Chereads / Keep Low Profile, Hero!: Abyssbound / Chapter 7 - Chapter 6 Part II: Development

Chapter 7 - Chapter 6 Part II: Development

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"Arcane Resistives..."

Arov stared at the pencil-sized object in his hand.

After wandering around and exploring the Zone 5 area, he had finally found this item.

Getting it wasn't too hard, but what he had to be cautious of was the security system.

If he carelessly took the item from the warehouse, it would trigger mechanisms marking the disappearance of the Arcane Resistives.

Fortunately, he found the Arcane Resistives in a researcher's office instead.

Recently, he had taken some time to explore Zone 16, where animals and humans were used as experimental subjects.

Unfortunately, with Arov's current strength, there was nothing he could do about it.

He also ventured into the generator zone but found no further actions he could take there.

After all, once he destroyed the Abyss Gate, the resulting explosion would be more than enough to sink the entire island.

Now, Arov was preparing to head to Zone 29, where detailed archives on the Abyss and their movements might be stored.

"But before that, I'll use this now."

According to the manual he found in the warehouse, Arcane Resistives should be consumed directly, crystal casing and all.

Arov opened his mouth wide and, with a slight hesitation, tossed the Arcane Resistives in.

"Ouch! Couldn't those twisted lunatics make a more humane medicine?"

Surprisingly, despite its hard and inedible texture, it tasted slightly sweet and tangy.

Almost immediately, the liquid carrying Abyss energy began spreading throughout his body. Key organs like his heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and more gradually strengthened.

The sudden internal changes made Arov's heart pound furiously, as if it would explode.

Still, he steeled himself and sat cross-legged to prepare for what came next.

Since he was hidden in a narrow gap between thick walls, no one would notice what was happening.

Arov stripped down, leaving only his boxer shorts on.

His organs began to undergo metamorphosis, enhancing his resistance and immunity to the corrosive effects of Abyss energy. But the transformation was far from over.

One of the side effects of Arcane Resistives was the uncontrollable mutation of muscles and bones throughout the user's body.

At this moment, Arov's left hand twisted into an unnatural position. The grotesque sight made him wonder if this drug was really designed to withstand Abyss energy.

"Argh!"

Suddenly, his left hand exploded, blood splattering across the floor and walls, while fragments of bone slowly disintegrated into ash.

The process of using Arcane Resistives was simple: wait for the transformation to complete.

However, what they failed to mention was the excruciating physical and mental pain during the process, along with the unpredictable mutations that made him increasingly inhuman.

Time was running out. He had to finish this and move to the deeper floors. Muttering to himself, Arov said, "System, can you help me?"

Immediately, a blue panel appeared in the corner of his vision.

[Synchronizing Host with Abyss energy: 20%]

[Host survival probability: 0.6%]

Arov blinked in disbelief. The feeling of death loomed over him. Quickly, he reached for the Elystral IV near him.

But his right hand wouldn't move, seemingly refusing the order from its master.

[DING!]

[Special condition met. Innate Trait "Child of Fortune" (Myth Tier) acquired.]

[Child of Fortune (Myth Tier)

Type: Trait

As a human chosen by the world, your duty is to bring prosperity to the entire world. When you choose the world, it and all its contents will belong to you. But when you choose selfishness, the entire world will turn against you.

Cost: None

Ability Type: Active/Passive

Cooldown: None

Bonus: Title (Bearer of Fortune)]

"...?"

What was this?

What kind of absurd ability was this?

If I side with the world, everything will be mine.

But if I turn against it, the world becomes my enemy…

Well, as long as I don't cross the line, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

For a moment, the pain Arov was feeling was forgotten.

However, something strange began to happen.

[Trait (Child of Fortune) detects danger faced by (Arov Quills).]

[Initiating rescue protocol.]

The Abyss energy raging inside Arov's body slowly dissipated.

Instead of feeling relieved, Arov's expression turned tense.

"No! Wait, why is this happening? You… damn Child of Fortune! Put it back to how it was!"

A punch from Arov's right hand hit the translucent system panel.

A complex, golden system panel appeared.

[Child of Fortune: Whatever. ( ̄へ  ̄ 凸)]

The Abyss energy immediately surged back into Arov. For a moment, he regretted his words but quickly steeled himself again.

When Arov began to believe this was the end, the Child of Fortune trait seemed to step in as a savior from the darkness.

"…So, am I the 'Child of Fortune,' or is it you?"

He was slightly skeptical of his new Trait.

[Abyss energy has reached its peak. All body parts have been rejuvenated and enhanced.]

[Child of Fortune: Use Elystral IV ° ͜ʖ ͡ – ✧.]

As before, Arov chewed on the Elystral IV, his jaw tearing through the crystal casing.

A purple light began to flicker across his body, enveloping him in a beautiful glow.

[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new Trait: (Devil Change).]

"???"

[Child of Fortune: Σ(゚Д゚;)]

[Devil Change (Growth)

Type: Trait.

A special trait that allows the user to transform into a Devil. The stronger the user becomes, the stronger this Trait grows. Current Variant Available:

◈ Demon King

Transform into a Demon King, granting explosive power and defense boosts. Unlocks exclusive magical talents and mystic arts of the Demon King (Locked). Additionally, grants full control over lower-tier Demons (Locked).

Cost: None.

Ability Type: Active.]

"Why do I feel like I'm straying further from humanity…"

With the addition of two new Traits, at least his ability panel looked more colorful.

[Sight Beyond Space-Time (Low-God Tier)

Type: Trait.

A transcendental ability that grants the user a glimpse into their own future or past, spanning up to 5 minutes forward or backward.

Cost: Half of the user's total mental energy.

Skill Type: Active.

Cooldown: 12 hours.

◈ Prediction

Type: Sub-Ability

An unparalleled talent that allows the user to foresee and anticipate every movement—be it objects, magic, or living beings—for 1 second ahead.

Cost: 10 mental points per second of activation.

Skill Type: Active.

Cooldown: None.]

[Child of Fortune (Myth Tier)

Type: Trait

As a human chosen by the world, your duty is to bring prosperity to the entire world. When you choose the world, it and all its contents will belong to you. But when you choose selfishness, the entire world will turn against you.

Cost: None

Ability Type: Active/Passive

Cooldown: None

Bonus: Title (Bearer of Fortune)]

[Devil Change (Growth)

Type: Trait.

A special trait that allows the user to transform into a Devil. The stronger the user becomes, the stronger this Trait grows. Current Variant Available:

◈ Demon King

Transform into a Demon King, granting explosive power and defense boosts. Unlocks exclusive magical talents and mystic arts of the Demon King (Locked). Additionally, grants full control over lower-tier Demons (Locked).

Cost: Demonic Energy.

Ability Type: Active.]

Demon King... Just thinking about it is enough to make my head spin.

This ability, in other words, is something I can only use in desperate situations—a sort of trump card.

Still, I couldn't help but feel curious.

"Devil Change."

[Activating Trait (Devil Change), select Variant: ◈ Demon King]

Blue tendrils of energy, tinged with a violet glow, erupted and enveloped Arov's entire body. Scales and new muscle tissues began to emerge from within him.

Strangely, there was no pain—only an overwhelming thirst for blood and an intense killing intent.

Arov's height, originally 186 cm, surged to 192 cm.

It seemed he had full control over this transformation.

The once-bulging muscles and tissues started to shrink, reshaping themselves according to his will.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.

Instead of becoming something inhuman, Arov adjusted his appearance to be indistinguishable from that of a normal human.

The only differences were his increased height, perfectly proportioned muscles, and the addition of long, bluish-violet hair.

"Woah..."

His golden eyes scanned his flawless eight-pack abs.

"Hah… With this perfect form and my godlike charm, I doubt any woman could resist me."

"Status."

[Arov Quills

Race: Human(?)

Level: 1

Title: Humanity's Hope, Hero, Bearer of Fortune, Demon King.

Strength: 311 (Title: 150, Buff: 150)

Agility: 327 (Title: 150, Buff: 150)

Vitality: 309 (Title: 150, Buff: 150)

Dexterity: 324 (Title: 150, Buff: 150)

Mana: 302 (Title: 150, Buff: 150)

Luck: 360 (Title: 350)

Trait: Sight Beyond Space-Time, Child of Fortune, Devil Change.

Equipment:... ]

I now possess three Titles. The first is Humanity's Hope, a Title that grants a flat 50-point increase to all attributes. Next is the Hero Title, which mirrors Humanity's Hope by providing an additional 50-point boost across the board. Then there's the Title from the Bearer of Fortune Trait, which solely adds 200 points to the Luck attribute.

Finally, the Demon King Title also grants another 50 points evenly distributed across all attributes.

However, thanks to the buff from Devil Change, my stats have exploded, adding a whopping 150 points evenly across all attributes, except Luck.

To put things into perspective, the baseline human stats on Earth range from 1 to 10.

But that doesn't mean these limits are absolute. Take athletes, for instance: their grueling training regimens and the obstacles they endure naturally push their stats beyond these natural bounds. Or consider boxers—when they activate states like adrenaline rush or flow state, breaking past these limits becomes possible.

The ones who most easily exceed these thresholds, however, are those in the military or similar professions, where constant physical and mental training naturally pushes them beyond the ordinary.

Even so, the comprehensive cap for such individuals tends to be around 30 points per attribute, which is equivalent to the combined strength of three strong adult men.

But what about me? The first thing to note is that each increase in attribute points represents a qualitative enhancement, not just a quantitative one.

Of course, exceptions exist especially when it comes to combat experience.

While my stats may surpass those of most people, my actual combat experience is virtually zero possibly even negative. Building that experience is something I'll need to do gradually.

Now, the preparations are complete.

Arov dressed himself once more, ready to descend further into the depths.

Amir's Cloak shimmered with a mystical glow of purple and gold, once again pulling Arov deeper into the earth.

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