Demigod Class Ascension Chapter 15: New Equipment, Skill Evolutions, And... A Slice Of Life

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Will glanced at the [Pseudo Divine Weapon] Skill Evolution Requirements once more, rubbing his chin.

[Congratulations, your Skill: [Pseudo Divine Weapon (Tier 1)] has achieved 100% growth. Your Skill is now ready for Rank Up.]

[Skill Rank Up Requirements]:

[Crystalized Divine Essence: 0/1]

[Ten Tier 2 Monster Cores: 10/10]

[One C Grade Weapon: 0/1] 

Aside from needing another Crystalized Divine Essence, he also needed a C Grade Weapon, something he didn’t have yet… His strongest weapon, the Chain Axe, was only D+++ Grade.

And even then, he was debating whether he should sacrifice the Chain Axe for the Skill, as that might mean losing the weapon entirely, which was currently his strongest.

He was now considering creating a new C Grade Weapon using the materials he had secured within the Demon Dungeon and using that new weapon as an ingredient for the Skill’s evolution. 

“Done.” 

Will opened the palm of his right hand, revealing a small, shiny white jewel containing compressed and crystalized divine power he had crafted into this item.

It was a Crystalized Divine Essence, used as currency among Divine Beings, apparently… though Will was still too early in the Tutorial to have the privilege of doing business with beings of such caliber. 

[Skill Rank Up Requirements]:

[Crystalized Divine Essence: 1/1]

[Ten Tier 2 Monster Cores: 10/10]

[One C Grade Weapon: 0/1] 

He checked the requirements again, noting that the only thing left was the C Grade Weapon. He felt too tired to create one now, even though he desperately wanted this Skill Evolution as soon as possible. 

“I wish there was a way to just purchase a new weapon. I have so many Tutorial Points,” Will sighed annoyedly. “Well, whatever.” 

“I believe that once you enter the Tutorial’s Second Phase, the Tutorial Shop will expand even more, master! So please be patient. You’ll be able to use your Tutorial Points in that Shop,” Cube explained. 

“I see… Alright, I need to eat something before I get to work,” Will said, glancing back at the system’s interface and noticing older notifications from yesterday. “Hm? What’s this?” 

Ding!

[Congratulations! You and your Party have conquered Special Dungeon: {Hell’s Pit} by defeating the Dungeon Boss.]

[You and all members of your party have received special rewards based on the Ranking of how much Damage and Enemies you defeated.]

[Showcasing Rank…]

[1. Will (you)]

[2. Vivian]

[3. Evelyn]

[4. John]

[5. Ralph]

[6. Maria]

[…]

[You have Ranked First in the Dungeon Rankings! You have received the best possible Rewards.]

[You have received: [+5,000 Tutorial Points] [Hell’s Pit Random Loot Crate (B+ Grade)] x1 [Healing Potion (D+ Grade)] x5 [Mana Potion (D+ Grade)] x5 [Antidote (D+ Grade)] x5 [+2 Weapon Enhancement Stone (C Grade)] x1 [+2 Armor Enhancement Stone (C Grade)] x1] 

“Hm?! I wasn’t expecting this…” 

Will was slightly flabbergasted. It seemed that after he and his group conquered the dungeon, there were actual completion rewards.

They were also based on rankings, and he got the best rewards: a mix of healing items, Tutorial Points, a unique “loot crate” item, and enhancement stones. The latter were the most intriguing. Will had been saving his Tutorial Points because he thought he didn’t need Enhancement Stones, which was why he hadn’t purchased them.

But now, having received two for free, he might as well use them on one of his weapons… Perhaps this could upgrade the Chain Axe to C Grade without him needing to craft a weapon just to sacrifice it, though he’d still feel reluctant to part with his axe so soon. 

Another thing that piqued his interest was the strange Loot Crate, a treasure chest-looking item decorated with black, red, and gold steel, adorned with laughing imp faces made of the same metal, with jewel eyes. 

“This is interesting. Do I get some sort of random item from this?” Will asked. 

“Yes, master. It seems this reward will give you a random item from the equipment set you were getting as dropped items inside the dungeon!” Cube said. “Come to think of it, didn’t you grab a bracelet that dropped from the Apostle’s corpse?” 

“…Right, this,” Will said, looking at his right arm. 

There it was: a red and golden bracelet with the head of a laughing demon, sporting golden horns and crimson jewel eyes. It overflowed with power, boosting his vitality, physical strength, and magic. 

“Comparing this to the gauntlet and the ring, it seems quite strong… The gauntlet is already an armor and weapon hybrid that’s B Grade, though. It’s hard to beat that,” Will said. 

He could use the gauntlet as a material for his Skill Evolution, but… Will didn’t want to. It was an amazing piece of equipment he’d rather keep with him.

Especially because it felt great to punch with it, and there was nothing Will loved more than punching ugly monsters as hard as he could. 

[Laughing Devil’s Bracelet (B+ Grade)]

[Armor Type]: [Magic Accessory] [Demonic Accessory] [Bracelet]

[Armor Requirements]: [None]

[Armor Parameters]: [Physical Defense]: [500] [Magic Defense]: [3000] [Durability]: [4000]

[Armor Bonuses]: [+20 Strength] [+20 Vitality] [+20 Magic Power] [+20 Magic Defense] [+20 Agility] [+20 Dexterity] [+20 Senses]

[Armor Skill]: {Laughing Devil’s Gamble}: [By infusing Mana and Lifeforce into the Bracelet and spending 100 Durability, it is possible to activate the bracelet’s special ability, manifesting the Demonic Spirit of the {Laughing Devil, Belial}, who will randomly perform one of three actions before disappearing: [Action 1: Heals 70% of your Wounds and Fully Refills your Stamina] [Action 2: Deals 999 Demonic Damage to all Foes within your Vicinity] [Action 3: Laughs At You And Leaves a {Curse of Weakness} that lowers all your Stats by 30% for 1 Minute.] Cooldown: 1 Hour.]

[Weapon Description]: [A bizarre bracelet created by the {Laughing Devil, Belial}, stashed away within the Treasures of the {Domain of Hell}, capable of summoning a part of this evil demon’s spirit to ask for their help. Belial, as a chaotic demon, will either help you or… laugh in your face and curse you.] 

“Hm? Twenty to all stats? Now it makes sense why it was so strong… And the special skill is… strange,” Will said. “It seems good on paper, but how likely is it for Belial to just curse me anyway?” 

“It does seem rather dangerous. I wouldn’t recommend using it in a life-or-death situation unless… you literally have no other options,” Cube said. 

“Wait… Am I not immune to curses, or at least partially, thanks to my Traits’ effects?” Will wondered. 

“Hmm, we don’t know how strong the curse is, however! Belial is a powerful Ancient Demon from before the Tower of Babylon crumbled,” Cube explained. “His Curse must be potent enough to bypass such resistances… You’ll need to get stronger to confidently handle Demonic Curses, master.” 

“Hmmm, alright then,” Will nodded. “It’s a good bracelet anyway. The effects are solid, and… three thousand magic defense is great. I can now tank magic spells much better than before.” 

“It’ll surely be useful when you raid the Green Skin Faction’s Lair. They have a lot of magicians, from what we’ve seen so far,” Cube said. 

“That’s right,” Will said. “Now… I guess we can open that loot crate before breakfast.” 

Will was quite hungry, but he really, really wanted to see what was inside that mysterious treasure chest. He grabbed it and opened it right away. A bright red light burst out, nearly blinding him until he closed his eyes in time.

He pushed the crate back and looked again, seeing treasure on the floor—and the crate completely gone. 

“What?” 

“It seems to be a one-time-use item, master. You can’t keep the treasure chest. It’s a creation of the System, and once opened, it disappears,” Cube explained. 

“But why?” 

“I assume it’s a way for the System to preserve energy and resources.” 

“Okay, fine. So what do we have here?” 

Will noticed a pile of red coins and two more items: a bottle of red, wine-like liquid and a red helmet resembling Viking helmets. It was large enough to fit his entire head, protecting most of it while leaving space for his eyes and mouth.

It was almost entirely made of hard, red-colored steel, embedded with gold accents. The horns were crafted from actual demonic monster horns of unknown origin, and an eye-shaped red jewel was embedded in the forehead area. 

“I was really expecting a new weapon…” Will was slightly disappointed. 

“Master, the world won’t magically change just because you need something specific at the moment,” Cube said. “You have to learn to work with what you’ve got and actively seek what you need, instead of waiting for fate to hand it to you by chance.” 

“…You’re not wrong,” Will nodded. “It’s a good helmet. I feel tougher just equipping it. The head is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body, so having something to protect it is nice—especially when I’m fighting bigger and bigger foes with each battle.” 

Will quickly checked the information and status of his new, impressive helmet. 

[Wrathful Demon Barbarian Helmet (B+ Grade)]

[Armor Type]: [Magic Armor] [Demonic Armor] [Helmet]

[Armor Requirements]: [Warrior: Barbarian-type]

[Armor Parameters]: [Physical Defense]: [2000] [Magic Defense]: [2000] [Durability]: [8000]

[Armor Bonuses]: [+15 Strength] [+20 Vitality] [+15 Magic Power] [+20 Magic Defense] [+15 Senses]

[Armor Skill]: {Wrathful Demonic Eye}: [By infusing Mana and Lifeforce into the Helmet and spending 500 Durability, it is possible to activate the Helmet’s special ability, channeling the power of the {Wrathful Demonic Eye Jewel}, enhancing the user’s Physical Strength, Vitality, Stamina, and Reflexes by 100%, while also encompassing their body with a {Wrathful Flame of Destruction} that enhances the power of all their Physical Attacks by 200% and transforms normal Melee Attacks into Shockwave Attacks that can damage nearby foes. Duration: 10 Minutes. Cooldown: 1 Hour.]

[Weapon Description]: [A powerful helmet, a piece of the {Wrathful Demon Barbarian Armor Set}, embedded with a powerful and mystical jewel, said to have once been the eye of the {Demon of Wrath, Satan}. This Helmet contains immense destructive power, and its overuse may lead to the helmet’s destruction, so it is recommended to use it moderately.] 

“Not bad,” Will nodded, satisfied. “Even if it costs 500 Durability per use, that’s still 16 uses, since the helmet has 8000 Durability. And apparently there’s a set? Though I doubt I’ll ever get all the pieces.” 

“It’s a pity,” Cube nodded. “Ah, right! The coins… These seem to be Devil Coins! We couldn’t find a Demon Merchant in that dungeon, but we may find one in the future, so I recommend keeping those coins saved for now, master. There’s roughly a hundred here.” 

“Sure,” Will nodded, storing them. “And this is… wine? No… blood?” 

Will was surprised when he grabbed the bottle of “wine” and realized it was actually blood… demon blood. 

[Demon Blood Wine (B Grade)]

Wine made using the Blood of powerful Demons by a Mysterious Wine Maker obsessed with making wine out of everything. It has an incredibly strong and spicy flavor, and its alcohol content is so high that no mortal could survive drinking it, but Demons within the Demonic Domains seem to enjoy it.

When consumed by a mortal, there’s no telling what could happen—poisoning, curses, or even… perhaps, a new power could blossom. It contains a high quantity of pure demonic energy. If someone could absorb it completely, they would definitely grow stronger. 

“Well, that’s weird,” Will said. “I don’t think I’m drinking this anytime soon, but… I’ll save it.” 

Will wasn’t enticed by the vague promise of power, especially with such risks.

After checking everything, he removed his helmet, finding it annoying to wear everywhere, especially in a Safe Zone. 

As Will headed to the bathroom, he met Maria, who was playing with a smaller Mister Branchy. It seemed the creature could shrink its body. 

(Listen While Reading: Quality time)

“Ohh! Mister, you’re awake! Good morning! Are you feeling alright?” 

“Ah, yes, I’m alright now. Thank you for helping me earlier, Maria.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m here to help! Oh, right! Vivian said I should bring you to where they are so we can have breakfast together.” 

“Where are they staying? Same place?” 

“No, they moved to a clothing store…! It’s over there, come with me!” 

Maria grabbed Will’s hand—or rather, her little hand could only grasp one of his fingers—as she dragged the huge man through the mall. People glanced at Will with surprise; some were happy, waving at him, while others were scared, hiding from his view. 

“Hm…” 

He didn’t have much to say about it. He was glad they weren’t trying to kill him, but he was still getting used to being relied on by so many—a responsibility he didn’t particularly like. It had just happened, his interests aligning with these people’s safety. 

“Will! Good morning.” 

Evelyn greeted Will first. She was outside, talking with a few girls her age, who quickly hid behind her when Will approached. 

“Hey, why are you hiding? He’s Will, my friend. Don’t be afraid! He might be a little huge, but… he’s an alright guy.” 

“H-Hi…”

“Hello…” 

Both girls, who were Black like Evelyn, seemed to have bonded with her from what Will observed. They were chatting happily until he arrived. 

“Good morning.” 

Will didn’t even glance at them, saying good morning before entering the clothing store. The girls immediately asked Evelyn why she was friends with such a scary-looking guy, but Evelyn laughed, trying to improve Will’s reputation among those still wary of him. 

“He’s alright, he’s not scary! He’s just… a little difficult to deal with, but aren’t we all?” 

“I guess so…” 

“Well, we’re going. See ya later, Evelyn.” 

Both girls left quickly as Evelyn sighed, walking into the room where Will was sitting after Vivian and Ralph greeted him. Vivian had even hugged him, overjoyed that he was awake. 

“I’m so happy you’re okay, Will! But are you sure you’re okay? No broken bones or anything?” Vivian asked. 

“I can heal you right away if that’s the case,” Ralph said. 

“I’m fine,” Will said, sipping the coffee Vivian served him. 

“Seriously, Will, why couldn’t you at least smile at the girls?” Evelyn stepped forward, crossing her arms. 

“Smile? Why?” Will asked. He genuinely didn’t understand why he should pay attention to people he didn’t care about. 

“It’s… I mean, a lot of people respect you now, but they’re still kind of divided. There’s a big group that’s scared of you, man,” Evelyn said. “I don’t like that because… I mean, we’re friends, right? And… I don’t like people talking shit about you.” 

“…I appreciate the thought, but you don’t have to worry,” Will said, offering her a small chocolate bar. “I’m fine. If I cared about what people thought of me, I wouldn’t be here to begin with.” 

“Aaahh…” Evelyn rolled her eyes. “I’ll still try to make them see you’re not a bad guy… We don’t want any opposition, after all. Vivian said it’d be better if we could all unify as a big group, but… there are still some annoying people.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just take care of them if they’re too annoying?” Will asked, casually implying something with his words. 

“W-Wait, hold on! No!” Vivian said. “We have to get along with them!” 

“I wasn’t saying I’d kill them, just maybe kick them out,” Will clarified. “But as long as they don’t mess with me, I don’t care how they look at me or what they say behind my back.” 

“I guess that’s Will for you. He’s not going to change,” Ralph sighed, eating a sandwich. “Want sandwiches? We found a few pre-made ones recently.” 

“Really?” Will was surprised as Ralph smiled and offered him a whole box. “There, these have mayo, so you’d better eat them quickly before they go bad.” 

“Thank you,” Will said gratefully, devouring each sandwich in a single bite, finishing them in seconds. “Hmm, that wasn’t enough…” 

“You ate too quickly!” Evelyn said. 

“Hahaha! Mister has always had a big appetite!” Maria giggled. 

“I’ve got jerky to fill my stomach anyway,” Will said, pulling out a pile of Chimera Jerky and nibbling on it. “I miss eating ice cream, though…” 

“You like ice cream?” Ralph asked. 

“Yeah, isn’t there any here?” Will wondered. 

“There’s a gelato store, but it’s closed,” Evelyn said. 

“If all the electronics are working properly… maybe we could take a look,” Will said, smiling. 

“Y-You seriously want ice cream?” Evelyn raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” 

Will walked off, bringing Maria with him as the girl happily sat on his shoulder. 

“Mister! I love ice cream too! Will they have chocolate flavor?” 

“We can go look and see what they have.” 

The trio left behind couldn’t believe what they were seeing as they followed. Will opened the store with his bare hands, breaking down the metallic door, and entered.

With Maria’s help, they started preparing a huge Strawberry Sundae… 

“They even had strawberries. Don’t you want some?” Will asked as Evelyn, Ralph, and Vivian stood perplexed. 

Despite being such a huge, intimidating guy who didn’t even like talking much…

He loved something as cute and simple as a Strawberry Sundae. 

“Since when have you liked ice cream?” Evelyn asked. 

“What’s wrong with me liking ice cream?” Will raised an eyebrow. 

“I-I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that…” Vivian blushed a little. “It’s just cute…” 

“What’s cute?” Maria asked, eating from a big bowl of ice cream with Will. “It’s tasty! Don’t you want some? We’re eating all of it if you don’t! Right, mister?” 

“Yeah, it’s delicious… I needed a break like this,” Will said, seeming calm and happy—something his friends were thrilled to see. 

“Well, why not, right?” Evelyn shrugged. “Is there some mint chocolate flavor? I used to eat that all the time when I was a kid.” 

“Do they have strawberry cheesecake flavor?” Ralph checked. “No… Ah! But they’ve got blueberry, your favorite, sister.” 

“Nice! Well, let’s eat ice cream for breakfast then, haha!” Vivian laughed, stepping forward and using her Mana Hands to scoop ice cream easily and place it on cones. 

Like that, Will and his group enjoyed a moment of respite, savoring a simple yet delicious meal. Ice cream was something everyone enjoyed, helping them connect more and share stories from their childhoods. 

“Where’s that old man at?” Will wondered as he and Maria finished their giant Strawberry Sundae. Maria looked exhausted, almost in a food coma, her belly full of ice cream. 

“Guuhh… Mister Branchy… I ate too much ice cream…” she muttered. 

“You mean John? He’s been taking care of the people we rescued,” Vivian said. “He’s been sharing water and food with them, and thanks to Ralph’s healing, they’ve been recovering well. A lot of them wanted to meet you to thank you, Will… but I guess you don’t really care, right?” 

“Hmm…” Will remained silent for a moment. 

“It would be a good opportunity to gain more Faith, master,” Cube suggested. “The more Trust you build with people and the more Hope you bring, the more Faith you’ll gather.” 

“Okay,” Will nodded. “I’ll go check on them. Let’s go… No, before that, I really need to hit the bathroom.” 

Will had forgotten to go, and his bowels could barely hold on any longer…

A few minutes later, they gathered on the mall’s first floor, where most people were camping.

There, he found Clark, the bald guy who led the group that brought Maria along.

And the one Will had nearly killed. 

“W-Will?! What are you doing here?!” 

Clark panicked, almost screaming as he stepped back, seeing Will approach with a stoic, serious expression. 

“I presume you haven’t been getting into trouble, right? I gave you a second chance, but there won’t be a third,” Will said, clear in his intentions. 

“Y-Yeah, man, it’s… it’s alright. I haven’t done anything…” Clark said. “I’ve just… been helping.” 

“Really?” Will raised an eyebrow, noticing Clark’s goons moving stuff toward the camp where the new refugees had arrived. “Hmm…” 

“They’re not stealing. That’s just beds and couches nobody cares about, okay?” Clark said desperately. “That old police officer… He’s a nice guy. He said he’d offer us food if we helped move things and assist.” 

“Hmph, is that so?” Will smiled, knowing the old police officer was likely better at handling young delinquents than he was. “Alright then… Good job. Don’t try anything bad, though, or you know very well what’ll happen to you.” 

Will patted Clark’s shoulder and walked away, casually threatening him in the process, which only made the bald guy feel more humiliated than anything. 

(Listen While Reading: Phew!)

“Ah! Will! I see you’re alright now! Welcome. This is the humble little corner we’ve secured for ourselves,” John said, approaching Will, shaking his hand, and then hugging him. “Do you feel better now, son?” 

“I’m alright…” Will smiled lightly, feeling a bit more connected to the old police officer. 

Despite his age and career, John was a warm and approachable person, someone who, quite literally, acted like a dad to everyone, including Will…

Will, who had never known what having a father felt like, always felt a little awkward when John showed such affection, especially when he called him “son.”

But if he disliked it, he would’ve told him to stop by now. 

“How are the people?” Will asked. “Vivian said they wanted to meet me?” 

“They’re okay. Some are still a little sick but… getting better,” John nodded. “Ah, yes! A couple of people wanted to thank you personally… I doubt they have anything to give you, though…” 

“It’s alright. I’ll talk to them,” Will said. 

“R-Really? Even though they don’t have anything for you other than thanks?” John asked. 

“Yeah,” Will said. “Is that too hard to believe?” 

“No, no… I mean, I suppose you aren’t as cold as I imagined, haha,” John said. “My bad.” 

Will stepped forward as John guided him to the people. One by one, he met them. 

“Thank you… thank you so much…”

A mother with her little boy thanked him in tears. 

“We really thought we’d die there…”

“We don’t have… anything to give you, but thank you…”

A pair of siblings thanked him. Both brothers seemed around Clark’s age. 

“I really thought I’d die right there… but you and your friends came out of nowhere… I’m so thankful I’m even alive… Thank God… Thank God…”

A middle-aged woman cried, hugging and kissing Will’s hand. 

“I wonder if this could be of any help? I found it inside the dungeon.”

A middle-aged man offered him a few Devil Coins, which Will accepted gratefully. 

The more he talked with each person, the stronger he felt for some reason.

Will saw small particles of light flying toward him.

Trust.

Hope.

Faith. 

Although some Domains could farm Faith through Fear, like the Demonic Domains, the path Will was walking was clearly one of Hope.

Even if he didn’t entirely like the idea… 

[You have gathered a large quantity of Faith!]

[Your Identity as a Divine Being is slowly increasing with each person who believes in you.]

[You gained +10 Divinity.] 

“So this is how I gain Divinity?” 

More Divinity meant stronger Divine Skills, which meant he could perform much better in combat.

Indeed, what made a God wasn’t their own legends, but the people who believed in and worshiped them.

Without people, Gods are forgotten and die.

And only with these people could Will rise as one and finally find his parents.

He was already living here for now anyway, so it aligned perfectly with his goals. 

For a moment, as Will saw the children’s sad faces, he opened his Bag of Holding.

All the ice cream from the gelato store was there.

He imagined himself as these children—suffering, confused, sad.

Alone…

Most had lost their parents and looked miserable. 

“…” 

He wanted the ice cream all for himself. In the Apocalypse, it was a valuable and delicious food, something that would only become rarer and more precious.

But… 

“Hahah! I see, so that’s what you want to do? Good idea!” 

John accepted Will’s proposal right away. The two quickly brought bowls and spoons and began serving ice cream to the children and other refugees.

The people were surprised to eat something refreshing and sweet after all the hardships they’d faced.

Some started crying again while eating.

The children enjoyed it, finally smiling and laughing, though not everyone did. 

“Give me that!”

“No, it’s mine!”

“It’s mine now!” 

Two kids were fighting over ice cream, but Vivian stepped in before Will could act. 

“Children, there’s ice cream for everyone. Don’t fight over it, alright?” Vivian patted their heads with her Magic Hands, offering more ice cream. “In these harsh times, fighting against one another will only lead to our doom. It’s in these times that we must stand united… I know we have many differences… Perhaps if the Apocalypse weren’t here, we’d never have hoped to talk to one another, but… we have to get along and survive together. It’s the only way.” 

“O-Okay… sorry…” The boy who started the fight apologized. “I was hungry…” 

“It’s fine…!” The other boy smiled. “I’ll let you have some if you ask nicely.” 

“Really?!” 

Will watched the people enjoying this small moment of respite, just as he had, and understood what it truly meant to share and bring hope to others.

And that he alone could never do it—but with Vivian and everyone else… it could become a reality.

He realized he needed them far more than he’d imagined, which slightly annoyed him. 

“Wow, mister, that was awesome! You shared ice cream with everyone!” Maria said. “I thought you’d save it all for yourself… Is that okay? Are you not upset?” 

“I… can conjure ice myself,” Will said. “We just need to find the ingredients, and we can make our own ice cream anyway.” 

“I didn’t know! That’s so cool! You’re an ice cream-making machine!” Maria’s eyes shone brightly. 

“No, that’s not what… Well, whatever,” Will said, about to leave. 

But someone stopped him. 

“Hey, son! Won’t you stay a little longer?” John approached. “I wanted to talk about something… A few people mentioned the Green Skin monsters, and they seem to know some valuable info.” 

“Is that so?” Will turned back, meeting the people John referred to. 

An old man who looked homeless was always nervous, his hands trembling as he glanced around worriedly, with a long black beard. He hadn’t eaten the ice cream when offered.

The other was a young girl, slightly older than Maria, bright for her age, with short black hair and blue eyes. She was still happily eating ice cream. 

“Here he is! Could you tell us more about those green ones?” John asked. 

“I-I saw them!” the homeless man screamed. “T-They stole my dogs! All of them! The bastards! M-My dogs…! They ran toward… that huge building near the highway! I-I… I think they had something weird there! A-A barrier or whatever! I don’t know, but… there were little ones, little bastards… holding things! They were… using some sort of magic or something, I don’t know!” 

“So they’ve erected a barrier around their Lair?” Will wondered. “Hmm, do they know we’re killing a lot of monsters and that they’re next?” 

“Perhaps,” John nodded. “They definitely didn’t have that before… Maybe they’ve become aware of your existence.” 

“Hmm…” Will nodded, touching the homeless man’s shoulder. “Thank you.” 

He used Sacred Healing on him, stopping the man’s trembling hands as he felt… strangely relieved. 

“Huh? What?” 

He gained more lucidity, realizing he was alright. 

“I-I… I was feeling like shit because I hadn’t had my shot… But… I’m fine now?” 

“You healed him of his drug addiction?!” John was shocked. 

“No, I just healed the dangerous chemicals in his body. Sacred Healing can cure any poison, and it seems his addiction was tied to that,” Will explained. 

“That’s… incredible. Not even Ralph can do that,” John said, amazed. “Alright, dear, what about you?” 

“I saw them,” the girl said calmly, her eyes glowing. 

She raised her hand, manifesting a mass of ethereal energy, shocking John and Will. She had magic powers.

She was an Awakened.

Her powers weren’t entirely magical, channeling a strange psychic energy that formed an illusion.

She showed faint silhouettes of large creatures with weapons, resembling Hob Goblins, and… an even larger variant. 

“They were walking around the streets near the highway. We ran from them, but then we got caught by the demons…” the girl said. “I couldn’t fight them all and awakened when I killed one accidentally… But I’m low level, can’t do much more than this.” 

“It’s already impressive!” John nodded. “Will, what do you think?” 

“She’s got potential,” Will said. “And… those are Hob Goblins… Hm, we might have to face an even stronger variant too. I’ll call it an Ogre for now.” 

“Ogre…” The girl’s blue eyes stopped glowing. “Mister, are you taking care of Maria?” 

“Yeah… I mean, no, I’m not,” Will said. “Why?” 

“Can I… um, join you?” the girl asked. “I have my own personal agenda, though… I want to find my big brother.” 

“He’s lost?” Will asked. 

“The goblins took him…” the girl sighed. “He was an Awakened too, like you… but there were too many, and he lured them away so I could escape…” 

“He might not even be alive, you know?” Will said. 

“I… know…” the girl muttered, holding back tears. “I just… want to know…” 

“…” 

Will sighed. Another kid in the group wasn’t part of his plans, but… well, she had potential. 

“I’ll take care of her. She’s got potential and seems willing to fight. For her age, that’s incredible in these times,” John said. 

“Fine,” Will nodded. “We’ll head out in an hour or two. We need to scout the area, find a safe route to the Green Skins, and hunt as many monsters as we can to power up for the final battle. We’re not letting those things take our territory.” 

“Understood,” John nodded confidently. “As I promised, I’ll stay by your side and help in any way I can.” 

“Thank you.” Will walked away, returning to the electronics store to prepare a C Rank Weapon, pulling various materials from his inventory. 

“Hmm, I’ve got quite a lot. Cube, what could make a C Rank weapon?” Will asked. 

“The horns, skin, and fangs of those Hell Spawns would be perfect materials,” Cube explained. “Their blood, too… Also, the crystals from the Melancholia Crystal.” 

“Alright, does it matter what weapon I sacrifice?” Will asked. 

“It does! You need to craft something you want your Divine Skill to take shape as,” Cube said. “Perhaps… a Trident!” 

“Trident… Well, I guess that sounds fine,” Will agreed. “It could already turn into one by default… And it seems to have great affinity with my magic.” 

Will used steel from the Steel Bovines, melting it in the Portable Forge and mixing it with the Demonic Materials, along with Water and Ice Attribute Spirit Crystal Dust, creating a glowing dark blue ingot.

He melted it again, shaping it using the forge’s flames and his Skills, making the form more intricate with his Divine Aura, now imbued with his Divinity of Abyssal Tides.

His Divinity, as he suspected, could affect and even enhance his creations. The metal gained a tint of divine power mixed with demonic energy, creating a clash of forces. 

“Hmmm…” 

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, continuing to work, shaping a long weapon with three sharp blades at the end. The hammer he’d crafted—his weapon—was also a perfect Forging Hammer.

Lastly, Will looked at the jewel his father had gifted him in that dream, the Crystalized Divine Ocean Tear. It was too valuable to use now, but he let its Divine Aura, connected to his Father’s Domain, imbue the metal, turning the trident bright blue. 

And then… he was done. 

[Congratulations! You have successfully forged the [Azure Trident of Abyssal Seas (C+ Rank)] Weapon!]

[Congratulations, your Skill: [Magic Forging (Tier 1)] has achieved 100% growth. Your Skill is now ready for Rank Up.]

[Skill Rank Up Requirements]:

[Craft five D Rank Items: 5/5]

[Five Tier 2 Monster Cores: 5/5]

[Craft one C Grade Weapon: 1/1] 

“Two birds with one stone, huh.” 

Will was pleased his efforts had paid off, deciding to evolve both his Pseudo Divine Weapon Skill and his Magic Forging Skill one after the other. 

[Congratulations, your Skill: [Pseudo Divine Weapon (Tier 1)] has achieved 100% growth. Your Skill is now ready for Rank Up.]

[Skill Rank Up Requirements]:

[Crystalized Divine Essence: 1/1]

[Ten Tier 2 Monster Cores: 10/10]

[One C Grade Weapon: 1/1]

[You have met all Skill Rank Up Requirements.]

[Do you wish to Rank Up your Skill?] 

“Yes.” 

Will offered the trident he’d made, feeling a pang of sorrow as his creation vanished in a vortex of divine azure and golden light surrounding his body. 

FLUOSH! 

The Monster Cores and Crystalized Divine Essence disappeared too, as he felt his power grow. The trident he’d offered merged with his soul, making the “vision” of his Divine Weapon much clearer. 

[The Skill: [Pseudo Divine Weapon (Tier 1)] has successfully Evolved and Ranked Up to [Divine Weapon (Tier 2)]!] 

The trident reappeared as Will held it in his hands. It had grown larger, overflowing with divine power… It hadn’t vanished; it had become part of the Skill, reinforced, evolved. 

“Good…” 

It was no longer just a translucent energy trident but a real weapon he could grip tightly, made of metal and magic.

With a thought, the trident could transform into Water, Ice Shards, or Shadows.

Or a bizarre mix of all three: Abyssal Tides. 

[Divine Weapon (Tier 2)]: [Manipulate your Mana and Divine Power to materialize a Divine Weapon that embodies your true self, a powerful Divine Trident of Abyssal Tides containing both the fierce ocean’s power and the shadows of the deep underworld. Your Divine Weapon can now fully materialize and will grow alongside the user and the Skill. The Divine Weapon can feed on Monster Cores and other Compatible Materials to become stronger, increasing its Stats and enhancing its Abilities. If the Divine Weapon’s Ethereal Form is imbued into an existing weapon, the vessel can temporarily evolve and gain the Divine Weapon’s power to an extent. Special Ability: [Divine Ocean Bow Form]] 

“Not bad… So it’s a real weapon now, no longer ‘pseudo’?” Will wondered. “Does that mean… it has a status of its own?” 

He glanced at the weapon, realizing the truth behind this Skill’s Evolution. 

“What?!”

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