He saw his own back, that of a Sankta, a carefree smile on his face. Mostima stood beside him. Lemuen rushed over after class, complaining that they had not waited for her. After school, the three of them went to a nearby dessert shop to enjoy something sweet. Then she plopped down next to Felix, wrapped her arms around his shoulder, and began to act coquettishly.
Felix gently patted her head.
In the illusion, he noticed a notary office badge hanging around his neck. It seemed that in this version of reality, he had become a member of the notary office.
He watched himself smiling. That Felix's face carried no worry, no trace of maturity. He looked more vibrant than he did now, softly soothing the faint jealousy of Mostima and Lemuen.
The illusion shattered with a crash. Long chains descended from the sky.
His halo was bound in iron. Thorns wrapped around his body. A bloodstained gun rested in his hand. At his feet lay helpless, weeping Sarkaz children.
This is fate.
Felix lifted the pistol and pulled the trigger at himself.
Bang!
It was a baptism. Warm water surrounded him as he waded toward the center of a grand cathedral. Cardinals and the Pope stood before him, singing hymns in celebration of his arrival. Slowly, he knelt, accepting the Pope's blessing and the transfer of authority. He had inherited the mantle and become the one and only Pope Lanshem.
These are shackles.
Felix turned his head away.
Laterano's doctrines could not save this land.
He had known it from the very beginning.
"Why must we eliminate the Infected?" Felix asked.
A voice replied, "Because Sankta purity… is the greatest lie."
"All I want is the truth."
"What good is truth? The laws of Laterano cannot be shaken."
Felix raised his head and looked toward the dome of the cathedral. "Do you still intend to bind me with the law?"
The roof shattered, revealing only empty nothingness. There was nothing there.
Felix raised the pistol again and fired at his own head.
Bang!
When he opened his eyes once more, a control panel of interlocking mechanical gears stretched before him. At the end of the corridor, a blinding white light awaited.
Felix walked forward.
"You know why you did not fall from heaven."
Facing the synthesized mechanical voice, he replied calmly, "The doctrine of the Sankta is to ensure their survival on this land. I have never harmed Laterano. How can that be called betrayal?"
"Do you wish to cast off the shackles you wear? The shackles you seek to abandon are the cradle that sustains the weak."
"This is my personal decision." Felix looked up at the mechanical angel hovering above, no, the terminal. "Sankta have the right to choose. The Law may save Sankta, but what I seek to save is this land."
"The individual Felix Shawn Lanshem is assigned the experimental designation [Project Lucifer-777]. The Law will continue to monitor this individual's evolution and anticipates its performance."
The mechanical voice spoke in a rigid, formulaic tone. "Gene entropy value has exceeded threshold."
Initiating final authentication protocol.
"The individual has been exposed to multiple pre-civilization projects. [Project Lucifer-777] entering sublimation phase."
Felix spoke again. "Does The Law acknowledge me? This bottom line is truly unfathomable."
"Revision: The essence of Sacred Law is to protect the right to choose life. Your struggles, your vision, your thoughts, are the most devout of prayers."
The gears resonated in a magnificent chord as light poured down like rain.
"Blessing No. [Project Lucifer-777] Additional Terms: Only twisted souls and shackles shall be purified by flame."
As the luminous screen slowly dimmed, Felix turned his back to the fading radiance and strode toward this land of suffering.
Flames crept upward from his ankles. Blue fire swayed and rose, gradually engulfing him. Behind him emerged a phantom, a colossal beast cloaked in azure inferno.
Its name was—
"Ifrit."
The demon who commands fire. The embodiment of the strongest fire demon. Whenever the power of the fire demon is invoked, Ifrit manifests.
Darkness returned.
Felix sank into a long, deep slumber.
Then, awoke from the dream.
[Your race has changed to [Teekaz – Burning Heaven]. You have gained the following attribute bonuses: Strength +80.]
Dexterity +50, Stamina +70, Intelligence +50, Spirit +80, Charisma +100.
[Attributes: Strength 461, Dexterity 482, Stamina 456, Intelligence 544, Spirit 477, Charisma 270, Luck 1.]
He looked into the office mirror and smiled.
"There's no hiding it anymore… but that's fine. This is the kind of power the King of Kazdel should possess."
Two golden-red horns, like projections, emerged from his head. His halo and wings grew larger, their color deepening into a richer gold, closer to their true hue. Along with the long horns that symbolized the Sarkaz, a golden-red tail appeared behind his waist.
Felix reached up and touched one of the horns. It was not a physical object, but an intangible extension, just like his halo and wings.
"Arise."
With a single word, blue flames shot toward the sky. The golden light reflected in the mirror was quickly consumed.
Flames engulfed him. Behind him rose Ifrit's colossal figure, like a Kaiju wreaking havoc, spewing fire into the heavens.
Boom!
The core district of Kazdel erupted.
Operators and residents nearby were stunned by the shockwave. When they saw the towering pillar of fire, they stared in disbelief. What had just happened?
They were accustomed to turmoil, yet after staring at the flames for several seconds, a chilling thought surfaced. Had the Military Commission launched an attack? Was it a surprise assault?
"Oh no! The fire is in Felix's training room!" Loughshinny's voice trembled with alarm. Senior operators of Tomorrow's Development immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the scene. Mudrock and Qalaiša, being the closest, attempted to suppress the raging blaze, but their Originium Arts were devoured the moment they approached. They had no effect at all.
Moments later, Wiš'adel arrived, swearing under her breath. Her sharp gaze swept the area. "*Sarkaz profanity*, has anyone spotted those bastards from the Military Commission?"
Ines shook her head. "Our intelligence network has scanned the entire Kazdel Mobile City. No unfamiliar Sarkaz identities detected."
"Damn it! Then it must have been a bomb planted in advance!"
"Calm down." Ines grabbed Wiš'adel's arm. "These blue flames…"
"They belong to His Highness. He should be fine."
"Ines!"
At that moment, Theresa hurried over as well. As she gazed upon the flames, her eyes flickered with shock and complexity, along with a trace of joy and nostalgia that could not be described.
She stepped forward into the fire.
"Miss Theresa!" Wiš'adel called out anxiously.
"This flame will not harm us."
Theresa smiled and gently cradled a blue flame in her palm. It licked her skin softly, leaving no burn.
"Eh?"
The operators of Tomorrow's Development were stunned. They cautiously approached and discovered that the flames did not injure them. Instead, the exhaustion from days of work seemed to vanish, washed away by the warmth.
Yet when they caught sight of the immense and terrifying phantom within the fire, they instinctively stepped back. Some even drew their weapons. The pressure radiating from the apparition was overwhelming, like facing an ancient natural predator.
"Wait!"
"Ifrit!" Silence, who had come to Kazdel Mobile City on business and to visit Ifrit, cried out as she tried to stop the girl from running into the flames.
Ifrit's face lit up with affection and longing. She reached out, touched the fire, and laughed. "This is Brother Felix's phantom!"
Before Silence could say more, a hand extended from within the flames. The inferno gradually subsided.
That hand gently patted Ifrit's head. She revealed her small tiger-like teeth in a grin. "Brother Felix, I recognized you. Can I join the next operator mission? I'm really strong now."
"I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Silence and Saria. Aren't they your guardians?"
"Ugh… that's so troublesome. They definitely won't agree."
As the flames faded completely, Felix lightly pinched Ifrit's cheek. "All right. Since you recognized me, consider this your reward. I'll talk to Saria and Silence."
"Great!"
Ifrit jumped excitedly. Then she noticed his transformation and froze, her mouth falling open. "Brother Felix… you seem stronger. And more handsome."
The senior members of Tomorrow's Development who witnessed the scene stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. Players snapped photos and recorded videos without pause, while Sarkaz civilians in the distance stretched their necks, trying to glimpse what had happened.
"Your Highness has rediscovered the roots of our people." Theresa dropped to one knee, one hand pressed to her chest, her cheeks flushed.
"We have bowed before the froststorms of the Wendigo and sung hymns to the dark tides of the Vampires. But today, we bow to the true ruler." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "My blood surges anew. Alas, my soul has already surrendered, and my body longs for Your Highness's mercy."
"My king, you are not only the morning star of Kazdel. You are the blazing sun for every homeless Sarkaz wandering alone in the night."
The golden-red horns and tail that symbolized the Sarkaz, the flawless crown and wings—everything about him was perfectly harmonious, as if he had been born in this form.
Patriot knelt on one knee and spoke in a heavy voice. "Teekaz…"
Mudrock, Qalaiša, Valarqvin, and many other Sarkaz operators made their way toward Felix.
They knelt once more, as they had before. Once, it had been because of Felix's royal authority, because of the achievements he brought to Kazdel through his governance.
But now they knelt in wholehearted submission. Their bodies bowed, their souls found solace. They loved their king from the depths of their hearts, and nothing could shake that devotion.
Faith rooted in the heart.
Operators who were not Sarkaz, such as Loughshinny, Ines, and Degenbrecher, also lowered themselves to one knee, reaffirming their loyalty to Felix.
"Rise." Felix smiled. "Return to your duties. Though… this training ground definitely needs renovation."
"Yes!"
He winked at Ifrit before turning to leave.
Ifrit beamed with joy. She skipped after him, clinging to his arm and chattering excitedly about how much stronger she had become. She even mentioned gaining a new follower during her travels, a girl from Columbia who had become her advisor after being saved by a special medicine.
Theresa rose, catching the shock lingering in the Banshee HR lady's eyes.
She smiled gently at the others. "As His Highness said, let us disperse. I believe His Highness will explain everything."
Hearing this, the executive of Tomorrow's Development chose to follow her guidance and departed. The players, however, trembled with excitement. They had just witnessed something extraordinary.
"Hey, wasn't that racial evolution?"
"Yes, yes! I unlocked that quest too. I've completed most of the prerequisites. The last step is heading to the northern border of Ursus to trigger the bloodline quest so my Lupo can gain ice-type Originium Arts."
"What race did the King unlock? Judging from his appearance, it has to be Sarkaz… Fallen Angel?"
"That wasn't a Fallen Angel." Yanfei's voice drew the attention of the professional players nearby. "I'm Sankta, and I can say with absolute certainty that it wasn't a Fallen Angel. It looked more like an evolution of the race's essence. I've also received a racial advancement quest, but I have no idea how to complete it."
"An evolution of essence…"
The professional gamers scratched their heads, baffled. Still, no one could deny how unbelievably cool the King had looked. Discussion erupted instantly, speculation flying about just how handsome he would become after full advancement.
That evening, Theresa knocked on Felix's door. She was slightly surprised to see Wiš'adel inside but quickly composed herself.
"Your Highness, I wish to confirm something. Your race is now Diablo, isn't it?"
Felix glanced at Wiš'adel, who had been sitting upright like a primary school student the entire time, and nodded.
"And not only Diablo. You have also become part of the legendary Teekaz lineage, correct? Though you were Teekaz before, your bloodline power was not very apparent."
"Mm."
Theresa let out a long breath, visibly relieved. Sitting beside him, she said softly, "You truly are a king by birthright. Now my brother and the royal court should have no reason left to oppose you."
"The ideal outcome would be for divided Kazdel to find peace again."
Theresa smiled faintly and gently took Felix's hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
Seeing this, Wiš'adel abruptly stood up. "Um… um…" She bit her lip, her eyes swirling with complicated emotions. "Miss Theresa… you like His Highness?"
"Yes. Ever since Felix saved my life… no, even earlier. My heart had already been drawn to him."
Theresa stepped forward and took Wiš'adel's hand. Wiš'adel instinctively stepped back, startled, but then wrapped her arms around Theresa's slender, fragile figure as if seeking warmth.
"Um! Your Highness, I want to stay tonight too!"
Felix lifted his head, confusion written plainly across his face. "?"
"You're too… intense. Miss Theresa needs someone to help share the burden…" Wiš'adel muttered through clenched teeth, her face burning red.
"Eh?"
Theresa tilted her head, puzzled. "Wiš'adel, what are you talking about?"