The room stretched endlessly around him, yet in the centre stood the battered desk and its glowing monitor, suspended like relics from another life. Every time Ethan moved, the chair beneath him groaned.
His eyes scanned the screen, exploring the menu to determine what else this strange PC could do.
An icon flickered faintly in the corner, almost hidden—something he hadn't noticed before.
Curiosity gnawed at him. He clicked.
For a heartbeat, the screen bled white fire, his skull searing with raw pain. Then text appeared, jagged and unstable:
**[Zarathos Connection — Fragment Detected]**
**Access: Restricted (Vessel capacity insufficient. Connection unstable.)**
He let out a sharp breath and forced a bitter grin.
"…Figures," he muttered, teeth bared. "Even my own Angel thinks I'm not strong enough yet."
Deep within his chest, something stirred. Not a flame—not heat—but like a giant heart chained beneath layers of hell, waiting for release. The ember pulsed once, then again, syncing with his own heartbeat. Unfortunately, he couldn't feel it.
Ethan turned back to the glowing menus, searching for something more. Maybe a hidden skill tree, maybe a way to switch into a different character, maybe even a shop. Anything that could expand what he already had.
Most of the icons were dark, locked behind requirements he didn't meet. Every time he clicked one, the same cold message appeared:
**[Access Denied — Level Insufficient]**
He tried again. And again. The answer never changed.
Frustration built inside him. His level was nothing but a question mark, leaving him with two problems he couldn't shake—he didn't know what level he needed to unlock anything, and worse, he didn't even know if levelling up was possible at all.
After clicking yet another icon, the same reply appeared:
**[Access Denied — Level Insufficient]**
Watching it repeat was maddening until it boiled over. He slammed his fist against the desk. If this wasn't his golden finger, he would have smashed the whole thing to pieces.
"At least let me know my level! And how am I supposed to even level up!?" he almost roared.
The monitor answered with a sudden flare of light.
**[Only by defeating Mephisto / Satan himself — will your true level be revealed.]**
Another surge followed immediately, sharper, more commanding:
**[Defeat to grow stronger. Each act of judgment of an evil soul will let you level up.]**
"Defeat Mephisto? Satan?" Ethan muttered, his voice tight with irritation. "I don't have some DLC that lets me grind levels until I can stroll up and beat down Satan."
Sure, he could kill Stray Devils, but there weren't too many in a single city. As for touching a normal devil? That was a straight path to starting a war—and he wasn't stupid enough to do that.
His fists clenched as frustration bubbled inside him. He wasn't even aware of his own power level in this world, and now the system was urging him to take on a final boss as if it were an easy task. He needed a way to assess his own abilities before even thinking about something that insane.
As the monitor dimmed, Ethan leaned back, letting his breath steady.
At least now he knew one thing: this PC really was his golden finger. It wasn't just random power—it was a path forward. Even if that path was annoying.
He thought back over everything he already had. Hellfire. An immortal body that refused to die. Standard Ghost Rider strength and speed. The Penance Stare, which worked 90% of the time. More than most hunters, devils, or even angels could dream of.
But this power wouldn't be enough if he wanted more than just survival. He'd need more. Upgrades. Weapons. Money. Maybe a few women—since this was a DxD world. The only thing he didn't like was the idea of grinding for upgrades.
If it were up to him, he'd just lie around and wait for a few girls to literally fall from the sky. Sadly, he wasn't the main character of this world, which meant he couldn't just collect women by existing. Worse, he had to worry about the actual protagonist swooping in and stealing girls from him.
So, even if he didn't want to, he had to defeat every sinner, every monster he could find—to level up and protect the girls from the clutches of the protagonist.
Hunt, punish, and grow stronger. Collect divine weapons and earn money as strange thoughts swirled. Darkness swallowed all light.
When sensation returned, the first thing he noticed was the softness of the mattress beneath him. Then came a faint, natural scent—clean and warm—that told him he wasn't alone.
As he opened his eyes, the first thing Ethan saw was the cracked ceiling of the abandoned church stretching above him. For a moment, he just lay there, breathing.
After a minute, his gaze drifted to Asia, sleeping beside him. To his annoyance, she was wearing her clothes.
He frowned. "Seriously? No fanservice for me? Feels like censorship mixed with discrimination," he muttered under his breath. "Without nudity, it's not even a proper isekai experience."
The difference gnawed at him. He clearly remembered that in episode 2, Issei woke up to a beautiful scene. When his turn came to become a hero, suddenly the girl became sensible.
Ethan's lips curled into a smirk as his gaze lingered. *Maybe I should teach her how to sleep like the heroines in the original story. A little less pious… and with fewer clothes.*
But before his mind could wander too far, Asia stirred.
Her lashes fluttered, and she let out a small yawn. Then, in the softest, most innocent tone imaginable, she whispered:
"…Good morning."
The sound was disarming, pure enough to purify the darker thoughts in Ethan's head. He blinked, his smirk fading.
"Morning," he replied, his voice softer than he intended.
Asia sat up slowly, brushing her hair back with one hand. She looked around the broken church, the light of dawn creeping through shattered windows.
"What's your plan?" Ethan asked, swinging his legs off the bed. His tone was casual, but he studied her carefully.
Asia folded her hands together, glancing toward the small altar at the front. "I think… I'll start by arranging the church. A little bit of cleaning and fixing."
"Fine," he said after a beat. "You do the saintly stuff. I'm going out to see if I can find a few lost souls."
Asia tilted her head, puzzled. "Lost souls?" she asked, the words careful and innocent—she clearly didn't catch his meaning.
Ethan gave a small, awkward shrug and a lopsided smile. "Yeah—people who need help meeting God. Or maybe Satan."
He pushed himself up. "I'll be back by night. Bye-bye," he said without looking back.
Asia smiled uncertainly, nodding, and watched him go.