[Lucifer's POV]
"Bloody Hell!"
The oppressive silence of the forest was broken only by my sharp exclamation. My voice, rough and foreign to my own ears, echoed faintly before being swallowed by the suffocating stillness.
I glanced down at myself. My hands were steady, my skin unmarred by the wounds of my final battle. No dagger protruded from my chest, no blood stained my clothes. In fact, the clothes I wore were entirely unfamiliar—a simple black tunic and trousers, sturdy boots that seemed designed for long treks rather than sacrificial ceremonies.
I ran a hand through my hair, finding it longer than I remembered. My reflection in a nearby pool of water caught my attention, and I froze.
My hair and my eyes.
White. Snow-white hair cascaded down past my shoulders, contrasting sharply with the dark surroundings. But it wasn't just the colour that startled me—it was the faint glow that seemed to radiate from each strand, like moonlight caught in a midnight weave. My eyes, once a crimson red burning with anger and resentment, were now a mismatched dichotomy—one a piercing sapphire blue, calm and deep like an endless ocean, the other a shimmering gold, vibrant and radiant like sunlight breaking through a storm. They stared back at me, foreign yet undeniably mine.
"What in the—?" I muttered, leaning closer to the pool, only to catch a faint ripple distorting my reflection.
"What… am I?" I whispered to the image before me, though no answer came. The reflection stared back, unblinking, challenging me to reconcile the man I had been with the being I had become.
A sudden sound broke the eerie silence—a low, guttural growl. I spun on my heels, instincts flaring as my surroundings came into sharper focus. Shadows danced among the trees, moving unnaturally, like sentient creatures stalking their prey. And their prey, it seemed, was me.
My body tensed as the growling grew louder, joined by the faint sound of claws scraping against the bark. From the darkness, glowing eyes emerged—amber, emerald, and blood-red, watching me with predatory intent. Whatever these creatures were, they weren't of this world.
"Of course," I muttered dryly, flexing my fingers. "First reincarnation, then a forest of doom. Why not throw in some monsters to complete the set—"
[Congratulation! Descendant of Lucifer. You have passed the testing period, and thus finally became qualified to inherit his prowess. Do you agree to synchronize with "The Morningstar System"?]
[Y/Y]
I stared at the glowing black prompt with the golden text hanging in the air before me like a mocking piece of my new reality. "Morningstar System?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with incredulity. "What, like a cosmic app for all the fallen angels and demons looking to sign up for better deals on power-ups?"
"No option to decline," I muttered bitterly, rolling my eyes. "Great. Just my luck."
Growl!
Before I could fully process what was happening, the growl from the shadows grew louder. The creatures—whatever they were—stepped into the dim light, their forms becoming clearer. They weren't like anything I had seen in my previous life, but the way they moved, the way their eyes glowed, made it obvious they were predators—hunters.
Four of them emerged from the darkness, tall, sleek, and with long, sinewy limbs that looked capable of slicing through flesh with ease. Their bodies were covered in rough, patchy fur, their faces twisted into bestial snarls, and the claws that adorned their fingers were thick, dark, and wickedly sharp.
My instincts screamed at me to run, but something inside me—something primal, something inherited—kept me rooted to the spot. My fingers flexed at my sides as the remnants of my old anger, that fire that had driven me to kill my father, sparked again.
The creatures slowly circled me, their growls reverberating through the oppressive silence. There were four of them, each one seeming to take its turn stalking, eyeing me as though they could already taste my fear.
But fear? I had no time for that. Not anymore.
With that, I mentally pressed the glowing "Y" option in the prompt.
[Ok... the analyses have already been done on the user during his lifetime. The result is that the user has an aptitude rate of 99% plus a synchronization rate of 97.5%, the highest synchronization rate ever found among all other humans.]
[Congratulations user; now you are the first and last user of The Morningstar System.]
[As a reward for surviving your testing period, you have received (1) (Random Skill Token)]
[Do you want to use the token immediately?]
[Y/N]
"Random Skill Token, huh?" I muttered, ignoring the growls and shifting my focus to the floating prompt.
In the face of these beasts, I had two choices: hesitate and face an early demise, or make use of whatever tools I had been granted.
"Why not?" I muttered darkly, flicking the "Y" for yes.
[The Random Skill Token has been used...]
[Skill acquired: Hellfire]
[For more information, the user can open the profile itself.]
More information can wait, first I have to survive this.
Just then a beast lunged at me with blinding speed, its claws outstretched, aiming straight for my throat. A primal instinct surged within me, and without thinking, I raised my hand, summoning whatever force had been granted by the Morningstar System.
"Burn"
I whispered the word like a curse, feeling the weight of it in my chest. The air around me seemed to bend, and before the creature's claws could reach me, a wall of black and crimson fire exploded from my palm.
The Hellfire roared to life with an intensity that could only be described as apocalyptic. The flames were no ordinary fire—this was something ancient, something born from the very bowels of the underworld. It engulfed the beast in an instant, its howl cut off as the flames consumed its body, reducing it to ashes in mere moments.
[+1 Exp]
I stood there, watching the inferno dissipate, and the other three creatures hesitated, their eyes wide with something akin to fear. The stench of burning fur and flesh lingered in the air, and the remaining monsters seemed unsure whether to attack or retreat. But I could see the hunger in their eyes; they were predators, and I was their prey.
One of them—a hulking beast with blood-red eyes—roared in defiance, and the others followed, circling me once more. This time, however, they kept a safer distance, wary of the fire that had just obliterated their comrade.
I wasn't about to give them the chance to regroup. With a deep breath, I summoned more of the Hellfire, this time focusing the flames into jagged lances of burning energy. They crackled in the air, wild and untamed, and I hurled them at the creatures, one after another.
The first beast leapt toward me, its claws slashing through the air, but I was already moving, dodging with ease as if the flames had given me more than just power. It was like a strange harmony had settled in my movements, each step calculating and precise.
The Hellfire struck the creature mid-air, sending it plummeting to the ground, its body writhing in agony as the flames ate through its fur and flesh.
[+1 Exp]
One down.
The remaining two were faster, smarter. They attacked in tandem, one lunging from the left, the other from the right. Their speed was impressive, but not enough to outmaneuver me. I dropped into a low roll, dodging both attacks and leaving them exposed.
With a snap of my fingers, a wave of fire surged forward, engulfing both creatures in an unrelenting blaze. They shrieked as they tried to retreat, but it was too late. The Hellfire burned hotter than any natural flame, leaving nothing but charred remains in its wake.
Silence returned to the forest once more, only broken by the crackling of distant flames.
[+1 Exp]
[+1 Exp]
I glanced at the glowing text floating above me, a reminder of the new life I had been thrust into. It felt surreal, almost like a dream. But no, the intense burning in my chest, the taste of victory over these creatures, proved this was real.
The creatures were gone, but the question still lingered in my mind: What now?
I opened the system interface, curiosity taking hold. It felt strange—like I was trying to adjust to a new body, a new existence. I decided to try a hypothesis.
'Profile.'
[User: Lucifer Morningstar]
[Level: 01, 4/100 Exp]
[HP: 10/10]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Stamina: 10]
*Skills*
[Hellfire (Lvl.01, Exp.4/100): A technique that consists in invoking the infernal flames of the hell itself. The fire of hell were no different from normal fire, but after purifying so many sins and so many sinners, it became the most powerful fire, having even burned the god of fire himself, making him beg Lucifer to put out those flames before he died. To increase the power of the hellfire, you must burn either sins or sinners in it.]
---
I took a deep breath, my mind racing as I processed the information shown on the 'profile'. The Hellfire skill was certainly as devastating as it sounded—consuming everything in its path with an intensity that bordered on the divine. It was an advantage, but I had a feeling it came with its own set of challenges. The mention of needing to burn sins or sinners to increase its power made me wonder what that entailed and how I would go about gathering such fuel in this strange new world.
I flicked through the rest of the profile, trying to gather any other useful information. The system seemed relatively simple at first glance, but I knew better than to underestimate it. There had to be more hidden beneath the surface.
"Level 1... not even an upgrade yet," I muttered under my breath. The system's basic stats were much lower than I remembered—though it was hard to say what normal was in this world now. At least I had an idea of where to begin: gain experience, level up, and probably become much more dangerous than I already felt.
A faint rustle in the trees broke my train of thought. I turned instinctively, anticipating another attack.
And guess what? I was right!
More than a dozen beasts emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with hunger and malice. Unlike the previous four, these creatures were smaller, but they made up for it in numbers. Their forms shifted and rippled as they moved in unison, coordinated like a well-oiled machine.
A surge of adrenaline flooded my body, and I raised my hands instinctively, prepared to unleash more Hellfire. However, the situation was different this time—these creatures weren't just mindless beasts; they were intelligent, and I could feel their awareness of my previous attack. They wouldn't be so easily taken down.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing. Focus. I took a deep breath, centering myself as the prompt from the system flickered in my mind. The Hellfire had proven effective, but now, I needed a strategy.
The creatures circled me, their glowing eyes never leaving my figure. I counted them—twelve in total. They were wary of me, but I could feel the pressure mounting. They were waiting for me to make the first move, probably hoping I would overextend myself.
.
..
...
[To Be Continue]
***
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