I had also discovered something new. I could earn two types of points for my actions—good points and bad points. But what would these points do in the end?
"My friend, how did you do that?"
While strange questions filled my mind, a voice suddenly came from beside me. Someone I hadn't seen before approached because of what had just happened.
"How did we do what?" I answered, feeling a bit dumb. I needed to find out what he really wanted.
"You said something to that man, and then he went and killed the Fallen so easily. How did you do that?"
They weren't wrong; the saying "The sheikh doesn't fly, only the disciple thinks he's flying" came to mind. This guy didn't understand what was really happening. He thought my power to protect Sukrucuk was some kind of miracle.
"I have a special talent. I read a prayer that protects you from creatures' attacks."
I don't know why I said that, but thinking back, I realize I wanted to understand how these good and bad points worked.
"Sir, I don't want to suffer for eight hours. Can you pray for me?"
What a mix of hopelessness and ignorance. This middle-aged man, whose appearance I guessed, was trusting me with his fate just like that.
"Okay, close your eyes. Let me pray for you. You'll turn into a hurricane!"
I was totally caught up in the game. After mumbling a few words, I took a deep breath and blew it toward the man's face.
"Come on, lion, crush the one over there!"
I pushed the poor man toward a Fallen. My eyes shined with excitement. Almost a whole day had passed in Hell, but this was the moment I felt the joy of living, the most fun I'd had so far.
"You got this!"
The man shouted loudly as he ran toward the Fallen called Apache, Level 1. He was happy like me, but sadly, despite my grin and holding the shield, he was inside the enemy's attack range.
"Crack pop, crack pop!"
"Crack pop, not again!"
The Fallen shook its head and started to attack quickly like a kitchen mixer, spinning its hands around.
"Liar, cheater, son of a bitch!"
The middle-aged man swore loudly, trying to keep up with the rhythm of the battle.
It didn't take long before the poor guy fell to the ground. Soon, he would disappear completely.
"Wow, look at the sucker. Anyone who says I have every cucumber should be run with salt?"
I was laughing loudly. I couldn't remember ever being this happy in my twenty-something years of life.
"Evil score received +5!"
"First trap bonus +5!"
The voice in my head rang again. Then I saw a big book open, with white letters moving across a blood-red page, writing what the voice said.
It felt like icy water was poured over my neck. What was I doing? Why was I sending the man into the mobs? It was like I was trapped by a wild urge I couldn't control.
I had to clear my head and think carefully. If I didn't understand why I acted this way, I could easily make the same mistake again.
More than half an hour passed while I sat alone, sorting my thoughts carefully.
"It must be because I'm in Hell. Doing bad things probably gives me some strange pleasure!"
There was no other answer. I didn't change my mood while helping Sukrucuk, but I was happy like a child when sending the man to his death.
It couldn't be that simple, right? Maybe we were being punished on the First Floor of Hell, but it still had its own challenges.
"Hey! You were right; the shapeless light said what you said!"
At that moment, our wild friend returned. I decided to ask about what I had just experienced. If that little act had stirred my senses so much, maybe I was about to become a trainee demon in worse evils.
"I'm not lying, bro. Now let's check your talent book if you want!"
At my words, Sukrucuk flipped open the book he was holding. Two words were written on it in pale gold letters:
Unbreakable Will
From his face, I could tell he was very excited about what he saw. He didn't wait long and quickly started reading.
For ten seconds, Sukrucuk looked like a fierce warrior. When he opened his tightly closed eyes, I saw flames pouring out.
"First the name, then the talent. Is this a joke? I knew what was going on, and I felt the same way when I first found out my talent. Luckily, the punching I got wasn't all that bad."
"Big brother, calm down. First, read the list that starts with 'Name,' and then we'll see if yours changed too."
"Wait, how was it? Ah, found it! Listen carefully!"
Name: Sukrucuk
Title: Sinner
Level: 1
Life Points: 10
Magic Points: 10
Energy: 10
Attack: 10
Defense: 10
Power: 1
Stamina: 1
Agility: 1
Wisdom: 1
Ability: Unbreakable Will
Profession: None
While Sukrucuk said all this in one breath, I compared it with my stats. Everything was the same except our abilities were different.
"Big brother, all values are the same except talents. Tell me what your talent does!"
"Don't ask me. I'm going crazy just looking at it!"
He was angry at my question. I smelled some dark humor again.
"Okay, let's see your skill!"
I tried to speak calmly, like he did, to convince him. Luckily, he explained his talent without resisting.
Unbreakable Will
– Level 1
– 10% of damage taken heals HP; hits from multiple enemies increase this by 2% per attacker.
– When hit, causes a one-second freeze (can't move).
– Level 2 requires 10,000 hits while skill is active.
When I heard this, I just had to lie down and pray. What kind of test was this? This book was turning the man into a punching bag.
"Brother, do you see my problem now? They will always hit me, and I have to freeze for a second after each hit. How is this a talent? Am I picking pears with my hands? Will random people just keep hitting me now?"
Sukrucuk was upset, and he was right. I had to say something to calm him down quickly.
"Big brother, don't panic, calm down!"
"How can I calm down? Am I going to wander around like an extra in a movie?"
"Look, I'll tell you a story. Just sit down, take a breath for two minutes. Don't be afraid, everything will be fine!"