[Name: Ozymandias]
[Title: Monster Hunter II, Omen of Death, Demon Lord of the Forgotten Abyss, Demon King (Pending)]
[Talent: Soul Overlord]
[Perks: Tier I, Silver Flame I, Will of Steel I, STD Free, Immense Cursed Energy III, Shrine, Truesight, Divine Presence, Magic Resistance, Immortality, Golden Tongue, Telepathy, Outsider Physiology, Holy Flame, Boon of Fortitude, Godslayer II, Boon of Speed, Godly Magic]
[HP: 990/990]
[MP: 1882/1882]
[CE: 1699/1699]
[Strength: 49]
[Agility: 49]
[Physique: 49]
[Intelligence: 49]
[Wisdom: 49]
[Sorcery: 49]
[Skills: Expand]
[Immunity: Psychic III, Poison I, Radiant I]
[Resistances: Acid II, Thunder II]
[Weaknesses: None]
[Currency: 27522 Dream Points]
As expected, Eden's Boon of the Archmage had disappeared, or rather evolved into Godly Magic.
As for the Boon of Speed, even a 50% increase in movement speed meant he was extremely fast with his wings. Although it did not translate into such a big increase in attack speed, it would still be affected. It also meant that running from him was even harder now, even without his domain.
More importantly perhaps was the effect of making him harder to catch. Once a domain's sure hit effect was taken away, this could shine. And more importantly, once Eden managed to kill another God, which was well in his plans, he could get the superior version. When used alongside his Talent's danger sense, his dodging capacity would become unrivaled.
However, alongside all this, he also felt a sort of tightness in his core being, like he was being stuffed to the brim. He understood that he was stuffing too much power into a limited form, and the more Perks he got, the worse it became. It was still manageable, but it was getting worse.
On another note, Eden's MP had finally gone above his Cursed Energy. With a pool of 1882, and an MP regeneration ten times faster than normal, Eden now recovered passively 39 MP per minute, or 0.65 MP per second.
And that was passively, in a neutral environment.
With this done, Eden finished his rest in his demiplane, and reappeared in the Abyss after a full recovery, and a rather considerable power up.
It did not take him long to find an interesting Layer as well.
Layer 222nd was the realm of two of his challengers, which was quite something considering only less than a couple dozen challengers were left after he dealt with the Bugbear deities. Even though only the Demigod of the two had been a challengers, it was certainly common knowledge the two hunted together. Besides, killing that Demigod alone would have been impressive enough.
The two challengers on this layer were in the middle of a fight when Eden arrived. Neither were humanoid in any regard, one being a giant expanse of rotting mass, and the other a giant shapeless ooze, constantly shifting in an unsettling manner.
They both continuously smashed into each other, and both exuded an aura of vile darkness. They were so disgusting to look at it became magical, a true antithesis to what Eden had become. He embodied beauty, and they embodied revulsion.
These two were Juiblex and Zuggtmoy, two powerful Demon Lords. Two of the most powerful Demon Lords, actually. Below Yeenoghu, but still high in the hierarchy.
Eden would normally first speak to them, to see if they would join his side, but the revulsion he felt was such that he directly took out the Wand of Supreme Fear, and repeatedly cast Starburst on the two beings.
They were both resistant to fire damage, but not to radiant damage, meaning they took full damage. He also had the spells explode to their largest size, so there was no escaping.
Eden had 1882 MP, and each cast of Starburst took 281 MP for 495 damage, doubled by the wand. Eden directly cast it six times, his limit, and the ground under him exploded continuously, the top layer vaporizing.
Perhaps because of the consecutive casts, or the inherently inflammable nature of this layer of the Abyss, the white flames lingered for a while, but Eden felt clearly the two Demon Lords' souls become attached to him.
They were not enough to generate a side mission, but their souls were enough proof that he had killed them. Their challenges were also taken back.
Taking a few minutes to recover his mana, Eden continued on his way up the Abyss.
After a while, he reached the 193rd layer, where his next challenger awaited. However, as he teleported over to that layer, he did so about a hundred meters above his challenger, since he could feel it was a deity. He may have killed one, he reminded himself he should remain cautious.
Deities had become much more interesting than Demon Lords to him. When he first escaped the Forbidden Layer of the Abyss, Eden had planned to use the help of Demon Lords to take down the Dead Three, to be safe, but now that he had realized that he had underestimated himself, gathering forces to take the Dead Three down no longer felt as important a task as it used to.
Instead, his personal gain, through the murder of deities, or earning the title of Demon King once and for all, became more important. This renewed his interest in personally slaying the Dead Three too, since they would most certainly reward him Perks too.
This layer of the Abyss was not exceptionally large, and was mostly taken by a giant palace. Descending towards it, Eden spotted many male servants, from humans, elves and other similar races, as well as fox-women.
And at the center of them all was another fox-woman, this one more beautiful than any of the others, her charm rolling off of her in waves, enrapturing all those around her. She was a foxy woman, in all senses of the term, dressing in revealing clothes, adorned with precious accessories. The feeling Eden got from here was actually quite similar to the charm the Player Lady Phoenix had been exuding when they first met.
[Name: Eshebala]
[Title: Queen of Foxwomen, Goddess of Charm, Goddess of Intrigue, Goddess of Wealth]
[Talent: ?]
[Perks: Tier III, Illusionary Spirit III, Foxy Mind III, Divine Sight, Superior Regeneration, Domain of Charm]
[HP: 800/800]
[MP: 2835/2835]
[Strength: 70]
[Agility: 90]
[Physique: 80]
[Intelligence: 105]
[Wisdom: 105]
[Immunity: Poison III, Bludgeoning III, Slashing III, Piercing III]
[Resistances: None]
[Weaknesses: None]
Floating a few meters in front of Eshebala, Eden saw surprise in her features. Unaware of what about him had caused it, he offered, "I'm giving you a chance to take down your challenge. If we fight, I'm not sparing you. Your choice."
Several male servants around the room looked outraged, but they disappeared with a snap of Eshebala's fingers. Her smile, sultry, widened, showing perfect white teeth, though with sharp canines, and she cooed, "I must apologize, I expected the would-be Demon King to be a disgusting Tanar'ri, not a hunky Solar."
Eden paused, his eyes once more traveling over her body, though this time not looking for weaknesses. Eshebala grinned, her robes slipping off of her, only her accessories remaining, her long red hair barely covering her chest as she said, "I do have a battle for you, though probably not the one you expected."
---
Divine Boons were good, but a distraction from everything that had happened was invaluable. Eden ended up spending three whole days on that layer, earning Eshebala's recognition.
Honestly, he could have brought her to his demiplanes to have those three days turn into a few minutes of real time, but wasting that time felt better than any sex could, and that was saying something now that he had experienced Eshebala's touch.
Still, for literally hundreds of years he had been working every hour of the day on a goal, singlemindedly, and purposefully wasting three days meant a lot.
Still, he had a job to finish.
Twelve layer later, Eden met Laogzed, a Demigod of Gluttony and Destruction. And unfortunately for him, he neither looked as good as Eshebala, nor did he take to his visit as kindly.
Eden got an Epic Boon from him, which he chose to be the Boon of Irresistible Offense.
The next interesting layers were adjacent to each other, the 177th and 176th. One housed Ugudenk, an absolutely giant worm that appeared to be never ending. It had to be at least a kilometer long, and might be even longer than that. It was also an absolute tank, a moving mountain, and completely dumb, so Eden did not bother with it, directly teleporting to the 176th.
The 176th Layer, or at least where Eden appeared, was a seemingly endless span of a white, flat, rocky desert, one that was absolutely featureless. There was virtually no hills or valleys, just a flat expanse. The sky was not any better, lacking any stars. It looked like a world that had been left unfinished.
However, there was a rather large city where Eden had appeared. One made nearly exclusively of metal, and with a weird and chaotic architecture that seemed to lack any sense or rhythm. Things were not where there were supposed to be, the foundations uneven and all over the place, and yet, somehow, the city held itself together. It somewhat felt like the pirates' cove back in Pirates of the Carribean.
Unfortunately, the Demon Lord owning it was apparently not present, but they did feel powerful. His Superior Truesight picked up traces of power, in a way. Anyway, since they were not there, Eden continued on his way up.
A few layers above was the realm of another Lesser Deity, Chemosh, a God of Undeath. He looked human, though he was faceless. Eden was slightly disappointed he did not want to fight, but since that was the case, he left him be. That was not a right reserved to sexy fox-women.
Fortunately, a few layers up, there was another master of undeath who did want to fight.
The 113th Layer was one feared by many in creation, for it was home of what was perhaps the most feared of all Demon Lords, Orcus. It was a land of ruin and death, the only forms of existence allowed to exist being undeads.
Orcus was possibly the most intimidating being Eden had ever faced. He had climbed through the ranks of the Abyss, and looked vaguely humanoid, but his skin was entirely red, his head was that of a dead ram's, his legs the hooves of a goat, his wings somewhere between bat and draconic, and he sported a long tail covered in spikes.
[Name: Orcus]
[Title: Prince of the Undead, Blood Lord, Lord of Specters, Master of Vampires, Demon Lord of Thanatos, Keeper of Everlost, Master of the Last Word, Tenebrous]
[Talent: ?]
[Perks: Tier II, Strength of the Dead II, Undead Resilience II, Spirit of Destruction II, Vile Spirit II, Truesight, Telepathy, Magic Resistance II, Master of Undeath, Domain of Undeath]
[HP: 1840/1840]
[MP: 2835/2835]
[Strength: 85]
[Agility: 25]
[Physique: 75]
[Intelligence: 75]
[Wisdom: 50]
[Immunity: Necrotic II, Poison II, Bludgeoning II, Slashing II, Piercing II]
[Resistances: Cold II, Fire II, Lightning II]
[Weaknesses: None]
Orcus was extremely powerful for a Demon Lord, arguably more powerful than any other. He was also a master of undeath, capable of bringing powerful undead servants to him, and assault his enemies with an army. Interestingly enough, much like Eden, he could not be judged solely through his attributes. He even had a domain, something unprecedented for a mortal creature.
Eden estimated Orcus to be somewhat above the level of a Demigod, though slightly below a true Deity. A very early Tier III in combat prowess. And Eden was someone who had killed real gods.
They both knew it, yet Orcus still looked up defiantly, his challenge to Eden's claim unchanged, for Orcus did not bow. He raised his wand, made of a giant spine and a skull still attached to it, and that exuded powerful necrotic energy.
As he was about to cast something however, someone suddenly teleported between the two of them, holding up both hands.
He was about the same height as Eden, just a bit under three meters tall, and he looked like a handsome man. His skin was obsidian black, though it shone with a luster that made it look beautiful rather than ominous. He did not appear armed, and he was dressed in a long, elegant robe that exuded magical power.
[Name: Graz'zt]
[Title: The Dark Prince, Demon Lord of Azzagrat, The Shadow King, The Prince of Pleasure, The Lord of the Forbidden Pleasures]
[Perks: Tier II, Demonic Might II, Fiendish Resilience II, Spirit Mountain II, Glass Mind II, Truesight, Telepathy, Magic Resistance II, Teleport]
[HP: 1045/1045]
[MP: 1840/1840]
[Strength: 60]
[Agility: 26]
[Physique: 55]
[Intelligence: 80]
[Wisdom: 55]
[Immunity: Poison II, Bludgeoning II, Slashing II, Piercing II]
[Resistances: Cold II, Fire II, Lightning II]
[Weaknesses: None]
Orcus stopped himself from what he had been about to do, staring at the newcomer as he asked in a gravely voice, "You've come here to die as well, Graz'zt?"
No one, and perhaps not even himself, knew whether he spoke of himself or Eden in those about to die.
Graz'zt ignored him, performing a mock bow directed at Eden as he greeted, "Your Majesty, it is my pleasure to finally meet you. Although, I must admit, I was doubtful when I first heard you were a Solar. What a truly unique situation."
Eden cocked an eyebrow at the devil-like Demon Lord, floating down slowly as he said, "I know of you as well, Graz'zt, which begs the question: why would a proud Demon Lord, who has been vying for the title of Prince of Demons for thousands of years, suddenly bow down before me? I know your kind does not know fear."
Orcus flapped his own wings, gaining altitude while the countless undead around them grew agitated as he growled, "I tire of your games and schemes, Graz'zt."
Graz'zt threw a charming smile at Orcus, which seemed to make the Blood Lord repulsed, and replied, "The love is mutual."
He turned back to Eden, his six-fingered hands joining in his back as he revealed, "Demons being unable to feel fear is actually a misconception, and I do not wish to die a pointless death. When you killed Obox-Ox, I thought a strong contender for the title of Prince of Demons had appeared. When you started slaying deities though, that's when I understood I was in over my head."
"Then you are the most reasonable demon I have met. The others had me beat them to near death before I had them submit." He cast a glance at Orcus saying that, who looked back defiantly.
Graz'zt chuckled, the Demon Lord managing to make it sound fake, like it had been practiced over and over, but that still fell short of the real thing, "Yes, I heard about Yeenoghu. But I have come to warn you of grave matters, Your Majesty."
Flattery was about the last thing that would work on Eden, but Graz'zt did appear to have important information, so he nodded for him to continue.
"Demogorgon, unlike Orcus, knows when he is beat, but he is not the kind of give up either. He has been gathering allies in the Gaping Maw, and although I'm sure no amount of mortals could truly challenge you, his allies also includes deities, who have come to consider you a threat."
Eden frowned, and focused on the challengers. He could feel their approximate location, and they did not appear to be gathered. However, he chanted softly, "I cast Foresight."
Foresight was a 9th Level Spell, or 5th Circle, which allowed its user to see slightly ahead in the future for 8 hours. It was quite the powerful spell, although it did not suit Eden much since he had his danger sense.
Foresight only allowed one to see less than a second into the future, and with the temporal dilation to his senses that also came with his Talent, Eden's Talent actually had a better effect on predicting attacks than Foresight did.
Much like Truesight, however, Foresight also had effects not seen in the games, and that was to divine any sort of matter. It was not potent enough to find someone with no information, which was why Vlaakith still lived, but if he already had information to work off of, here Graz'zt's revelation and Eden's own sense of where his challengers were, it worked better.
And indeed, as the divination spell activated, Eden found something amiss with most of his challengers. They did not appear to be near each other in any way, but he guessed they were in Demiplanes as they had all been to the Gaping Maw, Demogorgon's layer, recently.
Placing his attention back on the two Demon Lords, Eden nodded, "Indeed, they do appear to have been preparing a trap."
Graz'zt pointed at Orcus, who looked ready to smash his wand, which also worked as a mace, on his fellow Demon Lord, and entreated, "While you certainly are sublimely powerful, facing several Demon Lords and Deities on your own might be… unnecessary. But since you have been gathering allies, I'm sure you know that already."
Eden rolled his eyes at Graz'zt words, groaning, "Speak plainly for fuck's sake, I'm not a pretentious child. I'm not going to lash out and kill you if you say something I don't like."
Orcus sneered at his fellow Demon Lord, while Graz'zt bowed once more, his smile never disappearing.
"I must apologize then. My offer is obvious enough then, isn't it? We form our own army, and take down Demogorgon."
Eden nodded, asking, "And what is it that you want? Surely you would rather go back to the old status quo, where you had a chance to become Prince of Demons, than have me win. What's the point of being a prince if there is a king, after all."
Graz'zt was about to say something, but Eden continued, "And even ignoring that, surely you cannot expect me to grant you the title once I become king, since others would challenge that, and frankly, I'd rather not have a Prince of Demons than have my most powerful Demon Lords fighting one another for the title."
The point was void of interest since Eden would be leaving this world, but they did not know that.
Orcus butted in, his weapon now fully lowered, a rare sign of peace from the Prince of the Undead, "I care not for that title. However, I am not against an alliance."
Eden nodded, Orcus being one of the few Demon Lords he had researched before coming to this mission world. Although it had been over 500 years since then, Eden's 49 Intelligence and Wisdom granted him a superior memory, so he remembered the Demon Lord's true goal.
"I can grant you one of the divinities I got when I killed deities, but they probably would not suit you. However, I intend to kill the Dead Three in the near future, so surely one of theirs' would suit you."
Orcus' skull head was hardly capable of showing any emotions, but Eden still felt contentment from him, another side effect of Foresight working alongside Eden's Telepathy.
As for these divinities, they were what made a god one. Even Eden did not fully understand them, but whenever he killed deities, their power would also transfer over, since it was attached to their souls.
Turning back to Graz'zt, he asked, "What about you? What is it that you wish?"
Graz'zt looked carefully at him, expressing his wish, "Divinity sure sounds tempting, but before anything else, I have another ally that could aid our cause immensely. An Archmage turned Archfey, and my love, Iggwilv."
Eden paused at that name, because he knew it.
Iggwilv was the real name of Tasha.