《Dark Harvest [Medieval Fantasy]》 Chapter 1. Unknown place. A strong sensation of vertigo woke her from her long sleep. Was she falling? How was that possible? She was still at work doing... ¡°What was I doing?¡± Jean''s eyes snapped open as soon as she spotted a large fissure speeding away. Instinctively, she opened her arms, but there was nothing within reach to grab onto. Absolutely nothing. An intense pain struck her from behind. The feeling of her bones breaking all over her body caused her to lose consciousness. When she awoke, a sudden spasm caused her body to move uncontrollably. The pain was long gone, but the sensation still lingered in her mind. She opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. The air was so stale and heavy that she felt nauseous. ¡°Yuck! Where does that smell come from?¡± Jean moved her head in search of the source of the smell, but there was little she could do without standing up; it took her a while to regain control of her body. Her surroundings were dark, but not entirely dark thanks to tiny, faintly glowing, light blue crystals dispersed all over the place. The crystals grew along the stone walls, gradually decreasing in size until they reached the fissure at the top. ¡°I fell from up there?!¡± Being alive after a fall from such a height was incredible, but coming out unscathed was even more so. Almost as much as the dark fantasy that was the cavern. The absence of natural light, combined with the peculiar blue haze that enveloped the area, made it challenging to discern anything beyond the shapes of objects. At least she wouldn''t trip over everything she came across. She closed her eyes and concentrated on remembering how she had gotten there. Her memories were a haze of uncertainty mixed with fragments of utter darkness. A flashback came to shed some light, but it didn''t come alone. She got so dizzy that she had to put her hands on the rock to keep from falling flat on her face. The flashback felt real, but disconcerting at the same time. Even though she was the one experiencing it in real time, it didn''t feel like hers. She was at work, specifically in the warehouse of the hypermarket. The situation was unusual. Everything was shaking and the abnormal light coming through the skylights on the roof became blinding. Her heart almost stopped; that couldn''t be an earthquake. She cringed and dropped to the ground, praying it wasn''t what it seemed. An explosion that would end everything. The vibrations began to knock small boxes off the shelves to the floor. At the same time, a loud buzzing sound settled in her ears. That''s when she realized she was floating a few inches off the ground. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out of her trembling mouth. She tried to stand up, but the mere touch of the ground made her float even higher. Gravity didn''t seem to be working for her. She swam through the air, trying to grab the frame of the huge door that connected the warehouse to the hypermarket. But instead of getting closer, she felt herself moving away. She then realized that the boxes in the warehouse were lying on the floor, and only her floating. ¡°Aliens?¡± She curled up into a ball and started screaming again. This time, the sound came out. Still not giving up, she tried to hold onto something again. Now the shelves were closer than before. However, despite her desperate efforts, she ended up face up and even further away from everything. The blinding light intensified. This time, she had to cover her eyes. Jean thought about her lonely life. She thought of her damn little sister and her adorable older sister. She thought of her mother and her strange habit of feeding the resentment that separated them. She also thought of her father. She missed him so much. Maybe he was watching her from heaven right now. Maybe it was time to see him again. A whirlpool of despair washed over her. She would never recover what she had lost, nor repair the damage she had caused. Jean began to cry uncontrollably. She was not alone. Despite the vibrations and the deafening buzz, screams of despair filled her ears like a cacophony. The entire hypermarket and parking lot must have been suffering the same fate. As she floated more than two meters above the ground, a transparent membrane descended from the sky and passed through her completely. An intense heat followed, but it didn¡¯t burn her. It felt as if the sun had exploded in a slow-motion supernova, except for the deathly heat. Finally, darkness and silence enveloped everything, but not immediately. She still had time to see her body disintegrate into glowing particles of a blinding yellow color. Darkness settled, transporting her back to the present. ¡°What the hell! That couldn''t happen! It''s... It''s impossible!¡± She sat up and tried to clear her thoughts. She needed to find something that made more sense. However, no matter how hard she tried, nothing made more sense than that madness. ¡°Does that mean this is real? Then... where am I supposed to be now? Hell?¡± That was even crazier. There had to be a more logical explanation. Could it be that the brutal fall was causing her hallucinations? That certainly made more sense. Jean took notice of a dim light to her right, and carefully stepped down from the rock on which she had fallen. She continued to descend from rock to rock, hoping to find a way out, but instead encountered a cave-in blocking her path. ¡°Well, at least it''s clear which way I can''t go!¡± She didn''t feel stressed at all. How was that possible? In a normal situation, she would be trembling. But instead, it felt like she was strolling through the park on a beautiful sunny day. She continued her exploration and descended to the last rock, encountering a puddle on the ground. She jumped over it, but realized too late that the puddle was too large, covering almost the entire floor. The water splashed up to her knees, causing her to shiver from head to toe. ¡°Shit! They don''t pay the electric bill here?!¡± Jean persevered and kept moving. She was too hungry to stop. A fierce hunger that she didn''t know where it came from. The haze near the ground was thicker, making visibility even more challenging. However, the small blue crystals that glowed in the same shade as the water were also more concentrated. That made it easier for her to find a narrow passage in the winding cavern. [Mission ?Choose your destiny!? updated to: ?Reach the surface!?.] That startled her. She looked around, but saw no one. ¡°I¡¯ve gone crazy?¡± ¡°[You are not crazy! If you don''t remember us, that has an easy solution.]¡± Another vision made her dizzy again, taking her back through her memories. Like the previous one, she felt it was her present. She had been there for days in an odd state between sleep and wakefulness. Unable to move or think properly because of a persistent sadness that afflicted her. She had no idea if she was dead or alive. On the verge of despair, she thought about crying over the end of her life. She just wanted to feel alive like when she was a child. A little girl silenced and oppressed by others. Maybe she could have been like him if she hadn''t given up. ¡°I should have been like him! If I get out of here alive, I won¡¯t hold back!¡± A hopeful feeling flashed through her mind like a lightning in the dark. It forced its way through her like roots piercing the ground. Without pain or punishment. A phenomenon that created a strange flow of information that became a constant wave of whispers in her mind. A feeling that made her understand that she would never be alone again. [?Magic core? successfully implemented.] [Welcome ?Player 314.127AJ?!] [New Mission: ?Choose your destiny!? Reincarnation or Insertion?] [Magic core ¡ª Level 1. Core skill of all players. Provides support for your attributes and the assimilation of new knowledge, skills and spells.] The flashback ended abruptly, leaving as many questions as answers. The only thing that became clear was that the whispers were the Magic Core. They would always be with her to assist her and turn her into a player. What was she now? One of the protagonists of the role-playing games she adored so much? Even though that was the craziest thing she had ever experienced, her attention was focused on something else. Who was this guy she wanted to look like? She had no idea what he was like, so the whispers reminded her of a name. Ian. ¡°Was he... my friend? My boyfriend? My lover? ... No, it can''t be! I don''t know anyone with...¡± ¡°[He¡¯s none of the above.]¡± Her disappointment was palpable, so she tried to soften it by changing the subject. ¡°Okay... What did I choose then? Reincarnation or Insertion?¡± ¡°[You chose ?Insertion?. You don''t remember that either?]¡± Jean shook her head silently. She felt overwhelmed, still getting used to the constant bustle of the whispers, and the incessant flow of information that accompanied every new word. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. From one day to the next, her life had changed radically. From a hypermarket clerk, to a player of god knows what madness. However, the most disconcerting thing was that she felt tremendously comfortable with the idea. Was that because the strange whispers made everything normal and logical? ¡°[It''s normal. You suffered a serious head injury that took days to heal, but don''t worry! You will eventually recover your memories.]¡± ¡°I''ve been lying there for days?! Why didn''t I bleed to death?¡± ¡°[Your ?Last Breath? skill won''t let you die so easily. We tried to save your memories too, but it proved impossible to preserve them all. We have done our best.]¡± [Last Breath ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Allow whispers to activate your skills in order to keep you alive.] ¡°WTF! I have skills now?!¡± Jean wanted to smile, but the cold didn¡¯t let her do anything more than make a crooked face. At that moment, she remembered the soft brush of someone''s lips against hers. Shivering, she touched them. The texture felt different from how she remembered it. ¡°Who kissed me? ... Ian?¡± It was exciting to feel desired for the first time. She wished she could at least recall his face. ¡°[It was ?Her?!]¡± ¡°I''ve kissed a woman?!¡± Jean found that exciting too. She tried to imagine it, but there was no flashback. ¡°[That was lost too... It was before crossing the left door. When you got your new body.]¡± Jean had no idea which door they were talking about, but discovering that she had a new body shocked her to the core. ¡°Wh-What do you mean by a new body?!¡± That wasn''t her voice. Her heart raced with uncertainty. The gloom didn''t help, but her hands did. There was no trace of her former body. The texture of her skin felt very smooth now. Her hair was red, gently waving to the middle of her back. Her voluptuous bust was now barely contained by a bra, her belly was flat and fit, her hips were wide and curvy, and her butt was strong, but cute. All of a sudden, there was a faint splash nearby. Jean got a bad feeling, so she remained silent, regretting not having kept her fucking mouth shut. The distant splashing sounded closer and closer. At first she remained calm, but when she heard faint moans, she couldn''t help but feel safer climbing back up onto a rock again. A figure crawled out from behind a bend in the winding cavern. Jean trembled in fear of the unknown figure. ¡°What the heck is that?!¡± Jean froze as the figure slowly advanced. Thankfully, she quickly pulled herself together. Something clicked in her head, forcing her to tense her body. When she saw what it looked like, her doubts disappeared completely. She didn''t recognize herself. The figure rose with great difficulty, revealing huge protuberances and deformities all over its body. It was extremely thin and swayed sideways, barely keeping its balance. It was dressed in rags and moved its head in all directions, as if it saw even less than Jean. At first, Jean thought it was short, but then she realized she was quite tall. ¡°What is that? A zombie?¡± An emergent brought by the whispers arrived promptly. Creature: ?Infected? Level: ?? Name: Rikkom Marks: [Thief], [Traitor] Details: You are unaware of the affliction that plagues him. This player has been consumed to his minimum expression, making him an insignificant adversary to you. The guy wasn''t what he seemed. He was Marked. [Marked]: Negative title easily visible with identification. Some titles of this type are: ? Thief: It can be removed by returning what was stolen and compensating for the grievance. ? Killer of ¡­ (Humans, goblins, orcs ¡­). Permanent. ? Traitor: After breaking a pact or deliberately attacking an ally. Permanent. ? Weaver: After convincing others to do evil things for you. Permanent. ¡°Eh?! He''s a player too!¡± Her player number crossed her mind again. In the flashback, the whole hypermarket had suffered her same fate. "A customer? No. The number was too high. The light probably involved a lot more people. Maybe the entire city..." Jean flinched when she noticed him sniffing the air. If she wanted to get out of there, she would have to evade him. But how? He was blocking the only exit. ¡°[What are you waiting for? Open the ?Inventory? and select your weapon.]¡± ¡°Inventory?! I don''t have any...¡± A very dark turquoise panel, visible only to her, opened before her eyes. It showed a grid of 5 horizontal squares and an infinite number of squares procedurally growing downward. The edges were gold on a black background. Jean found what she was looking for and then some. In the first square was a spear. Next, a pair of panties and a bra. Both primitive looking and made of raffia fabric. Attracted by her scent, the infected took advantage of her slight distraction to approach her. Not knowing her exact position, he dashed against the rock. Jean''s pulse quickened dramatically. ¡°Shit!¡± It was only a whisper, but it was the trigger for his eyes to glow purple. Jean immediately turned her attention to the spear in her inventory. The mere thought made it instantly appear in her hands. When the inventory closed, she pointed the spear at him. The slightest contact of the handle against her skin was enough for him to go crazy. After a macabre convulsion, he lunged straight for Jean, leaving all traces of weakness behind. If the spear hadn''t stopped his advance, he would now be digging his scaly, infected fingernails into her arms. Even though the spear was stuck in his chest, the infected didn¡¯t stop. He advanced forward while the spear began to emerge from his back. Baffled by his absence of pain, and the shortness of space due to the creature''s deranged advance, Jean jumped from the rock. The creature didn''t hesitate. He leaped towards Jean with the spear still stuck in him, managing to reach Jean''s hand with his nails. Surprisingly, he barely managed to inflict some minor scratches. Jean''s skin was very tough. ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Jean gripped the spear tightly and lifted it along with the infected. She then swung it to the right, causing him to impact against the rock. However, not everything happened as she expected. He fell at her feet and kept moving frantically until he grabbed her left foot. Despite Jean''s attempt to free herself, the bastard managed to sink his rotten teeth. Whispers broke out with the bad news. [An ?Unknown Substance? has entered your bloodstream.] ¡°WHAT?! NO, NO, NOOO!¡± Until now, the possibility that she may know him had undermined her psychologically. She didn''t want to kill him. However, that idea had completely disappeared. Jean kicked him in the head and distanced herself momentarily to gather momentum. This time she aimed for his arms. After a powerful stomp, the infected''s arms snapped like twigs. However, the infected didn¡¯t give up. He propelled himself with his legs in an attempt to bite her again. Jean aimed at his head again. She was managing to keep him at bay, but nothing more. ¡°DIE, DAMMIT!¡± Jean unconsciously increased the force used so much, that she imbued the stomp with a red aura*. The impact crushed his head, and his brains ended up all over the floor, staining it with a disgusting black liquid. *[Effects: To imbue an attack or skill with an attribute, the attribute must have a minimum value of 10. This will give a colored aura and add magical damage. The most common effects by attribute are: ? Strength: Red aura. Adds impact power and the possibility of knocking down. ? Dexterity: Orange aura. Bypass enemy¡¯s defenses. ? Agility: Yellow aura. Adds simultaneous attacks. ? Toughness: Brown aura. Provides a magic shield that reduces or absorbs physical damage. ? Resistance: Mauve aura. Provides a magic shield that reduces or absorbs magical damage. ? Wisdom: White aura. Overload the skill to multiply its normal effects. ? Intelligence: Blue aura. Increases the magic damage. ? Willpower: Cyan aura. Multiplies the pain suffered. ? Perception: Jade aura. Dulls the enemy¡¯s senses.] ¡°WTF! If I knew it was so powerful, I would have used it from the beginning!¡± [Mission ?Reach the surface!? updated to ?Prevent the Infection!?] ¡°What do you want me to prevent it with?! ... ... ... COME ON! IT''S NOT A GOOD TIME TO SHUT UP! GIVE ME A HINT!¡± Two other infected appeared from the bottom of the cavern. One was just as tall as the previous one. The other, somewhat less than she was. The discomfort caused by the infection spreading throughout her body tormented her like nothing else ever had. The idea of making them pay became stronger and stronger. It all depended on how reversible the infection was. [You have been infected with an ?Unknown Affliction?.] The familiar feeling of helplessness resurfaced. The one that always appeared when she was on the verge of achieving something, but instead covered her in mountains of shit. ¡°You fucked me up, motherfuckers!¡± Jean looked at the ground while holding back tears. She had no experience in combat, except for the occasional slapping and hair-pulling that two adolescent alley cats might engage in. This was a daily occurrence during her rebellious childhood, when she refused to be intimidated by a group of little bitches. What would Jean be like today if the old Jean wouldn''t have given in to intimidation? It was time to find out. It was time to leave the lid of that grave open. ¡°Yes, this time it will be different!¡± Spear in hand, she advanced against those Dark Souls-like abominations. If those creatures were immune to anything other than literally losing their heads, that''s what it all came down to. The most impatient of the infected was the first to die. He didn¡¯t even evade when the spear went straight for his head. It entered through his mouth and exited through the back of his neck, severing his spine. Surprised by her own strength, she smiled maliciously. She performed a kick to prevent the second infected from reaching her, and pulled hard on the spear, which was still stuck on the first. She prevented him from getting up by stomping on his chest, and finished him off with the spear. A third infected pounced and bit her arm, catching her off guard. She attempted to shake him off, but the infected persisted in biting her. However, he only managed to scratch her skin like an enraged child. Jean stuck her thumb into his right eye, making it burst. She then clenched her fist and squeezed his head, causing his skull to explode and black liquid to trickle down her arms. Shortly after, the infected fell lifeless. With the spear in hand and drunk with power, she executed a mid-height sweep attack. She attempted to slash two of them with the tip, but she used so much force that it glowed leaving a red trail. The impact shattered their rib cages, breaking ribs and organs in its path. ¡°Holy shit! I''m the fucking Wonder Woman!!¡± The next five received more of the same, but the spear didn¡¯t seem designed for such fighting style. Noticing that the handle was splintering from the effort, she stored it in the inventory and stepped back. She looked down at her fists and charged forward again, full of confidence against a new wave. Her fists imbued with the fearsome red aura as the black liquid splashed everywhere. Whether it was bursting his head like a pinata or turning his chest into a bagel, Jean didn''t stop delivering blows for a moment. After breaking one infected''s spine, fatigue hit her subtly. Adding effects to attacks was a waste of mana for some flimsy bastards. That could be fatal if she ended up needing it to heal herself. After all, she was alone, and mana didn''t replenish quickly. She didn''t stop to think how she knew all that. She understood that all that flow of information came from what the whispers shared with her. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be the slow way then!¡± Engulfed in a frenzy of violence, she barely noticed the number of smashed infected around her. The continuous combat and her reckless way of fighting kept attracting more and more creatures. Some of the infected tried to get up with serious difficulty, but it didn''t take long for them to carpet the floor again. Her heart rate kept increasing, but exertion was not the only reason. The taste in her mouth was unpleasant. There was mucus in her throat and her body started to shake like crazy. [?Unknown Corruption? has taken root in you. You will soon succumb to its effects.] Chapter 2. Corruption. ¡°This isn''t going to beat me!¡± Linguistic [Linguistic ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to understand, learn and communicate in the languages of most of the intelligent races of the new world.] ¡° [You have acquired Trader ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to buy basic items from Irum¡¯s bazaar. You can buy them directly from the Inventory.] [You have acquired Inventory ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to access a dimension of your own. You can store and remove the items in it freely. Slightly reduces stored weight.] [You have acquired Transmute ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to transform objects from your inventory into ?Essence Coins?. The number of coins and their category depends on Wisdom.] [You have obtained Irum''s Favor by first passing through his door.] [Irum''s Favor ¡ª Rank linked to the Trader. You get a reduction of the base price in Irum''s bazaar and more essence coins when transmuting. The percentage increases by 5% per Trader rank.] ¡° [You¡¯ve received ?100 White Essence Coins?.] ¡° ¡° ¡° Item: ?Bronze Shield (Common)? Details: Oak wood base reinforced with bronze sheet. Leather grips. Prize: 62 White Essence Coins. [?Devourer? successfully implemented.] [Devourer ¡ª Linked to the Magic Core. Unique Skill. Killing doesn''t give you experience. You can only improve by consuming items from your inventory. You get the following bonuses: ? (+4) extra attribute points for each level gained. (9 free points in total) ? You cannot learn new skills or knowledge except by devouring. ? You can improve the rank of a skill every level. ? You devour faster with fatal injuries. ? You only get essence coins after transmuting. You also suffer the following handicaps: ? ?Transmute? generates hunger too. ? You have lost the ?Prey? status. The rules have changed for you.] [You have broken the rules! You have acquired a ?Forbidden Class? for a player!] [Mission: ?Choose your destiny!? updated.] [You have lost Irum''s Favor.] [Face the ?Punishment?!] ¡° ¡° ¡° [It was right after character creation. Before walking through the left door. However, that information won''t get you out of this situation. Do the only thing you can actually do.]¡± ¡°[Store a corpse in the inventory and devour it.]¡± ¡° ¡°[No.]¡± ¡° ¡°[You have to find a ?balance? between desire, enthusiasm and control. You just want it and hope for it. You need to ?demand? it too!]¡± ¡°[Now, devour it. When you feel satiated, turn the corpses into essence coins!]¡± ¡°Ok! ¡­ Devour!¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [You¡¯ve devoured your first enemy and started your progress towards the next level: 102/1000.] Transmute!¡± [You¡¯ve received ?11 White Essence Coins?.] ¡°[Keep devouring! The more you devour, the better you will feel!]¡± [Hand-to-Hand Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank. Now you are able to efficiently chain punches and kicks while moving; perform sweeps, sidekicks, knees and elbows strikes without losing your balance; and finally, add advanced effects to this weapon mastery.] Just for a few minutes fighting?¡± [It''s the result of combining your experience with the residual knowledge of the infected you have devoured.]¡± [You¡¯re ready to ?Level Up?. Do you want to do it now? You must be sure, the process cannot be canceled and you need at least a few minutes of sleep.] Name: Jean Class: Child of Nimireth Level 1 Who is Nimireth?¡± ¡°[The woman who kissed you and changed you forever.]¡± Strength: 24 Dexterity: 6 Agility: 4 Toughness: 19 Resistance: 10 Wisdom: 4 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 19 Perception: 3 ¡°Shit! Goodbye to the possibility of conjuring a fireball soon¡­¡± [So this is what motivates you¡­! Remember then that you can''t learn skills like any other player. The children of Nimireth only gain skills by obtaining genetic material from what they devour.]¡± Thanks! I won''t forget it from now on!¡± [This will slow down your progression obtaining them. However, you will be able to acquire many more than any other player, and also upgrade them faster. It all depends on how far you want to go and what you are willing to do.]¡± [You already have ?Reconstructive Healing?. But even if you improved it, your skill rank wouldn¡¯t be sufficient in your condition.]¡± [Reconstructive Healing ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Gives a small HP, MP and SP regeneration after devouring. Mana consumption can be forced to obtain moderate HP regeneration and accelerate the healing of any wound. The healing effects are doubled in case of life-threatening wounds.] ¡°What can I do then?¡± ¡°[You are doomed. Death awaits you.]¡± ¡°So I''ll inevitably become one of them?¡± ¡°[If you just sit there, yes.]¡± No! I''m not going to stand here waiting! What do I have to do to...¡± ¡°[Whichever path you take, you can only devour.]¡± So devouring¡­ Wait! Why haven''t I copied any skills from everyone I''ve devoured?¡± [The corruption of their bodies is total. It has gradually degraded them to an irreversible point. They have lost practically everything they achieved in life. Levels, knowledge, skills and even their souls. Only vestiges of what they were remain.]¡± ¡° Alright! I want +1 to Strength +6 to Wisdom, +1 to Willpower and +1 to Toughness. I need 10 Wisdom to be able to upgrade the Trader, right? ... Wait! How the heck do I know that? It was you, right?¡± [Correct! You''re sharper now!]¡± ¡°Really?¡± [Attribute increments have a short synchronization time!]¡± ¡°Okay! Then I choose to upgrade the Trader!¡± [You have upgraded your ?Trader? skill. The Advanced rank allows you to buy basic armor, and advanced potions and weapons. It also increases the chance of obtaining higher-rank essence coins when transmuting.] ¡°[You won¡¯t be able to upgrade this skill again before possessing 15 points in Wisdom and level 5.]¡± ¡°Understood!¡± [With your new values of ?Toughness? and ?Willpower?, you¡¯ll be able to add ?Advanced effects? to skills. The ?Basic effects? are still available, as well as the new Wisdom effect.] I don''t feel as powerful as before. I don''t have 20 Strength anymore, do I?¡± ¡°[Check your ?Player Menu?.]¡± Amazing! I have that too! Let''s take a look then!¡± Strength: 25 (-12) Dexterity: 6 (-2) Agility: 4 (-2) Toughness: 20 (-5) Resistance: 10 (-3) Wisdom: 10 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 20 (-5) Perception: 3 ¡°Holy shit! -12!¡± [You suffer from an ?Unknown Corruption?. You need more Identify rank to know how to combat it. Attribute decreases can range from 25% to 80%.] ¡°Let¡¯s focus! Skills.¡± Magic Core ¡ª Level 2. ? Linguistic ¡ª Basic. ? Trader ¡ª Advanced. ? Inventory ¡ª Basic. ? Identify ¡ª Basic. ? Devourer ¡ª Linked to the Magic Core. ? Reconstructive Healing ¡ª Basic. ? Last Breath ¡ª Basic. ? Transmute ¡ª Rank linked to the Trader. ¡°Ok! Mutations ¡­ ¡­ Nothing? ¡­ Masteries.¡± Weapon Masteries: ? Ranged Weapons ¡ª Basic. ? Throwing Weapons ¡ª Basic. ? One-Handed Weapons ¡ª Basic. ? Two-Handed Weapons ¡ª Basic. ? Block and Deflection ¡ª Basic. ? Hand-to-Hand ¡ª Advanced. Map.¡± "Ok! ... How many essence coins do I have now?" ¡°[You can see it in the lower right corner of your inventory.]¡± Essence Coins: ? White: 189 ? Green: 0 ? Blue: 0 ? Orange: 0 ? Purple: 0 Not bad! How do I open the bazaar?¡± ¡°[There is a problem with that. Irum has banned your access to the bazaar.]¡± "Does that mean I can''t use the essence coins?" ¡°[Don''t worry! You can, but you won''t be able to choose the items yourself. We''ll have to do it for you. Undercover.]¡± ¡°What does that entail?¡± ¡°[That you will have to trust us.]¡± "That''s not a problem. You saved my ass! Not trusting you would be insulting!" "Can you get me a shield and an extra spear? The one I have has about half the durability. You can spend all the coins. Oh, and some boots too! This cold water is chilling me to the bone!" ¡°[Give us a second... We''ve found a bargain!]¡± Chapter 3. Deep cavern. ¡° ¡°[That was his personal workshop. The bazaar also has products made by his assistants.]¡± ¡° ¡°[Don''t make that shit face! He...]¡± ¡° ¡°[Yes! ... He is a young blacksmith, but Irum has approved all his creations.]¡± ?Bone Spear (Common)? Details: Spear entirely composed of bones magically molded with essence. Especial: Drains 1HP per hit. Prize: 82 white essence coins. [Try it! Don''t be afraid!]¡± Perhaps you do have a magic skill for me!¡± ¡°He can still use effects?!¡± ¡° ¡°In the end, he was no big deal!¡± ¡° ¡° What''s going on there now? Does Mom miss me or doesn''t she even care about my disappearance? They live in a small town hundreds of kilometers away... I don''t think the light reached that far, but what if it did?¡± ¡°[They are not here.]¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°I thought it was weird that Mom called me, but¡­ This is your doing, you lying bitch!" ¡° This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡° ¡° [You have learned Guardian Whisper ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Allows whispers to warn you when an attack may be deadly, but not where it is headed. Additionally, grants +1 to Perception when you are being attacked within a 4 meters radius.] [Furthermore, you¡¯ve discovered some properties of the corruption that afflicts you. You need more genetic material to develop the skill to combat it.] [Guardian Whisper has increased to Advanced Rank. Allows whispers to warn you when an attack may be deadly and where it is headed. Additionally, grants +2 to Perception when you are being attacked within a 6 meters radius.] [One-Handed Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank. You are now able to efficiently chain one-handed thrusts and slashes while moving; attack in any direction without losing accuracy; and finally, add advanced effects to this weapon mastery.] [Identify has increased to Advanced Rank . You can now get more information from the world around you. Such as if you have some experience of it.] Oh, yeah! This is getting good!¡± ¡°I hope I don''t run out of candy!¡± Perhaps the cavern leads to the ruins of a prison that had been infected. Otherwise, why else are there so many thugs?¡± Creature: ?Infected? Level: 16 Name: Mar-Huk. Marks: [Killer], [Thief]. Details: You are unaware of the type of corruption that consumes this player. However, the decline in your attributes left you at the same level as him. ¡°Thief? Nah! He can''t be a guard.¡± Perhaps it was a bandits'' hideout. Or perhaps only the worst scum appears in this world¡­ I hope I''m not included in that group!¡± I need a quick purchase! Don''t spend it all!¡± [Got it! We know what you''re planning!]¡± [You have learned Efficient ¡ª Basic Rank. You consume 5% less mana and stamina.] [Block and Deflection Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank . You are now able to block and deflect attacks of moderate power; block attacks from all angles without destabilizing yourself; and finally, add advanced effects to this weapon mastery]. [You¡¯ve discovered more properties of the corruption that afflicts you. Progress towards the new skill, 38%.] [You are ready to ?Level Up?.] Chapter 4. Red Eyes. ¡° OMG! Thanks! I was saved by a whisker!¡± Creature: ?Construct (Minion)? Level 12 Name: ??? Marks: [Killer], [Weaver] Details: Be careful! His body may be withered, but this opponent''s attributes make him a difficult opponent. WTF?! Construct?! ¡°[He''s an artificially created being. A soul deprived of his original will bound to a body that simply follows his master''s orders.]¡± ¡°[We remind you that ?Difficult? means that the sum of his attributes is significantly greater than yours.]¡± ¡°I know, I was just trying to... Never mind!¡± ¡°Fucking bastard! I bet he knows I''m infected!¡± ¡°I missed you too!¡± ¡°Buy me potions, now!¡± ¡°H-how do I activate the healing skill?!¡± ¡°[Calm down! It works just like the rest.]¡± ¡°Wow! So this is a healing skill!¡± ¡°Shit! This is going from bad to worse!¡± ¡°Why was devouring so effective this time?¡± ¡°[Its effectiveness increases in critical situations.]¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Buy me all the potions you can.¡± ¡°No way! He can become invisible too?! That''s fucking OP!¡± ¡°As soon as the whispers warn me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, no! You won''t escape!¡± ¡°[If you don''t want to have to open the inventory all the time, you should upgrade the skill. The advanced ranks allow items to be equipped with a single thought. Consumed in the case of potions.]¡± ¡°Really?! Not having to open it in the middle of combat would be incredibly helpful!" [Two-Handed Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank. You are now able to efficiently chain two-handed thrusts and slashes while moving; attack in any direction without losing accuracy; and finally, add advanced effects to this weapon mastery.] [You are ready to ?Level Up? twice.] ¡°What?! Already?! Does devouring at the limit give more XP?¡± ¡°[No, the quality of the infected were a little better this time.]¡± ¡°Awesome! I''ve never seen anything like this before except in video games.¡± ¡°Slaves presumably...¡± ¡°I''ll come back for you later!¡± ?????????????? Jean tiptoed forward, avoiding stepping in the puddles of water that covered the tunnel Has my smell changed?"¡± [You are ready to ?Level Up? three times.] ¡°Give me a second!¡± Let''s raise those 3 levels in one go!¡± Chapter 5. Rats and other persistent pests. I''m already level 5, right?¡± ¡°[Yes! Restrictions have been lifted.]¡± ¡°Perfect! I''m delighted with the increase in Wisdom, so I''ll continue to invest in it. On the other hand, I don''t enjoy feeling clumsy and slow¡­¡± Strength: 25 Dexterity: 6 (+4) Agility: 4 (+6) Toughness: 20 Resistance: 10 Wisdom: 10 (+10) Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 20 Perception: 3 (+7) [Your Trader has reached Expert Rank. You can now purchase expert potions and equipment. It greatly increases the chance of obtaining higher-ranked essence coins when transmuting. Allows repairing.] [You won¡¯t be able to upgrade this skill again before possessing 25 points in Wisdom and level 10.] No problem!¡± [You have upgraded to Advanced Rank the following skills: Reconstructive Healing and Inventory.] [You can add advanced effects to Reconstructive Healing. The skill now restores small amounts of stamina when healing. In addition, grants 10% mana consumption reduction and 25% healing improvement.] [Your Inventory will now reduce the weight of the items stored by 20%. Two quick accesses to items of your preference have been enabled.] Great! Set the HP and MP potions!¡± [With your new Dexterity, Agility and Perception values, you will be able to add their basic effects to attacks and skills.] ¡°Run while you still can! You''ll be next!¡± ¡°First things first! I want a potion that cures this shit I''m afflicted with!¡± ¡°[It''s going to be a bit tricky with only 213 white coins¡­]¡± I know, but I trust you!¡± [You have learned Disease Resistance ¡ª Basic Rank. Passive Unique Skill. Allows you to neutralize the effects of diseases and other magical afflictions. The base value is 10% of your base Resistance. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 6.2%.] ¡°Wow, I can tell I''ve improved my Wisdom! I was terrible at mental arithmetic.¡± ¡°[We haven''t found anything that definitively eliminates corruption, only a provisional remedy.]¡± Item: ?Minor Remedy? Details: Potion that neutralizes 60% of the effects of magical afflictions for 30 minutes. Prize: 66 White essence coins. Well, it''s a start. Is there a better one?¡± ¡°[Yes! At Master Rank.]¡± Buy me three of those remedies!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡° I shouldn''t play with food.¡± ¡°A magic skill!¡± ¡°More skills! I can''t wait to make them mine!¡± ¡°This can''t be! I''m killing scum, right?!¡± ?Infected? Level 18 Name: Taratmark. Marks: [Killer], [Thief]. Details: You are unaware of the type of corruption that consumes this player. However, the decline in your attributes left you at the same level as him. Why do they help each other then?!¡± "If the infected had items, why don''t they appear when I defeat them? ... Wait! Maybe that''s why some of them give me more money and experience..." ¡° ¡°This bastard wants a duel?! Don''t underestimate me...!¡± ?Construct (Minion)? Level 21 Name: ??? Marks: [Killer], [Weaver] Details: Warning! This opponent''s attributes make him a challenging opponent for you. ¡°[We remind you that Challenging means...]¡± ¡°I know! ... This was just the warm-up.¡± Chapter 6. Masters and spirits. Is he playing with me?¡± ¡°You like playing?! Let''s see if you can levitate!¡± ¡°How the hell can he still remain invisible?! Does he have infinite mana or what?!¡± ¡°[He probably has an invisibility skill at Master or Grandmaster rank.]¡± ¡°Great! Just what I needed!¡± [Throwing Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank. You are now able to hit moving targets and add advanced effects to this weapon mastery.] [One-Handed Weapon Mastery Weapons has increased to Expert Rank. You are now able to chain one-handed attacks while moving, including feints and dodges. Lastly, you are able to add expert effects to this weapon mastery.] [You have learned Clear Mind ¡ª Basic Rank. As long as you don''t move in the middle of combat, it allows you to create a connection with the Ether planes, greatly increasing mana regeneration.] ¡°What a bastard! So this is what gave him so much mana!¡± [You have learned Master of Perception ¡ª Basic Rank. Any effect based on Perception costs 10% less mana.] [You have gathered a lot of knowledge, but you need more genetic material to create new skills.] ¡°I was expecting a little more, you know?¡± ¡°[It wasn''t in vain. Now his master fears you.]¡± ¡°I don''t really care. I wanted that invisibility skill! It was broken as fuck!¡± ¡°[Combat experience is just as valuable.]¡± ¡°I don''t perceive that valuable experience you''re talking about as much as I do the level upgrades. Well¡­ I suppose that makes it more exciting.¡± ¡°[...]¡± ¡°What the...! Why?!¡± [The staff has been added to the ?Bargains? section of the bazaar. You have also received extra experience.] [Ranged Weapon Mastery has increased to Advanced Rank. You are now able to hit moving targets and add advanced effects to this weapon mastery.] [Two-Handed Weapon Mastery has increased to Expert Rank. You are now able to chain two-handed attacks while moving, including feints and dodges. Lastly, you are able to add expert effects to this weapon mastery.] [Guardian Whisper has increased to Expert Rank. Allows whispers to warn you when an attack may be deadly, and where it is headed. Allows you to predict the trajectory as well. Additionally, grants +3 to Perception when you are being attacked within a 8 meters radius.] Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! [Efficient has increased to Advanced Rank. You consume 10% less mana and stamina.] [You have learned Explosive Rune ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique Skill. Creates a glyph that, when triggered, erupts with magical energy in a 1-meter-radius sphere. Creating the glyph has a high mana consumption and requires a sustained casting to activate. Effects can potentiate the explosion and also transform it.] [You are ready to ?Level Up?.] ¡°Explosive Rune?! He didn''t do that! He made hands appear from the ground!¡± ¡°[The skill mutated because the individual had the favor of a spirit.]¡± ¡°Spirit?¡± ¡°[Yes. One like ?Nimireth?.]¡± ¡°Who exactly is Nimireth?¡± ¡°[Still nothing, huh? Take a seat! We''ll help you remember!]¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°W-who are you? W-what do you know about me?¡± ¡° ¡°Why are you so interested in helping me? Are you a helper of this game? Some kind of tutorial?¡± ¡°A compassionate soul or something like a Gamer God?¡± ¡°So... you can alter the rules?¡± ¡° ¡°What handsome man? Ian?!¡± ¡° "Stop teasing me! If you have limitations, I don''t see how you can give me everything you say!" ¡° ¡°Can you really do it?¡± ¡° ¡°Choose?! No! I want more! I want to achieve everything I set my mind to!¡± Are you... serious? Can you... really do it? But... before you said¡­! In exchange for... what?¡± ¡° Yeah...! It was amazing!¡± [?Attribute? selection accepted.] Huh?! What do you mean accepted? What have you done?!¡± [?Devourer? skill successfully rooted.] "Devourer?! What the hell is going on?" [Mission: ?Choose your destiny!? updated. Open one of the doors.] ¡°OMG! So that''s the origin of this amazing body! That being... Nimireth, right? She gave it to me!¡± ¡°What did she ask in exchange?¡± ¡°[She didn''t say it. Maybe it''s related to your main mission.]¡± [You''ve discovered various properties of corruption-free creatures. Progress towards a new skill, 46%.] ¡°Any new skill is welcome!¡± ¡°[You won''t be able to upgrade your disease resistance by consuming rats.]¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°[Corruption only spreads through players.]¡± ¡°No one''s gonna take this opportunity away from me! No matter who stands in my way!¡± Chapter 7. Waterfall. [You are ready to ?Level Up? twice.] Strength: 25 Dexterity: 10 (+5) Agility: 10 (+5) Toughness: 20 Resistance: 10 (+5) Wisdom: 20 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 20 Perception: 10 (+3) [Reconstructive Healing has increased to Expert Rank. It now restores a moderate amount of stamina when healing. Allows slow reconstruction of lost body parts. In addition, grants 20% mana consumption reduction and 50% healing improvement. You can add Expert effects.] [Last Breath has increased to Advanced Rank. The pure essence of Nimireth shines brightly within you. In a near-death state, you can regain consciousness sooner. In addition, your body cannot be totally destroyed. The pure essence of the devourer will be absorbed by your ?Personal dimension? until your complete recovery.] ¡°Really?! That makes me invincible!¡± ¡°[It''s not a pleasant situation, believe us!]¡± ¡°Well, everything has its downside.¡± [You have learned Devourer Vision ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Consumes negligible amounts of mana to amplify the reception of light photons. Ideal for dark environments.] ¡°[You should explore all the nooks and crannies you''ve overlooked so far.]¡± "Give me a moment. I''m still getting used to it." ¡°Holy shit! What a perception I have now. Nothing escapes my radar!¡± ¡°What was behind the collapse to want to risk their lives? Were they infected or fleeing people?¡± Was it as a containment measure?¡± What were they protecting?¡± ¡°Can I buy a better remedy with green coins?¡± ¡°[Each green coin is equivalent to 100 white coins, so don''t waste them. They are necessary to buy low category magic equipment.]¡± [You have learned Source''s Link ¡ª Expert Rank. Your ability to obtain mana from planes is increased by 150%. Current regeneration, 2.5 MP per second.] "Wow, I¡¯m really broken now!" ¡°[Stop devouring mushrooms! You can''t keep upgrading the skill until you reach level 10. Besides, mushrooms don''t level you up.]¡± ¡°Ok! Thank you for sparing me the torture! Four have been enough, I will keep the rest!¡± ¡°What the hell! There''s no way out! Why did they crawl inside then?¡± ?Unknown mineral? Details: Magical ingredient. Solidification of the magic particles in the water. Its properties are unknown. ?Unknown fungus? Details: Magical ingredient. Panellus Stipticus variant. Used in alchemy to create potions of bleeding resistance. [Expert level in ?Identify? is required to be able to further examine them.] I guess I''ll have to try it later¡­¡± ¡°I pass from an eternal bath!¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡° ¡°I can''t waste more time here. I''m going against the clock!¡± ¡°[A toxic enzyme destined to kill the infected has entered your body. You can neutralize it with your healing skill.]¡± ¡° ¡°Shit! Have they already located me?¡± ¡°Shit! They know how to use magic too!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ?Tabaxi (Adult)? Level 25 Name: Auruth Marks: [Human Killer], [Thief] Details: Warning! This player''s attributes make him a challenging opponent for you. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Holy cow with these cats!¡± ?Yusthor Necklace (Legendary)? Details: Belongs to the Set of the Dead (1/100). Allows you to see the phantasmal plane and make contact with souls. If you have at least 3 parts of the set, you can interact with the most superfluous realms of the phantasmal plane. You need Expert rank in ?Linguist? and ?Identify? to begin to communicate with them. Benefits for equipping parts of the set: ? 2 pieces: [+1 to Willpower and Perception.] ? 3 pieces: [+1 to Willpower, Perception and Wisdom.] ? 4 pieces: [+1 to Willpower, Perception, Wisdom and Intelligence.] ? 5 pieces: [+1 to Willpower, Perception, Wisdom, Intelligence and Resistance.] ¡­ ?Notebook (Common)? Details: You need advanced rank in ?Linguist? to begin to understand what is written. ¡°Hypocrites! What do they expect me to do with this? Call the kid from the Sixth Sense?¡± ¡°Wow! Just by touching it?!¡± Chapter 8. Notebook ¡°Why did they keep calling me monster?¡± [You are according to the rules of the ?Great Game?. Besides, after seeing your marks, anyone would attack you without hesitation.]¡± What do they see then?¡± ¡°[The information that can be obtained about you with Identify (Advenced) is: ?Monster (Devourer)? Level 7 Name: Jean Marks: [Child of Nimireth], [Condemned], [Chosen One], [Human Killer], [Devourer of the Plague], [Rat Exterminator], [Cave Licker]] [Child of Nimireth]: Player who has broken the rules by adopting the forbidden transformation from prey to hunter. [Condemned]: Curse imposed on those who break the rules of the Great Game. The deities will try to eliminate you. [Chosen One]: You have been chosen by an entity of great power to complete a mutual goal. [Devourer of the Plague]: Obtained by devouring hundreds of infected. [Rat Exterminator]: Obtained by exterminating hundreds of rats. [Cave Licker]: For eating hundreds of inedible mushrooms. ¡°Really?! The last two are kind of unnecessary.¡± ¡°This part here looks like... Yes! It''s the waterfall! Then there is a passageway...¡± ¡°No way! I''m not getting in there!¡± ¡°If you are a disgusting aberration of Nimireth in possession of Yusthor''s necklace, read on, monster. Otherwise, close this notebook and don''t waste your time! This is none of your business!¡± ¡°Has someone deliberately thrown me here?!¡± ¡°If you don''t know what comes next, run. Everyone wants your head! But don''t be stupid enough to do it with the necklace on. If you come in contact with a soul, it could be the last thing you ever do. I''d wish you luck, but since most of you are just trash, screw you!¡± ¡°How can I know if I am in contact with a soul?¡± ¡°[Why don''t you try equipping it? Maybe then you''ll understand the warnings.]¡± ¡°They''re everywhere! What are they?¡± ¡°[They are fragments of souls. Nothing happens if you touch those, but be careful with the ones lying on the ground near their remains. Their desire to live is dangerous.]¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°[This is only the superficial level of the plane of souls. The problem with entering in contact with a soul is that the deeper you go, new rules appear.]¡± ¡°Rules?¡± ¡°[Each world and plane has its own in the Great Game! And each has its own information. Some of it very valuable.]¡± ¡°What kind of information?¡± ¡°[Mainly skills, some unique from that world. But also experiences from the past.]¡± ¡°Funny that they gave this to me, who can learn skills by devouring, isn''t it?¡± ¡°[Another important aspect of the soul plane is that souls can be collected from there and relocated in new bodies.]¡± ¡°Like Red Eyes?¡± ¡°[Yes.]¡± ¡°Has the same thing happened to me?¡± ¡°[Not like you''re thinking, but yes. The moment you came to the Great Game.]¡± ¡°What happened to my original body? The one I had on Earth. It''s not this modified one, is it?¡± ¡°[We don''t know what became of your original body.]¡± ¡°It vanished, right?! ... What am I then?¡± ¡°[A Player.]¡± ¡°Whatever that means, right?¡± ¡°[Don''t get any closer! That soul is ?awake?.]¡± ¡°Awake? What does that mean?¡± ¡°[Avoid those that give off so much light. They are very persistent and can be aggressive.]¡± ¡°And that implies...?¡± ¡°[Making contact with a soul implies entering the memories of that player. And if it¡¯s aggressive, it could try to possess your body. You would be their ticket to a second chance.]¡± ¡°When were you planning to warn me?!¡± ¡°[Your high Willpower and Endurance make you resistant to possession. However, nothing guarantees that you can dominate this particular soul.]¡± ¡°Dominate? I don''t want to dominate anyone!" ¡°How does it work to relocate a soul? Does it need a special skill, a new artifact or does the necklace itself do it?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°[Yes, no and yes. Although some can perform it with their own power.]¡± ¡° ¡°What are they? Gnomes?¡± ?Construct (Minion)? Level 36 Name: ??? Marks: [Killer], [Torturer] Details: This opponent''s attributes make him an exceptional opponent for you. Beware of... ¡° ?????? ?????? ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Do they know I''m alive?¡± ¡°[It''s very likely they want you alive.]¡± ¡°I need to heal myself without being noticed! How do I do that?¡± ¡°[Potion regeneration is uncontrollable, but your skill isn''t. Conjure it at low power with the effect of Perception. It will require all your concentration, but you would be able to repair only internal damage.]¡± ¡° ¡°An invisibility skill?¡± ¡°Maybe it''s not such a bad idea...¡± ¡° ¡° [You have devoured your first ?Dark Elf?. You have gathered a lot of new genetic information. After combining it with the material you have already obtained, you have created the following skills:] [You have learned Devourer''s Minion ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Allows to create a suitable container for a player''s soul with essence. It''s essential that you have a soul and that it¡¯s attached to you. You can only keep one alive at a time.] [You have learned Devourer Barrier ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Create an aura that envelops you and protects your entire body from physical and magical damage. Lasts until deactivated or your mana runs out.] [You have learned Chameleon ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Allows 15% presence concealment. In the shadows it''s twice as effective and quadruples if you are standing still. High mana consumption when moving.] [Calm Mind has increased to Advanced Rank. As long as you don''t move in the middle of combat, it allows you to create a connection with the Ether planes, vastly increasing mana regeneration.] [Master of Perception has increased to Advanced Rank. Any effect based on Perception costs 20% less mana.] [You are ready to ?Level Up?.] ¡°What was the guy''s name? ¡­ Aurom, Aurum, ¡­ Auru?¡± ¡°[Auruth.]¡± ¡° ¡°Shit! He''s going to kill me!¡± Chapter 9. Into the depths. "[If you touch me again, I will kill you!]" ¡°[You can''t fool me, monster! Your marks say otherwise!]¡± ¡°[Don''t bother me! And don''t touch me again if you don''t want to end up like the others.]¡± ¡°The others?¡± ?Yusthor Earring (Legendary)? Details: Allows you to see the phantasmal plane and make contact with souls. ¡­. Really?! ¡­ Well, it makes sense but...¡± ?????? ?????? ¡°What if I try Mr. Crabs'' cousins? With one of those, I''ll sure hold back my hunger for a while. It''s a shame I can''t taste them, it would be quite a feast.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ?????? ?????? ¡°[You¡¯re in no position to be picky, monster!]¡± [Don''t make me laugh! There is nothing you can do!]¡± ¡° ¡°[What are you plotting, monster? Do you want me to end your pathetic existence now?!]¡± Creature: ?Lake Crab? Level 27 Name: Chubby Paws Marks: [Human Eater], [Elf Eater], [Tabaxi Eater], [Gnome Eater] , ¡­ Details: This creature has evolved from generations of exposure to the lake water. In your current state, this creature''s attributes represent a moderate enemy. ¡°[Leave them in peace!]¡± ¡°[They chose it!]¡±¡°[Don''t make me repeat myself, monster!]¡± ¡°[I have no idea! It''s been years since they''ve been near the lake. They learned the hard way!]¡± ¡°[I don''t have the slightest idea! When I arrived they were already...]¡± Name: Narad. Level ??? Marks: [Thief], [Traitor], [Killer]. Details: Linked to the lake. This player''s attributes make her a deadly opponent for you. ¡° ?????? ?????? ¡°[Go away!]¡± ¡° ¡°Nah! Not a chance! She has fewer friends than I had!¡± ¡° ¡°[Hope not!]¡± ?????? ?????? [Don''t worry, they can''t get through those cracks, they''re too big. Well, most of them can¡¯t.]¡± Come on! That''s no relief!¡± ¡°Well! I can always run my ass off. I''m quite sure if I get too close to the lake, Narhad will give me a hand.¡± ¡°Crap! Too many documentaries! Enough running away! ... For those who want me dead I have no forgiveness, disgust or fear!¡± Chapter 10. Discordant Whisper. Important note from the author 1. Change in Jean''s initial attributes and the increase of two more levels. ?????? ?????? Eh? Why?¡± [You must touch the surface where you want the rune to appear.]¡± [Don''t give it any more mana or it will be dangerous!]¡± ¡°They must be ravenous.¡± ¡°I would have killed them with considerably less stress with my weapons, but...!¡± [... it wouldn''t be as satisfactory.]¡± Come on! Don¡¯t finish my sentences!¡± "I know! I need a lot more!" "Do you think I''ll be able to take the bigger ones?" [Don''t even come close!]¡± "The corruption has subsided a lot since the spinning session with Narhad. If I can''t match them, what level are they? ... Wait a second! Are they more dangerous than Narhad?!" [No, but they usually move in large groups. If they attack all together, even she would have problems.]¡± Since we were interrupted at the waterfall I wanted to ask you, what else can I do with the souls?¡± [With 2 accessories of the Yusthor set in your possession, you can''t do much. If you had 3, and Linguist and Identify in Expert Rank, you could: ? Save the sleeping souls in your inventory. ? Interact with any soul. ? Attempt to dominate the most aggressive ones. ? ¡­]¡± "I told you I''m not interested in dominating anyone! Could I... devour them?" ¡°[...]¡± Hey, relax! It was just a doubt! They may think I''m a monster, but I''m not going to give them the pleasure of behaving like one! I just want to understand why everyone hates me. What is it that I can do that they are so afraid of? Besides devouring people of course.¡± [Do you swear you''ll never do it?]¡± "It''s obvious you''re hiding something! Spill it!" [There are rules, Jean.]¡± "You mentioned those rules earlier. What are they?" [Rule number 1. Important information is never given to a newbie player, they must discover it for themselves. That includes all the other rules.]¡± "Ok... At what level will I stop being a newbie?" [You haven''t answered yet.]¡± "I have no intention of doing so. I can''t promise what I don''t know if I will keep. If my life were in danger..." [Would you kill an innocent to survive?]¡± You should know that! There is no such thing as innocent! There are only the weak and the strong. The weak do what they can to survive, while the strong do what they want.¡± [It''s a bit of a drastic way of thinking, don''t you think?]¡± "I wasn''t done talking! Depending on the situation, you can feel strong or weak. Only when you feel strong it is really clear who you are. That''s when you show your true nature! Your greed, your selfishness..." "Your determination!" [Even if it was given to you?]¡± "For example, a child is not innocent just because he is a child. The weak often behave like cowards, and therefore appear innocent, but you could not be more wrong. If a weakling becomes strong, you will soon see how little innocent he is. Give an ant or a snail to a child and you''ll see what he is like. You will see whether he crushes them, ignores them, or pushes them aside to protect them." [Interesting! I now understand why Nimireth chose you. You looked like a wimp, but you were just weak.]¡± [Who said those words to you? Joseph?]¡± [Joseph was your hero, but... Was he to your mother? ... No. To her he was just an idiot who paid her bills. You still remember how she reproached him for all the debts at his grave.]¡± What is this?¡± [A spirit!]¡± Like Nimireth?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. [Whispers don''t know when I simulate their voices, and apparently, neither do you!]¡± ¡°Who are you and how long have you been doing this, motherfucker?¡± [All the time!]¡± "Why?!" ¡°[Follow me!]¡± You''re delusional if you think I''m going to listen to you!¡± ¡°[I have followed you! Besides¡­ I have answers to all the questions I know you have. Don''t you want them?]¡± Fuck you! You''ve been deceiving me all this time! Do you really expect me to follow you?!¡± ¡°[Deceiving you? Hmm¡­ Interesting way to see all the help I''ve provided you with.]¡± Help? Bullshit! ¡­ It was your idea that I didn''t ascend to the surface. It was your idea that I went into that damn grotto all the way to the waterfall. It was you...¡± ¡°[... who suggested an escape route which, thanks to the pendant, worked out well. Narhad detected it when you touched her waters and that''s why she only tried to throw you out of them. Otherwise, you would have died in an instant! I knew they were after you from the moment Red Eyes detected you!]¡± W-wait a second! Do you work with the tabaxi? That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t help me or let me pass?¡± [No! I just knew they would let you live as soon as they got to know you a little. Although, to be honest, I almost regretted helping you when you asked if you could devour souls.]¡± "You expect me to believe that you have good intentions? If you had, you would have been clear from the beginning. Tell me! What do you want from me?!" ¡°[Do you think this is the first time I do this? Do you think I put so much effort into saving the children of Nimireth out of boredom or hatred? ¡­ Do you really think so? Of course not! You are not stupid! ¡­ I don''t want them to find out I''m helping you!]¡± ¡°[Let me enlighten you about whispers so that you never get the wrong idea again! Whispers are part of you as a link that connects your player body with your human soul. It''s a necessary resource for us inferior races to be players.]¡± Inferior races? Are you a player too?¡± ¡°[Do you think our human brain ever counted on us for anything back on Earth? All the time we lived there we were controlled like puppets. ... You don¡¯t believe me?! Do you control or manage all the chemical processes in your body to make a simple digestion?]¡± That has nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°[How could the use of your nutritional resources not be related? The management of your energy, your sleep, the creation of antibodies, the choice of the person you like, and a million other processes that you wouldn''t have the slightest idea if it weren''t for science and medicine.]¡± ¡°[Our human brain did that for us because it never counted on our decisions. It only cared about the survival of the individual and the perpetuation of the human race. The whispers do something similar here. The players'' bodies are too complex for a human mind to manage. Don''t you remember?! You have to find a balance between desire, enthusiasm and control.]¡± "Then it''s true! The whispers are the intermediaries with the magic core. I¡¯ve never contemplated that possibility.¡± "Very educational, but that doesn''t change the fact that you deceived me!" ¡°[Whispers are not your partners in the game. That''s why I make the children of Nimireth believe so. To guide them, to bring out the best and the worst in them.]¡± What is your problem with the children of Nimireth?¡± ¡°[I understand your indignation, but if you had known your predecessors, you would understand me. Nimireth''s taste in choosing her children is questionable to say the least.]¡± Why have you decided to reveal yourself now? Why not continue with the damn whisperer''s game? It didn¡¯t amuse you anymore?¡± ¡°[This is no game, Jean. This is very, very serious. Besides, I''ve already told you. I have no interest in you devouring any souls. If you do, they disappear forever. They would die without any chance of coming back.]¡± ¡°You could have done that subtly, just as you have done so far. You have revealed yourself for more reasons. What are they?¡± ¡°[Patience! It''s better if you see it with your own eyes and feel it in your flesh.]¡± That didn''t sound good at all! Are you going to stab me in the back too?¡± [Do you really think that with all the opportunities I''ve had to betray you? Please... I would appreciate it if you don''t insult all my efforts.]¡± ¡°[Chameleon, quick!]¡± Who are they and what do they talk about with Narhad? Are they after me too?¡± What do you want me to see that''s more important than those four conspiring?" ¡°[Keep going! These guys won''t attack you, but they won''t invite you to their birthday parties either! Don''t blame them! Your predecessors were real bastards!]¡± "Have I seriously been that close to a portal?" ¡°[Don¡¯t worry! You wasn''t prepared to cross it anyway.]¡± ¡°Where have they headed?¡± ¡°[To try to save the world in their own way... even though they won''t achieve anything!]¡± What do they need to save the world from?¡± ¡°[Of beings like you, Jean. Monsters that only care about themselves and have the potential to become aberrations who destroy everything in their path.]¡± I understand that you were once human, so... Why have we been kidnapped from Earth to be players?¡± ¡°[The quick answer would be the selfish whim of some gods. What once began as a way to test the potential of the races of the universe, rapidly spiraled out of control.]¡± What was then, some kind of arena? A forced PVP?¡± ¡°[Hundreds of years ago I would say yes. Now it''s just a big express pot about to burst.]¡± Explain yourself!¡± ¡°[You can now deactivate the invisibility. The crabs won''t attack you now.]¡± "Really?! I turned invisible just so the damn crabs won''t attack me? I thought..." ¡°[Narhad is particularly fond of them. She has even given them names. If you touch one, she will kill you. That''s as true as no one trusts you but me.]¡± You''ve already made sure that I won''t devour souls? ¡°[Go as far as you can and then come back! ¡­ Be careful!]¡± Why aren''t you coming?!¡± [I tend to limit communicating with you for a reason. I''m exhausted! Let me rest!]¡± [I think I''ve made it clear enough, but I will repeat it once more! Be very careful! The answer awaits near the end.]¡± Important note from the author Important note from the author I created Jean The Cursed Champion trying to improve Dark Harvest, but I ended up creating something different. Despite the lack of content, Dark Harvest has continued to grow, so I''ve decided to continue both fictions. Yes. You read correctly. If you have read a little of both fictions, you will see that they have points in common. Mainly the combats, the name of the MC, her current appearance and part of the past. However, the two Jean''s are different, the plots are different, and they will drastically distance themselves from each other as the story progresses. While one is born as a story of revenge, the other seems the result of a bad choice for ambition. While one Jean will form a large group of friends, the other Jean will wander almost always alone, meeting versions of those same friends, as they exist in both worlds. In fact, although the worlds are different, I don''t rule out creating some crossover chapters (much later). To make it possible, I will reduce the length of the new chapters of Dark Harvest to around 2500 words and I will update it at least three times a month. That is, around 7500 words. Minimum pace that Jean The Cursed Champion will also have. However, I would like to read your opinions in the comments. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ? I like both. Keep a minimum of 3 chapters a month for each; ? A. 50%. ? I like one more than the other; ? B. 4 Chapters of Dark Harvest and 2 of Cursed Champion. ? C. 4 Chapters of Cursed Champion and 2 of Dark Harvest. ? I like one a lot more than the other; ? D. 5 Chapters of Dark Harvest and 1 of Cursed Champion. ? E. 5 Chapters of Cursed Champion and 1 of Dark Harvest. ? I only like one; ? F. 6 Chapters of Dark Harvest. ? G. 6 Chapters of Cursed Champion. I will publish option A by default. Both fictions at 50% of my current capacity (15000 words per month), unless your vote here says otherwise. I know I should post what I like best, but I like both and I think I''m not the only one. I hope you understand my desire and efforts to improve. I greatly appreciate your subscription to any of them and your comments. You help me a lot. Thanks for reading. Chapter 11. Hunger. ¡°What''s in there?¡± "Do you know who wrote this notebook?" ¡°Crab is on the menu today!¡± [You have learned Nimireth¡¯s Toughness ¡ª Rank Basic. Unique skill. You gain +1 extra Toughness for every 10 points you have in the attribute.] ¡°If it''s free, it''s welcome¡± "I was kind of dumb for not realizing that the spirit was supplanting them. There¡¯s a big difference!" [Don''t blame yourself so hard! I have experience.]¡± ¡°What the hell do you want me to see here?¡± [You''re getting warmer!]¡± [That''s a bit hypocritical. What are you then?]¡± [You have learned Pain Resistance ¡ª Rank Basic. Increase your capacity to withstand pain. The base value is 1% of the sum of your attributes. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 8,53%. [You miss it? I can keep doing it if you want.]¡± ¡° Strength: 25 Dexterity: 15 Agility: 15 Toughness: 20 Resistance: 15 Wisdom: 20 Intelligence: 1 (+16) Willpower: 20 Perception: 13 (+2) "I want to upgrade Linguistic to Expert Rank in one go. Can I do it?" [Linguistic has increased to Expert Rank. Allows you to understand, learn and communicate in the most difficult languages of the new world. These include all Elvish variants, the voices of the dead and some ancient languages.] "I hope this is worth it!" Danger! Small humanoid crab at the bottom. Don''t dare to approach it if you''re not sure you can hurt it.¡± "And what makes it so dangerous?" I see someone else has been feasting here too!¡± [You''re about to burn!]¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "[Be careful! Later don''t say that I didn''t warn you!]" ?Cave Crab (Ascended Mutation)? Level ??? Name: ???? Marks: [Gluttony], [Crab Eater], [Torturer], [Killer] , ¡­ Details: This creature¡¯s attributes make it a deadly opponent for you. ¡°Ascended?¡± "I''ve had worse wounds, why does this one hurt so much?" [Don''t take it to heart! It''s just trying to live!]¡± [I told you many times to be careful! Did I or didn''t I?]¡± ¡°How can a creature use effects? In theory, only players can do it¡­¡± [It can do them because of the genetic material that has mutated it.]¡± How did it achieve such a modification?¡± [Devouring.]¡± Are you saying that thing is a Devourer? A child of Nimireth?¡± [Yes and no!]¡± "Why is this happening?" [Nimireth entity is unique and complex.]¡± Are you fucking kidding me?! How is it possible that the fingers are still part of me?! Argh! ... C-can I get them back?¡± [The fingers no. The genetic material of Nimireth, yes.]¡± Explain yourself!¡± [You have before you the result of a unique anomaly. Although the crab is not a child of Nimireth, it can assimilate you because its genetic material shares traits with yours. This has given it, among other characteristics, Devour.]¡± [Devour ¡ª Basic Rank. Characteristic of any being that possesses Nimireth''s genetic material. Allows beings to assimilate genetic material from others and incorporate it into its own to mutate.] I guessed as much!¡± ¡°Earlier, you spoke of my predecessors. Where are they now?¡± [There are currently no other children of Nimireth. She can only have one child at a time. Therefore, you are and will be unique until you die. However, it¡¯s more complicated than that.]¡± ¡°Let me get this straight! Are you suggesting that one of my predecessors has died, resulting in that thing over there?¡± [Correct! Nimireth''s generic material cannot be destroyed, but it can be ingested and merged with other material. Thus, the next child of Nimireth will be able to retrieve it. That is one of the reasons why your class is forbidden.]¡± "That''s nonsense! If each child of Nimireth dies and is devoured by the next one, and the next one can retrieve the material from others, there would be a time when you would have a massive amount of material that would create a colossus of biblical proportions." [That theory is wrong. You are assuming that Nimireth''s genetic material is infinite. It does not multiply, it only merges. It¡¯s either gained or lost! However, your case is special!]¡± ¡°Enlighten me!¡± [You possess the last remnant of Nimireth merged with your being. She no longer exists as a single being. All that is left of her is now within you.]¡± Chapter 12. Last Cards. [You see, Nimireth gives part of her essence to each player with whom she makes a pact. Becoming a Child of Nimireth is a gradual process that culminates over time in this world. However, it wasn''t like that with you.]¡± [That was different. She took control of your being to configure it. She mutated you like a virus. Something similar to what corruption tries to do to you.]¡± ¡°How did I become a child of Nimireth so fast then?¡± [Usually it''s something that grows inside the player, and only if Nimireth decides, it hatches. However, the inoculation of Nimireth''s essence that she performed on your body was during the long wait before your arrival to this world. This process allowed her to introduce into you far more power, mutating your body into the monstrosity you are now.]¡± ¡°But I acquired Devourer before I came to this world!¡± [Don''t confuse the skill with the essence of Nimireth inside you. It gives you 90 base attribute points, and when you devour the ascended one, it will increase even more.]¡± [You disappoint me.]¡± ¡°Shut up! I feel insignificant in this nightmare place! Are you going to tell me you wouldn''t want to survive, you hypocrite?¡± [For a moment I saw light in you, but now I have my doubts. Why did Nimireth choose you to be the last one when there is nothing special about you?!]¡± ¡° ¡° ¡°She gave me all this power so that one day I would protect her, but...¡± ¡°[Interesting.]¡± You fucking bastard! Stop spying on my thoughts all the time!¡± ¡°I want to create a mission.¡±¡°I want to initiate a search for all creatures that possess the essence of Nimireth and any separate remnants of her!¡± [I''m sorry to tell you that the amount of locations will be massive and you won''t be able to get even one. The one next to you is the weakest one.]¡± [Besides, it''s too late to save Nimireth. Just like it''s too late to save me if I asked you to.]¡± ¡°I''ve already seen everything I had to see, right? Good!¡± ¡°What happened to Nimireth?¡± [She had no choice but to play her last cards. And she lost.]¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Are you going to tell me what the fuck you want from me?¡± It''s simple! First I want to close mouths. Next I want to ... ]¡± ¡° [No! Listen to me!]¡± ¡°[They are not my friends! I told them the world was in danger. They didn''t listen to me until it was too late and now...]¡± Shut up! I don''t want to hear your lies anymore! ... I...¡± [Listen... I told them we couldn''t stop what was coming if we didn''t fight together, but they didn''t believe me. They thought they were invincible and they paid for it. We will all pay for it soon.]¡± ¡° [I told them that Nimireth could help us stop this, but just hearing her name made them laugh at me. I ended up dying trying to prove that Nimireth was not as they thought.]¡± [I guess... I was like Joseph. I paid the same price.]¡± [How do you think his soul felt when the people he saved from the fire forgot him in less than a day. Motherfuckers! They didn''t even show up at his funeral. A hero''s funeral.]¡± [And how did you feel when your mother constantly reproached him for leaving her with three daughters to take care of? After all the sacrifices he made for her. For all of you. Always doing the right thing. He was a good man, Jean. A role model, he was...]¡± [I''ll tell you what your problem is, Jean. No matter how hard you try, you''ll never be able to recover what''s left of Nimireth. There are not enough weak enemies here. With luck, you can reach level 12. What do you think will happen when you face this ascended one? You will irredeemably die.]¡± You think so?¡± [And worst of all, the world will have lost its last chance. The world will be screwed. You included. That body you love so much and that power won¡¯t save you. The whole planet will succumb to the same thing that''s on this mountain.]¡± Oh my! The world will be saved by me, and of course, you know how. Say no more! You''re waiting for an innocent Frodo and you''re going to play Gollum.¡± [No. This world won''t be saved by you. You will only give others the opportunity to remedy what you cannot.]¡± Great, I won''t even be Frodo! I''ll be Sam, carrying Frodo! ... Fuck you!¡± [In that middle grotto there are the spiders from before. If you make it out alive, level up Identify to Expert and start collecting as many souls as you can. I''ve got more to teach you.]¡± ¡° [Please! I beg you!]¡± ¡°Great ... Now you change tactics.¡± ¡°If you don''t know what comes next, run. Everyone wants your head! But don''t be stupid enough to do it with the necklace on. If you come in contact with a soul, it could be the last thing you ever do. I''d wish you luck, but since most of you are just trash, screw you!¡± ¡°It''s pretty clear they want me dead! What''s next?¡± ¡°I''m going to assume they''ve done the same to you as the rest. You just woke up and you want to know what all this shit is about. I''m going to skip explaining to you why the situation in Norobath is going to shit, especially here in Zelthas. I''m going to focus on what''s revolving around you and what they want from you.¡± ¡°What are Norobath and Zelthas?¡± ¡°I don''t know exactly why they want you dead, but there are many who want you dead. Don''t trust anyone. No one will tell you the whole truth, only the part that interests them. The good thing is that they won''t lie to you; whispers would mark them as traitors and manipulators.¡± ¡°Really? I didn''t realize it!¡± ¡°The situation is desperate and you have no escape! Do what they ask you to do. If you refuse, they will kill you and move on to the next. So on and so forth until you do what they want. If you are smart, you will go along with them and live another day.¡± ¡°Fuck this shit! This is useless! I''m the last one!¡± ¡°Do your best to get along with Narhad. She is your only ally. Calling her an ally, though, is saying a lot. She''s simply in a similar situation to yours. Don''t give up just because she''s rude. It''s just that she hates Nimireth''s children!¡± ?Giant Cave Spider?. Level 31 Name: ??? Marks: [Human Eater], [Elf Eater], [Tabaxi Eater], [Gnome Eater] , ¡­ Details: This creature''s attributes make it a moderate adversary for you. However, its venom makes it deadly. Chapter 12+1. Adherence. ¡° [You have learned Poison Resistance ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to neutralize the effects of all types of poisoning. The base value is 10% of your base Resistance. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 10,5%. [You have learned Adherence¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Allows you to generate a magical magnetic field in the part of the body you want to adhere to surfaces. Can support up to 10 kilos per Strength point.] ¡°Alright, let''s hunt!¡± I have an idea! I want to buy some rocks from the bazaar. If they can be the size of a tennis ball better!¡± ?Hermit Cave Spider? Level ??? Name: ???? Marks: [Gluttony], [Fratricide], [Filicide] , ¡­ Details: This creature¡¯s attributes make her a deadly opponent for you. ¡°What madness am I seeing?¡± [They are born from her, but only she eats. When her childs are about to die, they voluntarily return to her to restart the cycle.]¡± ¡°That''s fucking macabre!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [You have learned Poison¡ª Advanced Rank. Allows you to convert your mana into a powerful poison. Can be added to certain skills as if it were an effect.] [Devourer Vision has increased to Advanced Rank. Consumes negligible amounts of mana to amplify the reception of light photons. It now also allows the detection of heat and energy sources.] [Poison Resistance has increased to Expert Rank. Allows you to neutralize the effects of all types of poisoning. The base value is 30% of your base Resistance. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 13,5%. [Adherence has increased to Advanced Rank. Allows you to generate a magical magnetic field in the part of the body you want to adhere to surfaces. Can support up to 15 kilos per Strength point.] How long will it take for them to be born?¡± ¡°[Around one week.]¡± ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Where are you? ...? ... Shit! I don''t even know your fucking name.¡± ¡°You have had enough of me? ... Okay!¡± ¡°These are the nine precepts that every Guardian must respect: Truth, Honor, Duty, Courage, Justice, Retribution, Protection, Mercy and Pursuit.¡± ¡°I guess with my Identify rank the information is limited.¡± [Step away from the portal!]¡± [I see you brought me a souvenir.]¡± ¡° ¡°[I meant that earring!]¡± ¡° [And who gave it to you? A thief?]¡± ¡° [They were just testing you.]¡± ¡°[Fuck you!]¡± ¡° ¡°[Be thankful I didn''t kill you!]¡± ¡° [No! Rats! They have a nest in the northwest part.]¡± [What did I tell you? ... Don¡¯t fight with your brothers!]¡± ?Cave Rat-Man?. Level 63 Name: Single eye Marks: [Human Eater], [Elf Eater], [Tabaxi Eater], [Gnome Eater] , ¡­ Details: This creature¡¯s attributes made him a deadly opponent for you, but not anymore. ¡°Holy cow! 63!!¡± ¡°What''s wrong, monster? You look pale.]¡± ?Ancient Soul? Level 12 Name: Kham Marks: [Traitor], [Killer] Details: You need Identify and Linguist in Expert, and find one more Yusthor accessory to be able to travel through the Guardian of the Nine portal. WHAT! Since when does Identify provide this type of information?¡± Chapter 14. First Contact. ¡°WTF!¡± The portal!¡± ¡°[Don''t you dare enter it, monster!]¡± [What do you mean you can''t? You should have already obtained the third accessory...]¡± ¡°I want the location of the nearest Yusthor accessory!¡± [Where the fuck are you going, monster?]¡± What the hell happened here? What killed all these people?¡± ?Tabaxi (Possessed)? Level 38 Name: Maghthal Marks: [Human Killer], [Tabaxi Killer], [Thief], [Soul Thief], [Rat Eater], [Spider Eater] ¡­ Details: This player''s attributes make her a powerful adversary for you. However, her vital state is lamentable. What a list of marks! ¡­ What! Soul Thief!?... Did the spirit ask them to collect souls before me?¡± [Don''t get any closer to him.]¡± Where have you been?! ¡­ Wait! Him?¡± [Retreat!! Now!]¡± [Stand up! You are entering the soul plane of another player and you don''t possess the skills and items needed to survive.]¡± And you''re telling me this now?!¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. [Run! Your real body is defenseless in reality¡­]¡± Run? Where to?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°How do I get out of here?¡±¡°Shit! They can¡¯t hear me¡­¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° My inventory?! ... That''s it! If Red Eyes came out of my inventory...¡± ?Espectral Abomination? Name: Jacob Marks: [Soul Devourer], [Killer] Details: Abomination born from the assimilation of dozens of souls. This creature is invincible to you in the plane of souls. Invincible?! ... We''ll see about that!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Chapter 15. Good girl. ¡°I have to get out of here. I''m no match for them!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°LIES!!¡± ¡°Enough! He went back to save his friends and the people caught in the damn fire! He was like that! He was brave! He...¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡° ¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°What''s the plan, Jean? Fly down and pick her up like you''re Superman? Don''t be ridiculous!¡± [You can¡¯t ¡­ anything ¡­ her. Let yourself ... dragged!]¡± ¡°[What the hell are you waiting for? Take off Yusthor''s accessories! HURRY!]¡± ¡°[Kill her!]¡± ¡°She''s alive! I could help her with Jacob! He''s the one controlling her, isn''t he?¡± [The soul of the tabaxi has disappeared. There is nothing left. Jacob has taken control of her body and now he wants yours.]¡± Chapter 16. Fetid Breathing. The tabaxi was beginning to show signs of moving. There was no time to hesitate. Jean abruptly pulled the tabaxi''s shoulder away and equipped the dagger. This time she was finally able to strike at the neck. However, there was something she wasn''t expecting. ¡°Holy shit!!! She''s tough!¡± Simple attacks failed to penetrate her skin deeply. She imbued the dagger with four effects. This time she aimed elsewhere. The eyes were a vulnerable area. Four precise thrusts that spent almost all her mana allowed her to end her life. She was finally able to store the inert body. Blocking the wound with both hands, she devoured the tabaxi to accelerate the healing process. Fortunately, this time she had not lost any body parts, but the scar was a different matter. ¡°Fuck! At this rate I''m going to look like Shrek''s gingerbread cookie!¡± [You have devoured your first ?Tabaxi?. You have gathered a lot of new genetic information. After combining it with the material you have already obtained, you have created the following skills:] [You have learned Projectile Control ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to channel your mana to control the trajectory of a projectile launched by you. Applicable to magical projectiles as well.] [You have learned Weightless ¡ª Basic Rank. Allows you to channel mana to slightly reduce the strength of gravity over your body.] [Identify has increased to Expert Rank. Now you can get more information from the world around you.] [Chameleon has increased to Advanced Rank. Allows 20% presence concealment. In the shadows it''s twice as effective, and quadruples if you are standing still. High mana consumption when moving.] Whispers announced that she had gained two more levels. She could now level up 3 times. ¡°Really?! ... I don''t think that''s enough for a being that was almost 30 levels above.¡± ¡°[Your current attributes are not those of a level 10 player. Without the corruption, they would be equivalent to those of a level 27 player, and when you raise those three pending levels, they would be as if you were almost level 33. That''s another reason why your class was forbidden.] ¡°If you expect me to feel bad about that, you can sit down! Corruption takes away almost a quarter of what you say!¡± ¡°[And you don''t feel bad for Dih? Her soul looks much worse than before... Did you have something to do with it? Maybe something you should feel guilty about¡­]¡± ¡°Asshole!¡± Jean struggled to her feet. The healing from devouring largely restored her, but the rest would depend on her own healing magic. She looked in the inventory and found, among several of the tabaxi''s items, three more of Yusthor''s accessories; two rings and an earring. They were not there collecting souls by chance. Now it only remained to know if they were looking for Jacob or he found them. Jean equipped the five accessories. She instantly felt different. It wasn''t just because the sounds and smells had been amplified by the extra attributes. The whispers of the souls around her had become more understandable. Among the most common were cries for revenge, for blood, for death. Overwhelmed by so much screaming, she looked for the one she had fallen on. It didn''t take long to find it. ?Dying soul? Level 31 Name: Dih Marks: [Traidor], [Killer] Details: You can now collect this soul and store it in your inventory. Be warned that destroying a soul is condemned by the Gods. Whatever the soul is. You will be haunted for eternity if you break this rule. ¡°Even more?! Really? ... And what about Jacob? He''s fucked other souls and I don''t see anyone caring that he tried to do the same to me!¡± ¡°[I don''t know how he got away with it. His abilities are beyond my knowledge. He may even be able to attack you from your inventory. I wouldn''t be surprised if he did the same with the tabaxi.]¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± ¡°[As long as you don''t interact with his soul everything will be fine. Jacob''s soul will remain asleep in your inventory. If not, you will give him what he wants! Direct access to you! Although ... he won''t stay quiet for long. You must prepare quickly or he''ll attack when you''re off guard.]¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°[Increasing your Resistance will be the first step.]¡± ¡°Is there a skill that will allow me to fight like they did on the plane of soul?¡± ¡°[I couldn''t see from here what happened, but the skills of the dead are a sort of reminiscence of what they got in their lifetime. A temporary concession. Maybe Thitad''s friends know how to defeat the dead. Although they like to keep them as slaves.¡± ¡°Motherfuckers! That explains everything! ... Red Eyes and the fire gnome wanted to be free!¡± ¡°[It''s time to explore, Child of Nimireth! Go through the portal and learn so you can defeat them someday. Maybe then you''ll find out who they are and why they want you alive. I don''t think Thitad will tell you any of that.]¡± Jean brought her hands close to Dih''s flickering soul as the whispers asked her what she wanted to do through an emergent panel out of the combination of Identify and Linguist. [Thanks to Yusthor''s accessories and your skills, you can store Dih''s soul in your inventory. But before that you can also: ? Communicate with her. ? Give her mana. ? ¡­] ¡°Why would I give her mana?¡± ¡°[Souls also need mana to survive, but they can''t absorb it from the ether planes as easily as you can!]¡± She recalled the fight. ¡°So that''s why her plane kept getting destroyed when she consumed mana!¡± ¡°[What the¡­! Give her mana as soon as possible! Don''t let her disappear!]¡± Jean approached the soul and concentrated mana in her hands for a few seconds. Nothing happened. The soul was not absorbing anything. That was frustrating. ¡°How the hell do I do this?¡± Whispers came to the rescue, creating a bridge between the two planes. Only then did the mana flow. The soul glow increased slightly at the same time Jean finished healing. ¡°Why do you care so much about these souls? Were they your friends?¡± ¡°[Your heart and mine are very different, Child of Nimireth!]¡± ¡°You expect me to feel sorry for those who attack and despise me?¡± ¡°[That Nimireth left you as her last card is confusing to me. In the end you''re just like all the others.]¡± Jean felt tremendously offended and was quick to offer more mana to the soul. It got to the point where its intensity was blinding. It almost seemed like an awakened soul. ¡°Happy?! Now what?¡± ¡°[Store it in your inventory.]¡± Jean separated her hands from the soul. ¡°Why?! You told me that souls with this intensity could attack me!¡± ¡°[Did she do it when you were with her?]¡± She squinted. ¡°She would have! All because she mistook me for someone from her past who looked like me! She even reproached me for something I failed to do!¡± ¡°[You know what it was?]¡± ¡°That doesn''t matter now! When she realized I wasn''t who she thought I was, she seemed ready to attack me anyway. She even knew I was a daughter of Nimireth. How?¡± ¡°[No idea! ... You''ll have to store it to find out! And not only her. You will need to collect them all if you want to interact with the portal and get answers. No exceptions.]¡± Jean remained thoughtful as she surveyed the sheer number of them. If she explored all the nooks and crannies, they could number in the thousands. ¡°Won''t my inventory be overflowing?¡± ¡°[No! But speaking of which, improve it as soon as possible. You waste a lot of time in combat because of that.]¡± Jean asked the real whispers what else she could do with the souls in her inventory. Another panel emerged. [Thanks to Yusthor''s accessories and your skills, you can interact with the souls in your inventory in the following ways: ? Communicate with them. ? Give them mana. That provides them more time before they disappear. ? Dominate them. (Devourer''s Minion is required) ? Devour them. The gods forbid it, but you can because of your abnormal condition. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.? Create exit destinations from the portal of the Guardians of the Nine. X Learn from a soul. X ...] ¡°Destinations ... How does the portal work?¡± No one said anything. Jean smiled. ¡°I see! Nothing for the rookie, eh?! ... I just want to know if the souls work as fuel to activate it.¡± ¡°[No, by the gods! The portal needs the knowledge of a player''s soul to create a safe route.]¡± ¡°See! It wasn''t so hard!¡± ¡°[¡­]¡± ¡°I see... That''s why I couldn''t use it before. I haven''t been anywhere before nor do I have enough souls. By the way, who were those damn Guardians of the Nine? Wasn''t there a more elaborate way to create portals?¡± ¡°[You are confusing a side effect of having equipped Yusthor accessories, with the true effect of more than 10 accessories along with being a true Guardian of the Nine.]¡± Jean sighed. ¡°Great! Half-way information again!¡± She looked at Dih''s soul and coated her hands with a purple aura. She didn''t want any surprises. With the mere desire to store it, it disappeared from the ground. And the next one. And the next of the next. Before long, she had a hundred more. Souls that moved slowly throughout her inventory, creating great luminescence at certain points. Nodes that Identify recognized as places. Among them, the one that caught her attention the most was White Chapel. ¡°That''s the temple where we fought with that asshole. Will it take me exactly there?¡± ¡°[It will depend on how much information you find common to that place. Take them all! All that you see. Don''t leave any behind!]¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°[Please! Do you need me to implore you again?]¡± Jean sighed and resumed descending into the depths, collecting every soul within reach. All except those that glowed menacingly. ¡°[I thought you''d stop and talk to Dih. Aren''t you curious who to know who she mistook you for?]¡± ¡°I''m going to pass! I don''t feel like it!¡± Sooner than desirable, the remedy threatened to expire. ¡°Better level up as soon as possible!¡± ¡°[Here?!]¡± ¡°I trust you will wake me up if someone comes!¡± ¡°[What about Jacob?]¡± Fearlessly, she closed her eyes with only one idea in mind. Make things impossible for Jacob. ¡°He won''t be a problem after this.¡± Strength: 25 Dexterity: 15 (+5) Agility: 15 (+5) Toughness: 20 Resistance: 15 (+15) Wisdom: 20 Intelligence: 17 (+2) Willpower: 20 Perception: 15 [Inventory has increased to Expert Rank. ? You have gained a 25% weight reduction. ? You have gained four more quick accesses to items. (6 in total.) ? Potions are consumed with a single thought without the need for quick accesses. ? Items with synergy between them will be grouped automatically. For example, souls, artifacts and other mechanisms.] ¡°Not bad!¡± [Last Breath has increased to Expert Rank. The pure essence of Nimireth shines within you. When you are on the verge of death, you will be teleported to your ¡°Personal Plane¡±. Any skill Last Breath activates to keep you alive needs 10% less mana.] ¡°I''m starting to wonder what my personal plane is like.¡± The whispers explained to her that she could only access and leave it voluntarily after acquiring certain rather unique skills. Without devouring the right enemy, they would be quite difficult for her to obtain. She wasn''t too happy about that; it didn''t seem like a very effective escape plan. ¡°A little question! If Jacob possesses me, will Last Breath save me?¡± Whispers warned her to stick to her original plan. Last Breath was a skill focused on her body. Not her soul. ¡°Got it!¡± After waking up relieved that Jacob had not bothered her, she consumed a new remedy and waited for the corruption to subside to stand up again. ¡°[You were lucky!]¡± ¡°No, no, no! I know all about cheaters and liars. In the end, that bastard let himself be beaten so he could get inside me and take advantage of a moment of weakness.¡± ¡°[If you two fought, he will be weak for a while.]¡± ¡°Yes! And when I least expect it, he''ll strike!¡± When the corruption dropped to acceptable levels, Jean decided to test her improved speed, balance and fighting ability. She equipped a long sword with the shield and executed several attacks, jumps and spins while blocking. They felt faster and more efficient. Aiming with the spear also improved, and during an improvised attack with the two-handed hammer in whirlwind mode, she didn''t lose her balance or get dizzy. ¡°I''m eager to try it on someone.¡± She muttered with a smile. With renewed motivation, Jean kept collecting every soul within reach. No matter how awake they seemed this time, though not without taking precautions with the Resistance effect. None presented even the slightest opposition. In barely 20 minutes, she had already collected several hundred souls. She had descended so far into the depths that she reached the end of the path. It ended abruptly at an enormous hole. It measured at least 50 meters in diameter and was of indeterminate depth. Jean peered down slightly. The walls were made of normal stone, but there was something unusual. A viscous, foul-smelling liquid coated them. She thought it was due to corruption when suddenly a sudden fetid breeze made her recoil on the spot. It felt as if at the bottom was the mouth of a creature that had never brushed its teeth. That the tunnel continued on the other side of the hole reinforced that thought. Not only that, it also ascended to the surface where a greenish cloudy sky reigned. ¡°[Turn around! Don''t let it notice you!]¡± ¡°What the hell is there?¡± ¡°[Exactly what it looked like! The end!]¡± Jean retreated without looking back. ¡°Is that what spreads corruption?¡± ¡°[No one knows for sure because no one has ever returned. Not even the most powerful... Now collect more souls and return to the lake.]¡± ¡°We''re not going to keep talking about all this? Clearly you know a lot more.¡± ¡°[First worry about facing Mr. Krabs. You''ll figure out later what to do with that creature.]¡± Jean glanced down again. ¡°No teeth or anything that makes one think it''s nearby. Maybe I could reach the other side with Adherence and Weightless.¡± ¡°[The two arrows pointing down don¡¯t lie!]¡± ¡°Arrows?¡± Jean took several steps back to open the map. Two arrows from the mission of retrieving Nimireth''s essence pointed straight down. She let out a long sigh as she understood. There was most likely another abomination there that she would not be able to defeat. Exasperated, she directed her steps upward while collecting all the souls in her path. Those around the great lake were not going to be the exception. In the process, Narhad showed no signs of life. That gave her a bad feeling. ?????? ?????? After collecting all the souls that were within reach in the reasonably safe areas, she opened the inventory. What she saw was utterly astounding. The souls were moving at great speed recreating parts of a map. The most complete were some islands and at least 3 cities of which one seemed to be a seaport. A tremendously loud shriek was heard in the distance. It came from the giant spider''s grotto. She ran ahead, but as soon as she reached the narrow, web-covered area, she noticed that something was wrong. The whispers were restless, warning her of terrible danger nearby. The last time she had passed by, nothing had made her feel that way. Intrigued, she checked the arrow once marked by the mother spider. ¡°What''s going on here? Wasn''t that thing wedged in the damn crevice and couldn''t move because it was so big? How the fuck did she get out of there?¡± As fast as she could, Jean returned to the lake. Five new arrows were moving in her direction where before there was only one. That could only mean that other beings had eaten the spider or that she had divided her power among 5 of her offspring. Either option meant that she was safer near Narhad. However, before she reached the lake, a new visitor surprised her. Narhad was talking to a hooded individual in front of the large portal. Jean disguised herself with Chameleon, but it didn''t do much good. Narhad turned to her after motioning the individual to cross the ripples. ¡°[Come closer, Jean!]¡± Jean took a step back, wary of her sudden friendly tone and the fact that she was calling her by name. Could it be that she had come to her senses and now wanted to give her a chance? Nah, it couldn''t be. However, even though she knew it was too suspicious, curiosity got the better of her. ¡°What are you up to? Why do you let others cross it and not me?¡± Narhad pointed to the portal. ¡°[If you want it so badly, do it! Don''t come crying later that it was too dangerous for you. She was level 29, you know!]¡± Jean smiled confidently. ¡°And what''s on the other side?¡± Narhad thought for a while before answering her. ¡°[Opportunities!]¡± That wasn''t very enlightening, but she approached it anyway. This time, almost all the runes of the portal reacted to her presence. Linguist and Identify acted in unison again. [This artifact keeps open a route to August 27, 433 of the Third Era in White Chapel.] ¡°Amazing! Only the weather forecast is missing!¡± Jean looked at Narhad. She seemed on the verge of losing her patience. ¡°[Get the hell in! Keeping this thing open is exhausting!]¡± ¡°Not without knowing first...¡± ¡°[I told you to enter!]¡± Dozens of tendrils of water formed from Narhad''s body, pushing her jointly. They both screamed from the mutual contact, but Narhad acted before Jean could react, grabbing her and throwing her at high speed towards the portal. Her entrance through the portal felt like a plunge without a splash. As if the discomfort in her body was replaced by a cold so intense, it cut into her skin like a thousand spears. The pain started reaching disproportionate heights, but she was not heard screaming even though she did. Her voice vanished in the darkness that spread in all directions. [The ?Player 314.127AJ? is requesting an incursion.] ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡± [Request allowed according to the rules. Incursion initiated.] In addition to the pain and despair, a sudden force pushed her into a tunnel of light that began to form around her. In just a few seconds, the feeling of vertigo was so strong that she thought her mind would break. Luckily, she only fainted. Chapter 17. Promise. [Wake up! You are participating in your first Incursion. Destination: White Chapel Date: August 27, 433 of the Third Era Number of players: 12 Purpose: Eradication of an imminent threat, Rank F.] [The state of corruption in your body has advanced to its second stage. Disease Resistance has prevented the progression to the irreversible third stage.] ¡° ¡° ¡°Yeah, sure! ... Wait a minute!¡± ¡° ?Human Player? Alignment: Neutral Level 29 Highest Attribute (Agility): 62 Name: Ilya Skills: [Invisibility], [Dark Vision] Marks: [Thief], [Killer], [Weaver]. Details: The corruption that afflicts you makes this player a slightly superior opponent than you. [Item: Note to Jean. Hello again, Jean! Since you don''t trust me, we have taken the liberty of making you see. Don''t hold it against Narhad. She follows orders, as do I. Your mission is simple. Meet Uthell, listen to what he has to say and kill him. Then, do with his body what you are best at. The latter part is the most important.] ¡° ¡° [Plague]: Corruption has taken root and you spread it by the mere touch. ¡°I¡¯m a source of corruption now?!¡± So even if I hadn''t been bitten by the infected, I would still have been infected by hitting them with my fists?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡° ¡° ¡°¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°¡°¡° ¡°No!¡± ¡° ¡°¡°¡° ¡° ¡°You two, stand guard in the door! ¡°¡°¡° ?Human Player? Alignment: Hostile Level 33 Highest Attribute (Strength): 65 Name: Tharoll Skills: [One-Handed Weapon Mastery], [Shield Mastery], [Shield Wall], [Efficient], [Rage] Marks: [Despot] Details: The corruption that afflicts you makes this player a slightly superior opponent than you. ¡°¡°¡°Emergen¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Chapter 18. What鈥檚 done, is done. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ?Black Goblin? Alignment: Very Hostile Level 6 Highest Attribute (Agility): 16 Name: Twisted-tooth Skills: [Stealthy], [Dark Vision] Marks: [Rat Eater], [Killer], [Torturer] Details: Even affected by corruption, this adversary is insignificant to you. ¡° ¡° ¡° [Devourer Vision has increased to Expert Rank. Unique skill. Consumes negligible amounts of mana to greatly amplify the reception of light photons. Ideal for dark environments. It also increases the detection of heat and energy sources.] [You have learned Sneaking Mastery¡ª Basic Rank. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.You have learned to slightly reduce the noise of your footsteps.] ¡°Yeah, but it''s not a good time for a nap. Buy me more remedies, please! At least three!¡± ?Brute Black Goblin? Alignment: Very Hostile Level 28 Highest Attribute (Strength): 52 Name: Heavy Fist Skills: [Rage], [Dark Vision], [Stealthy] Marks: [Rat Eater], [Mole Eater], [Killer], [Torturer] Details: The corruption that afflicts you equates your attributes with those of this creature. Chapter 19. The promise. [You have gathered a lot of new genetic information. After combining it with the material you have already obtained, you have created the following skills:] [You have learned Nimireth¡¯s Rage ¡ª Basic Rank. Unique skill. Consume moderate amounts of mana to temporarily increase one attribute by +5. (It will depend on the effect added.) Multiple attributes can be increased by applying more effects, but the consumption will increase drastically. With at least three active effects, it also increases your pain resistance.] [You have learned Flare ¡ª Basic Rank. You can create a tiny, but fast fire projectile. It¡¯s incendiary and admits effects.] [Devourer Barrier has increased to Advanced Rank. Unique skill. The barrier is twice as effective now.] [Pain Resistance has increased to Advanced Rank. Unique skill. Increase your capacity to withstand pain. The base value is 2% of the sum of your attributes. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 17,14%. [Nimireth¡¯s Toughness has increased to Advanced Rank. Unique skill. You gain +1 extra Toughness for every 9 points you have in the attribute.] [Disease Resistance has increased to Advanced Rank. Unique skill. Allows you to neutralize the effects of diseases and other magical afflictions. The base value is 20% of your base Resistance. Additionally, it increases by 1% per player level. Current value, 19%.] ¡°Flare!? ¡­ Let¡¯s try it out!¡± ¡°I''m sure I''ll find more use for it when it improves and I can add advanced effects." ¡°It was easier to get rid of her than I thought!¡± ¡° ¡°¡°I''ve already told you, I''m not leaving! She''ll show up! She promised me!¡± ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°This can''t be real!¡± ¡°And how will they know I killed the target?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough to take care of all the sons of a king, but... What do they have against him? Is that old man a bad person?¡± ¡°If he were a monster to his people, would it be easier?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ?Human Player? Alignment: Hostile Level: ??? Highest Attribute (Strength): ??? Name: Ian Skills: [Dark Shroud], [Harvest] Marks: [Killer], [Thief] Details: The attributes of this individual make him an impossible adversary to defeat. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Delightful, can''t be someone else? It always has to be me!¡± ¡° ¡°Fucking orc!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°When?! Every day before this one, or this one in particular?!¡± ¡° ¡°Did I call him in the end? Did I muster up the courage to dial the number?¡± ¡°That''s it! Ian, the neighbor''s son. The one who one day disappeared without a trace. Damn! How couldn''t I recognize him at the time? ... Did he remember me? That''s why he helped me back then?¡± ¡°This is not the time to remember childhood memories. Focus!¡± ¡°I have no patience for this shit!¡± Chapter 20. One of the 12. ¡° ¡°What did I expect? How is he going to recognize me if my body is completely different?¡± ¡°What is someone like him doing with a king? Unless... the old man also happened to be of the same suit.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ?Black Serpent''s Ring (Legendary)? Details: This ring allows immunity to poisons, curses and corrupting magic. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡° ?????? ?????? ¡°NO! I REFUSE!¡± ¡°Fuck! I really thought I wasn¡¯t gonna make it!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° [New Side Mission ?More time for Ilya I?: Find the shrines of the 9. Ilya must pray with devotion in them to postpone the advance of the corruption.]¡± [New Side Mission ?More time for Ilya II?: Return to Narhad and let her try to purify Ilya.]¡± ¡°Impossible! Not without a portal.¡± [New Side Mission ?Strengthen Ilya?: Help her to level up and acquire new skills, such as resistance or immunity to corruption.]¡± [New Side Mission ?Clean Ilya of corruption?: Upgrade your [Disease Resistance] skill to Legendary Rank and touch Ilya.]¡± ¡°That''s what that rank unlocks? ... Focus! You''d need to reach level 50 to achieve something like that...¡± [Gain her favor, devour her body and preserve her soul. With your skill, [Devourer''s Minion], create her an imperishable body, but bound to you.] ¡°Did I hear that correctly?! I can''t do that! ... No! I can''t! ... How far is the nearest shrine?¡± ¡° Chapter 21. Rampant. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°No, no, no! I have to hurry!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Human Player Alignment: Hostile Level 22 Name: Ok-Zor Skills: [Mist Slash], [Mist Thrust] Marks: [Bandit], [Killer], [Thief], [Rapist] Highest Attribute (Strength): 29 Details: An enemy of this level should not pose a challenge to you despite your affliction. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°God! This guy is a moron!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° [You have gathered a lot of new genetic information. After combining it with the material you have already obtained, you have created the following skills:] [You have learned Mist Thrust ¡ª Basic Rank. Energy projection in the form of a thrust. Its power decreases with distance and has a maximum range of 5 meters. It consumes stamina and no effects can be added to it.] [You have learned Mist Slash ¡ª Basic Rank. Energy projection in the form of a slash. Its power decreases with distance and has a maximum range of 5 meters. It consumes stamina and no effects can be added to it.] [Block and Deflection Weapon Mastery has increased to Expert Rank. You are now able to block and deflect attacks regardless of their power; block attacks from all angles without destabilizing yourself; and finally, add expert effects to this weapon mastery]. [Efficient has increased to Expert Rank. You consume 15% less mana and stamina.] ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Buy me more stones, please!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡°