1 Chapter 1 : The Fool
( 3rd Point Of View)
The City lay desolated. Abandoned cars were scattered around the dismal city. The stench of death wafted from the neglected ruins.
The Landscape is mostly composed of rubble, crumbling remnants of walls, and twisted rebar poking up from the ground.
Skyscrapers have been either decimated completely or reduced to a remnant of their ground floor by debris.
Charred buildings jutted out like skeletal remains, casting long shadows as flames danced in the night. The air was thick with smoke and the distant sounds of destruction echoed through the desolation.
Amidst this apocalyptic backdrop two figures clashed
A morbidly obese demon emerged from the shadows. Its red skin glowed eerily against the backdrop of broken buildings. The demon's three red eyes glinted with malice, fixated on its opponent. It swung a massive brown club, the force of its movement causing the ground to tremble.
[The Ruler Of The Lower Floors , The Avaricious Vulcan]
Opposite to the demon stood a large, tall, and muscled young man, with a square jaw and messy, long black hair with a few white streaks and Hazel eyes shining with a faint glow of gold
His heavy-duty armor gleamed in the fading light, the inner-yellow and navy tailcoat billowing slightly in the breeze. Armored shoulder pads adorned his frame, and his fingerless brown gloves gripped the hilt of his aged sword with determination.
The demon's four horns twisted from its skull, two gray and two white, adding to its terrifying visage. Its sharp teeth, large lower fangs glinting in the dim light, hinted at the savagery that lay within.
A small white loincloth was its only attire, a stark contrast to the knight's regal armor.
With a guttural roar, the demon charged, its footsteps resonating like thunderclaps. The ground quaked with each step, sending debris flying.
The knight stood his ground, muscles taut, sword at the ready. As the demon swung its massive club downward, the knight rolled to the side with practiced agility, the club crashing into the pavement with a deafening impact.
Seizing the opportunity, the knight lunged forward, sword glinting in the dull light. His strike aimed for the demon's exposed flank, but the creature's reflexes were surprisingly quick. It sidestepped, its massive form surprisingly agile. The sword struck air, leaving him momentarily vulnerable.
The demon swung its club again, this time aiming for the knight. He raised his sword Now glowing with Holy light just in time to block the blow, the impact sending shockwaves through his arms. The force pushed him back several steps, his boots skidding against the rubble-strewn ground.
Circling each other, the combatants sized each other up. The knight's eyes never wavered from the demon's glowing red gaze. With a swift move, he lunged again, a series of expert strikes aimed at exploiting the demon's slower movements.
He managed to graze the demon's forearm, leaving a deep gash that oozed purple blood .
Roaring in pain and fury, the demon retaliated with a vicious swipe of its club. The knight barely managed to dodge, the wind from the club's passage ruffling his coat. He took the opportunity to strike once more, his blade slicing through the air and finding its mark on the demon's leg.
But the demon's resilience was astonishing. With a bellow, it slammed its massive fist onto the ground, creating shockwaves that sent the knight sprawling. The ground beneath him cracked, causing the knight to lose his footing.
As the he struggled to rise, the demon lumbered forward, its eyes alight with triumph.
But the knight's resolve burned higher than ever before. Gritting his teeth, he channeled as much magical power as he could , slowly a radiant glow enveloped his form, casting a beautiful aura of Inner, Holy light that carries with it the essence of life and the strength and purity of a pladain conviction and lunged one final time.
With a triumphant battle cry, the knight's sword struck true.
The blade plunged into the demon's chest, its red eyes widening in shock. The demon let out a guttural cry, its form shuddering before collapsing onto the rubble-strewn ground, defeated.
The knight stood panting, his now sword still embedded in the fallen demon's chest.
(Unknown Knight Point Of View)
Instantly I collapsed the adrenaline that once fueled my every move began to wane. The once raging [Mana] in my veins now flickered leaving behind a deep sense of exhaustion that settled into my body.
Every movement felt like a struggle and the weigh of my armor certainly didn't help
In other words everything hurts
But that doesn't matter, what matters right now is that I've survived another dungeon run
So with a sense of urgency, I reached into my inventory screen looking for a certain lcon, it didn't take long for me to feel the now familiar cool glass vital
I raised The [Low Grad Recovery Potion] to my lips and titled my head back, easily allowing the potin's contents to flow onto my stomach.
Closing my eyes, I let out a steadying breath, feeling the potion doing it's magic and for the first time in two weeks I've finally felt at peace
But unfortunately for me I can't have that kind of Luxury in the middle of a dungeon that's just asking for death
" Greed go ahead Your Lunch is ready "
I watched as the rusted and greasy sword with the cross like hilt that I was holding began shining with a faint glow of purple
The blade's edges rippled and contorted , as if made of fluid metal. The cross like hilt elongated and formed into a sinewy neck, while the crossguard splits and transforms into massive wings. The blade itself splits and twists to form the creature's front claws, while the guard transformed into a set of deadly jaws.
You know despite having Greed for more than 2 years I could never get used at how terrifying its true form was
With a body reminiscent of a mix between a dragon and a feline. It stands on powerful hind legs.
Its body is covered in shimmering, metallic scales that blend seamlessly with the sword's original design to create a strange mask .
The creature's eyes blazed with an otherworldly light, and its powerful roar echoed with the resonance of metal Shook the very foundation of the building surrounding us
Indeed, this was truly this four horned Monster was the incarnation of Carnage and Gluttony
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Name : Greed
Title: The Fiend of Gluttony (Taotie)
Level : 38
Experience : 1537/2800
Health : 2880/2900
Mana : 2580/2700
Attributes :
- Strength : 47
- Agility :37
- Intelligence : 25
- Vitality: 50
- Perception : 40
- Luck : 27
Skills :
- Gluttony (Lv. 27)
- Stomach (Lv. 20)
- Form Alteration (Lv.19)
- Mana Manipulation (Lv.25)
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Upon receiving my command Greed wasted no time and started devouring everything in his path Vulcan, his guards Even the lesser Demons that I've defeated along the way nothing was spared
But I wasn't focused on Greed having his lunch rather I focused on what appeared in front of me
Before my eyes The ethereal glow of the system interface flickered in the quietude of the night.
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Congratulation, you've Conquered The 29th Floor of The Demon Castle Dungeon
[Quest Completed: Defeat the Demonic Menace]
Rewards:
-Experience Points: +1570
[Level Up!]
-Skill Proficiency: North God Style (Lv. 27) [Level Up]
-Gold Coins: 500
New Skill Unlocked :
- Wrath of God (Lv.1) : Call forth the energy of sacred thunder and inflict Damage to nearby foes
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It didn't take long for me to feel that addictive rush of power that comes with every [Level Up].
My muscles slowly started rearranging themselves, and my [Perception] and [Mana] exploded beyond their current limits.
But along with this rush of power, a surge of knowledge invaded my mind.
Knowledge on how to manipulate the [Holy Element] in ways I didn't think were possible to begin with flooded my consciousness.
It didn't take long for small arcs of golden lightning to appear across my body. Though the lightning I created was relatively weak and would only be able to kill some Low-Class Devils, it was something worth investing in.
After all, I had started relying too much on Greed for close-range combat, and while that could be attributed to its nature as one of the strongest Independent Avatar Type Sacred Gears, relying solely on it would only cripple my growth in the long run.
For now, I should start investing more time in increasing my [Strength] and mastering more close-ranged skills such as [North God Style] and [Wrath of God].
Still, I smiled. New skills were something I needed, considering my current situation.
I was playing a game that had spun out of my control. Yet, if I could somehow get the whole picture from a high point, there might be a way to beat the game.
But I was hopelessly trapped and had to play my part in the game... Yes, instead of being the player, I'm merely a pawn on the chessboard.
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[Would you like to exit your current dungeon] [Y/N]
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Who's playing this game? Are there other observers? Would they feel bored when the game has come this far?
I don't know how my story may end... or if the story has any ending at all.
but If there are observers watching this game, what would they say about all the things I've done? Sure... they won't approve of me. And they have every reason to do so
After all, I'll be coming for them eventually.
But for now, it's time to go home
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Author Notes : please tell me your honest opinion about this chapter along with any idea you have for the future
