Lucius rubbed Argentis'' back, feeling the beast shudder, a clear sign of lingering pain. "As I said, don''t worry. This is only the beginning."
Lucius then smirked. "So let''s start with another hack, shall we?"
Argentis''s silver eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Another one?!
Argentis instinctively growled, shifting uncomfortably. Its new wings, still unfamiliar, twitched as if trying to prepare for another wave of agony.
Lucius scoffed at the reaction. "Oh, don''t give me that look. It''s for your own good."
Argentis let out a guttural sound, part protest, part exhausted acceptance.
Lucius clicked his tongue, unimpressed. "Come on, you''re acting like I''m torturing you. You should be thanking me for this."
Argentis''s breath hitched. Thanking him?!
Lucius ignored the look of disbelief in the beast''s eyes and paced around it, observing.
"Your body''s already stronger. Your claws are sharper, your tail is deadlier, and now you''ve got wings."
He nodded to himself. "So logically, the next step is increasing your raw stats."
The drake tensed further, dreading whatever was coming next.
Lucius grinned. "Let''s turn you into an S-Rank beast like your new brother."
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Argentis froze. The pain from the previous hack was still fresh, and now Lucius was talking about another upgrade?
It let out a deep, almost pleading growl, its massive claws scraping against the ground.
Lucius chuckled at the reaction. "What? Don''t tell me you''re scared."
Argentis stared at him. Of course it was scared! This wasn''t some natural evolution. It was forced!
Lucius shrugged. "Oh well. Not my problem."
He casually activated the hack.
---
[Hack Initiation: Full Stat Enhancement]
[Target: Argentis]
[Effect: Upgrade All Stats to S-Rank]
[Cost Required: 40,440,000 Hack Points
[Status: Insufficient Hack Points – Enhancement Failed]
---
Lucius frowned, clicking his tongue. "Damn... to think it''d cost 40 million. That''s way too much right now."
Argentis, still trembling from the last hack, exhaled and felt an odd sense of relief.
Lucius stretched and turned toward the door. "Alright, I''ll leave you to it."
Argentis let out a pained growl, but Lucius was already stepping out, shutting the door behind him.
He didn''t care how much it hurt. All that mattered was the result.
---
Lucius walked through the lively downtown streets as he followed the map on his phone.
The lights of shops, moving crowds and the faint aroma of street food were really far different from the cold, battle-worn landscapes he once knew.
But somehow, it was... tolerable for him. He also smirked as he looked at his phone again. "At least I still remember how to use this thing."
After years of not needing modern devices, he had struggled to operate one again.
Loreia had taken it upon herself to teach him again.
Flashback to Earlier...
Loreia had handed him the phone and crossed her arms. "Alright, you''re rich, strong, and have godly power, but if you can''t use a phone, you''re just a very expensive idiot."
Lucius raised his eyebrow. "Hah. You think I can''t figure this out?"
She smirked. "Go ahead then. Call me."
Lucius had stared at the screen, flicking through menus, opening and closing random apps.
After a full minute, Loreia sighed and snapped the phone back. "Give me that. I swear, it''s like training a grandpa."
"I would kill you for that remark if I didn''t need your help." Lucius had muttered.
Now, he was navigating the streets alone, following the GPS with ease.
Lucius glanced at the people passing by, watching how ordinary life unfolded around him.
A couple walked past, laughing at something on their own phones.
A businessman rushed past, grumbling into his earpiece.
A group of kids stood outside a gaming shop, arguing about which mech model was the strongest.
Lucius smirked slightly. "This world is strange. People are still weak, yet they live so comfortably."
In his previous life, power dictated survival. If you were weak, you died. If you were strong, you thrived. Simple.
Yet here? People could live their entire lives without ever seeing combat.
Lucius turned a corner, the restaurant now within sight. "Even without swords and beasts, people still fight over petty things."
He let out a chuckle. "Status, money, pride. It''s all the same. Just without the bloodshed."
For now. He pushed the door open, stepping inside the restaurant.
The restaurant had a warm, welcoming ambiance, filled with chatter and the aroma of sizzling dishes.
Lucius scanned the room before spotting Loreia, Luna, and Liora sitting at a booth in the back.