BOOK 2/47 - Firefrost

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apologies guys. Sorry for the lack of announcements either. My First Treatment didn't work so I got seriously worse. Was fainting and dropping and all that. Found out my Blood pressure went below 60. Was at 52 or something. Something about Baby BP. Been getting better though]


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HILDELITH'S POV

The new floor was desolate with a foul smell in the air landscape. Craters or pits filled with sulfuric acid. The bubbling and popping creating sparks of silver that flew into the air.

The ground beneath my feet was cracked and brittle, with places to watch from where geysers erupt periodically, spewing acid and toxic fumes into the air.

Poisonous vapors . Akasha warned. I ignored her as the said poisonous air was already attempting to effect me. The slight tickle to my nose, and eyes telling me what it would do if I needed to breathe.

The warmth of the rough cavern floor alluded to the boiling liquid trapped below.

With my previous army reduced to nothing but atomic dust or left behind in the Star Rings I had the question of how to deal with this floor. None of the kills any of my army had made had granted me experience, so I was hanging on the hope that taking out a fair number of the mob on my own would do the trick.

Though if the experience gain is from them then I may be looking at a lot to earn.

The cries of beings filled the air ahead and the hot air didn't hide what sort of place this was. At the edge of one of the pits filled with silver fire I peeked inside. The sulphur swayed and bubbled.

Something is there. Akasha warned. The surface bubbled again. Sulphur splashed and then moved like a blob of saliva aimed at me. A giant wad of saliva. Blackness rushed up my body and coated me.

The air around me sizzled as the sulphur's weight bore on me. I just stood there staring as the liquid rolled and bobbed to get off me.

"It has a core". I could see a round orb swirling within it. I punched into the sulphur hand still covered and grasped the orb.

A piercing shriek hit my ears making me wince. I pulled out my hand with the orb still held and attempted to back off from the sound. The blob fell with a splash and sizzle to the ground. The orb I held was transparent with a silver sheen.

[Demon Sulphur Slime Core]

I blinked. "That was a slime".

As if on cue more screeches echoed fall over. I believe it's death cries alerted the rest.

I let Akashic energy flow out of me faster than I normally generated it. Gathering it out on my right palm nothingness retreated letting the greyish blue energy that was Akasha flood my palm. All I had to do now was will it burn.

That was the beauty of Akasha. Whereas I needed to change Race to utilze various energies, all I had to do was convert Akasha to the next energy to use it. As long as it remained outside my body.

True magic.

"Now what will work on slimes?". The sulphuric creatures were climbing out of their pits and bouncing closer.

Transmutation. You've not practiced that Akash much.

"Ah". I focused on the energy and... I wanted them to turn to...

The first slime bouncing to me turned to Stone and hit the ground. Huh.

"Mother, your use of Akasha remains crude". White fur, car ears, nine tails floating lazily behind her as she floated past me on a spinning Akashic circle.

I stared confused for a moment. Tora unleashed Divine lightning on the next slime. I could sense the divinity in the air. Her Akashic Circle vanished, one of her tails twitched out of the lazily floating and she vanished reappearing to the west where she created a mini twister pulling all the air and slimes in.

I watched her hand write up another another symbol midair surrounded by Akasha and creating spatial blades that rent through the wind and slimes. Tora herself vanished, reappearing above. White lightning rolled through her fur and hair , each strand rising with the charged energy before it descended with a clap of white.

That one wasn't Divine.

Lightning swept through the slimes, their bodies acting as conductors as the massive bolt jumped from one to the other. Smoke and dust rose, the air getting more and charged.

I felt Akashic energy Siphoning from me and into the lightning. That Brat. The lightning which should have been getting weaker shook like a satisfied animal and swept on. When the final crackle of lightning passed the cavern was clean.

Save for the cores littered everywhere there was no evidence of the slimes.

Didn't she one shot them too easily?.

I don't think any of these mobs are good tiered.

If they're not God tier what's the point of the dungoen. I need experience. I've been stuck at level 20 since creation.

Stop exaggerating.

I'm not exaggerating. It feels like that.

Wind rustled as the Umnduni landed next to me. "How was it ma?. Those slimes were weak if you just continued your magic lessons you'd see how easy it is".

I blinked at her. Mentally sighing I just waved her to follow.

"There is no Akashic Energy here though ma. This place is separate from home isn't it?. What is it?".

Like I know. It's just a dungoen.

"Remnants of past universes?". I offered.

Her green eyes stared at me. Her whiskers switched and her two ears pointed to the sides. "That is possible. But why remnants?. What happened to them?. Shouldn't they be part of a whole?".

I kept silent this time.

Tora chattered as we walked. Something about my Akashic generation here increasing Akashic volumes.

A hiss came from ahead off us when the crater pits ended. We're obviously in some large mounting. I could see the only path being a sort of collapsed passage. Only the mountain walls leaning on each other held everything up. The space to go through though was large.

Raising my hand I snapped my fingers creating a pulse of Akashic Force that spread out in all directions.

"Ah. The Akashic Pulse". Tora murmured from behind me. Ignoring her I mapped out the area the pulse traveled. Unlike a bata sonar that bounced off objects this was Akasha herself traveling out and creating an image of the entire place.

The pulse had also ventured into the space we would enter if there was no other part. Akasha showed me the image of the creature ahead. It was big, very big. But not just that it wasn't alone.

I dashed forward. Nothingness coated my body making me lighter. Voidbringer appeared in my right hand and Vulkans Prize equipped.

"Ma!. Wait up!".

Eh. Wait. I'm hurrying because of you brat.

I had to see if these ones would give me any experience. Large boulders lay all over the path ahead. I jumoed from one to the other. Wirhin my veins I channeled my blood utilizing Divine Purity to empower my limbs.

Akasha showed me a tiny hole between me and my objective. Just a tiny fraction of a space that wouldn't take me. I leaped for it. Mid dive I vanished and reappeared on the other side.

I kicked off the wall and spun vanishing again as I took in the other side. Landing Voidbringer bit into the earth. My eyes shook as I took in the beasts here. No, demons. They were large. Like jormunganda had kids big.

They were lounging in pools of water, tongues slicking in and out to taste the air. Unfortunately for them, being covered in nothingness meant even if I didn't actively will it my scent was covered. Nothingness didn't have a scent so they failed to taste me in the air.

"Ma!". I winced. Of course.

Heads rose and large singular eyes on each head locked in my direction.

"Ma!. Wait up!".

Oh well.

The first one hissed seemingly realizing the danger I posed. Bodies slittered , heads reared up. I honestly didn't realizing I was smiling until the thing shot a deluge of water at me. I dashed forward nothingness fading from my body.

You know what Akasha.

Hmmh.

I jumped. The earth cracked and shatter beneath my feet. I'm always stumped on what to use in a fight. Mostly because I need to train the skills right?.

Hmmh.

Well. Let's go old school just this once. No magic, no power. Just me, Voidbringer and the enemy.

I shot over the water, my reflection grinning, my eyes shaking in excitement. I knew Akasha was looking over the league of skills I had in my repertoire that needed training.

Fine. Just this once.

I vanished mid jump. Appearing over the vomiter. The sound of sizzling as the water struck my former position told me what it was. Poison.

Might be a poison floor.

Noted. I swung down the moment I saw the serpents body. Too little. I poured nothingness into the blade and ignored it's screeching a s it formed a lance of black light decapitating the serpent.

No Exp.

I wkt myself drop with a sigh. What was the game doing. Was I to be stuck here until the Alpha finalized. I spun and landed on my heels. The ground shook and shattered.

Serpents hissed above me as the shit down to attack. Fighting something that didn't give me Exp was demoralizing. All that stress for no growth.

"Best to let Tora have it".

I vanished as the first one snapped its jaws right over my location. Appearing where I'd first come in, my boots sank into the puddle there. Sizzling and stream rose but I ignored it the slight itch of it burning my boots and skin not enough to temper my disappointment.

The air next to me rippled. Akashic Force drawn for me to power a teleportation. I flexed my left hand and the ground I stood on rose above the puddle of poison right before she appeared.

"Have at them".

Tora must have sensed the disappointment as she gave me a questioning look. I shrugged. "Waste of experience for you if I kill them when they offer nothing to my growth".

Her face bloomed in a smile and I held back a wince of pity as more Akashic Energy was drawn from me. Isn't supposed to be generating her own as well.

Not as fast or as much as the Creator.

I snorted. The ground shook and I turned to see the first serpent lose its life. A large spore having joined its head through the jar to the wall.

Then she activated Divine magic. It made sense as it worked better against demons. Akashic Circles appeared around each serpent and from them chains shot out binding each and everyone.

Uhm what is she doing?

Lightning erupted from the chains frying all but two of the serpents that kept thrashing against their bounds.

"Now now calm down. I have this magic I want to test. I've been stomped on whee to use it since". Akashic Force left me in droves as she spoke and I could see it flow into those circles and gather around her.

The air was thick with it now. My eyes swept over the circles. Akasha quickly began telling me want each Torain was. I was getting better at the language but it was still another entire difference language. One created for the sole purpose of magic.

Once I had each word I sighed. Of course. Tora had been working nonstop not just on her Akashic Energy manipulation and enduring Primordial energy but also on breaking all the rules of each realm. At the highest level.

She's at it again.

It might actually work this time. The runes are accurate. Plus she finally realized a channel needs two mouths.

Oh.

Akashic energy flooding into each circle finally stalled as Tora mutttered the activation word. The circles shook. The serpents getting fried were released. What came next was worse for some of them but one. Energy from my realms flooded out and into their body.

The one gettinthr Divine Essence died instantly as its body turned to ash. The others wished they were dead.

What's her agenda exactly?.

Not wasting her Akashic Energy on conversion.

Ahh. Direct links to each realm, therefore direct taps into their energy. They others won't like it.

Nope they won't.

I like it though.

It won't work for you.

I huffed. And why not?

The same principle as to why you have to change Race. Unless you're going to wear the connection instead of having htkw tattooed like I see in your mind.

I eyed the dying serpents, or mutating serpents. I eyed the circles.

What If I had unopposed ones?

Yes. That could work.

Let's do it then.

Right now?. Here?.

I'm not doing anything better and Tora's having all the fun.

Maybe find the next room.

And what bully weak demons.

It's a system dungeon. It might just be weak at the start. We don't know how big it is exactly.

That worked to perk me up. I was certain my kakx of exp gain was due to the disparity in power. Even the Tyrant for all his bluster had been weak. So no Exp.

"Alright. But get it ready. I'm thinking a multilayered tattoo. That way if I change...".

Bones creaked and skin moved as I formwr Argonne wings. Flapping them I flew for the other end of the room.

After the display just now I doubted anything could touch Tora at this floor or any of the past floors.

The other side of the room had a cliffside where I landed. Looking up I found a black sky with no hints of stars. It could be a dark ceiling for all I knew. Down the cliff Tora floated conducting her experiments.

Looking back at the entrance I came from at this vantage point I could see it was the entrance to a cavern within a mountain. My vision couldn't pierce the veil of darkness past a certain point on the mountain.

Turning back i glared at the forest. It was dark, the trees silent black monoliths that remained unmoving. No wind.

My wings melted back into my back. Argatan festures rose over my body and soon I was bulky and muscular. I pulled on the flame wirhin me and formed a ball of Primordial Fire above my left palm. I flung it at the forest.

BOOM!!!.

Fire erupted from the base of the trees. Its hungry petals licking up and down the barks, jumping to branches and leaves. Shrikes rose from inside the forest and I turned to the direction. The fire roared and swept deeper into the cursed nature.

I dashed into the fire. More Primordial Fire licked up my skin and I let it. Dashing out of the other side I allowed it jump to the trees. Light and heat spread. Whatever mob resided here, it fled.

I raced ahead. Eyes flashing from one spot to the other. The fire roared and followed at a distance. I wanted to see the occupants of this dark place.

Movement to my left.

Akashic Pulse?.

Its already easy enough. Let them run or come. Won't change where they die.

I ran through the darkness, the roaring fire a constant drop in the environment. I paused as I caught movement to my left. Standing still I eyed the trees. Movement again.

I vanished and reappeared next to the creature. My hand shot out to grab it before my mind processed what it was. Hefting it up by the throat I glared.

Goblins.

No. Imps.

More like boths scarier cousin.

The thing I held screeched as it suddenly realized it was caught. Quite slow. Then it turned to vapor.

"The hell...". The vapor shot for me filtering into my throat, down my nostrils. I staggered back choking. Shut. Get it out.

Now you take it serious.

Voidbringer fell for my grasp as both hands went to my neck. The thing sat there apparently trying to suffocate or choke me.

I grabbed at the divinirt wirhin me and pulled it up through my mouth. A skill I had not had much use for in most cases. My chest flowed wirhin my armor, the glow rushing up to my throat. I could feel the vapor thrash and rush for my mouth to get out as did the one in my nostrils.

[Holy Breath]

I didn't open my mouth. Atleast not until the divine energy caught it. My lips parted and a golden beam lanced through the air slicing up some trees. Light spilled from my nose as well and my eyes lit up like gold torches for a minute.

I coughed in relief. That was nasty.

Then you better keep your mouth shut till they're all gone.

There were more surrounding me, smelling weakness. I scoffed.

The realization dug in that very moment. The Arrogance of a God hadn't ignored me. I was powerful and I knew it. A sigh left my lips as I realized my honest evaluation of myself recently. I don't want to stagnate though. That's why I wanted experience so badly. If I had to wait for the Alpha to finish then, I might have the rest catch-up to me.

The little cretins around me kept sniggering and cackling. Their language like nails on board to my ears. I honestly didn't want to learn it. Besides it might not be actual language considering I spoke with the Tyrant well.

My Sword. My eyes flicked to where it lay. I don't need it for them. I should have risen, been old and not keep feigning weakness but I wanted them to die in their positions. Grey mist oozed from my body unseen by those who could not wield or tap into it.

It was moments like this I hated having so many skills. There was a ton I could do here. All which would work. Be decisive. Since I already had Akashic Force spreading ,my choice was made for me.

Of the myriads of magic I could do, the myriads of energy I could convert my Akashic Force into, I chose one i rarely used.

Think of it as practice.

I snapped. My fingers brushing off each like rocks. The pressure spilling out into the wave of energy already past the little things. From me a rippling wave spread, turning gold as it went. At their feet chains of liquid rose from the energy and bound each one.

Their mouths opened to shriek, their bodies turned to run, nothing happened as they were frozen.

[Hands of Time]

Rising to my full height I walked through the circle. Poking through the bubble of time that has gripped each one with the water. informed two fingers, drew a symbol mid air and quickly joined it with another. Akashic Force flowed into the symbol making it glow a subtle gold. The bind twisted slowly anticlockwise.

[Hand of Time - Reversal]

I watched as skin got smaller, got younger and then back to the time of babes. I wrinkled my nose at the sight of them. The twist kept moving. The eggs vanished.

Next time will it without using Torain Symbols. I believe imrhe spell is stronger than it should be.

Maybe the Time Circlets are doing their jobs.

Maybe.

Nodding I dashed ahead. There was bound to be more of those creatures but I was sure the fire would handle them. Heading North or south depending on how the floors were aligned always took me right to the end.

I stepped out of the dark forest tree line. The Primordial Fire eating it up still slightly visible from here. Tora would fly over it when she was ready to head here.

There it is.

I turned North it South. Standing on the steps of a ruin that looked to be a Temple stood a towering demon. I took steps closer so my sight could reach it. Boils that quivered and leaked greenish pus littered its skin. A single horn sat on its head, the other seemingly broken. Sickly yellow eyes locked on me and a snarl that reveal rows of green waddle spit fangs.

The demon crouched.

Oh. Its coming.

It leapt. I could see the power in its movement from the dust and shock waves that rattled the ruins. Voidbringer appeared in my hand and I kicked upwards. This time I flooded the blade with Nothingness. Willing the very essence of Void into it.

From left to right I swung carving a purplish black ray between me and it.

I vanished and reappeared behind it. I watch the crescent slash meet it. Its body parted at the abdomen and the ray kept on towards me. I vanished and reappeared on the ground just as it splattered.

The demon was still moving and snarling. Green fire suddenly erupted from its wounds and lashed out conjoining to form a thread. A thread that snapped both parts of the demon together. It rose right back up and I smiled.

It dashed forward. Green fire gathering in its left palm. I dashed to meet it. It threw the flame and my left hand moved out instinctively. Primordial Fire shot forward and met the fire halfway.

BOOM

The explosion of yellow light and green fire served as the back drop for my appearance. I was already cutting down this time with divine energy coating Voidbringer's blade.

The demon was surprisingly fast as it sacrificed an arm to stop my blade's descent. Up close it exhaled in my direction. Sickly green mist spreading out quickly towards me. I was gone, reappearing behind him and slashing as his feet.

Flesh and bone parted , my sword unstoppable went on to cut through the other legs as well. It roared and thrashed but the green flame was already trying to attach both sides back.

I snapped and Nothingness snuffed out that green fire and coated the cut preventing the healing. The demon paused surprised as its healing didn't continue. Yellow eyes found me and mager burned within them. This one hadn't said anything since I came just straight up attacked.

Shrugging I watched a st began clawing at its skinz the blisters and sores exploding in thick pus that spread out around him. Said ous then crawled right back to his body like maggots and began trying to heal the removed the leg.

Oh, gross.

That was it. I waved my fingers at it. Rather than burn it all my fingers frosted over, the air chilled and the ground from my toes up to the demon's head froze. The demon nothing but white statue lay there.

Voidbringer vanished and a friend I had not used since receiving appeared. Long and thick shaft nestled in my palms as my Argatan fingers gripped it. Muscles bulged and burns showed as I strained and lifted. The hammer's head rose, black steel glinting in the fiery light, sigils of various meanings glowing with a pale blue and purple tint.

I brought the hammer down. For a brief second the purple dimmed and the black metal seemed to glow red from within.

BANG!

The statue shattered, the ground broke, dust and wind erupted blinding me. Is stood in place waiting for the vibration in my legs to end.

The vibrations finally calmed and I glanced at the hammer. "This thing". I shivered at the realization that I didn't even fuel it will Primordial Fire like a Delwarf would.

I eyed the ground then shivered at the long line that ran from my feet ahead and behind me. I sent it to storage.

An overpowered weapon with an overpowered Creator. Nothing could go wrong.

I clicked my tongue at Akasha then ignored her to look at the prompt I'd gotten. This floor was over and the timer to the next floor was counting.

Knowing it would send me off with everything I came here with I didn't bother going for Tora.

The scenery blurred and the 6th Floor faded to give way for the 7th Floor.

The moment I set eyes on the floor I sighed. More hunting. If the creatures have experience then it would be fun. Next to me Tora stood her eyes looking around in alarm.

"Its the next floor". Of course I knew it wasn't the floor itself but the fact her experiments were gone.

"My...my ...circles. My... serpents".

I patted her back softly. "There'll be more of those here. Well maybe not the serpents".

"But..but..."

"Don't you want to test how good that energy circle something can work on another floor?".

Tora gave me the eye that said I wasn't supposed to know what she was doing. I just smiled and turned forward. "Come on. Hurry up or I'll kill all your experiments".

Tora raced past me tails lashing around in the air while her ears were raised and listening. Maybe I'll bring the others too next time. Clean up this boring place faster and get whatever rewards wait at the end.

Nodding I followed the eager brat behind.