DXD 22

After tirelessly working for two days straight, I had finally completed Olivia's new armor - a sleek red and black battledress that exuded both elegance and deadly force. Although her previous DanMachi under armor still had some use, it had become somewhat obsolete against the powerful foes we now faced. Tempted as I was to pull a prank and craft her an armored bikini, I knew better than to toy with my life. So instead, I opted for a more practical and functional piece that would keep her safe in battle.

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From afar, the armor appeared to be a typical female armor with a corset, but upon closer inspection, one could see that it was scale mail composed of millions of intricately carved, razor-sharp red and black blades barely a millimeter wide. Utilizing my godly dexterity, heightened senses, and manipulation abilities, I meticulously crafted and enchanted each miniature blade by hand. Well, with [Celestial Forge], but that counts, doesn't it?

As most of Olivia's abilities were centered around blades and the ability to cut things apart, I ensured that the tiny blades on her armor were uniformly shaped like wider spearheads. The scales were sharp and lethal, but I made sure to provide adequate padding to prevent any accidental self-harm.

My regenerative abilities had been put to the test more times than I could count while working on her new armor. In my eagerness to craft each piece to perfection, I had accidentally severed my own fingers more times than I could keep track of. But with each injury, my regeneration skills had grown stronger, allowing me to quickly heal and continue with my work. It was a small price to pay for the creation of a masterpiece.

Olivia's safety was important to me, and I spared no effort in ensuring that her new armor was the pinnacle of both defense and aesthetics. In addition to the thousands of black blades intricately carved into the scale mail, I had also fashioned a chainmail undershirt from a lightweight composite alloy that combined void and mithril ingots with other materials, making it both durable and light. But I didn't stop there.

The armor was not only imbued with offensive enchantments in the form of sharpness runes, but it also held an impressive array of defensive and supportive ones. It boasted the standard self-cleaning, durability, and regeneration enchantments, but I had also included a newly created self-repair enchantment that could slowly regenerate the armor if it were to sustain any damage.

But that wasn't all. Drawing inspiration from my skill [Dimensional Wave Manipulation], I crafted a powerful enchantment that would temporarily shift the wearer's existence to another plane of reality in times of grave danger. This would allow them to ignore all physical and most magical attacks for a few precious seconds, giving them a chance to escape or retaliate.

But the most crucial feature I added to the armor was its auto-equip function. In its most basic form, the armor took the shape of a sleek bracelet that the user could interact with to summon the armor from spatial storage and instantly equip it over themselves.

With this feature, Olivia could call upon the armor at a moment's notice, giving her an edge in unexpected battles. It also allowed her to move quickly and efficiently, as she no longer needed to carry the armor on herself at all times.

Finally, with the help of [Mystery], I had imbued the armor with a powerful concept that rendered it nearly impervious to all but the most devastating attacks. With this new armor, Olivia would be able to face any foe with confidence, knowing that she was protected by a nearly indestructible layer of defense.

With rigorous testing, we pushed the limits of the armor's defensive and offensive capabilities. After several attempts, she finally succeeded in infusing her weapons skill into the armor, and with a fierce determination, she charged straight towards a nearby tree. I braced myself for impact, but instead of colliding with the tree, her body sliced through it like butter, causing the old oak to topple over and damage a nearby building.

I had to cast a quick [Reparo] spell on the building to fix the damage, but I couldn't help but feel impressed by the armor's power. With the ability to be enhanced by the wielder's skills and strength, it was a formidable weapon indeed.

Despite my desire to learn a new craft and create something for myself, time was not on my side, as the first wave of dimensional invaders was just about to arrive.

The day started out like any other, with no hint of the impending danger that lay ahead. We rose from our beds, had our breakfast, and began our usual training routine.

Our spar began innocently enough, the sound of clashing weapons filling the courtyard like a rhythmic heartbeat. But as we moved, our bodies became fluid, each step and swing a calculated dance. At first, we seemed evenly matched, but as Olivia's innate talent with weapons began to shine through, her strikes became faster and more powerful.

With a roar, I lunged forward, the force of my attack cracking the ground beneath me. My blunt sword, enchanted to only inflict pain, swung towards her with deadly intent. But she moved like a ghost, dodging and weaving with effortless grace. In one swift motion, she took advantage of my exposed flank and struck my shoulder with a solid blow.

The pain that followed was searing, a white-hot bolt of agony that threatened to stop me in my tracks. But I refused to give in. I gritted my teeth and pressed on, the adrenaline in my veins fueling me forward. Our training was not just about physical strength, but mental fortitude as well. We pushed each other to the limit, determined to become the best versions of ourselves.

Our movements became more intense, our weapons clashing together with a thunderous force. Sweat coated our bodies and our breaths came in ragged gasps, but neither of us relented. Olivia was a force to be reckoned with, her movements precise and deadly. But I was determined to keep up with her, using every ounce of my strength and technique to stay one step ahead.

As the spar continued, our minds became locked in a fierce battle of wills. It was not just about who had the better technique, but who had the stronger spirit. I refused to give up, even as my body screamed for mercy. And Olivia was the same, her eyes blazing with a fierce determination that matched my own.

However, our training abruptly ceased as our exclusive maid materialized in our backyard with lightning speed, her piercing screams cutting through the air.

I shot her a questioning look, but she was too flustered to form a coherent sentence. "Mistress has called. There's an attack happening in New York right now," after a few ragged breaths, she finally managed to blurt out. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the predictable turn of events. It seemed that the United States had a knack for attracting extraterrestrial invasions and assaults.

"Tell her we're en route," I commanded the maid before turning to Olivia. "Do you have everything you need?" I inquired. With a confident nod, she summoned her armor in a flash of light, her trusty daggers materializing in her grasp.

"Excellent," I declared, closing my eyes and focusing my power on [Celestial Eyes]. I unleashed a torrent of mana, allowing my senses to sweep over the world. A wide grin spread across my face as I not only located the site of the attack but also pinpointed the location of five elusive dragons I planned to visit.

With unbridled courage, I unleashed my inner strength and wielded it to warp the very fabric of space-time, propelling us to the epicenter of pandemonium in a flash. And there, in the belly of the beast, lay a gruesome scene that surpassed even the darkest of nightmares. The symphony of chaos and agony raged on, its deafening roars smothering the blare of sirens and the shattering of glass into nothingness.

The cityscape was awash in a ghastly crimson glow, not only from the rivers of blood coursing through the urban arteries but also from the gargantuan and foreboding portal looming overhead like a harbinger of the end times. Its gaping maw disgorged an endless horde of grotesque and monstrous beasts, their shrill cries rending the heavens and their thunderous footsteps rumbling the very earth beneath our feet.

"Street or Portal duty?" I queried, but even as the words left my lips, Olivia had already launched herself off the rooftop, unleashing a deafening sonic boom that shattered every pane of glass in the vicinity before hurtling off in a blur of motion. Within moments, I spotted her two streets over, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake as she tore through the horde of monsters with terrifying velocity. Her every step cracked the pavement beneath her, while her hands blurred into a frenzy, felling droves of monstrosities with a single, fluid motion, drenching the streets in blood and viscera. And for those that lay beyond her reach, she summoned razor-sharp blades from the ether, piercing them with lethal precision. With each kill, augmented by her [Eternal Hunt], her power levels surged tremendously, and I knew that it was time for me to join in the fray and unleash my own brand of mayhem upon our otherworldly foes.

"Looks like I have my answer," I mused, a grin spreading across my face as I shifted my attention toward the gaping portal, steeling myself for whatever horrors it might unleash upon us.

Suddenly, the very air around us quaked and shimmered as [Mana's Blessing] surged to life, suffusing my surroundings in a brilliant teal radiance. Despite my divine domain and extensive training, my [Mana Manipulation] still lacked the necessary level to safely contain my augmented output, causing it to overflow in a dazzling display. In response, I cast [Celestial Eyes] once more, scanning the area for any surviving citizens before forcibly teleporting them away from the danger zone.

Rising up into the air, I focused every ounce of my being into [Infernal Mastery], and for an infinitesimal moment, I surged with an incandescent heat, my body temperature skyrocketing to unimaginable heights. And then, with a searing burst of light, I unleashed a scorching wave of destruction that razed entire buildings to rubble, melted concrete into a river of molten sludge, and annihilated all within a several-kilometer radius. The cacophony of death notifications flooded my vision, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, as my global level rose by four while class levels surged by a staggering twenty-one in a single instance.

But as the exhilaration of victory coursed through my veins, I felt a twinge of annoyance reverberating through the bond that linked me and Olivia. Suddenly, the ash-covered girl appeared before me, her hair singed and smoking, giving me a deadpan stare that spoke volumes.

"Umm...sorry?" I offered, attempting to sound remorseful, but even [Mind Discipline] couldn't suppress the amusement that threatened to spill over, resulting in a chuckle escaping my lips, that required me to dodge a retaliatory blow aimed at my midsection. "Hey!" I protested, grinning as I froze time around us.

With a disgruntled huff, Olivia crossed her arms and turned away from me, a pout marring her features and I couldn't help but chuckle at her sulky expression. Using [Clean] to quickly remove the soot that had covered her, and manipulating time to fix her disheveled hair, then I conjured a mirror out of atmospheric water and declared. "See? Good as new!"

Though she continued to glare at me, I knew she wasn't genuinely angry - just irked that I had annihilated everything in sight without leaving any foes for her to face. "There are still plenty more where they came from," I added, gesturing toward the portal. "So... instead of fighting in this molten slag that once was called a city, why not take the fight to them?" I proposed, pointing once again towards the looming portal. "I'm confident I can force us through it."

Olivia's eyes widened in realization, but her expression quickly turned suspicious. "Do you promise not to annihilate everything in sight right away?" she asked her arms still crossed.

"Pinky promise," I replied, grinning. "I'll stay next to the portal and guard it while you have fun running around. And when you're ready to wrap things up, I'll just blow up whatever that place is, okay?" I tilted my head to the side, a mischievous glint in my eye.

Olivia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she nodded in agreement. "Let's go!" she exclaimed, eager to jump into the fray. I didn't waste any time, unleashing a burst of power that propelled us toward the ominous portal. As we approached, I unfroze time and had to immediately throw up a barrier to shield us from the explosion of gore that erupted from the portal.

Realization dawned on me like a flash of lightning on a stormy night. I had made an itsy-bitsy mistake - my power to freeze time was limited to a local range. Whatever lurked on the other side of the portal was way beyond my ability's reach. Monstrous creatures continued to pour into the rift, and the moment they crossed the event horizon, they were instantly frozen in time, splattering against a temporal bubble I had created. The eerie crimson glow of the portal masked the pool of blood that had amassed before it, and I couldn't help but wonder how the sheer impact of countless atoms occupying the same space and time didn't trigger a catastrophic explosion, or even create a black hole.

"Oops," I shrugged, a wry grin spreading across my face as I quickly dispatched the creatures that managed to slip through the portal. With a wave of my hand, I took control of the spell, forcing its spell script to morph to my will, and then forced us through the portal and into the heart of the chaos beyond.

My vision was suddenly flooded with notifications, each one, more alarming than the last, and I couldn't help but wince at the grim contents.

[Leaving the confines of the selected world.]

[Warning: World Tier rating doesn't apply to the current location.]

Emerging from the portal, our watches immediately sprang to life, etching protective runes onto our outfits to shield us from the deadly radiation and the toxic atmosphere. The world around us was a desolate wasteland, bathed in a crimson hue with no signs of life or vegetation. Despite the absence of a breathable atmosphere, the strange monsters that had poured out of the portal were still able to exist here, a testament to their alien biology. It was as if we had stepped onto the surface of a distant, uninhabitable planet, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up my spine.

The desolate wasteland offered no sustenance for even the most basic forms of life. The scarce traces of mana in the air were barely enough to sustain a candle's flame, let alone the grotesque monsters lurking in the shadows. The only source of it, the fifty feet crimson crystal, summoning the strange portal, just behind us.

My instincts warned me that we were in a dangerous place, but Olivia's expression revealed an entirely different story. A fierce, bloodthirsty grin crept across her face as she charged into the fray with a resounding boom that shook the very ground beneath us. The ease with which she sliced through the horde was both impressive and frightening, leaving me to snort in amusement and shake my head in disbelief. Her appetite for combat seemed insatiable.

I focused on my own task at hand, keeping a watchful eye on the crystal and any potential threats that might try to close upon it. I channeled my mana into [Celestial Eyes], probing the surface of this realm for any hidden dangers. But what I found was unsettling, the surface of this realm was void of life, yet countless ruins, in the form of ancient cities, littered it.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound caught my attention. I turned my head toward the direction of the noise and saw a massive, hulking creature emerging from the ground. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and its body was covered in a thick layer of scales that seemed impervious to any kind of attack.

Olivia's eyes widened with excitement at the sight of the creature, and she let out a happy battle cry, that made me chuckle at her fervor, as she charged toward it, her weapons gleaming with a fierce intensity in the crimson light. But to her disappointment, it proved to be no match for her skills, and it only took her a few swift strikes to bring the monstrosity down.

"Perhaps our next adventure should take us to a world where we can both truly test our limits," I mused, a wistful expression on my face. "Maybe I'll even disable my access to [Mental Domain] using the limiter system, just for the thrill of it. But then again, that would be foolish. I could simply restrain myself and not exploit my abilities like I did with the factions, and have some real fun."

As I stood there, my mind was multitasking at an incredible rate. One part of me was analyzing the molecular structure of the crimson crystal, meticulously recording its data in our replicator database for future use. Another part of me was focused on dispatching any monsters that dared to approach the crystal, using deadly efficiency to eliminate them. Meanwhile, another partitioned part of my mind was busy with the task of restraining and analyzing the unique creatures, extracting the data of their genetic makeup, and storing it in my mind for later experimentation using [Creature Create].

After getting rid of the monsters that successfully evaded Olivia, I managed to advance to the max level of my Thief class. And as a result, I received a flurry of notifications, revealing the exciting news of unlocking several new classes: Pickpocket, Saboteur, Con artist, Spy, Arcane Trickster, and Spellthief. Out of all the options, it was the Arcane Trickster and Spellthief classes that grabbed my attention.