Southern Battle Administration Area.
Greenwich High School.
"I knew it, Patricia is going to be the top graduate for our high school."
"With her S Level Fire abilities, our school is going to get written into the history books."
"Finally, we have a chance of getting to the high school finals."
Students chattered about the results for the final exams.
Patricia, the top student, being the center of attention, didn't bother with what was going on around her.
She stood alone by the window of the classroom.
Her long blonde hair flowed in the wind, and she looked out into the distance with her blue eyes.
"Why did you give up, Lukas? Shouldn't you at least wait for the Awakening Procedure?" Patricia looked down at her phone.
It was a conversation with Lukas about him having to leave school.
He was the only person able to compete with her in all the different subjects.
Now that he wasn't around anymore, Patricia didn't feel the same anymore.
After awakening her S Level Fire ability, no one was her match in the school anymore.
She looked at the screen, hesitated and typed a message in the message box.
[I know you might not believe it, but I'm the top student now.]
Her finger hovered over the send button for a few moments before she bit her lips and tapped it.
Whoosh.
The message was sent to Lukas, and there was only radio silence.
...
Lukas looked at the message sent to him, and he shook his head.
He felt so far away from everything.
He vaguely remembered the school, all the students, and the teachers.
The only thing he could vividly remember from his memory was how all of them kept silent when Jules Robertson, with the influence of his family, forced him out of the school.
Lukas had just transmigrated to this world fighting off demonic beasts and those with special powers called the awakened.
Things went well for the original Lukas until he met Jules Robertson.
Jules Robertson had something going on for Patricia, and he mistook Lukas as a rival.
Soon, things went bad for the original Lukas.
Funds required for his studies were rejected.
And that's how the original Lukas was driven out of high school.
Not being able to go through the Awakening Procedure also meant that the original Lukas's chance of being showered with riches and glamor was gone.
Being an Awakened in this world fighting against the demonic beasts guaranteed that you would lead a dangerous but rewarding life.
Lukas looked at the message, and he decided not to reply.
He wasn't someone to dwell on things that were in the past, and he would rather spend his energy and effort to survive.
He got out of his dark and tiny room to find work for the day.
And when he closed the door behind him, an unfamiliar sound erupted in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host for Awakening the Slaughter System]
[Kill to earn slaughter points]
[Gain and Enhance Abilities with slaughter points]
[Current slaughter points: 0/500]
[Host Level: 1]
Lukas frowned at the information that appeared in his mind.
Did that mean that he was awakened now?
And what did it mean to be able to gain abilities with slaughter points?
He knew that there was only one way to find out.
Lukas walked for two miles to the nearest odd job market.
As he was making his way there, he met neighbors who sighed and shook their heads at him.
"What a pity."
"Poor boy's an orphan, and yet fate isn't kind to him."
"At least he is still keeping his head up high."
The neighbors were sympathetic to what had happened to him.
And they respected the fact that Lukas didn't give up and tried to make his own living.
When he got to the odd job market, it was bustling with activity.
Men and women hustled to try and get a job for the day.
With the demonic beasts constantly invading and destroying means of production, the cost of living had risen, and jobs had become hard to come by.
A stark contrast with the rich and glamorous life of an awakened.
"Factory work for the day, $5 per hour."
"I only want builders with experience, $3 per hour."
"$10 per hour for heavy duty work. I need those with the required strength."
Employers shouted for whom they wanted, and hordes of these jobless men and women came surrounding them.
Trying to get an opportunity to be chosen.
Lukas wasn't interested in any of it.
He was searching and looking for something specific.
After a few hours of wandering around, he finally stumbled upon the odd job he was looking out for.
"I need someone to slaughter livestock at the Abattoir. No experience required. $5 per hour."
A burly man with scars all over his body shouted.
The pay was average, but slaughtering livestock wasn't for the faint-hearted, and so there weren't any takers.
Seeing that no one responded, the burly man continued shouting, "Food is provided for the day. And as a retired awakened, I'm willing to teach anyone a skill or two."
Some of the men and women passing by stopped and hesitated.
They walked away after they got dissuaded by the stench of blood from the burly man's body.
Lukas came up to him and said, "I'm interested."
The burly man's eyes opened wide when he heard Lukas.
However, he scanned Lukas up and down and said, "Shouldn't you be in high school or something?"
Lukas shrugged and said, "Life happens."
The burly man sighed, nodded and said, "Call me Bundy. Work's tough, but it pays the bills."
Bundy stretched out his hand to Lukas for a handshake.
"Thanks, Bundy." Lukas said and shook Bundy's hand.
He could immediately feel the enormous strength of Bundy's grip.
"You are really an awakened?"
"Retired."
That was a bonus to Lukas.
If his Slaughter System had really made him awakened, it would be great for him to learn about being awakened from Bundy.
With that thought in mind, he followed Bundy to the Abattoir.