Chapter 16.
On the surface.
In the grand theater, filled with stirring music and luxurious d'cor.
The original body, Eugene, suddenly opened his eyes.
His expression was deeply confused, cold sweat clinging to his forehead, as if he had experienced a nightmare.
How did he fall asleep just now, in the blink of an eye?
In the dream, his experience in the soul world and the shouts he uttered were exactly the same as his clone's in the dungeon.
Logically, since their experiences were the same and their consciousnesses were shared, they should be a single soul.
But for some reason, the Grimoire decided they were two people?
"I can only praise the system's products as being top-notch."
Eugene was a bit confused by this phenomenon.
He let out a long breath, and his chest was immediately filled with boundless joy.
Could this be considered the effect of Strong Luck?
Drawing two magic spells in one go!
And the descriptions looked incredibly fierce!
In the Danmachi world setting, the consensus is that the less descriptive the introduction, the more powerful the effect.
If there were a long list of effects, it would instead limit its upper bound.
Of course, the true effects had to be determined by experimentation.
"One is to sacrifice something on the body for a powerful buff."
"The other is to silently amass wealth daily, and then soar into the sky at the critical moment."
"Wait, are these really magic spells?"
The more Eugene looked, the stranger it seemed.
Shouldn't magic be about ice, fire, lightning, Holy Light, Dark Priest, and the like?
Why was the style of his two spells so different?
...Who cares!
Magic is magic. Anything that cannot be explained by common sense is called magic!
Having gained new abilities, Eugene was impatient to try them out.
His consciousness shifted again.
In a flash, he was back in the dungeon.
"Hoo... permanently lose huh."
Looking at the description of "Demonize," Minotaur Eugene's eyes narrowed slightly.
This condition seemed a bit dangerous.
The scope of what "permanently lose" entailed and whether the sacrificed item could regenerate were both very important.
It would be embarrassing if he sacrificed his full head of hair and it never grew back.
Furthermore, if he sacrificed a drop of blood and his body could never produce blood again, he'd be finished!
"I'll try activating it first..."
Eugene calmed his mind, letting stray thoughts recede.
Although he had the system, there were many basic rules in this world that he still needed to follow.
Such as the magic chant.
"...Demonize!"
Well, it was as good as no chant at all.
Hoo!
As the magical incantation was spoken, Eugene's vision instantly turned gray!
Although the concept of time was blurry in the dungeon, Eugene's perception clearly registered the current state.
Time had stopped!
After activating the "Demonize" magic.
He immediately entered a mysterious space-time.
Buzz...
In the gray shadows, an ethereal set of scales appeared.
The base in the center was engraved with the grim face of a devil.
"It seems this is the 'sacrifice' location."
"Not bad, at least it doesn't require a lengthy preparation process."
Eugene plucked a tuft of fur from the back of his hand.
A Minotaur, after all, was not short of fur.
The light-colored hairs drifted down, emitting a tiny shimmer the moment they landed on the scale pan.
Creak...
The scales moved.
Corresponding to that light, an equal-sized light appeared on the other side.
Only its color was full of malevolence.
"Fair trade is good, but I prefer outright snatching."
Eugene chuckled, about to reach out.
But a gloomy, hoarse whisper sounded above his head.
"Do you wish to... raise the stakes..."
At the same time, information streamed into Eugene's mind.
So that's it!
His pupils contracted slightly.
Devils were creatures who valued contracts most.
They also placed great importance on the conditions.
This meant that all conditions attached to the stake could be entirely decided by Eugene!
Quantity, quality, and the ability to regenerate.
These could all be counted as stakes.
The more conditions attached, the stronger the power feedback!
In essence, it also catered to the devil's taste.
The more you lose, the more you gain.
In that case...
Eugene's thought shifted: "Additional condition: Never Regenerate!"
Creak!
The moment his voice fell, the scales before him moved eagerly.
A permanent loss, with no possibility of going back!
This was the devil's favorite thing!
As that tuft of bull fur rapidly burned away, a very small patch of skin on the back of Eugene's hand became smooth.
For the next ten thousand years, this spot would be barren.
"Holy cow, the 'Eternal' prefix is that powerful?"
Looking at the ball of flame, which had swelled several times larger than before, Eugene couldn't help but smile.
He slowly reached out towards the blazing fire.
The moment he touched the flame, the scene abruptly changed.
Time began to flow again!
[You have completed the exchange, preparing to enter Super Amplification!]
[Duration: 10 seconds!]
"That's so stingy!"
Eugene's smile instantly vanished.
I sacrificed precious fur for this power.
And you only give me 10 seconds?
[We regret to inform you]
[Everyone has fur]
The system responded emotionlessly.
The next moment, the flame acquired from the devil's scales surged from the void, swiftly clinging to Eugene's body like a living thing.
At this moment, he looked even more like a vengeful spirit or a fierce devil!
The specific extent of Super Amplification is not detailed in the Danmachi setting.
But it is worth noting that the original female protagonist, Orario's strongest Swordswoman, "Sword Princess" Ais Wallenstein.
Her ultimate move is called "Avenger," and the term "Super Amplification" is also included in its description.
This skill was called by her patron god, Loki, as the strongest offensive skill worthy of pride even in the history of the lower world!
When Ais activated this skill, her aura even shattered her sword, which possessed the "Indestructible" attribute!
"Power, power is surging out!!"
Feeling the tremendous power, like the Kaio-ken, surging through his body, Eugene almost couldn't suppress the body's bestial nature.
He desperately resisted the urge to vent his power everywhere, his eyes bloodshot as he summoned the system panel.
"Just as I thought!"
[Abilities: Strength 1299SSS, Durability 1299SSS, Dexterity 1222SSS, Agility 1260SSS, Magic 156H]
It exceeded the limit!
Limit Breaking! This was unique to the protagonist Bell Cranel in Danmachi, but now, with "Demonize" and "Infinite," Eugene, the unexpected visitor, had successfully entered this domain.
The accumulation of ability values was not a smooth road; unlike grinding in games where you are guaranteed to gain, it was an increasingly steep mountain path.
The difficulty increased exponentially with every hundred-point increase.
This is why reaching a D rating in an attribute is sufficient to meet the level-up requirement.
Individuals who could reach S-rank possessed frightening talent that could only be looked up to.
And Bell, relying on the protagonist's halo, trampled countless geniuses underfoot.
Extraordinary ability values were a great honor that should have belonged solely to him, the destined hero.
However, Eugene, the uninvited guest, had achieved it ahead of time!
Unconditional Super Amplification on top of S-rank directly propelled him across two grades, making him the first being in history to have SSS ability values!
Don't underestimate this mere 300-point increase.
It was no easier than climbing the last 300 meters of Mount Everest's peak!
The current Eugene was nearly three times stronger!
[Countdown 5 seconds, 4, 3...]
The system thoughtfully provided a countdown for the amplification.
But Eugene, who had gotten the answer he wanted, was seized by a new, crazy idea at this crucial moment.
Accumulate in peacetime, release when necessary!
At this time of celebration.
It was the perfect opportunity to let loose!
Let me fire a salute for today!
Eugene's mouth stretched into a grin, exhaling hot steam.
"In-fi-nite!!"
A short, powerful command was shouted!
A colossal amount of magic power rapidly gathered in his hand!
"Consume 300 points of Strength, 300 points of Durability, 300 points of Dexterity, 300 points of Agility!!"
A single release!
Buzz, buzz, buzz!!
His flesh actually made a sound of steel vibrating.
That was a roar beyond the limit!
"For crying out loud, full-power, all-out blast!!!"
...
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