Everything had come to an end, but Lucifer was not satisfied. The main culprit behind his death was still unknown. Who was the person that wanted him dead? And what was the reason behind it? He felt the weight of the unanswered questions pressing down on him, a heavy cloak of uncertainty that suffocated his thoughts.
Whoever you are, just wait. When the time comes, you will face my wrath.
Lucifer's gaze flickered to the lifeless body sprawled on the floor before him. A cold, hollow emptiness filled him. Why should he care about the betrayal that had led to this moment? This was punishment for treachery, for inflicting pain, for orchestrating his death. If not for Ego, he would have been nothing but a forgotten statistic, a casualty in a world that thrived on indifference.
So why should he feel remorse? He had long since buried any semblance of kindness. He would do whatever his heart commanded. The path of heroism or villainy lay in his hands, and he would become whatever he desired.
Feeling the urgency, he started to ponder his next move.
However, as he was contemplating what to do next, a foul odor drifted through his nostrils, sharp and acrid, which pulled him back to the present. Then he realized that blood-soaked clothes clung to his skin. He needed to change it.
Lucifer rifled through the drawers, each creak of wood echoing in the stillness, the tension coiling tighter with every passing second. Leo's body size was similar to his, so finding clothing that fit wouldn't be an issue. After a frantic search, he found a black shirt and pants, slipping into them quickly, the fabric cool against his skin, a stark contrast to the heat of the moment.
After that, he started to search the house for valuable things, specifically money. Although his actions may have resembled those of a thief, this was a wise choice in a world where nothing came for free… he needed money.
The money Leo got was also stolen from others, too. By earned by doing lots of dirty work and Lucifer knew this well. So Lucifer felt no guilt taking it. Why would he? He was not a nice person from the beginning. Some of it was even his share that Leo had taken by betraying him.
Gathering what he needed, he began erasing all traces of his presence. But before he could finish, a voice cut through the silence, startling him suddenly.
"Leo, open the door," a man's hoarse voice demanded from outside.
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Lucifer wondered what to do. Open the door and reveal the two dead bodies? No way. That would be foolish, which might undoubtedly put him at a disadvantage. He needed a plan, and fast, as he glanced at the bloodied bodies on the ground.
The longer he took, the more impatient the person behind the door became.
"Why the fuck this damn fucker is taking so long? Is he busy with his girl?" One of the guys spoke, which made Lucifer sure that there was more than one person there and that must be stronger than him with the way they were showing their authority towards Leo.
Lucifer on the other side, started to consider his options.
First, he was uncertain about the enemy's strength, and the system provided no hints. Must be that he had to see the appearance of the enemy for the evaluation to know how strong that person was. Even if he did see the enemy and knew how strong was the enemy, would he gonna fight head-on? Hell no, he had to prepare for the worst but he wouldn't try the worst of the worst, if now that there were better plan.
Second, He had little knowledge about the system as there were still more attributes he did not know about the system's function and the abilities he had and talents, especially Slave of Darkness. He had to make a smooth setting for the worst path he gonna follow in the future.
Third, the system functioned by hatred points so, he had to accumulate more and more so he could grow stronger. As for becoming solely by himself? He was the person who lost hope for himself as he did not improve for years after training. So the best way to gain hatred points was to let the enemy grit their teeth until their veins popped out.
Fourth, the last thing… he needed to flee from here and now as the unknown enemy started to bang on the door like crazy.
Bang! Bang!
"Open the door! If you don't open it in the next 10 seconds, you'll suffer with your girlfriend," the man outside called out, his voice dripping with sadistic glee
"10…9…8"
Oh, I have a Low-Level Stealing Art Technique, too right? I did see it had a stealth ability in it… so let's try to use it.
'Status' Lucifer willed within his mind then a panel pooped up.
[Hatred System Level: 1 (upgradable at 1000 Hatred Points)]
[Name: Lucifer]
[Physique: Dark Overlord Body]
[Talent: Slave of Shadow (White Grade) (upgradable at 1000 Hatred Points)]
Umbral Infusion (currently locked, needs 100 Hatred Points to unlock)]
[Main Power Rank: Mid-Level Dawnbringer Rank]
[Core: Not forged yet]
[Skills Learned: (See More)]
[Hatred Points: 125.5]
Oh, I have two talents? Looks like I need to observe this panel from top to bottom carefully later, looks like I have been quite careless lately.
But right now, he did not dull on this topic as the bastard who was outside was trying to break the door completely.
'Ego upgrade my Low-Level Steal Art' Lucifer commanded.
[Upgrading Low-Level Steal Art requires 15 hatred points]
[Are you willing to do it?]
"Just do it"
[Deducting 15 hatred points]
[Remaining hatred points: 110.6]
[Upgrading proceeds]
[Ding! Upgrade complete, the Low-Level Steal Art now is Mid-Level Steal Art]
[Ding! All the abilities related to Low-Level Steal Art were upgraded to further phases, and Basic Stealth turned into Mid-Level Stealth. Quick reflex, and sleight of hand also improved further while some of the flows also got removed]
[Ding! When using Mid-Level Steal Art, your agility also increases in a slightly]
[For further upgrades host needs 100 hatred points]
"Okay let's use it"
Lucifer activated the Mid-Level Stealth Art, watching as his body became slightly transparent. The effect intrigued him.
[Ego reminder: The stealth you are using right now will only work with the same level as you, if the person is stronger than you, then just pray that they won't catch you]
[Ego suggests: Upgrade the ability to further]
Huh? Wtf, looks like my hope was just for nothing. Okay do it I don't have any more time to think about it. Well, are you sure after upgrading to the next level, will I be able to flee smoothly?
However, there was no response, which made Lucifer speechless.
[Deducting 100 hatred points]
[Remaining hatred points: 10.6]
[Upgrading Mid-Level Steal Art to the next level]
Hearing this Lucifer almost bled from pain seeing the 100 hatred points vanish into thin air.
"Hope, it will be enough or I might die like a dog death" Lucifer muttered.
***
"Four," the person counted loudly, annoyance and anger lacing through his voice. But, there was still no response. 'Damn street rat, when I get my hands on you, both you and your girlfriend will learn the true meaning of my wrath,' he thought, feeling a bit embarrassed in front of his subordinates.
Just then, a subordinate with a keen nose approached the door, lowering himself to sniff at the wooden door, like a dog. The commanding figure glanced at him with disdain. "What the hell are you doing, you mutt?" he barked, incredulous.
The subordinate, undeterred, straightened and pointed at the door, eyes sharp. "Boss, I smell blood inside the house."
The leader raised an eyebrow, skepticism leaking into his tone. "Are you sure?"
"100%. Even the most trained hound can't compare to my nose," he stated, thumping his chest like a proud employer. "I was born for this job."
With an impatient grunt, the captain kicked the door with a force that echoed like thunder, splintering the wooden door with one decisive blow. The sound resonated like a thunderclap. And one thing was, he had not even counted to the whole 10, which was kinda unfair to his mouth.
"After you, boss," the keen-nosed subordinate said eagerly, practically vibrating with anticipation. The others followed by, a mix of dread and excitement swirling within them as the atmosphere was thick with apprehension.
As they stepped inside, the room greeted them with a chilling silence, their breaths catching in their throats.
"What the fuck?" The shock hung in the air like a heavy fog, as they each took in the bloody scene before them—Leo's lifeless body lay on the floor and his girlfriend, too, lay motionless.
The horror before them froze them in one place, disbelief rooting them to the spot. Any bravado they'd held just moments earlier vanished like smoke, seeing the bloody scene bore them.
"Did we just try to speak to the dead one?"