115 - A God's Choice
Back with the tiny demon that pushed itself up the world was a huge place for it. From atop the heights of the volcano, it stared down below finding a scene that it couldn't really compare to anything else.
For all it knew this could be the truest form of beauty it would ever find. The sky was aflame with a black fire that covered every inch. The ground was littered with red rocks and some parts smoldered from lava lakes formed from various eruptions. Black liquid flowed about from all corners as far as he could see. Purple trees with black leaves grew below and scant signs of dead or few fresh grasses could be seen here and there.
Once he'd taken a good look at his environment and instinctively noted that there was no danger around him he focused back on himself and checked what he was.
Long tail with an arrowhead, whatever that was check, tiny body not more than 4ft tall check. Placing his hands on his head he realized he had a bald skull and then along his mouth he felt the fangs within. Claws grew out his fingers and his skin was a pale blue. He had a normal human face with a slightly twisted expression befitting a demon.
A series of strange words escaped his lips that sounded at first strange to him. Suddenly a black and reddish light popped out of his skull invisible to all but him. It halted right in front of him straightening out horizontally before rolling out while dimming. Finally, it formed an ancient-looking black archaic scroll with golden rods and black ribbons tied around it. On it displayed in gold was a roll of words.
✓∞ BERUSIS SCROLL∞✓
✓SCANNING INDIVIDUAL ✓
✓UPDATING SCROLL ✓
✓UPLOADING BASIC KNOWLEDGE✓
✓UPLOADING BASIC MONDORIAN LANGUAGE✓
✓ADJUSTMENT COMPLETE ✓
✓WELCOME TO MONDO (1)✓
Of course, all this came in words that the poor thing couldn't even comprehend as such it stared dumbly. Right until the uploading began and it shrieked in pain as a rush of information entered its head. The pain lasted for a few seconds after which it subsided.
The demon now had an intelligent glint in its eyes. It had a basic knowledge of what was going on and where it was.
For one it knew it had just been born not too long ago, and the place was a world called Mondo. Next was it could understand the language of the texts in sheet and funnily its history. But that wasn't important for it anymore. What was important was the next set of words after the supposed welcoming ones.
∞ BERUSIS SCROLL∞
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓NAME - ?????✓
✓AGE - 0d✓
✓SEX - MALE✓
✓HEIGHT - 4FT✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓RACE - DEMON ✓
✓SPECIES - ICE FLAME RYKIN ✓
✓TITLES - NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓SOUL POWER - 0/150✓
✓SCROLLS - COUCHANT - O/10✓
✓LAYER - DORMANT✓
✓CLASS - NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ATTRIBUTES∞
✓MIND - 10 ✓
✓STRENGTH - 6 ✓
✓STAMINA - 6✓
✓SPEED - 8✓
✓CON - 9✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞SKILLS∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
While it understood a bit about its scroll fortunately focusing on the words made them expand to explain more adeptly. As such, it realized a few things while skipping the spot where it had no name, wasn't even a day old, and clearly was a member of the pipe squad, it went to the next row.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓RACE - DEMON ✓ - A malignant race born into the realm of Mondo. Their purpose while unclear means nothing to their objective to survive.
✓SPECIES - ICE FLAME RYKIN ✓ - A species of demon that deviates from the regular hot fire-wielding rykin species. A flaw or a specialty only time would tell.
✓TITLES - NONE✓ - I'm considering giving you the reader demon.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓SOUL POWER - 0/150✓ - An essential energy coveted by all races but more so by the demons. Its uses range not just from the basic increase in stat but also the increase in scrolls as well as other uses not adequate for a non-layered like you.
✓SCROLLS - COUCHANT - O/10✓ - Each layer of the scroll denotes the amount of power a demon wields. A couchant only needs ten scrolls to obtain a new layer.
✓LAYER - DORMANT✓ - The Evolution of a demon to a higher state. Few have survived to gain a layer and those who have are the true ruthless of the ruthless.
✓CLASS - NONE✓ - Stop sitting around.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ATTRIBUTES∞
✓MIND - 10 ✓ - The extent of one's use of the mind. Ability to react, think, and process information.
✓STRENGTH - 6 ✓ - Capacity to act, attack. The stronger the better.
✓STAMINA - 6✓ - The stronger you are doesn't mean the more stamina you have. Rest up or die when unable to move.
✓AGILITY - 8✓ - The body's reaction prowess not just to external stimuli but also affects the mental reaction too.
✓CON - 18✓ - A combination of mind power and agility gives Concentration. Let's see how good you are with it.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞SKILLS∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
That was everything. With everything now clear he focused his mind on what was written about demons.
'Objective to survive.'
Looking around he realized why one would need to survive here. From the little understanding, he had from the basic information he knew that things would be rough. He'd have to make do somehow.
Almost like it was waiting for this very thought the still hovering scroll flashed and then rolled even further down. Dimming he was able to see an extra space with three added rows. The last two were empty but the first made him nod as if expected.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞NEW QUESTS∞
✓SURVIVE ✓ - The path of a demon is one filled with woes, fights, and wars. Stay alive long enough to see the first layer. Great rewards await you.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞QUESTS ONGOING∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞QUESTS COMPLETED∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Not even sparing it a glance he shrugged before heading for the edge of the volcano. 'I was gonna survive either way. Glad that at least I'll be getting rewards for surviving'.
He barely made it to the first crevice where he'd climb down from when a sudden change happened. The black sky parted like a lake of water, not that he'd ever seen water to know. From within a flash of colors, myriads of them rushed down with speed headed like a blazing comet at him.
"Beautiful" he muttered. Compared to everything else the descending flame was indeed beautiful. Yet his body quivered as he finally noted one fact. It was indeed heading for him.
'Did my birth annoy some grand power?'
'Wait did I accidentally curse my maker or something?
Gripped with fear he found himself turning to run yet it was already too late. The flame smashed right into the side of the volcano making it shudder and then tremble. The force threw him precariously close to the rim almost falling in.
Suddenly he felt an arm grip him and pull him away.
"I barely arrived and you're already eager to die" a cute voice chided with a sense of annoyance. At first, he didn't understand anything but once he took a look at his savior he realized two things. One was, beautiful might have been created due to this being in front of him. Two was, the glow of myriad colors around the female made him realize.
'Die. Die. It was you who almost killed me' But of course he kept his lips sealed. After all, this being just dropped from the sky. What she was he didn't know but he could barely feel her presence. He couldn't feel anything from her and that said a lot since he could feel the danger from the volcano.
The girl though barely noting his thoughts or uninterested looked him over while thinking a lot of things. In the end, she seemed resigned to whatever she had in mind and looked the demon straight in the eye.
"My kind isn't impartial to others. As such, I'll be granting you the means to survive in this world. But of course, you'll have to prove yourself capable" a giggle escaped her lips.
While this wasn't the exact plan for her descending it wasn't like anyone would complain. Knowing this she smirked at the demon before waving a finger. A very unfamiliar bead to the demon but familiar to some others formed around her fingers in a similar color fest as her glow.
Then it shot at the demon who took a step back in fright and entered his chest.
"There. All done. But of course like I said I won't be impartial. So what I just gave you won't be helpful until you at least crossed to the first layer. Not that it would be helpful even if I let you use it now. You're incapable unfortunately for you".
Her words though were lost to the wind as the demon kept looking at a new development in his scroll.
∞ BERUSIS SCROLL∞
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓NAME - ?????✓
✓AGE - 0d✓
✓SEX - MALE✓
✓HEIGHT - 4FT✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓RACE - DEMON ✓
✓SPECIES - ICE FLAME RYKIN ✓
✓TITLES - NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
✓SOUL POWER - 15✓
✓SCROLLS - COUCHANT - O/10✓
✓LAYER - DORMANT✓
✓CLASS - NONE✓
✓BOON✓ - 1 - LOCKED
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ATTRIBUTES∞
✓MIND - 10 ✓
✓STRENGTH - 6 ✓
✓STAMINA - 6✓
✓SPEED - 8✓
✓CON - 18✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞SKILLS∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ NEW QUESTS ∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ QUESTS ONGOING∞
✓SURVIVE ✓ - The path of a demon is one filled with woes, fights, and wars. Stay alive long enough to see the first layer. Great rewards await you.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞ QUESTS COMPLETED ∞
✓NONE✓
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Yet unlike what the girl expected the demon stared right at her and spoke in a stammer.
"Can.. can I exchange it for something else ?"
'Eh'.
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(1) - Morningstars - From the (Tongue of Erlezoian) Records