The sun emerged once again, signifying the beginning of a new day for young Zephyr. The previous night devoid of sleep, he simply was far too occupied contemplating how things were gonna be from now on. But before diving into his daily activities Zephyr decided to check his profile.
"Open Character Profile."
[Opening Character Profile]
[Name: Zephyr Everwood
Age: 16
Level: 6
Exp: 7593.75/9765.625
Stats:
Strength-15
Speed-13
Health-11
Dexterity-11
Intelligence-14
SP: 2
QI: 1400
HP: 1,000,000,000,000
Skills: Bloodlust(0), Regeneration(10), Danger Sense(0), Hand of God(40), The Fist of God(100), Void Blast(200)
Inventory: World Splitter, Spawn Repulsion Heart
Mission: Clear an entire Spawn field within the allotted time limit
Rewards- 1000exp, the active skill The King of Kings
Penalty- Death
Time Limit- 11days
Realms: Divine Training Room
Soldiers: 1]
'That should be good enough for now.' He thought while assessing himself, when a realization came upon him.
"Hey system, why hasn't anyone commented on my change in appearance?" He queried, intrigued by the lack of attention paid to his new self.
[A sudden change in appearance would have drawn unneeded suspicion upon the host]
[There is currently an illusion cast upon the body of the host to conceal your new looks. It will slowly dissipate over time, making it seem like the hosts physic has evolved gradually]
"Well at least you've got it covered." Zephyr acknowledged. And with that settled he stood up, finally prepared to start the new day.
Maya had woken up not long after, as she began to get herself ready. After getting all of her preparations done she slowly approached Zephyr, pausing by his side and getting a glimpse of the sunrise before it ended.
"So, what's your plan now?" She asked, curious about Zephyrs' next steps.
Zephyr paused for a moment before letting out.
Taking a moment to consider, Zephyr replied.
"For now, we wait for a full rescue team with vehicles to arrive and transport us."
'It's gonna be a while before that happens, but it's not like there are any other options' He thought, before something else crossed his mind.
"Do you know about the golden blur?" Zephyr asked.
Maya stared at him for a moment before a sigh escaped her lips.
*Sigh*
"Are you for real?"
Taken aback by her response Zephyr pressed on.
"What do you mean?" He asked hoping to get an explanation from her.
"The golden blur is the entity responsible for dealing with recent catastrophes," Maya explained, her words dripping with a hint of sarcasm.
He then realized that he was the one Nikko was referring to. After all there were witnesses to his feats, but luckily his identity had remained hidden.
"Seriously, were you in another world or something?" She asked, curious as to how he hadn't known any of this.
"Heh, you could say something like that." He said with a chuckle.
As they continued their conversation, Zephyr received an unexpected message from the system, reshaping his plans once more.
[The system has decided to help the host]
'Wait what?' He subconsciously said.
[The host will be teleported to the edge of the western beast plains during sunset and will be returned to his designated spawn point at sunrise]
[Set spawn point ______]
"Um, Maya, excuse me for a bit." Zephyr said as he left her side to sort his thoughts.
"Alright, this is a good thing. Now I don't need to worry how I'll get there and back without an issue."
"Wait, can my spawn point be attached to anything."
[Yes]
"Ok my spawn should be..."
He paused while thinking of what to say.
"The campfire we set up."
[Spawn point set]
[Dummy Body set]
"Dummy body?" The concept intrigued him.
[This item will serve as your surrogate during the night]
"Got it," Zephyr acknowledged, understanding the necessity of such a measure.
[Adjusting time limit]
"What!" His surprise was evident in his voice.
[Time has been reduced to five days, 12 hours]
"What the hell was that for?"
[The host can only be present for a maximum of 12hrs each day, so he would only need half the time]
A grunt escaped Zephyr as he processed the system's adjustment. He resumed his day, aiding in camp duties and keeping the girls company.
Meanwhile, the generals of chaos observed the aftermath of the battle in disbelief. Within the throne room of the demon monarch, Azriel, Diol, and Null gathered around a miniaturized dimensional rift.
"Unprecedented," Azriel mused.
"A mortal with such power is inconceivable," Diol added, his gaze fixed on the rift displaying the battle between Zephyr and the Dark Lord.
While Null, simply remained silent about the whole matter.
"So what shall we do about this?" Asked Azriel, pondering over whether they should inform Diablo or not.
"I think we should see where this goes?"
Both the Shadow Knight and the World Destroyer turned their heads in shock towards the source of the sound. Their jaws dropped as they came to the realization that it was none other than Null.
"Wait you can talk?" They both said in unison, surprised at the sudden speech of the entity.
But without nothing else to be said the trio agreed to just continue on watching over the human for now.
Unknown to them, Diablo remained hidden nearby, a silent observer of their conversation
'Things are getting interesting' He thought while looking towards the rift as his intentions remained veiled.
Zephyr however suddenly looked right at them just for a brief second as if knowing he was being watched.
'Very interesting indeed'
Zephyr, meanwhile, felt an eerie sensation, as if being watched. He instinctively scanned his surroundings but found nothing amiss. Shaking off the feeling, he continued his activities until twilight approached.
Soon the sun was almost set as the day ended; many people had begun gathering together in groups just as they did the previous night. Maybe it was a result of the need for warmth or supplies, but none could deny that primarily it was human nature at its best. People worked with each other with a common goal in mind, to survive until every one of them gets saved, it was such a rare sight that it gave Zephyr reassurance that Nikko and Maya would be alright, even with his absence.
He walked towards the campfire and settled down next to it, bidding Maya and Nikko a good night. In an instant, he found himself transported to the edge of the beast plains.
The beast planes were occupied by three S-class spawn beasts, dividing the land into three individual territories, creating what is known as a spawn field. Each field is relatively the same size, spanning across thousands of kilometers in width.
Zephyr looked onward into the hellscape of a biome, hoping to get this over with as quickly as possible.
I took a few steps into the field, taking note of the environment and its characteristics. It was a large expansive wasteland, littered with bones and rotting flesh. There wasn't a green plant in sight, leaving only the occasional dead tree that dots the landscape. Only scavengers could be seen in the sky as they fought each other to death for scraps of degrading flesh and pools of contaminated water.
What was most noticeable though was the green and black soil, which seemed to be an amalgamation of waste materials and charred rock from long ago, further proving the unnatural formation of this place. These conditions made it impossible for any life to flourish yet the spawn still thrive, showing their monstrous nature as demon kin.
Barely a few minutes had gone by when the ground began to tremble. It was as if hundreds of feet were marching towards Zephyr, as a large dust cloud heralded from his left. The perpetual howls could be heard as they echoed through the night sky making the atmosphere all the more eerie.
As the dust cloud got closer and closer radiant green eyes came into his view, numbering in the hundreds.
This all but more confirmed the identity of the approaching creatures to Zephyr, as a smirk enveloped upon his face.
"Hell hounds."
They were some of the weakest spawn within this field, yet each one of them were ranked as a D-class beast, indicating their strength akin to that of a fallen angel.
They came towards me like a dark tide, united in their desire to tear me limb from limb.
"Open Inventory." I calmly said as I selected the world splitter.
The neon blue blade cast an eerie glow around my surroundings. The hellhounds growled at the sight of this otherworldly weapon, as their dark red fur contrasted against the blue luminescence.
Each hound bore elongated canines, honed to perfection for ripping apart prey. Their armor-like dark red fur seemed impervious to harm, capable of withstanding an onslaught of modern artillery. Finally, their glowing green eyes were their most notable feature, practically engineered for nocturnal hunting.
"Hmm, let's get this over with."
From the pack a vanguard of hounds charged forth with ferocious intent. Their razor-sharp teeth snapped in anticipation for the meal they dreamed off. The first to reach him leaped with savage hunger, aiming to sink its teeth into his arm.
*Slash*
With a blur of motion, a single slash of his katana flashed, a streak of blue light slicing through the air. The unruly hellhound collapsed, its body bisected in a gory manner. The others slowed their approach as a daunting realization came upon them of the danger that was ahead. They then ensued a collective retreat from heading into battle steadfast. Their prior aggression had been replaced by dread as they cowered in fear of the current predicament.
"It's too late for that now." A cold, yet murderous tone echoed in the air, followed by a series of deathly howls..
Hellhounds trembled as they beheld the carnage before them, those who had rushed ahead lay lifeless, their torn forms evidence of the futility of the situation. The field was now a graveyard of their kin, and the silence that followed a representation of their deaths.
Perhaps one strike will suffice," Zephyr's voice held a chilling calmness as he clenched his katana, raising it high above his head.
The heavens seemed to shudder in anticipation of the impending strike. Panic rippled through the pack, an instinctual dread had alerted them of the disaster to come. He was prepared to split the earth with a single strike, causing uproar among the wolves as they tried to escape In the moment when the blade was poised to descend, a distant shout reverberated, its intensity shattering the tense atmosphere.
"How dare you weaklings go hunting behind my back!!!" Someone proclaimed; fury ever present in their tone.
Zephyr's gaze shifted past the hellhounds, landing on a singular figure that approached. An authoritative stance marked its burly, muscular frame, and its claws gleamed like deathly scythes. Its entire body was enveloped in fiery red fur, but it was the wolf-like head, adorned with amber yellow eyes, that set it apart.
The other hounds, even in the wake of panic cleared a path for this new entity, acknowledging its supremacy to themselves. It closed the distance with Zephyr and growled at the pitiable state of its pack, its rage now redirected towards Zephyr. The beast stood a staggering seven meters, looking down on the human before it.
"System, identify this creature."
[Opening Character Profile
Name: Cerberus, King of The Outskirts
Age: 13
Stats: None
Level: None
Exp: None
Skills: Body Enhancement, Bloodlust, Rot
Inventory: Empty
Rank: C]
'Nothing too impressive, other than the title' Zephyr thought his gaze unwavering on the formidable foe.
"It seems like you possess some noteworthy power, for a human."
Even though he may have said that with a straight face, anyone could tell that he was masking a massive surge of killing intent with that tone of neutrality. So I decided to let some of my aura slip out, just to even the playing field.
The hellhound let out a low growl, a precursor to its explosive fury
"DIE!!!" He bellowed as a barrage of attacks burst forth aimed at Zephyr.
Zephyr on the other hand moved with agility akin to wind, dodging the onslaught with a sort of grace, infuriating the pack leader even more.
The world was a blur of motion as Cerberus's relentless assault met its match in Zephyr's swift maneuvers. Though the battle was a spectacle at first it only got more and more tiresome for Zephyr.
"ENOUGH OF THIS, I AM THE ALPHA AND I WILL NOT FALL TO SOME MORTAL!!!"
He then used the skill body enhancement; a grotesque metamorphosis that caused Cerberus's form to swell with newfound power. His muscles bulged, his claws extended to even deadlier lengths, and his coat of fiery fur seemed to radiate an infernal heat.
"FEAST UPON MY ULTIMATE SKILL!!!"
Cerberus's roar shattered the air as he lunged with unmatched velocity. His arms coiled back, poised to deliver an annihilating blow that promised nothing but destruction in its wake.
The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave erupted, a maelstrom of force that swept away all in its path, blowing away everything within the surrounding area and rising up a massive dust cloud in its wake.
As the dust settled we see a shocking turn of events. The tremendously powerful attack given by Cerberus was completely negated; in fact it seemed that there wasn't even any effort to stop the strike. A sense of disbelief washed over the spawn, his heart beat hastened, his pupils dilated and his body which displayed an unyielding stance began to quiver.
His breathing ragged, Cerberus's voice stuttered as he managed to utter.
"Y-You're n-n-not h-h-human."
And there stood Zephyr, with both massive arms of the spawn held at bay. He exuded a deathly presence with his unwavering aura, as he looked on with a board expression.
"Is that all?"
The shockingly sinister statement was followed by an uppercut of unprecedented power. The earth quaked beneath their feet as the strike found its mark, and then there was a deafening crash as Cerberus's headless body crumpled to the ground, its fate sealed in a moment of swift and brutal retribution. Leaving only ones imagination as to what had happened to its head.
"Now where were we?" Zephyr rhetorically said, as he looked towards the now leaderless group.