Down With The Gods

The master instructs the three to return to Catito. At the entrance, they find Catito chatting with two souls. As the souls make their way to one of the rooms, Catito asks Wyn and his friends to wait in a specific room to the right of the entrance before following the two souls inside.

Sliding the door open, the gang sees nineteen other souls waiting for Catito, including Christine. They sit on the floor, and Yu takes a seat next to Christine.

“How long have you been here? I didn’t see you leave the ballywool area,” Yu asks.

“I don’t know exactly how long. I left not long after I hit you with the ballywool,” Christine chuckles.

The room buzzes with chatter as the souls get acquainted. Many of the male souls gather around Mira, eager to “get to know her.” Wyn, however, is relieved that no one approaches him; he keeps his head down to avoid eye contact.

“Sorry, boys! I already have a team I roll with,” Mira says, dismissing the group of males, which elicits a chorus of disappointed murmurs.

Just then, the door slides open, and Catito steps in. He instructs the souls to sit in two rows facing him.

“Congratulations to all of you on completing your first step to becoming valuable assets to the Dark Lord’s army!”

Aside from the training, there’s crucial information the souls need to know before heading out on their own. As it stands, none of the souls in the room are strong enough to join the elite force – they must earn their way in. The only way to achieve this is by killing creatures and collecting their essence while meeting several other criteria. All beings in Hell and Heaven, once they leave their realm, disintegrate into essence dust. The stronger the being, the more potent the essence. Collecting essence grants a permanent boost in abilities – stronger attacks, higher damage resistance, greater stamina, and more.

Catito advises everyone to collect essence after battle, explaining that to do so, they should perform a reverse attack by focusing on absorbing it. However, with technology, bands can be positioned to face the direction of the essence. By holding the snap button on the strap, the band will absorb the essence directly into the user. Essence can be shared if multiple bands are activated simultaneously. Catito's explanation draws everyone’s attention to the snap button.

“Your bands are being updated right now. Do not bother with them until I say so,” Catito instructs.

Wounds inflicted on body parts – except for the brain – will heal over time, depending on the severity. Severed body parts will regrow, albeit gradually, and Catito strongly recommends retrieving any severed parts. Placing them back in their rightful place can accelerate the healing process.

“As long as your brain is intact, you can regrow any lost part. If you fail to retrieve the severed part, it will disintegrate the moment healing begins, which occurs some time after the battle.”

“Do we lose our essence if we lose body parts?” Wyn asks.

“You will never lose the collected essence as long as you are alive. This is why the essence of a deceased soul remains as potent as the total of its collected essence. So, make sure you absorb your fallen friend's essence. Do not let them die in vain!”

“Wait! We can die here? Like forever?” Wyn’s eyes widen.

“Yes.”

“So, does a blow to the brain mean instant death?”

“Indeed. But unless your brain is destroyed, you will feel the same pain as you would in the living realm. Be careful out there.”

After Catito’s response, Yu quickly turns to check on Wyn, who’s lost in his own thoughts – his eyebrows furrowed, chin propped on his fists, and back arched. Yu places his arm around Wyn’s neck without saying a word, not even glancing at him. In response, Wyn straightens up, looks back at Yu, offers a resigned smile, and briefly squeezes Yu’s hand before refocusing on Catito.

Creatures on this level, some of Hell’s own creations and others from different worlds, may have weak points. However, unlike human souls, attacking a weak point doesn’t always guarantee an instant victory. Instead, doing so can significantly shorten a battle. While not all creatures can use elemental attacks, it doesn’t mean they’re harmless; in fact, a few outworldly creatures are known to possess elemental powers beyond the five found in human souls.

It’s crucial to understand that none of the creatures in Hell can absorb essence, meaning they won’t become stronger by feasting on fellow creatures or souls. However, the more a creature consumes other beings, the more essence it may provide upon death. The extra amount depends on how long the essence has been inside it, as unclaimed essence loses potency and vanishes over time.

“The seventh level is divided into three floors. You are currently on the first floor, the highest floor.”

As beginners, Wyn and his team are confined to the first floor. A floor map can be found on their bands, another feature to be implemented later. The main mode of transportation is through portals; they need to find any sufficiently large, smooth surface to open a portal after choosing a destination from the menu.

“Now, the Dojo is one of the four sections on this floor. Before you can leave, you must complete a test.”

The souls murmur at the mention of a test, and Wyn feels a shiver run down his spine. He hates tests.

“Behind the dojo, there is a garden. Go through it, reach the end, and complete the test.”

“What’s the pass rate?” Wyn asks.

“Seventy percent.”

“What happens to the thirty percent?”

“Mostly dead. If not dead, then we send them back to the dojo for more training.”

Catito then leaves the room momentarily, returning with a bucket full of sticks balanced on his head.

“These are the sticks of revelation. Pick any one you like and place it in front of you.” After everyone has selected a stick, Catito continues, “Now, hover your hand above the stick. Do not lift it. Form an attack orb and press it against the stick.”

Following the instruction, Wyn’s stick glows and transforms into a pair of chakrams. The sharp, round gray weapons feature a plus-shaped black handle in the middle, allowing for versatile handling. The inner circle measures twenty centimeters in diameter, and the inner blade is wrapped in thick dark brown leather to protect Wyn’s hands from potential injuries.

Yu’s stick, on the other hand, transforms into a crescent blade. The handle is as tall as he is, while the blade extends roughly fifty centimeters above it. Like Wyn’s, his weapon appears rather uninspiring – a blue handle, a round golden guard, a gray blade, and a single blade hook extending from the upper edge.

Mira examines her newly formed whip, which reaches a maximum length equal to her height, handle included. The seamless whip has a peculiar metal egg at the tip, while the rest is all black and resembles a traditional whip.

“Another reason why you are special is your ability to materialize and dematerialize your weapons at will. Simply command them to disappear in your mind, and you will not have to carry them around when not engaged in battle.”

This skill is easier to master than firing an elemental projectile, and the entire class manages to grasp it within a few tries.

“Do not look so disappointed. Your weapons may seem ubiquitous now, but they will evolve into their final forms the more you use them in battle.”

“And how long will that take?” a random soul asks.

“I cannot say. It depends on the weapon and the creatures you face. Now, follow me.”

Catito exits through the front door, leading the group around the dojo to the back, where they arrive at an empty garden.

“You can now check your bands. You should notice a few changes.”

The level selection menu has been replaced by the “Campsite” selection menu, though the only available location for now is the dojo entrance. A new feature on the band is the essence count menu, which displays the three most recent collections and a total at the bottom. Tapping on the total reveals the history of kills and the essence collected from each one.

“The nerds must’ve gone crazy with these devices!” Wyn mutters to himself.

“Before we proceed, any questions?” Catito asks.

“Can you enlarge yourself like CATOTO?” Yu inquires.

“Yes, but there is no need. All relatives of CATOTO can do it,” Catito replies. “Now, step onto the ground.”

As their feet touch the ground, the lush garden comes to life with various creatures. The ballywool Mira sent flying earlier drifts about not far from the dojo.

“Now go. Fight any creatures you want. They will not attack unless provoked first. Come back here if you need to rest or flee from danger.”

“When you have had enough, head to the north barricade wall. Speak to a demon when you are ready to initiate your test.”

“Good luck, and have fun!”

With that, the three step into the garden, eager to put their newfound skills into actual battle.