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Luciel's body collapsed hard against the ground. His legs could no longer support him, his breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and blood poured freely from the gash in his left shoulder. The world around him dimmed, like an old lightbulb flickering on its last bit of energy. The child he had saved earlier sobbed quietly, hugging his knees, trembling with fear.
Luciel didn't care.
His eyes were locked onto a single thing: the transparent blue screen floating midair in front of him. A system window. Something he had only ever seen from afar. Something that had never, until now... belonged to him.
It had finally arrived.
"Why... now?" he hissed under his breath, voice hoarse and shaking. "Why wait until I'm half-dead, huh? What, do you bastard gods up there enjoy watching me suffer? Feels good, doesn't it? Watching me get stabbed, beaten, crushed like a goddamn dog?!"
His voice grew louder, even as his body weakened.
"Do I have to fucking die first to be considered worthy?"
And then it came—the sound of a notification.
Cold. Emotionless. But to Luciel, it hit like a bullet straight to the heart.
> [System Activated. Synchronization: 12%.]
[Current Version: Codebreaker v0.01 – Unrecognized]
[Connection to Union System: Failed]
He went silent. His heartbeat thudded loudly in his chest. And then... he laughed.
Low and raspy, the laugh of someone who had finally seen light after centuries of living in darkness.
"Codebreaker... huh?" he murmured. "Fitting name for something the world refuses to acknowledge..."
Luciel tried to stand. His legs trembled, his bones screamed in protest, his skin felt like it was splitting open—but his body refused to surrender. Even with cracked ribs. Even with torn flesh. Even with death brushing against his neck.
He still rose.
> 📘 [STATUS – Luciel Caelis]
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NAME : Luciel Caelis
LEVEL : 1
SYSTEM : [Codebreaker v0.01 – Unrecognized]
HP : 45 / 110
MP : 20 / 35
STR : 6
AGI : 7
INT : 5
VIT : 6
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🎯 ACTIVE SKILLS:
• None
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📢 NOTIFICATIONS:
> EXP x3 active – Codebreaker Effect
> Synchronization will increase with continued system use
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Luciel took slow, deliberate steps. The child called after him, but he didn't answer. He didn't even look back. The world had turned its back on him long ago—now it was his turn to walk away from it.
This system wasn't a gift.
It was a curse.
And curses were perfect tools... for revenge