D.I.O

Chapter 185

*** Space Monster. Grotesque ***

About 400 years before DIOs creation, there was a great war in the physical world that shook the entire universe. Initially, the war was fought between the inhabitants of the physical realm and the unnamed, or beings that didnt possess a known name. However, the war soon spread to encompass the battles between the heavenly beings and demons, transcendents and non-transcendents, and the dead and the living.

The damage from the war was extensive. In addition, no one could intervene because the explosive battles and strife occurred everywhere; hence, the entire physical world was thrown into chaos. Eventually, the beings of the physical world took advantage of this opportunity to create a group that gathered their individual powers into one: the [Union].

The forces leading the Union were divided into two main groups. These two powerful forces, which would control the entire universe, were the Noblesse and Elohim.

The Noblesse was a force primarily comprised of the Dragon and Prajna species who possessed noble blood. As is often the case with dragon species, these Noblesse had strong powers from birth. It could be said that the name [Noble] clearly displayed their nature and tendencies.

Conversely, the Elohim consisted of ordinary races that existed all over the physical world, which included humans and various other sapient species. Of course, the leaders of the Elohim were not normal beings. They were individuals who had disappeared. Theyd been born with ordinary and weak bodies but had reached transcendence through understanding and realization.

Obviously, no matter whether it was the Noblesse or Elohim, all of their leaders were transcendents, but they were still beings bound to the physical world. In the entire vast universe, few entered the rarified realm of transcendence, and this minuscule number even extended to the Noblesse with their noble bloodlines.

Dragons, the pinnacle of a dragon species, werent an exception either, as they typically took nearly a thousand years to grow and enter the transcendence realm. Humans could become Grand Masters or great mages in decades or centuries, depending on when they understood the meaning of nothingness. So, in comparison, the dragons development rate was relatively slow.

Well, thats not really the important point. The critical factor is that they will reach transcendence if they dont die.

This was what made dragons so scary and absurd. They reproduced and grew slowly, but nevertheless, they were classified as a naturally-progressing transcendence species, encompassing all dimensions, because they could transcend by naturally aging.

Although the human population across the universe numbered in the tens of billions, it was rare for a mere single transcendent to appear. On the other hand, dragons produced transcendents at an incomparable rate to other species, especially humans. Since dragons could become stronger with training, 100 dragons, which had been carefully selected from the various dragon tribes, obtained great power through harsh training and concentrated learning. These 100 dragons were often called War Dragons, and they enjoyed great prestige throughout the universe, as their abilities even intimidated the gods.

Yet, thats why Im so confused.

Merlin frowned as he drank the tea prepared in a room about half the size of a typical classroom. Above his head was a status message that read <Loading> in large gothic text.

Why do they need users?

When he reached the pinnacle of the Seven Jewel school of study, the Six Star level, Merlin could access, absorb, and realize a greater amount of information regarding the universe, but he still felt puzzled.

He already knew a lot of the information he was given. For instance, DIO wasnt a simple game but a reality that existed in another [Place], and its worldview was actually the truths of the universe that Earthlings desired so much. Furthermore, DIO was operated by the Union, but the Noblesse had the most control over it. He was also aware that Noblesse could easily do whatever they wished to something as big as a planet or solar system.

Since the Noblesse are so formidable, shouldnt they be able to take care of their problems themselves?

However, the reality was that the Noblesse and the Union had created a virtual reality called DIO and threw users into it. There, users enjoyed hardcore training, which allowed them to progress their skills and abilities at an extraordinary pace. However, Merlin questioned whether this relatively minor development in a single [Universe] was ultimately worthwhile.

Well, I should see the details of the mission first.

After mostly finishing his preparations for battle, Merlin opened the quest window.

[Mission: Escort Battle/Extraction/Team Play

Time Limit: 24:59:55

Objective: Rescue survivors and repel the Infected.

Description: The planet Ayan is currently being infected by the Grotesques. The survivors of this spreading infection have congregated in one area to mount a joint defense, but once a second wave hits, they will all perish. Hence, you are tasked with protecting as many survivors as possible and later eliminating the ultra-high-level space monsters, the Grotesques.

Tip: Currently, only the first X-Belt wave has passed through the area. Once the second X-Belt wave occurs, the existing Infected will evolve to their second stage. It is in your best interest to eliminate as many Infected as possible before the second X-Belt wave arrives.

The time remaining before the second X-Belt shows up is 11 minutes and 23 seconds.

Secondary Objectives

1. Five to 500 gem points will be given for each Infected eliminated depending on the stage of the Infecteds evolution, from the first to the fourth stage.

2. Five thousand to 10,000 gem points will be given for each Slayer that is eliminated.]

Space monster, Grotesques.

Grotesque, a spiritual parasite that existed as a space epidemic, was one of the main enemies that the [Union] was fighting in the physical universe. A Grotesque could possess a rank called King; these King Grotesque were enormous monsters amongst monsters, several dozen times the size of the sun.

Are they planning on using us in an all-out assault against these space monsters?

Of course, it was impossible to overcome a King or Queen Grotesque with only the users power. Let alone a King, even a Queen-rank Grotesque could annihilate every user in DIO. A Queen Grotesque alone was a transcendent being whose power was equivalent to that of a higher god. Hence, the Grotesque, as one of the Unions main enemy monsters, was a formidable force to contend against.

However, considering that the secondary objectives only mentioned Slayer-rank Grotesques, it doesnt seem like a King or Queen will appear.

Grotesques were ranked from King to Queen, Lord, Slayer, and Infected, and each rank differed dramatically in strength.

An Infected was made when an X-Belt passed and infected living beings. An X-Belt was also called a Black Wind, and it was a flow of charged particles created by a King-rank monster. Those who became infected either couldnt oppose the X-Belts mental direction or didnt possess any resistance DNA against it. Thus, they succumbed to the effects of the X-Belt and became Infected Grotesque. The Infected were divided into four stages which depended on how many times they were exposed to the sweeping X-Belt. Initially, the first-stage Infected Grotesque had weak abilities and acted like zombies, but eventually, these first-stage Infected Grotesques would develop to a point comparable to a Level 9 user. On a normal planet, a Grotesque infection would typically annihilate every living being at this initial stage.

A Slayer-ranked Grotesque, also known as a magic fighter, was an Infected Grotesque that evolved under difficult conditions to enter the fourth stage of evolution. These Slayers had a wide range of combat power, from Level 10 to 19, based on how long they lived as magic fighters, and their capabilities were comparable to mid or high-level demons. Generally, anytime a high-level Grotesque was mentioned, it was often in reference to this being.

Lords, or beings called Overlords, were Grotesque that entered transcendence and acted as the ruling class. They were the children of a Queen, and they possessed powers similar to divine dragons or lesser gods.

Hiding my skills and abilities probably wont make much sense in this scenario. If thats the case, itd be best to make my powers properly known.

Woong!

A powerful magic field emerged from Merlin, and at the same time, his surroundings changed.

Tap.

Merlin found himself atop a buildings roof. When he looked up at the sky, he saw a red-tinted sunset. When he noticed that the style of the buildings was similar to the architecture on Earth, Merlin surmised that the planet was at a similar stage of civilization.

What are you? Where did you come from?

Merlin heard a startled, cautious voice from behind him, so he turned towards the speaker. He found a girl with short black hair but with western features staring back at him.

A superpower human around Level 3 or 4.

After glancing at her, Merlin assessed the atmosphere and noticed that the flow and distribution of mana on the planet were stable. Fortunately, it didnt seem like he would face any problems using magic.

W-what are you?!

Boom!

At that moment, an aggressive flow of mana flew towards Merlin, but its power was akin to a joke for Merlin, so he lightly deflected the attack. The level gap between the two was so significant that Merlin didnt even need to swing his arms.

Theres about ten minutes left before the second X-Belt wave. Though this isnt a solo quest, judging by her words and there being no signs of any users here, it appears weve been scattered across the entire planet.

Merlin concluded that hed been placed in a random location absent of other users; however, he didnt feel any fear. He had gone through many level-up tests and had also finished plenty of missions. In a way, missions or level-up tests were an assessment of a users ability to grasp a situation and to carry out a quest while being [Discarded] in an unknown place, so most high-level users were masters of survival and could fight alone.

Ting!

Merlin unleashed his sensory magic and looked around. The civilization was at the same level as Earth, but it had a completely different feeling. Considering that the architecture and clothing were like those seen on Earth, Merlin suspected that the planet developed with a similar history but had drastically changed course at some point.

Is it because its a world where spiritual power exists?

Even the girl screaming at the top of her lungs could wield spiritual power. Merlin recognized her spiritual powers as [Telekinesis], [Speech Ability], and [Telepathy].

How did you deflect my attacks so easily? Ive never seen a guy like you amongst the survivors.

Maybe you missed me?

In response to the casual reaction, the girl frowned deeply.

Dont be ridiculous! Youre wearing such a strange outfit, so how could I not have seen you! Are you a soldier?

Thats a strange assessment. Why do you think Im a soldier when Im dressed like this?

Well, then, what are you?

A mage.

W-what?

The girls expression seemed to show that she thought Merlin was speaking nonsense, but he didnt care.

She sees me as a soldier because I have powerful skills, which means that spiritual talent and abilities must be relatively common in this world. Also, the building style around here looks like Im in a university.

From the results of his sensory magic, Merlin assessed that most of the humans within a three-kilometer radius were capable of wielding abilities. However, their spiritual powers werent from systematic learning and training like Merlin and the other DIO users but rather originated from sensory abilities, something commonly called superpowers.

In terms of level, most of the people around him were Level 1 to 3. In fact, the girl standing here was one of the more formidable people in the area.

Why arent you answering? Where the hell are you from-

Im sorry, but Im busy.

He walked right past her and approached the edge of the rooftop. Thats when Merlin saw.

Grr.

Woo, woohoo.

Kyak!

A mass of corpses, swarming like clouds, outside the schools sturdy walls.

Ah, this scene I think I saw it in a movie a while back.

It was a sight that would have made even the most steadfast individuals breathless, but Merlin muttered his comments calmly. What he saw looked like a common scene in a modern zombie movie. A thick smell of blood hung in the air, but if one enjoyed horror movies, this sight and the sensory impact werent too much to handle.

Quiet Heaven.

Woong!

When Merlin lightly whispered, a magic circle floated into the air and soon revealed a huge eagle with red feathers. No one would mistake the eagle for a normal creature, as it circulated a tangible aura around itself. Quiet Heaven soon flapped its wings and sat on Merlins shoulder.

What happened? You suddenly disappeared and- Where is this place?

Obviously, Quiet Heaven was confused about their strange surroundings, as he hadnt heard Tans explanation or read the quest description. Though Quiet Heaven could logically presume that the DIO operators had taken Merlin away, Quiet Heaven couldnt garner anything else beyond that guess.

I need to do a mission because of certain circumstances. Ill be doing them for a while.

Then why is your expression so rotten? Wasnt that what you expected?

Theres such a thing as the worst situation possible. Well, anyway There are eight minutes until the next X-Belt wave and the second stage of Grotesque evolution. I should hurry.

Second stage of Grotesque evolution?

Check the contents of the mission on your own.

Merlin had no intention of wasting time, and he summoned his Decian Bow with his gear change function. His pet, Quiet Heaven, could also call up the quest window whenever it wanted, so Merlin left Quiet Heaven to check the details of the quest rather than explaining it himself.

Creek!

With the sound of bending steel, a colossal load strained Merlins arm. However, as Merlin's stats were now much higher than before, he raised his mana capacity without much burden.

Crunch!

Merlin broke the magic crystals, which he had taken out in advance, and released the magic power contained within them. The outpouring of magic power was so enormous that the surrounding space seemed to become distorted.

W-what is this? Is this... huh?!

Lee Minah, a girl with psychic superpowers, wasnt a mage or anything else within DIOs spiritual powers spectrum, and she screamed after sensing the immense spiritual power. Although she lived in a world with supernatural powers, there was an overwhelming difference between what Merlin was displaying and her understanding]. The disparity was like the contrast between civilizations at different stages, and in terms of developmental time, one could say that they were several centuries apart.

Go.

Merlin drew back his Decian Bow using divine magic. He concluded that itd be best to utilize divine power in this type of situation, but because Merlin did not believe in the existence of God, he used the next best alternative he had at his disposal, magic power.

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