Darkness.
Cold.
Silence.
Lucien's mind stirred in a void. Slowly, he opened his eyes—if they could still be called that. Instead of sight, he sensed the room. His vision was tinted blue, and everything looked strange, like a dream.
He tried to breathe… but nothing happened.
He tried to scream… but no voice came.
Then came the sound.
Crack… clack…
He sat up. Bones grinding. Bones clicking. His ribs shifted, his spine popped.
Lucien looked down—and froze.
"No…"
His hands were bones. His chest? Hollow. His body? Gone. Only bone remained, with a cold blue flame flickering inside his ribcage.
"What happened to me…?"
Suddenly, a glowing blue screen appeared before him.
[◆ SYSTEM ACTIVATED ◆]
[Name: Lucien Alaric Nightshade]
[Race: Undead - Skeleton]
[Title: Death's Heir]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 50/50]
[Soul Energy: 5/100]
[Main Quest: Kill Darren Nightshade]
[Time Since Death: 1 Year, 3 Days]
Lucien's jaw opened slightly, but no breath came. "What… is this…? What's a 'system'?"
He was from a medieval world. There were no games, no leveling, no such things as 'screens.'
But this... this wasn't magic. This was something else.
He slowly stood. His bones cracked with every movement. He wobbled at first, but steadied himself.
"I… died. But now I'm awake. How?"
Memories rushed in like a flood.
The feast.
The betrayal.
Darren—his best friend. His brother in arms.
The knife in his back.
Pain. Cold. Darkness.
And now—this cursed body.
"Darren…" he whispered.
[◆ Emotion Detected: Hatred]
[+10 Soul Energy Gained]
His bones tensed. He clenched his bony fist.
"I'll find him. I'll make him pay."
He looked around. The stone walls were cracked, wet with moss and time. He was in an underground crypt—alone, forgotten. Only silence answered him.
Then something caught his eye.
In the corner, a pile of bones and armor. A long-dead warrior. Beside it, a rusted sword.
Lucien knelt and picked it up.
[◆ Item Acquired: Rusted Iron Sword]
[Durability: 7/20]
[Damage: Low]
He gripped it tightly. Though it was old, it gave him comfort.
He checked the skeleton's armor. Nothing useful. Just brittle cloth and a cracked helmet.
He stood and walked toward the crypt's only exit—a dark hallway leading deeper underground.
Then, a sound.
Skrrrch… skrrrch…
He turned. From the shadows, a giant rat crawled into view. Its eyes were glowing red. Its fur was patchy. Its teeth sharp and yellow.
Twice the size of any normal rat.
[◆ Enemy Detected: Cave Rat - Level 2]
Lucien raised his sword.
"This body is weak… but I'm not."
The rat lunged.
He swung the sword.
Clang!
A miss.
The rat bit down on his leg bone. Pain shot through him — real pain.
[You received 6 damage]
[HP: 44/50]
"Damn it—!"
He stabbed downward, hitting the rat's neck.
[Hit!]
[Enemy HP: 6/18]
The rat squealed and leapt back. Blood gushed from the wound.
Lucien rushed forward, swinging again.
[Critical Hit!]
[Enemy Defeated]
[+3 EXP Gained]
[+10 Soul Energy Absorbed]
The rat collapsed.
Lucien stood over it, breathing heavily out of habit.
"…Even like this, I can still fight."
The soul flame in his chest flickered brighter. The taste of power… it was addicting.
He dragged the rat's body into the corner, skinned some of the hide, and wrapped it around his forearm.
It looked crude—but it worked.
He stared at the blood.
He couldn't feel fear anymore.
Only purpose.
Only rage.
[◆ New Prompt: Survival Protocol Activated]
[Kill to Grow. Absorb to Live. Complete your Quest.]
[Optional Objective: Hunt more cave rats - 0/3]
"Kill more?" he muttered. "Fine."
A flicker of memory returned—Darren, standing above him, saying: "You were always too soft, Lucien."
Lucien's eyes burned blue.
"Let's see."
He stepped into the hallway, sword ready.
The darkness closed in—but this time, he didn't fear it.