Chapter 98:A world of Ghosts

Darkness.

Silence.

Then—

A heartbeat.

Thump.

Another.

Thump.

Lucifer's eyelids slowly fluttered open.

His vision was blurry.

Wood.

Broken glass.

A shattered roof hanging above him.

Rain dripped through countless cracks.

"...Where..."

He pushed himself up.

Pain shot through every muscle in his body.

The carriage was overturned, one side buried in the mud. The wheels had been ripped off, the doors splintered, and dried blood stained the floor.

It looked less like a carriage...

...and more like a coffin on wheels.

Before he could make sense of anything—

A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.

《SYSTEM NOTIFICATION》

New World Detected.

New Location Unlocked.

Beginning Memory Synchronization...

Lucifer's eyes widened.

"...Wait—"

A searing pain exploded inside his skull.

"AAAGH!!"

It felt as though thousands of needles were drilling through his brain.

Memories.

Names.

Faces.

A childhood.

A ruined noble house.

A burning estate.

A military summons.

Bandits.

An ambush.

Death.

Then—

Silence.

Lucifer collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily.

"Haa..."

"Haa..."

"...Three times."

He rubbed his forehead.

"I've experienced memory synchronization three different times..."

"...and it still hurts like hell."

A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.

"You always wake up late."

Lucifer smiled faintly.

"So you're alive too."

Chirin snorted.

"No."

"We're alive."

Lucifer laughed.

"Fair enough."

He looked around.

"So..."

"We transmigrated again."

Chirin floated beside him.

Her appearance had changed.

The elegant black sword was gone.

Instead—

She had become a massive obsidian war scythe.

Its crimson edge shimmered ominously.

Lucifer blinked.

"...Why are you a scythe?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

Lucifer closed his eyes.

The newly inherited memories arranged themselves neatly inside his mind.

"...Interesting."

Chirin tilted her head.

"What?"

Lucifer slowly stood.

"This world..."

"...is full of ghosts."

Silence.

"...Come again?"

"This isn't Murim."

"It's a completely different civilization."

"A world ruled by advanced science..."

"...yet haunted by the supernatural."

He began walking through the broken carriage.

"The dead who refuse to move on become Ghosts."

"People who hunt them..."

"...are called Reapers."

Chirin whistled.

"That's..."

"Actually interesting."

Lucifer nodded.

"And the body I've possessed belongs to a fallen noble."

"The entire family was destroyed."

"The remaining heir was being transported to a military academy..."

"...before bandits ambushed the convoy."

Outside—

Screams.

Steel clashing.

Laughter.

Bandits.

Lucifer suddenly froze.

"...That's strange."

Two status windows floated before him.

Not one.

Two.

Chirin noticed them immediately.

"What are those?"

Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

"They're both mine."

"...What?"

"The first belongs to my first  life."

"The second..."

"...is from Murim."

Another notification appeared.

《Hidden Condition Fulfilled》

The Demonic Genesis Fruit has evolved your soul.

Hidden Feature Unlocked

Dual Origin System

Please select one Origin.

Origin I

First World

Origin II

Murim World

Warning

Unselected Origin will become sealed.

"...So that's what the fruit did."

Chirin became excited.

"Can you use both?"

Lucifer shook his head.

"No."

"Only one."

"The other will be sealed."

"...Then choose."

Lucifer didn't hesitate.

"...Murim."

The first status window got locked.

The Murim system remained.

A familiar screen appeared.

《STATUS》

Name: Lucifer Morningstar

Realm: God Realm (Peak)

Title: Godslayer King

Authority: Seven Deadly Sins (Stage I: Sin Bearer)

Weapon: Chirin (Awakened Scythe Form)

Lucifer smiled.

"Perfect."

He spun Chirin once.

The scythe cut through the air with a satisfying whistle.

"...Feels lighter."

Outside—

The Bandit Leader spat on the ground.

"Check every carriage."

"If anyone's alive..."

"Finish them."

One bandit approached Lucifer's carriage.

He grabbed the broken door.

Slowly pulled it open.

"...Found one."

He grinned.

Then—

A crimson line appeared across his neck.

Nobody saw the attack.

Nobody saw Lucifer move.

The head quietly slid off.

Thud.

Silence.

The body remained standing for a second...

Before collapsing.

Blood sprayed across the muddy road.

Lucifer stepped out of the ruined carriage.

Rain washed the blood from his clothes.

He casually twirled Chirin.

"Hm."

"The balance feels nice."

He looked at the weapon.

"So..."

"...why did you become a scythe?"

Chirin sighed.

"I don't know."

"Maybe another evolution from the fruit."

"I wasn't exactly given an instruction manual."

The Bandit Leader's face twisted.

"You little bastard..."

"You killed my man."

Lucifer shrugged.

"...Should I have let him kill me instead?"

The Bandit Leader roared.

"Kill him!!"

Dozens rushed forward.

Lucifer simply lifted Chirin.

"...Cleave."

One swing.

Nothing happened.

The bandits looked around.

"...That's it?"

Then—

Bodies split apart.

Perfectly.

One after another.

Heads.

Arms.

Torsos.

The rain turned crimson.

Lucifer continued walking.

Never once looking back.

Behind him...

The corpses slowly collapsed.

Chirin sighed.

"You've started another massacre."

Lucifer shrugged.

"They attacked first."

"So..."

"Where are we going?"

"The military."

"...Seriously?"

"I inherited this body's memories."

"If I disappear now..."

"I'll be hunted as a deserter."

As they walked through the rain, Chirin suddenly asked,

"So..."

"Who's the strongest person in this world?"

Lucifer answered almost immediately.

"The ruler of humanity."

"The one Emperor every nation bows to."

"He doesn't use a name anymore."

"Only a title."

"...Soul King."

Chirin frowned.

"Strong?"

Lucifer looked toward the distant horizon.

"...Very."

"At minimum..."

"He could erase a planet."

"...At his peak..."

"...perhaps even an entire galaxy."

Chirin nearly stopped walking.

"...And you?"

Lucifer smiled.

"Currently?"

"I'm somewhere around..."

"...solar system level."

Silence.

"...What does that even mean?"

"It means..."

"If I stop holding back..."

"I could erase this entire solar system."

Chirin stared at him.

"...Then why is everything still standing?"

Lucifer looked at her as though she'd asked the world's dumbest question.

"Because..."

"I know how to control my strength."

"...Idiot."

Hours later—

A gigantic fortress appeared on the horizon.

Steel walls.

Cannons.

Thousands of soldiers.

The Imperial Military Academy.

Lucifer walked directly toward the front gate.

The guards immediately lowered their rifles.

"Halt!"

"No civilians allowed!"

Lucifer stopped.

"I have orders."

"State your name."

"Lucifer Morningstar."

The guards looked at one another.

Then burst into laughter.

"The fallen noble?"

"I heard your entire family died."

"Go beg somewhere else."

The massive gates remained closed.

Lucifer sighed.

"...Really?"

He raised Chirin.

"Cleave."

A crimson slash flashed across the sky.

BOOOOOM!!

The defensive barrier surrounding the fortress trembled violently.

Alarm bells instantly rang.

Hundreds of soldiers poured onto the walls.

"Enemy attack!"

"Protect the academy!"

Dozens rushed toward Lucifer.

He disappeared.

Sin of Sloth

His presence vanished.

One soldier collapsed.

Then another.

Then another.

Nobody could even see who was attacking them.

Panic spread throughout the fortress.

"Where is he?!"

"I can't sense him!"

"He disappeared!"

Lucifer casually knocked soldiers unconscious one after another with the shaft of his scythe.

"I'm trying..."

"...not to kill anyone."

"So stop making this difficult."

Before the battle could escalate—

A powerful voice echoed across the entire fortress.

"Enough."

The pressure alone froze every soldier in place.

Even Lucifer stopped moving.

Heavy footsteps approached.

Every soldier immediately saluted.

"Commander!"

A woman stepped through the crowd.

Tall.

Silver-haired.

Wearing a black military uniform adorned with crimson medals.

Her icy blue eyes locked onto Lucifer without fear.

She examined him from head to toe.

Then calmly asked—

"...Are you the sole survivor..."