Chapter 6: The Architect of Flesh
The sanctum was a pocket of order in a realm of chaos. The constant, muffled roar of the black waterfall was a white noise that soothed Leo's hyper-attuned nerves. For the first time since his transmigration, he allowed himself a state of true, guarded relaxation. He was safe. He was home.
Sitting on his hide bed, the cool, smooth stone of the cavern wall at his back, Leo decided it was time to do a full systems check. His interactions with the System had been purely transactional so far: accepting quests, allocating points, receiving rewards. He'd been too busy surviving to interrogate the tool that made it all possible.
"System," he thought, his internal voice calm and deliberate. "Open Status Panel."
A stark, blue-on-silver text display materialized in his mind's eye, devoid of flourish or artistry. It was a military-grade readout.
<<< STATUS >>> Name:Leo Level:5 Title:Demon's Scourge
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<<< ATTRIBUTES >>> Strength:89 Dexterity:85 Vitality:92 Perception:95 (Tier 2: Echo-Location Active) Intelligence:10 Unallocated EXP:0
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<<< PHYSICAL CONDITION >>> Body:Optimal. Minor scar tissue. Congenital Ocular Necrosis (Permanent). Mind:Optimal. High-stress adaptation. Cognitive processing accelerated. Soul:Stabilized. Integrated with System Core.
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<<< CULTIVATION >>> Path:Full-Body Crucible (Self-Created) Qi Affinity:0 (Null) Core:N/A Meridians:N/A
The numbers were still, by any cultivator's standard, pitifully low. A Qi Refining novice probably had a physicality equivalent to 20 or 30 points. A Foundation Establishment expert might boast stats in the hundreds. But Leo knew the truth. His 89 Strength wasn't a number; it was a promise of absolute, perfectly efficient violence. The System's quantification was a lie that concealed a terrifying reality.
"System. Explain Attribute scaling."
[Attribute points represent a logarithmic scaling of Host's base biological and neurological potential. Each point provides a multiplicative, not additive, increase in capability. Efficiency of application, as governed by Host's techniques and neural control, is paramount. A 100% efficient application of 50 Strength is superior to a 50% efficient application of 100 Strength.]
There it was. The confirmation. He wasn't just getting stronger; he was becoming more real. More defined. While cultivators wasted vast swathes of their power through inefficient techniques and flashy moves, every joule of his energy was spent with the ruthless economy of a master engineer.
"Display Inventory."
A new screen appeared, showing a grid.
<<< INVENTORY >>> Slots:10/10 (Can be expanded with EXP) - Staff of the Unseen Path(Soul-Bound) - Fang-Dagger (Infernal Devil-Ape)x2 - Cured Demon Hidex4 - Smoked Hell-Boar Haunchx3
The inventory wasn't a magical subspace. It was a logistical function. The System would break down designated items into their base components, store the data, and then re-constitute them on command, using ambient energy and matter. It was incredibly efficient for raw materials but couldn't store complex, pre-enchanted items. The Staff was an exception due to its Soul-Bound nature.
"Display Skill Proficiency."
<<< SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES >>> - Kinetic Chain Alignment:18.4% - Bōjutsu (System-Integrated):12.1% - Abyssal Language:99.8% (Fluency) - Field Dressing (Demonic Fauna):22.5% - Survival (Netherworld Biome):41.7% - Stealth (Echo-Location Assisted):35.2%
His true cultivation was right there. Not a core filling with Qi, but a percentage creeping slowly, inexorably upward. Every movement, every breath was practice.
"System. What is your primary objective?"
[Primary Objective: Ensure Host's survival and continuous evolution. Parameters: Infinite.]
"Who created you?"
[Data Corrupted or Not Found.]
"Where did you come from?"
[Data Corrupted or Not Found.]
The answers were cold, machinelike. There was no hidden personality, no ancient spirit, no teasing AI. It was a tool. A glorious, unimaginably powerful tool with no past and a singular purpose: to make him more.
He moved to the mouth of his cave, the Echo-Location from his Tier 2 Perception painting a perfect ghost-image of the jagged landscape outside. He could feel the Rested Bonus the Sanctum provided, a slight but noticeable sharpening of his senses and a feeling of vitality. It was a quantifiable advantage, another piece of data to be optimized.
He had faced demons, but they had been scouts, patrols, stragglers. The real power lay deeper, near the source of the corruption. The Gate. He needed a goal. A milestone.
"System. Set long-term objective: Locate and assess the Netherworld Gate."
[Objective Logged: 'Assess the Netherworld Gate'. No EXP reward assigned. Host-directed objective.]
Good. This was his mission now. Not a quest given, but one he had chosen.
He looked out into the perpetual twilight, his Echo-Location mapping the path ahead. It was fraught with danger unimaginable. But he was no longer a lost soul. He was the architect of his own flesh, the master of a tool of infinite potential, and the sole inhabitant of a fortress in hell.
He hefted the Staff of the Unseen Path, its weight comforting and familiar in his grasp. The relaxation was over. The grind resumed now.
The Demon's Scourge stepped out of his lodge and back into the abyss, not as a victim, but as a predator with a purpose. The System, a silent and loyal machine, tracked his every step, ready to convert the carnage to come into pure, exponential progress.