Chapter 43: Inferno Dominion, The True Enemy Ascended
3118 Words
Witnessing the spectacle, gathering the key details, receiving the cinematic, and the enlightenment of the true purpose of his quest, Grimm motioned to reach Seven Tails and fulfill the mission. However, ‘There’s nothing to step into.’ The Inferno Dominion is literally a lake of scourging magma. He has a high Fire Resistance but the best thing it can do is to relieve him from the heat, not to protect him from the melting power of earth’s nastiest bowel.
‘How should I…?’ Grimm was just about to ask himself that when his gaze got drawn downward, then sideways and finally, upward, enlightening him that opposite to the flames gushing forth from the magma pool that blaze and ascends into a firework like spectacle and the hot air steams and molten magmas of plentiful amount constantly raging from the cracks and pores of the cave walls, the First Floor rooftop is firm, sturdy, and unmolested.
Titing!
An exclamation point erected above Grimm’s head!
“Well, there’s the solution,” he murmured. “Troublesome as always but the best if not the only one.”
But to achieve the desired outcome, a larger than usual approach is necessary. The First Floor, Inferno Dominion, it might be the smallest among all the floors but it’s still an area of 700 meters radius and is literally a magma Deep well. Thus, to cover all of that, gouging as many chunks as possible is extremely needed.
Also, the success of his method means scenery alteration at severe level where fatalities is a given. Well, he couldn’t care less about the Magma Golems, the Fowls are invincible, but the Dome will surely receive an impact. So collateral damage, the direction and trajectories as well as the aftermath snags, they must be foreseen with utmost precision.
‘The explosions, they must be directed northward and southward with a little slant to the east. The west will be covered by default.’ Grimm orchestrated. ‘For the explosive strength, aside from the Black Tempest and Full Buster, I must also introduce an additional ingredient but it must be accomplished at the shortest time possible to prevent the fire and the magma from prematurely imbuing the vortex and thus, preventing my desired outcome.’
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANALYSIS COMPLETE!
“Alright, here we go,” he said and executed his plan.
“*chanting* . . .Black Tempest!”
An upside down black vortex materializes at the rooftop.
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Charged at 100% Completed
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Full Buster…FIRED!
And with the 100% charged Mana sphere strengthening it, the tempest intensifies, threatening to detonate at any moment and at the same time, draws the attention of a fire pillar that shoots up from the magma pool, blasting upward to dye the growing tempest with its structure.
But before any of those two could transpire, Grimm promptly pulled out three basketball-sized greenish sacs from his inventory bag…
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[Tusk Beetle Poison Sac]
The internal organ of the Tusk Beetle that stores all the poisons and gases that its body synthesized.
Type: Ingredient
Durability: 2/2
Rank: C+
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…and threw it with all his might towards his Full Buster strengthened Black Tempest.
The sacs shattered upon contact, mixing its gaseous contents within the violently whirling winds at the same moment that the fire pillar reached the tempest.
“Specter! Let’s go!”
Grimm with Specter nestled above his head runs back to the passage and took cover.
KAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Black Tempest + Full Buster + Tusk Beetle Poison + Steams and Flames of Inferno Dominion.
The explosion product of that formulation was beyond devastating. An explosion so powerful that a huge portion of the Second Floor above the Inferno Dominion had completely collapsed and descended, filling the magma Deep well with huge debris.
ROAR!
In between booms of explosions and splashes of magmas, the screams of the Magma Golems that are either squashed or pierced by the falling debris could be heard.
Meanwhile, upon the dawn of the explosions and the fall of the Second Floor, the Astral Fowls abandoned their positions and clustered together to encase the Brilliance Dome with their bodies.
They took advantage of their invincible bodies and high defensive magic to benefit on the sudden catastrophe emergence to preserve their strength and numbers while a huge toll will surely be inflicted towards their adversaries.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Grimm cautiously analyzed the situation and continuously examines the enemies that he’s about to combat as he dash and leap from rubble to rubble that had now occupied the once magma filled Inferno Dominion.
A battle between high levelled monsters!
He’s about to enter that.
Grimm had fought powerful opponents before. Most, if not all, in a degree where they’re supposed to be beyond his avatar’s capabilities and yet, he always emerged victorious. However, those battles are in a one-on-one or one-on-two at worst situations and not in a scale where the fight is between dozens to probably even hundreds of such monsters whose levels are at least 150 levels above his.
LVL230 vs. LVL400.
From an onlooker’s viewpoint, he absolutely looks like a cat entering a war between lions. The gap in power is great and the ratio is just as overwhelming.
But…
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In-Game Name: Grimm
Race: High Human
Alignment: Neutral
Level: 230
Profession: Mythical Detective
Attribute: Attributeless
Title: The Daredevil, King of the Forest, Deity Killer, Titan Slayer
Fame: 7,012
Infamy: 0
Health: 51,865
Mana: 38,300
Rage: 63%
Strength: 1,167
Dexterity: 1,283
Intelligence: 915
Agility: 1,485
Vitality: 720
Luck: 710
Satiety: 80%
Stamina: 76%
Attack: 5,145
Defense: 3,482
Magic Attack: 2,470
Magic Defense: 987
Critical Attack: 530
Critical Defense: 847
Attack Speed Status: (+30%)
Movement Speed Status: (+30%)
Hit: 3,164
Dodge: 3,531
Critical Attack Rate: 95%
Discovery: 113
Tenacity: 700
Wisdom: 688
Hidden Power: 208
Hatred: 60
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Racial Effect [High Human]
Enables to utilize All Weapons and Items regardless of the Profession and Racial Restrictions
Every 30% drop in Health reduces all damage taken by 12%
All Stats increased by 20%
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Profession Effects
All Abilities are increased by 30% when inside a Dungeon
Resistance to Blind, Confusion, Darkness, Fear, and Bewitching are increased by 40%
Doubles the Fame when completing Investigation-related quests
Health and Mana increased by 1% multiplied by current Level
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Mythical Detective’s Persona Effects
Defense +100, +35% Strength under the Moonlight, +30% Agility in the Darkness, +40% Falling Resistance, +40% Fire Resistance, +20% Movement Speed on Unstable Ground, +70% Vertical Jump
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Equipment and Skills Effect
Wolf Fang Necklace [+5 Agility, +5% Recovery Rate, +10% Additional Damage against Feline Creatures, Active Wild Aura]
Serpentskin Leather Armor [+5 Strength, +15 Agility, +25% Increase in Defense, +40% Poison Resistance, Magic Damage reduced by 15%, +350 Health]
Serpentskin Leather Gloves [+10 Agility, +10% Increase in Defense, +20% Poison Resistance, +100 Health]
Wanderer Pants [+10% Poison Resistance]
Dusk Ring [+10 Agility, +30% Darkness Resistance, +30% Blind Resistance, +50% Agility in the Darkness]
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Unbreakable Body [+130% Defense, +125% Hunger Resistance, +87% Reduction in Stamina Usage]
Unbreakable Will [+81% Attack Damage, +16STR]
Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery [+20% Strength, +20% Agility, +20% Dexterity]
Kicking Mastery [+30% Agility, +15% Dexterity, +15% Strength]
Sword Mastery [+30% Strength, +15% Dexterity, +15% Agility]
Marksmanship [+30% Agility, +30% Dexterity]
Cooking Mastery [+25% Reduction in Stamina Usage, +25% Hunger Resistance, +25% Health]
Mining [+8STR]
Eyes of Knowing [+15% Intelligence, +20% Mana]
Butchery [+10% Agility, +10% Dexterity, +5% Luck]
Dual Wield [+77% Attack Damage, +14% Critical Attack Rate, +55% Critical Attack, +14AGI, +67% Dodge and Hit]
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Magic Resistances: Fire Resistance (+95%), Water Resistance (+10%), Blind Resistance (+70%), Confusion Resistance (+40%), Darkness Resistance (+70%), Fear Resistance (+40%), Bewitching Resistance (+40%), Poison Resistance (+70%)
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Special Resistances: Falling Resistance (+40%), Stabbing Resistance (+30%)
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Disregarding the Profession-based bonuses, all his Stats are notoriously inflated for his level. His Masteries, they generate STAT bonuses that are unavailable to other users and NPCs with similar Passive Skills. He was unaware of it though, initially. He thought that the bonuses were generated to all whenever it hit the Beginner Level 5 mark.
Turns out it’s not.
Through making comparisons to other Adventurers he’d encountered in Cleo that possesses the same Sword, Kicking, and Hand-to-Hand Masteries as he does, he discovered that the Beginner Level 5 bonuses that he often relishes do not apply on them.
It solely applies on him. And he had the idea why.
When those Masteries reached the said levels, he was inside the Forest of Illusion and the domain of that forest greatly strengthens him and his skills. And though he parted with the forest a long time ago as well as it no longer exists in the world, the benefits still applies to him due to the fact that the Forest of Illusion itself is the Mythical Detective profession.
Yes, that’s right. Just like how Loki had created the persona of Amradias through the power of Specter, the Forest of Illusion was also created through the power of the God King that was under his care. That’s why when Grimm changed his profession to that of the Mythical Detective, the Forest of Illusion had ceased existing. The foundation that had been maintaining it was taken and absorbed by him and therefore, so does the forest.
So, with that kind of advantage at hand, there wasn’t a big difference in power despite the huge gap in levels.
Or maybe he’s even…
“Weaker than I expected,” Grimm commented after jumping into the back row formation and strike down his first Magma Golem with his Soul Devourer Blades.
…in an advantage.
GLARES!
Or perhaps, maybe not!
Upon the death of one of their comrades by an extra adversary, the attacking Magma Golems that are positioned at the said back row shifted their attentions from the Dome and the Astral Fowls to Grimm.
Fiery Takedown!
Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!
Blaze Tackle!
Flame Shower!
And they bombarded him with fire attacks and fire spells, covering all directions and possible dodging routes, giving Grimm no other choice but to defend, endure, and counterattack.
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-You received a Magic Damage, [Health (-3,440)]
-You received a Heavy Damage, [Health (-1,432)]
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‘They’re organized.’ Grimm confirmed for the price of 4,872 worth of Health damage.
For supposedly bunch of unintelligent golems, they are indeed organized.
‘Which could only mean.’
The realization struck him as his Phantasmal Blade and Magnum Impact attacks obliterates the vanguards of his attackers, a realization that instantly filled him with worries and at the same time sent him into battle frenzy.
Grimm jumped from opponent to opponent, displaying his martial and sword skills complemented with the magical abilities provided by the game.
He made haste, he doesn’t want and could not afford to waste any second at the current moment.
With series of deafening explosions, flames and glaring rays of lights danced and soared up once again, escalating the battle back to its former scale right before he interrupted it with his own set of explosive interventions. The two sides resumed charging, charging to their goals like the catastrophe he’d brought upon them never happened.
It then further solidifies his suspicion and therefore, doubles his effort to bestow Seven-Tails and the Fowls a significant advantage before the Final Course decided to unveil.
‘Such a cunning tactic.’ Grimm thought, aiming to prevent that outcome from happening.
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+You dealt a Heavy Damage x 5.
+You dealt a Heavy Damage x 8.
+Health Regeneration increased by 1.5%.
+You dealt a Critical Damage x 4.
+You dealt a Colossal Damage x 3, Attack Damage increased by 55%.
+You dealt a Heavy Damage x 5.
+Health Regeneration increased by 5.0%.
+You dealt a Critical Damage x 3.
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With his lightning fast speed, he defeated more and more Magma Golems, pushing forward to reach and join the Astral Fowls. However, the number of the Magma Golems doesn’t seem to be diminishing despite his best effort. Every time he strikes one down, three or more would take its place to prevent him from moving forward.
Still, he charges and didn’t let it stop him from raising his blades. Physique-wise, he has everything necessary and more to be capable and efficient and it’s against every spec of his DNA to let it get all wasted just because the arrival of his enemies is perilously persistent.
He can take them down and he will take them down.
SLASH! s***h! s***h! s***h! s***h!
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+You dealt a Colossal Damage x 5, Attack Damage increased by 120%.
+Your target died after receiving multiple unguarded strikes.
+You dealt a Colossal Damage x 2, Attack Damage increased by 140%.
+You dealt a Critical Damage in the Head, the target has less than 10% Health, Cutting Effect had been activated, [Magma Golem received an Instant Death].
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Your Level has risen
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Perceiving Grimm’s threat level towards them to be rising, a number of at least 30-40 Magma Golems came running towards him.
Fire Breath!
Fire Spin!
Blaze Tackle!
BZZZT! BZZZT! BLOCK! s***h!!!
He augmented the size of his Soul Devourers by threefold and block and cut the approaching attacks. Then, he compressed the left blade to wrap around his fist like a boxing glove to punch the adversary that closed from behind, . . .
“Drill Burst!”
KABLAM!
…shattering the golem’s head into smithereens…
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+You dealt a Colossal Damage.
+Your target died after one punch.
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…before returning it back to its sword form and stabbed both dark blades into the ground, declaring, “Magnum Impact!”
Darkness from the Soul Devourers spread alongside the extending fissures and cling to the weakened Magma Golems caught within its path. The golems preyed by the darkness struggled to break free but the darkness was too much for them to resist. They were overpowered and in the end, consumed completely.
Afterwards, the distributed darkness that eaten the golems liquefies into a slime-like substance and concentrates beside Grimm. Its volume shrunk and float, solidifying into tennis-sized black ball that with a ‘Poof’ transformed into Specter who immediately flew to nestle above his head.
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Your Level has risen
Your Level has risen
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-You’ve slain 37 Magma Golems and severely injured 101 more. The Magma Golem’s hostility towards you had escalated.
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+Your Allegiance with the Astral Fowls had increased.
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BOOOK! BOK BOK BOK BOK BOK BOOOK!
Upon the rise of those new notifications, three Astral Fowls fused into a gigantic Ghost Rooster that bulldozed through the blocking golems to reach him. The Rooster then bit and swallowed Grimm and Specter, much to their shock and surprise, and placed them inside its transparent stomach to be transported back towards their line of defense.
Taken aback, yes, but of course, Grimm also seized the opportunity that he is completely untouchable. He used the defense provided by the Rooster’s body to unleash successive magic attacks.
“Black Tempest!”
That by the time they’d reached the defensive line of Seven-Tails, he had already scattered six Black Tempests to several groups of Magma Golems.
The Rooster split back into three smaller Fowls, freeing Grimm and Specter from the confinement.
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[Deathbringers] had been equipped.
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Deathbringers back against his hands, Grimm shot 100% charged Full Busters towards the Black Tempests that are still active in the battlefield, intensifying their diminishing intensities back to prime and higher to continue inflicting damages to the golems.
KABOOOOMM!!! KABOOOOMM!!! KABOOOOMM!!!
Team battles might not be his strongest point but eliminating numerous targets at once and with utmost efficiency is. He’s a One-Man Army and an efficient one to be precise.
The intervention he displayed gave Seven-Tails and the Fowls a breather to refocus and reorganize much to their surprise and delight. They didn’t expect that an unknown and seemingly insignificant participant would actually make an impact and they were glad that it was toward their favor.
An hour and so of continuous battles and exchange of magic spells had passed. Grimm’s Health and Mana were now reduced to a quarter but in return, and with the complete assistance of the Fowls, the troops of the Magma Golems are nearly annihilated.
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Your Level has risen
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“Reverse Tempest!”
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+You dealt a Colossal Damage, the Magma Golem was absorbed to an eternal darkness.
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Your Level has risen
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And with the death of the last Magma Golem, the side of Seven-Tails and the Astral Fowls had achieved victory.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
However, no cheers, no ‘Voice of the World’ proclaiming their victory had ensued. And Grimm, without the slightest speck of surprise and confusion in his expression for having such an outcome, tightened his grip on his guns and waited.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…
Since the start of his battles against the Magma Golems, Grimm uncovers an ugly and rather unavoidable outcome where he had set a ticking countdown inside his head to keep track of its commencement.
3
2
1
Zero!
The cave began shaking followed by an eruption at the heart of the Inferno Dominion, covering the debris that he’d worked so hard to collapse from the Second Floor with magmas and blaze.
Then, One…Two…Three…….Nine, nine huge Fire Pillars abruptly rose from beneath, gliding and ricocheting against the cave walls like a pit of mad snakes before gathering once again to the same spot where they erupted.
Ding!
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The Beast of Flames, Vatra the Fire Hydra has appeared
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The tips of the pillars then began distorting, molding into the head of a serpent where one…two…three….nine, all nine of the fire pillars displayed the alteration, confirming Vatra as a Nine Headed Fire Hydra!
“Now the Final Course begins,” Grimm said and charge for battle.
- Writer
