Lucifer had always prided himself on being in control of every situation. In his long, immortal life, he had anticipated and designed countermeasures for virtually everything. He was the ultimate manipulator, orchestrating events to his liking. So, to find himself a victim of manipulation in this unfamiliar dimension was entirely disconcerting.

At this moment, his thoughts spun like a whirlwind, desperately searching for a solution to the impending menace – the night. It was ironic how differently he viewed the night here compared to back in Lux. In his realm, the night had been a time he looked forward to, filled with pleasure and indulgence. But here, the concept of darkness brought with it a bag of troubles he wasn't prepared for.

Lucifer was thankful he'd managed to have a decent meal, even if it lacked the luxury he would have preferred. Normally, he would have left the waitress a tip that far surpassed his bill, but now he was unable to do even that.

His face reddened as he recalled the disappointed gaze of the waitress when he informed her that he had lost his wallet. It had been obvious that she had expected a generous tip from someone dressed in such an immaculate suit. 

He felt sorry to disappoint her, but he needed to shake these embarrassing thoughts out of his mind; he had far more pressing concerns.

The question gnawed at him: Where the hell would he spend the night? Lucifer had been to New York before, and if cities were to compete for the crown of extortion, New York would undoubtedly be the king of them all. 

Affording a room in the city was currently impossible, and Lucifer was well aware that some people spent their nights in clubs. However, that option required having something to buy several drinks, and it hardly aligned with the way the Devil typically spent his nights.

Stranded or not, Lucifer had his pride. Right now, he felt filthy and in dire need of a shower. Even though the suit he was wearing still appeared neat to normal eyes, to him, the idea of wearing the same clothes for two consecutive days was unsettling. He needed to think of something, and he needed to think fast.

*****
By now, it was already dusk, and Lucifer found himself in what appeared to be a subway station. New York City had plenty of those, he mused as he looked around at the bustling commuters and the intricate network of tunnels. It was at this moment that the system display resurfaced in front of his eyes, catching him off guard.

"Bloody hell," Lucifer recoiled at the sudden materialization of the holographic interface. He was not yet accustomed to such anomalies, and they continued to be a source of surprise.

After a moment of gathering himself, he decided to inspect the system display. To his relief, everything seemed as it was before, except now there was a conspicuous red dot flashing on the quest tab. Lucifer's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of hope.

He recalled the system's explanation that by completing quests, he would be rewarded with celestial points that could be converted into actual money. If this was a quest, then it might be the solution to his current predicament. Lucifer was determined to regain his dignity. It was one thing to strip the Devil of his powers, but taking away his pride was an entirely different matter. He reassured himself that the time for vengeance would come, but for now, he needed to play the role of a good devil.

With anticipation, Lucifer mentally opened the quest tab, wondering what task the system had in store for him. He was greeted by a simple message:

[Notification]

You have received your first quest:

Quest 1: "Make a Marvel Moment"

Objective: Create a memorable and entertaining scene for strangers. Ensure people remember you.

Reward: 20 Celestial Points (CP)

He stared at the holographic quest notification, his eyebrow raised in disbelief. The word "quest" had often conjured images of perilous adventures and daunting challenges in his mind. So when he read the description, which simply asked him to create a memorable and entertaining scene, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief. Perhaps this was merely a welcome task, an easy introduction to the workings of this peculiar system. He knew, however, that more significant challenges would come his way eventually, and for now, he wasn't complaining.

  It seemed like his natural charisma might finally come in handy. "Well," he muttered to himself, "if there's one thing I'm good at, it's making an impression."

With newfound determination, Lucifer accepted the quest.

Contemplating the quest, Lucifer weighed his options. He could, of course, strip down and start yelling for attention, but he wasn't eager to end up in an asylum. Besides, the quest's keywords were "entertaining" and "memorable," and he suspected that a naked devil might not be the most tasteful choice for this particular task.

As he stood there, pondering his next move, a sweet melody reached his ears. It was the gentle strumming of a guitar, and Lucifer turned his gaze toward the source of the enchanting sound. A short distance away, a small crowd had gathered, their attention fully captivated by a street musician who was pouring his heart and soul into his acoustic guitar.

Intrigued, Lucifer couldn't resist the allure of live music. This seemed like a promising opportunity to fulfill his quest. He realized that the system had chosen the perfect location for such a task—the bustling subway station offered a constant flow of potential audience members.

But as Lucifer approached the scene, he noticed something unusual. Despite the guitarist's evident skill with the instrument, the crowd was disappointingly small. Lucifer's keen perception quickly deduced the reason behind this. While the guitarist's guitar skills were impeccable, his vocal performance was far from pleasing. His voice, though brave, did not do justice to the beautiful song he was attempting to perform.

Fate, it seemed, had handed Lucifer a chance. The song being played was none other than "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers—a song he had an affinity for. He had played it countless times on the piano in his realm, but hearing it in an acoustic rendition was a rare delight.

With a new purpose, Lucifer made his way toward the musician, the few audience members who had remained now beginning to disperse. He tapped the guitarist on the shoulder, "Hey, buddy, how about you let me sing while you play?"

The guitarist stared at Lucifer for a moment, his brow furrowing in uncertainty. Such propositions were not common for him, but Lucifer hastened to clarify, "Look, I don't want any share of your donations. I just want to have some fun."

A visible wave of relief washed over the musician's face as he recognized that the impeccable suit the stranger had, likely cost more than his entire instruments. With a genuine smile, the musician agreed, "Alright. Do you have anything in mind?"

Lucifer shook his head, his eyes twinkling with anticipation. "Just play what you were playing .'"

"Alright".

The first chords of the song were strummed, and Lucifer felt his spirit being whisked away from his momentary worries and fears. He closed his eyes, allowing the magic of the melody to wash over him. 

The sweetly crafted lyrics flowed through his mind, and he opened his mouth to sing, his voice filling the subway station with a captivating allure.

"Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch…" Lucifer's voice, smooth and rich, wove the lyrics into a hauntingly beautiful tapestry of sound. The audience, both old and new, found themselves drawn to the music, unable to resist its enchantment.

"Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much…" his  voice and closed eyes conveyed the profound emotions embedded in the song, casting a spell that left the onlookers utterly entranced. But Lucifer himself did not care; he was equally lost in the moment. On and on he sang, and larger and larger the crowd grew, young and old, lovers and lonely hearts alike, all swaying to the magic and the sweetness of the devi's voice. until the last line

"Are you, still mine? I need your love, God speed your love to me…" The final notes lingered in the air, a moment of shared magic that hung between Lucifer, the guitarist, and the captivated audience.

The subway station erupted into thunderous applause as the song concluded. Commuters and passersby showered Lucifer and the guitarist with praise, tossing coins and bills into their makeshift collection hat. Lucifer acknowledged the adoration with a gracious bow.

As the crowd began to disperse, Lucifer turned to the guitarist, a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you, my friend. That was quite a marvelous experience."

The musician, still somewhat stunned by the unexpected collaboration, nodded with gratitude. "No, thank you. You have an incredible voice, and I've never had a better performance partner, let me share the donations with you bro." the guy said reaching for the money but Lucifer shook his head, staring at the notification floating in front of him

"what was the exchange rate again" Lucifer asked no one in particular

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