Pain greeted him first. A heavy, crushing ache spread through his entire body, like he'd been hit by a freight train and then backed over just for good measure.
Magnus groaned, prying his eyes open. Stone ceiling. Cracked and ancient. His muscles screamed when he sat up, but hey — if he could move, he wasn't dead. That was progress.
"Well, I lived. I guess," he muttered. "God, it hurts so much."
[Haha! You're more stubborn than I thought, Magnus.]
That voice. Magnus froze. It wasn't the strange, dual-toned voice from the Abyss. This one was sharper, cocky, and dripping with condescension. The same voice that had nearly flattened him earlier.
Magnus sighed, a frown appearing on his face. "You again?. You know, I was just starting to enjoy the silence."
[You survived my gravity magic. Curious..] The voice sounded… amused. [But don't get too comfortable, brat. You're alive because I allowed it.]
"Sure." Magnus rolled his eyes.
The voice laughed — a rich, mocking sound. [I like your spirit. Shame you're stuck with the title of Sloth. What a joke.]
Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Sloth, huh? So it's official? I'm the Demon King of Lazy Naps?"
[You mock, but you don't even understand the power you've been given.] The air around him grew heavier — not crushing, but dense enough that Magnus felt it push against his skin. [Sloth's power is unlike any of the others. Pride, Wrath, Greed — they are ruled by their sins. Their hearts and minds are enslaved by them.]
"I already know that, the power bestower guy explained it will enough" Magnus babbled, gesturing his hands in mocking manners.
[Sloth is different.] The weight lifted, but the voice's tone grew colder. [Sloth doesn't chain your heart. It binds your body. It's not just laziness — it's stillness. Inaction. But in that stillness lies terrifying strength.]
"Ugh! You don't listen do you?
Whatever! That's cool and all, but how do I know my powers? Is there a system to know? I mean, usually the transmigrators get them, you know?" Magnus asked as he sat with his hands on the cool tile floor.
[Transmigrators?] The voice sounded almost offended. [What nonsense are you spouting? You think this is some cheap fantasy novel?]
"Well, I am in another world, I just met some mysterious power-bestowing entity, and now I'm a Demon King of sloth at that," Magnus said, counting on his fingers. "So yeah, I think I've earned the right to ask if there's a menu or something."
The voice was silent for a moment. Then…
[..idiot.]
"Rude!"
[Listen closely, brat. Sloth's power isn't something that can be neatly itemized on a status screen. You feel it. You become it. It's instinct, patience, and inevitability.]
Magnus sighed. "No system? Man, that's a ripoff." He flopped back onto the cold floor dramatically. "I signed up for the overpowered package — where's my handy status screen?"
[...Are you serious?] The voice sounded genuinely baffled. [You just inherited the power of a Demon King, and your first complaint is about user interface?]
"Hey, if I'm gonna be OP, I want the full experience." Magnus crossed his arms behind his head. "Come on, there's gotta be something. A menu, a skill list — maybe a helpful little voice that tells me what's what?"
The silence stretched long enough that Magnus almost thought the voice had left — until…
[...Fine.] The voice sighed, exasperated. [If it will shut you up…]
DING!
A soft chime echoed in his mind, and suddenly, a screen of glowing text flashed into existence in front of him, blinding him for a second.
---
[System or whatever]
Name: Magnus Caffeine
Title: Demon King of Sloth
Level: 1
Sin Power: Sloth — The Strength of Stillness
Skills:
Absolute Stillness: Become completely immovable and untouchable. Nothing can disturb your state.
Weight of Sloth: Increase the gravity around you with effortless pressure. The lazier you are, the heavier it gets.
Lethargy Field: Create an aura of sluggishness, slowing enemies and even a part of time.
Sloth's Patience: Delay any attack, action, or effect — let it hit when you decide it's time.
Delayed Action: Store your actions for later and unleash them with doubled force.
Forced Stillness: Paralyze enemies by imposing your inaction on them.
Hibernation: Recover strength and heal rapidly while doing absolutely nothing.
Sloth's Steal: Take others' physical capabilities and techniques without moving a muscle.
---
Magnus's eyes sparkled. "Oh, now we're talking." He eyed the text written after the [name] aspect.
"Why is my name written Magnus Caffeine? My name's Ethan. Are you dumb?"
The voice went silent for a second. Then…
[...Pfft.]
Magnus frowned. "What's so funny?"
[Oh, nothing.] The voice clearly struggled to keep from laughing. [It's just… the Power Bestower must've had a sense of humor after all.]
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Magnus squinted at the glowing screen. "Wait — did they seriously rename me? Are you kidding me?"
[You don't like it?] the voice teased. [Magnus Caffeine. King of Sloth. It's poetic, really.]
Magnus groaned. "This is some kind of cosmic bullying, isn't it?"
[A/N: Yes.]
[Seems like it,] the voice said after hearing the sudden narration.
"I'm not even a coffee guy! I like tea!"
[But, here you are. Magnus Caffeine, the Demon King of Sloth.]
Magnus buried his face in his hands. "I swear, I'm gonna find that Power Bestower and—"
[What? Take a nice, long nap in their presence?]
"... Shut up."
[No]
Still grumbling, Magnus glanced back at the system screen. "Alright, dumb name aside, these powers look pretty broken. What's the catch?"
[No catch. You're Sloth. Your greatest strength lies in doing nothing.]
"That sounds like a good way of living."
[We'll see how long you keep that attitude…]
Magnus grinned, eyes glinting. "Why? Jealous?"
[Jealous?] The voice scoffed. [Of a tea-drinking slacker who got stuck with the most embarrassing title in demon history? Hardly.]
Magnus smirked. "Sounds like something a jealous person would say."
[Careful, brat.] The air around him grew heavy again, like an invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders. [Mocking me might be the last thing you ever—]
"Blah, blah, blah." Magnus waved a hand lazily. "You keep talking, but I'm still alive, aren't I?"
The pressure vanished with an irritated huff.
[Seriously, you have got to be the worst candidate.]
"So there were more before me? How many exactly?"
The voice didn't respond right away. Stretching out on the cold floor, he stared at the system screen hovering above him. His eyes drifted down the skill list again, and he whistled low.
"These really are broken. I mean, I don't even have to move to steal people's powers? That's busted."
[Only if you have the patience to use it right.]
"Patience, huh…" Magnus tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Not my strongest trait."
[Oh, I never would've guessed.]
"Hey, I was patient enough to wait for this system screen," Magnus shot back.
[As patient as a honey badger.]
"Wow, that's my favourite animal. How did you know?" Magnus gave out a sarcastic question.
After the voice didn't humour him, he closed the screen with a flick of his hand, and it disappeared with a soft pop. Sighing, Magnus let his head fall back against the stone. His body still ached, but the pain was dulling.
"So," he said after a while, "what happens now?"
[Now? You wait.]
"For what?"
[For the others.] The voice's tone shifted — darker, more serious. [The other Demon Kings won't take your arrival lightly. Especially not Pride.]
Magnus blinked. "Pride? Wait — who's that?"
[You'll find out soon enough.] The voice sounded almost… amused. [If you live that long.]