CHAPTER 28: REWARDS

The air was still, as Beatrice began to breathe hard, her arm was ruin, but leveling up would help with that no doubt.

The Butcher’s massive corpse twitched once... then finally went limp. "Haha... I did it... You see that D, I finally did it." She said weakly. For more than over a week she had died seven time just to beat the toturial. And now she finally did. "Hahaha I REALLY DID IT!!"

The black fog that had once choked the chamber began to swirl inward, twisting like a storm collapsing into a single point. The corruption that had once belonged to the creature was no longer a miasma; it was becoming a current, spiraling toward the fallen Beatrice. "W-What is this!?"

Her breathing was ragged, her right arm mangled beyond recognition, but even in that state, she forced herself upright. The faint hum of the system interface or rather Virgil filled the silence.

[A POWERFUL FOE HAS FALLEN]

[Now absorbing unique Blight Essence]

In that moment pain began to fill her being. As the fog, and large of amount of black sludge both unique and the default variants of it filled her being. The fog enter her mouth chocking her alive, and through her nose and eye’s, even her hears while the sludge the default version of Blight residue deep through her pores fusing with her increasing her EXP, and filling her with new found strength but the process was rather painful. "FWUCKZZZZ IT HURTSS!... The sound of Beatrice screech was horrific and painful to watch as it was to here.

But at the same time her body was being remade, heal, and upgraded.

[New Mondus Tait Obtained: Erosion Fog]

Beatrice felt it instantly, a pulse spreading through her veins, cold and corrosive yet intoxicating albeit as intoxicating as this new power is the pain was only increasing more and more, she felt her entire inside burning.

Until finally she absorb the entirety of the Black fog, and sludge.

As her body trembled as faint black mist seeped from her skin before fading again, obeying her will. The unique trait of the Butcher now belonged to her.

[Trait Description — Erosion Fog]

The unique trait of the Butcher. By exhaling concentrated blight, the user can release a toxic mist that slowly erodes stamina and vitality of all caught within. Highly lethal over time, but costly to maintain, as the more it’s spreads the more it would need.

She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand. "Hah... So this is what dying eight times gets me not bad I guess, a power like this in the real world would definitely be useful." The chamber’s lights flickered to life once more, illuminating the pool of black blood beneath the Butcher’s corpse. Something metallic gleamed faintly within it, the creature’s weapon.

A colossal hammer of jagged design, fused with mechanical tubing and exposed pulsating flesh. The head was half-steel, half-organic, its shape reminiscent of a crucifix distorted through madness. Every breath it took exhaled faint black steam, the stench of burnt metal following. "That so disgusting, ahhh my god." She said as she took a proper look at the horrific thing. Still this was her keeps after working so hard to even reach this far, she can’t let anything with enough power to make a difference slip her hand.

As such the grabbed the wepaon, with one hand, and she felt insane weight of this thing. Atleast 500lbs at the very least if she had to guess. And then

[Item Acquired: Penitent Maul]

Forged from the fused flesh of dead human Mundus, infuse with old world technology during a failed experiment to better understand Mundus energy at the time, the Penitent Maul was made for experiment 093 in the Prometheus Project.

Type: Bludgeon (Two-Handed)

Attack Power: +210

Rank: C+

Special Effect: Bleeding Constant (25% of activating if hit, can stack) (Reduces Defense by 2% per bleeding)

Weight: 240.4 kg

Durability: 160 / 160

Beatrice stared at it for a moment, then smirked weakly. "You’re ugly as sin... but I’ll take it." The interface blinked again, brighter this time, as it announced her level up.

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[You are now Level 8]

Her wounds the began to closed slightly. The fractures in her arm mended enough for her to flex her fingers. The sting of corrosion faded, leaving behind a dull ache, until nothing at all as the healing provided by level up complete fixed her up to her peak once more.

Then, the Virgil spoke one last time.

[PLAYER PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR STATUS WINDOW]

Name:

Beatrice

Title: None

Location: Central Room — Gate Five Elevator

Race: Human (100%)

Level: 8 / 150

Rank: F → F+

Experience: 45 / 420 EXP

Health (HP): 2,500 / 2,500

Stamina (SP): 190 / 190

Mana (MP): 500 (+50)

Sanity (SN): 100 / 100

Corruption: 0.00%

Affiliation: None

[Current Objective]

Eliminate 30 Munduses (Lesser Parasitic Fragments) — Completed

Defeat The Butcher of Gate Five (Tutorial Boss — Rank F+ Threat) — Completed

[Progress]

Tutorial Completion: 100%

Number of Playthroughs: 8

[Equipment Loadout]

Primary Weapon: Mother’s Fang (Rank: C+)

Secondary Weapon: Penitent Maul (Rank: C+)

Armor: N/A

Trinkets: (Dog Tag)

[Acquired Traits]

Lesser Regeneration — Passive HP recovery over time.

Body Armor — Increases physical resistance via natrual biological armor

Acid Generation — Secretes corrosive body fluid such as spit, blood, tear’s and other more intimate fluids if the user desires.

Steel Webs — Reinforced silk capable of cutting and binding.

Erosion Fog — Releases a cloud of blight that erodes stamina and health.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Congratulations, Player Beatrice.

You have successfully completed the Tutorial.

Your total time recorded: 8 playthroughs.

You have earned the right to ascend beyond the Gate.

"Hahaha, this is truly a truly great haul, D why are you so quiet, are not entertain, are you not proud, I finally beat the toturial." Beatrice said with the outmost pride in herself."

Then Dante began to speak.

"Oh no, I am proud, really proud, you have no idea how much I just gain from you completing your first mission my dearest Avatar. If you keep this up, me and you, we can quite literally become forces of nature at this pace."

"Forces of nature, I am sure if I understand." Beatrice commented and Dante chuckled and said. "It means if you continue to progress in Sunderland, you can gain so much power it goes against all rules of your world at this pace."