Quality vs Quantity

*Cough*

Pain…

As soon as I gained my body's control again, the awareness of this suffering that comes from my screaming nerves, which sent waves of pain to my brain, hit me at once. Unprepared for experiencing something like this, after my return, an immense amount of pain that shocked me for a moment invaded my mind.

Yet apart from giving me agony, this awareness also let me know what kind of shitty situation my body was in with some broken limbs, torn aching muscle tendons, and non-stop bleeding wounds.

I was tired, my body was tired both because of the pain and from all the fighting. If it hadn't been for my stubbornness and will, my body would have fallen already.

However, it's not like I can't deal with this situation. After all, this is not the first time for me. Throughout my journey until here, pain always kept me aware, made me go further. It was just a tool for me, a tool that can be used as a weapon.

And I also know from all the battles I've had, this will just create an insignificant memory in my life which will be forgotten in the end, like it didn't even happen.

[-2 HP]

[-2 HP]

[-2 HP]

[HP: 90↓/1050]]

But for now, I have to heal my body to overcome the

Thus, releasing hot steam from my lungs, forcing my fragile body a little, I carefully sat down in the center of this bloody mess before my legs gave up on their own.

[WAVE-4 HAS BEEN COMPLETED]]

[REMAINING TIME UNTIL THE NEXT WAVE: 30 Minutes]

"Ah, right, I completed the wave." I didn't know if I should be happy about this. After all, I was in that dark place, or from my guesses, I could name it there as my subconscious. It was like death, yet it wasn't as cold, relentless as in death. But these aren't what made me worry. The thing was, however much I tried to remember the fight, it didn't show me anything remarkable. All my memories were just blurry, as if there was a wall between them and me, just like a distant memory.

Whatever, my priority is another thing now.

"I still have to take care of these wounds, or I will die from bleeding in a few minutes." I reminded myself of the situation my body was in.

Accessing my inventory, seeing that there are 14 potions left, 'Ugh, this will create a great impact on my personal economy.' I complained distressingly while getting out a few of them.

*Gulp*

*Gulp*

Removing its cork, I started drinking with relish, one after another, until the refreshing feeling of the potion's effect took hold of my whole body while healing the wounds visibly. First having stopped the bleeding, then closing itself quickly before leaving a hot vapor behind, all the wounds disappeared from my body one by one in time like they never existed in the first place under my eyesight. I don't know who invented this lifesaver liquid, but I have a huge thank-you for them. These things might even be the best thing that has ever happened since I came here.

I can only hope, I will have to use less in the future, otherwise, I will go bankrupt without even realizing.

Feeling the bones that had been dislocated moving to come back into their original place, and those that have been broken bonding back together, I closed my eyes to let my mind flow with the circulation of Qi

As my thoughts drift apart from me until they become a skyline that is far from me, I had already started another session of cultivating to lose time and cleanse my mind of thoughts. Cultivation was like a getaway place for me. It was a place where I didn't need to fight for my life, a place where I didn't need to think about anything, a safe place for me...

...

...

…

[REMAINING TIME <3> MINUTES]

With just a blink, all the minutes flew by in a second before a notification panel appeared to inform me about the remaining time. Standing up again, I stretched my body to check its situation myself. Well, to be honest, it still aches, but it can't be compared with its previous state. And whether I want to or not, I still have to fight.

"Let's see..."

Through half-thinking and half-voicing my intention, "System, show me," I commanded, wondering how ready my body exactly is for the next wave.

[HP: 463↑/1050]

[MP:651↑/960]

[Qi: 960/960]

Not at my best, but no need to be greedy. These should be enough for now, at least I hope so...

[REMAINING TIME <2> MINUTES]

Halfheartedly, "Sigh, I better get ready," I started equipping my armor parts one by one. First, starting wearing cuirass, then jumping to the other parts such as pauldron, armband, vambraces until lastly wearing my helmet before placing the scabbard that holds the Torchlight in it on my right waist, I finished my preparation under 100 seconds.

Now the last thing left for me was to wait...

[FIFTH WAVE IS STARTING WITHIN 3 SECONDS]

[<3>]

[<2>]

[<1>]

[!<0>!]

Not losing even a second, the light directly started bringing things come into being under its mysterious godly power.

While leaving me right in the center of them with the circle formation, I realized the light was creating a ton of enemies all around.

"Is it just me or there are really a little too many of them?" my voice came out of my mouth, unintentionally.

Maybe saying "many" would be underestimating their numbers as there are over 1000 forming light all around me. Well, the system doesn't surprise me anymore. Actually, I would be surprised to see something that's good to come out of the trials. It's just something hard to believe, but you know, I still have a little hope in case something like that happens.

Inspecting the creation of the light to make a guess about what it was, being ready to fight anytime, I had the Torchlight unsheathed, grasping its hilt.

Fortunately, the light didn't make me wonder more before completing the creation.

Looking at them, "Abyss creature? No, they have gray skin... Then, what you guys are exactly?" I asked myself.

A small dark red skinned body coated with many dusts, probably consisting mainly of ash. A head that's looking similar to a goblin's, but differently, they have two slightly curved flaming horns which point upwards. Being even more far from being a goblin, they have two small wings on their back that are commensurate with their size, which, although probably not very fast, yet still allow them to fly. Additionally, a tail that pops out from their coccyx. And from my speculations, they apparently use them to keep their balance better while flying.

I don't remember encountering them before. But, isn't there always a first of everything?

"Analyze!"

[Imp Lv.10]

[Name: --- ]

[Race: Imps (Hellbeing/Hellborn)]

[STR: 52]

[AGI: 46]

[VIT: 23]

[INT: 20]

[(Imps: Serving the demons, these creatures are one of the weakest, and lowest ranked beings in the hell.)]

(Author is here! From now on, I will add small descriptions like this when Leon uses the analyze.)

"Imps?" Looking over their stats, I muttered.

"Hmm, quality against quantity, huh?"

Not much to say, they are weak. Actually extremely weak compared with my current strength, but their numbers are the actual thing that poses a threat to me. Yet, as long as I don't get overwhelmed under their numbers, it shouldn't be a problem.

Twirling my sword while starting walking slowly, "Now guys, isn't it about the time to start?" I spoke in a sinister voice tone as my teeth got revealed through my smile.

*Growl!*

As if they could talk, I heard some growl coming from them.

*Step*

From walking to running, pacing up with each step, I dashed towards them, piercing the air like an arrow. Probably running at the speed of 90 km/h, the distance between us had decreased rapidly with my monstrous speed before I built up strength in my legs and jumped into the air.

But it wasn't just a random jump as I already had aimed at the ones flying in the air. Just before I reached them, I twisted my body midway preliminary to the strike I will make. Appearing in the center of them, moving my sword with an inhumane speed, I sent out a spinning slash.

Before my sword's movement reached their awareness, my attack had already cut off their neck while letting their headless body fall from the sky.

As my toes touched the ground again, staining me in red, the imps' blood rained from above before their body crashed into the ground.

However, I didn't wait there for them to attack me. I moved, rushed the rest of them.

*Swing!*

*Swing!*

The blood splashed on the white floor, painting it red, with every swing I carried on against the imps. Unfortunately, all they could do was use their hands as a shield against the Torchlight's blade.

*Slash!*

My strength, speed and mastery on the weapons mixed with my constant attacks, which still slashed them despite all their efforts, showed that their fragile body wasn't something capable of handling me and my attacks. Even just a random punch of mine was enough to crush their skull to death, yet they didn't stop, didn't show any hesitation and flooded on me with only one purpose: killing me.

Maybe coming here changed my personality or maybe I was already like this, just didn't have the chance to trigger this side of me. I don't know.

Or maybe I already become a psychopath and am just unaware of that. I don't know this either.

But...

I know one thing for sure, and that is I like the feeling of my foe's life that fades away under my sword, under my hands, just like the feeling I am currently experiencing!

Sending another head into the air, I swung my sword over and over against the rest of them, focusing all my mind only on this matter. I was that focused, I didn't even realize the small hill that was piling up underneath me which was made up from the dead bodies of them.

Not knowing it is in vain, they would sometimes attack me from above, use their claws to penetrate through my armor, or bite me.

[-50 HP] [HP: 413/1050]

I, of course, took damage from these attacks, but nothing posed a lethal threat. I didn't actually feel them with the adrenaline running through my veins.

And I knew, here is not a child park that I have unlimited time to play in. So I will eventually run out of stamina and get beaten to death, or in the worst scenario, I will be eaten alive. For this not to happen, I have to kill them before I still have energy.

But easier said than done, even though I have been fighting for 7 minutes, I only managed to kill 400 of them. And I already feel tired. To be honest, I don't even know how much longer I can keep up. This exhaustion was actually coming from fighting through 4 waves with just slight breaks. However much my body has recovered a little with the help of the health potions, I must say that they don't really recover your stamina as much as your HP.

With these conditions, as the more seconds passed, the more fatigue added to my tiredness, causing my body to move slower. No matter how much I killed, there was always another one that came behind the fallen one. It was like an endless fight that I couldn't see its end. Yet, I had to fight, because this is my only option. So, forcing my body more, I started swinging my sword.

...

...

*Huff*

*Huff*

Stabbing my sword into the head of another imp's, "700," I gave out a tired voice while supporting my body by resting against the hilt of Torchlight.

Stained with blood, the viscera of the imps that are hanging down between the plates of my armor, a terrible smell, and with quivering hands from exhaustion, with the "help" of these, my body was in complete mess. I didn't even find the strength to raise the Torchlight anymore. My shoulders, legs, hands were all aching.

[HP: 150/1050]

[Qi: 530/960]

Turning my head to the right, I understood I won't be able to endure this as I saw the 300 rest of them that were coming towards me.

"Tsk!"

[-30 Qi] [Qi: 500/960]

Yet, moving my body by forcingly circulating Qi in it, I stepped towards them, causing the pain to spread more through my body.

Raising the Torchlight with my quivering hands, "Come!" I growled in pain.

As the first one came to me, I swung the Torchlight by spending all my remaining strength. Fortunately, I sent him to death by cutting his throat, but before I raised my sword again, the others jumped over me.

My exhausted body wasn't able to move even an inch anymore. I just fall behind while covering my body with Qi to act as an armor to protect my body from their claws and bites.

Taking advantage of this, the rest of them got on me like a hungry wolf pack and started their merciless attacks.

...

[-40 Qi]

[-30 Qi]

...

I knew the moment I stopped covering my body with Qi would be the end for me, but I also knew I was eventually going to run out of it.

So why didn't I just accept my death?

Courage? Pfft, don't make me laugh, of course not!

My stubbornness? Ah, maybe a little.

No, none of these virtuous things.

...

[-50 Qi]

[-35 Qi]

[-30 Qi] [Qi: 20/960]

...

Even not letting the light pass between them, not even letting me breathe properly, all the imps piled on me, and attacked me constantly without stopping even for a second.

But... this was exactly what I wanted!

"It seems all of you guys are here... Actually, I should thank god for creating you guys this stupid," I joked as the surrounding temperature started increasing rapidly.

[-700 MP] [MP: 700>0/960]

As a smile bloomed on my face, "CRIMSON FLAMES!" I roared before the waves of flame broke out and started annihilating everything on its way before opening a path for itself through the destruction of my foes.

-CHAPTER 35 END-