29 The strongest survive

Michael had wandered through the withering forrest of grass until finally arriving next to some sort of underground complex.

On his three day travel, Michael had butchered a total of five wendigos, raising his level to 15/17. The reason he had entered this place was because the end of the cave wall seemed to be some sort of hidden door. However, instead of figuring out the secret behind how to open it, he just walked through.

The inside of the tunnel he traversed was rather well polished, the floor was very smooth, almost better than the one in the academy. The walls were perfectly hollowed out, accompanied by some sort of old light bulbs. Who could make such things in this world? Who set this place up? Did the maneating beasts originate from this place?

While walking deeper without even making a sound, some sort of old stone door appeared as he neared the end. It took the shape of a vault, almost as if to lock whatever was imprisoned inside to stay there. Never see the light of day.

'This place... What happened here matters not. I have a feeling that completing this transformation is achievable if I bust down that door.'

Still in his [Hel'Bölger] form, Michael went up towards the vault. Graesing his scaly hand on the material. Although it was rather smooth, It felt incredibly solid.

'This is no mere metal. Perhaps Jenkins would know? I will bring a piece with me back when I leave.'

Michael steadied his stance. Not in an advanced way, only standing before it like he would stand any one bellow him.

'How many seconds will it take me to pry it open?'

He grinned once more, extending one of his hands forwards, planning to push it down.

As the flat of his palm leaned against the old metal, he let out a sudden grunt.

"HAAAH!"

The energy in his body shook, enhancing his strenght. This was something he had learned to do after trying to find another way to use it other than on his skills.

The door bendt under his frightening physical power, slamming into the ground. Michael watched the once unbreakable iron plate, laying before him like a carpet, only there as to not disrespect his presence.

This, however, did not make him feel different. The grin disappeared, and he continued inwards.

The longer he walked, the more he felt a werid sensation in his stomach. The previous stone walls had turned into some sort of black metal, containing mysterious red carvings of different people worshipping some sort of man. There were several sequences were there laid people on an alter before this 'God'. Being impaled with crazed smiles on their faces.

'What the hell is this?'

Finally arriving at the end of this place, there was another door. Much smaller than the one he smashed down.

'Tsk. This better be good.'

Not taking notice of it, he just walked it down. And he finally found out What this place was.

This, giant hollowed out room clearly used to be only filled with stone, as the giant roof was still made up of ragged thorns and spikes. Underneath, however, was a set of several iron cages containing either decomposed human men and women, or wendigos chewing on some sort of bones.

This place was most likely some sort of experimental facility by a hidden maniac.

When the caged wendigos saw him, they all began to frantically lunge and scream to him. Not caring about the looks he had, only that he open the doors so that they can feed.

This was not why he was here, and he just passed them. Closing in on a sort of old wooden table with several papers on it.

'This....'

He picked up one of the rough documents, most likely originating from further back In time.

The language of this world had already been engraved in his mind, so there was no trouble reading any of them.

"Snowtime, year 127. I have begun my experiments ever since the seal broke. To break the shackles my genes have set on this body are far harder than I thought. However, my research seems to have proven to be very valuable."

'Snow time? Well, that old man never gave me any more knowledge than the names of the most common religions and where things lay on the map. Should ask Jenkins when I return.'

"Sun time, year 135. I have successfully infused my DNA with that of a wendigo. There is a documented increase in both power and speed, much more profound than that in my human subjects. Maybe this will help me break the chains of the 'common world' later on."

'Break the chains of the common world? Is this guy crazy? Even I was only told this place was where I was going to complete my mission.'

"Reborn time, year 140. There has been another ground breaking success in my research! The wendigo seems to have gained intelligence, however, she is still weaker than me. I will continue to experiment on this one, in hope of it yielding some results."

"Fallen time, year 147. It looks like she has perished due to the continues experimentation... And my reaserch has not even been completed! Dammit all, and I was this close too..."

"Sun time, year 150. I HAVE DONE IT!! This..This will help me finally leave this wretched lower realm! These dum mortals can't even tell the difference between true magic and martial arts energy... I feel the brain cell's I had before my banishment have long left."

'Lower....Realm? True magic? what the..'

"Snow time, year 151. The evolution potion I made seems to have been harmful for my body. Combining this and the over experimentation done on myself, I have now found the need to 'time travel'. Whoever finds my reaserch, you may come wake me up. That is, if you want the rest of it! hahaha!"

Michael hardened his expression. Finding out what this place really was.

'Evolution potion? The guy freezed in this place should be weakened after several decades of hibernation. However, just to be sure..."

He looked back at the 20 wendigoes remaining inside the cages. flecking his sharp teeth towards them.

"How much further will I go.... How much farther will I reach?"

....

"Dammit! where is Michael? We are going to start the heist in one week!"

While he was uncovering the remains of some ancient expert, Jenkins was currently inside some sort of old fashion casino. He was dressed in some old noble tuxedo, having a pair of round glasses over his blue eyes. The usual long, blond hair was tied in a hanging ponytail. He sat before a featureless timber table. Surrounded by four different well built men, they all had a stack of gold coins on each side.

As their dealer flung new stone cards onto the table, all of the men present could be seen conveying a sort of sour and unfair energy towards Jenkins who was, at the moment, pulling several stacks of money towards himself.

Merely, one of the men seem to have regained some of his previous confidence. The man had a bald head and some gruffy eyebrows. His prodigious body also seem to complement his looks. Making the man look like a fat thumb.

"Hey now, 'Yellow reaper'. You would atleast give this old timer a chance to win his money back?"

His voice was very coarse, like an old textile glove.

Jenkins looked at the man through his glasses. Not knowing where this confidence came from, as he was known to never have lost once.

The glamoures properties his face possesed shone even though he wore a set of very masculine clothes. And it could not lie, as there was some greed emerging around the forming dimples.

"Double?" The melodious dark toned voice went towards the chunky lump. Suggesting how much more money he should give.

The guy began to chuckle back, not hesitating in the slightest as he placed a sack of money on the table.

"Triple!"

Jenkins eyed this treasure trove with both his nose and his eyes. Fully digesting the prize before him.

"Fine! Lets go!"

He pused the small towers of gold onto the table, letting their dealer hand out the card.

As each one was looking at the new cards being thrown onto the table, Jenkins could be seen having some blood drain from his face. The baldy, however, laughed merrily. Clapping his hands onto the bear belly protecting his gut.

"It seems you have lost this time! Yellow reaper."

Jenkins did not break his trade mark poker face this time, only looking back at the one who stole his money.

"Hey there, Papa thumb! How about you give me another chance?"

They did not blink while starring at eachother. The other ones sitting on the table noticed this, and started to back off.

The old thumb just smiled back planning to drag Jenkins's part towards his mighty body.

However, Jenkins did not allow this to happen. Climbing on top of the table while looking down at the old man.

"Thats my money!"

While barking at the guy, their dealer and several attendants came to try and reason with him.

"Please, esteemed customer. There is no need to resort to such measures.."

"Shut up boy! Hey, you human sized finger! Play against me again!"

Looking at this weirdly attractive guy gave him some weird feeling telling him to run, but the old man just smiled back at him, grabbing a fist full of coins from the pile.

"Listen here, we bet fair and square. Right? So lets just finish this another time.."

It was too bad that, before he could finish, Jenkins sent a kick towards his folded temple. Making the old man roll like an egg backwards.

"You damn thumb! If you want this great lord's money, then you better be ready to bring this beating along with it!"

He jumped of the table, pushing aside all the attendees who tried to stop him. When arriving before the old man who held his hand onto where the elf had hit him, Jenkins proceeded to kick him some more. Screaming at the bleeding lump of meat.

"How does the shoe of this lord taste?! There is nothing that is prized higher than my sole in this world! Did you know that?!!?!"

His ponytail danced back and forth while he stomped on the innocent man's head. All the other customers were only starring at the scene before them, not wanting to be his next victim.

As he kept trampling over the thumb, several bouncers arrived at the scene, wanting to end this.

"Sir, please step away from the.."

One of the bouncers were going to stop him. However, Jenkins stopped beating the poor man up, looking at the scene he had caused.

He stratched his hand over both eyes. Seeming to dwell on what he had done.

"Looks like I got caught up in the moment. Tsk Tsk. Well, whatever..."

The bouncers looked at each other, preparing to escort him out.

"Wonderful! Then would you please.."

Jenkins interrupted him once more, taking off his glasses and placing them inside one of the pockets on the tuxedo.

"All we need is a fresh start, gentlemen!"

The bouncer who was interrupted was planning on answering him, until he started to chant..

"Dark Magic: Warhead of Death!"

Before anyone could move, a blinding black flash burnt every single living organisms withing one kilometre.

After clearing up, Jenkins could be seen standing in the middle of some ruble, belonging to the previous casino.

He once more pulled out his glasses, flicking them onto his face like some classy magician.

After making sure they sat properly, he looked at a small piece of rusted gold laying next to his ever so elegant leather shoes. handsomly bending over and picking it up.

"And THAT'S how you win at gambling!"

He trotted away from the sight, ignoring the flattened area and skeletal remains.

...

Michael had killed another wendigo, leaving 19 there for him.

[Level 17/17] Max!

[Does host wish to evolve?]

"Yes, show me the evolutions!"

Patiently waiting for the screen to appear, he was then rewarded for his patience.

[Hel'Slakter: The final evolution of the [Hel'dreper]. It possess two white horns on the sides of its head, shooting up towards the heavens that has cursed them. This race is a failed experiment between the lesser 'Godess of wolfs Chayah' and the lesser 'God of Power Hel'Nor'. It was said that, without the 'first gods' this race would never be more than servants. Their hel'Börger transformation reaches it's final stage here, granting a new ability. No one knows what they would have looked like if completed.]

[Merstar: A humanoid type of bird which live one the planes belonging to lesser 'Star gods' They are able to call upon the power of the univierse, bringing judgement on those before them. They are not very strong, but have good affinity with ??? The Merstar are the champions of the star gods, always following whatever order they give, no matter how evil.]

[Skeleton Knight: A evolved skeleton which has gained a tougher frame and stronger bones. Legend has it that this race have a weird and unpredictable evolution tree. Very much like a goblin. They have incredible adaptive abilites, know to survive in any place, even in dungeons below freezing point.]

Michaels yellow eyes ignored the two last choices, only focusing on the final evolution and its description

'Without the first gods...'

"Evolve me into the [Hel'Slakter]!"