The village buzzed with dawn's light, players streaming toward the newly unlocked world beyond the beginner zone. Beelzebub stood at its edge, Steel Sword sheathed, aura a doubled force—twenty meters of cold, crushing dominance thanks to his Devourer profession. Level 10, 1025 EXP, and stats soaring—Strength at 250, Speed at 202, Luck and Charisma at 68. Gluttony pulsed beneath his skin, a ravenous void, but something else stirred now—a faint echo, a whisper not his own. The Wraith's voice? The Ghoul Lord's? He shook it off, smirk intact, but unease gnawed at him.
"Trash world," he muttered, voice calm yet edged with pride. "Time to bend it." His HUD pinged: "Choose a city: Eldrin (Magic), Valthor (War), Shadowfen (Stealth)." Eldrin called—mana to twist, gods to devour. He selected it, the air shimmering as he teleported.
Eldrin sprawled before him—towers of crystal and stone, streets alive with players and NPCs, a grand temple to the Goddess of Magic glowing at its heart. His aura flared, scattering a crowd. A new quest flashed: "Prove Your Worth. Slay 20 Mana Wisps in the Crystal Woods. Reward: 150 EXP, 60 Copper, Favor (Mage Guild)."
The Crystal Woods glittered west of the city, trees pulsing with blue light. Mana Wisps darted—Level 8, ethereal orbs crackling with energy. Beelzebub unsheathed his sword, aura a storm. "Feed me," he growled, lunging with Razor Rush. Speed at 202 sliced through the first, its essence dissolving. "Ding! Strength +5, Speed +4, Defense +3, Mana +5, Luck +1, Charisma +1."
Nineteen more fell—Horned Frenzy spiking Speed to 303 briefly, Basic Slash carving through (Mastery to 9/10). Each kill stacked stats: Strength to 280, Speed to 230, Defense to 181, Mana to 136, Luck to 78, Charisma to 78. But the whispers grew—fragments of Wisp thoughts, alien and fleeting. Light… power… why take? His head throbbed, vision flickering. "Shut up," he snarled, aura crushing a tree. The voices faded, but the strain lingered.
"Ding! Quest Complete. Reward: 150 EXP, 60 Copper, Favor (Mage Guild Trust +5%)."
"Ding! Level Up! Reached Level 11. EXP: 1175/1100."
A figure approached—Elara, her white robes swapped for a mage's cloak, Life sigil still on her chest. "You followed?" Beelzebub asked, flirty yet cold.
She nodded, eyes wary. "The Goddess guides me. You're… louder now." Her trust hovered at 20%, strained by his aura. He smirked, Charisma at 78 softening his edge. "Good. Watch me eclipse her."
The twins materialized nearby—Lia at Level 7, Mira at 8, bows and daggers gleaming. "Eldrin, huh?" Mira said, voice sharp. "Chasing fame?"
"Power," he corrected, winking. "Fame's for ants like you." Lia giggled. "We're climbing too—top players someday." Her ambition sparked; Mira's eyes narrowed, a rival's glint.
A rumble interrupted—Kael and his party, Level 9, storming the woods with a slain Crystal Bear. "Still ahead, Human?" Kael spat, sword bloodied. Beelzebub's aura surged, shattering a crystal trunk. "Always, trash. Catch up or crawl." Kael smirked, but his party flinched—fear growing.
POV Shift: Beelzebub's Mind
The whispers clawed louder as he walked back to Eldrin. Take… consume… who are you? Ghoul Lord's cruelty, Wraith's despair—pieces of them lodged in him. Gluttony devoured, but it didn't erase. Was he still Beelzebub, the crypto dropout turned god? Or a patchwork of the dead? His smirk faltered, fists clenching. "I'm me," he growled, shoving the voices down. "And I'll take more."
In Eldrin's square, an NPC assassin slipped from the shadows—Level 15, female, scarred, eyes cold. "You're the Devourer," she said, voice low. "Heard you kill fast."
"Faster than you," he replied, aura brushing her. She tensed but didn't flinch. A quest pinged: "Aid the Blade. Escort me to the Guild. Reward: 100 EXP, 50 Copper, Favor."
"Move," he said. She nodded—Ryn, her tag read.
The path wound through alleys, ambushed by Shadow Thieves—Level 10, five of them. Beelzebub grinned, cold and cruel. Phantom Step flickered him behind the first—Strength at 280 snapped its neck. "Ding! Strength +5, Speed +4, Defense +3, Mana +2, Luck +1, Charisma +1." Four more died—Necrotic Pulse rotting one (Mastery to 3/10), Razor Rush cleaving the rest. Stats ticked: Strength to 295, Speed to 242, Defense to 190, Mana to 142, Luck to 82, Charisma to 82.
Ryn watched, blade unused. "Efficient," she said, trust ticking to 10%.
"Stick around," he teased, flirty edge sharp. "I'll show you more." Her lips twitched—intrigue, not warmth.
"Ding! Quest Complete. Reward: 100 EXP, 50 Copper, Favor (Ryn's Trust +15%)."
"Ding! Level Up! Reached Level 12. EXP: 1275/1250."
The Mage Guild loomed—crystal spires, mana humming. Inside, a priestess in blue robes—servant of the Goddess of Magic—offered a new quest: "Seek the Mana Core. Retrieve it from the Depths. Reward: 200 EXP, 80 Copper, Blessing." Beelzebub accepted, aura flaring. The priestess flinched. "You're… unsettling."
"Good," he said, Charisma weaving charm into menace. "Your goddess will bow soon."
POV Shift: Ryn, the Assassin
Ryn lingered outside, watching Beelzebub enter the guild. She'd been a player once—top-tier, until a betrayal locked her as an NPC, cursed to serve. His aura… it reminded her of freedom, of power lost. "He'll either save me or damn me," she muttered, grip tightening on her dagger. Trust at 25%—she'd follow, for now.
Beelzebub descended into the Depths—a cavern beneath Eldrin, walls pulsing with mana. The strain hit again—voices louder, memories not his own. Kill… take… who am I? He snarled, aura shattering a stalactite. "I'm Beelzebub. Nothing else matters." But doubt lingered, a crack in his pride.
Tracker Level: 12 (EXP: 1275/1250)
Stats: Strength: 295 | Speed: 242 | Defense: 190 | Mana: 142 | Luck: 82 | Charisma: 82
Talents: Gluttony (Error) – No stat gains from leveling; absorbs all attributes, skills, bloodlines, blessings from defeated beings; duplicates enhance mastery
Powers/Skills: Horned Dash (5/10), King's Roar (6/10), Horned Frenzy (1/10), Basic Slash (9/10), Razor Rush (1/10), Shadow Cloak (2/10), Bone Ward (3/10), Necrotic Pulse (3/10), Phantom Step (1/10)
Profession: Devourer – Gluttony absorption +50%, Devourer's Mark (Aura potency x2)
Bloodlines: Human
Blessings: Minor Life (+5% HP regen, 1/10)
Harem: No bonds yet (Twins Lia and Mira intrigued, Priestess Elara at 20% trust, Assassin Ryn at 25% trust)
Recent Gains: Strength +45, Speed +40, Defense +29, Mana +36, Luck +14, Charisma +14
Loot Drops: Copper x160 (total: 1720), Health Potion x1