CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194 : LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR (6)

Tyrion’s breath hitched as the words left Lucifer’s mouth.

Alex’s calm, confident voice still rang in his ears:

"He was the one driving."

Tyrion stared in disbelief. ’Did he... did my boss just throw me under the bus like that? In front of everyone?!’ His lips parted, his chest tightened, and for a moment, he actually considered denying it. But then—

Alex turned.

That single sharp glare—like a blade pressing against his throat—cut through any thought of resistance. Tyrion froze. He could almost hear Alex’s unspoken words: ’Deny it... and you know exactly what will happen to you.’

With a defeated expression that screamed why do I work here, Tyrion dragged his feet forward. He lowered his head like a man awaiting execution and muttered, "Yes... it was me."

Alex smirked beneath the mask, satisfied.

But before Alex could savor Tyrion’s noble sacrifice, one of the cops stepped forward, his tone righteous and unwavering.

"Sir, there’s no use lying. Our cameras already caught everything. Why are you trying to frame this innocent gentleman for your crime?"

Tyrion froze. His wide eyes trembled—and then, tears almost welled up. ’Justice... there IS justice in this world!’

Alex, meanwhile, clicked his tongue inside the mask. ’This couldn’t get any more humiliating.’

[ Hahaha! I... Pfft—HAAHA, I know right! ]

The system’s uncontrollable laughter echoed in his head, nearly making Alex’s mouth twitch. He clenched his fists tightly. ’Keep laughing, I swear I’ll get back at you.’

The cop’s stern expression left no room for debate. His eyes practically radiated ’Sir, pay the fine and stop wasting my time. I’m the law.’

Grinding his teeth, Alex reluctantly pulled out his EtherPad. The fine was astronomical—millions of credits, given the obscene value of his car. With every confirmation beep, it felt like his heart was being carved apart.

The moment the payment was processed, the guilds surrounding him couldn’t hold it anymore. They burst into full-blown laughter, tears streaming down their faces.

Even Jaime clutched his stomach, wheezing.

But before Alex could rip someone’s head off, the male officer tilted his head curiously.

"Sir... you’re Lucifer Morningstar, right?"

Alex turned stiffly, one eyebrow twitching beneath his mask. "...Is there another problem, officer?"

The male cop hesitated. The female officer pushed his arm nervously before blurting, "Actually, sir—we’re both big fans! Could we... maybe take a photo with you?"

They both fidgeted shyly, almost blushing.

Alex blinked. Then slowly—very slowly—he said, "You know... you could’ve forgiven the fine, right?"

Both officers shook their heads firmly, almost in unison.

"Sorry sir, but the law is the same for everyone."

Alex paused. Then, despite himself, a faint smile tugged at his lips. ’At least... they’re honest. Hard to find people like that.’

"Fine," he said.

So he posed with them, clicking a picture, even signing their belongings with a quick flourish. They left happy—proud, even.

They also took Carter’s autograph, who was more than happy to give it because of the amusement they provided him.

The moment they were gone, Alex’s head slowly swiveled back toward his guild members.

Tyrion, Jaime, Dayne, Tory, and Jade instantly stiffened. The murderous glare blazing from his mask made their souls almost leave their bodies.

The laughter that had filled the museum’s outside plaza just seconds ago evaporated, replaced with bone-chilling silence.

Alex stepped closer, his tone deceptively pleasant.

"So... that was funny, huh?"

"No, sir! Not at all!" Jaime squeaked.

"Really?" Alex’s voice darkened. "Then why were you laughing earlier?"

Jaime’s lips trembled. "Th–That... that was—"

"Save it," Alex cut him off coldly. "All of you. Ten thousand push-ups. Ten thousand squats. And..." His smirk grew devilish. "Ten hours of mana endurance training. No breaks. When we return, get to it."

All five paled instantly. ’We’re dead. We should’ve just stayed quiet!’

With the faces of men being marched to execution, they nodded in unison, silently crying inside.

Alex smirked devilishly, clearly enjoying their misery—

Until a loud, booming laugh suddenly split through the plaza.

"Hahahahahah! HAHAHA!"

The laughter echoed boldly, carefree, mocking. All eyes turned.

Carter Brown stood there, shoulders shaking as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh my god... I can’t hold it in! What is this? A guild of comedians?!"

The mocking tone made Alex’s eyes narrow dangerously beneath the mask, his aura darkening ever so slightly.

Carter caught himself, forcing his laughter down, then straightened with an easy, confident grin.

"So... you’re the new super rookie, huh? Lucifer Morningstar. The so-called ’Devil Himself.’"

Standing beside him, Natly smirked, completing his sentence with a silky tone. "Quite the name, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Carter waved dismissively. "Whatever cringe title that is." His gaze hardened, locking onto Alex’s masked figure.

"Listen, kid," Carter said, his tone sharp as steel. "This isn’t a playground. Just because you’ve cleared a few rifts doesn’t make you a hero."

---

Carter’s smirk twisted as he leaned forward, voice dripping with disdain.

"And even heroes fall from grace. Believe me, kid, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. So go now, and take those idiot subordinates of yours with you. Now—get lost."

For a few moments Alex said nothing. He simply stood there, the silence stretching, his masked gaze fixed on Carter like a predator watching prey.

His guildmates shifted nervously behind him, feeling the tension coil tighter.

Then, a faint smirk tugged at Alex’s lips beneath the mask. His voice came low, taunting, deliberate.

"I heard you broke up with your girlfriend recently. I wonder why."

The words struck like a blade. Carter’s eyes immediately narrowed, and his aura flared crimson. A crushing wave of power spread outward, pressing down on everyone present—most heavily on Alex.

"Watch your mouth, kid," Carter snarled, his voice edged with fury. "Don’t say something you’ll regret for the rest of your life."

Dayne, trembling under the weight of the aura, whispered, "C–can Captain really handle him...?"

Tyrion smacked him on the back of the head without looking away. "What do you think, idiot?"

Dayne blinked, then managed a shaky grin. "Yeah, you’re right. If there’s anyone in the world I can never imagine losing—it’s Captain."

Carter’s aura roared hotter, but before he could act, another voice cut in—mocking and sharp.

Natly, who had been quietly enjoying the show until now, stepped forward with a smirk. Her eyes trailed Alex like a hawk circling prey.

"Calm down, darling. What does this kid know about love and dating? Do you think he even has the face to approach a woman? Why else would he hide behind a mask?"

She leaned closer, her tone dripping with venom. "I’d bet the little bastard is just hungry for attention. Trying to be like you."

Her words had barely left her mouth when the air shifted.

Another aura exploded into being—black, suffocating, absolute. It swallowed Carter’s aura whole as if it were nothing but mist.

Crackles of electric current seeped from Alex’s body, twisting the air around him in a breathtaking spectacle.

The ground itself caved in under the pressure.

Carter’s breath caught in his throat. His instincts screamed danger.

’Impossible... he’s barely seventeen. How could someone this young radiate this much power? This pressure... it’s monstrous!’

Alex’s voice came cold, mocking, his tone razor sharp.

"What did you just say, you ugly bitch?"

Natly’s head snapped toward him, her aura flaring in outrage. "Who are you calling—"

But Alex cut her off, his gaze flicking toward Jade and Tory.

"Even my guild members are ten times more beautiful than you—and that’s without makeup."

Tory and Jade both flushed red, stammering, "T–thank you, Captain."

Then, almost simultaneously, they blinked in confusion.

Tory leaned toward Jade and whispered, "Wait... was he praising us, or insulting us?"

Jade’s brow furrowed. "It sounded like praise... but why do I feel insulted at the same time?"

Tyrion, Dayne, and Jaime burst into laughter at their expense.

Natly’s face turned crimson with rage. Her aura exploded outward, shaking the ground.

Tommen stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "That’s enough wasting time. Let’s crush him."

Danny ground his teeth as his aura flared too.

"Agreed."

Their combined power filled the air, the pressure so heavy that the bystanders struggled to breathe.

But Alex remained perfectly still.

Then his own aura surged again—black lightning splitting the earth, amethyst light flashing from behind his mask.

The weight crushed them instantly. Tommen, Natly, Danny—all of them buckled, knees slamming into the ground.

Their breaths came short and ragged as they struggled against the suffocating force.

Carter, still standing, stared in disbelief.

"I’ve had enough!" he roared, and in a blur of motion, he lunged. His fist, flaring with void energy, cut through the air straight toward Alex’s mask. His speed was blinding—beyond what most could track.

But Alex’s head turned. His eyes—those glowing, predatory amethyst eyes—followed Carter’s movements.

’Impossible! He can track me even at this speed?!’

His fist descended, void energy surging—

—and was stopped.

Alex’s hand closed casually around Carter’s fist, shattering the void energy like brittle glass.

A cold voice slipped from behind the mask.

"You were weak back then too."

Carter’s eyes widened. "Impossi—"

"And you’re still weak. I’m disappointed."

Alex’s knee slammed into Carter’s gut with explosive force, knocking the wind from him. Before he could recover, Alex’s elbow smashed into his face, sending him flying several meters away. Carter hit the ground hard, skidding across the pavement.

He lay there stunned, pain flaring across his body—but worse than the pain was the chill creeping up his spine.

’No... no, it can’t be...’

He had only seen one monstrous kid with this kind of overwhelming presence. One who had haunted his memories for days.

But he had died. Carter had seen him fall. He had known there was no chance of survival.

And yet...

Alex’s voice broke his spiraling thoughts.

Standing near Carter’s bike, he ran a gloved hand across its frame, grinning under the mask.

"Damn. This is some next level stuff. I like it."

Carter pushed himself up slowly, eyes narrowing, no longer underestimating him.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Alex turned, smiling behind the mask.

"My name is Lucifer Morningstar."

Carter spat blood, growling. "Don’t bullshit me. That’s obviously a fake name. What’s your real identity?"

Alex began walking toward him, each step heavy with intent. He reached up, slowly pulling the mask free.

Amethyst eyes gleamed. A cruel smirk spread across his lips.

"Long time no see... Mr. Homosexual Pervert."

Alex chuckled coldly.

"I bet that’s the real reason your girlfriend left you."

Carter’s world cracked. His body trembled violently as the face came into full view.

That face—impossible, unforgettable—burned itself into his mind again.

Even with the hair color changed and his eyes now different, he instantly recognized him.

Dread flooded his veins.

’No... it can’t be him. That guy died. That guy died! There’s no way he survived that dimension with his body half broken. No way!’

But his instincts screamed otherwise.

His breath hitched, his vision blurred, his heart pounded violently in his chest.

’It’s truly the Devil Himself.’

Every fiber of Carter’s being screamed the same word over and over.

’Run.’

--------

A/N:

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