The drive home was quiet and awkward. Anderson had many questions and occasionally stole glances through the rearview mirror, but there was a look in Leo's eyes—something far too terrifying to confront.
On the way back to the Riverside villa, Leo watched running up the road he had passed through nearly an hour ago. If things were different, these people would end up finding his corpse an hour or so from now, and his death would be reported as another animal attack.
"I wonder how it will get reported this time." Leo grinned devilishly while looking out the window.
---
As soon as they arrived home, Leo exited the car and walked straight to his room without saying a word to Anderson.
Shutting the attic room door, Leo leaned on it and let out an exhausted sigh as he slid down the door. Seated on the floor, he gazed at the barred windows at the other end of the room with a dull expression, and this morning's events flashed through his eyes.
The excitement and adrenaline were gone, and now he was in the safety of his home.
"So It wasn't a dream?" Leo mumbled as he looked at his bloody hands.
He felt unsure of what to feel or make of the situation, and he had no plans of sharing this with Anderson—at least, until he figured out what was going on.
{23 unread messages}
Leo's eyes returned to the strange platform at the corner of his vision, which he ignored on his ride home.
{Message opened!}
The platform suddenly slid to the center, as a series of messages appeared on the screen.
{Congratulations on becoming the sin of pride!}
{Many were selected, but only you were chosen.}
"Many were selected? Is this supposed to make me feel special or something?" Leo rolled his eyes and watched the message vanish as more messages took its place
{Name: Leo Morningstar}
{Race: Human}
{Status: Cambion}
{Level: 1}
{Demonic Force: 10/10}
{Strength: 1.0}
{Agility: 1.0}
{Vitality: 1.0}
{Intelligence: 1.0}
{Charisma:1.0}
{Skills}
{0 points available}
{Skill locked}{Requirement: ???}
{Skill locked}{Requirement: ???}
{Skill locked}{Requirement: ???}
Leo frowned upon noticing the grayed-out arena in the skill section. While his battle with Isaiah was mostly a blur, he was shocked to see the
{Demon Lord's Armory locked} {Requirement: Level 10}
"Nothing?" Leo blurted out and rose to his feet.
How could the system leave him with nothing after promising the power to change the world?
"Did I sell my soul for nothing?" Leo couldn't help but ask.
{Requirement for next level: 0/100 FP}
{Devotees:2}
{Congratulations on completing the first task –- Kill Isaiah}
{Reward: Spirit companion --- Azakar}
{Do you accept; yes or no}
"Do I accept? Are you kidding me?" Leo rolled his eyes. "Yes!"
Originally, Leo wondered why he would reject the system's reward when a thought crossed his mind;
'What if there was an alternative?'
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets as the attic room was bathed in an amber hue and a spherical golden egg emerged from Leo's chest.
The golden egg hovered in the center of the room while web-shaped cracks spread all over it.
Leo turned his face and shielded it with an arm as he waited for the magnificent explosion to follow, but it never happened. He noticed the dimming amber light and snapped his head in that direction.
"Was I scammed or something?"
At the center of the room was a puppy-sized lion. No, not a cub, but a puppy-sized lion with a thick brown mane and a supposedly menacing tongue of fire at the tip of its tail.
"Lord Jesus... I sold my soul for this?" Leo covered his face in shame as he slid down the wall again and sat on the floor.
"Careful there, lad, we don't do that here."
A deep, menacing voice thundered and Leo flinched, glaring at the tiny lion in shock.
"Ooh great, a talking... What the fuck are you anyways?" Leo wasn't sure if it would be right to refer to this thing as a lion.
Azakar took heavy strides forward with its chest puffed up to make it look intimidating, but to Leo, it was nothing more than the squeaky steps of an adorable puppy.
"Rejoice human! For you have the king of the underworld jungles as a Spirit companion. What more can a demon lord candidate wish for?"
Leo blinked, trying to make sense of the intimidating voice hidden within this cute body.
{Name: Azakar}
{Race: Demon}
{Status: Soul companion}{Upgradable}
{Hp: 1/1}
{Ability}
{Ghost: Azakar is a spirit companion capable of existing in the physical and spiritual plane at once. It is non-existent to everyone except the user, and can only reveal itself to others if the user commands it.}
"Yup, I said it. It's useless." Leo nodded and shifted his attention to the final tab on the platform.
{Titles}
{Sin of Pride: This title is activated once the user comes in direct contact with sun rays. Under the effect of this title, the user's actions are influenced by the sin of pride, and his power scales depending on the intensity of the sun.}
{+10 to all stats}{Not fixed}
{First Prince of Hell: This title is activated when the user comes in contact with a demon. It grants the user absolute authority over demons below the level of Greater Demons. This is ineffective on demons already under the command of a Greater Demon or more powerful demons}
Leo's mouth had the 'O' shape as he read the final set of messages with a pleasant smile on his face. He finally understood how he defeated Isaiah so easily.
"Okay, okay... Now we are getting somewhere!" Leo laughed excitedly.
This was the best birthday present he had gotten since his father passed.