Chapter 10 - Ranking Up in the Underworld

If I were to describe the scenery of passing from the human world to the underworld it'd look like a cool color myriads light show. For a minute I doubted I was actually traveling between plains or, I eat something I should have.

Either way, the trip was about 10 minutes give or take and when I arrived in the underworld I was in a forest and the sky was red. It was both what I was expecting while also not what I was hoping for.

Expanding my senses I went into stealth and fled from my current location. The devils of this place aren't stupid if it was this easy to get into the underworld then fallen angels and angels alike would use the same method.

As if on cue when I left my previous location I sensed a terrifying presence. I felt immediate danger and took in all my senses, my Spirit sense, and used my [stealth] skill to the maximum output I could muster. Not feeling too confident I used a double-edged sword skill.

Yu - [Time Alter - Triple Stagnant!]

This skill let me slow my heartbeat by 3 times its usual pace. The downside is that I put a lot of pressure on my internal organs hence why I don't use this skill much. Props to this skill had to go to Kiritsugu Emiya who showed my this skill through the Anime.

Trying to be safe I used [Senjutsu] to let my body handle the pressure longer. The pain may have hurt but death would hurt even more. I stayed hidden for 10 minutes before I released both [Time Alter] and [Senjutsu]. Slowly spreading my sense I was relieved to find that the terrifying presence was gone.

I continued to have my stealth active but I didn't stay idle. The quest said I had to survive not that I had to fight. I can at most, fight against low-ranking devils evenly, and maybe mid-ranking devils if all my trump cards are used but not high-ranking devils that's just suicide.

I may be in the middle of construction but I can still hide in my Heavenly World until time runs out. Sending my consciousness into my Heavenly World but what I got was a notification.

*Ding* [Host's Heavenly World is currently unavailable until the end of the quest.]

Yu - F***!!!!

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So far 3 hours have passed and I continue to roam the forest knowing nothing about where I am. Right now I don't dare use my spirit sense because I know that any devil stronger than me will be able to recognize that the energy emission isn't of a devil but a human. The 3-way treaty hasn't been made yet so devils are still hostile against humans. Being hidden is better than being found.

I did come across some magical beasts in this forest and was able to beat them and they were able to get me some decent experience. Most of the beast levels don't reach higher than low-ranking high tier strength so I could somehow survive but I still have to be cautious.

It wasn't until I reached a certain point in the forest where I started to feel my body arch did I begin to worry. Calling upon the systems analyzing abilities I got my answer.

*Ding* [Status Report: Host has currently entered a land with high-density demonic energy, Host's current body is being corroded by these energies.]

Yu - Corroded how my body is as hard as iron how can I be affected by demonic energies.

*Ding* [It is true that Host has a strong body but there is a limit. Host has currently refined mana and life force as Host's main energies. These energies, however, don't mix well with demonic energy. Mana is basic energy and uses other elements to change its composition. While life force is the energy that supports things while demonic energy is mostly meant to destroy.]

Yu - So all I need to do is leave this area and I'll be fine right?

*Ding* [Correct but Host would be missing out on a big opportunity.]

Yu - How so?

*Ding* [Host can refine demonic energy and create a new energy reserve in Host's body by cultivating the atmosphere's energy! At this moment Host's can cultivate 2 more energy reserves with the help of the [Meditation] skill. As an added benefit while also absorbing demonic energy Host can focus the life force of the forest into refining Host's body along with demonic energy. This will lead to Host synchronizing both energies into balance while also strengthening Host.]

Yu - From what I can deduce I'll get more benefits if I stay here but I'm going to have to bear some pain?

*Ding* [Correct]

I knew I couldn't argue so I started looking for a decent play to start meditating. Lucky for me I found a cave that looked pretty safe and started meditating.

----

It's been a while since I started to cultivate a new source of energy. Frankly speaking, when I was on my search for source energy I somehow got started with cultivating life force. I did remember that life force related to nature and meditation lead me to embrace my surrounding (nature) but, after that, I didn't look for new energies to collect.

Then came my World Power the only way to increase my capacity was too grow my world and that was hard enough. At the bottom of my list was Spatial Essence the raise this I had to go into space pockets and I didn't really have the skills to survive there so that was shelved too.

Because of reasons like this, the thought of refining demonic energies never crossed my mind until now.

4 hours passed and demonic energy and little bits of life force stated to come my way and oppose each other in my body. The process was painful but I kept feeling that my body was getting stronger so I didn't stop.

Once 5 hours rolled up I was able to harmonize the energies in my body and could finally take a break, and let's be honest the benefits made it worth it.

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Name: Yu Hyoudou

Race: Pseudo Human (Fake) / Primordial (Sealed)

Bloodline: Primordial Bloodline

Title: Monster's Poison

System Points (SP) - 2,971 -> 13,971 {A/N: Forgot to add these before}

Strength - 251

Endurance - 300

Agility - 197

Intelligence - 170

Luck - 52

Energy Reserves:

World Power: 1,000

Mana: 5,192 -> 17,125

Life Force: 2,722 -> 3,001

Demonic Energy: 0 -> 3,001

Spacial Essense: 5,000

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The rewards for these short 5 hours of pain we worth every second. My current battle power is mid-tier mid-ranking devils, and if I use everything at my disposable then no mid-ranking devil will be able to beat me.

This was nice an all but my current situation couldn't let me be satisfied with this. I needed more power to survive. With the abundance of life force and demonic energy, I need a cultivation method that can help me use both to strengthen my body.

I've hardly ever touched the [store] since I became 5 years old and usually neglect it since I was never in any real danger. Things like SP have just been piling up and finally, it was time to use them.

Cultivation methods weren't like skills they couldn't be leveled up or improved. They also took a lot of time to complete, but who was I, I once spent half my families fortune on the stock market and still came out a winner.

Making my decision I spent 5 minutes searching for the perfect manual I could afford at the time:

[Body Refining Manuel - Life and Death Spiritualization]

- Price - 11,000]

Once the purchase was made I received some much information that it hurt my head, but through this, I was able to understand the basis of this manual. It was split up into three parts and each part needed a catalyst. Each catalyst will have the possibility to give the user special traits to help him grow.

One downside to this manual was that once it starts it can't be stopped the user has to endure through to the end.

The process scared me but I couldn't do anything about it anymore. The only reason I was pushed this far was that I was weak and would die the instant I revealed myself. My skills were only supporting abilities I could call upon but it wasn't like I could use them to jump multiple ranks at a time.

I only had 2 abilities that could possibly do that however one was sealed through the system while the other I haven't really used much my professions is below what I want it to be.

All I could do was suck it up and be a man. As for the catalysts I already had three that could be useful. They were body parts of monsters I killed on my way here. They were the scales of a black lizard, the spinal cord of a wolf, and the bone marrow of a boar.

The first two would feel strengthen my defense and enhance my sense, and as for the boars bone marrow it's one of the hardest bones, I've ever felt so I hope it would help me with my own bones.

Yu - I've already spent 8 hours in this place but I feel like not even half of the time limit has been used up. Ha~~. This manual will also take a long time to complete but...

Showing a cheeky smile I start working on the manual but not before activating a few skills.

[Calm Mind]

[Reinforcement - Fortify]

[Time Altar - Square XL]

[Meditation]

[Pain Resistance]

[Language Comprehension]

[Parallel Thoughs]

[Thought Acceleration]

[Calm Mind] helped me stabilize my state of mind; [Reinforcement - Fortify] helped harden my insides; [Time Altar - Square XL] speed up my bodies time by 4 times; [Meditation] brought mana, life force, and demonic energy to power my skills and begin the refining; [Pain Resistance] helped me deal with the pain; and [Language Comprehension], [Parallel Thoughs], and [Thought Acceleration] made the process go faster than expected.

With all these skills a process that should have taken days was done in only 6 hours. When I was finished I was beyond tired but was glad my current power level now was comparable to a high ranking devil.

To be honest, doing something like this is not good and even dangerous, but I want to live. If I damaged my foundation I'll just fix it when I get back home. After resting for 2 hours I got up and left because I felt multiple presences closing in on me.

Little did I know that my body refining session caused part of the forest to whither and a small vacuum of demonic energies was forming with my cave being at the center.

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Time Spent on Quest: 16 hours