Zac slowly came back to his senses.

The pillow beneath his head felt softer than usual. A sweet fragrance filled his nose. He reached up and pressed into it, lingering on the softness.

Opening his eye, he found Lima’s face above him, framed between her two mounds.

"Are you feeling comfortable now?" she asked.

"Yeah... I do," he muttered, still groggy.

Then it hit him.

"Wait, what?"

He shot up and moved away from her with confusion. She watched him with a faint grin.

"System, what exactly happened?"

[Oh, nothing much. You just went completely feral, turned into a lightning-powered lunatic, and beat that giant wolf like it owed you money.]

"I did what?"

[You heard me.]

"Explain it properly."

[During the fight, you lost control, went mad, and punched the wolf till it became like a smashed potato. Then you tried to attach her.]

"I didn’t hurt her, did I?"

[Hurt her? Please. She knocked you out with one hit.]

A pause.

"...One hit?"

[Yup! Good thing no one else saw that. It would’ve been a greatest disgrace for me as a system.]

"If you’re done collecting your thoughts, we can leave the portal. I’ve already gathered the mana stones from the wolves you killed."

Lima said with the same grin on her face.

Zac nodded.

***

He is now sitting in the chief’s office, waiting for Lima and the association chief to return.

[Tell me what you remember.]

"I was fighting the wolf. It was about to bite my neck... then everything went blank. When I opened my eyes, I was lying in her lap."

[Comfortable, wasn’t it?]

"Stop that and explain what happened."

[Before I explain anything, take a look at your status.]

⟦ STATUS ⟧

Name: Zac Godson

Level: 20 (E)(+12)

Age: 19

Race: Human

Title: -

Bloodline: Fallen (Unknown)

Traits: Divine Aura, Unmatched Charisma.

Awakened Abilities: System (Unknown), Swordsmanship (SS), Lightning (S)

Skills: -

Info Points: 20

Attributes

Strength: 30

Agility: 26

Physique: 36

Wisdom: 21

Un-allotted points: 72 (+72)

Zac stood frozen, staring at the panel.

The rise in levels made sense. The alpha wolf had been close to reaching Class D, so gaining twelve levels wasn’t surprising. But the bloodline... that was something else entirely.

Before he could question it, the system spoke.

[You continue to surprise me.]

[First, the Edge-bloom, a divine treasure, so rare even in the upper realms. Now, the fallen bloodline.]

[Either your luck is unmatched... or your doom is.]

"Why do you say that?"

[You’ll understand once you read its description.]

Zac focused on the bloodline details.

Fallen

One of the primordial races of the universe, erased from existence for their tyranny and ruthlessness.

Weakness

Emotionally volatile, battle maniacs, low willpower, prone to berserk states.

Passive abilities

Additional attribute gains with each level.

Enhanced physical and magical strength.

Adaptable body for all elements and energies.

Active ability:

Battle Mode: Heightens perception, suppresses distractions, increases all attributes and power output by 100%

Weakness: Leaves the body vulnerable after use.

Caution: Prolonged use may lead to both physical and mental breakdown.

[Considering how powerful the bloodline is, I’d say the weaknesses are nothing.]

[Every level grants four attribute points for a normal person. You leveled up twelve times, but you have seventy-two unallocated points. That means you gain two extra points per level. That alone gives you an edge over others.]

[But what you should be thinking about is this... why were the Fallen erased from existence?]

Zac’s expression darkened.

[Fallen isn’t their true name. They’re called that because they were completely wiped out from the universe. As for their true name it was forgotten in time.]

[It’s a taboo bloodline. If the major powers of the universe even suspect someone to be a Fallen, their only future is death.]

"What did they even do to deserve such a fate?"

[Far worse than you’re imagining.]

[They were the devils of the universe. Their emotional instability drove them to madness. Every Fallen in history was either a lunatic or a complete psychopath.]

His face went pale hearing the system. He even became a little afraid about the bloodline.

[You’re fortunate to be on a newly awakened planet. If you had been born on a more advanced world, awakening this bloodline alone would have been enough to get you, your family and who knows, even the entire planet may have erased.]

Zac’s body trembled as the words sank in.

"So... I should hide this bloodline."

[If you don’t want to be killed, that is.]

Just then, the door opened. Lima and the association chief walked in. The chief sat across from him, and Lima stood beside him with a file in her hand.

"I’m impressed by your strength. I didn’t expect you to go straight for the alpha wolf. Most newly awakened variants wouldn’t do that. But you not only fought it but actually killed it without any help."

Zac gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"So, what have you decided?"

"I don’t really know what to say. I’m grateful you think highly of me and offered me a contract, but I’m still a newly awakened and am waiting for my college entrance exam."

"I don’t even know which college I’ll get into or what my life will look like from here."

"You don’t need to worry about that. I’m not asking you to join the association immediately. You’ll be signing as an honorary member and receive a stipend and access to information from the association."

"You won’t be assigned to missions unless you choose to take them, except in desperate situations. And you can request help from us whenever you need it."

"You’ll also have access to the association’s website, just like a regular member. And if you want, you can take missions to earn more privileges and move up in rank."

"Isn’t that too good to be true?" Zac asked.

"It is," the chief admitted with a nod. "Think of it as an investment. We’re securing you before other organizations or guilds do, and the benefits we’re offering will help your growth."

"You’ll only become a full member after your time at the academy. You might think we’re treating you as special because of your potential. That’s only partly true."

"Every SS-rank variant, and a few others with exceptional abilities, receive the same contract. So you don’t need to overthink it."

The chief gestured to Lima, and she handed the file to Zac. He opened it and read through the terms. Just as the chief had said, everything was clear.

After a long pause, he signed the contract.

Then, Lima took Zac to the lower floor and handed him the healing potion, just as she had promised. He took the violet liquid carefully and stored it in his system inventory.

She looked at him with the same faint smile. "I would have given you the skill and the other items listed in the contract, but I can see what’s on your mind. Go take care of your mother. Come back tomorrow for the rest."

With that, she stepped into the elevator and left.

Zac didn’t waste a second and rushed home. He took Carrie with him and headed straight to the hospital. They stood beside their mother, Martha. Her face was pale, with a frail body and shallow breaths.

Zac opened the vial and gently poured the potion into her mouth. He then waited for the potion to take effect.

"Brother... what is that?" Carrie asked softly.

"A healing potion."

"Aren’t they expensive?"

"They are."

"Will Mom be okay?"

Zac didn’t answer. He just held Carrie’s hand and kept his eyes on their mother.

Slowly, the change began.

The pale color in Martha’s face faded and was replaced by a faint warmth. Her breathing steadied and her frail body seemed to regain strength, little by little.

Her fingers twitched and eyelids fluttered.

Zac and Carrie leaned in, gripping her hands.

"Mom..."

Her eyes opened.

She looked at her children, and before she could speak, tears welled up and slipped down her cheeks.

"Mo...m!" Carrie cried, throwing her arms around her mother.

Martha pulled her close, holding her tight.

"I thought I’d never see you again... I was so scared, Mom," Carrie said, her voice breaking as the words stumbled out.

"It’s alright, Carrie," Martha whispered, brushing her hair. "I’m here now. We’ll be together again."

They held each other, unwilling to let go.

Zac stood beside them, watching the heartfelt moment of his family.

"Thank you, System," he said in his mind. "I thought everything was over that day. Then you appeared and changed it. I don’t know if you have your own reasons, but... I’m grateful."

[I didn’t do anything, Host. You did everything on your own. I only assisted you as that’s my role as your system.]

[If you truly feel grateful, then become stronger.]

The words settled in him.

Zac looked at his family and made a quiet promise to himself.

He would become strong enough that nothing could stand in his way. Nothing like this would ever happen again. No one would ever hurt his family.