Chapter 2: Plans for the future 

The upper abyss such a small word that described the biggest level with the most demons. A land that one man even if he were an immortal, probably will not be able to travel it all. From the blood crimson oceans with Lovecraftian monstrosities that dwelt within them, to the black ash deserts ridden with giant worms and scorpions. And as I look at this horrifying and at the same time beautiful landscape there is one thought in my mind. 

"Some time I can't believe that what I'm looking at is really there in front of my eyes, there are times that I expect to open them and see myself in my bed waking up from this dream. I don't know what I will do with myself if all of this will turn out to be an illusion, could I just return to my normal life again. Being another powerless grey figure in the background of society, living my life without any control just waiting for the day that I die or kill myself."

I said with a tear in my eye as I stood at the entrance of my lair, that where overlooking a dark forest that stretch far into the distance. I then turn and looked at my new friend, he was the skull of the previous owner of this lair that I killed and eaten a week ago. 

"I should probably leave and find an altar, I think I'm going crazy with only you here to keep me company." 

I said and looked at the skull's hollow eyes, Marcus's face then showed an angry expression, and he raised his hand and smash the skull. 

"Sorry friend I just feel like I become too attached to you." 

Marcus then walked inside the cave toward his bed that he created with the system, is he said down he looked at the system panel. 

[name: Marcus 

Race: Demon 

Bloodline: at least three different kinds 

Demon True Name: Abraxas Dagon Grigori Moloch Amon... Morgoth Apophis 

Form: Young Demon 

Hierarchy: low low-ranking demon 

Attribute: Dark 

Strength: 17 

Speed: 19 

Magic: 9 

Vitality: 18 

Loaded Materials: None

Skills: Stealth 

Talent Ability 1: soul peer 

Talent Ability 2: Demon Blood 

Talent Ability 3: Soul Devouring Addiction 

Talent Ability 4: Poison 

Talent ability 5: Shedding 

Items: None 

Number of Souls in Possession: 96] 

During this past week Marcus manage to gather these souls from the demons and monsters that live near his lair, and now plan to spend them on is body improvement plans.

"System show me my plans and their Soul consumption"

[Venom claws– create a venom gland in your palms and let you inject it through your fingers, I can control the amount and type of venom. Soul consumption 15] 

[Scaly wings– slender wing with scales at a width of 1.5 meter capable of flight at high speed soundlessly. Soul consumption 75] 

[Symbiote (modified)- mindless symbiote not a part of the hive mind that obeys the host completely. Unique ability: biological enhancement and modification. without weakness to fire and sound. Soul consumption 500] 

"Until I could buy the symbiote, I will start with my other plans to get stronger. " 

"System create the venom claws and the scaly wing" 

[affirmative beginning the installation] 

As the system said that Marcus could feel his muscles beginning to swarm around, and he felt pain in the palms of his hand and saw, that his claws has now what looks like small veins that leads from his palms to the end of his fingers. 

Just as the pain in his hand stop, he felt some kind of tingling in his back and soon he started to shed his scales. at his back a giant mass began to form, and it looked like his wings were trapped inside his old skin, until they broke the skin and burst outside. 

The moment it happened Marcus roared a guttural shout that echoed through the dark forest and surprise the other monsters in the vicinity and caused them to roar as well. 

Marcus stood there trying to calm himself down and when he did, he peeled off the skin that he shed from his body. He shed a couple of time since he came to this world, and he did not like the feeling of it, he felt naked and defenseless. Even though with his scales he was never defenseless.

'System show me the changes' 

[Hierarchy: Middle low-ranking demon 

Attribute: Dark 

Strength: 26 

Speed: 22 

Magic: 9 

Vitality: 19 

Loaded Materials: Venom claws, Scaly wings. 

Number of Souls in Possession: 6] 

Marcus stood near the entrance of his lair feeling the increase in his strength, as he folded his wings and start flapping them. when he started soaring through the air and reaching the clouds, he felt the wind caressing his face and for the first time since he arrived at the abyss, he felt free. 

Just as quickly as this feeling of freedom arrived, so it left him as he heard what sound like a vulture cry and saw a harpy trying to rush him. 

Marcus after being disturbed felt a surge of anger and decided to teach her the last lesson she will ever learn, as Marcus activated his stealth and blended into the dark skyline. 

(Hey everyone, it's your friendly neighborhood Author. I just wanted to let you know that the next part is a short torture scene so if anyone want to skip it, they can.) 

 ======(R18 start)====== 

The harpy looked confused but quickly became vigilant and looked at her surrounding trying to find out where Marcus was hiding, but to no avail as the stealth combine with the soundless flight left her no clues. While she was looking cluelessly she felt a sharp pain in her back as the muscles between her wings ripped apart, and she started to fall to the ground unable to keep herself in the air. 

As she hit the ground and left a small crater, the harpy struggled to get up, she was still alive due to how resilience demons are. she looked scared and horrified as she ran toward the direction of her cave, along the way she was attacked again and again by the invisible enemy that appeared and disappeared. Her body was left bloody with many claw marks.

After a few minutes the harpy started feeling her body became slower and slower, and her muscles started to stiffen up she fall to the ground unable to move, and then she saw him the scaled demon that were attacking her. 

"Please Lord… have mercy I won't do it again… I will do anything you… tell me" 

Said the harpy as she lay on the ground struggling to speak, looking at Marcus with a pleading and scared look on her face. 

Marcus then bent down and caressed the scared harpy face and spoke. 

"I liked the way that you beg I will show you mercy" 

The harpy looked relieved, she did not care what Marcus will do to her. she will just look for an opportunity to kill him in the future. Then she saw him getting close to her lips, but then just as he were about to kiss her, he bite her throat and ripped an enormous chunk of it. 

"This is the only mercy I have for you, now die quickly and painfully and give me your soul." 

Said Marcus as he looked at her in disgust, he already learned that in the abyss you must be a true gender equalist. When she finally died, he took her soul and he saw that her soul was bigger then normal and smiled. 

"Her soul reek from fear it's so big, maybe I should do it more in the future to maximize my gain." 

He then took the piece of cloth that she was using to cover herself and use it to wipe his bloody mouth and claws, and then throw it back to her. 

"It was nice playing with you, but I really need to go and continue my search for the altar" 

 ======(R18 end)=====

He then flew away and search for another demon, and after searching all over the forest and asking nicely the demons that he found, he didn't manage to find the location of the nearest altar.

So, he flew away from the forest and begun to search for other demons in the nearby desert. After many hours he finally saw what he was looking for, a demon with samurai armor that was wondering in the desert and fighting a giant centipede. 

"This demon was definitely in other worlds but my instinct telling me that fighting him is a bad choice, maybe I should find another one" 

Just as Marcus was debating with himself, he felt danger and quickly flew to the right and dodged the arrow that was shot at him. 

'WHAT THE HELL !?!?'

Shouted Marcus in his mind as he looked at the demon samurai and couldn't understand how he was able to find him, sense Marcus was in stealth. When he saw him preparing another shot, the samurai draw his empty bow and a black arrow suddenly materialize. Marcus decided that it was not worth it then flew away from there at high speed. 

After flying 100 km and making sure that the samurai wasn't behind him, he decided to stop at a top of a cliff and catch his breath.

"Who the hell was that demon? he could easily kill that giant centipede and managed to find out where I was even though I was in stealth midair." 

After thinking about it for a few minutes, Marcus came to the conclusion that the samurai was probably a top rank demon who visited many worlds for more than a century. 

"He must possess some kind of a skill or 6 sense to be able to detect me. I knew when I created my stealth that the truly powerful demons won't fall for it, I just didn't think I will meet someone like this in the upper abyss." 

After thinking about that samurai for a while, Marcus rise with a look of determination in his eyes as he continued his search for the altar. While in his mind where just one thought. 

'If I will ever meet that demon again, I will kill him' 

xxxxxx 

"Finaly I am here" 

Marcus smiled as he looked at the altar, with a smile that will bring many kids to wet themselves. He found an altar at the middle of a forest next to a river of blood. 

There where a few demons already here, but they didn't react with aggression to Marcus's arrival. they give him a look and returned to look at the portals that kept open and close, after a few minutes a goat head demon step into one of them.

Marcus landed at top of the altar and looked at it for a few minutes, he then decided to stay there until a big portal opened or a portal with a smell of souls opened. 

After a few hours of waiting, Marcus got really bored and he considered just getting inside one of the small portals. and then something strange happened to him, a portal appeared in front of him, and he felt a pull from the portal like it was inviting him, Marcus wasn't sure what to do and then he heard what sound like a male voice say. 

 "DESCEND in front of us THE GREAT GOD OF DARKNESS AND CHAOS APOPHIS, please show yourself in front of your loyal slaves THE GREAT APOPHIS"

As the chant continue Marcus felt the pull get stronger every time the summoner said the name Apophis, and he remembered that part of his true name is Apophis.

'That's probably why the portal opened in front of me, but should I go in?' 

Marcus then saw the portal start getting smaller and he knew he doesn't have a lot of time, he decided to trust his instinct and jumped in the portal. 

As he jumped in Marcus saw lights and colors passing him as he was sucked to the new world, and saw a brand being placed on his soul as he was about to exit the portal. 

When he exit the portal he scanned his surrounding, and looked at the cult that summoned him. A group of 40 man wearing red robes, and 1 woman wearing a black dress. Marcus recognize his summoner and the woman which made him laugh and scared some of the cultists who looked at him with fear and admiration.