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[ Status ]
Name: Lin Feng
Race: Human
Level: 1
EXP: 500 / 1000
Element: Curse (Awakened)
Magic Awakening Status: Novice
Talent:
Curse (Epic) : Epic-tier talents are exceptionally rare, appearing once in tens of thousands. They offer accelerated comprehension, heightened elemental affinity, and increased power output.Even a weak spell cast with an Epic talent can overpower a normal one of higher level.
Skills:
-Pain Resistance (Lv 1)
-Hunger Resistance (Lv 1)
-Drug Resistance (Lv 1)
-Mana Sense (Lv 1)
Stats:
-Mana: 0 / 50
-Mana Recovery: 0.5 / min
-Magic Resistance: 5
Inventory:
-Bloodied Knife
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After reading that, Lin Feng's lips curled into a slow, dangerous grin.
"Epic, huh? But even with it I wan unable to cast the spell or align even 3 stars"
One week later…
The old apartment was nothing more than a faded memory now. Lin Feng had moved into a modest but clean place on the other side of Bo City—still low-profile, still tucked away from curious eyes, but a major upgrade from that cockroach-infested shithole. The plumbing worked, the fridge actually cooled things, and the walls didn't look like they'd collapse with a heavy sigh.
All it had taken was a slice through Boss Zhou's hands and a little creative looting.
His entire haul from that store—cash, food, burner phones, even a few shady ledgers—was now neatly stored in his Inventory, locked away behind a simple thought. The system had made cleaning up after theft disturbingly convenient.
And in that one week?
He'd grown.
Faster than he thought possible.
Each night, he sat in complete silence, practicing, reaching for that elusive feeling he'd only briefly tasted when Curse Magic awakened. And now, after hundreds of tries, his efforts were paying off.
He could align three stars in his star chart with ease now. Four, if he pushed himself to the brink. Most awakened mages struggled for months just to stabilize their first. Some failed entirely. But him?
He wasn't normal.
The Mana Sense skill had accelerated his understanding of magical flow, while the Epic-tier Curse Affinity kept whispering subtle truths into his subconscious—intuition no one had taught him.
At this rate…
He was going to outpace most people in the world.
They didn't even see him coming.
Lin Feng sat on the narrow balcony of his new apartment, a half-empty glass of cheap whiskey dangling between his fingers. The city stretched out before him like a dying animal—lights flickering, sirens screaming in the distance, people moving like ants chasing crumbs.
The wind was cold tonight. Not enough to make him shiver, but enough to remind him he was still alive. Still breathing. Still him.
He leaned back in the cracked plastic chair, eyes half-lidded, watching the smoke from his cigarette curl into the sky. It had been a week since the system appeared. A week since that woman's screams carved a place into his memory. A week of aligning stars, bleeding his mind dry, trying to touch something deeper… darker.
He was improving faster than he should. That much was obvious. Aligning three stars was easy now—four if he really pushed, clenched his jaw, and ignored the migraines. His Curse Magic, even if he still couldn't cast a proper spell, was whispering to him like a devil behind a veil. It wanted out.
The city wouldn't last long. He knew that. Something in his bones told him Bo City was a ticking bomb, and he wasn't about to go down with it. He had to get stronger. Faster.
A soft buzz from his phone cut through the silence.
He pulled it from his pocket, thumb sliding across the screen.
Boss Zhou.
Lin Feng immediately sat up straighter, stubbed out his cigarette, and answered in a polite, almost submissive tone. "Boss Zhou, good evening. You called?"
The voice on the other end was calm. Gruff. The kind of calm that came from knowing you owned people.
"Mmm. Got a job for you. You understand?"
Lin Feng's mouth curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"Yes, Boss. I understand completely."
"Good. Motel. Same room. Come prepared."
The line went dead.
'He seems to be talking in limited words, is he afraid of being tapped?'
Lin Feng stared at the phone again, the silence now heavier than before. That motel again, huh? The scent of blood probably still lingered in the mattress. The wallpaper still peeling off from steam, sweat, and muffled screams.
He took a deep breath, finished the last sip of whiskey, and stood up. The shadows welcomed him as he stepped back inside.
"Guess it's time to clock in."
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Heres the talent system
Talent Grades:
Common – Average affinity, standard learning curve.
Uncommon – Slightly above average.
Rare – Considered gifted.
Epic – Chosen by fate. Potential to rise above entire peer groups.
Legendary – Borderline myth. Capable of breaking the world's limits.