I Awakened as an SSS-Rank System Maker!-Chapter 49 - [System Unlocked]

Chapter 49 - [System Unlocked]

Lucas sat at the massive dining table, his fingers absentmindedly tapping the polished dark wood. The table stretched before him lavishly meats cooked with strange spices, freshly baked bread still warm from the oven, and fruits gleaming with an unnatural freshness. Across from him, Andre devoured his meal with primitive ferocity. As for Darleen, though she appeared more reserved, she ate as though she hadn’t seen food in weeks, her eyes distant and oddly unfocused as she chewed.

It was a strange sight. Just a day ago, they were different. Human. But now... now, they seemed like something entirely else.

Lucas leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly. In his mind, he muttered, "Well, it’s finally time to check the system and see what rewards I’ve received."

He ran his fingers through the air. Instantly, a transparent blue system interface appeared before him, shimmering in his view. Notifications began to pour in like rain dozens of them. But one notification made his heart stop for a moment.

[System Store Unlocked]

You can now buy anything from the system store using Emotion Points.

He furrowed his brow. "Emotion points?"

Emotion Points Description: Earned when making a profound emotional impact on others, whether through fear, admiration, joy, or other strong emotions.

Lucas blinked twice, then leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Huh? What’s this... Oh, I get it now. A new feature in the system. Interesting!" He glanced at the top-right corner. Emotion Points: 0

"...Expected," he muttered to himself.

But his curiosity got the better of him, so he clicked on

[System Store].

[Access Denied]

You need at least one Emotion Point to enter the System Store.

Lucas sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Well... I’ll get back to this later. Looks like I need to impress people... or scare them. Fun."

He quickly closed the interface, then reached for a spiced bread roll. He chewed slowly, his gaze distant, deep in thought.

With another gesture, he opened the follower status window.

{Loading...}

+-+

{Successfully Loaded}

+-+

{{{Skills Automatically Assigned}}}

+-+

[Follower Status — Andre] Rank: SS

Skills:

– Beast Instinct — Rank S

– Mana Null — Rank S

– Basic Instant Transmission — Rank S

– Battle Companion — Rank S

--

[Follower Status — Darleen] Rank: S

Skills:

– Infinite Mana — Rank S

– Beast Venom — Rank A

– Crimson Webs — Rank A

– Blood of Sovereignty — Rank SS

Lucas squinted at the last line, his spoon frozen halfway to his mouth. "Wait... Darleen got an SS rank skill?"

He let out a long whistle, impressed. "That’s insane."

He turned to look at her. She didn’t look at him, still eating quietly. But something about her aura... it felt colder. Deeper.

Lucas smiled. "Well, I have the skill System Creator

. It’s rank SSS... Maybe she got lucky. Still... SS rank skills aren’t supposed to be this easy to get."

He opened her skills window again, then clicked on the skill that caught his attention:

Blood of Sovereignty

(Rank SS): Grants the user enhanced regeneration and passively drains mana from enemies within a 10-meter radius.

After feeling satisfied for a moment, he leaned back again, stretched his arms, and said aloud, "Well. Time to check my own skills. Let’s see what kind of monster I’ve started turning into."

[Host Status — Lucas Arthur] Rank: A

Level: +87

Skills:

– System Creator — Rank SSS

– Tyrant’s Aura — Rank S

– Hand Molder — Rank A

– Bloodthirst Addiction — Rank F

– Black Tiger Wings — Rank D

– The Learner — Rank A

Lucas laughed. "Only four new skills... but I actually like them all. And one of them is rank S, so that’s a win."

He clicked on

Tyrant’s Aura

(Rank S): Passive. Emits fear in enemies of lower ranks. Enhances charisma and suppressive aura. Can temporarily paralyze targets if they are emotionally unstable.

"...Yeah," he smiled. "This will definitely come in handy."

Then he clicked on

Bloodthirst Addiction out of curiosity. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

(Rank F): A dangerous curse. Consecutive kills increase strength, but prolonged abstinence from killing leads to psychological instability.

Lucas froze, his face darkening. "Wait... what the hell is this?"

He looked toward Siman, who was sitting at the end of the table, sipping his wine quietly.

"Hey, Siman," Lucas called. "Has your system ever given you curses?"

Siman raised an eyebrow. "Only when I was taking shortcuts." He leaned forward slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Lucas turned his screen to show him. "Apparently, I have a curse called ’Bloodthirst Addiction’ now."

Siman stared for a moment, then let out a low whistle. "Well... that’s a curse. Are you sure your system isn’t slowly trying to turn you into a villain?"

Lucas smiled slyly. "Wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen."

-*-

-*-

Siman approached Lucas with a nearly casual expression, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "The tournament is tomorrow."

Siman quickly extended his hand, touching each of them with a barely perceptible, almost invisible flick of his finger.

Whoosh!!!

-<<Instant Transmission>>-

In the blink of an eye, the worlds around them changed. The familiar environment vanished, replaced by a vast, open arena. The ground was a pale gold, stretching endlessly beneath their feet. Above, dark clouds churned, blocking the sun. Tall, smooth black walls, featureless, rose from the ground, casting long, sharp shadows across the sand.

Lucas didn’t blink. His eyes scanned the environment around him, taking in every detail with a predator’s sharp focus. The sand under his feet was rough, the air thick with the scent of dust and something metallic. He passed his hands in front of him. "Ooooh. Hmm..." He smiled. "Alright, Siman. We want to test our abilities on you, see how far we’ve come."

Siman nodded slowly, his expression calm and composed. Without saying a word, he moved to the center of the arena.

Lucas grinned wider. "Alright... Andre, you go first."

He moved toward his follower. "Use your first skill, Basic Instant Transmission."

Andre didn’t need another word. In a moment, he disappeared from sight, only to reappear behind Lucas,

then behind Darleen,

then behind Siman,

in a rapid sequence that made the air tremble with the echo of his speed. The display lasted less than four seconds, but it was enough to make Lucas’ heart race in excitement.

Lucas let out a light, happy laugh, watching Siman’s expression. "Oh, that’s amazing. What do you think, Siman?"

Siman’s usual steady demeanor wavered for a moment, a flash of surprise flickering in his eyes. Then he burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha... That’s on par with my teleportation. Andre has evolved... terrifyingly."

Lucas grinned wider, feeling the weight of their progress. "Heh, sounds like it."

He gestured, his eyes never leaving Andre. "Alright, Andre, use your second skill... Beast Instinct."

The atmosphere shifted immediately. A wave of primal energy erupted from Andre’s body, tearing through the arena. His aura burned the air, sending ripples of power.

Andre’s eyes, once calm, now burned with a savage intensity. His body seemed to pulse as he lunged toward Siman. Each strike was a storm of raw power, indifferent to precision or technique.

Siman, however, remained steady. He dodged every strike with effortless grace, his movements smooth and precise. But Andre’s relentless assault didn’t stop. He only paused to catch his breath, then launched himself forward again, unleashing a flurry of blows that shook the ground beneath them.

Siman blocked one of Andre’s heavy strikes with his bare hand. The force was enough to send a shockwave through the arena, sending sand spiraling upward in a whirling vortex. The impact was deafening, like thunder, leaving behind the scent of ozone.

Lucas’ eyes were wide with excitement, a crazy grin spreading across his face. "Whoa, that was amazing!"

He clapped his hands, impressed. "Great job, Andre. Return to your place."

Andre nodded, his body still glowing with power, then returned to his spot, while the fiery aura around him slowly dissipated. Meanwhile, Siman remained perfectly calm, though a slight gleam of admiration flashed in his eyes.

Siman thought to himself, though his expression remained unchanged.

What’s happening... Andre’s evolution is unreal. With just that skill, he could kill most people ranked SS... Good thing I’m rank SSS.

He chuckled softly, a rare moment of humor breaking through his usual seriousness.

Then he turned to Lucas. "That’s enough. Let’s test Darleen now."

Lucas briefly glanced at Darleen, but his expression turned sharp. He raised his hand to stop Siman. "No. I don’t want to see Darleen’s skills right now."

Siman raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden shift in Lucas’ behavior. "Why? What’s wrong with her skills?"

Lucas’ gaze was distant, his voice calm but laden with tension. "It’s not that," he said, his tone more serious than it had been before. "I just... don’t want to see her strength yet."