CH 145 Moving On

We don't need any Gift. We coexist with sterile soil, protect our brethren who live on this land, and make the lessons of this earth our concern! We don't care about other countries! We don't care about some utopia! We loved the people who lived on this land! We lived for that, and for that we died! That is the original law of us, the Old Man of the Mountain!

— Hassan-i-Sabbah of the Cursed Arm

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Today's meme is here. [ ]

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"Let's reverse roles and see how you enjoy it."

Jin's voice was low, sardonic. The single word he uttered resonated, "Thunder."

The effect was swift and ruinous. Lightning bolts surged from Jin's outstretched hand in a torrent of energy. Yet, it wasn't solely the attack's intensity that captivated Baran; it was the fact that Jin's hand remained within his mouth. Lightning coursed through Baran's body, agony echoing through every nerve.

The crackling energy seared flesh and muscle, scorching as it plunged deeper. Baran's eyes widened in a grotesque blend of shock and agony, but his attempts to voice pain were stifled. Jin's hand functioned as a cruel gag, suppressing the screams.

The lightning's frenzied dance within Baran's body was a grim spectacle, an orchestra of agony reverberating in his flesh. Electricity snaked through his nervous system, gnawing at his insides mercilessly. It was as if his body were Jin's canvas, painted in hues of searing pain.

Jin's expression radiated triumphant composure, gaze locked on Baran's contortions. His control over lightning was absolute, each surge meticulously directed to maximize the demon king's suffering. The energy surged through Baran's throat, searing as it carved a path, leaving charred remnants in its wake.

Yet, amidst the pain threatening to shatter his consciousness, Baran's eyes burned with resolute rage. He attempted to retort, to snarl defiance through the anguish, but only gurgles escaped.

"With each surge, I carve my dominion into your flesh," Jin's words dripped with sadistic pleasure.

Jin chuckled, his lips curling further. "Thunder."

The word held torment, inviting lightning to dance through Baran's tortured form once again. The electrified assault intensified, the crackling energy now targeting the demon king's vital organs, reducing them to smoldering remnants. Baran's resistance weakened, defiance succumbing to pain's deluge.

"Fascinating how the tables turn, isn't it?"

"Thunder."

The spell power, enhanced by neutral boosts surpassing their potential, rapidly eroded the boss monster's HP.

Jin's grip remained unyielding, his control unquestionable. He reveled in Baran's agony, the once-mighty demon king now a writhing, scorched shell. With each surge of lightning, Jin's triumph swelled, victorious satisfaction etched across his visage.

Baran's eyes trembled.

And at last...

"Thunder."

As the final lightning bolts coursed through Baran's body, his form convulsed one last time before going limp. A vessel drained of life, consumed by the very forces he'd wielded. The ensuing silence was punctuated by the acrid stench of burnt flesh and the cruel satisfaction exuding from Jin's triumphant smirk.

Jin paused, halting his assault to avoid fully destroying a body that could serve as valuable research material.

'…..!!'

An immense surge of magic energy enveloped his right arm, the surroundings abruptly hushed.

'.....'

Amid this fleeting calm, Jin gazed down at the fallen boss and whispered,

"You have my gratitude for your assistance."

Of course, there was no response. The Demon King's eyes blazed with hatred as they locked onto Jin.

"Your comprehension is likely limited."

He yearned to convey this burgeoning emotion within his chest.

After offering his heartfelt thanks...

Jin delivered the final blow to the 'owner' of the Demon's Castle.

Boom!!

Then, the sound of 'Ring!' greeted him, along with several messages that elevated his mood further.

[You've slain the Demon King, Baran.]

[You've acquired Baran's Soul.]

[You've completed 'Quest: Collect the Souls of Demons! (2)'.]

[Level up!]

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the perk Demonbane's Blessing:]

Demonbane's Blessing: After slaying the Demon King, you are blessed with enhanced resistance against demonic influences. Curses, mind control, and malevolent magic have reduced effect on you.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the perk Baran's Legacy: ]

Baran's Legacy: Your victory over the Demon King has granted you a fraction of dark powers. Your dark magic is augmented.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the Trait Demon King's Foe]

Demon King's Foe: Having bested the most powerful demon, you are recognized as a relentless foe of the demonic forces. Demons are more likely to flee or hesitate in your presence.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the Trait Abyssal Resilience]

Abyssal Resilience: You have been marked by the Abyss, granting you heightened endurance and the ability to shrug off debilitating effects with greater ease.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the Title Demon Slayer]

Demon Slayer: Awarded to the one who vanquished the Demon King, this title symbolizes your prowess in combating the forces of darkness.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the Title Worldbreaker]

Worldbreaker: As the one who shattered the Demon King's dominion, you hold the title of Worldbreaker, a harbinger of change and upheaval.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the skill Shadow of Dominion]

**Shadow of Dominion**

- Type: Active

- Level: 1

- Effect: Summons a spectral manifestation of the Demon King's authority. The shadow exudes an aura of fear, causing enemies within its radius to hesitate and experience a reduction in their attack power. Additionally, the shadow's presence weakens the mental resistance of foes, making them more susceptible to your dark magic and illusions. The shadow's radius and duration increase with skill level.

[By defeating Demon King Baran, you've gained the skill Abyssal Convergence]

**Abyssal Convergence**

- Type: Active

- Level: 1

- Effect: By channeling the energies of the Abyss, you can infuse your skills with its potent darkness. When activated, this skill enhances the effects of your magical skills, increasing their damage, range, and potency. The infusion of Abyssal energy also adds a corrosive element to your spells, eating away at the defenses of your targets. The skill's intensity and duration improve with skill level, allowing for even more devastating spell combinations.

"Fuuhhahahha…"

Jin burst into laughter as he perused the array of notifications detailing the diverse skills, perks, traits, and titles he had gained by defeating the demon king. This marked the end of his long journey, one that had started on the very first floor of the Demon's Castle dungeon and now culminated on this 100th floor. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to compose himself in the face of his tumultuous emotions. However, an image of Esdeath unexpectedly invaded his thoughts.

'…'

"..."

Yet his attention was soon drawn away as he realized his previous issue had been resolved. He glanced down and saw that his aroused state had subsided. Shaking his head, he refocused on the System messages that were still visible. A stream of alerts detailing his level-ups, newfound titles, skills, perks, and traits filled his view.

'I've gained a level in one go.'

Considering his status as the demon monarch and the significant 5% bonus experience, such progression was to be expected. Jin's expression lit up considerably as he recollected how his leveling pace had significantly slowed after surpassing level 100. This achievement brought him profound joy.

He swiftly checked his Status Window.

[Level: 122 (83.02%)]

Indeed, on this floor alone, his level had surged by three. This wasn't solely attributed to the experience gained from defeating the demon king; his soldiers had also obliterated a multitude of demons that Baran had summoned in his ongoing army versus Jin's enduring forces.

The number of demons caught Jin off guard, but it offered him the chance not only to reach his intended level but also to surpass that target by two levels, almost a third.

'Nice!'

Jin pumped his fist in triumph. A heady sense of accomplishment, paired with the newfound titles, skills, perks, and traits, fused with the relief of finally conquering the dungeon. However, he pushed this elation aside for the moment.

'The Purified Blood of the Demon King.'

This was the final puzzle piece needed to craft the 'Divine Water of Life.' Jin extended his hand towards the blinking lights on the corpse of the Demon King, Baran.

[You have discovered 'Item: Demon Sovereign's Ring'. Will you take it?]

[You have discovered 'Item: Demon King's Longsword'. Will you take it?]

[You have discovered 'Item: Demon King's Dagger'. Will you take it?]

[You have discovered 'Item: Demon King's Dagger'. Will you take it?]

[You have discovered 'Item: Baran's Two Horns'. Will you take it?]

[You have discovered 'Ingredient Item: Purified Blood of the Demon King'. Will you take it?]

Filled with elation, Jin observed a succession of 'item discovered' messages that continued to materialize.

'It's here!'

Swiftly, Jin collected all the items, lifting up the Purified Blood of the Demon King.

[Ingredient Item: Purified Blood of the Demon King]

Rarity: ??

Type: Ingredient

This liquid results from purifying the blood of Baran, the Sovereign of the demons. Possesses immense magical energy, yet despite purification, it retains potent toxins. To neutralize the toxin and use it as a medical ingredient, both the 'Fragment of the World Tree' and 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes' are required.

The red liquid sloshed inside a clear glass bottle, its movement contingent on the angle of the container.

'This is the Demon King's blood....' Jin realized. He already possessed the other two ingredients, 'Fragment of the World Tree' and 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes.' So, what was there to hesitate about?

Promptly, he summoned the Crafting Skill Window.

[Crafting Skills]

Consumable: Divine Water of Life (3/3)

Unlike before, the words 'Divine Water of Life' were now incessantly blinking. He noticed the phrase 'Crafting possible' in the details, immediately capturing his attention.

[Divine Water of Life]

– Crafting possible

– Ingredients:

1. Purified Blood of the Demon King (1/1)

2. Fragment of the World Tree (1/1)

3. Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes (1/1)

[Will you start crafting 'Item: Divine Water of Life'?]

Jin wasn't rushed to complete reading. After finishing, he spoke, "Start."

[Crafting process for 'Item: Divine Water of Life' has commenced.]

[10, 9, 8…]

Jin waited for the outcome.

[7, 6, 5…]

[The 'percentage of Crafting success' and 'number of finished items' will depend on Crafter's Intelligence Stat.]

Mmm.

'Well, that takes care of many things. Now let's see how many it creates when my Int Stat is the highest, approaching 500.'

The odds of success and the number of items produced depended on the Intelligence Stat! 

"If you were unintelligent, you couldn't craft anything," Jin nodded, finding the logic behind this.

However, a paradox lingered when he compared two of them. By this condition, if he contrasted the two most obvious fantasy races:

Elves, masters of magic, requiring high intellect to excel.

Dwarves, masters of crafts, also demanding high intellect for proficiency.

Yet, each could not replicate what the other excelled in. Did this signify distinct forms of intellect for each, and which one would prove more adept? This posed an enigma that required an eventual answer.

Meanwhile, the countdown continued steadily.

[4, 3, 2…]

Why did the phrase 'percentage of Crafting success' irk him so much? He wasn't sure; perhaps it was his trait of impatience, not liking to wait for things.

Right now, his only solace lay in the fact that he had consistently prioritized his Intelligence Stat, investing a substantial amount of Stat points there.

[…1, 0.]

[The creation process has been completed!]

[Crafting is a success!]

[You have acquired 'Item: Divine Water of Life x19'.]

"That's what I'm talking about!"

Jin had waited for this moment, and as soon as the 'Success!' message appeared, he raised his hands triumphantly.

'?'

However, he noticed something peculiar. The bottle containing the Demon King's blood still remained in his right hand.

'Well, the amount of blood has decreased slightly, but….'

Scratching his head in puzzlement, Jin summoned the 'Fragment of the World Tree' and the 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes' from his Inventory.

Oddly, only the slightly shaved edge of the Fragment of the World Tree was present on the ground. He checked his Inventory and searched but couldn't find the Spring Water anywhere.

Becoming suspicious, he verified the Crafting Skill Window, and his suspicion was confirmed.

-Ingredients:

1. Purified Blood of the Demon King (1/1)

2. Fragment of the World Tree (1/1)

3. Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes (0/1)

Out of the three ingredients, only the Spring Water showed '0'.

'So, it appears that not all materials will be used if one material is more limited than the others.'

The Crafting process must have halted because the Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes had run out, unlike the other two ingredients.

From the outset, Jin had sensed that the Crafting process wouldn't require much of the Demon King's blood. The Fragment of the World Tree, on the other hand, had been a massive piece of lumber when he initially acquired it.

Clearly, the Spring Water contained in a small bottle was the first to deplete. 

It makes sense after all it wasn't some  P2W gacha game that eats away your very excitement, soul, gives you anger issues with PTSD while emptying your bank account. 

Jin grinned widely in satisfaction.

'Well, this is still a good outcome for me, and I've made many more than the original story.'

Because, as long as he could find more 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes' in the future, he could craft more of this Divine Water of Life.

Desperation for this potion wasn't a pressing concern for Jin, as he could heal anyone with his spells, particularly now with his super op skill 'Arcane Cognizance.' This skill allowed him to recreate miracles and reshape reality with his thoughts, even reviving the dead. Curing someone's illness was a trivial matter for him. Now, nineteen wooden bottles awaited him on the ground.

[Item: Divine Water of Life]

Rarity: S

Type: Consumable

A mysterious liquid medicine that cures any and all illnesses through powerful magic contained within. The effect will only manifest after one whole bottle has been consumed.

Would this item genuinely cure any illness?

This was the foremost question in his mind, regarding not only physical ailments but also those of the mind and soul. Could it mend someone like Valerie Tepes, who suffered from a soul ailment due to ⅔ of The Sephiroth Graal being extracted from her? Would she regain her soul?

Possibly not, as the task might be beyond simple magic's capacity. Then again, he could be mistaken. The multiverse is chaos; the omniverse lacks rules. Nothing is definite or constant in this realm.