"SOMEONE STOP HIM! WE NEED HIM TO STOP LUCIFER FROM DESTROYING THE WHOLE ACADEMY!"
A desperate voice tore through the air as a middle-aged man in flowing blue robes raised his hand. A massive earth spike burst from the ground in response.
Around him, students, mostly seniors, stood with grim expressions, their eyes fixed on the figure standing not too far away.
Dozens of elemental and physical attacks shot forward, colliding with the youth in a storm of force and fury.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A deafening series of explosions erupted as the attacks landed, shaking the ground. A thick cloud of dust rose, obscuring everything.
"Is... is he dead?" one of the senior students asked, his voice trembling. The terror Lucifer had caused was still fresh in their minds.
An instructor hesitated, eyes narrowed. "I... I can't tell," he muttered, turning to a woman beside him. "Vera, your talent is related to enhanced vision. Can you see anything?"
Vera gave a curt nod, her gaze sharpening. Her eyes began to glow with a soft, pale blue light as she peered into the lingering dust.
Suddenly, her expression froze.
Her face contorted in horror as she turned to the others, eyes wide with panic.
"RUN!"
Her scream was cut short. A claw punched through her chest, piercing her heart before dragging it out with brutal force.
Lucifer stepped out from the swirling dust, his gaze sweeping over the stunned crowd. Calmly, he clenched his hand, crushing the heart in his grasp.
The sound of cracking bone echoed ominously. A wave of cold dread swept through the students and teachers alike. Several staggered back involuntarily, their faces pale with fear.
For the first time since the battle began, Lucifer opened his mouth to speak.
"Do you know how I became this strong? Do you even understand why I'm doing all this?"
He paused, his voice calm and steady.
"I know you all have questions... So let me take you down memory lane."
Though it wasn't clear whom he was addressing, no one dared interrupt as Lucifer began his tale.
Some time ago…
"Thank you both so much. Among all the students, you two are the kindest to me. I can't thank you enough for bringing me along on this mission. If we manage to clear this F-rank dungeon, I promise I'll only take ten percent of the spoils."
Lucifer's voice held the innocent tone of a child, filled with naive gratitude. He trailed behind the two figures ahead of him, his black hair falling over his eyes as he hurried to keep up.
The two figures, Amira and Storm, were his classmates, fellow students in the same academy year.
Amira had short blue hair and deep green eyes. She was considered average in appearance, but to Lucifer, she was dazzling. He couldn't help the feelings that stirred in his chest when he looked at her.
Though he hadn't gathered the courage to confess, he had been reading advice online. He even had a plan.
'Explore the dungeon, take a ten percent cut, sell the loot, treat her to something nice... then ask her out. She agrees, and we start dating. Maybe even…'
Lucifer's thoughts drifted to sweet daydreams, his heart fluttering.
Walking beside Amira was his best friend, Storm. They'd known each other since middle school, sharing everything from meals to secrets.
Just a few days earlier, Lucifer had confided in Storm, telling him about his feelings for Amira and the plan he'd concocted. Storm had responded with joy, promising to help make it happen by inviting him to the dungeon expedition.
Lucifer smiled faintly at the memory.
'Even if I'm bullied all the time at school, it doesn't matter. I still have good friends.'
"What are you grinning about?" Storm asked with a raised brow, lightly slapping the back of Lucifer's head.
Lucifer laughed awkwardly and waved it off. "Nothing. Just thinking about something good," he replied, winking as if passing a hint.
Storm's eyes flicked to Amira. For a brief moment, a dark glint passed through them, one that Lucifer failed to notice.
Amira, sensing Storm's gaze, stuck her tongue out playfully and kept walking. The three continued along the worn path.
Before long, they arrived at a glowing portal radiating a subtle pressure and a faint magical aura.
"This should be the F-rank dungeon," Amira said, pulling out her phone and comparing images. "Looks exactly like the photos."
Storm nodded and turned to Lucifer.
"Luci, when we go in, don't do anything. Your ability is Creation, which is useless unless you've got a strong energy source. Just stay near the gate while Amira and I handle the clearing."
Lucifer hesitated. He looked as if he wanted to object but finally lowered his head and nodded.
He'd hoped to impress Amira, to show her a different side of him, something more than the quiet, bullied kid everyone looked down on.
'But I guess that's not going to happen,' he thought bitterly.
His ability, Creation, was an F-rank one. In theory, it could generate other abilities. In practice, it required enormous energy, far more than he had. Even producing a single F-rank ability drained him completely.
To create a D-rank or C-rank ability? The energy cost was so massive that not even the nation's top facilities could afford to support it. The ability had been deemed worthless.
Moments later, the trio stepped into the dungeon.
What they didn't notice was that the red glow of the portal behind them slowly dimmed... and turned pitch black.
As they materialized inside the dungeon, their nervous expressions shifted to something else entirely.
Terror.
The space around them was cold and hollow. In front of them towered a massive beast, covered in dark scales. Jagged lines ran along its body, glowing faintly. It stretched nearly thirty meters tall.
Its eyes opened, a narrow vertical slit of glowing gold.
Their knees weakened instantly.
"This…" Storm's voice quivered.
"A dragon? But the teachers said the higher-ups wiped out every last one. Isn't this supposed to be an F-rank dungeon? Why is there a dragon here?!"
There was no time to think.
Storm acted on instinct. He shoved Amira toward the flickering portal behind them, which was rapidly shrinking.
Then, without a word, he lunged for the exit himself.
Lucifer shook off his shock and bolted for the portal. Just as he reached it...
Storm turned and shoved him back.
Lucifer tumbled to the ground, landing hard. He looked up, stunned.
'Why? Why would Storm…?'
His eyes met Storm's, who was halfway through the portal. There was no remorse in them.
"Luci, my dear friend," Storm said, his voice eerily calm. "Do me this one last favor. Stall the dragon, will you? It's been starving for so long. At least give it something to eat."
Lucifer's eyes widened in disbelief.
Storm paused mid-step, then added with a cruel smile, "Oh, and I've been with Amira this whole time. While you were babbling about your feelings, I was busy fucking her behind your back."
And with that, the portal vanished.
Lucifer's mind went blank. He stared at the space where the portal once shimmered. He didn't move or scream.
Only when the dragon's claw plunged into his chest did he snap out of it, but it was far too late.
Lucifer... died.