As she rose to her feet a surge of warmth coursed through her body as though she were ablaze from within and she glanced down at herself feeling a potent power coursing through her veins and with each step she took the ground trembled beneath her indicating her newfound strength however she didn't sense any drastic changes within herself apart from feeling stronger. Could it be that by accepting Nethergasm's memories she had also acquired his powers? Or had she overlooked something else entirely?
It became evident that Nethergasm was despised by humanity so how would she navigate the world once she escaped from this place?
'Damn. Why on earth did you have to enslave humanity.' She grumbled irritably frustrated by the weight of his actions.
Taking a deep breath, she sought to harness and control her newfound powers because she couldn't afford to cause earthquakes once she found a way out. The immense power within her felt like a suppressed force eager to be unleashed creating an uncomfortable sensation akin to holding back an uncontrollable blaze and additionally she had to grapple with the unfamiliarity of her male anatomy and realized she would need to understand how to navigate and utilize it despite her prior disinterest in the male gender.
She took deliberate measured breaths with each step gradually finding a rhythm that helped her restrain her powers and it was a relief to discover a way to control the explosive energy within her however a sudden sneeze shattered her concentration and a powerful wave surged forth from her body obliterating the nearby stones.
'Damn hay fever.' She grumbled scratching her nose in irritation.
Continuing her journey, she suddenly caught sight of a radiant red light in the distance and fueled by curiosity she hastened towards it. As she drew closer she observed a rectangular red screen hovering above her head and intrigued she gazed at the intricate golden symbols that adorned the screen pulsating with arcane energy and at the top an unfamiliar name was displayed.
'Arcanabula.' Reading the name aloud the system seemed to merge with her triggering a warm rush throughout her body and startled she let out a small scream, the unfamiliarity of her male voice sounding disconcerting.
A torrent of information flooded her mind threatening to overwhelm her and intensifying her headache she learned that she was in a place called Abyssal Echo and the power she sensed within her was known as Spirit Torrent a unique force that surged through her granting her various powers and abilities. The interface blinked and a list of skills appeared before her eyes and curious she examined the first four options.
Shadowflame: Conjure and manipulate dark flames with an otherworldly intensity, disintegrating anything you touch.
Abyssal Shroud: Envelop yourself in a shadowy energy shroud providing enhanced durability and protection against attacks.
Soulrend: Tap into your inner darkness to unleash a devastating projectile that rends enemies' souls.
Netherstep: Teleport short distances vanishing into shadows and reappearing elsewhere instantly granting unparalleled mobility in battle.
'These are skills, and this world is referred to as a game called Shadowfall Ascension.' She muttered puzzled by the concept of a game as it was unfamiliar to her.
She speculated on its meaning aware that humans seemed to categorize everything as a game and although there were numerous skills available she didn't feel the need to acquire them all and had no intention of sowing chaos once she emerged into the outside world. Now as a demon lord she possessed immense strength and recalled the words of the oracles: 'With strength comes responsibility' Thus she chose to maintain a low profile if possible while she sought a way out of this body and the game world. Remarkably the game world mirrored the structure of the spirit realm with its magical elements, creatures and abilities which gave her a sense of familiarity despite her lack of understanding regarding the concept of a game. Everything seemed to be a game for humanity, and they existed within this game so she pondered who had created it and what purpose it served.
As she continued walking, a moment later she reached the end and stepped outside into a breathtaking sight. The sky above was a brilliant blue populated by majestic creatures which soared through the air, and it resembled the enchanted forests of the spirit realm where magical creatures roamed and for a fleeting moment she thought she had ended up in that mystical realm. Standing atop a mountain peak she gazed down upon a long wide river that snaked its way forward giving the illusion of being alive.
With limited access to skills and a desire to remain inconspicuous she surveyed her surroundings, and her attention was drawn to a shadowy figure farther down the mountain. Activating Netherstep she swiftly descended the mountain landing at the bottom and as she glanced around her gaze fell upon a pack of black wolves however upon spotting her they instinctively kept their distance.
'Am I truly that repulsive?' She muttered feeling a twinge of offense yet also longing for her former average yet beautiful spirit body.
Now trapped within the form of a despised demon lord she lamented the choice she made to consume the ill-fated sandwich and regretted it deeply vowing never to eat sandwiches again as she would prefer to remain in the body of a demon lord than end up in a weakened form. Walking onward she noticed that all animals and beasts avoided her taking detours or fleeing in fear and she let out a deep sigh feeling the sting of their avoidance. Despite belonging to a demon lord her face retained its perfect and beautiful features causing her distress that others couldn't see past the demonic nature.
Not long after she spotted a group of people engaged in a fierce battle against a towering monster standing at three meters in height.
Geoshade.
Its formidable form consisted entirely of solid rock and earth adorned with rough jagged formations reminiscent of a living towering mountain. The creature's surface displayed an array of browns and grays lending it a weathered and ancient appearance and its massive limbs caused tremors with each step and its arms ended in large stone-like appendages with sharp rocky protrusions that it used to strike and crush the people. The crest of jagged rocks adorned its head framing its glowing eyes which burned with intense orange hues and low rumbling growls emanated from its maw reverberating throughout the area.
The individuals battling it appeared to be humans and despite her disdain for them she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt knowing that Nethergasm had enslaved them in the past even though she had no desire to save them a sense of duty compelled her.
'Fucking feelings.' She grumbled irritably running toward the group while conjuring a dark flame prepared to engage in combat.