Beginner Island, Day Five
The sea brought visitors before it brought trouble.
Lucifer noticed them before the system did.
He stood at the edge of the cliff, coat fluttering lazily in the wind, eyes half-lidded as he watched the horizon. The ocean was calm—too calm. No waves argued with the shore. No birds screamed warnings.
"…Someone competent is coming," he murmured.
Behind him, the Empire Construction System flickered awake, yawning metaphorically.
[Scanning surroundings…]
[No immediate threats detected.]
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"You'll get better at that," he said.
Far out at sea, sails appeared.
Not black.
Not ragged.
Not desperate.
White hulls. Blue banners. Clean lines. Organized formation.
A fleet.
Not pirates.
The island's bell rang—once, twice, three times. Villagers gathered near the docks, anxiety returning like an old scar being touched.
"Are they merchants?" someone asked.
"No," said a former pirate quietly. "Merchants don't sail like that."
Lucifer walked past them.
"They're scouts," he said. "From something larger."
The ships anchored with precision. Gangplanks lowered. Soldiers disembarked in neat rows, armor polished, banners held high.
At their center walked a man in fine uniform—clean boots, trimmed beard, eyes sharp with calculation.
He surveyed the island.
Then frowned.
"This… was supposed to be empty," he said.
Lucifer approached alone.
The officer turned toward him.
"You," he said. "Identify yourself. This island falls under the exploratory jurisdiction of the Azure Crown."
Lucifer tilted his head.
"…It does?"
The officer narrowed his eyes. "No kingdom claims this land. That makes it available."
Lucifer glanced back at the village.
At the homes.
The fields.
The people watching silently.
"…That's unfortunate," he said.
The system chimed nervously.
[Diplomatic Encounter Detected!]
[Recommendation: Negotiation.]
Lucifer sighed.
"Fine."
He looked back at the officer. "It's occupied."
The officer scoffed. "By fishermen and criminals? That hardly qualifies as governance."
Lucifer smiled.
The smile did not reach his eyes.
"…You should choose your words more carefully."
The air grew heavy.
The dragon shifted atop the mountain.
The officer felt it—a pressure, subtle but undeniable.
He swallowed.
"Regardless," he said stiffly, "this island will be assessed. Taxes will be levied. A governor will be appointed."
Lucifer stared at him.
"…You came all this way," he said slowly, "to tell people who finally stopped starving… that they belong to you?"
The officer bristled. "This is how civilization works."
Lucifer laughed.
It was soft.
And deeply unkind.
Lucifer stepped past the officer.
He walked onto the water.
The soldiers gasped.
The officer froze.
Lucifer turned back.
"I dislike conquest," he said. "Too loud. Too predictable."
He raised one finger.
"But I dislike entitlement more."
The sea stirred.
Waves rose—not violently, not destructively—but decisively. Ships rocked. Anchors strained. Crews panicked as the water beneath them thickened, resisting movement like liquid iron.
Lucifer snapped his fingers.
The fleet slid backward.
Not crashing.
Not sinking.
Simply… refused.
The sea pushed them away from the island, inch by inch, like a parent removing a misbehaving child from danger.
Lucifer looked at the officer one last time.
"Tell your empire," he said, voice calm and final, "that this island is not empty."
The ships were carried back to open waters and released.
The sea calmed instantly.
The system screamed silently.
[ERROR: Large-Scale Environmental Control Detected.]
[ERROR: Authority Threshold Exceeded.]
Lucifer turned back to the villagers.
"…Anyone hurt?"
They stared at him.
Then someone laughed.
Then someone cried.
Then they cheered.
Far away—
A noble spat wine across a council table.
"They were repelled by the sea itself?!"
A general clenched his fist. "That island is defended by something unnatural."
In a high tower, a mage dropped his quill.
"…That pressure," he whispered. "That wasn't magic."
And in a distant temple, a god opened its eyes.
"…That presence," it murmured. "Why does it feel familiar?"
That night, the system spoke again—carefully.
[Host… diplomatic relations have been… complicated.]
Lucifer lay on the grass, staring at the stars.
"They arrived with ships and assumptions," he said. "That's not diplomacy."
[Future encounters may escalate.]
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"Good."
The system paused.
[…Good?]
"Yes," Lucifer said. "A vacation without disturbances is just Hell with better lighting."
The system processed this.
Slowly.
[New Status Detected: Regional Interest.]
Lucifer chuckled.
"Congratulations," he said. "You've unlocked the plot."
Later, when the island slept, Lucifer stood once more at the cliff.
The dragon watched silently nearby.
"You could rule this world," the dragon said.
Lucifer shook his head.
"I don't want to rule it," he replied. "I want to see what it becomes."
Below him, lights glowed softly.
Above him, fate shifted.
And beyond the horizon, empires sharpened their curiosity into blades.
Lucifer smiled.
"…Now this," he murmured, "is starting to be fun."
✦ End of Chapter 5 ✦