Jonathan marveled over his new weapon. It was far more powerful and versatile than he had thought. It would also be decently easy to upgrade, given that he was the source of two of the ingredients. The only thing he didn’t know about was Starfall Steel, but that could probably be found in the Universal Trading Hub.

  Speaking of that, it was time to return to his realm. The remainders of the Great Farmer’s forces needed to be mopped up, and Jonathan wasn’t sure how adept his own forces would be in doing so. Besides, he needed a break. It had been over a year of non stop training and fighting, all culminating in the death of another Circle Lord. He wanted some time to enjoy himself, some time alone with Eliza.

  Jonathan held out his hand. “How do you feel about returning to my realm and taking a few weeks for ourselves?”

  Eliza’s face brightened. “I would love that.” She reached out and took Jonathan’s hand in her own.

  Jonathan grinned, and summoned his swirling purple portal before him. Then, he and Eliza stepped through, leaving the Hells and returning to safety.

  As usual, the portal opened into the center of the Oozing Bastion. Also as usual, Jonathan barely recognized the sights before him. It had been a year since he had seen his city, and in that time, powerful System users could achieve almost anything.

  The city was immensely larger than ever before, its buildings stretching up towards the sky. Each was hundreds of feet in height, with some that rivaled skyscrapers back on Earth. Without the tyrannical, stifling oversight of a Circle Lord, the people of the realm were able to do what they saw fit to improve.

  “They really kept going at it, huh?” Eliza observed. “I hadn’t expected this much of a change.”

  “I foresee great things from this place,” Jonathan replied. “The more of the Hells that are folded into it, the more it will grow. Everyone here has spent most of their lives struggling for iotas of power, and now that it is all laid bare before them, progression is the core of their lives.”

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  Eliza nodded. “Well said.”

  The two headed down the mountain, talking amiably about small things. It was nice, being able to relax for a little while. As they made their way into the city, without any sort of burden upon their minds, Jonathan finally surveyed the Oozing Bastion for what it was, rather than just another one of his rapidly expanding domains.

  The city was crowded, and bustling with life. People threaded their way through the streets, with barely enough space to move. All manner of races were present, ranging from the common humans and elves to much rarer creatures.

  Jonathan and Eliza peeled back their auras, simply walking through the streets like they were simply civilians. Doing so ensured that nobody bothered them, and that they could explore to their hearts’ content.

  The first order of business was to go to the Interweb, and find the Starfall Steel that Jonathan needed to upgrade Kharon. Then he could use his own flesh and bone to upgrade the weapon to Tier 8. He had never possessed an armament above his own Tier before, and was excited to see what bonuses it brought.

  After that, well, he could do whatever he wanted. He could explore, he could simply enjoy himself. He would need to return to the Hells before long, to support his allies, but for now, he was ahead of the curve.

  “You know, for the first time in a year, I feel good again,” Jonathan declared. “I thought Arkanon’s actions would spell my end, but even with the ascension of the Circle Lords, I still came out ahead.”

  “I wonder how many people over the centuries have tried to gain the mantle of the Hellbreaker,” Eliza asked. “How many struggled to no avail against the Circle Lords? How many have died?”

  “To some degree, everyone who has ever lived in the Hells have been part of that struggle,” Jonathan said. “We all struggle against inevitability. What defines us, though, is not our circumstances, but what we do to change them.”

  Eliza raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were a truck driver on Earth? You don’t really talk like one a lot of the time.”

  Jonathan shrugged. “I suppose I don’t. Though I’m not exactly a truck driver anymore. I’ve become so much more than that.”

  “You have grown into the role of Hellbreaker,” Eliza agreed. “That’s for certain.”