Chapter 52: I Choose All

Chapter 52

SYSTEM REMARK:

You cried for a blanket.

So you are now offered weapons of calamity.

Choose carefully so you do not shatter your baby teeth.

Choose the skill or skills suitable for you.

Rayden stared at the system notification for a long time.

Too long.

He was honestly surprised by the number of skills he was given access to. And while the system boldly claimed they were weapons of calamity, Rayden could tell it was inflating its own ego again.

He shook his head internally.

They were not that powerful. Not yet. But they would help him. They would keep him from getting killed again.

And that alone made them priceless.

So now he had a decision to make.

Which skill. Or skills.

Rayden went quiet, contemplating.

“Hey, system. How many skills can I select?”

No response.

Then another message appeared.

SYSTEM NOTICE:

Two to three skills at most is advisable.

Avoid choices that excessively affect your soul energy.

Rayden blinked.

So it was warning him.

Not to pick the ones with extreme soul drain. Not to pick the costly ones.

And for that exact reason, he was tempted to do the opposite.

After all, this was the Hellbrand System. A system granted by hell itself. And hell was not known for benevolence.

So what was stopping this thing from lying?

Still, Rayden did nothing.

He did not select anything.

Minutes passed. Then hours. Then days.

And during that time, Rayden almost died again.

That was when he decided.

Anyone watching would have called him insane.

But he had almost died one more time. So he would go through with it.

The notification appeared again as he willed it.

SYSTEM QUERY:

What skill or skills would you like to choose?

Rayden did not answer immediately.

He scanned the list again.

Then he grinned.

If his old enemies saw that grin, they would already be wetting themselves. Because that look was the same one Vastro wore before a massacre.

“I choose all.”

Silence.

No notification. Nothing.

As if the system itself had been stunned by the audacity of his request.

Rayden glanced at the interface.

“Hey. You still there?” he asked in his mind.

The red color of the system flared violently, glitching, pulsing brighter and brighter. Then it suddenly shut down.

Rayden raised an eyebrow.

Did he break it?

Shouldn’t something from hell be a little more durable?

As if offended by the thought, the system flared back online.

SYSTEM RESPONSE:

Host, you surely could have access to all ten skills.

I would personally show you that mercy and grant your wish.

As you now know, nothing is truly beyond my capacity.

The capacity of hell itself.

Rayden chuckled.

The system’s ego was flaring up again.

Normally he would have mocked it.

But he did not have the time.

So he spoke in his mind, his voice steady. Calm. Sweet.

“Yes.”

“I choose all ten skills.”

There was an awkward, dragging silence.

As if the system itself was contemplating whether granting Vastro’s wish was worth the consequences.

Then another notification stabbed directly into his mind.

SYSTEM QUERY:

Host, are you sure you wish to take all available skills?

The strain on your soul will be immense.

Rayden’s gaze did not change as he answered.

Of course.

A faint smile formed on his face.

When had he ever cared about burdens?

He had never bent to anything or anyone’s will. The world bent to his. And right now, his will was simple.

He wanted all ten skills.

Another notification flashed.

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING.

Acquiring all ten skills is not recommended.

Immediate burden detected.

Host, reconsider.

Vastro’s small face twisted into a creepy grin.

“Hey, system. I didn’t ask for your advice.”

Silence again.

Longer this time.

Then the system spoke once more.

SYSTEM NOTICE:

Host, the weight is highly likely to destroy your vessel.

Are you truly certain?

“Absolutely,” Rayden replied in his mind.

The system’s words bounced off him like raindrops. He was not listening.

Finally, the system seemed to sigh. Or at least that was how Rayden interpreted it.

A cold, solemn mechanical tone rang through his head.

NEW NOTIFICATION.

Temporary skills will now be unlocked.

Infernal Instinct unlocked.

Hell Influence unlocked.

Ultra Boost unlocked.

Nether Whisper unlocked.

Embers of Will unlocked.

Abyssal Pulse unlocked.

Soul Echo Vision unlocked.

Hellskin Fortification unlocked.

Ethereal Shroud unlocked.

Soul Conduit unlocked.

Vastro grinned internally.

Now we are talking.

Then came the remark the system never failed to add after every major decision.

SYSTEM REMARK:

Well, well, well. Host is now one hundred percent confirmed to be a lunatic.

You were asked to select a few tools.

Instead, you chose the entire arsenal.

Petite body. Boundless greed.

Hope you survive this.

If not, perhaps you will finally learn your lesson.

Rayden could not help but smile.

It seemed he had managed to frustrate the system. And it was clearly pissed.

Good.

He counted that as payback. After all, the system had done nothing to help him despite all the trouble it dragged him into.

Another notification appeared.

ALL TEN SKILLS HAVE BEEN GRANTED.

Remnant Soul Energy Bar unlocked.

The change hit immediately.

Rayden felt an eerie presence coil around his body. But that was not all. The new bar on his interface caught his attention.

Before he could even focus on it, something vast happened.

An unbearable weight crashed into his already compressed soul.

His baby body could not handle it.

Rayden blacked out almost instantly, his small form going limp.

Selene and Callack, who had been close by, noticed at once. They rushed forward, catching him before his head could slam into the ground.

The last thing Rayden heard was his mother’s terrified scream.

The last thing he saw was the worried look on his human father’s face.

So… the system might have been right after all.

I might actually die from this.

His eyes closed.

To be continued…

Author’s Note:

Alright, warriors, this is where you come in.

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Here’s the deal.

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Simple.

If you want faster updates, more brutality, more tension, and more unfiltered madness, this is your moment. Vote. Review. Collect. Comment.

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