Amidst the vast expanse of the Divine Training Room, an endless white void, a scene of utter decimation unfolded, stretching as far as the eye could discern. The once expansive floor had transformed into a rugged canyon, the result of intense battles waged between Zephyr and his golden companions.
Standing atop the summit of a mountain of rubble was a lone figure; his presence striking and commanding. With his smooth, flowing black hair cascading over a perfectly chiseled face, he exuded an aura of otherworldly elegance. His muscles which were already fine tuned in the past couldn't compare as his current state seemed like that a Greek gods. His skin, which was once concealed by his casual clothes, was now bare, smeared with his own blood; a testament to the struggles he faced during the arduous confrontations. His blue trousers, torn and reduced to shorts, were the last vestige of his original attire.
He suddenly smiled at the view cast upon his vision.
"Aren't you meant to have a self repair attribute for this world?"
[The Divine Training Room will be repaired and strengthened once the host leaves]
"How long have I been in here anyway? There aren't any means for me to measure time."
[This is the eighth day the host has spent here]
"So I'm finally done here, but just before I leave let's see how much I've grown. Open character profile."
[Name: Zephyr Everwood
Age: 16
Level: 5
Exp: 1387.5/3906.25
Stats:
Strength-9
Speed-7
Health-4
Dexterity-5
Intelligence-5
SP: 25
QI: 500
HP: 100,000
Skills: Bloodlust(0), Regeneration(10), Danger Sense(0), Hand of God(40), The Fist of God(100)
Inventory: World Splitter
Mission: Clear an entire Spawn field within the allotted time limit
Rewards- 1000exp, the active skill The King of Kings
Penalty- Death
Time Limit- 13days
Realms: Divine Training Room
Soldiers: 1]
"So I only leveled up twice huh, well let's at least distribute my stats."
[Name: Zephyr Everwood
Age: 16
Level: 5
Exp: 1387.5/3906.25
Stats:
Strength-13
Speed-10
Health-10
Dexterity-9
Intelligence-10
SP: 4
QI: 1000
HP: 100,000,000,000
Skills: Bloodlust(0), Regeneration(10), Danger Sense(0), Hand of God(40), The Fist of God(100)
Inventory: World Splitter
Mission: Clear an entire Spawn field within the allotted time limit
Rewards- 1000exp, the active skill The King of Kings
Penalty- Death
Time Limit- 13days
Realms: Divine Training Room
Soldiers: 1]
A massive amount of energy surges through his body as his stats are enhanced, enough so that his features become even more defined.
"With this amount of strength, I could easily subjugate an entire civilization, I may even be able to survive planet level attacks." I pondered at the unimaginable power the system had given me.
Then with a deathly serious tone I simply asked.
"What is the purpose of all this, what's you final objective."
[That information is restricted until the host reaches level 50]
"Don't give that crap, this is the kind of power even the generals would be wary of and you say I can't know why I have it!"
There was no response from the system.
"Tsk, forget about it. I guess I'll just have to reach level 50 sooner than later."
[Does the host wish to leave?]
"Yes."
The gate that leads to the mortal realm appears right before him, and he walks right through it. As he passes through realms the sensation he felt before no longer prevailed, it was like he had gotten too strong to be under its effects anymore. He arrived right where he came from in his bedroom, the clock by his bed stating it was only 5AM.
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
Soon after his arrival within the confines of his bedroom a peculiar beeping sound rung endlessly in the mind of Zephyr, as if a signal to warn him of some kind of threat or danger.
[Danger Sense Active]
[The hosts' companion in danger]
The systems message rung in my mind, this was the first time danger sense had been activated catching me a little off guard.
"Could it be Naomi?" I questioned as my first instinct were to find out if she was alright.
Rushing downstairs, in an instant I checked to ensure she was still at home safe and sound. Jolting towards her room I opened the door abruptly, slamming it against the wall.
*SLAM*
"Oni-Chan, whaaat are you doing here so eeeearly?" She asked, the drowsiness of sleep still consuming her.
"Nothing, just wanted to make sure you're ok." He said, seemingly assured of his sisters' safety.
*Yawn*
"Of course I'm ok." She said with her eyes barely open.
"Alright, I'll let you get back to rest-" He was cut off.
"There's a letter for you, it came yesterday, but I totally forgot to give you."
"Who's it from." He asked curious to the identity of sender.
"Nikko-San." She said before dozing off.
"Nikko, wait, could the system be referring to her?"
A shocking realization came upon Zephyr; she was the only other person close to him. In a dash he rushed to read the letter sent, only to be shocked its contents. In midst of the chaos Nikko had decided to move in with a friend of hers located in the city of Leviathan.
"Dammit, why the hell did she have to move to the very edge of the Empire."
The Federated Union of Arcadia is divided into 4 states; Verdant, Haven peak, Azure Bay and Aetherwind. Willow Fall being the capital city existed separately from the main states as its own entity. There are many cities within each state, Leviathan in particular existed within the state of Aetherwind, at the very edge of the empires borders.
The beeping kept incessantly ringing within Zephyrs' mind, leaving one to wonder what dire occurrence had begun.
In the city of Leviathan, a distance away, the fabric of normalcy had been torn apart, and chaos reigned with a malevolent grip. What was once a bustling metropolis now stood as a harrowing tableau of horror and despair. An unholy assembly had risen from the shadows. A group of undead had arrived, filling the air with their tainted presence, there was only one group that could have caused this hellish scenario; The Cult of Diablo.
Screams pierced the air like shards of shattered glass, carried by the wind that seemed to mourn the city's downfall. The cries of terror, anguish, and despair echoed across the land, a mournful symphony of suffering. Families were torn apart, lives shattered, and hopes extinguished in the wake of this calamity. Yet there was a single individual who stood steadfast in the face of this catastrophe. An unidentified man in a dark cloak looked ahead with dreary eyes.
"This isn't how its' meant to be."
*Huff*
*Huff*
"Diablo, lied to us."
FLASHBACK
As night fell and the sun descended, a malevolent organization had gathered under the guise of the moonlight, ready to perform another occult ritual. These people were no other than the Cult of Diablo. Beneath the city of Leviathan, they had established one of many of their branches within the bowels of the city, in which they prepared for another one of their many incantations.
The entrance to the cult's hideout is cleverly disguised as an ordinary warehouse; past its shelves at the very end is an iron clad door. It leads to a narrow, winding underground path, lined with flickering torches, revealing an entrance hidden behind a pair of massive golden doors. It is adorned with ominous symbols, paying homage to Diablo, the members who wish to pass present their arms towards a scanner. For a brief second a bright light flashed upon the symbol on their wrists, which was some sort of QR code.
A brief moment later the door opens up revealing the main chamber. Upon entering, followers are greeted by a vast, dimly lit chamber carved from natural rock. Its walls are adorned with sinister carvings depicting scenes of chaos and destruction. The air is heavy with the scent of incense and candle smoke, and the flickering light from candles cast eerie, dancing shadows across the walls.
At the center of the chamber lies a large, intricately designed platform, etched into the stone floor, where the cult performs their occult rituals. An altar carved from obsidian stands in the center, adorned with relics and offerings meant to appease Diablo's insatiable appetite for power.
The thirteen elders, the heads of the cult had all gathered for some sort of auspicious event. Each of them clad in black robes and adorned with archaic jewelry, they emitted a sinister aura which could grip the soul of any that were faint of heart. But how could the faint of heart exist within a group such as this? Even today they were prepared to perform an awakening ritual on thirteen kidnapped victims.
These people were taken by force from their loved ones, only to be whipped, chained and starved for weeks until the sacred day. The elders each held a position around the alter with knife in hand. In their other hand was a syringe, containing a blue fluid within it. The entire chamber went silent as the elders each nodded their heads to commence the ritual. One by one each of the captives were brought from their chains, forcefully being handed over into the arms of the elders. They were easily subdued due to their lack of energy and forced upon the alter, awaiting their fate. And thus in unison, the elders each struck the sacrifices with their blades, opening a gaping hole in their chests. The immense feeling rushed through their bodies as they wailed in agony, the alter ran red as the people squirmed around, trying to escape from their bounds. Alas the torture did not end there, the blades suddenly stabbed into them once again, but this time the damage was directed towards a certain organ. Their hearts were being ripped out as they were conscious, feeling every agonizing cut and slice. The absolute terror that crept within them was unbearable, most losing consciousness, others bit their lower lips off to diverge the ache convulsing within their chests.
This grueling process lasted for nearly an half hour, and then it stopped. Each of the elders held in their hands a blood red, beating heart. The other followers could not help but contain their joy, seemingly ecstatic at the fact that they no longer have to bare the wails of the victims. The victims however, were no longer alive, their souls having left their bodies long ago, due to the excessive torture enacted upon them.
One of the elders then suddenly spoke up.
"Rejoice, for it is time to attempt the awakening of the undead king, the dark lord of legend on this auspicious day."
Another then spoke.
"For those who are not direct descendants of the original clan, this information is crucial."
Then the one who spoke next was the person whose memories we are viewing right now.
"The undead king; he is the promised emissary of our lord The Demon Monarch Diablo, given in legend to our ancestral clan. The legend foretold of an undead human, with the blood and might of a demon, as well as the sanity and understanding of a human, and his might shall be incomparable to that of any angel. Diablo gave us these phrases which lead us to the development of this ritual."
Then in unison they all spoke.
"The heart of a man and the blood of a devil."
"If the ritual is right, I will grant you my blessing."
Immediately they all injected the demon blood within the hearts, and in a grotesque and unsettling manner the color of the hearts changes blue as they begin to violently beat faster. Their size increases as the demonic blood diffuses into every craves within the hearts.
"Due to the rise of the spawn, we have experimented with the ritual to give failed undead, but today one of these sacrifices will become the undead king!!!"
The cultists chant aloud to the words of their leaders as the second part of the ritual begins. Just as their hearts were viciously cut out, they were sown right back into place. This level of expertise requires some level of surgical knowledge, leaving one to wonder what kind lives the elders lived beforehand. And in less than an hour, the hearts are sown back into place, the blood of the spawn pumping right through the veins of the bodies. For a brief moment nothing happens until the elders chant together.
"THE HEART OF A MAN AND THE BLOOD OF A DEVIL!!!"
"IF THE RITUAL IS RIGHT, GRANT US YOUR BLESSING!!!"
The color of the skies changes hues, as a spiraling storm encircles the ritual grounds. The cries of the elder make their way towards the chaos realm, gaining the attention of more than just the lower ranks.