The rain over Belmora came down like knives.
Neon guild signs flickered across the cracked pavement, their glow distorted in puddles of blood, grease, and cheap liquor. Debt notices screamed red across every holo-screen, as if the whole city enjoyed watching the desperate drown.
Inside the guild hall, Klaus Machiavelli sat at the farthest corner. White hair hung in tangled strands over his pale face, hiding crimson eyes that glowed faintly even without mana. His once-pristine armor had been pawned off. His reputation shredded by betrayal.
The wristband display on his arm pulsed a cruel truth:
[-72,000 Credits Outstanding Debt]Collector Visit: Tonight
Klaus let out a dry laugh. "Funny. Betray me in a dungeon, sell me out, and now I'm still paying the bill. Classic Machiavelli luck."
He raised his glass to no one and downed the last drop. Empty. Just like his future.
Betrayal Still Bleeds
It hadn't been long since his raid team abandoned him—sacrificed him really. They had dragged him into a dungeon boss fight, sealed the escape route, and left him as bait so they could flee.
"Strategist Machiavelli," they used to call him. "The man who could out-think dragons."But when the time came? His so-called friends decided he was expendable. He crawled out half-dead, only to return to a guild that branded him a coward.
Now, broke. Banished. Alone.
Or so he thought.
The lights in the hall flickered. Pressure built in his skull, like claws dragging through his brain. His vision blackened—then erupted into cascading glyphs of silver and obsidian.
[SYSTEM ALERT]Crown of Systems detected…User Status: BROKEN. Compatibility: 99.7%.
[CROWN OF SYSTEMS: ACTIVATED]
Klaus jerked, clutching his head. A burning weight pressed onto his skull, unseen yet undeniable. A crown of black crystal and silver flame shimmered faintly above him—visible only to him.
Runes locked into place. Interfaces merged. His soul screamed as five distinct voices became one.
The Crown's Inheritance
[CROWN OF SYSTEMS Linked]SIMP SYSTEM — Influence & Resonance.SHADOW PATH — Devour & Army.DREAM-WEAVE — Lifespan-for-Power.DIMENSIONAL TRADE — Arbitrage Between Worlds.FALLEN ANGEL: LUCIFER (Guide AI) — Strategic Advisor.
Tri-Core expanded. Crown-Bearer Ascension begins…
Klaus staggered back, knocking over his empty glass. His breath came ragged. Five systems? That's… impossible.
And then came the voice.
Smooth, sardonic, dripping with amusement.
[Lucifer]: "Rise, Crown-Bearer. Your world spat you out, but I… will sharpen you. Shall we play a game of survival?"
Klaus blinked hard. "Who—what the hell are you?"
[Lucifer]: "Lucifer. Your shadow. Your guide. Call me what mortals once feared—fallen angel, whisperer, tempter. But for you? I am necessity."
The Simp System Sparks
A warm chime cut through the storm in his head.
[SIMP SYSTEM: Passive Initiated]Target Detected: Mira Veyra (Guild Receptionist).Charm Resonance: 94% → 95%.[BONUS UNLOCKED] Cashback 10% + Skill Resonance.[RES0NANCE SYNC] Mira's Skill Acquired: Healing Light (C-Rank).
Across the hall, Mira—brown hair, weary eyes, the only one who ever treated him kindly—turned. Her gaze locked on him. And something shifted. Hope? Faith?
His hand glowed faintly with golden light. Her skill—now his.
Klaus exhaled shakily. "…So, if I reach their hearts, I gain their power?"
[Lucifer]: "Hearts, wallets, bodies—whichever opens first. Seduce, charm, manipulate. It matters little. What matters is that you take."
The Beast Breaks Loose
The doors slammed open. A cage overturned in the rain, releasing a Lesser Chitinbeast. Venom dripped from mandibles as it screeched, scattering patrons in terror.
Klaus stood. He had no sword. No armor. But the Crown pulsed again.
[SHADOW PATH: Devour Protocol Available]Target: Lesser Chitinbeast. Confirm Devour? (Y/N)
"Yes."
He met the beast head-on. It lunged—he sidestepped, grabbed its throat, and with a feral roar slammed it onto the stone floor again and again until its skull cracked. Venom seared his skin, but pain only fed the fury boiling inside.
[SYSTEM] Target Defeated.[DEVOUR] Trait Acquired: Chitin Armor (Basic).[SHADOW CLONE] Lesser Chitinbeast Created.
Black mist coiled upward, weaving into a crouched silhouette—an obedient clone with silver-lit eyes.
Klaus grinned through blood. "My first soldier."
[Lucifer]: "Ahh, a wolf in strategist's clothing at last. Good. Build your army from corpses, Crown-Bearer. Mortals die, shadows endure."
Transformation of Blood and Wings
But the Devour didn't stop. The Crown burned hotter. His reflection in the mirror warped.
White hair shimmered like moonlight. Skin paled to silver. Ears elongated to sharp elegance. His mouth split with fangs.
Six radiant white wings tore free from his back, each feather edged in black shadow-flame.
From the shadows formed his companions: a Wolf of Darkness, fangs dripping with silver fire, and an Obsidian Crow, wings scattering voidlight.
[BLOODLINE UNLOCKED] Hybrid Awakening: Vampire Elf.Traits: Eternal Hunger • Winged Ascendancy • Shadow Resonance.
Gasps filled the guild hall. Mira's eyes brimmed with tears. The debt collector dropped his weapon, trembling.
Klaus stretched his new wings, rain steaming as it touched the shadow-flames. "This world threw me into the gutter. But I'll rise. Higher than gods."
The First Trade
New glyphs unfolded across his vision.
[DIMENSIONAL TRADE]Resource Detected: Chitin Beast Carapace.Earth Market Value: 30 Credits.Elven Realm Value: 3 Gold (≈600 Credits).Profit Margin: +1900%.Execute Trade? (Y/N)
Klaus stared. His ruined wristband flashed red with debt. And here was a chance to flip trash into fortune.
[Lucifer]: "You see now, Crown-Bearer? You're not merely a fighter. You are a merchant of worlds. A king of markets. Bleed them dry."
The Dream Gate
Then the mirror behind the bar shattered entirely, revealing a gate of ash and starlight. Symbols crawled across it, whispering promises.
[DREAM-WEAVE] Gate Detected: "Ashen Citadel."Entry Cost: 3 Years Lifespan.(1 Dream-Hour = 1 Real-Day Lifespan).Enter? (Y/N)
Klaus's wings twitched. His crow cawed. His wolf growled low.
Three years. Did he dare shave them away for power?
[Lucifer]: "Careful, Crown-Bearer. That gate hungers for more than years—it hungers for your sanity. But inside? Treasures that could unmake kings. Shall we gamble?"
Klaus clenched his fists. Healing Light glowed in his hand. Shadow wolf and crow flanked him. The first profits of interdimensional trade burned in his interface.
He had nothing left to lose. Only an empire to gain.
He whispered, voice like thunder:
"Enter."
The Dream Gate swallowed him whole.