The With-God's Devotion System

Chapter 5

The floating screen flashed red for a second, then went back to blue. New words appeared very quickly.

[Scanning Host... Scanning complete.]

[Host Physiology: Severely damaged. Miasma radiation at 99%.]

[Error detected in Host Magical Pathways. Magic Veins are not empty. Magic Veins are blocked by ancient seal.]

[Breaking Seal...]

Suddenly, Julian felt a massive surge of heat explode in his chest. It felt like someone had dropped a burning coal directly into his heart. He arched his back, screaming out loud, ignoring his broken ribs. The heat rushed through his veins, melting the green crystals on his skin in an instant.

[Seal broken. Null status confirmed false.]

[Hidden Bloodline Discovered: The Ancient Incubus.]

[Host Soul matches System Requirements. Initiating bond.]

"What... what are you talking about?" Julian asked in his mind. He realized he didn't need to speak out loud. He could hear the voice in his head, so maybe it could hear his thoughts. "Am I going mad?"

[You are not going mad, Julian Blake. You are dying. But I can fix that,] the voice replied calmly. [Witch-God's Devotion System loading... 10%...]

The blue bar on the screen started to fill up.

Julian watched in complete shock. "A system? Like a magical tool? But I'm a Null. Magical tools don't work for me!"

[You are not a Null. You are a descendant of the Ancient Incubus race. Your magic was locked away to protect you. The lock has now been broken by the toxic Miasma. System loading... 50%...]

Julian’s mind was spinning. He wasn't a Null? All his life, he had been treated like a piece of garbage because he had no magic. 

Susanna had left him because he had no magic. And now, some weird voice in his head was telling him he had ancient blood?

[System loading... 89%... 100%. Upload complete.]

A loud, joyful chime rang in his head. The blue screen shattered into tiny glowing sparkles, then formed back together into a neat, organized box.

[Welcome, Host. The Witch-God’s Devotion System is now fully online. My purpose is to help you grow stronger, survive, and conquer the magical world.]

"Survive?" Julian thought bitterly. "I have broken ribs, a shattered face, and my body is full of poison. I'm lying in the worst place on earth. How are you going to help me survive?"

[Action required. Emergency Healing Protocol activated.]

A warm, golden light erupted from Julian’s own chest. It did not come from outside; it came from deep within his bones.

The feeling was incredible. It was like sitting in a hot bath after freezing in the snow. Julian watched in amazement as the deep cuts on his arms simply closed themselves. The torn skin knitted back together, leaving smooth, healthy flesh behind.

Crack. Pop.

His broken ribs snapped back into place. The pain was sharp for one second, and then it was completely gone. The shattered bones in his nose shifted and fixed themselves. He could breathe properly again.

He lifted his right hand. The cheap silver ring that Darius had driven into his flesh was slowly pushed out by his healing muscles. 

The ring fell into the black mud with a soft plop. The bloody hole in his hand closed up, leaving not even a scar.

Julian slowly sat up. He looked at his hands. He opened and closed his fists. He touched his face. His nose was straight. His jaw did not hurt.

He was fully healed.

"It's a miracle," Julian whispered out loud. His voice was strong and clear. He wiped the mud off his face and let out a shaky laugh. "I'm alive. I'm actually alive."

He felt a sudden rush of hope. He could go back. He could save Maya. And with this System, maybe... just maybe, he could get his revenge on Darius and Susanna.

[Warning!] the system chimed loudly, interrupting his happy thoughts. The screen turned bright red.

Julian flinched. "What? What's wrong? I'm healed."

[Emergency Healing Protocol is temporary. Host's body was saturated with 99% Miasma radiation. The System has healed your physical injuries, but the toxic magic is still attached to your soul.]

Julian’s heart dropped. "What does that mean? Use simple words."

[It means the poison is inside your spirit. The System has paused the poison, but I do not have enough pure mana to remove it completely. You have exactly 72 hours before the Miasma melts your soul from the inside out. Once your soul melts, you will be permanently dead. No resurrection.]

Julian felt the cold panic return. He looked down at his chest. Even though his skin looked healthy, he could see faint, glowing green lines pulsing under his skin, moving slowly toward his heart.

"Seventy-two hours," Julian repeated, his voice shaking. Three days. That was all he had. "How do I fix it? You're a System! You must have a cure!"

[Affirmative. Generating First Main Quest.]

The red screen faded, replaced by a shiny golden notification box.

[MAIN QUEST ISSUED]

[Task: The Host requires a massive amount of pure, high-level mana to wash the Miasma out of his soul. As an Incubus, your body absorbs magic through physical intimacy. You must find a female magic user (Witch) of S-Rank or higher and form a magical pact with her.]

[Action Required: Kiss the target on the lips for at least ten seconds to initiate the transfer.]

[Time Limit: 72 Hours.]

[Reward: S-Rank Magic Core, Complete Poison Removal, System Upgrade.]

[Failure Penalty: Complete Soul Obliteration (Permanent Death).]

Julian stared at the golden words. He read them once. He read them twice. Then, he buried his face in his hands and let out a long, tired groan.

"Are you crazy?" Julian shouted at the screen. He pointed a finger at the glowing box. "An S-Rank Witch? Do you know how rare they are? There are only five S-Rank Witches in the entire city of Erlingland! They are surrounded by guards, they live in floating castles, and they can burn a man to ashes just by looking at him!"

[The System does not make mistakes. S-Rank pure mana is the minimum requirement to save your life.]

"And you want me to kiss one of them?" Julian yelled, pacing around the muddy ground. "I'm a poor miner! I live in the slums! Even if I wasn't trapped at the bottom of a giant, toxic hole, I could never get close to an S-Rank Witch! If I try to kiss one, she will cut my head off!"

[Correction. If you do not kiss one, you will die anyway. You have nothing to lose, Host.]