Leveling my system to survive

Lying on the damp grass, he whispered to himself, "This is it. The end." Above him, a meteor illuminated the sky in a blaze of crimson and orange, casting a foreboding light upon the lifeless bodies scattered around him.

At that moment, he felt a deep sense of resignation wash over him. His typically pristine black hair was now matted against his forehead, mirroring the chaos within his heart.

He couldn't bear to look at the faces of those he had mistakenly killed with his uncontrollable powers. Each one served as a painful reminder of the lives he had irreversibly destroyed.

The once peaceful field was now a grim witness to his grave mistake. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the dirt and grime.

"I'll do anything to make things right," he thought desperately, his voice barely audible in the desolate silence. But deep down, he knew there was no way to undo what he had done. And that thought alone broke him more than any physical injury ever could.

"A new message received," a voice whispered in his ear, soft and ethereal.

Startled, he looked around, searching for the source of the words until he saw a blue menu open in front of him, showing a red mark on the messages section.

"Huh? I thought everyone in this world was dead."

With trembling hands, he reached out and touched the holographic menu, navigating to the messages section.

His heart pounded in his chest as he saw one unread message amidst the sea of silence.

The sender's name didn't appear on the screen.

Curiosity mingled with apprehension as he clicked on the message.

The holographic display flickered to life, revealing text that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow.

"Dear Anoris, do you want to start a new life plus?"

Anoris's breath caught in his throat.

Start a new life? The words swirled in his mind, stirring a glimmer of hope within the depths of despair.

His eyes were fixed on the holographic message, the weight of his past sins momentarily forgotten.

"Yes," he whispered, his voice barely audible against the backdrop of the eerie silence.

Without hesitation, Anoris tapped on the holographic message, confirming his decision to start anew.

But a new message appeared: "Stab yourself mortal to start the new life plus and give me your soul in the pact."

Anoris froze, his fingers hovering over the holographic display.

The new message was a stark reminder of the consequences of his past actions - a life given for a soul taken.

It was a similar pact he had made before, which cost him everything. A shiver ran through him as he considered the price.

He looked around, realizing that he was already doomed. "Alright, I accept."

Holding his breath, Anoris jammed the pointed end of a jagged rock into his heart, the sharp agony staggering him. His vision blurred as he fell to his knees, clutching at his chest.

His once vibrant world faded into hazy darkness, every beat of his heart pumping more life from his body.

Meanwhile, in the heavens, the 15 gods and the 7 demon lords were gathered around a majestic round table. The atmosphere was tense as they discussed the recent events on Earth.

"The mortal realm is falling into chaos," one of the gods spoke, his voice booming with authority.

"Our game came to an end Bleak," another added, voicing out the concerns of the group.

The demon lord's sinister smirk twisted his features as he chimed in, "Let us replay the game, but this time with a different difficulty level and perhaps add something to make it more interesting."

"Like what?" one of the gods queried, her celestial aura flickering with suspicion.

The demon lord's malevolent smile stretched wider, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

"Let's add a wild card into the mix," he proposed, his blood-red eyes glittering with amusement.

"Once we've selected our champions, we'll stick by their side until they die or fail.

If that happens, the god of that champion will disappear or be executed."

The gods and demon lords exchanged uneasy glances, intrigued by the proposal, but also apprehensive.

Such a game could lead to a new calamity.

"If it's not something we haven't seen before," the goddess of wisdom piped up, "it would be wise not to trust anything Lucifer came with."

The table fell silent as they considered the repercussions of such a game. The demon lord, Lucifer, chuckled darkly.

"What's the fun in a game that's too easy? We must be willing to risk our own power to truly test our champions or you are just afraid to lose?"

As the words hung in the air, a few of the gods fidgeted, disquieted by the demon lord's challenge.

The god of war, his body resembling glacial fire, leaned forward. "It is not fear that constrains us, Lucifer. It is wisdom."

"Oh, don't start with your preaching, Ares," Lucifer quipped, rolling his blood-red eyes.

"This is about excitement and change, something your boring wisdom fails to comprehend."

The goddess of love, her aura shimmering with the vibrant colors of a thousand blooming flowers, spoke up, her voice as gentle as a summer's breeze.

"Regardless of the excitement it might bring, Lucifer, we must consider the potential harm this could cause to our mortal champions. Isn't it our duty to protect them, not use them as pawns in a mere game?"

Lucifer threw his head back and laughed. "Protect! More like a puppeteer. You gods have been using humans as pawns in your games for centuries, with no regard for their well-being. Not even you, Moana.

Your only concern is yourselves and avoiding boredom. Don't lecture me about love and hope; those are foolish beliefs."

The room descended into a tense silence following Lucifer's words. The gods, usually so radiant and unyielding, suddenly seemed to shrink under his biting accusation.

Azazel broke the silence with his words. "Let's vote on this. All of us."

A murmur of agreement echoed throughout the hall - a sea of nods and grunts indicating consent.

"Very well," said Ra, the sun god, his resplendent form flickering like hell flames. "Let us cast our votes. All those in favor of Lucifer's game, raise your hands."

Out of the 22 deities, 17 lifted their hands while looking at the remaining 4 who did not. Those four were Moana, Ares, Freya, the goddess of fate, and Shiva, the destroyer.

Lucifer's grin widened, sharp teeth gleaming menacingly under the low light. "It appears I have struck a chord," he said, relishing every word. "The majority agrees that it is time to shake things up. The game will commence tomorrow at dawn."

The gods exchanged uneasy glances, but they knew there was no going back now. They had cast their votes and made their decision.

As the meeting came to an end, Moana approached Lucifer with a determined look in her eyes.

"I may have voted against your game, but I will not stand idly by and watch as you manipulate and harm our champions," she said firmly.

Lucifer chuckled, unbothered by her threat. "Oh, my dear Moana," he said condescendingly. "I have no intention of causing any real harm to your precious mortals. This is just a game, after all."