Return

A few minutes earlier...

Zynos, who had been knocked back by the claw, was stunned. He hadn't expected the sudden attack. Struggling, he wobbly stood up and leaned against a tree, his breath ragged.

Taking a deep breath, he looked in the direction of the fight. Seeing Lyria injured, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

He pulled out a vial from his pouch. The liquid inside was pitch black—the same poison the system had extracted from his body.

"Let's see how strong you really are," he muttered coldly, coating his blade with the poison.

Spotting Lyria on her last legs, he leapt onto a tree branch and hurried toward her. As he neared, he waited for the wolf to gather the energy inside his mouth and then with a jump,

PIERCE!

He drove his blade directly into the wolf's left eye. "Let's see how you survive this, bitch," he spat, twisting the blade mercilessly.

AWOOO!

The wolf shrieked intensely before vomiting black blood. The poison coursed through its body, corrupting it completely. Moments later, it collapsed with a lifeless thud.

"Heh... no wonder this body died that day," he murmured, cold sweat trickling down his temple as he realized how deadly the Essence-eating

poison was to knock the wolf in just a few seconds.

He quickly approached Lyria, uncorking the last remaining healing potion. Without hesitation, he poured the contents into his mouth and knelt, pressing his lips to hers, transferring the potion directly into her.

GULP.

Lyria swallowed the potion slowly, her wounds slowly started to close, though she remained unconscious.

Zynos picked her up gently and placed her under a nearby shade untouched by the chaos. "Now, let's check the rewards," he thought, a grin forming on his lips.

"Status!"

[DING]

[NAME: ZYNOS ZYPHRAX

CULTIVATION: BODY REFINING PEAK STAGE]

[STRENGTH (STR): 32]

[AGILITY (AGI): 79]

[ENDURANCE (END): 21]

[INTELLIGENCE (INT): 25]

[CHARISMA: 9 (MAX: 100)]

[LUCK: 2]

[BLANK POINTS: 15]

"My agility is off the charts—almost at the Master realm.It seems my body can't handle more pressure or it would be even more higher I guess," he mused, recognizing the value of his blank points.

"Now, for the reward!"

[DING! YOU GOT A TICKET FOR THE ABILITIES ROULETTE. DO YOU WANT TO USE IT?]

"Yes!"

[...]

[DING! CONGRATS, HOST. YOU LANDED A JACKPOT!]

[RANK EPIC: BLOOD DEVOURING ART]

"What!? Epic? Wait… system, clarify these ranks!" Excitement danced in his voice.

[Be it Abilities, Techniques, Bloodlines, or Physiques, all are ranked as follows:

-Common

-Rare

-Epic

-Legendary

In this world, few possess rare techniques, let alone an Epic ability.]

"Hahaha! Damn, in the future, I need to invest in luck!" he thought gleefully. "Go on, give me that juicy ability, hehe."

[DING]

[TRANSFERRING BLOOD DEVOURING ARTS.]

[The host may experience slight pain.]

"W-wait, let—ARGHHHHH!"

A searing pain struck his chest and mind. He collapsed, clutching his chest in agony.

"SYSTEM! YOU BASTARD! IF YOU WERE A WOMAN, I'D FUCK YOUR BRAINS OUT!" he roared internally.

Half an hour later, Zynos opened his eyes, staring at the sky with a long sigh.

"I'll test this after returning home. Lyria still needs treatment," he thought, lifting her carefully.

Before leaving, he stored the wolf's corpse and made his way to safety.

...

In the mansion...

"You guys defeated a Lightning Wolf King!?" Aurielle asked in a loud voice, her tone a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

"DON'T YEP ME! Say clearly what happened in the forest!" she demanded, her voice low but sharp, piercing through Zynos's casual demeanor.

"Alright, alright, calm down," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

They sat down, and Zynos began recounting all the events in detail, from slaying the wolves to fighting the beasts and finally defeating the Lightning Wolf King.

Aurielle's expression shifted from shock to surprise, and finally, pride. She looked at him with a warm smile, her initial worry fading away.

[DING]

[QUEST COMPLETED!]

[YOU HAVE MADE YOUR MOTHER PROUD.]

[REWARD: DEMONIC CLAW.]

The system's voice echoed in his mind. Zynos blinked but maintained his calm, not letting his expression betray his surprise.

"So, Mom, how's Lyria?" he asked, remembering her injuries from the battle.

"She's better now, thanks to our House Elatharion healer," Aurielle replied with a gentle smile.

"Eltharion?" Zynos narrowed his eyes slightly. That name tugged at something deep within him, sparking a faint unease.

"System, show me my status," he commanded inwardly.

[DING]

[[Name: Zynos Zephrax]

[Age: 21]

[Physique: None]

[Bloodline: Primordial Incubus Demon [Locked]]

[Cultivation: Body Refining Initial Stage]

[Lust Points: 150]

[Harem Members: None]

[Blank Points: 10 (System-gifted)]

"She's definitely hiding something from me," he thought, his suspicion growing. "Even in my previous life, it wasn't 'Zephrax.' I'll ask her about it later."

"Son, are you listening?" Aurielle's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"I have some work to do, so I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said, standing up and smoothing her robes.

"Mother, give me a new sword. This one's broken now," he said, holding up his old blade, snapped in half from the intense battle.

"Alright, I'll have the blacksmith in our clan forge one for you," she said before leaving the room.

Zynos watched her leave, then returned to his room, closing the door behind him. He sat on the couch, deep in thought.

"System, how do I activate the Demonic Claws?" he asked, closing his eyes and focusing inward.

[Just imagine it, host.]

Following the system's instruction, Zynos began breathing slowly, his mind zeroing in on the image of claws forming on his hands.

Gradually, his hands hardened, the nails on his fingertips elongating to about three centimeters. His forearms turned black, pulsing with dark veins that seemed alive.

The transformation was accompanied by a faint crackling sound as he clenched his fists, testing their strength. The sharpness of the claws made tiny cuts in the air, leaving faint trails.

Feeling the power coursing through his hands filled him with a sense of superiority. It was intoxicating, as though his ego had doubled in an instant.

"These claws... they're a weapon of destruction," he muttered to himself, flexing his fingers and admiring their sharpness.

"With these claws and the Blood Devouring Art, Lets see how many live to taste these" He thought with a smirk

Then he deactivated the claws, watching his hands slowly return to normal. "I'll need to train with these properly," he thought, already planning his next move.

With a sigh, Zynos stretched and lay back on the couch. His mind lingered on his mother's words about the name, Eltharion. 

"I'll uncover everything, but one step at a time," he whispered, before drifting into contemplation about his next plans.

…