Rey noticed the carcasses of the Wargoths piled up in the corner of the large hall. He motioned to them. "If anyone knows how to skin and butcher an animal, they should take care not to damage the fur. It's going to get plenty cold in this place." Then he noticed Ajay coming down the stairs. "Or maybe not, since we've got our very own Arsonist. In that case, the skin can be used to make waterskins. Do you understand?"

  He didn't bother looking at them for confirmation, for he was miles away. He was wrong. The future seemed set...somewhat. Phil was back as a demon, which meant devastation was close at hand, and thanks to that demon Donkey Kong, he didn't even have a weapon. The future was bleak, and he needed to get stronger. He needed to find more Rank 2 or higher demons, and before that, he needed to get his hands on a weapon.

  So, naturally, he went to the pile of corpses and picked up a body with a sufficient gash on its neck. He cupped a hand under the demon's neck and collected its black blood. He left the bewildered group, who must've thought he was barking mad.

  He walked down the left-most corridor towards the three doors with the teardrops. The second door led to the well, which was the only source of fresh water for miles.

  One would think that, being underground, there would be more freshwater rivers.

  He went to the first door from the right and smeared the teardrop indent with the demon's blood. He made sure to cover the teardrop entirely. The door sucked in the blood like a hungry vampire, and the lock unclicked. He remembered it had taken them ages to figure out what these doors needed. Now, thanks to his 'Seer' abilities, he could bullshit his way through knowing just about everything.

  He pushed the door open to a weapons sale, and everything must go. There were stacks of weapons, and by stacks, only one weapon of every kind. The center of the room was empty to try out your weapon of choice.

  There were all kinds of swords—curved, long, short, and greatswords. He was immediately drawn to the saber. This was the type of sword he had loved to use and was most familiar with. He picked up the saber and swung it around in the air a few times, and it felt so familiar, but he didn't have any Talent points left. So, he put the saber down and focused on the spear-like weapons.

  There was a spear, polearm, halberd, glaive, harpoon, trident, and a scythe. He had to admit the scythe looked mean. He picked it up and swung it around. Even with the weapon's mastery skill, it still felt foreign in his hand.

  He wondered if he could somehow modify its blade to swing forward, turn the weapon into a spear, and then swing it back into a scythe. This way, he would have two weapons for the price of one.

  I'll need a blacksmith to make those adjustments. Since there isn't one remotely close to us, I'll have to become one.

  He thought about it and shrugged. A blacksmith class wouldn't be bad. He could repair and modify his own weapons. No need to pay anyone to do it. He hadn't dabbled in professions last time and had stayed focused on skills. Mostly, his magical skills. He had wasted a lot of time and stat points bringing up his Magic Affinity, all so he could fire off more lightning bolts.

  He put that thought on the back burner and focused on the new scythe. The curved blade was made of steel and was as long as his arm. The shaft was covered in black leather to provide a solid grip. There was a sharp steel pommel at the butt of the scythe. It was heavy but more well-balanced than his last weapon.

  [Steel Scythe (Common) - Traditionally used for harvesting crops but feared as a weapon of death. In battle, it delivers sweeping, relentless strikes, its razor-sharp edge slicing through foes with grim efficiency. It will do decent damage to D Tier enemies and may break if not repaired regularly. Its damage will increase with higher Dexterity. +2 DEX, -1 MA]

  As he was about to head out, his thumb passed over a circular cavity in the wooden shaft. It was right around the middle of the shaft, where he would hold the weapon as he swung it. He wasn't sure what this dip was for, but it piqued his interest. He pressed it, and a message appeared in his vision.

  [This weapon is missing a Runic Skill. Please input a Runic Skill into this slot.]

  He needed to find out about these Runic skills and how they functioned, which could strengthen this weapon.

  He opened up his Talents, and the sub-menus were in his vision—Skills, Core, Abilities, Stealth, Power, Arcane, Weapons, Elements, and more. He flipped through Skills, Core, Abilities, and even Elements, but found nothing. Then, on a whim, he opened Arcane, and it was filled with so many spells that Dumbledore would've been shooting Expecto Patronums from his 'wand' all night long.

  He quickly flipped through most of them while keeping some in the back of his mind to pick up later. He even saw a few that Kassi could use. Until he finally found what he was looking for.

  [Runic Skills are the Arcane power etched in metal. Runic Skills are powerful abilities inscribed into metals, which can then be imbued into weapons, armor, or even the bodies of warriors, channeling mystical forces through Sovereign Runes. Runic Skills are created by combining a Skill, a Pure Metal, and a Sovereign Rune. The purer the metal, the stronger the Runic Skill will be. Runic Skills do not rely on Magic Affinity but only on Magic Power. Hence, no Mana is used when activating a Runic Skill.]

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  Rey's eyes widened. This was perfect. It was beyond perfect. He could spam these runic skills without worrying about depleting his Mana. He wouldn't even have to worry about putting a single free point into Magic Affinity. He could leave that to natural progression while pumping Magic Power with so many stat points till it looked like it was pregnant.

  The only problem was that he had no metal to make a Runic skill or any Talent points to get this skill.

  Why does this always happen to me?

  "That's a nice scythe," Kassi said from the door.

  Surprisingly, he wasn't the least bit surprised. He knew someone would follow him.

  "It does more of a 'Mom's disappointed in you' level of damage than a 'Dad's getting the belt' level. If you catch my drift."

  She snorted. "So, how did you know how to open this door? You know what, I'm not even going to ask."

  Kassandra sauntered in and whistled as she looked around. Her eyes fell on the pair of daggers, and Rey rolled his eyes.

  Did she not listen to the warning not to use daggers?

  He looked at the wall on his right and found the lone bow in the room. It was a solid bow made of sturdy wood, most likely oak. This would do until she could find a metal bow.

  [Oak Bow (Common) - A sturdy and reliable bow crafted from an oak tree. While not the fastest or most flexible, it offers steady aim and durability. Stronger arrows are needed to pierce the hides of higher-ranked D Tier demons. +3 DEX, -1 MA]

  "Here, catch." Rey tossed her the bow, which she caught in one hand. "Use this instead of your toothpicks, and you won't have to worry about King Kong giving you love taps on your knee."

  Kassandra tried pulling back on the string and couldn't go all the way. She held up the bow and tried harder this time. Her face was scrunched up, and it looked like she was trying to drop a stubborn douche.

  "You need to up your Strength," Rey provided. "But still, bag that bow before someone else does, and get the Fletching skill so you can make and repair arrows."

  "Where would that be?" Kassandra asked, as her eyes took on a faraway look, as she must've brought up her Talents menu.

  He shrugged. And for once, he really didn't know the answer. "Check the Skills section. I honestly don't know. Oh, and make sure you pick up some Bow skills, or you might as well use this bow for kindling."

  "I don't have enough Talent Points left to do all that, but I'll keep it all in mind. Thanks." Kassandra smiled.

  Rey nodded and made for the door.

  "Here," she tossed him a dagger, which flew end over end and would've stabbed him in the shoulder if he hadn't moved at the last second. The dagger hit the door and clattered to the ground.

  "Are you trying to kill me, woman?" He cried.

  Kassandra cringed. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd be able to catch it."

  He picked it up from the ground and used Identify on the steel dagger.

  [Steel Dagger (Common) - A simple yet reliable weapon forged from standard steel and built for practicality over elegance. It will do decent damage to D Tier enemies, provided you can hit their vital spots. +1 DEX]

  "Thanks," Rey said. "But I don't need this."

  She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

  It was like she was willing him to remember the times she had tossed him her daggers, which had ended up saving his life.

  He picked up the dagger with a sigh. "Doesn't hurt to keep more than one weapon on me, I suppose."

  "Awesome. You'll keep one, and I'll keep the other."

  That's just so cute that I almost want to vomit. He nearly blurted out loud, but he wasn't as mean as that. He turned to the door and made to leave.

  "Where are you headed?" She asked.

  "To get stronger."

  "I'll come with," Kassandra said.

  "Remember what I said about staying away from me," he reminded her.

  "Why?" She scowled. "Why do you push me away, then fight like hell to save me and give me all these tips so I can make myself stronger, only to push me away again?"

  "Because…" He drew a few deep breaths and told her the truth this time. "Because staying close to me is how you'll get killed, and there won't be any coming back for you like Phil."

  He left her there, stunned by that revelation. He hoped this would be enough to keep her away from him and safe, but seeing Phil talking with the others in his cheerful manner shattered that illusion.

  Some noticed his new scythe but didn't stop him. He shoved the knife in his belt, hoping it wouldn't cut through it. He couldn't wait to get some real armor and a change of clothes, as these would reek very soon.

  It was when he reached the castle door that someone stopped him.

  It was Tia.

  She blocked his path and stared intently at him. "When is your demon coming?"

  "It's not coming yet. If you want those services, we need to find a private room unless you want to start an orgy."

  "Don't play the fool," she growled. "Tell me straight, what is coming that is going to destroy this castle?"

  The others gathered around him, and he saw Kassandra coming down the corridor. He shrugged. This is as good a time as any.

  "He calls himself Unokir," Rey began. "He's a smart demon like our newly turned Daddio, meaning unlike the animals we've been fighting, he can talk, form plans, and is strong enough to break this castle apart like it is made of cardboard, but only from the inside. I saw the deaths of just about everyone. The way I see it, we have two choices—we can face him when he comes or leave this castle and run like scared little sheep, which we are to him."

  Jerry opened his mouth to no doubt elevate them with his wisdom, but Rey cut him off.

  "Both options require us to get stronger. The deeper we go into Hell, the stronger the demons will become. So, I'm going to get stronger while you all have a group discussion and decide who will teach the rest how to knit sweaters from demon fur."

  He turned to leave, but Tia was still blocking the door.

  He sighed. "Now, what?"

  "When will this Unokir come?" She asked.

  "In a month."

  "What is his rank?"

  "What am I, his personal doormat with benefits, that I would know his ramming strength?"

  Rey wasn't being a dick. He really didn't know how strong he was since they never managed to kill the thing last time. They ran and hid from it until he laid waste to their only home in Hell.

  He drew a deep breath. "Look, all I know is that we all, and I do mean every single one of us needs to be at Rank 3 or, as the system puts it, E+3, and even then, we might not stand a chance."

  His eyes wandered over to Phil, but he kept his mouth shut about keeping him away from the demon. He didn't want to drop all that on them just now.

  He would do that tomorrow.

  "Like I said, I'm going out there to get stronger, so I don't repeat—so I don't die with you all."

  "So, you do die when the demon comes," Jerry exclaimed.

  Rey sighed loudly. "Remember, Rey, murdering humans is bad. Even the stupid ones."

  He gently moved Tia aside, opened the castle door, and left.