[Moments Earlier]“Shit! They’re catching up to us!” One of the fleeing deserters cried, looking behind impatiently to see the injured Hobs approaching.“How do we open this? The gate is too heavy!” Another bellowed.“Does anyone here have a strength Gift?” “Are you retarded? If I did, I would have fought back those Hobs!”“Shit! We’re screwed. Are we really going to die here?”As they grasped their head in a panic, one of the running Gifted approached the panicking group, already out of breath.“W-what’s… going… on? Why haven’t you guys opened the gate yet?!” He huffed, panting profusely.One of the desperate people was kind enough to explain the situation to the newcomer, perhaps hoping that he could proffer a solution to their problem before the incoming Demons reached them.“H-hold on… what did you say the gate is made of?” The panting man asked.“Uh? I think it’s wood. Yeah… It’s wood!”The newcomer beamed instantly. To think the desperate situation they were in called for his a
“Shit! How did this happen?!” My mind rang as I clenched my teeth.The gate had been opened and Demons poured out rapidly. The fools who had thought they could escape using that path were mercilessly killed, down to the very last one.The Hobgoblins that appeared looked different from the others from before and I knew they were way stronger.“What’s that? More Hobgoblins?!”Larry blurted out in fear.“Hey, Damian! This wasn’t the deal! You promised to let us go if we won!”Listening to Larry’s barks was frustrating. He didn’t even do most of the work, yet he felt he had the right to speak.With the new set of Hobgoblins approaching, I didn’t have time to babysit any Gifted. Plus, since they could still be useful one way or the other, I decided to leave them out of the fight.“”Instantly, they both vanished and returned to [Subspace]. It was a relief that it worked though since I hadn’t tried it on a human yet.Still, I didn’t have time to relax for even a second with the outpouring of
>RUMBLE!!!< Adam and the rest of the Subjugation team members had been interrupted from their sleep due to the rumbling of the earth. They all came out of their tents, wondering what the cause could be. And they knew that whatever it was, couldn’t be good! Adam tried to contain the frenzied crowd who kept bombarding him with questions he couldn’t answer since he was in the same confused state as everyone else. “Calm down, everyone. Let’s do a headcount first!” Adam declared, trying to sort through his thoughts. The people calmed down a little, and through the aid of Tasha and Dave, the Subjugation team was able to perform a headcount. Unfortunately for everyone, they were a number short. “One person is missing!” The ground shook once more, now growing more intense. The unease with a member missing, coupled with the approaching devastation no one knew of caused a large uproar among the group. If nothing was done, the whole squad would enter a state of anarchy. “Hey, do somethin
After moving for a while, our group was nearly out of the woods. A little more and we would soon get to the flatlands, which were now mere remnants of the well-established roads of the past.“Huff… Huff…” Many huffed as they tried pushing their bodies to its limit, knowing fully well that the horde chasing them were relentless in their pursuit.Their brains were too much on overdrive to think rationally.‘Where are we running to?’‘If we keep moving, can we outrun the incoming stampede?’‘Even if we manage to outrun them, we’re heading in the direction of the Camp! Isn’t that what we were trying to avoid in the first place?!’Thoughts like these never crossed anyone’s minds since their intelligence had been considerably drained and adrenaline had taken over. Being the only one who could think rationally, I enjoyed the sight of watching them run off, like cattle escaping an overwhelming predator.We finally got out of the woods in one piece, feeling several trees crumble and crash behi
“Fine…” The masked savior said with resolve, lighting the fading hopes in the hearts of everyone who heard him.“I’ll kill them all!”-----------------------------------------‘Psych! This is just too good. Pfft!’ My mind rang in absolute amusement.From the start, I knew this would be a silly plan, but it was even funnier than I had pictured.The reason I suggested that our group run, in the first place, was not to escape the stampede, but rather to offer a false sense of hope to everyone. As soon as we reached the flatlands, I used to pour out a number of the Hobs I had captured before now. This stopped everyone in their tracks and made them fall into despair, but it wasn’t enough. To fully drown them in despondency, I summoned more Hobs behind them, which was very close to where I stood.I called their attention and made sure they all witnessed ‘me' getting brutally ‘killed’ by the Hobgoblins. That was another reason I made sure I was at the very rear of the group.Of course, th
“Raise your heads!” I said in a commanding tone.The people at my mercy all did as I said and gazed up at me. My face was hidden underneath my mask, and my body was greatly exaggerated by the energy that flowed around me.None of them even suspected for a second that I could be ‘Damian’, even though we had a similar body structure. After all not only had they seen me die, or at least they thought they did, and my current state exuded power beyond their belief. Awe and respect filled their hearts and stifled any possibility of suspicion.“It’s not over yet.”Looking at the woods beyond myself and the group, I laid my eyes on the incoming threat.“You’re all in the way. I can save you all and preserve the lives of those that are beyond this border. Do you want me to help you?” I asked kindly.The people looked at me with surprise and disbelief on their faces. To think that someone would go that far for strangers like them!“Y-yes. Please help us!” Adam pleaded on behalf of the people he
My [Subspace] has 250 Slots.It previously had 201 Slots permanently occupied, leaving 49 empty. I obtained three different Hobgoblin Demon Cores; The Hobgoblin (Archer), Hobgoblin (Brawler), and the Hobgoblin (Tanker), all taking different Slots. The live Demons that I stored also took their respective slots, adding 6 occupied slots to the fray.If I added the things I plundered from the Camp while everyone fled, they roughly took about 5 extra Slots. That left a total of 38 Slots left. I also had Larry and Lara in two separate slots, further reducing the number to 36. Out of these, I deemed 31 usable, while the remaining 5 were specially reserved.If I thought of things that way, they all added up. All that was left was for the baits to perform their roles well, and things would proceed more smoothly.“You there! Use your barrier ability to shield everyone.” I commanded Chloe.She instantly showed shock at my words. The bitch was probably expecting me to favor her, but why would I?
It was a suicide battle! That much was painfully obvious.However, by using the right methods, I could win flawlessly. Yep, this little Damian was going to face off against hundreds, no, thousands of high-spec Hobgoblins, and if he played his cards right, he would hardly receive any damage.It seemed foolish to even consider coming out of such a situation unscathed. But, here I was already pulling it off.‘It’s time for the next blast…’ I decided, after seeing that the dust had cleared from my first round. Chloe’s frightened face prayed for a miracle, same as the other girls. As much as it would have been satisfying to keep on watching that bitch, Chloe, suffer some horrid fate at the hands of the Hobgoblins, I didn’t have any intention of giving her such an easy end.‘Huu, here goes…’ I smiled.Instantly summoning a couple of Demon Cores and placing them in strategic locations underneath the Hobgoblins that made to attack Chloe’s barrier, I sent my mana to them at the same time.>BO
In the quiet aftermath of the tumultuous ARMAGEDDON, I found myself standing at the precipice of a new reality. The remnants of the battle lingered in the air, and I could feel the residual power and (G) Essence coursing through the fabric of existence. As I gazed upon the aftermath, a solemn determination settled within me – a resolve to forge a reality free from the influence of both Demons and Gods.With newfound purpose, I raised my hands, drawing upon the remnants of power that swirled around me. As I concentrated, the very fabric of existence seemed to warp and bend to my will. The Demons and Gods, the Administrators of this chaotic universe, were to be left behind in the debris of ARMAGEDDON.In a surge of cosmic energy, I began to shape a pristine reality, one untouched by supernatural forces. The skies cleared, the land became fertile, and the seas calmed. I meticulously crafted a world where the laws of nature reigned supreme, untouched by the meddling hands of higher bei
"Oh well, there's nothing else I can do…" Even if I was annoyed about the whole thing with Arthur, it was still a fact that he lost.Thanks to their emergency escape, the Pariah party missed their chance to challenge the Hidden Floor of the Tower Of Conquerors.Not only that, but their plan to use Leah and the others as hostages didn't work. They were in my [Subspace].'It's not like they matter to me at this point…'I could simply keep them as (G) Karma Point banks.Now that I could once again resort to farming (G) Karma from people, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to gain as many points as I could?'Ah, but I need quite the number of Points to advance to B Rank…'My Gift was currently in C Rank. While the abilities were pretty broken at this point, I couldn't help but wonder what awaited me if I could get a higher Rank.'With this whole gods business, I need to get as strong as possible…'With a smile, I gazed upon the warbling portal in front of me."Speaking of stronger… I sh
What happens when a person keeps climbing the Tower?Yes, with each Level Up, wounds heal and the body is restored. However, mental fatigue is something that piles up. The strain a person has is something that gathers over time.The Rankers knew this quite well, so they all agreed to climb together. It was very obvious what they were planning on doing.—Letting the other person die!In this world, there were many ways to get stronger. It was also possible to use certain loopholes in the System—especially if one wasn't an Evil Aligned yet.Since the Rankers were in a Party, they must have been very certain of their Alignments, making them completely 'trust' one another.But, these things could be deceptive.Just as I managed to kill a bunch of people without a change in my Chaotic Neutral Alignment, the same applied to a lot of people—especially in a dangerous place like the Tower.As they fought monsters, it was certain that Rankers would get weakened. Then… if, by chance, some 'accid
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!][The Tower Of War Has Been Cleared!]Torrents of thoughts flowed in my mind as I looked at the System Window displayed in front of me.'What the hell…?'Why?How?Who?It didn't make any sense.The average Level for the current denizens of the world was 50. The strong ones were about to reach Level 100, but I didn't expect anyone to have attained Level 150 talk-less 200.The Levels and Grades of the monsters climbed as one advanced through the Floors, and since the Towers had similar difficulty, I expected others to receive the same treatment I experienced.No one could have succeeded in that venture, but me. It wasn't pride… but reality!However…'Could it be.—?!'Perhaps it was something I failed to consider. I had always suspected it, but after the Tutorial ended and I kept a watchful eye on the Leaderboard, Auction, Tower Updates, and several other elements of this new world, my doubts were cleared.There shouldn't have been anyone else who was granted somet
"Rise and shine, sleepy head." A voice greeted Abhoth as he opened his astral eyes.His vision blurred, but it only lasted for a moment.Soon, he could see everything around him. It was the exact scene he remembered before dying—the underground room where he was brewing his Elixir.Did he not die? Had he managed to survive?Countless thoughts lurked in Abhoth's ghost-like body… until he realized the fact… that he was in a ghost-like body.He nearly shrieked, seeing as he had a near-transparent form, and floated like a ghost. A purple aura emanated from him, and his body was incorporeal—well, nearly.He was made of energy, and he could even see his actual body—his corpse—lying on the ground.Abhoth didn't need a prophet to tell him that he was dead.'Ghost Magic…?!' His thoughts rang, and imaginary cold sweat broke out on his forehead.He was a ghost, so he couldn't really sweat.Still, Abhoth understood the implications of what had happened to him. As an expert in Magic, he knew of th
The audience was astonished!Sweat fell from their brows and their bodies shuddered. Even though they were protected by the sturdy pink layer, none of them were immune to the chill that coursed through their bones.The group had thought they saw the full extent of the Masked Man's powers—or at least close to it. However, his current actions shattered their preconceived notion."I-impossible…""This can't be real… right?""I can't believe this… is he really human?""Masked Hero! You're so amazing!"They all had different ways of expressing their shock.For starters, the group didn't know how it was possible to clear the battlefield of corpses. They had seen so many dead bodies—like an insurmountable sea—yet, in an instant, the Masked Man cleared them all.It was a feat like none other.As if that wasn't amazing enough, a massive Dragon suddenly emerged from a dark cloud and soared into the sky. The Demon—a being that far surpassed anything they had seen up until that moment—charged bri
There were many ways to win.I knew that from the get-go. I could use [Subspace] to shave off parts of the Dragon's body, reducing its health until it completely fell apart.I could use my purification to severely weaken it and blast the monster to kingdom come. An easy solution would also be to use the seventy-one Treasures OF War to impale the beast on all ends. If I added my Mana to them and increased their efficiency, the monster stood no chance.I could keep going on and on as to how I could win, but what was the point?Once in a while, a person needed some excitement in their life—I was no exception."COME!"My declaration prompted the Dragon Of Storms—or rather, what was left of him—to charge at me with frightening speed.>WHOOOOSSHSHHH
The area around the beast was charred, and nothing but black, sooty grounds surrounding it. Impaling it were several weapons; ranging from spears to blades.They all looked very powerful and valuable.There were seventy-one of the weapons that pierced the monster's body… most likely what killed it.My eyes narrowed on the dead beast, and a wry smile appeared on my face. It now made sense why I sensed such powerful energy from beyond the gate back then.This monstrosity was the cause.Laid on the ground, surrounded by destruction and carnage was one of the most powerful races of Demons that existed.—A Dragon!Judging from the battle scene, I had a fair idea of what transpired here… at least what the narrative of this Floor was.A battle occurred, and the several races combined forces. They had a common enemy, and that was the fallen beast at the center of the battle. I had an idea of the difficulty if seven hundred thousand individuals ganged up on the creature.'It's at least a Grade
I realized my childish body was too inefficient.In so many ways, the fact that I was below average in height and build was going to impede my future plans… which was why I decided to solve the problem.Using Lara’s Gift, now my Skill, I could shape-shift into any form I desired. However, it consumed Mana, and it also had a duration despite how much I maxed it out. Since I couldn't maintain it for too long, the ability was useless as a permanent solution.Scouring for a solution in the SHOP, I finally found my answer. It was a Potion known as the Perfect Growth Compound. After reading its description, I understood its function.The potion simply elevated whoever drank it to their ideal, most perfect physical state. As a result, it could take me to the peak I could ever attain physically.I was a little worried that I was going to remain short, but seeing as there was also a Reversal Potion being sold, I decided to take my chances.Who would have thought… it actually worked!I grew to