Lux smiled even though he still breathing heavily from exhaustion. He slumped against the cold stone wall of a nearby building and letting himself rest for a moment.
Despite all of that pain in his muslces, a strange sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.
He had pushed his body past its limits and in return, he had grown stronger albeit a little. It was a small step but it was a step nontheless.
Then his stomach growled.
Lux cursed under his breath, pressing a hand against his empty stomach. Of course, training alone wasn't enough. He needed food and needed to rest. His body wasn't some machine that could run endlessly despitee already granted the Abyss System.
He had to be smart about this. If he collapsed from hunger, all this effort would be for nothing.
As he leaned back against the wall and catching his breath, a sudden commotion reached his ears.
A small group of men had gathered near the street corner talking in hushed but urgent voices. Their expressions were tense and their tones carried that familiar mix of fear and fascination that came with terrible news.
Lux listened.
"...slaughtered, the entire family. Nothing left but bodies and blood..."
"...Aliqyeri house. I heard it was a supernatural attack!"
"...damn creatures. And the boy, the son? They never found him. Probably eaten, poor bastard. How the fuck did a Supernatural creature entering this city? What is The Solara's Knight doing?!"
Lux's fingers curled into a fist.
He stayed silent, forcing himself to remain expressionless as he processed their words.
He had never spent much time outside. Between his studies at the academy and the strict discipline at home, his world had always been small. He had acquaintances but no real friends. He wasn't the kind of person people really noticed or remembered.
And now, it seemed that worked in his favor.
No one suspected he was alive. The entire city believed that the Aliqyeri family had been wiped out. That the son — him — had been killed as well and devoured by the monster that attacked his home.
Lux exhaled slowly. This is good.
If the world believed he was dead, then no one would come looking for him. He wouldn't have to worry about the constables chasing him down or the academy questioning his absence. He was free.
For the first time in his life, he had no expectations to fulfill and no rules to obey.
He could move in the shadows, unnoticed and unseen.
And from there, he would hunt.
Lux exhaled slowly and pushed himself off the wall. He had no reason to linger here.
Turning away from the murmuring crowd, he made his way back toward the abandoned building where he had taken shelter.
The streets were busier now. People bustled about, opening shops, setting up stalls, and doing their morning routines. No one spared him a second glance. To them he was just another vagrant. A nameless and faceless part of the city's underbelly.
That suited him just fine.
As he slipped into the darkened entrance of the building, his mind turned inward. He focused, willing his thoughts toward the strange presence within him.
"Uh... Abyss System, are you there?"
There was a brief silence, then a response came.
["Yes."]
Lux's lips twitched slightly. Even now, it was strange — this thing inside him responding as if it had always been there.
"Can I do the same quest again?"
["You mean 'Getting Stronger I'? Of course. It is a repeatable quest that will always be available until you reach a certain threshold."]
Lux make a small nod to himself. That was good to know.
He couldn't afford to stop now. His body was still too weak. If he wanted revenge and wanted to be strong enough to face the creatures that had destroyed his life, he needed to train again and again.
So he ran the same three kilometers. His lungs burned, his legs ached, but he didn't stop. He ignored the way his body protested and pushing himself forward.
By the time he reached the building again, his breathing was ragged, but he wasn't done.
Dropping to the ground, he began his push-ups.
One.
Two.
Three.
The burn in his arms returned quicker this time, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself through it. By the time he reached fifty, sweat dripped from his brow, but he immediately shifted into sit-ups.
His stomach clenched painfully with each movement and his hunger making it worse, but he didn't let that stop him either.
Then came the squats.
Each motion sent sharp jolts of exhaustion through his legs, but he pushed through that again.
Finally, as the last squat was done, Lux collapsed onto the dirty ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His entire body painful and he was hungry.
Then, a notification flashed before his eyes.
[Quest Progress: Complete!]
[You gained 30 EXP!]
[Current EXP: 60/100]
[Strength: +1]
[Agility: +1]
[Endurance: +1]
Lux smiled faintly despite the painful exhaustion because he was keep getting stronger.
But his stomach refused to comply with his determination. Hunger still gnawed at him and now he also feeling thirsty.
"Damn... I grabbed some money last night, didn't I?"
He reached into his pack and rummaging through its contents. His fingers found a few crumpled banknotes barely enough for some bread and water. He cursed under his breath. In his rush last night he hadn't thought to bring more.
Just as he was about to stand, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
Turning around, he found an old woman smiling at him. Her face was lined with age, smudged with dirt, and her clothes were worn and tattered.
Despite that, she held out a piece of bread toward him.
Lux blinked. "What?"
"Eat this," the old woman said kindly. "I saw you training earlier. Must've been tough, right?"
Lux stared at the bread. "I... What about you?"
"I've had enough," she assured him.
He hesitated. "It's alright, ma'am. I still have some money—"
"Keep it," she interrupted gently. "You never know when you'll need it. Just eat this for now."
Lux glanced at her, then at the bread. A part of him wanted to refuse out of pride, but he could tell she wouldn't take no for an answer.
In the end, he gave a small nod and accepted it. Rejecting her kindness would've been too rude.
The old woman took a step back and nodding at Lux with a warm smile.
"Keep at it, young man," she said with gentle voice. "Hard work will take you far from this live."
Then, without waiting for a response, she turned and walked back to her corner, settling onto a worn piece of cloth near a pile of crates.
Lux watched her for a moment before glancing down at the bread in his hands. It was simple bread but to him, it felt like a feast right now.
He tore off a piece and took a bite. The dry texture crumbled in his mouth but he barely cared.
By the time he finished, he was already feeling a little better. He wiped the crumbs from his lips and sighed in relief.
Then, a sudden notification flashed before his eyes.
[New Quest Received!]
Lurking Shadows: Track and eliminate a Lesser Thrall.
Progress: 0/1 Eliminated.
Reward: Instant Level Up!
Lux's eyes narrowed. A Lesser Thrall...
Based on he knows just from the rumors and myth, Thralls were weak. They were humans who had been bitten and partially transformed by a vampire but hadn't completed the full change.
However, they were fast, vicious, and lacked reason. And that's making them dangerous.
He clenched his fists, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. He had to do this because he will receive an instant level up.
---