Healing System

"Wake up." Michael twisted Kevin's body around in the air, flipping it over several times until he finally woke up.

Kevin was definitely conscious; it just seemed like he was lazy and didn't want to wake up.

"Fine... stop." He finally decided to drop the sleeping charade and used his shadows to stop himself in midair.

'Hmm.. he got stronger again' Michael noticed. Upon inspecting Kevin's mana, he saw that his strength had increased to the point where all he probably needed to do was form a mana core. The speed of his progress was a bit too fast, even by Michael's estimations.

He assumed that if Fafnir hadn't helped him, the two of them would be on a similar level of strength by now. But alas, he had taken the opportunity and gained much more than he could have ever asked for.

Even if Kevin formed his core, he would still be no match for him.

Michael decided to put his cards on the table early. He took out the daggers he had received from the man possessed by a demon from hell.

However, as he thought that, a bit of confusion arose in his mind 'What's the difference between the demonic realm and hell...?'

Hell is inside the demonic realm. It's like a continent, you could say. Each continent has its own laws and rulers. The demon you killed just now and the one back then are both associated with hell.

'Oh.. that makes sense' Michael nodded inwardly and placed the daggers on the floor right beside Kevin.

He still found it a bit hard to stand; his head was ringing, and soothing it with healing didn't really help either. It was probably something that would just go away on its own. After all, it would be a bit too overpowered if a simple heal could wash away the pain caused by a skill of that caliber.

Kevin looked at the daggers with a raised brow. "Are those for me? What am I supposed to do with them? I don't use weapons."

It was an answer Michael half-expected. After all, Kevin used mana just like he did. Michael himself would consider using a weapon if it met his standards. These daggers, however, were just some throwaway weapons he would thrust upon anyone he met.

But if Kevin didn't want them, he could always give them to Chloe. The option of blood clotting might strengthen her vampiric abilities, as he was fairly certain she was some kind of vampire.

One that controlled space. Maybe a special bloodline? He might ask her when the time came.

"So you don't want them, then?" Michael asked, levitating the daggers into the air and making them circle around the both of them.

"No, you can have them." Kevin shook his head and sat down comfortably on the ground. "So what do you want?"

Michael chuckled at his words. "What makes you think I want something?"

"Just a hunch." Kevin said with a shrug.

"Well, you're right. I do need some information from you." He fiddled with the daggers, which were flying all around in the air.

It felt quite odd to control them. It almost seemed like he was training his mana in the process.

"Say... what can you tell me about hell?" Michael asked directly, noticing Kevin flinch.

"...It's a wasteland filled to the brim with demons, a place I would much rather never go back to. But... I need to kill Astaroth."

Michael listened and nodded. However, he already knew these things. It would be more beneficial if Kevin told him something regarding the power systems of hell.

"I killed a man who had a pale white dot on his hand, as well as the demon just now, though it had two dots. What do you know about them?"

As those words fell, Michael could see Kevin's expression sour. It seemed he would finally gain some new information.

Michael could ask the system about it, but since he was already here, he might as well ask Kevin. However, if he lied, the system would most definitely tell the truth.

"Those dots represent your rank in hell... A single dot means you're an underling, just slightly above an imp. Two dots mean you're a regular demon, one who can enslave the single dots. Three dots, you're practically a noble and can rule your own domain. Four dots, you're in charge of an entire continent. There are ten four-dotted individuals in total," Kevin explained, taking a deep breath.

"Lastly... five dots mean you're the king of all demons, the strongest demon alive. Their hierarchy is purely based on strength. Not just anyone can become a demon king or any other kind of dotted individual."

"There are some demons who decline their positions, mostly single dots, since serving a higher-ranked individual allows you to grow stronger much faster." Kevin finally finished his explanation, his sour expression unchanged.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Michael couldn't help but ask, even though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to make sure. "How many dots did Astaroth have?"

"Three... he was one of the stronger demons too. I thought I stood a chance against him, but as the fight went on, I realized he was toying with me from the start..." Kevin's voice grew quiet, malice clear in his tone.

"I see... so the demons' hierarchy is based on dots. How comical." Michael chuckled at their creativity, but nonetheless, he still felt cautious in his heart.

If there were only five different dots, the strength disparity must be immense, considering there were twenty tiers in total.

Evangelists, demons—so many different hostile enemies—and he hadn't even left his world yet. It was really a wonder how his luck brought him so many encounters with such beings.

'Anyway.. system, was what he said the truth?' Michael asked. He could never be too certain.

Yeah, every bit of it is accurate. However, Astaroth is a four-dot, not a three-dot. I remember him from a few of the past Michaels who died in hell. He used to be a trickster—a strong one at that. Kevin really didn't stand a chance. To guard an entire continent, one's strength must be at least Tier 12, maybe even higher.

'Have none of my previous selves met the demon king?' He wondered.

Nope, none of your previous selves lasted long enough to even come close to the demon king's strength.

'I see..' Michael took a deep breath and stood up. His dizziness had finally faded.

He patted Kevin on the shoulder and walked toward Elizabeth.

Shortly after, Kevin followed him. It seemed like she was about to wake up as well, as she was rolling around on the ground groggily.

Michael stopped a few meters away from her. However, Kevin kept walking and crouched down right in front of her.

"..Liz?" Kevin said, his voice shaky.

'Liz..? Did I miss something' Michael raised his brow at the pet name.

However, what happened next made his eyes widen completely.

Elizabeth shot up from the ground and hugged Kevin tightly. It seemed like she was saying something to him, but Michael's mind had already gone completely blank.

'Uhh... I was gone for what.. a week, right?'

Roughly.

'Right... then how did they become so close in just a week!?'