Chapter 80: Death!

"Yes, a system, you know, the kind that appears in web novels and stories."

"The one that helps the weak protagonist launch his counterattack against his bullies and reach the peak of life."

"That kind of system."

Talking about the System, Lucian’s anger began to rise again.

If the System were a real person, he would have ripped it to pieces long ago for what it did to him.

As for Ethan, he was in quite a state of shock.

’Wait a minute, what does he mean by System?’

’Obviously, he’s not an Awakener, so he doesn’t have an Awakener system. Then what is he talking about?’

’Otherworldly Demon... could it be that not only did this monster come from another world, but it brought a System with it?’

Thinking inwardly, Ethan felt there was something much deeper to this story.

Unfortunately, Lucian himself didn’t seem to know much about its mechanics.

Right now, he could only hope that the mission reward would answer some of his lingering doubts.

However, to avoid being helpless when the mission rewards didn’t help, he had to try to squeeze out as much information as possible.

As Something told him this wouldn’t be the last time he encountered something like another system user.

"Wait a minute, are you trying to tell me you’re the protagonist of a story?"

"Haha! What kind of protagonist gets beaten this easily?"

"Also, it probably hasn’t been long since you got here, seeing as the apocalypse just started."

"Doesn’t that mean you died in the opening act? Or maybe the first Chapter?"

"Haha!"

Chuckling slightly with one hand covering his mouth, Ethan decided to provoke Lucian, hoping it would make him spill more details.

And sure enough, it did.

"Protagonist?! Don’t make me laugh!"

"In my past life, I was the lowest of the low, a gangster who did every crime imaginable."

"When I died, I even heard whispers over my body wondering where I would go, because my soul was so filthy that neither God nor the Devil would accept me."

"But even then, I didn’t care."

"All my life, present and past, I am someone who lived when they wanted, how they wanted, and where they wanted."

"If I saw something, I took it; if I hated something, I killed it."

"That is the kind of person I, Lucian, am!" he spoke, his voice rapidly rising in volume.

A scene that made Ethan raise his eyebrows.

’Is this the legendary last burst of adrenaline before death?’

’I see... I guess this conversation is nearing its end, then.’

Realizing what was happening, Ethan released the palm he had pressed against Lucian’s chest, allowing him to breathe somewhat freely for the first time in the conversation.

"When I died, amidst the forces of various people hunting me down, I woke up in this strange world."

"At that time, I was just a brown bear in an empty zoo."

"Lost and wondering what was happening, a system called the Killing Evolution System appeared in my mind."

"According to it, by killing other life forms, I could gain killing and evolution points, which could be used to add and upgrade animal traits within my body."

"Not only that, but with enough evolution points, I could complete evolutions and increase my life-form tier."

"Right now, I’m only a first-order life form, but the System said there are twelve in total..."

Cough! Cough!

Coughing up a thick clot of blood, his vision began to blur, and his heartbeat slowed down drastically.

Although he had long since known he was going to die, standing at death’s door, Lucian felt an overwhelming sense of unwillingness.

"Hey, Smith Patriarch... I never got your name," he asked, his dimming eyes staring up at Ethan.

"It’s Smith. Ethan Smith is my name."

Hearing this, Lucian managed a bitter, blood-stained smile.

Cough! Cough!

"Alright then, Ethan Smith. Listen up before I die; you should know this."

"I am not a good person. I never have been, and I never will be."

"I’m someone who takes pleasure in the suffering of others and wallows in their despair."

"And above all that... I am someone with pride."

He paused. At this moment, a freezing numbness had begun to sweep through his body.

With every second that passed, another part of him lost sensation, and his vision clouded entirely with darkness.

Yet, Lucian ignored it all.

"You asked me if I was the protagonist of some story. Well, I’m not."

"However, you, the one who defeated me must be!"

"I don’t know what’s going on with this world, or how monsters like you and those old men can exist."

"But listen here, Ethan. Since you defeated me, you better survive until the very end!"

"And most importantly... even if you lose, make sure it’s not to some bastard with a System!"

"Do you hear me?!"

Skaaw!

Releasing one final, raspy caw through his bloodied beak, Lucian’s eyes finally lost their color.

At the end of the day, he had succumbed entirely to his catastrophic injuries.

"Sigh~"

"Monster King Lucian, although I don’t care much for your pride, I already had that in mind."

"This apocalypse, no matter what it brings, I will see it through to the very end."

"And not as a mere spectator or survivor, but as a ruler!"

Muttering under his breath, Ethan prepared to examine Lucian’s corpse.

Even though the creature was dead, the unknown alien energy and the so-called ’Killing evolution system’ he spoke of deeply intrigued him.

Perhaps there was something he could learn from it.

However, just before he could make a move, his own Awakener system panel suddenly flashed to life before his eyes:

[Detecting Otherworldly Demon ’Lucian’ has been killed.]

[Detecting presence of Otherworldly Demon ’System’.]

[Requesting permission to extract the System and initiate fusion?]

[Fusion options include: Self-Fusion and System-Fusion.]

Looking at the prompts glowing brightly in front of him, Ethan’s eyes widened in sheer shock.

It seemed Lucian’s death was about to leave him more surprises than he had ever anticipated

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by Self Fusion and System Fusion? You didn’t mention this before?"