"Look, he's waking up!" a voice shouted.
The demons surrounding him weren't the grotesque monsters. They were humanoid, with subtle demonic features that made them unsettling, but not terrifying.
The one who spoke had two eyes and a weak, pathetic body, just like the others around him. Leon realized he was no different. His body was humanoid, but his skin was a sign of his new status—a weak, low-rank demon, the lowest of the low.
The demons looked at him in surprise. "He survived even after falling from such a high place," one of them muttered.
Leon looked up and saw the sheer face of the mining hill towering above them. He had been thrown from the very top and had miraculously survived the fall, landing in this desolate demon village.
The demons around him were astonished, but their shock was short-lived. A sudden commotion at the edge of the village silenced them all.
The guards of the feudal lord had arrived.
"Where is the body of that pathetic bastard?" a voice boomed, cutting through the silence of the village.
The villagers immediately scrambled to the side; their fearful eyes fixed on the approaching guards. They were a brutal-looking lot, their armor dented and scarred, their weapons looking just as unforgiving. They stomped forward, but came to a halt when their eyes fell on Leon, lying on the ground.
A stunned silence fell over the group. The guards stared at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief. They looked up at the sheer height of the mining hill, then back down at Leon, their eyes widening in shock.
Leon, still trying to make sense of the new sensations in his body, could see the thoughts playing across their faces. They had thrown him off that hill, and he should have been nothing but a bloody pulp on the ground. His very existence was an impossible miracle.
"What a lucky bastard!" one of the guards sneered, grabbing Leon by the arm and pulling him up.
They didn't speak much more, simply dragging him through the cowering villagers and towards a large, ornate throne carved from black stone.
The guards' aura was heavily, pressing down on Leon, suffocating him. He wanted to shout, to ask questions, but the immense pressure kept his mouth shut.
He wasn't like the villagers. They were common demons, the lowest rung on the ladder, but he was even below that—a weak demon, a basic form without even a name. As the guards threw him to the ground, a rush of information flooded his mind, as if the Vengeance System was finally filling in the blanks.
The Feudal Lord, Barad, sat on the throne. He was a bull of a man with large, curving horns and a belly that made him a fat guy. Yet, there was a reason he was the feudal lord of this place.
At the same time the system-given information detailed the demon ranks in his head.
Weak Demon: (Nameless)
Common Demon: (Villagers)
Demon Soldier
Demon Lieutenant
Demon Feudal Lord
Demon General
High-rank Demon General
Demon Prince
Demon Lord
Demon King
When Barad saw Leon, he erupted in laughter, a deep, rumbling sound that shook the very ground. "Haha-haha, so you survived, huh? Indeed, an interesting bastard!"
Barad had kicked Leon off the mining hill earlier, and Leon now knew why. This wasn't a mine for gold or ore. This was the lowest part of Hell, a place where new demons were constantly emerging from the very earth itself.
Once they came out, they were all used as miners, forced to dig and mine for more demons. They were all weak and nameless until they either evolved on their own or were given a name by a higher-ranking demon.
A name was the key to their evolution.
Barad looked at Leon for a long moment, a cruel smirk on his face. "I have decided," he boomed, his voice echoing in the cave. "I'll give you a name. I need a tenacious bastard like you in my army."
The information flooded Leo's mind, a chaotic mess of data and facts about the Hell he now inhabited. It was too much to process all at once, but a few key details solidified in his mind.
He was a demon. He was the lowest of the low. But he was going to evolve. His memories of betrayal burned inside him.
He barely registered the booming voice of Feudal Lord Barad. "I, the Feudal Lord Barad, in the name of our Goddess the Divine, I hereby give this child a name."
It felt like a twisted parody of the blessings he had witnessed in the Temple of Faith, a dark ritual that mimicked the light he once served.
Barad's voice continued, "From this day onward, you will be known as Leon."
The moment the name was spoken, a series of glowing notifications appeared in front of Leon, unseen by anyone else.
[You have been given a name]
[Host can now access the Stats]
[Corrupting Gaze has been learned]
[Soul Parasite has been learned]
A rush of new information surged through Leo's mind, the Vengeance System finally revealing its purpose.
[System Description: The Vengeance System]
[The Vengeance System is a dark, twisted power that feeds on the pain and suffering of the world. It exists to serve its Host, providing the tools necessary to exact emotions of its target.
The System's power is not derived from faith, good deeds, or virtuous acts. Instead, its core resources are generated through corruption and torment.
Host Attributes: Your stats, skills, and overall power are directly linked to the suffering of your enemies.
Energy Generation: The System's energy is harvested from the pain you inflict and the depravity of your actions.
Soul Consumption: The souls of the damned can be consumed to gain power and unlock new abilities, serving as the ultimate source of strength.]
Here are the stats for Leo, as they appear after he is given a name and the Vengeance System is activated.
[Stats]
Name: Leon
Race: Demon
Rank: Common Demon
Title: Host of the Vengeance System
…
Strength: 9
Agility: 5
Stamina: 10
Corruption: 0
Defense: 2
[Abilities]
Demon Aura (Passive): Emits a weak, oppressive aura that can intimidate creatures lower than his rank.
Soul Devourer (Active): Consume the souls of the dead to gain strength and evolve.
Corrupting Gaze (Passive): The Host's gaze holds a seductive and corrupting power. With enough focus, it can weaken the minds of weaker beings, leading them to obey and desire the Host.
Soul Parasite (Active): The Host can implant a parasitic soul-link onto a target, slowly draining their vitality and essence to replenish the Host's own power, it can also be used to control the target.