In the end, Stark decides to select [Crimson Spears] and [Asura’s Arms] as the skills he would max out with the [Max Out Cores].
Here is his thought process.
Aura Smash could have a perk too difficult for him to wield, it already happened twice already, and going from level to who knows what seemed too much for him; don’t get him wrong, it is an incredible skill, but he is satisfied with it right now.
Heaven’s Wrath felt like it wouldn’t go past level 30 in terms of max level, after all, what else you could bring to this beam that erased everything that entered it?
Crimson Ball Transmission was useful in battle, but just like Aura Smash, he had the very deep impression that using that ultimate perk would be hard to master as well.
And as for EGO, well… he just didn’t feel like it, as both he and his clone could use it, and a week between each use wasn’t necessary right now, it was already strong enough as is.
And so he had finally made his choice—Crimson Spears and Asura’s Arms.
The [Max Out Cores] had been rare and precious items, and the excitement of pushing two of his skills to their ultimate forms was still coursing through him.
His fingers trembled slightly as he activated the first core.
Ding!
[You have used the [Max Out Core] on ‘Crimson Spears’!]
[Crimson Spears has reached level 100 (Ultimate Form)!]*
The surge of power that accompanied the notification was immediate, like a storm of energy brewing inside him.
It was an absolutely incredible usage of his skill!
The max level skills could reach was level 100, and crimson spears was one of those!
…
[Skill: Crimson Spears]
[New Perk: Heaven’s Spear (Ultimate Form)]
[Description: Upon activation, a colossal rift tears open in the sky, revealing a towering angelic figure, nearly 50 kilometers in height. With a slow, deliberate motion, the angel summons an immense spear of pure crimson energy, large enough to obliterate mountains with ease.
At the user’s command, the angel hurls the giant spear it summoned with such force that it rips through the atmosphere, and upon impact, the spear triggers a small city-level explosion, powerful enough to destroy a quarter of the capital if aimed right.
The spear’s power grows proportionally to the user’s aura, and its destructive force can be focused to annihilate a single target or spread wide enough to engulf multiple enemies.*
Basically, nothing survives the divine wrath of the Heaven’s Spear, for the [Angel of the Spear] never misses his shot.]
[Oh and also you have 10 spears now.]
…
Stark’s eyes widened as he read the description, his breath catching in his throat. “Holy shit,” he whispered.
This wasn’t just an upgrade—it was something godlike.
“This is… insane…”
This was a weapon of mass destruction.
If anyone learned about this, then not only the apostles and monsters, but the humans would try to get rid of him too: what he had in hand was basically an atomic bomb.
But there wasn’t time to linger on that. He had one more core to use, and it was the one he was even more curious about.
…
[You have used the [Max Out Core] on ‘Asura’s Arms’!]
[Asura’s Arms has reached level 50 (Ultimate Form)!]
…
His heart raced again as the notification popped up. [Asura’s Arms] was probably already one of his most powerful abilities (he only assumed because of the rank), and now, at its ultimate form, it promised to be something even greater.
It delivered.
…
[Skill: Asura’s Arms]
[New Perk: Asura’s Wrath (ultimate form)]
[Description: Harness the power of the God of Wrath to summon four additional arms—two emerging from your shoulders and two from beneath your original arms.
These arms are manifestations of pure aura, imbued with divine strength. Each arm is capable of immense physical power, equal to the user’s full aura potential.
When activated, the user can unleash a devastating attack called ‘Asura’s Wrath,’ releasing a shockwave that annihilates everything in a 100-meter radius. The more enraged the user becomes, the stronger the aura-infused arms become, scaling with the user’s fury.]
…
If he understood that description right, not only would he now have six arms, though he would need to learn how to control them, each of them able to punch an enemy or block an attack, but their special ability was “Wrath”?
Unleashing a shockwave that annihilates anything in a 100-meter radius?
How useful would this be? How powerful could it be…?
Stark focused his aura, and he sensed that it grew so much more than before.
This power… it was too good.
Stark had just acquired two god-like abilities now.
And he felt as thought he was at the top of the world!
But before he could get lost in the euphoria, his thoughts turned back to the idea of the [Max Out Cores].
They were strange.
“If clearing a rift grants this kind of power,” Stark said to himself, “why doesn’t everyone do it? Surely there are stronger people out there who could just sweep through these things.”
But to answer his question, something strange happened.
The area completely darkened around him, and from the ground emerged a crimson figure completely made out of aura: it was Domination.
Wait… no… it’s not domination.
That figure indeed had a crimson body, but it also had a [Soul Heart] in front of it, it was wearing a lab coat, carrying a small vial in its left hand, a cross in its right hand, and finally it had demon horns and a demon tail.
It was a merge of every single one of his classes!
“You look goofy,” Stark commented while laughing, talking to Domination, after all he knew that he was the one controlling all the others.
“Sure,” Domination shrugged as he snapped his fingers, “Here is your answer, by the way.”
A panel appeared in front of Stark.
…
[You are the only one who can get this reward from fully clearing a rift.]
[For you are the ‘Chosen One’!]
[And as for the ‘over-leveled’ thing, no, you need to be in a rift that has a close power level to yours, otherwise you don’t get anything.]
…
And then, the panel disappeared.
This explained how he was getting those [Max Out Cores] but others didn’t.
Stark blinked at the panel, trying to make sense of it. “I’m the ‘Chosen One’? That’s why I get these rewards?”
[Yes.]
This was… surprising.
After all, leveling up a skill to level 50 would take being at least around level 500 for normal people, and as for level 100, well, it was pretty much reaching level 900, meaning you were one of the strongest beings in the entire world.
And yet… at level 119 as a domination user, Stark now had access to one of these powers.
Crimson Spears and Asura’s Arms… would surely be incredible.
“Anyway, thank you,” he turned around, heading toward the portal that had opened, which would send him back to the normal version of the [Devil’s Abyss].
Stark took a few steps, but then BOOM!
A massive shockwave knocked him off balance, and he stumbled, quickly regaining his footing. He whipped around, eyes narrowing at Domination, who no longer had his usual laid-back expression.
“I wouldn’t show up just to tell you something obvious,” Domination said in a low tone, his voice serious for the first time in a while.
“Then…”
“I’ll be frank with you, Host,” Domination shrugged, “You’ve been in the Devil’s Abyss for two weeks.”
“Ok, and?” Stark was used to such things happening, and domination too, so why did he make such a big deal out of it now.
Stark’s aura in his eyes grew as his expression darkened.
“You missed something important,” Domination swiped his hand through the air, summoning a new panel.
And then he dropped the bombshell.
“The Third Domination trial was announced.”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
…
[All 15 participants have reached level 100 or above, the trial will begin in two weeks.]
[You will all suffer a true and undeniable dead, for the mercy of the godless demon is nonexistent to humans.]
[Good luck, participants, I wish you all the luck in the world (I don’t)]
…
“But… wait a damn minute,” Stark’s eyes suddenly widened, “If the trial was announced around two weeks ago, and I’ve been here for two weeks… then…”
Ding!
[Time remaining: 7 hours, 38 minutes.]
There were only 7 hours and a half before the trial started.
No, actually, even less: time was moving extremely fast on the outside in comparison to here, so when a minute passed here, around five passed on the timer.
“Ok, thank you, domination,” Stark nodded.
“No problem, but it doesn’t matter, we’re surviving,” Domination said with a sly grin, disappearing into the shadows.
“Sure.”
Now, it was just Stark, alone, in this empty rift, with the timer beside him still ticking down extremely fast.
The Third Domination Trial is coming.
But to be honest, Stark was pretty damn calm in comparison to the first two times.
The final [Godless Demon Apostle] of the second line was inside the third trial: the [Crimson Moons Trio].
And now… he would be able to meet them.
