Doomsday Boss Returnee: Lucian Crownwald
Chapter 4: SS-rank Skill Vitality Spring
The first three SS-rank skills shown on the system's skill bank lit a fire of burning anticipation in Lucian's heart.
In the ten years that he spent in the doomsday world with the stinginess of the returnee system, Lucian counted his system coins sparingly and his desire to buy any skill from the skill bank would always be doused in the cold water of reality.
Even the lowest ranked skill, an E-rank skill of strength costs 1000 system coins, and with the army that he was raising at that time, Lucian would not be extravagant to pay with a month's ration.
"I never thought that I would see the day when the system willingly gives out an SS-rank skill as a reward." Lucian let out a rueful sigh as he scrolled down the dozens of SS-rank skills listed without a particular order.
It must be the system's dry humor, but the SS-rank skills were scattered so densely that he could not rank them from the most precious to the just-so-so ones.
The spilled light trickling in from the curtains slowly crawled along the marbled floor as the clock tick by.
It wasn't until slightly forceful knocks shook his mahogany door that Lucian peeled his eyes away from the system screen.
"Young master Lucien, lunch will be served at the pavilion." The high-pitched and aged voice rang in his ears like a curse.
Lucian could already see the disdain and disgust written in the face of the person on the other side of the door just from the sound of her voice.
His body instinctively trembled, and a searing pain seems to grow from the inside of his being as a dreadful memory surfaced in his mind at just hearing that voice.
Hot, a burning hot red wave and black blossoming smoke crowded down and swallowed everything around him.
The creaking of the furniture, the snapping of the ceiling, and the terrifying sea of flames drowned out the world around as his breath hitched from the lack of air, similar to the time when the dense thick of black smoke rushed at his face, and taking away any breath of air keeping him alive.
"Hah…ha…ha…"
His gasping breaths echoed inside the room, pounding hard on his eardrums as the forceful knocking once again rang from the door.
Beads of cold sweat dropped down Lucian's pale-white face as he struggled to inhale in large amount of air with his constricted airways.
"Y-Yes, I-I will go down immediately."
His words came out slurred, but Lucian did not want to hear more of that old maid's voice, so he gritted his teeth and forced himself to answer.
The continued knocking finally ceased, and Lucian clearly heard the clicking of a tongue before heavy unbridled footsteps rang further away until silence returned.
That old maid, nanny Delia, Madam Seles' personal maid was the last person that visited his apartment a day before it burst into flames.
And it was the day after that he learned of the cruel truth of his lineage that might have prompted the Valemont to get rid of him. They must have already planned to erase his existence, considering that he was the last living descendant of the Crownwalds in Valoria.
With his pulse settling in a stable rhythm, Lucian had an urge to laugh at his sorry state. If his comrades in the doomsday saw him like this, they would definitely laugh their heads off.
On second thought, they might be too worried that they will destroy whatever that caused their dear leader to suffer such a mental breakdown.
He really did not expect that his body would react tremendously to what happened in his first life, especially after experiencing the ruthless and bloody ten years in the doomsday.
Wallowing in his mental state that seems messier than the Crownwald stronghold in the doomsday, Lucian caught sight of the glittering blue system screen, and the doubt growing at the depths of his heart instantly turned to dust.
His thoughts unconsciously moved, and the SS-rank skill bank scrolled downwards until it stopped on the last page, and it is a page with only one skill being shown.
The light in Lucian's eyes flickered, and in that moment his mind followed the wishes of his heart as the SS-rank skill show on the system screen lit up and dissipated with silver lights.
At the same time, a gush of untamed wild energy rushed inside his body as a silver glow covered his entire figure.
"Bzzt…Congratulations to the host for acquiring the SS-rank skill Vitality Spring."
As the voice of the returnee system sounded in his ears, Lucian felt a terrifying heat gather in his chest, right where his heart resides.
The heat felt smoldering hot, as if his skin and body is burning from the inside out, but it is a different kind of heat from the fire that took his life.
This heat feels full of life, like an endless spring of vitality.
Remembering the description of the SS-rank skill that his body and mind unconsciously chose for him, Lucian's lips curled happily.
He did not expect that he would stumble upon a treasure hidden amidst the dozens of tantalizing SS-rank skills, and it is even a skill that takes up a whole system skill bank page, which clearly shows a bit of favoritism from the system.
In his mind, the system is a stingy entity that would not waste a system page if it could.
"A spring of vitality will grow in the user's heart, and an endless amount of vitality will be produced as long as the user's heart is still beating. A day will provide a drop of vitality liquid in the heart spring."
"A drop can cure a small wound, three drops for a serious wound, five drops for an illness, seven drops for a serious illness, and ten drops to save a life from the grasp of hell."
Lucian could not help the gasp the slipped past his lips at once again realizing that he won big time.
The SS-rank skill Vitality Spring is just what he genuinely needs, and is something that he unconsciously desires.
With what happened in his first life, his fears of any accident or plotted danger happening, not to him but to his family kept growing the moment he stepped in the Valemont's territory.
Although he was led as a foolish wolfhound in the past, he shed all that foolishness away after learning the truth, and in turn realized deeply how vicious and rotten the Valemont family is.
They would stop to nothing just to get what they want, and Lucian knows that they will still continue on with their machinations even without his help.
The trained men and descendants at the isolated island are not for show, and poses a huge threat to the unsuspecting Crownwalds.
Lucian placed his right hand over his left chest. The energetic beating of his heart and the hot flowing vitality spring inside him completely built the foundation for his return.
With calm and steady footing, Lucian closed the system screen and walked outside his room.
A boisterous laughter rang from afar the moment he descended the stairs, and Lucian could not mistake that laugh for anyone.
"Karion Valemont." His lips pressed into thin lines, and the depths of his pupils darkened with stormy waves.
"The vicious jealous snake that has been harboring a deep-seated grudge against my father, Lucas Crownwald."
Karion Valemont and Lucas Crownwald attended the Highcrest Junior Academy, Highcrest Senior Academy and the Highcrest University at the same time, and were even classmates in a few classes.
"The destruction of my family, and the separation that cost me a lifetime was all because of a jealous and greedy man that could not win against my father in anything."
Lucian really wondered if he was partially blind in his first life to admire such a scum of a man.
Walking out the side door and heading to the pavilion, a terrific idea struck Lucian.
Although he could not do anything untoward against the Valemont at this point in time, it wouldn't be a problem to give them a meeting gift.
'They would probably be so grateful that they will feel sick from too much joy. Right?'
Lucian felt a grin wriggling past his calm façade as he thought absentmindedly about what system toy to give as a meeting gift.