CHAPTER 200: CHAPTER 200 : THE NAME’S LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR REMEMBER IT

As soon as Alex stepped into the rift, his world warped. Colors twisted into black, sound dissolved into silence, and the ground beneath him vanished.

He was falling—endlessly. The sensation stretched for minutes, maybe longer, the weightlessness gnawing at his senses.

But Alex’s expression beneath the mask stayed calm. His breathing was steady, though his mind was sharp, his instincts roaring like alarms.

’Stay alert. The moment I let my guard down, that’s when something will hit.’

Then, the darkness split.

Dozens of glowing windows flashed in front of his eyes—system-like, but not his own.

{ A new entry has been confirmed.

Candidate number: 973763293837731.

Welcome to the Tower of Ascension. }

{ Your current ranking is: 973763293837731. }

{ Current authority: Level 1. }

Alex’s brows furrowed. "What the hell is happening?"

His system’s voice answered, quieter than usual. [ I wish I knew, host. ]

Suddenly, the darkness fractured. Vivid, glowing windows burst into existence before his eyes—system-like messages, but alien, unfamiliar, and definitely not from his system.

Before Alex could even process it, another screen appeared.

{ Are you prepared to take the First Trial of the First Floor? }

[ Yes / No ]

Alex tilted his head. "And if I say no?"

The response came immediately.

{ Automatic elimination will take effect. The candidate will be erased immediately. }

His lips twitched. "Well, isn’t that comforting? They really make it easy for us to feel at home." He sighed, then muttered, "Fine. Let’s do this."

His finger hovered for a moment before pressing **Yes**.

Instantly, his body was swallowed by a blinding light. Energy surged through every vein, and then—he was somewhere else.

The place was ancient, carved from stone that seemed older than the world itself. Monolithic pillars rose into the sky, covered in divine runes that burned with a faint golden glow. The ground beneath him was cracked marble, blackened by ages yet still humming with power.

And the air—Alex clenched his fists instinctively.

The pressure pressing down on him was suffocating. Heavy. So heavy that even a Grandmasters from Etheron would crumble to their knees.

’What... is this place?’ Alex thought, his breath catching for a fraction of a second. ’This is beyond anything I’ve ever faced before.’

He forced himself to look around—and froze.

All around him stretched a vast plain filled with people. Not dozens, not hundreds—but thousands.

Some bore animalistic features: sharp ears, tails, fur-tufted limbs. Demihumans.

Some were grotesque, half-monster, half-human hybrids whose eyes glowed with predatory hunger.

Others were pale, beautiful, their fangs gleaming under the light—vampires.

He spotted elves too, impossibly graceful with hair that shimmered like moonlight, their beauty almost unreal.

There were humans in strange garbs—some in flowing Chinese robes, others in steel plate like medieval knights. Still others wore outfits and weapons Alex had never even seen before.

The diversity of races and styles made Alex’s mind reel.

’These... these people... they’re not from Etheron. They can’t be.’

Yet what caught his attention most wasn’t just the variety, but the organization. Almost every race had formed into groups of fifty or more, standing united in tight formations as though ready for war.

Suddenly, the air vibrated.

A massive, divine message burned across the sky:

{ The First Floor Trial will begin in 1 hour. Prepare yourselves.

Until then, no combat is allowed. Any violation will result in immediate elimination. }

The moment the decree ended, the entire field shifted. People stiffened, sweat beading on their foreheads. Even the strongest-looking beings lowered their gazes as if death itself had just spoken.

Alex slid his mask back into place. His amethyst eyes glinted.

’I need to gather information. Walking blindly into this is suicide.’

The system whispered again. [ Host, I think you noticed too. These people... the vampires, elves, even those horned ones. They aren’t from Etheron. ]

Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah... they’re not. Which means..." His voice lowered to a whisper. "They’re from different planes."

As he scanned the crowd, he noticed the looks. Hundreds of eyes now trained on him. Some were sharp with hostility. Others carried only confusion.

’Great,’ Alex thought dryly. ’Looks like they’re already treating me like I’m an idiot who wants to die.’

He exhaled deeply. "Fine. Let’s start somewhere. If everyone hates me, then I’ll talk to the ones who look more confused and less likely to stab me in the back."

His gaze flicked across the plain—and stopped.

A group stood apart from the rest. They bore majestic horns upon their heads, their presence commanding, their crimson eyes glowing faintly. Everyone else gave them a wide berth, as if they were cursed.

Alex smirked under his mask. ’Looks like i found someone who can give me answers .’

------

Alex’s boots echoed faintly as he walked across the vast stone plain. His eyes locked onto the group that stood out among all the others—towering figures with mesmerizing horns, radiating an aura so thick that everyone else gave them wide berth.

Each one of them looked as if they could crush mountains with a flick of their wrist. Crimson eyes glowed faintly beneath their masks and armor, and the air seemed heavier around them.

’Dragonkin... huh?’ Alex thought, his gaze sharp. ’Everyone’s avoiding them like the plague. Guess that makes them my best shot at some answers.’

He adjusted his mask and strode toward them.

Immediately, the entire field’s attention shifted. Murmurs broke out. Dozens of other races glanced his way, their expressions a mix of disbelief and mockery.

"Is he insane?" someone whispered.

"He’s walking straight to the Dragonkin—does he have a death wish?" another added.

"Either he’s fearless... or he’s just stupid."

Alex ignored them. Step after step, he moved closer until he reached the perimeter of the Dragonkin group.

The moment his foot crossed their invisible boundary, several warriors with obsidian-scaled skin and curling horns surged forward, surrounding him in a flash.

Their aura exploded outward like a tidal wave, the ground beneath their feet cracking and groaning.

Yet Alex didn’t flinch.

He stood tall, his mask hiding his smirk. The glow on the back of his right hand shimmered faintly—protecting him from the suffocating pressure pressing down.

The Dragonkin warriors faltered, their eyes widening in shock. He hadn’t buckled, hadn’t even twitched.

For a brief moment, silence reigned. If not for the earlier divine message forbidding combat, Alex knew they would’ve already lunged to torn him apart.

One of the Dragonkin growled. "Step back, human. You don’t belong here."

But before anyone else could move, a voice cut through the tension. Calm, deep, and laced with curiosity.

"Let him come. This one... amuses me."

The warriors immediately froze. Slowly, they stepped aside, though their glares remained sharp and hostile.

Gasps rippled through the surrounding crowd.

"The Dragonkin leader actually allowed him in?"

"He’s lost his mind..."

Alex raised a brow beneath his mask. ’Well, that escalated quickly. Good to know I’m apparently walking into a dragon’s den.’

And then he heard it—someone whispering the word that made his stomach drop.

"He’s messing with the Dragonkins..."

Alex pressed forward until he stood face-to-face with the leader.

The guy was taller than most, with long crimson hair cascading over his shoulders and two blood-red horns curling upward from his head.

His wooden mask covered his features, but his aura alone was enough to make Alex’s smaller infront of him.

The Dragonkin leader’s voice rumbled low as he asked, "What do you want... human?"

Alex blinked. "Hold on—how do you know I’m human?"

The leader tilted his head slightly. "You reek of human stench."

Alex froze.

A familiar, mocking voice echoed in his mind. [ I told you, host. You should’ve taken a bath this morning. ]

Alex clenched his jaw. ’...Shut up.’

Turning back to the crimson-haired leader, he lifted his hands slightly in a non-threatening gesture. "I don’t mean any harm. I just want information. What is this place, and why is everyone acting like their lives depend on it?"

For a moment, silence. Then the leader burst into laughter, his deep voice rolling across the field.

"Hahaha! You... you really don’t know, do you? You’ve entered this place without the slightest clue!"

His laughter abruptly cut off. His tone sharpened, his words dripping with menace. "Are you mocking me, human? Trying to fool me with ignorance?"

Alex’s voice hardened as well. "I’m not kidding. I walked into a rift—and then I was here. That’s the truth."

The leader studied him in silence, his crimson eyes gleaming. Finally, he said, "So... you came here by accident."

Alex tilted his head, thinking. Then he shrugged. "You can say that."

The leader’s gaze locked onto Alex’s amethyst eyes. His next words made the crowd shiver.

"This place is known as the Tower of Ascension. It exists to test whether individuals are worthy to receive the grace of the gods."

Alex’s litsenes carefully . ’The Tower of Ascension?’

The Dragonkin continued. "They say that those who climb to the very top will not only be blessed, but may attain godhood themselves."

Alex stiffened. "The grace of the gods? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means," the leader said slowly, "that the gods may choose you as their avatar. Their champion. You will wield unimaginable power. Each floor you clear grants rewards sent directly by the gods themselves."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "So thats all the good things now tell me what’s the catch? Don’t tell me thousands of us are gathered here just for free prizes."

The leader chuckled, low and sharp. "You’re sharp, human. There is a catch. Out of the thousands standing here now... only a handful will survive."

Alex’s jaw tightened. "And how do you know this? Isn’t this also your first time here?"

The leader leaned back slightly. "I’m not obligated to tell you anything. Especially not when you’ll be a corpse in an hour."

Alex tilted his head. "Why’s that?"

The Dragonkin’s crimson eyes flared. "Because you use mana. I can sense it. And mana... is a pitiful resource of the lower planes. Weak. Insignificant. Here, it won’t save you."

Alex smirked beneath his mask. "Well, thanks for the info. I’ll remember this favor."

He turned, ready to leave.

But the leader’s voice stopped him.

"You didn’t even flinch when I said you’ll die."

The crowd hushed, leaning closer.

The Dragonkin’s tone rumbled with something like respect. "You’re quite interesting, human. Tell me... what is your name?"

Alex paused mid-step. Slowly, he turned back, his amethyst eyes gleaming with mischief.

Then, under his mask, his lips curled into a grin.

"My name? ...It’s Lucifer. Lucifer Morningstar. Remember it—because you’re going to hear it a lot."

---

A/N:

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