[Day 2]
Floor 9th – 21st
Current Quest Progression: 4,408/20,000 Demon Souls
Ingvild, it's time to wake up."
Issei called as he reached out and gently rested his hand on Ingvild's shoulder, giving her a light shake.
After spending the entire night clearing out every demon on the 8th floor of the Demon's Castle, Issei had managed to find a relatively untouched building for them to rest near the Warp Zone, one of the few that hadn't been reduced to scorched rubble or corrupted by the demons of the floor. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but it was quiet and whole, which was enough for Issei to have a good night sleep in his sleeping bag, while Ingvild curled up on top of Lycaon, whose thick, warm fur made for a surprisingly comfortable bed for the girl.
"Ingvild."
For a short, unsettling moment for Issei, Ingvild remained still.
But as his grip tightened a little more on her shoulder, ready to shake her again a little firmer this time, the lavender haired girl started to stir, allowing Issei to let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. Her eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened, unfocused for a moment as she blinked up at him.
"Mmm… Issei?" She murmured as she moved her hand up to rub her eyes. "Is it morning already?"
"To be honest, I have no idea." Issei answered with a small smile, glancing toward the dusty window where the ever-present glow of the burning city filtered through the cover he had put up to keep most of it out. "I don't think time exactly works the same here. Luckily, I have this."
He said, holding up his watch, which showed the time in the real world—eight in the morning—rather than the Demon's Castle. Issei had actually woken up at six and finished his daily morning workout routine, which had become a level more difficult.
Ingvild blinked slowly, still waking up as she followed his gaze to the watch. "It still feels too early…?" She mumbled, then gave a small stretch and sat up straighter, brushing her hair back behind her ear as she gave Lycaon, who lifted his head up to look at her, a small, grateful smile.
"Let's grab breakfast first, then we can head out. We've still got a long way ahead."
Issei said, jumping off Lycaon and making his way over to the portable stove, which was currently boiling water for his instant noodles. Ingvild stretched her arms more time before slipping off the bed of fur to follow Issei and sit down beside him.
"Here, you can have this. It's tuna." Issei said, offering her one of the tuna sandwiches from his Inventory. A lot of the food he had prepared for the journey was from convenience stores, but there were also some homemade dishes that he'd gotten from the chefs at Gremory Residence. Since food didn't spoil while being stored in the System Inventory, he could leave it there for as long as needed.
The lunchbox Aphrodite had given him was a godsent (no pun intended), else they would have some serious problems. Naturally, his preparations had been made with just himself in mind, and since he'd planned to leave once the food ran out, regardless of whether he had finished clearing the entire Castle or not, he hadn't stocked up much to begin with. Aphrodite's lunchbox had twelve portions in it, enough for Ingvild to have a fulfilling meal twice every day. Overall, they had more than enough food and water to last for a whole week.
At the very least, he would need to reach the fiftieth floor in that time to save his progress before he could safely use a Teleportation Stone to return home and then come back with more supplies. Leaving early could quickly turn into the worst mistake he could make since the whole Castle would reset. Even if he could leave his entire Shadow army behind to protect Ingvild, the demons on the recent floors were all significantly stronger than those he'd fought on the first few levels. Just on the current floor alone, they had already outnumbered his Shadows by four to one. While Elite-Knight Grade Shadows like Gladio, Glacia and Katerea would likely be able to hold their own against such odds without him, there was no guarantee Ingvild wouldn't be hurt in the chaos.
Not to mention, he had to be back before the party next week. Showing up late would only raise suspicions and cause even more trouble for Aphrodite than he already had. Thus, so far, the only and real challenge of the Demon's Castle was time.
It seemed he'd have to push the pace today.
"Can I have some noodles too?" Ingvild asked, accepting the sandwich.
"You sure? It's not exactly the healthiest, you know?" Issei asked, picking up the boiling kettle to pour the hot water into his instant noodle cup. Having succumbed to her Sleep Disease in 1925, Ingvild had never had instant noodles before yesterday, so she'd instantly fallen in love with them when she tried them out for the first time the previous night. "You said you only woke up yesterday, so…"
"It's fine. I'm sure just another small bite won't hurt. You can have some of mine too in exchange." Ingvild replied while holding up her sandwich, shaking her head with a warm smile that made Issei respond with one of his own before turning his attention over to his breakfast. Once enough hot water had settled inside, Issei closed the lid of the cup to let the noodles cook before setting it on his seat to start making some coffee using another portable kitchen kit he had brought along.
If it weren't for the landscape burning around them, and the mountains of demon corpses littering the ground, this could have easily been passed for a normal camping trip between him and a friend… an incredibly beautiful and attractive friend.
"So, what will you do once we're out of here, Issei?" Ingvild suddenly asked while covering her mouth politely after taking a small bite from her sandwich. As Issei had come to notice, she had excellent table manners, just what he'd expect from a noble young lady.
He paused, blowing on the steam rising from his noodles, doing so only out of habit as the heat no longer bothered him. "Hmm… I'd probably sleep for a whole day first. Then I will attend this party with my friend in the Underworld as required. I even got myself a suit and all that a couple of days ago." He said with a chuckle "After that, I will probably train with the Dragon King, Tannin, to prepare for the match against the Sitri Peerage in two weeks."
She smiled softly at him. "Someone's busy."
"Yeah, tell me about it. And it's summer vacation too, not that I mind." Issei said while slurping up the noodles. "What about you then, Ingvild? What do you want to do when we're out of here."
"The sea…" She said, making Issei raise an eyebrow as he poured for himself a cup of coffee. "I want to see the sea. I was raised in a seaside city, but after I got Sleep Disease, my parents kept me at home and I couldn't go to the beach anymore. Technically, everything still feels like yesterday to me, but… it's been a hundred years, you know."
Issei smiled. "How about I take you then?"
"You will?" Ingvild asked, looking at Issei in surprise. "But what about your schedule?"
"I'm sure I can find some free time. I'm resourceful, you know." Issei said with a small grin. "Once we get out of here, I'll bring you to the best beach I know in the human world. Promise."
A small, beautiful smile bloomed on her face as she nodded, clutching the sandwich a little tighter in her hands as she looked at Issei, who casually continued with his breakfast and sipped his coffee between bites. As they ate, Issei shared some of the instant noodles with Ingvild, who didn't waste any time to ask for more, but Issei simply shook his head with a mock-serious expression.
"Hey, don't get addicted. As I said, this stuff isn't exactly healthy." He pointed out, making Ingvild giggle softly before taking another bite from the sandwich in her hand, finishing it around the same time Issei slurped up the last of his noodles and set the empty cup aside.
"It's still better than hospital food." She said playfully. It wasn't that the meals she'd had after waking up in that hospital were awful, but everything Issei had given her so far tasted so much better.
Maybe it's because of the company.
"Done?" Issei asked, standing up and brushing off his pants.
She nodded and handed him her empty water bottle. "Thanks for breakfast."
"Anytime." He said, putting away all of the portable kitchen kit into his Inventory before offering her a hand. She took it without hesitation, and he helped her to her feet.
A couple of minutes later, Issei and Ingvild found themselves standing just in front of the Warp Zone, which would take them to the 9th floor of the Demon's Castle. As Ingvild stayed back and hung out with the unit of Shadows he had assigned to protect her, led by Vulcan and Asterius, Issei went over in Inventory and Stats for some last minute checks. He reviewed his gear, and made sure all his potions were fully stocked. He also sold some junks to the Shop to clear out his Inventory, which had gotten pretty packed with all the loot his shadows had collected for him. The payout was a hefty amount of gold, but the cleared spaces for better loot were way more important.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 50 Dragonsworn / Level 30 Shadow Monarch
Unassigned Levels: 1
"What do you think, Ddraig? Another one into Shadow Monarch?"
Issei asked, eyeing the unassigned level he had gained the night before after clearing floor 8th the previous night, making it the third level Issei had gotten since he entered the Demon's Castle. Also, the amount of demon souls he had collected currently sat at 4,408, so in all honesty the requirement to complete his current Main Quest wasn't really that bad. Moreover, if that was what he could rack up in just one day, then Issei figured he'd likely complete the quest by the time he reached the 20th or 25th floor.
Despite that, Issei had also noticed that the amount of exp required for him to level up had increased exponentially with each new level, hence the reason he had leveled up only three times so far. It was quite clear that it would get even harder for him to level up even though the demons on the recent floors were much closer to his current level compared to those on the first five. Currently, the amount of EXP Issei needed to reach the next level was 9,102,201 EXP, and it would definitely take him a while to farm.
Likewise, since his accumulated level would likely stay at 81 for a while, this might be a good chance to let his Shadows grind for some levels of their own. The EXP Penalty, which became more punishing the wider the level gap between him and his enemies, was no longer as severe with the levels of the average demons currently sitting around 73 to 75. No doubt a few of the named ones could even reach max level so he could promote them to the next Grade, which would significantly boost their stats and unlock new skills for them to use.
[Go for it, partner.]
Ddraig answered, making Issei nod before assigning the new level to his Shadow Monarch Sub class. Closing his Status Window, Issei then turned around to look at Ingvild, blinking in mild surprise when he saw her standing next to him instead of staying back with his shadows. On some floors, they'd been attacked the moment they exited the Warp Zone, so Issei had always made sure she stayed in the rear with her escorts during entry.
"What's up?" He asked.
"I'm wondering if you'd let me join you today, Issei." Ingvild said, making Issei widen his eyes in surprise. Before he could say anything to her, she continued "And I know you're more than capable of handling it, but I want to pull my own weight too. I can use magic. I can help you."
"You sure?" He asked, his tone serious. He studied her face for a moment, and saw that there was no hesitation in her eyes.
"Yes."
Issei glanced at his shadows, then back at her before giving a nod. "Alright. But you stay behind my shadows and assist me from behind. Under no circumstance do you move ahead of them, got it?"
"Yes, sir." Ingvild smiled.
"What magic can you use then?" Issei asked. It was better for him to know what she was capable of instead of heading straight into a fight blind.
"Water magic." Ingvild answered, with Issei nodding in understanding. He had expected as much—after all, she was a descendant of the original Leviathan.
Strange, though. Katerea didn't seem to share the same level of proficiency with water magic. Maybe Ingvild inherited her ancestor's talent but Katerea didn't?
"I can also use some defensive magic too."
Issei folded his arms. "Alright. Show me. Let's see what you've got then."
Ingvild gave a small nod before stepping forward, raising her hands toward a cluster of burning, half-collapsed buildings in the distance. A deep blue aura flared around her before a large magic circle spun into existence in front of her hands.
The next instance, Issei found himself widen his eyes and took a step back in shock as a massive, concentrated blast of water erupted from Ingvild's magic circle with a sound like that of a ruptured dam. The torrent surged forward and crashed straight into the burning structures like a tsunami. An enormous explosion of steam was generated on impact, swirling through the area as the flames were instantly doused and buildings collapsed under the force behind the powerful water blast.
"Woah…" Isse murmured in amazement, watching as the water continued to sweep over the burning ruins, covering an area that had to be at least half a district. When the explosion of steam finally cleared, what was left of a once-burning landscape was nothing but a soaked expanse of rubbles and shattered stones. It was an incredibly impressive display of water magic, especially for someone who had been asleep for a hundred years.
Maybe it was time for him to stop treating her like fragile glass.
"So, I pass the test then?" Ingvild asked with a playful smile.
"I guess." Issei answered with an amused chuckle. "Just… make sure not to push yourself too hard, and, uh… try not to hit me, okay?"
"Got it. I'll be careful." Ingvild said, making Issei smile at her before raising his hands to wave his shadows over. Once they had taken their positions around Ingvild in a protective formation, Issei pulled out the Entry Permit from his Inventory and held it out to activate it on the Warp Zone before them.
"Get ready." Issei called before a flash of light enveloped the group, and just as he had expected, the moment that they arrived on the 9th floor of the Demon's Castle, they were instantly ambushed by a horde of demons that were drawn to the light of the Warp Zone.
Much like the ones he had encountered on the previous floors, the demons on this one had started to wear pieces of armors, and wielded crude but functional weapons instead of just relying solely on their claws and teeth. They came at him and Ingvild by the dozens, but Issei, having anticipated the ambush, instantly dealt with the first group with a blast of flame, annihilating the front line in a single sweep before leaping into action with the Kamish's Awaken drawn.
Just before Issei could start hacking and slashing his way through the army of demons like usual, he heard a roar and the familiar sound of water rushing coming from behind him. The next instant, twin torrents of water taking on the shape of two massive Eastern dragons surged past him and crashed straight into the nearest wave of demons, sending their bodies flying in every direction while sweeping away even more.
Without slowing down, Issei switched to his Lightning Dragon Pact and put both hands inside the water currents to unleash Spirit Lightning into them, electrocuting every demon caught inside and empowering the twin water dragons to continue rampaging across the battlefield as Ingvild guided them.
[EXP until Level Up: 9,013,980]
[Demon Souls collected: 4,450/20,000]
Seeing a towering demon brute charging at him from the side with a rusty spear, Issei immediately spun into the air, slashing its neck in a lightning-fast motion. Before its headless corpse could even hit the ground, Issei had already dashed forward and tore through the next wave of demons with his lightning-infused daggers, joining Ingvild's water dragons as they wreaked havoc across the area.
[EXP until Level Up: 8,823,120]
[Demon Souls collected: 4,535/20,000]
By the time Issei and Ingvild had finished clearing out the horde drawn to the Warp Zone, the sounds of their battle had reached every corner of the floor. Demons emerged from every street, every ruin of collapsed buildings, their numbers starting out as a few dozen demons but quickly escalated into hundreds. Issei knew he could just take all of them on with Ingvild, but he was also aware that he had a better option to deal with them as quickly as possible.
"Go."
In response, a wave of dark energy erupted around him. Gladio was the first shadow to surge forward, the blade of his massive broadsword cleaving through numerous demons in a single arc. Blade was just a step behind, his daggers flashing as he darted between enemies, leaving them dead in his wake. The rest of the army followed right after, and soon enough the entire battlefield became a demon slaughterhouse, their corpses piling up faster than they could fall.
It took them half an hour to wipe out everything on Floor 9, and just two more hours to clear the next four. By the time that they reached Floor 15, it became clear to Issei that every floor had an elite demon carrying the Entry Permit. To speed things up, they only needed to locate and eliminate that demon to get the permit for the Warp Zone. Doing so saved them the trouble of having to kill everything, though skipping the regular demons also meant missing out on a good chunk of Demon souls for his Souls Collecting Quest.
Not that it was really a problem, as he could just leave the farming to his shadows and focus on tracking down the demons with the permits himself. It helped that his targets were usually the strongest demons on each floor, and the higher they climbed, the more obvious the ones with the permits became, moving from random elites to those actually leading the hordes.
[EXP until Level Up: 8,142,010]
[Demon Souls collected: 7,845/20,000]
"You okay?" Issei asked as he walked over to check on Ingvild after Vulcan had taken her to a safe spot to rest, having noticed the powers of her spells diminishing significantly compared to when they started. Not that he was anything less than impressed with her, however. As they had just reached Floor 17, the two of them had been fighting for four hours straight, yet Ingvild had continued to assist him and his shadows from the backline without pause, utilizing both offensive water magic and defensive barrier spells. Even without Observe, Issei could see that she possessed a remarkable amount of demonic power, and just as much control over it to match.
Still, the nonstop fighting and spellcasting seemed to have finally started taking its toll on her stamina.
"I'm fine. Just… need a breather, that's all." Ingvild replied, smiling at him despite the obvious exhaustion in her eyes.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Here, drink this. I'll go on ahead and clear this floor out so we can have lunch." Issei said, offering Ingvild a water bottle. She took it with a grateful smile, making Issei return it with his own before standing up, with Gladio and Glacia falling in step behind him as he rejoined his shadows on the frontline. Ahead of them, Blade and Katerea stood atop towering piles of corpses, the last of a hundred demons collapsing at their feet in a river of black blood as more were torn to shreds in the distance by the rest of the shadow army.
"Eeh, what a waste. I can't turn any of these guys into shadows either." Issei murmured, though he had long since accepted that fact by now. "Alright, let's clean this place up."
With that said, Issei drew his weapon from his Inventory.
[Day 3]
Floor 22nd – 34th
Current Quest Progression: 9,218/20,000 Demon Souls
Another day went by, and a new one began with Issei and Ingvild fighting on the 22nd floor of the Demon's Castle, advancing swiftly to the next level after clearing the entire place in less than an hour. From the 20th onwards, each floor seemed to be a separate world of its own. Some retained the layout of a burning city like the ones down below, but others had become deserted wastelands with dust storms howling across the barren plains.
The higher they climbed, the stronger the hordes of demons became, but so did his army of Shadows. With each floor cleared and level obtained, the troopers grew faster, stronger, tougher, and more intelligent. By the time that they reached the 24th floor, their coordination with one had improved drastically, allowing Issei to dispatch them in small squads, each led by a high-grade Shadow to cover more ground across the entire floor.
Their orders were simple: eliminate all visible enemies on sight, and immediately report back if they encountered the demon carrying the Entry Permit required to access the next level. It was also a good chance for him to test different strategies and figure out what worked best in various scenarios. Even though the demons they had encountered so far lacked any real coordination and leadership, and a straight, frontal assault was all that was needed to wipe them out, Issei believed it wouldn't be the case forever.
"How about we send Vulcan and his troop here?" Issei asked, pointing at a section of the map he had drawn on the dirt using a broken steel rod. The map was pretty basic, but it highlighted the layout of the floor and the key areas they would need to focus on. "By positioning them along the main street, we can clear out the demons in this area and drive the rest to the Central Plaza."
Issei continued to explain his idea to Ingvild as she leaned in, studying the map with Issei while kneeling on the ground beside him. She had changed out of her dress and was currently wearing one of the tracksuits Issei had prepared for the journey, which made it much more comfortable for her to move around.
"But what about the demons in this place?" Ingvild asked, pointing to an area just behind the rock symbolizing the berserker blacksmith and his troop on the map. "Don't you think Vulcan and his troop would be exposed to an ambush from behind?"
Issei paused, considering her point carefully as he studied the spot. To maximize the effectiveness of his strategies, they had decided to treat his Shadows as if they were killable. While an ambush wouldn't pose a real threat to an immortal army, reducing the risks they faced would naturally cut down the mana he would need to spend healing them.
"We can have Blade and his archers take positions here, here, and here." Issei said, moving the broken arrow tips representing his elven units to the designated locations. "These buildings should give them a clear view of the backstreets. If anything tries to circle around or attack from this location, the archers will have the high ground to stop them before they become a problem."
Ingvild nodded her head in approval. "Sounds good."
In the end, it took them about ten minutes to clear out the demons that were lured to the Central Plaza, and another twenty minutes to finish off the entire floor to advance to the next level. Per usual, Issei dealt with the demon with the Entry Permit himself—a demon that wielded a pair of chipped cleavers. It put up a decent fight… for a few seconds, at least. A single punch infused with destructive dragon flame was enough for Issei to tear through its thick hide, sending its massive frame hurtling through several burning buildings that ended up all crumbling down behind it.
"Hm? Where is everyone?" Ingvild sked while riding on Lycaon, who carried her out behind Issei as they entered Floor 25, another one with the layout of a burning city. Since it had taken them a while to reach the Warp Zone, the two had expected an ambush from some of the denizens of the floor that were drawn to its light, but to their surprise, the area around them was completely empty.
[EXP until Level Up: 7,223,120]
Current Quest Progression: 9,623/20,000 Demon Souls
"Something's not right."
Issei said before beckoning for Ingvild to follow him. Leaving Lycaon and her bodyguards to secure the area, the two of them took off into the air and landed on the roof of a nearby building for a better vantage point. There, Issei took out a pair of binoculars and used it to scan their surroundings until something caught his attention.
"Here."
Saying that, Issei handed the binoculars to Ingvild and gently adjusted her position until she was looking in the right direction. A small gasp escaped her lips as she focused her gaze on the open field at the center of the city, where a brutish behemoth with crimson skin and a massive stomach sat atop a throne seemingly made of bones. At the same time, hundreds of demons cladded in blood red armors stood in a tight formation, weapons at the ready as they gathered before their monstrous lord, who gripped at the handle of a massive wooden club and watched the skyline as though waiting for them to show.
"Are those…"
"Yeah. About time, really," Issei confirmed, finishing it for Ingvild as she lowered the binoculars to look at him. "That meathead, especially, looks quite dangerous. You go back to Lycaon and stay there with him. I'll deal with this."
"Issei, what about the strategies we discussed?" Ingvild called after him, but Issei was already walking toward the edge.
"Hey, they set up a party to welcome us. Least I can do is return the gesture." He said with a grin before letting himself fall off the rooftop. Just before impact, he flared out his wings and angled himself forward, shooting toward the open field like a comet streaking through the burning city.
The moment his boots hit the cracked stone ground, a gust of force burst outward from the impact, kicking up ash and debris in every direction. The sudden arrival drew the immediate attention of the crimson-armored demons, who didn't even flinch at his arrival.
Slowly, Issei rose to his full height, wings folding behind him as his gaze fixed on the hulking brute seated atop the throne of bones. The demon lord hadn't moved yet, but his eyes were locked onto Issei, burning with the dull glow of barely contained bloodlust. The moment Issei met his gaze head-on, a panel with glowing orange text flashed before him.
[Ruler of the lower Floors]
The Avaricious Vulcan
"Hoh, that thing has the same name as you are, Vulcan." Issei said, smirking slightly as he walked toward the army of demons. With each step, more and more of his own army of shadows appeared, with Vulcan letting out a low, audible grunt of seemingly displeasure as he emerged with his massive battleaxe ahead of his Berserker troop. "Don't worry, just leave him to me. I'll make sure that there will only be one Vulcan after this fight. Go."
With a battle roar, Vulcan charged forward, leading his berserkers into the fray without hesitation before the other commanders and their own troops followed him. Just before the two waves of black and red could crash, multiple fireballs coming from the backline of the army of Shadows soared over and blasted into the ranks of the demons, sending them scattering in all directions as explosions rocked the battlefield.
Before the smoke cleared, Vulcan had slammed into the scattered frontline with a thunderous impact and swung his battleaxe in a wide arc, cleaving through the demons around him like a hammer smashing through brittle stone. His berserkers followed in his wake, slicing through the disoriented enemies with each swing carving a bloody path through the chaos. Gladio leaped over them, his massive broadsword slicing and severing the enemies caught in his path faster than any of them could react to him.
Behind him, Blade rushed in, his daggers flashing as he hacked and slashed through the demon ranks with savage delight. A wild, manic grin plastered across his face as each strike sent blood spraying into the air, but no demon in red armor got so much as a second glance from him. Up above, the elven archers of his troop rained ice arrows upon his enemies, slowing them down just enough for Blade to tear through them with Tora, who led her panthers with savage ferocity. Their claws and fangs shredded through armor like it was paper, flesh tearing under their assault as they weaved effortlessly between their prey.
A group of shield-wielding demons grouped up, attempting to form a defensive line against the assassins, but before they could even brace, Tempest shot down from the sky in a black and green whirlwind. He slammed into the group, the impact sending a shockwave that sent demons flying in all directions. Several died before they could hit the ground, as Tempest and the airborne troop, consisting of the Shadow Elementals and the Shadow Fallen Angels, slashed and stabbed them with their weapons while they were still in the air.
"Doesn't feel like the shadows will have much trouble handling this themselves." Issei said, bracing himself as a blast of icy energy coming from Glacia tore across the battlefield, freezing a wave of demons mid-charge. Katerea followed suit, creating a yellow barrier to protect herself from a brute before blowing it off with a concentrated blast of dark energy, which annihilated even more demons in the process.
While the magicians could cast a wide variety of spells, only Glacia and Katerea could cover both fields. It seemed that whatever type of spells they had truly mastered in life, it carried over after he extracted their shadows, with their Grades determining how many spells they could use, and how much mana they had to cast them consecutively.
After a quick assessment with Ingvild, Issei had split his magicians into two groups. The first group concentrated on pure offense, utilizing destructive magic from the backline to wipe out the enemies. The second concentrated on pure offense, utilizing elemental attacks from behind to wipe out the enemies. It gave a balance to the magic department of his army, as well as addressing them with the one thing that they lacked most… defense.
Gladio was the only one who could probably wield a shield, but the commander of his shadow army was better off with just his sword in combat, as he was without a doubt the strongest, standing on an entire level of his own when it came to pure offensive prowess. Even if Issei could just buy a bunch of shields from the shop and give them to some troopers to wield, the effect wouldn't be quite the same as having dedicated shielders, who would naturally have damage reduction passives and other defensive abilities, allowing them to effectively draw attention, absorb hits and protect the backline without compromising their own offensive strength.
Regardless, his army seemed to be holding their own just fine against the larger demon army, but at the same time, the main problem was still seated on its throne…
…or not.
The moment that Issei turned his gaze to the Avaricious Vulcan and blinked, the demon was gone, moving ridiculously fast for something its size. The next instance, it was above him, its massive club raised high and ready to smash him into a bloody pulp. Issei barely had time to react as the earth beneath his feet exploded with the weight behind the blow, twisting his body out of the way at the last second, feeling the wind rushing past him as it slammed into the ground and sent out a shockwaves that knocked over both shadows and demons fighting in the area.
"Eat this!"
Before Vulcan could lift its club off the ground, Issei shot out from the cloud of smoke and launched his fist into the side of its face. The impact sent an even stronger shockwave through the battlefield before Vulcan was sent hurling through the air like an oversized ragdoll, demolishing walls and scattering debris in all directions as he slammed into a distant building, ending in a massive crater.
As Issei landed on the ground, he knew the fight was far from over. Slowly, Vulcan rose from the debris, the ground cracking beneath its feet as it pushed itself upright and smashed its club into the ground with a feral roar while an ominous aura rose around its massive frame.
[!] Warning
The Avaricious Vulcan has used [Skill: Rage]
[All stats and abilities 100%]
With another roar, Vulcan rushed at Issei, closing the distance with him in the blink of an eye, leaving him momentarily stunned by its speed. The earth was split in half as Issei dove to the side, avoiding the club as the demon lord brought its weapon down in a crushing blow. Before Issei could make the attempt to counterattack, Vulcan twisted its body unnaturally and tried to swat its club against him, but Issei immediately leaned his body back to avoid it, the crude weapon barely missing him before he was able to launch himself out of the way just as Vulcan attacked again.
Over and over, the demon lord swung its massive club with wild, relentless fury, attacking faster than any demon Issei had encountered so far in the castle. Every blow felt like it could level an entire building, the sheer force behind each strike alone was enough to cause the structures in the area to reverberate.
"Oi oi, if you want to crush me, you just have to sit down, you know?"
Issei taunted as ducked under a sideways swing that tore through a stone wall behind him, then sidestepped the follow-up overhead smash by leaping back, ignoring the dust and debris even as they blew in his face. Seizing the opening before Vulcan could attack again, Issei shot up, planting his foot on the club to launch himself into the air, kneeling the monster in the face hard enough for it to seemingly snap it out of its Rage before using the momentum to flip himself back.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker]
[Crimson Armament]
[Skill Activated] – Vital Slash
[Skill Activated] – Penetrate
[BOOST!]
[BOOST!]
[BOOST!]
With the activation of his Level 1 Balance Breaker and three abilities in quick succession, Issei unsheathed Ascalon from the scabbard on his shoulder. Crimson light surged around him as he spun around and slashed through the air, sending a blazing arc of holy flame streaking toward Vulcan before slicing past him. The buildings behind the Demon Lord crumbled under the wave, moments before its body split clean down the middle. As Issei landed on the ground, back to the crumbling demon lord, both halves of his massive frame finally hit the ground with a dull, wet crash with steam rising from the cauterized edges.
[Ruler of the lower Floors, Avaricious Vulcan – Defeated]
[!] Level up!
[!] Level up!
"Hoh, two whole levels from that meathead? Now that's more like it!" Issei remarked with a wide grin at the notification before turning his attention over to the rest of the battlefield just as his shadows finished dispatching the last of the demon army. With the death of their lord, the demons were like headless snakes, and it was only a matter of time before they were either cut down or scattered in a panic. Most chose the former, from the simple fact that there was nowhere to run.
As he finished ordering the troopers to start collecting valuable loot across the battlefield, more notifications flashed across his vision.
[!] Your skill [Phoenix Shift] has leveled up.
Teleport range increased. Can now be used to move in any direction.
[!] You have obtained an item: Vulcan Horns x2.
Horn of the Demon Lord, Vulcan. Can be used to refine Legendary Weapons.
[!] You have obtained a crafting item for the [Elixir of Life] - Fragment of Yggdrasil
"Woah, this thing?" Issei asked in amazement, eyeing the fragment of Yggdrasil he was holding up. The massive club Vulcan had wielded earlier had faded, leaving behind only a piece of wood that reached nearly to his height. "I gotta show this to Ingvild. Vulcan! A little help here!"
In response, the blacksmith walked over to him and picked up the Fragment of Yggdrasil with a grunt.
"Hey, that's enough, you two!"
Issei called out while looking toward the sky, where Glacia and Katerea were flying around scouting for remaining demons to kill. He had noticed the two starting a competition of a sort to see who could kill more demons, which they then had their troops rounded up and presented at his feet like tributes.
"…and what do we have here?" Issei asked, noticing Blade and Tora approaching him from the side. Both shadows had an ominous aura emitting from their bodies, and a similar notification in front of them.
[!] Blade – LV MAX
Rank: Knight – The Shadow seeks permission to be promoted to higher rank.
[!] Tora – LV MAX
Rank: Knight – The Shadow seeks permission to be promoted to higher rank.
"All that killing really paid off, huh?" Issei chuckled, looking at Blade as the shadow lowered himself down on one knee and looked at him expectantly. Beside him, Tora did the same, her head lowering as her whiskers moved above her. "You two earned it. Permission granted."
In response, Blade let out a loud, triumphant laugh as the shadows around him surged upward, exploding into a swirling column of darkness that towered into the sky. Tora growled in tandem, her body tensing as the same shadowy energy consumed her. The swirling mass writhed and twisted, condensing around their forms, and when it finally ended, Blade and Tora presented themselves before him in their new forms.
Blade remained roughly the same, though the fur lining his coat no longer bore a dull black and green, but now shimmered with a glowing azure. Likewise, the markings across his coat pulsed with the same hue, mirroring the vibrant bands that ran along the front of his upturned hair.
Tora, meanwhile, had grown leaner and more muscular, with tribal markings etching themselves in glowing arcs across her limbs and back. Her fore-claws were longer now, crackling with the same energy that pulsed through her whiskers and tail, which had become more whip-like.
[!] Blade – LV1
Rank: Elite Knight
[!] Tora – LV1
Rank: Elite Knight
"Oi, calm down. We will have time to celebrate later." Issei spoke nonchalantly while scratching Tora behind the ears as Blade turned to his squad and struck a triumphant pose with both fists raised high, drawing an uproar of cheers from the elves that echoed across the battlefield.
A smile spread out on face as Issei looked to the side and saw Ingvild being carried toward him by Lycaon and her bodyguard unit. The sight of the giant armored wolf also reminded Issei of the promise he had made to him a while back. Since Ingvild seemed to love him a lot, Lycaon had been stuck on bodyguard duty for her with Asterius, keeping them out of the fight most of the time.
It looked like he would have to assign someone else to the job and finally let his first shadow have some fun too so he could have his well-deserved promotion.
And so, the climb up the Demon's Castle continued.
[Day 4]
Floor 36th – 49th
Current Quest Progression: 13,721/20,000 Demon Souls
With several troopers reaching their max levels and the promotions of Blade and Tora, their daily progress accelerated. Ever since his encounter with the Demon Lord Vulcan and his army, the demons on each floor had grown stronger and far more organized, but even that wasn't enough to stand against the full might of the Shadow Army.
"Ingvild, above you!"
"I got it!" Ingvild shouted back, bringing her hands together to unleash a blast of water magic, annihilating the group of flying demons descending toward her from above. The initial blast then split mid-air, reshaping themselves into multiple water dragons that swept through the sky, coiling and crashing into the remaining enemies before they could regroup.
As Issei, who had gained another level after clearing Floor 40, and his Shadows grew more formidable with each battle, so did Ingvild. The Party System made sure she received her share of EXP, and as a result, Ingvild had also leveled up a few times during their climb.
Compared to when they first started, her spells had become a lot more powerful, and her demonic reserve seemed to have grown much larger as well—though Issei wasn't entirely sure how much of that was due to the System, and how much was simply her natural talent. Ingvild had little trouble adapting to her growing power, even without the full System assisting her. In that sense, she reminded him of Vali—both were Maou descendants, and both had clearly inherited the strength and talents of their ancestors, if the original Leviathan was as strong as Ddraig had heard.
"It's so delicious!" Ingvild remarked, moaning in delight as she savored another bite from the Aphrodite's lunchbox. It was currently night time, and the two of them were currently having dinner on Floor 47, sitting inside a house just beyond the battlefield of their last fight.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it." Issei chuckled as he ate a rice ball wrapped in dried seaweed. It wasn't much, but it was all that he needed after a long afternoon of fighting. "Hey, my phone still has some battery left. Do you want to hear some music of this era?"
"It's fine, Issei." Ingvild said softly, setting her chopsticks down for a moment as Issei pulled out his phone. She glanced out the cracked window beside them with a small smile. "Just talking with you like this is already more than enough."
"You sure? I figured you would be curious, since you said you loved music last night," Issei pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Ingvild shook her head gently, her smile widening. "I am curious. Just not in the mood for your playlist right now."
"Alright then." Issei nodded, putting his phone away to finish his dinner. "For a second there, I thought you hated my music taste or something."
"Well…" She said, dragging the word out teasingly. "To be honest, those fast beats you were listening to the other night weren't really my thing."
"Really?" Issei asked with an amused chuckle. He had been told by Matsuda and Motohama before that his playlist sucked. "What do you like to listen to then?"
"Well, I can show you…"
"You can sing?"
"Yes, I can sing, Issei. Everyone back at home loves my singing, you know."
Ingvild said, her tone softening as she turned her gaze down the lunchbox on her lap and gently stirred the remaining food inside with her chopsticks. Issei could only give her a comforting gaze in response. After all, the other night, she had told him that one of the first things the doctors said to her when she woke up after her hundred-year slumber was that both her parents had passed away.
She didn't need to say it. The silence was enough for Issei to know just how much she missed them.
"Anyway," she said, her voice a bit brighter now as she looked back up at him, "Do you want to hear it?"
"I'd love to," Issei said simply, setting his food aside and leaning back with a small smile as Ingvild did the same. "Show me what I've been missing."
Ingvild gave a small nod, her cheeks lightly flushed as she cleared her throat. She closed her eyes for a second, centered herself, and then began to sing. The melody that left her lips was soft and flowing, like a lullaby carried by ocean waves. Her voice was warm, almost ethereal, resonating gently in the quiet room…
[Partner… something's not right…]
The realization hit him like a truck, even before Ddraig spoke to him in his mind, but Issei could do nothing about it as his body suddenly lost all of its strength. The feeling wasn't just overwhelming, but scarily soothing, making him feel as though his muscles had been drained of all energy, leaving him frozen on his seat. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even force a breath out as Ingvild just carried on singing, completely obvious to what was happening to him even as Issei slid off his seat and fell on his side.
"In…g…vild… Ing… vild…" Issei rasped, but Ingvild seemed to have lost in her own singing. "G…G…Gla…dio…"
Mustering everything he had, Issei called out. Instantly, the commander of his shadow army emerged and lowered himself down on one knee in front Ingvild, placing the palm of his armored hand gently over the lower half of her face, effectively silencing her song. Ingvild blinked, her eyes widening in confusion as she stopped mid-note to look up at the shadow commander, who then held a finger to his helmet, signaling for her to stay quiet before moving out of the way to let her see Issei as started picking himself up, feeling just as confused as he felt strong again.
"Issei?!" She gasped, dropping to her knees beside him as she reached out to help him up. "What happened? Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I… I'm fine now," Issei answered, his voice filled with relief as he turned to Gladio and gave the shadow a nod of appreciation. "Your song. I think it had some kind of controlling effect on me."
"W-Wha… I don't understand…" Ingvild gasped, looking close to panic.
"Yeah, me neither, The moment you started singing, it felt like all my strength was just… drained away. It's really strange." Issei shook his head and said, continuing quickly to try calming her down "It's not your fault, Ingvild. I think you just have a power inside you that you don't even know about. It's not just me it affects. It's also affecting Ddraig."
[I can confirm.] Ddraig said as Boosted Gear manifested on his left arm.
"It might be a Sacred Gear, since Ingvild is part human." Issei paused, his eyebrows furrowing as he turned to Ingvild, whose expression became a mix of surprise and uncertainty.
Still, a Sacred Gear strong enough to not just affect any dragon, but a Heavenly Dragon like Ddraig... that was unheard of. What was even more puzzling was that it didn't show up when he used Observe on Ingvild. Was it because the System had no knowledge of it, or was it because it wasn't fully awakened yet?
Azazel had mentioned that his Boosted Gear manifested shortly after he enrolled in Kuoh Academy, and before it fully awakened, no one really understood what it truly was. Raynare, for example, had even mistaken it for a Twice Critical. Could it be that Ingvild's Sacred Gear was in a similar state, still dormant or only partially awakened? If that was the case, what she just did might not even be the full scope of her power.
"A Sacred Gear? But… I never had one, did I?"
Issei smiled reassuringly, trying to ease her confusion. "I know someone who can help us. Azazel-sensei has deep knowledge about Sacred Gears. He can help us figure this out." He then sat back down beside her, a playful glint in his eye as he tried to lighten the mood. "Though I guess that means I can't enjoy your beautiful singing anytime soon, can I?"
Ingvild gave a soft, nervous laugh, still clearly shaken, but she smiled just a bit.
"Anyway," Issei said, rising to his feet and brushing the dust off his pants. "How about we clear a couple more floors before we call it a night? Might help take your mind off all this."
Ingvild looked up at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright…"
Issei offered her a hand, which she took without hesitation to let him help her up to her feet. "Good. The next two floors shouldn't be too crazy if the pattern holds. We can leave floor 50 for tomorrow."
[Day 5]
Floor 50th
Current Quest Progression: 19,697/20,000 Demon Souls
"Look at you, a commander of the dead just like me."
Issei said with a confident smirk as he walked up to the Demon Lord of the Floor 50, the [Guide of the Departed Souls, Metus, with Blade and Gladio at his side. Much like the Avaricious Vulcan, Metus was physically imposing, standing roughly twice the height of an average adult human. He possessed a skull-like face mask, curved black horns, and burning red eyes. Over his tattered black cloak, Metus wore a large bone necklace and a ragged brown shawl, with a dark green tassel draped over his waist, where a Grimoire was secured to.
Surrounding him was a vast army of undead—hundreds of hollow-eyed revenants, armored skeletons, and bloated, rotting corpses of demons. Their shrill, whispering moans filled the air as if lamenting their cursed existence, a haunting dirge that never ceased. The entire chamber reeked of death and rot, the heavy stench clinging to the air like a wet shroud, thick enough to make even breathing feel like inhaling decay.
What he was seeing… all of it was exactly why he disliked the necromancer class. The decay, the mindlessness, the absence of will—it lacked everything he had come to enjoy in his army, and it only made him appreciate his Shadow Monarch subclass that much more. His shadows were far from those hollow shells before him. They were no mere rotting minions.
"How about we see which of our armies is stronger?" Issei said with a grin, holding up Ascalon with Boosted Gear manifesting on his left arm with a flicker of crimson light. "Gladio, Blade… clear the way."
On his commands, the two commanders surged forward, tearing through the frontline of the opposing undead army like they were nothing. Gladio swung his greatsword with both hands, carving through the numerous undead demons with a single sweeping cleave that unleashed a shockwave so strong several more reanimated corpses were sent flying backward, limbs torn from their decaying bodies.
Blade, in contrast, moved like a wraith. Every step he took seemed to leave a shadowy aura in his wake, and with each movement, his daggers flashed, striking with such speed and precision that entire squads of undead were disabled before they even had a chance to react. When a demon swung a massive cleaver at him, the shadow elf simply vanished, the weapon passing harmlessly through the space where he had been. Before the demon could comprehend what just happened, he reappeared behind the demon and slashed at its neck with his dagger.
Wherever Blade moved, silence followed—except for the eerie crackle of his bloodthirsty grin, his excitement evident in the way his shadowed form weaved through the chaos, as though he could hardly contain himself.
The rest of the undead army charged at the two shadow commanders, who remained unphased by the incoming assault, Just as the first wave of revenants reached them, the rest of the entire shadow army burst forth, swarming from the sides like a tidal wave as Lycaon, who had reached max level and promoted to Elite Knight, leaped over them and tore into the undead with a thunderous landing. Each swipe of his claws released surges of lightning that rippled through the enemies around him, sending them flying backward, their bodies twitching violently as they were electrocuted mid-air while skeletal warriors shattered under the feral ferociousness of the giant armored wolf.
Behind him, the shadow army pressed the advantage, filling in the gaps he left behind and finishing off whatever survived his onslaught. Gladio, Blade, Tora, Vulcan, Tempest and Asterius led the charges, their battle prowess overwhelming any large undead that acted as the elites of the undead army, slashing, crushing, tearing apart anything that dared to stand in their path. In the distance, Ingvild stood with Glacia and Katerea, raining down the destructive magic on the undead from afar, Bolts of pressurized water and swirling dark whirlwinds laced with ice spears slammed into the advancing hordes, ripping apart undead en masse before any of them could make it out of the battlefield to charge at them.
"Surprised to see how strong my guys are?"
Metus, who had been watching with his skull mask seemingly twisting into a look of shock and horror to mirror his face underneath, looked up to see Issei standing on top of the nearby collapsed building, his Ascalon gleaming dangerously in his arm in the moonlight of the blood moon behind him.
Panicked, the Guide of Departed Souls raised his arms and uttered a desperate chant, summoning a swarm of undead demons with tattered wings and glowing red eyes. They shrieked as they launched themselves into the sky, streaking toward Issei, who stood still and let bolts of ice, pressurized water and dark magic launched past him, striking down each and every demon in the swarm with pinpoint accuracy.
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
With that said, Issei finally moved, shooting toward Metus with Ascalon lighting up like flare the moment it made contact with the necromancer, unleashing a blinding flash of light that carved through the necrotic aura around Metus as Issei slashed repeatedly at the demon, burning into every cursed fiber of his being. The Demon Lord let out a soundless scream as the light consumed him from the inside out, disintegrating his form into dust and leaving only the faint echo of his existence behind before his entire army crumbled with no more magic to sustain them.
[Guide of the Departed Souls, Metus – Defeated]
[!] Your progress in the Demon's Castle has been saved.
[!] Level up!
[!] Level up!
[EXP until Level Up: 0]
[!] Level up!
[!] You have obtained a crafting item: Metus' Mask.
Mask of the Necromancer Metus. The essences extracts from this mask can be used to refine Legendary Weapons.
[!] Current Quest Progression: 20,000/20,000 Demon Souls
[!] Quest completed!
Collect Demon Soul (I)
All rewards are available to be claimed.
"Ingvild! It's done! Come on down." Issei called, using a communication spell Ingvild had taught him to inform her before making his way over to the spot where Metus had once stood, with several orbs of light floating above the ground, being rewards that were dropped from the fallen Demon Lord. The moment that he approached them, several new notifications popped up in rapid succession, flashing across his vision just as he finished surveying the remains of the boss.
[!] You have obtained a crafting item for the [Elixir of Life] - Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes
[!] You have obtained a weapon – Thetis' Grimoire LV1
Rarity: S
Category: Elemental Catalyst
ATK 400
HP 400
Element: Water
Description: An ancient tome that holds the records of the water dragon Leviathan. At the center of the cover rests a gem known as Tears of the Vast Sea, though its glow has dulled ever after the Leviathan went rampant.
[Special Abilities]
- Song of the Sea: Empower water-based attacks by 40% of INT. When an attack lands, it has a 25% chance of inflicting [Deep Erosion] Status.
[Deep Erosion: Increase damage taken by targets that are weak to water by 24%, last for 15 second(s). When this effect ends. It deals additional [Water Damage] to the target equal to 10% of their damage taken during the duration.
- Tears of the Abyss: Summon two dragons to shoot streams of water, dealing 1420% of INT as [Water Damage]. Cooldown: 25 second(s). MP Consumption: 220
This attack will always inflict [Deep Erosion] and reset the duration of the debuff.
"Can it be more obvious…?" Issei murmured in slight disbelief as he read the description and the abilities of the Thetis' Grimoire, just as Ingvild arrived at his side, having used her wings to fly all the way to him with Glacia and Katerea following closely at her side. "Hey, Ingvild… I think you should have this."
"E-eh?" Ingvild gasped in surprise as Issei turned to her and offered her the grimoire with a small grin. Of all the things she had expected him to say first, it was definitely not what she had in mind. "Are you sure?"
Issei chuckled, giving her a reassuring nod. "Yeah. I mean… it's a water-based grimoire, and it feels like it's better suited for you. You're the only one here who could probably unlock its true potential. Truthfully, if I didn't know any better, I would think it was made for you even…"
"But… you don't want it?" Ingvild asked, glancing at the weapon.
"Nah, Elemental Catalyst is not really my thing."
"Well, if you say so…" Ingvild nodded. Slowly, she reached out and touched the grimoire. The moment her fingers brushed over the cover, the dulled blue gem in the center pulsed with sudden light, glowing brightly as if responding to her presence.
"See? Looks like you two are a good match, after all." Issei said with a grin, nodding toward the glowing tome.
Ingvild stared at it in wonder, the grimoire resting in her hands like it had always belonged there before she turned back to Issei and offered him a beaming smile. "Thank you, Issei. I'll make sure to put it to good use."
"I know that you will." Issei grinned before he turned back to the Status Window in front of him. "Now, for my rewards…"
[!] You have claimed the [High-ranking Demon] Armor Set.
[!] You have claimed the [Obsidian] Jewelry Set.
"Can't wait to try these out." Issei grinned as he opened his inventory and saw his new gears inside. From what he could tell, the sets were linked, granting special bonuses when two, four, or all eight pieces were equipped simultaneously.
Closing his Inventory, Issei then turned his attention to his third reward, the 20 bonus stat points. Normally, he would split them evenly between STR and INT, since most of his abilities scale off those two attributes. But just for this one time… Issei decided to dump all 20 points into INT. Not only would it increase the number of shadows he could extract, but more importantly for the Demon's Castle climb, it would make him even stronger.
"There we go." Issei said with a small grin. "Now, for my fourth reward…"
The last reward was a bit trickier than the others, as it was labelled as [Unrevealed Reward]. However, Issei gave the confirmation to accept it, half-expecting a special item or a stat boost. Instead, a new notification popped up before his eyes, and the moment he read it, his grin turned into an expression of pleasant surprise.
[!] Choose a class that you want to receive a job-specific special skill to.
1. Dragonsworn.
Monarch.
"Woah…" Ingvild murmured in amazement as she stood next to Issei, her eyes scanning the floating interface in front of him. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused when she saw the thoughtful expression on his face and decided to let him make his choice in peace.
"… Tough call." Issei said, his eyes flickering seriously between the two options before finally making up his mind "Confirm Shadow Monarch."
[!] You have selected: Shadow Monarch.
You may choose one skill of the below.
1. Monarch's Domain (LV1): Allow the Player to project his own shadow to create an area in which any shadow fighting within will receive a 50% stat increase. No mana required.
Exchange (LV1): Allow the Player to switch places with any of his shadows. Allies in direct physical contact with the Player can travel with them during the exchange. Cooldown: 3 hours (The cooldown period will change according to the skill level)
"Wait, does that mean I teleport out of this place with you if I take the second skill?" Issei asked in surprise, glancing over to Ingvild after reading the description of the second skill. The first skill was incredibly useful, no doubt about it. A battlefield-wide buff to all his shadows could turn the tide in a major fight.
But at the same time, the second skill was a whole lot more valuable for him and his companion right now. Ingvild needed to have her Sleep Disease checked, and he needed Azazel to look over her to figure out what was causing her singing to drain all of his strength. Both of these, if left unchecked for too long, could lead to serious consequences.
"It'd seem so…" Ingvild answered, though feeling unsure herself.
"I have decided. Confirm, Shadow Exchange!" Issei announced, and instantly the skill was added to his list of available skills. "I have some guys stored inside my friends' shadows to watch over them. We can use one of them to get out of here."
Despite saying that, Issei knew using one of the shadows he had assigned to watch over his friends might not be the best choice, just because he had no idea what had been going on in the Underworld during the 5 days of his absence despite the fact that he should be well-informed. That being said, it didn't mean he didn't have a better option, and he couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back for choosing to attract one of his shadows to her a while ago while she was staying in Kuoh.
"Come on, Ingvild. Let's get out of here. We will finish the rest of this Castle later." Issei said, offering Ingvild his hand. The lavender haired girl smiled before placing her hand in his, and in the next moment, tendrils of shadow wrapped around them as Issei activated his skill.
[Skill Activated] – Shadow Exchange
In the blink of an eye, Issei and Ingvild vanished, swallowed by the darkness that burst forth around them, leaving the lone shadow trooper standing in their place, confusion spreading across his expression as he scanned the battlefield littered with demon and rotten corpses where they had once stood.
[High-Ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1)
Rank: S
2-Piece Passives: Increase all attributes by 10%
4-Piece Passives: Taking damage has a 20% chance to trigger [Demonic Resilience, reducing all incoming damage by 40% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 35 seconds.
[Obsidian] Jewelry Set
Rank: S
2-Piece Passive: When the wearer has 70% more of their maximum MP, the damage dealt of INT-scaled attacks and spells increases by 30%.
4-Piece Passive: The Damage Dealt Increase effect potency increases to60 this effect now triggers when the user is at40 more of their maximum MP.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil / Dragon
Class: Level 50 Dragonsworn / Level 33 Shadow Monarch
HP: 23,645/23,645
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic] : 6810/6810
Link Gauge: 120/120
Title: Champion of the Dragons
Strength: 250 (25)
Vitality: 209 (21)
Intelligence: 227 (22)
Dexterity: 214 (21)
Perception: 194 (19)
Charisma: 184 (18)
Unassigned Level: 3
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV3), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1), Karma (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV4), Transfer (LV4), Penetrate (LV4), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Jump (Max Level – Equipment Ability), Observe (LV2), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV2), Shadow Exchange (LV1)
Active spells: Fire balls (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV4 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV2 – Lightning Dragon Pact Affected), Water Blast (LV1), Earth Shield (LV1), ...
Current Pacts: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV3, Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat (Fire) – Pact LV1, Rassei (Lightning) – Pact LV1.
Current Active Pact [3/5] : Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV3
Current Shadows: 281 / 420 (Wolves 29. Panthers 18. Shadow Troop 118. Shadow Elementals 27. Magicians 34. Shadow Elves 42. Fallen Angels 13.)
Elite Rank Shadows: Asterius (Knight), Vulcan (Knight), Tempest (Knight), Lycaon (Elite Knight), Tora (Elite Knight), Blade (Elite Knight), Gladio (Elite Knight), Glacia (Elite Knight), Katerea (Elite Knight).
Items: Boosted Gear (LV5), Razan's Blade (LVMAX), Magitek General's Helmet (LVMAX), 1.[High-ranking Demon] Armor Set (LV1), [Obsidian] Jewelry Set (LV1), Kamish's Awaken (LV?), Key to the Demon's Castle, Ascalon R1 (LV40), Orb of Avarice, Yarn of Ariadne.
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3...
Gold: 15.251.720 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Scale Mail (LV.2 – Pact Affected), Soul Link (LV1).
Finisher: Rage of the Fire Dragon (Crimson Scale Mail), Twinflare (Soul Link), Hammer and Anvil (Soul Link)
Sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander - Igirs, Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear -Tank.
End of Chapter 29