IMPORTANT AUTHOR PATCH NOTES:

Many had been saying they weren't happy the system wasn't giving much experience or levels for huge kills. Including Patreons.

Patreon finally hit the chapters that revealed the real reason why, and now having that info, I felt it was a good time to put it to a vote if I should retcon the leveling pace or if the original vision is interesting enough.

Results: After learning why the System leveling pace is how it is, the Patreons have voted nearly 8 to 1 to not change anything.

However, it is still a litRPG and the fun part is watching Wade get stronger with numbers going up. Not just in gear and tactics but actually as-a-person-stronger. I've gone a middle ground solution - The System will give one randomized bonus stat point for completing challenge gauntlets from now on, since this would be the seventh one he's completed.

It also lets me get to some more interesting future builds and Earth shenanigans faster than what I planned originally, and it fits with the in-universe game the System is playing. If anything, it's a rather cheeky way to give humanity a little bit more of an advantage.

Thus:

Defeating the Demon from last chapter has given Wade a bonus +1 in Intelligence! Future boss battles will equally always give Wade a random permanent stat point increase.

Now back to the chapter:

Level 36 Greater Infernal Essence - 100%

The demon was at least two feet taller than Wade. Whitish fur with a black undercoat covered the arms. Curved horns with lethally sharp tips above his head. A build that made him look more like a triangle, except the two legs equally looked powerful enough to kick his ribs in. His features looked semi-human at least. Like a goat's face crossed with man. More smushed inwards than a goat's would have been but more outwards than a human's.

Wade could immediately see where the level 36 came into play: The demon looked strong enough to pick him up and rip his arms off. Not to mention the horns could crack his skull like an egg. Or the demon just jerks his head to the side and lets the sharp points do the work. Nails looked more like black claws if anything. So there was another way for the demon to murder Wade.

Despite all that, the demon was nowhere near Eri's current level, so Wade felt somewhat secure here. Still, his hand tightened on his Glock.

The Satyr took a deep breath. Then, like watching a balloon deflate, the horns began curling back inwards, shrinking. The black undercoat fur lightened to silver white. His eyes began to morph from an amber yellow with a black stripe to a more human-like grey blue.

Wade's phone buzzed.

lmao rolling over to show his belly

"What?"

He's trying to make himself look less threatening, going for the old demon grandpa look. ( ˘▽˘)っ♨

That… wait, wasn't that a good sign?

The demon's transformation ended within a minute.

Finished, he looked more like an oversized elderly goat-demon with dull horns, one of which morphed into a sawed off end.

"So… demons can shapeshift?" He asked, keeping his voice in english just to be sure.

Even if this demon could speak more than demonic, nobody on Azdrial knew Earth english.

Within their species ofc.

Wade thought for a moment. They would, wouldn't they?

Zin looked human, and the two demons on the boat looked like an imp and another Satyr like this one.

Except there was one wrench - "Wait, the System called Zin a Greater Infernal Essence, and this guy's one too. So the System says they're the same species, but you're telling me there's different species. I need more details here Play. The math ain't mathing."

Demons are all matching pairs to mortal races. Humans have Fiends. Goblins have Imps. Elves have Fiends but with longer ears. Minotaurs have Satyrs. And so forth, except for beastkin. Only pure races get matching demonkind.

I bet to a lonely Minotaur girl out there, this hunk probably looks like prime beef (¬‿¬ )

The demon snorted, cracked his neck and cleared his throat. By now he had a full white beard and a more slouched over posture. "Right."

His voice was deep, like Wade expected from a giant Satyr looking demon. Even if he did look a lot less threatening now. But not so deep as to be a rasp. More… present? Commanding even.

Wait - can they change how their voice sounded too?

"You freed me. Then stuck around." The Satyr started. "Can't tell if you're here out of mercy or opportunity. Maybe both. Either way," He gestured vaguely at himself. "I'm not running. And I'm not taking a slave contract. So if you're going to put me down again, let's not drag it out."

Wade lowered his Glock slightly but kept his finger near the trigger. "Are you planning on trying a stunt to take our gear or are you willing to work together?"

There was a snort.

"I'm not stupid enough to make enemies under the mithril sea." He rolled his shoulder, testing the movement. "And I just spent months? A year? Who knows how long as a passenger in my own corpse. Right now, I'm trying to remember how standing works. So no. No stunts."

Eri tilted his head, greatsword still ready but lowered.

The giant demon took a step to the side, and almost stumbled, but rightened himself.

And then started a full exercise routine.

First, he tested steps, forward and backwards. Then small stretches. And so forth down the complexity.

It looked like goddamn yoga. For the elderly.

Wade stared as a genuine demon looked to be doing just about everything short of jumping jacks. "… what are you doing?"

"Basics." The demon bent one leg, testing his balance. "Muscle memory doesn't wait. Need to retrain how to move before something fast and hungry reminds me why that's a problem. I don't know you. Don't know what you want. I do know me, and my objective will be to escape out of here alive. And that starts with making sure I can walk without eating dirt."

The stretches were going from easy to more complicated, the demon clearly relearning how to move at a rapid pace. At the same time, he continued speaking. "So. Human, unless I'm seeing things. Mortal. Not beastkin, no smell of that on you."

"Uh, yeah. I'm human." Wade confirmed.

The demon snorted, then practiced finger drills, moving them each in every direction. "What's a human necromancer doing down here, alone? Nobody comes under the mithril sea unless they're sentenced, cursed, or monumentally stupid."

"Tour group took a wrong turn."

"Funny." The flat tone suggested it wasn't. "Did you know I was here? Am I your objective? I won't do a slave contract, I'll take my chances under the sea. You're wasting your time."

Wade shook his head, "No, had zero idea you were here." He stopped. "Well, was reasonably sure we'd run into Blackrotten demons down here eventually, but you're the first we chanced into. Fought some wolves earlier, and ran into a fungus looking thing in that building." He pointed. "Wouldn't recommend pitching a tent there."

The demon snorted again. But Wade was starting to think that was less body language and just something Satyr demons did. Like bulls. His language blessing hadn't whispered any kind of meaning behind the snorts.

"You're here alone, and you managed to kill me while I was fully blackrotten. Your abilities and spells were something I have never seen before. I lost track of you in that last lunge, I still can't understand what you did exactly." His gaze shifted to Eri, then back to Wade, and down at his Glock. "I recognize trouble when I see it. I'd rather not stick my horn into something that's bigger than I am."

"What do you mean?"

The demon straightened fully now, movements almost natural. "I'm making it clear I want nothing to do with whatever brought a master necromancer down here."

"And... how do you know I'm a master necromancer?"

The demon gave a third snort. "That." One eyebrow and head nod pointed to Eri, "You command it too well, too coordinated. Artisan work. You came here for a reason. Fine by me. I just want out. You've got business. I've got survival. Those don't need to overlap. I won't mention you to anyone, willing to swear to a contract on that without stipulation. Won't even remember your face if asked. If you need guarantees beyond my word, tell me now. Otherwise, we go our separate ways."

Wade glanced at his phone screen, where Play had typed out a long string of laughing emojis.

The demon thought he was some kind of badass necromancer, and running around here for some high level subterfuge reason. Perfect.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Actually, I do need something from you. A bit of the opposite to what you're asking about splitting ways, but not for evil reasons or anything like that. Survival reasons. I could use a guide here. Someone who knows the area." Wade holstered his Glock, but gave a nod to Eri. "Interested?"

The skeleton took the cue and kept his greatsword angled on his shoulder, ready to cleave just in case.

The demon on the other hand stopped mid routine. "You want... me? To guide you?"

"Unless you've got urgent appointments elsewhere."

The demon snorted again, louder this time. Wade's blessing whispered that this was actually a laugh. "Right. My social calendar's packed. Tea with the Blackrotten wolves at three, and there were some insects I planned to dine on from the mud later. Very exclusive." He paused, eyes narrowing down on him. "You're serious."

"Dead serious."

"…Are you seeking a guide to descend further down the circles?" He looked real nervous about that possibility.

"No, we're going up."

"Hmm." He looked far more relieved at that, but more confused. "You've got gear. You've got skill." He snorted, "But you don't know the way up? That's the first thing everyone that willingly comes down here would have researched."

"Well, I don't." He pointed to himself and then to Eri. "We fell down by accident. Just consider me more of a tourist that really did pick the wrong tour group."

"We?" The demon sniffed, giving Eri an odd look. The skeleton matched the look, then clicked his jaw once.

"Right now we're waiting for two of my friends to do something to help." Wade said, not noticing the little byplay.

"Ah, you have friends." The demon nodded. "Where are they?"

"They were on a boat last I saw them, should be tied right up there." He pointed at the mountain behind.

The demon turned to look. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, thinking. "These friends of yours, did they push you off the boat?"

"No, I slipped and fell off the mountainside."

The giant hummed. "A rope ladder should've been dropped before you hit bottom. That's basics. They didn't. So either your friends don't know what they're doing, or they know exactly what they're doing. I'd figure out which before you climb back up to them."

Okay, this might be more difficult to explain. "Uh, time has gone by, let's put it that way. Just imagine they got hit with a stasis spell or something and I was also left in stasis midway through the sea, and then a day later we all woke up. I fell down, they're still on the boat."

"… What?"

"It's complicated, but functionally works like I just said. Go with it."

The demon looked at him. Then at Eri, and specifically the greatsword the skeleton held. Then back at Wade. "I- ...You know what? Don't care. Sure, you fell. They didn't help. Now there's a magic stasis spell involved." He rolled his neck a second time, bones popping with this larger roll. He even grabbed a horn to really stretch the neck muscles out. "You say a day would have passed, moored to the side of the mountain?"

"Yeah, just about."

"What size was their boat? And the use?"

Wade remembered it looked like a more primitive fishing boat, except it had a cabin and a metal hull. But otherwise, wood deck and sail, the works. "Uhh, two manned boat. For fishing."

"Your boat's sunk. Unmanned smaller ship, sitting moored for a day?" He shook his head. "Wavewalls would've torn it apart. Four or five pass through daily, at least. Unless they're spectacularly lucky in having a full day's worth of waves all hit from the same direction the boat was braced against." The demon studied the mountain base. "Wreckage'll be down there somewhere. If your… 'friends' survived, there'll be tracks. If they didn't..." He shrugged. "You'll know that too. Anything else on your mind?"

"Wait-wait!" Wade said, trying to amend his story. Outright telling the Demon what actually happened might be easier at this point, but Wade wasn't even sure if this guy could be trusted or not. "Er, they weren't the only ones on this boat, there were two other demons there. And both of them wouldn't have been hit by stasis, we just asked to hold the boat in the same spot until a day passed."

The demon blinked at him. Wade's blessing of translation really wasn't needed here since he could just tell the amount of 'what the fuck is this human even talking about?' going through his head.

Eri clicked his jaws a few times, finding the situation getting hilarious. Wade waved him away. "Laugh it up asshole, you try talking about insane things like this."

The demon watched Wade snap at his own undead. "I've seen men talk to rocks before for company. Usually takes a month of isolation first, minimum. You're ahead of schedule."

Wade looked back at the demon. "What do you mean?"

The demon snorted. To him, it was one thing to see a necromancer dress up their puppet - but to have it move and talk back as if it had any sense was something he knew better than to poke holes at. especially a necromancer this capable.

"Nothing. I've seen worse ways to stay sane." Mortals had their heads on in twisted ways that never failed to surprise him every few years. He turned his attention back to the mountain. "Wavewalls are still your problem. They might have thought they could stay in the area for the day, but no captain takes chances sinking. A few unlucky harsher waves might have broken something and forced them back to port to repair."

New Personal Quest: Reunite - Travel to the Ring City of Zakka. Rewards: Possible allies. Non-Player refugee options.

Wade cursed under his breath. The System had thrown him a huge hint here, but it also confirmed Illy and Leon weren't here to help him out of this and were likely at this Zakka city. Which meant his earlier prayer that they'd appear on the boat instead of out here over the sea had been heard, and the monkey's paw had curled on that.

His phone started buzzing non-stop, likely Play jumping on her couch now that they'd be traveling under the mithril sea and fighting everything in a mile radius the whole way.

"And uh, do you know how far away that might be?"

The demon snorted. "Not yet. We'll need to follow the trail back to the centerline and find a signpost."

"The what?"

"Which part confused you, human?"

"Uh, all of it. What trail? What's the centerline, and how are there signposts down here?"

"...You really are lost down here. Very well. I accept." He turned, then knelt down so he was more eye to eye with Wade. "I am Bael, I offer a contract to guide you under the mithril sea, on condition that our ultimate destination is safety above. While traveling together, we will do our best to protect one another from all danger. No more, no less. Agreed?"

A hand was reached out.

Wade shared a glance with Eri, and the skeleton gave a slight shrug, then patted his sword. Wade nodded, and grabbed the goat demon's hand, giving it a shake.

"Deal. My name is Michael Wade, call me Wade. And the skeleton there is Eri."

Bael snorted, eyes moving from Eri back to Wade a few times earlier. "You are very dedicated to that bit. Can't say the puppet show isn't entertaining. You know your craft well."

"What show?"

Bael snorted again, laughing this time. "Right. What show." He straightened up, rolling his shoulders. "First things first - do you know any cities around here? Or remember passing any on your way down?"

Wade had two names. One from the alchemy quest, and the other had shown up just now. "I know there's a ring city named Zakka, and a floating city named Dalrithi. Any of these two ring a bell?"

Bael, once more, snorted. And this time Wade could tell it was something closer to a nod. "That works."

He knelt down and with a finger started to trace something in the mud.

It looked like a large S-shaped ameba squiggle, with a few offshoot limbs. "This is the stone peaks range, the region we're in. They're filled with the most dense mountain peaks, with seven ringed cities scattered in a rough line from top to bottom."

He put seven dots inside the shape. Then he tapped one of the furthest dots north. "That would be where Zakka is, roughly. So we are in this general area. You're in luck, navigating the Range is simple compared to the other two regions." Weaving around the dots, he drew out a line that curved in the center of the S shape. "There is only a single path here to look for. It's called the centerline. An old main road made of rocks that connected all the villages that used to exist here, it's at the bottom of the valley."

He added a few more squiggles moving away from the centerline, like veins branching off the main one. "All roads lead down to it eventually." Then, he stood up, and pointed a finger down further away past the mud and ruins of the village around. Wade could see a faint trail-like rock path leading into the shadow of the mountain. "You can see parts of the trail here, we follow those away from the village behind us and we'll hit the centerline. Once we make it, we pick a direction and walk until we find either a signpost, or end up looking out into the Stretch, in which case we picked the wrong direction and are here." He tapped the very edge of the range, above the last dot where he'd indicated Zakka existed.

"The Stretch?" Wade asked.

Bael paused. "That tourist group you came with failed miserably. I would demand my money back, were I you."

"Admittedly, my source of info hasn't…" Wade tried to speak but found his voice cut. Right. Of all places to not mention anything about the demon butler, it would be to another demon. "A moonwing elf is the main source of info, and she explained the mithril sea, but she's never been down here herself. We also didn't have that much time to get the full debrief. Lot going on."

"A moonwing mercenary?"

"Yeah, she says she's a paladin-in-training."

Bael hummed to himself, "A paladin-in-training. Odd. Moonwings don't usually let the young ones take contracts, prideful mortals. Too much risk they'll embarrass their Flight. But fine, I'll work with this."

He drew a much larger circle around the original S-shaped ameba. Then scribbled what looked to be a really fat half-moon, and further down he made a smaller circle.

"This is the entire world." He stood then motioned to the full circle that enveloped the three landmasses. "The first circle of hell is mostly flat, filled with dunes or oasis points. That's where civilization used to be. Underground cities, surface temples, the works. Only three regions had mountain ranges that climbed truly high into the sky." He tapped each of the inner squiggles in turn. "The Stone Range where we are, The Crescent Lands, and the Inland Core. A few more mountains and peaks exist on the first circle; none are tall enough to reach above the mithril sea, and so they don't matter. The Crescent Lands technically is also a circle like the inland Core, but the mountain ranges within the crescent are on a downwards slope, they don't reach past the mithril sea. Thus, they also don't matter. In all of the nine circles of hell, only these three regions can be inhabited, and only on the upper peaks of them all."

He then tapped the open space in between the regions. "The regions may look close to each other on my drawing. They're not. Hundreds of miles of nothing between each one. This is called the Dying Stretch. You'll know the Stretch when you see it. Stand at the edge of the Range, look out - the view goes on forever. That's your warning not to go that direction. Remember, we're already high up, the view is vast."

"And why the, uh, ominous name?" Wade asked. 'Dying Stretch' sounded like there were monsters lurking out there. And that was probably a lot less hyperbole.

Bael shrugged. "Ships can't sail through the Stretch, the trip is too long. Everyone dies in the attempt. Without mountains to take cover, a Wavewall will inevitably sweep them off course, and sink it under the mithril sea. And when you reform down here in the Stretch? No rescue ships. No supply caches. No safe peaks to climb. Just flat desert and caves full of Blackrot. You get bit, you turn feral, and you wander those tunnels forever." Another pause. "Death after death without dying. That's why. No captain or crew would ever be stupid enough to try sailing for another region."

"Damn, how do you even travel between regions then?"

"We don't." Bael said with a flat tone. "These three regions may as well be seperate worlds. If you aim to travel to another as a demon, it will be through mortals summoning you, and then returning back to hell in a different area. But once you do that? You're stranded there. No going back."

Wade had a sudden odd thought. "Are you from the stone peaks?"

"Demons live long lives. You'll end up stranded in all the regions sooner or later. Could be by accident, dying while summoned, wrong place, wrong time, pick your poison. Most of us prepare for it. Leave supplies, contacts, reputation - something to build from next time you reform somewhere. So to answer your question; it doesn't matter. You only keep what's in your head in the end. Fortunately, I am a forgesmith, and a skilled one." He tapped one of the city dots on the map, further away from Zakka. "There's shops that will remember me at Ulmir where I worked before a few decades ago. It will be like picking up an older life I left behind. I will be fine, I was only waiting for a chance to make the escape attempt back up. And hoping my blackrot didn't lead me out into the Stretch."

"Wait, how did you know you were in this region instead of others? Do you all just memorize every nook and cranny of all three?" Geoguessers would absolutely kill for that kind of memorization ability.

"Signposts, mortal. I spent months roaming down here feral, I've seen enough to recognize the region." The demon snorted, then stood. "You'll see in a moment. We'll confirm your boat's fate first."

"No need." Wade said, "I'm pretty sure they're at this Zakka city."

Also, there wasn't a hint of boat wreckage anywhere near the foot of the, well, rest of the mountain upwards. Bael seemed to know that, and probably suggested the investigation just to be polite.

"Then we make our way to the centerline. It won't be long until we're beset by Blackrot. Prepare yourself."

Wade's phone buzzed. He slowly pulled it out and checked the message.

Don't forget to hunt and murder absolutely everything that moves down here ♡(>ᴗ•) If the System's not letting you level up the proper way, we'll get that stat sheet stacked up one point one at a time another way~

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