Chapter 33 (Pain)

After several hours of excruciating pain, I began to feel numbed towards it. My body became sluggish, my muscles were tensed, and my bones were cracking. My whole body felt pain while my screams could only convoy a small portion of it. This was only few hours’ worth of this pain, I wonder what a hundred days could do…if I don’t turn outright mad I will be amazed at myself.

Beel looked worried, but he is a Devil, his worrying face means nothing to me, trusting him or even labeling him as capable of human emotion is a stupid idea, a devil should not be trusted, no matter what. He was trying to calm me down, by doing all various things, the bastard even started singing opera and jested about making a screaming competition to see who could scream loudest.

The pain was not subsiding, it was being muffled, ever so slowly as I gained a new ability.

Pain resistance.

Pain is what makes people feel that they are alive, yet sometimes too much of it will make people want to die.

(Passive)

Level 6/99

6% pain reduction

This ability was the result of experiencing painful agony for prolonged periods of time. It was leveling up quite fast too, I wonder if reaching the final level of this ability will grant me immunity towards pain…perhaps that will be most welcome…

So far I was crouching on the floor, huddling down like a ball, hugging my knees, though it is by no mean a way to reduce the pain, I still somehow feel better off staying like this. There is no helping it, I have nothing to do to make me shake it off so I have to suck it up and wait…

“Hey cursed one!” said the devil imprisoned near me, “You look in a lot of pain, though I don’t know what you did to trigger such an event I think I can help you somehow.”

I looked at him, half hoping that he was true, but fully knowing that I should not believe.

“No thank you, I got this.” I said sarcastically.

“Really? You look like you got nothing…well if you changed your mind I can help you out, I can even set us free from here at a mere whim, but you look like you could use some company”

…what a lying prick, if he was able to set us free he would have left the moment he was captured…

“I think I am fine here…” I said with the same tone as before.

“Suit yourself, if you ever need my assistance I can help” said the devil with a grin that almost reached his ears…quite creepy and shady as heck…

I ignored the thing and tried to find a way to release me from the pain. Thinking about it, it was right after when I entered the soul realm within me, if it could be called like that. Perhaps going back there will reduce some of the pain or nullify it, thanks to it being set within my subconscious.

I tried to concentrate on the task, but failed miserably, unable to fully focus, the pain would distract me from doing anything. I then gave up. If the pain resistance grows a bit more, perhaps I would have a better chance at entering it and verifying the theory.

More agonizing hours passed, while Beel would do nothing but look at me like an idiot. Time passed ever so slowly, but I could do nothing to hasten it…

Pain resistance

Level up

Level 7/99

7% Pain reduction

Another level up…but it seems that it is leveling up slowly now, the higher the level, the longer the pain I would need to feel for it to level up now.

Right before I finished that thought, a hulking demon appeared from thin air. He was about three meters tall, quite robust and looking threatening as heck, he had one eye, while his face, though looking like that of a demon, had quite the resemblance to a bulldog. The demon had a yellow eye while the other was scarred through, probably lost in a fight. He had a red skin and had no horns, they were mostly broken as their roots were still showing on top of his head. He was wearing a battle skirt, with a strap that was holding it from falling, which was on his shoulder. His hands had iron cuffs on them. He looked at me and said

I inspected him to know more about this thing, he clearly didn’t look like one of those death stalkers, probably a prisoner here in this hell?

Amon

(Arch devil)

Level

???

Hell’s Jailor.

Amon, an abomination of terror and fright, A mighty warrior and a devastator, one that finds joy in breaking his foes in battle and even outside it.

A former prince of hell that lost his status due to his failed attempt at trying to overthrow Asmodeus.

“Cursed one. You are being summoned to our lord’s presence.”

I did not reply, mostly because I had nothing to say, also because I was in so much pain I could barely speak right now.

A light then soon erupted from within the room, only to find myself in a big opening that extended as far as the eye could see. It was a limitless desert. My sense of direction was messed up, and the red sun was at its zenith making it impossible to know the directions.

Turning around I didn’t find the demon that escorted me here, I was alone…this is probably for the best.

I tried to walk away only to hear.

“Where do you think yourself going?” said a shuddering voice…

Looking back I saw Asmodeus hovering a feet above the ground, while his arms were crossed, his wings were not flapping, so he was hovering thanks to something else, an ability probably, the way he stood actually looked cool, he was quite imposing, but I really don’t have the time to think about how cool that would be and how jealous I am right now…

I replied to the demon saying,

“I just want to find a way out of this place, but it seems that everyone really wants it with me.”

The demon then snorted, saying.

“Who doesn’t, you are one of those that were granted eternity with minimal effort, do you think that those that risk their lives for a chance at it will think friendly of one that was given it for free?”

I am pissed now

“Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I wanted this? ‘THIS’ Was forced upon me! I never wanted to be immortal, to live this torment forever…”

“I care not, to be honest, though what I do care to know is how come you managed to reach all the way down here? It is impossible for a former human to breach the fifth circle. The guardian of that place is most vicious and devastating, a real god that was trapped here for trying to gain more power, power that was not his…”

He is speaking about Ravana I think…

“I killed him.”

The Arch devil looked at me with seriousness in his eyes, the atmosphere around him changed radically. He was relaxed and composed, now he looked prudent and on the prowl, though he didn’t move a muscle, I was able to sense the shift.

“You tell lies cursed one, lies that you cannot comprehend, and though I am not against lies, I hate it when they are used to deceive me. So tell the truth cursed one, how did you get here?”

“I told you the truth, I need not lie, Ravana died, and I was the one that killed him…the bastard was hard to kill though…very hard to kill.”

“Preposterous! There is no way a former human can do that! Die!”

Perception activated.

Time slowed down, but Asmodeus looked to be moving extremely fast even in the time slow effect, I had barely the time to use a shadow step to move out of the danger.

“For fuck sake!” I said

While my body felt to be about to explode. The pain from moving a single muscle is excruciating…god damn it, this was my fault, I should have tried that shit with the souls in another place…damn me.

“You dodged that? Interesting.”

Said the devil with a glint of excitement in his eyes, probably thrilled for a fight.

“God damn it! Now you sound like Abigor…”

This made the devil go for a pause asking

“How would you know? Though Abigor is a guardian of the second circle, he rarely shows himself or his attitude, how do you know of such quirk?”

“I fought him, and he won, many times, too many times actually…I got to know him like that…”

“To have fought Abigor is a great honor that one like you should take pride in…A great fighter he is…Show me the fruits of those fights!”

Due to being in pain I wanted way out of this so I said

“I can-“yet before the words could even come out

Perception activated.

God damn it!

Using another shadow step, I dodged to the left this time swinging my chain in a wide motion, trying to disrupt him form further attacking. the chain bounced off his skin harmlessly while dealing no damage at all…is his skin this hard or am I unable to exert any power?

“What was that weak strike right now? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE FUN OF ME CURSED ONE!”

The last words were said in a roar…god damn it, why do I have to suffer this shit every time…

The pain then soon followed, pain from using that swipe, made me want to rip off my arm for it to stop. I winced and dropped to my knees, even the fact that I fell was painful so this only added to my agony.

The Archdevil then got close to me, grabbing me by the throat saying.

“You are not fit to live. You are a liar and a fool. I wanted to test your mettle, but you failed me…you are blissed with the power to reject death, then what if you are stuck between?”

The devil’s other hand ignited in a red ominous flame…

This is probably the same as that black fire…there is no way for me to survive this…I am stuck, blocked unable to move, my body is not responding, the pain is too much, my skills are not functional, so I cannot escape, my abilities need time to be used and preparation which I don’t have…here and now, I am royally fucked…

There was one spell I could use to help me against this…fight fire with fire.

Right before he touched me with his flame, I pressed my arm on his wrist and used Abigor’s touch.

A spell with great delay, that deals enormous amounts of damage, and was the reason for my ability to defeat Ravana…perhaps that I will have died from the red flames too many times to count for it to take effect, but this is all I have, a sodding chance that I will somehow survive this…a chance that I will be spared agony to suffer more agony…

“What is this, cursed one? How come you have his flame?” said Asmodeus while his red fire stopped midway. He wanted answers, but saw that I was not speaking, then he noticed that his hand was preventing me form breathing.

Releasing me to fall on the ground with a hearable thud, I cringed from pain. I looked at him saying

“Like I said, he gave me that, and asked me to go and meet with the one below this circle. He said that he has all answers…answers that I needed to know, answers that will explain the idiocy of this world…”

The blue flames of Abigor soon covered the demon, and they began to take effect.

“I think now it is believable that you defeated Ravana…I know not how though, this spell only works when the enemy is in a vulnerable state…”

A roaring red flame soon covered the supreme arch devil, cleansing him from the blue flame. Once it subsided there was nothing of it left.

At least I know the limits of such a power…if I am unable to dwindle a great one’s life or get them in a weakened state then it will not work…Abigor is strong enough to do so, destroying the ones above, with his might and power, and using the flame to finish them…I am far from that level…way too far…

“Yet still, how was Ravana damaged enough for this to work? I care not, you seem to be a weakling. You probably used some trick to kill that bastard. Someone like you should not be honored with such a flame… too bad I cannot take it from you due to your curse…”

So the flame can be taken away…interesting.

“You look weakened, is it a price you paid for power?”

“Yes. And I can assure you I am wholeheartedly regretting it. The pain is really not that worth it to be honest…”

“Leave me, then, come back once your weakened state is removed, I need to see you prove your claims.”

I claimed nothing, all I did was the truth, but I won’t tell him that, it’s better if I get the chance to walk away from this right now…

The desert disappeared while I found myself back in my cell. The hulking demon Amon was there for a moment, and then disappeared.

Looking at Beel, I noticed that he was now sleeping on the floor, in a weird position… like a kid making a snow angel, his limbs were spaced in between. Fully relaxing in this small chamber, his light snoring was the only company I have in this dark place…

Trapped in a dungeon within a dungeon of seven circles, and outside this dungeon is an inferno ruled by hulking mindless demons. I became an immortal undead that sucks the souls of others while fighting gods and devils to assure my survival…I was but a high school boy a year ago…and now look at me…

I closed my eyes embracing the abyss, hoping that sleep would take me. It’s been a long time since I last slept…it’s been a long time since I last dreamt, it’s been a long time since I last was at ease…I miss my boring days back on earth…I truly miss them…