even some other, interesting tidbits of text.


    [¡­::: Creature Page - Forest Squirrel :::¡­]


    Completion: 80%


    Level: 0


    Category: Critters


    ¡­::: Description :::¡­


    A small rodent with a slender body, bushy tails, and large eyes, sporting short, soft, and silky fur. The color of the fur is highly variable, ranging from milky white, gray, yellow, red, orange, brown or even black in some rare cases.


    ¡­::: Statistics :::¡­


    STR: *


    AGI: **


    STA: *


    ¡­::: Skills :::¡­


    ????


    ¡­::: Behaviour :::¡­


    Forest Squirrels are extremely vocal with one another. They often flee from anything they deem as a potential threat. :::¡­]


    To Lucien''s great surprise there were still parts of locked content inside the little critters Library page. Also, there was a strange categorization of its statistics, which he couldn''t understand.


    ''System, what do the stars next to the creature''s attribute mean?'' Thirsty for knowledge, Lucien immediately voiced his question mentally.


    As expected already, a new, smaller window appeared atop the other one, with the system''s response, which, considering the nigh-instantaneous appearance, was probably already prepared.


    [¡­::: Attributes are defining traits of the creatures. They range from one star, which is the lowest, negligible to all the way to ten stars which would be the highest possible. :::¡­]


    "I see¡­ And what about the still locked section. Why can''t I see all?"


    [¡­::: The Host hasn''t consumed enough essence for the system to fully complete the analysis. The host is advised to gather more examples if he wishes to complete them. :::¡­]


    "But, if that is the case, how can it be already counted in the task''s progress?" He asked, slightly confused at the system''s latest response. If the page was not completed, why was it counted? Shouldn''t he complete each page first? "Also, what happens if I complete the pages and reach a 100% completion rate?"


    The system''s response, despite the multiple questions, was immediate again.


    [¡­::: For the page to be registered as a new entry, only 50% completion would be needed. Full completion of each page would grant further benefit and growth in the host''s skills and abilities. :::¡­]


    "I still don''t understand what this all means¡­" Lucien helplessly sighed, waving his hand dismissively and selecting the second entry in the Critters category, the Forest Hare.


    [¡­::: Creature Page - Forest Hare :::¡­]


    Completion: 80%


    Level: 0


    Category: Critters


    ¡­::: Description :::¡­


    A slightly bigger version of the rabbits with taller hind legs and longer ears. Commonly carrying brown, or lighter tones of fur depending on the climate they are found in.


    ¡­::: Statistics :::¡­


    STR: *


    AGI: **


    STA: *


    ¡­::: Skills :::¡­


    ????


    ¡­::: Behaviour :::¡­


    Hares spend most of their time foraging. They often make their nests burrowed into the ground, at the base of trees or rocks. When confronted by predators they rely on their natural speed on outrunning them in the open. :::¡­]


    Similar to the squirrels, this page was also missing any entries from its skills section, making Lucien wonder about what potential skills could he gain from them. Once again, his thinking proved wrong, as even these worthless-looking ones carried some hidden surprises.


    "Maybe I need to hunt more, or perhaps search for some rare versions? Not sure¡­" Lucien mumbled, as he navigated through the system''s interface and selected the Magical Beasts'' category.


    Just like previously, the list expanded, although it only had one possible entry this time, the Black Warg.


    [¡­::: Creature Page - Black Warg (Common) :::¡­]


    Completion: 85%


    Level: 3


    Category: Magical Beasts


    ¡­::: Description :::¡­


    A larger and more ferocious evolved version of wolves. They have short, black fur and large yellow eyes. They are fearsome predators, hunting mostly alone, unlike their distant relatives that could mostly be seen in packs. Their strength and speed are best kept in mind, being caught off-guard will most certainly spell certain doom to the unwary.


    ¡­::: Statistics :::¡­


    STR: **


    AGI: ****


    STA: ***


    ????


    ¡­::: Skills :::¡­


    Sense Prey, Bestial Rush, ????


    ¡­::: Behaviour :::¡­


    Black Wargs hunt and travel alone, a big contrast to their distant counterparts. They are incredibly hostile and will attack even stronger beasts. :::¡­]


    Interestingly, this page had a new fourth attribute added, but just like on his own status screen, it was still encrypted, hidden. Also, while he already gained two skills, it seemed that these feral beasts still had more to provide, making Lucien wonder what could they be. Although finding the answer to this question would undoubtedly have to wait, as he was clear that he wasn''t nearly strong enough to contend with them.


    Reading through the available entries, Lucien gained quite a bit of new knowledge, he also raised several new questions in the process.


    ''It seems I will need to continue hunting¡­'' He sighed, realizing that his remaining time in this place would be spent with either hunting or recuperating and processing the gains. He had quite a bit to achieve.


    He sighed again, closing off the system''s screen completely. Although there was still one more feature that he had yet to inspect, and it may be even more detailed and in-depth, he had already spent almost an hour of his available daytime, Lucien needed to shift his focus and start assimilating all of the essences that his system had stored. He was unsure of how much time he would need, he felt too eager to finally feel the sense of growth, he wanted to feel stronger, faster¡­


    He climbed up on his bed and laid down on it. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, even if it seemed like an impossible task with all the thoughts and troubles that kept tormenting him.


    Taking a long, slow breath, he slowly began to exhale after a few seconds of keeping it in his diaphragm. Along with it, he gave the mental command to the system.


    ''System, begin the assimilation process!''


    Even though there was no verbal response, in the next moment, Lucien felt the increase in weight of his eyelids. He felt a shift in his mind, he felt his consciousness rapidly slipping away from his grasp.


    A few seconds later, he was no longer conscious, he descended into a dreamless sleep. The system-induced temporary hibernation kicked in, knocking out Lucien in mere seconds.


    As soon as it happened, his body began to tremble and convulse. The veinous system in his body swelled up and darkened, the dark tendrils spread all around his body, covering the boy''s body in a halo.


    His body was assimilating the changes, increasing the density of his muscle mass, altering his DNA¡­ enhancing, evolving Lucien further¡­


    ¡ª


    Whilst Lucien entered into a deep sleep, at the other side of his door, the blonde-haired mature woman, Sera was looking in his direction from her chair. Her eyes and her entire body were basked in the same, white, colorless light, this holy aura. The faint, hollow image of a pair of feathery wings could be seen from her back, and whilst one would think that they were mere illusions and consequently immaterial, that wasn''t the case. Their shape slightly distorted as it came into contact with the wooden backrest of the chair.


    Sera was focusing her attention, her gaze towards Lucien''s room. The faint traces of something resembling a smile appeared on her face when Lucien finally climbed atop the bed and closed his eyes.


    She felt as his consciousness left him, and he entered a strange coma. Her smile curved even higher when she noticed the changes happening to his body when she felt the fluctuations of his aura. Just like her master has taught and explained to her, he was currently growing and enhancing his body.


    All the beasts he absorbed, all the flesh and energy he took in, had to be processed and added into his ever-growing mass. After each hunting session, he would grow stronger, better¡­ Closer to the man, she used to look up to, adore¡­ and most importantly: Love.


    ''Don''t worry Master. I will not let the same fate befall you again.. I will save you!" She mumbled to herself with determination, clenching her fists.

 Chapter 38 - 38 - Bursting With Power

    The sky was already ablaze with the fire of the setting sun by the time when the system finished its process, assimilated all the gains of the day with his body, and began the process of bringing its host back from the forced deep sleep.


    As the night began to stretch across the horizon, creeping higher and engulfing Eden-N03 with its eternal dark tendrils, Lucien''s closed eyelids began to flutter. The dark, swollen, protruding halo of veins have already returned to their normal, healthy color and receded back to their original state.


    Although he felt no pain, Lucien''s mind was still hazy, he felt dazed. There was a strange numbness still in his body that needed a bit of time before he fully regained control over his own self. His head and with it, his facial features being the first to give control back to him, his eyelids trembled slightly as they slowly parted, revealing a pair of dark brown irises.


    "Argh¡­ This is surprisingly unpleasant¡­" He groaned, trying to lift his hands, only to find that he was still incapable of doing so. "System¡­ What is going on?"


    Feeling lost about the current situation, Lucien didn''t waste time and ask the supposed culprit of his current predicament, the system for answers.


    Instantly, in the next moment the dark, translucent system screen appeared out of thin air, floating gently above him. Its already prepared message was displayed on it, he did not need to wait for it.


    [¡­::: What the host is experiencing is perfectly normal. There is a short delay as the host regains control over his body. There is nothing wrong.


    While the host is waiting for the effects to wear off, the host is advised to check up on the changes. :::¡­]


    ''Well¡­ It''s not like I can do anything else at the moment¡­ System, bring up my Status!'' He frowned, mumbling inwardly, before giving the command to the system. A moment later the screen flashed, as the letters reassembled into a new formation, while new ones also appeared one after another. A few seconds later, he was greeted with his status.


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 0.5% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    * ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 15.26% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 10.1%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 12


    ****


    * ????????????????????????: 13 / 13 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    * ????????????????????????: 11 / 11 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    * ????????????????????????????????: 3.26


    * ????????????????????????????: 1.87


    * ????????????????????????????: 3.77


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????: 0%


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????? ???????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????????????? ????????????? (???????????????????????? - ????????????? 1)


    :::¡­]


    The initial frown he had, gradually transformed into a surprised smile as he read further and further and saw all the changes. There were quite a few things he wanted to ask and understand, but before he could even do so, a new smaller screen appeared atop the other one, with a long log of messages giving him all the information he would have probably wanted to ask.


    [¡­::: Due to your actions, the synchronization rate with ??§Ô???? have been strengthened. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Checking the state of ??§Ô????¡­ Stabilizing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 11.03%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 11.50%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 12.00%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 13.00%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    .


    .


    .


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 15.00%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 15.50%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 15.53%¡­ Stable! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Surpassed 15.00% Synchronization¡­ Current Symbiosis State: Mutualism¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: System Milestone Reached: + 0.5% System Version Awarded. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 2 New Strains Synthesized, Strengthening Host Body¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Host Health and Energy has been updated according to entropy formula¡­ :::¡­]


    As he read through all the changes, Lucien couldn''t help but be amazed by what had transpired why he was asleep. He had no idea what caused the change in the state of his synchronization, nor did he understand what that all meant, but it seemed to have even affected the System''s own Version as well. Still, he had no idea if that was good or bad. He knew nothing about what those all meant.


    As for the last two lines in the log, it seemed that by growing stronger, the system has also updated his health and energy.


    His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he suddenly felt the life return to him, and that he could finally feel that he had regained full control of his own body. At first, he felt no changes, which caused the small frown to make its appearance once again, but that quickly faded, replaced by shock, when he tried pushing himself up from the bed.


    Suddenly the simple, natural action caused him to exert an unexpected amount of force, causing the frame to crack and for him to fall down on the ground instead of rolling to the side.


    Surprised by this change, Lucien sat up, looking at his hands, flabbergasted and shocked.


    "What the¡­" He tried to scan through himself, surprised to see that he seemingly grew a bit. He wasn''t certain, but he did feel slightly taller than before as if he gained a couple of inches. At the same time, his body wasn''t as scrawny as before, it now had a visible tone, a healthy amount of muscle could be seen spread evenly around his entire body.


    When he pulled up his shirt, he could also spot the thin, faint traces of the muscled bumps in his stomach region. He had abs! Whilst he never had any chance to grow a substantial amount of fat, it was still the first time he saw such a version of himself.


    "Is this¡­ Is this all thanks to all the gains?" He muttered to himself, unable to accept such a sudden change. As he moved his arms and legs and twisted his torso, looking around and inspecting his own body, he felt that he did feel a change in himself.


    He felt healthier¡­ more energetic as if he was bursting with power, ready to charge ahead and run around. He felt a need to do something, he couldn''t spend any more time wasting away in this room.


    As the shock slowly passed, a bright smile emerged on Lucien''s face. Without wanting to waste any more time, he reached for the doorknob and pushed against it¡­ Only to break the lock and almost completely break the door.


    "Still getting used to the changes, Lucien?" Sera''s figure appeared in the short hallway, gently smiling at the emerging boy''s apologetic expression.


    "Yes¡­ Sorry about the door. I¡­" Feeling that he needlessly caused trouble to this woman, who did nothing so far but to help him, Lucien felt guilt for the first in his life. He wanted to apologize.


    After everything that happened, he felt that he could trust this woman, and accept the offered help. At the very least, he should accept the offered hand, and should not continue acting so cold and distant to the one person that could really help him achieve his goal. When he now looked at Sera''s smiling face, his usual rigid thoughts changed.


    Although he wasn''t aware of it, subconsciously, with the changes happening to him, and as his connection with his other self was growing stronger and more stable, his mindset was slowly being affected¡­


    Whilst the changes weren''t too drastic, he felt a sense of familiarity when he now looked at the blonde girl. Her smile no longer felt disturbing, threatening even, but it filled him with a strange sensation of warmth¡­.


    "Don''t worry about that old door, Lucien! It was already busted, it was high time to repair it anyway!" Sera chuckled, waving her right hand dismissively, before motioning for Lucien. "Come, let''s sit down and tell me, how do you feel? The first time can be quite disorienting¡­ confusing even. This was your first time growing stronger after all! Let me check you and make sure there are no abnormalities left behind!"


    This time, unlike before, Lucien didn''t feel bothered at all, he simply nodded whilst looking at his hand, still holding the metal knob, unsure of what to do with it. Seeing this, Sera warmly smiled, stepping closer to the boy and reaching for his hand.


    "You can give that to me, Lucien. Don''t worry about it, I will fix the door later!" She chuckled as she grabbed the metallic object. With that, she turned around and walked towards the only spacious room in the small cottage, the living room, with Lucien following behind.


    "Now come here and sit down in this chair." She pulled a chair, placing it in front of herself. "I want to check if you are really okay, and that there are no issues! I presume you want to go back hunting tomorrow once again, right?"


    "Actually¡­" Lucien raised his hand, wanting to speak up, but once again, before he had the chance, Sera already shook her head and declined the boy''s bubbling idea.


    "No, you can''t go out right now. I know you feel energetic and that you have this newly gained power, ready to burst out of you, but you have to try to keep it down for now. Whilst this is a relatively safe space, there are still some dangers out there that you are not ready to face yet." She advised, before tapping the seat in front of her once again.


    "Now, be good, and let this auntie check you!"

 Chapter 39 - 39 - Anger And Annoyance

    *THUD!*


    With a loud thump, another one of these horrific, nightmarish predators fell to the ground.


    Without any care, the old man stepped over the corpse while pulling out another one of those mysterious matches from its holder, lit it, and threw it behind him. He didn''t even wait to see as the Garkain was instantly engulfed in the flames of the raging fire.


    Instead, he clicked his tongue and frowned with annoyance, as he reached inside the leather bag.


    "F*ck¡­ These rats are swarming everywhere! I''m out of bullets¡­ How annoying¡­"


    Realizing that he used up all his prepared ammunition, he flipped his pistols, putting them away in their holsters.


    "I am way too old for this¡­" He grumbled as he raised his arms, crumpling back his sleeves, revealing a pair of metallic bracers shining with the same silvery hue as the bullets before. Whilst most of the wrist looked simple and normal, the section below the wrist suggested some kind of device or a hidden tool. A slight bump, a little silver-like small box was attached, protruding back against his arm for a couple of inches.


    "I should get longer weapons. With these small blades, I will be bathed by that disgusting slime before I reach their f*cking nest!"


    After a couple more seconds of hushed cursing at how unlucky he was, the old man sighed, and looked forward, the ever-stretching darkness ahead. Although he was crossing deeper and deeper for hours now, leaving behind dozens of corpses, or in this case, piles of ashes, it didn''t seem like he made any progress at all.


    He was still in the exact same-looking part of the city''s sewers. The grimy sewage was still there, as disgusting, and as malodorous as ever. Still, that didn''t seem to bother the old man at all. He continued to silently chew on something, as he scanned the darkness ahead. The only difference was that now his arms were raised in front of his body, as his hands bent backward, giving way to the strange bracelet hanging on his wrist.


    "If I''m going to be covered with their f*cking slime by the time I reach the core, I will beat that alcoholic priest to the next day!" He grumbled again, resuming his trek.


    The eerie darkness and creepy, ominous silence followed him as he slowly but surely ventured towards the deeper sections of this underground urban maze.


    Eventually, the familiar shriek and two pairs of yellowish eyes popped up. Not even a second later, two large bodies, the Garkains appeared in front of the man, lounged in the air. Claws in front, jaws snapped ajar, ready to rip the human apart.


    However, before they reached their dinner, two simultaneous clicking sounds could be heard. Two arms shot forward, each for one of the Garkains crossing through the air.


    The shrieks repeated themselves, this time filled with a gurgling after effect, carrying much less vigor than a moment ago. The two monstrous figures fell down to the ground, just before reaching their delicious-looking target, both reaching towards the bloody incision on their necks.


    They cried out, their voices filled with gurgling blood as their throats rapidly got filled with their own dark, thick, viscous blood.


    "F*cking flying rats! Pfft!" The old man spat on the one on the right, his grimy, black ball of saliva splashed against the beast''s slime-covered torso. He flicked both of his wrists, watching as two small blades snapped back to their hidden, default position.


    As the satisfying clicking sound notified him that the hidden blades are back in their position, a small smirk appeared over the man''s face. He looked at his bracelets a moment longer before he reached for his matchbox and lit up two matches.


    "Gotta admit though¡­ This weapon that priest gave me, does its job perfectly. Two clean strikes, no effort at all!"


    Lighting both fresh corpses on fire, and passing by them, the old man couldn''t help but shake his head as a wry smile stretched across his silvery, bearded face.


    "Jonathan¡­ Jonathan¡­ You really are growing old. Talking to yourself as you casually stroll in sewage full of shit and monsters? Stop playing around, you know why you are here! You have to find her traces!"


    As the painful memory of the last month resurfaced in his mind, the old man, Jonathan, resumed his adventure deeper and deeper into this monster-infested urban labyrinth. As the stern outlook, the focus regained its dominance over his aged face, he reached into his left breast pocket and gently caressed a photo safely tucked away in there¡­


    "Don''t worry my little princess¡­ I will find you even if I have to clean this entire continent of the filth!" He whispered his promise, clenching his fists with the helpless rage he felt.


    ¡ª


    "Master¡­ We have searched for his traces, but after leaving that city we lost their traces¡­"


    A robust-looking bald man was standing in a white small windowless room. Still, despite the lack of natural light, the room, and the hallway in front of it were brightly lit, basking in a blinding colorless light.


    The walls painted bright, pale white, it only added to the discomfort of the bulky man. He was in a bowing, subservient pose standing in front of a similarly white desk, addressing the figure at the other side with a decorous, polite tone.


    He was wearing a black, short-sleeved t-shirt that was stretched thin on his bulging chest. Protruding, swollen veins ran across his perfectly worked biceps, all the way towards his elbow. It was clearly visible that the man had no ounce of fat on his perfectly sculpted body. He had no weapon on him, still, it was a mistake to think he was unarmed.


    No. There was this strange, unexplainable air about him¡­ something unnatural surrounded his figure, keeping him in its invisible embrace.


    A dissatisfied groan could be heard behind the monitors, coming from the other side of the desk.


    "What do you mean, you lost their traces? Scan for his signature! They couldn''t have gone too far! I want my property back!" The Boss, Mr. Jacobson yelled out in anger hearing the report of his subordinate.


    "What''s your designation?"


    "It is E1N045, Sir!" The bald soldier immediately raised his back, exclaiming his designation, or ''name'' whilst throwing a salute.


    "Okay, 45, you do know what happens if you fail to complete the assigned task, I presume?" Mr. Jacobson inquired further, with a hint of threat clear in his voice.


    "Yes sir! I will be deemed faulty, and recycled, to be processed for the next batch!" The soldier exclaimed a response without a hint of worry or fear in his voice. Even though the picture about the potential future fate he painted was grim, he didn''t fear it. He was no longer human, the moment he accepted the contract and took the serum, he was a soldier to his master, a modern toy, a product of the Boss.


    "Good. Then tell me, did any of you find traces of that traitorous b*tch at the very least?"


    "After leaving the lab, she took off towards the City, Sir! We followed her traces for a while, but lost sight of her after she entered a hostel."


    "I see. Did you send out someone to go after her and confirm her position?" The boss man asked, rubbing his stump beard, deep in thought. The betrayal and escape of her trusted aide, Dr. Frida was a huge blow to their work. He could not understand what made her to suddenly pack up and leave with all her research.


    Was it related to the boy? It was true that she seemed quite obsessed with him in recent months, but he never expected that it would reach this level. There were several other usable test subjects in the facility after all. Although the data they got from the boy was the clearest, and his samples were what helped them in producing the Serum¡­ but still, they could have continued with the others currently in Holding¡­


    Thinking about that girl, only made Mr. Jacobson furrow his brows. Raising his attention, he came back to reality, looking at the Enhanced Soldier reporting to him once again.


    "So? Answer the question!"


    "Sir!" The bald soldier nodded, repeating his words he just said a moment ago without hesitation. "E1N015 and E1N006 have been sent out. They should reach the hostel in a few hours! We will know more once they arrive!"


    Reaching for his troubled forehead, Mr. Jacobson rubbed trying to ease the chaotic mess of troubling thoughts that clouded his mind. He waved with his other, free hand dismissively.


    "Okay, you can leave 45. Resume your search for the boy and for that blonde mutant. I want both of them captured in a week." He waved with his hands towards the door. "Leave now, I need to think."


    As the bald soldier left, and the door closed behind him, Mr. Jacobson heaved a pained sigh. He reached for a cane at the side, using it to stand up and walk away from the desk. His steps were wobbly, he seemed to be dragging his left leg, looking much worse than how he looked in their last meeting with the boy and his mysterious guardian angel...


    "I will tear that blonde mutant to pieces when I get my hands on her!" He exclaimed in anger as he slowly wobbled towards the door¡­

 Chapter 40 - 40 - The Calming Breeze

    A couple of hours have gone by in a flash and the daylight was already transforming into the nightly, darker gradient shades. Lucien and Sera were sitting on a cushioned bench on the porch, in front of the little wooden shack.


    Lucien was still feeling slightly uncomfortable from the arduous inspection he had to go through. After waking up from his afternoon ''rest'' Sera didn''t waste time checking every part of his body besides his most precious to make sure there were no abnormalities.


    Whilst her action carried no underlying notion, it was still a pretty difficult process to go through. She rubbed and felt around every inch and square of his body, his newly formed visible abs, his toned, hard chest, the small bulging lines of muscles in his left arm¡­


    Strangely though, as if she was aware of the peculiarities of his right arm, she barely spent any time checking it, he focused more on the other 3 limbs.


    Anyway, after bearing it through, when he thought this torturous session was finally over, he was quickly brought to reality when he felt the familiar warm sensation reach his back and slowly spread out through his body. The energy entered his body, slowly merging with his biomass.


    The system''s notification that came a moment later only served as confirmation, that Sera now used her mysterious holy energy to finish up her check-up.


    [¡­::: Holy Essence absorbed! Restoration not possible, excess energy is being slowly converted to increase current vitality. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Holy Energy is being converted to Health and Energy¡­ Progress: N/A :::¡­]


    .


    .


    .


    [¡­::: Holy Energy is being converted to Health and Energy¡­ Progress: N/A :::¡­]


    This strange line kept repeating every couple of seconds, which although for some reason couldn''t show any progress, still informed him that Sera was still in the midst of scanning the insides of his body, making sure that everything is still stable.


    Though he wasn''t sure if allowing this was a wise choice, as he wasn''t sure that his other self, the source of this strange system was visible under her magical scan or not, in the end, he decided to trust the woman. There was no point for him to still being too suspicious, wary, and guarded against her that much, as everything she did served his benefit only.


    She also probably risked a lot by revealing some of her powers back in the Lewis pair''s home, but she did it without hesitation. Adding to the fact of her tale about this old man, his predecessor, and the careful teachings and assistance in the forest. He could no longer keep up his distant, cold attitude any longer.


    After spending what seemed like almost an hour arduously inspecting everything she could about the boy, she was finally done. She dismissed the bright glow, her holy powers faded and she returned to her normal state.


    As the warmth left Lucien''s body, his eyes slowly peeled open. A small barely perceptible smile was thinning his lips. The last few lines of the system''s message log were particularly interesting, giving Lucien several new thoughts on how to go forward.


    [¡­::: Holy Energy is being converted to Health and Energy¡­ Progress: N/A :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Warning: Energy Transfer interrupted! Conversion Process stopped! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Conversion Process Results: +0.78 Maximum Health, +0.39 Maximum Energy. Updating current values¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Changes has been assimilated, Character Status updated. :::¡­]


    Surprisingly, being subjected to Sera''s energy didn''t only carry restorative traits, but it was also strengthening his vitality.


    After that, they both went out to the porch and sat down on the bench, staring at the calm, tranquil little world this small pocket, a sub-dimension of the real one, untainted, free of corruption from the outside.


    While it still had dangerous predators and even magical beasts, but that was to be expected. Evolution was a constant thing, and as this space is very rich in energy, some of the dominant species would eventually begin to change and transform. The cycle of life was eternal.


    Sitting on the comfy cushion, Lucien slowly closed his eyes, taking in a large gasp of the fresh air. Keeping it down for a couple of brief seconds, he slowly began to exhale it. What he was doing was one of the most basic methods of clearing your mind of thoughts, a sort of basic meditation method.


    He learned the basics in his years back in the orphanage. Reading books was his only pastime, if not counting his barnyard friends. He read a lot of books about eastern culture, he was quite fascinated by their unique outlook on life, their centuries¡­ no, several millennium-old traditions.


    While he also read several books and even novels about their way of life, immortals, cultivation, and whatnot, he always thought nothing more of them than just mere stories, fairy tales that the elders told to their young.


    Still, he couldn''t help but be fascinated by them, he couldn''t help but try them out. The meditation techniques, for example, were one particular subject that was well-grounded, it appeared not just in the fantasies but also in regular studies as well.


    After a while, he learned a few basic principles, most of them aimed at keeping him level-headed, or clearing his head. When he felt his mind and heart being overcome by sadness, sorrow, grief¡­ or any kind of negative emotion, he went somewhere secluded and tried one of these methods.


    This particular breathing technique was one of those he had learned and tried out countless times over the years. Whenever he couldn''t calm down he used this simple breathing technique: Inhale for 4 seconds, keep it in for 4 more seconds before slowly exhaling over the course of 6 seconds. Then rinse and repeat until you could feel its effects.


    After his session with Sera back in the living room, he felt he needed this bit of time, to clear his head from all the ill thoughts and regain his cool. He kept his breathing to the same steady slow rhythm, gradually shutting down all of his senses as his breathing continued.


    Meanwhile, Sera was humming silently, with a gentle, kind smile stretching across her angelic face, elevating her already transcending beauty to new heights. Although she wasn''t looking at the boy, she was still focusing on him, she was carefully monitoring his mental health whilst enjoying the occasional cool breeze that wafted through them.


    She was looking at the distance, watching the seemingly endless stretch of treeline, watching as the bright orange ball of fire slowly kept descending below the horizon.


    By the time, it has ducked more than half of its frame below the surface, its last darker-toned orange, red, and even grayish rays painted a picturesque scene in front of the pair.


    "Take a look around us, Lucien." Finally, Sera broke the long silence, voicing a request whilst keeping her gaze at the distance. A thin, distant smile could be seen edging the corners of her lips, while she had this difficult-to-read expression plastered over her face.


    "What do you mean?" Not sure what to make of the request, Lucien looked at the girl with confusion, waiting for her to explain further.


    There was no change in her outlook as she answered. Her mind seemed as it has embarked on a journey, her voice was fleeting, powerless, a meager whisper going against the nightly wind.


    "Look around you, Aiden. What do you see, what do you feel?" She asked again, however, without waiting for an actual response, she continued on this time. "It is all around us, we are bathed in it, live in it, yet so few of us even realize it. This primal energy, this power¡­ this is life itself. The small particles, essences, energies in the air, this what scientists call as ''Ancient, Cosmic Radiation'', and have yet to understand what it truly is¡­"


    As she got to this point, she heaved a heavy sigh filled with emotions that weighed on her heart, she continued.


    "This is the power, the strength. This is what will change the course of history." She stopped once more and turned to look at the boy, before continuing. Her eyes were slowly turning hazy with tears, she had a very complex look over her face. Lucien felt strange, despite barely understanding anything, he still had a strange, drowsiness entering his mind, turning his head heavier and heavier.


    He felt a numbing sensation, a faint searing pain entering the back of his head, bringing forth strange unfamiliar images from the past.


    He reached for the place where he felt his head hurt, gritting his teeth in the process. Strange, blurry images resurfaced in his mind. He could see distorted visions of looking at Sera''s face from below, carried in her arms. From what he could make out, he seemed to be only a baby, a newborn.


    It seemed to be a late-night, the sky was dark, as she crossed through the streets and alleyways with hasty, hurried steps, zig-zagging through the streets of this strange, yet somehow still a familiar section of what seemed to be like a modern city.

 Chapter 41 - 41 - The Nightly Sky

    Before he could make any more out of the strange vision, the image faded, clarity returned to his mind. As his sight returned to reality, he saw a small change, a tinge of sadness appear over Sera''s face, as she kept looking at the boy.


    As if she was already aware of what had gone down, a wry look replaced her previously complex one, contorting her facial muscles, distorting her outlook filled with unexplained pain and heart-wrenching sorrow.


    "I see. I guess your memories are slowly returning as you are growing stronger." She sighed, averting her eyes, and returning her attention towards the already dark sky.


    She waited a bit, giving time for the boy to come back before she continued under the boy''s stunned gaze.


    "Before Master has left the world, do you know what was the last thing he did?" She asked, as the previously seen pain, continued to dominate her expressions, slowly forcing a smile to appear under its rule.


    Lucien didn''t speak, he was still under the influence of what he saw and consequently what he heard. Instead, he followed her gaze and looked up to the nightly sky.


    Stars dotted the scape, dotting the heaven with countless little shining balls of gold. As he looked at them, Lucien wondered, were they real? Was this only an illusion? They are in a subspace, somewhere hidden, tucked away from the real world. Could what was displayed above be real at all?


    He wasn''t certain, still, he couldn''t deny that the scene was marvelous, magical even.


    After the initial inquiry, her rhetorical-sounding question, Sera didn''t continue, she kept gazing at the stars, just like Lucien.


    Several seconds of silence ensued between the two once again. However, instead of being tense, or awkward, it was soothing, calming even. They both enjoyed, deeply entrenched in their stargazing.


    "Are they real? Or is this simply some illusion?" After what seemed like a few minutes, Lucien voiced his question, keeping his eyes above.


    "They are." Sera commented curtly, waiting for a second before continuing with a slightly changed, sorrowful tone. "You see, before Master left, he was doing the exact same thing we are doing right now."


    "What? Looking at the stars?" He asked with a bit of lingering confusion in his tone. What was she getting at?


    Instead of answering directly, Sera went on, lost in reminiscing her last moments with her one true lord, her Master¡­ her father figure.


    "He was standing alone, his piercing eyes plastered above. He had this strange, distant look on his face, he was already determined. He knew that the ritual that he would do, would be the end of the line for him. He knew that he would need to¡­ rest after completing it, yet he didn''t falter, he didn''t show fear, nor any pain." She explained, continuing after a moment of rest. "The only thing he asked me was what I asked you."


    "You mean, what do I see?" Lucien asked, intrigued by the story. He still didn''t understand where all of this was going, but learning more about his predecessor was something he was quite intrigued about. He had vastly more knowledge and experience dealing with the ''other one'' and more than likely, with the system as well, after all.


    "He asked: ''What do you see when you look at the sky above?''"


    Sera turned her head, looking at the boy briefly, smiling at his continued confusion. She didn''t mind it though, she looked back up to the nightly sky as she continued recounting her tale.


    "I probably had the same look on my face then that you have right now. I didn''t understand what the Master was trying to tell me, nor was I in the right mindset. I was sad, forcing my rising depression down, trying to show him only smiles on his last night." She sighed, letting out another pain-filled gasp of air. "You see, it was incredibly difficult. I wanted nothing more than to run and fall into his embrace¡­ Just one last time."


    "He wasn''t simply a Master to you, was he? From what you are telling, and even from before, I feel there''s more to you two than a simple Master-Servant relationship." Lucien abruptly blurted the question that was in his mind. Although he didn''t mean any ill will, his question could be considered slightly offensive, which he wasn''t aware of.


    Luckily, Sera didn''t mind it and responded with the same smile.


    "Yes, that is true. He was more than just my lord, my Master. He was the one that found me, who¡­ saved me." She spoke, her tone faltering as she was forced to remember her painful past. "He was my only family, my savior, my hero¡­ He was a father to me."


    She turned her head once again, looking at Lucien. Seeing how he was about to ask again she continued.


    "Before you ask, he never showed me anything other than familial love and care. He also regarded me as his daughter. At the end¡­" She couldn''t finish as she had to avert her swiftly blurring gaze and swallow the lump that started to gather in her throat. She turned her attention back to the sky and took a few brief moments before speaking again.


    "Anyway¡­ You still haven''t answered the question, Lucien. What do you see when you look up?"


    He wanted to ask more about the old man, he wanted to learn more about him. Still, even if he was antisocial, he could still understand that it wouldn''t be nice to continue pushing the topic any further. It was clearly not an easy subject for Sera to talk about.


    Lucien looked up once again, watching the countless shining stars as they dotted his vision. He wasn''t sure what to say, he kept focusing, trying to find something that would guide him towards an expected, ''right'' answer. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find anything.


    "I don''t know¡­ I see the stars? The universe?" He probed after a while.


    The previous distant, thin smile returned to Sera''s face after the brief intermission. She gave him a bit more time, before resuming her tale.


    "He looked up and said: I see the trillions upon trillions of shining stars, each carrying their own hopes and dreams. Each may very well nurture life on their own, just like ours. They may be similar to us or may be completely different. They could suffer as we do, or they could strive in their own utopia."


    Lucien creased his eyebrows, not understanding anything about this answer at all. What does that mean? Why was he talking in such a manner? What did the old man mean by all that?


    Seeing his troubled look, the first giggle of the night escaped through Sera''s lips. She looked at the boy filled with familial emotions, speaking in a warm tone.


    "I didn''t understand it at the time either. I still don''t to be honest, but after so many years of lamenting over it, I think I got the gist of what he was trying to explain."


    "And what was that? What did he try to convey?" Lucien asked with impatience. By now, he was invested in her story, he wanted to understand the underlying meaning. What was he trying to say? Why did he leave? What was the whole point of his last actions?


    "He was trying to save us, giving us a second chance. He sacrificed his last bits of strength, in this last chance. By giving away his life and power, he gave us all this hope for the better future."


    Her expression which she hid behind her gentle smile, was hard to make out. Lucien felt her irregular heartbeat, but couldn''t make anything out of it. She was, after all, much more powerful than his current self, she could easily block his attempts.


    Before he had any chance to speak again, Sera suddenly jumped up from her seat and turned towards the door.


    "Huah¡­" She let out a fake-sounding yawn, stretching as if she was suddenly tired. "It''s getting late, let''s go back inside. We both need to rest, we only have slightly more than a week left to enjoy and get you up in strength. You need to focus tomorrow!"


    With that said, she left and went back inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.


    "Close the door once you are in! I will wake you up early morning, good night!" Her voice came from inside as she was walking to her room.


    Left alone, Lucien''s thoughts raced once again, trying to make sense of everything they have just talked about.


    ''So he sacrificed himself? What was this ritual actually about? She didn''t explain it at all¡­'' He questioned inwardly, returning his gaze towards the sky from the door. ''What was he going on about? What was he trying to prevent, what was this ''second chance'' all about?'' He wondered.


    Trying to think back to everything that Sera said, Lucien kept looking at the clear night sky. Eventually, he resumed his breathing exercise, trying to calm his racing thoughts and clear his head.


    He knew that there was no point in letting himself be stuck in these confusing thoughts. Time will clear out everything. Just as she said, he needed to be level-headed from tomorrow.. He only had a couple of days left to train before being forced to leave after all.

 Chapter 42 - 42 - The Potential Solution

    In the blink of an eye, five days have gone by. After that emotional and also exciting first day, Lucien with the aide of the blonde woman, Sera resumed his daily adventures into the surrounding forest.


    He spent most of his daytime learning the various forms of hunting, furthering his skill with the bow at first, before moving forward to modern firearms. He learned how to shoot, and felt the excitement as he fired the gun and felt the varying levels of the push of the different weapons.


    While the shotguns, rifles had a pretty strong back push, it quickly turned negligible after a couple of days. On the other side, he wasn''t too fond of using the more¡­ traditional style weapons, the bows and crossbows were just not his style.


    He also got used to his new skills. What was confusing and weird about [Sense Prey] at first, turned convenient after a while. He also got quite proficient using his Far Sight to hone in on the target and fire once he felt he got a good aim.


    They also moved on from focusing on the small critters to proper wildlife, hunting for the real game, deers. These herbivore mammals, had light green, grass-like fur, with two small oak-brown protrusions at the top of their foreheads.


    Today was a very special day, today they would finally move to hand-to-hand combat, leaving the realm of ranged weapons behind!


    Lucien literally jumped out of his bed as soon as the first rays of the sun peeked through his window. He quickly rushed to the bathroom, washed up, before spending a bit of time in front of the mirror, admiring the visual changes of his own body.


    After five days of continuous absorptions, he had a visible change over his frame. His previously lean, weak build turned bulkier, gaining a considerable amount of muscle mass. His arms, both the left and the right was bulging with power. He had a clearly defined visually pleasing sections of muscles, a visible ''six-pack'' which was actually 8 in his case, a toned, smooth chest¡­


    Lucien was looking much healthier than a few days ago, he grew a couple of inches in height, and gained quite a bit of weight as well.


    His statistics have also changed quite a bit, through the constant hunts and assimilations his status screen was looking the following:


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 5.025% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    * ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 19.85% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 48.5%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 40


    ****


    * ????????????????????????: 25 / 25 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    * ????????????????????????: 16 / 16 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    * ????????????????????????????????: 8.75 (+5.49)


    * ????????????????????????????: 5.12 (+3.25)


    * ????????????????????????????: 9.49 (5.72)


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????: 0%


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????? ???????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    * ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ????????????? 1)


    ???????????????????????????? ????????????? (???????????????????????? - ????????????? 1)


    * ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????????? ????????????? 1)


    :::¡­]


    The changes were quite stunning, considering he was on his 7th day in this place and still had 3 more to spend before he would be forced to return to the outside world.


    What he was most surprised about, was his progress in his rank. He didn''t know what would happen once he completely fills that progress meter, but he felt that whenever that increased he felt more and more of this dormant, lingering power brimming inside him, ready to explode.


    His life and energy also increased roughly following the growth pattern of his two attributes, Strength and Stamina. Speaking of attributes, he felt the incredible, magical effects of their changes.


    Without any further explanations from the system, he could feel the effects of his Strength, Stamina, and even Agility. He was stronger, faster, his reactions were quicker, his sight was much keener¡­ He had much more vitality¡­ much more energy. In short, he felt powerful.


    Also, during the course of his hunts, he gained two skills, one that was synthesized after the system combined several together, forming this collective passive skill, Enhanced Senses.


    Even before getting the skill, after his awakening, he did feel like his own smell, eyesight, hearing gradually sharpened, but now¡­ it was at a whole new level. He could spot the slightest of movement in the grass, hear the faintest of movements as the soft paws of the animal stepped on the dirt. Although it was a bit disorienting at first, over the last few days he managed to filter out all the unnecessary garbage, and just focus on what he needed at the time.


    It was truly a wonderful addition to his skill set, a new type of skill, that he subconsciously referred to as an ''Active-Passive''. Since it was passive it was always ''turned on'', but he needed to consciously focus and filter out all the ''unwanted auditory, visual, or another type of sensory noise and just focus on the relevant pieces of information.


    At the same time, his Far Sight, which was the gift from Sera, was slowly turning less and less important. While not being completely pointless, it was only useful if he was actively focusing on his aim, trying to hit a distant prey. For normal shots, his enhanced sight was more than enough.


    His second addition and the newest active in his repertoire was a skill that he wasn''t too sure of. He gained after absorbing his first-ever ''Emerald Grass Deer'', the light green-furred, deer-like mammal. Whilst gaining a substantial amount of mass in his storage capacity, the system also managed to synthesize this new skill, which seemed to be some basic version of turning slightly similar to his surroundings, as if gaining the illusion of being invisible.


    It wasn''t all that useful, at least from a first glance. What made the skill much more interesting was the fact that it also hid his life signs and turned all normal types of scanning and sensing to come up with nothing.


    The skill was his first step into making sure that the people from the Facility wouldn''t be able to track him quite as easily as before. If he could somehow turn off the visual aspect of the skill and just use this ''Masking'' feature of it, he would gain something incredibly crucial to his own survival.


    He had been wrecking his brain for ideas and potential solutions trying to figure out how he could use the skill without looking like a chameleon once he leaves Eden.


    "What to do¡­ How should I go on about this¡­" He muttered, looking at the skill.


    Thinking about the problem, his eyes wandered towards his statistics once again, turning wide-eyed as he glanced at his own EP once again. Looking at it, he was suddenly reminded of the system feature he was rewarded with and conveniently had forgotten about completely since the first day, came to his mind once again.


    "Oh yeah! That Pool thingie¡­ Entropy Pool or Essence Pool¡­ I have quite a bit of EP now, I should at the very least check it out¡­"


    Thinking about it for a second, he decided that even if he didn''t have all day to play around, he could, at least spend a few minutes glancing over it, and see if there would be any features of it that could prove useful in solving or assisting his problem.


    Looking at himself in the mirror, his expression turned solemn, as he gave a mental command to the system, willing it to bring up this new screen.


    [¡­::: Essence Pool :::¡­]


    Just like with the creature library a welcome message greeted him as soon as the dark screen appeared.


    [¡­::: Welcome host, to the Essence Pool!


    Warning: To access this feature, the host will need to be ready to turn inactive for a prolonged period, as his body will turn irresponsive whilst his subconscious will be pulled into this newly unlocked subspace inside his own subconscious. :::¡­]


    Reading through the text, Lucien was shocked. A warning? He would be ''inactive''?! Did the system mean that he would faint?


    ''System, what do you mean with this message?'' Confused by what he was told, he asked out mentally.


    The screen in front of him began to change, the letters changing their positions, formulating a response.


    [¡­::: The Essence Pool is a special space, where the host can access his skills and make changes to them using his available Entropy Points. The host can alter, modify, enhance, and even combine multiple skills creating new ones, or just simply edit his currently available set. :::¡­]


    Lucien took a couple of moments reading through the message multiple times before the revelation hit him.


    ''That is incredible! This is exactly what I was looking for!'' However, as he thought about it a bit more, his excitement quickly faded, replaced by a sour expression. ''Now I feel like an idiot for not checking out this feature earlier¡­''


    He sighed at this thought, before shaking his head at his own stupidity and forgetfulness before turning towards the room, and leaving the bathroom.


    He now had another goal added to his daily list, turning his afternoon and most likely, his night into quite a busy one.


    He was eager to start his training with Sera, and then focus his afternoon on checking out this mysterious new feature.

 Chapter 43 - 43 - Side : The Nest Of Nightmares (Part 1/4)

    (A.N.: This is not the best way to cut, I apologize, but I wanted to speed up the training part a little bit, however, I can''t just ignore our old vampire hunter this much. Once again, sorry for jumping around.


    Also, just a note: I don''t usually do this, but this time I have added a counter to the parts, so you know how long this look back is. While this is a side story, it does go deeper into the history of a character that will play some role in the future. If you skip over it, and later feel that you don''t understand some actions, this might be the cause. :) )


    ---


    Going back in time a bit, to the nasty, grimy sewage system of the city¡­


    (A.N.: This is not the best way to cut, I apologize, but I wanted to speed up the training part a little bit, however, I can''t just ignore our old vampire hunter this much. Once again, sorry for jumping around. )


    After spending all of the specially prepared silver bullets, the rest of the journey turned slightly more tiring. As he got closer and closer to the central regions of the underground system, the previously sparse patrols increased in volume by a great deal.


    What was a loner or maybe a pair of garkains now were varying from three to half a dozen. While this still wasn''t too much of a problem to Jonathan, the old man, he started to feel the wear and tear of the passage of years.


    His stamina wasn''t like before, and going through such an intense exercise was now starting to show its toll on his aging body.


    With a loud thud, yet another of these evolved rat-like bipedal vampiric beasts fell into the ground, only to be lit on fire and burned to ashes a moment later. Its last pain-filled shriek echoed into the darkness, hopelessly asking for help.


    As the last of the monsters finally fell, Jonathan could finally heave a sigh in relief. With a shake-like motion the small, silver blades snapped back to their original, hidden position.


    "God damn¡­ these beasts are swarming in here! How can such a big city in the supposed ''strongest'' country in the world ignore them? Shouldn''t there be some hunters assigned to thin their population regularly?! What is the Society even doing?!" He grumbled reaching for his aching back.


    "I am way too old for this sh*t¡­"


    Releasing yet another tired sigh, he reached for his breast pocket, giving a gentle rub on the picture hiding there, before reaching behind it and pulling out a light brown square-shaped gum, and swiftly popped it into his mouth.


    However, instead of joy, only a frown settled on his face as he began to chew this tasteless supplement.


    "I miss my cigs¡­ But, I made a promise to her, I have to keep it." He muttered to himself. As his mind wandered to his little princess, determination replaced his outlook. "I will find her, and get my little princess back!"


    After taking a bit of a breather, he returned his focus to the last part of his adventure laying in wait ahead. He squinted his eyes, trying to pierce into the dark void that dominated this entire journey, and stepped over the pile of ash on the ground.


    His fists clenched, he looked sternly ahead, which added the slow-paced chewing of the nicotine-supplement gum, had a unique look to it.


    The tunnel slithered around, going deeper and deeper, seemingly with no end in sight. Whilst he had a rough outline of this underground urban maze mapped out, it wasn''t all-knowing. There were several old, archaic dead-ends for example that weren''t drawn at all, whilst in other areas, whole sections were missing.


    All in all, Jonathan was mostly relying on his own instincts and experience. He knew that he just had to follow the smell of blood, and if he was met with more and more ambushes and a patrolling group of monsters along the way, he could relax as he was most likely heading the right way.


    Eventually, he reached a split. The path continued towards directly to his left, heading roughly towards the north and to his right, which would then mean it would be heading south.


    Looking at both tunnels, the earlier frown made its second appearance on his bearded face.


    "Great. Just great." He grumbled once again, turning his attention towards the left arching pathway first. From a first look, it looked exactly the same as the other one or the one he was standing in. It was dark, the walls were covered with the same oily, dark grime just like the others, the penetrating stench of blood and human waste could be smelled from both directions.


    Jonathan slowly inspected both options, focusing his gaze to see something that could make this choice just a bit easier. Sadly, no matter how hard he tried, his regular, human eyes couldn''t find any fault, or difference in both ends. For all, he knew both could lead to the same direction, or he could waste a huge amount of his time by picking wrongly.


    Releasing a sigh filled with growing annoyance and frustration, he reached for his forehead and rubbed it.


    "Just my luck. That bastard gave me a useless map, not to mention way too few bullets, for a job like this."


    He reached into his leather pouch, which only had the matchbox in it, he pulled it out and gave it a light shake. From the sound, it seemed like there were only a couple of matches left.


    "And I don''t even have enough matches. He really is forcing me to get back to using that huh? God¡­ Once I get back, I will be sure to give him a few kind words¡­"


    With no other options, he reached for the picture in his breast pocket once again, and gently rubbed it. His scowling face instantly relaxed, a thin smile emerged under the thick cover of his silver beard. He crouched down as if he was looking at someone with a child-like height.


    "What do you say, princess? Which path should I take, huh? Where do you think the big baddie could be hiding?"


    He kept caressing the hidden picture, whilst speaking to nobody in particular. However, that didn''t bother the old man at all, as he acted like someone was just whispering the answer into his ear. He had a look of enlightenment, turning his attention towards the left, pointing at it with a wondrous look in his eyes.


    "The left, you say? You sure honey? Remember, I only have materials to check out one of these tunnels. Even if I end up using my¡­ gifts, I can at the most finish up one of these sections tonight, and would then be forced to rest for a couple of days afterward. So, do you really think I should pick the left?"


    He looked in front of him again, before offering his ear to the imaginary figure once more. He nodded a few times as if he was listening to some whispers before he rubbed the top of the head of this elusive being and stood back up.


    "Okay honey, I will trust your instincts. Let''s go and check out this one then!"


    With the decision made, he turned towards the left, leaving the right option behind, and entered the slightly smaller tunnel.


    It didn''t take too long for the first welcome committee to arrive. 3 pairs of scarlet-colored demonic eyes popped up from the distance. A loud, monstrous shriek filled the hallway, carrying much more power than the ones Jonathan met before.


    A grin slowly appeared and crept up on his face, twisting his bearded facial muscles. He wasn''t afraid, or wary, no. He had a look of elation and an emerging expectancy.


    "Finally¡­ My little princess was right!"


    Instantly he entered his usual battle-ready pose, whilst flicking his wrists as he raised both of his arms in front of his chest. The silver blades snapped to attention, revealing themselves to the world once more.


    Keeping his left open palm in the front, he slowly twisted his torso to the side, while cocking his right arm back, entering a thrusting posture.


    He waved with his frontal left hand, inviting his opponents to the party.


    "Come on you over-sized rats! Come and meet your just doom!" He bellowed with a rising craze in his eyes, his grin curving higher with a clear eagerness towards the upcoming clash!


    Another wave of screech filled the area, as the trio charged forward, rushing to tear this invading human to pieces!


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, far from Jonathan''s current location, another figure entered the underground world of the city. Her high heels clapped loudly against the stone floor. She was wearing an elegant but totally out-of-place tight one-piece violet dress, reaching barely to her supple thighs.


    The only tool she seemed to carry was a tablet that she kept looking at whilst venturing into the darkness without any care.


    The faint, neon-green light was reflected on her rounded glasses as a long, seemingly endless stream of data kept flowing through the device''s screen, causing her stoic, nonchalant look to twist into an eerie-looking smile.


    She reached for her head, combing her black tinges back to their orderly fashion using her right hand, as she looked up, straight into the black void.


    Instead of turning scared, her grin stretched further.


    "Perfect¡­ Absolutely perfect! This place is filled with good specimens! This will be the perfect place to set up shop!"


    Slowly averting her gaze, she looked at the flowing dark brown sewage next to her. Her smile slightly receding, she added thoughtfully.


    "Well, after a bit of cleaning of course¡­"

 Chapter 44 - 44 - Side : The Nest Of Nightmares (Part 2/4)

    (AN: Just a quick note, that as compensation for this multi-chapter long side glance, I am planning a little surprise around Friday/Saturday this week. Look forward to it!)


    ---


    "Come on you over-sized rats! Come and meet your just doom!" He bellowed with a rising craze in his eyes, his grin curving higher with a clear eagerness towards the upcoming clash!


    Another wave of screech filled the area, as the trio charged forward, rushing to tear this invading human to pieces!


    A moment later, the Garkains emerged from the cover of shadows, revealing their twisted, hideous figures. While the two on the side were just like the rest, the one in the middle was at least a head bigger in size, sporting a much stronger frame and bulging muscles. His claws were also slightly thicker, with a dark red hue glowing faintly over its ridge.


    "Finally one of the big ones! I wasted my whole night searching for the likes of you!" Despite the terror that surrounded this stronger version of these vampiric bipedal, rat-like beasts, the expectant grin didn''t fade from Jonathan''s face. Instead, it retained its vigor and would have curved even higher if that would have been possible.


    As the beasts swiftly closed the distance, the muscles in his upper torso contorted and flexed, rising to rapt attention. A barely visible, colorless glow appeared, covering his right cocked hand like a glove made out of unknown energy.


    At the same time, small beads of sweat appeared over his forehead, perspiring like tiny balls of translucent marbles. His teeth clenched tight, he still retained the grin on his face, although now, it looked slightly forced instead of carrying any natural emotion.


    The light covering his palm gradually increased in intensity, now covering the blade as well, all the way to its tip.


    Just as the beasts arrived in front, and lunged themselves in the air with their jaws ajar and claws stretched out in front of them, he struck forward with his arm with a lightning-fast speed, thrusting thrice at the same time.


    Three near-simultaneous flashes of white beams of light were fired hitting all three of the monsters coursing in the air in their chest, putting an abrupt halt to their rising momentum and flinging them back where they came from.


    However, the effect of the attack didn''t end there, as two of the beams that hit the two regular-sized Garkains at the side pierced through their bodies, ultimately crashing into the ceiling and releasing two shockwaves of bright, blinding lights to spread through the area.


    Two hollow howls of anguish could be heard amidst the blustering release of energy, signaling the defeat of two of the three assailants. The last one, which seemed to be different from the rest, however, remained standing, only a small, circular-shaped burn mark could be seen at the center of its chest.


    He looked at the aged human with a fierce, hateful look in its eyes. It seemed to have higher intelligence than the rest of its brethren, as it did not charge again, but only entered a battle-ready pose, stretching its clawed hands to its sides whilst sizing up its opponent.


    Jonathan was shaking his right arm with a wry smile emerging on his face. While his attack was clearly powerful, it failed to cause any significant damage to the big guy. Also, as an aftereffect of the technique, he just used, the not-too-welcomed numbing sensation, the backlash of the over usage of his internal energies spread through his right arm, making it mostly unusable for the rest of the night at the very least.


    "You seem to be slightly more intelligent than the rest of your kin, so before we do anything else, let me ask you something. Are you the leader of this nest or you are just a warrior? I''m searching for somebody, so I will need you to guide me to the one leading your pack."


    He spoke, looking at the monstrous beast as if he was expecting a proper response. The Garkain looked at the human with a strange look in his dull, red eyes. For a brief moment it seemed that it would indeed react in an unexpected fashion to the old man''s questions, however at the end, it only sneered at him as it focused its attention on his right arm.


    It snickered growling something gibberish between its howls, pointing towards the numb limb of Jonathan.


    "What? You think I am no match just because my arm is useless now?" Jonathan responded to the jibe in a similar fashion returning the monster''s snickering taunt with a grin. "You are free to come at me and give it a try. Just let me warn you. Once you start, you will lose your chance to walk out of this alive and I will still get my answers from your rotting carcass before I burn it to ashes just like the rest of your hideous kin."


    Proving its intelligence, the beast howled fiercely upon listening to the human''s words. Its anger rose, showing that it clearly understood what the man had just said. Its grin turned into a scowl, as it resumed its guttural growls, stretching its claws ahead of its muscular frame.


    "Got your attention now huh? Come then you sh*t, you are nothing more than an abomination of nature! A stain on the other much better-looking mutants out there, just a disgusting monster!"


    Reaching the end of its taunt, Jonathan suddenly charged forward, bolting towards the beast with his left hand cocked to yet another thrusting attack. This time, however, there was no light show surrounding his action, it was a regular attack.


    At the same time, the beast also lost the last bits of its cool and rushed ahead as well, its large mouth was gaped ajar, ready to snap and mangle the pesky opponent''s neck. His claws were glowering threateningly keen to tear apart its skin and flesh, crush his bones to dust.


    There was no other way, no other solution, either the human or itself will have to perish.


    A moment later, they arrived at each other, Jonathan''s blade struck forward, his arm whistling through the air, aimed to plunge into the beast''s chest, pierce its heart, and hopefully, end its sickly existence.


    At the same time, the Garkain swiped horizontally with its right hand, its thick, black claws sailed across the air, ready to intercept the incoming blade and shatter it into pieces. Meanwhile, its head was lunging forward and was turned to the side, so it could snap the man''s neck in two.


    Neither of them was pulling any punches, both aimed to end their opponents swiftly. The only difference was that while Jonathan was aiming for efficiency, the Garkain wanted to do the most amount of damage, and make this pesky, arrogant ants'' last moments of life the most brutal and painful as it could.


    Obviously, Jonathan was well aware that he was no match for the beast in terms of raw strength, he couldn''t just contest the beast in such a straight-up fashion.


    As the beast swiped its claws, he suddenly arched his body sideways


    As the beast''s claws coursed the air, flying towards the expected spot ready to collide with it, Jonathan abruptly halted his march putting a sudden stop to his momentum. He took a swift step to the right, creating a sudden opening in the beast''s defense, and struck forward one more time.


    This time, the power behind his thrust was much higher than before, the tip of his blade arrived at the creature''s side in an instant.


    Still, this Garkain was unlike the ones before, its heightened senses flared up instantly, warning him of the incoming life-threatening danger coming from his side the moment Jonathan took that sidestep. Without any chance of parrying or blocking the blow, its only option was to lean forward and try to evade the blow.


    Unfortunately, this was what Jonathan was already expecting, hence the increased power and speed behind his second attack. Despite its attempt at evading, the blade plunged into its side with relative ease, reaching all the way to its base in a single instant.


    The beast howled in pain, its loud shriek of anguish filled the area around them. Wrecked in pain, the creature turned his head looking at the pesky human with unconstrained anger and hatred filling its dark red, scarlet-colored eyes.


    Although the pain was torturous, luckily the human missed its vital organs. The beast was ready to twist his body and withstand even more of this torment just to be able to dive its claws into its opponent''s flesh when suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    A clicking sound reached its sharp, elongated ears. In the next instant searing pain filled its entire chest, and body, rapidly sucking all the strength and life out of its body. With its eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and pain, it slowly looked down, only to see that originating from the plunged blade deep inside its side, golden flames flickered, swiftly engulfing its entire body.


    Immediately, the only thought in its mind was to escape, it tried to the human away. Unfortunately for him, this remained as its last thought, as before it could take action, the last strains of its life left its body, burning away its flesh leaving nothing, but ash behind.

 Chapter 45 - 45 - Side : The Nest Of Nightmares (Part 3/4)

    Jonathan kept up his striking posture, withstanding the painful licks of the hungering flame as it ate up the unholy creature in a manner of seconds. He kept grinning at the beast as it howled, shrieked in pain all the way until there was nothing left but a large pile of gray ash.


    "I told you that you will lose your chance, but you just didn''t listen." He muttered, straightening his pose and flicking his left wrist. As the blade snapped back to its position, he kept looking at it.


    His eyes carried much more appreciation than before as he inspected the metallic bracelet. This little gadget did actually save his life this time after all.


    "At least there was one thing amongst that bastard''s inventory that wasn''t a complete waste of my time and money. This thing is actually pretty incredible!"


    Turning his attention towards his flailing right arm, he could only sigh. Using that flashy attack was ultimately a mistake as it failed to hurt the target he wanted to, and not mentioning the drowsiness he felt now as his energy reserves were tanked, it also caused him to lose half of his firepower in the process as well.


    "Well¡­ I should have 2 or maybe 3 more shots¡­ or an additional three if I swap these bracelets¡­" He mumbled, taking hold and looking at his left wrist again. "Let''s hope it will be enough, I really don''t want to turn back now."


    With a sigh, he turned towards the looming darkness ahead and resumed his steps. His earlier eagerness was now tanked, he had a weary look after spending a huge chunk of his own internal energy.


    Seeing that he failed to cause any substantial damage on these stronger versions, his confidence lowered quite a bit. Still, he couldn''t turn back, he needed to push forward and hope that he would find some clues that would help him continue his investigation in finding his missing daughter.


    Stepping over the piles of ash, Jonathan reached to his breast pocket, giving a gentle rub to the black and white picture of the teenage-looking, smiling girl. He heaved a heavy sigh, filled with sorrow and pain, as he reached ever-so closer to the central region, where the supposed nest of these beasts were expected to be.


    As he kept his alertness up, his thoughts raced back to approximately one month ago, just before when he boarded the first available plane, rushed to the states, and stepped foot in this land for the first time in his life.


    He came to the states for an emergency, he came to find his daughter who went missing!


    He was alone, sitting in his office, working on a case, compiling the evidence against a homewrecker husband, so that his client, the wife, could file for divorce and claim his wealth.


    Working as a Private Investigator was mostly about doing jobs like this, with the occasional company espionage mixed in. Despite this, Jonathan Kane didn''t mind this line of work. Being retired from society, he enjoyed this easy, normal, mortal style of life. No demons or other, ungodly, horrific monstrosities to hunt in the name of ''God'', no risks to his life. He could enjoy his remaining years with his daughter, Amelia.


    They were both happy and enjoyed their lives in happiness.


    Like before this upcoming summer was also planning to be the same as before. Amelia planned to travel to the US to spend her vacation with her mother Clarice. He and Clarice have divorced a couple of years ago, partly due to her accepting an offer to work overseas as a research scientist to a well-known firm, and also due to the fact that flame was just simply no longer there between them.


    Maybe due to his special line of work that he always had to keep hidden from his family, or maybe for some other reasons, the flames of passion and love that flickered vehemently for over two decades, has slowly died down, at least from her side, and turned cold. Slowly, they grew distant, and whilst his feelings never truly changed, his outlook did.


    Over the course of the years, they turned from lovers into nothing more than strangers playing house and forced to keep living together just so that their little princess wouldn''t suffer.


    However, once she turned 15, they decided that she was old enough now and finally separated. The opportunity that Clarice received was a heaven-sent gift, she used that chance to calmly and peacefully divorce. Although she really wanted to, she understood that it wouldn''t be wise to force Amelia to leave behind his friends and current life and go live with them. She left and traveled back to her homeland.


    In the end, they agreed that Amelia will stay for the school year in London for the time being, and spend her summers with her overseas. Although not the easiest of setup, to either of the three parties, they ultimately all accepted it and agreed to it.


    The following two years were spent this way, without any significant issues. In the meantime, Clarice found new love and re-married, while Jonathan stayed alone. He retired from his original ''profession'', and said his farewells to the church, turning his previously fake front, the PI business, into his real job.


    Anyway, the school year finished for the fourth and last time. The graduating girl, Amelia was eager to travel to her mother for the summer and also look around for options in terms of her upcoming university life.


    There was a faint feeling, a premonition lingering in his heart, Jonathan felt that something tragic would transpire. He tried talking to Amelia and to Clarice as well, only to be told to keep his grumpiness to himself. He was told off, he had no right to intervene in how she would spend her summer vacation.


    In the end, he could do nothing, his daughter was in the height of her rebellious phase, blaming him for everything that happened, and was eager to finally leave him behind and spend the upcoming months with her mother in the land of dreams. She also hid the fact that this time she wouldn''t be visiting alone, but with her friends, and that their true goal wasn''t just to look around the universities but to also enjoy life for once.


    Eventually, she boarded the plane, despite her father''s warnings, and left without even saying goodbye.


    Jonathan sighed but could do nothing but return to his work and hope that everything would be alright.


    Unfortunately, just as he dreaded, the moment he feared had come. During the night, his phone rang, and on the other side the desperate voice of her ex-wife, Clarice could be heard.


    Her voice was faltering, she was tired and spent, probably cried through the day or maybe even more. She spoke all around, not making any sense at first, not until Jonathan asked clearly.


    "Does something terrible happened to Amelia? Did what I warned you both had come true?"


    She couldn''t answer, she didn''t have the power. After almost a minute of silent sobbing, she ended the call by asking him to come as soon as possible.


    The very next day, Jonathan''s plane landed, using his old connections he arrived with the first available flight without issue. Taking a car from the airport''s car rental he swiftly arrived at her ex''s new home.


    It turned out that Clarice, whilst wasn''t completely in the know, wasn''t clueless of him either. She was aware that his PI agency was just a fake and that he was doing some other type of work. After all, she was aware of his eventful past, his years of service in the Special Forces before his sudden discharge.


    She could never find out what happened, no matter how hard she looked into it. His files were still to this day, top-secret after all.


    Still, she was aware that despite what they went through, he was probably the only person that could get to the bottom of this tragic disaster and find their missing daughter.


    ¡ª


    Strange clicking sounds pulled Jonathan back from his memories, bringing him back to reality. Shaking his head to clear the clouding thoughts and memories, Jonathan halted his steps and looked ahead, towards the direction where the sound was coming from.


    He listened for brief moments, trying to make out more from what he could listen to. A moment later, the previous smirk re-emerged on his face, as a look of relief replaced the previously tired expression.


    His adrenaline steadily rose, his eagerness slowly started to return, as he clenched his left hand expectantly.


    "Finally¡­ Their nest¡­" He muttered. "From what I can hear, there''s something different there¡­ This sound¡­ It''s definitely not a Garkain."


    With slow-paced, careful steps, making sure he wasn''t making any unnecessary noise, Jonathan slowly sneaked closer to the end of the corridor. Slowly, using a hand mirror he peeked through the corner, only to almost drop it in mere shock and surprise!


    What he saw, made him turn confused¡­ It made no sense!

 Chapter 46 - 46 - Side : The Nest Of Nightmares (Part 4/4)

    Expecting a large, damp, and dark hive room with several dark, grimy cocoons stretched in the air, with their dark, slimy tendrils covering all available space, he was shocked to see something completely different.


    Gentle candlelight lit up and could be seen providing a cozy light in the small room. Instead of the dampness and grime, dark orange wallpaper covered the smooth, stone walls.


    There were no hives, no cocoons hanging from the ceiling, there were no signs of the disgusting beasts at all. Instead, the back of a dark brown leather armchair could be seen reflecting in the small side-view mirror.


    "What the f*ck?" Jonathan mumbled, unable to believe his eyes. Prepped and ready to jump into whatever was waiting for him at the other side, he breathed in a large gasp of air and stepped out from behind the cover, revealing himself to whatever lay behind what he believed to be only an illusion.


    How else could he explain the cozy living room atmosphere in the midst of the grimy sewer system? It made absolutely no sense!


    As his aged eyes looked at the sight that unfolded in front of him once again, a look of confusion spread over his face, dominating his usually stern, cold look.


    He was about to curse out with wonder again, and step forward when suddenly a crisp, clear, melodious voice reached his ears.


    "Ah, I have been waiting for you¡­ Jonathan, please step closer."


    ¡ª


    While that was going on, at another side of the expansive underground tunnel system the sound of tapping could be heard, echoing in the empty tunnels. The figure of a dark-haired woman made her way deeper and deeper underground, seemingly unafraid of the dangers lurking in the darkness.


    Her focus was plastered on the tabloid screen in her hands that showed the digitalized schematics of the entire sewers. What was however strange, is that she wasn''t attacked or ambushed even once as she steadily paced further and further.


    Either by uncanny luck, or maybe she knew which paths to take, where to turn, but she never met any of the beasts even once.


    Still, she remained aloof, seemingly oblivious to all the horrors that lurked below.


    Eventually, she stopped in front of what seemed to be a dead-end to her right. Unlike the rest of the sewers, this short tunnel was clear of any dirt and grime, the sewage miraculously never made its way into this dead end, it wasn''t contaminated with its penetrating stench.


    Looking at the sturdy gray wall, Dr. Frida snorted as her gaze finally left the digital screen in her embrace.


    "This should be it¡­" She muttered, with an expectant glint shining in her bespectacled gaze.


    As a smirk appeared on her face, she turned and walked into the small tunnel, stepping in front of what seemed to be a dead end.


    She looked at her tablet once again and began to push a couple of buttons on the screen. As her slender fingers swiftly executed code after code, soon something unexpected started to happen in the tunnel.


    The seemingly sturdy wall began to tremble, A man-made crack appeared between the bricks, as the wall began to separate from its center. With a loud rumble, the two halves began to move, pulling themselves apart and revealing a faintly lit set of stairs that seemed to go back to the surface. At its end, in the far distance, only darkness awaited the unaware traveler.


    Still, despite the eerie look and ominous air that converged around this newly emerged stone staircase, Dr. Frida didn''t show any change of expression. She wasn''t afraid, nor wary. Instead, her grin just stretched higher than before. Her eyes sparkled with delight as everything happened just like how she expected.


    "Wonderful¡­ Just as I expected¡­" She muttered as she stepped on the stairs without any hesitation.


    She ascended steadily, her eyes returning to the screen, she looked at the countless green-colored dots that now appeared in what seemed to be a spacious warehouse-like building.


    "The system scanned 37 life signatures in the base¡­ This might be slightly troublesome to deal with¡­" She muttered to herself, reaching for the left side pocket of her white robe.


    As she pulled out the small, strange cylindrical-shaped metallic object her grin turned especially cruel.


    "Well¡­ at least I can test the newest version¡­ Hopefully, this won''t just straight up kill the subjects¡­" She chuckled lightly, quickly regaining her composure as she arrived in front of the black painted metal door.


    Without having the need to knock, a rough voice came from the other side.


    "Who are you, what do you want?" As he spoke, a small slit opened showing a pair of tawny brown eyes.


    Dr. Frida didn''t respond to the man''s question. Instead, the grin curved higher once again, as she suddenly pushed the top of the small cylindrical object in his hand, crushing it in the process, and then swiftly shoved it through the small slit and took a step back, descending to the last step of the stairs once again.


    Instantly the slit on the door closed up, but sadly too late. A faint cracking sound could be heard, Dr. Frida''s strange object cracked open, followed by a whistling sound as the gaseous contents escaped into the air, rapidly expanding.


    In mere moments, the warehouse was filled with Dr. Frida''s contagious cocktail, shrieks, desperate cries, and coughs could be heard from the other side. In the span of a few minutes, the sounds gradually died down, soon to be replaced by an eerie silence.


    Meanwhile, Dr. Frida waited patiently, her eyes once again plastered on the digital screen, watching as the green dots vanished one after another.


    Her grin still stretched her face, she happily muttered as she continued to monitor the situation.


    "Phase 1 seems to be successful¡­ Phase 2 should start in¡­ Hmm¡­ 60¡­ 59¡­ 58¡­"


    As she counted down, soon, a new set of green dots began to pop back up, at the same time, low guttural growls and hoarse sounds seeped through the cracks¡­


    ¡ª


    "Are you one of them? Shouldn''t you be wary of someone like me?" Jonathan asked with a frown. As he walked into the strange, mystical room the figure in the armchair turned around, showing his youthful, pale expression. Vermillion, bright red irises gave a romantic contrast to the milky white sclera surrounding it. The figure looked human, albeit giving off a slightly sickly visage with that pale white, listless skin tone of his.


    He had slick, long white hair drooping behind his back, reaching far below his knee-line. He had a lithe body, that was draped in a set of elegant and expensive-looking suit, that had this faint silky feel to it.


    "Jonathan, Jonathan¡­ Why would I be afraid of someone such as you? In fact, I am fairly certain you will do nothing to me." A faint smile curved his thin lips as he added another thought with a slightly lower volume, but still audible enough for the old man to hear it. "Not that you could, even if you tried¡­"


    In response, Jonathan snorted with a disdainful look on his face. He didn''t respond but stood with a posture that was ready for anything.


    Seeing the old man''s wary poise, the youthful-looking mysterious figure sighed.


    "Jonathan, Jonathan¡­ You make me sad! Why the hostility? We should be on friendlier terms! After all, we want the same thing!" He exclaimed, standing up from his comfy chair and looking deep into the old man''s eyes. The smile never leaving his face, he continued.


    "You know, I am here specifically to ask for your¡­ expertise¡­"


    Jonathan frowned at the man''s words, snorting a question.


    "What do you mean? Speak¡­"


    The smile instantly fading from his face, replaced by a stern, heavy look, the white-haired figure looked at the old man as he answered with a matching tone.


    "Jonathan Kane, the Dreadblade, the Alchazard Family requests your assistance in dealing with a new type of monster. These.... Beings that call themselves the ''Untainted'' are the ones that took your daughter and are currently keeping her hostage. If you are willing to put past issues behind you and join hands with us, we will show you where she is being kept and even offer our assistance¡­"

 Chapter 47 - 47 - The Eagerness Of Youth

    September 18th, 2018


    Today was the tenth, and last day that Lucien and Sera could spend inside the sub-dimension, Eden-N03. As the first morning rays shone through the window''s squared glass and cast its bright pillar of light, the room''s resident was already up and about.


    He had a light blue short towel on his lean, toned shoulders. His figure looked vastly different from that scrawny little kid that was taken to this safe place only ten days ago. Although it might have felt not that long, in these ten days, this young man matured a lot.


    His mind was like a sponge, the hungry flames of the crackling bonfire, eager to eat up all the knowledge that was presented to him. His rate of growth was stupendously fast, hard to explain.


    In these 240 hours, Lucien Shaw, the ''Wretched One'' has turned from the weak, scrawny little young youth, into a full-fledged man.


    Reaching for the doors, he opened the door and entered the bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror, taking a careful, scrutinizing look at his own body, just like he did every morning.


    His hands trailed over the four claw marks that ran across his chest. It remained there, he refused to heal it, despite that Sera had the ability to do so. He asked her to leave it there, to serve as a reminder of the mistake that ultimately matured him into the man he is today.


    As his eyes followed the trail of his fingers, the memories of that memorable hunt emerged in his mind once again.


    He couldn''t help but smile as he traveled back to that morning four days ago.


    ¡ª


    September 14, 2018 - Eden-N04


    After finishing up his morning routine, Lucien met up with Sera who was already waiting for him at the porch. The bag she usually carried to their hunts was with her, filled to the brim with a variety of weapons.


    The difference was that unlike before, now they were mostly a mixture of close combat arms, blades of varying length, metal- and steel-headed blunt objects, and a few exotic-looking strange-looking ones. Amidst them, even a pair of bracelets made its presence known with their bright silvery shine.


    Looking at the big duffle bag, Lucien couldn''t hide the expectant grin on his face. He was excited, they would finally move from the ranged weapons, into the territory that sounded much more interesting!


    One could argue that their pace was way too fast and that learning the art of handling each weapon had a much longer path, and they would be normally right. Each weapon, be it something as simple-looking as bows had much more depth than what would be obvious from a first glance.


    Still, they would be shocked to learn that this, for some reason, did not apply to this strange youngster. He seemed to be a natural at everything that was presented to him. After a few minutes of playing around, learning the ropes, he could handle all the firearms that Sera provided with ease.


    Truth be told, the roots of aiming and shooting the target were similar in the case of all weapons, no matter if it was a rifle, a pistol, or even the different bows and crossbows he was shown.


    Whilst he didn''t see and practiced every possible weapon type, he still showcased quick wits and a fast learning rate. Although he couldn''t be called a Master of any of them, he was at the very least now experienced and adept at handling many different forms.


    Even Lucien himself was surprised at himself, but quickly put it behind him, realizing that all of this couldn''t be contributed to him only, but to the System. The strange, alien-like organism that resided in him, assisted him, passively processing all the information that Sera has taught.


    Anyway, whilst every day was fruitful in multiple ways, Lucien couldn''t help but look forward to today. He always felt the hunger, the need to charge ahead and fight face-to-face. Killing the game from a distance felt lackluster, he felt empty. The excitement that he felt the first day was no longer there, at least not for the hunt itself.


    He knew that what his blood ached, thirsted for was this day. To feel the blood of his enemy flowing in his own two hands, to tear through skin, flesh, and organs personally. He needed this¡­


    Although he seemed to not realize it anymore, as time went on, and as his synchronization with the ''System'', the ''other one'' grew, he gradually changed, grew¡­ evolved, not just in body but in mind and soul as well.


    ¡ª


    Looking at the boy, Sera smiled sweetly.


    "How are you feeling, Lucien? Ready for today?"


    Reaching for the large bag, Lucien nodded at her inquiry.


    "Yes. We are going deeper today, right? I want some challenge¡­ hunting rabbits, squirrels and whatnot are not too exciting¡­" He frowned, causing Sera to burst into a peal of light chuckle upon hearing his complaint.


    "Ahahaha¡­ Oh my!" She giggled, smiling at the black-haired boy. "Someone is growing confident! Well¡­" She sighed, looking over his much healthier physique. "I can understand why you are feeling like that, Lucien. Still, we have to stay in the outer regions, as you are just learning the ropes."


    Lucien pondered at her words, but couldn''t help but continue to frown. He really didn''t want to stay in the same region again. What challenge, what excitement could he get from dispatching those helpless critters? Even if he were to battle a horde of them, he would barely get anything out of it, not to mention that even the system barely gave any reward for absorbing them anymore.


    This was also a surprising revelation of the last couple of days of arduous training. There seemed to be an upper cap of the gains he could receive from hunting, killing, and absorbing the very same species of creatures over and over again. There was a hidden cap, that once he reached, the system would barely give any benefits. His initial gains were nowhere to be seen, he needed to absorb hundreds of those Forest Squirrels and Hares and still wouldn''t get the same results as he gained from the first one.


    He needed stronger opponents, preferably those that were above what the average man could possibly see. He needed those magical or mutated beasts, monsters.


    Slowly, Sera''s laughter faded, a serious look appeared on her face as she looked at the boy next to her.


    "Listen, Lucien. I know you want something more¡­ exciting to face¡­" She sighed, as she saw his nonchalant nod, reaching to rub the empty space between her brows as she offered.


    "Let''s agree to this: If you show good results in the morning, we will venture deeper in after lunch." Seeing how his eyes instantly lit up, she added with a stricter look. "Only if I can see that you are handling the weapons confidently! If you are just swaying around like an idiot, we will return!"


    "Also, you shouldn''t forget that you need to rest to absolve all the gains." She ended her makeshift speech with a smile, returning her gaze to the sparsely standing trees in the distance.


    She didn''t even need to wait for too long, as the boy''s eager response came almost instantly.. He was way too eager and excited to jump into today''s adventure, unaware of the dangers he was about to face due to his impatience.

 Chapter 48 - 48 - Comprehension

    Under the thick dome of the luscious canopy of the woods, the sound of steel clashing could be heard. The figure of a dark-haired youth, wearing nothing but a thin, body-fitting black, short-sleeved t-shirt was running at an unbelievable speed towards a blonde-haired slightly older but still fairy-looking woman.


    As the boy reached a suitable range, he suddenly bent his knees and jumped up, pushing himself off the ground. At the same time, he swiftly raised his exotic sword above his head.


    The single-edged long and slender blade had a slight curve to it. The boy''s hand tightly gripped the longer than usual grip under the circular guard. The sun''s brilliance was reflected with a silvery hue, giving way to the not-so-average weapons exotic beauty.


    "Haaaaaa!" Way too immersed in their training, the black-haired boy, Lucien looked at his opponent with a battle-hungry gaze. His thirsty outlook way overpassed the limits of what would be normal for something that at a first glance seemed to be normal training.


    Still, his opponent didn''t seem to be phased at all when her bright azure blue eyes met with the boy''s darkness. Using only her right hand, she raised her simple, straight short sword into the air, ready to block the incoming heavy strike.


    Her sword placed in front of her head into an inverted, horizontal stand, she stood steady as the two blades clashed together once again. Metal clashing against metal, their collision sent out a smaller, but audible shockwave, a loud clinking noise reverberating at their surroundings.


    Despite the powerful attack of the hungering boy, the short blade absorbed the powerful, vicious blow with ease. The woman even managed to exert a bit more force with her arm, pushing back against the charging assault of the youngster and throwing him back a couple of steps.


    As the boy fell back on the ground, he wobbled back several steps before he managed to steady himself. His look had a vicious, fervent grin, he didn''t seem to mind that his attack failed for the umpteenth time. No, instead his hunger for battle grew more and more as time passed.


    Still, despite the crazed outlook, he retained his sanity, albeit it was increasingly harder to control this deep-seated desire inside him. Reaffirming his hold on his weapon, he raised it in front of his body in a steady, vertical pose. The thin, silver blade stood proudly, as the boy took several long breaths to calm his raging nerves.


    "You are still losing yourself way too easily, Lucien! You are nothing more than a rabid wolf¡­ halfway through your charge, you completely gave in to your urges, losing all sense and technique in the process!" Pulling the boy out of his abrupt trance, Sera''s berating tone rang in his ears.


    Opening his eyes, he looked at the woman respectfully, lowering his gaze a moment later, and giving a slight nod.


    "Yes¡­ I know¡­ Sorry¡­" He muttered, not daring the match her gaze. "It''s not easy¡­ I can feel this unquenchable thirst, this unconquerable desire¡­ It''s not easy to reign in the ''other one''¡­"


    Seeing the wronged look of the boy, Sera sighed, combing her blonde locks. Her stern look eased up, as the gentle, kind smile returned to her face, she stepped over to the boy. She reached out, patting his right shoulder as she spoke with a lighter, warmer tone.


    "Don''t worry Lucien, I know how hard it is to control this¡­ gift of yours."


    Before she could continue, Lucien couldn''t help but snort at her phrasing. "Gift? Yeah right¡­ Not so sure about that¡­"


    Hearing his words and tone, Sera wasn''t offended, she simply returned his grieve with a smile.


    "I understand why you feel like that, I really do. I also hope that later, you will realize how incredible this¡­ hmm¡­ Let''s say the unique trait you have is. Even though you are still hesitant to merge with your other self, and have this wariness whenever you talk about him¡­" She sighed, suddenly deciding against continuing her line of thought and simply whispered, mostly to herself. "Hopefully you will come to terms with yourself at some point."


    She gave a light-hearted pat on the back of the boy, before she stepped away, creating some distance between them once more.


    "Anyway¡­ We should continue, you still have much to learn! Or you don''t want to venture out after lunch anymore?" She spoke with a teasing tone, her short sword already raised in a horizontal guarding stance. She flashed a cheeky smile, looking at the boy expectantly from the distance.


    Matching her gaze, Lucien slowly stepped back, entering into the same battle poise that she taught her. He took another breather, clearing his mind of all the unnecessary clutter, and reinforcing his focus on the blonde woman standing ahead.


    Just as she taught him, he took long breaths and made sure to slowly exhale them after a couple of heartbeat''s time. This would calm not just his racing mind, but also his body and soul, and would make sure that his focus would be on the battle and not on anything else.


    As the used-up air slowly left his lungs, only to be replaced by the fresh oxygen, he felt the cool sensation of calmness slowly but surely spread throughout his body, reaching all the crevices, nooks, and crannies of his body, easing the stress of his constrained strands of muscles, giving him a soothing, restorative feeling.


    Unbeknownst to him, his previously chaotic, hungering aura he emitted slowly began to reform and stabilize. His foundation, the basis of his current and future power slowly began to build up, creating the roots of his future power.


    There were still many parts that Lucien didn''t understand completely. While he had a slight inkling that the Rank was something relevant to this intangible energy that he had inside him, he had no idea what the "Power Stage" and the term "Dredger" covered, nor did he understood that true meaning behind the Synchronization at all¡­


    No, to be fair, one could say that he barely knew anything at all. Other than the feeling of growth when his Strength, Agility, or Stamina reached a new milestone, he had no idea about almost anything displayed by the system.


    Feeling that the troubling thoughts were returning once more, Lucien breathed in a large gasp of air again, stored it in his diaphragm for a couple of ticks, before slowly exhaling. Troubling thoughts such as these had no place in the forefront of his mind right now, he needed to concentrate, and focus on their duel.


    He needed to concentrate, he didn''t want to lose himself once again in this blood-thirsty frenzy that haunted him. No, this time he wouldn''t fail, he wouldn''t give in to the seeping darkness!


    A determined look appeared on his face, a glint flashed through his dark bead-like eyes. He looked at Sera standing ready a dozen or so feet away, the doubts slowly but surely vanished from his look, leaving behind nothing but his own conviction.


    Despite the distance, Sera was paying attention to the tiniest of changes in the boy. She could feel as his chaotic, turbulent aura slowly calmed down, she saw the change in his eyes. Her smirk stretched into a smile, she asked out.


    "Are you ready now, Lucien?"


    Before Lucien could respond, he was surprised once again, as suddenly the bell-like sound rang inside his mind, and a message abruptly appeared in front of his vision.


    [¡­::: Due to the host''s arduous efforts and determination the new passive skill (Weapon Mastery - Rank 1) has been synthesized. :::¡­]


    However, this wasn''t the only shocking message that popped up. Shortly after there was another, more shocking one. However, this second one, came with no real explanation, causing a twitch to appear on Lucien''s face.


    [¡­::: New skill comprehended! The active skill (Spiritual Slash - Rank 1) has been synthesized. :::¡­]

 Chapter 49 - 49 - He Is Finally Starting To Use It

    Seeing the sudden pause in the boy''s movements and his frozen expression, Sera couldn''t help but ask with a wondrous look on her face.


    "Lucien, everything alright? What''s wrong?"


    However, the boy still didn''t move, nor did he answer or react in any way. He was actually currently busy trying to make sense of the system''s messages.


    First of all, his newest passive, the Weapon Mastery. Focusing his mind, he instantly brought up its description.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Weapon Mastery :::¡­


    Category: Passive Skills - Rank 1 - Progress: 0 EP - Depth: 0


    Description: The culmination of knowledge about the various types of armaments crafted for battle. The holder of this skill has proven to possess the proficiency, capabilities, and knowledge in weapons that could go beyond the peak of members of humanity.


    Mechanics: Base Skill - Can Evolve Further - Allows the host to learn and synthesize special, weapon-related skills. Passively provides expertise with any of the learned weapon knowledge.


    Note: The skill is passive, thus it does not actively require any energy to remain in effect. However, keep in note that in case you enter the ''Weakened'' state (The remaining energy goes to 0), all passive abilities will temporarily deactivate. :::¡­]


    Looking at the floating text in front of his vision, Lucien''s mind quickly started to race. This new revelation proved that for some skills, it was possible to comprehend them and make them recognized by the System through relatively normal means. He doesn''t need to be a murderous bastard, a cold-blooded serial killer, but could grow stronger through a bit more orthodox means.


    Even though he started to accept his new reality, he was still reluctant about the grim future that this new ''self'' of his created for him. Was he destined to pave his way through mountains of corpses of his enemies? Was he destined to be an out-of-world monster, a feared, nightmarish entity that''s main purpose, main driving force was to kill and absorb all the powerful creatures of the world? Maybe even beyond?


    Now, finally, there was another way forward. Could he take it instead? Refrain from the bloodied, grim future? Was it possible for him?


    Unfortunately, his pondering was swiftly answered, his newly emerged hopeful dreams crushed, destroyed before it could take root.


    Answering his thoughts, the bloodied letters swiftly reorganized themselves, creating a warning from the other entity residing inside him.


    [¡­::: With a few exceptions already available by ??§Ô????, the skills can only be synthesized through the absorption of essences of recently defeated enemies. :::¡­]


    Lucien could only frown at this, there was no point in arguing. He sighed, focusing his attention, on the newly acquired active skill, his first attacking ability: the Spiritual Slash.


    [¡­::: Skill Page - Spiritual Slash :::¡­


    Category: Active Skills - Rank 1 - Progress: 0 EP - Depth: 0


    Description: Fuse your body with the culminated energies residing in your body, enhancing the next attack be it material or viral with Entropic Energy.


    Mechanics: Although Viral Armament is the default method, at higher levels it will be possible to use the ability with any weapon enhancing the metal as well, although the cost of the skill will be increased.


    The actual cost depends on Weapon Quality. Requires Entropic Energy. Base Cost: 4 EE (Virtal Appendage).


    Note: Entropic Energy is the base source of Energy cultivated by the host through the Symbiotic Relationship with ??§Ô????. Skill is unusable with other types.


    Active Skills can be activated and deactivated by the host''s mental command. :::¡­]


    The second skill was an attack type skill, the first Lucien saw ever since his awakening. The abilities he showcased during his escape from the Facility had no signs anywhere in the system still, nor would Lucien be confident enough to rely on them. Being forced to be a passenger in his own body, watching as he uncontrollably slashed through dozens of corpses, even going as far as absorbing many of them, was not a trauma he was keen to experience any time soon.


    However, looking at the skill, the frown retained its presence on his face. The skill was actually created to use with his right arm, making his first combat ability turn into a useless one right from the start. How could his mood not sour, his shock turned into an angry scowl?


    Suddenly, he felt the touch of a familiar hand reaching for his right shoulder, waking him up from his deep thoughts.


    "You okay, Lucien? What happened?" Turning to the side, he could see the concern, the worried look of Sera, leaning close to him.


    Looking into her eyes a bit longer, Lucien sighed, shaking his head at the question. He shouldn''t waste time and energy on these thoughts. At least not now. He had a task in front of him. The objective of their morning training, his goal if he wanted to venture out in the afternoon by himself and hunt, was to be able to land one successful strike on his self-proclaimed blonde-haired guardian''s body.


    Just one single, successful hit. It doesn''t sound difficult, right? Still, he was unable to accomplish such a task.


    "No... Nothing. I was just thinking about all that you have been teaching me." Lucien gave a weak smile, as he responded. Shaking his shoulders, he spread his legs, donning the starting stance he was taught just a few hours ago.


    "Come, let''s do it again. I think I got it now!" He said with confidence, reaffirming his hold over the hilt of his exotic-looking stylized eastern sword, the katana.


    Seeing the boy''s look, and his pose, Sera sighed with relief. It seems that whatever was troubling him, weighing on his heart was now gone. Well either that, or he just managed to push it back down, and there was no point in bothering him about it now. She nodded, turned around, and walked back to her previous post while making a mental note inwardly to ask him about it tonight.


    After all, they don''t have much time to spend here left, and while she managed to shorten to the distance they had between them, and the boy was no longer looking at her with cold, hostile eyes, it was still not at a distance that she was comfortable with. At most, she felt the boy looked at her like an acquaintance, maybe a distant friend, and not like family.


    Sera sighed, forcing the wry smile on his face to return to the calm state as she took her post and got ready. She looked up, matching the boy''s fierce, confident gaze, giving a slight nod towards him.


    "If you are ready, you can come any time you want. There''s no need to wait for my words; after all, in a real-life situation, the opponent will not wait for you to get ready." She spoke, holding the short sword leisurely in her right hand and keeping her left one free.


    She was calm, smiling, her mythical source of holy powers wasn''t flowing. She stood in her normal, depowered state. Still, it would be a mistake to think that she wasn''t ready. Her eyes whilst radiated serenity, there was something more behind it.


    ¡ª


    On her words, the dark-haired boy at the distance suddenly charged ahead. His speed, however, caused Sera to suddenly squint her azure blue eyes, and focus on him. It was much faster than before, and just as he rushed ahead, she could see the faint traces of the eroding darkness seeping up, overtaking his white sclera.


    ''He is finally starting to use it, huh¡­'' She muttered inwardly, tightening her grip on the hilt of her short blade, focusing on the fast movements of the approaching youth.

 Chapter 50 - 50 - Fighting Sera

    (AN.: Just a note from me before we dive deeper into the story. There will be concepts that I will utilize in the story that can be similar to traditional, ''cultivation'' novels. Anyway, just wanted to give a note, before public outcry could ensue. :) )


    ---


    "If you are ready, you can come any time you want. There''s no need to wait for my words; after all, in a real-life situation, the opponent will not wait for you to get ready."


    As soon as Sera walked back to her position and said those words, Lucien immediately ran forward. At the same time, for the first time ever, he concentrated on the [Bestial Rush] skill, activating it with his thought in the next instant.


    As the skill activated, he suddenly felt a new sensation. A flow of some sort, activating in his body. Although he wasn''t knowledgeable about these spiritual matters as of yet, he could feel it. A path, a channel inside his body activated, similar to his circulatory system, but at the same time, different as well. It wasn''t made of flesh, but of this intangible energy, something that he could only compare to a warm breeze. It was as if a soothing, calming euphoric feeling activated inside him, and began to course all around.


    This new path, was what he would eventually learn was called his Meridians, his Spiritual Vessel later.


    For now, however, he could keep his focus on the blonde woman''s figure up ahead as he felt this strange otherworldly channel guide this warm intangible flow of energy towards his legs.


    Instantly, as the energy reached its intended destination it began to evaporate, seeping into the surrounding muscle mass, causing them to contort and swell almost instantly.


    From the outside Lucien suddenly felt that each of his steps carried vastly more power behind him, each time he kicked off the ground, it increased his already high momentum. He felt the wind against his face, he was certain that he was faster than before.


    Still, he had no time to dwell on matters such as these, as with the increased speed and momentum, he was rapidly closing in on the stoically standing Sera. He gripped the hilt of the exotic sword with both of his hands, raising it above his head.


    He wasn''t aware of it at the time, but even the way he held his blade has changed slightly. It was stable, the previous uncertainty induced by his ineptitude and inexperience have vanished, replaced by firm resolution.


    Even the charging pose carried a knowledge now deeply rooted into his subconscious.


    Without him knowing, this one single change in his mindset, his willingness to finally use the System, and with it, the ''other one'' deepened their connection.


    Seeing his altered stance, his increased speed, and the growing darkness in the boy''s sclera, the calm disposition Sera radiated gradually changed, replaced by a serious outlook.


    Seeing how the boy bent his knee at the same distance as in his previous attempt before he jumped into the air, Sera got ready, immediately reacting like before and raising her sword horizontally, preparing to absorb the blow the very same way she did before.


    However, to her great surprise, the jump this time was merely a faint. Instead of jumping up, Lucien merely loped forward, before abruptly twisting his arms to his right side and swinging at a horizontal arc.


    Although the attack caught her unprepared, Sera had vastly more experience in combat than the boy. Almost instantly, realizing that she was played, she leaned back whilst taking a step and jumping behind. At the same time, she swiftly struck down with her sword whilst changing the stance of her sword to a 45-degree acute angle.


    Being midway through his attack, Lucien could only watch with widened eyes as Sera fixed her previous posture with a lightning-fast speed and even managed to twist her sword to absorb his incoming momentum.


    *Clang!*


    With a loud clinking sound, the metals collided against each other, causing slight vibrations to ripple back to their holder''s arms.


    Still, the victor of their clash wasn''t the young man, despite striking with all the carried momentum of his charge, he was still lacking compared to the vastly higher strength and experience of her opponent.


    He sauntered back a couple of steps, before regaining his composure and stabilizing himself.


    Still, this setback didn''t break his zeal at all. Lucien could be seen madly grinning, as he was already swinging from left this time. Also, his arc wasn''t horizontal but had an acute angle in it, he was aiming to make a cut from her left waist all the way towards the right side of her blooming mature chest.


    At the same time, the darkness continued to slowly crawl deeper into his sclera, and, increasing the ferocity and viciousness of all his attacks.


    Despite that, Sera retained her cool. Although she could feel the gradually increasing power, she did not activate her own powers. Twisting her upper torso, she turned around to face the attack head-on, while taking another step back, and planting her feet in the ground. Her sword, sailing across the air, was swiftly flying to parry the incoming strike.


    Just like in the first strike, Lucien''s blow wasn''t amateurish any more but was carrying the lingering faint traces of some ancient, unknown technique. Their blades clashed once more, the loud clinking sounds of the metals meeting each other rippled into the surrounding forest.


    Their duel continued, with Lucien showing a continuous and growing depth of some unknown technique, while Sera expertly blocked, parried, and sometimes evaded each of his attacks, not striking back even once and not relying on her holy energy at all.


    Still, she had to admit that while at the beginning of their battle, she could accept each of his blows and swings with relative ease, she had to focus and fully utilize her own body strength to do the same towards the second half.


    Also, it seemed that Lucien somehow managed to control his own powers, the darkness in the corner of his eyes didn''t creep deeper, it merely created a thin outline over the edges of the visible area of his marble white sclera.


    In the end, feeling the pressure Sera smirked at the boy, parrying another one of his directed diagonal attacks, before suddenly her entire body lit up, bathing in the colorless, blinding luster.


    An invisible power surged from her body, throwing the body of the boy back several feet in the air. As his body crashed on the ground drawing a dirty trail on the ground, she lowered her guard and stepped towards him.


    "Okay Lucien, that is enough. You did good!" She spoke calmly. Despite the long and arduous battle they head, she showed no signs of fatigue, unlike his youthful opponent.


    "H-how¡­" Looking up, Lucien looked at the blonde angelic girl incredulously. Heaving heavily he asked. "H-how are you¡­ not tired at all?"


    In response, he only received a chuckle.


    "Now now, Lucien, is that something you can ask a lady?" She asked with a mischievous look, as she leaned down and reached out with her right hand. "Come, stand up. You did good!"


    Accepting the offered hand, he stood up with Sera''s assistance. He looked confused. How did he do good? He didn''t manage to land a hit at all!


    Understanding the meaning behind his bewildered look, Sera simply smiled, shaking her head.


    "No. You did well. Even better than I expected. You made me use my power. That''s a victory in my book. You won, Lucien." She explained with a growing smile.


    Before Lucien could voice his confusion and argue further, suddenly¡­

 Chapter 51 - 51 - Techniques

    Before Lucien could voice his confusion and argue further, suddenly the sound of a notification rang in his mind and ears. In the next instant the dark, translucent illusive screen appeared in front of his eyes.


    The bloody letters appeared one after another, rapidly flying into their designated spots, formulating a surprising message, causing Lucien to barely be able to contain his shock and surprise not showing over his face.


    [¡­::: The Host''s understanding has deepened. The related Comprehension Talent [Sword Mastery: Katanas] in the skill''s Essence Pool has been automatically added. The corresponding Entropy Cost has been deducted. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current EP Balance: 30 EP (-10) :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Due to the host''s deepened understanding and comprehension the Technique section has been unlocked! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: The Technique: [Sword Style: Absolute Spirit Sword] has been synthesized. :::¡­]


    Just like the messages displayed, Lucien could suddenly feel as new, strange images, short visions appeared in the back of his mind. He only needed to focus on them, to bring all of these memories up to the front, and display them and merge these invading scenes with his own subconscious memory.


    One by one as they appeared, they depicted a shadowy, faceless humanoid figure holding a bright platinum-colored sword, similar in shape and size to his katana, but made out of similar energy that itself. The figure was displaying various stances holding the words, poses, and even a few attacks, slashes with the weapon it was holding.


    From the outside, Sera could see as the boy''s vision turned hazy. She smiled, seemingly aware of what was happening, she took a step back, giving the boy a bit of space.


    She didn''t speak a word, there was no need to. The boy was already gone, deep in his own world. His hands moving on their own, the boy copied the various forms of the shadowy figure as he saw them.


    His body moving on its own, he perfectly mimicked the movements. Various stances, poses were showcased one after another. His body glistening with the heavy sweat, Lucien kept the movements, unaware of everything happening on the outside.


    Eventually, however, his movements ceased. With a heavy, tired sigh, he plopped down the ground, heaving heavily.


    He felt his head aching, he was unable to process any more of these mysterious scenes, he couldn''t comprehend any more of the technique that appeared in his mind mysteriously.


    As he came back to his senses, he realized how incredibly spent his entire body was, surprising him once again. His entire body was burning, his muscles were aching as if they were strained way over their limits.


    He couldn''t help but gasp for air, he was thirsty for air. With a shocked expression, he gazed to the side, looking at Sera and hoping to get some answers to what had just happened.


    Looking at him, Sera was gently smiling, nodding as their eyes met.


    "What did you learn, Lucien? It seemed to be something related to your current weapon. I have to admit though¡­" Her smile increased, her tone carrying a cheeky undertone as she added. "¡­I have never seen the style you practiced just now."


    Lucien didn''t know how to respond to her question. In front of him, the system''s window was currently floating visible only to him, displaying his current progress in this mysterious newly unlocked subsection.


    [¡­:::Current Progress: Technique: [Sword Style: Absolute Spirit Sword] - 2.5% comprehended. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Accumulating Energy¡­ Updating Power Rank Progress¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Progress: Rank: 1 ::: 53.5% :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Energy increased by 5! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: The change in Maximum Energy is stored in the System Bank and is not assimilated with the Host''s Body currently. :::¡­]


    ''Where are all these coming from? Is it because of those images? Did the technique progress give these gains? If so¡­ how, I haven''t consumed any mass¡­'' Lucien looked in front of himself, staring at the screen with an incredulous gaze.


    What he was seeing, although it was incredible and obviously very welcome¡­ was strange¡­ How could he grow more powerful without absorbing flesh, the mass of other creatures? Wasn''t this how the system worked?


    Understanding his concerns, a smaller window appeared atop the current one, with a seemingly already prepared response.


    [¡­::: The upgrades are qualitative upgrades coming from the host''s current comprehension of the technique. As the host hasn''t absorbed any additional mass there are no changes to the host''s physical attributes. Comprehending Techniques are beneficial to the host''s Power Stage. :::¡­]


    Reading through the System''s response, Lucien was barely able to contain the deepening frown he felt. Once again, the discussion related to that still unknown Power and Rank has come up, however, he still couldn''t understand what they were and how it could help him. Whenever he tried asking the system about it, he was told that once he was ready, everything he needed to know will be explained.


    Besides that, he just knew that they would be beneficial to him in some way and would make him more powerful.


    Deep in his thoughts, he was suddenly startled, almost jumping up from his spot, when he suddenly felt a hand touching his right shoulder suddenly. Turning his head, he was met with Sera who was now sitting next to him on the ground, looking at her with a gentle, warm smile stretching across her face.


    "Are you okay Lucien? You were spacing out¡­" She asked smilingly. "If you have questions, don''t be afraid to ask me. I hope I have proved that you can trust me by now."


    "N-no¡­ It''s nothing." The boy shook his head. "I was just thinking about our duel¡­ You said I won?" He asked, matching the woman''s gaze, changing the topic. While he did trust the girl he still didn''t want to reveal every little secret about his situation. Not yet.


    "Yes, I did. You forced me to use my power, otherwise, your last attack would have hit me." She spoke with the same smile, not minding the fact that she was seemingly almost slashed. Looking at his blade thoughtfully she continued. "You know, I have to admit I didn''t expect you to be this good with handling that sword. You truly surprised me there!"


    "So this means, I can go by myself in the afternoon?" Not minding her praise, Lucien asked with an expectant glint in his eyes.


    "Yes. We did agree to that, didn''t we?" Sera nodded, her gentle smile turning crooked at the thought. "However, you shouldn''t wander too deep. Although this place is safer than other similar sub-worlds, at the same time, there are some dangerous magical beasts deeper inside. You should be careful, they aren''t like the ones you have seen so far!"


    She stood up, dusting off her attire as she added with a stricter tone.


    "I will be staying close by. I will let you go on and explore alone, but I will not leave you completely by yourself."


    Seeing that the boy''s face twisted into a displeased frown, she added.


    "Don''t worry. Unless you meet a creature you have no hope of defeating or escaping, I will not interfere. You need to experience some hardships, but I can''t let you die. You are the sole inheritor of the Master after all."


    Lucien could only nod and accept Sera''s conditions. Even if he was proud and wanted to solve all of his problems alone, he had to accept the fact that he wasn''t strong enough to do so.


    However, this just ignited his will, his burning desire to grow stronger. Although he was truly thankful that she saved his life and all her efforts, his pride just couldn''t accept being the one protected.


    Especially by a girl.


    Anyway, although he had to compromise, Lucien couldn''t help but smile with expectation as he looked towards the depths of the forest.


    He could finally go out and explore!

 Chapter 52 - 52 - A Challenge

    (AN.: Before we start, I need to apologize. I got a bit too busy juggling all of the RL stuff that was thrown at me. The storm is hopefully passing now, and I am doing my best to re-create the backlog I have just used up.


    Again, apologies for this short hiatus. Those that followed my other novel, The Last Primal, should already know that it''s very rare for such situations to happen.)


    ---


    As if crossing through an imaginary border, the previously sparse oak-brown barrier of trees changed. The light tones of brown, green, and blue transformed into their more ominous, darker shades.


    The inner regions of this mythical forest were vastly different. What seemed like an impassive wall, an uncrossable barrier from the other side, felt as if Lucien stepped out from the land of dreams delving deeper into the border between reality and nightmares.


    This untouched piece of nature was much larger than the outer regions. The canopy was competed by the thinning but still present population of oak, with an increasing density of larch and even linden. Their leaves and branches allowed for just enough light to pass down for a diversity of shrubs to consume the crunchy layer of leaves below.


    Coiling, climbing plants dangled down from the thicker branches high above, a medley of darker-toned flowers and plants, which grew all over the place, added a bit more life in the otherwise homogeneous inner layer.


    With careful, measured steps Lucien crossed this invisible barrier, and from the vibrant, lush outer ring, he was now trespassing into this mythical, creepy inner territory of nature.


    As he slowly paced forward, making sure that each of his steps was as silent as he could make it out to be, the warnings of Sera rang inside his mind once more. Her warnings to be careful, not to charge headfirst, and scan the surroundings.


    She explained that even the air is different compared to the outside. There''s a thickness to it, there is an abundance of energy empowering flora and fauna alike. If he is not careful, he could find beasts much worse than some wargs.


    The distant clampers, noises in the shaking undergrowth. An eerie hoot. The atmosphere was much different, giving the inexperienced a scary, ominous feel.


    Lucien, however, retained his excited smile, even though he did his best to avoid unnecessary danger. His mission was to prove not just to Sera, but to himself that he can handle the danger, he can work under pressure.


    If he wanted to grow, if he wanted to be strong, he needed to be able to face the darker shades of the world. He needed to accept reality, his reality.


    He knew this of course and was already working on it. Still, he couldn''t help but remember the cries of those people, those guards he killed¡­ No. Not just killed but¡­


    ''Absorbed¡­'' He muttered inwardly, with a deep frown, remembering the shrivels of the guard he basically tore into pieces before the tendrils shot out from his right arm socket, engulfed and silenced the bastard for all eternity.


    "No. Not anymore." He shook his head, dispersing the growing fog in his head. "Such thoughts, as dark as they are, are now a part of him.


    "It was either them or me. There was no other choice." He reminded himself, squeezing out the words through the tightly clenching row of teeth in his closed mouth.


    He gripped the long hilt of his exotic, eastern-styled sword forcing his thoughts to the back of his head.


    Standing beside the wide-berched trunk of an oak tree, the fog slowly dispersed from his eyes, he regained his clarity.


    "I should hunt. I need to train my skills and get used to my new body¡­ I need to push on." He repeated his mantra, turning his head to the side focusing on the task he set for himself.


    His ears perked, his heightened senses could pick up much more than the average human could.


    Pushing through the tumult of disturbances, the crackles, the chirping noises of insects and critters, after a short bit of concentration he eventually made out two distinct routes he could take and continue on.


    One of these was to his right. From the far east, he could hear a discord of smaller noises, predominantly those of varmint, adding life to this dark green world surrounding him.


    Another option was probably closer, further inside, probably from the north or northwest. Lucien picked up the trickling sounds of a gentle river stream.


    Thinking about both choices, Lucien''s attention was split between these two directions. From one side, the better option seemed to be with picking the east and slowly traversing the terrain, keeping himself closer to the illusionary border and close in on the sounds of these animals. Whilst they were probably all easier training partners, it didn''t carry too much mystery and danger.


    On the other side, however, he felt a strange pull towards going deeper and exploring this unknown. This was, after all, a world devoid of human civilization. This was a forest rich with this magical energy, this strange, unknown, spiritual substance. Who knows what mysteries, fantastical sights he could see?!


    In the end, he turned his sights to the right. There was no time for childish dreams and wonders. He needed to show results. He needed reassurance.


    He killed the growing smile from his face, changing back to the stern, cold look he liked to carry on with, and turned to the east.


    However, just as he was about to take a step and embark on the short journey, suddenly he felt a strange sensation at the back of his head, a tingling, uncomfortable feel. Instantly, his nerves lit up, throwing his body into an alerted state.


    He jumped to the side, just in time as a small rock passed by his ears, flying with immense speed and momentum, and crashed against the ground.


    Instantly he threw his body behind the large tree''s protective cover, focusing his hearing on the direction the sudden projectile came from.


    From the distance, he could hear a cacophony of snickering howls, hoots, and even echoing high-pitched cries. Whilst they were still a bit of a distance away, they were rapidly closing in towards his destination.


    Focusing his attention, he could hear as the voices spread around circling high above, crossing through the branches, just under the thick canopy.


    Lucien tightened his grip on the hilt of his katana, his attention following the sources of the approaching enemies expertly.


    "3¡­ 4¡­ no¡­ 6 different creatures." He muttered, getting himself ready for the fight.


    Soon the hollers turned crazier, the creatures were closer. Acknowledging the sudden alerted state of his senses, he flicked to the left, once again avoiding another sharper pebble crashing against the spot on the tree where his head rested just a moment ago.


    Despite missing their target, Lucien could now clearly make out the locations of all the enemies. Amidst the chaotic, reverberating noises, he could make out 6 enemies. Adding more, as he looked up, following the projectile''s velocity back to its origin, he could see the shadowy outline of what seemed to be a smaller-bodied monkey-like creature.


    It resembled something akin to a smaller monkey, maybe a marmoset, although there were some pretty obvious differences. For one, it seemed to have two separate, long, bushy tails hanging from behind, and instead of a pair of arms and legs, it seemed to have more.


    Lucien couldn''t be sure, as though his sight gradually focused on his target, he had to avert his attention a moment later when he felt another rock pass by the back of his head.


    Although the situation looked pretty grim, as all his opponents were resting above, Lucien wasn''t worried. No, on the contrary, as his gaze fixed on the creature in front and above him once more, a thin smile emerged at the edges of his lips.


    This was exactly the type of challenge, the prey he was hoping to train on!


    Seeing as the dark, furry creature raised both of his upper limbs into the air, seeming ready to attack again, but this time with twice the ammunition, Lucien suddenly charged forward, his speed swiftly increasing as he activated his [Bestial Rush] skill again¡­


    ¡ª


    Slightly further away from the boy, the blonde mature girl, Sera was watching with apt attention as the battle slowly unfolded. While she promised to let the boy hunt alone, she still decided to follow after him, and make sure he would stay safe.


    Unlike the boy, she was aware of the dangers, the terrifying monsters lurking at the deepest regions of this mythical subspace of the world.


    She was leaning against a thin-looking larch tree, her arms crossed under her chest, her forehead wrinkled with worry. She was forcing herself to stay put, and not act rashly. The boy just started to finally trust her, and gradually close the distance they had between them.


    Acting against his wishes, and jumping in without his direct request, would do nothing but ruin their relationship, turning the situation most likely unsalvageable.


    Because of that, she could do nothing but sigh helplessly, and stay put. She needed to trust the boy a bit more herself.


    "You can do it¡­ Master¡­"

 Chapter 53 - 53 - First Encounter

    A dark, blurry silhouette was rushing towards an oak with frightening speed. Its figure drew a black streak as it dashed.


    Almost instantly as he sprung into action the echoing hooting and hollering died down, replaced by high-pitched angry screams. Rocks and even sticks of all kinds were flung towards the hazy dashing streak, only to miss its target by a great margin and thump at the dark green carpet of ground.


    The figure did not stop, did not falter, it charged seemingly towards the large, wide, gnarled bark. The small monkey-like beast, who was enjoying itself just a moment ago, suddenly sensed the incoming, looming threat, an inconceivable danger to its life.


    The little beast just couldn''t understand, how was he threatened? Their prey, the weak little outsider was down on the ground below whilst they were up, under the safety of the canopy, the dome of leaves.


    He couldn''t possibly threaten its life, could it?


    Albeit sensing the danger, the little beast decided to not run away, to not escape. Its opponent was below, it seemed far too clumsy to be able to get to such a spot. Deciding it was just a trick of its nerves, it growled with a fit of newfound anger and even arrogance.


    After all, how does such a weakling, furless two-legs threaten its obviously mightier presence?!


    In its steadily rising rage, it reached out, seemingly grabbing the empty air with all four of its frontal limbs.


    At the next moment, however, instead of holding empty air, 4 small, circular-shaped, smooth-surfaced stone pebble appeared in its four clenched palms. As it was following the steady approach of the measly target of theirs.


    Releasing a mad, anger-fueled warning howl, all four of its limbs flung, shooting the quartet of projectiles simultaneously.


    At the same time, its cry was like a call for battle, the monkey''s 5 companions copied its leader''s actions and each threw their own ammo towards Lucien.


    Despite being sentenced to a heavy barrage from these cruel, short creatures, Lucien continued charging forward, ignoring the swarm of incoming stones. His speed, hastened by the continuous use of the [Bestial Rush] ability, their attacks could only fall behind him, he didn''t need to focus on dodging, evading at all.


    The little monkey leader watched with confusion as the figure reached below him. It still couldn''t understand what the end goal was, as itself was still way out of its reach even if he were to try to poke with its sharp weapon.


    However, its bewilderment was answered in the next instant.


    As Lucien reached his spot, under the tree, he suddenly bent his knee, shifting all of his momentum and strength into his legs, springing upwards, shooting to the sky like a human rocket, he jumped with everything he had.


    His body shot up in the air, lifting his weight, rapidly closing towards the surprised, shocked, and scared little creature with a menacing grin over his face.


    As the distance closed, and before the monkey-like creature could react in any meaningful way, the sharp metal blade struck down, slicing through the air and subsequently, the beast in an instant.


    The swipe was sudden, killing not just the beast, ending its life almost instantly, but also silencing the hooting crowd of its brethren as well.


    The unexpected resolution to the opposed problem, the sudden strike of the exotic blade was all it needed to end the life of this unknown, dark-furred four-armed, double bushy-tailed creature, shifting the scale to Lucien''s favor.


    A single second. That was the required time all it took to shock the annoying, arrogant creature of the forest.


    A meager instant, that in the eyes of his opponent it stretched out, never seeming to cease. Their small, bead-like eyes turned wide open, they watched with shock written all over their faces as their fearless leader''s lifeless body split apart and fell down from the tree onto the ground, sending out two distinct muffled thuds.


    Still, however long the moment felt, as soon as the previously hooted and hollered human''s feet touched the ground, the nature of their discourse changed. Their taunts died down, replaced by fearful cries and sorrows and desperate screams as they immediately turned tail and escaped to all directions.


    Lucien was keenly aware as their intent changed, shifting from the desire to annoy and kill into fear and misery. He had to admit, this feeling of power, the dominance over his opponent was intoxicating.


    He didn''t bother chasing after them. There was no point, they were much more agile and faster than him, it would be pointless, he would never catch up.


    Also, he had a perfectly fine corpse in front of him, why would he leave it?


    Listening as their voices gradually died down, Lucien snickered at them, turning his attention on the split carcass of this strange creature.


    Now that it was finally not hiding, Lucien could confirm his first guess. Its features did resemble a marmoset, a small subspecies of monkeys with some obvious differences.


    One was their size. While their ''normal'' brethren, mostly known to habit the vast jungle biomes around South America and sporting a size of approximately 8 inches, this specimen was more than twice as large and thick, probably reaching 18, or maybe 20 inches even!


    Another difference was the addition of another bushy tail and a second pair of frontal limbs, or arms. The usually short claws they had, seemed to be still present here, with roughly the same size. They were short and sharp.


    Their chestnut-colored eyes were also matching the outside world, although there was a strange, dark-green hairline running from its pupil to the outer edges of its iris. Whatever purpose it served it rapidly began to fade as soon as life left the little creature, gradually losing its leftover color and fading into nonexistence as the seconds passed.


    Startled by this, Lucien hurriedly reached out with his right arm, grabbing both sides of the split corpse.


    In the next moment, he felt the rising hunger, the awakening sentience of the ''other one'' inside him. His arm bulged, the outlines of the dark tendrils underlying his skin became faintly visible.


    The lifeless, furry carcass liquefied visible to the naked eye and vanished as everything was sucked away into the depths of Lucien''s body in mere seconds. Lucien could actually feel a rising, bubbling excitement, a strange hunger¡­ no more like a thirst to grow, causing him to shiver at this strange experience.


    Still, he could only grit his teeth, and swallow the fear and dread that came from his humanity.


    Still, as he waited for the system''s dark screen to appear and blast him with the slew of new messages, he couldn''t help but wonder.


    Was this a sign of weakness? Was his humanity going to be a problem in the long run, keeping him from going forward, towards his destiny?


    Or was this his saving grace? His chance for a better future?


    However, there was a deeper question underlying all of these thoughts. Something that kept steadily rising in the back of his head, fueling all of his other worries and concerns about himself, his future, and even his past.


    Was he still human? Or was he ever one? Is he something else, something else¡­ something dreadful?


    ¡ª


    A small smile crept up on Sera''s previously worry-filled face as she witnessed Lucien''s glorious attack. She couldn''t help but be filled with content, happiness, as she watched from afar how the young boy sliced the Stone-Hurdler Marmoset leader apart.


    Her smile only crept higher when she saw how her young master almost instinctively reached out and absorbed the beast into himself, further enriching his own power.


    She clenched her hands as hope slowly warmed her heart.


    "Soon¡­ Grow stronger Master¡­ This time, we will change the course of history!" She muttered, whispering into the air, keeping watch and protecting the boy from afar.

 Chapter 54 - 54 - Who Is Pulling The Strings?

    Not too long after the liquefied remains of the strange monkey-like creature entered his body and got absolved, the expected dark-tinted, holographic screen appeared in front of Lucien''s eyes once more.


    He looked at it with great interest, already expecting a couple of the notifications he would receive after witnessing their dexterousness and speed.


    [¡­::: Stone-Hurdler Marmoset (Lvl 1 - Category: Magical Beasts) mass has been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ :::¡­]


    Although the name and category surprised him slightly, they weren''t completely unexpected either. The fact that the little mischievous creature was only a level 1 was surprising, he could still accept it. After all, he did manage to take it down with only one slice.


    No matter how unexpected it was, no matter how much momentum he carried, he would be shocked if he were to be able to deal fatal damage to something that was considerably stronger.


    As he pondered about the creature''s primary information, the messages continued.


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Stone-Hurdler Marmoset (Lvl 1 - Category: Magical Beasts) - Creature Page has been created! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Through the absorption, the following updates has been granted to the host:


    + 1.20 Agility


    + 0.15 Stamina


    + 2 EP (1 Base + 1 First time, Full consumption Bonus)


    + 1.5% Power Increase


    Note: All updates are not in the stabilized state. Cultivation is required for complete assimilation. :::¡­]


    Reading through the details he was surprised by the amount of extra agility that he gained from a single creature. Although he wasn''t completely certain about it, the fact that the defeated creature was roughly matching his own capabilities, he was not expecting any additional rewards.


    Reading through and acknowledging the gains he received from the little furry beast, his eyes widened with surprise when suddenly another line appeared in his line of sight, soon followed by a familiar sensation of newfound knowledge spreading through the back of his head.


    [¡­::: A New Skill has been synthesized! The passive skill: Heightened Reflexes (Rank 1) has been created! :::¡­]


    His surprise formed into a satisfied smile as he dismissed the screen and returned his attention to the path ahead. He didn''t need nor did he want to waste time navigating through the system for more details, at least not now.


    His time was strictly limited, he needed to exercise more, and for that, he needed to resume his journey before Sera would come to take him back.


    Still, he couldn''t hide the satisfaction completely from his face. He gained so much, and this was merely his first battle! Each and every victory was bringing him one step closer to the level of power he hoped to achieve to truly regain freedom.


    Once again turning towards the east, he hesitated. After this first victory, he felt an even greater call, a pull further into the depths of this magical forest.


    The gentle river stream that his enhanced hearing could pick up, carried a strange mystery, something that was increasingly harder to resist. There was something he felt he needed to see¡­ Something that was calling him.


    Lucien wasn''t even sure if this was truly the reality or it was merely the actions, the suggestive whispers of the Other One, the one that the system still couldn''t name, that lived inside him.


    Still, even if this was just a trick to convince him to go towards the north instead, Lucien couldn''t deny that whatever the other side was sensing, feeling, it was strong enough for such a desire to flare up.


    It was at this time that he thought about the other side without hatred or any disdain. For the first time, he was thinking that it would probably be better if they could somehow converse¡­ communicate.


    Pondering, wishing about this fact, he was startled when the familiar dark, translucent window appeared once more in front of him, and its characteristic blood-dripping letters appeared one after another, swiftly formulating a message.


    As the message appeared, it finally dawned on Lucien what was clearly obvious from some time now. The whole system, the strange, eerie messages was already the other side''s means of communication! They were working together the whole time! Whilst he was dreading to rely on that monster, at the same time, he was enjoying all the positive effects, changes it provided.


    [¡­::: New Task Received! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 3) Journey towards the North, deeper into the Eden-N03''s Magical Forest and find the Hidden Cave by the creek :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 3) Get inside and ???? :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 3) Rewards: ???? :::¡­]


    As the new task appeared in front of his vision, Lucien looked bewildered at it. What was this? What did it want?


    ''Are you there?'' He couldn''t help but mentally call out, thinking about the system itself for a lack of a better way.


    Seeing as there was no response, Lucien didn''t give up. Instead, he asked out again.


    ''System, are you the other entity inside me? Are you the other half that saved me in the Facility?'' He asked again, rephrasing his question.


    To his surprise, the floating screen reacted, formulating a curt response.


    [¡­::: No. We are not the same. Albeit connected we are all separate entities. :::¡­]


    Reading the message, Lucien wasn''t really disappointed. While his first conjecture was denied, he still gained a crucial piece of information.


    "Separate Entities, huh? Interesting¡­" He smirked, shelving the thought for the time being and dismissing the system screens to clear his sight.


    Looking and focusing his senses in both directions for a bit longer in the end, he decided to forgo his first idea and instead turned towards the dark depths of the forest, and chose to investigate the stream.


    At the same time, he wanted to explore what the system wanted. What was so important? What did it sense? What does it need him to do? Get inside? For what reason?


    Unfortunately, knowing the system by now, the only way to get answers to these questions would be to acquiesce to its whims and go where he was guided towards.


    With a sigh escaping his lips, he stood up from his spot, turned towards the north, and began pacing towards the trickling, gentle sounds.


    He didn''t know what was awaiting him there, nor was he prepared for the lurking danger that he was guided towards. His mind was filled with questions that he wished nothing but to find answers to.


    Apart from trying to understand his own fate, his own destiny in this whole mess he was born into, he also wished to learn more about this other side of him. Was he really born with this monstrous entity? Or did they got fused together at some point?


    Although he couldn''t explain it, he was leaning towards the latter, however, incredulous it sounded. Maybe he was just dreading the consequences if the first were to be true. After all, then he would have to accept the fact that he himself was the monster. That there was no other entity, it would be just another personality of him.


    ''Wait¡­ Could this mean that¡­'' A fearsome thought came to his mind, he stopped in his tracks.


    Thinking about it a bit more, he managed to calm down in the next second and shake his head. That would be impossible, not to mention paradoxical, it wouldn''t even make sense.


    No. Something must have happened during the birth that ended him with this monstrous entity sharing a body and mind with him.


    Still, that didn''t explain the existence of this strange system¡­ If it wasn''t the other one, who did it belong to? Who controlled it, and consequently, who was playing with his life and fate?

 Chapter 55 - 55 - A Magical Place

    Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, Lucien''s excitement grew as the trickle of water turned closer and closer.


    Eventually, he found himself at the edge of a small clearing, hidden deep within this magical place. Amidst the treeline, he spotted it finally. At the center of the small field, seemingly amidst the vibrant, healthy emerald-colored blades of knee-high grass, he saw the source of the soothing sound.


    Slicing the field into two, a thin stream of sapphire-tinted, crystal clear stream of water ventured towards the east ultimately making its way into a small hillside den. Although the sight was idyllic, transcending the standards of natural beauty, Lucien looked towards the shallow cave entrance with wariness.


    Despite not being able to feel any presence coming from inside, Lucien had a hard time believing that such a place would not be occupied by some sort of beast. After all, even from this distance, he could feel strange, but at the same time, vaguely familiar warmth radiating from inside.


    Familiar, yet strange because whilst it reminded him of the sensation of the Holy Energy when it infused with the cells in his body as Sera was ''healing'' him, it was strange, as he could not find the source.


    It was as if the cave itself was generating this source of power. It was truly a unique and magical place.


    ''Was this the place the system wanted me to find?'' He pondered, slowly losing himself in front of this magical place.


    As if responding to his thoughts while he was lost in his daze gazing towards the burrow at the side of the hill, the sudden sound of his system brought him back to reality. The dark, translucent screen of the system appeared in front of Lucien''s face, bringing forth an update from his latest, assigned task.


    [¡­::: Task update :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 3) Journey towards the North, deeper into the Eden-N03''s Magical Forest and find the Hidden Cave by the creek - Completed :::¡­]


    [¡­::: 3) Go inside. :::¡­]


    ''What is inside? What am I searching for?'' Lucien couldn''t help but ask after seeing the confirmation by the system.


    However, there was no response this time. Instead, his current objective began faintly flashing, as if urging him to stop wasting time and walk towards the hillside.


    Taking one last look around, eventually, Lucien sighed, stepping away from the safety of the thick bark of the oak he was hiding behind and stepped into the small clearing.


    Almost instantly, as if crossing an illusionary border, the air itself changed, adding a strange, undecipherable new feeling, an unfamiliar sensation to it. There was a strange rich quality to it, with a single breath he inhaled, Lucien could feel the difference.


    His nervousness calmed down, he felt the soothing feeling. The creases of his worried look eased down, as slowly, gradually a thin, calm smile made its first appearance on his expression.


    His rapidly beating heart began to slow down, and relax. As if the dangers of this place no longer mattered. He felt safe here as if he was where he belonged¡­


    Suddenly, he felt the pull from the direction of the cave once again. What was a vague, faint feel from before, was now much more present. Like iron bolts towards a strong magnet, he was helpless, he was in a trance. Without any resistance, Lucien gravitated towards the entrance, arriving in front of it in mere seconds and stepping inside, braving the darkness without as much as sparing a second thought.


    ¡ª-


    As Lucien''s figure vanished, another figure appeared at the far side, hiding behind the trees. Her blonde hair fluttered in the air as she jumped atop the tree and looked down from above.


    Unlike the boy, her mind was clear, she wasn''t entranced by the peculiarities of this small meadow.


    Whilst she herself couldn''t sense anything, her senses were still flaring, keeping her in an alerted state. Although she couldn''t be certain, felt thought it''s best to keep her wariness at the top. Such rich energy cannot be unguarded. There had to be something that made this place its own territory.


    She kept glancing all over the area, a faint, hollow glow surrounded her figure as she slowly circulated her power, ready to jump in at a moment''s notice and protect the boy.


    Her previously calm look was now replaced by a worried, concerned frown, she was tightly holding onto the hilt of her short sword. A faint, hollow outline of a pair of feathery wings slowly appeared at her back. As they remained immaterial, it was impossible to tell what the meaning of this illusion was, but one thing was certain: She was keeping her attention at the maximum, ready to strike in an instant if needed.


    ¡ª


    Oblivious to the growing danger surrounding him, Lucien dazedly wondered inside the small burrow. As he felt the increasing heat over his cheeks, he slowly woke up from the strange dream he was pulled into.


    Finding himself in the cave he was having trouble making sense of, a sudden surge of confusion and shock appeared on his face.


    ''W-when¡­ No. How did I get here?'' Feeling the pulsating heat caressing his skin, he looked in front of him. As he glanced towards the source, he saw a small, but a strangely deep pond of the same crystal clear, sapphire blue water stretching out on the central area of the cavern, in the rocky ground in front of him.


    The warmth, the energy-rich air was coming from its direction. He also felt the same pull, this magical tugging feel, as if someone or something wanted him to dive into it and explore its very depths, reach the rock bottom.


    Suddenly, as if once again reacting to his own thoughts, the system''s dark-tinted screen popped in front of him, giving him new instructions above the previous one.


    [¡­::: 3) Find the Azure Essence Crystal. Approximate location: Below the surface of the water. :::¡­]


    ''What? What Crystal? What does it look like?! No¡­ Wait, how would I even do that?! I can''t swim, nor can I hold my breath for long!'' He exclaimed inwardly, as he saw the new instruction.


    What stupid idea was to ask him to submerge in the water?! He never learned how to swim. He was an orphan and a test subject! Nobody bothered teaching him!


    However, the system wasn''t giving an inch to him. The message flashed again, urging him to get in.


    ''No! I won''t¡­ I can''t! I cannot swim!'' He refused, shaking his head. He was adamant on this topic. He will not kill himself just for the sake of some unknown entity.


    Clenching his fists in stubborn denial, he turned around and was about to leave when suddenly the text on the screen updated.


    Bloody letters emerged one after another, forming a new message in rapid succession.


    [¡­::: Host''s current limitation acknowledged. :::¡­]


    ''Thank god¡­ Thank you!'' Lucien sighed in relief. He was happy, did the system realize that what it wanted was a pointless endeavor?


    Before he could relax, however, another message appeared in his sight, turning his relieved smile upside down in an instant.


    [¡­::: Searching available library for resolutions¡­. :::¡­]


    ''It won''t give up¡­'' Lucien sighed, seeing the flashing line blocking a good chunk of his vision.


    ''No matter. While I wait, I can just sit down and begin assimilating the pending changes¡­'' Perking his ears, Lucien scanned his surrounding once again, but could not sense anything out of the ordinary.


    He did spot a familiar presence at a tree not too far away, but he simply smiled at it. Sera did mention she would make sure he was safe, but would not bother him in his ''little adventure''.


    To be honest, he didn''t really mind the care he was shown, he just wasn''t accustomed to it, he was never shown anything relatable in his earlier life. People looked at him with disdain, contempt, and similar negative emotions.


    Kindness, tender care¡­ or familial love was not something he was ever shown before¡­ Before this, the Lewis family was the first that seemed to look at him as a normal human being.


    Realizing the dangerous line his thoughts were going towards, Lucien shook his head and slowly exhaled, clearing his head.


    As the system was still busy trying to come up with something, he decided to enjoy the comforting air in the room, and walked to the pond and sat down cross-legged on a nearby rock.


    Taking another heavy gasp of air, he slowly began to exhale, clearing his head from all disturbances, whilst slowly closing his eyelids. As his heartbeat began to stabilize and slow down, he felt the rich, warm air fill up his lungs, relaxing his nerves and slowly pulling him towards a strange, new state in his makeshift meditative session¡­


    Unbeknownst to him, a new message appeared, although it did not give any warning. It appeared just as abruptly as it vanished just as Lucien''s mind entered into a dreamlike, cataleptic state.


    ¡ª


    From a bit further away, Sera, who was acting as the guard, suddenly jerked her head towards the north.. A deep frown with deep-seated concern appeared over her face, as she looked through the thick depths. Her piercing gaze was fixated on the huge body of an approaching presence¡­

 Chapter 56 - 56 - Be Swift… Lucien!

    The thick, powerful presence rapidly drawn closer and closer. It was clearly coming towards the very same cave, the very creek Lucien was currently exploring, meditating in.


    She could feel the slight change in the air, she could almost feel the swirl as the black-haired boy, his new master, finally began its first real step and was now rapidly absorbing the essences in the air around him.


    Seeing how he had just begun cultivating, Sera steeled her resolve. She needs to step up and guard the entrance. Even though the creature that was approaching was powerful, too powerful, she should be able to at the very least hold off and protect her young master for the time being.


    With her decision made, her figure flashed, vanishing from its spot, reappearing in front of the cave. Her legs were spread out, her sword held tightly in her stronger, right hand. She looked sternly towards the north where she could now feel the incoming creature.


    ''Be swift¡­ Lucien!'' She muttered, getting ready for the battle.


    ¡ª-


    As the oxygen entered his diaphragm and filled his lungs, Lucien''s mind slowly, gradually began to clear out. All the unnecessary thoughts, all the disturbances slowly vanished, leaving nothing but clarity behind.


    A couple of seconds passed as he subconsciously stored the energy-rich air inside just for a couple of moments longer, stabilizing his heart rate and letting all the spiritual essence seep into his spiritual vessel, or in other words, his meridians.


    For the first time, since he began gathering power, and assimilating his defeated opponents, he subconsciously stepped on the path of true power. Albeit his knowledge was shallow, to say the least, but he wasn''t alone. There were others with him, silently assisting him, guiding him towards the right path.


    His system, as well as the ''other one'' was with him, due to the twist of fate, these rather peculiar duo of entities were now working in tandem, behind the scenes, assisting and guiding their youthful host towards success.


    Lucien could feel the intent, the guiding thoughts of the other one, the monstrous side of him. Whilst they were unable to communicate directly, he could feel the guiding hand as it was slowly pointing him towards the right direction, the right method.


    At first he was hesitant to let go of his doubts and concerns, but after he felt the same warmth enter his body with the air he inhaled and transform into this intangible form¡­ this strange, but at the same time familiar source of the essence, he decided to let go of all his worries and follow his guidance.


    He finally decided to place his trust in this other creature and accept him. No matter how much a monster he truly is, in the end, their fates are now fused together, they need each other, they can''t exist without the other side.


    ''Light needs its Darkness to shine.'' He muttered mentally, as he returned his focus to the process he was being instructed on.


    As instructed, he slowly exhaled, removing all the used up, empty air from his body, before inhaling another large gasp, and just like previously, kept it inside, slowly focusing on the unique transformation of his own body as the process repeated itself.


    Now, that he was focusing on, he noticed that the transformation wasn''t being done by him, nor by his other side, but instead the third participant of the party, the System itself. Rapidly, the rich energy was sucked away, merged into his body leaving behind nothing but the ''used up'' air once more.


    Drops of this energy have begun to gather inside this previously unknown spiritual veinous system of his, filling it up, slowly and steadily. Slowly, a pathway, a channel formed, as if a reservoir, a circulation has started. Whilst there was currently no origin, no core, it was what one would call an Incomplete Vessel.


    Still, it was something. A start, a beginning. Something that Lucien could now build upon.


    Still, the process wasn''t finished. The energy was still abundant, Lucien could feel the agitation, the nervous urging of his other side, to continue on, but this time try concentrating on this vessel and try gathering the energy to a single point, the center of this newly formed system.


    Although Lucien wasn''t sure what the other one meant, he still followed the guidance and focused his will on the newly formed, single circulative spiritual vessel. He could feel the incorporeal substance, coursing through it slowly, but steadily, acting as a thin stream of the river, was flowing endlessly.


    ''Gather the energy to a single point? What does that mean?'' He pondered, not sure how to follow.


    He was confused, not sure what to do. How should he do what was required of him? What did he mean by ''concentrate it in a single point''?


    Unfortunately, this confusion caused him to fall out of the serene state he somehow managed to enter, his presence slowly returned to reality, ending his first-ever cultivation abruptly.


    Still, although he wasn''t completely successful, he still gained a lot in this single session. As his mind slowly cleared out, his mind was suddenly assaulted with several notifications.


    Surprisingly, he no longer needed to open his eyes to ''see'' the System''s screen, it seemed to be able to appear in his mind now.


    Its strange, ominous style, the dark background filled with blood-dripping characters, however, has not changed.


    [¡­::: Solution found! Initiating Assisted Cultivation¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Guidance Mode active: Transforming Energy¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Due to your actions, the synchronization rate with ??§Ô???? have been strengthened. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Checking the state of ??§Ô????¡­ Stabilizing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 20.00%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 20.50%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 21.00%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    .


    .


    .


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 39.50%¡­ Increasing¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Current Synchronization rate: 40.0%¡­ Stable! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Surpassed 30.00% Synchronization¡­ Current Symbosis State: Mutualism¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: System Milestone Reached: + 1.00% System Version Awarded. :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Several New Strains Synthesized, Strengthening Host Body¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Host Health and Energy have been updated according to the current entropy formula¡­ :::¡­]


    An endless stream of messages, carrying more and more shocking revelations and surprises was displayed in Lucien''s mind. Just like the message stated, he could feel that unlike before, their relationship with this still strangely named entity inside him has grown considerably closer.


    At the same time, he felt incredible! Lucien couldn''t really understand it, but he felt as if he was literally bursting with power as if his energy was barely being able to keep inside this small body of his.


    He wasn''t certain, but he felt that all of this was related to that unfinished vessel, his first formed core-less meridian. He had an abundance of newfound power, barely able to contain it inside this small, fragile frame of his.


    Opening up his status screen, he was surprised to see that the percentage at his Power Stage Rank was almost complete, hanging at 98.5 percent. He just needed a bit more, maybe another attempt, to calm himself down and focus on the task at hand and he was certain he would be able to cross this first threshold.


    He could feel that by crossing this first mark, he would finally overcome the limits of humanity and finally be able to leave this place with a much calmer mind knowing he would be able to protect himself from danger.


    Still, this step wasn''t that easy. He would need to understand what he was meant to do, he would need to be able to interact with this intangible flow and guide its flow the way he was instructed and concentrate the energy in a single point.


    Suddenly, a ferocious, terrifying roar shook the peace and calm of the serene little meadow, putting an abrupt halt to Lucien''s pondering session and forcing him to wake up.


    "Huh? What is tha-"


    Before he could finish the thought, a pain-filled scream echoed in the surroundings. A sense of dread washed over him. His eyes snapped wide open, his face contorted into a mixture of dread, worry, and a rising, seething rage.


    The painful sorrow, the cry was all too familiar¡­ it sounded like Sera!


    Almost instantly, as realization hit him, he jumped up, activated his [Bestial Rush] ability, and dashed out of the cave.


    A second later, as his figure appeared his face twisted into a sheer rage. The dark tendrils that crept at the outer edges expanded, swiftly claiming his entire visual organ for themselves. Iris, sclera, and pupils merged into one dark mess of pure void.


    The skin over his right arm, his viral appendage trembled, twisting and transforming it back to the viral appendage it really was. As his hand began to transform, his entire limb returned to its original, nightmarish form.


    It grew in length, and in size, reaching all the way to Lucien''s knees, growing into a strange form of several coiled and merged convergence of tentacles and tendrils. At its end, a twisted set of claws could be seen, only vaguely resembling that was his hand a few moments ago.


    With a contorted, maddened expression he turned towards the scene that expanded in front of him. Sera''s motionless, blood-covered body with torn clothes was lying amidst the grass whilst a huge light purple furred, dotted feline creature was standing over her, with its back turned towards Lucien.


    Rage and anger overcame his senses signaling the awakening of the dormant monster inside him, the ''other one''!

 Chapter 57 - 57 - *Spoilers, Title At The End*

    Although rage was clouding his judgment, and the dormant monster was awakened and unleashed, Lucien wasn''t pushed to the ''back seat'' of his mind this time.


    No, their shared symbiotic relationship allowed, for the first time, to have both consciousnesses be equally present and make their decisions together. If he so wished, Lucien could forcefully regain the wheel himself, and push the monstrous side of him back, but, when he saw the second person that ever showed him kindness fall down the ground in such a disheveled state¡­ he just lost it.


    Sadness, sorrow, and anger rose to a new peak inside him, he wished for nothing more than to tore the beast that harmed Sera to pieces. He wanted nothing more than to taste the blood of the enemy, to engorge himself in a bloodbath¡­


    Amidst his seething rage, the dark-tinted, translucent system screen popped up, revealing a new message. Causing his madness to cease for a single moment.


    [¡­::: ?§Ô??????? ???? ? ???! :::¡­]


    The message that appeared was undecipherable, consisting of the same cryptic symbols that haunted Lucien''s entire childhood. Still, there was an uneasiness growing inside him. A second entity that forcefully came into the discussion. It began to convey its thought to Lucien, the same way it guided him during his cultivation.


    Next, something inexplicable happened. Time seemed to come to a halt, stretching that single moment out to last for several minutes. As he wondrously looked over, he could see the still, huge body of the light purple furred feline.


    Lucien wasn''t sure what kind of beast it was, but he was certain it was a terrifyingly strong creature.


    To be able to cause this much damage to Sera, it had to be strong. He wanted to explore, but shockingly he found that he was unable to move. Just like the space around him, his body as well was stuck in this standstill, only his consciousness was spared, causing him growing nausea due to the contradicting nature of the situation.


    As his consciousness began to fade, it was suddenly pulled to attention once more as the same cryptic text appeared in front of his mind.


    [¡­::: ?§Ô??????? ???? ? ???! :::¡­]


    ''I don''t understand! What are you trying to tell me?!'' He wanted to exclaim in his helpless confusion but was unable to. He could only cry in his mind, mentally cursing the System. He couldn''t understand, process these cryptic symbols, no matter how many times he tried, or how much effort he spent researching, he never found any meaning to them!


    Why are they back again, what did they want from him?


    He was on the verge of tears, his anger, and rage, and concern for the woman tormented his heart and soul. Glancing over the still image of the scene with the beast, he didn''t know what to do.


    Suddenly, the whispers of his other side entered his mind. Just like previously it was guiding him to focus on the message, whilst concentrating on his internal energies, his incomplete meridians, and the continuously flowing energy inside it.


    He didn''t understand what it wanted, but as he could do nothing, he followed its guidance. As per the instructions, he concentrated on his strange spiritual circulatory system, his mind slowly diving into the shallow pool of intangible, fluctuating energy.


    Almost instantly, as his mind was enriched, engulfed with this incomprehensible power, the cryptic text felt increasingly familiar.


    He could feel a new connection, a new merger, his mind and the other one slowly turned into one, a slew of new information, knowledge started appearing one after another.


    The text was no longer alien, undecipherable, there was a growing familiarity to it.


    Just as his mind started to familiarize with the information Lucien was receiving, the text itself changed, the symbols flipped over one by one, turning into known characters. The message was now visible, and readable for him. The enigma of its meaning was resolved just like that.


    [¡­::: Do you wish for the power to save her? If so, call my name! :::¡­]


    Suddenly, a single word came to Lucien''s mind. What was even stranger was that, unlike with the cryptic text, this name, this term felt like it was always with him, living at the back of her mind, stored away just for this very moment.


    As the need has finally arisen, as the fated moment has arrived, the lock was seemingly removed, bringing forward this moment.


    Without hesitating, Lucien exclaimed, bellowing the word, the name into his mind space with firm resolve and determination.


    "PRAVITAS! COME FORTH! MERGE WITH ME!"


    A deep, ancient growl quaked the mental space around Lucien at the next moment. Hard to comprehend, he felt as if the walls that split the two consciousness crumbled, releasing the locked away entity, the monster, the being now known as Pravitas.


    "Finally¡­." The ancient, otherworldly voice sighed.


    Lucien could feel the second presence as it slowly came forward. Whilst it had no spiritual body, there was a newfound pressure descending to his mind. Lucien could feel its eternal hunger, its thirst as it engulfed his being.


    Still, he wasn''t scared, he wasn''t afraid. Their fates were tied together, one could not exist without the other.


    With a fierce gaze, he called for the creature once more.


    "PRAVITAS! LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH! WE NEED THE WOMAN!"


    Once again, only a long, stretched-out growl could be heard rumbling all around Lucien as a response.


    Still, a smirk stretched over his face. He understood what this response meant. He gave a nod, as his consciousness vanished from the dark void, returning to his body.


    However, this time, he wasn''t alone. Unlike the first time back in the lab, both drivers were present, truly living the mutualist state of their shared connection, neither side pushed the other away.


    ¡ª


    Although the events seemed to be taking a longer period of time, in reality, not even a moment has passed. The complete darkness in his eyes changed once more. A bright glowing pupil appeared over his left, whilst a dark red colored one glowered menacingly over his right.


    As his lips parted, he spoke with a synchronous dual tone. It was as if two figures spoke at the same time.


    "Well¡­ This is interesting¡­" He or they muttered, turning their attention towards the beast that seemed to also finally sense the new presence, the new emerging threat behind itself, and was now looking at it with matching ferocity and viciousness.


    There was no need for words, both sides were clear of the other''s intent.


    At the same time as the large purple tiger-like cat charged forward, Lucien also rushed towards it. His [Bestial Rush] enhancing his speed, they met in the next moment midway.


    Following their collision, a huge shockwave of energy was released, throwing both sides back, forcing them to back off several steps.


    The large majestic-looking cat, looked with bewilderment at the mysterious human as it regained its stand. It could feel a numb pain at its side.


    Shockingly this fragile-looking creature managed to hurt him!


    At the same time, Lucien was smiling, as he felt a growing excitement. This was it! This was the battle he so badly wished for! The challenge, the true threat to his life, the chance to grow stronger has finally come!


    ---


    Title: Pravitas!

 Chapter 58 - 58 - A Seemingly Impossible Challenge

    After the initial strike, both sides fell down on the grass-covered ground and slid a couple of meters back before their posture stabilized and they both regained their stances.


    At one side, the Lucien-Pravitas pair was looking with a wide, battle-hungry grin stretching across his face. Besides being covered in a film layer of the kicked-off dust, he was completely unharmed, in perfect condition and raring to go at it again.


    His heterochromatic eyes, one black, and the other blood-red sized up the purple-furred catlike creature once again.


    His lips parted, his polyphonic voice lowly muttered, as if one side of him was speaking to the other one.


    "Violet Flame Tiger. One of the rare heavenly beasts¡­ Gotta say I didn''t expect such a creature to reside in this hidden place." He spoke with an expectant grin that instantly shifted, as the other side, Lucien revealed a mixed expression of surprise and shock.


    "Violet Flame Tiger? Heavenly Beast? What is that? Is this one stronger than that oversized wolf thing?"


    His shock was instantly replaced by the previous perverted grin, a sign that Pravitas took control once more.


    "Yes. Very much so. In fact, as of now, we stand no chance against it¡­"


    Despite his words being grim, his tone, and his expression was of excitement instead of fear and dread. Also, Lucien could feel Pravitas'' elation, unbridled happiness. He was truly looking forward to the battle, not afraid of the seemingly impossible challenge.


    Strangely, he too shared the same feeling. As it looked at the creature looking at them with those big menacing eyes, its strong, huge feline body as it stood in place in its battle-ready but wary state, he could only feel a growing excitement.


    Like Pravitas, he was also looking forward to their fight. He wanted to feel its strength, its overbearing might. He wanted to feel what it was like to put everything you have on the line and charge against certain death.


    Walking that very thin blurry line between life and the assured death had a strange, exciting allure to it. Even if he himself was surprised by it, he couldn''t help but share the excitement with his other-self.


    Soon, the lingering traces of astonishment completely faded, both sides shared the same hungry-looking, grinning look on their shared expression.


    "What are we going to do then?"


    "Do you trust me?" Instead of answering Pravitas fired a question to Lucien''s one.


    "No. I never will. Still, what do you want to do?"


    "I want to be in control. You have no experience at all, kid. This beast is not those rabbits and squirrels or small little puppies you can play around with. Let me drive for this one. Watch and learn."


    "F-fine. But¡­"


    "I know. Don''t worry."


    Their little monologue finished, they returned their focus on the Violet Flame Tiger. Releasing his hold over his part of the body, Lucien''s consciousness was now only a front-line spectator to the battle between the unknown entity named Pravitas and Heavenly Beast.


    As he focused his attention on the large body of the huge wild feline creature, he couldn''t help but ponder about the name.


    ''Violet, I get it, but what does the flame mean? It has stripes and not flame symbols¡­ What could it mean?''


    As if understanding his inner monologue, in the next moment, the beast''s face twisted to something similar to rage, it raised its head and roared into the skies. His majestic holler echoed, completely dominating the area, its thunderous cry reverberating in this grove.


    In the next moment, the air around it began to vibrate, visibly distort. Its short, but strong fur stood up and it began to sway against an invisible current. The air continued to distort around its body, further twisting the strange phenomena.


    A moment later, the waving sea of purple fur began to change. No singular strand of hair could be seen anymore, it visually merged into a complete purple sea.


    The tiger roared once more as if adding more energy, more ''fuel'' to the strange phenomenon, causing it to change again. Large ripples began to shoot out from the merged purple sea that covered the strange-looking beast. The waves twisted further, causing the entire sea to churn and rage as the currents would under the heavy duress of a storm.


    Eventually, the intensity of the ripples reached the boiling point, causing it to ''explode'' and change its form, looking as if the entire tiger was swallowed up by a purple inferno.


    "Woaaah¡­" Lucien looked at the sight with a wondrous gaze, the sight was truly magical, otherworldly. On the other hand, Pravitas was looking with the same grin, not bothered by the magical sight at all.


    "I hope you understand where the name comes from, boy." He mumbled, not bothering about the naive boy''s response.


    "You ready?" Pravitas called out to the beast, before entering into his previous battle pose and raised his right viral appendage, slightly twisting, cocking it ready for a second strike. At the same time, his left hand was balled into a small ball of fist and raised horizontally in front of his body.


    As the beast''s eyes lowered and was once again focusing on him, Lucien/Pravitas grinned at it, before his figure dashed forward in the next instant.


    Like a dark streak, he dashed with all of his agility, arriving at the creature in a mere moment, he jerked his body and swung his right arm. His clawed hand sailed the air, drawing a wide right-winged arc. His attack traversed with rapid speeds, aimed at the beast''s large head, ready to slash it to pieces and ending the fight abruptly.


    However, the tiger wasn''t the undisputed ruler of this magical forest for no reason either, its instincts instantly flared up, it jumped back whilst also pulling its head further, evading the incoming attack with relative ease and causing Pravitas to only swipe the empty air.


    Still, Pravitas, being a creature of unknown, but clearly ancient origin, was already expecting this. Mid swing, as his claws closed down on the beast, he suddenly lounged further forward, his legs contorting as his calf was pushed beyond his human limits.


    Still, the sudden thrust caught the beast by surprise, unable to properly react. Although it jerked its huge head to the left, it couldn''t completely evade the blow. Pravitas''s claws plunged below the purple fur, smearing it with a dark stain of red as it pierced through skin and flesh, driving a huge claw-mark on its puffed cheeks.


    Suddenly as the pain engulfed the majestic creature, its madness reached new heights. With another roar, the air around it exploded, throwing the transformed boy away and creating some space between them.


    As Pravitas landed on the ground and slid back a couple of extra steps before he stabilized himself, despite the tumultuous turn of events, only a couple of seconds have passed in reality.


    He raised his right arm, looking at his dark set of claws grinning madly as the tiger''s dark red blood kept oozing down from it. Giving it a quick lick, Pravitas hummed with delight, looking at the creature with even more excitement and craze burning in his double-colored pair of eyes.


    Meanwhile, the creature''s angry look was twitching, its sanity slowly fading, falling into the pit of madness¡­

 Chapter 59 - 59 - The Might Of A Heavenly Beast

    Looking at this strange, monstrous human, the tiger could barely contain his unadulterated rage could barely be contained anymore. This¡­ This thing, this insignificant creature, this ant dared to strike at this heavenly ruler!


    Anger rose to new heights in his heart as it viciously eyed this annoying bug. It decided to no longer play with it, it was time to show why he was crowned as the king!


    The tiger roared once again, its bellowing cry exploded, releasing shock waves into the air. Energy began to converse towards it in such a shocking amount the air itself was turning blurry, foggy by the sudden density.


    The energy continued to build feeding into the magical, purple fire that covered the beast''s body, making the flickering flames soar to greater heights, burn with even higher intensity.


    A few seconds passed as the Tiger stood still, enjoying as the energy continued to gather before it finally made a move. It turned to face the hateful human that hurt its proud and majestic look and slowly opened its mouth.


    His mouth ajar, it sucked on the air, forcing the dense air to gather into a singular point inside its agape jaws. The suction was fierce, the energy soon formed a visible, colorless opaque ball of energy.


    The tiger continued to gather the energy forming this elusive ball of mystical energy with rapid speeds whilst keeping an eye on the haughtily eying human. The heavenly beast wasn''t sure why it was standing still, seeming not to care about its channeled attack, but it didn''t bother with it too much. After all, if the stupid human will not try to interrupt, he would soon face the full wrath of this king''s might.


    Still, the tiger kept its awareness on the stoically standing and smirking enemy whilst he focused on completing the attack.


    A few seconds passed as the energy steadily converged into the now baseball-sized swirling orb-like mass of colorless energy. Feeling that it was about to reach the threshold that it could control, the tiger suddenly stopped gathering energy and twitched its flaming body.


    In the next instant, a purple flare soared up from the sea of flames, and crashed into the swirling orb, causing its color to shift from the previous emptiness to the same purplish hue as its body. Ripples spread on the orb''s surface mimicking the same inferno that dominated the Violet Flame Tiger''s massive body.


    Finally, the beast jerked its head up, as it spat out the flaming orb, aiming it towards the standing human.


    Like a massive bullet fired from a sniper rifle, the violet fireball whistled through the air, arriving at the human in a single instant, colliding with his already raised right limb and releasing the abundant amount of energy inside it with a giant explosion of force.


    The blast kicked off a huge amount of dust and dirt from the ground, tore several trees, and even shook the ground itself. For several moments nothing could be seen, besides a thick cloud that covered the entire battlefield.


    Even the heavenly beast, the tiger itself wasn''t completely safe from its own attack. His flaming body after using up all of its energy returned to normal, its fur was burnt, its majestic look was replaced by a disheveled one.


    It heaved heavily, as the attack took not just an abundant amount of energy and concentration but also a massive amount of its stamina. It was weary, tired, as it eyed in front of itself, scanning the scene to find the sight of its first prey, the female, and also, obviously that hateful bastard.


    Seconds passed, forming a full minute before the thick cloud began to disperse, causing another shocking sight to the majestic creature of this hidden, mysterious forest.


    A silhouette could be seen still standing in the hazy fog. The hateful thing, the annoying human that he thought to be merely a powerless ant managed to block its attack? How dare he?!


    The tiger''s eyes went wide as it looked at the figure as it was slowly revealed as the cloud continued to disperse and fade.


    Just like itself, he didn''t come out of this clash unscathed. His black garment, his attire was torn to shreds, his skin was covered with burn marks, yet, and this was the most annoying about the whole ordeal, it was still looking with those condemning double-colored eyes and wide, arrogant smirk.


    The man shook his right hand, lowering it as he spoke. His tone di-synchronous, two voices spoke at the same time with the same disdain and contempt.


    "That was it? The attack that you were so proud of?" He haughtily laughed, spitting a bloodied saliva on the ground with a frown in the next moment.


    "Pathetic. There should be a vast difference in our strength, yet this was all you could muster? Did the heavenly beasts of this era grow this pitiful? Where''s your pride? This is all you can utilize from your bloodline?"


    Being a heavenly beast, with an also vastly higher level of power stage, the tiger had a much higher level of intelligence. Unlike normal beasts, even magical ones, the tiger, though it could not speak, could easily understand human language and even react to it.


    Hearing the words of this hateful creature, it frowned, his furry face formed a scowl. Still, it did not lounge into a berserk state. Seeing how it withstood such a massive blast of its energy, it now varyed of it.


    It entered a guarded state, eyeing every movement, every minute action from It, ready to form an appropriate response even the faintest signs of danger.


    "You know¡­ If this is your absolute best¡­" Lucien/Pravitas spoke again, slowly raising his right appendage once more. His claws raised to the sky, his grin giving an ominous feel as he looked at the tiger once more. "¡­ then I think your heritage, your bloodline will have a better future with me!"


    Suddenly he dashed forward, charging at the tiger once more. His speed was swift, crossing the small distance in a mere second, sending a right-winged swipe with the clawed right arm once again.


    Although the strike was swift, the tiger was more than ready to react to it. It snarled with disdain, as it instantly roared, releasing a shockwave of energy, instantly deflecting the human''s blow and throwing his measly body away.


    At the same time, it raised its paws and swiped forward, counterattacking in the same motion.


    Unfortunately for the Lucien/Pravitas combo, whilst they were expecting a response, they still underestimated the reserves of a Heavenly Beast. They couldn''t react to the blast and were helplessly flung away, causing them to not be able to completely avoid the incoming claws of the tiger.


    Lucien jerked his body, twisting it to the side as much as he could, but all he could muster was to slightly shift its position and avoid one of the claws, and deflect the brunt of the right paw. Still, his skin was torn and even some of his flesh was ripped as the huge paw gave him a brutal memento.. A huge, ugly, and bloody claw mark could be seen running across his chest, the added power sent him tumbling further away, crashing violently into the ground several yards away.

 Chapter 60 - 60 - A Surprising Move

    Pravitas crashed down on the ground like a perfectly hit volleyball to the sandy beach, drawing a straight line in the dirt as he tumbled helplessly for several yards before his body finally stopped.


    He spat up a handful of blood, as he reached for his chest, shocked to feel the vicious remarks of the horrific attack of the beast.


    With great effort, he slowly pushed himself off the ground. His mouth smeared with his own dirty blood, painting a pretty pathetic visage of the haughty entity just a couple of moments ago.


    Still, the smirk never left his expression, he continued to eye the beast with eyes filled with contempt and disdain.


    With great effort, he slowly pushed out each of his words.


    "So¡­ That is all?¡­ A weak claw¡­ mark is all¡­ you are capable of?" Pravitas wanted to laugh, but he could only muster a meager chuckle. Even that was quickly replaced by the erupting coughing fit, as another ball of bloodied saliva was spat on the ground.


    His words further irked the Heavenly Beast''s anger. Releasing yet another loud war cry, it has suddenly thrown itself into one more assault, charging at the struggling human hopefully one last time. His face contorted into a fierce growl, the tiger could see nothing but blood by now.


    The anger, the rage, the thirst for this hateful creature''s blood has made it go into a mindless, berserk state.


    "Kiddo¡­ I''m sorry, but we only have one last shot at this¡­ You have to trust me, and let me do it." Suddenly as if time slowed down, the controlling spiritual entities inside Lucien appeared in the dark, empty inner void, his soul space.


    Two figures stood before each other. Lucien, and another figure, matching Lucien''s silhouette, but merely consisting of a coalescence of shadows. Two vibrant, blood-red bead-like eyes glimmered eerily from the convulsing collection of dark spiritual tendrils that built up the otherworldly entity.


    "Kiddo¡­ Do you trust me? Do you trust¡­ US?" It spoke in a hoarse, guttural voice, its nightmarish gaze fixated on the worried-looking boy.


    Lucien did not answer the question at first. He matched the other entity''s gaze. For several moments he just looked, trying to solve the puzzle, the mystery regarding this strange, demonic another half of his.


    Can he trust it? Can this creature, this enigmatic existence be trusted at all?


    He kept thinking about all the events that transpired in his short-lived life so far. He was tormented, haunted for all his childhood. Hated, disdained, looked down.


    Beaten, tortured, and continuously tormented.


    Experimented upon¡­ Mutilated¡­


    Still amidst the darkness, there was one sparkle of hope, one pillar of light¡­ One woman, one person that saved him, pulled him back from the brink of death and nursed him back.


    Trained him¡­ Gave him a goal, rekindled his desire to push on.


    Suddenly, in the dark void, a bit further to the right of the duo a faint white pillar of light pierced through. Its meager power shined upon a feminine figure lying unconsciously on the ground.


    Looking at her disheveled, dirt and blood-covered face, anger and determination finally overcame the hesitation and doubt that still clouded his heart and mind. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he returned his gaze and fiercely looked at the shadowy figure''s dark, blood-red eyes.


    "Do it." He gritted the words as he gave a singular, but determinant nod. No more doubt. No more indecision. If he was destined to become the monster, he will no longer run away. If his fate was destined to be filled with darkness. If he were destined to become the embodiment of despair, then so be it.


    As the words left Lucien''s lips, a wide smirk appeared on the previously faceless head of the shadowy figure. He squinted his eyes, forming two slits, and spread his arms with clear delight.


    In the next moment, the entire dark void of his soul space quaked. Unrestrained, wild energy shocked and illuminated the previously endless darkness, as the whole inner world trembled.


    As if the chains, the shackles that held the entity back, kept him in constraints were finally released, an ancient power, a dark and ferocious wind erupted from deep below, throwing both entities back to reality where not even a second has passed.


    Suddenly both eyes lit up as the ancient power filled the boy''s body and meridians alike. Suddenly a heavy, cold wind howled shielding and covering the boy as he abruptly sprung up from the ground, matching the approaching creature with newfound vigor.


    Although surprised, the Violet Flame Tiger didn''t put too much thought into it, after all, there was still a large gap between the two. He was a heavenly beast, an existence akin to demi-gods, whilst his opponent was a¡­ mere human.


    Right?


    Suddenly as he closed the distance, and lounged its large body against the boy ready to tear the arrogant human to pieces, the boy also reacted.


    His right arm struck forward, with his open palm facing the approaching Tiger. From the center of his palm, suddenly a dark circular hole appeared.


    In the next instant, before the tiger could react in any meaningful manner, three dark tendrils shot out, akin to fleshy spears, and pierced the creature that was still flying towards him in the air.


    One tendril pierced the Tiger''s thick skull, another its heart, and the last somewhere around its navel, putting an abrupt and unexpected end to this unjust bout.


    Still, that was not the end of it. Although life was rapidly waning, escaping his body, the tiger still struggled, stubbornly holding onto his consciousness. His eyes were filled with madness and hate; how could such a weakling, a miserable ant achieve something like this?!


    This went against the heavens! He was destined to be a king, a ruler! His life cannot end here, he had still so much to do, his fate was not fulfilled!


    He refused to accept the harshness of reality, it indignantly roared, struggling as his large body hung in the air.


    Still, no matter how much he struggled, how much he fought against it. His ''fate'', that he refused to believe in and accept, was already sealed. Life was rapidly leaving his body, he had no way to go, no more path to take.


    As drowsiness slowly crept in, it looked at the hateful human one last time, only to see the contempt in his eyes, his cruel and incredibly annoying grin that stretched across his stupid face.


    Before darkness overcame his mind, the very last word that he heard was a single word. An order, a command that came from this wretched one, this annoying existence. It kept ringing in his head, slowly merging with the void of darkness that as the moments passed began to turn into something more and more inviting¡­


    The single word, the command that rang in his head as the Heavenly Beast, the Violet Flame Tiger breathed his last was something that both Lucien, and Pravitas exclaimed simultaneously, watching with great, ferment furor, excitement, and passion as tendrils began to suck all the essences and energy out of the large, purple-colored furry, feline body.


    "ABSORB!"

 Chapter 61 - 61 - Leaving

    September 18th, 2018


    Looking at his own figure in the bathroom''s mirror, Lucien could still hardly believe everything that happened in these last couple of days.


    A month ago, he was but a weak, bullied test subject kept deep below the ground serving only the purpose of some greedy and demonic figures. The eerie, demonic, twisted smile of that doctor¡­ that woman was forever etched into the deepest, darkest recesses of Lucien''s mind.


    Still, he still overcame that hellish nightmare. He woke up, he escaped. True, for a while, Lucien wasn''t certain that whatever he felt, whatever he experienced wasn''t just another layer of his endless torments, his nightmares.


    For a while, he just went with the flow, he let ''fate'' guide him, leading him to experience kindness, an emotion that was alien to him for the first time in his life. For a very brief moment, he almost believed that destiny wouldn''t selfishly intervene and let him feel true happiness¡­ Even if briefly.


    Yet, reality knocked again, his very existence engulfing the innocent Lewis husband and wife and causing them to suffer similar pain that he was probably quite accustomed to at this point.


    The director of the Facility came after him, bringing his own twisted goons, looking for his traces, ready to bring him back even if they had to torture or even kill some innocents in the process. ''Collateral Damage'' as they would have called it, no doubt.


    Thankfully, a bright, shining pillar of light, a ray of hope still managed to pierce through this¡­ this endless darkness, this harrowing despair and come to his and with it, the Lewis family''s save.


    An enigmatic blonde girl, Sera, who shook his already crazy world once again. With her help, he survived, escaped hell once again, and was nursed back up.


    Even more, with her, Lucien, for the first time in his short and cursed life no longer felt pathetic. He felt a surge of new strength, and with it, a new thirst, a hunger, greed for even more. He learned how to hunt, how to accept¡­ himself. How to control his abilities.


    For the first time, he was no longer hurting.


    Eventually, as the days went on, his strength grew exponentially.


    Still, as usual, reality would soon come kicking. Just as he finally found a path towards unlocking the secrets that were still lying dormant in his own body and understanding more of the mysteries that probably went back to the primordial era, an incredibly powerful creature, something that Lucien never knew existed outside of tales and legends¡­


    Her savior, her only friend, and probably, his servant was maimed and beaten by a Heavenly Beast, a humongous, purple-furred tiger!


    As he saw her fragile body fall down on the grass without any signs of life in his tearful eyes, he almost lost it.


    He felt his rage, his anger rapidly surging, overcoming his senses, his mind, and throwing him to become nothing more than a berserk monster¡­


    But just like before, not all hope was lost. At the brink of losing his sanity, he realized he is not alone. He never was, and never will be. HIM, his other side, this creature that lived inside him, the one that called itself Pravitas was always with him.


    Although Lucien rejected him at first and did not want to have anything to do with the one he deemed as a monster, still in this crucial time, he offered his help. The two became one and finally completed what the system and even Pravitas called the ''True Awakening''.


    In the end, together with Pravitas, they overcame the impossible and even gained incredible benefits.


    Lucien smugly smirked as he willed the system''s interface to come up. He watched with a growing delight as the dark, semi-transparent image appeared floating in front of him, and the dark, ominous blood-red dripping letters slowly made up his latest statistics.


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 6.025% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    * ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 40.00% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 98.5%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 200


    ****


    ????????????????????????: 35 / 35 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ????????????????????????: 25 / 25 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    * ????????????????????????????????: 12.00


    * ????????????????????????????: 9.00 (+1.20)


    * ????????????????????????????: 11.00 (+0.15)


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????: 0


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    True Form: Pravitas (Unique - Rank: -)


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????? ???????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ?????????????: 1)


    ???????????????????????????? ????????????? (???????????????????????? - ????????????? 1)


    Twilight Flames (Active - Rank 1)


    :::¡­]


    The gains were incredible, almost unbelievable. Apart from gaining a massive boost to his synchronization with Pravitas, he was also at the peak of his current ready. With only needing a tiny bit more to rank up and finally find out what that would mean.


    Also, the second thing that was quite stunning was the huge stockpile of EP he gained after defeating and absorbing the beast. 200 Entropy Points!


    Although he has yet to check the Essence Pool that supposedly was the place where he could invest in evolving, morphing, and upgrading his abilities or even supposedly acquiring new ones, he was busy helping Sera to recover.


    His attributes also almost completely surpassed the one digit and besides his Agility, the other two were now in the double digits! Although there were still two that weren''t available, Lucien still felt content with what he gained.


    Especially the fact that he gained two new skills. One being his transformation skill where he would unleash his other side, and fuse together with Pravitas once again, whilst the other is an active ability that he gained from absorbing the heavenly beast, the Twilight Flames.


    Activating the skill would coat either his arms, or his legs in the same purple flames, giving not just extra power to his kicks or strikes, but also temporarily enhance the output of his muscles, whilst also providing him with an additional layer of specialized protection.


    He sighed with content as he willed the screen away. His eyes wandered to his bare chest, his fingers trailed over the deep claw marks that he kept on his chest. He could heal it, make his skin return to its unblemished, perfect state¡­ but he wanted to keep this as a reminder of the struggles he went through.


    It was the perfect memento of the culmination of every dark moment of his growing up, its owner being the closure he needed to finally be able to go on and start a new chapter of his life.


    He smiled at his image once again, before giving himself a slight nod, and walking away, and finishing up his washing up.


    Some minutes later, as he left the bathroom, the gentle, warm voice of his partner, his guardian, Sera came from the living room.


    "You ready Lucien? Come and let''s finish up breakfast, we need to leave shortly after! You do know we need to leave this place and return to the real world, right?"


    Listening to her voice, a content, satisfied smile emerged on his youthful face. He looked in the direction of the living room and happily responded to the call.


    "Sure, Sera! I will be there in a moment, I just need to grab a shirt!"


    As he walked back to his room, an old mantra, a mocking rhyme came to his mind. He smirked, as he was sure that strangely it no longer bothered him.


    No, he could now happily embrace it and have finally made it his.


    He was Lucien Shaw, the wretched one.


    [End of Vol 1 (well technically 2 as I counted the Prologue as its own volume.]


    ¡ª


    (AN.: Following this, we will finally return to the real world, where behind the veil, many dangers are lurking!)


    (AN.. 2: Also if you like the story, please let me know by pushing it up in the ranking list with your Power Stones. It is a free resource you get daily, don''t let it go to waste! :) )

 Chapter 62 - 62 - The Metropolis (Part 1)

    Despite the dark, late-night, the streets of this giant metropolis were just as busy, if not even more crowded than during the day. Numerous, nameless -and ultimately- faceless pedestrians crossed the streets.


    Next to them, vehicles of varying shapes and sizes kept roaring tirelessly as they passed by. They were your everyday people, the busy bees of human civilization: workers walking home after a tiring day, children finishing school, elders living their senior lives, enjoying their retirement. Average, everyday people, passing by each other, not knowing, -or just simply-, not caring about the person passing by next to them.


    Behind a counter at one of the similarly nameless, corner-side groceries, a bored teenager was passing the last hours of his afternoon shift. His eyes focused on the glowing screen of his smartphone.


    His face was decent, slightly above the average, not too handsome, but you couldn''t say he was hard to look at either. He had short, dark brown hair, with a pair of matching almond-shaped chestnut eyes. He was gifted with chiseled facial features, a straight but short nose, and thin lips. The youth looked to be around 18 to 20 years of age with a height of 5'' 7". (A.N.: Roughly 175-178 cm).


    He scoffed with an annoyed look on his face as he scrolled through the endless news feed of his phone.


    "Murders, thefts, robberies¡­ I just don''t get it, why can''t they post something positive just once?!" He sighed with clear displeasure, however, he continued with his tireless scrolling. It''s not that he had anything better to do anyway.


    Just like how it was usually as the day marched towards the closing hours, he was the only living soul inside the shop. Not that he really minded this fact. He could leisurely sit and complete his day without giving care to the rest of the world.


    It''s not like he had any family to care about, his parents died when he was only 5 years old. Since then he lived with his grandfather all the way until last July when suddenly he passed away in his sleep. Officials confirmed it to be of natural causes, and the reason for it being a ''supposed'' blood clot clogging up his veins and stopping the circulation in his heart.


    Ever since then, he continued to leave in his late grandpa''s house, battling his growing depression and working down all the accumulated debts they built up over the years.


    After all, living in a dojo, that had zero students in the last two decades was not a profitable ''business''. Still, he refused to give up the plot, as it was not just his grandpa''s resting place, but his legacy that was left in this harsh, cruel world as well.


    The ringing of the small bell placed above the entrance put an abrupt end to the teenager''s boredom and reminisce. With a disinterested expression, he briefly shifted his gaze up from the phone''s screen and looked towards the source of the sound.


    A lean and tall man, probably in his early-to-mid twenties, wearing a large dark brown raincoat stepped inside. With an agitated look on his face, holding a similarly colored brown paper bag in his left hand, the potential ''customer'' nervously swayed his head around, darting his eyes and perspiring face from left to right. Upon making sure that outside the other boy behind the counter, there were no other souls present in the store, he reached inside the paper sack with his right hand, grabbed something, and with his hurried steps, he walked to the lonesome teenager attending the register.


    Upon reaching it, he suddenly pulled out a black pistol and aimed it at the clerk. He was clearly an amateur as his hands were trembling, his trigger finger was placed outside the guard, his forehead was glistening with the heavy coagulation of sweat.


    "Open the register and put all the money into this bag!" Arms shaking due to his nervousness, he placed the brown paper bag onto the desk, keeping his aim on the still emotionless, nonchalant teen.


    Shifting his gaze only for a single instant away from his phone, the boy took a quick glance at the weapon aimed at him, then with an audible scoff, he returned his focus to the object in his hand, his phone''s screen, ignoring the assailant completely.


    Seeing how he was ignored despite the obvious threat he held in his hand, the man''s already not too stable confidence took a heavy hit. He agitatedly shook the gun in his hand and nervously yelled out.


    "What are you doing?! I have a gun! I will not repeat myself! Open the register and put all the money into the bag! NOW!"


    His outcry only earned a light snort-slash-chuckle from the youth. His eyes not leaving the screen, he responded with an impish tone.


    "You just did though..."


    The boy''s short response only agitated the already nervous robber even further. Shaking his gun wildly, he cried out once again.


    "Huh? What are you¡­ Are you actually an idiot?! Can''t you see I have a gun? Do you have a death wish or something? Want me to shoot you in the head, you little sh*tbag?!"


    Heaving a bored sigh, the teen looked up from his screen once again, only taking a single glance at the swaying gun.


    "With that toy? Pfft¡­ Dude, who are you trying to fool?! Just get the f*ck out of the store, and stop pestering me."


    Shocked by his words, the man pushed the gun closer aimed at the youth''s forehead.


    "What did you say?! Wanna find out if my gun is real or not?!"


    Being forced into such a predicament didn''t seem to phase the strange teenager that much. He merely sighed once again, as he put his phone down for the first time.


    "For f*ck sake, I can see the f*cking "Made in China" text on the side, you hopeless imbecile! Seriously, who are you trying to fool?!" The youth spoke, addressing the man in an annoyed tone in his otherwise clear voice.


    Suddenly, before the nervous assailant could respond, the youngster''s right hand shot out from beneath the counter, grabbing the plastic weapon and prying it away from the shocked robber''s hand in a single, lightning-fast motion.


    Shocked by what had just transpired, the man looked at the boy now holding his ''weapon'' with a stupefied expression.


    "Y-y-you! W-what¡­ No. H-h-how¡­?!" Unable to form any meaningful sentences, the man stammered. What he just witnessed was simply unbelievable!


    "Hmmm¡­" The youth, now holding the robber''s weapon, inspected the gun closely. "Yupp, just as I said, it''s just plastic. A toy gun. Looks pretty neat, quite realistic though."


    He looked at the frightened man with a wide grin stretching across his face.


    "It must have been pretty pricey, huh? Well, thanks for the gift!" He grinned at the stupefied man.


    With that, the boy placed his newly gained loot under the desk, and leaned back on his chair once again, shifting his attention back to his phone.


    Seeing this, the man, -now deprived of his weapon, and with it, his last bits of confidence-, shakily reached out with his right hand towards the boy. Getting only halfway, his arm stopped only grabbing the air, powerlessly. In a much weaker, faint, and meek voice, he squealed.


    "M-my gun¡­ give it back¡­"


    Without looking away from the screen, the boy''s focus was plastered on his endless social feed. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed, throwing a curt response in a cold, unfriendly manner.


    "Nope. You''re an idiot, and people like you shouldn''t be playing around with dangerous toys like these. You have to understand, such things can really halt your growth!" Tilting his head, the youth pointed towards the entrance. "You know where the exit is, get the f*ck out."


    His words were harsh and especially cruel, hitting deep in the already shaken, pathetic robber-wannabe''s heart. He almost groveled to get his plastic toy gun back from this brat, not even in his twenties! How humiliating was that!


    Why did this cruel youngster have to go so far as to utterly humiliate him? He had to earn some money too! As his emotions started to spiral out of control, his fear slowly started to transform, kindling a new emotion in his heart: hatred.


    He wanted to show this arrogant, self-entitled prick what the reality of this world is! He wanted revenge, payback! Nobody can speak to him in this manner! He just needed to inform his boss, and then...


    Witnessing the incredible speed at which the youth took his weapon right out of his hands, the man did not dare to show any hostility. He swallowed his anger and glanced at the boy one last time with a cold look on his face, before turning around and silently walking towards the door, carrying all the shame and humiliation he had just suffered. He clenched his fists and left the little corner-side grocery store with hurried steps.


    Reaching the corner, when he was certain he was out of sight of the young boy, he pulled out his phone and searched for a particular name before hitting the green call button¡­

 Chapter 63 - 63 - The Metropolis (Part 2)

    September 18th, 2018


    In a dark, dimly lit, underground empty parking lot, a pair of sturdy-looking men wearing black suits were standing guard in front of a thick, barred, metal door. Despite the space being quite spacious, only one single black, matte sports car was waiting, all other spots were cleared out.


    The two sturdy and bald men, bodyguards most likely, stood still, like a pair of gargoyles, statues protecting secrets that should never be revealed to the outside world. Their expressionless faces projected a sense of professionalism and with it, a cold murderous stance. One could question the matching dark sunglasses, although the ominous vermillion light that occasionally escaped from the rims suggested some other motive than trying to look ''cool''.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew between the two, surprisingly coming from behind the closed metal barrier. Instantly, both men fixed their postures, a synchronous light cough escaped their clean-shaven faces.


    A colorless, bright light seeped out from the small cracks, the sound of heavy wind could be heard from the other side, a few seconds later everything returned to the previous peace and tranquil silence.


    Still, this serenity merely lasted a couple of moments. The thick, metal lever was slowly pushed down, the sound of a couple of clicks could be heard. The large metal frame, the vault door was opened up from the inside and was slowly pushed open.


    Loud creaking noise echoed in the empty subterranean parking lot as the shadows of two distinct figures, two vastly different silhouettes were slowly revealed to the outside. One of them, the taller of the two with a slender, feminine shape, whilst the other only half a head shorter, with a lean shadow. Their figures remained shrouded in shadows as a bright, blinding white light kept illuminating them from behind.


    Still, despite this mysterious scene, the two stoic guards instantly bowed towards the two, and keeping a quite impressive synchronous tone they greeted the newly appearing duo.


    "Welcome back, Mistress Sera and Young Lord!" They exclaimed with vehement passion, standing at attention and saluting akin to soldiers.


    Instead of a response, the two figures stepped forward, stepped away from the bright light, letting the metal door slowly close behind them, and finally reveal their figures.


    The feminine figure, Sera, donning the same elegant business dress that she first appeared in front of Lucien in that small hillside town, smiled gently at the two bowing guards of hers, waving her hand so the guards could ease up.


    "Fufufu." She chuckled with her usual carefree smile. "It''s good to be back after¡­ What? Two weeks?"


    She then turned towards the youngster standing at her right and smiled at her warmly. The scrawny, weak, and unconscious little shrimp that she brought in her arms two weeks ago with hurried steps was now vastly different.


    The little kid was gone, replaced by this handsome-looking young adult. While still retaining his mesomorph body shape, but now sporting a healthy muscle mass and much broader shoulders. His hair, also growing a couple of inches, from its short barely noticeable bristle-like fur to now growing into this medium-length flock of wild hair which he kept flowing down, almost all the way to his neckline.


    Below the dark, long leather coat he had a dark brown shirt, sporting dark blue jeans and black boots. However, maybe the most astonishing change in his outlook was the change in his eye colors. From what was simply dark brownish, were now beyond exotic. From the original color now both were dark as the starless night, instead of irises they were like two small black holes, ready to suck out the soul of all those that mistakenly gaze into its endless depths. Adding to the experience, a dark red, scarlet outline surrounded his left eye, whilst on his right, the sclera was a touch darker colored, from the usual and normally pearl white, to a creamy, yellowish tint.


    Giving time for his guards to also take a long gander at their new Young Master, Sera smiled brightly, taking off the sunglasses from the closest guard standing in front of her, and gave it to Lucien with a warm, kind smile.


    "Take this Lucien. For the time being, it is best if you wear it, lest we bring unwanted attention to ourselves, don''t you think?"


    To the question, Lucien merely gave a slight nod, before grabbing the stylish spectacles and putting it on. Despite being quite late in the afternoon, closing in on the evening even, the added shading didn''t bother him at all. Thanks to his trait, increased senses and to his increased attributes, his vision wasn''t hindered in the slightest.


    However, he snorted with surprise as the glowing vermillion bead-like eyes of the guard were now revealed for the first time. Showing his inhumane origin to the surprised boy.


    Taking a quick glance at the man, Lucien''s peaked out from the rims of the glasses, he turned to look at Sera with an inquiring gaze.


    "What are¡­"


    Already expecting the question, Sera giggled mischievously, walking back to Lucien''s side and gently guided him towards the only car that was probably prepared for them for this exact moment.


    "Don''t mind yourself over it." She explained as they walked towards the vehicle. "They are what you would call, ''Half-Breeds'' or Demi-Humans. One-half human, whilst their other half¡­ is something else. In the case of our friend here¡­." She looked at the guard''s back that walked in front of them with an impish grin. "¡­Hmm¡­ Let''s just say, his other half comes from a rather surprising, eastern origin."


    Seeing the growing wariness and concern in the young man''s expression, Sera giggled once more, lightly patting his back.


    "In case you are worried¡­ don''t. There is no need, they are loyal to the old master, to me¡­ to you. After all, you are already the Young Master, and once we get back to the mansion and we complete the registration, you will officially be recognized and accepted as the Young Lord, the successor of the Old Master."


    Lucien couldn''t help but swallow with nervousness when Sera brought up this ''registration''. Although she already considered him as his guardian, legally they were still strangers. Heck, Lucien didn''t even have any official registry before Sera didn''t order her men to get everything done.


    The only thing that was now required was his official signature on a stack of papers so he would be considered a ''person'' from today henceforth. Lucien Shaw De''Angelis, the stepson of Sera De''Angelis.


    Yes, from today, this golden-haired, gentle woman would be his legal guardian, his new family, his new caretaker. Though him just turning almost an adult in a couple of weeks, they decided to still keep up the pretenses, create papers and adopt him under her care.


    This, while didn''t seem that big of a deal from an outside perspective, it was a monumental milestone for Lucien. Him, the shunned, the disdained, the ''Wretched One'', the kid that could never dream of such things, would finally have a family of his own.


    There would be someone in this dark, cruel world that cared for him¡­


    Lucien smeared a single teardrop as he sat inside the back of the car, together with Sera, while the two burly men drove away.


    They didn''t say a word, but the bright gentle smiles of Sera and Lucien told more than they could.


    ¡ª


    After the hilarious failed attempt at a robbery a few hours ago, the young man watched the clock on his smartphone as it slowly, but surely crept closer to the closing time. Just like every other time, these last couple of minutes were so arduously slow, moving at a snail''s pace¡­


    Eventually, under the heavy scrutiny of the bored young man, the clock hit 7:00 PM. He could finally heave a sigh of relief. The workday was over, he could finally close down and get back home.


    "Finally!" He exclaimed with an annoyed tone, as he shifted up from his leaned-back posture and with a loud yawn he slowly stood up. He grabbed the plastic toy gun that was oh so graciously ''gifted'' to him and walked to the back area to put it into his backpack.


    As he walked towards the back, he took another look at the toy, humming with appreciation. After all, the gun was truly of high quality. Such stuff would sell for quite the sum at any pawn shop, which would net him quite a bonus, working even more down from the humongous debt he and his late grandfather had accumulated over the years.


    "Huah¡­ Hopefully, I can get a decent price for it¡­ Luckily that idiot was way too nervous¡­" He chuckled as he entered the back office¡­


    However, whilst he was dreaming about the bonus money he could potentially earn from his unexpected loot, two grey vans suddenly arrived in front of the store¡­.


    A huge, bulky, tattooed figure looked towards the nameless grocery store with a deep frown on his gruff, unshaven face. He looked at the rearview mirror, revealing his cruel, cold blue irises and the small claw mark that went over his right eye. He squinted, focusing his gaze as he spoke with a contemptuous tone.


    "Is this the store you failed to rob, you pathetic sh*t?!"

 Chapter 64 - 64 - Weird Sensation

    (AN.: Please bear with me for a couple more days as I prepare and transition into the steady stream of releases in the near future. I know I have been quite silent, and I have no valid excuse... (It was hot as h*ll here for the last two weeks and I just couldn''t force myself to do anything. :D )


    ---


    Sitting at the back of the car, many thoughts flashed through Lucien''s mind as his eyes were gazed out of the window. He absentmindedly stared at the slowly thinning crowd of pedestrians on the streets as the two burly guards calmly drove through the thick of the city.


    Next to him, the blonde mature girl, Sera was looking at the boy with a silent, but gentle smile stretched across her beautiful face. She couldn''t help but wonder what the future would hold for them.


    Back in the past, that somehow was also a future, albeit hopefully a different one, he was once found by the man that later became her Master as well as the one she could proudly call her father. She witnessed how this curse, this¡­ parasite empowered him, gave him incredible abilities, seemingly provided him with endless support before once he got to the peak of the world revealed his true face and almost completely corroded him.


    The darkness, the vile, chaotic energy, the ''Taint'' as the Master called it, was ultimately too powerful, too strong for him to defeat. Still, before the end, he seemed to have found the answer, the way to control the ''beast'', the only solution to the timeless question.


    Albeit it was too late for him, he made a gamble, and by using the last strains of his own vitality he made the impossible¡­ possible.


    He made the ultimate taboo, the one power that no mortal was allowed to handle. He made a tear through time and got her beloved Sera to go back and start again.


    The whole ''next in line'', this inheritor business was just a convenient lie, to cover what was just impossible to tell.


    As he looked at Lucien, a small tear escaped through the corner of Sera''s eyes.


    Now, through the twist of fate, she who was the daughter, now would become the mother, the guardian?


    ''Fate is quite a funny thing¡­'' She muttered inwardly, as the corner of her lips curved into a half-baked, crooked smile.


    Her reverie was interrupted by the sudden exclamation of the boy sitting next to him. As she was abruptly brought back to reality with his sudden yell, she asked out as the car parked down behind a nearby grey van.


    Two similar-looking cars were parked in front of a corner-side general store. There was no light coming from the inside, the shop was seemingly closed, yet there was a strange feel to it.


    This strange, eerie, ominous feeling was what caught Lucien''s attention. As the car cruised towards its destination, a strange, inexplicable sensation suddenly hit him. A strange feeling, a familiar sensation¡­ As he closed his eyes and slowly inhaled, he suddenly realized. This was the very same energy, the very same spiritual power he felt from that meadow in Eden!


    "Stop the car behind that van! I need to check something!" He called out to the driver, who nodded without hesitation and parked down.


    This call was what brought Sera back to reality, who, as the car slowly came to a halt beside the pavement, turned to Lucien and asked.


    "Why did we stop? What is wrong, Lucien?"


    However, Lucien was too deep in his own world to hear the woman''s question. He squinted his eyes, trying to spot something out of the ordinary, as albeit everything seemed to be closed down, he felt the presence of several unique figures from the store.


    Affirming his suspicions, as the car stopped and he stepped out of the vehicle, the faint, muffled sounds of what best could be described as a series of heaves and sighs reached his sensitive ears.


    Just like him, as soon as they parked the car, and Sera stepped out and joined her soon-to-be adopted son on the sidewalk, her expression instantly soured. Just like Lucien, her ears were also much more sensitive than the average person, she could also hear the strange sounds.


    However, unlike the boy, she could also connect the dots and understand all the clues to draw a dark conclusion.


    "They are fighting." She spoke curtly, her expression was solemn as she gazed towards the back of the building.


    She turned towards the two guards, signaling them to cover the front entrance, whilst she turned towards Lucien. A smile briefly returned to her face as she asked him.


    "What would you like to do?"


    Lucien looked at the building, listening to the muffled, faint sounds for a few seconds with a gradually shifting expression. From the previously neutral stance, he was now looking with a stern, cold slightly angered look. The scarlet outline around his left iris glimmered, his hands slowly clenched themselves into fists.


    Still, he couldn''t understand, why was he so emotional. Why would he care whatever was going on? Still, as he felt the strange, yet vaguely familiar energy, he knew he needed to find the source. He needed to know more about this power, otherwise, he would never be able to find what he was still missing. He would never complete his spiritual vessel, his Meridians, and would never breakthrough this Mortal Shell.


    He heaved a sigh, calming his mind. Without averting his gaze, he responded to the woman''s question with only a few short, determination-filled words.


    "We go in. I need to see it." He responded, as he slowly began to walk towards the back alley, the hind side of the store.


    Although his response was cryptic, Sera didn''t mind it, nor did she question him. She simply nodded with the lingering warm smile on her face, following behind her young master.


    Meanwhile, although she seemed calm and nonchalant on the outside, she was already circulating the same holy energies inside her body. She would not act rashly, but would not allow anyone to lay a hand on her Young Lord.


    ¡ª


    As they steadily made their way towards the back, the sounds gradually started to clear out. Muffled hits, grunts, cracks could be heard. Painful cries, woeful hollers reached their ears.


    From what they could make out, it felt as if two groups of roughly equal strength were fighting, which made Lucien stop in his tracks, and with a confused look in his eyes, turn towards Sera.


    "Why are they fighting?" He asked.


    Sera couldn''t help herself, as she listened to the pure, innocent, naive question of the youngster but to giggle as she responded.


    "Fufufu, that is the question, isn''t it!" She chuckled a bit more, before stepping closer to the boy and giving a gentle, light rub at his back. "This is the actions of the rotten youth, the delinquents, the sad reality we live in. Who knows why they are fighting? Territory? Or some misguided feud? A girl? Or the loot they wanted to raid from this store?"


    She shrugged, turning towards the source of the faint sounds of battle.


    "Are you sure you want to see this side of the world? You just escaped it, don''t be in such a rush to return to it."


    Following her gaze, Lucien nodded without thinking too much about her warning.


    "I do. I need to see¡­ it." He answered her question.. Realizing that his words could be misinterpreted, he sighed giving a bit more to correct himself. "I need to see the source of this¡­ sensation¡­"

 Chapter 65 - 65 - Mice And Snare

    (The short break is now over, we will go into overdrive! I have mostly finished stockpiling, but just to be safe I will go safe for the remainder of the month. Keeping the 1 chapter/day schedule for this month, but from August we will be going 1 Chapter / 12 hours!


    Once again, I apologize for the short hiatus, though it was unpleasant, it did wonders to my stockpile. :) )


    ---


    Behind the nameless, corner-side grocery store, a small back alley resided. Fire escapes led through the sides all the way to the top of the nearby buildings.


    The sounds of a brawl, grunts, coughs and spits echoed through the not-too wide brick walls, reaching towards the outside. Following the sound back towards its source a ring of delinquents could be seen, hooting and screaming with delight to the spectacle they themselves have set up.


    Inside the makeshift ring, a bloody, gruesome, desperate, and hopeless fight was going on. On one side, a bloody and beaten young man, with a swollen face and a disheveled, sweat-covered crown of short dark brown hair face off against two tall figures.


    A third young-looking figure was already sprawled out on the ground, his shirt literally burnt away from his torso, a palm-shaped burn mark displayed for all to see at the center of his chest. A pool of blood spilled around the area where his head hit the ground.


    From the first glance, it was impossible to tell if the body of the young man had only fainted or if some other darker fate had come for him. He was taller than the bleeding dark brown-haired youngster, with a lean, lanky build.


    A tall, muscular man, the first of the standing duo facing off against this mysterious teenager smirked as he wiped the small bloodstain off from the corner of his mouth. He revealed a malicious grin as his dark sinister eyes clearly displayed his vicious, cruel nature.


    "Gotta admit boy, you were quite the surprise. You proved to be a fun little exercise so far¡­"


    "Still, all good things have to come to an end." The second, similar-looking fully tattoo-covered bald, unshaven burly man snickered with a contemptuous look. "You have two choices, brat. One, you kneel down and beg for forgiveness. In that case, we simply broke your legs and allow you to pay for our time using today''s earnings from the cash register as a donation."


    Upon his words, the surrounding circle of thugs hollered, sneering and mocking at this thin youngster''s misfortune. Clearly the dozen or so spectating crowd didn''t think too much about the whole fight. Taunts and jabs were thrown at the boy without mercy.


    "What''s up now, Karate Kid, huh?"


    "Is this what that flashy sh*t was good for? To knock out the weakest of us all?!"


    "Hahaha! Look at him boys, I told you he is worthless! Brother Metal and Iron made quick work of him!"


    "Let''s break his bones and dump him in the river!"


    Threats and violent remarks were fired from the crowd, hoping for the kid''s earlier-than-expected demise. None of the gathered crowd seemed to care about the consequences.


    The two bald brawlers took their time, enjoying the crowd and even playing into it.


    After a short while, the man continued, snickering at the boy''s beaten and battered cold-looking face.


    "Heh, still got that arrogance on your face? Quite respectful of you. Listen up, the second choice is your fight to the bitter end, hope for the futile victory. Although I do not advise you this, I can-"


    However before he could finish, a loud shout came from behind them. A huge, bulky tattooed musclehead standing atop the first floor of the nearby fire escape stairs, suddenly raised his right arm in the air. His gaze fixated on the spot behind the group, the entrance-slash-exit to this back streetside, where a peculiar duo stood, looking back at them with a nonchalant look on their faces.


    "Who are you two and what are you doing here?!" He bellowed at the two invaders. His cold gaze, however, turned to a lascivious one as his eyes slowly glazed over the mature blonde beauty.


    Upon their boss'' words the rest of the crowd quickly shifted their attention, turning around to look at the duo. Spotting the angelic beauty walking into their midst they jeered with a salacious delight glimmering in their eyes.


    Quickly, they surrounded the newly emerged duo, extending the makeshift arena to include the two newcomers as they slowly, but steadily marched towards the battered youngster ignoring the crowd.


    Although they were quickly pulled into the trouble, they remained aloof on the matter, completely ignoring the band of thugs, the tattooed brawlers, or their drooling boss standing at the elevated position.


    "Hey, babe! Come over here and join me! I promise to keep you safe from this ugly matter!" The bald boss hollered, waving at the busty beauty.


    Still, to his rising annoyance, the duo seemed to be completely ignorant of the grave danger they willingly walked in. Why didn''t they understand that they are the mice and this is his snare?


    He scoffed, clenching his fists, violently hitting against the metal railings to vent his growing frustrations.


    "B*TCH! Look at me when I''m talking to you! Do you have any idea who I am?!" He yelled with anger. Conveying their leader''s rising anger, the surrounding men quickly changed their tone matching their leader''s.


    "You b*tch, don''t be too arrogant! If the boss talks to you, you respond!"


    "After a few days in the pit, chained and naked whilst all of us train you for obedience will clearly do you some good!"


    "Yeah! You will learn some respect, you clearly lack!"


    Still, no matter the crude remarks, the threats, neither of them reacted to their yells. They walked up to the barely standing, swaying body of the weary young man. Reaching out, Lucien placed his hands atop the young figure''s shoulder.


    "What is your name?" In a calm, emotionless tone, he asked, speaking for the first time since their appearance.


    Meanwhile the blonde beauty, Sera walked up to the boy''s left. Ignoring the threatening gazes of the gangsters, she placed her right palm over his left shoulder. She flashed a gentle, warm-looking smile, before her hands began to glow, radiating a colorless faint glow.


    The thugs, the brawlers, and even the boss looked at the puzzling scene with stupefied gazes. What was happening here?!


    Still, the stillness only lasted for a meager moment, before the boss snapped out of this dazed reverie. His face contorted into a vicious scowl, he hollered with anger, his booming voice serving as a dispel to the veil of daze that had fallen over the dimly lit alley.


    "SNAP OUT OF IT YOU BUNCH OF IGNORANT BUFFOONS! GET THEM, EVERYONE!"


    His war cry served as the initiation to the exploding street brawl. The ring of thugs jumped out from their daze, snarled at the trio, before lounging at them in the next instant.


    As the all-out clash broke out, the bald leader snickered at the spectacle below his feet, already seeing the gruesome sight that will greet him once his men made quick work of these annoying pests.


    Suddenly he jolted in his spot, as he realized the mistake he had just made. Gasping for a lung-full of air, he gathered his voice for a brief instant before bellowing once more.


    "MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE B*TCH ALIVE, WE WILL TAKE HER! YOU CAN KILL OFF THE  TWO BRATS!"


    His words seemingly relaxed his mind, he sighed with relief. His mind wandering towards the not-so-distant future, he could already see the marvelous taste, this new spoil he would surely take home to their base.


    Deep in his own lascivious mind, he was abruptly brought back to reality when a strange, dreadful sensation suddenly washed over him. As his haze-covered eye slowly cleared, a chilling cry reached his ears¡­

 Chapter 66 - 66 - Teaching A Lesson

    As the boss came back to his senses a dreadful, horrific sight greeted him. All of his men,  the more than 2 dozen men sized group, were lying on the cold hard pavement, over the containers, or seemingly trashed and thrown further away towards the exit. Bruised, battered, some even had strange puncture-like wounds on their abdomen, their drops of blood still spilling, painting the dark gray asphalt in vermillion.


    Even his two most trusted and strongest lieutenants, Brother Iron and Brother Metal were on the ground, sprawled out in the same pose as they were thrashed and thrown against the container.


    Only the shopkeeper boy, the unknown teen, and the blonde woman remained standing. The strange teenager standing a few steps away from the other two, his gaze resting at the brutal scenery.


    Like a hawk, suddenly as the bald boss man looked at the boy with an unbelieving gaze, the youngster''s head suddenly turned, his eerie-looking predatory gaze snapped towards his direction.


    It was then, that he spotted his heterochromatic eyes. Those dark as the night irises, one completely black, whilst the other with the blood-red ring shielding it. The cruel, thirsty look in the boy caused a shiver to run through the boss man''s back.


    Realizing the absurdity of the situation, however, he quickly regained his senses. He, the one that usually is the feared, the famed leader of the Hudson Reavers, how could he be trembling in front of a scrawny little boy, a blonde bimbo, and an already beat-up bastard?!


    Realizing this, the bossman''s face contorted, twisting and revealing a cruel grimace. Grabbing the railings, he jumped over, landing with a loud thump on the ground.


    "Hey boy¡­ What did you do?" He hollered, with a cold tone. Meanwhile, he quickly reached for his side pockets, equipping a pair of brass knuckles. ''Playtime is over you little sh*t. I''m gonna cripple you, and taste that b*tch right in front of you for this!'' He grinned, his thoughts already wandering to the envisioned aftermath once again.


    The proud and arrogant leader refused to believe that this one simple teen was responsible for all of his men''s current, pathetic state. No, that was impossible! Something must have happened while he was deep in his own thoughts!


    The mysterious boy, Lucien, simply smirked at the bald, tattooed bulky man''s nervous question. He could see the same pride, the same contempt in his eyes, the disbelief and clinging to the illusion rather than the reality displayed in front of him.


    He was certain that, just like his men roughly a minute ago, didn''t think that he would pose any threat. Still, in the blink of an eye, their world was violently brought down as they were flung away without putting up any meaningful resistance.


    Still, it was already too late, no matter what they tried, they couldn''t defend or escape from the swift hand of justice. Bones cracked, then shattered, blood was coughed up and spat out as they were nothing more than naughty children in front of their father.


    "I only played the role of the kind father, and taught them a very important lesson." Giving him a few seconds to prepare, Lucien forced a calm, mostly controlled look on his previously crazed-looking face.


    The bloodlust, the hunger, the thirst has started to overpower his senses and his mind. Only by training his mind, could he stabilize his condition and not lose himself in the senseless crazy, red haze.


    The bald man, on the other hand, was quickly losing the last bits of his mind. He couldn''t believe this weird boy''s words. He grimaced, showing a hideous-looking scowl, exclaiming with a fit of growing anger in his tone.


    "Don''t you dare to lie to me, you brat! Tell me the truth, and I might just let you and that other boy walk away in one piece after crippling you! What happened here? Why are all my men lying on the ground in such a state?"


    "Hmm¡­" Showing a thoughtful expression, Lucien rubbed his chin as if he was really contemplating the ''generous'' offer. "So if I understand you correctly, you either forgot about my companion, or you refuse to let her go?"


    "Yeah, what about it?" The bald leader grinned, a lustful glint flashed across his eyes as he glanced at Sera once again. "Your blonde wh*re is going to have to come with me! After all, today''s events may cause me an emotional scar unless she would nurse me back to health!"


    Still, despite his threats, the woman in question never reacted to any of his words. She was ignoring the entire situation, fully focused on treating the beat-up boy''s wounds.


    As he continued to look at the back of the tasty-looking prey, the cold tone of the youngster he was supposed to be facing brought him back to reality once again.


    "Has no one ever taught you some basic manners?!" He coldly exclaimed, his previously forced calmness vanished instantly. His dark as the night eyes could almost bore a hole in the man.


    "What did you say, you little sh*t?" Reaching the point of no return, the leader clenched his fists, the brass knuckles bronze shine glimmered under the setting sun''s orange-tinted rays.


    There was no more response from either side. The bald leader of the local gang flashed a menacing, hardened look, quickly scanning for the joints and other potential weak spots on the teenager''s body.


    Although he wasn''t as thin as he was exclaiming in his taunts, he wasn''t a bulked up hulky muscled giant like him either. From an initial glance, it was obvious that the young boy stood no chance against him and his bone-shattering punches.


    Still, he was slightly alerted and wary. The whole situation, the weird, inexplicable scene of his men sprawled out in the alley was too strange for him to ignore.


    "DIE!" He suddenly roared, dashing forward, bolting towards Lucien with his right arm already raised and cocked, ready to unleash his famed bone-shattered right strike.


    He crossed the measly distance between them in an instant, almost as if he blinked forward in space, arriving in front of the smiling bastard. Without giving a chance to react, the leader fired his arm, releasing most of his strength into this single, decisive strike. His fist sailed across the air, drawing a gentle horizontal curve swiftly reaching towards the still face of the youth.


    However, just as his fist would have connected, the impossible happened. The bald leader''s eyes went wide, he couldn''t accept what was happening in front of his very own eyes.


    The attack he was certain would cause a swift and abrupt ending to this arrogant teen and destroy that annoying attitude of his¡­ it was blocked. His brass knuckle-covered fist was caught by the boy''s hand, his fingers bore into his skin.


    An impossible, incomprehensible pressure was pressing against his bones, the leader''s nerves were fired up, the pain was quickly starting to overwhelm his mind.


    Serving as a wake-up call, the leader was finally brought back to the harsh, cruel reality. No matter how hard it was to accept, this youngster was truly the cause of the current state of his gang!

 Chapter 67 - 67 - Is It My Turn Now?

    No matter how hard he tried to jerk or thug his arm, the boy''s hold was like a firm vice; the bald bossman was just unable to pull free. Even worse, his grip was turning unbearable, his fingers dug further and further, testing the elasticity and sturdiness of his skin. Added with the metal covers that actually served the boy''s grip better than his wielder''s, the leader soon found himself growling and groveling.


    "Aaaargh! Let go, you bastard!" Unable to hold back anymore, he cried, quickly lunging himself into the second wave of attack. His right leg kicked out, his stretched muscles carrying all of his remaining strength in a desperate attempt to free himself from this living incarnation of hell.


    His strong sheen barely took any time to reach the area above his right calves, the popliteal fossa, or in other words: Lucien''s keep it. Being one of the weakest points in the human body, the bald man thought that the sudden strike would cause his legs to lose their stability, and the boy would fall to the ground.


    Then, the sudden change in his posture would finally force him to let go of his fist, and he would be free to counterattack, ultimately washing away some of the shame that had befallen him in this whole farce.


    He then planned to brutally beat up the kid, break all of his limbs and even shatter his spine, causing him to be forever forced to be a cripple, living his pathetic life tied to a hospital bed.


    He also planned to do the same to this annoying clerk teen, as all of his misery started with him and that soon-to-be-dead grunt of his.


    In the end, he would grab that blondie, and escape, hiding in one of his secret hideouts for a few weeks, while the dust would settle, enjoying that fine piece of meat of hers.


    ''Yeah, everything will be fine, as soon as I beat up this brat!'' He thought, soothing his nervous, agitated heart, still refusing to give up his dreams.


    Unfortunately, reality just as it was proven to him several times by now, was unlike he had believed it in that twisted mind of his. His brazen, and desperate attempt didn''t play out as he thought it would.


    Yes, he did manage to reach his target and by pulling all his strength and gathered momentum he gave a powerful kick at that diamond shaped area behind Lucien''s left knee joint. Still, he felt as if he hit the solid, brick wall. The boy''s legs remained still, all of the forward force was swallowed with absolutely nothing to show for all his effort.


    Even worse, he felt a numb, subtle ache coming from his sheen, as the area was bruised just like how it would as you would kick into a solid indomitable object, like the bark of an oak tree.


    A new surge of pain suddenly came from his tormented right fist, Lucien slowly but gradually increasing the pressure he grinned viciously.


    "You done? Is it my turn now?" He asked, his words causing the baldie to almost cry out.


    His eyes turning hazy, as the tears continued gathering, the leader gritted his teeth, pushing his voice back down. His mind, whilst wracked with the pervasive, chaotic pain, was working in overdrive trying to find a solution. Seconds seemed like hours as the bossman tried to come up with anything that could save his hide.


    Suddenly, his eyes brightened, as he remembered the little assurance he usually carried at the back pocket of his jeans.


    His pain-filled expression suddenly changed, a twisted, evil-looking grin once again dominated it, his left hand slowly sneaked behind his back and reached for the sharp object tucked away in there. As his fingers finally wrapped around its small black hilt, he looked down at the annoying little youngster that kept humiliating him.


    "You asked for this, you brat! Be more respectful in your next life! DIE!" He cried with a mad, frantic look as his hidden left arm suddenly jabbed forward from behind, revealing a short stabbing blade, his hidden dirk.


    Without care he thrust forward, aiming at the boy''s waist, hoping to penetrate and plunge the weapon as deep and causing as much damage to his abdominal organs as he possibly could. If possible he hoped to cause some sort of bleeding and wanted him to survive just long enough so he could witness his victorious assault on the woman that he was sure by now was watching with a worried, concerned gaze.


    After all,  this fight was surely over, once his ultimate weapon would plunge into this brat, the victor would instantly be decided.


    However, once again, he had to wake up. His delirious dreams and hazy visions would remain the creation of his overactive mind.


    Before his blade could reach its target, his body suddenly jerked. He felt like a short stab from his chest area, before suddenly a searing, electric sensation flashed through his body, quickly shutting down all other motions and throwing his body down on his knee.


    The pain was temporary, it swiftly subsided. In the next moment, he felt a cold sensation, a liquid slowly drip down from the original impact area on his upper torso.


    Slowly, shakily, as his nervous system was gradually breaking down under the incomprehensible agony, he looked down only to turn wide-eyed for the last second of his life.


    As his eyelids turned heavier by the second, he saw three strange, alien-like black tendrils penetrating his chest around the area of his heart. Instantly he understood what was going on.


    With a bitter smile and with full of regrets, the bald bossman, the now ex-leader of the Hudson Reavers had breathed his last. His lifeless body fell down, the strings of life were forever cut for him.


    Still, his body never reached the ground. As before it could give in to the pull of gravity, the boy uttered a single word with a cold look on his face.


    "Absorb."


    Instantly, the corpse began to violently shake, and twist in the air, swiftly denuding his physical form, it turned into a gelatinous dark, viscous goo before the three oil-covered tendrils sucked it up in a matter of seconds.


    In moments, before the shocked eyes of the thin shopkeeper teen and the wry-looking Sera, Lucien didn''t even bother as he mercilessly took his very first victim and freed the world one of its stains.


    As their minds now finally merged, the two vastly different sides now turned into one. Slowly but surely Lucien''s outlook on the world was twisting. Whilst his morality and soul remained, those that pushed on his nerves, or found his ''reverse scale'', he would no longer show any mercy.


    Basking in the feeling of the surge of new power, albeit similar to the common creatures of the forest, Lucien couldn''t help but enjoy himself.


    He felt the small strain of newly converted energy as it traversed his body, reaching to the deepest depths and slowly being absolved by him.


    As the expected bell-like sound rang out in his head, he slowly opened his eyes and checked the appearing message on the screen¡­

 Chapter 68 - 68 - A New Look

    *Ding!*


    With the arrival of the familiar ringing of the bell in his mind, the dark, transparent screen appeared in front of Lucien at the same time. The blood-dripping nightmarish font slowly, but steadily continued to be drawn in the holographic board, forming a series of messages after only a few passing instants.


    [¡­::: Homo Sapiens (Lvl 1 - Category: Mammals) mass has been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing essence¡­ :::¡­]


    As if upon command, it was at this time, that the limp body of the deceased leader of the so-called ''Hudson Reavers'' began to violently convulse and drop the defining traits of his physique in an instant, reforming itself into a mass of dark, globoid shape of a fluid.


    From flesh, bones, and organic matter it was now a floating viscous ball of life essence, swirling around the three distinct ebony tendrils that shot out from the center of Lucien''s right palm.


    The tendrils hungrily began to gobble up the gelatinous remains of the human, its powerful suction caused the lingering essence to vanish in the blink of an eye.


    As soon as the process of absorption was completed, the message indicating it was also relayed on the system''s screen.


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    However, this was not all. In the next instant, several new lines have appeared, flowing from top to bottom one after another.


    [¡­::: Homo Sapiens (Lvl 1 - Category: Mammals) - Creature Page has been created! :::¡­]


    Almost in an instant, the conformation of the consumed mass was displayed as well.


    [¡­::: Through the absorption, the following updates has been granted:


    + 0.05 Strength,


    + 0.03 Stamina,


    + ???? ??§Ô??


    + 3 EP  (Full Consumption Bonus),


    + 0.1% Power Increase :::¡­]


    Surprisingly there was something extra, something unknown he also gained through the absorption and the subsequent assimilation of this delinquent thug''s body. Unfortunately, what it was, or what he gained, the system either refused to show, or it was mayhaps hidden from it as well.


    Still, as it turned out, the gains were rather minimal, Lucien didn''t gain anything. There were no unique traits, skills, or abilities that this gang leader provided him with. Nothing of the-


    Suddenly, the letters appeared once again, drawing a new, unexpected line, and bringing Lucien''s attention to a new and already forgotten revelation.


    [¡­::: Biomass matching Host''s data, alternative DNA strands assimilated. New options regarding current form unlocked in the Essence Pool. :::¡­]


    Once again, the system mentioned and pointed towards the mysterious feature that Lucien still not checked, mostly due to his own forgetfulness. Yet, this time the system offered a few options related to what he had gained.


    [¡­::: The below mutation has been unlocked and thus available for evolution for the Host''s Ocular Receptors:


    - Variegation of the Optic Tissue Layer: Cost 30-75 EP :::¡­]


    As Lucien had no idea what the term even meant, he wasn''t a scholar, he barely had the chance to wizen up through the years of his captivity. It was actually one of the most pressing matters he was hoping to address now that he was relatively free and capable.


    It was also strange that contrary to what he believed to be the case, the offered option didn''t have a definite cost attached to it, but rather a range was shown to him. What did it mean?


    Without any hope to glean any extra information from the system''s screen, he focused his attention on the alien-sounding term in hopes of being shown a bit more detail about it and also hoping for some explanation about the price range.


    Sure enough, in the next instant, a small window popped up, detailing the option.


    [¡­::: Evolutionary Pool - Ocular Receptors :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Available Mutations :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Variegation of the Optic Tissue Layer (Iris): Through the available coagulated mass of absolved data, the tissue layer governing the number of light particles to enter through the pupil into the retina can be altered in terms of surface pigment.


    The following options are available:


    (Note: Costs vary based on the compatibility from source data to the host''s current form. Some gradients may cause unexpected results. The host is advised to be vary.)]


    Below the note, several common colors like dark brown, black, and dark blue, and even some rather unique colors, such as golden and deep purple were listed with an EP cost attached to it.


    The one at the top, with the least cost, was the ''Dark Brown'' the color that matched the thug leader''s eyes, with the friendly price of 30 EP attached to it.


    There were quite a lot of the better-sounding picks that were currently grayed out, unavailable for selection, but still, there were a variety of options for Lucien to pick.


    Looking through the list, Lucien pondered for a bit, as he actually never really bothered with how his eyes looked. However, now that the option to change was given to him, he began to ponder what he should pick.


    It was true that masking his unique, monstrous look would be advisable, at least if he really wanted to meld into modern society, yet he didn''t know what to pick.


    In the end, after some thought, he picked the one at the top of the list, dark brown, the very same that the deceased gang leader had.


    As soon as his selection was made, he saw as his arduously collected points were sucked away, dropping from the proud 203 all the way to 173 in an instant.


    At the same time, on the outside, an incredible phenomenon was playing out in front of Sera''s surprised presence.


    Aiden''s charcoal black, heterochromatic eyes began to shift and change. A uniform and undoubtedly much more common dark brown color appeared, covering up the strange scarlet outline on his right creating the same result as it was visible on his left. Lucien''s heterochromatic trait was fully covered, masked, and hidden behind this newly activated evolutionary mutation.


    In the span that must have not been two full minutes, the burly, tattooed man was gone, vanished forever from the face of the Earth, his DNA and mass now serving a very peculiar purpose: Giving a new, more acceptable look to its dominator.


    However, as Lucien finally settled this matter, another quickly appeared. As his look changed, his gaze was met with a similar-looking, but much more shocked and scared-looking one.


    The short, dark-haired, thin teenager that was the target of this gang''s assault, and also the point of interest and the reason for Lucien and Sera''s interruption and timely save was gazing back at him, his eyes showing clear terror and fright.


    His thin frame was shivering under the gentle hold of the blonde woman, he couldn''t muster up any meaningful word but just stuttered garbled phrases.


    "He-.. He¡ª He¡­ Y-y-y-you¡­!"


    His consternation, however, didn''t last long. After a few seconds of visible anxiety, the boy closed his eyes and began to control his breathing.


    Inhaling large gasps of the air, he held it inside for a few heartbeats before slowly exhaling it.


    After repeating the process a couple more times, Lucien and Sera could hear as his heart rate stabilized, his scare was now dismissed. Clarity returned, lifting the cloud of chaos from his mind.


    Albeit still aware of what had transpired, the shopkeeper now looked at this unknown teen with a more scrutinizing gaze, ignoring the mature woman standing at his side for the moment.


    Finally, his gaze rested on the newly upgraded dark brown eyes of the unknown figure. Clenching his fists to retain his vigil, he was the first to throw out a question with a cold and unfriendly tone.


    "Who¡­ no, more importantly: WHAT are you? What do you guys want from me?"

 Chapter 69 - 69 - A New Ally?

    "Sorry." Raising his hands in the air, Lucien flashed a friendly smile, he spoke in a crisp, clear tone. "We may have not started on the best of terms, for that let me say I''m sorry."


    Before the teen could respond, Lucien raised his right index finger in the air, silencing him before he could talk, explaining his reasons further himself.


    "Please let me go first." He smiled, giving a light nod at the blonde mature woman standing behind the still nameless youth. Upon his non-verbal command, Sera gently placed his palm atop the boy''s head, startling him instantly. However, in the next instant, as the soothing warmth was injected and spread throughout his body, his worried, agitated state slowly but surely began to calm down.


    Lucien watched with a calm smile as Sera did her best to resolve the problematic situation, already mostly aware of the incredible qualitative traits her guardian had processed.


    The boy''s tensed muscles slowly began to relax, his shoulders slumped down, the cold, nervous look in his eyes warmed up to their presence. Feeling that the boy was no longer akin to a burning keg, Lucien spoke once again.


    "So, let''s start this over, shall we?" He asked, continuing after a few seconds. "You can call me Lucien, the woman behind you is Sera. We mean you no harm, I can assure you, in fact as you can see, we made sure to settle this distasteful debate as soon as we got here."


    "Why did you do such a thing though? Why would you guys care for someone like me?" Although Sera''s holy energies soothed his agitated nerves, it did not cloud his presence of mind. Knowing that both of them were part of those that his grandpa only referred to as ''Evolved'', he was quite wary and cautious.


    Though they effectively saved him, Evolved people were usually quite unpredictable, some of them easily influenced by the nature of their powers. Those that were gifted with the elemental powers usually reflected that in their behavior.


    Even if the woman had some strange, healing properties, this black-haired boy that was roughly his same age had some very-


    Suddenly he felt dizzy. As he tried to remember the events of the last couple of seconds, his mind pulled blanks. No matter how hard he focused, he couldn''t recall what just happened.


    Reaching for his temple, the teen groaned painfully. His body suddenly felt weak, he swayed only to be caught by the blonde woman behind him.


    Meanwhile, Lucien retained the friendly smile on his face, his eyes not leaving the teen, he kept looking at him with a silent disposition.


    Eventually, as the second kept passing, Sera finally stopped injecting her energy into the youth and was fully helping the boy regain his footing. Several more seconds passed, slowly growing into a minute of silence before the teen finally groaned once again.


    "W-what happened?" He muttered, slowly raising his head and looking at the boy in front of him with a momentary confusion before his expression eased up.


    "Lucien, right? T-Thanks for helping me¡­"


    Lucien smiled at his words. Tilting his head to the side he responded to the greeting with his innocent look.


    "Sorry, I do not know your name yet¡­"


    "Jack¡­ Jack King" Realizing he never spoke his name to his saviors, the boy, Jack, flashed an apologetic smile as he replied.


    "Alright, Jack¡­ Before we get into the reason for our timely intervention, let us make sure you are not suffering from some concussion. Can you perhaps recall what happened just a few moments ago? What came to that buffed bald tattooed guy?"


    There was no response at first, Jack was thinking about Lucien''s question, trying his hardest to recall the events of just a moment ago. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t.


    He revealed a confused look as he pondered about what could have happened. The last thing he remembered was that he was hurting everywhere and was barely holding on when suddenly he heard some strange sounds from behind. A commotion happened, and by the time he came back to his senses, this blonde woman¡­ this Sera was beside him, with this unknown teen questioning him. Between the two moments, he was drawing blanks, no matter how hard he tried to think back.


    Spending a while he remained silent, not knowing how to answer the boy. Truth be told, he wasn''t even sure what they did, he couldn''t even recall how or when exactly did they save him, but the scene was obvious without any memories. More than two dozen burly men sprawled around in the dark alley, unconscious with bruises of all kinds.


    Eventually, he gave up. Heaving a heavy sigh, he smiled bitterly at his saviors and shook his head.


    "I''m sorry¡­ ehrm¡­" He still had trouble recalling the name, but after a brief moment, he managed to. "Lucien and Miss¡­  Sera, I might have lost my conscience I guess¡­ I can''t remember anything after your timely arrival. Even that is mostly a blur, I apologize." Jack bowed, surprising both Sera and Lucien in the process.


    Chuckling at his courteous behavior as he reached out and raised the bowing, subservient posture of the teen.


    "Ahaha¡­ there is no need for such courtesy Jack¡­ I am not some rich, arrogant kid that is on the stroll to recruit servants or slaves or whatever they call them¡­" He gave a meaningful, appreciative glance quickly at Sera behind Jack before he immediately returned his attention to him.


    "Also, you don''t need to feel bad, you were quite beaten up when we got here. It took all of our pow- *cough* effort to get you back to a relatively stable state." He gave a light cough, masking his momentary slip-up.


    Taking a sigh, his smile shifted into a slightly more serious look as he asked Jack.


    "Listen, Jack, there is a reason for us to come here. While we gladly helped to get you out of the predicament you were in, there''s something I want to ask you¡­" Glancing in the store''s direction he continued. "Can we go inside the store and talk a bit?"


    ¡ª


    With a loud, creaking noise the large metal door was pushed open, allowing the thin, lanky figure to rush in, and make his way quickly towards the second, white door further at the back.


    Ignoring the surprised and even, in some cases, shocked looks of his peers, he only stopped for some air when he finally got to the guarded, white door. The two guards looked like literal giants, bursting with muscles no matter how many layers of clothing or kevlar they wore. Their skin dark as the night, these walking statues raised their giant palms in front of the heaving, gasping skinny figure.


    "What business do you have with the boss?" The gorilla on the right asked in a rough, deep, commanding tone.


    "He¡­ Hoo¡­ I¡­" The lanky man kept gasping for air, clearly, the distance he traveled was above the normal limits he could handle with his physique. "I¡­ need to¡­ talk to the boss! It''s urgent!"


    Taking a couple more moments, to calm himself down and quench his thirst for oxygen, he slowly raised his head and looked at the cold-looking giant in the eyes.


    "We have found him!" He cried out.

 Chapter 70 - 70 - From Rags To Riches

    "If you are worried about the trash we left outside, don''t be. My men will make sure to clean up." Being invited into the only extra room in the small groceries store, which was mostly used to check-in for the shifts and on the incredibly rare occasions when the owner would be available, as his office.


    Now, however, it was hastily remade as a makeshift meeting room. Offering the sole chair in the room for the lady, Lucien and Jack sat down on the floor with their backs leaned against the walls.


    Even then, seeing the worried, concerned look on the young Jack''s face, his quick glances towards the back area where more than two dozen burly men were left in the dirt, Sera smiled at him and offered a few words to calm him.


    Her words did hit the mark, his worries slowly eased up, replaced by a contemplative look instead.


    ''So they ARE from some rich family¡­ Heh, I had a feeling¡­'' He forced the sour and bitter feelings back down to his heart, only flashing a friendly, forced smile.


    Unfortunately for him, both Sera and Lucien caught the momentary twitch at the corner of his eyes when he processed Sera''s words. Still, they didn''t speak a word of it.


    Closing his eyes, Jack muttered something that sounded gibberish to Lucien. However, his agitated state, his worries slowly faded as he repeated the same mantra. His breathing stabilized, his muscles gradually eased up.


    "Okay¡­" He spoke as he exhaled all the worrisome, used air, his eyes slowly opening up, he turned and looked at Lucien sitting a few feet away from him. "Can you tell me why exactly you came to my help?" He asked the question mostly burning in his mind.


    Thinking that his tone might sound harsher than he intended, he hurriedly added a few more words.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I am glad and thankful¡­ I never would have guessed that today''s nuisance would escalate to such a degree¡­" He sighed, shaking his head with clear displeasure.


    "Before we get to that¡­" With the same calm, nonchalant smile, Lucien met his newly made acquaintance''s inquiry, not minding his slightly aggressive tone at all. "¡­would you mind telling us what happened? From the looks of it these¡­" Not knowing how to refer to this gang''s members he gazed at Sera who, understanding his Young Master''s worry, warmly smiled at him.


    "¡­The general public refers to them as thugs, Young Master."


    A meaningful glint flashed through Jack''s eyes as he listened in on the way the blonde mature women referred to this boy, adding more to his conjecture that despite his words, he was indeed some rich kid, possibly one of the heirs of the big families ruling effectively controlling all aspects of the life in the city.


    Yet again, this look didn''t escape either Lucien''s or Sera''s attention, yet they didn''t explain anything. Although Lucien didn''t think anything of it, the truth was not that far off from what Jack thought.


    "Alright... Thanks, Sera." Lucien nodded at the seated blonde woman, before shifting his attention back to Jack. "So, from what we could see and understand from how these thugs behaved¡­ it was clear that they didn''t just randomly pick you. Is there some history going on here?"


    Lucien asked, trying to phrase his question as innocent as he possibly could. Although he sounded like a concerned third party, full of compassion and care, in reality, he wanted to understand more of the power structure behind the scenes. Being close to the boy, he was now completely sure that the strange energy, the possible resolution to his current problem could be with him.


    Still, he needed to be careful about his steps. It would be more beneficial to try to get closer to him, slowly earn and build up his trust, instead of going directly and possibly scare him away.


    He wasn''t sure how this all worked. At first, he was quite troubled, thinking that his issue was unique and could not seek help from anyone. Yet, to his surprise, he felt the same, similar energies surging from some random back alley of such a humongous metropolitan city!


    Breaking the short silence, and pulling Lucien out from the storm of his own thoughts, Jack coughed, as he slowly began to recount the events that ultimately converged to the sight of him standing beat up and barely conscious by the time Lucien and Sera got to his aid.


    "Well¡­ It''s not that great of a story." Jack sighed, flashing an awkward look as he remembered the stupid story. "I was just doing my last hours of work before I would be free for the night when suddenly the doorbell rang and this idiot came in." He explained, giving a pause for a breather before continuing.


    "With this nervous, obviously shifty look on his face, he strutted towards the register and pulled a gun on me, ordering me with that shaky tone to give him the money."


    Despite the quite shocking-sounding story, Jack chuckled as he recounted his story, earning a confused stare from Lucien.


    Seeing the look in his eyes, Jack threw an impish smirk at the youth, before going on explaining further.


    "You see, I wasn''t that scared, I first just ignored him and gave him a gentle warning to get the f*ck out of the shop if he knows what''s right to him."


    At this point, Lucien couldn''t hold back his burning curiosity. He could still remember the pain of all the gun wounds felt back when he, or more accurately Pravitas escaped from the Facility.


    "How did you retain your calm when facing a gun? Weren''t you worried about being shot at? Did you have a secret?"


    Jack chuckled at Lucien''s already expected questions, enjoying the brief moment before revealing the reason for his uncanny attitude.


    "Hehehe, yes I was calm, I didn''t really bother much of the dude at first. You see, the gun he flashed, although it was quite realistic, it was nothing more than a plastic toy. It even had the ''Made in China'' text at its side."


    Jack chuckled as he remembered the look on the dude as he ignored his threat.


    "Still, the guy didn''t want to catch on and kept swaying his toy in front of me. Thinking he still had the upper hand, he kept threatening me!"


    He sighed, shaking his head with a dismissive look for a brief moment as he kept going on.


    "Anyway, at the end I took his toy, causing him to almost shit his pants in fright before showing him the door once again."


    Lucien glanced briefly at Sera, as Jack repeated his grand movement during his story.


    "Anyway¡­ after that, the dude scampered away, and I completely forgot him. Time passed, before finally it was time to leave. However, just as I was about to check out and finish for the day, suddenly the doors were kicked open and this gang charged in."


    His happy demeanor instantly vanished as he finally got to the last bits of his story.


    "They came in, yelling that they are the Hudson Reavers and I have some explaining to do." Jack scoffed, as he kept going on.


    "Before I could even process what was going on, the same dude that I scared away came back with a smug smile on his face. Behind him three buff, bald dudes¡­"

 Chapter 71 - 71 - The Missing Piece

    A bitter smile emerged on Jack''s face as he recounted the last parts of his story. He explained how he was escorted out of the shop under the ugly, hideous grin of the conceited little rat.


    He could see in his eyes how good he must have felt, coming back so quickly to get some payback for the humiliation he had suffered just a few hours ago in this very same place.


    His colorful taunts, arrogant attitude as he pranced around like some heir of a noble, powerful household¡­ Jack found it incredibly hard to retain a mostly neutral disposition and ignore the scrawny guy.


    After that, Jack''s story was almost at its end. A battle ring was quickly formed as the more than twenty band members encircled him, closing off all routes for escape. He could recall a gruff, deep voice bellowing at him from somewhere above, but strangely he couldn''t recall the face that spoke, only that it spoke from somewhere above.


    Although Jack found this peculiarity strange, Lucien and the blonde woman, Sera didn''t seem to mind it, so he didn''t linger on the topic too long.


    Jack was then explained that, although they understood his plight, he still offended one of his own, and for that, he had to go through a so-called ''Trial of Retribution'', which after a bit of explanation turned out to be nothing more than a handicapped street brawl where he would have to face the person that called for justice.


    Still, though he felt that things couldn''t be as simple as they sounded, there was nothing he could have done. There was no way for him to get out of this situation, but by acquiescing to the blurry, hazy figure''s words.


    As expected, the fight against his opponent didn''t take long. As soon as the shivering, scrawny figure of the guy stepped in front of him, and with great trepidation, he slowly shakily raised his hands in front of him, he was quickly sent flying with a single, decisive blow.


    As Jack explained he figured that if he showcases some of his strength the group would decide to leave him alone and scatter. Sadly, that wasn''t the case. His flawless, but at the same time: expected victory only managed to light the fire, the passion, the desire for more.


    As soon as the weak, thin man''s limp body hit the pavement, the deep voice echoed in the back alley again.


    He praised Jack''s prowess, and as he stated, ''graciously'' allows him to test his mettle, some more.  Two new much bigger and fierce-looking figures stepped into the ring, looking like a pair of mistreated twins. Matching tattoos covering almost every inch of their skins, bald, cleanly shaven heads, the two burly, sturdy figures gazed back at him with cruel, vicious, expectant looks in their eyes.


    After that, Jack''s story finally came to an end, as the fight was pretty much one-sided from that point on. Although Jack did manage to hold his stance for a while, it was a fruitless effort. Ultimately his effort was futile, he held no chance against the two brothers, they were much stronger, more powerful than him.


    "Even as I tried to utilize Grandpa''s teachings, in the end, I''m just a failure. I can barely use any of my qi at all. My foundation was always weak, I wasn''t a good student of his¡­" Jack sighed, unaware that he just spilled the beans of the very same topic, the sole reason that Lucien searched for him.


    Although the terms and phrases he used were alien to him, Lucien knew that this was it. This was the missing piece of the puzzle that he needed. The knowledge he so desperately required to finally finish building up spiritual veins. From the fusion with Pravitas, his other ''self'', he understood that some of the central part, a core of some kind was missing, but he just couldn''t understand what to do or how to get started with that.


    Still, Lucien knew that once he achieves this step, he would elevate himself from the constraints of mortals, not just with his ever-evolving physique but with spirit and mind also.


    Trying his best to not show his excitement over his face, he retained a calm, collected outlook, silently contemplating Jack''s narration of the events.


    "Thank you for telling this to us, Jack." Seeing the distant look in his Young Master, Sera stepped in, nodding with her gentle, warm smile towards the lonesome boy.


    Giving a light cough, she continued after seeing that Lucien was still deep in his own mental world, contemplating, pondering this young man''s story¡­


    "Anyway, we are glad that in the end, you turned out to be okay." She gave a bright smile, as she left the chair and stood up. Turning her attention towards the pondering Lucien, she reached out and gently touched the top of the boy''s head.


    "Young Master¡­ we need to get going. We still have a few things to do¡­" She gently whispered although Jack could still hear her words. Once again, he was reassured that despite what he said, he was some rich noble kid that was just passing by. Though his presence and attitude were unlike what he had seen and had known¡­


    ''Maybe he is from some of those hidden families Grandpa has once told me about¡­'' Jack thought, listening to their conversation with interest.


    "Yes¡­ I know. Just a minute, I want to ask¡­" Being brought back from his thoughts, Lucien nodded with a hazy gaze at Sera, before shifting his attention back to his newly made acquaintance.


    However, before he could say a thing, Sera added again.


    "We need to get going, Lucien." Then she leaned closer and whispered his next words, making sure that this time, only Lucien would hear them. "Since we also need to fix up your missing education and knowledge, you could ask him about where he studies. We could sign you up in that school, so instead of hurrying here, you could slowly build up a friendly, brotherly relationship with him."


    Lucien''s eyes brightened up as he listened to Sera''s advice. A friendly smile emerged on his face, he looked at the confused Jack.


    "Jack, I''m afraid Sera here is right. We need to slowly go and leave. We have quite a few items to complete still, and we have already spent most of the day."


    Pushing himself off from the ground, Lucien stood up and reached out his right hand in a friendly manner.


    Realizing what his next action would be, Lucien''s strong presence suddenly wavered, he soon found himself not sure of what to say. Offering a handshake wasn''t too hard, or getting information¡­ However, he never had a friend, a normal ''human'' friend in his life, he had no experience in what to say.


    Back in the orphanage, the only ones that didn''t hate him, beat him, or condemn him were the animals in the shed¡­ or his overactive delirious mind in some times when he felt extremely lonely.


    After that, in the facility, he didn''t even have a life of his own, much less a friend he could talk to.


    Due to that, he had no idea how to continue, or what to say. In the end, Lucien just stood there, with his hand raised and an awkward smile plastered on his face.

 Chapter 72 - 72 - Friends?

    Jack stared at the offered hand and the just as troubled and equally as an embarrassed-looking boy for a few brief moments longer before he exploded into a burst of laughter. He chuckled at the young teen''s awkwardness, as he struggled to do something so simple as to offer his friendship.


    The huge change as he went from this strong, dominant, reassured person to this awkward, and embarrassed boy was so funny to look at that he just couldn''t help himself and chuckle wholeheartedly.


    The tense atmosphere instantly shattered, Lucien kept standing there, feeling like an idiot, still, he didn''t pull his arm back. Gathering all his courage, he looked back at the delighted Jack and muttered the unfamiliar words for the first time in his life.


    "Ehrm¡­ So¡­ Would you¡­ want to be¡­." Still, he found it strangely hard to voice out the word. It got stuck in his throat.


    With a pleading look, he looked at the boy for help. Unfortunately for him, Jack was enjoying the moment way too much. Seeing this rich noble boy struggling with such an easy matter was the best healing to his battered and weary soul. He looked at Lucien with delight, his lips curving higher and higher, looking forward to the moment.


    Seeing that there would be no mercy for him, Lucien sighed bitterly, before taking another large gasp of air. As he slowly exhaled all of it back into the world and slowly collected his thoughts, he took another second attempt at it.


    It shouldn''t be this hard after all. Still, as his past 17 years of life were spent with an overflow of disdain, contempt, and hatred, this was the hardest, biggest hurdle Lucien felt he had to face.


    "Would you¡­ want to be¡­ my¡­ f-f-f-friend?"


    Jack took a couple more seconds to take in the sight that he never felt would enjoy anytime soon. His laughter soon seized, as he was now looking at the awkwardly smiling young master with a contemplating look.


    A few seconds later, however, he lightly shrugged his shoulders and returned his smile as he accepted the offered hand and shook it.


    Offering his friendship didn''t require too much from him after all. Being a loner even before his grandfather had passed away, and more so after, he didn''t put too much weight in such matters.


    He was the one usually left out from the discussions back in school, sitting alone in the corner, or in the cafeteria. He was the last one to be picked during PE or the one that was usually avoided, left alone.


    He was what you would refer to as the ''invisible one'' in the class. The teacher rarely bothered with him, so he wasn''t too studious either.


    Although he showcased a strong front in the matter, the truth was, he was just like Lucien. Lonely. Ever since his passing, Jack had nobody to talk to. His only company was his phone.


    Before today, he rarely even trained his qi or his meager knowledge in the martial arts. Every now and then, when he had the time, he would do the exercises, but sadly, most of his free time was spent trying to earn the money they owed to their debtors.


    As he clapped the offered hand and shook it with vigor, he pushed back all the surging negative thoughts to the depths of his mind, only showing a friendly, happy smile back to his newly made friend.


    As he shook it and looked back at the naive, confused expression of this strange figure, he couldn''t help but think that maybe, just maybe¡­ if he plays his cards right, he could hopefully solve some of his most pressing problems.


    "Sure, Lucien. I would gladly know you as my friend!" Jack grinned at him. "After all, how could I refuse my savior, right?"


    "Yeah¡­ s-sure." Lucien responded, still feeling a bit out-of-place. However, as Sera''s light cough reached his ears from behind and reminded him of the question he should be focusing on before they leave, he shifted his demeanor back to how it was before and asked the grinning young teen.


    "So, uhm, Jack¡­ Which school do you go to? Would you mind telling us?"


    ¡ª


    Sitting in the back seat, Lucien silently gazed out of the window, looking at the vast difference in those that traversed the streets as the day slowly completed its cycle and gave way towards the evening.


    The evenly mixed crowd was now shifted in favor of the younger generation, all kinds of colorful members of every caste could be seen going towards the closest club, pub, or whatever entertainment they set their eyes on.


    Young groups of teens banded together into small groups finding safety in numbers, laughing, cheering¡­ enjoying themselves amongst those closest to him.


    "Friends¡­" Lucien muttered as the car slowly made its way towards a giant skyscraper at the depths of this humongous metropolitan town.


    Sera only smiled at his word, changing the topic back to the original, most important matter that they were intending to accomplish today.


    "While most of the administration should already be handled, there are still a few documents we both need to sign to finalize the legal procedure. Additionally, we need to get a few more things done during this upcoming weekend, before Monday, especially if you wish to become a student at this High School."


    "I know." Lucien lightly responded, his gaze still fixated upon the pedestrian traffic.


    "Tomorrow we will visit this school and visit the principal. He or She should already be contacted and made aware of us. That should be an easy matter and we could also spend some time after that to explore the neighborhood if you would like." She added with a warm smile.


    Seeing Lucien''s silent nod, she coughed and continued on.


    "However, before all of that, we have two things we need to complete today. The first is easy, we just need to go to my office and sign a couple of documents."


    Suddenly a frown appeared over her face as she went on.


    "As for the second matter¡­ Well, that might prove to be a bit more problematic¡­"


    ¡ª


    Finally, after a tiring and much more challenging workday than he would have liked, Jack finally made his way back home. Although they offered him a lift, he couldn''t accept it.


    After all, if such a rich family and as he could see from the swift handling of the clean-up, the powerful family were to see the dilapidating, run-down shack, the dumpster-hole he called home, Jack was certain they would avoid him like the plague.


    As he stepped off from the bus and walked through the gradually destitute parts of the city, his mind was racing on all the strange and peculiar events that had transpired today. First off, the matter of the local tyrant gang showing up, although it was new, it''s not something that he would be too surprised about.


    The fact that they would go as far as to beat him down for such a matter as a failed robbery, was, however, quite a baffling turn of events. Why would they care about it? There had to be something behind this event, as they wouldn''t waste so much time and resources on such a trivial matter¡­


    Question is, what was this all about?

 Chapter 73 - 73 - The Glass Palace

    Stepping out of the vehicle, Lucien stood frozen at the marvel of human ingenuity. A humongous glass tower, reaching all the way to the sky. In fact, standing in front of it, Lucien felt so infinitesimally small, like never before.


    From where he was standing, he had to squint his eyes and focus to even see the top floors of the colossal structure.


    Sera, standing by his side on the pavement, looked at his Young Master with a delighted expression. She enjoyed how he was lost in something that actually felt like nothing to her. Though like him, she reacted similarly, though for vastly different reasons.


    For her, this untainted, living, breathing metropolis was alike the single ray of hope piercing through the despairing darkness of the night.


    In the time she came back from at the time, no cities had survived the catastrophe. Humanity forced underground, lived in what was called as Havens, was more like a giant encroaching bunker, or like mine, shafts carved out from the depths of the mountains.


    Towering metal and glass structures, these bonafide crystal palaces were tales of the children''s stories, nothing more.


    So, although for vastly different reasons, Sera could understand the momentary shock that enveloped Lucien''s mind and froze him on the spot as he glanced at the De''Angelis Corp Skyscraper for the first time.


    "Is this¡­" He muttered, unable to finish his words, as he tried to raise his head so he could spot the top, albeit without success.


    Still, despite his mumbled, half-completed sentences, Sera could understand what he was getting at. With a growing smile stretching her expression, she lightly nodded, gently placing her right palm over the boy''s closest shoulder.


    "Yes, this is what you can now call home, and hopefully even more in the future." She warmly spoke, looking proud and happy that his young master appreciated her design.


    Unfortunately, time was running short, the evening sun had cast long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the descending sun glimmered with a warm, orange tinge to the sky.


    "Lucien, we need to move on. Although the registry is just a matter of signing a few documents, there is one more matter that we need to settle.


    Sera''s words caused a slight frown to sour the happy-looking boy''s face. Averting his gaze from the sky, he turned and looked at the blonde woman with an unwilling expression.


    "Do I need to? Why do we need to do such a thing¡­ I still don''t understand it: If you are the owner of this building, this whole ''empire'' as you claimed back in Eden, then why do I need to present myself in front of a bunch of outsiders?"


    Sera heaved a helpless sigh, as an apologetic expression now dominated her face.


    "I know, Lucien. It may sound strange, but even though I''m the leader of the group, the ''CEO'' if you prefer, I am not the only one with power. The company makes its decision through a group of shareholders, upon which I hold the majority of the shares."


    Sera explained the reason for the situation they are about to walk into once again. She knew that his presence will cause an unwelcome stir amongst that pit of snakes and rats, but there was nothing she could do. Back then, she couldn''t have built up this strong presence in the modern world by herself. Though she was powerful, she was far from her master in terms of strength. She needed help, she needed assistance back then, to lay the foundations of what is now the De''Angelis Corp, a shining beacon in the central section of this urban domain.


    However, the truth was that like many other giant companies, the De''Angelis was far more than a giant conglomerate with vast reserves of money to support itself. No, the De''Angelis Corp was far more, it was a specific way of life, a real-life sect hidden behind the curtains.


    The De''Angelis Corp, or more precisely, the sect wasn''t unique in this manner either. Most of the power that governed, controlled life itself in the city was held by the strong, powerful families, and in some cases, the variety of clans be it human or otherwise. While the citizens lived out their short and ultimately meaningless existences in blissful ignorance, behind the curtains the world wasn''t as simple as they thought it would be.


    As such, Sera was its founder and current Sect Leader, the boss whose words should be the ultimate truth, no matter the reason. Slightly below her in the power chain, a ring of elders and high elders stood atop the societal mountain, leading hundreds, if not thousands of disciples and trainees.


    As a woman with a clear vision, and a defined purpose, the sole reason that Sera built up such a legacy ever since her time of arrival for the sole purpose of reuniting with the Young Master, the boy, his beloved Master''s second iteration, and help him stand at the very top of the world, hopefully, this time without losing most of it in the journey.


    Due to this, Sera mostly stayed away from the day-to-day of the sect, and mostly relied on her second-hands, the elders, to decide on worldly matters. In fact, she was so recluse in the matters, that nowadays apart from a select few privileged, not many knew about her at all and mostly thought that the sect and the company were managed by the High Elders reigning over everybody.


    Admittedly, that was a mistake Sera now, looking back, regretted, as because of this very lack of attention, people have slowly forgotten the most important first commandment, she herself had taught: that everything ultimately belonged to The Chosen One, the Young Master that once he returns would take its seat at the top.


    She was aware that her proclamation would not be met without resistance. The High Elders, each would want to push their own cherished disciples to be selected and titled with this misinterpreted title. For over the years, this statement has been transformed into a test of power, a display of individual might. There were three stages for this trial that stated that only the one that managed to achieve the perfect score would be crowned as ''The Chosen One''.


    Nowadays, this yearly event, this tournament was transformed into a huge event that was used as a measuring stone for ranking and sorting the disciples. From the lowest of ranks, accepting them into the inner, more carefully guided circle, to ultimately allowing them to take on and become the direct apprentice of an elder and step into the ranks of the Core Disciples, this Test of Mettle was now a grand event.


    Staring at the building, Sera could only sigh, as she was aware how the years of neglect had transformed the meaning in the minds of his disciples¡­


    While the sect itself was still considered relatively new, their dogmas and teaching were all ancient truths, providing it a stable base even if it didn''t have several lifetimes of history to support it itself.


    ¡ª-


    With a frown and a sour look on his face, Lucien couldn''t do anything but nod and follow along. Knowing full well, that those old fogies would not easily accept him, he was sure that the challenges of the day were far from over.


    Though even he didn''t expect that the problems would arise even before he would even take a single step into the grounds that were supposed to be his¡­


    As they slowly made their way towards the entrance, the guards standing in the front, suddenly the one on the left stepped forward and blocked their way.

 Chapter 74 - 74 - A Black Seed

    Standing 5'' 9" tall (AN.: bit over 175 cm for the rest of the world outside the US :) ) a burly, broad-shouldered man stood in front of the two blocking their way to pass forward.


    His round, brown eyes stared at the pair coldly, his slightly puffy lips were pulled into a straight narrow line under his large nose and square-shaped face.


    He had closely shaved, dark brown hair, his chin was covered behind a thin stubble.


    Before his partner, a similarly built, but dark-skinned slightly older, and more wizened-looking bald man could speak up and inform this eager recruit, he had already stepped forward to block the way.


    "Halt! This building beyond me is private property, entry is prohibited unless you have an official appointment! Present your papers or scram!" He hollered arrogantly, instantly clenching his hands into two balls of fists.


    Lucien was quite surprised at the scene. Never before this would have he believed that events such as this could occur. An employee of the company, would actually block the way of the president, the CEO and act in such a haughty, bossy manner.


    "Tom, wait¡­ you shouldn''t¡­ she is¡­" His assigned mentor tried to whisper some sense to his overly-zealous recruit, sadly to no avail. Either he didn''t hear, or just simply chose to ignore the freely given advice, he retained his cold, dominant presence in front of the unfamiliar duo.


    Sera looked bewildered for a few moments, as even though she mostly stayed away from worldly matters and just focused on herself, such a situation has never happened to her before. Being blocked entry to her own building was not something she ever dreamed of happening to her before today.


    After the momentary stun, Sera''s face slowly settled into an eerie smile, she turned to the walnut-skinned security guard, and with a warm, soothing tone she spoke up.


    "May I have your name, little soldier?" She asked, leaning slightly forward in an alluring manner.


    The figure froze for an instant before he fixed his stature and responded with the same coldness, retaining his strong, commanding presence.


    "Stand back woman! You have no right to ask for my name. Can''t you see I''m an employed guard of the lustrious De''Angelis Corp? How dare you to stand and block the way you trash!" He exclaimed, firing up himself as he continued to roar.


    This response has taken Sera back, it was unlike what she would have expected from someone under her employ. More so, that this was the first impression her company and her men had made to the Young Master.


    Normally, she would have ignored such a haughty, arrogant attitude and would just call for one of the High Elders to reflect on her experience and ask them to correct such unacceptable behavior.


    However, this time was special, she didn''t want Lucien to think that such an attitude, such an employee would be accepted amongst the numbers of the company.


    Still retaining her eerie, cold smile, Sera glanced over to the dark-skinned seemingly more experienced one of the pair. Her eyes pulled into tight crescents, she asked with a calm, but frighteningly insipid tone.


    "You there, mister guard. Tell me, is this how you normally talk to people?"


    "I¡­ Miss, this isn''t-"


    Before the man had the chance to finish his stammering response, the haughty, arrogant man stepped between the woman and his partner.


    "What do you think you are doing, b*tch?! Are you deaf or retarded? Didn''t I make myself clear? Get the f*ck away before I lose my patience and beat you up before calling the cops!"


    Sera could only sigh with a bitter, disappointed look on her face as she turned to look at the young master. Strangely, she found him to be amused at the scene, a thin smile curving the edges of his lips.


    "Luc-"


    Raising his palm, Lucien silenced the woman before she could say a word, focusing his gaze on the tall, brawny muscle head. He stepped before Sera, and slowly scanned over the man with his eyes.


    "To me, it seems that you are the one with brain damage." He chuckled, breaking the tense air abruptly.


    His impish tone and nonchalant attitude only served as further fuel to the arrogant guard. Clenching his fists even tighter, his body trembled with the rising rage. His eyes turning to this unknown youngster, he was seething.


    "What did you say, you little sh*t? I dare you to repeat it!"


    Despite being under the piercing gaze of the man, Lucien cackled at his words once again.


    "You really are dumb! Wow!" He sighed, revealing a calm smile as he responded. "Let me repeat the question you were asked since it seems your feeble mind couldn''t register it. I guess all this ugly muscle is the cause of your astonishing stupidity."


    "You¡­ little¡­ DIE!" Unable to contain his wrath any longer, the man howled a mad war cry and fired a right-winged strike aiming at the seemingly unsuspecting boy''s right temple. The man was fairly certain that this was all this farce would need and that the youngster would violently kiss the pavement before slipping into the darkness.


    After that, he was already thinking of firing a slap with his left and giving a good, unforgettable lesson to this wh*re before kicking her away with her little boy-toy.


    Unfortunately, before he could relish in his own brilliance, suddenly, his right hand hit something that felt like a solid wall. A moment later, his fist was locked in a strong vice-like grip. No matter how hard he tried to pull and pry his hand away, it just wouldn''t budge.


    Breaking from his reverie, he looked shocked at the boy''s right hand casually clenching around his fist. Before he could counterattack and fire a kick or a second strike, the boy moved, casually flinging his right arm and throwing the man to the ground without any visible effort.


    As the large man helplessly crashed against the pavement, a strong kick to his chest sent him tumbling backward, crashing into his partner and throwing him to the ground as well.


    As their short journey came to halt, the surrounding spectators have already formed a small circle around them. Many were already on their phones recording the unexpected spectacle and streaming it on the internet.


    Ignoring the commotion, Lucien turned his head to the side, looking at the surprised-looking Sera.


    "I apologize if I was excessive, but I just couldn''t stand this man. How could someone talk like that to the boss of this entire company?"


    Hearing the boy''s innocent-sounding question, Sera''s worries instantly wafted away. She erupted into a happy, cheerful giggle. It took almost a minute before she could respond.


    "You know, usually this shouldn''t be the case, but as you can see every now and again, a black seed gets into the mix. Don''t hate him, for he is just misguided and in need of some help."


    Still dizzy from the unexpectedly powerful kick, the pair of guards slowly got back to their senses, missing the short discussion between the two.


    Feeling humiliated, as the man tried to stand back up, he continued to grunt and seethe with anger.


    However, before he could howl again, suddenly he felt a slap at the back of his head. Turning around, he saw his partner, already back on his feet, looking at him with a disdainful look.


    "Why are you¡­"


    "Shut up you idiot! You still haven''t realized it yet? They are NOT outsiders but one of the higher-ups!"

 Chapter 75 - 75 - A Single Mistake

    The walnut-toned man suddenly paled as realization had finally hit him. The words of his peer that he ignored letting his haughty, unfounded pride reign rampant controlling his behavior had finally been registered in his mind.


    With a horrified look and a wide-eyed gaze, he shakily turned his attention towards his partner. His lips quivered as he vehemently tried his best to deny the cruel reality, the most likely fatal mistake he had just made, he shook his head.


    "N-no¡­ That''s not possible!" Desperate for some salvation, he hastily scanned over the duo, clasping into the tiniest bits of detail he could spot. "T-they don''t have IDs hanging on their bodies! A-also¡­ the b-boy is way t-too young to be an employee!"


    However, in response, he only received yet another slap to his head. The chiding look of his peer caused the man to squirm uncomfortably in place.


    "You idiot, what do you know?! You are a fresh recruit, you have no idea what is going on beneath the surface!"


    The dark-skinned, more experienced guard hit the back of his young partner''s head once again with as much force as it was still acceptable.


    "I have tried warning you to stay put, but you just didn''t listen, you idiot! Now, look at the trouble you caused!"


    Then, the man turned towards the peculiar duo, his expression instantly changing into an apologetic, humble smile. He glanced at the medium-length, black-haired teen briefly, before ultimately gazing at the blonde angelic beauty as he gave a deep bow.


    "Please Young Master and Miss don''t take the words of this fool''s words to heart. He is still new, just started working this morning, and had not had the chance to completely memorize the faces of everyone."


    "W-wha-¡­ W-why?" The young recruit, still feeling the stinging afterburn of the slap, turned wide-eyed with shock as he heard his elder peer''s humble words and subservient stance towards these two. Still, though confused, he remained silent through the matter. Though nor did he show any signs of remorse either.


    Though she wouldn''t mind the matter normally, Sera really wanted to show the best first impression she could for the company and the legacy she has built over the years.


    Yet, right before they could even take a single step inside the company grounds, they were stopped and insulted, by her very employees. How humiliating, how shameful such a situation could be?


    Her usually calm, gentle, and carefree look was cold as she ignored the begging guard and gazed coldly at the arrogant newbie.


    Still, before she could speak up and enact her judgment, Lucien raised his hand, freezing the words in her in the process. He turned and looked at her with a calm, nonchalant smile, instantly melting her heart.


    "Don''t bother with it. If you are mad because of me, then please, just let it go. I don''t mind it at all. I am not sure if there are any regulations regarding the official attire or any type of uniform, but for all intents and purposes, we do look like some random civilians. Don''t punish him anymore, I believe he suffered enough." He said, turning towards the young walnut-skinned guard sitting at the cold hard pavement, looking at everything that was happening with a bewildered, confused look.


    However, as the youngster that flung him to the ground with such ease as if he was just a piece of crumpled paper turned his attention and looked at him, a shiver ran through the young guard''s back. An instinctual sensation of fear shook his very being.


    For some inexplicable reason, as their eyes met, he felt his very soul shiver in fright under the anomalous sensation of pressure this seemingly harmless-looking lean teenager radiated. Even worse, his smile, which felt genuine, caused all the hairs in his arms to stand up at attention. He felt incredibly uncomfortable and wanted to end this farce as fast as possible.


    He was already feeling immense regret about his idiotic display from before. Taking a second look, he knew that he was conceited, but he just couldn''t help it. He felt so proud, so happy when he finally got accepted in one of the best places in the city.


    His path to a better future was set; he would no longer follow after his deadbeat father and be something other than a pathetic alcoholic, struggling to support his family. No, he finally stepped onto the path that could lead him to that glorious or more precisely, illustrious future.


    Fame, glory, and money would be his, and if he were to play his cards right, and showcase his talent, be proactive he could even step higher in the societal ladder and perhaps one day be a captain, or maybe a manager even!


    Yet, this very same notion, this mentality is what seemed to cause an abrupt end to his personal story to the coveted fame! His proactive mentality, paired with his ignorance and stupidity made him fall back to the pit of despair.


    Would this be the end of his career? Did he majorly f*ck everything with one single mistake?


    No!


    He would not let one mistake end all of his dreams. What use for this useless pride, if it would drive him back to where he escaped from?!


    Coming to a decision, the young recruit finally reacted. He regained control over his shivering, trembling body and threw himself back to the ground. He knelt down on the ground, throwing his body to beg and even more, kowtow to the cold-looking miss, and even for the young teen.


    He didn''t even care that a sizable crowd had since gathered and surrounded them by now. He ignored the sea of smartphones that were recording every second of their actions. Taking one deep breath, he exclaimed with a new, much more humble, and honest-sounding tone.


    "My senior colleague is right! I understand how idiotic my actions were! Please, I know my mistakes! I beg you, give me a chance to prove myself and I will show you both who I truly am!"


    His shift in tone caused a thin smile to spread on Lucien''s expression. Looking at Sera, he gave a slight nod at her.


    In the end, Sera could only sigh, shake her head and acquiesce to the Young Master''s request.


    Looking at both of the begging guards groveling on the floor, she stepped forward and first reached for the senior one, raising his gaze up from the ground.


    "Since the Young Master asked for it, I will also not bother with the matter any further."


    As if a light was finally lit and the end of a dark and endless tunnel, the still kowtowing recruit''s expression brightened. He looked up from the ground, looking with a growing, hopeful-looking smile at them.


    "Keep in mind, however," She added, looking down with a cold expression at the man "¡­that if you offend, or cause discomfort in any way to the Young Master one more time, no matter how so, being fired would be the least of your worries. Did I make myself clear?"


    A dreadful, cold sensation washed over the groveling young recruit as Sera suddenly threatened him. As he was forced to bear the front of the attack, he couldn''t help but ask himself mentally: "What on Earth are these two monsters?!"

 Chapter 76 - 76 - Familiar Symbols

    Eventually, long after the strange and mysterious duo of the blonde beauty and the teenage-looking young man left the scene and entered the building the crowd finally began to slowly disperse.


    All throughout, the walnut-skinned recruit kept sitting on the pavement, looking lost and confused, gazing at nothing but the empty air. His partner, the senior guard, looked at him with a bitter, wry smile. He didn''t say anything but only heaved a sigh as he stood up, dusted off his pants, and walked back to his post. He didn''t urge, nor did he complain to the young man, he was aware that today''s events would serve as the catalyst for his future path.


    He could only hope that what had transpired today, would serve as a crucial lesson that would guide him on the right path. Hopefully, the arrogance and haughtiness of youth will no longer cloud and plague his mind.


    ¡ª


    As they entered the building, Lucien once again, for the umpteenth time today went wide-eyed with all the wonders that were revealed for him for the first time in his life.  He found themselves entering a spacious marble hallway. Pillars with intricate designs supported a large domed ceiling above their heads. Pillowy, black leather armchairs were placed instead of simple chairs for any potential guests. Some of them were already occupied as suited employees were busy discussing their projects, theories, or current daily tasks with each other whilst enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee that was bought from one of the several machines lined up at both sides of the hall.


    Ahead of them, behind a white desk that stretched for several arm''s lengths, several young, alluring, and charming young maidens sat looking at them with their dazzling, captivating smiles through the jungle of the flat-screen monitors.


    The scenery was mesmerizing to someone that''s only visual stimuli before was the occasional dark kevlar chests the guards of his holding cell wore.


    Sera stood patiently, looking at him with a charming smile of her own, not wanting to break this illusionary trance he had found himself in, and let him slowly take in everything that he could see.


    Almost a minute had passed before Lucien came back to his senses and broke his reverie. He coughed, masking his embarrassment, looking towards the reception desk and asking.


    "Where to now? As I recall, you said there should be a meeting happening soon where I would need to introduce myself?"


    With a warm smile, Sera gave a gentle nod.


    "Yes, that is right. All the executives¡­" She leaned closer to his ear as she whispered the words "¡­the High Elders¡­" Before standing back. "¡­should be already there. Unfortunately, you can expect some resistance to our proclamation, mostly due to my ignorance. Over the years my primary focus was finding you. As I have mentioned before, my arrival was different¡­"


    She sighed, remembering the decades she had to wait before he was even born. At the very least she had ample time to build up the De''Angelis Empire that it is today¡­


    "Anyway¡­" She continued after a momentary pause. "¡­ let''s just go and do our best."


    "I don''t understand it, Sera." Lucien asked with a contemplating gaze. "Why are you so worried? As I understand, everything here should be yours, right? Aren''t you the leader? What does it matter what group of people under you say? Why do I need to be worried?"


    Hearing his innocent, naive question, Sera couldn''t help but chuckle lightly.


    "You see, things are never that simple." Reaching for the back of his head, she gently caressed it as she continued. "While I am indeed the original founder, I never coveted the power or the leadership. I placed my trust in the most promising youngsters of the time to handle most of the matters." She explained, turning her attention towards the receptionist''s desk.


    "You will see, but over the decades they seemed to have forgotten the doctrines and lectures I taught them. Most of them now have their own goals and desires, swaying from the path that I set for them. They have their own descendants that they wish to see in the spot I have intended only for you."


    Although Lucien still had several questions about the matter, he allowed Sera to guide him to the desk, standing next to her silently with a neutral expression as he was deep in his own thoughts.


    He only acted when he was asked to sign his name and receive his temporary, guest badge.


    Once they signed in, Sera continued guiding them towards behind the desks. Several metal doors were set into the marble walls, countless elevators were installed serving a multitude of purposes.


    As most of them were for general use, there were a few that looked more luxurious. Golden threads, strange markings adorning the simple steel doors with no call buttons in sight.


    As they have made their way towards one of them, Lucien couldn''t help but ask.


    "Are we going to use these ones? How are we going to call for them?"


    Once again, enjoying the moment, Sera released a light-hearted soft giggle, looking at the boy with a mischievous, impish smile.


    "Fufufu, don''t worry, you''ll see! These are what we could probably call, as ''Special Elevators'', though that name sounds pretty dull." She chuckled at her own joke once again, not bothering to explain it any further as they made their way through the hall.


    Standing in front of the strange closed metal door, Lucien took his time to carefully inspect the intricate golden-threaded designs etched onto the edges of its frame. Though they were indeed quite ostentatious, he was surprised to see similar designs as the cryptic hieroglyphic symbols of his system.


    Puzzled by this, he leaned closer, focusing his eyesight on each of the symbols.


    Upon closer look, he was shocked that he could indeed recognize most of the symbols to be matching those back in his System.


    Just what did this mean? Was there a connection perhaps?


    "Though there is not much known about it, these letters are the words of the Old Master, your¡­ ehrm¡­ predecessor. He called it the ''Tharxian, the Language of the Gods''." Noticing his interest in the markings, Sera began to explain. Her expression turned to a complicated, conflicting mixture of sadness, sorrow, and a tint of happiness whenever she remembered something about the man he adored and will continue to remember fondly for all her life.


    "What do these letters mean?" Lucien pointed at one of the closest symbols painted over the metal door, showing no visible reaction to Sera''s explanation.


    "These?" Following where Lucien was pointing at, Sera responded. "They are not ''letters'', but runes. Each of them has a much different meaning depending mostly on the context. Regardless, that''s not the most interesting part about them!"


    He turned to look at her, his eyes revealing a questioning gaze.


    "You see, they are not simple decorations! Each of these runes carries an ancient power within them. Those with the ability to notice them can call for them, activating the underlying circuitry and unleash whatever spell or enhancement they contain."


    Focusing her gaze on the symbols, she suddenly muttered something that sounded incomprehensive to Lucien, but before he could question her about it, he was once again frozen with surprise.


    As Sera blurted word-after-word, her seemingly jibberish words caused the runes etched into the door to light up, one after another!

 Chapter 77 - 77 - WHAT AM I?

    The strange, cryptic symbols lit up one after another as Sera continued to mumble her chant. A bright, light blue, creamish sheen slowly covered the metal frame, growing and engulfing the entire door in a rapid fashion.


    Eventually, as Sera completed the incantation, the glimmering, blinding light also reacted, receding back in the wall and to the metal door''s frame. Still, there was a sudden change, the spell didn''t fail.


    The lifeless, powerless door suddenly activated, the elevator''s door opened up, revealing the marble-like luxurious splendor that awaited them inside.


    The gentle ring of a bell broke Lucien''s bewildered daze, Sera''s words brought him back to reality.


    "I presume you enjoyed the show?" She chuckled, motioning for him to step inside. "Come, let''s go up, the rest of shareholders, the High Elders probably have already all arrived, and are just waiting for us."


    Nodding, Lucien smiled back at her, silently stepping into the elevator, still feeling slightly overcome with the variety of marvels he was subjected to in such a quick fashion.


    As he leaned back against the metal wall and looked at the warmly smiling blonde woman, he was assaulted by unknown, unfamiliar emotions. Ever since he met this woman and decided to place his trust in her, his life had changed drastically.


    From being a mere test subject, an entity with only an ID and a number in the depths of some facility to having a taste of what it meant to be truly alive, his life had taken a drastic change.


    Even his short, roughly half a month seclusion in that strange, another world, just served to break his understanding of the real world even further. Sub Spaces, Pocket Worlds, these so-called Edens¡­ from what he learned, there seemed to be several of them, each hiding grand and unknown mysteries, secrets from the average citizen.


    Thinking back on his last clash against that strange divine beast, the large mythical tiger, covered in a perpetual purple flame, like a coat of fur¡­ the strangely intelligent monkey-like creatures or just that mutated-looking nightmarish wolf-like predator, the warg. Just that small slice hid so many impossible creatures that would throw the great powers of this world, the nations upside down.


    But then again, as his eyes wandered back on the back of Sera, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder: How many monsters like him hid in plain sight, walking amongst the regular humans of this world? How many sat in important positions, governing larger bodies or maybe even entire nations?


    Just what was up with the world? Though his last 5 years were spent in a 4-by-4 plastic white cell deep below the ground, he still lived more than a decade in an orphanage. He still learned, he still studied, even if he was hated and bullied, he was still subjected to the world.


    Everything he learned, his understanding of everything that was normal, was quickly being shattered, as these new fantastical tales were being injected into it. Sects, Cults, Monsters, Magical, Supernatural powers¡­


    Thinking about all these heavy thoughts, Lucien couldn''t help but sigh with a wry, bitter-looking look on his face.


    "Lucien? You okay?" Seeing the boy''s face, Sera asked with visible concern in her tone. "Is there something bothering you? Can I help?"


    Coming back to reality, Lucien took a moment to collect himself before responding. After a while, he shook his head as his usual calm, insipid, emotionless look returned to his face.


    "No. It''s okay, I am fine." He spoke, letting out a light cough, to regain his composure. "I was just thinking about all that happened in these last couple of days. The Lewis'' Elders, my captors from before¡­ Everything is just happening so fast, I had no time to process it, that is all."


    Lucien''s expression soured as he thought about the kind elderly husband and wife that was forced to suffer, just because they had the misfortune to meet with him¡­ Their torture and suffering was all because of him. Still, despite that, neither of them held it against him, they retained their kindness and love for him even as they met the cruelest of suffering.


    Seeing his expression, and feeling his mood, Sera sighed as well, stepping closer to the boy reaching out with both of her arms and gently grabbing his shoulders.


    "Listen to me, Lucien." She spoke, looking deep into his eyes. Her smile vanished, it was replaced with a stern, serious outlook. "What happened to them is NOT your fault! It was the actions of a monster, a bast*rd who doesn''t care about the lives of humans!"


    "But¡­" Lucien wanted to argue, but before he could speak, Sera lightly shook him and continued.


    "No! Never ever blame yourself for the actions of those monsters! To them, the only thing that matters is to gain more and more power! To them, you are nothing more than a resource that needs to be claimed, processed, and converted for their use!"


    Hearing her words, only caused Lucien''s pain to grow stronger. He clenched his fists and looked back at Sera with a fierce, sullen look.


    "All the more reason to put the blame on me!" He cried out, shattering the look of a collected, calm boy in an instant. His emotions that he had tucked away all the time have suddenly erupted like a volcano. "Just because of this power, this thing inside me, my entire life has been nothing but pain and suffering!"


    He shouted, his entire body trembling with emotions.


    "My entire childhood was nothing but an endless nightmare. I was beaten, spat upon, tormented. I cried myself to sleep every night! Then, suddenly, before I could see the light at the end of this endless darkness, I found myself gagged and chained. My entire identity, my existence stripped from me, I have become nothing more than the plaything of a deranged demoness!"


    He cried, letting everything that he kept hidden out in one go.


    "Then, when I finally see the end and was actually happy that I can finally rest and leave this cruel world, It happens! Pravitas, the MONSTER you are SO AFRAID of, wakes up, and escapes with me being just a passenger in my own F*CKING body! I killed, torn apart, and EVEN EATEN other HUMANS!"


    He continued venting, not bothering that his tears were rapidly flowing and that he was just a breath away from the warmly smiling blonde woman.


    "Do you want to know how they tasted? What did I think as I chewed on their organs? Do you know how their blood tasted?!"


    Meanwhile, as the boy was finally venting the tormenting emotions weighing heavily on his heart, the elevator was steadily rising, passing floor after floor as the light sound of the bell kept ringing, ignored by the both of them.


    "You say that they are monsters, heartless beasts, that don''t care about the lives of others? Huh?! Then what does that make me?!"


    Just as his speech together with his pent-up emotions reached their culmination, the elevator also reached the top floor.


    Being an elevator only used by specific, high-profile personnel, the door directly opened into the conference room where several other figures were already present, impatiently waiting for the arrival of their leader unaware of her little guest¡­


    As the metal door opened, suddenly a powerful ancient force erupted from inside, the reinforced windows trembling, shivering, barely being able to keep their stability as the boy inside exploded with sorrow.


    "WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME THEN SERA? JUST WHAT AM I?!"


    ¡ª


    AN: Hello!


    I don''t really like to do this, but unfortunately, I need to since it is now affecting not just the growth of this novel, but also my mood and incline to invest ridiculous amounts of my time and energy to something that may not work.


    I really like the world and story behind this novel. I really do. I have spent hundreds of hours building up a big mess of arcs, storylines, or just random *ss characters/groups/clans I would love to depict at some point.


    The Main Character, Lucien,  is vastly different from any other I have dreamt up or designed in the past. His past is much darker, his future is one of my favorite paradox-theories out there. He is neither good, nor bad, not ''kind-hearted'', hard to trust, yet at the same time, not necessarily lost in his own edgy cruelty and self-misery.


    The upcoming storylines will slowly expand the current known world, introduce a slew of characters, and also revisit some of the ones whose current situation is still unknown.


    Anyway, the reason I''m going on this seemingly endless tangent is to ask you, readers, to please spend a few minutes of your precious time and provide me with your feedback. Give a review to the novel, throw a bone (/power stone) in my way if you enjoyed it. Heck, you can even comment or just reach out to me, in a multitude of ways if you wish so!


    Just let me know that my time would not be ultimately wasted and that you, the reader are out there, interested in this modern-day, dark urban fantasy world.


    Thanks!


    (Note: This is the first and last time of me going on to this tangent. Apologize for those that I annoyed.)

 Chapter 78 - 78 - The Lords Return (Part 1)

    The voice whilst still reminiscent of Lucien, carried a deeper, growling undertone at the same time, causing the glass, transparent walls of the meeting room to shake, tremble at his sight.


    Instantly, the whispers and small chatter died, the room was eerily silent at the abrupt and quite peculiar outcry of the newest arrivals.


    The elders, the various directors that were already all present, missing only their leader, showed various stages of surprise mixed in with frowns and scowls as their eyes gleaned on the young teenager that accompanied Sera.


    They had no idea of what an outsider was doing with her, nor what he was currently doing, what they were arguing about.


    Yet, Lucien ignored the looks of those in the room, he was focused on the blonde woman smiling warmly at her, heaving heavy sighs, looking as if he just ran a full marathon. He knew full well that it wasn''t right to lash out at her, she was just doing what she could to soothe his unbridled anger, his burning rage.


    Still, she was merely just throwing oil to the already burning fire. Instead of calming, she only caused the old wounds to resurface, and burn with a newfound intensity. Old and new emotions, the sorrow, the pain, the grief coming back to the surface, Lucien could barely manage to contain himself.


    Funny enough, the only one that managed to keep him relatively in check was the other half of him, the monster he just yelled about. Pravitas'' whispers managed to keep the youngster''s mind to slowly clear out the chaotic haze that has slowly descended upon him.


    Seconds passed in silence, as the boy kept heaving like a madman, looking intensely at the warmly smiling Sera.


    The two completely ignored the situation inside the meeting room, the little space in the elevator was like a separate world entirely.


    Eventually, she leaned closer to the boy, gently caressing his left cheek with the back of her right hand, as she whispered into the air.


    "It''s alright Lucien, it''s all right." She waited for the boy''s crazed, despairing expression to slowly ease up before continuing. "I can understand your anger, actually much more than you think¡­" She sighed, turning her head to the side and glancing over at the room. "Let''s get this¡­ farce out of the way, so we can finish up all the necessary paperwork and head home finally! There, I can show you how you can vent yourself freely! What do you say, Lucien? Can you do this for me?"


    Her tone, her words¡­ but most importantly, the care and concern behind them manage to reach Lucien and somewhat calm him down, to temporarily control the burning fire of his emotions.


    He took a few extra moments as he gradually controlled himself and displayed the previously seen nonchalant, insipid, emotionless outward look. Only then did he gave a silent nod to the woman, who only smiled at his display. She straightened her back and turned to look at those already impatiently waiting for them.


    As she reached out, Lucien calmly grabbed her offered palm and they stepped out of the elevator together.


    Lucien was once again left speechless as he stepped into yet another wonder, a miracle of the modern world. The walls around them were all made of glass, transparent, giving the illusion of not existing at all. The room was covered with a dark red, satin carpet.


    A large desk was the only furniture in the meeting room, besides the dozen-so chairs that were almost all taken, leaving only 2 free, unoccupied. One was placed at the helm, whilst the other was beside it, left empty as per the tradition.


    Looking at the 10 elderly figures in the room, their luxurious, expensive suits Lucien felt pretty out of place with his regular, cheap, everyday attire. His dark, long leather coat, the simple shirt or the dark blue jeans made him feel rather awkward, made him feel uncomfortable.


    Still, he retained his aloof outward display, showing no visible signs of being bothered or affected at all. He stood still despite being under the heavy scrutiny of everyone present.


    Breaking the silence, a middle-aged-looking man turned towards the blonde woman next to him, asking with a tone full of contempt and disdain.


    "Leader, please excuse me for my brash tone and brazen question, but I believe I ask what everyone here was wondering¡­ What does this brat doing here? Why did you bring him to this meeting?"


    His question was met with nods, showing that everyone was indeed wondering about the very same mystery.


    No matter how they looked at the boy, they couldn''t understand what was he doing in a place that he shouldn''t even have access to! He had no token, no insignia on his body, he wasn''t initiated, he shouldn''t be a disciple at all!


    Even worse, there was a lingering fear, a dread that almost all of them shared. This particular meeting was called rather abruptly, they were only told that they had to attend as the topic was related to the Sect''s future!


    "You are excused Elder Warthorn." To their surprise, Sera merely smiled at the spoken elder not even bothering to look at him as she guided the boy to the table. There, to the gasps and shock of those present, she actually pulled the seat and offered the helm to him!


    "Leader¡­ What is the meaning of this?!" The elders exclaimed, still clueless about what was happening. Only one of them, a middle-aged black-haired woman seemed to recall something, looking more and more shocked at the thought and possible conjecture.


    As the thought crossed her mind, she couldn''t help but look at the young man with a new light, wondering if it was indeed possible. She dared not to believe, but as she looked at the warm, emotional smile of their revered leader, she didn''t know what to think anymore.


    The thought, however, also caused her to frown as she glanced at her peers once again. She realized that if what she was wondering turned out to be the truth, then not many of them would take this hit easily. Their schemes, their plans, the backing they arduously built up over the years would ultimately mean nothing, which they couldn''t just accept without fighting back.


    Either way, great changes were coming towards them, and she was more and more certain that this year''s tournament would be much more interesting than in the previous years.


    Raising her hand, Sera commanded the elders to stop arguing, and focus on her, as she calmly took her seat at the boy''s right. Only once she sat down, did she finally spoke up, yet her words caused nothing but further confusion to spread around the elders.


    "Bow to your Lord, children!" Her tone was cold, dominant, carrying none of the displayed love and care that she came with. She looked over at those present in the room with a stern gaze.


    Silence and confusion spread in the elders present, they didn''t understand what their leader''s words meant, they could only stare and look at each other, unsure of what to do.


    Only one of them stood up and followed the command and gave a slight bow towards the black-haired youngster.


    "This Elder Fawkes greets the return of the Lord! We have long since waited for your arrival!" She spoke, keeping her bowing posture for a few seconds longer before taking her seat, ignoring the shocked gazes of the others.


    Seeing as that besides one, the other 9 elders have yet to greet and welcome their promised lord, Sera glanced over at them one more time.


    "Why are you not following after Elder Fawkes? Are you not going to welcome the promised Lord? Have you forgotten the very first commandment of the sect? Do you want me to recite it to you before you realize who are you offending?!"


    Upon his words, the elders present in the room gasped with utter shock and disbelief in the room. Only now, did the rest of the elders present in the room realize who this young man could possibly be.


    Yet, they couldn''t just simply accept such a proclamation, after all, years of planning, scheming rested on the dream to take the helms, the leader''s seat one day, and to place themselves as the most powerful entity through the succession of their own disciples.


    "Leader, how could that possibly be true!" Elder Warthorn, the middle-aged, short black-haired man that spoke up before, suddenly jolted up from his seat, pointing to the young boy with a grimace. "How could you believe the lies of such a brat! He is nothing but a bastard, a little rogue that invaded our premises!"


    Driven by his words, he stepped away from his seat, taking a step towards the calmly sitting boy.


    "Don''t worry Leader, I will promptly grab this little brat and throw him ou-" Before he could finish, suddenly a heavy weight pressed him down on the ground. As he shakily raised his head, he was shocked to be met with the usually calm, and cheery leader''s angered, glowing figure¡­

 Chapter 79 - 79 - The Lords Return (Part 2)

    "Argh¡­ Leader Sera¡­ W-why?" Doing his best to combat the pressure, the middle-aged elder forcefully raised his head, looking with a hurtful gaze at the glowing, angelic sight of the woman.


    The faint, colorless glow that her body radiated, gave her a grand, majestic shine. The illusion of a pair of transparent-looking wings could be seen from her back. Her usually cheery, gentle smile was nowhere to be seen, she was looking at the man plastered on the floor with a fierce, cold look.


    The others in the room were shocked, frozen in their seats. A grand mixture of expressions could be seen spread out on their faces. Frowns, frightful looks, but most dominantly, a lack of compassion and regret. Most of them still seemed to be holding onto their own little ideas, dreams, not willing to accept an unknown boy that, -from what it looked like- seemingly were picked up from the streets randomly.


    For the first time, as the fierce leader was unleashing herself on Elder Warthorn, the rest of the elders turned their attention to the calm and nonchalant boy sitting in his chair without a care in the world.


    Still, no matter how much they tried to inspect the boy, they couldn''t see anything special about him. When they tried to extend their senses and scan the boy for any source of energy inside his body, they were shocked to realize that they couldn''t see anything. It was as if they were gazing into oblivion itself, and the endless void was staring back at them.


    Such an experience was quite uncanny for them, as no matter the creature or person, they should at least find the seed of their power inside their souls. A pulsating center, either a meridian if the entity was a practitioner, or like a crystalline-shaped object if it were a mutant or supernatural existence.


    Though there were other, unique cases, the fact that they couldn''t even gaze into a soul was unheard of. For them standing at the top of the city, the most powerful beings, they were shocked to find that their all-seeing senses had suddenly failed them.


    This whilst raised their awareness against the seemingly harmless-looking boy, did not make them give up their lifelong dreams and plans. Over the years, they learned that power, standing was everything in this world.


    Though each of them had their own desires, their own goals, they suddenly found themselves united against a common threat. If by perchance what the leader has said was true then they couldn''t waste any more time, needed to act with haste.


    They needed to deal with this newly risen threat, and then once he and Sera were finally dealt with they could decide by themselves how to proceed¡­


    ¡ª


    "So¡­ Little Warthorn, Mikey boy¡­ It seems that the years have already made you senile. Do you no longer respect me? Hmmm?" Sera grinned with a malicious smile as she glanced down at the lying body of the elder.


    "N-nooo¡­" Elder Warthorn grunted with great effort, as the pressure overwhelmed his defenses with surprising ease. "I w-would¡­ I would n-never dare!" He stuttered.


    "Hmmm? Really? Then pray tell, why did you want to attack your returned Lord? Did you forget the first commandment?" Looking up, he looked at the passive High Elders in the room, with an eerie grin. "Can any of you¡­ BESIDES, you, my dear¡­" She waved at Elder Fawkes to sit down. "¡­recite the commandment to me? What did I teach you kids back then, hmm? It seems that Brother Mikey has forgotten, help him will you?"


    The rest of the 8 elders in the room frowned at their leader''s words, showing a variety of ugly, displeased expressions. When a few seconds had passed and none of them seemed to be willing to speak up, suddenly a small shockwave exploded from Sera as her aura descended on the room like a veil. With the exception of Lucien, who seemed to be either immune to her powers or perhaps exempted, everyone else began to feel the increasing weight pushing their bodies down towards the ground.


    "Nobody? Have you all begun to rebel against the one that gave you your lives? Did you all decide to force my hand today?!" She growled threateningly.


    "M-m-matriarch!" One of them, unable to keep his stance any longer, cried out. "You c-can''t do this to us! W-we are the High Elders, you can''t do this to us!"


    "Oh really? And what do you plan to do then, hmm?"


    "L-leader! P-please¡­ c-calm down first! Remember you decided to take a step back and gave the control over to us! For all m-matters¡­ we need to d-discuss and v-vote!" Another one, that although was also pushed down from his chair, managed to somewhat retain his cool, spoke. His words, although he had to fight against this mysterious woman''s overwhelming aura, still managed to retain some of the smugness in his voice.


    "Y-you!" Sera was about to erupt with anger when suddenly he felt a hand gently touch her shoulders. Startled, she turned at its directions only to be met with the calmly smiling Lucien looking back at her.


    "Let it be, Sera. It''s okay." He warmly whispered. "Calm down, let them go. If there''s a rule, and they want me to prove myself, let them be. We shouldn''t force them¡­"


    His words made Sera''s body tremble with shock. Her heart began to palpitate erratically, as his words made him recall the words of her Master.


    Just now, she recalled that indeed, forceful subjugation was not his master''s style. He didn''t like to force his will, his dream on others, but instead gave them the chance to willingly fall behind them.


    Although there was a major difference in how life worked in that post-apocalyptic era and this modern, urban, civilized one, she shouldn''t behave like this.


    Heaving a long sigh, Sera revealed a bitter smile, as she nodded at the Young Master''s words.


    "Y-yes, you are right Lucien. I apologize¡­" She sighed, as she forcefully calmed herself down. Soon, the pressure began to decrease in the room before it vanished entirely, allowing all the High Elders to stand back up and take their seats.


    As High Elder Warthorn slowly pushed himself off from the ground, he eyed the young boy with a vicious look in his eyes for a brief moment, as he silently took his seat.


    *Khm* *Khm*


    Breaking the ensuing awkward silence, the slick, platinum-haired man coughed lightly, to grab the attention in the room. Looking back at the duo sitting at the helm, he revealed a theatrical smile that was all-too-familiar for Lucien and began to speak.


    "Dearest Leader, Matriarch Sera¡­ I believe I speak for everyone when I speak that we all dearly, deeply respect you. We are all thankful for you that you brought us in, and trained us to what we are today." He spoke, looking around and waited as his peers nodded and agreed to his words before continuing.


    "But¡­" His face suddenly soured, revealing a bittersweet look. "You also have to understand that times have changed. You have long since stepped away from the day-to-day operations of managing the De''Angelis Corp or the clan itself."


    He said, giving a momentary pause. The other high elders in the room nodded at his words once again. Even Fawkes, though she looked at the speaking High Elder with a scowl, could do nothing but agree with his words.


    "Since then, almost 20 years have passed, in case you have forgotten. Since then, the world has changed, a lot of cruel, nasty monsters have crawled out from the depths of the underworld. We had to raise our awareness and be wary of the outsiders."


    Once again, he paused for a brief moment, giving a chance for his background support to show themselves.


    "Please understand, that I mean no disrespect, or be impertinent when I say this, but we can''t just accept an outsider, an unknown boy that may very well be a mutant or a monster in disguise even if he came with you."


    "Y-you! How dare y-" Sera wanted to jump up and lounge at the slick speaking man, but was once again, held down by the Young Master.


    "No, Sera, let them say what''s in their minds," Lucien whispered, causing Sera to blush and sit back down.


    Surprised by her reaction, the standing elder turned to look at the black-haired youngster with a surprised, but appreciative gaze.


    In return, Lucien nodded without speaking a word, signaling him to continue on with his speech.


    "Still, how High Elder Hawthorn acted wasn''t right either. For that let me apologize."


    His words caused the High Elder Hawthorn to jump up from his spot and call out.


    "Pete¡­ you don''t need to-"


    Before he could finish, a simple fierce, cold look from the standing slick-haired figure caused him to shiver and plop back down on his seat once again.


    "What is it that you are trying to say, Little Pete? Get to it already!" Sera, growing tired of the pointless quibble, urged the man to get to the point already.


    "*Khm* What I meant is that, if you are willing, Matriarch, your proteg¨¦, the Young Master, could prove his competence and the truth during the upcoming tournament¡­"

 Chapter 80 - 80 - Display Of Power

    "Y-you! How dare you¡­" Sera was about to erupt once again. The blatant disrespect, the tone the High Elders were hitting were borderline rebellious. Their refusal to accept the Young Master was quickly making her regret ever setting up shop with these lowly humans.


    Still, before she could explode with the helpless anger that burned inside her heart, she felt the boy''s hand gently caress her shoulders once more.


    "Don''t, Sera. It''s okay. I actually prefer it this way." He whispered, calming, soothing the mature blonde girl before shifting his gaze and turning it towards the slick-haired figure standing, and waiting with a theatrical smile plastered across his face.


    "You¡­ What''s your name, Elder?" He asked the man with an insipid, cold tone.


    The man quickly bowed, showing the expression of a humbled, respectful figure even though his display was more for the show rather than his true feelings.


    "This one is one of the 10 High Elders and has the name of Pete Curtis, young man." He introduced himself, giving only a moment before adding to it. "As a sign of good faith, you can call me Elder Pete if you would like. Also, may we ask your name as well, young one?"


    He fired the question back. Although his question sounded innocent and perfectly fine since they were just introducing themselves, it was also a sign that they truly didn''t think of him too much. Elder Pete''s gesture, however, how he returned the offered greeting and question was just a show to put the boy instantly under him in terms of standing. He was showing his benevolence, he was extending his ''kindness'' with this display.


    Unfortunately, his words didn''t result in the outcome he had hoped, the black-haired boy simply smirked, and shook his head as he responded with a cold tone.


    "No, you can''t. From what I understood, being a High Elder in this sect that Sera herself has built up, you should already be aware of my existence."


    He glanced over all the other Elders as a wave of dread suddenly washed over everyone present in the room, he continued speaking and addressing everyone in the room coldly.


    "You and every single one of you should be keenly aware of who I am, and what I represent. Yet, I can see it in your obstinate eyes, your adamant refusal to accept the truth you pledged to serve all those years ago. You, so-called ''High Elders'' want nothing more than to push down the very person that brought you in and taught you for all those years."


    His words were harsh, his eyes carried nothing but the coldness of the endless darkness, the void that he kept inside him. His betrayals, his rebellious, scheming thoughts, and greedy desires were exactly the same as he was met with during her time in the orphanage.


    They were akin to a plague, a virus. Lucien hated the thought that he is like them. He could only frown and scowl at these thoughts as he looked over these pathetic, old men and women with nothing but disdain and contempt in his eyes.


    Before any of them could voice their thoughts, Lucien continued speaking. As he did, his other self, Pravitas was slowly gaining more and more momentum, merging together once again with his human self causing the boy to silently transform.


    His eyes turning black as the starless night, his town donning a new, growling, deep undertone, he was no longer the innocent-looking little brat that just sat silently while the adults argued. He was swiftly turning into something that the High Elders could only describe as a ''Terrifying Demon''.


    "So you want to test me, throw me in front of your treasured little children, hoping that they would do the job you are so afraid of doing yourselves? Fine, then. I will gladly join this ''Tournament'', or whatever it is called, and will show you a grand spectacle."


    Then just as they thought that the danger has passed and that ultimately they have won, forcing the duo to accept their terms, suddenly Lucien''s attention turned towards the middle-aged man, Elder Hawthorne, who was so haughty and arrogant before but was now silently sulking.


    His eerie gaze focused on him, the old man suddenly felt as an uncanny coldness enveloped him. Not sure of what was happening, he looked at the strange boy with a deep frown, his hands were balled into fists, ready to jump into action if necessary.


    Yet, even so, he wasn''t prepared for what happened next.


    As their gaze met, the boy''s eerie, uncomfortable smile curved higher, transforming, evolving into a hideous, vicious grin.


    "Still¡­ Since you all want to bore witness to some proof, let me give you a show you will not forget."


    Suddenly, as he raised his right arm, three thick, black oily tendrils shot forth from the boy''s right palm, sailing through the air at a frightening speed towards Elder Hawthorne. Before anybody, the man himself, the still standing but now bewildered-looking Elder Curtis, or even Sera could react, the three fleshy spears pierced the shocked elder''s body, plunging deep into his flesh and organs in an instant. Immediately, he coughed, splurting a mouthful of blood on the table.


    Yet, the horrific display of power didn''t end there. Under the shocked and stunned gazes of the elders sitting in the room, the tendrils suddenly twitched and began to contort, lifting the listless body as if it was just a sack of flour.


    "W-w-what is the m-meaning of this, Leader?!" Still, under the shock, the still standing and now somber-looking Elder Pete Curtis turned to look at the blonde woman, stuttering in his demand to get an explanation on this crude, violent display.


    Yet, before she could respond, the boy spoke again, uttering a single word, that forever changed how they looked at this outsider, this ''ignorant brat'' from now on. From this moment, he no longer was a weak, scrawny little kid, but a vicious, monstrous entity that they had to find a way to control, lest they would end up as Elder Hawthorne¡­


    Lucien''s cold voice instantly filled up the room, his single word echoed, reverberated in the lustrious, glass meeting room.


    "Absorb."


    In the next moment, following his command, the fleshy tendrils began their unstoppable suction, rapidly eating away the flesh, gore, and essence of the already fainted, soon-to-be-dead Elder.


    His body hung up in the air, began to twitch, and ripple as like the children''s strawed juicy drink was sucked dry in mere moments. As the flesh and most of the mass left his body, it left behind a hideous display of a dried-up sack of skin and bones.


    Even that, only remained for a few more moments as the unnatural black tendrils sucked away even that in a rapid fashion, ultimately leaving behind nothing but the torn, shredded remains of his clothes.


    With the job done, the tendrils returned to their place, swiftly vanishing inside the depths of Lucien''s right arm.


    ¡ª


    Following the event, a long and uncomfortable silence descended on the room. None of the remaining Elders could say a word, the event was so shocking, so horrific that they were left speechless, trying their best to process what they just witnessed.


    "L-leader¡­ No¡­ M-Matriarch Sera¡­ W-what¡­ W-what was that?!" After what felt like an eternity, eventually, the standing Elder Curtis managed to gather enough willpower to stutter and repeat his previous question.


    Yet, once again, instead of her, the boy spoke again. His voice with the strange deep, growling, guttural undertone was all the more terrifying.


    "This should prove enough food for thought, I believe." Lucien spoke with a mocking tone as he eyed the slightly shivering man.


    "As I said before, I will join your tournament, I will gladly play your games¡­ However, I am far from being a pushover that you can just bully. I will play only by my rules¡­ Hope you are fine with that and prepared to accept the consequences¡­"


    Finishing what he wanted to say, Lucien slumped back on his chair, returning to his previous, aloof but nonchalant outward display, ignoring everything and everyone besides Sera in the room.


    "Are we done here?" He asked with a low, whispering tone from the blonde woman sitting next to her. Unlike the rest of the Elders who were mostly shocked and even scared, she quickly regained control of her emotions and was merely smiling at the gruesome sight.


    Giving one last look at the High Elders in the room, she nodded to the Young Master''s question and stood up, pushing her chair back in the process.


    The screeching sound as the chair''s legs scratched the floor was like a morning bell for the frozen audience, pulling them out of their frozen reverie and returning them to the cruel, harsh reality.


    Yet, they kept looking at their now-deceased and vanished peer''s empty seat, thinking, pondering about what course of action they should take now.


    Would it be wise to keep up with the pretenses and act as if nothing was wrong? Should they keep pushing for their selfish goals, or maybe, just maybe, wouldn''t it be wiser to fall back in line?


    ¡ª


    Despite the eerie, awkward air in the room, Lucien was completely ignoring everything, his attention was shifted to the transparent dark, screen floating in front of him. He was doing his absolute best not to giggle like a child as he read through the shocking gains he had just got from the arrogant elder¡­

 Chapter 81 - 81 - Astonishing Gains

    Lucien''s full attention was on the floating, transparent screen that only he could see. His earlier action of absorbing High Elder Hawthorne''s full body wasn''t just merely a fearsome display of his capabilities to show that he wasn''t just a pushover to be bullied.


    It was also to satisfy the growing hunger, thirst for power that his other self, Pravitas was craving for. Though it tried to silence itself, but, as time kept growing and was left without a satisfying hunt, a prey, it was growing increasingly restless, causing a constant discomfort for its host and counterpart, Lucien as well.


    However, even though he planned for it, Lucien didn''t think that his gains would be so incredible, so astonishing. The Elder held a considerable amount of power inside that aged body of his, which was now all Lucien''s to assimilate and enjoy!


    As the system screen came up, Lucien watched as the blood-dripping letters reorganized themselves, displaying the slew of messages that appeared as he jumped to action.


    [¡­::: Homo Sapiens - Cultivator (Rank 2) (Lvl 2 - Category: Mammal) mass has been found! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing essence¡­ :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Absorbing Essence¡­ Completed! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Creature Library has been unlocked! :::¡­]


    Yet, the messages didn''t stop there, although the fact that despite already consuming a human, a new one, related to a subgroup titled ''Cultivators'' was unlocked was a surprising revelation.


    With even higher interest, Lucien kept on reading the feed, closing his senses and focusing on the system''s screen only.


    [¡­::: Through the absorption, the following updates has been granted:


    + 1.43 Strength,


    + 0.52 Agility,


    + 0.82 Stamina,


    + ???? ??§Ô?? ,


    + 6 EP  (Full Consumption Bonus),


    + 10.50% Power Increase :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Warning: Power reached the current threshold and cannot be assimilated until Rank Up has been achieved. Power will be stored in System Storage Capacity for the time being. :::¡­]


    Unfortunately, though the absorbed power was massive, he couldn''t assimilate it, and just like he feared, he would need to somehow figure out how to resolve his current predicament and break through the rank he seems to be stuck at.


    Still, besides that slight mishap, the rest of the gains were massive, his attributes all gaining a considerable boost. His bodily strength would gain a tremendous boost once he turned down for the night and processed his gains. Together with the thugs, Lucien''s very first day back in civilization netted him great rewards.


    Just as he was about to dismiss the screen, another message popped up, carrying the same familiar message he got during his previous encounter.


    [¡­::: Biomass matching Host''s data, alternative DNA strands assimilated. New options related to spiritual state are unlocked in the Essence Pool. :::¡­]


    Once again, the system prompted for yet another new option unlocked in the still quite mysterious feature. Like earlier, soon another notification followed explaining exactly what he now had access to.


    [¡­::: The below mutation has been unlocked and thus available for evolution for the Host''s Spirit Vessel:


    - Base Meridian Vessel: Cost 30 EP


    Mutation includes: Full 8-point Meridian System, with a reinforced circulatory system. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility


    - Acupoints (Enhanced): Cost 20 EP


    Mutation includes: With a new set of hundred and twenty brand new pressure points added to the system the body''s natural healing can be enhanced by multiple folds. Also improved circulation both the physical and the spiritual. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility, Base Meridian Vessel mutation.


    - Spiritual Root (Basic): Cost 100 EP


    Mutation includes: Through this evolution, the host''s spirit will undergo a mutation, infusing the accumulated Qi into it, thus forcing the creation of a basic Spiritual Root, allowing the host to completely transform himself into a being capable of manifesting, controlling, and gathering of the Spiritual Energy known as Qi.


    Warning: The mutation carries significant risk with it, and should only be selected if the host''s environment is stable, as the process cannot be interrupted once started. Requirements: None  :::¡­]


    Several upgrades, all seemingly more powerful than the one before, appeared before Lucien''s vision, causing him to cough and turn amazed at the sight.


    His strange behavior, however, also garnered the attention in the room, forcing all eyes to be placed at him once again, and for Sera to lean closer to him and ask with a worried, concerned tone.


    "Is something troubling you, Lucien? Let me know, no matter what it is and you can rest assured that I will do my absolute best to help you!" She whispered.


    Broken from his thoughts, Aiden quickly dismissed the system''s screen, and as the haze cleared from his eyes, gave a reassuring smile to the blonde woman.


    "Don''t worry, I am fine. I am just tired, the day was long and arduous." He whispered, responding with a white lie. He still wasn''t sure if he should and if so, how he should explain the existence of this strange and gory-looking screen that resided in his mind, or perhaps in his soul even.


    Turning his head towards the remaining 9 High Elders, he smirked at their troubled, worried frowns. One by one they all seemed to be wary of him. From their glints shining in their scheming eyes, Lucien was assured that they didn''t give up entirely, and was already thinking about how could they use the new information to their best.


    This obstinate defiance, this unquenchable thirst was completely fine for Lucien. After all, it only meant more substance, more mass for him later on, when the time was right¡­


    ¡ª-


    Eventually, after an hour that probably felt way more to Lucien the meeting finally came to end. The rest of the High Elders, hurriedly alighted themselves from the room, returning to their front posts as acting Directors of the various subdivisions of the De''Angelis Corp.


    After his fierce and horrific display of power, the elders finally agreed that he will be allowed to attend the upcoming yearly tournament, the event that was once designed to showcase the talent to the Lord once he returns, but due to the strange turns of fate, he himself will now be attending it to prove the claims of not just his guardian, Sera but to stabilize his seat of power as well. Also, his other self was already growling, looking forward to the sumptuous feast he will be most likely be allowed to engorge himself on¡­


    He was also given a Temporary Token, a small trinket that would allow him access to most facilities in the building, including the strange elevator that brought him upstairs to the Management Areas. With that small insignia attached to his body, he would be able to come and go as he wishes, hopefully without any hold-ups like what happened outside.


    With the token now in hand, and swiftly placed inside his back pocket Lucien and Sera also left the meeting room, heading back to the elevators. Their destination, however, wasn''t to go home immediately, but they still had to handle some paperwork, to finalize all the legalities surrounding the official adoption and his new inclusion into the De''Angelis empire.


    Yet, after another hour of tiring, and to Lucien, extremely boring signings, they were finally done and free for the night. By now, Lucien wanted nothing more than to settle down for the night and be left alone. He had a giant pool of essences to assimilate and increase his physique. At the same time, he also had the newly unlocked, exciting, and probably much-needed mutations to take on.


    From their descriptions, Lucien realized that what he was missing and that thwarted his path in growing stronger by himself wasn''t just his lack of understanding of the topic, but also his missing talent, and spiritual features.


    As luck would have it, his sudden decision to set up the bounds that the Elder''s game would be played benefited him much, much more than he had hoped for. It actually threw the answer in front of him, giving him an exciting new path to take on.


    This inner power, this spiritual energy, was something he still hadn''t fully understood, but at the very least he knew that it would be the path towards shedding his mortal limits and stepping into something above most of the world.


    Such a power would ensure his safety and would ensure that neither those bastards back at the Facility nor his Demonic Tormentor would be able to do anything to him even when they were to find his new residence.


    As it wasn''t a question of if¡­ it was more than certain that they would not give up on such a marvelous, delectable treasure trove. To them, his DNA was the key to unlocking the mysteries that hunted mankind ever since they came to be¡­ The only other question that could be placed was that, which faction would find and place their greedy, grabby hands on him first, and how they would react once they eventually meet once again.


    Would they act like expected and be enemies, or would they put their differences aside for the benefit of science and their desires?


    ¡ª


    As they entered the elevators for the third time, Lucien didn''t even pay attention to the scene as the strange ritualistic carvings lit up, he was deep in his own thoughts, following silently behind Sera.


    His reverie, however, was suddenly broken, when they arrived at the ground floor and the doors opened, revealing the figure standing at the other side¡­

 Chapter 82 - 82 - Family

    As the elevator doors opened up, the young, and overzealous young guard''s elder peer stood in front of them. His face, revealing a wry look as he stood straight, escorting a young man dressed in an expensive-looking dark gray suit.


    Standing 5'' 6", this pale-looking man has a prejudiced feel about him. He has a wide face with a cleft chin, a small, pointy nose, and matching, small lips. His hazel eyes are prominent. His mid-back length, fine golden blond hair that drooped over his shoulders were unconventionally styled, leaving the front bangs to droop over his right eye, whilst the rest of his mane was combed neatly towards the back of his head.


    A pair of expensive jewelry, a set of gold earrings could be seen hanging from both of his earlobes. He has short arms, a slender torso with a well-defined waist, spindly legs, and wide feet.


    A sharp object, a dagger, or perhaps a sword has left its mark stretching from just under his right eye, running towards the left side of his lips and ending on his left nostril left a lasting punishment of his years of arduous training.


    Despite today''s technology and advancement in science, it''s perplexing to see that such a handsome-looking young man would willingly leave such a nasty reminder, and willingly ruin his chances with the fairer sex.


    As the metal frame gave way towards both sides to switch places, the blond young man only gave a fleeting glance at Lucien before giving a slight nod towards Sera. At the same time, the guard seemed to truly be acting as his escort, leading the way first and taking his way at the side.


    Ignoring the unknown brat, the Young Master spoke as soon as she seemed to take note of his presence.


    "Leader Sera, I''m glad to see you return after two long weeks of absence. Have you accomplished what you set out to do?" His tone was crisp, polite, and well-refined as he spoke.


    Listening to him, Sera simply nodded, revealing a displeased frown noticing how he ignored the Young Lord. Yet before he could speak up about the matter, he felt Lucien''s hand gently reaching for her back, gently caressing her and reminding her that she needn''t speak up.


    His earlier words, that he would make his presence known to the entire sect rang inside her head once again, as she forced a similar, polite smile on her face, nodding at her.


    "Yes, I did, thanks for asking¡­ ehrm¡­" She revealed an expression of not remembering who he was, making the young master''s presence all the more awkward.


    "C-Core Disciple E-Ethan, Ethan Griffith Leader Sera." He bowed, introducing himself after a moment of hesitation. I am High Elder Hawthorne''s Direct Disciple. He continued, revealing a crucial piece of information with his next sentence.


    Hearing it, Lucien couldn''t help but smirk for a moment before he forced the neutral, insipid expression back on his face. Yet, regrettably, Ethan caught it, making him turn his attention to the slightly younger, teenage boy at Sera''s side.


    "Do you have anything to say, brat?! Is there something funny?" He harrumphed with an offended, haughty look, before snorting and adding more. "What does such a nobody like you even doing inside? Did you sneak in?"


    He then turned to Sera, revealing another one of his theatrical-looking smiles whilst he gave a deeper-then-before bow.


    "Leader Sera, you needn''t waste your precious time on such a waste. I will call for the guards to have him escorted out and given a beating lest a worm like him would forget his place!"


    Sera was already trembling with all the repressed rage and anger. Small droplets of blood began to gather at her tightly clenched fists. Yet, ultimately she managed to not show it on her expression, only showing a colder expression than before.


    This made Ethan think that she was indeed annoyed by being forced to take such a nobody out of the premises and that she perhaps was mad at the lack of awareness of the security.


    Not wanting to miss a beat, he immediately offered a few words, hoping to get into the Sect Leader''s goodwill and taking a step towards his ''rightful'' place beside her.


    "Leader, rest assured, I will personally investigate the lack of security, and they give you a satisfying response as soon as possible!" He spoke, giving a cold glance over the forced escort, the Security Guard that he took as his own personal aide before continuing. "I will make sure that all those that are unfit for their roles will be dismissed. Also, if I may¡­ It may be good training for the outer disciples to have them involved in these matters. They are much more reliable than these¡­ mortals, leader!"


    Satisfied with his own words, he flashed a bright smile, masking the smug expression that he was donning on the inside.


    Finally, as the boy turned silent, and she was given a chance to speak for the first time since their meeting, she raised her right palm as she began to answer and shook her head.


    "There is no need for any of that, young man. Also, I would advise you to not act before you have pertained all the necessary information, lest you would offend people, that you can''t afford to." She spoke, her voice was cold, emotionless, rigid, surprising, and slightly shocking Ethan, who as he listened to her, couldn''t understand what was that seemingly displeased the leader.


    He glanced over the young, black-haired boy once again as if maybe, he was more than just a vagrant¡­ However, he quickly ignored the thought, that couldn''t be the case.


    Then, his mind wandered back to the fact that there indeed may have been a breach of security, but perhaps, there was more to the matter than what seemed at first glance. Deciding to investigate the matter later, he made a mental note to speak with his master about it.


    In the end, he nodded, whilst giving a clearly fake-looking apologetic bow towards the blond mature woman.


    "Yes, Leader. I apologize for speaking up without understanding the circumstances. Rest assured I will investigate the matter thoroughly before taking any actions."


    Then he turned around and stepped inside the elevator.


    "If you''ll excuse my lack of manners, but I am already late from a meeting with my Master. Leader Sera, if you''ll grant me the opportunity, I would like to meet with you tomorrow, and hope to discuss some of the concerns I have had lately in my cultivation?"


    He cupped his fists, as he bowed, giving an even more theatrical display of his respectful display of manners.


    Though his words irked Sera to no end and really wanted to reveal the fact that his ''so-called'' meeting with his master would be put on an indefinite hiatus, due to the continued signals he received from the silent Lucien by her side, she decided against it.


    In the end, she simply nodded, giving only a curt hum in response before she turned around and alighted away with Lucien silently following behind her, leaving a stupefied and perplexed Young Ethan behind.


    Seeing as their figures slowly drifted away, his polite smile instantly twisted, contorting into a hideous, and lust-filled grin as he kept eying the receding slender back of the mature beauty.


    ''Act arrogantly as much as you like, b*tch. Sooner or later you will be shown your rightful place: moaning under me, being an obedient slave just as I like them¡­'' He sneered inwardly, gleaming at their direction for a while longer before the calm, and aloof coldness returned to his face.


    Without even bothering to give him a look, he snorted, ordering the guard.


    "Come on, I don''t have all day. Bring me to the top floor, you filthy servant! Or would you like to be beaten as well?!"


    ¡ª


    Finally leaving the building, Lucien sighed with visible relief, as he gazed towards the sky. Although his time wasn''t too long, and he did gain a substantial amount of benefits, he already could tell, that he didn''t like the nasty attitude, cruelty, viciousness, and mostly, the unbridled arrogance of these people, that held some amount of strength that placed them above the masses, whilst also corrupting their mindset. They all, thinking that just because of their minuscule amount of power, were above the others and had the right to look down with pure disdain and contempt on those less fortunate.


    He wanted nothing to do with such groups¡­ sadly he was also aware that he couldn''t just turn his back against Sera, and walk away. Though he was still reluctant to follow the role destiny has set for him obediently, he also didn''t want to cause harm and misery to the person that showed nothing but kindness and love towards him.


    She, like the Lewis'' family, was the only ones in Lucien''s almost 18 years of life that he could feel happy about, that didn''t want to hurt him.


    He already caused harm, and sorrow for the Lewis''s but he would never let the same happen to this blonde angel, that was now officially his step-mother, his only family in this cruel world.


    He would do anything he could to see her smiling.

 Chapter 83 - 83 - Arriving Home

    Slowly the black car left the company premises and rejoined the evening traffic of the big city.


    Leaning against the windowsill, Lucien looked at the pedestrian traffic as their car passed by the many streets. Going from the city center towards the far western reaches. As they passed by, Lucien could easily look at the great spectrum of people. As the car paced by, the crowd slowly merged into a colorful mass in front of Lucien''s hazy, bored gaze.


    He sighed as he looked at the mass, shifting his attention on the scarlet, blood-covered letters that were floating in front of him, looking as if they were carved onto the plastic, reinforced window instead.


    He was admiring the incredible gains that were still waiting for him to process through his next resting session.


    Also, he was ready to embark on a new journey, to try to break through from Rank 1 into Rank 2, not knowing what that would actually entail, but he was sure that it would yet again push him towards further heights in terms of power and hopefully strength.


    Apart from that, a message was still hanging, a new mutation he had earned, a new option to evolve his Spiritual Vessel this time. This actually proved to be a greater issue, as Lucien wasn''t sure if he should first, use his Evolution Pool, and mutate, or go straight to empower his vessel through the breakthroughs. Either option seemed fine, and he was unsure of which path would be the best.


    He focused on the message to bring the still pending mutation options up in front of his eyes.


    [¡­::: The below mutation has been unlocked and thus available for evolution for the Host''s Spirit Vessel:


    - Base Meridian Vessel: Cost 30 EP


    Mutation includes: Full 8-point Meridian System, with a reinforced circulatory system. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility


    - Acupoints (Enhanced): Cost 20 EP


    Mutation includes: With a new set of hundred and twenty brand new pressure points added to the system the body''s natural healing can be enhanced by multiple folds. Also improved circulation both the physical and the spiritual. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility, Base Meridian Vessel mutation.


    - Spiritual Root (Basic): Cost 100 EP


    Mutation includes: Through this evolution, the host''s spirit will undergo a mutation, infusing the accumulated Qi into it, thus forcing the creation of a basic Spiritual Root, allowing the host to completely transform himself into a being capable of manifesting, controlling, and gathering of the Spiritual Energy known as Qi.


    Warning: The mutation carries significant risk with it, and should only be selected if the host''s environment is stable, as the process cannot be interrupted once started. Requirements: None  :::¡­]


    From looking at the requirements, although he had the necessary requirements for all, even the EP as he was currently standing at 179 points. After acquiring everything he would be left with a measly 29 points, though he would officially be stepping into a path that would transcend him to godly heights!


    Still, however, there was one slight issue: he still needed to merge and absolve the gains to actually break through to the double digits in Agility. However, if he were to lay down to rest, the system has already warned him that it will automatically initiate the breakthrough to the next rank in his current Power Stage with all that would entail.


    ''Hmm... just from reading through the texts, I should probably go with taking the Base Meridian Vessel and its immediate upgrade, the enhanced acupoints as well. Then, I guess I should try reaching Rank 2, and only then, should I take the Basic Spiritual Root upgrade.'' Lucien pondered as he was reading through the options he got from absorbing the arrogant High Elder back in the office.


    Still, how would he do that? His current details were as follows:


    [¡­::: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 6.025% :::¡­]


    (AN: I''ll just add this here for a refresher: Current Date: September 18th, 2018)


    [¡­:::


    ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????


    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 40.00% - ????????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ?????????k: 1 ::: 99.9%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    ????????:: 179


    ****


    ????????????????????????: 35 / 35 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ????????????????????????: 25 / 25 (????????????????????????? ?????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    ????????????????????????????????: 12.00 (+1.48)


    ????????????????????????????:  9.00 (+1.72)


    ????????????????????????????: 11.00 (+1.0)


    ??§Ô??: ????


    ???§Ô??: ????


    Active Mutations:


    Variegation of the Optic Tissue Layer (Iris) (40 EP) - Light Brown Eyes


    ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????: 92 + 4.2


    ****


    ????????????????????????:


    True Form: Pravitas (Unique - Rank: -), Viral Regeneration (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1), Far Sight (???????????????????? - ?????????????: 1), Sense Prey(???????????????????????????? - ?????????????: 1), Bestial Rush (???????????????????????? - ????????????? 1), Twilight Flames (Active - Rank 1), Heightened Reflexes (Passive - Rank 1)


    Techniques:


    Sword Style: Absolute Spirit Sword [Talent: Sword Mastery (Katana) - Rank 1]


    :::¡­]


    He currently had 9 points in agility, whilst he had 1.72 in the storage that would be assimilated once he lays down to rest.


    Not sure what to do, in the end, he couldn''t help but turn to Pravitas and the System for answers.


    He thought up the question in his mind as he looked at the bloody status screen.


    ''Can I somehow use the stored agility to initiate the mutations before starting the breakthrough?''


    Instantly, the bloodied, scarlet eerie letters began to scramble around, reforming the interface and displaying a surprisingly detailed response. It was as if the system has already expected such inquiry and thus, have prepared for it.


    [¡­::: Yes, by spending 20 EP per attribute, you can forcefully absolve the gains for the one that has been selected. Keep in mind, that forceful initiation of the process will bring a considerable amount of discomfort. Be wary, it might be unpleasant. Does the host wish to use this feature? :::¡­]


    Reading the reply through, Lucien couldn''t help but display a slight frown on his bored face. Though it seems suspicious that the system has conveniently prepared such an option just as he was faced with this predicament, the truth was that he really didn''t want to miss out on these potential boosts.


    Taking a quick glance over to his side, he smiled at the calmly looking and smiling blonde girl, his new stepmother, Sera, before returning his attention towards the empty glass window and with gritted teeth, accepted the offer and chose his Agility gains to be acquired.


    Instantly, he felt a sharp pain, as if a short blade, a sharp dagger was plunged into his tighs and arms. He felt his biceps, his triceps burning as something that was similar to some liquid substance seared his muscle strains, tempering them in the process.


    Lucien gritted his teeth, not allowing any sound to escape. Still, his heavily perspiring, sweat-covered forehead, his painful-looking grin, and squinting eyes were a surefire tell to anyone that looked at him.


    Sera looked slightly worried at first as he saw the sudden painful expression that covered his usual insipid look on his face¡­


    Yet, she noticed his muscle spasms and understood instantly what was happening. Though she wanted nothing more than to jump at his side and pull him into her embrace, Sera knew that the ''Gift'' of his Young Master was currently helping his host, assisting with his growth¡­


    Thus Sera could only watch and try to keep calm.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Links:


    http://discord.link/TheLastPrimal


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 84 - 84 - Shade Hills

    Lucien tried his best to not reveal the immense torment he was under. He did his best to swallow the urge to cry out, and instead clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, so hard that a thin trail of blood began to slither from the inside of his palm and make its way towards the ground.


    At the very least, the intense torture, the overbearing, sharp pain did not last long. Although it felt like hours, in reality, it was at most, a minute before the sharpness slowly, gradually receded leaving behind only a slight numbing discomfort only.


    At first, as his senses calmed down, Lucien opened his fists and watched as his [Viral Regeneration] trait kicked in automatically and with a speed visible to the naked eye, healed up the small wound his fingernails bore on his soft skin.


    Still, as he next looked over the window, and displayed the System''s eerie-looking screen over it, his frown vanished, leaving behind only a thin smile.


    Just as the system promised, his accumulated points in Agility have been assimilated, raising his attribute to a new total of 10.72 points, reaching the requirements of the available evolution options!


    He was giddy just like a child would be when he was given a present. Still, in the next second, he heaved a sigh and calmed his excited heart; he needed to wait until he was alone, and in a calm, stable environment and not in the back of a moving car.


    Though he felt that the system may have deliberately acted to steal more of his gathered EP away, Lucien still didn''t really mind it. He got what he wanted, and he could now place his plan of action into motion. Once he settles down in an empty room and manages to close it, he could pick the first two evolutionary options before laying down and allowing the system to begin its process to assimilate the rest of the pending gains whilst also attempting to break through into the next step in the Power Stage ladder.


    Deciding on his plan of action, Lucien flashed a content smile and dismissed the System''s screen. Just as he returned his attention to the world around him, Sera''s gentle, angelic voice resounded next to him.


    "We should be reaching the residence soon. If you want to take a peak, turn and look in that direction!" She said, pointing towards the north where a large, white stone gate blocked entry at the base of a small hill.


    Despite that, several luxurious-looking mansions dotted the hillside, with the largest of them all lording over all of them below.


    "Is that¡­" Lucien asked with a wondrous gaze as he looked at the luxurious community that they were clearly heading towards.


    Seeing the boy''s reaction, Sera chuckled with amusement.


    "Yes, Young Master, that place¡­" She pointed towards the very top of the hill. "¡­That is your new home!"


    She watched with a wide, happy, satisfied smile as the Young Master finally turned back into the child that he actually was. For the first time, since god-knows-when, there was no darkness pulling him back. He could finally get himself lost in the moment, be happy and excited for something like his new home.


    Just how he did in his previous life, Sera decided to raise him. After all, he was his only family, his master, his¡­ father¡­ and now¡­


    His son.


    ''Heh¡­ Fate sure has its sense of humor¡­'' She muttered inwardly, resisting the urge to chuckle.


    ¡­


    Reaching the gates of the enclosed community, the car stopped as it reached the guard post. The driver took the golden card from the cubby, the glove compartment, and simply flashed it in front of the cold-looking guard.


    As soon as the man noticed the fabled, legendary card, the cold, fierce dominant look vanished from his face. His eyebrows were raised, leaving the dark protective premises of his sunglasses, his clean-shaven face formed into the shape of an ''O''.


    He looked at the card with a mixture of fear, weariness, and amazement. After all, this card belonged to the owner to the top of the mansion, the only Diamond Level Residence in the luscious Shade Hills Community.


    Still, his reaction only lasted for a brief few seconds, before he snapped back to reality, and with hurry, he pressed the button to open the grated gates and allow the black car to pass through.


    Still, his reaction seemed weird, and way too exaggerated. Why did he look so shocked, and surprised? Didn''t they pass these gates to reach the villa before he came? Or was this because of their a bit more than two-week-long excursion?


    Sera couldn''t hold her giggle as he looked at the boy''s raised eyebrows and confused look in his dark brown eyes.


    "I rarely ever visited this home. Before reuniting with you, Young Master, I mostly spent my time either out in the world, in one of the various Sub-Worlds I own, or in the office." She explained, turning thoughtful in the next moment as she pondered. "Hmm¡­. Let''s see¡­ In fact, I believe I haven''t been here since early July last year¡­"


    Lucien was surprised to hear that. Why wouldn''t she want to stay in such a beautiful place?


    "Why would you¡­" Thinking about it, another thought crossed his mind. With a pondering look, he asked. "If you really haven''t visited for more than a year, will the mansion be¡­"


    Sera immediately understood what he wanted to ask, and chuckled at the boy''s refreshing, blissful naiveness.


    "No, you do not need to worry. I had staff attend to the mansion. In fact, they were alerted before we left Eden, and should be ready to welcome your return appropriately." She giggled, revealing a cheeky look over her face as she added. "I do hope you are hungry, Young Master¡­"


    They continued with their small talk, as the car resumed its course and slowly made its way through the spacious and empty luxurious road towards the top of the hill. The duo, amidst their warm discourse, ignored the looks their vehicle got as it passed the various, lavish-looking mansions one by one.


    As it reached the top, they were stopped only for a brief moment yet again, as their own personal guards swiftly left them through once they noticed the familiar license plate reaching their gates.


    The middle-aged guard gave a deep, courteous bow, his gaze plastered towards the ground, as the vehicle passed by.


    Eventually, as they reached the front of the mansion, Lucien was presented with yet another grand sight, causing his gaze to go wide, and mouth to gape ajar.


    In front of the entrance, lined up in two thick rows forming a wall, what seemed like the entire staff was lined up, welcoming them with the very same, deep, respectful bow.


    As soon as the driver opened the back door to allow the Young Master to leave, Lucien was welcomed with a loud chorus:


    "Welcome home, Young Master!"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Links:


    http://discord.link/TheLastPrimal


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 85 - 85 - From Heaven To The Pits Of Hell

    "Finally¡­ Alone!" Lucien exclaimed, heaving a satisfied, contented sigh, as he closed the door to his new room behind him.


    If anyone asked him to summarize his experience with this new home of his, he would probably say: Luxurious. Dream-like. Unbelievable. Lavish.


    He could go on and on about it. Just from looking at this incredible mansion from afar, one would be astonished. Standing atop the so-called Shade Hills, the community that housed the very top, the veritable ''creme'' of the richest, most powerful individuals, each house, each mansion were several times of the size of his old orphanage.


    Each mansion was attended to by a sizable crew of staff, chefs, maids, butlers, gardeners, security, guards¡­ You name it, they had it.


    Still, there was one mansion above it all, only one had the privilege to be called, no.... To be titled as the ''Crown'', to earn the fabled Number 1 spot, and be the undisputed ruler of this small enclosed domain.


    Shade Hills Number 1, the only Diamond Level VIP Manor, the VIP amongst the VIPs. This unbelievable building had its own tall, white marble walls protecting it, with a humungous grated gate barring entry to anyone that tried to enter. Several rough-looking men, all donning black suits, sunglasses looking more like secret agents than that of regular security that the other residents hired. Each of them had this strange, cold, fearless aura, a presence that said: ''Don''t mess with me!''.


    Even for the untrained eye, it was clear that they were anything but normal. They were fearless warriors, a private army devoted in service to the Lady, and now the Young Master.


    What was even more telling was that neither of them carried any visible weapon on them. Not even firearms, yet one wouldn''t have that feeling of calm if they were to be standing in front of them.


    Going on, once you managed to bypass the stationed guards and get past the security, you would be greeted by a front garden that most would probably never get the chance to see. Bright green, carefully attended lawn, neatly trimmed bushes lining up alongside the road as it lead them through a small roundabout that had a small fountain spewing crystal clear water in the air, before arriving in front of a set of white marble stairs.


    The ''Blanco Carrara'' as Sera referred to it with a smile after noticing his stumped gaze, were imported from Italy as it turned. Though he wasn''t told, even after he asked, Lucien was certain that the small 6-step wide staircase had probably cost more than anything he could imagine.


    Continuing in the same motif, the front porch made a small roofed veranda as you suddenly found yourself in front of the ebony, matte black mahogany wood front door.


    As one would probably expect after going through such a strong frontal display, the inside of such a mansion wouldn''t be anything less than unbelievable going forward.


    The marble floorset continued on, with huge spaces, countless rooms each with its own functions. Guestrooms enough for probably the entire orphanage to sleep separately filled the ground floor''s several hallways.


    Kitchens, Dining Rooms¡­ yes, in the plural with a full-sized staff in each of them, looking more like a specialized restaurant than anything less awaited the guests and the duo to visit them any time of the day or night.


    A humungous gym, training rooms to test any sort of enhancement, or elemental power. A huge library, full of books, several gardens to rest, to meditate¡­ The options were countless.


    The mansion even had its own cinema!


    Eventually, after more than an hour of introductions, Lucien was finally shown mercy and was led to a white oakwood door at the end of the second floor''s main hallway. The hallway, unlike the rest, didn''t have many other rooms, a simple living room with a glass door leading to a balcony, and another similar, simple-looking bright white painted door was all that this hallway had besides the usual lavish decorations.


    A velvety, burgundy carpet was rolled over the yellow marble imported floor. A black pentagram was painted on it, with something resembling a crystal at its center. This was the room, prepared for the arrival of Lucien, the fated Young Master, the true lord, and undisputed Master.


    ¡ª


    "This place¡­ is something else!" Lucien exclaimed as he plopped down on his King Sized bed, instantly overwhelmed by the luxury he was thrown into. Even the bed itself, was soft, incredibly comfortable, and cozy¡­ Something that Lucien wasn''t familiar with at all. The hard, simple beds of the orphanage or the Facilities tables were like another world entirely.


    He found himself smiling from ear to ear as he stretched out his hands, trying to cover the width of his new sleeping enclave, and finding the task impossible for him to achieve. He sighed, finally flashing a happy, delighted-looking smile over his face as he felt that maybe, just maybe things have started to turn for the better¡­


    ¡­


    His eyelids slowly, gradually feeling heavier, Lucien yawned as the exhaustion of the last slightly more than two weeks have finally started to catch up with him.


    Before sleep would have completely overtaken his mind and would have carried him towards the land of dreams, Lucien focused his mind one last time, forcing the system''s screen to appear in front of him.


    Even before the bloody letters would have taken their places and revealed the evolutionary options for him to pick out, he have given the mental command.


    ''System, I want the Base Meridian Vessel and the subsequent Enhanced Acupoints mutation to be completed BEFORE you begin assimilating the stored points and start the breakthrough. Is that possible?''


    Instantly, the letters began to swirl and form a whirlwind in front of the boy''s eyes, before settling into their appointed places and forming a message, a response from the mysterious entity.


    [¡­::: Acknowledged, Host. According to the host''s preference, the below mutations will be initiated with increased priority after you select the ''Okay'' below this message.


    1. Base Meridian Vessel: Cost 30 EP


    Mutation includes: Full 8-point Meridian System, with a reinforced circulatory system. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility - Requirements Met!


    2. Acupoints (Enhanced): Cost 20 EP


    Mutation includes: With a new set of hundred and twenty brand new pressure points added to the system the body''s natural healing can be enhanced by multiple folds. Also improved circulation both the physical and the spiritual. Requirement: 10 Strength, 10 Agility, Base Meridian Vessel mutation. - Requirements Met! :::¡­]


    [¡­::: Note: The selected upgrades will alter the host''s physique, some discomfort is to be expected. The host is advised to be prepared before selecting ''Ok''.


    Estimated Time Until Completion: 12 Hours :::¡­]


    Lucien took his time reading through the messages and the warnings before he focused his gaze on the flashing ''Ok'' text below it. Ignoring the ''Cancel'' that floated calmly next to it, he confirmed his selection and closed his eyes, ready to give himself into the encroaching sleepiness¡­


    However, just before he could reach that desired state of calm, his nervous system flared up. An overwhelming sense of pain, something akin to being thrown into the pits of hell burned his entire self¡­


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Links:


    http://discord.link/TheLastPrimal


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 86 - 86 - Change

    The pain was overwhelming, Lucien felt as if he was thrown into the midst of a burning, raging inferno. The sensation was so animated that Lucien could clearly feel no, sense his skin being slowly melted away, leaving him like a peeled orange.


    He couldn''t actually see, just as he closed his eyelids, and as the torturous experience flared up, he suddenly lost all of his visual, auditory, and vocational abilities. Heck, he couldn''t even sit up, he was like a log that caught a flying spark, feeding it and turning it into this hell he felt being inside at the moment.


    Still, something forced his consciousness to stay awake. Like back in the facility, he once again wasn''t the one in control, but a mere passenger of his own body. He was thrown into the deepest, darkest pits of his own inner soul space.


    However, unlike last time, now, he couldn''t even spectate the events as they transpired. He only knew¡­ no, he could only HOPE, that his body wasn''t in any sort of danger, and all that was happening was merely the direct result of his body undergoing the selected mutations.


    Though he wasn''t aware, he would be shocked if he could see himself from the outside¡­


    ¡­


    Just as he felt it, in reality, his skin has indeed been burned off from Lucien''s fragile-looking lithe body. The thin, elastic, natural protective layer melted under the intense heat his body was radiating. The strange viscous liquid, however, for some inexplicable reason didn''t leave him, but instead together with the dark, oily dark liquid that his now visible organs, veins, and bones have released, it gradually formed a dark, egg-like shell around the boy.


    The layer was thin, looking more like a weird plastic, futuristic-looking, oval body bag, than anything else. To keep it in place, black tendrils shot out from the surface, attaching to the solid walls, ceiling, and even to the floor below. Tendril after tendril shot out from the surface of the oval cocoon, rapidly creating something akin to a hive from the sci-fi horror classics.


    The furniture has long since vanished, turned into particles, and sucked away by one of the countless tendrils latched onto the floor. The egg now fixed stably in the air, was pulsating, its core glowing with a bright neon blue light.


    Though Lucien was unaware of it and felt as if he was once again a prisoner in his own body, in reality, there was no body to speak of, he was reduced to a sort of formless, amorphous blob deep inside its hive-like cocoon, fixed up in the center of the room.


    Time slowly passed, seconds turning to minutes, minutes to hours with the only activity being the gradual, rhythmic pulses releasing from the brightly glowing neon-blue core of the cocoon.


    Eventually, after what felt like an eternity to the boy trapped inside his own goo, oblivious to anything that transpired around him, the blob was slowly, gradually transforming.


    From the previous formless appearance, a shape, vaguely resembling that of the silhouette of a human was created. A blueish, glowing venous system could be seen, forming a halo of the Meridian Vessel the boy have selected.


    The reinforced circulatory system had 8 brightly glowing centers like separate cores glimmered with a profound light.


    Still, that was not enough. Over some more time, slowly, one by one, smaller seed-sized little dots, burning with a bright white light. In the span of several hours, the full package of one hundred and twenty pressure points appeared all over the new vessel''s circulatory system, evolving, mutating the host''s new body according to the selected mutations.


    As the system was now put in place, the viscous fluid inside the cocoon began to heat up, soon turned into a violent bubbling jacuzzi under the intense heat it so swiftly reached.


    The room, which was now dark as a damp, undiscovered cave deeply tucked away from the world''s light, have lit up suddenly once more. The core placed at the hive''s center flared up, radiating the weird, neon-blue luster that it had before. The hollow silhouette of a humanoid body could be seen shining through the thin membrane in a curled-up position at its depth.


    The pulsing, active energy slowly increased its hue and warmth, gradually losing its color gradient, and over the span of a few minutes filled the room with its overwhelmingly brilliant, blinding light. Even the ebony black tendrils could not be seen, gobbled up by the greedy, hungry burning luster.


    Still, despite its all-powerfulness, or maybe due to the carefully placed tendrils, none of the blinding creamy, white illumination managed to escape the constraints of Lucien''s room, nobody was aware of the vast changes the young resident was going over.


    Well, almost nobody. One faithful blond maiden was sitting in the same seiza position his old master had taught her once, were looking towards the closed-up enclave just opposite of her room with a mysterious, profound light flickering in her eyes. As if her glimmering irises could not be thwarted by the mere physical obstructions that were the walls and doors, her eyes were strangely fixated towards a particular point in space.


    Suddenly as if connected by the resident in the other room, she felt the weak, but clearly present thump of his heart. A thin smile began to curve at the edges of her thin lips, she revealed an enchanted, joyous expression.


    As if knowing that everything would be alright from now and that the crucial, critical part have passed, she returned her attention to her own body and resumed cultivating in silent focus.


    Her body, once again, began to sing with a faint platinum shine, as she shifted her attention in practicing the technique her master had taught her. Her mind now settled, she could once again focus on herself.


    She knew, that in order to be useful to the Young Master now, and in the future, she needed to be powerful. Stronger than their opponents, she needed to be the stable pillar he was to her in the past.


    Now, this was her chance to return all the care, all the attention she got from him all that while ago. Building from all the past experiences from the other world, the timeline they came from, Sera was determined to not let the past tragedies repeat themselves. This time will be different, this time¡­ They will not fail.


    ¡­


    Back in Lucien''s room, the blinding radiance slowly began to recede. As it began to fade, the tendrils slowly began to follow along, and detached themselves from the walls, returning into the vastness of the cocoon, and vanishing from sight one after another.


    As the time hit the twelfth-hour mark, just as the system estimated, the egg''s surface which was no longer fixated in the air and was laying on the velvety carpet laid out on the floor began to wobble. Ripples spreading along its surface, its shape changed, reforming the outline of the boy''s body that was lying underneath.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Links:


    http://discord.link/TheLastPrimal


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 87 - 87 - A New Body

    The outline of a young man slowly formed from the rough edges of the viscous dark primordial fluid. At first, it was nothing more than a tangible formation of what usually would be seen as a shadow creeping up at the side of the wall.


    Yet, this one was different. It wasn''t just meager lines forming a contour, the outline of a person, but instead, it was a young man, a boy that had just gone through something that should have been impossible.


    Slowly, as the substance began to solidify, a halo, something similar to the venous system lit up inside. It was the spiritual halo, the new vessel, full with the hundred and twenty pressure points, together with the eight meridians that served as the core of the energy to flow through freely inside his newly created body.


    Golden, faint dots of lights could be seen traversing the thin canals, as they carried pockets of energy to all recesses of the emerging boy''s new physique.


    Honestly, Lucien was thinking as if he was just born anew. His body, his muscles felt fresh. His skin was fair, tender, soft to the touch, just like a newborn''s. Still, he had a wild and lush, medium-length matte black straight flock of hair, cascading down and reaching all the way to his neckline.


    His eyes, just like he had chosen previously, were brown like the trunk of a mature shagbark hickory, instead of being the strange and eerie two black holes with the scarlet outline on the left, further adding to the eerie experience. Even without mentioning the dark as the night sea that replaced the normally white sclera in his right eye¡­


    Truth be told, the honest reality of his eyes would serve as the perfect nightmarish fuel for any sane being. The ability to transform them into relative normalcy was an incredible blessing that Lucien deeply appreciated.


    His physique retained the same shape and form as before the transformation, but shredding the last remaining ounces of fat, transforming it into further strands of muscle instead.


    His lean-toned, perfectly shaped mesomorph body would have been a sight for the sore, maiden eyes. From the scrawny, malnourished little boy, then lab-experiment, he looked like a literal model, the top of the cr¨¦me at that.


    Taking his time to look over his currently barren, naked body, it took Lucien a while to come back to his senses and nervously reach down to cover his delicate part and shift his gaze nervously towards the windowsill before slowly resting it at the closed door frame.


    A moment later, as he made sure that nobody was present, and that there were no nosy, curious eyes, or the lenses of a camera spying on him, did he calm down and looked around the wreckage that was supposed to be his room to look for some clothes to wear.


    Sometime later, finding a set of satin night suits, he walked back to the dark corner of the room. Taking a spot next to the remains of what was supposed to be his bed just a while ago, he silently sighed, closing his eyes, he resumed his nightly session.


    Despite the grand changes, there was still a lot to do during the night. He was still yet to finish all he was set out to do, and as the sun was already peeking up from below the horizon, Lucien had only a couple of hours left to assimilate the stored up energy and convert it to proper strands of essence to further enhance the parameters of his body.


    He was already aware that due to the arduously long incubation time of evolving, he had no time left to do the very last step in the process and complete the last and most costly part of enhancing himself.


    The Spiritual Root mutation would have allowed him to most likely finally overcome his current block, and break through the limits of his current self and reach a state that would finally allow him to step into a new and mysterious realm.


    He had no idea how much time this mutation would require. According to the system, the first step, that he had just completed in the span of half a day, he rebuilt his feeble mortal shell, his body into something much better, and now, with this pending upgrade, he would focus on his very soul and infuse it with this unknown source of substance, Qi.


    Qi, or as the System referred to it, ''Spiritual Energy'' was still something Lucien had a hard time having a grasp on. From what he understood from back in the depths of the inner section of the forest back in Eden, and from the bits and pieces he pieced together from the System and Pravitas, his other ''self'', Qi was the Vital Energy, the very ''Essence of Life'' basically that naturally existed in everything.


    It was life itself, no living being could exist without it coursing in their veins. Although it had many names, be it Mana by the western world, Qi in the east, or just simply Energy by those few ''Evolved'' existences spread around, it was the same source for everyone.


    Still, although everyone had it, it was merely a sliver, a minuscule amount. A single drop would be enough to sustain the average human and let him live his feeble, mortal life to the fullest.


    They were bound to the laws of the mortal world, not allowing them to escape the constraints placed upon them by the higher realms. Unless you were amongst the select few, had the innate ability to sense it, or perhaps were amongst the unique few that the whims of fate decided to place above the rest and be one of the ''Evolved'', one of the rare few mutants, you had no chance to escape these shackles.


    Or at least that was the general consensus, the widespread belief. The tireless works of the Facility, the inhumane experiments, and the lifelong goal of Dr. Frida were actually the first steps to find a resolution to this issue.


    Though so far there have been only minor achievements, like the monstrous elite guards, the only ray of hope for a breakthrough only came when Dr. Frida finally discovered the peculiarity, the enigmatic existence, Lucien.


    Her experiments, her research may have been horrific, and caused nothing but torture, scarring the boy for life, she was working to advance humanity as a whole. She may be twisted and be a literal demoness in the eyes of the poor youngster¡­ But to the pages of history, she may very well walk down as the heroine, the savior of mankind as a whole¡­


    Lucien frowned and shivered as the crazed, cruel, vicious look of her tormentor reemerged in his mind. His eyelids trembled as he did his best to keep them closed and clear his mind of the nightmares¡­


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 88 - 88 - Getting Ready

    By the time the first rays of the sun had the chance to peak in through the window, Lucien was already up and ready to leave the remains of the nightly carnage that he left in place of his room.


    Still, although he felt sorry for the cleaning staff, and could already imagine some of the colorful terms they would refer to him once they see this pile of rubble, Lucien was still happy to be perfectly honest. Tonight has netted him some serious gains. Apart from literally being reborn into the body of something above the regular Homo Sapiens, the average mortal man, his stats have increased by leaps and bounds.


    He could barely contain the grin on his face as he looked at his updated status screen.


    [¡­::: Character Status ::: System Version: 01 - 7.5125% :::¡­]


    [¡­:::


    Name: Lucien Shaw


    Synchronization: 42.00% - Mutualism


    Power Stage: Dredger ::: Rank: 1 ::: 99.99%


    ??????????:? ???????????


    EP: 109 (179 - 30 - 20 - 20 again for the forceful absorption)


    ****


    Health: 47/47 (Current Regen Rate: +0.01 / 10 seconds) (35 + 12 from stat gains)


    Energy: 35 / 35 (Current Regen Rate: +0.01 / 10 seconds) (25 + 10 from stat gain)


    ****


    :?§Ô? ????§Ô?????? ???? ?? ???? ??. ????? ?§Ô???? ???


    Strength: 18.48 (+1.48 from store, +5 bonus from mutation bonus)


    Agility: 15.72 (+1.72 from store, +5 bonus from mutation bonus)


    Stamina: 17.00 (+1.0 from store, +5 bonus from mutation bonus)


    Mind: 5.00


    ???§Ô??: ????


    System Storage Capacity: 92/100


    Active Mutations:


    Variegation of the Optic Tissue Layer (Iris) (40 EP) - Light Brown Eyes,


    Base Meridian Vessel (30 EP), Acupoints (Enhanced) (20 eP)


    ****


    Skills:


    True Form: Pravitas (Unique - Rank: -), Viral Regeneration (Trait - Rank 1), Far Sight (Trait - Rank 1), Sense Prey(Passive - Rank: 1), Bestial Rush (Active - Rank 1), Twilight Flames (Active - Rank 1), Lesser Camouflage (Active - Rank 1), Weapon Mastery (Passive - Rank 1), Spiritual Slash (Active - Rank 1), Heightened Reflexes (Passive - Rank 1)


    :::¡­]


    The attributes have gained a tremendous boost after last night''s session. Yes, he may have wrecked the place as a consequence, but looking at his attributes, Lucien could barely contain his happiness.


    Even without anything to compare to other than his old self, he felt like his self now compared to the measly, scrawny pathetic little boy was like heaven and earth. He was several folds above himself from just a month ago, much less than that poor sod, that bullied little bloke from the orphanage.


    With the new evolution, the system finally uncovered one of the so-far hidden parameters, giving him access to a new attribute: the Mind stat. From a first glance at the very least, it was tied to his energy level, as well as to the mysterious new source that he had begun to cultivate.


    With the new body, Lucien also equipped a new mindset. He slowly began to accept his situation, his new reality. He understood the base fact: he was no longer human, but something else. Something more.


    A monster maybe? An abomination, a demented mixture of something extraterrestrial?


    Lucien wasn''t sure, and to be honest, he wasn''t really bothered by it anymore. The other side, the other ''half'' of him, this being called Pravitas¡­ and the eerie, cryptic conscious, incorporeal entity¡­ this ''Prime Evolver System'' as it called itself¡­ They were all part of him now. They were one, they slowly began to merge and form this cohesive unity that was Lucien Shaw.


    In fact, as he meditated on it during the last hours of the night, Lucien realized that both Pravitas, and the system were always a part of him. From the very first moments he could recall, he always had this weird, inexplicable feeling that he was never alone.


    He was hated, bullied, tormented throughout his early life, because of this so-called trial that he didn''t know about until recently. The weird, transparent floating bloodied runes were not just his imagination, he wasn''t crazy unlike what the nurses told him, - no, he was merely special, unique.


    With his rebirth, Lucien finally accepted and closed down a major chapter of his life. He was now a new man, someone that was no longer alone, someone that was now cared for. He had a family, he felt a warmth, a sensation, and with it, a storm of emotions that was unknown to him previously.


    The old pair of husband and wife of the Lewis family were the one''s that first opened the closed gates, and it was Sera, this blonde angel, his servant, and from today, his new step-mother that guided him through, allowing him to embark on this new journey, this new world.


    Lucien sighed, as he calmly took his time to thought things through. Feeling the brightness of the waking sun, he turned his gaze towards the windows.


    ''A new day, a new Lucien¡­ Heh.'' He smiled, taking a bit more time to gather himself ready to leave the room.


    ¡ª


    "Good Morning, Lucien. Did you had a good sleep last night?" Just as he finally left the wreckage of his room, Sera also conveniently opened the door of her room opposite of his and emerged in nothing but a laced deep violet satin nightgown with a simple bright blue wool bathrobe garbed over it. Her bright golden hair was loosely thrown to the back of her head and pulled together with a rubber strap.


    Despite that wild, unfettered look, she looked just as much of a country-topping beauty as ever. She smiled warmly at the boy as she walked out, seemingly not bothered by the distinct visual change in regards to his looks.


    Though Lucien was perplexed by this peculiarity, he didn''t show it on his face, nor did he mention it in any way or form. He nodded at his new stepmother''s greeting, returning it with a smile of his own.


    "Good Morning, Sera. Yes¡­ I had a good night. Although¡­" He turned to give a fleeting glance at the closed door and sighed. "¡­I may have left behind a bit of a mess. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience that this may cause."


    Sera was startled, she couldn''t respond at first to the boy. Not because of what he mentioned, but to the way he did.


    He smiled. Lucien, the boy with the cold, emotionless and insipid face flashed a gentle smile. He really did.


    It took Sera a few seconds to get back from this state and reach out to the worried-looking youth to caress the top of his head.


    "Don''t worry about it, Lucien." She said. "I was expecting something like that after all the stuff you did yesterday in the company meeting."


    She chuckled, not bothered at all, that his Master and step-son have absorbed an entire human being. She acted as if it was a bunch of chocolate, a few extra sweets rather than someone she actually knew. To her, nothing was more important than her Master. She would do anything for him.


    "Still¡­ I really did leave a me-"


    "Lucien, dear¡­" Before he could finish, Sera shushed the agitated-looking boy. "I said it''s fine. You did what you had to, and have grown stronger as a result. This is the only thing that matters, don''t worry about a few pieces of furniture!"


    She explained, waving nonchalantly as they slowly began to walk towards the far end of the hallway.


    "Come, let''s have breakfast. We have a lot to do today as well! We need to get you ready for Monday!"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 89 - 89 - Revelations

    "Huh¡­ So this is the school where Jack goes to?" Lucien looked at a slightly aged-looking, series of buildings. Due to being the weekend, and that there was no official activity going on, the large, double grated gates were closed off, leaving no way for vehicular traffic to pass through.


    It wasn''t that much a deal for Lucien or Sera. The door at the side was already left open, and the principal himself should be already informed of their coming. Last night Sera made sure that her people have contacted the school officials and made them aware of their coming this morning.


    The principal, a rotund, short bald, stubbly man going with the name Charles Dirksen should already be waiting in his office with eager anticipation. At least, if he weren''t a complete idiot, he should be excited by the prospect of getting in contact with the famous ''Angel Queen'' of one of the strongest, most powerful companies of the state, the De''Angelis Corporation.


    He should be excited by the prospect of being able to give a favor to one of the most powerful figures, these insurmountable giants of this modern, capitalistic era. Being owed by someone like Sera De''Angelis was not just one, but several lifetimes of luck gathered together into one mythical-ranked opportunity.


    Their convoy pulled to the side, filling up and occupying a nearby parking lot by themselves. The pair waited at the back seat as the driver parked their vehicle and the rest of the assigned guards took their positions. Once the car''s engine was turned off, the man and his partner on the front seat, hurriedly rushed to open the back door for the Mistress and the Young Master.


    As always, their efforts were rewarded with a warm, gentle smile from their beloved golden angel, while Lucien remained aloof in his behavior. Instead, he cared more about the state of the High School he was about to gain acceptance to.


    "So, what do you think Lucien? Are you worried perhaps?" Noticing his glances, Sera lightly chuckled, taking the young master''s side and offering her arm for the boy to take.


    "No. This is fine. I''ve been in much worse." Lucien responded with a frown, shaking his head.


    True enough, the dilapidating look, this worn down, battered structures reminded him of his nightmarish childhood, his tortuous years back in the orphanage.


    "By the way¡­" Reminded by his first ''home'', Lucien couldn''t help but ask. "You never mentioned what happened to the orphanage after I was taken away? What came to it after that day?"


    "Hmm¡­ Before I answer, tell me Lucien: What is your last memory of that place?" Sera asked with a thoughtful look in her eyes.


    Lucien on the other hand didn''t need to ponder on his reply at all. His last moments were deeply etched into his mind.


    "It was on my thirteenth birthday actually. My last morning was when I had a clash with the bullies back in the canteen. They wanted to bully me, just as usual, however¡­ something snapped in my mind¡­ I blacked out, and when I came to my senses I was already a ''guest'' in the Facility, assigned as the newest research project to that demonic woman."


    "I see¡­" Sera hummed thoughtfully. A cold glint flashed across her usually calm and cheery gaze as Lucien explained. Yet she kept it calm and pushed her emotions back down. Heaving a heavy sigh, the smile returned to her face as she looked at the boy who meanwhile accepted the offered arm, and calmly grabbed her hand in the process.


    "I could go into detail and explain it in detail, but the gist of the matter is that after you were taken away, some of the scandal and the horrors happening at that place came to light, and eventually the Orphanage was closed down."


    Lucien was surprised to hear that. He stopped, turned to look at the calm and smiling Sera.


    "Was that your doing, perhaps?" He asked, albeit fully aware of the answer.


    Sera, however, merely smiled at him, not explaining further, making Lucien not sure what to feel at all. Was he sorry to hear that the horrible hell he was forced to live in was shut down? No, not at all. Yet, it was still a part of him, he had a history with it.


    He couldn''t understand, why was he feeling a bit of unease in his heart as he learned of this place. Did he want to pay back all the suffering himself? Maybe, Lucien wasn''t sure what he was feeling, it was a completely new sensation.


    "Nevermind¡­" He sighed in the end, forcefully pushing it down. "What happened to the kids? Were they reassigned to other orphanages? Or were they forced out on the streets?"


    He asked, though there was no compassion, sadness, or sorrow in his tone. He didn''t care what happened to them. After all, nobody was close to him, he had no friends at all, only people that tormented him.


    Sera nodded at his questions.


    "Yes, most were transferred over to the other orphanages. Some remained in the city, while others had to unfortunately I might add, travel to other states, major cities in the country." She explained.


    Suddenly a mischievous smirk appeared on her face as she continued with a slightly shifted playful tone.


    "Also¡­" She paused, flashing a mysterious smile before continuing. "¡­We have also taken in a select few. They have, after all, showcased some rare talents. After some training, some polish and they have made into quite the remarkable disciples of the clan."


    She looked at the expression of Lucien once again, trying to make out any reaction. Unfortunately, she was fated to be disappointed as Lucien didn''t show any reaction at all. Deciding to push it a bit further, Sera continued.


    "You know¡­ After your fight with your bullies of that time, your actions have caused more than what you might think¡­"


    Upon mentioning the event, finally, some cracks began to appear in Lucien''s impenetrable expression. Lucien suddenly stopped in his tracks, Sera could feel his grip tightening, making her feel a bit guilty because of her teasing.


    Donning a wry, bittersweet smile, she explained, revealing the matter in its entirety finally.


    "The wild, chaotic power you unleashed affected the three in different ways, changing and transforming them into something new entirely. The Agents from the ''Facility'', as you called them, wanted to take away all three together with you. It took me a lot to win them in the end¡­"


    Lucien''s body trembled at this reveal. His eyes went wide, his gaze turned cold, sinister as he slowly turned his attention on her new stepmother.


    The air around him shivered, as a cold, killing intent surged from his body.


    "What did you say? Where are they? Bring them to me!"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 90 - 90 - Honor

    "What did you say? Where are they? Bring them to me!"


    His words rang in the parking lot like a roaring thunderstorm. A heavy silence descended on the area, whilst the guards shivered, trying to keep themselves steady to withstand the suddenly unleashed heavy and cold aura from the Young Master.  Golden sparks of energy flickered and sparkled around the duo, as a deep-seethed rage began to slowly consume Lucien.


    "Lucien¡­" Sera sighed, feeling regretful of how her actions have thrown her beloved Young Master to such a state. She heaved a heavy sigh, gathering her thoughts before speaking up and trying her best to calm the chaotic storm inside Lucien''s heart.


    "Lucien, I can understand how you feel. Believe me, I do. Still, try to-"


    She couldn''t finish her words, as the boy instantly erupted with rage and anger.


    "You? You can¡­ UNDERSTAND?!" She roared, giving even more weight to the keyword of her sentence. "How could you¡­ ''UNDERSTAND''? Huh? My whole life¡­ My whole childhood¡­ They were¡­ They were¡­"


    "Lucien¡­" Sera sighed, worried for the first time, uncertain of how to proceed. After a moment, she decided on the only course of action she could think of. "Believe it or not, I was the same as you, once upon a time¡­ I was alone, lonely."


    Her words, startled the raging boy, the flickering lightning of rage instantly cleared in his gaze. The cold, heavy aura disappeared, vanished as if it was never present, to begin with.


    "What do you mean?" He asked after a bit of calming down. "Weren''t you sent to this place¡­ by your old me- *khm* master?" He asked, still finding the whole concept too bizarre, too complex to understand. Even though she took her time to explain the best way she could, the whole stuff about this ''future self'', and another reality was too hard to grasp.


    Even the fact that there were hidden pockets, sub spaces with a vastly different, mystical world in them was already more than what Lucien''s current mind could process. He accepted the events in Eden, though he still wasn''t sure what was real and what could have been just a product of his tired mind, his imagination.


    "Well¡­" Sera sighed again, tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes as she recalled the painful memories of a distant past. "Before meeting with fa-, *khm* with the Old Master, I was just like you. A young girl alone in the world, thrown away and forgotten just because she was different¡­" She sighed and shook her head, clearing away all the sadness and forcing a smile back on her face.


    "Anyway, it would be too long of a story to go over now. We have a principal to meet, and a High School to register into! After that, you have a lot to prepare for, young man! We need to get you caught up during this weekend as best as we can!"


    "Yes, but¡­" long lost his anger and rage, Lucien looked at Sera with a troubled look. "I want to learn more about you¡­" He muttered in a hushed, powerless tone.


    "No buts!" However, Sera was unyielding. "It was your wish in the first place. Don''t go taking it back before you even started it! Also, what would your new friend, Jack say? Didn''t you promise to meet him in school Monday?!"


    Lucien couldn''t respond to her argument, but only give in, and nod with a grieving look on his face.


    Seeing that, Sera smiled.


    "I promise I will tell you about my past when the time is right. It is something I will need to explain eventually. It is a matter concerning you after all." She smiled, flashing a thin smile.


    With the matter finally settled, they turned to the street, and left the parking lot, and walked towards the side entrance of the school.


    The principal should already be in his office and waiting for them¡­


    ¡ª


    "Greetings to the Madam and Young Master De''Angelis! It is the absolute honor of our North Creek High School to be able to welcome your fine, distinguished selves!"


    With a deep, theatrical bow, and an incredibly wide, political smile plastered on his scrubby face, the bald, chubby man, Principal Charles Dirksen figure greeted them as soon as they passed the guard post by the gate.


    The rotund-looking short man was standing outside the school premises, just atop the stairway, looking like a large ball of fat as he kept his fawning, subservient posture.


    Looking at the obese-looking man, trying to show a hard stand, and hide away the heavy breathing and the pain of keeping up with such an uncomfortable pose, Lucien had a hard time to push down his urge to laugh out loud.


    Instead, he showed his usual aloof outlook, walking at the side of her guardian, Sera.


    "Good Morning, Mr. Dirksen. Thank you for your time. I know that my staff has contacted you rather out of the blue, calling you so late¡­ yet you accepted our request and allowed us to meet with you. I¡­ no, WE are truly happy and appreciate this gesture of yours."


    Sera smiled, causing the middle-aged man to almost fall down face first on the stairs. Mr. Dirksen coughed to hide her embarrassment and turned to look at the young man at Miss De''Angelis'' side.


    "It was nothing, Madam De''Angelis! It is my honor of several lifetimes to be able to meet with you!"


    He coughed, changing the topic.


    "This must be, the Young Master that would be joining and starting the school year from Monday, right?"


    "That''s right. Young Master Lucien has just returned from his journey abroad, and would like to finish his final year in this school." Sera nodded, giving a brief explanation of the reason for their meeting.


    "I see." Principal Dirksen nodded thoughtfully at Sera''s words. A slight frown flashed across his face for a brief moment, which he tried to hide almost instantly. Unfortunately, his effort was futile, as there was no way, to beings such as Lucien and Sera would not pick up on it. Still, they did not mention anything about it and just looked at the middle-aged, plump man, waiting for his next words.


    "Please, come inside and follow me to my office. Let''s discuss the matter in detail." Principal Dirksen said, quickly opening the door to the two and motioning them to step inside.


    As the two stepped through the door, a complicated look flashed across the chubby man''s face once again, before his previous, bright, polite smile returned, hiding away the bit of worry he tried so hard to not show.


    In truth, he was just as frightened and worried as he was excited about the prospect of having such an important figure joining their school such as the Young Master, the heir of the Giant De''Angelis Family. Still, he was worried about what would be the result of another tiger appearing on the same ''hill''¡­


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 91 - 91 - Pride

    "So, what do you think about it, Lucien? Are you worried? Or perhaps excited?" Sera asked once their convoy have left the school premises. With the matter of registration and official papers settled already by her people, there wasn''t too much to discuss with the plump, chubby short principal.


    Both of them noticed his squirming, nervous, borderline frightening strange behavior, but neither of them was bothered enough to ask about it. For Lucien, he didn''t care at all, whilst Sera was already aware of the matter. Though the school seemed quite worn down, the truth was that it was still quite prestigious, carrying its own weight admirably despite its lack of proper founding.


    Many brilliant minds have emerged from within its walls over the decades, elevating not just the city''s standing but the entire nation''s over the years. That was not something that could be easily torn down. That prestige could withstand even the destructive notion of the time, at least for a while.


    The school held many promising minds in its berks even today. Some were talented by their own stand, while others were supported by their families.


    From the latter, there were some illustrious, bigger, influential families present in the school, yet there was one name that stood atop this imaginary pyramid.


    Luke Pregan, the youngest of the incredibly powerful and influential giant, the Pregan family, one of the top 5 powers present not just in this metropolis, but the entire state. In fact, the Pregans weren''t too far behind in terms of the strength of Sera and her De''Angelis clan both in terms of the front and behind the scenes.


    On the surface, the Pregans were a powerful family, mostly prominent in the financial, bank sector, whilst behind the curtains, they were a well-known dynasty of Dark Sorcerers, Warlocks. Being one of the most powerful dark magicians of the recent centuries, both in the new world and in the old continent, they were influential even before the historical migrations.


    They were one of the forces that first made their base way back when the first settlers came to the then primitive, native-dominated lands. Though as usual, there were some rumors about how they dwelled in unholy and even demonic rituals, it was never confirmed.


    Still, one thing was certain: They were powerful, and the youngest son of the current Master, Lord Alexander Pregan, his son Luke were confirmed to be studying in this very same high school. In fact, he had the nickname of the ''Young Prince'', and with his illustrious record of being the top both in studies, in sports. He also often played the top, main roles in the school play while also being the genius and unbeaten captain of the school''s Karate Club.


    With such a colorful resume, his titles weren''t that much of an exaggeration truth be told. With platinum blond, straight slicked-back hair, light blue eyes, and a tall, toned, leaned build, he truly was the prince of dreams for many of the young maidens.


    Sera was aware of what the poor principal was worried about. A man like Luke was a true tiger, a real ''alpha'', the king of this castle that was this High School. The sudden emergence of yet another alpha barging in would undoubtedly cause some friction between the two.


    Still, Sera wasn''t too worried about it. Lucien wasn''t like how he was before. He was no longer weak, he wasn''t timid. The curse, the old master''s power have already influenced him. He shed his weak, feeble self, and while he wouldn''t seek trouble on his own, he wouldn''t back down from a challenge either.


    "Hmm¡­ I guess it would be interesting." Lucien replied with his usual aloof, nonchalant outlook.


    He didn''t look bothered or worried at all, despite the fact that he was living as an experimental subject for the last five years, separated from the world. His return to the community in two days could sound like a terrifying aspect for many that would be in his shoes, yet his heart was calm, his mind didn''t see the dark shadows of despair or worry.


    Unlike before, he wasn''t alone anymore. If nothing else, he had Pravitas, his other, stronger self if stuff came to the worst. Also, Sera, his guardian would always be close by.


    He looked at the dark screen of the new smartphone that he just received, before his gaze slowly drifted to his side, meeting up with the smiling, loving look of Sera.


    "You like it? I wanted to gift you a specially crafted one, though unfortunately, that is still not ready. Still, I didn''t want to leave you without a way to contact me. Besides, a teenager without a phone nowadays would look like some sort of weirdo." She chuckled at her own remark.


    Lucien looked at the phone once again, not sure of what he should say or how he should react. In truth, he was a bit embarrassed as he had no idea how this strange device he had never seen, work. It vaguely resembled the tabloid screen Dr. Frida worked with back in the lab, but this one was much smaller.


    Also, there were no buttons on it at all. The front was a large screen, without anything to press or work with. How was he supposed to work with this futuristic device? How should he use it to contact Sera when he needed to?


    Yet, he wasn''t sure how he should ask these questions. He felt it was shameful to reveal such a weakness. He felt like those illiterate barbaric tribes from the books he read way back in the orphanage library.


    He remembered the scenes where those primitive natives were ridiculed and laughed, before ultimately killed or even worse, driven to slavery by the technologically more advanced invaders.


    Although he knew that was only fantasy while this was reality, he was still hesitant to reveal such an embarrassing fact about himself, even if it was to her Sera.


    Sera was, obviously, aware of what the boy was lamenting about. She was aware but was also aware of the stubborn sense of pride his Old Master had, and as such, didn''t want to intrude upon him. She already made a mistake earlier with her playful teasing going overboard.


    As such, she simply smiled and acted as if she didn''t know what the issue was, but instead turned her attention to the front.


    "Change course, we will go back home. The company can wait, we have more important business first."  She gave the order. She wanted to spend her weekend with the Young Master instead of being forced to pointless meetings yet again.


    Matters of the company and the sect can wait, the Young Master''s matters were of the utmost importance.


    "So¡­" Returning her attention, Sera looked at the boy sitting at her left once again. Before she could continue though, Lucien seemingly made up his mind and looked up from the dark screen of his new phone.


    "When we get back¡­ Could you teach me?"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 92 - 92 - The Worrisome Parent

    In the blink of an eye, the weekend passed, giving way to yet another Monday, trudging deeper and deeper into the grayness of this ugly season.


    It was the 21st of September, they were already in the third week passed by the bright and colorful summer, yet it was only now that the change could truly be felt.


    Today, the land had finally left behind the happiness of the last month of the summer, and as if stepping through a dimensional gate, everything suddenly changed. The air turned colder, a rigid wind blew and heavy rain poured down to the world.


    The thick blanket of gloomy gray was like a filter, nothing of the bright azure heaven could pierce through. In its place, only this colorless despair could be seen. The dark, rain-filled canopy of clouds cast a looming shadow over the busy metropolis below, leaving no patch of the last remnants of the summer''s glory to seep through.


    As the morning finally reached its prime and left behind its old friend, the dawn, the previously thin drops of heavenly tears roared with a loud, thundering echo. Heavy beads of cold drops started to escape from the puffy heaven above.


    In the manner of seconds, the streets below turned alive with more splashes than what the eye could appreciate. Rain began to heavily pour onto the city, giving another cruel reminder of the changing of seasons.


    In front of a particular High School, a sea of youthful figures, students emerged from all around the streets and the incoming school buses or -in some cases-, cars. Groups of friends and clicks formed in an instant, taking their very last seconds before they were forced to take their places and began yet another week driving the ''hamster wheel''.


    A few corners away, just to avoid the unnecessary commotion, a convoy of cars have made their stop instantly grabbing the attention of many of the pedestrian traffic. As they parked by the pavement, the frontal car doors were pushed open, and like faithful servants, the two brawny figures hurried to open the back doors and allow the two prominent figures to emerge.


    While one, a blonde-haired beauty of a woman was donned in an expensive-looking light blue, sapphire-colored business suit, the other one, a young man wore a vastly different, casual attire.


    His black, shoulder-length hair was neatly combed and pulled into a small ponytail at the back of his head. He wore a black, long-sleeved shirt beneath the long leather coat he wore once again. Apart from the new shirt, his dark blue jeans and black military-style boots remained the same as before. Even the dark, rimmed sunglasses he took from the very same guards that served them right now were loosely placed atop his head, looking and serving like a headband.


    Walking up to his right side, the woman, Sera turned to the boy, fixing the collar of his shirt.


    "How do you feel, Lucien? Are you ready to get back?" She asked, her usual gentle, loving smile souring slightly as her tone shifted into that of a worrisome parent. "Remember, if you ever feel troubled, or uncomfortable¡­ or just want to come back earlier¡­ Just call me! Okay?


    Lucien could only smile with a wry look, and nod at his worrywart of a guardian''s words.


    "Don''t worry, I will be fine. Also¡­"


    He pulled up the smartphone from her jeans'' back pocket, and just to prove his newfound expertise, turned on the front screen.  "¡­you have made sure I could use the phone you have given me. Relax, if there''s anything I will call. Otherwise, you probably know when to return. I will walk back to this spot, so we could avoid prying eyes. Just as we discussed like a thousand times already."


    He sighed, though he was still smiling. Care and the love of a family member like this was an unknown experience to him just a couple of days ago still. Yet, now, he could finally appreciate these strange, newfound emotions, and for the first time in his so-far miserable life, feel like a real human being.


    "Heh¡­ You are turning cheekier by the day! Just let me worry about you. You can''t even imagine how long have I been dreaming of this moment¡­" Sera said with a bright smile on her face. ''¡­Even if our roles are reversed¡­'' She added inwardly.


    "We will come back around 5 PM, just as we discussed. That would give you ample time to explore the school grounds, and find yourself some club to join, so the Principal''s worries would also be settled." Sera said. "Still, try not to stand out too much, okay? Remember that you are stronger and faster than your peers. There''s no need to show off, try to just merge with the crowd as much as you can."


    "Yes, I know. Don''t worry, Sera. I will follow your instructions, I promised already." Lucien nodded, sighing at the umpteenth repeat of this very same conversation. Still, he couldn''t force the smile to leave his expression. Everything that was happening was something he had never even dared to dream of happening.


    Even if he could only enjoy a single year of being a teenager, it was still much more than he had ever could hope for. He vowed, promised himself as well as Sera that he would enjoy his last chance at childhood to the fullest. Even if he didn''t want to show off, or stand out, Lucien couldn''t help himself but look forward to enjoying the full spectrum of what a senior year in an average-looking High School could offer.


    With a few extra rounds of good byes, he took his time and watched as Sera''s convoy finally turned around the corner and she left to finally be a responsible adult and manage the company as she should.


    As the cars left and he was now left alone, Lucien sighed once again, forcing the stupid-looking grin down and returning his aloof, insipid but calm expression back to his face and casually made his way towards the school.


    ¡­


    Excited chatter filled the fourth-floor senior grade class. An exciting new gossip dominated most of the morning discussion. It didn''t matter of which group you belonged to, the rumors about a mysterious new transfer student were the only thing people could talk about.


    Even most of the staff were kept in the dark, they were only told this very morning that there will be a new student coming straight to twelfth grade. Catching everyone off guard, the teachers tried asking the principal, asking more, yet they were met with the usual response of ''You''ll find out soon. Be patient until then.''


    Being kept in the dark, they could only frown to express their displeasure, as no matter how hard they tried, the chubby principal was like an insurmountable wall.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 93 - 93 - The Homeroom Teacher

    Whilst most of the staff, be it old or relatively new were trying to make sense of the Principal''s strange actions, there was one figure that did not share their enthusiasm.


    Jonathan was in a bad mood ever since he returned from his little adventure exploring the sewers. Even worse, he got nothing to show for his efforts. He didn''t got closer to finding traces of his missing daughter, and the nest, the only clue he found by spending all the money he had on that b*stard of an information broker ultimately ended him being forced to shake hands with the very creatures he despised the most.


    Still, he could do nothing. The Alchazard Family assured him that they know where his beloved little angel is. They also gave proof in the form of a picture that she is safe and sound, even if shaken and terrified.


    The picture that was taken through one of their assassin''s efforts showed her dear one being kept in some sort of musty cell. She was wearing the same light green one-piece dress, albeit showing signs of wear and tear over time. Her face was disgruntled, she was clearly terrified and scared.


    She was shackled, in metal chains, like some sort of dog. Whenever he recalled the horrific scene of her beloved little darling''s disheveled state, anger rose in his age-old heart.


    Jonathan clenched his fists, the loud cracks of his knuckles faded away amidst the loud and excited chatter of his peers.


    He sat in the corner of the teacher''s lounge, taking his sweet time enjoying his morning cigar. With the new contract he was forced to take on because of those forsaken monsters, the Alchazard Family, he ended up extending his visit to the states and take on this assignment as a cover.


    He had to admit that those bloodsuckers were quite thorough when it came to these matters. They have already prepared the full package for him. The white-haired figure he talked to, the current heir to taking over after the current Patriarch retires in a couple of dozen years, has prepared him with a completely new identity. His new, fake identity had everything settled, with a history that could be traced back by the officials if the need would have arisen.


    He had a new name Alex Thorn, a 45-year-old bitter, miserable old man. A decade ago, Alex and his family of four, had suffered a terrible car crash. Miraculously, or perhaps as punishment, he himself, the root cause was the only survivor of the horrific accident.


    His wife, a long, straight brown-haired woman going with the name of Samantha Thorn and their children, a young 10-year-old boy Alex Jr. and a 4-year-old little unfortunate angel, Ruby have unfortunately already all passed away by the time the ambulance has arrived.


    To be honest, Jonathan was quite suspicious of the papers he received. The backstory, all the data, the identity were way too detailed for something that was supposed to be fake. There were even hospital and autopsy reports prepared with all the necessary details. Even the preliminary police investigation was attached to the folder the vampire lord have given.


    According to it, Alex was deeply intoxicated at the time of the accident, his blood alcohol levels were several times above what would have been normal. Strangely though, even though the investigation came back as Alex being the one responsible, he was not incarcerated, but instead only fined a hefty fine. Although it was not detailed how a poor sod like Alex have come to such a fortune, he somehow paid his hefty fine of 1.5 Million Dollars and thus settled the matter.


    After that, he seemed to have simply vanished from the face of the Earth completely. For the next 7 years, there was nothing heard about the now supposedly lonesome, grieving man.


    Well, until recently. After being presented with this new identity, Jonathan Kane, or as he was called now, ''Alex Thorn'' has been hired as a temporary replacement to the current senior class as their old one was currently forced to take extended maternity leave.


    When asked, the Principal was pretty vague on the matter, and simply said that there were some complicating circumstances revolving around the young teacher''s situation. She will most likely not be able to return for the foreseeable future.


    In any way, Jonathan wasn''t too happy. This teaching job, this gig was also something he was instructed to take on. It was supposed to be his cover, and also the basis of his investigation that the Alchazard hired him to do.


    Rumors stated that one of the true leaders for this new faction, this new group of monsters, the ''Untainted'' were hiding in this very school. It wasn''t clear if it was a he or she, or if even he was a student, or maybe any of the staff at all.


    They only knew that one of the leaders, perhaps even the progenitor him- or herself were hiding in this place. This leader was a very powerful entity, on par with those sleeping old monsters, the ancestors. To be able to cull the growing threat they represent, and also to uncover the reason behind his daughter''s kidnapping, Jonathan had to find out the identity of this figure.


    Thus in the last now more than two weeks he was playing the role of the homeroom teacher for the first class of the twelfth grade, senior class students. The rowdy rabble, the annoying little sh*ts were quite a chore to deal with. Especially the fact that the supposed ''Prince'' is the uncrowned king of the students, Luke Pregan.


    The boy was quite a character, infuriating with his fake, theatrical smile and forced benevolence. He acted like the ''knight in shining armor'' to the students, playing the role of the diligent eager little student, hungry for knowledge.


    Worst of all, his charade, this ''mask'' he donned seemed to work. Most of the youngsters were in favor of him, treating him as their Prince Charming or God. Even the teachers seemed to be in favor of him. Whatever he said, was treated like holy scripture both by the staff and his peers.


    Unfortunately for the boy, Jonathan was not like the others. He could easily see through the cracks of his display, see the vile, horrendous creature hiding underneath. He could guess what sort of atrocities he had committed whenever he stepped away from the spotlight.


    He was a bully. An aggressive animal that liked to torture those meek, introverted boys and even girls, forced them to do his bidding.


    Yet, despite all that, Jonathan didn''t bother with him too much. He confirmed relatively fast that there was no way of him being the target, thus his actions were not for his to care about.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 94 - 94 - Rumors And Introductions

    In the many classrooms that, as the time mercilessly marched towards the dreaded 7:30 AM, the main topic of discussion was about the news, rumors circulating about a mysterious new student joining their ranks.


    Inside the senior grader''s classroom, the twelfth-grade students had the same rowdy chatter filling up the air.


    "Did you guys hear the latest news?" One short ash brown-haired boy exclaimed turning his attention to the rest of the class. He was known for being quite well informed, already showing the skills for the prospects to an exciting future.


    "What news? What did you hear?"


    "Don''t leave us hanging man!"


    "What are you talking about?"


    Instantly, the gazes of almost everyone in the class turned to him. Eager questions hoping to hear some juicy bits were fired in his direction.


    The boy, Eric chuckled at the hunger his classmates were showing, clearly relishing in the spotlight, the attention he was receiving.


    "Well¡­" He began, enjoying the moment just a bit longer. "¡­I heard, that we will be getting a new student this year! A transfer student coming from abroad!"


    "What?!" Many exclaimed with shock and surprise instantly. Excitement reached new heights in the minds of many as they fired questions after questions related to this mysterious newcomer.


    "What do you know? Is it a boy? Is he handsome? Where is he coming from?" The girls were the most zealous, their imaginations racing wildly, they launched dozens of questions in an instant.


    The boys weren''t lagging too far behind either, some were hoping for some new exotic beauty, a new fairy to join their class, hopefully, instantly launch herself at the top of the student rankings.


    "Well, all I know is that the new student supposedly came from somewhere from Europe, and that-"


    Suddenly the hollering of the school''s bell put an end to the discussions. Right at point, half-past seven sharp, the closed door of a classroom on the 3rd floor was pushed down.


    Instantly, the last bits of whispers were quelled, despite hungry for more, the students quieted down, just as the white, painted wooden door was pushed open and the ominous figure of the old man, the new homeroom teacher, Mr. Alex Thorn have appeared.


    Like in the last two weeks since this creepy, terrifying-looking old man has since been coming every day to torment them, the noises almost instantly died down.


    Apart from one particular young man, sitting at the center of the class, all the gazes were showing a bit of terror amidst their compliance. Unlike Ms. White from last year, this new teacher was anything but kind.


    Even the owner of the only defiant gaze in the room, the slicked-back platinum blonde-haired young man had a deep frown souring his handsome face. His amethyst blue eyes were staring at the dragged, worn-looking deep brown raincoat the old man always wore with deep unhidden repulsion.


    ''Disgusting old creep. Just you wait, I will force you to know your place sooner or later¡­'' He remarked mentally, quickly shifting his expression back to his usual cheery-looking smile.


    Though it seemed that the old man have not even glanced at him and that he was safe, both of them knew that it wasn''t the case. The old man''s senses were unnaturally sharp, which he had already proved on multiple occasions, despite the fact that only two weeks have passed since the start of the school year.


    Jonathan slowly trudged over to his seat, playing the role of the old creep and dragging his fake-hurt left leg behind his right. He scratched his silver, scruffy beard, and grunted with deep annoyance as he shifted his gaze between the empty desk and the student body looking at him.


    "You brats." He spat out his usual greeting to start the day. Still, despite his rudeness, the class had to show proper respect, even if they weren''t given. Unlike the other high schools, North Creek had some deeper, eastern-tied traditions, that they were strict about.


    As every day, the class president, a curly, light-brown-haired, bespectacled girl stood up from his front-row seat closest to the door and greeted.


    "Good Morning Mr. Thorn!"


    Following his words, the rest of the class repeated with a bored, unenthusiastic manner.


    "Yeah, yeah, that''s enough you little b*stards." Jonathan cursed, growing visibly more and more annoyed each day he was forced to suffer at a place like this. He was not the type that should be allowed near children at all, much less teaching them¡­ history, and giving life guidance!


    He was a fighter, a hunter of the nightly demons. A disgruntled and disowned but at the same time necessary part of the modern society. Without people like him, keeping the monsters at bay, those bedtime stories that the parents tell their children to scare them to obedience could very well turn out to be more than just myths and legends.


    People like him, working in the dark, away from the prying eyes are what truly kept this modern world running. Many disgusting, vile monstrosities lurked just barely away from the average citizen''s eyes.


    Yet, he, a legendary fighter, was now forced to handle a group of rowdy brats?! On top of that, he now had another little sh*thead, another rich prick, heir of some prominent family come and annoy him even more.


    ''That d*mned fatso!" Jonathan cursed at the principal as he scanned through the crowd, taking his time.


    Eventually, he sighed with annoyance, grunted once, and shouted towards the still-open door.


    "Don''t just stand there, come inside and introduce yourself already! I don''t have all day!"


    His shout raised the attention of everyone in the room. Instantly, all the eyes were fixed on the doorway, watching tensely as the shadow slowly began to grow from the hall. There was no verbal response to the old man''s shout, but the sound of footsteps confirmed that the rumors may have very well been true and that there was someone waiting outside the classroom.


    With bated breaths, the girls and even the boys were focusing their gazes on the doorway, following the route as the long, elongated shadow took the form of a youthful figure and their owner stepped into the light.


    With an aloof, cold look on his face, Lucien stepped into the classroom, making his grand return to society after so many years. Still, he was not like that scared, helpless poor boy back in the orphanage, or even in the Facility.


    No, that was put behind him, he was reborn. He was a new man. He was no longer weak.


    Calmly and steadily, ignoring the piercing gazes that were trying to bore a hole into his head, Lucien walked up to the teacher''s desk, looking nonchalantly at the old unhappy old man.


    He did not say a single word at first, as he slowly looked around the room. Eventually, his gaze rested on a single young man, sitting at the very back seat, dressed in shoddy, cheap clothes.


    He gave a barely perceptible nod towards his way. Following that, finally his lips parting, he curtly introduced himself to the class.


    "Hello. You can all call me Lucien."


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 95 - 95 - Hierarchy

    The young man that entered instantly mesmerized the entire classroom, at least for the girls'' part. Hungry, predatory¡­ lustful even, gazes were focused on the enigmatic, inscrutable young teen.


    His attire, though it wasn''t over the top, it told that his family was at least upper-middle class. Yet, even then, his bearings, his demeanor was different.


    First of all, the boy, Lucien didn''t seem to carry himself with the arrogance that defined 90% of those second-generation rich young masters, or how they are referred to in the Far East: Lucien didn''t show the qualities of a nouveau riche.


    Holding onto the simple-looking dark school bag in his right hand, Lucien shifted his gaze, turning his head, and looked at the old man for further instructions.


    Jonathan groaned in annoyance at the sight, though he was also slightly intrigued by the boy. For the first time since he came here, he found the first figure that he couldn''t just read from a single glance. There was something within him, a certain aura of mystery that the boy seemed to shroud himself with. This strange obscurity was not something an average youngster of his age should have.


    Still, he couldn''t feel a hint of energy coming from him. He didn''t have the aura, the presence of the supernatural. He certainly didn''t seem anything more than your average feeble, mortal human, at least from a first glance.


    Yet, his gut feelings were screaming at him the more he got closer to him. His instincts, honed through decades of hard work were alarmed at the mere sight of a human 17-year-old young man?!


    Jonathan couldn''t understand this peculiarity, thus he decided to take a closer look at his supposed background later on. A small investigation just to ease this restlessness in the old clock so to say.


    As their gazes met once again, Jonathan sighed with annoyance as he was pulled back from his thoughts once again. His cold squinted eyes, quickly scanned over the classroom, eventually resting at an empty seat beside the lonesome bullied young scrawny orphaned boy, Jack. Although there was another seat, right next to the self-proclaimed douche, the ''Prince'' of the school, Jonathan could easily guess the conflicts that would arise between the two.


    Not wanting to throw even more oil to the already growing fire that he was quite certain would explode into a giant clash sooner or later, he pointed towards the back row seat, right beside the window.


    "There. You can sit next to Jack there. By the window." He then scoffed as he nodded with his head, urging Lucien to scurry away. "Go, don''t waste my and the class'' time any further with pointless farce. Take your seat and shut up until the end of the lecture."


    Lucien nodded, turning towards the startled, but at the same time, slightly happy-looking young lone boy, his only friend at the back. To be honest, he was quite satisfied with this seating plan, he was hoping he could sit next to him. Though he didn''t really care about the other option or the rest of the class, Lucien was happy to be able to meet with the only friend he made so far in his life. Even if the circumstances were anything but something one would want to remember, to Lucien it was a memorable event.


    Luke was frowning, growing angrier by the minute as he looked at the new transfer student, and his ability to instantly steal away all the attention he was supposed to be having. He was a proud descendant of the mighty Pregan''s, one of the top powers of this country. He was a genius, excelled in every area. All the fame, all the glory, all the attention, at ALL times were his to bask in.


    Yet, now this was taken away, stolen from what would be rightfully his. Even if just temporarily, the feeling of nothing more than the same as this peasant rabble was a vile, repulsive thought.


    No, he couldn''t allow this to continue happening. His number one spot can never be threatened. This new boy needs to understand, he HAS to learn how life works.


    ''He will fall in line. Either by submission be it voluntary or assisted¡­ He will understand never to go against me again.'' He seethed inwardly.


    He turned his gaze towards a short, dark brown haired rough brawny young boy sitting at the other side, giving him the command through a silent, vicious and cruel smirk-filled nod to take action immediately and humiliate this outsider for his blatant disrespect.


    Tony, one of the faithful, -strong but at the same time-, brainless muscle of his understood the order and nodded in return with a matching cruel grin stretching across his mostly hairless face to his boss before shifting his attention to the casually approaching Lucien.


    Walking amidst the piercing gazes filled with a wide range of emotions, Lucien''s so-far unobstructed path, suddenly met an unexpected hurdle in the form of a foot that suddenly shot forth, in an attempt to trip him up and cause him to fall face-first to the floor.


    The attempt wasn''t half-bad actually, as the timing was spot-on. A normal, average student would have probably fallen into this vile trap and unless he was dexterous enough, would have suffered a great blow to their dignity. Today being Lucien''s very first day back into society, this could have turned into a fatal blow, ruining his student life right before it had a chance to start.


    ''Hmmm¡­ That''s not very nice¡­'' Lucien quickly gleaned on the owner of this disgraceful trap. Seeing how the boy didn''t even try to hide and was looking at him with a cruel, predatory look in his eyes, Lucien could only shake his head with disappointment. He was merely a thug, a muscle hired by someone to do the deed.


    Judging by the fleeting glances this mostly hairless gorilla was taking towards the other side, the center of the room, Lucien didn''t need to ponder too much on the true mastermind, the boss behind this idiot.


    Lucien could also sense the gaze of the old man at them. He clearly saw everything, yet he remained silent. Was he testing the grounds? Was he ignorant, did he simply not care? Lucien didn''t know.


    ''Well¡­ If you all like to play, don''t let me ruin your fun¡­ Just be sure not to bite more than you can chew¡­ I''m not the same boy that can be bullied anymore.'' Lucien smiled lightly, making up his mind and resuming his pace after a momentary pause.


    He raised his right feet just as he was about to crash against the fleshy obstruction. Not too high, as to avoid suspicion, but just enough so that he placed his feet just above the presented bone, the unprotected sheen of his poor victim who was still mistakenly thinking of himself as being the hunter.


    The long, drawn-out moment passing, the so-far dominating silence was suddenly replaced by a loud shout coming from behind Lucien.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 96 - 96 - Warning To The Puppetmaster

    "Stop!" An old, raspy voice hollered from behind the students, coming from the front desk, putting an abrupt halt and preventing the disaster that was about to unfold.


    "Mr. Sanders, would you be so kind as to¡­ MOVE YOUR FEET BACK UNDER YOUR DESK?!" Jonathan roared with a mixture of annoyance and anger. Annoyed and angry because he had to waste his precious time and energy in such a pointless squabble between children. Still, he had the feeling that if he didn''t act in time and would have let the new boy finish stomping down with his feet, the consequences would have been disastrous.


    The teacher''s warning was enough to resolve the situation, albeit barely. Lucien decided to not act on his initial thought and instead moved his feet slightly forward, just avoiding the clash and allowing the brawny youth to pull his leg back.


    With an apologetic look that looked as fake as it came, Tony bowed his head in acquiescence at the old substitute teacher and fixed his posture at once. He bowed his head, as he spoke up immediately.


    "Apologies, Mr. Thorn, it was my mistake!"


    In response, the old man merely grumbled with annoyance, shifting his gaze over the brightly smiling and innocent-looking blonde boy at the center. Their gazes met for a brief instant before both turned away.


    Luke while displaying his usual bright smile, hid the great growing darkness inside his heart. He was quite dismayed, mad at the sudden turn of events. With his bright idea of humiliating the newcomer and pushing him down into the pits of humility and disdain of the community, the old man unexpectedly saved him. Luke just like the rest of his retinue didn''t caught glimpse of the fact that it was them that the old man saved instead of vice versa. In their eyes, the old man subtly, covertly took a stance against them, or even worse, against him!


    Madness, great seething anger boiled deep inside Luke''s pitch-black heart. He could barely contain his growing hatred against this man, who foiled his plans and dared to take a stance.


    ''Stupid, old fogey. You have just made the greatest mistake of your already waning life. You should have learned from the rumors and just obediently fall in line!'' He sneered, raged inwardly while forcing his usual bright, cheerful and positive disposition on the outside.


    ''Lucky for you, you have nobody you care for¡­ Still, you should watch out, disaster can strike when you least expect it¡­'' He sneered inwardly yet again, memories of the mature, busty teacher of last year re-emerged in his mind. Her cries, her woes, her sobs as she was shown the true, cruel face of reality¡­


    "And you, new guy¡­ ehrm¡­ Lucien or whatever!" The old man''s shout broke his reminiscence and rudely brought Luke back to reality. He let a frown escape through the cracks, that he quickly retained, looking at the old man yet again.


    Stopping in his calm, leisurely steps to take his seat, Lucien, looked over his shoulders with a cold, emotionless gaze.


    "What?" He blurted with an apathetic expression.


    "I don''t know and to be honest, I don''t care who or what family spawn you actually are." Jonathan spoke with his now-usual disdainful, annoyed, and even tired-looking face. "Behave yourself, don''t give me a reason. It is in your best interest to behave, believe me."


    He warned, then shifted his gaze to the true culprit of the scene, Tony Anders, one of Luke''s many goons.


    "As for you, Mr. Anders. This is your second and last warning." He leaned closer to the boy and whispered in a lower, threatening tone that only he could hear. "If I catch you doing as much as a sneeze that is out of line or breaks the serenity of the class or annoys a fly in school¡­ Expulsion would be the of your worries."


    He warned, giving it a moment for his words to seep into that thick skull of this idiot. When the boy was about to give the already expected counterargument to his threat, Jonathan sneered and added before Tony had a chance.


    "If you think you can hide behind your little master''s back for support and escape punishment, think again. I''m not like the rest of the staff or the poor woman you guys destroyed last year. If I see you in the dark corner¡­ I will end you and your whole family."


    He whispered the clear, cold threat, causing the boy to shiver, to tremble in his seat as his gaze turned wide with the shock of what he just heard. For some reason, that he couldn''t explain, he felt a terrifying sensation, something he never experienced brush over him, causing shivers down to his very soul.


    He fully believed the words of the old man, even though he had no reason to. He felt the reality of his words, which came not from a feeble old man, but a literal monster, a nightmare of the battlefields.


    Finished with what he wanted to say, Jonathan didn''t wait for the boy to process his words, he turned around and gave one last fleeting glance to the innocent-looking puppetmaster in the center, he trudged back towards his desk.


    The class remained silent throughout his short journey, following his trek with a mixture of gazes. Whilst they didn''t know the contents of his words, the frightful, shivering look of Tony was a telltale sign that this man was a terrifying entity, unlike the rest of the staff in the school.


    ¡­


    "Hey, Jack! I told you we would meet, didn''t I? Taking his seat, Lucien turned and nodded at his deskmate and only friend so far, Jack King. A thin, barely perceptible smile appeared on his face, which caused yet another round of gasps to spread across the many maidens of the room, though they mostly went ignored to the one they were directed to.


    Lucien''s only focus was the startled-looking thin, lanky boy that he had saved a few days ago at the back alley behind that no-name grocery store. He was tormented by some local gang of thugs at the time, just because he wasn''t willing to let himself be robbed by an idiot at the time.


    Truth be told, Lucien was thankful for the ''Hudson Reavers'', for helping him further his goals and serving themselves on such an open platter. He could only bless the heavens and that arrogant leader of theirs for allowing him not just to find his first friend, but also to help him resolve his then, most prominent issue at the time.


    Through their sacrifice, Lucien could fix the problem with his eyes, and be able to truly return to society.


    Yet, their greatest blessing was the fated meeting with the boy that would serve a pivotal role in the events that are yet to come.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 97 - 97 - Commotion

    After the memorable and at the same time, incredibly curt introduction of their new classmate, Lucien took his seat, the relative normalcy could once again return into the classroom.


    Jonathan, being the homeroom teacher, was also responsible for a pretty peculiar combination of lectures. History was one of them, which, given both his real job back overseas, as well as his other ''nightly'' engagements, was quite fitting.


    Although he disliked being forced to do this kind of work, after all, he didn''t only hate being amongst such annoying pests, he didn''t even have any real experience in the field either.


    Yet, he swallowed his pride, and battled the displeasure, and forced himself. For the sake of finding his dear daughter, he would even jump into the chasms of hell, the pits of inferno without hesitation, much less give a lecture to these brats about the publicized version of past events.


    Though there were many, more interesting stories shrouded in obscurity, they were not for the ears of these mortals¡­


    ¡­


    *RING!* *RING!* *RING!*


    With the abrupt hollering cries of the school bell coming from outside the hallway, Jonathan''s lecture was forced to come to an end. He sighed with relief, as he walked away from the whiteboard and without wasting any more of his precious time, turned towards the door.


    Yet, before leaving, he turned and gave one last glance at the inconspicuous newcomer boy sitting at the back, looking with those cold, emotionless eyes of his, looking out at the window. His deskmate, Jack didn''t seem to mind his aloofness and was relentlessly bombarding him with his assault.


    Jonathan wasn''t sure why, but his instincts were on fire ever since he gazed on this newcomer. There was a shroud of mystery surrounding him. For the first time in his life, he found himself unable to look into a supposed mortal, an innocent citizen. Instead of the usual visions, images of the individual, or the animalistic, predatory instincts of the supernatural, he was met with deep, eternal darkness. A void unlike any other that he saw whenever he tried to pry some information from this so-called Lucien.


    ''De''Angelis, huh?'' He muttered inwardly, as he turned his gaze away, back to the doorway, and left the room. ''Are you perhaps the one I''m looking for? No, you have only just arrived. Then who are you, boy? What are your secrets? Trust me, I''ll find out sooner or later¡­'' Deep in thought, he slowly strutted away.


    ¡ª


    Almost instantly as the old man had left the room, the class literally exploded. The girls jumped up from their seats, they rushed and flocked around the new boy''s desk. In almost no time at all, Lucien was surrounded by a swarm of girls from the class. As time passed and the word traveled even ladies from the neighboring classrooms came to get their eyes on the newest eye candy.


    It didn''t even matter that he wasn''t sitting alone. As usual, Jack was considered as empty air. The girls, like hungry vultures, have surrounded the new boy''s desk in an instant.


    A heavy barrage of questions was launched at him, Lucien was under a heavy assault.


    "Where are you from exactly?"


    "Who are you? What about your family?"


    "Do you have a girlfriend?"


    Even from the first round, it was clear what they were truly interested in. Though they wanted to get to know the new boy, Lucien more, the most important questions to a lovestruck teen weren''t too hard to guess.


    "Are you really from overseas? If so, why does your name sound so local?


    "Do you like someone?"


    "Are you rich?"


    "Are you good at sports? Fights? What about your tattoos? Did you have trouble with the law in your hometown?"


    "Would you like to go out and have a drink with me and my friends after school?"


    Amidst the endless slew of questions, the returning topic was undoubtedly related to Lucien''s private life. Though like he did with the rest, he gave the same cold-shouldered snorts as responses to each and every one.


    Eventually, he couldn''t ignore them any longer. With a sigh, he looked at his friend, and with the same aloof look donning on his face, he responded in a curt, cold manner.


    "No. I have only one person, my only family. I don''t have anybody else. I have just arrived in the city, my full name is Lucien Sha-, *khm* De''Angelis." He expressed, coughing to fix and hide the mistake. He still had a bit of difficulty in getting used to his new name. Although he had no ties to the Shaw family, -if there were anyone with that name at all-, it was still his only belonging throughout his harsh childhood years.


    Lucien Shaw was no more. As of today, he is Lucien De''Angelis, the sole heir and official descendant of the De''Angelis Corp. The adopted son of Sera De''Angelis.


    He was also the Master, the Lord of the entire sect behind his angelic Guardian, and the wielder of an ancient curse, the host of a still mostly unknown ancient entity, Pravitas.


    ¡­


    Unlike the rest of the class, the long light-brown-haired class president girl that stood up and greeted Jonathan before was the only one that didn''t share the same enthusiasm. She was the only one, together with her deskmate Zoe, that didn''t take the opportunity and rushed to swoon under his shadow like the rest of these brainless chicks.


    "Ah¡­ I see what''s going on!" A soft giggle came from beside the girl, breaking her off from the short trance and bringing her back to reality. She turned to look at her deskmate and best friend with a stern, berating gaze wrinkling her soft, fair skin hiding behind the rims of her glasses.


    Sidney looked at her friend and shook her head with a look of disapproval.


    "Zoe! If you continue acting like that, you will turn into an annoying, stinky old woman!"


    The girl, Zoe, didn''t seem to mind being chided by her best friend. Instead, she looked at the brunette thoughtfully.


    "Will I have lots of cats as well? Will I be like Ms. Fulton down the street?" She asked with an innocent look in her eyes, causing the brunette to lose her stern demeanor and burst into a chuckle together with her in the next instant.


    "Sure! You will be stinky with all the piss and litter of your little darlings!"


    They giggled at the imagined scene for a bit, before they calmed down.


    "Still, you gotta admit Sid, there''s something special, something mysterious about the new boy. He has quite the air around him."


    Sid was caught slightly off-guard by her friend''s statement. She looked away from her lecture book turning her confused attention on her goth-looking bestie instead.


    "What do you mean? What are you-"


    Before she could finish her thoughts, suddenly the back door was pushed in. A powerful and loud roar filled up the room in the following second.


    "Move away, you trash! The Prince is here and has words with the new boy!"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 98 - 98 - Silent Boy

    Following the sudden exclamation from the hallway, silence once again descended upon the classroom.


    From outside, the hallway, a gang of boys, the delinquent thugs of the undisputed leader of this mass, Luke Prevan''s minions have begun to pour in. Forcefully pushing away the crowding fan girls, they surrounded the desk of Jack and Lucien in the next few seconds.


    Suddenly, replacing the dreamy, hungering gazes of the vultures, Lucien was now under heavy scrutiny. Menacing, cold stares, jeering taunts were thrown in his way. Yet even so, or maybe despite this fact, the boy seemed to ignore the new crowd and was once again lost in a daze, finding much more interest in the other side of the window instead.


    This attitude, this blatant ignorance earned the ire of his newly appeared spectators. One particular boy, a short black-haired, brawny-looking teenager couldn''t stand this any longer.


    "The f*ck?! What is wrong with you, brat? Can''t you understand the language or something?!" He hollered with an annoyed tone, spewing mounds of his saliva and threats in equal measure towards Lucien as if he was the source of a waterfall."


    Yet, no matter how much he tried, it was as if the two were in completely different worlds. The aloof-looking student remained ignorant of the barking hound dog and was still lost in his own trance.


    "What the¡­" The boy exclaimed, his anger surpassing his shock in the next instant. Raising his hand, he violently hit the desk. A loud clap rang inside the room, causing another wave of shock to spread among the students"


    "What is going on?"


    "Are they trying to bully the new guy? Why?"


    Murmurs began to spread among the rest of the class. A variety of emotions were felt amidst them: shock, surprise, fear, sadness, and even some hints of mockery were all there, present.


    Sidney and Zoe, who have remained in their front-row desks, were the only ones that weren''t visually affected by what was going on. For Zoe, she showed some interest, true, she was grinning widely. From the look she gave to the scene, only a bag of popcorn was missing from her hands, she was looking at everything that was playing out in front of them as if it was a live show presented just for her and Sidney''s enjoyment.


    Sidney on the other hand had a mixed, complex look in her eyes. Though she was annoyed by the new guy''s haughty, arrogant attitude and was loud when it came to dismissing his actions, she didn''t want him to be subjected to such wanton cruelty.


    She knew very well how it felt to be bullied. She herself has experienced it all throughout her life. Her father, after having her fun with her mother left them, leaving nothing but grief behind. Her mother became ill under the sadness and the pressure. She became weak and sickly.


    Life was hard for both of them. Though her mother still worked as much as she could, she often had to stay in bed. The situation deteriorated to the point that on her 15th birthday, the young Sidney had to go look for part-time jobs so they wouldn''t fall deeper down in the pit.


    In school she strived for the best possible grades, she was unlike the rest of the girls. She had no desire to dress up, she couldn''t afford expensive make-up. Her boring, cheap, and ugly sweaters, her attire gave her the usual outlook of the nerd of the class, the ''teacher''s favorite''.


    Thus, she quickly became the target of cruel remarks and wanton bullying. The situation was horrible all throughout her early years in primary grades, all the way until she met with the strange girl, that later became her best friend, Zoe.


    Zoe was someone that came to their city from somewhere out of state. From what they were told, she came with someone, though her parents never showed up, she was strangely never considered to be an orphan, despite clearly living alone.


    She was unlike the others, she wasn''t superficial like all the others. Her rebellious look, her nature were a bright contrast to Sidney, but despite that, the two quickly became good friends.


    For Sidney, Zoe became her support, her only light amidst the threatening despair she felt encroaching upon her from every direction.


    "What is going on?" Sidney asked with a deep frown on her face."


    "A great show, Sid¡­ a great show." Zoe responded, grinning wildly, turning her gaze on the boy that finally reacted to the violent outburst of the one standing closest to him. "It seems this new boy will be the source of many joyous moments in the future! Just look, he did nothing, and is already giving us such a great spectacle!"


    Zoe explained, giggling like the naughty girl she really was.


    ¡­


    "What, something bothering you pretty boy?! Want us to rearrange your stupid face, outsider?" Seeing the annoyed look in the still silent transfer boy''s midnight blue eyes, the short black-haired boy reached his boiling point."


    "You¡­ annoying¡­ little¡­" His face twisted into an ugly, hideous look. The teen raised his hand once more.


    In the next moment, all his strength was about to be unleashed, hoping to at the very least cave in and destroy that stupidly handsome face of this newcomer and teach him proper respect, when suddenly a clear tone resounded from behind them.


    "Stop! What are you doing, Kevin?" Following the voice, a tall, lean figure stepped through the crowd. He turned his gaze on the boy that was about to blow up and attack the silent and strangely calm unknown figure. "Why are you threatening our newest friend?"  He asked, his sweet-sounding tone, carrying a strange glimmer, causing the student, Kevin to instantly lower his arm, and shiver under the wide, friendly smile of this new man."


    "I¡­ I made a m-m-mistake, P-p-prince¡­ Please¡­ f-forgive me!" He stuttered, falling on his knees in the next second."


    Still, even this, seemed to not be enough for the group to earn a sliver of the new boy''s attention. Him finding more interest in the empty, deserted afternoon school grounds below instead.


    "It''s not me you should be apologizing to, Kevin." The boy, that was referred to as the ''Prince'' said, shaking his head. He pointed at the reading, transfer student with his head instead. "You offended our new friend, shouldn''t you be saying this to him, instead?"


    "T-this¡­" Kevin stuttered again, hesitating for a moment as he glanced at the Prince with a woeful look. Unfortunately for him, as he saw no reaction at all besides the same, sweet-looking but at the same time, sinister smile, he shuddered and acquiesced after a few seconds and turned to face Lucien instead."


    Down on his knees, Kevin humiliated himself in front of the entire class, and soon the entire school as well, basically kowtowing to a boy that didn''t bother saying a single word or even glancing over to the theatrical scene at all.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 99 - 99 - The Two Tigers

    Lucien was clear that everything playing out was just a mere ploy set up by none other than this annoying ''Prince'' so that he could bask in the glory of light and show a positive side to win him over.


    The only question that he couldn''t find an answer to at the moment: Why?


    Why take the effort to win him over? A boy that he should have absolutely zero information about, a nobody that hasn''t even bothered to come in contact with him. It was him, or his minion that took action first, so the question stands. Why the effort?


    Going a step further, why take so much effort, such a play just to get his attention. Lucien had to admit that he couldn''t find an answer to this mystery, finally raising a bit of his interest in the matter.


    With a sigh, he finally turned his head and looked at the still kneeling, apologetic boy, Kevin.


    Kevin was fuming with anger inside. He was utterly humiliated and shamed. His reputation was quickly proceeding towards the point of being non-recoverable, just to appease an arrogant, unknown outsider. Yet, he had to play this unwelcome role he was cast. He was to play the part of the perfect entry for his boss, Luke.


    He was forced to utterly shame and humiliate himself, completely destroy the sliver of respect he have earned throughout his time as a member of the student body just for someone who can''t even be bothered to spare a look at him.


    Still, he could do nothing. He couldn''t go against the words of the Young Master of the Pregan family, that would be the same as committing suicide. Heck, even his little brother and parents would be pulled down just because he couldn''t control his emotions.


    Thus, with gritted teeth, and whilst clearly seething with rage and hatred, Kevin could do nothing but do his best to be as subservient as he could, and keep his gaze plastered on the floor whilst he repeated his words once again.


    "F-forgive my harshness, Lu-Lucien. I¡­ I acted out of line."  He spoke with a small stutter due to his boiling, chaotic storm of emotions, stealing a few fleeting glances at the boy as he did.


    Yet, he could only frown and click his tongue despite him humiliating himself in such a brutal manner right at the beginning of his senior school year¡­ after wasting so much effort¡­ He was still being ignored.


    Worse, he was considered below the scrawny dog sitting beside this transfer student. Unlike him and all his efforts, the meek loner of a boy, the stupid little parentless b*stard, and the unofficial punching bag of the Martial Arts Club, Jack''s standing was placed higher than him?!


    Kevin could barely hold himself back, The skin on his clenched fists was white and pale as snow. He was holding it so tightly, that all the blood have long been pushed away, leaving nothing to circulate. It was only because of his care for himself and lack of sharp nails that he didn''t bore below his husk and opened a wound.


    Kevin was trembling, shaking with all the rage that he was still trying his utmost to keep it down. Trying to force this theatrical display, this honest-looking respectful stance as long as he could, his trembling, twisting expression was creating quite a comical sight.


    The moment, which only lasted barely a minute was felt like hours for the onlookers, before finally the leader and perpetrator of everything, the so-called Prince decided to step up.


    He took a step forward, whilst giving a barely perceptible shake with his hand behind his back, ordering Kevin to get away, he had completed what he was assigned to. Not missing his given queue, the boy silently got up from his kneeling position, snorted something disdainful-sounding under his nose, and stepped back, hiding behind the ring of henchmen barging into their classroom.


    "Hello there, Lucien¡­" The young man greeted, pausing right after his first few words as he realized he still had no idea what the full name of his new schoolmate was supposed to be. He looked at him with a bright smile, and instead inquired, rather than continuing with his original line of thought. "¡­I''m sorry, I didn''t catch your full name, Lucien. May I ask for it now?"


    He kept his bright, honest-looking smile on his face, shining in the spotlight that he was already so used to. Not even a second later, he decided to be more proactive and added a bit more to his words.


    "Sorry, how rude of me." He gave a slight bow. "My name is, Luke Pregan, and just like you, I am a senior grade student, although I have been here since the beginning and haven''t transferred. Also, allow me to offer my sincerest apologies for the treatment you have been given so far. You see, boys are boys, and they like to play around. I''m sure you understand, there was no ill-will in any of them, they were just playing."


    He spoke with a honey-like tone, trying to sound as sweet and friendly as he could, even if he was disgusted by the inside. Even though he was offering these bright, happy-go-lucky theatrics on the surface, he was already planning his revenge later on. Taking a glance at the startled-looking Jack by his side, the basics of a sinister scheme was starting to take shape in his mind.


    He had to fight the urge to reveal his honest grin, as he waited for the boy in question, Lucien to react or respond in any way.


    Lucien still wasn''t sure why did this annoying fly keep on pestering him ever since he stepped into the classroom. So far, he tried to keep a low profile and simply ignore everything he tried, but not even an hour passed and this so-called Prince, this Luke was already in a full-on assault.


    He didn''t even need to bother with the clearly fake smile he was given. He could see the darkness inside his soul, he could feel the murderous, sinister, borderline killing intent he was radiating.


    He understood that he was being tested. Which side did he belong to? Will he be a true beta, a prey to be hunted, bullied, or perhaps, will he step up, be the alpha he was meant to be?


    He was aware of the idiom from the times back when he could enjoy a good book back in the orphanage.


    Eventually, as everyone was waiting for him, he could no longer play ignorant. Lucien sighed and finally spoke with the same cold, emotionless tone he did when he introduced himself.


    "So, I guess you are the tiger?"


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 100 - 100 - Shame And Punishment

    While Lucien was slowly starting to experience the various ups and downs of school life, at the other side of the bustling Metropolis, the convoy have finally managed to wrestle through the busy morning traffic and arrive at their destination.


    In front of the glass towers of the De''Angelis Corp''s forefront building, the convoy of cars drove to the side and entered the parking lot. Though it caught the attention of many, the darkened bulletproof glass made sure that nobody could peek inside. The mysterious passenger remained safe, her identity was not exposed.


    As they made their stop, and the back door was opened by the drivers, the emerging mature lady did not resemble the bright, carefree, and loving motherly figure at all. Instead, there was a cold, rigid outlook on her visage. Her back was straight as she carried herself forward with pride and a justified arrogance.


    She calmly strutted forward, approaching the rune-covered metal elevator doors of the hallway directly. Her army of bodyguards surrounding, nobody even dared to stare in their direction, lest they would earn and then be subjected to their anger.


    Arriving in front of the rune-covered metal doors, Sera repeated the same movement as she did with Lucien just last Friday, and as the door opened up to her command, stepped into the elevator car.


    "You all wait here. Nobody is to come to the top floor unless I give permission." She commanded, her voice being as cold as it could get. A deep frown could be seen in her expression, it was clear she wasn''t in the best of her moods.


    "As per your command, Gr-, *khm* Master!" The brawny men saluted, shivering at the thought of almost slipping up in their response. They were instructed ever since the Young Master returned that he is the only Grandmaster the first person, the one that should have their utmost, unquestioned loyalty. She is only his guardian, his first and only disciple in his previous lifetime. If anything she could at most, be called Master, Lord, or preferably, simply Miss.


    Though she was aware that they wouldn''t be able to force themselves to change after decades of servitude, she did give them the opportunity. Sera was already happy if they could stop referring to her as Grandmaster. It was disrespectful towards Lucien, her beloved rejuvenated Lord.


    She nodded at the saluting warriors as the doors closed, and cracked the joints in her knuckles as she waited for the elevator to slowly rise above the dozens of floors and reach the top executive floors.


    The disrespectful behavior they have displayed, the blatant, greedy, disgusting attitude, is not something she could easily forgive. Sure, Lucien might have decided to give them a chance, but she couldn''t just leave it at that. These men and women were selected directly by her, saved from their miserable fates back in their childish years.


    They were taught, trained, and raised by her. They should have been the best gift she could have presented when her master finally returned. Yet, when the time finally came, what did they do? They disrespected the one person, they should have sworn up to. The first and most important testament. The founding principle of the De''Angelis Sect that stood behind this conglomerate, the giant capitalist machine has seemed to have been forgotten over the times.


    She wasn''t just angry at her disciples'' attitude. No, Sera was mad at herself as well. This whole fiasco, this whole¡­ first impression they have made was an utter failure, from start, all the way to the finish.


    Starting from the front guards¡­ Which company CEO would be stopped at the entrance of his or her OWN building and be barred from entering? Which other company would make such an embarrassing oversight?!


    Her lack of presence, her lack of willingness to step out of the shadows and lead was the root cause of such a shameful, humiliating display.


    Ignoring what happened at the meeting, as she was about to put some quick band-aids on that matter shortly, in the end, the small discourse with one of the Core Disciples! How could one of the most brilliant, most talented young generation warriors be tainted with such a mortal attitude?


    Why didn''t his master, -although it was another matter what happened to him after learning his sudden demise-, teach, no INGRAIN the core values of what should be cultivated if one wanted to shred his mortal shackles and step into the realm of Demis, the Realm of the Powerful.


    Sera frowned as she pondered on these thoughts. She was ashamed, disgusted with herself all throughout the weekend. She felt that she did not deserve to be in the presence of her beloved Lord. Not after she made a series of such gruesome mistakes.


    Not until she fixed each and every one of them.


    As the elevator bell rang, signaling that she arrived at her destination, the top floor, Sera''s face twisted, contorted into a twisted, cruel, vicious smirk that flashed away as soon as her high heels stepped onto the velvety carpet and she slowly made her way towards the offices of the Grand Elders or High Executives.


    Though she agreed to not kill these little vermin off, she never said she would not dish out some punishment¡­


    ¡ª


    "A-anyway¡­ What did you just say?" Sidney, the brunette girl asked, shaking her head as she turned away from the commotion.


    Her raven black, slightly slanted, almond-shaped eyes that hid behind her rectangle-shaped glasses resembled that of an innocent little kitten. She creased her thin, plucked, and slightly arched eyebrows higher as her curiosity was piqued.


    "Ehehe, what else Sid! Just open your eyes!" Zoe giggled allowing her dyed tousled, midnight blue shiny hair aflutter in the air.


    Zoe or Zoe Martinez was an 18-year-old girl, looking like your typical rebel, the type with the thick black, gothic make-up, dark eyeliner, and shadows. She was a slender, slim girl, roughly the same height as her best friend. Still, despite her age leading against her best friend Sidney Rivera, her childlike, petite body would tell a different tale. Regardless, it was a far cry to say she wouldn''t have her own unique allure.


    She had a long, tousled unruly set of usually unique-colored dyed set of hair, though she preferred either the dark shade of navy blue, or some straight-up black, or onyx to match the color of her hooded eyes. She had a thin, straight pair of plucked, well-groomed eyebrows, just like her friend, a pointed chin with a wider forehead.


    Her heart-shaped head was mostly dominated by either her bored look or her trademark, teasing wolfish grin. The small dainty nose and the thin, glossy lips were just icing on the cake that was Zoe''s unique beauty.


    Her pale, white skin was almost glowing under the bright neon lights in the classroom, which gave a bright contrast to her usually dark style of clothing, which in a vague way did resemble that of the new transfer student''s, though she also colored her nails in the same gothic style.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 101 - 101 - Prideful Creatures

    The gothic-styled beauty, Zoe pointed towards all around, giving special attention to how the commotion has grabbed all the action in the classroom, proving that the main cast of this borderline theatrical play.


    "Just look at the gazes, those trance-like, lost eyes of these bitches are giving them¡­" She then looked at the boys looking with complex, somewhat angry, jealous glances. "Also, check out the guys¡­ If gazes could kill¡­ those two would be long dead by now! I would be baffled if the boys wouldn''t gang up on him to put him in his place! I would love to see it! Too bad we don''t have PE until the middle of the week!" She giggled at her own mischievous thought.


    "Hmpf! Who cares about those gangsters!" Sidney harrumphed again, not showing too much concern about the new boy, but instead already growing some prejudice against him. She was lumping him together with the other bastard, the masked bully, the great ''Prince'' from the get-go even if that wasn''t truly justified. "Why do you care about him anyway? Focus on what matters instead Zoe!"


    The girl next to her was her best friend as well as the class president of their junior and all the previous years. She was Sidney Rivera, the class'' nerd, and generally not-too-popular studious bookworm.


    She wore rimmed glasses that hid her gorgeous exotic eyes and thin, slightly arched eyebrows. Her straight set of brunette shoulder-length hair was neatly combed and pulled into a ponytail hanging behind her head.


    Judging by her stature, she seemed slightly shorter compared to either the new elderly teacher or even compared to Zoe as well, roughly making her around 5''15" (AN: 156 cm) tall.


    Due to the thick, ugly sweater, most of her figure remained hidden, though the generous thickness she protrudes, adding to the slender, feminine-shaped neckline suggests a generous, gifted figure hiding underneath of it all.


    Sidney picked up the book from the side of their shared desk and placed it with a bit of excessive force in front of her best friend.


    "This Zoe! If you don''t start taking your studies seriously, your future will be bleak! It isn''t just about getting into a well-known university, but you will have issues even graduating successfully! Is that what you want for yourself?!" Sidney lectured with a stern look on her face.


    "Eh¡­ Boooring!" Zoe booed at her little nerdy friend, pushing her back against the chair whilst returning to her previous, bored, and sleeping posture, and buried her face in her folded arms over the desk. The book only served as a sort of uncomfortable but passable pillow for her.


    ¡­


    "Tiger?" Luke was caught off-guard with this seemingly random remark, making him break character for the first time since he came back with his retinue. "What do you mean by that?!" He asked, with a bit of harsh coldness seeping through the facade of his voice.


    In return, Lucien simply shook his head and smiled.


    "It doesn''t matter right now. You will understand it eventually." He then waved with his hand in a dismissive, derogatory manner. "You and your little group can go now. I do not care about you, or whatever way you try to present to me your pride. Go play somewhere else."


    His shockingly aloof and cold remark caused several waves of gasps to ripple across the student-base in the classroom. Even Luke, who was prepared for a wide array of responses and has played out several revisions of their ''supposed'' first discourse inside his head was taken aback by the brashness and crude reply. He was honestly caught off-guard and turned stunned for several moments before he could formulate a comeback.


    From the far side of the room, Zoe was shaking, trembling as she tried her utmost to push down the laughter, and not to erupt into a loud, unconstrained chortling giggle at the scene.


    Her eyes were two brightly, happily curving crescents as she enjoyed the show to the fullest.


    "Oh my God!" She muttered, giving a gentle nudge to Sidney. "Did you hear that? Honestly, this guy is awesome! To be able to speak like that to a powerful figure like the Young Master Pregan¡­ If nothing else, he sure is brave!"


    "More like an ignorant idiot." Sidney snorted, trying to sound disdainful, although the hints of concern that glimmered in her gaze did betray her ever so slightly. "He has no idea who he is going up against. I don''t think it''s brave to play with fire like that¡­"


    "Eh, who knows¡­ maybe he is strong! Maybe he doesn''t have to fear them!" Zoe remarked, not willing to let go of the idea of the great show that she hoped to witness in the coming days.


    ¡­


    "W-what did you say?!" After some time, Luke''s face contorted, twisting into an uglier frown, he asked with a rougher tone than before. The facade of the friendly neighborly classmate was nowhere to be seen suddenly. The cold glint that could be seen in his eyes, gave a momentary glimpse into the dark twisted soul he hid inside of him, betraying his monstrous, vicious and cruel nature for a brief moment.


    Lucien''s remark was just that much more damaging, it came that unexpectedly, for a brief moment, Luke did lose himself. The joints in his knuckles crackled with a barely perceptible audible tone as he clenched his fists for a moment and straightened his back.


    "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?!"


    Yet, despite the first look of his honest, real self, the presence of this vengeful creature hiding inside of him¡­ despite how it scared almost everyone else in the room, including the poor Jack who was shivering beside his new friend and deskmate¡­ Lucien remained unaffected by all of it.


    He shrugged his shoulders with the same aloof manner as before and calmly but at the same time, with an emotionless rigid cold tone, he spoke.


    "No. I do not. Nor do I care about it." He then turned his gaze back to the window, finding more interest in the outside world once more, thus marking the end of this conversation not too subtly.


    Luke was shaking, shivering with the anger and rage he was feeling. This new boy, this arrogant transfer student, just doesn''t seem to get the message. He didn''t only not seem to be scared, afraid of him by the slightest, but even shown such blatant disrespect and dared to be disinterested?


    "Alright¡­ That''s just great!" Luke snickered, his lips contorting into a terrifying smirk. "I see, how it is¡­"


    He then raised his right hand in the air, his palm open and facing the boy. As if a holy order was placed upon the classroom, suddenly the previously shocked, angry, scowling groups of boys surrounding them, turned silent, their gazes matching with a similar contemptuous coldness as what resembled that of highly trained soldiers.


    Their backs went stiff as they stood at attention following a silent command.


    "Do you see that? Can you understand it a bit more now?!" Luke sneered, his gaze turning vicious all of a sudden.


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 102 - 102 - The Returned Young Lord

    "Do you see that? Can you understand it a bit more now?!" Luke sneered, his gaze turning vicious all of a sudden.


    Jack was barely able to contain himself. He wasn''t sure what was going on exactly, but one thing he understood was that he was suddenly thrown into the middle of it. Yet, he wasn''t willing to back down and leave his newest and quite sad if we are being honest, only friend by himself.


    This mysterious new boy, this transfer student, and his ''Guardian'' as he referred to her before, were the only two people in this world that decided not to push them down some more. Ever since his grandfather''s sudden passing, Jack was left by himself.


    He didn''t know if it was luck or just the lack of care due to him turning 18 in just a bit more than two months, the government didn''t even bother with him, despite him turning officially an orphan. Nobody came to visit him, nobody even cared about the small piece of land of his grandfather''s dojo. It''s not like it had any visitors, or students after all.


    He was alone, he was poor, he was dirty, thus he quickly became the favored target of rampant bullying. The subject of beatings¡­ being singled out during the High School Martial Arts Club training¡­


    No matter how pathetic it sounded or looked, Jack was already quite used to this treatment by now.


    Funny how their fate was similar with Lucien, and how they didn''t realize this until much later¡­


    ¡­


    "Luke Pregan! What is the meaning of this?!" Suddenly, a raspy, rough voice came from behind, roaring like a ferocious alpha to the ill-behaving part of his pack.


    The angry shout instantly broke the tenseness of the situation and forced Luke to lower his raised right arm. He also instantly fixed the expression on his face, and by the time he turned around to face the owner of the voice that he also planned to enact his wrath upon at some point, Jonathan Kane stood there. He was still wearing his dark leather raincoat and rimmed hat, seemingly just coming back from the usual cigar he liked to take in-between lectures.


    Luke forced his usual, theatrical smile back on his face as he swirled around his feet, facing the elderly teacher with his fake, respectful act of an honorary student.


    "N-nothing at all Mr. Thorn. We were just talking to the new student. After all, he did not introduce himself at all. We only know that he is ''Lucien'', but we still don''t know even his full name, much less who he is, or where he came from."


    Luke explained, acting the good, and inquisitive but ''good-natured'' student professionally.


    "Yes, Mr. Thorn! We just wanted to get to know and try to befriend Lucien here! Nothing more!" Tony, the brawny bull-like teen, one of Luke''s trusted muscles have added, speaking with the same respectful, timid-sounding tone that did not befit his robust stature at all.


    Jonathan sneered at the clearly, obviously fake display of these two. Yet, he couldn''t really be bothered to waste any effort on their theatrics. He was still quite disgruntled and annoyed after all. So far, two weeks have passed and he hasn''t got an inch closer to finding out the supposed leader of this new faction, this new breed of monsters.


    Still, he shouldn''t just leave the boys to continue playing with fire. After all, whilst he was fairly certain, Lucien wasn''t his assigned target, he was still far from being an ordinary teenager. The fact that he couldn''t even inspect the true depths of this new transfer student, was something that made him wary.


    Also, he had received some information about him already. His informants have finally come back with a piece of surprising information related to the boy''s background.


    Jonathan sneered with a clearly contemptuous, disdainful gaze at the two for a bit before he scoffed at the linebackers standing around Jack and Lucien''s desk still.


    "You all bunch of trash! What the hell are you still doing in my classroom?" He hollered angrily, causing many of the girls and weaker boys to turn stiff under his reverberating volume.


    "If it wasn''t clear enough¡­" He waved towards the back door still open behind them. "¡­GET OUT!"


    Immediately, as if they were finally exempted from some divine punishment, blood seemed to return to their frozen limbs, and the group of boys ran, scurried away without saying anything else.


    "As for you two¡­" As the sturdy sportsmen hurried left the scene, lest they would earn the ire of this terrifyingly frightening old man and be subjected to further punishment during the next PE, Jonathan turned to face the now two standing perpetrators.


    "¡­and I guess for the rest of you sorry lot¡­" He shifted his gaze, scanning the rest of the remaining student body coldly. As his scrutinizing, piercing gaze went over them, every single one of the young men and women shivered under the invisible pressure. Everyone except for the two strange peculiarities, two desks in the room. One in the front, as they were exempted, since Jonathan knew these two girls to be innocent, and not-so-shockingly, the one at the back, by the window.


    Lucien didn''t even bother looking in the old man''s direction, he was still lost in his own hazy daze as he kept on being more and more interested in the back, the closed-off yard of the school.


    A small garden of vibrant lush, colorful herbs were hiding below a single dilapidating metal roof, supported only by two wooden beams at the sides. Still, he could see those vibrant, healthy and somehow mystical-looking leaves peaking out from the edges, somehow reminding him of the fantastical scenery of Eden, Sera''s sub-dimension.


    He didn''t care about the old man, nor what he wanted to say. He already felt that he did a great service to the old man, as these pesky bugs, annoying pests were still breathing. Despite the rage that his other self, Pravitas felt, and how he wanted to absorb these primitive primates, Lucien managed to hold himself back and keep his profile on the down low. Just like how he promised Sera, he was doing his best!


    ¡­


    Seeing how the boy, Lucien could withstand his pressure, Jonathan was surprised, shocked inwardly even. Still, he did not let it show on his face, as he returned his attention to the standing blonde boy and his gorilla a second later and spoke with a disdainful tone.


    "You still think that the whole world revolves around your will, Mr. Pregan? Just because your father and mother managed to put something down the table, that does not mean that such a spawn as yourself can push his weight around like there''s nothing to be afraid of."


    Luke was once again shivering with anger as he was made into a joke by the vicious, cruel words of this old man. Yet, before he could voice a complaint in the best way he could think of, Old Man Jonathan continued nudging his head and pointing at Lucien''s direction.


    "There will come a time when your arrogance will meet someone that you just cannot offend. Someone that even your dear father, or brother can''t save you from. Someone like him, the returned Young Master of the De''Angelis Empire."


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele

 Chapter 103 - 103 - The Descendant

    "What?" A single cry was the only noise that could be heard in the room after the old man revealed Lucien''s family name.


    Though to him, the name didn''t mean much, being who he is and where he came from, that wasn''t the case for the rest of the students.


    Besides Jack, who have already known this, but wasn''t wizened enough to understand the true meaning, the true weight of it, everyone else was dead silent with utter shock.


    As for Luke, he was stunned to dead silence for quite a while. The only word he could utter was the expression of his utter disbelief and the lack of processing power.


    "What?!"


    He slowly, shakily raised his arms, pointing in Lucien''s direction, as he revealed a slight hysterical-looking, bewildered expression over his usually spotless, handsome face, asking with a higher-pitched tone of voice.


    "W-What do you mean by that?! What the¡­ No, how¡­ When¡­" He had many questions, yet he found himself unable to give voice to any of them.


    A slew of questions swarmed his mind instantly. He couldn''t believe it, he couldn''t accept it.


    ''No, this is a lie! Even if that bi-¡­ No, that woman has a descendant, why was he kept a secret until now?! Why would they reveal it so suddenly, so¡­ out of the blue?'' Luke cried inside his head.


    He wasn''t alone in his feelings either. The rest of the class was pondering on similar thoughts. The De''Angelis Family was undoubtedly one of the top four, most powerful, strongest families present in the entire state, not just in this Big City.


    Yet, at the same time, they were the only ones that were the most secretive. Their front, the De''Angelis Corp, was a tech giant, a conglomerate that brought in immense wealth. Yet, it had its thumb on almost all of the other sectors as well.


    Though nothing was confirmed, many of the other families knew that each of their words held immense weight during political decisions. Still, the tentacles reached even further, much further than that, it was just that nobody knew the true height of their reach.


    Not many dared to stand up against them, and those that brazenly did always vanished without a trace in the span overnight.


    They have appeared relatively late compared to the other centuries, sometimes millennia-old dynasties, somewhere at the brink of the 20th century, yet their power has risen rapidly.


    Even considering the entire globe, they were definitely amongst the very top nowadays.


    ¡­


    Luke was shocked at this information. He couldn''t believe it. Still, as he thought about it, the angrier he became.


    So what if he is the Young Master of a powerful family?! So is he! Luke refused to accept it, he refused to bow his head to this man.


    Besides, after what just happened, how humiliated he felt just now, he couldn''t just let such a thing go! Who cares if that blonde woman was some sort of enigmatic entity, that nobody could understand or decipher to this day?! His family also held a secret, they weren''t like those simple mortal idiots¡­


    They also had ties to the supernatural¡­ His father, mother, and even his brother controlled powers that were not something a weakling like this Lucien could contend against.


    ''Yeah¡­ that''s it¡­ I will just need to dominate this weakling and make him bow his head. Then¡­ I could finally make father proud¡­''


    Dark thoughts began to take their seed and root themselves deep inside the boy''s dark and twisted mind the more he thought about it.


    Eventually, the shock of the news finally passed, both himself and the rest of the class returned to their seats.


    Unfortunately for Jonathan, his attempt to try to resolve the situation with the reveal of this piece of information, only acted as the catalyst of some grand changes for the near future¡­


    ¡ª


    "Finally! It''s lunchtime!" Jack sighed with relief, leaning his tired back against the chair. Turning to look at the expressionless Lucien sitting next to him, he asked. "Wanna go and-"


    Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a group of girls walked over to their desk. All donning their wide smile stretching their beautiful spotless faces, they each fixated their alluring, seductive gazes at Lucien. Each of them held a lunch box in their hand.


    "H-hey¡­" One of them spoke up timidly, voicing the request they both shared.


    Seeing as Lucien turned his head away from the window and gazed at them with his usual aloof, cold, piercing stare, they shivered, trembled in fright for a moment, before another girl next to the one that spoke before managed to gather her courage and with great effort and an equal amount of stutter, ask.


    "W-would y-you¡­ ehrm¡­ c-could we invite y-you, Lu-Lucien to eat with us? W-we have m-more food t-than we could eat¡­"


    Lucien didn''t react at first, but slowly, calmly moved his somber gaze towards the small plastic containers presented in their hands. He slowly, casually gleaned over each of them, before finally, he turned his attention to his friend at his sight.


    "Can my friend, Jack also come?" He asked coldly, causing the girls to tremble with a mixture of fright and with something else¡­ excitement maybe.


    After a bit, they all nodded, still very timid and meek in front of the boy.


    "Y-yes... O-of course! W-we don''t mind!"


    Hearing their response, the somber, aloof outlook instantly eased a bit. Even more, the barely perceptible, thin marks of a smile could be almost made out at the corners of his mouth.


    "Okay then. Thank you for your offer, we accept!" He responded, pushing his chair back and standing up. A moment later the duo left towards the canteen with an attach¨¦ of four excited, cheery girls giggling behind them.


    Seeing the sight, Luke was once again seething with rage.


    ''What was so cool about that idiot anyway?!'' He was roaring mentally, boiling with the constant frustration he was trying to push back down. Yet, as the seconds passed, he found himself, unable to.


    Suddenly, a loud snap filled up the classroom, a pencil broke apart under the immense pressure of the blonde self-proclaimed prince.


    ''No! I can''t stand this!''


    Unable to withstand this ''humiliation'' any longer, he suddenly jumped up from his seat and looked at his side.


    Once Tony leaned closer following his command, Luke whispered into his ears. What was first a look of surprise on the gorilla-like man''s face slowly, gradually turned into a vicious, cruel sneer by the end.


    Receiving the command, he nodded, maintaining his expression a bit longer, and hurriedly left through the back door, soon vanishing from sight in the busy hall.


    Noticing the scene, Zoe smiled once again. She had a feeling that something fun was about to happen again¡­


    ---


    AN: Hey there Readers!


    Just a friendly reminder, that from wherever you are reading (although I wholeheartedly thank you if you are reading and enjoying the story through Webnovel), you can reach out to me using any of the below methods!


    For you, sailors of the seventh sea (non-WN readers), be a bro/gal and throw me a cup of joe, show your appreciation!


    Also, feel free to reach out to me in either one of the below links, or just on WN. :)


    Links:


    https://discord.link/Shaele


    Ko-Fi:


    https://ko-fi.com/shaele