The system window opened before Luke's eyes, its glow softly illuminating the darkness.

[Special Mission Orb: Locate the Inventor Objective: Find Samael, the Inventor of Artemis Location: (???) Reward: Profession]

Luke stared at the prompt for a few seconds. The mission had changed. He glanced to the side—Allison was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, lightly dozing.

A profession…?

Intrigued, he raised a hand to the necklace around his neck—the storage item, the so-called Artemis Invention—and pulled up its description once more.

[Artemis Invention (Unique) Description: A prototype crafted by Samael, the Inventor. 'A gift to help you on your journey. Good luck. It was collecting dust in my workshop anyway.'

PS: I am not liable for any discomfort it causes. – Samael Enchantments:

[Spatial Storage (Rare)]: Grants access to a pocket dimension where items can be stored. [Artemis]: (???) Requirement: Soulbound]

The "Artemis" enchantment was still hidden. Nothing in the description gave any hint of what it actually did. Luke reread Samael's note, searching for a clue.

Samael... the Inventor. But was he real? A person of flesh and thought? Or just a myth, a relic embedded in the system's lore? The necklace had been abandoned inside a ruined church—exactly the kind of artifact you'd expect to find in a dungeon, more a piece of backstory than something crafted by living hands.

…Or was it?

Either way, Luke knew what needed to be done. At some point, he'd have to find Samael's resting place—if it existed at all. He needed more power. If he ever wanted to escape this tutorial—if he ever wanted to go back to Earth—this path was inevitable.

Maybe I shouldn't be looking for churches anymore… but graves.

The idea was grim, but it made sense. He'd probably end up combing through headstones from now on.

With a sigh, he closed the mission window and returned to the main interface.

That's when he noticed it.

A new race skill had appeared.

Three options were listed—two familiar ones: [Mental Focus] and [Enhanced Five Senses], both previously ignored.

But the third was new:

[Meditation (Common)]: Enter a state of absolute focus, blocking out all distractions. While meditating, your stamina and mana regeneration increase significantly. However, you become incapable of taking any action, and your awareness of your surroundings is drastically reduced.

Finally.

That was the race skill he should've received at level 5. But thanks to his special lineage, the system had delayed the usual unlock path.

He didn't hesitate.

[You have acquired Race Skill: Meditation]

Charlie hadn't received the skill yet. Was he her "Meditation"?

He remembered: whenever Charlie returned to his soul, her HP, mana, and stamina slowly regenerated.

Maybe that was the connection. Luke opened her status window:

Name: Princess Charlie Level: 6 Rank: F Class: [Death Knight (Lvl 12)] Race: Skeleton Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord] Health Points (HP): 93/420 Mana Points (MP): 200/200 Stamina: 229/350

Stats: Strength: 45 Agility: 29 Endurance: 35 Vitality: 42 Perception: 19 Intelligence: 20 Free Points: 3

She's badly hurt…

Luke stared at her HP bar, a deep frown forming. The battle against the orcs had cost them more than he'd thought. She had probably triggered Basic Bone Regeneration at some point. If any bones were broken, she must've rebuilt them—at a price.

It drained her HP just to stay together.

He took a deep breath.

Time to spend those remaining points.

One into Strength. One into Vitality. One into Perception.

Updated Stats (Princess Charlie):

Strength: 45 -> 46 Vitality: 42 -> 43 Perception: 19 -> 20 Free Points: 3 -> 0 HP: 93/420 -> 103/430

With that done, he closed Charlie's window and opened his own. His gaze locked onto the skill: Demonic Blade Dance.

He had learned something crucial about it.

The skill wasn't just one—it was two in one. The passive granted instinct. Unconscious knowledge. The fluid grace of battle: spinning, slashing, countering without thought.

But the active?

That's when the black aura emerged. The afterimage. The Mimic.

Two layers. Two natures.

A combat style that felt anything but conventional.

Name: Luke Level: 8 Rank: F Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 15)] Race: Half-Demon Profession: - Titles: [Dark Lord] Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon] Health Points (HP): 348/740 Mana Points (MP): 29/480 Stamina: 138/300 Soul Fragments: 28/1000

Stats: Strength: 65 Agility: 73 (83) Endurance: 30 Vitality: 74 Perception: 70 Intelligence: 48 Free Points: 1

He reviewed his situation calmly.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Then allocated his last point into Strength.

Updated Stats: Strength: 65 -> 66 Free Points: 1 -> 0

Right then, something caught his eye—a new item in his inventory.

And it surprised him.

[Chestplate of Drukar, the Orc Captain (Rare) Forged from the armor and bones of Drukar, an Orc Captain. Offers solid defense without restricting mobility. Ideal for those who dislike heavy gear. Bonus: +20 Endurance, +15 Agility Requirement: Level 10+ in any Class or Race.]

A chestplate…?

Exactly what he'd been missing.

Until now, his gear had only included a boot, some pants, and a cloak. This piece wasn't just armor—it came with stats.

He tapped [Equip].

The chestplate materialized onto his body—lightweight, snug, comfortable. Dark brown with bone-white accents, its tribal, almost primal design made him look like something out of a nightmare.

He felt the difference immediately. His stamina surged, the bonus effects kicking in at full force.

Charlie would benefit even more—most of her skills drained stamina, not mana. But for now, he kept it for himself.

If I die, it won't matter how well-equipped she is.

***

The bells rang.

Six a.m.

They heard the synchronized pounding of heavy boots—Midnight Wardens rushing back to their dens. Their patrol window had ended.

"It's safe to head back to the Haven," Allison said, breaking the silence.

Luke glanced at her.

"You going back as yourself? Or using the disguise?"

She looked surprised. Her hand went instinctively to the pendant around her neck—probably the one with the transformation enchantment—but stopped halfway.

"I'll go back as myself," she said softly. Thoughtfully.

Luke raised a brow.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. It's the right call. I can't waste any more time hiding. If I want to get back to Earth… I need to give it everything I've got."

They started ascending the basement stairs.

"I don't know how things are gonna be at the haven," Luke said. "Most of them are dead... including Angelica. Do you think they'll blame us? Think they'll say we abandoned them?"

Allison paused on the step above, glancing back with a half-smile.

"You thinking of running?"

"You don't have to," Luke replied with a laugh. "If you return as a woman, your male version could've just… died during the attack."

"Oh, the irony. Now you could disguise yourself as a woman."

"What? No." Luke made a face. "I'd rather run and never look back."

They kept climbing.

"Don't worry," Allison said. "I doubt anyone's going to blame us. Everyone chose to go. And Paul's team... they definitely made it out."

Luke nodded, but his thoughts quickly shifted.

"Hey, that disguise item of yours... It's Soulbound, right? Can anyone else use it?"

"What, thinking about switching sides now?" she teased.

"Obviously not." He rolled his eyes. "I just want to understand how Soulbound stuff works. No one can even touch my storage item, not even if they try."

Allison lifted the pendant from her neck and held it up. "A Soulbound item only has one owner. If that person dies, the item gets destroyed with them. But the user can channel its effect into someone else—depending on the enchantment. They can't use it freely, but they can benefit from whatever power the owner activates."

"In my case, it's transformation. I'm the only one who can trigger it, and whoever I use it on can only take the necklace off to cancel the disguise." she said.

"Got it…"

Luke went quiet for a moment, his mind drifting back to two people they'd lost.

"The archers," he said. "The ones who grabbed healing potions and stored them in Soulbound gear… That means they died with everything still on them?"

Allison nodded slowly.

"Yeah. It's all gone. Completely wasted."

***

They moved quietly now, slipping across rooftops as they made their way toward the Safe Zone. The river had pulled them miles downstream—they still had a long way to go.

"Why'd you join the system integration?" Allison asked, crouching beside him as a pack of giant hyenas prowled the streets below.

"I mean… if you weren't born into a guild family, if you were just an ordinary person... why risk your life entering the tutorial?"

They hadn't talked much about the past.

Luke gave a crooked smile.

"Come on. Like I knew I'd end up here. Everyone thinks it'll be something mild. Like camping in the woods or whatever."

She nodded—but didn't drop it.

"Still, that's not an answer. Try again."

"If you tell me your reason," he said, "I'll tell you mine."

"Deal."

"That easy?"

"We're friends, right? After everything we've been through... I think if one of us makes it out, the other deserves not to be forgotten. We can carry each other's stories."

Luke paused, finally understanding. Her reason wasn't money. It wasn't power. It ran deeper—much deeper.

"I..." He exhaled. "I want to find out what happened to my mother."

Allison turned to him, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Thirteen years ago, she left me with another family and entered a system integration. She went for the tutorial... and never came back. I just want to know what happened. So I can move on."

Allison lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry..."

Then fumbled over herself.

"I mean, not that she's definitely—"

"I get it." His voice was steady.

No hesitation.

"I've already accepted that she's dead. I just need to know how. Was it a monster? A system failure? Or did someone kill her just to loot her body? Or worse?"

His hand tightened around the hilts of his kukris.

"If someone was responsible... even if they're already dead, I'll hunt down anyone who was there. The ones who saw it. The ones who let it happen."

Allison stayed quiet.

"My reason… it's not like yours," she said after a moment. "It's selfish. And cruel."

Luke looked at her—not judging, just listening.

"I want to become a god."

He blinked.

"A god?"

"Yes. It's possible. Gods are just people who reached the highest tier in the system. S-rank."

Luke had already theorized that the gods were just powerful beings within the system, but now he understood how they reached that level.

"And why would that be cruel?" he asked.

"Because gods aren't good," she said, voice cold and detached, like she was reciting something she'd long accepted. "To reach that rank, you walk a path soaked in blood. And most of it... innocent."

"So why do you want to become one?"

Allison didn't hesitate.

"Because I want to kill a god."

She said nothing else.

Neither did Luke.

***

They reached the edge of the Haven. The moment they stepped into camp, dozens of eyes turned toward them—staring, whispering. Shock. Uncertainty. Grief. The whole place felt like a funeral with no bodies to bury.

"Blood Demon?" someone muttered under their breath.

Then, a small group rushed toward them.

"I—I thought you were dead!" Anna gasped, out of breath.

In the distance, Luke spotted Paul. And next to him... Angelica.

Alive.

"My god… look who crawled back from the grave," she said with a half-smile.

Luke froze. "You're alive...? But how?"

Angelica lifted her shirt just enough to show the bandages wrapped around her torso. "Thiara's been healing me for days. Barely made it... but I survived."

Paul walked up with the rest of the team. "You and that tall knight—Charlie—distracted the Midnight Warden while you were escaping. That gave Angelica and one more person enough time to get into a house and hide."

He paused. "We thought everyone else was dead. When we got back, there were only corpses. We had to run—the Warden was still there. But the next day, Angelica returned... with another survivor."

"Un-fortunately," Angelica added softly, "we lost everyone else. You, Allison, and Charlie were the only ones we didn't find." She lowered her head. "And everything they pulled from the chest… all of it's gone. They died for nothing."

Luke exhaled. He reached for his pendant... and pulled out a small cloth pouch.

"Sustenance was my role. I picked these up just in case—some seeds. It's not everything we hoped for, but it's not nothing."

A small smile bloomed through the sorrow. Fragile, but real.

"Johnny helped us," Angelica whispered, eyes glistening. "I hope he—and the others—can rest in peace."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Until someone spoke.

"Who's that?" Anna asked, pointing.

Everyone turned to Allison.

Paul squinted. "Is that Charlie? I've never seen her without the helmet."

"No way," said Jonathan. "Charlie's way taller."

Allison took a breath. "Everyone... I'm Allison."

The room went still.

"Allison?"

They all repeated it at once. Confusion rippled through the group like a dropped stone in water—shock, disbelief, a few murmurs exchanged behind hands.

That night, the core survivors gathered in Angelica's room. Allison explained everything. She showed them the necklace. Demonstrated the enchantment. Only for that small group.

Angelica listened quietly, arms crossed, then finally spoke. "I get where you're coming from. But just to be clear—'male Allison' is dead. Understood?" She locked eyes with Allison. "For safety, only the people in this room know about your item. If Bartholomew finds out... he won't rest until he takes it. He's terrified of being assassinated."

Allison nodded.

"From now on, you're a new survivor," Angelica said, finalizing it. "No more questions."

The tension finally broke. Light chuckles filled the air. Someone even laughed aloud.

Angelica suggested they hold a tribute to the fallen—a memorial. The seeds would be the symbol—of sacrifice, and of hope. They would feed the children. Start a new chapter. Offer a future to a place that had only known loss.

But Luke...

Luke had no idea that today would change everything.

He didn't know that somewhere in this room... someone would one day want him dead.

He didn't know how dark the road ahead truly was.

Or that everyone here… would become his enemy.

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