CH741

All at once, the world changed. The demon was flooded with power, more than it had ever felt before and the world around it slowed down. Seconds turned into minutes for it as it felt the thrill of success screaming out to it. It had done it, it had pushed beyond its limits, reaching greater heights just like its god had hoped and it could feel the power it now held acting as the reward.

Not just in the strength it had gained though but the skill as well. The voice in its head that sang of its newfound strength told it as much and it could feel the change itself as the link it had up with all of its limbs strengthened significantly. 

More than that though, it could feel the limits of its magic practically disappear. Until then, it would only see five minutes down any path but now? Now it felt like there was no limit, at least for the time. It was sure it would find one after it tested its new power for a bit but that was going to need to wait. In the moment it had only one goal, dominating the creature that had caused it so much trouble.

A part of it wanted to kill it then and there but the demon held itself back. No matter what rage filled it, the fact the creature had been able to push it so far was a testament to how useful it would be and now feeling victory on its fingertips it stretched out with its magic, looking for the future where it won.

And it found nothing. It was so much more powerful than it had been only moments before and could create more paths for itself to walk down with all of that strength too but it couldn’t see a single one where it came out on top, forcing a scream from its throat at the unjustness of it all. It had pushed so far past its limits, why could it still not win?

It was a question it wasn’t going to get an answer to; its time limit was up. Feeling something creeping into its head no matter how it tried to fight it off, eventually the world went black around it, spelling out its defeat.

---

<DEEP CONNECTION LEVEL INCREASED>

<UNNATURAL INSPIRATION LEVEL INCREASED>

<UNNATURAL INTELLIGENCE ENHANCEMENT LEVEL INCREASED>

<ESOTERIC ACTUALIZATION LEVEL INCREASED>

<HIVE MIND LEVEL INCREASED>

<ILL INTENT LEVEL INCREASED>

<ALL AFFINITY RESISTANCE ENHANCEMENT LEVEL INCREASED>

As Ben slumped down to the ground in exhaustion, every other person and demon around him did the same.

“Alright, that was a little too freaking close for comfort.”

When he’d first connected with the demon he’d thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw it was a contender for two skills and then had nearly been sick when he heard it awaken them. He’d known it had to have had an unreasonably high level in its skills but he hadn’t been remotely prepared for what he’d found and all he could do was thank his lucky stars his mind was still more powerful in the end. The demon had lost the second he’d gotten within its range but it had insisted on making it feel close the entire time.

<Uh, Ben?> Myriad asked, breaking him from his thoughts. <Is what just happened what I think?>

“Did the demon reach the third tier you mean? Yeah, that happened and I have bad news on top of it.”

<I don’t want to hear it, I’m going to be up here panicking for a bit.>

“Well, sorry but you’ve gotta, but just for emphasis I want to say this is only kind of my fault.”

<...I don’t like where this is going.>

“I’m reading this thing’s memories as we speak. Because of how definitively the first wave ended it looks like Oaun sent down a few of his more promising prospects. It can’t be a ton but I’m pretty sure there’s other contenders that made it to this world.”

<...Okay, I’ll tell the others.> His god said in defeat, trusting the news no matter how bad it was. On the one hand, that was going to be their first recorded time having the demons well and truly break whatever self-imposed rules they had for themselves but on the other, if it was a reaction to what happened after the first wave then it made sense. No matter how it happened or what was done to cause it, their victory on that front had been decisive enough to demand a change from their enemies. <I suppose that could explain some of what we’ve found since the wave ended.>

“Like what?”

<Villages emptied before reports of demons in the area could even be found, if it’s only been one or two powerful ones making their way through instead of groups of them then that would make sense and it ties in with the lack of ghosts we’ve been finding in the world until now. When hell opened up the planet should have been flooded but now we’re barely getting any sightings, it speaks of a potential demon or group of demons with an unfortunate level of control over the dead.>

Ben pinched his brow when he heard that. “We literally passed a group of ghosts heading somewhere earlier. They weren’t going in our direction so Thera dealt with them but I could feel them being led. Fucking hell, I guess someone needs to spread the word that if anyone finds any ghosts in the future then they need to be followed.”

<I’ll call for an emergency meeting up here. For now though, what do you intend to do about that?>

Ben didn’t need to ask what Myriad was talking about, it was obvious nobody wanted the birth of a demon god on the world, the planet just so happened to be lucky enough that it happened around the person most equipped to prevent it.

“I’ll deal with it in a minute. For now, there’s something I need to do first.”

He’d taken over the demon completely but had gained an unexpected side benefit in the mix as not only had he dominated that one but every other creature under it too. He already had the more distant demons moving and with a small bit of will, he had the rest kill each other as quickly as he could.

Each bite of tooth and claw felt like they were tearing into his own flesh but he was able to get past it as all of the demons in the area slowly died until there was only a single one left.

With the rest gone, that left only the ringleader before him and he felt himself begin to salivate with what that meant as he pulled out one of his knives and altered the shape and enchantments on it before enchanting on a rainbow mana crystal to place within.

He had to trap the soul to ensure it never rose to godhood, that would be a nightmare for both gods and mortals alike, but that wasn’t where his thoughts lied in the moment. That thing was going to become a god, in some senses it already was, and he let himself hope that it would be enough for the notification he so desperately wanted to finally ring out as he slid his blade into the creature’s heart.

<EVIL AFFINITY LEVEL INCREASED>

<DESTRUCTION AFFINITY LEVEL INCREASED>

<MAX LEVEL OF THE WORLD KILLER JOB ACHIEVED>

…Good enough I guess.

He’d prayed so desperately that killing that demon might finally have awakened his sacrilege but it seemed that still wasn't meant to be, with his failure on that front taking a bit of the wind from his otherwise incredible achievement of completing his seemingly impossible job.

Still, with everyone around him freed from the demon’s hold and Thera, Fone, and Pato all needing to be released from their confines, Ben couldn’t put off picking his next job and he touched his crystal to do exactly that.

AVAILABLE JOBS

• Trap user

• Craftsman- alchemy path

• Craftsman- artistic path

• Craftsman- blacksmith path

• Craftsman- cooking path

• Craftsman- stonecrafts path

• Craftsman- sewing path

• Mathematician

• High tank

• Divine enchanter

• High marksman

• High destruction mage

• Beginner puppeteer

• Connect master

• Holy adversary

• Title master

• Multiversal material mage

• Outsider 

• Body user

• Slayer

• Judge

• Assassin

• Cycler

• Beginner dancer

• Entrée

• Hive brain

• King of intelligence

• Master of destiny

• Soul creator

• Beneficiary

• God defiling gardener

• Expert

• Master actualizer

So many options to choose from still after his mass job run but there was only one he was going to take. It didn’t matter that he’d just gotten a level to it, he wanted all of the bonuses he could get.

I’ll take connect master.

<ACQUIRED JOB- CONNECT MASTER LV0>

<MASSIVE BONUSES GRANTED TO IMPROVING INTELLIGENCE>

<ALL CONNECT SKILLS WILL RECEIVE A MAJOR GROWTH BONUS>

<SOUL INCLINATION HAS AWAKENED TO SOUL AFFINITY>

Name: Ben Heph

Race: Human

Titles: Apostle of Myriad, The Forgotten One, Miracle Maker, Skill learner, Enemy of Eneth, Trial Defier, Trial Breaker, Godslayer, Monster, Madman, God killer, Threat, The mad apostle, Destined holder of Connect, God of Destruction, Creator of Life, Awakener, Maniac, Brutal Blacksmith, Defier of Gods, Title Holder, Enemy of Olensia, Great Teacher, Student of Helori, Myriad’s Monster, Outsider slayer, Demigod slayer, Transgressor, Destined holder of Mental symbiosis, Destined holder of Alien thought structure, Destined holder of Soul production, Job Holder, Destined holder of Actualization

Jobs: Connect master (lv 10)

Previous Jobs: Apprentice craftsman, Craftsman, Priest, Enchanter, Mind user, Magic item maker, Magic weapon maker, High enchanter, Fractured mind user, Tree tamer, High craftsman, Apprentice mage, True mage, Tank, Heretic, Adventurer, Divine heretic, Kin, Master craftsman, Master enchanter, Scholar, Connected enchanter, Infernal craftsman, Marksman, Destruction mage, Material mage, High material mage, Profane enchanter, Master material mage, Impious creator, Mind master, Master adventurer, Otherworldly craftsman, Material creator, Master of all, Ritual enchanter, Holy craftsman, Cursed item maker, Actualizer, Summoned enchanter, Destructive craftsman, Soul mage, Freak mind user, Unholy thinker, Polymath, Alien mind, Soul user, Soul master, Evil soul user, Soul defiling gardener, High actualizer, World killer

Attributes:

• Vitality: 2814

• Vitality recovery rate: 67/hr

• Mana: 5265

• Mana recovery rate: 436/min

• Strength: 2283

• Agility:618

• Stamina: 4970

• Intelligence: 19440

Affinities:

• Light: 3

• Life: 2

• Fire: 4

• Water: 3

• Air: 4

• Earth: 2

• Death: 3

• Dark: 1

• Space: 4

• Time: 5

Resistances:

• Light: 68

• Life: 72

• Fire: 75

• Water: 69

• Air: 66

• Earth: 81

• Death: 78

• Dark: 85

• Space: 63

• Time: 61
  

Blessed skills:

• Unending crafting lv8*

• Divine enchanting lv8*

• Unnatural mind lv9*
  

Passive skills: 

• King of sacrilege lv9*

• Bind

• Integrated demonic body lv9

• Defense enhancement lv9

• Absorption resistance lv9

• Knowledge lv9*

• All affinity resistance enhancement lv9

• Unnatural inspiration lv4*

• Bite enhancement lv6

• Piercing resistance lv8

• Artisan’s touch

• Unnatural intelligence enhancement lv2*

• Reconstructed alien thought structure*

• Blood regeneration lv3 

• Extraction enhancement lv9

• Soul affinity lv0*

• Modifier compatibility

• Material sense lv9

• Flavour enhancement lv1

• Ill intent lv2*

• Balance enhancement lv3

• Soul expansion lv5

• Defiler of ambrosia

• Destruction affinity lv3*

• Evil affinity lv3*

Active skills: 

• Stealth lv2

• Deep connection lv8*

• Cycling lv2

• Marksmanship lv9

• Material manipulation lv8*

• Swimming lv2

• Dance lv1

• Unnatural thought speed lv9*

• Hive mind lv5*

• Rule bender lv1

• Aim lv8

• Esoteric actualization lv3*

• Soul source lv3*

• Lucid dreaming

Blessings:

• Myriad’s Blessing

• Anailia’s Blessing

• Helori’s Blessing

• Galwax’s Blessing

• Elvat’s mana regeneration Blessing

• Eneth’s Blessing

• Earth Pantheon’s Blessing

• Life Pantheon’s Blessing

• Dark Pantheon’s Blessing

• Olensia’s Blessing

• Nare’s Blessing

• Yuzu’s mana regeneration Blessing

• Witness of Chaos

• Oaun’s Blessing

Trials:

• Trial of Anailia and Tolona

• Trial of the Dead God

• Earth Tower

• Life Tower

• Dark Tower

Yeah, I guess I’m good with that.

He hadn’t been expecting any new levels so getting his soul inclination to awaken was an unexpected bonus that had rewarded him a few job levels on top of it. It was a bit of a shame he didn’t get more, he should have technically still been a part of the party until he was either kicked out or the person who held the job completed theirs but he had no doubt that the second he’d finished world killer and had stopped being such a massive resource sink, all of the experience his basic mental structure was creating thanks to having Verbum in the party had let the rest of them get as many levels as possible until their adventurer had run out.

But oh well, it’s not like it’s going to take me long to finish this anyway.

Even though it was a master job, he had his skill at the eighth level of the second tier. Even if he didn’t have a strategy for it, it wouldn’t have taken him long to complete but since he had his master plan for completing it and all other jobs, he didn’t particularly care. Multiple lifetime worth of experience were about to be claimed in only a couple days and he couldn’t wait to get them.

But first, there were other priorities. While everyone else around him was only just beginning to make sense of what had happened, he stood up and called out.

“Alright everyone, your minds ended up a little suppressed so your memories might be a bit foggy but for now I’ll make it clear you’re all safe and there’s nothing to worry about. Ignore all of the demon corpses around you and stay still for just a bit!”

As an afterthought he released the three he’d been keeping safe from the voidstone holding them and let them deal with their own bits of disorientation as they fell to the ground, paying them no mind as he walked away.

After all, they weren’t trapped under an evil demon’s mind control, instead getting to enjoy my super ethical, super gentle mind control which is absolutely completely different beyond the fact that mine has worse range.

Without another thought he grabbed the first piece of voidstone from the ground, breaking the enchantments on it to let Thera pop out as he caught her in the air, getting to see the disoriented look on her face as a reward.

“What just happened?” She asked groggily, seeming more like she’d come out of a nap than a demon’s control as Ben answered.

“Long story short, a demon contender took you and almost everyone else over and it was a pain in the ass to deal with. I’ll fill you in on the rest later but first we have to free Pato and he’s going to need some healing because I definitely broke a few of his bones and then after we’re going to need to find where Fone got sealed away. Oh, but there’s nothing to worry about. After one of the most annoying fights of my life I won so everyone’s safe.”

He gave her a wide grin as she processed everything he had to say until eventually she just reached up a hand to begin healing him before doing everything else they were going to have to if they wanted to be on their way.