A Gamer's Guide to Freedom(By The Dark Wolf Shiro)

Platform: QQ(Questionable Questing) and Fanfiction.net

Rated M

Words: 140k

Synopsis: Kuro Dantalion isn't really sure how he got chosen to host the Gamer system, nor is he sure what the Gamer System is for that matter, but what he does know is that he is stuck in a world with insanely op assholes, dumb main characters and a plot he knows very little about. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the plot and less to the girls when he watched the show...

Chapter 1 - 15k

The Gamer's Guide to Freedom

Chapter 01: The Gamer's Guide to Freedom (through Necromancy and Conquest)

Death is a curious thing; you could ask a thousand different people from a thousand different cultures what happens after you die, and they'd give you a thousand different answers.

Apparently, they'd all be completely wrong.

< Congratulations! You died! >​

As a childish feminine voice filled the purple void I'm floating through, I pause in confusion. I've spent the last few hours singing songs to amuse myself as I float aimlessly... but this was different.

...What?

< Wait… oh shoot, that's not right! >

< Sorry, let me try again! >​

What?

< Congratulations Master! >

< Out of the billions of departed souls, you have been selected to become the next Gamer! >​

...What.

Wait, go back. Firstly, Gamer? I'm already a gamer, but somehow I think this means something sitting around in my boxers playing Skyrim for thirty hours straight.

Also… can you elaborate on that whole departed soul thing? How did I die, why was I picked, and more importantly…who are you?

...and why aren't I freaking out more?

< Well, to answer your questions in order, the Gamer is the wielder of a power that allows its user to live their second life like it's the biggest and most elaborate game ever! This entire multiverse is your sandbox, with complete freedom of action. >

< Be the Hero, be the Villain, or just ignore the main plot and do side quests or gather collectibles, whatever you want! >​

...What's the catch?

< No catch, master! Other than the whole dying thing, but that would have happened either way! >

< And yes, I'm sorry to say you are very dead. You can't remember it because being burnt alive was a pretty nasty way to go, so I had to suppress the memories. >​

...Burnt alive?

< Well, technically you died when the roof of your house collapsed on your head and crushed you, but you were on fire at the time. As for why the house burnt down… your sister was making cookies. >​

She finally did it: she finally managed to kill someone with her cooking. I knew it was going to happen someday. Did my family… I mean...

< Oh! They survived, Master, you are just a really deep sleeper and didn't wake up despite all the shouting until you actually caught on fire. >​

Oh.

< Do you want the memories back? I was only trying to help… >​

On second thought, why don't you keep them?

< < Will do, Master! >

< As for how you were picked… I have no idea! The system administrator, and my creator, picked you. I'd suggest calling him, but he's kinda a big meanie? >

< He's also the original Gamer, Player One basically. >

< Also, he's really, really powerful? >​

Don't bother the stupidly powerful system admin? I can respect that.

< Now, allow me to introduce myself! I am Isis, the newest iteration of the Gamer system, superior to my assh- meanie predecessor in every way that matters! >​

It's a pleasure to meet you, Isis. I'd introduce myself but I appear to have forgotten my name.

...Wait, what?

< Yup. >

< Selective amnesia is a trait all Gamers get to help them adjust to their new lives. >

< As for why you aren't panicked? >​

[Gamer's Mind)] (Passive)

Protects the mind of the User, preventing outside influences and access without the Users permission, prevents any negative status mental effects.

[Gamer's Body] (Passive)

Allows the User's body to take on Game-like abilities, preventing the user from dying as long as they have HP no matter the condition their body is in.

[Observe] (Passive)

Allows the User to gain information about the target they are focusing on.

< Congratulations on your first two skills, Master! >

< As you have already guessed, [Gamer's Mind] is preventing you from having a full mental breakdown. Don't worry, it's all part of the process! >​

That's… good? Thanks?

< No problem, Master! It's what I'm here for. >

< Now, onto the fun part… character creation! >​

< First things first, Race. Your world has been preselected and I can't override the Administrator, but I can help you customise your background. You have a 1000 credits to spend on your character due to the world difficulty, and if you need more there are options that give you extra credits. >​

...I love this admin already.

< Don't worry, he's already wandered off for another project and won't be bother us anytime soon. >​

Please select a race.

[Human] - Free

Faster skill growth and exp gain

Ability to purchase a sacred gear

Weaker racial bonuses than most races​

[Angel] - 100 Credits

Free access to Light Magic and the Heaven Faction

Free use of All-Speak and Flight

Resistance to light and holy magic​

[Fallen Angel] - 100 Credits

Free access to Light Magic and the Grigori/Kokabiel Faction

Free use of All-Speak and Flight

Resistance to light and holy magic​

[Devil] - 100 Credits

Free access to Devil Magic and the Old Satan/72 Pillars Faction

Free use of All-Speak, Contracts, and Flight

Weakness to light and holy magic​

The list went on and on, with Vampires, Dhampirs, and Youkai, and even Dragons being on the list, although that last one cost almost 5000 points, so it's clearly out of my price range.

But it did help me come to a realisation… I know where I'm going. 72 Pillars? Grigori?

I'm going to the titty anime.

< ...That's not an inaccurate name. >​

I watched… maybe two seasons at most before Issei's general existence pushed me to stop. I just couldn't watch the oppai-loving idiot for one more episode.

And now I'm going to pay for it.

Shit. Right, thinking time.

DxD, what the hell happens in DxD?

Issei is killed and unfortunately comes back, Rias fights Riser to escape her engagement, a creepy fallen angel attacks the town, Issei is Issei, and he has his super protag power?

Boosted Dragon or something.

Oh, and Rias and the other girls lose their clothes a lot. That was the main reason I watched as long as I did to be honest.

...That's as far as I watched. A friend tried explaining the rest of the plot and characters, but I just couldn't care about a show with Issei as the protagonist. It seemed like an amazing world that was ruined by the dumbest protagonist since Naruto the flashiest Ninja in existence. Ninja, my ass, what kind of ninja screeches constantly?

Something about a Loli Dragon? And a Chaos Brigade? Cao Cao was there for some reason?

Fuck.

Focus, pick a race first.

Devils are the… good guys? Yup, that sounds utterly stupid so it must be true. Angels? I think they're dying off since God is dead? Fallen? Basically the same. Youkai, Vampire, and Dhampir I know nothing about, and I don't want to pick the losing side.

Dragon is out due to sheer cost.

Humans? Even if I get a Sacred Gear I'd either have to join the church (the losing side with their God dead) or be forced into a peerage as a slave. No, I think not.

Could I go neutral? …Fuck no. In DxD as a human with a Sacred Gear? I'd be a tasty snack thrown out into the waters, there would be a freezing frenzy, and no matter who wins, it won't be me.

What can I do if a Satan comes for me as a human? Nothing. Even if I got strong enough to chase off one of the Satans, I'd never have a moment of peace. Might invite challenges.

So… Devil, because my only other choices are worse. Weakness to Holy magic will suck, but I'm a Game Character, right? I'll just find the right gear to help with it.

Looting was always my favourite part of games, aside from the collectibles.

...do I get loot?

< Naturally, Master! >

< Quest rewards, dungeon drops, and other forms of loot will be available to you! >​

Nice, Thanks, Isis.

Which means I can probably change my loadout to help me deal with my weaknesses, which is Gaming 101.

Devil it is, then.

Race Selected

900 Credits remaining​

Please select a background

[72 Pillars Commoner] - Free

Born as a servant or commoner living in the lands of one of the Pillar houses.​

[72 Pillars Noble] - 100 Credits

Born into one of the Pillar houses of your choice, for an extra fifty credits you can be born as the heir.​

[Old Satan Faction] - Free

Start your new life as a member of the rebellious Old Satan faction, seeking to depose the Four Great Satans.​

[Neutral] - Free*

Start unaffiliated with the other factions

*This option can be adjusted further for credits​

Old Satan is out. Starting with the four Satans as my enemy? No thanks. There are easier ways to die.

Also, the commoner beginning has the same problem that being a human has. If I make something of myself, then I'll be dragged into a peerage or I might be seen as a stray devil. How does that even work? Can the noble family just declare me stray if I don't obey?

DxD was too busy showing us Rias's tits to explain any of that. But I saw enough to know that even with a "good" King like Rias, peerage is slavery. I'd be forced to obey some noble who could be anything from kind to sadistic… and with Devils, I'm not taking that risk.

For the same reason I'm hesitant to join any pillar clan, Rias's situation shows that even Heirs don't have that much power, Rias's parents decided she was getting married, and she had no choice in the matter, even with a Satan for a brother.

So… Neutral? What does that even mean?

The moment I tapped on it, dozens of choices flooded my vision. Do I want to be a stray devil for more credits? No, no I do not.

A neutral independent devil on earth? Also no, exorcists exist.

It's.. in depth, with many, many choices for me to pick and choose from.

But there's only one choice really worth considering.

[Extra Demon Noble] – 100 Credits

Born into a noble house of Devils that have separated themselves from the 72 pillars for a variety of reasons, for an extra fifty credits you can be born as the heir.​

Not under the control of the Four Satans, but still Noble and respectable? Yes please... and of course I want to be the Heir.

Race Selected

750 Credits remaining​

On the next part there are... a lot of choices. Hundreds, so many that I feel like I spend hours going over them all trying to decide what I want. All choices towards modifying my background, tweaking things. Eventually, I settled on the ones I wanted.

[True Neutral] – 100 Credits

All factions have enemies, but your House has done a wonderful job of keeping a neutral standing with even the factions that would be your natural enemies, allowing you to start with a reputation far closer to neutral than normally possible.​

[Legendary Artifact] – 100 Credits

In the past, your House managed to get their hands on a legendary artifact. Which artifact? Well, that's randomised at the start, but you will start with a Legendary Artifact.​

[Legendary Base of Operations] – 100 Credits

Your House's home is the envy of the Underworld. You are able to choose from a set of customisable bases for your House to be based from.​

[House Speciality (Wardcrafting)] – 100 Credits

Your House is known throughout the Underworld and beyond for their talents in Wardcrafting, your family's personal magical speciality.

You will start with a Wardcrafting Affinity, and will know some Wardcrafting​

[Loyal Servants] – 50 Credits

You have something everyone needs, a servant that puts your needs above everything else, even their own life. You gain a customisable servant who comes with a Mastery in Cooking, Cleaning, and other Servant arts.

You also gain three non-customisable servants who will be chosen based on your start.​

I quickly figured out that you can sort of combine some of the choices. For instance, if I started with a Legendary Base and Wardcrafting, then my base would start with immense wards. My base of choice would then be a massive castle in a forgotten corner of the Underworld, where "my family" waited out the war between the Original Satans and the New Ones.

Having a fortress to hide in if things go wrong seemed like a good choice, as DxD is a dangerous place. The servant is to stop me from having to waste time with cooking and other mundane things given the background I selected for myself.

Affinities simply makes the related skill level faster.

400 Credits Remaining​

...shouldn't it be 300 credits?

< Hmm? Nope. >

< I definitely did my maths right and you shouldn't try recounting it in case you trigger those nasty audit protocols… why did Shiro even make a fucking Gamer's IRS AI? >​

...understood. 400 it is. Thanks Isis.

< For what, Master? >​

For what, indeed.

There was a choice to buy Peerage members, but I wasn't sure I wanted a randomly rolled Peerage Servant. Even if I got an Artifact that wasn't useful to me, I can still trade it to the right people for something that was.

< Right, now for your personal start, master! >​

It becomes apparent what she means when seconds later, more choices appear.

Skills, Perks, Starter Level, etc.

Skipping the first few levels would be nice, but early levels are easy to get, so it's not worth my credits... I'd rather buy some early skill sets instead to be honest, as Perks seem really expensive, and Isis happily tells me that any perks I don't buy can be earnt later.

[Necromancy Affinity] - 100 Credits

You have a natural affinity for the art of death magic, starting with several necromancy spells and the materials to help you learn more.​

[Realm Magic Affinity] - 200 Credits

You have a natural affinity for the art of territory magic, starting with some Realm Magic spells and the materials to help you learn more.​

[Legendary Familiar (Young)] – 100 Credits

You start with a newly born legendary creature, with the proper care this creature will become an incredibly powerful familiar... but for now, it is only a baby​

I considered taking a warrior type affinity, like a samurai or an archer, but I feel like magic will suit me far better in the long run. I've always been partial towards magic builds. Also, who wants to be anywhere near the actual battle? That's how you get killed.

Realm magic is to further my defensive capabilities, eventually allowing me to build my own personal realm to hide away in, and as for Necromancy?

I put a lot of thought into what kind of mage I wanted to be, and while blasting my foes with fire and lightning seems interesting... I'd rather have someone else do the fighting for me. DxD is a dangerous place, and I don't want to risk dying when I can make someone or something else do the fighting for me.

Which led me to looking at the types of magic that could help me get minions to fight for me. There were Elemental Summoners, who can summon elemental creatures to fight for them; Golemancers, who could craft increasingly powerful Golems to do their bidding; Demonologists, who could summon demonic beings and bind them to their will; Entomancers with their insects, and Druids with their beasts.

They all seem nice, but Necromancy? A horde of undead to fight for me?

Look, I realise that it isn't the "best" choice. Summoners would get a far more neutral treatment than Necromancers, but I do have my reasons.

One, Undead are cool. Two, Necromancers get Death Magic as well as the ability to raise the dead, which gives me both attacks and debuffs. Three, Undead are really cool and versatile.

Look, rule of cool, okay?

< Cool is important, Master! Styling on your enemies is half the fun! >​

Exactly.

< Now, we need to import your traits from your last life. Give me a moment. >​

[Sin of Lust]

You are a lustful being; how that lust manifests varies from person to person, but the simple truth remains: you are really lustful.

[Sin of Sloth]

You aren't exactly... active, as a being of Sloth you tend to prefer solutions that don't require much effort. A true supporter of the "Work Smart, not Hard" mentality.

[Sin of Envy]

What's yours is yours, what is everyone else's should be yours as well. You hoard your possessions fiercely, and have a desire for the belongings of other people, wealth, power, and belongings.

[Sin of Greed]

You have an intense and selfish desire to gather as much as you can, wealth and belongings for instance. Far more than you could ever actually use.

< Oh wow! I haven't heard of anyone starting with four sins straight away! You really picked well by selecting Devil as your race - you'll fit right in! >​

...I wasn't that bad. Okay, fine… I was fond of sleeping, so what? Sleep is amazing, everyone loves sleep except stupid kids who somehow got convinced it was a punishment. Did I like having things? Yes. Did I like other people's things? Also Yes.

So what? Who doesn't like having nice stuff?

As for Lust… I…

OKay, fine. You got me there.

Look, I am a product of my environment and upbringing, so technically this is all my family's fault. What else is gonna happen when you force a thirteen year old boy into 'Family Bonding Yoga' with his hot mother and three sisters? Not to mention that it wasn't my fault that my eldest sister had zero shame and a disregard for common clothing conventions, rarely wearing more than her underwear around the house when no-one but family is in, sometimes even less than that.

Nor am I to blame for the constant demands for me to give them massages or for me to put suntan lotion on the three bratty sisters.

I never should have taken that stupid massage class, sure it made me real popular at school but once my little sister found the certificate it was over for me at home. Suddenly my sisters got daily aches and pains and it was somehow my problem to take care of.

So, yes… I am a pervert, but I am not to blame.

< Now we are technically ready to start the game, Master! A world of stupid powers, supernatural beings, and boobs awaits you! >

< There's just one thing left to do, and that is decide whether you want to try the perk lottery! >​

..Don't I need to pick a name?

< Nope! Already done that for you, Master! >​

...Okay then. So, what the hell is the Perk lottery?

< The Perk Lottery allows you to get a mystery perk each time you use it. This is the upgraded version so you will get to pick a 'theme' from your available themes and get a perk or drawback connected to that theme. >

< It's a game of chance, essentially and even I don't know if what will come out will be bad or good. >​

Can you get rid of drawbacks later?

< Of course! Though the worse they are the harder they will be to remove! >​

...one roll, just to see what the rewards are like.

Please choose the lottery you want to play.

[Necromancy] [Wardcrafting] [Realm Magic] [Devil] [Sloth] [Lust] [Envy] [Greed]​

Might as well start at the beginning and go with Necromancer; I don't know what the rewards and drawbacks are like anyway.

[Deathly Presence]

The Death Magic coursing through your body has taken its toll, leaving you pale and somewhat sickly looking, and you give off a natural aura that most living beings find intimidating or off putting. Undead creatures find this aura appealing.

...Looking down at my now pale white hand, I frown. I was always pretty white, but it was more of a normal slightly unhealthy pale of a man who saw too little sun instead of the unnaturally pale white I am now... and a quick check shows that I am cold to the touch.

This... this could be worse. It says undead find this appealing so that should help me with my Necromancy, even if it makes things difficult for everything else. I can work with that.

...Again.

[The Rat King]

You have three undead skeletal rats of varying size that follow you wherever you go. They can be dismissed and resummoned at will, and will follow any order they are given. These rats cannot be killed as they will always resurrect near you a short time after their deaths.

What? I mean, it's not like it is a problem, but what? What am I going to do with three undead rats?

I feel cheated. Another!

[The Undead Crown]

Restore 5 points of Health, Mana and Stamina per second for every undead within 20 feet

See, this? This is more like it.

Wait, do my rats count as undead for this? I'll have to look into that. I don't know how much health I'll have total, but a small regen is still extra regen.

Fuck it, again.

< Really working for that Greed Sin, huh? >​

[The Edge of Oblivion]

While you have a controlled undead within 250 feet, you have a 25% increase to INT and WIS, and take 25% less damage, but if you have no undead under your control within 100 feet, you take 100% extra damage from all sources.

Ah. Hmm.

That's... it is a perk, but it also comes with some dangerous drawbacks. Even my rats who are suddenly seeming far more useful won't be very strong, which means they can be destroyed and while they are gone... I'll take double damage.

That... is a warning that I should stop pushing my luck with Necromancer draws.

...But I want to do more draws. I've always been a sucker for these kinds of things. Wardcrafter next.

[Intense Wards]

Your wards are far stronger than usual wards, being more effective and far harder to break... but this comes at the price of them covering a smaller area than usual, larger wards will require more wardstones to power them.

That... is pretty good? I would rather have small, but strong wards than massive wards as effective as wet tissue paper.

[Wardbound]

You are connected to your wards far closer than any other Wardcrafter could hope to be, granting you bonuses... as long as you are within them. 50% stat boost and double mana regen while under a ward you created, 25% stat decrease while outside your wards.

...Fuck. Small wards... and now I lose 25% of my stats when outside them? I should have known better than to keep pushing my luck, maybe just try one per theme?

Realm Magic time, come on...

[Realm Bound]

While in an area created by your realm magic, you have a 100% buff to all stats and triple health, mana, and stamina regeneration, but while outside your realm, you have a 25% debuff to all stats.

Okay, fuck me I guess. So that's a 50% debuff I have most of the time... and double damage if I lose all my undead?

< I'm sorry, master! I can't control it! >​

Nah, it's fine Isis. I knew the risks and tried it anyway. Greed is a sin for a reason. The smart thing to do would be to quit while I'm not completely fucked... naturally that means it's time to roll for Devil.

[The Devil's Luck]

When it comes to games of chance, losing is all but impossible for you. Coins always land on the side you want them to, dice always roll the number you need and you'll always draw the cards you require.

And there we go, a proper perk that doesn't fuck me over in any way. I'll take a single perk for Devil and call it a day, I don't want to risk too much.

Do I really want to even try rolling for my sins? Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? Sloth first.

[The Ultimate Bed]

You gain the ability to choose one bed and make it the greatest bed in the multiverse. It will be the comfiest bed imaginable, always the perfect temperature and always in pristine condition. It doesn't actually do anything, but when it is this comfy, who cares?

...I need it. I have never needed anything more.

I don't want to get some major drawbacks, so I'll move on to Greed next.

[Pot of Greed]

You gain a strange green pot with a smiling face on the front, once a week you can use the pot to make it fill with a material or substance you want. This can be anything from gold, gems, healing potions, to an excellent wine.

The Pot of Greed? Seriously? I mean... damn, I'll take it but really? Now let's try... Envy.

[Kleptomania]

Every so often you will see something that you just must have, it could be anything from a pencil to a national treasure, but once you see it you won't be able to focus until you claim it for your own

...Fuck.

Well, that's the game I suppose. There was always a chance of me getting something that screws me over, and there it is. But I wouldn't get a bad one... twice in a row, right?

That's... not bad? I like bonus rewards.

Do I even want to risk trying Lust? Damn it, I did every other type.

[One is the loneliest number]

You can no longer deal with lust build-up yourself, as your own touch will no longer bring any satisfaction.

You know what? Let's just move on from this. Isis, I'm done with the lottery.

< Understood, Master! >

< Brace yourself, it's time to start. >​

Closing my eyes, I try to ignore the strange tugging sensation as Isis does her thing, only opening it when I feel a cold breeze across my skin.

Race Unlocked

[Devil]

A being of the underworld, known for being seductive and deceptive creatures.

Stat Bonuses

[STRx10] [ENDx10] [DEXx10] [INTx10] [WISx10] [CHAx20] [LCKx15]

[Devil Physiology (Strengths)] (Passive)

Due to your Devil traits, you have the ability to grow wings made of your magic at will, use the Devil System of Magic, understand and speak all languages you hear, and the ability of dark-sight.

[Devil Physiology (Weaknesses)] (Passive)

Due to your Devil traits, you have a weakness to Light Magic, taking double damage from Light attacks. You take damage from being on sanctified grounds, and Holy Scripture deals you damage if you read or hear it.

Note to self, avoid every being hit by Light attacks. I knew it was coming, but double damage is scary.

Kuro Dantalion

Race – Devil

Level – 1 (0%)

Alignment – ???

Mentor – None

Apprentice – None

HP – 500 [100 regen per five minutes]

MP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]

SP – 500 [100 regen per minute]

STR – 5 (x10) = 50

END – 5 (x10) = 50

DEX – 5 (x10) = 50

INT – 20 (x10) = 200

WIS – 20 (x10) = 200

CHA – 10 (x20) = 200

LCK – 10 (x15) = 150

It's... not amazing, but for Level One? It is far better than I would get as a Human. My HP would be 50 if I was a human, since they don't get any stat bonuses usually, though they can get them with training, enhancement, or other means. It would have taken a lot more credits to get a stat bonus even half as good as a human, even if the Human Magician start was tempting, since it has slightly inferior INT and WIS bonuses without the weaknesses.

But DxD is basically stacked against the humans, unless you have something like a Longinus Sacred Gear, but they were ridiculously expensive.

Legendary Artifact [Excalibur Rapidly] and [Pot of Greed] added to the Castle Trophy Room.

Excalibur Rapidly?

Damn it. I'm a fucking Devil, what am I going to do with a Holy Sword that would burn my hand off if I tried to use it? Well... I can at least trade it to the Angels or Church in the future if I manage to get some... non-hostile relations with them.

The knowledge in my head tells me that it is a trophy from the Great War, as one of my ancestors managed to slay its wielder and brought it back home as a trophy, where it sits in a heavily warded display case to this day. It would take an Ultimate-Class being to break the wards on my Castle. That's why I chose this base and family speciality after all.

Don't get me wrong, Sirzechs, Azazel, or Michael could do it... but my neutrality means they would have to have a good reason to do so.

Sitting up, I look around the medieval royal chambers, my personal bedroom. Well, it was my parents bedroom, but I am the Lord of the Dantalion house now so it is mine instead.

Oh right, my parents are dead.

Yeah, I didn't want to end up in a Rias situation where my choices were taken away, so I made my background to be a recently orphaned Devil Noble Heir.

My parents left the safety of our castle to negotiate with Lady Serafall Leviathan over the possibility of us joining the 72 Pillars, and were murdered before reaching her. By who? I have no idea, that wasn't something I could adjust.

Look, it might seem cold to just kill off my parents... but they aren't my parents, they are some old devil nobles who I would have to pretend are my parents to not attract too much attention to the fact that I am not the Kuro Dantalion they knew.

I'm the only Kuro Dantalion left, though, so I'm the one this world is stuck with.

Thankfully, Kuro is an insular and sheltered Devil Heir despite being almost nineteen years old, so very few people have met him. This castle is massive... but the only inhabitants are myself and four other people.

Me, and the four servants I bought with my credits.

It's located in the most inhospitable and empty corner of the Underworld I could put it in, deep in a frozen wasteland where very little can survive, surrounded by icy water, snow covered mountains, and jagged rocks.

As far away from the rest of the Underworld as possible.

Fortunately, my memories tell me that it is self-sufficient thanks to magic. Two of the servants I have "bought" are farmers, working on a farm made possible by magic and my family's wards to stop the ice from killing the crops and livestock. It's only a small farm, but it supplies enough food for me to live here without worry.

Better yet, the wards are under my control which means they count for Wardbound, so as long as I am in my families territory I get a 50% stat boost and double MP regen... of course I am also losing 25% due to Realm Bound, but it still helps off-put the trouble of that perk.

Legendary Familiar [Nyx] added to the world

Looking over to the side of the room, I smile slightly seeing my familiar sleeping in her open bird cage, the tiny black bird snoozing away. She'll keep doing that until one of the servants brings her breakfast, berries from the farm to be exact. My lazy Shadow Phoenix familiar, I remember finding her egg frozen over in the wastelands and bringing it home, watching as it hatched almost immediately after I melted the ice away from it. Nyx has been my loyal, but lazy familiar ever since.

She's still a baby at the moment; in fact, she can barely fly for more than a minute before she falls out of the air, but one day...

Grimoires [Promraen Caro (Necromancy, Fleshcrafting Tree)] and [Reunu Pertemru (Necromancy, Mummification Tree)] have been added to your bookcase. [Liber Animas (Necromancy, Spirit Master Tree)], [Kroveri Haema (Necromancy, Blood Magic Tree)] and [Liber Mortis (Necromancy, Death Magic Tree)] have been added to Quest Rewards and Dungeon Loot.

Looking over at my almost empty bookcase, I reluctantly pull myself out of the most comfortable bed in existence and move over to it, looking at the two books on the top shelf.

Somehow, I know that only I can take books from this bookcase, even the Satans wouldn't be able to take from it as I grab one of them.

Looking down at the leather book, I immediately realise just what kind of leather went into making this, the pages made of human flesh as I open it, giving it a deadpan look. Well, I knew what I was getting myself in for...

[Promraen Caro (Necromancy, Fleshcrafting Tree)]

This Grimoire Contains the forbidden knowledge on how to shape and warp flesh itself, which can be used to both heal and harm. The more advanced methods hidden within its pages can even create life from death.

The next book is made of non-human parts... though I couldn't tell you what the material in my hand is that makes the brown leather, but it certainly wasn't cow hide.

[Reunu Pertemru (Necromancy, Mummification Tree)]

The Grimoire contains the esoteric art once used by the Egyptian Necromancers, now lost to time. The spells and rituals within can affect the body, mind and spirit.

This... isn't quite what I had in mind for Necromancy, but I can work with it. I imagined Skeletons and Zombies, but Mummys and... Abominations can work just as well.

[The Dantalion Lexicon of Wardcrafting (Ward Crafting)] and [Eclipse, Codex of Realms (Realm Magic)] have been added to your library.

[The Dantalion Lexicon of Wardcrafting (Ward Crafting)]

The result of the Dantalion clan's thousands of years of experimentation in the art of Wardcrafting, can only be read by a Dantalion.

[Eclipse, Codex of Realms (Realm Magic)]

The Codex of Realms, the ultimate guide for a Realm Mage in training. Within its pages lie the secrets to the art of Realm Creation for a mage with the power and materials to use it.

I'm well aware that Realm magic is a... long term goal, but it is classed as a legendary grimoire, which means actually finding it would be an incredibly time consuming task.

Grimoires can be quest rewards or dungeon loot, but something like Realm Magic? Well, it would be a... difficult one to get my hands on.

Now...what is my goal? My plan for my new life?

It's simple: I want to get so powerful that none of the Ultimate Class beings around here (and there are far too many of them) can force me to do anything. Then I'm going to do whatever the hell I want.

I need power to enjoy my second lease at life, so that is my one true goal.

Get stupidly powerful, make my own realm, fuck off, and slack off there.

It's better to keep simple plans.

Moving to the balcony of my room, I lean against the stone railing and stare out at the frozen wastes. It isn't much, but it is mine, with the wards covering my castle going on for miles around thanks to my family's centuries of expanding on them, and this is all "Dantalion Territory".

The cold air strikes against my naked chest as all I have to cover myself is a pair of silk pyjama bottoms, but it doesn't bother me. Honestly, I find the cold comforting... maybe because I "grew up" here or maybe it's my not-quite undead status. Nyx doesn't like the cold, but there's a ward on her cage that keeps it far hotter than everywhere else.

Behind me I hear a strange humming sound. Turning around, I spotted a small, purple glow appearing on the ground as three skeletal rats form, their bones scattered across the floor before they start to reassemble themselves.

Almost immediately I feel [Edge of Oblivion] kick in, my undead now within range to stop the double damage debuff as all three of the stare up at me.

The largest is the size of a large dog, perhaps a great dane or something similar, reaching my waist easily as it sits down, looking up at me. The second largest is the size of a beagle, far smaller than its larger pack-mate but still larger than a normal rat... and the smallest was normal sized.

Lowering my hand, I mentally order it to climb up onto my shoulder, smiling as it does, nuzzling me slightly. My [Deathly Presence] at work I suppose. They are... kinda cute.

The largest one shall be called Mickey, the smaller one Minnie, and the smallest one can be... Gadget.

Yeah, I know they are rats not mice, but whatever.

After giving Mickey and Minnie some head-pats, I order them to explore the area around my castle. As soon as they left my eyesight, I found that I can sense where they are and, if I focus I can almost see through their perspectives. Admittedly, I almost yelped when they jumped from the balcony, falling from the highest tower of the castle, and simply breaking apart as they hit the ground as I watched through their eyes..

A moment later, they quickly reformed on the ground, and scurried off into the distance. Was it faster to jump and reform than to move through the castle? Definitely, now that I think about it... but how did they know that?

Hmm, something to look into later. For now I just want to familiarise myself with the surrounding area and the castle. I have the memories, but they don't feel like my memories.

Realm Magic skills added

[Create Lair] (Active)

Creates a lair in a hidden realm, linking it to the realm you are in. The lair is customisable, but it requires more mana and raw materials the more complicated it is.​

[Lair Teleportation] (Active)

500 MP to use​

Instantly teleports you to one of your lairs, of your choice.

Ward Crafting Skills Added

[Wardstone Crafting (Apprentice)]

You are an apprentice at the art of forging wardstones, by taking rock and carving runes onto it.​

[Wardcrafting (Apprentice)]

You are walking down the path of the Wardmaster, crafting wards to defend or attack.

Wards Known

Repulsion Ward - A ward that causes anyone that tries to pass through it to be knocked away with an adjustable amount of force

Detection Ward - An adjustable ward that can be fine tuned to detect things, ranging from any living beings, the use of magic to a specific race

Privacy Ward - An adjustable ward that can either prevent sight, scent and sound from leaving or entering it​

Undead Ward - A ward that repels the undead away from its boundaries

Necrotic Ward - When triggered it curses the trespasser to take constant necrotic damage as long as they are within range

...Ow.

Having a few years worth of ward crafting studies crammed into my head was not pleasant.

< That's why I'm doing it in stages, Master! >

< Your Necromancy skills will come when your headache has faded. Brace yourself, I need to translate over some of your last lifes skills as well. >​

[Masseuse Proficiency (Adept)]

You are a truly experienced Masseuse, able to massage away all kinds of aches and pains with your skillful fingers and gentle touch.

People who have enjoyed your tender touch gain double stamina and mana regeneration, and increased health regen for one day for each hour the massage lasted.

[Games Proficiency (Master)]

A true master in games of all kinds, board games, card games, video games, if it can be played you have done so, and you have done so well… few can match your skill in games, unable to best your strategies or challenge your reflexes as you combo them into oblivion. Achievements and Leaderboards are no challenge, and many a twelve year old have cowered in fear as you entered the lobby.

...moving on.

I do appreciate it, Isis... at least this way it is just a slow, dull throbbing.

Interesting... my selection of Necromancy gave me access to more ward types. I have vague memories of using my experience with Necromancy and Death Magic to design the Necrotic and Undead Ward. Long nights spent modifying it over and over again.

The Undead Ward is pretty useless, considering that I'm pretty sure that I'm the only real Necromancer in DxD. I remember looking into that in the past, trying to look for anyone who used this type of magic amongst the devils, fallen, youkai, and the human magicians. The Sephiroth Graal is the only thing that even does close to what Necromancy can do.

Necromancy is my personal magic, one that even my family had no idea how I ended up with.

"Lord Kuro, you're up early today," a serene voice said, drawing my attention to the tall woman who had silently entered my room, waiting by the door. With long, fiery red hair going down to her shoulders, she smiled at me as I look her over, a small jewelled necklace hanging down between her two perfect pale breasts, barely covered by her incredibly deep cut revealing blue dress.

This is Aria, no second name. Slaves don't need family names after all. Slavery isn't... illegal in the Underworld, and while under the Four Great Satans it was looked down upon, they didn't really do anything when it actually happened. Aria is one of the slaves my family owns; one of four remaining ones, actually.

We used to have more, but father always took some with him, and most died in the attack, leaving the four I got from my background choices. Two of them are male, burly men who work the farms. I didn't learn their names, since they are just... slaves. Hell, I don't think I've ever even spoken to them before. The other is another woman, and one who is often far less elegantly dressed than Aria. Usually wearing little more than rags as she cleans and serves us, Helia is a far less impressive figure.

But then again, she was also a less impressive woman in general.

Aria is special, because she impressed my mother with her intelligence when she was younger. They were all born into this life, as we have quite literally bred slaves to serve us during our long years in this frozen corner of the wastes, but while Helia has simply survived as a slave, Aria always wanted more.

It's why Aria found herself as the head of the household slaves, or what was left of them, while Helia remained at the bottom of the food chain. Of course, since Aria is the one I customised, of course she would be different, with the other three being just randomly generated.

And no, I haven't fucked her.

Father forbid me from bedding the slaves, since a Lord shouldn't bed mere servants. He was rather strict about that - well, strict about a lot of things actually with his own strange code of honour. He's dead now though… but the last thing I need to do is die from a poisoned meal because I forced myself on one of the slave girls, who are literally in every part of my day-to-day life. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it though; her and the other slave girl have been frequent guests in the fantasies of Kuro Dantalion, and I can see why.

"Just... didn't feel like sleeping any more, Aria." I said simply as I leaned against the rail of the balcony. "Is there something I can do for you? It's not like you to bother me so early."

It is worth noting that it is almost midday.

"Before you were just the heir, but now I'm afraid all lordly business will come to you directly... and as such, you are needed to be informed of a... development." Aria says slowly, pulling out a letter. "This was delivered by a familiar this morning, from Lady Serafall Leviathan." Aria explained as she approached me, passing it over.

Oh great... I just got here! Can I have a day or two before they drag me into something?!

"Wonderful," I muttered as I opened the letter. "Dear Lord Dantalion, my deepest condolences, a paragraph of nothing, request a meeting at your convenience, lots more other junk, Serafall Leviathan." I paraphrased out with a frown.

She's awfully polite, considering she's a fucking Satan. I have no meta knowledge of her, but she is very well known even to the extra demons like me. Father made sure I was kept up to date on such matters, even if I was only really interested in mastering my magic.

"Thank you, Aria... Write a reply to her inviting her to the Castle... tomorrow at midday, then make sure everything is prepared. I don't really want her here, but it wouldn't do to shame the Dantalion name. Father might just crawl out of the crypt I stuffed him in if I did that." I quip, making her smile sadly. She isn't mourning him, but she thinks I am.

My mother and father, and the slaves have all been interred in the family crypt outside the castle. The wards on the tombs would make robbing them... difficult, even for me. According to Kuro's memories, they've existed for centuries, so it would be a while before I could do some grave robbing.

Fortunately, Kuro was always a lazy and mostly quiet person with a dry sense of humour he used to deflect, so no one is expecting me to break down crying or anything.

"At once, my lord. Helia is preparing your breakfast, just ring for her in the dining hall when you are ready to eat." Aria says, curtseying before she takes the letter back, to store it in my fathers - ...in my office and to send our reply. "As always, if you require anything at all, you simply need to ask." Aria says with a warm smile, before she left.

Aria was made to be extremely loyal to me and to my family. All my slaves are made to be loyal, since I spent credits on them, but Aria would throw herself from the tower if I demanded it. My family aren't cruel to your slaves, but we aren't particularly kind to them either. Good performance is rewarded and disobedience is punished.

I should have seen this coming; my parents were negotiating with her, so it should go without saying that she wouldn't take their deaths to be the end of it. What she wants is obvious, for the Dantalions (just Dantalion now) to rejoin the Pillars. Why wouldn't she? We are a pure-blood noble devil family, even if we have been removed from the Pillars for a long time.

And after the Great War and the Civil War, the 72 Pillars don't have close to 72 families any more. Far too many families were wiped out, either through infighting or war, and the 72 part of the faction name is kept out of tradition more than anything else. It's why all this worry about keeping the pureblood numbers high is going around, as Reincarnated Devils now easily outnumber the Pure-Blood ones.

It makes sense; if every Pure-Blooded Devil gets a Peerage, they can potentially make fifteen reincarnated devils, and while very few of them will become High-Ranked Devils themselves, those that do will get their own Peerage and start it all again.

No one in my family has had a Peerage because it simply isn't available to Extra Demons, it is one of the privileges the 72 Pillars enjoy, and one of the things used to lure stray families like mine into the fold.

I am absolutely going to abuse the whole, "You couldn't protect my family" angle to help me avoid getting dragged into the Pillars.

Serafall Leviathan would destroy me in the blink of an eye, but under my wards even she should have to act carefully, these are War Wards after all, made to stop invasions/assassinations, and they were never dropped after the war ended. I can't beat her, but under my ward I should be safe from her simply killing me on the spot. I don't know if they would kill her, but neither does she, and the Dantalion Castle wards are legendary. She can't risk testing her luck because the Devils really can't afford to lose one of their strongest fighters, even if we are "winning" the war.

It's more of a cold war now, with each side preferring to dominate each faction via recruitment instead of actual confrontations. The Devils were winning this race much more easily with the Evil Pieces, the Fallen were getting the mere scraps, and the few angels they were making were falling (hence why so few angels left Heaven any more, since Azazel keeps making them fall), and overall, the Angels were just losing.

...Damn it, they aren't going to leave me alone. A devil clan that's pureblood and can make just about any location a death trap to attack? It's a miracle they left us alone this long, but I guess she's just been too busy to try and bring us back into the fold.

The complete fuck up with the Nekoshou probably helped, Serafall has been cleaning that up for over a decade, and more importantly, my father held off all requests for years before he finally decided to see what the Pillars had to offer.

And now it is my turn to deal with the Satans who just don't know how to take no for an answer.

I need a plan, since just "Getting Good" is all well and dandy, but that's a long term plan... I need a short term one to work out what the hell I am going to do.

Necromancy Skills Added

[Necromancy Proficiency (Apprentice)]

You have started the path of the Necromancer, bending the powers of death to your will.

Trees Known – Mummification Tree (Apprentice), Fleshcrafting Tree (Apprentice)

Mummification Skills

[Curse of Hallucination]

Causes the victim to experience hallucinations of the caster's design that are almost completely indistinguishable from reality

Able to be used as a normal spell or planted as a trap tied to a trigger.

Can be triggered immediately or after a delay

[Embalming]

A ritually cast spell that causes the target corpse to dry up and become immune to decay, it also increases the durability of the corpse toughening it without affecting durability.

[Curse of Enfeeblement]

A curse that causes the target to begin to feel weak, their limbs heavy, and they will be compelled to sleep. If they sleep, they will wake lethargic and tired, with their muscles wasted away. If the curse is not lifted quickly, the damage can be permanent, and will even kill people who are already weak.

Able to be used as a normal spell or planted as a trap tied to a trigger.

Can be triggered immediately or after a delay.

Fleshcrafting Tree

[Create Abomination]

A ritual that can cause a horrific mutation of living things, turning them into usually mindless, soulless abominations that possess great power, and are totally obedient to their creator.

[Calcify]

A spell that causes targeted living flesh to turn to a hardened stone-like form, and can affect entire bodies if the caster puts enough mana into it

[Warping Mend Wound]

A spell that warps the flesh of the target back into pristine condition, undoing injuries and wounds.

Death Magic Tree (Free Spell)

[Chill Touch]

A spell that summons a ghostly skeletal hand and launches it at a target. If it hits successfully, the hand will grip hold of the victim and deal constant necrotic damage until dislodged.

Spirit Magic Tree (Free Spell)

[Speak with the Dead]

A spell that allows the caster to communicate with the departed, calling forth their souls and allowing them to commune with the living. The spirits aren't forced to obey the summoner.

Blood Magic Tree (Free Spell)

[Blood Boil]

A spell that, when cast on a target, causes their blood to boil in their veins, causing excruciating pain and harm to both their circulatory systems and organs, but any and all damage is undone when the spell is ended.

Once more... ouch.

Three spells for the two trees I have, and a free spell from each, huh?

I'm... potentially in trouble.

I only have two offensive spells, Chill Touch and Blood Boil, and Blood Boil doesn't do lasting damage. The Curses have potential of course, but without them doing damage, I'm in a bit of a dangerous situation.

My strength and endurance are terrible for a devil, so I can't be fighting up close unless I'm in a rush for my second death already. When I picked Necromancer I kinda assumed I would have an army of skeletons between me and whatever wanted to hurt me... but I am guessing that is a part of the Death Magic tree... which I don't have access to. Embalming a corpse is all well and good, but what the fuck am I going to do with a corpse I can't raise?

The fact that I got a healing spell of all things is interesting and could save my life even if the idea of warping my own flesh is... unpleasant, and maybe I can just Calcify my enemies, but I need to practice first...

Isis, how do I level up?

< Unfortunately, this version of the Gamer System doesn't come with the Instant Dungeon creation. Instead, Dungeons are scattered throughout the world you are in. There is always an early level dungeon near the starting location. If you open your mini-map, it should direct you to all available Dungeons... except, of course, Secret Dungeons. >

< Good Hunting, Master! >​

Hmm, thanks Isis.

Ugh, I need to get some breakfast and think about this more.

… ​

Helia is good at all the household duties, but I have to say it: She is a good cook. I'm not sure if it is a full English breakfast when I'm in hell, but that's what I had. Sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and mushrooms, all taken from our farm.

Magic is a wonderful thing, even allowing livestock to be raised in this inhospitable corner of hell.

Laying back in the hot-spring, I marvel at the skill of my ancestors who built this Castle. The wards keeping the water here fresh and hot are a work of art, and one that has existed here for generations without fail. I've checked over the various minor wardstones scattered around the Castle, and the main one beneath the Castle and all the wards are working as intended.

I've also found a Dungeon...which was mockingly close. The entrance is in my family crypt of all places. Undead are almost certain then... which is a problem, since my one true attack is Necrotic in nature, which I suspect the Undead are immune to…

Well, thatWhich puts me in a bit of a bind.

… Well, not completely... because I have Create Abomination: .

tThe ability to create soulless slaves out of living beings, abominations to serve me however I desire, and... even as simple meat-shields, they will increase my survival chances considerably.

The problem... is that it needs living beings (obviously), preferably humanoids, in order to work. I'm not going to experiment on the slaves responsible for keeping me fed, which means I need... other sources of subjects.

As a Devil, I can make portals to the Human World easily, and I've been to quite a few of the less... watched cities before. The Church can't be everywhere, after all, they just aren't large enough, and they are only getting weaker.

I know it'srealise it is basically psychopathic to consider kidnapping humans for the sake of experimentation... but Devils have been using humans for profit and power for as long as we have existed. The Evil Pieces aren't that better than what I'm doing.

And I need defenders before I'm am willing to step one foot into a dungeon.

I also need to test out my cCurses to find out how noticeable they are, and. hHow subtle they can be.

I am not willing to die again, no matter what. I will not spare some background characters at the cost of my own safety. I want to enjoy my second life to the fullest, and nothing will stop me from doing exactly that.

...but first, relaxation. Relaxation is important.

Leaning back in the hot spring, I smile as I reach for my sSake. I don't know why my family ended up inheriting so many Japanese customs and habits, but I can't complain... one of my ancestors was probably very active in Japan before our self-exile.

I think better when I'm relaxing anyway.

"I'll need a refill soon." I warn without opening my eyes as I lean back with a smile.

"Of course, my lord." Helia replies quickly, ever eager to please from her position in the corner of the room. She's dressed in what could kinda be called a metal black and gold bikini... if it wasn't for all the chains and the choker. Her body is mostly exposed except for the small metal garments and the chains connecting the "bra" of her uniform to her collar. Her long brown hair is tied back nearly, a single strand falling in front of her face as she bows, bringing over a new bottle from the magical cooler. My nakedness doesn't bother her, considering she cleaned my body less than an hour ago.

It's not like I picked it, that was my mother. She liked to make sure the slaves knew their place. She was kind ofa a bitch like that.

Tonight, I'm going to pay a visit to one of the less supernatural towns on Earth... as hard as that can be to find. The towns that don't have the Church tend to have either Fallen, Magicians, Youkai, or Devils in them, so there really aren't that many places you can go and be completely free of the supernatural presence.... but Ffortunately, my father believed in knowing what was happening beyond our wards, and he was a thorough note-taker.

As long as I don't get caught by the Church, the other factions wouldn't even really care if I was going for humans. Other devils have done worse for sport, Magicians are so insular I doubt they'd notice a few missing mundane humans, Youkai only care for Youkai, and the Fallen are... well, the Fallen.

So, it's time to play a game called Kidnap the Human.

Humans. Better to be safe than sorry.

Taking another sip of my sake, I pause for a moment before nodding. I can do that later.

< Sin of Sloth was definitely right, Master. >​

True, but so what? There's nothing wrong with being a bit lazy every now and then.

… - Later -​

Magic is overpowered.

Moving around the eastern European village, I smile at the utter lack of security cameras., Tthis place is basically stuck in the past (and I think it's been invaded by Russia like seven times), and that makes this so much easier.

No church presence, and there aren't any fallen or devils living here either. It's ideal basically. Devils have amazing senses compared to regular humans, and even without them... Gadget is scouting for me, as most houses have some form of hole for her to scurry through and check ahead.

It's late here, probably somewhere between one and three am from the darkness, and as I carefully break into one of the houses on the edge of the village, I smile to myself. There's no easy way to see the backdoor from the village, which means even as I simply break the lock and push it open, it shouldn't attract too much attention.

I've had Gadget check out a few houses so far, but this seems like the best choice after some thought.

An older man and woman, three sons and two daughters in their teens ranging from just past pre-teen to almost twenty from a guess. I'm taking the whole family, of course.

And I even know exactly how I'm going to do it.

Moving into one of the bedrooms, I move over one of the sons almost silently and place a hand over him, letting out a breath as I cast my spell.

After a mere moment, his head loses its fleshy colour as it turns a pale, chalky white. He never even awakens as his body turns to stone, leaving him a statue that makes his bed creak with the weight, even his pyjama bottoms turned from cotton to stone.

Lifting him gently, I lower him to the ground and move over to his brother.

It'll take some time to recover the mana I used for that, a couple of minutes to be exact, but I am in no rush.

Soon enough, another statue joins the other one, and a quick portal takes them both to the Underworld before I go back.

I've tested Calcify on a stolen cow, some rats I had my own rodents capture and a cat, and while a full transformation is... mana intensive, at least for now, it is something I can do. From my tests, the more flesh I have to turn the more mana it costs, and I believe the target's own END stat plays a part in the cost. I can turn some normal humans to statues, but if I was to try on say... a Satan, I'd likely drop from mana exhaustion before I even managed to turn a fingernail to stone.

Mana Exhaustion sucks, by the way. If I run out of mana, I am left... mentally exhausted until at left half of my mana has returned, it hurts to think, and I'm incredibly lethargic for the duration.

The cow was hard to turn simply because there was so much flesh to turn.

I also learnt something very interesting... if I cast Calcify on something I have already turned to stone, it turns back with seemingly no negative effects aside from some confusion.

I also learnt that if I use Curse of Hallucination on an animal and make it see a dinosaur, it freaks the fuck out and runs for its life. That'll teach the cat to scratch me, the little bastard. I didn't even kill the animals, once my tests were done, I just sent them back to where I grabbed them from.

The other brother is just as easy, the eldest most likely as he has a room to his own. He joins his brothers in hell shortly. Moving to the parent's bedroom, I slowly pull the sheets back from the sleeping couple, and get to work turning the fairly attractive woman to stone as she sleeps, her modest nightgown turning to stone as I smile slightly.

A smile that fades quickly as the husband opens his eyes, the bald, bearded man spotting me standing over a statue of his wife as his eyes shoot open.

We stare at each over for a second, both caught off guard before he leaps up, making my eyes widen.

In a moment of manic, I quickly recast Calcify, turning his lips to stone as his eyes widened in horror, unable to shout before he jumped forwards, his fist connecting with my chin, knocking me away.

In truth, the punch of a middle-aged human isn't going to seriously hurt a Devil, even one as physically weak as myself, and it is more reflex that makes me back away from him.

Thinking quickly as he rushes me, I cast again and smile as he falters in his step.

Calcifying things is a lot harder if they are actively resisting, I learnt this from the cat. It's why I am not trying to turn him completely right away... after all, a fairly large human has a lot of flesh, and I'd drain myself trying to turn all of him to stone.

As he lets out a muffled scream, he turns around and tries to flee, apparently not liking the way I just turned into a twenty-foot tall stereotypical devil, hellfire flooding the bedroom as its heat laps at his skin.

The Curse of Hallucination is a powerful tool, and I can affect more than just sight. If I want my victim to hear a booming laugh, to smell the sulfur and feel the heat of the flames against his skin... he will.

The more complicated the hallucination, the more mana intensive it is, naturally, but I believe it uses the targets WIS to decide mana cost. His isn't that high. As he rushes for the door, the walls warp, stone covering the door frame and window as he lets out a moan of despair, looking around in terror.

Naturally, they are wide open, and he could walk right through the open door frame, but people tend to trust their own eyes too much, and as the demon approaches him, cackling as it holds his wife in its hand as she screams and struggles, he backs away into the corner.

Another trick I have learnt is that I can make myself invisible to a single target by taking over their senses, by replacing myself with an empty space, replacing any noises I make with silence. It's kinda hard to do, but I got some practice on animals.

Skittish ones like the cat, who would hiss and scratch at me if it saw me, so it was good practice in hiding myself by messing with its superior senses. Many failed attempts ended with my legs being scratched.

Then I tested it again on Helia, hiding myself from her as she did her duties. I messed up a few times, specifically with scent or sound mostly, but I did manage to hide myself from her.

Touch is the hardest sent to fool, even hiding the feeling of my hand brushing against her cheek was very, very hard and I'm certain she noticed... something. I'll need to practice more.

Moving closer to him as he cowers in the corner of the room, I decide to end this before my mana is emptied as the curse takes mp to keep up, and subdue him the easiest way I can think off.

By clubbing him over the head with his bedside lamp.

< Heh, it made a nice whacking noise. >​

Okay, maybe it wasn't very 'elegant' for a Devil Mage such as myself, but I don't have any spells for easily subduing people at the moment, and it got the job done. Sometimes you need to just beat someone's ass until you've won.

I have a healing spell anyway, and once my mp has recovered I'll fix any damage I may have done to his skull... or maybe not since he'll be mindless when I turn him into an abomination anyway.

Waiting for my mp to recover, I take a moment to have Gadget check on the daughters, letting out a breath as they both sleep soundly. Turning the man into a statue, I take another quick trip home and drop him and his wife off.

The daughters prove just as little a problem as their brothers did, and they join the rest of their family without any issue, leaving me smiling in the empty house as I call Gadget back to her spot on my shoulder.

Devil portals do leave a... trace, but all anyone who looks into them will be able to tell is that a devil made a portal back to the Underworld, and nothing else. Sure, I'm incriminating my race, but personally, I have left nothing that will give my identity away. Even if the Church looks into the mysterious disappearance of an irrelevant family in a tiny irrelevant village in an equally irrelevant country, what are they going to do? They hate devils anyway, and we are technically still at war since this peace is just a temporary cease-fire. There isn't a single religious symbol in this house, which is one of the reasons I picked it, so even if they are religious, they aren't zealously so.

The Church should have little reason to care. People disappear all the time.

Heading home, I smile as we appear in a small dungeon, looking around with a nod.

Create Lair is a spell that I can cast with my current capabilities, even if it took quite a bit of my family's gold to make this place, but I think it will be a good investment.

Moving the latest statues to the open iron cell door, I place them down with the rest of their family and look around my 'lab'.

There are two cells in my lair, one for imprisoning people and the other… Well, it's for dealing with ruly prisoners probably, judging from the bloodstained wooden chair against the wall, shackles hanging next to it and the table full of… tools.

On the tables against the wall, several beakers of mysterious liquids bubble and hiss occasionally, the only light coming from some strange green candles, there are skulls and jars of eye-balls and other organs suspended in a transparent green liquid on the shelves, and more importantly, there is a large slab in the middle with restraints ready to hold someone down.

Apparently... my power, or more likely Isis, has a sense of humour. When I decided to make my Lair in the castle dungeons, I chose Fleshcrafters Lair from the available choices, and this dimly lit room is what I got.

It does come with some alchemy equipment though, a simple Mortar and Pestle, Alembic, Calcinator, and Retort, plus plenty of empty glass vials all on one of the tables... if only I knew how to use them. Something to look into when I have more time.

Moving the statue of the father to the slab first, I calmly start to turn him back, knowing that he should still be unconscious as I do, and smile as my prediction is proven correct.

While he lays there, unconscious from a particularly unpleasant blow to the back of his head, I pause for a moment before I strip him naked of his sleepwear and attach the iron shackles to his arms and legs.

A look over his body tells me that while he isn't some bodybuilder, he is in decent shape, probably a farmer with an active lifestyle at a guess, but the shackles will hold him easily enough. Hmm... his wife was a lucky woman before she was turned into a statue and kidnapped by a devil, I can see why they had so many children.

Now... onto the main course.

Despite my spell description calling it a ritual, it's really just a long spell that doesn't need any real preparation other than a target that can't run away mid-casting. It isn't something that I can do mid-battle, or hope to do on someone who isn't bound but with the right preparation, it really isn't that hard.

Getting started, I hold my hand over his immobile form, starting to cast as my hand glows with an eldritch green glow, an emerald mist falling from it and moving into his body.

The reaction is immediate as his skin turns an unpleasant grey, which would be more noticeable if he wasn't thrashing about, screams of pain leaving him as his eyes shoot open, fear and pain in them as he flails.

As his body starts to grow, a part of me pities the man. He did nothing to me, if you ignore the punch... which considering I had just turned his wife into a statue was pretty tame and well-deserved, he was just a normal human living his normal human life.

But I need monsters if I am going to try and clear that Dungeon, which I need to do if I want to level and actually ever stand a chance outside the walls of my Castle. This is DxD, and I can't afford to let pity stop me from taking any and every advantage I can grab. If surviving... no, if succeeding in this world means ruining the lives of others, that is exactly what I will do.

My survival takes priority over everything else, and having abominations at my command will make everything easier... and that's why I simply shut out his screams of pain, ignoring his pleas for mercy and prayers for salvation, even as they make me flinch as he prays to a dead god.

His hands are the first thing to change, his fingers lengthening as large claws grow from this even as I stare in a mixture of horror and awe... his body is growing... but his skin isn't as it tears in places, I can even see the bone through the gaping holes in the back of his hand, skin and muscles stretched over a far too large skeletal structure. I can see his arm bone in several places on his arms.

His legs don't change much, even as they grow slightly more muscular, but his torso and back aren't spared the change either, ribs bursting out of his chest as his stomach opens up, exposing his innards to the air, and his spine grows... spikes as they break through his skin a dozen of them going down his back. I can't decide if I am horrified or impressed at what my magic does to the man, but I do think I am leaning towards... awe.

Those claws look like they can tear apart a regular man with ease, and my mind rushes with ideas for what I could have this beast do.

His face doesn't change... that much. Well, I suppose the massive fangs growing from his teeth are kinda different, and the fact that his eyes have become completely green and have started glowing is a bit new... also, the way mist pours out of his mouth with every panting breath is pretty cool. Also, I don't think his nose was that... inwards before. Oh, and his ears have basically disappeared just leaving a pair of holes... and his skin has torn, exposing flesh and bone on his skull in a few places.

But other than that, he looks the same.

As my spell stops, he simply lays there, staring up at me with an unreadable gaze.

That... took quite a lot out of me, but I'm both in a zone made by my realm magic, under my wards and I have my three rats nearby, so I am at my strongest at the moment, and I quickly recover.

"Can you hear me?" I ask after a moment, surprised when it nods at me, a grunting noise leaving it. "Good. I'm going to do the same to the rest of your family, you realise that don't you?" I ask, making it tilt its head at me. "Your sons, your daughters, your wife. They are all going to suffer like you did, their bodies twisted and broken. I might even have some fun with your wife and daughters first, maybe I'll make you hold them down as I violate them." I say casually, watching him carefully as he stares back, not even a hint of a father's rage in his eyes.

I just want to make sure this thing isn't going to take my head off the moment I undo the restraints, but even as I threaten to rape his daughters and wife, he just stares at me blankly.

...One last test.

Raising my hand, I call on the only Blood Magic spell I know, Boil Blood. He is still living after all, somehow. I don't think he needs food any more, though he can eat and he does need to breathe. He does still have blood inside him though... and as I cast my spell, he starts writing once again, letting out inhuman roars as he struggles so hard he simply breaks free of his restraints, the iron chains attached to the shackles snapping as he thrashes around... cancelling my spell immediately I get ready to throw a Chill Hand at him and run for my life as he stops flailing, rising from the slab as he rises to his full height... almost eight-foot tall at a guess as he stares down at me.

And then does nothing at all, simply staring.

"...Kneel." I order after a moment, watching as he drops to both knees immediately, still eye level with me as he obediently watches me, waiting for his orders as I start to laugh, my fear fading.

Lashing out, I punch him in the face as hard as I can, immediately flinching as a jolt of pain runs through my arm.

...I don't know how to throw a punch, and he is really hard.

He lets out a questioning groan, but he doesn't seem to care that I attacked him, just staring at me with glowing green eyes, the outer part of his eye is a darker, emerald green which gets brighter the closer to the centre of his eye you get. His pupil is so bright it might as well be white.

Ghoul

Tier One Fleshcrafting Abomination

Hmm...

Moving to the cell, I look over my other prisoners.

"Ghoul, grab the statue of your eldest son and move it to the table." I order, watching as he moves past me, grabbing the eldest male without a moment of hesitation. "You broke my restraints... so hold him down." I order as I start to undo his calcification.

Smiling as he obeys, I get to work again.

- Later -

As the newest Ghoul rises from the slab, it joins its family and stares at me, four unholy abominations awaiting orders.

One father and three sons. I haven't turned the women yet, but these four should be enough for now. I don't know what the tomb dungeon is like, and if I take too many, it'll simply become too crowded for me to see anything.

Also, even magically changed, I'm not sure how useful a thirteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old pair of girls with zero muscles will be fighting the Undead. The mother might be more useful, but even she barely has any muscles. I want my abominations to be made from the best materials and the physically fit men make better monsters anyway.

Sin of Lust... check, lol.​

That's not... you know what, I'm not even going to dignify that accusation with a response.

Master, I love you... but I'm in your head.​

That's fair.

Checking the time, I frown as I realise that it is... late. I don't have time for more tonight if I want to be awake and any form of aware when the fucking Satan arrives.

...fuck my life.

Leaving the lair realm, I close the door in the dungeons that physically connects my tiny realm to the Underworld with a sigh, telling the Ghouls to stay there and wait for me to come back as I leave.

Tomorrow is probably going to suck.

- Michael -

As the begging comes to a swift and sudden halt, he sighed on his father's throne.

He didn't know how his father had done it, listening to the final prays of the faithful he had failed.

It was the location that got his attention, a prayer coming from somewhere in the Underworld was always a sign that something had gone wrong, and the screams and pleas for his father to save him had made Michael... uncomfortable, flooding him with guilt as he sat in Heaven, unable to save the suffering mortal.

He knew not what had killed him, but he could tell it was excruciating for the poor victim, and he had listened to the entire thing if only to punish himself for failing another mortal.

It wasn't even that unusual for him to listen to the dying prayers of a mortal taken by devils, each one a punishment for himself. The Satans had tried to crack down on such things, but there were no real laws in the Underworld dealing with devils abducting mortals. Sirzechs and the new Satans tried, he could admit that... but Devils were slow to change and did not wish to give up the power they held over the mortals.

As a second prayer for help started, he sighed realising that the souls were from the same family, his guilt growing at his helplessness.

It was only after four such prayers did he realise something had gone wrong... the victims had died, he was almost certain of that... but their souls never came to Heaven to be judged.

How... unusual.

- Ophis -

A new realm was just created?

No, too small to be a realm.

It wasn't there before, though?

What was it?

Where had it come from? Where was it for that matter?

Somewhere in the underworld? Too small for her to have sensed its location.

Who made it? She didn't know.

Could the maker give her back her Silence?

- Bonus Scene – Player Two wants to know your location -

Okay, sure... he'd lost a new game system, and a multiverse.

Honestly, he barely cared, he had so many projects that the new Isis system and one of the multiverses he used for long term experiments was basically nothing in the grand scheme of things. He had a dozen multiverses he was using for long term experiments, and while Isis was one of the strongest Game systems he had ever made, or even seen, second only to his own really, he wasn't worried about her disappearance.

He wasn't worried about Isis coming back to kill him with her new gamer either, he had millions of years head start, and despite everything he was a really good gamer.

The few dozen dead gamers were proof of that, none of them had even come close to challenging him even if he gave them every advantage from the start.

There was one ... tiny little problem though.

Isis and that Multiverse had been made for a very specific experiment, one that for certain reasons he didn't want a certain person to find out about...

"GET BACK HERE, EIS." Player Two shouted, kicking his lab door down.

"Kuro! It's great to see you again. What brings you to my multiver-" Shiro said calmly, turning on every charisma perk he had, before his eyes widened, ducking under an arrow created from Necrotic energy strong enough to kill a Primordial God. "Okay... that was just rude."

"Rude? Oh, I'm being rude? Let's talk about rude you fucking mad scientist. Why is there a copy of Isis hosted inside a copy of me?!" Kuro Tepes, the only other Gamer he acknowledged as worthy of the title asked, red eyes glaring at him.

"...you found them? Great! If you could just point me in their general direction we can get this whole thing cleared- Oi! Stop trying to kill me." Shiro said in annoyance as he dodged another arrow.

It wasn't like they could really kill him, but Kuro's attacks could actually hurt him, bypassing a lot of his resistances. In all the Multiverses out there, there was only one person who could theoretically kill him... and he was the only person who could kill Kuro so they had agreed not to fight each other... a long, long time ago.

"Tell me why there's a clone of me, and I'll consider it." Kuro said calmly, more arrows floating around him.

"I was testing a theory, that's all! Nature vs Nurture. I wanted to see how you'd end up if you had Isis from the start! Same starter world, different Game. I can go deal with them both if you... wait a minute, that's why I can't find them you bastard! You're the one hiding that Multiverse!" Shiro accused him, scowling at his fellow Gamer and co-op partner of longer than either of them cared to count… no, they weren't old...

It was no wonder he couldn't track down the new Isis system if Kuro was helping her hide.

"Finally caught on, dumbass? One, stop fucking cloning me. Two, sometimes... very rarely, you have a good idea... and I kinda want to see how this goes myself... but I know you won't be able to resist messing with my clone eventually." Kuro pointed out.

Okay, fair.

"...I'm literally the smartest man in every multiverse, if I am a dumbass, so is everyone else in existence." Shiro pointed out after a moment. "Wait, how did you even get in... damn it Neo." He deadpanned watching his wife wave at him with a grin from her seat on one of his lab tables, eating a handful of popcorn.

'It's funny watching you actually get hurt by something.' Neo explained with a shameless shrug. 'So... if you two aren't going to try and kill each other, is it threesome time? Wanna make a Neo sandwich?'

"No." Kuro and Shiro replied as one, if there was one thing they actually agreed on, it was that they didn't share. Both had long since agreed to keep their hands off the others harem.

If he wanted to cuck a gamer, he could just make a new good alignment one and let them gather a Harem then break them for fun. It wasn't worth the trouble for Shiro to go for Kuro's girls, or vice versa.

Neo was well aware of their agreement, not that it stopped her from fucking with them both for her amusement.

'Aww...' Neo whined, pouting. 'Then I'm gonna need one of you to go away, I'm horny and if I'm not getting double stuffed, one of you needs to get inside me right now... and I'm not feeling picky. Since Shiro seems so busy with his projects, wanna cream the Ice Cream?' Neo asked, hopping off the desk and strutting towards Kuro, her clothes simply shattering leaving her completely naked as she posed in front of him.

Oh great, she was in one of her moods again.

She was probably feeling neglected over how long he had spent in his lab, even if he had his other bodies handling things outside the lab.

No matter how much she teased or insinuated, Neo had been completely faithful for literal aeons, but with Kuro she found it entirely too funny to try and talk them into a threesome, or to try and talk Kuro into attempting to NTR her away from him. Thousands of years of attempting, and utterly failing.

"First of all, I have my own Neo. Second of all, I've known you for too damn long to fall for that shit." Kuro replied bluntly, giving Neo a long look before he chuckled, making her pout before she spun around and bent over the table, her ass stuck out towards them as she shook it slightly, her naked slit glistening with arousal as she smirked back at Kuro, even as he took in the view.

Shiro didn't care about people looking at what was his, as long as they didn't touch... it wasn't like he hadn't spied on Kuro and his girls for his own amusement before.

'Mmm... but after everything Shiro has done to annoy you, wouldn't it be satisfying to take his favourite girl and just... ruin her?' Neo suggested with a sultry smile as she shook her ass at him, even as they both rolled their eyes at her.

Oddly enough, if she tried this with anyone but Kuro he'd have interfered by now, probably disintegrating whoever else was involved. But Neo didn't understand the ancient law… Bros before Hoes, even when it was his favourite Hoe.

'You could even beat him, then make him watch as you take me... again and again until I beg you for more, crying out your name. What better way to prove you've surpassed him than to make me your complete and utter bitch, just a set of holes for you to destroy?' Neo said as he finally scowled at her before a moment of realisation replaced his annoyance with amusement.

She wanted to be hate-fucked. Honestly, she could have just asked him instead of trying to find a way to piss him off first. At least she hadn't decided to trash one of his labs this time… so many years of experimentation lost because Neo was bored and horny.

"Later, Shiro... I'm out." Kuro replied, not even bothering to reply to Neo as she pouted deeply, looking at him with a mischievous smile.

"Later Kuro." Shiro said simply, watching his best friend/biggest rival simply burst into shadows, vanishing from his multiverse before he turned to his wife with a stern glare.

'Was it something I said?' Neo asked, beaming at him.

"...on one hand, I know you're just trying to piss me off." Shiro started, making her smile at him innocently. "On the other hand..."

With a burst of Divine Speed, he closed the distance, smashing Neo's face against the cold, unbreakable metal, his own clothes disintegrating from the speed he was moving. Sure, he could stop that from happening but it was cool so who cared?

He could play with his projects later. Right now, there was angry sex to be done.

Could Kuro have done what Neo was suggesting? Beaten him and taken Neo like she was suggesting?

Neo clearly didn't think so, she was sure that if they fought then he would be able to beat Kuro. She was sure that even if Kuro had taken her suggestion nothing would come of it except his death... but honestly? He wasn't entirely sure any more. Kuro could be terrifying when he felt motivated, and that was something he would only ever admit in the privacy of his own mind.

He was 70% sure he could beat his rival gamer, but that left a 30% chance that Kuro would be the one left standing if they truly fought, and he wouldn't risk everything on a chance like that.

Not that he would ever have to find out, he and Kuro were best bros forever after all.

...making a mental note to get rid of the other Kuro clones and destroy the genetic material, he nodded. Yup, best friends forever.

Because if they ever stopped being bros, one of them was gonna fucking die, and he wasn't taking the chance that is was gonna be him.

Putting it out of his mind, he got to work doing things to his beloved wife that would kill God and horrify Satan. Neo was one kinky bitch and even he had to work hard to keep her entertained.

It was a challenge he accepted with the greatest of enthusiasm.