The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion

Damian ignored the two High Humans who attempted to speak to him.

Without hesitation, he crushed the brown [Demon Dungeon Card], causing his figure to instantly disappear from the [Altar of Evolution] and reappear in an unfamiliar land.

The moment Damian arrived, an ominous sensation crawled across his skin.

The very air felt toxic, so dangerous that even a [True High Human] like him could sense its lethal nature.

[Welcome to Hell]

[You have entered the territory of one of Hell's rulers, Marquis Andras.]

[Marquis Andras is a Higher Demon, ranked 63rd among the 72 rulers of Hell, and commands 30 legions of demons.]

[Dungeon Completion Condition: Defeat The Marquis Of Demons, Andras.]

[Dungeon Difficulty is set to: Hell Level.]

"Marquis Andras?" Damian narrowed his eyes.

As an enthusiast of folklore, legends, and mythologies, the name sounded very familiar.

He recalled reading about the 72 rulers of Hell in a book called Ars Goetia.

"This is going to be fun," Damian smiled as he looked around.

He seemed to be inside a desert with large stones scattered across the land.

The ground beneath his feet was blackened rock and scorched soil.

It was blisteringly hot.

If he hadn't developed the [Fire Resistance] trait, his feet might have burned the moment he arrived in this place.

The atmosphere was thick with fog, though not enough to obstruct his vision.

A horrid stench filled the air.

The scent of burning, decayed flesh, brimstone, and something indescribably foul assaulted his heightened sense of smell.

With his 360-degree vision, granted by his innate ability [Eyes of Heaven and Earth], along with his extremely sharp senses and natural sight, Damian scanned the area.

As far as he could see, there was nothing but endless desert, punctuated by towering rock formations jutting from the ground.

Rivers of burning lava stretched like lakes between the jagged mountains.

The sky, devoid of a sun or moon, was as red as blood, yet it remained eerily illuminated.

"Mm," Damian muttered as he felt his skin itch. Looking down, he noticed it slowly corroding.

He could sense some kind of corrosive energy in the air, thin but undoubtedly present, eating away at him.

[You have entered the outermost level of Hell.]

[The presence of Miasma in the atmosphere has begun to take its corrosive effect on you.]

"Misama, huh?" Damian's eyes glowed with a neon violet hue as he activated his [Eyes of Heaven and Earth].

He saw the amber-black energy in the atmosphere shifting like the wind, resembling thin clouds.

[The ruler of Hell, Marquis Andras, has sensed your presence.]

[The war between you and the Hell faction known as [Andras] has begun.]

As soon as the announcement was made, Damian felt thousands of presences closing in on him from all directions, making him narrow his eyes.

He swiftly summoned his twin swords from the system inventory.

[Mercy, the Sword of Salvation] and [Judgment, the Sword of Punishment] materialized before him, floating in the air, waiting for him to grasp their handles.

The moment Damian grabbed them, a warm sensation spread through his body, and his connection with the twin swords intensified rapidly.

[Your synchronization with [Mercy, the Sword of Salvation] has increased significantly.]

[Current Synchronization: 55%]

[You can now release 55% of the sword's power, provided your body can handle it.]

[Your synchronization with [Judgment, the Sword of Punishment] has increased slightly.]

[Current Synchronization: 26%]

[You can now release 26% of the sword's power, provided your body can handle it.]

"What just happened? Why did the synchronization suddenly skyrocket?" Damon wondered.

This was the first time he was actually using them in a fight.

Other than a little training, he had never used them before.

The synchronization rate had always been only 2% for both of them, but now, Mercy's synchronization rate had suddenly risen to 55%, and Judgment's had increased to 26%.

Damian closed his eyes, ignoring the thousands of terrifying presences surrounding him from all directions.

He could feel [Mercy, the Sword of Salvation] reacting with the [Holy Essence] inside him, while [Judgment, the Sword of Punishment] was reacting to [Mercy]'s connection with the Holy Essence.

"Hmm... I almost forgot that Mercy responds to holy power, while Judgment responds to dark power. They are opposites, but they are at their most powerful when together. If I want to maximize their strength, I need to acquire the dark power," Damian mused with a smirk.

"It must be the reason why the synchronization rate suddenly increased..."

[Your Talent [Limitless Refinement] is taking effect.]

[Your resistance to Miasma is increasing.]

[Your resistance to Miasma is increasing.]

[Your resistance to Miasma is increasing.]

[Your resistance to Miasma is increasing.]

[Your resistance to Miasma is increasing.]

...

..

.

[Your Constitution [Unyielding Warrior's Physique] is taking effect.]

[You have developed the trait: [Miasma Resistance].]

He turned his gaze toward the thousand demons of all shapes and sizes, each radiating an intense and powerful presence.

"Since I'm in Hell, I might as well see if I can find that power for myself..." Damian grinned as his aura began to seep out, enveloping him in a violet glow that clung to his body like a second layer of skin.

His hair floated as if defying gravity, and the corrosive effects of the miasma in the atmosphere were instantly countered as his skin rapidly regenerated.

As if responding to the burning battle intent of their master, the Sword of Salvation began to release a white aura, while the Sword of Punishment emitted a black aura.

These energies intertwined with Damian's own aura, making him appear even more imposing, even to the demons standing before him.

With his senses newly enhanced by his racial ability, [Crucial Sense], Damian could accurately assess the presence of every demon in the area.

The strongest presence, unsurprisingly, came from the largest and most terrifying demon among them.

This demon had the head of a black owl and the muscular body of an angel, standing at an imposing eight feet tall.

Its red skin was adorned with three pairs of dark black wings, clawed hands, and arms covered in scars, as if they had been pierced by thousands of knives.

Its crimson eyes, with slitted irises, studied Damian with a curious expression.

Damian watched as the owl-headed demon's face suddenly shifted, morphing into a more human-like appearance with long black hair.

"A human?" The demon's deep voice resonated through the battlefield.

This was none other than one of the 72 rulers of the biblical Hell, the holder of the 63rd position, Marquis Andras.

Once known as the angel Andrael before his fall, he had been cast out by the Heavenly Father and became a fallen angel, eventually rising to power as a ruler of Hell.

"I applaud your bravery, human," Andras said, his sharp teeth gleaming as he smiled. "But to challenge a ruler of Hell in his own domain... I cannot tell if this is true bravery or mere arrogance."

"Well, once I start something, I always finish it. So stop with the useless villain talk and why don't we start fighting?" Damian pointed [Judgment] at the demon Andras.

The demon narrowed his eyes at the sword being pointed at him and tilted his head in confusion.

Then, he looked at the other sword in Damian's other hand, and his confusion deepened.

"Before I start torturing you, let me ask something." The demon pointed his red-nailed finger at the swords Damian was holding.

"How did you get hold of those swords?"

"Oh, this? That would be none of your demon-ass-fucking business," Damian snorted.

The demon's eyes narrowed, but a smile slowly formed on his face.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy wiping that smirk off your face, human. I'm going to make you feel all the pain of the damned while you're still alive, you lowly creature… First, I'll let my demons have their fun with you."

"Sure!" Damian smiled further, and seeing him smile, the demon felt his veins pop out on his demonic forehead.

As a fallen angel, his pride was naturally high, and he couldn't help but feel enraged at the arrogant little human who dared to disrespect him in any way.

"Make him suffer!" the Marquis of Demons of biblical Hell, Andras, screamed as the one thousand lesser demons surrounding Damian released intense shrieks of noise and dashed at the little human who had dared to enter the domain of demons and challenge them.

"Yes, come at me!" Damian smiled confidently as [Mercy] began to release a small, thin energy.

The demons didn't care about anything or the mysterious energy they had never encountered before, emanating from the white sword.

They rushed in at full speed, screaming, giggling, and speaking all sorts of sinful words, describing what they were going to do to the beautiful human.

Damian grinned, shaking his head, thinking just how stupid the demons were.

He channeled his [Holy Essence] into his hands and concentrated it there, but for some reason, he didn't channel it into the sword, [Mercy].

Marquis Andras, who was hovering motionlessly in the distance, narrowed his eyes as he sensed something was wrong.

A unique energy stirred in the air, one he had not felt in a long time.

His eyes widened in surprise.

"How does he possess that power?" the fallen angel muttered, shaking his head.

"Is that why he was sent here? Is this the Father's doing?..."

The veins on the fallen angel's forehead became more prominent as a purplish-black aura seeped from his being, responding to the fury that burned within him.

He despised those arrogant, self-righteous bastards who served under the Father.

He didn't know if this human was truly working for the Father or those hypocritical angels, but it didn't matter.

He would hate anyone who wielded that damned holy power.

They were his mortal enemies, and nothing could change that.

So what if the system had placed a restriction on his power, limiting him and his demonic strength to match this human in Hell Mode difficulty?

His power should still be more than enough to crush a lowly human.

So what if this insignificant ant of a human possessed holy power, the very weakness of demons and fallen angels?

He was still one of Hell's higher demons, the holder of the 63rd position.

He was Marquis Andras.

He would not allow a mere human to act as he pleased.

To do so would be a disgrace to his very existence, both as a ruler and as a fallen angel.