System Upgrade

After the old man's body was disposed of—unceremoniously, like trash—the rest of the slaves were shoved back into their cell.

The heavy door slammed shut behind them.

A heavy silence hung in the cell.

No one spoke. They just dropped to the floor like sacks of broken bones, too exhausted to even grieve.

Alaric leaned back against the damp stone wall, his muscles throbbing with fatigue. He closed his eyes for a moment—

[Ding!]

A translucent panel popped before him.

[Daily Quest Completed!]

+5 Domination Points

+1 EXP

Alaric's eyes snapped open.

And then, slowly… they gleamed with amusement.

Another window appeared.

[You have enough Domination Points to upgrade the system.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

"Yes," Alaric whispered, his voice barely audible in the dark cell.

[Upgrading System… 10%... 30%... 70%... 100%]

[System Upgrade Complete.]

[System Level: 1]

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Brandon 

(Past Life: Alaric Noir)

Race: Human

Age: 19

Title: Slave, (The Fallen King)

Essence Path: None

Rank: Unawakened

EXP: 14 / 100

Stats:

STR: 2 —> 5

AGI: 3 —>5

END: 2 —>4

WIL: 10 —> 13

CHA: 4 —> 8

INT: 6 (??)

Domination Points: 0

Daily Quest: Completed

Main Quest: None

System Level: 1 (Requires 150 Domination Points to Upgrade)

??? (Locked – Requires System Level 2)

'Close.'

The panel vanished with a soft flicker.

Alaric stared at the empty space for a second longer, then leaned his head back against the wall, eyes gleaming.

"Step by step…" he whispered, before shutting his eyes for the night.

---

The Next Morning.

The cold splash of water greeted them again. Groans echoed as the guards barked orders.

It was the same as always.

They were led outside—but this time, something was different. The worksite was oddly quiet. Tools lay unused. Supervisors whispered among themselves.

The work came to a stop.

But the slaves didn't care about the why.

All they knew was they weren't being ordered to lift, dig, or haul.

A miracle.

Some of them even dropped where they stood, sighing in disbelief.

But it didn't last.

"Up! On your feet!" A sharp voice cut through their momentary hope.

It was the head maid of the house, who seemed to be in her mid-forties—tall, stern, neatly dressed.

Stepped forward, flanked by two guards.

"You'll be assisting with laundry and storeroom duties today."

Groans rose from the group, but they obeyed.

No one dared challenge her authority.

Alaric followed at the back, eyes narrowed. "So much for rest," he muttered.

The head maid stopped them in front of the grand staircase, her gaze sharp.

"All of you," she said, her eyes scanning over the worn, grimy slaves, "clean the entire estate. Every hall, every room. I want the floors to shine by sunset."

The slaves groaned inwardly, this wasn't what she said they have to do when she brought them here.

But they nodded in silence, knowing well this isn't their place to object her.

With groans and murmurs, the group scattered to their assigned sections.

Alaric was sent to clean one of the inner halls,near the west wing, quieter, more decorated.

The polish of nobles was strong here—expensive rugs, paintings, furniture made of dark mahogany. He swept, scrubbed, wiped... until voices from around the corner caught his ear.

Maids.

They were gossiping a few steps away, unaware or uncaring of his presence.

"I heard Baron Duskwood is coming again," one whispered.

"Really?" the other gasped. "Isn't it about the marriage?"

"Yes. Between his son and Young Lady Elina. That's what Lady Selene's been preparing for."

"Lady Elina won't be able to refuse this time… I heard the Baron's bringing gifts worth a fortune."

Alaric's brow twitched. Elina?

Before he could think further—

"Hey!" A sharp voice cut in.

"Why're you standing there like a corpse? Get back to work!" A guard snapped, stomping toward him.

Alaric blinked, then quickly dropped back to his knees, scrubbing the floor again like nothing had happened.

The day dragged on, each hour heavier than the last. By the time the sun began to dip behind the estate walls, they had cleaned the grand halls, staircases, and every damned window and floor.

The head maid called for them to gather.

They stood in a line, hunched, breathless, faces streaked with dust and grime.

"Finished?" she asked coldly.

They nodded.

Just as they were about to leave—

"You," a cool voice came from behind.

They turned.

Standing behind them.

Lady Selene Glimor.

Dressed in a dark sapphire gown, her Raven-Black hair tied neatly, she held herself like nobility—sharp eyes scanning the line of slaves until they landed on Alaric.

"You stay."

She then turned to the head maid. "Clean him up. And give him something decent to wear."

Alaric blinked.

But he said nothing.

The other slaves glanced at him with a mixture of confusion and jealousy.

Selene didn't explain.

The head maid gave a slight bow to Selene, then turned to Alaric.

"Follow me," she said.

Alaric followed her, his bare feet padding against the polished floors as they walked through a series of narrow corridors—quieter, less polished than the main halls.

Eventually, they stopped near an old storage chamber, where a large barrel had been filled with water.

She handed him a rough piece of cloth, thin, worn.

"You stink like rot." She said, "Hurry up and clean yourself. Don't take all day."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left, her footsteps fading down the hall.

Alaric exhaled heavily, muttering, "Finally... About time I got rid of this stench."

He wasted no time, stripping off the tattered rags that clung to him and dunking the cloth into the cool water.

He scrubbed every inch of himself, gritting his teeth as he cleaned the grime that had clung to him for weeks.

When he was done, he stood taller, lighter—his skin raw but clean.

Wrapping the rough cloth around his waist, he stepped out of the room.

The head maid stood waiting with a folded set of servant clothes in her hands.

"Dress properly," she said, handing them over. "And remember your place."

Alaric changed quickly, adjusting the collar, tying the sash. He looked… normal.

Like just another quiet servant boy.

Once he was presentable, the head maid gave him a stern look.

"Some of the regular servants are away today," she said.

"You'll fill in. For now, you're just another house servant."

Her tone dropped immediately.

"Listen closely. You speak only when spoken to. Do exactly as told. Misbehave…" her eyes narrowed, "and you'll wish you hadn't been chosen at all."

Alaric just gave a shallow nod.

"Let's go."

She said and turned towards the main hall.

Alaric followed behind.