Chapter 113Lucifer(1/?)
"Hmm," Jack raised an eyebrow while watching the news on his television. The blonde news anchor suddenly interrupted the program with a breaking news update.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're interrupting the previous broadcast for an urgent announcement. We apologize for the inconvenience," the anchor said with urgency.
What appeared on the screen next stunned Jack.
The image showed Los Angeles. Soldiers were patrolling the streets, and the city seemed eerily devoid of people. Jack leaned forward, trying to understand what was happening.
"My God, what's going on there?" Jack muttered in curiosity. His astonishment grew when the anchor displayed a specific scene. The cameras revealed a location surrounded by soldiers and filled with scientists.
But that wasn't the shocking part. The truly shocking sight was something suspended in the air—a pulsating, chaotic blend of colors that twisted unnaturally, almost like a wormhole.
It looked as if the sky had been torn apart, and the fabric of reality had shattered.
"A dimensional rift has appeared in Los Angeles, recently named by scientists," the anchor announced hastily. "Researchers and theorists are claiming it to be a wormhole, but investigations are still ongoing."
Jack chuckled nervously. What on earth was this dimensional rift? And what was happening to the world? He couldn't make sense of it.
The rift looked dangerous. Even scientists couldn't approach it within 100 meters. The ground itself appeared to be fractured due to the rift's influence.
"Could this be related to the Otome world?" Jack wondered aloud. Could this turn into an invasion like in the movies?
Jack knew he couldn't understand it without seeing it up close. Yes, he decided—he would go to the USA. He needed to know what this phenomenon was.
"If this is a portal to another dimension, then it's a problem," Jack said calmly, already considering how to close it if he could. "Alright, I'm going. As soon as possible…"
Jack quickly grabbed his suitcase and hurriedly called a taxi to take him to the airport. Once inside, he wasted no time.
"Take me to the airport," he instructed the driver. The taxi driver nodded and began driving.
Shortly after arriving at the airport, Jack purchased a plane ticket. He bit his lip nervously while waiting for his flight. Raising his hand, he summoned a shadow that swirled gently around his finger. He prayed his powers would be enough.
He had been strong in the Otome world, but here, he needed to keep a low profile while mastering his abilities.
After all, in the game, the system had always assisted him—he didn't even have to chant spells. But here, there was no system, and although Seth could manipulate shadows, he still struggled to manipulate air.
Despite training to adapt to his powers as quickly as possible, Jack still felt it wasn't enough.
"Dear passengers, your flight is now boarding. Please proceed to the gate." Seth heard the announcement and made his way to the plane. Soon, his journey began.
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Meanwhile, something was changing within the dimensional rift. The rift shifted and emitted a sound that unsettled everyone around.
The head scientist, Joseph, adjusted his glasses in surprise and stared at the dimensional rift. "The dimensional rift is responding! Everyone, activate the systems!"
As the measuring devices, including the Geiger counters, started beeping, the activity around the rift intensified. The ground trembled slightly, but Joseph remained steadfast.
Joseph, a scientist, could easily be labeled as insane. He was intensely curious and excited about studying the dimensional rift. Quickly, he turned to his assistant for a report.
"What's the situation?"
His assistant looked at the meters with concern. "It's bad. The readings are increasing every second. We're detecting an unknown energy. This energy is exerting pressure on the ground."
The assistant glanced nervously at the rift. "And it seems like gravity around this thing is weakening."
"Interesting," Joseph murmured, stroking his beard as a smile spread across his lips. "So, it can even disrupt gravity…"
"Is that a good thing?" the assistant asked worriedly. Joseph chuckled and nodded. "Both good and bad. If we can understand how it affects gravity, it would be a major breakthrough. But if this continues, there could be an earthquake—or worse."
"I don't understand," the assistant said anxiously. "If something like that happens, we'll all die."
Ignoring his assistant's concerns, Joseph shot him a bored look. "Then we die for science."
"For God's sake, you're truly insane," the assistant muttered with a sigh. Joseph smiled, taking it as a compliment.
A ripple emanated from the rift, knocking nearby soldiers off their feet. Joseph's glasses cracked, and glass shattered in some areas.
As Joseph struggled to maintain his balance, reporters continued to document the event. The internet was in chaos.
Some claimed it was an alien invasion, others called it an apocalypse, and a few believed it was a secret U.S. experiment.
Search engines had already crashed, and social media was abuzz with speculation. Governments, naturally, were the most interested.
The idea that this dimensional rift could become a powerful military weapon was gnawing at their minds. Humanity, after all, often acted in self-interest.
If this rift could truly be weaponized, the concept of ultimate hegemony would take root, and that spelled disaster for humanity.
As devices exploded, Joseph quickly stood up and examined the rift with excitement. Step by step, he moved closer.
"Come… human…" A distorted voice nearly drove Joseph mad. His assistant shouted, "Professor! Don't go!"
But the assistant's pleas were in vain. Joseph acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, approaching the dimensional void. The voices in his head grew louder. Buildings shook from the quake, and people scrambled to escape.
Even the soldiers began to retreat as Joseph finally reached the void. "Are you calling for me?"
His question went unanswered for a moment. Then, the same distorted voice echoed again. "You are a man hungry for knowledge. I can provide it."
Joseph's eyes widened, and his breathing quickened. "You can give me the knowledge I desire?"
"Yes," the mysterious voice quivered, and Joseph's eyes lit up. "Tell me the truth. I want it."
Joseph raised his hand, slowly reaching toward the void. The voice quivered again, almost as if it was laughing.
"Stop!"
But his assistant grabbed Joseph's hand, stopping him from touching the void. Joseph glared angrily at his assistant. "What are you doing?!"
The assistant snapped, "What are you doing? This is dangerous! Why are you risking yourself?!"
Joseph, confused for a moment, froze in anger and disbelief. Then the voice in his head spoke again.
"Don't listen to him… I will give you true knowledge. Obey me, and I will reveal everything." Joseph's mind swirled as the assistant watched in bewilderment.
"Professor, please stop! What you're doing isn't right. Don't endanger yourself," the assistant pleaded, almost shouting.
But it was too late. Joseph reached for the rift again. The assistant, panicked, shoved him away, preventing him from touching the void.
As Joseph stumbled backward, the assistant's body became engulfed in red beams of light, writhing in pain.
"Henry!!" Joseph cried out in alarm. The assistant's body began to transform with the cracking of bones and other grotesque noises. Joseph gulped in fear.
When he saw the soldiers preparing to shoot, Joseph shouted angrily, "Idiots, stop! That's Henry! Don't shoot him!"
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The soldiers hesitated, but Henry's body continued its horrifying transformation. The rift pulsed, shaking the surroundings, and the ground cracked open.
Even the nearby terrain was torn apart. Joseph took a step back, consumed by guilt and fear. He wished he hadn't listened to the voice; he wished Henry wasn't suffering because of him.
The red beams around Henry grew brighter, eventually taking on a form. His crimson skin appeared like armor. His horns were draconic, and his eyes burned with fire.
The soldiers disregarded their orders and opened fire. Bullets struck the monster repeatedly, but it seemed unbothered, shielding itself with its hands.
"It's not taking any damage!"
The monster swung its massive claws, slicing a soldier in half. The others retreated in fear, but it was too late.
With every step, the ground shattered beneath the monster. Soldiers were killed, torn apart. Vehicles, houses, and shops were crushed like toys in its path. Joseph watched in horror, paralyzed by fear.
The monster was a nightmare incarnate.
As it devoured a soldier alive, Joseph's eyes filled with tears at the sound of the soldier's screams.
"Fall back!" A soldier aimed an RPG at the creature. As the remaining troops retreated, the monster lunged at him, saliva and blood dripping from its mouth.
Despite his trembling hands, the soldier fired the RPG. The monster flew backward, engulfed in smoke.
Cheers erupted among the soldiers.
"The monster's dead! Thank God!"
But their relief was short-lived. As the smoke cleared, the monster reappeared, unscathed.
Not a single scratch had harmed it. The soldiers' celebration turned to terror as they fled once more. The monster appeared enraged.
Without mercy, it charged at the soldiers. This time, it was even more brutal. It devoured soldiers whole, crushed them beneath its massive feet, and smashed military vehicles into scrap metal with its fists.
Joseph had lost all hope. The creature was unstoppable, and the worst part was that he was to blame for its existence. The guilt weighed heavily on his heart.
"Please… someone… someone help us…"
Joseph whispered, collapsing to his knees. All he could do was watch.
"Wrraaaa!!" The monster roared, but suddenly, a beam of light struck it. Joseph's eyebrows shot up in shock as he looked at the sky.
"Oh my God… Is that an Archangel?" he stammered, his gaze fixed on a six-winged figure in the sky. But something was odd—the angel's wings were black.
Only one name came to Joseph's mind. This wasn't an Archangel. It was a fallen one.
"Lucifer…"
Joseph muttered, almost certain of the figure's identity. Its face was obscured, its body cloaked in black mist. The most striking feature was its glowing red eyes.
"Lucifer saved us instead of God?"
Joseph muttered in disbelief. Could the Devil himself have come to their rescue? Why? Why would he intervene? If the monster was a demon, why would Lucifer, the King of Demons, destroy it?
Joseph's head throbbed with confusion. All he could do was watch as the battle unfolded between the monster and Lucifer.