Hell-Forged

"Congratulations! You are the last survivor of the Hell Games. You have gained back your freedom."

Huh? One moment I was running from demons and other competitors trying to do me in. The next, I was thrown back into yet another realm. Before me, some Princess started explaining that she had asked the gods for champions to help save her world in these dire times… and I was one of the chosen heroes.

Yeah, right! I had been in Hell long enough to know I shouldn't trust my senses when it all seemed too good to be true. I was probably just under the spell of a mind-flayer or affected by an illusion cast by another competitor. Ever since I had died and my soul had been snatched by a Demon Lord to be dropped into these infernal games, it had been nothing but tricks and traps at every turn.

But as I flee the castle and find a bolt hole where to pull myself together, it slowly dawns on me that this new world might be real after all. Yes, I may have successfully escaped Hell! Still, if I'm to trust what the Princess said, I now face a new threat that's just as deadly with dragons invading the cities en masse… And I'm certainly no match in my current state.

If the other champions have been blessed by their patron deity and been allowed to level up by practicing their skills, I'm still very much reliant on my Hell System to fuel my abilities. As such, if I want to become stronger, I fear I won't have a choice but to find a way back to Hell to gain more Infernal points—the same that allowed me to survive all these years in this nightmarish place.

Am I really ready to do this? Even if I do manage to get back in, am I ready to risk everything for these strangers? What if I get stuck again? What if I bring something even worse than a dragon from my trip back?