Walking to the door I saw another white board with a bit of writing on it, let's see what it says? "For the first level I want you to slay a thousand demons and manage to get your very first demonic soul, try your best, and when you enter the room, there'll be a tablet with more info on it."
It told me but I didn't believe it. . . Like what the fuck?!?!
He wants me to do what?! Kill a thousand demons now!
"Fuck, he really wants to kill me doesn't he. . . Damn it..."
Not even bothering re-reading the board for any secret hints I'm pretty sure he shot out at me. I grabbed a door handle and shot the door open. . .Seeing another room?
This one was spacious though, like an auditorium.
And going into the new room, I saw the tablet in the mid center of the room. Walking over to it, there wasn't even anyone else inside here, so I looked down at the tablet.
"Bla Bla Bla, feeling life energy from the newly dead, and drawing it to you until a soul emerges, bla Bla Bla, so he wants me to focus mana around my hand... an grab it?"
Reading it to the "best of my extent" I looked back up.
But there was still nothing, not even a door in here.
Looking behind me, the door I came out of was still there, but it seemed to be changing colors as well?
from a dark oak-ish color, to a dirty glass green color.
Up until it suddenly turned into a pure solid glass door?
But I didn't get what that meant, and crossing my arms expecting something to come out, I waited, and minutes went by but nothing happened. . . Until I felt a rumbling?
Looking down, the ground began to fall from under the tablet, and widening my eyes, I didn't know if this was apart of the training, or... Something was interfering?
But not losing myself to it, I calmly jumped as the floor fell under me, and revealed to be another copy of this same room, with a hill of chairs and floor tiles piled.
And surrounding it, was a scatter of red and green?.."!"
. . . . .Meanwhile. . . . .
"So what's the plan for Aster, Asmodeus?" Igris, one of Asmodeus's demon generals asked as he was kneeling in front of him in the observation room of the dungeon. All focused on observing the newborns that'd later become additions to his army.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Well, I'm going to train him as best as I can, he wanted help, so I'll give him what he has to need, I can't do everything, but I can at least prepare him"
Hearing that, Igris tilted his head, unsure of all this.
"I don't get it? Boss, do you mind explaining it to me?"
"Sure thing. Aster asked if I could train him, honestly I already wanted to personally do it, but the others kept pestering me that I'd kill him even if I held everything back. So I've been thinking of ways to train him, and I came up with a three-step plan"
"Such as?" he asked, now intrigued by his superior.
Catching that, he grinned and turned over to face Igris, "First, I'll be destroying his foundation," but upon hearing that, it brought a sudden shock to his demon general.
"But why-!" he was then cut off by Asmodeus.
"Let me finish" he stated, with an overpowering glair.
"Yes! Sorry fath-" but then he cut himself off, "-Sir"
"As I was saying kiddo, I'm going to absolutely destroy any foundation he has, the next on my agenda is to re-instate it, creating a new one before he gets attached too much to demon lord Balor, and or his past influences. He needs a new one"
Rubbing his chin, "Zim and Me already thought of this day a long time ago, and just as anticipated Zim and Aster have the same fire affinity in their magic. Zim because he's a magma slime and Aster because of the sorcerer stone located in his heart"
"Because Aster's yet to absorb it, he needs a solid foundation to stabilize his powers before he reaches Rank 5, in a sense, I'm trying to prepare him for his first evolution"
Not understanding what he meant by that, "What do you mean by evolution?" Igris felt confused again by the small demon, but Asmodeus came back quickly for him.
"Due to the circumstances of Aster's birth, his soul is fully whole, but there's two more aspects to him that meet the eye, think of them as the souls of his originals"
"So, he's incomplete?" he said unsure.
"Actually, no. Rather he is vulnerable to influence, like I said before"
"By who? Or do you mean anything? Is he being targeted?" Igris asked confused.
"Kinda, he's too weak to be rumored, but his presence is now known by a few deities" he said sounding all nonchalant about all of it. "What about the sorcerer stone? what happens when he finally absorbs it?"
But Asmodeus just shrugged, "Meh, nothing really, it's more of an identity thing if anything, it makes us feel free from the universe's control, think of it as a path to choose our destiny, it's literally nothing, hahahah"
But Igris didn't believe him, "You made it seem like it was such a big deal though," but then a sharp gaze had him tremble as Asmodeus's eyes pierced his very soul.
"Oh it is, because it means that he could still be getting influenced by his past, as both that woman and the boy," he said with a sense of irritation in his voice, annoyed...
But then he shrugged again, "I just don't want my kid to be pressured, or get possessed, there a less simple worry to it, but other than that, I was bored, so in that case, I-"
"Wait, were you just messing with me?!"
"..."
"Asmodeus!"
"Hahaha, sorry, what else am I supposed to do when I'm so bored, muhahahah" he laughed, and Igris hit his own face, "Sometimes I forget how childish you can be"
But as he said that, Asmodeus's laughing settled down and he looked to the crystal ball with a frozen blue flow of glow radiating from his eyes, startling Igris again. . .
But Asmodeus hadn't lied about the boy's unstable formation or being targeted, but he was going to keep it to himself in case any unsettling ears were honing in on him.
"Anyhow, after giving Aster a way to develop his foundation, especially with the book on martial arts I instructed the other two to give him, and then the lessons on magic I gave him as well since he clearly knew nothing about actual magic, mainly how it really worked. I taught him its principles and limits, strategies like when you can't afford to fight closely, and when on the attack, beware of everything in your surroundings, basically the general info a Magic Ranger Class would give"
"Ah..."
"After that, he adapted unusually fast, surprising even me, and because of that I was able to get him to finally choose a skill set for his spells. His fire's for dealin' damage, while his shadows will act as a way to defend him like armor, and now, we're going to see if he has what it takes to harness souls, and use them to support and grow"
"I kind of follow, but what do you mean by that?"
"Not important"
"Alright"
But then as he looked away, Asmodeus walked up to him and knocked on his chest, "But, he's my son, just like you are, so I want to make sure he's safe, alright"
And hearing that...
Acknowledgment.
He smiled.
"Yes, Father" Igris, The Demon Of Withering Bliss