First, Astaroth explained the difference between abilities and attributes. He also provided Azrael with 80 points.

After his explanation, a list of abilities appeared before Azrael. The list was three times longer than the one Larielle had.

Among them were many extremely powerful abilities, such as the ability "Decaying Field (S)," which inflicts constant pain on opponents and prevents any healing spells below S-rank from working.

There were countless powerful abilities, but Azrael shook his head, smiling briefly.

"I don't need abilities; that would be boring. I'll choose S-rank in all three affinities you possess. I'll develop the abilities myself."

"I expected as much," Astaroth replied. "You still have 5 points left. I recommend the 'Inspect' ability. This ability is D-rank and requires no mana. Ah, and I forgot to mention that abilities can also improve. Of course, not infinitely; a D-rank ability won't become an S-rank ability. To improve abilities, regular use is enough. However, the further you go, the more important understanding becomes."

"I see, that sounds reasonable. Since I have 5 points left, I'll take your advice."

"Finally, there are so many ways to get better," Azrael thought, realizing his boredom would finally dissipate.

"I have a small gift for you."

A message appeared before Azrael: "Accept ability from Astaroth?"

Below were the options: yes and no. Without hesitation, Azrael accepted.

"You have received the ability Blessing of the Abyss."

A blue window appeared in front of him with an explanation of his newly acquired ability.

**Blessing of the Abyss (?)**

- 50% more experience

"The other heroes receive a lot of help, but you don't; you have to do everything alone," Astaroth explained, irritated. "That's why I'm giving you this ability; it will help you. Moreover, it’s not an offensive ability, so it shouldn't be boring, right?"

"That's fine," Azrael replied.

"Is there a god who holds a particular grudge against you?"

"Yes, definitely," he smiled mysteriously. "Larielle should be quite scared when she thinks of me."

"Is there a place where many heroes gather?" he asked indifferently.

"That would be the Varia Academy, where heroes of different origins gather."

"Then I want to go there. Is that possible?"

"No problem. It's best if you join the Mercenary Guild first. That way, you can gain some experience and learn to handle your abilities. If you can't do that, you won't be accepted; you must be strong. Additionally, you need to familiarize yourself with the world, so read books."

With a nod, Azrael accepted these suggestions. He needed to be careful and not too conspicuous. But he couldn't be too inconspicuous either.

"A good balance should be the best decision," he decided silently.

"Ah, one more thing," Astaroth remembered. "The other gods receive help from Sintora during the summoning, but I do not. Therefore, I have to expend a lot of power, which is further complicated by my banishment. For you, this means that you will be the only hero I send. Also, as you've probably already figured out, you can forget about the title 'Hero' wherever you go. Since all the gods are against me, it’s easy for them to influence the perception of ordinary people. Be careful to reveal only one affinity. If they detect my three affinities in you, it could become quite problematic."

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"Understood," Azrael replied, unfazed.

The things Astaroth mentioned were already clear to him. He could tell from Astaroth's behavior that there would indeed be no other heroes from his side. Astaroth was placing great hopes in him, which was why he was being thorough in his explanations.

"I need to send you off now. Every moment you stay here drains more of my power."

With a brief acknowledgment, Azrael signaled his readiness.

Astaroth raised his arm commandingly into the air. With his other hand, he began weaving unknown symbols in the air.

A colossal surge of energy began to swirl around Azrael. The hairs on his neck stood on end as his white hair whipped wildly across his face.

A pentagram of black light started to form beneath him.

Shortly thereafter, his body vanished.

After Azrael disappeared, Astaroth sank to one knee. Blood flowed from his mouth and eyes.

"Too bad I can't watch him," he murmured, disappointed.

Tender blades of grass tickled Azrael's bare feet. A gentle breeze swept over him, carrying the scent of fresh grass and flowers.

With a quick glance around, he confirmed his suspicion: he was on a small clearing in a forest. Tall trees stood at irregular intervals. Judging by the vegetation, it seemed to be spring. A precise assessment was impossible due to his lack of information. The reasons for his assumption were the pleasant temperatures and the lush green foliage of the forest. The cheerful chirping of birds completed the serene atmosphere.

He walked to a nearby pond to check his appearance. His long white hair hung over his green eyes as usual. His sharp gaze scrutinized his body for any inconsistencies.

"Everything is practically the same except my age. My body isn't as fully developed as before. It seems I've been reverted to my fourteenth year."

Even the countless scars were present. "Very good, I'm well acquainted with my body. It won't take long to adapt to this small change."

His face bore no scars. His trainers had arranged it that way on purpose, often using his good looks to approach their target.

The only minor inconvenience was the lack of weapons and clothing.

After a brief check, he noticed another slight inconsistency near his heart. According to Astaroth's explanation, this was the energy center. Following the explanation, it would improve as the corresponding attribute was enhanced.

Unexpectedly, rough voices sounded nearby.

"They were really stupid," someone sneered.

"It's been a while since such an easy robbery," another person laughed.

"Did you see their faces? At first, they were so fearless..."

"Until the guards ran away like scared chickens," a third interrupted.

"Do you think the boss will give us at least one of the women?"

"I understand now, that's why he sent me to this place," Azrael realized. "I just need to kill the bandits, then I can get weapons and clothes. Afterward, the prisoners will owe me, and I can find my way to the nearest town," he deduced.

"The question is how to be as inconspicuous as possible. The problem is the lack of information."

He began contemplating how to attract as little attention as possible.

"I think I could play the part of a wild, uncivilized person. Well, I can think it through more later."

While he pondered, the three individuals approached. Quickly, he climbed the nearest tree. The tree had no branches on the lowest meters, so he used a small trick.

He placed both hands at short intervals on the back of the tree. Next, he positioned his feet slightly below his hands on the front side of the tree. This allowed him to practically run up the tree.

Based on the voices, he could already determine the general direction of the attackers. He positioned himself so he wouldn't be noticed but could still easily jump down.

His targets didn't take long to appear. Three rough-looking figures came into view. Each wore a simple leather armor and carried a crudely made spear.

After their appearance, Azrael decided to test his ability to inspect. To activate the ability, he just needed to clearly imagine it.

Immediately after activating the ability, numbers and letters appeared above the heads of his targets. His ability showed him only their names and levels. Apparently, all three were at level 15.

He focused on his keen sense of danger. Sensing no threat, he decided to attack immediately.

As soon as they reached the base of the tree, Azrael leaped onto the first man’s shoulders. The impact threw the man to the ground in a small cloud of dust.

Before he could react, Azrael swiftly broke his neck with a sharp twist.

The other two jumped back in surprise. In one fluid motion, Azrael grabbed the spear and threw it. Overwhelmed by his sudden attack, the spear pierced its target.

The struck man collapsed immediately, blood pooling around him.

The last man panicked and tried to flee. Moments later, he too fell dead, a bloody spearhead protruding from his chest.

After disposing of his victims, Azrael focused on the notifications before him.

System: You have gained 2000 EXP

System: You have gained 2000 EXP

System: You have gained 2000 EXP

System: You have reached Level 10.

"Pretty weak for their level. That confirms Astaroth's statement. Level isn't everything. It's like a bodybuilder versus a professional martial artist. Even though the bodybuilder is stronger, he will lose in a fight. This shows how important understanding one's abilities is," he confirmed.

"According to his explanation, the large amount of experience points comes from the level difference. However, the difficulty of the fight also plays a significant role. The system fairly evaluates the effort of the fight."

Deep in thought, he began to call up his status. To do so, he had to recite the word "system" three times in a row in his mind.

**Status**

Azrael

Level: 10 (100/1500)

**Attributes:**

- Vitality: 12

- Strength: 22

- Agility: 35

- Intelligence: 5

- Defense: 10

- Regeneration: 10

- Self- Healing: 15

- Spirit: 18

- Stamina: 20

Natural Energy: 50/50

Stamina: 100/100

Available Attributes: 50

**Abilities:**

- Inspect (D) (0/100%)

**Affinities:**

- Darkness (S) - Beginner (0/100%)

- Gravity (S) - Beginner (0/100%)

- Ice (S) - Beginner (0/100%)

After a closer look at his inventory, several things caught his attention.

First, he noticed that the name Azrael had been adopted. Since he didn't care about his name, he saw no issue with this. He decided to use this name from now on.

Additionally, he found he could view descriptions of his attributes.

Curious, he clicked on the descriptions:

- Vitality: Increases immunity to abnormal status effects such as bleeding or poison.

- Strength: Increases physical power.

- Agility: Increases movement speed.

- Intelligence: Increases natural energy.

- Defense: Increases resistance to physical damage.

- Regeneration: Increases natural energy and stamina regeneration.

- Self-Healing: Increases the healing rate of injuries.

- Spirit: Increases mental defense.

- Natural Energy: For the activation of abilities.

- Stamina: For the activation of stamina-based abilities.