Magburg, The Serpent Isles - 5th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH
Regis had witnessed many things in his life. He’d clawed his way out of the Flesh Fields, traversed the oceans battling the fomorians, explored the deepest reaches of the Wild, conquered continents. The world was vast in its wonders, an ever changing landscape that brought with it new surprises and delights. He could bask in it forever—had every intention of doing so.
And yet, never had he seen anything quite like this.
Name: Regis
Level: 5 (Tier 0)
Species: Demon
Titles: [The Once and Last Conqueror (Unique)], [Deceiver (Common)]
Major Aspect: [Locked]
Minor Aspect: [Locked]
Strength: [Locked]
Agility: [Locked]
Constitution: [Locked]
Mana: [Locked]
Will: [Locked]
Species Traits: [Demonic Senses 1]
Major Aspect Traits: [Locked]
Minor Aspect Traits: [Locked]
Abilities: [Demonic Possession 1], [Amplify Vice 1], [Thaumaturgy 1]
The words hovered across a translucent screen that glowed softly in his vision. He raised a finger to touch it, but it passed straight through the same way it would for an illusion. Regis smiled, admiring the complexity. If this was crafted from magic, then its maker had outdone themselves. He’d like to meet them someday.
After waking up in his diminished form, he’d travelled through various villages, keeping in the shadows where he wouldn’t be seen. Flitting conversations and notice boards filled in gaps in his knowledge of the current world, but he’d never been able to get close enough to learn as much as he wished.
The first time the System appeared, it had been abundantly clear to him that something was wrong. He saw it in the tenseness of the mayor’s shoulders, in the back and forth pacing of the head guard through the barracks window. In the days that followed, a nearly tangible energy coursed through the air, strengthened by whispered rumors tinged with both fear and excitement—the buzzing energy of a world on the brink of fundamental change. It had been easy to recognize. He’d once been the cause of it himself, after all.
As a result, when that first System initialization notification had appeared, he’d already been prepared for something exceptional. It had still managed to surprise him.
Regis’s eyes flitted down the status screen, comparing it to the notifications he’d seen thus far and the initial level 1 version that he’d viewed.
According to the files he’d found in the head guard’s office, the System’s existence had first been reported earlier that week. Subsequent reports mentioned a unique status screen, seemingly tailored to each individual, and the existence of “traits” and “abilities.” Based on his own experiences so far, this initial assessment was correct.
He focused on the new abilities he’d received.
Name: Amplify Vice
Level: 1
Mana Cost: Low
Cooldown: Medium
Description: Allows user to amplify a single vice (pride, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, envy, greed) within a selected target through touch. Skill cannot be used again on the same target for the rest of the day.
Name: Thaumaturgy
Level: 1
Mana Cost: Low
Cooldown: Low
Description: User can create small bursts of magical phenomena within a limited scale and range.
Regis hummed to himself. The descriptions were a tad sparse for his liking, particularly the second, but he could experiment with the abilities later. The [Deceiver] title, on the other hand, did exactly as its name suggested, purporting to boost the effectiveness of lies by minimizing physiological tells. He suspected it was a title that would prove significantly more useful to other species.
By now, he’d gathered that titles had variable effects, traits provided passive boosts, and abilities were active. It was rather neat and tidy—perhaps overly simplistic. He hadn’t yet had a chance to test how this System worked with the existing magic sources.
For now, Regis willed the screens away. They scattered into glowing lights, an effect that he found rather charming.
The demon rose, reaching for the bag of items he’d taken from the guard barracks. Based on the building’s shift schedule, he still had an hour before the next group of guards would arrive and discover the corpses, but he would rather leave now in the event that someone appeared early. Fortunately Cyrus’s home was situated at the edge of the forest, so he would be able to reach it without needing to traverse the village streets.
Regis swung the bag over his shoulder and continued onward.
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Cyrus’s home was cloaked in shadows. [Demonic Senses] retained Regis’s darkvision, so he had no need for additional light. Though on second thought, this may be a good opportunity to test his new abilities.
The demon turned to the candle sitting at the edge of the table. He raised a finger and activated [Thaumaturgy]. In a flash of light, a small flame burst atop the wick. He activated the ability a few more times and found that he could snuff the flame and slowly increase its size with multiple uses, but the initial fire was always quite small. Interesting.
Regis set the bag down and turned to the bookshelves lining the walls. He’d already read through every text he could find in the house earlier, and one book still sat open. [Thaumaturgy] could flip its pages, but it couldn’t lift the book itself.
After a few more experiments, he had a much better sense of the ability’s range and limitations. Satisfied, Regis turned back to the table.
Cyrus’s home was small and sparse in belongings. The few possessions he owned were largely stored away in half-opened boxes that the human had never unpacked. Regis had rifled through them in the morning, filling a traveling bag with anything he thought would prove useful. Now, Regis transferred the items he’d taken from the barracks over to the larger bag. He would need to leave the village tonight. Once the state of the barracks was discovered, the entire area would be on alert. He didn’t want to risk anyone recognizing Cyrus’s body.
That had, after all, been the main reason he’d chosen the guard as his vessel. After System initialization was complete and he’d seen [Demonic Possession], his next steps had been clear. He’d quickly formulated a plan.
Regis rarely possessed vessels in the past. He had little need for it between his true, lesser, and diminished forms. This new system granted ability was similar to his old power, but significantly more limited in scope. He could only possess a willing person. He had to remain within the same vessel for a substantial amount of time due to the ability’s cooldown period.
With these restrictions in mind, Regis had been careful when surveying the village. He’d wanted someone healthy and decently athletic, naive enough to listen to him without suspecting his true identity, and with few relationships. Cyrus had been the perfect fit. After killing Edna, Theo, and smudging out the list of employed guards in the barracks office, Cyrus’s existence had effectively been wiped away from public records.
Regis gave the bag a final check before closing it shut. He gazed outside. Through the window, a thin haze surrounded the silver moon. The outside was quiet, even to his enhanced hearing. Magburg was still deep in sleep.
The demon washed away any lingering bloodstains on his skin and changed into a fresh set of traveling clothes, then gave the house a final sweep to ensure he hadn’t missed anything. Once he was satisfied, he took his gathered supplies and exited the home for the last time.
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Regis tilted his head back, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. He hadn’t been able to feel anything in his diminished form, and this was a refreshing change.
Around him, a soft breeze rustled the trees lining the dirt road. The morning sun highlighted the dust particles that rose with each step, and Regis found himself pausing to pick a few grasses. They were still damp with morning dew. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed these little sensations. It felt like he was experiencing the world for the first time again, now in this human body.
Regis adjusted his bag and glanced down at the simple map he’d taken from the barracks office. He should reach the next closest village in a few hours, where he would be able to gather more information. Cyrus hadn’t owned many reading materials, and he’d only gained limited knowledge during his time in his diminished state. There were still many things he didn’t know about the current state of the world.
If he’d traveled through the night, he would’ve reached the town by now, but he’d needed to stop and rest. Sleeping, Regis decided, was not an experience he was particularly fond of. It had been necessary, given the state of his vessel, but he hadn’t enjoyed how vulnerable he’d felt. It was difficult to understand why so many humans seemed happy to lose consciousness, some even doing so for leisure. He hoped that, as [Demonic Possession] levelled, he might be less beholden to this new body’s limitations.
The demon folded the map and stored it away, continuing down the road.
Around noon, Regis experienced yet another side effect of his human vessel. His stomach rumbled, and he glanced down with faint amusement. The human body, it seemed, enjoyed announcing its needs, but he supposed in his case it was useful while he adjusted to the feeling of “hunger.”
The demon glanced around. This section of the road cut through the forest; the path itself was largely overgrown with weeds and grasses. Colorful mushrooms dotted the area, and he could see several berry bushes deeper into the forest ranging from dark red to pale pink in hue.
He’d packed some food, of course. Cyrus’s home had contained a few dried goods and preserves, but he’d rather not deplete his provisions so soon. His eyes landed on the plants, and he hummed. The berries seemed promising, but he didn’t know what was and was not edible.
A flash of movement appeared in the corner of his eyes. Regis turned, his gaze landing on a small rabbit sitting beside a tree trunk. Its nose twitched as it nibbled on some grass. The demon eyed the creature thoughtfully.
He took a step closer. The rabbit didn’t move. Normally animals avoided him, and this had held true the few times he’d occupied a vessel in the past as well. In his current weakened state, however, it was possible the creature could no longer sense his demonic soul. For now, it was a boon.
Regis advanced forward and only came to a stop when he was within an arm’s reach of the rabbit. He raised a hand.
Lightning quick, he reached out and grabbed the creature. It squirmed in his hand, fur surprisingly soft. The movement had felt faster than when he’d been disposing of the guards in the prison, he noted. He suspected he was gaining agility despite the area currently being locked on his status screen.
“Shh, calm down,” Regis said, petting the rabbit soothingly. It continued to squirm, but he maintained a firm grip as he carried it over to the first of the berry bushes. He plucked one and held it up to the animal’s mouth. It took some coaxing, but eventually it nibbled on the fruit.
Regis waited a minute, but the rabbit showed no ill side effects. “Good,” he praised. He moved onto the next experiment, a patch of berries so pale that they were nearly white. This time, the rabbit thrashed as he brought the berry closer. It refused to chew on it even when he gave it a warning pinch. Regis hummed thoughtfully.
“Alright, I understand.” He set the animal down, and it immediately scampered away, disappearing into the bushes. He could’ve eaten it, but from what he understood humans couldn’t consume raw meat. He’d rather not start a fire and risk the smoke being seen, and the process would’ve been more time consuming than he’d like.
Regis wiped his hand and turned to the first bush. While this wasn’t a guarantee that the plant would also be safe for humans to eat, he felt reasonably confident that the berries would not, at least, result in immediate death.
He picked one and chewed it slowly. It had a sharp, tangy taste, and there were no ill side effects after waiting a few minutes. The demon ate enough to stop his stomach’s growling, then stored more away for later. After some consideration, he picked some of the pale berries as well, stashing them securely away in their own bag.
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Once he was done, he rose and continued his journey through the forest.
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It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Regis finally reached the next town. He passed by a few farmers carrying pails of water and other travelers along the road, but none of them gave him a second glance. For the most part, the road was largely empty.
The town, however, was brimming with people. Regis slowed his steps as he neared, taking in the compact, dense wooden buildings clustered around wide dirt streets crowded with humans. A steady stream of them seemed to be moving towards the center of the town. Regis tugged his cloak closer and followed.
There, standing in the center of a large square, was an older man holding a paper in his hand. A few guards stood nearby with their weapons sheathed, peering threateningly down at the gathered crowd through their helmets.
“—the Grand Ministry has stated that no archmage is responsible for the System’s appearance! They’re currently researching its origin and advise us all to be patient, but you can rest assured that it is not dangerous. Please remain calm if you receive any System notifications.”
The man’s voice was strained. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, a growing number of questions shouted at the increasingly harried looking man.
“Are there any known side effects?”
“Is it true everyone’ll end up with one?”
“What about the other species?”
“When’re we gonna get ours?”
“Now now,” the man said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “One at a time, please!” As if on cue, the guards moved closer in silent threat.
Regis remained a little longer to see if the man—the town’s mayor, he presumed—would reveal any new information, but it soon became clear that he was as in the dark as the villagers throwing questions at him. It was an endless barrage, and he suspected they would be there for a long time. He turned away. After glancing around to survey the stores around the square, he ducked into a small bookstore.
A bell rang as the demon stepped inside. The sounds of the crowd were muffled here, the gathered townspeople appearing like a shadowy mass through the windows. Regis looked around.
The store was larger than it appeared at first glance. Tall crowded shelves lined the walls, and more tables had been set out with stacks of books atop them. Judging from the worn floor and ceiling, the shop was quite old.
At the counter was a young boy with pointed ears and mussed hair. A half-elf, Regis guessed. He looked too young to be responsible for the store, but judging by how empty it was, he assumed the actual owner had gone outside to listen to the announcement, leaving the boy responsible. He was currently hunched over the counter, scribbling furiously away on a piece of paper.
Regis turned and eyed the book shelves, brushing past the fiction and searching for recent works and historical accounts of the past twenty years. His eyes landed on a book titled, REBUILDING: THE NEW GRAND MINISTRY. It seemed like a decent enough place to start.
He removed the book and flipped the cover open, a cloud of dust rising as he did so. With the assistance of his unique title, he should be able to read through all the books in this section within half an hour.
Title: The Once and Last Conqueror
Rarity: Unique
Description: The once unbeatable conqueror defeated and reduced to a weakened state. Though your body was destroyed, mind and soul remember. Grants perfect memory recall, Mana +10, and Will +20. Regained abilities and traits level twice as quickly.
This had been the first part of his initial status screen that he’d checked, and it remained the most curious one. It seemed to function as a catch-all, bundling his eidetic memory into a system granted title while also confirming that the locked sections of his status screen were still in use despite not being able to view them.
The most interesting takeaway for him, however, had been the tone of the description. Perhaps it was imagination, but there was a touch of animosity to that first line. The rest of the System’s messages thus far had been objective and emotionless, but this lent credence to the idea that a person was responsible for the System’s existence. Who they were and what their purpose was, however, remained a mystery.
He currently didn’t have the resources to run a trace spell on the System, nor could he sense any particular magic signature from the notifications. Whether that was because there was none or because he was too weakened to sense it, he did not know. Regardless, it was a curiosity that he wouldn’t be able to satiate until later. For now, he focused his attention on the task at hand.
Regis flipped steadily through the pages, memorizing their contents, though he made sure to move slower than he needed to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Like this, it would look like he was simply skimming.
His eyes moved through paragraphs of text, digesting the information. He returned the book to its original location and moved on to the next one, continuing down the aisle in order.
At the very end of the shelf, he found a thicker text that was purportedly a chronicle of the major events in the war. After a few pages, however, it became clear that it was less a factual document than it was a fictionalized retelling.
“…but after twelve failed summons, humanity’s prayers were answered and the Hero appeared. A young man barely grown, plucked from his former life, but carrying the weight of our world on his shoulders…”
“…together with his gathered companions, the Hero stoked hope in the hopeless. He rallied together humans, centaurs, harpies, giants, elves, angels, and more for the first time in centuries, proving that the demon king could not stand a chance against a united force…”
On and on it went, relaying the events of the war like an epic fable from the Hero’s perspective. The author clearly had a flair for the dramatic, Regis thought as he traced the words with a finger. He suspected the heavy emphasis on unity doubled as a way to encourage the continuation of species alliances after the war.
Considering the other books he’d just read, it seemed that despite humanity’s best efforts, those alliances had not lasted.
Regis flipped through more pages, soon reaching a section listing all the major actors in the war with brief descriptions of them. Most were dedicated to the otherworlder’s side, but he had his own paragraph. It wasn’t particularly accurate, but it was amusing to read nonetheless. His pace slowed.
The next page held a list of his generals. Most were given only the sparsest of descriptions stating their role and current status. His eyes landed on the first line under his own.
“Halcyon - The demon king’s strongest and most loyal general. Killed by the Hero in the Field of the Fallen.”
A memory rose unbidden. The shine of a sword as it was yanked away, dripping scarlet. A collapsed, lifeless body limp on the ground.
Regis frowned. The images vanished nearly as suddenly as they’d appeared. Odd. He’d never had memories resurface unprompted like this before. Was this another side effect of his human vessel?
He shook his head and returned his attention to the page, scanning the other lines. The few of his generals afforded more space, it seemed, were the ones who’d betrayed him, nevermind how inconsequential or weak they’d been. They were hailed as heroes, once strayed from the righteous path, who’d found their way back to the light.
One of which currently lived on this very island.
Regis’s eyes narrowed. He paged through the book more closely, but there was no address listed. Not here or in any of the other texts he’d read. It must not be public knowledge, but surely the locals would be aware of it.
“You gonna buy something?”
Regis glanced up. At the counter, the half-elf boy had looked away from his drawing and was now frowning at him. His eyes flitted between the demon and the window, where the noises from the crowd had grown even louder.
Regis returned the book to the shelf and sent him an amicable smile. Perhaps he would be able to learn the address here after all.
“My apologies, it seems I lost track of time.” He stepped over to one of the long tables and picked up an atlas with far more detail than the local map he was currently using. He set the atlas down on the counter. The boy eyed him suspiciously.
“...That’s it?” He looked a little put out, gesturing at the shelf Regis had just gone through. “None of those good enough?”
Regis chuckled. “Not quite, I’m afraid.” His eyes landed on the piece of paper the boy had been drawing on.
Up close, he recognized them as runes—ones often employed by users of the Pulse. The boy seemed to be trying to piece them together into a more complicated string, though he’d clearly grown frustrated judging from the amount of crossed out lines. It was missing a few key rune combinations and some of the characters had been written incorrectly, Regis noted, but it was a good start for a boy so young.
“Are you studying magic?” he asked. “That looks quite advanced.”
“Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work,” the boy grumbled. He grabbed the atlas and peered down at the price tag.
“I wouldn’t say that. Many seasoned mages still struggle to create their own spells. At your age, this is very impressive.” Regis tilted his head. “Although, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you studying the Pulse? Do you not have access to the Wild?”
Of the three magic sources, the Pulse was the most universal. It drew from the magic that flowed through the veins of the material plane, and anyone could learn to channel it without needing to perform extra steps to gain access. Innate to everyone, was the common saying. It was the favored magic source of humans for this very reason, though Regis had heard of some humans going to great lengths to gain the ability to channel from the Ark and the Wild.
As a half-elf, the boy should have been born with access to the Wild from his elven bloodline. The Wild was a separate plane, one filled with a chaotic storm of primal magic that manifested as the fae. It was often said to have a mind of its own, but it was certainly less limited than the Pulse was. Regis himself had never particularly favored the Wild, disliking its unpredictability. He hadn’t set out to gain access to it, either; it had simply come as a side effect of his travels in the plane.
The boy deflated almost immediately. “ …I can’t use the Wild,” he said. Regis hummed. That was actually quite rare for a half-elf.
He peered more closely at the runes. The demon tapped one of the ones near the end of the most recent chain.
“Here. I believe this line should be curved.”
The boy scowled and snatched the paper away, looking affronted. As his eyes scanned the page, however, his brows furrowed with growing realization. Slowly, he set the paper back down and corrected the line.
“...I knew that.”
“I’m sure you did,” Regis said appeasingly. “I’ve accidentally done the same myself.”
The boy looked up, frowning at the demon. “You know runes?”
“Only a bit. I haven’t studied the Pulse extensively, but I know the basics.” He nodded at the runes and held out his hand towards the pen. “May I?”
The half-elf looked a bit suspicious, but Regis could tell that his curiosity was winning out. Slowly, he slid the paper and pen over, and the demon began sketching. The boy didn’t say anything, but he could feel his gaze on him as he completed the symbol.
“This,” Regis explained once he was done, “is often used in spells to indicate exclusions.” He tapped the lines on the paper. “This part here is either curved left or right depending on the directionality of the spell.”
The boy nodded, eyes fixed on the page. Regis handed the pen and paper back. “Is that helpful for your spell?”
The boy didn’t respond right away, too busy absorbing the new rune, gaze darting between it and the string he was working on. Slowly, he nodded.
“Yeah.” A bit of giddiness entered his voice. “Yeah, yeah I think this’ll work!” He looked up at the demon. “Thanks, uh…” his voice trailed in question, and Regis smiled.
“Cyrus,” he said, adopting his dead vessel’s name. It would be the easiest pseudonym to use for identification purposes.
“Cyrus,” the boy repeated. “How’d you know all this anyway?”
“I’m a scholar,” Regis lied easily. He nodded to the atlas and at the shelf he’d perused. “I specialize in the war. I actually came to the Serpent Isles for research.”
The boy frowned. “Why? There’s not much out here.”
“I wouldn’t say that. One of the demon king’s former generals resides on this island, does he not?”
The half-elf’s eyes lit up in recognition. There.
“Oh, you mean Markus!”
Regis’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained his amicable expression. “Yes, do you know him? I was hoping to get an interview, but I couldn’t find his address.”
The boy hesitated. “He gives out potions sometimes for the locals,” he began, “but he’s really private. He doesn’t really like talking about the war.”
“I understand that,” Regis said sympathetically. He sighed, adding a wistful lilt to it. “Still, I would love to meet him. It’s not everyday you’re so close to a living hero.”
The half-elf glanced between Regis and the rune he’d drawn, still a bit hesitant. The demon studied him closely, but it was clear to him that any lingering suspicion the boy might’ve had of him had already disappeared. He was no longer a strange outsider but a helpful traveler, and as such, was not viewed as a possible threat.
Slowly, as predicted, the boy nodded. “Yeah, I think he’d be fine with that.” He turned to the atlas and flipped it open, turning the pages until he reached a map of the island. “He lives over here. I can draw the route, if you want.”
Regis smiled. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”
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Regis exited the bookstore with the atlas, paid for with money he’d found in Cyrus’s home, and a new destination in mind. That had gone smoother than he’d hoped. Satisfied, he turned to exit the town, but paused as the roar of the crowd reached his ears. He glanced over.
The square was still crowded, the mayor in the center with the guards circling him more closely than before. A few had unsheathed their swords and were raising them threateningly to anyone who dared come too close, but this only seemed to further incense the villagers.
“Please, please! I promise the Ministry is doing everything it can! Please just stay calm and listen to us!”
“Bullshit!” someone hollered. Regis quickly identified the voice as coming from a red-faced man who swayed a little where he stood. Drunk, he guessed.
“Quit being so high and mighty!” the man yelled. He hiccupped, but that didn’t deter him. “You’re not telling us more about the System ‘cause you’re scared we’ll use it against you!” He jabbed an accusing finger at the man. “Well it’s too late! ‘Cause once we’ve got ours, none of us’re listening to you anymore!”
A few people cheered the man on, his words inciting another wave of yells. There would likely be a riot soon, Regis thought.
The demon turned to leave, but he paused at the last second. He studied the man consideringly. There was one more ability he hadn’t had the opportunity to test yet.
Coming to a decision, he stepped closer, navigating through the crowd on the way towards the main street. Once he was close enough, he pretended to bump into the man.
He activated [Amplify Vice].
[Please select one vice: Pride, Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Sloth]
Regis didn’t hesitate to select the wrath option.
The effects were instantaneous. The man froze in place. His eyes widened, and then, all at once, his expression morphed into a snarl. He launched himself at the mayor, who yelped and stumbled backwards while the guards surged forward with weapons raised. Someone in the crowd screamed.
As the square erupted into panic, Regis slipped away, a silent figure moving through the frenzy.