Lucifer: Godless Reawakening

William exhaled a slow sigh as he rested his back against a large chunk of torn floor, his muscles still tight as he stuffed the fang of the fallen wolf into his bag.

Before him lay several bodies of the monsters he had just defeated.

More than a hundred wolves had swarmed him at once, relentless and feral, trying desperately to protect the Devil. Yet the moment William decided that this was it—that he would no longer cling so tightly to self-control—the battle had become far simpler.

Nyx was a part of him. Not a disease. Not a corruption.

He wasn't sure when exactly it happened, but ever since the day he awakened, he had been able to operate both aether and Nyx simultaneously. The two energies flowed differently, yet neither rejected him.

In the past, he had used Nyx quite often, freely even, until the curse had chained him down. And as far as he could remember, William had never done anything under the so-called drunkenness of power that made him regret wielding that dark energy.

So when things started appearing difficult, when the odds stacked higher than expected, why shouldn't he use everything in his arsenal?

"Haah… this was difficult," William muttered, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, only to notice that his sleeve had been painted red.

Several wounds littered his body, shallow and deep alike, with one particularly nasty cut on his forehead.

Touching it lightly, he muttered under his breath, "Surely, the scar will remain."

In the past, he would have shrugged and moved on without a second thought. But now… now he wanted to at least maintain a decent face. Not for vanity, but for something closer. He wanted to appear good when going out with Emma…

Still, he couldn't focus on two battles at once. There was no point in lamenting it now.

Taking out his water pouch, he glanced around at the broken state of the third floor once more.

Two hours had passed since he entered the dungeon. More than twenty hours still remained before he would be forced to walk out. And the number of floors he had to conquer was singular.

"Well… this was easier than I thought," he muttered, taking a few long gulps of water before sealing the pouch again.

….

[In the Common Hall]

The students had finally settled into their seats, no longer standing on their toes or leaning forward in anticipation. The battle they had witnessed was so intense that many of them hadn't even blinked, afraid they might miss something crucial.

For some, it was pure entertainment. For others, it was a lesson.

They learned about battle strategies, about awareness, about the traits a warrior must always carry into a fight.

William had not only shown dominance and precise battle sense, he had also maintained his composure throughout the entire encounter. And despite the scale of the battle, he ended it with only a few wounds.

"Isn't it admirable?" Natalie said with a bright smile. "To see a student of Ardentia performing like a world-class warrior? With skills like those, he could easily make his way into the top three of the Great Hall within months."

It sounded absurd at first. Almost laughable.

Yet, with proper training and consistent challenges, it wasn't impossible for William to reach a prominent position shortly after graduation.

Gizel, who had been the quietest among them until now, sighed before finally speaking. "Truth be told, the two years he spent in the academy were a waste. William was stuck in his 'pretend to be weak' phase. What we're seeing today is probably what he brought with him the moment he stepped inside the academy."

Those words instantly drew the attention of the others.

Emma's brows lifted slightly. "That's… quite the observation."

Dorothy hummed in agreement. "Right. Not only has he never challenged a dungeon before, I can't even remember him being part of a team."

It was true.

Emma knew exactly what William had been going through. That curse wasn't just weakening his body; it was constantly gnawing at his consciousness, leaving him irritated by everyone and everything around him.

Under such circumstances, it made sense that he never got along with anyone.

"So… a fourteen-year-old William could have achieved the same thing?" Natalie muttered, crossing her arms. "That's crazy."

Emma returned her gaze to the screen.

Watching the man she couldn't live without, a thought quietly crossed her mind.

What if she had noticed him earlier?

She had been around William since enrollment. His interference with the main cast had remained constant.

If she had taken interest in him sooner, instead of focusing solely on keeping the canon intact… would things have been different?

The current William was strong, no doubt. But as Gizel mentioned, he had barely received any proper training in the last two years.

If anything, he might have even lost some of his touch, having been sealed away from his true power for so long.

So… was Emma partially to blame?

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Natalie asked, nudging her lightly.

The silver-haired girl shook her head. "Just… want to see him walk out of that place as soon as possible."

Natalie grinned. "Well, I don't think he'll push past the fourth floor."

Emma hummed, her expression somber.

Her father had asked William to conquer the fourth floor while keeping his emotions in check. He believed William's personality was… susceptible. That was the purpose of this challenge.

While Emma knew nothing could truly push her lover to the brink, she still found herself praying for the challenge to end with minimal damage.

'Haah… return to me safely. As promised.'

…..

William decided to move forward after resting for an hour, using the time to recollect his thoughts and ease the tension building inside his head.

He wrapped bandages around his wounds, applied soothing gel wherever he could, and finally pushed himself up—only to wince sharply as a stinging pain flared in his ribs.

He clenched his teeth and clutched his side.

It took a few moments before the pain dulled enough for him to move again.

The route to the next floor had opened near the place where he rested, sparing him the trouble of wandering around in his injured state.

Slinging his now-heavy bag over his shoulder, William descended to the fourth floor.

The last floor had been chaotic, but fun. The freedom to use Nyx and amplify his abilities was something he had always enjoyed.

But now, he had to be careful.

Maybe this time, he wouldn't face a Devil. And using Nyx against an aether user would be risky.

'How strange,' he scoffed internally. Unlike any other challenger, he actually wanted a real Devil to appear on the next floor.

The stairs were lit by lamps on either side, saving him from using his last light stick.

He hadn't carried many of them anyway. They took up space, and he still needed room for boss specimens.

Thanks to choosing the most durable pair of shoes available, he was spared from the cold, wet stone beneath his feet.

However, his clothes were torn in several places from the previous battle, leaving him vulnerable to the cold wind creeping up from below.

Shivering slightly, he grabbed one of the fire lamps lining the stairs. The warmth helped as he continued downward.

Not long after, he finally stepped onto the surface.

The floor stretched before him, noticeably smaller than the last.

He could clearly see the opposite wall. If he had to guess, the distance from the stairs to the far end was barely fourty feet.

Fire lamps illuminated the entire floor, and a massive red ring was imprinted into the stone beneath his feet.

William cautiously took a few slow steps forward, his mind racing.

His senses expanded in all directions as he searched for the monster guarding the fourth floor.

The air was thick. Heavy. Tense.

He couldn't sense even a droplet of aether.

That alone was alarming.

'Surely, they wouldn't forget to place a monster here,' he mused, eyes sweeping every inch of the space.

Then he noticed something odd.

The flame atop the lamp he held began to sway unnaturally, stretching upward.

For a split second—

Ah!

William's eyes widened as he snapped his head up and instantly leapt away.

Something charged straight at him from above.

DOOOOOOM

The ground cracked violently as the creature landed.

It had a humanoid body packed with raging muscles and the face of a monkey. A grey hide was wrapped around its waist, and aside from that, it was nothing but raw, terrifying strength.

William's jaw tightened.

He remembered this monster.

The same one that once made him realize that sorcery alone did not define a warrior.

A beast capable of negating all forms of magic. A pure combat monster.

The same monster that had once left him feeling utterly powerless.

And the same being that indirectly inspired him to reshape his entire mindset.

Clenching his fists, William took a fighting stance.

"Oh," he muttered, eyes sharp. "This is going to be painful."

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Sorry, only a single chapter today.