It wasn’t long before I got the expected message, or rather I got more than I expected.

  Blood Bather Devilkin Evolution- 20% Devilkin is a loose term for a tremendously diverse group of creatures which are infused in part with devilish power. Gain blood from five different varieties in order to complete this evolution.

  Be warned this evolution carries spiritual weight with it.

  I didn’t have time to consider it, as two more notifications were waiting for me. They didn’t come until half an hour after I could no longer hear any living takers pulling away more of the corpses.

  You have slain 308 devilkin takers between the levels of 42 and 45. For slaying more than 300 monsters who are of a higher tier, you gain the title- Monster Hunter III (rare) – gain 15% effective stats whenever fighting a monster of a higher tier. +20 Agility, +15 Durability, +10 Vitality.

  The next notification told me that I had gained enough XP to reach level 50. That wasn’t surprising once I thought about it. I estimated that I should have gained over 130,000 XP just from that.

  I was horrified when I read the next line. Since I was now at my cap for my current class level, I’d lost all of the XP beyond 100,000. That meant—with what I had gained, if I hadn’t been currently capped at 50—I’d lost over eighty thousand XP or likely enough to get me at least to level 55. I cursed myself for not having taken my uncommon class sooner, but then I thought about it… If I had, I never would have gained that title and that was worth a huge amount. It was probably my best title other than One Small Step/One Giant Leap, which doubled my stat gains from each level. Blood Bather might be on the same level, but this felt bigger.

  I then breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the last tack on.

  For gaining more than double your total previous XP in a single battle, the lost XP will be converted to stat points equal to 5 levels worth.

  Leveling up restored all my health, renewed my body, and refilled my mana. It couldn’t take away the trauma I’d felt, but I was already adapting to that. The old me would definitely have died in that battle. May not have had the drive to get back up and move on, but the new me, had grit. A deep well of burning defiance and will. It was like every horror the system pushed upon me, a wonder was granted as a balance.

  When I looked at my stat sheet, I was tempted to smile, but my face was still covered in blood. I’d popped the free points from my last couple of levels into Vitality, but after this experience, I was convinced more than ever that I didn’t have enough HP. That had been entirely too close. So, I dropped every free point I had into Vitality.

  That still left me with the 120 more bonus stat points from the lost XP. Samvek had been so right about not rushing forward. These bonuses were making up for anything I might have lost by not having an uncommon class for the past ten levels. Before I could decide against it, I dropped 20 points into Dexterity. I knew the stat was good for crafting and throwing, but wasn’t sure what else. It just felt like letting it fall too far behind was a mistake.

  Next I put 29 into Mind to round it out at 250. Then 13 to bring Perception to 200 and 3 to do the same for Vitality. I added 15 to Agility to balance it with my Strength and then the last 40 I split between Endurance and Durability.

  I couldn’t sense Samvek anywhere around me, so I assumed he was hiding. I didn’t think he’d completely abandoned me, but I felt a simmering anger that he hadn’t stepped in to help me. Obviously, his argument would be that I’d survived and benefited immensely from the battle, but that didn’t make me feel any better.

  The last part that I had to deal with was looting. I’d already lost some of the loot to the scavenging takers, but it was better than losing my life. The only thing was that once I looted them all the bodies would be turned into a bit of light and then would be gone. My hiding spot would be lost.

  I took note that one of my abilities had evolved during the battle and several others got much closer to uncommon.

  Immobile Damage- this Mind based ability will cause your magical damage to increase by 15% for every minute that you don’t move more than 5 feet from a fixed location. Maximum increase is 100% + 5 times your level. (Uncommon 13%)

  It didn’t change other than all the rates increased. It wasn’t like some of the other ones which got cool new names, but I wasn’t complaining. It had upped my damage as I battled more than once.

  I waited another half an hour, finally convincing myself that it was time. Waiting any longer was only going to increase my chances of discovery. I passed the time thinking about what skills, abilities, and spells I could use as pillars for my class. Right now it was just speculation though, I wouldn’t make the final decision until I talked to Samvek about it a bit more.

  Then I activated Loot.

  Multiple duplicate loots will be created by this function. Alternatively, you may cut your number of looted items by three-fourths in exchange for having every item bumped up by one Tier.

  Furthermore, all loot will be doubled as this is your first encounter with devilkin.

  I automatically accepted, then looked on as I saw the list of loot populate in my mind’s eye.

  Healing Potions (rare) x 39

  Healing Potions (epic) x 4

  Stamina Potions (rare) x 34

  Stamina Potions (epic) x 3

  Mana Potions (rare) x 23

  Mana Potions (epic) x 3

  Ability Evolution Stone (Epic)

  Ability Evolution Stone x 2 (Rare)

  Class Shard- Death Healer x5 (Uncommon)

  Class Shard- Devil Fused x3 (Rare)

  Class Shard- Soul Feaster x1 (Epic)

  Devil Scale Armor- (Epic)

  Boots of Shadows- (Rare)

  Wand of Death Rays- (Rare)

  Orb of Hellfire x2 (Epic)

  Credits – 79,610

  I quickly cleaned up as well as I could. I left my cloths where they were but saved my Belt of Life and Tunic of Durability. Then I put on clean clothes and looked at the new item drops to see if they would work for me. I was pleased to see that the system had been generous.

  Devil Scale Armor Quality: Epic (Set 1/5)

  Armor Value: 100 - 50 Diffusion, 35 deflection, 15 absorption

  Passive Effects:

  4) Grants 50% base resistance to natural fire and 25% to magical fire

  5) Grants positive impression with devils and devilkin

  6) Boosts ease of attunement to Hell Mana

  7) Grants 35% resistance to slashing attacks and 20% to piercing

  8) Strength: +10, Agility: +25, Durability: +10, Endurance: +15

  Set Bonuses: 2, 4, 5, pieces.

  The armor was a chest piece, but with the small scales were supple enough that I could wear my tunic over it. The gamer in me felt like I was cheating for getting to wear two pieces of gear on the same part of my body, but I figured one was clothing and the other armor.

  The boots were an easy addition once I identified them.

  Boots of Shadow Quality: Rare

  Passive Effects:

  1) Adds +20 to Stealth and Hide Skills, may synergize with Stealth Ability.

  2)

  Naturally pulls shadows around the user the longer they stay still.

  3) Adds +10 Agility and +10 Dexterity

  Then I looked at the wand to see if it was something I’d be able to use.

  Wand of Death Rays (Rare) this wand will convert 30 mana into a concentrated ray which seeks to extinguish either life or unlife. It also stores 150 mana for use when the wielder has no mana. At least 50% mage or healer shards are necessary to wield this item. Range: 75 feet. Damage: Mild to Severe. Chance to insta-kill uncommon or lesser tier beings. Cool-down: 12 seconds.

  Note all Devilkin magical items may only be powered by hell mana or by sacrificing HP at a 1:1 ratio.

  The items almost seemed like they were trying to force me to attune to this Hell Mana. I didn’t know what it was and didn’t want to be blinded by Earth definitions of hell, but it also didn’t make me feel good being around it. If push came to shove, I could try out this wand using HP, but it would have to be pretty damn effective if I was going to use it.

  That only left the two Orbs of Hellfire. They were crystal spheres bound in a black metal. Each was about the size of an orange and was warm to the touch. When I stared into the crystals, I saw black and red flames dancing inside. The longer I looked the more uneasy I got, but Identify took its sweet time activating.

  Orb of Hellfire (Epic) -Single Use Item

  This sphere is filled with concentrated flames captured from the hellscape and equivalent to the flames conjured by an arch-devil. The flames will burn even things immune to magical fire. They can only be prematurely put out with tremendous force either physical or with the right type of magical power.

  AoE: 30’ sphere Duration: 6 minutes Damage: Serious to Deadly

  I whistled under my breath. Those things would be deadly if used against a group of monsters. I tucked them into my spatial storage, then took a look at the remaining loot.

  My cover was gone, so I had little else that I could do. I didn’t think it was safe to use any of the evolution stones. Certainly, it wasn’t safe to form a new core here, even if Samvek was around for me to discuss it with. The sounds of bodies moving down the hall prompted me to hide in a corner. I still wasn’t sure about my Adorably Harmless aura, so I turned it off. On the one hand, it made me appear harmless, on the other hand it drew attention to me.

  I wished I could have activated my stealth ability, but apparently, I needed to have a rogue class shard in my core in order to use it. So, I was stuck having to sneak the old-fashioned way. I eventually had to clear all the monsters out of this plot for the quest, but I was worried something more was at play here. The change from undead to devilkin was off.

  Chapter 32- Survival

  From there, I started sneaking down the tunnels, or rather I attempted to. Then I realized what a stupid thing I was doing. I backtracked down the tunnel I’d come from and then began to cast the spell to summon Urg.

  This area is locked into a connection with a single dimension. No beings from other dimensions may be summoned while this lock exists.

  I ground my teeth. I actually remembered to summon Urg before going into danger, and this time I couldn’t do it. I felt like the system was mocking me. Worse, just what did it mean that this area was locked? Was that this plot, a portion of the plot, or the entire dungeon now? If it was the entire dungeon that was going to make things a great deal harder. But then I thought about it. That didn’t really make sense.

  So far, each plot of the dungeon had been its only pocket space within the dungeon. You could only go from one plot to the next at designated portal areas. So, it made sense that the lock was only on this plot. At least, Dora and the others wouldn’t have to face devilkin.

  The change in monsters spoke to the dark nature of whatever dimension it was bound to. I also needed to get an index for the system. What was the difference between universes within the multiverse and different dimensions? There was simply too much I didn’t know.

  Of course, that was when I realized that I’d been standing still too long. I suddenly heard the sound of clawed feet scraping along the stone floor. Rather than waiting for the monster to find me, I activated Mage Shield, and then triggered my Spined Fox evolution. I wanted to find out if the quills would be effective against the devilkin’s scaled hides.

  I directed my arm toward the direction the devilkin was coming from and triggered my Ring of Blinding. The flash of light shocked it, causing it to shriek. Before the light faded, I opened my eyes and fired off the quills from my arm. They speared the creature, causing its shrieks of protest to become shrieks of pain. Then I was on it. I brought the naginata style blade of my polearm down on its neck at a forty-five degree angle. It bit deep and dropped the monster to the ground where I used another stroke to take its head completely off.

  That sealed it. The quills could pierce the armor, but not very deeply. They were excellent for causing lesser wounds, pain, and distraction, but weren’t going to be a finisher with these takers.

  After that, I continued sneaking down the hall, while silently protesting my inability to summon Urg. Whenever, I found a taker alone, I would go for a quick kill. Most of the time it went off fairly easily. Something seemed to have thinned their numbers out. I didn’t know if it was just because I’d massacred over 300 of them, or if there was another explanation. Even the taint in the air was becoming lighter.

  A few times, I got adds and had to fight as many as half a dozen off, but with my new gear, I was much more resistant to their claws. At least that applied to my torso. My arms still got cut plenty of times. It annoyed me not to get any XP from the kills, but at least I still got loot even if none of it was anything special.

  I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as I crept through the labyrinth's twisted tunnels. The oppressive darkness seemed to thicken with every step, swallowing the weak light emanating from my weapon's crystal. I had to cut the light off frequently when I heard anything. There was just something about absolute darkness that strained me. I know that the blind dealt with this sensation all the time, but I don’t think I’d ever been stuck somewhere without any light at all. Often, what we called darkness was only dark, not this complete void. My senses were heightened to an almost unbearable degree, every sound a potential threat, every shadow a possible ambush.

  The air was cooler now, the stench of decay less overwhelming than before. It was as if the very atmosphere of the place was changing, adapting to the depletion of the takers. Still, a faint, unsettling odor lingered, a mix of burnt flesh and something metallic, reminding me constantly of the dangers lurking in the unseen corners of this maze.

  Silence was my ally as I moved, the soft padding of my boots on the cold stone floor barely audible. When I didn’t encounter any devilkin for a good half an hour, I began to imagine that I was getting good at this sneaking thing.

  Early in the process, I got the skill, Stealth and later the skill Hide. It seemed odd to me that there were both skills and abilities with the same name, but as I thought about it made more sense. The skills were an actual aptitude that I had for something as recognized by the system. I could get boosts from gear or a boon, but true mastery required actual practice. In contrast, an Ability was basically a magical application which I could trigger under certain circumstances. They were different from spells in that they didn’t have mana costs, and they seemed a bit easier to shape and manipulate.

  When I did come up on some of the devilkin, my polearm was swift, its blade slicing through the air with lethal precision. The creatures, caught off guard, had little chance to react before they met their end. Their bodies dissolved into motes of light that quickly faded into nothingness, just as fast as I looted them, leaving nothing behind as evidence.

  Despite the ease with which I dispatched these solitary foes, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The reduction in their numbers was too significant, too sudden. It wasn't just the result of my actions; something else was at play here. The air was starting to feel lighter, like the taint that filled it was weakening.

  Occasionally, my solitude was broken by the rush of battle. Groups of takers, sometimes as many as six, would emerge from the shadows, their claws gleaming in the dim light. These encounters were frenzied and chaotic. My gear, enhanced and resistant to their attacks, protected my torso effectively. But my arms bore the brunt of their aggression, slashes marring my skin, a painful testament to their ferocity.

  Despite the pain, there was a thrill in these skirmishes. My heart raced, adrenaline surged, and my mind focused with a clarity that made each moment stand out in stark relief against the backdrop of the labyrinth. The takers were relentless, but so was I. Each clash of blades, each dodge and counter, was a step closer to my goal.

  As I ventured deeper into the maze, the architecture began to shift. The walls, once rough and unadorned, now bore intricate carvings in the shape of odd runes or complex geometric shapes lined along the walls. I could barely make them out with my faint light, but most of the time I kept a hand on the wall, so I felt the difference. I’d eventually realized that I should’ve cast Rapid Flight. That way, I wouldn’t make any sound on the ground, but because of that, I almost missed the way the floor started to slope gently downward. That only convinced me that I was moving towards the heart of the labyrinth, and possibly the source of the takers.

  I pressed on, driven by a need to find the nest or base belonging to the takers. It definitely wasn’t the darkness, silence, or loneliness which were pushing me forward… If I could locate the source, perhaps I could finish clearing this plot and move on to the next where hopefully, I’d meet up with the rest of my team.

  The labyrinth's mocking twists and turns began to gnaw at my patience. Each new passage promised an end, a revelation, only to culminate in yet another dead end. The sameness of the corridors, the unyielding stone, the absence of any sign, gnawed at my resolve. It killed me that I couldn’t use my mini-map in here. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I could use it to show me where I’d been, but not where I was going. That was all blacked out on the interface until I actually wandered into the tunnels. I didn’t even see the little red dots showing where an enemy was unless I’d already explored the area. I wanted to curse it as useless, but at least it kept me from getting lost in tunnels I’d already cleared.

  I wiped sweat from my brow, cursing under my breath. The air, though cleaner now, still bore a chill that seeped into my bones. Fear and aimlessness were cutting into my resolve. Why had Samvek left me? Why had he insisted that our team split up? I knew the answers of course, but that didn’t ease my mind at all. My senses were both strained and void of any input. It was like I was stuck within a sensory deprivation tank and slowly, it was eroding on my mind.