The sun was blinding.
After days trapped in darkness, Daichi stumbled out of the gaping maw of the Abyssal Pit. His boots sank into damp earth, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The dungeon's stench clung to him—blood, rot, shadow.
But the sky…
He raised a trembling hand to shield his eyes. The sky was vast, painted in strokes of gold and sapphire. Birds circled freely, their wings shimmering in the sunlight. For the first time since his humiliation, Daichi felt the warmth of the world again.
Yet it did not soothe him.
The faces of Hiroshi, Takeshi, Rina, and above all, the angel Seraphiel flashed in his mind. Their mocking sneers, their cruel laughter, the way they discarded him as trash. His lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Daichi died in that dungeon," he whispered, voice hoarse. "The one who walks out… will be someone else."
Beside him, shadows swirled—and Lilith emerged.
Her violet hair shimmered like liquid silk, her crimson eyes glowing with delight as she stretched her curvaceous form. Her bat-like wings unfurled, casting a playful silhouette against the sun.
"Mmm, dramatic," she purred, sauntering toward him. Her fingers traced along his chest, deliberately grazing his bruised ribs. "But you're right. 'Daichi' is pathetic. Forget him. You need a new name, a mask… and me at your side."
Daichi stiffened as her hand slid lower, only to stop at his waist. Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk.
"You'll be feared, desired… and hated. Perfect for a king of shadows."
He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. And in the next moment, a whisper stirred in his mind. His Soulbinder system responded to his will.
[ Soulcraft Activated ]
[ Create: Mask of Shadows ]
Black mist coiled around his hand. When it dispersed, a half-mask of bone and obsidian runes rested in his palm. It was sleek, sharp, elegant. The mask would hide his face while radiating an aura both regal and ominous.
Lilith's eyes glimmered. "Beautiful. And sexy. It suits you."
Daichi lifted it slowly, pressing it over his face. His reflection shone faintly in a nearby puddle—no longer a beaten, abandoned boy. Now, a figure cloaked in darkness, marked by runes, eyes burning violet.
"…Ludhociel," he muttered.
Lilith leaned closer, her breath tickling his ear. "My king."
---
The road to the capital stretched long, but Daichi walked with renewed strength. Villagers and travelers gave him wary glances—his masked presence unnerving them. He didn't care. Let them fear.
By dusk, the gates of Althreya's capital loomed before him. Towers of white stone gleamed in the fading sun, banners of gold fluttering proudly. The city was alive with noise—street vendors shouting, carriages rattling, adventurers in leather armor boasting of their hunts.
Daichi's eyes narrowed. This was the world he had been discarded from. Now, he would carve his place into it.
---
The Adventurer Guild Hall stood like a fortress of timber and stone in the heart of the city. Its great doors opened into chaos.
The moment Daichi stepped inside, he was engulfed by sound. Tankards slammed on wooden tables, laughter boomed, dice clattered. The air reeked of ale, sweat, steel, and the faint tang of monster blood.
Rough voices echoed:
> "Drank the bastard under the table!"
"Three kobolds in one swing, I tell you!"
"Oi, barmaid! Another round!"
At the far end, mounted on the wall, hung the Quest Board—a massive slab of oak covered in parchment sheets stamped with the guild's sigil. Adventurers jostled around it, some bragging about their completed jobs, others sneering at the lower ranks.
Daichi walked forward, silent, his cloak brushing the floor. Conversations faltered. Heads turned.
"Who's that?" a scarred swordsman muttered.
"Never seen him before. Newbie, probably," another said.
"Tch. Look at that mask. Trying too hard to look mysterious."
Snickers rippled through the hall.
At the reception counter, a girl with short brown hair leaned lazily on her elbows. Shira Lenz, the guild's informant and gossip queen, grinned as she watched him.
"Hee~ a masked rookie. Let's see if he takes the slime-hunting job. That'd be adorable."
Daichi ignored the voices. He stopped before the Quest Board. His violet eyes scanned the parchments:
[ Bronze Quest: Slay 10 Goblins ]
[ Bronze Quest: Gather Healing Herbs ]
[ Silver Quest: Hunt Dire Wolves ]
[ Silver Quest: Protect Caravan ]
His hand rose higher. Whispers grew louder.
"Wait—what is he doing?"
"No way… he's not—"
His fingers closed on a parchment stamped with Gold ink.
[ Gold Quest: Purge the Bandit Stronghold ]
Reward: 20 Silver.
Difficulty: High.
The hall went silent. Then it erupted.
"He's insane!"
"A Bronze dares pick a Gold?!"
"He won't last a day!"
A group of adventurers from Bloodfang Blades—a rowdy Gold-rank party—stepped forward, sneering. Their leader, Ronan Blackfang, cracked his knuckles.
"Oi, mask-boy. That quest ain't for newbies. Drop it before you embarrass yourself."
Daichi turned slightly. His gaze locked on Ronan's. No words, no emotion. Just cold violet light searing through the mask's slits.
Ronan's smirk faltered.
Before tension could explode, shadows rippled—and Lilith materialized at Daichi's side.
Gasps filled the hall.
Her violet hair cascaded like silk, her ample chest pressed deliberately against Daichi's arm, her crimson eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.
"Mmm~ daring, aren't you, my king?" she purred, her voice dripping with sensuality. "Going straight for the dangerous one. How delicious."
Her tongue flicked across her lips.
Men in the hall gaped, slack-jawed.
"W-who is she?!"
"She just… appeared?!"
"That aura—she's not human…"
Women glared daggers, some blushing in envy at her boldness.
Daichi remained silent. He stepped forward and placed the Gold quest parchment on the counter.
The guild master himself, Balgrim Ironfist, looked up. A dwarf of broad shoulders and braided beard, his one good eye narrowed at the masked figure.
"Name?" the dwarf rumbled.
"…Ludhociel."
The dwarf studied him for a long moment, then glanced at Lilith. Something in his instincts screamed danger—but he was no fool.
Balgrim stamped the parchment with a heavy seal. THUNK.
"Quest accepted. Don't die."
The hall was frozen. Ludhociel turned, cloak sweeping, Lilith following with a smirk that lingered like perfume.
The doors shut behind them.
Silence hung in the hall for several heartbeats before whispers surged.
"L-Ludhociel… who is he?"
"That woman… she wasn't human, I swear."
"He's a dead man walking."
But in a shadowed corner, a Platinum-ranked adventurer leaned back, eyes narrowing.
"…That aura… he's not ordinary."
And thus, the legend of the Masked Adventurer Ludhociel began.