The numbers of his stats were rising.
His stats climbed with each step. A dangerous gold mine. That's what he had found.
E999 knew something buried in this place was very dangerous it felt like another world was under here,and whatever it was, it wasn't friendly. His body trembled—not with fear, but tension. Readiness. Like a predator scenting a stronger beast nearby.
He would just have to be careful. Extremely cautious.
Straightening his back, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. The air was colder now. Thicker. As if the tunnel itself was warning him. He ignored it and walked deeper into the dark.
Light appeared in the distance,flickers at first, like sparks caught in the wind that's seems so distant from these tunnels. They grew brighter as he approached, until he reached a clearing inside the tunnel. A single torch burned in the middle, surrounded by multiple branching paths.
A crossroad.
He stood still, scanning everything. The flames cast dancing shadows across the rough stone.
Several paths. All leading to the unknown.
He didn't like unknowns.
His eyes locked onto the one path lit with more torches. That one, at least, had some measure of predictability. He chose it, sick of walking blind.
He let the flames guide him—until it was time to extinguish them himself.
Elsewhere, in the same tunnel system—
A man stood motionless. Towering, broad-shouldered, draped in rags soaked in dried blood and filth. Muscles coiled under his dark skin like steel cables, his chest rising and falling in slow, heavy breaths.
His dreadlocks fell thickly over his shoulders, swaying like snakes when he turned. His eyes were sharp. Vicious.
"Linda," he growled. His voice was gravel wrapped in thunder.
"It seems the old chief forgot his taxes are due today."
He leaned forward slightly, his expression warping into something close to a sneer.
"How about you go fetch it for me. This time, it better be in perfect condition."
His face darkened.
"If you don't return… consider him dead. The whole village..." He licked his cracked lips. "...will be my snacks."
Then he shoved her away, hard,she fell to the floor damaged.
Linda staggered, barely managing to stay upright.
Dirty blonde hair clung to her tear-streaked face. Blood leaked from her torn ankles, every step a new agony. She couldn't even walk straight, couldn't cry anymore. Her pain had gone beyond that.
It was a long way back to her village. Too long.
She clutched the wall for balance, leaving a faint trail of blood as she dragged herself forward, inch by inch. Her breathing was shallow, her vision dimming.
In her satchel, tightly bound and hidden under a rag, were a few stolen crystals—taken from Alugard. Risked everything for them.
She had one hope: give them to her grandfather. and let him absorb them. Let him protect the village. Let him kill the monster called Augusta.
But fate wasn't listening to her plans.
Footsteps.
Not one. But two,were approaching very fast.
She turned, trembling at what she saw,two figures clouded with a robe in the dark. they were fast too fast,and too quiet.
Her throat seized in fear as she thought they were there for her thier cold red eyes stared at her in disgust,her heart beated in fear then she screamed.and collapsed her scream echoed. and faded quickly.
E999 stopped.
A scream. Faint, distant.echoed through the hollow tunnels.His face didn't change. He felt no concern.
Still… he turned his head, listening.wether he would hear it again but silence returned.
He wanted to ignore it.for It wasn't his problem.
But something urged him forward. Not guilt. Not empathy. Just… curiosity. The kind that killed,alot of people and animals.
He ran. Barefoot. Swift. Like a shadow without a sound. Thirty minutes passed in silence as he followed the direction the scream came from.
Eventually, he found nothing a dead end.
No—not just one. Three. A tri-split corridor, but the far path ended with a large tree it was like someone's farm.He turned to leave. Then something caught his eye.A glow,soft and faint. It was shaped like an apple.when he stepped closer.his Perception skill activated.he moved without a thought, his body twisting back and a spear sliced the air where his head had just been, embedding deep into the wall with a dull thunk.
He dropped into a crouch position,his eyes began scanning the area.that when he saw two figures emerged from the shadows.A
humanoid one at that but something was not right. They had Sunken eyes. dark pits.
Pale and flawless skin—too flawless and limbs that moved like greased dolls.these were Ghouls.his skill pulsed in his mind confirming his thoughts.
°~[Name: Nill]~°
°~[Race: Ghoul]~°
°~[Ability: Necromancer]~°
°~[Health: 40/80]~°
°~[Name: Nill]~°
°~[Race: Ghoul]~°
°~[Ability: Berserker]~°
°~[Health: 40/80]~°
He blinked.why was their health low. Are they already wounded?well It didn't matter cause the Berserker Ghoul charged with a frightening speed and no hesitation.
E999 ducked the first claw swipe,and rolled beneath the second, then he struck the ghoul's side with his elbow. The creature barely flinched a bit.it howled, swinging its fists wildly like a deranged beast but E999 knew this things has intelligence.one blow clipped his shoulder,his flesh tore and his bone cracked upon contact.
He gritted his teeth and slammed his knee into its chest.the thing was sent a few feets back.but the Necromancer was chanting. Its fingers moved in spirals. And the ground cracked with an otherworldly light surrounding it.from below three zombies clawed their way out, twitching and growling, dragging blades of bones.E999's face remained blank.he was weaponless and armourless he was surrounded.then the Berserker ghoul came again.this time, he grabbed its wrist mid-swing ,twisting it and snapped it backward with a wet crack. The creature shrieked in pain,E999 didn't stop.
He grabbed the ghoul by the neck and slammed its face into the wall over and over until its skull caved.blood sprayed across his face,Warm and thick.it twitched once more, then slumped dead.
He turned—only to see a zombie bite into his forearm and another tackled him from behind.He roared but not in pain, this time it was rage.He twisted his body and grabbed the biting zombie's head,he tore its jaw off, then used the sharp bone to stab the second one in the eye.the third charged forward and he kicked its knee backward. It quickly collapsed,and he stomped its head into pulp.
His body was shredded.and blood soaked him head to toe.but he was still standing soon he noticed that the Necromancer was still chanting.well not for long i guess E999 ran straight at it, he grabbed the rusted spearhead from earlier, and threw it with all his strength. Piercing through the necromancers throat.the ghoul gurgled, staggered, and fell dead.
The new summoned zombies froze, and only half of thier body that came out collapsed like puppets with cut strings.finally
silence returned.
E999 panted lightly, his chest rising and falling. Wounds burned across his body and his blood dripping onto the stone floor. Soon his regeneration kicked in healing him at a normal pace,he stared down at the corpses.
Thier empty eyes stared back at him he didn't feel proud and didn't feel relief. He just felt nothing.
Another fight. Another moment survived. Then the system message took him out of his dilemma
°~[Killed 3 Summons – 80 Exp Gained]~°
°~[Killed 2 Ghouls – 100 Exp Gained]~°
°~[Level Up x2]~°
°~[Five Neurocores Obtained]~°
°~[10 Free Attribute Points Received]~°
He didn't hesitate. The moment his eyes locked onto the small crimson fruit dangling from a skeletal branch, he lunged forward and plucked it. His hands trembled. Hunger was gnawing at his guts, and the sight of the ripe fruit felt like salvation.
"Fuck it," he muttered under his breath, and without another thought, he shoved it into his mouth.
It tasted like sugar, blood, and something else he couldn't place—something dark. Sweet and rich like aged wine, it slid down his throat, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. He devoured it like an animal, barely chewing. Two days. Two long damn days without food. It was his first meal, if he could even call it that.
The moment it settled in his gut, a faint chime echoed in his ears.
°~[A Blood Cherry has been consumed]~°
°~[All stats have been boosted by 20%]~°
He blinked. "System," he muttered, licking the red juice from his fingers. "What the hell is a Blood Cherry?"
The system responded almost instantly, more responsive than usual—like it had been waiting.
°~[A Blood Cherry is a rare fruit that only grows once every one thousand years. It blooms exclusively in vampire graveyards. It is known for catalyzing instant breakthroughs in Rank 1 beings. However, due to your current level, all it could offer you was a temporary 20% stat boost.]~°
°~[Judging by how ripe and sweet it was, the fruit was at its peak. This means... its owners are likely on their way.]~°
E999—clicked his tongue. He wiped the blood-red juice from his lips and shook his head.
"Great," he muttered. "Of course. Of fucking course."
If that was true, then this place wasn't abandoned—not really. Which meant—
"Shit. the ones i killed must have been the guards stationed here. I need to get the hell outta here."
Without wasting another breath, he bolted from the clearing. He didn't take the middle path. His instincts screamed at him to go left. He obeyed.
His legs pumped like pistons, carrying him across the cold dirt path with terrifying speed. The world blurred around him. Trees became streaks, and the shadows danced violently in his peripheral vision. But then—
Something was wrong.
His body temperature spiked. Heat surged through him like wildfire. Sweat poured down his face, his neck, his chest. His heart raced, thundering against his ribs like it wanted out. It wasn't adrenaline. It wasn't exertion. This was different—raw, primal.
He skidded to a halt, stumbling slightly. His vision swam.
What the hell is happening? he thought, panting hard. His clothes clung to him, soaked in sweat. He looked down at his trembling hands.
"System," he gasped, "explain. Now."
The reply came slower this time—like it was hesitating.
°~[Side effects of the Blood Cherry: Upon consumption, the user shall experience a condition of Extreme Lust. The more the user attempts to suppress it, the more intense it becomes.]~°
°~[This state will only subside once the user has cummed inside a member of the opposite sex.]~°
For a few seconds, his brain simply... stopped.
"What the actual fuck," he whispered. "Is this a goddamn joke?"
But the heat wasn't laughing. It climbed higher, searing his nerves like fire. His breath grew ragged. His thoughts began to blur, slipping toward things he didn't want to think about.
Then he saw her.
A silhouette ahead, barely visible in the dim tunnel light. She was curled up on the ground, weak and trembling. As he approached, she stirred and tried to stand but stumbled.
When she raised her head, her voice was barely a whisper. "Please... don't kill me..."
E999 stopped.
She looked like hell. Dirt smeared her pale skin, her lips were cracked, and her eyes were bloodshot. Hair matted with sweat clung to her cheeks. She didn't even look like she belonged in a battlefield. She looked broken.
But then the heat pulsed through him again—stronger this time.
His heart thudded. His blood rushed south, and his pants tightened violently.
"No, no, no... not now... not her," he growled, biting the inside of his cheek until it bled. But the blood cherry's curse had sunk its claws deep.
She swayed again, her knees buckling. E999 caught her before she hit the ground, one arm wrapping around her waist. Her weight was featherlight. He looked into her eyes—and something in his own gaze changed.
It wasn't just lust.
It was hunger.
His body screamed for release. Every breath he took near her drove him closer to the edge.
He gritted his teeth. His body wanted to act on its own, to throw logic away, to let the beast out.
But he couldn't.
She was terrified.
And he wasn't a monster,just a semi one because he never wanted his first time to be like this.
"Control," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Just... control."
Desperate, he brought up his stat window and dumped every free point he had randomly, hoping—praying—that it would calm the storm. The numbers ticked upward.
But it didn't help.
It only made him stronger.
Now his body was more efficient. Faster. More responsive. He could feel every heartbeat. Every muscle twitched with restrained desire. He was more aware of her soft breathing, the way her chest rose and fell, the curve of her trembling body in his arms.
His jaw clenched.
"Damn it..."
She looked up at him again—fearful, confused. Her lips moved. "Please..."
Lucien's throat tightened. He couldn't look away. The blood cherry wasn't just poison. It was seduction, wrapped in sweetness and dripping with madness.
He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't ask for this."
Her breath hitched.