CHAPTER 7

“Good. Now use your muscles, channel your spiritual energy throughout your body and make it both protect you, and become a barrier against incoming projectiles.” I said to the young girl of twelve years old.

Yes twelve years…how? I asked her. And honestly I am beginning to lose it…I have been time skipping from point to another in this wired challenge with nothing nor a simple idea of what I am supposed to do…whatever happens in those time skips it seems that the owner of this body uses to continue on with his life…however these time skips began to become longer and longer…now it takes years…

“Warrior arts! Defense! Soul barrier!” said the little girl

Who is now preferring to keep her hair long, She is no longer a maid in this house as she is now my disciple…or what I was told, honestly I don’t know….I time skip from place to place and need to ask what I was doing before I continue to do so again…

“Very well. You seem to be advancing at a rapid rate.”

“Thank you master!” said the girl no longer calling me my lord…I actually preferred the sound of that…

“My lord. We should be going now.” said the butler as he was watching the spar

“To where?” I responded

“Is this another of those seizures my lord?” said the butler

“Yes…I guess so” I said

Well what can I say? I had to let the man think I have occasional seizures and I momentarily lose my memories…it was very hard to convince him at first but after a couple more time skips the man stopped asking…quite convenient.

“My lord the King had asked for you for one last mission…but I beseech you don’t go…the last of your order had died last year…the king clearly want you dead my lord so that he will have no possible rivals for the throne…you can leave the country, go anywhere and don’t accept his demands…please my lord. No one will be left to carry on your name.”

He said

Well it seems that I am, or this body is, of royal lineage and with the current state of affairs it seems that I or at least this guy never had a wife…quite a sad life I might say but who am I to judge…I never even gotten myself a girlfriend…

“No. I said my name will be carried on. This girl will do so” I said and at that moment both of them looked at me in shock

“What do you mean my lord?” the butler said

“Well…if I am to truly die I would like you to tell everyone that this girl” whoever her name was I still can’t pronounce it…” was my daughter…”

“They won’t believe it.” said the butler.

“It doesn’t matter if they can’t prove otherwise. Make it be so.” I said

Then another flash of light and I found myself kneeling in front of a throne.

I would appreciate if I get some sort of warning before this happens…my damn head is throbbing…

“So lord *@/-.” Said the overly large and miss proportioned man sitting on the throne he had a golden crown over his head and his fancy clothes barely fit…I think his tailor would need to reconsider the king’s proportions

“What was that your majesty…” I said

“Huh? What do you mean! I don’t want to repeat myself again!” said the king

“Sorry my lord…but I have this…Euh illness that makes me lose my focus from time to time…”

The king then sighed and said

“I know of that illness…I heard rumors but didn’t think them to be truth…you grew old *@/-... Anyway. I want you to go to the blighted lands. And kill a high priority target. I could send a dispatching of men to do the deed but too many would give away their position.” Said the king while grinning

So this is the suicide mission that the butler spoke about…quite annoying.

“As you command my king” I replied

I think that this was the supposed challenge…

However something was wrong…the blighted lands are inaccessible and without the eye I would never be able to get in…

“However my king I have a question. How am I supposed to get to-“

And another flash of light this this time I found myself in the last place I expected to be…

Back at the crucible.

Oh by the way I was back in my real body. God I love the strength that comes with it.

“Challenger. The next floor will begin soon.” Said the overseer

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“What? Wait! What was that? I can’t seem to understand what was happening. What was my objective?”

But right after I finished the words another flash of light shone and I found myself somewhere else.

…

By somewhere else I was in a foreign land. I was wearing the same black armor of that day so I understood that I was once again thrown into that old man’s body…The dirt was dark and the sky was black…I would have probably been able to see far into the blighted lands as I have assumed this place to be, but the huge amount of demons in front of me blocked the way…

Demons of all kind. Big ones tall one wingless and with wings…even devils and greater devils…the amount of darkness within them was corrupting the very air…

I looked behind me for a way out…but I was encircled…

Well there is only one way out of this mess.

I grabbed my sword which by the way was really damaged but was the only thing I have.

And did what any sane man would do in a situation like this.

I charged at demonic army

While charging I was met with the same enthusiasm from the opposite army and a wave of devils ran toward me.

The first contact I used an earth chattering smash to send the first demon that was by the way about three meters tall and had a huge great sword with him reeling toward his peers.

Once the sword was dropped I picked it up and with one hand I swung it at the other few that didn’t get dropped by the demon.

Another three jumped at me from behind but I tilted my whole body backwards and swung my scimitar slashing at them and instantly using the momentum to jump back.

I landed near a demon that was just preparing to strike at me with its sword and swung once again with the great sword on my left, slicing it in half.

This sword was very sharp although a bit heavy and eating away at my spiritual energy due to it being a demonic weapon and not my own

I kept slashing at the enemies left and right using warrior arts while my body was in so much pain.

Damn I will die like this in no time.

Dodging left and right and retaliating with whatever chance I could get kept me alive for a few minutes.

Feeling the fatigue rising up I tried to reach equilibrium even though I was in a fight.

It somehow was easy to do.

Breathing a breath of relief I continued on with the fight feeling much more refreshed.

Like hell if I would let this be my end. Even with the stupid odds I will definitely get out of this situation.

I pierced another demon with the huge great sword and kicked it backwards with the sword still embedded in its chest. I then dodged a spear that was aimed at me from my left side.

The moment the spear passed near my head I grabbed it and twirled it for a moment (for style points obviously) then shoved it down the neck of a nearby demon and snapped it.

I struck the other part of the spear into the eye of another demon and jumped high above.

I ignited my left hand and struck a fireball down the group of demons.

It actually didn’t do much damage but once I dropped from the air I had managed to gain information.

The demons are still coming in droves but there is something else with them…

The oppressing feeling it was giving while it headed here was really distracting.

I am barely able to manage myself and if something of that level is here…I won’t make it no matter what…at least not with this body…god damn it…this is a death sentence I say. To be thrown here without notification without even a hint or a way to get myself out of this mess…god damn it

 “Move out of the way!” said the new arrival. And with those words no more attackers came my way. Most of the demons surrounding us

It was a huge devil. About three meters tall but was ridiculously muscular…he had two huge horns and imposing leathery wings…his body was heavily scarred but he still wore nothing but a fur like loincloth.

His had held a huge battle axe that would dwarf me from its sheer size.

“What do we have here?” said the devil

I was huffing for a bit but still had some energy left…however beating this guy is going to be a challenge…

The devil then didn’t even bother adding anything to his words and began by charging at me with a downward cut of his axe that he was by the way holding with one hand.

I used Shunpo and instantly appeared behind him while managing to land a perfect earth shattering smash on the back of his head…it was a bad idea…it dealt no damage what so ever.

The hulking beast then swung his free arm managing to hit me while in air and sent me toward a group of demons. I stood up and struck at the closest of demons while the hulking devil said

“Move away. He is mine”

And so did the demons

I stood up still feeling the weight of his attack and barely was able to hold myself from throwing up.

Good god that was painful.

“You are quite resilient, human.” Said the devil.

“Yeah…I don’t think so…I think I broke a few ribs…hey can we just talk this out?”

I mean seriously I have no idea what I am doing here…

“Talk what out.” Said the devil “You come to our land. Attack our people! And you want to talk it out?”

I had nothing to say to the guy…

The demon then rushed me while his axe was brought down with even more strength. It landed on where I was supposed to be, and caved a gigantic amount of the earth…thankfully I dodged the blow by the skin of my teeth and managed to swing my blade at his left shoulder.

I actually managed to cut the damn thing. Not even a direct earth shattering smash did anything to him but this damaged and dull looking blade managed to cut it…

The beast then stopped and stood up.

“To be able to wound me…impressive.”

The demon then roared and grabbed the axe with both hands. Sending attacks with much more strength and even more killing intent.

Trying to block or parry any of his swings is a death sentence. I cautiously dodged the swings of the devil and retaliated every time I was able to. The hulking devil however didn’t waver and the scratches I caused him only made him pursue me with more resolve.

“Stand still human!” said the devil

“Euh I rather not…” I said while barely managing to evade another horizontal chop.

Good god this guy is fast.

I need to take this guy down I need more power…

I reached out to my state of equilibrium and forced the aura absorption part to overload.

I honestly can’t do anything here. Surrounded by thousands of demons, and devils of all kind…and this guy that I honestly think it to be a true devil lord...

The aura absorption was going at a rapid pace very rapid actually but I messed up something…

Aura absorbs the energy of the outer world…this is the blighted lands…while I failed to notice this at first I understood once the veins in my body began to throb…I absorbed too much demonic energy…

I dropped to my knees coughing huge amounts of blood.

“You can use aura? Human.” Said the devil who was now standing in front of me. “It’s been ages since I last saw anyone using it…however these lands are under our Overlord’s influence. You cannot harness its energy without suffering from the demonic atmosphere.”

I am seriously going to die here…I thought to myself as the skin of my body began to turn darker and the pain surged to uncontrollable amounts.

“Let me spare you of your misery. You were a fool for trying to fight this amount of my people alone…but at least you were a brave fool.”

The demon then raised his axe…and he stopped

Not only him…

Everything stopped…

I then heard a voice inside my head…a very familiar voice…

“Don’t let our name be tarnished by these feeble things…rise and bring them to their knees…and if it is power that you need. Then power is what you will get. Rise!”

My eyes began to throb, then the uncomfortable throbbing transformed into an intolerable amount of pain.

I screamed to the heavens in horror as time resumed and a golden light shone brightly from my eye sockets.

The standing devil was shocked for a moment then said

“That light! That power! What are you human?! No!" said the devil " Ashurian...”