Tower of Hell: Sineville of the Seas, Book 2, Chapter 133

Book Two is here! Thanks so much for all the support. Sineville of the Seas will see Jonas training with Old Louie, exploring Liberty City, and hopefully riding the famous cruise ship all the way to becoming a certified Sinner. However, our protagonist will need to prepare himself mentally and emotionally to face the biggest threat of his journey so far, Hellites.

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A beautiful nighttime sky hung over the Outlands. Beneath the crimson moon, twinkling stars, and wispy clouds, there was a long stretch of dark highway surrounded by open fields and only a single establishment within a hundred miles of the area. The midnight air was too cold for crickets to play their music, but red fireflies illuminated themselves and glowed within the tall grass, painting a beautiful picture seen from the windows of a motel. This rundown sleepaway was part of a hotel chain called Last Stop, known for its cheap rates, unsavory tenants, and vending machines with expired snacks. Bright spotlights lit the parking lot, but there were only two parked cars: the owner's sports car and a brand new Cerberus Shadow luxury sedan.

Since leaving Sun City, Jonas Ariel had stayed in crappy motels every night that he and Old Louie had been together. The master and disciple pair had been on the road for six days, and each made Jonas beg for freedom away from the smelly old quack who spent every waking minute trying to annoy him.

Besides the fact that Old Louie refused to shower and smelled like he was wearing Little Wrath City scented cologne, he also trashed the interior of Jonas' car. He'd gotten ketchup stains on the seats, spilled soda on the carpet, and left a permanent lingering smell of gas because of the time he ate an extra-large chili. Then there was the fact that Old Louie never seemed to have any money or mysteriously had to visit the bathroom when the check was about to come to their table at a restaurant. He was sure to order room service at every motel they stopped at—Old Louie loved scallops and wine and screwed with Jonas' radio channels by playing annoying classical music very loudly.

The first few days had been tolerable, but the final stretch had plenty of moments where Jonas was huffing and cursing under his breath, praying that his master would behave like a normal human being for one day. The only thing that made their time together bearable was when they'd stop at a motel for the night, and Old Louie would give him lessons on Sinning. That night, in their hotel room, Jonas was seated cross-legged on the rickety motel bed, shirtless and sweaty, and his cross-shaped Sin Scars glowed splendidly.

"Okay, kid. I want you to recap yesterday's lesson for me. What's a True Sinner?" Old Louie was lounging in an armchair and had his crusty, dirty fingers deep inside a bag of chips. He shoveled a handful inside his mouth, and crumbs fell and got stuck inside his nest-like beard while he wiped his chip fingers all over the couch fabric between handfuls. Jonas' lessons would begin with a fast-paced workout, then some cool-down meditation, a recap of the previous day's lesson, and he ended the night by learning a new subject.

"True Sinners refers to people who've awoken their Original Sin, can do Sin Sorcery, or have taken the Sin Assessment," Jonas scrunched his eyebrows. "I think that's it."

"The title True Sinner is interchangeable in a lot of different scenarios. However, an easy way to remember is if the person in question belongs to a Sinner society or do they just have scars. If they've got Sin Scars but aren't a True Sinner, they're a poser."

"So, is that why people consider the Black Butcher a True Sinner even though he failed the Sin Assessment?"

"That's exactly right. I'd consider you a True Sinner because you're part of the lifestyle. You've got an Original Sin, and you've done Sin Sorcery. The friends you left behind would all be posers, in my opinion. No offense, but connecting with Sin Scars and waking Cardinal Sins is not enough to be considered a True Sinner. It goes beyond the basics. Do you understand?"

"I got it," Jonas felt sad when he thought of the people he left behind. He needed to change the subject. "Sin is a force that makes up everything in Hell. Both Sinners and True Sinners can control and manipulate that Sin in some capacity. Right?"

"Great, now you've got the most basic fucking information memorized. Finally," Old Louie cackled and gave Jonas a toothy smile.

"You're the one who spent the last few days starting from the beginning. I didn't need to go over the seven Cardinal Sins, what all the Sin Scars look like, or how to awaken them. Not only that, but you made me go over all the common personality traits associated with each Sin. I didn't need to go over all that because I lived it," Jonas gave Old Louie a dead-pan stare. "I'm not an amateur."

"Oh, you're not?" Old Louie looked mildly surprised. "Last time I checked, I was the master, and you were the disciple. I think that means I'll decide what we learn, right? So, dumbass, if I want you to go over the basics, it's because it's fucking important to make sure you have the big picture when it comes to Sin. That means understanding the fundamentals."

"Fuck you."

"Little asshole. Hellite youths start learning about Sin when they're toddlers. They'll know and recognize all the Sin Scars a few years later, and they'll have their own Cardinal Sin by the time they can think for themselves. I've covered the basic terms these past few days because Hellite youths will have gone over them for years. Why? Because their parents are certified True Sinners and understand that solid fundamentals make a good Sinner. That's why," Old Louie crossed his arms and stared grumpily at the wall, and Jonas' eyebrow twitched out of frustration because he knew the old quack was correct.

"Sorry. You're right," Jonas felt his Pride protest at the apology, but deep down, he knew he'd been wrong for questioning his master's teachings. "You're the True Sinner, and you'd know best," Old Louie pouted and gave him a sidelong glance.

"Fine. Since you've admitted your inferiority and stupidity, I'll forgive you this once. Don't let it happen again. Anyway, let's move on to Sin Sorcery," Jonas knew not to argue with the old man because he was too shameless to admit he was wrong. "True Sin, otherwise known as Sin Sorcery, is the act of controlling Sin to manipulate ourselves and the world around us. Do you remember the two types of True Sin?"

"Internal and External."

"Good. Internal Sin Sorcery is about using Sin to change or manipulate yourself. It's the easiest Sin to learn and control because it comes from within you. Every Sinner will start their journey by performing Internal Sin: connecting their personalities with their Cardinal Sin, unlocking their Sin Scars, and using those scars to enhance their physical abilities."

"I understand," Jonas nodded. "I went through all of that when I unlocked mine. So, that whole time I was already doing Internal Sin Sorcery," he was amazed that he'd never learned such a simple term, even though he'd been through so much as a Sinner.

"Perhaps, you can see why it's so important to learn the basics?" Old Louie was all smiles as he stared at Jonas.

"Yeah. I can't take the Sin Assessment without knowing basic shit like Internal or External Sin. I'll look fucking stupid, and I'll probably die."

"As long as you know," Old Louie gave his student an approving nod. "The most fundamental type of True Sin is to enhance our physical abilities. We can infuse our muscles and joints with Sin to make us faster, stronger, and more agile. We can boost our bones to make them more durable or our eyes to see better in the dark. We can make our sense of smell as strong as an animal, or our immune systems capable of healing quicker, and we can even improve our digestive system to break down inedible objects. There's an infinite list of changes you can make to yourself using Internal Sin; however, those changes should align with your Cardinal Sin and your Original Sin."

"I understand," Jonas nodded. "You can't go against your Cardinal Sin, and your Sin Sorcery will be much stronger if you base it on whatever your Original Sin is."

"We don't go against our Cardinal Sins because they are reflections of our personality and deep-rooted desires and convictions. Most acts of True Sin that go against our Cardinal Sin will fail or be extremely poor. You'll feel your connection to your Sin Scars grow weak, and you won't have much control. Aligning your Sin Sorcery with your Cardinal Sin is a must, but having it fall within your Original Sin specialty is optional but will make it easier to manifest what you wish to do. Do you understand?"

"I've experienced all of that down in Little Wrath City. I do understand."

"Good. Before we move on to External Sin, let's talk about your Original Sin and what types of Internal Sin you've been able to accomplish up until this point."

"My Original Sin is to infuse my blood with my willpower and to control it."

"Precisely. I know your power still has secrets to discover, and the ceiling is unknown, but it's still an impressive Original Sin, even in its most basic form. You'll need to continue testing and coming up with ways to experiment with your powers. Tell me, what types of True Sin can you do, and which category do they fall under?"

"So, I can regenerate abnormally fast. I've had my skull crushed, my tongue sliced off, almost every bone broken, and my organs ruptured. I've even had first-degree burns that recovered in a few minutes. I used to have to think about healing myself, but now I do it subconsciously. That's all Internal Sin, right?"

"Very good. What else?"

"One time, I made my body leak a crazy amount of blood. That's an Internal Sin too. I also made someone slip when he stepped in a puddle of my blood, but that's an External Sin. Right?"

"Correct on both accounts," said Old Louie.

"I can make my blood have acidic properties. It's capable of burning skin and corroding metals. I've also used my blood to heal other people too. It's not as fast as my regeneration, but it's still quick."

"So, changing the qualities of your blood is internal, while using it on other people or objects is external. Do you understand that?"

"I do."

"Good," Old Louie yawned and stretched in his chair. "Do you understand the basics of Internal Sin enough to want to learn some new abilities?" Jonas immediately perked up and grew excited. Old Louie had given him plenty of lessons, but this was the first time an actual True Sin ability was on topic.

"Yes, please," Jonas nodded.

I'm about to teach you the differences between a True Sinner and a poser. Every Sinner knows the three prime survival abilities: Sin Suppression, Sin Sense, and Sin Shield. Let's start with suppressing our Sin Scars. Every True Sinner knows how to hide their scars. It's a fundamental ability needed to stay low-key and safe from your opponents. If they can't see your Sin Scars, they'll have less information on your strengths and weaknesses. You've probably noticed people wearing gloves to hide their scars, right?"

"Yeah. I've noticed."

"Posers," Old Louie fake spat on the ground. "Too fucking untalented to learn the most basic goddamn Internal Sin techniques, and they hide that with fabric. There are two ways of performing Sin Suppression. The poser way is to cover them up. That might trick a Commoner, but any decent Sinner will see past that with Sin Sense: the ability to detect Sin by enhancing your five senses."

"So, you hide Sin with Sin Suppression and detect it with Sin Sense?"

"That's the basics. Let's focus on Sin Suppression before I talk about the other two. You'll learn to disconnect from your Sin Scars without going against your Cardinal Sin. That way, your scars will fade away completely, but you'll still be in the right mind to activate them in the blink of an eye."

"Wait," said Jonas. "Doesn't that mean I can't use Sin while they're gone?"

"That's correct. As soon as you try using Sin, your scars will reappear and begin to glow, and your aura will leak out of your pores. It's just a rule we obey when using Sin Suppression. You'll have a better chance at survival, but the trade-off is you won't be able to use any Sin Sorcery while doing so. Most Sinners hide in plain sight and are unrecognizable because they're so good at suppressing their Sin and appear as normal Commoners."

"What do you mean by an aura leaking from my pores?"

"Ah," Old Louie looked a bit awkward. "That was supposed to be a lesson for another time. I'm going to keep this simple because we keep getting off track. I want to take my teachings slow for the basics to sink in. However, understanding aura is important because it's part of your body even though you don't know it. When you awaken your Sin Scars, your body produces a byproduct called an aura. It's a type of energy connected to every part of you. Well, not only can you use aura to perform some neat Sin Sorcery, but other people can garner information about you based on it. Your age, skill, mood, and Cardinal Sin are all available to be seen from your aura as long as someone is proficient with Sin Sense. That's why we first learn Sin Suppression. It shuts off your Sin Scars and stops aura from leaking out of your body, which prevents Sinners from peeping on your secrets. Got it?"

"Sort of," said Jonas. "Does aura relate to killing intent or the feeling that a Sinner is nearby?"

"Exactly. Killing intent is a powerful emotion that affects the aura of all living things nearby. It's hard to hide even if you learn to control it. Aura is a gateway into a person's soul, and you don't even realize that you're leaking information about yourself. That information can help another Sinner kill you. That's why I'm teaching you Sin Suppression."

"Okay," said Jonas. "Tell me how."

"The same way I did. Pretend you don't have Sin Scars. The idea is to slowly disconnect from your feelings toward your Sin, which is hard because you rely on it so much and feel a strong bond with it. I'm not saying you need to break the bond, but you should learn to put your Sin in a box."

"I get what you mean," Jonas couldn't remember what it was like not having Sin pumping through his body. He tried to picture himself before the scars appeared but found it difficult to imagine. The young Crusader had become so reliant on his Sin Scars that he wasn't too eager to disconnect.

"Okay. Try closing your eyes," said Old Louie, and Jonas did so. "You don't need your Sin Scars right now. Every sword has a sheath, so focus on your hands, feel the power coursing from them, and put the scars away. Use your mind's eye."

'I don't need my Sin right now,' Jonas tried to imagine his tanned hands without the glowing crosses tattooed on them, but it was hard to do. His mind kept having intrusive thoughts as if his Pride was trying to remind him how much Jonas depended on the power flowing from his Sin Scars. Every time he'd finally see his hands without the scars, they would become hot and vibrate as if they were refusing to go away.

"Ah, poor Mr. Talented can't make them disappear, can he?" Old Louie chided, and Jonas opened his eyes to see a punchable grin staring at him. "Sin can sometimes have a mind of its own, though you already know that. That's why I'm surprised your Sin Shadow willingly fused back with you. They normally are much more vicious."

"Stop," Jonas shook his head. "I don't want to talk about Pride or any other person I lost during the Hurts gang."

"Pride wasn't a person," Old Louie gave a pitiful look. "It was—"

"I don't care what you think he was!" Jonas raised his voice, and his scars began to glow. "He was a person to me, and that's what matters. Your opinion is dog shit."

"My opinion is dog shit? Fuck you. Teach yourself to get on the Sineville of the Seas or take the Hell Challenge. You don't need your master's shitty opinion."

"God fucking dammit," Jonas got up from the bed and considered swinging on Old Louie, who was making a stupid face at him. "I'm going out for a smoke. I'm tired of smelling you."

"Stupid ass disciple," Old Louie shook his head and stared at the water-damaged ceiling. The front door to the motel closed, and only after Jonas left the room did Old Louie show his aggrieved face. "Stop being so goddamn soft. Being an emotional pansy is going to burden you."

Outside, Jonas was staring out into the darkness, occasionally trying to predict where the next red firelight would glow while smoking a cigarette and trying to keep his emotions leveled. A Crusader couldn't tap into their anger, but Jonas felt like Old Louie had stepped on his Pride, which made him snap.

"Stupid old bastard," he muttered under his smokey breath. Jonas didn't like how Old Louie threatened to take away his training every time they disagreed. It was manipulative and shitty. "Just put up with him," Jonas had to remind himself every time he got too frustrated with his old master that he only needed to put up with him for three more months. After the time was up, Jonas would sail to Sin City and never have to smell Old Louie's skunk-like body odor ever again. He threw away his cigarette, took a deep breath, and strode back into the motel room.

"Are you done huffing and puffing?" Old Louie clicked his tongue impatiently.

"Yeah. I'm still feeling testy after losing people. Let's just focus on the lesson," Jonas wore a fake smile and sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Stop blowing up every time I talk about sensitive information. It's a sign of emotional immaturity and mental weakness," Old Louie shook his head. Jonas could barely stomach the irony of being called emotionally immature by someone like his master. However, he begrudgingly knew Old Louie was correct about those sensitive topics being a weakness for him, constantly disrupting his mental state.

"You're right. I'll try not to get so moody."

"You might think I'm just being a dick, which is true. However, if one of your opponents finds out how you react when faced with sensitive topics, they'll bring them up, fuck with your mood, and easily kill you without Sin as a weapon to protect yourself."

"I know. I know," Jonas sighed. "I've been compartmentalizing my feelings since the auction. Killing those people shook me. You'll say they were shitty people deserving of death and were trying to kill me first, but I still think about it and have some regrets."

"It gets easier to kill and not feel so bad about it. The first time is the hardest, but you'll kill again, so be ready. With that said, let me get back to my lesson, you little dick," Old Louie chuckled and took a sip of his soda. "Sin Suppression isn't as easy as closing your eyes and imagining it. It's difficult for beginners who've become reliant on their Sin and especially Crusaders who feel too prideful to let go of their power. The difficulty is double for you. The good news is we have plenty of time for you to work on getting it down. I want you to keep practicing all night until you can make the Sin Scars fade a bit. Once you completely hide them, we'll move on to Sin Sense and then Sin Shield."

"Double the difficulty for Crusaders?" Jonas thought of the time he'd challenged Ralph to a fight. He'd failed twice, spectacularly, and his persistence and confidence in his success helped him succeed on the third attempt. "I'll figure it out before tomorrow," Jonas stared at his Sin Scars and wanted to focus on his confidence but knew it would trigger his Sin Scars. Instead, his focus was on pretending he wasn't a Sinner anymore.

By midnight, Old Louie was snoring in one of the queen beds while Jonas was lying with his hands behind his head, eyes closed, and concentrating. He imagined himself before death when he knew nothing about Hell, Sin, or what it felt like to kill someone. Jonas had been a regular teenager getting ready to graduate and enter the workforce. He remembered his thin body, with no glowing scars on his hands, and still reliant on his older brother to care for him. Jonas felt like he was melding into his bed, his visions became daydreams, and those became night dreams as he slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Jonas awoke with a startle a few minutes later and immediately noticed a change in himself. The power that constantly flowed within his veins seemed to have hibernated because it was hard to feel its presence, and he saw his Sin Scars had faded to the point they were no longer glowing and almost invisible in the darkened hotel room. Jonas immediately realized his Cardinal Sin had become partially disconnected. Soon, he lost control, and the crimson crosses on his hands began glowing. Even though his Sin Suppression was incomplete and lasted a few moments, Jonas was still excited and confident that he could do it again.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep until Old Louie woke him up a few hours later by yawning loudly and obnoxiously humming to himself.

"Good morning," his stench assaulted Jonas' nostrils so badly it made his eyes water.

"I almost suppressed my Sin last night. I couldn't figure out how to make them go away completely," he examined the cross-shaped Sin Scars that were more faded than usual.

"I know," said Old Louie. "I felt your aura diminish and noticed less Sin where you were sleeping. No worries, kid. When we get to Liberty City, I'll give you a few tasks that'll help you train all your Sin Sorceries."

"Tasks?" Jonas began stripping to take a shower. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind. I don't need so many goddamn questions first thing in the morning. As your master, it's my job to train you. Don't worry about the how," Old Louie shook his head and mumbled something that sounded like, "Good job."

"Dick," Jonas assumed it was an insult and shook his head. He went to the bathroom, stripped down, and jumped in the shower. About thirty minutes later, he and Old Louie were packed, checked out, and pulled out of the parking lot of Last Stop and onto the road toward Grandview Hotel, Liberty City.

Most highways and roads in the Outlands were two lanes for incoming and oncoming, and even after a week of driving, Jonas had crossed paths with less than a hundred other vehicles. He saw rigs pulling cargo, long-distance buses carrying people from city to city, and the occasional sedan owned by someone wealthy and influential.

"Have you thought about how I can get a ticket?" Jonas felt the warm sunlight on his skin and the cool breeze blowing against his face through the partially opened window. It was putting him in a relaxed mood.

"One thing at a time," Old Louie farted, and Jonas quickly rolled down the passenger side window. "Training first. Once you can do the three basic Sin Sorcery techniques, we'll go back to martial arts, your Original Sin, and putting everything together. After that, I'll help you get a ticket and send you on your way.

"Well, I plan on finishing Sin Suppression by tomorrow, so get ready for your next lesson," Old Louie ignored him and pointed childishly toward a massive billboard advertising Crispy Screams a hundred kilometers away. "I don't think you got money for breakfast. Do you?" Jonas smirked.

"No, but you do. Buy your old master something good to eat, and maybe it'll jog my memory and help me think of an old trick for learning Sin Suppression."

"Buy these nuts," Jonas chuckled. "They'll fill you up."

"Come on!" Old Louie cried. "I want donuts! Don't be so stingy. You damn miserly bastard."

"Fine, fine, we'll get the donuts. Don't forget that I've got to ration my money if we're going to be staying at Grandview hotel, which I still don't understand how we're going to afford to stay in for three months."

"No worries," Old Louie grinned. "Your old master has some karmic ties with the owner. He owes me a favor for saving his son's life, which means we get to stay there for as long as we like."

"Seriously?" Jonas looked surprised. "Healing is a lucrative business, isn't it?"

"Alongside slavery and security. Every good Sinner organization has a healer they can call for in emergencies. Hospitals are almost non-existent in Hell, and Commoners and Sinners will pay an arm and a leg to have a house call from their local Healer."

"No hospitals. That makes sense when everyone heals quickly and never dies of sickness."

The road to Liberty City was long, and they still had a few hours until they reached the capital of the Outlands, so they filled that time with idle conversation about Hell and Sin. After one stop for a dozen donuts and coffee at Crispy Screams and about four more hours of driving, Jonas caught sight of skyscrapers far in the distance. Liberty City was on the horizon.

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