The glowing screen hovered before Alex's eyes, perfectly still.
Purple light bled into the room, runes drifting along its edges in slow, deliberate patterns. It did not flicker. It did not waver. It waited—confident in the assumption that refusal had never truly been an option.
[God Games Starter Pack Detected]
[Would You Like to Download Your Player Background, Spawn-ling?]
Alex exhaled through his nose.
A player background.
Not an explanation. Not answers. Just a story—something prewritten to justify his existence here.
Between waking in a demon's body, being cataloged by an academy, and discovering Hell functioned like a bureaucratic empire, disbelief had already become a waste of energy.
If this thing wanted him to play a role, then fine.
At least he would know what mask he was wearing.
Alex raised his hand and pressed yes.
The screen responded instantly.
Light fractured outward in a sharp pulse, runes shattering like glass before folding back into place. The interface rebuilt itself with mechanical precision, stripping away unnecessary flourish until only clean, merciless text remained.
[Character Initialization Complete]
Name: Alex Mercer
Race: Oni
No titles. No honorifics.
Just what he was allowed to be.
The screen expanded, lines forming one by one.
[Status Overview]
STR: 11
AGI: 13
END: 10
INT: 22
CHA: 7
Infernal Power: 18
Alex felt the numbers settle into him like measurements rather than limits. His body was light, almost fragile beneath the surface—far from the brute strength expected of an Oni. Hunger and neglect lingered in his muscles, remnants of a life spent surviving rather than dominating.
But beneath that weakness, something far more dangerous waited.
Mana pooled deep in his core, dense and responsive. Intelligence burned brightest, not as knowledge, but as capacity—the size of the container rather than what currently filled it. Infernal Power threaded through everything, unstable but vast, binding body and magic together into something that could grow frighteningly fast.
The screen shifted.
[Personality Traits Registered]
Negative Traits:
Savage Instinct: Your default response to threat is violence or dominance. De-escalation is difficult. Fear resistance increased. Social restraint reduced.
Feral Mindset: Prolonged existence without structured society has impaired your understanding of hierarchy, etiquette, and authority. Resistance to intimidation increased. Compliance bonuses reduced.
Malnourished Frame: Years of starvation and scavenging have weakened your physical foundation. Physical recovery reduced until stabilization.
Positive Traits:
Predatory Patience (Uncommon): You possess the ability to endure long periods of disadvantage without acting impulsively. Ambush efficiency increased. Tactical restraint improved.
Adaptive Consciousness (Uncommon): Your mind rapidly adjusts to new systems, rules, and environments. Learning speed increased. Personality drift accelerated when exposed to foreign ideologies.
System Note: The coexistence of multiple uncommon personality traits is atypical for Wild Oni. Probability of cognitive deviation exceeds standard parameters.
Another line appeared.
[Skill Acquired]
Iron Stomach (Common): You can safely consume materials and flesh normally harmful to your species. Resistance to poison, rot, and disease increased.
Then the screen dimmed slightly.
New text began to scroll.
[Player Background Assigned]
A month ago, you were indistinguishable from any other creature of the Wilds.
A savage Oni—governed by instinct, bloodlust, and hunger.
Weaker than the dominant members of your kind, you failed to compete through strength alone. As prey grew scarce and rivals grew stronger, your existence narrowed into a cycle of stalking, theft, and desperation. You survived not through honor or power, but through endurance.
Cannibalism became necessity rather than taboo.
Over time, your body adapted. Your mind dulled. Civilization faded into irrelevance.
Then, by chance or hunger, you consumed a crippled noble demon.
That act awakened a dormant bloodline sealed generations ago by nature's erosion. Your mana capacity surged. Your consciousness expanded. The Wilds reacted violently.
So did the Academy.
Your awakening coincided with the destruction of a recruitment shipment bound for the Noble Tower. Though the attack was instinctual, its scale triggered immediate investigation. When hunters arrived, they discovered not a beast—but a lost noble lineage warped by neglect.
Execution was considered.
Enrollment was deemed more profitable.
You were claimed as a sponsored noble of the Demon Realm and forcibly integrated into the Academy's Noble Cohort, alongside other orphaned assets recovered for similar reasons.
Your purpose is simple.
Climb the Tower that manifested in this realm a century ago.
Succeed, and your existence may be elevated beyond its origins.
Fail, and you will be disposed of.
Congratulations.
Do not die too soon, Human.
The screen paused.
Then another prompt appeared.
[Memory Synchronization Initiated]
Pain exploded behind Alex's eyes.
He staggered, gripping the wall as information—not memories—forced its way into place. Routes through the Academy. Sigil-locked gates. Training halls. Elevators. The Wilds Domain entrance.
Maps burned into his mind with ruthless efficiency.
When the migraine finally eased, Alex straightened slowly. The room no longer felt unfamiliar.
It felt like a starting line.
A normal life had never been an option.
But this?
* * * * *
Alex stepped into the corridor, following the path etched into his mind. His heart beat faster—not with fear, but with something dangerously close to excitement.
It felt familiar.
Like the moment before his first mission.
The memory surfaced faintly, warm and distant. Not as a soldier—not exactly—but close enough that the sensation lingered in his muscles rather than his thoughts. Anticipation. Focus. The quiet thrill of stepping into the unknown with no safety net.
He exhaled slowly and kept moving.
The corridor opened into a wide chamber dominated by a pair of massive bi-folding metal doors shaped like folded wings. Runes crawled across their surface, pulsing faintly. Alex placed his hand against the scanner embedded in the frame.
The doors parted with a low groan.
Beyond them burned a portal of living flame, radiating an ethereal red glow that distorted the air around it. Heat rolled outward in waves, carrying with it the scent of ash and something far older.
Alex hesitated at the threshold.
There was no option to decline. No way back.
He clenched his hand, hardening his resolve. No weapons. No tools. Just his body.
That was fine.
He stepped forward and walked straight into the fire.
Light swallowed him whole.
When his vision cleared, Alex found himself standing in a dense forest beneath towering, black-barked oaks. Their branches twisted unnaturally overhead, blotting out much of the sky. Strange wildlife scurried through the underbrush, shapes moving just beyond clear sight.
The air felt wrong.
Nature echoed here, but distorted—sounds harsher, more feral. To his mind it was unsettling.
To his body, it was almost… comforting.
Guess that means it's safe. Relatively.
"Let's move out," Alex muttered, scanning his surroundings.
The rules surfaced unprompted. This domain exercise would last until late evening. The portal he'd used wouldn't reopen until then. Death here wasn't a lesson.
It was an ending.
He snorted softly. "I should probably take this seriously."
Then he shook his head.
Nah.
He'd taken one life too seriously already. This time, he'd keep it loose. See what happened. The system wasn't barking orders. No quests. No countdowns.
Actually… what does it even want from me?
"Hah," he whispered. "Good luck getting anything useful."
Behind him, the portal collapsed inward, shrinking into a spiral of embers before dispersing into smoke.
Alex didn't look back.
High above, unseen eyes watched.
Two figures observed from beyond the domain, attention fixed on the lone Oni moving through the forest. Data scrolled beside his image. No regression markers. No transmigration flags beyond standard acquisition.
An anomaly.
"He's… calm," one noted.
"Too calm," the other replied. "Maybe he's already stopped caring."
They watched a moment longer.
Then turned their attention elsewhere.
Alex moved deeper into the woods, deliberately avoiding anything that looked intelligent. Whatever lived here wasn't meant to negotiate. This wasn't a place to meet people—it was a place to survive.
Training world. Simulation. Slaughterhouse.
Call it whatever you want.
A sound reached him after some time.
Low. Wet. Feral.
Alex stopped.
Something stalked him from the treeline, eighteen meters out.
It wasn't another student.
The creature that emerged was a grotesque fusion of hyena and deer. Its body sagged with rot, patches of dark and pale fur sloughing off in clumps. Antler fragments jutted from its joints like broken blades. Its eyes burned with a sickly glow as it circled him slowly.
Alex's breath caught.
Fear crept in—cold and sharp—but it didn't settle.
Instead, something else ignited.
Being watched as prey.
Being measured as food.
His blood boiled. His fangs ground together as his heart slammed against his ribs, demanding violence. Alex lifted his chin slightly, meeting the beast's stare head-on.
Challenging it.
A mistake.
The difference was clear. This wasn't a contest.
This was an ant glaring up at a mantis.
[Warning Warning!!! Higher-level demon beast detected!!!]
[Value your life, skull-fuck your instincts, and run!!! I just spawned bro! DONT GET US KILLED]
The system's intent slammed into his mind like a shock baton.
Alex hissed, biting down on the urge to charge.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.
He kicked a rock up from the ground and snapped his foot forward, launching it like a bullet. The stone cracked against the creature's eye, shattering its focus for a split second.
That was all he needed.
Alex turned and ran.
The beast screamed, fury tearing from its throat as it charged after him without hesitation.
Alex laughed.
Not because it was funny—but because it felt right.
He leaned forward, letting his body move the way it remembered. Short steps. Controlled breathing. Weight shifting with precision. His feet skimmed the ground, momentum building in a way that felt almost unnatural.
Not magic.
Not yet.
Just discipline. Technique. A way of moving that stole speed from the wind itself if practiced long enough.
Trees blurred past as he wove through the forest, vaulting roots, sliding under branches, never quite losing balance. The beast gained ground—but not enough.
Then something crashed down between them.
The pursuing monster was flattened in an instant.
Alex didn't slow down.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the image of a lithe, tomboyish Oni standing atop the unconscious beast, weapon still vibrating from impact. She turned toward him, gem-like eyes widening as she opened her mouth—
Alex flashed two fingers over his shoulder.
A thanks. Maybe.
Then he vanished into the trees.
The Oni stood frozen, face flushing red.
"…What?"
Rage snapped through her embarrassment. She turned back to the beast and began tearing into it viciously.
Meanwhile, Alex kept running.
Another creature gave chase later.
Then another.
By the time the sun dipped low, the entire day had turned into one long, relentless sprint. His legs burned. His lungs screamed. His body learned.
As darkness crept in, Alex climbed a small mount overlooking a valley. Smoke curled faintly from a rocky outcrop below. Following it, he found a shimmering cave tucked into the cliffside.
Dry. Concealed. Safe.
"For tonight," he murmured.