[MAP]
Enochia snarled through clenched teeth, and the minimap bloomed in front of her vision, the familiar grid overlay snapping into place over the glowing hellscape, turning the slow-moving lava into a deceptively calm sea dotted with dozens of crimson blips.
“Ohhhhhh.” Her skin crawled so hard she almost scratched. “Were there a lot of them… ghhhhh fucking little pervs hiding in my bathwater…”
She swallowed, eyes flicking over the minimap again, counting at least forty red markers now, maybe fifty, all packed tight and moving in slow loops, and the dread crept up her spine. ‘Imps have no chance of surviving in lava, and I have never once heard of a Spirit of any kind living in it too… A-Are those Beasts?’
[No need to worry, Enochia.]
“Huh? What the fuck do you mean ‘no need to worry’? There’s a goddamn aquarium filled with murder machines right there, each one strong enough to destroy an unprepared neighborhood!”
[Hell has its own ecosystem of demons that are alike animals. Those are of a far lower level then Beasts, but are more feral and mindless, driven purely by hunger and instinct.]
“How come I have never heard of them before then? I have watched my share of Gate dives and no one had ever come across such beings, Hell, no one had even brought the idea of them.”
[Unlike anything with intelligence, these beings don’t care about experience, levels, evolutions nor standing. These creatures are hard wired to kill, murder and destroy, and no amount of taming or bargaining would ever change that. Thus, they are not compatible with any demon, and the two sides leave each other alone for the most part.]
Enochia looked confused as she analyzed what Roo was saying. “How though, wouldn’t they gain experience if they killed each other?”
[No. Since both creatures were at their core made by the Fallen Angels, they could not gain experience. For that reason, demons don’t kill each other, outside exceptional circumstance.]
Enochia nodded slowly, processing, then tilted her head. “Wait a second… you said demons don’t level up from killing demons, right? How come I do then? Am I not a demon?”
[Levels gained from the systems are tied to patrons. Fallen Angels act as patrons for demons, the original sources of demonic powers, so when demons kill each other the essence just recycles in a closed loop. It would be the same as if you tried to kill an angel or a human protected by an angel. Since both of your powers ultimately come from a divine source, you would obtain no rewards from a victory.]
“Huh…” She let out a long breath. “I guess it kinda makes sense. Thanks, babe.”
She paused, then the rage flared back up hotter than before, because remembering those “loser ass murderers” back on Earth who’d tried to grind innocent people for EXP and got exactly jack shit in return suddenly made her blood boil all over again.
“I’m really fucking mad right now,” she growled, more to herself than Roo, fists clenching until her nails bit into her palms. “Holy shit, what’s wrong with me… fuck, that racial penalty is fucking me over so hard right now!”
She shook her head like she could shake the anger loose, but it only settled deeper, coiling tight in her gut until it felt almost good.
“Now, I would usually let them be,” she said. “Since I really have no qualm with wild animals just doing their thing, but that slimy fucker ruined the best moment I’ve had since I crash-landed in this shithole, so payment is due.”
Her eyes narrowed on the minimap, watching the red dots circle tighter, and a slow, vicious grin spread across her face.
“If they’re gonna hide in the lava like cowards, then I think I can encourage them to get the fuck out.”
[Chains of Nebuchadnezzar]
More than a dozen chains erupted from her palms, slamming down into the lava surface hard enough to send up towering geysers of molten rock that hung in the air for a heartbeat before splattering back down.
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
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[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
[110 DMG dealt]
The numbers stacked so fast they blurred into a waterfall across her vision, and Enochia threw her head back and laughed like she’d just discovered the funniest joke in the universe.
“Holy FUCK! That’s what I’m talking about! Eat chains!!!”
Her arms suddenly went limp as the absurd collective weight hit her all at once, and she lurched forward, boots skidding across scorched rock, dragged toward the river’s edge like a kid who’d tied herself to a runaway truck.
“Easy fix,” she snarled through gritted teeth.
[Dispel]
The chains vanished, the tension snapping free so fast she stumbled backward, catching herself just before fell on her backside.
“Now for one mor—”
The words died in her throat as something enormous exploded out of the lava in a violent geyser.
'Is this a massive… Cat!?'
It was in fact, not a cat, but a large demonic crab. It was bigger than any crab had any right to be, its carapace the color of cooled obsidian with jagged spikes running down its back like broken volcanic glass with massive legs big enough to crush a car, thought it did not appear to have any claws.
Dozens of smaller palm-sized lava crabs followed after what Enochia could only assume to be thair mother. Their shells were black and cracked with orange lines, which she hated to admit it, but made them look sorta cute.
“Ohhh,” Enochia breathed, grin stretching wider despite everything. “So you’re like their mama, huh? I heard kids are little devils, but now I gue—”
The beast moved faster than anything that size should have been able to.
One massive leg whipped forward in a blur, slamming into her chest with the force of a freight train wrapped in lava, the impact ringing through her armor like a struck bell.
[-180 HP]
She flew backward through the air, tumbling end over end before crashing hard onto the ash-covered bank, rolling twice, three times, before skidding to a stop on her back, armor smoking, ribs screaming, a coppery taste flooding her mouth.
She spat a thick glob of blood onto the ground, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and pushed herself up, eyes never leaving the towering nightmare and its skittering brood.
“That,” she said, voice low, dripping with mock sweetness and very real venom, “Will cost you your kids.”
“Cervain, please come out, like right now.” she'd said.
He had. And this was the state she'd left him in last time she'd dispelled him mere seconds ago. Because of course she hadn't thought of the state of her summons once they got back to wherever the fuck they went after being returned. But she had just recently became a summoner, so bite her. These kinds of things come with experience. Poor, poor Cervain was on fire, truly on fire, with his left metallic leg halfway melted.
“CRAPPPPP!” she bellowed.
The crab locked eyes, well, whatever passed for eyes under that spiked carapace and began a slow, predatory wind-up charge. Enochia instantly knew what that was, since she had seen many nature documentaries… Fucking hell, that was a predator’s charge.
‘FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. Think you idiot, what to do!!!’
Her brain raced, flipping through her skills, before remembering she practically had none at all! Chains wouldn’t stop it, drones and that drill would get one shot, mark of…
‘Gotcha! I got an idea.’
She slapped open her inventory with a thought, fingers materializing the little metallic capsule before it even fully loaded into her palm.
[INSTAFIX]
She smashed it against Cervain's burning shoulder like she was trying to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer, but nothing happened.
No glow. No chime. No sudden repair montage.
Cervain somehow managed to radiate pure disappointment despite having no visible face. The flames even seemed to droop a little, like a sad candle.
Enochia stared at the empty capsule shards in her hand.
─────────────────────────────
[COMMON ITEM ? INSTAFIX]
A palm-sized metallic capsule engraved with geometric lines. Warm to the touch.
Effect: Instantly and completely restores durability, stability, and structural integrity to any crafted equipment or created construct. One-time use.
─────────────────────────────
"It's only for buildings..." she whispered, voice cracking. "Fuck."
Her disappointment of herself did not stop the crab at all though, as it finally began its charge.
She barely had time to twist, but she still almost did. The massive leg clipped her anyway, and even if it was a glancing blow, it was still enough to send her cartwheeling through the air like discarded trash.
[-145 HP]
“Grrrr, FUCKER!” Mid-flight she locked eyes on the crab again. It had already closed the gap, looming over Cervain now.
Haha, like she was gonna let that happen
[Iron Grip]
A flaming chain erupted from her right palm, thicker than any one from before. It shot straight for the crab's nearest leg.
And while it flew—
[Mark of Cain]
A searing red sigil burned itself into the center of the crab's forehead, or shell, whatever the fuck passed for a head on this thing. The mark pulsed once before the chain connected with a sound like a struck anvil.
The links wrapped, burned and made the creature feel a great pain. Molten metal fused to obsidian carapace.
[156 DMG dealt]
The crab shrieked, a wet, grinding noise that vibrated in her teeth and staggered, suddenly anchored to the scorched ground. It thrashed, legs scrabbling uselessly against the unbreakable tether.
Cervain didn't hesitate.
Even burning, even half-melted, he moved. Sword came up in a smooth arc, and something new rippled across his arms.
He now had small red antlers sprouting from the metal. His limbs trembled with the power surge.
[Velvet Dread]
Enochia blinked. 'Wait… He didn’t have that skill… Oh right, he leveled with me? He got a new skill? Shit, I guess that's what happens when your baby is a badass!'
His hands blurred as three slashes were sent out in the space of a breath, each one trailing black-red afterimages. Sparks flew where steel met shell; chunks of obsidian chipped away, glowing orange underneath like cooling magma.
[115 DMG dealt]
[121 DMG dealt]
[107 DMG dealt]
The crab howled again, rearing back and punted Cervain like a soccer ball.
He flew and crashed into a nearby boulder with a metallic crunch, sword skittering across the ash.
Enochia barely landed on her feet this time, boots sliding in ashy stone. She spat again, wiped her mouth, and grinned so wide it hurt her split lip.
“Alright then.” Her voice dropped. “You’ve just hurt my dear baby, so I guess I’m justified in making some orphans.”
