The night was eerily so.
A faint rumbling stirred the earth beneath the roots of the trees, like distant thunder crawling its way through stone. Birds had long since fallen silent. Even the wind dared not speak.
Then—
Crack.
From the heart of the ruined altar miles away, a thin fracture of red lightning split the air with a shriek. The ground trembled. The sky rippled.
And then it tore open.
BOOM.
A deafening roar burst outward as the portal surged to life, ripping open like a festering wound in the fabric of reality. From its swirling maw of crimson and black, they came.
Demons.
Not in handfuls.
Not in battalions.
But thousands.
They poured forth like a flood, shrieking and clawing over one another in a chaotic frenzy of wings, limbs, and teeth. Some were grotesquely bloated with muscle and flame; others slithered like serpents, dripping with acidic bile. A few took to the skies, their bat-like wings eclipsing the moonlight as they screeched into the clouds.
Their howls echoed across the forest, a twisted symphony of war and hunger.
The portal, now a gaping spiral of red lightning and shadow, raged with unstable energy. Pulses of power surged outward in waves, causing trees nearby to blacken and rot. The land itself rejected their presence—yet the Abyss did not care.
It had been opened.
And now, the world of Eternia would bleed.
The portal then went unstable as energy poured out before closing.
Miles away, Eleanor halted her sprint just long enough to glance behind her, her breath caught in her throat. Even from here, she could see the flashes of light and shadows rising into the heavens like ash from a burning world.
Her eyes widened.
"…They're here."
In her arms, Vergil groaned again, sweat and blood matting his hair to his face, the corrupted energy in his half-formed eye reacting wildly to the portal's presence—like it recognized what had emerged.
She clenched her jaw and started moving again.
There was no more time.
The gate to hell had opened.
And its spawn had come to show terror once more.
Eleanor's boots crunched against twisted roots and uneven stone as she ran, the weight of Vergil slung over her shoulder growing heavier with each step. His body twitched and convulsed now and then, faint green veins glowing under his skin as the demonic energy continued to rage inside him.
The ominous howls of the demons grew fainter behind them—but not far enough. Not yet.
Then she saw it—
A narrow crack in a cliffside, half-covered by overgrowth. Barely visible unless you were looking for it.
"A cave…"
She didn't hesitate.
Eleanor ducked inside, pushing past vines and damp moss until the space opened up just enough for them to breathe. The chamber was shallow, barely enough room to stretch out in, but it was sheltered—cool, dark, and hidden beneath the natural layers of the forest.
She gently laid Vergil down onto the cool stone floor, brushing damp strands of hair from his face. He was burning up. Blood still trickled from his left eye, trailing down his cheek and soaking into his collar.
Then—
The system voice echoed faintly in Vergils head
[Assimilation Progress: 75%]
[God's Demonic Left Eye – Stability Unconfirmed]
[Warning: User's body under extreme strain]
The eye glowed beneath its half-formed shell—pulsing with a sinister crimson light, flickering like a heartbeat. Eleanor watched it carefully. Its sclera had darkened to a murky purple hue, while the iris held a coiled, predatory slit, though still incomplete. Power hummed from it in unstable bursts, like it was struggling to exist. However it was as if it was alive, gazing on its surroundings.
Vergil clenched his jaw in his sleep. His body spasmed again, the veins in his arms flickering green as the Verdant Regeneration Core fought against the damage.
Eleanor exhaled, finally letting herself rest for a moment.
She knelt beside him, whispering under her breath, "You better wake up soon, we dont have time."
Outside, thunder rumbled once more.
And the howls grew louder.
Morning broke with a bleak, grey sky. A dim light filtered into the mouth of the cave, casting long shadows on the mossy stone floor. The distant sounds of screeching demons had quieted sometime during the night, replaced by the occasional thump or distant growl—but none had found them. Not yet.
Eleanor sat with her back against the stone wall, unmoving, her eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. Vergil's head rested gently on her lap, his breathing now steady, though still shallow. His body had finally stopped convulsing hours ago, the green veins fading from his skin as the regeneration process stabilized.
She looked down at his face, brushing a few strands of black hair from his forehead.
His left eye twitched.
Then, with a slow breath—
Vergil stirred.
A quiet groan escaped him as he blinked awake, squinting against the morning light. "...Ugh… where… ?"
"You're safe," Eleanor whispered, her voice low and calm.
Vergil blinked a few more times, lifting himself slowly, but he didn't get far before Eleanor's hand gently pressed against his chest.
"Take it slow. You've been out cold for almost a full day."
Vergil exhaled, wincing as he sat up. His body still ached. His limbs felt heavier, denser. And then—he noticed it.
He vomited blood out of his mouth.
A warmth. A faint tingling behind his left eye.
He touched it, confused. "What happened to my—"
"You should look," Eleanor said with a small smirk, her tone oddly satisfied. "Your left eye… it's red now. Crimson. And the pupil is… slit, like a serpent's."
Vergil froze.
[Assimilation Complete – 100%]
[God's Demonic Left Eye has fully awakened.]
[Warning: Eye remains unstable. Extended use may cause feedback or temporary loss of vision.]
[Unique Trait Gained: God's gaze (Passive) – EX.]
[Currently at stage 0]
Vergil blinked hard, trying to focus his vision. He could feel it now—this alien presence humming behind his eye socket. A sensation like heat and cold layered on top of each other. It didn't hurt… not anymore. But it didn't feel natural either.
He stared down at his hand, flexing it.
"…it aches so much." Vergil said as he touched his eye
Vergil looked at Eleanor, he could see her mana core, and the energy being released into her veins, it was a kind of blue colour
Their were also colours swirling around her Red, grey and other colours. He did not understand what they were but was curious.
'I need to get used to this.'
"Ever since i joined you. You do this." Eleanor replied coldy but was softer this time, her fingers brushing his hair. "You were too reckless . I told you before and you still do this."
Vergil let out a slow breath, then turned his head slightly to meet her gaze.
"I mean, all's well that ends well, am I right" Vergil casually laughed but Eleanor did not find it funny and stopped.
"Thanks for keeping me alive," he murmured.
Eleanor gave a tired smile. "Don't mention it. We both need each other."
Vergil smirked, but in the back of his mind… he could feel it.
This eye was going to be annoying
And for the first time, he wasn't sure if it was his to control.
[Welcome back.]
Vergil's eyes narrowed as the familiar mechanical chime echoed in his head. He stared into the shifting shadows of the cave, his head still resting against Eleanor's lap, the faint warmth of her hand brushing through his hair.
'So you finally decided to show up,' he muttered inwardly, his voice low and calm despite the exhaustion.
[What the hell is going on? Why did the Authority of Predation react like that?]
[I cannot say.]
'Tch. Bastard.'
Eleanor then mentioned 'that eyes going to be a problem, you need to hide it, or else people may start to hunt you, like the holy kingdom.
Vergil's expression remained still, but his lips curled slightly at the corner.
'Don't worry about that. I've got an idea.'
He sat up slowly, ignoring the dull ache still gnawing at his skull. With a whispered command, his hand glowed faintly.
"Authority of Transformation."
A faint shimmer passed over his face, and beside him, a translucent projection of Morvax appeared—only visible to him. Morvax's hand moved to Vergil's left eye, and in seconds, its eerie glow faded into a natural, mundane brown, his original eye colour
His breathing steadied.
'Alright. Let's check out the new skills.'
---
[Authority: Transformation (A)– Acquired]
Allows the demon to freely change its appearance, replicating the physical form and surface details of any being it has observed or imagines. The demonic energy needed scales with the transformation.
---
Passive Skills:
• Mimic Flesh (D) – Can replicate any living creature's appearance down to scars, blemishes, and even vocal patterns.
• Instinctive Adaptation (D) – Adapts to fighting styles rapidly by observing them. The more it sees, the more perfect its mimicry becomes.
• Monstrous Vitality (D+) – Passively regenerates wounds over time. Immune to minor pain.
Active Skills:
• Morph Form (D) – Alters limbs into twisted weapons—claws, spikes, bladed arms.
• Echo Movement (D) – Copies the target's exact movements at 75% of their speed for a short time.
• Flesh Puppet (C) – Can manifest a grotesque puppet of a copied form, stitched from corrupted flesh. Sentient and aggressive.
Vergil let out a soft chuckle. 'These skills are perfect for infiltration, manipulation, and psychological warfare. Morph Form's a bit of a brute tool, but the rest... interesting
The authority of transformation doesnt chang my voixe, so having mimic flesh is truly a blessing.'
And then, the one that truly pissed him of the most.
[Gods demonic left eye-
Description- The eye of the ??? Who led a rebellion against ??? but met an untimely fate and was sealed for his punishment in ???, He awaits for a vessel to ascend the ???.]
'Fucking useless description' Vergil thought to himself.
[God's Gaze – Passive Trait]
[EX]
Stage: 0
---
Description:
God's Gaze allows the user to glimpse fragments of truth hidden within the folds of reality, instinctively perceiving lies, intent, and invisible threats. It taps into the ??? consciousness layered beneath existence, granting brief, involuntary glimpses into enemy weaknesses, concealed magic, and the emotional states of others. User is currently at Stage 0.
---
Effects:
• Weakness Perception –
Vergil can passively sense structural, elemental, or mental weaknesses in enemies—highlighted subtly in his vision. This includes physical weak points, unstable magical constructs and mana flow in other lifeforms
• Emotion Reading –
He gains the ability to instinctively sense core emotions in individuals (rage, fear, lust, grief) during battle or conversation. These do not appear as words but as colors or auras overlaying a person.
• Truth Pierce –
Attempts to deceive Vergil (through lies, illusions, shapeshifting, or memory-altering magic) will become unstable or distorted in his perception. The stronger the lie or illusion, the more violently it ripples in his sight, in order to negate it.
• Foresight–
In moments of extreme danger or stress, the eye may activate on its own and give Vergil a split-second flash of what might happen next—this is brief, cryptic, and taxing.
---
Drawbacks:
Prolonged use causes migraines, nausea, or temporary blindness if not stabilized with stronger control.
The eye sometimes shows too much—memories, visions, or knowledge to the user,Nightmares may worsen, and sanity strain increases.
Vergil clenched his jaw, reading over the final lines.
'Damn… it's good, but the drawbacks… they're no joke.'
He closed his eyes briefly. Eleanor looked down at him, concern still written across her face.
"You okay?" she asked gently.
He gave her a lopsided grin, his voice low. "Who the hell knows"
---
Vergil blinked the remnants of sleep from his eyes, his head still resting on Eleanor's lap. Her fingers had stopped moving. She was staring off toward the mouth of the cave, her posture tense, one hand resting on the hilt of her rapier.
"...Did anything happen while I was asleep?" he asked, his voice low and still slightly hoarse.
Eleanor hesitated. "...Something you won't like."
He sat up slowly, "What is it, it cant be that bad?"
[You jinxed it, congratulations]
A massive, otherworldly screech tore through the morning air—so loud and sharp it made the cave tremble. Birds scattered from the treetops. The very earth seemed to groan in response.
Vergil shot to his feet. "The hell was that?"
"That's the problem," Eleanor exhaled, face tight with dread. "The gate opened."
Vergil's face paled. "What do you mean it opened? the blood jade was in my invent...Oh shit I didnt put it in.
"Wait… No. Don't tell me…"
She nodded grimly. "Yeah… the blood from your eye. It leaked into the jade while you were unconscious. I saw it glow. It reacted… and the portal opened back at the altar."
'Well atleast I can use the second option' Vergil snickered
[Bro is a menace now]
'The fuck you mean'
A sudden notification slammed into his mind like a hammer.
[You have gained a new Title: Monster]
You who have murdered those close to you, feel the punishments of your sins as they have manifested into a title. This is not just a name… it is a scar branded into your soul.
You did not swing the blade.
But it was your strength that brought ruin.
Your hunger that summoned death.
And your presence that damned them.
Let the echoes of guilt sing to you forever.
Vergil's breath caught. His eyes narrowed
'What…?'
'Who in the fuck did I kill that was close to me, it couldn't have been those adventurers.
His fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.
'Don't tell me... it was because of the portal, it did say indirect so.
[You finally understand]
Then it hit him
Eliva
Gilbert
Eleanor's voice pierced through his spiraling thoughts.
"Vergil," she said quietly, "you're shaking."
He didn't answer.
His eyes—no longer brown, but veiled once more by illusion—stared ahead blankly. The words "Monster" echoed again and again in his head. Not as a title… but a curse.
"We're going back," he said suddenly, voice sharp with urgency.
"What?" Eleanor stood quickly. "Vergil, that's suicide. For all we know the portal may still be open and there are demons crawling across the place—I saw them. If we go now, we'll put ourseleves in danger, your being too reckless—"
"I don't care," he growled. "We're going now."
"But—"
"We're heading back now," he said, his voice cracking. "I dont care what stops me."
His body trembled with the force of guilt, rage, and fear all twisting into one.
"I'll carry you there," he said, already stepping outside the cave, the morning light spilling across his face like a judgmental eye. "We're going now."
Eleanor looked at him—really looked at him—and saw more than just pain.
---
Deep in the ???
Darkness churned like a living ocean. No wind. No sound. Just the slow, rhythmic beating of something ancient… something watching.
A single eye—shut for eons—cracked open, its sclera was the same as Vergils. It twitched. Reacted.
"…Finally…" a voice murmured from the abyss. Hollow. Malevolent. Yet eerily calm.
"Someone awakened my eye… a new vessel…"
A grotesque smile formed in the shadows.
"My old friend. My brother, my vengeance is nigh.
"My return is nigh"