9 A Land Of Rotting Dead And One Spear Boy

(Cao Cao POV)

Life in the land of shadows is all but nonexistent as all the monsters adhere have either become more shadow than physical or are undead and thus do not need to eat to sustain themselves. Take the fact that there is a Cleric Beast right in front of me. The large, misshapen Beast then screeches as he swings his large arm at me in order to slam me into the ground. I dodged and ducked under it and saw things that shall not be mentioned.

The monster then swung both its arms in a circular motion, and it managed to catch me but only slightly knocked me away. As I landed a decent distance away, I popped back to my feet and, using my sorcery and shadow clones, I wrapped it in golden whips and chains before then throwing me armament haki/holy flame infused spear right through its head.

The monster then burned away as its head was destroyed by the force of the spear throw. Using my telekinesis, I grabbed the spear from where I threw it and wiped off the blood using my cleansing magic. It has gone up a couple of ranks along with my telekinesis, with both now at rank B, which means that they are at a high-class level. But the high class in this world are like stormtroopers in Star Wars.

.I have definitely noticed that this world's power levels are decently higher than the normal DxD. It's nothing too exciting, but it does genuinely make much more sense. I have been consulting with the people inside the spear for some power level scaling, and it seems that some power levels have actually been quantified. While the high class is small mountain level, the ultimate class is nearing the country level, with the satan class at continental level and the god class possibly multi-continental at their strongest.

I would assume said power level for the gods specifically has gone down slightly due to the lack of worshipers in the modern day, but I assume due to the existence of the supernatural world At large, they still retain some semblance of worship to remain at a decent power level. 

There are some outliers like Shiva and Indra, who are planetary if they went all out. The heavenly dragons would be slightly lower than Shiva but are still planetary at their maximum power, but they would have to hit certain places to destroy the planet.

Now, the dragon gods are where there is a sort of mystery as no one has seen them go all out but assume that they are around the level of power to destroy multiple planets, with Great Red being able to destroy a star. The fact that the power scaling seems to be slightly higher than normal is definitely alarming, but with my ability to literally gain skills out of nowhere, I should be able to measure up eventually. 

It has been a week since I started this challenge, and when I am not fighting beasts or shades, I am talking with the spear within me, as having Cato and Celestine around is definitely helping me keep sane.

My mental resistance is helping me ward off the effects of boredom as well as lack of social contact, but having people to talk to is definitely helping. Celestine sometimes tells me of her battles with gods and monsters as Cato keeps her stories grounded. To be honest, they remind me of Ren and Nora from Rwby, but I digress.

My LP stores have increased to 1,209,600 LP as I have not spent any of it over the past week. But deciding to create another defense for myself, I spent 100,000 on corruption defense as being around these shades has made me somewhat fearful of becoming like them. 

After buying it, I felt that some of the feelings from this place receded, as Cato says (I do not know what you have done, but we appreciate it as we have been spending the spear's strength to keep the corruption from affecting you.) 

"What was the spear running on exactly?" I asked, and Celestine said (Well, the spirit self uses the owner's mana to power its various functions, but at worst, we use our own spirit energy, and while we have not had to do that, we have been using your mana to ward off the corruption.) 

That actually makes sense, as I have been feeling my magic core growing slightly faster the more time I spend here. Sending them a mental thanks for that, Cato says ( Well, we would not want you to die just yet as you are one of the most interesting wielders we have had in a long time. Due to the many enemies this spear has made, most don't make it past a week.)

Well, that is comforting, but it seems I have more company as I sensed a group of beasts approaching me using my observational haki. It seems to be a group of werewolves this time, and all I can think about is why so many Bloodborne monsters exist here. It makes me wonder if some type of old one created this place, but that thought terrifies me, so I end that train of thought immediately.

The werewolves surrounding me began to growl at me, and it seemed the group was made up of at least ten werewolves. The first one then began to charge at me, to which I used my telekinesis to slam it into the ground and throw it to the next one, to which two began to rush me and, using my spear, and with a large sweeping motion, I cut off their front legs. The first two then got up and jumped at me, to which I then dodged and, using a portal, cut one in half at the chest. 

There were still nine werewolves left, but two of them did not have their front legs and were trying to shimmy towards me with very much malicious intent. I then used my armament haki and jumped up into the air and then slammed down onto the ground, and the butt of the spear sent out a holy flame wave that engulfed the two werewolves without their legs, but the others did dodge but were slightly set ablaze.

They began to yelp and screech in pain, but some simply shrugged it off and charged at me, and tried to slash at my chest with another coming at me from behind. Using a combination of mana skin and armament haki, I grabbed the werewolf that tried to slash me and then proceeded to turn around and slam it into the one that was behind me, crushing both of them into a paste. Now, there were only four left, and all of them decided to jump on me all at once.

You know, it's almost funny as back in my previous life, I was very much a dog person, so this actually hurts me a lot more inside than it does on the outside. I really do miss my old golden retriever Perrito, and even though he really liked to lick people, he was a bro. 

I opened a portal in front of myself, sending all of them behind me, and then, using a holy flame-induced slash, I sent another wave of fire toward them, which they were unable to dodge due to still being in the air. The wave of fire then caught them and burned them all to a crisp.

Thankfully, mana skin helps to filter air, so I don't have to smell the stench of burning werewolf flesh and let's just say it's about as bad as standing in your local garbage patch. The smell was almost so rancid I was convinced if I set fire to it, it would just keep growing. 

In terms of strength, the werewolves are around the mid-class, with cleric beasts definitely a peak mid-class to very low high-class, as I have seen one break down groups of trees without even a small amount of effort and crush large hills at its maximum strength.

My training with mana skin, as well as Armament haki, has definitely paid off as it has very much become my clothing. I have been trying to keep them on for as long as possible to train my mana as well as spiritual energy. The strain of doing so also helps train my physical energy, so it is a consistent feedback loop. 

Now with my corruption defense, it adds another layer to my training as this place's dark energy is helping to train it, although it does make me wonder if eventually I'm going to start sending out impurities from my body and my worst nightmare is appearing to have that jade skin stuff from cultivation novels.

I am mostly trying not to buy new skills other than certain defenses as I really do need to train the power systems I have already, as having access to not only sorcery from the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also haki from One Piece and chakra from Naruto are enough for now. I have also been managing to study with Celestine to improve my spearmanship, and I have actually managed to draw with her a couple of times but never win.

Although I am only able to sleep a couple of hours a day, and I have to literally put up a holy barrier around myself to get some training with Celestine, speaking of which, that woman has given me a decent amount of praise for my method of training, as she calls it, suicide with a purpose. When I asked why she called it that, she simply said that the human body is not meant to be under continuous strain all of the time by using multiple different types of energy. If you weren't well, your body would have torn itself apart at this point.) 

With that tidbit of information, I created more wood clones and some shadow clones to train with, some practicing various jutsus and others practicing sorcery, and the wood clones, since they are much more durable, spar with me. 

Having the two clones spar with me, they rushed at me and used armament haki to reinforce their spears, to which I did the same. As one swiped at my legs and another tried to stab me in my chest, I dodged the first strike, parried the second one, and used my haki to reinforce my punch to shatter the ground near me, forcing them into the air.

As the two then jumped into the air to avoid being crushed by the surrounding rocks made by the crater, I portaled behind them, but they had expected this and used their own portals to make it so their spears were aimed right at me, then I used telekinesis to move them back and create some space as to avoid jumping into the pointy ends. 

But it seemed they also expected this to happen and sent multiple vanishing rasengans at me while I used my tk(Telekinesis) to move the spears, and as one did hit me, I felt a tearing pain in my stomach as I was thrown backward. 

Groaning in pain, I got up, and the two took advantage of my temporary confusion to try and send waves of holy fire at me. I simply absorbed the flames into my hand and used the flames to send the wave back at them. 

The two managed to dodge, but we're definitely burned slightly, and using their now temporary separation, I grabbed one by the face, sent him flying into the other one, and portaled both of them into a portal that was sent right onto the upward facing sharp end of my spear.

Due to their disorientation, they both fell right onto the sharp end, and I impaled both clones, causing them to revert back to their normal wood form. Taking a breather, I looked at other clones practicing with one another, which reminded me that I should make a new skill for close-quarters combat. So, sensing the skills I could buy, I bought a taijutsu skill from Naruto for 30,000 LP and the rokushiki from One Piece for 80,000 LP. As I felt new knowledge enter my mind, I summoned four wood clones to practice the fighting style with two shadow clones to watch them and copy their moves.

In terms of taijutsu, I was given knowledge equivalent to that of an Academy student from each hidden village, and as I level the skill, I will learn more and more information. For the Rokushiki, I had a basic knowledge of each form from the various rokushiki techniques other than the rokuogan, as I needed to learn and master the six other forms to unlock the seventh one. The latter is similar to my haki as I need to master the other two forms before I can learn conquerors, which I know I have as the skill is simply locked.

Yes, it seems that some skills have prerequisites for me to either master or learn to a significant degree to learn later techniques. Soon enough, I summoned two more wood clones and got back to sparring as I assumed the queen of shadows would be training herself, and I needed to be in tip-top shape.

(You do know she will kill you?) Cato says as I respond, "I appreciate your confidence in me, but I understand that even with all the training I am doing, she still has thousands of years of experience. I am not naive, but I will definitely give it my all." Celestine then says ( That is some good motivation, Cao, but try not to get poked with so many holes that it makes Swiss cheese blush.)

"Again, both of you are the greatest motivators."

(We know.) *Sighs In French*

(Scathach POV)

(Five Days Earlier)

Placing my spear on the ground after half a day of training, I returned to the throne room to stalk.. I mean, observe my possible new student. Focusing on my connection to the land of shadows, I feel him tearing a swath through the various beats and shades, which, while impressive for someone so young, does not determine his fate in battle.

Besides, he will run out of steam eventually if he just keeps fighting them. He is only human, after all.

(Three Days Earlier)

"It seems this one holds many secrets. That ability he has to reinforce his body with that black substance is definitely intriguing, and it's probably the reason that the spear I gave him has lasted this long, as he is reinforcing it to keep it in shape. It also seems that he is using some type of magic to clean off his weapon so that the blood does not ruin his only means of attacking." I observed as he was still fighting beasts and shades in great numbers.

Wait, what is that? Is that a cloning technique?! Only gods are able to do that! Well, he should not be able to keep that up for long.

(Two Days Earlier)

*Sigh* This wait is going to be the end of me as he simply keeps improving, and the moves he shows are nothing, if not impossible. How was this child able to hide from the supernatural if he had all of these ridiculous techniques of his? Regardless, it seems this challenge is not one of difficulty but attrition, as he will have to keep this up for three months.

(One Day Earlier)

After watching him deal with many poisonous beasts, he simply stands next to them and allows the poisons to affect him, and as his body writhes on the ground in pain, he remains silent, but soon enough, the poison recedes as if it had built up a resistance to it. This is absolutely insane. A human simply can't survive off the poison. The body would give out eventually.

He must be reaching his rope soon enough.

(After The Spar With The Clones)

Truly, this child is an anomaly among humans. It's almost like looking at a version of myself in the past, but this one holds so many tricks and various strange techniques like those portals he's able to open, as I've only seen such ability to manipulate space from the longinus dimension lost. And the fact that they can cut off anything that the portal crushes definitely makes for a good battle tactic.

Wait, did he just create a new martial art?!