Eri was usually not one to curse, even in the privacy of his own mind.
But what he was dealing with was utter bullcrap.
His scattering of smoke grenades barely slowed the literal dozens of homing magic missiles chasing after him. Those smoke grenades weren’t releasing mere dense clouds either. Eri had added an arcane property to their mix — courtesy of his new ‘Alchemy’ Skill — that confused magical energies and led them astray.
Some missiles veered off course, colliding with debris and blasting them to hissing puddles. Most, however, managed to adjust their course and continued chasing him.
Eri slid under a scattering of low-hanging rubble and planted a satchel charge onto its surface. As he ran off and the magic missiles followed through the narrow opening, he detonated the charge.
The explosion destroyed another cluster of the homing projectiles, but more emerged from the damnable red-headed witch, soon adding to the swarm of azure bolts chasing him.
There was barely a second to think, breathe, or hesitate. Those magic missiles were utterly deadly. A single direct hit would kill him, while a glancing one would likely tear off a limb or two.
The most minute, momentary lapse in judgment would see him killed.
Who is the woman? Not even Captain Lauren is anywhere this dangerous…
Eri had sparred with the Ruby-Core Captain a few times, and while the man had always held back, Eri had thought he had at least a measure of how well he would go up against someone of the same rank.
Against the minstrel, however, he had no illusions about his survival. He was managing by the skin of his teeth. No matter how good he was at running, he was going to slip up eventually.
And that would be the end of him.
In the distance, another battle was raging, one which exchanged storms of lightning and fire. Lord Draevan had resumed his duel with the Sapphire-Core assassin, but this time, the Lord’s strength was restored, and he was more than a match for his opponent.
I can’t just flee. The Disruptor might return to the field and hamper Lord Draevan. The man should be able to kill the assassin now, even if the Amplifier is still somehow alive and aiding his opponent. I have to stay here and distract the Disruptor.
Eri’s mind frantically plotted his next move, even as it strained to keep track of the deadly missiles coming his way. His agile body moved with more urgency and precision than it ever had pushed itself before, but even then, he could barely stay a second ahead of death.
Can I kill the Disruptor? Maybe. She has to be close to death. But that explosion I prepared earlier should have been strong enough to take her out. If I misjudge her again, I could end up dead.
I need more information.
Eri risked a glance in her direction, willing the System to analyse her and provide some clue to her power.
He almost wished he didn’t.
\-\
Deyara and Peythra
Lvl 120 Twin-Linked Desert Minstrels
A pair of half-Elven minstrels capable of wielding the Song of Creation. The Elves were the third Elderkin moulded by the Old Gods. Powerful psychic Fleshcrafters, one and all, they were taught the Song of Creation and tasked to populate the continent of Thalmyra with lesser life. These twins are a twisted parody of true Elven blood, but are no weaker for it. One wields the language of life, while the other its perverse reverse: an ‘Amplifier’ and a ‘Disruptor’.
While one lives, the other cannot die. The Disruptor you are currently facing can also literally ‘sing’ the life out of your flesh. Evasion is highly recommended.
\-\
Eri nearly tripped after he read the description.
“An Elf?!” he shouted in disbelief. “Where in the world did you come from?!”
Elves were already rare when the war between the Living and Hell began five thousand years ago. In his old life as Demon King, Erizen had never even seen a single Elf throughout his entire millennium of existence.
To find one now, even just a half-blooded version of it, was nothing short of a miracle.
What was even more absurd was the twins’ usage of the Song of Creation — the catalyst of all life. It was ancient arcana comparable to spatial magic, hailing from the Old Gods and originating from a time far before the five-thousand-year war.
Eri would honestly have better luck trying to face down the Ruby Hellgate Archon than fighting the Twins, or even just one of them.
I have never fought an Elf before. Even the Dwarves or other Elderkin races were still part of the Crusades in my time, albeit greatly reduced in number compared to what my predecessors faced.
The System description says the twins can’t be killed so long as one of them is alive… I never heard of such magic, but the System hasn’t lied to me yet.
If it’s true, then I can’t kill the Disruptor. However, she clearly can be wounded. I don’t know how the mechanics of their supposed ‘immortality’ work, but theoretically, I should be able to cripple her into a non-threat.
But to do that… I’m going to need more power.
Eri’s Demon magic could tip the scales, but it was far too risky to use it. There were too many witnesses around, and truth be told, Eri wasn’t sure how well his Bloodflame Artes would hold up against Elven magic.
Besides, he had made a promise not to use it. If he wanted to be a proper hero, he could not keep relying on demonic powers to do so.
There was one other option. It came with its own bags of risks and problems, but it was the lesser evil by far. He just needed to buy himself some time first.
[Dagger Arts, Hollowfang’s Second Form: Rampage of the Feral]
[Unarmed Arts, Ascetic Fire Monks’ Third Form: Explosive Stinger]
Activating both Artes at once, Eri used his enhanced agility to sprint towards the mass of homing missiles flying his way. Once he judged the distance close enough, he thrusted his palm forth and launched the explosive stinger into the swarm.
The resulting eruption of heat cleared a path forward. Eri rushed towards the opponent, explosive throwing knives in hand.
The minstrel weaved more magic, but it was clear that the delay between volleys was increasing. Her wounds were slowing her down, and even for a Ruby Core, the amount of mana she was expending was surely tiring her out.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Eri managed to close in half the distance before the next swarm of magic missiles came for him. He threw his daggers, but rather than aiming for the witch, he threw them at the unstable overhanging above her instead.
The resulting detonation caused another shower of deadly debris to rain down on them. Eri was mobile enough to avoid the crushing rocks, but the minstrel's legs were crippled. She was forced to redirect her magic missiles to defend herself, shooting down the rocks before they could crush her.
By the time the chaos settled and her focus shifted back to the field, Eri was gone from her sight.
Hidden under a shelter of fallen rocks right beneath the Disruptor’s sight, Eri sat in a forced meditative trance, aided by an emergency dose of narcotic ampoules while his [Stealth] Skill barely kept him from detection.
Concentrate, he thought to himself with eyes closed, willing his pounding heart to relax despite the knowledge that the Disruptor might find him at any moment. It is pointless to fear. Visualise the path to victory. It does not matter if the odds are slim. So long as it is possible… It will be enough.
The Chosens who fought and killed me before faced far worse odds than this.
A state of calm followed. Eri could finally see it: his Goddess Core, radiant in his mind’s eye. Its Bronze hue shone with a fresh lustre, having just ascended from its Copper Shell a mere month ago.
And now Eri was about to ascend it again.
The circumstances were far from ideal, and there was little precedent for what he was attempting to pull off. He did not know what consequence would occur were he to forcefully empower his Core so soon after its last ascension. To do so under the stress of battlefield conditions was also similarly reckless.
But Eri needed power. There was no way he was going to defeat a max-levelled Ruby Core half-Elf in his current state. Even a Silver Core would likely not be enough.
But it was a step in the right direction.
[Investing Heroism Points into Core…]
/-/
Bronze Core
Mana Capacity: 50/50
Heroism Points: 75801
Villainy Points: 1207808
Core Progression (Bronze to Silver; Complete): 20000/20000 Points
Core Corruption: Stage 1 (100%)
/-/
[Core ready for upgrade. Advance to Silver? Y/N?]
[Y/N]
Power overwhelming. Eri gritted his teeth as he forced the roiling energies within him to be as silent as possible. Liquefied mana condensed into layers, solidifying around his Core. In his mind’s eye, he saw the rawness of it scrape the newly minted Bronze surface. Unlike his previous ascension, this time, a feeling of wrongness and agony assailed his being.
Eri bore the pain, biting his lips so as not to let loose even a gasp. Painful seconds later, the flood of notifications came in.
[Core Upgrade complete; Silver Core obtained!]
[Minimum Level raised to Lvl 61]
[Maximum Level raised to Lvl80]
[Perks Slot +1, Key Skills +1]
[Attribute Points on Level Up increase from +8 to +12]
[Mana Capacity increased from 50 to 100]
[Pyrefang Saboteur Eri promoted to Heroic Level 61 Firebeast Prowler!]
[Excess XP detected; Level Up! You are now Lvl 62!]
[Excess XP detected; Level Up! You are now Lvl 63!]
[Excess XP detected; Level Up! You are now Lvl 64!]
[...]
[Excess XP detected; Level Up! You are now Lvl 80!]
[Max Level for Silver Core reached!]
As he had expected. The flood of XP he had gained from the Port was enough to propel him straight from a newly minted Silver Core Chosen at Level 61 to Level 80, the apex of strength for most knights within noble families.
It often took Copper Cores three to five years to reach Bronze. From Bronze, an average of five to eight years was usually needed to ascend to Silver. And then, from Silver to Gold, nearly twelve full years of demon slaying and training were required.
Twelve years of repaying the Goddess Tithe of a hundred Balance Kills each year. What this meant was that the journey from Silver to Gold encompassed the cumulative experience of slaying at least twelve hundred Silver Core demons.
Eri effectively had fulfilled that equivalent amount of XP when he blew up the Port, thereby bypassing years of laborious experience grinding.
The new Core thrummed with power, but unlike when he first required his Copper Core or when he had gained his Bronze Core, this Silver Core was a burning, uncontrolled mass that blazed like a newborn Sun. Eri struggled not to make a sound. The pain in his chest was a molten fire. It was as if he were melting.
But he was not finished yet. There was more pain to come. Barely suppressing a whine of despairing reluctance, Eri pressed to the next stage.
[Investing Heroism Points into Core…]
/-/
Silver Core
Mana Capacity: 100/100
Heroism Points: 15801
Villainy Points: 1207808
Core Progression (Silver to Gold; Complete): 60000/60000 Points
Core Corruption: Stage 1 (100%)
/-/
[Core ready for upgrade. Advance to Gold? Y/N?]
There was a chilling moment of clarity — an uncharacteristic pang of doubt. He had thought his plan rational, but in that instant where the pressure in his chest felt on the brink of exploding, a cold stab of hesitation cut through the thrill.
What would happen if his raw-forged Silver Core, brimming with unstable mana, went through another ascension?
The rush of reason faltered, replaced by a prickling thought that maybe, just maybe, his plan wasn’t genius after all.
The thin line that separated heroic stubbornness and suicidal recklessness was blurrier than ever. His instincts screamed at him to stop. The long millennium of prioritising self-preservation chaffed at him. He was at odds. Precious seconds passed.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, his foe decided for him before he could resolve himself.
[Observation — lethal intent detected!]
Move!
The shelter above him caved in, brought down by sonic force. Had the warning come even a heartbeat later, Eri would have been utterly crushed.
Despite his best efforts, he had been detected.
His legs moved on instinct, dodging magic bolts while drawing forth grenades and tossing them. A blister of staggering detonations forced his opponent back as he retreated.
No chance of sneaking away and ascending to Gold, now… Guess I’ll have to make do with what I have.
To his shame, he felt some relief at that thought.
Eri crouched atop a pile of rubble, daggers drawn and eyes sharp. His opponent — the crippled red-haired minstrel — had inexplicably ceased her relentless attacks and was studying him.
For once, her emerald eyes held something other than emptiness. There was a curious caution present — a spark of uncharacteristic confusion to an otherwise viciously void stare.
Eri’s Silver Core pulsed in defiance to its previous Bronze state. The minstrel’s hesitation was understandable, for Eri’s sudden ascension ran against every precedent for Chosens. Only the Goddess held the power and choice to ascend her heroes, yet Eri had somehow done so on his own.
Making use of his opponent’s caution, Eri quickly looked at his Attributes.
/-/
Eri White
Lvl 80/80 Firebeast Prowler
Str: 132
Dex: 229
End: 116
Wis: 181
Cha: 27
Attribute Points Available: 240
/-/
He had just gained 20 levels all in one go. Each level within the Silver Rank gave him 12 Attribute Points, leaving him with a sum of 240 Attribute Points to spend.
What is the best move? How should I allocate this? Do I put more into Strength? Should I increase my Endurance in case I get hit? Or maybe I should finally fix my useless Charisma, and—
The red-headed witch gave up on studying him as she suddenly strung her harp-bow once more, triggering another flood of magic missiles.
He was out of time.
“Ah, damn it all, just put everything into Dex!” he shouted in panic.
[Allocating 240 Attribute Points into Dexterity]
[Dexterity raised: 229 to 469!]
Eri took one step forward to dodge—
— and accidentally blurred forth, slamming headfirst into the witch’s forehead with uncontrolled force.
There was a sickening crack. And then both of them were knocked out instantly.
