Lucifer stepped into room number 201.
The moment the door clicked open, loud voices echoed through the dorm.
Each dorm room contained three individual rooms, and their assignment was random. In this one, aside from Lucifer, two others shared the space.
"I'm definitely destroying you in this ga—" The first youth, a boy around sixteen, the same age as Lucifer, froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the door opening.
Both boys turned sharply, stunned to see Lucifer walk in.
"Lucifer? Storm said you died inside the dungeon. How are you still alive?"
'Storm.' Lucifer's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching tightly at the name.
Suppressing his rising aura, he ignored them and walked silently toward his own room, the one located at the far-left corner.
"What trash. I can't believe I was actually worried about him for a second..." the youth scoffed, irritation flaring as Lucifer completely disregarded them.
The other boy beside him, with orange hair and deep brown eyes, gave a light shrug.
"You were the one acting all concerned. Honestly, there's no reason to feel sympathy for a... thing like that."
"Forget him. Let's just continue our game," the first one muttered, brushing off the unsettling feeling Lucifer always seemed to bring into the room.
He refocused on the display screen before him.
Within moments, the two resumed their virtual battle.
…
In his room, Lucifer lay back on his bed, an indifferent expression on his face.
Thanks to the enhancements brought about by his newly awakened primordial dragon bloodline, all five of his senses had become slightly heightened.
Even through the walls, he could hear the insulting words exchanged by his so-called roommates.
He chose not to dwell on them. With a calm breath, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him.
[Time left until mission completion: 62 hours]
Lucifer glanced at the system's notification as it flickered briefly before vanishing from view.
'I don't have much time left…'
…
Night passed without incident, and morning arrived quietly.
However, in Class 3A, Lucifer's assigned class, the atmosphere was anything but calm.
The news of his unexpected return had already begun spreading like wildfire.
"Did you hear? That trash actually made it back from the Black Dungeon. Does that mean Storm and Amira lied?"
"No way. His talent is F-grade, and a useless one at that. If there was any real danger, there's no way he could have survived."
Another student frowned, glancing around in confusion. "Where's this rumor even coming from? Maybe it's a mistake?"
At his question, several others quickly chimed in.
"His roommates confirmed it. Why would they lie? Besides, classes are about to start. If he really is alive, he'll have to show up. Skipping class is a serious offense."
More whispers followed, growing louder with speculation and disbelief. Despite their mockery, a thread of curiosity ran through them all.
Time passed slowly.
Eventually, the classroom filled completely, including the arrival of Storm and Amira.
Hearing the rumors, both looked visibly shaken.
Amira turned toward Storm, anxiety in her gaze.
Storm gave her a subtle shake of the head, signaling her to remain calm.
'If he's alive… I'll just kill him again,' Storm thought to himself coldly, justifying his decision.
'He dared to look at my girlfriend. Eliminating him is only natural.'
A sly grin spread across his face.
Just then, with only a minute left before class began, the doors suddenly flew open.
Every pair of eyes turned instantly toward the entrance.
Only one person hadn't shown up yet.
As expected, it was Lucifer.
His entrance was quiet, but the silence that followed was deafening.
Storm's expression twitched, disbelief flickering briefly across his features. Amira, too, froze, her lips parting slightly as if to speak.
Storm recovered quickly, the corner of his mouth curling into a calm, deceptive smile.
Lucifer walked a few steps into the room when a sharp voice rang out.
"Trash!"
The voice belonged to a slightly chubby youth seated near the front, surrounded by a few cronies.
"Take this cup and fetch me some water. I'm thirsty," he sneered, tossing a cup toward Lucifer. "Be back before the teacher arrives, or…"
He drew a line across his throat with one finger, smirking darkly.
Lucifer didn't need an explanation. It wasn't the first time this had happened.
The cup hit him squarely in the face, bouncing off with a sharp crack. A small bruise began forming immediately, and a thin trail of blood trickled from the impact site.
Another student chuckled cruelly.
"How pathetic. Even a cup can make you bleed."
Lucifer stood still, trembling faintly. His fists clenched tightly by his side, and a subtle pressure began leaking out from him.
His dark pupils shifted, glinting faintly with gold, narrowing into slits.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Just then, the classroom door opened again.
"Everyone, settle down for class."
A woman walked in, her tone calm but firm. She had dark purple hair, tied into a loose ponytail, and an athletic, shapely build.
Her sharp blue eyes swept the room and briefly settled on the cup lying on the floor.
"Find a seat," she said, her voice carrying authority as she turned to face the glowing holographic board behind her.
Lucifer glanced sideways at her, then at the rest of the students in the class.
Amira avoided his gaze entirely, guilt etched across her face. Storm, on the other hand, gave him that same friendly, disarming smile.
James, the chubby student who had thrown the cup, clicked his tongue in irritation. With the teacher now present, he couldn't do anything further.
He mouthed a few words in Lucifer's direction.
"Meet me after school. Regular place."
Lucifer stared at him, rage smoldering beneath his composed expression.
'Nothing has changed…'
His nails dug into his palms, his knuckles rapidly becoming white from the tension.
'I've gained so much power... yet nothing has changed!'
The realization struck him deeply.
Fighting to keep calm, he sat down slowly, struggling to suppress the surge of killing intent rising within.
At the front, Instructor Vera paused mid-sentence, her body stiffening slightly.
A chill crawled down her spine, and she instinctively glanced around.
It felt as though something monstrous was watching her, hiding in plain sight, waiting for one single wrong move before snapping her neck in an instant.
'What… what is this presence?'
...
A/N: I hope you enjoy the opening of this novel. Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Thank you.