1 The last day of fall
Born on the last day of fall, Lucifer was unlike any kid of his age.
He was energetic and—wild. Wild in a sense that he would spend all his day jumping between trees in the forest like his forefathers. And during the night, he would just lay on the dry grass and look at the clear winter sky.
His father was a level 12 woodcutter, and his mother was a level 9 housemaid. Both of their skills were remarkable in comparison to most other villagers.
However, even though those were wonderful professions, he was not interested in picking any of them. For some reason, he was interested in something different out there.
It was something completely unreliable and dangerous. He wanted to venture into the unknown and see the depths of the world.
He knew that the world was mysterious and massive. There were billions of people, hundreds of countries, and so many puzzles and riddles left to be solved. To him, who had never traveled outside his town, the world itself was an adventure.
At first, people assumed that this was an age thing. Once —in their teens— kids dream big. But as they age, they get burdened by the supposedly big 'responsibility.'
Who has time for adventure when they have to earn for survival?
Lucifer crossed that hurdle thanks to his parents and brother. His parents were rich and healthy enough to survive on their own, and when they needed help, they always had the support of his elder brother, who was a level-14 trader.
As he grew, the 'age' that people assumed to be responsible for his hunger for the unknown passed. He grew up into a fine young man. But even after years of growth, his thirst for adventure stayed the same.
However, he did become a bit more civilized.
Today, on the day of his eighteenth birthday, he was going to receive one more thing along with the freedom to do as he wishes — a system.
"Old man, hey old man! What's taking you so long?!"
Lucifer was waiting impatiently outside his father's workshop. He had already knocked on the door several times, but his father's unwavering dedication to his craft remained intact. To put it simply, he was so used to Lucifer's yell that it no longer bothered him.
Left with no choice, Lucifer pushed the door with his shoulders and burst it open.
He possessed a body with a tall frame and tough muscles. Breaking a simple wooden door like this was no big exercise for him. On top of that, the excitement that he was feeling suppressed the little pain the crash caused.
"Old man, stop wasting your time on these stupid statues. You know what day is today, don't you?"
The old man sighed in disappointment. "Boy, even though the world is huge, we all have our roles to play in it. The sooner you realize this, the better."
Even though Lucifer was waiting rather impatiently for this day, a system wasn't that big of a deal for most.
It was only useful to track one's progress during the youth. But as they grew and hit the level cap, it was basically just a fixed number that never changed. At least, that was how things were for most.
"That's because you gave up too quickly, old man. Who knows, you might have been able to go further if you had just tried a little more."
The old man walked up to the broken door and started fixing it. Only the hinges had come off, so fixing it wasn't that big of a deal for a wood crafter of his skills.
"Who am I kidding? I was hoping you would realize that there is no 'further.' Look at your brother; he realized that soon. Now, he already has his own trading company. When will you grow up, Lucifer?"
"Tch! Mother has already approved of my choices. All that's left is for you to take part in the Crescer ceremony, and give me your blessing. If you don't want to, I will have to find someone else to be my godfather."
Crescer ceremony is where one would acquire a system that would classify one into a class. Subclasses and skills could be acquired with training and experience based on the main classes.
Ordinarily, a father would guide their sons through the ceremony. However, in the rare cases where a father couldn't be present, any older male could take his position and act as a godfather.
"Then do so. I am not brave enough to send my son on a route that ends in some monster belly. Not while I am still sane."
"Alright, then. I guess I have no choice."
He left his father's workshop in disappointment. All the excitement he was feeling a while ago, was no longer there. Instead, now, he had this will to prove himself.
He had always had this urge, but after talking to his father, who didn't even show one bit of faith in his choices, he felt this burning desire to show everyone how wrong they are about him.
He looked around at the people living their measly lives. There was nothing special about the way they lived. Yet, some looked happy while the rest were just struggling to survive.
'What's the point of living like this?' He asked himself. 'They just struggle to survive till the end, and when they die… nobody cares.'
The problem here was they still chose their worthless lives even though they knew their time was limited. They would continue to choose what they needed to do instead of what they wanted to do.
"Fools!" The word slipped out of his mouth in anger.
What they chose to do was none of his business. But what enraged him was how people wished him to follow the same template as they did.
The frustration stayed in his mind until he crossed the village market and the nearby houses. Once he reached the road leading to the nearby town, he focused on what he had to do next.
He hitchhiked a carriage of a merchant who had come to sell spices and traveled with him to the nearby town. It was the only city nearby where the Crescer ceremony was performed.
