While the annoying caveat about only receiving his title boost upon stat allocation was still there, it hardly mattered. Each Tier brought almost as many stats as the previous two combined. Otherwise, his Hellbreaker title at the end of his quest would have granted an egregiously large 500 percent stat boost.

Next up was his new quest objective.

Hellbreaker: Impossible

You have been imprisoned in the Infinite Hells, a world that certainly lives up to its name. However, there is a way out, if not one that anyone has ever reached before. You must descend through the circles of hell, and kill each one’s guardian to progress. Finally, you must reach the very center and kill the Devil himself. This, however, is a long road, one that will take an eon. That is, of course, if you do not die along the way. Against all odds, you actually succeeded in the first part of your quest, killing Granath, Overseer of the Ash Heaps. Continuing in your burgeoning legend, Slothari, Ooze Queen of Mire has also fallen to you. However there are still 97 more circle lords to go.

Current Objective: Defeat The Stillborn Hegemon, Duke of Cessation

Rewards: Caul of the Stillborn(Tier 4 Armor Upgrade), Gauntlets of Innocence Spoiled(Tier 4 Weapon Upgrade), Blood of the Stillborn(Tier 4 Item), a Unique Title upgrade, rule over Cessation, and access to the next realm.

Ultimate Objective: Defeat Angranor, The Lord of Hell

Rewards: Freedom, ???

His latest objective was an especially macabre one, and the rewards even more so. However, it was but another milestone on his quest. Finally was the cementation of his rule over Mire.

You are now Lord of Mire!

You now possess sole control over the portal of ascension.

Your Authority has grown with this acquisition. You may now challenge other rulers, and be challenged in turn, for territory. With more territorial acquisitions, you will gain increased control over those territories. Rise, conqueror, and forge your empire.

You now possess two Circles of the Infinite Hells!

Do you wish to combine, link, or sever them?

Combine: Fuse them into one realm, with the mana density of the higher one.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Link: Create a permanent portal between them with entry requirements decided by you.

Sever: Only you and your closest allies may freely travel between them.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. Of course, there was only one real option here, with his quest of liberation. He picked Combine.

In the Ash Heaps

The sky cracked apart above the arid wasteland of ash and desolation, revealing a disc of rock many times larger than the realm itself. Screams of fear echoed across the Ash Heaps as people cowered in fear of their approaching doom.

The descent of the disc increased, and it became ethereal, phasing through everything in its way. Then it slammed down, merging with the Ash Heaps. There was a brilliant flash of light, and a wave of higher Tier mana as the realms were equalized. As the light vanished, people across both Mire and the Ash Heaps opened their eyes, suddenly realizing that they hadn’t died.

Instead, a tableau of ash and ooze had formed, somehow becoming more wondrous than anyone could have expected a portion of Hell to be. The ash had turned into fertilizer for the plants of Mire, altering the substrate of the realm into something more resembling mundane soil than ash or mud. Everyone, at once, was greeted with the same notification.

The Lord of the Ash Heaps and Mire, Jonathan Harlowe, has chosen to fuse his dominions into one.

In Tartarus

Back in Arkanon’s palace, there had been no signs of the massive changes Jonathan had instituted. He simply closed the notification, and moved on to inspecting his new armor and items. An upgrade was due, and as he looked at the tattered remains of his armor, he smiled. Slothari had tested it to its limits.

The items that he had received from killing Slothari were not exactly entrenched in reality. Rather than being their own sets of armor and the like, instead they would empower Jonathan’s current possessions to new heights of power.

He picked up the new armor, groaning in pain as he stumbled from his bed. It looked like the pattern of a suit of armor, made out of pure energy. Then he pressed it against his own set, and watched as they fused. The bone that had made up his armor from the Ash Heaps twisted, the plates turning into a more organic construction of sinew and bone. Soon the armor looked more like a living thing than a macabre creation of bone. As the process finished, scales grew over the armor.

Mire’s Mantle

Tier 3 Growth Armor

This set of plate armor is the pinnacle of Tier 3 craftsmanship, made from the flesh and bones of Slothari, Circle Lord of Mire, imbued with the empty nadir of potential that Mire is. The strongest forms of Slothari have been distilled down into this armor, creating a suit with no equal at its Tier, and for a good bit above. This armor set can only be upgraded by quest rewards from the Hellbreaker quest. Every time it is upgraded, it gains a new ability, keyed to its plane of origin. This set of armor has a natural repair factor.

Current Ability: Genetic Drift

Once per day, you may alter your genetic code for a single minute, optimizing your body for the situation that you are in.

Bonuses: +50 to Constitution, +50 to Resilience

Jonathan raised an eyebrow at the armor’s ability. It could either be entirely useless, or a lifesaver. Next up were his new gauntlets, which he wasted no time in fusing with his old ones.