∼ All In a Day's Work ∼
It was no glorious, epic, or action-filled showdown. It was undignifying, messy, and abrupt as the demon had effortlessly ended the human's life, entirely unable to fight back. In the briefest of moments after the human succumbed, Nyx blinked as he could feel the surge of energy enter his body. Siphoned from the human's death was now not lifeforce, but experience. It was the most he had ever gotten, so much that it morphed into a blissful sensation that he could physically feel. Not of power, but something else. Change.
Notifications accumulated by days of slaughter overran Nyx's mind, all vying for his attention. In sweet, sweet acquiescence, he combed over each one with growing satisfaction and accomplishment. The commission was complete, and his thirst for blood was sated.
[Twenty-three LVL: 6-9 - Humans "Classless" have been slain!]
[Twenty-two LVL: 10-25 - Humans "Classholders" have been slain!]
[You receive 2465 points of experience for the kills]
[Congratulations, Demonbolt has been promoted]
[Demonbolt: Moderate → Superior]
[Congratulations, Impfire has been promoted]
[Impfire: Inferior → Moderate]
[Congratulations, your proficiency in Mana Manipulation has increased!]
[Mana Manipulation: Inferior → Moderate]
Earned - Slayer of Humans (Slayer Title)
[You have earned the title of Slayer of Humans for killing more than 75 humans]
[Congratulations! You have accrued enough experience to gain four levels!]
LVL: 15 → 19
As an Imp (Prideborn) "Lesser Demon", you receive one point in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and one additional unallocated attribute point per level.
As a Warlock "Apprentice", you receive one point in Intelligence and one additional unallocated attribute point per level.
[You have eight unallocated attribute points, spend them before a week, or they will be automatically assigned.]
Congratulations! Your Familiar "Fisty" has accrued enough experience to gain four levels!
LVL: 16 → 20
Gained - Rampage (Race Skill)
Never had he gotten that much experience at once, nor had he grown so much in power in a mere day or two. It was intoxicating beyond everything else. Satisfying something within him that only cultivating his power ever could. From level-ups to skill increases, Nyx noted that he had even gotten a new title.
[Slayer of Humans] Category Rarity Slayer Common Effects -You gain an aura that makes other humans feel an innate discomfort whenever in your presence- Description Slayer of Humans, you have slaughtered more than seventy-five humans. Their blood stains your soul, and those of their kin sense it with chilling realization. Advancement Kill more humans to advance this title.
Rather fitting, he supposed. And the only thing he had to do to advance it, was to kill more humans! A win-win in his book - if you were to ask. Looking at his new title with some dark satisfaction reminded him of his other title, comparing the two and noting the similarities.
[Bearer of Pride] Category Rarity Demonism Epic Effects -Other beings in your presence are more easily influenced by your charisma- Description Bearer of Pride, you wear the Mark of Pride, and as you bathe in vainglory from the worship of others, you shall grow ever more exalted. Advancement Evolve your Mark of Sin to advance this title.
Although Nyx had yet to gain more than only two titles, he believed he already could spot a pattern emerging. It truly might be that titles don't have any straightforward effect on his capabilities or strength like attribute points. Rather, it affected the more ethereal aspects of his character. That both his titles have changed his presence, or aura, at least seemed to be saying as much.
Regardless, it was a welcome addition.
Moving on, glancing over the fact that Fisty had grown a whole four levels alongside him, including the fact that she had gotten a new skill, he put his mind on the whole eight unallocated attribute points waiting for his attention. Now, what exactly should he do with all those precious points?
It was with some healthy consideration of what apparent weaknesses of his needed to be shorn up that he paused to really think over it, something that was quite uncharacteristic for the imp. This could most likely be credited to his newfound intelligence from all the level-ups. Looking down at his blood-stained body, some of which was from his own wounds but mostly from others, he sighed to himself. The scabbed-over gash from the bandit boss glared back at him to the point he couldn't overlook it.
He put five points in strength, bringing it to thirty, and reluctantly spent the rest on vitality. It had to be done. As it was, as an imp, he was way too frail. More so than a human if one was to discount [Demonhide]. His racial variance wasn't up to snuff as an imp, even though he probably already had the same amount of points in vitality as an ordinary human did. The reality remained that those points simply weren't worth as much with a body this small and wiry. For now at least...
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[Five attribute points have been assigned to Strength]
[Three attribute points have been assigned to Vitality]
Status Information
Attributes Name Nyx Health 65/80 STR 21 ⇒ 30 END 4 ⇒ 5 Race Imp (Prideborn) Stamina 6/18 DEX 9 ⇒ 13 INT 32 ⇒ 40 Level 19 - (64%) Mana 1/6 (12*) VIT 4 ⇒ 8 CHR 2 Class Main-Class Warlock Rank Apprentice Grade Rare Sub-Class None Rank None Grade None Traits Demonhide - (Racial), Fire Resistance - (Racial), Mark of Pride - (Demonism) Titles Bearer of Pride - (Demonism), Slayer of Humans (Slayer) Skills Demonbolt - [Superior], Drain - [Inferior], Impfire - [Moderate], Summon Familiar - [Inferior], Wither - [Inferior] Masteries Proficiencies
Techniques Demonology - [Superior], Hand-to-Hand Combat - [Moderate], Mana Manipulation - [Moderate], Riding - [Inferior], Words of Power - [Inferior] None
Looking at his attributes, he realized just how fast they were going out of control. As Nyx's comprehension and knowledge about this world grew, he understood just how abnormal it was for him to have such outrageous attributes. The fact that he gained attribute growth from both his evolution system and the class system.
Whereas humans and other enlightened gained only a few attributes from their base race and then progressively more from their classes as they advanced, monsters and the like had no classes that kept increasing the attributes points they gained. Instead, their race evolves with increasingly high attribute gains per level. It resulted in Nyx's explosive growth, as he kept advancing, kept evolving, the attribute gain would only ramp up to ridiculous heights.
The world was in for it. And Nyx was happy to oblige.
Curious to check on Fisty's progress, Nyx attempted to retrieve her status. Fortunately, even though she was technically dead, he could still pull it up.
Soulbound Familiar Information
Attributes Name Fisty Health 0/70 STR 24 ⇒ 32 END 5 ⇒ 7 Race Thrasher Stamina 0/28 DEX 9 INT 4 Level 20 - (5%) Mana 0/0 VIT 5 ⇒ 7 CHR 1 Traits Demonic Rage - (Racial), Fire Resistance - (Racial), Mark of Wrath - (Demonism) Titles None Skills Dash - [Peak], Rampage - [Inferior], Thrash - [Moderate], Pursuit - [Moderate]
It was all moving along nicely. Her strength even exceeded his, to his surprise. And even though it was only by two points, he recognized that her strength points meant a lot more than his, so he couldn't even compare their physical capabilities by the number alone in reality. It made him just want to know how much more those points would mean once she evolved. He could only imagine the leap in power for the small savage. Strangely enough, it actually felt good knowing that his minions were so capable, despite her oddities.
With a stretch, feeling out the strength in his muscles and power in his veins, Nyx approached the corpse of the human. He crouched, looking over the charred remains. Sure, the fight with the bandit boss had ultimately been a waste as its unique nature didn't allow for much of a fair struggle of skill. Rather, it had them both resort to... unconventional means of taking each other out. But Nyx could barely rue the loss of an opportunity to grow as the utterly sadistic and satisfying way he had dealt with his opponent more than made up for it. Growth and entertainment constantly warred a battle as equals for the demon's attention, exactly like for the rest of his kin.
Picking through the charred remains as the smell of burnt flesh still wafted into the air, Nyx grunted as he tried to remove the vambraces of the stiff limbs. They were still intact and seemed to be unharmed beside their exterior blackened with soot. The tear of flesh could be heard as he pried them off the human's forearms, strips of charred skins dangling off the magical artifacts.
Holding them up, Nyx couldn't help but smile. The rewards for this excursion simply did not end.