Hellworld.
Nero perched on a jagged rock jutting from the blackened earth, the sharp wind howling around him like a distant war cry. All was still—for now. The chaotic skirmish of newborn demons had faded into the background, leaving a temporary silence in its wake.
He closed his eyes.
The heat of the Ember Demon's blood, the sensation of ripping flesh with his claws, the twisted satisfaction of consuming another being—all of it still haunted his senses. Not because he was repulsed by it, but because it felt… natural.
Wrong and right. Human and inhuman. A contradiction that clawed at his reborn soul.
"This world is insane," he muttered. "But I'm still me."
He had lived with discipline. Trained with obsession. On Earth, he had honed his body into a weapon, created a martial style from nothing, and stood atop the world of fighters. But now, he was an infant again—frail, clawed, horned, and alien.
Yet his mind, his clarity—that remained intact.
A simple thought summoned the familiar translucent window before him.
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[ Status Window ]
True Name: Numen
Alias: Nero
Race: Demonkin (Variant - Non-Elemental)
Level: 1
EXP: 55 / 100
STR: 4
DEX: 5
VIT: 5
INT: 6
Traits:
GOD Furnace (Locked)
Gluttony (Active)
Minor Fire Resistance
Minor Ice Resistance
Skills:
Nero Style: Feral Form
Ice Thread (Lesser)
DGP: 90
---------------------------------
The numbers weren't impressive—not yet. But they represented something bigger: momentum. Every point earned, every trait gained, was his climb toward something far greater than power—it was transcendence.
He tapped on the first Trait.
---------------------------------
> Gluttony (Active) <
Consume the remains of defeated enemies to gain stat increases.
Rare chance to obtain new Traits or Skills from consumed foes.
Warning: Hunger will scale with the user's growth.
Starvation may lead to system degradation.
---------------------------------
Nero narrowed his eyes. The hunger wasn't just physical—it was systemic. A necessary curse.
Strength through consumption. Evolution through sin.
"I don't have the luxury of morals," he said under his breath. "Not in this world."
He moved to the next item.
---------------------------------
> GOD Furnace (Locked) <
A divine artifact embedded in the user's soul.
Allows creation of Skills, Traits, Body Modifications, and more through imagination and DGP.
Status: Inaccessible
- Unlock Requirement: Reach Level 10.
---------------------------------
Just reading the description made his heart race.
Creation from imagination. True, unrestrained creation.
No crafting stations, no materials—just DGP and the scope of his will. But it was locked behind a clear barrier: ten levels of experience and survival.
Still, that goal gave him direction.
He turned his attention to the system currency itself.
---------------------------------
> DGP (Demon God Points) <
System currency earned through combat, missions, and milestones.
Used in the GOD Furnace to create and enhance various functions.
Current: 90 DGP
---------------------------------
He already had enough to make something… if only the Furnace wasn't sealed.
His fingers curled into a fist.
"I need to level up. I need more enemies. More fuel."
He shifted to the Skills section, feeling a small surge of pride.
---------------------------------
> Nero Style: Feral Form <
A primal close-combat martial form developed by the user in the absence of weapons.
Focus: Claws, fangs, body momentum, instinctive reactions.
Adaptable to extreme survival conditions. Evolves with experience and inspiration.
Status: Basic
Origin: Nero (Earth)
---------------------------------
This was his art.
Even without a blade, even as a newborn in a demonic world, his style lived on—reforged in instinct and desperation. Nero Style had always been more than just technique. It was philosophy. Will made flesh. Combat made elegant.
And now, Feral Form was the first branch of many to come.
He scrolled further.
---------------------------------
> Ice Thread (Lesser) <
A low-tier ability absorbed through Gluttony.
Allows the user to produce weak, chilled strands from fingertips.
Utility: Restraint, traps, mobility.
Can evolve through usage.
---------------------------------
He'd hardly used it so far—but he saw potential. Threads of ice binding a foe's limbs, locking a blade in mid-swing, anchoring himself across terrain. It wasn't flashy, but he didn't need flashy. He needed efficient.
Nero exhaled slowly.
He'd survived three fights since awakening.
He'd consumed his first enemies. Gained traits, skills, and the system's recognition.
He looked down at his clawed hands.
"So this is the start."
Behind him, the scorched earth shimmered with demonic energy. The birthing grounds were thinning—weaklings dying, the strong rising. The battles ahead would be harder. He'd need to master Feral Form further, experiment with Ice Thread, and—eventually—break the limit of Level 10 to access the GOD Furnace.
But all of that was possible.
He was no longer Nero the martial artist of Earth. He was Numen now—reborn in fire, baptized in blood, and chosen by the system of a god.
And the path forward was clear:
Survive. Evolve. Devour.
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