Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, filtering into the mouth of the cave.
Lysander's eyes snapped open. There was no electric shock from the System, meaning the night had been peaceful. The Demon God's Aura had done its job; nothing had dared to approach.
He sat up, stretching his arms. His body felt incredible—rested, powerful, and buzzing with leftover energy from the Boss fight yesterday.
"I survived the night," he whispered, sitting up and cracking his neck.
Before he could even stand, a loud chime rang in his ears.
Ding!
[DAILY QUEST: STRENGTHENING THE VESSEL]
[Good Morning, Master. To wield the power of a Demon God, your human vessel must not be fragile. If your body is weak, your own power will tear you apart]
[Required Tasks]
[100 Push-ups]
[100 Sit-ups]
[100 Squats]
[50 Repetitions of 'Shadow Flash']
[Time Limit:] 2 Hours.
[Warning:]
[If the Daily Quest is not completed within the time limit, the System will administer a Penalty]
[Penalty: "Muscle Paralysis" (You will be unable to move your body for 4 hours, leaving you vulnerable to any predator)
Lysander stared at the screen and let out a scoff
"Paralysis in the middle of a jungle? That's basically a death sentence," he muttered, standing up and stretching his arms. "You really know how to motivate a guy."
He didn't complain further. He dropped to the stone floor and began.
"One, two, three..." Sweat began to drip from his forehead.
The push-ups were easy thanks to his high Strength.
The squats burned his legs, but his Vitality kept him going.
After the physical workout, he moved to the real challenge.
"Shadow Flash!"
ZAP
He burst from one end of the cave to the other, leaving a blur behind him.
He panted, waiting for the cooldown.
"Again. Shadow Flash!"
ZAP
He crashed into the wall once, bruising his shoulder, but he ignored the pain. He focused on the flow of mana, trying to make the movement smoother, quieter.
After two hours of grueling effort, Lysander collapsed on the floor, his chest heaving. He was exhausted, but he felt sharper.
Ding!
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED]
[Excellent work Master Your body is adapting to the mana flow]
[Through repeated use and high focus, your proficiency has reached a breakthrough]
[Shadow Flash](Level 1) -> [Shadow Flash] (Level 2)
[Improvement: Distance increased to 7 meters. Mana cost reduced slightly]
[The physical strain has hardened your muscles and sharpened your mind]
[Strength: +2]
[Agility: +2]
[Intelligence: +2]
[Vitality: +2]
Lysander stood up, his body steaming with heat in the cool cave air. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the soreness in his muscles already fading, replaced by a surge of fresh energy.
He clenched and unclenched his fists. He felt tighter, lighter, and more dangerous.
"Not bad," he grinned, rotating his shoulder.
"I can feel the difference. My body is finally catching up to my instincts."
He sat down on a rock and took a deep breath.
"System," he commanded, his voice steady. "Show me the results. I want to see how much I've grown."
Ding!
A crisp blue window materialized in the air before him.
[CURRENT STATUS WINDOW]
[Name: Lysander]
[Class: Successor of the Demon God]
[Level: 12]
[Title: None]
[Attributes]
[Strength: 47](+2 from Daily Quest)
[Agility: 44] (+2 from Daily Quest)
[Intelligence: 27] (+2 from Daily Quest)
[Vitality: 4 (+2 from Daily Quest)
[Mana: 270 / 270]
[Skills & Abilities]
[Active Skill: Shadow Flash] (Level 2)
[Effect: Instant dash up to 7 meters]
Reduced Mana cost.
[Passive Skill: Pain Resistance](Intermediate)
[Passive Aura: Demon God's Intimidation]
[Equipment]
[Weapon: Erebos: The Edge of Ruin] (Stage 2)
[Ability: Blood Wave]
[Passive: Soul Drinker]
[Assets]
[System Points (SP): 501 SP]
[Inventory: Empty]
Lysander scanned the numbers, a satisfied expression crossing his face.
"Level 12," he murmured. "And my stats are rising every day
Lysander stared at the Status Window, his finger hovering over the [Passive Skills] section. The numbers made sense, but these titles—'Pain Resistance' and 'Demon God's Aura'—bothered him.
"System," he asked, his voice low and suspicious. "I understand 'Shadow Flash' I paid for that. I understand my Stats I worked for those. But these two? I never trained for them. I never bought them. Why do I possess them?"
Hummm.
The blue screen darkened, shifting to a deep, ancient violet hue. The System's voice resonated in his mind, sounding less like a machine and more like a judge reading a verdict.
[Master, you mistake 'Gifts' for 'Scars'. You did not learn these skills. You earned them through survival]
[Pain Resistance](Intermediate)
[Do you remember the cave? The moment you opened the SSS-Rank Box? Your bones were crushed to dust, your blood boiled, and your muscles were torn apart and re-knitted]
[A normal human would have died from shock instantly. You did not. You remained conscious through the agony]
[Your nervous system was forced to adapt. Because you survived the fires of hell, the heat of a candle no longer burns you Ordinary pain has become dull to you]
[Demon God's Aura] (Intimidation)
[This is not a magical spell. This is the Scent of the Apex Predato]
[You carry the blood and legacy of the Demon God. Just as a rabbit instinctively freezes when it smells a wolf, lower-ranking creatures feel a primal terror when they stand near you]
[It is not something you 'do'. It is simply what you are]
Lysander listened to the explanation in silence. He slowly lowered his hand, looking down at his own palms. He remembered the screaming, the breaking bones, the absolute torture of his awakening.
For a moment, his expression was blank. Then, a cold, dark smile stretched across his face.
"I see," he whispered, clenching his fist tight. "So my suffering wasn't meaningless. It was... forging."
He looked up, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
"My pain became my armor. And my presence became a weapon."
He swiped the window away.
"Good. I'll make good use of both."
Lysander crossed his arms, leaning back against the rough cave wall.
"Alright, I understand the skills," he said, tapping his finger on his arm. "But there is still one thing that doesn't make sense. The Class."
Lysander stared at the bold text: [Class: Successor of the Demon God]. His expression wasn't just confused; it was bitter. He tapped his chest, feeling the heartbeat of the body he now inhabited
Alright," Lysander said, crossing his arms. "I accept that the skills are basically scars that turned into power. But this..." He pointed at the Class title.
"System," Lysander said, his voice dripping with irony. "This doesn't add up. The previous owner of this body... he was born with nothing. Zero talent. Zero potential
He narrowed his eyes, tapping the side of his head where the fragmented memories of this body lay.
"He was born with zero affinity. He couldn't manifest a spark of magic or strengthen a single muscle with aura. He tried to become a Swordsman, a Scout, a Healer-anything. But he failed everything. That is why his own family threw him out like garbage. They looked at his empty potential and disowned him."
[Master, you are confusing 'Talent' with 'Will"]
[In this world, Standard Classes—whether they are Vanguards, Elementalists, Enchanters, or Assassins—operate on the cruel logic of Biological Potential]
[You are either born with a Mana Core, or you are not. If you are born empty, you remain empty until you die. That is the law that governs mortals. That is why his family discarded him—because by their standards, he was a broken vessel that could never be filled]
[BUT THE DEMON GOD IS DIFFERENT]
[This Class does not rely on a Mana Core you were born with. It relies on a Core you forge]
[The moment you opened the SSS-Rank Mystery Box, you did not just find an item. You unleashed a primordial, chaotic power that has been sealed for eons]
[That power did not want a master. It tried to destroy you. It crushed your skeleton. It boiled your blood. It tried to erase your existence."
Success Rate: 0.0001%
Death Rate: 99.9999%
But you... you refused to die. You endured the unendurable. You looked into the abyss, and you did not blink]
[Because you did not break, the power had no choice but to submit. It fused with your soul. You are not the Successor because you were 'chosen' by destiny. You are the Successor because you forced the power to obey you]
[You are not the Successor because you were gifted talent at birth. You are the Successor because you tore the power from the abyss and made it yours]
Lysander stood frozen, the weight of the revelation sinking in. The silence in the cave was heavy.
He looked at his hands—the hands that could now crush stone.
"So," he whispered, a slow, dark smirk spreading across his face. "I didn't get a promotion. I took the throne."
The original Lysander was trash. Fate decided he was nothing."
He stood up and drew Erebos, the black blade humming in the morning light.
"But I am not him. I don't care about Fate. If this world thinks this body is trash, I will force them to bow to it."