The walk to the Walking Corpse was rather uneventful thankfully.

Dante was glad to see Oscar as they walked into his shop.

Together they walked up to the counter with warm and joyous greetings from Oscar. "I was worried when you did not accept my friend request. But I see that my fears were misplaced. What can I do for you?" Oscar stated.

Dante smiled, "I had some business to discuss with you.” Dante stated whilst holding out his hands and indicating towards the no longer quite so tall four armed enderman.

"Ah I see. But first, I would like to teach you something that I have granted few others. Come." Oscar said as he motioned for them to follow him to the back rooms. As they passed through the door, Dante saw one of Oscar's simulacrums take his place at the counter of the Walking Corpse.

Dante and Califa followed Oscar to a large black metal table not too far back from the door they had entered through. There they found standing next to it were several individuals who were currently in processing a large number of small and mid sized corpses.

There seemed to be the corpses of both monster's and animals alike, each corpse having a different level of damage to it. "This is where I shall teach you to properly process the animals and monster's that you find. Well the small and mid sized game anyway." Oscar smiled as he took up a cutting knife and the corpse of what appeared to be a golden rabbit.

“You might recognize this rabbit. It's the same material your hat is made from Dante. Though not many usually dye it, as it's primarily bought for its color.” Oscar said, eliciting a look of confusion then realization from Dante.

“Oh yeah...I guess this is the same kind of creature it said the material came from.” Dante said.

The rabbit appeared to have had its head crushed. Oscar with expert precision used his lower set of arms to spread the legs of the rabbit out like a starfish, allowing him easy access to its vulnerable stomach. He cut the rabbits chest and stomach cavity open long ways and then using his free hand plucked the rabbits guts out. He reached over without looking and dropped the guts into what appeared to be a black metal trash can. Being curious, he walked over and did not find what he had expected.

Around the top of the trashcan were small glowing runes carved into the metal producing a small shield-like effect that kept a raging fire inside the can. What unnerved Dante was when he looked in, a face formed from the flames and stared back at him. He stepped back over to Oscar all the while being watched by the living flame.

He turned and asked Oscar, "Fire elemental as a living incinerator?"

His question elicited a chuckle from Oscar, "You are quite right. What do you think? Sometimes I also use slimes for this purpose." Oscar asked his four hands, seeming to continue their work independently from him.

"I think they are both great ideas, but are there some other purposes behind it?"

Oscar's smile grew ever wider, "How very perceptive of you. When the flame has consumed enough it shall be trapped within a small gem and sold to any who would want it. Mainly old wizards running experiments and adventures going someplace cold." Oscar remarked as he spoke, pausing for a moment before continuing. "As for the slimes, they are bound for similar life. When the slimes consume enough they divide, thus we then can create another waste disposal can or use it for any of a dozen other purposes."

Dante had a thought. He willed his stetson to return to its normal golden coloration. "This is a golden rabbit and this hat was made from golden rabbit fur. Can I find more rabbits like this in this zone?" Oscar paused for a moment as having seen the hat change colors he decided to inspect it.

Dante felt a gentle feeling wash over him, and then Oscar's face turned dark. He handed the partially processed golden rabbit to one of the others who had just finished processing their own carcass.

"Come with me." Oscar said his once joyous choir-like voice was replaced by one that reminded Dante of the dark version of a church organ. Oscar pointed to Califa stating, "Stay and learn there is a matter of great importance that I must discuss with Dante."

Oscar grasped Dante by the arm and pulled him along towards the office he had seen earlier with his simulacrum making scrolls. They entered the mid sized room, though it felt rather small for them. Oscar shoving Dante into the room first then entering himself. He closed and locked the door behind him as he slowly turned to adress Dante.

"Show me, Now!" His voice was calm but he stressed that single word. Dante reached up and willed his crown to return to its normal form. He felt fear, worry, and anxiety beginning to emanate from the crown. Slowly, he gently removed the crown from his head.

Then he extended out his hands holding the crown out for Oscar. He had nothing to hide from him, and so he would oblige his anxious friend.

Oscar did not immediately move. Instead his eyes shifted from Dante to the crown and back again, and again. "He will destroy me!" The crown began to grow hot in Dante's hands.

"Oscar, I am your friend and I am doing this to maintain your good faith. Please do me the courtesy of not breaking the crown." Dante said to Oscar who said nothing. Oscar raised up his upper arms and was about to grasp the crown. Dante felt as the crown did not grow hotter but yet he felt it was going to do something.

"Crown." Dante simply said, Oscar's hands stopped as he looked up from the crown towards Dante.

"Give him no reason to lose faith in me. Your King commands it!" Dante spoke with authority as he looked directly at the crown daring it to disobey. He felt as if the crown was all at once cool again.

He nodded and Oscar grasped the crown slowly pulling it from his grasp. Testing to see if he would refuse in the end to hand it over.

With little hesitation he allowed the crown to leave his possession. As Oscar gave a thorough visual inspection to the crown, Dante spoke up. "When I met the Crimson King he frightened me." Oscar's eye's darted immediately toward Dante inspecting every minute detail of his face for a lie.

"I could do little more than walk forward. When it came to it he questioned me and I revealed something I hadn't wished to. He spoke of my family and friends as burdens. In the heat of that moment I yelled at him. He got angry and then that corpse struggled from his throne onto his feet. I realized that the only way was forward and so forward I walked. One step at a time. He swung out and so did I, only I wasn't a stiff corpse." Dante paused, allowing for Oscar to respond.

Oscar breathed deep through his nose, "I believed my sense of smell to be playing tricks on me when I smelled his stench lingering upon you, but also I can sense something of him within you." Oscar securely held the crown vertical with his four hands as he spoke.

"I got the first hit in. My punch lifted him off his feet, because he was so light. The crown flew off and he fell to the ground. Later he tried and nearly succeeded in possessing me. After the crown became mine, it drew him out." Oscar's gaze was piercing and all encompassing.

"Where did he go?!"

“He’s…” However, a moment after he had begun, a blade appeared in one of Oscar's hands and was immediately upon his throat.

“Choose your words very carefully Dante!” He said with venom in his normal choir-like voice.

He felt his crown's fear and anger through their connection, and his order did not change, "No Reason!" he stated clearly for all of them to hear. He did not move, he barely breathed. All he did was cast his gaze toward his now open inventory. "He is imprisoned. And his prison is in a side pocket of my inventory I’m not allowed to access it. Im supposed to go get what's left of him cleansed from me at a church before sundown.” Slowly Oscar removed the long blade from Dante's throat.

The blade disappeared and Oscar held out the crown for Dante to take. All the while he was still giving him a discerning gaze. Dante took the crown and it became a black stetson hat as he placed it once more upon his head.

"I am a wanted man." Dante clearly stated, "His followers have been given a task to kill me. I was told by a system representative that they would be here to kill me in about 2 and a half weeks. I was told to grind my ass off and so I shall." Oscar's eye's narrowed upon him.

Oscar sighed, letting his shoulder's droop for a moment before responding, "I know you have skipped over much of the detail, but none of what you have stated to me was a lie. Allow me to help you end this tyrant...I would be ever grateful to you for allowing me to close that chapter of my life once and for all. Be sure to come back to my shop with any loot you find. I will help you grow strong!" Oscar declared, and Dante nodded. But something still bugged him.

"Why do you hate him so bad? I know he's a bad person but from what I was told he's been locked up for over 40,000 years. I never did ask, how old are you Oscar?"

"The reason for my hatred is not due to the king directly, but his followers. They came to my world 1,500 years ago and begged for our aid. Told us that they were being hunted. That their king had been locked away though he had done no wrong! We felt we had to protect them and so we did. Then those who hunted them arrived and war broke out. We defended them for 50 years! Until a chance encounter revealed that we had been played for fool. But by then it was too late, my father, my mother, my sisters and brothers! All dead! Not from the war but from the followers of the Crimson King striking them down when they questioned them. They made the blood of my family, their very flesh, to crystal, and then they shattered them! That is why I hate them...." Oscar paused to take a breath and to calm down before he answered the last of the question.

"As for my age, I am 3,450 of your years, old. 2,000 if you don't count my time in here. The contract I signed counts only the time outside this place, but I don't mind that.

"Alright, that fills in some blanks. I see now why you were so happy to see them again. Then shall we go get Califa and head to a church. Got any in mind?" Oscar for the first time in several minutes smiled, "I do."

Dante took off his hat and reached down into it pulling the key from his crown's inventory. "I think this would be better in your hands. It's the...'' Dante was interrupted as Oscar snatched the key from his hands.

"The key to his throne room? Please explain this." Dante felt the anger in his words but understood at least in part the reason behind them.

"The Crimson King tried a last ditch effort to win. He evoked a skill to possess me, the cost was that his body turned to dust. He became mana I guess. And though I resisted the initial possesion, he was slowly corrupting my mana. When the crown became mine he made his move, but the crown poured him into one of it's gems then dropped him. It told him he was no longer its king. That's why you can still smell some of him on me, a bit of his mana is still in me. I gained an affinity for blood. Even after he was driven out, that and the skill remained." Dante finished his little recap for Oscar.

"Skill?" Oscar asked, his smooth face growing wrinkled as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

Dante waved his hand and produced a blue box displaying the information for his skill, Blood Absorption, which he handed to Oscar.

After a moment of reading Oscar responded, "This skill is very dangerous. What it doesn't tell you is the dangers of its use."

Dante snapped to attention. "Dangers?" He questioned.

"This skill can and will corrupt you if you are not careful. For the power it promises, it comes with great danger to you and those you care for." Dante felt his blood run cold, he had been planning to test the skill out later when he and everyone else in his party went hunting. The blue box crumbled into mana in Oscar's hand.

"Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Also, a few things. One, are there more golden rabbits in this zone?"

Oscar stood straight as he seemed to relax, "Yes, however they are quite fast. Faster than most adventure's below level 45 that do not specialize in a dexterity heavy class. The only practical way to get an intact corpse is by using magic. As you saw, the rabbit's head was destroyed. Thus limiting what I could have otherwise done with it." Oscar said, allowing him a moment to absorb the information.

"Two, have you ever considered setting up some kind of race where your equitaur golems compete? It could give you a huge boost to business. A Golem Olympics! You show off what they are capable of and make money off tickets and concessions maybe."

Oscar raised the hand which held the key to his lips in a small flash of light it was gone. "Interesting, I could use it as a method to display my work. I could have several events all to show the versatility of my golems. I like it." Dante smiled as too did Oscar.

Dante spoke once more, "One more thing. Can I sell you a very large rug I stole from the king's throne room?" Dante and Oscar both burst out laughing. The chaotic chorus that was Oscar's laugh was something to hear.

"Sure. May I see it? I could use it as material for the creation of a very special kind of golem." Oscar said.

Dante smiled, "Are you talking about a rug of smothering or a flying carpet?"

Oscar's expression became one of surprise, "You know of such things?"

Dante nodded, "Yes. I know it from the same place that I used to create these spells." Dante held out his hands. On one hand, light began to pool in like a liquid.

Around his the wrist of his right hand four softball sized orbs of light appeared circling his wrist.

He briefly shifted the crown back to its default form and produced the 3 foot tall roll of crimson carpeting.

Curious now that he thought more about what the crown held in its inventory he asked it.

"Hey crown what is in your inventory right now?" Dante asked hoping for more treasure, but was sadly disappointed.

"All but the key was taken by the system upon the old king's imprisonment." Dante was saddened he didn't get more sweet loot.

But decided to turn his mind to other matters to alleviate his sadness.

Having grown curious about his versions of Light and dancing lights. As Oscar took a moment to inspect the carpet, he poured some mana into mana manipulation, and tried to push dancing lights beyond its original purpose. He wanted to see how much he could change the spell from its initial form, while staying true to its purpose.

250 mana later, what he held in his hands were no longer orbs or a palm of liquid light.

Dante remembered a documentary he had seen on the northern lights.

He remembered how they danced across the sky illuminating the world in beautiful color. He remembered as a few tears rolled down his cheeks.

The spells changed, they warped and bent, responding to the image he held in his mind of those magnificent lights.

Student of Magic has leveled up, Lvl. 3...

Mana manipulation has leveled up, Lvl. 4...

Mana manipulation has leveled up, Lvl. 5...

Student of Magic has leveled up, Lvl. 4...

Mana manipulation has leveled up, Lvl. 6...

Dante opened his eyes and there he found nothing in his palms. He was disappointed from a moment thinking he had failed. Oscar stood and held up 5 of his 6 fingers on one hand. "I will give you 5000 gold for the carpet. It is in rather good condition considering its age. It is quite large so I can more than likely get quite a bit of use out of it. I will even throw in a rug of smothering..." Oscar said with a sly smile.

Dante had made the joke about a rug of smothering not expecting much to come of it. 'But if he is willing to offer this...' Dante thought and then he spoke.

"How about a flying carpet instead? 10x15 sounds amazing. It would certainly help me and others get around some places in the future."

Oscar considered it for a moment, several blue boxes popping in and out of existence rapidly. "I can create such an item but its value would far exceed most other things I would create from this carpet. I'll make you a deal." Oscar said with a smile on his face, Dante was hopeful as to the direction this was going. "I will count the payment for this carpet against the price of the item you desire. You will have to pay the difference. When you have the coin you can come back and purchase the carpet for the reduced price of 7,500 large gold piece. That is nearly enough to buy one of my procreation flesh golems." Oscar added. Dante knew that it would be expensive.

"Deal." Dante stretched out his hand as did Oscar. They shook hands to cement the agreement." Dante looked down as a blue box appeared.

The terms of the agreement have been set.

As Dante dismissed the blue box he noticed lights coming from underneath the doorway into the small room they resided in. He pointed them out to Oscar who opened the door for them to see what was happening. What they beheld was the Northern lights illuminating the ceiling of Oscar's workshop. Oscar and Dante watched with eyes filled with wonder as bands of colorful light danced and rippled, bent and twisted in the air. It was as if mana had been given a joyous form with which to be observed by all. Dante looked and it seemed everyone in the workshop saw the dancing bands of light. All had stopped their work to gaze upon the lights with eyes filled with splendor.

Congratulations! You've created a new spell!...

What would you like to name it?...

He thought for a moment before he responded. "Aurora's Light!"

Congratulations! You have created a new 3rd level spell, Aurora's Light!...

Aurora's Light, 3rd Lvl

Create dancing bands of colorful light that spread outward from a point directly above you within the spells range. This spell moves with you as you travel.

Bands of light may be as many, or as few, colors as you choose, so long as you have seen that color. You may shape the bands of light created by this spell in any way you choose. The bands remain in place for the spell’s duration, moving as you will them.

The bands dissipate when the spell ends. If cast within an area of insufficient space spells cost will be reduce based upon the size allowed to the spell, you may also choose to envoke this effect. Spells duration will be extended based upon size reduction. Upcasting will result in doubling of spell's duration for each level upcasted, doubled at 4th level, 4 times at 5th, 8 at 6th, 16 at 7th, 32 at 8th, 64 at 9th, Eter...ERROR...

(Spell may react oddly to areas of disrupted magic, AKA areas of anti magic and/or wild magic.)

Cast time: At will, Mana cost: 250, Range: 100 feet per caster level (30.48M), Duration: 1 hour

+500 experience...

Through your emotions you shape your spells to refelect the beauty of the world! +50 mana, +3 Spirit, +2 Cha, +2 Int...

Dante's tears flowed a little more and then he wiped them away.

"Truly wondrous. We clearly have much to discuss. Later that is." Oscar said as he and Dante went to collect Califa on their way to a church.

You have Unlocked the Road of Light...

You have obtained the affinity, Light...

You find yourself traveling an even longer road where mana begins the change from what you know...

Error!...

Recalculating...

You hear a faint call, like a whisper upon the wind, but you cannot discern its source...

Something calls to you and yet remains ever elusive...

...

Dante felt for a moment as the notices stopped that it was expecting something from him, but what? The World went black.

He had been standing in Oscar's shop just a moment prior but now there was nothing to be seen. All that met his ears was a nearly imperceptible sound. Like that of distant wind.

'What does it want from me?' Dante thought before he took a shot in the dark.

"Hello? Who is there?" Dante spoke and for a moment he thought he heard a voice in return, still low but much clearer. The voice however was lost as the darkness that surrounded him cracked and fell away with the sound of shattering glass.

Congratulations! You have completed the Road of Wizards II!...

Completion rewards! +200 mana, +10 mana regen, +14 Int, +7 Wis, +12 Will, +2 Spirit...

Dante looked to Califa who he was still holding by the arm. She looked at him, "Why did you stop?" Her expression was one of confusion.

"I just auto completed the Road of Wizards II because I made that spell. The stat gains are nice. I feel....more..."He said unable to elaborate the feelings he was experiencing.

So, Oscar and Dante with Califa in tow walked out of The Walking Corpse.

-------------------------

A woman stood alone in the dark.

Her form all but covered by her beautiful robes of prismatic color.

Nothing could be seen save for the bottom portion of her face.

One might assume she were human from her form and what little you could see of her face.

She smiled, "So very soon Dante. So...very...Soon."

-------------------------

Dante was about to ask, where to. All at once Oscar picked both of them up and held them underneath his arms. "Do not worry I shall hold on to you tightly." Oscar said with a slightly malevolent smile. One second they were standing and the next they were halfway down the street. Dante did his best not to lose his breakfast, something that Califa failed to do. Much to the displeasure of several onlookers.

Only a minute and a half later they arrived at a mid-sized building. The building had four large stone pillars at its front with a dozen more rounding the building. Oscar offloaded Dante with little issue, but Califa was another story, Califa could not manage to stand when Oscar attempted to set her back upon her feet. So, he took her and set her back to one of the large stone pillars that seemed to help support the roof. The structure reminded Dante of Greek architecture. Oscar and Dante continued toward the entrance of the temple which was guarded by two large individual's of Oscar's race.

"Hail &%&^%*&. What brings you here today? I have not seen you in a week." The guard on the right, who wore shining plate armor and seemed to have four great swords strapped to his back. Oscar smiled brightly and with pride as he stood before them.

"My friends, this one has come to be cleansed of mana corruption. I know the priests are busy with their prayers. I think they shall make an exception. This is a matter of great importance." Oscar said with respect towards those who guarded the door to the temple.

"State the reason and we shall decide its import." Said the guard.

"I told you his mana has been corrupted and must be cleansed..."

The guard cut Oscar off. "I don't care %&^%*&^*&. The Priest's time is..." The guard was interrupted by Oscar.

"It is about the Crimson King." He said flatly. His smile was gone. Clearly his mood had been spoiled. The guards stiffened upon hearing the name, Crimson king. Before either guard could recover their wits Dante stepped forward to stand before them. As he approached both guards reflexively grasped the hilts of their four great swords.

There was silence for a moment before the guard on the left leaned down while scrunching his face. Smelling the air he immediately pulled back.

"%*&^%&^*% WHY does this person smell of the Crimson King!?" The first guard exclaimed loudly as he and his fellow guard placed their hands upon their still sheathed weapons. Dante felt fear but he knew that his reaction would shape how this turned out.

Dante looked upon the guards who eyed him with fury. He attempted to use observation analysis upon them but the skill failed to produce any information upon either of the guards.

Observation Analysis has level up, Lvl. 28...

Dante's body shook from fear but the beating of his heart remained constant.

It comforted him even as he stood before men who could more than likely kill him in a single swing of their greatswords.

Burning Heart has leveled up, Lvl. 3...

The Road you walk is fraught with danger...

Though you are afraid, you march ever onward, even as you are standing still...

You have furthered yourself down the Road of the Burning heart, +5 Will, +2 Spirit...

Dante felt the warmth in his chest grow.

As it grew it comforted him.

"Why?" Came the voice of the guard, his voice was deeper than Oscar's. As opposed to a beautiful choir's song when he spoke, it sounded more gruff and mute. Unsurprisingly that made it actually a bit easier to understand him, as opposed to Oscar who he often had to think for a moment before fully understanding him. Dante breathed deep.

"Why!" The guard demanded.

Califa was slumped over on the ground apparently having lost consciousness.

Dante opened his eyes and looked upon the guards faces, speaking in a calm low voice. "I am he who took his crown. I am being hunted by his followers. They will come and then they will be slain alongside their master. He is imprisoned in a marble in my inventory. No I can't show you it."

Both guards froze. They slowly released their grips of their weapons, "I know you aren't lying, but I still cannot believe the Crimson King could be laid low by one such as you!" The guard on the left stated. The guards turned to look towards the temple's entrance. Each seeming to have heard something coming before Dante did.

A hunched figure walked from the entrance of the temple. Dante turned to see them. "I have been told of your coming one called Dante. You shall be our honored guest. Bring him in *&^%%*&^*&&^." The hunched figure spoke. His voice was much like the guards except more bright and yet solem at the same time. He wore a white hooded robe to obscure his face. He walked with what appeared to be a large cane, which he leaned heavy upon. If he were not hunched, Dante suspected he would be taller than the guards.

The guards gestured for Dante and Oscar to make their ways into the temple, proceeding to follow them in.

"Come." The High priest stated plainly. Dante and Oscar followed him into the temple.

"My lord told me one such as yourself was soon at hand. That you would come bearing the mark of the Crimson King upon your soul and yet not be one of his followers. That you would give us the chance to finally end that old tyrant. Sad that I cannot see what you have managed to reduce him to." the high priest stopped for a moment, turning to look upon Dante.

The temple's interior was well lit as there seemed to be large stained glass windows hanging overhead to let in the daylight. While much of the temple was smooth stone there were sections that seemed to be dedicated to growing strange crops.

“Now, you must also be cleansed of the king. That we may be one step closer to ridding creation of the Crimson Tyrant once and for all!" Dante was about to nod when he felt four hands grab him from behind. Dante turned his head to see a new set of guards grabbing at Oscar and him.

Oscar spoke up. "What is the meaning of this!?" But the high priest did not answer. He instead motioned for the guards to take the two of them away as he walked deeper into the temple. The guards dragged them into a well lit side room.

“It’ll be fine, Oscar. They're probably doing this so I can't back out.” Dante said, feeling rather mixed about the situation.

'I like the thought of being carried but this doesn’t give me a sense of comfort.' He thought as the guard who drug him stepped before two great doors 20 feet in height and with each guard using two of their hand they opened the door.

In the room were a dozen more hooded priests waiting around an intricate circle made of gold embedded into the floor. The circle had to be at least 15 feet across. Dante was in awe of how much this room must have cost. The guard dragged him to the center of the circle while Oscar was restrained by magic and made silent next to the door by one of the priests.

'I really don’t like how this is going.' He thought as he tried to relax, waiting for the process to begin. The guard released him for a moment in the middle of the intricately decorated golden circle. Hr rubbed his wrists as he looked around.

He didn't get to see much though as he found his limbs restrained once more this time with magic. The priests began to chant but the system didn't translate their words.

A growing sense of unease began to fill him.

He was no longer so amenable to being cleansed of what remained of the Crimson King.

‘I hope that fucking system rep. wasn’t lying to me.’ Dante thought as he felt the process begin.

He felt his mana stir, something within him began to move, seemingly to fight what was going on. Dante saw as blue mana began to leak off of him. It was actually a rather cool look.

You have leveled up!...

'Huh...what do you know...' He thought with a smile as he watched his mana drain away.

What happened next is less so. The mana that leaked from him began to slowly darken. It moved from blue to purple and finally to crimson.

'How much of that asshole was left in me? Or has it been growing?' he didn't know the answer. Why hadn't the crown driven it out as it had before?

'Perhaps it was hiding.' he thought, the prospect alone sending a shiver down his spine.

The crimson mana began to flow off of him and down onto the floor where it disappeared into a section of the golden circle. Where it entered began to glow with crimson light. It was now that he noticed that where his mana was going was connected by a single half circle line that connected it to an identical one behind him. Slowly as he felt his mana decrease a crimson line began to emerge from the point that was collecting his mana. It creeped up the golden line that connected the two points.

Like a game progress bar.

'So is this process going to clean my mana like dialysis? That doesn't sound so bad.' Dante thought.

It took about 4 minutes for his mana to be completely drained.

He tried to bring up his status page.

That function is unavailable...

'Well fuck...I don't think that's good.' he thought.

What worried him was that the progress bar had stopped about halfway. It was also still red. 'What?' Dante's thought were interrupted as he felt something being torn from him.

It hurt in ways he had not the words for. It felt like something was tearing his...soul.

'A mark upon my soul...' Dante realized just how fucked he was.

"You assholes are going to tear my soul apart trying to get what's left of him out!" Dante screamed but they paid him no heed.

The pain grew more intense and he cried from the agony.

It hurt.

It hurt.

It HURT!

He saw as the progress bar began moving again.

'He has infected my soul and now they have to dig him out. Even when every point of mana I have is gone, they keep digging!' Dante thought furiously even as he felt the onset of mana exhaustion. Then it hit him.

'Even the mana I'm regenerating has been infected. These assholes are going to basically mutilate my soul and render me unable to use magic trying to get rid of this guy.' He was horrified by that thought.

Dante wanted to endure this. He had to endure this.

"Shit!" Dante exclaimed.

He watched through the pain as the progress bar grew ever closer to its end point.

Until it did.

But nothing happened, they just kept going.

The outer part of the golden circle began to glow.

Its luminance grew until it eclipsed the sun.

He closed his eyes tightly trying to block out the light as best he could.

All was silent save for the ping of system notices.

The road of Blood has been closed to you...

You have lost your affinity for blood...

You have lost the skill, Blood Absorption...

Soul damage has occured, -5 spirit...

Dante, still in pain, opened his eyes as the light had dimmed somewhat.

What greeted him was someplace entirely different. He was still restrained within a golden circle.

Outside of the circle was no longer the temple but endless rolling hills of green grass.

However, around him he saw ethereal golden chains. Before him stood a being who seemed to be of Oscar's race.

He couldn't make out the beings face, he only assumed it to be a man due to their figure.

The man in front of him spoke. "I am sorry for what you've had to endure Dante. Please know it is almost done. I cannot ease your pain, for that I am truly sorry. All I can do is give you back what was taken, though I cannot restore your soul. For you aren't one of my children."

As the nameless man reached down to touch his chest he looked down. What he saw horrified him. His chest was torn open but he could see no organs. All he saw was eviscerated flesh made from light. The nameless man placed his hands upon what remained of Dante's chest. Two placed upon his pecs and with fingers that reached over his shoulders. Two more that covered his stomach, with hands large enough to wrap around to his back.

He realized at that moment, this person was speaking English, he wasn’t being translated by the system.

'There's no Hud here...' Dante thought though his mind was muddled.

He felt numb.

His entire world was encompassed by a great, and terrible, feeling of loss.

He felt a fire in his chest, but not its warmth.

Then there was a tremendous pulse from the man's hands directed into Dante's chest.

Dante flew free from the golden circle nearly hitting one of the priests. His body hit the floor with a sickening thud before sliding across the marble floor almost to the wall.

It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the pain that still wracked his body.

The ritual ended and Oscar was released from his bonds.

His eyes of burning anger turned quickly to fear as he caught a glimpse of Dante upon the floor near him.

Dante looked at his Hud. His health was half way gone, and his mana had been pushed above max.

+50 Mana...

Your affinity for Light has been increased!...

But still he felt something was missing. He beat the ground impotently with his fists as he weeps.

"Give it back!" He demands from the priests.

"What is done we cannot undo child. Only through faith can you regain what was lost." One of the priests stated solemnly.

"Please give it back." Dante begged.

He begged anyone who could hear him.

He begged the world.

He reached out for the road he had once felt only to meet a wall blocking his way. He felt something from behind the wall.

It promised an end to his pain.

He pressed against the wall, the feeling growing stronger as he pressed harder against it.

Dante beat against the wall. He felt his bones creak, and still he continued.

His skin tore open, yet he continued.

He felt as Oscar held him back briefly, returning him to reality. He looked upon his arms and found them bloody.

The pain of reality seeped in, but still he was numb to it.

He wept as Oscar held him against his chest. His world was dark and the way he had wished to at least try had been blocked.

Dante struggled against Oscar's grip impotently, beating his fists against the man's chest.

He bawled, tears flowed freely and he beat with all his might, all his will, against that wall.

He felt the wall begin to give, he continued his assault with new vigor.

He heard muffled sounds from behind the wall as it began to shake.

"Come Dante..." Came a woman's voice.

"Prove to us your strength!..." Came a man's voice.

Dante did not cease his assault. He beat against the shaking wall that blocked his way, with everything he had.

Dante brought his fists together and brought them against the wall. He wailed in anguish. He had never known the true feeling of loss. Now he did, and it led him to self destruction.

He wanted to walk that road.

He felt he needed to walk that road.

He Demanded to walk that Road!

He slammed against the wall with everything he could muster.

He felt the wall grow sturdier.

Its shaking ceased. He felt he had failed, and it crushed him.

He fell to the ground in this dark place, weeping like a child.

"My king." Dante heard a familiar voice. The darkness became illuminated by the shimmering image of his crown that now rested upon his head.

"I am here whenever you have a need for me." The crown stated simply. Dante felt a little of his strength return. His once tear filled eyes filled with something new, determination.

Dante began to stand with great effort. "You are my king. I swore to aid you in all your endeavors. You need only give the order and I shall do all within my power to help you accomplish it." Dante's eyes burned with fire as he stood shakily at first but then he steadied himself.

Then he pointed at the wall and spoke, "The King commands this wall to FALL!" Dante demanded with authority!

His voice was no longer broken.

He refused to fail.

Are you worthy to be called a king?...

Dante felt his body seize and time almost seemed to stand still. It wanted an answer and he had only one.

"No. I don't deserve to be called a king. But I shall take that right from the Crimson King!" Dante declared definitely as time began to flow once more.

He watched as in a moment the wall did indeed come down.

He smiled before he fell unconscious, his mana having bottomed out once more. His body began to suffer severe Mana exhaustion.

You have taken the right and soon the trials shall be administered...

By right of the king, the Road of Blood opens to you once more...

You have Earned experience!...

You have leveled up!...

The Kings Road has yet to open to you...

Dante's body collapsed in Oscar's arms, his breathing shallow. Crimson mana began to flow off of Dante once more. There seemed to be a response from the temple itself, almost like a reflex. A golden light enveloped Dante, almost seeming to try and smother him. Then as if a reflex had been denied, it pulled back. The light pulled back to form a roughly 10 by 7 foot dome around Dante and Oscar. Oscar held his friend trying his best to comfort him, through the pain all while watching the miracle happening around them.

Two relevant entities wish to speak with you...

The text found Dante's eyes. Dante then found himself in a crimson place with two entities observing him. Dante looked upon them and realized that he felt no pain. Those that stood before him were a gruff looking male warrior in armor, and a beautiful human woman in translucent attire. The first to speak was the seemingly human woman.

"We have been watching you since your encounter with the Crimson King. We watched eagerly to see you walk the Road of Blood. Imagine our surprise when you lost it only to demand it back from the system. To actually receive it is no less surprising." A beautiful voice from the indescribably beautiful woman. Her features seem to be constantly shifting. Her eyes moved from red, to blue, to gold. Every detail of her appearance seemed to be constantly shifting.

Next spoke the warrior. "We have come for you to choose one of us." Dante carefully examined the two of them. The woman seemed to relish the feeling of his gaze upon her. He could see every detail of her form. Finding her from magnetic to his eyes which only brightened her smile. With great effort he diverted his attention from her causing her to put on a pouting face.

'Vanity.' he thought.

"That's not a very nice thing to think about others Dante." The woman said with a pretend frown.

Slightly scared of her reading his mind, he turned toward the warrior.

His face and hands were scarred from many battles. His face was gruff with a fine beard. Giving him a sense of age and wisdom. His armor was worn, scratched and dented. He was a veteran of many battles.

Dante looked upon himself to find he was wearing his robe of everlasting life. Upon seeing it, it sparked a series of thoughts that lead to a single question.

"Did either of you help make this robe?" He was curious as to the answer. Neither stepped forward. They were both silent.

Footsteps sounded in the distance.

Slow and methodical.

They all turned as a new being stepped from beyond this crimson place.

"Hello. You called to me, young one?" The figure who stepped from the crimson veil that surrounded him was a woman. She wore a hooded robe very similar to his own. Under her hood he could see her hair was brown and her eyes shimmered and shined with many colors. Her robe was abound with color and above where her heart would be if she were human, was the same symbol as upon his own robe. A skeletal hand grasping a heart.

The two who had already been here looked ready to protest but raised no words. While they frowned, she smiled.

Dante spoke, "What are your names and domains?" His question snapped their attention back to him. The first to speak was the scantily clad woman.

"I cannot give you my name in a form you would understand. You could only understand if you chose me. As for my domains." She paused for a moment extending her arms outward. "I am a goddess of Love, Beauty, and Blood..." That final word seemed to echo outward from her, remaining for a moment longer than it should have. The warrior took a step forward.

"I cannot give you my name unless you choose me." He raised his hand palms up giving Dante a good view of his well worn armor. "I am a god of War, Conquest, and Bloodshed." As he spoke that last word he pulled a bastard sword from the air. The sword seemed to drip with fresh blood. The robed woman stepped forward until she was in front of him.

"I have already given you my name, as you have already taken the first steps towards me. You know my name." She spoke her name almost like a whisper. "I am a goddess of Life, and Blood." Around her feet Dante watched as the bloody crimson ground gave way to soft, rich brown earth. From it sprouted beautiful green grass and a single rose which bloomed before Dante. Reaching down, she plucking the rose from its stem and holding it out for Dante.

He remebered that place he had been not long ago.

That voice from the void, that required an answer.

"Who shall you choose?" She asked. The ever changing goddess of beauty turned her charm up trying to convince Dante to choose her. The warrior said nothing, choosing instead to simply stand with his hands resting upon the hilt of his bastard sword which had its tip driven into the crimson ground. As he stood he reminded Dante of old Crusader knights, which would fit his namesake.

Then he turned to the robed woman.

She held out for him the plucked rose.

He turned to the goddess of beauty. "I am sorry but you just seem too vain for me. I feel I am but a passing fancy to you. That's not a good situation to get myself into." Dante spoke solemnly and with conviction. Even as he rejected her, she smiled and then approached him. "A passing fancy maybe. But..." She leaned in and kissed him full on the lips whilst grasping his robe. Dante was overwhelmed for a moment as he felt his lips tingle. She pulled back, "Let this be a small token of appreciation. Don't forget me. I'll be watching you..." She said with a small smile and in a flash she was gone.

+2 Charisma, Will, and Spirit on level ups...

He looked at the notice as it came across his vision.

"Trust me, I don't think I'll ever forget that." He said his eye a little wide from the surprise and the feeling it had induced.

He steped before the warrior and extended out a hand to the gruff looking man. "Though we may find ourselves on opposite sides of the battlefield one day. I recognize you as a great warrior. A veteran of many battles." Dante spoke with a small smile. The warrior who stood a head taller than him took a hand from the hilt of his bastard sword and grasped Dante's hand.

"I hope that day never comes. But should it, then this shall make things a bit more interesting." The man shook Dante's hand and in a flash he too was gone.

+3 Strength, Constitution, and Endurance on level ups...

Dante, still with hand extended, stared upon the notice. "More interesting indeed. Seems he's a man who either enjoys more even fights, or he enjoys overcoming odds." Dante said as he lowered his hand to his side. He turned to her as he saw the world around them beginning to shift. This crimson world slowly became a beautiful clearing in a forest with a blue sky overhead.

"Your name is Rosana." Dante said as he walked to meet her.

When he arrived he took the freshly plucked rose from her waiting palm.

The first thing he noticed. Was that the dripping of blood from his hand, he was bleeding.

This rose had thorns that had pierced his hand. Then the rose twisted and began to grow. Like some nightmarish creature it grew and wrapped itself around his hand. He wanted to move and tear it off, but his body was frozen. The pain he had endured in the real world as he cried out in pain. He felt hollow. He only felt the pain of his wounded soul. Soon the rose had spread to cover nearly his entire body except his face. It was then that he felt something else. His pain receded and he could think again. The green vines also receded but not off of him. Into him. His body seemed to absorb the vines leaving behind no trace that they had ever been there. He inspected his hands to find them uninjured. Dante received nearly a dozen notices.

You have unlocked green mana...

Blue mana has already been unlocked...

You have reobtained red mana...

What was lost is found again...

You have reobtained the affinity, Blood...

You have reobtained the skill, Blood Absorption…

You have obtained the affinity, Earth...

You have obtained the affinity, Water...

Rosana advanced to stand before him as he tried to process all the new information. Rosana cupped his face in her hands. She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the lips. It was not an overwhelming feeling as it had been when the other goddess had kissed him. It was gentle and pleasant. Rosana pulled back offering a soft smile.

You have obtained the title, "Bishop of Rosana"

Bishop of Rosana- You are a bishop, a cleric, of the goddess of Life and Blood, Rosana. For your faith you lose the power to lie, for your goddess disallows such things. But for what you lose you gain so much more. Grants the bestowed player several affinities and access to their corresponding mana types.

Congratulations! You have leveled up! You have gained a level in, Cleric...

You have obtained affinity, Radiance...

You have unlocked yellow mana...

Soul damage has been healed, +5 Spirit!...

Your Clerical domains are Blood, and Life...

You have been granted EXP!...

You have leveled up!...

Dante felt as that small door once more opened in the back of his mind. He learned new magics, knowledge of simple skills, both magical and mundane, relating to his lady.

He felt he needed to only use them and the system would recognize them.

The door closed and with a thought he equipped his new title, wearing it with pride.

Rosana held him by his robe once more leaning in, he thought for another kiss. However it was not to be. Her sparkling multicolor eyes taking on a more serious expression. She looked him in the eye and yelled in a serious voice, "Wake up!" The world was torn away from Dante. He saw his lady fade into the distance as he blazed across empty space.

Dante blinked his eyes open to see Oscar yelling at him to wake up. His all consuming pain was gone, he smiled for a moment.

An expression of relief crossed Oscar's face."You are awake, how are you feeling?"

As Dante stood he felt something weigh upon his neck that hadn't been there before. Quickly he reached down his shirt and pulled out an amulet. The amulet was a perfect match to the symbol embroidered upon the chest of his robe. It was like a stained glass mosaic, each bone in the skeletal hand and every section of the heart was made from a different color of glass. Along its edges and even between the individual pieces of stained glass was golden wire acting to both keep the pieces separate and to hold everything together. He quickly scanned his new amulet for some exp in his observation analysis skill.

Holy symbol of Rosana

Your skills relating to blood and life have a 10% bonus to strength.

For being the first of her faithful from Earth you are awarded 50% damage reduction from enemy blood spells/skills, which includes curses. Grants attuned creature use of the skill, Blood Regeneration.

Blood Regeneration: Expend 4 points of mana per minute for every point health regeneration is increased by. Maximum of doubled health regeneration. Stacks with other health multiplications.

"Status" He spoke.

Dante A. Stone

Race: Human

Class: Cleric (B,L)

LVl. 26

EXP: 0/5,300

Gold: 1288.5 Large gold

Stats

Resources

Total

Regen.

Strength 50

Health

1,537

(59.7x2=119.4/min)

Constitution/Vitality 63

Mana

1,998

(60.2/min)

Endurance 41

Stamina

1,100

(54.6x2=109.2/min)

Dexterity 34

Road Points

76

Willpower 65

Stat Points

25

Intellect 55 Luck 34 Wisdom 49 Perception 31 Charisma 46 Spirit 57