Lucius sat there, sword still in hand, his mind barely processing the notification that had appeared moments ago. His heartbeat was slow but steady as the words echoed in his mind: Defeat the Hell Prisoner.Location: Brooklyn. Brooklyn? Was that a place he knew? A place he had once heard of in passing, perhaps, but nothing substantial came to mind.
Everything felt off, unreal. A part of him wanted to keep his eyes closed, to pretend this was all a horrible dream. His hand gripped the sword tighter as he sat against the cold, cracked wall of his apartment. The system's pulsing glow illuminated his tired face, casting an eerie shadow across the floor.
"Son of fire," he murmured to himself, still trying to grasp the meaning. "But I don't even know who I am."
He had always been an orphan, raised by the kindness of charity and the occasional kindness of strangers who gave him a place to stay when the world didn't feel so cold. That was all Lucius had known — the weight of loneliness, the endless cycle of survival. The memory of parents was a distant blur, like a dream half-remembered upon waking. The thought of having a lineage, a bloodline, was a stranger to him. But the system had called him the son of fire. The weight of those words crashed into his chest, settling into his bones.
No. It couldn't be true. There had to be some mistake.
Before Lucius could voice his doubt, the voice from before returned, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
"You've been chosen, Lucius. It's time to meet your fate."
His hands trembled, the sword burning with an unnatural heat as it pulsed in his grasp. Without any clear decision, his body moved on its own — the power within him was beginning to take root. Something inside him pushed him forward, as if the flames inside him were waiting to consume him completely.
The door to his apartment rattled, snapping him from his thoughts. Lucius stood up, cautiously approaching the door. A strange tension hung in the air, a quiet hum of energy as the system's voice filled the silence.
Quest Update: Travel to Brooklyn. Defeat the Hell Prisoner. Time Remaining: 24 Hours.
The room began to pulse with fiery energy, and the temperature seemed to rise several degrees. It was as if the apartment itself was reacting to his internal struggle. He reached for the door handle, his fingers closing around the cold metal. The weight of everything that had happened so far — the hellhounds, the system, the sword — pressed down on him.
With a slow exhale, Lucius opened the door. No longer could he run from what awaited him. He had been chosen, whether he wanted it or not.
The journey to Brooklyn was uneventful, a long stretch of unfamiliar streets and darkened alleyways. Lucius's thoughts churned as the city's skyline grew closer. The deeper he ventured into the heart of Brooklyn, the more he felt the strange, oppressive weight of something following him. The air felt different, charged with energy that made his skin crawl. And with each passing moment, Lucius felt more like a puppet on strings — strings pulled by forces beyond his understanding.
His heart beat a steady rhythm, yet it felt distant from him, as if he were floating in some other reality. The Hellfire Blade at his side pulsed with a strange warmth, matching the growing heat inside him.
"Son of fire," Lucius whispered again. "What does that even mean?"
As he reached the crumbling, old building in the center of Brooklyn — the one the system had marked on his map — a strange sense of foreboding wrapped itself around him. The building, once a grand structure, was now a shadow of its former self. Shattered windows, overgrown vines, and a sense of ancient decay clung to the place. Lucius stepped inside, sword drawn, heart hammering against his ribcage.
In the center of the room, bathed in an eerie light, was a cage. The bars were forged from some dark material Lucius didn't recognize, each one etched with runes that seemed to shift as he looked at them. Inside the cage lay a figure — a man, shackled and chained, his back turned toward Lucius. The air felt thick with the weight of history. There was something ancient here, something old and forgotten.
As Lucius stepped forward, the figure in the cage turned, and the world seemed to tilt.
The man was pale, almost ghostly in appearance, with long, dark hair that fell over his shoulders. His eyes, when they met Lucius's, were a piercing gold, sharp and filled with an unsettling knowledge. His gaze locked onto Lucius's, and for a brief moment, Lucius felt something deep in his chest stir — like the roots of something long buried reaching up to the surface.
"You've come," the man said, his voice a low rasp. "I was wondering how long it would take."
"Who are you?" Lucius demanded, his grip tightening on the sword.
The man laughed, but it wasn't a joyful sound. It was more like a sigh, heavy with regret. "I am the Hell Prisoner. And you, my dear boy, are far more than you realize."
Lucius froze, his mind spinning. "What do you mean? What do you know about me?"
The man's eyes gleamed with a mixture of pity and sorrow. "I know more about you than you care to understand. You are the son of the King of Hell. His blood flows through your veins."
The words hit Lucius like a thunderclap. His mouth went dry, and the sword in his hand suddenly felt heavier. "No… that can't be true," Lucius whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm an orphan. I don't have a family. I—"
"You are the son of fire," the Hell Prisoner interrupted. "The King of Hell's bloodline runs through you, whether you want it or not."
Lucius stepped back, his breath coming faster. The weight of those words settled over him like a shroud, choking out the last remnants of hope he had clung to. His mind reeled. "My father was… the King of Hell?"
The Hell Prisoner nodded. "Yes, but he was slain by your uncle, the one who sought the throne. Your bloodline was always destined for greatness. But your uncle wanted power, and so he killed your father, stole the throne, and cast you aside."
Lucius's world seemed to collapse. He staggered back, his knees buckling as he struggled to breathe. The weight of the revelation was suffocating. "No… no, I didn't ask for this! I just wanted to be… normal."
The Hell Prisoner's eyes softened. "We don't always get to choose, Lucius. Sometimes, fate chooses us."
Lucius sank to the ground, burying his face in his hands. He was shaking, his body wracked with emotion. "I didn't ask for this life," he whispered hoarsely. "I didn't want any of this…"
The Hell Prisoner's voice became more urgent. "You don't have a choice now. The system is bound to you. And there is a reason for it."
Lucius wiped his eyes, standing slowly. "What do you mean? What is the reason?"
The Hell Prisoner leaned forward, the chains rattling slightly as he did so. "You were chosen to reclaim what was stolen. The throne, your father's legacy. You must fight. But… you must also understand that the path ahead is a brutal one."
Lucius took a deep breath. His heart pounded in his chest. "I don't want to fight. I just want to live my life."
The Hell Prisoner's expression softened with sorrow. "Life is rarely that simple. You have the blood of a king in you. You are a prince in Hell's domain. And one day, you will face your uncle, the one who took everything from you. But first, you must survive."
A sudden pulse from the system interrupted their conversation, a flashing message blinking before Lucius's eyes.
Quest Update: Release the Hell Prisoner. Task Unlocked: Fling the Hammer of Hercules 1000 times.
Lucius frowned in confusion. "What is this? Fling the Hammer of Hercules? What does that have to do with anything?"
The Hell Prisoner smirked darkly. "The system will test you. It will break you. The hammer is heavy. But if you survive, it will prepare you for what is to come."
Lucius felt a surge of anger. "Why do I have to do this? Why me? I just wanted a normal life!"
The Hell Prisoner's gaze softened. "You were never meant to have a normal life, Lucius. You are the son of fire. And that, my boy, is a burden that will shape you into something greater than you can imagine. Now, release me."
The moment Lucius made the decision to release the Hell Prisoner, the system pulsed violently, anger flashing in the interface.
Warning: The Hellbound System does not approve of this action. New Task: Fling the Hammer of Hercules 2000 times!
Lucius's heart sank. The weight of the task pressed upon him. The hammer was heavy — a weapon forged from an ancient and cursed forge. It was said to be the test of the greatest
"Owww cmon ! " He yelled