After finishing his meal and wiping away the remains of his prey to avoid drawing any unwanted attention, Orsaga gathered some rubble and dirt to cover the cave entrance. Anyone attempting to enter would awaken him from his slumber.
In a life-or-death situation, even if it meant sacrificing some potential, there was no other choice.
Once all preparations were complete, Orsaga opened the Ascension Matrix panel and issued his commands.
"During my advancement, use all current Evolution Points as a foundation to optimally cooperate with the automatic transformation during advancement and further enhance all my body structures and demon bloodline. Note 1: During the transformation, the host must retain the ability to exit the transformation at any time. Note 2: While retaining optimization effects, ensure the host's appearance aligns with aesthetic preferences to a certain extent. If this would lead to optimization failure, this note is canceled, and all other instructions take precedence."
The first instruction meant Orsaga wanted to leverage the Abyssal Baptism triggered during his advancement, allowing the Ascension Matrix to use Evolution Points as a foundation to utilize the Abyss's power for self-optimization. He was essentially attempting a free upgrade.
Digging a path is difficult, but patching holes is easy. With the Abyssal Consciousness clearing the way, the system only needed to fill in and optimize from behind, while Orsaga merely lay down and accepted the results. If it worked, great; if not, no harm done—an experiment.
Note 1 was literal. Orsaga didn't want to be trapped mid-transformation if a demon broke in. Note 2 reflected his aesthetic sense, still close to human despite being a demon. He preferred a fearsome yet handsome appearance, but strength would always take precedence over looks.
With everything prepared, Orsaga lay in the pit he had dug, closed his eyes, and began his first advancement by mobilizing his power.
According to inherited demon memories, the juvenile-to-Lesser Demon advancement was the most crucial step, determining the path a demon would take. Later advancements only extended that path.
As he drifted into a deep trance, the power of the Abyss surged into him. The reward from the Bottomless Abyss bypassed countless obstacles, enveloping Orsaga and purifying his demon bloodline while extracting superior components.
Before him, countless branching paths appeared—advancement directions for juvenile demons. Phantoms roared in every direction, their expressions ferocious, vicious, or mad. Innumerable abilities were displayed.
A normal demon barely reaching the 15-point threshold wouldn't receive such options. But Orsaga had killed over a thousand demons on the Crimson Vein riverbank, making him the undisputed number one among this batch. The Abyssal Consciousness noticed his unparalleled brutality and power, granting him multiple instances of the Abyssal Baptism.
Overwhelmed by the choices, Orsaga weighed them carefully and selected the [Mutated Flame Demon] within the [Flame Demon] branch, as his awakened bloodline was fire-attributed. This mutation was superior in offensive power and growth potential.
With his choice made, advancement began. Abyssal power surged through him, and the Ascension Matrix followed Orsaga's instructions, blending seamlessly with the Abyssal energy. Powers that would normally have been wasted were now fully absorbed.
Inside the cave, a black-red cocoon split open, dissolving into specks of dust.
From within emerged a demon roughly 2.4 meters tall.
Though his face still bore slender, tattoo-like lines, it was largely human-like and strikingly handsome, with malevolence ingrained in his eyes.
His physique was tall and muscular, perfectly proportioned, neither too bulky nor too lean. Snake-like scales had transformed into a bone-like exoskeleton, with flexible scales at the joints.
The whites of his eyes remained blood-red, but golden vertical pupils now glowed at the center. Teeth were longer and denser than a human's, capable of immense biting power. Two backward-curving demon horns, over twenty centimeters long and five to six centimeters thick, protruded from his head. Crimson hair reached his shoulders.
Fingers and toes had shifted from three to five, like a human's, balancing strength and dexterity. His tail had grown nearly 1.7 meters, slender, barbed, and alien in appearance.
Extending his forked tongue, Orsaga licked his lips and took a deep breath. Power surged from every fiber of his being, as if he could crush his former self with ease.
In his bloodline memory, demon ranks were: [Juvenile Demon] → [Lesser Demon] → [Lesser Fiend] → [Intermediate Fiend] → [Greater Fiend] → [Archdemon] → [Demon Lord] → [Demon Prince]. Orsaga was now at the second rank—Lesser Demon. The road ahead was long.
Ascension Matrix Panel:
Host: Azaroth… Orsaga
Race/Rank: Demon / Lesser Demon
Strength: 40 (5)Speed: 39 (5)Constitution: 37 (5)Magic: 41 (5)Soul: 42 (5)
Talents: Soul Feast Evolution (grows by consuming souls), Carnage Growth (grows by killing), Combat Instinct (innate martial aptitude), Flesh Absorption (absorbs flesh upon contact), Magic Trait – Corrosive, Elemental Talent – Bloodflame, Exoskeleton – Bloodthirst, Energy Vision, Abyssal Contract
Skills: Fireball (Bloodline Spell 10%), Flame Arrow (Bloodline Spell 10%), Life Drain (Bloodline Spell 10%), Painful Strike (Bloodline Spell 10%), Soul Shock (Bloodline Spell 10%)
Evolution Points: 0
Note: Values in parentheses reflect standard levels for a juvenile demon. Each point above increases strength by one-fifth. Skill percentages indicate proficiency; reaching 100% upgrades the skill.
Orsaga surveyed his stats and nodded in satisfaction. Though he had no possessions, his body and powers had undergone a significant upgrade.
The Abyssal Baptism provided most of the energy for this transformation. Talents were enhanced, new abilities like Exoskeleton – Bloodthirst, Energy Vision, and Abyssal Contract were added, and bloodline spells were awakened with initial proficiency—enough for effective combat.
Even previously decorative fire manipulations could now be shaped into lethal fireballs and arrows. Other spells could be added to the skill bar, ensuring permanent mastery after a single successful cast.
Orsaga exhaled. He had survived the juvenile-to-Lesser Demon advancement, but the path ahead—countless battles, growth, and the ascent to Demon Prince—was only just beginning.