Lin Xi Chen's fingers twitched slightly as she greedily gasped for breath; time around her remained frozen, just moments before the monsters closed in to tear her apart.
All the wounds on her body had begun to heal at an astonishing rate; she could see further than an ordinary person on a spiritual level, and her hearing was so acute that she could pinpoint the exact locations of the monsters and her fleeing classmates.
Lucifer's Ruins is overwhelmingly intense and abundant, yet somehow, it doesn't feel corrupted.
Her body absorbed it all; an aura began to envelop her, and her eyes glowed brilliantly. Inscriptions appeared across her body as she began to levitate, and Lin Xi Chen let out a scream that tore through the night and drove back the mist.
In an instant, a dazzling, blazing beam of light burst forth from the top of the mountain. The beam of light was so intense that it illuminated a vast area, causing the clouds to instantly dissipate.
At this moment, the night was as bright as day!
A new Divine Agent have been born!
Lin Xi Chen slowly descended to the ground as her body fully absorbed the power and transformed it into her own. She looked down at her hands, seeing herself enveloped in an aura so bright it was dazzling.
The power truly lives up to the name Lucifer—God's brightest and most beautiful angel!
The monsters that had initially surrounded her were forced to their knees by the weight of her aura; they looked up with faces full of terror. As her aura began to recede, they scrambled and scattered in a panic to flee.
"Tch...! You coward!"
Lin Xi Chen shouted at the monsters; she clicked her tongue loudly and pointed her index finger at the beast. "Hah! Let see how can you dodge this....!"
She had wanted to try doing this her whole life!
PANG!!
A beam of light shot from her finger—a projectile resembling a miniature sun—aimed straight at the monster. Giving it no chance to shriek or struggle, the blast seemed to incinerate the creature, leaving only ashes that dissolved into the thin air.
"Holy-"
Lin Xi Chen's jaw dropped when she realized just how overpowered she was; wouldn't that make her a prime target for various factions?
AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Upon hearing the screams of Lin Xi Chen's classmates, she immediately wondered how she could save them all at once—or perhaps she should just take a desperate gamble?
She decided to take a gamble, betting that Lucifer's Ruins wouldn't harm humans!
A halo appeared behind her head as she pressed her hands together, using magic to conjure a magic circle, expanded it to a massive size, and positioned it above the mountain. With a flick of her finger, the magic activated, instantly vaporizing every monster in the mountain area.
The monsters vanished, leaving the students bewildered; even the magic circle dissolved into golden dust that drifted down around them. Upon contact, the dust caused them to instantly lose consciousness.
Lin Xi Chen was surprised and proud of herself; she hadn't realized she could wield it with such proficiency until she felt the resulting impact.
THUD!
"Cough... Cough... Cough...."
Lin Xi Chen collapsed to the ground, coughing violently until her throat burned and her chest ached; she spat out a mouthful of blood and lay sprawled on the ground.
She looked utterly wretched at that moment: her clothes were torn and blood-stained, her hair was a tangled mess of leaves and dirt, and her body ached with soreness.
The symbols etched onto her body began to fade, and the glow in her eyes started to dim slowly, the halo breaking as she turned to look up at the sky. Gazing up at the dark sky, glittering with thousands of stars, she wanted to imprint this moment in her memory forever.
It seems she has reached the limit of her mental strength, yet she is glad she could save others when they needed it most. It appears this power has filled the void within her, instilling courage, confidence, and strength.
But she felt it had taken something away from her—something she couldn't quite identify; could it be the capacity for empathy?
Lin Xi Chen sighed and shook her head; she took out her phone to call an ambulance and the police for the people there, then stood up and limped away.
"Huff.... Huff... My bag..."
Lin Xi Chen looked around for her bag; spotting it near a rock, she bent down to pick it up. However, the lingering dizziness forced her to sit back down and lean against the base of a tree.
She wants to go home, but she probably has to wait a little longer; although the wound has healed, it hasn't made up for the blood she lost.
A strange drowsiness washed over her—something even she could not resist. Lin Xi Chen could feel it lulling her to sleep, telling her not to worry about anything anymore.
Lin Xi Chen finally succumbed to sleep, closing her eyes as she drifted off. Unbeknownst to her, an invisible barrier formed to conceal her presence and keep monsters at bay from the effects of Lucifer's aura.
"The Divine Agent of Lucifer has been located. But unable to approach—over."
Somewhere outside Lin Xi Chen's barrier, a suspicious figure in a hooded cloak spoke into their communicator.
That person used binoculars to take a picture of Lin Xi Chen's face; when the photo fell, they picked it up, examined it closely, and then put it away.
"Fall back; for now, we shouldn't mess with Lucifer's agent without some knowledge about her power."
"Clear."
"...."
After a long while, Lin Xi Chen slowly opened her eyes and realized it was night. Out of habit, she reached for her phone, but the sudden realization that she was still in the forest sent her into a panic, and she scrambled to her feet.
She rummaged through her pocket to pull out her phone and check the time; it was 1 a.m., and seeing that she had only 15% battery left made her whine. She needed to get home soon so as not to arouse anyone's suspicion.
Lin Xi Chen stretched her arms and body as she walked; it had been a long time since she'd enjoyed such a good night's sleep. Although she hadn't had any dreams, the accumulated fatigue—built up over quite some time—seemed to have completely vanished after that rest.
She once again channeled her "Divine Ruin" to explore other ways the power could be utilized. An aura enveloped her body; initially, she hadn't sensed it due to her injuries and exhaustion. However, the power felt remarkably cool, causing her body temperature to drop whenever she activated it.
Lin Xi Chen went all out, channeling all her energy into her body, and leapt from the mountain, soaring to a great height.
"Woohooo!!!"
She could feel the wind blowing through her hair, the dark, star-filled sky, and the city still awake beneath her. It was the first time she had truly felt the beauty of the city and the joy within herself.
She had never felt such joy in her life; savoring this freedom was the most exhilarating feeling of all.
She always had to work to help her auntie earn money; at school, she was an outsider who never managed to fit in with her peers.
She nearly got expelled for fighting a classmate, yet she would always stand up to defend Lin Qiye whenever he was bullied.
In the end, whenever she was injured, she would return home and weep alone in her room. At least she can enjoy a fleeting moment of joy like this, given that her entire life has been nothing but darkness.
Lin Xi Chen knew that great power comes with great responsibility, and that she would be constantly targeted—and that her loved ones would be targeted too if she wasn't careful.
She moved skillfully across the buildings, her years of ballet training paying off in ways she hadn't realized—granting her a body of remarkable flexibility and agility.
As she leaped across glass-clad buildings, she noticed that her appearance changed significantly whenever she used her powers—could it be an effect of the power itself?
Her hair, glowing a brilliant, dazzling blonde, seemed to float in the air; a blinding halo shone behind her head, and her body was bathed in a soft light. With her eyes radiant and luminous, Lin Xi Chen looked for all the world like an angel.
This form likely only manifests when she is channeling her power; she wishes it would last longer, as it makes her look strong, gentle, and more like a young woman than her ordinary self.