I shook my head. “No, no rainy-day fund here. We have experience we can dump into proficiencies on a rainy day. Right now, we need to be able to use those proficiencies.”
Era seemed to let it go at that.
I quickly distributed all my points. Ten more to strength, ten more to reflex, twenty to constitution, and ten to recovery, which used up all my Body points. Forty unused Soul points when just as quickly. Ten points into spirituality, twenty into righteousness, and the last ten went into fortune.
Name: Victor Goodspeed
Highest Floor Cleared: 7
Experience Earned: 6,881,114,606
Hierarchy: 4th
Rank: 12th
Title: Sinner
HP: 2,000/2,000
EP: 500/500
SE: 500/500
Body
Strength:
50
Reflex:
50
Constitution:
100
Recovery:
50
Soul
Faith:
50
Spirituality:
50
Righteousness:
100
Fortune:
50
Applied Statistics
Health Regeneration:
100
Energy Regeneration:
75
Spirit Regeneration:
100
Attack Power:
100
Divine Power:
100
Speed:
25
Accuracy:
55.00%
Perception:
31
Block:
35.00%
Block Absorption:
50
Critical Strike Chance:
2.50%
Demonic Resistance:
200
Luck:
0.50%
Reviewing my stats there were two oddities. First, my HP should have been one thousand, not two thousand. Second, my demonic resistance should have been one hundred, not two hundred. I couldn’t understand the oddity and none of my guides were able to explain either.
I just had one task left. I had many new proficiencies to add and level up. I started with the only Soul proficiency I purchased.
Blessing of Reflection
Level: 40(+17 Free)
Experience to Next Level: 26,602,054
SE Cost: 200 + 10 per Reflection
Reflected Damage: 10.00%
Reflect a small portion of received damage back to the source.
Then came the skill that was paired with it, recover. It required significantly less experience than reflection, so I was able to take it all the way up to level sixty.
Recover
Level: 60(+17 Free)
Experience to Next Level: 9,822,320
Knockdown Recovery: 40% Faster
Knockback Recovery: 40% Faster
Stun Recovery: 40% Faster
Recover from Knockdown, Knockback, and Stun faster
Then I added blockade. I was very excited to see what it would do. I leveled it up to match my stand firm proficiency.
Blockade
Level: 50(+17 Free)
Experience to Next Level: 3,967,260
EP Cost: 5 per second
Range: 2 feet
Block: +13.50%
You are a wall, let nothing breach your perimeter. Move your feet to intercept any who would dare try to pass you by.
Last was speed boost. A simple proficiency that would spend EP to boost my speed for a short period of time.
Speed Boost
Level: 40(+17 Free)
Experience to Next Level: 105,379,053
EP Cost: 50
Speed Increase: +17.50%
Duration: 9-Seconds
Burn stamina for a short burst of speed.
It was a very short amount of time. Nine seconds at the cost of 50 EP was far too costly. Still, in a pinch, it could make a big difference . . . maybe.
After that, I went on another spending spree. Unfortunately, most of the experience was eaten leveling shield slam to fifty. I promised myself the next time I got a good amount of experience, I would level up Asher, Era, and Silas to level fifty, now that I had five hundred SE, I could afford to level them and still be able to call them.
“Done looking at all your shiny new proficiencies?” Asher asked.
I nodded. I was mentally tired. I had far too many proficiencies and yet, I felt like I could have so many more. Still, it was enough.
Silas spoke up before Asher could, “That is well. I would suggest you go see your friends. They probably thought you ascended with how long you’ve been gone.”
I could have argued I was brain tired after all the upgrades but that would have been a lie. “Later, it’s still early. Let’s go see what this new floor of Purgatory will have to offer.”
“As you command,” Silas agreed.
Chapter 41 – The Endless Loop
I couldn’t understand what I was looking at. I mean, I knew what I was looking at . . . I just . . . it didn’t make sense. “Are those-?”
Asher answered before I could even finish the question, “So, it would seem.”
I asked, “But didn’t we already-?”
Again, before I could finish my question, Asher replied, “Kill them, yes, yes we did.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” I said, trying to understand what I was looking at.
“It’s the sloth floor, why does it need to make sense?” Asher asked.
I looked to my guide in disbelief. “But it’s exactly the same. Like . . . exactly the same. Is that normal?”
Asher didn’t have an answer to that question.
More interesting, they didn’t hold any sway over me. Now, that could have just been a symptom of my increased stats and probably was, but there wasn’t even a tickle in the back of my mind.
“I don’t see the problem,” Era said.
Silas’ was kind enough to explain why I was so confused, “It would seem, this floor has been repeated. He is confused as to why.”
“Thank you, Silas,” I said, looking pointedly at Era.
Era rolled her eyes, “I still don’t see the problem. They are sloth demons. Just kill them and move on.”
“The problem is I don’t like this. It could be a trap. Maybe it’s not even a sloth floor,” I said.
Era scoffed, “Well, there is an easy way to find out now isn’t there. Go break something.”
As obnoxious as her response was, her solution was spot on.
I risked looking at the furniture, trying to see through the illusion to the demons hiding inside. I was only slightly surprised by as the cloth turned into cracked and leathery skin. It was skin as I had seen it before. I moved on the first of the sloth demons. My mace crashed down from on high, one, twice, three times and the demon was dead leaving behind crystals and teeth. It was exactly as before, though the crystal drops were more on par with the previous floor.
The entire first room went exactly as it had in the past. Demons were killed, rewards looted. I moved on. The balcony was exactly the same. The sloth leeches attacked but I was faster than last time. They died as well. The library was exactly the same as well. Well, almost the same. The sleeping old man got wrecked when I ran over him with locomotion, then finished him with crushing blow. That was actually a little therapeutic. The entire floor was exactly the same leading up to the final boss, the door.
“Should we leave and reset?” I asked my guides. This had been far too easy. I killed everything in just under five hours. I could probably still get another clear.
Silas answered first, “The stat cap is no longer a concern. I believe that now the faster clear is better for you, both in free experience and hopefully in free proficiency levels.”
I nodded my agreement on that point. Still, one more clear couldn’t hurt, could it? “Are you sure? We can still finish this today with one more c
lear?”
“I agree with Silas, finish this and move on. Perhaps, you’ll be able to clear yet another floor today? Or at least get started on the next floor,” Era suggested.
Now that was a good idea.
I opened up with a crushing blow, hammering into the doorknob. The demon’s screech of pain was almost music to my ears, or it would have been if it didn’t set my teeth on edge and threaten to turn me deaf.
Knowing how this boss would attack, I was able to counter everything it through at me. In less than five minutes it was dead, I was unharmed, and the stairway down into darkness awaited me.
I sat up in the morgue. Ramy was waiting for me. Rather than asking him how I did, I went straight to the important details. “Why haven’t I ascended?”
Ramy didn’t smile. He barely reacted at all to my question. “You’ve already been told everything we can tell you.”
“But you haven’t told me anything,” I protested.
Ramy responded, “You’ve been told more than most. Now, for completing the eighth floor in less than six months, you are rewarded fifty million experience points and one proficiency level to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the eighth floor in less than three months, you are rewarded one hundred million experience points and three proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the eighth floor in less than one month, you are rewarded two-hundred and fifty million experience points and ten proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the eighth floor in less than one week, you are rewarded five hundred million experience points and twenty proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the eighth floor in less than one day, you are rewarded one billion experience points and fifty proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice.”
I tried again to get him to elaborate but he was already gone. I cursed.
I left Purgatory and went right back in. I didn’t care about the potential experience loss. I needed answers and I was going to get them.
It was just like the second floor. Same portcullis and lever. Same arena, same pride demons, same everything. It took me hours to complete it and just like the first time, I fought Glorior Superbia. This time the fight was much more even than the first time we fought. Still, I won and moved on, ignoring the crowd and the cheering.
I sat up and immediately asked, “What have I been told?”
“I cannot repeat it. I’m sure you’ll remember if you think about it,” Ramy replied, then continued right into his normal spiel, “For completing the ninth floor in less than six months, you are rewarded fifty million experience points and one proficiency level to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the ninth floor in less than three months, you are rewarded one hundred million experience points and three proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the ninth floor in less than one month, you are rewarded two-hundred and fifty million experience points and ten proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the ninth floor in less than one week, you are rewarded five hundred million experience points and twenty proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice. For completing the ninth floor in less than one day, you are rewarded one billion experience points and fifty proficiency levels to be applied to the proficiency of your choice.”
Think about it? That was his great solution? I protested to the air, “That’s not fair.”
I was angry when I left Purgatory. I went right back in again. It was greed. I was surprised by how shaken I felt on entering that maze again. I didn’t make more than a few steps before I turned and left. I wasn’t ready to face that again. I needed to mentally prepare myself if I was going to face that again.
My feet carried me into the bar, seemingly of their own accord, where I ordered my usual and immediately downed the first glass then ordered a second. As I started to drink my second glass, I noticed my hands were shaking. I didn’t think I was that tired. I was angry but not that angry, more frustrated than anything. No, deep down, in a place I didn’t want to acknowledge even existed, I knew that shaking was due to the greed floor. I wasn’t sure I could do it again. I was afraid I was going to fall to greed again, get lost in the loot and treasure.
A familiar voice spoke up, “Victor, is that you?”
I glanced to the side to see Theo. I nodded.
Sitting down next to me, Theo asked, “Where have you been? We thought you ascended somehow?”
I shook my head. “My seventh floor . . . I was there for a long time.”
Theo looked sad as he replied, “A long time you say, I’ve heard of such things, but never known someone to have faced such a floor. Are you alright?”
I shook my head, “No, I’m definitely not alright. I thought my seventh floor was supposed to be my last. It was the seventh of the seven deadly sins. I beat it. I won. And yet, I wasn’t welcomed into heaven or the army or anything. I was told I wasn’t ready. At first, I was a bit depressed. Then I got angry. I wanted . . . no, I needed answers. So, I went back into Purgatory. I was given my first floor all over again. I cleared it in a day. Tried to get some answers from the Dominion but he wouldn’t give me anything, just my rewards then he vanished. I went back in again. This time it was my second floor again. I cleared it again. I tried yet again to get answers, but all he told me to do was think on what I’d already been told.” I stopped there to drink my drink, not stopping until I saw the bottom of my glass. I set the glass down and signaled to the bartender to refill it. “I went in again. It was the greed floor. I barely got two steps inside before I ran. I couldn’t face that again. Instead, I came here and started drinking, then you found me.”
Theo rested a hand on my shoulder. “Sounds like a fair bit of trouble. I’m sorry to hear it, my friend. Why don’t you come sit with us? We’ll keep you company.”
I waited a moment for the bartender to refill my glass before acquiescing and following him to a booth where Rebecca and Theodore were waiting, both looking at me wide-eyed, almost as if they’d seen a ghost.
Theo spared me from needing to tell my story again by explaining what happened.
When the story ended, Theodore looked at me aghast, “A year? How did you not starve to death?”
“When you’re inside, you don’t need food, you don’t need a bathroom, you don’t need water. When you’re inside Purgatory, you don’t need anything except to survive,” Theo answered.
Theodore whistled long and slow.
“And now you’re in a loop?” Rebecca asked.
I nodded to that question. “That’s what it seems like.”
Theo changed the topic slightly with a different kind of question. “I hope your single day clears mean you reached your stat cap before going back in, yes?”
I nodded.
Theo breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I’m happy for you. Still, clearing a floor in a single day is impressive, let alone two floors. Now, something to be aware of. Purgatory will still adjust the difficulty based on your proficiency levels. However, your demonic resistance is pretty well fixed now, and Purgatory knows that as well. Those auras you’ve told me about will still be there, but they won’t be nearly as potent. They’ll ride that line ever so closely. What I’m trying to say is, the floor you call greed, it won’t have the same kind of hold over you as last time. It will still be there . . . just not as potent.”
Rebecca added, “What he’s really trying to say is you can kick that floor back to hell just like you did the first two floors.”
I smiled weakly. “Thanks . . . I think.”
I had a few more drinks that night before returning to my room.
The next morning, I still wasn’t sure about going back into Purgatory. I didn’t know if I could face the greed floor again. Instead, I procrastinated. I spent my experience points bringing Asher, Era, and Silas all up to
level fifty. It was the highest I could level them up and still have enough spirit energy to call them.
Era only increased enough to gain one more proficiency, I gave her another increase in her wind blades, which she appreciated. Silas gained two proficiency increases so I bumped up his energetic aura and increased the number of targets he could hold with his binding roots. The binding roots had already made a large impact in clearing the first two floors, I was sure they would come in handy on the third . . . tenth floor. Asher was the surprise. He gained two more proficiency slots but the proficiencies on offer had changed slightly.
Available Defender Proficiencies:
Asher's Demonic Resistance Aura: Passively increase demonic resistance of all party members by 50%.
Asher's Evasive Maneuvers: Actively cause the next five attacks to be evaded.
Asher's Improved Burning Armor: Passively cause attackers to suffer fiery damage.
There were two problems with the new option. First, it was greyed out and barely visible. Second, I didn’t have any party members . . . unless you counted Era and Silas. And maybe that was it, however, it was still unavailable, meaning I couldn’t take it even if I wanted to. Still, I took the improved burning armor then the advanced burning armor. The evasive maneuvers proficiency wasn’t a priority. I had plenty of other defensive proficiencies that more than compensated for that. I was briefly tempted to risk leveling Asher up again to see if the burning armor would be replaced now that it had reached the advanced stage, but I held off. I wasn’t going to risk being unable to call him.
Purgatory: The Devil's Game Page 44