Burning in Hell
In a realm filled with darkness and fire that can only be described as hellish, a group of ten individuals are frantically running for their lives as they are relentlessly pursued by monstrous creatures that seem to close in on them.
Although the monsters have a humanoid form, their sharp teeth and feral grins make them far more terrifying to encounter.
With skin that is darker than human flesh and covered in scales rather than hair or fur, the creature's roar as they pursue the group.
The group is being led by a massive creature that has a body made up entirely of dark smoke.
The creature is a veritable nightmare, a monstrous being that would make the most terrifying dreams seem mild in comparison.
"We have to keep moving!" A voice calls out from behind.
"He'll catch us if we don't!"
As another figure emerges, he places his hand gently on the shoulder of one of the other figures.
No one can tell what he's thinking or feeling because his face is hidden under a hooded cloak.
"That isn't true," he whispers, looking down at the group.
"It's not how this works."
A tiny growl escapes the creature in front of him before they snap back into line and continue running for their lives.
Despite their efforts to outrun the demon, the massive creature caught up to them much faster than any of the group had expected.
With its razor-sharp claws slicing through the air, the creature signalled its imminent arrival in the small group.
In fear of the demon's approach, one figure breaks away from the group and falls onto his hands and knees while crying out.
As his wounds opened up, causing blood to flow out, he let out another cry.
A boy turned around and saw one other from his party struggling against her own fear.
Her arm seems to be the only thing keeping her from falling and if he grabs it, she won't be able to move much longer.
Given that the others are not making any progress, it appears as though going alone is his only option.
Running through this hellish world, he encountered a huge firewall that blocked his path just when he thought he was making progress.
As soon as the boy retrieved a book and pen to write something, he was suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain originating from his back.
As he coughed up blood, he suddenly noticed a black claw protruding from his chest and stretching out through his back.
As time passed, his eyes gradually lost their shine and his thoughts drifted towards the memories of all the abuse he had endured.
Ripped away from his parents, who he didn't even know at a young age, and put into an orphanage where he was abused for being different because he didn't have a system.
He ran away, only to find himself caught up in this nightmare.
'Hero's' they told him.
"Become a Hero Saekki! You've awakened powers, even if you did not get the angels' blessing of the system."
"Join the Hero foundation! We can help you out."
But all he got was the Villain treatment.
"Hero?.." He muttered.
"I'd rather be a Villain."
Despite the pain of ripping out the black claw from his back, he persevered and continued to write something into his book.
'Increase heat by 10%'
Out of nowhere, the temperature of the surrounding place rises dramatically and becomes scorching hot.
The fire was so intense that it even caused some of the pages on Saekki's page to burn.
"What did you do!" One of his teammates shouted.
"Nothing, just letting everyone else feel my pain." Saekki said.
"You idiot! Now we're going to die!" another yelled.
Saekki tried to stand up but was too weak to move.
He looked down at the ground and saw a small circle of molten rock around his feet.
He never understood why people said the world was a cold place.
It felt like a searing heat was constantly burning him alive.
While wiping the sweat off his face, he becomes aware that the other members of his party are barely hanging onto life.
"Seems like the oven was left on for too long." He sneered.
Saeki, with a racing heart, prepared himself for his impending demise.
"I guess there is no point in trying to survive this, but..."
Trying to change the damage you've received will not be easy, though.
He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaled.
Closing his eyes, he focused his mind and tried to think of a solution to the problem at hand.
"Fire resistance?"
It is not an instantaneous process and would take a minute to activate.
After taking a moment to think, he found himself unsure of what action to take.
As he grasped the pen that scorched his fingers, he wrote on the remaining pages of his book.
'Increase heat by 10%'
"Let's all burn in hell."
As soon as he finishes speaking, his vision goes black.
After a period had passed, his eyes slowly fluttered open, and he took a moment to look around and orient himself.
He was unaware of what had happened for a considerable amount of time until he finally came to the realisation.
The sight that met his eyes was gruesome and disturbing; he was lying in a pool of what appeared to be blood, and upon closer inspection, he realised it was none other than the infamous Pool of Styx.
As he continued to scan the room, his eyes fell upon a throne that towered so high it made him tilt his head all the way back to see the top.
The throne was occupied by a man who wore long hair and robes.
It was hard not to notice the man's eyes, which seemed to glow in red and gave him an eerie appearance.
"You've finally come." The man said in a deep, heavy accent.