With calm, deliberate steps, Ss approached Osborne, whoy battered and broken on the ground. His shadow loomed over the defeated man, stretching ominously across the bloodied earth—a silent testament to his dominance.


    Osborne''s body screamed in protest as he tried to move, every shattered bone and searing nerve conspiring against him. The pain was unbearable, his limbs trembling with the effort of even the slightest twitch. For the first time in his life, a chilling realization washed over him:


    It was over.


    As Ss gazed down at him, a crimson holographic screen materialized in front of his eyes, glowing faintly against the deste backdrop.


    > [An optional quest has arrived]


    >[Kill the enemy in front of you and consume his soul]


    >[Rewards: 10 extra attribute points, Choose a new skill of your choice]


    Ss studied the screen with an indifferent expression, his sharp eyes scanning the message. This quest wasn''t like the mandatory ones he was ustomed to, where refusal meant an immediate and fatal consequence. This one was different—it was optional, allowing him the rare privilege of choice.


    Unlike past quests, where the rewards were only revealed afterpletion, this one dangled its temptations in in view: a substantial boost in attribute points and the acquisition of a new skill. The system clearly intended to make the decision harder, ensuring he knew exactly what he stood to gain—or lose.


    ''A new skill would definitely go a long way,'' Ss mused silently, his fingers absently brushing against his chin as if deep in thought. His mind wandered briefly, considering the possibilities.


    ''Offensive skills like Soul ws or Soul Jab could give me an edge in future battles.''


    But then, as if a switch flipped, his expression hardened. He shook his head slowly, dismissing the idea.


    ''No... I can''t. I''ve spilled enough blood already,'' he thought grimly.


    ''The staffs in the Grade 5 realm, Caleb and his friends, the Crafter, and Sensei Josh... I know none of them were innocent. They all tried to kill me first. But still—they were human. And I can''t keep walking this path. I won''t let myself turn into something monstrous.''


    The weight of his fading humanity pressed heavily on his chest, suffocating in its intensity. He had noticed it creeping in—this strange numbness that made him feel detached from the violence he inflicted. At first, he thought it was justified. After all, those he killed had always been the aggressors.


    But when Ivy died and he felt nothing—no grief, no sadness, not even anger—he realized the terrifying truth: he was losing his humanity.


    Even though the system had dered him a full-fledged Mutant, Ss clung to the remnants of his humanity with a desperation he couldn''t fully exin. It was the one thing he couldn''t afford to lose.


    >[Host has declined the optional quest]<


    The holographic screen blinked out of existence as Ss exhaled sharply, his decision final. Dropping to one knee, he grabbed a fistful of Osborne''s hair and yanked it upward, forcing the man to meet his cold, unyielding gaze.


    "Listen to me," Ss said, his voice low and menacing, each wordced with quiet fury. "I''m sparing your life. But let me make this perfectly clear—if I ever see you near me or my friends again, or if you even think about reporting what happened here to the higher-ups, I won''t hesitate to kill you. You''ve seen what I can do. Not even the academy''s strongest can save you from me. Do you understand?"


    Osborne''s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, fear etched into every line of his bruised and bloodied face. "Y-yes. I understand," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Ss released his grip, letting Osborne''s head drop with a dull thud against the ground. Rising to his full height, he turned away without a second nce and strode toward Angelica, his expression softening slightly as he approached her.


    "Come on," he said gently, slipping her arm over his shoulder and wrapping his left arm around her waist to steady her. "You''re going to be fine. Let''s get out of here."


    Angelica leaned against him, her body weakened but her trust in Ss unshaken. Together, they began to move, each step slow and deliberate as they navigated the rubble-strewn battlefield.


    Behind them, Osborne''s voice broke through the silence, trembling with desperation. "Won''t you at least help me?" he cried out, his tone tinged with panic as he surveyed the crumbling ruins around him.


    "A staff is already on the way," Ss replied without looking back. He couldn''t see the staff yet, but he could feel the energy—a powerful presence approaching from the distance.


    As they advanced, the figure of a tall, broad-shouldered man emerged from the dust, his sharp eyes narrowing as they fell on the injured pair.


    "You must be Ss and Angelica," the man said, his voice deep and authoritative. "What the hell happened to her?"


    "It was an ident. Don''t worry," Ss replied curtly, his tone neutral as he resumed walking past the man.


    The staff member, us, frowned, his gaze lingering on Ss''s retreating figure. "With everything copsing, are you sure you''ll be okay on your own? You should wait for me to find thest student so we can leave together."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We''re fine. Don''t worry, sir," Ss affirmed, his voice firm and unyielding.


    us hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright, then," he muttered, turning away to continue his search.


    After a few moments, he stumbled upon Osborne, whoy motionless on the ground, his battered body barely able to move. Kneeling beside him, us studied the injuries with a critical eye.


    "What happened to you?" he asked, his voice calm but probing.


    Osborne hesitated, his breath hitching before he spoke. "I... I was careless. While carving out valuable body parts, I forgot I hadn''t killed all the goblins. One of them surprised me."


    us raised an eyebrow. "You''re a Grade 4. Gobtants shouldn''t even be a challenge for you."


    Osborne bristled. "I already told you—they took me by surprise. It happens."


    us''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Not to me. But I guess you''re one of those rich kids who awakened a low-grade mutant ability and bought your way into a Grade 4 skill slot."


    "That''s not true!" Osborne protested, his voice tinged with desperation. "I awakened a Grade 3 ability and trained rigorously to upgrade it. This was just bad luck."


    us didn''t seem convinced, but he said nothing more, pulling Osborne to his feet with little effort. As he steadied the young man, his thoughts drifted back to the scene he had witnessed.


    Angelica had been injured, Osborne was beaten to the point of near copse, but Ss had emergedpletely unscathed. us couldn''t ignore the possibility that Osborne had targeted Angelica, prompting Ss to retaliate. But how had Ss—a boy with no known mutant abilities—overpowered a Grade 4 like Osborne?


    The pieces didn''t fit, and us wasn''t ready to jump to conclusions especially when they both said it was an ident. For now, he decided to let the matter rest.


    "Brace yourself," us said, cing two fingers on Osborne''s forehead. In an instant, they vanished, leaving the deste battlefield behind.