"He is Lucian Foster, the stepson of the vampire we captured…
Seren Scarlett."
"Huh!" Alexander exclaimed.
The moment the name Scarlett left Jonathan's mouth, Alexander's fingers clenched around the armrest.
The wood creaked, cracks forming along its surface.
For a brief instant, an invisible pressure flooded the room—dense, suffocating, predatory.
The air itself seemed to thicken.
The candles along the walls flickered violently, and cracks spread across the windows.
Alexander restrained it immediately.
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it appeared.
But that single second was enough.
Jonathan's knees slammed into the floor. Sweat poured down his face as if he had dragged back from death.
His vision blurred, and his ears rang.
"Ha… haa… ha…"
His breath came out ragged and uneven, and his heart pounded violently in his chest.
Alexander leaned back into his chair, his expression once again calm and unreadable, as he waited for him to stand up on his own.
Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Jonathan's laboured breathing.
After a while, Jonathan pressed his palms against the floor and forced himself up. His legs trembled, but he finally managed to stand again.
"Is there something special about him?" Alexander asked flatly, not even thinking about his earlier outburst.
He hadn't sensed anything unusual.
When Lucian Foster had stood before him earlier, the boy had felt… ordinary.
Jonathan swallowed hard, steadying his breathing before responding.
He reported everything he had found—Lucian's past beatings, his mother's case, the years of neglect and abuse.
Alexander listened… and lost interest halfway through.
"In the end," he said, unimpressed,
"He's mediocre."
Jonathan lowered his head slightly.
"Yes, Your Holiness."
He had the same opinion. To Jonathan, the boy was just a cripple, who somehow managed to get his shit together.
Still, there was one thing Alexander acknowledged.
Despite everything the boy had endured, he hadn't broken.
His tenacity.
Alexander remembered Lucian's eyes from earlier that day—steady, unflinching.
There was will there.
Purpose.
It was admirable, in a way, but that was all.
Alexander leaned forward slightly.
"What about his sister?" He asked.
This was what he wanted to know. He knew about her, but he still wanted to know if anything had changed over these years.
She wasn't a normal human. Something should've happened.
"I gathered her data as well," Jonathan replied.
"Amelia Foster. Seren's biological daughter. Human. She's currently living with Lucian and his mother."
Alexander's fingers tapped against the cracked armrest.
"Any unusual activity?"
"No, Your Holiness. Nothing supernatural."
Alexander exhaled.
"So nothing has really changed," he concluded.
Jonathan nodded.
***
Two months before the apocalypse.
News had started spreading of missing people, and murders had started increasing.
Lucian suspected it was connected to the coming apocalypse—but there was no proof.
So he did the only thing he could.
He trained, relentlessly.
Until his muscles screamed.
Until the pain became constant.
Until his vision blurred.
He pushed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
That was how he obtained his first skill.
[Minor Pain Resistance]
– Reduces perceived pain from minor injuries.
– Prevents pain from disrupting basic actions.
– Does not affect physical damage.
The moment he saw the panel before him, he had almost jumped in excitement.
He even punched the punching bag again and again in happiness over his accomplishment.
He hugged both Lia and his mother tightly.
They thought he had gained some huge income through stock market.
He didn't clarify anything.
He was happy.
Very much.
And how could he not be?
This was his first skill.
Something he had gained on his own.
The skill increased his resistance to pain, allowing him to push his body harder and longer.
As for his stats—
[STATUS]
Name – Lucian Foster
Race – Human
Rank – [LOCKED]
Titles – [LOCKED]
Bloodline – ??? (Dormant, Sealed)
Affinity – [LOCKED]
Talent – [LOCKED]
[Attributes]
Strength – 6➝8
Agility – 8
Constitution – 7➝9
Intelligence – 8
Will – 8➝9
Perception – 4➝5
Charm – 8
Stamina – 8➝9
Mana – [LOCKED]
Attribute Points (AP) – 8
[Skills]
Minor Pain Resistance
— — —
All of his stats increased slightly, and only his Intelligence and Charm remained unchanged.
And the higher his stats climbed, the harder they became to improve.
Every additional point required more effort than the last.
He didn't use his AP during this time.
Not yet.
He had no immediate need—and he preferred to keep them for emergencies.
He knew the apocalypse would not be forgiving, and he needed options.
…
Lucian lay flat on the gym floor, his chest rising and falling heavily.
His upper body was bare, revealing a well-developed, athletic frame carved with lean muscle, wearing only short track pants.
Unlike traditional bodybuilders, his physique was built through calisthenics and flexibility training—compact, balanced, efficient.
Sweat coated his skin.
He closed his eyes, gradually slowing his breathing.
He didn't know how long he had been here, in the gym.
This was the gym he had built in his house.
It didn't have all the facilities of a regular gym, but it had everything he needed—pull-up bars, weights, resistance bands, mats, and other equipment.
Simple and effective. Better than staying in a crowded local gym, waiting for someone else to finish their set.
Looking at the time, he noted that 3 hours had passed, and that was only because he had trained intensely.
He could feel that he could train for 6 hours if he went all out, and even more due to his [Minor Pain Resistance].
His pain tolerance was increasing faster than before, accelerated by the skill.
But that didn't mean he could ignore pain altogether.
It simply meant his resistance was growing—and would continue to grow even faster.
A sudden weight pressed down on his stomach.
Opening his eyes slowly, he looked at Lia sitting on his stomach, just slightly above his crotch, with a towel in her hand, her hair tied loosely behind her head.
She was wearing a white T-shirt with shorts—the clothes she usually wore at home.
Smiling, she gently wiped the sweat from his face with the towel.
"Why are you training this hard?" she asked in a cheeky tone.
"Are you joining the military or a bodybuilding show?"
Lucian chuckled.
"Why would I join the military? I have no qualifications for it. And no, I am not joining anything. Just doing some exercises—to keep my body in shape."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Some exercises? Do you think training for three whole hours is normal?"
Despite her words, there was no real worry in her voice.
At first, she had been concerned—afraid he would hurt himself. But over time, she had grown used to it.
And she couldn't help but admire him.
Just about two years ago, he could barely lift a finger, and now…
Her gaze drifted over his sweat-covered body, and her breathing unconsciously grew heavier.
She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm.
Lucian stared at her, feeling slightly uneasy.
Lia had been acting stranger lately—especially around him.
There was one more thing, other than her behavior.
She was becoming more beautiful.
It wasn't that she hadn't been beautiful before—but now, her features seemed more refined, more striking.
Her body, too, had changed, turning more… curvy.
And it wasn't only him who noticed.
She had grown popular in college. Men confessed, flirted, tried to approach her—but she turned them all away without hesitation.
Sometimes, even flipping them off with a middle finger when they tried to insist.
Lucian didn't know any of that.
He just stared at her face, feeling an unknown emotion, along with a weird feeling.
He sighed quietly, shook his head, and gently held her wrist.
"Will you get off? Or are you just staying like that?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and blushed slightly.
But didn't move away.
"What if I just want to stay like this?" she replied, smiling mischievously.
Lucian abruptly sat up, pulling her with him so she ended up sitting on his lap as he sat cross-legged.
They faced each other, his chest pressed against her breasts.
"You're getting too clingy," he said evenly, trying to ignore her blush.
He even tried to ignore his body heating up for some reason. He thought it was because of his workout.
"I'm still sweaty. You might start to smell."
She wrapped her arms gently around his neck.
"I don't care," she said softly.
"You don't stink. But…"
Her voice trembled at the end.
"Do you hate me being clingy?"
Her fingers tightened behind his neck.
She didn't know what she would do if he asked her to keep her distance.
She didn't know when it started—but now, she couldn't imagine a single day without him.
And if he really wanted her to—
She didn't know what she would do.
Just as her eyes started darkening, Lucian said—
"I don't hate it. You can be as clingy as you want."
Her eyes regained their clarity.
She let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her face.
Her lips curved into a soft smile.
Giggling softly, she hugged him tightly.
Lucian hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Lia trembled slightly.
Breathing in his scent, she tightened her arms around him, her gaze lingering at his neck for a moment before she finally closed her eyes.