Location: < 'Uggrock's Den' > - One of many caverns found throughout the upper stratums of the netherworld.

The silver-haired demon larva blinked with wide-eyed curiosity upon entering the unexpectedly spacious cavern that was decorated with banners and tassels giving it a tent-like feel.

Scarcely absorbing the surroundings, the larva's attention was irresistibly drawn to the room's focal point. Seated on a throne crafted from bones, flanked by two alluring succubi, was a demon whose skin resembled inky black stone, radiating an aura that would command even the most defiant lesser demons into submission.

With a deep voice that sounded like a wall of domineering power, the three-meter-tall demon rebuked the trio, "You're late, you imbeciles!"

As Uggrock's words reverberated through the cavern, the nameless demon larva found itself forced face-first into the thinly carpeted stone floor. Moreover, it also witnessed its green and gray captors meeting a similar fate, compelled into submission by the overwhelming force of Uggrock's voice alone.

After a pause of hushed stillness, Faty reluctantly lifted his emerald-hued head a few scant centimeters from the ground. Still kneeling, he attempted to formulate a response, stammering, "U-Uhh... Wel-Well... Yo-You se-"

Uggrock, exuding an air of unyielding pride, swiftly halted Faty's stumbling words with a disdainful remark, "Did I ask you to speak?"

The resonance of Uggrock's words cascaded over the demon larva, an invisible force pressing it further into the ground, its very essence seemingly on the verge of yielding. Undeterred, it clenched its bone-white teeth, determined to withstand the pressure as Uggrock continued, "Furthermore, how many demon larvae did I specifically instruct you to retrieve?"

Drenched in nervous perspiration, droplets forming a macabre pattern on the floor, Faty stammered, "A-Ahhh... A-At lea-least... U-Uhh-"

Interrupting his subordinate's faltering response, Uggrock scoffed, "It's just a number. Even imbeciles like you can manage to utter a simple number, can't you?"

With that, Faty, under the weight of Uggrock's prideful scrutiny, finally mustered the strength to articulate a one-word response, "Six."

As Uggrock ignored Faty's response, his focus sharpened on the silver haired demon larva. With more of its of attention directed at the larva, the invisible force of Uggrock's aura intensified on it, squeezing the creature into the carpeted stone beneath.

The demon larva, feeling the mounting pressure, contorted in a futile attempt to resist. Uggrock, taking quiet satisfaction in the struggle, allowed a minuscule smile to grace his lips. The smile subtlety bordered on imperceptible, leaving only the succubi privy to the unspoken acknowledgment—they knew better than to draw attention to it.

Surveying the demon larva with a discerning eye, Uggrock mused aloud, "Silver hair, quite interesting. And what is this energy I sense? A unique aura, unaided by external parties—now, that's a rarity worth noting..."

Reasserting his presence, Uggrock's voice cut through the cavern with a command that left no echo, "However, I'll grant you forgiveness this once, for it appears you've brought me a truly exceptional specimen."

A collective exhale of relief swept through the green and gray demons as Uggrock, still enveloped in his imposing aura, continued, "You're dismissed." With that decree, Uggrock purposefully lessened his dominating energy, allowing the two lesser demons to finally rise from the floor.

Observing the hastened departure of the duo, Uggrock couldn't help but sneer inwardly, "They possess no pride."

Exerting the weight of his aura once more, Uggrock, reveling in his own pride, decided to unleash a touch of sadism.

Employing a skill with calculated malevolence, Uggrock infused his voice with mana, compelling the demon larva, "Come over here; I have something to bestow upon you."

As the mana-infused command cascaded over the demon larva, it felt an unsettling sensation as if its autonomy was stripped away. Despite the larva's innate intelligence, its body betrayed all attempts at resistance, compelled to inch toward the base of Uggrock's bone throne.

Each movement was a torturous ordeal for the demon larva, muscles tearing, blood oozing from its mouth with each painful, reluctant movement.

A flicker of surprise crossed Uggrock's countenance as he observed the larva's persistence under the weight of his dominating aura. Seated on his throne, he took perverse satisfaction in witnessing the creature's struggle, bleeding and contorting itself just to crawl the few meters to the base of his imposing seat.

In that cave, on that day, the gears of destiny began their ponderous and unstoppable revolution. At this crossroads of fate, karma subtly realigned itself, weaving its intricate threads behind the tapestry of reality.

Had it been a different larva, or if Uggrock had chosen any other skill to torment the unfortunate demon, the outcome would have unfolded in differently. But it was this particular larva, and Uggrock had wielded this specific command skill, and so the currents of destiny played out in a unique symphony.

For, as the silver-haired demon larva inched forward, a battle of wills unfolded within its form. Every fiber of its being resisted the compulsion Uggrock had imposed.

A formidable feat made achievable only through the searing pain that surged with each painstaking movement. Which, paradoxically, served as a source of clarity, sharpening the larva's focus and fortifying its resistance.

As it crawled, the demon larva, ever astute and cunning, concealed its incremental progress, subtly outmaneuvering the skill Uggrock believed would subdue the larva entirely. Thus, with a shrewdness unbeknownst to the prideful demon, the larva reached the base of Uggrock's throne.

In the demon larva's overlooked struggle, the creature, dismissed as a mere beast by Uggrock, had quietly defied the Uggrock's [Total Dominance] ever so slightly, which as far as fate was concerned was more than enough.

Observing the demon larva's successful advance, Uggrock, fueled by the existing strands of mana tethering him to the [Total Dominance] skill he had cast, issued a commanding halt to the creature.

Rising from his imposing throne, Uggrock extended an arm, gently making contact with the silver haired demon larva's forehead, cutting into it with a mighty black claw.

A solitary drop of blood trickled down from the demon larva's forehead, merging with the crimson stream already escaping from its mouth. As this macabre tableau unfolded, Uggrock, his pride undiminished, began an incantation, the cadence of his muttering infusing the cavern with an otherworldly resonance. With a mastery of mana that surpassed the larva's comprehension, Uggrock drew upon energies the creature could scarcely conceive.

An intricate magic circle materialized around Uggrock's formidable claw, and the demon larva, already acquainted with agonizing sensations, experienced a momentary surge of pain that eclipsed its previous ordeal.

As a black rune of energy ignited on the demon larva's forehead, an ominous symbol of power, the familiar voice echoed within its mind once more:

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< Would you like to accept the 'Plutonic Legacy'? >

< Yes/No >

Before the larva could even contemplate a refusal, the voice persisted:

< Choice Irrelevant. You have been forced to accept. >

The black rune of energy adorning the demon larva's forehead gradually waned, yet a disconcerting realization dawned upon the creature — the echoes of [Total Dominance], seemed to be entrenching their dominance due to this new 'Legacy'.

< You have been bestowed with the 'Plutonic Legacy'. >

As Uggrock withdrew his hand, appraising his handiwork, the demon larva waged an internal resistance against the encroaching foreign influence, employing all the might of its indomitable will.

As Uggrock still oblivious to the anomaly, was about to test what should have been his new control over the demon larva, the tides of fate took a decisive turn.

A magic stone held by one of the succubi and was a conduit through which Uggrock communicated with his direct subordinates, began to pulsate with an ominous red glow. Then from the enchanted stone, the sounds of a tumult of an ongoing battle emerged, and above them resonated the voice of the black armored demon that had been guarding the den's entrance.

"Master Uggrock, we are under siege by a horde of monsters," the demon's voice held a momentary pause, punctuated by the ominous symphony of claws scraping against armor reverberating through the cavern, "but I can't fend them off indefinitely. Your assistance is imperative, master."

Muttering discontentedly to himself, Uggrock directed his attention to one of the succubi flanking him, "Grant this larva the Practitioners' Servitude Art and explain the rules to it before dropping it into one of the mostly vacant pits."

As Uggrock prepared to depart the room, almost as an afterthought, he added with a prideful sneer, "It's just a mindless larva; no need to waste too much time on explanations. It won't grasp them, anyway."

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Location: < Ground floor entrance to the 'Temple of Birth' > - One of a few such places scattered through the isolated corners of the lower heavens.

Lyra, with the fledgling angel at her side, approached the temple's grande entrance at a leisurely pace, the open sky with its sea of clouds. As they neared, Lady Berenices turned to acknowledge their presence, her colossal form radiating tranquility.

Lyra smiled warmly, and the fledgling, with wide-eyed curiosity, tilted her head as she gazed up at Lady Berenices.

"Hello, Lady Berenices," Lyra greeted with a respectful nod.

Lady Berenices, her golden robes dancing in the celestial breeze, offered a gracious nod in return. "Greetings, Lyra and young one. It warms my heart to see the presence of new life so soon after claiming such a new abode."

Then Lyra respectfully asked, "What brings you to the Temple of Birth today, Lady Berenices?"

Lady Berenices smiled a gentle warmth in her eyes and a glint of playful mischief in her eyes. "I am here today to offer," Lady Berenices paused looking down at the fledgling, "this little one our coven legacy."

The fledgling looked up at Lady Berenices with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation before bobbing up and down in excitement while asking, "A legacy? Lyra, Lady Berenices what are legacies? Are they tasty?"

Lyra seemingly so shocked that she couldn't speak simply stared at Lady Berenices in surprise.

Lady Berenices smiled down at the fledgling angel's antics and started to explain, "Normally, angel fledglings undergo comprehensive training over the course of a month to a decade, learning all the skills they would need."

At that the fledgling angel nodded, she had already talked with Eri and Lyra about this and couldn't wait to start learning.

Lady Berenices continued, "However, during times of crisis, such as the one we currently face, I as coven as the [Plutonic Agent] may deem it necessary to pass down a legacy to a fledgling born and raised during the crisis."

The silver-haired fledgling angel who was about to interrupt Lady Berenices to ask what a plutonic agent was. However, remembering Eri telling her not to interrupt others the fledgling covered its mouth as to stop itself from talking.

Siming Lady Berenices continued, "These legacies hold both powers and remnants of knowledge from the most formidable figures of our realm."

Excitement started to seep into Berenice's voice as she said "Not only does give a Legacy to a fledgling it's allows the caregivers," she paused looking at Lyra who was still in a state of shock, "to condense the fledgling's essential teachings from between a moth to a decade or more to just seven to nine days."

When disappointment started to cloud the fledgling angel's face at the thought of all the opportunities to learn new things that it would lose, Lady Berenice chuckled.

Conferting the fledgling, she said, "Don't worry this does not mean their education is complete, just that you will be able to undergo your evaluation sooner. What's more from what my Class is telling me you will gain access to a legacy race as well when you undergo evaluation."

Lyra who finally came back to her senses Lyra looked at the fledgling with a mix of pride and concern, knowing the weight of expectations that came with Legacy, not that any angel would ever let that stop them from helping their coven.

The fledgling, though still grasping the magnitude of the moment, smiled with an innocent eagerness, ready to embrace the legacy that awaited her.

After waiting to make sure the fledgling was ready Lady Berenice reached down, gently making contact with the silver-haired angel fledgling's forehead, pushing lightly into the skin with two of her delicate but firm fingers.

A drop of magical energy trickled into the fledgling angel's bloodstream from its forehead.

As this beautiful scene unfolded, Lady Berenice, ever beautiful and humble, began an incantation, the rhythm of her murmuring filling the air in and around the temple and the cavern with an otherworldly resonance. With a proficiency of mana that surpassed the fledgling's comprehension, Lady Berenice drew upon holy energies the creature could scarcely conceive even existed.

An intricate magic circle materialized around Lady Berenice's two fingers, and the fledgling experienced a momentary surge of peacefulness that eclipsed even the most comforting embrace of a bed when one was tired.

As a white rune of energy ignited on the fledgling angel's forehead, a comforting symbol of power, the fledgling angel heard the kin- System echo within its mind once more:

< Would you like to accept the 'Phoebusin Legacy'? >

< Yes/No >

Excitedly the fledgling angel eminently thought 'Yes I would love to!' And before the angel could even contemplate how to tell the System as such it replied:

< Choice Confirmed. You are accepting the Legacy. >

The white rune of energy adorning the fledgling angel's forehead gradually waned, and the angel could feel something filling its cells all over its body, granting it even more energy. Seconds later the fledgling heard the System say:

< You have been bestowed with the 'Phoebusin Legacy', Congratulations. >

In the intricate tapestry of existence, where legacies weave the threads of power and knowledge across generations, the demons stand apart with their uniquely devious approach. Unlike other races, such as humans or angels, whose legacies pass down through familial lines, demons engage in a more cunning and treacherous inheritance.

A demon's legacy is a potent force, a manifestation of the power and knowledge amassed by a formidable predecessor. These legacies are not merely gifts to be bestowed; they come with a steep cost, a sinister pact that binds the recipient to the desires and whims of the original possessor. The demons, being masters of deception and manipulation, exploit these legacies to their advantage, creating a complex web of servitude that extends across time and dimensions.

The transfer of a demon's legacy is not a simple passing of the torch; it is a malevolent transaction that binds the recipient to the will of the one bestowing the legacy. This dark pact often involves servitude to the progenitor demon or adherence to a set of twisted commands and wishes. The inheritor gains power and knowledge, but at the price of becoming a pawn in the demon's overarching schemes.

What makes demon legacies particularly insidious is their tendency to be passed on multiple times. A single demonic legacy may traverse through various demons, each inheriting the power and knowledge of their predecessor while also perpetuating the cycle of servitude. This creates a demonic clan, an interconnected network of malevolent entities bound by a shared legacy and an unholy allegiance.

The hierarchy within these demonic clans is defined by the strength of the legacy and the cunning of the demons involved. As one demon gains power through the legacy, it seeks to pass it on to another, ensuring the continuation of its influence. The cycle perpetuates, creating a lineage of demons marked by both the strength of their inherited legacies and the insidious servitude that accompanies them.

— Excerpt from On Demonic Clans Volume II by Rasathlab.