Touch of Flame - Chapter 169 What am I?

A modern-day antihero, who was infamous for his devious acts, dies in an explosion meant to take down a powerful criminal syndicate. Waking up in a world of sword and sorcery, he finds himself possessing a fragile, powerless body with a strange “System” that seems broken. Initially thinking he's doomed, he learns that by pretending to be weak, he can manipulate others into revealing their secrets, granting him abilities they possess. As he rises in power, he discovers that the System was intentionally sabotaged—by none other than his own future self.

❗[Current Writing Contest-WebNovel Spirity Awards 2025 Fantas]❗Flain grew up in a futuristic world. When he was born his parents didn't want him because he didn't live up to their expectations and so he ended up very badly.Flain was employed as a slave. He was forced to mine radioactive iron deep in the mines. It was drilled into his head that he existed only to obey orders.Young Flain was obedient. He doubted some of it but knew nothing else. For years, he never saw a single ray of light; light was only spoken of among the others as a legend.The routine was the same: in the morning, he would take a nutrient tablet and water. Then he would mine all day, sleep eight hours, and repeat.Flain worked like this from childhood until he was ten years old. He even found a friend, but that friend died of radiation poisoning right in front of Flain. Flain couldn't stop mining. He kept mining with tears streaming down his face.Before bed, Flain cried. “I will become the strongest. I will kill you all, and you will become my slaves.”Flain stopped crying, stared blankly at the rocky ceiling, then looked ahead. A manic grin appeared on his face, one that would often adorn it from that moment on.At the age of ten, Flain was assigned to a military camp due to his endurance in the mines and his survival against radiation.In the camp, Flain was trained. The regime was much looser; he even had an hour of free time each day. However, Flain didn't make any more friends. Even during his free time, he trained with a smile. He would achieve his goal at any cost, even if it meant training himself to death.Experiments were conducted on Flain. He lost his hair, two long gray arms grew on his back, and a third red eye appeared. Flain became a mutant.Flain was then sent to war. He fought with sharp katabas. He performed quite well in the war, earning himself command of ten soldiers and becoming a small commander.But one day, everything changed.Flain then dies, is swallowed by darkness, and Flain refuses to die, thus appearing as a skeleton in a fantasy world.

I don’t need any deep relationships. I have no desire for a girlfriend, and I only require one friend who holds any value to me. Ever since I threw out my youth for the sake of efficiency, there is one person who keeps entering the bedroom of Ooboshi Akiteru. She’s neither my little sister nor my friend. She’s nothing more than a bothersome, annoying Kouhai, as well as my friend’s little sister: Kohinata Iroha.

“Senpai, let’s go on a date~! Did you think I’d say that~?”

Rather than blood, it seems like energy drinks run through her veins. She keeps occupying my bed, and she tries her best to seduce me with whatever method she can play to her favor. She’s a girl who’s constantly annoying and obnoxious around me. Even though I’m busy all day long, she doesn’t care.

And in case you’re wondering why all these envious gazes are directed at me, it’s because Iroha is actually really popular. She’s an honor student at our school with top grades to boot, and she’s known for being kind and proper to anyone she meets.

…Hey now, why are you only so annoying when you’re around me?

Lucian Black awakened to be the most powerful hunter in the world, but he even with all these powers, he could not protect that which he holds dear, and had to watch her die.Devoid of any feeling, he decided to focus his hatred on the monsters that caused all his suffering, and he became a killing machine until one day, he was betrayed and poisoned by those he works with but fate had another plan in store for him as he returned back to the day of his awakening, the day he awoke the most broken ability in the world.With this second chance, he vows to protect his sister and find out what really happened to his parents.