Primordial Lust System

A few hours earlier, elsewhere in the Goblin Demon dungeon.

"Pathetic, weak pieces of trash!" A youth with blonde hair snickered, eyeing the carnage before him.

Multiple goblin bodies lay burnt to ashes, the ground below scorched with the aftermath of the power he had unleashed.

Still, it wasn't over. His eyes, now burning with an orange glow, locked onto another squad of goblins.

Their ranks hovered around level ten, numbering twelve in total.

Without uttering another word, he snapped his fingers. A disdainful smile cracked his lips.

"Die, you lowly beasts!"

The moment his words rang out, a horrendous sight unfolded. His body lit up in a splendiferous orange light, encasing everything within a ten-meter radius. Soon, the light took shape, forming illusory red chains that burned with hellish fire.

Then, as if with a mind of their own, the chains burst forth at blinding speed, springing toward the goblins. Before they could react, the chains encased their figures and sank deep into their flesh.

Hell erupted. A chorus of hellish screeches echoed as the chains burned them from the inside out. Their crude clubs were useless against the brutal assault, and the blood that sputtered from their wounds evaporated in mere seconds.

Before long, the goblins stopped moving, their bodies disintegrating into ash that drifted away.

Through it all, the youth's gaze remained fixed on them, relishing every moment. As a mage with his A-rank Hellfire Chain Wrath talent, the goblins had never stood a chance.

"Burn," he uttered softly, his eyes locked on the drifting ashes. "For your death shall be my rebirth." He smirked, his words already ringing true. "Level ten, huh?"

It wouldn't be long before the Graeogor family witnessed the rise of Rowan Stormblood.

If advancing ten levels within a single day wasn't a prodigious feat, he didn't know what was.

With that thought, his figure vanished from the dungeon.

****

"I'm a goddamn genius!" A young girl smirked, a shameless grin spreading across her lips. Her pale black eyes and full head of black hair framed the face of a beautiful youth. Sara's voice rang out with pride.

"Holy sh*t! Am I seeing this right?!"

"She did it... She slayed... a level five goblin!"

"Oh my god! That's what I call a genius! I heard she awakened a B-rank Bull Charge talent. Now that she's chosen the warrior class, she's... unstoppable!"

"Argh! She's my goddess now! Given that I'm still a level one archer, if I seduce her... and she marries me... I'll be the luckiest man alive!"

"Tsk, tsk. Impudent toad lusting after swan meat! You think she'd even look at you twice?!"

"Sigh A man can only dream."

"If only I could slay beasts that easily, or have such a talent... I'd be laughing in my dreams."

A commotion broke out among a group of Awakened standing behind Sara. Their eyes glimmered with admiration as they had just watched her single-handedly tear apart a level five goblin.

Quite the impressive feat, at least from their perspective.

Sure, since birth the concept of power had been ingrained deep within them—its grandeur and all that came with it. But that desire to wield it crumbled like an illusion after awakening mediocre talents.

Without the potential talents provided, power remained a dream. Hard work was inconsequential. Without the ability to wield true strength, nothing could alter your fate.

Hence, watching another Awakened live out their dreams stirred admiration—tinged, of course, with envy.

But this wasn't them giving up. Far from it. They were simply playing it safe. Slaying beasts to awaken their classes was enough; the point was to awaken them.

Those who went further were the ones who dared to rise above the ordinary, chasing power by putting their lives on the line.

****

"Argh, die already!" an angry yell echoed across the dungeon elsewhere.

Draped in a white robe that barely hid the curves beneath, a black-haired beauty came into view.

Her hazel-brown eyes dimmed, then suddenly flared, blinking an entrancing blue. The air around her shifted in response, dropping dangerously low before a cold chill engulfed the area.

The torches illuminating the dungeon flickered, threatening to go out, but still burned mystically.

Boom! An explosion rang out as a volley of ice spikes launched from her hands and struck their target.

A monstrous six-meter goblin, its frame lined with corded muscle, radiated an overwhelming aura.

The spikes dug into its flesh, drawing blood, but the beast was relentless. It swiped at its injured torso, knocking the spikes out one by one.

Though more wounds opened, they didn't seem to bother it. Its target was within reach.

When it closed the five-meter distance, the human girl smiled as if she had calculated this all along.

"Activate Ice Frost Talent!" she commanded.

The already frigid air plummeted further. Ice spread across the floor, then engulfed the goblin's figure.

Its resistance shattered beneath spires of ice that tore into its body, freezing its blood until it collapsed, dead.

In a dramatic flourish, she snapped her fingers. Hairline cracks spread across the frozen goblin before it exploded into a hundred shards.

She breathed deeply, relishing the sight. A whisper escaped her lips shortly after: "Finally... level twelve."

Streams of energy surged into her figure, the warm glow a reward for killing countless level ten goblins. She had done it.

Yet, even with all this, true happiness eluded her. A burning hatred, laced with anger, stirred deep within. With this power she wielded, vengeance would be hers in the upcoming academy selections.

Aurora smirked. Her figure vanishing from the dungeon.

Similar scenes played out as Awakened battled goblins across the dungeon. The same pointless conversations and fights, only the intensity varied.

Some managed to rise through the ranks. Others fell. Still others deluded themselves with the grandeur of their meager power.

Yet, amidst it all, one youth stood out.

With midnight-black hair and a pair of enchanting obsidian eyes, he drew notice not just for his strength, but for his composure in battle, and his ease in leveling up while staying cool-minded.

The realization that dawned on him at the end was simply the icing on the cake. Power was everything. And given his...unique circumstances, it was time he exploited the hell out of them.