"Hhh... Hahh..."
Arzael panted, his body covered in wounds and blood — some of it his, some not. The ground of the First Layer of Hell trembled beneath the steps of feral beasts lurking in the darkness. The air burned his lungs, reeking of sulfur, while distant screams echoed like an unending nightmare.
> [System: Pain detected – Minor lacerations. Pain Conversion bonus active: +12% damage]
"So... this is hell?" Arzael murmured, eyes fixed on the starless black sky.
> "No mercy here, huh? Fitting…"
He moved through winding caves, avoiding the larger monsters, hunting the small ones. A young Hell Hound lunged at him — he blocked it with a rock and drove Shadow Pierce into the creature's skull.
> [You have slain a Feral Hell Hound. +64 EXP]
[Shadow Pierce proficiency increased.]
His body was still trembling.
But within the blood and pain... there was peace.
Internal monologue:
> "Every wound... makes me stronger," Arzael thought. "They threw me here to die. But they gave me something they never realized — a chance."
—
In the midst of his exploration, Arzael encountered a Crimson Wailer — a humanoid demon with wings and a twisted, skeletal frame. One strike from it nearly halved his HP.
> [Warning: HP below 50%]
[Passive Skill: Cursed Blood – activated. All stats temporarily increased]
With that brief surge of power, Arzael slashed and stabbed... but his victory came within a breath of death.
> [You have slain a Crimson Wailer. +132 EXP]
[Level Up!]
[New Active Skill unlocked: Gatewalk]
—
> [Gatewalk (Lv. 1) – Active Skill]
Allows instant teleportation between Overworld and Underworld (Layer 1 only). Cooldown: 1 hour.
—
Arzael let out a faint laugh, blood trickling from his lips.
"Now… I can go back."
He stood atop a jagged cliff, blood still dripping from open wounds. Below him, a black gate rose from the earth — the Cursed Imperial Gate, the very place he was once thrown into.
He stepped into the black light.
> [Gatewalk activated. Destination: Overworld]
The light swallowed him whole.
Arzael emerged within a ruined temple, far from the Alzareth Empire. His crimson eyes gazed across the horizon — not with weakness, but with cold hatred and a new purpose.
"You threw me into hell…
Now I've returned to burn it down."
[Updated Status – Level 9]
Name: Arzael
Race: ???
Level: 9
HP: 760 / 760
MP: 500 / 500
Stats:
Strength (STR): 34
Agility (AGI): 30
Vitality (VIT): 38
Intelligence (INT): 26
Luck (LUK): 7
Active Skills:
Shadow Pierce (Lv. 1)
Gatewalk (Lv. 1):
Freely teleport between Overworld and Underworld (Layer 1). Cooldown: 1 hour.
Passive Skills:
Cursed Blood: When near death, all stats drastically increase for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Pain Conversion (Lv. 1): Converts pain into attack power (up to +50% STR).