Max Level Newbie: Chapter 179

Chapter 179.  Evidence of Hell (4)

 ‘…..What am I thinking.  I must be the excitement one.’

In fact, Vulcan was standing in this place with an incredibly trembling heart.

The ordinary looking red door that was before his eyes.

He could not suppress his excitement as that door was going to take him to another world, a world that was designed to help him to develop further. 

It was the same feeling as when he had initially discovered the ‘gate to the demon world.’

Vulcan took in a big breath of air and exhaled slowly then he picked up the true devil’s crown.

 [Legendary Defensive Equipment (Set item) – Crown of the true devil]

[Level Limitation:  None]

Defense power +1500

All characteristics resistance +20%

All series of skills attack power +10%

All stat +100

*The item that only a very small handful of demon world’s demons with clandestine connections could ascertain.  It is the proof of the true demon, and those who are accepted as the true demons would attain the power of the demon king of a demon world, or equivalent to it.  It also works as the key to entering the true hell Naraka.  An awesome item that allows superior performance over any other items with respect to defense power, resistance, attack power, etc.  An item that works with demon king’s helmet, and inherits the effectiveness of the demon king’s set.

 ‘Amazing.’

It did not require any other adjectives to describe its awesome performance.

It was unbelievable that such capabilities came from a single item.

 Additionally, two other affects were realized from the improved set item, but they did not fit with him.

Of course, it was not disappointing at all just because they could not be used.

It was because it was already sufficiently way beyond his expectations, even by only considering just the other options.

 ‘And….The true game isn’t this.’

Vulcan took off the demon king’s helmet, and put on the crown of the true devil.

Transformed into a much more terrible demon, he touched the far left red door, one of the three doors, with his hand. 

He was also curious about the other doors as well.

Especially, the door in the center with golden geometric pattern on black and white background.

That, too, attracted much curiosity from Vulcan that he stared at the door for a very long time.

 ‘However… The red door first, for now.’

He wasn’t wearing unstable demon equipment like he had in the past, so he could always come back and visit if wanted to.

Vulcan decided to think about what was behind those two doors at a later time, and he was determined to focus on the ‘gate of the true hell’, for now.

Boowwwwwwoong.

The magic energy slowly flowed from Vulcan’s hand to the door.

Similar to when a cistern was filling with water, there was a small vibration of noise as Vulcan’s imposing energy slowly filled the door.

About 1 minute might have passed.

The door which was greedily absorbing Vulcan’s magic energy cracked horizontally at the center, and split up with a cracking sound.

And a giant eyeball popped out of that space.

And from the hair-raising incidence, Vulcan jerked and removed his hand.

 “…..!”

As if it was a living thing, a sense of a live being permeated from the door.

The bastard rolled around its eye all over Vulcan as if it was measuring him, and a brief time passed with that.

Finally, it might have decided that there wasn’t anything wrong that the red door retrieved the eyeball that was rolling about.

The bastard then spoke with phlegm-boiling voice out of the black unpleasant lips that were formed. 

-Verification…..Completed.  Allowing passage to the true hell Naraka.

Whirrrrl.

The door swung wide open as soon as it finished speaking.

Shaking his eyes, Vulcan peeked inside, but he saw nothing.

Nothing at all.

Nothing whether it was hopefulness, evil, or unpleasantness.

When Vulcan showed some hesitation as he felt nothing, there was another system notification tone.

 [Please enter through the gate of hell.]

 “…..Right.  Right.”

Vulcan murmured to himself.

He entered Asgard in Act 3, and rose to the position of a great god that rules countless number of people in the lower world.

That was who he was, yet he did not think that there would be a place where he would be nervous to even just to step inside, like this.

‘It wouldn’t feel this ominous if I could just even feel unpleasantness…..’

It was truly an anxious moment.

However, he wasn’t about to retreat and give up.

He has been suspicious in that he was on the path which the system had decided for him until now, and there were occasions where he felt uneasy from the unpleasantness coming from that, but…..

At least, he has never been on the short side of the change by following the system’s instruction up to now.

He was, without failure, rewarded greatly when he entered the blue shining dimension, and just by looking at the results, he couldn’t complain, even this time around, although there were a few very difficult moments.

 ‘…..OK.  I’ll move as I am instructed for now.’

Of course, he had no intention of being a puppet that only moved according to the system’s instructions.

Definitely, sometime in the future, although it might be in a very distant future at this time.

What if when he was to rise to the level at which he would consider this system, which almost looked like a cheat key, to be a shoddy apparatus….

Only then he would go his own way without seeking any more help from any other being.

Tup. Tup.

Vulcan made up his mind and slowly walked in through the door.

As if he was walking on marbles in high heels, the sound of his steps echoed loudly.

It was when he walked the path, like that, in which he could feel nothing for a while.

Suddenly, Vulcan’s vision came alive with light.

 ‘Krrrh!’

The light was so bright that even he, who had the body of a god, could not look at it directly.

And the thick darkness that was like a series of oncoming death.

After that has stroked Vulcan’s eyelids in order, some more time has passed.

Vulcan slowly opened his eyes and surveyed the surroundings.

 “…..”

There were huge great cylindrical columns.

The demons which filled the area and the sculptures that looked to be gods.

It was as if he was standing inside a temple in Greek Mythology.

If there was one unique feature, it was that the gods were knelt before the demons in this place.

Vulcan slowly proceeded forward through those sculptures.

A great portal was at the center of the temple.

While Vulcan repeatedly exclaimed as he was looking at the dimensional door which was like the flame of hell as if it was burning like a moving serpent’s tongue, a series of system message windows popped up.

 [You have successfully entered the pathway to true hell Naraka.]

 [You have entered the new area in which the system could not enter before!]

 [Infiltrating the system, 10%….. 20%…. 37%…..]

 [100%!]

 [You are now able to access most of the functionalities in Naraka which were only allowed to the true demons, the demons among the demons.]

 [You can select one of two modes in the place called Naraka, the land of the true demons.]

 [Which mode do you want to select?]

 [Devil/God]

 “…..Hmm.”

He was determined to stay measured no matter what kind of world was to open up, yet.

Vulcan could not help, but let out a groan when he saw the very highly unexpected content of the message.

                                                                       **********

 “That is…..to put all things in a perspective….. Uh, there are a player mode and a monster mode… right?”

Vulcan’s voice reverberated inside the temple.

Of course, as Vulcan was the only one there, he did not expect any reply.

Vulcan had a small anticipation that the system voice might respond, but as nothing was heard, he pouted, and he, once again, turned his attention to the system’s information window.

 [If you select the demon mode, you will appear in the shape of as if you were equipped with the demon king set, disguising by using the disguise skill, and you will enter Naraka.  Like all those other countless true demons, you would be striding around Naraka as a demon.  You would be free to use Naraka’s many convenience facilities, safe spaces, NPCs, and able to build experience levels by battling against the monsters (ancient gods).  You can also set on a quest by discovering hidden secret regions.

When demon mode is selected, no attacks among the true demons are allowed, and may not be resurrected (regenerated).  In addition deity power cannot be used.]

 [Do you want to select the demon monde?]

 “This is completely a player…..”

 [Upon selecting the god mode, you will enter Naraka in your own original form.  Unlike the countless many true demons that visit Naraka, you will be required to play the part of the boss monster within the hidden quest location.  You may not only use the many convenient facilities, safe spaces, and NPCs, but you may not go beyond the hidden quest area.  You may only fight against the true demons that enter the hidden quest, but you may not attain any experience levels by any other means.

When the god mode is selected, you may continue to resurrect (regenerate) like the monsters.  (Resurrection cool time is one week) You may not use the deity power even when the god mode is selected.]

 [Do you want to select the god mode?]

 “Gosh, this directly tells me that it is a monster on the face value.  Hm….What should I use.”

Vulcan began to earnestly think about it.

First of all, he would not be able to easily foretell the future as a demon.

That was because it didn’t look any different than from Asgard’s Act 1 and Act 2, and all those countless many games that he had played on earth.

The difference would be that in normal games, one would stand on the righteous side and crush the demons, but in Naraka, one would torment the ancient gods by standing on the demon side.  

 ‘Well, I’m not sure how the convenient facilities and NPCs are made, but they should be similar to the ones in Asgard….. Gosh this is a completely fake Asgard.’

Vulcan subtly put on a smile when he thought that far.

Although Naraka was referred to as fake, he was feeling good about the nostalgic ambience that he felt from the fields with safe spaces and hunting grounds.

However, he did not immediately choose the demon mode, either.

Although the background was the same, it was because the ‘god mode’ which would allow him to act from the ‘monster’s’ perspective, rather than from the familiar ‘player’s’ perspective, was strongly luring Vulcan.

It wasn’t that nothing was keeping him hesitating.

The fact that there was a limitation with respect to the location was most dissatisfying.

Vulcan recollected his past whereabouts.

As far as he could remember, every boss monster in the hidden dungeon was waiting for a long time, all tied up in a small room.

If similar situation occurs when he was to select the god mode, then he thought that he would be spending boring time each and every day, rather than it to be refreshing.

On top of that, the ‘hidden’ dungeon was hidden as the name suggested, which meant there was a very little possibility that anyone would come find it.

 ‘What if I went to Naraka in god mode, but if I did not come across any demons even after a month of time…. It would be like just doing breathing training in an empty room, and not gain any experience.’

It might as well be better to go out of this place and go attack other demon world.

Vulcan thought about it for a bit longer.

A long groan came out of his mouth, and with his face cringed, the time passed for a while

After all the contemplations, Vulcan finally chose the god mode.

Vulcan put on a bright face as if to say that he will no longer regret his choice.

 ‘Well, it’s not like I couldn’t enter and exit freely, so if it turns out to be the wrong choice then come back and play the demon mode…. Ah, this wasn’t a game.  At any rate, I can go about in the demon mode and build experience level, too.  If that wasn’t good enough, I can go around the other demon worlds, also…. Besides, it said that there were ways to build experience level other than through hunting method, so I’ll look into that.’

Finally, Vulcan arrived at the moment of making a selection after having organized his thoughts.

He loosened up his tensed up body from the nervousness.  Then he showed a slight hesitation before he could click on the Yes button to the question, ‘do you want to select the god mode?’

It was because he was somewhat mindful of the earlier message that came from the system.

 ‘The place that couldn’t be approached until now… System infiltration…. Based on this, it implies that the system is not omnipotent.  What is it, the system’s identity, anyway.  Is it the power that the ultimate god has bestowed?  If that wasn’t, either…. Phew.  It probably wasn’t a problem with a solution, no matter how hard I think about it.  Rather… I will think about my development, and overcoming any obstacles that might prevent me from understanding.’

Vulcan threw out all these complicated thoughts with a resolute exhalation. 

He pressed on the Yes button and audaciously entered the true hell Naraka as ‘god mode’.

That was how Vulcan left his familiar environment, and once again embarked on a new itinerary for the purpose of leaping forward, yet again.