Three Hours Later...
The remaining demons gathered atop the tallest volcano. Below them, magma had already swallowed half the mountain.
Looking around, Void realized he was among the largest, towering at nearly 18 meters tall. The once-massive horde of demons had dwindled from hundreds of trillions to mere billions. The sheer number of deaths was staggering.
(Author's Note: I can't really describe how massive this volcanic mountain is, but let's just say—it's really, really big.)
Void scanned the horizon and spotted several other volcanoes. There were hundreds of them, each one previously teeming with trillions of lives, now reduced to a fraction of that number. He couldn't comprehend the full scale of the Abyss, but he understood one thing clearly—Earth wasn't even one-tenth its size. The only reason he could see these distant volcanoes was because of the mountain's height and his enhanced vision.
"How many lives exist in this universe?" Void wondered aloud as his gaze locked onto two particular volcanoes. One housed a demon around fifty meters tall, and the other... far more terrifying—a demon standing at over one hundred meters.
"Compared to humans, we're not even as tall as its foot," Void thought grimly. On average, a human was about one meter tall; even a bear standing upright only reached about three to five meters. But this creature was as tall as a skyscraper—utterly monstrous.
"System, scan them."
Ding.
{NAME: Unknown | RACE: Demon | STATUS: Young Demon}
{RANK: 0 | LEVEL: 78 | HEIGHT: 52 meters}
{STRENGTH: 450 (390+60) | SPEED: 450 (390+60) | STAMINA: 450 (390+60) | MAGIC: 180 (116+64)}
{SKILL: ????? [LOCKED]}
Ding.
{NAME: ???? | RACE: Demon | STATUS: Low-Level Demon}
{RANK: 1 | LEVEL: ????? | HEIGHT: 110 meters}
{STRENGTH: ??? | SPEED: ???? | STAMINA: ???? | MAGIC: ???? | SKILL: ???}
"Shit…" Void muttered under his breath. A Rank 1 demon is only considered low-level? What kind of nightmare was this? The sheer power it radiated felt beyond anything he'd ever imagined—even movies and novels didn't come close.
"System, when will you tell me about demon classifications? What comes after 'low-level demon'?" Void asked impatiently.
(Ding... Host will be informed once he reaches Rank 1.)
Void clicked his tongue and cursed under his breath before revisiting the data.
Level 78. The number alone shocked him. Looking closer, he realized that the 390 represented the base stats gained from leveling up—about +5 per level—while the +60 came from consuming the shell.
The magic stat, on the other hand, was made up of two parts: the base gain from leveling up past level 20 (+116) and the additional +64 bonus from the shell. With a sigh, Void's earlier arrogance deflated.
As for the Rank 1 demon, its oppressive aura alone proved how far above him it was. Rank 1 wasn't just a number—it was a fundamental leap in life itself.
The system also explained that stats were hidden for beings fifty or more levels above the host. That made sense. Still, Void's thoughts drifted to something else—the fairy loli had once mentioned their server number: 358 billion. That meant there were at least 358 billion servers.
If a Rank 1 demon existed even in his server—number 358 billion—then what about the earlier servers? Would they have Rank 3… or even Rank 4 demons?
(Author's Note: Hmph, the MC really thinks reaching Rank 3 or 4 is that simple? Oh well, I probably shouldn't spoil it.)
Void's face flushed red. "Damn, I've got to get stronger," he muttered, clenching his fists.
"But first—system, add a thousand souls to my stats," he commanded with a grin, fully confident he'd surpass a Rank 1 demon with that boost.
(Author's Note: Hehehe… our MC's confidence is touching. Let's hope his IQ evolves too.)
Unfortunately, reality hit like a bucket of cold water.
(Error: A maximum of ten souls can be added per stat.)
"What?! This system is bullshit! The whole game's bullshit!" Void shouted. But after a moment of reflection, he realized the logic—if soul infusion had no limit, every demon would be unstoppable. A Rank 1 demon with a hundred thousand souls added would be a cosmic disaster.
"Scary…" Void whispered, regaining his resolve.
"Alright then. System, add ten souls to all my stats and an extra eight to Strength and Stamina. Then show my stats."
Ding.
{HOST: Void | RACE: Demon | STATUS: Low-Level Demon}
{RANK: 0 | LEVEL: 40 | HEIGHT: 18.4 meters}
{STRENGTH: 320 (200+100+20 [Bonus from shell]) | SPEED: 320 | STAMINA: 320 | MAGIC: 40}
{SKILLS: [LOCKED] | EXP: 0/28000 | SOULS: 18000}
Void tilted his head, puzzled. "System, explain the calculation."
(Ding. The host's stats are based on the number of souls added and bonuses gained from consuming shells. These bonuses function like a random lottery—some demons gain only 1–2 points, while others might get as high as 10, 20, 30, or even 100. For EXP, after each level-up, the counter resets to 0. For example: 200/200 → 0/300.)
Hearing this, Void's eyes lit up. If his stats were already comparable to a Level 78 demon at only Level 40… wouldn't he be able to fight a Rank 1 demon by Level 100?
(Author's Note: The MC is absolutely delusional. He thinks level-jumping is normal! Bro, that's only possible because the rank gap right now is baby-sized.)
Void pushed aside thoughts of those lucky demons who had gained massive bonuses. He wasn't a genius, nor did he possess an exceptional physique. Brooding over it would only lead to despair. His goal was simple—to grow stronger.
As for becoming the strongest, Void scoffed inwardly. No matter how powerful you get, someone out there will always be stronger. Those overpowered protagonists in novels were only as mighty as their authors allowed them to be.
The ground trembled as more demons gathered, preparing for yet another massacre. Suddenly, the loli's calm voice echoed through the air.
"Jump."
Without hesitation, the demons leapt. Seeing this, Void followed suit.
He plunged downward for nearly ten seconds before the system's voice rang out:
"Server merging in process."
"Servers merged."
"Host, this is to inform you that all servers have merged. You are now in Server 201."
"Wait—what? How many servers are there?" Void asked mid-fall.
"Five hundred servers, Host. They are ranked from first to five hundred."
Void let out a small sigh of relief. At least his server wasn't dead last.
Splash!
He crashed into a sea of molten magma, struggling for a moment before sinking through it. Seconds later, he burst out onto a new plain. The ground beneath him was scorching—nearly as hot as the magma—but his demonic body adapted quickly.
Scanning the horizon, he spotted a primordial forest of colossal black trees. The terrain itself looked chaotic: a vast desert stretched to one side, a dense forest to the other, with fiery rivers of magma cutting through the landscape. And everywhere he looked, demons were locked in brutal combat.
"Hmm… System, where am I?" Void asked quietly.
(Host, you are on the second level of the Abyss.)
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