The night air was cold, brushing against Lian's bloodstained skin like a whisper of freedom.
He inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of the outside world for the first time since his imprisonment. But beneath the refreshing night breeze, the metallic stench of blood clung to him like a second skin.
He stepped forward onto the cobblestone street, moonlight reflecting off the crimson stains that marked his clothes and body. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, drawing eerie shadows across his sharp features.
The system interface appeared again, its cold voice echoing in his mind.
[Quest: Escape the Prison – In Progress]
[Objective: Reach the outer city gate without capture.]
[Reward: Unlock Sin Shop + 100 Sin Points.]
Lian smirked.
"Escape? How amusing. I've already slaughtered half the guards below, and yet this system dares to think I can be captured?"
Still, he knew better than to underestimate the world. In his past life, arrogance had led him to ruin. This time, he would wield arrogance like a blade—but only when victory was certain.
The small prison was located on the outskirts of a bustling city. Lian could see the faint glow of lanterns in the distance, accompanied by the drunken laughter of late-night taverns. The world continued in blissful ignorance of the massacre that had taken place underground.
But his freedom would not last long. Already, a bell tolled from the watchtower above the prison.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
"An alarm," Lian muttered. "So they've discovered the corpses."
Torches flared to life on the walls, shouts ringing out as armored guards poured from the main building. The moonlight reflected on steel as a squad of a dozen men marched into the streets, scanning for the fugitive.
Lian stepped back into the shadows of a narrow alley. His spear, slick with drying blood, felt heavy in his hand—but his eyes burned with anticipation.
The system whispered again.
[New Sub-Quest Available.]
[Optional: Kill the Search Party.]
[Reward: +50 Sin Points, 20% Skill EXP.]
Lian's grin widened into something feral.
"Optional? Heh… nothing is optional when it comes to sin."
The guards advanced cautiously, torches lighting their way.
"Spread out! The prisoner couldn't have gone far!"
"Check every alley!"
"Remember, the man is unarmed—"
The soldier didn't finish his words. From the darkness, a crimson glare pierced the night. Then came the blur of movement, faster than human eyes could follow.
Lian struck.
The spear pierced the man's throat cleanly, silencing him in a wet gurgle. Before the others could react, Lian kicked the body forward, sending it crashing into two more guards. In the same motion, he spun the spear in a deadly arc, cleaving through flesh and armor alike.
Blood sprayed into the air. Screams echoed down the street.
[+10 Sin Points.]
[+10 Sin Points.]
[Skill EXP +8%.]
The system's voice was drowned by the chaos, but Lian absorbed every word like divine scripture.
The guards rallied, their captain barking orders.
"Surround him! He's only one man!"
They formed a half-circle, shields raised, swords gleaming. But the fear in their eyes betrayed them. None could forget the demonic glow of those crimson eyes.
Lian exhaled slowly. His heart pounded, blood rushing through his veins like molten fire.
"System," he whispered. "Activate Blood Fury."
[Blood Fury – Level 1 Activated.]
His vision tinged red. His muscles surged with unnatural power. Every sound, every movement slowed, as if the world itself struggled to keep pace with him.
The first guard lunged. Lian sidestepped effortlessly, driving his spear into the man's ribs before wrenching it free in a spray of gore. Another swung from the side, but Lian twisted low, sweeping his leg to shatter the man's balance before crushing his skull with the butt of the spear.
"Monster!" one shouted, voice breaking.
Lian only laughed, his voice sharp and wild. "Wrong. I am sin itself."
[+10 Sin Points.]
[+10 Sin Points.]
[Blood Fury EXP +12%.]
Within moments, half the squad lay in pieces on the blood-slicked cobblestones. The survivors trembled, their formation broken, courage shattered.
And then, Lian felt it—something new stirring within the system.
[Wrath Sin Gauge: 100% Filled.]
[New Skill Awakened: Crimson Howl.]
A wicked smile spread across his lips.
"Let's test it."
He tilted his head back and let out a guttural roar, a sound that was less human and more beast. The very air seemed to tremble. A crimson wave of killing intent exploded outward.
The guards froze. Their weapons rattled in trembling hands, eyes wide in primal terror. For a heartbeat, none dared move.
Lian didn't waste the opportunity.
He cut them down, one after another, like sheep before a butcher.
When silence returned, only corpses remained. The street was a river of red, and Lian stood at its center—an unholy figure bathed in moonlight, spear dripping with blood.
The system chimed.
[Sub-Quest Complete: Kill the Search Party.]
[Reward: +50 Sin Points, Skill EXP +20%.]
[Total Sin Points: 170]
Lian wiped the blood from his face, exhaling slowly as the crimson glow of Blood Fury subsided. His body ached from the strain, but exhilaration still thrummed in his veins.
The system's final notification appeared:
[Quest Update: Escape the Prison – Objective Remaining: Reach the Outer City Gate.]
[Warning: Reinforcements Approaching.]
Indeed, the sound of armored boots echoed in the distance. This was only the first wave.
Lian glanced down at the corpses, then toward the city beyond. His crimson eyes shimmered with madness and ambition.
"More soldiers… more blood… more sin."
He licked his lips.
"Good. Let them all come. I will climb higher on their corpses until this world drowns in sin."
As the bells continued to toll and the city stirred awake to the horror unfolding in its streets, the birth of a demon had begun.