Forgotten

"Where… am I?" A voice, innocent and confused, called out amidst the pounding sensations in her head. Groaning, she reached up to massage her forehead, hoping to soothe the pain. At that moment, she realized something—the size of her hand was different.

"What the…" she muttered, only to then realize her voice sounded odd as well. However, this moment of confusion was then interrupted when a putrid odor assaulted her senses.

"Ugh!"

Grimacing, she looked around, realizing that she was sitting inside a filthy dumpster. She quickly got out of the dumpster or at least tried to as she found her leg trapped by a heavy bag of trash causing her to fall face first into more trash.

She grimaced as the taste of trash entered her mouth. With a disgusted expression, she spat out the trash. 

"Okay… not exactly the ideal way to kick off the day." She murmured with a hint of exasperation. Grasping her foot, she disregarded the oddity of her hand, and with a focused tug, she freed her foot.

The lid of the dumpster creaked open as she pulled herself upward and over its edge. Midway through the maneuver, gravity took over, and she fell to the ground with an audible thud.

"Ouch," she muttered, her frustration evident at the less-than-graceful landing that contributed to the less-than-pleasant day.

Picking herself up off the ground, she cast a wary glance around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings of the narrow alleyway. The air felt dirty and uncomfortable to her.

Nevertheless, she moved on, determined to find a reflective surface. Spotting a nearby grimy window, she staggered towards it, hoping to catch a glimpse of herself.

Peering into the murky glass, her eyes widened in astonishment. Staring back at her was the image of a child with dirty, messy curly hair and chocolate brown skin. But, what caught her attention the most were her eyes—the color of gold, reminiscent of something divine. 

"I-Is that me?!" Panic surged through her body. "Why am I a child?!"

Her heart seemed to stop, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. 

"I… I should be…" With a trembling hand, she dropped the glass, shattering it on the ground. Clutching her head, she desperately tried to recall, only to find nothing. Soon, the realization settled in—she couldn't remember anything. 

Specifically, her mind drew a blank on everything beyond basic knowledge like breathing, walking, reading, and simple math.

Questions whirled in her mind—why was she a child now? What had happened to her previous life? Was she even a she before?

These questions weighed heavily until, unexpectedly, a robotic voice called out, drawing her attention away from her internal turmoil.

[ Hello, L. ]

Startled, L quickly turned around, exclaiming, "W-Who said that?" only to discover no one in the vicinity except for a few individuals walking by the alleyway. 

As she started to doubt her own senses, the robotic voice spoke once more. 

[ That would be me. ] 

This time, the voice materialized in the form of a gray holographic screen.

"What… are you?" she asked in confusion.

[ I am a temporary guide, designed to eliminate any potential confusion on your part. So, please feel free to pose any inquires. ]

Silence enveloped her as she gazed at the holographic screen. 

The screen's statement, probing if she had any queries, lingered in the air. Abruptly, it was replaced by,

[ Do you have no questions? If so, I will depart now. ] 

"W-Wait!" she yelled out, the desperation evident in her voice. Her gaze shifted to her own hand, fingers clenching and unclenching, before she posed the burning question that had haunted her thoughts. "Who am I, and how did I get here?"

[ Apologies, I am unable to answer your first question; however, I can answer your second. Ms. L is here because she wished for it. She desired to be in this world. ]

"What do you mean I wished to be in this world? And why can't you tell me who I am?" L asked, her questions multiplying.

[ Apologies, I can't answer your first question, but I can address your second question. The reason why I can't tell you who you are is because you forbade it. You wished to be separated from your past life, that includes asking questions regarding your past life. ]

"I… wished for it?"

[ That is correct, Ms. L. You wanted strength and for that strength you willingly gave up your memories. ]

"Strength? What do you mean by that? 

As if on cue, a different type of holographic screen appeared in front of L.

[ Name: L ]

[ Title: Monarch of Famine ]

[ Gender: Female ]

[ Race: Demon ]

[ Age: 3 ]

[Status: Normal ] 

[ Gift - Famine ] 

[ Followers: 0/10 ]

[ You chose to surrender your memories in exchange for all of this. ]

 L gazed at the screen, studying the status display before swiftly reaching a conclusion. It resembled a game system. Her former self had sacrificed her memories to acquire a system akin to those found in reincarnation or transmigration novels—designed to aid her in gaining strength.

As for what she would require this strength for, L didn't know.

[ Do you have any more questions? ] The system helper prompted.

"Yeah, just one more. Could you explain what exactly I wished for?" Although L understood some aspects of the status screen, certain sections still puzzled her. One such example was her gift, "Famine."

[ Of course. ]

[ Starting from your Name, it represents what you call yourself. If you were to join a family or get married, the name wouldn't change unless you, yourself, acknowledge or approve of it. ]

[ Your Title is simply a moniker, having no special abilities. However, to obtain a title, you need to accomplish or acquire something significant. ]

[ As for Gender, you're a female. It represents your biological structure. ]

[ Your Race is Demon, a unique race that hails… Demons are stronger, faster, and heal more rapidly than humans. Additionally, they possess the racial abilities to swallow souls, allowing them to peer into the memories of others and replenish their Aether. Lastly, appearance-wise, most demons look like humans, with some distinctive features. In your case, these include sharp canines, your golden eyes, and tail. ]

"I… have a tail?" L looked at her rear, finding nothing unusual "Really"?

[ Yes. ]

Then, she blinked, finally noticing a slight cramp feeling in her pants behind her. Opening the rear part of her pants, she looked down, seeing a lengthy tail with fluff hair at the end, scrunched up.

[ The tail is prehensile, meaning it can grasp and hold objects. Besides that, it can't do much else. ]

As if second nature, L then manipulated her tail, wagging it in front of her before touching the fluff of hair attached to it, feeling the softness of the hair.

"Oh…" unconsciously murmured as the sensation of feeling someone touch her tail went through her. A few moments later, L stopped touching her tail, turning her attention back to the system helper.

[ Would you like me to continue? ]

"Yes."

[ The Age parameter represents your biological age rather than your mental age. Status, on the other hand, reflects the condition of your body. If you happen to be poisoned or sick, the status will change accordingly. ]

L nodded in silent contemplation, absorbing the information provided by the system helper.

[ Lastly, your Gift—Initially, the host was solely meant to acquire a status system, a tool for tracking progress without necessarily enhancing Ms. L. However, you, Ms. L, chose to forfeit your memories in exchange for the Gift known as "Famine". ]

[ Within the Gift, there are multiple branches. Starting with the First Branch—Followers—you have the ability to amass a devoted following. In essence, becoming their "God" or Monarch. To register a follower, allow them to consume a portion of your blood while wanting them to become one. The initial limit for the First Branch is set at 10 devotees. However, the number of followers can grow as their faith in you deepens through prayers or other acts of devotion. ]

[ Each follower you gain bestows upon you a 0.1% boost to all of their attributes—strength, endurance, vitality, mind, soul, charisma, and more. It's crucial to note, however, that the ability can be countered by someone of greater strength or resistance against its influence. ]

"..." 

L remained silent in response to the system's explanation, but within her, a surge of excitement filled her being. 

[ Moving on to the Second Branch—Transmutation—you have the ability to transmute your followers into various objects, be it a deadly blade or simple cup. The speed and potency of transmutation scales with the number of devotees under your command. ]

[ The Third Branch—Food Creation—you have the ability to conjure delectable dishes limited only by your imagination and Aether. ]

[ Lastly, the Fourth Branch—Wither—you have the ability to induce decay upon anyone or anything you touch. This power extends to weapons. The effectiveness of decay scales with the number of devotees under your command. ]

[ …And that concludes the explanation. Do you have any more questions? ]

"No. I don't have any questions." 

[ Then, this will be our last meeting as I have served my purpose. Goodbye, Ms. L ]

Now fully grasping her situation, L wordlessly walked towards the deeper section of the alleyway. A sinister smile played upon her lips, exposing her canines, while her eyes glowed an eerie gold in the darkness.

In this uncharted world, L vowed to enjoy every delight it had to offer, utterly indifferent to the opinions or wishes of others. After all, she possessed, or would soon possess, the power to do so.