Primordial Lust System

"Uh, I don't swing that way."

"Yeah, me too."

"Maybe breaking our hands isn't that bad after all."

Hmmm. Aurelian hummed in thought, his eyes scanning the youths before him. Was swearing their stupid allegiance to him really that bad?

"So, you don't want to become my lackeys, huh?" he muttered, his fingers on the verge of snapping.

He had some… unorthodox means of persuasion if asking nicely wasn't cutting it.

"Ooh, you meant you want us to be your followers?"

"Doesn't sound bad to me. I wouldn't mind following a talented figure such as you!"

"Count me in too."

Aurelian's lips twitched at their replies. What did they think he meant earlier?

Shaking his head, he reached out his hand, just about to pick up the wristbands, before a spitting sound echoed.

A disgusted look seared across his face. Kraven spat on the group. "I'd rather die than follow you! An F-rank trash!"

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aurelian clicked his tongue, his eyes locking on the sprawled figure.

He really didn't have time for this. Did Kraven really think he was still an F-rank talent after that display of power? Even an idiot would know better.

"Do your worst. I ain't no coward. You won't kill me or else the Graeogor family will avenge me for breaking their most sacred rule. Besides, you don't have it in you… shove your threats up your ass!"

He smirked, revealing bloodied teeth, his eyes glinting with fierce determination.

"Really?" Aurelian smiled. "You seem awfully sure about this."

His eyes glinted with curiosity. He had long decided to put survival first, yet the vow he made when awakening his F-rank talent still lingered deep within him.

Power before family. Just because they shared blood didn't make them family. If anything, the youth before him was nothing more than an obstacle to power.

Snapping his fingers, a spectral blade materialized before him. With a thought, it hovered at the lad's neck.

"Tell me," he said, watching the youth's neck sizzle as the blade pressed against his skin. "Where does this boldness come from? What makes you so sure I won't slay you right now?" He smirked as the confident façade broke away, fear consuming him whole.

"My… grandfather… he's an elder at the Graeogor family council… a powerful D-rank powerhouse! If you know what's good for you, remove this blade, beg for my forgiveness, and maybe..."

"Hmmm. So that's where your confidence lies, in the strength of others. I thought you had the blood of a warrior in your veins." Aurelian sighed as he straightened from his crouching position, curiosity turning into contempt.

"Your death is of no significance. You shall fall by my hand, and if your grandfather comes at me too, then I shall slay him as well."

As his final words rang out, the blade glinted with ethereal light before slicing through Kraven's neck, sending his head flying through the air.

***

"Holy shit! He just killed Kraven like a chicken!"

"He's dead? He's really dead!"

"If he killed Kraven that easily, what about us?"

"Oh shit! We're fucked! He's going to kill us to silence us!"

"We're all going to die!!!"

Murmurs rippled as the awakened youths stirred into frenzy, their pain momentarily forgotten in the wake of what they'd just witnessed.

Being prepared beforehand and actually seeing it happen were two different things. The realization hit: their lives could be snuffed out in an instant by the figure before them.

The person in question simply stood there, his eyes frozen on the headless corpse. A strange sensation coursed through him.

He had expected to feel something after taking a life. Guilt? Satisfaction? But nothing. He felt no change. As if doing so carried no weight.

He couldn't be sure. His eyes shifted to the rest of the youths on the ground. He could feel their fear. They were one wrong move away from death, their imaginations running rampant.

Clearing his throat, silence fell as all eyes turned toward him. They didn't have to wait long.

"Kraven was a valiant warrior. He fought well but fell at the hands of powerful beasts to protect you all. That is what you will say if his death is ever brought to account."

Aurelian's voice was cool, a plan forming in the back of his mind. "That is… if you live long enough to tell the tale." He smirked as his gaze swept across them.

Confusion lingered on their faces until the implication sank in.

"Ah, yes," one muttered, nodding quickly. "He courted death—no, he fought to save us."

"Yes, he was devoured by dungeon beasts to give us a chance to escape!" another added.

Nodding, Aurelian smiled. Casting a final glance at them, he said, "If news of this spreads, I will gladly hunt you down and end your lives myself. You understand that, right?"

His eyes glinted with cold light. The youths nodded frantically, like chickens pecking grain.

"Good." Aurelian snickered, then turned to walk away. His voice drifted behind him, soft and sinister. "I trust I don't need to remind you about my talent, do I?"

"No… no… your secret's safe with us."

"I would gladly die before speaking of it."

"Thank you, young master Aurelian, for your mercy!"

Aurelian smiled faintly, ignoring their promises. He doubted they'd spread word of what happened—if they even survived this dungeon.

He had barely walked a thousand meters when panting sounds reached his ears. Someone was following him.

Snapping around, he growled, "What!?" only to be surprised.

Amber and her little group stood there.

He didn't need to ask. Their expressions said it all.

"Thank you for saving us," Amber finally said, her voice shaky but sincere.

The girls behind her nodded in agreement.

"So…" Aurelian frowned, already guessing where this was going. "You still want to protect me?"

He smirked as their faces lit up, blushes rising to their necks. Amber especially looked flustered, making her seem even cuter.

"No, no… it's not like that, we..." Amber stammered, trying to explain.

But her words were lost to him as a notification blinked before his eyes, drawing his full attention. A smile spread across his lips.

"That was faster than expected," he muttered.

[Ding! Your old self stirs within you, proving to be who you once were, slaying both beasts and humans who stand in your path to power. You have met all criteria and unlocked the Second Supreme Record!]