The day passed without anything new occurring. Eventually, the screams of civilians faded—not because things had improved, but because most of the survivors had learned to hide. Buildings became shelters, and zones were slowly cleared as people used their systems to drive monsters away, carving out fragile pockets of safety.
That was where I found myself now—inside one of those cleared zones, leaning against a cracked wall while the city outside lay unnaturally silent.
I opened my system again, more out of habit than curiosity.
That was when I noticed it.
A new tab had appeared.
Sins.
My eyes narrowed as I selected it.
A list unfolded before me, dark and ominous. Only one sin glowed vividly—Wrath—its symbol burning red, pulsing faintly as if alive. The rest were there too, but shaded out, locked away like forbidden doors waiting to be forced open.
Pride.
Gluttony.
Greed.
Sloth.
Envy.
Lust.
I tapped on Pride.
A new message appeared, cold and absolute:
Defeat a higher-level enemy alone.
No assistance.
No contracts.
No external support.>
I let out a quiet breath, a thin smile tugging at my lips.
So that's how it works… Not quests. Not kindness. Not heroics. The system doesn't reward virtue—it rewards dominance.
I scrolled through the others, each sin displaying its own twisted requirement. None of them were easy. None of them were moral.
Good.
Heroes need rules to tell them what they can and can't do. I don't. If power demands arrogance, hunger, cruelty—then I'll embrace all of it.
I closed the interface, my gaze drifting toward the darkened streets beyond the window.
Higher-level enemy, huh?
A challenge.
A promise.
Another step closer to becoming something this broken world won't be able to control.
And this time… I won't need anyone else.
I decided it was time to train.
Shadow stirred at my feet, then melted into the darkness beneath me, slipping into my shadow as naturally as breathing. Together, we left the cleared zone and moved back into the monster-infested streets.
That was when I saw it.
High above the ruined skyline, something colossal coiled around a skyscraper—a serpent made of stars, its body glittering like the night sky itself. Each slow movement bent the air, space itself seeming to warp around its scales.
My breath caught.
In the deepest part of my heart, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
I have to have it.
Not now. Not yet. But someday, that creature would belong to me. The thought burned itself into my mind, a promise rather than a wish. For now, I tore my gaze away and headed in the opposite direction. That thing was far beyond me—challenging it now would be suicide.
Eventually, I ran into a group of five goblins clustered together in a narrow street, blades already drawn as they noticed me.
I slowed to a stop.
Five.
Even for me, this would be difficult.
Shadow tensed in my shadow, ready to strike—but I didn't give the command. My pride flared, sharp and uncontrollable, drowning out reason.
I don't need help.
That was when it hit me.
When there's a chance to earn a new sin… I lose control.
Not rage.
Not fear.
Obsession.
I tightened my grip on my sword and stepped forward alone, fully aware of the danger—and fully convinced that I would win.
Because if the system wanted arrogance, hunger, and dominance…
Then I would give it exactly what it wanted.
The goblins spread out the moment they saw me. Five of them—knives raised, eyes sharp. They weren't panicking. They were hunting.
Shadow stirred beneath my feet.
Stay, I ordered silently.
I stepped forward alone.
The first goblin lunged, blade flashing toward my ribs. I twisted—but not enough. Pain exploded as steel punched into my side, hot and wet. My breath hitched.
Good.
The moment blood spilled, something snapped inside me.
A crimson pulse surged through my body, drowning the pain in heat and fury.
The world narrowed.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I grabbed the goblin by the throat and dragged him close. Strength flooded my limbs, raw and reckless. I drove my sword forward with everything I had.
The blade tore through flesh, bone, and spine.
The goblin didn't even scream.
Its body collapsed at my feet as I ripped the sword free, blood spraying across my face. I inhaled sharply—and felt alive.
More.
Another goblin charged, emboldened by my wound.
I met it head-on.
My sword moved faster now, heavier, fueled by rage and pain. I hacked downward, splitting its shoulder and chest in a single brutal strike. It fell screaming—but I didn't let it finish. I stomped on its head until the sound stopped.
The others hesitated.
Too late.
I surged forward, every movement driven by bloodlust. One slash opened a throat. Another carved deep into a stomach. I didn't bother defending—only attacking.
A knife cut across my arm.
I laughed.
The pain only fed the skill.
Bloodlust Strike burned brighter, my strikes growing heavier, more vicious. The last goblin tried to run.
I didn't chase.
I threw my sword.
The blade punched through its back and pinned it to the ground. Silence followed, broken only by my ragged breathing.
The street was soaked in blood.
I stood there, trembling—not from exhaustion, but from restraint. Bloodlust Strike faded slowly, leaving a hollow ache behind.
Shadow emerged from my shadow, eyes glowing faintly as he surveyed the bodies.
I wiped blood from my mouth and realized something terrifying.
I wasn't disgusted.
I was disappointed it was over.
And deep within me, something stirred—slow, heavy, and hungry.
Not Wrath.
Something wThe crimson haze finally receded.
My breathing slowed as Bloodlust Strike faded, leaving behind an echoing emptiness in my chest. I stood amid the bodies, sword dripping red, the street unnaturally quiet.
Then the system chimed.
One notification became five.
My vision flickered as the numbers stacked.
I exhaled slowly.
So that's how it works… the stronger the fight, the greater the reward.
Another notification appeared, colder, heavier.
I felt it settle into me—power being added, absorbed, claimed.
I opened my status.
Name: Leon
Level: 2
EXP: 100 / 150
Race: Human (Blocked)
HP: 82 / 100
MP: 160 / 160
SP: 55
STR: 11+ DEX: 11+ CON: 11+ INT: 17+
Contracts: 1
• Shadow (Named)
The numbers felt… right.
I stared at the EXP bar longer than I should have. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough.
Shadow shifted beside me, sensing my mood.
One hundred EXP. Five lives. Twenty points each.
I clenched my fist.
I could do that again.
As if responding to that thought, the Sins tab pulsed faintly in my vision—this time not demanding, not flashing.
Waiting.
Something inside me stirred, slow and vast.
Not rage.
Hunger.
.