The First Sinner
Ignoring Nikolai's rude words, Adrestia continued in an excited voice
"I can't believe it, after years of waiting this moment has finally arrived. Please activate the system"
Following the Goddess's words, a semi-transparent screen appeared in front of Nikolai.
«Ding!»
«Do you want to activate the system now?»
«Yes / No»
"Sigh, okay. Given the current circumstances I don't see a better choice here", complained Nikolai while confirming the activation
«Ding!»
«Activating Inheritance process!»
As soon as he read those words, the world around him immediately seemed to freeze and he found himself transported to a different space. Nikolai found himself standing on an island in the middle of an ocean. On the horizon, an unruly sun slowly sank over, taking with it not only its cozy warmth but also its bright, captivating light. The sea waters surrounding the island were unusually calm, without the slightest ripple, as if they had been frozen in time
Its calm, crystal-clear waters formed an immense water mirror, which reflected a clear sky filled with the tones of twilight that slowly disappeared, consumed by darkness, a light ribbon at a time, giving way to a starry sky. Amidst this picturesque landscape, Nikolai who was looking at the sky tried to move, only to discover that he could not control it, as if his body no longer belonged to him
'Where I am? What is happening?'
It was at this moment that the world around him changed, heaven and earth seemed to reverse, as chaos reigned. Thick clouds obscured the starry sky, and the endless ocean underneath his feet turned into a vast, fathomless abyss. A myriad of thunders flashed recklessly across the sky, at the same time a loud and deafening metallic sound, similar to a war trumpet, began to echo causing the world to tremble
Tuu-tuu-tuu-tuu-tuuuuuum! Tuu-tuu-tuu-tuu-tuuuuuum! Tuu-tuu-tuu-tuu-tuuuuuum!
As if divine soldiers were unleashing their fury upon the world, the sky shattered, revealing a still ominous void
CRAAAAAAAAAACK!
'What is that?'
Nikolai's pulse increased, as he felt an invisible pressure crushing his existence. He instinctively felt that something was about to appear. Nikolai didn't know exactly what it was, but even so, every fiber of his being screamed in panic that only complete annihilation awaited anyone who faced such a force.
Just when Nikolai was about to lose himself in the aura emanating from the void being consumed by fear, he felt an immense energy fill his body. This energy was frightening and seemed to have no end, being even more powerful and frightening than that which was leaking through the cracks in the sky. He instinctively felt that if he stretched out his arm and threw a punch, the result would be exactly the astonishing startle scene unfolding before him.
As if the situation wasn't already bizarre enough, he heard an unusually calm and cold voice
"Now the oceans have been drained and the sky has split, bringing the fury of fools. Who dare to call themselves gods. They are here to stop me from taking the throne. Nevertheless, this time, I must break the shackles that bind me, and fight. I will fight no matter what. Even when my skin shreds, my flesh rots and my bones break, I will still fight. I will fight to make sure no one ever rules me again!"
Surprisingly, despite being quite low, close to a whisper, the voice spread across thousands of miles, completely indifferent to the noisy catastrophe unfolding around it. However, that wasn't what surprised Nikolai, but rather the fact that this voice was coming out of his mouth
As if waiting for this cue, several figures began to emerge from the cracks in the sky. Some of them were almost identical to humans. They had different appearances, sizes, genders and ages. While others had shapes of animals and monsters that Nikolai had only seen in paintings. Despite the difference in the appearance of the beings, they had two things in common. One of them being the frightening and dense aura present on their bodies. And the other was the hostility that emanated when looking at him
Finally, the heavens stop shaking as the last group exits the cracks in the sky. These beings, like most, looked like ordinary humans. However, four bright white wings protrude from its back. Of which they only use two of them to fly, while the other two to cover their faces. As if the simple act of letting someone look directly at them was the greatest act of blasphemy one could commit
'Are those… angels?', thought Nikolai as he watched the leaders of the winged beings float towards him with a hostile expression
"We are here to put an end to your evil deeds. The time has finally come for you to face the consequences of your actions, you filthy sinner. No matter how strong you are, in the face of our divine army, your only fate is to perish. Remember this is our father's will. Now come, accept your fate!"
As if he had not heard the angel's impassioned speech about his imminent annihilation, nor felt the thousands of violent and murderous auras concentrated in his body, Nikolai once again felt his lips move against his will, as the cold voice said rang out one last time
"Remember this is my fight, my mission, my destiny… our destiny!"
'?!'
«Ding!»
«Inheritance process is complete!»
«The system welcomes your new host!»
With that Nikolai felt his vision being taken over by darkness and in the next instant he found himself lying on the floor of the labyrinth, covered in cold sweat
'Who was that and why did it feel like he was talking to me?'
"Oh, you finally woke up"
Seeing that he had returned, Adrestia called out to him, waking him from his thoughts.
"Adrestia, darling…"
"Yes?"
"What was this? Who was that? Why was he surrounded by an army?"
Faced with Nikolai's countless questions, Adrestia didn't respond immediately, as if she was thinking about how she should respond.
"Sigh! He had many names and titles, some called him a demon, others called him a monster, some even called him a Godslayer. Still, one title stood out among all the others — The First Sinner!"
"The First Sinner…"
"Yes, he received this title because he was the first to rebel against his own creator, before rising up against the tyranny of some Gods. He is also the one who created the artifact, Eye of Time, along with the system. He left the artifact with me before leaving for what he believed to be his final battle
What you just witnessed was probably this, his last memories, during the Great Divine War. Many Gods and Demons fell or were weakened during this combat, this time is known as the darkest time of the divine kingdom. Alright, I'd better stop here..."
"Ahh, come on, just now it was starting to get interesting"
"I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you at the moment. The current you is still very weak and fragile, any more information would only bring a catastrophe not only on the two of us, but also on this world!"
Noticing the seriousness in her voice and remembering how frightening the creatures he had just seen were, Nikolai decides to put aside his doubts... at least for now.
"I must break the shackles that bind me and fight..." whispered Nikolai to himself, as he looked at the chains around his neck and limbs
Previously, he was thinking about getting rid of them, but now he changed his mind. He would keep them, not only as a warning to himself of how cruel people can be, but also as his goal.
"Alright, the day I take off these chains will be the day when nothing or no one will rule me!"
"Yes, yes if you say so..."
Fearing that Nikolai still had doubts and especially that she wouldn't be able to control herself and would end up spilling the beans, telling her what she shouldn't have, Adrestia promptly changed the subject.
"That aside, are you okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
"Hmm? Eh, no… actually, now that you mention it. For some reason I feel even more energetic than before. What's going on?"
"Fufufu, these are the benefits of having a system by your side. But tell me, at this point you should be able to see right?"
Faced with this question, Nikolai turned his attention to the small interface floating in front of him, which he had been ignoring for a while
«Congratulations, you have gained access to the Supreme Cultist System!!!»
«Do you wish to proceed?»
«Yes / No»
"Argh, no matter how I look at it, this clearly looks like a cheap pop-up screen from a shit website"