It was dawn.
The sun rose into the sky, illuminating Liam as he stood before the mirror in his assigned chambers, locked in a silent standoff with his reflection.
He drew a breath—then another.
His gaze dropped to the pill containers he'd taken from his old clothes. His chest moved in steady rhythm, but his hand trembled on the cap.
He couldn't take them. Not anymore. It was unwise to rely on them, and what would he do when they ran out?
Yet he could already feel the effects of the last dose fading—his heart racing, panic clawing at his chest.
Almost as if, until now, he hadn't truly grasped where he was.
Another world.
Surrounded by demons.
A single mistake and they'd kill him without hesitation.
The reality hit with terrifying clarity.
He lifted his eyes again, staring into the gray depths of his reflection.
"You're a god," he said quietly, as if testing the words.
"You are a god." Firmer this time, more certain.
He exhaled and willed the status screen to appear.
---
[Infernal Sovereign Protocol – Online]
Host: Liam Cross
Essence: 375
Evolution Points: 2
Dominion: 0.01%
Infamy: Local Tier
Status: False Sovereign (Unascended)
Belief Network: Stable
---
Liam studied the glowing screen, finding in it something close to hope.
This—this was his advantage. His weapon in a realm of monsters.
The Infernal System.
Knowledge filled his mind, clear and absolute. It wasn't quite an RPG system—but it was close enough.
Strength, here, came from three pillars: Dominance. Belief. Sin.
Dominance was conquest—growth through control, manipulation, and fear.
Every creature that submitted to him added to his Dominion Count.
The stronger the dominion, the greater his aura, influence, and perception.
Belief was faith.
Power born from how others saw him. Savior, tyrant, god—it didn't matter.
Reality itself bent toward belief. The more people thought him unstoppable, the more unstoppable he became.
And Sin… Sin was rebellion.
The breaking of divine law—slaying angels, corrupting saints, defying destiny.
Sin granted Evolution Points and access to Forbidden Functions.
But every act also stripped him further from humanity.
"Three hundred seventy-five Essence," Liam murmured, rubbing his chin. "Not bad."
Yesterday's performance—and the devotion of the women of nameless litany—had given him more than he'd expected.
"List skills."
---
Skill List:
1 – False Sovereign Presence (1st Evolution)
A demonic aura designed to mimic that of a Primordial Demon.
Effects range from mild intimidation to shaking the heavens, depending on evolution level.
Cost: 10 EP/min (+10 per evolution)
Status: Available for evolution at the cost of 1 EVP.
///
2 – Worship Conversion (Unevolved)
Converts Devotion and Fear into Essence.
Evolution Cost: 5 EVP.
---
Unlockable Skill:
1 – Primordial Authority
Allows the Host to issue an absolute command to a demon subject that cannot be disobeyed.
Requires Belief Threshold above 95%. Threshold requirement decreases with each evolution.
Unlock Cost: 1 EVP.
---
Liam skimmed through the list and made his decision.
"A no-brainer," he said. "Not enough points for Worship Conversion, but Sovereign Presence only needs one—and it's exactly what i need to help sell the act."
His gaze then flicked to the unlockable skill.
"And I'd be stupid not to take that."
He confirmed both.
---
[1 EVP Spent!]
[Skill Evolved: 'False Sovereign Presence' → 'Sovereign's Presence.']
[1 EVP Spent!]
[Skill Unlocked: Primordial Authority.]
---
A small smile tugged at Liam's lips. A plan was forming.
He had initially hoped his evolution points could unlock some form of combat ability, but that could wait. Right now, perception was his strongest weapon.
His eyes drifted to the pill container in his palm.
"What kind of god gets panic attacks?" he whispered, a shaky laugh escaping. "You got this. No pills needed."
---
House Zarthus
A single throne of petrified wood dominated the vast chamber.
Upon it sat Patriarch Veridia Zarthus.
Her armor was black iron polished to a sheen, the twin-headed serpent of her House engraved in silver across her breastplate.
Her amber eyes burned like shards of frozen flame as she listened to the general's report.
"That human is no god," she snarled. "Another scheme. Another pathetic grasp from that treacherous whore to hold a crown she never earned."
Her gaze sharpened. "Tell me, Vorlak—how could you, a general of Zarthus, bow to a mortal ape? You shame the serpent's crest!"
Vorlak's eyes dropped to the floor.
"My lady… you had to be there. His presence—it was convincing."
"Convincing?" Veridia scoffed. "Did he wield a star? Unmake reality? What trick did he play?"
Vorlak hesitated. "No, but… for a moment, he did not seem human. His words were thunder. The air grew heavy. The shadows moved. When he spoke, it was as though the world listened. He called himself the Originator of Sin."
"A liar's flourish," Veridia spat.
"Perhaps. But when Queen Lilith bowed, we had no choice," Vorlak said, his voice low. "To stand while the Queen knelt would have been treason before every House present."
Silence fell.
Veridia's fury dimmed to something colder—thoughtful, venomous.
The Queen's move had been clever. Too clever. Whether this "god" was real or not, the Houses couldn't challenge him without proof.
Finally, she leaned back, the throne creaking beneath her armor.
"Very well," she said, her voice like steel drawn across stone. "You are dismissed, General. Go cleanse your shame."
Vorlak bowed deeply and retreated.
Veridia sat alone, eyes unfocused, lost in thought.
Then—
"Send out the summons," she ordered the guards. "A Council Request to the Eight Houses. Tell them the Queen has unveiled our so-called savior."
A slow, cruel smile curved her lips.
"It's time we meet this 'god' ourselves."