The Devil's Perspective: Misaq Summarizes the Story So Far

  The immaculately dressed figure adjusts his dark red tie as he surveys the reader with serpentine eyes, a thin smile playing across his lips.

  Humans and their need for recaps. How charmingly predictable. Very well, let I, Misaq, illuminate the path that has led us here. The board is set, the pieces have moved, and now we find ourselves at a most intriguing juncture.

  Our protagonist, if one could call him that, is Ambrose Severen. His story began with tragedy, as the best stories often do. There he was, living his terribly ordinary life with his wife Alice, expecting their first child, when his former employer Eric Delrosa decided to pay a visit. Eric, you see, had always possessed certain... sadistic tendencies. He shot Ambrose multiple times and executed Alice right before the dying man's eyes. Such delicious cruelty.

  As Ambrose lay dying, the System began its integration with Earth. Fortuitous timing, wouldn't you say? It was then that I made my grand entrance, offering Ambrose a deal: life and the opportunity for power in exchange for three tasks. Ambrose agreed, naturally. They always do when faced with oblivion.

  Ambrose found himself transported to Avalon, an island prison created by Merlin to contain evil. Choosing the Paladin class, he began his journey toward power, freeing prisoners including Darren, his daughter Jenny, Thomas, and Andrea. Meanwhile, Eric, a Forerunner with the Siren class, establishes a power base in what he called "New Atlanta."

  Through trials and tribulations, Ambrose gathered Avalon's Key, confronting avatars of the imprisoned Mordred. Little Jenny was injured during these adventures, prompting Darren to make his own deal with me. Humans and their parental devotion, so reliably exploitable.

  Ambrose accepted the role of Knight of Avalon through a painful bonding ritual that cost him an eye. The price of power is rarely cheap, and never painless. He sought Merlin's Grimoire, binding with it and gaining the Infernal trait, modifying his class to Infernal Paladin. He advanced to D-Grade, a noteworthy achievement for one so new to the System.

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  After defeating Mordred's avatars and confronting the villain directly, Ambrose requested Avalon's relocation near Miami. He then freed Lancelot from beneath Avalon as payment for my assistance, despite warnings about the knight's dangerous reputation. How amusing that humans never truly grasp the consequences of their bargains until it's far too late.

  Ambrose established Avalon as a System-recognized town, trained in spirit control, and manifested his spirit for the first time. The foundations for his Icon were laid, though he failed to fully grasp its significance. Like a child given a nuclear weapon, humans rarely comprehend the tools they wield.

  Eric attacked Avalon with an orc army, but was eventually forced to retreat through a portal to another realm, though not before tragedy struck. Darren sacrificed himself protecting Jenny, who subsequently blamed Ambrose for her father's death. The child vowed vengeance, her innocence shattered like fine crystal beneath a hammer. Such exquisite pain in one so young.

  Ambrose then dedicated himself to pursuing Eric into Midgard, a Norse realm that had integrated with the System long ago. There, he continued developing his powers, selecting the Infernal Crusader class. His familiar Noelle transformed into humanoid form, and he acquired Words of Power, those delightful commands for reality itself.

  In Midgard, Ambrose registered for advancement trials that controlled movement between zones. During his bronze adventurer trial, he witnessed the tragic death of Elayne McCoy, sacrificed in an occult ritual that summoned the devil Wrath. Despite his efforts, Wrath escaped through a portal, challenging Ambrose to future confrontation.

  Finally locating Eric in a cave marked with the Fenrir symbol, Ambrose battled the legendary wolf while Eric manipulated events from safety. Noelle was critically injured, but Ambrose used a Word of Power to defeat Fenrir, break Eric's control circle, and execute his nemesis. A tear of mysterious origin revived Noelle, though she later decided to seek independence for her own growth.

  And now we arrive at the present moment, with Ambrose pursuing a new objective: capturing Merlin himself. The pieces move across the board according to design, though perhaps not always as anticipated. Seals break, one by one, and reality inches closer to rewriting itself with each passing day.

  The game, as they say, is afoot. And what a magnificent game it is.

  Misaq straightens his already perfect fedora, his blood-red eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

  Shall we continue?