So many words popped up in the window but Azael barely registered any of them.
Right now, he was falling.
The black flame around his hand had flickered out mid-air, leaving behind a raw, stinging burn that throbbed across his palm like a reminder of the power he'd just used. The world spun beneath him sky, water, sky again until he finally crashed into the sea below.
Azael hit the surface hard, sinking into water that's stained a deep, murky red. The cold shock stole his breath, and for a moment all he could do was float and cough, his limbs sluggish from the sudden temperature drop.
"Kid, use the invocation the whale dropped," Satan said, sounding far too casual for someone whose vessel had just plummeted from the sky. "Oh—yeah, I did get something." Azael blinked water out of his eyes and willed the window to open.
[Invocation obtained: Breath of the Ocean]
"By the name… I'm guessing I can breathe underwater," Azael muttered. The stench around him was unbearable—thick, sour, like a decayed swamp mixed with saltwater. His stomach churned. "Ugh… okay, yeah. I need to get under."
Breath of the ocean.
[ Breath of the Ocean: activated 200 soul energy consumed ]
[ Duration: 05:00:00 ]
A strange sensation rushed through Azael's lungs, cold, heavy, and almost metallic. When he sank beneath the surface, the water pushed in like a second breath, sliding into his nose and chest without drowning him. It felt wrong at first, like the instinct to panic was clawing at his throat, but then the sensation settled. The water thinned into something breathable. Almost… airy.
Azael opened his eyes.
The hell-ocean wasn't dark like he expected. The water glowed faintly with a dull green shimmer, like light was struggling to seep through from another world. Strange, ribbon-like plants drifted near the seabed, glowing softly as though feeding off the sorrow in the water. Small, pale creatures darted in and out of view, some with too many fins, others with a single blank eye that watched him warily before vanishing into the gloom.
"This is… actually cool."
His voice bubbled out in distorted, wavy tones. He pushed his legs gently, getting used to how slow and heavy every movement felt under the weight of the sea.
"Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your little swim," Satan replied dryly. "What you did was still stupid."
"What do you mean?" Azael kicked gently, adjusting to the water's resistance as he drifted deeper. The glow of the plants painted patterns across his skin.
"It's my fault for not telling you," Satan admitted reluctantly. "When using my invocation, Fire of wrath, you need to say the percentage of power you want. Saves trouble later."
"Oh. So that's why you said one percent back then… But what happens if I don't say anything?"
Satan let out an exaggerated sigh.
"The system picks a percentage at random. You're lucky it didn't choose over thirty percent. Your whole arm would've been—well, let's just say you wouldn't be swimming right now."
Azael gulped.
"O-okay… I'll check the description."
He opened the window once more, its dark, transparent glow floating in the water like a shard of glass.
---
[ Fire of wrath ]
Grade: S
Type: Burst
Origin: Satan (Floor Sovereign – Floor 66)
Description:
Grants the user access to a destructive black flame whose power is determined by the chosen percentage of output.
Attributes:
• Power: S
• Endurance: F
• Control: B
• Efficiency: B
• Adaptability: S
Soul Energy Cost: System-calculated by percentage
Duration: Percentage-dependent
---
"A-ah… so it's a burst type." Azael rubbed the back of his head, cheeks warming with embarrassment. "I should've read the invocation first before using it. My bad."
"Yeah, yeah—everyone makes mistakes," Satan said, waving the issue away. "Since you can breathe underwater now, navigating the Leviathan Sea should be easier. Our next plan is simple, find the domain where the Leviathan stays."
"Okay… but where do I even go?" Azael slowly spun in place. "Everything here looks the same." He squinted through the murky water then froze. A faint glow flickered in the distance. Instead of being ominous, it's more on the beautiful side.
Against the dull, dirty green of the hell-sea, the brightness stood out like a beacon.
Curious, Azael kicked forward. As he got closer, the glow sharpened into shape a cluster of coral rising from the seabed.
It was unlike anything in Hell so far.
Each branch shimmered softly as though lit from inside, swaying with the current in slow hypnotic motions. One was a soft violet, fading into blue at the tips. Another glowed with warm gold. Several blended into delicate gradients pink into turquoise, green into amber forming an almost rainbow-like pattern. Tiny specks of light drifted around it like dust caught in sunbeams, swirling lazily around the coral.
"Woah…" Azael's eyes widened. "They're… beautiful."
"Be careful, kid," Satan warned. "Pretty things can still be traps."
"Oh right." Azael shook himself, pulling away from the gentle daze he'd slipped into. "You're right."
"You know," Satan added casually, "this is a good chance to experiment with your invocation."
"Underwater?" Azael blinked. "But wouldn't fire die out?"
"That's normal fire," Satan scoffed. "This flame burns from wrath alone. Wrath never dissappear, even if you think you got rid of it, it'll always be there."
Azael's jaw dropped. "Seriously?! Then… nothing can put it out? Isn't that kinda overpowered?"
"Hey," Satan retorted. "You got that fire from me. You think God made me weak?"
"…fair point."
His left hand still throbbed from the earlier burn, so he raised his uninjured hand instead and point his index finger.
Azael aimed at one of the glowing coral branches though his chest tightened with guilt.
Tho azael hesitated, lowering his finger for a moment as doubt tugged at him. It felt wrong to destroy something so peaceful-looking, even if Satan insisted it wasn't harmless.
"I just wanna test something," he murmured.
He exhaled softly and thought the command
0.1% Wrath of Fire.
[ 0.1% Wrath of Fire activated: 10 soul energy consumed ]
[ Duration: 0:00:01 ]
A tiny flicker of black flame burst from his fingertip much softer than before, like a spark from a match. It drifted through the water without dimming, touched the coral…
…and the rainbow colors shriveled away instantly.
The coral crumbled into lifeless gray fragments that scattered like dust and landed on the seabed.
[ Congratulations You have defeated an imp creature: "Variegation Coral"]
[ Reward: 10 soul energy ]
Azael stared at the settling fragments, heart sinking. "I… didn't think it would die that fast," he whispered. "It was just—so pretty."
For a moment, something fragile tightened in his chest. He hugged his arms around himself, eyes lingering on the pieces drifting downward. It hadn't attacked him. It hadn't even moved.
Satan's voice softened barely.
"Hey, kid. Don't get sentimental. This is Hell. Even the pretty ones want you dead. If it makes you feel better, that coral could've eaten your face if you got close."
Azael let out a weak laugh, but the guilt didn't vanish completely.
Even knowing Satan was probably right, the sight left a dull ache in his chest, like he'd torn something delicate apart. The water around him seemed dimmer without the soft glow.
He lifted a hand and slapped his cheeks lightly.
"Right. I can't let emotions control me. Not here."
The last fragment of coral sank into the seafloor and disappeared into the murk. Azael took a breath, water flowing calmly through his lungs and swam forward.