Trudging along the riverbank, Lucian breathed in the refreshing breeze blowing across the body of water. The fresh air, mixed with the scent of Mana unadulterated by the elements of nature, was a welcome change from the stale air of the Hell Realm, where the saturation of Mana had grown scarce over the years.
He absentmindedly fingered the amulet shaped like a key hanging around his neck and gazed into the flowing waters. His once long hair, which had flowed past his shoulders, was now cropped short, and his crimson eyes had turned hazel brown with flecks of violet in them.
Even now, it all felt surreal—the fact that not only had he lost his home, but had been driven to the realm of dangerous humans.
Ever since resources had grown deficient in the Hell Realm, their strength had been on a steady decline. At first, it had led to a war for hoarding what remained, which ended up scarring the realm so badly it couldn't recover even after thousands of years had passed.
It was this need for resources that had driven Lucifer the Fifth to forage into the unknown realms and invite disaster. And now, thanks to the Calamity of the Abyss, Hell was lost beyond any measure.
However, Lucian couldn't accept that. Couldn't accept the fact that he had failed to protect his home—the home entrusted to him by his father. He was a Demon, but more than that, he was a Demon King. His pride demanded he reclaim what was stolen from him. But facing an eldritch monstrosity was easier said than done. He would need to grow stronger.
While the Human Realm promised just that, it was also fraught with danger. Even the slightest suspicion and death might be the best outcome he could hope for. The alternative would certainly be much worse.
Unbeknownst to Lucian, the key-shaped amulet hanging around his neck had begun to glow faintly. It wasn't a glow derived from Mana, otherwise, he would have noticed. No, it was something far beyond his understanding.
The light seeped into his skin, deep into the core of his soul, and awakened something strange.
"Huh?" Lucian faltered, his hand reaching for his head as he struggled to stay upright.
What's happening? he questioned blearily, as his vision swam and darkness threatened to take hold.
"Lucian? Lucian!" His mother's voice echoed in his ears, but Lucian couldn't hear her. He couldn't hear anything, see anything, feel anything.
He was nothing.
...
Drip—
A droplet of light rippled in the shadows of water.
Drip—
Illuminating the sight of his soul.
Drip—
Lucian opened his eyes.
There was but water to greet his sight. An endless oceanic carpet atop which he stood, with ripples originating from beneath his feet and propagating outward like waves along the infinite stretch of the ocean's surface.
It took him a few moments to recover from his daze before a vigilant light gleamed in his eyes. He tried to mobilize his Demonic Mana, but to his shock, found that he couldn't even detect a hint of his energy.
"What—?" Lucian couldn't help but say aloud.
However, before the shock could morph into fear or anger, a shimmer in the air drew his attention.
Right before him, perfectly aligned with his line of sight, appeared words.
[Initiating the Zero-Cause System...]
[Establishing System Framework...]
[Scanning Body, Soul, and Mind...]
[Resetting accumulated levels...]
[Recalculating attribute baselines...]
[Attempting to assign Path: 'Demon Lord'...]
[Error: Path Incompatible... Core Essence Corrupted]
[Initiating Path Re-evaluation Protocol...]
[System Alteration Detected... Unauthorized Modification]
[Executing Mending Sequence: Beta-707-Tri...]
[Warning: Data Corruption Detected...]
[Reassessing Host configuration...]
"Blighted Heavens!" Lucian jumped in surprise. "What's this?"
Never before in his life had he come across such a strange sight. It was a novel experience, unnerving on a whole other level.
Yet, before he could question the reality before him, the words changed once more.
[Reassessment complete.]
[New Path Assigned: 'Chaos Inheritor']
[Loading Adaptive Framework...]
[System Core Initialization Complete]
Suddenly, the words vanished, only for a screen of light to spring into existence. Etched across its surface was a new set of words:
[Welcome, Host. Please intone the word 'Status' to bring forth the Main Menu]
"What?" Lucian was confounded beyond measure. "Is it talking to me?"
Though he voiced the question aloud, the words merely stared back in silence.
His brow twitched, and Lucian found it difficult to suppress the fountain of rage threatening to burst forth. Not only had he been taken to this accursed place, but now he was being treated like some... subject.
If it weren't for his current lack of strength, he wouldn't tolerate the insult at all.
"Whatever," Lucian muttered in a dejected tone. "Let's just get this over with."
"Status."
As soon as the word left his mouth, the screen of light contorted and then spread outward. New words, ones that baffled him to the extreme, manifested before his eyes.
Name: Lucian Asmodeus
Age: 28
Race: Demon
Bloodline: Demon King
Rank: Mortal
Path: Chaos Inheritor [Lvl 0]
Might: 51 [Tier I]
Speed: 27 [Tier I]
Arcane: 38 [Tier I]
Spirit: 34 [Tier I]
Sight: 24 [Tier I]
Traits: [Infernal Eyes] [Demonic Charm]
Skill: [Demonic Energy Manipulation II] [Demonic Aura III] [Sword Mastery II] [Infernal Flame III]
Titles: [Prince of Pandemonium] [King of Hell]
"..."
Unable to even voice his surprise anymore, Lucian could only thoughtfully evaluate the reality before him.
He wondered if it were a vile scheme of some sort: a cautious reminder, or a vicious blackmail attempt by someone who knew the truth of his existence.
Is someone threatening to expose me? he wondered. But what could they even want?
Lucian found the scenario a bit too far-fetched. He had only just stepped foot into this realm, and yet some kind of existence had already gathered this much information about him? It seemed highly unlikely.
Suddenly, though, a new screen manifested atop the previous one. And upon reading the title of the message it carried, Lucian finally found the answer he had been searching for.
[A Message from the System Administrator has arrived]