Purgatory: The Devil's Game

by M. A. Carlson

  20

  Energy Regeneration:

  12

  Spirit Regeneration:

  10

  Attack Power:

  28

  Divine Power:

  20

  Speed:

  5

  Accuracy:

  51.10%

  Perception:

  5

  Block:

  31.10%

  Block Absorption:

  14

  Critical Strike Chance:

  0.50%

  Demonic Resistance:

  5

  Luck:

  0.10%

  That was a lot of unspent experience to distribute. I knew where I wanted part of it spent, so flipped to Asher’s Call Divine Guide page. Ignoring the flame’s protesting, I spent 22,500 to bring him firmly up to level 5.

  Name: Asher

  Caller: Victor Goodspeed

  Level: 5

  Experience to Next Level: 15,625

  Path: Defender (Select Unique Proficiency)

  HP: 50/50

  EP: 50/50

  SE: 500/500

  Description: Asher is the Divine Call of Victor Goodspeed. Asher is one of the legendary flames of Enoch and a soldier of the Archangel Metatron. Asher was reassigned from the front as a reward for millennia of dedicated and honorable service.

  I glanced up at Asher and watched as his form grew slightly larger.

  “Why would you do that?” Asher demanded when it was done. “Our deal was that I made distribution decisions.”

  Without apologizing, I answered, “I needed you to unlock your unique proficiency.”

  Asher frowned at me. “You need to level up your stats more.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry, this is one time where I’m not going to agree with you.”

  Asher growled. “You are lucky that did not increase the SE cost to call me beyond the one hundred you currently possess. Now, before you are tempted to spend the points on your other proficiencies, you need to increase your SE total before you increase your proficiency levels, or you might find yourself unable to use any new and improved proficiencies.”

  I nodded at that. I was tempted to spend a few points to bring both essence engineering and call divine spirit weapon: mace up to level five. But, thanks to Asher’s warning, I held back.

  I tapped on the ‘select unique proficiency’ line on the scroll and the paper shifted to list three new proficiencies.

  Available Defender Proficiencies:

  Asher's Demonic Resistance: Passively increase demonic resistance by 50%.

  Asher's Evasive Maneuvers: Actively cause the next five attacks to be evaded.

  Asher's Burning Armor: Passively cause attackers to suffer fiery damage.

  Unlike the first time around, Asher could actually help me choose the best option. I looked to him for help only to see his jaw hanging open in shock. “Asher?”

  The flame shook himself before looking at me. “I . . . might have . . . been . . . wrong. It would seem, though only by the barest of margins, that upgrading my divine call was the . . . correct decision.”

  That made me smile. It was good to know I did some things right on my own. But . . . there was a second, distant thought that worried me a little. Clearly, Asher didn’t always know what was best. It was the first . . . well, not the first, but one of the first times I’d ever doubted my guide’s knowledge.

  “These are proficiencies you’d use on me, correct? Buffs?” I asked.

  Asher bobbed. “That is correct. Demonic resistance and burning armor are both passive buffs. So long as I’m alive, the effect is passively buffing you. Evasive maneuvers are an on-use proficiency. I won’t know the cooldown unless you select it.”

  I nodded. He more or less confirmed my initial impression. “Any preference?”

  Asher growled. “I want them all. Unfortunately, we can only choose one at this time. The good news, we’ll have three more to choose from once I reach level 20, then again at 35, and so on, every fifteen levels. As to your choices now . . . demonic resistance makes the most sense. As abysmal as your damage output is, and as much as the burning armor would help you kill demons faster, you need to increase your resistance. If the next floor is one of the seven deadly sins, then the lure and pull will be even stronger than on the first floor.”

  “What about the evasive maneuvers?” I asked. That one sounded good if I ever needed to face a demon like that door again.

  “With your shield and mine, you can absorb quite a bit of damage. Evasive maneuvers might be nice in the future, but currently, it’s just not as valuable,” Asher answered, thankfully giving some reason.

  I nodded and tapped the line for ‘Asher’s Demonic Resistance’ and the page reverted. A quick look back at my front page showed my demonic resistance stat jumped to seven. I also looked at how much experience I had left.

  Experience Earned: 49,844

  I had enough to level Asher at least one more time but based on how much each additional level was costing, I figured it would be better to wait. Besides, Asher and I had a plan. I needed to get to my next body proficiency.

  I put in all the points I had left but was underwhelmed by my gains.

  Body

  Experience to Next Point: 2,119

  Unused Points: 3

  Just three points. It was definitely getting expensive to level up. Shaking my head, I rolled up my Scroll of Body and Soul and put it back into my inventory. It was time for breakfast, followed by blunt weapon training.

  A couple hours later, I’d leveled my blunt weapon proficiency to level 13, almost 14.

  Blunt Weapon: Mace - Beginner

  Level: 13

  Experience to Next Level: 77

  Damage: 13-26 Blunt

  Accuracy: +1.30%

  Proficiency to use a mace in combat.

  That was yet another thing to keep my eye on. I wasn’t gaining as much experience through training as I used to. Still, Asher insisted it was better than spending experience points to level it up.

  I stepped into Purgatory, looking forward to killing that door again and hopefully that old man, but something was different.

  I was in a starting room but there wasn’t a door in front of me. Instead, it was a large iron gate, or portcullis I think it was called. Through the iron cross beams I could see into a large open area surrounded by tall stone walls and filled with sand . . . and was that sunlight shining down?

  “Asher . . . what’s going on?” I asked.

  Asher looked at me with a quirked eyebrow, he answered slowly and with a hint of sarcasm, “Level two.”

  “And what happened to level one?” I asked, just as slowly and with more sarcasm.

  Asher rolled slightly to the side as if he were cocking his head to the side. He answered, sarcastically, “Gone. Remember, you beat it?”

  Finally losing my patience with the less than helpful responses, I snapped, “I know that. But why am I on level two instead of re-clearing level one?”

  “When you defeat a level, that level is gone,” Asher answered, also dropping the sarcasm. “And before you ask, I don’t know where it goes, just that it’s gone. And again, before you ask, no, you can’t go back and farm it.”

  Directing a glare at my guide, I grumbled, “I wish I’d known that before I completed the first floor.”

  Again, Asher quirked an eyebrow. He started speaking calmly, “In case you’ve forgotten, which clearly you have. I did tell you to RUN!” He finished with a yell, in a voice that triggered a memory of him doing exactly that.

  I huffed. Instead of engaging further, I focused on the task at hand. The room I was in was much like the first room of the first floor, a safe space. The portcullis was obviously different as was the large wooden lever and gear box sticking out of the floor to the right of it.

  “I’m guessing I pull the lever to open the gate,” I said, pointing at the object in question.

  Asher bobbed, “So it would seem. Before th
at, you should call your weapon and equip your shield.”

  I nodded and gave the mental command.

  Call Divine Spirit Weapon: Mace

  Level: 2

  Experience to Next Level: 1,000

  SE Cost: 100

  Call a Divine Spirit Weapon in the form of a mace to aid you in combat.

  Mace: 10-15 Damage

  I watched in fascination as the particles of light began to gather and start drifting toward my open hand, forming first a semi-transparent shaft then a flanged mace head. Slowly, the weapon solidified until I was holding a rather weighty weapon made of an unidentifiable white metal . . . at least, I think it was metal. “Is this metal?”

  Asher twisted left and right in a shake of his head. “No, I believe scientists theorized something called ‘Hard Light’. That is more or less what that is made of. The difference, this light is divine.”

  I nodded. Once again, I was amazed by everything I continued learning in this new . . . whatever this was. I tried not to follow the philosophical rabbit of the afterlife down its hole. Instead, I swung the mace a few times, trying to get a feel for its weight. It was heavier than the mace I purchased recently. The head was a little bigger and the flanges each had a small, but very sharp, spike. The handle was basically the same, it just had a more comfortable grip to it.

  “Spiked-flanged mace, very nice,” Asher commented, breaking me from my own observation.

  Pulling out my shield and strapping it to my free arm, I moved to the lever. “Only one thing left to do,” I said, pulling back on the lever and triggering the gate to start rising up.

  As soon as the gate moved up even an inch, there was a roar of noise that wasn’t there before. It sounded like a crowd cheering. I waited patiently for the gate to finish rising before I stepped forward with my shield raised and mace at the ready. The sunlight blinded me for a moment but when my eyes cleared, I was stunned by the view. It was the coliseum . . . and I was standing on the sands. A place where thousands died for the entertainment of the mob.

  I looked around and saw the people populating the stands . . . though they weren’t exactly people. They were humanoid, more lion-man than man, except for the small ram’s horns sprouting from their heads.

  “Oh no,” Asher moaned.

  That drew my attention. “What? What is it?”

  With a resigned sigh, Asher answered, “Pride demons.”

  Well, I guess that answered that.

  “Welcome my Pride!” a loud voice boomed, drawing my attention to a regal looking box on the first layer of the seating. There, a pride demon that stood twice the height of the other demons, its horns were full and covered in spikey protrusions that looked outright wicked. He was a hulking mass of muscles from the neck down, accentuated by the leather hard boiled armor and an armored skirt. I wish I could have told you what they were, but I wasn’t the best student of history. I could only tell you that it looked like something from a movie set in ancient Rome. He bore no weapons that I saw but that didn’t mean anything.

  The pride demon continued, “Today . . . I bring you that which is most sacred to the Pride! I, Glorior Superbia, give you blood and death!” His statement was met with raucous cheering and screaming.

  The demon basked in the adulation of the mob. His chest puffed up in pride as he waved for the crowd to continue cheering. Eventually, he continued. “Your challenger!” he shouted suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at me, a statement that was met by booing. “Victor Goodspeed,” he added venomously. It was the first I’d gotten a look at the lion headed demon’s eyes. They glowed a dark and ominous red.

  When the booing died down, Glorior pointed to the opposite end of the sands where another gate was slowly opening. He continued, “And today . . . defending our Pride! I give you one of the dregs looking to prove his worth to the Pride, if he wins, maybe I will bother to learn his name. Chimera, come forth, prove your worth to the Pride!”

  There were equal parts laughs and cheers as another demon stalked out of the gate in front of me. It was another of the lion headed demons though this one looked weak and emaciated, barely able to hold onto the spear in its two hands.

  The chimera came forth and smacked a palm to his chest and loudly stated, “We who are about to die, salute you!”

  Glorior returned the salute before turning his glare on me.

  “Say something,” Asher whispered.

  I frowned up at the demon. “Go back to hell!”

  Glorior snarled but didn’t react beyond that. “Combatants ready! Fight!”

  The demon across from me ran recklessly across the sands, his spear leading the way.

  Unfortunately for him, he looked slow. I settled in to wait. As the spear came close, I raised my shield, deflecting the weapon to the side. I stepped around the still charging demon and swung my mace, smashing in the demon’s skull with that one impact. It fell to the sands unmoving. Within seconds the body melted away, leaving behind a few crystals and a broken spear shaft. It was the first time something that wasn’t a demon part or crystals had dropped for me.

  There was a hushed silence suddenly filling the Colosseum. I don’t think they expected the fight to end so quickly or abruptly.

  Glorior shouted loudly, “Well, it seems we have a real challenger this time! But will this . . . poor soul continue his fight against our Pride?” As he finished, he was clearly looking at me.

  I noticed the gate I came through was open behind me, giving me the opportunity to leave now if I chose to.

  I didn’t even take a minute to think about it. That first fight was easy. I shouted back, “Is this the best you’ve got? Send me a real challenger!”

  “Victor!” Asher shouted, getting my attention.

  “What?” I snapped.

  “You’re under their thrall,” Asher warned.

  Those words were like a bucket of ice water. As if I had been in a haze, my head cleared. I’d never been so eager for a fight before. What changed? “Is that how Pride works?”

  Asher bobbed. “It sucks you in. It’s cloying and subtle. Less blunt than the sloth demons for sure.”

  I nodded. I would have asked more, but the gate at the other end was opening as the gate behind me closed.

  “If one wasn’t enough, how about three?” Glorior shouted, gaining excited cheers from the mob once more.

  From the demon’s gate, three more of the demons emerged, two looked emaciated like the first but the third looked a bit fuller. This one carried a small buckler shield and a short sword while the other two had spears like the first one I faced.

  One of the spear wielding demons charged and just like the first one I faced. It went down in a single hit. The other two though, they were smarter.

  The sword and shield wielding lion man attacked me first with an overhand swing, I easily blocked with my shield. Unfortunately, the spear demon took that as his opportunity to attack, slipping in under the upraised shield to stab into my ribs. Not deeply but enough to sap a few HP.

  Unfortunately, for the sword and shield demon, the spear demon got overzealous after getting a successful hit. It tried to strike out on its own at me. I easily deflected the blow and countered, putting my flanged mace into the demon’s ribs with a crunch of breaking bone and a squish of liquifying organs.

  Though I eliminated one more of the demons, I should have been more aware of the sword and shield demon. The sudden pain of something slicing across my back reminded me of his presence.

  I turned and swung wildly, my mace cracking against the demon’s shield, splintering wood and cracking the shield in half. The demon’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before I brought my mace down on its head, once, twice, and it was dead as well. I finally looked up at my remaining HP, ‘166/200’.

  “Do we keep going?” I asked. Ignoring the booing crowd or Glorior taunting me.

  Asher bobbed. “We can keep going for a while. I haven’t used my shield proficiency yet.”

  “Why not
?” I asked.

  Asher was quick to answer. “There is a cool down on the proficiency. I only have so much SE to use and we know my regeneration is your regeneration, and your regeneration is terrible. We need to conserve our energy.”

  That was a fair assessment. However, it didn’t mean I needed to like it.

  “Now, collect your crystals and horn chips and get ready for the next fight,” Asher ordered.

  Three more chimeras emerged, each of them similarly built to the one that wielded a sword and shield in the previous round. Again, one carried a sword and shield, but only one carried a spear. The third was something new. It carried a bow and quiver of arrows.

  “I might need your shield this round,” I said, swallowing nervously as I eyed the archer that stayed back and the other two steadily moved forward.

  Chapter 18 – Gladiatorial Combat

  I was right about needing Asher’s shielding proficiency. The sword and shield bearing lion-headed demon kept me occupied while the other two peppered me with attacks. It put me quickly on my back foot. The spear wielder was patient and methodical, striking at any opening the sword and shield user created. While those two kept me busy, the archer was an absolute menace. It kept a steady stream of arrows flying at me, its shots often missing but only by the slimmest of margins. At first, I thought its accuracy was just that bad. But no, it was firing into the smallest of windows, trying to score a hit on me at any opportunity. Its near misses also served to keep me close to the spear shooting for my ribs.

  “Block and counter,” Asher yelled, sounding as frustrated as I felt.

  Naturally, I yelled back, “I am!” Finally, I blocked a high swing from the sword and shield and the spear wielder was out of place. I pushed off my back leg, driving forward with my mace swinging hard. It cracked into the flimsy shield the demon wielded and continued through into the things side, cracking multiple ribs, and knocking the demon to the sand.