As Sasaki accepted the darkness, he felt a surge of power merging with his soul. The One System informed him in his mind that this Origin power was now a part of his very being.
Unlike the Illumina system, which was tied to the body and lost upon death, the Origin power was linked to his soul. Even if he were to die and be reincarnated, his power and level would remain intact.
Multiple notifications flashed before Sasaki's eyes, confirming the upgrades to his abilities. The newfound strength within him felt like an unbreakable bond, unshakable and eternal.
Sasaki's mind reeled from the implications. He had chosen a path that went beyond mere power - a path that transcended life and death.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of dark energy coursing through him. This was his reality now, a reality where he had to navigate the thin line between destruction and creation.
[New Main Quest 1: Nurture the remaining three hobgoblin infants]
[Main Quest 1 Objective: Raise the three surviving hobgoblin infants, teach them the true meaning of demons, and unlock the true potential of demons lost in the sands of time]
[Reward: Chaos and Heart Technique]
[Additional Reward: ???]
[Penalty: Loss of Chaos and Heart]
[Deadline: 2 month]
[Quest automatically accepted]
[You can revisit the quest in the quest log tab on top of The One System]
As Sasaki glanced the quest, a flood of emotions hit him. Relief, determination, and anxiety battled within him as he contemplated the task ahead. He had intended to care for the hobgoblin infants regardless, but now he had an additional incentive. The rewards from The One System would aid him in his journey.
Before anything else, he needed to secure their location. Predators could easily ambush them, and with his level reset to one, Sasaki felt a surge of fear. How could he protect himself and the babies?
As this dilemma consumed him, another notification popped up.
[Do not fret, your level does not matter. This is just a quantitative stat to show your current progress]
[At Level 1, you've just begun your journey.]
[At Level 999, you've reached the pinnacle, becoming the God of Destruction.]
[At Level 999+, you've surpassed even that, qualifying to become the God of Destruction.]
[Your damage does not depend on your level now but on the amount of chaos energy you can channel from your Mana Heart and the Chaos Ring]
[Every attack will deal 100% damage to mortals under normal conditions, but with 100 chaos energy, you cannot kill anyone. That is the only difference]
Sasaki realized the power of chaos was on a different level than mana. His every skill could instantly kill an opponent. It was the ultimate overpower skill. He felt a bit relieved but knew it wasn't enough. His chaos energy was low, and he couldn't defend against large numbers of opponents.
Despite his newfound power, Sasaki had to raise the hobgoblin infants. He began strategizing. They were in a secure place, deep in the hobgoblin king's lair, where his plague skill couldn't reach. This provided some relief, but he needed to act quickly.
He pondered over what he needed to survive for one month: food, shelter, firewood for warmth, and water. With these thoughts in mind, Sasaki moved outside the lair to gather resources.
He knew there were no humans nearby; the island was isolated, and it would take months for anyone to arrive. In a rush, Sasaki went outside to gather trees.
Using his brute strength, he punched trees to break them in half and piled up enough wood for months. For food, he found preserved supplies in the lair, kept cool by ice magic to prevent decay.
A natural pond in the lair provided water, with drips from the roof replenishing it. The only resource he needed to gather outside was wood.
He grabbed a bunch of tree logs and moved them into the infants' room, taking half an hour to gather every last log.
Next, he needed to close the lair's entrance to prevent predators from sneaking in. Sasaki wanted to create a natural deception, covering the entrance to blend it with the surroundings.
Sasaki first entered inside the lair and then he smashed the entrance, continuing to destroy the roof and create a long path of destruction. From above, it would look like a flat, rocky area with nothing but a pile of rocks.
For now, Sasaki had done everything he could to make the lair blend into the natural landscape. It wasn't perfect, but it would suffice. Once he increased his chaos energy, he would improve the camouflage to ensure no one would ever suspect it was a lair.
With the lair secured, Sasaki turned his attention to the hobgoblin infants. He felt a sense of resolve. Despite the doubts and fears, he knew what he had to do. He would nurture these infants and unlock their true potential, no matter what he had to face in order to survive.
Sasaki, using his sheer strength, began chopping wood inside the room. With a single sweep of his palm, he created many logs, spending hours until he had a substantial pile.
The room was enormous, feeling like a mile from one end to the other. Sasaki placed the logs at the far back of the room, ensuring they were safely away from the bonfire.
Time flew by with his activities outside, but inside the cave, darkness reigned. Only small gaps between the debris of rocks allowed air to pass through.
Sasaki fashioned a few logs into a triangular shape and, using the primal method of creating friction, sparked a fire. He didn't yet know how to use fire magic, so he relied on this basic technique to ignite the wood.
The bonfire cast a warm glow in the room, banishing the darkness. Its light surrounded Sasaki and the infants, bringing a sense of comfort. After his transformation, Shadow lived quietly within Sasaki's shadow. The fire provided warmth, and the babies slept soundly, it being nighttime.
Sasaki had also created a bed for the infants, ensuring it was tall with long borders so they wouldn't accidentally fall and touch the fire. He watched over them throughout the whole night.