Chapter 12: The Diabolical Ascent
The floor glowed blue as Kelvin stood before the bright gaseous spiraling gate to the next level.
A different field appeared in front of him — rippling like liquid glass. Through it, he could see places of what awaited: shifting lands, new monsters, unseen dangers. The air around him carried static, a faint hum that gives goosebumps to any newbie; but not Kelvin .
He exhaled slowly.
"Level six," he muttered under his breath, the tone halfway between mockery and meditation. "Not too early… not too late."
His reflection blinked back at him from the surface of the gate — cold eyes, heavy with calculation. His voice continued inside his mind, drifting in that strange border between thought and narration, as if he was letting the readers inside his soul.
" I could go higher — all the way to level ten and more if I wanted. But once I cross that wall… there's no coming back."
The Status Window flickered before him like a pulse of thought:
[LEVEL ACCESS: 6 – 20 🔓]
[WARNING: BEYOND LEVEL 10 PLAYER CANNOT DESCEND BACK TO LOWER LEVELS]
He remembered what it meant to pass through the tenth gate.
How players who brakes thought could not come back and gain the reward from the special dungeon of each levels. The monsters, the points, the Special items — which can only be gotten by repeating a dungeon more that two time.
"People only value repeating higher levels
Without actually knowing the importance of repeating lower levels. And I have too many unfinished businesses in the earlier ones".
"In my second life, I made the mistake of rushing forward. The Admins want that — they want you to climb before you understand the foundation you're standing on.
Not this time. This time, I'm going to strip the game naked."
The words hummed in his skull like a mantra.
He turned his gaze upward, the artificial sky glinting with data-strings and broken fragments of light.
"I still remember what the System hides from the rest — that the Admins can only interfere directly in levels ending with five."
He clenched his fist.
"Five, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five. Those are their doors. Those are their hands reaching through the simulation. Every other level? They just watch — just monitor us through the Status Window like gods peering through glass."
He smirked.
" That's why I will move carefully and avoid those ones if possible.Because the moment I touch their door again… they'll twist the game "
Kelvin swiped his head across the screen, and the System responded to his mental voice.
"Status Window — Ability Search."
A pulse of light. The digital field morphed into a swirling library of symbols, names, and ranked power descriptions. Every letter shimmered with meaning.
He focused. His Mind Action ability linked directly to the interface, letting him filter through data at thought-speed.
" I don't need power for show. I need something practical — something that bend the rules to my favour."
He stopped when a title caught his eye.
[Ability: Space Walker | Rank: C | Cost: 100💎]
Description: Allows the user to move in any direction — up, down, sideways, even across air or space — by bending personal gravity orientation. Limited only by stamina and control.
Kelvin's lips curled slightly.
Cheaper than flying with cool down. Or teleportation power that cost 13,000 diamond. Perfect for combat."
"Purchase."
The window flashed.
[ -100💎 DEDUCTED ]
[ ABILITY UNLOCKED: SPACE WALKER ]
A faint sensation spread through his muscles, like his entire body had just learned a secret the world was never meant to know.
Next, he moved to the Artifact Section.
He didn't hesitate this time.
[Artifact: Scales of the Weak | Rank: B | Cost: 6,000💎]
[ Odds breaker use (-80%)= 4,800]
Description: A golden chain bearing a miniature scale. Balances the power between user and opponent, adjusting both sides to an equal baseline for a short duration.
"That's it. That's the equalizer. No point having power if you can't bend the rules of the power itself. In my past life I was able to deceive the system by balancing any stronger opponents ability with my own ability and using Stat Swap to overwhelm them. It's even works way better when I'm fighting multiple opponents and monsters "
"No matter how powerful you are the scales of the week debuffes the stronger and buffs the weaker when activated"
"Purchase."
[STATUS WINDOW]
[ NAME: KELVIN {( LEVEL 6)} ]
0🌕 | 114💎 | 5🏆
╠═══════ STATS ════════════╣
║STR -202100 AGI -203289 STA -13299║
║DUR-102105 INT -2166 PER -10388 ║
║ WILL — 303494 VIT-1200 TALENT-(🔒)║
╠════════ ABILITIES 🌌════════╣
║ Stat Swap ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ ║
║ Mind Action ☆☆☆☆☆☆ ║
║ Space Walker ☆☆☆☆ ║
╠═══════ TITLE 🏆═══════════╣
║Solo hero🥇 One shot Emperor 🔮 ║
║ Odds breaker 👑. Monster Mind 🎗️ ║
║Diabolical Demon king 👑. ║
╠════. ARTIFACTS ⚔️ ═══════╣ ║Scales of the weak ║
╠════. STORAGE ═══════╣
╠════. RECOMMENDATION ═════╣
╚════════════════════════╝
The chain appeared in his hand — cool, heavy, divine. The scale shimmered faintly, as though judging him.
He hung it around his neck.
The hum of the gate deepened.
" Level six.
Let's see if you can handle me."
The air shifted instantly.
He stepped into a crimson wasteland of broken stones and molten streams one shoting every monster he comes across.
[+50🌕]
[+50🌕]
[+50🌕]
[One Shot Emperor has awarded +280💎]
The heat shimmered, and the world itself smelled like metal and blood.
A roar split the air.
From the distance, a massive monster appeared — a creature half-beast, half-steel. Its skin was layered with iron plates; its breath fogged the air with sparks. Its hooves struck the ground, leaving craters.
[BOSS: Ironback Minotaur | Level 6 | Power Tier: C+]
[(5% ) All Stat→ Perception ]
[Perception — 10,388(+60,000)]
Kelvin's pulse slowed. His Perception spread across the field like a radar. The beast's movements were predictable — heavy but fast in bursts.
He bent his knees and activated Space Walker.
Gravity inverted. His feet gripped the air as if the sky were solid ground. He twisted sideways, running along invisible walls. The Minotaur's charge missed him by inches, crushing a rock spire into dust.
"Perfect. This ability flows directly with my instincts. Freedom from gravity Just like my previous life."
He drew his blade, its edge glowing faintly from his energy infusion.
[Stat Swap: Strength (10%)→ Agility.]
The Status Window pulsed, recalculating his body's limits. Muscles lightened, nerves accelerated, his movements blurred.
The Minotaur turned, eyes burning like molten suns — but Kelvin was already above it, walking upside down in the air.
"Mind Action — Full Control."
Every thought synced with his body. He dropped like a like a nuclear bomd, smashing through the creature's head. It didn't even have time to screame. Blood hissed as if a fountain of blood was installed."
The Minotaurs half smashed head staggered, rolled round and round— but Kelvin smashed it without mercy.
[BOSS DEFEATED: +2000🌕,+93💎]
[REWARD: 10💎 – Title Bonus: Diabolical Demon King]
[REWARD: 7💎 – Title Bonus: One Shot Emperor]
[ADDITIONAL DROP: +450🌕 ]
Kelvin exhaled through his nose.
Too easy. But that's the point. Efficiency, not drama.
[Congratulations 🎉 Level up!!]
He materialized inside a maze of pulsating tunnels — walls that breathed, dripping with translucent liquid. The ground twitched under his feet.
" Organic environment. So this level tests perception and adaptability."
A clicking sound echoed. Then a blur.
Something slithered across the ceiling — a creature with a centipede-like body, hundreds of claws scraping the walls, a human face stretched across its thorax.
[BOSS: Vein Crawler | Level 7 | Power Tier: B-]
It lunged, filling the tunnel with blades. Kelvin shifted his gravity sideways, running along the wall instead of the floor.
Space Walker blurred his direction changes, letting him defy inertia entirely.
The creature spat acidic webs, but he twisted midair, tearing through them. One strand hit his shoulder — burning through his jacket — yet his Mind Action kicked in, isolating the pain, regulating breathing.
"Don't react. Don't let the body decide — the mind must rule everything."
He raised the Scales of the Weak. The golden charm glowed faintly.
"Balance."
The world tilted. Suddenly the creature's movements slowed — its strength reduced to his own baseline while kelvin's powers were buffed. Kelvin smirked.
"Let's see how you move when you're not the apex predator."
He dashed forward, his agility outpacing its clumsy swipes. In three seconds, he cut through its head, spine, and core.
[BOSS DEFEATED +2090🌕 +100💎]
[REWARD: 10💎 – Diabolical Demon King]
[REWARD: 7💎 – One Shot Emperor]
[ADDITIONAL DROP: 620 🌕]
The tunnels began to crumble. He walked upside down along the ceiling, calmly watching the world collapse beneath him.
" That's the second one. The higher I go, the smarter the monsters act. But intelligence without will is stupidity."
[Congratulations 🎉 Leveled up]
Darkness.
He stepped into a realm where light bent backward. Every step echoed like a thought inside a void.
Then, whispering.
{ Do you remember dying, Kelvin? Do you remember the second life? The screams you ignored?}
His breath stilled.
" So it's a psychological test this time."
The wraith appeared as a reflection of himself — translucent, hollow-eyed, A demon like structure and pose.
[BOSS: Obsidian Wraith | Level 8 | Power Tier: B+]
It mimicked every motion he made, but faster, sharper.
Kelvin grinned faintly.
" A copy of my nightmare, but not the real one."
He triggered Stat Swap: (50%) All stats→ Will. His aura thickened, the environment rippling from mental pressure alone.
The wraith faltered — its form flickering. Kelvin raised the chain again.
"Scales of the Weak."
Both powers balanced. Now its powers were restricted — it was a fair fight.
Mind Action took over — precision, timing, emotion suppression. Every motion turned mathematical. The duel looked like two gods cutting through reality itself, shadows folding and light reversing around their slashes.
In the end, Kelvin's fist went through its chest, splitting the illusion like glass.
[BOSS DEFEATED]
[REWARD: 10💎 – Diabolical Demon King]
[REWARD: 7💎 – One Shot Emperor]
[ADDITIONAL DROP: 900 Points]
" It tried to test my worst nightmares But what it doesn't understand is that I've already killed it twice.
[Congratulations player has Leveled up]
[Level 9 – The Stone Devourer]
A desert of colossal bones and floating boulders. The sky glowed yellow.
He could feel the gravitational pull fluctuating — an unstable field.
From below, the sand exploded.
A monstrous creature emerged, its body made of stone and dust, face like a crumbling statue.
[BOSS: Stone Devourer | Level 9 | Power Tier: A-]
It roared, shaking the field.
Kelvin steadied himself midair using Space Walker, stepping on invisible layers to stabilize his stance.
"This one's strong. Its power density surpasses mine by at least threefold. Perfect for testing the scale."
He activated the Scales of the Weak. The golden artifact pulsed — radiant light spreading in waves.
The creature slowed — its aura shrinking to match Kelvin's.
Kelvin's eyes narrowed.
"Stat Swap: Stamina → Strength."
His body tensed, veins igniting with power. He descended with enough force to split the sandstorm apart, slamming his blade through the creature's jaw.
The Devourer retaliated — sending spikes through the ground. Kelvin flipped sideways, walking on air in circular arcs, using Space Walker to dodge while still attacking from impossible angles.
The world trembled. Rocks shattered. He disappeared from its view and reappeared behind its neck.
"Mind Action — Focus point: destruction."
A red aura enveloped his sword like arm. One clean swing. The head came off like a falling planet.
[BOSS DEFEATED+3300🌕+101💎]
[REWARD: 10💎 – Diabolical Demon King]
[REWARD: 7💎 – One Shot Emperor]
[BONUS DROP: 1,200 Points | Unique Crystal Fragment Acquired]
He landed slowly, the air bending under his control.
"Four levels down. Each one faster than the last. The system must be recalibrating my threat level already."
He checked his stats — thousands of points waiting to be allocated, dozens of diamonds glowing faintly in the corner of his interface.
" So this is what progress looks like — not climbing, but dissecting. This is the fastest I've progressed dungeon levels, unlike my previous lives where I leveled up with others and my friend Max which slowed me down making me shared points and diamonds."
"The admin will continue to watch me through their windows, whispering in their alien tongues, waiting for me to slip.
But I won't. Because I've already seen what's beyond level ten — and I know exactly where these gods bleed."
He turned toward the shimmering gate ahead — Level 10.
For the first time since entering the tower, Kelvin smiled — not out of joy, but calculation.
" This is only the beginning of my third life.
And this time, the System will regret bringing me back."
He decided not to go to level 10 gate and restart from level one to get the special rewards.