Lucian woke with a sharp inhale.
A floating interface glowed before him.
[STATUS WINDOW ACTIVATED.]
[WARNING: HOST POWER EXCEEDS SYSTEM THRESHOLD.]
[FORCED BALANCING IN PROGRESS.]
His body convulsed.
A violent pull—
Something ripped from him.
His strength. His speed. His aura.
Gone.
[BALANCING COMPLETE.]
[CURRENT STATUS: LVL 1 – MORTAL BASELINE ACHIEVED.]
Lucian remained still, his breathing controlled. Losing power meant nothing. True weakness? He had already experienced it. That grave, that eternal void—that was real powerlessness.
This? This was just another inconvenience.
Then—
[NEW QUEST: DEFEAT A FOE STRONGER THAN CURRENT SELF.]
[TARGET IDENTIFIED: A SPY WITHIN YOUR RANKS.]
Lucian's smirk returned.
Even if this world had changed, the people were the same.
And he knew exactly who the traitor was.
He stood up, steady despite the hollowness in his limbs. He could feel the difference—his body was weaker, slower, frail. But that didn't matter.
A traitor had to be dealt with.
The Trap
Lucian moved with purpose, his mind calculating. He called for the servant Dion, masking his intentions with a calm demeanor.
Dion entered, bowing low. "My lord, how may I serve you?"
Lucian offered a slow, unreadable smile. "I have a task for you."
He placed a sealed letter on the table. False information. A fabricated command. A simple bait. If Dion was truly the spy, he would take the letter to his contacts.
Lucian leaned back in his chair. "Deliver this immediately."
Dion bowed. "At once, my lord."
The moment he stepped out, Lucian followed. Through the hidden passages of the palace, he tracked him, unseen.
And just as expected—
Dion stopped in a dark corridor, looking around cautiously before kneeling beside a loose stone in the wall. He pried it open, revealing a small compartment. A hidden message drop.
Lucian watched as Dion placed the letter inside, confirming his treachery.
Then, Lucian spoke. "How much were they paying you?"
Dion froze.
Slowly, he turned. His face paled, his hands trembling. "M-My lord…?"
Lucian stepped forward, his presence alone suffocating despite his weakened state. "You were never loyal to me. Only to gold."
Dion's lips trembled. "I—I—"
Lucian cut him off. "Do you know why I let you live?"
Dion shook his head desperately.
Lucian reached into the stone compartment, pulling out the planted letter. "Because I needed proof."
The servant fell to his knees, shaking. "Mercy—please! I—"
Lucian leaned down, his voice calm, deadly. "No."
With a single, precise movement, he snapped Dion's neck.
The body crumpled.
And then—
[QUEST COMPLETE.]
[REWARD: +1 STAT POINT | SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED.]
Lucian exhaled, his eyes flicking to the new glowing interface.
[REWARD ACQUIRED: SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED.]
[NEW FUNCTION AVAILABLE: STAT POINT DISTRIBUTION.]
A smirk curled at his lips.
Even though he was at his weakest—power was already returning to him.
This was just the first step.
And soon…
He would be unstoppable.