COLD!Marius felt an unbearable chill crawling through his skin as he groggily stood up from the cold ground.Subconsciously, he moved his hand down to his chest, feeling the warmth flowing through his beating heart.‘What?’ Marius drew in a sharp breath, stunned.He sat up slowly and touched his chest. It seemed like his heart was beating. However, Marius didn't know why, but he could tell that it was vastly different from a normal human heart.At that moment, the memories from before came crashing heavily into his mind.Marius’s eyes turned blank for a moment as he tried to process what had happened...“I was... betrayed. Hahahaha, the last two I trusted betrayed me!”Marius let out a deranged laugh. It was as though something had snapped in his mind as he laughed wildly.Marius was an orphan, and only through the scholarship given to less privileged children was he able to get by in school.‘My parents lived and died for the organization, and this is how I was treated?’ Marius let

Inside the river, Marius could feel the subtle warmth as he scrubbed his body clean.It was a form of baptism to him, as though he was washing away his past life and behaviors.After he finished cleaning himself up, he thought of something and, standing naked in the midst of the pool, he glanced at the system.[Creation Points: 5]‘This should work, right?’ the youth hesitated briefly, then his thoughts moved.In his mind, a series of imaginations subtly formed.As though sensing what he was forming, the system glowed briefly.[Detected the blueprint of a normal drying towel. This will cost a single Creation Point to create. Do you wish to go ahead with the creation?]Marius’s eyes widened as he stared at the system’s words.It seemed almost impossible, and for a moment, he didn't know what to think.Subconsciously, he hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”He watched as his Creation Points decreased by one, becoming 4.[The System Storage has been unlocked.][System Storage: This is an artif

Marius reined in his aura, and the rest of the lessons continued as usual.When the final class ended and the instructor began to leave, another man stepped into the room through the doorway.He was tall and broad-shouldered, his posture composed yet carrying a quiet authority.His hair was neatly tied back, and the faint lines around his eyes hinted at both age and experience.A subtle scent of ink and faint cologne drifted in as he entered, and his calm gaze swept across the students before settling on Marius.The room fell silent.“Marius,” the man said evenly, his tone clear but without unnecessary warmth. “You are needed at the principal’s office.”Marius’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing the man’s words.He paused briefly, then stood up and followed the man out.As he did, faint whispers from his classmates spread through the air.…Marius followed Instructor mitra through the corridors.As they walked, he glanced at his surroundings.Far off in the distance, a youth was cro

Later that night…Outside, a notification blared to life inside a building filled with students…Just as Marius had guessed, some abnormalities had been discovered!Every day, investigations were conducted on the students at night using their identity watches.This was a peculiar tool that would send the life readings of the students back to those in charge every day at 12 midnight.This was done so that the whole academy would remain in a state of peace despite the bullying, without the students killing each other.Although there were times when students' life readings failed to turn up, most likely due to suicide, it wasn't as common as today.Inside the investigation room, situated in a corner office of the academy...Three people browsed through the monitors.Suddenly, one man with slight beards and a few freckles on his face raised his eyebrows, stunned.“Five people committed suicide today? That's particularly high…”The man beside him was also slightly startled and turned to gl

The cold, jagged edge of a steel dagger pressed firmly against the skin of Marius’s throat the exact second the dungeon portal swirled shut behind them [source: 1].“Don’t move a single muscle, Mari,” Damien’s sneering voice echoed through the dimly lit, damp cavern.The air inside the Gloom Cavern was heavy with the stench of rotting flesh and damp earth. Behind Damien, Thalia stood with her arms crossed, her dark eyes devoid of any pity as she watched the scene play out [source: 1]. Two other low-ranking students who had joined their dungeon party stood near the cavern entrance,Chuckling softly as if they were watching a entertainment show.Marius didn’t panic, he didn’t scream, nor did his body tremble like it used to [source: 1]. He simply stood still, feeling the faint bite of the blade against his skin.“You really are a brainless idiot, aren't you?” Damien chuckled, leaning in close so his foul breath brushed against Marius’s ear. “Did you honestly think I brought you here to cl