It wasn't the pain that bothered her. Pain was just a stupid detail, a mechanical reflex of flesh tearing and bones snapping under the absurd impact of that piece of metal that had plunged from the tenth floor of a building under construction.
What truly made Diana's blood boil, as her life seeped out between the cold cobblestones of the pavement, was the suffocating feeling of having been robbed.
They took everything from me.
Everything.
Those worms… that cursed shitty fate!
At seventeen years old, about to graduate as valedictorian, Diana had never understood the concept of 'enough'. Ever since she was very small, the word 'share' sounded in her ears like a bad joke or a direct insult to her intelligence.
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"Diana, sweetheart, you already have three teddy bears. Let your cousin play with the smallest one…" Her mother's soft voice echoed from the past, coming from a distant memory, faded by time.
Little Diana, just five years old, didn't cry. She didn't throw a tantrum. She simply hugged the three toys against her chest so tightly that the fabric seams groaned, staring at her mother with dark eyes glowing with a pure, possessive rage.
"No." The child's voice was far too firm for her age. "They are mine. If she wants one, she can get her own."
"But you don't need all of them to play at the same time!"
"I need to have all of them." The little girl took a step back, protecting her treasure. "If it's with her, it's not with me. And I want everything that is mine."
And so it was for her entire life.
She didn't just want to get good grades. She needed to get the highest grade in the entire school, ensuring that the distance between her and second place was a humiliating crater. She didn't just want to be praised. She wanted absolute recognition, total attention, the unreachable summit. If someone had something she considered valuable, whether status, praise, or an object, a violent pang struck Diana's chest. She looked at the world as if the entire universe were a banquet and everyone else were intruders trying to eat off her plate.
I worked so hard.
I spent sleepless nights. I studied until my eyes bled.
I was going to have the best life. I was going to have all the money, all the power, absolute control…
And I die because of a fucking broken crane?!
—Yeah, basically that. A pretty mediocre tragedy, to be honest.
The unknown voice echoed into the void of her fading mind. Diana tried to scream, tried to lunge forward and punch whoever was mocking her, but her lungs were already full of blood. Her vision went completely dark. The freezing cold of death swallowed her into the abyss.
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The smell was the first thing that hit her.
It wasn't scalding sulfur, burned flesh, or the stench of decay that religious stories loved to preach. It was the smell of cheap cigarette smoke, coal soot, burnt coffee, and the damp steam of sewage beneath the asphalt.
Diana snapped her eyes open, gasping for air so hard her lungs burned. She sat up with a start, her hand flying straight to her chest, where the iron beam should have crushed her ribcage.
Nothing. Not a single wound. Only her school uniform skirt and white shirt, strangely filthy with a thick, gray dust.
"What the fuck…" She cursed, her voice raspy, her throat dry as a desert. She looked at her own hands, turning them over. Intact. NOT a single scratch. "Did I… did I not die?"
—Unfortunately for your ego, you did die. You ended up looking like a pancake on the sidewalk. A rather depressing spectacle, truth be told.
Diana froze. She whipped her head around, her eyes narrowing as she searched for the owner of that dry, ironic voice that seemed to speak directly inside her ear canal.
She was in a narrow, dark, claustrophobic alleyway. The red brick walls blocked out the light, covered in graffiti in a bizarre language whose characters looked like intertwined claws. At the end of the alley, the bustling movement of a busy street could be seen.
She walked briskly, her anger overcoming the initial shock. Reaching the edge of the alley, Diana stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth parted slightly, her eyes wide as she took in the unbelievable scene before her.
The sky above wasn't blue, nor did it have a sun. It was a murky canopy of deep purple and blood-red, sliced through by thick clouds of industrial smoke. But the city… the city looked terrifyingly human.
There were tall buildings of Victorian architecture blended with decaying technology, gas streetlamps emitting a greenish glow, streetcar tracks cutting through the worn asphalt, and crowds of people pacing back and forth.
Or rather, 'people'.
Some had curved horns sprouting from their foreheads and wore sharp three-piece suits. Others had grayish skin, thin tails peeking out from beneath heavy coats, or multiple eyes fixed on printed newspapers. There were street food stalls selling what looked like roasted meat, hawkers shouting about discounts on supplies, and workers in overalls hauling heavy crates.
It was an urban center. Gigantic, chaotic, gray, and rotten.
"H… Hell?" Diana whispered to herself, shock causing her upright posture to waver for a fraction of a second. "Is this a joke? Where are the lakes of fire? The demons with whips? What kind of shitty place is this?!"
—Welcome to the outskirts of the First Circle, you noisy brat. What were you expecting? A five-star resort with foot massages? I'm sorry, but the Reception Committee for useless corpses just stepped out for lunch.
"Who the hell is talking?!" Diana shouted, this time loud enough that two guys with reddish skin and pointed ears walking down the sidewalk looked at her with contemptuous grimaces before carrying on their way.
A harsh static screech, like that of an old television with no signal, echoed inside Diana's head. Immediately after, a semi-transparent floating window of a terribly worn, dull gold color materialized right before her eyes.
[Initializing Soul System…]
[Link Established with Soul: Diana.]
[Death Record: Death by Premature Stupidity (Cause: Construction Debris).]
[Current Location: Hell - Sector 09 - Dust District.]
Diana stared at the screen. Then she blinked.
"System…?" She murmured. As a young, modern girl, she knew the concept. Games, web novels, isekai stories. "I got a fucking System? Is that it?"
—'Got' is a strong word. It's more like 'got stuck with'.
The voice echoed again, and the golden screen flickered, changing the text.
—I am your Development Interface. Or, to simplify it for that hollow student head of yours: the Guide that will try to keep you from being devoured by a lesser beast in the next twenty minutes. Though, honestly, my expectations are pretty low.
A vein throbbed on Diana's forehead. Her fist clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palm.
"Shut the fuck up, you useless text box!" She growled in a furious whisper, glancing around to make sure nobody thought she was crazy. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to? I'm not some scared little girl. I don't care if this shit is Hell, Mars, or rock bottom! Show me what I have!"
—Oh my, so scary. The little flower has thorns.
The voice mocked, generated by lines of text appearing rapidly.
—Alright, alright. Let's look at the grand 'treasure' that is your existence. Get ready to cry.
[STATUS PANEL]
Name: Diana
Race: Human Soul (Newcomer)
Level: 1 (0 / 100 EXP)
Class: None
Title: NONE
[BASE STATS]
Strength: 4 (A strong breeze could knock you over)
Agility: 5 (Faster than a lame turtle)
Vitality: 4 (Durability of wet paper)
Intelligence: 8 (At least knows how to read and count on fingers)
Luck: 1 (You died getting struck by flying scrap iron. Need I say more?)
HP: 40 / 40
MP: 20 / 20
[SKILLS]
- None. Seriously, nothing. You are a complete zero.
[UNIQUE TRAITS]
- [LOCKED]
Diana stared at the numbers. Four Strength. Four Vitality. Luck ONE.
A cold, overwhelming wave of fury and humiliation surged up her spine, burning in her stomach like pure acid. She was the absolute trash of the trash. A level-one nobody, dumped in a filthy alley in Hell, surrounded by creatures that could probably rip her in half with a single breath.
"Four…?" Her voice came out trembling, not from fear, but from an insane rage that threatened to explode. "Is this shit telling me I'm useless?!"
—Math doesn't lie, my dear.
The System replied, the tone of pure irony almost visible in the text.
—Everyone in this world is reborn with the System. Hell is a massive place, and the hierarchy here is quite simple: the strong rule, the weak become fuel or slaves. And you? You are literally on the bottom rung of the food chain. Welcome to reality.
Diana's breathing grew fast and shallow. The System's words were like gasoline thrown onto a fire that had already been burning inside her for years.
Weak?
On the bottom rung?
A total nobody?!
—You can cry if you want to.
The System continued, sarcastic.
—There's a little corner over there near the trash cans. If you curl up enough, maybe the District tax collectors won't see you and you'll last a few more days as a beggar pleading for bronze coins.
"Shut your mouth…" Diana hissed. Her eyes overflowed with dark malice, a dangerous and wild glint that made even the System's interface flicker slightly for a fraction of a second. "Shut your miserable mouth!"
She took a step forward, exiting the alley and stepping firmly onto the busy sidewalk of the Dust District. The cold wind bit her face, carrying the stench of coal and reddish environmental dust, but she didn't even blink.
She looked at the crowds of demons, at the giant buildings rising in the distance, at the purple sky that seemed to mock her insignificance.
They think they sent me here for punishment.
They think they dumped me here to suffer, to make me accept being a disgusting extra in the middle of this mass of freaks…
A twisted, ugly, and completely arrogant smile began to shape Diana's lips. There wasn't a trace of resignation on her face. There was only a monstrous hunger. A greed so vast and deep that the very air around her seemed to weigh a bit more.
If this world operates on power…
If here you can have EVERYTHING if you're strong enough…
Then this place isn't my Hell. It's my fucking amusement park.
—Wow. What a dramatic monologue. Too bad you still die from an insect bite in this world.
The System cut in, severing the mood with its usual ironic apathy.
—But since you're so motivated with your second-rate villain fantasy, how about we take a look around you? You don't have a single cent, you have no weapons, and that ten-foot guy over there at the intersection is staring at your skirt like he's deciding whether to sell you or use you as a toothpick.
Diana shifted her gaze to the direction indicated by the System. A stocky demon with dark green skin and massive canine teeth protruding from his lower jaw was staring at her from across the street, cracking his knuckles with a disgusting grin on his face.
She didn't back down. She merely scowled in contempt.
"What do I need to level up in this piece of shit?" Diana asked mentally, her voice cold as steel.
—Experience, obviously and lyrically speaking.
The System replied.
—You get it by killing things, completing tasks, or… stealing the essence of others. But with those glass stats of yours, I suggest you start with something real small. Like hellish cockroaches. And even then, my money is on the bug.
"We'll see who gets devoured, you piece of shit machine."
Diana adjusted the collar of her filthy shirt, clenching her fists. She didn't know where to start, didn't know the rules of that gigantic world, and had no idea of the storm she was about to unleash.
To Diana, in that moment, the logic was far simpler and infinitely more dangerous:
Everything that exists in this place…
The weapons, the money, the levels, the titles, the thrones…
It isn't mine yet.
But it will be.
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Walking through the streets of the Dust District was a claustrophobic experience. Diana walked while keeping a safe distance from the locals, observing everything with sharp eyes, absorbing every detail like a predator studying a new territory.
The people, or demons, carried small leather pouches on their belts. Every now and then, when someone paid for a piece of stale bread or a bottle of dark liquid, Diana could see the gleam of heavy coins made of black metal or bronze.
—That right there is 'Cor', the basic currency of the Lower Circles.
The System explained, appearing in a smaller text box at the corner of her field of vision.
—Unless you intend to prostitute your dignity or become cannon fodder for the local militia, you're going to need a few of those if you want to eat before starving to death. Yes, human souls in Hell still feel hunger. Ironic, isn't it?
"How do you get this piece of shit Cor without working for others?" Diana asked in her thoughts, ignoring the implicit sarcasm.
—By killing monsters outside the city walls, selling loot, or taking it from anyone weaker than you. But remember: the District guard tolerates almost anything, except chaos that disrupts the commerce of the nobles. If you try to rob someone in broad daylight with those four points of Strength, they'll hang your body at the sector entrance as a warning.
"I'm not stupid enough to attack blindly." Diana observed an alley further ahead, where a young demon with bluish skin and broken horns seemed to be counting a small pile of coins, away from the eyes of the main patrol. "But I need a starting point. Equipment, a weapon… anything."
—Look at that, the little girl is thinking about committing her first crime! So proud.
The System mocked.
—Just a friendly warning: that 'young' guy over there is Level 3 and his Strength is at least double yours. If you try to go fist to fist, he will break your arms and use them as toothpicks.
Diana stopped near a brick wall, leaning against it while pretending to watch the street traffic. Her sharp mind, forged through years of manipulation and relentless academic competition, began sketching lines and possibilities.
Brute force isn't an option right now.
I'm weak. My body is that of an ordinary human.
But the brains on these monsters seem to be just as simple-minded as those idiots from my old school.
"System."
—Speak, my favorite future corpse.
"Is there any passive skill I can use? A map? Any shit you're useful for besides annoying me?"
—Hmm… let me check my outdated files…
The floating screen flickered with an animation of languidly turning gears.
—Ah, yes. You have access to [Basic Analysis Vision]. Everyone has that. It's used to see the Level and Health of souls without mental protection. Want to try using it, or do you need me to draw you a diagram?
Diana ignored the provocation and focused her mind on the blue-skinned demon in the alley. She locked her gaze onto his figure, wishing to see through that facade.
Immediately, a small text box floated above the demon's head:
[Lesser Demon - District Worker]
Level: 3
HP: 75 / 75
Status: Distracted / Tired
Seventy-five HP. Almost double hers.
Diana grit her teeth. The power disparity was glaring. If she were in the living world, she would be furious at not being the strongest in the room. Here, however, frustration was tempered by a cold prudence. She couldn't afford to make a mistake. A failure here didn't mean a bad grade or a scolding from her parents, it meant the definitive end of her existence.
I need an advantage.
Any advantage at all.
Suddenly, the sound of clashing metal and heated shouts echoed further down the main street. The crowd around Diana began moving in that direction, curious to see the show. Even the blue-skinned demon in the alley raised his head, hurriedly tucking the coin pouch into the pocket of his tattered coat and stepping out of hiding with long strides to see the commotion.
The moment he passed by Diana, the girl shifted her foot slightly to the side.
It wasn't a strike. It was a calculated, discreet, perfectly positioned trip.
The demon, distracted by the shouts on the street and with his balance compromised by fatigue, caught the tip of his foot on Diana's boot and went crashing straight to the ground. "Ugh!" The impact was hard. The coin pouch, poorly stashed in his torn pocket, slipped out and slid across the gray asphalt, coming to a stop right at the girl's feet.
As fast as a striking snake, Diana snatched down. With a motion practiced through years of hiding things she 'borrowed' from others at school, she covered the coin pouch with her dirty coat, pulled it close to her chest, and took two steps back, blending into the crowd of spectators rushing toward the fight.
The demon pushed himself up growling, wiping dust from his face, looking around furiously. He patted his pocket, felt the emptiness, and began swearing loudly, glaring at two other demons standing nearby.
Diana was already ten meters away, walking with a cold, calculated calm, the heavy leather pouch concealed beneath the fabric of her uniform.
She slipped into a new alley, deserted and dark, leaning back against the wall as she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She opened the small leather pouch and looked inside.
Bronze coins gleamed under the dim light of the surroundings.
[You obtained: 12 Cor Coins (Bronze).]
[The System is mildly impressed.]
[System Message: Well look at that… the little rat knows how to steal. How precious. Crime really does pay in Hell.]
Diana looked at the golden screen, and for the first time since waking up in that nightmare world, she let out a low, raspy, dark laugh.
"This is just the beginning, you talking trash can." She murmured, pressing the coins against her chest, feeling the weight of the cold metal. The high of possession, of having ripped something away from someone else and making it hers, made her blood throb with an almost addictive vigor. "Twelve coins today. Tomorrow, this entire district. And after that… the rest of this fucking world."
—Wow. Such ambition for someone who could still die of an infection from the filth in this alley.
The System replied, though the lines of text flickered with a strangely satisfied tone.
—Good luck, Diana. You're going to need way more than twelve bronze coins if you want to survive the night in this place.
Diana stashed the money firmly and stared toward the alley exit, where the shadows of Hell were beginning to deepen. The game had begun, and she had no intention whatsoever of losing.
Final Notes:
First off, good morning and good night to everyone reading this story! I'm so glad you're giving it a chance. This story has been in my head for a long time, and after a few weeks, I finally completed everything I wanted for it!
About the story: as you can see, the System actually HAS a personality! I've always loved that concept, so I decided to bring it to life here. How are you all liking it so far?
Diana is another character I'm having a blast writing. In a few chapters, she's going to get her first companion, and I think you guys are going to REALLY love it, lol.
Anyway, that's it! We're going to have two chapters a day, usually around 1,400 to 2,000 words each. One chapter at 8:00 AM and another at 8:00 PM.
Thank you so much to everyone reading this, truly, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart <3