Writer's Note: Happy Halloween!

Chapter 9: Demons of the Mountain

Rex walked on the black road leading deep into the mountain range. All round him were skeletons of various humans and creatures as he walked into a tunnel. As he walked, he saw chalk carvings on the walls. Those were made by Night Hunters. Some had warnings while others had messages similar to a will. All of them said to avoid the gorge.

Rex narrowed his eyes as he saw a glint and immediately ducked. A projectile sped past where his head had been, impaling the walls. As he walked out the tunnel, his eyes widened in surprise. What attacked him was another Night Hunter. The Night Hunter, startled to discovered he had missed, quickly loaded his crossbow. However, it was easier to nock another arrow and Rex already cast Shadow Ball three times. Three giant orbs of darkness soared to the Night Hunter, exploding on impact. As he took the storage ring from the body, his dragon cried out. He turned and two arrows impaled his chest.

"HAHA! We got him," a voice rejoiced and two men walked over, ignoring the dragon. As soon as he could hear their breathing, Rex used his Witch Fire spell to create a tornado of fire, him being in the center. The two men screamed as they were caught in the fire and shortly became as ash. Rex had been prepared as some of the wills on the wall of the tunnel contained warnings and grudges of people who killed others for their items. Rex pulled out the arrows, the wound quickly regenerating. As for his health points, those took longer to recover.

"Not bad. You killed Carson, Carter, and Robert. Rogues....can't win if they are discovered. Don't think that I am like them. I am a warrior!" a giant man cried as he pulled out two swords, hacking them at Rex.

"Titus," Rex said, the dragon shortly releasing a ball of ice that exploded on the man's arms as he crossed his swords to block it.

"That's cheating!" the man roared as Rex smashed the swords into pieces with his staff.

"That's life," Rex said and used his Ki Blast technique, blowing a giant hole in the man's chest due to the difference in strength. "Gotta think like it's a game, Rex. They're just annoying PKs. Killing them means nothing. It means nothing."

As he picked up the man's storage ring, he put it on his right index finger. "Okay. I'll change the Thief King's Last Laugh diamond to disguise my storage tattoo as a regular tattoo. Then, I'll just keep the money and all the valuable stuff I have it in that while putting whatever I find into this guy's storage ring. Now, I don't have to worry about any thieving attempts. Hmm....these guys killed a few Night Hunters. There's a couple hundred in these four rings. I'm a Cheat Hunter and have no need for spirit pills for cultivation. Bunch of useless stuff.....some food and spare clothes my size. That's good. Titus, you can eat the bodies."

The dragon roared happily and started with the leader, tearing the chest apart to reveal the organs and blood inside. The dragon also leveled by eating the flesh and blood of the people and creatures he kills. He didn't want to bother himself with burying such trash anyway. When Titus had enough meat, Rex used Witch Fire to burn the bodies into ash. As he sat down, his health, mana, and Ki recovered faster and left the area as soon as it reached the maximum.

Unfortunately, he received no experience points as his experience bar locked at level 9. However, that was not necessarily a bad thing. There was no time limit to the quest and he could gain a lot more experience. His skill mastery still increased and Rex began to hunt for other Night Hunter killers as he had not encountered any creatures of the Night yet.

He killed many, but only those who attacked him first. He got used to killing but got used to it as they left no bodies if he and his dragon decided to stop attacking the corpse. His dragon would eat a few Night Hunters before Rex ordered it to stop and watched the bodies vanish into the Void.

First he sorted out the skills he had. First, he thought of the skills that and were not counted by the system's skill restrictions. His class skills were Shadow Ball, Witch Fire, Yin Yang Gate, Meteor, and the passive Timeless Eyes. Witch Fire and Meteor were not class-restricted skills and could still increase in skill mastery or be bought on the black market. He also had the item skill Summon: Freak Dragon that leveled through Titus's actions like fighting or eating. He had three bloodline skills, one of them passive while one could be bought and had skill mastery. That skill was Mana Barrier and the passive skill was Divine Bear's Blessing. The third skill was Celestial Avatar and he also got a helmet that gave him the unique skill: Bear King's Roar.

Finally, there was the three skills that were counted under the system restrictions of the ability to learn 8 non-class active and 4 non-class passive skills. The lone passive skill he learned was Prey Instincts while the two active skills were Life Drain and Ki Blast. He wore the Fearsome Helmet and his white dragon medallion under the hide option. He also put on the Mask of Illusion, discovering his body was not covered in shadows or hide his status if he wore it under the hide option. The main reason he wore it was because of the immunity to illusion and the ability to click the hide option to materialize the mask and immediately assume his alias in the event that he needed to.

He had three current goals on the mountain. The first was obviously the quest. The second reason was to gain combat experience and the last reason was to collect magical items from other Night Hunters. The mountain range was like a player killer zone, the Night Hunters able to kill each other without consequence. It was a very dangerous and lucrative area as you collect all the items the body had painstakingly earned or stole through its life.

Rex had plenty of mana and spells. Thus, he decided to collect skill books containing Ki techniques. His mage class would not learn Ki techniques so finding skill books using Ki techniques was imperative to take advantage of his Ki pool. He already had wisps of indigo cerulean and purple follow float around him and now an invisible, globular sphere protected him. It was Mana Barrier. Why? He discovered his mana regeneration exceeded the sustained mana consumption of Mana Barrier both in and out of combat. With Prey Instinct, he could dodge quite easily if he had the agility. Defense wise, he was satisfied, especially with the physical regeneration of Timeless Eyes despite no health regeneration effect.

He also desired to learn another school of element magic, besides fire and darkness, as he already had Shadow Ball and Witch Fire. The first spell could be multi-cast while the second spell could be manipulated at will. Such skills were imperative in many games as they would be the core of your arsenal, the stronger skills saved for higher dangers.

He could not afford to use Celestial Avatar or Meteor. Both were legendary skills, but black mages learning Yin Yang Gate from the beginning was public knowledge because it was so difficult to survive their promotion tests. He could use Meteor under as his alias, but definitely not Celestial Avatar. Thus, he needed Ki techniques, another element magic with low mana costs, and a finishing skill that he did not need to hide. He also desired to learn teleportation and crowd control spells. Teleportation spoke for itself, but he needed crowd control spells to change the battlefield to his advantage.

That was how he survived playing as a, PKK, player killer killer, and became one of the most hated and hunted players in online games. Killing PKs, player killers, did not make you wanted by the game's cities or towns and you could loot the bodies of the PKs without worry. You could also gain bounty rewards for killing PKs. The only risk was them ganging up to kill you.

Thus, you needed a wide variety of skills to survive in the game. Rex never thought he would apply those same means of thinking into real life. His life became the ultimate video game, but with death resulting in a permanent game over. No respawn. No level deduction or experience loss upon revives. There was only death, the Void for Night Hunters.

Rex widened his eyes as his thoughts were disturbed with a system box. It said that Sean Gorgon wanted to add him onto his friend list. Rex immediately accepted and shortly heard Sean's voice in his head. However, the discovery that truly shocked him was that his grandfather was level 300.

"L, level 300?" Rex cried.

"Hello, Rex. Yeah, I'm level 300. I am at the max level, like the ten sages you met," Sean affirmed.

"What? How did you know that?" Rex asked.

"I saw it on the monitor. It always shows the most interesting things but changes if the scene pertains to the Night Hunter's quest with the exception of the ten sages. I chose to be a necromancer myself. Pretty sure I'm the only one who ever passed level 200. Of course, I'm a Cheat Hunter so I can distribute my three stats minus the two class awarded stat points," Sean laughed.

"What is the system?" Rex asked.

"It...you'll find out when you surpass level 200. Let's just say, reading xianxia novels will explain the system a bit. I can't say what the system is, but we live in the Mortal Realm. That's all the system permits me to say," Sean sighed. "Yup. There's the system announcement warning me to not say anything further or it'll kill us both."

"So it's like a xianxia novel but in modern Earth?" Rex asked, shocked.

"Well, the Night isn't Earth but yes. You're a smart lad. You should know which skills to use and which not to. Oh, and you can communicate with your thoughts. Don't want others to hear what we say if you ask me a question and we see you in the monitor," Sean warned.

"Thank you. Can you tell me if I am heading in the right direction?" he asked, kind of awed as it was like telepathy.

"Yes. There should be a fork in the road a mile ahead. The right path goes underground. The left path leads to a cliff, the gorge down below. Be careful. The creatures of the Night, based on what I am seeing, are demons. They killed all the creatures of the Night outside the area around the gorge. Many Night Hunters died already. Good luck," Sean said and a speaker icon vanished.

"First vampires, then humans, and now demons. This is already the third species I am killing," Rex sighed as he ordered his dragon to walk ahead. They took the left fork and arrived at the edge of a cliff a half hour later. Along the way, Rex had killed many more Night Hunters and took their storage rings. He definitely benefited from killing all the Night Hunters instead of letting them live. Otherwise, he would not be able to loot their storage rings if it was bound to them.

"This is it. Might as well drop all the way to the bottom. I have my barrier and I can manipulate my Witch Fire to make wings," Rex said, creating purple fire wings and flew down the gorge, his vision illuminated by his wings and wisps of energy. Maintaining the wings strained his mana and he spent about a fifth of his total mana by the time he landed on the ground.

All of a sudden, areas of white appeared in his vision due to the Prey Instincts effect. Looking up and around himself, he saw countless demons around him. They had absolutely no eyes, their bodies a paler white than snow. They had a tiger's body, scorpion tail with a crescent moon stinger, mandibles, and crab like claws. They all stared at him as they heard his feet step on the ground. Titus was already stored in the Freak Dragon Ring and Rex felt as if taking the dragon out would only serve to kill it meaninglessly.

"Human! KILL!" the demons roared and descended on him like a pack of wolves. They were all level 8 and 9, Rex's barrier quickly shattering as hundreds of claws tore through it. Rex would hastily dodge areas of white, seeing their claws miss as he used Ki Blast repeatedly. He slammed his staff into the ground, creating a whirlpool of fire around himself. However, the demons mindlessly ran into it. He killed many, items clinking as they dropped onto the ground.

However, Rex could not be bothered to pick them up. He also created Shadow Balls, destroying many demons if they clustered together. A hand would be cut off, his legs would be scarred, and his body would suffer many bruises. While his body regenerated, his health depleted. His strength stat was 50 (48) and his stamina was 38 (34), extremely high for his level. It was because of his bloodline that he still had health after being hit so many times. As he killed, he also recovered health, mana, and Ki. Because of his skills, equipment, and bloodline; he was able to survive this far where others had died horribly.

"Fuck it! Yin Yang Gate, open!" Rex screamed, a quarter of his total mana and the little over quarter total Ki he had left consumed at once. His chest shined a brilliant white and black, a gate appearing over his head with gold chains protruding from his chest and across the gate.

As the gate opened, the gold chains were pulled and a powerful vortex appeared. The demons shrieked as they were pulled and ripped apart in the hundreds. After two seconds, a massive brown bear paw appeared from the gate, grabbing around three dozen and forcibly pulled them into the gate. A heart wrenching crunch was heard beyond the gate, power swelling to the gates and transferred to Rex via the chains.

*Ding*

System AnnouncementSkill Adjustment Made

Due to unprecedented numbers of demons being absorbed, the skill is adjusted so that only 1 stat of the strongest stat of any life form eaten by the true form of your soul will be added. A maximum of 9 stats for each category will be available per use of skill. To compensate for the update, Rex cannot be harmed until the skill ends and recovers all health, mana, and Ki.

Demons absorbed: 1,034

Demons eaten: 36

Possible stats awarded without adjustment: 1,070

Demons eaten, with the highest stat being SPR, exceeded maximum of nine.

Stats awarded after adjustment: 24

All items dropped in battle were absorbed by the vortex.

Stats Awarded

+3 STR

+7 AGI

+9 SPR

+5 STA

*Ding*

System AnnouncementAwarded title: Thousand Soul Eater

Fighting a horde of demons and using the Yin Yang Gate is either stupid or brilliant. Against all odds, you devoured over a thousand souls in a single battle. Your feat is beyond miraculous and exceeds the definition of evil itself. Due to eating so many demonic souls, your body is affected and you grow two, tiny, black devil horns on your head. All demons and devils will fear or respect you, even if they try to kill you. Cannot determine who is more cold blooded between you or the souls you devoured.

Title Effects

Learned: Freezing Devil's Claw.

Gained one devil artifact.

Damage against demons +15%.

Damage against devils: +10%.

Damage by demons and devils reduced: 10%.

Comprehension of demon and devil languages: 100%.

*Ding*

Freezing Devil's Claw: Costs 20 mana per cast. Cover your arm and hand to form a devilish claw made of ice. Enables the mage to shape and create ice into any shape. Restricted to devils or those with devil blood. Rank: not applicable.

"This is robbery!" Rex shouted, as he could have gained so many stats and could have had godlike stats. Even the items were absorbed and destroyed by his skill. Still, he gained a skill most other Night Hunters could not learn, unless they gained devil blood as well.

System AnnouncementReceived: Ink Qilin Neidan

You have received a mysterious neidan taken from the body of an ancient qilin. It forcibly changes your spirit energy into an incredibly powerful force. Your spirit energy cannot be sealed. Taken by the system of a devil of unknown origin. It is unclear what ritual the devil was about to perform, but it will seek you out to kill you. Now an ancient, powerful devil and the current Witch King wants you dead. You have an easy time making powerful archenemies. Forcibly equipped and cannot be taken from your body while you live. The soul of the qilin thanks you for saving it. Perhaps its true power will be unlocked someday.

Item effects

Spirit energy cannot be sealed.

Cannot be unequipped.

Restriction: Rex Cerberus Valentine.

All other effects locked.

"If you think you are over-powered, you're right and wrong. Many Night Hunters of powerful clans and organizations have better focused stats, items, and equipment than you, like that Gaoli boy. Your only advantage is your variety of skills, which you have many that are enviable. You also level faster than they do and can distribute your stats to avoid being weak in either category. You must realize by now that we saw all this happen as you have not walked through the gateway yet. We can't see the system boxes, but there are many who think their participants are superior with the items they gave them. Those types of people rely too much on others to grow. You, your mom, Hansel, and I don't. The screen is shifting to a large scale battle now that your fight is over. Hurry and enter the gateway before you attract more attention to yourself," Sean's voice rang in his head.

"Here I am, thinking I was doing alright and I learn there are those with even crazier stats than mine. Even though all their stats can't be higher than mine, it's still not fair. Still, I feel the power," Rex said as ink black spirit energy burst from his body. Whatever demons remained in the gorge area around him, they immediately fled as they sensed the ancient spirit energy of a qilin mix and fuse with Rex's own spirit energy.

Rex summoned Titus out of the ring, destroying the legs of some escaping demons with Shadow Ball. He let the dragon feast and feast until he was bored and proceeded deeper into the gorge.

As if staring down from the Heavens, Magnus watched Rex's progress. He was satisfied and surprised that Rex thought to use his legendary skill at the gorge. The red energy within Rex, the sage clearly knew who and what it belonged to. Lionel had stolen it, transferring it into Rex before he died. Once Rex made a pact with the owner of that energy, it would become a golden red and Rex would be qualified to be a black mage.

"Soon, one of the Ancients will awaken. Cheat Hunters certainly are interesting anomalies. They are the only ones who are not disadvantaged against Night Hunters with powerful affiliations, but become strong through their own results and actions. Hurry up Rex. Succeed so that more Night Hunters choose to be black mages. Our numbers are just too few," Magnus said as he gazed upon Rex and his dragon.