Sacrifices To Jupiter XI

"You need to press your hand against the orb and channel your will…" she finally mutters, her lips down.

I do as she says. Easily enough.

This time, it's neither a gray type of hologram that formed before Mari nor a blue one that materialized next to me. A crimsony one, rather.

Dungeon of Wrath

Lvl. 1 |0/100|

Create |E| |CP: 30|

Domain |E| |DP: 30|

Summon |E| |SP: 30|

Alchemy |F| |AP: 30|

Troops:

Vassals: 0/3

Familiars: 0/3

Subordinates: 0/20

Medallions:

Wrath x1

Luck x1

Life x1

Without wasting my time on useless questions, I focus on Create.

Create |E|

Gremlin |F| |7 CP|

Murderbat |F| |7 CP|

Bloodbeetle |F+| |10 CP|

"CP, means creation points, doesn't it?" I ask her, lefting my head and glimpsing at her. "Accordingly, DP for domain points, SP for summoning points, AP for alchemy points."

"It is, kinda, but… How did you know?" she mumbles, wiping the last remnants of tears away. "Also… it took you no time to learn how to channel your will. Did you experience something similar on Earth?"

"Do you know any of these creatures?" I press on, lifting my hand up my chin, brushing it. "I can get a rough idea of what a gremlin is, but the rest—no."

"There are thousands of monsters roaming the Darklands, and most remain unclassified to this day. I've only heard of a gremlin and a murderbat," she says, watching the panel that I project with her downturned eyes.

"Go on," I insist, pinching her dark tunic.

"Gremlins are small and furry creatures, somewhat humanoid, with sharp fangs and batlike ears. Described as little devils, they are maniacal hooligans that pursue fun and mischief," Mari states in her teacher mode, pointing fingers to here and there. "Murderbats are… troublesome. The bats are very frail, though their ability doesn't lie in their life, per se, but in their death."

"How so?" I ask thinkingly.

"They explode when they die."

So basically suicide bombers? Troublesome may be for others, but for me that's a massive leverage.

Gremlins also. They seem to have hands and feet. So cheap labor, essentially. I can work them to death, and summon new ones when need be. Then again, their intelligence may pose a variable. We'll see.

I have thirty points. The question is, should I spend it all and experiment with each creature to find their strengths and detriments, or rather keep the points and use them purposefully as the situation demands?

"For starters, I think, we should test out the bloodwings," she tells me, turning her head sideways and looking up at me. "Only then can we tell for sure."

I nod in agreement. It is a futile exercise to ponder the allocation of all points without that knowledge.

I try to focus on the name of the monsters in the hope that something will appear, but no.

Nothing.

I switch my attention instead.

Domain |E|

Type: Tower

Floors: 2

1, Entrance Hall |15 DP|

2, Heart Chamber |300 DP|

3—

Room |30 DP|

Workshop |60 DP|

Laboratory |120 DP|

4— ??? |200 DP|

"So we're inside the heart chamber?" I ask her, swiping my eyes across the bloodied room. "The floor below, then, is the entrance hall. Correct?"

Mari nods, her broad forehead creasing.

"Room. With the thirty points, all we can buy is a simple room. I doubt it has any use. What about the workshop and the laboratory, what about them?" I ask her calmly.

"Workshop is to craft, predominantly artifacts. The laboratory is to brew potions. They have much more functionality, like brewing elixirs, crafting golems, or evolving the race of your monsters, but I doubt you'll get them instantaneously," she says, pointing at the inscription of the heart chamber.

"That see? The three hundred next to it? It's to upgrade the room. I have no idea what that entails, but as I've said, perhaps it opens up more functions. Whoever is behind the millennial wars changes the mechanics each time, so it's impossible to predict. Few things remain the same."

I nod.

"And two hundred to unlock the fourth room, correct?"

She nods.

Well, that's useless without first having the third room.

Anyhow, I don't have many points, and upgrading the entrance hall for fifteen or buying a shabby room for thirty doesn't seem a worthwhile investment. So, I'll come back to this sometime later.

Potions and craft sound interesting, so I first focus on alchemy before getting to the summons. As alchemy, to my knowledge, is the science of life. I wonder what it truly is, the science of life, that is.

Alchemy |F|

—

…

"Why does it not show anything?" I ask, frowning.

"Umm…" Mari mumbles, scratching her head. "I'm not sure… but—"

"It's because of my luck. Makes sense," I finish for her.

There are only four attributes, and coincidentally, here too, only four. Then, the rank of my mana dictates which rank Create is, the rank of aura tells of Domain, wise—Summon, finally, the same rank the fourth attribute is, the same rank is Alchemy. Presumably so.

That's useful to know. They say fortune comes with misfortune.

"Uncle?" Mari calls me. "Is everything fine…?"

Hmm? What's happened?

"What?" I ask, glancing at her twitching expression.

"Were you always this… bright?" she asks in a way that she thinks won't offend me, trying her best, failing miserably.

"I am a genius indeed. It's just that genius comes with crazy," I make shit up. "Unlike you. You're just crazy."

My mind has cleared, is all. I'm not being affected by madness, by wrath. For now—

"Only idiots call themselves smart," she mumbles, clearly pissed.

Well now she pisses me off. What she says makes no sense at all.

What is wrong with this girl? Why is she constantly courting death? I can grant her her wish if she so wishes to—

Okay. Calm down. Not again.

"You can barely multiply two by itself," she comments, hmphing and waving her hand, lifting her head, her amber hair waving too. 

Arrogant little bitch.

"Hahaha…" I laugh silently, putting my hand up my mouth.

"Why laugh?" she asks, perturbed.

"It's nothin… it's nothing…" I wave my hand the same way she did. "I just thought about ramming my hands up your mouth and splitting your head in two, cracking it open like a champagne. You'd look so funny!"

"..." Mari blinks blankly, retreating a few steps. "I don't think it's that funny…"

"Right? I then thought about tearing your guts apart and forcing them onto your mouth. Imagine chewing on your own shit? That'd look even funnier," I say, brushing the tears of laughter. "There are so many ways to kill! I can cut your bladder apart and blind you with your own piss! Hmm? Princess?"

I look at her shaking figure, who now has a magical book in her hands.

"Hahaha! I was joking!" I was not. "You like pranks, don't you?"

Her legs, covered with intertwined leggings, tremble, crossed.

"It's merely a farce!" It is. I only want to turn her into a meat farce.

Looking at her shitlessly scared expression, I become somewhat calm.

I direct my attention to the status window again. Summoning, was it?

Summon |E|

Gift Pack |E| |15 SP|

Artifact Pack |E| |15 SP|

Monster Pack |E| |15 SP|

I have a shitty premonition…

I focus my gaze on the first one…

Gift Pack |E| |15 SP|

30% |F|

30% |F+|

40% |E|

No— No fucking way…

"Why are you looking like that?" Mari asks, her voice coming from beside me.

When did she approach?

Speechless, I gape, looking at the panel.

Looking at the panel, she gapes, speechless.

We look at each other with questioning faces.

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" I ask her with a skeptical face.

"What the hell is this?" she asks me as though I'm the one who's been praised for my smarts and has read more books than most people have seen in their lives.

No, kid, it's you. You're the one who's supposed to know shit!

"Did gods go senile?" she asks in wonder, pondering. "Isn't this just… gambling?"

It fucking is.

A new box pops up, a feminine voice musing.

Not the calm and soothing one I heard before reincarnating, but a different, vibrant and lively one.

But then it hardens, a complete opposite of what it was just a moment ago, stern and heavy, masculine,

Congratulations! You've been chosen as an Archdemon! For your accomplishment, I shall shower you with gifts! Bhahahaha!

A hologram of an old man appears, smiling, looking like an ancient Greek philosopher.

I'm Jupiter! Heed my blessings, Oh Demon! My daughter!

He pierces me with his gaze.

"Juno?!" Mari shouts in surprise, backing away, flailing and falling, frail.

"Juno? But isn't this a man?" I ask, scrutinizing the newly formed figure.

"Yes! She's also Jupiter! The demons call her— him— Jupiter! I never thought it to be true! To think that a god would—"

The old man opens his palms, two spheres there, one in one palm, the other in the other.

Both shine brilliantly, of a brilliant, diamond color.

Gift Pack |S|

Monster Pack |S|

Jupiter then smiles widely, raising his fist in a supportive manner.

Good luck motherfuckers! You'll be needing it! Bhahaha!

Then he nods, bidding a farewell, turning and vanishing.

"Wow," I whisper, looking at Mari's trembling and cowering, messed up figure on the cold stone floor, her book awkwardly opened on her lap.

"Is this what you call a sugar daddy?"