chapter 1

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Alexander Drake's last memory was of the screeching tires and the blinding headlights. Then, nothing. It was as though the world had swallowed him whole, leaving behind no trace of the man he once was.

When he opened his eyes again, the air smelled of sulfur and damp stone. His body was heavy, his muscles aching in ways he couldn't explain. He groaned and blinked, his vision blurry and disoriented. For a moment, all he saw were twisted shapes and shadows moving in the dim light.

"What... where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse. He tried to sit up, only to be met with an overwhelming dizziness that made his stomach churn.

Panic set in. Was he dead? Was this some kind of afterlife?

No. The cold stone beneath him, the distant howls that echoed through the air—they weren't the sounds of a peaceful afterlife. They were unsettling, filled with an eerie presence he couldn't quite place.

Slowly, he pushed himself into a sitting position and scanned his surroundings. The walls around him were made of dark stone, covered in ancient runes he didn't recognize. The air was thick with an oppressive heat, and faint wisps of smoke curled toward the high ceiling.

"Where the hell am I?" Alexander whispered, his heart racing.

Suddenly, his vision flickered, and a strange symbol appeared in his mind's eye—a glowing, crimson rune pulsing with energy. It was followed by a deep, mechanical voice.

[Demonic Ascension System Activated.]

"What the hell?" Alexander gasped, clutching his head. The voice in his mind felt foreign, but the words were clear. It spoke again.

[Welcome, Host. You have been granted the Demonic Ascension System. Absorb the power of defeated enemies to ascend through the demon ranks. Complete quests, gain rewards, and rise to your full potential.]

The voice faded, leaving Alexander stunned and speechless. He shook his head, trying to make sense of it. Was this a dream? Some kind of hallucination?

He stood up, his legs weak beneath him, but his determination kept him upright. The air around him crackled with a strange energy as his heart raced with both fear and curiosity.

"Alright, so I've been thrown into a demon world, and I've got a system to help me survive," Alexander muttered to himself, trying to process the bizarre reality he found himself in. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "This... is insane."

He glanced around. There was no one in sight, only the distant sounds of creatures and the faint flicker of torches along the walls. This place was ancient, and judging by the heavy scent of sulfur, it wasn't any ordinary realm. It felt... alive, dark, and oppressive.

A sharp pain surged through his head once again, and this time, a glowing screen appeared before him:

[Quest Available: Defeat a Lesser Demon. Reward: 10 Experience Points.]

The voice spoke again.

[You must complete quests to gain strength. The first step toward your ascension begins now.]

"Defeat a lesser demon?" Alexander muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "What kind of joke is this?"

But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like his only choice. If this was real, then he needed to play along and figure out how to survive. He had no idea where he was or how he ended up here, but he couldn't afford to waste time.

His gaze shifted toward the dark passage leading deeper into the unknown. There was a glimmer of movement in the shadows, something lurking just beyond his sight. He steeled himself and took his first steps forward.

"I don't know who or what you are," Alexander said, speaking to the empty air, "but I'm not dying here today. Not without a fight."

As he walked further into the depths of the demon world, he could feel the pulse of the Demonic Ascension System urging him forward, guiding him toward the first of many challenges.

The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was for sure: Alexander was no longer an ordinary man. He had been given a second chance, and he would rise to meet it.