Den slowly raised his clawed hand, the dark aura around him swirling like smoke in the endless fog. His crimson eyes looked down at the young man standing before him, studying him one last time as if trying to measure the strange human he had just chosen as his successor. For a brief moment the Demon God seemed thoughtful, then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"For now," Den said calmly, "your journey begins."
He lifted his fingers slightly.
"Goodbye… Kael."
Before Kael could even ask how Den suddenly knew his name, the Demon God snapped his fingers.
Snap.
In the next instant, the white fog world shattered like fragile glass.
Kael's body suddenly felt weightless, and the ground beneath him vanished. A violent rush of wind roared in his ears as he began falling through the sky at terrifying speed. His mind spun wildly, trying to understand what had just happened while the cold night air tore past him.
"Wait—what the hell?!"
The world below him rapidly came into focus. A vast landscape stretched beneath the night sky, illuminated by the pale silver light of the moon. Fields, forests, and distant hills rushed toward him as gravity pulled him down like a falling meteor.
"That stupid demon god actually threw me!"
Kael flailed his arms for a moment before realizing there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop the fall.
The ground rushed closer.
Closer.
And then—
BAM!
Kael crashed violently into the earth, crushing several rows of tall corn plants beneath him as dirt and broken stalks exploded outward in every direction. The impact created a small crater in the middle of the cornfield, leaving scattered leaves and shattered stems around the landing site.
For several seconds, everything was silent.
Then a groan came from the crater.
"Ugh…"
Kael slowly pushed himself up, brushing dirt and pieces of corn leaves off his clothes. His body ached from the fall, but surprisingly nothing seemed broken. The strange power Den had given him must have strengthened his body enough to survive the impact.
Still, it did not make him any less annoyed.
"Ouch… seriously?" he muttered while rubbing the back of his head. "You couldn't just teleport me like a normal god?"
He looked up toward the sky as if expecting Den to still be watching him.
"Or was that because I called you ugly?"
There was no answer.
Only the quiet sound of the wind moving through the tall corn plants around him.
Kael sighed and climbed out of the small crater he had created. As he stepped into the field, he finally began to properly notice his surroundings. Endless rows of corn stretched in every direction, their tall green stalks swaying gently under the cool night breeze. The field looked enormous, almost like a green ocean frozen beneath the pale glow of moonlight.
Beyond the field stood massive dark trees forming a thick forest wall in the distance. Their tall silhouettes looked ancient and silent, casting long shadows across the land.
Above everything, the sky was breathtaking.
A full moon hung high above the world, bright and calm, surrounded by thousands of glittering stars. The light bathed the cornfield in a soft silver glow, turning the quiet farmland into something strangely beautiful.
Kael stood there for a moment, taking it all in.
"Well," he said quietly after a while, "this isn't the worst place to land."
After everything that had happened—the fog world, the Demon God, the sudden fall from the sky—this peaceful field almost felt unreal.
He walked a few steps through the corn rows before sitting down on the ground, leaning back against the soil while staring up at the moon.
"Guess I'll stay here tonight."
The wind continued to rustle softly through the corn plants, creating a calm rhythm that filled the silent field. For the first time since waking up with no memories, Kael simply sat there and allowed his mind to rest.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Eventually several hours slipped by as the moon slowly climbed higher in the sky.
Kael barely moved during that time. He simply lay there in the quiet field, staring at the stars while thinking about the strange situation he had found himself in.
Then suddenly he frowned.
"Hm?"
A strange itching sensation appeared on his chest.
At first it was small, like a faint irritation beneath his skin. But slowly it grew stronger, making him uncomfortable enough to sit up.
"Did I get scratched by the corn earlier?" he muttered.
Kael lifted his left hand and moved it toward his chest to scratch the itching spot.
The moment his fingers touched his chest—
A bright glow suddenly appeared in front of him.
A large transparent screen opened in the air like a floating window.
Kael froze.
For a moment he simply stared at the glowing screen in silence. The pale blue light illuminated his face under the moonlight as strange symbols and words slowly formed across the surface.
Then a slow smile spread across his lips.
"Well… well…"
His eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"My status."
However, the smile did not last long.
As his eyes scanned the words written on the screen, his expression slowly changed.
Status Window
Name: Kael
Age: 23
Power: Below Average
Gift: Eternal Black Fire
Condition: Cannot defeat a normally trained human
Goal: Make demons devotees again
Kael stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then his eyebrow twitched.
"…What?"
He leaned closer to the floating window as if hoping the words would suddenly change.
They did not.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Kael rubbed his face with one hand and sighed heavily.
"This looks like some kind of terrible slogan," he muttered. "I'm pretty sure a child could design a better status screen than this."
His finger pointed toward the line that annoyed him the most.
Power: Below Average
"Below average?"
Then his gaze moved downward.
Condition: Cannot defeat a normally trained human
Kael blinked slowly.
"So let me understand this," he said quietly. "I'm supposed to be the successor of a Demon God…"
"But a random trained guy with a sword could beat me to death."
The night wind blew through the cornfield again, rustling the leaves softly.
Kael leaned back onto the ground and stared at the moon once more.
"That cheap demon god really gave me the worst starting package possible."
For several seconds he remained silent.
Then, unexpectedly, a small grin appeared on his face again.
Instead of feeling discouraged, his eyes began to shine with excitement.
"Well… this actually makes things interesting."
He looked back at the glowing screen floating in front of him.
"If my power is below average… that means I can grow stronger."
His gaze moved toward the final line.
Goal: Make demons devotees again
Kael tapped the words lightly with his finger.
"So there are no believers left."
"That means I have to start from zero."
He slowly stood up, brushing dirt and crushed corn leaves from his clothes.
As he clenched his hand, a faint black flame flickered across his fingers for a brief moment before disappearing again.
The Eternal Black Fire.
Kael watched the fading sparks with interest.
"Alright then," he murmured.
"If I want demons to worship that ugly god again…"
His eyes slowly shifted toward the dark forest beyond the cornfield.
"First I need to survive."
The moonlight reflected faintly in his eyes as his expression hardened.
"And to survive…"
He clenched his fist.
"I need to evolve my body."
"And my power."
Far beyond the field, deep within the forest, a distant growl echoed through the quiet night.
Kael smiled slightly.
"Perfect....