[Ding! You have received a new mission.]
[KILL 5 HUMANS INCLUDING AMIRA AND STORM.]
[TIME LIMIT: 74 HOURS.]
[REWARD: 15 CREATION POINTS, 10,000 DOLLARS.]
Lucifer read the mission details, and his gaze sharpened.
'Kill?' His breath caught in his throat. The names, Amira and Storm, burned into his once pure, innocent eyes.
Silence hung over him as his hands trembled slightly. Could he really do this? Could he trade their lives for power?
Resolving with himself, Lucifer raised his head and stared up at the sky.
'As long as it makes me stronger, it doesn't matter how I obtain that strength.'
Suddenly, a faint rustling echoed from the nearby bushes. His gaze turned fierce in an instant.
He heard faint voices carried by the breeze, whispering from the distant treeline.
The sky wasn't yet dark, and the sun hung low on the horizon. Though dimmed by the foliage, enough light filtered through for Lucifer to glimpse the figures lurking among the trees.
Two wolves emerged, covered in sleek black fur, exuding a predatory aura. They growled low and steady, their eyes fixed on him with a starving intensity.
A chill ran down Lucifer's spine as fear surged within him. Yet, something within him stirred—his heartbeat pounded loudly, as if it was calling something ancient.
An unknown energy rose from the depths of his being. In the blink of an eye, the fear melted away.
[Primordial bloodline activated.]
The system's message flashed across his vision. Immediately, Lucifer felt a surge of transformation.
Within the system interface, all his stats had increased by nearly five full points.
His aura subtly shifted, resembling that of the beasts before him. His eyes turned into golden slits, gleaming with a feral glint.
For a brief moment, the wolves hesitated. Was he the prey, or something more dangerous?
A flicker of doubt that seemed almost human glimmered in their eyes.
Lucifer didn't share such hesitation.
The activation of his bloodline came with a cost: his mana began to drain rapidly.
From its previous full state of 100, his mana plummeted rapidly—97, 95, 93—falling like a crashing wave.
Panic flickered in his chest.
'With my bloodline active, I have to eliminate them quickly!'
Without wasting another second, he charged at the closest beast.
In the past, even harmless rabbits could send a tremble through his spine. But now, facing two F-rank wolves, he felt no fear.
His hand, surging with power, slashed forward with deadly intent.
Sensing danger, the wolf leapt aside just in time, avoiding Lucifer's strike aimed straight for its heart.
Awooooooo!
The wolf let out a deep howl before baring its fangs and lunging toward him.
Lucifer crouched, mirroring the beast's posture. A low, guttural roar escaped his throat as he sprang to meet the wolf head-on.
Bang!
Their bodies collided. Lucifer was thrown back several feet, skidding across the forest floor. But the wolf wasn't unscathed.
His hands had pierced its stomach. The beast staggered as it tried to rise, its body trembling, its expression contorted in pain.
Awooooo!
The second wolf howled, recognizing the danger. It charged at Lucifer with frightening speed.
Lucifer struggled to his feet, his bones aching and breath ragged. Though enhanced by the dragon bloodline, his human body was still straining to keep up.
[Mana points: 50]
'This is troublesome,' he muttered internally, analyzing his prior movements and spotting flaws in his last attack.
With his mana dwindling, he knew he couldn't afford to delay. As the second wolf lunged, he crouched again, this time propelling himself forward with all the momentum his legs could give.
Swish!
His clawed hand pierced through the wolf's chest in a single clean motion.
Its body shuddered once before collapsing lifelessly.
A low, whimpering sound escaped the first wolf as it crawled backwards, its stomach torn open from the earlier strike. Blood pooled beneath it as it tried to retreat.
Lucifer's heart remained cold. He stepped forward, increasing his pace. Without mercy, he brought his fist down hard onto the creature's skull.
A soft whimper escaped its throat before its head cracked open. Its eyes dulled and its body fell still.
Then, as if responding to the end of the battle, the system flickered with another message.
[Dragon bloodline deactivated.]
Lucifer dropped to his knees and began vomiting violently.
His face turned pale, and his limbs trembled as he stared at the blood-soaked corpses before him.
He heaved for several minutes before slowly regaining control of his body.
'I… I killed them.' He stared at the lifeless beasts. A faint trace of joy sparked in his eyes.
'For the first time in my life, I don't feel powerless… I actually killed something!'
A soft laugh escaped his lips. It quickly deepened into a chuckle, and then a full-throated laugh.
"That's right," he whispered. "I'm no longer the same Lucifer. I now have the means to grow stronger. I won't be bullied anymore!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a blinking light.
'A notification?' he guessed, giving the mental command to open it.
[Gained 5 creation points.]
'Creation points?' He recalled the system mentioning that killing creatures could earn him these.
'So I can use them… to create abilities? And even treasures?' Ideas raced through his mind like wildfire.
He pushed the thought aside for now. Danger still lurked nearby.
Still, the thought of being able to create anything sparked a fire inside him. He wiped the corner of his mouth, rose to his feet, and started walking back in the direction of the academy.
The mission was not yet complete, and time was slipping away.
'Besides, the sky's already darkening,' he thought. 'And if two beasts came out just as afternoon was ending, even more will appear when night fully descends.'
He recalled the academy's warnings—creatures grew bolder after dusk.
After walking for a few minutes, he reached a quiet stream. He paused, then knelt to wash the blood and stench from his body.
Stripping off his stained clothes, Lucifer glanced at his reflection in the water.
His frame was lean, bordering on frail, with little muscle on his arms. His skin was pale from long hours spent hiding in the dorm, avoiding bullies whenever he wasn't in class.
Scars ran across his body—some appeared to be caused by weapons, others by elemental magic. A few were still fresh.
He gently touched his cheek. His face was average, unremarkable in every sense.
There was nothing remarkable about him. Just a scarred, pale boy with hollow eyes and a broken past.