21 A king and his soldiers
Present time
Alex stood like a tyrant amidst his legion of 100 epic demons, their prostrated forms a testament to his dominion over them. A sinister grin curled upon his lips, his expression twisted as he revelled in the power he now commanded. His robes fluttered backward, revealing glimpses of his sculpted figure, a symbol of his ascendancy.
As he surveyed the epic demons and their vast potential, Alex couldn't help but contemplate the nature of the game he found himself in. In most other games, having such formidable creatures under his control would make him a god-like figure, a final boss to be defeated. But this game, this sinister world, defied convention.
"In most games, these could be considered final bosses," he mused, his thoughts filled with a wicked excitement. "I would be considered a god, having demons like these under me. However, in this game, this is just the beginning. Can I even be called a beginner? I can't wait for what other surprises this game has in store for me."
As he delved into the memories of the epic demons, Alex marvelled at the intricacy of their experiences; these were more like vivid movies, each one offering a glimpse into a demon's past. It fascinated him, and he couldn't help but wonder about the developers who had crafted such a realistic and immersive world.
Having lived for thousands of years, Alex was now the eldest being present, at least in terms of accumulated memories. Yet, these memories didn't fuse with his essence; instead, they were like a vast library he could explore at will.
"This game," he thought, "could be considered my second life. It's so realistic, so immersive."
And now….he had a whole week to play it, he planned to grind the game out for a whole week, only coming off for some sleep at night and to see Emily and convince her he had been out all day, before returning to play again the next day, only stopping at the weekend to spend time with Emily, returning to his mundane life…
he had decided
"This is my new life," he declared, embracing the persona of Scythe with determination. He was no longer confined to the mundane routine of his previous existence.
Before his thoughts could continue he was pulled back into 'reality' when he remembered
'The demonic evolution skill?!?! There are no limits, right? Then…could I create a legendary demon?!'
[1000 epic demons are required to make a legendary demon, this is because after the epic rank the gaps between stages are gigantic]
Alex frowned, but then arrogantly declared
'Oh well ... .by the end of this week, I shall have more than 1000!'
he vowed
'Status'
[ **Name:** Scythe (Alex Baker)
**Appearance:**
- Hair: White, slicked-back with lion-like mane.
- Eyes: Demonic red with a calm and calculating gaze.
- Skin: Black-grey with intricate gold and red patterns.
- Height: 7'1"
- Build: Muscular with an 8-pack.
**Stats:**
- Strength: 20 (+20)
- Intelligence: 27 (+20)
- Defence: 11 (+20)
- Agility: 12 (+20)
- Charisma: 50 (+20)
**Skills:**
- Instant Transport (Legendary, Active)
- Lords True Demon God Aura (Legendary, Passive)
- Hellfire manipulation (Legendary, Active)
-Demonic Evolution (Unique, Active, 24 hr cooldown)
**Weapons:**
- Lord's Scythe (Legendary)
**Bloodlines:**
-none
**Hell Stats:**
- Hell Size: small city
- Demons: 12 Rare, 40 common, 20 uncommon, 100 epic
- Buildings: 1 Gate of Hell, 1 Cave of demon summoning, 1 small demon lord castle, 4 small punishment zones, 1 medium punishment zone
Hell points: 11,696 ]
'11,696?!'
The balance of Hell points in Alex's possession struck him like a revelation. The grin on his character's face expanded into something menacing, a fiendish smile that sent shivers down the monstrous demons before him. They trembled at the sight of their lord's newfound power.
Alex's mind whirled with possibilities. With 11,696 Hell points at his disposal, he had a world of potential to explore.
"System, what can the River Styx be used for?" Alex inquired, curiosity tugging at the edges of his thoughts.
[The River Styx serves as a dark channel for the transportation of demons and souls across Hell. Its size and capabilities depend on its level. A level 1 River Styx would have seamlessly flowed across your previous 100-acre-sized Hell. Now that your dominion has expanded to the size of a city, the price for a level 15 River Styx would be 15,000 Hell points. Every 2 levels one low-level ferryman is granted.]
"Although I'm not far off from acquiring it," Alex muttered to himself, "we don't need such a transportation system just yet. I'll keep it in mind for future expansion. Let's see what else the shop has to offer."
With an air of caution, Alex continued to browse through the shop system. While he didn't anticipate confrontations in this supernatural realm, he knew better than to lower his guard completely.
"Ah, System, purchase this," he commanded.
[Affirmative,
Dark Matter Blast
A simple yet devastating blast of dark matter. Its power and form are intricately tied to the user's intelligence and mastery.
Current Rank: Epic, Active (PEAK)
Cost: 5,000 Hell points]
Alex's lips curved into a satisfied grin as he confirmed the purchase. The description alone sent a chilling shiver down anyone's spine, painting a vivid image of the ominous power he had at his disposal.
'With my remaining 6000 hell points…well, lets just purchase some more punishment zones'
[Affirmative,
Punishment zones affordable with 6696 hell points are
Small punishment zone: lava zone, eye harvesting zone, beatdown zone, infernal water zone…..
Medium punishment zones: spearhead valley, the crows revenge, the feast (EVOLVABLE)....
Large punishment zones are not yet affordable]
'Still?! How much more powerful is a large punishment zone?! Calm down Alex, calm down, it is not too far off, for now…'
Alex meticulously reviewed the available punishment zones, showing little interest in the small ones, focusing on the medium-scale options.
[The crows revenge
Souls are tied across trees scattered across the forest of the crows, these crows will then begin to slowly peck away at them, devouring and tormenting them, after being devoured the soul will live through the crows digestive system and eventually return to be tortured
This medium punishment zone is efficient and simple
Cost: 5000 hell points]
'Oh, this seems like a great choice, but, let's check the other zones first'
After five minutes of skimming through medium-level punishment zones with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of hell points, Alex found one that caught his eye.
[The Feast (EVOLVABLE)
Souls are placed on dishes and are presented on a large table, here demons begin to devour the souls, most demon's mouth being excruciatingly painful, the souls are then transported back to their designated plate after being eaten and start to get chewed on again, causing the demons to become more aggressive and the souls more tormented
As this is a medium punishment zone only epic demons should be capable of eating at the table, more epic demons being able to eat with its levelling up, however as the feast is at the peak of medium scale zones, it can contain 1 legendary demon before reaching its limit
Evolution conditions:
-10,000 souls are eaten
-1 legendary demon eats at the table
-Level 10 is reached
Cost: All current hell points (This is the lowest price the system can achieve to present to you Scythe)]
'Oh?! This seems useful, PURCHASE'
[Affirmative
Total hell points: 0]
Once again, a vision of the game-like building system appeared before Alex. He chose to place the Feast punishment zone west of the Demon Lord's castle, close enough but not too near.
A large stone circular table, simple in its design, materialized west of the Demon Lord's castle. Alex's grin widened as he turned his attention to the demons in his presence.
"Ten of you shall feast at this table... go!" His hoarse voice echoed through the assembled demons, inspiring awe and fear among the hundreds gathered. Ten large-mouthed demons hastily made their way to the stone table, their excitement palpable.
Suddenly, two uncommon-ranked demons scurried toward the table carrying five souls each. They unceremoniously dumped the souls onto the table designated for the epic-ranked demons and quickly retreated, eager to avoid angering the powerful beings around them, including Scythe. Their hasty retreat was almost comical.
Alex chuckled internally at the sight but soon shifted his attention to the remaining epic demons.
"For now, you may go about your business as you please. However, when your time comes, do not fail me. Death awaits those who do!" Alex declared with an air of authority, resembling a king addressing his soldiers.
He then pointed his scythe at Mordrake, its size extending to reach the trembling demon. Mordrake struggled to maintain his composure, despite being drenched in sweat.
"And you... come with me."
As Alex uttered these words, the scythe in his hand disappeared, and he turned to walk back toward his castle. Mordrake comically scrambled to keep up, leaving behind the fearful and perplexed monstrous demons who began to explore Alex's realm.
