[ENTITY DEVOURING SYSTEM]
Host: Liam
Age: 15 years
[SKILLS]
OBSERVATION [LVL 1]
MEMORY PROTECTION [LVL MAX]
PSYCHIC SENSITIVITY [LVL 1]
TELEPATHY [LVL 1]
DREAM DOMINION [LVL 1]
[ABNORMAL RESISTANCE] [LVL 1]
[MINOR IMMORTALITY] [LVL 1]
[FAITH] [LVL 1]
[SUPERNATURAL PHYSICAL STRENGTH] [LVL 2]
[SUPERNATURAL RESISTANT BODY] [LVL 1]
[SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION 36%]
[MISSIONS]
[GUIDE]
[SKILL FRAGMENTS] [5]
Liam slightly raised his eyebrows when he saw the change in his status. His eyes carefully scanned the information, lingering a few seconds longer than usual on one particular line. It was the first time one of his abilities had reached level 2, and just by looking at it, he knew exactly which one it was.
Supernatural Physical Strength.
He couldn't help but let a small, satisfied smile form on his face. To him, it was obvious that this upgrade came from the same type of ability he had obtained from the previous monster. He quickly did the math in his head: if the system followed a progressive logic, reaching level 3 would probably require at least two more abilities of the same type.
Curiosity took hold of him. He wanted to know exactly what had changed with the level-up, so without wasting time, he selected the ability to review its details.
[SUPERNATURAL PHYSICAL STRENGTH] [LVL 2]: Can easily break walls, floors, and cars. (+50%)
Liam narrowed his eyes when he saw the percentage. That "50%" burned itself into his mind as he processed the information. He tilted his head slightly, thinking it over. It was very likely that each level increased his physical strength by an additional fifty percent. He couldn't be completely sure yet, but even if it wasn't exact, the increase was already more than noticeable.
He slowly nodded to himself. He was satisfied.
Either way, he now had far more important matters to deal with.
"Hundreds of flying monsters are approaching," Carrie said beside him.
Her voice was firm, but her posture immediately changed. She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and focused her gaze on the darkened sky of the Upside Down, as if she could sense them even before seeing them.
Liam lifted his head at her warning. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the sky beginning to fill with moving shadows. Hundreds of figures were approaching at once, filling the air until they almost completely blocked the view, like a living, twisted cloud.
"Carrie, when they get close, I want you to grab them and line them up one behind the other," Liam said calmly but firmly, without taking his eyes off the approaching swarm.
He had no intention of wasting time fighting those demobats one by one, waiting for them to descend individually. The strategy was simple and efficient: Carrie would control them all with her telekinesis, then he would eliminate them easily, without giving them a chance to react.
"No problem," Carrie said, briefly turning her head toward him before refocusing on the sky.
A minute later, the demobats were close enough to be seen clearly. Their appearance was now fully visible. They had long, thin bodies, resembling deformed bats mixed with insects. Their wings were membranous and disproportionately large, stretched over long, fragile bones. Their skin was dark gray, almost black, with putrid brown tones and a wet texture, like exposed flesh left in the open air.
Their heads were narrow and angular, with mouths full of thin, sharp teeth clearly designed to tear flesh apart.
"They're ugly," Carrie said bluntly, wrinkling her nose slightly before lifting into the air and flying straight toward them.
"Like everything that lives here," Liam replied, watching her closely as she moved forward.
Carrie began capturing the demobats one by one with her telekinesis. The creatures screeched and struggled violently, trying to attack her, but she maintained control without any visible effort. Her hands moved with precision, as if she were arranging invisible objects, gathering each monster and carefully placing them one behind the other in midair.
At some point, the demobats stopped trying to attack her. Panic replaced aggression, and they began struggling desperately to escape. But it was already too late. None of them were fast enough to flee from Carrie.
While Carrie was doing this, Liam used Observation on one of the trapped demobats, focusing his gaze on the creature writhing uselessly in the air. His eyes glowed faintly as the system's information appeared before him.
[Demobats]
Race: Abyss Creature
Title: None
[ABILITIES]
[NIGHT VISION]: Can see in the dark as if it were daytime.
[COORDINATION]: Through ultrasonic sounds, they can coordinate attacks.
Liam frowned slightly as he read the information. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. They only had two abilities, and neither seemed particularly impressive at first glance. Still, his gaze lingered for a second longer on Night Vision; that ability, at least, could be useful in certain situations.
The other one, however, didn't interest him at all. He had no way to emit ultrasonic sounds, and besides, he already possessed far more important abilities that needed improvement. He would destroy that one without hesitation to obtain fragments and level up more valuable skills.
A few minutes later, Liam refocused on Carrie. She had already captured all the demobats with her telekinesis. Their bodies floated motionless in the air as she began lining them up one behind the other with almost perfect precision, forming a long row, ready for Liam to kill them in record time.
"It's ready," Carrie said with a proud smile, admiring her work before looking at him, clearly satisfied.
"Well done. Thank you, Carrie," Liam said as he adjusted his grip on the dagger. His posture shifted, his body tensing slightly, and his gaze became cold and focused.
Carrie sensed the moment and spoke, leaning slightly toward him with a softer, almost casual tone. "I want to sleep with you when we get home," she said with a small smile.
Liam thought about it for a few seconds. His expression relaxed slightly before he answered. "No problem. We're close to our birthdays in a few months anyway."
Carrie rolled her eyes when she heard that. Liam always said the same thing. As long as she wasn't of legal age, they wouldn't take that final step. No matter how much she insisted, she could never convince him. Over time, she had accepted that, for now, she would only get hugs and kisses.
Even so, what she liked most was sleeping with him and waking up in his arms the next day. Those were the days she slept best. The warmth, the calm, and the feeling of safety were things she would never get tired of.
"Alright, here I go," Liam said. His expression became completely serious.
Without any further warning, he sprinted toward the demobats, his dagger level with their necks. His speed was even greater than when he had fought the demogorgon. The ground trembled slightly beneath his steps as he moved like a sharpened shadow.
Liam sliced through the demobats' necks one by one. Since they were smaller, there was no need for multiple strikes like with the demogorgon. He advanced without stopping, executing clean, precise cuts. The creatures screamed and struggled, trying to escape, but they stood no chance.
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
[SKILL OBTAINED]
…
…
…
For Liam, the Upside Down filled with chaotic sounds: the desperate screeches of the demobats trying to escape, the wet, sharp sound of flesh being cut, and the constant system notification each time he obtained a skill.
To Liam, that "skill obtained" sound was almost pleasurable. Every demobat killed meant another opportunity to grow stronger quickly. To him, it was the sound of happiness itself.
At first, this trip didn't seem like it would be very productive, but simply finding Hawkins—a place with its own dimension full of monsters—was like having a luxury feast placed right in front of him.
A place to grow strong without restrictions.
Liam hoped to find similar places in the future.
About ten minutes later, all the demobats were dead. Their decapitated bodies lay aligned one behind the other, forming a macabre path of death made from their remains.
"That was relaxing," Liam said as he stretched, releasing some of the tension built up in his body after finishing off all the demobats.
"I need to recover. Holding so many at once tires me out a bit," Carrie said, letting her shoulders drop slightly.
"That's fine. Let's rest for about half an hour," Liam agreed.
They both sat down. Carrie rested her head on Liam's shoulder, closing her eyes as she recovered her strength, while Liam remained still and alert, letting time pass in silence within the dark world.
…
After resting, they both stood up and resumed exploring. Carrie gently lifted off the ground, her body floating naturally as she extended her perception. Liam walked beside her or was lifted by her telekinesis when the terrain demanded it, his eyes always alert to their surroundings.
They searched for more monsters, but something was different. Somehow, the creatures seemed to be hiding. Whenever they encountered one, it tried to flee desperately—slipping into the shadows, burrowing beneath roots, or escaping between warped buildings.
But unfortunately for them, Carrie could sense when something living was nearby. No matter where they hid, as long as they passed close enough, their presence was detected. A slight gesture of her hand or a subtle change in her expression was enough to pinpoint their exact location. Minutes later, the monster was dead.
They found many demodogs, a few demobats, and around five demogorgons. As he mentally counted the creatures, Liam frowned. His expression grew serious, even slightly annoyed.
He had expected to find many more. Far more.
Now, he could only hope to find the entrance to the other dimension—the one where Vecna had been sent by Eleven. It seemed logical that the demogorgons originated there. If that place existed, then hundreds, maybe thousands of them should be there.
And with that, his strength could grow without limit.
At that moment, they were flying thanks to Carrie's telekinesis. Both moved through the air as they surveyed the town from above, observing twisted streets, buildings covered in roots, and structures deformed by the corruption of the place. Carrie kept her arms slightly extended, focused, while Liam carefully scanned every corner.
Liam knew there had to be some connection point, some place where Vecna and the demogorgons entered and exited. They couldn't simply appear out of nowhere.
After searching for quite some time, they came across a massive wall blocking their path. It didn't seem natural. It was like an invisible boundary made solid. The surface was organic and damp, covered in a dark layer resembling dead flesh mixed with mold. Black and reddish veins protruded from it, pulsing slowly, as if something were breathing behind it. The texture was irregular—soft in some areas, hard and cartilaginous in others—and when touched, it yielded slightly, like cold skin.
Liam frowned and gestured to Carrie with his head. Carrie closed her eyes and extended her perception beyond the wall, straining to sense what lay on the other side. Her expression shifted slightly, showing confusion.
When she finished, she opened her eyes and shook her head. According to her, there seemed to be nothing on the other side. Just emptiness.
That made Liam think immediately. The idea formed quickly in his mind. This had to be the boundary of that small dimension—a copy of the town of Hawkins.
The suspicion was confirmed when, after continuing to explore, they completed a full circuit around the town. The wall surrounded everything, forming a closed border that prevented any further advance.
"We've searched this entire place. Now there's only one place left to look," Liam said. As he spoke, he slowly lifted his head and directed his gaze toward the dark sky, covered in thick clouds and split by distant lightning.
AUTOR NOTE: Let's try to climb the rankings this week.
If we reach the top 100, you'll get one extra chapter.
If we reach the top 50, you'll get one extra chapter.
If we reach the top 25, you'll get one extra chapter.
I think it's time this story became more widely known. Good luck, you can do it!