The battle against the undead Aura Knight had changed everything.
Not just in status.
Not just in titles.
But in limits.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
Lucifer had felt something real.
Danger.
Return to the Guild – The Calm Before Evolution
Back in the city, inside the guildmaster's private residence—
Lucifer stood before a table stacked with potions.
Healing potions. Mana potions. Stabilizers.
Enough to bankrupt an average noble.
Runald had protested.
Raven had questioned.
But Lucifer—
He only smiled.
Now, alone in his room...
He exhaled deeply.
Lucifer:
"...Three years."
Three years of hunting.
Three years of manipulating, calculating, surviving.
Three years of building something no one else could see.
He sat down in a lotus position.
Eyes closed.
Mind sharp.
The Truth Behind His Delay
Lucifer (thinking):
"I could've become a one-star Aura Knight long ago."
Most warriors rushed it.
They formed their first star early.
Gained power quickly.
Then—
They stagnated.
Because their bodies... couldn't handle more.
Their vessels were weak.
Their foundations flawed.
And Lucifer?
He refused that path.
Lucifer (calmly):
"If I stop at seven stars... I'll never surpass him."
His father.
The creator.
The being born from the void itself.
No.
Lucifer wasn't aiming for the peak of this world.
He was aiming beyond it.
A Forbidden Method Begins
He activated everything:
Heightened Sense
Composure
Telekinesis
The air trembled.
Mana particles—normally invisible—became clear to him.
Floating.
Breathing.
Alive.
Then—
They started moving.
Pulled by an invisible force.
Lucifer:
"...Got you."
Instead of inhaling through his nose like normal humans—
He pulled mana through every pore of his body.
Skin.
Blood.
Cells.
Everything.
Breaking the Rules of the World
Mana flooded into him.
Too much.
Way too much.
His veins swelled.
His heart trembled violently.
Lucifer (gritting his teeth):
"...Good."
Pain surged through him like fire.
Blood vessels began to rupture—
He immediately drank a potion.
They healed.
Then broke again.
Then healed again.
This wasn't cultivation.
This was self-destruction controlled to perfection.
The Impossible Fusion
At the center of it all—
His heart.
Where knights formed stars.
Where mages formed circles.
Lucifer did both.
Lucifer (thinking through the pain):
"Seven stars exist for balance..."
"So I'll create one... that contains all seven."
A single star—
Compressed.
Dense.
Monstrous.
But even that wasn't enough.
So he added something else.
A mana circle around it.
Lucifer:
"Let them balance each other... or destroy me trying."
A Night of Hell
Time lost meaning.
Pain became constant.
Bones cracked.
Organs screamed.
Blood evaporated under mana pressure.
But Lucifer didn't stop.
Every time he neared death—
He healed.
He stabilized.
He continued.
Because stopping...
Meant failure.
Breakthrough
At dawn—
Silence.
The mana stabilized.
The pressure vanished.
And inside his heart—
A single, massive star pulsed.
Surrounded by a glowing circle.
Lucifer opened his eyes.
They burned with something new.
Lucifer (breathing heavily):
"...I did it."
Result Analysis
He stood up slowly.
Feeling his body.
Testing his power.
Lucifer:
"So this is... one-star?"
He laughed.
Lucifer:
"No."
"This is something else."
Even though technically—
1-Star Aura Knight
1-Circle Mage
His actual output?
Easily comparable to 2-star elites.
System Awakening
A notification appeared.
System Prompt:
Hidden condition fulfilled.
Class unlocked.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
Lucifer:
"...Now that's interesting."
System Prompt:
Class changed → Magic Swordsman
Power surged through him again.
Mana and physical force merged seamlessly.
No resistance.
No inefficiency.
Perfect synergy.
System Prompt:
Attribute evolved → Blue Flame
Blue fire ignited in his palm.
Calm.
Beautiful.
Deadly.
Lucifer (smiling):
"Stronger... denser... longer burn."
"Good."
An Unexpected Voice
Then—
A voice.
???
"Hey... how long are you going to ignore me?"
Lucifer froze.
Slowly looked around.
No one.
Lucifer:
"...Hallucination?"
??? (annoyed):
"I'm in your inventory, idiot."
Lucifer paused.
Then reached inside.
Pulled out—
His sword.
The Birth of a Sword Spirit
Lucifer:
"...You're talking?"
Sword:
"No, I'm singing. Of course I'm talking!"
Lucifer stared at it.
Then swung it a few times.
Lucifer:
"Yeah... I definitely lost it."
Sword:
"YOU BASTARD—"
Silence.
Then—
Lucifer smiled.
Lucifer:
"...A spirit sword."
Recognition
The sword sighed.
Sword:
"You're surprisingly calm about this."
Lucifer:
"I've seen worse."
A pause.
Sword:
"And... I know who you are."
Lucifer didn't react.
Lucifer:
"Of course you do."
"Our souls are connected now."
Contract Scene
Sword:
"So... contract?"
Lucifer:
"Even knowing I'm the devil?"
Sword:
"Better than rotting in darkness."
Lucifer chuckled.
Lucifer:
"Fair."
A drop of blood fell.
His hand touched the blade.
Lucifer:
"Your name is... Chirin."
The air shimmered.
The contract formed.
Manifestation
Light burst—
Then condensed.
A small figure appeared.
Winged.
Glowing faintly.
Perched on Lucifer's shoulder.
Chirin:
"...Finally."
Lucifer blinked.
Lucifer:
"You can do that?"
Chirin:
"Obviously. I'm not just a sword."
Lucifer laughed.
Genuinely.
Character Dynamic Established
Chirin:
"And you gave me a normal name?"
Lucifer:
"What did you want? 'Abyss Destroyer 9000'?"
Chirin:
"...You're insufferable."
Lucifer:
"And you're stuck with me."
A pause.
Then both smirked.
Next Objective
Chirin crossed his tiny arms.
Chirin:
"So what now?"
Lucifer looked out the window.
Far beyond the city.
Toward something bigger.
His eyes sharpened.
Lucifer:
"...Arcane Academy."
The place where:
Nobles gathered
Geniuses were forged
Power was refined
And most importantly—
Secrets existed.
Lucifer smiled.
That same dangerous smile.
Lucifer:
"Time to hunt something... more interesting."
End of Chapter