The farther Malerion walked from the bright heart of Lust Ring, the quieter the world became.
The neon drowned into softer colors muted pinks, tired violets, half-dead reds flickering like fading embers.
Here, the air was heavier.
Still saturated with SIN, but calmer like a pool of water far from a raging waterfall.
Perfect for testing resonance.
He stepped onto a tall, abandoned rooftop, dust rising beneath his boots. A broken neon sign buzzed faintly nearby, its letters unreadable after years of neglect.
Below, the alleys twisted like veins of a sleeping creature.
Malerion inhaled deeply.
The Echo Rings stirred
the First with confident stability,
the Second with a fractured, hungry pulse.
Then Alastor's voice echoed inside him with crisp clarity.
"Shall we begin, dear Malerion?"
Malerion nodded.
"I need to understand what this system will become. If it's supposed to surpass even you… I need to know how."
Alastor chuckled.
A calm, measured, radio-static laugh.
"You will. In time. But first learn what it means to grow."
Echo Slip The First Real Test
Malerion focused on a rusted pipe sticking from the rooftop.
One breath.
A small pulse of air.
The vibration fluttered outward like a soft ripple through water.
The pipe shivered not from force, but from imbalance.
"A subtle technique," Alastor noted. "But subtlety is the foundation of mastery. Overlords use force. You will use precision."
Malerion exhaled slowly.
It wasn't impressive.
Not yet.
But it was his.
Resonance Thrust Open-Space Amplification
He tested the second technique next.
Deep breath.
Shoulders anchored.
Release.
A sharp wave cracked across the rooftop.
Dust scattered.
Loose tiles hopped.
The flickering neon sign shorted out completely with a sad hiss.
Malerion blinked.
"That was stronger than indoors."
"Of course," Alastor replied. "Walls absorb vibration. The open world amplifies it. You have encountered one of resonance's most important laws."
"So Resonance Thrust scales with environment."
"It scales with freedom," Alastor corrected. "The more air it can travel through, the stronger it becomes."
Malerion's pulse quickened.
That meant that eventually…
It could reach terrifying levels.
Inner Echo Potential, But Untouchable
Malerion hesitated before attempting the third technique.
"Inner Echo only activates under threat," he said.
"Exactly," Alastor replied. "It is a survival instinct. Forcing it without cause may disrupt your Second Ring."
"So I shouldn't test it."
"Not tonight."
Malerion understood.
Inner Echo wasn't just a move.
It was a reaction.
A subconscious expression of resonance that targeted the nervous system of anyone who touched him.
If it evolved…
It might not require touch at all.
The idea was unsettling and empowering.
The First Real Estimate of His Future Strength
Malerion leaned against the railing, watching the empty alleys breathe beneath him.
"I fought three demons today," he said. "Barely won. I'm weak."
Alastor hummed thoughtfully.
"In raw strength? Yes. In physicality? Also yes. But in potential?" His smile sharpened. "…Almost no demon in Hell can compete."
Malerion turned to him.
"Why?"
"Because demons grow horizontally," Alastor explained. "More SIN. More chaos. More instinct. A predictable, limited path. You, on the other hand"
He pointed at the two Rings.
"grow vertically. Structure. Layers. Systems. Each Ring multiplies you. Not adds."
Malerion felt his chest tighten.
"So eventually I'll surpass you?"
Alastor didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Malerion blinked, startled by the certainty.
"Even you?"
"Yes," Alastor repeated calmly. "Assuming you survive long enough.
And assuming you do not stagnate. And assuming your Echo Path continues to expand with each Ring."
He paused.
"And assuming you learn to accept power without becoming part of Hell's chaos."
Malerion swallowed.
It wasn't arrogance.
It wasn't encouragement.
It was simply truth.
How Long Will Higher Rings Take?
Malerion sat on a cracked air-conditioning unit.
"What about the Third Ring? How long will it take to form?"
Alastor tilted his head, calculating.
"The First Ring formed rapidly. Days."
"The Second Ring formed slowly. Months."
He spread his hands.
"The Third Ring… will require year
Malerion's brows furrowed.
"So each Ring takes exponentially longer."
"Exactly," Alastor said. "Because each Ring must refine more SIN than the last.
Hell has endless SIN but turning it into resonance? That is no small feat."
Then how many Rings can I realistically reach in twenty-two years?
Alastor smiled.
"A dangerous question, Malerion. But a fair one."
He began walking through the soul-space, hands behind his back.
"In twenty-two years… if you train relentlessly… if you constantly refine SIN… if you face near-death experiences… if you perfect your resonance structure… you may reach"
He stopped.
"…Six Rings."
Malerion's breath hitched.
"Six?"
"Perhaps seven," Alastor added lightly, "if fate is generous. And with six or seven Rings, dear Malerion…"
His grin darkened.
"You will no longer be comparable to Overlords."
Malerion felt a chill down his spine.
"What will I be?"
Alastor's eyes glowed crimson.
"An anomaly. A being Hell cannot categorize. A resonance entity that lies beyond its laws."
Malerion stared at the city, suddenly feeling the weight of the future pressing on his shoulders.
"And if I reach the eighth Ring?"
Alastor's expression turned unreadable.
"If you reach the eighth…"
He whispered:
"…you may no longer remain a demon at all."
The Path Ahead
The rooftop wind shifted, carrying distant laughter and pulsing music.
Malerion stood tall.
His techniques were crude, incomplete, unstable.
His Rings were young and fragile.
But for the first time, he saw the truth:
He wasn't meant to grow quickly.
He was meant to grow endlessly.
The Echo Path was infinite
if he could survive long enough to walk it.
Alastor's voice echoed gently:
"You are not strong yet, Malerion. But you will be. Stronger than me. Stronger than Overlords. Stronger than Purgatory's laws."
Another wind gust brushed past, carrying neon light across his face.
"And if you endure the next twenty-two years…"
Alastor finished softly,
"…the world will no longer recognize what you are."
Malerion stared at the broken horizon.
"Then I'll walk the path," he murmured. "No matter how long it takes."
The Rings pulsed in answer.
And the rooftop trembled beneath him.