《The Apocalypse Bites》 Chapter 000 - Coffee and the End of the World A bright bob of red hair weaved its way through the chaotic mess of the early morning subway station. The woman attached to the hair tried her best not to bump into any of the numerous early morning commuters as she rushed to get to her own platform. She nimbly stepped out of a collision course with an oblivious man holding what appeared to be a boiling cup of coffee, trying not to crash into the businesswoman walking briskly behind. She quickly stepped into the wake left by a large man who strode through the sea of pedestrians, people moving out to not get pushed around until the man started going off in a direction she didn¡¯t need to go to. Devi continued her dance through the crowd, quick, precise steps carried her away from all potential collisions until she finally stopped next to a brick wall, a little way away from one of the platforms. She let out a relieved sigh and leaned up against the wall, grateful to be out of the crazed mass of pedestrians. A pair of large headphones were pulled out of a bag slung over her shoulder and set over her ears. She pulled the hood of her jacket up and tried her best to meld into the wall behind her as she waited for her subway. She quickly checked the time on her phone. Right on time, 15 minutes before the subway should arrive. Never know when it¡¯s going to be early. She gave a mental shrug, though it rarely is early, mostly late if anything. At least I got my spot. The uncased phone was then slid back into her pocket as Devi settled back to wait for her subway. She spent the time people-watching in silence, trying her best to remain part of the background. Unfortunately for her, a man seemingly noticed her and made his way over. Well, there goes my peaceful morning, Devi thought bitterly as the man approached. Why do people have to be like this? The man approached and leaned up against the wall next to her. He looked to be in his early 30s, hair buzzed short with an unkempt beard did no favors for his slightly boxy face. If Devi had to guess, she would put him as middle management at some office. He just had the vibe of needing to tell people what to do, without actually knowing what to do. ¡°Hopefully the subway gets here on time, right?¡± the man said, trying to start up a conversation. Devi ignored him, hoping that her headphones would give the man a hint that she didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone, especially him. ¡°I¡¯m a general manager of ad design over at Advanti Sales,¡± the man continued, obviously not taking the hint. There was a hint of pride in the man¡¯s voice when he said it. Like that was supposed to be impressive or something, Devi thought scathingly. ¡°So, what do you do?¡± The man asked. Devi quickly glanced over to one of the many clocks hung around the station, noting she still had 4 minutes before the train was scheduled to arrive. Guess I can¡¯t hope the train gets here before I need to deal with the person. She let out a mental sigh and took popped one side of her headphones off, trying to draw as much attention to it as possible. ¡°Sorry, did you say something? ¡°Yeah, I was just commenting on how I hope the subway isn¡¯t late, since I¡¯ve got a meeting with the VP of sales today.¡± He turned towards Devi and rested his arm against the brick wall. Devi rolled her eyes mentally but remained outwardly calm. ¡°Fun,¡± she said noncommittedly. Hopefully he takes the hint and pesters someone else about his life. ¡°So, what do you do for work?¡± Apparently, he can not take a hint after all. ¡°Engineering,¡± she replied in a clipped tone, and then promptly put her headphone back in place over her ear, muffling the noise of the station. Please let that be obvious enough. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really cool. Must mean you¡¯re pretty smart, right? I could never do something like that.¡± Devi slowly turned to the man that was pestering her. ¡°That much is obvious,¡± she said as she quickly flicked her eyes over him, and then turned her head away, looking at the tracks, keeping the man in her peripheral. There was an awkward pause as the man stood there, unsure of what to do. It only lasted a few seconds before he muttered something about the subway coming soon as he wandered off to another spot in the station. Devi let out a deep breath, her body slowly untensing from the encounter. I really wish I did not have to talk to people. After a few minutes more of Devi trying her best to blend into the bricks behind her, the subway came, and she joined the throng of humans rushing to get seats ******** ~?----?~ ******** Devi didn¡¯t spare a glance at the impressive building that she entered, though the first few times she had walked into the lab she had taken a bit of time to soak into the impressive building. A modern-looking office building, with lots of glass and unique angles that told everyone that they were trying very hard to look futuristic. The large gear-shaped logo proudly declaring the company name to be TomorowThink. She quickly slipped through one of the multiple glass doors adorning the front of the building. A bright bubbly face greeted her as soon as Devi stepped into the building. Janice was in her normal spot at the welcome desk, a beaming smile across her face. I have no idea the full extent of what Janice does, but there is no amount of money in the world that would see me sitting down on the other side of that desk, Devi thought to herself as she nodded in return to Janice¡¯s warm welcome that she gave to everyone. She better be making the big bucks, having to greet every single person, with a smile as well! With her greeting done, Devi pulled out her lanyard and used it to pass through the gates on the far side of the impressive lobby. Walking past the elevators, she elected to take the stairs down to the specific lab she worked in, not wanting to be trapped in a small space with a bunch of random people, or worse, someone she tangentially knew. As she was walking down the hallway, she spotted the familiar figure of her supervisor, Mark. He was a pretty good boss if a little oblivious most of the time. Usually, one to take a hands-off approach, he mainly stayed out of his team¡¯s hair, preferring to do his own work than micromanage everyone else. Unfortunately, the team¡¯s deadline for their latest project they had been assigned was fast approaching, and there had been a few snags recently, so Mark had been a little more hands-on than usual. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Mark raised his hand in greeting, and Devi slowed to a stop to talk. ¡°Did you get those drawings done yet, Devi?¡± Mark asked. ¡°They were done yesterday, I handed them over to Simon before I left.¡± ¡°Well, he said he never got them.¡± I would not trust Simon with boiling water, let alone being on a design team. ¡°I will go check, he probably did not see them,¡± she replied. ¡°Thanks Devi, management wants to see a prototype of what we¡¯re trying to do, not just the drawing by now. We should have gotten something out by now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start printing something then, though I won¡¯t have time for anything very precise, so I don¡¯t know how well anything will work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as it¡¯s something physical, I can work with that. My bosses want to see what we¡¯ve been working on tomorrow, so we don¡¯t have too much time.¡± With that, Mark bustled off somewhere, leaving Devi to swipe her badge and enter the space where the team worked. A couple of 3D printers were off to one side, currently waiting to be used while a few desks and worktables were scattered around the room. On one of the tables sat the mangled remains of the latest failed prosthetic prototype. It had failed due to an oversight regarding the wires needed to control them not being properly added to the drawing, making the joints not able to articulate as they should. That led to the whole thing crumpling in on itself since the program thought it would move in a way that wasn¡¯t possible. Devi logged into her station and bought up the drawings that she had added the cables and wires to. Checking the internal work service, she confirmed that the updated drawing had indeed been shared, and an email had been sent to Simon alerting him to the fact. Rolling her eyes, she prepared the new drawing to be printed and sent them over to the two printers. Double-checking the filaments that were loaded in the printers, Devi started the printing process. With the whirring of the printers as background, she started poking around at the code, throwing it into a few simulations of the prosthetic, making sure there weren¡¯t going to be any other unforeseen complications. While she was working on that, one of her coworkers came into the lab. They exchanged a brief nod of greeting, and they both went back to what they were doing. She got along the best with Mathew, mainly because he kept to himself, and wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. He was actually an amazing coder, being the one to do most of the actual coding for the prosthetic, with Devi helping out a bit. He logged into his station and turned to Devi. ¡°Did Simon not check the servers for the drawings again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s par for the course at this point,¡± Devi responded, and they both rolled their eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t know why he¡¯s even on this team,¡± Mathew complained. ¡°Nepotism,¡± was Devi¡¯s reply, and they both returned to their own workstations. After a few hours, the printers finished the parts, since she had done a rushed job trying to get something that kind of worked so that they could show it off. She inspected the finished parts, noting the multitude of errant strands and imperfections that she would have to sand off to get the pieces to fit together as they should. Devi sat hunched over a row of intricate plastic pieces, meticulously sanding away the imperfections the printer left. A small pile of shavings soon accumulated as Devi got absorbed in her work, the world around her fading from her consciousness. She absentmindedly tucked a strand of curly red hair behind her ear, a brief flicker of annoyance on her face from the monetary distraction, before focusing once again on her task. ¡°Hey there Dav- I mean Devi, how¡¯s the new prototype coming along?¡± A voice rang out behind her. Devi¡¯s focus snapped at the annoying voice of Simon, her coworker, her hand slipping and carving out a large gouge in the piece she was filing down. ¡°It was going good,¡± Devi replied in a clipped tone as she picked up the ruined part. ¡°I had to rush the print, so the tolerances won¡¯t be as precise, but this iteration should have taken that into account. As well as the cords.¡± Simon bent over her shoulder to inspect the neatly arrayed parts, almost all of them having been cleaned up and sanded. ¡°Looks like it should work. I can take it from here. Why don¡¯t you go get everyone a coffee?¡± Devi stamped down hard on the anger that was trying to bubble up from that comment. ¡°It would be better for everyone to work on this project instead,¡± Devi said. ¡°We really don¡¯t need any coffee right now,¡± Mathew spoke up from the other side of the room. ¡°We need to get this finished soon.¡± Simon scoffed and turned to Philip, the last member of the team, who was standing next to him. ¡°We can handle it, can¡¯t trust the intern with things like this. Better they get coffee instead of making another mistake like forgetting to include room for the wires.¡± Everyone just looked at Simon, as they all knew that it was Simon¡¯s fault for not putting them in, as he was the one modeling the electronics. Devi waited for a few seconds for anyone to speak up, but everyone just stood there awkwardly. Mathew gave her a weak smile, and Philp didn¡¯t meet her eyes. ¡°What does everyone want?¡± Devi asked. I¡¯ll just get this done and get back before Simon can mess anything up. He¡¯s only on this team because his uncle is some bigwig executive. Something he never shuts up about. ******** ~?----?~ ******** Devi walked briskly to the small coffee shop that was a few blocks away from the lab, seething the whole way. There had been nothing she could have done to get out of it, with everyone not wanting to confront Simon and the fact that there wasn¡¯t really anything that could be done. I¡¯m very tempted to do something to Simon¡¯s coffee, it¡¯s not like he would notice or anything. Maybe a generous portion of chili powder would do the trick. Devi grinned to herself at the thought of seeing Simon frantically trying to cool his mouth. Everyone knew that he couldn¡¯t handle the barest hint of anything spicy. I feel like that would be an appropriate level of payback for the number of idiotic actions I¡¯ve had to witness him performing, more often than most, they¡¯re directed at me. Thankfully, the coffee shop that Simon had chosen was basically empty, the early morning rush for coffee long past. She slipped through the doors and went straight up to the counter to order. It didn¡¯t take long for the barista to come up to greet her and start taking her order. Devi repeated all her coworkers'' orders from memory, not having bothered to write them down. Simon¡¯s was unnecessarily complex, while the rest were quite simple, and Devi¡¯s own was just black coffee. With that done, Devi stepped back and slipped into a seat near the back of the cafe to wait for the order to be ready. As she was sitting there, a flash of light outside caught her eye. She turned to look out the large storefront windows to see the sky light up in a blinding cascade of colors. Bright iridescent sparks seemed to poor out from the sky, slowly spreading over the horizon. In just a few seconds, all she could see when she looked up was a blanket of lights. Devi put up a hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sparks. The light was almost blinding, but also not quite burning her eyes to look at. Her eyes widened in shock as the sky seemed to fall down, the lights streaming toward Earth with reckless abandon. All she could do was watch in growing apprehension as the sky seemed to fall to earth in a scintillating descent. The lights washed over the tall skyscraper in mere moments and then crashed into Devi. She fought with her body to keep her eyes open, not wanting to miss the last moments of Earth. Her vision turned bright white as the lights neared. She braced herself for the inevitable contact, but when it came, instead of pain and heat, her whole body felt alive for a few seconds before everything felt like it was waking up. It was like a thousand needles were pricking her whole body simultaneously. Not painful per se, but definitely unpleasant. The sensation only lasted a few seconds before it faded, and she regained her vision. Devi looked around frantically but didn¡¯t recognize where she was. For starters, there were no looming buildings blocking out the sun, instead, there were large trees towering in the distance. A carpet of lush green grass covered the clearing where she found herself in. Herself, and quite a number of other individuals all wearing loose greenish-brown clothing. Glancing down at herself, Devi found she was also wearing the same garments as everyone else. The oddest part of the whole express was the floating semi-translucent box in front of her face. No matter how Devi turned her head, it was always there, though when she didn¡¯t focus, it faded into the background. She turned her attention to it.
Welcome denizen, to the cosmos! Your journey is but starting, reach for the stars and grasp the power to control your fate. Good Luck!
Well, this certainly is interesting. Chapter 001 - Go to Class, Get a Job Devi had been having a pretty average day; go to work, forced to go get coffee for everyone, but that all changed with the end of the world. Or at least, what she thought was the end of the world. What else would you call the sky falling down in a cascade of lights? Though, if this is the afterlife, a lot of people were very wrong about it, she thought to herself as she scanned her surroundings. Devi stood in a large clearing, surrounded by towering trees on all sides, with a throng of people milling about inside. All of them were wearing the same outfit she was, a plain, greenish-brown shirt and a pair of trousers made of the same material. The clothing fit reasonably well but was a lot less comfortable than the usual polysynthetic blend she wore. She squinted at the tree line, noticing a faint shimmer in the air. It reminded her of a soapy bubble, barely visible until the light hit it just right, showing off its myriad of colors. She scanned the whole clearing, noting that the odd shimmer encircled the whole thing as far as she could tell. As she looked over the clearing, she saw an odd-looking pillar in the center, sticking out like a sore thumb in the carpet of lush grass. Devi guessed it was around 15 feet tall, and looked to be carved out of grey stone. A few people had gathered around it, running their hands over its surface. Some of the figures began to gesture wildly to those around them, talking animatedly. Devi was too far away to hear what they were saying, and could only catch glimpses of them through the crowd. Definitely, something to check out, later, once there are not as many people, Devi thought to herself, and then focused on the odd floating blue box in her vision.
Welcome denizen, to the cosmos! Your journey is but starting, reach for the stars and grasp the power to control your fate. Good Luck!
As soon as she thought about the box, it came to the forefront of her vision instead of fading into the background. When she tried to focus on the trees instead of the box, it faded from her mind except for a whisper of a thought that it was still there. Bringing it back into view, Devi studied the odd apparition in her vision. She reached out a hand and tried to touch the window, only for her hand to pass through empty air, the window not even flickering. Devi then whipped her head to the side, but the window followed seamlessly. It appears to be more of a hallucination than anything, Devi hummed to herself. I wonder if I¡¯m the only one seeing something like this? She quickly looked around, and saw quite a number of the people around her waving their hands in front of their faces, and staring off into the distance. As she continued to observe them, a few were enveloped by a faint multicolored glow momentarily, before it faded. It appears that at least the majority of the other people here are seeing something in front of their faces, just like I am, Devi reasoned. More than likely, it¡¯s the same one. It looks very generic. I wonder if I can make it go away. As soon as she thought about it going away, it faded from her consciousness, to be replaced with another blue box
While your home planet Ax7-9xMw7-3qN97 (Earth) is undergoing energy stabilization, you have been placed in a Tutorial. There are unique opportunities to be had, but danger is never far. Look at your Status, obtain a Class and Vocation, and venture out into the wilds. Good luck!
Devi paused to digest the new information the blue box had given her. Looks like I¡¯m not on Earth anymore, if these messages can be believed, though the sky is too clear to be back on Earth, Devi reasoned with herself. So going to just assume they are telling the truth for the time being. She looked at the next line, a little apprehensive about the mention of danger. Though rewards are never without risk. I wonder what sort of rewards it could be talking about. I¡¯m in a forest, not many rewards here. The next line caught her attention, having seen something similar in many games she had played. It can¡¯t be referring to classes like you¡¯d find in an RPG, right? How would that make any sense? And how do I even check my Status- As soon as Devi thought about checking her status, a new box appeared in front of the previous one.
Status
Name Devi Robinson
Race Human (G) Lvl 0
Class -- --
Vocation -- --
Titles Tutorial Attendee
Health 100 Stamina 90 Mana 110
Attributes
Vitality 10 Toughness 9
Endurance 9 Wisdom 11
Vigor 10 Presence 7
Agility 12 Intelligence 12
Strength 8 Willpower 13
Free points --
General Skills
[EMPTY] [EMPTY] If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [EMPTY]
Class Skills
[LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Vocation Skills
[LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Guess it can be talking about things straight out of an RPG, Devi thought, surprised. Though it does not look like any I have played before. Devi scanned over the box, noting a few things. The first thing she saw was her name, proudly stated right at the top. Her face morphed into a large smile at the sight of that. The next thing she saw was her race. If it has a spot for race, then there are probably other races than humans out there, she reasoned. If I can trust whatever this is. Though after seeing the odd lights in the sky, and suddenly being transported somewhere else, I might as well accept whatever is happening right now is real. I do not lose anything by assuming this is reality and it turns out it is not, but if I ignore this, and it turns out to be real... She trailed off and looked back at her Status, and what does the G mean next race? Could it be alignment, g for good? She gave a mental shrug and looked at the next two lines, Class and Vocation. The message said something about selecting a Class- Once again, another blue box appeared in front of the old one.
Requirements met: please choose your Class Note: You will not be able to earn Class based XP until after you have chosen. All Class XP will be lost until your Class has advanced. Novice Tank (inferior) Novice Fighter (inferior) Novice Rogue (inferior) Novice Ranger (inferior) Novice Mage (inferior) Novice Healer (inferior) Novice Support (inferior)
Devi scanned the new message box, looking at the range of Classes she could apparently choose from. Quite a number of options, she thought as she studied each one. When she focused on the top one, the Novice Tank, she got an odd feeling. She couldn¡¯t quite place her finger on it, but it felt sturdy, protective, and heavy. She shrugged and focused on the next one on the list, Novice Fighter and she got the feeling of combat, weapons, and contest. Is that all I¡¯m getting to base my choice on? The general vibe of each class? She frowned, annoyed at the lack of information she was being given. That message said there was danger here, and I¡¯m assuming these Classes will let me face that danger if it follows the logic of most RPGs I¡¯ve played. And I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to change my choice later. Better assume that I won¡¯t, and choose the best option, with the little information I have available, she thought bitterly. Going to the next option, Novice Rogue, she felt stealthiness, shadows, and isolation. That option seemed to resonate with her. From what she could remember, rogues were stealth operatives, usually acting alone, scouting or assassinating people. Would definitely not mind having a Class that specifically lets me avoid people, she thought, remembering her interaction with the random stranger at the subway station this morning. The next option was Novice Ranger. That one brought to mind feelings of nature, archery, and hunting. Devi, being the city girl she was, immediately removed that from her list of possibilities. Not that I don¡¯t like nature, it is amazing and wonderful, but I would rather be surrounded by four walls and preferably a roof than spending my days wandering about in nature. Novice Mage was up next, which caught her eye. She had always been enamored with the concept of magic, but as she delved deeper into the sciences, the space magic could reside grew smaller and smaller until she was forced to admit that the probability of magic being real was slim. Now, with the word mage staring at her, in addition to the odd spot on her Status screen declaring that she had mana, Devi was beginning to think that her assumption that magic was not possible could have been made in error. This class felt of magic, power, and control. If magic is real, then this is a very promising class, Devi thought to herself, remembering the multitude of instances where she pretend she could cast magic as a small child. Going down the list to Novice Healer, that one invoked feelings of healing, protectiveness, and regeneration. No surprise there. It probably does exactly what it says on the tin, heals people Though the question is if it is mundane healing or magical in nature. Devi thought about it for a while, before deciding that it really didn¡¯t matter, since she really didn¡¯t want to be stuck healing people. Healers always get the short end of the stick from all the games I¡¯ve played. It is safe to assume that it will be no different here. The last Class on the list was Novice Support. From that one, she got feelings of utility, and support, along with a mixed feeling of all the other classes. Devi did not know quite what to feel about this class. On one hand, it seemed to be based on being a part of a team, but on the other, it seemed like a jack-of-all-trades sort of class, something that Devi had always liked. There¡¯s a hint of magic about this class as well, but not quite as much as the mage one. Also, I¡¯d probably be stuck needing other people. She paused for a moment, though, I could always just support myself instead. No real reason to be beholden to a team. She looked over the list of classes again, filtering out the ones she absolutely did not want to choose. The first to go was Novice Ranger since she did not want to be stuck needing to be in nature. The next to go was Novice Tank and Novice Fighter. Both had feelings of needing to be up close and personal to fight, and that held no appeal to her. If I am going to need to fight something, I want to do it from far away, she reasoned. After removing those from her list, Devi took off Novice Healer as well. That left her with only three options to choose from, Rogue, Mage, and Support. All three of the remaining classes had elements she wanted. Novice Rogue implied working alone from the shadows, which Devi could definitely appreciate. Novice Mage was geared towards magic, something that Devi had always dreamed about ever since she was a child. And lastly, Novice Support offered a little bit of everything. Devi thought over her choices. The rogue one is the best if I want to not have to interact with people, but that is the only one that does not have a hint of magic to it, so that is a major demerit. The other options all have magic but rely on other people. Or, at least I¡¯m assuming they do. If my mental image of a mage is correct, they need people in front of them to offer protection while they work their magic. Very frail and weak outside of their magic. The support, on the other hand, needs other people so they can support them. After a few minutes of deliberation, Devi decided to remove Novice Rogue from her consideration. The main factor behind her decision was the lack of magic. If there is magic now, I need to have it. That left her only two options, a mage or support. Now, how much magic do I want? Devi questioned herself. The mage seems to focus solely on magic, while the support only has it as an option. If I decided to go with the mage, I would be forced to only focus on magic, while the support would let me explore everything else. Also, both of these options are going to make me work with other people, so there is that to consider. Devi paused to think about the team aspect of both Classes. If my experience in RPGs holds up to this environment, since it seems to be loosely based on one, there will be quite a few people who choose Novice Mage whereas not that many will choose support. And since there will be fewer people who choose to be a Novice Support, then there will be more opportunities to form teams, Devi reasoned to herself. It appears that choosing Novice Support would be the best option out of all of them. They appear to have access to magic and will have an easier time finding people willing to group up with them for everyone¡¯s benefit. Giving one last look at the mage, Devi focused on the last option, and with a mental confirmation, selected her Class. I will still have magic, hopefully. Once she had done so, the Class selection window disappeared to be replaced with a new one. Before she had a chance to see what it said, a faint shimmer of multicolored light enveloped her for a brief moment. It seemed to emanate from her chest and expand outwards. As it did, Devi felt an odd tingling sensation, not unlike what she had experienced as the sky fell just a few moments earlier. The sensation passed just as quickly as it started. I guess that was what the odd lights surrounding people were. They were choosing their Classes, Devi guessed. She looked at the new window that had appeared.
Class has advanced to Novice Support (inferior) lvl 0
She dismissed the box and looked at her Status page again. The only thing that had changed was the space next to her Class had now been filled in with Novice Support, and her Class skills had changed to [EMPTY] instead of [LOCKED]. Next item on the to-do list, select a Vocation. This time, Devi was ready for the blue box that appeared once she had thought about selecting her Vocation.
Requirements met: please choose your Vocation Note: You will not be able to earn Vocation based XP until after you have chosen. All Vocation XP will be lost until your Vocation has advanced. Novice Crafter (inferior) Novice Builder (inferior) Novice Tinkerer (inferior) Novice Socialite (inferior) Novice Merchant (inferior)
Looking over the much smaller list of Vocations she was offered, Devi immediately dismissed the last two listings. Both of those seem horrendous, definitely public-facing jobs. I would not be caught dead doing either one of those. She then started going over each of the other options individually. Novice Crafter had a feeling of creation and artistry. If I had to guess, and I do, Devi thought sourly, this Vocation involves creating items, like being a tailor or blacksmithing. It had a certain appeal to it since she had always loved making things, creating anything with her hands. The next option on the list was Novice Builder. This one invoked feelings of sturdiness and large-scale projects. Constructing buildings or other infrastructure had always fascinated Devi, but not in the sense she would want to do it. More so in the way of loving to see how things worked and were made. She had always loved driving by a construction site and getting to see the building slowly being fabricated, but Devi had never wished to be the one doing the building. Since this vocation seemed to focus more on large-scale building projects, it dropped to the bottom of the three choices. There is also the fact that you would have to work with a team of people to build anything. One person is not going to be able to make anything of note. Other than the two choices that Devi had outright refused to look at, Novice Tinkerer was the last option to inspect. When she focused, she got the feeling of innovation and research. Both of which resonated deeply with her. That is basically what I was doing before the end of the world, Devi thought to herself. And what I went to school for. The more she thought about it, the more this Vocation seemed to fit. Out of the options, the only two I would even consider are Novice Crafter and Novice Tinkerer. The crafter seems to be focused on the craft itself. Making items and the process behind it. Whereas the tinkerer appears to be focused on researching and designing new ways to do things. Devi was not absolutely sure of her assessment of the Vocations, though she was fairly confident it was accurate enough to base her decision on. Out of the list of Vocations offered to her, the one that Devi was leaning toward was the Novice Tinkerer. From what she could understand, it was the closest to what she had been doing before. Having made up her mind, she mentally focused on the Vocation. Once again, a faint iridescent glow enveloped her, sending an odd sensation throughout her body. It only lasted a few moments, just as with her Class selection, before fading along with the glow.
Vocation has advanced to Novice Tinkerer (inferior) lvl 0
Another glance at her Status window showed that her Vocation was now indeed Novice Tinkerer, and her Vocation Skills and changed to [EMPTY]. Devi waited for a few moments, wondering if there were going to be any other messages giving her hints on what to do next, but nothing came. I guess that¡¯s all I¡¯m getting. The message just said, ¡°venture out into the wilds.¡± She looked over at the looming trees on the edges of the clearing, postulating that the wilds mentioned were out there. I think I will wait to go out into the forest. Devi looked over at the odd pillar of stone sticking out of the middle of the clearing. A few more people had made their way over to it and were placing their hands on it. That seems like a better place to explore first, Devi thought and started to walk through the crowd in that direction. Chapter 0002 - Pillars of Civilization Devi made her way through the people-infested clearing. She could see small clumps of humans starting to form as individuals started reaching out to others to try and understand the situation they had landed in. She caught snippets of conversation where people were trying to figure out what had just happened. Some groups of people seemed to already know each other. After passing the third cluster of people who seemingly knew each other, Devi started to suspect that everyone here was not chosen at random. Thinking back, she thought she had seen the pink-haired barista that Devi had ordered coffee from just before the sky exploded into sparks nearby in the clearing. Maybe everyone was grouped up based on where we were before the end of the world, Devi theorized to herself. It would be interesting to see if everyone here had been in the same section of New York as me, or if whatever placed us here only cared about keeping small groups of people together. It could be that whatever is behind this separated people into groups based on location and then randomly put those groups together. Or it took everyone from a certain location and dumped them here. In any case, Devi did not have nearly enough information to come to any conclusion besides that it appeared that the groupings of people were not completely random. Devi shrugged and continued walking to the large slate-grey pillar that towered over the flat clearing. When she got close, she slowed her usual fast-paced stride to give her more time to investigate the situation before going in. Now that she was closer, she could see the pillar was completely smooth with no discernible blemishes. Around the pillar, there were a few people pressing their hands on the surface, while staring off into space. Curious, Deiv found a relatively free spot and placed her hand up against the surface of the pillar. To her surprise, the stone was warm to the touch, even as she was in its shadow. As soon as her hand made contact with the pillar, a new window spang into existence before her eyes.
Pillar of Civilization (Unowned)
Store Leaderboard [LOCKED]
Items Skills Race Class Vocation [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
99 days, 23 hours, 48 minutes
Universal Credits 500 Currency Exchange
Devi scanned over the new window. Interesting, she thought to herself, it looks like whatever this is object is called a Pillar of Civilization. I wonder if that is supposed to be taken literally or figuratively. She smirked to herself, imagining a whole civilization built with all the buildings leaning on this pillar for support. The countdown is ominous though. By her reconning, it had been around 10 minutes since she had appeared inside this clearing, meaning whatever this timer was ticking towards, it started roughly as soon as the world ended. The next thing Devi focused on was that there was a store, both for items and Skills. I guess that¡¯s how I can change the [EMPTY] slots on the Status screen then. The only problem was that she did not see any way to select the Store option. With my Status window, all I had to do was focus on it, Devi reasoned, while mentally trying to select that tab. She tried for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Changing tracks, she decided to focus on navigating to the items section. The moment she attempted to navigate to that section, the window changed.
Pillar of Civilization (Unowned)
Store Leaderboard [LOCKED]
Items Skills Race Class Vocation [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Weapons
  • Basic sword (G) (inferior) 50 UC
  • Basic spear (G) (inferior) 15 UC
  • Basic dagger (G) (inferior) 10 UC
  • Basic bow (G) (inferior) 70 UC
  • Basic crossbow (G) (inferior) 100 UC
Armor
  • Basic heavy armor (G) (inferior) 75 UC
  • Basic light armor (G) (inferior) 45 UC
  • Basic heavy shield (G) (inferior) 30 UC
  • Basic light shield (G) (inferior) 15 UC
Magic tools
  • Basic mana focus (G) (inferior) 75 UC
  • Basic fire starter (G) (inferior) 25 UC
  • Basic water purifier (G) (inferior) 40 UC
Mundane tools
  • Basic Builder tools (G) (inferior) 25 UC
  • Basic Crafter tools (G) (inferior) 25 UC
  • Basic Tinkerer tools (G) (inferior) 25 UC
Universal Credits 500 Currency Exchange
It now listed out a myriad of different items that she could buy, for what she assumed were Universal Credits, which she apparently had 500 of. I could buy almost everything in the store at the same time with how much money I have. What surprised her were the prices of some things, such as a few of the magic tools being less expensive than the majority of the other items listed. I definitely have to get my hands on a few of the magic tools. I have no idea what exactly they will do, but I have a mighty need now. All of the items had the small inferior next to them, in addition to a G. Those keep popping up, first in my Status, then when I chose my Class and Vocation, and now here. Maybe they¡¯re a ranking system? Down at the bottom of the window, was an odd section titled Currency Exchanged. Intrigued, Devi focused on selecting it. When she did, a new window popped up.
Currency Exchange
UC -> XP XP -> UC
Note: You may not convert more UC into XP than you have, and converting XP into UC may not reduce your level below what it started at.
So it looks like you can convert experience to currency and visa versa. I was kind of expecting an option to empty your bank account and turn it into Universal Credits. This makes a little more sense though. It is interesting to see that XP can be used to buy things. Looking through the options, it appeared that she could convert 1 Credit into 3 XP, but she could convert 10 points of XP into a single Credit. Looks like the process isn¡¯t equal. It is vastly easier to go from XP to Credits than the other way around. The difference bothered her, since there was no apparent reason for it to be that way. If something does not behave in the way you believe it should, then your grasp of the situation is not complete. There must be a reason why there is an imbalance between the ratios, Devi reasoned. Could the process not be identical? Or there is some sort of tax on one transaction rather than the other? Devi frowned for a bit, thinking about why there would be a discrepancy on each side of what appeared to be the same transaction, just inverses of each other. In the end, she decided that she did not have near enough information to understand why it was, but made a mental note to look into it further. With a shrug, Devi turned her attention to the other part of the Store section, Skills. She was excited about this section, wondering what sort of Skills would be there. As everything so far seemed to be based loosely on gaming elements, whatever Skills entailed, it should be interesting.
Pillar of Civilization (Unowned)
Store Leaderboard [LOCKED]
Items Skills Race Class Vocation [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. General
  • [Inspect] (inferior) 100 UC
Class
  • [Attribute Enhancement] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [First Aid] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Mana Shield] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Attribute Drain] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Magic Tool Proficiency] (inferior) 100 UC
Vocation
  • [Improvise Tool] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Sketch Design] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Improvise Material] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Assess Item] (inferior) 100 UC
  • [Mental Note] (inferior) 100 UC
Universal Credits 500 Currency Exchange
Devi frowned at the list of skills the window showed her. To her, it felt a little lackluster, since she had been expecting options to throw around fireballs or something similar. There is that pesky inferior next to all of the skills, just like the Classes and Vocations. It is possible that the ratings of the Classes and Vocations affect the skills. That line of reasoning made sense to her, but she still had no idea how to obtain a higher rating option in either her Class and Vocation, since all the options presented to her were all inferior. Frustrated at the lack of any real information she had, she turned back to looking at the skills offered. As all of them only cost 100 Credits, she could afford 5 of them, if she did not buy anything else. That still would not fill all of the [EMPTY] Skills on her Status screen, which was mildly annoying. A few of the Skills caught her eye, the first being [Magic Tools Proficiency]. With that skill appearing, Devi assumed that the magic tools that she saw in the items section of the store were not easily usable. If there was a whole Skill dedicated to being proficient in their use, then it must not be a simple process. That Skill is definitely on my short list now, Devi thought. She tried to focus on the Skill, but it did not give her any odd feelings like the Classes and Vocations did. Guess I only get the names of the Skill, no vibes from them it seems. Not that much to base decisions on, unfortunately. The next two Skills that she was interested in were [Attribute Enhancment] and [Attribute Drain]. They sounded like a buff and a debuff Skill respectively, both of which could potentially be extremely useful. Especially if I want to fulfill the role of a support like my Class says. Devi then looked through the Skill associated with her Vocation. All of the were ones she wanted, as she could see so many uses for them, if they did what she assumed they did, based on their names. The only Skill that she was uncertain of was [Improvise Material]. How can you improvise a material? Does it mean McGyvering something? The Skill that looked the most useful to her was [Improvise Tool]. She would rather always be able to have the tool she needed than have a material she wanted, but no tools to do anything with it. A startled yelp sounded from her right, and when she looked over, Devi saw a young man jumping away from a sheathed sword that fell to the ground right in front of him. After a brief moment of shock, the young man leaned over and grabbed the sword, looking around in confusion as to where it came from. I guess that¡¯s how you get any items you buy, Devi postulated. They just appear out of nothing in front of you. The surprise of seeing something being teleported, or even created out of thin air, was damped by the fact that Devi had seen the sky fall apart and then was teleported to where she was now. Devi noticed that the yelp had attracted attention to the pillar, and more people were making their way over. Better finish up here and leave soon. She wanted to check out the leaderboard section of the window, but the threat of being in the middle of a throng of people persuaded her to look at it later. It is not like it will disappear, she reasoned. Probably. She had already finalized what Skills she wanted to buy, and what items looked the most interesting. [Attribute Enhancement] should be a very useful Skill to have, and I can not see any team not wanting someone who can buff to join them. With that reasoning, she focused on selecting the Skill from the list and sent a mental confirmation that she wanted to purchase it.
The Skill [Attribute Enhancement] has been purchased. You have an [EMPTY] Class Skill slot. Would you wish to slot [Attribute Enhancement]?
Yes No
Devi mentally selected Yes, and an odd tingling sensation spread throughout her body. A lot less intense than when she selected her Class and Vocation, but still noticeable. The sensation was accompanied by the same faint multicolored light that was apparently everpresent here. When she went to go purchase her second Skill, [Improvise Tool], to her surprise, all the prices had been raised to 200 UC instead of the original 100. Now that is concerning if the price doubles each time, after only a few purchases, the price will become exorbitant. She quickly selected the next Skill she wanted to purchase, [Improvise Tool]. Being without a tool when you need one is the worst feeling. How many times have I needed a small knife to cut open a box, but did not have it on hand? Hopefully, with this Skill I won¡¯t have to worry about that again. Devi accepted the prompt that asked her if she wanted to slot the Skill into an [EMPTY] spot and experienced the full body tingle once again. When she looked at the store again, to her pleasant surprise, the cost of buying a Skill was set at 300 Credits instead of the 400 she expected. With her two Skills, she was left with only 200 Credits, not enough to buy any more skills, so her only options were to buy items or save her Credits. Deciding that saving her Credits was not worth it, mainly because she wanted to buy a magic tool, she navigated back to the items section. Devi had been keeping an eye on the others around her while she had been perusing the menus, and had noticed quite a few items appear out of thin are like the sword, always right in front of someone, so she had an idea of what to expect when she purchased something. The first thing she decided to buy was the basic fire starter because Devi had no idea how to start one by hand, and seeing as she was stuck in a forest with no real way out, she figured she¡¯d need a fire at some point. And also because it was a magic tool related to fire. I am definitely not a pyromaniac, she reassured herself, I love fire just as much as the next gal, but everyone can agree that fire is the best. She mentally confirmed her choice, seeing her Credit total decrease to only 175. The moment after she did, a small metallic rod, about 20 cm long, appeared directly in front of her. Already expecting it, she reached out her hand and snatched it out of the air. It was lighter than she had expected and cool to the touch. She ran her fingers across the odd engravings that wound their way up from the base to the tapered point. Besides those, the metallic rod was completely smooth, with a rounded bottom, and no sharp edges. Even the point at the top was rounded off, making the whole thing look like a stake that someone had worried would fall into the hands of a small child. Devi slipped the rod into her pocket, thanking whoever had made the clothes she was wearing for putting pockets in them. Everything should have pockets and anything that doesn¡¯t should be burned. The next item that Devi wanted to buy was the crossbow. She had the feeling she would need a weapon at some point, given that the store provided options for them in addition to the ominous message stating that there was danger here. But Devi had no idea how to use any of them. A sword sounded awesome, but everything she had heard about them said they required a lot of practice. And it would require her to be up close and personal. The regular bow had been her next thought, but again, it was something that would require a lot of practice to get right, something that Devi did not want to chance. The crossbow seemed like the best choice. It was literally point and shoot, nothing hard about that. It was just quite a bit more expensive than the other options, giving her a slight pause. Deciding that being able to use whatever weapon she bought immediately instead of needing to take time to figure out its use like she would have to do with a regular bow, Devi mentally confirmed the purchase of a crossbow. Just like before, the item materialized out of thin air. Devi fumbled a little, the crossbow being a little longer than half a meter, but didn¡¯t anticipate that a quiver of bolts to appear as well. They clattered to the earth, while Devi secured the heavy mechanical contraption that she had managed to catch. The bow she was holding felt very solid, but plain, focusing on functionality over aesthetics. The stock was made out of wood, while the arms looked to be metallic. There was also a lever attached to the bow as well, probably used in loading it. She leaned the bow against her leg and bent down to retrieve the fallen quiver full of bolts. A quick told her she had 20 of them, all contained in a leather quiver that was attached to a leather strap. The strap appeared to be too small to fit across her chest, so she assumed it was meant to be a belt. Devi quickly wrapped it around her waist and buckled it on, which had the quiver resting on her right hip. It felt rather strange to have a quiver of bolts strapped to her side while carring a full crossbow, but having seen the sky fall down and then teleported to a random forest where she had seen strange screens appear in her vision, it was not the oddest part of her day. Devi turned back to the store, two more purchases to make. She looked longingly at the basic mana focus but had determined that it was unfeasible to buy it. I already got a magic tool. Once I figure out how to make more Credits, I will return and get it, she promised herself. Instead, she looked at the light armor and basic Tinkerer¡¯s tools. Both were items that seemed more important than another magic tool, even though Devi desperately wanted to dive into magic. With another two mental confirmations, the two items appeared. The first was a bundle of leather and straps, neatly tied in with some twine. The second was a small leather satchel. Devi scooped both of them up and made her way to the edge of the clearing, away from the pillar as more people started to congregate near it. She noticed a handful of people who were sporting weapons and other items, already having been to the pillar. One, in particular, was talking loudly, explaining what she had figured out about using the pillar and using the odd blue boxes. As she watched, a group of people started moving in her direction, and a man stepped up to talk with the woman. The man had an easy-going smile on his face and started talking to the woman who had been spreading information around. Devi could not hear what they were saying, since the woman was not shouting anymore, but from what she could tell from body language the man was trying to persuade the woman of something. They eventually reached an agreement, since they both shook hands and the man turned to the people around him. ¡°I have some very important information about this situation that we all find ourselves in. Information that could prove very useful.¡± The man had a rich silky voice that carried through the crowd. That, in addition to his confidence, made people stop and start to congregate. ¡°Myself and some of my associates will be giving out this life-saving information that we have gathered with much risk to ourselves.¡± The man grimaced if remembering something unpleasant. ¡°If any of you are interested, please let me know, I aim to help everyone here survive. Because that is what we will need to do. What we once knew can no longer be trusted. We don¡¯t know where we are, or what happened.¡± The man gazed out into the small crowd he had gathered, using his height to make eye contact with a few people throughout the crowd, before continuing. ¡°I am going to strive to ensure that we all make it out of here alive, and well. You all probably saw the message, and the danger it mentioned. While the full scope of that danger is unknown, I do know this. I will do whatever it takes to protect everyone here.¡± The man finished his speech, and someone in the crowd began to clap. Devi zeroed in on that person, noticing it was one of the people who had been following the man before. Devi eyed the blond-haired man who was now basking in the applause that had erupted around him. That sounded like a political speech if I ever heard one, Devi thought as she again started to walk to the edge of the clearing, and put the man out of her mind. I have more important things to think about, like how to start fires, with magic! Chapter 003: Attribute everything to Skill Devi was sitting on a carpet of lush green grass, turning over a small metallic rod in her hands. She had just obtained the odd object by touching a stone pillar and purchasing it with her mind, only to have it appear out of thin air. If the glowing blue boxes were to be believed, which she had no reason to doubt so far, the rod was a magical tool, one that was supposed to be able to start fires. Starting at the base of the rod, there were strange engravings running up its length, all the way to the tapered point. They were inlaid with a copper-colored material that stood out against the silvery metal. Besides the engravings, the whole rod was completely smooth, with no sharp edges. She held the rod in one hand and pointed it at the ground in front of her. I wish this thing came with an instruction manual, but of course, no such luck. Why would there be any easy answers in this place? Devi tried to concentrate on the idea of sparks flying out of the end of the rod, but instead of flames bursting from the top, nothing happened. She tried to imagine flames gushing out like a reverse fire hose, but again, nothing happened. It didn¡¯t matter what she tried, the rod sat inert in her hands. No campfires sprung into existence, no fireballs erupted, and the rod did not even get warm in her hands. Well,no one said magic would be easy, Devi thought to herself after her latest attempt to activate the magic tool failed. Maybe I really do need that Skill, the [Magic Tool Proficiency] one. She grimaced, hopefully not though, since I used all my Credits. She slipped the magic tool back into her pocket, giving herself a small break after so many attempts not producing any results. No use trying the same things repeatedly, after all, that is what some people define insanity as. Instead, she pulled up her Status screen and looked at the two newest additions. Both of her Skills had a small lvl 0 next to them, indicating that they too could grow in power, if everything continued to follow the same game logic it appeared to. Though I still have a lack of proof that everything is real. It all could just be my imagination. Shaking her head, not wanting to dwell on things she had no control over, Devi turned her focus to the first of the Skills she had purchased, [Attribute Enhancement]. Time to see if these Skills actually work or not. If they do, it would lend weight to the fact that everything is real. Except if I am just hallucinating everything, but even then, going along with this hallucination seems interesting. Glancing around, Devi didn¡¯t see anyone nearby, so she decided to say the name of the Skill out loud while focusing on the glowing letters in front of her. ¡°[Attribute Enhancement],¡± she said forcefully. As soon as she did, she felt an odd sensation swell up out of her chest, like a wave of sparks rushing out and down into her fingertips. Devi tried to concentrate on the feeling, but it was fleeting until it reached her hand, where it coiled as if waiting. She cocked her head to the side, studying her hands. She had an odd feeling that the Skill hadn¡¯t been activated yet, though she couldn¡¯t tell where it came from, she just knew. It was almost as if the Skill was waiting for more input, for more instructions. Devi¡¯s eyes widened in realization. The Skill probably needs a target, can¡¯t enhance empty air. She focused on herself, but the Skill still did nothing, content to sit in the tips of her fingers, growing warmer by the minute. What else could it need? Devi hummed to herself. I gave the Skill a target, now all it needs is to enhance an Attribute. Devi thumped her palm against her forehead. Of course, I need to select one of the ten different Attributes. Thinking the easiest of the ten to see any changes would be strength, she mentally tried to push the Skill to do that. There was a sort of mental click when she made that decision, and the energy that had been coiled in her hands rushed out into the air and then slammed back into her. A sudden rush of tingles followed, though not quite as intense as any of the previous times she had felt the sensation. It was milder, and the feeling did not invade every part of her like before, just her muscles this time. She pulled up her Status sheet, and her strength had indeed been raised a single point, from an 8 to a 9. Don¡¯t know if that is a lot or not. She stood up and did a few experimental jumps. Does not feel all too different though. Possibly a little easier, but can not tell for certain. I would need a set of weights if I were to figure anything out. See what is the most I could lift before I enhance myself, and then record how much I could after. She made a note to find some way to get standardized weights so she could see how much the enhanced version of her strength changed. As she had been doing that, there had been a small pressure in the back of her mind. Nothing painful. It was more like someone was resting their fingers on the base of her skull. For some odd reason, Devi knew somehow that the pressure was directly related to the Skill she had just used. The Skill was still connected to her in some way. Curious, Devi tried to end the Skill, to see what would happen. Immediately after she focused on terminating the Skill, the pressure in the back of her head evaporated, and she felt a small wave of tingles flood through her body, but it felt different this time. Before, the sensations always felt like she was gaining something, but this time, it felt like a loss. Looking at her Status screen, she confirmed that she had indeed lost the one point of strength she had gained. Her mana had also been decreased by 3 points, sitting at 107 now. So the Skill takes a little bit of mana to activate, that is good to know. About 3 points it appears. That is not that excessive, as I have over 100 points of mana, so I could use that Skill over 30 times without a problem. Deciding to test if she could enhance someone multiple times, Devi focused on her Skill again, choosing to enhance her strength just as before. ¡°[Attribute Enhancement].¡± She didn¡¯t know if she had to say the name of the Skill out loud, but it worked last time, and she wasn¡¯t experimenting with how the Skill got invoked, just if she could layer it multiple times. Other tests would come later. Once again she felt a rush of energy swell up out of her chest and rush down into her hands. This time, however, it did not stop there, but continued out into the air, and then rushed back into her, sending tingles throughout her body. She checked her Status again, and her strength had improved by one point, while her mana had dropped by 3 once again. Looks like that remained consistent. Now to see if I can stack this. ¡°[Attribute Enhancement].¡± As soon as she focused on using the Skill, the pressure in the back of her head disappeared, as the now familiar rush of energy flowed out of her body and then back. Devi glanced at her Status and saw her strength did not change, staying at one point above her baseline, while her mana had taken another 3 point dip. Well fuck, that is more than a little disappointing. No stacking buffs to infinity. Now to see if I can buff multiple Attributes. Another utterance of the Skill, this time she focused on Agility, saw her mana drop by 3 points, and her Agility jump by 1. What she didn¡¯t expect was for her Strength to go back to her baseline. As it did, she felt a slight weakening, at the same time she felt more in control of her movements than before. It was a slight difference, barely noticeable, but still there. Now that¡¯s unfortunate. No stacking buffs, and no multiple buffs at the same time. This Skill is quite lackluster. Disappointed in her Skill, she leaned back on the grass. Still, there are quite a few more tests I can do before moving on to the next one. She quickly activated her Skill 8 more times, selecting a different Attribute each time, going down the list in her Status screen. After each iteration of the Skill, she waited a few moments and tried to see what changes happened when she increased her Attributes. None of the changes were quite as easy to pinpoint the exact differences of the increase as when she enhanced her Strength, though she did feel like she noticed a few changes. The biggest changes were when she enhanced her Vitality, Endurance, and Wisdom. When she did, her Health, Stamina, and Mana each increased by 10 points. So that assumption was correct it seems, Health is just my Vitality multiplied by a factor of ten, and the same with Stamina and Endurance, and Mana and Wisdom. Glad it was simple, and not some complicated formula that would take ages to figure out. The most disappointing Attribute was Intelligence. Devi had high hopes for it, but when she bumped it up by a point, she didn¡¯t feel anything except for a small tingling sensation that confined itself to her skull. She wasn¡¯t suddenly able to recall things clearer or think quicker. Devi couldn¡¯t even tell if anything had changed. Finally having enhanced her Willpower, Devi sat back on the grassy clearing, trying to figure out what she should do next. The magic tool she had bought was not what she had hoped for, and her Skill was exciting, but also a bit lackluster. It was certainly magic, bolstering her Attributes via her mana, but was unable to produce any noticeable results. Hopefully, that is only the case due to the Skill being still at level zero. She had double-checked the level of her Skill as she tested it, only to find it stubbornly remaining at zero. Either I need to be doing something different to level up my Skill, or it just takes a lot more time than what I have been doing. She shrugged, still not having any good information on the rules that governed the odd blue boxes. At least now I am very certain everything is real, those sensations I kept feeling whenever I enhanced one of my Attributes proved that to me. And the sensation of what I can only assume was mana leaving my body each time, I never felt something like that before. Devi focused on the memory of the odd surge of power that flowed out of her chest, down her arms, and out of her fingers. It was quite peculiar, though it felt as if she was not in control of the process entirely. The energy moved as if guided by an unseen force, rather than being directed by her thoughts. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Caught by a sudden idea, Devi reached into her pocket and pulled out the small rod that she had obtained earlier. The one that she had failed to produce any fire with. But this time, she had more of a plan. Closing her eyes, Devi tried to pull at the small bundle of energy she had felt in her chest. At first, she didn¡¯t feel anything, but instead of giving up, she focused on the sensation she had felt before when she had activated her Skill. The odd sense of power swelling up inside herself, the feeling of untapped potential waiting to be used. It took her a few moments of concentration, but eventually, she felt it, the bubble of what she could only imagine was mana nestled inside her chest. Grinning, she began to mentally prod at it, trying to get it to react, to move as it had with her Skill. Instead of rushing down her hands eagerly when Devi prompted it, the energy moved reluctantly, as if it was content to stay in her chest. But, Devi focused everything she had on getting it to move toward her fingers, and the rod that rested there. Slowly, but surely, the energy started to move, but once it did, Devi lost control as it wildly flowed down her arm. She opened her eyes in shock and saw multi colored sparks fly out of har arm, bleeding into the air before dissipating. Devi winced in pain as each one left a small mark on her forearm. Well, that was certainly unexpected, but it did do something. Checking her mana, she noticed that her stunt had only cost one point of Mana and Health. So I guess Health really does represent how healthy I am, but it doesn¡¯t stop any pain, because that really hurt. It was a small price to pay to learn some things. I am definitely getting somewhere. I will have my fire! Devi grinned and closed her eyes again. This time, it was much easier for her to find the odd energy she could only assume was her mana in her chest. Focusing, she started guiding the mana down her arm. She did not know quite what she was doing, only that she had a mental grip on what felt like a live wire. As carefully as she could, Devi guided the energy to her fingertips, fighting the mana the whole way. It did not like to be constrained and moved, and it took a considerable amount of focus to not let it slip through her grasp and release the seemingly volatile energy. After what felt like an eternity, the energy finally reached her fingers and began to pool. As it did, her hand began to heat up slightly, similar to what happened with her Skill. With one final mental push, Devi guided the energy out and tried shoving it into the rod she was holding. She opened her eyes the moment she pushed the mana out and saw a few multi-colored sparks fly out of her hand. As sparks faded away, Devi felt the rod warm up in her hands, the odd engravings glowing as a small flame appeared above the tapered point. Devi sat there, staring at the small flickering flame she had just conjured into existence, using magic. As the fire danced, she grinned, her eyes reflecting the light. I just did magic. Real magic, not some weird Attribute stuff I was doing before. This, this is magic. As the fire sat atop the rod, Devi could feel a slight connection to it, through the rod. It was as if it was still drawing energy, and after a brief moment of concentration, Devi realized that was indeed what was happening. She could feel a small stream of energy running down her arm and into the rod. She didn¡¯t even need to be concentrating to keep it from shooting out of her arm. It seemed like the rod was helping the mana along, exerting a small amount of control over her mana as it moved, though it was unlike how she had been moving it. The mana moved as if the rod were a magnet, and the mana were small iron shavings. Curious, Devi tried shutting off the stream of mana. Once she focused on the energy, she found she could stop it. As soon as the mana stopped flowing down her arm, the small flame atop the rod flickered out. Looks like it needs constant fuel to keep alight, that is good to know. She took a few more moments to mentally wrestle with her mana and managed to return the small flame to the top of the rod. Though it is quite small, I wonder if I can make it larger. Focusing, Devi tried to force more mana into the small rod, only to have it pool in her fingers painfully. The rod refused to accept more than the small stream of energy it already was pulling from her. Something in the rod rebuffing any of her attempts to force more mana to power the flame. While she was wrestling with her mana, she noticed a few parts of the rod seemed to glow a bit brighter than the rest. A couple of the odd patterns that were outlined in the reddish gold metal seemed to glow whenever she pushed with her mana. Now that is interesting. I wonder if those act as limiters to how much mana this rod can take at a time. I will need to test that, eventually. Her eyes winded a bit as she got an idea. I wonder if those odd patterns are the things responsible for turning my mana into fire, instead of the multi-colored sparks? They seem to interact with mana in some way, so it is not that large of a leap in logic to assume that they are the reason why the mana gets converted into fire. She paused for a second, though, it could be the material or a numerous amount of other possibilities that I have not thought of. Though I can test this theory first, and then dive into any other reasons this rod behaves the way it does. She looked around to see what materials she had to work with. There really wasn¡¯t all that much inside the clearing, and she didn¡¯t quite want to venture past the odd shimmer in the air that surrounded it. She still had the other items she had purchased, the satchel of Tinkerer¡¯s tools, her crossbow, and the light armor. None of which really suited her needs for something to carve into a replica of the small rod she held. Shrugging, she began to unpack all of the items from her Tinkerer¡¯s tools to see if there was anything she could use there. The assortment of items was quite impressive, there were small glass vials with corks, a small mortar and pestle, a small knife, a wire-wrapped magnifying lens, a needle and a spool of thread, a couple of metal pots, a spool of twine, and a charcoal pencil. Looks like someone went to a craft store and picked up a bunch of random items and dropped them into a bag, and then handed them out. Devi could imagine uses for everything, but, there weren¡¯t any materials to make anything. It was just a bunch of tools. Any actual crafting would require her to gather materials herself, apparently. Grumbling a little about the lack of crafting materials, Devi took off toward the edge of the clearing, bringing along her bundle of assorted items. The closer she got, the clearer the faint shimmer in the air became, until she was right up next to it. It stretched out in front of her, a translucent barrier that looked like the edge of a soap bubble. Its iridescent hues swirled in hypnotic patterns as it faded into the sky, disappearing the further away she looked. Not wanting to physically touch the odd shimmering in the air, Devi pulled out one of the bolts she had hanging from her waist and cautiously moved it to the barrier. As the bolt crossed the barrier, there was a slight disturbance in the swirling patterns, but nothing else. She didn¡¯t feel any resistance as the bolt moved. Curious, she pulled the bolt back to see if going in the other direction was any different. To her surprise, the barrier flashed a bit brighter, and pulling the bolt back felt as though she was moving it through thick syrup. As soon as the bolt was clear of the barrier, any resistance stopped. So, it appears that going both ways through the barrier is possible, but going into the clearing takes more effort. Wanting to make sure what just happened was indeed repeatable, Devi moved the bolt once again through the barrier, only to have it feel as though the air had been turned into honey. It took her a few moments to figure out the barrier worked like a non-newtonian fluid. Anything moving faster than a slow craw was hard to push through, but anything moving slower didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the barrier at all. She had yet to find anything that couldn¡¯t pass through the barrier, even her own finger had been able to go back and forth with no problems whatsoever. Tanking a deep breath, Devi slowly walked through the barrier. A slight tingle ran over her whole body as she did, but she was moving slowly enough that it didn¡¯t slow her down. She waited a few seconds and then walked back through. Nothing prevented her from going back into the clearing, much to her relief. Devi had been fairly certain she would be able to go back in, but it was still nerve-wracking to test it herself, but there wasn¡¯t anyone else she could ask. That would require her to ask someone, and she didn¡¯t know anyone. Armed with the knowledge she could pass through the barrier at will, Devi began to search for a fallen branch near the clearing that she could carve into a replica of the rod she had gotten. After only a few minutes of searching, she saw one that would fit her needs. She grabbed it and headed back to the clearing to start carving. It took her a while to shave the tree branch into the same size and shape as the metallic rod, but she finally got her duplicate to match up as close as she could without the use of actual measuring devices. What I wouldn¡¯t give for a pair of calipers, Devi bemoaned as she finished checking the diameter of the wooden stake with a length of twine. After getting the shape down, Devi started carving the intricate patterns traced on the metallic surface. She only had a small knife, so carving the lines was a bit harder than she had anticipated, but she was able to dutifully replicate every swirl of the pattern. Doing one last check to make sure every part of the odd pattern was carved in her wooden replica, Devi was certain it was as close as she could make with the tools at her disposal. Now the only thing left was to see if it worked. Closing her eyes, Devi once again started to mentally wrestle with her mana, trying to have to move down her arm and into her newly carved stake. It took her a few moments to get it to bend to her will, but she was able to guide it successfully down her arm and into her fingers. With one final push, Devi sent the energy out of her hand and into the stake. Instead of the mana being drawn into the stake, it exploded out of her hand into the air in a cloud of multicolored sparks, leaving small burns along her palm. Some of it seemed to enter the stake, but then exited, not constrained at all, unlike when she had activated the metallic rod before. Well, I am definitely missing something here. Maybe it is not just the odd patterns, but the material that matters. If that is the case, I have no way of duplicating it. Devi studied the two rods she had, the metallic one that had appeared out of thin air, and the one she had meticulously duplicated out of wood. She traced the odd patterns made with the goldish metal while double-checking to see if she had copied them correctly. The only differences she could detect between the two were small notches or other imperfections of the carving, though the patterns themselves remained very similar. Either the lines had to be perfect, or she was missing something else. The pattern probably needs to be lined with whatever that gold metal is. The mana seemed to be drawn into the patterns, and with the wooden replica, the mana did not even seemed to be affected by it at all, Devi observed to herself. If only I had some of that stuff, then I could figure out if that was the case. Or something else that the mana would follow. But I do not have anything of the sort, the only thing I have seen mana flow through has been the metal rod and my own body. Devi paused, struck by a thought. If mana can flow through my own body, could I use that instead of trying to get whatever this metallic stuff is? She thought about it for a second and didn¡¯t see a reason why it wouldn¡¯t work, though she still didn¡¯t have any idea of the rules which governed what appeared to be magic. She had a few options she could choose from she was going to use her own body to try and make a magic item. The first was her blood since that had a certain feel to it. Blood just seemed a lot more fitting than anything else. The next was hair, and after that, she really had no idea other than carving the patterns into her own skin, which seemed like a very bad idea. Going with the first option, Devi grabbed her small knife and prepared to give herself a cut. As the blade neared her leg, she paused, flashes of memories she¡¯d tried to forget and suppress from long ago resurfacing like trapped bubbles floating to the top of a lake. It¡¯s okay, she thought, trying to reassure herself. This has a purpose, I¡¯m okay. I''m going to be okay. Repeating the mantra, she closed her eyes and made a small incision. Acting on an impulse, she started mentally guiding her mana to the spot she was going to cut, figuring that trying to put a bit of her own mana into the blood wouldn¡¯t hurt, and probably help. She winced at the pain of cutting her leg, but it was for a good cause she remind herself, for magic. The blood pooled down her leg, while she struggled to keep a mental hand on her unruly mana. She put one of the small pots near the cut, and after a bit, she figured there was enough there to outline the patterns of her wooden stake. Keeping one hand on the cut, she started applying her newly acquired red paint. Devi had to get more blood two more times, each time urging her mana to the cut she had made. She checked her Status page and saw she had used a total of 10 points of mana. Hopefully, this is worth it and it actually does something, Devi thought to herself as she covered the last bit of the pattern with her own blood. Cutting myself really hurt, so it better work. I even lost two points of Health for this! The moment Devi finished painting the last bit of the pattern, a flurry of windows appeared in her vision. Well, that certainly did something. Chapter 004: enTitled to XP Devi blinked at the sudden appearance of multiple windows. She hadn¡¯t expected anything to happen when she finished painting her wooden stake, but that had proven to be an error. All she had done was paint the carved patterns with her own blood, and suddenly she had been assaulted by a host of windows, far more than she had ever seen before. Curious, Devi focused on the first of the windows.
Congratulations You have created your first Magic Tool (G) (inferior) XP has been awarded
Devi grinned, well, looks like I did manage to make a magic tool. She smiled, ecstatic. Look at that! I did it! I was right, it was those odd carvings, and using my blood seemed to have been the correct choice. And it seems like I even got experience for it. I wonder how much. Feeling validated, she leaned back on the grassy clearing and focused on the next window.
XP threshold reached Novice Tinkerer (inferior) lvl 0 -> lvl 1 1 Int, +1 Free
When she opened the next window, she felt a now somewhat familiar tingling sensation rush over her body, a lot of it concentrated in her skull. It disappeared as soon as it began, just like all the other times she had experienced the feeling. Well, looks like I just leveled up, and by what, making a magic item! Devi thought to herself excitedly. This is so cool! She focused on the next window that had appeared.
Congratulations For being the first from your planet to have created a magic tool (inferior) you have been granted a Title Magical Trailblazer (G) (Rare) +10 Int, +10 Wis, +5 Free +10% Int, +10% Wis
As she read the words, she felt a wave of pins and needles flow through her body, an order of magnitude higher than anything she had felt so far. It was concentrated in her skull and chest and then spread out through her limbs. She felt the bubbling mass of energy suddenly increase dramatically. None of her experiments with enhancing her Attributes had ever given her such a drastic response, but this was ten times as large of an increase. As it faded, she could feel her thoughts accelerate. Not so much that she was suddenly smarter, but that her brain made connections a fair bit faster. Facts were easier to recall, and she didn¡¯t have to spend as much time trying to remember memories. Wow, I guess Titles are a big deal, she thought, shocked at the sudden changes. That was even more than what I would get if I leveled ten times, assuming that the increase is the same for each level. Though I guess I have no idea if that is the case. It could be based on a logarithmic scale for all I know. She pulled up her Status page to see the changes.
Status
Name Devi Robinson
Race Human (G) Lvl 0
Class Novice Support (inferior) lvl 0
Vocation Novice Tinkerer Iinferior) lvl 1
Titles Tutorial Attendee, Magical Trailblazer
Health 98/100 Stamina 90/90 Mana 188/231
Attributes
Vitality 10 Toughness 9
Endurance 9 Wisdom 23
Vigor 10 Presence 7
Agility 12 Intelligence 25
Strength 8 Willpower 13
Free points 6
General Skills
[EMPTY] [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Class Skills
[Enhance Attribute] lvl 0 [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Vocation Skills
[Improvise Tool] lvl 0 Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. [LOCKED] [LOCKED]
Not much had changed, her new Title had been added, and her Attributes had increased a significant amount. Doing some quick math that felt slightly quicker to do, Devi noticed that the +10% increase to both Intelligence and Wisdom had applied after the +10, and that it was apparently rounded down. Her Mana on the other hand looked to be still based on the unrounded number, which was odd. Why would anything make sense? Why does the Status page not round in some places, and round in others? And does the percent increase only apply right when I received it, or will it continue to increase my Intelligence and Wisdom as I gain more? She scowled at not being able to figure out the answers. What I would give for a guidebook on everything. Even her lack of knowledge couldn¡¯t damper her excitement of making an actual magic item, and then receiving what appeared to be a very impressive Title to boot. And she had leveled up, showing there was a way to increase her level, and hopefully, it was repeatable. Focusing on her mana, she once again went through the now familiar motions of guiding it down her arm and out into her newly crafted stake. The rod eagerly accepted her mana, and when she opened her eyes, a small flame danced merrily atop its tapered point. When she checked her status, she noticed that it took 3 points of mana to light the flame, instead of just one, as with the original rod. I guess mine is less efficient, maybe I didn¡¯t make the lines well enough? Or the materials are of lesser quality. But that is immaterial, I made this, and it is a magic item that creates fire. She couldn¡¯t stop grinning as she looked at her newly made magic item. From the moment she had seen mana listed in her Status screen, she had been excited, and now she was capable of making magic herself. It wasn¡¯t something that had appeared out of thin air, but something she made with her own two hands. Now that she knew that the magic tool was something she could recreate, she wanted to make a few more and see if each one would give her another level. The odd tingling sensation had been odd at first, but each time she experienced it, she was left wanting a little more. With that goal in mind, Devi gathered up a few more suitable branches to turn into magic tools. She never went very far away from the odd iridescent barrier, keeping in eyesight of it at all times, but in just a few minutes, she had an armful of branches she could use. Settling back down on the grass, Devi got to work shaping each of them into the desired shape. While she worked, Devi focused on the other Skill she had gotten from the Pillar of Civilization, [Improvise Tool]. Just saying it out loud did not do anything, until she focused on a desired tool. She had been slowly sawing one of the branches into a smaller size when she had first tired the Skill, and so had wanted a saw instead of the knife she had. After she activated the Skill, her knife gained small ridges, made out of what looked like the same material as the barrier. They were small, almost negligible, but they did help slightly with cutting through the branch. She tried the Skill with different mental images and found a few things out. She could only make very slight alterations, and any change she made was made out of a translucent, iridescent substance that broke easily. In addition, the Skill only worked when she was focusing on a tool, nothing else. She had tried to improvise a gun, but the Skill had failed to activate, as well as when she had tried replicating a glove. The only things she could get to work were tools, like a saw, screwdriver, or a chisel, though each time she used the Skill, the item she was improvising only gained a small alteration to align it closer to what she was focusing on. Her knife gained a flatter tip when she tried to make it into a screwdriver, but nothing more. I guess I should not expect all that much from what is a level 0 Skill, although it is quite useful. Even the small changes make it quite a bit easier to saw through the branches, and it only uses a small amount of mana to maintain. It only took Devi about an hour to finally get two of the branches shaped and carved into replicas of the magic tool. Each one carefully check to insure the patterns were the same. She had wanted to do tests to see how much of a deviation she could make before they would not count as a magic tool but decided to just see if she would gain a level for each one she made. Another incision on her leg let her collect her blood in the same metal pot, all while she was mentally adding mana to it. Once she had enough, she repeated the process of painting the carved patterns in the first soon to be magic tool. When everything had been covered by blood, Devi looked up expectantly as one window blinked into existence before her.
Congratulations Magic Tool (G) (inferior) has been created XP has been awarded
Devi waited a few moments for any other notifications, but nothing popped up. Well, that is quite a disappointment. The first notification I received for crafting a magic tool did mention it was the first one I had made. It could be that I receive more XP for crafting new things, or the threshold to level up increases each level, and I need to craft more each time. Devi figured she could just finish the next magic tool she had prepared, and that would answer some of the questions she had. She quickly painted over the carved pattern with her blood, and the moment she finished, the same box popped into existence in front of her eyes, stating she had been awarded XP, but no notifications saying she had gained a level. Well, looks like either the next level requires a lot more XP than what I¡¯m gaining each time or the amount of XP is significantly less after the first magic tool I made. Devi looked up from her work that she had been absorbed in for the last while, noticing that people had begun to congregate near the pillar in the center of the clearing. A few other small groups edged the clearing, but the majority of everyone had clumped together. The central group seemed more organized, with lines winding their way to the pillar, where she could see figures gesturing and conversing with whoever was touching the pillar currently. Close by the large group, Devi could see the man who had made the speech saying he would be the one to lead and protect them, if they followed him. It looked like he had indeed taken charge, and she could see him directing people around, and organizing others. As she watched, he gestured to a smaller group off to the side and one of the people near him set in that direction. After a few moments, the same thing happened. The longer she watched, she noticed that each of the smaller groups had someone approach them, and the man himself personally walked up to others. Then with a start, Devi realized that the man had nodded in her direction and began to walk toward her with three of his attendants. Fuck! Devi scowled, I wonder what they want with me. Better find out. The man walked up to her and stuck out his hand. ¡°Hello, my name is John McCalister¡± Devi begrudgingly took his hand and shook it. He had a very firm grip, though it was not too surprising since the man was at least 180 cm tall and was built like a professional athlete. His perfectly cut blond hair sat stylishly atop his head, while his piercing blue eyes stared warmly at her. ¡°Devi, she/her, and what do you want with me?¡± She asked after she let his hand go. She glanced around to gauge everyone''s reaction to her saying her pronouns. It had become a sort of litmus test to figure out how people would respond to everything. It didn''t really seem that anyone made any overt reaction to it, but she was withholding judgment, for now. ¡°I¡¯ve just been going around, meeting everyone here. We¡¯ve all been subjected to these unfortunate circumstances and we should all work together to try to prevent any further misfortunes,¡± He gave her a consoling smile Devi hated talking to politicians in any way, it always left her feeling slimy, and like she lost, even if she said all the right things. So she tried to avoid it when possible. Unfortunately, politicians had a bad habit of trying to talk to everyone, which sadly included her. ¡°Everyone will figure it out,¡± she said, trying to remain neutral and not get pulled into whatever this guy was selling. ¡°That we will, but only if we all work together. Combine all of our strengths and resources. I have already gotten a group of people together to start working on a few problems,¡± He pointed to the three other people standing around him. They all gave polite waves and nods and introduced themselves. ¡°Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Jordyn, Jordyn Glimney,¡± A tall middle-aged woman nodded in greeting. She had a no-nonsense look about her and seemed fairly disinterested in Devi, but put on a superficial smile while extending her hand. ¡°Likewise,¡± Devi replied as she shook her hand. ¡°What a beautiful name Devi,¡± the man to the right of John gave her a cheerful smile from under a salt and pepper bushy beard and reached out with a worn calloused hand. ¡°My name is Gregory, but everyone just calls me Greg.¡± ¡°Thanks, I picked it out myself,¡± she said with a grin after shaking the hand, making sure to note the reactions of the four people in front of her. The man she just shook hands with gave a small chuckle but didn¡¯t seem to grasp the full context, while Jordyn narrowed her eyes a bit, before giving a small shrug. ¡°You have great taste then, it is a beautiful name,¡± John said while giving her a large smile. Devi ignored him as the last man gave her a brief nod. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse Mr. Johnson, he doesn¡¯t like to talk all that much.¡± Devi shrugged at his comment. ¡°So, why did you come over here to talk to me, specifically?¡± She asked John. He didn¡¯t seem to be off put by her direct questions, taking everything in stride. ¡°You seemed to be one of the few people who hit the ground running after whatever happened to us happened. We wanted to compare notes to see if we were on the same page, and see if there was any other information we could help distribute throughout this group to help everyone.¡± ¡°Not much, you probably know about as much as me, not like there were any instruction manuals that came with the screens,¡± Devi scowled, a thing she was doing quite often whenever she thought about the total lack of information she had on basically everything. ¡°I know, what is up with that, right?¡± John agreed with her. ¡°The least they could do would be to give us hints or something.¡± ¡°I¡¯d even take an incompetent manager telling me what to do over having absolutely jack shit,¡± Gred groused. ¡°But we have managed to figure a few things out, apparently the price of the Skills you can buy increases every time you buy one, which just seems excessive,¡± John explained. ¡°Though it only looks like it¡¯s 100 each time.¡± ¡°I did notice that. Just another annoying thing about this place,¡± Devi responded, right up there with useless small talk it seems like she added to herself. ¡°Correct me if I am wrong, but did I see you making some fire over here?¡± John asked. Is that the only reason he came over because he hasn¡¯t been able to figure out those magic tools? So what, he can go around telling everyone how to do it and take credit? I had enough of that as an intern. ¡°I did have a flame going a few times, has anyone else figured out how to use this magic tool? It is very frustrating to use,¡± she said as he reached into her pocket and pulled out the original magic tool she had purchased, keeping the ones she had fabricated concealed. ¡°That¡¯s great news! I know of a few people that have been trying to make those magic tools work. You didn¡¯t by chance happen to buy the [Magic Tool Proficiency] Skill?¡± ¡°No, actually, do you think that would help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we think,¡± John said. ¡°Would you be willing to show other people how you made those tools work? I¡¯ve only run into one other person who has managed to get one to function, though not too many have tried.¡± He gave a small shrug. ¡°It¡¯s probably because everyone heard they were hard to use, and decided to not waste credits on them,¡± Jordyn chimed in, voice clearly dripping with scorn. ¡°So did you go buy one?¡± Devi asked with a smirk. ¡°I had already made my purchase before I heard those rumors,¡± Jordyn replied with a sniff. Devi just rolled her eyes at the lady, of course, it was after, she can not take any semblance of blame now, can she. Devi scoffed internally, she has to appear good to her new boss, John McWhatshisface. What a suck-up. ¡°I do not think I would be able to teach anyone to use these tools,¡± Devi said, turning back to John. ¡°I really do not know how I got them to work in the first place.¡± She was a bit apprehensive of telling anyone the small bits of information she had gleaned from her tests, since she did not know these people. Waiting a little bit is not a bad idea, just to see what they want. Plus, he acts and sounds like a politician, and they are always up to something. ¡°Well, we would certainly appreciate any help we could get.¡± Greg punched her arm jovially. ¡°We will have to see,¡± Devi said neutrally ¡°Also, I have been starting a fund to help raise money for people so that they can purchase larger Skills to equip a select few individuals so they can better protect everyone here. Would you want to donate? Just a few Universal Credits can go a long way¡± John said, shamelessly trying to rope Devi into giving him her money. She just stared at him incredulously. Seriously? I figured he was a slimy politician, but really? Already trying to get me to hand over money? Some people are just idiots. Instead of answering, she turned around and started to walk away, grabbing the few loose supplies she had on the ground. She could feel the incredulous stares directed at her back, but she mentally shrugged her shoulders. It is not like there was much more to that conversation. My time is better spent doing something else. Like not talking with politic man himself. He can go try and get everyone to like him. I will be over here figuring out magic instead. And with that, she quickly stepped through the barrier into the dark forest beyond. Chapter 005: The Danger of Squirrels She passed through the barrier, and circled around a large tree, hoping it would hide her from sight. Devi hadn¡¯t seen anyone else cross the barrier and was betting that the man wouldn¡¯t gamble at leaving the safety of the clearing just to go talk with her more when there were easier targets inside the clearing. She waited a few moments to ensure that no one was going to follow her, and when no one came, Devi let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the tree. She had never been this far in, always keeping a foot or two away from the clearing, and what lay before her was breathtaking. Above her stretched a thick canopy made of dark green leaves with a few deep reds and purples mixed in. What little sunlight did manage to break through illuminated the sparse undergrowth. Bushes with dark red leaves bunched up against the thick trunks of the trees, while small flowering plants were scattered around. Vines snaked their way up tree trunks or hung limply from branches. She couldn¡¯t identify any of the plants around, and the fact unsettled her a bit. Not even a dandelion was to be found, and the plants she did see all seemed to be alien, leaves in odd shapes, or in a color she would never expect to see on a plant. As unsettling as the forest was, the prospect of talking with the person she had dubbed ¡®politics man¡¯ in her head was even worse. It wasn¡¯t that she disliked talking to people, it was just that people generally got on her nerves and then got upset when she said so. It was exhausting sometimes, and she didn¡¯t quite want to go through that right now. She decided to explore the forest a little bit before going back to the clearing. Hopefully, by then the man would have lost interest in her and she could go back to figuring out how magic worked, and she would have explored a bit and seen what lay outside the odd barrier. Now that she was in the forest, Devi decided it would probably be a good idea to put on the armor she had purchased. She had no idea what lay waiting for her in the trees, and the dark atmosphere had gotten her a little spooked. It took her a little while to figure out all the buckles, but she ended up getting everything situated. A pair of leather vambraces covered her forearms, while a leather chest piece protected her torso. Two leather shin guards were buckled on, and she couldn¡¯t help but compare them to the protective wear she saw soccer players use. It didn¡¯t seem like the armor offered much protection, but it was much more than her simple shirt provided, so she gladly accepted it. She turned her attention to the large crossbow she was lugging around. It had a lever attached, which she assumed was to pull the string back so she could load it. But when she tried to cranck it, it was surpzingly hard to do. She could only pull the lever back maybe half way, until she braced the crossbow against her leg and the ground. After she did that, she was able to pull the string all the way and noch the bolt. Well fuck, I guess I can not do this while fighitng, or at least do it really fast. She scowled at the crossbow, at least I can keep it pulled back for a while. It felt odd wearing leather armor and carrying around a loaded crossbow, but she really did not want to be jumped by a goblin unprepared. Dying by monster was very low on her to-do list and since everything seemingly obeyed game logic, the likelihood of that happening was far too high for her liking. Eventually, I am going to have to explore this forest, Devi tried to reason to herself. There is no reason why it should not be now. Besides, there are probably not even monsters around. Having psyched herself up, Devi ventured further into the dark forest. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of danger, but after a few moments of seeing nothing, she began to relax her vigilance. There were no odd claw marks on the trees, or suspicious howls echoing through the forest. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much noise at all, just the rustle of leaves made by the slight breeze, and the sound of her footsteps. She lost herself in the act of exploring the forest. Stopping to look at an odd flower, or studying an interesting bush. Everything looked slightly different than the plants back home, so there was no limit to the number of things that caught her eye. After she had been walking for a while, she heard a rustle from one of the bushes to her left. Immediately on guard again, she pulled her crossbow up and aimed it at the bush. She waited like that, tensed up, ready to shoot at a moment''s notice, until a small form jumped out in front of her. Its bushy tail puffed up behind it, little paws landing in the loose leaves that littered the forest floor. Staring at her was a squirrel, but instead of being no larger than 10 cm, it was at least as big as a small cat, maybe even larger if you counted the tail. Its fur was a dark red, fading into a white on its tummy. A large bushy tail stretched up behind it, with a dark black stripe down the middle. The squirrel twitched its nose, and then cocked its head to the side, staring at Devi with two cute little eyes. It¡¯s so cute! Devi thought to herself, as she lowered her crossbow. I guess even the animals are slightly different here, I have never seen a squirrel with that coloration before, and this large. There was something off about that critter though, a little voice in her head telling her to be cautious, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger as to why she thought that. Maybe because it is larger than usual? As Devi was examining the larger-than-usual critter, it opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and then launched itself at Devi with a screech. It flew through the air at Devi¡¯s face, trailing what looked like red sparks behind it. Small-clawed paws stretched out to maul her face, and its cute face transformed into a ferocious snarl. Fuck! She managed to turn her face away at the last moment so that the squirrel clawed at her neck and shoulder, instead of her eyes. As the sharp claws dug into her, Devi let out a scream. She could feel her skin tearing as the rodent dug into her. The pain sending tears to her eyes. Acting on instinct, she reached up and grabbed her assailant, and flung it as far as she could. The squirrel twisted in mid-air like a cat and landed on its feet amongst the dead leaves, beady eyes never leaving Devi. With a mad scramble, Devi brought up her thankfully preloaded crossbow and aimed it at the squirrel, just in time to see it launch itself at her face again. Shit shit shit shit. Devi pulled the trigger on the crossbow, trying her best to aim at the quickly approaching squirrel. A heavy thump sounded out as the arms of the bow sprang forward, the bolt racing to intercept the jumping rodent. To her surprise, the bolt seemed to be flying straight at the squirrel, only for her assailant to twist mid-jump, at the last possible moment, allowing the projectile to pass harmlessly to the side. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The bolt sank into a tree opposite Devi, while the squirrel landed a few feet away, annoyingly still on its feet even after dodging a bolt mid-flight. All thoughts of its cuteness left Devi¡¯s mind as the small bundle of red fur got ready to jump at her again. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Devi charged the small critter, not wanting it to seize the initiative this time. She didn¡¯t have another bolt loaded and had no time to fiddle around with the lever. Lacking any real weapons, she had to rely on her own body. Planting her left foot, she kicked out as if she was back in grade school playing kickball. She had expected to see the critter go flying with the kick, but the annoying little thing twisted out of the way again, so her foot only grazed it. As her foot passed by, the squirrel lashed out, clawing at her extended leg. The claws dug into the protective leather covering her shin, before reaching her calf, tearing through the thin pants she wore and into her leg. She could feel lines of pain burning in her leg where the greaves did not cover. Devi backpedaled, wincing in pain every time she put weight on her right leg, to put some distance between her and the murder squirrel. It had other ideas though, and raced up to her faster than Devi could pull away. It lept up again, and before Devi could react, the squirrel dug its claws into her shoulder. Devi stumbled at the sudden weight and tried to regain her balance, but only for her leg to choose this to be the perfect time to give out. She landed on the leaf-covered ground with a thud, catching herself with her arm, so she didn¡¯t end up eating dirt. Her crossbow clattered to the side, having been absolutely useless the entire time. Off to the side, she her an odd crackling sound. She turned her head and saw the squirrel on its back to legs, forepaws pointed in her direction. What was surprising was the bundle of red sparks undulating between its outstretched paws. Does the squirrel know magic? She wondered in a daze. She soon learned the answer as the sparks shot from the squirrel¡¯s paws and raced toward her. With a groan, she managed to roll mostly out of the way of the sparks, only a few of them landing on her skin, each with a weak electric shock. Without missing a beat, the squirrel rushed at Devi. She scrambled into a sitting position and tried to kick out at the approaching rodent, only for it to stop its approach a back off again, her kick not even coming close to connecting. It began to circle her, rushing in occasionally, only for Devi to kick at it to keep it at bay. None of her attacks even remotely came close it hitting, and the squirrel soon began to realize there wasn¡¯t much of a threat attached to them. The next time it rushed in, it deftly avoided the kick and bit down on the outstretched leg. Devi screamed at the sudden pain, and flaid her other foot, trying to knock the rodent off. This time she managed to hit the squirrel, kicking it a few feet away. It rolled to its feet, and let out a snarl. She could see her own blood dripping from the row of shart teeth as it got ready to pounce again. Devi frantically searched for a weapon she could use, when she felt something digging into her thigh. She reached into her pocket a pulled out one of the replicas of the magic tool she had created, using her own blood. Maybe the squirrel would be afraid of fire? She hoped at least it would cause it to hesitate at least a little. Rushing as fast as she could, Deiv guided her mana to the magic tool, creating a small flame at the tip. It was just in time as the squirrel was about to pounce on her, though when it saw the fire, it backed off a bit, eyeing the flame warily. Maybe I can just back up slowly and get back to the clearing. Hopefully, there would be someone else that can help me with-- Her thoughts were interrupted as the squirrel decided the flame wasn¡¯t a threat and jumped at her again. Devi¡¯s mind blanked as the squirrel flew through the air at her face. In pure panic, Devi shoved as much mana as she could at the magic tool she held up in front of her, hoping that it could somehow protect her. She felt a torrent of energy start to flow through her arm and into the magic tool, only to be stopped by something that only allowed the smallest trickle to enter the tool. The excess mana started to pool in her hand, and it quickly became very uncomfortable. Small sparks started to fly out as the mana had nowhere to go. Gritting her teeth, she pushed as hard as she could with her mana, trying to overcome whatever was stopping the mana from passing through. This was the last idea she had, and if it did not work, she had no illusions that she would be able to get out of this alive. The desperation lent her strength as she pushed. Nothing happened for a bit until she felt something give. There was a small fizzle, and suddenly the wave of mana was able to flow into the magic tool. Fire erupted from the point of the tool, enveloping the rodent mid-jump. Red hot flames poured out of the tool in a stream of fire. She smiled as the world in front of her burned and crackled, all she could see was the gout of fire. All Devi could hear was the roaring of the flames as they burned the air around her. Suddenly, the flames began to splutter and then died. Devi blinked away the glowing afterimage the fire had left and saw the magic tool had caught fire, the lines where she had drawn with her blood were singed and parts of it were burning. She quickly threw it to the ground and stamped it out, not wanting to burn herself. A wave of lightheadedness overtook her as she was trying not to light the forest on fire. It felt odd, almost as if she stood up too fast, but more intense. It subsided after a little bit, and she attributed it to blood loss. She quickly looked around as she was putting out the magic tool, and saw the squirrel had fallen, parts of its fur had been singed and were smoking slightly. Flames licked hungrily at the bed of dead leaves it was laying on. Around was a small area of devastation, a few of the bushes around had singed leaves, but there was a surprising lack of fires, the only ones she saw were quickly dying out. That is very interesting, Devi thought as she stood up, wincing at all the deep cuts she had over her body. The forest seems to be resistant to being burnt. I guess that is a good thing. She really didn¡¯t want to start a forest fire, mainly because she would be caught in it, and that seemed rather unpleasant. While she was inspecting the damage her magical fire did, she couldn¡¯t help but grin at the memory of being able to summon forth fire at a thought. Now that, that was actual magic. All that fire? I did that. Magic, real magic. She was so lost in her thought that she almost didn¡¯t see the burnt squirrel stagger to its feet. Devi whirled around to face it. Crap, it was not dead? I thought it was, but I guess not. It let loose a scream as it stood on its hind legs. A ball of sparks formed in its paws, but this time Devi was ready for it. She quickly sidestepped them as they shot towards her, and retaliated with a swift kick. She didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the squirrel being distracted from throwing the ball of sparks, or because it was injured, but this time, the kick connected, sending the squirrel tumbling back. Not wanting to let it attack again, Deve limped after it, scooping down to snag a bolt that had fallen out of her quiver during the fight. She cautiously approached the squirrel as it rolled onto its feet. The two of them eyed each other wearily. Devi quickly lashed out with the bolt, and the squirrel tried to twist away. Its movements were sluggish as it tried to dodge, the burns obviously impeding it. The squirrel let out a screech as the bolt sank into it, Devi stabbing it as hard as she could. She really didn¡¯t expect to be able to hit it again, since it had been far too quick for her to even hit before. As she was blinking in surprise at hitting it for a second time, she was distracted enough to not notice it rear back and savagely bite into her hand. She reacted on instinct, lashing out with her other hand, slamming it as hard as she could, causing it to screech in pain, and releasing her hand. As quickly as she could, she pulled the bot out and stabbed it again and again, not letting it have any chance to retaliate again. Each time she stabbed the squirrel, it cried out in pain until it collapsed on the forest floor limply. She stabbed it one more time before she slumped to the ground herself. She was exhausted, cut, bitten, bloody, and even slightly burnt from her own fire. A few windows popped open, but she just sat there, breathing heavily, ignoring them for now. Squirrels are fucking terrifying. Chapter 006: Meeting New People Devi sat, exhausted, on the forest floor, a dead squirrel lay beside her, one that had turned her into a bloody mess. Now that the adrenaline had faded, the deep cuts that covered her body all burned with pain, flaring up every time she moved. She couldn¡¯t even begin to count all of them, but there were a lot of them. She didn¡¯t want to move, but she knew she needed to. Now that she had first-hand experience with the denizens of the forest, she was in no mood to meet another one. She had barely fought off a squirrel and was definitely not ready to meet anything else. At least for a little while. Groaning, she forced herself to her feet. Maybe I was a little hasty with running into the forest. She thought for a second before deciding she was right to explore instead of continuing to talk to John and his lackeys. I am not dead, and I learned what was in the forest, so I believe it was a good decision. Though I should definitely head back to the clearing. She scooped up her discarded crossbow and began to gather up the bolts that had fallen during her tumble. She tried pulling the bolt that had lodged itself into a tree, but it had sunk at least an inch into the tree and was not going anywhere anytime soon, so she gave up on it. One quick glance around the area showed she wasn¡¯t leaving anything behind, except the chard remains of the squirrel, her bolt still protruding from its chest. Maybe I should bring it back, Devi thought to herself as she stood over the corpse. I did not see any food listed in the store. She grimaced over the dead squirrel. I guess it is better than starving. Devi squeamishly grabbed one of the legs of the squirrel and hoisted it into the air. On second thought, maybe I will wait to find something else to eat. She dropped the squirrel and dusted off her hands. Someone will definitely find something else. There looks to be plants around, hopefully, those are edible. She wasn¡¯t a vegetarian by a long shot, but having to skin and cook an animal was pushing it a little much. She didn¡¯t even know where to start, let alone have the required tools. I need to start making something for that at some point. Shrugging to herself, she finally took a look a the multiple windows that had appeared in her vision.
Congratulations You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
She raised her eyebrow at the message. Looks like there are kill notifications. Or at least I am assuming that is what this is. Seems handy. Devi was still frustrated at the lack of information she received. It didn¡¯t tell her what the opponent was, its level, or even how much XP she had gained. It just said she had been awarded some. Not a single bit of information other than it was defeated. It didn¡¯t even say killed, just defeated. Would the same message pop up if she incapacitated the squirrel instead of killing it? She let out a frustrated sigh at all the unanswered questions she had. Questions that she had no real way of finding the answers to at the moment. More things to figure out I guess. Dismissing the notification, she focused on the next one.
XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 0 -> lvl 1 +3 Free
A wave of the now familiar tingling sensation rushed over her, quickly dissipating. This time it didn¡¯t focus on any particular part, and if she focused, it felt as if it was still there, a potential waiting to be tapped into. She remembered obtaining a few free points when she had been awarded her title but hadn¡¯t really looked into them. She had figured they were just points she could distribute into one of her Attributes. Yet another thing to figure out. The list is never-ending. She shrugged. At least I will not run out of things to do I guess. She dismissed the notification and focused on the next one.
XP threshold reached Human (G) lvl 0 -> lvl 1 +1 All
She blinked in surprise as the wave of energy faded. A race level? I had assumed I could level my race, the little level indicator next to it hinted at that, but wow, one level gives quite a bit. 10 whole points, that seems a bit excessive, though I am not complaining. Devi squinted at the notification, but what did I do to earn this level up? Was it defeating the squirrel? All the notification said about that was that I gained XP, not where that XP was going to. Maybe all XP is shared? She dismissed that idea since she had leveled up her Vocation before her Race and Class. Maybe the XP is distributed unevenly? More goes to whatever I am doing, like if I am crafting, most of the XP goes to my Vocation, and a bit goes to my Class and Race? And then killing things sends XP to my Class and a bit to my Race? But is killing things even a part of my Class? I am a Support, whatever that is. It does not sound like a fighting Class. Devi let out a frustrated groan and wished for the thousandth time that there was a manual that came with these dumb blue boxes. She was no closer to figuring out why or how she leveled up, or even how much it took to level up. Devi was fairly certain XP had something to do with leveling up since it most likely stood for experience points, but even that was just a guess, not based on anything. Each time I get a notification, all I am left with is questions. She paused for a second, and usually some improvements.
Status
Name Devi Robinson
Race Human (G) Lvl 1
Class Novice Support (inferior) Lvl 1
Vocation Novice Tinkerer (inferior) Lvl 1
Titles Tutorial Attendee, Magical Trailblazer
Health 31/110 Stamina 48/100 Mana 25/242
Attributes
Vitality 11 Toughness 10
Endurance 10 Wisdom 22
Vigor 11 Presence 8
Agility 13 Intelligence 24
Strength 9 Willpower 14
Free points 9
General Skills
[EMPTY] [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Class Skills
[Enhance Attribute] lvl 0 [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Vocation Skills
[Improvise Tool] lvl 0 [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Well shit, all of my Health, Stamina, and Mana got super low. Dangerously low. Since she just received a free point in both Vitality and Wisdom, both her current Health and Mana had increased by 10, meaning she had been sitting at 21 Health and only 15 Mana after that figtht. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if she ran out of either one, but something told her that running out of Health was a terrible idea. Her stamina was still fairly high, but she was still quite out of breath from the whole thing. A lot of other things had changed. The extra point in Strength and Agility were definitely noticeable, while the others weren¡¯t. She felt slightly stronger and more in control of her movements than before. Though, it could always be her brain playing tricks on her and she hadn¡¯t really improved that much. I need to do some tests before and after I increase my Attributes next time. Putting that on her to-do list, right after getting out of the forest before something came along and attacked her, she closed the last notification and started back to the clearing. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t traveled far outside the barrier, so she was able to backtrack her way to the clearing fairly easily by remembering how she had wandered through the forest. She passed by an oddly shaped tree she remembered studying for a while, and then walked by an interesting bush with white round berries dangling between red leaves. She had been wary of the fruit since it looked super poisonous. What type of berries are white? Probably ones that would kill you. She managed to make to the barrier without incident, thankfully. Though she had broken into a light jog near the end, the slight noises of the forest spooked her. Each rustle of a branch could be another killer squirrel that could pop out and attack. Letting out a relieved sigh, she stepped back through the barrier and into the clearing. She didn¡¯t exactly know if the barrier would keep monsters out, but it had to do something, or else it wouldn¡¯t be there, so she felt a bit safer. Also, there were other people around, so if a monster did attack, hopefully, it would be a lot easier to fend them off rather than trying to do it all by herself. As she looked around for a good spot to lie down and see what she could do about the multiple cuts she had accumulated, she noticed John look over in her direction and start making his way over. Well fuck, I am definitely not in the mood to deal with him right now. Between having to listen to him try and get me to donate money to him, or fighting another squirrel, I would take a squirrel, any day. Guess I will just have to tell him to fuck off then. She stood there, waiting for John to walk up to her, trying to hide how much pain she was in. The pain hadn¡¯t lessened since she had gotten covered in cuts, if anything, it had gotten worse. I really need to figure out a way to clean them and get some bandages. I would even settle for a box of band-aids right now. Maybe I should have gotten the [First Aid] Skill. Bet it would have come in handy here. Her musings were cut off by John stepping up in front of her, smiling warming. ¡°So, I think we ended things on the wrong foot earlier,¡± he started off. ¡°I apologize if I upset you in any way.¡± ¡°Maybe you should not start asking people for money right off the bat then,¡± she answered. ¡°I do not trust you to use it well.¡± ¡°Ture, you don¡¯t know much about me,¡± he smiled good-naturedly. ¡°But, I assure you, I am working towards everyone¡¯s best interest here.¡± Devi just scoffed. ¡°I will be the one to make that determination, thank you.¡± As she was beginning to walk away, she noticed two figures quickly approaching. The one in front had vivid blue hair and was wearing what looked to be a metal breastplate. A large shield was strapped to one arm, while a sword flapped wildly on their hip. Next to them was a taller person, with curly black hair, sporting the same leathers as Devi, with a simple spear held in one hand. ¡°Hey, are you harassing people again?¡± The blue-haired person said as they got within speaking distance. ¡°Go find some other person to try and get to donate to your cause.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothering this young woman, Mars, I¡¯m just simply talking with her. I felt like we ended on a bad note, and wanted to rectify that.¡± ¡°I seriously doubt that,¡± Mars retorted. They turned to look over at Devi. ¡°Is this man bothering you?¡± ¡°No, I was about to leave,¡± Devi replied. ¡°He already tried to get me to donate.¡± ¡°If any of you reconsider, and want to help everyone here, please let me know. I just want to do what¡¯s best for everyone.¡± And with that, he gave them all a charming smile and walked off. ¡°Fucker,¡± Mars said as he walked off. ¡°Sorry about that.,¡± they said as they turned back to Devi. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Mars, they/them.¡± ¡°Devi, she/her,¡± she said giving them a small nod. ¡°I am guessing he tried to get you to donate too?¡± ¡°Yeah, and pretty much everyone here it looks like,¡± the currently-haired person chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m Mat, by the way, he/him.¡± He gave a small wave as he introduced himself. ¡°He¡¯s gotten quite a few people though, it seems like,¡± Mars said while shaking her head. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t agree that we all need to work together here, I just don¡¯t trust a man like that to be the one in charge, you know?¡± ¡°I get that, they seemed slimy,¡± Devi said. ¡°Not someone I would want to have in charge of everyone.¡± Mars nodded in agreement, before looking over at Devi in concern, just noticing the multiple cuts on her body. ¡°Are you okay? What happened? Do I need to go beat someone up?¡± ¡°No, I am good, it was a squirrel, but do not worry, they look worse than I do,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°Wait, a squirrel did that to you?¡± Matt asked, alarmed. ¡°Yeah, though it was quite large, and could shoot electrical sparks at me. It was fucking fast.¡± ¡°But you killed it?¡± Mars asked, and when Devi confirmed that she had, Mars¡¯ face broke into a wide grin. ¡°You go girl! Look at that, that¡¯s so cool! How did you do it?¡± They turned to Matt. ¡°See, I told you we should go out into the forest and kill monsters.¡± Devi was taken back a little at Mars¡¯ enthusiasm. ¡°I shot fire at it and then stabbed it until it was dead,¡± she replied. ¡°It might have gotten me a few times before then. I thought I was going to die the whole time. I would not recommend.¡± She gestured to the numerous injuries. ¡°You can shoot fireballs?¡± Matt asked before ducking his head a bit in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, you don¡¯t have to answer, that just seems really cool.¡± ¡°No worries. No, I can not, or at least I do not think I can. I am not too sure how I did that either.¡± She pulled out the magic tool she had summoned the pillar of fire from. Parts of it were singed and burnt, while a couple of the odd symbols were completely burnt away. ¡°Wait, is that the fire starter magic tool?¡± Matt asked. ¡°Well, it is a replica I made,¡± Devi admitted. ¡°And it works?¡± ¡°Yeah, it does, though not quite as well as the original.¡± ¡°You can make those things work?¡± Mars asked, impressed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been trying for a bit to get the two you got to do something this whole time, Matt?¡± Matt pulled out a familiar-looking metallic stake along with a circular disk about 15 cm wide and two thick. It was covered in similar patterns as the stake. ¡°I haven¡¯t had any luck with either one. I¡¯ve given up really, at least for right now.¡± ¡°I could try and show you if you want,¡± Devi offered. ¡°If you let me look at the other magic tool. That is the water purifier, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Matt said, handing over the disk to Devi. ¡°Is there a trick to using these?¡± ¡°Probably, I heard that having a Skill for them is useful, but you can use them without that.¡± They sat down on the grass, as Devi walked them through the process of looking inwards to find the bubble of energy in their chests. Mars and Matt both had a hard time locating it, neither one had experienced what it felt like to have their mana move as Devi had with her Skill. She had them keep looking, helping out as she played with the new magic tool. The water purifier was a perfect circle made out of the same silvery metallic metal, with odd symbols scattered over it, only on one side. The symbols themselves were engraved with a whitish metal instead of the bronze the fire started used. She closed her eyes and focused, sending mana down her arm and into the tool. She could feel the magic tool start absorbing her mana, but when she opened her eyes, nothing seemed to be happening. The tool also was absorbing mana far quicker than the fire starter, until it suddenly stopped absorbing mana. A quick check of her Status showed she had sunk 10 points of mana into the disk, all for nothing to happen. Though as she peered over the disk, she had to amend that thought. A few of the symbols seemed to be glowing faintly, but nothing else. Maybe I need water for it to work? It can not purify water without some water around. She shrugged and explained what she had done to both Mars and Matt, both of which had been watching in awe as the symbol slowly started glowing, only to be let down when no fun magic happened. None of them had any good ideas about why it didn¡¯t work. Devi decided to start replicating the magic tool, and the others sat around and started chatting as she worked, taking a break from trying to move their mana. Devi learned that both Mars and Matt both been working at the same coffee shop, the one Devi had been at right before they all had been transported here. They had seen the boxes and had gotten excited. Apparently, they had both been fans of a particular genre of books called lit-rpg, which featured things exactly like the floating blue boxes, which raised way too many questions for Devi¡¯s liking, such as why those ideas even existed in the first place on Earth. Had Earth already known about magic before the sky fell? None of them had any answers. ¡°But anyways,¡± Mars said, after a long pause where everyone was chewing on the fact that lit-rpg books had existed. ¡°What Class and Vocation did you choose? If that¡¯s not too personal. I chose the tank one because it sounded super fun!¡± ¡°Did you not choose a Vocation?¡± Devi asked ¡°Nah, not yet, none of them really felt right to me, so we¡¯ll see what happens later,¡± they explained. Devi nodded along. ¡°Well, I chose Tinkerer and Support, they seemed interesting. Do you think there will be more options later? Should I have not chosen so quickly?¡± Did I fuck up already? Shit, should I have not chosen anything? Fuck. Why did I not wait? I am so dumb, I could have waited, it was not that hard. Just wait a few hours and talked with other people to figure out what they were doing. I just assumed I knew better, but what if I did not? I just sabotaged myself. Her mind started to spiral down as she beat herself up over her decision. ¡°Who knows, maybe?¡± Mars shrugged. ¡°Or there won¡¯t be anything later, and I will have missed out. I¡¯d say it¡¯s about 50/50. I just wanted to wait a little bit¡± ¡°Well, I chose Ranger and Performer myself. Got to use those marching band skills, am I right?¡± Matt joked. ¡° ¡°When did you ever have skills,¡± Mars said. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I always had skills, but now, I have Skills. Two in fact,¡± he stated proudly. ¡°[Sharp Eyes] and [Track] to be precise.¡± ¡°I have been wondering, how can you say the capital letters and brackets?¡± Devi asked, the oddity pulling her out of her own thoughts. ¡°Or am I going crazy and no one else can hear them.¡± ¡°No, I hear them too,¡± Mars said, frowning. ¡°I just hadn¡¯t noticed it.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy!¡± Matt said. ¡°You can¡¯t just say a bracket, right? But I can definitely hear it. That is so weird.¡± ¡°[Tough Skin],¡± Mars said. ¡°Huh, you really can hear the brackets and the capitalization. That¡¯s wild.¡± ¡°Your Skill is [Tough Skin]?¡± Devi asked. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve got absolutely no idea what it does, but it sounds fun,¡± Mars rescinded. ¡°And it¡¯s bound to be good, like, who wouldn¡¯t want to have tougher skin?¡± Devi was already trying to devise tests to figure out how exactly that Skill worked. Maybe we could try and injure Mars and then both me and Matt and compare how much damage all of us receive? Do it enough times you should figure out if the Skill reduces damage. She paused to think of any flaws in that. Well, it could be it is just harder to actually get cut, not that it reduced damage. That is a bit harder to test. We could do the first test, and then address if any of the individual injuries were harder to do than other ones. Maybe we could randomize the- ¡°Hey, Devi,¡± Mars¡¯ voice pulled her out of her train of thought. ¡°You good? You kind of just started frowning at me for no reason.¡± Devi blinked in surprise. ¡°No, I did not mean to do that. Just thinking about stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all good, I disassociate all the time,¡± Mars said with a laugh. ¡°Though we should probably figure out where we¡¯re going to sleep. I don¡¯t see any beds around, and there wasn¡¯t any for sale.¡± Devi looked up and noticed the sun had begun to disappear over the tops of the trees, casting everything in soft shadows. The shimmering barrier began to become more noticeable as the sunlight faded around it. A few people began to notice the barrier''s existence, seemingly not having seen it the whole day. ¡°We could just sleep here, it is as good as anywhere else,¡± Devi suggested, wincing slightly as her cuts made themselves known again. She had been too preoccupied with showing the others how to move mana and looking at the new magic tool to feel the pain, but now that she had a moment to think, it came back in full force. ¡°Maybe we should get you patched up first,¡± Mars said as she saw Devi wince. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It is not like we have any medical supplies around.¡± Mars gave Devi a hard stare before shrugging their shoulders before Matt spoke up. ¡°We should go figure out where some water is tomorrow then. There¡¯s bound to be some somewhere, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯d think, right? We got placed here somehow. I really hope whatever did that realized we need water to live.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe they did not realize humans needed water quite frequently,¡± Devi said. ¡°But that is a problem for tomorrow. Nothing we can do about it right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Matt agreed. ¡°Right now, we need to figure out how we¡¯re going to sleep.¡± ¡°We should probably sleep in shifts, what do you guys things?¡± Mars asked. ¡°You said there were large magical squirrels that attacked you in the forest. I don¡¯t know about everyone else, but I would prefer not to be woken up to one of those eating my face off.¡± ¡°I am more worried about the other humans around than the squirrels. That barrier must do something since I have not seen a single squirrel or anything, come into the clearing,¡± Devi reasoned. ¡°So three shifts, each of takes one? And what, 2 hours each?¡± Matt asked. ¡°That would only give up 4 hours of sleep,¡± Devi replied. Just a bit of math would have made that clear, she thought to herself. ¡°We should go 3 hours each, giving up all 6 hours of sleep, which is not the most, but if we go with 4 hours each, that would be half a day just to sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds good to me,¡± Mars chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll take middle watch if that¡¯s good with you guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take first watch,¡± Devi said. ¡°Well, guess I get last watch,¡± Matt said. ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t get all that cold tonight then.¡± Knowing my luck, it is definitely going to drop below freezing, Devi thought to herself as she got in a comfortable place to keep an eye out on everything. And something tells me that this place is very unhospitable to humans. She paused for a second. How the fuck did I end up grouping up with these people? Chapter 007: Symbols in the Night Devi sat in the clearing amidst the dimming light as the sun dipped behind the tree line. She had a small wooden disk that she was working on carving the same symbols as the metallic one that was resting in front of her. Next to her lay the two people she had only really met today, though she had seen them a few times before. Around her, the other people in the clearing were clumping up, getting ready to spend their first night in this alien forest they had been transported to. The largest of these clumps was centered around the grey pillar in the center of the clearing. Devi could see a few figures walking around the group, apparently on guard. In the middle, she could see John talking with a few people, giving orders. And probably grifting everyone of anything he can, she thought scathingly as she picked absentmindedly at one of the scabbed-over cuts she had all across her arms. Her companions and herself were situated fairly close to the edge of the clearing, far away from the large cluster of people. For some reason, Devi wasn¡¯t all that afraid of monsters attacking them from outside of the barrier. She just had a gut feeling that the iridescent film would do something to stop the monsters. It didn¡¯t come from anywhere, just an odd feeling. She was definitely still going to watch the forest. After her run-in with the squirrel she had gained a healthy fear of whatever lay out there, but she was more worried about what lay inside the clearing. Besides the two people laying next to her, Devi didn¡¯t quite trust anyone in the clearing, and she only somewhat trusted both Mars and Matt. They had been nice and friendly, and she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d do anything to her, but she was always wary. And why did I agree to camp together with them? I barely know them. They could be serial killers for all I know. But as she thought about it, she became more confident that they were good people. Mars did come in to help me with John. And even if I did not need the help, they were willing to stand up for me, a total stranger. And Matt just seemed very excited about magic, just like me. She shrugged, figuring she would stay with them for now. But that does not mean I am going to drop my guard, yet. She turned her attention back to the wooden disk she had been working on, finishing a few of the symbols that dotted its surface. It almost seemed that there was a pattern to how they were placed, but it was hard to pick out. I really need to figure out what exactly those symbols do. They have to be connected to how it produces the magical effects, right? She thought to herself as she chewed on the end of her knife. There is not much else that could be the reason these tools can take mana and turn it into magic. Shrugging, she winced in pain as she infused the area around one of her recent cuts with her mana, and broke the scab on top. No sense in adding another cut. She quickly collected the blood and painted over all the symbols on the wooden disk. It had become routine to use her own blood, as macabre as it was, to paint the wooden carvings. I really need to figure out a better way to do this, she thought to herself. The blood loss is not terrible each time, but it does stack up. Maybe there are materials out in the forest that can conduct mana? I will have to look tomorrow when we go.
Congratulations A new Magic Tool (G) (inferior) has been created A new Magic Tool (G) (inferior) has been created
XP threshold reached Novice Tinkerer (inferior) lvl 1 -> lvl 2
XP threshold reached [Improvise Tool] (inferior) lvl 0 -> lvl 1
A flurry of message boxes appeared when she completed the disk, along with a wave of energy. She had anticipated a message awarding her XP for finishing the disk, but the one she got was slightly different than the previous messages. The words ¡°A new¡± were strangely added. Maybe it is because this is a separate magic tool than the ones I was making before? She gave a mental shrug as she thought about it. Could be that making new things gives more XP, or these boxes just denote that it is in fact a different magic tool than the ones you have created beforehand. The other two messages were a bit more of a surprise. Maybe I was already close to leveling up my Vocation before? Or does making a new type of magic tool award more XP? Why can¡¯t the boxes just say how much XP I received? Everything would be so much easier then, but no, that would be far too nice. She growled in frustration, calming herself before getting too worked up, so as to not wake her sleeping companions. If I ever find the people who made these boxes, I am going to strangle them for not giving more information. Just a tad more would be nice. She brushed away the thoughts of setting a nebulous figure alight as she cackled maniacally in the background, taunting them about the lack of information they had now. But the last message was interesting. One of my Skills leveled up. It was the Skill she had been using the most, almost constantly improving whatever tool she had on hand while she was shaping and carving the magic tools. So that makes sense. But I wonder why it only now improved. After thinking for a few moments, she had no real answers as to why it leveled up, so she added it to her ever-growing list of questions that she would get to later. She dismissed all the notifications and turned her attention back to the finished magic tool. Now, to figure out what those symbols mean. She took a few of the scraps of wood she had discarded while making the disk and started carving individual symbols on each one. It did not take her long to copy all the symbols from the disk onto their own piece of wood since there were only a handful of unique ones. A few looked similar to the ones on the fire starter magic tool she had currently sitting in her pocket, so she got it out and copied all the unique symbols from that one as well. She took special note of the few symbols that had been burnt when she had summoned a pillar of fire earlier, all of which were the same symbol. She then used the last bit of the mana-infused blood she had to coat the symbols. Time to test them out. The first one she tried to inject mana into was the symbol that had been burnt out on her fire starter magic tool since she had a hunch as to what it might be used for. When she tried to guide her mana into it from her arm, it felt as if she was trying to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste from the tube. It was hard, the mana seemingly did not want to go into the symbol, but it did, slowly. Maybe this one is a limiter perhaps, Devi reasoned to herself. It could control the flow of magic. It would make sense for this one to be the one that got damaged when I sent as much mana as I could through the magic tool. It got overloaded, and could not limit the mana anymore, so it broke. Much like a resistor. She set that symbol aside, fairly certain of its purpose now, and focused on the next one. This was the other symbol that showed up on both the fire starter and the water purifier. When she directed her mana to it, the symbol eagerly absorbed it, pulling the mana in as fast as she could move it. She quickly stopped sending mana to it, but it took a bit of mental effort to stop the flow. Well, that sure was something, she thought as she took a few ragged breaths. Guess that¡¯s how the magic tools pull in mana. Very good to know. The symbol glowed dimly in the dark clearing, not shedding that much light, but enough that it was visible. Devi had been forced to squint to make out anything, but thankfully there was a bit of illumination from the moons that had risen above. Two silvery orbs floated in the sky, neither one marred by craters like the one back home, but two perfect spheres above, giving enough light to see a little bit. After only a few moments, the symbol¡¯s glow faded, small whisps of multi-colored light faded into view before melding into the air. Looks like the symbols can only hold mana for some amount of time, so no mana batteries it looks like. She frowned and pulled out the water purifier. She had sunk a fair bit of mana into the tool, but nothing had happened. Now, in the moonlight, a few of the symbols were glowing faintly. They all were the same symbol, a different one from the two she had already tested, and none of the others were glowing. Now that is interesting, she hummed to herself. So it appears that you can have a mana battery. Her mind was already spinning up ways she could use that. That is very handy. The next symbol on her list was one she was very interested in, it was the last one left from the three that appeared on the fire starter, so Devi reasoned that it must be the one that converted mana to fire. There is a symbol for mana intake, one for limiting how much mana gets brought in, so the last one must be for the ignition. She paused, let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves though. It that could be the way the symbols are all put together, not this last symbol, that makes the fire. She had struggled with getting her hopes up for things, only to have them be dashed, so she wasn¡¯t going to do that again. Probably. It is not going to be like taking E, getting excited that I would start growing boobs the next day. I am going to temper my expectations. With her expectations reigned in, Devi sent mana through the symbol. It was harder to get the mana flowing than the first two symbols like the mana did not know exactly what to do. She closed her eyes and mentally grappled with the slippery energy to try and force it to go into the odd symbol she had etched into the wood. For some reason, moving her mana had been a whole lot easier recently, but she wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. With a final mental grunt, she threaded a small stream of mana into the symbol and opened her eyes. A burst of flame met her eyes, not nearly as large as when she had used it to fend off the squirrel, but more than the candle flame the fire starter usually produced. Curious, Devi guided a thicker stream of mana into the symbol, and the flame grew in size. When she decreased how much she was sending, the opposite happened. She could shrink the flame until it was no more than just a few wisps of smoke. Nice! Looks like you can control the size of the flame. Kind of what I had expected, but always nice to have things confirmed, because who knows with everything here. It is literal magic, can not expect it to follow the same logic as you would expect. Watching the flame burn in front of her, a grin slowly spread across her face as she had an idea for something she could make. That is, until the piece of wood she had been using to test the fire symbol caught on fire and she hurriedly dropped it, stamping it out with her foot. Fucking idiot, wood burns, she mentally berated herself. The magic tool had all of the symbols clustered around the tip. That seems like a good idea. She had another great idea. Unless I want the wood to burn. She grinned at the thought. Before she could start working on her idea, she needed to know what the other symbols did. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She was testing the symbol that she believed to be a sort of mana battery was, when she heard the clank of metal behind her. Shit, I was supposed to be on guard. ¡°Hey there, did I see fire over here just barely?¡± A voice called out behind her. Devi turned around and saw a looming figure striding up to her. Moonlight glinted off the metal breastplate they were wearing, while shadows covered their face. They stood far taller than Devi, even if she was standing, but even more so since she had been sitting cross-legged on the grass. ¡°Possibly, what is it to you?¡± She questioned back. ¡°I¡¯ve been told to make sure everything is safe here in the clearing,¡± came the response. ¡°And that includes checking out random fires.¡± ¡°If there was a fire, it is not here anymore, so your presence is not needed.¡± ¡°Hey man, I get it. It¡¯s been a crazy day. I¡¯m here to help. Mr. McCalister picked me to watch out for everyone. He even got me up to level one.¡± The figure stepped closer, and Devi got a good look at them, or at least, as good of a look as she could get with only moonlight to illuminate them. They were built like a mountain, at least 180 cm tall with broad shoulders. Their long hair was done up in a brain that lay over their shoulder. One hand rested on the pommel of a sheathed sword on their waist, while the other was outstretched in a greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra, one of the Protectors just appointed today.¡± ¡°Devi, she/her,¡± Devi said, quickly rising to her feet and shaking the proffered hand. ¡°What exactly is a protector, and who appointed you?¡± ¡°The Protectors are a group of people who are here to help defend everyone who was displaced by what has happened. We¡¯ll be going into the forest tomorrow to scout it out and bring back supplies.¡± So Mr. McCalister went and got a bunch of people to act as security for him. Probably so he did not have to do all the work himself. At least they will be somewhat helping everyone. ¡°Sounds like you have your work cut out for you then. The forest is dangerous. Goodnight.¡± With that, Devi gave a nod and sat back down, focusing on the symbol in front of her. Cassandra waited awkwardly for a bit, before clanking off into the night. Might have a bit of company tomorrow then, when we go and explore the forest. Hopefully, we do not run into them. Anyways, back to magic. She quickly went through the next four symbols, one by one, figuring out what they all did. The one she suspected of being a sort of mana battery let her channel mana into it for a long while before it stopped accepting any, continuing to glow faintly after she had stopped. It did not let out any multi-colored whisps like the other symbols had but just glowed gently in her palm. Would be nice if I knew how to get the mana out, but at least I know you can store mana. Setting that aside, the next one she channeled mana into didn¡¯t do anything. Just allowing the mana to flow freely through. No matter what she did, it refused to do anything except let mana go through it, not even holding any of it. The next symbol was a bit more interesting. When she guided her mana to it, small droplets of water started to form all around the symbol. It wasn¡¯t much, more like small beads of dew, she definitely had water. I wonder if it is creating the water, or just pulling it out of the air, Devi wounded as she fed more mana into the symbol and watched the moonlight be refracted in the small beads of water. But either way, this is so cool. She spent a few moments playing around with the symbol before going to the last one she had drawn out. When she channeled her man into the symbol, a small little puff of white light escaped. It quickly faded, but the skin of her fingertips where the light had brushed over was free from dirt and grime. Now that is interesting. Some sort of cleaning symbol? She mused to herself. It was on the water purification disk, so that does make sense. Does clean everything that is around it? Maybe the way the symbols are put together makes it so the disk only cleans water. Her mind trailed off, going down a rabbit hole of possibilities, none of which she could actually test. Eventually, her mind landed on the plans she had for new magic tools. Right, that is what I was going to do. She grabbed one of the spare pieces of wood she had collected and started a simple prototype of the tool she wanted to make. Devi didn¡¯t know if her design was even feasible, or if it would work as she wanted, but she had plenty of materials to work with, so she was going to get it to work. Eventually. The idea was pretty simple, a magic tool that would store mana and then convert it into fire at a moment''s notice. A lot of fire, all at once, exploding out in all directions. A bomb some might even say To start, she began carving the symbol she had mentally dubbed the mana grabber and connected it to one of the symbols that had been able to store mana. To finish off the small prototype, she added the symbol for fire. Once everything has been painted with mana-infused blood, she sat back, expecting a notification for making a new magic tool, but none came. Well fuck, did I do something wrong? This should be working. She guided a bit of mana into the freshly carved symbol. Maybe I carved something wrong. It is fairly dark, so that would not be a surprise. All of a sudden, a large flame flashed into existence for a brief moment right next to her face. She let out a yelp of surprise, but the flames had already faded from view, leaving only white spots in her eyes. And the smell of singed hair. Well, that certainly did something, she thought to herself as she blinked clear her vision. I made something, a magic something, but did not get any notifications for it. Devi looked around to see if she had set anything on fire, but thankfully the area surrounding her remained flame free. An image of a disappointed bear playing in her mind, scolding her for being reckless as she checked to see if she had woken up with Mars or Matt with her scream. They do not need to know about that mishap, I will just keep it a secret for now. Both of her companions seemed to be sleeping soundly, but that wasn''t her only worry. She spotted the large figure of who she assumed to be Cassandra come towards her. Well fuck. ¡°Hey now, this time I definitely saw some fire over here. What the hell are you doing?¡± Cassandra said as she stomped up to her. ¡°Magic,¡± Devi replied succinctly, not bothering to get up. Now, where did I go wrong? She started tracing the flow of mana through her carving. The mana came through these symbols, and then- ¡°Are you even listing to me?¡± Cassandra¡¯s voice broke through her thoughts. ¡°You can¡¯t just go around using magic like that, you could hurt someone.¡± ¡°Everything was under control. No need to panic.¡± Devi turned back to her carvings. Now, it goes into the mana battery, and then once that fills, right to the fire symbol. She hit herself upside the head. Idiot, of course, it would just shoot fire the first second it got. There was no trigger. She had completely forgotten about Cassandra as Devi went back to thinking about a new design. I put mana into the water purifier, and that did not immediately start purifying. There must be a trigger or something on that magic tool. ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± Cassandra demanded. ¡°You were engaging in reckless behavior, you need to be aware of everyone else.¡± ¡°I am well aware of everyone, and what I was doing was completely controlled,¡± Devi retorted, trying to stem the lecture she felt was coming. ¡°Besides, there is not any other place that is well suited for this. Outside the barrier are monsters.¡± Devi could feel Cassandra glowering at her, but she just started guiding her mana into the symbol she believed was the trigger on the water purifier. ¡°Well, just make sure you¡¯re careful,¡± came Cassandra¡¯s reply as she stomped off. Devi just shrugged. Pretty sure this won''t do anything dangerous, she thought to herself and sent her mana into the symbol. It only took a small trickle of mana until something happened. A gentle light started emanating from the edge of the disk, before fading from view after only a brief moment. She sent her mana into the symbol again, but nothing happened. Now that was odd, did it just do one massive blast of purifying? Checking the symbols, she saw that the mana would have to go through a limiter symbol before getting to the purifying and water symbols, so it definitely did not let off one massive purifying blast. Unless she was misreading the symbols, but that wasn¡¯t likely. Maybe it only purifies water? Devi grabbed the water symbol and sent some mana into it, and watched the small droplets form along the edges. As she did, a small gentle glow enveloped them for a brief moment before subsiding. Well, that answers that. Looks like the disk only purifies water and nothing else. Must be how the two symbols are connected? She let out a growl of frustration. Why did these things not come with an instruction booklet? Another thing to add to my ever-growing to-do list I guess. She visualized a few of the different ways she could add the trigger symbol to her magic item, turning her now charge and then use item to one that could store a charge and be used later, until settling on one that looked promising. It didn¡¯t take her that long before she had carved the symbols and painted over them with mana-infused blood. The moment she put the final touches on the item, a blue box popped up.
Congratulations A new Magic Tool (G) (inferior) has been created XP has been awarded
She had not known if whatever she had made would count as a magic tool, but evidently, it did. What she absolutely did not expect was the next message.
XP threshold reached Human (G) lvl 1 -> lvl 2 +1 All
Devi blinked in surprise as the rush of tingles faded, her body glowing faintly for a few moments in the dim light. So that confirms I can level up my Race by doing other things than combat, good to know. I was worried that it was tied to fighting things. She got up and stretched, her body a bit sore after sitting in one place for so long, and her stomach choose that time to make itself known as well. This usually happened when she was focused on a project, she¡¯d neglect to eat until she was done, sometimes going a full day on just coffee in the morning, until she finished whatever she was working on and suddenly realize she was extraordinarily hungry. This time though, she didn¡¯t have access to her hoard of mac and cheese meals in her freezer. The apocalypse better not disrupt supply chains so they stop making my meals. I do not know what I will do if I can not buy them anymore. She spent the next little while keeping an eye on the cluster of people sleeping around the pillar, thinking about how she could get production started again on manufacturing frozen meals so she could have her mac and cheese if they ever got back to Earth. Nothing much happened, though she did see the series of people who patrolled the edges of the makeshift camp change every so often. A few times she heard haunting howls from beyond the barrier, with others returning the call from different locations. Thankfully, nothing came into the clearing or even approached the multicolored barrier throughout the whole time Devi was keeping watch. She had checked her mana pool during that time, and realized she did not have all that much left. Her crafting sessions, in addition to her excursion with the squirrel, and left her all but empty. Not wanting to drop close too zero, she had refrained from crafting anything else. As much as she was itching to start messing around with more combinations of symbols, she fought off the urge. She stopped herself from testing the magic tool she had just barely created, figuring that doing so would also probably be a bad idea, since her mana pool was sitting at 7. And besides, would not want Cassandra stomping over here again. Twice was enough. Chapter 008: Scarry Squrrile 2, Electric Boogaloo Devi woke up to someone gently shaking her. Her eyes snapped open as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Fuck. How did someone manage to get in? Why are they touching me? Those were the first thoughts that raced through her head as she looked around. Instead of seeing her familiar blue walls, a smiling face with a crooked nose greeted her. ¡°Hey, thought you would want to get up,¡± Mars said as she backed up a little, seeing the panic in Devi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sorry, was that not okay?¡± Devi took a few moments to calm herself, sitting up and scanning the area around her. Her heart rate slowed as she remembered she had gone to sleep on the grass of the alien clearing she had found herself in after the sky and fallen down while getting coffee. She wasn¡¯t in her house, so that meant her space hadn¡¯t been invaded. The end of the world is much preferred to having random people in my apartment. ¡°Thank you, I did.¡± Devi leaned forwards and stretched out to touch her toes before arching her back. ¡°It was fine, just did not know who was touching me right away. Not quite used to being woken up like that.¡± Man, I do really miss my alarm. ¡°So, you ready to go out and explore,¡± an excited Matt asked as he fidgeted with the straps of his armor. ¡°Would say we should have breakfast first, but,¡± Devi gestured around herself. ¡°We do not really have anything to eat.¡± Mars let out a chuckle as they started putting their breastplate on. Devi followed suit, having taken all her armor off to sleep. ¡°Hopefully we can find something out there to eat then,¡± Mars said. ¡°Good motivation to hunt something.¡± Devi remembered the charrd corpse of the squirrel she had left in the forest and made a face. She had no desire to go back and find it. And other scavengers had probably already gotten ahold of it by now. ¡°Do either one of you know how to cook an animal? Because I do not,¡± Devi asked. Hopefully one of them knows, or else, we are screwed. ¡°How hard could it be, really?¡± Mars said with bravado. ¡°I could probably figure it out. People do it all the time on TV.¡± ¡°Actually, I might know a bit,¡± Matt said from the ground as he struggled with the last few straps of his armor. ¡°I went hunting with my dad. Once, a long time ago, back when we were still talking.¡± ¡°Oh right, I think you told me about that. Didn¡¯t you throw up on that trip?¡± Mars asked innocently. ¡°I deny everything, you have no proof!¡± Mat exclaimed. ¡°But yeah, that was not a fun trip.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can handle it. Don¡¯t want you puking again,¡± Mars jocked as she finished strapping her forearm guards on. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. And besides, you can just tell me any tips you remember.¡± Devi thought back to her brief excursion, remembering the odd plants that had been around. More importantly, the few that seemed to have berries on them. ¡°Or we could just look for edible plants while we''re out?¡± Devi suggested. ¡°I saw a few bushes with berries, and who knows, maybe a few of the pants are edible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an idea, no needing to mess around with trying to cook something we kill,¡± Mars said. ¡°And probably easier than finding prey in the first place.¡± ¡°But how do we know what¡¯s edible or not?¡± Asked Matt, stumbling to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can expect the plants to be the same as back home.¡± ¡°I did see some odd plants in the forest when I went out yesterday,¡± Devi supplied. ¡±Though, pretty much any plant would be unfamiliar to me. Do not leave the city much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure we should be eating random plants here. Sounds like a great way to get poisoned,¡± Mat argued. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just collect a few berries and things and go from there? Maybe eat one or two before eating the rest? Should work out better that way,¡± Mar suggested. ¡°And hopefully we don¡¯t die of food poisoning as well.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Devi said while shrugging. ¡°I was hoping we wouldn¡¯t run into anything while we were out there anyways, so that is very fine with me,¡± Matt said. ¡°Sounds good!¡± Mars finished putting on her last bit of armor. ¡°Well, looks like we¡¯re about all geared up. You guys ready to get out there?¡± Devi could see Mars was anxious to get going, almost bouncing with energy as she stooped to help Matt with the last few buckles of his armor. She did a brief check of all her equipment. Her armor was on, and her crossbow was already pulled back and loaded. She had the fire starter magic tool that she had used to burn the squirrel yesterday, and the new magic tool she had completed last night both tucked into her pockets. As she moved, she realized the multiple cuts she had received yesterday did not hurt quite as badly as when she went to bed. Many of them had scabbed over, and a few shallow ones had already closed, leaving only faint red lines in their place. Well now, that sure is interesting, she thought to herself. That sure is not normal. I do not heal that fast. Those should still have been nasty cuts today, not looking like I got them a few days ago. She pulled up her Status sheet and saw her health was back up to full, along with her stamina. Her mana, however, was sitting at 98/253. Well, that might answer some of those questions. Maybe full health means I heal faster? Or could be that people recover faster in the clearing, or just in general now? She let out a frustrated growl. ¡°Wow, easy there, is everything okay?¡± Mars asked, concerned. ¡°Just frustrated at the complete lack of knowledge here,¡± Devi complained. ¡°I got cut pretty badly yesterday, but now, they seem days old. I do not know if that is because of my stats, or what. Nothing is being explained, and it is very frustrating. I just want everything to make sense.¡± Devi almost was growling the last few words. She took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°No worries, there¡¯s a lot of stuff that¡¯s really frustrating,¡± Mars said, trying to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be frustrated. But hey, we¡¯re going to go explore a probably magical forest together, how cool is that?¡± Devi gave a small chuckle and took a couple of deep breaths. ¡°Yeah, there is a whole magical forest to go explore. We should get going then.¡± Devi gestured with her head over towards the pillar where small groups of armed and armored individuals were already congregating, all centered around Mr. McCallistar. ¡°Probably want to beat those guys out into the forest.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to run into John out there. Probably so dumb he¡¯d bring all the monsters down on him,¡± Mars joked. ¡°Probably the worst thing to run into out there would be him,¡± Matt agreed. ¡°Give me just a sec, I want to see if I can distribute some of the free points I have,¡± Devi said as she looked over her Status screen, seeing she still had 10 sitting there that she hadn¡¯t even thought about. ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy to do that, just focus on the free points and you¡¯ll be brought to a screen where you can distribute them,¡± Mars chimed in. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s how it was for me. Don¡¯t know if it''s different for everyone.¡± Devi shrugged and pulled up her Status, focusing on the free points. A new screen popped up, exactly how Mars said it would, allowing her to assign her free points to whatever Attribute she wanted. With 10 free points, she was tempted to just evenly distribute them to all her Attributes but decided against that. After all, every Race level she had gotten gave her one to every stat, so she figured it might be better to focus on a few specific areas and let the levels in her Race bump all her stats up instead. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She had a few specific Attributes she wanted to focus on. First was her health. Having more was never a bad thing, and so she put Vitality on her shortlist. The next was Strength and Agility. Being stronger and faster seemed very important. After all, that is what is the basis of every superhero I feel like. Super strength and super speed. The next on the list was intelligence. Ever since she got the +10% boost from her title, she had realized how amazing the Attribute was. She had been able to recall things easier, which was incredible. But even better, she had slowly realized that her control over her mana had improved greatly. She had first just assumed that it was because she had been working at it for a while, but the jump in the ease at which she could move her mana around was more than she felt a few hours of practice could produce. The other attributes were a little more nebulous, except Wisdom and Endurance. She had enough Mana for now, and while having more Stamina would be nice, she didn¡¯t feel it was quite as important as the other four she had listed. She assigned two points to both Strength and Vitatly and three to both Agility and Intelligence. Better to just be able to avoid getting hit than have the Health to tank it she figured. Feeling satisfied with her choices, she mentally hit the confirmation button, locking in her selections. A wave of multicolored light washed over her, and with it, the familiar tingling sensation. ¡°Wow, how many free points did you use?¡± Mars asked as she stared at Devi. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was actually visible when I did it. Though maybe I wasn¡¯t looking hard enough, the light show was kind of faint.¡± ¡°Not too many,¡± Devi said, sidestepping the question. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust Mat and Mars, but she didn¡¯t quite feel comfortable saying how many free points she had. She felt that 10 was probably more than most people had at the moment. ¡°We better get going though, do not want to run in with John, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Matt said, and the three of them quickly walked up to the iridescent barrier surrounding the clearing. ¡°You sure that it¡¯s safe to pass through?¡± Matt asked as they got up to it. ¡°It just seems very magical, and who knows what it could be doing.¡± ¡°It is fine, nothing to worry about,¡± Devi said as she walked through. ¡°Just do not run through, that can be weird. Mars shrugged and stepped through, waving for Matt to follow suit. He took a few breaths before shutting his eyes and walking forwards. ¡°See, nothing to worry about,¡± Devi said when he got to the other side. ¡°Now, let''s start exploring.¡± The three of them advanced slowly into the forest, keeping their eyes out for anything to jump out at them. Mars had her shield up, sword in hand, ready to slash at anything that came at her. Matt was scanning the trees, knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip on his spear. Deiv was keeping an eye out, crossbow up at the ready, but a little more relaxed. After the first few minutes of nothing attacking, they all relaxed their vigilance and began to explore a bit more, feeling a bit more comfortable. Mat cautiously began looking in the surrounding bushes, trying to find anything edible, but also didn¡¯t seem too dangerous to eat, passing up the white berries he saw at first. Mars kept close to him, eyes scanning the alien trees that twisted up around them, blocking out the majority of the morning sunlight. Devi started poking around in the undergrowth, trying to see if she could find any magical looking plants she could use in her magic tool-making. Would very much prefer not to use my own blood in order to craft. There has to be something around here I can use. The only problem was that Devi had no idea what a magical plant might look like. Sure, if it was glowing, that would be a pretty big giveaway, but other than that? Anything in the forest could be magical since it was a forest that she had to pass through a magical barrier to get to. She decided to just take samples from a variety of plants and test them all later. The three of them continued their exploration of the forest for a while, Mars and Matt keeping up a constant chatter of conversation while Devi elected to keep quiet, more focused on collecting interesting plants than asking why they kept laughing over an oddly shaped tree. As they were laughing, Devi heard the bush next to them rustle, and before she could call out a warning, a red streak burst out of the bushes. The squirrel slammed into Mars¡¯ back, making her stumble to the ground with a crash. Matt turned around startled, and wildly swung his spear out. Thankfully, the swing went wide, missing both the squirrel and more importantly, Mars. Mars scrambled to her feet, throwing off the squirrel as it failed to dig its claws into her armor. ¡°Fuck, you never said how terrifying those things were,¡± Mars called over to Devi as they raised their shield to fend off another attack. Devi sighted down her crossbow at the squirrel as it got ready to pounce again. She pulled the trigger and watched as the squirrel twist mostly out of the way, but wasn¡¯t able to fully dodge as the bolt cut across its body. ¡°But I did, they are fucking terrifying,¡± Devi called back as she bend down to start pulling back her crossbow for another shot. ¡°Watch out!¡± Matt yelled as he dove to tackle Devi out of the way of a stream of scarlet sparks arced through the air towards her. He didn¡¯t get there in time, the sparks slamming into Devi¡¯s unprepared side, sending jolts of pain up her arm. And then she got tackled to the ground, Matt landing on top of her. She let out a muffled grunt and tried to push him off of her. ¡°Sorry, so sorry,¡± Matt said as he awkwardly stumbled off her, ¡°Just wanted to get you out of the way of that.¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± Devi said as she quickly scrambled to her feet, eyes scanning for the blasted creature that just shocked her. ¡°Just do not do it again.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course, sorry about that,¡± he said awkwardly. ¡°Can the two of you stop flirting and help me over here,¡± Mars called out as she fended off another attack from the angered squirrel, shield barely managing to get in between them and the squirrel. ¡°Was not my fault,¡± huffed Devi as she pulled back her crossbow. Matt scoped up his fallen spear and charged at the squirrel as it made another lunge at Mars, this time managing to slip past their defenses. Mars let out a yell as the squirrel left a large gash on their upper thigh. ¡°[Attribute Enhancment],¡± Devi called out, mentally focusing on Mars, trying to enhance their Agility hopefully to give her a helping hand in avoiding the squirrel. Mars stumbled a bit as the magic took effect, not used to the sudden bump in her Attributes. Unfortunately, the squirrel decided not to wait around until they got their barrings, jumping straight at them. Mars was still off balance from the enhanced Agilgity that they didn¡¯t see the squirrel until it was already clawing their side. There was a screech as the squirrel encountered Mars¡¯ breastplate. Raising the butt of their sword, they hammered down at the oversized critter, that was trying to cling to Mars¡¯ side. A solid thunk sounded out as the squirrel dropped to the forest ground in a daze. Not one to miss an opportunity, Devi raised her reloaded crossbow and shot the grounded monster. This time, the squirrel was in no position to dodge, and the bolt struck true. The red-furred rodent let out a high-pitched screech as it righted itself and hurled its body at Devi, its beady black eyes full of rage. Its flight was stopped short by a solid metal shield swinging out, imposing itself between her and the flying ball of anger. Mars gave a nod to Devi and the squirrel bounced, landing once again amidst the fallen leaves. ¡°Thanks,¡± Devi said as she took the brief respite to reload her crossbow. ¡°No problem,¡± came the reply as Mars kept their eyes on the squirrel. Matt rushed in from the side, spear jabbing downwards as he stabbed at the monstrous rodent. It spotted the attack at the last moment and the spear sank into the earth instead. The squirrel managed to twist its body out of the way of the spear just in time, and lept at Matt, clambering over the hastily raised shield and started trying to claw at his eyes. ¡°Fuck, help! It¡¯s trying to eat my face!¡± Matt yelled as he desperately tried to keep the rodent away from him. Mars quickly dropped their sword and yanked the rodent off the shield. ¡°Fuck off!¡± They yelled and drop-kicked the squirrel into a tree. Devi looked at them for a moment in stunned silence, before snapping out of it. She aimed her crossbow at the equally stunned squirrel and fired off a shot. The bolt lodged itself a centimeter away from the squirrel, quivering in the trunk of the tree as if to spite her. She muttered a curse as she started to pull her crossbow back again. Mars just jogged by, smirking good-naturedly, and scooped up her sword. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I go this,¡± they said as they chopped viciously down at the squirrel that just barely stumbled to its feet after being kicked into a tree. It still managed to dodge mostly out of the way, but the sword still clipped it, sending it tumbling to the ground once again. Mars didn¡¯t let up either, they kept stabbing their sword at it, keeping it on the defensive. The squirrel dodged one of the sword strikes and sent out a flurry of sparks in retaliation. Mars raised their shield to block the sparks, only for the squirrel to dart away while they were distracted. Only for a bolt to come flying out, and this time, hitting the squirrel squarely in its side as it tried to circle around the preoccupied Mars. It let out a shriek as it collapsed amidst the leaves, and Matt took that opportunity to stab his spear into it. The scream gurgled to a stop, and the squirrel lay limply on the ground, skewed by Matt¡¯s spear. Mars came over, sword at the ready in case it tried to do anything, but at that moment, a blue box flashed into existence in front of Devi¡¯s eyes.
Congratulations You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
Mars turned to Devi. ¡°You were right, squirrels are fucking terrifying.¡± Chapter 009: Forest Exploration Devi leaned against a tree, catching her breath, as Mat and Mars did the same. The dead squirrel lay on the ground between them, its beady eyes no less disturbing in death than when it had been alive and actively trying to kill them. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again,¡± Matt said between heavy breaths. ¡°We could have died.¡± ¡°But we didn¡¯t die,¡± countered Mars as they wiped their sword off and slid it back into its sheath. ¡°And we got XP for it. I call that a win-win.¡± ¡°So you also got the notification?¡± Devi asked as she dismissed hers. ¡°Yup, says I defeated my opponent, and got XP,¡± Mars replied before waving their hand through the air. ¡°Kind of odd it didn¡¯t say kill or something though.¡± Devi let out a low growl of frustration. ¡°I know,¡± was all she said. Looks like the notifications are the same for all of us. Interesting. ¡°Did any of you level up?¡± Matt asked. ¡°I did not, though I am at level one for my Class,¡± Devi answered. ¡°Could be because of that. I did level last time I fought a squirrel.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t level either, though I¡¯m also level one,¡± Mars said. ¡°I used some of the credits to get XP, seemed like a good idea to do.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m still at level zero, and also didn¡¯t level,¡± Matt said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because we killed the squirrel as a group?¡± ¡°We should go fight two more squirrels and see what happens,¡± Devi proposed. The XP might not be split evenly, but if it is, then if we fight two more, then everyone will have had the same amount of XP that I did when I leveled up both my Race and my Class. She thought some more. But it could be that the XP is given more to lower leveled people, or to higher levels, or just distributed based on contribution somehow? ¡°You want to go find two more of those monsters, on purpose?¡± Matt asked, incredulous. ¡°That one almost sliced me to ribbons, and you want to go out and find more?¡± ¡°We are more than likely going to run into more of them just by exploring the forest, it has not even been half an hour and we were attacked,¡± Devi explained. ¡°If we go hunting instead of letting the squirrels ambush us, we will have an easier time. Besides, we only got scrapped up a little bit. Mars bore the brunt of everything, and they do not look too bad.¡± ¡°My leg is a bit tender, but I¡¯m good,¡± Mars said as they shrugged. ¡°I feel like I could take on a few more of those bastards. Good way to get payback and to level up. Two squirrels with one stone as it were.¡± Matt groaned at the not so good pun but cambered to his feet anyways. ¡°If they¡¯re just going to attack anyways, I guess it¡¯s smart to hunt them instead.¡± He turned to the corpse of the squirrel. ¡°What do you want to do with that?¡± Devi gave the squirrel a glare. She knew they should probably bring it with them, it represented food, but she really didn¡¯t want to lug around a dead animal through the forest. ¡°We could take a short trip back to the clearing and leave it there?¡± she suggested. ¡°Bring back some wood too, and ask around if anyone knows how to cook and clean a kill?¡± They all considered the idea. Leaving it with some random person did mean that they could just take the squirrel for themselves, but also, it didn¡¯t really matter if they did. The three of them were going to hunt more in just a little bit. The three of them trekked back through the forest, Mars having been elected to hold the dead squirrel. They went a lot quicker than before, mainly since they weren¡¯t stopping to look at every plant and interesting thing, but also because Mars was almost jogging, anxious to stop needing to carry the corpse. Devi was the one guiding them, since her memory was the best out of the three, though Matt keep an eye on the surrounding, making sure there weren¡¯t any more squirrels laying in wait to ambush them. They made it safely back to the clearing, seeing the multicolored barrier in front of them through the gaps in the trees. ¡°Finally,¡± Mars said as they walked through the barrier, setting the squirrel down. ¡°Let''s go find someone who could help.¡± Devi nodded along, staring intently at the barrier where Mars had walked through. She had expected it to do something when the dead squirrel had been brought in, but nothing unusual happened. Maybe the barrier did not do anything because the squirrel was dead, Devi thought to herself. She made a note to herself to figure out if a live creature other than a human was allowed inside the barrier. Matt and Mars had both gone off to see if they could find anyone willing to help with prepping the squirrel, and Devi had no illusions that she could do a good job at that. So she plopped herself down in the general vicinity of the squirrel to keep an eye on it. As soon as she sat down, she felt something snap. It wasn¡¯t anything physical but a sort of connection she had not even realized she had. She felt her mana quiver slightly at the sensation. Frowning, Devi tried to think of what the connection could have been until it hit her. She had been keeping up the [Attribute Enhanmcneet] on Mars ever since the squirrel fight but hadn¡¯t noticed the slight connection she had with the Skill until it suddenly broke. I will have to see if it was distance or time that made the Skill fail, she thought. Would not want any surprises during a fight. She didn¡¯t want to waste any mana she might need by crafting things, so she started making a small fire pit. Using a few tree branches, Devi began digging out a small pit, making sure there wasn¡¯t any vegetation that could catch on fire. A few trips just outside of the barrier got her some stones to line the pit. By the time she had placed the last rock to make the ring around the pit, Mars and Matt were walking towards her with two other people in tow. ¡°Oh nice!¡± Mars exclaimed as they walked up. ¡°The fire pit looks really good. Good thinking there.¡± Devi stood up, admiring the fire pit she had just finished. It was pretty simple, just a dug out patch of dirt with stones lining the outside, but it looked nice. She had even piled up a few dead branches and twigs next to it so she could get a fire going in the future. ¡°This is Brenda and Tobias Myers,¡± Matt said as he gestured to each of the two older-looking folks following him in turn. ¡°They said they could both help us.¡± Tobias snorted at Devi¡¯s fire pit and began moving around stones without so much of a word. ¡°You¡¯ve got to forgive him, honey, he just likes seeing things done right,¡± Brenda said while Devi stood there unsure of what to do. ¡°I knew what I was doing,¡± she protested at Tobias. The aging man snorted dismissively and kept working on the fire pit, dismantling the entire circle of stones Devi had stacked around the outside. ¡°I¡¯m sure you did dear,¡± Breda said and patted Devi on the arm. ¡°But it just isn¡¯t quite as good as it could be. Don¡¯t worry, Tobias has been doing things like this for as long as he can remember.¡± Brenda leaned close and whispered conspiratorially. ¡°Which isn¡¯t all that long, memory isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡± ¡°My hearing is just fine though, thank you very much,¡± Tobias huffed as he stood up and dusted his hands off. ¡°I¡¯ll need some better rocks than what you got here. Where did you find these?¡± My fire pit would have been perfectly serviceable, she grumbled to herself. This man did not have to come in and tear it all down. We have more important things to be doing than making the fire pit perfect. ¡°What was wrong with the fire pit?¡± Devi asked a little aggressively. ¡°Wasn¡¯t built right,¡± was all she got from him before Tobias turned to Matt. ¡°Did you get those stones from outside this clearing?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get them,¡± Matt spluttered out, put on the spot. ¡°Devi was the one who made the pit.¡± ¡°Yes, those stones came from outside the barrier, just like this squirrel,¡± Devi said, gesturing to the dead monster with her foot. ¡°So you think you guys can do anything with it?¡± ¡°That sure is one big squirrel,¡± Brenda said as they leaned over the corpse, inspecting it. ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be nothing my Tobias can¡¯t handle.¡± Devi blinked a few times, trying to parse through the double negatives. The should not means that is not nothing, so it is something, but then the can not is there, so does that negate the first one, or is it a separate part of the sentence? ¡°I¡¯ll need some more wood,¡± Tobias¡¯ response snapped Devi out of her train of thought. Guess that answers that. The three younger people went and collected a few armfuls of wood, and a couple more stones so Toibas had a bit to work with. Devi even left one of the metal bowls she had received as part of the Tinkerer¡¯s tools in case he needed it. Then they left to go explore the forest some more, leaving Tobias and Brenda to fuss around with the squirrel. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Where did you find them anyways?¡± Devi asked the others once they had gotten a bit into the forest. ¡°They seemed oddly eager to help.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re just lonely,¡± Matt said as he kept his eyes searching the underbrush. ¡°Brenda told me she and her husband came up to the city to visit their son and grandkids, but never made it to them. The whole end of the world started before they got to his house apparently.¡± ¡°They seem like they just want to be helpful, they seem harmless enough,¡± Mars added. The three of them lapsed into silence, all of them scanning the forest around them for any signs of movement. They moved slowly, not exploring as much as they did before, the fight with the giant squirrel had given everyone a bit more appreciation for the dangers that lurked beneath the dark treetops. A rustling of leaves behind them made everyone whip around, weapons pointed at where they thought the noise had been coming from. That is until they realized it was just a small breeze that had caused the bush to shake, not a bloodthirsty monster. Devi gave out a low chuckle, and everyone relaxed a bit. ¡°Who should I enhance?¡± Devi asked, the prospect of getting into a fight, even if it didn¡¯t happen, reminding her of her Skill. ¡°How does it work again?¡± Matt asked. ¡°I can boost a single Attribute by one for a single person,¡± Devi explained. ¡°Though I do not know if there is a time or distance limit. The Skill ended on Mars while you guys were bringing back Tobias and Brenda.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what it was,¡± Mars explained. ¡°I suddenly felt off for a bit while we were walking around and couldn¡¯t figure out why.¡± The three of them debated for a while as to who should get an Attribute boost, and what Attribute. Matt didn¡¯t want to be enhanced, even though his attributes were the lowest out of the group because he was the lowest leveled. He argued that since Mars would be the one up close and personal with the squirrel, then they should be the one enhanced. ¡°I don¡¯t think enhancing my Agility really did anything though,¡± Mars pointed out. ¡°They were so much faster than me, and just a single point really didn¡¯t do much.¡± In the end, they agreed that Devi should enhance Mar¡¯s Strength so that they could play to their strengths, the pun contributed by Mars. They resumed their walk, going as quietly as they could so they could be the ones surprising the squirrel, not the other way around. Matt tried to put the two Skills he had to use, looking for any tracks he could follow. It took a while, but he eventually found some plants that appeared to have been trampled by a small creature, creating a sort of path through the undergrowth. Not seeing any other leads, Matt lead as they all followed the tracks. Suddenly, Matt stopped, looking at something ground. ¡°Hey guys?¡± he called back. ¡°Squirrels don¡¯t have hooves, right?¡± He moved to the side so Devi and Mars could get a look at the track he had been inspecting. In the damp dirt, there were a few tracks that looked like hoofprints. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a deer,¡± Mars said excitedly as they looked over at the track. ¡°I¡¯ve heard deer steak is actually pretty good.¡± ¡°Probably better than squirrel steaks,¡± Devi said. They followed the tracks, relying mainly on Matt to spot more places where the deer had passed through. Even Matt was surprised at how easily he was able to follow the trail, until Devi remind him that both of his Skills were related to tracking, one literally called [Track]. Continuing to let Matt lead, they soon started hearing something fairly large moving about in the underbrush just up ahead. They all looked at each other, and nodded, before sprinting the last few meters to where their prey lay unaware. They had come up with a loose plan while they had been tracking, Devi would fire the first shot, hopefully wounding the deer, before Mars would rush up and get its attention while Matt tried to flank it. Everyone agreed that it sounded like a great plan. Seeing something moving in the underbrush up ahead, Devi raised her crossbow, came to a standstill, and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew true, striking the side of the deer, just as they had planned. But that was as far as the plan got. Instead of the cry of a wounded deer, the animal let out an enraged squeal, turning to face Devi. Two large tusks jutted out from its mouth as it flung the half-chewed squirrel it had been in the middle of eating to the side. Its eyes seemed to glow as it started charging at her. All six of the monstrous boar''s hoofs thudded into the forest floor as it closed the distance between it and the one who had stuck a bolt it in. Devi quickly threw herself to the side, just in time for the boar to barrel past her and slam into a tree, bark spraying everywhere. ¡°That¡¯s not a deer!¡± Matt called out from her left. ¡°I can see that,¡± Devi yelled back as she quickly rolled to her feet. The boar shook its head and spun around, facing Devi again. It let out an angry squeal and charged at her for a second time. Why did it have to go after me? She dove out of its way a second time as she heard a loud crash behind her, this time managing to tuck into a ball and roll instead of eating dirt face first. Devi spun around to see the boar slam into another tree before righting itself and preparing for yet another charge. As it stomped on the ground, digging large furrows into the dirt, an armored figure slammed into its side, making it stumble. Mars followed up with a heavy downward swing of their sword, cutting deep into the boar''s flank. Its tusks glowed a deep red as it swung them sideways, catching Mars off guard and sending them crashing into a bush. A yell rang out as Matt charged in, slamming his spear into its side as the boar was distracted, only to have it ripped from his hands as the monstrous boar spun around to face him. Matt was left weaponless, only barely managing to raise his shield in time to block another glowing red tusk aimed his way. He stumbled back, the force from the blow still enough to throw him off balance even though the simple wooden shield prevented Matt from becoming a shish kabob. By this time, Devi had managed to load another bolt and wasted no time in firing it off at the enraged boar. It wasn¡¯t hard to hit the large creature, the bolt sinking into its large frame as it advanced toward Matt. Well, that got its attention, she thought as the boar charged at her with an angry squeal. As she tried to dodge out of the way, the boar swung its head sideways, catching her as it thundered past. A line of pain sprung into existence across Devi¡¯s side and she was knocked to the ground in a heap. She struggled to her feet as she hear the boar crash into another tree, its charge taking it well past where Devi lay. Groaning, she clambered to her feet and started pulling back her crossbow for another shot. As the boar righted itself and got ready for another charge a Devi, Mars charged past her, meeting the monster head-on. The boar let out an enraged snort and savagely tore upwards with its tusk. Mars deflected it with her shield, the strike gouging a long line through the metal, but leaving Mars unharmed. The strike left the boar open, and Mars didn¡¯t waste it, stabbing down at its face with a yell. The sword narrowly missed its eye, bouncing off the monster''s thick skull. It still let out a shrill shriek and head-butted Mars, making them stumble back. Devi let another bolt fly towards the monster, trying to aim for one of its eyes, but missing as it swung its head at Mars again. ¡°Hey, watch it,¡± Mars called out as the bolt flew past them, a little too close to comfort. ¡°It is a bit hard,¡± she called back as she loaded her crossbow for another shot. The boar didn¡¯t have the decency to let them finish their banter as it slammed into the distracted Mars, sending them flying, before charging at Devi. None of the multiple wounds across its body seemed to have done anything, as it boar thundered at Devi. Even the literal spear stuck out of its flank didn¡¯t even slow it down. Feeling like something had to change, Devi pulled out her original fire-starting magic tool and got ready. As the boar charged in, Devi nimbly danced to the side, avoiding both the charge and the savage tusk swing that came after. She pointed the tool at the boar''s unprotected side and channeled her mana through it. A torrent of flames sprung into existence, roaring down at the boar as it squealed in pain for the first time. She didn¡¯t let up, keeping the flames pointed at the monster, as it tried to get away. Suddenly, she heard a loud snapping sound as the flames petered out. She looked down at the tool in her hands only to see the wood split and cracked along the lines of the symbols she had drawn. Devi muttered a curse as the boar felt the flames stop and spun around to retaliate. She didn¡¯t let it do that, as she fired the crossbow she had loaded, this time not bothering to try and hit its eye. The boar squealed as the bolt hit it, but didn¡¯t slow down its angered charge at her, and she had to throw herself to the side to avoid being skewered. She rolled to her knees to see the boar skid to a stop instead of crashing into another tree. It spun around and charged back at Devi, who was still on the ground from her latest dive. As the boar got closer, Mars made a charge of her own, shield outstretched, slamming into the boar''s head, sending it careening off course, and into a tree. Devi gave them a thankful nod before scrambling to her feet. Matt took the opportunity to slam his dagger into its side as the tried to right itself, and hastily backed away as it swung around to attack. As it was distracted by Matt, Devi loaded her crossbow and shot a bolt. It was pretty hard to miss, as the monster was massive, and the bolt sank into its body. It squealed in pain and turned to face her, only to be slammed into by Mars again, distracting it. Matt came up behind it and stabbed its ass with his dagger again, before backpedaling as its tusks glowed red. The boar savagely whipped its head around, trying to catch Matt, but he was already well outside of its range, the red tusks leaving a glowing trail through the air. Devi loosed another bolt at it, catching it in its side. The three of them got into a bit of a pattern, taking turns to attack the enraged beast, always backing away before it could do any real harm. Even as they took precautions to not get hit, they still did. The boar caught Matt unaware and left a deep gash on his leg, and Mars got thrown into quite a few trees. Devi herself sprouted a number of new cuts from the things razor-sharp tusks, but the boar itself wasn¡¯t looking so good either. Its hide was peppered with bolts and cuts, the spear having been knocked loose a while back. As the latest bolt sunk into its body, it gave out a snarl as it turned to face Devi. Then, it did something new. It let out a loud shriek, as tiny red whisps started coming off its body. The beady eyes that had stared at them with so much malice turned bright red, and its single remaining tusk started to glow. ¡°Hey guys, that isn¡¯t good, right?¡± Matt called out. ¡°What do you think,¡± Mars replied back, as they gripped their sword tighter. It charged at Devi, and she prepared to dive out of the way, only to be caught off guard at the monster¡¯s newfound speed. It raced towards her faster than it had, and before she had time to move, slammed into her. She was sent flying, the boar charging straight through her before it dug its hooves into the ground and came to a stop, spinning around for another charge. Devi groaned weakly from the ground, her vision was spinning and filled with stars. She saw the boar barreling down on her, and weakly tried to move, but wasn¡¯t in any condition to do anything. Before the monster could ram into her, Mars lept in front of her, shield and sword abandoned. Clenched in their hands was the discarded spear, butt wedged into the ground, tip facing the charging boar. Devi tried to yell out for them to move, but the boar was on top of them too quickly. There was a sickening crunch as the boar collided forcibly with Mars, burying them with its body. The boar¡¯s legs dug into the ground, trying to raise its body off of the spear that protruded from its back, only to fail. Its legs fell limply to the ground, the red whisps evaporated off its body. Devi rushed over to it and frantically started pushing it off of Mars. Matt joined in, and together they managed to slowly shift the large beast, revealing the limp form of their friend. As they were moving the boar, Mars started to cough, eyes fluttering open. ¡°Did I kill it?¡± Chapter 010: A Calming Stroll Through the Forest Matt and Devi, gasping for air, somehow managed to partially shift the colossal boar corpse away from Mars. Their bodies lay sprawled on the ground, struggling to regain their breath. Devi marveled at Mars¡¯ ability to breathe amidst the weight of the beast pressing down on them. Merely dragging it proved to be an arduous task, and the thought of being buried beneath its massive frame was terrifying. She had been ignoring the blue box that had appeared in her vision, opting instead to help the person who had risked their life for her instead. She assumed that it said something about defeating their opponent anyways, something she had already figured out by herself. ¡°It¡¯s okay guys, take your time,¡± Mars coughed out. ¡°Only being crushed here.¡± ¡°Hey Devi, why don¡¯t we run back to the clearing and see if we could get some people to help? And who knows, maybe stop for some food while we¡¯re there,¡± Matt called over to her all the while wearing a shit-eating grin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours.¡± Devi was opening her mouth to respond when she heard a loud squeal, echoing through the forest. Their conversation halted abruptly, and they surveyed their surroundings, wide-eyed in fear. The deafening squeal that pierced the air surpassed anything the boar currently laying on top of Mars had emitted, magnitudes louder. It seemed less like a mere squeal and more like a thunderous roar reverberating through their very souls. As the ground quivered beneath their feet, a colossal presence drew near, unconcerned with stealth or subtlety. Without warning, the towering creature shattered the tree before them, its immense tusked head bursting through the splintered remains. Though it resembled the boar the three of them had just fought, this beast was massive. It loomed over Devi, standing at least a full foot taller, with three pairs of piercing eyes radiating an intense, menacing glow, fixated upon them with an unsettling glare. Bits of bark and branches clung to the deep red fur of the creature, accentuated by the crimson droplets that dripped from the tips of its formidable tusks. It opened its maw, unleashing a monstrous squeal that threatened to rupture Devi''s eardrums, before forcefully shouldering its way through the wreckage of the shattered tree. Devi''s mind raced, desperately seeking an escape route. Mars is still trapped under the boar we killed, which now that I think about it, is probably why this monstrosity came after us. For a brief moment, she considered leaving Mar behind, letting them distract the boar for her as she ran away, but toss the idea away. They seem like actual friends and won''t turn on me at a drop of a hat. Besides, they risked their life for me, the least I can do is return the favor. Her mind made up, Devi swiftly retrieved her second magic tool, having charged it before she had gone out this morning. Springing to her feet, she declared her plan to Matt, her voice carrying a resolute tone as she poured mana into the trigger symbol. "I am going to distract it, get Mars out of here," she called out, her focus unwavering. "Meet me back in the clearing." A powerful surge of flames erupted from her magic tool, engulfing the boar''s snout in a blazing torrent. Without waiting for the fire to dissipate, Devi wasted no time. She bolted, pushing herself to the limit, desperate to put as much distance as possible between her and the enraged creature. I really wish I worked out more now. The sound of the boar''s furious screeching reached her ears, but she refused to glance back, solely focused on outrunning the beast. Her only hope lay in the dense cover of the forest, trusting that its tangled undergrowth would impede the monster''s wild charges. Well, she assumed it would follow the same headlong approach as its smaller counterpart. If not, she was kind of fucked. The thunder of hooves behind her confirmed her guess as she instinctively flung herself to the side. A blur of fiery red fur streaked past, shaking the ground with its sheer force. Another towering tree succumbed to the beast''s unrestrained might, splintering into a mass of shattered wood and leaves. Scrambling to her feet, she hastily regained her balance and bolted in a different direction. Casting a swift glance over her shoulder, she witnessed the monstrous creature forcefully extracting its tusks from the devastated tree. Its malevolent, beady eyes locked onto her in an instant, and another ear-splitting squeal erupted from its gaping maw. Devi swiftly maneuvered around a towering tree, her heart pounding with adrenaline, and propelled herself towards another sturdy trunk. Behind her, the forest erupted in chaos as the colossal boar bulldozed its way through, heedless of any obstacles obstructing its path. Its brute strength knew no bounds, obliterating anything that dared to impede its relentless charge. Why the fuck is it so intent on me? The frenzied pursuit persisted, with Devi desperately relying on the trees to impede the creature''s relentless advance. Despite her efforts, the gap between them gradually closed, the beast gaining ground with every thunderous stride. The harrowing chase had taken its toll, leaving Devi with a collection of cuts and scrapes. Splintered remnants of shattered trees occasionally pierced her body, embedding themselves as painful reminders to not piss off a monstrous boar again. Devi could feel herself slowing down, each time she rolled out of the way of a charge, it came that much closer to slamming into her. Each time she picked herself up, it took just a bit longer. Her stamina had been steadily dropping as well, sitting at just 32/110. She struggled to her feet once again, turning to see where the boar was, only for it to slam into her. Devi was sent hurtling through the air, her body colliding with something hard, coming to an abrupt halt. She lay there limply, trying to blink away the spots that were forming in her vision. Every part of her body hurt, she definitely had a few bruised ribs, if they weren¡¯t outright broken. Her leg was on fire for some reason, and she felt as if everything was covered in one big bruise. Groaning in pain, Devi fought to regain her footing, using the rugged cliff face she had been thrown into to steady herself. As her hand reached for the next available handhold, it brushed against a cold, metallic object. Devi blinked in surprise at the round doorknob she had just grabbed, not quite sure it was real, or a trauma-induced hallucination. When she looked again, the doorknob was still there, attached to a plain wooden door set into the rocky cliff face. A thunderous squeal echoed out behind her, and she felt the ground shake as the boar began charging at her once again, presumably to finish the job the first attack failed to do. She twisted the doorknob, figuring she had more of a chance to survive whatever lay beyond the door than the raging boar that was charging her.
Rank G dungeon Maximum level: 9 Grouping: Party Attempts: Single Would you like to enter?
no yes
Not seeing any other choice, Devi mentally slammed the yes button. It was either this dungeon or to be squashed into a human pancake. She much preferred the first option. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The door creaked open, and she stumbled through, her body trembling with adrenaline. The boar crashed into the deceptively sturdy wooden doorframe just as she cleared its threshold, sending a cascade of dust and rocks down upon the beast. Undeterred, the ferocious creature backed up, its beady eyes fixated unwaveringly on Devi. She looked on in terror as the boar thundered towards her, only for the doorframe to stop it in its tracks once again, not even cracking under the relentless assault. After the fourth charge, Devi managed to swing the door closed, plunging herself into consuming darkness. The cacophony of the boar''s relentless onslaught was abruptly silenced, replaced only by the soft thump of the door settling into place. Devi stood there, her breath ragged with fear, her heart pounding in her chest. She expected the door to give way at any moment, despite its apparent resilience. To her surprise, the once thunderous crashes of the boar had stopped. All that echoed in the eerie stillness was her own anxious breathing. Maybe it got bored and went away? Devi could only hope because she was for sure not going to peek out to check. Surveying her surroundings, she found herself enveloped in pitch-black darkness, devoid of even the faintest glimmer of light seeping through the door. All she had to go on was the brief glimpse of a rocky cave she had seen when she stumbled through the door. Devi rummaged through her pack, her fingers fumbling until they found the trusty fire starter she had acquired only a day ago. With a gentle push of her mind, she channeled her mana through the tool, a delighted grin spreading across her face as a small flame flickered to life. The feeble yet comforting glow cast by the magical tool bathed the narrow cave in a dim radiance. As Devi''s gaze swept across the surroundings, she noticed the gradual slope of the cave floor, descending further into its mysterious depths. Stalagmites scattered haphazardly on the ground while stalactites mirrored their arrangement along the ceiling, lending an air of constricted enclosure that made the entire cave appear less inviting. Devi took a few tentative steps forward, her heart pounding in her chest. The cave seemed to stretch on endlessly, with no end in sight. An uneasy feeling settled into her as the darkness ahead felt imbued with malevolence as if it concealed a myriad of lurking monsters ready to pounce and sink their teeth into her. The excruciating pain shooting through her bruised ribs with every painstaking step forced Devi to reconsider her decision to explore the depths of the cave. Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly lowered herself to the ground, the wince on her face mirroring the throbbing ache coursing through her body. Now that she was safe, or at least, safer, Devi decided to look at the notifications she had floating in her vision. With a weary sigh, she focused on the first one, which was the expected message telling her she had defeated her opponent and received XP. She had been expecting that one, having it show up after both times she had killed a monster out in the forest.
XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 1 -> lvl 2 +3 Free
She had been hoping this fight would push her to the next level but had no idea if it would. She didn¡¯t even have an XP counter. Devi grumbled to herself as the familiar energy washed over her, soothing her a little bit.
XP threshold reached [Enhance Ability] (inferior) lvl 0 -> lvl 1
The next notification surprised her a bit. Exactly how her Skills leveled up was still a mystery, though just as much as her Race, Class, and Vocation. Nothing really made any sense at all. She had only seen her Skills level up after a notification saying she had received XP, so Devi assumed it has something to do with that. Deciding now was a good time as any to check her Status page, she pulled it up with a thought. It reflected the notifications, her Class was now showing it was at level 2, and her Skill also indicated its new level. What concerned her greatly, however, was the alarmingly low levels of her Health, Stamina, and Mana. All of them were sitting below 20, with her Stamina only at 5. No wonder I am so exhausted, she thought to herself as she lay against the cool cave wall. Note to self, do not let my stamina reach zero, that does not seem like a good idea. She could feel her eyes drooping, threatening to close at any moment. Her calming stroll through the forest had taken a lot of out her, and now that she was relatively safe, her body was rebelling. It wanted a nap, and Devi had half a mind to allow it one. The choice was slowly robbed of her as she nodded off to sleep, exhaustion claiming her. ~?----?~ Devi''s eyes snapped open, only to be met with a veil of inky darkness. As she reached out, her fingers brushed against a coarse, unforgiving surface, rough and jagged in places. It sent a shiver down her spine, reminding her of the hostile environment she found herself in¡ªa place the blue boxes had called a dungeon. It was definitely not somewhere she wanted to take a nap. In the darkness, she sat for a while, catching her breath and allowing her mind to wander. Memories long buried resurfaced, as if summoned by the echoes of her surroundings. The rugged walls of the dungeon dissolved, giving way to the plain white walls of her childhood room. A single poster sat above her bed from a space camp she had attended long ago. On the floor, she found herself in a familiar position, knees drawn close to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Darkness lay heavy throughout the room, the blinds blocking out the faint light of the street lamps outside, and the small sliver of a moon. The dark suited her just fine; she wanted to just be consumed by it, to fade away from existence. She had been struggling to find out who she really was lately. How she had been raised just, didn¡¯t fit right with her. It didn¡¯t feel like her. Each time she confronted her reflection in the mirror, she saw a stranger staring back at her. These unsettling realizations had started dawning on her a few years ago, but she initially dismissed them as common teenage experiences. Puberty or something. It took her a long while to figure out that no one else was experiencing the same thing, or to the same degree. While the boys around her eagerly pointed out every new hair on their faces, Devi was desperately plucking hers out, hating even the concept of growing a beard. When she delved into gender-bender stories, she often found herself perplexed by the characters'' struggles in adapting to their newfound femininity. For her, it would have been a dream come true. Gradually, she began to piece together the possibility that she might actually be a girl. She had no context to put it in, just a feeling of who she was supposed to be. She wrestled with this realization for an extended period, oscillating between embracing and suppressing her truth, keeping it hidden from everyone until the day she finally found the courage to confide in her best friend at the time. It had taken a considerable amount of time for Devi to gather the courage to talk to Emily, but when she did, all her fears became a harsh reality. Emily''s reaction was far from supportive, as she expressed her disapproval, deeming it wrong and disgusting for Devi to even consider herself a girl. Devi was left stunned as Emily walked out on her, leaving her alone with the echoes of the hurtful words reverberating around in her brain. Devi had hoped that the situation would eventually fade away, that Emily would forget about it. However, that choice was taken away from her. Emily, who had been Devi''s best friend since both of them were little kids, had decided to spread rumors about her, portraying her as a disgusting person who believed she was a girl. The whole school seemed to join in the mockery, with friends she once trusted distancing themselves from her, and unfamiliar faces in the hallways hurling snide remarks. Devi found solace in seclusion, isolating herself even more than before, shutting out everyone, including the few who tried to extend a helping hand. In her mind, there was no one left whom she could trust. The one person who had always been there for her had unexpectedly turned against her when she was at her most vulnerable. The lowest point of the entire ordeal was when her parents found out. It remained unclear how they had been notified, whether the school had contacted them or if the small-town gossip had reached their ears. Nevertheless, their reaction was far from supportive. Her dad unleashed hours of yelling, expressing his deep disappointment and proclaiming that no child of his would ever dare to say such things, while her mother stood there, silently watching. Devi had finally escaped to her room, retreating into the darkness, immobile and attempting to suppress her thoughts. In the present, within the confines of the cave, Devi wiped away a few stray tears that had silently streamed down her cheeks, tears she had been unable to shed during that time. She shook her head, allowing the memory to dissolve and fade back into the depths of her mind, knowing it would resurface when she least expected it. Summoning her strength, she rose to her feet. Determined not to dwell on the past, she forced a smirk on her face. I have a dungeon to explore. Chapter 011: Aw Bats! Devi held out the magic tool in front of her as she limped deeper into the foreboding cave, its glow providing a feeble source of light. The flickering flame sent the shadows dancing, amplifying her trepidation as she ventured further into the unknown. Each step she took reverberated through the rocky tunnel, amplifying the eerie silence that surrounded her. With a white-knuckled grip on her crossbow, Devi remained on high alert, ready to swing it up and fire at any moment. Her senses were heightened, as every stalagmite seemed to conceal a bloodthirsty beast hungry for her flesh. The narrow passageway began to widen, gradually exposing a vast cavern that swallowed her feeble light, plunging her into a realm of impenetrable darkness. Even the ceiling extended far above her, dwarfing the small tunnel she had just emerged from. Devi''s heart thundered in her chest as she cautiously treaded further into the expansive chamber, leaving behind the relative safety of the tunnel. Her eyes darted back and forth, straining to pierce the suffocating gloom that enveloped her. Suddenly, a clatter echoed behind her, causing Devi to whirl around, her crossbow aimed in the general direction of the sound. She stood frozen, squinting into the darkness, waiting for an ambush. Moments passed in agonizing anticipation, but nothing leapt out, and no glowing eyes materialized from the void. Finally, she released the breath she didn''t realize she had been holding. There is nothing there, she thought angrily to herself. Get it together. Determined to quell her fear, Devi summoned her resolve and stepped forward with more confidence, whispering reassurances under her breath. The intermittent glow of her light played tricks on her, casting eerie shadows on the scattered stalagmites and causing her to startle more than once. Eventually, her meager light reached the other side of the cavern, revealing a pair of imposing stone doors seamlessly carved into the rocky wall. Faded intricate carvings adorned every inch of the doors, some bearing a resemblance to the symbols she had been experimenting with. The designs covered the doors almost entirely, except for a circular section about 20 cm across, which was divided across the two massive doors. The outer edge of the circle appeared jagged in places, while other sections were perfectly smooth. Symbols seemed to flow through the circular section, only to abruptly end at its edge. Devi traced her fingers over what appeared to be a missing segment of the door, her mind racing with possibilities. The sight of such a door within a cave triggered her gamer instincts, as there was no way it was just a random door. It had to be where she was supposed to go next. Even if she hadn¡¯t, a pair of giant stone doors that easily reached 3 meters screamed importance. However, a frustrating problem presented itself¡ªthere were no handles or visible cracks to pry the doors open. Devi''s gaze scanned every inch, searching for a solution, but her efforts proved futile. "Not like I have a crowbar anyways," she muttered in frustration. Caught between two options, Devi weighed her choices. She could either retreat and leave the dungeon, hoping the boar had vacated the area during her brief rest, or she could search for the missing piece of the door and forge ahead into the dungeon, assuming it was in fact the way forward. Devi was tempted for a moment to head out and come back with both Matt and Mars after all of them had a bit of time to recover before she remembered the blue box that had popped up right before she had entered the dungeon. It had said something about only getting a single attempt at the dungeon. She didn¡¯t know if that meant she only had one attempt to go completely through the dungeon, or once she exited, she couldn¡¯t go back in but decided not to risk being unable to return and complete the dungeon. She really wanted to figure out what the doors did before she left at the very least. Deciding to at least poke around to find the missing part of the doors, Devi started following the cave wall as it began to curve. The doors soon disappeared from sight, to be replaced by the ever-looming darkness. She picked her way carefully around the rock formations that lay scattered throughout the cave, eyes scanning the dark fruitlessly for any signs of monsters she was sure had to be hiding just out of sight. In the dim flickering light of her candle, casting eerie shadows on the cavern walls, Devi''s gaze fixated on the curve where the rocky surface gave way to a small crevice. It beckoned her, its opening no wider than her shoulders, its depths shrouded in mystery. She squinted, trying to discern what lay beyond, but the twisting tunnel vanished quickly from sight. Her heart fluttered with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She hesitated, weighing the risks of venturing into the narrow confines. Besides, she reasoned with herself, I have not even explored the whole cave. Who knows, the missing door piece might be laying around somewhere that is not down a cramped tunnel. Pressing on with her exploration, she carefully picked her way through the rugged terrain, navigating around stalagmites that stood like silent sentinels in the darkness. Step by step, she retraced her path until she arrived back at the imposing double stone doors. She scowled at them, not thrilled about the idea of delving into the newfound tunnel. However, she couldn''t see any other viable options. As she made her way back to the spot where she had seen the tunnel, Devi mentally prepared herself. She kept reminding herself of the potential magical knowledge that awaited her down that small, dark, and twisty path, even though she was certain that lurking monsters awaited her. It will be fine. Do it for the magic. She took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her racing heart, though the effect was only marginally successful. The jagged entrance loomed ominously before her, causing her to question her resolve. Devi, who wasn¡¯t typically claustrophobic, found herself reevaluating her claim as she stared at the narrow tunnel. Shaking off her apprehension, she summoned her courage and tried to stride forward confidently. Yet, her strides remained hesitant, betraying her lingering unease. As she passed through the tight opening, relief washed over her, accompanied by a soft sigh. The tunnel began to widen, providing a welcome respite from the constricting confines of the entrance. However, the newfound openness didn''t equate to spaciousness. Devi soon realized that the tunnel was still quite narrow. She extended her arms only to find that she could easily touch both walls without raising her arms very far. Devi doubted another person could walk beside her as she cautiously crept further down venturing deeper into the winding darkness. Devi proceeded along the twisting path of the tunnel, tightly clutching her crossbow in one hand, prepared to swiftly raise and fire it if the need arose. Each step she took seemed to startle her more than any potential threat in the darkness, as the shifting gravel beneath her feet sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, the tunnel opened up, revealing a fork in the path. Devi halted, her gaze sweeping the area in search of any clues as to what tunnels she should choose. That''s when she noticed a figure slumped against one of the walls. At first, she had mistaken it for a mere rock formation, but a faint glimmer caught her attention, emanating from the figure. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Mind warry of skeletons reanimating and attacking her, Devi approached the corpse carefully, crossbow aimed at it the whole time. She nudged it with one foot, and sprang back a few inches, seeing if it would react. Her nudge caused the corpse to topple over with a resounding clatter, which reverberated through the tunnel, becoming the loudest noise she had made since she began her exploration. Devi froze, her heart pounding in her chest, her eyes scanning both tunnels, anticipating any response to the noise. Soon enough, her fears materialized as a faint rushing sound reached her ears. Gradually, it grew louder, transforming into an overpowering cacophony that crashed over her senses. With determination, Devi raised her crossbow, steadying her grip and preparing herself for whatever lay ahead. She had confronted giant squirrels and even tussled with a rampaging boar before; she was confident in her ability to hold her ground against whatever threat emerged from this tunnel. The darkness surrounding her seemed to writhe and shift, matching the growing intensity of the sound. Gradually, the source became discernible to Devi¡ªan amalgamation of several wingbeats echoing down the tunnel, hurtling towards her. Suddenly, with a piercing screech, a small winged creature emerged from the darkness. Its red eyes glowed ominously in the flickering candlelight, revealing a bat-like form with two menacing fangs protruding from its mouth. The creature swooped down at Devi, but she swiftly evaded its attack, narrowly avoiding another bat that darted towards her face. An onslaught ensued as what felt like a swarm of bats assailed her, their sharp claws digging into her skin as they darted past. Devi fought valiantly, attempting to fend them off with her crossbow. With a single well-aimed shot, her bolt pierced through the swirling mass of wings, eliciting a loud screech in response. Devi''s heart raced as the bats relentlessly clawed at her, their attacks draining her strength with each strike. The wounds they inflicted seemed to have an unnerving effect, weakening her more than mere scratches should. The bats'' claws trailed an eerie red energy as they sliced through the air, intensifying the pain. Driven by determination, Devi seized her firestarter, unleashing a powerful stream of fire into the swarm of bats. The creatures recoiled, fear evident in their movements. The fire proved devastating, singeing the wings of several bats, rendering them unable to fly as they emitted pained cries. As the assailants temporarily retreated, Devi seized the opportunity to gather her thoughts.She quickly pulled up her Status sheet, and with a grimace, dumped all her remaining free points into Agility, hoping she would be able to out-evade the bats. They were smaller than her, but even taking that into account, she felt as if she was just as fast, her 17 in Agility really showing its worth. With just a bit more, she reasoned she¡¯d be able to outmaneuver them, hopefully. "Attribute Enhancement!" she shouted, channeling her focus into boosting her Agility even further. As she did, a surge of mana flowed through her veins, empowering her movements in ways she had never experienced before. A rush of tingling sensations accompanied her heightened abilities, and it couldn''t have come at a better time. The bats, their glowing red eyes piercing the darkness, resumed their dive towards her, undeterred by the flames. Devi tightened her grip on her crossbow, her sole reliable weapon, and swung it with precision at the first oncoming bat. Despite the creature''s attempt to evade, its movements seemed sluggish compared to before. Adjusting her swing mid-motion, she heard a sickening, wet crunch as the bat collided with the wall, presumably dead. The next bat lunged at Devi, its menacing jaws wide open, ready to sink its fangs into her. Reacting swiftly, she extended her magical tool and unleashed a scorching blast of fire at point-blank range. The flames engulfed the bat, its fur igniting as it crashed to the ground, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames. However, while she dealt with the immediate threat, the remaining bats took advantage of the chaos. They swarmed her, their claws slashing at her relentlessly. Devi fought back valiantly, swinging her crossbow and unleashing bursts of fire, but their numbers overwhelmed her. She felt the stinging pain of their claws tearing through her flesh, her health steadily decreasing despite her best efforts to evade their attacks. Every swing she made was met with two more bats diving in, their claws seeking purchase on her vulnerable form. She found herself weaving and dodging through the swarm of flapping wings and glowing red eyes, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the relentless assault. Exhausted and injured, Devi fought on, her dwindling mana barely enough to sustain her fiery onslaught. With each blast, the flames consumed a bat, reducing their numbers one by one. However, her mana reserves were depleting rapidly, now resting at a meager 3. Her body ached, covered in deep scratches and puncture wounds that throbbed with every movement. The ground around her was littered with lifeless bat carcasses, yet more continued to swarm and harass her. She had lost her grip on her crossbow during the chaotic skirmish, and it lay just a few meters away, an agonizingly distant hope amidst the horde of monsters. She had ignored the persistent notifications that had accumulated during the battle, but now, Devi finally took a moment to scan through them, desperately hoping for a level-up. She needed any advantage she could get, and a level increase would be a welcome boost. As the messages flickered before her eyes, she swiftly dismissed most of them, each one telling her she had defeated her opponent. But among the notifications, she found the one she had been seeking.
XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 2 -> lvl 3 +3 Free
She swiftly allocated all her available points to Wisdom, reveling in the increase in her magical reserves. With her newfound Mana boost, Devi felt a surge of energy and determination. Gripping her magic tool tightly, she focused her gaze on the remaining bats that fluttered around her, eagerly searching for an opening. A fierce snarl curled her lips as she launched herself at the bats without hesitation, denying them any chance to regroup or regain momentum. She expertly evaded a swooping attack, narrowly avoiding the talons that grazed her hair. In a fluid motion, she spun around, unleashing a torrent of fire that engulfed the bat attempting to sink its teeth into her shoulder. However, her success was not without cost. A sharp pain seared through her leg as another bat managed to sink its fangs into her calf. Determined not to be deterred, Devi quickly pivoted and attempted to kick the relentless creature off, but it clung tenaciously. Thinking quickly, she stooped low, gripping the bat firmly by the back of its neck, and hurled it away with all her might. Although her throw wasn''t particularly powerful, the bat managed to regain control mid-air and promptly returned for another assault. Undeterred, Devi countered with a well-aimed blast of fire, immediately spinning around to evade a different bat''s dive. Despite the intense struggle, Devi''s determination burned bright. She knew she had to press on, overcome the odds, and emerge victorious. The only other option was to die here, and she was definitely not going to let that happen. Not until she cracked how magic worked wide open. Her eyes blazed with fierce determination as she fought with all her might, refusing to yield to the relentless onslaught of the bats. Though weary and battered, Devi refused to give in. Her determination burned bright as she fought on, using her waning Mana reserves strategically to keep the bats at bay. She relied on her agility, anticipating their movements and evading their onslaught with nimble footwork. As the number of bats dwindled, Devi seized the opportunity to deliver swift, calculated strikes, effectively thinning their ranks. The remaining bats, sensing their disadvantage, started to retreat, scattering in disarray. Devi scanned her surrounding, getting ready for the next attack, but none came. Corpses of bats lay scatted around the narrow tunnel, and most were still smoldering after being set ablaze. As the adrenaline of the fight faded, her body remembered how battered it was even before the fight, and there were a host of new injuries after. Everything seemed to hurt as she stumbled to the corpse she as seen. You better have something good on you, or I¡¯ll light you on fire. Chapter 012: Dead Men Do Tell Tales Devi limped over to the corpse that had started this whole fiasco, her whole body shouting in protest of the movement. If she had never toppled it over, the bats wouldn''t have swarmed her and torn her to shreds, and almost killed her. She flicked through the numerous notification windows that had popped up as she shuffled painfully to her destination, annoyed that they all couldn''t be put in the same window. They mainly said the same thing, what she assumed were kill notifications, but mixed in were a few level-ups. And by a few, she meant two. Both her Race and Class had leveled up in the fight to her surprise. At first, she couldn''t believe it, but looking around at the sheer number of bat corpses that lay singed and battered, along with the current state of her body made her rethink that assessment. There were quite a few bats that were swarming me after all, she reasoned to herself as she recalled the maelstrom of wings and teeth that she had weathered just a few moments ago. She had thought multiple times in the last few minutes that she was going to die, and judging by her health, she almost had. After the fight, she had been left with only 3 health, far too close to zero for her comfort. Though she didn¡¯t know for sure if she would die if her health reached zero, she certainly did not want to conduct any experiments on that subject with herself as the lab rat. She knelt down next to the desiccated corpse, its skin wrapped gauntly around bones, with decaying fabric giving it some semblance of modesty, but not much. Battered armor still clung to their lifeless frame, with large claw marks marring its leather surface. One hand, with long, slender fingers that definitely didn''t look human, was still clenched tightly around a hilt, the blade snapped halfway down its length, rust coating the whole thing. A small flat disk lay near their other hand, glowing gently in the dark. Devi eagerly scooped it up, hoping it was the missing piece of the door, only for her excitement to burst as she realized it was only slightly bigger than her palm, not nearly big enough to fill the hole in the stone doors. The disk was flat on one side, though slightly domed on the other, with a small rough crystal set in the middle. Along the edges were a few symbols, though they were just carved, not inlaid with anything like the magic tools she had seen so far. Thinking back on it, the door didn''t have anything set in the carvings either, just plain engravings covering its surface. The only difference between the door and this small disk was that the object in her hand was glowing faintly. It emitted about as much light as a phone with its brightness turned all the way down¡ªenough to dimly illuminate her hand in the darkness, but not much else. She pocketed the strange disk and looked over at the other side of the corpse. A small satchel lay open, its contents spilling out in a jumbled mess around its mouth. The worn material looked like it would disintegrate at the lightest touch. She could see a few more of the odd disks poking out of the bag, though these appeared not to be glowing. Taking a deep breath to gather her nerves, she reached over the desiccated corpse, trying not to look at it, and tugged the pack off its shoulders. For a brief moment, the strap caught on one of the bony parts of the corpse, and she had to engage in a tugging match with the dead guy as they put up one last bit of resistance. Eventually, she had to reach over and unhook the strap, not wanting to rip the corpse''s arm off to get to the bag. She didn''t think the satchel could withstand that much abuse. Once she had the bag in her hands, she eagerly looked through it, hoping it had the missing door piece, only to be disappointed. There were quite a few things in there, but none of them could fit into the circular section of the stone doors. She did find quite a few interesting things, however. The first things she saw were the other disks, all of them identical to the one she had resting beside her, except none of them were glowing and didn''t have any carvings marring their surface. One or two of them didn''t even have the small crystal set in the middle. They almost seemed like blanks, materials ready to be turned into the finished product. What that finished product was, she had no idea, but at least it glowed a little, saving her from having to keep the firestarter going for light. Along with the disks, there were several different tools scattered at the bottom, alongside a tattered journal and three vials, each labeled with its own symbol. She had a sneaking suspicion about what the vials could be, but unfortunately, the labels weren''t in English or any other language she recognized. However, when she looked at them, she realized she could read what they said. It was like looking at a word in Russian, even though she couldn''t understand Russian, she could still read it. Confused yet intrigued, she saw that the labels read Mana, Stamina, and Health, confirming her suspicions. Nice, potions, she celebrated inwardly. Well, most likely potions, as the alternative of poison seemed unlikely. She eyed the presumed potions for a moment, uncertain if she should consume them all right away since her resources were nearly depleted. If it hadn''t been for the timely level-up, none of her stats would be above ten. Eventually, she decided to save them for a more urgent situation. She was relatively safe, at least for now, so she could afford to wait. Tucking the three vials into her own pack, Devi began perusing the worn and battered journal. It was written in what she assumed was the same language as the vials, but for some reason, she was able to understand it perfectly. Carefully turning the pages, each one on the verge of falling apart, she read through the entries. The journal detailed the journey of the corpse, named Aks''ta, as they ventured into the cave system in pursuit of a cursed beast that had fled. They had been tracking it for a while until they finally cornered the monster in an underground ruin. Aks''ta had attempted to vanquish the beast there, but as they went in for the final blow, the curse itself erupted, taking on a physical form. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, they suffered grave injuries and were forced to retreat, sealing the entrance to the ruins and taking the key, hoping it would contain the monster. Within the caves, Aks''ta discovered fragments of mana stone and decided to create array disks that could potentially confine the curse if it physically manifested again. Multiple pages were dedicated to what Devi could only assume were equations as Aks''ta designed the array disks and the array itself. She couldn''t begin to understand the language and theories presented; they were far beyond her rudimentary grasp of magic. On the final few pages, there was a complete schematic of the array disk, the very same one that rested on Devi''s knee, providing her with light to read the journal. The central crystal was referred to as a mana core, and Aks''ta had been in the process of gathering the remaining few needed before being attacked by a large spider. Barely escaping with their life, Aks''ta lost the key in the process. They soon realized that their regenerative abilities wouldn''t be enough to counteract the venomous poison coursing through their body. The last pages of the journal were filled with fragmented thoughts as Aks''ta''s life slipped away. They expressed longing for their absent partner and the desire to witness the blooming of firelights once more. They spoke at length about their family back home¡ªsiblings, parents, cousins¡ªknowing they would never lay eyes on them again. It was a difficult read. Witnessing the final moments of anyone''s life, regardless of whether they were real or fictional, stirred up emotions. Raw feelings and distant memories were laid bare on those pages. They themselves, immortalized by their own hand. Their whole lives a collection of letters. Words. Ink. Dead, until someone reads them. Devi had a few pages of last memories herself. Letters written, sealed. Never sent. Never read. Locked away, but not discarded. Letters written to friends, family, people she thought might not understand. Even her landlady once. Each one kept. Just in case. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Devi shook her head, trying in vain to disperse her memories. She hadn¡¯t had a flashback to those nights in a while. At least a few weeks, maybe. Deffienlty at least seven days. She needed a distraction, and she couldn¡¯t just throw herself into the latest bug at her job, spending the night working until she was too tired to think. Falling asleep instantly, no thinking involved. Instead, she flipped through the journal until she found the notes on the array disks. They spanned multiple pages, intricate diagrams with abstract calculations about things that she could only guess at filled every inch. There were steps Aks¡¯ta took to make the first one, but those were filled with technical jargon, and seemed to skip many steps they probably assumed were just intuitive or were so basic, they didn¡¯t feel the need to write them down specifically. For someone who already knew the basics, probably a little more than just the basics, the steps outlined would have most likely been easily followed. But Devi, an absolute novice when it came to any sort of magical crafter, had no idea where to start. She turned the finished array disk over in her hands, seeing the symbols that lined the edges. They looked similar to the ones she had been carving, but none of the ones she knew showed up. Which made sense, if she was interpreting the notes right, the array disks were meant to contain curse energy, not create fire, or purify water, like the tools she had created so far. Devi turned the blank array disk over in her hands, wondering where to start. The journal had extensive notes on the internal mana structure of the disks, but she had no idea how to do that. Or really, what something¡¯s internal mana structure looked like. She didn¡¯t even know how one would go about seeing it, let alone shaping it. She frowned at the completed disk and decided to poke around a little bit. Closing her eyes, she extended a bit of her own mana into the object. Devi had noticed a tremendous improvement in her control over mana since she first dabbled in it just yesterday. It no longer required her full concentration just to move her mana around. The real challenge came when she attempted something more complex, like sending mana to two different hands or splitting the stream of energy into different threads. Her mana flowed from her fingertips, and she gritted her teeth, maintaining her connection as it seeped into the disk. She could faintly sense her mana flowing through the disk, although it was different from how her mana moved through her magic tools. Rather than being absorbed by the tool, the disk allowed her mana to pass through it, exerting only a gentle pull. However, when she tried to redirect her mana, it felt like hitting a solid wall. Carefully, she mapped out the flow of mana through the disk by experimenting with different movements, comparing her observations to the detailed notes in the journal. Gradually, she began to grasp a small portion of what the journal described. The mana twisted and turned within the disk, following the carved symbols on its outer edge and forming intricate pathways within. It was as if the disk itself guided the mana, rather than simply allowing the energy to pass through like her magic tools did. She also noticed that it seemed incomplete, with the mana being directed out of the disk and fading into the air. She pondered over this for a moment, realizing that the disks were intended to be used as part of a larger array. If they were all connected as depicted in the diagram, it made sense for the energy to seep into the air. To finish the array, she would need to draw lines in some sort of ink, connecting the seven array disks, with symbols drawn in between. There was a short discussion talking about how the array wouldn¡¯t work in other mana densities, or if a large disturbance was present, but Aks¡¯ta theorized that it should work within the ruins. Devi opened her eyes as she withdrew her mana, or at least attempted to. A significant portion of the energy she had used to explore the object dissipated before she could recapture it. Her body groaned in protest as she raised her head, realizing she had been hunched over the disk for an unknown amount of time. While her other resources had regenerated slightly, her mana remained at 17. She scowled at her mana pool. It didn''t seem quite sufficient for the task of crafting one of the disks, but she was eager to start before she forgot the complex shapes of the mana structures she had observed. Then she remembered her Skill. It only cost three mana to raise her Wisdom by one point, which would yield seven mana or possibly more, depending on how the percentages worked. Devi quickly muttered the Skill to herself and then checked her Status page. To her surprise, her Wisdom had increased by two points instead of one, although it had cost her six mana instead of three. After a moment of contemplation, she assumed it was because [Attribute Enhancement] had just leveled up to level one. She remained cautious about using this single data point to predict the effects of future levels, but it appeared to be a positive sign that each level would enhance her abilities to a greater extent. Now with an additional 14 points of mana, the additional points were seemingly unaffected by her percentage increases, Devi returned to the blank disk, ready to craft it into the finished product. However, she faced one slight problem: there were no instructions on how to proceed with the carving process. The journal only emphasized the importance of the internal structure and mentioned a few key steps taken by Aks''ta to achieve the final outcome. To compound matters, the final array required seven disks, yet she only had six blank ones. There was no room for error. Devi couldn''t afford to make a mistake with any of them. She had only one chance to get it right. Cautiously, she extended her mana into the blank disk, attempting to familiarize herself with it. Her mana encountered resistance as soon as it left her hands. It was akin to trying to force two magnets together with both of their north ends. The stone resisted her attempts to move her mana through it. Scowling at the stone, she began to slowly probe its surface, searching for areas where her mana could pass through. She discovered a few places that were more malleable, allowing her mana to flow into the stone. Rather than forcing her mana in a particular direction, she allowed it to go where the stone seemed receptive. It spread throughout the entire stone, meandering without a discernible pattern, branching out and reconnecting like a small stream of water flowing down a hill, following the path of least resistance. The pathways her mana followed were very similar in nature to the intricate internal structure of the finished disk, just more natural, less rigid. She began attempting to reshape the pathways, aiming to have them mirror the ones she had seen in the original array disk, but encountered quite a number of setbacks. The first challenge was getting anything to change at all. She couldn¡¯t simply force the paths to instantly transform but had to slowly guide them to align with her desired configuration. It required small changes, a gentle nudge here, a slight tweak there. While she felt it might be possible to overpower everything, she realized it was beyond her reach. The next challenge was that her changes didn¡¯t stick. She managed to slowly start shaping one area of the disk into what she wanted, but when she moved to work on a different section, her alterations instantly reverted in the absence of her mana to support them. Devi had to hold anything she accomplished in place as she proceeded to work elsewhere. It felt like solving a puzzle where she had to use every finger to carefully maintain the pieces in position while she meticulously nudged the final one into place with her nose. Finally, according to the journal, certain sections could be locked into place with a carefully carved glyph. Which was a challenge to do while her focus was split holding multiple parts of the mana structure in place. Every light tap shifted how her mana moved slightly, making it difficult to keep everything how it should be. Devi finally got an entire section of the disk complete, a single symbol helping pin everything in place. She was about to release her concentration and take a small break when she noticed her work seemed to wobble as she did. She quickly turned her focus back on it, stabilizing it with her mana. Well fuck, no breaks until this is over I guess. Time didn¡¯t hold any meaning, there were no clocks to tell her to take a break, no concerned coworkers telling her to go eat. Just her single-minded focus on her task. Which was good, since she couldn¡¯t take a break even if she wanted to. By the time she had started working on the last section, her mind was beginning to wear a bit thin. She had to keep three different sections from reverting, on top of making the small necessary changes. But she had done it, with one last tap of the small chisel she had, Devi cautiously started removing her mana, ready to spring back at a moment''s notice if she sensed something was wrong. As she was staring intently at the stone disk, waiting for something to go wrong, she heard a skittering in the tunnel ahead of her. The sound of pointy feet clicking against stone. Devi quickly sprung to her feet, remembering how the journal mentioned a monstrous spider. She was in no condition to fight but didn¡¯t see much of a choice. Her fingers went to the three vials she had stored in her pack as she decided to enhance her Agility again since it worked remarkably well against the swarm of bats. She muttered the Skill, focusing on her Agility, but as soon as she felt the mana leave, pain stabbed through her head. It was like someone had taken a railroad spike and hammered it into her skull. Multiple times. She felt the world start to spin as her vision began to fade. The world suddenly tilted as she fell to the ground, head slamming into the cold unforgiving stone. From out of the dark tunnels emerged eight glowing eyes, which were the last thing Devi saw before she blacked out. Chapter 013: The Dangers of Being on the Web Devi groggily woke up to the worst hangover she had ever had in her life. Even worse than the time she had gone out and bought a whole lot of vodka for her 21st birthday and didn¡¯t realize how much of a lightweight she was. Her head pounded as if a drum circle had decided it was a great day to move in. She groaned as she tried to stretch out, only for her arms not to move an inch. That startled her into wakefulness. Her eyes snapped open only to be met with oppressive darkness. Not even a glimmer of light was to be found. Her body was hanging, upside down, the blood pooling in her head. Something was wrapped tightly around her body, rendering any movement besides wiggling futile. With the skittering sounds she heard below her, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess she was wrapped up in a cocoon of spider silk. A tasty little treat for whenever the monster decided it was dinner time. Well fuck. The situation seemed pretty bleak. Being suspended from a web with a massive headache would do that. On top of that, she was extremely hungry, not to mention dying of thirst. The universe hadn¡¯t even allowed her to drink one sip of her coffee before deciding it was time to end the world. Quite rude of it if you asked her. She¡¯d go for just plain tap water at this point, let alone a cup of coffee. Her dehydration did not help her throbbing headache in the slightest. It made thinking about anything difficult, but the threat of being eaten alive by a giant spider helped cut through the pain. Certain death would do that to a person. Devi took stock of what she had. She couldn¡¯t feel her bag, or crossbow inside the cocoon with her, so all she had was her trusty firestarter and the clothes she had on. All her other equipment was probably sitting next to the corpse, where she had put it down to concentrate on crafting. Not the most advantageous position, seeing as she was hanging upside down in a spider web. A gun would be very nice right around now. She was struggling to figure out a plan that would get her out of this situation when she noticed she had a few notifications that she had been ignoring. Devi had been too preoccupied with more important things, like the prospect of being spider dinner, that she hadn¡¯t noticed them.
Congratulations A new Magic Item (G) (inferior) has been created XP has been awarded
So, I really did make the array disk, or at least, close enough that it was recognized as a magic item. She would have pumped her fist if it wasn¡¯t wrapped tightly to her chest. The notification said magic item though, not a magic tool like the previous ones she had gotten for her firestarters. How much of a difference is there between a magic item and a magic tool is there anyways? She thought about it for a moment, the puzzle distracting her from the current predicament. The only real difference she could see was that for a magic tool, she had to send mana through some sort of conducting material, like her blood, while a magic item just let the mana flow through the whole thing. She felt as if there was more she was missing between the distinction, but again, she didn¡¯t have nearly enough information to make any sort of concrete conclusion. It was hard to think about things like that while all the blood was pooling in her head.
XP threshold reached Novice Tinkerer (inferior) lvl 2 -> lvl 3 1 Int, +1 Free
The level-up was a nice addition, though it really didn¡¯t add much to the options she could use to get out. A free point was a free point, so she¡¯d take it, as small of an advantage it was, it was more than she had a few moments ago.
Congratulations For being the first from your planet to have created a magic item (inferior) a title has been advanced to the next rarity Magical Foreleader (E) (Very Rare) +25 Int, +25 Wis, +15 Free +15% Int, +15% Wis
A surge of energy washed over Devi¡¯s body as she read the next notification. In the darkness, the multicolored light was far more noticeable than ever before, illuminating the space around her. A shadowy figure scuttled back in shock from the light, beady eyes glinting in the fading glow. She didn¡¯t have much time to process what the blue box had said, as the spider below let out a shrill shriek and began scuttling back toward her. Though, something the blue box had done seemed to have cleared up her headache. Moving her head didn¡¯t cause flashes of pain anymore, which was good, since she could hear the spider getting closer. Devi struggled against the webbing, but no matter how hard she pulled, the sticky strands held firm. She didn¡¯t have any leverage to try and break out, or anything sharp to cut it with. Which left her with only one option, fire. She usually would have gone with fire first, as any sane, nonpryomanical girl would do, but the webbing was wrapped around her. Burning it off seemed like a last resort in this situation, which was exactly the case at the moment. The firestarter was thankfully still in her pocket, but her hands were tightly pressed to her body. She squirmed her hand over to her pocket, fighting the constrictive webbing. Her fingers finally made contact with it as she struggled to grip it. The skittering of the spider neared, as she felt her cocoon jostle in the web it was attached to. She could hear a clicking sound right next to her face, so she pointed the firestarter away from her leg and channeled a blast of fire through it. Devi could feel the heat blossoming out, but instead of the webbing catching fire, it just melted. The flames flickered out of the molten webbing, sending the spider screeching back. The hole was progress, but the majority of her body was still covered in the webbing, so she got to work, carefully positioning her hand to melt away the cocoon. Devi managed to free her other hand and began to use it to rip apart her bindings. Each time she heard the massive spider start creeping up on her, she would blast a small tongue of flame at it, trying to scare it away. Every time she did that, the spider took less time to skitter up to her, large mandibles clicking in hunger. Through the intermittent bursts of flame, Devi got a vague layout of the cavern she was hanging from the ceiling in. It was filled with webs, stretching from floor to ceiling, covering every available space. Other, smaller cocoons were strung haphazardly throughout the cavern. The one thing she couldn¡¯t see was an exit. That was the only thing on her mind, she had no delusions that she could fight the massive spider that had her trapped. Her only weapon was a small flame thrower, and both her health and stamina were barely at 50%. There was absolutely no way she could win, and she didn¡¯t feel like throwing her life away, just to squash some bug. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Taking a deep breath, she pointed the firestarter at the strand of webbing that connected her cocoon to the ceiling and basted it with fire. It wilted into a puddle of goop just like the rest of the webbing that had covered her, wincing as a few drops hit her skin. The webbing holding her feet was suddenly free, and gravity took over, pulling Devi down into the ground below. She landed with a thud on the cavern floor, the landing knocking the wind from her lungs. Only her white-knuckled grip on the firestarter prevented it from flying from her grasp during the jarring impact. Groaning, she struggled to her feet, ripping out of the last few strands of the webbing in the process. She quickly checked her Status, looking at her resources.
Health 65/150 Stamina 80/120 Mana 162/483
What surprised her was a blue box with only her Health, Stamina, and Mana popped up, not the whole thing. Devi wanted to theorize why that happened but didn¡¯t have the time. Theorise later, escape flesh-eating giant spider now. Her health was distressingly low, not even halfway full, but her other two resources were doing fairly well. It only reaffirmed her decision to run, and not fight. She channeled a small amount of mana into the firestarter, just enough so that she could see around herself, just in time to spot a dark shape descending from above. Devi dove to the side as the bulbous body of the spider crashed into the spot she was residing just moments before, chips of stone flying as it landed. It spun around and opened its pincers wide, something dark dripping from each fang. She pointed her magic tool at it and sent a stream of fire washing over its face as it reared back in fright. The fire left white spots in her vision as she toned it down to just a flickering torch, eyeing the massive spider. Now that she wasn¡¯t hanging upside-down, and had some light, she could make out a bit more about the spider. It had long legs, ending in dark claws that glinted in the flickering light. Eight beady eyes stared at Devi as it skittered around her, trying to get behind her. Two large mandibles clicked opened and shut, fanged tips ready to tear into her. The spider was slightly smaller than she had imagined, her expectations colored by the massive spiders that had chased down hobbits. But just because it was slightly smaller, didn¡¯t mean it still wasn¡¯t massive. The largest spider she had ever seen had been a few centimeters across. This one was at least a meter tall, which was way too big for a spider to be. She had never been afraid of spiders, but now, she was reevaluating that position. Seeing a giant spider close up really put things into perspective, and that perspective was that spiders were terrifying. Devi slowly backed up, keeping her makeshift torch between herself and the advancing spider, desperately trying to find a way out of the cobweb-filled cavern. The spider seemed to get braver, losing some of its fear of the fire, darting in closer before Devi could fend it off with a wave of the magic tool. She couldn¡¯t quite force as much mana through the tool as she wanted, and so her gouts of flame were fairly short-ranged. It hadn¡¯t been a problem before, as everything she had fought so far had charged straight for her face. But now, this spider was being cautious, keeping well outside the range of her magic tool. Devi didn¡¯t want to get any closer than she had to, wearry of the poison the fangs carried. She kept backing up, angling away from the giant spider, but it wasn¡¯t letting her. It circled around her, forcing her to change directions multiple times, waving her torch through the air, melting the spider webs that threatened to trap her. In the corner of her eye, she saw something glint in the flickering flames of the magic tool. It was coated in layers of old spiderwebs, but it seemed circular in shape, and roughly the right size for the missing part of the door. The only problem was that it was behind the giant spider. Just my luck. Devi eyed the spider, and it stared back, unblinking. She quickly cycled through a couple of options, like making a mad dash of the door piece or trying to burn through the spider with her mini flame thrower, none of them good. Most of them she felt would inevitably end up with her dead. Something she was trying to avoid. Her choice was made for her as the spider suddenly thrust its abdomen at her, a glop of webbing flying her way. A quick burst of fire melted the attack before it could reach her, but the spider was already rushing at her, skittering to the side before charging in. She once again dove out of the way, but not in time, one of the clawed legs stabbing out at her, catching her side as she narrowly avoided the outstretched mandibles. Pain laced through her abdomen as she staggered to her feet. She thrust her hand out sending a wave of flames to ward off the eight-legged monster with the magic tool. The metallic object was only a few feet away, and this close, Devi could tell it was definitely the key to the door unless there was another circular piece of metal with odd symbols carved on its surface laying around. The spider was circling again, trying to find an opening it could exploit. The last attack dropped her below 50 health, and that was after avoiding its fangs. She did not want to know what would have happened if she didn¡¯t. Devi needed to get the key and get out. ¡°[Attribute Enhancement],¡± she yelled out, focusing on her Agility. The brief multicolored glow made the spider hesitate for a second, and Devi capitalized on it, sending a tongue of flame at the coated key, hoping to melt it. The webbing burst into flames with a loud whoosh, causing her to stumble back. The spider shrieked and scuttled away from the fire as it began to spread rapidly through the surrounding webs instead of just melting like the previous times she had sprayed flames around. More and more sections of the web started to burn, quickly turning the dark cave into a raging inferno. As the flames spread, some webbing just melted, like the cocoon she had been held captive by just a few moments ago, while others burst into flames. The fires were short lived, erupting into flames, only to burn themselves out as quickly as they had started, leaving a thick cloud of smoke hanging in the air. Devi rushed forward, pulling her shirt up over her nose, and started frantically looking for the door key. Her foot connected with something heavy, and she quickly bent over, seeing the key on the ground. Through the smoke, she could hear the spider screeching as its web burned around it, and Devi wanted to be gone before the air cleared. She grabbed the key, only to snatch her hand back as the metal surface was still very hot to the touch, having just been in a fire moments before. Devi let out a curse as she put the somewhat burnt fingers in her mouth, trying to cool them off. Thinking quickly, she ripped part of her shirt off and wrapped it around the key. No use being modest, epically when there is no one around to see it, she thought to herself. An angered shriek ripped through the smoke. Not counting the giant spider that is. She grabbed the bundle and started moving through the smoke, keeping low to the ground, trying not to cough. One hand still clutching her magic tool, keeping the small flame going. The fires around her had died out quickly, leaving only smoldering spots and a lot of acrid smoke in their place. Up ahead, the cavern seemed to open up, leading out into a tunnel, the smoke gently wafting out in that direction as well. Seeing a bit of hope to get out of this situation, Devi quickly made her way over, doing her best to keep an eye out for the monstrous spider, but was very distracted by the promise of escape. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t notice the dark shape moving in the smoke until it was almost too late. The massive spider dropped down from the cave¡¯s ceiling, trying to take her by surprise. She lashed out with a gout of flame as she tried to sidestep the monster. It twisted in midair, avoiding the attack, while still managing to knock Devi to the ground with its bulk. The heavy abdomen of the spider was sitting right on top of her, keeping her pinned to the stony ground, unable to get up. Near her face were two protrusions, spider silk quickly being created from them, as the spider tried to catch her in its web again. While it was disgusting to be so close to the spider¡¯s anatomy, it did present a very nice target. Devi grinned as she wiggled her arm out from under the bulk of the spider, and pointed her modified firestarter right at the silk making machine. With just a thought, she sent a burst of flame directly at it. The spider let out a pained shriek as its lower half was engulfed in flames, the spider silk bubbling and melting. Devi winced in pain as more than a few drops of molten spider silk landed on her face and shoulders, but it was worth it. The spider skittering off of her, dragging its abdomen against the ground, trying to stop the damage. Not letting the opportunity go to waste, Devi rolled to her feet and dashed past the distracted spider into the tunnel ahead. She stumbled out of the smoke into the relatively clear air of the tunnel and kept running. The sounds of the spider following echoed behind her as it put out its smoldering backside. She spun around and blasted fire at it, trying to keep it at bay. It paused its charge, clearly afraid of the flames. Devi took a step at it, waving her firestarter in front of her, and the spider slowly retreated down the tunnel. Another blast of fire sent it scuttling back, out of range of the light. Devi kept her looking in that direction, waiting for it to leap out of the shadows at her, but it didn¡¯t. After a few tense minutes of staring into the dark tunnel, she slowly backed up, still keeping watch, following the tunnel. Her heart rate slowly eased back into normal levels, though the intermittent coughing fits from the smoke still in her lungs did not help. Her throat was dry and scratchy, only exacerbated by the fact she hadn¡¯t had any liquid for two days. Just thinking about water made her want to cry, except she didn¡¯t have the liquid to spare for tears. She made her way down the twisting tunnels, ignoring the branches she deemed too small for the spider to fit through, backtracking quite a few times. Eventually, after quite a bit of wandering, always on edge and ready to be attacked by the giant spider, she saw the light of the array disks up ahead. Now all she had to do was complete the other five, go through the stone doors, and kill a large, scary monster, all the while keeping an eye out for a man-eating spider. Should be simple. Chapter 014: The Presence of Water Devi sat in a narrow tunnel, struggling to maintain her focus. She had a massive headache, was covered in bruises and cuts, and was dying of thirst. She was also starting to feel ravenous. After gathering all the scattered equipment, she had made her way back up the tunnel, wary of every shadow, until she found an offshoot that was too tight for the spider to enter. She had squeezed her way into it, and it opened up a little bit after the entrance, only to terminate a few meters back. It was a great place to hide out and work on the last five array disks without worrying about the monstrous spider descending on her while she was distracted. The only problem was that she couldn''t focus on the array disks; everything else was too distracting. Especially her thirst. She had never been this thirsty before. Her throat felt so dry that it hurt to cough. Her lips felt like sandpaper when she ran her tongue over them, and she felt like if she tried to talk, it would only come out as a rasp. Having just escaped a burning cavern did nothing to help either. Her eyes still stung from the acrid fumes that came off the conflagration of burning webs, and her lungs still burned from breathing it all in. Not to mention all the running she had just done. I''ve probably run more today than in the past year she thought to herself as her mind wandered to thoughts of sports drinks. I really need some water. There was probably a source of water in the caves; she assumed even the monsters needed to drink occasionally. But finding that would mean venturing out into the dark tunnel system full of monstrous bats and flesh-eating spiders. Something she wanted to keep to a minimum. If only she could make water out of thin air. She thumped her palm on her forehead as she remembered a symbol she had been experimenting with the other night. The symbol she felt fairly sure meant water. The symbol that she had been able to create water with. Or should I be calling them runes now, like the journal was referring to them as? Devi shook her head. She could worry about the proper vocabulary later. Water first. She dug through her pack and found the piece of wood she had carved the rune into and held it in her hand. A small bead of water formed on the surface as she channeled her mana through it. She eagerly sucked the water droplet up, only realizing afterwards that she had no idea where it had come from or if it had any contaminants. The next bead of water coalesced on the rune, and any thoughts about waiting to test the water flew from her mind as she drank the small bit of water. Each tiny sip didn''t really quench her thirst, and it took a bit for each drop to form. Getting anywhere near the amount of water she wanted would take ages. She thought about making multiple symbols, but she didn''t have anything to carve the runes into. Devi kept channeling her mana into the rune as she placed it into one of her metal pots. Only a tiny trickle of mana was necessary to have a few water droplets appear every minute or so. She had tried to push more mana into the wood, only for it to rebuff her attempts. It seemed like the symbol would only take so much mana. She growled at it as it sat in her pot, unaffected. The few droplets of water she had obtained had only made her thirstier. The rune taunted her with the prospect of water, only to dole out its hoard of liquid as slowly as possible. If only I could make it bigger. Maybe I can make it bigger. The rune is just a pathway for my mana to follow, I could probably force my mana into the same shape as the rune. That should do the same thing, right? he had no way of telling if her idea would work except to test it, so she stopped channeling mana into the rune and closed her eyes. Devi pulled her mana from her core, the ever-moving mass of mana in her chest that always seemed to want to be used, through her arms, and out into the air. The second it exited her fingers, she had a much harder time controlling it, as she had been realizing lately. Her connection to it seemed to diminish the moment it left her own body, requiring exponentially more effort to make it move the way she wanted. Though when she used her [Enhance Attribute] skill, she had no problem forming the complex shapes needed for that, all within seconds. She couldn''t even get a sense of the shapes needed before the magic was finished, enhancing whoever was the target. I wonder why that is. Do the skills help that much with shaping my mana? Would I even be able to enhance an attribute without the skill helping? She shook her head, trying to refocus her mind away from the tangent. Those questions could be dealt with later, once she had hopefully gotten some water. It was a struggle to form the rune; the mana seemed to interact with itself, pushing and pulling in odd ways she didn''t expect. It was like playing with a whole lot of magnets, but each one had six poles instead of two, and no one had bothered to mention how they interacted with her. Shaping the rune was very reminiscent of making the magic item, except quite a bit easier. She had to keep parts of the rune in place while she focused on others until, all of a sudden, everything snapped into place. She could feel the rune pulse with power, drawing even more mana from her before collapsing in on itself. In its place was a bubble of water that hung in the air for a moment before splashing down on the ground. The water soaked through her pant legs and started to pool on the rocky ground. It wasn''t her finest moment, but she eagerly bent over the puddle and started drinking. Water was water, right? After she had sucked all the water she could, getting a mouthful of grit and dust in the process, she sat back, her throat and lips not as dry as they were moments ago. She dusted off the bit of rock that stuck to her lips and looked at her status, curious to see how much mana that had cost. A full twenty mana, she found out. More than she had spent on anything besides the few desperate fire bursts she had shot at people. Twenty mana for only about 200 milliliters of water. A bit pricey, but right now, she would have paid pretty much anything for some water. Stolen story; please report. It did drop her mana quite low, and she hadn''t had her mana completely full since she had been teleported into the clearing. She had been running on half a tank this whole time and was quite annoyed by it. It even regenerated far slower than both her stamina and health. There had to be a way to fix that. Now that she had a problem, it was going to bug her until she figured it out, unless a different, more interesting problem reared its head. But for now, she was determined to figure out how to make her mana regenerate faster. The first thing she looked at was her attributes. It seemed like a good place to start. Out of the ten, only four seemed likely to be responsible for how fast her mana pool refilled: Wisdom, Presence, Intelligence, and Willpower. The other stats appeared to be more focused on the body, and while her mana could possibly depend on them, it seemed unlikely. She had already figured out that Wisdom was directly responsible for her maximum mana, much like how Vitality and Endurance determined the maximum for health and stamina. If her regeneration had something to do with the size of her max mana, it probably would be orders of magnitude higher than what it was now. The same could be said for Intelligence, since it was even higher than her Wisdom. That left her with two options: Presence and Willpower. Presence had been her lowest attribute from the onset of everything and was still the lowest, two points lower than Willpower. She didn''t have any definitive proof, but out of all the options, Presence seemed like the best candidate. There was really only one way to test if her hunch was right. Her hoard of free points was staring at her, waiting to be used. She could just use her [Enhance Ability] to test it out, but since it used mana, she didn''t know how that would affect things. And she could only raise it by two points, which might not significantly affect anything. It was much better to dump quite a few points and see the results. She could always earn more free points. With just a small bit of hesitation, Devi mentally confirmed her choice, putting ten points into Presence. The familiar wave of energy washed over her, filling the small crevice with its multi-colored light. Devi sat back as the light faded. The sensation was starting to become familiar, something she never would have imagined happening back when she first experienced it. But since then, she had gone through it multiple times and was starting to get a bit desensitized to it. Now that her experiment was underway, all she had to do was wait a while. She wanted to use the time to keep working on the array disks but decided against it. The whole point of this test was to see how her mana regeneration rate was affected, and playing around with her mana seemed to be counterproductive. And so she just sat there, trying to pass the time without using her mana, which was quite a bit harder than she thought. She wanted to experiment with forming runes with her mana or go poke around her finished disk and compare it to the original. But both of those used quite a bit of mana. She even refrained from using her magic tool as a light source, instead rereading the journal in the light of the two disks. She mainly went over the technical notes of the disks, rereading how the magic was supposed to work and what she needed. After finishing with all the disks, she needed some mana-conductive materials to draw out the array itself. Thankfully, she wouldn''t need to draw a massive circle, but she would have to create a few runes on the ground to connect the seven disks. The mana-conductive material could apparently be made from a few ground mana crystals dissolved in some sort of liquid. Even water would work. The crystals were the small, clear stones sitting in the middle of the array disks and could apparently be harvested from the local monsters in the area. The ones in the array disks were apparently taken from the corpses of a few bats that Aks''ta had defeated. They had complained about their bad luck, only finding five crystals in a group of twenty-five bats, which was apparently quite rare. However, the journal did not mention what would be considered a normal amount. Because of course, why would there be actual helpful information? All that meant that Devi was going to make a trip to the cavern full of dead bats and cut them open, trying to find a few more crystals. She was looking forward to that so much. The journal didn''t even specify where the crystals were supposed to be, just that the dead monsters had them. Just wonderful. ~?----?~ Devi had never been good at telling time, especially when she was focused on something, like studying a journal. So she had no idea how much time had passed when she looked at her status page again, but it had probably been around an hour, at least 30 minutes. With a bit of trepidation, she opened her Status. If her guess had been wrong, she had just wasted ten free points. Even if she assumed no Attribute was worthless, it wouldn''t help her situation if the points didn''t directly increase her mana regeneration. So when she saw that her mana had refilled a full 34 points compared to her health only gaining 20, she felt relieved. She had been fairly confident in her choice, but having it confirmed was always a good feeling. And now that was out of the way, she could go back to crafting the last few array disks. Well, she would have to go and retrieve the bat corpses for the last two, but she was putting that off for as long as possible. She didn''t want to run into the giant spider anytime soon. The challenge of crafting the array disks quickly pushed any thoughts of butchering dead bats out of her head. There was no room for errant thoughts as she carefully manipulated her mana to create the intricate structures mentioned in the journal. It was significantly easier the second time than the first, mainly because she knew what to expect. There were still close calls where the whole thing almost collapsed in on itself, but she managed to stabilize everything at the last moment. She had no idea if that would have made the entire disk unusual or not and didn''t want to experiment with her only samples. If she found any more of this mana stone, she had so many things she wanted to try. A blue box appeared in her vision, announcing that the array disk had been completed. And it didn''t come a moment too soon. Devi felt as if she had stayed up all night, trying to digest one of her philosophy textbooks and then writing a full paper on it. But she hadn''t passed out afterward, which was a good sign. Her leading theory as to why she had passed out last time was that she had been enhancing her Wisdom, which made her mana pool larger. The only problem was that she had then stopped enhancing it while her mana pool had been less than the extra she had. She couldn''t be sure since she had been unconscious, but she assumed her mana dropped to zero, and maybe even lower, and that had knocked her out. She had learned her lesson and wasn''t going to repeat that scenario until she was in a safe environment that was. Devi couldn''t just pass up an opportunity to learn something about the frustratingly opaque laws that governed everything. After a brief pause to give her overtaxed brain a break, Devi went back at it, crafting the next two disks. The process slowly became easier as she learned how to manipulate her mana better. It was by no means easy, with each step still demanding her full attention, but by the time she finished the third array disk, she felt as if she had a handle on it. She had by no means mastered the odd ways the mana would twist and turn, but she was growing to anticipate them. It wasn''t that her control over her own mana had increased, but she was figuring out the best way to move the mana. It was like she had just gotten a new game, and she was learning the controls. Her character could do so many things, and she was still figuring out which moves were the best. The controls were there, and she was learning how to use them. Devi reached for the next array disk, only to see that there were only two left. The two that didn''t have a mana crystal. Guess it is time to go butcher some bats then. Chapter 015: Mana Crystals Devi crept down the dark tunnel, trying to be as quiet as she could, one hand holding out her flickering magic tool so she wouldn¡¯t trip over her own feet. She was just waiting for the giant spider to drop down from the ceiling and try to take a bite out of her. At least there was only one of those around she had to worry about. Probably. She didn¡¯t want to run into anything while she was out retrieving the mana crystals from the dead bats. The few encounters she had experienced so far had left her wanting less of them. Or none. She desperately wanted to just hole up somewhere and focus on crafting and exploring magic. There was literal magic here, and she hadn¡¯t had all that much time to explore. Granted, she¡¯d only been here for just over a day. Possibly two at this point. And she had been the one to go out and explore instead of just focusing on magic. And she was continuing to try and complete the dungeon instead of running away. But that was beside the point. She could want to just explore magic while still wanting to poke around a dungeon. The rewards probably were quite nice. So here she was, galavanting around a dungeon she probably had no right being in, trying to survive another moment, but still actively trying to complete it. She had seen how dangerous the dungeon was, the massive spider showed her that. There was no doubt in her mind that if she didn¡¯t have her firestarter, she¡¯d be dead right now. The only thing that had kept the spider at bay was that it was afraid of fire. Even the bats would have ended her if she didn¡¯t have the capabilities to summon fire. But she was determined to at least get beyond the door, and even set up the array. She had the three potions and her firestarter. It would be fine. Probably. She was just up against a monstrous beast with capabilities far outside the realm of what they normally should be able to do. She finally arrived at the scene of her battle with the bats, only to see quite a few of them had disappeared. Not all of them, but there were definitely fewer corpses than when she had left. Devi didn¡¯t know what had taken them, but something definitely did. Or a bunch of somethings. Either way, she did not want to stick around any longer than she had to, so she go to work. Devi had never butchered anything in her life, the closest she¡¯d ever gotten to a dead animal was if it was on the side of the road, or if it was neatly packaged at the local grocer. She was not ready for the smell, or the sight. After the fight, she had deliberately not looked at any of them and then had been dragged off by the massive spider before she could really have a chance to take a look. But now, she didn¡¯t have a choice. She lifted her shirt to form a makeshift mask and got to work. Her small carving knife was not quite up for the job, but that was soon mitigated somewhat with a quick use of [Improvise Tool]. The familiar iridescent sheen enveloped it, making it slightly larger and sharper, enabling it to cut through the tough hide of the bats. It didn¡¯t help that she had no idea where the mana crystals would be, just somewhere inside the bats. The first place she looked was their chests because that¡¯s where all her mana seemed to reside. It stood to reason that if hers liked to hang out there, other creatures¡¯ mana might as well. But when the first bat¡¯s chest didn¡¯t contain any crystals, she sliced the whole thing up until it was a mangled mess just to make sure she didn¡¯t miss it. After repeating the process three more times, she finally found what she was after. A small, clear crystal, with smooth geometric sides, barely a centimeter larger. It glimmered in her palm as she studied it, looking to see if it was indeed what she thought it was. She was fairly confident that the odd-looking gem that matched the others in the disks was in fact a mana crystal, but she wanted to make sure. She had just pulled it from a bat''s chest. After she confirmed her suspicions of it being a mana crystal, she quickly cut open the remaining bats to find the rest. In total, from the fourteen bat corpses, she managed to extract five of the mana crystals. She had no idea if that was a good ratio, or if she was just very unlucky, but she had more than enough to complete the rest of the array disk with some left over. The work left Devi¡¯s hands and clothes stained and bloodied. While she had been careful with how she worked, all she had to use was a small knife, and no gloves. Which inherently meant it was not a clean job. She was in desperate need of a bath, but the only water she could conjure up was not nearly enough to fill a water bottle, much less a full bathtub. Devi was definitely going to use some to wash her hands though. She looked around at the narrow tunnel, seeing if there was anything else of importance, and only saw corpses. There was Aks¡¯ta, but they didn¡¯t really have anything of value except maybe the broken and rusted sword that lay next to them. It wasn¡¯t in the best of shape, be her option for stabbing anything that got close to her was a simple carving knife, which did not seem like a good idea. So she slipped the ancient blade into her pouch. It would take some time, but Devi figured she could get it into some sort of usable condition. As she was walking back up the tunnel to her small crevice, her traitorous stomach rumbled. She hadn¡¯t eaten for at least two days now, and now that her thirst had somewhat been rectified, it was her stomach¡¯s turn to complain. It wasn¡¯t anything she couldn¡¯t deal with, but if she was going to be facing off against a massive beast soon, she¡¯d rather do it on a full tank. Which meant her only real option was to figure out how to cook a bat. ~?----?~ Cooking the bat was an interesting experience, to say the least. She had gotten a bit of experience cutting up bats while she was searching for the mana crystal, but that didn¡¯t quite translate into being able to get them ready for consumption. It was a process to try and get the skin off, and strip the guts out of the small creature. The only plus side was that the bat was definitely larger than the ones on Earth, which made working on it quite a bit easier. She eventually managed to get the bat in some sort of shape that was passable to be cooked, only not to have anything to make a fire with. No wood to keep a fire going. All she had was her firestarter, which was what she ended up using to try and cook the bat. The bat was placed on a few rocks while she pointed her magic tool at it, trying to limit the flames so they wouldn¡¯t scorch her meager meal, but still be hot enough to cook it. It was a difficult process to manage her mana flow, but Devi managed to keep it under control, with only a few mishaps here and there when her concentration drifted to other subjects, but she was able to save her meal from becoming charcoal. She used her carving knife to pick up the only slightly burnt corpse of the bat she had done her best to strip off everything unedible, but she still had trouble thinking of it as food. It did smell somewhat like roasted meat, though emphasis on the somewhat, but it did not look appetizing. Devi had done her best, but butchering was something she had never done before, nor did she even have the first idea besides meat equaled edible, and it definitely showed. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Devi held her nose, and tried a small bite, before spitting it back out. It wasn¡¯t that the bat tasted all that bad, but the texture was terrible. Bit of burnt meat were right next to raw sections along with the odd tiny bone. It was also kind of slimy, and she hadn¡¯t drained all the blood out either. In summary, the texture was terrible while the taste was passable, which meant it was inedible. She was actually reevaluating her whole position of eating meat. Just the thought of eating any other meat, regardless of how it was prepared and cooked, sounded terrible right now. Devi knew she had enjoyed steak in the past, but now, when she tried to think about it, all she remembered was the horrible slimy texture. With her hopes of eating dashed, she turned to more pressing matters, her hands. They were coated with blood and viscera from digging through dead corpses. She had tried to get as much off as she could using walls and rocks, but hadn¡¯t been very successful, and had been hesitant to use her own clothing. They were the only ones she had after all. She closed her eyes and started forming the rune for water with her mana, planning on using the small amount she could summon to cleanse her hands. About halfway through, her concentration lapsed as her mind wandered over to the other symbols she had access to. Partcituallry the purify one. If she remembered correctly, when she had been testing, it had cleaned her hands a bit. So it stood to reason that if she juiced it up with more mana, it could take care of quite a bit of the filth. It didn¡¯t take long for her to form the entire rune with her mana, and when she had finally gotten the last twist of the end right, the whole thing snapped into place, no longer fighting her control. Energy pulsed out, washing over Devi in a wave of pure white light that extended up to her elbows. She could somewhat see through the light, but the shapes inside were distorted. When the glow faded, she looked down at her arms, expecting them to be clean from blood and grime, only to see the blood still coating her hands. Though as she looked closer, Devi noticed that all the dirt and grime had been removed, leaving only the blood behind. Well, better than nothing. Apparently, the rune did clean a bit, but only dirt, blood was obviously too much for it to work with. Or she hadn¡¯t put enough mana into the symbol. Or she had to have been thinking exactly what she wanted going. Or she needed other runes to direct the first one. Or some other random possibility she hadn¡¯t thought of. It would be nice if one of these times she could figure something out without a thousand more. Just once. She still had hands still sticky with blood, so she focused back again on the water creation rune, forming its complex shape with her own mana. This time she had put one of her small pots under the symbol, hoping to catch most of the water before it could splash on the ground. Her preparation paid off as she managed to collect quite a large majority of the liquid that coalesced in mid-air. The blob of water appearing basically right above the pot. She didn''t know if it was because she had been focusing on making it appear there, or if it was more chance. Yet another question she would have to test later. Finishing scrubbing her hands as thoroughly as she could without soap, she got to work making the last two array disks. The hardest part of the whole process was figuring out how to attach the mana crystals She was hesitant at first to try and force them into their sockets, but quickly got over her fears of breaking them when they stubbornly refused to click in. With quite a bit of leverage, she got the crystals into their places. Once she got those in place, the process of shaping the mana went fairly quickly. It still took all of her concentration, but it had quickly become rote to her, and not difficult. Which was a far cry from how she started. With every disk she made she figured more out about how mana worked and moved, making the next iteration easier. She still couldn¡¯t quite figure out the underlying concepts behind the structure, why it needed to be the way it was. There were small hints, but she didn¡¯t have any other reference points to compare the disks to so she could see similarities and go from there. Really need another magic item to study. But one of these is not going to just drop into my lap. She waited for a brief second, hoping one would. Because who knows with this place, it could happen. But no such luck, since that would be way too nice. She¡¯d have to go out and find one herself. Later though, first, she had a few more things to do. Like going through the massive stone door and fighting the lurking cursed beast. So pretty easy stuff. She did have a sort of feeling that there were other things to do before going through the door. The massive spider still lurked in her thoughts, as well as the other side of the tunnels she hadn¡¯t explored, probably filled with bats. She didn¡¯t know why she felt as if she needed to go do something about both of those, but she did. It was an odd feeling, an urge that she had no idea where it came from, and didn¡¯t really want to go do. Thinking about it, the feeling seemed similar to when she was looking through her Class and Vocation options. More of an outside vibe than part of her own consciousness. Which meant it was probably a hint as to what to do in the dungeon, but she really didn¡¯t want to follow them. She just wanted to be done with the dungeon, and she didn¡¯t think she could go and fight the spider whatsoever, so that was out of the question. She didn¡¯t have time to contemplate why she had these urges, she had to figure out how to make the paint for the array. Apparently, she hadn¡¯t needed to worry about breaking the mana crystals, since she couldn¡¯t crush them in her mortar. They refused to even crack under all the force she could muster. Not even in the slightest. They remained impervious to all her attempts to break them, let alone grind them into a fine paste to mix with water. Since brute force wasn¡¯t working, Devi decided to try a different strategy. She carefully extended her mana into the crystal to see what was going on and hopefully be able to weaken it from the inside. Still not able to actually see what was going on, Devi fumbled around with her mana, groping around in the dark, eventually getting a good idea of what it looked like to her mana. It was very structured, quite unlike the array disks she had been working with that had more organic patterns and chaos thrown in. It made sense though, since Aks¡¯ta had called them mana crystals, which gave the impression of repeating structures, exactly what she was feeling with her mana. Rigid patterns repeated throughout the entirety of the crystal, creating a lactic effect. Every attempt she made to nudge it a bit out of place we met with resounding reliance. It was like trying to break a concrete wall with a wet spaghetti noodle. It could theoretically work, after ages, but more than likely, the noodle would splatter. And that didn¡¯t seem like a good outcome, since her mind was the noodle in this analogy. Instead, she decided to slowly start increasing the amount of mana she was putting into the crystal a small bit at a time, focusing all of it in a single point. Basically trying to drive a wedge into the stone so it would break. A much better strategy than wet pasta. It seemed to work much better. The crystal readily accepted the mana, and all Devi had to do was to keep it all in one spot. A task that got progressively harder as the mana started to fight her, not waiting to be contained in just a single spot. So instead of fighting with it, she let the mana suffuse the entirety of the crystal, and just kept adding more, figuring it would break, like a ballon filled with too much air. Her plan seemed to be working as the longer she added mana, the more small fractures seemed to appear in the crystal. She kept adding more and more mana, and she could now hear the occasional small cracks. Just as she was about to stop, the mana inside the crystal seemed to break, something integral snapped suddenly. Acting immediately, she threw the small crystal out of her small crevice into the tunnel beyond, as fast as she could. It proved to be the right choice as she heard a sharp crack, and then the tunnel exploded. Bits of rock flew everywhere, carried by a wave of iridescent energy that flowed up the tunnel. She didn¡¯t have time to cover her face, getting pelted by flying rubble from the explosion. It ended just as fast as it started. Her ears still ringing from the noise, Devi peaked out into the tunnel to see the aftermath. It wasn¡¯t as devastating as she had first thought. The stone apparently had detonated right outside the crevice, so it seemed much larger than it had been. But it still carved a sizable crater into the tunnel. Seeing the broken rocks lay scattered around the blast site, she felt a grin spread over her face. Who didn¡¯t love a good explosion? Chapter 016: Into the Dark Devi sat in her small crevice, gazing at the last remaining mana crystal. After accidentally exploding one before, figuring out how to break a crystal just enough to grind it into a fine powder was relatively easy, albeit nerve-wracking. The memory of a crystal literally blowing up in her face made deliberately breaking one a daunting task. However, she had reassurance that it could be done. Aks¡¯ta had mentioned in their journal that the mana crystals could be converted into a powder, so Devi decided to attempt it once again. This time, instead of adding more mana until the crystal exploded, she focused all her mana in a singular spot. It required significant mental effort to prevent the mana from dispersing, as it had caused the crystal to explode previously. Determined, she concentrated the energy within the smallest region possible and struck it with a rock. The strategy worked as a large crack spiderwebbed its way through the crystal, allowing Devi to break it down further. It took a few more strikes with her rock to achieve manageable chunks, which she then easily crushed into a powder. By adding some summoned water and a bit of her own mana-charged blood, she transformed it into a thick purple liquid, perfect for drawing runes in the array. With only one mana crystal remaining in her hands, the explosion had certainly left an impression on Devi, and if she could replicate it, it would serve as a handy weapon. She wasn''t confident about facing the cursed beast beyond the stone doors, but having an exploding mana crystal as an extra tool would greatly enhance her comfort and confidence. Devi believed she could control the process before the crystal exploded, creating a makeshift grenade that would only require a small amount of mana injection to set it off. She diligently worked, adding small amounts of mana and regularly inspecting the crystal for signs of imminent explosion. Over the course of an hour, she carefully infused as much mana as she could into the crystal until she felt certain that a little more would trigger a complete detonation. Now armed with a magical grenade she was fairly certain would work, Devi felt a surge of confidence. In addition to the seven completed array disks and the necessary magical paint to complete the array, she was ready. All that remained was to pass through the massive stone doors and confront the beast that had already forced someone, likely more prepared than her, to retreat. It seemed simple enough. That did remind her, she had been neglecting the blue notification boxes that had been popping up for a while, too focused on her tasks. Eventually, she had completely forgotten about them. They had blended into the background so seamlessly that she had completely spaced out on reading them. It was similar to when she received texts from people she knew. Devi would see the notification, but due to being occupied with something else, she would postpone responding until later, only to forget about it completely until stumbling upon the unread message while randomly scrolling through her phone weeks later. It often led to people getting upset with her for the delayed response. Among the five messages congratulating her on creating a magic item, there were two level-up notifications: one for her Race and one for her Vocation. There were no messages regarding the exploding mana crystal or the highly probable grenade she had created. Only the five array disks were mentioned. It was uncertain whether her attempts with the crystals didn''t qualify as magic items or tools, or if she simply hadn''t completed the process yet. Both possibilities were plausible, but she had no way of knowing the answer for certain. The lack of information was frustrating. She was tempted to venture out and hunt down a considerable number of bats to collect more mana crystals, hoping to create a better grenade. However, she decided against it. Her ultimate goal lay beyond the stone doors, and it was time to take her chances. Gathering her meager belongings, she began to exit the small crevice she had been hiding in for what felt like hours or even days. The passage of time was difficult to gauge in this mysterious realm. Before long, Devi stood before the imposing double stone doors, clutching the key in her hands. With a hint of hesitation, she inserted the metal disk into its socket. There were no lights or glowing outlines of intricate runes adorning the doors. Instead, they swung open slowly, devoid of any sound. Not even the faintest whisper of grinding stone reached her ears, which was what she had anticipated. She gazed in awe as the doors completed their arcs, revealing an opening that seemed to devour the feeble light emitted by her magic tool, causing it to flicker in the sudden draft. An unsettling feeling emanated from the darkness. Devi wanted to attribute it solely to fear, but she couldn''t shake the sensation that there was something more to it. The journal had mentioned that the beast beyond the doors was cursed, and that didn''t bode well. The oppressive darkness now felt intentionally malevolent, especially now that she had recalled that crucial piece of information. No sense backing out now. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the darkness beyond, her light appearing dimmer than before. As her foot touched the ground, she immediately noticed a change. The uneven cavern floor had been replaced by worn stone tiles. Her light illuminated a wide corridor that stretched into the darkness. The walls were constructed of large rough-hewn stone blocks. Though she couldn''t discern the exact type of stone, the tiled flooring seemed to be made of the same material. Thankfully, it muffled her footsteps as she tried to tread quietly. There was no use alerting the beast before she had a chance to see it. Each step she took heightened her nerves, unsure of when she might encounter the lurking monster in the shadows. She tightly gripped her crossbow, ready to shoot at the slightest movement, but she hoped to find a suitable location to draw the array before that became necessary. The array could be scaled to various sizes, from quite large to as small as the seven disks could be fitted together. She had some flexibility in its placement, but she wanted to choose a position that would give her the advantage, rather than allowing the beast to dictate the terms of engagement. Ideally, she sought a spot where she could shoot the monster from above without having to engage in close combat. The broken blade Aks''ta carried was her only option for close-quarters fighting, but she preferred to avoid that if possible. The blade served as a last resort and an experimental tool. Up ahead, Devi heard a soft scratching sound, similar to the noise her childhood friend''s dog would make while walking across the kitchen floor. However, she couldn''t determine the size of the creature responsible for the sound, which did little to alleviate her fears. Taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves, she carefully placed the seven array disks in a circular formation, making an effort to minimize any noise. Then, she retrieved the pot of mana-conducting paint and began drawing the symbols that would connect the disks, forming the array. As she completed the final rune, the entire array faintly glowed, emitting the same white light as the disks. The soft radiance bathed the corridor, bringing a smile of relief to Devi''s face. She hadn''t been certain if the array would actually work, but it seemed she had succeeded. However, her newfound optimism quickly waned as the sound of clicking claws on the stone floor grew louder, approaching her location. Emerging from the gloom, a beast revealed itself, its open mouth displaying rows of razor-sharp teeth while drool dripped from its jaws. Devi barely had time to process its feather-covered form before she swiftly fired her crossbow, determined not to let it take the initiative. The creature attempted to evade the projectile, but the bolt struck it mid-jump, sending it crashing to the ground. Emitting a cry resembling that of a crow, it quickly regained its footing. Devi retreated, frantically reloading her crossbow for another shot, but the beast had different plans. With a menacing snarl, it charged towards her, poised to pounce. Devi instinctively raised her forearm in a defensive position as the creature''s jaws clamped down. Pain surged through her arm as it tried to tear into her flesh. Managing to maintain her grip on the magic tool, she released a blast of flame in its general direction, though the arm in the monster''s mouth made it difficult to aim accurately. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Startled, the beast released her arm, and Devi hurriedly distanced herself, unleashing another blast of flame to keep it at bay while she assessed her options. Her arm throbbed with pain, and her leather armguard bore the brunt of the attack, unlikely to withstand another assault. However, it had fulfilled its purpose, protecting her arm from more serious harm. The damaged armor was a small price to pay compared to a severe injury. Devi locked eyes with the beast as they circled each other, both searching for an opening. She kept her injured arm close to her body, while the other firmly held her magic tool, ready to unleash fiery destruction if the creature ventured too near. The discarded crossbow lay on the ground, rendered ineffective in close combat. The beast seemed hesitant to launch an attack, keeping a safe distance and affording Devi an opportunity to study it. It appeared to be a hybrid of a bird and a wolf, with feathery wings-like limbs in the front and dark fur-covered hind legs more reminiscent of a wolf. It utilized the wing-like limbs to flutter and hop around Devi in a cautious manner. Its two large purple eyes remained fixated on her, occasionally emitting calls that blended howls with caws. Just as Devi prepared to make her move and strike, a call pierced the darkness, mimicking the creature''s cry. Her blood ran cold as another echoed moments later. The distinct sound of more taloned feet drawing near reached her ears, prompting the beast in front of her to growl in response. Fuck my life, Devi thought as she scanned the darkness for moving shapes. Two more? I thought there was only one big cursed beast. Two figures stepped into the dim light emitted by the array, bearing a striking resemblance to the first beast, albeit slightly smaller in size. Their purple eyes glimmered with a malicious gleam as they assessed Devi. Facing off against one of these monsters seemed within the realm of possibility, but three presented a daunting challenge. Moreover, she had a nagging suspicion that none of them were the actual cursed beast she was tasked with eliminating. With the odds heavily stacked against her, Devi resolved to tilt the scales in her favor. She still possessed five available points, which she allocated entirely to Agility, further bolstering her already significant attribute. Rather than enduring direct attacks, Devi preferred to rely on her agility to evade them. Utilizing an [Attribute Enhancement], she obtained an additional three-point boost. In a matter of seconds, her Agility surged from 22 to 30, and she immediately sensed the effects. The transformation was far more noticeable than when she had allocated ten points to Presence, as her body instantaneously felt lighter and more fluid. She grinned at the three monsters. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± One of the creatures lunged towards Devi, its wing-like forelimbs allowing it to glide an unexpectedly long distance. Acting on pure instinct, she swiftly ducked beneath its leap. In response, she unleashed a blast of fire at another monster that attempted to swipe at her, forcing it to retreat. Unfortunately, she failed to notice the third creature circling around, and it raked its talons across her unprotected back. A sharp hiss of pain escaped her lips as she spun around, her magic tool poised for action. However, the monster retreated, seemingly satisfied with the damage it had inflicted. With no time to pursue it, Devi focused on the creature that had leaped at her earlier and was now charging back. Digging into her bag, she retrieved the broken blade, slashing at a monster that had ventured too close in the process. The three beasts spread out, encircling her to prevent her from facing them simultaneously, a rather unsportsmanlike tactic. In her ideal scenario, they would line up and attack her one by one, a more chivalrous approach. Regrettably, they did not adhere to her wishes. One of the three charged in, its mouth wide open, ready to deliver a savage bite. Denying its intentions, Devi sent a mouthful of fire in its direction, causing it to wail in pain as the flames scorched its sensitive mouth. Her triumph was short-lived as she heard the sound of air whistling, and a barrage of black feathers shot towards her from the darkness. Devi managed to twist out of the path of the majority of them, but a considerable number still impaled themselves in her body. One managed to slip past her leather armor, digging into her side deeply. While she was distracted by the conspicuous feather sticking out from her, another beast took advantage and swiped at her, causing a surge of pain to course through her thigh. Responding with a snarl, she swiftly spun around, directing a blast of flame at the offending creature. It whimpered as its face was singed, retreating while yet another monster stepped forward, launching an attack at Devi. Swiftly evading the outstretched talons, she narrowly avoided being struck. In retaliation, she swung her broken blade, feeling the resistance as the blade connected with the creature''s feathered body, leaving behind a trail of dark blood. Relentless, Devi thrust her magic tool towards the monster''s face, unleashing a scorching blast of fire. She grinned as it emitted a pained whine, its flesh burning from the flames. Swiftly ducking under another swipe, she sidestepped around the creature, slashing her blade into its flank in one fluid motion. As another onslaught of feathers came hurtling towards her, Devi was prepared this time, swiftly ducking beneath the barrage just in the nick of time. However, seizing the opportunity, another creature lunged at her, causing her to be knocked down onto the hard stone floor. The creature''s beak-like mouth slammed into the tiles as she rolled out of harm''s way. Ignoring the blast of fire she directed at its belly, the creature chose instead to slash its front talons across her chest. In a desperate attempt to fend it off, Devi thrust her blade upward with all her strength, not aiming for any specific target but simply wanting to free herself from the relentless monster. It screeched in agony as her blade made contact, rearing up on its hind legs and forcefully wrenching her only melee weapon out of her grasp in the process. Another wave of feathers flew her way, but this time she was ready, ducking under the barrage just in time. However, as she did, another beast took the opportunity to pounce on her, knocking her to the stone floor. Its beak-like mouth slammed into the tiles as she rolled out of the way. Ignoring the blast of fire she sent along its belly, it chose to rake its front talons across her chest. Devi stabbed upwards with as much strength as she could, not aiming for anything in particular but just wanting to get rid of the persistent monster. It screeched in pain as her blade connected, rearing up on its hind legs and forcefully wrenching her only melee weapon out of her hand in the process. Fuck fuck fuck fu- Her frantic thoughts were cut off as one of the other two beasts took the opportunity to pounce on her. She rolled out of the way, its claws giving off an ear-rending screech as they scratched over the stone tiles. Devi winced at the sudden sound, her whole body tensing up in pain, causing her to stumble. Another wave of feathers caught her off guard, and pain blossomed in her shoulder upon impact. That shook her out of her pain-induced daze enough to realize that this fight was not going in her favor. She could outmaneuver one of them, possibly two, but three was a bit too much. Devi needed to take one out of the fight, and fast. Luckily, she had something that could help with that: her hopefully magical grenade. Digging into her pocket, she brought it out, eyeing the three beasts as they advanced toward her. Devi concentrated for a brief moment, sending mana into the stone before launching it at the beast with her blade still stuck in its chest. Come on she pleaded as she watched the crystal sail through the air. It bounced off the beast and clattered to the ground at its feet, not doing anything. All four of the creatures in the hallway looked at the stone as it sat inert on the ground, beasts unsure of what it was, while Devi frantically hoped it would work. As it sat there, doing nothing, the beasts disregarded it and continued their advance. Just as she had given up hope that it would do anything, a sharp crack rang out before the stone exploded into an iridescent shockwave of energy, catching the monsters off guard. The energy ripped into the beast, throwing it against the wall, not even giving it time to let out a squawk of surprise before its head connected with the wall with a sickening crunch. The other two monsters were merely knocked off balance as the energy dissipated quickly, and Devi only had to raise a hand to protect her eyes from the wave of dust that followed.
Congratulations You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
Devi grinned at the remaining two monsters. Round two. Chapter 017: Failed Attempts The last echos of the blast died down as Devi stared at the remaining two beasts. Was using her grenade worth it? Absolutely. Did it also leave her with only her firestarter? Also yes. But it was so satisfying to actually see the explosion without it blowing up in her face. In her book, it was completely worth it. She recovered faster than the monsters facing her, rushing over to the slumped form of the dead beast, hoping to retrieve her blade. Even though it was broken and dull, it far outperformed any other tool in her possession. Throwing paintbrushes at the screeching monsters seemed like a good way to end up as dinner. A barrage of feathers whistled through the air at her, causing her to stumble into a dive. She hit the unforgiving stone tiles with a thud but managed to avoid the deadly onslaught of deadly projectiles. The ones still sticking out of her body were unusually sharp, but even before her eyes, they slowly started to dissolve into black smoke. She didn¡¯t have time to study the oddness as the beasts had thrown off their confusion and were slowly stalking forward. They seemed wary of any more tricks, but unfortunately, Devi was completely out. The mana crystal turned grenade was her one and only ace. She was stuck with her firestarter and the blade that was still buried under a mountain that was a monster corpse. Pain radiated through Devi''s body, her muscles protesting every movement, but her determination burned brighter than ever. With gritted teeth, she pushed herself up from the ground, rising against the weight of her injuries. The wounds throbbed, reminding her of the perilous journey she had endured thus far. Yet, she refused to let despair consume her. Fueled by a sheer will to survive, Devi sprinted the final meters to where the fallen creature lay, her steps fueled by a mix of adrenaline and desperation. The twinges of pain intensified with each stride, but she pushed through, driven by a single-minded focus. Her trembling hands plunged into the mound of grotesque flesh, unyielding in their search for her blade. Finally, her fingers closed around the hilt, slippery with the dark purple ichor of the beast. She gripped it tightly, feeling a surge of familiarity and determination course through her veins. Without wasting a moment, Devi spun around, her movements fluid and instinctual. Flames erupted from her firestarter, engulfing the approaching beasts in a blazing wave. One of the creatures reared up, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, while the other swiftly maneuvered under the fiery assault, undeterred in its advance. Devi''s heart pounded in her chest as she focused her gaze on the beast that had evaded her flames. Its eyes glimmered with malevolence, charging straight at her. Ignoring the searing pain coursing through her body, she braced herself for the impending clash as it propelled itself off the ground in a terrifying blur of black and purple feathers. In that moment, fear and exhaustion faded into the background, replaced by a primal instinct for survival. The weight of the situation bore down on her, but she refused to let it crush her spirit. This was a battle she couldn''t afford to lose. She thrust her hand holding the firestarter in front of her, right into the beat¡¯s gullet. Pain erupted from her arm as its fangs tore chunks out. Devi met the monster¡¯s raging eyes with her own steely gaze and grinned. ¡°Choke on this.¡± A torrent of mana surged through her battered arm and into the magic tool she was grasping for dear life. Blistering heat exploded from her hand, racing down the beat¡¯s throat, and she didn¡¯t relent. She kept sending as much mana as she could muster into the firestarter as the monster wailed in agony. Pain stabbed through her hand as the magic tool in her grasp shattered inside the beast''s maw, splinters flying everywhere. The fire abruptly stopped, the mana no longer having an outlet. Instead, it l pooled in her hand. More mana than she had ever had in one place now sat, writing impatient, wanting to be used. She screamed in pain as the wild energy escaped her control, exploding out of flesh in any way it could. Iridescent light flashed into existence as the volatile mana met air, burning through her arm as it did. The beast mirrored her shriek as mana blasted its already scorched throat, eventually collapsing in a heap before her. Devi backed up, panting heavily. Her arm hung limply at her side, blackened and burnt, both from the fire and the mana. It still felt like it was being roasted from the inside out, something terribly wrong, but Devi clamped down on that feeling, shutting it into a box. Looking up at the remaining beast, she let out a growl of frustration and anger, channeling her pain into rage. The beast let out its own roar to meet hers, but she could tell it was laced with fear. A few lunging steps brought her face to face with the beast as she brought up her blade in her one good hand. She lashed out, catching the beast by surprise, blood spilling into the air. ¡°Fuck the world ending,¡± she screamed as she followed up her wild swing with another one. This time the monster was ready, batting her hand out of the way, but she brought her knee up, connecting solidly with the things unprotected belly. ¡°Fuck this insane place.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She spun around, driving her blade into the beast¡¯s side before it could react, ignoring its pained screech. ¡°And fuck,¡± she tore her weapon free. ¡°There being,¡± her blade slammed into the battered monster¡¯s throat. ¡°No fucking guide.¡± Breathing heavily, Devi stood over the fallen creature, her heart pounding in her chest. Adrenaline slowly leaking out her tired frame as she slumped down against the wall. She didn¡¯t even bother acknowledging the two new notifications that made their presence known. The pain she had shut away came roaring back, twice as fierce as it had been now that her life wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. Devi could feel the warmth of blood trickling down her arm and the burning agony of her wounds. She leaned her head back against the cold stone, her breathing ragged as exhaustion threatened to consume her. The fight had cost her a lot, but not her life. She had won, which was all that mattered in the end. As she was trying to recover her breath, a loud echoing screech pierced the darkness, startling Devi out of her daze. Another soon followed. And then another. She swore under her breath. She was in no condition to stand, let alone face even one more of those monsters. Her good hand drifted to her satchel, reaching for her assumed health potion. The victory, and adrenaline, urged her to charge into the next fight. She could do it. Fight through the rest of the monsters, and kill whatever was at the end of this dark corridor. But then she came to her senses. Her arm was a mangled mess, and all she had was the dull, broken blade in her hand. The crossbow having proved fairly useless in the fight except for the first shot. If she had other people to cover her while she reloaded, it would be a terrifying weapon. But as things stood, she could get one shot off, and that was it. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed smoke starting to rise off the dead beasts, slowly pooling in the air. Her thoughts jumped to the journal¡¯s warning of the curse itself rising from the beast and gaining material form. That spurred her into action. She shoved her blade through the waistband of her pants and scooped up her crossbow with her good hand. Devi hesitated as she turned away to limp back down the hallway. The seven array disks lay dimly glowing in the darkness. She had spent a long time creating them, and she had no idea where to get more of the materials needed. Also, without them, she was completely blind. She hurriedly scooped the scattered array disks into her bag, keeping an eye on the smoke as it seemed to boil. The smoke seemed almost alive as it coalesced into one large cloud, flashing with purple energy as it did. Eyeing it wearyly, she grabbed the last of the disks, and slowly started to back up down the hall, keeping the creepy smoke in view the whole time. As she moved, it seemed to lock onto her position and rushed at her. Not knowing what else to do, she thrust her hand up, holding aloft the faintly glowing disk. The dim light began to grow in intensity as the smoke neared, the disk seemingly reacting to it. As the smoke neared her, it shied away, not willing to venture into the illumination given off by the disk. She sigh in relief, not knowing what she would have done if it had attacked. Nothing she had seemed like it would be effective. The eerie smoke seemed to retreat, dissolving into thin tendrils that snaked away into the darkness. However, Devi knew she couldn''t afford to linger in this treacherous corridor. More beasts could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike. With renewed determination, she quickened her pace, limping down the hallway toward the massive stone doors. As she approached the doors, she could hear the faint sounds of growls and the scraping of claws growing louder behind her. The beasts were closing in, their presence sending shivers down her spine. The ever-present malevolent darkness not helping in the slightest. She crossed the threshold, feet once again on the uneven stony ground of the cavern. Looking at the twin stone doors open wide to either side, she had a terrible relizaation. She had no idea how to close the doors. Idiot, why did I not think of that? She could hear monsters rushing down the corridor at her. They are massive, and opened by themselves. They are probably magical too. She frantically looked around for a solution, but nothing sprang up. With no other good alternatives, Devi rushed to one of the doors and began to push. Devi pushed with all her might against one of the massive stone doors, her injured arm protested, sending waves of pain shooting through her body. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she strained against the weight, desperation fuelling her efforts. The growls and scraping sounds grew louder, the beasts closing in on her. Ever so slowly, the door began to close. Inch by inch Devi forced the massive stone slab closer to the looming opening. As she did, the opposite door mirrored her progress, closing in sync. Then it hit her. No wonder it was as hard as it was to close. She was closing both of them at the same time, doubling the amount of effort she needed. The door groaned in protest, but inch by inch, it continued to close. The gap between the doors grew narrower, and the menacing sounds of the approaching beasts grew more distant. Devi''s arms trembled under the strain, her muscles screaming in protest, but she refused to relent. A few feathers burst from the gap between the two doors, momentarily startling Devi. The monsters were evidently closer than she had imagined. Summoning every ounce of strength within her, she pushed with all her might, pouring her pain and determination into putting something solid between her and what sounded like far too many claws on the other side. With one final surge of energy, the door slammed shut, sealing off the passage and cutting off the creatures'' path. Silence engulfed the cavern, broken only by the sound of Devi''s heavy breathing. She leaned against the closed door, sweat-soaked and panting, relief washing over her. She quickly snatched the now whole disk from the center of the door, hopefully sealing it shut. Devi slumped down against the doors, all her energy evaporating now she was out of immediate danger. She was having serious second thoughts about continuing on. Giving up was looking better and better each second. Shaking her head, she stumbled to her feet. She had gotten this far, she could figure something out. Maybe more of those grenades, or crafting a better firestarter. Devi had a hunch that being the first to finish this dungeon would give her something, just like being the first to make a magic tool did. And she really wanted a cool new title. Chapter 018: Broken Blades The darkness enveloped Devi like a cold blanket as she sat huddled back in her crevice, trying not to focus on the pain she was in. Which was difficult, since her mangled arm sent out a wave of pain in tandem with her heartbeat. Each time flooding her with agony. She had no idea how the pain hadn¡¯t overwhelmed her during the fight. The walk back to her hideaway had taken every ounce of determination left in her, but she had made it. All without screaming out in pain too. Now that she was resting, it was manageable, if barely. Her leather arm guard was completely unsalvageable, torn to shreds by merciless teeth. She shuddered at the thought of what state her arm would be in if not for the armor. The scraps of leather were carefully unwrapped from her forearm as Devi winced in pain each time she nudged her open wounds. With each strip of torn leather that fell away, the reality of her injuries became starkly apparent. Her whole forearm was a bloody mess and she had to look away more than once. She had never once felt the urge to become a doctor, and she soon found out that not exploring medicine had been the correct one. Over the years, Devi had acquired the usual number of cuts and scrapes, but the only major injury she had ever experienced was when she had fallen off the monkey bars at school, and landed directly on her arm. It hadn¡¯t even been a bad break, as clean of a fracture as you could have, and yet the pain she was currently enduring made that childhood mishap seem like a distant memory. With her arm now exposed and the makeshift bandage removed, Devi stared at her wounds. They were deep and jagged, with bits of torn flesh and muscle protruding from the gashes. She knew she needed to clean them to prevent infection, but she had no medical supplies or even water to do so. Desperation gnawed at her as she contemplated her limited options. Checking her mana, she saw there was just enough to try and create some water, so she could hopefully clean her wounds a little bit. Devi closed her eyes, reaching deep inside herself, searching for the bubbling mass of energy that sat in her chest. The energy leaped quickly at her command and traveled down her hand. She had to focus so it wouldn¡¯t surge through her mangled hand. That seemed like a recipe for pain. The mana flowed out of her body, and she tightened her mental grip on it as it tried to escape into the air. She didn¡¯t have much to spare. Thankfully, the rune that created water wasn¡¯t too difficult to shape, though that didn¡¯t mean she could let her focus waver. Each moment she was controlling her mana was a struggle, and the pain covering her whole body didn¡¯t help in the slightest. Devi concentrated her efforts, shaping the mana into the form of water. She visualized the rune in her mind, its elegant curves and intricate details. With painstaking precision, she traced the pattern in the air, using her mana to bring it to life. A gentle mist began to form, coalescing into droplets that shimmered with a faint blue glow. The water condensed, gathering into a deformed ball, before slashing into the waiting pot below. It was a small amount, but it would have to do. She didn¡¯t have enough mana for a second round. Carefully, she brought the water close to her wounded arm, letting the cool water cascade over the torn flesh. The liquid trickled down, carrying away dirt and debris as it washed over her arm. Devi winced at the sting. Even though the wound itself hurt far worse, the sharp pain still cut through the noise. Devi ripped one of the cleaner sections of her outfit, and wrapped it around the wound, finishing it off by winding the twine over the whole thing to keep it in place. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest of dressings, but it would have to do. She didn¡¯t have anything better. One of these days she was going to figure out how to cast healing magic. Hopefully, before infection set in. That would be a way to go. Escaping a horde of cursed beasts, only to die of an improperly cared for bandage. Now that the urgent issue of her wound was taken care of, Devi could feel her body shutting down. She had been pushing it hard recently, harder than she had even physically pushed it before. It was one thing to forgo sleep for a few days to finish a project, but a completely different matter to push a battered body past the point of breaking. She scooted further back into the crevice, wedging herself between the rocks. The salvaged satchel was placed over her, to serve as a makeshift blanket and hopefully provide a bit of camouflage. Becoming monster chow in the middle of the night was fairly low on her to-do list. There was no point in trying to fight off sleep, so Devi allowed her eyes to close, the darkness claiming her. ~?----?~ Devi awoke to the stiffest muscles she had ever experienced in her life. Random rocks stabbed into her at uncomfortable angles, while her body was contorted to match the shape of the crevice. Mixed in with the aches were twinges of pain, the bruising covering her body making itself known, in addition to the scrapes and cuts. None of that compared to the intermittent shocks of pain that jolted through her whenever she moved her arm. Gentle prodding at the bandages covering her arm revealed the tenderness and inflammation underneath. Though it wasn¡¯t quite as bad as she was expecting. Not that it didn¡¯t hurt, but a lot less than before she had fallen asleep. Curious, she started to open her Status screen to check what her Health was at, but instead, she noticed the few notifications that had been sitting quietly in the corner of her vision. Those really need a snooze button, so they pop back up later. She quickly scanned through the notifications saying she had defeated the monsters, only stopping at the level-up notice for her class. The surge of energy that washed over her took the edge off the pain a bit, distracting her momentarily from the soreness of her body. The sensation soon faded, and the pain returned in full force. She had also gained a level in [Attribute Enhancment], pushing it up to level 3. A quick test later confirmed the Skill could increase an Attribute by four points, but cost 12 Mana to use. It was quickly becoming quite strong. A four-point increase was nothing to sneeze at, she was able to actually start feeling the effects instead of having a vague impression of growth now. At least with Strength. She hadn¡¯t tested the other Attributes, not wanting to waste mana. There were better uses for her mana, like making some water to drink. She didn¡¯t know where she would be if she hadn¡¯t figured out how to summon water out of thin air. It still took a considerable amount of mana, but it was worth it. The cool liquid soothed her cracked and dry throat, and she felt her headache begin to recede a tiny bit. Two more casts filled up a couple of pots with water, one to drink, and one to clean her bandages. She vaguely recalled that you were supposed to change bandages out occasionally, and since she didn¡¯t have any spare cloth, cleaning them would have to do. Unwrapping her arm was challenging, as blood had dried and caked on, almost fusing it to her skin. As gently as she could, Devi pried the cloth away, revealing the wound below. It looked marginally better than before, but Devi couldn¡¯t really tell. It still hurt, and that¡¯s all that really mattered. Working quickly, Devi did her best to clean the strips of cloth that made up her makeshift bandages, before wrapping her arm once again. The whole time trying not to look at her arm for longer than necessary. That was one good thing about her lighting situation. The array disks didn¡¯t give off the most light, leaving her arm shrouded in shadows. If she was able to clearly see her wound, Devi didn¡¯t think she would be able to work on it. Or at least, not without frequent breaks. The bandage was rewrapped around her arm, and she let out a sigh of relief. With that dealt with, Devi could start planning what to do. Leaving was still an option, but it was a last resort for her. She had gotten this far, and she didn¡¯t want to give up. Which ment she needed to fight through the monsters past the door, and then still be able to defeat the cursed beast. She still couldn¡¯t tell why she felt like that was the purpose of the dungeon, but it just seemed right. All she had to accomplish that were her crossbow, the array disks, and the broken blade she had salvaged. The blade was actually holding up quite well, and if it was a bit sharper, would do quite nicely as an actual weapon. So Devi put that first on the list. She also needed food soon as well, her stomach making itself known, but it was manageable. The mutilated bat lay on the stone ground, taunting her, but she couldn¡¯t even envision herself eating it again, let alone actually trying to chew it. She would rather die. There had to be something else she could eat in the caves, but finding that would require her to leave her sanctuary. Something she didn¡¯t want to do until she was armed again. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Devi pulled out the blade and inspected it. Blood was caked along the edges, while the fighting as flaked off a few areas of rust. It still didn¡¯t amount to much, but it was all she had. Taking a bit of her mana, she slowly formed the rune that had cleaned her whole arm, postulating that it would probably do something to the rust. And if not, it was still a good test of what the rune actually did. A few moments later, the symbol snapped into place, and a burst of white light washed over the blade. When it faded, the blade was in much better shape than before. The majority of the rust had flaked off and disappeared into the light leaving behind metal that dully gleaned in the faint light. The only edge the sword had to speak of was the jagged bits along the top where it had been broken. Got my work cut out for me. All she had to work on the blade was a single file, but that should be enough to get the blade an actual edge again. For once, Devi was thankful the blade had been broken. Trying to sharpen the entire thing with her tiny file seemed impossible. As she worked, Devi started pushing her mana into the blade on a hunch. Couldn¡¯t hurt right? Her mana flowed into the blade, and she felt around, seeing how the internal mana was structured. It was like exploring a puzzle, but she could only use her hands to feel around the edges. The mana in the sword was jumbled, but she could sense a strength to it. The entirety of the blade seemed to be made up of smaller individual sections. Each region the mana was tightly bound, going in a particular direction, but no two sections seemed to be aligned. Focusing on a single section, she tried to reorient it so it the mana flowed through it from the section next to it. The mana fought her, not wanting to change, being quite content in where it was, but Devi wasn¡¯t going to give up. She slowly began to nudge the section around, bit by bit, never moving faster than the material would let her, until it was property aligned. She carefully releashed her grip on the mana, and waited for the piece to snap back into its original position, only for it to say put. Devi blinked in surprise, having not expected that, but she would take it. Having her work not snap back to what it was before would make rearranging the entire blade a lot easier. As the blade¡¯s edges were slowly being honed down, its mana was also being refined. It was slow work, but not incredibly difficult. Though it did still require her to focus on it, not allowing her mind to wander to other things. Gradually, the dull blade began to sharpen, forming a nice edge. The places where she had aligned the mana seemed come to a shaprper point,. the material itself holding together stronger, enabling her hone the edge further than she could in other places. She had also found that while she was filing a section, the mana inside seemed to be easier to move, not quite as stubborn. After what felt like an eternity, she finally set aside the file, the iridescent coat dissipating in a puff of energy, her hand trembling with exhaustion. The blade, though still far from perfect, had been transformed. Gone were the spots of rust adorning its length as the metal shined in the dim light. Its edges now considerably sharper, but by no means a razor. Probably not good enough to shave with, but still, far better than what it was. Now that she had a better weapon, Devi looked over the chard remains of her trusty firestarter. It had been the first item she had ever made with magic, and seeing it lay in pieces hurt. She had no illusions that it was just a prototype, but it had gotten her through alot. She slowly pierced the firestarter back together, trying to see why it had failed. If she was going to make another one, which she most definitely was going to, knowing the point of failure would be paramount. The blackened chard pieces were not easy to reassbmelbe, but eventutally she got them in some sort of order. Looking over them, Devi tried to piece together what happened. The carving where her mana infused blod had been painted over seemed to be the most burnt, and where the majority of the fractures were. Other parts seemed to be more chard than broken, but the carved symbols bore the brunt of the destruction. It seemed like the runes themselves couldn¡¯t contain the mount of energy she had passed through them, and had cracked. The energy didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go, and so had escaped anyway it could, no longer bound by the symbols she had carved. The real problem was that Devi didn¡¯t know if the runes coudln¡¯t handle all the mana all at once, or if repeated use over time had weakened it. The firestarter was obvirouly not ment to be used as a flamethrower, like she had been using it as, which may have caused some damage to the item. The next one she made would have be designed a bit more robustly, and fabricated with stronger materials. Her eyes landed on her newly sharpened balde, and a grin split her face. Now that would make a great flamethrower. She quickly got to work, the new project giving her renewed vigor. Devi scratched out a few of the runes she would need, discarding a lot of the limitors the original firestarter had, seeing no need for them. She kept the runes that gathered mana, as those were pretty important, and connected them to a series of fire runes along were the edge of the blade would be. Thinking on it, she split the whole thing into to parts, one for the very tip of the blade, and one for the edges. Hopefully, that would let her still shoot out flames, but also set her sword of fire. Because who didn¡¯t want to do that. Devi began to carve the patterns into the rocky ground, wanting to test her theories before putting them onto her only weapon. she infused a bit of her blood with mana to act as a mediumf or her magic. She was too caught up in the creative process to notice the slight stinging of the blade as she cut into her thigh, catching the blood in a pot. With the carving painted over, she sent a pulse of mana through the runes, scowling as fire refused to erupt from the ground. Her mana was being accepted, but wouldn¡¯t turn into fire. She frowned over her carving, tracing out the pathways the mana would flow in, before noticing one of the branches accidentally looped back in on itself. The mana seemed to want to flow in that direction, and ignored the fire runes in favor of looping around and around. She quickly fixed that mistake, and carved a new set of runes. This time, when she stent her mana through them, fire blosmoed around the edges, just like she had expected it to. When she sifted to supling mana to the central runes, a small tongue of flames spung into existence. With just a bit more mental efort, she split her mana into two parts, and powered both sets of runes. The flames bathed her grinning face as she looked over the carvings. A few of the jets of flame seemed to be dimmer than the others, notably the ones further away from where she was supplying the mana from. But her idea worked, which was enough for her. Working out all the kinks would have to come later, when she had more time and materials. Now it was time to start carving the pattern into the blade. The only thing she had that could potentially do the job was the small carving knife. If the metal was softer, it woudln¡¯t be so much of a problem... A few quick carvings later, three fire runes stood in a circle, all powered from a central location, the intake symbol a ways off. When she supplied the makeshift stovetop with her mana, the runes glowed as flames flickered to light, creating an even flame she could use to heat the blade. She slowly got to work, alternating between holding the blade in the fire, and carefully carving the runes into the metal. As she worked, she began to infuse the whole blade with her mana, and tried to mimic the runic pattern she was carving internally. That added a whole new layer of complexity, since she also had to keep the fire going with her mana, while also manipulating the material. If she hadn¡¯t gotten as much practice during her time making the array disks, she never would have been able to even attempt what she was doing. The metal was far tougher to move than the stone, requrieing much more mental energy to shift into the patterns she wanted. It didn¡¯t help that her focus was split between supplying the fire with mana, and carving the runes, but she poured everything she had into making sure everything was perfect. There were no breaks, just as with the array disk, the mana structures threatening to collapse in on themselves if she did. To make matters worse, there was no instructions for her to follow, just her own carving, and the mana itself. She had to feel out each section, trying different combinations until one snapped into place, before she could move on to the next one. The concept of time disappeared, only the blade filled her mind, every part of her being bent to making this thing work. Even if she had more materials, or time, she would still have put everything into making it. Making something subpar was just not something she was capable of doing. Finally, the last rune click into place as she carved the final symbol. Everything seemed stable, and not prone to crumbling the second she took her mana away, but she still kept it there. Carefully holding everything in place. She still hadn¡¯t gotten a notification for creating a magic tool, so she was being cautious.The only thing left to do was paint the carved runes with the mana conducting paint. She still had a bit left over from the array, and it should be enough to cover the small blade. Carefully, she began to brush the mixture over the runes, turning them a reddish hue. The still relatively warm blade made waiting for it to dry a quick process, so she didn¡¯t have to wait long to flip it over and pain the other side. She was starting to worry that the pain would run out before she could finish all the runes, so she added a bit more of her own blood to the mix to finsh off the last few parts. The moment she finished painting over everything, a flash of energy rushed through the blade, sending steam into the air as the water evaporated. Startled, she almost dropped the blade, but managed to catch it in time. In its places was left a hardened dark red substance that traced the runes over the whole blade. The contrast between the gleeming blade and the dark runes made them stand out even more. Cautiously, Devi sent a tendral of mana into the blade. In response, she felt a sudden connection to the blade as glowed red, small flames appearing along the edge. It was far easier to control than with her firestarter, no longer having to push quite as hard to get the flames to grow or shrink. The flames of her broken blade illuminated her grinning face as she played with them, until they sluttered out, a headache replacing them. Devi stood mutely, staring at the now inerte blade. What now? Chapter 019: Bat Flambe It turned out that crafting her sword, which could light itself on fire, took a significant amount of mana. To be precise, it required her entire mana pool. She found that out after being forced to sit down due to the spectacular headache that erupted when she attempted to ignite the blade. Her Status page displayed her Mana sitting at zero, which answered one question. Almost. Glad to have confirmation that dropping to zero Mana is not going to kill me Devi thought as she massaged her temples. That would have been the worst way to go. After surviving being almost eaten alive, crafting my own weapon would do me in. She chuckled to herself but stopped halfway through due to the pain. It was reminiscent of when she had woken up hanging upside down on the spiderweb. Though this time was much more manageable. It was already subsiding, ebbing to a dull ache rather than a stabbing pain whenever she moved her head. To distract herself, she focused on the glowing blue box that had popped up when she had put the final touches on the blade she was still carrying.
Congratulations A new Magic Item (G) (common) has been created XP has been awarded
The notification was followed by two more, one for each her Race and Vocation gaining a level, putting both at level five. The moment the wave of energy washed over her, the headache that had been plaguing her became much more manageable. Well, that does answer that question she thought as she saw her mana had jumped up to 11 after the level up. No mana means a headache, and getting a little back helps. Good to know. She sent a trickle of her newly acquired mana into the blade, watching the edges start to glow. They didn¡¯t catch fire, but slowly turned from silver to a fiery orange. The amount of mana she was sending to the blade was a minuscule amount, even less than what she had to give her firestarter to produce a flame. The blade seemed fairly warm, radiating enough heat that she could feel it by just holding the handle. Thankfully, Devi had placed the fire runes a fair bit above the crossguard, figuring that having flames jet out right next to her hands would be bad. So while a bit uncomfortable, it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Curious, she sent a small burst of mana into the blade, watching as a small gout of flame leaped out of the top of the blade, while the fire danced along the edges. The flames died down right after, as the mana was used up. Thankfully, none of the flames had gotten close to her hand, though it was still like holding her hand very close to a stove. Not quite burning, but very uncomfortable. Though still probably not advisable to do long-term. A glove would be perfect, but of course, she didn¡¯t have one. The headache was returning after she had spent the little mana she had managed to regain, but it was completely worth it. She had a literal fire sword, what was there to complain about? Except for being stuck in a cave, with no food, and a hoard of bloodthirsty monsters everywhere. Basically paradise. With a new weapon, she wanted to go out and test it against something, just to see how much better it was than the original. But a quick look at her mana pool dissuaded her of that notion very quickly. It was sitting at 4, which was less than 5% of her total. Not ideal for monster slaying. Which meant she had quite a bit of time to kill and nothing to do with it. All the things she could do involved using her mana. So instead, she started carving more runes into the ground, trying different combinations and how to intertwine the symbols. She couldn¡¯t test any of them out yet, but it was a good way to pass the time. Devi didn¡¯t have all that many runes she knew, and the ones she did know, didn¡¯t have a good grasp on what they did. As for combining them, she could only guess. She was fairly confident with the fire symbol, but all the others were a bit more nebulous. Soon, the whole floor of the crevice was filled with diagrams scratched into the stone, some even on a few walls. She might have gotten a bit carried away. Possibly. Some she didn¡¯t even think had a possibility of working, they were more just seeing if the runes could be connected to each other. But she didn¡¯t mind. Even if they all failed, each one would give her precious data on how the symbols worked, and how she could combine them in new ways. There was literal magic here, magic that worked on principles she was so close to understanding. Each time she crafted a rune or a magic item, she felt out a bit more about how magic worked. She had even gotten to the point where she could summon water out of thin air with only her own magic. No magic item needed. Just her mana and her mind. Not quite to the point she could pull out magic that wasn¡¯t her magic items in a fight. But she felt it was close. To be able to casually throw a fireball at a monster that was lunging at her was one of her favorite fantasies. No more having to throw herself out of the way, instead, calmly incinerating them as they came. But that was for future Devi to enjoy, right now, she had gotten around 100 mana back in her pool, and was ready to field test her blade. She figured that hunting down a lone bat would be the best option. Going as quietly as she could through the tunnels, so as to not run into the giant spider or another swarm of bats. She crept out of her crevice and slunk down the tunnel, holding an array disk in her wrapped and mangled hand. Its dim light illuminated her surroundings enough for her to make her way and not trip over any loose rocks. The oppressive darkness threatened to hide any number of monsters. Devi was fairly certain the only big threats were the massive spider and large bats. But that didn¡¯t mean a massive stone snake that could spit acid over her couldn¡¯t leap out of the walls and attack her. The fear of the unknown kept her on her toes. The threats she knew about she could devise plans for, but something new, that could potentially do her in. Devi reached the decrepit corpse of the adventurer who had gone before and stopped to rip a few strips of cloth from the threadbare fabric. The strips were wrapped around her hand to hopefully protect it from her own fire. It probably wouldn¡¯t do much, but something was better than nothing. With the makeshift cloth protection in place, Devi continued her cautious trek through the dark tunnels. The dim light from the array disk cast eerie shadows on the damp walls, making the environment even more foreboding. Her heart raced with every soft scurrying sound and the rustle of distant wings. The oppressive silence of the dungeon seemed to amplify the threat of the unknown. Finally, she spotted another lone bat hanging from the ceiling. It seemed to sense her presence, its beady eyes narrowing as it observed her. Devi took a deep breath, steadying her nerves and her mana. She focused her energy into the blade, and once again, the magical flames danced to life. The bat launched itself at her the moment the flames sprung into existence, mouth open in an ear-piercing screech. Devi spun to the side as the bat swooped past, its talons trailing lines of red energy through the air. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It twisted in mid-air and looped back around at Devi, but this time, she was prepared. She brought her sword up and sent a burst of mana through her hand. The blade responded, a tongue of flame swept through the air at the attacking bat, igniting its fur. The bat tumbled to the ground, wings flapping to try and put out the fire to no avail. The flames seemed to devour their form hungrily. Devi swiftly reversed the blade in her hand and stabbed down. Its piercing shriek ended as it died on the end of her blade.
Congratulations You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
She let out a relieved sigh as she read the notification. The fight hadn''t lasted long at all. It had taken a good seven points of mana to get there, but the bat lay dead at her feet. She probably hadn''t even needed to blast it with fire; a quick strike could have left it wounded enough for her to finish it off. Its movements had been eerily easy to read and respond to. From the time she had almost died to a squirrel until now, she hadn¡¯t really practiced fighting all that much. But her body still seemed to respond to her wishes far better, and she had been starting to notice during her fights a sort of sense of what her opponents would do. Not like she could read the future or anything like that, but more like noticing small twitches that would entail certain actions. It had been most notable in her most recent fight, as she had fought quite a number of bats and had gotten a feeling for how they moved. But she would have never been able to accomplish anything close to what she was doing even a few days ago. It honestly scared her a little to think about how much she was changing now that she was dwelling on it. But she had no time to contemplate that. That shriek had doubtlessly alerted more bats or even other monsters. She had to keep going. Devi bent down and quickly slit the monster''s chest, searching for a mana crystal, but couldn''t locate one. She scowled at the corpse and wiped her hand on her pants. It would have been nice to have another crystal, especially since she was planning another attempt through the stone doors. It is probably going to take everything I have to even get to the boss, let alone fight it. She remembered the three beasts that had attacked her, forcing her to run after mangling her arm. Probably the only reason she was still alive was the mana crystal grenade. Guess I will have to go kill some more bats. She set off again, keeping her slow pace from before, but more confident in her combat abilities. A lone bat hadn''t offered a real challenge. It was time for her to go hunting. A soft rustling echoed through the tunnel, just at the edge of her hearing. She stopped, cocking her head to the side to try and listen. It soon increased in intensity, rushing towards her, a cacophony of sound. Devi''s heart raced as the sound of approaching wings grew louder and more frenetic. It wasn''t just a single bat this time; it sounded like an entire swarm was headed her way. The adrenaline surged through her veins as she quickly assessed her options. She couldn''t take on a whole swarm of bats at once, not with her current mana pool and physical condition. Running was an option, but she wouldn''t be able to outrun all of them, and besides, they could easily fit into her narrow crevice. Trying to intimidate them was another option, one that had more of a chance of working. They seemed to be quite vulnerable to flames, so she ignited her blade, holding it aloft in front of her. It was just in time as a cloud of wings surged out of the looming darkness, skirting the light of her blade. Glowing eyes glared down at her as the swarm of bats hovered just beyond the reach of her weapon. She couldn¡¯t even count how many of them there were, as they undulated and flocked. With a growl, she sent a wave of fire forward, causing the foremost bat to screech in pain, its fur singed, but unfortunately not on fire. The monsters on her flanks threatened to swoop in, but she twirled around, waving her blade in their direction as well. Maybe hunting for bats was not such a good idea. They seem a tad angry this time. All she needed to do was down a few monsters, and hopefully, the rest would scatter. That¡¯s what she was telling herself at least. Getting to that point would be a bit hard. But it was really her only option. ¡°[Attribute Enhancement]¡± She felt her mana rush out, stretching her body, enabling her to move quicker than she had been able to previously. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was an edge she was going to use to the fullest. Devi debated on using her hoarded free points for a brief second before deciding against it. She hadn¡¯t quite determined what would be the best way to spend them, so she was holding off for now. The swarm seemed to sense the shift in her demeanor, growing agitated. Two of the bats swooped in close, no longer afraid of the fire. That proved to be a mistake as Devi ducked under the first one and blasted the other with a tongue of flame, setting it ablaze. It tumbled to the ground, fruitlessly trying to smother the flames, but to no avail. A swift kick sent the shrieking monster to the side so it wouldn¡¯t get in her way as she scanned the remaining bats. They seemed more fearful, but not quite to the point of fleeing. ¡°Time for you to learn why fire is dangerous.¡± Instead of waiting for the bats to come to her, she charged forward. No sense in letting the bats dictate the flow of the fight she figured. Her blade swung forward, aiming to stab into one of the fluttering monsters, only for it to dance out of the way, enabling another to swoop down and claw at her face. It scored a nasty cut along her cheek. Devi could feel the blood start to drip down her face as she instinctively took a swipe at the offending creature¡ªwith the hand that held a flaming sword. The good news was that the bat got charbroiled. The bad news was that her face also received the same treatment. She could feel her skin peeling as the heat washed over it, even as the bat screeched in pain. Devi gritted her teeth but didn¡¯t have time to focus on her burning flesh. The rest of the bats took that opportunity to descend on her. Multiple talons cut through the air toward her, each accompanied by its own shriek. She dropped to one knee, trying to get below the agitated swarm. Her blade sliced out above, earning her a few more scratches, but igniting two bats. Rolling out of the way of a flurry of attacks, Devi stabbed at one of the flying rodents that had gotten too close. She grinned at its pained yelp as it tumbled to the ground, but had to quickly weave between two dive-bombing bats. "Just run away already. Do you really want to end up as barbeque?" She yelled up at the swarm, her voice echoing along the tunnel. Apparently, they did. The bats kept up their relentless attack, and Devi quickly acquired far more cuts than she had wanted. But for every bat that dug into her flesh, another was flambeed by her blade. Her health kept ticking down, but she could feel the bats about to break. She scanned the now sparse flock of bats for an opening, but they all fluttered above her, feinting in and out, but always staying just out of her reach. They seemed reluctant to engage, the consequence of doing so lay scattered around. But they wouldn¡¯t fly away. A growl escaped her throat in frustration. If she turned her back on them, Devi knew they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to attack, but right now, she had no real way of attacking. Unless she abandoned her cautious approach and jumped at them while waving her blade wildly. Not wanting to do that, she dug her mangled hand into her satchel and threw the first thing she grabbed at the swarming monsters. The small metal pot wobbled through the air, missing all of the bats as they squawked in surprise at the unfamiliar projectile. That was all Devi needed. She leaped up, her blade a crescent arc of flame. The forefront bat reacted too late, its focus on the pot that had clanged off the side of the tunnel. It got a belly full of steel for its trouble, as Devi landed, sending a blast of flame at the remaining bats. That was the straw that broke the camel''s back. The swarm of wings and teeth fluttered away amidst a chorus of terrified squeaks. Or at least, she assumed they were terrified. The tunnel was littered with the corpses of their companions, a few still struggling fruitlessly with singed wings and bodies. She started the grisly task of slamming her blade into the bats still struggling, and then cutting the chest cavities open. Her search yielded 5 crystals and a pair of bloody hands. That felt a little high to her, as she had only trawled through the guts of nine bats, but she wasn¡¯t going to complain. "With your pockets full of crystals, Devi was about to walk back to her crevice until curiosity got the better of her. All those bats seemed to come from a certain direction, and she felt an odd urge to go explore it. The same urge that told her to go kill the massive spider and go through the large stone doors. An itch inside her brain she couldn¡¯t scratch unless she explored this tunnel. With only a moment of hesitation, she headed off down the tunnel. "What is the worst thing that could happen?" Chapter 020: Devi Bites the Dust With each step, Devi''s senses heightened, acutely aware of every sound and movement around her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, almost drowning out the hushed shuffle of her feet against the rocky ground. The array disk provided a dim glow as it hung from her bag, just enough to reveal the immediate vicinity and prevent her from stumbling in the darkness. As she ventured deeper into the tunnel, the air grew cooler, a refreshing change from the stagnant atmosphere of the cave. The faint breeze that brushed over her skin offered a sense of relief, yet it carried an unexpected scent of mildew. Even with the stalagmites scattered around, Devi hadn¡¯t run across any bodies of water, so the new sent puzzled her. Maybe I can find a pond and not have to spend twenty points of mana each time I want a drink. Devi''s curiosity mingled with caution as she continued down the dark and winding passage. The silence around her was almost palpable, interrupted only by the soft echoes of her own movements. She strained her ears, trying to discern any unfamiliar sounds that might indicate the presence of hidden dangers. As she rounded the next bend, Devi paused in her tracks. Growing out of the cracks in the tunnel wall was a mushroom. A glowing mushroom to be precise. It glowed with a dim reddish-purple light, not enough to let her see clearly, but enough to be noticeable. A rumble reverberated through her body as her stomach took the initiative to tell her it was hungry. Devi hadn¡¯t been the most avid fan of mushrooms, but right now, she was willing to try. Her only other option for food at the moment was dead bats, and every time she thought of biting into one, her whole body convulsed. The glowing fungus seemed to taunt her with tales of food, but Devi ultimately decided not to go near it. A glowing mushroom inside a magical dungeon filled with monsters that were cursed? That sounded exactly like the sort of thing that would kill her as soon as she ate it. Or make her go mad. Even if she wasn¡¯t going to eat it, she still wanted to take a piece and use it to make magic items. Exactly what she could make with it, she had no idea, but there was probably something. Maybe a potion? She shrugged and continued walking, making a mental note to go back and scoop it into her pack once she was done investigating this tunnel. A few more of the glowing mushrooms started to appear, casting the whole tunnel in an eerie crimson glow. Enough of the fungi were around that soon Devi didn¡¯t need the feeble light of her array disk to see the tunnel. And while she was glad to no longer have to squint into the dark as much, it meant she was much more visible to any passing monster. There wasn¡¯t anything to do except press on though, so she did, nervously flexing her grip on her blade as she slunk further down the corridor. Sounds of dripping water soon reach her ear, along with the telltale chirps of bats She could feel her heart thump wildly in her chest as she rounded a corner and the tunnel gradually opened up into a spacious cavern. The roof stretched far above, small lights marking the top like crimson and indigo stars. The air in the cavern was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint aroma of the glowing mushrooms, filling her senses with an otherworldly fragrance. The cave floor was uneven, scattered with mossy patches and small rocks, making every step precarious. But amidst the glowing mushrooms, the cave floor seemed to come alive, reflecting the red hues and casting a surreal glow on her surroundings. In the middle of the cavern lay a large, tranquil pool of water. Jutting up from the center, a menacing crimson crystal sat held in the clawed grasp of its metal holder, casting a red hue on the otherwise clear waters. She could almost feel something ripple through the air, coming off the odd crystal in waves. The cavern would have been a tranquil, if a bit sinister, scene if not for the swarm of bats that fluttered through the air. There were far more bats than Devi had ever seen in one place, though that wasn¡¯t too hard, considering she had never seen a bat before entering this cave. They hung scattered throughout the cavern, most resting, but a few fluttered around restlessly. As soon as Devi laid eyes on the crystal, she felt an odd urge to go investigate it. It called out to her, in a much different way than the doors had. Instead, the crystal like felt more than just a checkmark she had to cross off her list before completing the dungeon, amd more like something that could actually help her. The air around it seemed to offer power, something that Devi had realized was vital in this new world, and something she was sorely lacking. She had almost died to an overgrown spider, and she really didn¡¯t want to repeat that experience. She waited a few moments, watching the bats go about their business. Suddenly, there was a brief shower of black and red sparks above the crystal. They only lasted for a moment, before a small bat emerged from them, beedy red eyes scanning the area before flapping off. It spawns monsters? Devi wondered in shock as she tracked the new bat as it flew through the air. Is it all that it can do, or is there more? If it only could summon, or even create, monsters, destroying it would be paramount. She had been thinking of trying to thin out the bat population so they weren¡¯t as much of a nuisance to her, but if they could just resummon more of their kind, that idea was moot. But Devi felt there was more to it than just monster spawning. There was just something about it. Regardless, she needed to get close to it. Thankfully, not many of the bats seemed to be interested in the pool. Devi took a deep breath and slowly moved closer to the menacing crimson crystal. Her hand clenched around her blade in preparation to defend herself. But, the bats in the cavern above continued their fluttering and chirping, seemingly unaware of her presence as she cautiously approached the pool. A small part of her was screaming at her to think for a second before approaching what was obviously a malevolent magic item, but her curiosity won out. She desperately needed to figure out what it did and destroy it if she could. Scattered throughout the pond were jagged spikes of dark stone, forming a clear but roundabout way to the center. Alternatively, she could just jump into the pool, but she could clearly see numerous fish swimming in its clear depths. Some of them sporting massive fangs that jutted out past their lips. Not something she wanted brushing up against her leg during a swim. Devi carefully navigated the jagged stone spikes, stepping from one to another, making her way towards the center of the pool where the menacing crimson crystal stood. The stone spikes were slick and covered in fungi, so it made traversing them a bit of a challenge. To make matters worse, she had to do it as quietly as she could, fearful of attacking a swarm of bats. Luckily, the bats seemed to avoid the lake, seeming content with snoozing high above on the cavern ceiling. She felt the hairs on her arm stand on end as a fizzling sound cut through the air, and she glanced up to see a few sparks emanating from the air a few meters to her left. She held her breath as they coalesced into the form of a small bat. Her heart raced as the newly summoned bat hovered in place, getting its bearings. Her hands were preoccupied with holding onto the stone spike, so a fight right now would be dangerous. After a few tense moments, the bat flapped away, apparently not noticing the cowing form of Devi hiding behind her spire. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and Devi stepped onto the stone platform that held the crystal. It was no larger than her fist, but it still was the largest gemstone she had ever seen. She could feel the fait waves of power radiating off of it, almost like the very air itself was charged. Hesitantly, Devi reached out her hand and touched the crystal. The moment she did, a wave of energy surged out of it, washing over her, and bathing the cavern in a crimson light. Countless red eyes opened in the darkness above her, as the bat awoke at the crystal¡¯s call. Shrieks filled the air as a swarm of bats descended. One larger than the rest led them in their charge as they descended. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed as the stared wide-eyed at the approaching swarm. This is why you don¡¯t touch random glowing crystals, Devi. Bad things happen.
Would you like to be transported to Eirlys¡¯s Throne Room (Rank D?
Yes No
A crimson box appeared in her vision, quite different than the blue ones she had been becoming used to. The odd color threw her off for a second before she scanned the brief message. Something about being transported somewhere? It reminded her of the message prefacing the dungeon she was currently in. She had an option to refuse, but with the swarm of furious bats descending, there really wasn¡¯t all that much of a choice. She quickly accepted and got her blade ready. There was no telling what awaited for her, or if she would be transported in time. The bat drew nearer, as she ducked down behind the raised crystal, hoping a little bit of cover could help. Suddenly, the shadows around her began to writhe, enveloping her in a dark embrace. Light and sound cut out, she could no longer hear anything besides her own panicked breathing. Then, she could no longer even breathe. The air around her seemed to contract, squishing her into a narrow space. It felt as though reality itself was folding and compressing her, squeezing her existence into something incomprehensible. In that unsettling moment of darkness and disorientation, Devi lost all sense of time and space. It was as if she was suspended in the void, with nothing to hold on to. Panic threatened to consume her, but she fought to keep her composure, clinging to the knowledge that this was a consequence of her decision to accept the crimson box''s offer. Just as quickly as it had begun, the sensation of compression ceased. Devi took a moment to steady herself, her heart still pounding from the disorienting experience. As she looked around, she found herself standing in a grand chamber, far different from the cavern she had left behind. The room was dimly lit by flickering torches along the walls, casting dancing shadows that seemed to reach out like grasping fingers. The smooth dark stone floor was adorned with intricate patterns, and the expensive-looking rugs added an air of elegance to the surroundings. Elaborate tapestries depicting impressive battles adorned the walls. At the far end of the chamber, a massive throne loomed, made of obsidian and iron, adorned with intricate carvings of twisted shadows. Devi could only make out the two feet of the person lounging on the throne, their identity obscured by the shadows. The air in the chamber seemed heavy with ancient power and the unknown. Her senses were on high alert, and the foreboding atmosphere did nothing to soothe her fears. ¡°My Lady, someone has appeared in the throne room,¡± a voice squawked out from the direction of the throne. A feathered form was batted aside by a large hand, flying into a wall with a soft thump. ¡°I can see that,¡± a voice said, cutting through the gloom, dripping with malice. The two boots shifted, and a figure emerged from the shadows shrowding the throne. As the figure stepped into the dim light, her presence was palpable, radiating malevolence and hate. The figured towered over Devi with a powerful and well-muscled physique that exuded raw strength and dominance. Their body was clad in a revealing crop top that showcased her chiseled abs and powerful arms, a stark contrast to the flowing, dark silk bottoms that billowed around her legs with each step. The air around her seemed to thicken with darkness, and their eyes glowed with an intense crimson hue, filled with a seething anger that simmered just below the surface. Their lips curled into a cruel smirk, revealing razor-sharp fangs that glinted menacingly in the torchlight. Their long, ebony hair cascaded in wild waves down their back, adding to their imposing presence. The figure had an aura of command and arrogance as if they believed themselves to be untouchable and invincible. Their posture was poised and predatory, as if ready to strike at any moment. "I have eyes," they said to the crumpled feather form, their voice dripping with malice and disdain. The figure¡¯s words were laced with venom, and the atmosphere around them seemed to darken even further. The imposing figure¡¯s gaze shifted to Devi, who stood at a distance, her blade at the ready. The crimson eyes locked onto Devi''s, and a wicked smile spread across their face. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" their voice a low and dangerous growl. ¡°Someone finally came? Took you long enough.¡± The menacing figure stalked forward while Devi¡¯s eyes darted around, trying to assess the situation. Her health, stamina, and mana were all low, and this figure seemed far out of her league. She had no idea where she was and had a sinking feeling that the swarm of bats would have been easier to escape than the menacing presence looming closer. ¡°A level five human,¡± they drew out the last word as if it was unfamiliar. ¡°Pity, I was hoping for at least an entertaining fight.¡± Cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck as the figure stalked even closer, a predatory gleam in their eyes. The closer they came, the more Devi realized just how large they were, easily topping two meeters, probably more. But even with such a massive frame, their steps were silent. She sent a surge of mana into her blade, gripping the handle so tight that her knuckles turned white. The figure snorted dismissively at the sight, not even pausing their slow but steady advance. Narrowing her eyes, Devi waited until her opponent was just inside her striking range before slashing out with her blade, sending a wave of fire at them. She backed up a step and got ready to strike again, but when the flames disappeared, the menacing figure wasn¡¯t there. She frantically looked around, eyes widening in shock as she spotted the looming figure standing right behind her. ¡°Is that all you have?¡± They asked, their contempt clear in their voice. ¡°Expected, but still disappointing.¡± Devi didn¡¯t even see the blow that came. One moment she was standing, getting ready to slam her blade into the monster¡¯s side, and the next, she was flying through the air. Devi crashed hard into a nearby stone pillar, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Pain shot through her body, and her vision blurred for a moment. She struggled to push herself up, her head throbbing from the blow she had received. ¡°Is that all? A pig hit me harder than that,¡± Devi spat out, a bit of blood dribbling down her chin. Her already mangled hand slowly reached into her pocket, grabbing the few mana crystals she had in there. She desperately channeled her mana into them, recklessly dumping the last remnants of her mana pool. Her world was jumbled again as a blow too fast for her to track sent her crashing into the wall, the thick tapestry doing little to cushion her fall. This time she heard a definite crack, as pain lanced up her leg. With a groan, she pulled herself to her feet, but as soon as she tried to put any weight on her right foot, it crumpled, and she had to reach out to the wall for support. Her body was battered, and could already feel one giant bruise start to form over the entirety of her skin. ¡°Hopefully the next person will be more exciting to beat,¡± the monster growled as they stalked up to her. ¡°This was truly disappointing.¡± Their hand snaked forward, wrapping around her throat. Her cry of pain was cut off as they started to squeeze, lifting her up in the process, feet dangling off the ground. The hand itself was ice cold and could have been made of steel as she frantically tried to pry it from her neck to no avail. Devi''s vision darkened around the edges as she struggled to breathe. The monster''s grip on her throat tightened, and she felt her strength rapidly draining away. Panic surged through her veins as she realized that this could be the end. But even in her dire state, she refused to give up. With the last shred of her willpower, she summoned the remnants of her mana, focusing it into a desperate surge of power. Her hand, still clutching the mana crystals, glowed with a faint, flickering light. If I am going down, you are too. She threw the pulsating crystals at the monster and watched helplessly as they sailed harmless past as the monster deftly sidestepped them. They exploded in a blast of iridescent light, Not even managing to singe the woven rugs on the floor. ¡°Was that your feeble last attempt? Absolutely pathetic. The figure snarled in disgust. ¡°Why did Father decide I was the one who had to come here?¡± The sound of their voice began to fade as Devi¡¯s conscience began to darken. Even her last ditch effort had been avoided like it was the flailings of a child. Most people said they saw their life flash before their eyes when there were about to die, but Devi only saw black as her vision faded. No highlight reel played for her as she struggled to breathe. ¡°You better make the right decision,¡± was the last thing she hared before she dimly felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck, and everything faded to black. Chapter 021: What Happens After Devi was suddenly awake. The last memories she had were of the world fading to black as a towering figure crushed her windpipe in their hands, slowly squeezing her breath from her body. Her hands shot to her throat only to realize she didn¡¯t have hands. Or a throat. Or anything for that matter. The shock of suddenly being disembodied washed through her, but there was no heart to suddenly start beating faster, or blood to carry a wave of adrenaline. Just her mind racing as fast as it could trying to process what was going on. She could still see, but there wasn¡¯t much to look at. Just empty nothingness twinged with iridescent light. A massive blue box hung in the middle of her vision that she was trying to ignore. There were just so many other things to look at and think about than what it said. Like why there were bits of scattered light in the otherwise complete darkness. Or how she was able to see at all even without eyes. At least she thought she didn¡¯t have eyes. There weren¡¯t any mirrors to check her reflection in, nor did she have any hands to feel her face. So she was fairly confident that she was just floating around as a disembodied ghost. Maybe this proves the existence of souls, she thought for a moment, I could just be dreaming though. Her thoughts calmed as she started tackling the idea of if she was a ghost or something else, and what ramifications any of those situations would have. If she was a ghost, it lent credence to all the ghost stories, which was fascinating. But it also could mean she was just a soul, and if those existed, what did that mean for all the religions back on Earth? Her eyes drifted back to the blue box hovering in front of her.
Congratulations You have died
It really did put a damper on things. Just three words was all it took. During some of her darker moments, she had often wondered what death would be like. If any of the myriad of belief systems had any nugget of truth to them, or if she would simply cease to exist. But just being a mind, floating through a vast empty nothing, was not something she had considered. Being alone with her thoughts for eternity? That was literally hell. Maybe this is hell, and my parents were right. She angrily dismissed the message box. The thought that all the people who told her that she would end up in hell, or would suffer for eternity, were right? If she had blood, it would be boiling right now. This could definitely not be the end. This couldn¡¯t be the end.
Foreign Mana detected Undeath process possible Do you wish to undergo a Race change?
Yes No
Undeath? That¡¯s what the new box that had sprung into existence immediately after the old one had faded seemed to say. And what is this about foreign mana? Did I get infected somehow? Her mind jumped back to the very last sensation she had felt, a sharp pain on the back of her neck. Like someone had bitten her. The person who lived in a fancy castle shrouded in shadows. Someone who had probably used their prominent fangs to bite her. She connected all the dots. Is this notification asking me if I want to become a vampire? The thought was a bit crazy, she had only been exposed to magic for a few days at most, and here was a message talking about the undead. But the longer she thought about it, the less insane it sounded. If she had access to magic and was fighting monsters, it stood to reason that there were all sorts of monsters. So why wouldn¡¯t vampires be included? The real question was if she wanted to become one. On the one hand, she wouldn¡¯t die, probably. She inferred that was what the message was saying. Become undead, or die. Two very simple options. But in all the literature she had consumed, being undead had quite a few complications. Especially being a vampire. Things like having to drink blood, not being able to enter a room unless invited, and even being unable to go out in the sun. Or sparkling in the sun. The lore had a few contradictions there. But none of those came close to staying in this empty void with only her thoughts to keep her company. She could see that turning bad very quickly. Probably only a few days before she¡¯d start to spiral, and without being able to throw herself into work, she¡¯d continue to spiral. Forever. Her mind somehow shuddered at the thought. With only a brief moment of hesitation, she mentally selected yes. It was a fairly simple decision after all. There was no way she could ever stay here like this. As soon as she had accepted, a wave of ice-cold energy slammed into her, sending her brain spiraling into a frozen sleep. ~?----?~ Devi snapped awake, one moment unconscious, the next staring at a dark grey ceiling. She was lying on something hard and uncomfortable, and her neck felt extraordinarily stiff. Her body felt cold, but a pleasant cold, as if she had just stepped into a very well-air-conditioned room after being out in the sun all day. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake, follow me,¡± a voice cawed out to her left. She turned her head towards the noise and saw the bundle of feathers that she foggily recalled being in the throne room right before she was tossed around like a rag doll. Now that she had more time to take a closer look, it looked like a crow but twisted. It flapped in place on two jet-black feathered wings, but cruel hooked claws adorned the edges, much like a bat. The tips of the feathers twisted into smoke and dissipated into the air, causing it to have an ethereal air to it. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake, follow me,¡± it cawed out again after a few moments of Devi studying it intently. Devi managed to sit up, feeling the stiffness in her body gradually easing. Her mind was clearer now, and she looked around to get a better sense of her surroundings. She was sitting on a small bed tucked away in the corner of a cramped room. Dark bare stone walls enclosed the space, a gem glowed faintly on one wall, casting eerie shadows across the room. Which was odd, since Devi could see fairly well, even though it should have been difficult to make out any details. The air carried a faint scent of dampness and age, giving it an ancient and musty feel. ¡°Follow you where?¡± Devi asked the odd bird-like creature, stumbling over the words a bit as she found her mouth to be slightly different than before. She ran her tongue over her teeth, feeling the four fangs jut out where her canines should have been. That is going to take a bit to get used to. The feathered form in front of her just continued to stare, unblinking dark orbs staring directly at her. That is a bit creepy, I will admit. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake, follow me.¡± Devi growled in frustration at the repeated phrase. That is really starting to get on my nerves. Are they some sort of robot? She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, puzzled at how not broken they seemed. Actually, her whole body felt remarkably whole. Her ribs that she was pretty sure broke when she had been thrown into a pillar didn¡¯t even twinge in pain as she moved. The mess of cuts and lacerations that had been her arm was now just a few scabbed over cuts. Her clothes were similarly a lot better than before she had died. Instead of being caked in blood, sweat, and grime, they were pristine. As if they had just been freshly laundered. And that went for herself as well. She hadn¡¯t felt this clean in a long time. There was a heavy thick looking door set into the stone wall at the far end of the room. The doorway stretched far above her, easily twice as large as the ones she was accustomed to. It only took a few steps to reach it and grab the iron door handle. She was halfway expecting it to be locked, but it turned. But pushing it open was a different question. It took her leveraging all of her strength to get the heavy door to move enough for her to slip out into the carpeted hallway. A gust of wind blew past her as the bat-like corvid flapped into the hallway and took off. She had to run to keep up with the fast pace the odd creature set, but she really didn¡¯t want to get lost. Her feathered guide took her through the castle, past countless closed doors and branching corridors that Devi desperately tried to keep track of. Just in case she needed to backtrack her way through the shadowy hallways. Though she knew she didn¡¯t stand a chance even attempting to escape the person she was running to meet. Memories of being brutally tossed around flashed through her mind, which did nothing to calm her nerves. So when her guide stopped suddenly, Devi felt fear wash over her. Before her stood an open doorway that framed a large room made of black stone. High vaulted ceilings dwarfed her entirely, but the figure inside seemed quite at home. A faint purple hue suffused the room as the sculpted figure went through an intricate dance. Devi had seen videos depicting martial artists going through forms, and the scene in front of her reminded her of that. Devi watched in awe as the figure inside the room moved with a grace and precision that was almost hypnotic. Each movement seemed to flow seamlessly into the next, a barely contained fury articulated with every forceful kick or sudden lunge. In juxtaposition to that anger, their body moved as if it were an extension of the shadows, gliding across the floor without making a sound. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.¡± The cawed voice cut through the silence, but the figure ignored the odd bird¡¯s announcement, continuing their odd routine. Devi stood outside the room, not wanting to interrupt and bring the wrath of the Lady down on her. ¡°My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.¡± This time, the figure stopped. Devi could feel the air palpably thicken as the figure¡¯s frustration was made physically manifest. Devi tried not to fidget nervously, feeling the intensity of the figure''s gaze even from a distance. The figure slowly stalked forward, touching a small crystal set in the floor near the door as they did. When they did, the purple hue faded, returning the room to its natural dimly lit state. ¡°My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.¡± ¡°I can see that, dumb bird,¡± the Lady growled out. ¡°Go be quiet over there.¡± The bird silently flew off and hovered at the spot they had been instructed to while the red eyes of the vampire turned to stare at Devi. ¡°Took you long enough. Can¡¯t even get a competent minion in this forsaken Tutorial.¡± Devi took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as the vampire lady''s intense gaze bore into her. She could feel the vampire¡¯s contempt for her as they inspected her. ¡°Show me your Status, let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with here.¡± She froze, not quite sure how to comply, but also not wanting to risk asking. A quick look through her Status didn¡¯t yield any button or option to share it with anyone. But failure didn¡¯t seem like a good option. Focusing on her Status, she tried to will it to be visible to the looming vampire. It seemed like a bad ida to give this monster a peek at her Status, but the other option seemed dearth or extreme pain. Both sounded bad. Devi couldn¡¯t see anything different, but the Lady seemed to be reading something at eye level, so she could only assume it had been successful. That is a handy trick, I¡¯ll have to let Mar and Matt know about it. Might be useful for something. Bringing up her Status had reminded her of the numerous notifications that cluttered up the side of her vision, so she quickly flipped through them.
XP threshold reached Human (G) lvl 5 -> lvl 6 +1 All
Intermixed with the handful of kill notifications was a Race level-up, which still listed her Race as human, which was odd, since she quite distinctly remembered accepting the notification to change her Race. Right after she had dismissed her Race level-up message, another took its place.
Conditions met Human (G) lvl 6 -> Lesser Vampire (G) lvl 6
And there it is, I guess I really am a Vampire now. Her eyes narrowed as she reread the lesser part. Now that is just insulting. I wonder how to get rid of that.
Status
Name Devi Robinson
Race Lesser Vampire (G) Lvl 6
Class Novice Support (inferior) Lvl 6
Vocation Novice Tinkerer (inferior) Lvl 5
Titles Tutorial Attendee, Magical Foreleader
Health 180/180 Stamina 150/150 Mana 517/517
Attributes
Vitality 18 Toughness 15
Endurance 15 Wisdom 51
Vigor 16 Presence 24
Agility 29 Intelligence 58
Strength 16 Willpower 19
Free points 4
General Skills
[EMPTY] [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Class Skills
[Enhance Attribute] lvl 3 [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Vocation Skills
[Improvise Tool] lvl 1 [EMPTY] [EMPTY]
Overall, her Status had improved drastically since the first time she had looked at it just two days ago. Back before she had any understanding of what anything meant. But even if she had nearly doubled most of her original Attributes, the memory of being casually thrown across the room served as a stark reminder that she was nowhere near the level of the monster in front of her. ¡°You really have no idea how to use the System, do you?¡± The vampire wondered aloud, cutting through Devi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°At least I can probably make use of you. Somehow.¡± Of course I have no idea how to do anything! She silently fumed, but didn¡¯t voice anything. The fierce gaze of the vampire quickly quelled any notion of talking back. No one has told me anything. I have had to figure everything out myself. With a frustrated scowl, the vampire started walking off in a direction, snapping her fingers as she went. After a few steps, she whirled around and snapped again, this time making eye contact with Devi before continuing to walk. Wait, am I supposed to follow her? Figuring it was a safe bet, Devi trotted after the large figure, having to jog to keep up with the large confident strides the woman made. She was led back to the throne room she had first encountered the vampire. Her side ached in phantom pain as she saw the walls she had been bashed against. The vampire stalked forward to the throne and casually lounged on it, turning her attention back to Devi. ¡°So what now?¡± Devi asked, still getting used to her new teeth. I would give it 50/50 odds they actually have a plan. They seem like a petulant toddler, accustomed to getting everything they want, only to realize not everything works like that. ¡°You¡¯ll go back to where you were, and bring me more people to turn into my servants. I doubt you can mess that task up.¡± The vampire made eye contact with Devi, their intense red eyes boring into her own. ¡°And that¡¯s an order.¡± Devi felt a weight settle on her mind as the words reverberated through her. They felt different than any of the other times the vampire had spoken to her, carrying more weight. She felt herself agreeing with them, accepting them as something she would have to do. She didn¡¯t have time to puzzle over the odd sensation as the vampire made an odd gesture and the odd feathered crow-like creature appeared. ¡°Get the things this human brought in,¡± the vampire ordered, sneering at the seemingly unfamiliar Race. ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± Devi watched as the strange crow-like creature flew off to retrieve the items. Her mind still felt slightly foggy from the encounter with the vampire''s command. She wondered if this was some sort of mind control, a compulsion she couldn''t resist since she couldn¡¯t think of disobeying them. Bending them slightly, yes, like taking her time with bringing anyone back. But outright disobeying the command seemed impossible. The eyes of the vampire never left her, intensely staring her down from the shadows of the throne. Shadows that Devi could now see through. Devi stared back, not unsettled in the slightest. Neither of them said anything, Devi, not particularly wanting to engage in conversation with a complete stranger, one that had literally turned her into a vampire, and the Lady lounging on the throne content to stare in silence. As the crow-like creature returned with a bundle of items, the vampire growled in frustration and gestured toward Devi. ¡°Here¡¯s the junk you dragged in,¡± the vampire scowled at the offending bag and stalked over to Devi with an evil smirk. ¡°This might hurt a bit.¡± Out of nowhere, they pulled a thick piece of paper with an intricate pattern of runes covering it. With a quick movement that Devi could barely follow, the vampire pressed the paper over her left eye. An intense pain shot through her eye, stabbing directly into her brain it felt like. For a brief moment, Devi thought her eye was going to explode as something forced its way in. But the pain slowly subsided. When she was able to think clearly again, she could still see out of both eyes, vision slowly returning to her left one. Which let her see the vicious smile of the vampire as they enjoyed her suffering. ¡°One last thing, to come back here, use this,¡± they tossed a small red crystal to Devi who snatched it out of the air. ¡°But if you come back without someone for me to turn,¡± they paused. ¡°It will not end well for you.¡± Her bag was roughly shoved at her, causing her to stumble from the throw. The shadows around her began to writhe, the same way they had before the teleportation that had brought her here. She mentally prepared herself for the gut-wrenching that she was sure was to follow. The last thing she saw was the fanged smirk of the vampire, towering over her before the shadows collapsed around her and she was whisked away. Chapter 022: First Time Drinker Devi stumbled as the shadows retreated, giving way to the familiar sight of a crystal blue lake she was currently standing in the middle of. The gentle red glow of the crystal bathed her surroundings in a red light. Thankfully, there was no swarm of bats descending down on her this time. As she carefully scanned her surroundings, Devi realized that she could see much clearer than before. The dark recesses of the cavern ceiling did not hide anything from her anymore. She could make out the small shapes of bats nesting far above her, even without resorting to pulling out her array disk. The colors were a bit hard to make out since everything was very muted, more shades of grey than actual colors. But that didn¡¯t really matter. This is going to make sneaking around so much easier. She paused for a second, I guess that makes sense, I am a predator now. Or at least I imagine that is how I would be classified. Vampires usually are hunters. She shelved the more social implication of becoming an undead were, and started to make her way over the rocks to the shore. Now that she had inspected the gem, there wasn¡¯t the same urge to inspect it anymore. Though she did feel like fighting the larger of the bats that had led the swarm in her direction. But the feeling was more in line with needing to go to the store to pick up ice cream. Not a necessity, but something that needed to be done and would be its own reward. Very different than the feeling that had prompted her to inspect the gem. Thinking back on it, she would have never snuck across a wide open space with a ceiling teaming with hostile monsters. That was just a dumb decision any way you looked at it. Did that gem do something to my mind? She stared at the accused gemstone, narrowing her eyes. It was clearly magical, and so meant nothing was completely out of the question. She had been literally teleported, so a bit of mental compulsion seemed quite within the realm of possibilities. Why would the gem need to do that though? She paused for a moment behind a particularly large stalactite. Is it that important for people to stumble into that vampire¡¯s lair? She had a sinking suspicion now that the whole thing was just a trap to get people into the Lady¡¯s throne room so the vampire could turn them. For what purpose, Devi still hadn¡¯t figured that out, but probably nothing good. Vampires were rarely painted in a positive light, and luring people to be turned did not help that image. A few quick sprints from shadow to shadow saw Devi reach the tunnel she had entered without drawing the attention of the multitude of bats flapping around. They seemed more interested in finding a good perch than on the lookout for intruders. Or napping. The majority seemed fast asleep, hanging upside down along the roof. Devi breathed a sigh of relief when she finally rounded the bend in the tunnel, cutting the cavern from her sight. And then realized that had been the first breath she had taken since being teleported back. She remembered instinctively holding her breath to lessen any sounds she made while sneaking but apparently hadn¡¯t started breathing again after that. Great, now I am stuck on manual breathing. She held her breath for a bit, trying to count the seconds before she felt the urge to breathe again. It got up to 230 before she started feeling a slight need for breath and made it to 1000 seconds before letting her breath out. She didn¡¯t stop because she needed to breathe, but more so counting up that high was tedious, and not really worth her time. It wasn¡¯t precise anyways, so she felt no need to actually record exactly how long she could hold her breath. So I still need to breathe, but not as much? Am I undead, or something else? My Status says vampire, but who knows if that really is an undead. She felt like if she was truly one of the undead, breathing wouldn¡¯t be a necessity for her. After all, why would a dead body need to breathe? She put two fingers on her wrist and felt for her pulse. It was there, but just like her breathing, slowed far below any normal person could ever hope to achieve. Her pulse came twice a minute or so, something that really shouldn¡¯t be possible both if she was fully undead or still alive. Devi leaned on the tunnel wall, her mind still spinning with questions and uncertainty. She couldn''t deny the evidence that seemed to suggest she was now a vampire, but it was not the kind of vampire she had read about in stories. Her body seemed to defy the normal rules of life and death, leaving her in a state of uncertainty. I guess I will have to figure this out as I go, Devi thought to herself. I can not believe I am a vampire now though. This is definitely not what she thought would happen when she ran into this dungeon. This wasn¡¯t what she had thought her week would go when she commuted to work a few days ago. Devi took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill her lungs, and then let it out slowly. Okay, I need to stay calm and rational, she thought to herself. Panicking will not get me anywhere. She tried to recall any information she had ever read or heard about vampires, hoping it might shed some light on her peculiar situation. There were countless myths and legends surrounding these creatures of the night, but they often contradicted each other. Some said vampires were undead, others claimed they were just cursed or supernatural beings. Which meant she really couldn¡¯t rely on any of the myths she could remember. The only reason she had assumed becoming undead would turn her into an undead was that the message said she had died. Maybe I got brought back to life by changing my Race? Magic is real, so who knows? Figuring out what exactly she was could come later. Right now, she was hungry. Not her normal hungry either, where her stomach would growl at her that it was empty. This was more instinctual. More of a craving, like how she¡¯d randomly want to have pickles. But this time, the craving for something was a lot different. Blood. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. It was honestly the only thing that sounded appetizing at the moment. Not even her stack of frozen macaroni and cheese back at her apartment sounded good. They didn¡¯t sound bad, but the thought of getting some blood was far more appealing. Hopefully blood tastes better than bat meat. ~?----?~ Devi stared dubiously at the dead bat in her hands. It hadn¡¯t taken much effort to locate it, and then subsequently kill it in only a few blows. Being able to actually see where she was going was tremendously helpful for fighting. Who knew, right? But now, the only thing between her and a meal was getting the nerve to actually drink it. She had already cut a small slit and could see the blood dripping out. Even in the dim light, she could make out the dark crimson of the blood, though nothing else colored. Only the blood. There was a primal urge to hurry up and consume the now dripping blood, but it was precisely that feeling that made Devi hesitate a little bit. She didn¡¯t want to be controlled by this hunger and was a bit worried about giving in. What if I do not really have to drink blood to survive, and it is just all in my head? It was only blood from a monster. People drank animal blood all the time. At least she thought they did. Blood pudding was a thing, right? Having a small taste of the blood wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? Hesitantly, she raised the dead monster to her lips. The thought of what she was about to do was still disgusting, but the hunger urged her on. She hadn¡¯t eaten for days and was starting to feel it. If she could sustain herself solely on blood, that would be far better than dying of starvation. Eating bat meat was completely out of the question. She almost gagged at the disgusting smell of the bat¡¯s fur but tried to ignore it. Next time, I am draining the blood into a cup. Causitocly, she licked a drop of blood from the cut she had made, tasting it before trying to drink more. It was passible. Salty and thick, with a strong aftertaste of iron, like she had sucked saltwater off a penny, but it didn¡¯t taste bad. It should have tasted disgusting, but there was something else to it that she couldn¡¯t put her finger on that made it alright. It wasn¡¯t good by any means, and the texture wasn¡¯t the best either, but, it was something she could consume. A few mouthfuls later, she tossed the dead bat aside and wiped her mouth. The bat had been relatively small, but even that had satiated her hunger a little. Now that she had ¡®eaten¡¯ a little, the full force of her hunger reared its head. It had been easy for her to ignore just how hungry she was while she was focused on crafting, or fighting for her life. But now, now she was hungry. She set off down the tunnel, only pausing to look at the notification that had popped up after killing the bat.
Congratulations You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 6 -> lvl 7 +3 Free
Sadly, there was no notification for her [Attribute Enhancmen] leveling up. It had been a while since it had, and quite a few kill notifications as well. But it has sat stubbornly at level 3. She had been using it pretty much every time she fought, but apparently, that wasn¡¯t enough. Sowling at the Skill that refused to level up as fast as her class, Devi stalked through the tunnels, hunting for more bats. On a hunch, she activated her Skill, hoping maybe that would help it. At the very least, the bump in Agility was nice as she slunk through the shadows. Whenever she encountered a lone bat, she wouldn''t hesitate to strike, ending the fight in only a few blows as her blade singed and burnt the monsters. She collected a few scratches and cuts, but they were shallow and she shrugged them off. A few times she ran into a larger swarm of the flying monsters, and she quickly hunkered down out of sight until she heard their squeaks fade into the tunnels. Fighting the lone bat was easy enough, but a whole swarm seemed a bit much, even with her new weapon. She could probably manage it, but did not want to imagine what she would look like at the end. After finding and draining the blood from the third bat, Devi started noticing an odd pressure building up in her head. She had gotten pressure headaches before, and this sensation was similar. The pain wasn¡¯t too bad, so she pressed on, slinking down the hallway.
XP threshold reached [Attribute Enhancment] (inferior) lvl 3 -> lvl 4
That was unexpected. Devi dismissed the notification that had suddenly appeared in her vision as she quietly walked along the hallway. She had been getting slightly better at reading the odd message boxes whenever they showed up, but they had only ever appeared right after fighting something, or when she had finished crafting. But this one had appeared randomly as she walked. Did I do something? She wondered as she activated the Skill to confirm if it had the same progression as before. Her Agility shot up by five points, but the shocking thing was the odd pressure in her head dissipated as soon as she activated the Skill again. It was as if her mind had been a taut string, and now it had slackened. Not all the way slack, as it still felt a bit strung out, but definitely relaxed a whole lot. The only thing that made sense was if it had something to do with her Skill, since the feeling had gone away once she had recast it. Maybe there is a time limit on how long I can use the Skill. That would make sense, being able to go around with her Skill on all the time without having to spend mana on it. Not that anything else really made sense. But if she was making a game, not letting someone just perma buff themself seemed like a sensible thing to do. It still didn¡¯t tell her why her Skill had suddenly risen in level without her really doing anything besides walking around with it on. Unless that was exactly what had made it level up. Maybe she didn¡¯t have to go around killing things to level up, and just using her Skills would be enough. She had just been under the assumption that when the notifications said she earned xp, some of that went to the Skills used while gaining said xp. But now, she wasn¡¯t so sure. A scowl of frustration crossed her face as she continued to think about how opaque everything was. If she could just see how close she was to leveling, then a lot of things would be clearer. Or even just how much xp she was gaining each time a message box appeared. Was it all the same? Or did different monsters give different amounts? She sent a gout of flame at the wall in frustration. Every time she sat down and thought about it, everything just made less sense. She just didn¡¯t have the tools to try and figure anything out. There hadn¡¯t even been any Skills to help with that either, and she still had no idea what to do with her empty general Skill slots. All three of them mocked her, sitting [EMPTY] but having no idea how to fill them. With a disgruntled growl, Devi continued down the tunnel, the fury at the lack of any information raged inside, until she rounded a bend and suddenly realized where she was. She had been wandering around a bit, keeping a mental map of the turns she had taken, and if she was right, just a few more twists ahead was the cavern she had woken up in hanging from a spider web. Her hand slipped into her pocket, brushing the mana crystals inside. Maybe it was time to go pay the spider a visit. Chapter 023: Spider Fight, Round 1 Devi nervously crouched near the entrance of the web-coated cavern, her heart pounding loudly. Bits of singed rock were scattered around, remnants of her previous struggle. Her heart thudded loudly every so often, startling her each time. She tightened her fingers around her crossbow, a bolt nocked and ready. The tip of the bolt glowed in the darkness, casting an iridescent hue on its surroundings. A small mana crystal was lodged on the arrowhead, primed and ready to be shot. Securing the makeshift grenade to the bolt had been a bit of work, but Devi hoped it would pay off. Countless hours had been spent filling her small, yet growing, collection of mana crystals to the brim. Positioning them close enough for a slight push to send them over the edge, yet far enough to avoid accidental triggering had been challenging, but she had managed. She wasn''t sure how many hours it took to prepare the five mana crystals, including the one attached to the bolt, but it was considerable. Each crystal contained around 100 mana, making the regeneration time a significant investment. However, she had found that resting significantly improved her mana regeneration rate, even if she had lost track of time. The next thing I am going to make is a damn clock. Timekeeping had been nearly impossible in the caverns. Devi believed she had spent at most a day preparing. Between infusing the mana crystals and taking power naps, she had also hunted a couple more bats for sustenance. The taste of blood had gradually become normalized for her. The final task had been distributing her remaining seven free attribute points, splitting them equally between Vitality, Agility, and Strength, with the extra point allocated to Agility. Watching her attributes cross the 30-point threshold had brought a grin to her face. But now, her expression had shifted to a determined scowl. Technically, she didn''t need to confront the giant spider again. Avoiding its attention was feasible, but her determination to conquer her fear and the thrill of facing a formidable adversary compelled her forward. Her grip tightened around her crossbow. Her plan was set. Wait for the spider to come into view, shoot the bolt with the explosive crystal, and then, while it was disoriented, rush in and finish it off with her flaming blade. If needed, she had more mana crystal grenades at her disposal. It sounded straightforward, yet executing it flawlessly in the dimly lit and web-filled environment was crucial. Reaching for her belt, she retrieved the dead bat she had hung there. With a hint of hesitation, she tossed the bait further into the cavern, aiming to lure out the spider. Venturing into its den was out of the question; it seemed like a bad idea. Screeching echoes reverberated from deep within the cavern, sending shivers down her spine. She steadied herself. Taking a deep breath, she aimed her crossbow down the sights. Now, it was a waiting game. Her gaze remained fixed on the darkness, scanning for movement or any sign of the massive arachnid. Her heart thudded like a drum, each beat ringing out loudly. Tension hung heavily in the air, and every second felt like an eternity. Then, as if summoned by her determination, the spider emerged from the shadows, its legs tapping on the rocky floor. Devi''s grip on the crossbow tightened, her breath catching in her throat. This was the moment she had been waiting for. I can still back out, no need to pick a fight with a massive spider. But even as she was trying to convince herself it wasn¡¯t completely necessary, she was aiming down the sights. The spider moved with an eerie grace, its movements calculated and deliberate. Each step clicked on the stony ground. Devi''s finger hovered over the trigger, her heart seemingly beating in sync with the creature''s steps. She forced herself to focus, her mind honing in on the crosshair, her breathing slowing to a stop. As the spider''s massive form drew closer, Devi''s hand tightened around the trigger. Just a little closer, she thought, her anticipation mixing with anxiety. The spider''s legs twitched, and in a heartbeat, she squeezed the trigger, releasing the bolt. The crystal-tipped bolt streaked through the air, its glow casting an otherworldly light. But the spider, as if sensing danger, suddenly leaped to the side, its legs carrying it in a blur of motion. The bolt sailed past, missing its target by a hair''s breadth, embedding itself in the cavern wall. Fuck! That had not gone as she had planned. The spider spun around, its eyes searching for where the projectile had come from. Its pincers slammed together menacingly, dipping fluidly as it did. Devi kept holding her breath, not making a sound, trying to spot an opening she could exploit. A massive explosion ripped out behind the spider, throwing rocks and debris mixed in with iridescent light. The monstrous arachnid let out an unearthly screech as it was peppered with shrapnel, only a few pieces breaking through its thick carapace. While it was momentarily distracted, Devi hurled one of the mana crystal grenades from her pocket at the beast. The small chip of crystal sailed through the air, shimmering with contained energy. The spider turned its bulbous eyes just in time to see the projectile hurtling towards it. With a quick, instinctive movement, it leaped backward, avoiding the full force of the explosion. However, the blast still caught its legs, and it stumbled. Its screech echoed through the cavern. The explosion''s impact had left a cluster of wounds on the spider''s legs. Thick viscous liquid leaked out of a few, dripping onto the stones below. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Devi dashed forward, dropping her crossbow in the process, trying not to let the opening close. Her blade found its way into her hand as she approached the monster, flames springing to life on its edge. Shadows danced wildly as Devi lashed out with her weapon, trying to plunge the blade into the spider¡¯s head. Moving far quicker than its bulk should have allowed, the spider darted to the side, avoiding the fiery blade with unnerving agility. Its legs scrabbled against the uneven ground as it sought to regain its balance after the explosion. Devi scowled at the monster as it righted itself before she could bring her blade up for another attack. The spider''s many eyes remained fixed on Devi, reflecting the blazing blade in its dark orbs. Its pincers clicked together in a threatening rhythm, but it did not rush to attack. It was wounded, but far from defeated. Its movements were cautious, calculated, as if it were assessing its opponent''s every move. Devi danced back, sending a surge of mana through the blade as she did. A large tongue of flame burst forth, ready to burn the spider to ash. But it had other ideas, deftly avoiding the fire as it scuttled up the side of the tunnel. Undeterred, Devi sent blast after blast at the creature, but she was unable to do more than singe a few of the hairs off its legs. It dodged every attack, its pincers clacking in frustration as it was unable to charge at her through the torrent of flames Devi was sending its way. Then, in a moment that felt like an eternity, the spider seized an opening. She had paused for too long, overextended herself in an effort to catch the bug. It darted forward, a blur of legs and fury. Devi''s instincts screamed at her to dodge, but her opponent was far too fast. The spider''s fangs sank into her shoulder, and pain radiated through her body like a lightning bolt. A cry of pain tore from Devi''s lips as she staggered back, the spider''s venom seeping into her veins. But even in her agony, she refused to yield. With a roar of determination, she swung her flaming blade in a wide arc, her vision blurred by the pain. The spider¡¯s fangs were too deep in her shoulder for it to maneuver out of the way fast enough, so Devi had the satisfaction of seeing her blade gouge deep into its face, a few eyes popping open from the heat. Its screech of pain echoed through the tunnel as it released Devi, stumbling back. She fought through the excruciating pain radiating through her torso and launched another crystal grenade at the monster. It didn¡¯t see the projectile coming its way, too distracted by the pain it was in. A flash of brilliant multicolored light tore through the air, followed by a thunderous explosion. Devi ducked behind a stalactite while bits of stone flew through the air. Intermixed with the explosion were the pained cries of the spider, hopefully having taken the brunt of the blast. The pain in her shoulder flared up in time with her heartbeat, but thankfully, it wasn¡¯t that often. She peeked around her improvised cover and saw the large behind of the spider scampering off back into its lair. In the faint light of her blade, she could see the faint blue splotches on the stony ground as the monster bled while it fled. Smirking at the retreating spider, Devi took a moment to reload her crossbow. Unfortunately, it had to be with a regular bolt since she had only prepared one that exploded. She hadn¡¯t thought there would be time for her to reload at all. She winced in pain as she pulled back the heavy arms, her shoulder sending a spike of pain as she moved it. At least, it is not hurting all that bad; it definitely could have been worse. There wasn¡¯t much she could do about it though; bandaging it up would be very hard. If it had been on her arm, she could have just wrapped it up in strips of cloth, but with it being on her shoulder, she¡¯d have to figure out a better way to wrap it. A quick check of her Status showed her Health sitting at 118, which meant that the bite had done over 80 points of damage. And even as she watched, the number dropped by one. Shit! Poison. Devi thumped her head with her good palm. She had been too preoccupied with fending off the spider and then preparing to rush in after it to finish it off that she had forgotten that the spider apparently had a very potent poison. At least if Aks¡¯ta was to be believed. And their skeleton did make a pretty convincing argument. She stared at her Status screen as her Health dropped by one fairly quickly. It only took around half a minute for it to drop again. If that kept up, she would be at zero in less than an hour. Her plan had been to not get bitten, relying on her enhanced Agility to prevent being poisoned, but that had obviously not worked out. She did have a backup plan, but she had no idea if it would work. Concentrating, she closed her eyes and sent out a trickle of mana, starting to shape the rune that had cleaned up the grime from her hands. She figured that it had something to do with cleansing and had been found on the water purification magic tool, so she was hopeful it could work. The rune slowly took shape, not that she could see it. She could only blindly feel around with her mana, waiting until she could feel it all click into place. It had been getting slightly easier to feel her own mana, but it was still a long process that took all of her concentration. Which sadly meant it was not feasible to use when she was fighting. She felt the mana finally snap into place, a wave of white light emanating from a point just in front of her shoulder. 30 points of mana washed over her, sending her nerve endings tingling from their passing. Other than that, there was no sign of what the rune did. She didn¡¯t suddenly feel better, but she hadn¡¯t felt bad before. Actually, now that she looked at how large the two massive puncture wounds she had on her shoulder were, she was surprised she wasn¡¯t in more pain than she was. When her arm had been savaged by the odd bird panther monster, it had hurt constantly, and she could barely move it. But now? Her injury was of comparable size, but it didn¡¯t hurt nearly as bad. That wasn¡¯t to say it didn¡¯t hurt. It still did. But she could move it and only have a slight twinge of pain. As if she had scraped her knee. It would hurt, and not be comfortable to move, but she still could. Devi studied her Status as she puzzled over why she wasn¡¯t hurting. It could have something to do with being turned into a vampire. A lesser one at that. Her heart rate and breathing had both slowed down tremendously, so maybe the pain was reduced as well. Inspecting her Status for at least several minutes saw her Health dip a single point. Instead of dropping two a minute, it was now roughly one per ten. Which was much better than before. It appeared that the rune did, in fact, purify the poison, at least to a degree. She let a small smile play across her lips. Having one of her hypotheses about the rules that governed magic be proven correct was always a good feeling. Time to go finish off that spider Chapter 024: Spider Fight, Round 2 Devi crept cautiously down the hallway, her crossbow held in front of her, ready to fire at the slightest movement. She knew she had landed a solid hit on the spider but doubted it was anywhere close to being finished off. She couldn''t afford to get hit like that again. Even if her shoulder didn''t hurt quite as much as it should, it still had taken almost half of her health in one bite. Granted, it was a pretty big bite, but still, the spider was no joke. She could have turned around and not confronted the spider, but she had a score to settle with it now. First, it had dragged her into its web and was going to eat her. And now, it had really ruined her leather armor, one of its fangs punching right through, not to mention almost killing her. There were always the three potions in her satchel she could use if things got bad. And she had three more of the mana crystal grenades left. That should be plenty to finish off the spider. She hoped. The entrance to the web-filled cavern loomed ahead, and Devi cautiously approached. She assumed the spider was licking its wounds, waiting for its potent venom to finish her off while it did. So Devi hoped that sneaking in while it wasn''t expecting her would give her the element of surprise, something she desperately needed if the first two clashes were any indication. A muttered Skill later, her Agility was raised by five points. She had debated between Strength and Agility but decided on the latter. It hadn''t seemed to help all that much before, but she didn''t want to find out how much quicker the spider would be if she didn''t have that buff. Her meager preparations were complete, and Devi prowled into the cavern, her eyes darting frantically around, trying to find the spider. If it found her first, it was game over. She could see the remnants of her frantic escape; large sections of webbing looked newer, while there were large blackened sections that still weren''t fixed. Avoiding the places where the webbing was new, Devi continued her search. Without the most recent upgrade to her sight, this would never have been possible. The cavern that should have been completely dark was now awash in shades of gray. She couldn''t make out anything very far or very clear, but it was enough so she wasn''t bumping into anything and could hopefully spot the spider. She kept her crossbow out in front, hoping it would hit any spiderwebs she could see and be ready to fire. Nothing stirred as she cast her eyes around, only finding darkened corners filled with silk, ready to trap her. No monstrous spider waiting to pounce, just nothing. It was setting her nerves on edge, knowing it was somewhere but not knowing exactly where. Her memories were pulled back to an instance where a spider had gotten into her childhood room, only to scurry away before she had gotten her shoe. She had stood in the center, shoe raised, nervously scanning the walls, much like she was doing now. That memory caused her to whip her head up, eyes searching the ceiling above. She had stood in her room for a long time before looking up, only to see the small spider sitting quite contently above her. This time, it was no different. The bulbous body of the spider sat nestled between a few stalagmites, the gash across its face scarring half of its eyes. The other four were staring at Devi, glinting with malevolence. Devi snapped her crossbow up, taking only a moment to aim before firing. The spider evaded the bolt contemptuously, dropping to the ground without even the thud that should have followed due to its size. With a smirk, Devi whipped the hand not on the crossbow trigger out, throwing the small crystal that she had been holding. The first shot had been a distraction, one with no real hope of landing. The stone sailed through the air, colliding with the stones under the monster, energy ripping out with a sharp crack that filled the air. It was quickly followed by a howling shriek from the spider as the explosion tore into it. Devi had figured the spider would have at least learned a little from their previous clash and avoided the glowing projectile. But apparently not. Her crossbow clattered to the ground the moment she had loosed the bolt, and her broken blade had replaced it. Its flames ignited the air around it, and Devi rushed at the disoriented spider. That it was still alive was a testament to how sturdy it was. Devi had no illusions that she would be meat-paste if one of her grenades were to go off at the wrong time. It tried to skitter back, but it was still off balance from having a grenade explode under it. Her blade flickered out, scoring a deep gash on one of its legs, almost severing it. The flames eagerly attempted to ignite the creature but to no avail. Devi was forced to duck as another leg lashed out, the twin claws on the end whistling through the air above her head. Devi''s heart raced as she narrowly avoided the slashing attack. Its now normally sedate pace quickened to a crescendo. The spider''s leg sliced through the air, leaving a gust of wind in its wake. The creature''s movements were far faster than Devi could match, each one with surprising strength behind it as well, much greater than its form implied as a stalagmite cracked from the strike. Using the flaming blade as a deterrent, Devi pressed on. She aimed to stay close to the spider, where its large body and legs had limited maneuverability. Each time she struck, her blade sizzled against the spider''s exoskeleton, leaving scorch marks that sent the oddly enticing smell of burnt blood into the air. With a sudden burst of speed, the spider lunged forward, trying to catch Devi in its massive jaws. She dove to the side just in time, feeling the brush of air as the jaws snapped shut. The spider''s momentum carried it past her, its bulk crashing into the rocky ground. Devi scrambled to her feet, taking advantage of the creature''s momentary disorientation. She charged in again, her blade swinging in a wide arc. The flames caught on the spider''s fur, sending a plume of smoke and a high-pitched screech into the air. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The spider recoiled, its many eyes narrowing in pain and fury. Devi''s heart pounded in her chest as she danced around the creature, her movements a calculated dance of survival. Her mind was in overdrive, reading the movements of the spider and barely avoiding its attacks. Yet, for all her efforts, the spider proved to be incredibly resilient. Its legs moved with eerie precision, defending its body from Devi''s strikes. Each time she thought she had an opening, the spider''s agility surprised her, and her blade met nothing but air. Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, the cavern echoing with the sounds of battle ¨C the clash of steel against chitin, the creature''s screeches, and Devi''s ragged breaths. She was beginning to feel the strain, her movements slowing slightly as fatigue set in. Devi couldn''t spare a glance at her Status but was certain all of her resources were nearing empty. The spider didn''t show signs of slowing, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she wouldn''t have the energy to dance between its clawed strikes. She needed to do something, and quickly. Then, an idea sparked in her mind. Remembering how the spider had recoiled from the flames, Devi decided to use that to her advantage. She feigned a forward strike, sending a surge of mana through the blade, causing a large tongue of flames to hungrily tear through the air. She could feel her mana pool plummet from the display. Devi then abruptly changed direction, circling behind the spider. With all her strength, she swung the blade in a powerful arc, her weapon sinking deep into its bulbous rear. A cry ripped free from her lips as she sent the remainder of her mana coursing through the blade and into the fire that eagerly consumed the spider. The creature let out a high-pitched wail as the flames ignited its backside. It thrashed wildly, legs flailing as the fire spread. Devi slunk back, watching as the flames consumed the spider''s body from the safety of a nearby rock formation. Its once-menacing form was reduced to a writhing inferno. As the fire dimmed, the spider''s movements grew sluggish, then ceased altogether. Panting heavily, Devi watched the flames die down completely, leaving behind charred remains and an acrid smell in the air. She took a couple of moments to steady her ragged breathing, but it quickly returned to normal, as if she were in the body of a seasoned athlete rather than an out-of-shape engineer. That last desperate move had been dangerous. It could have backfired spectacularly, leaving her with almost no mana and facing an enraged monster with only an inert blade. A prospect she did not want to contemplate. But luckily, her plan had worked. The spider lay dead a few meters away, charred and blackened from the fire. A few piles of smoldering webbing dotted the area, a testament to how fierce the battle had been. Devi now sported numerous cuts all over, but thankfully, no more bites. Her armor had protected her from quite a few, its surface now marred and battered, but at least her body underneath was faring much better. As she caught her breath, she looked through the notifications that had popped up at the end of the fight. Because if she didn''t do it right now, it would be ages before she remembered to do it.
Congratulations. You have defeated your opponent XP has been awarded
"XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 7 -> lvl 8 +3 Free
XP threshold reached Lesser Vampire (G) lvl 6 -> lvl 7 +3 All
She blinked in surprise. Wait, was there a mistake? My Race should have only given me one to all my stats, not three. It could have meant she had reached some sort of threshold, but level 7 didn''t seem like a significant milestone. The only other reason she could think of was that her Race had changed, and that had somehow given her triple the attributes she regularly got. If that is the case, why doesn¡¯t everyone just become a vampire? Triple the stats was nothing to scoff at, and you only have to drink blood to boot. She really couldn¡¯t see the downsides of beckoning one. Though I still do not know if going into sunlight is going to kill me or not. That could be a deal breaker.
XP threshold reached [Attribute Enhancement] (inferior) lvl 4 -> lvl 5
She mentally cheered at the Skill level up. It felt like her Skills were taking an extraordinarily long time to improve, while her levels were shooting up. Her second Skill was still level one, for crying out loud. To be fair, she had been forgetting about using it. It still wasn''t second nature to magically alter the tools she was using. Making a mental note to use her Skill more, Devi walked over to the now-smoldering corpse of the spider. The flames had sputtered out, leaving the charred husk behind. Its legs curled up, dark empty holes where the eyes used to be. It was a disturbing sight, to say the least. It was far creepier in death than when it had been trying to eat her. The twin fangs hanging from its mouth gave Devi an idea. They were about the size of her hands, slightly curved. If processed, she imagined they¡¯d make great daggers. Having another weapon would be nice, even though she loved her fiery blade. She took her blade and started cutting through the thick carapace of the spider, remembering halfway through to use her Skill. The blade¡¯s edge was enveloped by a thin film of force, emitting iridescent light. With the added boost from her Skill, cutting through the tough exoskeleton became considerably easier, though she had to refresh her Skill a few times, as it shattered when she put too much force behind her cut. The carapace gave way, revealing the inner segments of the spider. Devi''s movements were focused and deliberate, her thoughts consumed by the task at hand. As the fangs finally came free, she examined them closely. They were surprisingly intact, their tips still sharp despite having been in a fight recently. Though that was to be expected, the fangs had only connected with her once. Devi weighed the fangs in her hand, testing their balance. They didn''t have an edge, their rounded shape coming instead to a sharp point. A dagger with a puncturing focus, she mused. It could be a valuable addition to her arsenal, especially against foes with tough hides or armor¡ªsomething she was seriously lacking currently. If the spider had tougher armor, her blade probably would not have been enough. Taking the twin fangs, Devi wandered a bit before finding a good place to sit before laying the fangs in front of her. Ideas swirled in her head of how to continue, but one thing was for certain: her new daggers were going to look wicked. Chapter 025: Fractured Ambitions Devi leaned back against the cool stones behind her, taking a small break from her careful carvings to inspect the fang she had been working on. When someone said ¡®spider fang¡¯ Devi just imagined a large tooth stuck on a spider. But that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. The fang in her hand was jet black for starters, and completely smooth. Its surface was like plastic, but far harder. It took considerable force just to carve away at it. The fang was also completely round, tapering to a wicked point at the end, with a small hollow opening, like a needle. In hindsight, she should have expected the fang to look like it did. It wasn¡¯t really meant to rip and tear into its prey, but act as a syringe for the potent poison the spider would inject into its victims. It changed what Devi had in mind for the fangs. Instead of more of a short blade, they¡¯d have to be more along the lines of a punching dagger. Something to penetrate tough hide and maybe even armor, both of which probably would be hard to deal with, seeing as her current options were a broken sword and a crossbow. Unless she could snipe it from afar, she didn¡¯t like her chances, her crossbow was really the only thing she felt could puncture armor. She turned her attention back to the fang in front of her, continuing to carve away a hand grip for her use. Her small carving knife was coated in an iridescent light, making it slightly sharper, the shell made from her mana seemed to be prone to breaking if she applied too much force to it. Something that had been happening recently. Each time it did cost her more mana to reactive the Skill, but she had regenerated enough that it wasn¡¯t too much of an issue. Though she wasn¡¯t in any shape to be fighting anything like the spider any time soon. It was calming work, carving away at the fang, slowly turning it from its rough and natural shape, into something she could use. It was also vindicating, claiming the very thing that had almost killed her, and crafting it into a weapon to keep herself alive. There was some poetic justice there, but Devi was too engrossed in her work to spare a moment to think of it. Time passed in a blur, rushing past Devi as she labored with focused determination. The rhythmic sound of her carving knife against the fang''s surface echoed in the cavern, a counterpoint to the stillness that enveloped her. She lost herself in the task, her thoughts merging with each calculated cut, each deliberate shaping of the weapon-to-be. With each pass of her knife, the fang''s surface transformed from a rough, blackened exterior into a sleek, polished form. Devi''s hands worked with practiced precision, her movements driven by a mixture of skill and sheer perseverance. The cavern''s shadows seemed to darken in the faint light of a few array disks she had laying around, casting an almost surreal glow over her work. The scent of charred spider mixed with the metallic tang of the fang''s inner structure, creating a sensory backdrop that encapsulated the intensity of the moment. As Devi''s carving progressed, the fang began to take on a more defined shape. The once-rounded end now tapered into a wicked point, capable of penetrating even the toughest of defenses. Her iridescent Skill-coated knife glided through the material, leaving behind a trail of intricately carved patterns that added a touch of elegance to the deadly instrument. As the final contours of the dagger began to emerge, Devi''s fatigue seemed to fade into the background. The satisfaction of creation, of turning an erstwhile enemy into a tool of empowerment, fueled her efforts. She imagined herself wielding the twin fangs in combat, each strike a testament to her resilience and resourcefulness. With a final stroke, Devi set her carving knife aside and inspected her handiwork. The once-menacing spider fang had been transformed into a pair of lethal punching daggers. Or at least, that¡¯s what she thought they¡¯d be called. A pair of daggers meant to punch through armor. Their jet-black surface gleamed with an otherworldly sheen, and the pointed tips promised effective puncturing power. The hollow openings at the ends remained, a reminder of the fangs'' original purpose. She had a few ideas she wanted to try with the hollowed daggers, namely filling it with the same poison she had been subjected to herself recently. Being able to stab something with the daggers, and then just wait until it slowly died was far more appealing than having to risk her life to finish of her opponents. Devi picked up the twin daggers, feeling their weight in her hands. She tested their balance, their grip, and their potential. They felt right to her, though that didn¡¯t mean much. Her experience with daggers was limited to a few pocket knives she had while growing up, but that was it. So she¡¯d have to test it in a fight before she could say if they actually were any good. As she held the daggers, her exhaustion caught up with her, her muscles protesting the physical exertion and adrenaline-fueled battles, while her mind sagged from excess concentration. Part of her wanted to continue crafting her daggers, she still needed to wrap the handles, and then dive in with her mana and see if she could strengthen it that way. But a quick check of her Status screen dissuaded her from that. She¡¯d only regenerated less than a hundred Mana, not nearly as much as she wanted to try and channel into the daggers. So it was time for her to find a good place to bunker down for the night. At least what she was calling night. She was under no illusions that her internal clock matched up with what was going on outside in the slightest. But getting her sleeping schedule to sync up with the day and night cycles was a task for another day, once she completed this dungeon. For now, it was time to curl up in her small crevice she had retreated to, and try and sleep. Knowing there wasn¡¯t a giant spider prowling the caves helped tremendously with that endeavor. ~?----?~ The next "morning," or whatever semblance of it she could determine in this underground world, Devi found herself back in the web-filled cavern. Her body felt more rested, though still slightly achy from the previous day''s battles and exertions. Her internal alarm clock was thoroughly confused, but she had learned to adapt to the new rhythm of life in the dungeon. After a quick hunt to find a bat to drain for breakfast, Devi returned to her makeshift workspace. The dried blood on the floor indicated the battle that had taken place here, but now the area was quiet, the remnants of the spider''s carcass still lying nearby. The twin daggers lay there as well, awaiting their finishing touches. Devi inspected her unfinished weapons, her mind already racing with ideas for how to complete them. She knew they needed grips, something to ensure a secure hold in the heat of battle, but her current lack of material to form said grips was problematic. The only suitable material she could think of were strips of cloth from her already ragged clothing, or the threadbare linens the skeleton had been hearing. Both of which seemed ill-suited for a weapon. Devi surveyed the web-filled cavern with a contemplative expression, a new idea forming in her mind. It is called spider silk for a reason. Setting the daggers down, she approached the remnants of the spider''s webbing. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she recalled that not all of the parts of a spider¡¯s web were sticky. Some strands were only structural, while others were the prey-catching parts. She carefully examined the silk, first making sure she wouldn¡¯t stick to it, before cutting off a few sections. Once she had gathered what she deemed was enough, she sat back down and started braiding. She knew there was probably a better way to go about making these grips, but this was not her area of expertise. Give her a nice 3D printer and she could fabricate something a whole lot better, but making things by hand was not something she had much experience with. But she could muddle her way through. The strands were slowly transferred into thicker braids, better suited for a grip than before. Her hands slowly became faster as she got more familiar with the process and material. The spider threads were strong, but flexible, a lot smoother than regular thread, but it took a considerable amount of force to snap one. A fact that she was grateful for as her untrained hands fumbled a bit at the beginning, causing her to enhance her Agility to make things easier for herself. Devi''s fingers worked diligently, intertwining the spider silk strands with increasing ease. As she braided, the silk transformed from individual threads into a stronger, more substantial cord. She marveled at the resilience of the silk, a testament to the spider''s craftsmanship in its own right. It was ironic that she was using the very material that had once ensnared her to create a weapon that would now defend her. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. With each twist of her fingers, the braids grew thicker and more textured. The silk strands melded together, forming a cohesive grip that would fit comfortably in her hand. The process was surprisingly soothing, a calming rhythm that contrasted with the danger she had faced just days before. She carefully wrapped the carved handles of the two daggers with the braided spider silk, forming a comfortable, yet sturdy grip. They should hopefully hold up for a bit, but she didn¡¯t know. More things to test. Now that the physical aspects of the daggers were completed, it was time to delve into the magical side of things. The part that Devi was most excited for. Setting one dagger on the ground, Devi closed her eyes and sent a small trickle of mana into the remaining dagger in her hands, feeling around blindly. Her mana seeped into the spider fang, slowly filling the nooks and crannies, giving her an idea of what it looked like. For the hundredth time, Devi wished she could actually see what she was doing instead of relying solely on the feedback her mana gave her. But that would have been far too easy, so of course she couldn¡¯t. With her limited senses, the dagger appeared to have layers, and outer, middle, and inner layers, all with different compositions. The outer layer felt sturdy, unyielding, its mana the most ridged, though it still could be strengthened. The middle layer was the direct opposite, malleable almost, like it could bend in any direction, but she got the feeling that it wouldn¡¯t break even if she could twist it into a pretzel. The innermost layer was the oddest. It was similar to the outside layer, but there was something else to it. Small pockets that felt different. Malevolent almost. All she could do was feel around, but when her Mana encroached on certain spots, it felt as if there was something trying to erode it. To seep in and break it down. As Devi continued to explore the malevolent pockets within the dagger''s inner layer, a realization slowly dawned upon her. These odd mana structures were remnants of the spider''s venom, intertwined with the weapon''s magical essence. It was probably a bit more complicated than that, but Devi lacked any deeper understanding of Mana, so her explanation would have to do. With this understanding, Devi''s curiosity turned into a sense of purpose. She contemplated the possibility of harnessing the poison''s potency and incorporating it into the dagger''s magical composition. The idea was ambitious, fraught with risks, but Devi had always been drawn to pushing her limits. She quickly went over to the desiccated corpse and started carving away at its mouth, hoping to be able to extract the venom glands from it. She figured if she had more of the venom itself, she might be able to infuse the daggers with a bit of its toxicity. The idea of having daggers that could poison people was very appealing. Devi meticulously carved away at the spider''s mouth, carefully searching for the sacks of venom that should be somewhere in there. She followed the path up from where she had carved the fangs out, and slowly pried the spider open. Two small organs sat at the top of a long tube that connected them down to the place where the fangs used to reside, and she was fairly certain those were what she was after. A few careful cuts later, she had two bulbs sacks, and a slight sloshing sound could be heard from within. With a sense of both excitement and caution, Devi returned to her makeshift workspace, the twin daggers and the spider silk-adorned grips waiting for their final transformation. She set the venom sacs down beside them, her mind racing with ideas on how to infuse the poison into the weapons'' magical essence. The process was bound to be tricky. Devi understood that attempting to blend the venom''s mana with that of the daggers required a delicate balance. The malevolent pockets within the weapon''s inner layer had been a challenge to navigate before, and the addition of the venom''s mana would likely complicate matters further. Cutting a small slit at the top of one of the daggers, Devi cautiously maneuvered one of the venom sacks and slowly began to pore the poison inside. Her idea was to fill the small channel in the middle of the fang with the poison, and then go in with her Mana and try to meld the venom with the dagger. Hopefully creating a poisonous dagger in the process. Would it work? She had no idea, but she was willing to try. With the venom inside the dagger, Devi set it down carefully, not wanting to spill any of it or get it on herself. That seemed like a bad idea. She had already once experienced the spider¡¯s poison and was not eager to try it again. Closing her eyes, Devi channeled her mana back into the dagger, seeking out the venom inside. When she found it, she wasn¡¯t surprised that it felt exactly like the small undefined pockets she had previously sensed. She focused her concentration, aiming to weave her own mana with the venom''s essence, to enhance its potency and meld it with the weapon. Her mana extended into the venom-filled channel within the dagger, its vibrant energy intermingling with the malevolent pockets of the spider''s poison. But as Devi''s magic started to infuse with the venom, she felt a sudden surge of resistance. The venom seemed to react to her mana, a dark and potent energy lashing out, trying to attack her mana directly. Startled, Devi attempted to yank her mana back, but it was as if the malevolent force had gained a life of its own, empowered by her own mana she had freely given it. The struggle intensified, and in her desperation to disentangle her mana from the venom''s grasp, Devi inadvertently applied too much pressure. A violent shudder surged through the dagger, its surface cracking ominously. The venom inside responded erratically, spiraling out of control, its mana wildly colliding with Devi''s own, and the dagger itself. The once-sleek and deadly weapon now resembled a fractured shell, its intricate carvings marred by chaotic patterns. In her attempt to enhance the venom, Devi had inadvertently triggered an unstable reaction. The malevolent mana within the venom, driven by its inherent nature, broke down the delicate balance of her enhancements, causing the dagger''s magical structure to collapse in on itself. With a resounding crack, the dagger shattered into several pieces, the remnants of its malevolent-enhanced venom thankfully dissipating like an ethereal wisp, only causing Devi to cough on its fumes for a few moments. Devi stared in shock at the ruined dagger in her hands. Her chest tightened with disappointment and a sense of frustration. She had been so close, so certain that she could weave the venom''s potency into the weapon, only for her overeager attempt to lead to its destruction. Just when I thought I was finally figuring out the whole magic thing, that happens. She scowled at the remnants of her failed attempt and carefully brushed them to the side. Just screwing things up like the dumb idiot I am. With a frustrated growl, Devi reached over for the second dagger, resolute to make at least a single working weapon. She followed the same procedure, filling the inside channel with the spider venom, and then closing her eyes and channeling her mana into the dagger. Devi''s frustration and determination mingled within her as she attempted to infuse the second dagger with the venom''s mana. Her emotions were like a tempest, swirling around her mind and clouding her focus. It was as if her own turmoil had manifested into the mana she was trying to control. Her attempts to concentrate became a struggle against herself, the intense emotions clashing with the delicate intricacies of magic manipulation. I can¡¯t fail here. I¡¯m not going to. The process that had once felt rhythmic and controlled now became a chaotic dance, each surge of mana interrupted by a burst of tumultuous emotion. Devi''s hands trembled as she tried to maintain her connection with the dagger''s inner channel. She could feel her mana mixing with the venom''s essence, but it was far from the harmonious melding she had hoped for. As the seconds turned into minutes, Devi''s control continued to slip. Her mana churned within the dagger, intermingling with the venom''s malevolent energy in unpredictable ways. The dagger''s surface began to ripple with an eerie, unstable glow, casting grotesque shadows around her workspace. Soon, it began to be less about the dagger in front of her, but a culmination of every other failure she had experienced. The dagger morphing into every time she had messed something up, ruined a project, made a social gaff, and only realized days after that she had. Her mind conjured up every defeat she had faced and threw it at her. Devi''s frustration mounted, fueled by her own impatience and anger at her previous failure. In her desperation to succeed, she pushed even harder, trying to force her mana to bend to her will. But her efforts only added to the discord, and the dagger''s glow intensified to a blinding brilliance. Then, with an explosive crack, the dagger shattered just like the first one, leaving Devi staring at the wreckage in disbelief. The force of the magical backlash knocked her onto her back, her breath catching as she lay there, dazed and defeated. Devi''s hands trembled as she clenched them into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes, threatening to run down her face. In a corner of her mind, she could feel the pain from multiple fang fragments that had embedded themselves in her flesh, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care about them. The cavern seemed to close in around her as Devi lay there, her thoughts a storm of frustration, anger, and self-loathing. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she struggled to rein in her overwhelming emotions. The shattered remains of the daggers were like a physical manifestation of her failures, a stark reminder of her inability to control her magic and achieve what she had set out to do. Her mind replayed each mistake, each setback, each moment where she had fallen short. It was as if her past was haunting her, taunting her with a relentless barrage of memories. Her memories seemed to take on physical weight, all of them pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. "I''m useless," she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible in the confines of the cavern. "I can''t even get this right." The shattered dagger in her hand seemed to mock her, a cruel reminder of her dashed hopes. She wanted to throw the pieces way away, to give in to the urge to scream and rage against her circumstances. But she remained limply on the cold stone ground, letting the darkness consume her. No New Chapter Today Sorry everyone, am not doing all that great this week, so no new chapter today. I''ll try to get one out by Tuesday and continue with my schedule. Words for required length: Word word word word. Words words, even more words. Look at that, another word. And another one. Would you believe it, even more words. This whole thing is just words. Is kind of crazy, there are even more words after this one. Is insane. Will the words ever stop? No, they won''t, because I need five hundred of them. Because that''s the minimum for a chapter. Which is very arbitrary now that I think about it. I mean, it could have been 499, and that would have worked too. But I guess we need nice round numbers but would have preferred 515, is a nice palindrome. And everyone knows palindromes are the best. They should be used more often. 499 also would have been cool since it''s a prime number. Not really what you would expect from it. Is like a surprise prime number. It doesn''t look prime, and then, wham, it is! I wonder, does it count numbers as words? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 It does! That''s good. There are a lot of good numbers, like 27, which is the best number. 3^3 is an amazing number. 2^2 would be nice too, but 4 is just such a boring number. You know? But 4^4 is cool, but not that cool 256 just is an odd number, whereas 27 is just so much better. 3 is the best number there is, so it makes sense that three cubed is cool too! 1 is also a pretty cool number since it''s the speed of light and h-bar. Sometimes it''s pie too, is a great number. (For those who are curious, natural units are crazy. What were physicists thinking?) Do I have enough words yet? Nope. Word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word. And done! Chapter 026: Getting Up Again Devi had no idea how long she lay on the cold stone ground. Long enough for it to longer be cold at least, as stone slowly leached the limited warmth from her body. Her eyes were staring blankly at the cavern ceiling, not really seeing anything, but it was too much effort to close them. Doing anything was too much effort. Everything besides thinking that was. Going over the failure that the twin spider fangs had become. Literally blowing up in her face as she thought she could make something like that. Were her earlier successes just flukes? She hadn¡¯t really done anything, just drew a few odd shapes and filled them with blood, and that had been enough to make a magic item. Anyone could have done that. She wasn¡¯t special in any way. And then when it was time to actually make something, she failed. Spectacularly. She had even taken damage from it. And now all she was left with were the shattered chitin and remnants of the poison, absolutely useless. She had nothing to show for all that time spent, and even the danger she had put herself through getting the materials. Nothing. Her thoughts didn¡¯t stop there though. They circled back to how utterly helpless she had been when facing the vampire who she could only assume killed her. Everything she tried failed miserably, not even slowing the vampire down in the slightest. Her strongest trump card, her exploding mana gems, did nothing. She had been completely helpless. Mars probably could have fought off the vampire. They are far more capable than me. Hell, even Matt probably could have done something. I¡¯m just useless. Devi groaned internally at how badly she had messed up trying to save the both of them. She didn¡¯t even know if they had made it back alive, and she hadn¡¯t even gone out of the cave to check. What type of person was she? Her mind fell into a mental rut, spiraling deeper down, unable to break free. The longer she lay there, the more she berated herself for not moving. Doing something instead of wallowing in self-pity. It didn¡¯t help. But that only made things worse, deepening the sense of hopelessness in the situation. If she couldn¡¯t even get up, it just proved how worthless she was. It was such a simple action, and even that eluded her. Her shame and self-loathing wrapped themselves around her like a shroud, suffusing every inch of her body. It kept her pinned to the ground, floating in a lonely sea of doubt and fear, unalbe to even call out for help. Not that there was anyone to hear. No shoulder to lean on, no hand to cling to. Nothing. Just like always. She was alone. Devi only had herself, and it wasn¡¯t enough. She wasn¡¯t good enough. Not for this place, and definitely not for herself. The deafening stillness of the cavern washed over her, swallowing her in a suffocating cocoon of despair. The weight of her perceived failures pressed down on her chest, making each breath a laborious effort. The relentless spiral of self-criticism seemed unbreakable, and Devi felt as though she were sinking into an abyss of her own making. In the midst of this internal torment, something unexpected shattered the suffocating silence. A soft, almost imperceptible flutter of wings, like the whisper of a secret, echoed through the cavern. Devi''s dulled senses barely registered the sound, but it was enough to momentarily divert her thoughts from their self-destructive path, a small part of her mind preoccupied with the sudden intrusion. With her eyes still glazed over, she didn''t immediately notice the presence of a small, shadowy figure circling above. Her mind is still her jailer. It wasn¡¯t until there was a white-hot pain erupted from her neck did she broke free from herself. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Devi''s world erupted into chaos as the searing pain lanced through her neck. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped, the fog of despair lifting instantly. Panic coursed through her veins as her survival instincts kicked in. She felt the wet warmth of her own blood spilling from the wound on her neck. With trembling hands, she reached up, her fingers coming away slick with crimson. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her mind raced to comprehend what had just happened. Unfortunately for her, her opponent did not let her get her bearings, red flashed across her vision as pain erupted across her cheek. Devi snarled in pain, instincts kicking in. Her mind raced as the bat lunged at her again, fangs bared her vision filled with flapping wings and glowing talons. As the bat closed in, she fumbled with the blade at her side, the worn hilt finding her grip with familiar ease. The bat''s claws brushed against her cheek, leaving a stinging trail of pain, but Devi was ready. She shifted her weight, turning her body to meet the attacker head-on. With a desperate lunge, she thrust the jagged remains of her blade towards the oncoming menace. The blade found its mark, impaling the bat through its chest with a sickening squelch. The creature screeched one final time, its red eyes wide with shock, before falling limp. Devi''s heart raced as she withdrew the blade from the lifeless bat. Her hands trembled a mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through her veins. Her blood dripped onto the stone below, mixing with the dark ichor of the monster. Her stomach remained quiet, even at the sight of the blood. She still picked up the bat, cutting the chest completely open, searching for the small gem that she hoped was there. With a grin, she plucked the precious gem from the bat''s innards. It glimmered in the dim light of the cavern, a small but valuable prize for her efforts. She held it up to her eye, watching the gentle glow of mana shine through the gem¡¯s facets As her adrenaline faded, a small plan started for from. ~?----?~ Devi stared at the small handful of glowing gems held in her clenched fist. It had taken far too many bats to acquire even this many, but seeing them all gleam from the cracks in her hand, made it worth it. Thankfully, the small fluttering monsters hadn¡¯t been smart enough to realize that she had been hunting them, picking off lone bats one at a time, using her now improved vision to get the drop on them. Her hunting had led to her running away from quite a few swarms over the past few days. Devi had never once engaged with the larger congregations of monsters. She shuddered at the memory of all the flapping of wings and arcing red talons she had previously endured. If she could avoid a repeat, she would. Besides the trove of mana crystals, she had gained a few level-ups, one both her Class, Race, and [Enhance Attribute]. Her vocation felt a little sad and lonely, sitting at level 4, while her Class was almost double, not to mention her other rarely used Skill was still stuck at level 1. It is not like I forgot about it or anything. She had definitely forgotten about that Skill, usually too engrossed with what she had been doing at the time to remember that she could marginally change her tools. Which usually wasn¡¯t all that important of a thing. The Skill probably got better the higher level it was. It was true with her other one, but it was hard to remember. It wasn¡¯t her fault. It wasn¡¯t like there was a guide to any of this. Who knew, maybe [Improvise Tool] was amazing, and she was just using it wrong. Or it was a complete waste of time, and she should forget about it. The seven [EMPTY] Skill slots on her Status taunted her whenever she opened it to check on things. There hadn¡¯t been any notifications telling her she could slot another Skill, or even that she had unlocked one. Nothing. It was starting to annoy her. Regardless of how much she skulked around in the shadows, no [Stealthy] Skill appeared, and no matter how much she moved her mana, she never was awarded for her efforts besides the almost unnotable change in how easily she could manipulate the energy. She felt cheated. What use was having a spot on her Status screen for more Skills if you couldn¡¯t gain any? It didn¡¯t make sense. She was certain there had to be a way to go about it, but nothing she did had helped. Even muttering ¡°Buy Skill,¡± or ¡°Open shop,¡± had done nothing except make her look like a fool. With a growl of annoyance, Devi stomped back to her small alcove, the joy of holding the multitude of glowing crystals forgotten. It was time to turn her fistful of rocks into a fistful of explosives. Chapter 027: Feathers and Flames Devi heaved a sigh, a mix of relief and trepidation, as she lined up the last makeshift grenade alongside its comrades. The small gems sat there like a row of potential headaches, each one a ticking uncertainty. She had honed the skill of cramming more mana into those tiny explosives, pushing the boundaries until they were on the verge of blowing up. One wrong move and the whole lot could go kaboom, a prospect that didn''t exactly calm her nerves. After the spectacular failure of the spider fang daggers, she wasn''t exactly thrilled about the idea of another explosive misadventure. The scabs on her cheeks and forehead, stubborn reminders of her earlier blunder, still smarted when she moved her face the wrong way¡ªa physical testament to her trial and error. Not to mention her total lack of knowledge about magic. "Having one thing blow up on me was more than enough. I am not eager to have anything else go wrong," she muttered to herself, her tone a mix of caution and self-admonishment. ¡°Though knowing my luck, one of them is going to blow up at exactly the wrong time.¡± With a deep breath, Devi bundled up the makeshift grenades and tucked them in her pocket. She tried to push any thoughts about premature detonations away from her mind but was unsuccessful. The situation hadn¡¯t happened yet, but she was totting around DIY bombs in her pocket. Devi wasn¡¯t dumb enough to assume they were safe. Just a tad safer than running into another giant spider without any munitions. Fortunately, it still took a bit of extra mana inserted into the bombs to set them off, but even then, if the gems themselves cracked, all the excess mana held within still exploded out. Pushing herself up from her makeshift workspace, the darkness of the cavern wrapped around her like a familiar cloak. Gripping the broken blade in her hand, she steeled herself for what lay ahead. Which was probably fighting a hoard of big feathery monsters in the dark if last time was any indication. And then whatever the journal meant by a cursed monster. Not something she was looking forward to, but she didn¡¯t have any doubt that the monster mentioned was the boss of the dungeon. Anyone who had read any amount of fantasy media would feel the same way. And while she hadn¡¯t ingested quite as much as others, she felt confident that killing those monsters was the end of the dungeon. And then I can finally get out of this place. It didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the large double-stone doors sitting imposingly on the side of the cavern wall. The large intricate metal disk that would open them rested in her hands, letting her face off against the monsters on the other side. But it remained in her hands. The things on the other side kept it there. This will be easy, just go in, dispatch all of the monsters crawling around, and then finish off the big curse monster. What is not easy about that? She slumped against the wall in defeat. Who was she kidding, it was a monumental task. She had barely fought off three of the monsters before and was forced to run away at the end. Who knew what lay beyond that? The exit behind her beckoned. She could almost feel the cool breeze whispering promises of escape. The sense of familiarity and safety tugged at her, urging her to turn away from the ominous doors. Devi traced the edges of the intricate metal disk with her fingertips, her mind waging a silent war between the comfort of retreat and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. With a growl of frustration, Devi slammed the key into the door. I am going through to the end. I made it this far. The key sunk into the door, completing the mess of symbols that covered its surface. After a moment, the door silently swung open. A chilling gust of air swept through the corridor as the heavy doors groaned open. Devi squared her shoulders, gripping the broken sword with newfound determination. The darkness beyond the doors seemed almost tangible, thick with an unsettling energy that sent shivers down her spine. Devi cautiously stepped across the threshold, going from the rough cavern floor to the uneven stone tiles of the hallway that stretched out in front of her. It was gloomier past the doors than the tunnels, and even her newfound ability to see in almost pitch black was rebuffed by the oppressive darkness. She slipped one of the glowing stones she had from her bag and tied it on. With the dim light it gave off, she could make out much more of her surroundings. Far more than she had been able to last time. She was able to make out scraps of cloth hanging limply on the walls, remnants of some long-forgotten tapestry that had lost the war of time. Other parts of the wall held faded etchings, reminiscent of the symbols she had used on her array disks and broken sword. None of the symbols were ones she recognized, though they were so faded and worn away that it was hard to tell. Devi had to force herself away from the wall, if she didn¡¯t, Devi knew she would have stayed there for hours, trying to puzzle out the complete symbols and then rushed back to her crevice to experiment with them. But that wasn¡¯t why she was here, unfortunately. I will come back for you, she thought forlornly as she continued her walk down the dark corridor. Her pace slowed to a creep as she neared the palace where the feathery monsters had attacked, expecting another ambush out of the dark. She strained her eyes to prince further into the darkness, nervously clenching her blade in one hand. Devi had all but given up on her crossbow for now. She only got one shot off before it was just a useless piece of wood in her hand. Until she got better at reloading it under stress, Devi was forced to only use her broken blade and the bundle of improvised mana explosives in her pocket. She was soon able to make out scorch marks on the walls in places, and dark feathers embedded in others. Remnants of the frantic fight where she had barely escaped with her life intact. The memory of the feathery projectiles flying through the air sent shivers down her spine. With a firm shake of her head, she tried to shrug off the thoughts, which only worked partially, but let her continue to creep onwards cautiously¡ªhopefully being able to get the jump on the monsters that made this hall their home. Over her hushed breathing, Devi could faintly make out the clack of claws on stone, making its way through the gloom towards her. Her heartbeat quicked, but still far lower than any human¡¯s had a right to be, as her eyes strained in the dim light of her glowing array stone. She was just able to make out the dark shadowy form of a monster stalking directly towards her, its pitch-black feathers blending into the darkness around it. Eyes glinting from the dim light, revealing its malevolent intent. She didn¡¯t have that much time to plan since her previous encounter with these monsters had been in a group. Her fingers brushed against the new batch of makeshift grenades in her pocket, and she carefully extracted one, ensuring not to jostle the others too much. Infusing the grenade with a controlled surge of mana, she aimed at the advancing creature. Her hand trembled slightly as she threw the explosive, her breath held in anticipation. The grenade sailed through the air, striking the monster on its side, and clattered to the stone ground. The feathered monstrosity only took a moment to let out a startled growl before the gem exploded in a blinding flash of light and heat, the force of the blast echoing through the corridor. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A shriek sounded out from the injured monster, its feathers singed and its form staggering backward. Devi didn¡¯t wait to see the full extent of the damage. She lunged forward, her jagged blade sinking into the scorched flank of the monster. It let out a guttural roar, lashing out with its claws. Devi barely managed to dodge, the creature''s talons grazing her arm. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing, adrenaline coursing through her veins. But Devi couldn''t afford to lose focus. She needed to take down this monster before the others arrived. With a determined snarl, she pulsed mana into her blade before slashing forward, leaving a trail of cinders. The monster recoiled, its pained screech filling the cavernous hallway as Devi''s flame-covered blade cut through its flesh. It thrashed wildly, trying to regain its balance, a few of the claws catching her clothes, but Devi pressed her advantage regardless. Devi dodged another swipe from the creature''s claws, her movements fueled by the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She twisted her body, using the momentum to drive her blade into the monster''s neck. The sharp edge bit deep, and with a final, pitiful cry, the creature collapsed in a heap of feathers and blood. Breathing heavily, Devi immediately dug two of the array stones from her pack and set them near the monster, before backing away. She kept a wary eye on the monster¡¯s corpse, and it wasn¡¯t long before a dark smoke rose up from it. The smoke billowed out, shying away from the light, swirling around in an angry cyclone. Devi pulled another one of the stones out, raising it in front of her like a shield, hoping it would rebuff whatever the odd smoke was like it had done before. Whatever the smoke was, it really did not like the array disks, lending weight to her theory that it was some sort of curse, like the journal had mentioned. The miasma spent a bit of time probing the stone¡¯s light before slowly receding down the tunnel, leaving Devi to breathe a sigh of relief. I was lucky to have found that skeleton it seems, Devi thought to herself as she cautiously went and collected her array stones. I wonder how other people are supposed to fight that smoke, or even if they can. With a shrug, she continued on. It wasn¡¯t her problem, but she made a mental note to inform Matt and Mars about them. Maybe even lending her set as she suspected that the two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to fabricate their own. The hallway began to narrow as Devi continued down its gloomy length. Her footsteps echoed louder than she would have wanted, despite her efforts to be as quiet as possible. Soon, the walls grew so close that Devi could easily touch both without even needing to extend her arms much. She slowed her pace, each step carefully measured to avoid any potential traps or hidden dangers. Out of the gloom appeared an ornate open archway. Or at least it would have been ornate if it wasn¡¯t in the process of crumbling. Heavy-looking stone bricks lay crumbled around the base, while large savage claw marks marred the sides. Claw marks that appeared to be much bigger than anything the feathered monsters could have done by themselves. Devi debated whether or not it was time to activate her [Attribute enhancement], but decided against it. She was still waiting to get a better idea of what this cursed monster looked like before spending mana. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the archway, her eyes scanning for any movement. The room beyond was vast, the ceiling lost in shadow, the air thick with an oppressive, almost tangible sense of dread. Large pillars circled the room, the majority crumbled from the onslaught of time. A few feathery forms moved the darkness, keeping to the shadows. At the far end of the chamber, a massive, shadowy figure loomed, its form partially obscured by a haze of smoke that seemed to fill the entirety of the room. Before Devi had any more time to survey the room, the massive beast let out a gurgling shriek, raising up on its hind legs, making Devi realize just how small she was in comparison. She had seen a stuffed grizzly bear, and at the time, thought it must have been the biggest predator she would ever see. The monster in front of her put that bear to shame. She could tell it was easily triple her height, even if it was a good 30 meters away. The hazy smoke still obscured much of its details, but she could make out that it was the same general shape as the feathered monsters she had fought before. As if summoned by her thoughts, the smaller monsters slunk from the shadows surrounding her. She didn¡¯t know whether they had materialized out of thin air, or her senses just weren¡¯t sharp enough to spot them in the gloom, but either way, their presence complicated things. With a determined snarl, Devi activated her [Attribute Enhancment], feeling the surge of mana flow through her. As it did, she felt her body lighten, her movements became sharper, and her reactions quicker as her Agility jumped 7 whole points in one go. Not wanting her foes to gain the initiative, Devi reached into her pocket and flung one of her makeshift grenades at the closest clump of three feathered monsters, charging it with a brief pulse of mana. The explosion of force and sound echoed throughout the cavernous room, the multicolored light forcing the darkness back for a brief moment before it reclaimed its place. Two of the feathered monsters lay sprawled on the ground, moving weakley after the explosion the other was limping slightly, having been further away and managed to avoid the brunt of the explosion. Devi raced up to it, easily dodging its claw swipe, before jamming her blade into its neck. With a gurgle, it sunk to the ground, presumably dead. But Devi didn¡¯t have much time to check, as another group of monsters rushed at her. Ducking the first two swipes, Devi dodged around the small duo, trying to find an opening. She debated using another one of her grenades, but the looming threat of the massive monster made her hesitate to expend all her consumables before fighting it. Instead, she pulsed her mana through the glyphs on her blade, causing flames to wrap around it. The two monsters shied away from the flames, eyeing it warily, as it was probably more light than it had ever seen in its life. Surging forward, Devi caught the left monster off guard, scoring a savage cut across its chest. She had to quickly duck under the retaliatory swipe, before diving to avoid the fangs of the second one. She could feel the snap of teeth that had threatened to tear a chunk of her arm, the beat¡¯s hot breath on her skin. She barely managed to roll out of the way, her enhanced agility saving her from what would have been a debilitating injury. Devi scrambled to her feet, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her blade flickered with residual flames, casting eerie shadows on the walls as she took a moment to assess the situation. The wounded creature was staggering, dark ichor dripping from its chest, while the second monster circled her, its eyes glowing with predatory intent. Devi could hear the distant rumble of the larger beast, a constant reminder of the looming threat. She knew she had to dispatch these smaller foes quickly before the real fight began. It felt odd, but these monsters seemed far slower than her, something she was not accustomed to. In fact, the others also had the same feel to them. The only reasonable explanation was that she was a higher level, but that didn¡¯t make sense, as this was supposed to be the boss''s room. Regardless, Devi was not one to let an opportunity such as this pass her by, no matter the circumstances. Devi scrambled to her feet, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her blade flickered with residual flames, casting eerie shadows on the walls as she took a moment to assess the situation. The wounded creature was staggering, dark ichor dripping from its chest, while the second monster circled her, its eyes glowing with predatory intent. Devi could hear the distant rumble of the larger beast, a constant reminder of the looming threat. She knew she had to dispatch these smaller foes quickly before the real fight began. With a deep breath, Devi charged at the injured monster, her movements a blur. The creature tried to swipe at her with its claws, but she deftly sidestepped the attack and plunged her blade into its chest. The monster let out a strangled cry before collapsing, its body going limp. The remaining creature didn¡¯t give her a moment to catch her breath. It lunged at her, jaws snapping. Devi spun out of its reach, feeling the rush of air as its teeth clamped down where she had been standing. She swung her blade in a wide arc, the flames trailing behind in a bright streak. The edge caught the monster across the face, searing through feathers and flesh. It howled in pain, recoiling from the intense heat. Devi didn''t hesitate. She followed up with a series of rapid strikes, each one more precise than the last, until the creature crumpled to the ground, its lifeless body twitching slightly before growing still. Breathing heavily, Devi looked up to see the massive beast in the distance. It had been watching the skirmish, its eyes glowing with malevolence. The smoke surrounding it seemed to pulse with a life of its own, as if reacting to the death of its minions. In fact, it seemed to pulse out through the room, rushing to each of the unmoving monsters. For a moment, the haze did nothing but swirl over each corpse. Until suddenly, the smoke seemed to be sucked into each of them. In unison, the corpses stood up, eyes glowing a dark purple, and turned to face her. This might be slightly harder than I originally thought. Chapter 028: Going Out With a Bang Devi¡¯s heart pounded as the resurrected monsters turned toward her, their eyes glowing with a malevolent purple light. The cavernous room seemed to pulse with an ominous energy, the air thick with a sense of impending doom. She tightened her grip on her blade, the flames flickering along its edge casting eerie shadows on the walls. I should have expected this, she thought grimly. Nothing was ever that easy. Not only did she have to contend with the massive cursed horror, but now she had to watch out for the smaller, zombie-like creatures¡ªpanther-bird abominations that seemed to come back after she killed them. Because of course, they did. She had already wasted a perfectly good mana gem explosive on a group of them, only for the glowing creatures to reassemble, feathers knitting back together in grotesque fashion. Her eyes swept the circular room. Rubble was scattered everywhere, the remains of broken stone pillars and ancient carvings littering the uneven floor. Her dwindling supply of mana grenades, combined with her blade¡ªmore akin to a dagger than a sword¡ªdidn¡¯t inspire confidence. Then her gaze landed on a cracked pillar near the center, its side riddled with fractures like a spider¡¯s web. Her pulse quickened. "I can make that work," she muttered, narrowly dodging a claw swipe from one of the zombie creatures. The thing hissed as its glowing talons tore through the air inches from her face. "Just got to get the big guy here," she added, glancing over her shoulder at the massive cursed monster looming near the center of the cavern. It watched her with its glowing purple eyes, its grotesque form vibrating with barely contained rage. The thing resembled a chimera gone horribly wrong¡ªits sinewy wings and sharp beak underscored by talons that could cleave stone. Devi slashed at a nearby smaller creature, her flaming blade carving through decayed feathers and sinew. The creature staggered but didn¡¯t fall. She didn¡¯t have time to finish it off; the big one was already moving, barreling toward her with a guttural roar that reverberated through the cavern. Perfect. She darted toward the cracked pillar, weaving between rubble and dodging snapping jaws. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached the base of the column. Skidding to a stop, she yanked one of her remaining mana grenades from her pouch. Infusing it with a surge of energy, she hurled it at the base of the pillar. The grenade struck true, detonating with a sharp crack that sent dust and shards of stone flying. The fractures deepened, chunks of rock crumbling away. "Come on, you ugly feather duster!" she shouted, waving her blade to draw the massive creature¡¯s attention. The monstrosity roared again, its massive wings unfurling as it charged toward her. She sprinted past the pillar, ducking low as the beast swiped at her with its massive claws. The ground trembled beneath its weight as it collided with the weakened column. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, with a deafening crack, the pillar began to collapse. Devi dove for cover as the column came crashing down, a cloud of dust and debris filling the air. She coughed, her eyes stinging as she scrambled to her feet, squinting through the haze. The massive cursed creature lay pinned beneath the rubble, its glowing eyes still burning with hatred. "Okay, step one down," she muttered, brushing dust off her face. The pinned beast thrashed against the stone, low growls vibrating through the cavern like a death knell. It wasn¡¯t down for good¡ªnot yet. According to the journal she¡¯d found earlier, she needed to set up a magical array before killing the monster. Otherwise, its curse would just find a new host¡ªprobably her. The notes had been annoyingly vague on the details. She glanced at the glowing disks in her bag, her frustration bubbling up. "Connect them with what, duct tape?" she muttered, flinching as the beast¡¯s wings twitched against the rubble, sending faint tremors through the ground. Shoving the thought aside, she grabbed the first array disk and dashed toward the edge of the rubble pile. The monster roared, swiping at her with a massive claw. She ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike. Coming up from the roll, she slapped the white stone onto the ground a few feet away from the beast and sprinted away. Pain seared through her shoulder as razor-sharp feathers sliced into her flesh, tearing through her sleeve and leaving thin, bleeding gashes. Devi bit back a curse, gritting her teeth as she clutched her shoulder briefly before forcing herself to keep moving. Blood dripped down her arm, hot and sticky, as she reached for the second disk in her bag. The cursed beast bellowed from beneath the rubble, its thrashing growing more violent. Smaller zombies swarmed toward her, their glowing eyes locking onto her as if drawn by a magnet. Thankfully, they seemed hesitant to approach the array disks, though that didn¡¯t stop them from launching volleys of glowing feathers in her direction. Devi ducked behind a chunk of debris, shielding herself as the projectiles embedded themselves with sharp thuds. The impact sent shards of stone scattering around her. "Great," she muttered, peeking over her cover to see a smaller zombie circling toward her flank. "Because the firing squad wasn¡¯t enough." Tightening her grip on the second array disk, she tossed it past the big monster, watching it skid to a stop near a smaller panther-bird creature. The creature hissed and recoiled from the glowing runes. Encouraged, she quickly tossed the remaining disks into place, only for one to land near the edge of the room¡ªright behind a group of feathered monsters. The creatures turned in unison, their growls rising in pitch as they unleashed another barrage of feathers. Devi dove to the side, skidding her knee in her haste but avoiding the deadly hail of projectiles. Scrambling to her feet, she glanced at the misaligned disk. "New plan," she muttered. She sprinted toward the misplaced disk, zigzagging to make herself a harder target. Feathers whizzed past, some so close she could feel the cold air of their passage. With a final burst of speed, she sent a surge of mana through her blade, slashing it through the air. A wave of fire erupted, forcing the creatures to recoil. Devi used the brief reprieve to snatch up the array disk, rolling into motion as she avoided a retaliatory swipe. Blood dripped down her fingers as she placed the final disk into position. But the array remained inert. Devi stared at her blade, the runes etched into its surface glowing faintly. Her blood... Of course. The connection might be literal, her essence binding the disks together. "Let¡¯s see if this works," she muttered. Kneeling beside the nearest disk, she reopened the cut on her arm with her blade, letting fresh blood trickle down. Quickly, she began trailing her hand across the floor, leaving a crimson thread connecting the disks. Each disk she connected with her sanguine trail began to glow brighter, spreading some of that glow to her impromptu array connection. The massive monstrosity roared in frustration, shifting the rubble pinning it down. Devi¡¯s heart clenched as she saw the tons of stone beginning to shift. "Just hold still a little longer," she muttered, her voice tight with urgency. With one final sprint, Devi connected the misshapen circle of array disks. The moment she did, the array flashed with a brilliant white light, banishing the shadows to the very furthest reaches of the room. Each disk seemingly burning with an internal light. The boss let out a terrifying loud bellow as the light hit it, and with a surge of strength, ripped itself free from the rubble trapping it. Devi¡¯s limbs trembled with fatigue, her breath ragged as she raised her blade. Blood slicked her fingers, making her grip falter, but she refused to let the array¡¯s activation be in vain. She hadn¡¯t gotten this far to fail. With a growl, Devi charged in, crossing the array circle, noticing a slight buz against her skin as she did, but there was no time to think about it. The enraged monster loomed in front of her, its head easily reaching a foot over her head, mouth wide open showcasing its massive fangs. With a snap, the jaws closed where Devi was just moments before, as she ducked out of the way, retaliating with a quick slash with her blade. What she wasn¡¯t expecting though, was her attack to be rebuffed by the pitch black feathers. ¡°Well, fuck you too,¡± Devi yelled at the monster as she hastily backed peddled out of emidite chomping range. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Dodging a heavy paw swipe, Devi maneuvered to the side, letting off a blast of flames into it, hoping that would do something. The flames collided with the beast¡¯s feathers, and when the fire cleared, all that was left were a few singed feathers, and nothing else. I am beginning to think I bit off more than I can chew here. Devi¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t enough. Her flaming blade barely scratched the cursed monster¡¯s black feathers, and her spells fizzled against its hide like raindrops against stone. The thing was just too strong, its sheer presence overwhelming her senses with every strike she failed to land. She dodged another swipe, barely keeping ahead of the beast''s relentless onslaught. Every attack promised a swift end if she didn¡¯t dodge. The edges of her vision swam with exhaustion, blood dripping steadily from the gashes in her shoulder and arm. Her chest heaved, lungs burning as she stumbled back, struggling to stay upright. Her gaze flicked toward her bag¡ªthe handful of mana grenades she had left. They were powerful but given how tough the monster had proven, probably not enough to take it down. Not unless... The monster roared, its maw opening wide enough for Devi to gaze deep into its throat. I could use that. The only problem was its head was far outside her reach, except when it was trying to tear her apart with its massive fangs. Devi¡¯s heart raced as the plan formed in her mind, wild and desperate. The monster¡¯s strength and resistance to her attacks left her with no other option. She had to gamble everything on this one, reckless move. Her hand brushed the grenades in her bag, the faint hum of mana crystals sending a tingle through her fingertips. They wouldn¡¯t break the beast¡¯s hide but inside its mouth? That might just work. ¡°Alright, big guy,¡± she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as the massive creature shifted, fixing its glowing purple gaze on her. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡± Devi darted forward, narrowly dodging a swipe of its claw. The beast growled, massive talons gouging deep furrows into the stone floor as it turned to follow her. She danced back and forth, forcing it to lunge, to snap its jaws at her, each bite narrowly missing her by inches. The heat of its breath seared her face, the raw, oppressive energy of its curse pressing down on her. ¡°Come on,¡± she goaded, her voice shaking but defiant. ¡°You are going to have to try harder than that!¡± The monster roared, its maw gaping wide, the glow from within its throat casting a sickly purple light on the cavern walls. Devi¡¯s muscles tensed, her pulse hammering in her ears as she clutched the last of her grenades. Timing was everything. With a feral shout, she sprinted straight at the beast. Its jaws snapped closed as she slid beneath them, skidding along the dusty floor on her back. She thrust her hand upward, shoving the primed grenades deep into its mouth. The rough, serrated edges of its tongue scraped her arm, but she ignored the pain, her focus unyielding. The monster¡¯s jaws clamped down before she could pull away. Agony exploded through her as its fangs sank into her arm, grinding bone and flesh. Devi screamed, her vision going white with pain. Blood poured from the wound, slicking her armor and pooling beneath her. But she held on, pushing the grenades deeper into its throat. ¡°Choke on this,¡± she hissed through gritted teeth. The grenades detonated. A blinding burst of light and sound filled the cavern, the explosion reverberating through the stone walls like thunder. The force of the blast flung Devi backward, her body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. She coughed, the taste of copper filling her mouth as rubble rained down around her. The monster staggered, its roar cut off as the explosion tore through its insides. Smoke and flame billowed from its mouth and eyes, its body convulsing as it struggled to stay upright. With a final, shuddering groan, the cursed creature collapsed, its massive frame hitting the ground like a felled mountain. All around her, the smaller versions dropped like their strings had been cut. Devi lay motionless, her body screaming in pain. She blinked against the haze of dust and smoke, her gaze locking onto the smoldering remains of the beast. It wasn¡¯t moving. She managed a ragged laugh, her voice hoarse. ¡°Told you... I would win.¡± Her laughter dissolved into coughing as she cradled her mangled arm. The stump throbbed, her blood staining the stone beneath her. For a moment, she let her head fall back, staring at the cavern ceiling. As she lay there in a pool of blood, she noticed something moving around the monster¡¯s corpse. Dark purple smoke began to bleed off of the unmoving form of the monster, rising into the air. It whirled, coiling into a tight ball. All around her, the smaller monsters stopped moving, and the same smoke was seemingly pulled from their corpses, consumed by the billowing cloud. As Devi watched, two glowing purple eyes manifested in the middle of the smoke, and locked onto her. Fuck. She began to drag herself to the edge of the array, hoping whatever that smokey thing was wouldn¡¯t be able to cross it, leaving a bloody trail behind her. As she was only a few feet away from the edge, her mind exploded in pain.as if a searing spike of molten iron had been driven straight into her skull. Devi screamed, clutching her head as the purple glow consumed her vision. Her mangled arm throbbed in rhythm with the stabbing pain, her heartbeat pounding like war drums in her ears. The smoky entity didn¡¯t wait. The coiling darkness surged toward her, its glowing eyes burning with cold malevolence. The air around it warped, and an unnatural chill seeped into her bones. Devi¡¯s muscles refused to respond; her limbs felt like lead as she struggled to crawl further. ¡°You thought you could bind me?¡± The voice wasn¡¯t a sound but a presence that echoed directly in her mind. It was deep, layered, and oozing with contempt. ¡°Foolish mortal. You will become my next host.¡± Devi gritted her teeth, pushing back against the invasive voice. ¡°Not today... you oversized smoke ring...¡± she rasped, every word an effort through the haze of agony. Her fingers clawed toward the array¡¯s edge. She wouldn¡¯t lose now, not after everything she went through to get here. Even if most of it was her own fault. With a final push, Devi managed to roll her mangled body across the line of blood, gasping for breath. Behind her, the entity¡¯s smoky tendrils lashed out, only to slam against a barrier at the edge of the array. A shockwave of fait light erupted where the dark tendrils met the glowing edge, forcing the entity to recoil with a hiss of frustration. It circled the array like a predator, probing for weaknesses. Each strike sent ripples through the barrier, and Devi could feel it weakening. With a growl, Deve slapped her remaining hand onto the array disk and began to push as much mana as she could into it. Power surged out of her, into the array, turning the faint glimmer of the barrier into a blazing light. Devi allowed herself a grim, blood-streaked smile. "Looks like you are the fool," she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. All at once, the barrier seemed to hit a turning point, and began to collapse inward, forming a sphere of bright white light. The purple glow of its eyes flared brighter, the coiling smoke thrashing violently against the brilliant wall. Each strike sent faint ripples through the barrier, but the array held firm. Devi collapsed just outside the circle, her body trembling with exhaustion and pain. Every breath felt like fire in her lungs, her vision swimming in and out of focus. She clenched her teeth, refusing to let unconsciousness claim her. ¡°You are not getting out of there,¡± she croaked, her voice barely more than a whisper. ¡°Not if I can help it.¡± The entity hissed, its form shifting as if testing the array for weaknesses. Its voice returned, sharp and venomous. ¡°You think this feeble construct can hold me? You have only delayed the inevitable. You cannot kill me!¡± ¡°You want to bet?¡± Devi sent another surge of mana into the array, shrinking the sphere even more. It was now the size of a large beach ball, but the smokey monster pushed out against her, halting the collapse. ¡°You will run out of energy soon enough, mortal. I can already tell that. Just give in.¡± Devi could tell the thing was right, even if she would never admit it out loud. Her stump of an arm continued to bleed, and she could tell her Mana was dropping fast. But what the smokey monster didn¡¯t know, was that she hated giving up. She didn¡¯t give up when her parents told her that getting into college was a pipe dream and that she was too dumb to even try. She didn¡¯t give up when everyone told her that she would never be a real woman. She never gave up when everyone told her that she couldn¡¯t get her dream job. Sure, she stumbled along the way and even came close to ending everything herself. But, she hadn¡¯t. And she wasn¡¯t going to give up now. With a scream, Devi dumped her remaining Mana into the array in a tidal wave. She was met with what felt like an iron wall, but she gritted her teeth. ¡°You wont be the thing that ends me!¡± Her defiant shout echoed through the cavern, and she clamped down on the resistance. Iron was tough, but, even that melted in the face of an inferno. The brilliant light of the array turned crimson as Devi poured her will into it. A few flames ignited along its surface, and the resistance began to crumble. The sphere constricted further, pressing the smoky entity into a writhing, chaotic knot. "No!" the entity screamed, its voice splitting into a cacophony of rage and despair. "You will regret this, mortal!" "Maybe," Devi rasped, her vision darkening at the edges. "But that''s a tomorrow problem." The array flared one final time, and the sphere collapsed completely, trapping the entity in a shard of solid light no larger than a marble. The room went silent, save for the sound of Devi¡¯s labored breathing. The marble rolled across the floor, stopping near her outstretched hand. Devi let out a laugh, or maybe it was a sob. She wasn¡¯t sure anymore. The fight was over¡ªfor now. The pain in her body surged as the adrenaline wore off, and she allowed herself to sink into the floor. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t think, but she clutched the tiny marble in her remaining bloodied hand. "Still here," she whispered to the empty room, her voice faint but resolute. "Still standing." Chapter 029: Skills! Devi struggled to resist the urge to faint, right there on the rocky ground. She knew that if she did, she wouldn¡¯t be getting up again. Her mangled left arm was still bleeding, and she was covered in a mess of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. She could feel a massive headache beginning to form from using so much of her Mana, and she was avoiding looking at her Status which was sure to have her Health, Stamina, and Mana in the single digits based on how she felt. First things first, I have to deal with my arm. If she didn¡¯t, she would bleed out, and all her hard work would be for nothing. She vaguely remembered a tourniquet was the way to go to stop blood loss, but, it came with some downsides. But she couldn¡¯t remember what those were. Regardless, she didn¡¯t have any other options right now. Devi fumbled with her belt, her trembling fingers barely managing to undo the clasp. Every movement sent a fresh wave of agony through her mangled arm, and her vision blurred with the effort. Finally, she managed to slide the belt free and loop it around her upper arm, just above where it abruptly ended. Oddly enough, it didn¡¯t hurt that much. "Come on... tighter," she muttered through gritted teeth, pulling the belt as hard as she could. The pain was excruciating, sharp enough to make her gasp, but it slowed the bleeding almost immediately. She secured the makeshift tourniquet with a shaky knot and leaned back, gasping for air. The rocky ground beneath her was rough and cold, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury to care. Her mangled arm still throbbed painfully, but at least it wasn¡¯t gushing blood anymore. She felt a tiny flicker of relief¡ªa battle won, however small. Though, she needed medical care, and fast. Not like there is any out here, she thought bitterly to herself. Maybe one of the people chose the novice healer class, and could help? Maybe one of them could grow her hand back. It was honestly her only chance now, it wasn¡¯t like she had a magic potion-- She slammed her palm into her forehead. I do have a magic potion. The blood loss must be getting to me. Digging through her bag, she found the three vials, labeled Health, Stamina, and Mana, in an odd language she somehow knew how to read. Pushing down her curiosity on that, she hastily uncorked the Health one and chugged it. The potential benefits of it being a healing potion far outweighed the potential of it turning out to be poison. The potion burned as it went down, sharp and acrid, making Devi gag and cough. She forced herself to finish it, every swallow sending shivers down her spine. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a wave of warmth spread through her chest, coursing outward to every part of her battered body. Small cuts closed up instantly, while larger lacerations began to scab over. She looked down at her stump and saw the blood had barely coagulated, forming a plug that would helpfully stop her from bleeding out. As quickly as the healing started, it stopped. Devi stared at her arm, her heart sinking. The potion had done its job, but only partially. Her stump was no longer bleeding, but it hadn¡¯t miraculously regrown, either. She flexed her fingers instinctively¡ªonly to feel the painful absence of them. ¡°Figures,¡± she muttered, sliding the empty vial back into her bag. ¡°No miracles today, huh?¡± Her body still ached, but the worst of her injuries had been addressed. All of the minor ones had been healed completely She could move without feeling like her entire body was on fire, which was more than she could have hoped for a few minutes ago. Her eyes drifted to the remaining two potions in her bag. The Stamina potion was tempting, but she hesitated. Using it now might give her a boost, but she¡¯d burn through it quickly if she wasn¡¯t careful. The Mana potion was an even bigger gamble. She was far too drained to face anything significant, and drinking it might not be enough to tip the scales in her favor if something attacked her. A sudden grinding of stone snapped her out of her thoughts. Whipping her head around, she saw a slate grey pillar rise out of the ground in the center of the room. It looked oddly familiar, and it only took her a moment to remember back to the Pillar of Civilization that had stood in the middle of the clearing. It felt like it had been ages since she had been there. This one though, was much smaller, being only a bit taller than her. Hesitantly, Devi reached out her hand and placed it on the pillar.
Pillar of Civilization (Temporary: Dungeon)
Store Leaderboard
Items Skills Race Class Vocation
82 days, 18 hours, 23 minutes
¡°82 days!¡± She shouted in shock. That ment she had been in this dungeon for 17 days. Which was far more than the week she had initially thought. And that week was a high estimate in her eyes. I guess time does really fly when you are having fun, she thought with a forced chuckle.
Pillar of Civilization (Temporary: Dungeon)
Store Leaderboard
Items Skills Race Class Vocation
General
  • [Inspect] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Fire Afinity] (Uncommon) 2,700UC
  • [Mana Sense] (Common) 900 UC
  • [Mana Sight] (Rare) 8,100 UC
Class
  • [First Aid] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Mana Shield] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Attribute Drain] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Magic Tool Proficiency] (inferior) 300 UC
VocationThis tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
  • [Sketch Design] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Improvise Material] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Assess Item] (inferior) 300 UC
  • [Mental Note] (inferior) 300 UC
Universal Credits 32,405
Devi stared at the glowing menu, her eyes fixed on the absurdly high number of Universal Credits displayed. "Thirty-two thousand?" she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, half expecting the number to vanish. But it remained, unwavering and brilliant. "How in the world¡­?" Her thoughts raced as she tried to piece together how she had accumulated so many credits. Was it from all the battles? The traps she had disarmed? The puzzles she had solved? The memories were hazy, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury of sorting them out now. What mattered was that she had resources¡ªresources that could change everything. Devi quickly scanned through the options, her mind racing with possibilities. [First Aid] was something she almost had to get, given her state, but, there were so many other tantalizing options. [Fire Afinty] called out to her, not that she was a pyromanac or anything. She had just used a lot of fire recently and it had been useful. Only reason. [Mana Sense] and [Mana Sight] both seemed very useful. She had been going at everything effectively blind, having to feel her way through creating magical effects with only rough feedback to go off of. These Skills promised something better. How much better was the question, since they cost a pretty penny. Then, there were the rest of the Class and Vocation Skills she could take. They all sounded extremely useful, though slightly limited in scope. And she only had two slots left to slot Skills into. Meaning she¡¯d have to choose only two for each of her Class and Vocation. Before, her lack of UC was the limiting factor for her Skills, but now that she had a surplus of those, she was starting to see that it was the slots that probably limited her Skills more. If it was this easy to earn UC, then, finding ways to get more slots seemed far more important. As she looked through the Skills, she remembered that the last time she had bought any, the price for all of them had increased. She didn¡¯t know for certain if the higher rarity Skills also increased in price, but she was pretty sure the pattern held. The more important thing she didn¡¯t know was if they increased separately, or did all the Skills raised their prices across the board. Though, knowing her luck, all of them would increase once she bought one of them. That made her choice pretty easy, choosing the most expensive option she wanted first, [Mana Sight]. With only a bit of hesitation, she made her purchase and accepted the prompt that popped up after, slotting the Skill in one of her three [EMPTY] general Skill slots. The moment she did, the world exploded in color. Though color was the wrong word. The "colors" Devi saw weren¡¯t colors at all¡ªnot in the way her eyes perceived light and dark. It was more like an overlay, a second sight, layered atop her natural vision. Waves and ripples of Mana pulsed in the air around her, filling the world with vibrant energy. It was both breathtaking and disorienting. The pillar itself radiated a steady, pale glow of Mana, organized in complex, interweaving patterns that shimmered as she moved her head. The lines and movement of those colors were fuzy, like trying to see something out of focus. She could see vague forms and details, but they were ill-defined, as though they were veiled behind an intangible curtain. Her newfound ability to see Mana didn¡¯t make everything crystal clear, but it provided her with a foundation to build upon¡ªa starting point. Devi took a deep breath and steadied herself. The swirling currents of energy were mesmerizing, but she couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted. She returned her focus to the pillar¡¯s menu, her mind already churning through her remaining options. "Alright," she murmured to herself. "[Mana Sight] was worth it, but now I have to decide what else to prioritize." Her eyes lingered on [Fire Affinity], which had jumped all the way up to 3,600 UC, 900 more than before. [Mana Sense] and increased by 300, while all the inferior Skills only jumped by 100. She couldn¡¯t stop herself, and before long she was looking for a pattern in those numbers. It had to do with how many total Skils she had bought or had slotted since those numbers were the same for herself. Inferior Skills looked to increase only 100 UC per purchase, Common jumped by 300, and Uncommon by 900. That meant Rare Skills increased by a mind-boggling 2700 UC for every purchase if the math kept constant. Each rarity seemed to multiply the last by 3, which was odd. There were a lot of threes in her Status window too. Three Skill slots, and three resources as well. Though, everything was in base 10? The starting point for the Skills was 100 UC, not a multiple of 3 at all. Devi felt like slamming her head into the pillar in frustration. Nothing made sense, at all. Devi took another steadying breath, shaking her head to clear the swirling thoughts of patterns and theories. This wasn¡¯t the time to solve the mystery of the universe¡¯s numerical obsession with threes. What mattered now was survival. And fire. She immediately bought the [Fire Affinity] Skill, because, well, why wouldn¡¯t she? Devi felt like she needed something fun after surviving and having to deal with the headache that was her new reality. When she accepted the prompt to slot the Skill, she felt something shift within her. A warmth that began as a faint ember in the pit of her stomach and spread outward, suffusing her body. It was as though a fire had ignited in her very soul¡ªgentle, yet undeniably potent. She closed her eyes, letting the sensation wash over her, and when she opened them again, the "colors" of Mana from her new [Mana Sight] had changed subtly. Around her body, faint strands of red and gold mana began to radiate outwards, dissipating once they got only a few centimeters away from her. Devi marveled at the vibrant aura now surrounding her, the red and gold strands dancing like flames in the wind. [Fire Affinity] wasn¡¯t just a passive boon; it felt alive, eager to be used. She clenched her fists, and the embers around her seemed to flicker brighter, responding to her will. ¡°This is... incredible,¡± she muttered, her earlier frustration melting away in the glow of discovery. She raised her good hand, letting her newfound affinity flow through her. The warmth was comforting as if the fire were an extension of herself rather than a foreign element. Even with her mangled arm and her exhaustion, she felt powerful¡ªalive. She had always felt a connection with fire, the duality of it. One moment bringing destruction, and the next, life. How a roaring inferno could be stoked from the faintest coals barely alive. Its flickering nature, being large and fierce one moment, and then dying down to nothing the next. How it was necessary for creation, the energy it contained parament to make anything. One of the first ways her ancestors had tamed the natural world, bending it to their ways, but, it was still wild, ready to turn on its new masters at a moment¡¯s notice. It was a struggle, but Devi managed to wrestle her thoughts away from fire. I am not a pyromaniac, I am not a pyromaniac. The fire inside will never be let out, never again. She still had five more Skill slots to fill, one general, and two for both her Class and Vocation. [Mana Sense] seemed to be an inferior version of her [Mana Sight], or at least that¡¯s what she assumed, as it was rarity lower. That left her with only [Inspect] for her general Skills, and she purchased that without hesitation. More information was always welcome. ¡°[Inspect]¡± Devi immediately turned to the pillar and tried to activate her newest Skill. She could feel something try to activate, a twinge of mana entering her eyes, only for nothing to happen. Devi could feel the Skill activate correctly, there was just nothing. She tried it again, this time looking at the corpse of the massive monster, but again, nothing. That didn¡¯t change as she tried it with the numerous smaller monsters that had collapsed when she had killed the big one. It wasn¡¯t until she tried it on herself in frustration did she get any success. [Human - lvl 8] That caused her to pause. Her race level was 8, but her Class was at 9. I guess it only shows the level of the race? The implications of that were imentse. It meant that her [Inspect] could tell her someone was a lot weaker than what there were in reality. Which could prove probablimtic if she relied on it too much. At the very least, it did serve as a benchmark for the power of other people, although, that hinged on the idea that she could use the Skill on them on the first place. With her general Skills all filed, she had her Vocation and Class to consider. And it was not an easy choice. [First Aid] seemed like it would be very beneficial, with her arm missing and everything, but, the extent of her injuries meant that something called first aid wouldn¡¯t be equipped to deal with it. Maybe if it was called magical first aid or something, she¡¯d consider it, but, with her arm in its current state, she didn¡¯t see it being useful. That said, in the future, it could be of use. Patching up smaller wounds would be good, but not parament. She needed something far more robust to help her immediate survival and recovery. Devi¡¯s gaze lingered on [First Aid] for a moment longer before moving on. If her arm were in better shape, or if she had a healer nearby, it might have been worth it. But now? She needed Skills that would either keep her alive or give her a fighting chance against whatever this dungeon threw at her next. Her eyes settled on [Mana Shield]. It was an inferior Skill, sure, but the name alone promised a defensive edge. In her current state, any form of protection was better than none. Devi didn¡¯t hesitate long before purchasing it, slotting the Skill into her Class slot. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the mana to spare to activate the Skill. She¡¯d have to experiment once she had rested. Alright,¡± she muttered, turning back to the menu. ¡°One more Class Skill and two for Vocation.¡± The [Attribute Drain] Skill caught her attention next. The name sounded ominous, but also... useful. If it allowed her to sap strength or abilities from her enemies, it could give her a much-needed edge in combat. Plus, the thought of evening the playing field against stronger opponents was too tempting to ignore. With a deep breath, she made her purchase. Finally, Devi turned her attention to her Vocation Skills. [Sketch Design] and [Improvise Material] both sounded practical, especially for crafting or repairing gear. [Assess Item] seemed invaluable for identifying loot or tools, while [Mental Note] intrigued her as a potential aid for organization and memory. After some thought, she decided on [Assess Item] and [Improvise Material]. These Skills made sense together¡ªletting her understand materials and create or modify them as needed. They''d make tasks like keeping a notebook or sketching designs easier, though she could technically manage without them. In contrast, the other Skills offered abilities she could probably easily replicate. Once slotted, she didn¡¯t feel any immediate change, which matched her expectations. Based on her experience, Skills seemed to fall into two types: passive ones, which caused instant changes she could sense, and active ones, which required use to understand their effects. With those final purchases, she had finally filled all of her Skill slots, so she went to pull up her Status to make sure they were there, only to see the mess of notifications that she had been subconsciously ignoring. ¡°Oh, I should go look through these I guess.¡± Chapter 030: Blue Boxes and Other Things A cascade of notifications flared to life before Devi, most congratulating her on defeating an opponent and gaining XP. Annoying. She swiped them away with an irritated flick, the glowing text vanishing into the ether. Maybe the notifications were useful if you weren¡¯t sure something had died, but by the time she checked them, the information was long past relevant. One notification stood out, though:
XP threshold reached Lesser Vampire (G) lvl 8 -> lvl 9 +3 all
Devi¡¯s breath hitched as a surge of vibrant energy coursed through her. Warm, electric, and alive, it pulsed through her body like a second heartbeat. It wasn¡¯t painful, but it was intense¡ªher muscles tensed, her skin prickled, and she felt sharper, stronger, and more attuned to the world. "Every time," she muttered, flexing her uninjured hand. Her movements felt more precise, her thoughts clearer. A faint smirk tugged at her lips, her fangs glinting in the dim light. "Three points instead of one across the board just for drinking blood? Not a bad deal." Her tone carried a sardonic edge. "Of course, there¡¯s the whole ¡®sunlight will kill me¡¯ thing to sort out." That thought sent a flicker of unease skittering through her. The dungeon¡¯s perpetual gloom had been her refuge, but the surface would be less forgiving. No buildings, no shade, and plenty of sunlight ready to turn her into ash. If her intuition was right of course. Though, knowing her luck, the worst thing she could imagine was probably only slightly better than reality. Shaking off the dark thought, she focused on the next notification:
XP threshold reached Novice Support (inferior) lvl 9 -> lvl 10 +3 free
This time, there was no burst of energy, just the notification. Her free points waiting for her to assign them them before giving anything. The next notification made her forget about diving into her Status even a little.
Requirements met: please advance your Class Note: You will not be able to earn Class based XP until after you have chosen. All Class XP will be lost until your Class has advanced.
Novice Support (G) (Inferior) --> Novice Mage (F) (Inferior) Novice Rogue (F) (Inferior) Novice Ranger (F) (Inferior) Novice Fire Mage (F) (Common) Novice Battle Support (F) (Common) Apprentice Support (F) (Common)
¡°Well, it looks like level 10 is the breaking point for Classes,¡± Devi mused out loud. ¡°Though, it might just be for my Class. My Race and Vocation might need level 100 for all I know.¡± She once again wanted to strangle whoever thought it was a good idea to give her this System, only to not give her any bit of guidance. Going blind into anything was her least favorite thing. It lead to all sorts of trouble. Scouling, Devi looked at the options, only to frown more and cross her arms. Most of these felt too familiar¡ªlittle more than marginally improved versions of her starting options. She rolled her eyes. "Come on, at least pretend this is progression. Slapping an ¡®F¡¯ grade next to it does not make it shiny and new." Her gaze lingered on the missing options she had seen back in the clearing: Novice Tank, Fighter, Healer. Why were they gone? Did she no longer meet the requirements? What even were those requirements? The good news was that those options felt almost identical to the ones before. The same hum of magic and control from Novice Mage, the same sneaky, agile promise from Rogue, the same subtle pull toward nature and precision with Ranger. The only difference was all three felt slightly more powerful. Probably since they were the upgraded versions, going from G to F, whatever that meant. Growling softly, she forced her frustration aside and studied the list. Each option tugged at her in a different way. Novice Fire Mage felt similar to the regular Novice Mage but more wild. She could almost feel the crackle of flames flickering out of sight when she focused on that option, a promise of power, and fire. It felt stronger than its counterpart as well, in some unknown quantity she could feel. While they both offered magic, the Fire Mage felt more constrained, as if other options of magic would be forever out of reach. But with that constraint, it offered more power, and more flexibility with fire. It was a trade-off. She had a feeling this option had something to do with her newest Skill, [Fire Afinity]. It was too much of a coincidence to be anything else. Novice Battle Support pulled her in another direction, urging her to the front lines. It felt aggressive, a call to enhance allies while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them. But its muted magic was a downside¡ªits physicality took precedence, and magic faded to a secondary role. Then there was Apprentice Support, which retained a balance between magic and utility. It was not flashy or powerful alone, but in a group, it could shine. Her enhancements could push allies beyond their limits. But... could she even form a group now? Vampires, at least fictionally, were not known for their camaraderie with humans, and she doubted she would be the exception. The thought of convincing others she was not a threat felt like an impossible task. She was already different enough, and knew firsthand how even being a bit ¡®other¡¯ let others show their uglier side. Now that she was also a vampire? Who knew how bad it could it. Her fingers brushed the sharp points of her fangs as doubt crept in. She would need blood¡ªeventually. It had been easy to sustain herself on just the bats that had occupied the caves, but, once outside, she¡¯d need a better way of feeding herself. And, if anyone caught her drinking, what would they say. But, the thought of ignoring that need filled her with unease. What would happen if she did? She had no answers, just more questions. Devi exhaled sharply, her breath misting in the cold dungeon air. At the very least, she could shorten the list down a bit. She was definitely not going to take any of the inferior Classes. None of them stood out much, except for perhaps the Novice Mage, but, if she was going to go the mage route, the common Novice Fire Mage looked far more appealing. That meant she only had three to choose from now. So much easier. The choices boiled down very simply. Magic, martial, and utility. Well, the martial still hand hints of magic, and the utility still could do some martial, but, the broad strokes were right. Her recent tumbles with monsters made her realize just how unfit she was for melee. Sure, she could swing her blade around, and doge attacks, but she had absolutely no idea how to wield any weapons. She felt as if choosing the Novice Battle Support would help with that. Even a tiny bit of help would do so much. But, it would probably stymie her magic. And her magic was one of the only reasons she was alive. From her very first fight, it had been her magic that had let her survive. Diversifying might help, but doubling down was the better option. That just left her with two choices. Two very compelling choices. But the real choice wasn¡¯t between the two Classes now. It was whether she wanted to be a part of a group or try to go at it alone. Support would only be a viable strategy long term if she could group up with people. Whereas the mage would let her bring some serious firepower to bear in her fights. Honestly, neither of them felt well suited for soloing. But, the support was even less suited. The allure of the Fire Mage tugged at her mind again, a fiery temptation that promised power and destruction in equal measure. She could see herself unleashing torrents of flame, cutting down enemies before they could close the distance. The thought was intoxicating. But the fire wasn¡¯t just a tool; it would consume her choices too. Choosing this path felt like shutting doors she hadn¡¯t even looked behind yet. Magic wasn¡¯t just fire. What if she needed something else? What if fire wasn¡¯t enough?Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Her lips twisted into a grimace. "Enough," she muttered under her breath, pushing the thought aside for now. The temptation was strong, but she couldn¡¯t let herself be pulled blindly into it. Her attention shifted to Apprentice Support. Rationally, she knew this was the smart choice. Balanced. Flexible. It wouldn¡¯t make her a one-trick pony like Fire Mage. And if she could find a group¡ªor, more accurately, if a group could tolerate her¡ªit would give her a solid foundation. She didn¡¯t need to lead the charge; she could make others stronger, better, keep them alive. But that was the catch, wasn¡¯t it? If she could find a group. The memory of jeers and scorn burned bright in her mind, sharper than any blade. She¡¯d seen how people reacted to things they didn¡¯t understand. Her fangs, her pale skin, her need for blood¡ªit was a package deal now, and not the kind that won you friends. Her choice really came down to whether she could make friends or not. And that wasn¡¯t something she could figure out down here. She needed to get back to the clearing and test the waters. Even though there was a warning that her Class XP, whatever that meant, would be lost, a slight delay might be better here instead of rushing into her class. A large part wanted to claim her upgraded class here and now, but, that would be short-sighted. With a sigh, Devi closed out of the Class selection screen. She¡¯d figure it out once she got back. And honestly, she probably wouldn¡¯t waste all that much XP on her trip back. She was definitely not going to be going out of her way to get into any fights. Her next notification brightened her mood though.
Congratulations You have completed the dungeon Grade: A Rewards: 32,400 UC, Claws of the Abyss (Uncommon)
¡°Well, that is where I got all those credits,¡± Devi murmured to herself. ¡°Good to know.¡± It still felt like a massive amount. Two orders of magnitude larger than her starting amount. However, she had to survive a massive spider, kill said giant spider, craft seven array disks without messing up, fight her way to the big undead monster, kill the monster, trap the wired curse energy, and finally, contain the energy. All by herself. Putting it all in a list, it was quite a bit. And she had done it by herself. Alone. It would have been far easier with a group. Even with just Mars and Mat things would have been ten times easier. And she might not have lost her hand. Turning back to the notification, Devi squinted at the last part of the rewards. ¡°Claws of the Abyss, huh?¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any way to claim them or have them appear. She double-checked the equipment section but found nothing there either. Frustrated, she scanned her surroundings for any hint of a loot chest or glowing artifact where the gloves might have materialized. Her sharp gaze found nothing but the same dim dungeon walls and the fading remnants of her battle. "Figures," Devi muttered. "Nothing is ever straightforward." Irritated, Devi closed the notification, only for the bluish light to coalesce in front of her, and then melt into the air. In its place were a pair of pitch-black gloves that seemed to devour what little light remained in the chamber. The material was smooth yet unnervingly cold, the edges of the gloves faintly shifting like smoke caught in a current. At the tip of each finger glimmered a wicked metallic claw, a near-perfect replica of the ones on the massive, slain beast lying just a few feet away. As Devi reached out, the mana in the air twisted, converging on the gloves. Tendrils of purple and black energy swirled chaotically around them, consuming any remnants of other mana types in their wake before receding into the fabric. She could still sense remnants of mana embedded in the gloves, but it felt slumbering, unmoving in some strange shape that she couldn¡¯t quite make out. It felt similar to when she borrowed one of her friend¡¯s glasses to see how they felt and tried to read. She could make out blurry lines, but nothing else. It was the same here. She could follow some of the trails of mana, but, when they faded into thinner or more complex structures, she was left with a blurry mess. The gloves hung in the air for a brief second before beginning to fall. Devi reached out to catch them, only to have them fall through the space her left hand should have been, sending the gloves to thump dully on the ground. ¡°Of course, I would get gloves as a reward, now that I only have one hand,¡± Devi grumbled to herself and she picked up the gloves with her remaining hand. She had been deliberately ignoring the loss of her hand the entire time, but it kept making its presence known. This just wasn¡¯t the time to break down, and if she spent more than just a few seconds thinking about it, Devi knew she would. ¡°I am alive, let''s just focus on that,¡± Devi murmured out loud, trying to recenter herself, and only succeeding marginally. She pulled up the next notification to help.
Congratulations For conquering a dungeon of your level meant for a party without assistance, you have received a title Dungeoneer I (Uncommon) +3% dungeon rewards
The new title was a welcome distraction. It only gave a small bonus, but, the I at the end signified it might be possible to upgrade. And, seeing how lucrative dungeons were, Devi was looking forward to finding more. But hopefully, she¡¯d be a bit more prepared. A long time to prepare. No need to lose any more limbs, she had a limited number of those. Her eyes winded at the next notification:
Please exit the dungeon Dungeon instance will close in: 23:47
¡°Shit!¡± Devi could see the seconds ticking down right before her eyes, which wasn¡¯t ideal. If she had known she was on a time limit, she wouldn¡¯t have spent so much time figuring out Skills and her Class. She had things she wanted to grab before leaving the dungeon. Quite a few things. She quickly made her way over to the large monster that lay sprawled in death a few feet away. Even dead it was imposing, towering over her and radiating a faint, lingering malice. Its face a stomach-turning mess of mangled flesh and bone. Probably even some of her own mixed in. When she got nearer, Devi strained her new [Mana Sight], hoping her new skill could sense if this thing had left a mana stone behind. Something this size would have quite a large one she reckoned. Or she was wrong and size had nothing to do with how large of a stone they had. The corpse had faint wisps of dark mana floating from it, fading into the surroundings, giving it a hazy appearance to her new sight. Some of the mana seemed to be concentrated in its claws, and a good deal in its feathers, making seeing further inside the creature hard especially since her new sight was only a few minutes old. Luckily, even the mana-saturated feathers couldn¡¯t hide the mass of energy located near the thing¡¯s spine, a marble worth of mana glowed. It was a few inches deep, with thick webs of energy radiating out from it. However, those veins of mana seemed to be drying up even as she watched. Not wanting to chance this mana stone dissipating, Devi hurriedly dug into the corpse¡¯s flesh with her dull blade, which was harder than it seemed. Not having a second hand for leverage really sucked. Thankfully, the skin was far less resistant to her blade now that it was dead, letting her carve into it and pull out the small gemlike stone. She quickly packed it away, along with a fair number of feathers. A few savage chops from her blade freed a few of the beast¡¯s claws. Devi then quickly scanned the odd dozen other corpses, but, much to her surprise, none of them had a mana stone. She either was super unlucky, or something was going on with them. When she had been hunting bats, about one in three had stones in them, so to go 0 and 14 was really surprising. It could just be her luck, which was known to be shitty, but, she felt it wasn¡¯t this bad. Maybe undead creatures just didn¡¯t produce gems? Questions for another day, she was on a time limit. She quickly grabbed a few feathers and claws from the dead monsters before rushing down the dark corridor back to the imposing door. This was the real prize. Her [Mana Sight] showed just how intricate the door was. Strands of multicolored energy twisted and wove their way through the whole structure, thicker ones anchoring themselves into the stone wall, while the more complex patterns focused around the round key she had inserted. Some strands seemed to fade from view, being too fine for her newly purchased Skill to pick up it seemed. And even the ones she could see were blurry. She had to almost press her face to the door to even begen to make out some of them. In a flash of inspiration, Devi decided to try out another new Skill. ¡°[Assess Item].¡± She hoped that the door would count as an item, and she could get atleast a bit of information from it. Devi ddin¡¯t have high hopes, but, any information was more than she had now. [???? (?) (???)] ¡°Well, that seems so useful,¡± Devi muttered as she scowled at the notification full of question marks. Maybe it was too hopeful to expect a level 0 inferior Skill to be of much help. Curious, she turned her Skill to the broken blade she had been carrying. [Broken Basic Sword Firestarter (G) (Infeior)] This time, her Skill gave her much more infoarmtaion. It still wasn¡¯t much, but, better than question marks. Shrugging, Devi turned her attention back to the door. What she really wanted was to take the whole thing out with her so she could study it more, but, that seemed impossible. It was anchorked securly to the cavern wall. She coudln¡¯t even see where the hinges were. That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t just take the key. Even though some of the carved runes, and the mana that mirrored them, were split between the key and the door, there were plenty that reised solely on the disk. Enough to keep her occupied for quite a while as she tried to decipher them. Devi put her shoulder on one of the doors and started the long process of closing them. The second door mirrored her movements as she laboriously pushed the door closed. All the while, Devi couldn¡¯t but be amazed as mana swirled and moved across the two doors, linking them somehow, letting them move much easier than they had any right to. With one final push, the doors closed, leaving the two halves of the metallic disk that served as a key to merge, forming one single whole. Devi quickly plucked the key out of its resting place and pocketed it. There wasn¡¯t much time left on the timer, and she really didn¡¯t want to find out what happened if she was still inside the dungeon when it reached zero. Knowing her luck, it would trap her in here forever. A quick jog later found Devi standing in front of the entrance of the dungeon. The unassuming wooden door embedded in the rock stood before her. It felt like forever since she had been chased in here by the rampaging boar. Though, 17 days was quite a long time. Devi reached out for the plain wooden door and hesitated for a moment. A sense of finality lingered as if stepping through would sever the tenuous connection she had built with the dungeon. Despite the pain, the losses, and the terrifying fights, this place had been a crucible. It shaped her in ways she hadn¡¯t anticipated. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± she muttered, pulling the door open. Chapter 031: Attack of the Trash Pandas! The air that greeted Devi as she stepped out of the dungeon was cool and carried the earthy scent of moss and damp leaves. She stepped through, her boots crunching softly on the pine-needle-strewn rocky ground. The door shut behind her with a quiet thud, and when she turned to look, the doorknob was gone. Only a weathered wooden door remained, with no way to open it. Dust and debris littered the sides, and a large scar was carved into the stone next to the door, most likely from the monster that had chased her inside. Faint moonlight filtered through the canopy surrounding the cliff face the door was embedded in. Her night sight was good enough to make out the imposing forest in front of her, fading to black the further she looked. ¡°At least it is night out,¡± Devi observed. ¡°It would have been terrible to get dusted right as I stepped out of the dungeon.¡± Devi put her hand against the wooden door behind her. For all it looked like a flimsy wooden door, to her touch it felt as if it was carved from stone. It was unmoving, not even shaking in its frame as she pushed against it. Even to her new [Mana Sight], it looked normal. No threads of mana weaving into it, it didn¡¯t even have more mana than the stone around it. In fact, it had less. She squinted at the door, trying to figure out what secrets it held. But, the door stubbornly refused to give up anything. It rebuffed any attempt to push mana into it and refused to budge even a millimeter when she banged on it in frustration. With one final useless push, Devi turned and faced the forest. She only had a vague idea of where she was, as her trip to the dungeon had consisted of her running away from a massive boar. Not very conducive to proper map-making. She could only remember the vague direction Mat, Mars, and herself went off to go hunt. So, figuring it was the best bet, Devi set off in the opposite direction, hoping she¡¯d run into the massive clearing eventually. Her logic was simple: if she didn¡¯t run into the clearing directly, she might at least encounter people. Not that she planned to talk to them¡ªwhat point would there be in that? Observing from a distance would be more than sufficient to find her bearings. The forest¡¯s canopy grew denser as she walked, the faint moonlight filtering through in streaks. Each step felt oddly soothing, her tension from the dungeon¡¯s oppressive atmosphere fading with every whisper of the leaves above. The faint breeze that rippled through the trees was intoxicating after weeks of breathing stale, stagnant air. Even the faint starlight, dim as it was, felt like a gift after relying on glowing array stones for light. Devi let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding, the cool night air filling her lungs and bringing with it a quiet calm she had sorely missed. As she moved further, the forest seemed alive with sound¡ªthe rustling of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. It wasn¡¯t the oppressive silence of the dungeon, where danger lurked behind every corner. This was different. It was vibrant and untamed, but it felt far less threatening. Until she heard the howl of a wolf echoing through the night. The howl sent a chill down Devi¡¯s spine, but she pushed the fear aside, forcing herself to focus. Wolves hunted in packs, and if she stayed where she was, she¡¯d be surrounded in no time. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her broken blade, its edge glowing faintly with heat as embers danced along the metal. Move first. Panic later. She stepped quickly but carefully, heading in the opposite direction of the sound. Her boots crunched softly against the pine needles, every noise she made feeling like a beacon. Another howl rang out, this one closer and from a different direction. A third echoed moments later, further ahead. Devi¡¯s stomach dropped. They are flanking me. She adjusted her course, veering left toward a thicker part of the forest. The undergrowth snagged at her pants, and low-hanging branches whipped at her face. She cursed under her breath, channeling mana into the blade to coax a faint flame to life at the tip. The glow illuminated her path, but it also made her an easy target. Though, she knew she was no match for these wolves to chase down. A little bit of fire would help a lot. Another howl rang out, this time behind her. Devi picked up her pace, jogging now, her breaths coming faster. The forest around her blurred as she moved, her focus split between staying quiet and finding any semblance of safety. Then she heard it: a low growl, too close for comfort. Spinning toward the sound, she caught the faint glint of eyes reflecting her blade¡¯s glow. But before she could react, something darted out of the shadows¡ªa blur of fur and claws, bounding toward her. Devi raised the blade instinctively, the flame flaring slightly as she fed it more mana. The creature skidded to a halt just outside the light¡¯s reach, snarling. And then she saw it wasn¡¯t a wolf at all. A raccoon, its eyes reflecting the fiery glow, stared her down with unnerving intensity. It chittered aggressively, baring its teeth as if warning her to stay back. ¡°What in the world¡ª¡± Devi began, but her words caught in her throat as more shapes emerged from the shadows. A group of raccoons, their fur mottled with streaks of grey and black, surrounded her. They moved with an eerie synchronization, their eyes glinting in the dim light. One of them¡ªa larger raccoon with a deep scar across its face¡ªstepped forward, chittering loudly as if issuing commands. Devi hesitated, keeping her blade raised. They weren¡¯t attacking, but they weren¡¯t backing off either. She stood there, sizing up the group of raccoons. They came up to around her waist, and most were standing on their hind legs. Most carried sharpened sticks, and other club-like branches. Their weapons were crude, but they looked serviceable. Devi couldn¡¯t help but start to think of ways to improve them. Fire hardening the spears, lashing stones to the clubs. Things she had only read about, but felt she could figure them out with enough trial and error. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A low growl from behind her broke her out of her thoughts. Turning her head slightly, she caught sight of more glowing eyes in the darkness¡ªthis time larger and more menacing. The wolves were closing in, their growls growing louder and more guttural. The scarred raccoon let out a sharp bark, and the others immediately turned toward the wolves, their fur bristling. Devi blinked. ¡°You want to fight them?¡± The scarred raccoon glanced back at her, its gleaming eyes narrowing as if to say, We don¡¯t have a choice. Devi felt a grin tug at her lips despite the situation. ¡°Guess you are right,¡± she muttered before stepping into the group of raccoons, gripping her blade. ¡°Did not think I would be fighting alongside raccoons, but, got to do what you got to do to survive.¡± The two groups tensed, the wolves circling around, while the raccoons waved their weapons, puffing up as much as they could. It was a wolf that made the first move, darting in, jaws snapped shut just inches away from the raccoon¡¯s face, its teeth glinting in the flickering firelight. The raccoon''s stick jabbed out awkwardly but effectively, catching the wolf in the shoulder. It yelped and recoiled, leaving a thin line of red across its fur. After that, the woods exploded into chaos. Devi had never been in a fight with more than just a couple of people, let alone a battle with a pack of wolves and a troop of raccoons. The cacophony of snarls, yelps, and the sharp cracks of improvised weapons filled the air, drowning out the forest¡¯s natural symphony. She would never admit it, but, Devi froze as the battle swirled around her. She could see the breath steaming out from the wolves¡¯ maws, their teeth glinting in the light of her blade. Their claws digging furrows into the soft forest ground as they stalked around the group. The raccoons weren¡¯t stagnant, they darted in and out, quick small attacks, coordinating their attacks. It was strange, as Devi had never seen a pack of raccons more than two or three, usually only solitary ones raiding a trashcan in an alley. But these raccoons were different, and were wicked smart. She was so focused on what was going on with everything, she almost missed a wolf lunging at her. Dodging around the snapping teeth, Devi lunged in with her blade, leaving a shallow gash on its flank, causing it to jump back, fading back into the melee around her. ¡°Focus Devi, focus.¡± A quick glance around let her locate the larger scarred raccoon. Time to put this whole support thing to the test. ¡°[Attribute Enhancment]!¡± Devi shouted, foucing on the scarred raccoon. Mana surged through her as she channeled the spell, targeting the raccoon¡¯s Agility. Infront of her hand, the mana pooled out, twisting into a complex seriers of shapes, before latching onto the raccoon, a thin line of her mana connected her to the raccoon. The raccoon noticed, causing it to chitter in surprise. Seven points wasn¡¯t the most, but, it was still a nice boost. And it was noticeable. The raccoon¡¯s movmentss became more fluid, quicker. It dodged the atacks faster, giving it more time to retaliate. Devi grinned, seeing her Skill work exactly as she had envisioned. Her small buff was already tipping the scales, but, she figured she could do more. It was time to test out one of her newest Skills. ¡°[Attribute Drain]¡± Her focus was on one of the wolves that was about to sink its teeth into a smaller raccoon. Mana once again flowed out of her hand that gripped her blade, twisting in on itself. She was tempted to stop and stare at the strange shapes it took, but she unfortunately didn¡¯t have the time. The mana burst from her, a thin stretched out from her to the wolf. When her mana hit the wolf, Devi felt resistance. It wasn¡¯t a physical thing, but more of a mental pressure, easily similar to the pressure she felt from the cursed monster. The only difference was this pressure was light, almost nonexistent in comparison. With only a small push of her mana, she overcame it. But it was still something to keep in mind. As her Skill connected, the wolf slowed slightly, its Agility drained. It was small, only one point right now, but more importantly, it caused the wolf to hesitate, not used to the feeling. An opening the raccoons did not ignore. Three separate makeshift spears struck out at the wolf, but, only one was able to do anything, the others not sharp enough to piece through the pelt of the wolf. Devi scanned over the battle, looking for an opening to either strike, or use her newest Skill again, but, it seemed the wolves were backing up. Many of them dripping blood and limping. The raccoons beside her were in a similar shape, licking at bites that had landed. No bodies lay on the ground, on either side. There was a tense moment where both groups eyed each other, gauging whether another attack would be worth the risk. Devi¡¯s chest heaved as she caught her breath, her blade still glowing faintly in the dim light. She tightened her grip, not willing to show weakness despite the growing fatigue in her limbs. The wolves, however, seemed to come to a decision first. With a low growl, the largest among them¡ªthe apparent alpha¡ªlet out a sharp bark. One by one, the wolves began retreating, their glowing eyes fading into the dark forest. Devi didn¡¯t lower her weapon until the last pair of eyes disappeared. Only then did she exhale, shoulders slumping. ¡°Well,¡± she muttered, ¡°that could have gone worse.¡± The raccoons were chittering among themselves now, some tending to minor injuries while others gestured animatedly at Devi. The scarred leader limped toward her, still clutching its makeshift spear. It gave her a long, appraising look before letting out a sharp bark-like sound. ¡°Uh¡­ you¡¯re welcome?¡± Devi said, unsure how to respond. The raccoon barked again, then gestured with its spear toward the forest behind it. Devi squinted, trying to make sense of the gesture. Was it... asking her to follow? ¡°You¡¯re leading me somewhere?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°Or is this some kind of raccoon victory parade?¡± The scarred raccoon tilted its head, clearly not understanding her words but waiting expectantly. When she didn¡¯t move, it barked again, more insistently this time. Devi hesitated. Following a group of raccoons deeper into an unknown forest wasn¡¯t exactly how she envisioned her night going. But she had no bearings and no better plan. ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. ¡°Lead the way, mighty raccoon leader.¡± The raccoon chittered, sounding almost pleased, and turned to shuffle into the forest. The others fell in line behind it, some glancing back at Devi as if making sure she was still following. Devi trailed behind, keeping her blade at the ready just in case. As strange as this all was, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that these raccoons had saved her life just as much as she¡¯d helped them. And while she wasn¡¯t entirely sure where they were taking her, one thing was certain: this forest was far from ordinary. As they moved deeper into the trees, Devi noticed faint signs of civilization¡ªor at least something resembling it. Worn paths crisscrossed the forest floor, and faint markings adorned some of the trees. The further they went, the more it became clear that the raccoons weren¡¯t just wandering aimlessly. They had a destination in mind. When they finally emerged into a small clearing, Devi froze. In the center of the clearing stood what could only be described as a miniature village. Tiny huts made of sticks, leaves, and mud were clustered together, with glowing mushrooms providing soft illumination. Raccoons scurried between the structures, some carrying tools, others tending to small fires or sorting through piles of gathered food. ¡°This¡­¡± Devi trailed off, struggling to find words. ¡°This is incredible.¡± The scarred raccoon turned to her, chittering once again as if to say, Welcome to our home. Chapter 032: The Magic of Fire Devi froze, her breath catching in her throat. What lay before her was no ¡°village¡± in the way she might have imagined. It was wild, raw, and chaotic¡ªa tangle of survival instincts turned into something almost resembling order. The heart of the clearing was dominated by an enormous tree, its roots sprawling across the ground like grasping hands. Beneath its massive base, the raccoons had burrowed dens¡ªshallow pits and crevices reinforced with loosely packed sticks, leaves, and bits of bark. Smaller nests were scattered around the clearing, tucked between exposed roots, or built into hollows in the earth. Several raccoons scurried between these makeshift shelters, some carrying scraps of food in their mouths while others dragged sticks or stones. A few hung from the lower branches, their movements jerky and nervous as they eyed her from above. The clearing was lit faintly by clusters of glowing mushrooms, which sprouted haphazardly along the roots and ground, their eerie light spilling across the chaotic scene. It wasn¡¯t civilization¡ªat least, not in the way she knew it. But it wasn¡¯t just instinctual chaos, either. There was a strange, animalistic logic to it, like the forest itself had taught them how to survive. ¡°This¡­¡± Devi whispered, her voice trailing off as she tried to process what she was looking at. ¡°This is incredible.¡± The scarred raccoon barked sharply, breaking her reverie. It gestured with its paw toward the base of the tree, then looked back at her with an impatient flick of its tail. Devi hesitated, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword. Every instinct told her this was a terrible idea¡ªwalking into a den of wild animals, even intelligent ones, wasn¡¯t exactly high on her list of good survival strategies. But then she looked around. The raccoons weren¡¯t acting hostile. In fact, most of them seemed more curious than anything else. A few of the smaller ones peeked out from their dens, their dark eyes wide as they watched her every move. ¡°Alright,¡± she muttered, taking a cautious step forward. ¡°Lead the way, fearless leader.¡± The scarred raccoon chittered in what she could almost interpret as satisfaction and began weaving its way through the clearing. Devi followed, her boots crunching softly on the loose dirt. As she walked, the other raccoons scurried out of her path, their movements quick and skittish. One particularly bold juvenile darted forward, sniffing the air in her direction before scampering back to a nearby nest. As they approached the massive tree, a wiry raccoon darted out from one of the dens. Its sleek coat gleamed faintly in the glow of the mushrooms, and its sharp eyes were locked on Devi with barely concealed suspicion. The other raccoons scattered as it approached, clearing a path like it commanded some unspoken authority. The wiry raccoon barked sharply, its tone almost scolding, as it glanced from Devi to the scarred leader. The scarred raccoon chittered back, its posture calm but firm as if trying to placate the newcomer. The wiry one huffed, puffing up slightly, and barked again, this time with more insistence. Devi folded her arms, watching the exchange with a mix of curiosity and unease. It didn¡¯t take a linguist to figure out what was going on¡ªthe wiry raccoon didn¡¯t like her being there. Its sharp, snapping sounds reminded her of the territorial disputes she¡¯d seen among stray animals back home. The scarred leader stood its ground, letting out a short, almost dismissive chitter and then gestured at Devi with its paw. The wiry raccoon froze, its ears flattening slightly as its gaze flicked back to her. It hissed under its breath¡ªsomething between frustration and resignation¡ªbefore turning away and slinking up one of the larger roots. ¡°Well,¡± Devi muttered, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I guess I am not winning any popularity contests here.¡± The scarred raccoon chittered softly in response, the tone almost reassuring. It gestured again with its paw, this time toward a small hollow beneath the tree. Devi glanced at it and realized it was lined with dried moss and leaves, arranged into what could only be described as a rudimentary bed. ¡°For me?¡± she asked, glancing down at the raccoon. It nodded once, its tail flicking. Devi hesitated. The ground beneath the tree didn¡¯t exactly scream comfort, but after everything she¡¯d been through, she wasn¡¯t about to turn down a safe place to sleep. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, lowering herself onto the makeshift bed. It was scratchy and smelled faintly of damp earth, but it was better than nothing. The scarred raccoon chittered once more before scurrying off into the clearing, leaving Devi alone beneath the tree. She leaned back against the roots, her sword still close at hand, and let out a long, tired sigh. She really would have preferred to be back in the clearing she appeared in, but, this wasn¡¯t too bad of a spot. The raccoons didn¡¯t look like they were going to murder her in her sleep, especially not after she had helped them with the wolves. She wasn¡¯t naive enough to think the bigger-than-normal rodents were helping her out of the goodness of their hearts. They wanted something, she could feel. Or maybe they were being nice to an ally of happenstance. It never hurt to be friendly with someone who could blast fire out of a sword. Once Devi had settled a bit more into the surprisingly cozy burrow, she turned her attention to her bandaged arm. She winced as she unwrapped the crude bandages from her arm, her breath catching at the sight of what lay beneath. Her hand¡ªor where her hand used to be¡ªwas now a rough, jagged stump. The bite wound left by the wolf had scabbed over unevenly, raw edges of flesh still red and angry. Blood had seeped through the bandages during the walk to the clearing, staining the fabric a dark brown. She clenched her teeth, staring at the injury. The phantom pain was still there¡ªher fingers itched and throbbed even though they were long gone. She could somewhat ignore the pain when focusing on other things, like fighting off wolves, but now, in the somewhat safe of this burrow, all her attention was on what she had lost. As she started rewrapping her stump with new bandages, Devi couldn¡¯t help but go over the fight in her head. She could see so many ways it could have gone better. Could have ended in her keeping her hand. She could have put the crystals in a bag and had the monster bite down on that, she could have tried throwing them into its mouth. She could have even tried stabbing it in the eye before gambling with her hand. ¡°Stupid stupid stupid,¡± Devi muttered to herself as she banged her head on the root behind her. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Eventually, her tumultuous thoughts calmed down to a simmer as the cold hard reality settled over her again. Her hand was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. At least right now. Literal magic exists now, who knows, maybe I could get my hand back eventually. It wasn¡¯t even that far-fetched of an idea. The potion she drank had instantly healed her smaller wounds, so, it stood to reason a better potion could do the trick. She finished wrapping her stump and turned her attention to the pair of gloves the dungeon had rewarded her with. She had tried her newest Skill [Assess Item], only to get a bunch of question marks in response. However, that did make her remember she had forgotten to use [Inspect] on any of the wolves or raccoons. It was just so easy to forget she had these odd Skills, but, she needed to remember. To use them enough that they became second nature. And to read her notifications. Devi refocused on the gloves lying in her lap. The sharp claws glinting in the faint firelight, while the leather seemed to drink in the light. She could see the mana laced through the glove, coiled in certain locations, creating a web of dark violet mana that pulsed slightly. She stared at the gloves, debating on putting them on. The claws seemed fairly impractical in daily life honestly, and she had no idea what they did. They obviously had magic, but, what that magic did was anyone¡¯s guess. Who knew, it could vaporize the first person to put them on? And knowing her luck, she¡¯d need both of the gloves to have them do anything, and with her missing hand, that was impossible. It was just like this new world to give her something that screamed magical, and even had a rarity of Uncommon to boot, only for her not to be able to use it. And even if she had two working hands, these gloves screamed ¡°Cursed!¡± Still, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from poking and prodding at the gloves with her mana. A little peak wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? It was frustratingly hard to actually see anything using only her [Mana Sight], so instead she opted to send a small trickle of her own mana into the gloves. It was the same way she had enchanted the array disks, feeling the internal mana structure with her own. The only difference was that instead of finding the entity of the glove to be malleable to her mana, it felt solid, and impassible, for the most part. The difference between granite and soft clay. She could feel faint pathways running through the glove, connecting small nodes that seemed far more malleable, but still ridged. Bringing the gloves up to her eyes, she saw that the odd nodes seemed to correspond to faint glyphs sewn into the leather, a deep black thread on top of the pitch back of the glove. It wasn¡¯t until inspecting the fourth rune did she noticed something odd. There was almost a feeling attached to it. It wasn¡¯t her own feeling, she realized, but something placed there. The memory of intent is woven into the magic itself. The mana felt, dark, for lack of a better term. Not that the color was dark, but that it invoked feelings of darkness, of shadows, of the night. It felt alien as well, not quite a human thought. Devi sat back, looking at the gloves. She didn¡¯t know if it was just that these gloves were odd, or if it meant that mana could hold feelings. And if those feelings were important to magic. Did magic need only glyphs, or could you also use feelings? Curious, Devi gathered a blob of mana in her palm and focused on the idea of fire. It was easy to conjure up memories of flickering flames, and dancing lights. The cozy warmth, and raging heat of a flame. Slowly, the mana in front of her started to flicker, bleeding out colors until only reds, yellows, and oranges remained. But that¡¯s all that happened. No flame sprang into existence, nor light. But she could feel the possibility, just on the other side of a wall. Something she couldn¡¯t quite push through. Just a bit more and she felt it would be possible to will the fire into existence. ¡°Wait, will, the fire into existence?¡± She murmured out loud. A quick check of her Status page confirmed that Willpower was indeed a stat. One she hadn¡¯t thought about. But, if her theory was right, it might help here. Using [Attribute Enhamcnet], Devi boosted her Willpower by a full 7 points and then tried pushing the feeling of flames into her mana to try and summon a flame. This time it was easier, but, the wall was still there, just, less firm. Devi gritted her teeth, focusing on the flickering mana in her palm. She could feel it now¡ªthe wall that separated her from fire was no longer an immovable barrier but something pliable, like stretched leather under pressure. The weight of her boosted Willpower surged within her, and she pushed harder, pouring every ounce of focus and intent into the sensation of flames. The flicker of red and orange in her palm intensified. Heat blossomed, faint at first, then roaring to life as a small flame sprang into existence, dancing erratically in her hand. Devi gasped, the warmth brushing against her face as she stared at the fire she had created. It wavered slightly, her mana still feeding into it, but it was real¡ªa flickering, living flame born of nothing but will and magic. "Yes!" Devi whispered, a grin spreading across her face. The thrill of success rushed through her veins, pushing back the fatigue of the day. She extinguished the flame with a flick of her fingers, letting her mana dissipate back into the air. But her mind was already racing with possibilities. She hadn''t just summoned fire¡ªshe''d shaped it from mana and intent alone. Was that the foundation of magic? Were glyphs necessary at all? Curious, Devi pulled more mana into her fingertips and started trying to form a glyph for fire in the air. She knew that sending mana through her etched glyphs caused fire, so, shouldn¡¯t this work as well? Shaping the mana felt far different than poring her intent into it. She had to focus on multiple parts, as she couldn¡¯t leave any part of the glyph alone unless it threatened to unravel. It was very similar to when she was enchanting the array disks, but so much easier. This time, it was only one pattern, and far less complex. Before long, a glyph floated in front of her, visible only to her [Mana Sight], hovering like an ember caught in an invisible breeze. For a moment, Devi hesitated, her heart pounding. The glyph was perfect, every line sharp and steady. It hummed softly with latent power, waiting for a spark to set it alight. Taking a deep breath, she channeled a small pulse of mana into the glyph. The effect was instantaneous¡ªthe lines flared brightly, and a controlled burst of fire erupted from the center, illuminating the burrow in warm, flickering light. The flame danced for a moment before dissipating harmlessly into the air, leaving behind a faint smell of singed wood and a lingering warmth. Devi let out a shaky laugh, her breath fogging slightly in the cool night air. ¡°Holy shit,¡± she muttered, staring at the space where the fire had been. ¡°I actually did it.¡± Her mind buzzed with excitement. She had just created magic without the help of a pre-inscribed array or enchanted item. And two different ways at that. What if she chained more glyphs together? Or had a different intent? What could she do? Could the two ways of casting magic overlap? Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint chittering sound. Devi glanced up to see a small group of raccoons gathered at the edge of the burrow, their glowing eyes wide with curiosity. One of them cocked its head, the reflection of the fire still lingering in its gaze. ¡°What?¡± Devi said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Never seen a human play with fire before?¡± The raccoons didn¡¯t respond¡ªof course¡ªbut their silent scrutiny made her chuckle. They looked... impressed? Or maybe it was just her imagination. Either way, the scarred raccoon leader appeared moments later, chittering softly at the group and shooing them away with a wave of its paw. It glanced at Devi with something akin to approval before vanishing into the shadows once more. I still have no idea what they want with me. Maybe this is just their way of thanking me for helping out with the wolves. Devi turned back to explore magic, only to notice her mana was in the single digits. She hadn¡¯t recovered from the fight with the wolves, and even before then, she was running on empty. With scowl, Devi leaned back against the root walls of the den, mind drifting off with pleasant thoughts of magic and what future things she could try.