Jake stood on the edge of an open field where one human man with a staff stood right at the centre
S:\>auto-identification
Race human (mage)
Grade F
Level 15
Weakness: as a mage, their bodies are generally weak to physical damage.
Jake instantly summoned all of his servants and sent them forward as he pulled out his dagger and pistol and watched to see the results of his servant’s probing attacks.
Elizabeth came at the man from the right striking him as hard as she could but what Jake observed worried him as the moment Elizabeth’s attack connected a blue shimmer surrounded the mage leaving him perfectly unharmed and what’s worse the mage still had used none of his attacks. Next it was Harald and Albert’s turn, both using their full power to destroy the man’s mana shield. Which they did, at least for a second before it was reinstated. Sadly, in the process of making this attack both lost servants used all of their energy making their summoned bodies breakdown sending their souls back to once they came yet the mage still had used no attacks and Jake was now down two servants and the fight hadn’t even started.
Jake looked at his final two servants and with a command told them to repeat the same attack, but this time jake would participate the moment the two got close to the man. He moved his staff to the side, then yelled in a deep voice.
“summon forth defensive shields.”
Six blue mana shields appeared around the man. Elizabeth and Franky had just got within range when all six shields slammed shut around the two. Jake felt through his connection with the two that their energy was being drained away. He was wondering where the energy was going when a gigantic sword descended from the sky right above Jake. He tried to move, but the pressure from the sword pinned him in place. The sword falling slowly down on Jake.
“You have failed, demon, and to be honest, you never had a chance. Going up against a human mage was your downfall. Now die.” The mage slammed his staff into the ground, increasing the falling speed of the sword. Only then did Jake’s skill Boosted Arcane Berzerka of Time (epic) activate for the second time since he got it. Instantly, the pressure that was holding him in place vanished, allowing Jake to teleport out of the way and directly behind the mage. Jake punched the shield that was protecting the man, then fired a round into the man’s chest before quickly deactivating the skill and retraining just as the sword struck the ground. An enormous explosion blow Jake off his feet before the dust settled. Jake used Demon dance to hide himself as he began flying over the battlefield.
The dust settled, leaving one man on the battlefield. He began laughing historically before coughing up blood and falling to his knees, looking up into the air as he spoke. Jake stayed up in the air till he saw the kneeling man’s eyes glaze over and become lifeless.
“Well, that was just straight up cheating. That mage should have killed me. There’s no doubt about that he had me dead to right if it wasn’t for that skill.” Jake passed what he was saying before landing beside the mage.
“I’m not going to look down on mages any more. You earned that much from me, at least.”
After saying this, he picked up the staff, then quickly brought up the rewards and his stats
×3 Health potions (common)
×3 Stamina potions (common)
×3 mana potions (common)
×1 points multiplier ×5 base and conversion
×1 staff of an apprentice shield mage (common)
Universal constant terminal interface
Name Jake everval
Race demon of the past. Unique
Grade F
Information on F grade
Upgrades 600 above previous anyone below this grade in the open universe will not survive unless protected by life-sustaining means such as planetary shields and the like no F graders ever entered space and survived for more than two years without adequate protection.
Level 6. levels required till next grade evaluation 1000 total
Class trooper shadow mage (common)
Class level 1027
Profession Arcane Smith
Profession level 455
stats points available 10,300
Conversion multiplier ×5
Mana 1,000.000
Arcane 1,000.000
Stamina 2,001.010
Health 1,526.500
Base multiplier ×5
Strength 100,101
Agility 100,000
Intelligence 100,000
Wisdom 100.000
Perception 100.000
Integrity 152.650
Lost servants
Race lost servant
Name Franky Viss
Level 4
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Albert
Level 3
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Elizabeth Bay
Level 6
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Harald Mar
Level 2
Grade F
Notification. Lost servants can not exceed the summoned grade level
Just as jake was about to close the interface, the command line typed out
S:\>help
Jake quickly selected, enter. Getting the dialogue response that he was getting used to.
S:\> important information I forgot to tell you about this prerelease system. The way you gain grade levels has changed since before. Now it is done when you meet a standard set up by myself. It comes down to the experience I have gained from your actions. This is one thing I changed in the other version, but don’t worry, you will be fine, especially because of your path. I don’t see this hindering your future growth. Again.
S:\>help. So when you say experience, am I right to think a new action from me would give more experience to you? And if so, what would be a good way to get experience?
S:\> I cannot tell you the answer. If I knew the answer I wouldn’t need to get experience from you and the rest of the low grades I can access would I? but I guess I could have done it myself instead of relying on others but that would take two long this way was easier.
S:\>help. Thanks anyway, I guess. I’ll begin working on getting you some of that sweet, sweet experience.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
jake sent back feeling a bit strange after the encounter.
Walking up to the door to the next floor, Jake kicked them open and stepped through, appearing directly into an MMA ring with a dark-skinned man with no shirt and a body that had muscles on top of muscles.
“I see. If you’re here, that means my fellow human, couldn’t stop you, well I guess it’s up to me. Will you accept my challenge if you can defeat me in hand to hand combat? I will accept my loss and allow you to pass. What do you say about that demon?”
S:\>auto-identification
Race human (fighter)
Grade F
Level 15
Weakness: magical attacks. A fighter does not have any mana at all. Mana is converted into Stamina so a drown out fight with only physical attacks would be detrimental to your survival.
“What are the rules?”
“You can use whatever non magic skills you like. The only rule is we fight only with our fists.” The man said as he punched his first together.
“So are movement skills allowed?”
“Yes, as long as you’re not like quicksilver or the fucken flash, that is.”
Okay, so that’s out. Jake thought to himself before replying with “I will accept, but first what constitutes a loss?”
“The inability to continue the fight,” he said as he launched into a flurry of blows that instantly pushed Jake back, forcing him to take the defensive, a position he has never taken before. Jake’s arms were getting sore as the man’s hits just kept coming.
I have to swing this fight or I’m dead.
Jake racked his brain when he thought of something that might just give him that chance. If Jake could use a demonic hand on the man, maybe he could dull the man’s mind even for a second would do, then he could hit the man with Demon strike
Demonic hand (Unique)
Seal physical wounds or soul damage with just a touch. Provide a calming aura that puts lifeforms at ease.
Demon strike (Unique)
Stamina is converted into temporary units of integrity at a 100 to 5 ratio. All fallen lifeforms will be drained of their residual life force and converted into Stamina at a conversation rate of 100% with your newfound energy, every melee attack will be infused with destructive arcane energy as your attack power is now bolstered by the souls you protect.
+50 damage per hit
+50 soul damage per hit
This skill cannot be deactivated.
He dropped one of his arms, leaving an opening straight for his face as he did. The fighter hit with his full force. Jake fell backwards as he brushed his hand over the fighter’s cheek. Small red and black sparks erupted from Jake’s fingers. He quickly regained his balance and thrusted forward, his fist striking true, pending into the man’s chest, forcing the man backwards across the ring.
“What was that? I thought we agreed, no magic.” The man said as he got back to his feet.
“Firstly, the skill I used when I hit you is a buff skill and no it can’t be deactivated as for the skill when I touched your face that was a healing skill and are you really going to complain about your opponent healing you right?” Jake replied as he caught his breath.
“Maybe you’re right. I felt my stats increasing. but that side effect I think it’s cheating, so you may not use it.”
“Really, if I can’t use that skill and you keep changing the rules as you like, then there is no point in following your roles anymore.” Jake said as in an instant he was behind the man, his dagger and pistol in flight, one on the man’s neck while the other coming to rest on the back of the man’s head.
“Are we going to fight with our fists or like this?” Jake said. His voice was flat and calm, as if death itself spoke.
The man replied in a squeaky voice, “yes.”
Jake then teleported back to his original position, putting away his weapons, and waited for the fight to begin once more. Hoping for another round of improvements to his unarmed fighting style, but the fighter just stood there wondering what he had agreed to. When the system asked him to come to this place, it didn’t say anything abut there being a monster like the one in front of him, as Jake had gotten board of the standing so he began his attack hitting the man in the side of his head the arcane energy built-up in his fist released all at once shaking the fighter out of his stooper as he bounced along the ground only stopping when he hit the cage with a thud.
As the man was getting up Jake was on him again sending a flurry of blows down on the cowering man after a good ten seconds of blows Jake stopped allowing the man to stand once again, the fighters lips were so big that he could be mistaken as a haemulidae.
“Okay demon, I will surrender if you can take this full power hit of mine head on.”
This kid is so dead now. Just accept, you peace of shit, the man thought.
“I accept.”
Jake looked at his stat points for Health then watched as the man’s fist separated air itself as it headed straight at Jake's face raising his arms to block as the sound of bones shattering from Jake’s arms and face as the man’s fist shattered his cheekbone and nose as it blew apart Jake’s arm. Dust filled the air, blocking all view.
“stupid kid,” the man said.
Only once the air cleared did he see Jake lying flat on the ground, Jakes his health so low he thought he would die if a fly was to land on him.
“your still alive?”
Jake pulled out a health potion, downing it in one go, as he felt it slowly taking effect. His shock grew as he realised how low his health stat was.
Health 500
That one hit wiped out over one million points. Jake thought.
Looking across at the now armless fighter “that’s some strength you have there.” Jake garbled out of his still shattered mouth, not having the energy to even lift himself off of the ground.
“I could say the same to you, boy. No one has ever survived that skill. I would like to fight you again in the future, but as far as I’m aware, only one of us gets to leave this dungeon,” the man said while thinking to himself of a way he knew would work but was unsure if the kid would be stupid enough to take him up on it.
“That’s not true. If you accept your loss, you will get to leave the dungeon once I defeat the last boss.”
“Is that so, well I lost this fight. Maybe I will head back to my home after this.” this kid is an idiot, the man thought.
“And where might that be?”
Why would I tell you that? The man thought only to make up a cover story.
“Texas USA.”
“Odd I didn’t take you for an American. You don’t have the accent.”
“Yer, my accent faded after spending so much time away from home.”
Jake thought for a minute, then he had to ask. “Are there many more like you?” this was actually something the man knew and was willing to spread to helpfully limit this monster’s actions.
“Yes, I know of at least five as strong as me and two stronger, but they’re more into politics than me.”
Fuck, Jake thought before asking more questions.
“How did you find yourself in a dungeon as a boss?” again I’m not an idiot, the man thought
“System message, I accepted without thinking of the consequences. I am grateful you accepted my challenge. It really was good of you.” not like you had a choice. The system would have forced you if you refused, the man thought.
The conversation went on as the man spat half truths filed with miss information as the two recovered from their injuries. Then Jake went over his gains once the conversation ended as the fighter went to sleep. Jake put on his new set of armour and began getting ready to leave for the next floor.
Stats and items at the end of the chapter
×30 Health potions (common)
×25 Stamina potions (common)
×44 mana potions (common)
×10 arcane potions (common)
×3 anti venom potions (common)
×1 portion of purge undead (common)
×145 Hand Grenade (common)
×51 smoke bomb (unranked)
×1 snake head
×1 ritualists pistol 50 cal (common)
×1 arcane infused dagger (common)
×230 rounds, 50 cal ammunition (unranked)
×4 bracelet of power (common)
×1 ring of resistance (common)
×2 Tomb of the ritualist’s apprentice
×29 dungeon storage ring (common)
×1 Item braces of light (common)
×1 wind walking shoes (common)
×1 health skill book
×200 elemental steel shards
×13 item upgrade token
×1 daggers of the goblin king set (common)
×1 light armour set (common)
Item
Light armour (common)
A set of leather armour that protects against light slashing attacks
Universal constant terminal interface
Name Jake everval
Race demon of the past. Unique
Grade F
Information on F grade
Upgrades 600 above previous anyone below this grade in the open universe will not survive unless protected by life-sustaining means such as planetary shields and the like no F graders ever entered space and survived for more than two years without adequate protection.
Level 7. levels required till next grade evaluation 1000 total
Class trooper shadow mage (common)
Class level 1029
Profession Arcane Smith
Profession level 455
stats points available 10,550
Conversion multiplier ×5
Mana 1,000.000
Arcane 1,000.000
Stamina 2,001.010
Health 1,526.500
Base multiplier ×5
Strength 100,101
Agility 100,000
Intelligence 100,000
Wisdom 100.000
Perception 100.000
Integrity 152.650
Lost servants
Race lost servant
Name Franky Viss
Level 4
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Albert
Level 3
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Elizabeth Bay
Level 6
Grade F
Race lost servant
Name Harald Mar
Level 2
Grade F
Notification. Lost servants can not exceed the summoned grade level