This was where the third piece of information came in- the one that talked about this last empty seat, and how that was connected to the surprising event that had just taken place with him right in the middle of it!
[Indeed, a Qualification.]
Much of the information was pieced together as Noah agreed while feeling the receding pain, turning to his stat panel as he observed what the Planetary System had done yet again- simplify things in the easiest way possible as the information flowing in his mind was placed onto the blue stat panel.
[Title] :: Infernal Lord- 1% ( In Progress)
[Infernal Lord] :: !$$%^&$* $%^$%&^*&(&WQ $%#$^*^&*(#%#^&*(*(*&^ [email protected]@$% $^$%&%^@# $%&**%((@# ^&$^&^&%^*%^ !$%#%^&(^&*$%[email protected]#%^&*&^^#$^%&
In clear and crisp words, much of the information in Noah's mind was laid down in simple words that described exactly what had occurred, barring the many ununderstandable jibberish beneath the meaning of the Infernal Lord title itself. As the Planetary System mentioned, the red light that rooted Noah to the skies and etched a brand to his very origin was a qualification.
This qualification...was one that gave him the right to take the title of an Infernal Lord in the future!
This was a shocking turn of events that went completely against the prior knowledge that Noah had about Infernals and Infernal Lords, with much of his knowledge towards these beings that were diametrically opposed to any others but them, was the fact that they only existed for wanton slaughter and destruction. This was why they were in the Realms of Hell, and would rush to kill anything that did not have an energy signature that did not match theirs.
The Infernals were beings of destruction, pure and simple, and even the new knowledge that Noah gained after he gained the qualification to take the remaining single seat of an Infernal Lord did not change that. Yet, he, a being that was the complete opposite of Infernals, had actually been given the possibility to take the title of an actual Infernal Lord in the future!
It was a mind-bending reality that could only be explained to have occurred by the possible convergence of multiple factors.
If all it took to gain the qualification to become an Infernal Lord was to kill and obtain the unique energies that would be released from the bodies of Infernals, then numerous possible Infernal Lords would have arisen among the forces of many powerful worlds that regularly sent their people to wipe out and battle Infernals.
Yet, all they received from it as a benefit was the rapid increase in comprehension and power.
So the one thing that set Noah apart from all of these beings was the fact that when he first came in contact with these unique energies, the Planetary System isolated and quantified it into the form of Skill Points that were cl.u.s.tered together in Noah's origin, with him distributing them freely to the skills only he could use and taking them away as he wished.
Yet, just this single factor was not enough, as he had killed an abundant amount of Infernals in the past, and yet nothing like what had just occurred now happened during that time. One could make the case and say it was because he had killed an even larger amount now, but the number would not matter as the last point would make it impossible for the last step to occur. There was also the part where he just let loose multiple beings into the Infernal Realm who used the same System as him, and nothing like this had occurred with them!
This was simply that Noah and all the others were beings that were the complete polar opposite of the Infernals, and would not have a possibility of obtaining something that was only meant for the Infernals.
This brought into question the only other change that was unique to Noah, the grandiose form he had taken while he defeated hundreds of thousands of Infernals and obtained an even larger amount of their unique energy signatures in the form of skill points, the form of the Lesser Cthulhu.
This was the only possibility he foresaw as the factor that brought multiple coincidences together and allowed for what happened today to occur, which prompted him to ask the question nobody around him could answer- just what was this form of the [Lesser Cthulhu], and how was it connected to the Infernals?
This was the biggest mystery that he did not know the answer to, and would not know for quite some time!
But this convergence of factors- of him taking the form of the Lesser Cthulhu, of the Planetary System isolating and breaking down the unique signatures of Infernals into quantifiable points kept deep within his origin, of the numerous Infernals that he killed, especially the four Void Rank Infernals that were at the peak of power in this First Realm of Hell.
All of these factors came together as he was granted what an Infernal that was called an Aberration not too long ago had a chance of obtaining. This was the same Aberration that the Celestial Grandmaster had made sure would die, as it held qualifications to become a General or a Scion of an Infernal Lord in the future, if not for the horrendous possibility of it rising as an Infernal Lord itself.
The Grandmaster had wondered whether they really averted fate with the death of that Aberration, and his wondering was answered at this moment as a brand new Aberration, this one actually gaining the qualification of becoming an Infernal Lord much earlier, had appeared in the First Realm of Hell!
Chapter 298 - The Title of an Infernal Lord
In the vastness of the Novus Galaxy, at a particularly obscure location in the Letalis Expanse, there was a small asteroid floating in space. This asteroid was only a couple of miles in diameter, and would normally be orbiting around a star. Yet at this moment, it seemed to be stationed in space as it simply floated.
The cause of this was the only two beings situated upon this rock who were extremely focused on a board game in front of them. In this void of space, a being with a humanoid appearance, but having multiple horns erupting out of its head in the form of a crown was scrunching his face in annoyance.
The being sitting opposite him was clad in a dark robe and a uniquely shimmering pointed hat, this one actually being a human and holding a wizened old jovial expression as he was winning the game that was being played.
"Haha, you'll have to relinquish two worlds after you lose this game!"
The voice of the aged human in a pointed hat boomed out in the vastness of space as he taunted the being in front of him, who looked up in annoyance as the crown formed from his own horns shimmered.
"Hmph, the loss of two worlds is nothing to worry about. Why don't we-"
The crowned being came to a stop unexpectedly as he placed his hand on his chest briefly, before a wide smile erupted from his face as all the annoyance from the loss he just took went away. The old man in a pointed hat observed this as he spoke with a questioning tone.
"What exactly made you so happy, Voldred?"
The crowned being stood up as he patted his clothes with a smile, the board he was just playing on disappearing as he replied.
"It seems like fate is really due for a correction in the near future. I've received two signals in the past days of a possible qualifier taking the last remaining seat. It seems that the ally that will break this stalemate will join us sooner than expected!"
"What?!"
Rumbling erupted on the stationary asteroid as the old man in a conical hat stood up abruptly, his gaze becoming stern as his old body palpitated with power.
"The eight of you aren't enough that an extra one has to be thrown into the midst?"
The old man spoke in a semi threatening voice as the one called Voldred laughed and shrugged off a reply.
"The one to take this seat will be the last. Why even act like that? You should be very clear by now about the reason for our existence."
"Hmph."
The game ended abruptly as the two beings stood up and looked at each other closely, Voldred speaking out again.
"You've bested me yet again, young Edrusim. You can have the World of Eradell and the 4th Twilight Realm for my loss today. I have to get back to my little abode and prepare for the coming war."
D
angerous words were said with a light smile as one being simply gave another the ownership of two worlds, and mentioned something as foreboding as a war to finish it off!
The old being with a wizened expression that was just called a young man, Edrusim, scoffed as his body began to be littered with auroras of lights.
"A Realm that you've already milked dry and a world with extremely weak creatures. You're as cheap as always, O Great Infernal Lord."
Edrusim finished his words mockingly as he watched the Infernal Lord in front of him laugh, his devilish figure disappearing in a blinding red light as only Edrusim was left on the stationary asteroid!
A cold and impassive look passed over Edrusim as the colorful aurora of lights around his body intensified, his figure disappearing soon after from the asteroid as it began to move through the void of space yet again.
Both of these two beings appeared briefly on this small rock and played a game, leaving thereafter as a shocking piece of information would soon begin to spread amongst the knowledgeable forces in the Letalis Expanse and the Dark Expanse of the Novus Galaxy. This information was contained among the higher ups, never meeting the light of day for any beings that other than the extremely powerful. It was a simple piece of information that held shocking meaning.
The information was none other than- The rise of a new Infernal Lord was on the horizon!
This shocking piece of information would spread in the Letalis and the Dark Expanse, with the Light Expanse receiving this information much quicker than most as in the 7th Celestial Star where a brand new Celestial Disciple would soon descend into, a particular Celestial Grandmaster stood up from his resplendent monastery as his face became grim.
Multiple lines of fate were rushing into his eyes as he used an unknown technique, his face becoming darker by the second as he stood up and left the monastery, going towards a deeper location in the Celestial Star where other Celestial Grandmasters were cl.u.s.tered, busy with their own jobs and stations.
The wizened Celestial Grandmaster shot towards a central location as he spoke softly, his voice traveling to a unique golden medallion he held in his hand.
"I hereby call forth an emergency meeting of all the Grandmasters on the 7th Celestial Star.
The voice was calm yet filled with grimness as it called forth, numerous auras of ridiculous powerhouses erupting out from the 7th Celestial Star.
---
Back to the First Realm of Hell where a majestic Lesser Cthulhu floated in the fiery skies, Noah continued to observe the title of Infernal Lord whose description could not be read, but a single 1% was visible next to it.
The qualification he had gained was one percent complete, and he would have to bring this percentage all the way to 100 if he wanted to actually obtain this title of an Infernal Lord.
As for the way to do it? His lips curved into a smile as he organized the information that came with this qualification and glanced towards the quivering Infernals in the distance. The same way he had gained the qualification to begin with, he had to build up the unique energy signature of the Infernals, the unique essence that was termed Skill Points by the Planetary System, to extreme amounts before this qualification could turn into a full-fledged title!
There was a tremendous amount of mysteries surrounding the Infernals that he needed to solve, along with finding out how a being like the Lesser Cthulhu came into the picture of all of this, or if there were any other things that allowed for this qualification to be made possible to a being like him.
There were many unanswered questions, but he knew what he had to do in order to get the answers he needed. He would follow the path that was opening in front of his eyes to completion until he reached the finish line!
Chapter 299 - Preparations Complete!
The massacre of the Infernals continued for another few hours as Noah continued to endlessly throw out tremendously powerful Portals of Terror and cut apart everything around him with Sever, his excitement continuing to build up as he saw the Skill Points continuing to flow in, only slightly dampened when he noticed the percentage under the title of Infernal Lord had only risen by another 1% to become 2%.
He looked at the area around him that had turned into a wasteland for miles as his body shot off into the distance, going towards the outer fringes where the Lich Emperor and others were wreaking havoc as he chose to continue on to the next phase of plans.
Increasing the percentage in front of the Infernal Lord title would be something that would take a long time, and he already mapped out how he would be completing it on the side while he moved to the Underworld and then to the 7th Celestial Star in the future.
As he moved towards the location of the others, he released the form of the Lesser Cthulhu, staring at his chest to find the runic marking of a star still visible beneath his skin, but fading away the moment he gave a simple mental command. He nodded at the simplicity of this as he arrived to meet the ravaging forces of the Undead Legion that the Abhorred Lich Emperor commanded.
Kazuhiko and company were moving enthusiastically as they released assortments of colorful and deadly skills that were definitely not correlated with their levels, the power that the Transcendent Rank Kazuhiko released being able to injure a normal being in the Saint Rank as he had chosen a Skill Tree to focus his Skill Points in and became even stronger.
The Kraken and other beasts were in the same boat as their bodies trembled with power, some reinforcing elemental skills as they released extremely freezing attacks or scorching flames that burned the highly resistant Infernals.
Noah ascertained this huge level of progress as he returned to the Spiritual Land and found the Frozen Queen who was playing with the weaker beasts that did not leave the Spiritual Land, her hands holding multiple Medicinal Fruits that she was passing out to the beasts.
Night was standing by her side as usual as Noah came towards them and told them a bit about his future movements, the Frozen Queen nodding with a sad but determined face as Noah teleported with her and Night back to the Frozen Kingdom of the Beast World.
Many of the preparations were complete on Noah's side, as he had completed the things he placed the most importance on before he followed the coordinates of the Void Crystal towards the Underworld.
He returned to the First Realm of Hell as he conversed with the Harbingers of Sin on what they planned to do, with many of them seeing their extreme rise in strength and usefulness of the Skill Points as they chose to remain in the First Realm of Hell to increase their power.
The Skill Points rapidly increased the power of their skills and focused them in a particular direction, while they could also be used to increase the proficiency of skills. Although the Skill Points used to increase proficiency would forever be lost, while those added to skill trees could freely be distributed. This made it so that unless they wanted to see the number of points they could use reducing rapidly, they had to increase the proficiency of their skills by using them and constant practice.
When it came to Noah though, his speed of gathering Skill Points could not even be looked at on the same level as everyone else, and he had the option to waste some Skill Points if he chose to in order to quickly raise the proficiencies of a certain skill for combination.
Noah agreed with the thoughts of the Harbingers of Sin as he planned to leave the Spiritual Land in the skies of this Infernal Realm, seeing no possible issues arising as he would be leaving behind the monstrously powerful Abhorred Lich Emperor that could withstand multiple Void Rank Infernals with its expanded power as Noah readded all of the Skill Points he had taken away previously, and even mostly maxed the Skill Tree of the Lich as its power continued to climb up senselessly.
[Lich Lord of Abomination] (15/15):: Abilities- Summon Poison Totem(5/5), Summon Undead(5/5), Noxious Outburst(5/5), and Dereliction of the Saintly Poison Lord(5/5) >> [Abhorred Lich Emperor](25/30) :: Additional Abilities- Undead Legion(5/5), Will of the Undead Emperor(5/5), and Delay Death(5/5)
The Lic
h was geared towards death, with a few poison abilities still playing a role as it used both a fearsome Undead Legion and tremendously powerful poisonous attacks on the hordes of Infernals. The skill itself was currently at 25/30, just a few more points being required before the pathway towards the next rank could be shown. But before this pathway could even be opened, Noah would need to have two Void+ Ranked skills to sacrifice.
This put a limiter to how fast his strength could rise as even at this moment, he only held two Void Rank Skills, and would need to either spend many skill points to quickly increase the proficiencies of Saint Rank skills to make more Void and then Void+ through Skill Combination, or use the smarter path and conserve the highly important Skill Points that did not just go towards his Skill Tress, but also towards the percentage of the Infernal Lord title, and max the proficiency of the skill he chose for combination the normal way that would take some time.
With the advent of the upgraded Time Space that held a ratio of 1:40, this would not be an issue for Noah.
He couldn't help but form a smile at the many means he had at his disposal as he sent some final commands to the Abhorred Lich Emperor for him to continue amassing Skill Points and protect the people he was leaving behind first and foremost.
In the case anything drastic or unexpected occurred, like the rise of an Aberration that was extremely unlikely to happen again, the Lich held the stupendous skill [Delay Death] that would give Noah a chance to teleport back in a millisecond in case an accident occurred.
The preparations seemed to be all but done as Noah went around to leave multiple [Markers] with the use of the Absolute Skill, <
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