The world rippled.
Not the way lava trembled under pressure or how the air shimmered with heat—this was something different. Lucius felt his entire body being pulled upward, weightless, like a leaf caught in a current of fire and wind. The pain from Claude's final stab was gone. The memory of lava licking his skin had faded. Only one thing remained—light.
Brilliant, ethereal light.
Then suddenly, silence.
Lucius opened his eyes.
He was standing in a place he couldn't explain. The sky above was a swirl of silver and blue, with stars drifting lazily in every direction. Beneath his feet, there was no ground—just soft glowing mist that supported him as if it were solid. Trees of crystal and flame stood in the distance, swaying even though there was no wind. Everything shimmered with a beauty so painful it almost made him weep.
"Am I dead?" Lucius whispered.
A gentle voice responded, "No, my son. You're not."
Lucius turned.
A man stood before him—tall, regal, with long black hair streaked with crimson. His eyes were familiar: silver like moonlight but with fire burning behind them. His features were sharp, elegant. His aura… enormous.
And beside him… a woman.
She was radiant—pale white hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes soft like spring rain, a kind smile that calmed the storm within him. Her touch—gentle as a whisper—reached his heart before she even spoke.
Lucius's heart skipped. His legs nearly gave out.
"Mom…?" he choked.
She nodded. "Yes. My sweet Lucius."
He ran toward her, arms shaking, and she caught him in a warm, desperate embrace. For a moment, he was no warrior. No chosen. No Hellbound.
Just a boy.
"I missed you," he whispered into her shoulder. "I didn't even know I missed you this much."
"I know," she said, voice trembling. "We missed you too. Every day."
Lucius looked up at the man. "Are you… are you really him?"
The man nodded. "I am Caedros—the last true King of Hell. And I'm your father."
Lucius pulled away from his mother, facing the man who'd haunted his dreams and been absent from his memories.
"You died."
"Yes," Caedros said. "Betrayed. Slain by my own brother."
Lucius clenched his fists. "He killed you for the throne."
"For more than that," Caedros said darkly. "He wanted to twist Hell. To make it a kingdom of chaos, not balance. You've already seen glimpses of what he's unleashed—his hounds, his servants, the storms…"
Lucius nodded. "Claude… he said you were a real king. Not like the myths."
Caedros smiled faintly. "The myths only remember the ashes, not the fire. I ruled with flame, yes—but also with fairness. I kept the balance between punishment and order. I made Hell a place of justice… not madness."
His mother stepped forward. "Lucius, your father tried to shield you. That's why you were sent away. Why your memories were sealed. But now… the chains are breaking."
Lucius's voice cracked. "Why me? Why does everyone expect me to fix this? I never asked for it."
"You didn't have to," Caedros said. "The blood in your veins demands it."
Lucius shook his head, turning away. "I just wanted a normal life."
His mother touched his shoulder gently. "And you will. But only after this war ends."
A long silence passed.
Then the system pinged—unexpected, soft in tone.
[System Link: Fully Synced with Core Bloodline.] [New Upgrade Path: Flameborne Sovereign.] [Support Mode: Activated.]
Lucius looked up. "You?"
The familiar voice returned—calmer, even supportive now.
[Yes, Lucius. I am not your enemy. I was forged by your father, programmed to awaken when you were ready. And now you are.]
Caedros stepped closer. "Your uncle corrupted the outer layers of the system—but its heart remains loyal to our bloodline. It will guide you now."
Lucius closed his eyes.
His soul still ached. His muscles still throbbed from endless trials. His hands bore the weight of two worlds.
But here, in this place beyond time—with his mother's hand on his back and his father's fire in his heart—he didn't feel alone anymore.
"I don't know if I can do it," he admitted.
Caedros knelt, eyes level with his son. "You can. You will. And when the time comes… we will be with you."
Lucius wiped his eyes. "How do I get back?"
The system replied.
[Spirit Gate Unlocking.] [Final Trial Approaches: Reclaim the Throne.]
A glowing portal formed behind him—circular, like a burning eclipse.
His mother pulled him into one final hug. "No matter what happens… remember who you are. You're not just a king's son."
"You're our hope," Caedros added.
Lucius stepped back, nodding. "I won't fail you."
He turned toward the gate. His Hellfire Blade ignited again, pulsing with new strength. The air around him shimmered with embers. The mist at his feet parted as the portal roared open.
Then—he stepped through.
He fell.
But it wasn't terrifying. It was powerful.
He was falling with purpose.
The light vanished.
Hell returned.
Lucius landed hard, boots cracking against the floor of a massive obsidian platform. Above him, the sky had turned even darker, thunder swirling with red lightning. Before him stood a massive black fortress, its gates shaped like screaming faces.
And at the center of the courtyard…
Him.
His uncle.
Tall. Armored in shadows. A twisted crown of bone on his head. Eyes like dying stars, but inverted—cold, hungry.
"You survived," the man sneered.
Lucius raised his blade. "I'm not just surviving anymore."
The system pulsed again.
[Flameborne Sovereign Mode: Activated.] [Strength Multiplied.] [Willpower Boost: +50%.]
The evil uncle summoned a massive infernal blade, jagged and cruel.
Lucius took a breath.
He remembered his mother's warmth.
He remembered his father's fire.
And he remembered that this… was war.
He charged.
Their blades collided with a sound that cracked the sky.
And thus began the battle for Hell's soul.
Lucius stood in the smoldering ruins of the battlefield, the weight of the battle still fresh on his chest. His uncle's body lay crumpled before him, the remnants of his twisted rule now reduced to ashes. The flames around him flickered as if acknowledging his victory. The air felt thick, charged with an unfamiliar power.
Lucius stepped forward, his boots crunching against the burnt ground. His Hellfire Blade pulsed with heat, as though it recognized the shift in his being. He raised it high, basking in the moment of triumph. This was his throne, his legacy.
And then, without warning, the ground beneath his feet crumbled.
Lucius looked down in disbelief as the blackened stone shattered, sending him plummeting downward into the boiling lava below. His eyes widened in shock as the molten river surged toward him.
But something strange happened as he fell.
A force like no other shot through him, a surge of energy unlike anything he had felt before. The lava around him seemed to bend and swirl, responding to his presence. His body was no longer burning—no longer feeling the intense heat that had once been his enemy. It was as if the very essence of Hell was feeding him, pulling him upward.
Lucius rose from the depths, the lava swirling around him in a chaotic dance. He emerged, his body glowing with an ethereal light, his Hellfire Blade crackling with energy. The system's voice rang through his mind, loud and clear.
[Achievement Unlocked: Rise of the Flameborne Sovereign]
Lucius's chest tightened, and a strange calm washed over him. He was no longer the scared, confused boy who had stumbled into Hell. He was something more—something powerful. His gaze settled on the throne that was now his birthright, and a sense of finality filled his chest.
But before he could even step forward, a sudden shift in the atmosphere froze him in place.
[New System Notification]
The air grew cold as a shadow appeared before him—a looming figure in a black cloak, its face obscured by the depths of its hood.
"You've proven yourself worthy, young king," the figure's voice echoed, deep and foreboding.
Lucius felt an intense chill creep down his spine. "Who… are you?"
The figure stepped forward, its presence unsettling. "I am Death. The one who waits at the end of all things. And I've come to guide you through what comes next."
Before Lucius could respond, the ground trembled. The sky above shattered, revealing a swirling vortex of darkness. Death's cold, skeletal hand extended.
[New Quest: Meet Death—Unlock Your True Power]
The achievement filled Lucius's mind, but before he could take a step forward, the world around him shifted again. The lava surrounding him disappeared. The throne room. The air. All of it crumbled, swallowed by darkness. His vision blurred, the powerful presence of Death dissipating like a fading dream.
Suddenly, Lucius was no longer in the infernal depths of Hell.
He stood in the middle of a barren field, the sunlight warm on his skin, the sky clear above. Birds chirped in the distance, and the familiar hum of the overworld settled into his ears.
His hand instinctively reached for his Hellfire Blade, but it was gone. His body felt lighter, as if the weight of the Hell King mantle had been stripped away.
[System Notification][You are not ready yet. More trials await.]
Lucius's heart raced. He had just defeated his uncle, taken his place as the Flameborne King of Hell, and yet here he was, cast back into the overworld. What was happening? What did this mean?
"System…" Lucius whispered, frustration bubbling in his chest. "What's going on?"
[Quest: Complete All Trials to Reach Full Ascension.]
[Next Quest: Return to the Overworld and Complete Your Final Trial.]
Lucius clenched his fists, his breath coming in shallow bursts. The system had just taken everything from him. He had thought he was ready. He had thought this was it—the end of his journey. He was the Hell King, and yet it meant nothing in the eyes of the system.
He had so much more to do.
His body trembled, but not from fear. From anger. The fight had been won, but this was far from over.
Lucius closed his eyes and took a slow, steady breath, regaining his composure. He was the son of Hell. His father had been murdered by his own flesh and blood, and now it was his turn to show that Hell was not just a place—it was his birthright. His power.
He wasn't going to stop until he claimed it.