[SYSTEM ERROR]
[CRITICAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED]
...
[Ero..Eror...]
[Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.]
What...?
My mind reeled. I was supposed to be asleep. I was supposed to be safe in the hotel room.
But when I opened my eyes, the bed was gone. The walls were gone. The smell of the ocean was replaced by the scent of ozone and something sickly sweet.
I was somewhere else. And I was in danger.
[Warning: External Entity interfering with the Cenotaph of Lust]
[Domain: The Mirror of Narcissus]
[Authority:Activated:
Ruler of Devils, Sins, and the Abyss]
[Status: Attempting to resist...]
[Alert: Forceful Advancement to Tier 3 initiated...]
[Advancement Error: System cannot resist the Cenotaph of Lust]
[CRITICAL ERROR: Enemy Authority exceeds User Capabilities.]
Shit, shit, shit.
What the hell is going on? The System was screaming, trying to force me to advance to Tier 3 just to survive the pressure of this place.
I looked around, trying to make sense of the chaos. I was standing on the edge of a silver, liquid lake that flowed infinitely into a void. The environment was choked with a thick, unnatural fog. I couldn't run. I couldn't fight.
I had said I wanted to fight stronger enemies... and this was the price for my arrogance.
Was this that receptionist's doing?
I moved closer to the silver lake. I saw my reflection in the surface, but it wasn't me. It was a perfect version of me—flawless, regal, and emitting an Ether density that made my current power look like a candle next to a bonfire.
"Hello. I was expecting you."
A smooth, soft voice resonated from the fog behind me. It was the voice of the receptionist from the Velvet Rose.
I turned around. But the beautiful girl was gone. In her place stood a nightmare.
A shadow stepped out of the darkness, more ink than flesh. She was a tall, sleek figure painted in shades of midnight purple and void black. Her skin looked like cooled lava, dark and smooth, but it was her eyes that caught the light—two glowing, neon-pink embers that burned with a cold intelligence.
Wrapped around her body like a living scarf was a thick, glowing tentacle. It pulsed with the same vibrant pink light, its suckers twitching as if it had a mind of its own.
My instincts screamed at me to run. She was creepy. Beautiful in a terrifying way, but mostly just... creepy.
But then, the monster did something impossible.
She bowed. She lowered her head to the ground, trembling as if I were the terrifying one.
"I pay my respects to the Ruler of Sins, Devils, and the Abyss," she whispered, her voice trembling with reverence. "I, the Sin of Lust. The Ruler of the Mirror of Narcissus. To one of the Seven... I bow my head to the Creator."
Creator?
My brain stuttered. What the fuck does she mean, I am her creator?
Should I act like I know everything?
I swallowed my panic. If I showed weakness now, this thing would eat me alive. I had to be the Monster she thought I was.
I nodded slowly, forcing my posture to remain straight. "Yes... I expected you, Sin of Lust."
I locked up my vision to her eye level. "How may I call you?"
"Sir, please speak normally to me," she added quickly, sensing my hesitation. She raised her head slightly, locking those neon-pink eyes onto mine. "Please... call me by the name you gave me."
Ah. How would I know your fucking name, lady?
"Luxuria," she said, her voice sounding far more confident and scared at same time.
I activated Event Horizon immediately, creating a distortion barrier around me just in case. "So, tell me, Luxuria... why have you disturbed my sleep?"
She recoiled, looking terrified that she had angered me. "I was wrong! Please, spare me! I was just trying to figure out if my Lord was the one who had come to bless me. And I was right."
She looked down again, avoiding direct eye contact. "Also, my Lord... I have gained full control of this body, just as you have over that boy's vessel."
My blood ran cold.
Full control?
"I may not be able to use my whole power yet, but I am strong," she continued eagerly. "So please... use me as you want."
Fuck. She thinks I've possessed Lucian completely. She thinks the 'real' Lucian is gone.
"Sure," I said coldly. "I will gladly sacrifice you for the greater good if the need arises."
"As you wish," she breathed.
"So, how will I contact you, Luxuria?"
She paused for a moment. "You can use my title to summon me into your Cenotaph."
"Okay. Tell me your title then."
"Yes, my Lord," she said, placing a hand over her chest. "One of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Embodiment of Creation and Life. The True Ruler of the Mirror of Narcissus, under the Velvet Monarch."
She looked up with devotion. "Use this title, and I will be there as soon as the laws of physics allow."
"Sure," I said, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. "Dismissed."
She bowed deeply again. "All hail the Ruler."
The world snapped to black.
[Bransy Town – Hotel Velvet Rose]
[Early Morning]
GASP.
I woke up in my bed, chest heaving. The silver lake was gone. The monster was gone. I was back in the dusty hotel room.
I checked the hallway. The receptionist—Luxuria—was nowhere to be found.
I needed fresh air.
I walked out into the misty morning streets of Bransy, my mind racing.
Who was that girl? I know she is the host of Lust, like I am for Pride. But if she is one of us, why am I the 'Creator'?
And her comment about taking over the body... Does that mean if I advance too much, the Sin of Pride will erase my consciousness and take over?
"Sigh."
Too much to think about.
"Well," I muttered to myself. "I can call her through her title if I need help. That's a trump card."
I arrived at the market square. Despite the early hour, a large crowd had gathered. They were murmuring, pointing toward a makeshift stage.
"Look, the King is here!"
"Why is he here?"
"Maybe it's about the war?"
King?
I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the complaints of the people I shoved aside.
"Watch where you're going, kid!"
"Ah, my bad," I said, not meaning it at all.
When I reached the front, I saw him. King Charles IV stood on a wooden platform, looking regal despite the gloomy weather.
"My people!" The King's voice boomed. "We know we have lost the war. But do not fear! We will surely take revenge for what we suffered from the Iron Kingdom!"
He spread his arms wide. "You may wonder why I am here. I am here to declare that Bransy Town will no longer be alone. From now on, I, the King of London, will be with you! This town is now under my direct rule!"
The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some cheered, hoping for protection against the Mirror Dimensions. Others grumbled that a King who lost his capital couldn't save a fishing town.
"Too much talk, but no real worth," I thought cynically, watching the King wave at the crowd.
"Pretty interesting, right?"
A calm, smooth voice resonated from my left.
I turned my head. Standing next to me was a tall man wearing casual, nondescript clothes. He looked normal enough, except for his hair—it was a deep, crimson red, like dying embers.
But it was the air around him that made me pause. It was hot. Not the humid heat of the coming storm, but a dry, scorching heat, like standing next to an open oven.
Is he an Awakened? I wondered, eyeing him sideways. A Fire Elementalist, maybe? His aura is leaking... he must be high-tier if he can affect the temperature just by standing here.
I didn't know who he was, but my instincts told me to be careful. In a town like Bransy, anyone with this kind of pressure wasn't a nobody.
"Yes," I replied flatly, keeping my guard up but my voice polite. "Too much talking."
The man smiled. It was a sharp, dangerous smile. For a split second, I thought I saw sparks fly from his fingertips, but it might have just been a trick of the light.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. How rude of me."
He extended a hand toward me. The heat radiating off his palm was intense, almost uncomfortable.
"I am Raphael Azarias."
The name sounded fancy—aristocratic, even—but it didn't ring any bells. I figured he was just some noble or a high-ranking mercenary passing through.
"Nice to meet you," I said, reaching out to shake his burning hand, thinking nothing of it.
"I'm Lucian."