Chương 4: The First Circle of Hell (III)
Chapter 3: The First Circle of Hell (III)
'My new Stats are ridiculous,' Izuku thought as he blitzed through the third group of demons he had come across on his journey to the beacon of light. He didn't even have to partially Draconify to completely annihilate a slew of Imps without them so much as grazing his skin.
With over one-hundred Agility, he estimated that his base movement speed capped out during one of his sprints at somewhere between 150 and 175 kilometers per hour. Though, it was the rate of his acceleration that was truly the stuff of nightmares as his arms seemed to blur even to his senses. After all, it only took fractions of a second to attack as fast as he could move when he aimed to punch as hard as possible.
Suffice to say, he had little to no issues in mowing down whatever demons were unfortunate enough to cross his path. He wouldn't dare claim to be unstoppable, but at least now his Argent Energy Manipulation Ability was high enough for him to be In Tune with everything going on around him within a 40-meter radius, so he wouldn't be caught as unprepared as he was the last time.
Several hours later, Izuku found himself stopped before what looked like a barbaric fortress. There were many reasons for his delay. First and foremost, his newfound speed caused him to run into demons every few minutes, even when he didn't go out of his way to find them. Then, he took some time out to evaluate the extent of all the Abilities he had substantially improved or created during his blackout. He inadvertently made a few new Abilities as a result.
[New Abilities!
Argent Bullet (Level 1): A self-created technique that concentrates Argent Energy into a small, fast-moving projectile. This Ability Grants you +1 Dexterity every 4 Levels.
Cost: 1% Total Argent Energy per 3 projectiles.
Argent Blast (Level 1): A self-created technique that concentrates Argent Energy into a short-ranged shockwave. This Ability Grants you +1 Dexterity every 4 Levels.
Cost: 1% Total Argent Energy per blast with an effective range of 2 meters.
Argent Construct ( Level 1 | Rod): A self-created technique that materializes a physical weapon through Argent Energy. This Ability Grants you +1 Dexterity every 2 Levels.
Cost: 10% Total Argent Energy per weapon created; requires 1% additional Total Argent Energy reserves spent every minute to sustain the weapon.]
The new Abilities, though appreciated, wouldn't be of much use to Izuku given his currently developed close-quarters fighting style and Stats; at least, that was what he thought at the time. They would have to be sidelined for now as he made his final preparation before delving into the fortress.
A few kilometers away, he set up a few Warding Runes to create a safe spot to return to if the fortress proved to be too much for him to handle, and then did everything in his power to raise his combat prowess before leaving for the fortress.
Transformed into his new Demon Dragon Form, he didn't have to worry about the cost of his Argent-Energy-dependent Abilities and thus, didn't hesitate to apply Empowering and Hastening Runes to his body. Effectively, his base Draconification had to be applied in full for him to further transform into a Demon Dragon, so he was actually running the equivalent of four augmentations at the same time.
Where did that leave him compared to his base Stats? Even Izuku didn't know exactly, but what he did know was that it took him less than a minute to cross the few kilometers between the fortress and his chosen Warded off space.
What he found within the fortress was a veritable army of Possessed that numbered in the thousands. His attack raised the alarm for hundreds more to race towards his spot and within minutes he was swarmed by hundreds of Possessed Security, Possessed Soldiers, and even dozens of Hell Razers.
'Ok… This is just ridiculous,' Izuku thought as he vanished into the form of a human reaper.
He was faster than the Possessed Soliders' gun's bullets. He could actually react in time to just barely dodge them, but quickly decided not to as the damage they could deal his Reinforced Demon Dragon body was not enough to even draw blood. The Hell Razer's energy beams, however, could still dig inch-deep wounds on his body, so he focused on tearing a path through them before he cleaned up the rest of the army he had stumbled upon.
He hadn't planned on using his new Argent Energy Abilities extensively, but after trying out an Argent Blast to control the endless horde of Possessed that thoughtlessly rushed to their deaths while covering for the Hell Razers, he found great utility in incorporating the Ability in this new war against the demons of Hell.
[Update!
Skills
Argent Blast (Level 1 → 2)]
[Update!
Skills
Argent Bullet (Level 1 → 2)]
…
[Update!
Skills
Argent Blast (Level 2 → 6)]
…
[Update!
Skills
Argent Bullet (Level 2 → 10)]
…
[Update!
Skills
Argent Blast (Level 6 → 15)
Cost: 1% Total Argent Energy per blast with an effective range of 8 meters.
Modifier
(Level 15) Stormwave: For an increased Effective Cost of 50% an instance of Argent Blast gains the shredding properties of hurricane force winds.]
'There's no end to this madness in sight!' Izuku nearly growled as applied the new Stormwave modifier to his latest use of Argent Blast. Immediately, the cluster of Possessed that had been running at him exploded into a pile of mincemeat that blew away from him.
Incensed and most certainly influenced by the Argent Energy that had been constantly fueling his Demon Dragon Form, restoring his Health and Stamina, and replenishing his reserves to fuel his Argent-Energy-based Abilities for the last half hour, Izuku was torn between following the last traces of his sanity that urged him to leave, recover, and return when he was less agitated, and not end up at risk of losing himself once more to the rage of battle.
'How dare these ants continue to pester me for so long?' He sneered as Argent Bullets shot from his fingers at a rate of several hundred per minute.
He understood his Argent Energy Reserves to be effectively endless so long as he was in Hell, so he didn't care about the consequences of launching so many attacks with wanton abandon. He didn't care if it only served to agitate him further when the Argent Energy he spend was refueled by the tainted Argent Energy that was ever present all around him.
'Just die, die, die already!' His attacks grew more and more brutal as time passed, and the fact that he was covered in demon blood and viscera only made things worse.
[Update!
Skills
Argent Bullet (Level 10 → 20)
Cost: 1% Total Argent Energy per 60 projectiles.
Modifier
(Level 15) Shotgun: For an increased Effective Cost of up to 25% all the projectiles created by this Ability can be fired simultaneously. Projectile spread deviates at a rate of one centimeter from each other per meter away from you.]
Fortunately, Izuku finished the last of the demons that raced to meet him where he had invaded the fortress from. He didn't know if those were all of the demons in the fortress, but he was left with enough control of himself to ward off a small space within the area he had cleared and allowed himself to cool off.
As he did so, he took note of the ridiculous restorative effect of Argent Energy. He hadn't exactly come anywhere near close to dying during the almost hour-long fight he had just finished against the thousands of demons within the fortress, but he had taken a few — hundred — hits and his Health and Stamina had noticeably dipped.
Of course, while sustaining his Demon Dragon form, he constantly regenerated lost Health, Stamina, and Argent Energy and he could actively convert his Argent Energy to Health or Stamina at will. But it was only now that he was out of battle — still in Demon Dragon form — that he could see his Health regenerating at a rate of about 1% per minute.
His Stamina was faster at 3% per minute, but his Argent Energy Reserves really took the cake as he had literally spammed Argent Bullets and Argent Blasts hundreds of times and an experimental use of one saw him replenish his spent Argent Energy in seconds.
In less than fifteen minutes, his Status appraised him to be the picture of perfect health. But he knew better than to rush off into another potentially large-scale battle so quickly, so remained resting within his warded-off space for at least another hour.
Eventually, once he stopped actively thinking about the slaughter of demons and the insurmountable hate he had for them, he stood up, took a deep breath, and augmented himself to the limits once again. Hopefully, he would soon find the source of the beacon and it would be the dimension-bridging device he had been dropped in Hell to search for.
If it wasn't…
'Well, at least I'll have grown strong and capable enough to survive in this place,' Izuku thought.
…
[Observed Status
Level: 60
Name: Hell Knight
Stats
Health: 100%
Stamina: 100%
Argent Energy: ~100%
Strength: ~150
Constitution: ~200
Dexterity: ~75
Agility: ~110
Intelligence: ~50
Wisdom: ~30
Will: ~50
Charisma: ~75]
After securing the entirety of the fortress' perimeter, Izuku failed to find any more demons until he made his way all the way to the center of the fortress. There he found five Hell Knights, guarding the beacon of light. The five were monstrosities of darkened flesh and each had the most developed exoskeletons of any demon he had come across.
They didn't seem to care for the fortress' state of alarm or the fact that even hours later, it was still going off. But, when Izuku made his approach to assassinate one, they reacted despite the surprise attack. It didn't make a difference as Izuku decapitated the one he had been aiming for before anything could be done about it.
When he went to block the retaliatory punch of one of the other Hell Knights, however, he grunted as his body was launched dozens of meters away; 150 Strength empowered by Argent Energy was no joke. The fact that the other Hell Knights rushed at him all at once only served to further complicate the situation as they were both fast and worked well together.
'As if that would be enough to stop me,' Izuku snorted as he stunned the group with an instance of a Shockwave-type Argent Blast.
He grinned as the effects were better than he hoped for and in the midst of their temporary paralysis he palmed the head of another one of the Hell Knights. It exploded violently after he used all 60 projectiles created in a Shotgun Argent Bullet attack.
Another use of Argent Blast was used, but the surviving Hell Knights adapted to it in time to not be stunned. Still, as the fight had been reduced to three-on-one, Izuku only sustained mild injuries before he ended them all. It was hardly even a challenge for him to deal with the three of them when two quickly powered down courtesy of his casting of a Draining Rune.
With the five Hell Knights dead, Izuku refused to believe there wouldn't be another army around the corner just waiting to envelop him in another hours-long war. As minutes passed, he had to accept reality for what it was when In Tune failed to pick up even a trace of a living demonic entity.
Now that there was nothing else to stop him, he approached the beacon and used Observe.
[Observed Status
Name: Gateway to Mercury (Active)
Durability: 100/100
Description: This is one of the dimension-bridging devices set up to connect the Solar System to Hell. It transmits raw ambient Argent Energy from Hell to an energy service center on Mercury to be converted to electricity. Anyone and anything with control of Argent Energy can use this device to cross the gateway and land on the other side without consequence. Entities with 50 Intelligence and above that also have control over Argent Energy can use this device as a medium to create temporary portals between the two linked points across dimensions.]
[Main Quest Updated!
Doom World Progression: Good news! You have found yourself within 100 meters of a Gamer System Fragment and discovered it to be the Root of the Inventory System! More Good News! The Fragment is not tied to the Gateway to Mercury, thus you are presented with a choice!
Ally of Humanity: Destroy the Gateway and cut off Hell from one sector of the Solar System. Humanity will be grateful and their collective unconsciousness will bless you with a Perk that will help you combat the forces of Hell.
Demon Apostle: Complete your Quest in the First Circle of Hell without destroying the Gateway. Hell itself will view you as a True Demon and grant you a Perk that will aid you in your journey to mastering Argent Energy.]
Izuku didn't even have to think about it. Changed he may be, he wasn't some utilitarian psychopath. He would rather take no Perk at all over one that required him to ignore the spread of even an inkling of Hell's scourge.
Almost cathartically, he broke the Gateway to Mercury with his bare hands; delighting in the destruction of the terrible piece of technology as he turned it into unusable scrap garbage.
[New Perks!
Intent (Anti-Demon Aura): A Unique Ability fueled exclusively off your Will Stat. The higher your Will Stat, the greater your ability to augment attacks against demonic entities & resist their attacks.]
When he was finally done releasing his pent-up feelings on the now-ruined Gateway, he nearly jolted out of shock as In Tune registered a humanoid shape appear less than a meter behind him.
'T-That's The Praetor!' Izuku blanched, jumped away, and turned to see a massive suit of armor apparently stare him down.
[Observed Status
Title: The Praetor
Level: ?
Name: ?
Stats
?]
Perhaps it was the non-hostile body language of the Praetor. Perhaps it was the fact that seconds continued to pass with Izuku remaining alive. Whatever the case was, all Izuku felt was a distinct lack of anything from the unfathomable entity standing before him.
Oh, he knew it could kill him effortlessly if it wanted to; he didn't need to use Observe to know that; in all honesty, that had just been a hail mary attempt to see if he could uncover anything at all about the living calamity just a few steps away. However… The Praetor just continued to stare at him seemingly without purpose. Almost like it couldn't understand what it was looking at.
Then Izuku remembered he was still assuming his Demon Dragon form and the first thing he thought was, 'How am I still alive?'
Despite all the evidence in the worlds suggesting that The Praetor wouldn't just suddenly obliterate him off the face of Hell was standing right there before him, everything Izuku had learned about The Praetor concretely stated that it was an entity of total opposition to anything with even a trace influence from Argent Energy.
As fast as he could, once the thoughts passed and his body could react accordingly, Izuku dropped the transformation; after all, it wouldn't make a difference if The Praetor decided to do anything to him either way. Unfortunately, the moment that he did so, The Praetor began a casual approach.
'I… I think I would almost prefer it if he just decided to end me before I could react. This tension is killing me from the inside out,' Izuku thought.
Eventually, The Praetor got within reaching distance, and it… It slowly made its way around Izuku, seemingly appraising him from all angles. In the end, it ended up grabbing Izuku's left arm — the one that had been reformed from Argent Energy. It fiddled around with his left arm as Izuku kept it limp until it was apparently satisfied and then it just left.
How it left Izuku had no idea. It could have been teleportation, extreme untraceable speed, or anything in between. Izuku was just glad the many reasons he thought The Praetor might find unworthy of continued existence, weren't in actuality.
[Congratulations! Contact with "The Praetor" has granted you access to the Root of the Inventory System!
-You have gained access to the rudimentary version of a hammerspace dimension that can theoretically store anything and everything.
-Your Hammerspace Inventory currently only works on objects classed as "Equipment."
-Excluding the Equipment you may be currently using, you are allotted slots for backup Equipment that you can change into at will.
-Within a range of one meter, you can, at will, change between any article of clothing within range, draw weapons at your discretion, or store suitable Equipment in an unused backup Equipment Slot.
-All aspects of this ability can be used with no cost and the objects stored within the hammerspace dimension don't have their weight impact you at all.]
'What?' Izuku was slack-jawed. When he managed to pick his jaw off the floor, he realized he had been transported back to the void of white.
[Main Quest Updated!
Progress: 2/28 Fragments Collected
Doom World Progression: With the Gateway to Mercury shut down you've dealt the forces of Hell a terrible blow that will take months if not years to recover from. Alas, the Gateway to Mercury, though useful, was far from the most important strategic asset to the Demons of Hell. Eventually, the stronger demons that dwell in the Lower Circles will make their way up to the First Circle of Hell to restore their ruined Gateway. Destroy their next closest Gateway before they can even recover from their losses and continue to wage war against the Demon on the Fifth Circle of Hell!
NOTE: It is recommended that you not continue down this World's progression until you have brought your Runesmithing Ability up to Level 40. Upon returning to the Doom World, you will descend on the Second Circle of Hell and be required to find your way down the lower levels through your own personal power.]
[Please Choose your next course of action:
-Search for the next Perk System Fragment in your Original World
-Search for the next Inventory System Fragment in the Doom World
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world]
'...What I wouldn't give for a month to take a break,' Izuku thought as he slumped to a seated position. All he wanted was to take a few minutes to appreciate the fact that he had survived his most insane "first course of action" of delving into the First Circle of Hell.
[Reminder!]
[Please Choose your next course of action:
-Search for the next Perk System Fragment in your Original World
-Search for the next Inventory System Fragment in the Doom World
-Search for the root of the ? System Fragment in the ? world]
Of course, God, The Devil, Fate, or maybe Reality itself could never just give him what he wanted. Izuku had to fight tooth and nail to get anything in life. He'd lived his first seventeen years as a pushover, hero hopeful and all that had gotten him was the scorn, disgust, and disappointment of everyone around him.
After living the last year or so in Hell, he more or less understood that wishing for things was a foolish endeavor. He accepted the power of The Gamer System, and the very essence of his character acknowledged his need to repay the opportunity.
'I can take my break when I'm done collecting all the fragments,' Izuku thought before choosing to grant the Gamer System authority to once more choose his next course of action for him. After all, he'd already been through literal Hell with no form of assistance.
[Acknowledged!]
[Now Travelling To "The Labyrinth City"]
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
BrightDawn
BrightDawn This has been your boy, He Who Does Not Push The P, signing off.
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