We made our way to the stage where the announcer would give his announcement.On the way there, I recalled the vivid details from last time.

“Attention!” A dark-skinned man in a suit stood on the stage, his voice echoing from the massive speakers behind him.

“There are twenty-thousand of you from the Edimus District aged eighteen-to-twenty-two. You will be the first batch of Adventurers that will visit this new dimension.”

A group of boys in the crowd started to become excited, and the man waited until they were calm. I merely grunted, I could see how I had been swept up with the crowd the first time. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing that we were walking into a bloodbath last time.

The man waited for a moment for the crowds’ whisperings to die down before he continued, the lights of the auditorium dimming with only him standing in the spotlight.

“The world, dubbed as Gaia, hosts many creatures we do not know much about, but have been working to better understand. So far we know of at least three sapient races to exist in Gaia; the Venyral, the Ovillion, and the Axar.

“The Venyral can be identified through their blue skin, red eyes, and crimson hair. Often having a bulky build and living close to the mountain tops, so there’s typically no need to go near them. However, if you manage to land up on their mountains, they may provide safe-passage.

“Furthermore, while they are not actively aggressive, they are aloof, and do not waste time on someone who does not have their respect. We have only learned so much, and only because only one of our own scientists – Dr. Alexander Hemf – has obtained their respect. Acts of strength and generosity will do you good on that department.

“The Ovillion are much different in that they resemble bronze statues. Simply put, their body’s epidermis is made out of a flexible bio-bronze alloy. From what we’ve learned, they live near the sea to the east, and are adept at handling specialised ships that can survive those treacherous seas. They all follow some form of medieval-esque honour code, and any breakage of this code will lead to death punishable by their laws, and ours too. They have been incredibly useful in providing our understanding of Gaia. This honour code also expresses views on virginal purity within relationships, and as such, anyone who commits adultery before the proper necessary trials are complete will also be subject to death. No help will be provided from any human settlements, lest they be burned to the ground as well. ” He gave us a stern look then continued,

“The Axar are the most complex as they resemble humans, but can resemble apes. Typically they have tan to orange skin, and often carry around a staff – which is of great importance in their culture, see to it no damage is brought to it while you are in its presence. If met with one, it is best to approach kindly as they see challenges as something to be conquered, and will fight.” He levelled a stare at us. “Simply put, you are not yet ready to deal with them, at all.”

A few hackles raised at that. Particularly a group of boys which sat a few rows in front of me who drew exception to that. The Axar were warriors by nature, and were nursed to be such from birth. We were nowhere near their level of power, currently.

“In this world, the laws of physics do not apply like normal. To become stronger, you must kill other creatures to gain their Essence, after which you must access your Attribute Window through the Origin System that will be placed in each and every one of you.” The Origin System, the structure which governs the world of Gaia.

Creatures, which included other humans. The Human Empire had to have only the strongest of humans after all, I snorted.

“Before your attempted incursion into Gaia, an OSIRIS microchip will be planted into the base of your neck,” he held up a hand and waited until the crowd died down again before continuing.

“The implant is completely safe and will allow you to utilise the Origin System for yourself. The OSIRIS Chip will be accessed by tapping the right-side of the neck and holding on that spot with two fingers. Afterwards, the user’s Attribute Window will be shown, containing the user’s information in the Origin System’s format.”

He waved behind him, a hologram appearing in the air as it showed an example.

[Attribute Window]

[Name:]

Your name.

[Age:]

Your age in Earth Years which are the same as Gaian Years.

[Title:]

A form of geas formed when certain accomplishments are achieved, resulting in a permanent boost relating to the achievement.

[Level:]

A cumulative figure used to represent overall attribute strength.

[Health:]

The amount of Health, a form of vital energy, a person has, governed by their Vitality. Loss of all Health results in Death.

[Mana:]

The amount of Mana, a form of magical energy, a person has, governed by Intelligence. Loss of all Mana results in Mana-Drain Status.

[Stamina:]

The amount of Stamina a person has, greater amount allows a person to exert themselves more. Loss of all Stamina results in Unconscious Status.

[Class:]

A Path provided to the User when they first step into Gaia, and often reflect the user’s occupation on Earth, though the exact conditions for some classes remain unknown. Ranked from F to EX, depending upon the overall rarity and abilities granted by the Class. Every ten levels, a user may choose another Class or progress further in their current Class.

[STATS] –

Can be classified into Physical and Non-Physical Stats, with 1 being the Stat given for an average human being. Ranked from F to EX tier, with a total of ten Parameter Ranks. To overcome one’s Parameter, simply increasing Stats through Status–Points will be impossible, but is able to be done in a moment often called Heroic Legacies by the Origin System, which are overcoming one’s own limits in terms of Stats.

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[Strength] – The Attribute which dictates physical Strength.

[Vitality] – The Attribute which partially dictates overall Resistances and Health.

[Endurance] – The Attribute which partially dictates overall Resistances and Stamina.

[Agility] – The Attribute which dictates Agility and Dexterity.

[Intelligence] – The Attribute which dictates the Mind’s ability to process information, and Mana.

[Arcane] – The Attribute which dictates Arcane Resistance, and Arcane Attunements.

[Faith] – The Attribute which dictates Faith, both in ourselves and in others, required for specific Deific Spells.

[Determination] – The Attribute which dictates Determination. Effects Unknown.

[Status–Points:] Provided on Level–Ups, Status Points can be used through the OSIRIS System to manually increase a certain Attribute.

[ESSENCE:] The amount of ESSENCE gathered by the User, can be used for Levelling Up Oneself, their Items, Skills or obtaining new ones at each level-up at one of Humanity’s outposts through the Origin Linking System.

The man was silent as he watched the crowd, taking each face that stood out into account. His steely gaze met my own, and a second later it broke off.

“There are other somatic commands as well. Tapping the right side of the neck and then drawing a circle with two fingers will result in the interface for the user’s skills being brought up, which will allow for a greater chance of survival.” The hologram of the [Attribute Window] faded away, replaced by another.

[Skills]

Skill Format –

Skill Name (Stat Attunement) – Level: (0%)

Skill Description: N/A

Skill Effect: N/A

“Every Skill has an effect, a swordsmanship skill will allow you to become a better swordsman, and your sword will strike faster and harder with each level, as per the effect. The description would contain basic information on the Skill, and the Stat Attunement would show a certain Stat with a letter dictating how much that stat affects the Skill. Skills can be earned through difficult training, Skillbooks and Scrolls, Items, and Classes. Any questions?”

Someone from the front seat raised their hand and with a nod from the man, asked their question.

“Can there be multiple stats that can attune for a certain skill?”

“Yes, multiple stats can attune for that skill, and this applies to Items found throughout the world as well, though no skill nor item has been found with more than three Stat Attunements.”

Another person raised their hand, a smaller girl near the right of where I sat.

“How do we know what Stat attunements an object has?”

“Bringing the item to the nearest Outpost and the Origin System Interface built there will be able to Appraise the Item, revealing all such information. Any other questions?” Silence greeted him back.

I ignored it for now. The Origin System held more secrets than what Humanity currently knew. They had yet to access the Void Market, nor the Resistance Window.

Nestling deeper into the cushioned seats of the auditorium I prepared to wait out the chaos that would proceed in a few minutes.

“You will receive a care package in the warehouse, make your way there shortly. That is all.” And with that, the man turned and left.

As soon as the man left, there was an outcry, as people started moving towards the warehouse as fast as they could.

“The warehouse will have limited stock, let’s get there before anyone else!” I heard a shout over the stampede of people. I looked to the source and found him, a tall man standing near the back of the crowd with a devilish smile and black hair. I remembered him from my last life.

“Lan,” I tapped his shoulder, drawing his attention. Around him, people parted before his six foot five frame. “Go on ahead, I’m gonna meet someone.” I gave him a reassuring smile before turning and blending with the crowd.

I didn’t have my [Skills], but that didn’t mean I was a sitting duck.

I remembered this the first time it had happened, it had also resulted in the death of a short girl by the name of Abby, though that hadn’t stopped anything from going forward.

Gaia was a deathworld, and if I was going to live, do things differently?

I would need allies. And it was best to plant the seeds early.

And who better for an ally than the man who would be known as Devil King?

Finding him, it only took me another half minute to slip past the sea of bodies and stand before him.

“I love what you’ve done with the place here,” I gestured to the chaos around us.

“It does add a little something to it, doesn’t it?” He said, peering at me with dark eyes. “I don’t seem to know you, Jaharas Orin, and you?”

“Veles Aren. What do you think of our situation, eh?”

“It’s definitely a surprise, knowing that there’s a dimension out there, whose rules are determined by the strong. A world where the rules will bend to our whims? I can’t say I’m not at least a little excited.”

His face flashed in surprise for a bit. He was still a child compared to the King he would become. One of the Nine Pillars of the Imperium of Mankind.

Surprise eh? Don't lie to me you little devil. Your horns are yet to even sprout.

“It does seem fantastical, doesn’t it? Magical bronze people, blue-skinned aliens like that one old movie…really, I wished I could make this stuff up myself,” he smirked.

I rolled my eyes. “Well, that it does, but it seems that will be our life soon. I think I’m going to leave for the warehouse now, wouldn’t want everything to finish, no?” I turned, walking back into the wall of people a few feet away. I didn’t turn back as his eyes lingered on me, nor did I watch for his surprise as I blended in with the crowd once more.

Disappearing in plain sight is less difficult than what people would make you think.

More than anything, the information the boy King had revealed was interesting. I had my suspicions that the rich had access to a separate warehouse of adventuring equipment. His aloof demeanour only gave more that idea.

For a moment, what felt like boiling liquid ran down my rib-cage.

Anger. I realised. It had been far too long for that old friend to revisit. My last few years were spent in abject greyness. Miserable black and white.

I hadn’t come into contact with the Devil King in my…past-life until he had already rooted his place as the Pillar of the Underworld in the Emperor’s Imperium of Mankind.

By that point he had been prideful, greedy, lustful, and his wrath had no boundaries.

Now? He might be that, but he was also a child. The boy looked barely twenty.

The same age as me.

A friendship with him would bear fruit, which would be needed down the line. His Stigma alone would be worth nearly half my Immortal Soul.

Regardless.

Devilboy or no.

I would not fail.

I couldn’t.