《The Great Tower》 Prologue and Day 1 Prologue Mikani pouted, looking pleadingly around the board room table. ¡°But I¡¯ve invested so time in the humans! And we¡¯ve used a lot of their pop culture ideas to boost ratings, so-¡± ¡°Even still, profit margins are decreasing. No one is watching the humans. Their drama is so¡­¡± Den, sitting at the head of the table, made a helpless gesture with his hand. The he scratched his beard, as if embarrassed. ¡°So¡­ all of my hard work¡­ all of my nurturing¡­ gone just like that¡­?¡± Mikani¡¯s lips trembled, glistening tears forming in the corner of her eyes. ¡°Well, not exactly.¡± Qube readjusted his glasses as he spoke. Mikani glared hatefully at Qube. She knew he would be the one behind this. Always obsessed with profits, of course he would be the one to axe her Earth. Qube continued. ¡°We will obliterate the universe, but we will sell the humans to casting for The Great Tower. They will serve as fodder for the competitions.¡± A dam burst, and Mikani finally giving way to the sobs built up inside of her. Den rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the table, unable to find words. Once again, Qube broke the silence. ¡°Still, you never know. Maybe one will experience mild success. They appear to be a relatively adaptable race, after all.¡± ***** A 20 year old male from Earth was exasperatedly refreshing his browser, waiting for the newest chapter to come out, when he experienced a lurching sensation. Suddenly, he was somewhere else. He gasped, looking around. A grey creature with 11 eyes watched him with a bored expression. ¡°Welcome. You will soon be competing on The Great Tower, one of the greatest programs the integrated multiverse has to offer! In order to make things interesting, you are offered the chance to sell bits of yourself to the Ilium, in exchange for power. What are you willing to offer, contestant?¡± The male opened his mouth, and then closed it. This¡­ this is exactly like a web novel! Based on the setup, not one with a very high chance of survival. His entire life flashed before the male''s eyes, doing his best to realistically estimate his chances of survival. The male opened his mouth again, this time speaking. ¡°...bits of myself? Like body parts?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± The creature (was it referring to itself when it said Ilium?) seemed surprised he had responded at all. ¡°Body parts, personality traits, inches of your height¡­ basically anything. The more precious the thing is you sell, the more you will get in exchange.¡± The male considered briefly. ¡°First, I sell my name.¡± ¡°Done.¡± The male blinked, then smiled ruefully. Then he closed his eyes, thinking mulling over a dangerous decision. ''It¡¯s a gamble¡­ but if I want to succeed, I must take risks. I must say this.'' ¡°Okay, next I sell my memory of my previous world.¡± The creature chuckled, snapping his fingers. ¡°Fine accomplished. Anything else?¡± But the male¡¯s eyes blinked, and he seemed very confused. The creature sighed inwardly. It seemed like this one was done. Selling memories often transformed even the brightest individuals into bricks. ¡°If that¡¯s all-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The male¡¯s voice was deeper, somehow, when he spoke now. The male frowned at the floor. Then he looked up. ¡°I must¡­ tell you something. ¡®I sell my humanity¡¯. And then¡­¡± The male creature gazed into the distance as the grey creature with 11 eyes continued its processes. ¡°And then I must¡­ learn to kill.¡± Day 1 ...huh? I blinked my eyes, then I frowned. I was standing in a mass of confused looking beings in a large dark room. The floor was dirt. This place definitely didn¡¯t look familiar, but at the same time¡­ I didn¡¯t remember anything at all. Who was I? What was I doing here? I must learn to kill. The thought rose unbidden, but before I could examine it any further, a loud voice barked out, ¡°Hey! You newbies. Welcome. Most of you will die. Congratulations, you won¡¯t have to stay here in hell for very long. Alright, first things first. Think ¡°Status¡±. A window should appear.¡±
Name:Level:1
Race:
Vit:4End:2
Str:3Agi:3
Dex:4Int:5
Wis:5Luck:31
Titles
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity
As soon as the blue panel appeared before me, several others appeared.
Welcome to the System! The Great Tower is proud to have you join our team, and wish you the best of luck!
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the title "Nameless": As a being without a name, you live and die alone. +1 to all Stats.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the title "Raceless": As a being without a race, all races view you with suspicion. Gained the Skill "Endless Stomach" and the attribute "Biomass".
The Status screen flickered, and then reappeared with the changes.
Name:Level:1
Race:Biomass:0
Vit:4 (+1)End:2 (+1)
Str:3 (+1)Agi:3 (+1)
Dex:4 (+1)Int:5 (+1)
Wis:5 (+1)Luck:31 (+1)
Titles
NamelessRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless Stomach
¡°Alright, see it? Who has a Skill? Raise your hands.¡± I raised my hand, inwardly feeling slightly smug that I had two abilities. As soon as I did, I was teleported before a person with a pig face, and small beady eyes. ¡°Ability?¡± ¡°Uh, Lesser Air Affinity and-¡± ¡°E class¡­.eh¡­ put him in the marsh bowl. If he survives for a week, then we can use him. Boy,¡± Now the creature turned to glare at me. ¡°If you want to live, kill and level up. It¡¯s the only way out.¡± And just like that, I was standing in the middle of a marsh. Night was falling, and crickets began to chirp around me. My stomach rumbled. My clothes were different too. Gone was¡­ I frowned. Why did I think these clothes were different? The brown tunic and plain pants were all I ever remembered wearing, even if it was only from the last 20 minutes. Before that¡­ there was only a haze. I also currently had a belt on, which had a loop, and a cudgel hanging from the loop. I hefted it, wincing at how heavy it was. It wouldn¡¯t be any problem swinging a few times, but more than that¡­ Ribbet. I turned, surprised to find a frog the size of a basketball hopping out of the tall grass towards me. Frog? Where did that word come from¡­? Some instinct was telling me that my lack of memories was unusual, but- The frog opened its mouth and a pink blur darted forward, splatting against my collarbone. I could see rows of tiny, jagged teeth within the frog¡¯s mouth. I frowned. Suddenly I wasn¡¯t so sure this was a frog, whatever that was. I was snapped out of my reverie by the tongue yanking me forward, causing me to stumble and fall to my knees, splashing a viscous mud. I needed to stop thinking about this. And I just need to¡­ Learn to kill. The frog hopped towards me, and almost mechanically I removed the cudgel from the loop in my belt. I was¡­ afraid. I knew I had never done this before. My right hand tightened on the wooden shaft. The frog hopped forward, continuing to reel me in towards its mouth. It hopped again. But more than fear, I felt something else. I lashed out, my eyes almost glazed over. Anger, and a necessity so deep it was instinct. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Survive. Kill. Unfortunately, my body wasn¡¯t quite as on board with the plan as my instincts were, and the cudgel glanced off the right side of the Frog¡¯s head, missing its skull that I aimed for, but as it slid down its face, its eyeball popped from the pressure. A small spray of blood and eye pus splashed my face. The frog gurgled and pain and detached its tongue from my collar bone. It twisted, and began to hop away, likely driven by fear. But as it jumped, I caught its leg. Was it really fear that I was feeling? It began to croak wildly. I heard distant rustling, but I was marveling in how helpless the frog was as I pulled its bloated body back towards me. I could feel my heart pumping, a strange heat filling my veins. I felt¡­ powerful. More powerful than this frog thing, anyway. It apparently resigned itself to its fate, and whipped back towards me, throwing itself at me with its mouth open wide. The rows of jagged teeth looked fearsome, but my arm was already smashing downward. This blow struck it directly at the crown of the head and created a dull cracking sound. It slumped to the ground. I continued to strike. Crack. Crack. Crack. I hesitated with the cudgel held up, considering the broken form before me. I was almost expecting emotion to gurgle upwards from within me as I gazed at the smashed skull, the broken skin, it''s swiftly deflating body. But I felt nothing. Just a dispassionate satisfaction from winning. Is this how one kills? Ribbet. Ribbet. Shrugging, I turned to the three more frogs that had appeared from the tall grass and were hopping towards me. I had a vague impression of myself, and that impression seemed¡­ shaken by what I had just done. But I was swiftly becoming dissociated with that impression, and a new self was emerging, with a phrase like a burning brand guiding me forward. I must learn to kill- Splat. A tongue smashed into the cudgel, yanking it away. Seemingly pleased, the other two frogs hopped near to me, while the third dropped the cudgel, and hopped on top of it. The first frog shot its tongue out towards my leg. This time I was ready. I twisted to the side, avoiding the tongue but slipping on the mud. The second frog forgo its tongue and just leapt at me, mouth wide. As I tumbled backwards, I managed to get my hands up and grabbed its upper and lower jaws and held it above my head, struggling to keep its mouth from crushing my skull. Its tiny teeth dug into my hands, the force almost too much for me to resist. It was painful, but a transformation happened within me as I realized that these frogs wanted to kill me too. I needed to learn to kill¡­ because to kill is to survive. ¡°Ow.¡± I spoke almost reflexively, as the dull pain became sharper and deeper as the teeth began to bore into me. ¡°Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.¡± As I muttered to myself, slowly rising in volume, my strength surged, and I began to push open his jaws. After a few seconds,, I had reached the limit of how its jaw naturally opened, and I felt rather than saw its struggles to eat me shift to struggles to escape. A tongue slapped into my legs and began to pull, but although it could unbalance me, it did not have the weight to pull me across the ground. ¡°OW. OW. OW. OW.¡± By now I was yelling it, grinding my teeth and glaring at this maw that consumed my vision. To kill is to survive. With a sickening crunch, the mechanism of the jaw shattered as I ripped off the bottom portion. I gazed at it dispassionately, then dropped it to the ground as I began to stand. Another tongue slammed against my shoulder, but I just smiled. I stood and kept my center of gravity low, grabbing the tongue on my shoulder and yanking the frog towards me. It somehow disconnected the sticky bit of its tongue from my body, but I had a firm grip and drew it inexorably forward. The other frog disconnected its tongue too, and turned to flee. When the frog I yanked towards me was close enough, I raised my left foot and stomped once, powerfully, immediately crushing it. The fleeing frog hopped towards the tall grass. I dashed forward, picked up the cudgel and leapt after it, my longer strides covering a significantly greater distance. I brought the cudgel down in a wicked arc, smashing its skull inward, eviscerating its brain. Then, panting, I considered the 4 smashed frogs around me. My stomach rumbled. I scratched the back of my neck. ***** After several failed attempts spanning several hours, I was forced to admit that the damp nature of the area would prevent me from lighting a fire. At least water was plentiful. The strange impression inside myself that seemed to be a remnant of what I once was hesitated at drinking the tepid water, but I was thirsty NOW. And now it balked at the thought of eating the frogs raw, but¡­ My stomach rumbled loudly, even painfully. I raised the least broken body, the one whose jaw I ripped off, and sniff it. My eyes brightened; it smelled delicious. I liked the dripping blood, and involuntarily released a low moan. Next thing I knew, I was ripping the skin and flesh of the creature apart, devouring it. Bits of grit and bone I tossed aside, but the rest disappeared within me, filling a craving I didn¡¯t even know I had. It was only when all that remained in front of me was a pile of bones that I noticed the small blue windows that appeared during my meal.
Biomass +1
Biomass +1
Biomass +1
Oh? I gained Biomass from eating? I considered how I felt. My stomach rumbled. Well, there is no harm in eating a second. They don¡¯t appear to be very filling. As I picked up the next body, another box popped up next to the corpse.
Inspect?
Curious, I clicked it, and another status screen appeared.
Lvl:1Race:Lesser March Frog
Vit:1End:2
Str:1Agi:2
Dex:2Int:3
Skills
Tongue Grab
¡®Oh dear, no wonder it¡¯s so weak¡¯, I thought to myself, but I could feel myself smiling. Then I ate its corpse, leaving nothing but bones. After eating all the bodies, I checked my status again.
Name:Level:
Race:Biomass:11
Vit:4 (+1)End:2 (+1)
Str:3 (+1)Agi:3 (+1)
Dex:4 (+1)Int:5 (+1)
Wis:5 (+1)Luck:31 (+1)
Titles
NamelessRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless Stomach
I clicked on the word Biomass on my status screen expectantly, but nothing happened. I frowned. Why did I do that? Also, that impression within me was telling me I should be trying something, but¡­ I yawned. Killing frogs was sorta tiring. I walked over to the treeline, away from the tall grass that the frogs came from, and prepared to sleep. Day 2 Day 2 I was awoken by a roar. I sat up, groggy. Then, as the tree next to me toppled over, I scrambled to my feet. I looked up and saw a giant shaggy body, which was luckily facing away from me. It roared again, struggling to stand back up. Shuffling backwards, I could see that in front of what appeared to be a 10 foot tall black bear there was a huge snake, its coiling body at least 30 meters long, its body 10 inches across. It hissed lightly, its head waving back and forth in a mesmerizing manner. I turned and hurried away as quietly as I could. Seems like there is no need for me to go into the forest yet. I should just eat some more frogs. ***** I considered the group of 5 frogs sitting with half closed eyes below me. They were in a small, shallow pool of water in a thin ravine. I had been exploring for about an hour, and this was the only manageable group that I came across. There weren¡¯t any easy solo frogs like before, but the frogs were pretty weak. It didn¡¯t seem like I would have any problem handling this many, when I had the element of surprise. I dropped down behind two of them like a phantom, the cudgel whipping out too quickly for two of them to react. Their skulls cracked, and the fell on their side, senseless. Two leapt towards me, mouths wide, but I just smiled and sidestepped, letting them harmlessly sail past. I rushed up behind them when they landed and cracked them both on the head. I rolled to the side, expecting a tongue to shoot at me, but when I looked around, the 5th frog was gone. I frowned, then shrugged. Still a good haul. I walked around and finished the wounded frogs off, and as I killed the last one, several notifications popped up.
Congratulations! You have reached level 2. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog.¡±
Vit +1
End +3
Str +2
Agi +1
...I was a Radioactive Sewer Hog¡­? I frowned at the notifications. Or at least GROWING as if I was one. Also, how is Radioactive Sewer Hog a race? From what list were they drawing these names? Another point to consider, one which that impression within me was most closely focused on, was whether the growth rates I had received were any good. What were the typical human growth rates? And what did the stats do? Wait, what is a human? I pondered the question a bit before shrugging. Not worth my time. The impression within myself seemed to fade at the very question. I sat down and began to devour the frog carcasses, considering. ***** After some experimentation, it seemed pretty clear that I had grown significantly stronger from that one level up. Str would appear to benefit my Str directly, where End probably let me continue strenuous activity for longer. Both Vit and Agi resisted any noticable difference, but I didn¡¯t have any memories before yesterday, and I hadn¡¯t exactly been focused on how healthy or fast I was. I brought up my status screen.
Name:Level:2
Race:Biomass:13
Vit:5 (+1)End:5 (+1)
Str:5 (+1)Agi:4 (+1)
Dex:4 (+1)Int:5 (+1)
Wis:5 (+1)Luck:31 (+1)
Titles
NamelessRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless Stomach
As pleasing as the symmetry that emerged in my stats was. I wondered rather helplessly what I should be doing. Well, what seemed to be implied from the notification was that the more Biomass that was consumed when I leveled up, the stronger growth rates I could gain. So I guess I continue with the hunting frog plan¡­? My stomach rumbled. I patted it, then froze. That noise had made me realize how quiet the marsh around me had grown. I slowly looked up. Dozens of Frogs lined the edge of the pool, their beady eyes following my every move. Of course, this is how the Frogs survive. They bring the entire family to fight a predator. Then, almost against my will, I laughed. ¡°Predator, huh.¡± I spoke, not worried about the noise I was making at this point. It was far too late. My lips twisted. ¡°I like the sound of that. Predator. That will be my name.¡±
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your Title ¡°Nameless¡± has evolved into ¡°A Creature Which Named Itself Predator¡±. The stat bonus has increased to +2 to all stats. Damage has increased by 5% against races you have already killed.
The frogs in front of me, as if they took the blue notification for a signal, launched their tongues forward towards me. I dodge to the side, hissing, but at least 6 stuck to me, yanking me forward to my knees. I could hear a soft whistling behind me, as I knew the remaining frogs were leaping with open mouths towards my back. I gritted my teeth eyes glinting. I needed to time this almost perfectly. The whistling grew insistent. I could almost feel their drool. Roaring, I whipped around, dislodging two of the frogs with tongues stuck to me from their perch above the ravine, granting myself a small amount of mobility. My cudgel whipped out blindly, and I hastily prepared to compensate if the Frog was somewhere I wasn¡¯t prepared for. But it wasn¡¯t; it was a foot away from my back, its mouth impossibly wide. I smashed the cudgel against its lower jaw, dislodging it and sending the whole frog careening into its compatriot, who was about to munch the other side of my back. Several other of the frogs had landed on the ground were about to pounced towards my legs. They croaked evilly, and I sensed the determination in their eyes. Several tongues hit the back of my legs as I steadied myself. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I grinned. I didn¡¯t resist when the tongues heaved against me as one, hopping backwards. The frogs on the ground in front of me leapt toward me. In the brief second I had some slack in the insistent tongues stuck to me, I twisted, the 9 of them wrapping around the left side of my body, acting as a flesh shield against the jumping frogs. They bit into their compatriots tongues, barely looking, just grinding with those rows of jagged teeth. The frogs who were currently having their tongues ripped apart screeched in fury, the tongues disconnecting from me, letting me slip away with a grin on my face. One tongue stayed attached to my left leg, but I ignored it for now. My cudgel blurred, smashing the 4 frogs who were biting tongues, either stunning them or killing them. Then I launched myself to the right, catching up to the two frogs I had knocked to the side previously. Smashing both into oblivion, I had a sudden thought, and jerked the leg which still had a tongue attached to it, yanking the frog towards me. I wrapped both hands around the pommel, and swung what I instantly knew was a perfect baseball swing. The frog splattered from the force. Grinning, I scanned the upper lip of the ravine to see how many remaining frogs there were. I only saw 4 when two things happened: A set of teeth clamped down on my left shoulder and a set bit into my right calf. I froze for a split second. But then instincts kicked in and the cudgel became a vengeful force that obliterated the frog on my leg; I needed to be able to run away. In that time, the frog on my left shoulder set his jaw and BIT. Roaring with pain, I brought the base of the cudgel around and smashed it in the head twice. The grinding pressure stopped, but it hung on doggedly, its teeth slowly tearing my flesh open. I was raising the weapon for a third blow when I saw those 4 frogs still sitting above launch their tongues, their eyes fixed on the cudgel. Furious, I endured the agony and raised my left arm, feeling my shoulder tear and pop as I did. Still, it blocked all 4 of the tongues, and when they began pulling, I pulled back, harder, pulling them down into the pool. Only two more seemed to be above, waiting to shoot out their tongues. Or¡­ Well, I¡¯d deal with that when I had time. A frog that was stunned earlier leapt up towards me, hoping to catch me unawares, but I met it with a blow from the cudgel. A tongue shot out and hit my chest, but I just ignored it. Smashing the frog biting my shoulder under with a whimper, it loosened and fell off. At that exact moment, some strange instinct flared up, and I twisted around. The right side of my face burned where a frog had ripped its teeth across a moment earlier. It felt as if my ear was nothing but dangling flash. My face fell to a grimace. I yanked the frogs that had their tongues on me and smashed them to pieces. Then I leapt to the frog that had marred my face and ended it. I scanned the lip of the ravine, but the two frogs were gone. Cheh, typical. They were going to fetch more friends. Well, I can¡¯t let them go that easily. With the adrenaline still pumping through me, the leap up was a simple one, and I sprinted through the tall grass, all pretense of stealth lost, intent to track down the two fleeing frogs. ***** It took me about an hour, but I found them both. They were intelligent enough to head in separate directions, and one had almost reached what I could only refer to as a frog settlement. If what I killed had been about 20, there were 100s there, and larger, scarier things that my instincts warned me I wasn¡¯t ready for. As I returned, I blissfully ate one of my prey, enjoying the taste. But when I reached the edge, I froze. Standing below, holding a frog leg above a purple flame, was a strange creature. Its bottom half was metal, with four powerful metal legs that resembled a bug. His torso was naked, resembling a human¡¯s, except for blue skin. He registered me about the same time I saw him, and by the time I had crouched and hid my wounded arm behind me, he had drawn and knocked an arrow. There was a moment of silence. He broke it. ¡°Leave, stranger.¡± I tilted my head to the side, my eyes evaluating. ¡°Frogs are mine. Give, then I go.¡± His eyes gazed at me for a long time. I wondered idly what he saw. After a moment of hesitation, I spoke again. ¡°You only have one arrow left.¡± An empty quiver rested against his hip. ¡°It would only take one arrow to kill you.¡± Another stretch of silence. With a sigh, he relaxed his bowstring and let the tip of the arrow drop. He didn¡¯t unknock the arrow. Sensing the tension had passed, I hopped down, gleeful. Aside from the two that it seemed like the strange creature was eating, there were 14 frogs laying around. After surreptitiously gathering them all into a pile away from him, I began to eat with relish. After I finished, I leaned back, burping and satisfied. He seemed almost bemused. He had since put his bow back over his shoulder. I coughed dryly and pointed to the remnants of his two frogs. ¡°Are you finished with those?¡± He nodded. I ate them, delighted. By the end of it, my Biomass reached 52. Now, if I leveled again, hopefully I would get an even better growth rate¡­. I frowned at my left shoulder and flexed my fingers. Feeling was slowly coming back, and if I watched closely enough, it almost seemed like it was healing right before my very eyes. What a weird place. ¡°I have seen others of your kind, stranger. But mostly they died, screaming and attracting more predators. For sharing a meal with me, I will give you some advice about this place. How long have you been here?¡± Noticing that he seemed to be waiting for an answer, I grunted. ¡°A day.¡± He nodded. ¡°I suspected as much. They usually send groups of your people in on the 1st day and the 5th day. You came in the first day. All those sent here will have a week to get stronger. Kill creatures and level up. Unless you want to travel a vast distance, those frogs are your best bet. Avoid the forest. But be careful you don¡¯t earn the ire of the frogs too easily. If their patriarchs come.... Survival will be difficult.¡± ¡°That¡¯s basically it,¡± He said, looking at me with strange, yellow eyes. ¡°Kill creatures to earn experience. Use your skills to improve your mastery. Survive. And in a week, you will have the chance to ascend the tower. And based on your race¡­ You likely won¡¯t have any chance of surviving unless you reach level 10, or have a godly skill. But if you had that, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up here. Good luck.¡± Then he left. After I was sure he was gone, I ran away from the area, thinking that when the frogs investigated, I didn¡¯t want to be caught with this bloody arm. I found a small river that attached to the marshy area, and slept under some gnarled tree roots. Day 3 Day 3 In the morning, I was pleased to find my arm had almost completely healed. It was sore and stiff, but usable. In addition, I had but yawned and gazed around when I saw a lone frog, hopping almost directly across the river. Grinning, I swam across, careful to stay as silent as possible. And dispatched him. Just as its body crumpled, another bunch of notifications popped up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have unlocked the skill ¡°Weapons Mastery Lvl 1¡±: Your skill and effectiveness in using weapons has improved. Damage increased by 2.5%.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 3. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I hesitated. As much as I hated the name of the growth rate I had, it was heavily leaning towards physical attributes, which seemed the most useful. And the random chances for improvement¡­ Reluctantly, I selected yes.
Congratulations! You have retained the racial growth rates of a ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog.¡±
Vit +1
End +3
Str +2
Agi +1
Since you have reached Lvl 3 as a ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog¡±, you have the chance to learn the Racial Skill ¡°Foul Stench¡±. Would you like to learn it? Y/N
¡­¡­ This system had to be fucking with me. I decisively pressed no.
Due to the conversion of 50 Biomass, 3 chances for random improvements were earned!
Chance One: ...Mutation!
I scratched my head. Mutation?
Body undergoing mutation¡­
My head began to throb. And then it burned. I gritted my teeth and began to shake. Sharp lances of pain pierced my spine, as if someone were shoving spikes between my vertebrae. The agony slowly spread, until my entire body felt simultaneously doused in ice and struck by lightning. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then all at once, it stopped.
Mutation Failed!
...What? All that for-
Chance Two.... Mutation!
No not- ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±
Body undergoing mutation¡­
Mutation Failed!
I was panting, tears and snot rolling down my face. What¡­ What was that? And why does it keep on failing?!?! I tensed up, knowing what was coming.
Chance Three... Agi +2
This time, my body just trembled, my muscles instinctively flexing. Then the tremor passed, and I felt fine. Still breathing heavily from the pain, I brought up my status screen.
Name:PredatorLevel:3
Race:Biomass:13
Vit:6 (+2)End:8 (+2)
Str:7 (+2)Agi:7 (+2)
Dex:4 (+2)Int:5 (+2)
Wis:5 (+2)Luck:31 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1
I was indeed much stronger than when I arrived. I tested it a bit, jumping and leaping, finding myself to be capable of things that the impression within me seemed to believe were possible for a human, but clearly close to the limit. Most noticeable was the +3 to agility that I received this level. I was clearly much quicker, in movements and reactions. Unfortunately, that often led to me tumbling over, when my body reacted faster than my brain could handle. And I didn¡¯t quite have the balance that I needed to control my new strength, when I was going full speed. I suspected these were related to Dex, and I resolved myself to gather even more Biomass, getting a better growth rate. After all, I didn¡¯t want to risk a failed mutation again. The rest of the day I spent catching groups of frogs. It was almost too easy at this point. By the end of it, I had gathered 68 Biomass. To sleep, I returned to the area below the tree roots and curled into a ball. Day 4 Day 4 I sighed, having grown increasingly bored with slaughtering frogs. My Biomass was currently at 80 after spending all morning ambushing and eating the tasty little buggers. Honestly, I would have stopped long ago had they not been so delicious to eat. My stomach rumbled, and I patted it. This was getting a bit ridiculous. I was NEVER not hungry. No matter how many frogs I consumed, there was always more space within my stomach. What sort of bullshit skill was this?!?! I paused and looked at the treeline, considering the benefits of leaving the wetlands and go into the forest: More interesting. Cons: Bears and giant snakes. Likely even more powerful creatures hiding out of his sight. Still, that strange creature with a bow that I had encountered recommended reaching level 10, if possible. And at this rate, I¡¯ll need to kill and eat 1000s of Frogs to make it there¡­ I paused, a slight rustling catching my attention. As I snuck closer, I saw a singular Frog, hopping around. It hopped three times to the left, and then back, three times, as if it was unsure of what it should be doing. It was a scrawny fellow, almost not worth the effort to kill. My stomach rumbled. Fine, fine, then I¡¯ll just¡­ The Frog hopped left three times, and back to the right three times. I frowned, my eyes narrowing. I watched it for another 10 minutes, in which it continued to repeat the same series of hops. Is it possible that this¡­.was a trap? I began to back away from the solo Frog and circle around, carefully placing my feet for every step. Eventually, hiding the shadow of a mound, I found several Frogs of a type I had never seen before. They were around the same size as the usual, but they had a streak of red down their back. Frowning, I rubbed my chin. There was only 3 of the red streak frogs, were they really so powerful that they could handle me? At the very least, this was evidence that the frogs were taking me seriously. Then I froze. The mound lifted itself up and turned. A dull green eye opened, staring directly at me. It¡¯s mouth began to open impossibly wide. Shit. I threw myself to the side, feeling a rushing wind as something incredibly powerful shot past me. A tongue, I ascertained with a quick glance, but the fact that it could shoot out at such short notice, and at such a long distance¡­ Frogs, including the red streak ones, hopped out of the surrounding area, making a beeline for my position. I turned and sprinted away, praying it wasn¡¯t able to quickly repeat that level of power. Luckily it seemed that was the case, and I was eventually able to shake off pursuit. From my wandering, I was able to determine that the frog villages were pretty independent, so I could go to the next village over and hunt frogs there without worrying about these sort of traps. It was just galling that the frogs were able to drive me from their land¡­ Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.But, I resolved myself. When I grew stronger, I would return here, and make that giant mound frog pay. I looked at my cudgel skeptically. A blunt weapon had worked thus far, but with that much body in the way¡­ It would be hard to damage anything vital. I would have to come up with something else. ***** After traveling for several hours into wetlands I hadn¡¯t explored before and casually killing and eating frogs, I had around 111 Biomass when I finally reached level 4. Unfortunately, I was mid fight, so I ignored the notifications that appeared until I had finished off the last two frogs. Then I checked the blue screens.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 4. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Not this time, system. I shivered. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the decision I would have to make if I found a growth rate that was really good. Those failed mutations¡­ I clicked no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°XN-00013.¡±
Due to the special nature of XN-00013, Int has been split into ¡°Memory¡±, ¡°Processing Power¡±, and ¡°Parallel Computation.¡± Memory is now 5. Processing Power is now 5. Parallel Computation is now 1.
...the impression within me was roiling. The word ¡°computer¡± floated up, but I ignored it, mostly just curious on what benefit I would receive from this.
Memory +100
Processing Power +100
Parallel Computation +1
While these changes are being made, you will experience some slight discomfort.
Unlike the failed mutations, this process wasn¡¯t nearly as painful, but it did feel like a group of rowdy men were performing construction within my cerebral cortex. My head pounded, and I fell to my knees, unable to see straight or maintain my balance. The world swam. Unable to bear with whatever was happening to me, I passed out. Day 5 I woke to ribbets. I sat up, rubbing my head. I glanced casually around. 8 frogs, two of them already hopping away. 5 in front, 3 behind, 2 of the behind ones hopping away. I yawned and got to my feet. Two of the frogs in front opened their mouths to shoot their tongues at me. The other three leapt towards me. I stepped to the side, filled with certainty where the tongues were going to come from. They sailed harmlessly past me. Most surprisingly was that I found that I had somehow already drawn my cudgel and was lashing out at one of the leaping frogs. -Who drew that? -It was I, I¡¯m other you. -Oh, hello other me, how do you do? -How do you do. My left hand snaked out and plucked a withdrawing tongue out of the air, yanking it towards me. Other me warned that the frog behind us had opened its mouth, and I stepped to the side, the tongue shooting harmlessly past. This really was too easy. I finished off the frogs that were close, then chased down the two runners. Then I considered myself. I stared at the marsh around me. I mentally took a picture, then closed my eyes. I held the picture there, counting how many stalks of grass I remembered. It took a surprisingly short amount of time, pretty much a single second. Then I opened them and counted the grass around me, equally quickly. Hum. I looked down to find my hands playing rock, paper, scissors against each other. I began doing multiplication, starting with three digit numbers, but swiftly growing bored with it. Only when I began reaching 20 digit long numbers did I start to frown, taking up to a minute to finally find the answer to each one. Shaking my head, I brought up my status screen.
Name:PredatorLevel:4
Race:Biomass:13
Vit:6 (+2)End:8 (+2)
Str:7 (+2)Agi:7 (+2)
Dex:4 (+2)Memory:105 (+2)
Processing Power:105 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:5 (+2)Luck:31 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1
I suppose it would have been too easy if Parallel Computation was also increased by the bonus from my title. What would I even do with 4 selves? -You could have one of the other yous work on it. -Oh, thanks other me. Good idea. I laughed, and then frowned, surprised at myself. I usually wasn¡¯t so prone to displays of emotion- A scream cut across the marsh. I stood up, glancing around. And then I remembered that the creature said that on the 5th day, more of ¡°my kind¡± would arrive at this place. A flash of red caught my eye, and I focused my gaze. A female of similar skintone to mine and bright red hair was dashing across the wetlands, stumbling through puddles and seemingly ignoring the present danger of the frogs. -Ah, she likely doesn¡¯t know about the frogs, other me. -I know, other me. It¡¯s just foolish to make such noise in a strange place. But to the woman¡¯s credit, her clothes appeared to be ripped, and there was a line of blood streaming from her shoulder. A low chuckle attracted my attention. An overweight, balding man was strolling after the female, spinning several knives across his fingers. He also had a long spear strapped to his back. My expression brightened immediately. I stepped out into his path to attract his attention, then said. ¡°Give me those knives. I need them.¡± He blinked at me, then laughed. ¡°Oh you want these, you shitty Tarzan wannabe? Then here, have them.¡± I carefully watched his hand as he telegraphed the throw, whipping a knife towards my throat. I plucked it out of the air, and hefted it, curious. His face went white, and his off hand flicked two more towards my torso. I spun the knife I had first caught across my fingers, imitating him while MY off hand snagged the two new ones out of the air. ¡°Something like¡­ this?¡± I attempted to throw the knife back, but it trembled mid air and he was able to dodge my leaping to the side. While mid air, he twisted and flung 5 knives at me. I watched the sweat drip down his forehead with a sly grin on my face. The increased mental functions had a lot of benefits. Although time didn¡¯t slow, my mind was miles ahead of body, which was close to the limits of a human. I had to use both hands, but I gathered all of the knives. ¡°No¡­ more like this.¡± I flicked three knives towards the man, and they embedded themselves in his thigh, gut, and shoulder.
Congratulations! Due to your high level of attention and comprehension, you have managed to learn the Skill ¡°Knife Throw Lvl 1¡±. Accuracy when throwing knives increased by 3%. Damage increased by 1%.
¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s like this.¡± I splayed my fingers, the remaining knives flying out in a fan, sinking into the trembling man¡¯s body.
Congratulations! Due to your practice, your skill has become ¡°Knife Throw Lvl 2.¡± Accuracy when throwing knives increased by 6%. Damage increased by 2%. You may now throw additional knives at once.
He started screaming, and I glanced around, frowning. If he kept up that noise, it would likely attract the frogs in the area, or something worse. So I walked over to him and cracked his skull with my cudgel.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 5. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°XN-00013¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I hesitated. I barely had any biomass, so I probably wouldn¡¯t get very many chances for improvement. And if I got another Parallel Computation¡­ I clicked yes.
Growth Rate retained!
Vit +1
End +4
Memory +96
Processing Power +107
Due to the conversion of 17 Biomass, 1 chance for random improvements were earned!
Chance One: ¡­ +2 Luck!
I breathed out a sigh of relief, then frowned. I did not earn another Parallel computation. And more problematically, while my memory and processing power was even more overpowered, that didn¡¯t help me survive beyond a certain point. I needed to increase my physical attributes. Still, killing this strange man was much more effective than killing 50 or so Frogs. I wondered idly whether I should kill the female too. I retrieved the knives from the man¡¯s body, wiping the blood on his clothes. Then I took the shield from his back. It was a sturdy thing, made from wood reinforced with metal. Although it wouldn¡¯t withstand the tongue of the mound toad, with my quick calculations, I should be able to defect it harmlessly enough. Before following the female, I devoured the man¡¯s body, ignoring the horror from that strange impression within myself, and checked my status.
Name:PredatorLevel:5
Race:Biomass:13
Vit:7 (+2)End:12 (+2)
Str:7 (+2)Agi:7 (+2)
Dex:4 (+2)Memory:201 (+2)
Processing Power:212 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:5 (+2)Luck:32 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1Knife Throw Lvl 2
***** When I caught up with the female, she was leaning against a tree, seemingly unaware of the sleeping bear behind her. I hissed between my teeth. This was difficult. The female was sobbing quietly, her red hair preventing me from seeing her face. Other me commented that she had good hips for birthing. Other me began thinking about whether I had lost my capability to breed when I became raceless while I considered my options for grabbing her attention. Ultimately, I settled on throwing a knife. With a Thunk it sank into the tree trunk, right next to her temple. I was quite pleased with my accuracy. The female looked up, her eyes wide. They were brown, I noticed. ¡°S-S-Stay away!¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t so loud that it would wake ME up when I was sleeping. But the area where the bear was became ominously still. I hastily drew my hand, still holding another knife, across my throat, frantically trying to signal that she should be quiet. She began to scream. The bear leapt to its feet with a roar. I just sighed, my hands were already whipping two knives at the furious bear. I was aiming for its eyes, but I was annoyed to find that one knife whizzed by its head, while the other sunk into its nose. I suppose nothing comes easily without practice. The bear¡¯s angry eyes narrowed and focused on me. Luckily this bear seemed to be a relatively small one, only 7 feet tall, but it still had several hundred pounds of weight on me. It lumbered towards me, paws raised. I dashed forward, one hand drawing the cudgel, the other strapping the shield onto my arm. The girl continued shrieking, stumbling backwards away from us. Full of bloodthirst, the bear swung its paw downwards to crush my body. I crouched even lower, raising the shield to deflect the blow and swinging my cudgel in an arc to smash the bear¡¯s knee joint. My blow hit first, but I didn¡¯t have time to decide if it inflicted significant damage. The bear¡¯s blow hit much, much harder. The shield cracked and splintered, and I was thrown dozens of meters to the side, tumbling through the bushes until finally smashing up against a tree trunk. Groaning, I rolled over, surprised to find that while everything was extremely painful, Nothing appeared to be broken, aside from the shield. It appears that all those points going into End really paid off. Then I shivered, imagining what a direct hit without a shield would do to my body. I spotted my cudgel nearby and quickly grabbed it, giving it an affectionate rub. Better not lose my oldest friend quite yet. Still more to do. Abruptly, the female¡¯s screams cut off. Gritting my teeth, I stumbled to my feet and walked back towards the bear. No one would steal my easy levels and get away with it! When I approached, the female appeared to be curled up into a ball on the ground, and the bear was pawing at her, curious. It had managed to remove my knife from its nose, and a small amount of blood was dripping onto the trembling female. I circled around behind the bear, a wild giddiness rising in my stomach. I had no idea why I was about to do what I was about to do, but I felt the rising adrenaline and grinned. My feet were light and close to soundless as I sped forward, part of me focusing on accelerating, the other part using my perfect memory to find every twig and leaf and place my feet between them. Then, as I neared, I leapt towards the bent over back of the bear, one knife in each hand. I landed perfectly, my legs splayed around so that I seemed to mount him, as if was a small horse and not a bloodthirsty black bear beneath me. In the split second after I landed, I stabbed down with my knives, deep into the flesh of the bear¡¯s back. It roared, straightening up and swiping at me around its back, but I had already used my knife holds to scuttle up farther. Honestly, standing up was a bad choice, Mr. Bear. When I reached a good spot on its shoulders, I left other me take the left hand while I focused on the right, and we both began wildly stabbing around the front side of its neck, attempting to nick its jugular. The pain incensed it further, and it began to swipe more earnestly, its razor sharp claws raking across my back. Hissing with pain, I ignored the swipes and stabbed deeper, and deeper, until¡­ Other me found it first. Blood began to spurt out, covering my fingers and drenching the female below, dying her cheek the same color as her hair. Mission accomplished, I left both knives embedded in the bear where they were and dropped down, drawing the cudgel again, smashing that same knee. This time, with a sickening pop, the knee bent sideways and the bear tumbled over. Right on top of the female. Its roars were turning slowly into low groans, and then to fearful whines, but for good measure I threw the rest of my knives at it, adding however I could to its blood loss. For the next 10 minutes I waited patiently as the bear bled out, shifting feebly on its back. Finally, after around 3 minutes of stillness on the bears part, it sighed, and a notification popped up before me.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 6. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°XN-00013¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Not this time, weird blue notification. I was a bit disappointed that I only had the 32 Biomass from eating the man earlier, but hopefully I could still get a decent race¡¯s growth rate. I clicked no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Kobold Minion.¡±
Vit +1
Str +1
Dex +1
I sighed, gazing at the pathetic name, and the even more pathetic level up gains. Perhaps I was just spoiled so far? But another notification popped up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 7. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
Oho! Two levels for one kill? Excellent. And now I have the opportunity to eat this entire bear before leveling! With that much Biomass, I will undoubtedly get a good Growth Rate! ***** After dragging the bear off the body of the smothered female and sparing her a glance, I dug in, gluttonously devouring all the flesh of the giant thing. I took care to shave much of its pelt off, planning on using it later. Otherwise, I sucked down every edible morsel. I even cracked open its larger bones and drank the marrow. By the end, I had 99 Biomass. Excited, I brought up the Status menu and selected Level Up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 7. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Kobold Minion¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Rolling my eyes, I reached forward to press no- ¡°Where did you put all that?¡± Eh? I twisted around, other me just as shocked as I was. The female was sitting up, wiping blood off of her face and glancing from me to the picked clean bear bones next to me. Well, I suppose I really should have checked if she was alive, but I figured- But then I froze, as notifications began to pop up before me.
Growth Rate Retained!
Str +1
Dex +1
Wis +1
Since you have reached Lvl 7 as a ¡°Kobold Minion¡±, you have the chance to learn the Racial Skill ¡°Path of the Dragon¡±. Would you like to learn it? Y/N
I paused. Well, It certainly was a better racial skill than Foul Stench¡­ ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± I reluctantly turned away from the notification and looked at the female. ***POV CHANGE*** Ketlia had been manipulating men for most of her life. So when that balding pig had stolen her shield and threatened her with his knives, she ran away screaming. As they say, ¡°Danger invites rescue.¡± What she didn¡¯t expect was that her rescuer would be this cold eyed, shirtless, hasn¡¯t-taken-a-bath-in-weeks sorta type. The right side of his face was marked by scars, and most of the ear on that side was gone too. Also, that her scared act would result in waking up a bear. Or that the rescuer would kill the bear and eat it raw. She decided to refer to him as ¡°wild man¡± for now. Wild man was currently scratching his cheek, seemingly perplexed by her. Her clothes were still ripped from where the knife man attacked her, so she drew part of the bear pelt that lay near her up over her body, subtly reminding him of her own femininity, and her vulnerability. This action finally drew a response. Wild man pointed at the pelt. ¡°Don¡¯t touch. That''s mine.¡± Ketlia frowned, annoyed by his reaction. ¡°Why? So you can creep on my body? No way.¡± If anything, this seemed to confuse the Wild man more. ¡°...what¡¯s ¡°creep¡±?¡± Pursing her lips, Ketlia said slyly, ¡°So you aren¡¯t thinking about me naked right now. At all.¡± Wild man nodded, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Smirking, Ketlia marshaled her will and activated her skill that earned her a place in the weird place. She reached into the wild man¡¯s mind. -What is she talking about? -Like I said, procreation. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. -In the forest? Foolish bears and snakes could- -Anyways, it¡¯s a definite yes for- -Still, the growth- -Dex is fine- -Should we- ¡°SHUT UP.¡± Ketlia was shocked at her yell, and rubbed her temples. She hadn¡¯t had much chance to utilize her new ability to read minds, but she found wild man¡¯s voice to be more loud and incredibly fast speaking. ¡°Are you fucking crazy? Why do you have two voices inside of your head?¡± Wild man tilted his head to the side. Then he smiled, very slowly, and Ketlia shivered. ¡°...you can read minds? ***POV Change*** I suspected that if I really had to, other me could run interference by very loudly thinking through multiplication tables. But I suppose it really doesn¡¯t matter if she reads my mind. I¡¯m not trying to fool her, just use her. ¡°Does it just work with people? Or with monster too. Could you read the bear¡¯s mind?¡± The female nodded hesitantly. ¡°Yes. But it was harder. And I didn¡¯t notice it because it was asleep.¡± ¡°Can you sense nearby thoughts? Or do you need to know someone is there to read? What¡¯s the range? How deeply can you see? Can people hide thoughts from you?¡± Female frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to tell you the extent of my powers.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Prove to me you are useful. Or I will kill you for the level.¡± We maintained eye contact for several seconds. Female looked away. ¡°...yes, I can sense minds just by them thinking. Its like ripples on water. The range is pretty far. Like I know that right now¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°There is something coming this way. Because¡­ because it can smell blood.¡± ¡°From which direction?¡± Female pointed deeper into the forest. I sighed. Probably a big ass snake- ¡°How big of a snake? I could see you picturing it. In you mind it looked¡­ it looked big enough to eat a bear.¡± Female laughed shakily, and I chuckled. Still, if she could really sense life forms based on their thoughts, it would make harvesting frogs for Biomass much simpler. And it would make avoiding traps a breeze. ¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s go somewhere less dangerous. Then I want some more information.¡± I picked up the pelt, recovered my knives, and hurried away, turning my attention back towards the notifications. Other me paid close attention to the female. I clicked yes to learn Path of the Dragon.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Path of the Dragon¡±. Legend has it that Kobolds are distantly spawned from dragons, but that is a myth! In fact, the opposite is true. Every Kobold carries within it the seed of a dragon, and if nurtured, they become entities that can cause hellfire to rain from the skies. To begin to nurture your seed, kill an enemy that is a higher level than you.
Hum, simple enough. I didn¡¯t really know what levels most monsters are, but those mound frogs are probably-
Due to the conversion of 99 Biomass, 4 chances for random improvements were earned!
Chance One: ...Evolutionary Leap! All stats (aside from Parallel Computations) +1. A small amount of height gained.
Height? What sort of nonsense- My skin bubbled, then shifted. My muscles seized up, then abruptly relaxed, almost causing me to fall over. I spared the female a small glance, then coughed lightly into my hand. It made me nervous, knowing that a mutation might come through, leaving me vulnerable in front of her. Although she seemed docile enough now, even if she was giving me weird looks, I had no doubt that she would kill me to survive.
Chance Two: ...Str +1!
Chance Three: ...Mutation!
Damnit, just when I thought I was in the clear- ¡°Uh, just a moment,¡± I managed to cough out, leaning up against a tree to brace myself. The female just watched me with glittering eyes.
Body undergoing mutation¡­
Mutation failed!
¡°Keh-!¡± The pain was as invasive and debilitating as I remembered, but I struggled to stay on my feet, glaring at the female. For her part, she seemed taken aback by my grimace, and backed a few more feet away from me. After about 30 seconds, the pain passed, and with a sigh I turned and began jogging towards the nearby wetlands. It would do no one good to be caught here by a giant snake. ¡°Is it still coming towards us?¡± The female nodded nervously and looked back. ¡°Yea, and faster than ever. I think it just passed the spot where you left the¡­¡± She glanced at the pelt I was carrying. ¡°The bones.¡±
Chance Four: ...Mutation!
Damnit! Of all the rotten luck.
Body undergoing mutation...
Waves of pain rolled across me, fiery needles that ripped through my flesh and flayed my bones. I couldn¡¯t swallow, couldn¡¯t breath. I stumbled forward, intent on getting away from the snake. But where the pain usually started fading by this point, it just kept building. My heart trembled, its rhythm falling to pieces. My vision began to fade, my eyes filled with tears. For a moment, I wondered whether I could die from one of these. An evolutionary dead end?
Mutation successful! You have discovered the attribute ¡°Health Regen¡±. Base value set at 1x. Health Regen increased to 2x.
After the pain broke, it became a wave of comforting warmth that spread over my entire body. My eyes once more grew sharp, my heart beat confidently, and I could feel a strange itching on my back, where the bear scratched me. I wondered if my ability to heal had really increased that much. Either way, at least I had gotten some benefit from the mutations. Once more confident, I strode forward, bringing my status up to admire my new level.
Name:PredatorLevel:7
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2
Vit:9 (+2)End:13 (+2)
Str:11 (+2)Agi:8 (+2)
Dex:7 (+2)Memory:202 (+2)
Processing Power:213 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:7 (+2)Luck:32 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1Knife Throw Lvl 2
Path of the Dragon
***** ***POV Change*** Ketlia breathed heavily struggling to keep up with wild man. After his initial few spastic episodes as they left the forest, he seemed to recover his poise as they entered the marsh area. Since then, he had loped confidently ahead for what had to have been almost 5 miles, ignoring her increasingly accusatory glares. She had focused on him to see his thoughts, in case he was doing it on purpose, but wild man was only thinking about ways to use her. Letting her concentration fall, she sighed. Reading him really was more difficult than others. His thoughts were like a busy city. And the fact that he was inwardly talking to himself¡­ Not as most people do, but that amount with an extra layer of complexity. It took a lot out of her to read him. Finally, unable to stand anymore, Ketlia said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Wild man stopped and looked at her. Then he looked around. After a minute, he nodded. ¡°This should be a new village. Use your skill, female. Find us some frogs.¡± ***** She had thought he was joking, when she found a dozen small minds, they really turned out to be weirdly oversized frogs. He then gave her a long look, and then said. I want to try something. Then wild man moved among the frog like¡­ well, a human among normal frogs, giving them sharp raps on the temple generally, killing a few that tried to escape with his knives. Then he brought the few that he knocked out over to her. ¡°I want to try something. Kill these, and if you level up, tell me what stats you gain. In exchange, you can eat a frog. Deal?¡± Ketlia frowned. ¡°Level up? Stats? Do you really think this shit is real? This isn¡¯t a video game.¡± Wild man just gave her a deadpan look, as if she were an idiot. ¡®Well,¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡®I suppose I can read minds, so¡­¡¯ Killing the first one was hard, but once he showed her where to stab, it was simple, if messy. After the 6th frog kill, a blue box popped into existence in front of her.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 2. As a human, you have gained the follow:
Vit +1
Str +1
Dex +1
Wis +1
Willpower +1
She reported the gains to wild man, who nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Interesting. Basically 1 for everything. But also, you have a stat that I don¡¯t I wonder if that¡¯s because of your skill.¡± Overall though, Ketlia could tell that he was pleased by what she said, smug in a strange way. She wondered if he gained more from a level up. Smiling slightly, she looked at the notification box below that one.
Due to your title ¡°Soul Conduit¡± you have gained the following:
Int +2
Wis +1
Willpower +3
She opened her status screen and was pleased by what she saw.
Name:Ketlia StoneLevel:2
Race:Human
Vit:3End:1
Str:2Agi:3
Dex:4Int6
Wis:6Luck:4
Willpower:7
Titles
Soul Conduit
Skills
Mind ReadingLesser Astral Perception
¡®Not as physically minded as this specimen,¡¯ She thought, eyeing Wild Man, who began devouring most of the frogs. ¡®But I¡¯ll make due.'' ¡°So,¡± She finally said, watching with distaste as he ripped into a frog leg. ¡°I know you¡¯re a savage, but how am I going to cook this?¡± Wild man just chuckled, and she opened her mouth to deliver a sharp retort, but then she blinked. She turned and looked to her left. ¡°There are¡­ people.¡± She frowned. ¡°A lot of them.¡± ***** Ketlia gave Wild Man a sidelong glance. She could sense his thoughts were whirling round and round incredibly quickly, but she made no attempts to peer into him. She had enough of headaches for one day. She was still carrying the frog that he had given her, and Wild Man still had three of his own, dangling idly from his left hand. His right arm was still wrapped around the bear pelt. All in all, he really looked like a wild man who could survive in this strange landscape. Turning back towards the group of people, she considered them. Most attractive of all was the modest first that most of them crowded around. There were about 10 people in total, most of them young and fit. Aside from the 10 around the first, three men were using two axes to cut down a tree, far away but still within sight of the camp. A shoddy lean to had also been erected, and Ketlia could sense that there were three people within, engaged in¡­ passionate activities. Her lip curled. A chieftain already enjoying the spoils of being on top. Literally. Well, in its own way, the predictable types were desirable. Ketlia looked at Wild Man again, who was now fiddling with the claws he had taken from the bear. What was most impressive about the camp was the huge skull of what could only be a snake, sitting on a pole in the middle of the camp. ¡°So? Let¡¯s go over and introduce ourselves.¡± And to her surprise, he nodded. She led the way, feeling slightly ridiculous bringing an oversized frog with her. As they neared, the people by the fire leapt to their feet, calling frantically. Ketlia felt the annoyance emanating from the lean to from the interruption, and the three men off cutting down logs hurried back. The entire group gathered before them, around 10 feet away, 16 in all. A fair amount. The man who walked out of the hut, followed by two flushed brunettes, could only be described as golden. 6¡¯2, honey hair, tanned skin, he would definitely be the protagonist in the movie made about their current situation. He would unite humanity and lead them to salvation. Ketlia shivered. But if the people who sent them here were to be believe, it would only be for 7 days. ¡°Hello!¡± Golden boy greeted them with a smile. ¡°My name¡¯s Nathan. It¡¯s great to see there are other survivors. I looked around as much as possible to find people, but it seemed all we were finding was bones.¡± He laughed lamely, and a few of the group behind him tittered. Ketlia opened her mouth to respond, but much to her surprised, she felt a light touch on her back. She was so used to the nonphysicality from Wild Man that she almost jumped. As it was, she just twitched, looking sidelong at him. Wild man just gave her a long look, and then looked back towards Nathan. Curious, she reached into his mind. ¡®That one with black hair, at the back. He is the dangerous one.¡¯ She glanced at the man in question, finding a nerdy looking character with greasy black hair and fanatical eyes. She reached into his mind, and could feel his calculating mechanations. And also the trust that individual had in Nathan. ¡®Well,¡¯ Ketlia thought wryly to herself. ¡®There are different sorts of danger.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m Kat. This is my¡­¡± A brief pause, but still enough that Ketlia cursed herself. ¡°Cousin Devin. We just managed to catch these frogs and were wondering if we could borrow your fire to cook them.¡± One of the brunettes stepped forward eargerly. ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be for free. Maybe if you gave us a couple of those frogs-¡± ¡°Dana,¡± Nathan spoke with a frown, then smiled brilliantly at Ketlia. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. Of course, feel free to use our fire. We are all people here, we need to stick together. But of course, if you feel like sharing¡­¡± Ketlia opened her mouth, but was surprised when Wild Man spoke. ¡°Take these. Catching them¡­ is pretty easy. I¡¯ll go get more.¡± He threw the three frog bodies to the ground in front of the practically drooling group, and then turned to go. Ketlia hastily reached into his mind, and was profoundly annoyed by what she found there. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come back for you.¡¯ Wild Man walked off, and Ketlia turned to the annoyingly bright smile of Nathan. ***** By the time Wild man returned, Ketlia was forced to listen to too many stories about Nathan¡¯s exciting life in the real world, and excuse herself to escape his increasingly forward advances. She did, however, learn that the one that Wild Man seemed concerned with was named Ishten. For a brief moment she considered staying here, among these talkative, catty, nebulous social hierarchy. But a brief gander into the minds of those here let her know that Nathan just wanted to fuck the shiny new girl, and most everyone else regarded her with various shades of envy or disgust. Only Ishten was different, but what she found in his mind was something more sinister: a growing obsession, evidenced by the way his eyes remained locked on her the entire time. When he returned, Wild Man had somehow worked the bear pelt into a makeshift robe, looking quite presentable, to a group of people who didn¡¯t possess noses. But tied to a branch were 9 frogs, which the group accepted with glee. After eating with the group in a manner that appeared almost normal (if a bit voracious) Wild Man stood. ¡°Well, we should move on. It is not safe here. I recommend you do the same.¡± Miguel, one of the brawny men that were cutting down trees and building a second and third lean to, frowned at Wild Man. ¡°What do you mean? We just built a place to sleep. Do you just want us to wander around the marsh. Wild man just blinked at him. ¡°There are no frogs in the nearby area. That means they were already aware of you. They will come in large groups to kill you. Leaving before that would be smart.¡± Nathan put a hand on Miguel¡¯s shoulder, quieting him. Then he turned to Wild Man. ¡°I think what Miguel is trying to say is that you might be good at catching frogs, but they are still just frogs. Even if a bunch come, so what? And if they are anything like that monster,¡± Nathan pointed at the snake skull with a smile. ¡°We will be able to handle it. If we work together, humans can overcome anything. Won¡¯t you consider staying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m uninterested.¡± Wild Man refused without any dressings. Nathan¡¯s smile began to seem a bit forced. ¡°Even so, there¡¯s no reason that you should force your¡­ cousin¡­ to join you on your wanderings. She seems like the type of girl who deserves a bit of comfort. Isn¡¯t that right Kat?¡± His voice lowered to a purr as he leaned toward Ketlia. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather stay here, with me?¡± Ketlia stood. ¡°Sorry. Family comes first.¡± She walked confidently forward, away from the group. Wild Man turned and followed. She could sense the poisonous roil of emotions from Nathan, and was a bit impressed that when he eventually spoke, he sounded so reasonable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. If you change your mind, we will be building a future here. Together.¡± Ketlia did her best to resist the urge to vomit. ***** After they had walked away a bit, Wild Man picked up the pace. They spent the rest of the day heading west and hunting what frogs they encountered. He let her get most of the kills, and then ate the bodies raw afterwards. She wondered idly where he put all of that food he ate, but figured that there were more pressing questions than that. She was also a little annoyed that Wild Man seemed to take it for granted that she would choose to follow him than remain with the people. And it wasn¡¯t hard to be annoyed at him when he offered her what amounted to a sweaty and bloody bear blanket, because he ¡°didn¡¯t need the rest of it.¡± But she wrapped it around her shoulders anyway. ¡°When in rome,¡± she muttered to herself. By the end of the night, she had reached Level 3, and she could sense that her mind reading powers were becoming more strange and powerful, but in range and detail in what she could see. They stopped and crawled into a small alcove beneath a fallen tree, laying back to back in the darkness. Ketlia bit her lip, and resisted the urge to cry. One day at a time. She wouldn¡¯t lose to this wild world. Day 6 Day 6 ***POV Change*** I was surprised when the female woke me up, shaking me softly. After yawning and streching, I pulled myself out from underneath the fallen tree and looked at her. She had taken to wrapping the bear pelt around her, covering her shoulders and falling down to around mid thigh, like an extremely short cloak. Her eyes were serious. ¡°Something is attacking that group of people, a lot of somethings.¡± ***** When we made it back near enough to the camp to see, most of it was already over. Over 100 frogs had come to the camp, including a dozen of the red streak ones, which appeared to spit poison, and one mound level frog. Although there were quite a few slaughter frogs, almost all of the bodies that were so full of life yesterday were being devoured. The only two still standing were Miguel, wielding a large axe, and Ishten, his eyes burning bright. When he would point, a huge plume of flame would burst forth, leaving screaming frogs in its wake. But it appeared that he was running out of gas. ¡°Nathan and that girl¡­ I can sense them. They are running away, into the woods.¡± I shrugged. It made sense, they wouldn¡¯t be able to overcome this many frogs. But heading deeper into the woods was a bad idea. Well, I couldn¡¯t warn them of anything. -Well you could have. -Quiet, other me, every man is alone in this world. -Except for us. -Quiet, other me. I turned to find the female, Kat?, giving me a weird look. -Yea, I think her name was Kat. ¡°It¡¯s Ketlia, actually. You could have just asked.¡± She grumbled, watching with a surprisingly determined gaze as these people like her were slaughtered. I looked back towards the slaughter. The mound was hopping forward, heading towards the panting duo. When it was about 30 meters away, it stopped. ¡°And this,¡± I said to Ketlia, expectantly watching as it opened its mouth. ¡°Is why even I am wary of those frogs.¡± Tongue blurred, exploding Miguels head and quickly reeling the body into the giant maw. Ishten, finally losing his nerve, turned and began to run, ignoring the frogs hopping around him. But that mound frog was too quick. The tongue brought the body back into its mouth, it chewed just once, and then the mouth was opening again, the tongue shooting forward, piercing through Ishten¡¯s heart drawing the body back to eat. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Let¡¯s¡­¡± But I paused, eyes locked on the mound. After the frog ate the body, it trembled, then grew about two feet. And as I watched, the flesh of its forehead heaved and bubbled, and then popped, revealing a third eye, sitting right in the middle of its head. Most forebodingly, that eye turned and looked directly at us.
Congratulations! You have encountered the first step on your path to becoming a dragon. Slay that monster, and grow into your birthright.
At least I had a bit more guidance on what that strange skill would do, but there was a more important bit of information here: the monsters can level up and evolve too. This wasn¡¯t a good thing. I shivered. ¡°We should leave.¡± She stared at the eye, horrified. ¡°...I think it can see us. It wants-¡± Its mouth was barely open, about 100 meters away, but my instincts felt it coming, even if I couldn¡¯t sense it at all. I managed a half step to the side before the vicious tongue had crossed the distance and basically eviscerated the left side of my abdomen. My body was spent spinning and tumbling, the pain almost knocking me out. I actually must have lost it for a second, because all of a sudden I snapped away, Ketlia crouching over me, indecision and fear in her eyes. I stood up, blood running down my now shredded bear robe, and shoved her away from the frogs. ¡°Move! We can¡¯t stay here. We can¡¯t-¡± But I couldn¡¯t finish that sentence. There just wasn¡¯t any air in my lungs. But still I hobbled forward, my improved Agi enough that even with the injury handicap I was getting farther ahead of her. I twisted my head around and glared at her, wishing I could find the strength to speak, but I knew that continuing to run was more important. If it got another shot with that tongue¡­ ¡°Are you¡­ are you alright? How can you survive like that?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, hobbling grimly forward. I couldn¡¯t answer. ***** ¡°Three things. First, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would say that wounds heal exponentially, rather than linearly. As if the healing builds up momentum. You don¡¯t heal at all during a fight, or running away, but as soon as I was in a safe zone, the flesh started to knit right together. Second, my increases in Vit and End from leveling seem to have made me much more hardy. And finally...well, it doesn¡¯t matter, you can read my mind anyway. My recovery speed should be about double the average. As such, I¡¯ll probably make a full recovery.¡± I grimaced, looking at my furiously throbbing side. ¡°Probably by tomorrow.¡± Ketlia just sat there, looking into a small pond, bear pelt wrapped around her. Then she raised her head and looked at him. ¡°Now what? That thing¡­ that thing was smart. Smarter than an animal. It had plans. And it wanted¡­¡± She shivered. ¡°It wanted to devour you. You specifically. It knew your face. And it will chase you until it gets what it wants.¡± I nodded, satisfied. Ketlia seemed to sense this, and her jaw droppped. ¡°You¡­ you want to fight it? That? Unless you have a machine gun hidden somewhere-¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I waved my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. I just need a level or two. Besides, I have to fight it too, now. Its my destiny.¡± Ketlia gave me a withering look. I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Well anyway, it won¡¯t be that hard. Just a few things to do first. And while we are at it, we can train you up. Time to fight on your own for a bit. ***** Although there were a few close calls during her first fight, she managed to pull through, and grew to level 4. I didn¡¯t plan on having her actually participate in the fight, but she would be useful in locating that three eyed monster, and making sure I could isolate it. Scary enough to fight it alone. But with dozens of smaller frogs hampering me? I would die. In the meantime, when I wasn¡¯t eating the corpses of the frogs to gain Biomass, both of my hands were practicing throwing knives, learning to control their flight with more finesse. And it appeared that having two selves focus on it really did make the process much easier.
Congratulations! Due to your practice, your skill has become ¡°Knife Throw Lvl 9.¡± Accuracy when throwing knives increased by 27%. Damage increased by 9%. Knives can be thrown with incredible accuracy from long distances.
Well, it wouldn¡¯t win the war by itself, but every bit helps. With the increased mastery of that skill and my Biomass at 171, I was ready to shift my attention to leveling up. I still couldn¡¯t move at full speed, but I could walk in straight lines and throw knives well enough. Working together, Ketlia and I ripped through large groups of frogs, not bothering to hide our presence as they pursued us. Part of my plan was to draw out the read streak frog, and it worked. Unfortunately, it caught me by surprised, and I had to shed the rest of my bear robe in order to survive through its acid. Still, when my three knives sunk into its head, I finally got the notification I had been waiting for.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 8. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Kobold Minion¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I clicked no, crossing my fingers. Hopefully the 171 Biomass would be enough...
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Vampire Stalker.¡±
Vit +2
End +1
Str +2
Agi +3
Dex +3
Memory +2
Processing Power +2
Wis +1
I sighed. It was fine, I supposed. All in all, I gained quite a few stat points. But the points in Memory and Processing Power were almost pointless, and I was hoping to obtain something that could give me a more concrete plan for fighting against the three eyed frog. I glanced at Ketlia, who was dispatching the rest of the frogs. I opened my status and sighed.
Name:PredatorLevel:8
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2
Vit:11 (+2)End:14 (+2)
Str:13 (+2)Agi:11 (+2)
Dex:10 (+2)Memory:204 (+2)
Processing Power:215 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:8 (+2)Luck:32 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the Dragon
Would this be enough¡­? ¡°Hey.¡± I frowned, looking up at Ketlia. There was something strange about her voice¡­ She smiled. Her mouth didn¡¯t move. ¡°I just got level 5. And I learned a new trick. ***** Later that night, after we tested the limits of her new ability to speak mentally and working out a plan to attack the frog, we snuck back to the camp. Although all the bodies had been taken by frogs, there was something I thought we needed to make this work. Ketlia got a spear that she seemed pleased with, and I found that wickedly curved axe that Miguel had used to decimate the frogs. I grinned in the darkness. I was very excited for tomorrow. Day 7 Day 7 ***POV Change*** If anything, Wild Man was even more driven today, recklessly slaughtering groups of frogs, seemingly completely recovered from his injury. While one hand flicked knives, the other was bringing a body to his mouth so he could eat them while he continued to kill. It was¡­ disturbing, to say the least. But he seemed determined to eat all of their carcasses. It seemed like he never ran out of energy, so Ketlia wondered if she should give his diet a shot. She chuckled to herself, then a thought struck her. ¡°I never asked,¡± She sent telepathically to him, delighting in the control it gave her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± There was a flurry of indistinguishable thoughts as the two whatevers inside of him conversed, and then stillness. Finally: ¡°Predator.¡± ¡°Predator?...that¡¯s¡­¡± Lame, she thought to herself. ¡°I meant before you came here.¡± -Before? -Don¡¯t remember. -Ask the impression. -Impression knows words, most likely remnant of- -But then why do we- -It¡¯s possible that- Ketlia shut out his thoughts, blinking. He didn¡¯t remember before? She wondered if it was some sort of weird trauma from the event. But ¡­ Predator didn¡¯t seem like the type to be phased by much. Maybe he had a psychotic break, and that¡¯s why he sometimes seemed so emotionless? ***** ¡°They are coming,¡± Ketlia sent mentally to Predator, as she monitored the 100s of little frog minds heading towards where he was. Their killing spree had attracted the attention and ire of the three eyed frog, and it lead its hopping army to chase them. As per the plan, there were right at the edge of the treeline, in an area with a bunch of small hills, to let Predator move without revealing himself to that monster¡¯s sniper tongue. She was deeper within the forest, high up into a tree, hopefully out of the range of any wandering frogs. But she was careful not to let her attention waiver, scanning for the mind of a snake or bear sneaking up behind her. ¡°To your left about 30 meters, there is a group of 26. All typical frogs. If you ambush them now and finish within a few minutes, the kingpin won¡¯t have time to shift and take a shot at you.¡± Ketlia immediately felt Predator¡¯s mind shift to a thing of grim precision and bloodshed. Within 40 seconds, those 26 frogs were dead. He recovered his knives and retreated back. ¡°King Pin is trying to get a vantage point on that big hill we talked about. There are 43 frogs behind in that creek bed that he won¡¯t be able to see, but most of them are the red streaks, and-¡± But Predator was already moving. Ketlia just shook her head. She felt as his mind approached the minds of the frogs, and then as the frogs began to be snuffed out. Still there was a moment where Predator¡¯s mind glowed with pain, and she reached into him, finding that his torso had been directly splashed by poison from one of the red streak frogs. But although his skin became fire an agony, apparently his stats had risen high enough to resist the more corrosive effects of the poison. Still, his obviously mounting annoyance left her worried. After she knew that he had killed all of the frogs, she asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°...when they realized what was happening, they gave up on attack me and started spitting poison at my knives. I had to throw my body in the way to protect one. As it is, they made 3 useless; I only have 5 left.¡± ¡°....¡± ¡°Alright, where is the next group?¡± And so on. As the kingpin frog chased after him, Predator moved¡­ well, like a predator, slaughtering the frog army. After two hours of almost constant ambushes, the frogs abruptly retreated, and all that remained was the kingpin. Predator snorted. ¡°He¡¯s confident huh? Well, this makes things easier. I¡¯ll just- JUMP OUT NOW.¡± Just as Predator mentally screamed at her, she felt it too, that fiendish mind of the Three Eyed Frog focusing, picturing her, seeing her, hundreds of meters away through the tree line. She scrambled and hopped down from her perch. The spot she was just in exploded. ***POV Change*** I knew she was safe, but it seemed from the way the connection abruptly cut off that she was either winded or unconscious from the fall. Either way, I leapt out of my hiding place, dashing around towards the hill where she had last told me the creature was. And I saw it, its fat body sitting on the hill, the tongue a blur even was it retracted into its mouth. I threw a knife. From this distance, it wouldn¡¯t inflict any damage, but¡­ It sank into the soft flesh of its leg. The creature twisted, and as it did so, I threw another knife, this one high and floating. Its three eyes landed on me. It opened its mouth. Right as it was about to shoot its tongue out, its third eye narrowed, seeing the knife about to stab into it. I drew Miguel¡¯s axe from where it was strapped to my back. The third eye slammed shut, my knife clattering against the eyelid but unable to penetrate it. The tongue shot forward. The bank a few feet to my right exploded, the tongue missing its mark. My body leapt into motion, the axe raised high. In that moment, the processing power I possessed was put to full use, as I calculated and compensated for all the variables I could think of, bringing my axe down to cut off that god forsaken tongue. The axe hit the tongue. It was already reeling back into the mouth, and the movement threw off the blow, dispersing most of the force. I panted, looking at the third eye which remained fixed on me. At any moment the tongue could shoot out again. I couldn¡¯t cross the distance to it without giving at least two more shots, and the closer I was, the more dangerous it was. I didn¡¯t realize how hard it would be to cut the tongue while it was moving like that. Could I hit it in that moment that it lands? Almost impossible, I can¡¯t dodge and leap towards the tongue at the same time. Maybe I could¡­ But that strange remnant within me, that impression, floated an idea up to me: baseball. I laughed, and struck a pose, both hand wrapped around the hilt of the axe. This was suicide. From what I¡¯d seen, the frog aimed for the heart. So I would need to swing high. I would gamble on the axe and momentum. What if it aimed at a different body part? What if I couldn¡¯t react in time? What if¡­? But all those thoughts fell away. I stayed in my pose, my eyes locked on the third eye of the frog. A challenge. This was the path of a dragon. The eye narrowed. I hopped lightly to the side three feet. I began to swing. The tongue blurred. My swing rushed to meet the tongue. My mind furiously adjusted the arc, just slightly. With a crash, they met perfectly, and fat, hardened tip of the tongue bisected, several dozen meters of tongue carried forward by momentum, cutting itself in half. The frog began to screech, withdrawing its tongue. I believed my wrist shattered, but it was only a dull pain for now. Dropping the mostly shattered axe, I ran forward, my final 3 knives settling into my hands. The frog tried to shoot its tongue out at me again. At first my heart pounded as it blurred forward as usually, but then a breath of air found its way between the two pieces, and they split, the tongue flapping behind it. I ducked under it, and then stabbed a knife into the tongue. As it began to reel the tongue in, I kept a grip, lifted completely off my feet and shooting towards the frog. When it realized what was happening, it released an amused gurgle and opened its mouth impossibly wide, preparing to swallow me whole. Chuckling, I flicked a knife forward. It stabbed through the frogs adam¡¯s apple and into the sensitive flesh of the back of the throat, causing it to reflexively close its mouth with a squawk. By that point, I was feet away, raising my final knife. The third eye widened. Then I thrust my knife into it, the blade, the hilt, and then my entire arm shoving the weapon deeper, into the brain with that powerful momentum. The light in the giant frog¡¯s eyes went out.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 9. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Vampire Stalker¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Hopping down off the giant toad body, I clicked no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Seafloor Leviathan.¡±
Vit +4
End +3
Str +1
Congratulations! You have gained the statistic Perception. Perception set to 1.
Perception +6
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Interesting, more points towards my survivability. Looking at my barely functioning wrist, I couldn¡¯t help but think that was a good thing.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 10. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
I smiled at that notification, but then shifted my attention to the next one, which was what I really wanted to see.
Congratulations! You have taken your first step upon the path of the dragon, slaying a being far beyond you. Drink its blood and feast on its flesh, and feel its strength flow into you.
Well, that¡¯s convenient, I thought to myself. Just what I planned on doing anyway. After eating, a small notification popped up.
After absorbing the creature¡¯s strength, you gain some of the power of its magical 3rd eye. Perception has evolved into ¡°Timeless Perception¡±. Timeless Perception +10. Continue to slay stronger foes to follow the Path of the Dragon.
My head throbbed for a moment, and I blinked. There was a sudden depth to the world that I couldn¡¯t quite explain. As I stared around, I felt the wind rising, when there was no wind. A fraction of a second later, the wind came, my high level of processing racing to handle the flow of information into me. Ah, it¡¯s that sort of development. A weak level of precognition. All in all, a pretty fine power up. ***** I located Ketlia, who was knocked out, but seemingly fine. I brought her back and left her by the bones of the giant frog monster. Then I walked around, meticulously gathering all of the bodies of the frogs I slaughtered. If I was going to gain another random growth rate, I wanted this to be the best yet. After hours of exhausting eating (thank god my skill also made food extremely tasty, or I would have given up) I had 534 Biomass. I went to the status screen and clicked level up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 10. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Seafloor Leviathan¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Not this time, friend. Spin the wheel for me~ -Let me blow on the dice before you roll. -Shut up, other me.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°1000-Year Lich.¡±
Vit +10
End +2
Memory +12
Processing Power +19
Wisdom +32
Since you have reached level 10 as a ¡°1000-Year Lich¡± you may learn the racial skill ¡°Aura of Dread¡±. Would you like to learn this skill? Y/N
Hmph, obviously I would like to learn such a skill.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Aura of Dread Lvl 1¡±. Togglable skill. While on, fills nearby living parties with an inescapable dread. Prolonged exposure will inflict fear, confusion, and blindness on the living. Beasts are less likely to challenge you.
I was just about to return to Ketlia, when another notification appeared, making me laugh.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 11. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
Well, it appears like I received quite a bit of experience from killing this monster. And if I really wanted to become more tanky, this growth rate is probably one of the most beneficial to me. For almost an hour, I searched the nearby area, disgusted with how meticulous I had been earlier. Finally, I found a dismembered frog hidden in a shadow, and munched on it, gaining a few Biomass. Then I went to the status screen and leveled up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 11. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°1000-Year Lich¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
Congratulations! You have received the growth rates of ¡°1000-Year Lich¡±.
Vit +9
End +2
Memory +9
Processing Power +24
Wisdom +23
Since you have reached level 11 as a ¡°1000-Year Lich¡± you may learn the racial skill ¡°Summon Lesser Dead¡±. Would you like to learn this skill? Y/N
I just smiled at the notification for a long time. Better yet, due to the small amount of Biomass, I didn¡¯t receive any chances for improvement, and didn¡¯t need to worry about a mutation. ***** There was something comforting about laying back to back with Ketlia. Probably the warmth, I decided. Yawning, I spoke to her. ¡°Good luck tomorrow. Don¡¯t overestimate yourself.¡± She snorted, then silence. After a minute passed, she said. ¡°...what do you mean good luck? Going somewhere.¡± I nodded. Then realizing she couldn¡¯t see it, I spoke. ¡°They said we only would be here for a week, right? I came a few days before you, today is the 7th day I¡¯ve been here. So good luck.¡± She stilled. We stayed silent for a long time. Only when the moon was slowly rising over the horizon did she speak. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± Smiling, I opened up my status screen and looked at it, inwardly gloating. I definitely wouldn¡¯t die.
Name:PredatorLevel:11
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2
Vit:33 (+2)End:21 (+2)
Str:14 (+2)Agi:11 (+2)
Dex:10 (+2)Memory:225 (+2)
Processing Power:258 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:63 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:17 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 1Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 1
¡®Ah,¡¯ I thought as I drifted off to sleep. ¡®That¡¯s what I forgot earlier. I never figured out what my Lesser Air Affinity skill did¡­¡¯ ***************Author''s Note*************** Ah~ This was a exercise of patience, making all of these torturous notifications translate over. Anyways, I''m done for tonight. As of the writing of this note, I have up to Day 14 finished. I''ve sorta been on a spree of writing lately, and this was what drove me forward. After reading back through it all, I want to let you know that if you keep reading, it will become slightly silly. Not in a way that undoes the tension of surviving, but just in the way life can be unexpected. Let me know what you think~ I''m always willing to steal ideas and use them for the story =p. Day 8 ***POV Change*** Ketlia sat up abruptly, immediately conscious of her isolation. Predator was gone. Laying next to her was a neatly folded bit of bear pelt that he had used to cover his shoulders with, and the 3 throwing knives that they had recovered from the body of the Three eyed frog. Ketlia couldn¡¯t decide if he just couldn¡¯t take anything with him, or that he had really left these for her. But the short sword they had taken from the frog massacre of the camp wasn¡¯t there, as well as the bear claws that he had been fiddling with. On purpose then. She pictured his shocked look as she sat up, covered in the blood of the black bear. His easy grace as he killed a dozen frogs at once. The grimace on his face as he hobbled forward, a mango sized hole ripped in his abdomen. Waking up to find him cradling his wrist, but alive after facing the frog creature head on. She remembered that brief flare of pressure in his mind when she had said ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± Last night. Sighing, Ketlia gathered the items, twisting the piece of bear pelt into a belt and storing the throwing knives in it. She spread her senses, encountering the confused minds new arrives. Even as she examined those nearby, several flickered out of existence, killed. Idly, the part of her that had learned the most from Predator marked those locations, putting a little note to go to the area and see if they could recover a weapon from the bodies. Then she homed in on a group of two minds, fearful, but rational, struggling to figure out what happened. Ketlia licked her lips ¡°Fresh meat.¡± ***POV Change*** The pig faced man who sent me into that world for a week looked me up and down. ¡°I see you¡¯ve leveled a bit. Already to 11? Not such a worthless race after all, haha. And your skill? Lesser Air Affinity? What level is it at now?¡± I coughed lightly. ¡°Well¡­¡± The pig faced man''s eyes bulged at me ominously. ***** Due to earning the administrator¡¯s ire, I was placed at the bottom of the ¡°pyramid¡± that made up the first floor. If he had thought I had potential, or would make an interesting storyline, I would apparently have been put on a special path, all but guaranteeing I would make it to the second floor. Alas, it was not to be. -Should have leveled up the skill. Too busy flirting -Shut up, other me. It turned out that first floor of the tower was made up of a series of levels, complete with a choice of multiple paths. The bottom level held 128 paths, each leading through a zone protected by an employee of the Tower. They were apparently salaried, but barely so, a pitiful existence. Yea, it was really awkward when the administrator started complaining about the work benefits of this place¡­ Just so. Anyways, the first level had 128, the second 64, etc., until the 8th level had but a single path, that lead to the next floor of the tower. Hence, pyramid. So I was sent to a random path, and likely one that had a low chance of survival. In fact, anyone could enter the tower the way I did currently, and this was how it was mostly done. The poor and the desperate started from floor one, and attempted to climb. I found myself on a dirt road, leading up a hill. I followed it. After about 10 minutes, I reached the summit, which consisted of a small wooden hut, and a gallows. A group of 4 individuals were standing around. A bald one with a large club and blue skin stepped forward to meet me. ¡°Ah, another challenger! Perfect, I was getting a bit bored. Cousin, if you would do the honors?¡± A robed figure, leaning against the gallows, stepped forward, gesturing. An unimaginably dreadful sense of crisis rose in my heart, and I crouched, ready to roll to the side. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t move. I was held still. The man with the club walked up to me and smashed me directly in the chest, caving in chest cavity and shattering most of my rib cage. ***** I lay there for a long time a lot closer to dead than I would like to admit. I realized that there were several similarly shattered bodies laying around me, but I made no effort to examine them too closely. It took around 46 minutes for my lungs to function enough that I wasn¡¯t suffocating myself by remaining quiet. Around the two hour mark some other challenger appeared, and was smashed just as I was. He toppled over my legs, obscuring my head from view. I blinked furiously, relieved. My eyes were so dry. At around 4 hours, I felt most of my ribs click back into place, and the pain settled to a dull burning. After 8 hours, and around 14 challengers later, I heard an unsettling voice that I immediately associated with the cloaked figure which froze me. ¡°With this, my debt is paid. You have made it through your first day without a single challenger passing. You will be given an official offer to be a Tower employee if you remain. Do not contact me again.¡± A terrible howling filled the air, as if all the air was being sucked out of the area, and then there was silence. Someone with an annoying laugh asked the bald one how he got a favor from such a powerful figure. ¡°Family man, the only thing you can count on is family.¡± I pushed the body off me, sitting up and coughing. I winced. Not quite as healed as I had hoped. The three remaining blue skinned creatures looked at me in shock. They seemed vaguely humanoid, just with larger ears and colored like a robin¡¯s egg. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re alive?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Heh,¡± The bald one stepped up to me. ¡°Well then, I get to savor the experience of killing you twice.¡± With practiced ease, he swung the club at me. I stepped smartly backwards, out of the range of his swing. My left had had already flicked two of the modified bear claws towards the lackeys, and my right hand gripped the short sword as I stepped forward, stabbing it upward through the bottom of his chin, through the roof of his mouth, and into his brain. His eyes dimmed immediately. Glancing at the other two, I was pleased to find them satisfactorily dead. Then, an idea struck me. ¡°Heheh¡­ Raise Lesser Dead!¡±
You have used the skill ¡°Raise Lesser Dead¡±. This skill can be used to summon certain undead from a darker realm, or reanimate recently deceased corpses. You can currently summon ¡°Skeleton Drudges¡±. Which would you like to use?
I clicked on reanimate.
Please indicate the selected corpses.
I concentrated on the three I had just killed.
Congratulations! You have discovered the attribute mana. Mana allows you to make use of magic in the system. Base maximum mana set to 10. Mana increased by the Wis stat. Calculating increases¡­
Mana increased to 445.
I whistled, impressed. Then I hesitated. I had no idea whether that was a good amount of mana or not.
150 mana used to revive the corpses. Because of the level of the skill and the freshness of the corpse, they each possess 70% of their stats from life. Fineness of control over the reanimated corpses determined by Memory. Potential for growth and independent thought of the reanimated corpses determined by Processing Power.
Before my eyes, the corpses twitched and pushed themselves upward, struggling to their feet. I stepped back, and manipulated them all to stand before me in a line. I sighed, pleased with myself. So this is the joy of raising children~ With a small puff of gas, a small satyr appeared next to me. He pressed his glasses farther up his nose. ¡°Which of you is in charge here?¡± The three reanimated corpses all pointed at me, then studiously avoided my glare. Damn, my Processing Power is high enough that they are already throwing me under the bus! When I finished with this Satyr¡­ The creature nodded, and held out a black square with a strange sigil on it towards me. ¡°Very well. You have successfully completed your probationary period as a guardian of the first floor, and allowed no challenger through. We are happy to offer you a permanent position here in The Great Tower.¡± ***** The satyr teleported me away from wherever I was, taking me to a strange place resembling a tavern. It was filled with various monsters and creatures laughing and drinking. At the far side of the room was a counter, behind which there were a number of signs in strange languages. I followed the satyr towards the counter. ¡°Compensation is simple; the salary will go to the bank account you indicated previously. There is also a currency ¡°Towers¡± That you will be rewarded based on your performance. For a worker on the first level, your base will be 10 Towers per day. But of course, each challenger you let past will decrease that by 1. Additionally, sometimes there will be special, more powerful challengers who will you earn bonus Towers for preventing from passing. And in extremely rare cases, if you lose, but provide an entertaining show for a challenger who is being featured¡­ you may also receive bonus Towers.¡± ¡°And here,¡± He continued, gesturing at the counter, ¡°Is where you spend your towers.¡± As we had moved closer to the counter, the letter had imperceptibly shifted until it settled on something I could read. They were labels, followed by a number, apparently in Towers. Minions: 50. Traps 50. Puzzles: 50: Environments: 100. Buildings: 50. Skills: 1000. System Assistance: 200. Miscellaneous: 50. ¡°What sorta stuff can you buy?¡± The satyr looked at me with an odd expression. ¡°The prices you see are so you can find that out, boy. Once you pay those, you can see our wares, and the specific prices. Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself. Now, here are your 10 Towers. You may amuse yourself here, or return to your path, whichever you wish. Remember to be up, bright and early, to stop the challengers. ***** I sat in the darkness of the dim wooden hut, brooding. Should I stay? I thought I was strong, and it definitely surprised these fools that I survived an unprotected club swing to the chest, but that other, hooded figure¡­ The way he could immobilize me with a gesture¡­ with a skill. I thought, too, about how furious the pig administrator was when he learned I hadn¡¯t improved my skills. Well, perhaps a break to increase my skill levels wasn¡¯t such a bad idea after all. Up to this point, everything around me was trying to kill me. Now I had a brief respite, even if my job was now to be the killer. I smiled in the darkness, closing my eyes. Day 9 Day 9 After sending my three shambling minions down the road a bit to warn of any approaching challengers, I considered my abilities.
Name:PredatorLevel:11
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2Mana:445/445
Vit:33 (+2)End:21 (+2)
Str:14 (+2)Agi:11 (+2)
Dex:10 (+2)Memory:225 (+2)
Processing Power:258 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:63 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:17 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 1Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 1Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 1
My mana had recovered from animating the corpses from yesterday, which was good sign, but I didn¡¯t notice the rate at which it recovered, which made me a little annoyed. I immediately toggled on Aura of Dread, a strange black light oozing from my skin, dispersing in the air around me. I looked at my hands, unimpressed. I suppose I wouldn¡¯t really know until there was something living nearby, to see how it affected them. In the meantime, it didn¡¯t use mana, so I just left it toggled on. I heard some shouting from the road, followed by screams of agony, so I could only assume that the minions had won against the challenger. Sighing, I made a note to order them to bring me the bodies for Biomass in the future. Otherwise I would get another worthless growth rate. That left the air affinity skill and Summoning skeleton drudges. I settled on the air affinity, still slightly bitter that the pig man had been so judgemental when he heard I hadn¡¯t managed to. I closed my eyes, focusing inward. So I should just¡­ have an affinity for air? -Focus. -You focus, other me. -I am. -Then why aren¡¯t we- And then I felt it, a connection with something outside of my body. Excited, I grasped spread my attention wider, feeling the the air around me, feeling every molecule, feeling how surrounded I was, how empty air truly was. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± I grinned, opening my eyes, I reached out with my inward senses, grabbing a handful of air. ¡°I can feel it¡­. I can control it all¡­!¡± I seized the air and pushed. Something bigger than me pushed back. **** I woke up with a splitting headache, to the sound of someone limping over towards me. I sat up, turning to see a wounded¡­ cat person limping up the road towards me. He had cat ears, a tail, and was covered in yellow fur. One of my minion¡¯s axes was stuck in his back, and his face was twisted in a grimace. Well, it seems like they aren¡¯t completely useless. I stood, careful not to move too rapidly. I was still a bit light headed. The cat man saw me, and then his eyes bulged. ¡°You¡­ You are the master of the undead¡­?¡± I nodded absently, thinking about what happened to me earlier. My mana was currently sitting at 260, and it seemed as if the sun moved in the sky in a manner similar to the real world. Assuming then that what happened was I attempted to move too much air at once, overdrew my mana pool, and collapsed. Well, at the very least this mean that I recovered between 10 and 20% of my mana pool in an hour. Or perhaps it is a flat rate¡­ ¡°You¡­ I do not fear you, foul demon. I have killed your minions, and I shall kill you too!¡± Curious, I attempted to grab a much smaller, manageable amount of air, the equivalent of a handful. I compressed it as much as I could and threw it as hard as I could manage against the back of the cat¡¯s head. I could hear a small poof. The cat jumped and spun around. ¡°What?!?!? What was that? Y-your curses won¡¯t work on me, demon-¡± Damnit, I lost my balance and tumbled to the side, falling behind the gallows. My mana had been reduced to 0 from just that small amount?!?! I could pop a balloon with more destructive force! ¡°I won¡¯t fall for your tricks. You-¡± Abruptly the cat man stopped speaking. I rubbed my temples, wishing I had a glass of water. ¡°D-D-d-d-d-d-d-demon. Where d-d-d-did you g-g-go?!?!?!!¡± I could hear his breathing increase. I could also hear¡­ his teeth chattering? ¡°I¡¯m¡­. I-I¡¯m going to...t-to¡­¡± A thump. I took my time getting up and walking around from behind the gallows. The catman lay sprawled on the ground, sweating and trembling. Apparently he had wet himself and fainted. ***** I planned on testing the effects of Aura of Dread on him further, so I tied the cat man up and walked down to where my minions were stations. They were still living¡­ well, they were still conscious, but the cat man had done an admirable job hacking them to pieces. The most salvageable was a torso that was intact except for missing its left hand. While I was shaking my head, remarking to other me how difficult it is to find good help these days, a minotaur looking creature walked down the path, full of confidence. Although his eyes went a little wide when he noticed me, he didn¡¯t seem as debilitated by the aura of dread, and roared at me, spitting everywhere. I flicked several knives at him, inflicting various small wounds to his torso. He roared and charged, incensed. I danced to the side and cut the achilles tendon of his left leg as he passed. Frantically twisted, he swiped at me with his long arms, but I was too quick, and smashed him in the base of the skull with the pommel of my cudgel. He fell to the ground, senseless. Curious, I glared at the torso and pointed to the body. It dragged itself over, doing its best to both move and keep a hand on its axe. Eventually, it reached a position where it could hit the minotaur, and luckily enough beheaded it in one swing. Then it began to eat the body. Sighing, I was about to order it to stop when I noticed that the reanimated body was¡­ growing. Not its legs back, but a long, slimy and powerful tail, similar to a snake. Its hair fell out, its face lost its color, and its eyes grew an unhealthy shade of red. As the minotaur body disappeared, other me cried silent tears, but I let the minion be. After it finished all of the minotaur, the snake body had swollen, and it was able to use it to lift its torso several feet off the ground. Its hands became long and spindly, ending in sharp claws. Unfortunately, it kept falling over. Apparently just growing a snake body didn¡¯t mean it learned how to use it. But by flailing and slithering, it managed to make it to its compatriots rotting body, and its own lower half of dubious origin. Even I felt a glimmer of distaste as it devoured them. After it finished, it turned to me and inclined its head respectfully. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Congratulations! After reaching level 6 and consuming the Minotaur Foal, the reanimated corpse has evolved into a ¡°Hunger Ghoul¡±. This rare variant possesses a vitality and hardiness that belies its skeletal appearance. Due to the evolution, the growth rates of your minion have improved! Would you like to give your minion a name?
I paused for a moment. Perhaps something classical? -Like what, Henry? -Or Arnauld. -Seems overdone. -Perhaps, simple is often best. ¡°Dead Snake¡±
Congratulations! Dead Snake has been named. Due to your high Processing Power, Dead Snake has developed a small amount of magical aptitude. Race adjusted to ¡°Hunger Ghoul of the Lich.¡± Growth rates have been improved. Learning new racial skills is possible. Due to your high Processing Power, Dead Snake had developed sentience. He will be able to lead lesser undead in battle. He will gain a small portion of the experience from their kills.
I looked at Dead Snake, who was rolling around, attempting to figure out how to keep his balance while holding an axe, and wondered why I was so cursed with inept subordinates. I ordered him to follow me when he could and walked back to the cat man. I considered the prone form, his brow once more tightened in fear. Should I feed him to Dead Snake? Or-
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of Dread Lvl 2¡±. Aura 5% more effective. This bonus is doubled against creatures of a significantly lower level. Symptoms from prolonged exposure worsen.
I looked down at cat man with something like pity. But it would be remiss of me not to take this chance to experiment with the effects I set other me to controlling the exact amount of air molecules that would cost the amount of mana I was passively recovering constantly, so I remained around 260. Summoning skeleton drudges were 60 each, so I created 4 and gave them to Dead Snake. Other than having small wisps of cloth stuck to some of their bones, they were basically skeletons. Dead Snake had managed to remain standing for several minutes now, and looked over his new recruits with an evaluative eye. Then he shook his head, seemingly as unimpressed by his minions as I was with him. I shrugged. We all do what we must. After they departed for lower on the road, I waited for the cat man to wake up while practicing throwing knives. But the next visitor was not what I was expecting. With a pop and a puff of smoke, a trolley with food on it appeared next to the gallows. And next to the trolley was a large green slime with tentacles, wearing¡­ a frilly pink apron? The green slime trembled as I walked over to it. ¡°Hell-lo. A-are you the¡­ the guardian of¡­. Of this path¡­?¡± The voice was surprisingly feminine, and seemingly quite afraid. ¡°Yea, I guess so. Who are you?¡± I leaned closer, realizing that the slime was was semi translucent. A few of the slimes tentacles surreptitiously adjusted its apron. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ uh, sorry to bother you, I¡¯m..¡±
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of Dread Lvl 3¡±. Aura 7.5% more effective. This bonus is doubled against creatures of a significantly lower level. Symptoms from prolonged exposure worsen.
Oh? A level again so soon? Ah, perhaps because it¡¯s affecting two of them? But does that mean that I only gain proficiency when someone is under its influence¡­. -Kukuku. And thus the cat man was never heard from again. -Shush, other me. Its for the sake of science. He would undoubtedly have made the same choice, if given it under normal circumstances. ¡°I¡­ Ah¡­.¡± The slime¡¯s voice cracked. The trembling was getting worse. The entirety of its body jiggled in an amusing manner, like jello. ¡°I work¡­. I¡¯m employed by the tower. I bring¡­ lunch¡­ I¡¯ll just¡­ leave¡­¡± Whoops, I swiftly toggled off the Aura of Dread, before the slime creature imploded. ¡°Oh, sorry. I thought you were a challenger.¡± Feeling the aura leave, the slime¡¯s voice brightened immediately. ¡°Oh! No that¡¯s my fault. You are new right? I¡¯m Jen. I bring around lunches to a lot of the guardians of the path! Well, only to ones on the first level, because none of the people who I bring food to have moved up¡­. Maybe I¡¯m bad luck¡­¡± I smiled immediately at the mention of food and walked to the trolley. Up front was a bowl filled with wriggling worms. I stared at it dubiously. Apparently having recovered from her brief bout of darkness, Jen said, ¡°Skree larva, just like you requested.¡± She noticed my look and then continued. ¡°...But if these aren¡¯t to your taste, other meals are available. But they will deduct the extra cost from your salary¡­¡± I reached into the bowl and grabbed a handful, casually tossing them into my mouth. I immediately smiled. Apparently food is food. And more importantly¡­
+1 Biomass!
I turned back to Jen. ¡°Did you say I could order more food.¡± The slime jiggled, in a way I guessed must be affirmatively. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯d like more of these, everyday for lunch.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°However much I can afford on my salary. Use it all to bring me these.¡± ***** Dead Snake and the Skeleton Drudges were apparently sufficient to handle the rest of the challengers, although two of the Drudges were destroyed in the process. More pleasingly, I finally had a small breakthrough that I had been waiting all day for.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 2¡±. Mana cost for manipulating air has decreased. Degree of control has improved.
Laying back next to a still moaning cat man, who now had large grey bags under his eyes, I ordered Dead Snake to make sure cat man didn¡¯t escape and promptly fell asleep. Day 10 Day 10 Sighing, I knew I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, but still¡­ When I awoke, cat man was gone, but the area he was laying was covered in a drying pool of blood. When I looked at Dead Snake, he burped and averted his eyes. Annoyed, I created 6 more Skeleton Drudges for Dead Snake and sent him away. In the morning, I found a leaf that other me began training with, using lesser air affinity to keep aloft. Apparently it was harder than it looked, especially while restricting mana usage, and there were many times that I was forced to stop my training and pick the leaf back up. For my part, I just practiced swinging the short sword and the cudgel. Although it was monotonous, repeated motions would build muscle memory, improving the speed of my attacks without any change to the stats. Plus, I had a hunch that this sort of repeated action was the only way to level up the weapons mastery skill. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t make much progress. I suppose it was just a single morning¡¯s worth of effort, but still¡­ maybe I had been spoiled by the easily earned early levels. Jen appeared around noon, with a 100 gallon steel drum, filled with the larva. Her green tentacles hefted the thing off of the trolley without a hint of strain. She chatted with me for a while, rambling about some of the other guardians, her parents, her knitting hobbies¡­ I idly lifted one end of the drum, after eating half of the larva. In the aftermath, I was panting with exertion. Just how strong was she?!?! Oh, that reminds me, I should tell Dead Snake to capture- ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡± I abruptly focused back on Jen. Her slime body twisted from side to side, her tentacles undulating in waves. ¡°I said do-do you d-d-date?¡± She began to speak really fast. ¡°I was just wondering, because you know, you are spending all your money on food, if you met someone and you wanted to date or something how could you afford it? So I was just wondering what you would do in that situation and maybe you should think about saving a bit.¡± Other me stopped playing with the leaf, chuckling. -I think she likes you. -Do I like her? Other me considered. -Can we even procreate with a slime? Both of us thought about our racelessness -¡­.I suppose the better question is whether we can procreate at all. -Best not to think about it. I abruptly realized that while me and other me were discussing, Jen was just jellying there. ¡°Oh, uh, not right now¡­ but I think it¡¯s fine....¡± She nodded her head in that affirmative way and disappeared without a word. Scratching my head, I resumed training, picking up the leaf for other me and giving a shot at dual wielding weapons without other me to manage one of the arms. It was surprisingly difficult. It probably looked like awkward flailing, more than anything else. But my motions quickly smoothed over, my high stat of Processing Power isolating the inefficiencies and helping me to eliminate them. And about an hour after lunch¡­
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Weapons Mastery Lvl 2¡±: Your skill and effectiveness in using weapons has improved. Damage increased by 5%. Effectiveness at becoming familiar with strange weapons increases.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed harder, twisted and slashing against imaginary frogs. I needed to push harder. I was getting stronger, but it was too slow. I didn¡¯t want to find myself in a situation where I could be completely restrained like that ever again. ***** ***POV Change*** ¡°Kettle, are you free?¡± Dekker¡¯s secretary looked up at him, surprised that he addressed her so directly. She was a new hire, one of the many humans that were offered up to mid level management within the tower as cheap labor, selected for their skills relating to clerical work. And Dekker had to admit, he appreciated the¡­ femininity of the human females. ¡°...Yes, what is it?¡± Kettle readjusted her glasses, carefully looking away from his head, her gaze settling on Dekker¡¯s torso. He chuckled inwardly. From his investigations, apparently his upper body resembled something like the body of a crab combined with the head of an octopus. Apparently his face tentacles were off putting. But Kettle had thus far been very professional. Dekker was a bit disappointed. He had quite enjoyed her predecessor¡¯s fear, before he had eaten her. ¡°I told you how management can bet on challengers right? One of my favorite picks is challenging the first level today. Why don¡¯t we watch together?¡± Taking her silence for assent, Dekker stepped closer, using a mandible to brush a strand of her black hair to the side. ¡°Actually, you could bet too, with part of your salary. Would you like me to arrange it for you?¡± Kettle was very still. ¡°No thank you.¡± Chuckling, Dekker let his mandible drop and with a gesture caused a screen to descend, depicting his challenger. He had arranged it so the challenger would go up against a fresh guardian. He cracked open a bottle of liquor in early celebration. ***** ***POV Change*** Gerard surveyed the dusty path before him. He had been assured that everything had been arranged to ensure him an easy path, but it wouldn¡¯t do to become complacent. Gerard clenched his fists. ¡®Just you wait father¡­ I will grow strong and make you rue the day you chose that thing over me...I will regain my honor¡­¡¯ Movement on the edge of his vision made him focus, and he narrowed his eyes at a skeleton carrying a tree branch. The skeleton tilted his head to the side, then began banging the tree branch against his body, emitting a loud clattering. ¡®Just skeleton guardians? Hmph, I am not afraid of your posturing, hellspawn. You will die.¡¯ Gerard strode forward confidently. After all, his skill was several grades higher than anything he should encounter at the base of the tower. He was a direct heir of the Kiefhart bloodline. If the first level of the first floor of the tower could stop him, he would never have his revenge. With fingers splayed outward towards the skeleton, Gerard shouted, ¡°Shatter!¡± Waves of force emanated from his fingers, slamming against the skeleton. Its body trembled, then with a poof it disintegrated into powder. Gerard chuckled, then frowned. Two more skeletons had crawled up from the embankment from the side of the road, looking down at their fallen comrade. Then they picked up the bones of the previous skeleton¡¯s still intact legs and began throwing them at Gerard. Annoyed, Gerard easily ducked to the side. ¡®How many skeletons are there? I don¡¯t have enough mana to use the skill too often¡­ damnit, I¡¯ll just break through with brute force!¡¯ Sprinting, Gerard quickly covered the distance to the skeletons. But a strange hissing emerged from off the embankment, and the skeletons jumped down, tumbling over the edge, out of his range. Gerard slowed, puzzled. A rock struck him in the back of the head. He slowly turned, his eyes glazing over in a deep shade of red. His pride had been offended, and he would slaughter these ants. Behind him were standing two more skeletons, tossing fist sized stones at him. ¡°You worms! I am Gerard Kiefhart. YOU-¡± Gerard began sprinting again. ¡°WILL-¡± This time one of the skeletons stood their ground while the other tumbled down the embankment. The remaining one tossed another rock, striking Gerard directly in the forehead, causing a small trickle of blood to drip down his face. Eyes blazing with fury, Gerard reached the skeleton and activated his skill. ¡°DIEEEEEEEEEE.¡± Poof. The skeleton disappeared, destroyed. Gerard felt a surge of satisfaction, then something else, something that instantly made him want to tear out his hair It left like someone had just thrown something and hit him in the back with it. He turned around to find 3 skeletons, tossing rocks at him. ***** Wheezing, Gerard stumbled up the hill towards a strange wooden hut, his head throbbing. After destroying 4 skeletons and basically depleting his mana, Gerard realized that the skeletons were endless, and controlled by someone. Only by pressing forward and destroying that person would he pass this trial. At the top of the hill, he slowed, finding an individual practicing with a sword. Noticing him, the individual turned to him. Gerard sized him up. Perhaps a few inches taller than himself, and muscular enough, but he was a race he didn¡¯t recognize. His skin was pale, and his hair wild and dark. Abruptly, the impression that Gerard had of this individual plummeted, the very air around him filling with dread. Abruptly, he realized that he was sweating, panting, barely able to breath. He wiped the sweat off his brow with a sleeve, and forced himself to focus. But the fear in his heart just grew more irresistible. All he wanted to do is lay down and close his eyes. Biting his lip, Gerard refused to give in. ¡®No¡­ I still have a trump card. And after I use it, I will know your weakness, and then I will crush you, monster¡­ My second skill¡­ ¡°Absolute Identify¡±!¡¯
Warning, you have used ¡°Absolute Identify¡± on an individual without a race. No information is known.
Gerard blinked, his blood cooling and his heart seizing. ...No information is known¡­ how could that¡­ This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The fear hit him in a wave, smothering him. He couldn¡¯t open his mouth, his heart was spasming, his mouth began to forth. Gerard toppled over, dying from a heart attack brought on by shock and fear. ***POV Change*** I considered the person before me for a few seconds, and then the strange figure with webbed fingers and slimy looking green skin fell over. Apparently dead, because¡­
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 12. All Biomass has been consumed.
Well, I had gained a little over 100 Biomass from lunch today, so it couldn¡¯t be TOO bad of a growth rate¡­ But I knew I had to switch. Although the survivability and utility gained by the Lich¡¯s growth rate was incredible, I wanted to increase my Str and Agi to match. Honestly, I would have preferred to go a straight physical build, but random growth rates being what they are....
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°1000-Year Lich¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I clicked no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog.¡±
Vit +2
End +2
Str +1
Agi +1
Mana +15
Since you have reached Lvl 12 as a ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog¡±, you have the chance to learn the Racial Skill ¡°Bile Emission¡±. Would you like to learn it? Y/N
-...Seriously? This has to be a joke. -I mean, you did ask for a more physically minded class. -BUT I WANTED SOMETHING A BIT LESS INSULTING. -Don¡¯t be rude, me. -SHUT UP OTHER ME, I¡¯LL DO WHATEVER- -Kukuku -...Other me, did you just select yes to learn Bile Emission? -Next time, don¡¯t be so rude. Besides, what¡¯s the harm?
Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Bile Emission¡±. Sewer Hogs are constantly eating, and always have a full stomach. However, once entering their body, the food is changed to be extremely dangerous to other living beings. At any point, you may expel all the food within your body. All Biomass will be consumed. Damage and effect increased based on the amount of Biomass consumed.
-So now I have a way to waste Biomass? Thanks other me. -Well, it¡¯s not all bad. With this, we have a way to reach 0 Biomass at will. Then we could queue up a level, and spend a lot of time gathering Biomass to get a good growth rate. I had to admit that the idea of such a situation was attractive, but I doubted it would be very easy to arrange. Then, I snapped back to the present, looking at the cooling body before me. ¡°Well,¡± I muttered. ¡°It got past Dead Snake and the skeletons, it can¡¯t be that weak¡­¡± I revived him with my reanimate dead skill, earning myself another pleasant surprise.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 2¡±: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise ¡°Zombie Scavengers.¡±
Another notification made me slightly uneasy.
Due to your high Memory and Processing Power, and the freshness of the corpse, the reanimated dead will possess 80% of its previous strength and retain its personality. Its will has been bound to your own.
Even if the strange thing on the ground retained its personality, it should be fine as long as it is bound to my will, right¡­? ***POV Change*** Dekker crushed the liquor bottle in his mandibles. Furious. How could this happen?!?! That combination of two skills, as well as Gerard being Level 6, should have guaranteed that nothing could stop him on the first floor of the tower. The phone rang, and Kettle answered it. After speaking into it quietly for a minute, she turned to him. ¡°It¡¯s Gillette. Would you like me to take a message?¡± ***POV Change*** Gerard looked up at his new undead overlord, torn between self hate and a strange relief. All his life, he had been told he had to be perfect, the best. He had to succeed at every trial. And then it was taken from him when his father named his adoptive sister the successor to the house of Kiefhart, for no known reason. He had immediately left, heading for the tower. If his father needed proof he deserved to be the successor, he would show that proof to him. But he failed immediately, and suddenly Gerard felt more free than he had since he was a child. He had no responsibilities, yet, and his brittle emotions began to slowly heal Gerard looked to the side, examining his fellow minions. Standing at the back were 5 skeletons, carrying the unshattered bones of their fallen compatriots. They were apparently trying to stuff them into their bodies. It was slightly comical. Standing even with Gerard was a strange serpent ghoul, glaring at him with obvious jealousy. To his surprise, Gerard still could use his skills, and he immediately used Absolute Identify on it.
¡°Hunger Ghoul of the Lich¡±: This is a creature with a high amount of Vit, Agi, and Dex. It is a rare variant of the Hunger Ghoul that possesses a higher intelligence than usual and an aptitude for dark magic. It is extremely loyal to its master.
¡®Interesting,¡¯ Gerard thought. ¡®It¡¯s pretty rare to encounter a variant race.¡¯ He turned his gaze to their undead master. ¡®I wonder if there is something special about him¡­ But if there was, why is he on the first level of Floor 1?¡¯ ¡°What is your name?¡± His master finally spoke to him, and his voice was low and gravelly, carrying with it a cold certainty. Gerard shivered, somewhere between fear and pleasure. Yes, this was a master worth serving. ¡°My name is Gerard Kiefhart.¡± His master nodded. ¡°Jerry is a good name. Welcome to the fold, Jerry.¡± ***** ***POV Change*** I barely resisted laughing at Jerry¡¯s affronted expression, and then got to explaining how this would work. Dead Snake would lead the Skeleton Drudges, Jerry would command the Zombie Scavengers. They would alternate challengers. When I told them that it was against the rules to eat the dead bodies of challengers they didn¡¯t defeat, Jerry¡¯s face once more went pale. Ah, he hadn¡¯t been undead for long. Perhaps he was used to doing something else with dead bodies. -Hey, you aren¡¯t undead, and yet you don¡¯t even mind it. Should we worry about ourself? -I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine, other me. But Dead Snake snorted disdainfully, and Jerry¡¯s expression firmed. I nodded wisely. Competition will do these two a world of good. I stopped other me from training Air Affinity and gained some mana. Then I summoned 5 Zombie Scavengers for Jerry and sent them down the road. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t gain anymore skill levels as I trained. When the groups returned from dealing with challengers, there was only 1 skeleton remaining, but 4 zombies. Jerry was gloating. Dead Snake hissed in annoyance, claiming that zombies were better subordinates than skeletons, and it wasn¡¯t his fault. I ignored them, laying in my usual spot. Before I fell asleep, I opened up my status screen, considering my plans moving forward.
Name:PredatorLevel:12
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2Mana:30/460
Vit:35 (+2)End:22 (+2)
Str:15 (+2)Agi:12 (+2)
Dex:10 (+2)Memory:225 (+2)
Processing Power:258 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:63 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:17 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 3Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 2Bile Emission Lvl 1
Day 11 Day 11 In the morning I summoned undead until each of my two lieutenants had 6 minions, then resumed training, focusing on throwing knives today. Once more, there were no more improvements by the time Jen arrived with lunch. It wasn¡¯t until she poofed back into existence that I remembered the slightly awkward talk about dating yesterday. But she was already trembling when she arrived, and immediately started flailing with seemingly 20 tentacles, which was quite a few more than I was comfortable with. ¡°Congratulations!¡± Her voice was warm and bright, but I just simply scratched my chin. ¡°Uh why?¡± She seemed slightly put off that I didn¡¯t share her enthusiasm, and her tentacles began to droop. ¡°This is an important day for you. You got a bonus, and if you finish today without letting anyone through, you will get promoted.¡± She held out an envelope to me. ¡°A promotion? Wha¡­¡± I opened the envelope inside was a check for 500 towers. My eyes bulged. ¡°Wha?!?!¡± With this, I could go and buy things from the counter!¡± ¡°Yea, apparently you stopped a challenger who someone had bet quite a lot of money on passing the entire first floor. Management was very pleased, and this is your reward. And you didn¡¯t know? Anyone who let¡¯s no one through for 3 days in a row is promoted! It will come with a salary increase and everything! Oh, but you might fall back down if your blockage rate gets too low, and someone below you is 100% for three days.¡± ¡°And here,¡± She said with a wave of her tentacle. 10 100 gallon drums appeared. ¡°Is your lunch for today! You got a cash bonus too, but I just added it all to today¡¯s lunch to celebrate! Oh, and one drum''s from me, because I¡­¡± She started drawing in the dirt with her tentacles. ¡°Because I¡­ Because we¡­¡± I just looked at her, wondering how she detected the rest of the world with her slime body. Then I noticed that instead of a pink frilly apron, she had on a black lacy one today. Which looked¡­ nice, I suppose¡­ ¡°...are coworkers¡­¡± She finished lamely, and disappeared, leaving my lunch. ***** The lieutenants were handling challengers fine, so I focused on training. But no matter what I tried, I just felt like my training throwing knives wasn¡¯t enough. -I have an idea. -Oh, other me? -These leaves, I¡¯m controlling¡­ try to hit them. Since moving up to level 2 in Air Affinity, other me had managed to keep one leaf afloat indefinitely, and had recently moved up to juggling two, trying to keep them close enough to keep mana down, without them touching. Still, it was a good idea. We agreed to become a little more liberal with the mana limits, after all I didn¡¯t use too much making minions this morning, and I stood stock still as two leaves floated around me. My eyes snapped open, my hands blurring. Two knives shot out, zooming towards the leaves. But other me gently twisted the leaves, and the knives flew harmlessly past. I drew two more knives and focused on the leaves, the way they moved. I opened myself to the affinity with air, not to interfere, but understand what was happening. It was a little shocking how light the leaves were, and how fine other me¡¯s control was getting. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, thinking. There were two ways to hit the leaves. Predicting how I would react to a throw or throwing a knife in a way that I couldn¡¯t avoid. The former was extremely difficult, because other me was utilizing the same high Processing Power and Timeless Perception, giving the tiniest glimpse of the future. The latter was even more troubling. Could I throw a knife that would follow the leaf¡­? Instead of trying one knife for each leaf, I drew several more knives and decided to focus on a single leaf. It danced playfully. I grimaced 6 knives flashed out, some fast, some slow, staggered so as to form what I hoped was an inescapable net. Unfortunately, other me wasn¡¯t phased in the slightest. The leaf spun and pirouetted, sliding between two knives and completely out of the net. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Ruefully, I glanced at the notification that popped up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 3¡±. Mana cost for manipulating air has decreased. Degree of control has improved. Amount of air that can be controlled at once has greatly increased.
5 leaves floated up now, dancing before me. I rolled my eyes, walking to retrieve my knives before I tried again. ***** I pressed on the sigil square and instantly reappeared in the taverny area. Glancing around, I noticed that it was just as boisterous as it was on my previous visit. Paying the people around the room drinking no mind, I walked over to the counter. As I approached, once more the language changed to something legible. A thin man with 6 arms spared me a glance, but then continued to wipe down 3 mugs at once. I considered the options once more: Minions: 50. Traps 50. Puzzles: 50: Environments: 100. Buildings: 50. Skills: 1000. System Assistance: 200. Miscellaneous: 50. With three days of pay and my 500 bonus, my account had 530 towers. I was most curious about System Assistance, and most interested in Skills, but I wasn¡¯t willing to spend so much on the former without any benefit and the latter was still beyond my price range. ¡®Still,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®Its not like it really matters if I waste these towers anyway¡­¡¯ Minions was interesting, but the raise lesser dead had worked pretty well so far for populating my path. And my two mid level minions had done an exemplary job today: not a single challenger had made it through. But the difficulty would likely increase if I really received this promotion, so they might not be enough¡­ Environments was also interesting. Right now the curving road up the hill made it relatively a direct confrontation. Not many places to plan an ambush. I had grown slightly nostalgic for the marsh, which was basically the only environment I remembered fondly. Skeletons and Zombies sneaking among the tall grass would certainly be effective¡­ Almost against my will I found myself pressing the environments on the counter. The counter beeped, and 100 towers were deducted from my account. I was pleasantly surprised to find that contained within were several general environmental alterations, including desert, tundra, forest, plains, as well as several dozen premade environments ranging between 100 and 200 towers. I found a night one that was 180 towers, complete with a castle sitting on a hill above a marshy forest, all of it blanketed in a low hanging mist. What was particularly nice about this environment was that the weather would be an eternal twilight, hampering the challengers vision while still allowing us that were used to that level of light to move freely. With 250 remaining, I used 50 to buy the traps category. Within were what you would expect: pitfall, pressure plates, trip lines, and rolling boulder traps. Unfortunately¡­ each trap cost 50 to 300 to purchase, and then an additional 10 each to install them. Annoyed, I purchased a bear trap, and bought 10 to install throughout my new home. Just as I turned to leave, annoyed by the surprisingly money grubbing nature of this shop, the satyr appeared next to me. ¡°Ah, good you¡¯re here. You¡¯ve held all challengers off for three days, so you¡¯ll be moving up. Your daily salary of towers will go up to 30. Additionally, everything here at the shop will be 10% cheaper. Congratulations, and keep up the hard work.¡± He disappeared. I stared at the reduced prices with a glum look. Day 12 Day 12 Instead of training all of the morning, I spent most of my time installing the bear traps, instructing the undead in their use and where they were, and exploring our new location. It was much, much larger than the previously simple set up, and I want to be familiar with it. I glanced up, hearing another scream in the distance. Walking back towards the sound, I considered the situation. I had expected that the traffic of challengers would go down after moving up from the 128 path level to the 64, but if anything, it was higher. This was the 5th time already someone had stepped onto a bear trap, and only an hour had passed. I had left Jerry and his zombies guarding the exit, which was located in the heart of the castle, and told them that they would switch with Dead Snake and the skeletons at lunch. I had raised both of their minions until they each had 8, which I assumed would be sufficient. The screaming cut off, and I felt a bit relieved, but then someone else started screaming in another direction. I increased my speed. ***** Dead Snake reported that he had already lost 5 skeletons, but had killed somewhere between 12 and 16 challengers. His counting wasn¡¯t excellent beyond 10. I summoned two more skeletons, which was all I could manage with my mana levels, and told other me to stop practicing air affinity. Drawing my short sword, I began moving through the mist to one of the screamers. To my surprised, there was already a group of 4 people surrounding the creature in the bear trap when I snuck up. They were surprisingly unconcerned at the volume of their conversation. ¡°So? Think it¡¯s just a trap path?¡± ¡°Seems so, but-¡± ¡°SOMEONE LET ME OUT OF HERE!¡± ¡°-but from the report I got from a friend saying this is a newly risen path. So no report on it. Really new, like 3 days. There¡¯s no way these traps are all- ¡°Should we help him?¡± ¡°-AHHHHHHHHH¡± ¡°-all there is. Nah, it will help us gather a group to push forward together.¡± Hearing enough, I stepped out of my hiding place, silencing the scream with a thrown knife, and taking two of the challengers in the same manner. The remaining two spun around, one hefting a hammer and the other a whip. One of the two, the one with the whip, was the one who was talking about a report. Nodding to myself at my own foresight, I activated my Aura of Dread and walked calmly towards them. They trembled, but both seemed able to withstand the fear rolling off of me in waves. I imagined I must look quite cool strolling out of the mist after killing three people. I sensed their assault a second before it came, the whip shooting to grab my hand and hammer man rushing forward. A thrown knife shot into the hammer man¡¯s shoe, causing him to stumble, and by the time he had recovered I had already cracked him in the temple, knocking him unconscious. Seeing that his whip missed and I had so quickly handled hammer man, whip man dropped the whip and turned to flee. I grinned; I loved a good chase. After 5 minutes, I no longer loved a good chase. Much to my chagrin, whip man was slightly faster than me. It seemed like he stumbled much more often, but when he got his feet under him he ate up distance faster than I could compensate for. Frowning, I let him run off. He would need to come to me to pass the path anyway. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Annoyed that I hadn¡¯t gotten many improvements to agility, I walked back to hammer man, bound him with the whip, and then dragged him back to the gateway upwards. I sent Jerry and his zombies down to help Dead Snake and watched as hammer man began to moan and twitch while unconscious. ***** Toggling off my Aura of Dread, I turned to Jen with a question. ¡°Why are there so many challengers? Shouldn¡¯t there be less here on the level of 64?¡± Jen tittered, the center of her green slime body curving in something that could be a smile. ¡°Well most of the paths on the first level aren¡¯t even in use. People leave them empty for about 10 years, just collecting the salary. After all, once you have the job, you can¡¯t lose it. You can only go down to the level of 128. Then they spend all the saved up towers to buy traps, minions, and a cool story. Once they have all of those expensive things installed, the path rises naturally to the top. And if you stay in the 1 spot for 3 days without letting anyone through, you get promoted to the next floor.¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°So I can climb the tower just by killing challengers.¡± The jelly part of Jen wiggled. ¡°Well no. You will be on the second floor, but then you will be a challenger like everyone else. It won¡¯t be until the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, every 5, that you can show your tile and work for the company. You have to prove your strength by climbing to have those jobs. Which is why the job here on the 1st Floor is so sought after. They are relatively easy to get.¡± I nodded, eating more larva. ***** The day ended without any mishaps, although only 1 skeleton and 3 zombies survived. I peered at the skeleton, whose bones had turned distinctly yellow. I rapped my knuckles against it, surprised by how firm they seemed. Were bones normally this hard¡­? The skeleton preened under my attentions. Jerry stepped forward smartly. ¡°Sir.¡± -Ah, polite subordinates are the one true joy of a boss¡¯s heart <3 -Truely, other me, this is paradise. ¡°According to my skill, Absolute Identity, he has gained enough levels to evolve into an Ancient Skeleton Drudge. With this, he has become much more durable and can strengthen himself, as well as heal by absorbing the bones of the fallen.¡± -Ah, another dependable subordinate has been born~ -...Wait a second other me, what is this broken skill, Absolute Identify? And Jerry can disintegrate matter at a distance? Thankfully he wasn¡¯t watching his cholesterol, or that fight with him would be troublesome. -Hum. I will make a note to watch the subordinates that are too dependable. -Indeed. I surveyed the land before me after summoning a single skeleton, all my mana could handle for now. Aside from the whip man escaping, it had been a good day. I set my subordinates to guard the path to the next level, and went to bed. **************Author''s Note************* Okay, done with another uploading spree. My copy and paste fingers hurt =\. Besides, we are almost caught up, and I enjoy writing it ever so much more than I do transferring it onto here~ I should upload another day or three later tonight. Day 13 Day 13 I returned from the purchasing counter early in the morning, before challengers would arrive. Rubbing my temples, I looked around in the half light that permeated this environment constantly. Honestly, I could use some sun. My skin was getting a bit pale. Summoning 3 zombies and 3 skeletons basically depleted my mana pool, but led to another skill level.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 3¡±: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise ¡°Zombie Archers.¡±
I was pleased at this development, for zombie archers would benefit greatly from the cover of the mist, and the height of the castle walls. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until later. I absently patted the bound and gagged hammer man, whose eyes had rolled back into his head and was constantly sobbing, even though he seemed locked in nightmares. Should I resume practicing Air Affinity, or save up mana for skeleton archers¡­? Hopefully soon... Jerry bowed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave and join Dead Snake in guarding the gates.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I held up a hand. I had been exposing hammer man to my aura for quite a while, and hopefully¡­
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of Dread Lvl 4¡±. Aura 10% more effective. This bonus is doubled against creatures of a significantly lower level. Prolonged exposure now leads to death.
With a smile of satisfaction on my face, I slit his throat and spent several minutes eating the flesh from his body. Jerry avoided his gaze. After wiping my mouth, I was at an impressive 801 Biomass. All those larva lunches were paying off. ¡°No, today you stay here and guard the portal upwards. I was a little annoyed yesterday, and I want to relieve some stress by hunting challengers. Oh, and keep these bones. I want to see what that Ancient Drudge can do.¡± ***** It was almost too easy. I pinpointed the screamers and killed them first. Then I swept broadly among the marsh, combing through the dry spots for stragglers. A little before lunch, I smashed a challenger that was just a metallic ball to pieces, finally earning the level I had been waiting for.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 13. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Radioactive Sewer Hog¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I clicked no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
-823 Biomass gone, just like that, huh.. -Hopefully it¡¯s worth it.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Carnivorous Dusk-Wing Owl.¡±
Vit +2
End +3
Str +3
Agi +12
Dex +16
Memory +6
Processing Power +4
Wis +22
Timeless Perception +9
Mana +76
I couldn¡¯t restrain my smile. I wasted my last level on a shitty growth rate, so I deserved getting a good one now. Who knows, maybe I would even keep it for another level. An involuntary shiver wracked my body. The pain of a failed mutation was like a spectre, hanging above me, even though I was slowly forgetting its sharp agony. -I wonder if summon lesser dead will allow us to control spectres one day, and make it go away. -Shut up, other me. I opened up my status screen.
Name:PredatorLevel:13
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2Mana:62/536
Vit:37 (+2)End:25 (+2)
Str:18 (+2)Agi:24 (+2)
Dex:26 (+2)Memory:231 (+2)
Processing Power:262 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:85 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:25 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 3Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 3Bile Emission Lvl 1
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The biggest impact would likely be the increase in Agi, which almost doubled. Springing lightly from one foot to another, I dared the whipman to show his face again. I raced back to the castle for lunch, savoring my increased speed. ***POV Change*** Dekker paced the room. He had lost too much money in that gamble a few days ago, and now Gillette was making a move on his position¡­ Damnit, how did he end up in this position?!? He stalked out of his office into the adjacent room, glancing at Kettle¡¯s desk. It was covered in transfer paperwork, employee records, and lists of up and coming challengers. Dekker had her combing through for anything useful, but unfortunately anyone with connections could skip straight to the 10th floor. All that they would receive here was dregs¡­ But Dekker noticed that Kettle had pulled a file, and he picked it up, skimming through it. His eyes widened, and his mouth curled into a sneer. ¡°Perhaps I won¡¯t kill you just yet, pretty little human¡­¡± ***** ***POV Change*** I returned to the castle that night, frowning and carrying another armful of bones.. While the morning had been especially productive for hunting down and killing the challengers, the evening was much less so. Perhaps Dead Snake had been quite a bit more useful. But when I walked into the main room, I was surprised to find Dead Snake bleeding in front of the portal upwards, the yellow skeleton standing next to him in a concerned manner. I dropped the bones on the floor and hurried over. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Someone is apparently gathering all of the challengers, hiding in the forest.¡± Jerry stepped forward and reported. I thanked my lucky stars he volunteered this information, because everything that came out of Dead Snake¡¯s mouth just sounded like hissing to me. I gestured for him to continue. ¡°Dead Snake discovered them with the Ancient Skeleton Drudge, and they were ambushed. All other skeletons and zombies were killed. The Ancient one healed the damage by absorbing the bones you left, but Dead Snake¡­¡± Shaking my head, I focused on getting rid of the annoyances. Dead Snake would heal. ¡°Can they just stay there like that? On the path?¡± Jerry nodded. ¡°Yes, and as you rise, they rise. They likely are surviving on plants and water from the river. They will continue to gather challengers until they have enough to swarm us.¡± I briefly considered waiting them out, trying to level and out race them with skeletons, but it didn¡¯t seem likely that if we were even close to equal, that the lesser dead could rival the challengers. Only Dead Snake, Jerry, and I were worth anything. Well, I amended, watching as the yellow skeleton absorbed the bones, growing to a bit over 2 meters in height, his body thick and heavy with powerful seeming bones. Perhaps him too. If only there were some way to flush them out, cut off their supply to food or water.... -No need to thank me. -What? -Kukuku. You haven¡¯t realized yet? You know what you have to do. ***** I looked around me, embarrassed. Then I walked into the mouth of the river, which fed into the marsh that surrounded the castle. When I was in the middle, the flowing water was up to my thighs, I turned and looked downstream. I sighed. This was mortifying. To think I would end up relying on such a useless creature¡¯s skill¡­ Bile erupted out of my mouth, spraying the 120 Biomass I had absorbed through lunch and hunting afterwards into the river. I continued to produce bile, pumping the river full of it. The Bile itself was full of strange pulsating lumps, and glowing a rather ominous green. After a full 5 seconds of spewing, the speed slowed to a spray, and then to a dribble. I wiped my mouth, hoping this was worth it.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Bile Emission Lvl 2¡±. You will produce 5% more Bile for the same amount of Biomass. Bile has become increasingly dangerous to biological creatures.
...not exactly what I had in mind, but¡­ It was then that I noticed that the grass along the riverbank was withering, turning black and emitting a vile stench. I waded out of the river, walking along, watching as trees, shrubs, and grass all withered and died after exposure to my bile. Damnit, I had honestly hoped it wouldn¡¯t work¡­ Then I turned and headed back to the castle. This likely wouldn¡¯t defeat them, but it would force them to attack. So they would come tomorrow. I needed to be ready. Day 14 Day 14 I woke up to a surprise.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 14. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
Apparently, my actions last night had killed enough things that I gained a level. I sat up and got to work. My first action that morning was summoning 5 skeleton archers, 100 mana each, and stationing them on the walls. I inwardly cursed the design of the castle; there was no gate, just an open drawbridge that didn¡¯t appear to actually function, and was entirely cosmetic. There really is not such thing as a free lunch¡­ I should have known better than to buy something premade. Dead Snake was close to being recovered, but I didn¡¯t want to risk it. I left Jerry by the path upward and had the yellow skeleton and Dead Snake block the gate. Cracking my fingers I walked out and surveyed the marsh around the castle. My addition to the ecosystem had tinted everything unnaturally green, the plants withering and twisting into the dark color of rot. Welcome challengers. ***** Now that I understood what was happening, I went about my hunt in a much more stealthy manner. When I found challengers I attacked swiftly and silently. One yelled, and to my frustration I encountered a period where I found no one for a half an hour. But I went back to the castle, summoned two more Skeleton Archers, and then walked down a different path, finding my hunting stride once more. I surmised they would attempt to gather more survivors before the attack, and returned to the castle for lunch. Jen was wearing her pink frilly apron again, and was practically bouncing. ¡°Are you excited? If you block everyone again today, you will receive another promotion. And if you do, I¡¯ll-¡± She abruptly went silent, wiggling back and forth. I ignored it, devouring my lunch. Gritting my teeth, I resolved myself to level up and keep the growth rate. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad¡­ There was always the chance for positive things happening in the mutation, right¡­? ¡°I¡¯ll¡­-I¡¯ll give you a ki-ki-k-ki-ki¡­. I¡¯ll give you a Kettle!¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± A kettle? -For boiling tea. -What¡¯s tea? -It goes inside a kettle when it isn¡¯t boiled. -.... ¡°Oh yea! I made a new friend named Kettle, and I¡¯ll introduce you. She¡¯s really pretty and stuff, so I think you two will make a good¡­.hahaha that¡¯s why I asked if you were seeing someone...for...her¡­..¡± Jen¡¯s tentacles were profoundly droopy as she left. I opened up my status menu, saw the 131 Biomass, said a prayer, and clicked level up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 14. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Carniverous Dusk-Wing Owl¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I decisively clicked yes.
Growth Rate Retained!
Vit +1
Str +4
Agi +9
Dex +6
Memory +11
Processing Power +9
Wis +14
Timeless Perception +22
Mana +149
Due to the conversion of 131 Biomass, 7 chances for random improvements were earned!
Chance One: ...Evolutionary Leap! All stats (aside from Parallel Computations) +1. A small amount of height and weight gained.
This seemed familiar. A burning sensation spread out over my whole body, my muscles undulating outwards in an indescribable way. I wondered idly how tall I was now. Then I realize I didn¡¯t remember at all how tall I was before¡­
Chance Two¡­ Mutation!
Shit.
Body Undergoing mutation...
Mutation Failed!
Falling to my knees, I released my gritted teeth. -I made a mistake. -There is still time to take our own life-
Chance Three¡­ Mutation!
-Quick, the sword! -SHUT UP OTHER ME.
Body Undergoing mutation...
The pain was like 1000 little embers burrowing deeper, into my eyes, my brain, my intestines. My heart trembled, unable to continue beating normally. Something was pushing my ribs open, spilling agony out of my guts and covering the floor with it. I couldn¡¯t stand, I couldn¡¯t breath, I couldn¡¯t even scream. In that moment, I hated the pain, loathed it. I just wanted to kill, I forced myself upwards, a strange, unnatural rage boiling over. I looked at the twilight sky and roared, the deep hatred shattering the silence.
Mutation successful! Your skill ¡°Aura of Dread Lvl 4¡± has evolved into ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 2¡±. Bloodlust, Hatred, and Agony roll off of you in waves, filling your enemies¡¯ hearts with fear and you minions with the desire to kill. Skill proficiency will now be earned when you kill with the Aura toggled on.
Chance Four¡­ Vit +1!
Chance Five¡­ Dex +2!
Chance Six¡­ Str +5!
Chance Seven¡­ Mutation!
A strange feeling bubbled up within me. Something was changing, had been changing ever since my aura shifted. The corners of my mouth lifted as the pain descended. I spent the next several minutes roaring my defiance at the sky, daring the pain to get worse. It was strange, but as I burned with it, with that strange red black aura surrounding me¡­ I wanted it to grow stronger. I wanted the pressure, to force my growth. I wanted my body to tear itself apart, my veins flooding with adrenaline and pure, cleansing anger¡­
Mutation Failed!
Breathing heavily, I slowly settled down, my mind still swirling with strange chemicals to cope. And I was grinning like a madman. ¡°Come quickly, challengers,¡± I said, as I brought up my status screen. ¡°Any longer and you will have no hope.¡±
Name:PredatorLevel:14
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2Mana:119/685
Vit:38 (+2)End:25 (+2)
Str:22 (+2)Agi:33 (+2)
Dex:32 (+2)Memory:242 (+2)
Processing Power:271 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:99 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:47 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRaceless
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 3Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 2Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 3Bile Emission Lvl 2
***** ***POV Change*** Zindaloo didn¡¯t consider himself a particularly brave man. Nor did he think his stats were all that impressive, especially for his race. Everyday of his teen years he had cursed the level up gains for levels 2-5, all of which were on the lesser side of average. It left him bitter and resentful of his peers, as they began to develop a combat style that suited them particularly well. They switched from general weapons training at the institute to a particular master. They entered competitions, earned results and garnered respect, while Zindaloo remained in the general weapons training. His resentment would likely have consumed him if not for the master of the general weapons intervening. During one of the sparring sessions, instead of slashing downwards with his scimitar like Zindaloo expected, his master let go of the deadly weapon and punched Zindaloo in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. With no fanfare, Zindaloo collapsed and his master just chuckled. ¡°Why dwell on the one specific area in which they are superior? If your enemy is faster, make it so you clash with their strength. If they are stronger, make it a battle of wits. The true battlefield is fighting to establish how you battle. The individual who makes the rules is usually the winner.¡± Shaking his head, Zindaloo returned to the present and surveyed the surrounding marsh with a bitter expression. After using his forbidden technique on that hammer wielding challenger and escaping from the dark haired and ominous individual who he could only assume was the path boss, Zindaloo had planned to slowly gather more challengers, and then just overwhelm the path, but the boss had proven surprisingly resourceful. Somehow he had managed to poison the water supply, and the marsh was dying around their group. A significant number, not noticing the creeping rot, had tried the water, swiftly frothing at the mouth and collapsing, dead. Perhaps most annoying was how the bear traps had hampered the recruitment efforts today. Initially, Zindaloo had disdained the bear traps, sneering at an individual who would pepper the landscape with so many. But then in a moment of levity among challengers, someone had stepped on one. And no matter how much he tried to warn them, in that first instant that a pair of metal jaws close on your legs, you scream. It was a strange blessing that the path boss kept his aura on, so there was a small amount of warning as the creeping chill seized your heart, making it hard to breath, but warning of his approach. If it wasn¡¯t for that aura warning of his approach¡­ Zindaloo shivered. That thing was a monster, and seemingly becoming stronger every day. Was this really a newly risen path boss?!?! A subordinate challenger approached ZIndaloo, indicating that they were prepared. Zindaloo stood, adjusting the whip wrapped around his waist, tightening the straps to the scimitar that slanted across his shoulders, checking the shurikens hidden along his wrists and thighs. He inhaled through the nose, and then out through his mouth. Zindaloo¡¯s eyes flashed as he gestured for the group of 40 or so challengers to follow him. Their mouths were set into a grim line. A tall tiger beast man walked up to Zindaloo, issuing quiet orders to the surrounding people. They began marching towards the castle. ***** Zindaloo narrowed his eyes at the castle. Nothing felt right. He knew that this was a premade environment, and that the path boss couldn¡¯t close the drawbridge¡­ but still. They had encountered his undead minions these past two days. Why was there nothing now¡­? The only figure visible was the path boss, rather lazily draped over the battlements above the gate, a lazy grin twisting his face. There was something different about him, too. Where before, seeing him was like gazing into a festering wound on your own body, know he gave off the even more disturbing aura of a blade slippery with fresh blood. It was a chilling invitation. The tiger beast man folded his formidable arms and glared up at the path boss. ¡°...I do not like this. Are you sure we cannot wait for this miasma to pass? He has something prepared. And him boldly hiding even a pretense at defense worries me¡­¡± ZIndaloo shook his head. ¡°Perhaps if we understood what happened last night. But what if he could do it again? We would only grow weaker¡­¡± By an effort of will, Zindaloo relaxed his clenched jaw, admitting the secret fear that this creature had planted in his heart. ¡°...and I have no confidence that even if we maintained recruitment and gathering, we would grow in strength fast enough to rival him¡­¡± The Tiger beast man nodded, then laughed, breaking the tension of the moment. The other challengers twisted around, and then broke out in awkward smiles, embarrassed at the ominous silence they had let descend over the group. ¡°Very strange. I was assured that I would not encounter any foe that could rival me before the 5th floor. But now that I face this¡­¡± They both took a moment to look at the challenge in front of them, his sloppy grin and his wiry frame, knives dancing across his fingers and a short sword and a cudgel at his waist. The mountain was a very tall one. ¡°...I¡¯m almost glad I chose this path. One does not grow strong without risk.¡± They shared a smile and clasped hands. ¡°Stay close, brother,¡± Zindaloo urged the tiger beast man, feeling the vitality and strength surging inside of him. For a moment, Zindaloo almost lost control and devoured his strength. But, shivering and reluctant, he allowed their hands to part. ¡®Now was not the time,¡¯ He thought. ¡®If the others see forbidden blood magic, they will turn on me¡­¡¯ But the hunger within him was a living thing. It was an addiction. ¡°You too, we shall watch each other¡¯s backs.¡± The tiger beastman walked boldly towards the drawbridge, and Vindaloo could only follow. Seeing their approach, the path boss ceased his lounging and straightened. He raised a hand slowly, his right, and snapped his fingers. With a dull series of thumps, a huge yellowing skeleton, over 3 meters tall, lumbered around from inside the castle and stood with folded arms in the gate. Each limb seemed to be a trunk made of entwined bones. Sharp femurs stuck out of its knees and elbows, and interlocking shoulder blades seemed to form plate armor across its torso. But what disturbed Zindaloo the most is that some of the bones seemed to be shifting from a yellow color to pit black. There were only spots of it, speckled across the legs and in the joints, but it made his eyes widen. ¡®A Skeletal monstrosity? Here, on the first floor¡­? It hasn¡¯t evolved yet, but¡­¡¯ With a echoing laugh, the tiger beast man started sprinting forward towards the skeleton. They were about 40 m from the drawbridge, and 10 m across to the skeleton. The group of 40 challengers, screamed their agreement, their defiance of the oppressive fear that pervaded the air. They charged towards the mocking smile of the path boss, intent to slaughter him and his minions. Almost against his will, Zindaloo felt his heart rate and and adrenaline rise, screaming all of his frustrations. The fact he was always the weak one. The fact he never mastered a weapon path. The fact that no one from his village currently would even recognize his name. The fact that he betrayed the one person who had showed him kindness. ***POV Change*** Gillette watched the screen thoughtfully. Most paths succumbed very quickly to when challengers were allowed to pool and launch a group attack. For this reason, a large environment was the last improvement that was made to a path. But this time, the path boss had somehow managed to flush them out, and now was going to clash with them directly. Gillette¡¯s mouth twitched. He hoped his investment wasn¡¯t misplaced. ¡°46 against 17, huh¡­¡± He sipped his drink, eyes intently watching. ***POV Change*** Zindaloo was leading the charge with the tiger beastman now, lungs already hoarse from screaming. The 40 odd individuals thundered behind him, weapons raised. It wasn¡¯t a neat charge, but¡­ But when they reached the drawbridge, the path boss raised his fingers and snapped again. Suddenly, 10 skeletons stood up from behind the ramparts, raising bows. Zindaloo had a flash of fear, but it was much too late. If they turned around now, they would only suffer more damage. So they surged forward, anger and mob mentality overriding the fear. Arrows wizzed downwards, striking several of the people around him. Roaring, the tiger beastman surged forward, leaping towards the monstrous yellow skeleton. His body contorted and grew, swelling until his body was covered in fur and he was only about half a meter smaller than the skeleton, and just as wide. With a burst of effort, Zindaloo raced after him, a few of the other challengers keeping up, almost completely across the drawbridge. He spared himself a glance back, and what he saw made him break out into a smile; only about a dozen people had fallen to the arrows, and they were almost completely- Snap. ¡°Shatter!¡± The drawbridge disintegrated behind him, only himself, the tiger beast man, 4 others who had kept pace with him, and a desperate woman who leaped at the last second made it. Zindaloo heard a huge shout and a crash as the beastman and the skeleton smashed together, but the rest of them walked back to where the drawbridge once was, looking down in horror. A sallow skinned creature with webbed fingers waited below. Approaching the stunned challengers and waved his hands, disintegrating their entire bodies without a sound. Realizing what was happening, the challengers leapt up, tripping each other in their haste to run away. Which is when the arrows fell like a downpour. In that dried moat, only a few feet across, there was nowhere to hide. The challengers died. Zindaloo drew three shurikens and threw them downward at the strange creature. The first struck it in the shoulder, and it raised its hands instinctively, disintegrating the other two into poofs of dust. The momentum carried the dust forward, striking the creature¡¯s nose. It sniffled, steadying itself with a hand on the inner wall of the dried moat. Zindaloo drew several more shurikens, preparing to throw. ¡°Achoo!¡± While sneezing, the creature used its power to make a hole in the wall, and tumbled into it. Huffing, Zindaloo put his shurikens away. What a crafty creature. He turned his gaze to the courtyard. The skeleton and the tiger beastman were standing in the centre, punching each other. Although it appeared the beastman¡¯s nose was broken and his face a bloody mess, several of the skeletons major armor bones had large cracks in it. The force of their blows shook the courtyard, and when the stepped the ground shock. Frustrated, Zindaloo bit his lip. He wanted so badly to absorb someone. He NEEDED it now. He had put it off for days, after he had fled his town, sure that he would be suspected of the murder. He had been so calm, he had refrained¡­ but he could feel the strength he had stolen slowly fading away, leaving his body. He needed more. But aside from the beastman, none of the other challengers were any stronger than he was regularly. The forbidden also required that the targets guard be lowered, so the path boss was out of the picture¡­ HIs fellow challengers were already up among the battlements, smashing the skeleton archers to pieces. Although their accuracy was scary, they weren¡¯t as resilient in close combat. The path boss just sat above the gates, his feet dangling over the edge, almost directly over Zindaloo, watching it all happen. He was watching his subordinates dispassionately, seemingly pondering something. He also glanced frequently at the battle between the yellow skeleton and the beastman, intrigued. As silently as possible, Zindaloo drew his shurikens again. ***POV Change**** Gillette rubbed his chin. ¡°And just like that, it¡¯s 7 against 5. That was quite the ploy, path boss on the level of 64.¡± But then Gillette¡¯s gaze focused on Zindaloo. ¡°...But I suspect it won¡¯t be quite as easy as that.¡± ***POV Change*** As the shurikens were leaving Zindaloo¡¯s hand, the path boss¡¯ head swiveled around, locking gazes with him. ¡°Ah, whip man. I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± As it was speaking, it casually tilted its head to the side, the shurikens shooting past harmlessly. Zindaloo could hear his heart hammering in his ears, barely handling the rush of fear that came from the eye contact. But what disturbed Zindaloo more was what followed. Snap. With a creak, the doors to the castle opened, revealing a tall, ghoulish creature with the body of a snake. Cradled in its hands was an orb of darkness. It raised the orb, letting it float into the sky. Suddenly, the light fell, going from twilight to pure night. The path boss¡¯ eyes burned yellow in the darkness as it turned towards the challengers on the ramparts, the group that had killed the skeleton archers. ¡°But I should let my dependable subordinates handle you; they called dibs. Don¡¯t ever injure a ghoul without injuring, whip man. It neither forgives, nor forgets.¡± The path boss streaked off towards the other challengers, and Zindaloo heard a slithering in the darkness behind him. He rolled forward, drawing his scimitar in a smooth motion. He adopted the water stance, weapon held above his head. ¡°Remember,¡± His master used to say, ¡°You may not be as quick, or as strong, or have as impenetrable a defense¡­¡± The ghoul slithered forward, lashing out with its claws. Zindaloo deflected the blows to the side, circling around, but the ghoul twisted and backed off a bit, fading into the darkness. Immediately, Zindaloo lowered the tip of the scimitar and danced on his toes, settling into air stance. He kept his gaze firmly ahead, letting his peripheral vision take over his entire perception. ¡°But you can see it! And you understand it. And when you understand it¡­¡± The ghoul rushed forward, baring its crooked teeth. ¡°You can break it.¡± Ducking under the tackle, Zindaloo slashed at the ghoul¡¯s torso with a blade that flashed towards its target. But when it struck, it skittered off the strange dead skin that covered the ghouls body. Without missing a beat, Zindaloo bent his knees and shifted to earth stance, but the ghoul whipped its tail around and slammed it against him, sending him flying. After smashing into the ground, Zindaloo stayed there for what seemed a long time. Tears formed in his eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, master.¡± He sat up, standing slowly. A man in a dark alley, offering to help him. A face hidden in shadows. ¡°If I don¡¯t have the strength, no matter how much you understand¡­ It¡¯s pointless!¡± Zindaloo jumped up, shifting into thunder stance. Then he threw himself towards the silhouette of the ghoul. Stolen novel; please report. A secret too good to be true. Stealing the strength of another. But who? Who wouldn¡¯t be missed? Who was just as invisible to the world as he was? Zindaloo lashed out again and again, his blows consisting of the wild strength of desperation. He could hear the screams of other challengers as the path boss moved among them and slaughtered them. Even the tiger beastman¡¯s shouts had become more pain than battlelust. And the constant, creeping fear¡­ The man¡¯s smile in the darkness. ¡°The betrayal is the bridge¡­ and by using that, you make take the his strength. The ghoul hissed, annoyed at the flurry of blows from Zindaloo, but still Zindaloo pressed forward, refusing stop. His body began trembling from the strain. His strength was almost gone. The gains he had received...have all but deserted him. His master, his eyes wide. Stabbed in the back. The shame, but also the throbbing rush of power. Switching to air stance, Zindaloo dodged passed the ghoul and slammed into a tall figure in the darkness, crossing his fingers. ¡°GRRAAA- oh, brother, hehe, sorry, in this darkness¡­¡± The ghoul launched itself at Zindaloo¡¯s back. Zindaloo met the tiger beast man¡¯s eyes as he slid his scimitar in between his ribs, piercing his heart. He opened his mouth, shocked. There was a moment of silence, and then all of a sudden Zindaloo was full of strength, his body swelling to be of a size of the beast man. Without breaking eye contact with the beast man, Zindaloo reached behind him and caught the ghoul by the neck. He squeezed. ***POV Change*** -Kukuku -This really isn¡¯t a fair contest. -I sorta consider it exercise. I smashed a challenger¡¯s collarbone in the darkness, driving her to her knees. Then I swept my sword along in a low arc, beheading her. Blood fountained upward for a moment, and I stared broodingly off into the distance. -Oh stop it, no one can see you in this darkness anyways. -Shut up, other me. The snapping thing was really cool, wasn¡¯t it? Think they were scared? -...And whose idea was that? -Well, it¡¯s unbecoming to bicker over- I frowned. The darkness was dispersing. Unreliable subordinates at it again. Shaking my head, I leapt to the last of survivors on the battlements, shivering in the corner, already succumbing to my aura. -Let¡¯s start referring to it as our ¡°charm¡±. -Good idea, other me. My charm had left the man trembling, his eyes rolling up to the back of his head, succumbing to my¡­ charms. There was a little bit of frothiness emerging from his mouth.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 3¡±. Your stats will slightly improve when opponents are under the effect of your aura. Area of effect is slightly larger.
-When my opponent is under the effects of my charm, my performance is improved. Related, it¡¯s slightly larger. -....Turn around. Other me¡¯s tone was serious. I slit the man¡¯s throat, put off that other me hadn¡¯t continued to play along. Whip man was standing in the center of the courtyard, almost embracing the tiger person. The yellow skeleton was almost completely shattered, barely able to stand. But Dead Snake¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± I leapt down from the battlements, practically teleporting over the intervening distance. He lay on the ground, his head lolling at a very unnatural angle. He was not moving. I was thinking about the cute way he couldn¡¯t walk after he had become the snake thing he was now, rolling to get places. The way he got huffy when I brought a new minion. The way he complained about how the competition wasn¡¯t fair. The way that he burped and played dumb when I woke up to find catman dead. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just¡­ Summon Lesser Dead! Reanimate this corpse!¡±
The corpse has already been reanimated. Structural damage to the body is too severe. The spark of life has departed, and thus it will return to dust.
...Are you fucking kidding me? I touched Dead Snake¡¯s strange scales. I lifted his spindly fingers and let them plop back on the ground. I looked into the eye sockets were a dull red ember usually burns. This is¡­ The impression within me, which had become increasingly inactive, sighed. ¡®Grief,¡¯ it whispered. Standing, I looked to Whip man, whose charms had also become slightly engorged recently. He was almost as tall as the yellow skeleton was in his kill mode, almost 3 meters. The tiger person had shrunk, transforming into a withered husk. As I watched, whip man removed the scimitar from the body, and turned to me. ¡°I took your advice,¡± He said offhandedly, sneering at me. ¡°This time I just killed it. I wouldn¡¯t want him to hold a grudge or anything.¡± My eyes narrowed, and the air around me turned cold. ¡°Then I suppose I have to bear it for him.¡± At almost the same moment, we both moved, leaping towards one another. His scimitar lashed towards me, but, I saw glimmers of it moving before it even twitched. My eyes grew wide as my mind disengaged with conscious control of my body and I just swayed forward, relying on instinct. I landed and spun pivoting on my heel to swing my shortsword towards his thigh, but suddenly the way that he was using his sword shifted, becoming small arc around his body, deflecting my blows. Snorting, I used my other hand to draw my cudgel and added it to the mix, alternating between high and low blows. But he continued to use his strange motions to deflect all of my attacks, much to my annoyance. Blinking, I lifted my right foot out of the way, and just in time, his whip snapped against the ground where my foot had been. Whip man blinked, and then gave me an appraising gaze. Without warning the way he wielded his sword changed, the small circles replaced with thrusts of varying quickness. I knocked his weapon to the side as best I could, gritting my teeth. Suddenly I was very aware of how inexperienced I was at prolonged combat, especially with weapons. My fights thus far had been decided in an instant, a moment of primal confrontation in the wild. I had been fighting like an animal, against animals. Even my actions thus far in this fight had been more focused on breaking their spirit with powerful moves, asserting my dominance, and less focused on an extended confrontation. -Well, I don¡¯t think we are to blame. We are basically are two weeks old. Me even less than that. -I don¡¯t remember a life without you other me¡­ and it¡¯s a life I don¡¯t want to remember! -Now, now, don¡¯t go raising death flags for yourself mid fight- ¡°Your greatest strength is also¡­ a weakness. You are so talented in martial arts¡­¡± His scimitar smashed my cudgel to the side. My other hand thrust forward, striking like a snake towards his throat. ¡°That it seems as if your two arms are independent minds, controlled by different people. Their tempos are cooperative, but not exactly the same. And because of that¡­¡± -I mean, they really are controlled by two different people. -Technically not, I think. Until one of us starts wanting to be called by another name, I think we can safely claim we are one person. -You call me other me all the time. -You call ME other me! And I was the first me! I think. -Still, we don¡¯t need to tell him- ¡°If you push at the right moment,¡± His scimitar twirled around my thrusting sword and knocked it into the side, putting it between him and my cudgel, which paused, confused. -Uh, other me, if you don¡¯t block- Like lighting, whip man struck out, slashing me in across the torso with his scimitar. I was sent tumbling back, a manageable cut in my shoulder opening. But my balance was lost, and he struck again and again, smashing me backwards, criss crossing my body with thin lines of blood. My skin withstood most of it, but it was slowly breaking down under the assault. Still, most of the damage had healed by the time, several minutes later, he backed off, considering me. ¡°Your body is strong. Just a little bit stronger than mine, even. But without more martial arts training¡­. You are not my match.¡± Then whip man turned away and began walking towards the open doors. As incredibly frustrating as it was¡­ he was right. Whatever change had occurred within his body had made him much closer to me in physical abilities. And without a doubt, he was better at fighting with weapons than I was. But my eyes locked in on the departing back. I would not let him leave so easily. My fingers danced, all 10 knives flying forward and piercing into his back. He stumbled, and then turned around, eyes furious and red. ¡°Do you not know the difference in our strength!¡± He bellowed, taking long strides towards me. ¡°Why must you struggle? Even if I can¡¯t kill you¡­ I can incapacitate you.¡± The whip lashed out. I danced to the side, but was met with a wide sweep of his scimitar, the force of hit jarring me. Before I had recovered, he had dropped his whip and reached through my guard, grabbing my left wrist. Before I could even process what he was doing, his right arm had dropped the scimitar and flashed out, delivering a palm thrust to my sternum, and elbow to my chin, and another palm thrust to my nose. I blinked away reflexive tears, but he was already yanking me and pulling me forward, twisting my arm around my back at an awkward angle. Then he put weight on my shoulder and pushed. Pop. My arm was spasming, the burning pain spreading throughout my body. He twisted me again, keeping me from getting my balance, and pulled my head towards his swiftly approaching knee. A grin began to grow on my face as the taste of blood spread through my mouth, the fiery pain spiking from my shoulder. More. -You are turning into something of a masochist. Before I could even respond to other me, the knee smashed the side of my face, and I felt my jaw crack and dislodge. Without giving me time to recover, he smashed again, rattling my brain. It felt as if every nerve ending was buzzing. I was alive, and I savored the burn of it. Tossing me on the ground, whip man turned and began walking away again. I struggled on the ground, attempting to push myself up, but just tumbling over because my right arm wouldn¡¯t listen to my commands. By the time he reached the doors to the main hall, I had managed it to my feet, but then I felt myself sliding to the left and I fell again, my sense of balance almost completely destroyed by one of the knees to the temple. I stood again, this time taking a few extra seconds to gather myself. The buzzing was intensifying, a strange jittery energy that was agony and ecstasy. ¡°I prefer¡­¡± My words came out garbled through my broken jaw, and I imagined I was quite the sight with my jaw and right arm hanging limp and useless as I stumbled forward, barely managing to stay on my feet. ¡°...the term adrenaline junkie.¡± I hurried after him as fast as I could go, but by the time I reached him, he was ascending the steps to the portal above, only 10 meters away from escaping. At this point, I didn¡¯t even care about my record, but what I cared about was revenge for Dead Snake. But for some reason that buzzing gave me confidence. He was right, I was not as skilled at fighting as he was. I couldn¡¯t deny that. But without a doubt, I was much more well equipped at being a predator than he ever would be. ¡°Hey, weakling!¡± He turned around slowly at my shout, glowering. The first step was to teach them fear. Then to use it to drive them into a trap. And like all prey, what this man feared more than anything else is something that he doesn¡¯t understand. I raised my hand, fingers splayed in an imitation of Jerry, and grinned at him. ¡°You will die here, whip man. Can you feel it coming?¡± He opened his mouth, perhaps to retort, or laugh, but froze. I concentrated on him, barely managing it at this distance. His body trembled, struggling against it. I wondered idly how it felt, to have the very air inside your body stick inside your mouth and lungs, refusing to move. The strange disbelief, followed by the immense pressure, and then the creeping fear that what I just said was right, that he would die here. The panic would set in then, and¡­ Yes, right about now he turns away from me as I collapse, my mana pool exhausted. But he doesn¡¯t even notice. The fear locks the breath within him now, refusing to let it go until he stops for a moment to consider. But he cannot, he is too intent on his salvation: the portal. And he doesn¡¯t notice the skeleton archer hiding not 3 meters away from him, arrow knocked and bow raised, hiding in the shadow of a column. The arrow shot forward, taking whip man in the eye, pressing through into his brain. He died before he hit the ground, and only the pressure on his torso from smashing into the stairs finally forces that breath from his constricted chest. Grinning, I stand up and hobble over towards the dead body, intent on reanimating him and torturing him for as long as possible. But I¡¯m distracted by the change in his body. -Well, both bodies. That skeleton archer is changing too. Fascinated, I watched as whip man¡¯s body shrunk and withered, shrinking down from its larger size, and then further still from his normal size, until he looked just like a wizened old man. The Skeleton Archer on the other hand grew a slight amount of height, and his bones shimmered and turned a deep maroon color. But the most noticeable change was that his bow grew to be as tall as he was, turning a glittering ruby. Each end of the bone morphed into a skull, and the entire thing grew spines, as if it was living. -Ah, the birth of another dependable subordinate¡­ -Yes well, we keep letting them die, so the total number has stayed the same¡­ Notifications began to pop up.
Congratulations! After reaching level 8 and killing the user of the forbidden blood magic, the Skeleton Archer has evolved into a ¡°Archer of the Blood¡±. This rare variant is part of an ancient skeleton lineage that spans back to the days of the first great Lich, Nartuk. Accuracy and damage inflicted by this minion has vastly improved. Due to the evolution, the growth rates of your minion have improved! Would you like to give your minion a name?
-I sorta am leaning towards something unexpected. -No more Arnauld? -Just look.
Congratulations! Turnip has been named. Due to your high Processing Power, Turnip has learned the archery skill ¡°Rapid Fire¡±. Due to your high Processing Power, Turnip has learned the archery skill ¡°Multishot¡±.Due to your high Processing Power, Turnip has learned the archery skill ¡°Assassinate¡±. Due to your high Processing Power, Turnip has developed sentience. He will be able to lead lesser undead in battle. He will gain a small portion of the experience from their kills.
-That¡¯s quite a few skills. -A bit of dashing naming sense goes a long way. To think we were impressed when Dead Snake could make the sky go slightly darker. -Truly, we were young and naive.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the Title ¡°Nurturer of Undead¡±: Although typically viewed with suspicion, you have shown your dedication to the growth and progress of the undead by assisting multiple to evolve into rare variants in the last week. Undead minions cannot become disloyal to you. Chances of an evolution or rare variant appearing among your undead minions has increased by 25%. Learned the skill ¡°Unholy Bestowal Lvl 1¡±: You may bless selected undead servants, once per week. Your blessing will grant them traits or abilities based on your race. Due to the title ¡°Raceless¡± your current Racial Growth Rate will be used instead.
-Well, it seems appropriate that he be the first to receive my blessing. -True. Turnip may be a fresh harvest, but he did save the day. -I¡¯m not in love with it, but I like that we are moving towards puns. I placed my hands on Turnip¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Unholy Bestowal!¡± Turnips body trembled, beginning to clatter due to the increasingly violent shaking. His bones darkened further, settling on a color close to dried blood. Then, two large bone protuberances emerged from his back, spreading wide, stretching about 8 meters in diameter. Then they shifted, growing more portions, turning into skeletal wings. Turnips eyes grew bright and his jaw lowered. Small tufts of wispy white hair grew from his skull, falling across his face. ¡°I¡­¡± The voice was raspy and deep, but it emerged from Turnip¡¯s open jaw. ¡°I¡­¡± The jaw closed, then opened again, his voice booming out. ¡°I want to fly!¡±
Unholy Bestowal used! Turnip has received a great blessing based on the race ¡°Carnivorous Dusk-Wing Owl¡±. Intelligence vastly increased. Ability to lead minions has grown. Ability to speak gained. Object permanence gained. Thoughts and emotions gained. Growth Rates for Dex and Wis greatly improved. Growth rates for other stats slight improved. Turnip has learned the skill ¡°Eyes of the Owl¡±: range and detail of sight improve. Darkness doesn¡¯t affect his gaze. Turnip has grown skeletal wings. Turnip has gained a deep desire to fly.
Turnip flapped his wings tentatively, and then with more confidence, ran to the stairs and jumped, beating his wings in powerful strokes. As he fell, unable to gain even the slightest bit of lift from his featherless wings, I admired the sharp points at the tips of the wings and the spikes running along them. They would undoubtedly be a powerful weapon if an enemy got close enough for a melee battle. Smashing into the ground, Turnip remained there for several seconds. I could have sworn I heard a sniffling noise emerging from him. He stood, turning and glaring at me. He twisted his neck slightly, swishing his wispy little hairs across his face. ¡°THANKS FOR NOTHING.¡± Then he turned and stomped out of the room, furiously whispering to himself. -Ah, they grow up and rebel so fast~ -But I thought undead couldn¡¯t be disloyal? Why didn¡¯t we get a skill that made manners mandatory¡­ ***POV Change*** Gillette smiled at the screen ruefully. ¡°A little unorthodox¡­ but I like it.¡± He picked up the phone and dialed a number. After a minute of ringing, the other end of the line picked up. ¡°Director? Hello, this is Gillette. I¡¯d like to call in that favor you owe me. Yes, I¡¯d like to promote someone two levels in today¡¯s changes. What? No, not a challenger.¡± Gillette¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°A path boss.¡± ***** ***POV Change*** After I had regained enough mana, I reanimated whip man¡¯s corpse. The system warned me that his body had degraded and his strength would be severely reduced, but I did it anyway. I would make him pay for killing Dead Snake. In his honor, -Because you were hungry after fighting. I ate the flesh from Dead Snake¡¯s body. It¡¯s what he would have wanted. I gave the bones to the Yellow skeleton, which was looking pretty fractured after his fight with the tiger person. Jerry finally managed to climb up out of dried moat by making hand holds with his disintegration, but I immediately sent him back down their to retrieve the bodies for flesh and bones. -We should run a recycling center. Ain¡¯t no waste here. -What¡¯s a recycling center? -....Haven¡¯t you talked to that impression of the past at all¡­? Before I could ask about that, a slime popped into being next to me, wearing a shimmery yellow apron. ¡°Congratulations!¡± She looked¡­ bigger. The voice was still Jen¡¯s, but where she once was only to my waist, now she was about to my chest, and much wider. My frown deepened. And come to think of it, I even had an evolutionary leap, which should have made me grow taller. Why was she¡­? She offered me an envelop. ¡°Someone even intervened on your behalf! You are being promoted directly to the level of 16. Here is a 1000 tower bonus. And your daily salary is now 300 towers, and I¡¯ll bring the rest to you in food. Well, err, I might have dipped into your new salary already, just a bit of celebration, but oh, dear me..¡± Her tentacles jellied around, patting her body. ¡°I seem to have misplaced it.¡± ....You clearly ate it. -Are you really one to talk? Dead Snake hadn''t been dead for 5 minutes before you came sniffing around. I opened my mouth to ask about why I was promoted so fast, but Jen began trembling. Not in her normal, wind blowing on jelly way, but violently, pulsing. Then she rose up slowly, her body thining as she got taller, until she was my height. Then the slime of her body slowly reshaped itself into a human shaped face. The nose was a little large, her ears were slowly but steadily sliding down her face, but it had all the right features¡­ -It¡¯s hideous. You aren¡¯t even racially a human, anyway. -Yes well¡­ it¡¯s sort of endearing¡­? She opened the mouth and spoke. ¡°Look¡­ um¡­ I¡¯ve been practicing and uh¡­ I really...¡± I grabbed my right shoulder and shoved it back into its socket with a loud pop. Then I punched the underside of my jaw, settling it back into place. I turned back to Jen. Her body flattened into a puddle. ¡°Nevermind¡­ I can see you are busy¡­ I¡¯ll just go¡­¡± She popped out of existence. -Do you think she¡¯s scared of injuries? -She¡¯s a slime, why would she be scared of that? It¡¯s probably that you just left your ¡°Charm¡± turned on casanova. I¡¯m surprised she lasted that long. After binding whip man with his own whip and summoning two Zombie Scavengers, I finally went to bed, exhausted. *********Author''s Note********* Ohoho, y''all are finally caught up. Congratulations, and I''m sorry. For those curious about release speed, on the word processor I''m using, the current chapters amounted to 95 pages. I started writing late Monday night, early Tuesday morning. Mon-Thurs is 4 days, so roughly 23 pages a day. That''s an unsustainable pace, but it did help me deal with some stress. I''m not going to make an guarantees on releases, but I am going to continue to write this for a while. I''m surprised how much I''m enjoying it. Releases will likely come in a batch, around this time every day, if I have any. I''ve never shown my writings to strangers, so any comments, suggestions, and feedback is welcome. Oh, and sorta expect the focus of each of the weeks to shift slightly. Some will likely be more combat oriented, others will be more comedy. I think coming up is a training arc, but I try not to plan too much to keep from stressing myself out~ I also suspect that some of the skill levels from status screens in days 7-13 are off, but who checks those anyways? Thanks for reading. Day 15 Day 15 I woke up determined to spend some of my newly acquired Towers on the environment, preventing another group build up like before. Standing up, I raised my arms and prepared to yawn. I failed Trying to frown, I reached up and touched my jaw. The right side had healed incorrectly, locking itself in place. With a size, I rummaged along the floor of my chambers, basically consisting of a dusty bed and nothing else- -Did the environment really need to come with a rotten bed frame? Sometimes immersion goes too far Until I found a bone from one of the bodies I brought to bed with me for a snack. It was sizable enough that I cracked it against my face until my jaw popped free, slightly fractured again. The whole process was surprisingly a hassle; my body had become entirely too sturdy. After I had got it moving again, I carefully pushed it back into position, and then reached into my pocket for the strange sigil teleporter. But then I hesitated. Might as well spend my mana now, if I¡¯m going to be distracted for a while. I summoned 3 skeleton archers, totalling 300 mana, and 5 zombie scavengers, 350 mana, leaving other me 35 mana to use to practice air affinity. The tavern area was quite deserted at this time of day, and I quickly walked up to the counter. I hadn¡¯t gotten any paychecks with my new 300 towers salary yet, so I just had 60 left over from before, and 1000 from the bonus. I quickly opened environments and skipped past the premade ones, until I reached a message at the bottom.
For detailed adjustments or commission work, see a sales associate for details.
So typical. A sweetly smiling girl with a purple flower in her hair walked over to me when I rapped on the counter with a knuckle and gazed around. She was the same race as whip man, with dusky blue skin that almost appeared slimy. -Still, good birthing hips. -Shut up, other me ¡°How may I help you?¡± Her voice was surprisingly gurgly, which threw me off a small bit, but I did my best to ignore it. ¡°I¡¯d like to make some specific adjustments to my environ-¡± ¡°Oh, I see. A technician will be out to service you sometime tomorrow. Have a nice day!¡± She walked away without a word. I was left standing there, annoyed. I wanted some understanding of how much it all would cost, so I could look into investing in other traps, but¡­ Making sure my castle was actually defensible was more important. ***** I returned to the castle with a small amount of time to spare before the challengers would start approaching. I had a sinking feeling about how many would show up, but inwardly I hoped that the level of 64 and 32 had some more active paths, restricting the flow of challengers upward, but somehow in my heart I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be the case. Due to the short nature of my visit to the counter, I hadn¡¯t recovered any mana, so I walked around looking for all of my minions. They weren¡¯t in the castle, and only the yellow skeleton was in the courtyard, built back up to 2.5 meters in height. And where was the whip man? I ordered two Zombie Scavengers to guard him- Thunk. A strange noise from the back side of the castle caught my attention, and I went up the battlements and walked around towards it. There they all were, Jerry, Turnip, 7 zombie scavengers and 3 skeleton archers, staring out over the edge into the dried moat bed. Then a head popped up over the edge, apparently climbing up the wall. It was whip man. ¡°...is suffering, everything is suffering. Only by embracing death and accepting your own weakness giving up hope may you see the world how it truly is¡­¡± Whip man leapt off, falling the 20 meters half down the walls, half into the dried up moat. Thunk. I walked over. Turnip was watching whip man¡¯s progress with glittering eyes. Jerry was frowning. The rest¡­ well, they had normal, sorta stoic undead faces. And Turnip¡¯s eyes were less glittering and more of a burning ember of hatred, but they seemed particularly excited. Instructing the normal undead to guard the front, I finally arrived at the edge. Whip man was clambering up, continuing to speak. ¡°...goodness, nor evil, only truth. And truth is suffering. You did not deserve what happens to you, nor do you deserve better. You are a weak creature without hope. Accept it, embrace it, and all things become pain¡­¡± When whip man had climbed back up to his position up here, I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He continued to talk, ignoring me. ¡°Without pain, this world is devoid of truth. One cannot control pain, or defeat it, only submit. And when you do¡­¡± I grabbed one of his wizened knees, snapping it. But contrary to my expectations, this only made whip man¡¯s eyes brighter, and he spoke much more quickly. ¡°When you do pain becomes your world, the true world. The lies of kindness and strength and justice fall away and all that remains is pain and suffering. Once you are in this state, all hope deserts you, leaving your eyes become clear to understand how all the world is grey, and light and darkness is an illusion¡­¡± I dropped him, disgusted. Within seconds, he had gleefully flung himself off of the edge once more. I turned to Jerry. Thunk. ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± Jerry shrugged helplessly. ¡°All my skill can tell me that the combination of the backlash from the forbidden blood magic and his corpse becoming reanimated as crystallized his soul within his body, and he is therefore practically immortal. He¡¯s just¡­ coping with the news.¡± Turnip rolled his eyes. ¡°Cha, you just, like, hate people you can¡¯t control. Is it so unbelievable that there is something out there bigger than yourself!??!¡± Then Turnip stepped up and jumped off the edge, arms wide and skeletal wings open. Thunk. -...I think our dependable minion was just brainwashed and joined a cult. ***** Luckily, the absolute loyalty from undead prevented them disobeying direct commands. I ordered Whip man to go wait in the courtyard, and Turnip to stand above the gate and kill anything that wasn¡¯t me or undead if they tried to go through it. He just rolled his eyes. ¡°Obviously I wouldn¡¯t kill something undead; it wouldn¡¯t even work, dumbass.¡± -...maybe he just needs more friends his age? Perhaps yellow skeleton will evolve into something intelligent soon. -Except the intelligence was from Unholy Bestowal. Cheers to waiting another week. And where the fuck is he learning this language? -Undoubtedly the cult, corrupting our youth. I then organized the remaining undead into teams. Yellow Skeleton had a skeleton archer backing him up, Jerry had a zombie scavenger, and the last two groups were three zombie scavengers and 1 skeleton archer. I would patrol as needed. I was looking forward to a restive day after yesterday¡¯s assault on the castle, hopefully involving improving Weapon¡¯s Mastery, or Knife Throw, or if I was extremely lucky, Air Affinity. My use in blocking off whip man¡¯s flow of air, even if only briefly, really gave me some ideas for interesting applications. ***** Of course, it was not to be. By lunch, of the 7 zombie scavengers and 3 Skeleton archers, 2 scavengers and 1 archer remained. The problem was that too many challengers were arriving at once. By the time that the patrols of my undead came across challengers, they had gathered in groups of 8-10. Zombie scavengers were quick and sneaky, but they could only wound a few before being cut down. Skeleton archers were much more effective at killing, on the other hand, but they were swiftly charged and slaughtered when they were alone. There was, however, good news. Yellow Skeleton and his archer companion had wrecked havoc among several large groups, and Yellow Skeleton had quickly absorbed the bones from over 25 corpses, swelling to just under 4 meters. His bone plate armor that he had for the fight against tiger man had reformed, and a weird mutation had caused 4 skulls to sit atop his increasingly broad shoulders, all with glowing eyes, peering in different directions. When he returned to the castle to show off, his size was such that the planks we had laid across the spot of the disintegrated drawbridge couldn¡¯t support his weight, and I was forced to walk out to inspect him. As I told him that he had done a good job, he scraped his foot along the ground in a bashful manner until I gave in. Feeling ridiculous, I grabbed on some of the bones of his torso and clambered up to eye level with him. Then I rubbed the top of each of his four skulls in term. His entire bone body vibrated in pleasure. After hopping down, he took off in a mad dash, eager to kill more. Sighing, I used all of the mana I had recovered to summon 3 skeleton archers and told them to follow him. They hurried after him, their puny normal sized legs unable to keep up with his 2 meter strides. ***** I was arguing pointlessly with whip man, who simply ignored me and continued to extol the virtues of suffering when Jen poofed into existence. She was once more forming her body into something resembling a human. Her features were more reasonable this time, and I could tell that she had found a model to base her transformation. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The most notable change is that she was now a tube like blob, with a normal seeming neck, and then a wiggly head. ¡°Oh, hey, fancy seeing you here¡­¡± Her voice was very high pitched and nervous, but I frowned at her. ¡°Where else would I be? I always wait for you to bring me lunch.¡± ¡°Oh, I...errr, I just was told that¡­ you¡­. Um¡­ hey, is that a Tellite?¡± Her tentacle, with five little tentacles twirling at the end, pointed at whip man. Whip man stopped his crazy muttering, seemingly surprised. ¡°You¡­ you know the people of Tellus?¡± ¡°Of course. Not only are they similar in appearance to...errr¡­ humans¡­ But! But also my hero, the mystifying slime Oomla traveled with a Tellite past the point of ascension! I think they made it to the 66th floor of the Tower before they were cast down.¡± ¡°Why is looking like a human like a human important?¡± I wondered aloud. Whip man now looked at Jen disdainfully. ¡°Hmph. You must be mistake. If any Tellite from the 4 schools of Tellus had succeeded in Ascension, I would have heard about it.¡± A tired but smug seeming Jerry walked in, only one wounded and stumbling Zombie scavenger trailing after him. I checked my mana pool, but wouldn¡¯t have enough to summon him another for a bit. I gestured for him to wait. I could tell how annoyed Jen was getting by the way her ears were sliding down her face again. ¡°No, of course not! I¡¯m positive. I don¡¯t know the exact floor they made it to, but I know they Ascended, and I know Oomla sacrificed her life to protect a Tellite named Kairuu!¡± Then she sniffed disdainfully. ¡°And it makes sense that you have never heard from it, because he wasn¡¯t from one of the four cardinal schools, he was from a general academy!¡± Whip man looked at Jen, flummoxed. Gathering enough mana, I summoned a zombie scavenger but gestured for Jerry to join me for lunch. He looked at the larva I was stuffing in my mouth with a bit of apprehension, but his expression grew bright after he tried one. Whip man continued to sit still with a dazed expression. Jen oozed her way back over to me, her features righting themselves. ¡°And, um, looking like a human is important¡­ because...uh I want...well.. I have a lot of human¡­ friends¡­ I want to¡­ to get closer to! Like¡­ you¡­¡± She trailed off, her human looking head rotating 360 degrees. I finished my handful of larva and coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not a human.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Jen¡¯s appearance fell away, her body pooling on the ground. ¡°Then¡­ then what are you? You look like a human¡­And the timing...¡± I nodded. ¡°Yea, I think I look like one too. But I don¡¯t have a race.¡± ¡°EEEHhhhhhh!?!¡± Even whip man looked at me, shocked from his daydream. -He was probably dreaming about whips. -And chains¡­ wait¡­ you don¡¯t think this talk of suffering is just him discovering his sexuality?!?! -I think what¡¯s more disturbing is that dependable Turnip is buying into it¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not possible. Everybody has a race.¡± Jen said anxiously. I shrugged. ¡°No, he¡¯s telling the truth. My skill, Absolute Identity, has been used by Kiefharts to discover the races and weaknesses of opponents since before The Great Tower was built atop the leypoint. He really doesn¡¯t have a race.¡± Jerry spoke around a mouthful of larva. I frowned at the amount of my Biomass that he was eating. -Thankless subordinates are the bane of anxiety-free living. ¡°...I¡¯d hate to interrupt ANOTHER party I wasn¡¯t invited to¡­¡± Turnip¡¯s voice drifted down from above the gate. ¡°But a group of about 30 people are walking up the road towards the gate.¡± Sighing, I straightened. Jen was still considering my racelessness as she left, and didn¡¯t even say goodbye. Whipman continued to frown at the ground. ***** ***POV Change*** Zindaloo sat next to the sleeping path boss, considering. His master standing over him. ¡°Who¡­. who are you?¡± That light smile, that impossible strength for a general academy instructor. ¡°You may call me Ruu.¡± The path boss snored loudly, and Zindaloo made a decision. He had been given explicit instructions not to harm the path boss, but¡­ Zindaloo began tickling the boss¡¯s feet. Within seconds, the boss had come awake, roaring. Then he glared around, sleepily. His eyes finally fell on Zindaloo, and Zindaloo could see gears clicking away behind those yellow eyes. The path boss said nothing, considering him. Finally, Zindaloo opened his mouth. ¡°Let me out of the castle. There is something in the marsh I wish to find.¡± The path boss nodded slowly and gestured. ¡°Lead on.¡± ****** Zindaloo watched with a bitter expression as they came across a group of 12 challengers who had decided to camp out, waiting for the path to rise on its own. Zindaloo would probably have come to a similar conclusion, if that yellow skeleton had rampaged around while he was here. It had grown too large for physical damage to do anything to it. It was frustrating, watching the path boss¡¯s speed and grace. And any blows that landed were worthless: Zindaloo suspected that the path boss¡¯s most monstrous stat was vitality, perhaps even higher than the yellow skeleton¡¯s. Zindaloo had stolen similar strength, but the path boss had earned it on his own. And without a race? He grew dizzy just trying to puzzle it out. Finally, they moved on, approaching the camp where Zindaloo and the tiger beast man had gathered survivors. He had buried something here when he resigned himself to using the forbidden magic again, hiding his shame. With trembling hands, Zindaloo brushed the dirt off the small locked chest. The key was a language code, practically impossible to break if one didn¡¯t have a clue. But Zindaloo had spent several years under his master. And if Ruu, really was more than he seemed... The porch, and the falling rain. His master with two cups of sake. One he poured into the garden, the other he drank. ¡°Who was that for?¡± The same steady smile, tinged at the edges with sadness. ¡°An old friend.¡± Zindaloo inputted the word Oomla. The lock popped open. There were 5 things inside. Zindaloo scanned the first 4 in seconds, his hands trembling. These¡­ these were improvements made upon the styles of the 4 cardinal schools. His master had always implied that if he was patient, he would learn more, but¡­ Excited he turned to the final item, a beaten up leather diary. Pinned to the front was a short essay, which he skimmed.
In order to grow strong, the people of Tellus imitated the elements. We became the sound and the fury, striking out and challenging the entire multiverse. And in a way, we succeeded. We established Tellus as a force in the greater system around us, both an economic one and cultural one. And yet¡­ I cannot help but be aware of our own people¡¯s limitations. We are weak. That weakness pushed us to seek understanding, and from that we gained power. But what happens when we encounter another with similar understanding, and a superior physique? Today, 10 years ago, a friend died. She died protecting me. It was only then that I realized how much her own strength had outstripped my own. At that moment, I had two choices. I could succumb to the bitterness, or I could use the insufficiency of my strength, just like my ancestors did, and use it to find understanding. For 10 years I have sparred against the greatest schools Tellus has to offer. Then I journeyed to distant worlds, to experience elements more fierce than our Tellus could provide. Based on these, included with this are my versions of Wind, Water, Earth, and Thunder, and more advanced combinations, Storm, Ice, Magma, and Void. I leave these to any citizen of Tellus who finds them. Please. Teach those who profit from this tower to fear Tellus. Make them pay.
Zindaloo wiped away tears and turned to the path boss, who was lounged on his side, chewing on the flesh from some of the group they defeated. ¡°Please¡­¡± Zindaloo began, surprised by how hoarse and weak his voice sounded. ¡°I need your body.¡± The path boss blinked, then crossed his arms in an X. ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m unwilling to cultivate an exclusively sexual relationship with you at this time.¡± ¡°No you imbecile!¡± Zindaloo stamped his foot. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ you need to learn¡­ I need to teach¡­¡± His own body crumpled to the ground. Sobs rose unbidden from within him, 1000 memories of time spent with his master. And then the shock on his master¡¯s face when he stabbed him. And then the soft forgiveness in his gaze. Zindaloo thrust out the essay to the path boss, who took it, bemused. ¡°This body of mine has been cursed. I can survive almost anything but¡­ it has no strength. You must inherit my master¡¯s will. You are not a Tellite¡­ but there is no one else. You must teach those of this Tower to fear. Please.¡± The path boss looked at the essay for a long time. Then he looked up at Zindaloo, eyes smoldering. ¡°This will make me stronger?¡± Zindaloo nodded, almost unwilling. The path boss smiled. ****Author''s Note**** Studying is terrible and I hate it! Luckily for y''all, I cope with studying stress by writing fantasy nonsense. Such is my existence~ Day 16 Day 16 ***POV Change*** I sat up, yawning. Unfortunately, I breathed too deeply, and sneezed, the rotten wood and dust getting into my nose. I made a mental note to add that to add a functing bed to my list of improvements I would consult this technician about. Then I brightened immediately, remembering that they should be arriving today. Then I frowned, because I remembered that whipman was going to start training me today. I was slightly dubious that he could even help me grow stronger. -Remember how he crushed us when we fought directly? -Remember which of us ended up dying? Other me and I agreed to disagree as I stood and walked towards the door. Surprisingly, Jerry was waiting right there with a clipboard. ¡°You need something?¡± I said, running my fingers through my hair. Hum, perhaps I should get rid of this¡­? ¡°Well I just wanted to begin categorizing our forces. So if you could summon this mornings undead¡­¡± His tone was annoying, but Jerry was usually a subordinate of a dependable short, so I just did it without saying anything. 7 zombie scavengers and 3 skeleton archers came into existence. Jerry scribbled something down on the paper. Then he ripped off a portion and gave it to me.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 15
Yellow SkeletonAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 11
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 9
Skeleton Archer (x3)Lvl 6
Zombie Scavenger (x2)Lvl 6
Zombie Scavenger (x7)Lvl 5
¡°This is?¡± -...it¡¯s pretty obvious what it is, honestly. ¡°Just cataloguing the troops, recording levels. My ability advanced, letting me also see levels. Hopefully you will find the reports to your liking.¡± Jerry bowed. -He¡¯s so polite. Can we order Turnip to be like Jerry? -...I think the only thing that we will learn from such reports are how often our minions die¡­ ¡°Oh, and.¡± Jerry straightened and looked seriously at me. ¡°A representative from the tower is here, to speak with you about renovations¡­?¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± I smiled widely, eager to have this done before another flood of challengers came. I peered into the room next to mine as I walked by, which I had graciously gifted to whipman last night. Inside was a wreck; everything had been shoved to the one wall, and the other three were covered in packers and drawings. So absorbed was he, that I even knocked on the door and he didn¡¯t look up from the pages and his mutterings. Well, I didn¡¯t need to start training right now. The adjustments to the castle came first. When I reached the courtyard, I found a lizard creature in a kimono sitting calmly, smoking a pipe. Its dull green scales were greying at the edges, clearly an ancient¡­ something. Red eyes snapped open. ¡°You¡¯ve made me wait 10 minutes,¡± The voice was decided feminine, so she said, ¡°That will be an extra 100 towers onto your total. Whaddaya want?¡± Uh, wait, what? I opened my mouth, then closed it, shaking my head. -Better not to fight with the crazy lizard. Ashing her pipe on the yellow skeleton, she regarded me coolly. I walked over to the drawbridge, and she followed. She was carrying a stray black pad covered in strange markings. ¡°First, I want to replace the drawbridge, and fill the moat with water.¡± ¡°Drawbridge will be 50 towers, filling with water¡­ probably just 10.¡± ¡°And I want the drawbridge to ACTUALLY work. Open and close.¡± ¡°By mechanism or magic?¡± I hesitated. ¡°Whichever''s cheaper, I suppose?¡± She sniffed disdainfully. ¡°I won¡¯t know cost until I enter it into the system.¡± She took another inhale from her pipe, blowing the smoke out her lizard nose, reminiscent of a dragon. -...She¡¯s definitely lying. -Salespeople are untrustworthy and deceitful. ¡°...by mechanism, I suppose.¡± She nodded in a satisfied manner. ¡°500 Towers.¡± ¡°Wait, I changed-¡± ¡°Ah, it''s already in the system, nothing I can do~.¡± With a wave of her hand, the tree trunk we put down for yellow bones to cross was swept away, a nice wooden drawbridge appearing instead. A strange series of chains flashed into being, connecting it to the castle, and a strange series of wheel appeared on the inside, apparently the controls. Lizard woman turned back to me. ¡°Anything else?¡± -So casually she sucks away 660 towers¡­ -And then asks us to give her more ¡°Uh¡­ Can you do traps?¡± The lizard blinked slowly. ¡°Traps.¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡± Watching her, I could tell something was up. She was sucking in smoke from her pipe and blowing it out extremely quickly. Finally, she belched out a huge cloud, revealing rows of dagger sharp teeth. ¡°I might be able to help you with traps. It would be a specialty job, but the upcharge is only slight for personalized traps¡­¡± -Of course it is¡­. -At least we didn¡¯t have to pay to find out the answer¡­ She continued. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be interested in¡­ p-p-poison!?!?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Her voice cracked abruptly. I just gave her a strange look. ¡°Yea¡­¡± ¡°I notice that your servants are all undead. So the poison would need to be a beautiful, perfect little thing that only affected biological creatures, huh?¡± My mouth was hanging open now. ¡°Uh¡­ Yea¡­?¡± ¡°So that pretty little poison would need to slip its way into those unsuspecting challengers, ripping them to pieces from the inside out¡­ and based on your position in the level of 16, you have a lot of challengers huh? So you need something with a wide area of damage¡­ You want the death toll to be extremely high, huh!?!?¡± As she spoke, her voice increased in pitch and volume until it was practically a shout. I rubbed my years. ¡°Uh, yea.¡± She nodded serenely, the strange mania apparently passed. ¡°Then I recommend the Heart Murmer shroom. When its spores are inhaled, it rapidly accelerates heart rate until the subjects body can¡¯t handle it anymore, and a heart attack results.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds perfect.¡± I didn¡¯t think any of the undead had beating hearts, so it would work quite well. Her eyes began to glow with a wicked light. ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement. So now, this consultation will be 100, 500 to purchase the option to install the Heart Murmer Shroom, the 100 tower upcharge¡­¡± She consulted her black pad. ¡°Oh dear, that appears to have overdrafted your current total tower amount. Well that will be a 50 tower charge, in addition to the remainder, to be docked from today¡¯s pay...Oh, you can purchase the shrooms for 50 towers whenever you have the money.¡± Blowing a smoke ring into my face, she showed me a toothy grin. ¡°Thanks for your business. Let me know if you need anymore poison. ***** Whipman came down shortly after, finding me staring at the ground, wondering morosely where all my wealth had disappeared to. He looked me up and down, his wizened and pinched face looking so comical while concentrating but I couldn¡¯t help but be cheered up. ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± He said, drawing two swords. They were so large in comparison to his body that they seemed to be claymores. ¡°By sparing a bit. I want to get a feel for how you were trained. ***** Falling to my knees, I gritted my teeth and supported my weight with my weapons. I wouldn¡¯t fall here. After a few seconds of heaving, I regained my footing, finding him giving me a strange look. ¡°You know¡­¡± He said, but then he appeared to think better of it. ¡°Well, never mind. There is no way that¡¯s the case.¡± ***** ¡°Ah,¡± My hellish slavemaster whipman said, standing over me with his hands folded behind his back after knocking the wind out of me and throwing me to the ground. ¡°It appears a group of 45 challengers are trying to storm the castle. I took the liberty of instructing Turnip to lower the bridge and let them in. Watching you battle them will give me a better idea of your style. What are you waiting for? Get up!¡± ***** ¡°Eh¡­¡± Whipman looked at Jen, indecision clear on his face. ¡°Well, I suppose it might be a bit early, but a lunch break is fine, as long as you tell me more about Oomla and Kairuu¡­¡± Jen wiggled her head enthusiastically. ¡°Yes! I did some research, and I was wrong; After achieving ascension, they only made it to the 62nd floor¡­¡± I dragged myself across the ground to the barrels of larva, suddenly starving. ¡°Hum, that is still quite impressive.¡± ¡°...Is he okay¡­? I actually wanted to ask about his race, but he seems¡­¡± -Ah, Jen, thank you for noticing! -Save us from this hell. -How can a body so weak hit so hard with a sword?!?! Whipman waved his hand airily. ¡°He¡¯s a surprisingly melodramatic individual when you get to know him. Pay it no mind.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so he likes drama, huh¡­¡± ¡°So let me ask you, Oomla¡­¡± The rest of the conversation was lost to be as I overturned a drum of larva, shimmying among them, pretending to be a shark. ***** Panting, I leaned my throbbing head back against the castle wall. The day had ended with only the one big push by the challengers. Mostly Yellow Skeleton had run amok, slaughtering them by smashing them with his huge bone clubs that he continued to claim were arms. Even I was curious about the increasingly appearing black splotches on his bones. -I hope he hasn¡¯t caught something. -We should have had THE TALK with him, and told him about wearing protection¡­ ¡°Well, there¡¯s only thing I can say about you.¡± Whip man said, his wispy hair still immaculate. ¡°You have no combat experience whatsoever. Any victories you have managed to this point were a combination of flukes and you relying on your high base stats, and your strange precognition.¡± He gave me a pensive look. ¡°Is there anyway to turn it off? The precognition?¡± -Perhaps. One of us would likely have to be dedicated to canceling it out, but it should work. I nodded. Seemingly pleased, he gave me a sharp prod. ¡°Then turn it off. You rely on it too much. In a way, you being a total amateur is easier. I don¡¯t have to work the bad habits out of you. Alright, let¡¯s head to bed. The real training starts tomorrow.¡± -Real training¡­? -Then what the fuck did we do all of today?!?! Day 17 Day 17 My body ached. I stared at the ceiling for several seconds, then turned my attention inward. -Other me. -Yes, other me? -No matter how hard it is, we need to learn from whipman. We need to understand this strength he has. It may seem distant now, but the only way to survive is to kill. We climb upwards on the bodies of the challengers. And someday soon, we will lose this safe haven and be forced to ascend. Our opponents won¡¯t remain so weak as this. -I agree. Survival is everything. Sitting forward, I rubbed my neck. More impressive than my healing ability was the fact that whip man inflicted injuries that still ached, even today. -Oh, those aren¡¯t injuries. We are gaining muscle. It¡¯s strange. Although our statistics have stayed the same, you were a hair faster by the evening battles than you were in the morning. I mostly let you do the fighting and watched the performance. -How very scientific of you. -No need to thank me. Well, I¡¯ll spend most of today repressing Timeless Perception, so keep up the good work. Shaking my head ruefully, I walked out of the door to find an already smartly dressed Jerry with his little clipboard. I rolled my eyes, but began summoning today¡¯s undead. But after I summoned the second skeleton archer, there was a pleasantly surprising notification.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 4¡±: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise ¡°Corpse Hunters.¡±
Figuring there was no harm in trying them out, I spent the remaining 485 of my mana summoning 4 Corpse Hunters, 115 mana each. They turned out to 4 foot tall dog-like zombies with thick forelegs and a wide snout full of rotten teeth. Their mangled tongues panting, they licked my hands and knees and covered me in the terrible smell of their breath. Still, they had a certain sort of loyal charm about them. Seeing I had a bit of leftover mana, I summoned one Skeleton Drudge for old times sake, and then accepted the report from Jerry. I planned on barely reading it, but what I found made me frown.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 15
Yellow SkeletonAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 13
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 9
*Corpse Hunter (x4)Lvl 8
Skeleton Archer (x2)Lvl 7
Zombie ScavengerLvl 7
*Skeleton Archer (x2)Lvl 6
GhoulLvl 6
Total Minions: 14Skeleton DrudgeLvl 2
¡°I¡¯ve marked the freshly summoned ones with asterisks,¡± Jerry said hopefully, but I shook my head. ¡°Why is there a ghoul here?¡± I pointed to the report. Jerry shrugged. ¡°One of the Zombie Scavengers evolved into it.¡± ¡°Yea, I figured, but¡­why was it that one? Don¡¯t the scavengers start at Lvl 6? It¡¯s still level 6. Why didn¡¯t the one who made it until lvl 7 evolve into a ghoul.¡± Once more, Jerry simply shrugged. ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with diet?¡± Sighing, I gave the report back to him. Still, 14 minions huh. It helped that 2 of the Skeleton Archers I summoned yesterday had survived. And now that the drawbridge was working, the patrols wouldn¡¯t have to range so widely¡­ But the more I thought about it, the more my head began to throb. Turnip had reported that there were at least 2 challenger settlements on the premises, each with at least 30 challengers. If something wasn¡¯t done about them today¡­ Then I smiled. Time to go shopping. ***** After paying off my various debts- -Totalling a ridiculous 130 Towers. Can that grey lunged lizard even count?!?! I had 170 towers remaining, enough to purchase three Heart Murmer Shrooms, which came in the form of wizened seeds. I stared at them dubiously when the woman working the counter gave them to me. It just made her laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lazza¡¯s poisons always work. Almost TOO well, if you ask me. Jump put them into the ground and run away as fast as possible.¡± I hurriedly teleported away, afraid to handle the seeds for too long. Sprinting, I left the castle, placing the three shrooms in a cluster around the river, hoping to restrict access. I then hurried up a nearby hill, and turned and looked at one of the spots. Within minutes, a purple headed mushroom with white spots popped up. Within the next 10 minutes, it swelled to be 10 feet across, and 4 feet off the ground. A strange purples cloud began to form around it. -Oh god, what have we done. -The biological apocalypse has come. Tinier little purple shrooms were popping up in the nearby area. Fearful but curious, I threw a knife from where I was, hitting one of the tiny purple shrooms. It instantly exploded in a poof, spreading more spores in the surrounding few meters. All in all, I would say each seed planted made it impossible to go within a 50 m diameter area within inhaling the poison. I suppose it just depended on how deadly the poison was. Remembering the lizard¡¯s voice cracking from excitement, there was no way I was curious enough to risk testing it. ***** ¡°We are going to start with thunder stance, because I believe it will come most naturally to a meathead like you. Have you suppressed your precognition? Good, because it will only get in the way of training.¡± Whip man walked with his arms folded behind his back to a wooden pole that I had watched Yellow Bones smash deeply into the ground. It was strange, I reflected, how much Whipman¡¯s persona had changed since he had decided to train me, but then I realized that he was likely imitating his master. The strange remnant of an impression stirred inside of me. ¡®Pity¡­¡¯ It murmured. Whipman patted the pole. ¡°The exercise is simple for your level. Later I will teach you the footings and stances, but first you must learn the cadence of each stance. When you have the cadence mastered, you should learn the skill for each. ¡°For thunder, you will simply squat in front of the pole and punch it whenever I say ¡°punch¡±. Easy, undoubtedly a man of your stature shall handle it splendidly. We will start will 10 minute sets.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ My legs began to burn slightly as I squatted there without moving at all. I idly reached up and scratched my cheek. Whipman hit me in the back of the head with my cudgel. ¡°No! You cannot move at all. Thunder is stillness before the storm! Be still!¡± Gritting my teeth, I breathed in- ¡°Punch!¡± And breathed out, and then threw a punch. But before I even hit the pole I was hit in the back of the head with the cudgel again. ¡°No, no, no! Much too slow. Have you ever seen thunder creep? Does it stroll? Does it approach!?!?!?!?! NO. It strikes! So strike. Punch!¡± My fury drove my punch, slamming it into the pole. ¡°Good! Thunder rumbles all the time. Use your anger. Let the storm build.¡± .... ¡­. ¡­. My legs were REALLY starting to cramp at this point. Sweat ran down my forehead, itching something fierce. But I resolved myself to do nothing to allow him to crack me on the back of my head again with the cudgel. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ...Why was I doing this anyway? I was plenty strong. My stats seemed high for my level, and I¡¯d been able to manage along fine before this piece of shit came in here with his stupid power trip games. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ So why¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ So why¡­! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ SO WHY DO I CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE LIKE THIS. THERE IS AN EASIER PATH. -An easier path leads nowhere. Could you win against the satyr creature in a fight? The lizard woman? Even Jen? You are weak. You are a metal full of impurities. But every moment here¡­ -Every bit of pain¡­ -Every drop of sweat¡­ -Every second of struggle tempers you, forges you. -Every moment sculpts the future. -Every moment forges a path to power -Every- Whipman tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, the first set is finished. You have a one minute break. A poor first attempt, but-¡± I punched him directly in the face, satisfied by the feeling of his nose shattering. ***** The following 10 sets were nothing but squatting. He didn¡¯t say punch once. So I just squatted, repeating my mantra over and over. I couldn¡¯t even tell whose voice it was at this point, me or other me, it just blended together. -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you -Every bit of pain forges you. It became my whole existence as I remained there. -Every drop- ¡°Punch!¡± My fist flashed out, but I knew it was a second too late. The cudgel rapped against my thigh, the pressure almost sending me tumbling to the ground. ¡°Not good enough. When the storm breaks, it breaks!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts- ¡°Punch!¡± This time I was ready, but he continued. ¡°Punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch!¡± Thump, thump. I slammed my fist against the pole, my hand growing slightly sore. Pausing, I wonder if I had performed to whipman¡¯s satisfaction. A blow to my other leg confirmed my fears. ¡°You punched one two many times, idiot pupil. Honestly, why do I even bother¡­¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you -Every bit of pain forges you. -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you -Every bit of pain forges- ¡°Punch!¡± ***** Lunch was the promised land and Jen was a beautiful angel. No sooner had she set down the drums had I thrown myself at one, devouring the larva within. After my second drum, she jellied over towards me. ¡°So¡­ I wanted to ask¡­ if you don¡¯t have a race¡­ what happens when you level up?¡± After swallowing a mouthful of larva, I answered. ¡°I gain a few bonuses to stats. Sometimes I get a new skill.¡± Jen¡¯s body wiggled, and a human head emerged, surprisingly detailed. -Honestly, this is a pretty good human face. I bet it is paired with good birthing hips. -Shut up, other me. -Says the guy who has been mumbling to himself mentally all day¡­ Very deliberately, the human face scrunched its eyebrows together and the mouth bent in a frown. I laughed; I couldn¡¯t help it, the exaggerated nature of the process was sorta delightful. Jen¡¯s body collapsed back into a blob, wiggling with pleasure. But when she spoke, her voice remained serious. ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t stat gains from levels come from your race? Skills too. How do you get them?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± I said around another mouthful. ¡°I basically get a random growth rate for every level.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s growth rates are random.¡± Whipman said dismissively. ¡°They just usually have bound levels between which the bonuses usually come out.¡± I scratched my head, struggling to explain correctly. ¡°No, not just that. I get a randomly assigned racial growth rate for each level, and so I get different sorts of stat gains. For a while I got the growth rates of a boar, so I got mostly Vit, End, and Str. But then for a couple I had the growth rates of a Lich, so I gained Wis and Mana. I learned how to summon the undead from that race too.¡± They both just looked at me, Jen completely still and Whipman with his jaw hanging open. ¡°Uh...okay. Just¡­¡± Whipman blinked rapidly. ¡°Just tell me what it says next time you level up, okay?¡± Jen whispered something to Whipman and then poofed away. ****** I looked at the notification was a bit of pride.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Physicality Lvl 1¡±: Your body¡¯s durability has increased. Strenuous activity will tire you out slightly less. You can more fully utilize your body¡¯s natural strength and agility.
But unfortunately, as if he noticed my distraction, Whipman called for a punch, and I was very late in throwing one out. After he smashed both of my thighs with enough force to bruise even me, I fell, strength finally giving out. He looked down at me disdainfully. ¡°Get up, the set isn¡¯t over.¡± It took me a full 30 seconds to struggle back up into a squatting position. Settling down was an agony, but I gritted my teeth and glared at the pole. I don¡¯t believe I have ever hated a piece of wood as much as I was growing to hate that one. -I mean, you are only 17 days old- ¡°Punch!¡± ***POV Change*** Dekker glared at the files in front of him, willing their contents to change. Gillette had made a lot of bets recently, but he couldn¡¯t found out on what. But Dekker¡¯s stock had been in decline ever since that Kiefhart had failed, and if this latest bet didn¡¯t pay off¡­ Dekker wanted desperately to believe that Gillette saw the same potential and was betting on the same challenger he was, but the fact that no one would tell him saw set off his paranoia. Even when he had Kettle ask around¡­ He turned and gazed out of his office, considering Kettle. Her long black hair was pulled into a side ponytail that fell over her left shoulder. Her delicate nose, covered with a light dusting of freckles, was scrunched as she focused on the display in front of her. Kettle, ever so professional, ever so rarely smelling of fear these days¡­ Perhaps¡­ Kettle¡¯s phone rang, startling them both. She answered, rapidly recovering her poise. She mouthed something at Dekker and pressed a button, shifting the call to him. He paled, realizing what she said, and picked up the phone. ¡°C-Chairwoman! How lovely¡­.¡± Dekker grew silent, listening. ¡°Well yes, it has been a difficult quarter¡­ But I think¡­¡± The voice on the line continued to talk. Dekker¡¯s jaw went slack. ¡°You want¡­ you are willing to lend me that money?¡± Chuckling, the voice laid out the details of what the loan would entail. Dekker gritted his teeth but did some quick calculations. Kettle, who had remained on the line, wrote something down on a paper and held it up. Dekker¡¯s eyes went wide. If his bet paid off, he would still have that much left over?!?! ¡°Of course, chairwoman, that perfect. I have absolute confidence that this challenger will make an excellent storyline for The Great Tower.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± The voice answered, and the line went dead. ***** ***POV Change*** Whipman was in luck, and I also received an answer to a question I had been wondering about all day: whether I would receive experience for those who died to traps. Whether it was because I was the one who set them or because I controlled the path, some portion of the experience came to me. I looked at my 930 Biomass with glee as the notification rose.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 15. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Carniverous Dusk-Wing Owl¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I clicked no. -Spin the wheel~
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Murloc Champion.¡±
Vit +9
End +4
Str +9
Agi +7
Dex +3
Timeless Perception +3
Mana +219
Since you have reached Lvl 15 as a ¡°Murloc Champion¡±, you have the chance to learn the Racial Skill ¡°Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1¡±. Would you like to learn it? Y/N
Slightly bemused, I clicked yes.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Song of the Murloc People¡±. Murloc champions are beloved by the people, and are often the explorers and pioneers of their race. When a Murloc Champion locates a new land for his people, he will sing their song, summoning them from the distance corners of the world to come settle. Amount of Murlocs summoned depends on level. Can only be sung underwater.
So I can start a Murloc colony¡­? Setting aside my slight disappointment at the skill usage and the relatively bland level up gains, I called Whipman over. Luckily, the level up had occurred during a break. -The mana is a nice boost though. -True. Maybe the previous owl thing just spoiled us¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, his hands folded behind his back in the pompous manner he had adopted. ¡°You want to see my level up, right? I just leveled up. Someone must have been enjoying my shroom traps.¡± I explained a bit about biomass, and how I randomly received the growth rate Murloc Champion, and the gains I got. ¡°That¡­¡± Whipman seemed stunned. His eyes went wide. And then even wider. And then they rolled up into the back of his head. He had fainted. ***** When he woke up, we resumed training. Instead of answering my questions about what happened, he simply shook his head and yelled punch. The undead minions, those remaining, began to limp back. It seemed that all but one of the Corpse Hunters had died, and the Ghoul had perished while the unevolved Zombie Scavenger somehow survived. I shook my head. Only Yellow Bones seemed fine, and in fact seemed better than ever. He seemed to be growing a second, smaller set of arms beneath his more club like first set. Five skulls now sat atop his shoulders. I received one last pleasant surprise during the final set of training.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 2¡±: Your body heals from injuries slightly faster. Strenuous activity is slightly easier. Flexibility improves.
With that last set, Whipman finally spoke. ¡°You are completely without talent. It has been a disgust guiding you today. See you tomorrow." With that, he walked away. I retired to my room, cursing myself for forgetting to ask about a bed. I resolved myself to bite the bullet and contact that lizard woman again for one. Then I laughed, realizing that if the trend continued, today would be my third day without letting anyone through. I would be promoted again. That would make me¡­ the 8 path layer? I shivered. Surely, the paths below me would stop more challengers, right¡­? Before falling asleep, I opened up my Status and considered myself. At least the gains were primarily physical, and included a mana boost. Even if they were a bit underwhelming¡­
Name:PredatorLevel:15
Race:Biomass:0
Health Regen:x2Mana:529/904
Vit:47 (+2)End:29 (+2)
Str:31 (+2)Agi:40 (+2)
Dex:35 (+2)Memory:242 (+2)
Processing Power:271 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:99 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:50 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRacelessNurturer of the Undead
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 3Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 3Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 4Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 1Physicality Lvl 2Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1
***POV Change*** Gillette laughed into the phone receiver. ¡°I know what you are thinking; calling in all of my favors so soon? It¡¯s foolish. But yes, I would like you to double promote him again. Yes, the same path boss. Thanks.¡± After he hung up, Gillette filled a crystal goblet with an azure liquid and sipped at it. He walked to the window of the office, and looked out at the sprawling mechanical artifice that made up the ugly underbelly of the tower. He looked upward, considering. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± He whispered. Then he finished the drink all at once. **********AUTHOR''S NOTE************* Well I wrote a bunch today, even though I meant to take it easy and put out probably the same number of days, but have the days be much shorter. Ha, it probably feels that they are short from a reader''s perspective, but still... Things just kept happening *shrugs*. Juggling this many things while rushing headlong forward is sorta enjoyable. I hope that''s part of the appeal, but let me know if it starts to feel disjointed. Suggestions and corrections are always appreciated~ Day 18 *****Author¡¯s Note***** Kukuku. I have been studying the Dao of the authorship, and I realized I can force more of you to read it if I put it early, and moved it here. But really you shouldn¡¯t skip, I want to clarify where the MC is. If it is not clear, MC is still on the FIRST floor of the tower. Most everyone who has talent or connections skips the first 5 Floors completely. Extremely talented individuals skip the first 10. The First floor is made up of 8 layers. The bottom layer is 128 paths, then 64, then 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, and finally 1. To pass the first floor you literally need to make it up through 8 paths, or ride one path up all the way. Hence why the first floor is sometimes called the pyramid. So everything he has faced thus far has been riffraff who basically wandered into the tower off the street. Some of course are strong, but most are not. So he was promoted once to 64, then double promoted to 16. At the end of day 17, he should be promoted to 8 path floor, but he was double promoted again, to the 4 path one. Hope that clears things up. Happy reading~ Day 18 Waking up this morning was like slowly reviving from the dead on top of a cold concrete floor. A thin coating of dust and wood chips covered me. I sneezed it away, sitting forward. Aside from that, I felt surprisingly good, considering how brutal the training yesterday was. I tried to stand. Where as my bones used to be made of bones, I seemed to have abruptly become Jen, and they were simply jelly. I toppled over, groaning. -You spoke too soon~ -Shut it, other me. How about you handle the training today? -No can do, sorry. We aren¡¯t really different, we can just do two things at once, so you would still be doing it. Besides, I figured out of to suppress the precognition pretty well, and I¡¯m going to get back to training in Air Affinity. Good luck with the squats though. I walked out of my room, rubbing my legs. Jerry was waiting expectantly. -Such demanding subordinates. -It¡¯s pretty easy to be punctual in the morning when the unholy fire that powers you doesn¡¯t require sleep... My mana was 904. Mana costs for Hunters was 120, archers had decreased to 90, scavengers were 60. I didn¡¯t even consider summoning another skeleton drudge, feeling a small amount of pity for the one I summoned yesterday. 4 Hunters would be 480¡­ 4 archers would be 840...., so no, 3 archers for 770, 2 scavengers made it 890, leaving other me a pittance to play around with for air affinity. Gerard dutifully recorded the summons and handed me the report.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 15
Yellow BonesAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 14
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 11
Corpse HunterLvl 10
Skeleton ArcherLvl 9
*Corpse Hunter (x4)Lvl 8
Skeleton Archer (x2)Lvl 8
Zombie ScavengerLvl 8
*Skeleton Archer (x3)Lvl 6
*Zombie Scavenger (x2)Lvl 5
Corporal TimSkeleton Drudge CorporalLvl 4
Total Minions: 18
¡°...who is Corporal Tim?¡± Jerry gave me a shocked look. ¡°What do you mean? He is the skeleton drudge you summoned yesterday. He performed admirably in battle, so I promoted him.¡± -Suddenly we are the military? We have ranks? -I assume they are all under us, so what does it matter? Besides, he¡¯s level 4. He will die soon. Shaking my head, I walked away, teleporting to the tavern area. ****** ¡°...I have how much in my account?!?¡± The woman smiled sweetly at me. I promised myself to do all of my shopping in the morning. ¡°That would be 1330 Towers sir. Apparently someone high up pulled some strings for you, and you were promoted once again. Your daily salary of towers is 1200. Will you be needing anything else¡­.?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I frowned. ¡°Could I have another detail environment person come out to my path? Today would be easiest. And is it possible to have someone other than that lizard woman?¡± The clerk clicked some buttons on her tablet. ¡°...the up-charge for immediate service is 5000 towers, so I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible.¡± -So typical. ¡°And Zassa has been assigned to your account, but you can switch¡­. For 400 towers.¡± -This place sucks more out of you that a vampiric vacuum cleaner. ¡°...No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± The woman smiled and turned away, walking over towards a haughty looking giant black hawk. It gave me an icy glare, then snorted. I watched in annoyance as the woman immediately began to flirt shamelessly with it. I turned back menu. First I purchased 10 more mushroom seeds. This would certainly curtail the challenger¡¯s ability to gather and push towards me in too large of a group. And while they were worried about the poison, the undead would ambush them. Inwardly pleased with my strategy. I considered the list of available purchasable options. Minions: 50. Puzzles: 50: Buildings: 50. Skills: 1000. System Assistance: 200. Miscellaneous: 50. A bed might be in buildings, I mused. But I was most curious about system assistance and miscellaneous. I had 830 remaining, so I supposed there was no harm in getting them both. I opted for miscellaneous first, in case something within caught my fancy. Honestly, it was a glorified climate control. Temperature, weather patterns, length of day, wind, whether the water was salted or unsalted, the color of grass, leaves, and stones¡­ Just miscellaneous nonsense. And pointless, when changing the temperature 1 degree cost 100 towers. Feeling slightly put out, I bought the option to see inside the System Assistance section. My eyes brightened immediately. Exp boost?!?! -For 10,000 towers¡­ Frowning, I looked at the other options. It was a relatively short list. Exp Boost, NPC characters, AI companion, Challenger amount limitations, and challenger flags, huh¡­ The Challenger Amount limitation interested me the most, because from what I read it would allow me to pay money so that the system preferred to send challengers elsewhere. Of course, my competitors could similarly spend money, entering us into a de facto bidding war¡­ Besides, I figured that I had the challenger flood problem under control. Then I winced. Except now I had somehow been double promoted¡­ again. So I could expect x4 as many challengers? I hoped to god SOMEONE below me bothered to stop people from advancing through the paths¡­ As I went back to my path, I wondered how I had gotten stuck here among these weaklings. ***** It was a good morning for me. Not because I wasn¡¯t hellishly driven by Whipman, but because around two sets in, other me made a breakthrough.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 4¡±. Mana cost for manipulating air has greatly decreased. It is now easier to control larger quantities of air with ease. You may now compress air to achieve greater results.
Other me demonstrated his newfound mastery by smacking Turnip from behind with enough force to make him stumble. We had to save up around 100 mana to manage it, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. -No wonder this skill was rated so poorly. It has taken so many levels to just make it serviceable for gags. -We can¡¯t compare these amateur skills to Summon Lesser Dead-sama. The level of utility is just too different. -At least it isn¡¯t ¡°Song of the Murloc People¡±. Must be sung underwater? Give me a break. However, my own efforts soon paid off as well. My eyes were glazed as Whipman stood behind me. ¡°Punch.¡± My fist flashed forward, slamming into the pole. Time dragged by as I continued to repeat my mantra. -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Punch!¡± Thump. But before I could settle back into my mantra, he was yelling again. ¡°Punch, punch, punch!¡± Thump. Thump. Thump. ¡°Punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch punch!¡± Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. The notification surprised me so much that I fell over.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Cadence of Thunder¡±: You are firmly on the path to learning the profound martial arts of the Tellite people. Knowledge and experience are required for this skill to evolve further.
I lay on the ground, laughing and punching the air for a long time. ***** Whipman let me take a break until lunch. Avoiding my gaze the whole time, he said he just said he had things to do and walked away. During that time I walked up to the battlements and joined Turnip in watching Yellow Bones massive form, knocking over trees and thumping across the landscape as the challengers fled before him. At his size, normal weapons basically did nothing. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Jen¡¯s popping into existence was my cue, and I hopped down. Whipman walked back over too. ¡°Let¡¯s talk while you eat,¡± He said cryptically. Shrugging, I began to devour larva. I was pleased that the amount of drums Jen had brought had increased. Even she seemed to have problems lifting that many at once, only moving 8 at a time. Whipman watched me and steepled his fingers. Jen was in her pseudo-human form, and apparently she had mastered shoulders and arms in the past day. Her slime fingers barely wiggled at all, too. ¡°Thanks to Jen, I¡¯ve been doing a bit of research on¡­ your situation.¡± He gestured towards me. I finished one drum and moved onto the next. ¡°It¡¯s basically unprecedented.¡± He looked at me expectantly. I nodded, unsure of what he wanted. I stuffed more larva into my mouth. Mmm, today¡¯s batch was particularly juicy. Jen¡¯s slime torso undulated slowly. ¡°I...I always thought¡­ Pre-P¡­.. Predator¡­. Was really¡­..s-special¡­¡± Her voice trailed off and her body drooped until it was just a puddle underneath her head and arms. ¡°Setting aside some unresolved emotional issues¡­¡± Whipman gave Jen a pointed look. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on what we do know. You were originally a human. Humanity as a whole, due to its innate potential for reaching B rank, was allowed to consult with an Ilium and sell parts of themselves. You must have sold you race at that point.¡± Tilting my head, I asked. ¡°What¡¯s B rank?¡± Jen exploded back up to her normal height. ¡°B rank means that you have enough strength to achieve Ascension! Ah¡­. ascension is just what they call succeeding at the 50th floor. It¡¯s a demarcation between those who are strong, and who are not.¡± Whipman shook his head. ¡°Save that for later. Human¡¯s are typically E rank. The reason they have the potential to reach B is because they seem to have an incredible aptitude to learn and level skills quickly. For example, it¡¯s unheard of for a Tellite youth to learn a cadence, even one he has an affinity for, in under a month. It took you a dance. ¡°Also¡­¡± Whipman paused. ¡°How many skills do you have?¡± I counted. ¡°Cadence of Thunder is my 12th.¡± Whipman was struggling to maintain his composure, and I could tell. It was almost amusing. Jen¡¯s faux-human eyes grew, slowly taking up almost all of her face. ¡°Oh wow¡­¡± She breathed out, the awe clear in her tone. -Hmph, such a smile thing is not worth remarking upon. -Hohoho, I¡¯d like to thank all of my absolutely loyal undead minions, who I forcibly conscripted into service with dark magic. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far without you. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s extremely peculiar that you retain that part...perhaps being human is similar to being raceless¡­? Well setting that aside,¡± Whipman rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Jen, when he gained a level yesterday, he had 7 gains, one of them was an over 200 increase in mana, and two of them were almost double digits.¡± -....and honestly, it wasn¡¯t nearly as impressive as the Lich or the Owl. -Shush, their puny minds can¡¯t handle our greatness. ¡°OH¡­. oh wow¡­.mmm¡­.that¡¯s¡­. impressive.¡± Jen lost all semblance of a human form, simply jellying down until she was a green sheet of ooze on the floor. -Watch it killer. -Don¡¯t act like this is all me. Where would I be without you? -Kukuku, too true. I was afraid you were ungrateful, but your modesty is endearing. -Our modesty <3. Shaking his head, Whipman turned from Jen to me. ¡°And you get a random growth rate similar to this every time? Just as an example, Tellites usually gain between 1-4 on physical traits per level, and 2 or 3 on mental traits. When I was 8, I gained my first level. Most of my phys stat gains were 2, but I gained 4 on Int and Understanding, and I was hailed as a prodigy. And you just¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Well anyway, after you finish eating, let¡¯s prepare for the next cadence. I think we will try earth stance next.¡± We both stood up and walked away from Jen, who remained a pancake, cooing softly. ***** ¡°This isn¡¯t working, stop.¡± Whipman seemed exasperated. ¡°You are too caught up in thunder cadence. Let it go. Move slowly!¡± Once more I was squatting in front of the dread pole, told to slowly alternate punches. But apparently I was too fast. ¡°You need to feel the strength of the earth! All of your power comes from your base! You need to value¡­ hum.¡± Whipman began stroking his chin. ¡°I have an idea.¡± ***** ¡°So yes, just sit there for the rest of the day, meditating. Don¡¯t move at all. Yellow Bones fights in an earth stance manner, and the point is having faith in the power of the earth beneath you. So just learn to have faith in yellow bones.¡± I was sitting on Yellow Bones shoulders, which had expanded to be about 2 meters wide, nestled between two skulls. The two skulls next to me purred contentedly. The other three looked on with jealousy. While I was training, Yellow Bones had eaten bones until he was 5 m tall. Getting in the castle gate would soon be a problem. And the black spots had definitely gotten larger, transforming to streaks that covered the most heavily armored parts of him. One of the skulls was almost half black, half yellow, lending it a very disturbing look. ¡°I¡¯m just going to¡­ ride him the rest of the day? Meditating?¡± I could feel all of Yellow Bones humming with pleasure. Whipman nodded. Sighing, I instructed Yellow Bones to avoid the areas with Heart Murmur Shrooms and began to meditate. ***** Perhaps the most annoying part of the whole experience was that the challengers came to the illogical conclusion that I was the weak point of Yellow Bones, and began focusing their attacks at me. Hatchets, knives, blasts of fire shot up towards me. I dodged them at first, but then I realized guiltily that I didn¡¯t need to. Yellow Bones raised one of huge bone trunks of arms and blocked most of it, and he bobbed and weaved so the rest flew harmlessly past. I could hear Whipman yelling at me to trust my base, so I resigned myself to just taking a few blows and decided to be still. It¡¯s not like they would hurt me anyway. It was¡­ impressive, watching Yellow Bones. And touching. We stumbled upon a group of 50 survivors, more added every second. They were seemingly humanoid, in that they had legs and arms and heads, but some were furred, some feathered, some scaled. A few I even recognized as being the same race as Whipman. But they were babies playing at war compared to Yellow Bones. He leapt, traveling 20 meters and smashing down in the middle of the group. I shifted my center of gravity, leaning in so I didn¡¯t tumble off. -Trust your base. -Shut up, I know! It was touching because the smaller pair of arms would reach into his ribs and flick little shards of bone in every direction, his form almost exactly the same as mine was for throwing knives. It brought a smile to my face, knowing my subordinates were imitating me. -Wait¡­ if he can do the same moves as you, and is almost the same level as you¡­ who would win in a fight? -Shut up, other me. The challengers began launching 10s of attacks at me, but Yellow Bones just swung one of his huge arms, knocking them all out of the air. The other arm swept backwards, smashing at least 3 challengers into a pulp. Kicking and smashing with his huge arms, Yellow Bones soon broke their will to fight, and they began to flee in different directions. I watched with pleasure as several ran unseeing into the shrooms, soon frothing at the mouth and starting to seizure on the ground. -...Yea, let¡¯s not breath in any of that. As Yellow Bones gave chase towards one of the ones not running into the shroom areas, one particularly brave souls ran up a tree, glancing behind at us. With a roar, Yellow Bones kicked the tree, shattering it and knocking it to the ground. But the challenger was already backflipping off the tree, drawing a saber and swinging it towards me. I blinked slowly. -Trust your base. I calmly raised an arm holding it straight forward. The saber inched closer through the air. One of Yellow Bones¡¯ skulls turned and studied my action, its eyes burning. At the last second, Yellow Bones jerked his shoulder forward, putting me out of harm¡¯s way and slamming my fist against the jaw of the challenger. But the angle took me a bit by surprise, and my elbow bent, most of the force dispersed. As Yellow Bones stomped the presumptuous challenger into oblivion. I looked at my hand wonderingly. That was it. Trust your base, channel the force from the Earth. I clenched my fist. I would get it next time. ***** When the challengers had finally stopped arriving, we returned to the castle. As I walked into my room for bed, Jerry was waiting by the door again. I eyed him coldly. ¡°Ah, sorry to disturb you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Jerry hesitated. ¡°By the time Jen had recovered, you had gone. She wanted me to tell you that it''s imperative that you once more don¡¯t let any challengers through for 3 days, and get promoted.¡± ¡°That would make me¡­¡± -The layer of two paths, still on the First Floor of the Tower. God, this will take forever¡­ ¡°The Layer of two paths?¡± Jerry nodded. ¡°And when you get the promotion, come to the tavern and call this number.¡± He handed me a paper. On it was a strange string of symbols, and then a name : Gillette. Day 19 Under Jerry¡¯s watchful eye, I once more summoned 4 corpse hunters, 3 skeleton archers, and 2 zombie scavengers. He passed me the morning report on minions. I grinned, pleased about the climbing numbers.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 15
Yellow BonesAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 14
Shroom BearerLvl 12
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 11
Skeleton ArcherLvl 10
Corpse HunterLvl 9
*Corpse Hunter (x4)Lvl 8
Skeleton Archer (x4)Lvl 8
GhoulLvl 8
*Skeleton Archer (x3)Lvl 6
Sergeant TimSkeleton Drudge SergeantLvl 6
*Zombie Scavenger (x2)Lvl 5
Total Minions: 21
¡°...also.. Shroom bearer?¡± Jerry nodded. ¡°One of the corpse hunters has taken a liking to eating the shrooms. As a result, when I inspected it this morning with Absolute Identify, it turned out that it had evolved. Due to your susceptibility, for now it remains outside of the castle.¡± Briefly, I scanned the list one more time. Oh? Another zombie scavenger evolved into a ghoul? That would be- My face froze. ¡°...Sergeant Tim¡­?¡± ¡°Ah yes. Although his level gains aren¡¯t so impressive, he is honestly the most valuable undead we have, aside from Yellow Bones. His strategies are invaluable, and the reason so many more minions survived yesterday.¡± -Come to think of it, did we see him at all yesterday? -What the fuck is this skeleton drudge doing?!?! ¡°I¡¯d very much like to talk¡­ strategy with Corporal Tim.¡± Jerry frowned at me. ¡°Sergeant Tim. After another exemplary day of service, I promoted him again. And that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. He is already out doing his daily patrols, but I¡¯ll send him your way when he returns.¡± -His daily patrols¡­? -Didn¡¯t we summon him on a whim two days ago? Surely, some intrepid challenger will appear to kill him today¡­ He¡¯s only lvl 6. -I don¡¯t support wishing death on our minions who shamble around in spite of death, but I too am disturbed by this ¡°Tim¡±. Who is he? What is he doing? Why did a lvl 4 skeleton drudge get a name? -And he¡¯s making strategies now? We should- ¡°Uh, sir.¡± Jerry was giving me a strange look. ¡°That woman from the tavern is here once more.¡± -Shit. I hurried outside, and to my surprise I found Whipman to talking to the lizard woman. As I approached, she cackled with glee, and then shook her head ruefully. Shrugging, Whipman stepped away. ¡°Today¡­ 20 minutes late¡­ adding 200 towers to the order.¡± Sighing, I asked for various cosmetic upgrades to the castle, including a bed in my room, and working kitchen. Then I asked for towers at the corners, and stairs so skeleton archers could get up there. We haggled briefly, and settled on a price of 1050 towers, including the ¡°upcharges¡±. ¡°Is that all?¡± The lizard woman ashed her pipe, seemingly disappointed. Sighing, I finally asked. ¡°I was also wondering if you could craft a specialty minion for me. I was thinking something more¡­ camouflaged. The shrooms are perfect, just most of the challengers have realized that they aren¡¯t a good thing, and can avoid them easily. If there was some hidden creature, waiting in the middle¡­¡± The lizard woman took three long tokes. Then she said, her voice cracking. ¡°These minions¡­ would you want them to use p-p-poison?!?!¡± Resigned, I nodded. ***** ¡°Mornings we will begin your specific training for Thunder Stance, Evenings will be more training to get the other cadences. I¡¯ve created this sled for you. Instead of punching the pole, you will leap forward when I yell ¡®Leap¡¯. Simple, right?¡± The ¡°sled¡± was a piece of wood with two of the drums that Jen used to bring me lunch, filled with rocks and other debris. A rope around my waist and two around each arm completed the ¡°harness¡±. ¡°Leap!¡± I pressed forward, jerking the sled forward a little but not much. It was surprisingly heavy, and the angle I was dragging it at made it hard to leverage enough force to move it forward. Whipman, of course, took my failure very personally. ¡°Thunder SURGES! It changes from nothing to destruction in an instant! It does not tepidly jerk forward. Put some soul into it. Leap!¡± So it continued. ***** ¡°Today, instead of breaks between sets, will will have a 5 minute spare. Kukuku¡­ I hope you¡¯ve prepared yourself." ***** ¡°Talentless pupil, let¡¯s try something else. Let¡¯s go through a couple of the basic forms of thunder stance. Copy my movements.¡± ***** ¡°Leap!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Leap!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Leap!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Leap!¡± I surged forward, and then paused to wipe the sweat from my brow. So it continued. ***** ¡°Remember, there are three planes. High, middle, and low. And when in thunder stance, a blow that changes plane changes all the way. A blow starting in low and heading upwards will end in High always. Thunder surges! Just like a blow starting in high will go all the way down to low. Thunder strikes! Practice with me!" ***** ¡°Leap!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Leap!¡± -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. ¡°Leap!¡± ***** When I heard the pop of Jenn appearing, I sighed with relief, but no sooner had she appeared then she blinked out of existence, leaving a huge amount of drums. I ate quickly, incredibly hungry. Luckily since coming here these daily large meals had largely eradicated my rumbling stomach. After I finished, Whipman brought me back to the pole and had me punish it with almost painful slowness, trying to find the cadence of earth. ¡°In my master¡¯s words,¡± Without looking up at my progress, Whipman continued to read from the book he had brought down from his room. ¡°Each of the 4 stances can be summed up in a single word. Thunder stance is ¡°surge¡±. Earth stance is ¡°foundation¡±. Air is ¡°layers¡±. Water is ¡°depth¡±. Now, the exact terms my vary upon the individual, but all who practice the Tellite arts must find their own single word core that their art stems from.¡± As I continued to punch with exaggerated slowness, a notification popped up. I was excited, ready to quit this pointless exercise, but it wasn¡¯t the cadence of earth.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 3¡±: Extreme physical activity has become the norm. Small amounts of muscle mass gained. Your usage of your strength has become more efficient.
I breathed out a sigh, closing the notification with a thought. I must find my own core words, then perhaps¡­ I breathed in, my fist strike inching forward. Earth¡­ earth is foundation, huh¡­ Earth is solid. Earth is budding. Earth is¡­ unexpected. Earth borrows power from you¡­ From your opponents... Shaking my head, I let my mind go blank. Almost without a thought, my thoughts turned to thunder stance. Whipman continued to lecture, walking back and forth, staring at the clouds. Thunder stance¡­ My body tightened, and my speed doubled, tripled, quintupled, my fist reached the post in a burst of strength that even surprised me. I stopped it at the last second from smashing into the pole, making a noise Whipman would notice, but only barely. Thunder stance is¡­ ¡®Wrath.¡¯ The impression within me, smaller and weaker now, whispered. I smiled. It was true. That burst of power, that indomitable will that these training exercises drilled into me, that was wrath. Unquenchable, vicious, destructive wrath. Earth was different. It grew slowly. It resisted the quick dispersal that could quell wrath. It lingered, and the times it did the most damage were when it crept up on you, unexpected but firm. Earth stance is¡­ Resentment.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Cadence of Earth¡±: You are firmly on the path to learning the profound martial arts of the Tellite people. Knowledge and experience are required for this skill to evolve further.
***** After I learned the Earth cadence, Whipman instructed me to take two wooden shields and enter the water of the moat with them, rotating my arms in opposite directions, at equal speeds. It was extremely difficult. The water flowed around in strange currents, twisting my arms, the shields turning, seeking the path of least resistance. Depth, I could understand why that was the core of the stance. But for whatever reason, that didn¡¯t resonate with me as well. Water stance was¡­ connected and messy. When you touched water, it splashed. It resisted force, but it also made sure you ended up doused in the water too, even if you came with the best intentions. It seeped within cracks, trickling downwards. Water can deflect easily. It can change forms swiftly, but often just as swiftly reverts back. It animates life, but also can be the most destructive force in the world. Water stance is¡­ Hatred.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Cadence of Water¡±: You are firmly on the path to learning the profound martial arts of the Tellite people. Knowledge and experience are required for this skill to evolve further.
My lips twisted into a smile. ***** The final training, the one for the air stance, involved standing on several poles, leaping from one to another to dodge projectiles. Turnip volunteered, altogether way too excited at the prospect of shooting arrows at me. To compensate for his vastly increased skill, he had to stay at his post over the gate. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Stepping lightly, I avoided another arrow. He knocked two more and fired both at once. But I just laughed, leaping away. Layers I understood now too. There really was so much space in air. And power came not from control fistfuls of it like other me had been doing so far, but by gathering a thin cutting edge, driving through the mass of layers in the way. Turnip hissed his annoyance, and drew again, using his rapid fire skill to fill the air with 7 arrows before I could blink. But I danced and twisted, dodging them all. Air was light. It was everywhere. It crept into any space, no matter how small, no matter in what direction. When pressured, air becomes extremely dangerous. Air warns you of something passing you close by. Air can vibrate, carrying information your body understand instinctively. Air stance is¡­ Fear.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Cadence of Air¡±: You have finally gained a footing on all four of the profound martial arts of the Tellite people. Knowledge and experience are required for these skills to evolve further.
But it was accompanied by another notification, one that reminded me that my ultimate goal was survival, and the only way to survive here was to kill.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the title ¡°Singer of the Dark Cadences¡±. After being exposed to the profound martial arts of the Tellite people, you have intuitively understood the darkness inherent in all of the stances, and brought them to the surface. Any just and honorable individual who sees your version of the stances will feel fear in their heart. Damage while using one of the stances is increased by 15%.
I ordered Turnip to stop firing and told Whipman I was taking the rest of the day off from training. I walked out of the castle gates, cognizant of the locations of the shroom traps. ***** ***POV Change*** Emil quickly took notes on what Dom was saying. ¡°So we know there are those poison areas, here, here, and here, but the path to the castle seems pretty clear and by tomorrow¡­ Hey, what¡¯s all that racket?¡± Flinching, Emil shifted away from Dom, getting some distance. When he spoke with that tone¡­ whoever caused it would pay. Dom was a large balding man with grey skin and two short tusks that appeared to have been sawed up. Based on what Emil knew from Dom¡¯s race, it was a miracle he was still alive. Emil had always suspected he survived on mean spirit and cruelty, anyways. Someone screamed on the edge of the camp, and then abruptly stopped screaming. Silence fell over the group. Before that scream, Dom had Emil tally up 23 challengers staying here. Everyone kept their eyes on the treeline the scream came from. A chill descended over the area. Emil suddenly felt afraid, more afraid then he had in his entire life. As if every breath gave up a little bit more of his life and will to this demanding cold. Like he should just lay down right now, and accept it¡­ ¡°YOU CRAVEN ASS, SHOW YOURSELF!¡± Dom stood up and bellowed at the woods. They had encountered larger groups, some of which had challengers that claimed they had been here for four days, and that passing the path was impossible. They warned of ambushes from archers, skeletons, and zombie dogs. Worst of all they said, was the giant yellow skeleton who seemed invulnerable. But they said that it wasn¡¯t so bad, small groups didn¡¯t attract its notice, and it could be heard coming from a ways off. Now, from the woods, there was only silence. A man coughed. Dom glared at him. A twig snapped as a figure walked out of the woods. It was a male with pale skin and long, dark hair that hung wild to his chin. His eyes flashed yellow, visible even from this distance. In one hand was a short sword, and in his other was a black cudgel. There was blood on the sword. His body was lean and well muscled, and he was clothed in torn rags. But when Emil looked at him, Emil could only think one thing. This creature is death. ¡°So you show yourself eh? You picked the wrong party to mess with, right boys? Let¡¯s show-¡± But death had already moved, surging forward, driving his sword through the closest man¡¯s heart. By the time anyone had processed what had happened, he had moved onto the next person, cracking his skull open like an egg. Every movement was purposeful and powerful, killing another. With a roar, Dom and everyone else charged, incensed, perhaps not sensing what Emil did; that this man would end them all. Death stopped abruptly, right in front of a man with a sword. The man was brandishing the sword wildly, desperate to stop his advance, but was taken aback by the sudden cessation of motion. ¡°Ah-?¡± But the second the man lowered his sword, death began surging again, slitting his throat. But by now he was surrounded on four sides. The first man approached, death turned away from him and punched forward with his left hand, his right elbow moving back, almost in slow motion. The elbow met the man who was trying to tackle death to the ground, and the man just grunted, thrown back 5 m by the force of the elbow. Then death crouched into a squat, holstering his weapons, and pushed out to each side with his palms in the same motion he settled deeper into the squat, a wave of force pushing everyone nearby backwards. Death¡¯s movements changed again, his bare hands twisted and flowing, his claw like fingers ripping out throats and snapping necks. Within 20 seconds, everyone surrounding him was slaughtered, leaving Dom panting and reeling backwards. Seeing his subordinates die so easily, Dom roared and stabbed forward with his spear, but death¡¯s hands twisted and he practically slithered past the spear head and up the shaft, immediately getting hands on Dom¡¯s spear arm. One movement violently sprained Dom¡¯s wrist, forcing him to drop the spear. The next was a twist and an irresistible palm strike to the elbow joint, shattering it and forcing it to bend in the wrong direction. Then Death¡¯s hand¡¯s were around Dom¡¯s throat, and he twisted. Crack. Emil was shivering. He remembered his mom settling the cloak she knit for him around his shoulders, asking if he really had to go. Emil had been determined; without money, their farm would get taken, or his mother forced to marry, or even worse, Emil¡¯s little siblings¡­ Emil put on a brave smile and promised her it would be alright, he would be brave. The clearing was bereft of living souls, aside from Emil and death. Death disappeared, and Emil blinked. But then a soft pat informed him that death had somehow teleported behind him. Emil couldn¡¯t bear to turn, but death¡¯s hand wound itself in his hair, forcing him to look back and meet death¡¯s gaze. His voice, although deep and cold, was surprisingly normal. ¡°Do you fear me?¡± :¡±Ah¡­.¡± Emil couldn¡¯t even answer. The edges of his vision were going dark at the edges. His mother¡­ his siblings¡­ maybe if he explained, death would have mercy. Then something seemed to catch death¡¯s gaze, and death grinned at the air, pleased. That smile erased all hope within Emil that there was mercy in death. ¡°I can see that you do. Goodnight, sweet prince~¡± Death¡¯s hand descended, and Emil¡¯s head slid backwards, detached from his body. ***POV Change***
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 4¡±. Effectiveness of the aura is slightly improved. Prolonged exposure will cause weak willed individuals to become a mindless thrall in service of you.
I made a mental note to experiment with that by capturing a weak challenger while flicking my fingers, cleaning them of the worst of the blood. Then, noticing the high quality workmanship of the cloak the boy who leveled up my aura was wearing, I paused. -Truly, this little bit of exercise was immensely satisfying. -And we will look quite dashing in this black cloak. I didn¡¯t even need to unlatch it, just lifted it off the headless body. -Well, some minor blood stains, but who can avoid those, these days? Settling it around my neck, I noticed how warm it still was from the previous owner. I hummed a half remembered tune as I walked back to the castle, and then prepared for bed. ***POV Change*** ¡°You know, me agreeing to meet a challenger at such an early juncture is extremely unusually.¡± Dekker smiled at the figure across from him. A child¡¯s body, barely 1.5 m tall. Thin, bony limbs with porcelain skin. Pointy ears. But that same porcelain skin showed that within that body¡¯s chest, something burned. A holder of true fire. Possibly a reincarnated dragon. Dekker shivered at the thought. But then Dekker tried not to frown as the boy put his feet up on Dekker¡¯s table. ¡°Hmph, as if I could lose here. Tomorrow I am challenging¡­ the layer of 4? And father informed me you had bet an exceeding amount on my success. I always give a little bit of face to those who recognize my greatness.¡± ¡®And the effectiveness of your adoptive father¡¯s wallet.¡¯ Dekker remarked inwardly to himself. The boy leaned forward, his childish face twisting into something dark. ¡°After all, we are all united in one cause, correct? Making sure my name, Encelldross, will be carved into the very fiber of this foolish tower.¡± ''Melodramatic, but...'' Dekker''s eyes glittered as he nodded at the boy''s words. ''I think my fortunes are changing.'' *****Author''s Note***** Ugh, why do I keep writing these long days! I planned on 18 and 19 being relatively short, but I got too excited with training nonsense~ Hopefully you enjoyed it. Oh, and I''m curious. What have y''all thought about the reports on the minions at the beginning of the day? Thoughts, ideas, criticisms? If you are enough, let me know in the comments~ And thanks to everyone for reading! One of the threads is over 1000 views~ ...readership drops off sharply after that, but still xD. In thanks, I''ll try and push through and finish this Floor 1 arc tomorrow, which should be 20, 21, and 22. But no promises~ Day 20 Day 20 Waking up was like swimming in the sun-warmed belly of a lounging cat. -Ufufu. This is truly the life. -I agree completely, other me. If we ever become investors, let¡¯s invest in a bedding company. -Who needs poisonous traps when a good night¡¯s rest gives you the energy to handle all of the enemies single handedly? After a few more self-congratulatory quips with other me, I got out of bed and walked into the hallway, greeting Jerry with my most winning smile. He blinked. ¡°Did you enjoy your killing spree last night sir? You appear to be in a good mood.¡± I chuckled and waved a hand, summoning the usual crew of undead. ¡°Then I adjusted my suave new cloak. ¡°Perhaps.¡± I magnanimously accepted the report. As I scanned it, my eye began to twitch at a certain name. I breathed in and out several times, trying to stay calm.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 16
Yellow BonesAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 15
Shroom BearerLvl 13
Shroom Bearer (x3)Lvl 11
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 11
Skeleton ArcherLvl 11
Skeleton Archer (x2)Lvl 10
GhoulLvl 10
Sergeant TimSkeleton Drudge SergeantLvl 9
*Corpse Hunter (x4)Lvl 8
Skeleton Archer (x5)Lvl 8
*Skeleton Archer (x3)Lvl 6
*Zombie Scavenger (x2)Lvl 5
Total Minions: 26
-Just focus on the positives, other me ¡°I see that we now have 4 shroom bearers! That¡¯s truly is excellent luck.¡± Jerry shook his head. ¡°Luck had nothing to do with it. After watching another one evolve yesterday, Sergeant Tim hypothesized that a certain very specific combination of fresh flesh and flesh of those who died to the shrooms would cause the evolution. His insight was spot on, and we were able to have all those that survived yesterday evolve.¡± Gritting my teeth I forced my gaze to focus elsewhere on the report. ¡°It¡¯s also encouraging that so many of our group is above lvl 10-¡± ¡°Ah, you noticed.¡± Jerry¡¯s eyes were bright. ¡°Both two nights ago, and last night, he had all of the undead train together. I wanted to tell you, but Tim insisted that we not bother you with his foolish idea until he had results to show you.¡± ¡°Is. That. So.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. Where the fuck did this Tim get the balls to do all these things? -Don¡¯t be jealous other me, you were busy with training- -WHY WOULD I BE JEALOUS OF A SHITTY SKELETON DRUDGE -...you really need to calm down. Remember the bed. Blissfully I closed my eyes and recalled the cool embrace of those high thread count sheets. I counted the threads in my perfect memory. When I finished, I opened my eyes and smiled once more at Jerry. ¡°Where is Tim now? I¡¯d like to thank him for his service.¡± Jerry¡¯s face fell a bit, giving me a strange look. ¡°Well, he¡¯s currently very occupied inspecting the defensibility of some of the¡­ adjustments you made to the castle yesterday. I mean he has the utmost faith in you, but¡­¡± Only after several seconds did he break the silence. ¡°I hope Sergeant Tim¡¯s faith in you isn¡¯t misplaced.¡± With a curt nod, Jerry turned and walked away.¡± -...We haven¡¯t even seen this ¡°Tim¡±. Could Jerry just be playing a practical joke¡­? -What part of being undead makes you think the can develop a sense of humor? ***** Lizard woman was waiting when I walked down to the courtyard, a crate twitching ominously behind her. ¡°Hehehe...I think you will find this little baby to your liking. It will procreate on its own, so you just need to purchase one of these poisonous beauties, and she will spread on your own¡­ Now because we are such close friends¡­ I¡¯ll just take the remainder of your Towers and call it even. No need to thank me~¡± She popped out of existence. Leaving me with a very peculiar, and likely deadly, crate. Scratching my head, I turned to Whipman. ¡°I suppose we just take it outside and open it up?¡± I dragged the crate to the gate, and Yellow Bones took care of the rest, heaving the crate up in a huge display of strength that left even me impressed. I directed him to place it in a clearing between three areas covered by Heart Murmur Shrooms. After instructing Yellow Bones to move back to the treeline, I had Turnip shoot an arrow, hitting the lock keeping the crate closed. It broke, falling to the ground with a thunk. In an exaggerated several seconds of creaking, the crate stilled, the front portion slowly swinging open. A strange green blur emerged from the opening, immediately burrowing into the ground. Displaced dirt and small stones filled the air. After a few seconds, the clearing stilled, nothing out of the ordinary visible. But as I listened, I could feel the ground cracking, as if something was moving underneath our feet¡­ I shivered. -I almost feel bad for challengers¡­ -Yea, let¡¯s go back into the castle and just train. As we left, Yellow Bones kept stopping his foot on the ground, looking confused. Turnip just sighed exaggeratedly and kept giving me angsty sidelong looks. When we made it back to the courtyard, I blinked in surprise. ¡°Jen? What are you doing here? An early lunch?¡± She rotated her slime body, remaining in her blob form. But something was strange. Instead of her colorful assortment of aprons, she was wearing a conservative grey tie. Remaining in her blob form, no longer trying to imitate a human, she spoke to me in a serious voice. ¡°Due to certain¡­ investments that I have made, I have been promoted to a administer-in-training.¡± Pausing, one of her tentacles adjusted her tie. ¡°Well, I will be, as soon as the day starts. But I wanted to come talk with you before, so you understood our new r-r-r-r-r-relationship.¡± Although she was clearly awkward with the word relationship, it didn¡¯t seem like it was due to the usual reasons. I nodded slowly. ¡°And that money for the investments¡­ It¡¯s what you¡¯ve been syphoning from my salary, isn¡¯t it.¡± Other that a slight quiver, Jen made no other physical reaction. ¡°Yes. I swiftly became aware that your situation wasn¡¯t¡­. Typical, and took advantage of it. Although your actions weren¡¯t strictly illegal per se, and higher ups wouldn¡¯t do anything, as a favor, they promised a certain individual that if anything happened to the man whose place you took, he would be informed.¡± My visage darkened. That man who had immobilized me immediately, on a whim. ¡°And why are you bringing this up now?¡± Jen hesitated. ¡°Competition for administrator spots is fierce. And there is only allowed to be so many at one time. Several administrators moved up from the 5th floor to the 10th. Their replacements, naturally, will be the top 3 administrators on our, the 1st floor, in 5 days. ¡°For your purposes¡­ you just need to let nothing through your path as normal. A challenger is coming up that you need to stop. He might come today, or if we are unlucky and he chooses another path, tomorrow, and if we are REALLY unlucky¡­¡± Her body wiggled, and then settled, a tentacle once more adjusting her tie. ¡°Well, hopefully it won¡¯t come to that. In any case, I¡¯m here to give you a bit of motivation: if anyone passes through your path, and you don¡¯t comply with our wishes¡­ the man whose identity you stole shall be pronounced dead.¡± My smile was slow and full. I strolled over to Jen, standing over her. ¡°Are you threatening me¡­?¡± For the first time ever since I had met Jen, her body hardened, becoming a darker shade of green. Her voice barely trembled at all when she answered. ¡°....Yes.¡± Chuckling, I reached almost instinctively and rubbed the top of her head. For a second the darker shade of green grew even darker, as if she tensed up, but as I rubbed her strange body that almost felt like a crystal, she relaxed back to her normal light shade of green, becoming a very pleasant to touch blob. Almost like jelly inside of a balloon. ¡°Oh¡­.ahhh¡­.mmm¡­..that¡¯s¡­. You shouldn¡¯t¡­..oh my¡­.¡± Jen¡¯s voice lost all of its serious edge and she wiggled slowly as I rubbed her. Then I removed my hand and checked my hand; no slime got on me. I suppose it made sense, if she was constantly leaving bits of her body on everything she touched, she would swiftly run out of body. ¡°Why did...did you¡­.stop¡­..¡± I grinned wolfishly down at her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. Honestly, I trust you more now that you threatened to kill me. It¡¯s the only sort of thing I understand.¡± Stretching my arms, I asked. ¡°So is that it? You just came to tell me to be a good boy?¡± Jen jellyed in the way she did to indicate no. ¡°I¡¯m also here to wait a bit.¡± ***POV Change*** Dekker supposed it didn¡¯t matter which of the 4 paths he sent Encelldross to. After picking one at random, he was about to press the display when he froze. He recognized that path. Dekker brought up the information on it, disbelieving. This¡­ THIS FUCKING PATH WAS THE ONE THAT HE LOST ALL THE MONEY ON A FEW DAYS AGO?!?!? Why did appear again? How did it rise so fast. Dekker¡¯s vision went red, but then he shook his head. ¡°No,¡± he said aloud. ¡°No need to risk it.¡± He selected another path. ***POV Change*** ¡°Not today huh¡­¡± Jen said, as Whipman was strapping me into the sled again. Whipman told me that now that I had all of the cadences, I needed to actually work on learning a single stance. When I told him I thought that I had learned it all already, he just chuckled. Whipman and I turned to Jen, who was jellying over towards us. ¡°Predator, I¡¯m still not technically an administrator, so I can still assist you. This extra day¡­ might be a blessing. You need to get stronger. Is there anything you can think of that would make that happen faster?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I looked at Whipman, who just snorted. ¡°If strength was that simple, anyone could become strong. It requires work, and time.¡± -...actually, I have an idea. -Oh, other me? Smiling innocently, I turned to Jen. ¡°Is there anything that can restore mana quickly?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, of course. Mana potions. How much do you want restored, and how many would you like.¡± ¡°1000 would be ideal.¡± I mean, my mana pool was only 900, but it was fine to be wasteful with other people¡¯s money. Even if there money was technically the man who I killed¡¯s money, which should really be my money¡­ ¡°And as many as you can afford.¡± ***** Whipman gave me a long look, then shook his head. ¡°I suppose we can break up the sets more often, but-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± I said, drinking a mana potion. ¡°I can train both at once. I have two minds.¡± Whipman¡¯s eyes widened, a look I received from him a lot from him. He hacked and spat something black and nasty onto the ground. ¡°...I see. Then let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll be saying punch and leap now. Punch is a single step forward. Leap should cover the distance of 3 steps. Ready? Leap!¡± I surged forward, managing the three steps, but barely. My legs trembled. But I couldn¡¯t tell from the pain from the excitement now. My face was twisting. -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain- ¡°Punch! Leap! Punch!¡± My body relied on instinct, powering forward. At the same time other me swirled my focus, forming a small whirlwind. Dozens of leaves were gathered, dancing across the air. I tightened and tightened the control, without a care for the mana I was burning through. Then I picked up the entire whirlwind and slashed with it, the leaves scattering, drawing a long furrow in the ground. Basically 60% of my mana was depleted in a 10 second span, but I was rewarded for it.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 5¡±. Mana cost for manipulating air has decreased. Air compression becomes easier. You gain insights in how to control air resistance.
¡°Idiot disciple, stop grinning! Leap, Leap, Leap!¡± ***** Lunch was a quick affair, Whipman imperiously standing over me with his arms crossed. We had continued the sled training all morning, adding the command dash by the end. As I was wiping my mouth, Whipman offered a hand to me. ¡°You missed one.¡± I popped it into my mouth without thinking. It had a strange, spicy taste. ¡°...what was that?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± He replied airily, walking back to the training area of the courtyard. Twisting my mouth, I followed. ¡°The afternoon will be practicing the forms, followed by sparring in Thunder Stance. We will continue this until your body knows the forms intimately¡­¡± My heart was pounding, my mouth was salivating. My hands were strangely jittery. I bounced on my toes, downing another mana potion. Other me created a dozen thin blades of wind that cut leaves in half. ¡°Easy right? Let¡¯s begin. You remember first stance correct? Center yourself, feel the stillness within. Then surge!¡± Wrath. My heart was a hammer, and I struck outward, gleeful of the release of power. ¡°Now, second stance! Crashing Thunder. Bring the force down. Crush opposition!¡± My hands were now hammers, my heart becoming a bounding jackrabbit. My vision was turning red, everything becoming fury. A small part of me knew this wasn¡¯t natural. ¡°...what did you give me.¡± ¡°Well, if you must know,¡± Whipman sniffed. ¡°It was a small amount of the Heart Murmur shroom. You¡¯ve been taking it too leisurely lately. If you don¡¯t stop this challenger, you die, correct? And if you die, we die. So I decided to take up the stakes.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Zassa said that there is no cure, but that the effects wear off after a few hours. I figure with your high Vit, your system can handle the strain no problem. Anyway, Third Stance! Distant Rumblings! Surge forward, inevitably approaching your enemy.¡± My heart was beating so fast I couldn¡¯t tell when the beat, and when the break was. My body was just constantly vibrating. My gaze glazed over, just descending into pure wrath and I smashed around, barely able to maintain control of the forms. But I found joy in the destruction, even as my heart became more and more painful. ***** ¡°No problem¡± ended up being true to an extent, or at least I thought so; I didn¡¯t die. I lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Then I began to notice the notifications that had piled up during my madness phase.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Physicality Lvl 4¡±: Extreme physical strain has become more manageable. Small amounts of flexibility. Each point of End has become slightly more effective.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 6¡±. Efficiency in controlling air has increased. Speed at which air can be gathered has increased.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Physicality Lvl 5¡±: Strain and exertion no longer phase you. The effectiveness of each point of Vit and Str has increased. +.1 increase in Health Regen.
-Oh? Both the effectiveness of stats and attributes themselves can be improved with skills? That¡¯s interesting to note. -Heh, heh, heh, heh -Stop breathing like that, it¡¯s not so bad. Whipman is right; you are surprisingly melodramatic. I sat up, remembering something. ¡°Did we figure out what was inside the crate?¡± Jerry and Turnip exchange a glance. ¡°Yes, actually. A vine creature that excels at ambushing and devouring its targets. There are a few problems with it trying to mate with us, but¡­¡± -Wait, what? -It appears that part of our charm has rubbed off on our minions¡­ ¡°But- Tim believes he can solve the issue, if you give him 5 skeleton drudges to form a platoon underneath him.¡± -Don¡¯t let that name phase you, think of the bed. Tim doesn¡¯t exist~ ¡°And where is Tim now?¡± I asked lightly. Turnip gave me a withering look. ¡°Dealing with the vine thing, obviously. Didn¡¯t we just say that.¡± My eyelid twitched. I drank a mana potion and summoned the 5 Skeleton Drudges he wanted. Then, feeling slightly vindictive, I spent the rest of my mana on summoning drudges. Due to the decreased cost with every level, Skeleton Drudges only cost me 30. All in all, I ended up with 30. I waved my hand imperiously. ¡°Tim-¡± ¡°Sergeant Tim,¡± Jerry corrected. ¡°Sergeant Tim,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°Has performed so admirably that I am rewarding him will all these drudges as personal minions. In addition, I am promoting him to¡­ Staff Sergeant!¡± To my very great surprise, everyone, including the ghoul, Turnip, yellow Bones, Jerry, Whipman, and all the freshly summoned drudges, clapped. -Don¡¯t let it bother you, other me. Just return to the warm embrace of the bed. ***** ¡®Anger is a strange thing,¡¯ I mused, looking at my room. Long slashes ripped apart the floor, cutting the bed to a million pieces. The walls were barely still standing. Dozens of empty mana potions were laying on the floor. I had basically depleted all of the ones Jen had brought me today. I wondered idly if she would bring more. But it was worth it.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 7¡±. Power over air has increased. Mana spent controlling air slightly decreased. You have learned the skill ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 1¡±: Specialized application of Lesser Air Affinity, air can be focused and sharpened into a blade. Although destructive power is low, cutting ability is high.
I waved my hand, using air affinity to gather the feathers from my destroyed bed into a corner, which I collapsed on top of. I glanced once at my status screen, grinning at the great increase in skill levels after today.
Name:PredatorLevel:15
Race:Biomass:1190
Racial Growth Rate:Murloc Champion
Health Regen:x2.1Mana:529/904
Vit:47 (+2)End:29 (+2)
Str:31 (+2)Agi:40 (+2)
Dex:35 (+2)Memory:242 (+2)
Processing Power:271 (+2)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:99 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)
Timeless Perception:50 (+2)
Titles
A Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 7Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 4Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 1Physicality Lvl 5Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Cadence of Thunder
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterCadence of WindWind Blade Lvl 1
***Author''s Note*** Whoops, I spent way too much time writing this, now my afternoon will become a field of hellish studying~ Anyways, finally done with training! Now just fight scenes. And those are easy and quick to write, right? Day 21 Day 21 ***POV Change*** Gillette swirled the azure liquid around in the glass. ¡°It seems¡­ Dekker is aware of our friend Predator¡¯s ascendance. That¡¯s too bad. I was hoping he would stumble across the trap without realizing it.¡± Jen wiggled her tentacles. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t hope for such heaven defying luck. We were already lucky enough that this opportunity came to us, already fleshed out, when there was an opening above.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ so we are assuming that Dekker will check the paths again, notice that Predator was promoted last night, and send his challenger to the other one?¡± Jen nodded her agreement. ¡°Then¡­¡± Gillette hesitated, then threw the remainder of the liquid back. ¡°I suppose we should proceed to the Tavern, where we will happen to meet Predator, and congratulate him on his rise with a generous ¡°gift¡±. After your initial note, the threat yesterday and your reminder for him to come to the tavern, I suspect that he won¡¯t dally¡­¡± Jen was furiously adjusting her tie. Gillette sighed. ¡°...you did remind him, didn¡¯t you? Well its no matter. A man of his intelligence will likely remember¡­¡± Jen wiggled back and forth, clearly doubting that would be the case. ¡°Neither of us can contact him directly¡­¡± After a bit of hesitation, Gillette picked up the phone. ¡°...I suppose there is no choice. The game is nearing its finale anyways, there is no need to hide our hand.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to be angry at me¡­¡± Jen¡¯s words were almost a sob. Gillette simply chuckled. ***POV Change*** I glanced briefly at the report.
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 16
Yellow BonesAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 15
Plague BearerLvl 14
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 12
Shroom Bearer (x5)Lvl 11
Skeleton ArcherLvl 11
Staff Sergeant TimSkeleton Drudge Staff SergeantLvl 11
Skeleton Archer (x2)Lvl 10
Ghoul (x3)Lvl 10
Vineling Spawn (x10)Lvl 9
*Corpse Hunter (x4)Lvl 8
Skeleton Archer (x7)Lvl 8
*Skeleton Archer (x3)Lvl 6
*Zombie Scavenger (x2)Lvl 5
Total Minions: 42
Very clear to me was the fact that Tim¡¯s name and race somehow changed. And that all of the drudges were gone, but ¡°Vineling Spawn¡± seemed to have replaced them, and they were already Lvl 9. And that the high level Shroom Bearer had become a Plague Bearer. I handed the report back to Jerry and walked on without a word. I had no time for such petty nonsense. I had risen beyond the petty political concerns of the world. Apparently whatever Tim was doing, it wasn¡¯t guarding the gate, because when I came down into the courtyard a smartly dressed woman in a grey skirt and a white blouse was waiting for me. She was holding a strangely long parcel in her hands, and turned to me, adjusting her glasses, as I came down. She looked strangely familiar, too. ¡°Ah,¡± I said aloud, stopping a few feet away from her. ¡°You must be Kettle.¡± She appraised me coolly, her eyes seemingly exploring every inch of my body in turn. It made me slightly uncomfortable, so I opened up my status menu, preparing to toggle on Aura of the Predator. To my shock, it was already on. Eventually, Kettle nodded. ¡°Yes, I am. You are Predator, who has been promoted to the 2 path layer today, and you have been surprisingly useful.¡± -I was promoted? -She seems so sure, and I think ¡°useful¡± in context is meant as praise, so¡­ -But is this her, or my charm speaking? -Honestly, I would love to make a comment about her birthing hips. But she¡¯s glaring at us like she knows what we are saying¡­ Other me and I looked at Kettle. Seeing my wandering attention had returned, she resumed speaking. ¡°I trust Jen explained the consequences if you don¡¯t assist us yesterday, in her¡­ visit? So listen up: Take this, stab it into the ground, and say, ¡®I issue a challenge.¡¯¡± She unwrapped the parcel, revealing a flag with a long red streamer hanging from the top. She gave it to me. ¡°Wait, what? Why?¡± Kettle shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know yet.¡± ¡°Then I refuse.¡± I offered the flag back to her. Kettle just looked at me. It wasn¡¯t a glare, but she just seemed to be inwardly willing that I do as she instructed, her gaze insistent. I just stood there, nonplussed. What did she want? Tilting her head a fraction to the side, Kettle said. ¡°How about this, you do it, and then I will immediately explain why it was necessary, and get out of your way. Deal?¡± Nodding slowly, I put the base of the flag against the ground. ¡°I.... Issue a challenge.¡± Nothing happened. Then the ground beneath the flag opened up, the shaft sinking into the ground. The entire path began to rumble. Kettle smiled at me, genuinely pleased. -She¡¯s beautiful. -Shush, other me, she¡¯s talking. ¡°What I require of you is simple; stopping a challenger that a rival administrator is betting on. Yesterday, that challenger challenged one on the 4 path layer. By a fluke, the administrator noticed that the challenger was going to your path and forcibly altered the challenger¡¯s path. Last night, you were promoted to the 2 path layer. Unfortunately, after yesterday¡¯s close call, I highly doubt that Dekker will not be checking the path of his challenge, and will once more avoid you. ¡°Thus,¡± With a casual motion, Kettle pushed her hair over her shoulder and pointed to the flag. ¡°We use the only method possible to ensure that the challenger CANNOT avoid you. By making your path sit at the top of the pyramid, on the 1 path layer. That is a challenge flag, and with it, you may issue a single challenger a year, and only from the 2 path layer.¡± ¡°So you and your path will be teleported up, and you will fight against the reigning king of our First Floor for the right to be the 1 path that all must pass through to ascend.¡± Kettle stepped forward with surprising quickness, kissing me on the cheek. Then she ducked away, her lip imprint on my cheek remaining with a surprising amount of scorching heat. ¡°That¡¯s for luck. Your opponent is a Lvl 35 Dawn Falcon. He has been on top of this floor for 100 years. The competition is simple: you win if you kill him, you lose if you die. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± She disappeared. Then I disappeared, my whole path shuddering out of existence. ***POV Change*** Dekker glared at Kettle as she walked into the office. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± He gurgled, his tentacle face undulating in a menacing way. Kettle just gave him the same cool look she always did and then sat down at her desk. ¡°I apologize, but there was important news that I needed to check for you; open up the mail I sent you on your terminal.¡± Dekker did so grudgingly, but what he saw made him forget all about his annoyance with Kettle. ¡°What¡­!??! That path issued a challenge? But¡­¡± His face fell. But then as he thought about it, Dekker grew amused. Settling in a chair, he brought up the challenge on his monitor. There was a reason that anyone with connections could pass the path of 1, but no one else could. A few lush slaves were sent along with the challenger, and then herded into a specifically designated offering area of the path. Then the Dawn Falcon turned a blind eye to the challenger as he/she made it to the portal. That was the only way one survived. Dekker settled in, excited to watch this thorn in his side die. ***POV Change*** I looked up, holding up a hand to block out of the sun. It had been a while since I had been outside of the twilight of my path, and it was a bit grating of a change. More annoying was the fact that the castle from my path seemed to be teleported pretty much as is, abutting the other path. My castle sat on the hill. Rising in the sky in front of me was what I could only describe as a mountain. A flap of wings caught my attention, and a huge falcon landed on the path outside of the castle. It was 4 m tall, shorter than Yellow Bones, but from the shadow it cast before it landed its wingspan was many times greater than that. The feathers appeared black at first, but as the light caught them, the glowed orange, red, and yellow. The falcon looked at my castle with a haughty expression. Blinking, I realized that I recognized that dumb looking bird. It was the one in the tavern a few days ago, who the pretty attendant so shamelessly flirted with. As our eyes locked, a notification popped up.
Congratulations! You have encountered the second on your path to becoming a dragon. Slay that monster, devour his heart, and know true strength.
-Ufufu. We shall teach him the pain of being too popular to handle. -Let us begin the revenge, other me. But before I could attack, it spoke. ¡°Foolish creature. Your mistake will cost you your life. My children fill the sky!¡± It shrieked, and instantly a cloud arose from the mountain. The cloud flowed closer, resolving itself into 100s of angry birds of various sizes. ¡°To feed them¡­ I maintain an army of 100,000 goblin fodders.¡± From the base of the mountain, it seemed as if a thumping swarm of ants emerged, marching in lockstep, approaching the edges of the divide between our lands, where his badlands turned into my marsh. Snorting, the falcon turned away. ¡°I almost pity you, dying in such a pathetic grave. If you wish to beg for mercy, I will be in my Eyrie.¡± The falcon flew away. I considered the swarms of enemies before me. -The best bet is probably just to push forward, killing him before his armies can overwhelm us. -But think of the experience¡­ -Think of surviving But before the argument could continue, Jerry stepped up next to me. ¡°That human woman also left a few dozen crates for you before she left.¡± Curious, I followed him to the far side of the courtyard, opposite from where I usually trained. Like Jerry said, there were 36 crates, about the size of a large wooden desk. I cracked open the first one. My eyes widened as I took in the 1000s of arrows within. I opened the next, and the next. Altogether, 34 crates with arrows. 1 crate with throwing knives. I cracked open the last one. My eyes glittered. At least 100 mana potions. ***** The bird army reached us first. By that time, I had summoned 600 skeleton archers, the ramparts and towers positively bristling with bones. I spaced the crates of arrows out evenly around, so archers could reach them. I stood in the ramparts above the main gate, next to Turnip. A box of arrows sat next to him, the knives next to me. He scratched his wispy haired head. ¡°So, like, when can I start shooting him.¡± ¡°...whenever you are going to shoot without wasting arrows.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯m just used to Staff Sergeant Tim giving the order.¡± Turnip drew his bow and shot once, twice, three, four, five, six, seven, eight¡­ I watched in shock as he continued to shoot, an almost constant stream of arrows. Then, several seconds later, I began to see a steady stream of dead birds falling from the column. A drop in the ocean, but still¡­ Taking this as a sign, some of the other, higher leveled skeleton archers began to fire too, about 20 arrows arcing up. They lacked Turnip¡¯s firing speed, but they still seemed accurate. Screaming, the birds hurtled closer. The remaining, freshly summoned archers fired, a wave of 600 arrows crashing into the bird army. Just like that, around 5% of the birds tumbled from the sky, still a bit of distance away, but approaching fast. I began drawing knives in preparation. I toggled on my Aura of the Predator, my mouth instantly twisting into a cheshire grin. I could feel my bloodlust growing, infecting the archers around me, urging them to faster speed. The aura continued to spread, and I was bouncing on my toes, ready. I looked towards the group I considered the real threat, the 100k army of goblins. They had penetrated into the marsh. I had a few surprises planned for them, but¡­. BOOOOM. A huge column exploded up in the air, and I blinked. A strange powder caught the wind, spreading all over the marching army, and some floating towards the castle. It caught the light of the sun and glittered purple. Chuckling I turned back to the birds. So that¡¯s what happened when one of the huge shrooms is touched. Although we had probably killed almost ? of the birds as they approached, they were about to reach us. I stood up on the edge of the battlements, gathering their attention and ire. Knives flicked out from my fingers, slitting the throats of approaching birds. Other me did the same with Wind Blades. Although they didn¡¯t have much power, these birds seemed to be low level and died easily even to Wind Blades I created with only 10 mana. I had gathered most of the high leveled archers near me, and they were firing constantly into the crowd. But at that moment, the birds arrived, slamming into the lines faster than I could kill them. Turnip switched to multishot, shooting clusters of arrows, downing several birds at once. Birds slammed into skeleton archers, knocking them off the battlements, pecking at their bones until they cracked, or snapped their bow strikes. Still, the bones in bird¡¯s bodies were weak, and Skeletons began wielding their bows as clubs, smashing birds to the ground. On the left wall, Jerry rose up, calmly disintegrating birds right out of the air. On the right wall, Whip man stood, twirling a spear. His stabs were faster than I could follow, and I looked away, dazzled by how he could skewer them right out of the sky. Rumbling his fury, Yellow Bones stood in the center of the courtyard. His almost 6 m tall form was mostly avoided by birds, but the small set of arms underneath his first, larger set, flicked out ribcage shards, slaughtering dozens of birds. I felt strength seep into me as more and more birds, those still flying or with broken wings, began to feel the fear in their tiny hearts, giving into despair. After the initial clash, it was easy. Although the birds had numbers, they were too light, and couldn¡¯t do significant damage against a skeleton¡¯s bones. I turned my attention to the approaching army of goblins. If we had killed a few thousand birds, we had killed even more goblins at this point. They were approaching up the road towards the castle, but another Shroom exploded, a huge plume of poison drifting over the army, felling large swathes of goblins. So many so that a notification popped up in front of me.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the title ¡°Bringer of Battle.¡± You, of your own volition, had instigated violence and taken over 10,000 lives in your quest for dominance. Troops you lead have higher loyalty and increased morale. Slight amount of experience gained for the accomplishments of subordinates. Subordinates level up slightly faster in battle.
-Well, of my ¡®own volition¡¯ might be a little strong¡­ -Says the guy who stared at Kettle like an idiot after she kissed you. Keep that shit up and she think you¡¯re socially inept. -...which wouldn¡¯t be inaccurate, we have no concept of how- Wait, what¡¯s that? In the center of the goblin column strange green tentacles emerges from the ground, spreading out over a 30 m area. Then the tentacles resolved themselves into thorned vines, which then began to rotate at extremely fast speeds, like the mechanism of a blender, reducing the goblins within to blood mush. I shivered, hearing a strange echo of the lizard woman¡¯s laugh. But the goblin column pushed forward, impressing me with their dedication. I gestured to the ghoul working the gate. ¡°Time to drop the bridge.¡± With a thump, it slammed to the ground, Yellow Bones practically crawled to get out the gate, then stood and stomped forward. Behind him, a column of 50 of my newest creatures roared their defiance and rumbled as they charged forward. I grinned, remembering the notification that appeared after about 350 of the skeleton archers had been summoned.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 5¡±: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise ¡°Skeleton Bears.¡±
But as my amusing bear column was smashing into the front of the goblins, basically hitting them like a cannonball, another small group was pushing into the side of the goblin column, not too far away. They appeared to my eyes to be skeleton drudges, but strangely, it seemed as if the seed of a vine had been planted in their ribcage. The skeletons just basically walked forward, the sharp vines growing within their ribcage lashing out, easily felling the goblins. -Must be the vineling spawn. -And where there are vinelings, there must be¡­ -Tim I focused on the crazed battle, struggling to pick out certain distinct individual in the mass of vine skeletons. This was complicated by the fact that I had never seen Tim before. I was further infuriated by Turnip¡¯s mutters next to me. ¡°Staff Sergeant Tim is so elegant in battle¡­¡± -Wait, other me. Tim isn¡¯t a vineling spawn, he just leads them. Look for a normal skeleton! I kept my eyes peeled, but about that point, the two columns of my forces encountered each other, and something extremely strange happened. The vines within the skeletons abruptly swelled, wrapping around their skeleton hosts. Then they seemed to squeeze, crushing their skeleton hosts into power. Then, flinging themselves forward, the vines landed on 10 of the Skeleton Bears, quickly repositioning their vulnerable cores deeply within the bone body of the bear. The bear seemed to tremble, then still. After a moment, several large vines came out, several wrapping together to form 8 thick vine legs for each skeleton bear. Then, the bears who were now hosts to the vines began to leap around the battlefield with these long vines tentacles, like some strange sort of skeleton bear-spider. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The Skeleton archers and I watched in silence as the bears proceeded to slaughter the goblins in the area. Jerry walked up next to me. ¡°Staff Sergeant Tim told me that you had some great ideas about how to improve the vinelings, but¡­¡± Jerry shook his head. ¡°I had no idea you planned so far ahead. Please forgive this foolish servant for doubting you. I will remain completely faithful in the future.¡± I only managed to nod, choking as how tight my teeth were gritted prevented me from breathing. ***** Two things happened as the sunlight died and we hunted down the remnants of the goblin army.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your title Bringer of Battle has evolved into ¡°Bringer of War¡±: Your actions have resulted in the death of over 100,000 enemies. When opposing armies see you leading forces against them, they feel fear in their hearts. Aura of the Predator shall be weakly emitted by every subordinate under you on the battlefield.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 16. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Murloc Champion¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
-Sorry, but the singing just isn¡¯t my thing~ -Don¡¯t raise such flags. If we get a race that specializes in dancing next¡­ -We just lost 1753 Biomass. There is no way a dancing something would be that rare.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino).¡±
Vit +19
End +13
Str +29
Mana + 94
-On the one hand, there is no diversity in my stat gains¡­ -But on the other¡­ I flexed my fingers and smiled. Jerry tapped me on my shoulder, waking me from my revelry. ¡°The human woman who brought the crates earlier also told me to remind you that you will fail the challenge if you do not defeat the hawk by the time challengers may come tomorrow morning, and failure isn¡¯t an option.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Jerry continued. ¡°She said to tell you that the hawk is too honorable to flee, but after you defeat his armies you will need to go to him.¡± Jerry and I looked up at the mountain. I could still feel the spot on my cheek where Kettle had kissed me. It was very tall. -...More disturbing that the climb is the fact that she had enough foresight and knowledge to tell these very specific messages to Jerry. She would have to have an incredible familiarity with each of our habits and patterns... ¡°Well,¡± I finally said. ¡°I guess I should get going." ***** I ended up riding one of the skeleton spider-bears up the mountain, as its vines adeptly found crevices and ravines that allowed us to climb rapidly. But still, the assent took 7 hours. As I got off of it, I patted the bear¡¯s skeleton head absently, thinking. How do you fight a bird? At the top of the mountain was a surprisingly stumpy compound with a 4 foot wall. I leapt over it without an issue. Giant braziers were set up at the corners, and in the center there was entrance to a cave, outside which the Falcon sat. Its eyes opened slowly. ¡°You¡­ have surprised me¡± I walked towards it, feeling my heartbeat rapidly start to increase. It was very hard for me to tell if I had inhaled some of the Heart Murmur poison floating on the air, or the prospect of taking another step on the Path of the Dragon was making me excited. ¡°For making it past my armies¡­ I will give you the honor of dying by my talons.¡± With a powerful beat of its wings, it attempted to lift off the ground, entering the sky. Although I couldn¡¯t be sure, I sensed that allowing it to do so would be problematic. I instantly depleted all of my mana in one go, smashing done with a huge block of compressed air on the hawks back. It squawked in a very lame fashion, falling back down onto its talons. Rushing forward, I made it within its wings span before it could block, twisting and slamming a left hook into the right side of its feathered chest. My strength had basically doubled in the last level up, and I still didn¡¯t quite have control over it, but at that distance I didn¡¯t need it. Unfortunately, I had underestimated how hard its feathers were. Other that some superficial pain and knocking its relatively light body back a few meters, I did no damage. I suppose that Lvl 35 body isn¡¯t just for show. -This will take some doing. I nodded, agreeing with other me. It hopped backward and I followed, ducking under as it tried to flap its wings and blow me away with wind pressure, not giving it time to cover up its torso. ¡°You¡­!¡± It pecked toward towards me like a bolt of lightning. But I had my bit of knowledge of thunder stance, and I surged to the left, avoid that peck and once more ending up close to its torso. My eyes narrowed into slits, frantically scanning his feathers for some sign¡­ -There. And I saw it too, right when other me did. My body jumped into motion, my pounding heart driving me forward. My fist smashed into the exact same spot as previously. I had a much more efficient degree of control this time. Although the feathers still dispersed most of the force, I still heard a soft snap as one of the feathers cracked, just slightly. It tumbled back once more, I gave chase, drinking a mana potion I pulled from a pocket of my belt. ¡°You won¡¯t get your way-!¡± The hawk beat its wings frantically desperate to get into the air. But I simply smiled, forming another tightly condensed brick of air and smashing it back to the ground. It expected it this time, and lashed out with a wing, but I had known it would recover much more quickly. My hands blurred, flicking out 6 knives. It screeched, bobbing its head to dodge, but that split second was enough for me to get past its flailing wings and once more punch with my left hand with all of my strength, in the exact same spot. I heard several more cracks. ¡°IMPUDENT FOOL.¡± The Hawk surged upwards, truly enraged and not damaged in the slightest. A powerful whirlwind formed around us, all of the air on the mountain beginning to rotate. That whirlwind caused a powerful updraft in the eye of it, where we were, and the Hawk ascended, its feathers dark and black against the night sky. I blinked. Was it really a night sky¡­? A faint light was forming in the distant horizon. However the wind was kicking up clouds of dust, making it difficult to see. With a frothing beak and a wildly tossing head, the hawk began to shout. ¡°You will die here worm. I will grind your bones to dust and use that dust to line the latrines of the goblins! Your name will be forgotten! Your legacy will end! Your minions will suffer-¡± I had finished drinking another mana potion at this point in the speech, and leapt up. I formed a platform of air and leapt up higher. I created another, slightly angled platform and leapt off that, using my processing power to calculate the exact amont of force I needed. It would be hard to adjust once I got close. Floating through the air, I quickly chugged another mana potion, and somersaulted around, squatting upside down mid air, heading towards the hawk. It had realized I had disappeared and was scanning around on the ground frantically. I tsk¡¯d as it shifted about, annoyed. But this was within acceptable parameters. I passed right above the hawk, close enough to reach down and touch. A bit too far. Forming the platform of air, I pressed down slightly, inching my squatting body closer. Closing my eyes, I waited for our centers of gravity to align. My breathing stilled. The wind grew distant. The only noise was my pumping heart. A small notification popped up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Physicality Lvl 6¡±: Your heart has become incomparably strong. You have gained a small amount of immunity to pain.
If I wasn¡¯t so focused, I would have smiled. So it was Heart Murmur after all that made me like this. But then when I pictured what I was about to do, the grin of a hungry wolf consumed me. Other me spoke in Whipman¡¯s voice. ¡°Leap!¡± The compressed air platform my feet were touching exploded outward, propelling me down. My legs surged, riding that force and leaping out of the squat, all of that force smashing down into the unknowing back of the hawk. Squawking once more, it fell out of the sky, crashing into the earth like a meteor. I groaned, rubbing my neck, worried that I had taken just as much damage as it had. The wind swirling around us dispersed, and the flat area returned to its normal state. The hawk was struggling up, slightly stunned but still not seriously injured. Those feathers of his really absorbed too much force. ¡°You¡­. how?!?!?¡± I walked closer, my own brief dizziness departing. It shrieked and lashed out with a wing, but I ducked under it, once more appearing close to its torso. My eyes narrowed, scanning. I crouched low, my left hand tightening into a fist. The hawk screeched helplessly, knowing what was about to come but being unable to stop it. It twisted its body, layering the feathers more tightly, trying to protect more from breaking. My eyes flashed. The Fourth Form of Thunder Stance, Forked Bolt! -I just want to clarify, "Thunder" is a term for the NOISE that accompanies lightning. So all these names for the forms` -Shut up, other me. I surged to the right, smoothly drawing my short sword. When the Hawk had twisted, flinching and increasing its defense on the right side, the feathers on its left had opened up, giving me space to stab. I slid the short sword through the feathers, past the ribs, and into the creature¡¯s heart. Then I leapt back, watching as it flailed and struggled. A huge pool of blood formed under it. It glared at me with hateful eyes. ¡°You know¡­¡± I spoke, watching the sun peaking above the horizon. ¡°I wonder how much that Kettle woman predicted.¡± ***POV Change*** Dekker, red eyed and furious, twitched as he heard a name he recognized. ¡°Kettle?!!¡± He looked out at his secretary¡¯s desk, only to find it deserted. ***POV Change*** ¡°All she told me is that you reigned here for 100 years, but suddenly I knew you. You are afraid. Your will is weak. You fear pain.¡± I cracked my wrists and drank a mana potion. Better safe than sorry. Then I continued to speak. ¡°I could never truly breakthrough your feathers to inflict damage on you in a direct way. And if I had stabbed you directly, your feathers would have simply repelled it. So I had to teach you fear. And I had you shy away from that fear, so that you would open yourself up to dying.¡± The hawk cried woefully, and then its head fell to the ground, eyes dim.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your title A Creature Which Named Itself Predator has evolved into ¡°A Predator¡±. Stat bonus increased to +5.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill Cadence of Thunder has evolved into ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 1¡±: The most ferocious and destructive of the stances, thunder stance is designed to break through even the most carefully crafted defenses. Effectiveness of Thunder Stance improves.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 17. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
I approached the dead hawk and with a heave, flipped it over. I looked at the rising sun and grimaced. -No time. Using my short sword, I plucked feathers as quickly as I could and carved out the hawks heart, gobbling it up quickly. But before I could open my status screen, another message appeared.
After absorbing the creature¡¯s strength, you gain some of the toughness of its feathers. Teeth, nails, and hair have become extremely hard. Continue to slay stronger foes to follow the Path of the Dragon.
-...really? What am I supposed to do with hard hair? -Forget it, we need to hurry, the land is collapsing around us. It was true. This path was trembling. I ran to the edge of the mountain, and could see that the parts farthest away from my castle were cracking and falling off into¡­ Gulping, I looked away. Basically, that¡¯s not where you wanted to end up. I hopped on the Skeleton Bear-Spider and it leapt down, leaping from one ledge to another at a rate that was extremely fast. But I just opened up the status screen and selected Level up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 17. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino)¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I clicked yes. -It seems quite enjoyable to punch things very, very hard.
All Biomass has been consumed! Due to consuming 7 Biomass, 0 chances at improvement gained.
Growth Rate Retained!
Vit +9
End + 15
Str +14
Mana + 102
Due to reaching Lvl 17 as Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino), you may learn the racial skill ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 1¡±.: You have a small ability to ignore pain that would otherwise make you faint. Would you like to learn this ability? Y/N
-...so we can stay awake while being tortured¡­? -Oh shush, it will be a useful ability. -Whatever, masochist.
You have learned the skill ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 1¡±! Due to synergy with Physicality, Pain Tolerance Lvl 1 has become ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 4¡±: Your body can withstand high levels of pain without impacting cognitive functions. You may at will become slightly numb, allowing you to persist through pain.
I looked at the rising sun, a headache forming behind my eyes from the lack of sleep. I opened up my status screen, praying this challenger of wasn¡¯t all he was cracked up to be...
Name:PredatorLevel:17
Race:Biomass:0
Racial Growth Rate:Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino)
Health Regen:x2.1Mana:36/1100
Vit:75 (+5)End:57 (+5)
Str:74 (+5)Agi:40 (+5)
Dex:35 (+5)Memory:242 (+5)
Processing Power:271 (+5)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:99 (+5)Luck:33 (+5)
Timeless Perception:50 (+5)
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of War
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 7Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 5Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 1Physicality Lvl 5Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 1
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterCadence of WindWind Blade Lvl 1
Pain Tolerance Lvl 4
***Author''s Note**** Ugh, fights are long as expected. This might be the longest chapter to date. Also, I''ve noticed that with the recent chapters I''ve been more worried about getting them out and sharing this world with y''all then I have been focused on proofreading. I basically just type and throw it out there. So for this one, I went back through things more closely. I promise I can spell and form sentences xD. I''m just tired. We will see about whether another chapter will be out tonight. Depends if it spreads to be as long as this one. I suspect it won''t, but you never know... Tomorrow then I will ease back on pumping out chapters. If I don''t get 22 out tonight, I will do it and 23, and then I will casually go back through and do some light proofreading. As always, I appreciate comments, and happy reading~ Day 22 Day 22 I¡¯d like to imagine I looked quite dashing as I rode back into my base on a skeleton bear-spider, my cloak flapping in the wind. But when I arrived, the remnants of my forces just looked over my behind me, up in the sky. Turning, I glanced up, following the past of their gazes. Thankfully, the twilight made it quite easy to see the giant dirigible in the shape of a dragon floating over my path. I frowned, turning to Jerry. ¡°Is that sort of thing allowed?¡± After a second, he nodded uncertainly. ¡°...you must come alone through the portal at the end of a path, but¡­ you can keep an equipment you have with you at that time¡­ ***POV Change*** Dekker¡¯s eyes bulged. Gillette and a filthy slime that had been a errand boy not 5 days ago, sat across the table from him. The chairwoman, Zassa, sat at the head of the table and fanned herself, eyeing both sides. ¡°As I see you have discovered, there are 3 openings for administrators on the 5th floor. In 4 days, whoever has the most Towers to their name will head up. Old Zeke and Nantia aren¡¯t interested. And I, of course, am too busy with¡­ other pursuits to leave the first floor.¡± Her reptilian mouth curled into a smile, and everyone grew uncomfortable. They all knew her fascination with poison. Dekker¡¯s lip curled. ¡°So¡­ we three will be¡­ coworkers on the fifth floor.¡± Chuckling, Zassa shook her head. ¡°Actually, there is one more individual competing for the spot. She should be arriving shortly.¡± There was a knock at the door, which opened and revealed a lovely young woman with glasses and dark hair tied up in a bun. Dekker couldn¡¯t even speak, his face tentacles just hung there limp. Zassa nodded. ¡°Good morning, Kettle.¡± ***POV Change ¡°What do we do about it?¡± Turnip wondered, gazing upwards. I shrugged. -The challenger has to come down eventually¡­ -Something tells me it won¡¯t be that simple. ¡°Greetings! It is I, Encelldross. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard at me.¡± The challenger, Enny, had set up some sort of magnification system for his voice, so it boomed out over the entirety of my path. ¡°Challengers and Path Boss, you may surrender your valuables and retain your lives. Or you may resist, and be reduced to ash. I care not. I will give you 4 hours to decide. After that, I shall come.¡± The booming voice fell silent. Whipman walked up next to me. ¡°Well?¡± I yawned. Seems the perfect amount of time to crush a nap.¡± ***** ***POV Change*** ¡°I always knew you were jealous of me, Gillette, but I never would have expected that you would stoop to seducing away my secretary.¡± Dekker leaned back in his seat, inwardly gleeful that Predator seemed to be determined to prepare nothing for Encelldross. Chuckling, Gillette ignored him. Dekker glared hatefully at the three who bet against him. To his surprise, Kettle spoke up. ¡°You are mistaken. I was not ¡°seduced away.¡± If anything, I seduced him.¡± Kettle delivered this bomb with a straight face, adjusting her glasses. ¡°Wha-....what?!¡± Kettle nodded. ¡°Did you think I wanted to remain a secretary for the rest of my life? No, I was determined to stop working for filth like you as soon as possible. So I started saving money and towers, observing challengers, waiting for one who could carry me out of here. Just by chance, that man who was supposed to become our new path boss grabbed my ass as he walked into the office with his protector. To amuse myself, I watched the feed of his first day, imagining that someone would kill him.¡± The corner of Kettle¡¯s mouth quirked up. ¡°Imagine my surprise when it actually happened.¡± ***POV Change*** The booming voice woke me up. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you have some sense, challengers. But Path Boss¡­ Since you have not bowed in fealty to me, I assume you have chosen death.¡± I stretched slowly, quite enjoying the ripped remnants of my bed. ¡®It¡¯s not so bad,¡¯ I thought, ¡®And maybe I can just have someone sew it back together. My minions seem suitably diligent. Maybe I¡¯ll even give that responsibility to Tim.¡¯ My face tightened; undoubtedly he would return to me a masterwork of quilting, and Jerry will wonder I force Tim to always clean up my messes. Mood ruined, I walked out the door and down to the courtyard. As I walked out, a wave of force knocked me off my feet. BOOOOOM. Heat seared my back, and I tumbled forward. The smell of smoke filled my lungs. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Stupid Disciple!¡± Yellow Bones¡¯ concerned rumble. ¡°Oh, Staff Sergeant Tim, thank god you are safe.¡± ¡°RAWRRRRRR.¡± I leapt to my feet frantically looking around. So many skeleton archers were milling around that I couldn¡¯t find Tim! ¡°EVERYONE GET OUT NOW.¡± After seeing the look on my face, they all fled, heading to the marsh. -...Won¡¯t Tim leave this way too¡­? -Ah. Shit. Yellow Bones looked at me with sad eyes, hurt by my yelling. I beckoned him over. ¡°No, no, you stay. You¡¯ve been with me the longest now.¡± His huge body rumbled contentedly. -We also have a bigger problem. I looked up to the dragon blimp, next to which a giant fireball was slowly being formed. Then it shot downwards, directly towards where Yellow Bones and I were staying. But seeing that huge blast gave me an idea. In a moment I had covered the distance to the wall and leapt up to the battlements. The mana potion crate was still intact, almost half full of potions. Grinning, I lifted the crate and hopped down to the ground, moving behind Yellow Bones. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need to cover me for a few minutes buddy. This is going to take some time.¡± He nodded. I picked up a mana potion in each hand and began to drink. ***POV Change*** ¡°As I watched that man die, I realized two things; I was sure that the man who fulfilled my wish was human and that I could have sworn I watched him die earlier, his chest cavity destroyed. So I went to the recordings.¡± Kettle spun her tablet around, showing a short video clip. ¡°If you had asked me which was more likely that I was incorrect about, I would have said the chest cavity. But as you can see, it happened. Yet, several hours later, this man gets up and kills several weak, but at least experienced bullies. So I brought up his file.¡± Jen leaned forward, intently listening. Gillette had a small smile on his face. Dekker just sat with a slack jaw, surprised that his cool secretary was speaking so much. ¡°Level 11 after a week in one of the beginner training grounds. Mediocre results, all in all. A single know skill, present before entering the training grounds, unleveled upon leaving. Due to these unsatisfactory results, and his human race, the intake personnel sent him to the First Floor to die. ¡°A few interesting details emerged. The personnel had made no attempt to record his stats. Didn¡¯t even check them. And although race was queried, it came back blank. Assuming it was a glitch, the personnel ignored it. ¡°But I could not ignore it. I¡¯ve always been¡­ a bit different from other girls.¡± Kettle smiled bitterly. ¡°Good at memorizing. Smarter than my peers. Very little desire to associate with other. The popular girls were like a strange animal to me. But suddenly, taking me quite by surprise¡­ like other girls I remembered, I had finally found a boy I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of.¡± ***POV Change*** Yellow Bones groaned, molten bone dripping off of him. The heat made me sweat, but¡­Yellow Bones had taken 3 direct hits from the fireball for me, sheltering me as best he could with his huge body. Only now was he starting to come apart. -The mana consumption of simply maintaining it has now matched the amount of mana you restore by constantly drinking potions. This is all we have. -Then¡­ ¡°Bring¡­¡± Another fireball swelled in size, soon becoming a bright spot in the sky. ¡°It¡­.¡± The fireball began to descend. The huge, compressed mass of air above me began to spin, accelerating rapidly. ¡°Down¡­.!¡±
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 8¡±. Control of air increased. Mana costs slightly decreased. Efficiency at preventing air resistance greatly increased.
A huge whirlwind appeared, funneled to a point, and shot forward, becoming a spear of sharpened air. It whizzed through the night sky, almost invisible, only a terrible howling revealing its passage. The air spear were like two ships passing in the night, one blazing and one howling. But then a voice echoed out over the path. ¡°You fight back? Uninspired, path boss. Accept your fate. Burst.¡± The fireball exploded, the air pressure spreading out in a wave, throwing off my precarious control and dispersing the air spear into nothing. -Cheh, cheating. -Do we have enough mana potions to do it again? -Negative. Besides, won¡¯t he just stop us the same way? -We need to get him down here, or go up there. Think he will fall for taunting? -How long do you think it would take us to create an elaborate lie about a nonexistent subordinate who steals the other subordinates loyalty? -Several days. But if we pull it off, he will be so mentally incapacitated that he talk to himself. -Ha. -Ha. Yellow Bones turned and looked at me with confused, droopy eyes because half of his skulls were melting. Another fireball was forming above. ¡°Ah.¡± I slapped my fist against my palm, an idea striking me. ***POV Change*** ¡°Within a day or two of watching him, I contacted Jen, who brought him lunch. I questioned her for hours, intent on collecting every detail of his mannerisms and physical abilities. Sorry about that Jen. After cobbling together a few estimates of his stats, I was floored. His comparables included monsters that you most often encountered in the mid 30s floors. His level is much lower, of course, but if he grew into that level of strength¡­ ¡°I could leave this hellhole, at the very least. During one of your many lengthy breaks from the office, Dekker, I drew up a proposal and went to Gillette with it. He was, at the very least, running counter to your interest, and would likely entertain any idea that would hurt you.¡± Gillette chuckled. ¡°Imagine my surprise when I got a call from you office. And your secretary, cool as ice while sitting within sight of your desk, told me that she had a way to ruin you, she just needed funding. And a few favors.¡± Shrugging, Kettle pressed a few buttons on her tablet and produced two images, Gerard Kiefhart and Zindaloo. ¡°So as a show of good faith, I saw a talent challenger, got you interested, Dekker, and then told Gillette to watch as you lost money to the Path Boss I recommended backing. Everything worked out as I had anticipated. ¡°Then, I created a situation where a speculative bet from Gillette wouldn¡¯t look fishy: A freshly risen path boss, promoted several levels beyond his means, challengers pooling to attack him all at once. Amusing for those watchers who bothered with the First Floor, with plenty of casual betting. How much were the odds he would stop them all, Gillette?¡± ¡°30 to 1.¡± He spoke mildly. ¡°And then I showed you my tower account deducted it all, and bet it on him right in front of you. Daring you, an administrator, to match me, a secretary.¡± Kettle adjusted her glasses, dismissing the two pictures. ¡°Suddenly, I had capital to work with, but no longer any plan of action. Still, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you found someone else who you thought could recoup your losses, Dekker. I lent Gillette the money I made to make him appear more affluent, putting you under pressure. And when you had found your golden egg, I made my move; I made a call from your office to Ms. Chairwoman, requesting details on a loan. When she called back, you were so delighted that you accepted it without a thought.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always willing to oblige...when people agree to try my poisons if they default¡­¡± Zassa hissed, her eyes bright. ***POV Change*** -What he is, is arrogant. -Extremely so. ¡°Cretin, stop waving that torch around. I cannot hear what you are saying.¡± Enny¡¯s voice boomed out over the land, his annoyance clear. I stood on top of Yellow Bones shoulder¡¯s waving a torch. Yellow Bones hopped side to side, avoiding the fireballs Enny tossed down. But the dirigible was floating slowly downwards, drawn by my antics. I grinned. Just a bit more now. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop your games, I will no longer show mercy. I rolled my eyes. As if I would believe- I paused. The air began to fill with fireballs, 5 at a time. -Oh dear -Guess this distance will have to do. The dirigible was still around 300 meters above. ¡°Now you die, fool.¡± Banking on the fact that he wouldn''t have any further fireballs to toss, I reached down and touched Yellow Bones¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Unholy Bestowal!¡±
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2¡±: The power granted to your undead minion has increased. Slightly more of your racial growth rate shall impact their growth.
Unholy Bestowal used! Yellow Bones has received a great blessing based on the race ¡°Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino)¡±. Due to synchronicity between Yellow Bones and the Ogre Variant, effect of Unholy Bestowal increased 150%. Intelligence remains the same. Vit, End, and Str are all vastly increased. Growth rates for Vit, End, and Str are vastly increased. Yellow Bones¡¯ size is greatly increased. Learned skill ¡°Living Bone¡±: wounds to bone can heal as wounds to flesh would. Learned skill ¡°Humble Beginnings¡±: Increases the chance of mutation of self by 10%, and chance of mutation of lower tiered undead by 30%.
The force of Yellow Bones¡¯ body changing knocked me down, slamming me on his shoulder. Which was good, I supposed, because otherwise I would have been knocked to the side by the two giant skulls that grew up on his shoulders. The eyes glowed red. Rumbles rocked Yellow Bones¡¯ body, as it cracked and grew. By the time I had regained my balance, Yellow Bones has risen to be 30 m tall. We exchanged a glance, my entire head the size of one of his eye sockets. I hopped down onto one of his huge palms while he began to dash forward. -Only 270 more meters to go. As fireballs surged downwards, directly towards us, Yellow Bones casually reached up with his other hand and punched a fireball, dispersing it in a wave of heat. The other fireballs smashed into the ground in the nearby area. Then, pulling the arm that held me back all the way, Yellow Bones leapt and threw me directly upwards. I leapt at the highest point of his throw, adding a little extra momentum to the burst, and began using Air Affinity to lower my air resistance as I spend upwards, shooting towards the dirigible. -200 m My speed was incredible. Even with my high processing power frantically calculating, I was barely able to maintain the air bubble around me, keeping me shooting forward. When I noticed dozens of smaller fireballs were forming in the air in front of me, I grimaced. -150 m ¡°Do you think others have not been in your shoes? Do you think your elders and betters have succeeded in such efforts, based on my presence here, the layer of 1 path. Unimaginative and foolish.¡± Several fireballs made beelines towards me. I breathed in deeply, and then out. I made no move to defend myself. -100 m Fireballs began exploding around me, bursts of heat smashing against me, ruining some of my momentum. My extra hard hair remained immaculate, resisting the urge to catch fire. -75 m ¡°You persist?¡± Enny seemed so generally surprised that I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Then I gritted my teeth as wave after wave of fireballs descended, smashing much closer to my body, the first burning holes in my cloak and blistering my skin. -50 m ¡°Fine then. Perish.¡± Panting, I looked up. Instead of the mini fireballs he had been throwing for the last several seconds, fireballs of the previous size, that he had thrown burning my castle- -OH MY GOD THE BED -....the bedding¡­ is gone¡­? -35 m My heart began to beat wildly, and I stared directly into the huge fireball without fear. He would pay. -25 m The fireball began flying down towards me. My momentum was running. As I watched the death ball approach, my mouth twisted in a cheshire grin. ***POV Change*** ¡°So you planned this all.¡± Dekker¡¯s words came out in a croak. ¡°You arranged everything. Even this fight with Encelldross?¡± After a slight hesitation, Kettle answered. ¡°Actually no. Based on the data available on Encelldross, I could predict no way that Predator would win¡­¡± ¡°Then why did you bet everything on him?!?! Why did you force us to this point?!?!¡± Dekker screamed, spit flying everywhere. Hearing Kettle¡¯s words, Gillette began to sweat a tiny amount. ¡®What do you mean, no way Predator could win¡­¡¯ Jen remained silent, eyes glued on the screen. Kettle seemed very much like the young woman she was then, watching the approaching fireball. ¡°Yes¡­ it does make me quite uncomfortable. But I would never get another chance as good as this. As him. Turns out I was just waiting for a boy I could take an illogical gamble on.¡± Jen jellyed in agreement. ***POV Change*** -We should dodge. -No. -The fire will burn us into nothing. -It likely won¡¯t. -It¡¯s going to hurt. -Yes. -So thus we should dodge. -Did the fight last night teach you nothing? -....You are such a masochistic piece of shit. I let my air control that had lowered air resistance down to conserve mana and closed my eyes, approaching near enough to the fire that having them open began to hurt. Then pain got worse before it got better. I felt the fireball explode, my proximity setting it off. The first wave spread, feeling more like ice then heat. Then it seemed as if 1000 vicious insects were digging into my skin. By nose was literally on fire, fire pouring into my lungs. Another wave hit, a sticky coat of agony drenched over my body. I could feel my flesh begin to bubble. I attempted to use pain tolerance, but it was swiftly knocked aside. Now perhaps my body only held together due to the improvements of physicality, but that was beginning to fray too.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 5¡±: Your ability to ignore pain has risen. You may maintain some other sensory function while under extreme pain.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 6¡±: Pain will no longer be able to knock you unconscious. Your body has a fuzzy idea of what is physically possible while injured, in spite of agony.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill has improved to ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 7¡±: You are extremely tolerant of pain. Pain flushes distractions from your system, leading to improved focus.
Just like that, I pierced through the fireball and came out a husk of charcoal, slamming against the balloon part of the dirigible. I dropped down like a sack of potatoes, luckily landing on something wooden and solid. Trying my best to sit up, I only managed to tumble to the side. I was so weak I surprised myself. I vomited on the deck as I tried to move. ¡°You remain alive?¡± I heard a soft tapping on the deck and looked up to see a child of around 10 walking towards me. He had pointy ears and this bones. Most notable was his shirtlessness, and how it seemed as if there was a lighthouse inside of him, shining outwards, giving a clear outline of his ribcage underneath his skin. A notification popped up, making me vomit again.
Congratulations! You have encountered the third step on your path to becoming a dragon. Slay that monster, devour his heart, and know true strength. Bonus Objective: absorb a portion of the truesoul that animates his body.
More than anything else, he seemed puzzled. I closed my eyes and slumped to the deck, concentrating on healing. Was I really fighting a child the whole time? -Thank god we get to kill him now, before he grows up. -Agreed. ¡°Why do you struggle? You are so weak. You should-¡± I released my remaining mana in a burst, knocking him off his feet and throwing him backwards. Sighing, I tipped a mana potion into my mouth, careful not to spill it. To my disappointment, Enny didn¡¯t fall off the edge of the platform, and was slowly regaining his feet. I looked around, noting that the platform was carved with strange sigils. Only a few meters away from where I was were several barrels and tables, seemingly filled with food. I got to my feet and hobbled over to them. As quickly as possible, I began stuffing food in my mouth. ¡°Coming up here was foolish.¡±
Biomass +1
¡°This whole formation was designed to multiply my power. You cannot win a fight with me here.¡±
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¡°If you don¡¯t turn around and face me, I will eradicate you where you stand. None may ignore me.¡±
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¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± Of course, he couldn¡¯t annihilate me where I was standing; I was directly next to the balloon part of the dirigible. He ran closer, a huge sword of fire appearing in his hands.
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I gulped down one last mouthful, disappointed that I could only manage 28 Biomass on short notice. Enny was about to cut my head off, his face contorted with fury just two steps away from me. I cracked my head, feeling slightly recovered from the agony of almost being burned to death. I flicked several knives to the side, ripping holes in the dirigible. A huge blast of air knocking us off the platform, sending us spinning midair. I was glad to see that Enny¡¯s firesword was extinguished. As we fell, I used air affinity to move closer to his flailing form. When I was near enough, I grabbed him midair and punched him in the face. I couldn¡¯t utilize my full strength or get good leverage, but I still felt his nose and cheekbone shatter, which was an excellent feeling. I punched him again for good measure, gleefully smashing the skull in of his surprised face. Unfortunately, this seemed to wake him up. He began to BURN. Not quite as hot as the fireball, but close. That light in his chest was giving off a crash amount of energy, his flesh turning to charcoal and falling away before my very eyes. Checking the swiftly approaching ground beneath us, I adjusted our angle of descent as best I could with Lesser Air Affinity. We smashed directly through the smoldering drawbridge and into the moat. I had hoped that the impact would break his back or something, but he just roared and flailed, that light in his chest getting brighter as it burned through his flesh. I tried to slit his throat with a knife, but the metal melted and my hand started to bubble. -Seems we currently have a higher melting point than metal. -That will be great to bring up at cocktail parties. The water around us kept him cool for a bit, but then it began to boil, the scalding hot steam pushing me back. ¡°Damnit,¡± I whispered, or meant to whisper, but what came out of my mouth was a beautiful, haunting melody. I paused. When I had sung, the boiling had slowed somewhat. Had it been my imagination? -No, memory review indicates there was some effect. Try saying something. ¡°Jen was really squishy and fun to touch?¡± My voice came out, and the words were clear, but they somehow transformed into a wonderful music underwater, spiraling around me in a pure blue energy. Something about the water energy counteracted the explosive fire energy within Enny¡¯s chest, slowing the boiling of the water around us. ***POV Change ¡°Ah! Oh¡­ that¡­ that¡¯s not what it sounded like.¡± Jen wiggled in her seat. Dekker and Gillette gave her long looks. ¡°No, really, it was um, good, but it was just¡­ p-petting...well maybe¡­ more like rubbing¡­..¡± Kettle just watched the screen with a small smile. ***POV Change*** ¡°Larva are delicious and beds are the keys to happiness~¡± I began to alter the pitch and trying various styles, seeing if it made any difference. It did not, the song continued without me. The water whirled around, becoming a richer, cleaner blue. Waves of power rolled off of me, and the boiling had decreased to the point that I could once more see Enny, who glared hatefully at me. ¡°Enny is a baby who will die and be stepped on so I can become a dragon, and beds are the key to happiness~¡± I had developed something of a refrain. Small plants began to grow at the bottom of the moat, and I sensed that the moat was strangely deepening and widening at the bottom, becoming incredibly large. Enny turned and began to swim away, his burning red light suppress by my strange blue lighted song. ¡°Don¡¯t run away for I have longer legs and can swim faster than you, and Beds are the key to happiness~¡± I caught up to him easily, grabbing his foot. He kicked wildly, But I dragged him closer, drawing knives. Desperate, his hands glowed with fire and he slashed at his midsection, severing the lower half of his body. Bleeding out quickly, he swam to the surface. ¡°Tim isn¡¯t real and I shouldn¡¯t think about him, and Beds are the key to happiness, and WHO THE FUCK IS TIM?!!?¡±
Congratulations! You have successfully sung the Song of the Murloc People. Merlocs have been informed that his is a suitable place to settle. Depth and water energy present in the area has been improved.
Seeing Enny¡¯s body disappear out of the water, I surfaced too, but found myself with a bolt of slowly growing fire in my face. ¡°Now accept your death, proletariat, or-¡± I used Bile Emission, a huge blast of rancid and radioactive vomit surging forward, extinguishing the fireball and covering Enny¡¯s charred body. He screamed in fury, struggling to wipe it out of his eyes. Once I scrambled up on solid ground, I entered the first form of the thunder stance, surging forward and shattering his left shoulder. He roared in fury, the light inside him growing once more. I adopted the water cadence and twined my hands around his other arm, snapping each finger, then shattering the elbow and dislocating his shoulder. He howled tears forming in his eyes. Poor Enny probably had never experienced pain like that before. -It would be a favor if we took that strange light from him. -Likely would spare him a lot of agony. My hand flashed forward, stabbing into Enny¡¯s chest, but as I punctured the skin, the heat increased by an order of magnitude. My hand was just an inch away, but in that second, my skin and muscle melted away. What remained was simply bone¡­ I blinked, looking closer. Tendons and¡­ yes, nails, were still there. I flexed my hand experimentally, and the hand responded. Well then¡­ My hand descended, basically just nails and ill will at this point, and grasped at the light. My hand was beyond pain, but my wrist behind it was trembling in agony. Even with my high pain tolerance, it was almost too much to bear. But then I felt something solid. I gripped and snapped a portion of it off. Enny screamed, and then exploded. I was sent flying, and I think I passed out, but luckily I landed in the moat, and the pleasantly warm jacuzzi temperatures relaxed me right back awake. -Luckily? When if you had drowned. -I don¡¯t think anyone has ever drowned in a jacuzzi. -You don¡¯t even know what that is. And I don¡¯t think we are talking about the same things. I swam back over to the place where Enny was, a warm rock pulsing in my hand. I casually scrolled through my notifications.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 18. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level.
Congratulations! You have slain your third step on the path to becoming a dragon. Eat the creature¡¯s flesh, and gain its strength.
Bonus Objective for Path of the Dragon partially attained! You have gathered 2/7s of the truesoul. You may either consume them for an increased mana pool or absorb them into your body.
I waited on the final notifications until I solved the second. Approaching Enny¡¯s body, I frowned, noticing that the rest of the glowing thing was gone. But then I shrugged, and grabbed a handful of ash, which was basically all that remained. With an expression of distaste, I put it into my mouth.
After absorbing the creature¡¯s strength, you gain some of its resistance to fire. The skill ¡°Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1¡± has been gained.
An increased mana pool would be interesting, but¡­ -Don¡¯t you want to glow from the inside? I absorbed them into my body. ***POV Change*** ¡°You¡­.¡± Dekker was trembling. ¡°THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT.¡± He leapt across the table at Kettle, intent at slaughtering her at the very least. But a grip like iron on his shoulder stopped him dead. Turning slowly, he found himself face to face with Zassa¡¯s glittering eyes. ¡°You are VERY deeply in debt to me, Dekker¡­ Do you think you are free to act as you will? Ohoho¡­ You should have paid more attention to the fine print of our deal¡­¡± A needle slid into his neck and Dekker knew no more. ***POV Change***
Congratulations! You have gained the attribute ¡°Essence¡±. Essence functions similarly to mana, and skills that require mana can be funded with Essence. Using essence to fund a skill will greatly increase its effectiveness. Depleting Essence will cause max essence to increase. Essence set at 1.
After absorbing the 2/7s of the truesoul, essence +14.
I frowned. So it was basically another mana pool? -A more powerful mana, I guess. Also, more straightforward to increase. Anyway, I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s go back to the castle. Hopping across the moat, I found a smoldering courtyard waiting for me. Surprisingly, all of my remaining undead were gathered there, as well as Kettle, Jen wearing a smiley face tie, and a male creature I didn¡¯t recognize. -Likely Gillette. Most pleasingly, there were several drums of larva. I went over and started to eat. After I had finished off the first drum, I turned to the undead, who seemed disheveled and covered in blood. ¡°What happened to you guys?¡± Jerry saluted smartly and began to answer. ¡°While you were dealing with the creature in the sky, the other challengers used the chaos to mount a sneak attack on the castle, making a break for the rear entrance, trying to reach the portal. Luckily, Tim had been shoring up the defenses there for days, in case of just such a-¡± ¡°Stop talking.¡± I didn¡¯t need this right now. I moved onto the next drum, racing through it. After eating them all, I had 999 Biomass. Before approaching the three who seemed to be waiting patiently, I leveled up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 18. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino)¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I selected no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Frost Fang Packleader.¡±
Vit +4
Str +2
Agi +27
Dex +24
Processing Power +23
Memory + 1
Wis +19
Timeless Perception +36
Mana +399
-Hum, another agility spell caster, huh. It will do. -Yes. Especially since relying on these mana potions, having a greater amount of mana makes battles much easier. -Also, getting points into Timeless Perception made me realize that I never stopped suppressing it. I burst out laughing. Jen seemed to take this as a sign and threw herself at me. ¡°You did it!¡± Rubbing her head as she was draped across my torso, I smiled. ¡°Yes, I did. So now what? Shall you three continue to blackmail me?¡± Jen made a boo-ing noise, but Kettle nodded. ¡°Yes, we will. Is that not to your liking? Your next order is to climb to the 5th floor. Don¡¯t you want to go higher than this?¡± Pain, heartbeat, power, struggle, life, thrill. More. -Try and use sentences, buddy. Wrath, Resentment, Hatred. Fear. -Shut up, other me. ¡°Yes, I want to go up.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The man spoke for the first time, his voice smooth. He reached over and plucked Jen off my shoulders and carried her off. ¡°We¡¯ll go up first. Kettle will explain the details. Thanks for the winnings, Predator.¡± As he carried her off, I could hear their conversation. ¡°Why does she get to stay!?!?¡± ¡°She arranged this all, so she gets to be the one with a personal goodbye. Shush. Next time, arrange things yourself. Have a little confidence, Jen.¡± I stood awkwardly next to Kettle for a bit, watching the pair go. ¡°So¡­¡± I broke the silence. ¡°What do I need to do now?¡± ¡°Simply go through the portal. Then ascend safely to the 5th floor, where we will be waiting as administrators. At that point, our utility will be made more clear to you. For now, you should select another of your minions as a path boss to succeed you. Until you reach the 5th floor, your path will remain down here.¡± Nodding, I turned to the group of undead. -kukuku¡­ finally a surefire way to draw him out. -Shush, other me. ¡°There is one clear choice for the new path boss.¡± I paused for dramatic effect. ¡°That is¡­ of course Staff Sergeant Tim!¡± The silence was deafening. After several seconds, crickets started chirping. A few seconds later, Jerry stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Staff Sergeant Tim told me you would try to do this¡­ but you know how much he reveres r you. He insisted that he go on up ahead through the portal first, scouting out the area for you, providing you with assistance.¡± ¡°....¡± -Just let it go. Don¡¯t think about it. ¡°Fine, Jerry, you¡¯re in charge.¡± ¡°Me? How wonderful, I had hoped, but-¡± I ignored him and walked to the gate. Outside, Yellow Bones stood, leaning over and peering at what was occurring within. As I approached. He held out a hand, and lifted me to eye level. ¡°Heya buddy,¡± I said, rubbing his ear holes. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading up first. You stay here and protect everybody, okay?¡± Yellow Bones jerkily nodded, large tears of corruption and death falling from his infernal eyes, hitting the ground and causing it to sizzle ominously. I hopped down and walked across the courtyard, nodding to the undead I recognized. They all saluted me. Kettle walked in with me, through the ashy rubble, towards the portal room. Right in front of it, Whipman was waiting with his spear. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I-I''m coming with you." He straightened, obviously torn. "Part of it to continue your training... But... I also want to see for myself how far these martial arts of my master can take me. I gestured for Whipman to lead the way, and he stepped up through the portal. When I wen to follow, Kettle grabbed my arm. ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± ¡°Hum?¡± ¡°1,237,908.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how many towers you owe me. For all the supplies I gave you. What, did you think they were free?¡± I gave her a blank look. I kinda had. She laughed, bending over slightly and holding her stomach. Her nose scrunched up. ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s so easy to forget you aren¡¯t really human, based on how you look. Although¡­¡± She looked me up and down. ¡°That¡¯s slowly changing. No real human has a body like THAT, or the glowing yellow eyes, and-¡± She fell abruptly silent as I stepped forward and clumsily pressed my lips against her cheek. I stepped smartly back, just a hair from the portal. She tilted her head at me. I scratched my chin. ¡°For luck. See you on the 5th floor.¡± Then I stepped backwards through the portal. ***** Status Screen at the End of Arc 1
Name:PredatorLevel:18
Race:Biomass:0
Racial Growth Rate:Frost Fang PackleaderEssence:15/15
Health Regen:x2.1Mana:36/1499
Vit:79 (+5)End:57 (+5)
Str:76 (+5)Agi:67 (+5)
Dex:59 (+5)Memory:243 (+5)
Processing Power:294 (+5)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:118 (+5)Luck:33 (+5)
Timeless Perception:86 (+5)
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of War
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 8Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 5Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2Physicality Lvl 5Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 1
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterCadence of WindWind Blade Lvl 1
Pain Tolerance Lvl 7Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1
***Author''s Note*** Woo. Well, I got the chapter out before heading to bed, but the day sorta changed... I think it counts? Turns out that THIS is the longest chapter I have written for this so far. 19 pages, and I condense the tables on my messy version. Who knows how long it is on here. So yea, next few chapters will be a slightly silly 2nd floor of the tower as I think a bit about things. I haven''t really done it so far, but I figure now is a good time to at least brainstorm xD. Anyways, let me know what you think. I figured this would be a good place to mark the end of Arc 1, partially because I finally have a concrete idea of what I''m doing, and how I want to write things. And it lets me explain to myself why I slaved for so long over these two finale chapters... Happy Reading~ Day 23 ***Author''s Note*** I want to reiterate that this chapter is me enjoying the chance to be extra silly. I had originally planned on this lasting for 3 days, but I used the time I wasn''t writing today to think about what I want next... and I was so excited that I couldn''t wait. And I think y''all would go crazy if I lingered here too long xD. So it was all condensed into one chapter. Again, the motivations in this chapter are a bit tenuous. But I wanted to write these things. Hopefully you get a few laughs out of it. I think for the future, my chapters will be shorter again, and I will try and do 1 or 2 a day. We will see. But regularly scheduled programming will resume tomorrow, so stay tuned. As a last note, this chapter is partially a tribute to my favorite manga ever. Kudos to anyone who knows what it is. Happy reading~ Day 23 I blinked, looking around. A teen sat near me, chatting on her cellphone. I was in a small park in a city that seemed vaguely familiar. An Suv drove by, through a puddle, splashing a pedestrian. The man cursed, waving his briefcase. -Hum. Other me, where are all these words coming from? -Who do you think? That remnant is practically salivating over in his corner. -Then this is the human world? It seems slightly¡­ I looked around, noticing cigarette butts everywhere in the park. -...dingy, I agree. But why were we here? Also, I an unable to access the mana pool. -Oh, didn¡¯t we enter the portal and go to the 2nd Flo- ***** I blinked, sitting up. I was in a dark room, surrounded by slumbering bodies on faded purple pads. A frog looking man hurried over to me, tufts of red hair sticking out of his ears. I grabbed my cudgel on reflex, then released it slowly. ¡°Oh dear. Never have I seen someone who woke up so quickly on the 2nd Floor. Well, congratulations, you pass. It was a mental test, and you made it with flying colors. ¡°Hmm¡­ the portal upwards won¡¯t open for three days¡­ So just relax¡­.?¡± He turned away, about to wander off, but then I asked ¡°...can I go back in?¡± ***** He had agreed, and soon I once more found myself in the park, watching ¡°cars¡± drive by. His only stipulation that I try and refrain from using my skills too much, because it would break the other dreamers¡¯ immersion. -Kukuku. Of course we won¡¯t. I leapt 20 meters in the air, grabbing onto a granite building and crawling up like a bug, intent on getting a better look at the location I was in. I appreciated how incredibly dense a human city was. So many people fit into such a small space. When I reached the top, there was a strange fence. Idly wondering why someone would fence the TOP of a building, I ripped the fence off it¡¯s foundation, throwing it off behind me. Ignoring the strange screeching of tires below, transfixed by the figure in front of me. A short girl with long blonde hair in a hospital gown was pointing directly at me. ¡°You broke it.¡± Nodding slowly, I backed away. Aside from her, the roof was deserted. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll just be going-¡± ¡°No you can¡¯t!¡± She rushed over to me, tripped, and tumbled forward. After a moment, she pulled herself up on my jeans, -I was wondering what these annoying tight pants were called. Panting. ¡°If they come up and find the fence broken and just me here, they will say I did it.¡± Reluctantly I nodded. That seemed reasonable. -There really is no one else here. ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± She rubbed her nose, still breathing heavily. ¡°Can you get the part you ripped off back?¡± We both walked to the edge of the roof and peered over. Below, I could see that a bunch of police cars with flashing lights were surrounding the spot where the fence fell. Some of them began pointing up towards us. ¡°Ah!¡± The blonde girl overbalanced, falling off the edge, and I deftly used Air Affinity to pull her back to safety. She looked around for the source of the touch, then looked up at me. ¡°Mister, are you a genie?¡± I shrugged. -None of this is real anyway. I¡¯m practically a dream genie. ¡°If I don¡¯t tell them you broke the fence, will you grant me three wishes?¡± I pondered it. -Seems like a fair request. Nodding, I gestured flamboyantly for her to continue. She patted her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ***** ¡°So they just bring you whatever food you ask for?¡± I asked, fascinated. We were currently sitting inside of a restaurant, waiting for a server to come over. I had picked up the girl and leapt from roof to roof, basically wandering around until we found some food place she recognized. It took a while. -This girl has an extremely poor sense of direction. -Yes well, she is quite short. It¡¯s hard for her to see over the tall buildings. ¡°Yep. Just pick whatever you want.¡± ¡°Just one?¡± The girl considered this, swinging her legs under the table. ¡°...I don¡¯t think so..? But if you pick more than one, one of them has to be an appetizer.¡± ¡°Ohhhh, I see.¡± I turned to the appetizer section. Everything sounded very good. -You literally don¡¯t recognize a single thing. -And in my short life, I haven¡¯t found a single thing I didn¡¯t like eating. -Touche A waitress walked up to our table. ¡°Hey, can I get you started with some drinks?¡± I looked questioningly at the girl. She nodded authoritatively. ¡°Yes, you get that too. What do you like to drink?¡± After thinking about it for a bit, there really was only one thing that I had drank on a daily basis these past 3 weeks. ¡°Blood mostly.¡± The girl eyed me skeptically. The waitress smiled awkwardly, unsure what sort of joke she was missing. The girl shook her head. ¡°No, they don¡¯t have that. Are you a vampire genie?¡± She turned to the waitress. ¡°He will have diet coke. Adults love diet coke.¡± I shrugged. ***** Although the waitress had given me an odd look when I told her to bring me all of the appetizers, when the plates came out, I was delighted with the variety and color of the dishes. I ate everything. When the girl had stopped eating and just pushed around her food on her plate, I turned to her. ¡°Can I eat that?¡± She gave me a shocked look. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± Shaking my head, I picked up her plate and shoved the remaining mac and cheese into my mouth. Tapping her cheek, the girl said. ¡°That¡¯s so strange, adults usually hate when I don¡¯t eat all my food.¡± ¡°They must have tiny stomachs,¡± I commented. ***** ¡°I¡¯ll just leave the check here for whenever you are ready.¡± The waitress placed a black object on the table in front of me. Then she walked away, carefully avoiding eye contact. -Yea, I don¡¯t know. Aura of the Predator is definitely off, but she seems strangely disturbed by us. -Perhaps we ordered the wrong amount of appetizers? -Damn, that must be it. We never should have trusted the child. -Well, she did bring us to food. The least we can do is help her with her other wishes. And she definitely has more experience with this world¡­ -Still, if this is all there is here, I would rather spend the time training than just wandering around here. -How about this. Let¡¯s go test to see if we can level skills here. If so, then we can just train in here. -Hum, agreed. Abruptly, I stood up. The girl pointed to a far corner of the building. ¡°Bathroom is there. Good, I need to go too.¡± She stood up and grabbed my hand, which was strange. But then she lead me through the strange series of tables. My eyes went wide as we walked. Did ALL of the tables have food? The girl looked around. ¡°You can probably come into the women¡¯s bathroom with me if you want. Just stand off to the side.¡± Dutifully, I followed her in. A woman who was exiting opening her mouth to say something, but the blonde girl simply said, ¡°he¡¯s with me,¡± and the woman backed off. The girl went into one of the stalls. I considered the wall. Easiest skill to level¡­ probably Wind Blade? -Still level 1. Low mana consumption. Pretty much ideal. I summoned 100 wind blades and slammed them into the wall, blowing a hole out through the plaster and brick, revealing a parking lot.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 2¡±. Mana cost slightly decreased. Cutting power of the blade increased.
-Well that¡¯s reassuring. This won¡¯t be a waste after all. The girl walked out of the stall and glared at me. ¡°Did you break something again.¡± I shrugged. -You do that a lot. ¡°Aren¡¯t we done here anyways? Let¡¯s go. I want to see more things.¡± The girl hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t have to wash my hands?¡± I gave her a strange look. ¡°Why would you?¡± ***** Next, she took me to her house. It was a squat, white looking building surrounded by dozens of others that looked exactly the same. -How can she fail to find food, yet locate her own house in such a labyrinth? As we approached the door, and old woman waved at us as we passed. The girl tried the doorknob, then frowned ¡°It¡¯s locked. Mommy and Daddy must not be home.¡± After picking up the girl and setting her back several feet, I punched the door, shattering it. ¡°You need to stop breaking things,¡± The girl scolded, but she skipped over the debris and went inside. ***** -Ufufu, human¡¯s truly know leisure. While other me practiced Wind Blade, I was introduced to the refrigerator and pantry by the girl. I devoured everything, burping in satisfaction. Then she showed me pictures of her recently deceased dog, her parents, and her friends from school. I fell asleep on the couch during that last bit, having bittersweet flashbacks of my lovely bed. The girl woke me up by patting face. My immediate reaction was to reach out and snap her arm, but I restrained that impulse. -She knows where more food is. -I wish families had more than one refrigerator. ¡°I want to surprise Mommy and Daddy by having everything clean. My second wish, vampire genie, is that you clean the house. ¡°That includes,¡± She said with a glare. ¡°Refilling the refrigerator. You can¡¯t just eat everything and not put anything back.¡± ¡°Oh, there are places to refill the refrigerator?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded, pleased with herself. ¡°They are called supermarkets. There is one at the end of the street.¡± -Cleaning huh¡­ -Usually we would just leave such things to Jerry¡­ Standing slowly, I stretched. The little girl frowned at me. I waved my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Just need to fetch cleaning supplies.¡± ***** The old woman waved at me again as I walked towards her. I activated Aura of the Predator, watching as her kindly expression changed to horror in a moment. She managed a brief shout before she keeled over, dead. -The human world certainly is simple. -No wonder they are so weak. I reanimated the woman.
90 mana used to revive the corpses. Because of the level of the skill and the freshness of the corpse, it possesses 70% of their stats from life. Due to the low initial stats, corpse will degrade over time. Your high processing power results in the corpse retaining its memories.
Deactivating the aura and gestured for the woman to follow me. She did so, groaning. When we entered the house, the girl bobbed her head at the woman. ¡°Hi Mrs. Sanders.¡± The woman smiled sweetly, or tried, only the left side of her mouth moving. I looked at the ceiling. -Yes well. No one can hop across the line between life and death without side effects. ¡°Good Afternoon Sami. I see a friend is staying over with you, the darklord of my life and eternal object of worship. And whatever happened to your door?¡± The girl, Sami, glared at me. I coughed into my hand, ignoring it. -Sami is a good name. -Simple names are best. Turning to the woman, I said. ¡°How many people do you need to clean the house in the next few hours.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. About 6. But I will always do my best to accomplish your will, whatever the circumstances.¡± Nodding, I summoned 6 skeleton archers. They were the most intelligent of my base minions, and would follow directions well enough. I indicated the old woman. ¡°Follow her instructions. Do not damage anything within the house.¡± Sami was looking at me with wide eyes when I turned back to her. ¡°How come you can make skeletons.¡± ¡°Luck,¡± I answered honestly, Summoning 6 more skeleton archers, I instructed them to retrieve the fridge. When they didn¡¯t seem able to accomplish it, I summoned two Skeleton Bears who ripped it out of the wall almost instantly, cracking the tile floor and causing a bit of the ceiling to collapse. The old woman appeared, sighing reproving, accompanied by 6 skeletons in aprons. They came like a whirlwind, sweeping up the rubble into dustbins and carrying it away. While bowing to me, the old woman said. ¡°We are going to need money to fix this. A lot, if we want it done today.¡± -It really does look rather messy. -Modern interior design is immensely confusing to me¡­ Sami stomped on my toes, which I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if not for other me commenting on that. ¡°Why did you rip out the fridge!¡± ¡°To take it to the supermarket and get it filled back up, obviously.¡± She stomped on my foot three more times. ¡°No, No, No! You bring the food to the refigerator! Everything is ruined. Mommy and Daddy are going to HATE me for this. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Sami ran upstairs. I could hear her sobs. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. -Children. -But we did promise. I looked at the old woman. ¡°Can you handle things here?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll send one of the dears up to cheer her up. They are quite amusing when you get to know them.¡± As if on cue, one of the skeletons sat down, removed his feet and hands, and attached them in the opposite way, now walking on its hands and trying to dust with its feet. The old woman began laughting in a very creepy manner. ¡°Hurrhurr, hurrhurr.¡± -...anyways¡­. -So we need money and food. ¡°Where do you get money?¡± ¡°The bank.¡± The old woman answered immediately. But then she frowned. ¡°But opening an account is a little complicated¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. You two!¡± I pointed at the two skeleton bears, who were gnawing on the legs of the dining room table. When I pointed at them, they dropped the legs in a guilty manner and rolled around on the ground, acting casual. ¡°Go to the supermarket and bring back food. Preferably meat. You have a sense of smell, right?¡± They nodded. ¡°Good, it¡¯s right down the street. Find stuff that smells good. I¡¯ll handle the bank personally.¡± ***POV Change*** Jinka set a carton of eggs into his cart, then held his head, feeling slightly dizzy. Today was so strange. Some inner voice was screaming at him that something was off, but everything was so fuzzy- Someone at the front of the supermarket screamed. Then dozens of people started screaming. Instincts that Jinka didn¡¯t know he had took over, and he rolled to the side, finding cover behind an olive station. He peaked over the edge. What he saw left him slack jawed. Even the strange voice inside of him was silenced. A giant skeleton, seemingly of a bear, was pawing at the base of a baked bean display. It suddenly knocked out enough cans, and the entire thing tumbled to the ground. The bear hopped backwards, shocked. When all the cans settled, it walked up to one that had split open and sniffed it. It growled to the other bear. Both skeleton bears began filling a car with the cans of baked beans, often accidentally slicing them open in the process. They made a very large mess, and then calmly used their snouts to shove the cart out the front door. ***POV Change*** ¡°Thank you for your patience. How can I help you today?¡± ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯d like to start an account?¡± ¡°Oh, excellent, right this way.¡± A short man lead me off to the side, showing me to a private cubicle. I sat down in a very comfy looking seat. -Humans truly have the most advanced resting technology. ¡°Ah.¡± The man seemed to hesitate. ¡°That¡¯s my seat, sir. If you could sit over here¡­¡± I frowned mildly at him. ¡°I prefer this one.¡± Several seconds of him opening and closing his mouth followed. Then he scratched his neck. ¡°...I suppose it¡¯s fine. You came to open an account?¡± I nodded. ¡°And I want to get as much money as possible from this account.¡± ¡°Uh, what? Accounts are for you to store YOUR money in sir. If you want a loan-¡± ¡°A loan?¡± The term was familiar. My frown deepened. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I will be giving the money back. Don¡¯t banks have money?¡± ¡°They do, but¡­¡± The man peered strangely at the desk in front of me. When I followed his gaze, I noticed a button on the underside of the desk. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I pressed the button. ***POV Change*** Jinka was trying to explain what he saw to the police when the bears came back. ¡°They were just¡­ skeletons. Of bears.¡± The police officers shared a tired look. Jinka froze, seeing the bears waiting for the sliding glass doors to open. One growled at the other, then batted at the door, curious. The glass and metal shattered with a huge crash. The policemen spun around, their eyes widening. ¡°What the fuck?!?!¡± They drew their weapons, which drew the attention of the bears, who stomped over. ¡°REMOVE THE HEADPIECE OF YOUR COSTUMES AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!¡± The bears kept walking forward, 400 lbs of bone. ¡°GET ON THE GROUND. THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING. WE WILL SHOOT.¡± Jinka wanted to say that he doubted the bears understood English. The policemen opened fire. The bullets sparked off the bones of the bears, accomplishing nothing else. Almost in a bored manner, the bear bounded closer and smashed them both with its paws. Blood sprayed out of their wounds, and the policemen fell to the ground, likely dead. Jinka was trembling. Not of fear, but because he felt so close to realizing something. Why was his head so foggy¡­? One bear sniffed a dying policeman, growling at the other. Without another noise, the two bears put the bodies in the cart and took them away. ***POV Change*** ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have done that. The police are coming. I¡¯m going to be in so much trouble.¡± -...humans¡­ -Thank god I gave away my connections to such a petty race. I reached up and ripped out the man¡¯s heart. His scream was sudden and tortured, then stopped just as abruptly, as his strength failed him and he died. I immediately reanimated him. I dismissed the notification without even looking at it. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again. Where is the money¡± ¡°In the vault,¡± He responded in a monotone. I smiled. ¡°Finally.¡± ***POV Change*** Jinka waited to leave the supermarket until the screams died down. As he peered out the window, he saw that the bears had killed so many spectators and arriving police that they had too many to only use one cart. Eventually, they filled up two, about 8 bodies in each. They pushed the carts down the street. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jinka shivered. That was the neighborhood his house was in. Still, no matter what he claimed had happened, his wife would be very displeased if he returned home without stopping at the bank. ***POV Change*** Several security personnel converged on the cubicle we were in as I was standing, intent on heading towards the vault. ¡°Sir, we are going to have to ask you- OH MY GOD. Alan¡¯s dead!¡± The female security guard looked at the gaping hole where the man¡¯s heart used to be. ¡°No he¡¯s not.¡± I was annoyed enough already, there was no need to allow these people to sully my good name. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Alan repeated in a monotone voice, blood dribbling out of the hole in his chest. As discreetly as I could, I dropped the heart held behind my back and then kicked it off to the side. ¡°Ah! He just dropped his heart, everything is fine. Let¡¯s just put it back.¡± I tried my best to use my body to cover the trail of blood from the heart leading to the spot behind my pack, picked it up, generously wiped most of the gore off on my shirt, and offered it to Alan. Alan mechanically stuffed the heart back into the hole in his body, producing a wet sound. The two security guards just stared at Alan, eye bulging. ¡°Well if that¡¯s all, I need to go to the vault.¡± I heard sirens growing louder in the distance. ¡°Not so fast.¡± One of the security guards seemed to have maintained his cool, and gripping my arm. ¡°You need to come with- Hey, stop, dammit, help me Alice.¡± The female security guard grabbed me from behind. I yawned, walking forward at a constant speed, dragging the two people behind me. ¡°Oh, Alan, you come too. I don¡¯t want to have to carry any of this ¡°money¡±.¡± I walked forward, kicking in part of the counter so I didn¡¯t have to walk along to the edge. Unfortunately, someone was hiding in the exact spot, and exploded in a cloud of gore, the force of my kick shattering their skull. Everyone began screaming. Rubbing my temples, I activated Aura of the Predator. Everything became silent. The two guards who had been holding me fell away, looking at me with wide eyes and barely breathing. Then they collapsed, senseless. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I reached the vault. I punched once, my fist piercing a foot or so, but unable to get all the way through. I frowned mildly. I settled back into Thunder Stance, surging forward, smashing my fists time and time against the vault door. The metal twisted and warped, groaning. Roaring, I punched once more, finally making a hole all the way through to the inside. Then I began grabbing and bending the metal, enlarging it enough for me to walk through. Just as I was about to hop in, strange canisters burst through the windows, spraying gas everywhere. I ignored it, climbing in, enlarging the hole further, gesturing for Alan to follow. ¡°Grab as much money as you can carry. Then let¡¯s leave this place.¡± He did as he was bid, and we clambered out of the vault. ¡°Freeze! Put the money on the ground!¡± ¡°Get on the ground!¡± ¡°Hands up! On the ground!¡± A group of individuals in black gear ran towards us, holding their guns trained on us. -All this yelling is so tiresome. -I¡¯m tired of trying things the human way. I raised a hand and snapped, summoning 20 wind blades, shooting them forward. The men were eviscerated, arms, guns, gear, torsos, waists, everything sheared cleanly in multiple pieces. They toppled to the ground like marionettes with their strings cut. The bank once more fell silent. We walked forward, stepping around the ever growing pool of blood. Much to my surprised, another group was waiting outside, ready for my departure. A long range bullet zoomed towards my head. My pupils dilated, then shrank back to a dot. Another, closer, individual was unloading a shotgun blast towards my chest. I was just glad they hadn¡¯t waited for Alan to walk out. If he was injured, I would have to carry everything myself. Smiling, I looked towards the distance sniper. I splurged a bit, using the extra mana costing Air Affinity to crush his spine from afar. His bullet ricocheted off the extremely durable teeth of my smile. I allowed the shotgun blast to hit me, surprised that I had to take a half step backwards. The damage was minimal, and Pain Tolerance made it feel like nothing more than tickling. Wind blades howled in a torrent of slaughter, dicing the nearby individuals to small cubes. Then I cut up their vans and cars, smashing and slicing until the lights and sirens stopped. An unnatural quiet descended over the street as I walked forward. ***POV Change*** Jinka looked at his bank with wide eyes. A police van, seemingly ripped to pieces, blocked most of the street. Hesitantly, he walked towards the front doors. What he could only describe as meat piles were lying on either side of the entrance way, flies buzzing around. That inner sense was screaming at him now, giving a headache. But¡­ Jinka just sighed. His wife was going to be so mad. ***POV Change*** I looked with approval at the large pile of bodies and other random food items that the Skeleton Bears must have brought from the Supermarket. Then I noticed that the two bears were currently farther down the street, rumbling with pleasure, taking turns riding in a grocery cart, the metal thing barely holding together. ¡°Ahem.¡± They scrambled at my noise, crushing the cart to nothing. ¡°Get to work. Do you want someone to steal our food? Take it out back.¡± I ripped a strip of flesh from a woman¡¯s arm and walked into the house. The debris from the door was cleared, which was a good sign. But in the kitchen, the old woman was arguing with a strange man wearing a tool belt. ¡°Ah here he is with the money now. It will be worth your while, I promise.¡± The man gave me a dismissive look. Behind the man, the pantry door stood ajar, and I could see two skeletons peering out. ¡°Fine. You have cash?¡± I turned to Alan, took a stack of bills from his arms, and offered them to the man. The man¡¯s eyes went wide. Then he gave me a longer look, calculating. ¡°...this isn¡¯t enough. This is good for the work, but¡­ Based on how much cash you have, you probably want me to stay silent about the whole ordeal. So another stack please. I bet y¡¯all have a lot of skeletons in these closets.¡± The pantry behind him closed with an audible snap. The man turned, missing my smile as I reached for his heart. ¡°More than you know.¡± ***** After reanimating him, and ordering him to call in favors to bring the people we needed, everything was settled. The only hitch was when one of the contractors arrived before the Skeleton Bears had completely moved the bodies from the front yard into the back, making it necessary for me to kill him and reanimate him. I slaughtered him with a wind blade, focusing it into a needle. I received a pleasing notification.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 3¡±. Degree of control improved. Amount of damage dealt slightly improved.
Other than that, the next few hours passed in a blur as I continued to summon undead, keeping them corralled in the back yard, and experimenting with Wind Blades. My ears twitched; I heard a voice I didn¡¯t recognize from the front of the house. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are all these vans here?¡± I ordered the undead in the backyard to continue raiding the house abutting Sami¡¯s for food, and then walked into the kitchen from the back patio. The work wasn¡¯t complete, but it looked good, fresh paneling installed, the ceiling painted a new color to cover up the fresh addition to cover up the hole the bears had made. I shook my head. -Our lot in life is to be cursed by inept subordinates. A woman walked into the kitchen, looking at the 8 men, myself, and the old woman. ¡°Oh¡­ I had no idea Tim was doing such a big project-¡± My voice was ominous. ¡°...Tim¡­?¡± The woman blinked at me, her eyes going wide. -Whoops I hurriedly deactivated Aura of the Predator. Everyone alive in the kitchen let out a collective sigh they didn¡¯t realize they had been holding. The woman gave me another look, nodding uncertainly. ¡°Yes, my husband Tim. He is who hired you, correct?¡± I opened my mouth, but the old woman spoke first. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why they are here. I used my spare key to let them in, they seemed to be in such a hurry to get to work, I couldn¡¯t bear to see them wait any longer.¡± ¡°Oh, Mrs. Sanders. I didn¡¯t even notice you. Well, thank you.¡± The woman rubbed the new paneling admiringly. ¡°I really like this wood and varnish. It¡¯s beautiful. But the paint¡­.¡± ¡°You can always paint over it.¡± Mrs. Sanders said reassuringly. I looked at the floor. I had picked out that color. -Modern interior design is a fool¡¯s game. All about energy and ugly art. Don¡¯t let it get to you, other me. ¡°Mommy?¡± Sami was at the entrance of the kitchen, barefoot and still in her hospital gown, riding one of the Bear Skeletons. The woman spun around. ¡°Sami? Why are you- OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT.¡± Sami patted the skeletons head. It almost purred. ¡°It¡¯s my new cat. I named him Rose, because his claws are red for some reason.¡± The woman blinked several times, swaying, unable to compute the bear. I gestured, and one of my reanimated contractors brought her a chair. Mrs. Sanders glided over, holding a glass full of amber liquid. ¡°Okay, setting that aside,¡± The woman tried to look everywhere but at the skeleton bear. ¡°You should get down off of its back. It¡¯s not safe. And why aren¡¯t you at the hospital? Isn¡¯t your surgery today?¡± Sami shook her head forcefully. ¡°I hate it there. And you never visit like you promised you would.¡± ¡°But Sami-¡± The sound of footsteps from the front of the house caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Is that my baby¡¯s voice I heard, but why- Sami, what is that you are sitting on? Why aren¡¯t you at the hospital?¡± A man¡¯s voice from down the hall. -An interloper Tim. -I don¡¯t trust him. The bear she was riding rose up onto its hind legs, unable to turn around while it was on 4 legs. Sami giggled, holding onto his shoulders. Unfortunately, the 9-foot tall bear was too tall for the hallway, and his head ripped a new hole in the ceiling. Two skeletons wearing aprons came out of the pantry, sweeping up the plaster that fell on the ground. Then they returned to the pantry. Sami¡¯s mother and father watched the watched everything with dull eyes. Mrs. Sanders filled up the glass in Sami¡¯s mother¡¯s hand. The woman downed it in a single gulp. The bear shook his head, settling back down on four legs, facing the man cursed by the name Tim. Sami continued to giggle. As if the bear settling had broken the spell, the man and woman stood up and walked towards Sami seemingly intent on getting her away from the bear. ¡°Sami, you have to go back to the hospital. If you miss this surgery, you will get even more sick! And Mommy and Daddy¡­¡± ¡°No! What does it matter. You don¡¯t want me anyway. You just leave me there. No one ever comes to see me. The vampire genie is the first person who came to visit me in weeks.¡± ¡°Sami¡­¡± The father Tim spoke now. ¡°Your surgery costs a lot of money. And although it¡¯s hard, Mommy and Daddy need to work a lot in order to pay for things. But after today-¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you always say! Always you are going to visit next week. Things will be better tomorrow. But I want now, and-!¡± Sami began to cough violently, then she vomited, green and yellow and red swirling together on the floor. ¡°Sami.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I stepped forward, crossing the distance to Sami¡¯s side in a second. ¡°I owe this child a debt. After I pay it, I will return her to you. For now, she is my minion.¡± I picked her up, and before either of the parents could react, carried her out the back door. ***** For whatever reason, I returned to the park where I woke up in this world, right below the hospital of Sami¡¯s. We sat on a park bench and watched cars drive by, their headlights flickering on as night descended. I opened my mouth to speak, but the small blonde child sitting next to me beat me to it. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die. Every moment I feel worse and worse.¡± I frowned. ¡°You should struggle.¡± She shook her head sadly. ¡°It¡¯s too late. And I¡¯ve done that for so long, it¡¯s only made me sadder and sadder. Mommy and Daddy¡­ I think it makes them sad too. That I am a sick child, while all the neighbors had healthy kids.¡± -Well, healthy until the skeletons you dispatched for addition food slaughtered them to silence their screams. -Shush, other me. ¡°So¡­¡± I scratched my cheek. ¡°What do you want for your final wish?¡± Mimicking me, Sami scratched her cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Money? To see a specific place? Jewels?¡± -What do people even wish for? -Power. But I do not know how to give it to her. -Perhaps you could let her kill skeletons, leveling her. But Sami was nodding slowly. ¡°I do want a jewel. The biggest one ever: the earth. Give me this world.¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Can you¡­¡± Sami seemed flummoxed too. ¡°Can you make me president of the world? So I can do whatever I want before I die?¡± I considered it. Then I shook my head. ¡°Based on what I know, it is possible, but I will be here for a short amount of time. Too short to make you president.¡± She nodded sadly. The she brightened. ¡°Could you destroy it? Make it so the world dies with me.¡± ¡°For that¡­¡± I shook my head again. ¡°Physically, I don¡¯t I could do that; It is much too big. Additionally, your world is a dream to trick humans who are climbing the tower. It doesn¡¯t really existence.¡± Sami nodded, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°What is the tower?¡± ¡°Complicated. And I don¡¯t really know, either.¡± We sat, watching street lights come on and flies begin to gather around them. When Sami finally spoke, her question caught me completely by surprise. ¡°Are dreams like nightmares?¡± ¡°I think nightmares are a kind of dreams.¡± Laughing, Sami clapped her hands. ¡°Mommy says that nightmares disappear and go away when you wake up, so it might be the same for dreams. So can you just wake up everyone who is dreaming? That would destroy it.¡± I thought about it for a long time. Then I smiled. ***POV Change*** Jinka sighed, tuning out his wife¡¯s complaints while flipping through television channels. Everything felt so fake. Everything seemed so shallow. ¡®Is this really all there is to life¡­?¡¯ ***POV Change*** ¡°Why here?¡± Sami asked curiously. We were standing up on the roof of her hospital, the place where we had met less than ten hours in the past. I spread my arms out wide. ¡°So we have a good view. I have an idea.¡± Walking up to the edge of the building, I closed my eyes and focused inward, feeling the cool liquid within me that was mana. Then I pressed deeper, finding something bright and burning. I stopped at the edge, wind caressing me, seducing me to jump. Which would undoubtedly be enjoyable, but for now, I wanted to grant this strange little girl her wish. I wanted to destroy this dream world for her. I felt the 15 essence I held within me. It just so happened that the cost to summon a skeleton drudge had decreased to 15 when I reached Lvl 5 in summon lesser dead.
Use Essence to summon Skeleton Drudge?
I felt a strange strength drain from me, leaving me surprisingly tired.
All Essence used at once! Max essence +1.
Due to the fabric of the dream world, the effectiveness of spells cast with Essence increased by 5000%. You have summoned a ¡°Greater Infernal¡±. Please wait a small amount of time for your minion to arrive.
I coughed awkwardly, disappointed that there wasn¡¯t bigger fanfare. -Still, the max Essence increase is useful. So we really just need to spend it all at once. -We will have to monitor the regeneration rate then, so- -...what¡¯s that?¡± A small earthquake was shaking the city. A huge crack in the earth appeared nearby, swallowing an entire city block. A smoldering red hand came up out of the crack, gripping the ground for support. ***POV Change*** Zinka¡¯s glazed eyes snapped back into focus as the game show abruptly changed. A disheveled new reporter adjusted his mic, and then looked at the camera with frantic eyes. ¡°We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to report that an earthquake has struck New York City, leveling several city blocks. And then, as you can see behind me, from a hole in the earth, a giant monster that can only be described as a demon ascended. Multiple religious figures have claimed that the apocalypse is upon us-¡± The screaming in Zinka¡¯s head grew more insistent. His head felt like it was about to split apart. He cradled it in his hands, tears forming in his eyes. ¡°No¡­¡± he whispered. ***POV Change*** Sami watched with wide eyes as the giant flaming skeleton methodically leveled the entire city. Breathing fire and ash, snuffing out human life easier than she had ever witnessed before. The plumes of flame, brighter than any stars, more wondrous than any rainbow. In that dark night, the movements of the Infernal were deeply burned into her retinas. The building on which we were watching the show shuddered. Not from structural damage, but as if the reception of an old TV was becoming fuzzy. The scenery around us began to buzz, shaking. Then it snapped back into focus. ¡°Mr Vampire Genie?¡± I looked at her. Her gaze didn¡¯t leave the Greater Infernal. ¡°Thank you.¡± ***POV Change*** ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jinka looked up at the concerned face of his wife and that wall within him cracked, his expression twisting with grief. ¡°That¡¯s why its been so hard... It¡¯s because I wanted to forget. I watched you die, love. Slaughter for no reason. This¡­ this is a dream.¡± Jinka looked at the TV ¡°I¡¯m in the Great Tower, climbing it. And I will succeed.¡± Jinka¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Then I will tear it down.¡± ***POV Change*** New copters circled like flies, spreading the images all across the world. Military jets screamed past, shooting missiles ineffectually at it. The buzzing was constant now. The dream world was collapsing. Sami reached up and grabbed my hand. She coughed mutely, the sound lost as all sound fell away from the dream world. Then she spoke, and although I couldn¡¯t hear it, I could read her lips. Her eyes never looked away from the Greater Infernal. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. Like a sunrise.¡± -Agreed. The dream world blinked out of existence. ***POV Change*** ¡°Dammit¡­¡± The operator of the second floor of The Great Tower watched with exasperation as everyone woke up. He would need to open the portal a day early, sending them up tomorrow. He had warned the one who went back in not to use his powers too much. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t even matter¡­ most of them will die on the next floor anyway¡­. Dammit¡­ I just wanted a day off...." Day 24 ***Author''s Note*** For anyone interested, the manga was Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer. And now we return to tower antics~ And look, I kept the chapter short! I''m so proud of myself. Day 24 ***POV Change*** Gillette organized the messy papers on his new desk, doing his best to ignore the incessantly ringing of his phone. Since coming to the 5th floor, he had been inundated with calls from individuals from outside the tower¡¯s employment who were eager to convince the freshly risen administrators to sponsor their chosen challengers, featuring them in a storyline. During a rare lull, he had left his own office to go visit Jen and Kettle. Jen was crying in the corner, while her many tentacles fluttered about the room, answering phones, taking notes, sorting papers, putting her seal of approval on documents relating to their transfer¡­. After cheering her up as best he could, Gillette went to see Kettle. The office was immaculate. She also already had two secretaries, who could have been, and probably were, Kettle¡¯s mother and younger sister. ¡°Oh, thank you for your concern. Everything here is under control,¡± Kettle said calmly, adjusting her glasses. The mother adjusted her glasses. The sister then adjusted her glasses. Gillette fled. A sharp knocking cut through the phone buzzing, and Gillette silenced it and exercised a bit of his improved administrator¡¯s power, unlocking the door. Swinging open, the door revealed three individuals. The one on the left was an Asian human, his hair cropped short. His entire body was strapped with different weapons. Katanas, knives, hatchets, kotachis, needles, stilettos¡­ Gillette guessed that if you weighed him, he would be more metal and less flesh. The man on the right was tall, slim, and dark skinned, wearing nondescript clothes and bright pink sunglasses. But it was the figure in the middle that had Gillette¡¯s attention. ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve heard of you. The group of humans they call ¡°The Strongest Trio¡±. What can I do for you?¡± The central figure smiled. Her long red hair was braided and fell down her back. She wore a modest green dress, but was still stunningly beautiful. The perfect poster child for humanity ¡°You can become our administrator.¡± Ketlia said. ***POV Change*** Contrary to what he had told me yesterday, the controller opened up the portal up to Floor 3 without much hassle, herding the large group of us through the portal. Apparently they split you up by original planet, so I was surrounded by them, and followed them into the swirling portal. A huge wave of nausea struck me as I went through, almost causing me to topple over. -Ugh, that human food really kicks you in the morning. Let¡¯s stick to fresh meat from now on. I squeezed my eyes closed, fighting the vertigo. Then all at once it passed. ¡°Welcome humans! You are the first group of your race to come to my floor. Congratulations~¡± A strangely androgynous voice echoed out, filling my ears. Looking around, I could see that I was standing on a dirt road. It was completely dark, a dazzling array of stars overhead. Beyond the road was the desert, prickly cactuses undulating in an extremely strange manner in rows parallel with the road. Around me were about 20 other individuals, standing still in clusters. I tried to shift my weight, but most of my body was frozen. Only my head could move. In front of us, along the road, I could see bunches of building lighting up the horizon. -So where did Whipman go? -I assume to a test with all Tellites. Hopefully we can meet up with him shortly. ¡°Floor 3 is the game floor! Prepare to have fun! The first game is one I learned from watching your human world; a variation of red light green light. I put belts on you all. Red means you can¡¯t move! I¡¯m holding you still this first time, but next time, if you move while the light is red, I¡¯ll just kill you. As long as you don¡¯t move, I won¡¯t do anything! ¡°Floor 3 has 3 rounds. You are currently in the first round, and you just need to survive there until there are only 20 of you remaining~ Then you will move on to the second round get mixed in with everybody else. Isn¡¯t it fun that you get to kill each other before having to fight other people? That¡¯s true brotherhood. ¡°Now of course, when the light¡¯s green, you can move however you want. But you can¡¯t just run away. If you haven¡¯t killed at least one other person every day, you will die~ So let¡¯s get our hands dirty shall we? -So I just have to stay still while the red light is on, right? -Yes, but what you¡¯re planning is- I checked my essence, which had refilled at the rate of 1 Essence per hour. Likely a flat, constant rate, so it will become increasingly difficult to increase the max. Luckily, we had spent 8 hours watching the Greater Infernal rampage yesterday, and combined with sleep and the time preparing the portal, Essence was now full. ¡°Explode.¡± I gathered the air around me with Lesser Air Affinity and and threw it outwards at the bodies standing around me, fueling it with my bit of essence. BOOOM. Most of the force dispersed within 10 m, but there were 7 people whose bodies were smashed to a pulp by the powerful explosion. Notification popped up.
All Essence used at once! Max essence +1.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 9¡±. Degree of control improved. Ability to condense air has improved. Insights into the nature of air come more easily to you.
¡°Hey, you.¡± The voice echoed out again. ¡°Yes, you, air boy. I¡¯m pleased that you took the initiative and so easily killed those people, but I¡¯m annoyed that you interrupted me. So those kills count as today¡¯s kill for you, but¡­ let¡¯s add some extra rules. The effectiveness of spells cast with Essence will be decreased to 0% while you remain on my floor. And anyone who kills Air boy here¡­ gets instantly sent on to the 4th floor, skipping all of this tedious culling of the weak. Everyone ready? Green light!¡± -Uh, what. -I think we just became public enemy number 1. The lights on our belts switched to green. The dozen remaining people on the road near be walked forward with narrowed eyes. -...and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because we are a free ticket to the next round, or because we so callously killed those few humans. -Racial loyalty is so annoying. Let¡¯s talk in a few days, where they have had to kill 1 person each day to survive. ***** At other me¡¯s urging, I left those people alive, dodging weapons and thrown icicles, fleeing into the desert past the line of cacti. -After all, we will have to kill 1 person a day until this ends. Might as well leave a few easy pickings alive. - Won¡¯t they just get killed by others? -Which will let those others survive, to be killed by you. Besides, we took the day off of training yesterday, what would Whipman say? One thing I noticed was that there was a timer on the belt, slowly ticking down on the belt. It currently had a little over 9 hours. -Perhaps the time until the color switches to red? -Or until the day ends. Setting that aside, I was pleased to discover that the desert was full of relatively weak giant scorpion. I crushed their skulls and drank their blood, savoring the refreshment. I found a cave where I could hide from the sun, which also seemed to serve as a nest of scorpions. Clearing out most of them by the entrance, I decided to let the ones hiding deeper inside the cave be for now, so I would have something to eat and drink tomorrow. Then I settled into Thunder Stance, moving through the 4 forms that I knew. ¡°Wrath,¡± I whispered to myself in the darkness, hands flexing. Surge of Thunder. Clear Sky, Sudden Bolt. Rolling Thunder. Forking Bolt. As I practiced, other me adopted the role of Whipman. -Horrible. You are not a cloud bank, scooting in. You are thunder! Surge! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. My hands blurred, lashing out at the air. -Impossible, how did I become stuck with a disciple without any talent? Running forward, I stopped abruptly before the stone wall of the cave. I remained there for several seconds, arms relaxing. Then they shot forward, smashing into the wall. -Pathetic. I should have taken Tim as a disciple. He would have- My eyes narrowed to slits. Anger surging I stepped forward, approaching an imaginary opponent head-on. My heart was pounding, my vision turning red. Then, at the last moment, I stepped right, ducking into the opponent¡¯s blind spot. But I didn¡¯t not stop there. My knees aching, I cut back again, even faster, hands lashing out as I passed. Then again to the other side. And again. And again, my body moving too fast for vision to follow. By the time I reached the far wall, my knees were in agony, even the cartilage on my vastly improved body unable to handle the cuts I was making with the fourth form of thunder stance. As I collapsed, breathing heavily, I looked at the notifications that had appeared.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 2¡±. Strength and speed of your strikes while in the stance has improved. Ease with which you may switch between the forms has slightly improved.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 6¡±. Resiliency of bones and joints as improved. Your tendons, nails, teeth, and hair improved with ¡°Path of the Dragon¡± have increased synchronicity with your body. A small percentage of their toughness spreads.
I was gloating on my gains when other me spoke, still playing the part of Whipman. -You have now been resting for two minutes. If we wait any longer to continue, a gut will form from extended laziness. Stand up. Grumbling, I stood. ***** The rest of the day was primarily spent training with the other cadences. Squats and slow movements to feel the growing power of my base for the cadence of earth. -Resentment Sticky, swirling, flowing movements for the cadence of water. -Hatred. Quick, slippery movements for the cadence of air. Slight cutting motions, rapid accelerations, light touches that were capable of slipping past an opponent¡¯s defense. -Fear I could tell that I was closest to a breakthrough in air cadence, but when the countdown displayed 2 hours remaining, I switched to training something I hadn¡¯t done in a while: Knife Throw. My mana pool was big enough that I had other me pick up rocks with air, 7 stones buzzing about, trying to slam against me, and would drop to the ground when I hit them with a knife. First 7, then 11, then 20. I spun and ducked, almost instinctively entering into the cadence of air. I was light and floating, cutting between the rocks and flicking out knives. In what I consider to be a cheating move, other me used Wind blade to cut one of the stones in half, splitting it apart around my approaching knife. Grinning, I used air affinity to adjust the thrown knife, angling it so the knife hit one of the stones, and then ricocheted off and hit the other one. -Cheater -You¡¯re one to talk, other me. Several notifications got both of our attentions.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Knife Throw Lvl 10¡±. The skill ¡°Knife Throw Lvl 10¡± has morphed into the title ¡°Master of Throwing Knives¡±: The feats which you can accomplish simply by throwing knives are unrivaled. You gain the skills ¡°Silent Kill Lvl 1¡± and ¡°Sneak Attack Lvl 1¡±. When attacking, you may passively gain the bonus from one of these skills, but not both.
Silent Kill Lvl 1: When attacking an unaware target, there is an increased likelihood that the target will perish without a sound.
Sneak Attack Lvl 1: When attacking an unaware target, your strikes will do 8% increased damage.
Both were only useful when ambushing targets, but I was still pleased. Every little bit helps to close the gap. Clenching my fist, I remembered the man who could wave his hand and leave me completely helpless. I walked deeper into the cave, wanting to test my new skills out on the scorpions. ***POV Change*** ¡°Surely you have administrators knocking on your door constantly. You are currently the most promising group of humans. As a new race, humans will be a hot commodity to be featured in storylines by administrators. Why do you want me? As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, I am freshly promoted from the 1st floor.¡± Gillette''s eyes glowed as he used a skill to raise his mental defenses. The woman, Ketlia, only smiled, making no attempt to probe his mind. ¡°I had originally planned on selecting someone else. That administrator appealed to me for a number of reasons. One of which¡­¡± Ketlia walked over and sat down on the low couch in Gillette¡¯s office, making herself comfortable. ¡°Was his naivety in regards to my power. He didn¡¯t bother hiding his cards at all. Perhaps he thought it would make him stand out from the crowd.¡± Ketlia shrugged. ¡°It just made me think he was an idiot. But then, just as talks were beginning to progress more smoothly, he abruptly became more agitated a few days ago. And when I investigated¡­¡± She wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. ¡°I felt his fear that someone was about to come who could steal me away. A creature who had worked very successfully as an administrator, orchestrating a storyline that lasted from Floor 10 all the way to that group''s ascension. ¡°At which point he was cast aside, and mostly retired from Administer work. He only returned recently, to oversee a freshly hired errand girl, a seemingly completely normal slime named Jen. I can¡¯t help but wonder what the connection between the two of you could be~¡± Gillette remained silent, his glowing eyes becoming even brighter. Ketlia continued, ¡°And that slime is now an administrator alongside you? That likely puts you in a very difficult decision. Administrators who sponsor different people on the same floor are competing very directly for attention by the viewers. So I thought I could generously offer my own services.¡± Ketlia spread her hands wide. ¡°Because while administrators on the same floor are competing¡­¡± ¡°...it is very common for administrators on different level to tie their storylines together, benefiting each other greatly¡­.¡± Gillette murmured, his eyes slowly dimming back to normal. ¡°So,¡± Ketlia looked at him expectantly. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± ***POV Change*** It seemed like one skill or the other was on at all times, and switching between them took but a thought. I was walking back towards the front of the cave, munching on a scorpion. I checked the time on the belt: almost exactly an hour. I looked up, noticing that abruptly, the light produced from my belt had changed from green to yellow. I slowed down, and after a bit of thought, lay on the ground, trying to find a comfortable position. Within 10 seconds, the light had turned red. The voice boom out, giggling. ¡°Ahahaha! Whoops, I guess I accidentally set the timer wrong. Sorry sorry. But it really must be frustrating for the ones among you who were pussy footing around. If you don¡¯t manage to kill someone soon, you will die. But you can¡¯t move! Anyways, the light will stay red until midnight, after which you can move freely until 9 am tomorrow morning~¡± The hours to midnight crept past, laying on the uncomfortable ground. A stone was digging into my back. But I kept my eyes closed and focused, practicing air affinity while other me felt the strength of the earth, attempting to understand the cadence of earth better. At midnight, the voice spoke again. ¡°That¡¯s it! Free to move~ Oh, I should mention that there are 12,036 of you remaining. Better start killing tomorrow, or you are going to be stuck with me for a while!¡± Day 25 Day 25 ***POV Change*** ¡°Kat, is this really necessary? We don¡¯t have to commit to a administrator now, we can wait for the 9th or 10th floor. And his current capital is so low! Why commit so soon?¡± Diver leaned forward, spreading his hands in a gesture of pleading. Kent sat in the corner of their room, cleaning one of his many knives. But Ketlia could tell that Kent¡¯s thoughts were just as confused. She considered for a moment reaching out, just to get a sense of Kent¡¯s, but decided against it. Kent¡¯s skill that allowed him to detect the source and details of a skill used against him were extremely troublesome. Since her ability to read minds had evolved, she was more hesitatent to share her new power. Her pure-hearted companions would likely turn away from her if they knew what it could do. Looking at Diver, Ketlia just smiled. ¡°It is, but I agree it¡¯s close. Just come to the sponsored luncheon with me, we will talk it over a bit more with Gillette, meet some other administrators. It might even be fun.¡± ***POV Change*** After a bit of light exercise, chasing down scorpions for food, I walked out of the cave and pointed at the sky. ¡°Explode.¡± Essence rushed through me, fueling the Lesser Air Affinity. The sky remained still. The only noticeable change was the notification, and a strange sense that someone was laughing at me.
All Essence used at once! Max essence +1.
-So he really could restrict our use of essence. How is that fair? -It likely isn¡¯t. I can¡¯t decide if it¡¯s the work of the tower itself, testing challengers on specific attributes, or whoever is running this is just obscenely powerful. -...it really gets your blood pumping, how powerful some people here are. I want to fight them. -You will get us both killed like this. Get back to training, idiot disciple. Due to that sensation yesterday that I was close to a breakthrough, after doing the basic exercises for each stance I focused my effort on obtaining the Air Stance. A quick check of the belt revealed 8 hours remaining of green light. -Or 7 hours. Or even less. Whipman had told me that I wasn¡¯t ready for the attacks, so I only knew the two ¡°steps¡± that formed the basis of the wind stance, the long step and the short step. A long step dodged by altering your position. A short step dodged simply by rotation, as you stood still. So for two hours, other me lifted stones with air affinity, zigzagging them in crazy patterns of attack towards me. The long step came to me pretty naturally, and I easily used light steps to criss-cross the cave, avoiding all of the attacks. The short step was more of an issue, and I basically just stood still and wiggled or hopped around in a circle, spinning wildly. -That¡¯s wrong. I punched the floor. -I know that, but I don¡¯t know WHY. Dammit, we probably need Whipman to proceed any further. -Well, there¡¯s that, or¡­ why don¡¯t we put some pressure on ourselves. ***POV Change*** Jen fussed with her flower print yellow skirt, casting anxious glances at the immaculately dressed Kettle. Sighing inwardly, Kettle said. ¡°Jen, you look wonderful. What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just a bunch of administrators and some challengers that they are courting. Just think of it as a free meal, don¡¯t stress over it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Jen grumbled. But she fell silent as Gillette appeared, his eyes glowing briefly as he looked at Jen. Then he blinked, his gaze returning to normal. Smiling at the two women, he said, ¡°Ready to go to the party?¡± ***POV Change*** -Two scorpions dropping in on your head from above, one tail strike coming towards the back of your left calf, and another leaping at you from the right side. -Got it Stillness. Layers. Fear. When the scorpion strike was about to land on my calf when I moved, twisting subtlety to the side, the stinger pushed away by the motion. The two scorpions falling from above, who had been aiming for my shoulders, also missed when I twisted. I leaned back, allowing the leaping scorpion to sail past me harmlessly. I used a long step then, crossing another 10 m in the crowded tunnel. Scorpions hissed furiously and leaped towards me. Looking around, I realized I had entered into a larger, open area. I just hadn¡¯t noticed because every surface was crawling with scorpions. Although I was slightly worried that I would hit by a stinger, the poison would incapacitate me, and then I would be torn to shreds, that threat was exactly what I needed right now. My mind focused to a razor¡¯s edge. Adrenaline raged through me like a rampaging Greater Infernal in New York City, filling me with energy. My heart was an engine, driving me recklessly forward with its slowly more rapid beats. -The on your left side, aiming with stingers, four leaping from the front at various angles, another two from shallower angles from the back¡­ should we just reactivate Tiimeless Perception? This is growing tedious -Maybe, but¡­ I sidestepped, then spun, duck, and twisted. The stingers only struck rock and each other. The leaping scorpions flailed ineffectually at the air. Grinning, I stood. -I¡¯m definitely getting better. -Perhaps. But still- A huge dark shape dropped from the ceiling, landing right next to me. I twisted, but for some reason neither I nor other me had seen it coming. A huge, vicious red scorpion, the size of a van spat a glob of venom at me. Moving to the side to avoid it, my eyes narrowed. It was only then that I realized that the venom had been a feint to get my balance slightly off, and strike. The tail darted forward, faster than I thought was possible. My eyes struggled to stay with it. It was aiming directly for my heart. What was wind? It was light, and it was howling. It was in layers, and it was fear. It worked at the margins. The smallest crack let wind into a space. That crack was what I needed right now. With a fraction of a second before impact, my foot touched the ground from my dodging the glob of poison, restoring my balance. Every ounce of energy I had I threw into a pivot, my left shoulder pulling backwards. The tail drew a scorching line across my chest, arcing down to my hipbone, where it skidded off and stopped ripping apart my body. The pain was manageable, but the force caused me to stumble slightly. Feeling a creeping numbness spreading from the wound, I made the decision to commit; I didn¡¯t have time to play around with this scorpion with a portion of its venom circling through my veins. As it withdrew its stinger, I used a long step to land directly in front of the scorpion¡¯s head. I raised my hand high, intending to viciously stab downward, maiming its brain. The Cutting Wind- -YOU NEED TO DODGE. My eyes flicked upwards. The tail had somehow pulled back faster than I had approached, and was now halfway down towards me. -Dodge? That Cheshire smile twisted my face. -I think not. Using the remaining mana I possessed, I used Air Affinity to brute force the tail to a stop, slamming against its momentum with a brick of hyper compressed air. So compressed that the aerodynamic design of the tail wasn¡¯t able to overcome it. My hand streaked down to strike, but somehow the scorpion managed to react, shifting to the side. I cursed as my blow shattered part of its face and cut off its right claw limb, but left it alive. It leapt backwards into the air while shrieking in pain, and I used a long step to give chase, rapidly catching back up. But it took a single blink of mine for the tail to have returned to its starting position and was now shooting down towards me, as I was jumping towards it. My eyes narrowed. Fear. An emotion that all possessed in various amounts. But there was a very specific amount that beyond which, function would widely decrease. Despair and panic would set in. Death would near. So the trick was knowing the edge past which you could not go, and riding that. The same was true with wind.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill Cadence of Wind has evolved into ¡°Wind Stance Lvl 1¡±: The lightest and swiftest of the stances, evade capture and catch your opponents off guard, slipping in through even the most careful defense.
I saw it, that thin membrane of air that surrounded the scorpion¡¯s tail as it shot towards me, and I twisted around, using that slight amount of air resistance to aid my dodge. I floated past, as light as a feather. Once more I raised my hand to stab into its brain. But the scorpion swiped with its remaining claw, forcing me to block with my right arm. At the last second I changed my mind, allowing the claw to smash into my side. Using that moment, I wrapped my right arm around the claw and squeezed, crushing it. -You idiot, why do you keep taking your attention away from the tail? I looked up, and sure enough, it was speeding towards me. I started grinding my teeth. ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m so tired of your fucking shit.¡± My eyes stretched to their limits, the blur resolving itself into a tail. I felt that thin layer of air around the tail, examining it. Then, my rage channeled through my body in a flood of fire, burning away the stiffness resulting from the poison and filling my body with wrath. Thunder stance: Clear Sky, Sudden Bolt. My left had surged upward snatching the tail out of the air, stopping it dead. My arm trembled as the scorpion struggled to pull back its stinger, but it was too late. ¡°Oh no, you won¡¯t get away that eas- Hey!¡± The scorpion voluntarily twisted, snapping off the front portion of its stinger in my hand, and began skittering away. I was about to use a long step to follow when, abruptly, the light coming from my belt switched to yellow. -Uh¡­ I fled the cavern, sprinting back up the tunnel from when I came. In that 10 seconds, sparing no effort for speed, I managed to make it back to an area that seemed relatively safe, and adopted a comforted standing position. The light turned red. ¡°Hahaha!¡± The voice boomed out. ¡°I was going to give you a free day, but I sorta got bored~ Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯m not going to do what I pulled last night again- I¡¯ll free you with 5 minutes left! That¡¯s plenty of time to kill someone of your own race. As long as you are close to the town still, heehee.¡± -...Is it my imagination, or¡­ -No, he¡¯s totally laughing at us specifically. A scorpion rounded the corner. Glaring at it, I summoned a wind blade and threw it at it. Unfortunately, the 12 mana I used wasn¡¯t enough to make a wind blade strong enough to break its carapace, so it walked up to me, prancing and hissing. Right as it was about to strike, it leapt to the side, spinning and snapping its claws. I stood there, still. After the floor controller could keep me from spending essence, I truly feared he could kill me if I moved during the red light portion. Stolen novel; please report. The scorpion rubbed its head with its claw, seemingly confused. After a moment of hesitation, it walked up to me and stabbed me with its stinger. I gritted my teeth as the tip barely penetrated, and it began pumping poison into my bloodstream. It poked me with its claws. It defecated on my shoes. It climbed up my legs, lifted my shirt, and crawled up my bare chest. Only when it was on my face, peering directly into my eyes with its beady bug eyes did I finally have enough. I neatly sliced him in half. -How was that neatly? You cut slashed yourself in the face with a wind blade. You are bleeding. -No I¡¯m not. Tis but a flesh wound. -So now- Three more scorpions walked into the part of the hallway I was standing. -... -... ***POV Change*** The knight in glossy golden armor shifted his huge hammer on his shoulders. ¡°You heard me, girly. I challenge you. Let¡¯s show these administrators who really deserves to be sponsored. You might be hot shit for a human, but once you start competing against the rest of the tower-¡± Annoyed, Ketlia reached into the brute¡¯s mind and pushed. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± the knight collapsed into a weeping ball of misery, his mind shattered. Ketlia turned away before it became a scene, and saw something that made her laugh instinctively. A blob of green slime, wearing an over-starched yellow skirt. It was the first time since coming to this crazy place, hell, probably even months before that, that she had laughed so truthfully, that Ketlia soon found herself bent over, holding her stomach and slapping her knees. When she had regained her composure, she walked over to the slime, which was standing awkwardly by the food table, sipping on a brown drink. Ketlia almost burst out laughing again when she saw how the liquid remained within the slime¡¯s body in bubbles, suspended. Then she had a thought. Could the world really be that small of a place? ¡°Jen? Hello, I¡¯m Kat. Gillette sent me over to make sure you were okay.¡± With a delicate touch, Ketlia reached into Jen¡¯s mind. Jen trembled, looking up at her. ¡°What? Oh, no I¡¯m fine. You are a friend of Gillette¡¯s? He really is so popular¡­¡± The slime trailed off and looked across the ballroom. Skeletons and Imps, Tellites and Luos, Bird people and tiger kin, draconians and dryads mingled, eating and drinking. In the corner, Gillette was being thoroughly questioned by Diver and Kent. Ketlia rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a human right?¡± Jen¡¯s question caught Ketlia by surprise, and she chided herself for losing focus so easily. ¡°Yes, is it that easy to tell?¡± Ketlia turned back to Jen, only to find that the slime was morphing, her body shifting. Eventually, they settled into the arms, bust, shoulders, neck, and head of Ketlia herself, cast almost perfectly in green slime. ¡°That.... is an interesting trick.¡± ¡°You think so? Thank you. I tried really hard to look human for a while, but then I realized it didn¡¯t matter.¡± Jen shifted again, her features thinning, her body becoming more bony and slender, settling into a woman¡¯s face with glasses. Then the face shifted again, becoming broader, male, slightly scarred where the flesh of his ear was ripped, ragged hair, the twisted and hungry smile of a wolf. Ketlia froze. ¡°Who...where did you see that face?¡± Jen collapsed back into a blob. ¡°You know Predator?¡± Predator. That word drove Ketlia to dig into Jen¡¯s mind, peering through her memories. She watched as he slowly gathered an undead army. She watched as he crushed a Tellite using a forbidden magic, a giant hawk, and then finally a strange glowing child. She listened in as a bespectacled woman, the same whose face Jen had assumed, made estimates of Predators stats and skills following that fight. Skills letting him control air and summon undead. An aura that crushed the will of any being whose level is lower than his. Stats of Vit and Str being over 65 with 95% certainty. Int and Wis over 100 with a 99% certainty. A mana pool over 1000. Without a word, Ketlia turned away from Jen and walked directly across the ballroom. ¡°-Good¡­.bye¡­?¡± She heard Jen sigh behind her, returning to her brooding. But Ketlia was calculating furiously. Were those predictions right¡­? When she had left the Marsh area, and had displayed her increased skill levels, the personnel had taken an interest in her and sent her to a prep area. She had gained 8 levels in 14 days. Kent she had found in the marsh area, but it was in the prep area that she met Roland and his wondrous power. It was there that they had learned to work together. But¡­ Ketlia brought up her own stats.
Name:Ketlia StoneLevel:17
Race:HumanMana:230/430
Vit:14End:8
Str:15Agi:12
Dex:17Int:39
Wis:46Willpower:63
Luck:7Spiritual Sensitivity:51
Titles
Soul ConduitSpirit MediumPuppeteerThe White Spider
Mind Reader
Skills
Astral Perception Lvl 7Astral Interference Lvl 5Mind Shock Lvl 3Mental Poison Lvl 7
Lesser Illusion Lvl 4Irresistable Will Lvl 6Mind Influencing Lvl 2
¡°That man¡­¡± she whispered, looking at her paltry stats with envy. Not only his physical, but also his more spell related stats had surpassed her by so much? They could not tarry here. They needed more of a head start. She reached Gillette, Kent, and Diver. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we just don¡¯t have time. We need to begin heading up, and we need to start now. I trust you don¡¯t mind the haste, Mr. Gillette?¡± Gillette gave her a long look. Then he nodded slowly. ¡°Fine. I agree to be your administrator. The rushed departure works for me as well. Tonight, I will make preparations, and tomorrow, I will come for you. Be ready.¡± He walked away. Although Ketlia was disturbed he accepted so simply, she elected to just be grateful for the moment. Diver was pulling his hair out. ¡°What was that? You didn¡¯t even press him about his capital, or experience-¡± ¡°I suspect you did that enough,¡± Ketlia said wryly, walking towards the door. The two men fell into step behind her. ¡°Why?¡± It was the first time Kent had openly questioned her methods, so she took it seriously- ¡°Is it because of that person you are searching for?¡± Ketlia was glad that she was facing away, so Kent didn¡¯t see her face twitch. ¡°...Yes.¡± Diver frowned, looking at his feet. ¡°Is he really that far ahead of us?¡± Kent inquired. Ketlia thought about the stats. Maybe she had more titles¡­? It was hard to hope that she had more skills, based on all the things she had seen him do in Jen¡¯s memories. ¡°...Yea, more than I had imagined possible. Not in floors, but¡­¡± Ketlia looked up at the golden statues that flanked the main doors. ¡°In terms of strength, he¡¯s in an entirely different league.¡± ¡®I can seize power on my own. I¡¯ve done it. I don¡¯t need to be protected anymore,¡¯ Ketlia thought to herself. She shivered. ¡®Not by a man.¡¯ ***POV Change*** -DAMMITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!! I was using air affinity to float myself across the desert, racing light an out of control freight train back towards where I thought the town was. After I had killed those three more scorpions, all of which stung me, I was getting profoundly woozy. So much so that I worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle anyone half competent that I stumbled into, even if I made it to town in time. Then other me suggested we find someone while we were both frozen, and kill them with a wind blade. To accomplish this, I let about 100 mana come back, then used lesser air affinity to float out a mana potion and poured in on my face. Infuriatingly, only about half got into my mouth. But that was enough to use lesser air affinity to pinch myself up, and float my still body out, and then accelerate it across the desert. When I was close to running out, I floated another mana potion out of my belt and poured it out. When I was floating on my back like this, the efficiency rate was much higher, about 80%. -You need a napkin, man. So now I just needed to- SLAM. I cracked into something, other me quickly taking over the body and keeping me still. Landing on my back, I realized I had crashed into someone sitting on a rock, knocking them off. They sprang up, furious. ¡°Hey!¡± Then they froze. Then they aged visibly, withering to nothing, and then turned into dust. ¡°Air boy, that doesn¡¯t count as your kill~ You just made me kill them. Thanks though, I very much enjoyed it. You humans take rules too seriously.¡± The voice whispered, likely just to me. -Not a human, asshole. Then I floated off. I had gotten very close to the city, so I twisted and floated upright, bobbing in the air. I readjusted to the laying to pour another in my fast. With an inward grimace, I realized it was the last of the ones Kettle had given me. -You have been pretty wasteful with those lately. I bobbed closer, nervous. I did feel much better physically, but still¡­ -Over there. I looked where he indicated, and saw a woman sitting behind the cactus line. Delighted, I created a windblade and cut her head off. With a sigh of relief, I settled on the ground, not willing to waste anymore mana until the red light switched off. Although now that I thought about it¡­ -Other me? -No, you¡¯re right. Based on the timer, it should have ended by now. -How long? -...Around 5 minutes. Then the voice boomed out again. ¡°Hahaha, whoops, this time I forgot to switch the red light off when I promised. Sorry guys- Oh, wait.¡± The voice paused. ¡°I suppose everyone to whom it really mattered already died because the day just ended. So I don¡¯t even need to apologize! There are 499 people remaining! Hahaha, see you tomorrow.¡± The light from the belt switching to green. Sitting up, I rubbed my neck. -Tomorrow¡¯s going to be rough. -Because everyone realizes what the voice is like, and they are going to start killing people as soon as possible. -Should we go after the source of the voice? Try killing him? -Not without knowing the level of his strength. Besides, even if he lied about 20 people being able to survive, we just have to kill everyone else and be the last one. Then, and only then, if the voice still refuses to let us move on, we challenge him blindly. And slit his cocky throat. Day 26 ***Authors Note*** Woo, thanks everyone for getting me up to the top 10 in weekly views. ...Normally I would promise another chapter today, but... I don''t even know if I will have time to do a second one xD. I haven''t left the house in a week, and I think I need some sunlight. I''ll likely do a 3 chapter day this weekend tho. Happy Reading~ Day 26 ***POV Change*** ¡°Where are we?¡± Ketlia asked wonderingly, looking around at the vast white space where they were standing. There were literally no distinguishing features, just space. Kent and Diver were wandering around, carefully testing the floor for any details. Gillette rubbed his chin. ¡°Technically we are outside the tower, within an administrator¡¯s personal space. Mine. But the only time that challengers may come here without alerting the Solicitors is between floors. So consider this a bit of training before you rise up to the 6th floor.¡± ¡°Why is it empty?¡± Diver asked. After a long moment of silence, Gillette said. ¡°Because I had occasion to destroy everything that I had amassed here. Now, you three.¡± They all turned towards him. ¡°If I am to be an effective administrator, I must know your strengths. There will be moments in the future where we shall fight shoulder to shoulder; hold nothing back.¡± His eyes began to glow ominously. ¡°Here I come.¡± ***POV Change*** That morning, I once more expended all of my essence without any effect, in order to increase my maximum essence to 18. Currently it was simple, if slow, to improve the maximum amount. A week from now it would grow increasingly annoying to do so. Following that, I looked towards the town in the distance. After making the decision to head there and get my kill early, I summoned two skeleton bears. Although the belt read 4 hours of green light, I had come to the conclusion that those numbers were meaningless- Right in front of my eyes, the skeleton bears collapsed into nothing. ¡°Certainly an interesting skill, air boy, but didn¡¯t you know? All creatures without belts will immediately die on my floor~ so tragic.¡± -...so no minions here, huh. -Why didn¡¯t you summon 1 at a time? You should have suspected he wouldn¡¯t just let us build up an army. -Then speak up earlier, other me. ¡°You know, this red light green light thing is getting a little boring¡­ and since we are down to a much smaller amount of people¡­ let¡¯s switch games!¡± The green light on my belts switched off. The belt flickered, then a new timer emerged with 3 hours on it, slowly counting down. After a minute, a pictured emerged, projected to be a hologram in the air in front of me. It displayed a middle aged man with short brown hair, greying at the edges. Underneath the photo was an arrow, pointing towards the edge of the town. ¡°The new game is called assassin! This was my favorite human game, although I could never figure out why humans didn¡¯t actually kill anyone while playing. Kill your target within the time limit. But be careful~ someone is after you too.¡± Sighing, I began walking towards the edge of town. Better do this quickly, before a dumb rule that I wasn¡¯t expecting comes into play. The buildings in town had an old-timey western feel, made of timber and with swinging doors. There were a few people in the streets, but most everyone I found only peered out from windows on the upper floors. After a bit of walking, I determined the building that my target was within, and walked in the front doors. ¡°Stop! Everybody, look at his face. Is he anybody¡¯s target?¡± I stopped, but mostly to let my eyes to adjust to the switch from the bright desert to this dimly lit room. Apparently the building had been a bar of some sort. There was glass bottles along the back wall, and the main area was taken up with tables and chairs that had since been stacked to form a barricade. I could see at least 7 people here, and a set of stairs off in the right corner of the room. The arrow from the hologram pointed distinctly forward. Towards the group of them. I scratched my chin. -Humans look so similar. I wish some of them had fur so I could tell them apart. The voices spoke various negatives, and a hefty man holding a crossbow turned back towards me. ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re in luck, bud. None of us has to kill you.¡± -Can they not see the hologram? -You can¡¯t see theirs. And honestly, this power of the floor controllers is the first one that would be useful to see. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your business is, but it can¡¯t be good. I don¡¯t like shedding blood, so scram before I change-¡± -Might as well just kill them all. ¡°-my mind-¡± I summoned 10 wind blades, putting 50 mana into each to make sure that there wouldn¡¯t be any stragglers. It leveled up my skill, which pleased me.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 4¡±. Sharpness of blade improved. The constitution of the blade will now take slightly longer to degrade. Effective range increased.
The blades rushed forward, cutting the barricade to pieces. Then the screams started, as most of the wind blades continued rushing forward, slicing into the bodies of the people hiding behind. The blades continued even farther, ripping holes in the floor and blasting open the back wall. But the ones that went in the most direction the arrow was pointing hit a strange distortion in the air, dissipating. As the dust settled, I frowned. The air shimmered, and the dust began to swirl, as if it was summoned into a vacuum. Also¡­ -Why did the number 9 appear below the timer? -Maybe¡­ that¡¯s the amount of people I killed? Within a minute, the dust had parted, revealing the man with slightly greying hair. He was breathing heavily, but otherwise seemed fine. The shimmering in the air stopped. ¡°I can see you¡¯ve already bought into this fucking tower¡¯s rules. That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine. It just makes this easier.¡± He wiped the sweat from his brow. Then he slapped his hands together in a loud clap. He pointed at me. ¡°Crush! X2.¡± I settled into a crouch, ready to dodge, but¡­ nothing came. I stood up slowly. Then I blinked. I raised and lowered my arms. I felt¡­ heavy. Jumping up and down, my landings made the floor groan dangerously. -So it doesn¡¯t just affect perception. It actually increases our weight. -Interesting. He raised an axe with a slightly crazed grin on his face. ¡°And now that your are slowed-¡± I adjusted my sleeve and then flicked my arm sideways. Two knives flew towards him. To his credit, he reacted quickly; he jumped backwards and the shimmering in the air emerged. When the knives reached it, they dived towards the ground, slamming into the wooden floor and quivering. -A curtain of gravity. A good defense, all in all. ¡°Fine then! I hate this because of the mess it makes, but¡­ ¡° He clapped and pointed at me again. ¡°Crush! X5.¡± -Ohhhhh. Dammit, why did we get stuck with Air Affinity? This skill seems incredibly useful. -Against weaklings. I stepped forward. My foot slammed into the floor, cracking it slightly. I took another step. The noise echoed in the wide room. ¡°What..?!?! Impossible. Why haven¡¯t you been crushed by your own weight! Crush x10.¡± The sudden increase made me lean forward slightly, but then I slowly straightened. Stepped forward, the whole floor shuddered under my weight. -Why doesn¡¯t he flee? -Idiocy. Another step brought me within 5 m of him, but unfortunately, that step caused the floor to collapse. I toppled forward, my balance overwhelmed by the increased weight. Even with my increased stats, I couldn¡¯t overcome the pull of gravity. I fell flat on my face, destroying a larger portion of the floor. Some of the dust from the ground beneath got into my math. My rage started to simmer up. ¡°Hahaha¡­ whew, that was close, I thought¡­ eh?¡± Still, it just took some getting used to. I stood back up, settling into a crouch. My legs burned, and I was breathing heavily, but I felt my heart pumping dutifully, warmth washing through my muscles.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the passive skill ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 1¡±. Remnants of the Heart Murmur poison have been assimilated into your body. Each beat of your heart spreads heat throughout your body. Increased heart rate increases the efficiency of this, decreasing the effect of debuffs and giving small increases to stats.
I felt the heat lifting me up, grinning madly. ¡°No...No....! Crush x25!¡± A huge weight crashed against me, slamming me downward. Gritting my teeth, I bore it, slowly raising my gaze until I met his eyes. I took a sliding half step forward, moving closer to him. My thighs and hips were screaming. All of the bones were tense with the strain, and my joints were trembling. Even with my stats, I was close to my limit. Honestly though, this was a great workout. If I could master this skill and use it on myself-
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 7¡±. Increased effectiveness of muscle exertion. Small amount of density for muscle and bones gained. Wounds recover slightly faster.
-ohoho, perhaps we should let this man live for the next 2 and a half hours, and train under his weight- All at once, it stopped. The man collapsed, breathing heavily and staring at me with wide eyes. I used a long step to cross the distance to him. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± There were tears forming in his eyes. ¡°I ran out of mana. Please, don¡¯t kill me. I have a family-¡± Punching him in the face, I crushed his skull. I idly rubbed my knuckles. Now, for the next two hours, I could¡­ But as I watched, another face replaced this first. This was a grinning teen with blonde hair, probably only 12 years old. The time reset to 3 hours. The number beneath that ticked up to 10. ¡°Ohoho! I think there were a few rules I forgot to mention! Now¡¯s a good time to bring them up~¡± -So typical. -Whose idea was it to start killing people to AVOID hidden rules? ¡°First, your timer resets whenever you kill. I don¡¯t want you to just sit in a cave all day~ Oh, and I should say that unlike a typical human game of assassins, the targets don¡¯t work out to a perfect circle. Many people may be targeting a specific individual, and perhaps no one is currently targeting you! That¡¯s because you are randomly,¡± The voice stopped for an extended giggle. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. -...Randomly, huh. The voice continued. ¡°Randomly assigned a target from the remaining living humans around you. That target is weighted by proximity, popularity, and the amount of kills since the start of the assassin game! So, good luck, overachieving air boy~¡± ***POV Change*** Diver slumped backwards. He was only held up by Gillette¡¯s grip on his tattered shirt. Gillette released him, and he crumpled to the ground. Gillette¡¯s cool gaze turned to a panting Ketlia. Kent lay prone in a crater a short distance away. ¡®Strong,¡¯ Ketlia thought, her pupils constricting as she watched his calculating gaze. ¡®Stronger even than Predator.¡¯ But that made sense, Gillette had made it to ascension. He had climbed the tower as an administrator before. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is time you stopped hiding your powers? Your companions are unconscious, they will not see. And if you manage to harm me, I will tell you a secret, the dark secret of the lower tower.¡± Ketlia frowned, and then slammed all of her will against his mind, pressing for the secret. But Gillette didn¡¯t even appear to feel it, walking towards her with a small smile on his face. ¡®He¡¯s having fun,¡¯ Ketlia realized, her eyes narrowing. Gillette had only been relying on his physical body, no noticeable skills to speak of, and still they were completely dominated. ¡®Well then, let¡¯s stop playing fair.¡¯ ¡°There is a secret to the tower? And What do you mean, the lower tower?¡± Ketlia opened her astral vision, becoming aware of the infinitely layered planes of existence that were constantly wrapping around them. She reached, grabbing a nearby plane, one where she was 10 m farther away, and Willed it to be so, and it was. Gillette blinked, and then chuckled. ¡°A cool trick. The lower tower is the first 50 floors. And yes, a secret, the reason why we administrators climb the tower. You are a smart girl, haven¡¯t you ever wondered why?¡± Ketlia frowned. Gillette was swiftly moving closer to her, and her head was already starting to throb, the plane she had chosen was several away from their original one. But she once more gathered her will, pushing downward against all the nearby layers, forming a indent in the fabric of the world in the spot Gillette was about to step into. He paused, considering it, then stepped through it, heedless. His clothes were slightly ruffled, and he moved on. ¡®That¡¯s all? The space should have been so warped his body couldn¡¯t even exist¡­ Dammit, fine.¡¯ ¡°Isn¡¯t it just greed? Lust for money, glory, power? I¡¯ve read the minds of dozens of administrators, and they all seem to be filled with petty reasons,¡± Ketlia said lightly, shifting her vision. She then started crafting an illusion of herself, retreating slowly, focusing on something big. The real Ketlia stepped to the side, controlling long, thin threads of poisonous will to descend towards Gillette, seeking purchase in his soul. ¡°You won¡¯t find anyone who knows at this level of the tower. They have all forgotten. Only when you pass the 50th floor do you remember.¡± It was maddening, how immaculate his mental defenses were, as her threads failed time and time again to find purchase, but he appeared to be following the illusion well enough. ¡°Interesting. You can certainly go far with my help. But this,¡± Gillette stopped right next to her real body, gaze never leaving the illusion. His hand blurred, slamming into the side of her head. ¡°Is your loss.¡± Ketlia lost consciousness. ***POV Change*** The leader of their group pointed at the ground at my feet, and immediately vines sprung up, wrapping around my legs. I had simply left the building out the back, after resting an hour, and found myself ambushed. The group was of 4, the plant guy distracting me, a woman in the back somehow dispersing my wind blades, a huge man using an iron door from a shield blocking the ones she missed, and a grade schooler channeling mana and chanting some sort of spell. Snorting, I ripped my legs free, walking forward, but the leader just pointed again, more and more vines emerging. After 30 seconds of slow going, the grade schooler was finally ready and he shouted for the others to move to the side. He raised his hand, summoning a huge sword of flame, probably 30 m long, which he threw at me. I shook my head. -They are too unlucky. It hit me, exploding in a manner than likely looked very impressive. The congratulated each other; my greater fire resistance made it so I didn¡¯t even feel it. I used a long step to get behind them, and snapped the counter mage''s neck. Then I turned to the group, relishing their fear. -It¡¯s so much more satisfying than killing scorpions. **** The number of kills underneath my name now read 29. A slow building headache thudded behind my eyes. I couldn¡¯t walk anywhere without someone attacking me. It took me 30 minutes to chase the blonde teen down, then 20 more to finally kill her, because I kept getting ambushed right as I caught up. Finally, I bisected her with a wind blade, taking my kill total up to 30. A dark skinned man¡¯s face appeared as my next target. 3 hours once more appeared. The arrow was pointing behind me, so I turned around and watched as a dark skinned man, my target, punched a screaming individual several times in the face not 30 m down the main road. The individual was begging for mercy, but my target¡¯s face was remorseless, accomplishing a task. Without much ado, the man died. My target straightened. He studied the air in front of him, then turned. He looked directly at me. My target was probably only 1.75 m tall, but he was built wide and low, his arms thick and powerful. His shoulders rose and fell lightly, his knuckles still bloody from his last kill. Then he smiled at me. ¡°So our targets are each other eh? How many kills do you have, friend.¡± ¡°30.¡± I answered coolly. His smile widened, his eyes twinkling mischievously.. ¡°Indeed? I have 31. But it¡¯s not a competition¡± -Really? We aren''t the kill leader? My disappointment must have shown on my face, for he snickered. My expression turned into a glower. -....that fucking bluffing piece of human filth. Without warning, my target began running towards me, arms pumping. I twisted, planting my foot and settling into a squat, preparing for anything and adopting the earth cadence. My target¡¯s move was so direct it was surprising; he simply continued running and then dove at me in a straightforward fashion. I raised my left arm, aligning it with my hips and plant leg, letting his momentum and the weight of the earth do all the work for me. ¡°Oof.¡± My blow knocked the wind out of him, my arm catching him in the chest and stopping him dead. His legs continued forward from momentum in a comical fashion. I grimaced, sliding back a half inch. He was¡­ surprisingly heavy. But now that he was stopped... Thunder stance, first form, Surge of Thunder. All of my annoyance with a day full of hassles surged forward, and my fist slammed into his face. His body flew back 20 m, rolling on the ground. I looked at my fist frowning. That had hurt. I looked towards my target, who had sat up. A glossy silver metal had bubbled up, covering his face. As I watched, the metal spread, covering his entire body, even his hair. The steel man stood back up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes. ¡°Ohoho.¡± Even I couldn¡¯t help but allow a small grin to escape. It had been a while since I had gotten to go all out in a physical confrontation. Hopefully he didn¡¯t disappoint me. ¡°Your name?¡± He asked, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Predator.¡± He nodded, as if this was the most natural name in the world. ¡°And I am Jinka. Let us dance, friend.¡± We leapt at each other. ***POV Change*** Kettle considered the note in front of her. Do not allow Jen to be Predator¡¯s administrator. -Gillette ¡°I was planning to act as his administrator myself, but¡­¡± Kettle murmured, but now her mind was whirring at full speed. Why was it important enough for Gillette to leave instructions? ***POV Change*** Jinka¡¯s low kick caught the side of my knee, driving me to the ground. His fist flashed down, striking my chin. My eyes burned. I used Air Stance to deflect his next punch, stepping up and slamming my elbow against his nose. Then I grabbed his arm and twisted, throwing him into a nearby building. Unfortunately, there was a random passerby, likely waiting for a chance to ambush one of us, who was hit by the obscenely heavy body and mashed to paste as Jinka slammed through the wooden wall and made wreckage out of the interior. Breathing heavily, I tried to catch my breath, but my heart was pounding too hard, driving me forward. My palms were tingly and wet. I felt alive- A metal barrel flew out the door, slamming into my chest, sending me staggering. Another followed, but I ducked. I heard screams from behind me as it crashed into some of our watchers. A third and fourth followed. Growling, I channeled all the mana I could and HEAVED with air affinity, lifting the entire wooden building off the ground and into the sky. Jinka fell through the floor and smashed into the ground, slightly stunned, but unharmed. He scratched his chin. I could hear shouts of confusion from the suspended building. ¡°Why? Such a feat will not kill me-¡± I slammed the building down, smashing him beneath it. As the smoke cleared, I saw his silhouette striding through the wood, paying it no mind. I was smiling like crazy now, my battle lust driving me forward. Challenge me, stranger. Pressure me. Give me pain, give me adversity. I¡¯ll devour it all and grow. I¡¯ll- ¡°Congratulations! There are only 20 of you humans remaining~ That¡¯s it for the first round. I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow.¡± The voice boomed out gleefully. I frowned. -Not yet- I winked out of existence. A second later, I reappeared in a small room with a bed and nothing else. No doors, no windows. Light came from a square stone set into the ceiling. I punched the wall for almost an hour, my fury and adrenaline refusing to leave. Although it was a small comfort, I found solace in the fact that I heard the same poundings from a distant cell. Sighing, I stopped. -Fine then. Tomorrow, I shall fight him again. I settled into water cadence and began to practice. Day 27 ****AUTHOR''s Note**** I want to preempt the comments about this chapter (likely pointlessly...) by saying that in the course of the chapter, I make up a card game. I had a lot of fun doing it, and if I find the chance, I''ll use the game again in the course of the story. But it features pretty heavily in the alt POV, and its rather complicated, so feel free to skip it. It''s not so important for plot anyway. As an explanation, I have two degrees of detail. Glossed over and too much. Since some of the criticisms have been about me glossing over things too quickly, I figured I should show you the alternative: you get made up card games. I''ll also answer any questions about the game in the comments, because I admit that it is rather intricate. Additionally, I''ll throw up a poll (which I just realized I could do) to gauge the reaction. Next chapter probably will be out in around 8 hours. Day 27 After I awoke, I was teleported to another area. Huge trees with trunks 10 m in diameter loomed over me, covering the landscape. The leaves of these trees were blue. About 20 m off the ground there seemed to be a layer of branches and thick vines with small red flowers. Small beams of sunlight peeked down through the rustling vegetation, giving enough light to see by. ¡°Welcome humanity! You¡¯ve finally made it to the second round~¡± The voice boomed out, strangely muffled by the blue leaves, lending a strange feel to the area. I wandered around, testing the springiness of the ground, punching the tree to determine the strength of the timber. I winced; it was very hard. Not as hard as that obnoxious bluffer¡¯s metal skin, but¡­ ¡°However, you are too slow! The rest of the races made it up here yesterday! As such, teams are almost completely decided. There are 10 teams, so each of the teams just needs 2 humans each to start the games! You will join a team in the order you walk through the portal, which is on the island in the middle of the lake in the central area. For now, take your time~¡± A ominous beeping sounded, and 3 hours appeared on my belt. ¡°-And familiarize yourself with the landscape. This shall be the location of the second round, so learn it well! And have fun and enjoy yourself, remember, this is a game.¡± -Three hours huh. Why such a large amount of time? -Either this arena is vastly larger than the voice led us to believe, or¡­ I started scaling a tree, using my extremely sharp nails to chip small divots out of the bark. I shimmied up through the vine level up the branches, until I broke out above the treeline. Without meaning to, I seemed to have picked the tallest tree in the area, and spread before me was a sea of swaying blue leaves. In the distance I saw a clearing, with a pillar of white light leading upwards. The sky was a large dome, and above the pillar of light I could see a small viewing area encased in glass. Eyes glittering, I looked back towards the clearing in the center. -...Or the voice really wants use to have some fun. My face twisted in the grin of a possessed scarecrow. ***** The area seemed to be about 10 km in diameter, and after a half hour of constant movement, I had scouted the area surrounding the central lake. I also expended my essence, once more to no effect. It looks like the limitations still remained. Spotting a familiar figure, I leapt off of the area above the vines crashing down onto the lake shore with a large boom. Several other humans had wandered to the shore, or were in the process of swimming towards the island, and looked at me in shock. The familiar figure opened his eyes. ¡°Good you¡¯ve come,¡± Jinka said, standing and allowing his metal barrier to flow out, protecting his body. ¡°Let us not tarry; we have but 3 hours to play.¡± ***POV Change*** Whipman watched the display screens nervously. As a current 2nd in command of a team, he didn''t have the standing suggest that they focus on a particularly human. And on the chance Predator grabbed attention, Whipman didn''t know if he wanted to focus on him. The 10 screens in front of the 10 captains shifted, seemingly randomly, as none of them paid attention to the humans. That didn¡¯t surprise Whipman. Most of the captains, Whipman¡¯s captain Grendel included, saw them as nothing but a liability. Still, Grendel probably saw everything as a liability. During the grand melee that had determined the 10 captains and whittled the numbers down to 30, Whipman and Grendel had spent the final 20 minutes fighting to the death. Whipman employed every trick he knew, delaying, misdirecting, dodging, and fleeing when necessary. Grendel, who was a humanoid reptilian, simply watched it all dispassionately, methodically using his seemingly indestructible scales to make up for the skill difference, drawing closer. Whipman was wide eyed and panting when the bell rung, signalling the end of the melee. Grendel closed his mouth, lapping up the bit of his saliva that had dripped on Whipman¡¯s shoulder. As he pulled back, Grendel had whispered, ¡°You will be mine.¡± Much to his surprise, Grendel had apparently meant on his team. That didn¡¯t stop Whipman from breaking out into a cold sweat whenever Grendel loomed over him. ¡®Ah! There he is! Is¡­ he fighting¡­?¡¯ A screen of a captain nearby briefly displayed the familiar form of Predator, sparring with a being of metal, then flashed away extremely quickly quickly. Seemingly bored, the owner of that screen, a masked being known as Jester yawned and stretched. ¡°This is boring¡­ why don¡¯t we play some cards to pass the time?¡± Jester produced a deck of Spud and made the cards dance across his fingers. Seemingly relieved to finally have a break the captains wandered over. Grendel snorted, ignoring Jester¡¯s words, and lay back for a nap. Whipman watched the cards dance over Jester¡¯s fingers, entranced. ***POV Change*** BOOOOM! I slammed into the treeline, hissing. ¡®That damned bluffer¡­!¡¯ Jinka¡¯s body followed soon after, rushing towards me. Regaining my balance, I rushed back towards him, and at the last moment, adopted air stance, using the air pressure created by his movements to slip by. His hands pawed at me ineffectually, unable to catch my elusive form. Growing, he dug his heels into the ground, leaving long troughs and slowing to a stop. He turned to look towards me, and found my flying roundhouse kick waiting for me. From that distance, he had no chance to dodge, and simply flexed the muscles in his neck. Boom! He trembled, but stood still, my momentum crushed. But a long crack was in his metal covering. I grinned, dropping to the ground and adopting thunder stance, lashing forward with a flurry of blows. Jinka raised his arms to block. I deftly gathered a mass of air and slammed it into the back of his legs, sweeping them out from under him. Then I flipped, ending up upside down above his slowly falling form, my eyes narrowing. Creating a air pad above me, I braced my feet against it and leapt downward towards him, preparing to smash into his stomach, crushing into the ground. My eyes widened as his shoulders pivoted, as if there was a perfectly flexible ball joint there instead of a normal human shoulder, back around his body to grab the ground, gaining leverage. Then he kicked, his leg blurring and striking my torso as his stomach twisted away from my blow. I was slammed sideways, flying towards a huge tree trunk. My heart began to thump, pumping heat throughout my body, my eyes blazing. ¡®Not...this...again¡­.!¡¯ ***POV Change*** Spud was a popular game among tower participants, played in two phases. The first phase was a political one, where players took turns ordering another player to exchange cards with them, and the trade would be approved if the non traders unanimously approved it. Very rarely was a trade vetoed. The player holding the demanded card has no say. The trading lasted three rounds of rotation. The amount of cards used depended on how many players, 1 extra card per suit per player. There were 4 suits in Spud: Armor, Wings, Fire, and Death. Armor and Death were paired as enemies, and Fire and Wings were paired. After all trades were completed, players injected a version of their stats into the cards, and players were ranked. So if there were 5 players, the player with the strongest ¡°Armor¡±, determined mostly by Vit, End, and Str relative to the group, would have the possibility of all of his cards changing to the 5 of Armor. However, Each card had an upper limit of what they could transform into. With 5 players, Armor cards with a limit of 1-5 would be dispersed. So although a player could be the strongest, if he received body cards with a limit of 1 and 2, his 5 possible Armor would be useless. To facilitate trades, the back of the card displays what suit it is. Also, for each suit, there are two cards with blue circles, and two with golden stars. The two circles denote the 2nd and 3rd highest limits in the suit. In the 5 player example, they would be present on the 4 and 3 limit cards. The stars were for the minimum and maximum limit cards of the suit. Points were scored during the second phase. To score a point, you had to win a trick, which generally required two things: That you lead the trick, and that you take the trick. You did not earn a point for playing the highest card if you did not lead, only earned yourself the chance to lead during the next trick. Generally, players try and play higher cards of the same suit which was the main way to take the trick, but a 1 in an enemy suit beats anything of the originally played suit. Off suits not 1 of the enemy were thrown away cards, wasted. Whipman watched as 9 of the captains, everyone but Grendel, began the trading phase. A huge being in midnight colored robes frowned at his hand, which was full of Wing and Armor suits. He pointed to another captain. ¡°Give me your Fire, with a circle on it. The left one. The other captain, who had possessed both Fire¡¯s with a circle on it, looked at the rest of the group, who looked on impassively. No one objected. With a bitter expression, the captain put his card on the ground and passed it facedown to the midnight robbed captain. Jester was next, and readjusted the blank grey mask that covered his face. Whipman wondered how he could see. Jester pointed towards a centaur. ¡°I¡¯d like your Wing with a star please.¡± No one objected. The card slid across the table. Jester hummed contentedly. ***POV CHANGE*** The tree trunk was fast approaching, when other me had an idea. It took half a second to run the calculations, and I grinned. Using 75% of my remaining mana, I created 2 huge wind blades, cutting the tree immediately below where I would hit and 10 m above. Even with that huge mana investment, I felt the blade disperse a little over 80% of the way cutting through the tree. -Dammit, this is going to hurt. My eyes were glittering. -...fucking masochist. I smashed into the solid wood, and after a second of panic that it wasn¡¯t enough, the groaning timber snapped, and the tree began to fall. I used 20% more mana, leaving me with 5%, to press down on the top portion of the tree, ripping through the vine layer and making it fall towards Jinka, who was still doing an awkwardly looking handstand with his squat body. He managed to flip around to a squat crouch by the time the tree reached him, but he couldn¡¯t prepare any further. As the huge mass of weight smashed him down, the forest floor rumbled. I used a bit of my remaining mana to form air platforms, repositioning myself. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°CHILDISH!¡± Jinka¡¯s roar echoed throughout the trees, and the huge felled trunk shifted slightly as Jinka shifted it slightly to the side. Disgruntled, panting, and dirty, Jinka hopped off the ground and up onto the tree trunk. ¡°Did you think such a thing would-¡± I used up the rest of my mana, kicking the middle section of trunk I had cut and shoving with air, making it careen back towards Jinka. The vines and smaller branches had obscured his view, allowing me to reposition myself behind the trunk section and kick it towards him, catching him unaware. Although the giant portion of the trunk that fell had more mass, it was simply falling. This smaller portion had momentum, and raced towards Jinka as if shot out of a gun. -Actually, that¡¯s a good idea. If we could make a cylinder of air and then guide it forward¡­ -All of my ideas are good, other me. -All of MY ideas are good. -Isn¡¯t that what I said? Jinka groaned as the huge trunk piece slammed into him, knocking him back and crushing him against a tree. Clapping echoed from the side. I glanced over. I had known we had an audience for a while now, but this was the first time they made themselves known. The clapper was a young boy, the youngest living human I had seen, in a red onesie. He had huge, dark bag under his eyes. The other was a matronly woman in a long grey dress. ¡°Ohoho, vurry impressive. Wanna switch to doubles? I pick this one.¡± The boy¡¯s body seemed to shrink into the shadow of a tree, and reappear in mine, slowly forming from a massless darkness into a human body. The woman shrugged, hopping down onto the huge piece of trunk with which I had smashed Jinka. ¡°I have no objections. It¡¯s been getting a bland just fighting each other anyway.¡± Jinka stepped around from behind the trunk piece, revealing a Jinka sized indentation in the timber. Jinka¡¯s metal barrier was sprinkled with cracks, but they swiftly reformed. I ground my teeth together. ¡®This infuriating bluffer¡­!¡¯ ***POV Change*** The trading round ended, and the backs of the cards became blank as the players injected their stats into the cards, no longer revealing their hands. Some of the captains shuffled their cards, trying to confuse opponents who tried to memorize who had what. Spud was a complicated game that often no one won with this many individuals. Jester, as dealer, led with a 4 of Armor. ¡°Oh, you are that sort of player. Not willing to take the initiative?¡± A captain with slimy green wings asked, throwing away a 2 of Fire while watching Jester¡¯s mask with her bug eyes. Jester just shrugged. The trick was eventually taken by a captain with grey skin, and his eyes sewn shut, playing a 7 of Armor. That player led with a 8 of Armor, which every other captain used to throw away 2s, 3s, and 4s of a suit. The sewn shut eyes guy now led with 1 point. He played a 3 of Fire. ***POV Change*** A shriek split the air as the woman sent one of her razor sharp bird machinations shooting towards me. The vicious thing of metal caught the sunlight, momentarily blinding me. When I finally could see it again, I was forced to hop to the side to avoid it. Several small cuts already demonstrated its infuriating ability to pierce my skin, regardless of my obscenely high End stat. But due to my hasty dodging, Jinka was able to predict my movements, and was waiting for me. He aimed a frontal kick at my chest. Unfortunately, for him, the creature of shadow the boy summoned grabbed him from below, causing Jinka to sink up to his thigh in shadow. Jinka cursed, flailing as if stuck in quicksand. Pleased with myself, I stepped on Jinka¡¯s face and executed a long step, heading towards the direction the woman was standing. But she was already rising higher towards the vine layer, pulled along by a strange mechanism attached to a metal wire. Cursing I noticed that the woman¡¯s two metal birds were heading towards the child. The child¡¯s eyes widened, and he frantically recalled his shadow creature from restrain Jinka and recalled it to allow him to slip away. It didn¡¯t seem like he would make it in time. -Do we intervene? -We have no relation to the child, although he did assist us. And we can use this opportunity to catch the woman -But¡­ We both pictured Jinka¡¯s face if the child died. Best case scenario, I would then kill the woman, but Jinka¡¯s smug face wouldn¡¯t be phased in the slightest, as he would gloat that he had won because he had killed my teammate first. -Dammit. I flicked out three knives. Only slightly missed, curving and whistling among the trees. I began channeling mana. The other two hit the metal birds, deflecting them to each other. Turning, I immediately leapt towards the woman. Once more, she used her wires to fly away, the birds spinning towards me. I landed and prepared for the birds. The child¡¯s shadow beast appeared underneath the branch the woman was heading towards, seeming to smirk. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, she flung out another wire, severing the first, and was pulled in another direction. -Good eye, kid. The knife I had just thrown and controlled with my regenerated mana flew back, severing the woman¡¯s newly thrown wire. I used air stance to slip past her two birds, causing them to slam deeply into the tree trunk. The woman twisted, looking for another place to throw a new wire, but it wouldn¡¯t be in time. I prepared to leap. -Got you~...! DAMMIT! Jinka slammed into me from behind, knocking me off my purchase on the branch. I turned and was met with a dizzying punch to my jaw. I turned again and used Water cadence to entangle his arms and get a grip on his skull, practically slithering my body around behind him. I began punching him in the back of the head. Heedless, his shoulders twisted around, reaching for me. -This double jointed fuck¡­! We slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of me and me off Jinka. I tried to blink away the weariness, seeing Jinka annoying hop up immediately. ¡°Hehe, I have waited a long time for this chance-¡± Jinka fell into the shadow beneath him as if there was a hole, appearing next to the boy. The woman¡¯s two birds, which were screaming towards the boy, slammed into Jinka¡¯s body, their beaks sharp enough to pierce into his back. Jinka fell to one knee, groaning. Standing, I brushed myself off and rushed towards the woman¡¯s vulnerable back. ***POV Change*** ¡°Just because we have nothing else to do¡­¡± Jester spoke as the midnight robed captain had just taken the trick, letting him lead. There were 3 rounds left in the game of Spud. The only person with the point was the creature with its eyes sewn shut. ¡°I put up my two picks, first and second, against yours, Qwata, that I will win this game. If I win, I get both the first picks of ours, if I lose, I get the two second picks.¡± Because the picks were assigned snake style based on who came through the portal, and Jester and Qwata, the creature with its eyes sewn shut, were the first and second picks, this meant whoever won had the first two humans to come through, while the loser had the last two. Qwatta tilted his head to the side, then nodded. Whipman began to sweat. After asking for Grendel¡¯s permission, he had traded for the 3rd and 4th to last picks for humans. Everyone assented, disinterested. He had done so based on the kid¡¯s ability to travel for shadow. He had assumed that soon, Predator would cease fighting and head to the teleporter. But¡­ ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± The midnight robed captain lead with the 9 of Fire. Jester tossed in the 6 of Wings. ***POV Change*** Jinka and eye were simply standing 5 feet from each other and pummeling each other, fists heedlessly allowed past guards as we completed on raw offensive output. -...And you are losing. I gritted my teeth, surging forward with faster strikes from Thunder Stance. The main reason for this was his metal covering was slightly damaging my fists every time I struck, while although my body was comparatively durable, it possessed none of the intimidating rigidity. -Which would be fine if I was strong enough to reliably crack his defenses, but¡­ The woman paused, looking at us both, then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going on ahead. Don¡¯t die, we are humanity¡¯s hope.¡± She shot off on her wires, leaving the kid sighing. He watched us duke it out for the next 5 minutes in silence. ***POV Change*** ¡°Well, well, looks like you have lost your bet,¡± The green wing captained chuckled, taking the 2nd to last trick with a 5 of Fire. After much deliberation, Jester had thrown down a 1 of Wings. The green wing captain swiveled its bug eyes, then it led with a 3 of Wings. It was beaten by a 4 of Wings, the Centaur captain who had a confident expression as it went around the table. They had already seen the 1s of everything, so he would take the trick. Not that it mattered, then game would end, but there was honor in holding the trick when the game ended. Sighing, Jester laid down the 9 of Death. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s my lost¡­ I get the fattest of the humans.¡± All the captains, even Grendel, laughed uproariously. ***POV Change*** Just as I was finally getting several good hits in a row, Jinka fell into the ground, disappearing. Blinking, I looked around. ¡°Sent him to the end, ya dunce. There is onny a minute left. Let¡¯s go." The boy said. I fell into the shadow, then appeared in light, then disappeared. ***** ***POV Change*** Whipman gazed at Predator and the child standing behind Jester, his mind working furiously. Jester¡¯s screen had shifted away from Predator abruptly. Then he had proposed the game. All the captains were distracted. And by the end, Jester ended up getting Predator and the child. ...Was it all just a coincidence? And the cards¡­ Jester had a 1 of Wings, 9 of Death, and a 6 of Fire. The winning cards in the final 3 rounds were a 9 of Fire, the 5 of Fire, and then a 4 of Wings. The table knew by the final 3 that all the 1s were gone.... If Jester had played the 1 of Wings to beat the Fire trick, then played the 9 of Death, and finished with 6 of Fire, wouldn¡¯t he have earned 2 points¡­? Whipman shook his head. You couldn¡¯t predict how a game would turn if things were done differently. It was unlikely that it would have turned out so neatly. How much foresight would you need for that? Jester had likely made a mistake, and lost his bet. ¡°Well here are our teams! We will begin our competition tomorrow. Good luck to everyone! You may have the rest of the day off. With barely any threats of death~¡± The sourceless voice boomed out, and Whipman sighed, miserable. **** Immediately after, Predator sought out Whipman. At Predator¡¯s excited insistence, Predator demonstrated his thunder and air stance. Sighing, Whipman shook his head. ¡°...When did you have time to learn so many bad habits?¡± ¡°...Eh?¡± ¡°We are going to start from square one. Alright, let¡¯s go. Assume a squat. Oh, why is my disciple such an idiot¡­.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Day 28 Day 28 Yawning, I sat up in the extremely tiny room and looked around. Our rooms had been rearranged since being assigned to teams, but we still dealt with the completely featureless walls. I knocked on the opening wall, and it obligingly parted, letting me out. I spent all of my Essence and increased my maximum amount. I was now up to 20, which was pleasing in a way, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it until I left this god forsaken floor and it¡¯s annoying boss- ¡°Good morning all~ Oh, some of you weren¡¯t awake? Well now you are, so why complain? Please report to the main viewing area in an hour for the official rules of round two.¡± -Smug little bastard. Ignoring that grating voice, I stretched and tried to imitate the forms that Whipman had shown me yesterday. I was still struggling to find the right way to do Water and Earth stances, but Thunder Stance was making more and more sense. Although Whipman generally derided my form, my center of gravity, my momentum, the position of my feet, where my eyes were looking, the speed of my strikes, and my moral integrity, he did at least say that I had some understandings of the uses of the 4 forms that he had taught me. ¡°Just like a pig knows where to find food,¡± he had whispered when he thought I wasn¡¯t listening. -Is that really the praise we want to hang our hat on¡­? -What else is there. Stillness, and then surging power. Wrath. I spent that next hour practicing, then headed towards the viewing area. To my delight, most of the viewing area had been taken up by a giant buffet table full of food. I rushed over and immediately began gobbling things up. -They even have larva <3 The larva bowl was promptly picked up and devoured in its entirety by me. Several other strange creatures were standing around, picking at food, but I had arrived with 10 minutes to spare, and most of the people hadn¡¯t arrived yet. I continued eating food, vacuuming around half of the dishes clean before everyone else arrived, and began worriedly eating, noticing that most of the food had been devoured already. As everyone settled down, a screen flickered to life, fuzzy and shuddering. But then it twisted and flickered, and a perfect picture appeared of rather fat man in black and white striped clothes. He appeared to have an unassuming body, two arms, two legs, no extra limbs, but he didn¡¯t have a head. The neck connected to nothing. Air hung over his body like bad news in a hospital waiting room. The body began doing cartwheels. ¡°Welcome~ I¡¯m glad to finally see you all up close!¡± The voice giggled. -So, this is the all-powerful floor controller, huh¡­? ¡°Now that everyone has arrived¡­.ah? Not everyone is here¡­. Well, they can just figure out the rules on their own. Now then¡­¡± Rolling my eyes, I tried to imagine what idiot would ignore the summons from the voice. My face fell as I scanned the crowd. Notable absences included Whipman, Jinka, and the creature who was the captain of my team, Jester. ***POV Change*** Jester strolled along the path from his room, thinking. Then, for no reason that a spectator could tell, he stopped. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± A figure detached itself from a wall, resolving itself into a grinning young man with white hair and fox ears. ¡°Jus waiting for my captain. Where were ya off to this morning?¡± ¡®None of your business. I¡¯ll rip your eyes out and suck the bloody sockets dry.¡¯ But Jester just tilted his head to the side and said in a merry voice. ¡°Exploring our living quarters! This is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge and adventure to be found, right outside our door.¡± The fox creature laughed. ¡°Yanno, decent folk won¡¯t trust you if you constantly deflect like that. Aren¡¯tcha worried about the public¡¯s opinion?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t YOU worried about annoying your captain¡­? I¡¯m sure I have the power to punish you, If you¡¯ve been naughty.¡± Jester tittered. Shaking his head, the fox creature said, ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve watched you for a while. You might play around a bit, but everything you do is deadly serious. That¡¯s why I¡¯m excited to see why you arranged for those two humans to be on your team. I wanna see em in action~¡± There was no pause in Jester¡¯s gait, but an extremely high tech thermometer would have detected that the air around him abruptly became exactly 13 degrees more cold. ¡°Indeed? You so casually dissect my actions? Aren¡¯t you afraid of a...hasty reaction?¡± Jester said casually. The fox creature bobbed his head in a cheery manner. ¡°That¡¯s why I went outta my wait to impress ya. If I getcha attention, prove I¡¯m valuable, indispensable even, you¡¯ll keep me around. ¡°Not that I think ya will ever like me.¡± The fox creature laughed. ¡°But ya value strength. I¡¯ve shown strength. You won¡¯t toss me aside.¡± Jester considered for several minutes as they walked towards the viewing area. Then he reached out and touched the fox man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re right. Thanks¡± ¡°For wha-¡± But the fox man abruptly lost his ability to talk. His strength drained from him, and a deep chill crept into his body. He looked up at the blank grey mask with mounting horror. ¡°Still, you miscalculated.¡± Jester said lightly. The next to phrase Jester injected into the fox man¡¯s mind with enough malice and grief to drive a man insane. ¡®There are two things I hate more than any other: people who say they understand me and being seen as ¡® A long pause. ¡®Predictable.¡¯ Jester let go, letting the husk sucked of all life fall to the ground. He walked towards the meeting area, whistling. ***POV Change*** ¡°Now then¡­ Round two. This game is a bit more involved~ It¡¯s multi-team capture the flag! If you look at this map, you will see that there are 9 circles on the map.¡± The display shifted from the floor controller to a map that looked like it was drawn by a child. In the center was a yellow circle, surrounded by a blue circle with crayon blue waves to indicate water. Outside that were trees of various sizes, spreading out to a huge black circle, which seemed to be the end of the area. Spread throughout the badly drawn trees were 8 more yellow circles. 4 were deep with the forest, near the edges of the arena, at the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest edges of the circle. The other 4 were at the cardinal directions, slightly set back from the lake, but nowhere near as deep within the forest. ¡°One on the platform, 8 in the forest! Each yellow dot has Deed sitting in a small fort at its center. A team member must sign his or her name as owner of the deed, then put down his team as part of the property. Anyone who is not on a deed either as owner or property at nightfall will perish! Painfully~ Every morning, there is a slight chance that some of the deeds will stop working...it¡¯s a work in progress.¡± -To force us to fight against other teams for their deeds. ¡°A Deed owner may not leave the fort! When the deed owner dies, his/her name disappears from the Deed, and it may be signed by a new owner! And everyone who was listed as property under that Deed must now obey the heard orders of the new owner~ The game will continue until all remaining people are listed on one Deed under one person, or dead. Oh, and one last thing. There is a special rule¡­ The Deed owner of the central island will have an unlimited mana pool! Now we just need to randomly select who will be teleported where....¡± ***POV Change*** Jester tapped his grey mask, looking across the crowd who was gazing seriously at the map. He was barely able to resist the urge to roll his eyes. ¡®Of course, based on the rules, there is a hidden way for us all to survive¡­ We simply all agree to go forward under 1 leader to the 4th tower, but¡­¡¯ A bit of madness warped his next thought. ¡®Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡¯ ***POV Change*** ¡°Well, actually no, I have one more, special, rule¡­¡± The voice said with a sinister air, and the belts on all the competitors began to change, alternating between blue and red. I grimaced, but watched as the color of a lizard next to me settled on red with no real harm befalling him. A slight pixy had his belt settle on red. A huge ogre woman got blue. Mine settled on blue. ¡°Okay, this part¡¯s real simple. If your color is red, you can only punch and use physical attacks. If you are blue, only mana based attacks. Hahaha, I¡¯m sure all of you have reached some level of mastery in both, so what does it matter which you are limited to, right?¡± The gathering became deathly quiet. -Only mana based abilities¡­? -And he, or really it, will destroy any minions summoned... ¡°Now on to the random location selections...Oh!¡± I blinked. This time the voice seemed genuinely shocked. ¡°It appears that¡­ an unfortunate accident has already befallen one of the challengers. Perhaps a lovers quarrel? Either way, since that team only has 4 people¡­ I¡¯ll reward you by letting you start on the central island!¡± ***** To my annoyance, mine was the team that suffered an accident. We appeared on the central island instantly. I looked over our team members. The kid I knew from our brief battle together, but the others¡­ The team captain was named Jester, and looked just as creepy as the floor controller. He had a grey mask and dirty black clothes. The other member was an old, bald woman with green skin and a hunchback. Strangely we had received balanced colors: bald woman and Jester were red, the kid and I were blue. What was even more shocking is that Jester immediately told the kid to sign the Deed as the owner. ¡°But we must swim to shore quickly,¡± Jester added, immediately jumping off into the water. Shrugging, I followed suit. The bald woman belly flopped, giggling. Then she shot forward like a cannon through the water, leaving me flabbergasted. ¡°Wait, why?!?¡± The kid was plainly scared. ¡°We are planning an ambush of course. The allure of that infinite mana will pull all of the teams this way to start. Just sign the lease and we will have to obey you, so just yell ¡®help¡¯ when you are in trouble, alright?¡± The boy hurriedly scribbled his name down, and then yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t leave eye shot!¡± Jester nodded amicably, and we resumed swimming. ***** Within 5 minutes, the first of the other teams showed up. They stayed on the shore for long enough that another team showed up. The first team was lead by the Female Ogre who had a blue belt, the second team by a centaur with a red one. After they began fighting, it quickly became clear that the Ogre¡¯s team was severely limited by the colors of their belts. The ogre, unable to use her well muscled body, threw rather puny fireballs and breathed poison gas. Just as the last of the Ogre¡¯s team were getting slaughtered, a huge rumbling emerged. A giant horned demon, formed entirely of shadow, appeared and slashed at the centaurs team with vicious claws, killing two of the team members, including the centaur. The rest turned and fled. ¡°About time he used the mana,¡± Jester mumbled to himself. **** It took another half hour for another team to arrive. This team was lead by an extremely tall creature in midnight blue robes. A blue light came from his belt, complementing the whole ensemble. Standing next to him was an even taller golden golem with huge fists. That creature¡¯s belt was red. The rest of the team waited on the shore while the robed man raised a staff and the two floated towards the central isle. ¡°Stand still, this is painful, but necessary.¡± Jester abruptly appeared in front of me, then slapped both ears, rupturing my ear drums. I frowned at him. He pointed towards the two people floating towards the isle. -Is he saying it¡¯s so we don¡¯t hear the order us to help the kid? -That doesn¡¯t make sense. We never were listed on the Deed as property, so we didn¡¯t have to obey the child¡¯s orders anyway. -Are we abandoning him? -Seems so. At least he eliminated two other teams. -Well, he¡¯s not dead yet. The huge shadow creature surged into existence, its mouth wide. But the scene was slightly devoid of gravity without sound. The robed man soundlessly raised his staff and began shooting green lightning bolts at the demon. The demon rushed closer, not phased in the slightest. Grimacing, the robed man chanced tactics, shooting glittering beams of light. Although much less powerful than the bolts, these could actually hit the demon. The demon began bobbing and weaving, surging closer. Then abruptly a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th demon emerged, manipulated shadows controlled by the boy. They lashed out, striking the duo from every side. The fists of the golden golem began spinning, and a strange energy surrounded its body, dispersing the encroaching darkness. A tap on my shoulder distracted me. Jester was pointing towards the three members of the group left behind, miming killing them. -Ah, because he can¡¯t use magic. -This brings up the real issue. Do we follow this Jester? He seems¡­ -Unbalanced? Cold? Cruel? Perhaps. But also- -But also strong. But also decisive. But also knowledgeable about the Tower. Narrowing my eyes, I nodded slowly and created a few dozen wind blades and threw them towards the unsuspecting members of the team.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 5¡±. Damage has improved. Control over thickness and length of the blade has improved.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. They died flailing and soundless. It was almost tragic. But they had been just enough for me.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 19. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Frost Fang Packleader¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N
I ignored the notification for now, eyeing Jester¡¯s featureless visage. It was not a good idea to reveal weakness in front of this creature. There were a dozen shadows, leaping and striking, and the two approaching figures were starting to stall out in their advance, barely able to fend off the harassers. But then the shadows dispersed. The robed figure gazed around, shocked. The boy was floating, slowly rising over the middle island. Even from this distance, the bags under his eyes were incredibly noticeable, and seemingly growing. A huge swirling rift of sulfur and hellfire formed above his head and gleefully, he pointed towards the ground. Shards of that hellfire rained from the swirling vortex, smashing into the ground and resolving into similar demons to the shadows he controlled, but these were physical manifestations of that demon. Those demons immediately aged, withering and dying. -No belts¡­no minions. Other me almost sounded sorrowful. I kept my eyes on the boy, watching his glee turn to slack-jawed shock. While the boy was using his mana for the ultimately useless spell, the midnight robed figure and the golden golem made it to the platform. Too late, the boy began to summon shadows again, rushing to harry them, but the robed figure raised his staff and shot out green lightning bolts. On sizzled past the boy¡¯s head, singing his hair. Another shattered his left leg. A third ripped out the boy¡¯s throat. Nothing more than a lump of meat, he fell to the ground. Without waiting to see more, the three of us turned and retreated into the trees. ***** ¡°Why the eardrums?¡± We had all healed, and were heading towards the Southwest Deed. It was the direction that the first teams had come from, and Jester suspected it would be currently abandoned. ¡°Gemze, the golden automaton, has a skill that let¡¯s him detect anyone who can hear him. Incredibly useful, I wish I had it¡­¡± Jester started muttering to himself for a while, then turned back to me. ¡°Are your delicate sensibilities miffed that I let your fellow human die?¡± Jester seemed genuinely concerned. Rather than correct his assumptions about my race, I simply shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m more confused why we just let the middle point go. If we held it, it would be rather easy to control for the next few days. They would likely eventually mob us, but that¡¯s going to be messy no matter what side you are on; better to be on the side that has infinite mana.¡± Jester just looked at me with his blank mask. Then he turned to the bald woman. ¡°Toddie, did you hear that? The human spoke words and arranged them in a reasonable sequence. Was it just a fluke?¡± Toddie remained silent, bobbing her head. Turning back to me, Jester said. ¡°You¡­ are right. If that¡¯s all we wanted, to be the last team in round 2, then we would stay there. But it¡¯s not what we want. Because you know what the final round of Floor 3 always is? You fight against the Floor Controller, who has access to infinite mana. Why do you think no one ever survives this floor?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It may be unlikely, but-¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t exaggerate. Since this headless individual was installed as the floor controller, no one has survived this floor. No being, no spirit, no bionic, no sentient existence even debatably alive has made it. This is the one true trash grinder. Anyone deemed to be slightly in possession of potential is able to skip it. Path bosses from the first floor wait until they have enough money to bribe their way up past it.¡± -Whoops. Jester patted my cheek. ¡°I already called dibs on the first position, and Toddie is second, but you are welcome to be the third individual to survive.¡± ***** Jester refused to talk after that, his muttering overtaking him, and we continued through the trees. We finally reached a squat little tower. Inside was nothing but a wide room a table, and an unsigned Deed. He signed the controller portion, then watched me with as held the pen and hesitated. ¡°Oh? Having¡­ second thoughts?¡± Jester¡¯s voice changed, becoming soft, velvety, and sweet like poison. ¡°Uh, no. I just don¡¯t know how to write my name.¡± ***** After that was handle, I retired to a large treetop some distance away, above the vine layer. I turned back to the notification. -We have a growth rate that benefits mana, agility, and the mental stats. It¡¯s likely worth it to stick with it for another level. I shivered, eyes scanning around in the darkness, my perception stretched to its limits. -If I get caught in the middle of a mutation¡­ Other me just seemed to shrug. -No way we would be that unlucky. -...if you say so. I clicked yes to retain the growth rate.
Growth Rate retained!
Vit +1
Str +6
Agi +22
Dex +19
Processing Power +36
Memory + 13
Wis +9
Timeless Perception +30
Mana +398
All Biomass has been consumed! Due to consuming 1001 Biomass, 0 chances at improvement gained. 1 chance at a greater improvement gained.
-Greater improvement¡­.? -Sounds painful.
Chance One: ¡­ Genetic Entanglement!
Due to the chance being a Greater Improvement, Evolutionary Leap applied to Racial Growth Rate. Racial Growth Rate has changed from ¡°Frost Fang Packleader¡± to ¡°Warden of Glacier and Moon¡±. Due to receiving the Growth Rate of a unique figure, Genetic Entanglement¡¯s effectiveness will be reduced to 20%.
¡°Ah. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.¡± I thought a mutation was painful. But that was nothing. That was heat building and building within my body until I was either refined or I began to cool. This was a force running through me, systematically erasing my previous existence and reconstituting it. I felt the strangeness in me growing, as something foreign was added, and my two sides began to war with each other. Cells were ripped apart, reconstructed, and then began to tremble as the incompatibilities grated. The vibrations shook me, and I fell to my knees. I dry heaved, but all Biomass had been consumed; nothing remained in my stomach. My teeth were chattering so badly that I bit off my own tongue. The bloody hunk of flesh fell on the ground. Groaning, I lost control of my muscles and fell on it, the still warm piece of me still vibrating from the damage done to its cells. By stomach was rolling and every bit of me was on fire. I was dying, slowly but surely. I couldn¡¯t withstand the agony.
Initialization complete. Beginning Entanglement.
The next three seconds were several eternities. I was the sun, and I was combustible, and I was fire, and then I was ash, and I was blown away by the wind, and I knew no more. I passed out. ***POV Change*** Although Jester knew that men had their needs, he disapproved of Predator being so vocal about his climaxes: after all, some individuals were trying to sleep. Jester leaped lightly up through the trees, approaching Predator¡¯s location, which had gone quiet. Tiptoeing dramatically to amuse himself, Jester rode a vine to a position overlooking Predator. What he saw made him frown. The figure below him groaned, shifting his weight, shakily pushing himself off the ground. Predator, Jester assumed, was human. 2 m tall, yellow eyes, part of his one ear missing, messy looking black hair¡­ But this figure¡­ He was at least ? a meter taller than that. The hair was now down past his shoulders. He pushed himself up, and Jester caught his silhouette. A luminescent yellow eye glowed in the darkness. But it was still recognizably Predator. Just a slightly bigger version of him. Predator stood, swaying, and looked at his hands, long marbled nails sticking out from the edge of his fingers like claws. Jester hopped down, inspecting him. The movement caught Predator¡¯s attention, and he turned to look at Jester. While the left eye was glowing yellow, the yellow was a burning clear blue. ¡°Well,¡± Jester commented after a moment of looking at each other. ¡°You seem a bit different.¡± ***POV Change***
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Pain Tolerance Lvl 8¡±. Ability to handle pain improves. Only pain fundamental to your very existence will phase you.
Congratulations! Genetic Entanglement Successful. Gained the Title ¡°Warden of Glacier and Moon¡±: All stats +10. Max Essence +5. Gained the Skill ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 1¡±. Gained the Skill ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 1¡±. Gained the Skill ¡°Implacable Will¡±.
You feel a voice calling to you from the 34th Floor of The Great Tower.
Warning! System Solicitors have been notified of your existence, but not your location. Exercise caution.
¡°Uh, yea. I feel different too.¡± I stretched my arms and legs. Although my muscles were still sore from spasming, that was quickly passing. I hopped up and down experimentally. I examined my claws. I brought up my status and looked at it.
Name:PredatorLevel:19
Race:Biomass:
Racial Growth Rate:Warden of Glacier and MoonEssence:12/25
Health Regen:x2.1Mana:1692/1897
Vit:80 (+15)End:57 (+15)
Str:82 (+15)Agi:89 (+15)
Dex:78 (+15)Memory:256 (+15)
Processing Power:330 (+15)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:127 (+15)Luck:33 (+15)
Timeless Perception:116 (+15)
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of WarMaster of Throwing KnivesWarden of Glacier and Moon
Skills
Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 9Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Silent Kill Lvl 1
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 5Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2Physicality Lvl 7Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 2
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterWind Stance Lvl 1Wind Blade Lvl 5
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1Sneak Attack Lvl 1My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 1
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 1Lunar Affinity Lvl 1Implacable Will Lvl 1
Then I turned to Jester. ¡°Who are the system solicitors?¡± Jester froze. Then, after a long moment, he doubled over, laughing. It took several minutes for his giggles to settle to the point where he could speak. ¡°Oh my, Predator. I was so right to pick you. Haha!¡± And after slapping my back, he walked away. "Always such an amusing fellow..." -That asshole gets off on being mysterious, doesn¡¯t he... ***Author''s Note*** Well it seems like you guys weren''t super psyched about.... Spud. Was it bad that I couldn''t remember the name for a few seconds? Haha, I could explain the rules blind folded, but the name xD. I might try and make a mock up and force some friends of mine to play with me, see how it works in practice. Long story short, I won''t keep it to the minimum for a while, give you some more typical adventury nonsense... (Basically, I"m upset because Spud was the vehicle with which I could finally be the type of author that drags on something pointless for 20 chapters, then follows with a super hype chapter that is entirely reactions, which has always been my dream...) Anyways, we finally have system screens again! I forgot how annoying they are to add to the chapter. Such a time sink... Still, the plot waits for no one, not even me, and we need to move forward! Whoops, had to edit because I forgot to add his status at the end xD. I''m so tired... Day 29 Day 29 The voice of the floor controller woke me up. ¡°Oh noooooooo, the Northwest Deed has stopped working, and the land surrounding it is beginning to fall into the ground. Hopefully everyone there will get out alright~ Also, due to overachievers yesterday, not all of the Deeds were signed! Due to disuse, the Northern Deed is sinking into the ground, as well as the land in that area.¡± I was slightly annoyed because the increase in max essence from my transformation last night meant that I hadn¡¯t recovered to max; it would take 5 more hours. I found Jester laying around in the tower, and tried to ask him again about the system solicitors, but he just rolled away from me and considered snoring. Swearing to myself that I would someday get back at him, I walked outside. ***POV Change*** Grendel had taken the team towards the Northeastern Deed, signing it immediately. What they had not expected is that two individuals, a human and a Telllite fleeing from battle, had arrived and begged to be allowed into their team. Grendel, seemingly uncaring, let them sign up as property. So Whipman, Jinka, and Song (the woman who manipulated the metal birds) sat awkwardly across from the two refugees, waiting for something to happen. Grendel seemed to be still sleeping. The other original member of the team, Tomptka, was scouting around. Whipman wondered bitterly if the Tellite woman, who had very well muscled forearms, even noticed that he was a Tellite. His skin had discolored since being reanimated, and his wizened body possessed none of the charm or vitality of a healthy Tellite of his age. ¡°What are your names and abilities? Teamwork will be improved if we understand each other a bit better,¡± Song said with a smile. Inwardly, Whipman praised her as a godsend, and tried to appear nonchalant. The two women, human and Tellite looked at each other. Both belts they wore were blue. The human spoke first. ¡°I...my names Kissy. I can¡­ well, right now I can just increase health and mana regen of people¡­¡± Kissy shrugged helplessly, looking at the Tellite. Whipman couldn¡¯t help but admire the lean lines of the Tellite¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I am Ashni. I have no magic, so for now, I will do whatever it takes to survive¡­ but when I pass this godforsaken challenge, I will return triumphant to Tellus, where I am enrolled in an Expert level Thunder Academy.¡± ¡°What?!¡±¡± Whipman gasped. ¡°But you are so young!¡± Ashni regarded him coolly, ¡°Indeed. I suspect that my age demonstrates my physical ability well enough.¡± She once more shut her eyes. Whipman struggled to think of something to draw her into conversation. He idly wondered if she had ever taken an apprentice, and would like to commiserate over their uselessness. ***POV Change*** The body had taken a little bit of getting used to, but mostly it was because the body was so stiff. Most of the morning was spent stretching, limbering, and stretching further. I winced, rubbing at a sore muscle in my neck. Hopefully this was just a bit of growing pains, and not a sigh of more to come. I also resolved myself to to never have over 1000 extra Biomass when retaining a growth rate ever again. Thunder Stance and Wind Stance were my main focuses after I had achieved some amount of flexibility.The Three basic forms: Stiff Breeze, Cutting Gust, Silent Zephyr. Palm strike, knife strike, slash¡­ -Honestly though¡­ I looked at my nails. They had grown perhaps two inches, and were a strange, marbled mixture of white and black, in a way that almost appeared purposefully painted. -Huhuhu, you certainly have developed a certain artistic flair these days. -But setting aside aesthetics¡­ I slashed at a nearby tree, ripping through the bark and leaving long furrows in the timber. Admiring the damage done, I flexed my hand and put it up against the tree. Then I pressed, digging my nails deeply into the wood, ripping out a huge chunk without much effort. Letting the shaving fall from my hand, I grinned. -Heh. I¡¯ll rip that smug expression off that bluffer¡¯s face. -Before you start monologuing, on to the next order of business¡­ I blinked, then realized to my chagrin what other me meant. ¡®The Skills¡¯ Choosing Ice because I thought it would be more predictable, I channeled my mana. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s cold.¡± Before I had even noticed what was happening, my right arm was almost completely covered in frost. Hastily rubbing off the ice, I spent a few minutes letting feeling return and then tried again. This time I focused on my hand, ignoring the growing numbness and just encasing my entire hand in a block of ice the size of my head. Slightly pleased, I flexed my hand. It didn¡¯t move. I frowned. It took a few minutes of scratching at the ice to realize that this would take forever. Gritting my teeth, I smashed the ice encasing my hand against the tree, figuring that even if I were injured, it would heal quickly enough. Slamming the ice against the tree produced a dull noise, and cracked the tree¡¯s bark. There was a slight discoloration on the ice, but otherwise little else. My eyelid began to twitch. ***** It took quite a bit of blunt force and effort to crack the ice. I eventually jumped off a tree and punched as hard as I could into the ground at the end of my fall, shattering the ice and most of my fingers. But still, it demonstrated how effective the ice could be as a restrain. Unfortunately, forming the ice had cost around 500 mana, and that was just enough to cover my hand. Still, if I took the process more slowly, restraining a captive would be a piece of cake. -Yes, but why would we not just kill them and reanimate them? Then they would be forced to obey us. Ignoring the question that left me stumped, I continued to experiment with the capabilities of Lesser Ice Affinity. It seemed that I could only created the cold through contact with my skin. I could cool the air nearby, but it generally drained mana very quickly and the bite of the cold dispersed quickly. When I put my hand on a tree trunk and channeled, I could send frost up 10 m above my head; apparently the direct contact boosted the effective range of the ice skills. After experimenting with this for a while, I received a notification that gave me an idea.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 2¡±. Chilling effect has improved. Control over created ice vastly improves. Mana costs slightly decreased.
I concentrated, willing the ice to form in my hand. A sorta oblong lump of ice formed in my hand. Dropping it, I wiped my hand on my pants and tried again. This time, I went longer, forming a stick about two feet long. I dropped that too, and tried again, this time forming a pyramid of ice on my hand. -What are you doing? -Seeing how much control I have. I¡¯m slowly getting better. It¡¯s hard, it resists the shapes. But if we can form ice into knives...They might be allowed to be used while we are here, because they were formed of mana. And who doesn¡¯t want an endless supply of knives? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ***POV Change*** Grendel strolled into the front room, interrupting the awkward silent. He grunted, gesturing at Whipman. ¡°Come, we have company.¡± Whipman felt Ashni¡¯s eyes follow him as he accompanied Grendel out the door. He wondered if he looked cool. ***POV Change*** Taking a break from pointlessly producing dozens of ice lumps, I experimented with the Lunar Affinity. Immediately after I started, a notification popped up.
Due to sunlight, manifestation of Lunar phenomenon has only 50% effectiveness.
-So typical. I channeled mana through it, but nothing happened. I allowed more mana to flow. Still nothing. Only when the amount of mana I was using reached about 600 did a small wisp of white mist appear. Fascinated, I willed it and it shifted, shimmering through the air. It was opalescent and luminous. It reminded me of liquid pearl. Most strange of all, when I focused, it transformed from mist to become physically dense for a brief instance. I spun it around my body, marveling at the control. I condensed it into a tiny shield, a tiny sword, a tiny spear, a feather, a small personal moon. I danced with it for several minutes, using it to rip large troughs in the ground and nearby tries. It was strong, stronger than by claws. I willed it down, imbuing it into my hand, meaning to try slashing with both, but the mist flickered and died. Blinking, I realized that my mana pool was completely empty. A chuckling from behind me made my hackles rise, and I spun around, only to find the old bald woman Toddie. She was bobbing her head. ¡°Yes? You need something?¡± I said sharply. I didn¡¯t take it well that she had managed to sneak up behind me. She just kept bobbing her head and humming tunelessly. ¡°Your magic was pretty.¡± Feeling slightly self conscious, I walked 10 more meters away from her, and began practicing the 4 cadences. ***POV Change*** Whipman fell to his knees, shocked. Grendel¡¯s sightless eyes gazed straight ahead, dead. The victorious captain walked purposefully forward towards Whipman. It was tall, with a thin, husk like body and its eyes sewn shut. Its name was Qwata. Following him was an emotionless human male with short, dark hair, who had kept Whipman at bay with his staff while Qwata absolutely eviscerated Grendel. Whipman felt a cold hand descend on his shoulder. ¡°Your battle prowess in spite of your low stats was admirable,¡± It¡¯s cold voice was sinister and jittery, like the sound of insects eating dried leaves. ¡°And I always have a soft spot inside me for my fellow undead¡­¡± It disturbed Whipman that the creature had omitted the use of the word heart. Qwata made a sharp gesture to the man. ¡°Go, sign this Lease. You will be in control of them.¡± ***POV Change*** What made me sweat even more was that after a while, Toddie came and joined me as I practiced the earth cadence. She even did it better than I could manage, asking me about the more advanced forms. I switched to water stance, but she was even more prodigiously talented, if that were possible, at that one. Giggling, she smashed my chest with her hand during a light spar. I fell back, sputtering. ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t use physical force,¡± Toddie shook her head. ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s fine. You forget your back leg and arm. Earth is all parts at once. Push and pull, advance and retreat. All force comes from a lack of force elsewhere.¡± I nodded slowly. The resentment builds. It creeps into all things. Although it may be addressed on one side, pressure is building on another. You impale yourself on it because you don¡¯t expect it to shift so fundamentally, when it is such a deep rooted thing. With my eyes closed, I began to move through the exercises for Earth Stance, feeling the weight of my base. All strength came from the depth of that base, and- ¡°Oy, you, property.¡± I blinked, my train of thought lost. Inwardly I was slightly furious; It was unlikely that I would be able to regain that level of insight easily. But at the same time, Jester¡¯s arrival meant we would likely be leaving to attack another Deed. ¡°Where to?¡± I went straight to the point. Jester looked at me, his head tilted to the side as he settled into a laying position. ¡°What? Oh, no, we aren¡¯t leaving. I can¡¯t leave the land area, remember? I signed the Deed as owner. I miscalculated; I¡¯m stuck here. Whoops. But I was just lonely back at the tower. You shouldn¡¯t host a team yoga exercise without me, Predator. Bad form.¡± Doing my best to control my rising temper, I spent the rest of the day training the cadences and Ice Affinity, once my mana regained. Unfortunately, every time I was close to the mindset needed to refine my stances, Jester would begin with his snide comments, infuriating me and driving the training from my mind. There was one positive outcome from these surges of hot anger, however.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 2¡±. Enhanced state is slightly easier to activate. The rate at which the flow of blood removes debuffs has increased. Aspects of your Racial Growth Rate ¡°Warden of Glacier and Moon¡± have been integrated to this ability: increased heart rate leads to a slightly sharper mental state.
Belatedly, right before bed, I spent my Essence, my max increasing to 26. Although It was frustrating that I didn¡¯t have access to Whipman to help me with my form, I definitely was improving thanks to Toddie. And the time given to me to practice my ice was definitely useful. Still, the last thing I did before heading to sleep was pray for strife; I didn¡¯t know how to survive without it. The free time made me nervous. I wanted my blood to pump, and for adrenaline to sweep away my worries. ***Author''s Note*** Hey all. I want to take this opportunity to encourage you all to follow, favorite, or rate me if you haven''t already. I have a specific reason for requesting this. A bit of background; before uploading any chapters to here, I had days 1-7 written (which have been called terrible and janky, and I''m too busy writing more to go back and fix them. Let''s just assume that your smiling faces, readers, have made my writing improve ^.^). So I uploaded all seven in like 3 hours that one day. SOMEHOW a reader arrived, read up to Day 4, wrote a review, and then disappeared, apparently not noticing that 3 more chapters were out within the hour. Chapters, I would say, that improve dramatically on the story. Day 5 is when you meet Ketlia, for god''s sake. I am very thankful for the reader who gave me my first review. I have just become increasingly infuriated that my top review is on material only up to Day 4! Well anyway, rant done. Woo, I need some stress relieving hobbies. Day 30.1 ***Author''s Note*** Not really important for reading, but important if you want predictability going forward. Point 1: The days are becoming more restrictive than useful. I thought about it, and sometimes I don''t want to sit down and writing 15 pages over 4 hours to release a chapter that involves a series of fights. And I don''t want to condense it, like I did with the original series of climactic fights like I did for the end of his arc as a path boss. I''d rather do 7-8 over 2 hours and release it like that. I''m going to keep the Days though, because I still like it was a way to track the timeline, but there will be some days that will, like this one, be split up into parts. So this is 30.1, and 30.2 will be released later today. Point 2: I''ve had a lot of fun writing this rather willy-nilly, but you guys keep nitpicking, so I''m going to start being more serious about the plot. It just means that chapters take a little bit longer, which is why Point 1 is necessary. Point 3: As an result of point 2, I would appreciate it if y''all would bring up any inconsistencies you see in the comments. I''ll do my best to correct as fast as possible. If I just ignore you, it probably is either because I think what you are saying is silly, or that I have that handled, just wait a bit. Point 4: I''m starting a new job Monday, so I''ll likely slow to 1 release a day, late at night my time. Anyways, thanks to all the new readers, and the old ones who were there for my anonymous days~ You guys are the reason I write. Hope you enjoy. Day 30 The rumbling ground served as our alarm clock. ¡°Oh no, the Southwest Deed is collapsing¡­ hopefully no one remains there~¡± Ignoring the voice, the three of us, Jester, Toddie, and I walked rather calmly to the edge of the area, inspecting the sinking ground. It was a surprisingly orderly process. Although a few trees cracked and groaned, toppling over. There almost seemed to have been a boundary line pre built into the ground. The height between our level and the normal ground level had widened to about 5 m by the time we arrived at the northern edge. Jester nodded, as if pleased. ¡°Well, we did our best, Let¡¯s just see where this leads us.¡± Assuming he knew more than he let on, I just shrugged and said. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s just hope we get there before nightfall, because we will die if we aren¡¯t on a Deed.¡± Jester stilled. Then the blank, grey faced mask rotated slowly to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re right. This. Is.¡± Jester was trembling, his clothes bubbling and shifting, writhing around his body. ¡°SUCH. SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.¡± A huge wave of mana exploded outward, knocking me onto my ass. The ground cracked and buckled, and the mechanism that caused us to descend shuddering under the abrupt pressure. Then the wave of mana slowly dissipated, leaving the air heavy. Jester walked over to me and offered me a hand up. ¡°Sorry about that, I appear to have sneezed. But all the crazy bits came out with the snot, so it should be fine.¡± I stood up without taking his hand. ***** ¡°What?¡± ¡°Simple!¡± Jester said in his purposefully cheery voice he had used ever since his loss of control. ¡°For what I plan, we need 2 Deeds. So Toddie and I are going to head to the South one, while you are heading towards the West one. We want the west one because it is surrounded by the sinking land. Natural barriers. Don¡¯t you know anything about defending sieges?¡± -Sieges¡­? -Does being a path boss for two weeks count? -Let¡¯s not bring it up. Giving him more information than he already has is dangerous. ¡°And you are going alone because I can¡¯t BEAR to part with Toddie. So, good luck. Most teams have 5 people, so just ambush 4 and you will have a gentlemen¡¯s duel with the last one!¡± So I pondered as I walked up towards the western area. How should I approach? The ground or the vine layer? Or higher? Maybe higher? And- -Stop. Do not think. You have had people around you for too long. You are forgetting what you are. What you are named for. -...Predator. -Yes, so hunt. And kill. It¡¯s the only way to survive. For the first time in a long time, I activated Aura of the Predator. Leaping, I spread my claws wide and landed against a tree, quickly scaled up to the vine layer. The travel was quick, but I still took enough time to scan below, as I ran along the edge of area where the Western Deed abutted the Southwestern Deed. Although it wasn¡¯t a sure thing, it was very likely that¡­ My eyes narrowed as I saw a human woman and a strange creature with grey skin peering over the edge, conversing with one another. It was very likely that our misfortune would draw the curiosity of the Deed above us, and their guard would be down. The human woman seemed normal, but the grey skinned creature was strange. Instead of arms, the upper limbs of its body were huge stomping feet, while the lower limbs were frail looking hands. It¡¯s shoulder were incredibly broad, and its head was set low on its body, giving it a constantly hunched over look. Lightly, I leapt off of the vines, whistling down almost soundlessly through the air towards the back of the grey skinned creature. But it didn¡¯t seem like either of them were particularly good at scouting or detection. So they were very surprised when my frame crashed down onto the grey skinned creature¡¯s shoulders, causing it to stumble towards the edge of the sinking land. My hand shot down, claws rending apart the neck of the creature. Then I reached into the would I created, grasping. I grinned; thank god the creature actually had a spine. My hand flexed, crushing the vital cord of nerves that connect the brain with the rest of the body. The creature slowly toppled over, sliding right up to the edge of the hole. Turning, my gaze landed on the woman, whose face was shifting from shock, to fear, and then to determination. She was so close, all I had to do was reach out and grab her, but a huge, draining spike of pain split through my abdomen, doubling me over and causing me to vomit. ¡°Ahahaha,¡± The voice whispered in my ears. ¡°You broke the rules! So here¡¯s a bit of punishment. The pain will last 1 minute~.¡± -Damnit, you idiot. Your belt is blue! -NEXT TIME REMIND ME! I swayed, barely able to stand. The woman put both of her hands up, overlapping her fingers into a squat X. ¡°Kotetsu! I reject!¡± A huge force slammed against me, knocking me off the back of the creature and over the hole. I grimaced, dizzy and feeling extremely weak. Falling wouldn¡¯t kill me, I could still see the land below, but it would be annoying to leap back upwards. The ground had already fallen about 200 m. The force continued to push against me, sending me even farther away. Twisting midair and controlling my rising nausea, I met the woman¡¯s gaze and then raised a hand. I beckoned towards her. -Just need to be a mage. Air Affinity activated, rising up behind her and dragging her forward, following me into the abyss. For a few seconds her willpower lasted, but then when she realized the horror of falling and dying, she broke, twisting away and trying to dig her hands into the ground or get a firm grip on a root, preventing her fall. I summoned a platform of air beneath me, leaping back towards her as soon as the repelling force wore off. Usually I would have made the distance no problem, but the pain insured my jump wasn¡¯t quite enough, and I summoned another right before the edge, hopping over the grey skinned creature and arcing towards the woman. I planned to crush her into the ground with air affinity, breaking her back for causing me so much agony. But at the last moment before my spell landed, she twisted and rolled, dodging my huge mass of condensed air. She ended up on her back directly beneath me. She crossed her hands. ¡°I REJECT!¡± Her voice was raw with fear, I noted, before an even more terrifying force slammed against me, shooting me straight up into the air. The force was so unrelenting that I ripped through the relatively durable vine layer without even slowing. I continued upwards as I shook my head to rid myself of the dizziness. Well above even the tallest tree in this place, my momentum finally ran out, and I experienced a brief moment of weightlessness. I vomited a little bit more in my mouth, my head still pounding. Then I began to fall. My eyes narrowed, scanning as best I could through the foliage and vines, but it was useless from up here. Instead, I began to channel mana into ice affinity, slowly shaping it as it grew. I kept it off my hands, unwilling to spend such a long time struggling to free myself again. By the time I reached the hole in the vine layer that my assent made, the ice looked like a huge spike. It was a little roughly shaped, the concentration just made the pain worse, but it would do well enough as a javelin. I continued to drop downward, body wound as tightly as a spring. I would only have a small window of opportunity¡­ I fell through the hole. My eyes opened as far as they would go, my perception pushed to the limits. A flicker of movement caught my attention; the woman was sprinting away. My entire body flexed, whipping the spike of ice towards her. Unfortunately, the throw caused me to spin wildly, resulting in me crashing into the ground in an extremely ungraceful manner. As the spike approached her, the woman sensed it and dove to the side behind a tree. The bark and wood were hard, but still the ice spike punched through, its course deviated only slightly. The spike hit her high in the calf of her left leg, ripping apart most of her leg. The bottom portion was only connected to her by a flimsy one inch of skin and muscle. She curled up on the ground, unmoving. I moved to go stalking towards her, but then I froze, my gaze wandering amongst the trees surrounding me. Sighing, I turned and looked longingly towards the grey skinned creatures corpse. The pain smashed into the back of my head like a hammer, cracking my previous good cheer. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. -Should have reanimated him. Hammer. -But I¡¯m so hungry, I planned on eating him before I challenged the rest of the team¡­ Hammer. -Too late for that now. Hammer. A man with crimson hair stepped out between me and the grey skinned creatures body. A rather fat individual sidled up to the human woman, giving her a bottle to drink. Above me, an insectoid creature with 4 slimy green wings buzzed downwards, its arms folded. ¡°You are on my land, human. You have harmed my property. Your life is forfeit. Willingly give me your body as feed, or I shall show you 1000 sufferings beyond the ken of your people.¡± The bug thing spoke with a surprisingly even tone, all mandibles considered. -Keh, he¡¯s certainly melodramatic. -But so misguided. I spread my arms wide, gritting my teeth in the closest approximation to a smile that I could manage with the incessant hammering. ¡°Then come. And may the victor grow strong on the loser¡¯s flesh.¡± The bug thing nodded, descending to the ground. The fat creature was helping the woman up. But my eyes were on the ground beneath me, which began to glow with red runes. In a bored voice, the crimson haired man spoke. ¡°Flame pillar.¡± Flames surged around me, hot enough to slowly melt metals. It was delightfully warm to my skin, an excellent distraction from the agony. I dashed through the flames back towards the crimson haired man. His eyes widened, plainly confused. I flexed my hands, my claws catching the light. Stumbling backwards, he made a complicated gesture, pointing at the ground in front of him. ¡°Wall of Flame!¡± A huge curtain of fire appeared, severing him off from the rest of the world. I shook my head, almost sorrowfully. -He must¡¯ve assume that I was fast enough to dodge the pillar of flame. -Perhaps even that we targeted him because he was the most dangerous. -A pity. -Foolishness. Without very much sensation, I passed through the wall of fire and arrived right in front of the man. Air Stance, the Cutting Gust. My hand blurred. He formed a shield of fire, but my physical attack was just a feint; he should have been able to tell that from my belt. A wind blade ripped him open from shoulder to opposite hip. His eyes bulging, he fell backwards. -Reanimate him, his skills will be useful. -In a minute¡­ I began ripping out his innards, greedily devoured him. It had been two days since I had eaten, and this was a long time coming. Besides, I needed something to distract me from this persistently miserable headache. -Can he still cast magic without those? -Quiet, you know just as much about anatomy as I do. The flames around me died, and I glanced around, guiltily slurping up the last bit of his lungs. The bug creature had circled around behind me. I noticed that its belt was blue and the fat creature¡¯s was red. The woman¡¯s, obviously, was blue. A ringing sounded, and finally the pain stopped. I breathed out a sigh I didn¡¯t even notice that I was holding in, relieved. ¡°Hehehe, that warning was just because I like you. Do it again and I¡¯ll just kill you~¡± Shivering, I turned my attention back to my 3 opponents. The bug creature produced a flute and blew a low note. A strange sense alerted me of the danger, and I leapt to the side. Spikes of earth shot up, riddling the crimson haired man¡¯s corpse with holes. -Well, we probably can¡¯t reanimate him now¡­ The bug played another note, and then another. Earth rippled around me, chains shooting up to entangle me. I leapt backwards out of their range, but a huge fist of air was waiting for me, smashing me to the side. Although the force wasn¡¯t great, it still sent me staggering, and the fat creature was dashing towards me, looking up close like a mole person. He opened his mouth, revealing jagged teeth. In a strange way, it reminded me of the frogs from¡­ -Hell, it¡¯s been a month. Feeling strangely nostalgic, I raised my hands to grab and rip off his jaw, then froze. -Dammit, this shitty belt¡­ Instead, I simply held my arm across my body in defense as his teeth sunk into my forearm. But my eyes gleamed as frost began to form on his head. The mole person opened his mouth to shift his frosty teeth, and then ineffectually bit again.This time I poured more mana into it, using my fresh blood to freeze his mouth closed around my arm. He struggled trying to push himself away, but I could overpower him at this distance. Careful not to touch him, I held my other hand over his nose, dumping 300 mana to almost instantly seal it within an inch of ice. Now just to wait until he suffocated. I turned back to the insect who had used the distraction to play an elaborate melody on the flute, producing an ominous rumbling from the ground. A huge crack split the earth and a stone golem clambered up, vibrating dangerously, straightening to about 15 m tall. It swung its huge foot towards me in a kick, and I tried to dodge, but the now frantically struggling mole tripped me up, and I was smashed to the side. Wincing, I tried to sit up. A fire in my side indicated that some of my ribs were broken. Still¡­ I looked at the mole person, who had had his lower body smashed off by the kick. I shook my head in condescension. What a weak body. The golem was striding towards me, and I did my best to snap off the neck so just the head was frozen to my arm. I couldn¡¯t move my hand, but¡­ -For now it¡¯s fine. The bug creature buzzed at it flickered around, flying behind the golem. ¡°Few are able to duel me if they allow the golem to be summoned. My mana can support it indefinitely, and combined with my mobility¡­ hehehe, let¡¯s just say this will continue until you tire and make a mistake-¡± I had only used around half my mana so far, leaving me with a bit under 1000. I summoned 25 20-mana wind blades, totaling 500 mana. The I reached out with my non frozen hand in a grasping motion, using around 300 mana to grab the bug creatures wings and still them with air affinity. They still trembled, so I used another 100 mana, gritting my teeth. The wings stilled, and the bug creature began to fall. The golem was right above me, raising its fist to smash me into the ground. Even had I been able to use my physical gifts to fight it, I somehow doubted that I could withstand a punch like this. I released the wind blades, the hyper-sharp, hyper-condensed air tearing the insects relatively weak body to pieces. To its credit, it died without any annoying screams.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 6¡±. Mana costs vastly decreased. Due to increased experience you may now control swarms of wind blades with ease. Accuracy increases slightly.
The huge fist that was descending towards me to kill me, reinforced with the bug¡¯s spell, faltered as the animating energy stopped flowing into it. The fist disintegrated into dirt and stones, still hitting me with a good amount of force, causing me to stumble. As I waded my way out of the mound of dirt that had collapsed on me, brushing myself off, I noticed the woman had positioned herself behind me, and was standing 10 m away, her hands in an X. But as I watched, she was breathing heavily and trembling, barely able to stand. I looked on with interest. ¡°I...I¡­¡­..¡± She shivered. I noticed the distinctive bags under her eyes. ¡° I¡­..!¡± Without any action on my part, she collapsed forward, her eyes rolling back into her head.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Aura of the Predator 5¡±. The amount of time it takes for the aura to affect nearby victims has decreased. When victims witness you killing another, effectiveness of the aura increases for a short amount of time.
Whistling, I picked up the woman and draped her over my shoulder. Then I returned to grab the grey skinned creature. ***** I was standing around in the Deed castle of the West for around 2 hours before Jester arrived. Savoring the flavor, I was slowly eating the grey skinned creature¡¯s meaty legs. The woman lay in the corner, still unconscious, rolling around as she was plagued by nightmares. Since she was already listed on the Deed as property, I figured she could be useful if alive. Jester came in first, his black clothes ripped and bloody. Toddie followed, her clothes even worse. Large gashes across her back revealed a strange plate armor. ¡°This is so annoying¡­¡± Jester muttered, looking around. ¡°Predator succeeded and I did not¡­? In what world¡­¡± Without a word, Jester walked over to the woman and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Bound to the lease huh? Good, I don¡¯t like leaving Toddie alone. Toddie, you sign this Deed as owner. Predator and I will be property. Stay here and guard the base.¡± ¡°And us?¡± I folded my arms across my chest. My mana was only halfway recovered at the moment. I had an inkling what he wanted, but it would be foolish to move so soon¡­ ¡°We head for the southern Deed. Fuck, I knew that bastard was going to be a problem¡­ something¡¯s off about him¡­¡± Jester returned to mumbling as he walked to the door. He turned and glared at me. Or at least I think he did, it was hard to tell when he was featureless. ¡°What are you waiting for? We strike immediately.¡± Day 30.2 Day 30.2 As we walked towards the Southern Deed, I examined Jester closely: the lackadaisical way he walked, his slight shoulder, the lack of any apparent weapon. And yet he still exuded an aura of strength that made me cautious around him. Perhaps the real reason was that huge wave of mana that he had released when he realized that our Deed was sinking. -And yet we follow him. -Would you prefer that we fought him? -In a way, yes. -First, that is inadvisable as long as we are restricted to using mana. Second, what would you be doing right now if you were captain of a team? -...Killing, I suppose. Or training, depending how pressing the threats were. -I know you, we are one and the same. We would have no idea what to do. In addition, if you sign as property owner, you are stuck within the Deed area. We would need someone we could trust to be the owner, or we would be forced to remain in one spot until our Deed failed. -So at that point, we would go and- -And what, kill another property owner and write our names again in the Deed? Think about it for a minute. We have the mental ability, we just haven¡¯t thought about the long term implications of this game. Because eventually the game will be split up into larger groups of players underneath a few Deeds. But looming over us all will be the group who owns the Central Deed, with access to infinite mana. Assuming that we and one other captain control all the deeds outside of the central, one day a Deed that either of us are relying on will stop working. Imagine what happens then. If our Deed sinks, we either attack the Central Deed, which results in us being ambushed by the other non-Central Deed if we come close to winning, or we attack the other Deed. Or, its theoretically possible we convince that Deed to work together to fight against the Central Deed, working out an agreement. But could we do that? How would we convince them? What would we offer? Think about trying to negotiate for a minute. If, on the other hand, their Deed falls, they have the same options. They will likely choose to try and make a deal with us, because that limits their own losses, preserving their strength for a confrontation with us later. So they come to us, and ask for assistance on their assault. Now think about this: your Deed is still functioning. You cannot leave the area you are in. Will you be able to trust the other captain with troops under you? How will you make sure you aren¡¯t betrayed? I was silent for several minutes as we walked, considering Other Me¡¯s words. -...You¡¯ve thought about this a lot. -You¡¯ve thought about this too little. I think we are good at what we have learned to do. Kill, hunt, survive. This wider game on this floor though...It¡¯s too political. We don¡¯t recognize any of the races aside from Humans, we have no idea what to expect from them, ability wise. Maybe Tellites using martial arts. Better to leave the pointless stuff to someone else. As long as we continue to be useful, I don¡¯t think there is any need to worry. Who rids themselves of a useful subordinate? Several more minutes of silence followed as we both thought about Tim. -Well, I think he is a special case. -Agreed. There is just something off about that guy¡­. -How would you know? We haven¡¯t even met him. -Yes well, I- ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Jester¡¯s voice was grim. Up ahead, there was a clearing. My eyes widened as I saw that all of the trees in the surrounding area had been knocked to the ground. Sitting on a fallen trunk was a strange individual in a meditative sitting position. His skin was grey, and his eyes were sewn shut. The creature smiled. ¡°You returned. So quickly. Well then, let¡¯s begin.¡± The creature began to stride towards us. Turning to Jester, I asked. ¡°How does he fight?¡± Jester¡¯s shoulders were strangely tense. ¡°...I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Just that he is also not who he claims to be. Don¡¯t let him touch you,¡± Jester added, then leapt forward. I gathered my mana, and then hesitated. What did that mean, he didn¡¯t remember? -Watch for a bit, see what happens. Jester was fast, so fast that I mentally re-evaluated my chances of emerging from a fight with him unscathed, even with the ability to fight physically. The creature just calmly walked forward, ignoring me. Apparently those sewn shut eyes still worked for something, because it raised its left arm to block the high kick that was so fast Jester¡¯s leg seemed to bend. BOOM. The kick was completely blocked, but what was strange was what Jester did after that. He faltered, his body going limp. He sat on the ground, looking around wildly. Looking up, he caught sight of the creature leaped backwards. But it was too late, the creature was already punching. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The punch smashed Jester down into the ground, a huge crater forming in the ground from the force of the blow. Jester, seemingly reeling from the blow, stood and stumbled, shaking his head in confusion. -....It¡¯s like¡­. -Everytime that creature touches you, you forget that you were fighting it. -Good, then let¡¯s keep our distance. I leapt, grabbing onto some of the larger vines that made up the bottom of the vine layer. After wrapping my legs around the vine. I formed several wind blades and shot them towards the creature. Its gaze jerked around, immediately moving from the confused Jester to me. Our gazes locked, and I felt a small sliver of fear for the first time in a long time. Whipping through the air, the wind blades approached the creature. He raised his arms to block. I prepared more, expecting him to block the wind blades, but what happened made my eyes widen. The blades passed through his limbs like a hot knife through butter. His left forearm fell to the ground, while the entirety of his right was severed at the shoulder. Still, as I watched the body parts fall to the ground, they withered to dust and disappeared. At the same time, the raw flesh of the wounds bubbled and bulged outward, within seconds growing back into the original body parts. The creature leaped sideways, arriving at the fallen tree trunk. And as if it was the most natural thing in the world, that tiny, wizened body grabbed the trunk, lifted it- -Uh, what. And threw that huge, 100 m long and 10 m thick, trunk sideways up towards the spot where I was hanging onto the vine layer. I hastily dropped down out of its path, but it not only completely ripped apart the vine layer, but it was thrown with such force that it smashed into the other trunk, the projectile smashed into dozens of pieces and the victim trunk¡¯s top ? snapping off and tumbling down. To avoid the falling debris, I created a platform of air and hopped sideways out of the way. Just as I did so, the creature shot underneath me, his plot to intercept me mid air incidentally foiled. It, I could no longer think of it as a he, it landed on another trunk, its leg twisted so it skittered around like a bug. And as I watched, its head twisted around for its sewn-shut eyes to lock onto me, its face twisted into a look of rage. -That¡¯s a bit creepy¡­ Blinking, I realized that it had disappeared. I raised my hands and erected a barrier of air, trying to prevent- BOOOM. The thing had apparently jumped sideways to confuse them, then thrown itself directly towards me. It popped my shield of air like a bubble, rushing closer with its left arm held outwards towards my throat. I raised my hands and crossed them, perhaps in an inadvertent imitation that woman, condensing as much air as I could in the short about of time into a tightly wound ball, then shooting it towards him. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± The explosion definitely slowed its momentum, but it was still coming forward. The only thing that really changed was that the explosion smashed ME backwards, his power too much to overcome. When I was slammed against the tree behind me, the jarring impact made me lose focus for enough time to the reaching hand to draw closer. It was less than a foot away now. I didn¡¯t bother holding anything back; I blew 80% of my mana in a split second, a huge wave of air erupting from me, slamming into the creature¡¯s body. His mass was limited and all he could rely on right now, so this should throw him backwards. Grinding my teeth, I watched as the creature inched closer, battering through my wave of air purely by expending momentum. -If he STILL has momentum after all that, how the fuck strong was that initial jump¡­? As I was rapidly calculating my remaining options, Jester appeared midair next to the creature, fist raised. ¡°This is for beating me at Spud, dick.¡± Punching so hard that he produced a sonic boom, Jester slammed his fist into the face of the creature. Even if he was strong, when he was midair, the force should still¡­. -...What was that? The creature¡¯s body deformed, a wave of flesh spreading from the impact. It reminded me almost of Jen¡¯s body, absorbing outside force. -...Did it just disperse that much force just with the elasticity of its body¡­? -No, look, he¡¯s listing to the side now. It was true; although 99% was absorbed by his body, he was now sliding several feet to the left, past me. Jester looked around with a confused expression, having forgotten what he was doing. The creature casually reached up, grabbed Jester''s head, and spiked him downwards into the ground. My eyes glittering, I summoned as mana wind blades as I could with my remaining mana and diced the creature to pieces, his flesh parted easily for the sharp air. Now in 100 pieces, his body made a wet slapping sound as it hit the tree to my side. Most of the body parts immediately began withering, but one started bubbling, falling to the ground. I dropped down as well, hopping backwards to create some distance. After crashing into the ground in his confusion, Jester came over and stood next to me. ¡°Well? What¡¯s he like? I can¡¯t remember a thing that has happened since we got here. Based on how shitty I feel, it hasn¡¯t been good.¡± I grinned at him. ¡°You punched him for beating you at Spud, whatever that is.¡± Jester began shaking his head wildly. ¡°Beat me? BEAT ME?!?!? That fucking asshole! I THREW THE GAME. HOW DARE HE.¡± The nearby mana began to seethe. I scratched my cheek mildly. -Then why did he say it earlier? -Likely as a joke. He doesn¡¯t seem to take much seriously. But he doesn¡¯t remember the joke, and now just thinks that undying thing made fun of him. It¡¯s fine, it serves as good motivation. The creature stood, brushing wood chips off of its shoulders. It seemed no worse for ware. ¡°So, how do we kill Qwata?¡± Jester put his hands on his hips. I thought for a it, then shrugged. ¡°Honestly¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem possible. But¡­ I have an idea.¡± With the small amount of mana that had regenerated, I formed a hand of air, grabbed the creature¡¯s leg, and flipped it upside down, dangling it in the air. At first it just stayed there, looking around. Then it touched the spot I was grabbing with air. ¡°Oh, that seems useful. Is it stuck like that?¡± Jester walked closer with his hands behind his back. ¡°Ufufu, I will have my revenge for-¡± Two things happened in a second right then: first, several notifications came up.
Congratulations, due to your actions, your skill has evolved from Lesser Air Affinity Lvl 9 into ¡°Air Affinity Lvl 1¡±. Mana usage for manipulating air has been vastly reduced. Shaping and detail of your control over air has greatly increased. Breathing clean air passively increases your mana regeneration rate.
-Oh good, breathing has become a useful activity. All my practice has finally paid off~ The second thing that happened was that the creature began kicking his powerful legs, which caused maintaining my hold to quickly deplete my mana once more. It took an almost illogically sort time for me to burn through it. After landing, Qwata casually kicked Jester in the chest, sending him shooting off into the distance. Those inhuman sewn-shut eyes swiveled towards me. I bolted, ducking behind trees to slow him down. Although he was the most powerful creature I had ever encountered, It didn¡¯t seem able to effectively control its strength. Mostly it just jumped in a straight line, often overshooting my position and slamming into a tree, smashing a hole through the trunk with brute force. -I mean, who needs to control their strength when they are that powerful¡­? Eventually, I realized that it was no longer leaping after me. I turned and saw that it was standing in the middle of the forest, its arms folded across its chest. It looked at me for a minute, then turned and walked back towards the way we had come, returning back to the base. I breathed out a sigh of relief. If it had been willing to chase me indefinitely¡­ -But did it turn back because it gave up, or because it was signed as the deed owner and had to? I shook my head. After a bit of walking, I found Jester, who was sitting in a hole, rubbing his head. He glanced up at me. ¡°What were we doing? Oh, going to attack Qwata¡¯s Deed. Are you ready to go? I¡¯m not really sure what to expect. Sighing, I started back towards our base. ***** Jester was quiet after I explained what had happened with the creature. When we arrived back at the base, he went to the side and drew a picture of the arena for this floor. Deeds at the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest pressed up against the edge of the circle. Deeds at North, East, South and West more inland, closer to the central deed. Then he cross out the Southwest, Northwest, and North Deeds, the ones that had fallen. He drew a smiley face next to the West Deed. He drew a frowny face next to the South Deed. He turned and walked towards the door. ¡°I need more information. Stay here.¡± Shrugging, I settled into the forms of Earth Stance, intent on improving, even if I couldn¡¯t use it in battle. Humming slightly, Toddie joined me, correcting my form. ***** It was nightfall when Jester returned. He went to his drawing and drew a frowny face next to the East and Northeast Deeds. He drew squiggly lines next to the Southeast Deed. ¡°Only 4 captains remaining?¡± I asked. Jester nodded. ¡°And Qwata controls the most land area, owning 3 Deeds. Or at least controlling them. He followed me through every area I went, so he must not be a landowner. Although I¡¯m starting to become concerned about that central Deed...I went close enough to scout. All that robed mage does is practice his skills with that infinite mana. The longer this takes, the stronger that his skills are going to be¡­I hadn''t considered that.¡± ¡°So¡­.what¡¯s next?¡± Although I wasn¡¯t comfortable with it, other me might have a point. I wasn¡¯t equipped to deal with these sorts of decisions. At least not yet. Jester tilted his head to the side. ¡°We cross our fingers and hope our Deed doesn¡¯t sink into the ground tomorrow. Time for bed.¡± ***Author''s Note*** So a combination of me pondering how to time this last bit on this floor and alcohol conspired to keep this from getting done last night. But I''m going to start right away on the next chapter, so that should be out in a few hours. Day 31 Day 31 I was pretty exhausted from the prior day, so I went to bed pretty early, only remembering to expend all of my essence in the morning. Not that in terms of time I had lost much. If I had stayed up the extra 3 hours last night to upgrade my essence, I would be forced to stay up the ENTIRE following night to upgrade it further. Else, I would have just needed to wait until the morning away, basically ending up where I am now. -It¡¯s not like you need to explain it to me, I was tired too. Still, that meant I was up early, earlier than when the voice announced which deed would fall, so I planned on training a bit. Jester seemed to be of a lazy sort in the mornings, so I left the squat little tower that served as home for the Deed and proceeded to an open area. Glancing around, I was slightly surprised that I hadn¡¯t seen Toddie so far this morning. Usually she followed me everywhere when I snuck off to train. -It¡¯s just as well. Testing the limits of the new Air Affinity¡­ that is something we wouldn¡¯t want to do in front of someone who might become our enemy later. I walked slowly into the clearing, spreading my sense of air, feeling the fabric of it all around. I breathed in slowly, delighting in the way that small amounts of energy flowed into me with every breath. -Any amount of mana regen helps. Then I breathed out, focusing my will, gathering air and spinning it. I held the air carefully, twisting it around and around, forming a thin, invisible vortex of air that began spinning a few meters in front of me. How little mana the whole thing required surprised me, but I suppose there was a qualitative change in my control over air, that was why I had lost the lesser label from the beginning of my skill. My mouth twisted into a grin. Time to push it a little farther. The first thing I did was double the size of the air vortex, causing a small wind to fill the clearing. Blue leaves stirred and rolled on the ground disturbed by the wind. Next, I started rotating the vortex even faster, causing the air to hurtle forward. Then, infinitely careful, I grabbed the center of the vortex and pulled it down out of the air. It stretched unwillingly, the mana drain growing as its shifted, but soon the vortex was an upside down cone of air, around 5 m tall. A small whirlwind. Hoping that I would have enough time to regain my spent mana back before we attacked anyone else, I accelerated the rotation speed further. Now strange air currents suffused the clearing. Leaves were picked up off the ground and joined the rushing air. Small sticks trembled and then were sucked upwards. Suddenly, I realized that controlling the whirlwind was taking more mana than sustaining it was, so I let go of control. Wobbly at first, but then with greater surety, the whirlwind began to prowl, devouring the leaves and small twigs. As I watched, fascinated, it started to grow a bit taller, able to pick up branches, pulling them down off of trees. Delighted with my little whirlwind, I cut off my flow of mana, allowing it to continue on its own. It did, wandering erratically around, slowly shrinking. When it was about as high as I was tall, I bounded through it, smashing aside its air currents with my body. The whirlwind dispersed, the leaves exploding out around me and drifting slowly down to the ground. -Not super flashy, but that level of wind speed would be enough to push back a human. -And that was only 30% of the mana pool. Once we improve the skill level, imagine what natural disasters we can create~ Grinning, I stopped using my mana and began practicing Water Stance. ***** ¡°Oh no, the Eastern Deed has failed! Abandon ship, abandon ship! Hahahahaha.¡± The voice¡¯s giggles made me grimace, but it was good that it wasn¡¯t our Deed. I wiped the sweat off my brow and walked back towards the tower. Jester was waiting for me. ¡°The Deed that fell was the middle of Qwata¡¯s 3. It¡¯s pretty much the ideal outcome for us. I¡¯ll go to the Southern Deed and draw him there. For whatever reason, he seems fixated on me. You need to cut across to the Northeast Deed and control that one by nightfall. If you succeed, sign yourself as the controller. Oh, and take the girl with you, she might be useful.¡± We both looked over towards the human woman who sat with her arms around her knees, gazing at the wall. ¡°...If you say so. Alright, I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± ¡°No,¡± Jester said, his grey mask swinging back and forth. ¡°Wait until a few hours afternoon before you go. I need time to make sure he comes down to the Southern Deed. Don¡¯t worry about, I¡¯ll occupy him all day; just get that Deed by tomorrow. If we miss it¡­.¡± After keeping his gaze focused on me for a long time, Jester said. ¡°I¡¯ll be forced to do something drastic. And Toddie will order you to help me. You don¡¯t want that.¡± -...Yea, we should just let him be in control, huh? -I¡¯m still willing to stick with this bet. Without another word, Jester turned and left. Unwilling to remain here without being able to accomplish anything, I gave the woman a long look and walked over towards her. ¡°Can you still fight?¡± My words caused her to flinch. She hunched her shoulders further, burying her face in her arms. I stared intently at her for a few minutes. Then I turned away and said over my shoulder. ¡°If you do not struggle, no one else will do it for you. You will simply die. You have some time to decide. I shall return for your answer in several hours.¡± I maintained a brisk pace as I returned to the training grounds. Seeing that Toddie had somehow snuck past me and was now moving through the advanced stages of Earth stance, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I did my best to join her for a while, moving through Earth Stance and Water stance, but I couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on trying to figure out the trick to them. I quickly moved on to Wind Stance, and then finally spent most of my morning training time on Thunder Stance. All the while, other me created small spheres of ice, focusing on improving my mastery of that skill. The next step I needed in Thunder Stance had to do with the power of each of my strikes. I focused on my breathing, allowing everything else to fall away. Stillness in my core, tightly wound strength. Settled, waiting. -Surge Air hissed out through my teeth as I struck, my arm smashing into the tree. Eyes closing, my arm remained there, settling as my breath once more sucked into a tight ball at my core. Everything relaxed. -Surge. My other arm blurred, cracking the trunk slightly. I once more settled. -Surge Smash. -Surge Smash. -Surge Smash. -Surge Smash. The point was apparently to strike with such a sudden burst of acceleration that your very blow ¡®thunders¡¯ by producing a sonic boom. I could almost feel it when I punch, a thick, viscous layer of air at the edge of my punch. But I couldn¡¯t currently get passed it. Luckily, as other me continued creating the ice spheres, there was some good news.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 3¡±. Frost spreads more quickly. Distance at which you can successfully create ice slightly increases. Control slightly improves.
Grinning, I settled down and focused more directly on helping other me. He used my left arm, I used my right. We began sculpting knives of ice. ***** About 2 hours after midday, 100s of attempts and one notification later, I had my ice knife. It wasn¡¯t much to look at, just a blade that extended downwards with a duller end, but its weight was almost perfect, and it was sharp enough to pierce a bit into the wood of the tree. -Well, before it begins melting, but we will probably only make them right before we throw them, anyway. Rolling my eyes, I recalled briefly that notification that had made it possible.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 4¡±. Control over ice growth vastly improves. Speed at which ice grows has improved. Mana can be channeled to create even larger amounts of ice.
The slight downside was that it did take a few seconds still to form the knives, so it wasn¡¯t possible to be as abrupt with the knife throws as I was used to. I practiced for a while, creating and throwing the knives, but based on the sun¡¯s position, I had to move soon. I returned to the tower, and to my shock, the woman was waiting for me, trembling, but daring to meet my eye. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll come. I don¡¯t want to die just yet.¡± The woman was short, one of the shortest adult humans I had ever seen. She had brown hair tied behind her head in a pony tail. She wore rather shapeless beige clothes. Satisfied that I had a subordinate, even an untrustworthy one, I turned away and kneeled down. ¡°Perfect. Hop on.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°On my back. Grab my neck. Your legs are too short for you to be able to walk that far in a decent amount of time.¡± ¡°....¡± ***** After her panicked shouts from my 20 m leaps started to die down, she simply wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed her eyes shut. Which was perfect for my purposes; Likely, it even made the portion of time where we had to skirt an area that was a fallen Deed easier. Her gazing deeply into the darkness below would likely have had a negative effect on her mental health. Because both the Northwestern and Northern Deeds had fallen, I had to skirt the holes by going along the thin strip of land surrounding the Central Deed to get to the Northeastern Deed. As I passed, I took a few minutes to study the constantly shifting thunder clouds hovering over the Central Deed. Bolts of lightning shot in every direction. -Yea, giving the mage access to infinite mana was dangerous. We continued past it, staying out of sight. About an hour after we had left, my pace had brought us to what I figured, based on the location of the fallen Deeds, to be the Northeastern Deed. I set the woman down. ¡°What are you called?¡± I asked casually. The woman steadied herself on my elbow after hopping down, my shoulder slightly too high for her to comfortably hold. ¡°Jana. And those are typically referred to as names.¡± Her words were laced with bitterness, so I shrugged and continued further. She struggled to keep up with me. ¡°What about you? What were you ¡®called¡¯ before you changed into this¡­¡¯ She eyed me up and down, critically. Then she patted my elbow again, almost to check if it was still real. I frowned at her. She shrugged helplessly. ¡°Well what would you call it? It looks like you crossed He-man with Tarzan, and gave the offspring perfectly manicured nails. Nails that¡­¡± Shivering, her voice trailed off, and she looked at the ground for a long time. -Nails she watched you use to rip out a spine. Feeling awkward, I opened my mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. To my surprise, she spoke a short time afterward. ¡°Is it easy for you to kill? I have a theory about the skills we got. It¡¯s related to what we wanted, who we are as people. So my skill, the absolute rejection, is because¡­ this, all of this¡­? Jana gestured around. ¡°I hate it. I hate the struggle, I hate that we are supposed to fight and kill constantly, I hate that everyone I knew is probably dead, and I hate that I lost my entire life, and for what, the vacations and possibly a wish? I mean, my life wasn¡¯t so great, but-¡± ¡°What do you mean, vacations and a wish?¡± Jana gave me a strange look. ¡°That¡¯s why you are climbing isn¡¯t it? After every 10th floor, you can take a break from the tower, up to a year. Go on a vacation anywhere. And if you pass the 50th floor, you can get a wish. You could live forever, revive the dead. You could destroy a planet, or... or you could wish for a planet for your species to live. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m climbing, so humans can return to earth.¡± Her hands were balled into fists. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡± -No, I have no interest in the fate of humanity. I just want¡­ -Strife. Struggle. Adversity. -To feel alive. My arm shot out, stopping Jana in her tracks. Several figures walked out of the woods, surrounding us. ¡°Ah, I was wondering if you were still alive.¡± I grinned at Whipman, who was holding a spear and regarding me dubiously. ¡°Predator? Have you grown? No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Leave now. We have explicit instructions to kill any trespassers on sight. If you don¡¯t leave now-¡± Several more figures appeared behind us. ¡°You likely won¡¯t leave at all,¡± Whipman concluded, lowering his spear in my direction. ***POV Change*** Hearing a noise behind her, Jana spun around. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. That musclebound oaf who carried her here with as much effort as a normal person would have with used for a belt, just looked around with interest. From behind them walked a short, wide man whose skin was made of metal and a tall, willowy creature with green skin and antlers. Both had red belts. The thick man grinned. ¡°Ah, Predator. God be praised, I feared you would die to another, leaving me forever disappointed.¡± ¡°Jinka, your bluffs terrible. Which of you is the Deed owner? I don¡¯t have time to play¡± Jana frowned up at her companion. His name was Predator. It was¡­ oddly suited to him. In front of them was the strange, withered creature that initially spoke, and 3 others. All women, and two of them human. Jana even recognized one of them. ¡°Song, it¡¯s good to see you.¡± The mature woman smiled slightly, adjusting her dress. ¡°And you as well, Jana. Although the company you keep is¡­ interesting. Unfortunately, Whipman was telling the truth. Our orders are to kill any trespassers. It is already¡­ difficult to restrain ourselves from attacking. If you do not hurry-¡± Predator snorted. ¡°Your belt is blue, what can you do? All of your birds and wires are-¡± Song, raising what looked like a metal ingot, flexed her fingers, making the metal dance. It soon formed into a perfect metal bird of prey, its sharp beak gleaming. ¡°She¡¯s a metalmancer,¡± Jana whispered. ¡°I think she will be fine.¡± The bird screamed towards Predator, whose face fell slightly. But he simply stepped, the ground under his planting foot cracking the ground. He reappeared right in front of Song, his fist raised, everyone¡¯s eyes widening. But Song just smiled. ¡°Fool, I can see your belt is blue, I¡¯m not going to fall for your-¡± Jana shivered, knowing what was happening. The invisible blade of air slit open Song¡¯s throat, blood poured onto the ground and pooled. With trembling fingers, Song raised her hands and touched her mortality. ¡°Until there is a way to overcome the frailty of your bodies,¡± Predator said matter of factly. ¡°There is no future for humanity in this tower.¡± Song collapsed. ¡°Oy, You! What was with that amateur rolling thunder?!? Your instructor should be disgusted.¡± Another one of the women who was standing in front of them stepped forward, this one a Tellite. The Tellite pointed to his legs. ¡°So much force is wasted if you apply it like that? Did you just attempt it after watching!?!? That was the most disappointing Thunder Stance I have seen in a long time.¡± Predator frowned at the Tellite woman. Meanwhile, Jana hurried over towards Predator, fleeing from the metal skinned man and the strange creature with long, undulating limbs. ¡°You know the Thunder Stance?¡± Predator sounded skeptical. Jana twisted, hopping in the air. ¡°I reject!¡± The force hit the metal man, causing him to stumble. It also through Jana backwards several meters, causing her to roll nearer to Predator. Scrambling, she scuttled the rest of the distance to him. ¡°Obviously better than you. That planting leg, what are you doing? The force doesn¡¯t come from everywhere at once; it isn¡¯t a complete surge. It builds! First the hip, then the thigh, then the knee, then the calf, then your ankle, then the force explodes! Such is how the thunder stance works. Force is built until it splits the sky. Have you not read the Great Lore?¡± Predator was now mumbling to himself. The Tellite with the spear was advancing on Predator, his face grim. The other woman stood over to the side, seemingly unhappy. Jana rushed towards Predator, reaching out to grab his arm. ¡°Hum¡­ it builds, huh¡­¡± BOOOOOM. A blast of air hit Jana, sending her tumbling back. Predator¡¯s body flew forward, immediately breaking the sound barrier and racing across the forest floor. The spear wielder staggered backward, too. The female Tellite nodded, pleased. ¡°Good, good, you are not without talent.¡± Predator reappeared in front of the willow creature, strange icicles growing in his. His fingers blurred, and the knives of ice flew, ripping open the strange creature¡¯s body in a dozen spots. Groaning and wounded, it collapsed. Jana gasped as the metal man sprinted past her, intent on Predator. Predator just glared at the man. ¡°Jinka, I don¡¯t have time for you.¡± Predator raised his hands, grasping towards Jinka, lifting him off the ground with a powerful surge of air. Grunting he twisted and threw Jinka almost 100 m past him, smashing him into a tree. ¡°Damn, he¡¯s heavy.¡± Predator muttered, turning to the wide eyed Whipman and the two living women. He ignored Whipman. ¡°You two aren¡¯t fighting?¡± The female Tellite shrugged.¡°If I could, I would kill you in an instant. As it is, I have a blue belt and I know no magic.¡± The other woman nodded. ¡°Ditto.¡± After sparing a glance for them, Predator grabbed Jana around her waist and leapt off, heading deeper into the Deed. Jana goggled at the defeated and slain enemies left in their wake, gobsmacked. ¡®How is this so easy for him¡­?¡¯ They eventually arrived at a squat tower, the same as every other Deed area. An extremely large human with short dark hair stood up at their approach. His belt was blue. But as Jana watched, it changed colors to red. Predator landed, narrowing his eyes. ¡°The color of your belt changed.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°A gift from a friend, what can I say? It appears the worthless guards did nothing. Fine, I will handle you myself.¡± The man spread his arms wide, his muscles rippling, obvious even through his shirt. Jana peaked at Predator. No, Predator was still larger and leaner. And likely quite a bit more cruel. She shivered again, but this time it wasn¡¯t all fear. ¡°My name is Adam. You are unlucky; I will not allow myself to lose here. I¡¯m strong, fast, and with but a touch I can suck the strength out of you. I will kill you. And I will climb this tower. Is there anything you want to say before you die?¡± Predator shrugged, seemingly uninterested. Jana was trembling, so much so that she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to still herself. Predator was a killer, casually ending one of the few remaining human lives. And he was going to do it again, she could sense it. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± Adam¡¯s voice rumbled ominously, and he began sprinting towards Predator. Predator splayed his fingers, those blade of ice forming. ¡®No,¡¯ Jana thought. ¡®He¡¯s going to kill him. Another human, snuffed out. No, no¡­.no¡­¡¯ ¡°NO! I REJECT!¡± Jana raised her hands and pointing the force at Predator¡¯s back, slamming him towards Adam, whose arms were open in a welcoming hug. They slammed together in a strange embrace. Adam¡¯s belt switched to blue. Abruptly, Jana collapsed, crying, unable to tear her eyes away from the two figures. Predator struggled at first, but was now slumping. Adam was laughing ¡°Oh wow. You are¡­ you are incredibly powerful. I shall keep you like a pet, drawing away your strength and-¡± Predator raised a feeble hand, all of his strength gone, and pressed it over Adam¡¯s nose and mouth. ¡°When you use magic, make sure it¡¯s fatal.¡± At a noticeable pace, frost grew out of the place Predator was touching, swiftly forming a thick layer of ice that covered Adam¡¯s face. Increasingly desperate, Adam scratched at the ice as the threat of suffocation loomed over him.. His belt changed back to red and he began pummeling predator, blows with an incredible amount of force slamming against Predator¡¯s torso. Predator shifted and trembled, grunting. But his eyes were wide open, one grey-blue and the other luminous yellow. They bore directly into Adam''s eyes, which were wide and full of fear. Jana, from the distance she was away, could hear bones pop and break. But Predator just stood there, taking it. After a few minutes, the struggles became more and more feeble, until finally Adam¡¯s movements ceased. Then, laboriously, Predator turned and looked at here. He walked towards her, dragging behind him the body that was still frozen to his hand. Jana couldn¡¯t get up. She just watched with dull eyes. But as he was about 10 m away, some life flowed back into her limbs, and she raised her hands. ¡°Stop! No closer. Just leave me alone, alright?¡± Predator blinked. He seemed legitimately surprised. ¡°Why? We won.¡± ¡°Because¡­ because I¡­¡± Jana realized belatedly that he might not really have even noticed. She briefly considered lying to him, but¡­ but no, she didn¡¯t want to betray her ideals. ¡°Because I tried to kill you. I pushed you forward so you would die. You¡­ you¡¯re against everything I stand for. I wanted you to die.¡± Predator just laughed, bending over and slapping his knee. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So?!!?¡± Jana was almost affronted. ¡°So I assumed you were coming over to have your revenge. You don¡¯t seem like the type that forgives.¡± Still chuckling, Predator finally said. ¡°Let¡¯s be realistic; you are incredibly weak, why would I care what you want? How could you even hope to kill me? Should your actions bother me? At least it demonstrates that you are willing to fight and kill when you have to, which is a trait I admire. He continued, "And forgiveness is easy. Why worry about threats from the past? Much harder to overcome the threats in the present. That is true strength.¡± Unable to form words, Jana just stared at Predator. Shrugging, he turned away. She had a sudden realization then, about why she hated him, and why should couldn¡¯t look away from him. Straightforward arrogance hung around him like a cloak. His attitude ignored all the petty things and focused purely on survival. He was a monster with the pride of a human. Pondering, Jana stood and followed him. ***** ***POV Change*** I amused myself for a while by using my authority as Deed owner to make Jinka say I was superior to him, but then the female Tellite, whose name I learned was Ashni, dragged me off to check my Thunder Stance form. Whipman followed after us, and it was sorta amusing to watch him slowly wilt as she insulted every wrong thing I had been taught. I once tried to defend him, claiming that it at least got the job done by killing the opponent, but Ashni gave me a withering look. ¡°And we are what, on the 3rd floor? Hmph, I cannot what until you are on floor 20 and your sloppy form abruptly stops ¡®getting the job done.¡¯ You will be so confused, I imagine. So lost and alone. And then you will remember my warning and mourn the fact you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± So I listened. A simple demonstration of my form turned into a 6 hour training session that featured extensive and grueling variations on the original exercises Whipman had me do. But it definitely felt worth it as the notifications added up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 3¡±. You may now occasionally create sonic booms with your strikes. Familiarity with the stances improves.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 8¡±. Muscle regeneration happens much more rapidly. Your blood is able to hold a larger supply of oxygen. Bones and tendons have increased resilience under stress.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 4¡±. Sonic Booms occur more frequently. Your form has progressed to the point that learning the upper level forms is possible.
When I asked whether she could teach me the upper level forms, she experienced a 10 minute bout of howling laughter, wiping the tears from her eyes. Venomously, I glared at Whipman, who was laughing right along with her. It was at that time that Jester arrived, once more bloody and dirty. It seemed like it had been a rough day for him, keeping Qwata busy. To my surprise, the first thing Jester did was walk into the Deed and sign himself as property. I briefly considered ordering him to divulge all the information he knew, but I was sorta cautious, both about how far my power extended, and how he would react once we passed this floor. ¡°Now what?¡± Jester just shrugged. ¡°Now we wait until tomorrow. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± And with that, he left me alone with the motley group. ***Author''s Note*** Two things for this bottom note. 1: A few people have contacted me about it, but it wasn''t until I had a hard time going through this chapter for a second time that I realized how much effort I would save if I had a proofreader/editor. I haven''t decided yet, but if you are interested, stay tuned. I''ll ask for applications in another chapter if I end up deciding to get one. Please do NOT just send me messages about. 2: In a similar vein, I am unsatisfied with the lack of art for the icon right now. But alas, I am not artistic. If anyone wants to whip something up for the story, let me know. I''ll credit you in the synopsis space. I don''t mind if you want to do your own interpretation, or need ideas, hopefully it just relates somehow to the story xD. Day 32 Day 32 The rumblings beneath me woke me up; the Northeast Deed was sinking. Sure enough¡­ ¡°Something MUST be going wrong! Another Deed is sinking!! This time the Northeast Deed? Wow, that¡¯s surely some bad luck for the people who are there.¡± Sighing, I sat up. My brief reign as owner of the Deed had passed, and I was back to being property on another Deed. Then I hesitated, frowning. -Would I have had to obey a command from Toddie while I owned my own Deed¡­? -Possibly? -That¡¯s an unhelpful answer. I joined Whipman and the others as we hurried off the sinking land mass. Because the East Deed had already fallen, we just headed towards the central Deed. I suspect that it would soon be the only one remaining, and we would be forced to confront that mage with infinite mana in order to not die at nightfall. Jester was waiting at the edge of the sinking landmass, looking down at me. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°What for?¡± Jester hopped down next to me. ¡°To see what¡¯s at the bottom of the rabbit hole.¡± Slapping me on the back, Jinka laughed heartily. ¡°Well well, an adventure? I shall come as well.¡± ¡°Nope, you cannot.¡± Jester shook his head. ¡°As Predator previously pointed out to me, if you are not on a Deed at nightfall, you will die. We are currently on a Deed, are you?¡± Jinka¡¯s face fell. ***** ¡°You planned this. This is why you so desperately wanted a second Deed.¡± After the layer with the land had fallen low enough, the speed of our descent rapidly increased. Within two hours, the area above was completely out of sight. Just the rushing of air continued as we fell into darkness. I shifted through the cadences of Earth and Water. Jester was doing handstands, and just shrugged while upside down. ¡°I suppose. I had other ideas, but this one seemed the most direct. I¡¯m honestly a bit disappointed that it was your Deed that fell. I would have preferred to have accompanied Toddie down here. She just¡­¡± Jester flourished his hand a theatrical manner. ¡°She just gets me.¡± ¡°And why was this necessary at all? What do you hope to find down here?¡± I pressed Jester, hoping to find some answers. He was as capable at misdirect as ever. ¡°Do you see that?" Arms spread wide, he seemed to indicate the entire area in front of us. Narrowing my eyes, I brought my increased perception to bear. My pupils dilated, letting in as much light as was present in this huge area. It really seemed like we had descended deep under the ground; I checked as we detached from the land above, but there was nothing connecting to the bottom of the still functioning Deeds. Just darkness below. It seemed that a huge piece of the crust that we were on was just falling into nothing. I walked to the edge and peered over. Deep, far, far below where we were, I thought I saw a glimmer of light, but as I watched, it seemed to fade, and reappear slowly in some place farther from my gaze. I stared after it for a while before shaking my head and returning to Jester. ¡°No, I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Right? Thank god.¡± Jester shook his masked face. ¡°Imagine how hard it would be if you did.¡± My eye began to twitch, but I ignored it, walking a bit away from him to practice Air Affinity. Another strange effect of us falling away is that most of the land we were on was¡­ disappearing. The fact that the trees slowly broken down and fluttered away as dust wasn¡¯t so bad, but the real concern was that the Deed itself was shrinking. The Deed was originally about 20 km across, but it had shrunk to a little less than 10 km. And it was continuing to shrink. Putting the dangers out of my mind, I sat on the ground, wanting to try out a theory that I had. ***POV Change*** In a darkened hall slipped in between the 49th and 50th floors of The Great Tower, 7 chairs sat. The huge marbled doors of the hall swung soundlessly open. Several cloaked figures walked in, some tall, some short and squat, others seemingly floating off the ground, the bottom of their cloak fluttering as they proceeded forward. In a similarly soundless manner, the 6 figures sat in 6 of the chairs. The figure in the central chair sighed. ¡°Where is Sven?¡± A giggled emerged from one of the middle chairs. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who sent him on assignment, Oct? Oh dear, I¡¯ll have to submit a claim that my supervisor is going senile~. ¡°Quin, you know that solicitors don¡¯t age.¡± Oct shook his head. ¡°And yes I remember him being dispatched, but he¡¯s headed to a floor before 20, for Ilium¡¯s sake. He¡¯s not a Solicitor working as a caseworker anymore; he¡¯s on the council of Recruitment. You¡¯d think he would be a bit more efficient.¡± The individual in the far right chair spoke in a hiss. ¡°...Isss hisss lack of presencssssse a problem?¡± ¡°Only if we want to put the prisoner to death,¡± Oct said grimly, then gestured to a previously hidden figure by the door. ¡°Bring in the prisoner for his mandatory Attestation.¡± ***POV Change*** Whipman idly practiced his form, wondering where Predator had gone. More than that though, Whipman imagined himself, flawlessly executing the various forms of the Tellite people, and Ashni would wander by. His spear strokes would flow like water, his form would be balanced and powerful. The air would shudder with his blows. At the moment, Whipman was deciding whether she would secretly watch for a while, her feelings for him slowly growing within her, or whether she would be so stunned that she would gasp allowed, alerting him to her presence. Of course, his senses were so sharp that he already knew that she was there, but that would give him the perfect opportunity to pause mid strike, stopping a momentous blow with barely a hint of effort. Then he would turn to Ashni, and she would wonder where all his strength had gone- ¡®No, no, no,¡¯ Whipman thought to himself, shaking his head. ¡®That¡¯s not quite right.¡¯ Whipman would have stopped suddenly, in a supreme display of mastery. Then Ashni would look at him, marveling at the quiet aura of power that seemed to suffuse the air in his immediate vicinity. Then abruptly overcome with emotion, she would say- ¡°Why are you posing like that?¡± Whipman did his best to collect his jaw, which had dropped to the floor, and nonchalantly turned to face Ashni, who was giving him an extremely confused look. ¡®Why am I doing these things..?¡¯ Whipman wondered, just standing silently and staring at Ashni. The silence stretched for a minute. Whipman¡¯s brain produced no answers. All his life, Whipman had admired the strength of the opposite sex¡¯s hips as they shifted from form to form with perfect balance, but most of it had been in a jealous sort of way, as those Tellite women paid more attention to those individuals who got accepted into schools affiliated with the 4 stances. Never had he really had any one on one contact, aside from sparing. She coughed lightly. ¡°...is something on your mind?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, um, well.¡± Whipman scrambled around for a topic, then greedily seized on the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I am just concerned for Predator. I wonder where the Deeds drop towards.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Ashni nodded. ¡°I, too, feel somewhat responsible for him, now that I could be considered to have given him some pointers on the Thunder Stance. Although his form is rough, his body is incredibly strong. He is a human, is he not? I did not know that their bodies could contain such strength. It makes one eager, does it not? Imagining a body with that sort of power, reaching the pinnacle of The Great Tower using the perfect of the martial arts of Tellus?¡± Whipman nodded rather dumbly. After all, that had been his original idea. He glared at the ground, his eyes abruptly very itchy. ¡®A legacy left by my teacher. A promise to reach the summit.¡¯ ¡°So what is your relationship with Predator?¡± Ashni asked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s my disciple-¡± Whipman froze. He peeked at her out of the corner of his eyes. Ashni was giving him a cold look. ¡°...you are the imbecile that left him so woefully under equipped in regards to Thunder Stance?!?!¡± ¡°Well, I have only been training him for a brief amount of time, so-¡± ¡°Excuses are the retreats of the weak.¡± ¡°-and I assure you that my own Thunder Stance is at a much higher level-¡± Again, Whipman¡¯s own words made him wince. ¡°...Oh?¡± The air had cooled by an incredible amount. Fighting spirit and blood lust were rolling off of Ashni in waves. She pointed to his spear. ¡°Well then, you will have no problem demonstrating. I will judge at what level your form is.¡± Whipman¡¯s hands grew abruptly sweaty. Ashni folded her arms. ¡°What is it!?!? I¡¯m waiting.¡± ***POV Change*** I closed the notification, inwardly quite pleased with myself. If it worked how I hoped it would... But before I allowed my imagination to run further away with me, I stood up and walked closer to the center of the platform. Our 20 km Deed had shrunk to a single km. The edges broke off and dispersed, slowly reduced to nothing. The originally tightly packed earth had slowly worn away, leaving a platform of an unrecognizable metal. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. -Not that we really know much about metal¡­ -But it¡¯s hard enough to withstand my claws, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything in the order of iron or steel. Still, that gave me some assurance that we were just going to fall into oblivion. It was probably nearing nightfall above, and I wondered if there would be any indication if we violated some hidden rule, and were about to die without even knowing what was coming. Yet I still breathed. I patted my arms contemplatively. I was really starting to like this body. -Although we haven¡¯t even had the chance to use it since it powered up¡­ -Hopefully soon. I walked over to Jester, who was standing at the edge of the platform. Below him, a metal construct was emerging from the darkness, and we were rushing towards it. Almost glumly, he slumped to the side, rolling on the ground. ¡°You have no idea how much it annoys me to admit it, you were right. I was hoping the descent would be so fast that the being on a Deed at nightfall wouldn¡¯t come into play, but¡­¡± A huge force suddenly pressed down on us, driving me to my knees. It was strong, much stronger than the gravity imposed by the human in the first round, likely due to the rapid deceleration. With a soft click, the platform below us shuddered as some sort of mechanism engaged. The platform rotated a small amount. Gears whizzed to life. Looking around, it seemed that there were 8 places similar to ares, abutting against a larger, central platform. A huge green crystal pulsed slowly, producing light, on the far side of the central area, next to a large indentation. The metal gleamed ominously under its ebbing, alien light. Around the edge of the central platform where tall poles, affixed at the top with spheres. -Likely some sort of deactivated light source¡­ what is this place? ¡°So I must admit, that I wasn¡¯t 100% honest with you,¡± Jester said, strolling forward off of our platform to the larger central one. The indentation in the center was a large hole from which arose a this cylinder covered in complicated gears and wires. -I suppose that¡¯s where the central Deed comes down. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just that some people do pass the 3rd Floor. Just not fairly. The 3 rounds here are designed to take time, whittling people down to the best of the best, and all at once featuring powerful individuals. In the old days, administrators who were gamblers, or down on their luck, would come down here and watch, picking challengers and placing bribes in the right hands to get them out of here. In fact, I think one such individual was promoted directly to the 5th floor not 4 days ago. ¡°But.¡± Jester punctuated his words by raising his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about the spirit of what I said. All those who proceed to the 3rd round of this floor die. Because you are forced to fight against the floor controller for the ticket out of here. The last, tragic, game he is allowed to play with you.¡± We reached the edge of the indentation where the central Deed would eventually descend. Jester, without missing a beat, hopped the 30 m down to land among tangled wires and pipes that constituted an underbelly beneath the huge platform, connecting it all. Seeing the materials support his weight, I hopped down after him. He strolled calmly forward towards the column upon which the Central Deed would settle. I frowned at him. ¡°You are strong. We are all strong. And if the Central Deed descends, that mage with infinite mana-¡± Jester just smiled at me. ¡°...we won¡¯t keep the infinite mana. It will switch to the floor controller. That¡¯s why you wanted to come down here earlier.¡± ¡°I would say that¡¯s 35% of the reason.¡± Jester said cheerily. Around the column there was a empty space, even the underbelly didn''t connect to it. As if by magic, Jester materialized a rope and tied it around some pipes. Then he slid down, quickly dropping almost the entire 100 m of rope. Darkness seemed to stretch infinitely below us, leading to an unfathomably deep abyss. After a bit of hesitation, I followed him. ¡°Mostly I just want to kill the floor controller. If the the floor controller wins, he returns to his resting state, and the floor itself resets, the mechanisms disconnecting. The mana doesn¡¯t just stop here; it flows all the way to the bottom of the Tower. But if he isn¡¯t defeated, the flow is immediately severed.¡± Gathering my mana, I prepared at any moment to create a platform of air at a moment¡¯s notice, in case foul play was involved here. ¡°And why are we doing this? Coming down here?¡± ¡°Because you shouldn¡¯t see what I¡¯m about to show you, and I enjoy doing naughty things~ There, this is the barrier. See it?¡± Jester put his hand down, and it disappeared. Nothing but darkness. Then he pulled his hand back and it reappeared. He flexed his fingers. ¡°See? Harmless. Just poke your head through. Get a glimpse at the inner workings of the tower.¡± ***POV Change*** A man walked through the huge marble doors to stand in front of the 6 filled chairs of the Solicitor¡¯s Recruitment Counsel. He had short blonde hair and an easy smile. He walked confidently, with no binds on his person. Just two shadows following behind him. But what was most noticeable about the man was his weapon. A huge pick was casually leaning against his shoulders, easily as tall as he was. The pick itself was a brutal thing, seemingly just a tooth of a monstrous beast tied to a wooden club. But the base of the tooth had been filed down to a sharpened axe head. As for the tip of the tooth¡­ As the man walked, a small drop of liquid fell off the tip, hitting the floor and immediately melting through several feet of the ground beneath him. With a wave of its arms, a shadow restored the floor, but stayed far away from the tip of the tooth. The man stopped in front of the group, poking at the two braziers that illuminated him for the counsel. ¡°His crimes?¡± Oct asked in an official tone. A shadow stepped forward. ¡°Violating an unknown number of the tower¡¯s rules.¡± Oct¡¯s frown affected the very air around his chair; it wasn¡¯t even necessary to see his facial features. ¡°An¡­.unknown number of rules?¡± The shadow hesitated. ¡°Well¡­ he does possess two of the Ilium¡¯s warning marks, which was enough for an investigation. But the Investigating Head determined that the speed of his ascent could be explained by nothing but rule violations-¡± Oct waved a hand, and the shadow bowed and retreated. ¡°You. What is your name, level, and race.¡± The pick wielder chuckled. ¡°My name is Thomas Karman. I¡¯m level 176.¡± Karman¡¯s eyes twinkled in the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m currently the strongest human in the Tower.¡± ***POV Change*** I looked at Jester for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t get any indication of what he was thinking from his mask. So, after hopping off the rope and stepping onto a platform of air a few meters away, I descended through the barrier. Beneath the barrier was machinery. Strange metal drones rushed back and forth. It almost seemed to be a mine, with support structures lining the entire area. A huge, infinite mine. It descended downward, lit by the drone¡¯s lights and, to my disbelief, lava waterfalls. But through the center of this strange mining area was a pillar. A pillar that seemed to be sealed, a rich crimson liquid frothing within. As I watched, the liquid seemed to fight to get towards me, spinning and smashing into the walls of the cylinder. After a few seconds, I broke my gaze away; the crimson liquid settled. I floated back upwards, beyond the barrier, into the darkness lit only by the pulsing light of the crystal. ¡°...was that blood?¡± Jester chuckled, shimmying up the rope like a monkey. ¡°Something like that.¡± A brief burst of mana catapulted me back up to the underbelly, and then I followed Jester back to the main part of the central platform. He walked over towards the crystal. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°For what? What are we even-¡± ¡°To begin.¡± He punched the crystal. He struck with enough force to cause a long crack to form. The light began to glow brighter. ***POV Change*** Whipman practiced in the darkness, his teeth gritted. That woman. That rude woman¡­! Ashni had torn his pride to pieces. Everything he did lacked execution, she claimed. He was too wishy-washy about his stances, so he knew none of them better than an average Tellite toddler. He had no hope or talent. Effort was simply a waste of time, and not a worthwhile endeavor. ¡°I¡¯ll show her¡­!¡± Whipman¡¯s spear shot forward, stabbing into the ground. The ground rumbled. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Blinking, Whipman looked at his spear, surprised at his strength. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t so- The ground shuddered again, and then all of the Deeds began to fall, dropping into the darkness. ***Author''s Note*** Now that I''ve started my job, its down to 1 chapter a day. I will have Mon/Tues off after this week, so I''ll see if I can squeeze some extra ones out then. Day 33.1 ***Author''s Note*** Quick housekeeping. Wow, I''m so busy these days. I had a date! And it went well~ But I missed writing =(. So I came back! I owe you a chapter for missing yesterday, expect it out Monday or Tuesday. Also, I definitely would like a proofreader to help me. Interested parties send me a PM. I''d like you to have some experience, but caring about the story and willing to edit within 24 hours are probably the real necessities... Also, shout out to Deinos, who pointed out very logically that if the landing of the Deed was that powerful, it would crush most people other than Predator. A good point that sort of slipped my mind xD. I think it will end up working out, but thanks for pointing it out! Now onto the story. Day 33 I decided that I hated staying up an entire night. Not that I felt particularly tired, I just never felt comfortable without a block of hours to dream about my briefly possessed bed. It was that life changing. The platform underneath us buzzed to life, the pillars with orbs around the perimeter of the central platform flickering to life. Giggling strangely, Jester slammed his fist into the crystal once more, the crack that spanned the crystal slowly increasing in size. ¡°Stop, stop, stop! It¡¯s not supposed to go like this!¡± The crystal released thousands of motes of green, which drifted down and gathered to form a headless figure in monochrome striped clothes: the floor controller. He stomped his foot, seeming to look towards Jester. ¡°What are you doing? How are you down here? You shouldn¡¯t have survived sunset if you weren¡¯t on a deed¡­¡± ¡°I WAS on a Deed at sunset,¡± Jester said, raising his fist for another blow. ¡°But you just deactivated all the Deeds forcefully, so no longer. You broke the rules, Cullen. So naughty~¡± The floor controller gave Jester a long look. ¡°...who are you? How do you know that name? It¡¯s quite nostalgic. Well anyway, for coming down here, you will- HEY STOP HITTING THAT!¡± Jester¡¯s blow widened the crack, shaking the entire platform. Absolutely fuming, the floor controller started cartwheeling towards Jester and the crystal. Shaking my head at this silliness, I summoned several blades of air to smash the floor controller. Unfortunately, his strange movements weaved between the blades. Frowning, I strolled in front of Jester, blocking the floor controller¡¯s path. ¡°What? You think I am scared of you? The belts still work down here. If you try and physically stop me-¡± I bent down and touched the ground, a wave of frost spreading out to cover the immediate area. It crept outward, reaching an area about 10 m away from where I was standing. The floor controller continued to roll, his hands hitting the ice. He slipped, face planting. ¡°Is this all he can do?¡± I asked hesitantly. I was having a hard time maintaining my tension with such a silly floor controller. Jester just shrugged, raising his arm for another strike. ¡°DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Scrabbling on the ground for purchase, the floor controller released a huge wave of mana. Far, far above, one of the Deeds began to hurtle downward towards us, lighting up like a comet. Glancing up, it seemed like we wouldn¡¯t have much time until it arrived. Based on its acceleration based on his yell, it would likely be the Central Deed. I strolled purposefully towards the floor controller. It was extremely strange, looking at him. Without a head, it was difficult to tell where he was looking, or his reactions. -Well, that¡¯s made simpler by his narcissistic yelling. But I could tell then that he was glaring hatefully at me as I approached. ¡°What do you think you are doing? We already talked about this. Use your shitty spells that do nothing, and stay the fuck away-¡± I slammed downwards with my fist, cracking against his shoulders and smashing his torso into the ground. Then, for good measure, I threaded my fingers together and smashed him again, using all of my strength to warp the metal platform, forcing his body deeper. ¡°How?! You should be dead¡­!¡± Grinning, I recalled my previously created technique.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Automated Air Armor Lvl 1¡±: Using your mastery of Air, you can maintain a barrier of air around your entire body. However, due to the intensive nature of the technique, one of parallel computation must fully maintain it at all times.
So to control the use of mana by just creating the armor, I was for the first time in a long time without other me. It was a strangely quiet place in my mind, which I wasn¡¯t used to. Both my limbs and my abilities had to be controlled solely by me, which meant that I was pause, almost imperceptibly, anytime I was controlling mana abilities. In normal situation it probably wouldn¡¯t matter, but on the battlefield, I couldn¡¯t afford even the smallest lapse. Still¡­ Intuitively predicting how the floor boss was about to squirm, I smashed him even deeper into the metal platform. My eyes were twinkling. There were some benefits to losing other me for a bit. Timeless Perception once more appeared, giving me insight into the opponent¡¯s moves before they happened. The flashes of the futures were disorientating, probably made much worse by how much my Timeless Perception had increased since I had used it last, but I was staying just far enough ahead of it to pummel the creature. I saw that the floor controller was about to twist his limbs around and reach for me, a feat impossible for a creature with normal joints. Frowning, I wondered why I was cursed to fight creatures that could ignore the physical limitations of their body and stopped down with a foot wrapped in a layer of air, smashing him with such force that the corners of the metal panel we were atop of began to curl up. ¡°DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!!¡± The floor controller roared as Jester¡¯s fist connected with the crystal again, the crack growing at an alarming rate. Well, alarming for anyone who wanted the crystal to be useful. I wondered briefly what the crystal was used for. Was it just the floor controller¡¯s home? If so, why was it such an eyesore, hunched on the side of the platform? It seemed like it had been added as an afterthought. Although I continued to pummel the floor controller, he seemed to sense that my focus turned inward, and squirmed like an eel. Cursing, my focus snapped back to the enemy in front of me, but he had enough time to gather his feet and begin throwing handfuls of black smoke at me. When it hit my skin, the substance caused enough pain for even me to grit my teeth and hiss. I allowed the Air Armor to drop, because it didn¡¯t seem to do anything to stop the weird smoke. The Timeless Perception shadows fell away, and I sighed, almost glad. It was starting to give me a headache. Managing to handle that flow of information without Other Me¡¯s assistance was still a bit much. -True. It seems like each point in Timeless Perception is worth more than a point in Processing Power. I wonder if there are tiers to stats. -Not now, other me. Thoughts like this got us in trouble in the first place. -That¡¯s why you have me to have them. I created a dozen wind blades and threw them at the floor controller. His suit was slashed to bits, but his skin seemed to resist the blades, only inflict small cuts. -Something bigger, eh¡­ But before I could gather the mana, the floor controller¡¯s hands flicked together in a complicated pattern. As he did so, a face slowly formed over his shoulders. It had short, dark hair, and both of his eyes were closed. But strange tattoos covered his skin, glowing with raw power. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you trash forced me to this¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a forbidden technique Cullen. You shouldn¡¯t be able to do that,¡± Jester said casually, bringing his hand back for another punch at the crystal Although his now appeared eyes stayed closed, the lines around them still tightened. ¡°You also know this!?!? Who the hell are you? It¡¯s no matter though, you will die. This world is the map, I am the compass. All the world curves back toward me. Inversion.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± It¡¯s hard to describe what happened then. It was like being shocked awake from a dream by a splash of water. But instead of water, what shocked me awake was the fluid in my ear canals struggling to understand the huge change in pressure and gravity that was affecting me. The change was so sudden that I grew dizzy for several seconds, squeezing my eyes shut. But then they snapped back open, because I was falling downward. Down had abruptly become up. ***POV Change*** Whipman stood with the rest of the group, peering over the edge of their disintegrating Deed. Most of them had been awoken by the sudden fall, approaching their de facto leader, Toddie, for answers. But Toddie just frowned and bobbed her head, humming. Jinka was off to the side, mumbling to himself, staring forcefully down in the swiftly approaching darkness. Ashni had her arms folded, ignoring Whipman and staring coolly at the trees around them. That human woman that Predator was running around with, Jana, tapped her foot and paced, shooting glances downwards. When mana surged below, and one of the relatively distant Deeds started shooting downwards, yanked towards the abyss, Whipman felt a thrill of fear in his heart. He realized, after practicing earlier in front of Ashni, that he had become strong. But that strength had no use here. Not on her level of course, but strong enough that he wouldn¡¯t have had any difficulty getting into a specialty academy back on Tellus, if he wished. The strange thing was that he did not really grow much stronger; in fact his body was weaker. But teaching Predator, whose body was so naturally powerful, had shown Whipman how to use his knowledge against strength. Suddenly, his memories of his master lecturing him were transformed. His eyes opened, and using his weakness to leverage strength. Ashni¡¯s dominating atmosphere while he practiced her stances was very attractive to Whipman, but it also highlighted how his style was different. Although he couldn¡¯t overwhelm, he could hold his own. And as he deciphered more of the secrets hidden in his master¡¯s notes... well, perhaps he too could one day ascend. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What?¡± Whipman blinked. He casually flipped, surprised he had been abruptly turned upside down. His feet flailed, touching nothing. ¡°Uh.¡± Whipman looked up, eyes bulging. The Deed was above him, looming. And falling down towards him. He whipped out his spear on reflex, stabbing it up into the ground. Then he wrapped his arms around it and held on for dear life. ***POV Change*** After I recovered, I created a platform of air beneath me and landed on it. I checked my mana, and what I saw made me wince. Almost 40% gone. The Automated Air Armor, even with Other Me curtailing wasteful mana, still burned right through my mana pool. Having determined my battle readiness, I glanced around. The Floor Controller floated in the air, sideways to my view, seemingly impervious to the shifted gravity, and really gravity at all. The tattoos on his face burned, mana coursing through them. Jester had at some point smashed his feet into the ground, and so he was still in much the same position. He punched the crystal once more, ineffectually due to the change in perspective. He vigorously shook his mask and raised his arm to try again. ¡°STOP. RIGHT. THERE.¡± The floor controller floated closer to Jester, black mist rolling off of him in waves. ¡°Ah, Predator. Can you do something about this? He isn¡¯t very powerful without access to his infinite mana, but he can still create quite a bit of that Void Mist¡­¡± Jester called over his shoulder, striking the crystal again, causing it to shudder. Breathing as heavily as I could to restore mana faster, I poured almost 10% of my remaining mana pool into a wind blade and shot it at the floor controller. That sightless face turned to me, sneering. It raised its arm and spurted a beam of black mist towards me. As soon as it hit the wind blade, my carefully crafted sickle disintegrated, the very mana seemingly repressed by the black mist¡¯s touch. I reflexively raised a barrier of hyper compressed air, and too late heard other me¡¯s warning. The beam smashed into my chest, my shirt quickly devoured by its strange energy. Pain shot through me, enough to make even me, with my high tolerance for pain, groan and lose concentration, letting the platform beneath me fall out of existence. Seemingly satisfied, the floor controller turned away. I was probably lucky he looked away so soon. Because he missed the crazy cheshire grin that twisted across my mouth. -Ah, there it is. Heat flooded my limbs, a raging inferno that made the stinging pain of that strange mist shrink back. My pupils constricted. -This is it. What I needed. That thrill, that tension, that struggle, that strife. -That possibility that I will die. -What was it that you always said while training? -Every drop of sweat tempers you. -Every second of struggle sculpts you. -Every bit of pain forges you. Invigorated, I worked quickly, using ice affinity to form a long spear of hard ice, pouring mana into its durability. The temperature near my hands lowered to such a degree that I was covered in thin layer of frost, the ice in my hands darkening to an indigo color. Then I created two more wind blades, just as powerful as the first, leaving me with only 35% mana.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 3¡±. Enhanced state now slightly increases the effectiveness of all your skills. While in enhanced state, fatal blows have a slight chance of failing to overcome your vitality.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5.¡± Durability of Ice increased. The amount that you can lower temperature with this skill has slightly increased. You effectiveness at creating items out of ice has increased.
I threw the first wind blade towards the floor controller, who was raising his arm to point at Jester¡¯s seemingly defenseless back. Then I threw the indigo spear of ice. I kept the final wind blade back for now. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish? It¡¯s futile. Step away from the crystal or your last moments will be agony.¡± ¡°Oh, come now, Cullen.¡± Jester said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. ¡°We both know that this is about as bad as you get without your mana.¡± ¡°And access to that mana is descending as we speak-¡± ¡°Is it? I feel like you reversed its gravity, too. It¡¯s probably getting farther away even now~¡± The floor controller¡¯s face paled, his brow swiftly furrowing. -He didn¡¯t realize? -He isn¡¯t the brightest. And he doesn¡¯t have a second self to remind him of these things. ¡°DAMMMMMIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT!¡± Black mist seethed around him, surging outwards. Jester hastily ripped his feet out of the grounds and latched onto some of the cracks in the crystal, scuttling around its surface like a bug. My wind blade smashed against the mist, opening a slight hole, but the force quickly dissipated and it faded to nothing. The floor controller, now extremely incensed, twisted around and snorted. ¡°FOOLS BY MY HAND YOU SHALL PER-¡± The indigo spear shot through the smoke and sunk into his chest, stilling his heart. He trembled, looking with disbelief at the spear of ice in his chest. Although the mist seemed to cause pain to nerves, it didn''t cause topical damage. Likely it just interfered with mana, which was why the wind blades dissipated. But I had suspected that a physical object, like the ice spear, would pierced right through. I grinned at the Floor Controller''s still form. Then the tattooes on his face began to glow. ¡°I will not die here-¡± My second wind blade, taking advantage of his distraction and the dissipating black mist, lopped off his head. The world shuddered, and then righted itself. The dizzy spell was enough that I slammed into the ground awkwardly. I looked up to see the Floor Controller exploding, returning to tiny motes of green light that flowed back into the crystal. My indigo ice spear clattered to the ground, quickly chilling the nearby area and creating a layer of frost. I walked over to it and picked it up. It was a useful weapon, if not exactly what I preferred to fight with. I touched my trusty cudgel, smiling as I recalled all of my fond memories of cracking skulls with it.
Congratulations! You have vanquished a Floor Controller! Currently calculating gains...
I frowned at the notification. Calculating gains? The machinery around us was whirring to life, the green glow spreading out from the crystal to the lights, tinging everything in emerald. Above, it became obvious that the other Deeds were accelerating down towards us once more, this time in a more uniform and controlled manner. Jester adopted a fighting stance, stepped forward with his left foot, rotated his hip and shoulders ideally, slamming his fist into the crystal in a perfectly executed right straight. Small bits of the crystal fell off. The whirring below us faltered.
Error, process interrupted! Restarting processes¡­.
The Deeds above slowed, and then began to slowly rise towards the surface. Even our Deed, and the others that had already fallen began to float upwards away from the central platform. But then Jester¡¯s leg blurred as he smashed a middle kick into the crystal.
Warning! Significant deviation from recommended processes detected. Floor malfunction detected. Please contact an Administrator or a Solicitor so they submit a ticket for fulfillment by an Arbiter.
The green motes of light, once again, flooded out, forming a cloud that swirled angrily around Jester. He waved his hand through it like it was a fly, then proceeded to ignore it. Absolutely trembling with indignation, the green light cloud released a vibration that sounded quite like the Floor Controller swearing. ¡°Is he¡­ not dead?¡± I asked, puzzled. ¡°No, unfortunately not,¡± Jester said. ¡°Floor controllers aren¡¯t quite¡­ living, any longer. It would be too much hassle to replace them every time they were defeated by challengers. So it was arranged that they be practically immortal, yet bound.¡± ¡°To the crystal?¡± I stared at the strange green light, curious. How could the Floor Controller exist inside that stone. Was his real body hidden, deep within? ¡°...in a manner of speaking.¡± Jester headbutted the crystal. The cracks widened further, spreading so that it seemed like every corner of the crystal was filled with fractures. ¡°He should be completely fine, I¡¯m not sure why he hasn¡¯t-¡± BOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The shock wave knocked me off my feet and sent me tumbling off the edge of the central platform. Perhaps more impressive was that the concussive force was so great that I believe I blacked out briefly, just spinning aimlessly in the air above the abyss. I snapped back to my senses, but then, for several seconds, I wondered what would have happened to me if I fell into that strange mining area below. Then I remembered the crimson liquid, and shivered. A few air platforms allowed me to hop back up on top of the central area, only to find a frazzled Jester clinging to the crystal like a poisonous lichen. But my eyes immediately traveled to the indented portion of the central platform. A pillar of light illuminated our surroundings even further, initially blinding me. But as my eyes adjusted, I saw that the motes of green light form a figure. The Floor Controller appeared, standing on the remnants of the central Deed, basking in that light. As I watched, 1000s of small blobs of black mist formed, resolving themselves into birds, squirrels, rats, raccoons, tiny lizards, and snakes. ¡°Ah.¡± Jester said with surprisingly good cheer. ¡°He was waiting for that.¡± Day 33.2 ***Authors Note*** Very tired. Cannot do anything but a cursory proofread. Sorry for any mistakes, bring em up and I''ll get them in the morning. Day 33.2 The central Deed, now that it had smashed into the ground, rotated ominously, locking into its resting place. The glowing beam of light intensified, bringing with it an increasing amount of mana. And the Floor Controller bathed in its, his face condensing with more and more clarity. His eyes remained closed, but the tattoos grew an ugly red, like an infected rash. ¡°Kekeke, not so smart now, are you two? Step away from my crystal or I will annihilate you. Honestly I¡¯ll do it anyway, but if you come this way, you might be able to stand on this platform. All who stand here can access the infinite mana, so struggle, approach! See if you can survive-!¡± BOOOM. Ignoring the Floor Controller, Jester just punched the crystal again. Which of course, incensed the Floor Controller who started bellowing and pointing, huge crashing waves of mana flowing from him. The small animals made of the black mist hissed and chittered and squeaked. Then they began running, weaving amongst each other as if they were part of a huge, cohesive unit that was bent on overrunning us. Imagining the discomfort that so much of that mist could cause, I grimaced. I briefly considered Wind Blades, Automated Air Armor, and ice knives in turn, but discarded each. There were simply too many. I spared Jester a glance, but he was still singlemindedly balling his fists and smashing the crystal, which seemed to be very close to shattering. The Floor controller raised his arms, forming a huge sword of amorphous black smoke above his head. Extending 10 m, the sword shot forward towards Jester, its color a deeper and darker black than the animals that were approaching. I raised the indigo ice spear, stabbing experimentally at the animals approaching. But of course, they passed right through it, throwing themselves at me and digging their strange mana incitement into me with their bodies. I could feel the energies growing close to uncontrollable within me as they dispersed themselves on me, but for now Other Me was able to maintain control of my mana. But I had only been attacked by about a dozen of the animals, the rest flowed like a wave towards Jester and the crystal. The sword streaked past, homing in on him as he scuttled around, trying to use the crystal as a shield. It swerved to avoid hitting the crystal, but was still able to cleanly sink into Jester¡¯s body. He shuddered, convulsing for several seconds, likely due to the pain. In that time, the army of small animals flooded closer, more springing into being near the Floor Controller. Gritting my teeth, I leapt towards the platform. Although infinite mana wouldn¡¯t solve all of our issues, it would certainly help dealing with the Floor Controller. While Jester struggled with his inner mana surges, I prepared mana blades to cut to pieces any small animals that attempted to stop me. But they just parted in front of me. Instead, a huge, looming shadow bear came into being in my trajectory. It¡¯s paw blurred, smashing into me, a veritable explosion of that mist soaking my body. The mana I had prepared to cast wind blades dispersed in sparks and bangs, going wild. The Floor Controller began to laugh. ¡°Now, how wonderful to reduce you two to the vermin that you are. I will torture you for a long time, savoring the-¡± BOOOOOM. The Floor Controller was knocked forward, almost off the central platform, only managing to hold on my falling to the ground. A bolt of lightning had struck him in the back. Looming behind him was a figure in midnight robes, wobbling and leaning heavily on his staff. His robes were wet with blood and oil, and laying on the ground behind him was the remnants of the golden golem that accompanied him. It appeared as if the golem had wrapped his body around the mage, using his frame to absorb most of the force from the fall. I shivered. I had enough trouble with the typical descent that I experienced. It was hard to imagine the amount of force that hit them as their hurtling path downwards was brought to an abrupt stop. No wonder most of the golem¡¯s body was now warped to look like a pancake. ¡°This Deed¡­ is still mine.¡± The midnight robed figure¡¯s voice boomed out imperiously. Taking advantage of the Floor Controller¡¯s divided attention, I summoned quite a few tiny wind blades, cutting my way through the small animals, skirting around the bear. ¡°Kekeke, you think I¡¯m afraid of you, challenger? You are out of your league!¡± Another horde of shadow animals was summoned, leaping towards the robbed individual. He raised his hads and summoned a humming cloud in front of him. From that cloud, dozens of tiny lightning bolts shot out, exploding the approaching animals in small pops. Then the robed figures raised his hands, summoning fist fulls of lighting, and began to throw it. ¡°You are but the boss of the 3rd Floor. Surrender and I will preserve your soul crystal. Resist¡­. And I will crush you.¡± The small cloud in front of him grew larger, spewing more bolts even faster. He raised his hand and unleashed a blast of lightning. I worked my way closer. ¡°Impudent!¡± The Floor Controller screamed, summoning a dozen mist bears. They ran forward, their arms raised, shielding themselves. Perhaps due to the way they were created, they were much more adept at surviving the lightning bolts, and were able to push much closer to the robed figure¡¯s side of the central platform. Even more concerning for the creature in the midnight robes, sheltering behind the bears were hundreds of tiny mist beasts, waiting for their chance. The robed man clapped both hands together and a blast of lighting surged forward, ripping a huge hole in a bear¡¯s midsection, causing the rest of it to collapse. The cloud started going into overdrive, bolts of lightning thrown everywhere. The robed figure began to smoke, strangely, a burning smell filling the air. -Perhaps it¡¯s a side effect of channeling so much mana. The Floor Controller looks pretty worse for wear too. I looked, and sure enough, the Floor Controller¡¯s closed eyelids were twitching. The tattoos were the angry red of a fresh burn. Still, more shadow creatures continued to surge into the path of the lightning bolts, and although the blasts of lightning were enough to destroy them, there were far too many for each to be shot individually. Growling, the robed figure dropped his staff and swayed, barely standing. But he cupped his hands and began summoning and extremely powerful seeming golden lightning. But the Floor Controller seemed to have been waiting for something like this, and once more executed the complicated hand gestures. ¡°Inversion!¡± This time, up didn¡¯t become down, right became down. I seemed to have grown slightly more accustomed to the shift, because it only took me a split second to recover, forming a platform of air beneath me. I landed lightly, glancing around. Jester seemed to have finally recovered and was now clambering up the wall/ground back towards the crystal. The Floor Controller was floating ominously, still producing more black mist beasts. The midnight robed figure faired the worst, but luckily, even in death the golden golem protected him. Although most of the metal body had been flattened, there was still a small bit of its arms sticking out. Reaching out wildly, the robed creature grabbed the same arms that had previously saved him from being crushed by the force. ¡°Die!¡± The robed man pointed and unleashed the charged golden lightning, which rushed forward, obliterating most of the shadow animals that were hopping around, unaffected by the gravity change. All the other black mist, including the small animals harassing me, were summoned back to the Floor Controller¡¯s body, coating him in a huge orb of shadow. The golden lightning smashed into it, a huge wave of powershooting outward. I raised my arms, but still my left forearm was shattered. The air platform shuddered and failed, overwhelmed. There were about 4 seconds of freefall before the energies started to calm down, and I was able to place another air platform beneath me. After the clash, the golden light slowly died, while the black mist was reduced to a feeble veil that covered the floor controller. The robed man urged his thunder cloud forward, but before it could approach, the mist swelled around the Floor Controller, soon obscuring him completely. ¡°Kekeke, is that all you can manage? You had such access to the mana, I¡¯m surprised this is all you amounted to. But to make sure¡­ how about we play another game? Belt switch!¡± I blinked. The blue light I had so long been accustomed to flickered, died, and then returned as red. The robed figure¡¯s belt also turned red. ¡°Hahaha, harming another with anything created by mana or skill now will earn you death¡­ now what will you do-¡± While the Floor Controller was speaking, I catapulted myself through the air towards him. My eyes blazing, I raised my arms and simply charged through the huge fog bank that was around him, relying on my sense of sound to guide me to his position. My ears did not lead me wrong; my spear tackle took him in the mid section, smashing him down against the floor/wall. My hands blurred, my broken forearm barely slowing me down. One hand flexed and slashed at his throat. The other stabbed into his chest and ripped out his heart. Then, for good measure, I crushed it. His body shuddered, and then stilled. The world flipped back to normal. As I was raising his heart goop up to my lips to devour, it turned into motes of green light and flew away. I sighed, disappointed.
Congratulations! You have vanquished a Floor Controller! Currently calculating gains...
-This seems familiar. I looked to Jester, and sure enough, he was approaching the crystal. The robed individual coughed feebly, and my eyes noticed the flecks of blood that he sprayed on the edges of the hood shrouding his face. But then I frowned. -What can he do now that his belt is blue? Jester soon let me know. He bowed his hands and executed an extremely rapid series of hand signs. Signs that looked¡­ -Quite similar to the Floor Controller¡¯s ¡°Soundless Ohm. All that is shall soon be not.¡± Everything within 10 m of him, including the crystal, disintegrated.
Warning! Provided system has encountered a fatal error. All gains for vanquishing floor controller lost. A hard reset of the system has failed. Descent of the Outer Rim keys has slowed. Opening of the Gate has been delayed. The Gate will open in 12 hours. Disengaging control measures.
Around all of our waists, the belts that had so long tormented us snapped off and fell to the ground, useless. In the wake of their fall, a small body appeared, looking like an extremely feeble version of the Floor Controller, no longer dressed in his monochrome striped clothes, but simply rags. His eyes were finally open, the entire eyeball a wet red color. ¡°What did you do?!?!¡± ¡°Restored your mortality,¡± Jester said calmly, his grey mask hiding his facial expressions completely. ¡°And now it is time to accept your fate, and die. Gravity We-¡± ¡°ABSOLUTE SILENCE!¡± The Floor Controller yelled, and immediately, all sound was cut off. Jester shook his head. Leaping backwards. When his feet hit the ground, no noise emerged. I glanced around. The moment was surreal. The Floor Controller was holding his stomach, seemingly cackling with laughter. He gestured, summoning a dozen more shadow bears, who soundless stalked towards Jester. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Jester executed another complicated series of hand signs, pointing at one of the bears. The air distorted, and the black mist dispersed. But more calmly walked forward, heedless of their comrades death. I hesitated, then walked past the two¡¯s duel and stood on the central platform. They were so busy shooting spells at each other that the didn¡¯t even notice. The feeling was hard to describe at first. The warmth of the sun, or the heat on your hand when held up to a fire. But then the heat climbed. It wasn¡¯t a heat of the body, but rather the soul. I could feel it filling me, begging to be used. And as I hesitated, I felt my physical body filled with increasing amounts of discomfort, that I suspect would soon turn to pain. The pain wasn¡¯t an issue, but the underbelly of the mana flooding me, just a taste, filled me with a hesitation. It was poignants and violent, calling for blood. It was an echo of that crimson liquid, locked on the other side of the gate, begging to be reunited with the mana that it would allow it to act its terrible will on the world. And I loved the feeling. This is what I wanted. The joy of slaughter. A grin covered my face. The damn broke, and I began spending the mana. 1000 Corpse Hunters were summoned around me, covering the majority of the central platform, only leaving the small area with the robed figure and the remnants of his golem free. I watched the soundless battle between Jester and the Floor Controller for a few moments, enjoying the sight of Jester struggling. Then I pointed, imposing my will on my undead minions. They raced forward. Death flies on silent wings. Other me conjured a luminous mist around me, the exact opposite of the black mist of the Floor Controller with lunar affinity, filling the nearby area with it. But then I turned to the first notification.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 6¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. The effectiveness of reanimate has slightly increased. Durability of undead is slightly increased. You may now summon Ghosts.
Curious, I summoned a few hundred ghosts. Their spectral bodies filled the nearby air, long ragged cloaks hanging from their shoulders. Some of them were human, but others were Tellites, and other, even stranger races that had tentacles and feathers. For whatever reason, a tiger beastman ghost caught my attention, and I beckoned it forward. It floated soundless towards me, its spectral eyes extremely unnerving. -Obviously it¡¯s soundless, whatever spell he used killed the sound. -Shut up, other me, and focus.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 2¡±. Effectiveness of skills out of the sight of the moon increased. Effectiveness in daylight slightly increased. Mana costs have decreased. Condensed moonlight¡¯s damage has increased.
-See? I¡¯m focusing. I reached out a hand, strangely gentle, feeling the pressure to be solemn in this silent world. When my hand touched the ghost, a strange chill ran through me. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. -Ah, this is a skill we need sound for. -Hum. I turned to look at the battle occurring between Jester and the Floor controller. My corpse hunters were about to be upon them, but Jester¡¯s body had grown limp, completely submerged in that strange black mist. The Floor Controller seemed to be cackling. One of the corpse hunters bit deeply into his calf. Another smashed into his shoulders. As soon, as he was touching, the spell shattered; the corpse hunters howled as the small black mist animals attacked them, seemingly only incensed by the pain they caused. ¡°What?!?! Where did these-¡± ¡°Unholy Bestowal!¡±
Unholy Bestowal used! This nameless Ghost has received a great blessing based on the race ¡°Warden of Glacier and Moon¡±. Due to high power of the race, imparted bestowal¡¯s power reduced by 90%. The Ghost has evolved into ¡°The Geist of the Cold Moon¡±. Intelligence, Wisdom, and Agility of the ghost have vastly increased. Growth rates for Vit, End, and Str are increased. Growth rates of Agi, Int, Wis, and Perception are vastly increased. Learned skill ¡°Chilling Hand¡±: wounds inflicted by the Geist shall emit a cold energy, eventually freezing the entire body if not healed. Learned skill ¡°Eye of the Moon¡±: The Geist has gained some small amount of Sight, allowing it to see and hear events that occur far away, both in location and in time. Learned skill ¡°Descent of the Moon¡±: Can be used once a month. Darkens the sky and summons a moon, granting a 50% increase in stats to the Geist.
The tiger beastman swelled, the color of his spectral body becoming more blue and muted. He began to breath, long, lingering clouds of chill lingering in the air. He ghosted forward, grasping his hand and destroying all of the small black mist animals. The Floor Controller backpedalled furious, seeking to open some distance between the army of Corpse Hunters and himself. He made the now familiar gesture. ¡°Inversion!¡± I recovered immediately. I took a moment to consider whether saving the corpse hunters was worth it, but decided I didn¡¯t need them. Instead, it took but a gesture to send the ghosts shrieking forward. Leading the pack was the Geist, seemingly simply floating, but all of the black mist near him was destroyed. Their spectral bodies were completely immune to the shift in gravity, and they soon surrounded him, annihilating his swiftly dwindling supply of black mist animals. Other Me¡¯s continued dedication made me grin.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 3¡±. Mana costs have slightly decreased. Level of detail in condensing moonlight increased. Moonlight can be maintained in its condensed state for slightly longer. Moonlight now rapidly increased mana regeneration.
The Floor Controller¡¯s red eyes gazed at me hatefully as the ghosts approached. ¡°You think this is enough? I have lived for centuries! I once climbed the tower! I ascended! Your tricks are nothing. ABSOLUTE STILLNESS.¡± Everything stilled, all movement gone from the world. Immediately, black mist began to swirl above the Floor Controller¡¯s head. Half a second late, I realized that I could still manipulate the lunar essence, and poured my focus into summoning more. His black mist resolved itself into a huge arrow, shooting towards me. I created a shield, angled away from the arrow so it deflected, most of the force going elsewhere. Still, my shield cracked slightly from the blow. If I could have smiled, I would have. I formed a fist of moonlight and smashed it towards the Floor Controller, who created a net of black mist and wrapped the fist up. I was suddenly a dozen knives, and the Floor Controller made 100 black tentacles, wiggling towards me. Boom. Boom. Boom. Our two powers struck each other, huge shockwaves spreading across the arena. He was pressing forward, pushing my lunar essence back towards where I was. But I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the strength of his black mist was rapidly decreasing. He hastily pressed forward, desperate to finish this quickly, but I just deflected his force, remaining defensive. Sooner or later¡­
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 4¡±. Mana costs vastly decreased. A small amount of condensed moonlight can be maintained at all times. Natural moonlight increases healing and aids in concentration. Skills can be improved and learned more quickly under moonlight.
Again and again he smashed, but my rapidly improving moonlight deflected it all. In a last ditch effort, a huge palm of black mist rushed towards me, but I created a giant spear of moonlight that rushed to meet it. As the spear approached the palm, I used air affinity, spinning the spear, creating a huge whirlwind behind it, driving it forward. With a huge crash, the spear ripped through the palm, the black mist dissipating. I could see the panic in the Floor Controller¡¯s eyes as my moonlight spear rushed towards him as he was frozen by his own spell, and likely completely out of mana. ¡®True, you might be stronger,¡¯ I thought, looking at the Floor Controller. ¡®But I¡¯m the one who survives today. It was foolish to so easily give up your infinite mana.'' The whirling spear struck him in the chest, ripping a huge hole in his body. Bits of him splattered around in the surrounding area. The world burst back into gory motion.
Congratulations! You have earned enough experience to reach Lvl 20, however, due to the circumstances of your race, you are unable to do so. Please see the Ilium on Floor 4 for details.
Warning! You have severely crippled the functioning of a Tower Floor. This is your second warning. Solicitors on the same floor as you will know your location at all times.
-Uh¡­ -Those things all sound really bad. I can¡¯t even level up? Jester, who had gotten back up after I had killed the Floor Controller, this time for real, hobbled over to the Floor Controller¡¯s side. Almost gently, he shut his eyes. Then Jester turned back to me. ¡°Thank you. You did me quite the favor by killing him. And in exchange, I shall give you a bit of advice right now, and then help you with what¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°Come down off the central platform. As quickly as possible.¡± Jester said, hands folded behind his back. Pausing, I considered Jester before me. I didn¡¯t know anything about him, he had led me around like a fool this entire floor, and he had encouraged me to commit an act that made me receive another warning. Now, some group called the solicitors would know my location while on the same floor. At the same time, my skills experience quite a boost down here. And I didn¡¯t think it likely that Jester was to blame for my inability to reach level 20. Still, I didn¡¯t think- Jester snorted making another complicated hand gesture. The world shifted, and I appeared next to him. ¡°Fool. Although you are right not to trust me, this is not the time to dilly-dally, we have company.¡± With a strange sense of deja vu, I watched as a streaking comet shot down, crashing into the central platform. The platform itself fractures, several large chunks falling down, down the hole and into the strange mind below. A figure slowly stood, seemingly completely unharmed from its fall. A figure with eyes sewn shut. ¡°Ah, Qwata, you made it.¡± Jester said brightly. Qwata surveyed the area, taking in the ghosts, floating around. Then he turned to face us two. ¡°Two individuals with warnings¡­ I have never considered myself lucky, but I am glad I was the one who came. You will be in my care for a long time, Jester.¡± "A solicitor isn''t supposed to let things become personal." Jester said reprovingly. Qwata just smiled as he began to walk towards us. Day 33.3 Day 33.3 There was something very ominous about having your eyes sewn shut, I decided as I watched Qwata approach. His steps echoed strangely throughout the large chamber. Turning to Jester, I asked. ¡°Should we try to get back to the infinite mana?¡± Jester just chuckled, his face towards Qwata. ¡°...you don¡¯t understand what is about to happen. You are still playing around on the 3rd floor, so your ignorance is¡­ unavoidable. But this creature¡­ this is not one who will play games any longer.¡± The surviving ghosts howled their fury at this interloper landing amongst them. The Geist raised a finger at pointed at Qwata. Snorting quietly, Qwata took a step forward. The sound of the echo disappeared, but I felt it. And for the first time in a long time, the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up in warning. This enemy¡­ was not to be trifled with. Which is why I was so confused as to why Jester didn¡¯t seem interested in reclaiming access to the infinite mana on the central platform. Surging forward, all of the ghosts approached Qwata, their eyes blazing with ethereal vigor. Although it didn¡¯t seem like they could do as much physical damage, their great agility and the waves of energy sucking anguish would hopefully slow Qwata down. ¡°Think of this as a lesson,¡± Jester continued. ¡°And not a loss.¡± Qwata¡¯s foot soundless touched the ground. For a moment, everything was still. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The central platform shattered, bits of metal and debris flying everywhere. Continuing outward, the ripple from the step hit the first of the ghosts. They dissipated instantly, as if they were never even there, their howls dying off like a child in the desert. The geist furrowed its brows; after a moment, it raised its hand and screamed. Where above there was once just darkness and the slowly descending other Deeds, now a moon rose, fat and low. It looked so close that I could reach out and touch it. As its rays hit the Geist, it seemed to swell, growing to become a huge, ghastly spirit. It reached out its clawed, spectral fingers towards Qwata. ¡°You see, just like you were restricted by having the belts, we were too. But you are just fresh meat; the floor controller likely didn¡¯t have to take away any of your toys. But we¡­ Qwata and I had a bit more that we were restricted from doing.¡± Qwata took another step, his gait completely ordinary, his speed average, but he seemed to teleport forward 10 m, eviscerating the central Deed and landing on the edge of the outer disk that was to house the other 8 Deeds. The Geist¡¯s body was but mist, ripped to shreds and dissipating in front of him. A shred of the Geist¡¯s face managed to survive, and it was slammed back towards me. Slightly in shock, I watched as the last bit of its spectral body phased within in me, where I could feel its remnants shivering in fear. Jester flexed his fingers and muttered numbers to himself, then looked up at me, his grey mask seeming especially strange and foreign in this moment. ¡°Based on what I know about him, my chances of emerging victorious are almost exactly 50/50. Let me assure you, you don¡¯t want him to be the victor of this engagement. However¡­ If you can provide even the slightest distraction, slowing his advance¡­¡± He seemed to hesitate, and then said. ¡°I would likely have a 51% chance to win.¡± The central Deed had been shattered in the last step, mana flooding the entirety of the platform, pooling and swirling. A warm, needy heat was rising in me again, demanding release. ¡°...That¡¯s all I can do? Raise YOUR chance of victory 1%?¡± I asked, almost disbelieving. In the way he spoke, I could tell that Jester was smiling. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m likely overestimating you. Anyways, good luck. I need to prepare for when he makes it to me.¡± Without another word, Jester began making complicated hand gestures, the air around him filling with violet spheres. Clutched in his hand was a sphere that was abruptly changing color; very quickly, it had become a regal, rich purple. Qwata stepped again, ripping apart more of the platform, coming 10 m closer. Something in that movement must has snapped a support structure, because the structure began to list and groan ominously. I channeled all the mana I could muster and stepped forward. ***POV Change*** ¡°You can¡¯t honestly believe that challenger? The speed of his ascent¡­ that¡¯s impossible!¡± Ren gesticulated wildly, almost throwing off his hood and revealing his face. Thomas Karman had answered their questions simply, seemingly honestly, and with a smile on his face. Then he was led away, to allow them to deliberate. Oct sighed. Not that maintaining secrecy was necessary once they were on the Solicitor Recruitment Counsel, but Ren too easily forwent the gravity that should be held by individuals in their position. Quin giggled. ¡°Why would that man lie? And it¡¯s not like he¡¯s all the way up here yet, he only just passed the 40th floor.¡± ¡°Completely without an administrator¡¯s assistance.¡± Ren said through gritted teeth. ¡°You can¡¯t honestly believe that is possible? In 30 or so days? And he has 100 skills! Explain THAT.¡± Shrugging, Quin said simply, ¡°What did the investigation into Humanity as a race reveal? Perhaps there is a simple explanation that we are missing.¡± As one, the 6 figures who were present turned to the shadow who had brought in the challenger suspected of cheating. The shadow coughed lightly. ¡°The thing is¡­ we never did any specific investigations into the capabilities of humans¡­ they arrived so quickly¡­¡± The shadow tried to continue speaking, but the very air he was breathing froze in his lungs. The central chair was emitting a chilling aura that was slowly crushing the life from the shadow¡¯s body. ¡°You...didn¡¯t investigate.¡± Oct¡¯s voice was expressionless. It wasn''t a question. The air seemed to tense and shrivel. ¡°How long will an investigation take?¡± ¡°Less than a day,¡± The shadow gasped. Oct¡¯s hood nodded, painfully slowly. The tension in the air tightened, and then snapped. Vomitting blood, the shadow fell to his knees. ¡°Then begin immediately. And inform the prisoner that we will render judgement in 24 hours.¡± ***POV Change*** Tens... Hundreds... Thousands¡­ I filled the available air with wind blades, just creating them and holding them, preparing for one huge burst. I even received a notification.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 7¡±. Blades have become slightly more deadly. The cutting edge of wind blades has become sharper. Mana costs slightly decreased.
My heart was pounding, flooding my system with adrenaline. I could feel every sense and reaction with perfect clarity; I was as ready as I would ever be. All at once, I released them, a veritable hailstorm of blades of air raining down on Qwata. He stepped forward , and they all were blasted away. The force of his step smashed against me, shattering most of my ribs and knocking me back. A dull pain thudded behind my eyes, a strange, mental weariness coming out of nowhere. Suddenly a voice whispered how easy it would be to give up. The voice told me I was weak, worthless, and doomed to die. -This is what your aura of the predator inspires in others. This is fear. I shivered. Then I reached down, grabbed my index finger, and snapped it. Howling, my eyes stretched to their limits. My Cheshire grin appeared again, riding the wave of pain and heat to fill me with a devil¡¯s will. ¡°I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!¡± The rushing, glittering luminescent mist arose, lunar energy flooding through me. I could feel my body shudder at the strain of channeling all of this mana. There was something like magical friction, and I was starting to heat up in a bad way. Whirling up, the lunar energy condensed into a huge pearly hammer. With but a thought, I poured more energy into it. The brilliance of the hammer was difficult to describe. Even after his body was shattered, the Geist¡¯s summoned moon remained full above us, boosting the strength of the Lunar Affinity by x2. The hammer smashed downwards. As if noticing such things was beneath him, Qwata stepped forward again. There was nothing for several long seconds. ¡°Eh?¡± I spoke reflexively, my voice sounding so incredibly distant. I was falling, slowly drifting towards the ground. I could feel the mana, but it felt abruptly obtuse and slippery, evading my gasp. My eyes widening, I turned slightly, seeing that Qwata was a foot behind me, still calmly walking, as if he had walked right through me. I looked down. A thick mist of blood was below me, slowly spraying outward and falling to the ground. About an inch below my neck, my flesh stopped. Still, I could see my right leg below the knee, and my left foot resting on the ground. And my left arm spinning aimlessly in the air next to me. But everything between that was gone, ripped to pieces as Qwata walked right through me. My eyes narrowed, pupils focusing. He was so close. All I needed to do was distract him slightly¡­ Why? That voice of fear seemed to whisper. Jester has done nothing but trick you and lead you around. Why help him? You are dying. Just go peacefully. I twisted, the this bit of tendon holding my right arm to the rest of me straining. My hand seemed to move so slowly. Why? The voice repeated. Other Me remained silent as well, seemingly waiting for my answer. -No. I¡¯m you too. I know exactly what our answer is. Grinning, I strained further, extending my fingers towards Qwata¡¯s back. Although I had no air, or lungs, or vocal cords, my every action seemed to scream my answer to the voice of fear within me. ¡®You think too much! I hate this creature in front of me, and I¡¯m alive; what more reason do I need to fight?!?¡¯ This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. My fingers extended. I probably wouldn¡¯t have even thought about this had not Jester brought it up. But now that I had a clue. But I groaned. My body was falling too fast. I had no abdominal muscles to aid in turn. I was just drifting through the air. Mana was slowly coming back under my control as the shock wore off, but it was much too slow. Straining, my long, marbled nails were a hair away from him. And Qwata was still moving forward in his unhurried manner, his sewn shut eyes likely locked on Jester. I was nothing, just a vanquished foe. -Dammit! I shared Other Me¡¯s frustration. My arm was now only on the level of his lower back, and he¡¯d already moved away to a finger length. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make up this distance in time¡­! As if sensing my will, that small remaining portion of the Geist phased out of my body, formed a ghostly hand, and pressed against my neck, giving me that last bit of distance. My hands touched Qwata¡¯s back. The edges of my vision were going black, but everything was tingling with hot rage. I reached within, deep to my very core, and drew out everything I had. ¡°Freeze.¡± My last breath wheezed out through my stiffening lips. Every ounce of mana I could muster slammed into the air, lowering the temperature as abruptly as I could. There was no effect, but I was expecting that. With my last bit of consciousness, I fueled Lesser Ice Affinity with Essence, expending it all at once. A small layer of frost formed on the skin I was touching. Although I couldn¡¯t see it, Qwata¡¯s eyes narrowed. Jester tilted his head to the side and unleashed the technique he had been charging. My last strength expended, I collapsed. ***POV Change*** ¡°So how have you been?¡± Kettle adjusted her glasses. Jen just wiggled back and forth, remaining silent. Kettle sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad-¡± ¡°Kettle! I lost everything! All of my bets turned out to be nothing. I have no more capital to my name. I¡¯m a failure as an administrator. Challengers don¡¯t trust me, I don¡¯t know anything about the dangers in the upper floors or entertaining viewers¡­ And the solicitors I meet¡­¡± Jen jellyed side to side. ¡°They look at me with such fish eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the resident solicitor on the 5th floor is an Aquarian.¡± Kettle said calmly. ¡°If it¡¯s capital you need, I have had several smaller, successful investments pay off-¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯ll just lose it anyway. It¡¯s just¡­ I just pictured myself being Predator¡¯s administrator¡­ helping him, guiding him¡­ giving him orders¡­ directing him¡­ making him¡­ do¡­ whatever I want¡­.¡± By the end of her sentence, Jen had produced about 30 tentacles that were twisting around each other in an extremely strange manner. But then Jen just sighed, her slime body collapsing into a puddle. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not cut out for this line of work¡­¡± Very nonchalantly, Kettle adjusted her glasses. In an extremely casual manner, Kettle reached over to pat Jen on the back. ¡®Three pats,¡¯ Kettle decided. ¡®She must be able to detect nothing. This is what Gillette wanted.¡¯ ¡°Well,¡± Kettle said. ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t very experience, Predator is probably enough to make it no matter what. He doesn¡¯t even need your- Oh, Jen, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± Jen said, becoming a sphere and rolling out the door of Kettle¡¯s office. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need me.¡± Kettle watched Jen go, then turned back to her monitor. Another series of challenges were starting today, and she planned on making money. She allowed herself a small smile. Everything as planned. ***POV Change*** Gasping, I awoke, my hands flew to my chest, surprised to find myself alive, if a bit in agony. I patted all of my limbs, then laughed, sitting up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything grew back correctly. It¡¯s the least I could do. You made Qwata frown, which was all the opening I needed.¡± Jester was facing away from me, three portals open in front of him. One was blue, one gold, and one was just a jagged rip in the fabric of the world. Blinking, I noticed that a shattered grey mask was laying on the ground by my feet. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Jester¡¯s profile, which was obscured somewhat by the strange energy coming off of the portals. ¡°I also took the liberty of removing the warning you received from slaying a floor controller from your record,¡± The maskless Jester continued, his voice sounding surprisingly young. Not a child.... But also not an adult. -I wonder how old we are¡­ ¡°There was another warning¡­ but I think that you earned that one with your own strength and deserve to keep it,¡± Jester said cheerily. Then he pointed to the blue portal. ¡°This will take you directly to the 5th floor. Another free service, if you want it.¡± Then he pointed to the golden one. ¡°This one leads to the 4th floor. That is where an old, old test sits. Nowadays it is not used. Once you go there, you cannot be bailed out. No one has passed the test in 10,000 years. No tricks this time. You pass or you die.¡± Jester paused, then said. ¡°But the female who passed¡­ would later become God. Choose well. This portal¡­¡± He gestured to the final, smaller one. ¡°Is mine, made personally by yours truly. Feel no fear, for I shall not use my great power to crush you, peon. But this is my exit. If you make it to the 25th floor, I will contact you again. Nice doing business with you~¡± Jester hopped through the portal and left me alone. ***POV Change*** The huge marble doors swung inward, revealing a young man with his hood down. His face was covered in intricate tattoos. Oct¡¯s voice boomed out. ¡°Sven! Your hood. And what took you so long? What could be so important on the 9th floor that it took you almost a week?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Jester said with a grin, his sharp features twisting. He pulled up his hood. ¡°It was a family matter. So what did I miss?¡± Before anyone could answer, a shadow entered the room in Jester¡¯s wake. ¡°Sirs and madams¡­¡± The shadow stammered, seemingly shocked. ¡°Someone¡­ someone restored the connection. The Lower Tower is once more coming online.¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± Oct¡¯s voice shook the chamber. Jester¡¯s widening smile was hidden in the shadow of his hood. ***POV Change*** Someone had restored the machinery of the platforms, I assumed Jester, but at least I wasn¡¯t in any danger of falling into the abyss below, and the mine below that. I looked for a long time at the portals. When I woke, I had two notifications: one about my max essence increasing, and another that simply read:
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Implacable Will Lvl 2¡±.
-No explanation? -Maybe because it¡¯s self explanatory? -Well anyway¡­ I looked at the portals. I looked up at the sky, where the other Deed¡¯s were still slowly approaching. They would likely arrive within 4 hours. Walking quickly, I went through the gold portal. It soundlessly closed behind me as I stepped through it. For a few seconds, it was entirely dark around me. Then a voice spoke. ¡°Welcome.¡± A grey creature with 11 eyes hobbled forward. ¡°You won¡¯t remember me, but we¡¯ve met before. So you have chosen to be tested. It has been quite some time, but I haven¡¯t forgotten the protocol; we begin immediately. Good Luck." ***POV Change*** A woman with wings forged of gold lay in her bed, looking up at the ceiling, upon which was a beautiful mural of shifting constellations. As her eyes followed, they moved, dancing amongst each other, tracing a bull, a hero, a medusa, a betrayal, a great mountain collapsing, all the multiverses fates mushing together into brown filth. But the woman¡¯s eyes were so incredibly sharp that she could pick out some of the threads of brighter colors. Then she gasped. Her pale skin darkened, swiftly becoming ebony. Something was flowing into her. Something that had been long restricted. A connection had been restored, one that she had severed herself. It was a bittersweet moment. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. ¡°For if I stir¡­ so does he¡­¡± She realized then how much she missed him. Humming an old tune that he had taught her, she scanned the stars for signs of her death. Seeing none, she smiled and closed her eyes, dreaming of the future. ***Author''s Note*** Wooo. Sorry for missing a chapter yesterday. Overwatch has done terrible things to my work ethic. Well anyways. Congratulations. We are almost finished with what I would consider the prologue of this story. We have enough characters to move forward and let things almost run themselves. There is just one chapter, this 4th floor test, that should take only a chapter. It might be a long one though. For the people who sent me a message about proofreading, Thanks! I haven''t forgotten about you. I just am really, really busy. I expect I''ll get to it Tuesday, which is my day off. I''ll message you the details then. It will just be editing I suppose. Maybe I''ll ask you to predict an outcome of a cliffhanger as bonus points? Who knows. Anyways, thanks for all the support and questions. Oh that reminds me. Read this if nothing else. At the end of the next chapter, Predator will have a chance to ask the Ilium questions. And I will use any interesting and relevant questions I find in the comments to this chapter to be some of his questions, as a way to pay back any of you out there who are supportive and curious about the world of The Great Tower. So if you are interested, post a question that Predator might ask ^.^ Day 34 ***Author''s Note*** I''m currently at my parent''s house for the holidays, will be for two days, so I''m doing all of my typing directly onto here, rather than transferring, which would be a hassle. Additionally, this means no blue boxes. Until I go back through and change it when I am back on my desktop, Day 34 and 35 will have system notifications that are Bold Underlined. Just so you guys can tell. Additionally, due to this method, chapter lengths may vary. As a change of pace, BE EXTREMELY SAD AS YOU READ. ^.^~ ***Post Writing Thoughts*** You spoiled pieces of shit. Enjoy this monstrosity of a chapter. Also, I noticed the error with the Implaccable Will part, but too lazy to fix it. Day 34 ***POV Change*** When the Deeds arrived on the ground, Predator had been nowhere to be seen; Whipman and the rest nervously regarded the blue portal, then walked through, unsure of what else they could do. Toddie led the way, her head bobbing. They arrived in a wide paved square. It was close to dawn, but even in the twilight many people with powerful auras walked forward with determination, going to many of the buildings. A guard on duty waved them over and told them about a free in for the freshly arrived, and they all went over in a group, exhausted from the strain of staying up these past two nights, believing in their hearts that they would die. The next morning, Whipman asked around, but discovered that no one had seen Predator. The guard that had been there when they arrived was at the end of his shift; he had been there all night. Predator had not appeared. More surprising was that this was the 5th floor. Whipman felt a small amount of joy in his heart. If his master could see him, about to be on the floors that are broadcast, even if just on the lower channels.... Then Whipman shook his head. His master had ascended past the 50th floor. This small bit meant nothing. He wondered if his parents were still bickering in the family house, complaining about what a failure he was for his inability to get into one of the schools associated with the four cardinal styles. Well, they at least would be impressed with the fact that he would be broadcast. He hoped. So after gathering a bit of food and bidding the rest of the group goodbye, Whipman went back to the portal to wait for Predator. He wasn''t sure, but he suspected that Predator had found a way to the 4th floor. So now he just had to wait for him. In the meantime, Whipman moved through the 4 cardinal styles, his spear tracing deadly lines through the air. "Your stance is good." The voice made Whipman jump. He turned to find Ashni regarding him critically as he moved through Water Stance. "T-Thank yo-" "But you are wide open to attacks from the left! Here, water stance should look like this." Ashni immediately settled into a fighting stance and performed a surprisingly solid Sudden Eddy, the move that Whipman was practicing. His jaw dropped. "You can use Water Stance." Ashni snorted. "Of course. Only by thinking like a dripper thinks can I crush them. Now, ready yourself. Let''s spar until you get the move right." "Uh," Whipman hesitated. "I''m actually waiting for Predator, so-" "Then you have plenty of time. Let''s begin." As Ashni attacked and Whipman frantically tried to defend, he noticed that the human girl who was following Predator in his assault on the Northeast Deed had followed Ashni, and sat with her arms around her legs and watched them with appraising eyes. But a spear butt to the face quickly brought this attention back. "What are you looking at?!? Do you want to die?" His mouth settling into a grim line, Whipman moved to meet Ashni''s assault. ***POV Change*** I looked around. I was standing on a road, one very similar to the 1st floor path that I took over. It was a simple dirt road surrounded by low hills and scrub land as far as I could see. -How nostalgic. Seeing nothing else to do, I walked down the road. After about a half hour of walking, I came upon the smoking wreckage of a carriage. A posh, portly looking man was staggering out of it, blood soaking his shoulder. "Sir! Sir please! A little assistance! Just help me salvage my wares, and when we reach the next town, you will be handsomely rewarded." -He looks... -Yes, I agree. "Rewarded with what," I inquired. He blinked at me. "Money of course. What else is important in this world but gold?" I killed him and ate him, licking my fingers. -You were right other me, he was very tasty. -I know good food when I see it. I continued walking. As I yawned and scratched my back, the road stretched endlessly ahead of me, winding around hills. Eventually I rounded a bend and came upon a hooded figure, crouching next to a stubby looking dead tree. "Food..." The figure whispered, her voice coming out as beautiful and pure as sunshine on glittering seashells. "Do you have anything to eat? Please, I''ll do anything." I sniffed the air, testing her scent, the wrinkled my nose. Walking past her, I said. "Nope." She reached out and grabbed my arm. Her fingers were hot, incredibly so. Burning my skin, a warm flush creeping from her flesh to mine. "Please," She said, her voice becoming throaty and low. "I''ll do anything. I just need a little bit of food." Shaking off her touch, I continued on with my walk down the road. Grumbling, the woman settled back into a crouch. When I was about 50 m away, the woman screamed. I turned and saw another cloaked figure, rushing at her with daggers. She waved her arms frantically at me, yelling for help. The dagger user slashed at her, drawing a long line of blood across her chest, falling away to reveal large and rapidly heaving breasts. Somehow her hood was knocked off too, and her long golden waterfall of hair caught the light. He blue-as-a-tranquil-pond eyes looked at me beseechingly. I yawned. The dagger wielder slashed again, and realizing I wasn''t buying it, the woman transformed into a horrible banshee and gobbled whoever the dagger wielder was up in a single bite. She burped, then crouched back down. Her cloak knitted back together, as if by magic. I turned away and walked down the road. Before long, a knight in golden arm rode towards me, reigning in his horse as I approached. "Traveler! You must be wary. A demon in the guise of a woman haunts these parts. She is a foul creature who has committed great evils. My life''s work is eradicating her, in the name of justice. She had murdered hundreds..." Sighing, I walked past. This didn''t dissuade the knight in the least, and he followed after, his horse cantering to keep pace with me. "You see, my brother was the first to be taken in by her wiles, seduced by her innocent eyes... He was never heard from again. Full of rage, my father... "...unfortunately he too fell pray to her charms..." "...incensed, my grandfather..." "But in the end, the curve of her hip was too mighty, and we was vanquished..." "My wife made me swear then that I wouldn''t pursue it further, so I settled down with her, teaching the fresh recruits at the nearby castle a bit about the sword..." "We had a son..." "...he turned 18, and by chance found out about his uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather..." "...but he was too young and hotheaded, falling prey to her...." Eventually, when he started talking about his gardener, I killed the knight and his horse and ate them both. Seemingly without end, the road curved around another hill, and I followed it. This time, I found a man laying in the middle of the road, bleeding slowly out. He held a hatchet in each hand and was breathing heavily. Stepping smartly around him, I planned on continuing down the road, but his words stopped me dead. "Yea, that''s fucking right. Run away or I''ll make today your last." I turned back to the guy. "Just die and get it over with." "Fuck that." The man struggled into a sitting position, causing a fresh wave of blood to spurt out of the gaping wound in his abdomen. "I''ve still got enough spunk in me to sire sons more fearsome then you, you piece of shit-" I drew my short sword and stalked closer to him. His eyes glittered as he raised his hatchets. As if an unspoken cue set us off, the man threw his left hatchet at the same moment I leapt towards him. The hatchet struck a glancing blow against my side. I crossed the distance in a second and drove my blade into his heart. His right hatchet slammed into my side, and he produced a dagger from somewhere and stabbed towards my throat. His eyes were glazed and his grin was wild. "I''ll take you with me.... fuck.....er......" It was by the dimming of his eyes and the slowing of his breathing that I knew he had died. I stepped away, his worn blades unable to even scratch my skin. I looked at the dead bag of flesh in front of me, wondering why he wasn''t able to become strong enough to survive. I turned away, deciding not to eat his body; I wasn''t in the mood. But when I turned, I found the 11 eyed creature waiting for me. "Unorthodox... but I think that could be considered a pass of the first stage. Let''s move onto the next." ***POV Change*** Kettle disassembled her watch, polished all of the gears, and then reassembled it. This is what she always did when she was frustrated. A strange bought of paranoia had got her thinking about how Gillette could force her to obey her note, or follow his directive should she be unable to stop Jen from being Predator''s administrator. It wasn''t likely, but Kettle wasn''t the type to let any eventuality be forgotten. She checked her mother and sister, and sure enough, over both of their hearts were kill spells. The kind that could be activated remotely. Kettle examined the completed watch, and after a moment, began to disassemble it again. The easy solution was gain a friend, but Kettle was in a bad place for that; her recent, extreme success at betting had earned her more envy than admiration. Even for Predator... She couldn''t jeopardize her chances of climbing this tower. Even for him... Adjusting her glasses, Kettle stood without finishing the watch and went to the windows. "But, Gillette." Kettle whispered. "I don''t forget threats. Especially against my family." ***POV Change*** I was now in a forest. A group of bandits ambushed me. I killed them all, eating their bodies. Summoning a few dozen Corpse Hunters, I prepared to roam the forest, but a whistle made me scan the surrounding area. My eyes narrowed; we were surrounded. Arrows fell like rain. Most of the Corpse Hunters fell immediately, but a few followed me as I sprinted deeper into the forest. We ran into 100 armed men, their mouths in grim lines. All of the Corpse Hunters died in the confrontation, but I was able to emerge, bloody and staggering. My back was hit with so many arrows that I must look like a porcupine. I emerged from the forest to a road. To the right was a bridge across a river, to the left the road led deeper into the forest. I could hear the clomp of hooves from the forest, so I went to the bridge. Somehow, as I was midway across the bridge, picking arrows out of my back, a company of heavy spear men appeared, blocking the other side of the bridge. The cavalry charged out of the forest road, aiming to smash me to pieces. Growling. I turned to face the cavalry. They were just horse and human, so I smashed the first one into bloody gore. But more and more circled, stabbing me with their weapons. I dived and dodged as best I could, breaking the legs of the horses and throwing their large bodies to disrupt the formation, but there were too many. The spear men began to circle as well, and I tackled two, diving off the bridge. While they spluttered in the water, I broke their necks and then swam silently away. When I emerged from the water, a tingling warned me of the danger and I leapt to the side. An eagle smashed into the spot I just was. I looked up, and hundreds more circled above, shrieking. I fled across the plains, killing any eagle who approached. Much to my annoyance, the shrieking was apparently a signal, and soon 1000s of soldiers covered the plains. I killed more men than I had met in my life that day, everything fading but the will to continue and survive. I broke through every blockade, my body slowly being ripped to pieces, my blood mixing with the blood of my enemies, until even my vision was dyed red. So I continued, making it to a canyon area. That''s when they began throwing nets and chains. My left arm bound, I lashed out with my right, ripping their bodies to pieces. But they swarmed me. Wind Blades exploded outward, cutting them to mincemeat. But their spirit did not break, they continued forward. Then, once I was encumbered, the mages arrive. Their spells weakened me, sapping my strength. Before long, I was captured. My struggles grew feeble, but they kept me alive. My eyes burned, but I remained still, bidding my time. I did not know why they preserved me, but I would make them regret it. They bound my hands with magically enhanced chains above me, slowly sapping my strength. By feet were connected by a short chain. I hung on the wall of their dungeon. My days took on a pattern. Wake up, be tortured, asked if I would like to die yet, and when I was silent, they would torture me more. Every 3 days I was given a crust of bread, but no food other than that. Even my idiot captors soon realized that typical methods of torture wouldn''t even phase me with my high pain tolerance. So they pushed the envelop, soon using more and more creative means. Electricity. Ice. Fire. Removing body parts and watching fascinated as my abused body slowly grew them back. About a year after my capture, I slumped, my eyes half closed as my torturer arrived for the day''s first session. The previous day they had flayed all the skin from my back, until they could seen my heart and lungs past my spine. Then they had prodded them with hot irons. The floor was slick with blood. The torturer slipped. My eyes snapped open. My feet shot forward, the foot chain wrapping around his neck in an instant. I squeezed, snapping his neck. As quietly as I could, I dragged his body towards me and reanimated him. With the pittance of mana these chains allowed me. Then I ordered my new minion to free me. Rubbing my wrists. I sat to bide my time, regaining mana. I had waited far, far too long for this not to pay them back for the agony they had made me feel. The first part went well, but when the afternoon torturers arrived, they were accompanied by a dozen black armored guards. The alarm was immediately sounded, and the corridor was soon flooded. Gritting my teeth, I relied on my tough body to withstand blows from their maces and used my claws to tear a hole for my escape. Much to my chagrin, I opened a door and burst out into the Great Hall of the castle, which was filled to the brim with guards. The king, a middle aged man with greying hair and a body like a bear on steroids, stood and roared, drawing his war axe. Grinding my teeth, I leapt forward, my vision fading to nothing but this man who had caused me so much misery. And for what? We battled to a standstill, our blows equally as powerful. No, in fact our blows SHOULD have been about the same power, but my body was abused and given nothing but a crust of bread for a year. The king was healthy and hale, and his blows sent me staggering. But there was a difference between us. I knew that I couldn''t afford to lose, but the king knew he could and should rely on guards. That was the mistake he made, and his mental weakness would be the end of him. I struck a terrible blow to the king''s thigh and he stumbled backwards. Guards surged forward to cover for him, but they were too late. I used Lunar Affinity and smashed them to the side, my hand blurring as I used Clear Sky, Sudden Bolt. The king''s axe swung down, severing my left arm. I ripped out his heart. Unfortunately, the men weren''t phased at all, and continued to attack, swiftly beating me as I was without my arm. Staring at the king''s bloody heart on the ground, my only regret was that I didn''t have the chance to eat it. This time, they didn''t torture me. They bound me and left me in a pit. They no longer fed me. Fresh air rarely came, and light was nonexistent. Time slowly passed. I tried digging, breaking my bonds, dislocating my shoulders, ripping off offended body parts, but the way I was bound prevented it all. First a year, then 20, then 100. My eyes glittered in the darkness. In the end, I felt my body weakening, and as if on cue, a skeleton appeared before me with beautiful white feathered wings. It gestured downward, to a hole at its feet, then grabbed my bonds and began dragging me. I struggled; If this was death, I wanted no part of it. But it was stronger, and free, and it tossed me into the hole. I fell, landing onto a battlefield of the enternal damned. They fought, killed, and devoured, growing stronger on each other''s unholy flesh. My hesitation was nonexistent. I immediately joined in. Within 500 years, I stood before the Skeleton King, grand lord of hell, the champion. None could face me. A Cheshire smile twisted my mouth and I drew my weapon. The Skeleton King frowned. "You are dead, and I am death. You cannot harm me. Why struggle?" I attacked. ***POV Change*** Jen trembled, but settled her brown hat on her head. She hefted her two suitcases. ''This is for the best,'' She told herself. ''Predator will be better off without me.'' The trembling got worse. So much so that she was forced to harden her body to stop it. Using her tentacles, Jen gathered her other 40 suitcases and carried them out of her small apartment. ''I wonder if I can get my old job back...'' She wondered miserably. Then she daydreamed about her early interactions with Predator as she walked towards the portal area. ***POV Change*** I coughed up blood, laughing madly. My bones shattered, I struggled to my feet. I couldn''t remember how long we had been fighting, how many times his bone sword had crushed me, scattered my mana, strength, and gambits. But never my will. "You are dead." The Skeleton King intoned, seemingly annoyed. "Just accept-" "NO! I fight! I struggle! I survive!" I growled, raising a broken rock. All of my weapons had broken long ago. "I reject anything else." With a heavy sigh, the Skeleton King slashed, beheading me. My vision went dark. ***** When I woke, all I could see were notifications. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 2". Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 3". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 4". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 5". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 6". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 7". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 8". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into "Implacable Will Lvl 9". Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved into the title "One Who Denies his Own Mortality": Whether it it lunacy or arrogance, there are always those who deny they are mortal. You are one such person. Although it remains to be seen whether this belief is justified, it cannot be denied that you struggle long past the point that others would surrender, and that perseverance sets you apart. Resistance to outside influences increased by 99%. All stats +15. I turned to find the 11 eyed creatured standing with... I narrowed my eyes. A pair of eyes narrowed in response. It was standing with me. "Hello, Other Me." The other me spoke. -Well, there are 4 of us then. Apparently Other other me realized that at the same time, and a round of introductions proceeded. "How do you do." "How do you do." "How do you do." "How do you do." The creature coughed lightly, then said. "The 3rd and final test is to face yourself. It''s a simple duel, no special rules. You will maintain your current state. Begin whenever you want." Other me frowned. "The Third test? But I haven''t-" "But I have," I interrupted, my vision slowly fading to a dull red. I walked forward towards myself, grinning. His mouth twisted in response. ***POV Change*** "Kat, we really didn''t need to take those extra challenges. I think we could have beaten the minotaur at full strength." Diver argued, obviously annoyed that they had wasted so many days on the 6th floor. Kent just continued polishing his weapons. He had just cleaned them of the minotaur''s blood. Ketlia just shook her head. "Perhaps, but later, we will get in trouble if we underestimate the tower. Besides, the experience we received from the four challenges was enough for 2 levels each, every time. That''s 8 levels in a handful of days. It make take a while, but this area of the tower was designed to be easy experience." Turning to Gillette, who was staring out the window absentmindedly, Ketlia asked. "What about the 7th floor?" Gillette made a dismissive gestured. "A simple 1 on 1 duel, to make sure no one is being carried upwards. 8 is dungeon diving, and based on the schedule, we came at a good time. The 9th floor is another boss fight, this one to determine how well you adapt to a storyline not chosen by your administrator. Honestly... Gillette turned to the group. "If you push, You can probably make it to the 10th Floor in 3 days." Diver nodded decisively. Ketlia shook her head helplessly, but didn''t try and argue against it. They needed strength- ''No,'' She shook her head. ''I need strength. I need to be able to crush them all.'' ***POV Change*** The fighting in our current states was annoying, because my mana was almost completely depleted. Past me summoned a dozen wind blades and threw them directly at me. I just snorted, using all of my mana to summon a wall of ice. The wind blades ripped through it, but sprayed the shaved ice everywhere, clouding the the air with snow. Past me glanced around, then abruptly made the decision to brute force it, blasting forward with Air Affinity to clear the air. Of course, by that point my huge jump had reached its apex, and I fell down right above him, slashing with my nails. Although my Endurance was high, it wasn''t enough to resist these nails, and my head fell to the ground. Killing myself was surprisingly simple, and I felt no pity for myself. He would learn soon enough. The 11 eyed creature gestured, and the body disappeared. "I will wipe your memory and set you to your first two trials then. Congratulations! You have passed the 4th floor. Do you have any questions for me before I send you up?" I just blinked. "What? That''s it? That was... surprisingly simple. I thought no one had passed in 10,000 years." The Ilium chuckled. "Simple? Well... part of your strength is that you consider such things simple. Isn''t your resolve to deny death weakened by the fact you just killed yourself?" Shrugging, I said. "That''s overthinking it. I am stronger now, after following that path. That strength is proof my path is the right one. Why would I doubt it now?" With a laugh, the Ilium spoke again, changing subjects. "As to no one passing it... that''s true. But also no one has come here in 10,00 years. After we enshrined our new god in the Upper Tower, some... changes were made. You are the first who possesses the qualifications to come here." "Those are?" "Strength enough to receive the approval of the three inner branches of the Tower: The Administrators, the Solicitors... and the Arbiters." I scratched my head. "I received their approval?" "I interpreted your friend''s actions as approval when he opened the portal," The Ilium said casually "Although he would be very surprised to find you had made it here. He meant it as a joke. Another individual, Kettle, submitted his approval for you to come here through the proper channels a week ago. As for the Arbiters... "I technically am an Arbiter, and I needed you to come here, the only floor where I can act freely." "...Because of me reaching level 20?" I asked? All 11 of the Ilium''s eyes focused on me. "Indeed. But let''s save that for last. Do you have any other questions for me?" I hesitated as I thought. -Tim...? Other me and myself mulled it over. -Probably not. Tim is like the boogy man. The more you talk about him, the stronger he gets. Besides, went ahead of us to the 3rd floor, right? He must be dead. Let''s just forget about him. "You..." I said, not really sure if this was something I was able to ask. "I sacrificed something to you, in exchange for power, correct? What did I sacrifice?" The Ilium smiled. "An interesting question." ***POV Change*** The shadow cleared his throat. "I have the report here, and... ah...." "Just read it." Oct''s voice was still frosty. Nodding, the shadow began to read. Basic information, regarding the average human, the methods, the sample size.... Oct waved his hand. "Just the results, please." Extremely miserable, the shadow nodded again. "Human stat growth rates.... unranked on all fronts. Human special statistics.... also unranked, nothing unusual to speak of. Human racial skills..." The shadow hesitated before speaking. "...Unranked, there is only one they learn from leveling. But its a bit unique...its simply "Skill Creation" an invisible passive skill, that allows them to-" "We can guess what it does. Continue." The room shuddered as Oct spoke. "Finally...." The shadow was positively squirming now. "As to Skill Proficiency potential.... humans are... undefined." "Oh?" Sven said casually. "What does that mean?" "...it means we have never seen any race display such an incredible aptitude for learning almost ANY skill." The shadow whispered. "In the next census... humanity shall be ranked 1st in the Skill Proficiency potential category." The room was dead silent. ***POV Change*** "You sold your name, your memory, and then your race, humanity. The first two weren''t much in the grand scheme of things, earning you the Air Affinity skill and quite a bit of luck, but the last... that was a big one. It earned you your racelessness, and the system that governs it. It also gave you the Skill proficiency potential of the Void Messiah, which is the highest known potential, other than human''s. But the fact that you lost humanity''s racial skill... that earned you quite a bit of positive karma, which still isn''t spent. But we will get to that later. Next question." I pondered, then asked. "How do I get stronger?" "Follow your path, climb the tower." The Ilium shrugged. "What else is there?" -I suppose that was a stupid question. -Then you should have stopped me from asking... -I''m not your mother, I''m you. "What is the Tower, anyway? What''s ascension? And what are you?" The Ilium was chuckling now. "So many questions at once. The Tower is basically just a tower, a series of tests divided into floors, finding who amongst the universe is worthy of fulfilling an age old bargain. Ascension occurs when you pass the 50th floor, and signifies that you have been considered worthy to compete on the holy battlefield, and perhaps obtain the mantle of God. In practice, "Ascending" let''s you climb floors 51-100. "I, of course, am Ilium. I am... a broker, of sorts. I buy and sell all things. It was I who facilitated the first deal that founded the tower." "Who is the strongest person in the tower?" I asked wonderingly. "The Two Gods, of course. But you are far from their level, child." "Why was the Great Tower founded? I thought it was some sort of entertainment program...?" Now the Ilium laughed heartily. "So it has become in recent millennia. But it was not originally so. That just became another aspect of ascending the tower. You must be strong AND popular. I believe it was done to recast this place into something less... vital and central to this multiverse. The Tower, as you have seen, was originally a mine. It was founded because two great multiverses were about to war over what was found at the bottom." "... what as found?" "Genesis, Nith, and Ilium." The Ilium said with a smile. I paused. -It was found there...? "You were down there?" The Ilium just smiled. I tried several variations, but the Ilium would answer nothing in regards to those 3 strange terms. "Why did I receive a warning when I became my most recent growth rate?" The Ilium grinned. "Ah. The Solicitors keep a close eye on certain powerful individuals within the tower. When you received that race, it essential copied some of the strength of what should have been a completely unique being. The solicitors have enough access to detect that, and the emerges of another foe of a sort they fear doesn''t please them." "Is there any way to... circumvent things like those belts that restricted my strength on the 3rd floor?" Shaking its head, the Ilium said, "Not without earning yourself another warning each time. And they will come for you after 3. When you climb the tower, you submit to its rules." Sighing, I sat down. "Alright, this is all pointless anyway. I don''t care. I''ll kill whatever tries to stop me from rising here anyway. I just want to fight strong opponents. Tell me how to reach level 20." Nodding solemnly, the Ilium gestured and three screens appeared in front of me. "The problem is that all races are associated with certain titles that they gain as a member of that race. The titles entire their main stage at lvl 20, after an individual has started on their path. You, being raceless, don''t have any 2nd tier titles to choose from, so I had to... experiment a bit to figure out what would work. Because of the positive karma you gained by losing your racial skill of humanity, I''ll let you select one of the possibilities to be your 2nd tier title." Changeling: You will be able to spend mana to assume the form of any Race whose Racial Growth Rate you have received. Transformations of previously held growth rates will remain usable. Insufficient mana will result in an inability to completely assume the race''s strengths. Total amount of stats will remain unchanged, but stats will be redistributed based on the race. +1000 Mana for choosing this Title. Devourer: Creatures you eat for Biomass may occasionally grant you additional stats or skills based upon their strengths. This effect is increasingly likely as the devoured creatures level increases. Devoured creatures growth rates will be retained, and can be selected as future growth rates. +5 Vit, End, and Str for choosing this Title. Gene Splicer: After obtaining a growth rate but before stat growths are applied, you may splice that race with another, combining them and forming a variant race. Results may vary. Skills received may vary. You may splice from a list of 4 unspliced races that you have retained from previously held growth rates. You can only splice two unspliced races together. +2.5 Health Regen for choosing this Title. -Hum. I looked at the choices for a long time. Then I said. "I choose-" ***POV Change*** Whipman looked up, stupefied by what he saw. A huge mass of tentacles carrying luggage was oozing down the street, attracting stares. Just how many tentacles could a slime produce...? "Whipman?!?!" Abruptly, all the luggage was dropped, and a small green body flew towards him, slamming into him and knocking him over. "Whipman is that you?" "...Jen?" "Oh Whipman its horrible! I''m a worthless Adminstrator, and I just wanted to help Predator and have him rely on me and be his Administrator, and-" Jen''s sobbing tirade was abruptly cut off by another voice. "Be my Administrator? Sure, that''s fine. But first, I''m sleepy. Are there bed''s here?" Suddenly, Predator was there, covered in blood and stepping out of a portal. Just shrunk into a puddle, her hat floating sideways on it. "Y-your... going to be mine...?" Then she popped up into a human looking body made of slime. She apparently had been practicing, because she now had all the limbs, and in the right proportion. Although it was slightly awkward to Whipman that Jen was completely naked, aside from her ludicrous hat. She looked like a seedy business man. "Oh, yes, mmmm you can.... use my... bed... Mmm... but it might be a bit small for you... you seem so...big... these days... its...nice....." Jen was practically drooling now, but Predator just nodded, yawning. "Sure, lead the way." "Wait." Jana stepped forward "I want to join you-" "In the bed?!?!" Jen gasped. "-On a team for climbing the tower." "Us as well." Ashni grabbed Whipman by his shirt and stepped forward. ''Shouldn''t that be my line?!?!'' He thought to himself. Predator just waved his hand. "Fine, fine. Make it so. Just take me to bed." "We can''t all fit." Jen muttered to herself. "But no matter how big Predator is.... I''ll......find a way..." Giggling, Jen led the group. Everyone else remained silent, preoccupied with their own thoughts. Predator yawned again. Day 35 ***Author''s Note*** Sorry, festivities and sickness prevented me from doing a chapter last night. Should get two out today, hopefully a third~ Day 35 I hummed happily, rolling around in bed. -Truly, beds are the greatest invention in the multiverse. I picked a bit of straw out that had gotten in my hair and dropped it on the ground. Ultimately, the roof of Jen''s apartment was too low for me to get in and get to the bed, and I had immediately hopped out a nearby window and went to the nearest bed. As I stood and stretched, a horse whinnied at me. I nodded good naturedly and walked out of the stable. -Well now what? -Also, what does Jen being our administrator mean? -Also, also, why is this floor so... A flock of small imps with leathery wings flew past, giggling. A huge creature made of stone loomed above the building, stacking giant blocks of granite. A strange aqua creature with dozens of arms rolled past, down the road. A woolly mammoth was dragging a cart with wind chimes down the street. -So boring. Sighing, and wondering where the people killing each other were at, I walked back into the stable and plopped down on the bed of hay. Wasn''t this the area where I would once more become a Path Boss? I rubbed the horse idly. Then I turned to him or her. "Do they bring food around here?" The horse huffed in disgust. "Typical. Thanks for the tip." At some point I would have to track down Jen and find out where food was served. -And now... I opened up my status screen and clicked level up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 20. All biomass has been consumed.
You have gained the title "Gene Splicer". Health Regen has increased by 2.5x.
Please select 4 of your previous growth rates to retain for splicing:
Ultimately, I chose Gene Splicer, for two reasons. The first and most obvious was the increase in health regen. From what I had seen, increasing attributes was not easy. It was likely the most powerful of the bonuses. As for the actual abilities... -I mean, we were eating things anyway, maybe the Devourer bonus would have been the best. -But most of our strength comes from abilities right? Gene Splicer gives us some control over what sort of skills we will learn. -We could just find things and eat them until we learn skills. -So we would just take a break from climbing the tower to go hunting? I considered. Honestly, it would probably be very enjoyable. Still, the second reason I picked Gene Splicer was because if I didn''t, I would always be a step behind of the ACTUAL races. Every now and again I would obtain a bad growth rate, and so if I ever encountered one of the more powerful races whom I became briefly, they would have at least a small advantage over me. Gene Splicer gave me the chance to surpass my imitation, creating a genuinely new creature. And I figured my high Memory and Processing Power stat would give be a powerful advantage with this title. -And I thought ''Predator, Gene Splicer'' sounded cool. -You''re an idiot. When shown a list of my previous growth rates to select for splicing, I first tried Warden of Glacier and Moon, but an error appeared. Sighing, I selected Frost Fang Pack Leader. My second choice was Ogre Variant (Two-Headed Albino). The third choice was similarly simple: Carnivorous Dusk Wing Owl. After a few moments of hesitation, I finally made my last saved growth rate as XN- 00013. -So we are going to splice a race with a robot? How is that even possible. Robots don''t have genes. -I don''t think it''s exactly literally gene splicing, just a racial synthesis?.
Due to unique circumstances, you are unable to retain the growth rate of "Warden of Glacier and Moon". If you chose to retain your growth rate, you will retain the growth rate of "Frost Fang Packleader." You can retain that growth rate, or use biomass to obtain a randomly generated growth rate. Note, if growth rate is retained Biomass will be converted into random chances for improvement.
Do you wish to retain you growth rate? Y/N
I chose no. Even if I obtained something less useful, I could still splice it with Frost Fang Packleader and likely obtain something similar, because I had saved it. Might as well roll the dice with the few hundred biomass I had obtained from my weird dream life. Rubbing my forehead, I realized that more and more of yesterday was becoming a blur. What was the test even about...? But the notification that popped up brought my attention back to the present. Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rate of "Leprechaun". Would you like to splice another race into this one? -There''s no reason why not. But which one? -Robo Leprechaun just seems silly. Leprechauns seem more like the Magic/Speed sort, so likely the Ogre is also out. As for the other two... what were the stat gains from Packleader and the Owl. I wracked my brain, but as I suspected, my high Memory was extremely useful in times like this. -Packleader 20ish Agi and Dex, 30ish Processing Power and Perception, 400 mana. Owl much less than that. -Packleader it was. I selected yes, and then chose packleader.
Determining Spliced Race...
Congratulations! You have obtained the racial growth rates of a "Stunted Hypothermic Leprechaun".
Vit +11
End +32
Agi +16
Dex +50
Memory +9
Wis -5
Mana +209
You have obtained the Title "Born Under a Cursed Star": Unlike normal Leprechauns, this one was born alone out of a fortune in gold adrift on a ghost ship in the frigid north. It has been cursed since birth, and has constantly struggle to survive. Gained the attribute "Light of the Unlucky Star": Periodically, all light gained will be consumed, causing a catastrophy around you. The extent of the destruction corresponds to the amount of light consumed. Luck permanently reduced to 0.
Because you reached Lvl 20 as a Stunted Hypothermic Leprechaun, you have the opportunity to learn the skill "Flicker Lvl 1": A crude copy of a Leprechaun''s normal skill blink, flicker allows its user to teleport less than half a meter in any direction. Mana cost is prohibitive to most users. Would you like to learn this skill?
My face quickly fell as I read, turning swiftly into a frown. -...I somehow lost Wis? -Luck permanently set at 0? Still, I selected yes. No reason to skip out on a skill, no matter what. But then three more notifications popped up.
+1 Light of an Unlucky Star!
You have enough experience to reach lvl 21, but you currently possess insufficient Biomass. After obtaining Biomass, please select level up in the status screen.
Before Leprechaun is discarded, would you like to overwrite one of you previously saved growth rates?
Displayed in front of me were my 4 saved growth rates and the option no. As I reached for no, another notification popped up.
The Light of the Unlucky Star shines on you! All Light consumed.
The door to the barn slammed open, a man carrying a huge tray walking in. "Alright my babies, time to eat-" Excited, the horse next to me leapt up, slamming into the side of his stall. The wood had rotted, and immediately gave wave, the horses body weight falling sideways into the support beams for the barn, which also appeared to have rotted through. It collapsed instantly. I blinked, watching the barn''s roof cave in on top of me, hitting my hand and knocking it into the Frost Fang Packleader option.
Congratulations! Frost Fang Packleader has been forgotten, and Leprechaun has been retained!
I sat among the settling wooden rubble for several minutes, listening to the groans of the animals, crushed under the boards. -Packleader was our best growth rate... -It also could be used to once more reach the Warden of Glacier and Moon... Shivering at the memory of the pain, I still knew I would have put myself through it in order to gain addition strength. But now... -Still, it isn''t all bad news. We got the skill. Let''s test the mana cost of the skill. The level up had taken me up to 2106 mana, and it was currently full. I activated Flicker, appearing a small distance up, above most of the tiny bits of wood that had fallen on me. Although the effect was rather small at this point, once I leveled it up, the effectiveness would definitely increase. I brought up my status screen and looked at my mana.
Name:PredatorLevel:20
Racial Growth Rate:Stunted Hypothermic LeprechaunBiomass:0
Light of the Unlucky Star:0Essence:14/27
Health Regen:x4.6Mana:1106/2106
Vit:91 (+30)End:89 (+30)
Str:82 (+30)Agi:105 (+30)
Dex:128 (+30)Memory:265 (+30)
Processing Power:330 (+30)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:122 (+30)Luck:33 (+30) (-63)
Timeless Perception:116 (+30)
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of WarMaster of Throwing KnivesWarden of Glacier and MoonOne Who Denies His Own Mortality
Gene SplicerBorn Under a Cursed Star
Skills
Air Affinity Lvl 1Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Silent Kill Lvl 1
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 5Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 6Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2Physicality Lvl 7Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 4
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterWind Stance Lvl 1Wind Blade Lvl 7
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1Sneak Attack Lvl 1My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 3
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5Lunar Affinity Lvl 4Automated Air Armor Lvl 1Flicker Lvl 1
Saved Growth Rates
LeprechaunOgre Variant (Two Headed Albino)Carniverous Dusk Wing OwlXN-00013
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "It...costs..." I hissed through my teeth, my vision going red. "1000 mana for less than half a meter?!?!" Air Affinity activated, spreading outward, smashing away everything. The winds swirled, gathering up the tiny bits of wood that were scattered around. I would reduce this place to nothing. Before I completely gave into the rage, I noticed a notification pop up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Air Affinity Lvl 2¡±. Mana costs vastly decreased. Ability to absorb mana from the air increases. Fineness of control of air has reached a new level.
Then I amused myself with putting all the buried animals out of their misery and becoming a tornado. ***POV Change*** Whipman''s spear trembled, drawing a thin line of blood on Ashni''s neck. She seemed just as surprised as he was. "I... I did it! I won! I beat you!" Something slammed into Whipman''s temple, knocking him to the ground and filling his vision with stars. Ashni snorted. "And you completely lost your focus. Besides, it is 1 out of 1000. There are many strange coincidences in this world, your strength is likely not the cause. It could have been anything-" A loud crash interrupted their morning training session. They walked to the edge of the courtyard, seeing a 20 m tall whirlwind form quite close to their inn, picking up a large about of debris. A roaring could be heard, even over the wind. Ashni paused, then said. "It could be anyone. There is no way to know who-" "No," Whipman said with a sigh. "That''s definitely Predator." ***** ***POV Change*** An hour and several desperate explanations later, I sat brooding, shoveling as much food into my mouth as I could. The Innkeeper had demanded payment even after I tried my best to calmly explain that it was a horses fault that the stable collapsed. He simply sneered at me. Jen was so worried she was sweating slime, bubbling from the stress. Just as I was about to kill the creature and leave, Ashni pulled out what she called a "Credit Chip" and coolly said to deduct the costs from that. When the Innkeeper returned, he rubbed his scaled hands together obsequiously and offered us a free meal for our troubles, so sorry the stable collapsed on you. I looked in confusion at Ashni but she just accepted the Credit Chip back and nodded with grace. "Ahem," Jen said, oozing up onto the center of the table before speaking. "Now''s a good time to talk a bit about the details of what happens here on the 5th floor. You''ve probably noticed that its a little different here." Jen glared at me, and I realized to my chagrin that I had been starting to doze off. It was tough to stay focused without any killing going on around me. "That''s because basically everyone starts on this floor of the tower, but those who come here usually have enough backing that they are at least prepared for the Tower, so they aren''t weak. Just not as desperate as those you find below." As the entire group were such desperate individuals, myself included I supposed, no one looked up from their plates. Jen continued on, failing to notice the heaviness her words caused. "The floor is mostly a giant town, with an arena at its center. Everyday a 10 fights are held, where 1 Path Boss faces off against 10 teams of challengers. A whole team who makes it through the portal passes. All other teams are failed at that point. If the Path Boss dies, they all pass. If no one passes, the Path Boss continues upward. Any questions?" Sensing the idle silence, Jen continued to explain. "The problem is that even if 10 fights happen a day, many, many individuals come here. So the queue for challengers is EXTREMELY long, almost a month at the moment, while-" "Is there any limit on the number of challengers in a team?" Whipman asked, frowning. I blinked, nodding. It was a good question. "Well no, and there are no obvious penalties to having a huge team at this level. But they all need to make it through the portal to pass. Otherwise, they need to kill the path boss, which is usually difficult. Path Bosses who are here usually have significant funding as well, and have powerfully defended paths." While devouring more food, I wondered how Yellow Bones was doing. I missed his puppy dog eyes and 25 m tall height. "Now like I was saying-" But before Jen could finish, the door banged open as the Innkeeper returned, carrying a terminal. "Ah, young miss, when I was... checking your chip after the unfortunate incident earlier, I noticed you have quite a bit of saved messages. Please, use my personal terminal to check them. I am at your service." Bowing and scraping his nose along the floor, he left the room. We all looked at Ashni in silence. With a look of disgust on her face, she pressed various buttons until a video recording sprung up on the screen. "GODDAMMIT, I''M YOUR FATHER AND IF YOU DON''T RETURN HOME THIS INSTANT-" Ashni''s expression never changed, and she pressed delete. The next message started playing. It was simply blubbery sobbing. She quickly deleted that one as well. The next was more interesting. I shoveled more food in my mouth and leaned closer to hear what was being said. "Honey, I''m sorry I was so emotional earlier, I just think that it''s best if you listen to everything I say-" Delete. "Are you even listening to these? ARE YOU NOT CHECKING YOUR MAIL?!?" Delete. "DON"T IGNOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE." Delete. "Baby, Sweetheart, I''m sor-" Delete. At this point, Ashni reached up to press the Delete All option, but just as she was about to do so, there was an incoming message. Her finger inadvertantly hit accept. A Tellite with a thick neck and beard appeared on screen, his brows initially furrowed. Then his face brightened as he noticed the message connected. "Honey! I''m so glad I got ahold of you! Ahem, ahem, no need to listen to the previous messages, I think there were some problems in recording, so some of content might seem loud-" "I''m fine dad, goodbye." Ashni raised her hand towards the cut connection. "Honey, I can see the blood on your neck. The world is scary, isn''t it? So scary you had to spend quite a bit of my money earlier today, kukuku. Why not come home?" Ashni glared at both Whipman and myself in turn. I wondered idly what sort of kinky play the two of them were up to that Whipman wounded her. I had seen Ashni practice, there was no way he did it in a fight. "Nothing of the sort, everything is fine. This was just training. I really need to go, good-" "Surely," Ashni''s father said with a certain gleam in his eye. "I didnt'' raise a daughter so bereft of honor that she would spend my money willy-nilly and then refuse to even speak to me? If your mother were still around to see this day, Oh, she would die again of a heart attack!" Ashni''s gaze was a death sentence, but I could tell by her twisting features that her pride wasn''t letting her cut the connection. Through gritted teeth, Ashni said. "It is good to speak to you. I will not be coming home. I hope you are well." Ashni''s dad chuckled. "Honey, I can see its hard. Just give up and come home. When I think you are ready, I will pay for your passage to the 5th floor, where you can actually-" "ACTUALLY." Ashni interrupted. "I''m on the 5th floor now." "Really." Disbelief was clear, even through the thick beard. "Yes, really." Ashni was dragging her fingers across the wood of the table, drawing long furrows into the wood. I yawned, tiring of this and out of food. "Hmph, no need to lie honey. If you need any help-" "Fuck you, papa." Ashni said venomously. " I am on the 5th floor, on my own. I don''t need you-" "YOU STILL SEEM TO NEED MY MONEY!" He bellowed, but she ignored him. "-AND tomorrow my team and I will be broadcast on the lower channels as we succeed in passing the 5th floor. And then I will formally request that all ties between us be severed by the Thunder Stance Medium-" "HA. As if. If that happens, I will give you your mother''s inheritance immediately! Go on, have a ball. No, you know what?" The Tellite was grinning now, a mad, vile grin. "I''ll bet every last penny of it on your ''success'' tomorrow. And if you don''t show, or if you fail... well I guess that money is lost." Ashni gave him a disgusted look. "Well," He prompted, his expression smug. "Don''t you have something to-" Ashni severed the connection. Then she turned to Jen. "Is competing tomorrow possible?" Jana, who had been rather morose since joining our group, snorted. "Didn''t you listen? About a month of a queue. There''s no way tomorrow is possible." Frowning, Whipman said. "But bribing our way is likely possible-" "Ha!" Ashni cackled briefly, then spit on the floor. "Unless you worth trash someone obtained money while I was covering for your idiocy, we cannot afford it. I dare not use more of that vile man''s money." I scratched my chin, bored. Jen''s body expanding, filling up the entire table, pushing the plates onto the floor. "LIKE I WAS SAYING! The challengers have to wait a while, but Path Boss''s have a much shorter amount of time in the Queue. If we act now, we can get in during one of tomorrow''s later matches. Predator just needs to be the team leader and you will be designated as a Path Boss group. Any objections?" ***** Hours later, after any objections Ashni had with my leadership or any anger she had been holding in about my responsibility for making her spend money had been worked out into my body through harsh training, I lay down with a groan. Water Stance remained mysterious, but I felt very close to being able to actually perform Earth Stance. As sleep came to me, I remembered that I had enough Biomass from lunch and dinner to try for another decent growth rate, but... -Sleepy. Better to wait until tomorrow. I closed my eyes. ***POV Change*** "Woah," the male teen said, looking down at his hands. The Ilium smiled. "It''s called a guardian spirit. Hopefully you can put it to good use. welcome to The Great Tower. ***POV Change*** Kettle watched Predator sleep which she adjusted and readjust the bracelet in front of her. She had observed with annoyance that Jen had already registered the group under her this morning. Typical Jen, completely useless in every situation, except in the one time it matter. Not that Kettle didn''t value Jen''s friendship, it was just... There are other things that were more important. She eyed the bracelet critically. Sighing, she began to reassemble it. Kettle paused as Predator rolled over, giving her an ideal view of his peaceful sleeping face. Much to her surprise, she reached out and touched the screen, her finger going to the place on his cheek she had kissed him. Then her hand reached up and touched her own cheek, in the spot he kissed her. She had briefly considered going to see him, but he didn''t even seem to remember her. At the very least, he hadn''t asked. Shaking her head, she banished those thoughts. Her focus was on the bracelet. On the marks over her family members hearts. "Good Luck, Predator." Kettle muttered. Then she made a mental note to free up some assets to bet on him. Day 36.1 ***Author''s Note*** Relatively short chapter. I''m so busy constantly rarararara. Anyways, going to reply to people about PR-ing so we can get the quality up here. Probably also going to have a poll on the next chapter to find out what''s more important to you, plot or release speed... This day is broken in half because I knew how I wanted this part to go, but I''m still torn about what happens next. Day 36.1 Frowning, I sat up. I was not in my comfy bed, I wasn¡¯t in the inn, or seemingly on the 5th floor at all. Instead, I was laying on a glowing white floor. A red velvet couch was the only other object in the area, and on that couch lounged a penguin. I twisted around, and sure enough completely empty space. Whiteness stretched as far as I could see. I turned back to the penguin, and then blinked, noticing all of the notifications that sat solemnly in front of me.
Warning. Slight error has been detected. 1% chance of corruption. Please contact an Administrator, Solicitor, or Arbiter Immediately.
Warning. Multiple errors detected. 14% chance of corruption. Alerting relevant authorities¡­
Warning. Cascading errors recorded. Extent of the error is no longer known. Unable to continue automated processes.
Warning, mental corruption is likely. System failure is imminent.
Warning, Tower Floor 5 has been partitioned from the rest of The Great Tower to prevent the spread of error.
Warning, data infection in the carrier is likely. Sequestering carrier¡­
Sequestration failed. Data limit exceeded. Waiting for Arbiter intervention¡­
Arbiter Intervention denied, by a vote of 3 to 1, with 2 abstaining. Disengaging selected individual from The Great Tower system¡­.
Individual is impossible to disengage from system without violating the second precept.
Error.
¡°You,¡± The penguin said, waddling off the couch and over towards me. Her voice was surprisingly soft and musical. ¡°Are in, and have caused, quite a lot of trouble.¡± ***POV Change*** For the first time in a long time, Kettle was very flustered. If it wasn¡¯t impossible, she would swear that the screws on the bracelet mechanism were unscrewing themselves when she wasn¡¯t looking! ¡®Perhaps I used too soft a metal,¡¯ She thought, leaning back in her chair. She spared a glance for Predator¡¯s sleeping form, looked away, and then immediately looked back with a frown. Predator was up. He usual was an early riser, but¡­ She checked her logs. It was currently 4:37. Based on her reports, that was earlier than Predator had ever risen, ever. Not that it really mattered, she only had a few weeks to go on¡­ Predator slowly cracked his neck, then looked up at the invisible recording device. Kettle frowned. They were designed so they couldn¡¯t be touched or detected by those within the Tower system. As she watched, one of Predator¡¯s eyes shifted to be completely black, the other white, as if they had been painted. Predator smiled, not his normal crazy smile, but a mild, innocuous thing that sent shivers down Kettle¡¯s spine. That was not Predator. ***POV Change*** ¡°Evelynn is bound because of home turf, the two gods are still incapacitated, and you,¡± A porcelain doll whose only feature aside from its delicate body was its golden eyes looked at the Ilium, which sat with its arms folded in the corner. ¡°Are the cause, and therefore cannot act. So now it¡¯s time to play~¡± A hulking monster of shadow and twisted wood chuckled in the corner. ¡°And we are in¡­..¡± He hissed. ***POV Change*** Whipman looked out the window, scratching his head. A cloud was hanging in the sky vertically, like a tower. Like THE tower, he supposed. Shrugging, Whipman turned and picked up his spear. He always preferred to get some practice in before the dawn. He walked down the stairs, visualizing the practice he was about to do. As he walked out the door, he noticed that there was a house tilted at a 45 degree angle and floating 20 m off the ground. It was painted yellow and bumped against the top of the inn. The collision caused it to drift off in another direction. Whipman wandered away, wondering if the Tower really was this strange of a place. And why was it so normal seeming yesterday¡­? ***POV Change*** Shuusuke rubbed the tears from his eye and hurried back home. ¡°Fuck school,¡± He whispered furiously, curling his claws around his green backpack and doing his best to avoid the stares from foot traffic along the thoroughfare. The stares at his wet crotch. Douche bag Rickter and his crew had decided it would be hilarious to spray him down with a hose while he was walking back from the gym. It was bad enough that his molting had come early, while the other¡¯s skin was still glossy an smooth. But now this¡­ His secret hope to Sassy Whitaker to the Awakening, up in flames. Not that she would have said yes, anyway. Not that she even knew who he was. Shuusuke was undersized for a Cloit. His parents weren¡¯t in industry, just like everyone in this town, but they were rather freshly moved to the area, so they didn¡¯t have any relatives among the overseers to make sure they didn¡¯t receive the absolutely brutal shifts. Shuusuke¡¯s parents always got the brutal shifts, and were never home as a result. The only real interaction they had was a note saying how many credits he could put on the credit chip this week. Shuusuke crawled down into his subterranean dwelling, retreating to his room, lit only by the surreal blue glow from his terminal monitor. ¡°Shu shu shu shu,¡± Shuusuke laughed in his typical way, molting not his skin, but his personality, wiping away the tears and drawing across his features a veil of arrogance. Shuusuke brought up several feeds, multiple monitors drifting to life around him. Start from the top, and work my way down, Shuusuke decided, toggling most of his monitors to the channel that displayed the 50th floor of the tower. No one had challenged it recently, and there were some rumors that the Rainbow Knight would pull the trigger today. Just in case something happened, Shuusuke left a few monitors on other important floors, 45, 35, 25, 20. And on a lark, he switched on the 5th Floor. ¡®To see how the weaklings live,¡¯ Shuusuke thought with a smile. ***POV Change*** ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± I asked in wonder, punching the ground. Wincing, I flexed my fingers. Definitely an extremely hard material, whatever it is. The penguin burped strangely before answer. Belatedly, I realize it was her version of laughing. ¡°An location so secret and valuable I considered letting your mind get wiped when two of the Arbiters intervened. But, the very fact you managed to fatally infect a whole floor of the Tower with an error¡­ you have potential. But for what¡­¡± Falling silent, the penguin spent a few seconds lost in thought. I coughed. ¡°What do you mean, error? What happened?¡± She answered my question with a question. ¡°Do you know the difference between an attribute and a statistic in The Great Tower?¡± Shrugging, I walked over and sat down on the velvet couch. As I touched it, it poofed out of existence and I almost fell. I glared at the penguin in annoyance, barely registering that she answered her only question. ¡°Attributes can be equal to 0, and usually do, until you discover them. Statistics cannot.¡± ***POV Change*** As Whipman walked back from his training, he looked with interest at the giant orbs of green energy, which seemed to have started a war against the vertical clouds, which had multiplied and filled themselves with red lighting. ¡®Could this be a special event of some kind¡­?¡¯ When he entered the inn¡¯s main room, it was filled with bodies, whispering in worry with each other. He walked over to Jana, Jen, and Ashni. Jen¡¯s body undulated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! But it definitely doesn¡¯t seem normal¡­¡± ¡°Have you seen Predator? Shouldn¡¯t we go watch some of the earlier matches to understand what happens?¡± Jana asked sharply. ¡°No,¡± Jen answered unhappily, ¡°But-¡± A thumping noise rocked the whole inn. Predator walked down the wooden steps at a measured pace, breaking the silent. Strangely, one of Predator¡¯s eyes was black, the other white. Whipman shook his head. The changes that Predator went through got weirder every day. Predator glanced around, then spotted them and walked over. When he stopped, his body jerked strangely, as if he was sore from yesterday and didn¡¯t have the full range of motion. Which made sense, Ashni had been particularly brutal in the training yesterday. ¡°You¡­ are called Jen.¡± Predator pointed at Jen. She jellied her assent, confused. ¡°Ashni. Zindaloo. Jana.¡± Whipman blinked. He hadn¡¯t thought of himself as the owner of that name in a long time. Not since he had caved and used the forbidden skill again. Not since that dark magic, combined with Predator¡¯s, had trapped him in a body with extremely low stats, and even lower growth rates. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Predator didn¡¯t seem to want anything other than to say there names, and just nodded to himself, as if pleased. ¡®...Maybe the blunt force trauma resulted in brain damage¡­?¡¯ But Whipman didn¡¯t think they had been THAT rough. Ashni was perhaps sharing Whipman¡¯s train of thought, because she shooting nervous glances at Predator. Jen just blew herself up into a giant bubble of slime. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for messing around! We need to head to the arena. We will just watch the first two matches, and then break for lunch. Then you all can see Predator¡¯s path-¡± Ashni leaped to her feet, knocking her chair to the ground while simultaneously coughing. Whipman tried to wrap his head around what was happening. Jen, realizing something, deflated to a puddle. Jana just looked perplexed. The inn was silent around them. A huge crab creature walked over, eventually putting one large claw on the table, and the other around Predator¡¯s shoulders. ¡°One of y¡¯all is a path boss, huh. It¡¯s too late, we heard. Now give the bastard up so we can kill em and get our free promotion. We won¡¯t harm the rest of ya. If ya don¡¯t, though¡­¡± The creature clicked his claw ominously. Whipman shifted his weight, ready to grab his spear at a moment¡¯s notice. Predator just rubbed his stomach and opened and closed his jaw. His strange eyes were extremely off putting, especially in his huge frame. In addition, the way they matched his nails¡­ ¡°Hungry,¡± He growled, piercing his hand into the crab¡¯s chest, ripping out a heart, which he began to eat. Almost silently, the body fell to the ground, the floor creaking from the heavy impact. The only sound was Predator chewing. Then, the inn-goers sprung towards Predator, lusting for blood. ***POV Change*** Jahntat, 2nd Disciple of the Thunder Medium and father- ¡®No,¡¯ he thought to himself, ¡®Loving father.¡¯ -loving father of the beautiful, talented, and extremely naive Ashni opened his terminal with his fingers crossed. He checked the list of names for today¡¯s competitions As he scrolled through the list of names, a knock came at the door, followed by a nasally voice. ¡°Sir, the captains are here to speak with you.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Jahntat barely heard the words of his disciple Anuk. But Anuk took the noise for assent, and brought the 10 captains that were in charge of their branch of the Thunder Stance into the room. They filed in, similar looking men with bald heads and thick, bushy beards. Although most of them still had full heads of hair, they took pride in emulating Jahntat, their- ¡°DAMNATION.¡± Jahntat roared, his eyes bulging as he saw Ashni¡¯s name. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Anuk asked, a reed thin Tellite with an extremely misleading amount of strength in his strikes. ¡°I...my daughter¡­ The Great Tower¡­¡± The stress and rage drove Jahntat¡¯s blood pressure up. The fury kept him from relaxing enough to inhale. Anuk walked around to the back of the desk, looking at the terminal screen. ¡°Oh? Your daughter¡­?¡± Anuk looked at the screen in surprised. ¡°Ashni, the light of our lives is competing in The Great Tower- ¡°Light of our lives.¡± The 10 captains said in unison. Then Anuk noticed that credit chip next to the terminal. ¡°You are placing a bet? Excellent. How much?¡± Being reminded of his promise, Jahntat became even more insensible. ¡°She¡­. all¡­.inheritance¡­¡± ¡°All?¡± Anuk said, his eyes flashing. ¡°All?¡± The captains said, cracking their knuckles. ¡°Urrrrrrgh¡­.¡± Jahntat¡¯s eyes rolled up into his head and he fell back, passing out in a fit of an anger stroke. Anuk annoying his master¡¯s foaming mouth, turning around to the captains. His master was a strong man, he would survive. ¡°You heard him,¡± Anuk said grimly. He pointed to the door. ¡°Hunt down every disciple, gather everyone! And from them, we shall take every penny, betting every credit this branch of the Thunder sect has! For Ashni, light of our lives!¡± ¡°Light of our lives!¡± The captains roared, rushing out of the room to track down their disciples and have them bet their money. Pleased with himself, and sure that Jahntat would be pleased, Anuk picked up the credit chip and bet all of it on Ashni, without even looking at the amount. Then, because he was a dedicated disciple, he went into Jahntat¡¯s pockets, finding several credit chips and betting everything on them as well. ***POV Change*** Most people didn¡¯t actually watch the channels offered by the tower. The displays were run by a bunch of worthless corporate cogbots, completely without creativity. The Great Tower could likely improve on that, but instead, they chose not to, instead allowing individuals like Shuusuke to splice together footage from any of the open cameras at the Tower¡¯s disposal, acting as cameramen for The Great Tower, while not even being paid by them. Still, the Tower allowed them to profit from their edited streams, so it evened out. A beeping made Shuusuke look up from the 45th floor with annoyance. A minor, but still interesting, plot line was being resolved, and he wanted to be sure he had the angle for the dialogue perfect. ¡°Shu shu shu shu shu,¡± He muttered to himself, calming himself. Then he looked at the source of the beeping; his tracker indicated that there was an unusual amount of betting occurring on the 5th floor. Most individuals don¡¯t have access to such information, but the real reason that Shuusuke was so successful as a cameraman was due to extra clues and hints he could include because of his ability to hack. Keeping track of mana, levels, race, and skills by hacking into the system and displaying them helped a lot of viewers enjoy the situation. Additionally, pre-warnings like this one that he had rigged to betting patterns alerted him early. The worst thing was to be a day behind what was going on in the Tower. Setting up a few macros to automatically record the scene on the 45th floor in case he grew distracted, Shuusuke brought the 5th Floor up on his monitor. ***POV Change*** Predator, moving in a way that Whipman had never seen him move before, killed everyone else in the inn, and then devoured them. Afterwards, he burped softly and asked if they were ready to leave. Now, Predator typically killed and ate people. That was part of who he was. But as far as Whipman knew, Predator did not usually disemboweled someone, and then use those intestines to hang the rest of a small small family giggling softly to himself the entire time. Cruelty was not usually Predator¡¯s game. He was usually a creature with purpose, and didn¡¯t take the time to torture. Whipman had just watched Predator hack off the ankles of two humanoids and made them walk around on their nubs, laughing. He had watched Predator grab slug creature and held it down, whispering in Jana¡¯s ear, refusing to let her go until she used her ability to pop the creature. Jana collapsed, hyperventilating, but Predator seemed pleased. Whipman stood by as Predator started encasing the fleeing people in ice, dragging them back with something akin to patience. He summoned a butcher¡¯s knife and began to cut them to pieces. All the while, Ashni yawned and Jen just bobbed up and down, seemingly annoyed at the delay. Wiping blood off his shoes as they leave, Whipman thought. ¡®Predator must have been really hungry. Bad luck messing with him today.¡¯ The group followed after Predator, who was smiling at the jagged bolts of red lightning illuminating the sky above him, reflected dully in his black and white eyes. ***POV Change*** "What does that have to do with anything?" Other me immediately jumped in. -Your luck, idiot. The penguin nodded at me, as if she had heard. "Think with me for a bit. If your Agi were 0, what would happen? Would you be able to move? How about Vit. Would you die immediately with 0 Vit? Perhaps. But more importantly, there wouldn''t be an opportunity for you to get 0 on any of those stats. You wouldn''t be in the tower if you had no Agi or Vit. "And I would be remiss if I didn''t point out that statistics are judged on a scale, with each adding linearly. 2 Str is double as strong as 1. 4 is 4x as much. But, the linear doesn''t hold true for the void from 1 to 0, and that''s why the system is designed to avoid 0s. 1 Str is infinitely stronger than 0 Str." -A little rambly, but basically... -Having 0 is bad. "Having 0 luck is particularly egregious, because 0 is not "unlucky" It is simply the absence of luck. Completely neutral. Or rather completely nonexistent. 1 would be the unluckiest person possible. Now, all events that occur are slightly determined in reference to luck. Most people have low luck, so the fact that you were completely neutral on luck didn''t cause many problems during the day yesterday. They needed to accumulate. From the system''s point of you, you should exist, but didn''t, but did. You shouldn''t effect random outcomes, but do. A few errors generated in this manner can be handled, but when you continue to cause what the system expects and what occurs, it can''t cope. It''s just programming. Understand?" I did my best not to yawn. "And I''m here because...?" "Because someone else is in your body," The penguin answered smartly. "And you need to get back before they start climbing the tower with it." Discussion and Q&A Hello readers. Sorry, no chapter today =(. I want to take a moment to talk about a few things simultaneously: Release Schedule, My Focus, and Ideas for the Future. Release Schedule! The most boring of the topics~ I''ll probably slow down to 3 or 4 chapters a week, and the next chapter is going to take a bit. I''ve decided to put more emphasis on plot. Hence some recent shifts (which we will get into later) as we transition from something I would literally make up over the course of 2 hours writing, to something a little bit more planned. Additionally, part of the delay will be me figuring out how to schedule things with proofreaders... Anyway, moving on: My Focus has always been to use this writing as a stress relief. I don''t plan on monetizing it in any way. I have an actual career for that xD. But I write things that I think are cool. It seems enough of you agree, so I''ll continue doing it. I don''t really care about ratings on here, I''d rather get out a bit of fiction as quickly as possible to the readers. Similarly, sometimes I want to be silly. So the story will take silly turns. Not like Predator becomes a clown silly, but Predator gets a repeat growth rate silly. I want to address generally some of the comments made to the last two chapters. But first, I want to say that I did shift gears, and started heading in a new direction. A lot happened very quickly. Part of it is due to the fact that some people have seemed stuck on background questions, and these other POVs illuminate more of the world. So I am partially at fault for the shift. But I went back through and just reread 35 and 36.1, and although not a lot happens, there is quite a bit of world posturing that I''m pleased with. I prefer to have a large bit of plot at the beginning, have it flow downhill, and then all come together in the end. These chapters were the first step. Anyways, back to the addressing. First, I''m a little bemused by the reaction to the Leprechaun. I''m hesitating how much explanation I should give, but I suppose I''d rather you be more informed in the future, so here goes: This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.1. Leprechaun may very well be a great growth rate: we don''t know. You don''t get to see the rate before the splice occurs. Which is important going forward, because he doesn''t retain the tainted leprechaun growth rate, he kept a normal leprechaun. Stay tuned~ It''s also worth noting that the tainted leprechaun was completely designed by the skill, and doesn''t actually exist, which is why it caused problems. 2. No one thought it was important that it was reduced to 0, not 1? I guess it was just me playing nerd games with myself. You guys spend so much time making strange arguments, I thought that I was clever by putting that out there for someone to pick up on xD. Oh well. 3. Perhaps it wasn''t immediately clear, but he is not "unlucky". This was a plot device, although I''ll enjoy having the moving part of the Light of the Star. But that triggers a catastrophe AROUND him. It will be easy to amuse myself with it. There were also complaints about POV switching: I''m unconvinced, but I''ll keep it in mind. Every one of the switches except for Shuu''s second POV had the name in the first non-dialogue sentence. And Shuu''s was about a certain topic, so I figured that would be obvious enough from the discussion... Complaints about mind control, about reading for Predator, etc... I understand. I''m just annoyed I didn''t save up and release all of 36 together, because it will swiftly become something of a non-issue. I just left it there because I wanted to give you guys something daily, and I thought it would be a fun cliff. ...Did I miss anything? Oh, I think it''s rude and unnecessary to post a comment telling me you are done reading. If you don''t care about the story, why bother commenting? Finally, ideas! Not that I need any immediately, but feel free to post in the comments any ideas for races, skills, titles, etc., different powers you would like to see. The system is pretty open, I just need to find an appropriate places for things ^_^. Also, I''ll spend my extra time today answering any questions you may have HERE, so comment away with your frustrations~ Day 36.2 Day 36.2 ***POV Whipman*** Whipman watched the first match with only half of his attention; the other half was divided equally between the strange battle going on in the sky, Ashni proceeding slowly through the forms with half closed eyes while sitting in the stands of the arena, and Predator. It almost seemed like the strange battle in the sky had reached a stalemate. The glowing orbs and the lightning backed off. As Whipman partially watched, a strange grouping of three orbs floated forward, meeting a huge serpentine bolt of the red lightning. After they separated from their respective peoples, they began to chat. Ashni¡¯s movements, even while she was simply sitting here practicing, stole Whipman¡¯s breath. He had always dreamed that someday he would be able to bring home a woman like Ashni to his parents. Strong, noble, imposing aura¡­ But of all of Ashni¡¯s features, Whipman believed it was her calves that haunted his dreams. He leaned forward casually, getting a better look then sat back with a sigh. Those calves were sculpted by the gods. The amount of acceleration that she could achieve with barely any movement.... It was breath taking. But then a sob stole Whipman¡¯s attention away. Jana was sitting with Predator, now on his lap, as he continued to whisper to her, his black and white eyes strangely luminous. She shivered and squirmed back and forth, not struggling against him, but perhaps locked in some sort of internal struggle. Maybe Predator was convincing her to throw caution to the winds and follow her heart. Normally Whipman would be unamused at his disciple¡¯s disreputable behavior. After all, they were here to scout some of their competitive, getting a feel for what they would be up against. Whipman spared Ashni¡¯s calves another glance. Indulging certain¡­ desires, couldn¡¯t be all bad, could- ¡°Ahem.¡± Whipman looked up from Ashni¡¯s calves and caught her glare. Frowning, as if he had been deep in thought before being interrupted, Whipman looked back towards the arena. Sighing, he swiftly found himself growing bored. Not that both the challengers and the Path Boss weren¡¯t powerful. It was just a fight where one side was countered by the other. The challengers were some rare giant breed with which Whipman was unfamiliar. However, their strengths were clear: they were 10 m tall beings of pure muscle with 6 arms. One giant wielded 6 clubs, another wielded 6 spears, another 6 scimitars. Their leader had 3 axes and 3 spears, waving them indiscriminately. The path itself was small, peaceful looking pond. As the giants approached, no minions appeared, no traps, no structures or obstacles. They just ran forward freely, relying on their huge bodies to protect them, glaring around. From the pond, and small creature, perhaps as large as a human head, flew up and hovered meditatively. A preying mantis, dragonfly-esque wings buzzing at its back. Then the dragonfly waved its arm. The giant¡¯s eyes went dull, and they all fell to their knees. Very quickly they were drooling and sleeping. Whipman stifled a yawn. Muscle can¡¯t guard against all attacks. He spared another glance for Ashni¡¯s calves. That¡¯s why technique and practice were important too. With a groan, Jana fell limp in Predator¡¯s arms, the inner turmoil passing. Or reaching such a state of strife between whatever voices were arguing in her head that she collapsed, but Whipman had a hard time believing that Predator was sophisticated enough to cause that. Honestly, the fight on the screen began to grow comical. Although the preying mantis had neutralized the giants, its weapon was a long thin rapier. It hovered nervously, considering how to attack their huge bodies. Jen spoke up. ¡°Well¡­ that was a bit anticlimactic. But maybe¡­¡± The preying mantis stabbed a giant in a fluttering eye. It awoke with a roar, and the preying mantis hastily employed its sleeping magic again. Snoring fitfully, the giant returned to its slumber. After a moment of hesitation, the preying mantis stabbed again, digging slightly deeper. The giant woke up. The mantis put it back to sleep. ¡°...or not¡­¡± Jen seemed sullen, and it seemed obvious to Whipman that it was because Jana lay curled up on Predator¡¯s lap. Maybe Jen was hoping that a violent display would distract him from his newfound fascination with Jana. But Predator¡¯s black and white eyes just roamed the stadium, looking at the chatting spectators. Before this morning, Whipman would have said that Jen would be right; a display of violence would capture Predator¡¯s attention. But in the fight earlier, the violence was minimal; that was simply torture. Whipman understood how hard of a world it was, but still¡­ As a teacher, did Whipman have a responsibility to investigate his pupil¡¯s bloodthirstiness? Well, knowing Predator, he would be fine. As if on cue, Predator stood. ¡°Hungry,¡± He growled, his voice sounding awkward and harsh. He held Jana by the scruff of the neck, her feet dragging on the ground like a ragdoll. ¡°Oh! I know a great place!¡± Jen said brightly, hopping up and down, bouncing. Then she landed, and wiggled side to side. ¡°Ah, but it might be faster if...mmm with your hands¡­ You can just¡­ take me¡­..and¡­ let me¡­..ride¡­ you¡­.¡± Nodding, Predator picked Jen up and set her on his shoulder. Whipman took his sweet time standing, allowing Ashni to go first, giving him a good view of her calves. ***POV Predator*** ¡°Isn¡¯t someone taking over my body impossible?¡± I said, scratching my head. ¡°I have a skill that prevents outside influence.¡± ¡°Most outside influences,¡± The penguin corrected automatically. ¡°99% of the time. And I really must say that skill-¡± ¡°You explanation is taking too long.¡± A deeper, still female voice came from behind me, and I turned to find another two animals. One was a rabbit with crimson fur. The other was an iguana. -It¡¯s like a fucking petting zoo in here. ¡°Who are you all?¡± I asked, slightly perplexed. The whiteness of the room was beginning to make my eyes ache. Plus there was the fact my body wasn¡¯t in my hands¡­ ¡°Her sisters. She didn¡¯t tell you? We are-¡± The iguana opened its mouth, but the penguin hurriedly waddled over. ¡°Meytia! You cannot just tell him what we are! Information is valuable.¡± The Iguana, Meytia, rolled her eyes. ¡°You are always so uptight. Okay, okay, fine. We are sisters. As she said, I¡¯m Meytia, the stuffy one is Mosslar, and the cute one is Morgana. We¡­ uh¡­ have special powers?¡± I looked at the red bunny, almost ignoring what Meytia was saying. -Definitely the cutest, also seems to have the softest fur. -I wonder if I can pet her? ¡°Don¡¯t think about it,¡± Meytia said. ¡°She¡¯s also the touchiest. Ah, not in that way-¡± ¡°See! This is why I¡¯m always saying that precise language is important!¡± The penguin, Mosslar, turned back to me. ¡°To answer your question, yes, you do have a very powerful skill that defends against mental attacks. Think of it as a shield, and your mind as a glass vase containing water. The shield can block outside attacks, sure. But you were creating errors and warping data faster than I had ever seen. We took your soul from your body because the errors were caused by the glass vase and were generating heat, and we didn¡¯t want your mind boiled, as it were.¡± ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Meytia said, sighing, her tiny Iguana body visibly deflating. ¡°After we had forcibly stopped the errors but before we returned you to your body, someone else slipped into your body. I guess it¡¯s not surprising. You were warping A LOT of data. Anyone with any sort of detection system would have noticed.¡± ¡°So¡­ how do I get my water back in the right place?¡± I asked. Mosslar looked at me blankly. ¡°What water?¡± -....did she forget her own metaphor? -She¡¯s an idiot savant, best pay it no mind. With barely any strain in my jaw, I asked slightly differently. ¡°How do I get back into my body? ¡°Oh, simple, quite simple. There are multiple ways of leveraging your advantage as natural owner of the body to force them out. There are three main options as I see it. If you locate THEM physically, you can disrupt their concentration and- ah, but we don¡¯t have that information. Hm, well assuming that you have more sophisticated mental attacks- well, based on who we suspect the culprits are, that is quite doubtful. I suppose the most barbaric way would be for you to possess another body temporarily, and proceed to your REAL body. When you come in contact with it, the resonance should give you an open-¡± The crimson rabbit Morgana spoke up, interrupting Mosslar¡¯s monologue. Her voice betrayed her as the youngest, and sounded incredibly sweet. ¡°They¡­ left his body on their own.¡± Then the rabbit winked out of existence. Mosslar blinked. ¡°So they did.¡± ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke chuckled, watching as the pitiful Path Boss finally killed a single giant, and looked on with heaving breaths at the remaining huge forms. This is why he so rarely involved himself in the 5th floor. No potential, and more farce than competition. Still, it wasn¡¯t bad for a few gags, and Shuusuke recorded the scene from a few angles. The camera-mic hybrid that Shuusuke purchased from the Tower and used to record could move as fast as the speed of light on an off day, record video and noise from any angle, and recorded 1000 frames per second. It also existed on an astral plane that was layered over and through the Tower, so competitors were unable to detect or interact with it. A camera man''s dream. Unfortunately, unlike more sophisticated rigs, that meant that he only had one camera to work with, so large battle scenes that sometimes occurred couldn¡¯t be entirely managed by Shuusuke alone. Abruptly, Shuusuke desired money, more than he had in a long time. He had done alright as a streamer, but¡­ Shuusuke¡¯s eyes rested on the credit chip left by his parents for his dinner. Then he looked at his recorded logs of those huge amount of bets on the final fight of the day on the 5th floor. Because it was essentially a shot in the dark, the odds were currently 10:1 that the path boss would fall, even with the huge influx of money. Apparently he had only been a path boss for a little less than a month. The house''s algorithms did not favor whoever it was. Hands shaking, riding a strange high, Shuusuke maxed out the credit chip and made his bet. ¡®It HAS to be a sure thing. Otherwise, why would so many people bet so much money. And when I win, I¡¯ll just replace the credits I took, and pocket the rest.¡± Shuusuke thought to himself with a smile. ***POV Whipman*** ¡°Hello, Whipman.¡± A voice behind him made Whipman jump, spinning around. He had been about to go outside and get some stance practice in before the match later. Predator ate enough to feed a small army and went back to his room. Jana had awakened, but just said something to Jen and then fled out the door. Ashni snorted and retired to her room as well. Jen jellied around, listeless, then said something about checking ¡®administrator things¡¯ and wandered away. Honestly, Whipman was quite worried that she had no idea how she was supposed to help. Which was fine, Whipman supposed. They had Predator and Ashni. Even Jana had a power that was useful. ¡®And they have me,¡¯ Whipman thought, doing his best to form a confident smile. Which was exactly when the voice spoke up behind him, shocking him almost out of his wrinkled skin. He turned to find Kettle, looking slightly haggard, which was a surprised. Usually she was the picture of pristine preparation. The bags under her eyes were quite visible, as if she hadn''t slept in a while. And her clothes were folded and creased everywhere. Spoiling her sudden strangeness, Kettle straightened her glasses. ¡®Same old Kettle,¡¯ Whipman thought. ¡°Are you alright? You are simply staring.¡± Kettle¡¯s words were not rude, but they were sharp. Whipman blushed. ¡°Oh, yes, sorry, hello. Why are you...? Do you want to see Predator?¡± Kettle narrowed her eyes, a strange light flashing within them. But then her face returned to its impassive state. ¡°Actually, no. I¡¯m here to see you. I have a gift.¡± Kettle extended her hand, showing a strange mechanical bracelet. ¡°I will not be there for¡­ you all, so I made this. It contains within a powerful spell. Simply point and press the jewel at the center, and it will release a blast of flame directly forward.¡± She hesitated for a second, and then said. ¡°I hope you shall use it to protect Predator.¡± ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why.¡¯ Whipman thought sadly. He took the bracelet. ¡°Well, I have much to do, so I must depart-¡± ¡°Wait, before you leave, do you want to speak with Predator? He¡¯s just up in his room.¡± Kettle was already turned away, but she paused. Her voice was quiet when she finally spoke. ¡°Has Predator seemed¡­ strange lately¡­?¡± Whipman shrugged, but then realized she couldn¡¯t see him, and said. ¡°He¡¯s strange all the time.¡± ¡°That he is.¡± Kettle¡¯s words were soft, as if she spoke them only to herself. Then she asked. ¡°Has he¡­ asked about me?¡± Whipman just opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. After two full minutes, she said. ¡°Then I must be going.¡± And left. ***POV Predator*** ¡°So can I go back to my body?¡± I asked, wondering what they had done with me. Whether they had eaten anything today. My ghost stomach rumbled, expressing its concern. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s actually not so simple. Until we get rid of your pesky 0, this will happen again and again. And I suspect that it will be much worse if we allow it to continue for a long period of time.¡± Meytia said, walking forward on her iguana limbs. Mosslar waddled over too. ¡°It¡¯s actually extremely interesting. Did you know you error, aside from slaughtering a few hundred people who were caught in a temporal loop, also caused two entirely new races to be born? I mean, compared to your ability, it is a small thing, but your ability just IMAGINES races. This actually caused them to be born.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The penguin''s eyes were practically glittering. I frowned. ¡°...How do you know about my ability?¡± Meytia chuckled. ¡°If it happens in the tower, we know it.¡± After giving Meytia a harsh look, Mosslar spoke. ¡°Anyways, you are lucky. Usually we wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about something like this, especially when the Arbiters are so adamantly avoiding intervention But, since it¡¯s a 0¡­ our specialty may come into play. We can¡¯t get rid of it, but we can move it around.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like the Ilium,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Making a trade.¡± ¡°No-¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Meytia immediately interrupted, this time the iguana the one giving the pointed look to the penguin. ¡°Although it¡¯s not exact, as you may have guessed from Mosslar¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s functionally similar in this instance. With the added benefit that we aren¡¯t just kept trapped below the 5th floor either.¡± Once more, Mosslar glared at Meytia. -They have so many things they don¡¯t want the other one to tell us. -Honestly it¡¯s hard to keep track of them all. -Harder still to care, at this point. Let¡¯s work on having a body again. ¡°Okay, so you can move it. To what?¡± ¡°To another statistic,¡± Meytia supplied. Mosslar rolled her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about this? Stats being 0 is dangerous. We will move it to an attribute. Whichever one you like.¡± -...whichever we like¡­? -Setting aside the fact I don¡¯t know very many attributes, why would they be so accommodating? The penguin was so rude when I arrived. -...Maybe the trade was accurate, but not in how we first thought. They aren¡¯t moving our 0 one place to another, we are giving them 0 luck and taking a 0 in something else. -Then why did the picky one speak up and say it wasn¡¯t a trade? Other me had no answer, but I my hackles were raised; there was something I wasn''t seeing. ¡°Do you happen to have a list of attributes?¡± I asked. ***POV Whipman*** Whipman shifted from Thunder to Water stance with a quickness that surprised himself. Ashni always became incensed when he used Thunder stance in their spars, taking it as a personal slight. Her powerful blows lashed out towards him, only to be calmly pushed aside by Whipman¡¯s spear. Just as smoothly, Whipman transitioned to Air Stance and appeared behind Ashni, his spear darting out in a dozen quick stabs. Ashni twisted, her face pinched and focused. The speed of her turn was such that a huge sonic boom smashed outwards, with more than enough force to blow away the light Air stance as if it was nothing more than floating petals. Unfortunately for Ashni, Whipman had already transitioned into Earth Stance, and was waiting calmly for the turn. Her own incredible twisted impaled herself on Whipman¡¯s waiting palm, knocking the wind out of her and sending her staggering. Whipman switched to Thunder Stance and advanced. Ashni brought up her guard, scrambling backwards. A split second passed, but Whipman didn¡¯t press his advantage. Ashni blinked, shifting her stance. But just as she did that, a Clear Sky, Sudden Strike was heading towards her. In fact, Whipman derived quite a bit of benefit watching Predator employ this move to such success time and time again. It was the only move which Ashni had nothing to teach Predator, but Ashni had decried it, saying that it was simply a gimmick. By pausing, the opponent lowered their guard. At higher levels, that wouldn¡¯t happen. When watching Predator use it, and now as he knocked Ashni backwards, Whipman wasn¡¯t so sure. It wasn¡¯t a gimmick, it was all about timing. Striking just after the body has told the brain you haven¡¯t struck, but before the brain sends back another order for a movement. Slipping into that brief time was incredibly difficult. Perhaps it was related to the name Predator, but he just never missed opportunities like that. And after studying him for two weeks, Whipman was starting to see it too. Both panting, Ashni and Whipman regarded each other, him standing, her sitting on the ground. Whipman felt his gaze straying from her eyes, and of course, they went straight to her calves. Although she didn¡¯t use the Air Stance, that entire fight Whipman had been incredibly hard pressed due to her high mobility. She could strike and retreat, moving close enough to attack in a heartbeat. She was graceful, strong, and merciless. She was a spectacular warrior. ¡°Would you like to marry me?¡± Whipman blurted out. Then he went white, and fled back towards the inn. ***POV Change*** Jana stumbled in the dark alleys by the arena. When she had awoken, she couldn¡¯t remember what Predator had said to her, just that it had filled her with needy fear. Fear she knew because she couldn¡¯t see straight or stop vomiting. Needy she knew because the strongest emotion in her aside from the fear was a strange compulsion to return to Predator again, letting her everything be washed away by him. Below that was only numbness. She could barely remember anything before today. It was all a fog. Even when the rest of the group had called her name, it sounded unfamiliar. It was all she could manage to tell Jenn she was leaving the group, and then run away from it all. But she could still go back, a voice inside of her told her. Return to Predator. Let those voices wash everything away. Let those black and white eyes consume her. She paused, torn. Then she vomited again. By the time she wiped her mouth and could stand, the fear had once more asserted itself as the most powerful emotion. Her resolve restored, even if briefly, Jana wondered where she was. Then she saw them, running along the wall towards her. A strange, sticky liquid that slithered along the walls. Seemingly similar to Jen¡¯s slime body, these substances oozed around, rushing towards her, clearly guided by something. One was black, and the other was white. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She went to scream, but it just came out as a croak. The black and white oozes came closer, racing towards her. They would be on her within a few seconds. Shakily, Jana raised her hands. ¡°I¡­ I reject¡­¡± Her power activated and force slammed into the oozes, throwing them backwards. This just seemed to incense them, and they began rushing towards her, faster than ever. Her hands dropped, falling to her side, a vast weariness taking over her. Strangely, she wished Predator was here. She shivered, knowing he was the cause of it, but still¡­ ¡°Awe, this doesn¡¯t seem fair. How about I join in? You prepared a vessel so meticulously, it¡¯s the least I could do.¡± A voice sounded right behind Jana¡¯s ear, a sweet and young voice, like a teenage girl. Then heat flooded Jana¡¯s veins, and the consciousness of Jana was thrust somewhere far away. The oozes paused. Before their eyes, Jana¡¯s body shuddered, and changed, two long, tall rabbit ears growing from her head, the fur of them red. Jana¡¯s hair turned the red of blood. Her skin crawled as the muscles beneath it rearranged themselves. Then she shuddered and fell still. After a few moments, the new Jana stood up. ¡°Well, well, well,¡± She said in a giggle. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve had a body.¡± ***POV Predator*** I opened my eyes to see the ceiling of the inn, I sat up, rubbing my head. To my delight, when I opened my status screen I had 700 some Biomass. Whoever had my body had apparently been eating. Then I groaned, a dozen aches and pains hitting me. I carefully massaged my neck. -Apparently they also practiced getting kicked by a horse. -Bah, at our level of strength, the horse would break its legs on us. Kicked by a Minotaur more like. -Pfff, you don¡¯t even know if a Minotaur is a real thing. Don¡¯t just go making up weird races. After stretching and checking to make sure everything else was alright, I thought about what I had gained: my new attribute Fury. It was currently at 0, but the animals told me that during fights, I would slowly accumulate fury, gaining stat bonuses and the ability to ignore debilitating injuries. They said that it would, out of battle, slowly return to 0, but warned that too much fury was dangerous, because I wouldn¡¯t be able to see far enough through the bloodlust to stop attacking people. Still, they were quite vague about where exactly the line would be. -Fury limit likely depends on the individual. -So what about us? Can we handle more fury because there are two of us? They also said that I would still keep the title and the title¡¯s other effect, because they couldn¡¯t do anything about those. After they made the change, Mosslar warned me not to let a Solicitor look at my status screen, and a sinking feeling in my chest warned me that what they did would likely earn me another warning. I was ready to start training for the day, feeling as if I had wasted most of the morning, but there was something I wanted to do first. 700 was plenty to get rid of this strange race. I opened my status screen again and clicked level up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 21. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Stunted Hypothermic Leprechaun¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Retain Growth Rate? Y/N
-God no.
Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.
Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Sable Haired Lynx.¡± Would you like to splice another race onto this one?
-Likely, but which one? -I think I¡¯m good on leprechauns for now. A two headed Lynx might be nice? It¡¯s a cat, right? -Yea I think so. But how are we to know if the heads will be useful or just¡­ mutant-y. -Then what are your thoughts? -The robot. The problem with the last splice was that the two creatures lived in different climates. We don¡¯t know anything about the races, but we do know that robots can survive most places that animals can. -Except underwater. -How much do cats like water? Honestly, everything was a gamble. I grinned. It was part of the fun. I selected XN-00013.
Determining Spliced Race¡­
Congratulations! You have obtained the growth rates of a ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡±.
Vit +4
End +17
Str +10
Agi +22
Dex +19
Memory +30
Wisdom +3
Timeless Perception +18
You have gained the Stat ¡°Balance¡±. Balance set to 0
Balance +101
When the notification popped up, I elected to retain the Sable Haired Lynx and forget Leprechaun as a race for splicing. Before proceeding outside to find Whipman for training in the stances, I took a moment to enjoy my status screen. It¡¯s good to actually have useful level ups. -Too bad you didn¡¯t gain any skills, though.
Name:PredatorLevel:21
Racial Growth Rate:CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker ModelBiomass:0
Light of the Unlucky Star:0Essence:22/27
Health Regen:x4.6Mana:1106/2106
Fury:0
Vit:95 (+30)End:106 (+30)
Str:92 (+30)Agi:127 (+30)
Dex:147 (+30)Memory:295 (+30)
Processing Power:330 (+30)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:125 (+30)Luck:33 (+30) (#Error)
Timeless Perception:134 (+30)Balance:101
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of WarMaster of Throwing KnivesWarden of Glacier and MoonOne Who Denies His Own Mortality
Gene SplicerBorn Under a Cursed Star
Skills
Air Affinity Lvl 3Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Silent Kill Lvl 1
Path of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 5Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 6Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2Physicality Lvl 7Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 4
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterWind Stance Lvl 1Wind Blade Lvl 7
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1Sneak Attack Lvl 1My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 3
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5Lunar Affinity Lvl 4Automated Air Armor Lvl 1Flicker Lvl 1
Saved Growth Rates
Sable Haired LynxOgre Variant (Two Headed Albino)Carniverous Dusk Wing OwlXN-00013
Day 36.3 Day 36.3 When I walked out of my room, I only found a rather deserted common room. I meandered into the back, devouring a few scraps of food that I found, and then proceeded outside. Strangely, the sky was filled with weird balls of lights and bolts of lightning, dancing and intertwining peacefully amongst each other. -Leave for a minute and everything becomes crazy. Ignoring the strange lights in the sky, I enjoyed the feeling of sun after that strange white room with the three sisters and began stretching. After thinking about it for a small amount of time, I decided that trying to figure out who they were was pointless, and I began to focus more heavily on preparing to train. Instead of my usual start, I began today by hopping awkwardly to the side and landing on one leg. My landing was perfect; my leg didn''t tremble at all. I stayed there for a short while, remaining perfectly still. -I understand that you want to see what balance does, but don''t you think we could have done this before you leveled up...? Sighing, I settled back on my feet. No more messing around, I suppose. I would figure it out when I needed to. Besides, the burning energy inside me was driving me to do SOMETHING. I couldn''t stay still for much longer. Although it wasn''t ideal for both of my trainers to have wandered off, I didn''t really need them for certain things. Almost unconsciously, I settled into one of the training kata for Thunder Stance. The first time through it was extremely slowly, more of a continued stretching exercise than anything else. The movements also had the added benefit of determining if there were any torn or injured muscles or ligaments. The strain was enough to bring any weaknesses to the surface. Although the pain of the discovery would be quite intense. -Likely not so intense that it would really phase us, but still, it''s the thought that counts. -Honestly, with how slowly we are going, our regeneration would probably heal the wound by the time we could discover it... -But practice makes perfect. The second round was faster, around half speed, and in Ashni''s words, was supposed to determine "how much of an idiot" I was today. My attention turned inward, carefully monitoring the way force transferred through my muscles and joints. With my feet calmly planted, my half speed strikes flicked outward, injuring naught but air. But the slower speed here gave me a chance to think about Ashni''s form, when she should me her Thunder Stance. Much as I was confident that I could take her in a direct confrontation, her technique was leagues above mine. Specifically, I focused on her ankles, hips, and shoulders, the way they rolled in such a mundane manner, yet still seemed to amplify the force of her attacks. Visualizing the ideal movements as best I could, I proceeded to the 3rd time through the training kata, which was about 80% speed. My blows flashed outward. My body shifted as I twisted, converting all of the momentum of my body into a forward thrust. There was a slight resistance, and I knew that the technique was close to creating a sonic boom, but I wasn''t able to cause it at this speed. Gritting my teeth, I wished that every action of mine wasn''t followed by Ashni telling me how insufficient I was. -Well the point is to accomplish the sonic boom through technique, not through a powerful body. -But still-
Fury +1
I blinked at the notification. So even those sorts of things will cause my fury to increase...? Eventually deciding to ignore it, I prepared for my 4th time through, which would be full speed. But a red faced Whipman''s arrival cut me short. "Oh, good, I was just looking for you," I said, grinning. "I really want to put some extra effort into training today-" "Training?!? Today?" Whipman''s eyes were wide and extremely round, making his face look even more scrunched than usual. "We have to defend the path tonight! No reason to tire yourself out needlessly and give the challengers an easy job." I scratched the back of my neck. "Yea, well, there just isn''t anyone here that has seemed interesting to fight. I haven''t seen Jester, or even Jinka, since getting to this floor. And everyone else just seems... bumbling. My tension isn''t here at all. So I''m expending my energy by training. I''ve been picturing Ashni''s form for Thunder Stance-" "Picturing.... Ashni''s form....?" Whipman''s eyes narrowed to slits. For a few seconds I was worried that he was experiencing a heart attack, but then I realized that he was attempting to glare at me. -His face is so pruny... I gave him a flat look. Why was he...? Ashni strolled up towards us, causing Whipman''s eyes to flash back open and bulge out even further. I looked from one to the other. Ashni simply kept her gaze on the horizon, while Whipman continued to redirect blood flow from his brain to his face, so he appeared more and more like an extremely old strawberry. Not that I really was that interested, but Jen arrived just as I opened my mouth to ask what was going on. She climbed over a nearby wall and then oozed down towards us, a tentacle holding onto her hat. "Oh! Good, you are all here. Ready to visit Predator''s path?" Whipman nodded frantically, but I frowned. "What about Jana?" "Ah..." Jen looked at me, then wiggled strangely, making a ambiguous gesture with her tentacle. "She... quit. So." Looking over at the other two, I noticed how Whipman wouldn''t look at me, and for the first time ever, I believed I could see a glimmer of fear in Ashni''s eyes. -So whoever had our body did something to Jana...? Shrugging, I put it out of my mind. In the grand scheme of things, losing Jana wasn''t that important of an issue anyway. ***** It turned out getting to my path was surprisingly simple. Go to the building next to the arena, proceed to the teleporter area, show my token proving I was a path boss, and then we stepped on a platform that would send us there. As the energy gathered to teleport us away, I considered my path. The marshes, the mouth of the large river that spread throughout the entire area, the straight road that wound its way towards the centre, the light forest that covered most of the eastern portion. My castle- -Which was significantly damaged when repelling the burning kid.... The moat.... Then, I shivered, remembering that reptilian woman. -Yes, and the Heart Murmer Shrooms, and whatever those vine things are. Our path is practically a vacation destination. A bright light signaled the teleport, and the group of us abruptly appeared in the center of a muddy road. It all seemed pretty much the same, if a bit more wetlands-y. Small pools of fetid water sat along the edges of the road. Jen was already moving forward, heading towards the castle. Ashni looked around, frowning slightly. Honestly, I didn''t blame her. My path wasn''t exactly too impressive... -But wait until she sees all the undead. Perhaps that will change her mind? -Kukuku, I didn''t rise to be the top of the pyramid on the first floor for nothing. As we approached, the mud got increasingly bad, and also a faint clanging was could be heard from the castle. Grunting at the extra effort, my legs surged forward as I used an Air Stance step to sprint across the muddy road that was swiftly becoming an extended, meandering bog. The landscape blurred as I shot forward, my brief moments of touching the ground splashing muck everywhere. The clanging continued to grow louder, and I could now make out a strange warbling. I increased my pace. A huge leap carried me across the moat, and onto the outer wall, which wasn''t even guarded. -Still, has the moat always been this wide...? I looked down at the source of the clanging. The first thing I noticed was that a huge chunk of the western wall was missing. In that spot, the hulking, 25 m tall form of Yellow Bones was sitting, his feet kicking idly in the water. He held a huge board of wood and metal that I believed had once been the drawbridge, and was... slamming the body of an metal creature against it. Judging by the lack of screaming or resistance, whatever it was had died. The center of the courtyard was taken up by a long table covered in food. My mouth began to water, but as I watched, strange vines that seemed to originate from beneath the table flickered upward, serving food onto the waiting plates of... a strange, squat fish creature with arms and legs. There were a couple dozen of these red, orange, and yellow, fish things, and they seemed to be the guests of honor. An extremely fat fish creature sat in MY chair, his fat rolls jiggling as he laughed. The entertainment was about a hundred skeletons forming a giant pyramid. Off to the side, I saw one of the most fearsome creatures I could imagine, the vineling combined with the bear skeleton to form a strange spider approximation, juggling 24 balls with its 8 arms. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
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I furrowed my brows. Although it was a poor use... Expending 3 Essence, I used Lesser Ice Affinity. The wall beneath me was instantly encased in several inches of ice. The chill spread even farther, the skeletons somehow sensing the cold. Most amusingly, the frost spread out to underneath the skeleton pyramid. They trembled for a moment, then tumbled down. I spared a glance for the notification that popped up.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5¡±. Mana costs greatly decreased. Created ice is more resistent to melting. Control over ice touching the user''s body greatly increased.
The I spoke. "What," My voice echoed out as the strange fish things stopped warbling, and Yellow Bones stopped banging. "Is going on here?" ***** I rubbed my forehead, trying my best not to kill Jerry, who stood at attention in front of me. "So you are telling me," I said, wishing that this was all a great joke. "You basically dominated the path, until about 6 days ago, when you realized there were 100s of Murlocs living in the moat." Jerry nodded. "Then, deciding they were vermin, you initiated...." "A crusade, A holy war. To protect your honor." Jerry supplied, looking pleased with himself. Nodding slowly, I did my best to remain calm.
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"In the name of your crusade, you lead most of the forces into the waters below, to fight against the Murlocs." Again, he nodded. "Yes. I was right that the fact that skeletons didn''t have to breath would prove useful, and not one of them could match Yellow Bones in single combat. But dirty tactics and tricks-" "Most of the forces were decimated, and you were forced into a full retreat." My face was grim. Even now, he continued to nod, not feeling even slightly self-conscious. "Yes, and we feared that they would follow us out in spite of their own heavy losses, invading the castle, and at that time-" This was the part I was dreading. My jaw locked for several seconds.
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Finally, I was able to pry it open, trying my best to ignore the rising redness to my vision. "Yesterday, Just as the Murloc warparty left the moat, Tim arrived. He then brokered a peace treaty within hours, assassinated the old Murloc chief who was against it, and negotiated with the Murloc for exclusive trading rights to the Murloc''s primary export.... seashells. After which, he left, again." Jerry nodded. I sighed, seemingly all the tension in my body leaving me. I was currently standing with Jerry in the ruins of the old keep, and I could hear merriment had resumed outside. Murlocs and skeletons were ice skating arm-in-arm. I reached out and patted Yellow Bones, who was crouching nearby, doing his best not to break anything. His glowing red eyes remained locked on me, but I could feel him purring with pleasure. "Ah, I recently recalculated our numbers, here is our current total forces, including the Murlocs." I took the paper that Jerry offered me.
Staff Sergeant TimStaff Sergeant DrudgeLvl 24
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 17
Yellow BonesAncient Skeleton DrudgeLvl 17
Vineling MonstrosityLvl 15
TicklesBlighted GhoulLvl 14
Skeleton BearLvl 14
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 14
HaeughMurloc ChieftainLvl 13
Skeleton Bear(x5)Lvl 12
Skeleton Archer(x13)Lvl 12
Shroom Bearer (x2)Lvl 11
Skeleton Archer(x52)Lvl 11
Skeleton Archer (x29)Lvl 10
Murloc Hunter (x61)Lvl 6
Murloc Slinger(x20)Lvl 4
Murloc Villager (x428)Lvl 1
Total Combat Minions: 180
My eyelid twitched. "You''ll notice," Jerry said, "That I didn''t include the Murloc villagers in the final count for minions. They mostly stay below in the moat anyways. Also, Murlocs themselves are rather weak, but they rely on working as a unit to..." Jerry continued to speak, but I tuned him out. All I could think was that Tim was Lvl 24. 3 levels above me. ***** The group of us, myself, Jerry, Ashni, Jen, Whipman, and the looming presence of Yellow Bones, sat around, staring at a terminal Jen had produced from somewhere with her gelatinous body. They were announcing that the next round of challenging a path was about to begin, against the path before us. Strangely, they also said that they would be introducing her. A woman- -Well, a female, Stepped forward with her arms folded. Her hair was copper, and her eyes were yellow and possessed slit pupils, like a viper''s. Slung across her back was a huge bow, that seemed to be as tall as she was. Her ears were sharp and pointed, and she seemed to be quite unimpressed by the extra screen time. But it wasn''t any of the details of her appearance that stilled me.
Congratulations! You have encountered the fourth step on your path to becoming a dragon. Slay that monster, devour her heart, and know true strength. As this is 4th step, a successful completion will result in you gaining a skill based on your untapped potential.
My mind was working very rapidly, considering my options. Could I switch out and challenge her path? Was there a way to teleport- "Ahem." Someone announced themselves at the door. We all looked. Looking strangely thin and tired, Kettle stood, her eyes locking onto mine. She seemed to be searching for something, and I was slightly uncomfortable about what she would find. Not knowing what else to do, I stood. It abruptly brought to my attention how much the extra height and muscle mass from the Evolutionary Leap had changed me. I towered over Kettle, but she didn''t appear to notice, she just scanned my face. Finally, I spoke. "If you are here... you understand my dilemma." Kettle chuckled, seemingly in spite of herself. "Well, based on your propensity for throwing yourself in bad situations, I did have a hunch..." Reaching behind her into her bag, Kettle pulled out an object that slowly unfurled: a flag. "It would likely interest you to know that your challenge limit of one per year is on a floor by floor basis." Kettle paused, tilting her head at me, a strange light in her eyes. "Now we just need to talk price. Make me an offer, Predator." I grinned, my smile widening into the leer of a wolf. ***Author''s Note*** I think this chapter is short? But it''s so hard to tell sometimes... Either way, I''m busy with a real life, career related thing, and will be for the rest of August. I will try to get a few chapters out, but I don''t know how well it will work out. I have no spare time =(. I remember my call for proofreaders, and unfortunately that has gotten lost in the hustle. I''ll revisit it when I am finally free~. I should be able to finish Day 36 Monday or Tuesday, at least getting that over with before I really go radio silent. Thanks for sticking with me guys! Day 36.4 ***POV Kettle*** Kettle sat very still in her chair back in her office. She had allowed herself the small pleasure of seeing Predator in person, scanning every inch of him that she could, cataloging every measurable she could guess about him. Based on all of the data that Kettle had gathered, he really shouldn¡¯t have come this far. Tapping her fingers on the table, she brought up a display of the 2nd to last path boss event, the bow using woman. Although her calculations had it as unlikely, there was still a reasonable possibility of Predator finding his way out of this one, albeit somewhere around 5% of a chance. Now, Kettle was extremely confident with her assessments of Predator. She allowed herself a small smile, bringing up the price Predator had paid for the challenge flag: his full stats. Everything that the system of The Great Tower considered important was here. The results were more disgustingly high than expected, but not outside of the upper range of predicted possibilities. More interesting were the strange stats and attributes that Predator had somehow obtained. That made her hesitate slightly, but a little research indicated they weren¡¯t completely outside of the norm. They were just unusual¡­ for a biological being. After closing out of Predator¡¯s stats and encrypting them, she leaned back in her seat and buzzed her mother and sister into the room. They rather meekly walked in and sat next to her, both turning their attention to the large screen along the wall of Kettle¡¯s office. It was almost time for the show to begin. Kettle wondered idly what Predator had planned for the challenge. ***POV Predator*** I scratched my cheek. ¡°What do you want me to say? Jen doesn¡¯t know anything about the bow woman, so how could we make up a plan?¡± Whipman, Jerry, Turnip, and the Murloc chieftain Haeugh were giving me strange looks. Ashni stood off to the side, aloof and with her arms folded. While I had been away, Turnip was likely the one who grew the most. Although it wasn¡¯t demonstrated in level, his skeletal wings had grown to almost double their original size, still completely unable to support flight. He had a strange habit of making them twitch in time with his words. Jerry, too, seemed to have gotten stronger, able to utilize his ability to disintegrate matter with his hands for longer, and against objects slightly farther away. Inwardly, I was glad that I had fought him before he had the chance to develop to this point. ¡°So¡­¡± Whipman spoke hesitantly, finally voicing what they were all thinking. ¡°How are we preparing?¡± I barely resisted a yawn. ¡°The connection will be made along the north side, just like the challenge against the bird was, right? Although there aren''t as many after the goblin army walked through them, there are still Heart Murmur Shrooms to the western portion. The east is mainly wetland, so the Murlocs can set up there and harry anything that comes that direction. That basically leaves the bulk of the undead forces to hold the middle.¡± ¡°But we have three loss conditions, if we challenge another path in the middle of their challenge. Either you are defeated, or the challengers reach either portal upwards.¡± Jerry pointed out. ¡°How can we fight off the other path and protect the castle, while making sure we don¡¯t weaken their defenses enough for challengers to pounce? Do we really need to issue this challenge?¡± Waving my hand, I unfurled the flag and stabbed it into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine. Jen said it will all work out, so don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke looked up, annoyed. He had been recording a pretty juicy fight in the 24th floor that he discovered almost on accident. Still, when he saw that it was a notification from the 5th floor, he resignedly switched away to investigate. After all, with how much money he used from his parent¡¯s credit chip if something went wrong¡­ What he saw caused the blood to drain from his face. The path boss that he bet on¡­ was challenging another path boss? It was starting immediately, too. His feathers distinctly ruffled, Shuusuke began breathing heavily. ¡°My parents are going to kill me¡­¡± He whispered to himself. But thenhe flipped onto this recording software, marshalling his camera. At the very least, he might be able to get some high quality recorded material from this situation. ***POV Whipman*** Whipman watched as the forces were arrayed in the manner that Predator had sketched out lightly, the details filled in by Jerry and Ashni, who possessed quite the minds for tactics. Their forces only consisted of 180 odd people, so there weren¡¯t so many to manage. Most of the forces consisted of Skeleton Archers, so most of the forces were stationed around the fort. The murlocs, seemingly joyful at the prospect of battle, raced off to scout the wetlands. Whipman wondered why they seemed so happy, but he overheard Turnip mention that Murlocs experienced vastly increased fertility when they bred in water mixed with freshly spilled blood. Whipman tried not to think too closely about the entire process. Yellow Bones would be the main force along the road, supported by 15 Skeleton Bears, 10 of which were freshly summoned. Meanwhile, a strange grey creature the size of a tiger with a pulsing yellow glow, who was referred to as Tickles, and the skeleton bear with the 8 vineling legs would roam among the surrounding forest, strong enough in their own right to harry the opponents and escape, raising the alarm if they tried to sneak around. Whipman watched Predator yawn. ¡®I have raised a lazy pupil,¡¯ Whipman thought sorrowfully, shaking his head. Then he straightened and continued to scan around, and was surprised to find Ashni considering him from across the battlements. She immediately looked away, her eyes shifting to the trees ahead of them, but Whipman felt a small flash of emotion in his heart. They hadn¡¯t spoken at all since his hasty proposal. Maybe this¡­ ...was a good sign¡­? His heart sank as he looked at the flair of her shoulders, the capable forearms that head her spear in a position that seemed relaxed, but that Whipman knew meant she was ready to strike whenever. ...probably not, huh.... A booming voice brought Whipman outside of his revery. ¡°Welcome, challengers and watchers, to the 5th floor of The Great Tower! Tonight we were expecting to have two pulse-pounding story lines as we watched as two groups of challengers struggled to make it through a path, but¡­¡± After a dramatic pause, the voice continued. ¡°One of the scheduled path bosses has issued a challenge to the other, so we will be doing both at once! The rules are simple: Challengers win if they make it to either portal at the heart of either path. If a path boss is defeated, that portal disappears and they are forced to go to the other path to win¡­ Challengers will spawn as they would have without the challenge in both paths, so Path Bosses beware! Without further adieu, let this double header event¡­¡± Whipman glanced at Predator. It was strange, how he could remain so still, and yet seem so tightly wound, every muscle in his body focused on the purpose in front of him. But more disturbing was that wide, twisted smile that always covered his face when fights began to break out. It was wide and hungry, without any remorse or mercy. ¡°...Begin!¡± At the voices words, the indeterminate, misty area outside of the path abruptly cleared to the east, revealing a sprawling, densely packed jungle. A huge tree towered over the others in the center, at least 4x as high, its foliage spreading out in every direction. ¡°Shit,¡± Ashni muttered, rubbing her chin. ¡°Wasn¡¯t supposed to come from that direction. Can the murlocs hold up under a direct assault?¡± Jerry looked from Ashni, to Predator, and then back, and then finally said. ¡°...likely not. But they will be extremely effective at slowing them down.¡± ¡°Then we need to send some archers over,¡± Ashni said bluntly, folding her arms and looking at Predator. ¡°If we can get a few volleys off while the opponents are crossing the wetlands, so much the better. Fewer enemies to fight in a brawl. But we need to move fast-¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Predator interrupted, speaking for the first time. He cracked his neck. ¡°But I doubt that we have to worry about an attack from the other path boss. What would be the point? Splitting up the forces will just give more chances for the challengers to make it through. Keep forces here, have our wanderers scour around for challengers.¡± Whipman watched as Predator¡¯s fingers slowly tightened into fists. ¡°I¡¯m going hunting.¡± Shivering, Whipman turned and peeked at Ashni. She was rubbing her temples and glaring at Predator¡¯s back as he stretched. Sighing, Whipman turned back to the skeletons, who leaned on their bows and chatted with each other, barely acknowledging the incoming storm. Whipman thought this was going to be a long night. ***POV Predator*** I hopped down off the ramparts, landing right past the moat. Although enough time hadn¡¯t passed for all of my mana to regenerate since summoning the bear skeletons, 70% had returned. That should be enough for a quick path boss hunting. -You are too excited for your own good. -Which means you are too. Let¡¯s just live a little. First at a trot, then a jog, until I finally settled into a full out sprint, rushing headlong down the road that lead outward, and then cutting out across the wetlands. I weaved effortlessly between the skeletons milling about, delighting in my ability to cut and turn. -Probably the balance stat. Some sort of combination of preternatural intuition about momentum, instincts, and insane core strength. -If it¡¯s this useful, we should level up as this again. When I arrived at the wetlands, I started leaping, creating huge splashes as I raced across the area. It almost reminded me of my first week of memory. My first week of life in the wetlands, struggling against the frogs. If I could go back there now. I was chuckling as I hit the jungle line. I made no efforts to slow down, trusting in my reactions and newfound balance to carry me through. Some low hanging vines snagged on me, but I ripped right through them, traveling deeper. I heard some hasty rustling around me, but ignored it. If they wanted to stop me, I would make them do it by force. The world became a blur of foliage, strange brightly color flowers, and densely packed trees. Grimacing, I began hopping more diagonally in my strides than forward, cutting among the trees. Then I had an idea, and began throwing myself wildly forward with more abandon, creating small platforms in the air to touch against and stabilize myself, allowing me to cut more closely through the trees. My speed doubled within a few minutes of trying this. And the mana expenditure was still less than my regen rate, so I wouldn¡¯t be beggaring myself for the fight that was to come. After a time, I realized that the rustling around me was intensifying, but as I began using air platforms, it abruptly fell away, left in the dust by my mad advance. I grinned; sorry, but your outer layer has been penetrated. Without any warning, I burst from the jungle proper and arrived in an open area, that sat under the huge central tree. Most trees couldn¡¯t get enough sunlight here to live, so there was only waist high brush. From this distance, the trunk looked huge, probably 50 m in diameter. A wooden wall of stacked logs was built around the base, with a close gate that was likely barred on the inside. With a single smirk and a burst of leg strength, I leapt over the wall landing in the small courtyard in front of the tree. I quickly gazed side to side, settling into a battle crouch. Nothing. I straightened slowly, my extremely enhanced senses straining to detect anything amiss. Nothing. With narrowed eyes, I began to walk forward, preparing for the inevitable ambush. Nothing. Nothing.
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I proceeded deeper into the tree, finally reaching a large door carved of fragrant redwood. I smashed it to kindling to assuage my rising temper. What was inside the room made me blink, then frown. It was very clearly the main hall of this building. Sitting at the center was the floating blue portal, the gateway for challengers to grasp victory. My senses once more stretched as far as they could go as I was wondering what they were playing at. ¡°Ha, you were right.¡± A voice behind me made me twist, and I stood still for a moment, staring intently behind me. Then I silently stepped off to the side. ¡°Like I said,¡± A female voice answered the first. ¡°Shemara is notorious for going ballistic whenever someone even mentions path boss challenges. Totally thinks it¡¯s a waste of time. She always bragged that if someone did it to her, she would just wildly attack and let the challengers go.¡± ¡°Haha, she would rather make sure they both lose, than try to win?¡± The voices were closer now, approaching the door. ¡°Yep. And this¡­ yes, this is it. Easy promotion, we got lucky. Looks like someone else got here before us though, the door¡¯s already broken.¡± Two bulky figures stepped forward, casually walking towards the portal. I detached myself from the shadow of the doors and crept behind them. Simultaneously, both of my hands flashed forward, gripping and then ripping out their spines.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Sneak Attack Lvl 2¡±. Chance of success increased. Damage bonus slightly increased. Slight boost in stealthiness leading up to the sneak attack.
The two figures dropped to the floor, dead instantly. Thinking I deserved a treat, I stopped and took a few minutes to rip the flesh off of their bodies and devour it. They were a strange, blubbery race, but the taste was excellent. After licking my fingers, I turned to leave. I would find this Shemara, no matter what it took. -Based on their conversation, she might be launching an attack on our path even now. But¡­ -What is it? -The challenge ends if either of us are defeated, or any challengers proceed through the portal. And if we leave, and no one is here to guard it¡­
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-...then what do you suggest¡­? -You already know the answer, you just don''t like it. Based on what Jen said, there were scheduled to be 3 challengers on our path today, and 6 on Shemara¡¯s path. So stick to the area, and wait until you kill at least 6 people, then hurry back and hope for the best. I closed my eyes and took several breaths. Then I punched the wall, shattering the immediate area to pieces and sending several long, jagged cracks out in all directions.
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¡°Fine,¡± I hissed to the air. ¡°Let¡¯s take our time. There¡¯s no rush.¡±
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***POV Whipman*** Whipman watched, almost bemused, as Predator dashed off, hopped most of the way across the wetlands, and then smashed his way directly into the jungle area. He truly had too much energy, and not enough sense. And it seemed like it was getting worse too. Although to be fair, Whipman hadn¡¯t known Predator that long, but still- Almost as one, everyone although the wall inhaled sharply. Streaming out of the jungle, quite near the place where Predator had charged in, were what seemed like several columns of purple haired monkeys. Their hoots carried even the distance to the castle across the wetlands, and they plunged forward. After a few seconds of their exodus, they mostly tapered off, and then came a huge black ape, and upon its back was the path boss, her arms folded. ¡°Cheh, that idiot. He couldn¡¯t have delayed 2 minutes¡­¡± Ashni grumbled, and Whipman couldn¡¯t help but agree. Predator was their trump card. Although he didn¡¯t ever seem more effective than any of them in a 1 on 1 fight, it couldn¡¯t be denied that his plethora of skills lended themselves to larger scale battles. ¡°Alright fine. Call all of the archers back within the walls. The normal skeleton bears too. Oh, and Yellow Bones, have him crouch in the courtyard. Until we understand what¡¯s going on, we need a reserve.¡± Ashni began listing of things, and Jerry began nodding furiously, pointing and shouting to accomplish her orders. Turnip leaned on his bow, tilting his head to the side so his strange wispy hairs fell across his face. ¡°Is this really necessary? They are just a bunch of hot bloods. They all die after enough arrows.¡± Ashni spared him a glance, but didn¡¯t answer. Her eyes followed the line of purple monkeys, muttering to herself. Yellow Bones lumbered past, straddling the 10 m wall, careful to not crush anything. He sat down with a huge rumble. There was only about 200 of the monkeys, but they quickly cut the shortest path across the wetlands, getting onto solid ground before the murlocs could even mount an attack. Then the monkeys began hooting and circling up in the lightly forest area, partially obscured by the trees. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Whipman asked, squinting towards the flickering monkey forms. As the group watched, some trees in the area trembled and toppled over. ¡°...I think they are building a platform.¡± Jerry said. ***POV Predator***
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Only through a supreme effort of will did I resist the urge to tap my fingers on the floor. The area around me was wet with blood of the challengers that had wandered in here already. Unfortunately, the area was permeated with the smell of death. But my intuition tingled just slightly. Someone was around here. -Flush them out somehow? -Nothing has the big of an area of effect. The only way would be to expend the essence¡­ better to save that for Shemara -You are surprisingly calm about the whole situation.
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¡°Am I¡­?¡± My mouth was twisting, almost against my will. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, the flow rushing through my body, superheating everything. This waiting¡­ was undesirable.
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With my cheshire smile, I closed my eyes. My palm pressed against the cool wooden floor. Almost instantly, I heard a soft tap and sensed that someone had rushed forward through a side door to the room, making a beeline for the portal. My eyes slowly opened, one glowing yellow in the half light of the room, the other a pale blue. With a single thought, dozens of 10 mana wind blades were summoned into existence. They crisscrossed and blocked the runners path. Then I made another layer. And then another, pressingly them tightly together until it was as if I had stretched razor sharp mesh wire across the path of this runner. The runner hit it and passed through, now more liquid gore than person. They hit the floor with a wet splash.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 8¡±. Sharpness of the blade increased. Control over the size of the blade has increased. When thrown, wind blades will now move slightly faster.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Air Affinity Lvl 4¡±. Amount of mana used slightly decreased. You may now control air significantly farther away.
-Oh? It looks like that trick also used Air Affinity. A good haul.
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Stolen novel; please report.
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-And yet we remain here, that was only 5. -Only one more.
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Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +1 until the Fury degrades.
-After all this time it was only +1 stat? What the fuck?!?! I-
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-....oh¡­.? -......Well now that we are thinking about it, we aren¡¯t going to get any¡­. -Do you think it does this every 100? The accumulation gets faster? I cracked my knuckles, standing up. Probably deserve to treat myself to a little hunt. This last little shit was going to die painfully.
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***POV Whipman*** For about 10 minutes, the associated forces under Predator considered the strange platform that the monkeys were constructing. The Murlocs fell back from the wetlands to the moat, muttering how this was no fun. Haeugh joined the other various leaders up on the wall. Whipman couldn¡¯t help but get nervous the more of them were up here, watching the scaffolding come up. ¡®If push comes to shove¡­¡¯ He wondered. ¡®Which of us is in charge¡­?¡¯ Most of the skeletons seemed to be loyal to Jerry, but Haeugh also had his pride as a chieftain. He had obeyed orders so far, but what if that was just some lingering affection? Ashni stood, her perfect calves twitching as she watched the construction with increasing annoyance. She clearly would prefer an attack to this strange waiting. She had thrust herself into the position of commander in chief during the preparations, but what if she gave an order the others didn¡¯t like? A small smile stretched across Whipman¡¯s face. ¡®I have been here for a while¡­ and the others all respect me¡­ maybe I should step forward and take charge-¡¯ Turnip smashed Whipman¡¯s head with his huge bow, sending him staggering. ¡°Stop that,¡± Turnip drawled, returning to his bow leaning. ¡°The smile on your face really creeps me out." Whipman glared at Turnip, but he didn¡¯t say anything else, because another voice boomed out over the path. ¡°Challengers! I am Shemara.¡±The woman with the bright copper hair stood on the platform made of lashed together trees, her voice carrying quite far across the path. Whipman was honestly impressed how steady the platform looked after only 15 minutes of work. Those monkeys must be well trained. ¡°And that!¡± Shemara pointed towards the fort where the skeletons were massed. ¡°Is the location of the portal that will end this pointless farce. If you don¡¯t know me, challengers, know that this path boss challenging me is an affront on my honor. I care not whether you pass through, as long as I can rip them to pieces¡­¡± ¡°So I say again challengers! And you, path boss Predator¡­. I will attack in 10 minutes! Challengers, feel free to make use of my attack to reach the portal. And Predator¡­ prepare to die.¡± With that, the copper haired woman jumped down off the platform. There was silence on the battlements for a while. Then Haeugh began chuckling in his strange fishy way, and then Ashni joined him, her eyes glittering like a banshee¡¯s. ¡°Let then come all at once then.¡± Ashni muttered, her hands gripping tightly to her spear. ¡°Just means we can kill them faster.¡± Whipman gulped, admiring Ashni¡¯s forearms. When he looked up from them, he found that she was glowering at him. He coughed and scanned the horizon. ***POV Predator***
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I barely made a sound as I dropped down off the tree to the group. The scent of my quarry was in the air, a strange, fishy scent. -Don¡¯t act like you are a trained dog, I mean you smell it, but you have no idea where it is.
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Although it was distasteful, other me was right. It was definitely around here though¡­ I leapt closer to the treeline, landing easily and sniffing. Then I jumped to the side, and sniffed over there. After several minutes of repeating this exercise, my expression brightened; the scent was definitely closer. I sensed a figure on the other side of a suspicious tree, and stuck my arm directly through it, smashing it to pieces. The tree toppled over with a crash, and I heard an abrupt scuttling behind me. My hand squeezed shut, and I pulled back a damp, strangely human shaped snake skin. My eyelid began twitching.
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I turned and sprinted back towards the main building. Yes, this one would die slowly and painfully.
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***POV Whipman*** ¡°They are coming,¡± Turnip said simply, his eyesight the best of the bunch. Ashni began relaying instructions to Jerry, who then repeated them to the skeleton archers. The groups hustled about, manning the wall as best as they could with their decreased numbers. Whitman remembered how different it was when there was just less than a 1000 of the skeleton archers, defending against the incoming bird horde. To be fair, those that still lived were a much higher level, but so were the opponents. It was hard to imagine those birds building a platform made of tree trunks in such a short time. Squinting, Whipman was just able to make out the streams of monkeys loping in 4 groups, spreading out around the forest area. ¡°Cheh, their leader isn¡¯t going to make this easy, huh. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Ashni spoke, while barely suppressing a giggle. Whipman sighed. ¡®If you are going to say that, at least TRY and sound like you aren¡¯t bloodthirsty¡­¡¯ Still, Whipman reflected, it meant that should would make an excellent maternal figure, never shying away from conflict to protect her young¡­ The leftmost column of monkeys abruptly slowed, several alarmed hoots emerging that were loud enough to hear, even from this distance. The vineling monstrosity and Tickles burst from the nearby underbrush, smashing into the mass of monkeys. Around them, the 3 other columns didn¡¯t even hesitate, streaming forward towards the fort. Unfortunately, it seemed like the monkeys were strong enough that they could stall the monstrosity and Tickles rampage. ¡°They work together well,¡± Jerry said, watching as well as they could through the trees. ¡°They are timing their attacks well to chain together.¡± ¡°They should pull out.¡± Ashni spoke, and everyone gathered around nodded sagely. Haeugh gurgled in an affirmative manner. Glaring around, Ashni settled on kicking Turnip¡¯s bow out from under him, sending him toppling to the ground. ¡°Let me repeat myself. They should pull out. Send the signal!¡± ¡°Ohhhhhh, so soorrrrrry,¡± Turnip said sarcastically, taking his sweet time hefting his bow and knocking the specially prepared flash arrow. While yawning, Turnip drew the bow and loosed, the arrow shooting out over the trees. It whistled forward, before it smashed into a tree scant feet away from the mass of writhing monkey bodies. *Crack!* The gunpowder in the arrow head ignited, making a bright flash and a loud noise. A few seconds passed, and nothing seemed to happen, except more and more of the leftmost column of monkeys were circling in that area. Then two monkeys were smashed backwards, and the vineling monstrosity surged out of the circle. Most of its ribs were smashed off, and it looked like one of its vine legs on the right side was snapped off, but when it came out it was roaring its fury, lashing left and right at the leaping purple monkeys. They were of a size of the monstrosity, but they were nowhere near as strong. ¡°Hiierg!¡± Haeugh gasped, his eyes widening. Two of the vine legs were held above the monstrosities head, holding the wounded body of Tickles. Tears started dripping down Haeugh¡¯s face. Whipman looked at Haeugh, slightly disgusted by the strange, sobbing, fat murloc. Ashni pursed her lips and looked at Jerry. Jerry shrugged. ¡°Haeugh and Tickles grew close at the feast yesterday and today. Tickles kept licking Haeugh, and Haeugh thought it felt nice.¡± Everyone decided as one to ignore it, and turned back to approaching monkeys. ¡°Almost in range for arrows,¡± Ashni said, giving Turnip a pointed look. He yawned in response, but once more raised the bow. For a second, he was completely still. Then, as if an invisible switch was flipped, his bone hands blurred. A stream of arrows shot outward, each one sinking into the flesh of the approaching monkeys. Within 10 seconds, the 20 arrows remaining in Turnip¡¯s quiver had disappeared. He swished his wispy hairs across his head. ¡°Whoops. Ran out of arrows-¡± Ashni walked up to Turnip and threw him off of the battlements and into the moat. Jerry opened his mouth to say something, but Ashni¡¯s sharp look cut him off. Suddenly, Jerry was coughing, and then closed his mouth without bringing up Turnip. Whipman¡¯s heart was pounding. That was¡­ ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful with her hip throws¡­¡¯ Whipman thought in wonder. EIther way, Turnip¡¯s arrows had wounded about a dozen of the middle right column of monkeys, cutting their number by a ?. The leftmost column was pursuing the vineling monstrosity in a frenzy, and it was managing to carry Tickles, keep ahead of the pack, stop and harry to keep the groups attention, and lead them towards where the large vine monster still slept. Honestly, in Whipman¡¯s opinion, that creature of Tim¡¯s was quite impressive. Even though Predator wasn¡¯t here, Whipman wasn¡¯t about to go saying that, however, in case it got back to Predator¡¯s ears. ¡°All other bow units, ready.¡± Ashni said calmly, ignoring the spluttering Turnip below. His bone wings extended, easily sinking into the walls, and he began to clamber back up. Eyeing Turnip, Jerry relayed the orders. ¡°Aim!¡± The three remaining columns of monkeys were loping closer. Whipman scanned the forest, but he could not see any sign of the larger monkey, or the copper haired woman who controlled the other path. ¡°Steady¡­¡± Ashni muttered, her eyes narrowing. There was a dangerous glint there, a hunger, that reminded Whipman abruptly of Predator. No wonder, no matter how harsh Ashni was on him, they got along so well. They had the same sort of lust for blood. The monkeys surged forward, their hoots becoming increasingly insistent. True to Tim¡¯s training, all the skeleton archers kept their form, motionless. One of the benefits of the undead was the lack of stamina concerns. ¡°If we don¡¯t-¡± Jerry began nervously, but Ashni just hissed through her teeth, her eyes narrowing to slits. Right as they were about to reach the moat, the monkey columns split off, rushing around the sides of the fort. They continued to hoot as they circled around the sides, completely splitting their forces in half. Ashni¡¯s eyes were half closed, as if she wasn¡¯t really watching the battlefield. Looking around nervously, Whipman wondered why Ashni hadn¡¯t given the order to fire. The monkeys were practically begging for it¡­ That thought made Whipman frown. Honestly, their actions didn¡¯t make sense. Was it a ploy to delay? Why would they use this sort of tactic to delay? The close range made them easy pickings for the archers. Their numbers were even, and the monkeys could take a few arrows, but most wouldn¡¯t survive. Then what were they doing- Faster than he would have believed possible, Ashni¡¯s eyes snapped open and she stepped forward on the battlements, a grin on her face. ¡°Found you.¡± Streaking directly towards Ashni¡¯s chest was an arrow, moving impossibly fast. Whipman, horrified, did his best to rush over and throw himself in the way, but Ashni just grinned. Another arrow streaked up from below, hitting the incoming one, sending it just slightly off course. It drew a red line across one of Ashni¡¯s shoulders then fell into the courtyard. Landing gracefully, Turnip swished his hair. ¡°Hmph, no need to thank me-¡± Ashni once more grabbed him and threw him into the moat. ¡°I know how good your control is, you let that one hit me on purpose¡± Once more, Turnip splashed around in an awkward manner for several seconds while he got his bearings, then started to climb the wall. In that time, the monkeys continued to circle almost surrounding the entire fort. ¡°Fire,¡± Ashni remarked calmly, considering the three arrows now speeding towards her. But the line of her mouth was grim. Whipman scanned the treeline, and couldn¡¯t find the archer either. At her order, the skeleton archers fired, sending a huge volley of arrows into the circling monkeys. But just as Ashni ordered them to fire, one of the monkeys hooted loudly, and all of the monkeys became to shimmer slightly, their fur filled with a strange energy. The arrows that approached them slammed into their bodies, but didn¡¯t appear to have any effect, skidding off their fur and dropping to the ground. Jerry¡¯s face became horrified, but Ashni just shrugged. ¡°If they could do it enough to be totally impervious, why bother with this tomfoolery? Or they are playing with us, in which case we shall die.¡± ¡°Either way,¡± Ashni continued. ¡°Continue to fire.¡± Roaring, Turnip leapt back up on top of the battlements, drawing his bow and firing three arrows. They shot towards the arrows aiming at Ashni, hitting them and bisecting them. The offending arrows dropped harmlessly to the ground. Apparently having had enough of trying to phase, Ashni, Turnip leered at the invisible archer. ¡°Psh, you are 100 years to early to-¡± Three arrows shot forward, thick and glowing, twice as fast as the previous arrows. The very air they passed through hummed, torn by their passing. The skeleton archers around continued to fire, fearless in the face of the seeming futility of their shots. Just when Whipman was wondering at the point of it all, the monkeys began leaping over the moat towards the walls. Still in the three groups, they swarmed upwards, their greedy fingers finding purchase in the walls and swarming up. Turnip shot a single arrows, his skull tilted sideways, an ugly leer on his face. Whining strangely, the arrow spun counter clockwise as it shot forward. It hit the first oncoming arrow, diverting it, and rebounding upwards, smashing into the second. That arrow too, fell astray, and Turnip¡¯s arrow still had enough momentum to nick the fletching of the last arrow, sending it wobbling off target. ¡°Ha! As I said-¡± But before Turnip could finishing gloating, a 4th arrow, slight and simmering, slid forward. Turnip¡¯s jaw dropped, having not seen this slim arrow until this point. Hastily, he brought up his bow once more, but it was much too late; the arrow was approaching Ashni. Turnip flexed his bone wings, but the distance was too far. Growling, Whipman leapt forward, throwing himself in the path of the arrow. *BOOM* Ashni clapped her hands with the force that only a practitioner of Thunder Stance could muster. The arrow snapped and fell to the ground, destroyed by the sonic boom she had created. Tumbling backwards, Whipman inwardly was thankful that he had responded so slowly to the incoming crisis; had he been faster, he would have taken some serious damage from the shock wave. The skeleton archers were standing up at the walls shooting down at the lithe monkeys, doing their best to injure as many as possible. Ashni scratched her cheek, thinking. ¡°Have the skeleton bears assist with repelling the monkeys on the walls. Yellow Bones, you take the one at the rear. Jerry, the northwest opponent. Whipman¡­¡± Ashni hesitated for a second, then shook her head. ¡°Just hold out as long as you can against the eastern one.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Whipman asked. He was going to fight monkeys¡­? But as he scanned the area around the fort, his eyes widened. A huge abomination of swollen flesh and a hundred arms clambered over the rear wall, roaring, its one bulging eye oozing a yellow puss. A bird made of blue crystal swooped from the Northwest, shrieking and spitting icicles down at the skeleton archers. To the east, a hunched individual with dusky skin floated towards the fort from the treeline, seemingly riding a whirlwind. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­ what are you going to do?¡± Jerry asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Ashni snorted. ¡°Naturally, she will be my opponent.¡± From the treeline, a huge, black haired monkey emerged, and on its back, smirking, was the copper haired woman. Her pupils narrowed to slits, she knocked another arrow and took aim. Baring her teeth, Ashni leapt down off the battlements towards her opponent. ***POV Predator*** The last challenger was dragging himself with his arms, his innards dragging behind him, my ice knives sticking out of him by the dozens, making him look like a strange, blue porcupine. He was scant feet away from the portal, sobbing, his blood marking the long trail he took to get here. Just as he was reaching for the portal, I flicked a knife at him. It severed his spine, and he fell over dead, he goal just out of reach. Grinning, I rubbed the back of my neck. Wow, that was such a stress relief. -But also a time waste. You know what our minions are like. Absolutely useless. I grimaced. Other me was right, but I definitely needed to work off some of my aggression. As I allowed it to grow for an extended period of time, I realized that fury, in a way, was literally fury. I was mad. Mad enough to waste time torturing some pitiful challenger. My Cheshire grin stretched across my face. My next target would also be murdered. And while I was killing her, there would be no one to distract me, no pressing business that demanded my attention. That copper haired woman would regret crossing me.
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Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +6 until the Fury degrades.
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I began jogging back towards my fort, my blood feeling hot as it raced through my body. ¡°Shemara¡­.¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± ****Author''s Note**** Business talk first. I betrayed your trust! I''m cutting this last battle into two chapters xD. And I''ve taken FOREVER to get it out... Well, I''ll say that after taking the bar, I deserved a break, and I needed it a lot more than I thought I did. I think I just recovered from my hangover yesterday. Also, my laptop broke >=(. I should be back to regular writing now? But the length of this next chapter means that it might be a few days before I get it out. In other news, although this might be a disappointment to some, I am tentatively planning on starting a lighter series on the side, that I''ll try doing by word count, as opposed to this just blob until I feel like stopping. The chapters will be shorter, but it will mean I can fit in writing in at more times, and hopefully mean more words. I have a few ideas, and I''ll solicit some feedback on which I should do after Day 36 finally ends. Still, I want to have proofreaders, and I''m actually a conscious human now, so if you are interested, just comment on this. I''ll send you a PM. I have some unpublished nonsense that you can proofread, just so I know that you can at least spell check me. I want two, just so I don''t need to worry about waiting too long for a response. Just so I know you can reliably follow directions too, any parties interested should include the following information in their posts to be a PR. 1. What you would like to be called 2. Whether you have PR experience 3. How busy a life you have Feel free to also include anything else you would like to say/ask me. I''ll probably respond...? Day 36.5 ***Author''s Note*** I will NEVER let a chapter get this long, ever again. Not only was it about 9 hours of writing, but transferring it to RR took about 2 hours, and I did it once only to delete my post at the last second.... Ugh... Sorry for the long delay. Sometimes I ask myself why I write. After all, for my 12ish hours of work, how much enjoyment will a person get from it? A half hour? Maybe less? Such is the sad life of a writer. But when I write, I''ve never once regretted doing it. Hope you enjoy. PR done by Zeo. Day 36.5 ***POV Whipman*** Vibrating with a crazy intensity, Yellow Bones surged upwards out of the courtyard and smashed into the strange abomination that was attempting to crest the walls. Although the abomination was slightly smaller than Yellow Bones¡¯ 20 m frame, it apparently had tremendous strength; although crashing into it stopped it from making it to this side of the wall, its body shuddered, but did not loosen its grip. Strange, whiplike limbs grew, lashing out at Yellow Bones. Yellow Bones¡¯ two smaller, secondary arms flicked out shards of bone, severing the fleshy appendages just as quickly as they were created. Reaching a stalemate, the two began to grapple, smashing and cracking the walls in the surrounding area. The nearby archers hurried away, but they weren¡¯t out of danger yet. Where they attacked, the purple monkeys gained a foothold on the wall, pushing backwards most of the skeleton archers and crushing a few to pieces. But as Whipman watched, their fur began to lose its luster, the magic faltering. But the damage had been done. But just as it seemed like the walls had been lost, 5 skeleton bears charged up to the walls, attempting to knock the invaders off the wall. With the small distraction, the remaining skeleton archers were able to fire again, their bone arrows finally finding purchase in the flesh of the monkeys. Still, a significant amount of monkeys used their agility to dodge past the skeleton bears and harass other parts of the wall, allowing their companions more of foothold. Whipman could hear Ashni¡¯s voice, her shouted commands and her half sneering challenges. Squinting, Whipman could see that while Ashni spoke and walked forward down the path towards the copper haired woman, the woman and Turnip were engaged in a high level archery battle, the woman methodically trying to wound Ashni, and Turnip frantically firing arrows to deflect her arrows and wound the opposition. Neither appeared to have any advantage at hurting the other, but Whipman knew that as Ashni advanced towards the woman, it would become increasingly difficult for Turnip to react in time. A harsh screech made Whipman twist around, and he saw the blue crystal bird glaring at Jerry, a fist sized hole having appeared in its side. This made Whipman grin slightly; at least that battle seemed to be going well. ¡°So distracted¡­ I can¡¯t believe I got stuck with the weak one.¡± *Boom* A huge force smashed into Whipman¡¯s chest, throwing him backwards off the walls and into the courtyard. Luckily, he was quite a distance from where Yellow Bones and the Abomination continued to struggle, so at least he wouldn¡¯t be crushed. The dusky skinned individual riding a whirlwind floated closer, considering Whipman with a malicious look. ¡°Well, I never said I didn¡¯t enjoy torture. Come here, and let me make your life agonizing.¡± From being around Predator so long, Whipman¡¯s eyes quickly detected the characteristic sheen of wind blades being formed. They slid rapidly towards him, aiming for his knees and elbows. Something inside Whipman snapped. ¡°...just hold out¡­?¡± Whipman said through gritted teeth, furious at Ashni¡¯s dismissal of his strength. His body felt like it was on fire, his adrenaline pumping through his veins. Sure, he wasn¡¯t as physically strong as Predator. Or as skilled with weapons as Ashni. And he didn¡¯t have a completely overpowered ability like Jerry. He wasn¡¯t a monster like Yellow Bones, but¡­ But there was one way that Whipman was different that all the rest. Although they struggled, and they fought, they were strong. They were praised, vetted, rewarded, celebrated, honored. Even in Predator¡¯s casual arrogance, Whipman could sense that the dusky skinned individual was an individual who didn¡¯t understand defeat, or loss. Whipman was different. Whipman was born weak, with below average talent. He struggled and struggled, and could do nothing but remain as a student of general training ground, not even going to one of the specialized schools for the stances. Then he finally had a master, who found in him a dedication that surpassed any of the elite. And that master had told him to just have patience. Even now, fury boiling up within him and wind blades bearing down on him, Whipman could see his Master¡¯s kind eyes. ¡°Do you know why the stances were created? Because we are weak. Never forget that. Some might see it as a mark of shame, but it is not. It is proof that understanding will always triumph over natural gifts. ¡°In battle, you will not fight the enemy. You will be a vessel for the stances. An opponent might be superior to you, but¡­ are they more powerful than thunder? More resilient than earth? More vast than air? More unrelenting than water? ¡°In the face of natural elements, even stars may perish. Is your opponent going to be stronger than a star?¡± The wind blades only a few meters away from him, Whipman closed his eyes. He could sense the sneering look of the dusky skinned individual, but he put that out of his mind. The sonic boom was the trademark of individuals who had reached a basic mastery of the thunder stance, but Whipman was most inexperienced with Thunder Stance, even though that was swiftly improving under Ashni¡¯s tutelage. And while he trained solely in Thunder Stance with her to learn the secrets of the that stance, since discovering his master¡¯s inheritance, Whipman had also been studying his master¡¯s insights whenever he could. Though he seemed rather helpless at Thunder Stance, his insights into the other stances were not small. Since he was facing a user of air, it seemed appropriate to respond in kind. Whipman¡¯s eyes slowly opened. Air Stance was about segmentation, understanding how air was one large mass made up of millions and billions of smaller particles. Being able to control a large amount of air was a mark of strength among Air Stance users, but that wasn¡¯t the trademark skill that was equivalent to the sonic boom. Air Stance users who reached a basic level of mastery could use Void Movement. The path to insight in the Air Stance wasn¡¯t large area of control, it was the amount of fine control that a user could achieve. And when a user reached an incredibly fine amount of control, it became obvious that air wasn¡¯t all air. It was mostly space. With a little practice, it was possible to exert some small amount of control over that in between space, and pass through it, avoiding most attacks entirely! Of course, at Whipman¡¯s level, he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge all attacks. At most, he could move through a space that most others didn¡¯t have access to. Effectively, every inch was a small amount wider than it should be, allowing him more room to dodge. But against this level of opponent¡­ As the wind blades approached, Whipman calmly stepped forward lowering his spear. The dusky skinned individual blinked. ¡°How¡­¡± But before he could complete his question, Whipman leapt forward, using a Thunder Stance move to cross the distance extremely rapidly. Hissing, the air affinity user just created a halo of air around him that exploded outward. His earlier rage cooling even further in the face of the attacks, Whipman leapt into the air, angling his spear down for a thrust. Roaring with laughter, the dusky skinned individual pointed at him, summoning a few more wind blades. ¡°Fool! Try and dodge in the air!¡± These wind blades were much more powerful, and the air made a sound like ripping fabric when they rushed upwards towards him. With narrowed eyes, Whipman felt the air around him, and delicately pulled it apart with his will, allowing himself to slip into the space between. His brow was furrowed, and a trickle of sweat ran down from his temple. This was a little bit more difficult to do while moving, and while the opposition had stirred up so many air currents. But by the time the wind blades arrived, Whipman managed to squeeze between them, a small cut forming on his arm, but no worse for wear otherwise. His spear struck forwards like a snake, towards his gawking opponent. At the last second, it seemed like the reality of the situation seemed to sink in, and he lurched to the side. Still, he had waited too long. Whipmans blow smashed against him, shattering his collarbone before glancing off. The air affinity user stumbled, reeling. But he had enough presence of mind to summon another wave of air, this one in a dome, and press outwards with it, throwing Whipman back about 10 m, and inflicting a small amount of damage. Whipman considered the bleeding individual in front of him. His face had turned pale, and he was panting and mumbling to himself. ¡®Is this really all he can do? Why was he acting so cocky earlier¡­? Maybe my association with Predator has skewed my sense of opponent¡¯s power.'' Whipman thought wonderingly, considering the individual before him. Even wounded, his mastery over air seemed to have reached a decent level, comparable to Predator¡¯s. But in terms of other talents, this person was far below Whipman¡¯s pupil. Although Predator¡¯s ability to manipulate air was scary, it was nothing but a way to fight from a distance. At a close range, he was even scarier. Whipman supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised that normal challengers on the 5th floor wouldn¡¯t be such monsters, but due to all the hardships they had went through to get here, it was still a bit of a letdown. ¡°You¡­! You¡­.I¡¯ll Kill you!¡± The dusky skinned individual seemed to have recovered enough to yell, and raised an arm above his head. On his hand, a thin disk of air appeared, spinning extremely rapidly. With a flick of the wrist, this was thrown at Whipman. Unlike the silent approach of the first wind blade, or the ripping of the second, this method of using wind produced a strange buzzing noise. The disk hummed closer, moving quite a bit faster than Whipman originally thought. Hastily, he used his will to open up a space in the air around him, and slipped through it. ¡°Gah!¡± Whipman stumbled forward, spitting out a small bit of blood. Disbelievingly, he looked at the nasty looking gash on his chest. The dusky skinned individual cackled. ¡°Hahaha! Die, you path-boss dog.¡± This time, he raised both of his hands, producing two vibrating disks, and threw them both at Whipman. In that moment, time seemed to slow. Whipman looked at the blood on his hand, blinking slowly. He could hear the furious hoots of the monkeys, the clatter of bones, the roar and smashing of Yellow Bones and the abomination behind him. The blue crystal bird was still screaming furiously, refusing to die. Turnip was shouting commands, but the battles had all dissolved into 100 small skirmishes, a strange balance emerging. But this was just a temporary lull in the conflict; something would upset the balance soon. Once that happened, the victor would assist somewhere else, and the enemies would fall down like dominos. Whipman gritted his teeth, picturing Ashni¡¯s wrists, her powerful calves, the way her spear seemed to slither through the air while they spared. ¡®For her¡­¡¯ Whipman thought furiously, pushing down the rising pain and panic. ¡®For her, I will break that balance.¡¯ Looking up, Whipman glared at the dusky skinned individual and his disks of air. After a bit of thought, Whipman had to admit that the power of those attacks was such that they disturbed the spaces he made, injuring him regardless of his insights into the Air Stance. At his level, completely evading the attack wasn¡¯t possible. But if combined with other movements. With a crazy idea forming in his mind, Whipman grinned. If he had seen his own face, he would be disgusted to learn that his mouth curled strange, wild, wide grin that was born of a strange kind of madness and lust for battle. He had picked up that smile from Predator. ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke was sweating, flitting wildly around the battle, attempting to capture everything for his stream. Although large scale battles weren¡¯t uncommon in The Great Tower, this specific battle had several things going for it. First, this battle was occurring on the 5th floor, between parties with multiple goals. There was the undead faction, the monkey faction, and the undead, all of whom had settled into their own battles. Secondly, there were several users of powerful and fantastical abilities. And the fact that they were all fighting close together meant that Shuusuke could gather all the footage into a single stream with just one camera. Inwardly, he was delighted at this opportunity to capture all this footage. With this level of skills, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem for any of their number making it to the 10th floor at least. Particularly interesting was the abomination. Although it had initially struggled against the giant yellow skeleton, it soon morphed, a strange yellow carapace and pincers appearing. Then it slowly smashed away at the skeleton, effectively ignoring its attacks, pushing towards the inner part of the courtyard, where the building that housed the portal sat. Strangely, the more the giant yellow skeleton was damaged, the more it vibrated, and the more powerful it seemed to become. The several heads that sat on its shoulders rumbled, their eyes lit with unholy fire. Although barely, it was now able to hold its ground against the abomination. Seeing a young ice phoenix was strange, and Shuusuke wondered whether it was a runaway. There was no way that its clan would have let it out with this level of strength, or would refuse to give it some assistance. But even more fascinating was the Ice Phoenix¡¯s opponent. That strange individual could disintegrate matter! Pillars of ice, spears of cold, snow to blind him¡­ all of that disappeared. Although the phoenix still struggled valiantly, it was becoming increasingly desperate; it now had a hole in its side, and the tip of its left wing was missing. Shuusuke scanned around, then zoomed over towards the spot where the leaders were fighting. The copper haired woman was continuing to fire arrows, now at the skeleton archer with bone wings, while she adroitly managed to hang onto the back of the large black monkey. Honestly, that was an impressive feat, considering the fact that the monkey underneath her was now in pitched battle to the female spear wielder who led the undead after the path boss had run away. *BOOOOOM* Every strike contained an unbelievable amount of power, such that the hugely muscled monkey, almost 3 times the size of the female spear wielder, was being bullied around in terms of sheer power. It smashed its chest, roaring, but the spear wielder just used that moment to explode into motion, abruptly appearing behind the monkey. The spear slid forward, aiming for the spine. But, as the spear approached, the copper haired woman glanced down, lowering the bottom edge of her long bow to meet the spear. With surprising gentleness, the copper haired woman rotated her bow, gathering the tip of the spear and sending it harmlessly away. Hissing through her teeth, the spearwoman leapt backwards to create some distance. ¡°Turnip!¡± She shouted. ¡°Working on it¡­¡± The hurried reply came back. After stopping for a brief second to wipe the sweat from his face, Shuusuke controlled his camera and zoomed upward, giving a better view of the archer still on the wall. A dozen skeleton archers stood around him, deterring the monkeys who were attacking the fort from interfering. Almost a dozen arrows shot forward towards the great black ape, all shot in a split second by the winged skeleton. The copper haired woman snorted, raising her own bow. Several arrows flew to meet them. But before they could get very far, the spear woman stomped, creating a sonic boom with just that action, knocking most of the arrows out of the air. With narrowed eyes, the copper haired woman turned to regard the spear woman, but she still somehow managed to shoot off 3 arrows. Incredibly, those 3 arrows managed to knock all but 4 arrows off target. Two the black ape was able to dodge, but the final two sunk into the flesh of the ape, eliciting a roar. The spearwoman chuckled. ¡°Now, slow down a bit and let me kill you, you-¡± A strange grinding pulled Shuusuke¡¯s attention away from the battle in front of him. In the distance, he could see an area of the forest had become leveled, strange vines wriggling in the air. Body parts of the purple furred monkeys fell from the sky like rain. After a moment of inner turmoil, Shuusuke decided it wasn¡¯t worth it to investigate what was happening over there more closely. Instead, he rushed back to the fort, taking the camera briefly over the walls. The monkeys had managed to establish a solid foothold there now, but had taken significant losses to get it. Almost half their number had died. But once they were on the walls and within close range, only the skeleton bears could fight them. The skeleton archers could only flee, hoping for some space from which to fire arrows. But the monkeys continued to pursue, quickly bringing the numbers down closer to even. But those spots where the skeleton bears were, it took 5-6 monkeys to hold them down, and even then, a single mistake would result in one or two monkeys missing limbs or ripped apart, and the skeleton bear slamming into monkeys that weren¡¯t paying attention, chasing skeleton archers across the walls. For some reason, Shuusuke¡¯s eye landed on the male spear user, who had been fighting someone with the Air Affinity skill, and who had appeared to have raised it to decent level. Trusting his instincts, Shuusuke zoomed closer. A wild, mad grin stretched across the shriveled spearman¡¯s face. Shuusuke grimaced. ¡°Going to sacrifice your life? Fine, fine¡­¡± Glancing at the surrounding battlefield, all the great angles and fights, Shuusuke hoped he would make it quick. ***POV Whipman*** The trick would be pulling it all off at once. But if he managed it¡­ Slowly spreading out his will, Whipman prepared. He also took a moment to look at his mana. What he saw made him wince. As he thought¡­ only about 40% left. He likely wouldn¡¯t have enough to try this more than once. Whipman was not Predator, with a ridiculously sized mana pool; he had to make due with what he had. There was 10 m between Whipman and the dusky skinned individual. Whipman imposed his will on the air in front of him, opening a space. Then, using Thunder Stance, he stepped forward, exploding into motion. As soon as he entered the empty space he exited on the other side, and Whipman immediately marshalled his will again, forcing open a space. He stepped for a second time. A small headache began to form behind his eyes, and the two disks were buzzing incessantly right in front of him. Diagonally, Whipman pressed with his will. For a split second, the air struggled, refusing to budge. Then slowly, grudgingly, it opened, showing a path forward between the two buzzing disks. Whipman stepped. The world around him began to swim, but there were still 2 m between himself and the dusky skinned individual, who was watching with wide eyes. If it was Predator, this would never work. If it was Ashni, this sort of showing off would have ended with him on his ass. But this individual in front of him did not have their strength. With nothing but dregs left, Whipman threw his will against the air, not even waiting for the air to shift and open a space. Instead, he simply stepped. When he arrived directly in front of the dusky skinned individual, it was all Whipman could do not to faint. He could barely see. The wooden shaft of his spear was like a lead weight. But he forced a cocky smile onto his face, and spoke. ¡°Ready to die?¡± Whipman did his best to sound intimidating. Horror filled the dusky skinned individual¡¯s face. Pure panic took over. He twisted around, tripping over his own feet, flailing to get farther away from this strange specter who could move through his attacks without being harmed. The individual collapsed in a heap, blubbering and crying. Relieved, with painful slowness, Whipman lowered his spear, his hands trembling. When the individual started crawling away, Whipman stabbed as quickly as he could. The strike took him in the side, goring a large chunk of flesh out of his body. ¡®He¡¯s gonna die¡­¡¯ Whipman thought, removing his spear from the whimpering body. ¡®But it¡¯s going to be slow¡­ sorry, that¡¯s the best I can do right now¡­¡¯ But before Whipman could rejoice, several notifications popped up.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 16.
Vit +1
End +1
Str +1
Dex +2
Agi +1
Wis +1
Due to being a summoned undead of Predator, you have gained additional stats!
Vit +2
End +3
Str +2
Dex +3
Perception +4
Balance +1
Balance was a new one that Whipman didn¡¯t recognize, but he had grown used to the extra stats he gained for being a summoned undead of Predator¡¯s. Even more annoying was that the gains from Predator usually were greater than his own. But the notifications that came next made Whipman¡¯s eyes widen.
Congratulations! You have combined ¡°Air Stance Lvl 8¡± and ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 4¡± to form a new, unique skill. Previous skills will also be retained at their current levels. Would you like to create a name for the unique skill?
Monkeys hooted and cracked against roaring skeleton bears, but all the noise around Whipman fell away as he looked, stupefied, at the notification in front of him. Notifications in general were extremely rare. Aside from information on level up gains, people rarely ever saw them. Some would get lucky and learn a racial skill, or pick one up from a master, or somehow earn a title, but those were other people. Whipman¡­ Whipman was of below average talent. He was just.... But his heart was now beating powerfully. A grin crossed his mouth. This was proof, proof that his master¡¯s theories were correct. Even the game recognized them- Almost reflexively, Whipman vomited, spewing blood and vile on his still whimpering opponent. Feeling slightly guilty, Whipman stabbed him again, aiming for the throat, but missed, and just ripped off the bottom part of his jaw. Horrified, he stabbed again, finally putting the individual out of his misery. Sighing, Whipman considered the spot of his victory. ¡®I definitely could use some more physical conditioning¡­ just using it 3 times¡­? 4¡­?¡¯ Whipman stopped, frowning. How had he performed it so many times with so little mana¡­? Setting that issue aside, Whipman turned to the notification and spoke. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to call it Storm Walking.¡±
Congratulations! The skill ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 1¡± has been gained. Storm Walking: Move a short distance forward through the mysterious empty space in the air. A small shockwave is created when exciting the mysterious space.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 2¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. Slight electric charge released when exciting the mysterious space.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 3¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. The space you travel through is slightly more stable.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 4¡±. Distance that you can travel is slightly increased. When exciting the space, the shockwave is more powerful.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 5¡±. Mana costs greatly decreased. Resistance to damage while using the skill is slightly increased.
Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°The First Stormwalker¡±. Mana costs for Storm Walking have decreased by 10%. Experience required to level up the skill has decreased by 10%. Vit, Agi, and Wis +5. Mana + 100.
Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Disciple of a Hero¡±. You have inherited the forgotten techniques of a powerful hero. The remnants of these Tellite arts are mysterious and profound. Should you master them, you will be one of the most powerful martial artists under the sun. Whenever you gain a level, you will receive +1 to all stats.
Whipman felt the strength from the 5 extra vitality filling his body, but still he sagged, leaning against his spear with an aggrieved expression. ¡°This¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°This many notifications¡­ perhaps not even Predator has seen this many system notifications¡­?¡± A lewd grin covered his face, and he giggled to himself for several seconds. But then a nearby crash brought Whipman back to the present. Twisting around, Whipman saw that the abomination had somehow swept the feet out from under Yellow Bones, and was now transforming into a giant maw that ground away at his body. With a grimace, Whipman admitted to himself that even though he had been flooded with notifications, he couldn¡¯t overcome this foe. But¡­ He turned and eyed Jerry, who was still struggling against the blue crystal bird. ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke allowed himself a short break, shaking the dripping sweat off of his feathers. Panting, he realized that it had been a long time since he had been this focused on recording. It wasn¡¯t that this was more compelling that battles higher up, and it certainly wasn¡¯t more impressive than a battle on higher floors, but¡­ ¡®I might win my bet at this rate¡­¡¯ Shuusuke thought with glittering eyes. It was more than that though. If Shuusuke could contact the administrator in charge of the path boss, it was possible that he could obtain exclusive rights to stream their adventures in The Great Tower. Of course, the rules of The Great Tower applied certain restrictions, like no matter the agreed time limit, he lost the exclusive contract once they failed at challenging a floor of a tower, but usually that resulted in death, so it wasn¡¯t so important. But if their exploits continued to be this exciting.... A movement from the spear wielder instantly caused Shuusuke¡¯s gaze to sharpen. His entire focus returned to the screen in front of him. The spear wielder seemed hesitant, taking a few dozen short steps towards the wall where the disintegration user battled against the ice phoenix. Although the bird appeared to be falling apart, it grimly was hanging on, keeping the disintegration user from assisting the skeleton archers around him. Shuusuke scanned the battlements. Almost 60% of the archers had been crushed by the monkeys, and the monkeys still had about 50% of their numbers who gained the wall. But only a single skeleton bear had fallen, and the remaining were slowly pinning the monkeys in, forcing them into battle directly with them. Still, a small group of about 20 monkeys formed a wedge and moved sideways across the wall, heading for the arrow user, who had stopped helping the commander of the undead and began unleashing a rain of arrows on the purple monkeys within the fort. The group surged closer, a strange glow once more suffusing their fur. Rushing across the battlements, they were like a living, breathing, hooting arrow aimed at the bow user. Panicking, the bow user fell back, but not before taking an action that shocked Shuusuke; the bow user stopped for several seconds to swish his wispy hair across his face, then turned tail and fled. Still, his skeleton body wasn¡¯t nearly as fast, with his ungainly skeletal wings, and the monkeys had swiftly reduced the distance to 10 m. The bow user spun around, raising his wings. What surprised Shuusuke was that his skeletal face was twisted into a smile. Shuusuke didn¡¯t even know that skulls could smile. Wasn¡¯t it impossible? The skull spoke, his bone teeth clattering. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Several things happened at once, so much so that Shuusuke began to sweat again, doing his best to capture it all. A roar sounded below the wall, and suddenly a body clambered up, grinding the momentum of the group of monkeys that were heading towards the bow user to a halt. The creature held another¡¯s body above its head with two of the powerful looking vine legs. It appeared that it was missing two vines now, ripped completely from the roots of its body, but those 6 that remained had changed. They had at least doubled in thickness, become a dull maroon, and at their ends 8 separate vines wriggled dangerously. The bones of its body had changed too. It was hard to tell through the spray of blood that soaked most of it, but underneath, the bones had distinctly yellowed. Furious, the evolved vineling monstrosity smashed left and right, ripping through the strange magic of the monkey¡¯s fur as if it were paper. Simultaneously, the bow user leapt forward, his bone wings eviscerating the leading monkeys, tossing the dismembered bodies off into the moat. At other places of the wall, where the monkeys were densest, columns of murlocs streamed up and hit them from behind, distracting them. Although the monkeys crushed the murloc skulls within a second, the distraction was more than long enough for the skeleton bears to get in position. They loomed dangerously over the monkeys, growling softly. Still in the same moment, a spear whistled up, streaking across the sky. Shuusuke hurriedly zoomed around and followed it, tracking it as it arced up and smashed into the side of the ice phoenix, who was so focused on its opponent that he didn¡¯t see it coming at all. The bird let out a keening cry and fell, drifting down to land somewhere amongst the trees surrounding the fort. Almost hobbling, the now spearless spear-wielder went up to the disintegration user, gesturing at the ongoing battle between the giant yellow skeleton and the abomination. Quickly realizing his intentions, the disintegration user rushed over, hands raised. Waves of flesh literally melted into nothing, revealing the cracked and shattered remnants of the yellow skeleton. Howling it¡¯s fear, the abomination shifted again, transforming into a blob, rolling away. But with gritted teeth, the disintegration user raised its hands higher. The speed visibly increased, quickly reducing the abomination¡¯s body mass by over half. Now completely panicked, the body shifted again, growing wings, but before a beat could pass, 8 arrows, 4 in each wing, sunk into the flesh, nailing it to the ground. Arrogantly, the bow user stopped on the wall, swishing his hair out of his eyes and leaning on his bow, while purple haired monkeys slaughtered murlocs while being slaughtered by the vineling monstrosity around him. Rolling his eyes, the disintegration user erased the abomination from existence. Panting, the spear wielder collapsed. Within moments, his eyes were closed, and Shuusuke wondered if he had fallen asleep. *BOOOM* A shockwave spread out from the area in front of the fort, and Shuusuke zoomed out and shifted. Suddenly, he was floating outside the fort, hovering over the commander¡¯s duel. The bow user, the disintegration user, and the spear wielder all hurry out as well, likely drawn by the noise. A cloud of dust hung low to the ground. To the side, the giant black ape was groaning, its blood pumping out of dozens of arrow wounds to seep into the ground below. The copper-haired woman stood tall, still holding the remnants of her bow, the string of which appeared to have snapped. Shuusuke zoomed in closer. To his surprise, it seemed like she had purposefully unstrung the bow, the string now wound around her wrist. Twirling the bow-turned-stave, the copper haired woman showed her teeth to the commander of the undead. That woman stood tall, glaring. The dust settled lower, revealing the undead commander¡¯s right arm to be in tatters, shattered at both the forearm and the shoulder. The spear wielder gasped, hurrying towards the commander. The disintegration user, on the other hand, rushed towards the copper haired woman, hands raised. She simply chuckled and watched him come. 20 m. 10 m. 5 m¡­. Still the woman did nothing. Although confusion flickered in his eyes, he still kept his arms raised, determined. His face scrunched up, his ability activating. Nothing happened. He didn¡¯t even move as the stave blurred, hitting the side of his jaw and shattering it, knocking him unconscious. Seemingly curious, the copper haired woman poked the disintegration user¡¯s body after he fell. Then, seemingly satisfied, she raised the stave and prepared to crush his skull. Moving with that strange method, the spear wielder appeared in front of the blow, slapping it aside. The copper haired woman grinned at him. ¡°Ah, good. It appears you aren¡¯t all pushovers. Play with me a bit.¡± Two stave blows rained down on him, coming at almost the same time. Shuusuke could tell that the strength was far beyond what the spear wielder could bear, and it sent him stumbling back. But there was iron in his stance as he resettled himself, raising the spear in a different defensive stance. There was a glimmer of recognition in the copper haired woman¡¯s eyes, but she struck anyways. In an outcome that shocked Shuusuke, the blows this time were deflected with ease. The sinking feeling in Shuusuke¡¯s stomach that had started when the undead commander was injured immediately vanished. Perhaps this meant that his team would win after all! They had the strength to compete with both a path boss and challengers, and win! But the copper haired woman simply clicked her tongue. ¡°Tellite? But if this is the limit of your skill, it won¡¯t be-¡± She was interrupted by a shadow blotting out the sun. The copper haired woman looked up, eyes widening. The vineling monstrosity had leapt off the fort¡¯s walls, it¡¯s 6 remaining arms wriggling dangerously. With narrowed eyes, the woman moved, her spear moving with at least double the speed of her previous attacks, aiming for the spear wielder¡¯s lower leg. Even though he noticed it, the change in speed was too much for him, and he didn¡¯t react quickly enough to dodge or block. But he didn¡¯t need to. ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t you dare touch him. He is¡­ mine.¡± The undead commander¡¯s kick met the stave blow, knocking it off course. Even if she seemed slightly unwilling to say the last word, she still stood next to the spear wielder. For his part, he simply looked at the commander with slack-jawed wonder. The vineling landed, its legs flailing, its bone body charging forward. Reacting quickly, the copper haired woman leapt backwards. Her stave knocked away the vine, and her palm ripped forward, hitting the bear portion directly in the chest, sending it stumbling back. The undead commander wasn¡¯t the type to miss this sort of opportunity, and seemingly materialized behind the copper haired woman, and sonic boom echoing out. The copper haired woman gritted her teeth, apparently affected by the explosive force. But still, she managed to bring her guard up in time, defecting the kick aimed at her temple. Before the commander could recover, she received a palm to the ribs, sending her sprawling, a sickening crack evidencing the serious nature of the blow. Sneering, the copper haired woman raised her stave to approach, but a new arrival interrupted her. ¡°Die.¡± So much fury was contained in that small word that Shuusuke shivered, the camera panning around as quickly as he could manage it. There he was, the path boss he bet his fortune on, tall, a scar across the side of his face to his ear, his mismatched eyes¡­ Predator. 1000 wind blades materialized and swept forward, seemingly buzzing with hatred. But when they reached a point about 10 m out from the copper haired woman they dissipated harmlessly. A vein in Predator¡¯s temple visibly throbbed. The copper haired woman chuckled. ¡°Do you like it? A once in 10,000 years bloodline blessing. Absolute Control: Domain. It is my will that fights not be done with magic¡­ so they are not. Your tricks won¡¯t help you here, traitor.¡± The throbbing vein in Predator¡¯s temple grew worse. His jaw was clenched so tight that Shuusuke wondered if he could even speak. Predator moved to step forward, but the copper haired woman stopped him. ¡°Oh, no, you will stay there.¡± She side stepped quickly. Due to the melee, she had once more ended up next to the disintegration user¡¯s prone body. ¡°If you move from that spot, I¡¯ll crush his skull. He has a useful skill, no? Surrender, and I will spare him. Just learn your lesson about wasting time and sullying the pride of a path boss. We are not here to scratch out each other¡¯s eyes to climb the tower¡­ we are here to act as gatekeepers!¡± The copper haired woman¡¯s eyes grew misty. ¡°We have a duty to uphold. My mother, and her mother before here, were-¡± ¡°She-....mar¡­¡­.a¡­¡­..¡± Predator spoke, hissing through his teeth. Instantly the copper haired woman¡¯s eyes came back into focus. She regarded him with some curiosity. ¡°You know me? But then why-¡± Before she could finish speaking, a flurry of blows pounded her domain, ice, moonlight, and air, rushing towards her, only to dissipate harmlessly. Even the ice daggers summoned by Predator turned to nothing within her domain. Shemara smirked, but said nothing. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Then, eyes glowing, Predator gestured, and air began to form behind Shemara, on the opposite side of the zone, a large whirlwind, stone, dirt, and dust sucked into it. ¡°Why struggle? If you don¡¯t surrender, I will kill your minion. If you don¡¯t value his life, just take another step, so I know, and we can stop wasting each other¡¯s time. If you know not of honor, speaking with you is without merit.¡± Shemara said arrogantly. Predator didn¡¯t answer, but a small smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth. It pulled the ends up, widening the smile. Finally the smile reached the point that most stopped, but Predator¡¯s continued, his face warping. It was as if he had seen a smile once, long in the past, and had forgotten how to form one. Instead, he continued to use his warped memory as a basis, the curled, twisted expression that transformed his face what he truly thought a smile was. Shuusuke kept the camera completely still, trained on Predator¡¯s face. In that moment, he was not a path boss. He was a demon. ¡°How¡­. fast are you, Shemara?¡± Shuusuke suppressed the urge to twist the camera around and check out Tamara¡¯s reaction. Instead he kept that demonic smile in the center of his vision. When an audience member watched this, Shuusuke wanted them to feel the waves of pressure that emanated from this man¡¯s glittering eyes. And the best way he knew to manage that was to force them to hold this eye contact. ¡°I guess it will be a race then,¡± Predator said with glittering eyes. *BOOOOOOOM* ***POV Predator***
All essence expended! Max Essence +1.
Right before I created a small ball of air behind me and threw it into my back, I allowed the air I had been controlling behind this piece of shit to fall into place, forming the small dirt, stones, and dust into a makeshift ramp. Then the power of essence exploded, smashing me forward, propelling me with such speed that I instantly grew dizzy. Such was the force that, for the first time in a long time, I felt a rib snap instantly from the power. Luckily, my aim was good, so my body smashed forward into Shemara, the two of us continuing, more tumbling than flying, ricocheting off the ramp and bouncing off through the treeline. I felt blood seeping into my mouth, and could only hope that the impact had killed her. Although it was a severely dumb idea, when she dared to stand before me, arrogantly thinking she could dictate my actions, I wanted to beat her at her own game. I would crush her where she was most confident: in the zone around her. -Seriously though, how could that domain of hers tell the daggers were made of ice? Also, what if a magic item of some sort was taken within the area? Would it stop working too? What if she walked over some sort of barrier? What a broken skill. Even if it could reduce all things made of magic to naught, if that magic was used to give me momentum, I had theorized that it couldn¡¯t disperse that. It just stopped magic from functioning inside of the area. The two of us tumbled forward, crashing into a tree, smashing it to smithereens. We had continued for at least 50 m past the road, into the treeline, but we were losing momentum now. Underbrush and trees slowed down our speed, reminding me time and time again of the aches in my neck and sides. -Maybe it was a little foolish to risk injuring ourselves so seriously so early¡­ -....But it was fun. -Well, obviously. I felt the hot blood pumping through me as we finally rolled to a stop, finally leaning up against a mushroom, which promptly popped, spraying spores everywhere. Although I knew I should be worried, I just felt my smile growing larger. -Heart Murmur Shroom? We must have gone farther than I thought. -Or the shrooms spread¡­ either way¡­. Shouldn¡¯t it be fine¡­? We survived it before. My heart began to pound, seemingly compressing every drop of hot blood that was within me, driving it forward into a distilled, even hotter, essence. I groggily tried to stand, but before I could do so, something smashed into my legs, sweeping them out from under me. ¡°Heh, a nice trick¡­ but did you think that would be enough to defeat me? If I disallow magic, did you think my physical strength would be weak?¡± Shemara loomed over me, seemingly none the worse for wear. I grimaced, the fire inside of me burning brighter.
Fury +8
Fury +8
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +8 until the Fury degrades.
Fury +9
Body trembling, I forced myself up. Even now, I could feel my vastly increased regeneration start to work, slowly burrowing into my injuries, eating away at them. But I wasn¡¯t so far gone to think I could heal before the fight really began. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to crush her with these injuries. Feeling her skull snap in my hand will be nice.¡¯ I thought with burning eyes, stepping forward. My heart was becoming thunderous. A small, detached part of me wondered whether steam was rising from me. Her strange stick whipped forward, almost too quickly for me to react to. Immediately, I ripped down the mental block that was preventing me from accessing the Timeless portion of perception, and I received endless information a few tenths of a second in advance. I had assumed that I would easily crush her once I did this, but two things got in the way; the first was the headache that immediately formed. My processing power instantly started working overtime, but even with my high amount, my mind could only do so much to keep sifting through the information. Although preventing my reliance on it was likely smart-
Fury +9
It didn¡¯t help me in the short term, when I attempted to overpower the foe in front of me. Her spear blow was heading for my side, in the exact spot that my rib had broken. Because I couldn¡¯t summon any weapons of ice within her domain, I was forced to resort to a fist fight. At the same time her blow would hit my side, My jaw would strike her nondominant arm in the shoulder, hopefully shattering it just like she had done to Ashni. Even thinking about the wounds she had inflicted my minions made my blood boil.
Fury +9
Fury +9
Fury +9
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 4¡±. Physical performance while in the heightened state slightly increased. While the pressure of your blood is raised, a small amount of impurities will be expelled from your body. Attacks will do slightly more damage.
Fury +9
Shifting slightly, I moved just enough for her blow to miss the shattered portion of my ribs. But almost as if she too had a little precognition, her stave twisted, following my small movement, hitting me in the exact spot. Grimacing, I focused on completing my blow. My tolerance of pain was high enough that although uncomfortable, I wouldn¡¯t be distracted. Unfortunately, this lead to the second problem I was having with the fight with Shemara; when she attacked, she always struck me in a place that destroyed my center of gravity. My fist struck her shoulder, but through the leather, I would be lucky to even leave a bruise. Frustrated. I leapt backwards, gaining some distance. The spore filled air made for a strange fighting area, making it seem as if we were in a dreamscape. Trees loomed like upright cadavers, more silhouettes than anything else. It was just a small dome of air with me an her. My heart was aching slightly, pumping so fast I couldn¡¯t even count its beats. Shemara, for her part, didn¡¯t even appear to notice to the poison. She just considered me. ¡°...You are stronger than I would have believed. Why resort to this deplorable behavior if you could fight this well on your own.¡±
Fury +9
Fury +9
Gritting my teeth, I prepared to attack, marshalling my processing power to register her dodge before she even made it. -Perhaps the real stupid move was to change up how we were fighting, by incorporating the precognition, without any practice and expecting it to turn out well¡­
Fury +9
-Just shut up. My eyes were burning, my heart was pounding, and I moved like lightning, teleporting forward. My altered physical state meant that I was unable to execute the Thunder Stance style movement with a sonic boom, but I still move with more speed than I would have believed. Shemara simply snorted, her stave moving with unnatural precision to deflect my kick. Of course, I saw it coming, and my kick was a feint; I meant to lightly tap her stave with my foot and then yank, pulling her towards me. But somehow she saw it, and her block turned into an aggressive deflection, knocking my leg backwards and upsetting my balance. She hurried forward, her eyes gleaming. On one leg, shoved backwards, anyone else would have toppled over or hopped backwards. But with my core straining, blood thundering in my ears, I stilled, body held in balance by force of will.
Fury +9
She stopped short, my unexpected maintenance of balance bringing out the caution in her. But it was too late. My hand snaked forward, grabbing her stave. ¡®Gotcha-¡¯ But my thought was interrupted as I sensed her other fist heading for my head. I jerked to the side, and suddenly the realization hit me what she was about to do. I tried to right myself further, but that last bit had taken me past the limit of even my preternatural balance. The stave, held by both me and her, rushed towards me, more a punch while holding a stick than anything else, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. To my annoyance, she was stronger than me. Wincing, I stumbled backwards from the blow, doing my best to ignore her as she began to speak. ¡°You know, your fighting style is all over the place.¡±
Fury +9
Fury +9
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +9 until the Fury degrades.
Fury +10
My arms were up, but her blows were like getting slammed by slabs of granite. I stumbled to the side under each, my bones grinding in their joints. Even though I could see the oncoming blows, I was close to helpless. They weren¡¯t too fast, and they were strong, but not too strong. She was just¡­ She¡¯s just¡­ -She¡¯s better than you. My racial growth rates gave me much, but they couldn¡¯t help me out of an immediately pinch. My skills were varied, but without magic¡­ I briefly considered Bile Emission, but disregarded it immediately. Notifications about fury filled my screen, but I ignored them. I couldn¡¯t use Bile Emission. -No, You don¡¯t WANT to use it. My fury rose even more quickly. Shemara¡¯s blows knocked me to the ground. I coughed up blood, with ounce of me hot and burning, my vision narrowed to red, Shemara, and her wickedly capable stave. Struggling, I slowly stood. Smirking she waited until I was standing, then leapt forward, her staff curling towards my head. I tried to grab it again, but the stave danced away, smashing into the side without the broken rib. ¡°It¡¯s almost not even fun. Almost. I consider it a great honor to teach you about the realities of this world. The weak are naught but toys for the strong. You can do nothing. You are nothing. You do not have a name, or a fate, you are a label.¡± Fury surging, I charged directly towards her, trying to bring it to a grappling match. With more speed than I would think possible, her left elbow met the side of my face, sending me backwards. I coughed up a mouthful of blood, and two stave blows so fast I couldn¡¯t see them smashed me to the ground.. My fury was now rising by +15 each time it ticked, and it was coming more and more quickly. I leapt to my feet, so hot that the ground was ice. I needed to be up here, in this foggy mist, fighting. I would win. I would crush her. ¡°You at first were ¡®dishonorable¡¯, but now you are ¡®diverting¡¯. I am amused as I play with you. And that is all you are. Those with power label you, and suddenly you are a thing, with naught but a function. So, toy...¡± I ran towards her, my breathing ragged. Her eyes were glittering ¡°Divert me~¡± The first two blows weren¡¯t so bad, but the third hit my good side of my ribs and cracked them. I gritted my teeth at first, but then the fire in my blood rose even higher when I realized that it was in the exact same spot as the fracture on the other side. ¡°Even now¡­¡± I muttered, glaring at her. ¡°Even now you dare play?!¡± She chuckled, lazily spinning her stave. ¡°You are slightly dumb, did you know?¡± I leapt forward, jumping up to a tree branch above her. With infuriating calmness, she struck out to her left, smashing the trunk of the tree to powder. With the tree toppling under me, I made no pretense of trying to use it further, and just launched myself down towards her. She hopped to the side, spinning her stave. The blow flicked out, and I leaned forward, headbutting the blow. It sent me reeling,a dizziness suffusing my swimming vision, but my hands blindly rose and seized her staff. Honestly, my eyes were just holding me back, compared to my other perceptions, so I closed them. I lashed out with my right fist, unwilling to give her time, but just as I did so, I detected her move. She lifted her hand to punch at my jaw. So I orchestrated it for our fists to meet. *Boom* My fist stuttered backwards, still overpowered by her, but my fury was rising every second, ticking upwards. Her right arm now aimed a hook at my exposed side, moving a hair more quickly than I could. I gritted my teeth, trying my best to hide a smile. Time to play a trump card. Instead of punching, my hand slashed out, relying on my sharp nails and aiming for her forearm. If I could land that blow and sever tendons and muscle¡­. Even if I was physically outmatched, I could beat a one armed foe. Unfortunately, I sensed that she instantly twisted away, her blow flowing smoothly into an overhand smash with the stave. Eyes slitted with fury, I once more looked at her, hating how competent she was. She simply seemed amused. ¡°You are likely wondering why this is happening. This, you immature child, is the product of experience. Rushing upwards leads to ending up beyond your depth. Leading to your death. Although in your case¡­¡± Pausing, Shemara unleashed blow after blow, forcing me backwards. My arms were almost numb at this point, which through my pain tolerance was a very, very bad sign about the damage they had taken in this fight. When I finally fell backwards on my butt, my chest heaving as I strained to manage my breath, she allowed herself a small smile. ¡°What you have earned is the death of your subordinates.¡± I felt something very strange inside of me. ¡°...what are you saying¡­.?¡± ¡°You are far too amusing to kill,¡± Shemara continued, scratching some of my blood off the varnish of her stave. ¡°I will let you live, so you might challenge me again. So what I will do is kill every minion here, to teach you a lesson.¡± Shemara considered me, then turned away. ¡°Well, this appears like the end of this. I will finish this myself. Come find me when you have strength, you foolish child.¡± She walked away through the purple mist. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± I struggled to my feet, fury building. I was gaining 34 a tick now. ¡°Hey wait!¡± But she ignored me, stalking off. I set off stumbling after her, trying my best to increase my speed, but in a way, she was right; physically, I was almost out of commission. I knew that it was probably best to stay still for a short time and allow my regeneration to kick in, but¡­. But if I was too late¡­. ¡°They are MINE.¡± I hissed at her departing form, barely visible in the mist. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch them. My minions belong to me!¡± Following as best as I could, my fury rose ever higher. Now 40 per tick¡­ Now 41¡­. 42¡­. But I was losing her, and it was causing my anger to subside, replaced by despair. Up ahead, I could see her, but only because something was glowing crimson in the purple mist. Roaring, I summoned a blade of air and chopped down a tree. Then a few more sharpened it into a stake. Relying on the obscuring purple mist from the shrooms, I shot it out towards her, aiming for her back. -Hopefully she¡¯s a vampire, I guess. I Ignored other me and watched my projectile''s path. At the last second, she spun away, deflecting the entire tree away, sending it smashing to the side. Her body disappeared in the next instant. Then it reappeared next to me. ¡°You have been a foolish child one too many times.¡± She whispered ominously. My fury spike upwards, but then pain exploded in my torso as I was sent flying. Somehow she managed to land a two blows midair: on my head as I was spinning midair, derailing any thoughts of retaliation and replacing them with confusion and one on my right leg, shattering the hip. The ground was cool on my hot body, and I spent several second breathing quietly, waiting. I was swimming in darkness. So tired... So weary... So... Then my eyes snapped open. How¡­ how long had I been laying here?!? I had landed underneath the glowing crimson light, which turned out to be a giant mushroom. But this one seemed different than the ones I remembered. Besides the color, it also seemed more¡­ solid. As I watched, a droplet of liquid formed on its edge and dripped down below, somewhere out of my vision. Rolling over, I checked my status; I was still receiving 43 bonus stats from fury, so it couldn¡¯t have been long. When I rolled, I could see that there was a pool of crimson liquid in front of me. Grunting, I tried to get up, but my right leg was practically useless, and the effort was too much for my left leg alone. No strength was in my arms, and I collapsed back downwards. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± I whispered, helpless. Another drop of liquid fell, sending ripples through the pool. I stilled. ¡°If this is an evolved heart murmur shroom¡­¡± I spoke slowly. ¡°Then if I absorb it¡­¡± -Assuming it doesn¡¯t kill you, yes, it might increase your heart rate further. Your heart rate seemed to be related to the fury acquisition rate, so your stats could rise. In theory, you might be able to move. -You don¡¯t seem hopeful. -...but the alternative is waiting, and they all die. Yellow Bones, Turnip, Jerry, Ashni, Whipman¡­ -The cruel irony being my only remaining minion would be Tim¡­
Fury +44
Fury +44
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +44 until the Fury degrades.
Fury +45
So betting it all on a chance, I reached for the liquid. And came up a hands length short. The small pool was still, tranquil, as I struggled to drag myself closer. The space seemed insurmountable. There was nothing to grab, no easy purchase, and the longer I lay, the more strength left my body, everything slowly shutting down in spite of my struggle. Although I had abundant mana, there was a weird force around the liquid, a magical deterrence that kept me from sweeping some up with air affinity. It was as if the magic of the liquid was stronger than my own. Still, I wasn¡¯t deterred. Then I chuckled. ¡°So the useless skill is the difference between success and failure, huh?¡± -It always is. I consumed the rest of my mana and flickered forward a small distance, just enough for the tip of finger to dip into the crimson liquid. The effect was immediate: my hand began vibrating. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lances of pain shot up my arm, real pain, true pain, that I hadn¡¯t experienced in anything except genetic leaps. Pain of the nerves directly. I watched, horrified, as my veins of my hand turned a luminescent crimson, the light running up my hand to my wrist, and then up towards my elbow. My heart was not a hammer, it was a tumbling mountain.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 5¡±. Physical performance while in the heightened state greatly increased. Physical performance in unheightened mode also increased.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 8¡±. Your body has been pushed beyond its physical limits. There are no firm limits on what you can accomplish, and you may persist slightly beyond what is possible due to willpower.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Poison Resistance Lvl 1¡±. Your body has been exposed to great danger, and due to that, you may resist the effects of a few lesser poisons. Addition dosages will be required to poison you.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Poison Resistance Lvl 2¡±. You have become immune to the most mundane of poisons. You will resist longer against stronger poisons. Some small animals will avoid you due to remnants of poison in your system.
-...that can¡¯t be a good sign about the poison resistance¡­ -But¡­ I flexed my fingers and then pushed myself up, my heart pounding so quickly it just seemed like a steady vibration. ¡°But I can move,¡± I spoke aloud, delighted. With my fury increasing at 50 per tick, I surged off after Shemara. ****** By the time I caught up with her, she was laughing freely, walking towards the broken bodies of my minions, the air thick with dread. Turnip fired off a few arrows, but she deflected them with ease. As I jogged out of the treeline, Shemara turned and regarded me with shock. But I must have looked terrible, because she burst out laughing. I felt terrible. The poison was spreading, and I couldn¡¯t move the arm that touched the crimson liquid. The pain was everywhere, and the edges of my vision were beginning to grow dark, I could barely put one foot in front of the other. It was only through determination and fury at the Shemara for constantly mocking me and deriding my weakness that I continued forward. Luckily, when I reached the 10 m mark, I instantly felt the effects of the poison waning. The pain subsided and shrank, and the tremors in my body departed. But my fury only rose higher. -We will have to consider why her aura Affected the liquid, but not the airborne particle¡­. Was the liquid the result of magic¡­? This is likely Zassa¡¯s doing¡­ -Still, it¡¯s enough for now. I feigned weakness, stumbling forward. Without a care in the world, that cocky bitch Shemara caught me in open arms. My left hand casually landed on her shoulder. ¡°Hahaha, do I need to tuck you into bed, child?¡± Shemara teased. ¡°A sick boy should stay at home.¡± My fury was skyrocketing, partially due to her words, but mostly looking around at the bodies of my minions. Not just the named ones who would speak with me, but the other skeletons. There were cracked bones everywhere, and only a few curious heads were peaking over the walls to investigate the noise. That didn¡¯t bode well for survivors¡­ 82¡­ 83¡­ 84¡­ ¡°While this is touching, I¡¯m afraid that I must- urghk!¡± When my hand moved, switching from a trembling touch on her shoulder to latching onto her throat, Shemara gasped. But she smiled wanly, raising both her arms to grip mine. Then she began to squeeze, likely attempting to break my arm. My strength when we punched each other before, and I lost rather handily, was about 150, putting her somewhere in the 180-200 range. That was surely enough strength to accomplish almost anything on this level of the tower. There was no doubt that Shemara had a right to be confident. 97¡­ 98¡­ 99¡­
Fury +100
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +100 until the Fury degrades.
Fury +100
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +101 until the Fury degrades.
Fury +100
Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +102 until the Fury degrades.
My bones groaned under the grip of both her arms, but my hand didn¡¯t stop squeezing her throat. She seemed confused suddenly. My smile slowly widened. Unfortunately for her, my strength was currently 220, and growing. My endurance was even higher than that. After a few second, she began to strike out at me, aiming for my vitals, my throat, my groin, my eyes¡­ But as less and less oxygen made it to her, her struggles began to grow sluggish, her strength waning. At the last moment, as her eyelids were fluttering, I released my grip just slightly. A small wheeze evidenced her continued life, and her struggles resumed, hope flickering in her eyes. But I simply raised my other hand and gripped her head, still grinning. Then, like I promised myself, I squeezed until I cracked her skull like an egg. When her brain was nothing but mush in my hand and her body was limp, only then did I relax. Then, with surprising gentleness, I ripped open her chest and removed her heart, which I placed to the side. Then I let the darkness and the fury rise up. Over the next few hours, I slowly ripped off pieces of Shemara¡¯s body, eating every succulent morsel, destroying every bit of the woman who caused me so much anguish. ***** It took a surprising amount of time for the fury to fade to nothing, two hours after I finished my extended meal. Everyone else had fallen back to the castle to take stock, weary and likely disturbed by my showing of wrath. But finally, I was balanced again- -Balanced is a strong word. And ready to address the notifications.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 22. All Biomass has been consumed.
Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.
Retain Growth Rate? Y/N
-Yes -That balance stat is definitely worth it.
Congratulations! You have retained the growth rates of a ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡±.
Vit +11
End +9
Str +13
Agi +26
Dex +16
Memory +19
Timeless Perception +19
Balance +120
Mana +161
I squirmed through all the random improvements I gained, which were all mutations, even though nothing was gained from any of them. Still, with my pain tolerance at 8, it wasn¡¯t so bad. Pleased with my increased stats, I picked up Shemara¡¯s heart and ate it.
After absorbing the creature¡¯s strength, you gain some of her unique bloodline. The skill ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 1¡± was gained. Continue to slay stronger foes to follow the Path of the Dragon.
Due to successfully completing the 4th step on the ¡°Path of the Dragon¡± You have have tapped into some of your potential. Gains based on race. Racial Growth Rate ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡± used. You have gained the title ¡°Black Exo-skeleton with 9 Lives¡±. 9 blows capable of taking your life will be turned aside as long as the title persists. After all uses are consumed, the title will disappear.
Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill ¡°Path of the Dragon¡± has evolved into ¡°Code of the Dragon¡±.
¡­.Absolute Control, self? -At least the 9 lives thing will likely be useful¡­ but it¡¯s probably best not to expect too much from something random like that¡­ -Still, the skill itself improved, so that¡¯s a good thing¡­.? -Probably just going to make it more of a hassle. I considered my status screen.
Name:PredatorLevel:22
Racial Growth Rate:CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker ModelBiomass:149
Light of the Unlucky Star:0Essence:22/28
Health Regen:x4.6Mana:1106/2267
Fury:695
Vit:106 (+30)End:115 (+30)
Str:105 (+30)Agi:153 (+30)
Dex:163 (+30)Memory:314 (+30)
Processing Power:330 (+30)Parallel Computations:2
Wis:125 (+30)Luck:33 (+30) (#Error)
Timeless Perception:153 (+30)Balance:221
Titles
A PredatorRacelessNurturer of the UndeadSinger of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of WarMaster of Throwing KnivesWarden of Glacier and MoonOne Who Denies His Own Mortality
Gene SplicerBorn Under a Cursed StarBlack Exo-skeleton with 9 Lives
Skills
Air Affinity Lvl 4Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Silent Kill Lvl 1
Code of the DragonAura of the Predator Lvl 5Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 6Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 2Physicality Lvl 8Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1Thunder Stance Lvl 4
Cadence of EarthCadence of WaterWind Stance Lvl 1Wind Blade Lvl 8
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1Sneak Attack Lvl 2My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 5
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5Lunar Affinity Lvl 4Automated Air Armor Lvl 1Flicker Lvl 1
Poison Resistance Lvl 2Absolute Control: Self
Saved Growth Rates
Sable Haired LynxOgre Variant (Two Headed Albino)Carniverous Dusk Wing OwlXN-00013
***** After some time, I returned to the fort to find the remaining skeletons hauling bodies, skeleton, murloc, and monkey. Honestly, it appeared as if our murloc population had multiplied. They were teeming in the moat, and running everywhere inside the castle. The group of Ashni, Whipman, Turnip, Jerry, and Haeugh were by the far wall, next to a giant pile of bones. Walking over, I instantly sensed something was amiss. Ashni had her arm in a sling, but was staring off blankly. Whipman kept casting glances at Ashni, but his heart didn¡¯t really seem to be into it. The rest just looked at the ground. ¡°We won, did we not?¡± I asked slowly, looking at the group. ¡°...no one slipped through?¡± Jerry blinked, looking up. Then he nodded. ¡°No we won. They will announce the results at midnight, which is customary. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Jerry sighed. ¡°We lost a lot too.¡± I was about to shrug, thinking I could just summon more skeletons, but then I froze. Slowly, I spun around. ¡°...where is yellow bones?¡± Everyone turned to look at the giant pile of bones next to which we were standing. They stood, motionless and scattered, broken. The force animating them all had ceased. As I looked more closely, I could tell that they were slightly yellowed, but the bones themselves now just seemed beige, the life and strength gone from them. ¡°...I understand.¡± My voice was calm, far too calm. ¡°Go finish up work repairing. I suppose¡­ I¡¯ll be departing again in the morning to the next floor. I¡¯ll be back on the 10th. When my mana regenerates I¡¯ll summon more undead. Oh, did you know, I can summon spirits now. Or something. That will be useful, I think¡­¡± I stopped. Was I¡­. rambling¡­.? In my head, all I could hear was the distinctive rumbling that Yellow Bones would make when I sat on his shoulders, touching his head. Jerry touched my shoulder, and I almost broke his arm for it. ¡°Predator, he fought against the most powerful of the challengers. We wouldn¡¯t have held-¡± ¡°I said go.¡± My voice was ice. They left. Walking slowly, my aches catching up with me, I clambered up to the ramparts and sat above him, wincing as I settled down. ¡°This¡­ this will probably heal by morning, you know?¡± I said to the bones, gesturing to my body. The broken bone would mend, the flesh would heal. I considered the bones before me, a testiment to Yellow Bones vast size that as I scanned, I kept finding new bones. New types. I imagined him gathering them slowly. I remembered when he first got multiple heads. I remembered how I wouldn¡¯t have defeated that strange creature with the essence flame inside his body without Yellow Bones throwing me. I remembered how he would purr, even at the beginning, when I was near. It made me smile, for a brief moment, that he had never learned to speak, unlike so many of the others. He just rumbled. Maybe he wasn¡¯t as shocking as Jerry in his abilities, or skilled as Whipman, but he was loyal. And he held the line, just like I had asked him too, while I was away. I looked bleakly at the ground. ¡°This¡­ ¡°This will probably heal by morning, you know?¡± ***** I stayed next to his bones through the announcement that we had won, through the the visit from Jen, from Whipman, and strangely from Ashni, who just stood next to me, joining me for a short while in my vigil. She also brought me Jerry¡¯s report on our troop numbers.
Staff Sergeant TimStaff Sergeant DrudgeLvl 24
TurnipArcher of the Blood OwlLvl 19
Vineling MonstrosityLvl 19
TicklesBlighted GhoulLvl 15
Gerard KiefhartReanimated AntphoLvl 17
HaeughMurloc ChieftainLvl 14
Skeleton Bear(x2)Lvl 14
Skeleton Archer(x6)Lvl 14
Shroom BearerLvl 13
Skeleton Archer(x22)Lvl 13
Skeleton Archer (x6)Lvl 12
Murloc Brawler (x3)Lvl 11
Murloc Trapper (x8)Lvl 10
Muloc Hunter (x49)Lvl 8
Murloc SlingerLvl 8
Murloc Hunter (x90)Lvl 6
Murloc Slinger(x43)Lvl 4
Murloc Villager (x799)Lvl 1
Total Combat Minions: 233
Of my summoned undead, only 41 remained. Although they did grow much stronger, I still couldn¡¯t consider it a success. Almost reflexively, I looked at the bones. The strange vibrating noise he made was like a dull ache in my heart, and I kept imagining that I could hear it. Just as I was getting up to leave, planning on consulting with Jerry about summoning more minions, I could bear it no longer. ¡°Dammit!¡± I leapt downward and smashed the bones to pieces. They were an eyesore. A reminder I didn¡¯t want. A constant¡­. Tilting my head to the side, I realized I really COULD hear it. I smashed around, more careful now, seeking the noise. Finally, I ripped aside a huge femur, revealing one of Yellow Bones skulls. Without the fire in its eyes, it just appeared sad, a remnant of a fallen monster. But the vibration was consistent. I smashed the skull open, my stomach in knots. Inside was a small creature, smaller than my forearm. It was composed entirely of black bones. Half laughing, I sputtered, ¡°You little shit.¡± After a moment, I picked him up, and said. ¡°I guess we will call you Black Bones from now on, huh?¡± He purred in contentment, his tail thing wrapping around my arm. ***2nd Author''s Note*** Why are the boxes suddenly left justified...? If someone can tell me how to fix it, I would appreciate it. Day 37 Day 37 ***POV Kettle*** Kettle popped a small red cherry into her mouth and bit carefully, her tongue spinning the fruit while her teeth expertly shaved away the flesh, leaving only the core. But the tactile satisfaction she experienced was quickly forgotten as she once more looked at the terminal in the center of her desk. Predator had won. Again. He had successfully surpassed the floor. He was moving on to the parts of the Great Tower that were supposed to showcase talent, not suppress trash. He would now have a chance to grow even more powerful. Predator and herself could¡­. Kettle frowned. She spat the core out, aiming for the trashcan, but missed. The gooey pit rolled a bit on the carpet before coming to a stop. Furious with herself, Kettle leaned over and picked it up, placing it directly into the bin. ...yet¡­.. Why did she feel so empty? Maybe it was the blinking indicator on the terminal that reminded her that Gillette was persistently trying to speak with her. To make sure that she remembered the promise that she had made to him, to make sure Jen didn¡¯t rise up with Predator and his group as an Administrator. And his icy demand should she fail¡­. Kettle shivered, her eyes wandering out of her office to the small chamber in which her mother and sister worked, monitoring Kettle¡¯s other bets. Scanning thousands of challengers for any chances of greatness. Within each of their bodies sat a small bomb, that Gillette could trigger should Kettle refuse to comply. Sighing, Kettle forced herself to run through the scenarios that were likely to result from her gifting the insurance to Whipman. Ultimately, she could only conclude that if things were left alone, there was only a small chance. She dragged her fingers across her desk. But if she interfered¡­ But that would mean that Predator¡­ With a shake of the head, Kettle leaned back in her chair. What was she doing? Didn¡¯t she kiss him? Didn¡¯t she think that she had finally found a boy that could keep her attention? And now she was considering¡­. But Predator didn¡¯t keep her attention the way he used to, only a short few weeks ago. Maybe it was that she now had his stats. Maybe it was that she knew his skills, and was starting to understand how he leveled. Or maybe, and most disturbingly, it was because she had inwardly started to believe he couldn¡¯t be defeated. There was no more tension. Without the tension, she couldn¡¯t stay focused. Then an idea struck Kettle. She slowly smiled. ¡°All I have to do¡­ is to take Predator down.¡± It would solve Gillette¡¯s gripe, and also¡­ if she used the vast information she had gathered on Predator to spawn a plan to bring him down, she would likely shake this certainty that he would survive. Kettle¡¯s plans always came to fruition. She glanced around at her austere but tastefully expensive office, allowing herself a small smile. She knew how to arrange things. If Predator survived then, well, that tension would likely be back. And if he didn¡¯t¡­ At least she would know, one way or the other, whether she cared about him. A strange, burning sensation filled Kettle¡¯s stomach, and she covered her mouth with her hand and looked at the ground so she wouldn¡¯t see her reflection in the mirror opposite her. So she wouldn¡¯t see the strange woman using her face. ¡®Honestly,¡¯ Kettle thought to herself, her thoughts giddy, and her mouth still twitching, ¡®This is the most romantic thing I could do for Predator. This is the only way to find out the truth.¡¯ ***POV Whipman*** The mood at the table this morning was morose. A group of them had cobbled together enough scraps of shattered wood to form a low table, and now they were preparing to break their fast in cold silence. After the battle all of yesterday, and Predator¡¯s expression as he rummaged amongst the still, yellowing bones of one of their companions¡­ Predator always seemed to carry danger along with him, a thick and deadly capability was always present in his powerful body. But the strange bleakness in his expression as he surveyed the wreckage of Yellow Bones¡¯ body¡­. It left Whipman shivering. The Haeugh was in charge of cooking food, several murlocs in small frilly aprons borrowed from Jen hurrying about as they prepared whatever it is that they would be eating. It was perhaps an oversight on Jerry¡¯s part, to allow the Murlocs be the ones to make food for the living, because obviously both dead murlocs and skeletons weren¡¯t hungry, but Jerry was wounded and slightly concussed, and all that was important was that there was a lot of food for when Predator finally arrived. It was a strange moment for Whipman, because he was simultaneously feeling hollow and fearful, an aftershock of the battle, and filled with delighted wonder at his gains during the fight. If he could combine further techniques¡­ But than an image of a field of scattered bones and Predator¡¯s bleak gaze deflated his mood once more. They had lost a lot last night, even though they had won. It had made Whipman realize that although Predator was almost unstoppable, and their leader, he was strangely innocent. Most came to climb The Great Tower for a chance to gain money and recognition after they acknowledged the costs of the endeavour; they would likely die without having accomplished anything. That was even more true for anytime they went to the Tower with companions. But in that bleak darkness that filled Predator¡¯s gaze, Whipman knew intimately that Predator had expected them all to survive. Ashni¡¯s harrumph interrupted his musings. ¡°We were victorious. Moodiness simply dishonors the price the fallen have paid to earn that honor. We should celebrate.¡± The Haeugh, his hugely fat murloc body quivering, gurgled his acknowledgement. Ashni looked at him distastefully, then folded her arms and glared at the rest of them. Sighing, Jerry finally lifted his gaze. ¡°...Ashni¡¯s right. We won. We should enjoy the moment. You two,¡± Jerry indicated Ashni and Whipman. ¡°Will be leaving with him soon, correct? You need to reach the 10th floor before there is another Path Boss floor. When do you depart?¡± Ashni waved her hand vaguely, while Whipman shrugged and said. ¡°Whenever Predator is ready I guess. He needs to snap out of this funk.¡± ¡°Which shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Jen bounced through the door, her green slime body affixed with a bright yellow bowtie. ¡°Predator is talking excitedly among those big bones. At least he isn¡¯t glaring around anymore.¡± ¡°Perhaps he has simply gone insane,¡± Ashni said darkly. Whipman chuckled in spite of himself. ¡°What does that say about us, who follow him?¡± This earned him a dark glare from Ashni, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. Luckily, the conversation was interrupted by a dozen or so aproned murlocs walking in, carrying several large platters covered in silver bowls. ¡°...This seems¡­¡± Whipman said, considering the ornate platters and trying to find a delicate way of stating it. ¡°...excessive.¡± The Haeugh began giggling and burping excitedly in his murloc language. ¡°What he¡¯s saying,¡± Jerry translated dutifully, ¡°Is that the¡­ uh¡­ the translation is roughly spear who bears eggs¡­ is correct. We should celebrate. We are victorious.¡± Ashni''s complexion began to fall as she considered the word choice. The Haeugh continued, and Jerry began to frown uncertainly. ¡°....he also says that the¡­ landseasky balll¡­? Oh, I think he means Jen¡­ has inspired his people with her garments and that¡­. This meal was made to honor her.¡± On cue, several of the murlocs stopped and spun around, showing off their aprons. Ashni put her head in her hands, but Jen seemed very pleased, bouncing up onto the table. ¡°Well isn¡¯t that delightful? You guys always give me so many reasons to forget how fishy you smell. So what did you make for me?¡± Creating a tentacle of green slime, she reached over and pulled the top off to reveal the dish beneath. There was a moment of silence, then the noise of Jen dropping the lid to the ground, where it clattered for several seconds before stilling. Ashni snorted, not even attempting to disguise her laugh as anything else. Sitting in the center of the silver platter was a mound of green jello. The size and color was identical to Jen. Jen wiggled in shocked. The vibrations of the table caused the jello to wiggle, mirroring her moves. With a theatrical gesture, one of the cooks, who Whipman was beginning to assume was the head cook, removed his apron and tied it around the jello, making it look remarkably like Jen. ¡°That¡­¡± Jen mumbled rolling across the table. ¡°That¡¯s um¡­. Very nice¡­ and now we are supposed to eat it¡­. Oh, oh oh¡­..¡± Defeated, she slumped off the side of the table and into a chair, her body hidden from sight. Several other people sitting at the table were no longer able to hide their smiles. Jerry seemed to find it especially amusing, holding his belly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Before anything else could happen, Predator walked in, along with Turnip who was fiddling with his bow. Ashni stood immediately. ¡°Predator. You¡¯ve¡­. Regained yourself?¡± Predator snorted, his muscles rippling as he reached up and petted a small black creature on his shoulder. Blinking, Whioman realized he had completely overlooked the strange thing earlier. It was made of small black bones, and had 10 legs, seemingly made of finger bones. It also had a long tail that was currently curling around Predator¡¯s neck, and a skull for a head. The right eye socket glowed dull red, while the right was completely empty and dark. Inwardly, Whipman couldn¡¯t help but think it was the kind of bug that you would have nightmares about encountering in a dark, dusty corner of your dwelling. ¡°Apparently the battle was just what Yellow Bones needed, to evolve into this, Black Bones. Ha, and to think I was worried¡­¡± Shrugging, Predator turned his attention away from the small Black Bones to the group. ¡°So? What¡¯s the plan now? When do we need to head up?¡± ¡°Whenever you want,¡± Jen said, her voice morose and muffled by the table as she remained slumped in her chair. ¡°We have as long as a week to remain here or move up, before you will be automatically sent to the 6th floor.¡± Grinning, Predator reached out to pat Jen on the head. ¡°Good, because I want to spend a few days experimenting with some things. We¡¯ve advanced pretty quickly without having the chance to train, and I-¡± The jello, which was still wearing one of Jen¡¯s aprons, splattered as Predator pressed down on it. Gasping, Turnip pushed wispy hair out of his face to get a better look, and then stuttered out, ¡°W-w-what have you-u d-done¡­.?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve killed Jen.¡± Jerry said, his fingers in a vice grip on his side. Predator looked with wide eyes down at the smashed jello for several seconds before Jerry lost it and erupted in laughter, ruining the illusion. ***POV Predator*** I perused my stat screen, thoughtful. Not really looking at the stats exactly, but I was very focused on the skills I had available. -When you look at the list, it seems like a lot, but¡­. I considered Sneak Attack and Silent Attack, muttering, ¡°A lot of fluff too¡­¡± It only took a few seconds after Jerry burst out laughing, the prick, for the situation to be explained. Jen was as depressed as I had ever seen her, but I was focused in a new direction. The fight with Shemara taught me two things. First, the rage stat was incredibly powerful. -And basically impossible to rely on... Secondly, that while my stats seemed to me to be high, they weren¡¯t all that important when compared to some of the skills that others possessed. Only by increasing my skills to that level would I be confident enough to continue advancing in the tower. -The irony being that skills wouldn¡¯t have done shit against her, because she could cancel them all within that area¡­ -Shut up, other me. So now I needed to decide how I was going to use the next week to train. An obvious choice was to focus on mastering all of the stances, but while I was doing that, Other me needed something to distract him from being negative. -Hey, don¡¯t be rude. What if I come up with a really powerful technique, thinking in my free time? -...unlikely is putting that outlook optimistically. In terms of skills I wanted to improve Raise Lesser Dead, Air Affinity, Ice Affinity, and Lunar Affinity were at the top of my list. Behind those general ones, I wanted to continue to improve Wind Blade and Automated Air Armor. I couldn¡¯t deny though, that if I could invent analogous skills to those for Lunar and Ice affinity, it would greatly expand my repertoire. -Still. Shemara¡­. Was strong. We both stilled for a second, considering how close the fight yesterday was. It wasn¡¯t just that we had almost failed in the challenge, I realised that I had been close to dying. And allowing everyone who followed me to die along with me. My hands slowly curled into fists. Fury +1 The notification brought out an awkward chuckle from me. Truly, an unreliable path to strength. But when it has time to get going¡­. -Of course it also makes you incredibly dumb. You exposed yourself to that highly concentrated liquid Heart Murmur poison. Your body was rotting away beneath you before you skill leveled up and was able to combat it. Shaking my head, I put that thought out of my mind. It worked out. So I moved forward. ¡°Your face is scrunched up like a disapproving mother-in-law. What are you thinking about?¡± Ashni sidled up, her arm still in a sling from yesterday. Unlike myself, most people needed some time to recover from injuries, which was another reason I ultimately decided to remain here for the extra week. ¡°Deciding which of my mana using skills to train...The problem is how quickly mana is spent. Do you know any methods for recovering mana more quickly?¡± Ashni shrugged. ¡°Mana is a useless resource. Nothing is as deadly as a spear in capable hands. ¡­.But I do know that most frail bodied mages have meditation techniques that makes gathering mana more simple. But without a teacher¡­ why bother trying to learn?¡± I paused, considering. ***** While Other Me continued to shift between the stances of the Earth Cadence, focusing on the resentment and the way it grows and calcifies under Whipman¡¯s guidance, I experimented with my other main spells. Air Affinity was versatile and useful for a supporting role, allowing me to gather wind and compress it both into platforms and blades. While the degree of sharpness it could reach was incredibly high, the amount of damage it could deal against heavily durable opponents was limited. I gritted my teeth. My time fighting against that metal skinned dick proved that. I could escape easily enough, but Air Affinity didn¡¯t allow me to injure him at all. I was forced to rely on the brute force of my body for that. Still, it was exceptionally useful, and would be one of my main focuses. For today, I set aside Raise Lesser dead. I would begin expending all of my mana on that every morning starting tomorrow, but for now I wanted to get a greater feel for my spells. Ice Affinity was another great addition, but as an extra way to control the opponent, rather than enhance my own movements. Although I used Ice Affinity to create daggers to throw, that was another skill that was only useful against weaker opponents. As the people I would face would possess higher stats, the less useful such measures would be. -Hey, can we switch? This is really getting tiring. And boring. Without missing a beat, other me and myself switched, each filling in for the other during the activity. The downside of Ice Affinity was that it was still lesser ice affinity. The mana costs were high, and although it would increase in level faster than the other skills, that would still take a significant amount of time. Ultimately, Lunar Affinity was what I wanted to work on improving the most. The sharpness of Wind Blades was important, but I wasn¡¯t sure how much more they could be improved. Similarly, although I believed Automated Air Armor could be useful, being too injured wasn¡¯t a problem. My body was naturally tough enough that it wasn¡¯t really necessary. I needed more power, not survivability. While other me continued in the Earth Cadence movements, I summoned lunar power, a thick, glowing mist appearing around me. My control wasn¡¯t the best, but I could feel how most power was contained in the substance. I condensed it briefly, forming a glowing, pearlescent hammer, smashing it into the ground. The ground cracked instantly, deep ravines webbing outward, earning me the ire of Other Me as he was forced to adjust his stance. Grinning, I admired the power of the attack as the hammer dissipated back into the glowing mist. This was probably my best bet to create a powerful attack, but I wasn¡¯t sure of the shape. Experimenting, I formed an axe, some shurikens, a lance, and a giant seal, trying to find the most cost effective method to create a weapon of the lunar power. Mana usage was a huge issue, as maintaining the physical form of the lunar power was incredibly draining. Once I figured out what the image I wanted to use was, I believed that I could repeatedly form that until I developed a skill for that form. At least, that was the idea. With a grunt, I let the lunar mist dissipated, my mana pool almost empty. Truly, I needed a larger mana pool. The balance stat was useful, but I would probably roll my current growth rate away to try and find something with a larger mana focus. Practicing the cadences would make my attacks more powerful with the same stats, but if I wanted to improve my skills in time for the upper floors, I would need a larger mana base. I grimaced. And I would need to somehow get experience on this floor to level. Would it be better just to wait until I headed up further¡­? At the very least, I could gather a large amount of biomass. With my mana expended, I listened more closely to Whipman¡¯s instruction on the Earth Cadence, trying my best to not become annoyed at my lack of progress. ***** Several fruitless hours later, I sat, gazing at the sinking sun. What weapon best epitomized the lunar affinity trait? ¡°It¡¯s¡­ borrowed light. A cool power. Something not its own but¡­ a reflection.¡± I paused, ruminating on that idea. Whipman, who had finished training me, and then had started experimenting with his own strange new move, walked over, covered in sweat. ¡°Ready to head back to the path for dinner? The Haeugh says he won¡¯t make the Jen Jello again.¡± Snorting, I shook my head. After the strange shock wore off, the way the strange food made Jen react was a little amusing, but I didn¡¯t really want to lose this train of thought right now. Biomass could wait. After a shrug, Whipman departed. I waved my hand, lunar mist rising from the ground. At night, the lunar mist was even more magical seeming, as if the wisps of energy were lit from within by glowing pearls. ¡°A reflection, huh¡­¡± I muttered, pressing my will upon the lunar mist, flattening it into a thin layer. A mirror. I frowned at the fuzzy reflection of the ground that could be seen in it. I had planned on not using it on myself at first, mostly out of caution, but angling the mirror just made the image waver. I tilted it back towards me, looking at my fuzzy and distorted reflection. With my eyes narrowed, I began to adjust the mirror of moonlight, making the right side of my face not so pudgy. As the focus narrowed and my jawline became more angular, I lost focus on the rest of the reflection, and my nose ballooned outward. Sighing, Other me stepped in, addressing that issue,but my chin began to creep downward, elongating and curving slightly. I received a notification, and then the mirror disappeared. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 5¡±. Slightly easier to maintain condensed version of Lunar Affinity. You are able to summon a larger amount of lunar mist. Mana costs are slightly decreased. My mouth twisted. The mana costs would be helpful, but it currently wasn¡¯t enough. All of my mana had been depleted. So now¡­ Feeling foolish, I settled down into a cross legged seat, closing my eyes. Ashni had said it was foolish to try meditation without a teacher, but¡­ 10 minutes passed as I sat there. ¡­.maybe I should try breathing¡­.? 10 more minutes passed as I focused on breathing. -Maybe think about mana? Furrowing my brow, I thought about mana. -....how does one think abou mana? ***POV Kettle*** Gillette rubbed his chin. Apparently taking Ketlia and her two companions to the 10th floor had agreed with him. While he had always been well dressed, he now exuded a chilling confidence that gave all in his presence pause. It was as if some covering within him had been removed, and you could feel in his gaze a lust for blood. ¡°You think this will work?¡± Gillette asked dubiously, looking at the detailed plan that Kettle had laid out for him. Kettle nodded. Gillette made a curt gesture. ¡°But he will arrive-¡± ¡°He is delaying a week, to train.¡± Kettle answered smoothly. It was slightly concerning, because anytime Predator focused on something he seemed to overcome her projections for him, but that just made Kettle more excited. ¡°In that time, my team will ascend past the 5th floor and rush to meet you. At that point, our two teams can join and lay the trap.¡± ¡°And you are not¡­ concerned at how he will react to this? It is a provocation.¡± Kettle¡¯s heart fluttered. ¡°That¡¯s why it will work.¡± It took a lot of effort to not hiss the words out. Her heart was pounding. She had always considered herself a balanced person, but now¡­ why was the thought of hurting Predator making her salivate? Gillette leaned back. ¡°And your team? Can they make it? Can they carry their own weight?¡± Sliding several folders across the desk, Kettle smiled. ¡°See for yourself. Some of them¡­. Have a proven track record of frustrating Predator. I trust they will be sufficient.¡± Gillette scanned the papers provided, chuckling to himself. Day 38 Day 38 I stood and stretched, my back cracking in sweet release. Apparently my body had reached the point that sleep was unnecessary, but it still was perfectly content to complain about the lack of it. Unfortunately, I also had nothing to show for the sleepless night. The original goal was to continue until I had some inspiration or breakthrough related to meditation, and then sleep. I assumed that at some point, the repetition would trigger something, allowing me to learn a meditation skill. But I suppose¡­ -That was a dumb assumption -Do you have any better ideas? -Maybe do an action related to mana? Shaking my head, I walked towards the only building that remained standing on my path, skeleton archers and murlocs who were carrying bricks and mortar to repair the walls scurrying out of my way. The real problem was that I was unsure how to perform an action that was similar to meditation. The action I should be doing obviously wasn¡¯t sitting still and spending mana. So for a few hours I had tried focusing on it. Then tried condensing it into a tight ball inside of me. But controlling mana, without a skill, proved to be surprisingly difficult. It felt exactly like trying to control a pool of water with your bare hands. I could push and displace it, but without the impetus of a skill, it would just flow around me, heedless. So for a few hours I had tried to use skills, watching how the mana would react. I figured that this would be a much simpler tasks, as Other Me could watch the mana while I used the skill, but it didn¡¯t turn out to be that simple. Much to my chagrin, although you could see the way using a skill called mana to action, there was no detectable¡­ anything that moved the mana. The mana just moved. I had originally thought that mana was a resource, but it started to seem like that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ This realization was enough thinking for my night, prompting me to get up and head towards the building for food. Just shy of the door, however, I hesitated. -MIght as well utilize the extra mana regeneration time. Because I had been using mana while I tried to puzzle out meditation, I wasn¡¯t at full mana, so I decided to simply summon 4 Ghosts to diversify my undead minions. To my delight a notification that made me smile appeared. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 7¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. Chances of summons evolving has increased by a very small amount. Degradation of risen dead bodies has slowed. You may now summon Bone Shamans. I had to wait until I regained the annoyingly high 400 mana to summon a Bone Shaman, but¡­ Perhaps this summon would have some insight into meditation? -Finally, something goes right for us. Delighting in my own luck, I walked into the building for a meal. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t be that strange gelatin, which seemed to make Jen so moody. -Speaking of Jen, I wonder if she could buy mana potions for us. It would certainly speed up the process.. ***** Jen squirmed uncomfortably, her small violet tie swaying like a pendulum. ¡°The thing is, this is a really bad time to buy. Economic conditions. It¡¯s a Sea King market. Interest rates are pushing capital into other areas. I¡¯m insolvent as I transition from a preparation stage to an execution stage. The fiscal year¡­.. Is just starting¡­¡± Jen trailed off, as if unsure of what to say. I scratched my head. ¡°So you won¡¯t be able to get any mana potions? Then do you know any¡­.¡± Frowning I searched for the word I wanted. ¡°....activities that would help with mana?¡± Jenn stilled, as if thinking, and I continued, slightly excited by the prospect of her thinking of something. ¡°Stamina won¡¯t be a problem. I can continue for as long as I need to, so I learn the skills. Any sort of thing is okay, as long as you think it would help.¡± ¡°You¡­ uh¡­¡± Jen was slowly forming two long and thin tentacles, reaching them out towards me. ¡°No¡­. no stamina issues¡­. As many times...as ¡­.a-as l--l-l-long¡­¡± Her voice dropped to a whisper, her tentacles nearing me. "Any sort of thing is okay..." Abruptly, Ashni stood from her seat at the table, walked over, and kicked Jen, splatting her body against the wall. Snorting, Ashni then turned to me. ¡°Ignore her. Apparently our administrator is flat broke. Anyway, today is your day with me yes? Let us return to train on the Thunder Stance. Your form is disgraceful and your body inept. If you do not improve, it will be an affront to my honorable school, the Western Thunder Mountain. ***POV Jahntat*** Jahntat, 2nd Disciple of the Thunder Medium, Day-to-Day leader of the Western Thunder Mountain Academy, and loving father- ¡®No,¡¯ he thought to himself, ¡®doting and respectful best father ever.¡¯ -and doting and respectful, best father ever of Ashni, looked calmly at his right hand man, Anuk. Jahntat coughed lightly into his hand and then spoke. ¡°Could you repeat that number again?¡±¡± Anuk did, his nasally voice reading out a ridiculously large number of credits with relish. Jahntat mildly scratched his chin. ¡°And that number is our current assets¡­?¡± ¡°Ah well,¡± Anuk said, shuffling some of the papers in front of him. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Calmly down somewhat, Jahntat leaned back in his chair. But as Anuk continued talking, he froze. ¡°That is actually,¡± Anuk clarified, ¡°The sect''s total winnings from the bets we made on Ashni-¡± ¡°Light of our lives,¡± The three guards behind Anuk chimed in mechanically. ¡°-after deducting the betting house''s 10% and making a few purchases. Our assets are currently about double that. In addition, that doesn¡¯t count the individual winnings of our disciples or yourself.¡± Blinking rapidly, Jahntat¡¯s knuckles turned white from gripping the desk so tightly. Struggling, he focused on the one sentence that made sense in Anuk¡¯s statements. ¡°A few purchases¡­?¡± WIth a knowing smile, Anuk led Jahntat outside. The Western Thunder Mountain was set up quite simply. The outermost ring of buildings that encircled was the civilian area, a circular city that housed commoners and hopeful applicants to the Academy. The next ring similarly encircled the mountain, and was the housing of the Outer Sect disciples, who would receive a group training session once a day by experts from the Academy. There the rings shifted. The 3rd right was split into two parts. The first part, sitting on the western and southern sides of the mountain, contained various medicinal facilities and training areas, as well as the grand public training square. The other portion was housing for the various higher ranking disciples. The final ring contained housing for the intructors of the academy and the administrative center of the academy, which Jahntat was in charge of. In addition, above him, on the face of the mountain, were a few caves for affiliated experts, a house for guests, and the abode of the Thunder Medium. Draped over the south face of the Thunder Mountain for which the academy was named was a giant painting of astronomical size, depicting Ashni, thunder clouds looming ominously behind her. Jahntat tried to calculate the cost of creating such a painting, then stopped as his heart rate rose abnormally high. Then he calculated the cost of a piece of canvas that large and durable, and a bit of drool started to leak out of the corner of his mouth. Anuk grabbed Jahntat¡¯s elbow and turned him, pointing to the grand training square where the lower level disciples of Western Thunder Mountain Academy received their daily instruction in the mornings. In the center, a newly erected, huge golden statue stood, depicting Ashni. As the disciple trained, striking out in unison, Jahntat could barely make out their chant. ¡°Light of our Lives!¡± ¡°Light of our Lives!¡± Jahntat licked his lips. Truly, his daughter was unfathomably talented and beautiful. But¡­ ¡°Surely¡­¡± After trailing off as he admired the gold statue, Jahntat finally found his words. ¡°Surely this is a little¡­ much? Isn¡¯t the painting covering Master¡¯s cave?¡± Anuk waved his hand. ¡°You know how much pride Lord Thunder Medium takes in the sect. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind. Besides, is Ashni not glorious?¡± With an increasing fanaticism in his eyes, Jahntat slowly nodded. Then he shook it, as if waking up from a dream. ¡°But¡­ how did we¡­. This seems like more than should have come from betting on a 5th Floor event.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Ah,¡± Anuk nodded knowingly. ¡°It is quite strange; it appears just a series of unlikely coincidences. After, on your orders, we invested all of the sects assets in the bet-¡± Anuk ignored the choking sound Jahntat made and continued. ¡°-it appears that the betting house picked it up as a ¡®Special Event¡±. It just so happened that there was a streamer who was recording the situation, and with that they were able to drum up a lot of interest very quickly. With our large bets, the odds were initially very favorable for the opposition, and the fact that the Path Boss then challenged another path boss made it seem like a sure bet to bet against us. You know how foolish the idle rich are; willing to wager a fortune on the smallest thing.¡± Neither of them considered that they had done the same. ¡°Ultimately,¡± Anuk concluded. ¡°The bets were overwhelmingly against us. The betting house was so pleased with the profit it made it generously allowed us to collect at final odds, not when the bets were placed. And thus¡­¡± Anuk gestured around at the depictions of Ashni. The disciples continued to train below. ¡°Light of our lives! Light of our lives! Light of our lives!¡± Squinting, Jahntat realized that something was wrong with the disciples. Their form looked fine, but they appeared¡­ bulky. As if they were wearing some sort of armor... ¡°Oh here.¡± One of the captains walked forward, holding a bundle, and Anuk passed it to Jahntat. ¡°In a show of generosity, the sect has bought these two items for all disciples. Here, it¡¯s a coat made from the Silk Hatebeast. Yours, I believe, is from a broodmother.¡± ¡°What? Why- o-oh my. It¡¯s quite soft.¡± At first Jahntat tried to resist, but as his fingers touched the impossibly soft fur, he couldn¡¯t think of a good reason why to reject the coat. It was, after all, really quite soft¡­. ¡°And here.¡± Jahntat heard a snap, and looked down at his wrist, only to discover a bulky and ornate timepiece. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would have said that the entire thing was made of gold. The hands were made of elaborately carved diamonds. ¡°Well¡­¡± Jahntat allowed, grinning at his reflection in his ridiculously expensive timepiece. ¡°I suppose there is no harm in enjoying the finer things in life if we have a little extra income.¡± ***POV Predator*** The Bone Shaman was less impressive than I had hoped. He had a small, ratty robe, but was otherwise just a skeleton with a staff. To make matters even more annoying, he promptly began cackling after he was summoned, largely ignoring me. Sighing, I closed my eyes. -We delayed training in the Thunder Stance for this¡­? It hadn¡¯t been necessary thus far, but I had noticed that when I summoned undead, a strange connection was made with them, one which I could sense. As the Bone Shaman continued to cackle and dance, I focused on his connection in particular, sending my attention inward. My will flowed along the connection and into the Shaman, forcing him to address me. The cackling didn¡¯t cease, but now the Shaman began dancing around me. Sighing, I beckoned over a squishy looking murloc and asked him to fetch Jerry. I gestured at the Shaman, who was still dancing in a circle and cackling. ¡°What is he saying?¡± Jerry frowned at me. ¡°You can¡¯t understand him?¡± -No, I don¡¯t speak laughter. -Or dumbass I just looked at Jerry, who seemed to sense my annoyance. ¡°Ah¡­ well he is rejoicing that he has been summoned, and that he has the opportunity to serve the lord of the damned, ruler of the evil, pillager of the peaceful villages, denier of basic human rights, marauder-¡± ¡°Is this supposed to be me¡­?¡± I asked in a low tone. Jerry nodded. Shaking my head, I asked. ¡°Okay, well ask him to stop it. And also, what can he do?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you just¡­¡± Jerry looked from the Shaman to me, and then shrugged helplessly, turning to the Shaman. ¡°Uh, please stop that. What are your abilities? How il you serve your new lord?¡± At least the question caused the Shaman to stop dancing, but now he simply cackled and stood still, waving his staff. There were small skulls tied to the top, which I hadn¡¯t noticed before, which clacked annoyingly. Abruptly, he went silent, slamming his staff into the ground in a way that echoed strangely. ¡°He can curse your enemies and¡­¡± Jerry paused, watching the ground intently. I followed his gaze, and was surprised to discover that a small creature was rising from the ground. After scrabbling for a few seconds, it stood unstably, wobbling around. It was basically a small skeleton. Except instead of arms, it just had a sharpened one. The same for its legs, drastically reducing its ability to balance as it walked. Within seconds, it had toppled over. It was a strange looking creature. The ribcage, head, and hips seemed vaguely humanoid. But all the limbs were just sharpened bones¡­. As I watch the first one struggle to its feet- -Well, its leg spikes Several others rose from the ground. Six altogether, and as they slowly found their ability to balance, they began dancing around the Shaman. I simply sighing. Understanding that Jerry seemed to think I just had to ask, I said to the Shaman. ¡°Alright, let me ask you this: do you know the skill meditate? Is there a way to gather mana more quickly?¡± The Shaman waved his staff at me and cackled. I turned to Jerry. ¡°He says you just need to want it.¡± Jerry supplied. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°...I just have to want it,¡± I said flatly. Jerry noded. The Shaman nodded and began dancing again, the little skeleton midgets following him in a ungraceful conga line. Fury +1 I turned and walked away. ***** ¡°Remember,¡± Ashni admonished me. ¡°The trick is continuity of strength through the joints. You learned very quickly to manage your strength along the muscles, but you still waste too much as the power transfers through the joints. The joints are the fulcrum; the strength must not falter there, but explode forward.¡± I followed Ashni¡¯s motions through the forms of the Thunder Stance. Force exploding. Small change instantly becoming large. Wrath. I stepped, force flowing up my leg. It went well through my ankle, but as the explosion reached my knees, I pressed hard, trying to explode even further. BOOM. The ground cracked beneath me and I felt my body accelerate as I shot forward. My other leg came forward, slowing my advance. Ashni clicked her tongue. ¡°Technically correct, but you relied on your superior body to force it. Next time, try again, but rely on technique.¡± My breathing was even, my eyes narrowed. I had felt something that time. My knees are the fulcrum¡­ No, that was confusing the metaphors. My Thunder was wrath, brief, bright, beautiful, and intent on breaking something. Then my joints were events, incites, impetus. The ignition of gunpowder. I felt the strength flow around my limbs, surging forward. My foot arched, pressing forward, yet remaining relaxed, so I wouldn¡¯t rely just on my superior strength to create the noise of thunder. As the tension spread up through my ankle, I pressed a little harder, still careful. I felt it then, light the tightening of a bow string. I stretched that tension further, force racing up my leg. When it reached my knee, I knew I had it. I pressed, gently, strumming the string, my eyes blazing. It wasn¡¯t yanking the string, forcing power through it, but raising the tension at the right point to amplify the previous vibrations. An inciting moment to make wrath expand. BOOOOOOM. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 5¡±. Thunder Stance moves will be slightly more powerful. The strain on your body from Thunder Stance moves is slightly decreased. You have a significantly increased chance to succeed in Thunder Stance moves. I fell forward, surprised, as the ground cracked in such a way that my foot fell into a small hole before I had the chance to press forward with any force. In the end,the abrupt increase in force had shattered the ground before I could move. ¡°Good,¡± Ashni said while nodding. ¡°Now if you can do that without 5 hours of warm up, I will consider you to have a basic level of skill in the Thunder Stance. Let¡¯s break for lunch. ***** To my utter annoyance, by the time I left lunch, the midget skeletons had infected the murloc with their strange idiocy, and there was an interlocking series of conga lines crossing most of the training ground. I considered ordering them to stop, but they seemed to stay away from my training, so I supposed it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing¡­ Then I froze. In the middle of one of the Conga lines, litle black bones skittered along, waving his front bone arms in time with the murlocs and midget skeletons around him. ¡°Pft,¡± I laughed in spite of myself. -Truly, black bones is our only adorable minion. In a much improved mood, I returned to my training area, meeting Whipman instead of Ashni. I allowed other me to focus on the Water Stance training while I began using Lunar Affinity. Lunar mist condensed around me, and I manipulated it for a short while, marveling at the control I had over the glowing mist. Then, as I grew increasingly comfortable, I exerted my will, focusing it into a thin layer. Chuckling at the staggering mana usage, I began to to form a mirror beneath my feet, reflecting my whole body. It took a ridiculous amount of effort, and every time I improved the level of detail of one portion of my reflection, the others would warp and change, growing out of proportion. There were three issues with maintaining the reflection. The first was the energy had to be constant throughout the entire surface. Otherwise the mirror would unbalance and implode on itself. Second was that the surface of the mirror had to entirely flat. Bumps or slopes would warp the way light hit the surface, and make the reflection chubby or skinny. Finally, the surface had to be entirely still, or the mirror would ripple, like the surface of a pond. Managing one was an effort of will. Managing two was maddening. I didn¡¯t even bother to try all three at once. Completely annoyed, I shattered the mirror, exploding the condensed lunar energy with a burst of will and mana. -Ugh! Blinking, I stumbled forward, the sharp pain causing other me to grunt inwardly hitting me as well. My movements through Air Stance ceased, interrupted by the sharp pain. Honestly, it was shocking. Was that from shattering the mirror? Even with all the imperfections¡­.? -Then if we can refine it¡­ I instantly summoned more lunar mist and condensed it, but it fizzled out, due to my mana pool running dry. I smiled wryly. -Well, at least this isn¡¯t a waste of time¡­ ****** After we broke for dinner, I came outside¡­.basically everyone, running around and dancing. There were now ring and rings of minions, taking up basically the entire area around the fort that formed the center of my path. On the one hand, I was surprised there were so many murlocs. Where did they all live¡­? But on the other, I noticed they were now encroaching on my training area. Fury +1 I stepped forward, intent on reprimanding all of them. -Hey, wait¡­. And just as I stepped forward, I began to sense what Other Me had noticed. A notification popped up. You are currently within the area of a grand formation erected by a Bone Shaman. Health regeneration decreased by 20% while in the area of effect of the formation. Mana regeneration increased by 30% while within the area of effect of the formation. Pausing, my eyes scanned through the dancing bodies of murlocs and skeletons, searching for the Bone Shaman. Even the ghosts were there, dancing, waving their ethereal arms. Finally I located him, near the edges, following a strange looping pattern. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. -It¡¯s not exactly a mediation skill¡­ -But it helps. Satisfied, I sat down, determined to have a more fruitful night that the previous one. Day 39 Although I didn¡¯t have a meditation skill to show for another sleepless night and aching joints, I didn¡¯t come away with nothing. Although what I did get just deepened my questions. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have earned the title ¡°Student of the Arcane¡±. Your knowledge of arcane pursuits grows, and you are thirsty for more. You haven¡¯t made any major discoveries, but what you have found still makes you a more effect mage. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill ¡°Arcane Mastery Lvl 1¡±. Mana based skills will level up slightly more quickly. There is a very small increase in the chance for you to learn new skills. +1% maximum mana. The addition to the maximum mana was the most pleasing part- -Although the bonus to learning new skills is probably the most relevant¡­ But the manner in which I earned it was most confusing. While struggling fruitlessly to somehow work my will on the mana inside of me, I followed the train of thought I had the previous day. If mana wasn¡¯t a resource¡­ what was it? I supposed that it was less a resource and more a quality of myself, like¡­ a different kind of will. A will that had to do with causing skills to occur. And just like that, I earned a new title and learned a new skill. -But if mana is like will, what does that mean for increasing our mana regeneration? -At least it makes sense why this method isn¡¯t working. By just sitting here and thinking, you aren¡¯t going to suddenly have a stronger will. It needs to be exercised. -Following that train of thought¡­ what we need to do to improve mana regen is to relax the muscle? Let it heal? -Will and muscle are different, so I¡¯m not sure if it follows. At least this is a movement in the right direction. Rubbing my stomach, I set my thoughts aside and rose to head towards the building. Today¡¯s breakfast was going to be a big one, and I hoped I could pass 2000 biomass with this meal. -Whenever we finally level up¡­ let¡¯s become¡­ Other me and myself both paused, trying to think of the strongest thing we knew. Honestly..,. It was us. -Sometimes the lack of memories seems ridiculous. ***POV Whipman*** Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Storm Walking Lvl 6¡±. The speed with which you can travel through fractured space has increased. Slightly more stability in the fractured space. Explosion area upon exit of space increased. Whipman stilled, his body trembling. The training he had been forcing himself through was incredibly demanding, so much so that he was having difficulty recovering from it. There were small gains, of course, but without a resilient body like Predator¡¯s, Whipman had to completely rely on skill to compete at this level of the Tower. Of course honestly, a normal participant through the tower would likely have half the difficulties that they had. It was one of the drawbacks of traveling with predator, who had a knack for selecting the most difficult targets on the floor and slamming himself against them¡­ Calming himself, Whipman looked idly at the dancing skeletons and murlocs. The strange new bone shaman had insisted, and honestly, the murlocs loved it. The skeletons didn¡¯t tire, and had nothing to do anyway, so now their base had increased mana regen, and decreased health regen. Looking at his own trembling arms, Whipman grimaced. Which meant his body recovered even more slowly from his training sessions. Perfect. He briefly considered leaving the fort and training alone in the forest, but decided against it. Hardship gave birth to strength. ¡®This,¡¯ Whipman thought to himself. ¡®Is hard.¡¯ As Whipman once more gathered enough mana to Storm Walk, he considered the other problem facing him. After asking Ashni to marry him, she hadn¡¯t exactly ignored him, but¡­ She also refused to speak to him about anything other than Predator¡¯s training. Whipman knew, deep down, that there was one way to progress. Ashni was an old fashioned Tellite woman. The traditional way to announce an interest in a female is to challenge them to a duel, and lose well. Whipman was quite sure that he would lose, but he was under no mistaken assumption that his loss would be done ¡°well¡±; Ashni was strong. Monstrously so. When fighting with purely physical techniques, she could hold Predator to a draw, even though he was almost double as powerful as her, and had another foot of reach. The only advantage he had was this created technique. By combining Wind and Thunder Stance, Whipman believed he now had an absolute advantage in maintaining the distance during a match. But that wouldn¡¯t win him any awards in Ashni¡¯s heart. She would simply mock him for running away¡­ Then it struck him; why not try to combine other stances to create new skills? Very quickly, he struggled to control his rising excitement. He was lucky once, but twice¡­? Even his master hadn¡¯t attempted to combine the stances like this. Although he had invented new ones, each was its own beast. ¡®But¡­ master always said I had something others did not¡­ I might as well try,¡¯ Whipman thought, stealing his resolve. He clenched his fist and glared at the ground. Then he sighed. But how to start¡­? Predator¡¯s roar instantly wiped all his other thoughts away, and without hesitating, Whipman ran towards the center of the fort. ***** Watching Predator kick the helplessly crouching Bone Shaman, Whipman turned to Jerry and Ashni. ¡°So, what¡¯s happening?¡± He asked, inwardly hoping that Ashni would be the one to answer. She didn¡¯t even glance at him. After a few seconds, Jerry said. ¡°It seems like Bone Shamans hate each other. Predator summoned 5 this morning before breakfast. By the time he came out, the originally summoned Bone Shaman had killed the new summons and was using their bones to construct a throne at the center of the formation¡­¡± ¡®Which explains all the broken bones¡­¡± Whipman thought, looking at the pile with Black Bones skittering over it, as if he was searching for one that he liked. Silently, Ashni turned and walked away. ¡°Ashni, wait. We need to talk.¡± Whipman said lamely, staring at her back. She stopped to speak, but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°I disagree.¡± Whipman balled his hands into fists. Why was she avoiding him like this? What did it accomplish? It was childish? I mean sure, he wasn¡¯t a core disciple of a big academy, but¡­ weren¡¯t his accomplishments enough?!? Ashni began to walk away again, causing Whipman to hiss through his teeth. ¡°Ashni, I said we need to talk.¡± ¡°And I disagreed.¡± Ashni answered smoothly, still walking. ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°STOP IT.¡± Whipman bellowed, ¡°I¡¯m tired of this. If you won¡¯t stop¡­.¡± Ashni continued walking. ¡°ASHNI! When¡­ When we pass the 10th floor of the tower, and we will, even if I have to drag us there myself, while we have a Reprieve¡­ I c-c-challenge you to a duel!¡± Whipman was panting by the time he finished. He was tired of being ignored, and too frazzled to calculate how much time this challenge would give him. All he knew was that- Ashni stopped, slowly spinning on her heel to face him. Was that- She smiled slowly, and some part of Whipman recognized that she had spent too much time with Predator, because it was the long, slow, lazy smile of a hungry wolf. ¡°Excellent.¡± Ashni said coolly. ¡°I think all that needs to be said, can be said with our fists.¡± Was that- She tilted her head to the side, and the softness of her hair was extremely obvious as it framed her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Then she turned and walked away. All he knew was that Ashni was the most lovely creature he had ever met. Once she was out of line of sight, Whipman fell to his knees, still breathing heavily. Predator had walked up behind Whipman at some point, and looked at him kneeling, and then the direction that Ashni had departed, then back at Whipman. ¡°So¡­¡± Predator said in a strange tone, gazing at Whipman. ¡°...Is this how you are supposed to indicate interest in the opposite sex?¡± ***POV Predator*** After Ashni disappeared, and Whipman hurried off to do what he called ¡°secret training¡± I no longer had any instructors for the morning. Which was unfortunate; I was still quite annoyed by wasting my mana on summoning Bone Shaman this morning, and exercise would have helped me work that off.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. -Oh well. Back to Stance practice I suppose. -Well, while you handle that, I¡¯m going to put more effort towards the mana regeneration issue. As other me continued to focus on the stances while maintaining that strange lunar mist for skill experience, I walked over to the barely standing remnants of the outer wall. Although most of the damage was confined to the area that Yellow Bones fought the huge abomination, the rest of the wall had various holes and cracked stone from the beating of monkeys and skills that it had taken. The idea for standing on the wall was to view the strange pattern that the Bone Shaman was using to affect the area. When I had Jerry talk to him earlier, the Bone Shaman was too blubbery about my anger to stammer out anything intelligible. -Apparently. All he does is cackle anyways. How could Jerry tell? -I agree, but you should be focusing. Get to it, bucko. After scaling the wall, I turned and regarded the ridiculous looking dancing minions. If there was some secret hidden within the composition of the formation, I wanted to find it. As I stood, observing the dancing, I had to admit that there was something profound about the movements. They seemed to be drawing and maintaining a profound symbol with their movements. Or rather¡­ ...or rather they seemed to be conversing deeply with the world on a singular subject. Or¡­ ...somehow forcing a resonance with the natural laws held within a certain area, causing the world itself to echo the desired sentiments¡­ I narrowed my eyes, attempting to remain focused on this train of thought. I could feel the word around me falling away as I let my eyes glaze over, simply keeping track of the broad shape, not the individual murloc and skeleton dancers. A pounding began to grow behind my eyes. Pushing my understand of what was going on to the limit, I began to make small predictions about how the shape they made would change. Because it did not remain constant, it grew and shifted. If I could at least predict the changes, even if I didn¡¯t understand them, I could replicate it. Perhaps it would be possible to distill it to a base form that I could create more easily. -Where are you getting these ideas. You have no idea what you are doing. -At least I¡¯m making progress. When is the last time you did anything with a non-Thunder Stance? -Just as long ago as you. But I ignored other me¡¯s disparagements, my eyes unfocusing further. Very quickly, I realized that the issue was perspective. Almost instinctually, my legs flexed, launching me high into the sky. About 50 m above the ground I lost momentum and began to stall, before slowly falling back towards the ground. But I created a platform of air to stand on, Other me grumbling about ¡°training conditions¡±. The entire formation was laid out before me, and the wide angle of viewing quickly made some more subtle truths about the formation jump to my attention. The formation itself suddenly seemed static, with the places that the lines intersected struggling to remain constant. Struggling against what¡­? Against lines that seemed to be as uncooperative as a pissy rattlesnake, their bodies writhing back and forth. The pounding in my head grew wider and wider, causing me to grimace. Even with my high pain tolerance, this was approaching an unbearable level. There was something¡­ different about this pain. Perhaps most uncomfortable were the intermittent starbursts of sharp pain that originated from the center of the dull pounding. My eyes were completely unfocused now, completely still and dry. Again and again the formation below me transformed becoming increasingly complex. I realized that the opposite corners held a relationship, and that the different writhing lines formed at least 3 triangles at all times. Yet these triangles weren¡¯t symmetrical, and they could appear off and on in any section of the formation. Just as one was about to disappear, another would inexplicably be born in a different portion, infinitely shifting and- Crack Warning, due to excessive mental strain, your ability to control mana has been impaired for a short time. The platform of air beneath my feet fractured and split, sending me tumbling downwards towards the ground. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes the formation was once again a series of dancing murlocs and skeletons, with more chaos and randomness than the profound truths I had felt like I was seeing earlier. My headache was a constant throb, but it was noticeably fading, slowly growing more manageable. I supposed that pain was a side effect of the mental strain. Those intermittent sharp spikes of pain then were a sign of instability. But really, was I experiencing mental strain? Heedless of our falling state, Other Me methodically moved through a stance, perhaps to spite me. Which of course spited himself, but he was always a stubborn asshole. But I too was too preoccupied to care very much about our fall; it wouldn¡¯t kill me. Why was I experiencing mental strain? I would guess that the stat required was processing power or something similar, and mine was over 300. Is it perhaps more related to Wisdom? Even still, that stat was over 100. Was there an undiscovered stat that I needed to comprehend the formation? I felt so close, and the closer I got, the worse the pain became. Or perhaps it would be a skill, something like Arcane Mastery- Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Wind Stance Lvl 2¡±. Your ability to grasp the essence of wind in martial arts is vastly increased. The speed of your attacks is slightly increased. Your chance of success in completing the moves of Wind Stance has grown. -Ohoho, mock my training will you? We just needed a change of pace to throw off this funk. -Really? Nextime let¡¯s go stand in quicksand and maybe we will master earth and water stance in one fell swoop- Boom. The ground within 2 m cracked when we landed, making nearby murlocs jump in fright. As they jumped, they stopped dancing and slammed into the nearby skeletons who were dancing, who were knocked the side. All in all, the dancers tumbled like dominoes, falling down, until the ground was covered in piles of sprawling limbs. Silence reigned for several seconds. I rubbed my forehead in annoyance. Maybe trying to figure out the Bone Shaman¡¯s formation was a waste of time. ***POV Whipman*** ¡°Are you really really really sure?¡± Jen asked for the third time as her body slowly elongated from the position where her base was stuck to the ceiling. Whipman nodded decisively. ¡°I¡­ I want¡­ no, I need some space. I¡±ll go up first, and I¡¯ll rush to the 10th floor. Once I¡¯m there, I will immediately begin training¡­ Tellus maintains a sizable amount of presence, and I¡¯m sure they will allow me to stay there as I refine myself.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Whipman opened his mouth to respond in affirmative again, but then did a double take because the question was different. Smiling bitterly, he said. ¡°Because I want to win. Contact me when Predator¡¯s path is up for promotion.¡± Jen remained silent, and watched him walk through the portal to the 6th floor. ***POV Predator*** After another huge dinner that involved me licking the table clean, I looked at my total biomass with satisfaction. 2372. It was a good deal higher than I had ever been previously during a level up, and it would continue to rise before I had another chance to level up. After all, even if I could continue to train my skill proficiencies, it seemed like I couldn¡¯t level up without defeating people. Actually¡­ I had no idea. I made a mental note to ask¡­. -Honestly who should I ask¡­? -Jen probably would know, but¡­ She continued to remain moody, even though we haven¡¯t eaten the strange jello food for days, regardless of how efficiently it converted volume into Biomass. So much so that she was always whispering pointedly to Ashni, immediately shutting up whenever I walked into the room for meals. -Jerry then¡­? Jerry was also a likely candidate, but I was currently avoiding him for other reasons. He mentioned at breakfast that he was almost done with the new census of minions, apologizing profusely at the delay. Apparently the murloc population had increased explosively, and he was having some difficulties traveling to the bottom of the moat to count them all. When he had mentioned it, I didn¡¯t think anything of it. But as I was about to head to dinner earlier, I saw him walked around, sopping wet and lugging around a pile of scrolls that likely weighed just as much as he does. I had a sinking feeling and waited until he left dinner before arriving. -If he wants more approval regarding undead formations¡­. -He also has recommendations for optimal undead ratios¡­. -Do you remember how dead the eyes of the ghosts were after he took them for ¡®training¡¯? They came back so bored they looked lifeless. -....they are ghosts. Do you want them to look lively¡­? -...And the training regimens and schedules¡­. All in all, the prospect of conversing with Jerry while he had his ton of scrolls gave me a headache worse than the mental strain that ruined my mana control earlier. -Except mana won¡¯t go out of control, it will be temper. As animated as Ashni could be when talking about Thunder Stance, any other topic simply made her snort with derision. Turnip was similarly insensible, except his weakness was archery. Black Bones was busy nibbling on his old bones. I wasn¡¯t sure either the Haeugh or the Bone Shaman actually spoke, and I couldn¡¯t use Jerry to translate. -So¡­. Whipman¡­.? -I suppose so. We train with him tomorrow morning, so let¡¯s ask him then. In the meantime¡­ Lunar mist slowly condensed around me. Then I pressed further, creating a mirror. But, going off an instinct I had after looking at the formation. I made the mirror small. Just as large as a quarter. And while it was that size, I pressed. -It must be flat. -The energy must be constant. -It must remain thin. Press. Press. PRESS. Abruptly, I felt something give, and immediately the amount of mental energy it took to maintain the mirror of lunar energy was reduced to almost nothing. The small mirror glowed with a powerful inner light, and the reflection it produced was sharp and detailed, seemingly even more real than the object it reflected. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your have learned the skill ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 1¡±. By condensing the highly volatile and delicate lunar mist, you have realized the methods to create a powerful mirror of lunar energy. Only an object¡¯s true nature will be reflected in the lunar mirror. Also works on living beings. Mana costs slightly decreased. Reflections will be slightly more detailed than can be seen by the naked eye. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your have learned the skill ¡°Iron Will Lvl 1¡±. Periods of extended concentration and focus have allowed your will to be strengthened to an almost supernatural degree. Temptations and illusions are slightly less effective on you. Slightly higher chance of persevering in states of deprivation, weariness, or weakness. -Hehe. -And now¡­ After placing a small stone on the Lunar Reflection, I slowly clenched my fist. The lunar mirror trembled, then shattered. The stone crumbled to dust. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your have learned the skill ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 1¡±. By shattering an object¡¯s true essence, irreparable harm may be inflicted on an object. Also works on living beings. Shattering the mirror inflicts great harm upon the physical body of what is depicted. If it is a conscious being, a small amount of mental damage is inflicted. -...the only problem is¡­ I grimaced, looking at my mana pool. Condensing a lunar reflection took around 200 mana, so a little less than 10% of my total. Meanwhile, shattering it took about 700. A little less than a third. That isn¡¯t even counting the mana it took to create and maintain the lunar reflection. -The only way to get those mana costs down is to train. -But once again, mana doesn¡¯t regenerate fast enough. Looking around, I sighed. I guess I needed to talk to the Bone Shaman again. And I would stay up all night, likely without any results. I took a break then, looking up at the sky. Honestly, I sorta just wanted to start battling again. Training was such a grind. It felt like my accomplishments were small. Comically so. But still¡­. The image of that overwhelming power I encountered on the 1st floor still kept me from slacking. I had almost died and whoever that was hadn¡¯t even needed to touch me. And that wasn¡¯t even the top of the Tower. I had a strange instinct that there were monster much, much higher on the food chain then that person. That was my goal. That¡¯s what I wanted to become. Day 40 ***POV Jen*** ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Jen muttered to herself, her slime mouth growing ever wider as her eyes remained locked on the terminal in front of her. ¡°Kekeke, it¡¯s pathetic right?¡± Habbley, the owner of the terminal station, hopped across the counter towards the terminal Jen watched. He vaguely resembled a giant horned toad, with a strange mixture of slimy and scaly in his skin, but it wasn¡¯t just his head that was horned; huge, razor sharp protuberances of ivory came from his elbows and knees, and both arms ended in 4 deadly talons. Using his malleable tongue, Habbley gestured at the screen. ¡°This is the final season of Earth. This is the shit that got them cancelled.¡± Figures yelled back and forth across the screen, escalating in volume in order to be heard over each other. ¡°What are they trying to do?¡± Jen asked, still studing the characters in front of her with an extremely exacting eye. After all, this was the source of Predator, even if he didn¡¯t remember it. ¡°Meh.¡± Habbley spat a glob of wriggling phlegm into the corner. ¡°Politics. The real issue, why it lost itself, is that it seemed like everyone but the writers noticed that one of the main characters was losing its sense of self, but the screen writers tried to keep going like nothing was wrong.¡± ¡°Oh yea?¡± Jen honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but she wanted to stay a while longer, watching the proud men and women strut on screen. ¡°It¡¯s tragic really,¡± Habbley said, hopping closer. Jen could tell by his tone that he relished this chance to talk on the subject. ¡°It all started to go downhill when too many paradoxes were introduced at once. A longstanding character was challenged for the first time in its existence, and they decided to go in an edgy direction, letting it slowly die. Well, not die. But his strength slowly left them. When the ideas for plot ran dry, they created means to generate humans more quickly, so more characters were born.¡± ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t the humans the characters.¡± Jenn was intrigued enough to look at Habbley. He burbled happily. ¡°Hehehe, people unfamiliar with the show would think so, but they were just carriers. The real characters, Integrity, Religion, Greed, and the like, lived through the people, but a single human is insignificant. The characters behind them is where the plot really develops. That¡¯s why the most compelling characters were countries. But in the more recent seasons¡­¡± Gesturing with his tongue, Habbley hopped towards the back. ¡°Let me show you something.¡± ***POV Predator*** Sitting still in the darkness, I cast my mind backwards, attempting to recapture the combination of inquisitiveness and acceptance that allowed me to learn student of the arcane. Even if I was unable to progress forward towards learning some manner of meditation, Arcane Mastery could increase my mana pool size. -Which is less elegant, but more productive in the long term. -That¡¯s an inelegant way of saying that mana size will be better for short bursts of mana expenditures, but will ultimately be more fruitful towards our growth. -I hate you. Before, I managed it when I was thinking about Mana as a type of will. Considering that, I kept my eyes closed, trying to picture that. Ultimately, I just ended up frowning; I was not a person with enough experience to try and picture will. So I began to think of possible objects similar enough to work. The obvious one was muscle. Was it perhaps that easy? Was mana just a different type of muscle? This I could picture with more success, and as my eyes remained closed, I constructed a muscular system around me made of glowing blue flesh. It emitted a soft light, and had the ability to control wind, ice, and lunar energy. Focusing on those details, the color of my blue muscles cooled even further, becoming darker, nearing a navy color. Then I hesitated. Was this even doing anything? The blue muscle system crumbled to dust around me. This was not the answer. I could somehow sense that this was a path that would lead nowhere. Mana was not simply another muscle that could be used to lift an object. There had to be an element of skill in utilization, I believed. After all, as your skill level increased, you had to spend less and less mana to accomplish the same thing. -Doesn¡¯t the same thing happen with muscles? -Not exactly. Your muscles get bigger, but they don¡¯t abruptly become more efficient. -No that¡¯s not true. I think muscles can become much more efficient from prolonged use. -But over and over again? Mana is muscle size. But utilization continues to improve in a way that¡¯s not like muscles at all. -God I hope we aren¡¯t as smart as each other, because you are an idiot. Look, mana utilization isn¡¯t mana. You can punch harder by learning to punch smarter. That¡¯s the increase in efficiency, and your muscles would remain constant. The breath I let out of my mouth came out in a hiss. It was frustrating, but this was also a dead end. What exactly was mana? ***POV Jen*** ¡°What are these?¡± Jen asked curiously, countless tentacles swimming forward to pick up the small stacks of paper. ¡°Be careful!¡± Habbley¡¯s worry was palpable. ¡°These are mint condition! Grab them only at the edges, and try not to get any of you¡­ juice on them.¡± Deciding it wouldn¡¯t help for her to get affronted at Habbley¡¯s choice of words, Jen considered the objects in front of her. Brightly colored covered depicted strange, contorted humans in small bits of cloth. Their faces smiled in a strange, shiny way. Habbley had introduced the piles as ¡°magazines¡± and casually mentioned that his was the largest non-professional collection of genuine Earth memorabilia. ¡®Isn¡¯t that just a way of saying it¡¯s not a very large collection at all?¡¯ Jen wondered to herself, but she had to admit that Habbley seemed to possess a ridiculous amount of the weird ¡°magazines¡±. The warehouse behind the terminal station was not, as she had assumed, abandoned. Rather, it was unusable because it was filled to the brim with piled magazines. ¡°So¡­.¡± Jen pointed a tentacle at a particularly peppy female woman on the cover. ¡°What does it say?¡± After squinting at it for a while, Habbley said, ¡°Ah, 10 ways to get your man wrapped around your little finger.¡± Nodding sagely, Habbley turned back to Jen. ¡°An excellent issue. Many profound truths are contained therein. This was the medium of culture for earth, and¡­¡± But Jen had stopped listening. ¡°Get a man wrapped around your finger¡­?¡± Jen¡¯s body swayed back and forth, jiggling slightly. She tried to picture Predator trying to wrap himself around her tentacle, squeezing it tightly in the process. ¡°Teehee, Predator¡­ your body can¡¯t do that¡­.¡± Jen imagined Predator, his eyes smoldering at her. Several small tentacles formed on her sides, waving slowly. ¡°Your body is¡­. So hard¡­. You aren¡¯t squishy enough to wrap around me¡­¡± The side tentacles grew, flexing powerfully. Then Jen giggled. ¡°...yet¡­.¡± ***POV Predator***The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rubbing my temples, I tried to brush him off. ¡°Don¡¯t have time. Whipman demanded we get an early start on training, I need to go.¡± Jerry gave me a strange look. ¡°...no he didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t try and get out of it. Just listen real quick! I have some ideas on the deployment of our troops, and if we can pull it off¡­¡± ¡°Okay fine.¡± I said, glaring at him, using my superior size to tower over him. ¡°But make it quick.¡± His eyes were glowing like a man riding a high so good it must be illegal. ¡°Yes yes, quick, but detail is important in this sort of thing, so-¡± I sighed in resignation. ¡°-but first, here is the current troop report.¡± I took the paper he offered me and looked at it.
Staff Sergeant Tim Staff Sergeant Drudge Lvl 24
Turnip Archer of the Blood Owl Lvl 19
Vineling Monstrosity Lvl 19
Bone Shaman Lvl 18
Gerard Kiefhart Reanimated Antpho Lvl 17
Murloc Captain Lvl 16
Ghost (x11) Lvl 15
TIckles Blighted Ghoul Lvl 15
Haeugh Murloc Chieftain Lvl 14
Skeleton Bear(x24) Lvl 14
Skeleton Archer(x6) Lvl 14
Shroom Bearer Lvl 13
Skeleton Archer(x22) Lvl 13
Skeleton Archer (x6) Lvl 12
Murloc Brawler (x23) Lvl 11
Murloc Trapper (x18) Lvl 10
Murloc Hunter (x49) Lvl 8
Murloc Slinger (x34) Lvl 8
Murloc Hunter (x129) Lvl 6
Boneling (x100) Lvl 5
Murloc Slinger(x430) Lvl 4
Black Bones Lesser Infernal Skeleton Lvl 2
Murloc Villager (x1892) Lvl 1
Total Combat Minions: 856
-....holy shit¡­. ¡°Wait,¡± I said quickly, pointing at the report. ¡°Exactly how many murlocs do we have on the path?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know,¡± Jerry said, his eyes glittering. ¡°But that¡¯s part of my inspiration! They multiply when bleeding in fresh blood, and in the wake of the battle we fought a few days ago, numbers have surged. You see those Murloc captains? Thats a species that even the Haeugh had never seen before in his tenure as Chieftain. This is a chance-¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? And aren¡¯t these Murloc Captains a problem? They are stronger than Haeugh, what if they try to¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­. Rebel against him? And moreover, what do we do if the murlocs rebel against us?¡± Apparently something I said got through to Jerry, because he froze and looked at me with wide eyes. But right when I was congratulating myself, he shook his head in a disappointed manner. ¡°How dare you make light of the peace brokered by Staff Sergeant Tim. Of course checks and balances were put into place to prevent such a thing from occurring! The murloc economy is reliant on¡­¡± As Jerry continued to talk, my eyes glazed over. It wasn¡¯t until 20 minutes later, when he asked me to summon skeleton bears today, that I finally snapped out of it. Yawning slightly,I wandered away, wondering where I was supposed to meet Whipman for training. And I still wanted to ask him how leveling works. -Who knows, he might even know something about mana. ***POV Jenn*** ¡°And this?¡± Jen asked, pointing to one of the lists with a tentacle. ¡°Oh,¡± Habbley mumbled, leaning forward. ¡°Move your tentacle abit¡­ ah, that says ¡®Keep him guessing! Don¡¯t be afraid to throw in a few white lies to make him wonder!¡¯¡±. Her jelly body trembling in eagerness, ¡°And this one?¡± ¡°Always keep him waiting.¡± Habbley seemed to really share in her enthusiasm, and spoke the tips in a high pitched gurgle, rather than his typical one. Although perhaps it was just that she was finally sharing in one of Habbley¡¯s joys. ¡°What does this one say?¡± ¡°Never let him give you attitude, always be ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice. He needs to know you might leave him to value you..¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Jen said, carefully remembering these truths. ¡°Is there any chance I can purchase some of these ¡®magazines¡¯ from you.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Habbley seemed torn and stood still for several seconds, but finally nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure its fine. Since you are such a fan and all.¡± They returned to the main room, Jen holding several magazines. She gave him her credit chip number and he entered it into the machine, but Habbley frowned. ¡°Unfortunately¡­ it seems like you don¡¯t have enough credits to buy them all. May I recommend the May Bachorlette edition?¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Jen said, making a mental note to use her sure fire way of making money again tonight. ***POV Predator*** Whipman was nowhere to be found, so I spent most of the day training the lunar mirror spells, with a good amount of results. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 2¡±. Lunar mist is slightly easier to compress. The amount of mana required to maintain has decreased. The speed of compression had increased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 3¡±. The size of the Lunar Reflection you are able to control is slightly increased. The mana costs to form the reflection is decreased an extremely small amount. Mana costs to maintain a compressed reflection are significantly decreased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 2¡±. Mana costs are decreased. Objects in the area of the reflected object will receive a small portion of the damage. Amount of damage dealt to the spirit is slightly increased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 4¡±. Mana costs to maintain a compressed Lunar Reflection have decreased to almost nothing. The size of controllable reflections have increased. The most important improvement was the ability to maintain the lunar reflections almost indefinitely once they were formed. Once they were created, they hung in the air around him. It was at about 5 of them that the mana usage became noticeable. Still, if I could prepare them prior to the battle, and just have them ready to shatter¡­ Unfortunately, manipulating them still required some delicate control, and shattering cost too much mana for me to be able to reliably level it. And the mirrors were only about as big as a small plate. The objects that currently could be reflected well weren¡¯t exactly the targets I had in mind. Still it was improvement. And as long as I was moving forward, someday I would reach the level of strength I wanted¡­ ¡°Predator.¡± I blinked and turned, surprised by the fact someone had come out into the marshy area below the castle to find me. ¡°Jen? What do you need.¡± I watched Jen roll closer, a pink flower stuck into the top of her body, making it look like it was growing out of her. Not that I was exactly sure that her slime body was healthy for a growing flower, but it was still an amusing picture. ¡°Oh, nothing, I was just coincidentally in the area.¡± She said matter of factly, stopping next to her. I frowned at her. -...well, whatever. ¡°Have you seen Whipman?¡± I asked. ¡°No, he-¡± Jen¡¯s slime body froze, then slowly relaxed, spreading out over the ground. Then all at once the elasticity returned to her, bouncing her up. ¡°Uh, he¡¯s dead. No, um, he¡¯s shopping.¡± I looked at her, my frown deepening. ¡°What are you-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me attitude!¡± Jen hurriedly rolled away, about 20 meters back towards the castle before for stopping, rolling around, and looking at me. ¡°Uh, Jen-¡± I said, not quite sure what was going on. Whipman wasn¡¯t really dead, was he? Wouldn¡¯t I be able to tell with Summon Lesser Dead? ¡°Okay, t-this is where you w-w-w-wra-wrap yourself a-a-a-a-a-round me, right? Do it.¡± Suddenly the air around Jen was filled with hundreds of tentacles, a seething mass of green flesh that seemed impossible to escape from. -It always surprises me how many of those she can create. ¡°....what?¡± I said, completely confused. ***POV Jen*** After leaving Predator without answering his questions, so he would want more, Jen returned to her administrator¡¯s quarters, in a space between the floors. She quickly drew several spell formations, taking care that her line were incredibly straight and neat. ¡°And now¡­ a few so no one will know what I¡¯m doing¡­¡± Jen added a few embellishments to hide the targets of her scrying. Satisfied, she activate the spell formation. Jen looked through time, into the past, and saw the challengers that Kettle invested in. ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m a genius. Now I can be your¡­ s-s-s-s-sugar m-momma, Predator,¡± Jen said, learning one of the new words she had learned from the Earth Magazine. Then she began placing bets on challengers, mirroring Kettle. ***POV Predator*** Fury +1 Fury +1 Confused and very annoyed, I returned to the castle. Jen had run away before I could get an answer about Whipman from her, yelling that she was late for her nail appointment. Before I began my nightly training for meditation, I wanted to stop and talk to Ashni, see if she could give me any guidance on the other Stances. I would train with her tomorrow in Thunder Stance, but¡­ However, when I arrived at the castle, I had to stop, frowning; it was completely empty. After some searching, I found a note stuck to the table in the dining area. Going to the murloc village to practice some war games. No need for you to come. It will be tedious and boring. Below are the undead you should summon tomorrow and the day after. -Jerry Fury +1 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +1 until the Fury degrades. Fury +2 Gritting my teeth, I settled down for another long night. The silence stretched wide around me, extremely obvious after so long with so many minions surrounding me. Day 41.1 Day 41 There was silence in my head, for the first time in a long time. The sun began to rise to the east, and I once more restrained myself, maintaining my mental tranquility. It was surprisingly how much meaningless noise could be generated just by having two versions of yourself cooped up in a single head. But we both agreed to try something different for this night of meditation. Surprisingly, a skill did level up, but it wasn¡¯t the one that I was expecting. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 2¡±. Perhaps the most shocking part of this level up was the fact that it wasn¡¯t accompanied by any explanation. Where I would usually see some of the concrete details of how a skill improved, this time, it was bare. All the while maintaining the inner tranquility, I dismissed the notification and closed my eyes. If this was also utilizing my control skill, all for the better. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would make any breakthroughs in terms of meditation through this method, but some benefits would keep me at least committed to trying it for the night. I wanted to consider more closely how the skill worked, and why it had been in use, but the more I thought, the more likely I would lose the balance I currently had. When I started, I had a feeling that this sort of training type was cumulative, and I didn¡¯t want to lose my current progress. So I continued to let the thoughts fall away, leaving my mind completely calm. In a way, I received another award. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 3¡±. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Iron Will Lvl 2¡±. All stats now receive an extremely small bonus for the value of your Willpower. You can remained focused for a longer time. Distractions are less effective on you. ...I continued to level skills that had to do with self-discipline. It was almost as if the system of The Great Tower was mocking me for doing such a tortuous method of training. But wasn¡¯t torture what training was? Wasn¡¯t pain¡­ The edges of my mouth began to twitch towards a smile, like a freshly killed body shuddering into rigor mortis. So I stopped thinking about pain before I couldn¡¯t control the strange glee it always gave me. I really must be growing bored. Sure, training was all well and good, but I want¡­ Frowning, I pressed down with my will somehow, smothering the thoughts. This was not the way. I needed peace, I needed- -Hey, I had a thought. My eye began to twitch. But I supposed it was to be expected. Other me was still me. If I was losing control over my thoughts, he would be to. Still, this timing¡­ -What is it? Can¡¯t it wait? -No, I think I know why it¡¯s not working. You focus on yourself too much. -...who else am I supposed to focus on? -Not who, what. Mana. -....Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯m doing¡­? -Urgh, no, its hard to explain. You don¡¯t focus on mana. Mana is the focus. It¡¯s the focusing on the skills. -You need to try again. I¡¯m not following. -Mana is¡­ mana is not something you have, really. It¡¯s a liaison. It¡¯s- At the same time he was about to say it, it snapped into place. Why sitting still wouldn¡¯t help. Why trying to massage mana wouldn¡¯t help. Because mana wasn¡¯t the focus, it was what was beyond the mana. ¡°It¡¯s a relationship,¡± I breathed. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Arcane Mastery Lvl 2¡±. Ability to manipulate mana has slightly increased. The chance of controlling more than one spell at once has slightly increased. Skills will level up slightly more quickly. Addition to maximum mana increased to 2.25%. Other me seemed quite pleased with himself. Standing proudly in my mind even while saying he barely knew anything. -Right. The one problem is then I don¡¯t really get why different elements would have different skill levels, or how to meditate at all. But now I could see it. It grew inside of me, a strange pattern by which the world was governed. -Elements are just activities¡­ pursuits done with the relationship. Because what you are growing closer to is the world. Or existence. Or maybe it¡¯s some weird Tower system. -A natural law maybe. Or a god. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Arcane Mastery Lvl 3¡±. Mana regeneration has increased an extremely small amount. By witnessing a skill a large amount of times, you have a small chance of gaining insight into it. Addition to maximum mana increased to 3.75%. Now I didn¡¯t bother to control the grin that was spreading across my face. This was it, the right path. If I could push forward, what I wanted awaited me. Power. So much that no one could threaten my ability to survive. So that I did not need to hide to live freely. I could practically hear the smash and reverberation of battle. The scent of blood and the hooks of pain. Battlefields covered with dancing murlocs and marching skeletons. And I- ¡°Hey, Predator. Did a glutton like you really forget about breakfast?¡± Ashni walked towards me, her face and tone cool, even for her. I turned to face her, annoyed, but also excited to continue my training in Thunder Stance. Power came in many forms, and I wanted it all. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia calmed her mind, letting the ¡°other¡± world that was only a thin layer of existence away press closer, grinding against her mental senses. Gritting her teeth, she took several short breaths to handle the pain, then spread her senses farther, gathering another layer and pulling it closer, where it hummed its dissatisfaction at being so closely pressed to another layer of reality, let alone two. Then Ketlia grabbed another, and another. With the five layers of existence pressing down in the area around her, Ketlia could barely stay conscious. This was her limit. It was almost a release when Ketlia twisted with her mind, no longer bothering to hold them close, but allowing the strange powers that these layers of reality possessed to crash into each other rush outward. BOOOOM! It was as if an extremely localized explosion occurred in the area around Ketlia. The grass beneath her feet was shredded, and then the dirt underneath that disintegrated. The ground beneath that bucked and shuddered like a dying racehorse.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. A extremely dense turtle that had been placed nearby shrieked briefly, then still, as the chaotic dimensional energies tore through it. All the while, Ketlia maintained a tight mental discipline, preventing the energy from injuring herself. After the aftershocks ceased, Ketlia heard a soft tut-ting that made her turn around. ¡°Impressive, but slow. You need to train more. Based on this¡­¡± Kettle, looking extremely professional in a blue striped pants suit, walked up to the turtle and knocked on its shell. ¡°You have more than enough power to injure Predator, but no ability to hit him.¡± Ketlia¡¯s face didn¡¯t even twitch when Kettle mentioned Predator. Recently, since Gillette had turned over their training to Kettle, that was all she heard. Methods to defeat Predator. Ways to overcome Predator. Why Predator was weak. Ketlia hated all of it. She was tired of being reminded of him. ¡°On the flipside¡­¡± Kettle made a note on the clipboard. ¡°Your quick version of this ability has barely enough damage to slow him down. I¡¯ve brought mana potions. Choose one and train it, I care not which. You seem smart enough to intuit which will arrive more quickly. Further control and speed on the 5 fold, or power on the 2 fold.¡± Seemingly satisfied, Kettle turned around and left. Ketlia stood extremely still until the other woman had left eyesight or earshot, and then spit on the ground. Then she scolded herself inwardly because she knew Kettle was recording their training sessions and would see her small act of defiance later. What pissed her off the most was that Kettle¡¯s response would likely just be clicking her tongue at the terminal screen in annoyance, then moving on to the next order of business in the grand plan to kill Predator. Whopdie-fucking-doo. ***POV Predator*** ¡°I was distracted. I¡¯ll go eat now before we start.¡± Although I wanted to get as much training done today as I could, especially after doing practically nothing yesterday, I still wanted biomass. When I leveled with all this stockpiled biomass¡­ But Ashni just waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t even bother.¡± Frowning, I asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°No cooks. All the murlocs went down to their village for the war games. So you are scavenging for yourself, around her?¡± Ashni waved her hand airily at the ruined fort and the surrounding marsh. -Supremely unappetizing. -But that¡¯s a good reminder I summoned more Skeleton Bears, as requested by Jerry before he left that shitty- Fury +1 A vein in my forehead began to throb. That shitty note, without even asking for my opinion, taking all of the murlocs and skeletons with him, not even bothering to leave that insufferable bone shaman- Fury +1 Who, while annoying, would at least have been able to maintain the mana regen formation, enabling me to train my mana skills faster while working on the Thunder Stance. I couldn¡¯t even believe that I wanted the Bone Shaman here, because he, contrary to Jerry¡¯s assurances, most definitely could NOT speak- Fury +1 Honestly, this all started with that fucking- Fury +1 Tim, a skeleton that I wasn¡¯t even positive existed, taking away all their respect for me and making them pointlessly uncooperative characters- Fury +1 And now they had the nerve to go off, leaving me to summon monsters -Hehe, I have an idea. You know what we haven¡¯t done lately? Smiling, I nodded; I knew exactly what he was thinking. Sitting down to wait, I pondered what the most effective method would be. But given how excited Jerry had been about ¡°talking¡± to the Bone Shaman, and how much the Bone Shamans hated each other, I figured the simplest plan was the easiest one. I make a Bone Shaman. One powerful enough that when the other returned from wherever they went off too, it would be crushed to dust. It took five more minutes before I had enough mana to summon a Bone Shaman, but still I wasted. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes. Ashni wandered off, telling me to find her whenever I was ready. Meanwhile, I slowly watched my mana. Finally, it reached an appropriate point. I summoned a Bone Shaman, then ignored its wild hopping, jumping, and cackling as I walked up and put my hand upon its head. My voice was low and calm. ¡°Unholy Bestowal.¡± Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Unholy Bestowal Lvl 3¡±. Due to experience, Unholy Bestowal can now be used every 6 days. Slightly more of your current stats are included in the blessing. There is now a slightly larger chance the blessed undead will gain traits of your race. Unholy Bestowal used! This nameless Bone Shaman has received a great blessing based on the race ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡±. Due to incompatibility between races, some random variance added. The Bone Shama has evolved into ¡°Architect of Bone¡±. Endurance Wisdom, Willpower, and Ingenuity of the architect have vastly increased. Growth rates for Wis, and Ing are increased. Growth rates of End, Int, WP, and Perception are moderately increased. Learned skill ¡°Assemble of Bone: Mass Production¡±: The Architect can create, through constructs of living and dead matter, furnaces that produce relatively weak Bone-based constructs. Learned skill ¡°Assemblage of Bone: Overseer¡±: The Architect can create, through constructs of living and dead matter, workshops that rarely produce Bone Overseers that control relatively weak Bone-based constructs. Learned skill ¡°Assemblage of Bone: Masterwork¡±: The effect of this skill is unknown. Likelihood of occurrence increases as the Bone Architect has higher Ing. The Bone Shaman hunched over and seemed to shrivel, its bone¡¯s twisting and locking into new formation. Scratching my chin, I decided that I liked what had occurred. Hopefully this Bone Architect could create undead even when I wasn¡¯t there to spend mana, maintaining the status of the path, and bolstering its strength for when I returned. -Well, you say that¡­ The Bone Architect curled up into a ball, and then laid its head down. Then it began to audibly snore. -What the fuck? Do skeletons even sleep. -What have we learned? We are surrounded by uncooperative characters. Leave him alone and hopefully he will kill the other Bone Shaman when he returns. Why even try and talk with him? He likely will just cackle. A waste of time. Let¡¯s just go practice Thunder Stance. -...that¡¯s surprisingly reasonable. But I have another idea before that. So I turned away from the sleeping (?) Bone Architect and focused on another thing I had forgotten about for a long while: Essence. Luckily, due to the improvements I made in summon lesser dead, the amount of mana it took to create ghouls had decreased to 27. Just 1 less than my current total essence. So I focused, summoning a ghoul only with essence, throwing the extra 1 essence in there to boost its power. All essence expended! Max Essence +1 Much to my chagrin, an extremely ordinary looking ghoul rose from the ground. -That was¡­ anticlimactic. -Usually essence expenditures result in an explosion.. Almost seeming bored, the ghoul wandered over towards the pile of bones that were what remained of Yellow Bones body. -Whatever. -Yea, at least it increased max essence. Let¡¯s go work on Thunder Stance. But before I could make it very far, I heard a new, gravelly voice behind me. ¡°Ehehe, I suppose you are wondering why I¡¯m sleeping, youngster.¡± I paused, then continued to walk as he continued to speak. ¡°Well it just so happens that I am more an artist that a scientist. I need to feel something before I can create an assemblage of bone. I need to dream it alive, more than constructing it- er, wait, where are you going.¡± -Totally an uncooperative character. -Ignore him. That¡¯s what they can¡¯t stand. ¡°Heh, typical corporate master. You think it¡¯ that easy to create life? You think just because you created the awe inspiring me that it is something you can do consistently, on a schedule? There is a beauty in perverting the sanctity of life, and- no but really kid, give me a moment to explain.-¡± Instead of turning around, I began to walk faster. ¡°FINE, IF THAT¡¯S THE WAY YOU WANT IT, I¡¯LL SHOW YOU MY MIGHT.¡± The gravelly voice rose up to a huge roar, and my acute perception instantly picked up several strange movements of mana behind me. But my legs moved faster and faster, and soon I was leaving the ruined fort and the roaring monologu-er and approaching Ashni. Feeling extremely refreshed after my run in with the Architect, I said jokingly to Ashni, ¡°You, know, sometimes I feel like skipping out on training here and just moving up the tower. I probably would too, if Whipman ever had the nerve to hang around you. I¡¯m tired of these path-dwellers.¡± Ashni gave me a long look. Then slowly, her lip curled up in a strange smile. ¡°She did not tell you? The slime.¡± Ashni said curiously. ¡°Whipman has gone on ahead. He wishes to train alone. Your master has abandoned you, and I am left to pick up the pieces...What a coward.¡± I looked at her, dumbfounded. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°He-¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°Did-¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?!?!?¡± Day 41.2 Day 41.2 ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia looked with distaste at the smiling receptionist as she entered into their new lodgings. Smiling brightly, the receptionist said, ¡°Welcome back, Madam Kat. How may I-¡± But Ketlia just walked smoothly past him, reaching the lift and taking it up to their floor. She did, however, feel a small surge of satisfaction, as she always did, when she was called the wrong name. A small act of defiance there was no way of being called out on. ¡®Except¡­¡¯ She thought to herself bitterly, biting her lip. Except Predator. Except the one man that she had wanted to forget. The one individual she was constantly being reminded of by Kettle. Thinking back, she could still remember the cold cruelty of the wild man¡¯s gaze, especially when they first ran into each other. It seemed a very long time ago, even if it was just over a month. This life of struggle and death had a way of making time flow strangely. It almost made her shiver, trying to imagine how the time had affected him. If Kettle was to be believed, he had become a monster, both in power and temperament. ***POV Predator*** Fury +1 Fury +1 For a few seconds, I wanted to explode. Time and time again I had been mocked and derided by my minions, taken for granted. What even were they, without me? I gave most of them life. I was more than their superior. I was closer to a fucking god. And yet¡­ Fury +1 Fury +1 And yet they barely bother to acknowledge me¡­ Fury +1 Fury +1 What was most frustrating was that the fury would give me power, but it would not help me deal with them. What would I do with increased stats? Crush them more? I didn''t really have a stat that would make them obeyme. -Or at the very least respect me. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 The arrogance of their actions made me itch, but then¡­ I had just let them do what they wanted for so long. Perhaps I hadn''t been disciplined enough, but I was either fighting or gone ascending through other floors for most of their existence. It wasn''t a surprise they started to act out like spoiled chlidren without supervision. But now, what should I- A thought struck me. I tilted my head to the side, mulling it over. After my experience with the Architect of Bone, I wondered, why not just- -Ignore them. It was as if the bottom fell out of my soul. And with the plug pulled, all of my feelings and emotions swirled down slowly, draining out of me and falling away. My eyes glazed over as I looked at the horizon, and it was only when the last of my emotions drained away that I had a thought to break the silence. ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ My mouth began to twitch, curling slowly upward at the edges. ¡®This training, this worrying¡­.even this path¡­.why bother?¡¯ -Let¡¯s go to where we improved the most. On the battlefield. I turned to Ashni, who was watching me with an increasingly disgusted expression, beaming at her. ¡°Call Jenn for me.¡± ¡°Why? So you can have a lover¡¯s quarrel? I care not for your troubles; instead, focus on training.¡± Her drawling voice wormed into me, threatening my apathy. Fury +1 Fury +1 Hot anger gushed, filling me up. Why can¡¯t I get a single person to listen? Even now- Fury +1 Fury +1 But before that train of thought could continue, I regained control, the emotions swirled and drained away, leaving only emptiness. I chuckled. ¡°Call Jenn.¡± I could sense it in my voice, and from the way Ashni stiffened, she did too. There was a lazy arrogance in my tone that wasn¡¯t there before. A predator¡¯s surety. A sense of superiority. Ashni looked at me for exactly 3 seconds. I held the eye contact, still grinning, my mouth continuing to twist further. Then, slowly, she nodded. ¡°Fine. But first you must demonstrate the sufficiency of your training. Else, you must complete another set of exercises before you¡­ take care of your business.¡± Fury +1 I felt a single spike of vicious anger, but it instantly drained away. I regarded her coolly, considering her request. It was a method to subvert me, that was sure. But I was also convinced that ultimately, Ashni believed that she was doing this for my own good, sure in her own belief that I needed further training more than I needed talk to Jenn. -Her motivations are pure, but she deserves to be taught a lesson for ignoring me. -Twice. -So should we¡­? I could feel the image other me was focusing on: attacking suddenly, holding nothing back. But just like everything else, the hot rage that fueled that image fell away, leaving only pointless violence and a waste of time. -No. We teach her a lesson, but¡­ Not as a punishment. As a lesson.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. -That we¡­ -That we are Apex. That we are unstoppable. I stepped forward. I knew what Ashni wanted. A consistent ability to step forward using the thunder stance, without me relying on my own body or tumbling over when I succeeded. Thus far, my results had been inconsistent at best. Frustration had piled high in my chest, making my movements tense and choppy, the Thunder Stance becoming extremely difficult to control. But now, with everything falling away¡­ I could feel the tension leaving me. My joints were relaxed and supple, and for a moment, I turned my senses inward and marveled at just how imposing I was, as a physical specimen. -After all, we are Apex. A small smiled formed on my face at Other Me¡¯s comment. And with that surety fueling me, I stepped forward. Stone and dirt cracked beneath, but I could suddenly intuit the perfect balance, and my mind raced to control my muscled to compensate. Rushing smoothly forward, my perception spread wide, taking in every inch of ground, every shrub and bump. I could see it. I always could. Now, for the first time, I was looking. My body was a trap, just like it had been with mana. I was powerful. I was unstoppable. Why worry about whether I could accomplish something? It was obviously yes. My foot landed, ending my step. Now, force traveled in reverse, slowly being dispersed as it ran up my legs. Shuddering beneath me, a flash of worry rose that the ground wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the force. My leg trembled. But that drained away, leaving confidence. My body flowed like water. 25 meters, traveled in an instant, the sonic boom howling around me. I turned and grinned at Ashni, who was looking at me with narrowed eyes. But I wasn¡¯t done; I raised my left leg, first slowly, and then with increasing speed, aiming a high kick into the air. I felt the force, resist me, wanting, just like foolish water, to flow downwards, the path of least resistance. But I pushed back, corralling the rapidly growing force up my leg, through my thigh, exploding up around my knee, rushing down my calf, and then¡­ BOOOOM. The air shattered as I didn¡¯t just kick, I pressed with the force, breaking the very air with the immediacy of the power. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 6¡±. The chance of successfully executing Thunder Stance moves is greatly increased. Damage amplification has slightly increased. The strain on your body has decreased. -Was it always this easy¡­? What a waste of time. ¡°Get Jenn.¡± That was all either of us spoke. Willing or not, Ashni left. ***POV Ketlia*** Luckily for Ketlia, Gillette was in his office when she returned, pouring over paperwork. Also lucky for him, because Ketlia had secretly promised herself that she would trash his office, leaving several nasty mental traps for him encounter, had he not been there to stop her. Also, she wasn¡¯t even sure what Gillette as looking at. Most of the work had been turned over to Kettle since she had arrived. And yet, if anything, Gillette was now even more busy. With basically nothing to show for all the hours he sequestered himself away. ¡°We need to talk.¡± Although she disliked doing it, Ketlia knew that she had speak first. Gillette was perfectly willing to let her stand there for an hour before he would address her, letting the sharp edge her temper fray, her wits slowly succumbing to annoyance and rage. Gillette looked up at her with a sly expression. ¡°Oh? I assume you want to talk about Kettle again. Still annoyed that there is another woman bossing you around?¡± A split second of silence, then Gillette chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Relax, Kat. You know I don¡¯t think like that. I was just trying to lighten the mood. I¡¯m not sexist. What do you need?¡± ¡®If you really weren¡¯t sexist¡¯ Ketlia thought, ¡®You wouldn¡¯t think to make jokes like that. And they wouldn¡¯t make you laugh.¡¯ But her face stayed completely neutral, and Ketlia had no plans on pointing out every small hypocracy that crossed her path. She would likely run out of breath before anyone bothered to pay attention. Still, this was another problem with Kettle¡¯s arrival. It had¡­ not relaxed Gillette, but loosened him somehow, letting these strange comments slip. Gone was the confident and exacting Administrator she had initially been glad to have been sponsored by and sought out. Now¡­ ¡°Why are we tarrying here to fight Predator? Our strength would increase faster if we continued upward. We are near the front of the queue anyway; if we made a deal with a path boss-¡± ¡°One that would put us in an extremely disadvantaged position,¡± Gillette said coolly, reminding her once more of why she had chosen him. But it was not enough. ¡°-even disadvantaged, the three of us are more than powerful enough-¡± ¡°Ah, is it a problem with the new recruits that Kettle brought? They are quite arrogant, but I trust there is no problem with their capabilities?¡± Frustrated, Ketlia let Gillette have his little detour in the conversation. ¡°The additional¡­ challengers are fine. Impressive, even. But.¡± Ketlia hissed the last word through her teeth. The new people were great, it couldn¡¯t be denied. There were 5 of them. She had seen almost all of them training, and it was slightly intimidating. One was a strange human whose body was covered in metal. Another was a mage who couldn¡¯t move without inadvertently producing unbelievably powerful thunder. Another was a young woman whose very body seemed to be slowly turning to ash, burned from the inside by a small sun held within her breast. Then last two were the strangest, but were the ones that gave her the most chills when Ketlia¡¯s powerful consciousness brushed up against them. The strange, hooded figure fought like a mad man, never bothering to block, and didn¡¯t seem to have any real impressive traits, except for his ability to ignore just about everything that hit him. Ketlia hadn¡¯t seen him fail to recover from any sort of damage, physical, magical, or mental. That sort of relentless endurance type was exactly the kind of opponent that gave Ketlia a headache. And exactly why she too admitted to herself Predator would be a tough opponent. He was that type as well. In addition to hitting hard with both his fists and magic. But it was the final member of Kettle¡¯s entourage that really scared her. Ketlia hadn¡¯t even seen her train, but somehow he knew, the woman with blood red hair and long bunny rabbit ears was the one she least wanted to go near. ¡°But,¡± Ketlia hissed again, emphasizing the point, ¡° Why is this so important? We made a deal. You would help us climb the Tower. You are not holding up your end of the bargain, Gillette. Is what you are doing helping us at all?!?¡± He was silent for a long time, looking down at the papers in front of him. Ketlia scanned them briefly, but they were just reports, endless reports, from different floors. Deaths, victories, struggles, powerful monsters¡­ Just occurences in the Tower. Finally, sighing, Gillette said. ¡°Not in the way I promised you. But in another way¡­¡± While his eyes remained on the reports in front of him, he continued. ¡°But in another way, this work is the only way you will be able to safely climb the tower. Above the 50th floor¡­ a monster roams freely. That was why-¡± Shaking his head, Gillette fell silent. ¡°Then these reports¡­?¡± Ketlia gestured at the desk. ¡°They are preparation for killing this monster.¡± ¡°In a way.¡± Gillette chuckled awkwardly, leaning back in his chair. ¡°That thing¡­ it is not a challenger, but something older. I¡¯m trying to find what exactly it is.¡± ***POV Predator*** ¡°But why,¡± Jenn whined, even as she formed the portal in front of the three of us. Grinning, I said, ¡°Because I said so.¡± Then I turned to the weird ghoul, who was gnawing on a femur the size of an overweight horse, and the grumbling Architect of Bone. ¡°You two. When the other undead and the murloc return, I want them to realize how much I support their feeble attempts to become stronger,¡± I could feel a strange cruelty growing in my words, and there was a small pang, wondering if I should be more careful, but that too drained away. I supposed they already had their chance. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to surprise them with another ¡®war game¡¯. You will create an army to meet them when they return,¡± I pointed at the architect. Then I looked at the ghoul. ¡°And you will lead them. Don¡¯t be gentle. No need to fight to the death, just¡­ make them know war.¡± The architect began to complain about the lack of inspiration, but the ghoul nodded absently. I turned away, satisfied. ¡°But Predator-¡± I put my hand on Jenn before she could continue, pressing her mouth closed. I noticed how Ashni¡¯s eyes narrowed further at his action, but I ignored her ire. She was powerless to do anything with it, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with Jenn¡¯s incessant questions. Jenn seemed to react completely different, blushing. ¡°Oh¡­ Predator¡­. Your hands are so firm¡­ B-b-b-b-but here¡­. In f-f-front of everyone¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­¡­¡± ¡°Meet me on the 10th floor.¡± Then I looked at Ashni, showing her my teeth. ¡°Are you coming?¡± Without any further words, we left the wiggling Jenn and stepped through the portal. Day 41.3 Day 41.3 ¡®The 6th Floor, I mused, glancing around with a small smile on my face. We came out of the portal in a series of stone rows, likely benches, that stood on elevated levels above an arena that formed the center of the building. -Not so impressive.... -Well, what do you expect. This is still below the standard for The Great Tower. Jenn did say that everything below Floor 10 is just training. Humming to myself, I walked down the stairs, Ashni following like a ghost behind me. Her silence held meaning, I knew but I had no willingness or desire to examine it closely. I was fine continuing on, ignoring her reactions. As there was nowhere else to proceed, I walked towards the arena down below. Even from this distance, my high perception magnified the material, covered with an untold number of layers of dried blood. The stone structure around us groaned ominously, a strange wind blowing through the area from some sort of skylight. When we reached the lower level, I saw that the floor around the arena was littered with bones, which seemed to have been swept to the side, creating a thin path to walk to the arena. Even with the strange emotional drain that afflicted me currently, I felt a pang of sadness that Black Bones couldn¡¯t see this; he would love to play here. Still, the atmosphere made me lick my lips. The dried blood and bones made me hungry. -Should have eaten again before we left. -Probably could have gotten above 3000 biomass¡­. I stepped, tapping lightly into Thunder Stance methods to cross the distance to the arena instantly. Simply walking towards the center waiting for something to happen was extremely boring. Ashni imitated me, or rather upstaged me, I was forced to admit. It was irritating how graceful and condensed her step was. There was hardly any noise or discharge of force from her step, and her landing was so light I didn¡¯t even hear it. It also didn¡¯t escape my notice that although I had leapt a split second earlier than her, she had landed on the arena at the same time as me. -Just means that soon, I will become even more powerful. My small smile grew, and when the voice spoke, I turned, extremely eager. ¡°Who dares come-¡± A spatial portal rippled into existence, and a broad shoulders minotaur stepped out, its voice low and wrathful. When it spoke steam poured out of its nose, making it extremely difficult to see. Tiring quickly, I cut to the chase. With a Wind Blade. That instantly decapitated it. It gurgled, falling over to the side. My eyes lit up as its warm blood pumped out onto the ground. A single step took me to it, and I began to devour it rapidly. I kept an eye on the spatial portal, which remained, but given the level of the minotaur creature that had been produced by it, I wasn¡¯t worried in the least. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia looked over GIllette¡¯s work, becoming increasingly dubious in regards to GIllete¡¯s ¡°research¡±. ¡°So¡­ what makes you sure that whatever you encountered wasn¡¯t just a part of the floor? If it wasn¡¯t a challenger,¡± Ketlia added, wanting to understand how this alien administrator she admired had become so¡­ average. Gillette just chuckled. ¡°Just trust me. You learn a few things when you ascend past the 50th floor. What do you know about the origins of the Great Tower?¡± Ketlia shrugged. ¡°Nothing I suppose. Yes perhaps I don¡¯t know the backstory of this fucked up gameshow, but-¡± ¡°Gameshow!¡± Gillette bellowed, slapping his knee and doubling over laughing. ¡°Well not a gameshow, but-¡± Ketlia searched around for a more diplomatic word, restraining her frustration. ¡°An object designed for entertainment.¡± ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t understand. The Great Tower existed long before it was used to entertain the masses. No, you could said that the tower is the cradle of our universe. It existed before the Republic. Honestly, we should just start with a history lesson. It is believed that the Tower-¡± A knock came at the door, silencing Gillette. He frowned, standing, but the door was already opening. ¡°Hello, Kettle.¡± Gillette rumbled, his eyes narrowing. Kettle nodded to him, glancing at Ketlia as she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. ¡°Ah, good, Kat you are here as well. I was looking for you both. Gillette, I want permission to begin sharing the details of the plan with Kat. After meeting with all members of the team, I must admit you were right; she is the best option to orchestrate the operation on the field.¡± Gillette offered Kettle a small smile. ¡°Interesting. Perhaps this would convince you to defer to me in other areas?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Kettle answered in a flash, adjusting her glasses. Gillette chuckled, but Ketlia felt something strange. A pressure in the air. A lightness in her breaths, as if the oxygen was leaving the room. It reminded Ketlia of the time Gillette had tested her. She shivered. ¡°And¡­.¡± Gillette finally said. ¡°What if I were to grow more insistent?¡± Kettle gave him a long look. Seconds passed, a strange series of communications occurring in front of Ketlia without her knowledge. All in all, she found it quite boring. Just when Ketlia was considering excusing herself for this strange game, another knock came at the door. Gillette frowned, glancing away from Kettle and to the door. It remained closed. ¡°Come in,¡± Gillette called, leaning back in his chair. Kettle moved and sat down on the red couch running along the far wall. Still the door remained still. ¡°And by Joint Degree, it is so ordered that our solicitors never once touch a handle or knob, nor open a door in this, The Great Tower, without first acknowledging invitation.¡± Gillette muttered to himself. Then he gestured at Ketlia to open the door. ¡°Might as well do it. If they have come to make trouble for me¡­ well, my status should be enough.¡± Before she opened the door, Ketlia turned and looked at Gillette, curious. ¡°What you are doing¡­. It¡¯s illegal?¡± Gillette shrugged. Not illegal, but¡­ undesirable. After all, as an administrator, it¡¯s my responsibility to make things entertaining, not pour over old reports and search for myths. Anyways, open the door. Best not to keep them waiting.¡± Ketlia opened the door. Two figures stood there, hooded in black robes. The first stepped forward, extending his hand towards Ketlia. ¡°Good day, my name is-¡± The first¡¯s voice was gravelly, but before he could finish, the second figure, who was smaller and slighter, kicked the first in the back. ¡°You idiot, what did I tell you? You cannot even cross the plane of the doorway without being invited. You are breaking ancient laws! Do you have an idea how much paperwork would result if they filed a complaint?!?!¡± Then the second turned to Ketlia. ¡°Anyways, may we come in?¡± Ketlia looked with bemusement at the groaning figure on the ground. ¡°Yes, come in.¡± The second figure stepped over the first, walking into the room and removing his hood. His face remained covered, however, due to a featureless grey mask. ¡°Ah, Jester,¡± Gillette said, coming to his feet with a smile. ¡°Handling trainees again? How did they strong-arm you into it this time?¡± Jester sighed dramatically, falling on the couch next to Kettle, practically draping himself across it like a crumpled shirt. ¡°Ah, you know. Minor deviances from my proscribed missions. The whole thing was blown way out of proportion, you know how it is¡­. Anyways, been quite a while, eh Gillette? It¡¯s been what, 1000 years?¡± ¡°Give or take a few,¡± Gillette said while shaking his head. ¡°By the way, I never got the chance to tell you, my condolences for the passing of your brother.¡± There was a moment, after Gillette spoke, that Ketlia¡¯s astral senses began screaming, telling her that the world was ending, that existence was shattering, that she would die his day. Here, without an ability to do anything. Then it passed. ¡°Ah, of course. Your team ascended right prior to his death, and you likely didn¡¯t hear anything until you returned. Anyways, it was a very long time ago, so no need to speak of it. Much as I hate to admit it, I¡¯m here on business. Boy, the writ.¡± The first figure staggered to his feet, removing a scroll from within his cloak. Jester shrugged apologetically. ¡°Driven by bureaucracy, that¡¯s us Solicitors. Anyways,I want to show the kid a full Soul Surgery, so the rest of you should clear the room.¡± Gillette hissed through his teeth. ¡°Is that¡­ really necessary?¡± Jester tilted his head to the side. ¡°No.¡± Ketlia could have sworn that this strange solicitor was smiling beneath his mask. After a few seconds, Gillette¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Fine, you two leave-¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Jester seemed apologetic now. ¡°Did I give you the wrong impression? We aren¡¯t here for you. We are here for her.¡± Jester pointed to Kettle, studying her clipboard beside him. She looked up and blinked. ¡°What?¡± ***POV Predator*** ¡°You cheated!¡± A second, slightly larger minotaur came out of the spatial rift, rumbling ominously. ¡°You cannot-¡± He died just as quickly to a Wind Blade. His timing, exactly opposite of his smell, was excellent. I had just finished eating the previous minotaur. Ignoring my excellent perception picking up just HOW long it had been since this creature had cleaned itself, my teeth sank into the gamey flesh of its shoulder. -Although it¡¯s not tasty, there is a lot of it. Biomass +1 Biomass +1 Biomass +1 Biomass +1 Biomass +1 The next minotaur was much quicker, and immediately following it were three others. The final was filled the air with so much pressure that I stopped eating, my instincts focusing to a point.But after a moment, I couldn¡¯t hold the tension and laughed, returning to eating. The powerful minotaur, which sported a rich blue coat of furr and red horns, folded its arms across its chest and spoke. ¡°You, challenger, are not following the ways.¡± I waved a bloody hand dismissively. ¡°If you are asking me to listen to him speak, I refuse.¡± ¡°I admire your bluntness, challenger.¡± The blue minotaur answered with a hard smile, but that is not why. This floor is simple: fight 1 v 1 versus one of the minotaur children. You have had help.¡± I ripped off a chunk of minotaur heart, and then frowned at the blue minotaur. ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s just been standing there.¡± ¡°Not that warrior, although she too will need to be tested. But that other, the one who resides within you.¡± Now my frowned deepened. -.....does he mean me? -How the fuck can we fight alone? ¡°If you refuse to let him out for the fight¡­.¡± The blue minotaur clenched his hands into fists. ¡°Then it will be forcefully ejected, and any damage you sustain¡­ is not our problem.¡± Now this was a language I could speak. My smile slowly grew, stretching like a newborn, then curling up like a cadaver¡¯s fingers. ¡°Oh?¡± I kept my tone mild, for the first time in a while activating Aura of the Predator. I craved it, this tension. The fighting, the blood, the viciousness. It recalled to my mind simpler times, reminiscent of back when I was just in a marsh, fighting frogs. The large minotaur clapped his hands together, a small wave of energy spreading outwards. I slowly stood, my eyes narrowing at the strang energy. It didn¡¯t seem powerful, but¡­. -But what? We are Apex. The energy pressed towards me, and I forcefully suppressed the urge to dodge out of the way. The energy came and I met it, gathering my mana to combat anything that it would cause. But when the energy touched me, nothing seemed to happen. It passed through me without incident. I frowned. -If anything, I feel stronger than before. Nodding, the minotaur said. ¡°Now that you are simply one, you may fight. I must warn you, you should not rely too heavily on another¡¯s strength: it will not pay off in the end.¡± Then he turned and left. So too did 2 of the other minotaurs, leaving only a single one remaining. ¡°Keh, no way you could have beaten elder brother without relying on someone else. I¡¯m going to crush you and grind your bones into powder- Hey! You can¡¯t let it go back inside you! Cheater!.¡± I turned around, and to my shock, I realized that something really was rushing back towards me. It moved quickly, but I snorted, my hand shooting out and snagging the thing out of the air. I felt it turn incorporeal as my fingers sank into it, so I conjured lunar mist, condensing it into chain around the thing. It collapsed at my feet, writhing and moaning. -This¡­ -Looks familiar¡­Stolen story; please report. And the creature really did seem extremely familiar. Its ghostly body was a pale blue color, and it was covered in a strange, fluttering robe, in addition to my recently added lunar chains. But the most disturbing thing about the creature was that it was extremely chubby. It¡¯s cheeks looked like it was a squirrel ferrying nuts, and its belly bulged forward immensely, warping the fluttering robe and making it skin tight in some places. It whined up at me, looking on with pleading eyes. ¡°Ahaha! Now, without that creature, you will die-¡± Once more, I effortlessly decapitated a minotaur. But my attention remained on the chained thing. ¡°You¡­ you are¡­.¡± I searched around in my memory for the name. ¡°Ah, the Geist of the Cold Moon. I had thought you died in the battle on the 3rd floor. Now¡­.¡± I smiled viciously at it. ¡°Why have you been inside me this whole time¡­.?¡± The creature began to shake. -How long can we maintain the chains. -About an hour- wait. -What is it? -....its strange. It almost seems like¡­ our mana regeneration has increased. It¡¯s not related to increases in maximum mana either. I mean, it¡¯s just a 10% increase, but still, that- My focus once more returned the Geist. My eyes roamed across its body. I took in its extremely plump and well-fed physique. Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡± I smiled brightly at the Geist. It seems you have been a free loader for quite some time.¡± It shook its head vigorously. But I just smiled. ¡°Doing that was a mistake.¡± I cut off his connection to me. It was the first time I had voluntarily done this with one of my undead, and I was curious about the process. It screamed, harsh like the grinding of metal chimes. But it slowly faded away to nothing. Ashni watched the whole thing with disinterested eyes. Satisfied, I turned back to my meal, enjoying the tactile pleasure of ripping apart still warm flesh. It had been a while since I had experienced that particular pleasure. Another minotaur coming through the portal pulled my attention away, and I slowly stood to face it. But it quickly backed away with hands raised. ¡°No! You¡¯ve already passed! I¡¯m here for her. For the teleporter to the next level to open, she must also pass. Sighing, I returned to my meal. Ashni fought the creature, but it was just as much a slaughter as my battles had been. She still used so much power that most of the body was reduced to mush, effectively ensuring the only way I could eat it was slurping it off the ground. Another small slight. I watched her out of the corner of my eyes as I finished my spear. She cleaned her spear, acting like she didn¡¯t even notice my attention. As promised another portal had sprung into existence, on the far side of the arena, likely leading upwards to the 7th floor. -That was quick. -Although not completely a waste of time. But I wonder¡­. Licking my lips, my grin found its way out. I couldn¡¯t restrain it. My stomach rumbled eagerly. -I wonder where this rift leads? ***POV Ketlia*** Jester came out of the office, looking annoyed. The individual he was training followed. ¡°That was fast,¡± Gillette casually remarked, watching Jester carefully, liking hoping to glean the results of the search. The two of them had opted to remain outside staying near to the procedure. Gillette due to worry, and Ketlia because she was secretly hoping that Kettle would no longer be a problem she had to deal with. If she had to die to make it so, so be it. Jester made an annoyed noise. ¡°Meh, your girl is fine. I¡¯ll report her innocent. But¡­ personal business draws me away. Although this is a good opportunity for him too¡­ Anyways, goodbye Gillette.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Jester¡± The two Solicitors immediately disappeared. GIllette hurried back into his office, and Ketlia, almost unwillingly, was pulled along in his wake. They found Kettle on the floor, puke caked around her lips and down her suit. Kette coughed unevenly, rolling onto her side. Gillette frowned at her. ¡°What were you charged with.¡± Kettle spat vehemently, a glob of vomit hitting Gillette¡¯s desk. Ketlia wondered if she should read anything into the gesture, but knew that the dynamic between those two was a complicated one. ¡°The gambling houses put up my name as using prophecy to fix challenger results. And the only reason that they had any evidence....¡± Kettle curled her hands into fists. ¡°That fucking bimbo Jenn was using scrying to check my bets and copying them. She had enough sense to somehow hide the subject matter of her spell, but not the fact she did it, and the type-¡± Crack. Ketlia blinked. Gillette had stepped, crushing Kettle¡¯s thumb beneath his heel. What surprised Ketlia the most was that Kettle didn¡¯t even respond, just turned her vomit covered face and looked at Gillette. ¡°Never speak of Jenn like that. Ever.¡± Gllette said coolly. ¡°Now clean up my office and get out.¡± ¡°And you.¡± He turned towards Ketlia, his eyes burning. ¡°You are also dismissed.¡± ***POV Predator*** The blue furred, red minotaurs turned out to be just as fun to fight as I had imagined. ¡°INTRUDER!¡± The 2nd I had encountered bellowed, stumbling upon me slurping up the entrails from some of its weaker kin. I looked up, annoyed, but could already feel the thrill of the coming battle. When I passed through the portal, I arrived at what I assumed was the minotaur city, or world, or whatever, which appeared to be a strange interconnected series of burrows. Ashni had ignored me and waited by the portal as I began to wander around. The layout was so labyrinthine that it took me a while to find anyone, but usually once I found one¡­ -They will call and bring more right to us. Standing, I wiped my hand across my mouth, attempting to rid myself of some of the residue that evidenced the enthusiasm with which I had attacked the uneaten biomass. Ultimately, my hands were already crusted with enough dried blood that I made very little headway. Still, I imagined that I must look like quite the sight, hands and mouth stained red. Originally a human should have been around ? the size of the average brown minotaurs. Due to the evolution that I experienced, I was of a size with them, if a bit more slender. The blue minotaurs were a further 25% bigger, and most of that was in width. They were built like bulls, and I could see that this one¡¯s rage seemed to make it swell up even further, its eyes reddening to be a color with its horns. After several more seconds of accumulating rage- -I legitimately have no idea why it is taking so long to attack The minotaur finally charged, the sheer velocity of its large form enough to lend an imposing aura to the attack. It was without guile or finesse, but I had no doubt that it had traditionally been effective for the minotaur¡¯s purposes. -But it has never encountered me. It has never known a Predator. It might have been easy to use spells to slow down its bull rush, but I was after something else: a thrill. So, without even utilizing a Thunder Stance form to enhance my acceleration, I raced to meet the charging minotaur, eyes glittering, grinning like a madman. BOOOM. ¡°Keh,¡± I grunted, a sharp breath forced out of my lips from the impact. I staggered backwards a few steps, and he stumbled forward, seemingly shocked that I had fared so well in a contest. Due to his confusion, I recovered first, regaining my balance and moving smoothly forward to grapple. HIs rage was evidence as he realized what I was doing, and he raized his huge hands to meet mine. When struggled for a few seconds, and I was forced to admit that this minotaur was stronger than I had imagined. Growling furiously, he began to push me backwards, and I began to feel my muscles and tendons near the edges of their endurance, beginning to tear. Even with my high pain tolerance my bones began to creak and scream, painful beyond what most people could endure. But for me, it was just what I needed. It made me lick my lips. It made the light in my eyes burn brighter. This is what I wanted. I began to laugh, my struggles turning from quiet determination to manic glee. It wasn¡¯t exactly that I grew stronger, or that he was thrown by my strange reactions, but in that moment, I was sure of my victory, of the superiority of my strength. He began to doubt himself. Just as I was pushing powerfully back, my hands constricting on his larger fingers, beginning to grind his bones down, several brown minotaurs in bronze armor rushed into the tunnel we were standing in. ¡°Hurry, we must aid our Baron! He is being suppressed!¡± They rushed towards us, the knees of the blue minotaur trembling as he weakened, and I simply chuckled. -Other me? -Itadakimasuuuuuuu With a small effort of will, the air around me filled with lunar mist. Then I pressed, creating 7 lunar mirrors. Then I filled the air with more lunar mist, creating another batch. A notification popped up briefly, but I quickly dismissed it, ignoring it as I guided my mirrors towards the approaching minotaurs. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 5¡±. Lunar mist compresses more quickly. The amount of mana required to maintain has decreased to almost nothing. You have a higher chance of maintaining a larger amount of Lunar Reflections. I wouldn¡¯t have enough mana to use them all, but I would likely only need to use a few to buy time for my toying with the blue minotaur to finish. A lunar reflection flitted through the air, arriving at one of the approaching minotaurs barely large enough to show its knee. My smile snaked out and up. It would be enough. -Shatter. The noise was the tinkling of wind chimes, and then the dull, wet thunk of a loud impact. Yelping in an extremely strange way for such a large creature, the first minotaur fell, its eyes wide and white as it gazed at its knees. Another lunar reflection arrived at a minotaur¡¯s face, reflecting its left eye. When that tinkled apart into oblivion, there was a wet pop as the eye exploded. Strangely, the minotaur collapsed without a sound, but then I realized that it was possible the mental damage aspect might be responsible. These minotaurs didn¡¯t seem to be creatures with particularly strong mental defenses. Fear crept into the eyes of the blue minotaur before me, and my hands curled tighter, my nails digging into the back of his hands, leaving long troughs of shredded skin and revealed bone. Seeing the effectiveness of the first lunar break on the head, I sent the remaining three that I could afford to shatter. One shattered on an ear, blood spurting out of a ruptured eardrum. That one collapsed silently. Another exploded on a chin, shattering the jaw and leaving the minotaur gurgling but conscious. The final one I used on the back of a neck. Shuddering, the minotaur fell silently to the ground with its neck twisted at a strange angle and a bit of the spine piercing up through the skin, clearly broken. I couldn¡¯t be sure if that one had to do with the mental portion of the damage, or whether it had simply died instantly. Either way, I was rewarded with another notification. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 3¡±. Mana costs have slightly decreased. Damage will go slightly deeper, beyond the image of what is on the Lunar Reflection. You have slightly more control over the area damaged. I grinned. -Truly, using abilities on live targets makes them level much more quickly. The remaining brown minotaurs stumbled to a stop, horrified as they looked at their fallen comrades. With a sickening crack, the blue minotaur¡¯s hands shattered, causing it to fall to its knees. Still it roared its defiance, slamming its head forward to smash me with its horns. But I just grinned and headbutted back. Crack. I blinked in a daze. -Perhaps that wasn¡¯t such a good idea. -He does have horns. We need to our strengths, too. -What, charm and good conversation? -No, killing. It seemed just as stunned as I was, and it didn¡¯t even react as my hand blurred, my razor sharp nails slashing through its neck, decapitating it in a smooth motion. I let its body fall to the ground, reaching up to my chin and pushing, cracking my neck to relieve some of the stiffness. -If it hadn¡¯t been on its knees when it tried that¡­. -But it was, and it died. That¡¯s all that matters. Just another dead prey. Grinning to myself, I turned towards the armored minotaurs, who were looking a me with abject horror. Before I could act, another notification popped up. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 6¡±. Creatures within a certain area of you, even if they are unaware of your presence, will have an instinctual sense of unease. Creatures so afflicted will be stunned for a brief time upon becoming aware of you. Weaker creatures will die if left within the influence of Aura of the Predator for too long. -Heh, it¡¯s been quite a while since that has come into play. -Well we haven¡¯t been hunting overmuch. It does its best work when ripping through trash like this. Laughing, I said, ¡°Die for me.¡± Wind Blade¡¯s diced them into small cubes of meat, bone, and gristle, which fell to the ground in a splash of blood. A notification that I had been long dreading, and looking forward too, had arrived. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 23. 4899 Biomass has been consumed. Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°CTZ-103 Hunter-Seeker Model¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement. Retain Growth Rate? Y/N I looked with longing at the diced minotaur meat that I had missed out on, but no use crying over spilt blood. -Really the only way to control when we level is to level with 0 biomass, then stop from accepting the level until the amount is high enough. Otherwise¡­ -Drawbacks to that method are significant, however. No eating until we level? Off of fodder like this¡­ My stomach rumbled. -Would have liked to make it to 5000. -This is still double our highest total previously. Let¡¯s just roll the dice. I¡¯ve had enough of balance. I selected no. Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed. Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a ¡°Obsidian Magma Gator.¡± Would you like to splice another race onto this one? -Obviously. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think robots function well at high temperatures. -Debatable. What if it just inherited metal, not the robotic portion. -Are you willing to risk it? -No. Birds are also not very high temperature friendly. Nor are cats. -But are ogres? -Well I think we are hoping for the variance. -Ogres gave a lot of End too if I remember correctly¡­ thick skin¡­. Alright fine. Determining Spliced Race¡­ Outcomes encountered errors due to unexpected synchronicity. Recalculating¡­ Updating system parameters¡­ Awarding explanation bonus due to impetus for system growth... Congratulations! You have obtained the growth rates of a ¡°Thrak-Char, Outcast of the Molten Core.¡± Thrak-Char was born to a clan of ancient species from which most fire dwelling salamanders have descended. Born of a royal lineage, Thrak-Char was deformed from birth, possessing four mouths, but no eyes. Left to die at the edge of the core, Thrak-Char¡¯s voracious appetite sustained him as he literally ate his way out, his body sustaining itself on the incomparably dense rock and metal formed near the world¡¯s core. Thrak-Char continued to eat until he grew to such a vast size that he returned to his homeland, unknowingly devouring his family and kin. His appetite was so large that he hollowed out the world, reducing his planet to a cold wasteland. Myth holds that Thrak-Char still sleeps in the center of that hollow world, barely keeping his hunger at bay. Vit +39 End +226 Str +66 Memory +91 Mana +378 Would you like to retain the race ¡°Obsidian Magma Gator¡± for future use? I selected yes, and deleted the Ogre race. Honestly, although the variance was nice, the Obsidian Magma Gator had similar stats, just better ones. -Although the fire leanings might make things more complicated down the line¡­. Congratulations! For reaching Level 23 as ¡°Thrak-Char, Outcast of the Molten Core¡±, you have the option of learning the racial skill ¡°Immolation Lvl 1¡±. Would you like to learn this skills? Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Immolation Lvl 1¡±. You may activate the skill to cover your body in extremely hot flames, constantly draining your mana. As the skill levels, it will approach the level of heat of the core of a world. -Hehe, quite the gains this time. -I would have liked more Processing Power to help with perception, but this will certainly due nicely. I brought up my status screen to examine myself.
Name: Predator Level: 23
Racial Growth Rate: Thrak-Char, Outcast of the Molten Core Biomass: 0
Light of the Unlucky Star: 0 Essence: 22/29
Health Regen: x4.6 Mana: 1106/2655 (+85)
Fury: 7
Vit: 145 (+30) End: 341 (+30)
Str: 171 (+30) Agi: 153 (+30)
Dex: 163 (+30) Memory: 405 (+30)
Processing Power: 330 (+30) Parallel Computations: 2
Wis: 125 (+30) Luck: 33 (+30) (#Error)
Timeless Perception: 153 (+30) Balance: 221
Titles
A Predator Raceless Nurturer of the Undead Singer of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of War Master of Throwing Knives Warden of Glacier and Moon One Who Denies His Own Mortality
Gene Splicer Born Under a Cursed Star Black Exo-skeleton with 9 Lives Student of the Arcane
Skills
Air Affinity Lvl 4 Endless Stomach Weapons Mastery Lvl 2 Silent Kill Lvl 1
Code of the Dragon Aura of the Predator Lvl 6 Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 7 Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 3 Physicality Lvl 8 Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1 Thunder Stance Lvl 6
Cadence of Earth Cadence of Water Wind Stance Lvl 2 Wind Blade Lvl 8
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8 Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 1 Sneak Attack Lvl 2 My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 5
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5 Lunar Affinity Lvl 5 Automated Air Armor Lvl 1 Flicker Lvl 1
Poison Resistance Lvl 2 Absolute Control: Self Lvl 3 Arcane Mastery Lvl 3 Lunar Rlefection Lvl 5
Iron Will Lvl 2 Lunar Break Lvl 3 Immolation Lvl 1
Saved Growth Rates
Sable Haired Lynx Obsidian Magma Gator Carnivorous Dusk Wing Owl XN-00013
I flexed my fingers, my eyes glittering. This immolation¡­ -That boost to End¡­ Grinning, I turned to head down another burrow, searching for more minotaurs to try it out on, but I found myself facing two cloaked figures, one of them very familiar. ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Jester said, shaking his masked head. ¡°You always get into such trouble. Don¡¯t you remember what I said about trying to avoid notice until you are stronger? And here you are making trouble again, drawing attention to yourself by moving in the areas between floor. Be a good child and take a nap, okay?¡± Jester casually reached forward and flicked a finger towards my forehead. I strained, attempting to dodge, or block, or anything, but I couldn¡¯t. Impossibly, before my very eyes, the finger swelled to fill my entire field of vision, ominously grinding towards me. My heart began to beat then, and I felt it. The powerlessness. The frustration. The vicious hate for anything that could overpower me. The glee that the world was even bigger, and I could grow even more. Then the finger hit me, and everything went black. Day 42.1 Day 42.1 ***POV Shuusuke*** ¡°Puny winged freak,¡± Rickter spat at him, kicking Shuusuke one more time while he lay curled on the ground, his wings bunched up tight against his back. Shuusuke pressed his face into the ground, hiding his expression of boredom. This was taking forever. But Rickter and his cronies had been at this for a while and soon tired of the game, leaving Shuusuke curled up in the run down aviary park that was the midway point between the school and Shuusuke¡¯s house. Recently, Shuusuke had changed in a way that even Rickter had sensed. He wasn¡¯t as embarrassed, or as clumsy. Even jibes about Shuusuke¡¯s molting barely elicited a reaction. After standing up and brushing himself off, Shuusuke began to trudge home. Cloits, the race of creature that Shuusuke belonged to, were strange creatures. When they were born their entire bodies were covered in pale scales, slowly darkening to brown or grey as they aged. But during puberty, the small bumps on their back would grow, causing extreme irritation and a prodigious amount of shedding. After a few weeks of this, wings would literally rip out of the weakened area of skin, long, bare limbs that were extremely awkward. At that point, the itching and shedding got worse. Commonly, young Cloits would fervently rub the two wings together, almost as if they were trying to start a campfire from friction, rubbing off the scales and revealing the feathers underneath. Although it wasn¡¯t an explicit rule, the color of your feathers determined a lot about your life. Darker feathered creatures, like Shuusuke¡¯s parents, inevitably ended up working in industry. More brightly colored feathers would lead to careers in entertainment or politics. Shuusuke was in the middle stages, where he had his wings, but he feathers wouldn¡¯t yet be revealed. Normally, he should be desperately trying to get past that point. But Shuusuke was distracted by other matters. Opening the door, Shuusuke shed his outerwear and proceeded up to his room. His terminal glowed softly, the list of industrial land plats still up on the screen. Over the past few days, he had done his research. His criteria was that he needed the location to be close enough that he could travel to, but far enough away that the chance of running into any of the workers here, in his district, were nonexistent. After reviewing revenue streams and the economic movements of the various precious metals, he had chosen a facility just 3 districts north of him that manufactured industrial grade crystalline brass. Mostly used in communications equipment, Shuusuke judged that the upcoming holiday season would be enough to reward him for the investment even in the short term. Shuusuke briefly skimmed the communication he had typed out earlier, then closed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t significant in terms of his current wealth. The rewards from the gambling house from his bets and the revenue stream from the video he took ended up being just enough to live the rest of his life without working. Enough to live his life well. Extremely well. But he clicked send, buying a factory. ¡®This¡­. Surely this will work out well?¡¯ Shuusuke thought, frowning at the dispatched communication. Then he snorted. Still, even if it did work out, that didn¡¯t mean h was willing to take the rest of his business easy. Firing up his streaming equipment, he prepared for a long night of practice. After all, he had treated himself to 2 new automated cameras with mounted mics and essentially every language translation software. Success deserved to be rewarded, after all. ***POV Predator*** Groaning, I rolled over, my head throbbing painfully. -That Jester¡­. -Let¡¯s level a bit more before we get on his bad side again¡­ But just as I was thinking about that, I noticed a blinking notification that made me still. The Path of the Dragon required four steps that strengthened you power and resolve. But a Dragon is more than simply strong. The Dragon is also determined, almost to an obsessive degree. What is yours will always be yours, and what revenge you seek will be accomplished, no matter how much time it takes or what it will cost you. You have encountered your first Demonstration of ¡°The Code of the Dragon.¡± You have become fascinated with the Minotaur people and their strange realm. Find their and ravage their citadel, slaying the Silver Minotaur. Only then will you be satisfied. -Well, I suppose we could make an exception just this once. -The Path of the Dragon rewards were always worth it¡­ But how do we return to that place? Sitting up, I looked around. Ashni sat coolly beside me in a meditative stance, likely just waiting for me to awaken. Now we were on a strange plateau, grass as far as the eye could see. But as I started to stand, so did Ashni. ¡°Come, we have tarried long enough. The tester is waiting.¡± I cocked my head at her, and she simply pointed. I turned, and sure enough, a strange creature that glowed faintly and had wings of purest white floated down from above. She smiled kindly at her, and resisted the urge to yawn. ¡°Champion, congratulations on making-¡± -Other me, you are on monologue duty. I want to work on skills -Ughhhhhh. But contrary to his tone, he complied. After all, I took care most of the talking, which was tiresome at best. Immediately, I felt inside of myself and felt a strange, hot core that hadn¡¯t been there previously. Assuming it to be somehow related to the skill immolation, I focused on it, pouring my mana towards it. Immediately I felt it, strange powerful heat surging upwards. It soon exploded outwards, and I could feel a dull pain as it used my veins to travel through my body to the surface. Hissing through my teeth, I couldn¡¯t help but be grateful for both pain tolerance and greater resistance to fire. If the pain was this bad with both of those abilities.... Greater resistance to fire was my only ability that had reached what I assumed to be the third tier, possession the adjective of ¡°Greater¡± so it should- But my train of thought was interrupted as my world went white with pain as the fire reached the surface, immediately becoming voracious, violent flames that licked at my skin. They had emerged everywhere, soaking my skin and reducing the clothes that I had to ash in a second. It was 1,000 needles into every pore. It was every nerve ending wriggling desperate to get away from the devouring flames. It was- -It is not enough to make me submit. I gritted my teeth, hunching my shoulders, my mouth almost reflexively twitching outward into a smile. True, it was agony. But it wasn¡¯t as vicious as feeling your very DNA twist and shatter, rearranging itself. This was but fire, and it was my fire. This pain was me. I let out a long breath, embracing the agony, allowing it to flow through me. The strange winged woman continued to talk, heedless. Ashni blinked, but quickly returned to ignoring me with her arms folded. -The one downside, other than the pain, is that it makes it very hard to see and hear outside the flames. If not for our high perception, we would basically be walking around blind. The flames were a dark red in color I began to see, almost maroon, a color akin to dried blood. My skin rippled and strained under the heat, drying quickly out, but my high health regen kicked in restoring my body to prime condition. So the two struggled, the flames slowly whittling me down, symptoms of light burns appearing all over me. Still I gritted my teeth, preparing to endure for as long as my mana would hold up.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. -Probably impossible. It basically takes just as much per second as we regenerate. Just a bit more. We would be here for hours before your mana pool would give out. But before I could continue, an unexpected notification turned my focus elsewhere. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has evolved from ¡°My Heart is the Bellows, My Body the Metal Lvl 5¡± to ¡°My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 1.¡± Due to experience with previous skill, your skill has changed to ¡°My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 3¡±. Enhanced state now activates whenever the skill ¡°Immolation¡± is active. Bonuses to stats increased while in enhanced state. Enhanced state now gives an increased sixth sense as to enemy positions and movements while the skill ¡°Aura of the Predator¡± is activated. Damage significantly increased while enhanced state is active. Congratulations! Due to your new skill, you have earned the title, ¡°Though Blind, This One Still Hungers¡±. It is not possible to sense the intent of enemies outside of your line of sight. Sensitivity depends on your Perception stat. Due to synergy with other titles, your ability to digest materials have increased. Biological matter now increases Biomass by slightly more. Biologically related materials, such as bone, horn, and nail, can now be consumed for additional Biomass. -Bones didn¡¯t give Biomass before? -Guess not. They were just so enjoyable to crunch though. Before I could consider these changes further, and what it meant, Other me distracted me again. -By the way¡­ she¡¯s finally done. I turned my senses outward, looking around. To my surprise, Ashni was animated, glaring at the winged woman. I shut off Immolation so I could see more clearly ¡°Just summon the Guardian Colossus. We care not.¡± ¡°But heroes, I must warn you, the strength of the Colossus is far beyond that of a challenger on the 7th floor. Only be weakening by accomplishing the 4 puzzles.¡± The winged woman was starting to seem annoyed. ¡°Stupid harlot,¡± Ashni said with a haughty expression. ¡°Are you too stupid to understad? We. Care. Not.¡± The winged woman opened her mouth to retort, but I grinned, listening to Other Me whispering in my ear. ¡°Wait, we will attempt these puzzles. Starting with the east-¡± Now they both turned to glare at me. ¡°Are we not in a hurry?¡± Ashni hissed. But it was the Winged Woman who really pissed me off. ¡°Too late. I care not. Die the colossus, may your only gravestone be its steamy pile of shit.¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 But before I could act on my anger, the woman disappeared. I looked around, and saw that some distance away the ground was parting, a large, dull grey hand reaching out of the ground. It took a few seconds and some earth shaking struggles, but soon the colossus hoisted itself up out of the ground. It wasn¡¯t a complicated creature, but it was a 10 meter tall giant with 6 eyes and a body that appeared to be made of some kind of iron derivative. I smiled, my initial bad mood falling away. Although it wasn¡¯t what I wanted, at least this fight was looking to be enjoyable. Unlike my battle against the minotaur, I didn¡¯t bother to hold back on using techniques. I was under no delusions that I was physically comparable to this creature. -Although after our most recent level up¡­ Ignoring Other Me for now, I stepped using the Thunder Stance forms, the ground I had started from cracking from the force. Shooting towards the tall creature, which was gazing at me with all 6 of its eyes, I raised my leg, preparing to discharge all of the force into its chest when I landed against it. Much to my surprise, the Colossus¡¯ arm blurred as it attempted to slap me out of the air. The speed of its passing threw gusts of air in every direction, but I narrowly slipped by, moving just fast enough to dodge. My leg neared its broad chest and I kicked with everything I had, my leg slamming into its chest. I winced. Just like I had expected, the thing¡¯s skin was hard. And more than that, whatever material made up its body was dense. Too dense for my weight, even with a boost to really threaten it. BOOOOOOOM. The shock wave from the collusion arrived a split second later, the sonic boom finally catching up to me. I thought I felt the creature waiver, if only slightly, from the combined force, but that was just proof that it had engaged its muscles to counter me, not that the blow had done any damage. I kicked back, backflipping away from the Colossus, considered how to best attack it, and I sensed more than saw its opposite arm blurring again, racing towards me. -Tsk, it¡¯s annoying when the big ones are fast too. I created a platform of air and kicked off that, still upside down. Reaching the ground in an instant. From my handstand, I brought my legs down and immediately rolled to the side as the arm curved down after me, its huge hand swiping towards me. I made it out of the way and hopped backwards, examining the stone that had been crushed to powder by the strength of the colossus. Just as I settled on trying Lunar Break, its six eyes abruptly glowed, and I felt the air around me congeal. The creature leapt forward, its arm blurring out in a backhand blow, smashing me to the side before I could shake the strange skill it had used on me. After tumbling for a while, I slammed into the ground. I spat out some blood and staggered to my feet. My ribs had cracked, but only once, and I could already feel my body rushing to knit the bone back together. But still, damn. -Yea, that hurt. Thank god for the End boost though. -Still¡­. I pictured that human who had covered his body with metal and fought me on the 3rd floor, frustratingly ignoring my attacks. -This type of enemy is hard for me to deal with. This is perfect practice. Glancing away from the Colossus, which was slowly lumbering closer to me, I asked Ashni. ¡°Not joining in?¡± She simply snorted. I grinned, and then I let the smile curl further, loosening the leash on the beast of madness within me. It had been sated yesterday as I slaughtered minotaurs, but I knew that every time I let it come out and have its fun, it grew stronger. More vicious and domineering. More of a part of me. I couldn¡¯t find in myself a reason why this wasn¡¯t a desirable outcome. ¡°Burn,¡± I whispered, activating Immolation and stepping forward. ***POV Shuusuke*** A beeping distracted Shuusuke from setting the parameters for the cameras- ¡¯my cameras,¡¯ He corrected himself happily. -autopathing, and he was quite annoyed about it. But when he saw that the owner of the factory had replied immediately, his annoyance flew away, replaced by nervousness. What he wasn¡¯t expecting, however, was the type of response he received. Dear Mr. Shuudator, (Shuusuke had decided an alias was necessary, and had combined his name with the challenger benefactor that lead him to his newfound wealth. Although the alias was one that could easily be seen through, Shuusuke didn¡¯t think he would ever really need it for anything.) I¡¯m delighted have received your email. Long have I thought about parting with this property and retiring. My only concern is why you are moving to buy this property now, if you take my meaning. We should meet as soon as possible to discuss and finalize the details. Good Wind and Rich Veins, Jake Ummtat ¡°He wants to meet?¡± Shuusuke whispered to himself suspiciously. And what did he mean about buying the property now¡­? Then Shuusuke shook his head. It wasn¡¯t worth it to ponder it too long. What would his benefactor do? Picturing Predator, Shuusuke could only conclude that he would charge forward. Trying not to overthink things, but trembling from the adrenaline rushing through his veins, Shuusuke typed out a response. I¡¯ll be there within the hour. Shuudator After sending and smiling for a moment, all the blood drained from Shuusuke¡¯s face. ¡®He did say as soon as possible¡­ but maybe not¡­. So soon¡­.? ****** 56 minutes later, Shuusuke found himself being ushered into a posh office in the crystallized brass factory, wearing a traditional Cloit overcoat and sunglasses. The overcoat was made to cover the back completely, hiding one¡¯s wings completely, usually so the color of your feather¡¯s was hidden. Of course in Shuusuke¡¯s case, it hid the fact he hadn¡¯t revealed his feathers, which would have given away his young age. As Shuusuke was lead into a room with marble floors, an aging Cloit rose from a mahogany desk to meet him, offering him a talon. ¡°Well, you certainly work fast eh? But I understand why you are doing it. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m a bit disappointed my workers couldn¡¯t keep the secret though. Names Jake.¡± Shuusuke shook the Talon. ¡°Shuudator.¡± He growled. Desperately hoping his voice wouldn¡¯t crack, Shuusuke tried to keep his sentences as short as possible, and direct to the point. ¡°Business?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure are busy.¡± Jake scratched the back of his neck and sat down on the edge of his desk. ¡°Due to your sudden offer, I assumed you must have heard; I have a new method of processing crystallized brass. It¡¯s going to shake the industry. Anyone who doesn¡¯t use it within a year¡¯s time will be driven out of business. It¡¯s almost perfected.¡± Shuusuke gaped, glad that he had opted to keep the sunglasses on to hide his shock and confusion. Finally, he stammered out, ¡°....a-almost?¡± Jake sighed, shaking his head. ¡°You know everything, don¡¯t you? Who told you- no, don¡¯t tell me, I don¡¯t even want to know. Yes, there are still some kinks to work out. The revenue from the factory wasn¡¯t enough for the experiments. I¡¯ve mortgaged the factory, and even then, I haven¡¯t made the progress I wanted and I¡¯m behind on payments. But I swear I¡¯m almost-¡± Slightly swooning from the flood of unexpected information, Shuusuke reached for the glass end table, attempting to steady himself. Unfortunately, it turned out to have been a decorative crystal, and his clumsy talon moved too quickly, smashing into the table. It shattered with a chorus of tinkling. Jake visibly paled and went silent. Panicking, Shuusuke practically threw the credit chip with his current assets on the floor, his face coloring with shame and frustration. ¡°P-Pay for it a-a-a-all.¡± Shuusuke said, gesturing widely at the table. Then he turned and fled. By the time he got home, he was sobbing. He wasn¡¯t like Predator. He couldn¡¯t even fake being Shuudator. Rickter was right, he was just Shitty Shuusuke. And that was all would ever be. Day 42.2 ***POV Predator*** The Colossus¡¯ quickness was extremely irksome as its leg whipped forward to meet me. But its deceptive speed wasn¡¯t any match for the strange perception given me by ¡°My Soul is the Flame, my Body the Blade.¡± it was something akin to being able feel the heat from fire; even with my eyes clouded, the direction the blow was coming from was clear, and I leapt above it. -Which is a bad metaphor to use while you are covered in fire, but still¡­ But I didn¡¯t have extra mental energy to deal with Other Me, because it turned out that moving powerfully increased the ambient pain I experienced from Immolation. The same veins that previously burned from moving immolation from the strange core within me to my skin were jostled and shaken, the powerful flame energy angered by the whole situation. For a second I hung in the air, dazed. But for only a second. Then I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth, rushing forward. The Colossus chopped downward with its arm, smashing the ground and splintering stone up in every direction, but it only elicited a small smile from me. My left arm stabbed forward, the furiously burning flames aiding in my punch¡¯s power. The reverberation from the blow was satisfying, but I narrowed my eyes. This wouldn¡¯t be enough. It pulled its arm back, gathering for another blow, but I surged forward under its guard, my relatively tiny body moving among its limbs easily. This time when I struck, I made sure to use the forms of Thunder Stance to explode forward, smashing with something close to the epitome of my physical destructive power. The metal of the Colossus deformed, but only slightly. And even then, I suspected it was only due to the high heat produced by Immolation. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 7¡±. Your destructive power while utilizing the Thunder Stance has increased. Your ability to understand some of the 2nd Tier forms of Thunder Stance has increased. Decreased mana usage for 2nd Tier forms. -2nd Tier forms? -Ashni has not mentioned them¡­.But at least the power increases. Won¡¯t be enough for this one though. -Let¡¯s check if the heat does have some effect. Leaping to the side, I dodged the Colossus¡¯ elbow as it lashed out at me. I then created several platforms of air and jumped up towards the Colossus¡¯ shoulder. It turned strangely, looking away from me, and I smiled, thinking it had lost sight of me. But then that strange sense exploded, and I could feel more than see the blow coming. Automated Air Armor hummed online. Lunar mist formed, condensing into a pearly white shield. Air wrapped tightly around me, forming a tight egg. The whole Colossus dropped away as it leaned back, bringing its leg over in a bicycle kick. The split second I hadn¡¯t detected it movements made it impossible to dodge. I crossed my arms, preparing to receive the blow. CRAAAAAACK. All three defensive skills shattered, so fast that I couldn¡¯t even detect the slightest bit of effect they had against the oncoming attack. Then the attack reached my arms, shattering my wrists to nothing and doing quite the number on my forearms. Foreboding sounds came from my shoulders when the shock wave reached them. The blow continued, bulldozing through my defense and smashing into my chest. Luckily the blow had thrown me backwards slightly when it shattered the shields, and a lot more when my arms were broken, meaning that I didn¡¯t receive most of the force. But still my ribs splintered and my heart stuttered briefly to a stop.Then the whole world became a blur- SMASH The ground welcomed me, and I skipped across the grassland several times, leaving craters in my wake, before I can to a stop. The whole time, all I could think was- ¡°IT FUCKING BUUUUURNS!¡± It was literally lava flowing through my veins, searing every nerve ending and muscle. I tried to sit up, but my chest was so torn up that the agony punctured through the burning, forcing me to acknowledge it. But I didn¡¯t stop. I sat up, my arms flopping around uselessly, barely enough solid bone remaining in them to maintain a constant shape. The Colossus had crashed to the ground in the wake of his blow, and was now slowly rising, its six eyes burning as they swiveled towards me. But for some reason, I wasn¡¯t worried. I wasn¡¯t scared of death here. If anything¡­ ¡°I feel alive,¡± I whispered savoring the words slowly, almost running my tongue over them as I said them. -We are Predator. We cannot exist without struggle and strife. And the ultimate goal is victory, the fundamental joy of being Apex. That is the core of our existence. But for now¡­ -But for now, we hunt until we drink blood. I was laughing wildly spitting up blood almost unconsciously as my body frantically began to repair the damage done. The Colossus slowly began to walk towards me, the light from its eyes growing brighter by the second. -First order of business is getting back to our feet. I formed a hand of air and tried to grab myself by the scruff of the neck, lifting myself up. Unfortunately, the Immolation immediately superheated the air I controlled, immediately ballooning up the mana usage, so much so that I stopped immediately. Next I used ice affinity to freeze my blood in the shape of bones to give me the ability to move, but again, the heat interfered; my blood bones melted. Finally I gathered Lunar Mist and condensed bones inside my body, specifically my arms, allowing me to push myself upwards. My legs were trembling, but I chalked that mostly up to adrenaline and mild shock. They didn¡¯t seem injured, and any aches or pains they may be experiencing weren¡¯t strong enough to reach my Immolation-numbed pain receptors. Then I considered the accumulated notifications. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Automated Air Armor Lvl 2¡±. Mana costs significantly reduced. Your ability to condense air into hard barriers has increased. Slightly higher chance of deflecting weaker blows. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Physicality Lvl 9¡±. Your physical body has been through so many injuries and healings that it has learned to cope with any sort of damage. Injuries are now extremely localized, i.e. they have a relatively minor effect on the uninjured parts of your body. It has become almost impossible to die from blood loss or the failure of a single organ. -Desirable improvements, but little bearing on the current situation. -We hope. We aren¡¯t out of the woods yet, and blunt force is more than enough to cause organs to fail. My bones in my arms were starting to knit back together, but they were far from being capable of striking, let alone withstanding blows. It would be a miracle if the healing bones didn¡¯t crumble just from the force of me dodging the colossus¡¯ attacks. Thunder Stance was too forceful to my body, and Air Stance was too aggressive in its body movements for me to handle right now. I needed to use one of the defensive stances, but of course, they were the two I hadn¡¯t even achieved a basic level of mastery in. Earth Stance wouldn¡¯t work either, because even if I turned the attacker''s force against it, it would still break me. My grin twisted outward as the Colossus loomed closer. -I guess it¡¯s time for me to learn Water Stance. ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke did his best to ignore the pounding at his door, content to remain sulking after his earlier embarrassment. If he never had to leave his bed for the rest of his life, it would be too soon. Besides, his parents shouldn¡¯t be home for hours, and he had no friends. Why would he open the door when it was likely just a Wing Brush salesman or something? ¡°I know¡­¡­.Shuudator!¡± Shuusuke sat straight up. The pounding continued, and the voice was screaming, but due to the walls, he could barely make out what he was saying. Only about 1 in 3 words could be understood. ¡°Jake¡­.Cloit¡­.virtue¡­..follow¡­..!¡± The whole house abruptly shook, as if something had been slammed against the door. Horrified, Shuusuke ran out of his room into the 2nd floor roost, which had a window facing the street. Looking down, Shuusuke saw a Cloit he didn¡¯t recognize hefting a garden Human, which were all the rage these days, his mother had recently bought on one of her rare days off. Now that he was closer, the words were much easier to understand. ¡°How dare you upset him! He¡¯s just a scientist, he wasn¡¯t meant to be an Industrial Head! If you think you can come and strong arm-¡± Once more the Cloit slammed the garden human against the door, which was beginning to crack. ¡°You think you can hide in a worker¡¯s dwelling?!?! I¡¯ll follow you to the ends-¡± But as the Cloit leaned back, preparing to slam the garden human against the door again, he overbalanced, stumbling back. He stepped on Shuusuke¡¯s traditional Cloit overcoat, which he had thrown to the ground in his distress when he had returned home. The Cloit¡¯s foot slipped, his body falling backward towards the stone fence.that surrounded Shuusuke¡¯s house. The cloit flailed his arms, but the weight of the garden human was pressing him downwards. His neck struck the fence at an odd angle, breaking with a sickening crack. Shuusuke just looked down, dumbstruck.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His neighbor, Mrs. Sanders, had come out to see what the hubbub was about, began to screech. ¡°Oh my gaaaaaaaaaawd! He died! Someone call the authorities!¡± ***POV Predator*** My eyes relaxed, going slightly unfocused. Whipman had- -Before he abandoned us for god knows what Fury +1 Emphasized the need to relax while seeking the forms of water stance. He talked long about how the water stance was about connections and flow. How every action causes ripples that the Water Stance is designed to follow, and make use of. The epitome of Water Stance would be completely controlling another¡¯s ripples, thereby rendering them helpless before you. Now, confidence aside, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t reach that level right now. Perhaps not ever. But given how quickly I could level up some of my other skills, I thought it to be reasonable that I could learn the stance well enough to gain the levelable skill. Still¡­ My eyes unfocused further, the little vision I had through the flames covering my body falling away. Everything was just motion and shape. Color lost meaning. The sense I gained while using immolation helped immensely, sending me powerful visions of the Colossus¡¯ intent. I felt the magic from the Colossus¡¯ eyes surge, and was happy to find that I wasn¡¯t weighed down as I had been previously. As I thought, it was an optic skill. As such¡­. My eyes closed completely, my senses reaching out to touch the Colossus. While Whipman believed flow was critical, I had my own path. I had found metaphors to under the different stances, which had served me relatively well thus far. -50% effectiveness is fine, I suppose. Where as Thunder was fury and Air was fear, Water was hatred. It was insidious and unrelenting, it moved around resisted and corrupted from the edges, breaking off other emotion until all that remained was the hate. It also beget itself, growing larger and more monstrous until it was the sole thing of import in your life. It was easy to allow that dark emotion to rise within me. It was hot, then cold, then vibrating, but all the while it was sharp, rising up out of the hole in my soul where I had banished my petty concerns. This Colossus struck me. For that, I would make it bleed. I felt its intention, and my body was already shifting to the side, struggling to pull back far enough, just to touch the edges of the ripples the Colossus gave off, finding the distance from which I could strike. BOOOOM. The ground next to me shattered as the Colossus brought its arm down. ¡°DAMNIT¡± I bellowed, my teeth grinding as I hastily hobbled away. Although I had maintained enough distance to dodge the attacked, the shattered stone ripped into my leg, exacerbating the agony of the immolation. -At least you didn¡¯t break any bones. Try harder next time. Fury +1 Fury +1 I stamped on the ground a few times after I created some distance, making sure my leg could support my weight. But it seemed to be a superficial injury, so I once more settled into the form that Whipman had drilled into me for Water Stance. The Colossus¡¯ attack this time was a kick that was low to the ground for it, but would only crush every part of my body above the waist, should it hit me. For a split second, I admired the speed with which such a huge creature could move. -I wonder if you need a higher amount of agility to move a larger or heavier body faster. Then I was spinning down and away, under the kick, my mind racing furiously as it struggled to keep up with the wripples created from the attack. It as a matter of surface area, I believed. Some others might intuit the movement of those ¡°ripples¡±, the lingering hatred, but I couldn¡¯t. My perception showed me them all, and my processing power furiously observed them and attempted to calculate their movements, every ripple at once. They then flowed together and bounced off of each other, mixing and moving. Suddenly I was extremely disappointed that I hadn¡¯t received a race that boosted processing power, only memory. Sure, I could remember every single ripple after the fact, but during a fight¡­ -Not so useful. Even though the kick missed me, the air pressure it generated sent me tumbling. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t even be something worth mentioning, nor would it be close to injuring me, but my natural reaction was to shift my arms to break my fall. Since being injured, the bones in my arms had started to knit back together, growing rapidly. But they were nowhere near completion, and my str was so high that as my muscles flexed to move my arms, the healing bones were squeezed until they shattered, another lightning bolt of pain shooting through me. Something snapped within me, the strange, colorless perception I had of the world around me slowly being tinged with red. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury+1 ¡°These¡­.. Stupid¡­.. Forms¡­..!¡± I hissed, furiously cursing Whipman for teaching me these worthless stances. The Colossus was just recovering from its attack as I stumbled to my feet, and jumped towards me. I stepped, using my most sophisticated and controlled Thunder Stance form that I knew, alighting on its shoulder before it had even registered that I had moved. Twisting quickly to act during that split second of confusion, I wrapped my legs around its neck, pressing myself tightly to the back of its neck. ¡°Just burn with me, fucker.¡± I whispered, frantically willing my arms to heal faster so I could grab more tightly. At first the Colossus didn¡¯t seem to know what was going on. It searched around, and was unable to find me. Its 6 eyes landed on Ashni, who regarded it cooling. -Heh, serves her right for refusing to take part in the fun. But just as Other Me began to gloat the Colossus stiffened. -Ah. Must be getting a little hot under the collar. I could sense it too, that he metal near where I was grabbing was beginning to deform, if just slightly. In response, the Colossus began to shake itself side to side. When that clearly did nothing to dislodge me, one of its huge hands reached up and pressed against me, latched onto the back of it neck as I was. I suspected that even it couldn¡¯t take a full strength blow from itself when it worked up momentum without incurring some injury, so it didn¡¯t strike. Instead, it simply pressed, taking full advantage of its large size, weight, and strength. Truly its power was formidable. My bones groaned uncomfortable as it pressed, struggling to squash me. A dangerous light flickered to life in my eyes. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°I am a Predator, you are prey.¡± I spoke aloud, even though I couldn¡¯t be sure if it could understand my words. -It doesn¡¯t seem to have ears. ¡°I care not for honor or pride. What I care about is my dinner; at the end of the day, you will be devoured.¡± I savoured the words as I spoke them, delighting in the way the sounded, the truth I felt in them. This, ultimately, is what I was. A killer. A predator. My smile stretched even wider as the Colossus gave up on the pressing strategy and began rubbing back and forth, almost trying to scrape me off of my perch. Unfortunately, this was ultimately a much more effective strategy. I winced as I felt multiple small fractures beginning to form across my body. I had already given up hope of recovering my arms for now, as he broke bones much faster than I could heal them. My hips were approaching the point of no return, and I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could hold onto the Colossus. My eyes burning with ill will, I once more formed bones of condensed moonlight in my right arm. Reaching forward, I began to dig into the Colossus¡¯ metal skin, long trails of metal scraped off by my sharp nails. Licking my lips, I did the same thing in my other arm, giving up on defense and just madly slashing out, hoping to reach blood. A notification popped up that made me happy and depressed at the same time. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Immolation Lvl 2¡±. Heat produced by your core has greatly increased. Due to increased integration, you feel the increased heat as slightly more bearable. Mana to maintain state decreased by a very small amount. Happy because the temperature was up and because the heat was SUPPOSED to become slightly more bearable. Depressed because it seemed that the greatly increased heat more than compensated for any benefit the integration might have had. The previous pain was white, and seemed to override every other thought. This pain was black, and disintegrated at the edges, as if too much exposure would lead to my consciousness slowly falling to pieces. -And this is only level 2¡­. But my cheshire smile just continued to stretch. I didn¡¯t see pain or struggle. I saw only survival. I craved power, and I loved how fast and hot my blood was flowing through me right now. Let everything burn, I craved it. The increase in heat had a noticeable effect on the Colossus. It began to more frantically and erratically, desperately trying to be rid of me. And as I watched, the metal near me began to visibly deform, melting. My slashes quickly became much more determined, larger chunks of half molten metal ripped off as I dug for its flesh. Then, almost too quickly, I reached it. There was a drag as if I was pulling through a particularly heavy layer of metal, but I thrust with my nails viciously. Then I felt a hot spurt as its warm blood sprayed out over my hand. Grinning, I raised my other arm. But the entire world shifted. Air was rushing past me and my mind frantically tried to process what my senses were telling me. Just before impact, my processing finally caught up with the rush of information. The Colossus had done a backflip, and was now about to allow the back of its head into the ground- ¡­¡­¡­ I blinked groggily, abruptly coming away. My mind was slightly foggy and I couldn¡¯t parse apart the information, so I deactivated immolation. As the streams of molten heat withdrew from my skin and returned to my core, my entire body seemed to sigh with relief. Then it kicked into overdrive, rapidly healing me. My lower back was in shambles, but the real scare was the large crack that stretched across the back of my skull. -I wonder how well brains would heal. Hey, other me, how long was I out? But there was no response. I blinked rapidly, sitting up, or at least attempting to, and immediately regretted it. The pain was no longer a blanket, but more like a series of localized spikes. Still quite painful however. But before I had a chance to speculate what had happened to Other Me, I felt a strange shift in my head. -....woah, I wonder how well brains can regenerate. Hey, other me, how long was I out? -Fuck you. I was half annoyed, half amused with the similarities between us. I suppose we were the same person. For several minutes, I lay still and simply breathed. After about 15 of such minutes, I felt well enough to move, and dragged myself to my feet, hoping I didn¡¯t look quite so weak as I felt. The Colossus, to my surprise, was emitting a low buzzing noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine, clutching the back of its neck with one hand, while the other was attempting to delicately pick up the hunks of melted metal that I had ripped off of it. ¡°Hey, bastard.¡± The Colossus stilled. Then it turned towards me. ¡°Always finish prey before you nurse your own wounds. Dumbass¡± Its vibration rose in pitch and strength, become a dull rumble. Its arm blurred, smashing into the ground. But in its stance I saw something new: fear. ¡°Heh, you are a crybaby when it comes to pain, huh? Well let me tell you, that¡¯s gonna make this an extremely long night for you.¡± I said with a smile. Then I activated Immolation. ***POV Shuusuke*** Mrs. Sanders curled a wing protectively around Shuusuke. His parents still hadn¡¯t gotten off work, and likely the overseer wouldn¡¯t think it important enough to interrupt the factory cycle for. After all,Shuusuke had only been attacked, not actually injured. ¡°Y¡¯all need to ask less questions. Can¡¯t ya see the poor boy is scared witless? He is a victim!¡± Mrs. Sanders had taken charge in all of the conversations with the authorities. She had told the story, a story which had become increasingly embellished, about the strength and evil of the Cloit that had followed Shuusuke home. By the end of it, it sounded like Shuusuke had been lucky to escape with his life, and the police should be ashamed that they allowed such a vicious Cloit run free for so long. Before the medics had taken away the body, Shuusuke had looked at how small and crippled the strange Cloit looked. He couldn¡¯t get the image out of his head. ¡°Well,¡± the Investigator finally said, closing his small book with a snap. ¡°I think that¡¯s all we need for today. Good luck with your studies, son.¡± He turned to leave, but then turned back at the last moment. ¡°Oh, and if he does get classified as a criminal, as the victim, you will receiving a portion of his estate.¡± ¡°Oh gaaaaaaaaawd, can¡¯t you see how upset he is? Why would you talk about money right now?!? The boy needs peace!¡± Mrs. Sanders shooed the authorities away, her wing still around Shuusuke. Only when everyone else had left did it fall away, Mrs. Sanders typical toothless grin showing through. ¡°Ehehe, I hope you have the good sense to buy lil ole me a good gift for that excellent performance. Did you like it? They really ate up my provincial accept.¡± Humming happily, she left Shuusuke alone. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Shuusuke¡¯s stalled out for several minutes as his eyes remained locked on the slight discoloration that was all that remained of that strange Cloit¡¯s blood. It took a transport driving by to restart his thought. ¡®What¡­ what is happening in my life¡­.?¡¯ Day 43 and 44 ***POV Predator*** It had been a long night. There were a few notifications to keep things interesting, but most of the time was spent with me trying my best to stay close to the Colossus, while it tried, with increasing desperation, to stay away from me. Immolation in and of itself didn¡¯t seem to do any actual damage to the creature. Perhaps some quality prevented the grey mush that was the inner flesh of its body from being susceptible to burns, but simply melting it did nothing. When, however, I scratched at that revealed skin, the colossus swiftly became wild and panicked. -And it bleeds just as red as everyone else. -Pretty sure its blood was more brown. -Whatever, we drank it all the same. That was the other, unexpected, benefit of killing the colossus: Biomass. All told, consuming the entire thing, including the metal that formed its skin, ended up giving me just under 700 biomass. The sheer mass of the thing ended up being an unexpected boon. I rubbed my stomach with a contented expression. The process had been sped up considerably by the notifications. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Immolation Lvl 3¡±. Mana costs slightly reduced. Heat of the core slightly increased. The amount of time it takes activate and deactivate Immolation has greatly decreased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 4¡±. The enhanced state slightly increases your resistance to magical attacks. The enhances state greatly increases your resistance to mental attacks. Certain types of attacks will cause you to grow stronger. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 4¡±. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Greater Fire Resistance Lvl 2¡±. Your ability to survive exposure to extremely high temperatures has increased. Your state will not be impaired by burns. Once again, I obtained a level up for the absolute control skill I gained from Tamara, seemingly at random. -Well, you forced yourself to stay conscious after Immolation leveled up. If that doesn¡¯t show a great degree of control, I¡¯m not sure what does. -Still. I wish there was more clues as to what it did. And also, how is it different than Iron Will? EIther way, it was true that Immolation Lvl 3 pushed the envelope even farther, making it almost impossible to be conscious and looking at the enemy at the same time. I simply didn¡¯t have enough brain power to manage those two things at once. Even with Other me helping. So I would force away the pain and stand still, sensing where the Colossus was blubbering. Then I would leap at him. All of my attention now consumed with staying conscious through the pain while moving. -Probably was pretty foreboding though. For him I mean. When we went so still. Either way, the level up in Greater Resistance to Fire couldn¡¯t have come at a better time. But even then, all it really did was reduce the pain to a level less than Immolation at level 2, but higher than level 1. Comparatively manageable¡­ -But still hurts like a bitch. Almost unconsciously, my hands curled upwards into fists and my heartbeat sped up slightly. The pain reminded me of the joy of struggle and dominance, even if it almost drove me mad. ¡°So?¡± Ashni had watched with distaste as I tortured the moaning Colossus, before I had finally killed it. She had practiced Thunder Stance forms while I was eating, and I noticed that there were several I didn¡¯t recognize. -2nd tier forms¡­ ¡°So what?¡± I asked lazily, glancing around for more of the Colossus to eat. I had gotten rather wild towards the end, throwing hunks of metal everywhere. I didn¡¯t want to miss anything¡­ ¡°Can we leave now? Every moment you waste means Whipman moves farther ahead.¡± She was glaring at me with arms folded across her chest. It was strange, I reflected. It almost seemed like she could sense my change of outlook immediately after it happened, and she had been judging me ever since. Still, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was paying attention. ¡°Are you that worried about Whipman¡­?¡± I asked slowly, doing my best to sound casual. Her face went white and her mouth pressed together in a thin line. I just grinned. ¡°But no,¡± I continued, turning my attention to the east. ¡°We need to stop somewhere else first.¡± ***POV Jana*** When she was on earth, she was called Janine. She had taken advantage of humanity being transplanted to change her name to Jana, which she always thought was¡­. More of who she was. Or of who she wanted to be. But now¡­ now she was known by many names. Ms. Yin. The Blood Rabbit. Morgana, one of the three sisters that Predator had encountered in the white world.. Jana, a human who dreaded Predator more than anything else she had ever encountered, but had no strength to resist him. ¡®We are one,¡¯ She thought herself reflexively, and they were. Since Morgana had flowed into her mind, Jana had- they had- felt the two distinct personalities blurring into each other. Jana had been panicked at first, but Morgana¡¯s ocean deep confidence had rid her of the worst of it. Now that the blending was well and occurring, Jana barely thought of it anymore. They still maintained separate memories, but those were only of before. Now they were one. ¡°And,¡± She said out loud to herself. ¡°Our 10 am appointment is late.¡± ¡°Ahaaha, did I keep you waiting? I lost track of time.¡± Jester strolled out of the darkness, arriving at the SubFloor without a hint of asking if he could enter. Jana was shocked that he appeared, but Morgana narrowed her eyes, wondering how he wasn¡¯t bound by the Solicitor¡¯s covenant. Still, if he had been, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to progress this far. ¡°This is a courtesy from my end, you are the one here for a favor.¡± Morgana said coolly, adjusting her cascading crimson hair. Her small bunny ears twitched in annoyance. Jester waved his hand. ¡°Yes, yes, but we both know I pay my debts. Even with a god.¡± Morgana nodded slowly. ¡°Fine then. We shall let your results speak for yourself. Did you bring it?¡± With a flourish, Jester produced a hunk of crystal, heavily inscribed with runes. Had Predator been there, he would have recognized the coloring as the crystal they had done so much to destroy on the 3rd floor. ¡°Yes, your brother¡¯s soul is trapped within. Or at least a cached copy of it.¡± Morgana removed her hand from the crystal and looked at Jester. ¡°As you know, The Soul Record-¡± ¡°Yes, yes, he had achieved ascension, eternal servitude in return at a lottery shot at godhood.¡± Jester waved his wand flippantly. Morgana allowed herself a small smile. ¡°Some would say that a copy, even a perfect one, is not truly oneself. ¡°Then ascenders are all slavers.¡± Jester¡¯s voice lost all of its playfulness. ¡°I care not, child.¡± Morgana felt a flash of irritation. Jana wondered how old he was. ¡°So what do you want?¡± She asked casually, offering him the hunk of crystal. Jester went unnaturally still, and Jana felt a hot rush of fear, similar to what she had experienced around Predator. It was the feeling of observing the truth of your own mortality. ¡°I want a weapon. One that will liberate the souls of my foolish family members. And perhaps at the same time¡­¡± Jester pressed the hunk back into Morgana¡¯s arms. ¡°Perhaps it will corrupt the entirety of that accursed armory, up above. Morgana¡¯s eyes flashed red. ***POV Predator*** To the east, of course, was a test to weaken the Colossus. Ashni perhaps had a point that it was ultimately a waste of time. But¡­.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. There was a small chance it would prove incredibly lucrative. After all, it was administered by minotaurs. If in his puzzle there was another portal to their home realm, it would help me me advance my Code of the Dragon. And it would provide another definite boost in biomass. -Plus, there is a Silver minotaur that needs killing. The test itself was a giant, shifting labyrinth. Ashni had been surly ever since I suggested she cared about Whipman, and had remained behind, leaving me alone to wander around the maze. The walls seemed only about 10 m high, but they would rise as you did, making it seemingly impossible to leap over them. So I stayed on the ground. This lasted for about 10 minutes. There were complicated sigils and different lights, and pressable pads that somehow shifted the labyrinth, I sensed. But I didn¡¯t care to try and notice them. I wanted to find fucking minotaurs. My eyes were wide and bright, my mouth twisted into a grin as I found the longest passage I could, pointing a finger down towards the end. Essence swirled up within me, frightful and bright. ¡°Break for me,¡± I whispered, forming a condensed bit of lunar energy only the size of a fingertip. One that burned so brightly I couldn¡¯t see a thing, even as it shot away from me. I could only sense the enormous mass of the thing, the heavy permanence. Then it hit the far wall. BOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The force of the explosion was enough that I was knocked off my feet. Laughing brightly, I leapt back up, dusting off the chunks of stone that were sent flying. Before me, the walls continued for a while, but they soon gave way to a¡­ glittering crater? -Must be an effect of the lunar energy. Either way, it was strangely beautiful,that shattered stone and the shimmering motes of light that floated above them, dancing back and forth. -And it¡¯s a waste of time. Let¡¯s go. So I went forward, searching. The huge explosion appeared to have made the extendable walls fail, so I was able to fly up over and search much more quickly. Sure enough, in the far corner of the labyrinth, a few dozen minotaurs were looking around in confusion, freshly emerged from a portal. -Perhaps they came here to investigate the explosion. -Unlucky for them, they will find only me. Feeling strangely nostalgic for the old days, I created a few dozen daggers of ice and whipped them towards the unsuspecting minotaurs, killing them all in either one or two cuts, their blood spreading out over the ground as they lost strength and tumbled over. I walked calmly towards the portal, my steps spreading ripples out on the bloody floor. ¡°Time to go hunting.¡± ***POV Jana, Day 44*** Jana yawned, getting up out of bed. Yesterday had become a blur after Jester and Morgana had begun discussing in more detail what they would need to do to create the ¡°Weapon¡± as they begun referring to it as and Jana basically¡­ dozed off. It was strange, and really scared her at first, but she could fall asleep and Morgana would continue to use her-their-her body, seemingly with no consequences. The flip side of that was that Morgana would often sleep until past noon, while Jana would get up and begin training with the rest of the team that was attempting to kill Predator. Still yawning, Jana walked to the training area, grabbing a small amount of food to munch on the way there. No one else in their suite was usually up at this hour, so Jana took the opportunity to familiarize herself with her newfound skills that she had gained upon merging with Morgana. Even her old skills had experienced a significant boost, so much so that they felt quite different. As Jana did some of the warm up exercises prescribed by Kettle, she realized that she had no idea how much her physical body slept at night. If Morgana kept her up late, and Jana woke up early, how did the body feel this good¡­? Jana faltered in her stretches, realizing that some others had arrived. It was Kat and the two men who stuck close to her and whispered, all the while looking at the rest of them with tired eyes. Just was she was wondering how to deal with the situation, another person arrived: the man who she considered her stalker. Not that he did anything strange, Morgana just found him somewhere and assurd her that he could be trusted. The hooded man had an incredible ability to resist damage, so Jana could see why he was useful, but still¡­. But then the calmness spread back over her. It was all fine. She knew even if she didn¡¯t quite remember, that he was trustworthy. And incredibly important. The hooded man walked over and stood next to her. Kat was studying them, but Jana did her best to ignore it, continuing to stretch. Finally, Kat walked over. ¡°Hey, you are¡­ Jana? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve had a chance to talk.¡± ¡°Uh, hello. You¡¯re Kat, right?¡± Jana said, feeling surprisingly calm about being addressed so suddenly. One benefit of merging with Morgana was the vast amount of confidence that she was slowly gaining access to. ¡°Yep. Let me get straight to the point; I¡¯m going to be managing the¡­.¡± Kat seemed to consider the word she wanted to use for a while. ¡°...the operation, and I wanted to become more familiar with your abilities.¡± Jana just tilted her head, and Kat offered, ¡°For example, I specialize in communication, illusions, and mental attacks. This guy here-¡± She pointed at the slight, asian man next to her, ¡°Knows several advanced martial arts techniques and can use basically any weapon. He also has skills that boost his physical stats and their growth rates. He-¡± Now she pointed to the other man, who was alternating glaring at Jana and giving a pleading look to Kat. ¡°Specializes in spatial and acceleration manipulation. We are all in this together. Let¡¯s not forget that.¡± Jana wondered if that comment was more for her, or her companion. ¡®Companion,¡¯ that confidence deep within her seemed to answer. Jana nodded slowly. ¡°I¡­ can create powerful forces of push or pull, but they only originate from my body. I also have some minor healing abilities.¡± Which was quite an understate; Jana was shocked to discover that Morgana had gifted her with Greater Blood Affinity Lvl 4, which was certainly¡­. He flashiest of her new abilities. Kat looked expectantly at the hooded man beside her, and Jana cast her mind around, trying to remember any details that she had noticed from his training. ¡°He¡­. is a silent type. Incredible resistances and ability to regenerate, however.¡± Jana supplied. Kat nodded, satisfied, then looked around at the training equipment. After a long silence, she sighed. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± She murmured, just loud enough for Jana to hear. ¡°When I hear about all of our abilities, I know how powerful we all are, but then¡­. Then I also think, Predator can do all these things too. All of them. Why are we waiting around here to fight him?¡± Jana shivered. ¡°Could you keep living, knowing he would be chasing you?¡± Kat blinked. ¡°Yes,¡± She replied simply, then walked over towards the training field. ***POV Predator*** If I had to describe today in a single word, it would be¡­ -Feast. My current biomass was just over 4,000, after ransacking multiple large towns of minotaurs. Most of the time I killed Minotaurs with my bare hands, savoring the feeling of their torn flesh, but I did remember to activate my Aura of the Predator before I begun, which paid dividends. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 7¡±. The Aura¡¯s area of effect is slightly larger. Enemies oppressed by your aura shall become lethargic, even if they resist the corrupting influence. Prolonged exposure shall kill creatures a lower level than you. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 8¡±. Enemies at the same or lower level than you will experience minor hallucinations when looking at you. Enemies at the same or lower level than you will see after images that remain for half a second after you move. The speed at which your Aura will corrode the will to live of your opponents is greatly increased. It was almost too easy. By the end, the basic minotaurs were laying on the ground of their own accord, whimpering. I had also left Immolation on, but unfortunately it hadn¡¯t increased in level, even though I had killed hundreds of them. After several long hours of searching and feasting, I arrived at a palace. The blue fur minotaurs roared their defiance, running to meet me, but they died quickly, if not as resistanceless as the regular minotaurs. I could feel something drawing me inward, and a I grinned. -Found ya. The Silver furred minotaur was waiting, sitting on a crystal throne. He was old, incredibly so, his milky eyes locked onto me as soon as I entered the room. He slowly opened his mouth and intoned, ¡°Why?¡± I shrugged. A lot of reasons. The biomass, the skill experience, the joy of killing them, it being my natural role as a predator, the Code of the Dragon¡­ His eyes closed, pain evident in his expression. Then a golden shield flickered to life around him as he stood. I summoned wind blades that screamed towards him, but the smashed into the shield and shattered harmlessly. I frowned. Utilizing the Thunder Stance form, I launched myself towards him, using the same technique I did initially on the Colossus. But this enemy was infinitely smaller and lighter. -Well, not infinitely so, but- But when my fist met the golden shield, I felt the force bleeding away, my momentum disappearing just like that. It was honestly an extremely shocking feeling. A kick of his lashed out, smashing into my side. However, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to inflict damage. I moved to steady my stance, but fell helpless to the side, a strange numbness spreading from my right hip, where I was kicked. ¡°Surrender, devil. You cannot fight justice. I don¡¯t feel your strikes, only pity for you hatred. I¡­¡± My eyes glittering, I created as much lunar mist as I could. Then I condensed it. Then I condensed more. My head began to throb as my attention was spread across more reflections than I could maintain. The reflections that I had already created began to drift to and fro slightly, and in some places tremble. Other me stepped up, using his attention to maintain a larger and larger amount. The headache grew worse, my vision beginning to swim. But I couldn¡¯t help but smile. -This is it. -The struggle to avoid death. The struggle to kill. The struggle to be Apex. Small daggers of pain in my head started to escalate towards rods of electric torture, but I felt something shift abruptly. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 6¡±. Your ability to form additional reflections has increased. They can form faster, and can be maintained for longer. The mana required to maintain a reflection has decreased to nearly nothing. At least 20 mirrors floated around his head, Other Me frantically tried to hold them together as I laboriously stilled their shaking and moved them back to be around the approaching minotaurs face. Then, they all shattered. The Silver minotaur swayed strangely. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 4¡±. The physical damage from the break has greatly increased. The area affected is somewhat larger. The mana costs are slightly decreased. The minotaur swayed again. Then he fell, the golden shield of light dissipating. -Guess the mental damage was enough. -Well we created enough lunar reflections, holy fuck. I have a terrible headache. A notification popped up. Congratulations! You have succeeded in your first Demonstration. Your code of the dragon has progressed. You are Determined. A dragon is only as powerful as its code, and only as capable as it is wise. For slowly learning the Code, your maximum mana has increased by +50. Continue, and find your next Demonstration, so your code may evolve further. -All that, for just a bit of mana? -Well, it¡¯s not like that¡¯s the only benefit we got from the trip. And we unlock the next one. I turned my attention to the body of the Silver minotaur, licking my lips. I began dragging my still numbed body across the ground, intent on my prize. As I had hoped, he was extremely delicious. Day 45.1 ***POV ????*** In a dark room, 4 figures sat. ¡°The head of Arbiters informed me that he was uninterested,¡± The Ilium said. ¡°The right and left gods are even still slowly waking, and thus are unable to come. So it is just us, brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°So it is,¡± A porcelain doll with golden eyes said in a bored tone. ¡°So why have you called a meeting, Lily?¡± A monster of shadow and deformed wood rumbled its agreement. The final figure, seemingly a teenage girl with stockings that shifted colors remniscent of the sky at dusk, kicked her legs up in the air, ignoring her siblings. Ilium ignored the pet name and continued. ¡°The sisters are acting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we know that?¡± The porcelain doll snapped. ¡°Tuggy and I spent all that time corrupting the mind of that human, making it a suitable host, and then the fucking bunny bitch swiped it from us. If we could act, we would. WE were the ones who pushed for the noninterference pact. If they don¡¯t act first, I still say we do nothing.¡± The teenage girl popped up, suddenly interested. ¡°Well they aren¡¯t doing nothing. They are definitely messing around in my world. I¡¯m all for acting.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t see it that way!¡± The doll shouted, her golden eyes flashing. ¡°Are you all ready for the Penthouseto become unsealed? Because that is the direction we are headed if we do this.¡± ¡°Genie,¡± The shadow creature rumbled consolingly. ¡°The two hands wake. Peace between gods is ending anyway. We should act now.¡± The doll hissed her displeasure, going silent. Several minutes of stillness passed. ¡°....so are we in agreement? Do I have the council''s approval to move?¡± ¡°As long as you understand what this means, Lily.¡± The doll¡¯s voice deepened, becoming wind howling through an endless chasm. ¡°Open war with the sisters means another war, if a silent one. One between us siblings. A cold war to inherit our birthright.¡± The room began to shake, and the doll¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t even open as she spoke her final line. ¡°Only one of us can become the next Mother.¡± The wooden shadow creature looked at the ground, brooding. The stockinged girl rolled her eyes. The Ilium waited a few seconds, then said again. ¡°....so we are in agreement?¡± ***POV Ashni*** Ashni took advantage of the time that Predator was off indulging in his distasteful habit of eating his enemies, moving crisply through the warm ups of Thunder Stance. Her movements were smooth and graceful, leagues ahead of the childish flailings of Predator, and the murky bog of movements that plagued Whipman. There was a small hesitation in her movements. Then she swiftly resumed her warmups, grinding her teeth and racing through the opening kata. Whipman¡­.! It was because of him¡­.! She couldn¡¯t articulate exactly how, but his departure had caused Predator to become so¡­ savage. Even worse, after he had finally worked up the nerve to challenge her to a duel, after dancing around their courtship for weeks, he fled. Ashni felt a certain satisfaction in cracking the surrounding ground with a uncontrolled step, rendering the once peaceful grassland unrecognizable. Her body felt fresh, and she instantly moved onto the next step: practicing the tier 1 forms. Thunder Stance was primarily amount joints and tendons; the ultimate goal was to create and disperse cleanly as you moved the body. The more sudden this could be accomplished, the better. The familiarity of the movements soothed Ashni. Which was good, because the urge to leave immediately to follow Whipman, immediately strangling him when she found him, was almost overpowering. Breathing steadily, Ashni began to increase her speed, making the the burden on her joints far beyond what a normal individual could stand. She began to perform the 2nd tier forms. Originally, these forms were kept out of the hands of any practitioners of Thunder Stance who didn¡¯t have at least 2 years experience, simply because their bodies needed to grow used to the impossible demands before they could handle it. Even Ashni, pride of her Academy, took a whole year to reach the requisite resiliency. Ashni was disgruntled with how Predator''s body could naturally manage it easily. Ashni had paid less attention to the whispered rumors about Predator¡¯s growth rates, but they clearly had put him up to at least 100 in every stat. Generally, each stat point provided marginally less than the one before it, but the difference was still quite noticeable, especially at these levels where their skills weren¡¯t high enough to make up for stat differences. Yet Ashni had refrained from teaching Predator 2nd tier forms, initially because he hadn¡¯t yet mastered the first tier forms, but now because sometimes Predator had a strange look in his eye. Like that of a starving snake looking at a fat mouse. Her whole body began to hum as she began to practice the 2nd tier forms in earnest. There were pros and cons to utilizing the 2nd tier forms. The most obvious con was the strain on the body, which didn¡¯t cease after years of training. Even when most Tellites trained to their peak, they were unable to sustain the 2nd tier forms for more than an hour at a time, per day. Otherwise there was a risk of permanent injury. The other major drawback of the 2nd tier forms was that they required a sizable pool of mana, and a fineness of mana control that escaped most of the Tellites who had strong enough bodies to practice the 2nd tier forms. Generally, their performance was left to the extremely skilled or the extremely eccentric, who possessed the right combination of prowess and stubbornness to reach the pinnacle of Tellite arts. Ashni¡¯s fist lashed forward, cracking the air, small serpents of thunder dancing across her knuckles. The benefits were obvious; a small amount of control over the actual elements. Very few outsiders had ever pursued the Tellite arts, just for the reason that there were quite a few skills that could achieve similar results, with a fraction of the effort. But that was because the powerful practitioners never left Tellus, hiding the truth that no one bothered to ask about, so it became an open secret: Tellus¡¯ elements were quite special. Halting, Ashni turned to look at a round bellied Predator who was loafing his way over to her. ¡°Miss me?¡± He asked, smirking. His eyes were narrowed in a way that made her realize he had witnessed some of the 2nd tier forms. Well let him witness. It was not yet time for those secrets to be divulged. Ashni remained silent so long that Predator shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s ascend then, to the 8th floor.¡± ***POV Whipman*** The 9th floor was basically the last challenge before proceeding to the 10th and it was exactly what Whipman was looking for: a chance to try his new forms. Whipman hadn¡¯t been idle since moving on beyond Predator and Ashni. He had trained diligently, using all of the below floors as crucibles to refine himself. In weeks past, while the group was still together, Whipman had despaired at his inability to successfully practice any of the forms left by his master. He had persisted despite initial failures, and his overall fighting ability had suffered for it. It was only after the large battle on the 5th floor, and his breakthrough, that he realized that he didn¡¯t have enough total insights to combine the stances to form the super stances his Master had created. What Whipman could do, however, was combined specific insights together, creating a singular move, much more similar to the skills recognized by The Great Tower than a comprehensive martial art. And those moves seemed more than enough to significantly boost his power. In the days since, Whipman had outlined 4 moves, including Storm Walking, that would become the basis of Whipman¡¯s own style. Whipman had spent more than a little time drooling while thinking about how proud Ashni would be when he was recognized to have invented his out style. Most of these sessions ended with him hurriedly wiping his mouth, looking around surreptitiously. The most embarrassing session involved Jerry walking in on him, leaving the dining conversation between them tense and slightly judgemental on Jerry¡¯s part. The 9th floor was one of the only cases where the challengers combined forces, fighting against an assault by a generated army of demons. Passing was usually taken for granted, because you only needed to hold out for 3 days, or defeat the Demon King. And because the challengers passed as a group, there would be times that an impatient and powerful challenger would just defeat the Demon King, ending the floor. It was now around noon on the 1st day, and Whipman was growing bored. In the initial meeting before it began, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone who wanted to take charge, so the army sat content along the huge, sprawling wall that marked the edge of the protected territory. Even if the demons broke through the wall, there was also the Golden City they could defend, and the Crystal Keep within that. It was very rare that challengers lost on the 9th floor. Everyone who made it to that point was a talent that the Administrators wanted to nurture, so much so that instead of dying, challengers who were wounded were simply teleported to a safe zone. Whipman yawned, leaning against his post on the northern portion of the wall, where 19 other challengers who were loosely assigned to this ¡°group¡± hung around. Just when Whipman was considering whether to practice his moves, a distant rumbling drew his attention far to the East, to the demon spawn point. The rumbling was growing in volume, but it was still incredibly soft. Whipman looked around, and it seemed like no one else had noticed it. Perhaps it was only by virtue of Predator¡¯s Perception bonuses that he could currently hear it. Ultimately, as no one else seemed to react, Whipman began to ignore the noise. To pass the time, Whipman brought up his status screen.
Name: Zindaloo a/ka "Whipman" Level: 17
Race Tellite Mana: 379/379
Vit: 58 End: 61
Str: 44 Agi: 42
Dex: 72 Int: 31
Wis: 58 Luck: 15
Perception: 30 Balance: 8
Titles
Tellite Warior Traitor The First Stormwalker Disciple of a Hero
Skills
Spear Mastery Lvl 8 Martial Master Lvl 7 Weapons Mastery Lvl 5 Dash Lvl 4
Lesser Resistance to Thunder Lvl 4 Lesser Resistance to Earth Lvl 5 Resistance to Water Lvl 1 Lesser Resistance to Air Lvl 6
Pain Tolerance Lvl 2 Thunder Stance Lvl 4 Air Stance Lvl 8 Water Stance Lvl 9
Earth Stance Lvl 6 Stormwalking Lvl 6
Whipman nodded, inwardly slightly giddy. Being undead had its drawbacks, but the boosts he got for being Predator¡¯s summon were really starting to add up. His stats were much more respectable than they were during his time among the living. ¡°What that noise?¡± A female ogre holding a large warhammer asked, looking towards the source of the rumbling. Her question was directed at a skeleton who was floating in a meditative position in the center of the group. It had seemed the most powerful creature of their group, and most of the others deferred to it. Meanwhile Whipman, who still looked extremely frail and sickly as an aftereffect of using the forbidden technique while he was among the living, was one of the group who stood at the fringe.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The skeleton slowly unclasped his hands. ¡°Although this floor is usually extremely simple...there are rumors that there is a chance for that to change. The Birth of a Demon Emperor, rather than simply a Demon King. Roughly speaking¡­.¡± The skeleton cocked his head to the side. ¡°That would increase the difficulty around 10 fold. And I believe that noise is the Emperor¡¯s war drums.¡± ***POV Ashni*** ¡°So¡­ you are saying I can do nothing?¡± Predator spoke slowly to the floor assistant, who nodded nervously. Predator casually reached down and grabbed another squirming grub, which appeared to be his favorite, from the buffet that was laid out for the challengers. Ashni was frowning. The assistant had informed them that the 8th floor was the ¡°Lottery Floor¡±. They would remain here until their names were drawn out of the lottery bowl. Two names were drawn a day. There were 1000s of challengers on the floor, sitting, resting, training, etc. waiting for their chance. ¡°You need to be lucky, as well as strong.¡± The assistant added. Ashni did he best to not appear annoyed, but was slightly amused at the same time. Much as she distrusted this new, feral Predator, he certainly dealt with most problems in an effective manner. This useless assistant would likely soon find a crowded home in Predator''s belly. But to her surprise, Predator simply stuffed another handful of grubs into his mouth, nodding. ¡°Guess there is no helping it then. By the way, can you bring out another plate of these? And a seat would be nice.¡± Bowing,the assistant said, ¡°Of course, honored sir,¡± and hurried off. A vein in Ashni¡¯s temple began to throb. ***POV Whipman*** What was once a few scattered patrols in front of the sprawling wall turned into a veritable sea of demons, a huge mass of bodies surging towards the walls. Even now, several of the faster demons leapt towards the walls, beginning to scratch and claw their way up towards the defenders. ¡°Do we surrender the wall?¡± The she-ogre asked uncertainly, now firmly entrenching herself as the #2 in the group, standing next to the skeleton. The skeleton simply shook its head. ¡°You heard ¡®im¡± The Ogre barked, turning to the rest of them. ¡°We are gonna hold. Not like those yellow bellied cowards on the South wall. We hold, and we slaughter enough demons to gain a few levels. Remember, you can¡¯t really die here. Fight your heart out. You do good enough, you might even catch the eye of a wealthy donor, or administrator. Get to your positions.¡± Whipman rolled his eyes, already in his spot, 2nd farthest away from the skeleton. The only person further was an azure snake, seemingly sleeping still. ¡®More demons for me, I guess.¡¯ Within 5 minutes the demons came, screeching their hatred. The first wave was simply a small imp variant, easily dispatched by a measured thrust of the spear. Although it was made a tad bit more complicated by the fact that the azure snake was sleeping, and Whipman had to cover both of the gaps in the battlements, his spear flashing back and forth. Still, it was slightly mind numbing; the imps couldn¡¯t have been stronger than Lvl 5. As his eyes glazed over, Whipman found himself staring at the snake, watching how his shiny scales reflected light. Due to the distraction, his spear attack was slightly delayed, but the execution was sharper, more graceful. The curves of his strikes were more deceptive, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. His eyes continued to follow the curves of the snake, until several things happened at once. First, a notification popped up. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill to ¡°Serpent Strike Lvl 1¡±. When you focus, you can change the style of your spear moves to mirror the deceptive grace of the serpent, striking rapidly and retreating without warning. Small chance of confusing weaker enemies who witness your spear arts. Your spear blows will most slightly faster while utilizing Serpent Strike. Before Whipman could really read the notification, another creature climbed up over the battlements, and his spear flashed out towards it, utilizing the new Serpent Strike on instinct. Unfortunately, rather than the typical Imp, this was a rather larger species of demon, with unhealthily pale skin strapped over bulging muscles. Although Whipman¡¯s precise strikes had been enough to defeat the Imps, the blow on this Pale Demon simply ripped open a huge gash in the throat of the Pale Demon, enraging it. It would likely bleed out eventually, but in the meantime, its hateful eyes were locked onto Whipman as the one who dared wound it. Roaring, it surged forward, and Whipman¡¯s eyes snapped to focus. This was the chance he was looking for. Water Stance, feel the flow, control the flow. Earth Stance, center your strength and make it as solid as a diamond. The Pale Demon attacked, slashing with its claws, but Whipman simply leaned to the side, the air whistling harmlessly. Even more enraged, the still bleeding demon kicked toward him. Eyes flashing, Whipman¡¯s senses extended, covering the oncoming blow and the demon behind it. He carefully observed the small ripples of force and momentum surrounding the kick. For the skill, Whipman needed to slowly let the demon flail, slowly cutting off the Demon¡¯s strength, leaving him with no option but to die in the stifling flow Whipman created. Stepping forward, Whipman took the kick to the chest before the opponent¡¯s leg was even half way extended. It still hurt, but Whipman was strong enough now that he wasn¡¯t seriously injured by the blow. Howling, the unbalanced Demon twisted awkwardly, opting to slash at Whipman once more, even in its unbalanced state. Whipman smiled. Whipman lowered his stance,spinning his spear. The shaft of the spear whipped out, striking the Pale Demon¡¯s arm and pinning it to the nearby battlements. Then Whipman¡¯s palm surged forward, carrying with it the concentrated weight of his body, smashing into the White Demon¡¯s chest. Whipman aimed his blow carefully striking through the demon¡¯s flow, sending it off balance. Calmly, Whipman stepped backwards, saying. ¡°Welcome to the Quagmire.¡± Almost irresistibly, even as it struggled and flailed, the Pale Demon fell backwards off the battlements, gnashing its teeth. Congratulations! You have combined ¡°Water Stance Lvl 9¡± and ¡°Earth Stance Lvl 4¡± to form a new, unique skill. Previous skills will also be retained at their current levels. Would you like to create a name for the unique skill? Whipman¡¯s grin in that moment could have rivaled Predator¡¯s. ¡°Zone of Quagmire.¡± Congratulations! The skill ¡°Zone of Quagmire Lvl 1¡± has been gained. Zone of Quagmire: A defensive skill that creates an area within which the user slowly erodes the opponents base of power by skillful manipulation of the flow of battle. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Zone of Quagmire Lvl 2¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. The area of influence is slightly larger. Insights into the use of flow allow you to predict an opponent¡¯s moves more effectively. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Zone of Quagmire Lvl 3¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. The flow created will be much more difficult for opponents to break with brute force.. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Zone of Quagmire Lvl 4¡±. The longer the zone is active, the more powerful it becomes. Blows made within the zone are much more powerful. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Zone of Quagmire Lvl 5¡±. Mana costs greatly decreased. Resistance to damage while using the skill is greatly increased. Predictive abilities within the zone are greatly increased. Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°The Warden of the Quagmire¡±. Mana costs for The Zone of Quagmire have decreased by 10%. Experience towards leveling up the skill has increased by 10%. End, Dex, and Wis +5. Mana + 100. Several more imps flooded up in the wake of the pale demon, and Whipman stopped using the zone and flicked out his spear, slashing them to pieces. They came in handfuls now, exploding up over the battlements in groups larger than Whipman could comfortably deal with, handling two sections of wall as he was. The Azure Snake continued to sleep, seemingly having a good dream. ***POV Ashni*** ¡°You¡­. are content¡­? With THIS¡­.?¡± Ashni hissed, watching Predator continue to eat. The assistants had brought him a plush chair, which Predator was now sprawled over, additional assistants fetching him more plates of grubs and other various delicacies that covered the buffet. Most infuriating was that Predator simply smiled at her and asked. ¡°Why do you wish to climb the Great Tower so fast, Ashni?¡± She glared at him. ¡°Did you mean to ask why I am unsatisfied with simply loafing around and growing fat? I suppose it is simply my good upbringing.¡± Rather than being annoyed by her insults, Predator just seemed more amused. ¡°You know Ashni, you just need to-¡± ¡°Sir, here are some more grubs.¡± Predator chuckled. ¡°Relax, I sorta get the rules. Ashni, if you like Whipman, why don¡¯t you just say something? I don¡¯t really know anything about relationships, but if you''re good upbringing just makes shit like this pointlessly difficult-¡± ¡°Why do you keep bringing him up?¡± Ashni unleashed her most scathing glare on Predator. ¡°That weakling is likely dead already, on his own. To hurry after him would be meaningless.¡± ¡°Then why not enjoy our time here,¡± Predator said while rolling his eyes, bringing another handful of grubs to his mouth. ***POV Whipman*** Things for Whipman¡¯s group were beginning to go south. There were two main reasons for this. ¡®Well, three,¡¯ Whipman thought. ¡®If you count the unending horde of demons.'' The first thing was that Pale Demons were coming up in increasing frequency, almost completely replacing the imps. Whipman, who was still forced to cover two sections of wall, was barely holding, but some of the other members of the group were being pushed back, several Pale Demons at once surviving on the wall, working together to create a foothold. One of the group had already died. The other problem was the more concerning one; they were being surrounded. The group to their immediate south along the wall had retreated about 20 minutes ago, either overwhelmed or simply tired, and had let a stream of demons gain the wall in their area. Rather than chase after the fleeing challengers, the demons opted to arc around, encircling Whipman¡¯s group which continued to maintain a tenuous hold on the wall. There was a lone bright spot, however. Congratulations! You have reached Level 18. End +2 Str +3 Dex +1 Agi +4 Int +3 Wis +1 Balance +1 Due to being a summoned undead of Predator, you have gained additional stats! Vit +2 End +5 Str +4 Dex +6 Perception +2 Balance +4 Due to your title ¡°Disciple of a Hero¡± +1 to all stats! The real reason Whipman had been able to hold out was one that annoyed him: the balance stat he had obtained from Predator. It had been hard to notice at first, and Whipman initially had chalked it up to his boosted Dex, also by Predator, but now it was getting increasingly obvious that his base was stronger, his reach longer, and his ability to recover from bad stances was greatly increased. Of course his balance was still small, only 14, but that fraction of a second in battle was the difference between life and death. ¡°We have a problem!¡± The ogre shouted, worry clear in her voice. Whipman spared the center of the formation a glance. Two many challengers were being pushed back, and a group of around 20 Pale Demons was now free up to attack other defenders on the wall, gleefully striking them from behind. The Skeleton hands blurred, a dozen complicated hand sigils appearing and disappearing, and then it pointed a small ball of violet light shooting towards the largest group of Pale Demons. As the violet light neared them, they began to scream as the flesh melted off their bodies in a 3 meter area around the light. The survivors scrambled backwards, and the light passed by and off the wall. Screeching their fury the Pale Demons surged back towards the defenders, but the ones who were killed by the attack shuddered, their bones turning a violet hue. They slowly rose, grappling with their former comrades. Seemingly weaker than the Pale Demons, but durable and still in possession of sharp claws. Still, more Pale Demons were arriving by the second. Whipmantook two steps back, activating Zone of Quagmire and spinning his spear as his senses took in the ripples from the 3 Pale Demons he was currently dealing with. His spear blurred, knocking two slashes aside, into each other, sending two Pale Demons staggering. Like a sinuous tongue, his spear flicked outward, licking through the chest of one demon and tasting its heart, and then out again. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Serpent Strike Lvl 2¡±. Grace of the attacks using Serpent Strike increased. You can now weave together multiples strikes using Serpent Strike for increased effects. Whipman grinned, but was forced to roll out of the way as the Pale Demon who hadn¡¯t lost its balance leapt at him. He escaped easily, but what happened after that made him freeze. The Pale Demon stumbled, stepping on the tail of the Azure Snake. The Snake''s eyes immediately flickered, then opened wide, revealing eyes that were completely and totally grey, like swirling mist. It opened its mouth, a powerful jet of water surging outward, striking the Pale Demon in the chest and sending it tumbling over the edge of the wall. Then, slowly, the Snake turned its grey eyes on Whipman. Whipman smiled awkwardly, dispatching the final Pale Demon by beheading it. They watched each other for a long moment. Whipman blinked. When he opened his eyes, the snake was slithering, faster than Whipman would have believed possible, skittering over the ground towards Whipman. He yelped, jumping backwards, but the creature was too fast, bunching its body up and leaping towards him. As it approached him though, it seemed to shrink in size, becoming only as thick as his wrist. It landed on his body and blurred into movement, lacing itself around Whipman arms and throat. Then it stilled. Whipman stood awkwardly, unsure of what happened. Then the Snake began to hiss softly, evenly, as if¡­ As if it was snoring. The weight was noticable, but not too heavy. Was it planning on just staying like this...? Before Whipman could consider further, three more Pale Demons surged up over the wall, and his focus turned to more pressing matters. He managed to defeat those three well enough, but more and more were coming. And he could see that aside from the snake and himself, there were only about 5 other challengers remaining. ¡°It is now time to retreat,¡± The skeleton said coolly, immediately floating away from the Pale Demons, its purple skeletons opening a path. Whipman hesitated, then ultimately decided it was for the best, and followed it, joining the ragged bunch of them as they did their best to retreat. Even though they all knew they needed to break through a slowly growing army behind them before they would find any sanctuary. Day 45.2 Day 45.2 ***POV Whipman*** A Pale Demon jumped in front of him and Whipman sidestepped its slash, Utilizing pure Air Stance to slice twice with blinding speed. With its throat hanging on by gristle and its arm severed, the demon fell to the side, gurgling. Congratulations! You have reached Level 19. Vit +1 End +1 Dex +4 Agi +2 Wis +3 Balance +3 Due to being a summoned undead of Predator, you have gained additional stats! Vit +1 End +4 Str +3 Dex +6 Perception +5 Balance +3 Due to your title ¡°Disciple of a Hero¡± +1 to all stats! Whipman took advantage of the small break to wipe the sweat off his brow before he pushed forward, chasing after the rest of the group. The skeleton and she-ogre lead the way, while a caped woman and a monkey followed behind. Whipman brought up the rear, usually finishing off those that were weakened by those ahead of him. He unfortunately only had time for a brief break, because none of the others bothered to notice he was trailing. Panting heavily, Whipman trotted after them, the Azure Snake still snoozing around his neck. If he hadn¡¯t seen the snake effortlessly manipulate water to defeat a Pale Demon, Whipman would likely try to disturb it. After all, in a prolonged fight, the extra weight really began to add up, dragging him down. But for now, Whipman was wary of its reprisal, should it be woken early. The group crested a small hill, and the leaders stopped, inadvertently allowing Whipman to catch up. He glanced around, surveying the surroundings. In front of them remained only a small grove of trees and plains before they would reach the Golden City But streaming in towards the same direction on either side of the hill they were on were columns of pale demons. ¡°If we do not move quickly, we shall become trapped.¡± The skeleton stated simply, ¡°And further¡­¡± Its gaze turned to the South, were another, smaller column of demons was moving, not towards the city like all the others, but directly towards their group. ¡°...Let us go.¡± ¡°BREAK THROUGH!¡± The ogre bellowed, recklessly running down the hill in a straight line. The skeleton floated down after her, ignoring the terrain as well. Sighing, Whipman followed, carefully choosing his steps down the steep hillside. His stats might be higher now, but he didn¡¯t have a deathwish. ***POV Ashni*** 14 names had been read. That meant that 7 days had passed, Ashni realized. It all felt like a blur, everything merging together into one huge ball of frustration. Whipman, assuming he didn¡¯t die on her, could have even passed the 10th floor, Ashni thought gloomily. But her frustration and hopelessness quickly turned to anger, which she directed into a death stare at Predator, who remained firmly entrenched by the buffet, now waited on by 6 floor assistants at all times. What compounded Ashni¡¯s anger was that more challengers arrived everyday. They would come in droves, and then be whisked off to other, similar areas in the city, Ashni assumed, where they likely would join the group of waiters. And yet¡­ And yet¡­. And it was just like fucking Whipman to bumble his way through a floor like this one quickly, Ashni thought furiously. Although he was lazy and haphazard in his training, he still lucked his way into climbing the tower. ¡°And yet I am here with¡­!¡± Ashni mumbled under her breath, her eyes glued on Predator. Predator belched loudly, rubbing his stomach with a contented expression. ¡°Oh my. First time I¡¯ve been feeling ¡°full¡± in my entire life. So what¡¯s the rush, Ashni? Why do you want to move on so fast?¡± Folding her arms, Ashni turned up her nose and looked at the wall. Shrugging, Predator continued to eat. ***POV Whipman*** The demon in front of him roared, sending several globs of spittle spattering against Whipman¡¯s face. This variant of demon had the same unhealthy looking skin as the pale demons, but possessed extremely thick, tentacle like arms that they whipped back and forth, bludgeoning their foes into submission. ¡®You could call them¡­ Whipdemons,¡¯ Whipman thought to himself, allowing himself a small smile. The most problematic issue with fighting this variant is the sheer amount of space that their blows took up. It wasn¡¯t easy to dodge, and the long, tree-trunk thick arms were so huge that managing to calculate all of the ripples created by the blow was impossible. Quagmire Zone couldn¡¯t handle all of it. In addition, using Stormwalking to dodge every strike was inefficient. The remaining team members were leaving him behind, the skeleton floating forward and melting the opponent¡¯s flesh with his strange violet spells and the she-ogre simply bowling over the demons in her way. Whipman gritted his teeth and stepped towards the oncoming blow. Even as adrenaline thundered through his system and his heart beat a rapid rhythm of fear, he closed his eyes, senses extending.over the huge arm. He quickly began to sweat. ¡°The world is really an unfair place,¡± Whipman whispered, his expanded senses quickly covering the entirety of the body of the demon, feeling its power, the easy arrogance with which it was able to rely on its powerful body to accomplish its goals. Predator wasn¡¯t there yet, but Whipman grew increasingly worried as he watched Predator realize how superior his body is to most others. ¡°In Strength there is complacency,¡± His master used to tell Whipman. ¡°In weakness, there is sight.¡± Just as the blow was about to smash Whipman¡¯s body, with such force that even with his improved stats he would be seriously injured, Whipman¡¯s eyes snapped open. Although he cut it close, he finally saw. ¡°Clinging Mist.¡± Whipman¡¯s body became insubstantial and light, the particles that constituted him separating and sliding into the vast emptiness between the air. Except this time, Whipman did not step into that space, as he would when using StormWalking. Whipman simply allowed the chaotic ripples produced by the violent blow to push him to the side. As the attack came closer, Whipman disappeared. With a huge crash, the arm destroyed the ground where Whipman was once standing, leaving only shattered rock and dust. The demon blinked in confusion, unsure of what happened to its opponent. It died from a spear sliding into the top of its spinal column before it realized Whipman had appeared behind him. Panting, Whipman hurried after the rest of the group and grinned at his notifications. Congratulations! You have combined ¡°Water Stance Lvl 9¡± and ¡°Air Stance Lvl 8¡± to form a new, unique skill. Previous skills will also be retained at their current levels. Would you like to create a name for the unique skill? Congratulations! The skill ¡°Clinging Mist Lvl 1¡± has been gained¡­ ***POV Predator*** After stuffing another turtle truffle into my mouth, I spared Ashni a glance. She was still dull eyed, looking at the ground. Then I turned to the administrator. ¡°Is it pointless to train on this floor?¡± He shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, no, no, all of your training is counted. But due to the nature of the floor¡­ you won¡¯t see your progress until you advance. Or rather your group.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± He added, sidling closer to me, rubbing his hands together, ¡°You could leave without your other member, ascending immediately-¡± My hand blurred out and flexed, crushing the assistants skull. Pointless, because I didn¡¯t doubt that like all 149 times I had killed him before, he would come back just as cheery, serving me more food and asking me if I wanted to move on. And it wasn¡¯t as if I wasn¡¯t tempted. I didn¡¯t care for Ashni refusing to give me any information in regards to the 2nd tier forms, but still¡­ if the training counted¡­. -And also¡­. I looked at my Biomass as I lowered a wiggling centipede creature, crunching down with relish. Biomass: 5023 Biomass +1 Biomass +1 I didn¡¯t mind staying here for a while longer. ***POV Whipman*** Wheezing, Whipman stumbled after the remnants of the group. After passing through the Whipdemons, they had a few moments of respite, as the way to the Golden City appeared clear. But swiftly those demons they had witnessed making a beeline for them were gaining, and the Skeleton decided it wise to cut back through the Whipdemon column. The Whipdemon¡¯s had received them with glee, attacking them with wild abandon. Of the group, only the skeleton, the she-ogre, and Whipman were remaining. ¡®Well, and this freeloader,¡¯ Whipman thought, barely suppressing a surge of irritation at the dead weight he had been lugging up and down the hills this past hour. The rest had been smashed to pieces by the Whipdemons, unable to persevere through their lines. ¡®And I¡¯m going to join them soon,¡¯ Whipman thought with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Although Clinging Mist was an incredibly useful move against these type of enemies, and was his highest leveled move at Lvl 8, it still consumed a noticeable chunk of mana. In a 1v1 fight, Whipman could rip through the demons. But they came in mobs, swinging their huge arms wildly, often doing as much damage to the terrain and each other as they would do to Whipman. But managing to stay alive in that barrage of attacks took effort and attention. Whipman¡¯s supply of which as swiftly dwindling. He narrowly dodged to the side, hopping around a huge arm that smashed into the ground, cracking it. His spear shot forward, slithering gracefully to the demon¡¯s throat, slashing it out in a heartbeat. The demon fell over, and Whipman was greeted by several notifications.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Serpent Strike Lvl 3¡±. Speed of attacks have increased. Time between attacks has slightly decreased. Mastery of the technique has allowed you to increase the range of your spear by an extremely slight amount. Congratulations! You have reached Level 20. End +2 Str +3 Dex +1 Agi +4 Int +3 Wis +1 Balance +1 Due to being a summoned undead of Predator, you have gained additional stats! Vit +2 End +5 Str +4 Dex +6 Wis +4 Perception +2 Balance +4 Due to your title ¡°Disciple of a Hero¡± +1 to all stats! With a wane smile, Whipman dismissed the notifications, not even bothering to look at his stat screen. Although he felt a small bit of strength returning to him, Whipman couldn¡¯t help but think that relying on that strength was a trap. It was hard to continue and fight before he leveled, and it would be hard after. What mattered most was his will to continue. And to see and seize opportunities. With hands that were slightly shaking, Whipman raised his spear towards the next demon. Or rather, series of them. Ultimately, seeing the 5 attacks coming towards him and the angle they were approaching, Whipman opted to not use Clinging MIst, deciding instead to conserve mana. The attacks whistled closer, and at the last minute, Whipman felt a thread of fear in his heart. After all, he had died once before. But the moment before the attacks struck, Whipman surged into motion, hopping and twisting through a small opening in their net of attacks. Even though he had planned as well as he could, several of the attacks brushed against Whipman with enough force to jar bones. He made it through, but his landing was sloppy; he staggered to the side, tripping over one of the Whipdemons arms. Stop that¡­ The voice was extremely small, but echoed strangely in Whipman¡¯s mind. He blinked, looking around to the skeleton, but it was already calmly floating away, leaving Whipman behind. Even the ogre was struggling, her blows severely weakened at this point as she continued to smash her way through the throng of bodies. But now, the demons landed some blows before they went down, leaving her face even more swollen than it was naturally. If you can¡¯t manage it yourself, I suppose I¡¯ll have to help a bit. A strange notification appeared in front of Whipman.
A Contract of Familiar has been cast on you.
The contract was cast for the following reason: Bad bed needs help.
Accept? Y / Y (You have insufficient Lvl to resist the contractor)
As a Familiar, you gain access to 1% of the Contractor''s mana pool. (Percentage increases as intimacy grows)
As Whipman slowly blinked, one of the demons that attacked him recovered, raising its arms for another blow. Gritting his teeth, Whipman clicked on one of the Y¡¯s carefully selecting the right Y in case it was a trick. Unfortunately it didn¡¯t appear to be, and he felt a strange power enter his body, freezing him for a split second. His eyes continually widened as the blow rushed towards him, even as the strange energies invading him held him completely still.
Contract complete!
Whipman immediately activated Clinging Mist, his body becoming incorporeal and sliding through the space inherent in air, appearing behind the demon. He dispatched it effortlessly, and then looked at his hands and body, trying to get a feel for how he changed. Indignant at its comrade¡¯s death, another Whipdemon forgo its powerful smash attack and just body slammed, Whipman, sending him staggering. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, after Whipman barely recovered and was preparing to counterattack, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and suddenly lost all feeling in his left arm. Looking down, he saw the azure snake was glaring at him, but what really drew Whipman¡¯s eye were the two disturbingly large holes in his shoulder, leaking a strange, luminescent blue liquid. Apparently satisfied that it had made itself clear, the snake curled back around Whipman¡¯s torso, beginning to snooze once more. ¡°Fine, have it your way,¡± Whipman muttered, using Clinging Mist several times in succession to dodge his way through the flailing Whipdemons and catch up with the skeleton, now even leaving the ogre a little bit behind. He hesitated as he looked back at her as she struggled, considering the option of helping her, but a wave of dizziness that almost resulted in his left knee being smashing by a powerful whip arm swiftly disabused him of that notion. The throbbing headache quickly faded, but it gave Whipman a dose of fear. ¡®Even though I have access to some extra mana, my body isn¡¯t strong enough to handle all that extra mana without repercussions. That wasn¡¯t bad, but if I push much more in the future¡­¡¯ Then, curious, Whipman checked how much extra mana he was receiving. His eyes went wide at the total. ¡°1300 extra mana?!?!¡± Wouldn¡¯t that mean¡­. That this snake¡¯s mana was 130k!?!? Why was he on the 9th floor! Bed shopping, the strange voice answered in a smug tone. Whipman¡¯s face fell, and he trudged after the skeleton through the army of Whipdemons. ***POV Ashni*** The assistants had brought a reclining couch, of all things, for Predator, which he had taken to like a puppy to a mud puddle. He sprawled over it, mostly holding his mouth open as a procession of assistants came out and dumped trays of food down his gullet. Ashni watched him hatefully, wondering how she had ever been tricked into believing this waste of space had any talent, both as a person and as a warrior. It had been almost 3 months, and yet on the chair he remained, gorging himself. ¡°Do you not,¡± Ashni practically spat. ¡°Care at all about the people waiting for you above? How can you be so content to remain here?!?!¡± Predator¡¯s eyes focused, his gaze suddenly razor sharp, and Ashni shivered involuntarily. It was uncanny, the way his persona could shift away. The way he could suddenly remind her that under that fat and greasy and bloated exterior was a monster, waiting to pounce. ¡°...perhaps not people, but I have a dream,¡± Predator said slowly, almost speaking more to himself than to Ashni. But she seized on this admission, excited by a break in this monotonous existence. ¡°What dream would that be?¡± His smile curved, growing and twisting, until his face was nothing but a mouth and ill will and a hunger so large and greedy Ashni could scarcely believe it. His mouth was wider than her in that moment, wider than the world, that stomach more terrifying than the monsters of Old Tellus, the ones she grew up fearing, learning on her father¡¯s knee on of their cruelty and Evil. And then he spoke, his voice velvet coated in nightmares. ¡°To be Apex. To be able to eat freely, the Predator that all other¡¯s fear.¡± Then he turned to look at her, his expression shifting to something uncomfortable. Suddenly he was just a greasy man, laying on a chair while she paced back and forth again. ¡°Uh... ¡° Predator hesitated, then said. ¡°You too, must also have dreams¡­?¡± Ashni knew he meant it as a question, but she ignored him, furiously, imagining all the trouble that Whipman could have gotten himself into over this large stretch of time. He was likely dead, if not worse. ***POV Whipman*** Whipman, new unwilling familiar to the strange Azure Snake, shivered abruptly, feeling as though someone somewhere was thinking about him. But then he shook his head; he didn¡¯t have attention to spare for anyone else in this moment. ¡°Wait up!¡± The She-ogre panted, her right arm more mashed flesh than limb at the moment, as she staggered after Whipman and the skeleton. They had managd to break through the group of Whipdemons, but this time a sizable amount of them had given chased, swiftly running them down in the open field. When they had space to utilize them, the Whip arms could easily be used to throw themselves forward, swiftly gaining ground on the the three of them. Four, the voice corrected, sounding bored and sleepy now. For which Whipman was glad, because a happy snake was a snake that simply slept, and didn¡¯t bite. And only now was he regaining feeling in his limb. ¡°We should help her,¡± Whipman stated, hating how uncertain he sounded. Although his spear was strong, his moves were mostly for control and mobility. Whipman hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to combine the insights from Thunder and Earth stance, creating fourth and final, for now, signature move. The skeleton tilted his head to the side, then said. ¡°...Perhaps you are correct. They shall catch up with us shortly anyway.¡± Whipman grimaced. ¡°Their arms are annoying, but if we work together-¡± ¡°Oh no, I mean them.¡± The skeleton said, pointing to the back of the group of Whipdemons that followed them. Sure enough, that strange column that had made a beeline were rapidly closing in towards their position. He couldn¡¯t make them out clearly, but Whipman could tell they were some kind of cavalry, with multiple legs and shiny, black-metal bodies. ¡°Their leader will be tough as well. Still¡­¡± The skeleton glanced at him. ¡°You and I should be satisfactory. This is an auspicious fight. Our first fight together.¡± Whipman felt the snake on his chest move slightly, its head peeking at the skeleton. Whipman just gaped at it. ¡°Uh, excuse me?¡± ¡°You are Whipman, are you not?¡± The skeleton chortled. ¡°I was sent back several floors, to ascend and assist you. My name is Corporal Dave.¡± ***POV Ashni*** Ashni was practically pulling out her own hair at this point. They had been there almost a year, as name after name that wasn¡¯t theirs was called, and as the queue of challengers grew larger and larger. It was almost a statistical impossibility that they would ever escape from this floor. And yet Predator¡­ She glared at him, lying under a veritable conveyor belt that slowly delivered food to his endless stomach. ¡°Fuck! Get up! Kill them! Eat the assistants! Do something!¡± Ashni yelled, finally exploding after tedious months of silence, watching him eat and do nothing else. ¡°Why?¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to spare her a glance, continuing to guzzle the food. ¡°Why? WHY?! Don¡¯t you care about your path? Didn¡¯t you have a dream? Don¡¯t you worry about your friends? Jen is probably inconsolable with you gone for so long? Jerry looks up to you! Whipman-¡± Ashni¡¯s speech turned into a low sob, and she covered her mouth, disgusted with herself. ¡°You are Whipman¡¯s pupil. His one apprentice. How DARE you dishonor him like this.¡± Ashni hissed, recovering from her short display of emotion. Predator visibly perked up. ¡°So you want to see him.¡± Ashni just gave him a withering glare. In her mind, several things clicked into place. Predator was an incorrigible gossip! He had been able to leave at any time, but was only keeping them here so he could blackmail the details of her and Whipman¡¯s relationship out of her! ¡°IF. YOU. MUST. KNOW.¡± She bellowed, drawing her spear and spinning it around until it hummed. ¡°Yes. Yes, I want to see him. I believe he is the man who will become my husband. No matter how weak he is now, I will wait and allow him to challenge me until he succeeds, most likely by fluke, but it will be enough. And then we will wed. I want that future. I want it just as much as I hate you. And that¡¯s why-¡± ¡°GET ME OFF THIS FUCKING FLOOR.¡± Ashni bellowed. The air around them shattered. ***POV Whipman*** The column of demons that were chasing them were centaur derivatives, completely covered in powerful black armor. Their speed and agility was incredible, and they used their arms that were basically segmented spears, to attack with deadly power. But their leader, The Black Knight of the Demon Emperor¡¯s army, was lying shattered before a trembling Whipman. ¡°Cleft Earth,¡± He said simply, and then collapsed to the ground. Corporal Dave and the She-ogre, named Honey, cleared out the rest of the routed knights, who were still reeling from Whipman¡¯s attack. He didn¡¯t know whether he could have pulled the attack off without the extra mana from the snake, but with the slew of notifications he had received, for leveling up Cleft Earth, for making his 4 moves, an advancement in his title ¡°Disciple of the Hero¡± to ¡°Inheritor of the Hero¡¯s Will¡±, Whipman believed he would have enough strength to accomplish it on his own. After they defeated the scraps, Corporal Dave and Honey came to his side, Honey gingerly picking him up, looking at him was a look of reverence. Whipman simply looked at Corporal Dave, barely enough energy to speak, but he still forced the words out. ¡°Why were you sent back? And by who?¡± Corporal Dave¡¯s skeleton jaw, to Whipman¡¯s surprise, smiled. ¡°I think you know who,¡± It answered confidently, then it tilted its head to the side. ¡°I was sent back because it was uncovered that several powerful factions are targeting a member of your group-¡± Whipman waved a hand. ¡°We had been told they are setting a trap for Predator. He¡¯s going to rush into it anyway, there¡¯s nothing that can be done.¡± But Corporal Dave shook his head. ¡°You are not mistaken that Predator is the fulcrum, but he is not the target. The target is that mysterious creature that acts as your Administrator, the slime Jen.¡± ***POV Predator**** Ashni blinked, snapping awake ¡°What¡­?¡± I chuckled, stretching, as I stood from the food table. ¡°An illusion. Apparently set to keep uninteresting challengers out of the tower. Only if you want to climb enough and are able to admit to yourself why will the illusion shatter.¡± -Or you could just immediately see through it, because illusions are for the weak. I grinned at Other Me¡¯s comment, but said nothing. She nodded slowly, some color filling he cheeks. ¡°So we waited for a month for..?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, time is accelerated in the illusion to break the spirit faster. Most people who do not exit after a certain amount of time never leave. It¡¯s only been about 12 hours in the Tower.¡± An awkward silence fell between us, but I didn¡¯t care enough to break it. After a few minutes, the assistant appeared- -Because you just HAD to kill him one more time. And waved his hands. ¡°Well down! You both pass. Before we continue, the experience that was restricted will be absorbed by your bodies. The world shattered further, leaving just Ashni and myself, surrounded by my experiments. With only a tinge of regret, I looked at my Biomass. Biomass: 6888 -Too bad they were slow bringing out food, or we could have gotten even higher. ¡°What are those?¡± Ashin asked, pointing. ¡°They are lovely.¡± My smile was slow and full. In the air around us, over 1000 compressed lunar reflections were floating. In a way, the strange, pearlescent light they emitted was quite beautiful, filling the empty floor around us with the air of jeweled snow storm. But to me, they were beautiful for a completely different reason. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 7¡±. Mana costs have significantly decreased. The speed with which the reflections form has greatly increased. More reflections can be maintained at once. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 8¡±. Mana costs for creation have decreased by half. Reflections now form instantly, upon application of will. Lunar Reflections are much easier to form. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Reflection Lvl 9¡± Mana costs are close to zero. An infinite amount of reflections can be maintained at once. The amount of will required to compress them as significantly decreased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has changed to ¡°Floating Pond Beneath the Moon Lvl 1¡±. In addition to creating reflections, you may now create a pond beneath your feet and a small amount of area around you. The amount of potential energy in the pond is vastly greater than a reflection. When shattered, all reflected in the pond will take physical and mental damage, including yourself. Damage to yourself is decreased by 20%. Grinning, I looked up to the sky. ¡°Time to ascend.¡± Day 46 Day 46 ***POV ????*** Frowning, the Ilium sent away the supplicant with a wave of its hand. The excuse that was given to the creature that came to trade was that the price wasn¡¯t high enough but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. The Ilium operated on a very simple ruleset, as did the rest of her siblings; that was the whole reason that they were powerful. The Ilium could trade, something for something. Quantity and quality of the somethings traded barely even mattered, the Ilium only tailored it to follow he own whims of equity. In truth, she could give a vast space empire in exchange for a peanut, as long as both of the things were something. But today, when the Ilium attempted to commune with her gift, it sputtered, and then failed. That hadn¡¯t happened in a long, long time. Not since¡­ Her eyes flashed. Not since they had sealed that monster in the higher floor of the Tower. With a terrible sense of foreboding in her heart, the Ilium began to make preparations in case her siblings were plotting against her. Or worse, their seal was weakening. ***POV Predator*** After the last floor had been so eating friendly, I was rather disappointed when the floor assistants here seemed rather nonplussed by my food requests. They told me they would see what they could do, but that I should contact my administrator for more immediate assistance. It was then that I realized I had no idea how to contact Jen, or really what she even did. -Eat food, probably. It¡¯s what I would do. -Or bounce off things. Her body seems really bouncy. I considered asking Ashni, but she was listening rather anxiously to a chubby ogre, who talked about how his sister had ascended yesterday, even though they experienced the rare Demon Emperor scenario, rather than the typical challenge from the floor. That, he explained, was the reason there were so many challengers here. Because a high percentage failed. Luckily, there was apparently a group that struck down the Emperor¡¯s Black Knight and then advanced directly through the middle of the Emperor¡¯s army, slaying him within a day. -She¡¯s too busy looking for Whipman to be any use. Bored, I largely ignored the discussion of deployment strategies and wandered out of the city and towards the wall. When I reached a small hill, obscured from the city¡¯s sight, I activated Floating Pond Beneath the Moon. The world¡­ shifted somehow. Nothing changed, but I could also feel, another world, layered on top of this one where my feet were sitting in an extremely shallow pond, a huge yellow moon hanging low in the sky above me. As I moved in the real world, I also moved in the strange other world, but the pond moved with me, rings of ripples slowly spreading out around me in response to the movement. Then, my grin widening to the point of madness, I shattered the pond. An immense pressure slammed against me, both against my body and against my mind, so much so that my perspective immediately flickered, fading in and out of focus. I felt very sharply, at the same time, several of my bones shudder and splinter slightly, but hold for the most part. There were several moments where I was staggering, barely able to keep from toppling over, but the pain swiftly receeded, my control swiftly coming back. I was left with only a few aches and pains, and a persistent throbbing headache. -Cheh, takes quite the chunk of mana though. Ignoring Other Me¡¯s whining for now, I turned to the notifications. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 5¡±. Mana costs slightly decreased. Physical damage dealt by the break is greatly increased. Mental damage is slightly increased. Bonuses doubled for Floating Pond Beneath the Moon. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 5¡±. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have gained the skill ¡°Lesser Spiritual Resistance Lvl 1¡±. Spiritual attacks are slightly less effective against you. You heal slightly more quickly from mental or spiritual damage. Satisfied, I looked around. The ground was jagged, strange, almost artistic spikes of earth sticking up in strange, swirling patterns. On closer inspection, they reminded me of the ripples of the pond. In addition, a small tree that was relatively near to my location when I utilized the skill had been turned into a pile of sawdust. -Physical seems decent, if it can get us close to injury. -But it didn¡¯t get us all the way. We have some more training to do. ¡°Hmm?¡± I twisted, looking at the horizon to the East. ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± -Sounds like drums. ***POV Ketlia*** Kettle straightened her papers and looked at them all in turn, saying their names. ¡°Ms. Kat.¡± Ketlia nodded. Kettle turned and looked at the slight asian man, who sat in the corner polishing a battle axe that was as large as his body was tall. ¡°Kent.¡± Kettle looked at the man lounging next to Ketlia, tall and blonde and wearing a blue glove on his left hand, a red one on his left, given to him by Kettle. ¡°Diver.¡± Then Kettle turn to the man that seemed to have skin of liquid quick silver. ¡°Jinka.¡± Kettle then regarded the crimson haired, once-human girl, with rabbit ears. ¡°Jana.¡± Smiling, Kettle turned to hooded figure that always followed Jana around. ¡°Dak¡± He didn¡¯t seem to respond, and Kettle didn¡¯t mind, turning to their thunder mage, who stood tall in his midnight blue robes. ¡°Xieche.¡± Then Kettle looked at the small girl who seemed to be burning slowly apart from the inside. ¡°Endcelldross.¡± The girl snorted, folding her arms, causing quite a bit of skin to flake off. ¡°And with that,¡± Kettle said, activatinga terminal in front of her. ¡°We are all here, and can begin.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t waiting for GIllette?¡± Ketlia asked coolly. Kettle waved a hand. ¡°He found some myth or other, and told us to continue without him.¡± Annoyed, Ketlia pressed her lips together, but was ignored by Kettle. ¡°So, why we are all here.¡± Kettle said with a small smile. ¡°Simple, to kill Predator. Now we¡¯ve talked specifics over these past two weeks, but I want to give a general overview of how its going to go. A dry-run, if you will. ¡°The first step,¡± Kettle continued. ¡°Is to make him take us seriously as a threat. After analyzing his fights, It¡¯s pretty clear that when he doesn¡¯t feel threatened, he relies on unorthodox methods and cheap gimmick abilities to win. Which is, of course, less powerful than his full strength, but it¡¯s more dangerous because of its unpredictability. Encelldross and Xieche, you tow will unleash everything you have, all at once. That should get his attention very quickly. ¡°Heh, just don¡¯t shed pretty tears when he doesn¡¯t survive,¡± Encelldross said confidently, leaning back. Kettle offered a small smile, but didn¡¯t comment on Encelldross¡¯ confidence. ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t succeed¡­¡± Kettle glanced at Ketlia, who nodded. ¡°Then we start playing dirty,¡± Ketlia said. ***POV Predator*** ¡°It¡¯s apparently a statistical anomaly,¡± Ashni told me in a bored tone. ¡°All the people who died on the previous attempt are cursing their rotten luck. It¡¯s the Demon Emperor again, twice in a row.¡± Her gaze traveled around to the shattered and twisted ground around me, and I sensed her curiosity, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any real need to tell her what I was training up. -She will find out soon enough. ¡°So, is that all?¡± I asked, standing lazily. She shrugged. ¡°Then let¡¯s go meet the Demon Lord¡¯s army.¡± I said, my smile widening. ***** Ashni and I stood on the wall, surrounded by several weak looking challengers that had been assigned to our ¡°squad¡±. A sneer curled across my lips. -Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t accidentally eat them. But then my mind turned to more pressing matters. Because I heard that this could last for three days, I was in no hurry to rush forward and fight the Demon Emperor, even if I intended to do that eventually. -After all, what are all these skills for if not killing things with them.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. But three days was a long time. Plenty of time to raise my Biomass up, hopefully to 10,000... I frowned, suddenly thinking of something. If I killed too many of the enemies, I would level up early, before I gathered enough Biomass to be satisfied. -You know what you could always do¡­ I grimaced, weighing my options. Ashni was stretching calmly to the side, already used to my long silences. Eventually, I decided that the annoyance was worth it and summoned a Bone Shaman. His immediate cackling and dancing did little to reassure me that I made the right decision, and I chose to augment his force with 10 skeleton archers and 5 skeleton bears. Hopefully this would be enough to gather enough demon flesh for a good meal or two. Obligingly, the Demon army already swirling forward, roaring their defiance, a few of the braver ones approaching the base of the wall. As I watched, several ascended, and I grinned, absolutely bursting with excitement. I kept Aura of the Predator off, so as not to scare them away, but I could tell from their change in posture they felt it, the oppressive weight of the death that was awaiting them. The axe of a predator hanging over their heads. Unable to wait any longer, I beheaded two of the imp things with wind blades and grasped them with Air Affinity, pulling them up towards me. -For meals, they surely do travel much too slowly on their own. The bodies landed before me, dead and cooling, the beheaded bodies oddly clean, but I ignored it licking my lips. The Bone Shaman hopped back and for, cackling, but then it stopped, tilting its head and looking at the imps. Savoring every moment, I lifted a body and sank my teeth into it, relishing the soggy skin, and the flesh that tasted like ash- -Hum, wait. This is pretty nasty stuff. And it truly was. But I shrugged it off and continued to eat. After a few seconds, I had inhaled the whole thing, licking my lips and looking at my hands. -That seems¡­. Very unsatisfying¡­.. My face darkened, a strange suspicion rising in my chest. I started with the head of the second one, crunching the skull and slurping at the brains, only to find that everything was spongy and dull, with no flavor. -Or blood. Sitting back on my heels, I felt my gaze growing stormy. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 -Ashni did mention that this floor was different, that you couldn¡¯t die here¡­ -So the enemies aren¡¯t flesh that I can eat¡­. But just solidified experience. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Stepping up on the battlements, I looked up over the battlefield, my gaze cold as ice. -Well then, no reason to waste time here. -Time to assassinate an emperor. ***POV Ketlia*** ¡°The Second Stage,¡± Kettle continued. ¡°Is what I have been referring to as the frustration stage. Here, our focus is safety. This is a stage we just need to draw out until the frustration builds for Predator. Make him switch targets, feeling close to victories, but always make sure you take it away. ¡°As you know, Predator has a title that we believe will save his life 9 times. If you can, striking a blow that would use up one of those would be quite the boon. But,¡± Kettle added. ¡°If you do it too early, before his Fury is high enough, he might start singling people out, relying on those life saves to take one of our lives. Early on, we cannot win that war of attrition. So toy with him, keeping an easy victory from his grasp. Do that for long enough, and we will move onto the Third Stage.¡± Kettle smiled. ¡°The stage I call ¡®Blinded by Fury.¡¯ This is where you are going to be the star of the show, Diver.¡± The blonde man offered a confident smile. ***POV Predator*** I streaked across the, ignoring the strange skeletal ravens guarding the citadel of the demon emperor, aiming straight for the highest tower. I was hungry and annoyed, and this Demon Emperor would pay. -Let¡¯s get this over with. The Citadel was a classically built castle, with three towers twisting up from the inner keep. The middle one ballooned out at the top, containing what I hoped was the living chambers/throne room/ secret laboratory of the Demon Emperor. I hit it like an avalanche, collapsing the glassy obsidian roof in with barely any effort. The whole tower cracked and trembled, but I was already falling down into a room lined with velvet rugs and golden floors, most of which was falling or being destroyed in my arrival. I grinned. -Jackpot. Slamming into the ground, I did my best to prevent another shockwave from rocking the tower, but honestly I didn¡¯t try very hard, and the whole thing began to list to the side, very, very slowly. There was a large table made of bone, around which one wizard looking zombie, a tall, pale, and skinny creature with no hair and red eyes, and a horned demon whose eyes burned green. The three of them were hunched over a map, with a candle with a black flame and a weird vase sitting next to it. While walking calmly across the golden floor towards these three enemies, I considered carefully what to do about them. -Kill them all? -They all seem to be pretty a pretty considerable level. I might even be comfortable with killing two of them. But all three? Practically guaranteed to level up. The Tower continued to lean, the area behind me rising while the place with the 3 demons falling, so my pace towards them increased, even as I was hesitating on what to do. ¡°Quick, Emperor, escape, I will take care of this intruder!¡± The demon with the flaming green eyes shouted, leaping over the table and using its very large claws to rush up the slight incline towards me. -So that one is not the demon emperor? -Unless he is just saying that to trick us, and buy time to escape. He was the one standing in the center, after all. -How is running towards us going to buy him any time? -Fine, let¡¯s just kill him then. I activated Immolation, gritting my teeth at the obscene pain that battered at my consciousness, and flung myself to meet the approaching horned demon. It seemed gleeful at my advance, and roared its joyous challenge. Within seconds, after we began to grapple, that roar turned into shrieks as its flesh and bones and soul melted under the fearsome heat being emitted by every inch of my body. It switfly perished under the heat, and I bit it, curious. -Just tastes like burnt sponge. I deactivated Immolation, glancing around for the two others. They were both sprinting away, in opposite directions. -Damnit Barely held up by its cracking foundations, the tower continued to lean, approaching a 45 degree angle, the fleeing demons more accurately sliding away than anything else. My eyes narrowed to slits, I decided to say fuck it, and made around 100 lunar reflection mirrors, each the size of a pumpkin, surrounding the two demons. ¡°Please no level, please no level¡­¡± I muttered, shattering them all at once. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 6¡±. Physical and mental damage increased. Mana costs significantly decreased. Shattering multiple reflections at once has minor amplification effect, increasing the power of each by a small amount. Sighing my relief at the lack of a level up notification, I leapt over towards the wizard demon to make sure it was dead, leaving even more cracked ground in my wake. Sure enough, he was lifeless. The tower was groaning, swiftly falling down now, nearly making the ground vertical. I coolly created platforms of air and hopped over to the pale, red eyed demon. -Also dead. Hum¡­. -What? -How would we tell if we killed the Demon Emperor, anyway? Right about that time, the tower hit the floor, a huge wave of obsidian crashing down on me. ***POV Ketlia*** Kettle gestured towards Ketlia with a gracious smile. Ketlia barely kept herself from vomiting. ¡°At some point, Predator will began to grow stronger and stronger due to Fury, but he will lose control due to that strength. That is when we strike. Ketlia will make that determination. So will start Part 3, ¡®To Break Bones.¡¯ Jana takes the lead here. Maintain your distance with her as your core, her power will be invaluable.¡± ***POV Predator*** Annoyed, I shoved some obsidian slabs off of me, brushing off my shoulders -Might have a cracked rib, but otherwise fine. I looked around, still a little lost. -So did we¡­? By then I spotted a strange light coming from under a large pillar. I recognized some of the debris by it as the bone table they were gathered around. My eyes narrowed. Even though it was laying on the ground, the candle continued to burn with a dark flame. The vase was similarly prestine. Dark smoke flowed out from both of the objects, coalescing into an imposing blue figure with golden armbands and a wizened, withered creature with sickly looking grey skin. ¡°Quick, most beautiful, powerful, wise, enchanting, and evil Demon Emperor! Escape!¡± The wizened creature said, rushing towards me. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 -I feel like this sort of thing should only happen once a day. I stepped, utilizing my insights into the Thunder Stance, streaking past the wizened creature and appearing before the blue skinned man with the golden armbands. -Seems regal enough. He face caved in with a single punch, his body withering inward and dissipating. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a good idea oh most beautiful, powerful, wise, enchanting, and evil Demon Emperor, why didn¡¯t I think of it? Oh wait I did, kukukuku.¡± The wizened creature called over his shoulder, scrabbling out of the destroyed tower. ¡°Guards, to me! Protect your emperor!¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 -...This piece of shit¡­! I stomped on the ground, throwing myself after him, but say what you will about the Demon Emperor, he was fast and agile, worming his way through cracks in stone that I had to smash apart to move through. Guards began to show up, but I simply activated Aura of the Predator and they fell back, shaking and moaning. ¡°Kukuku! We will meet agai--urghk!¡± I finally had a clear line of sight on him and a hand of air gripped his neck. I created a rope of air, my eyes bright with madness and rage, and began to drag the struggling emperor back towards me. He began shooting out condensed darkness towards me, deadly things that smote stone and made my nerves sing with pain, but I ignored it, dragging him every closer. My grin began to crack at the edges, my senses frayed and driven to the edge. -I am going to enjoy this. With screams and threats and pleading, he arrived, and I began to break his bones. First his withered hands, the bones reduced to nothing but a fine powder. Then his legs and forearms, leaving the bone granules there coarse. Then, grinning, saliva dripping off my wetted licks, I turned to his torso and- Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Aura of the Predator Lvl 9¡±. Area of effect has increased. When a large group is affected, the more afflicted individuals there are near to each other, the more powerfully they are affected, until they begin to associate being together with the fear. Does not increase the speed with which they are affected. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 24. 7001 Biomass has been consumed. Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°Thrak-Char, Outcast of the Molten Core¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement. Retain Growth Rate? Y/N With exceeding slowness, I turned around, regarding the guards who had fallen to the side when I activated Aura of the Predator. I noticed that several of them still rocked back and forth, locked in nightmares, but others had gone completely still, succumbing to my influence. I had taken too long. I expended all of my essence, summoning a small, extremely tightly compacted ball of air, turning my now completely burning eyes to the demon emperor, holding the hand containing the ball out towards to the broken figure. For several long moments I stood there. Then I clenched my fist. Harder and harder I squeezed, pressing and pressing on the compressed air, until- Pop. The ball of compressed air exploded, and such was the force that the hand I had been holding the air with turned into red mist and flecks of gore, completely annihilated. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Absolute Control: Self Lvl 6¡±. As the flesh began to wriggle and heal, I reached towards the whimpering demon with my good hand. ¡°You know what?¡± I cooed, pulling him into a warm embrace. ¡°There is no rush. We have plenty of time. So many things to experience together.¡± -So many of your minions to slaughter. ¡°So many memories to make.¡± -So many skills to try out, so much experience to stockpile. My smile stretched even more wide, and I only barely resisted the urge to bite his spongy head off. ¡°You are the main course; it would be a disservice to the chef to skip the hors d''oeuvres.¡± ***POV Ketlia*** Kettle grimaced. ¡°Honestly¡­ I hope we never reach the 4th stage. If we can kill Predator while he is blinded by rage¡­ so much the better. ¡°But¡­¡± Kettle hesitated, but then spoke, staring at the ceiling. ¡°I expect him to take it up another notch, after we remove his 9 extra lives. After we remind him he is mortal. And should that occur¡­¡± Kettle looked at Ketlia. ¡°Did you master it, Ms. Kat?¡± Ketlia gave a wry smile. ¡°Almost.¡± Nodding slowly, Kettle regarded the group. ¡°At that point, the plan is to basically hold him in place and let Ms. Kat unleash her power. Let me assure you- nothing will survive it. And that it, everyone, that¡¯s all we have for the fourth stage. I call it, ¡®To Take a Life.¡¯¡± Day 47 Day 47 ***POV Predator*** Throwing myself across the early morning sky, the whimpering Demon Emperor dangling below me, was an invigorating feeling. The air was cool, and the floor design was well done, so that the sun was rising to my back, over the demon¡¯s citadel we had left a while ago, long shadows stretching ahead of me as I took my time floating forward. I could clearly see the wall, and it seemed like it had been breached in a lot of places, the demon army marching through. -Amateurs. But as I scanned the wall, I saw that the portion that my ¡°squad¡± had been stationed held. Several flailing figures still held the wall, at the center the graceful lines of Ashni dominated the view, sweeping back demon after demon, treating it like child¡¯s play. -Which it really is. As I floated down towards the wall, slowing my descent with Air Affinity, a few hundred Wind Blades turned all the nearby demons to headless sponge bodies, which obligingly collapsed. Even now, as I landed, I continued to ignore the level up notification, my eyes bright. I would handle that later. Ashni gave me a strange look, and I unconsciously straightened my spine.I didn¡¯t doubt that I could force her to do this, but it likely wouldn¡¯t be worth the effort. Much easier to convince her to help of her own accord. -And should she fail, we will break and devour her. Offering her a small smile, I said, ¡°I need a favor.¡± She tilted her head to the side, and I continued, throwing the wizened creature at her feet. ¡°Protect this creature for a day or two, as I destroy the demon armies.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Her question was bored and dismissive. My eye became bright, but I knew remaining civil was the best option. Force was only a useful option when I was there to apply it, but I wanted to leave the emperor in order to level my more deadly skills. So I smiled, like a coiling snake. Shrugging, I spoke with an even tone. ¡°A favor from me. We are¡­ friends, are we not? From what I know of Tellites, sharing your martial arts is a show of trust. I want to repay that.¡± Ashni looked at me, likely judging me, for a long time. Then she straightened, and to my surprise, she smiled. ¡°Good. I had assumed you were honorless, but it appears you are not without integrity. What I want is simple; continue to climb, through the traps and the plots.¡± I managed to keep my expression light even as she insulted me, but her last statement made me grin. ¡°You just want more opportunities for Whipman to challenge you to a courtship duel.¡± Her face became frosty, but then it quickly turned into just an embarrassed annoyance, her glare indicating her ire, but without any edge. Still chuckling, I leapt off the wall, confident that Ashni would do as she had agreed. Mid air, I activated Aura of the Predator and Immolation, falling down among the demons like a cataclysmic comet. -This is going to be fun. ***POV Kettle*** Gillette tapped the desk, annoyed. ¡°I get that this ¡°plan¡± of yours will stop Jen from climbing the tower,¡± He said with a frown. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is why it has taken so long. I don¡¯t suppose you have forgotten what happens when you don¡¯t follow my orders.¡± Kettle felt the beginnings of her recurrent headaches forming behind her eyes. She had had them as long as she remembered- Blink. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t forgotten,¡± Kettle answered coolly, reaching for the small, brass bottle that contained the medicine, the kind she had used since- The throbbing intensified. Kettle deftly removed a small pill and placed it into her mouth, immediately feeling it dissolve on her tongue. Her mother, who was standing next to her sister behind her, began to sweat and pant. Kettle narrowed her eyes, the headache receding and focus returning to her. ¡®Just need to kill Predator,¡¯ She thought fervently, that mantra being the lifeline she held onto. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ beneath you, Gillette?¡± Kettle asked, doing her best to remain calm even as her mother began to tremble, her eyes rolling back into her head. Gillette¡¯s smile was all teeth. ¡°None of you understand what I¡¯m capable of. I feel like the death of your mother would remind you to-¡± Gillette¡¯s terminal lit up, distracting him from the three humans in front of him. Gasping, Kettle¡¯s mother fell to her knees, hugging herself in a rare display of emotion. Kettle felt an irrational surge of irritation at that, but quickly stifled it. It was understandable that she was weak. Even she¡­ The low throbbing remaining, driving up from the base of her spinal column, a low, constant thrum of pain. Kettle stood. ¡°I get your point. May we go?¡± Gillette waved casually, his eyes locked on the screen, a slow smile spreading across his face. ¡°You may. Do not fail here. Jen must not climb the tower. She shouldn¡¯t have even-¡± His expression darkened, but after a small hesitation he only shook his head. ¡°Leave me. I need to read this report.¡± Her expression neutral, Kettle left, gesturing for her sister to help her mother out of the room. ***POV Predator*** The bodies of the demons around me felt like wax, half melted and collapsing by the time my blows reached their body. ¡®But there were definite advantages to attacking like this,¡¯ I thought with a grin. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 5¡±. Bonuses of the enhanced state have increased. Wounds heal moderately faster while in enhanced state. Perception abilities have become more effective. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Immolation Lvl 4¡±. Heat produced by the ability has slightly increased. As the skill has leveled, your body grows used to the heat, slightly increasing your ability to withstand it. All and all, after leveling the ability, the pain was just as maddening as before, but no worse. The demon¡¯s seemed strangely driven mad by it, rushing towards me even as their compatriots were ripped to shreds, which was doing wonders for the annoyance I had from leveling before I intended to, but every time I dismissed a skill up notification, the level up notification sat there, taunting me. So I slowly walked deeper, leaving a trail of molten and melting rock, glowing red from the ambient heat I left behind. Very quickly, the imps fell away, reduced to sobbing invalids by my aura of the predator. The pale skinned demons that formed the lion¡¯s share of the army continued to attack for a while, bu they too soon fell. Disappointed, I deactivated Immolation, looking around. -Columns of different troops are coming over the hill, but they won¡¯t be here for a while. Time to level up some other things. I deactivated Aura of the Predator as well, strolling forward among the demons, who began to groggily sit up, no longer having their will ground down by my ability.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Another world came, pressing down on this one, a world with a monstrously large moon hanging over a shallow pool, its huge reflection brimming with violent power. I smiled. ¡°Shatter.¡± ***POV Jen*** Jen sighed, swishing her body back and forth inside of a bowl. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but the strange feeling of swiring was oddly calming. She looked around at her bare office, the office of an official administrator. ¡°Why am I even here,¡± Jen muttered, continuing to use tentacles to swirl herself. The investigation team had come to her about using prophecy to fix gambling bets, and all of her winnings had been confiscated. Kettle had also called, sounding rather preoccupied, but still extremely annoyed. Gillette barely ever bothered to contact her anymore, and Predator¡­ Imagining Predators large, strong hands spinning her around in a bowl made Jen giggle, but then she swiftly returned to her funk. ¡°And Predator has only ever contacted me once, and his message was only¡­ ¡®Send food.¡¯¡± Jen sobbed. She had tried to cheer herself up, imagining that Predator was coyly making a joke about the time he had confused food for her, imagining herself showing up with a bow tied around her head and saying something like, ¡°Eat your heart out, Predator,¡± with a lusty voice, but the reasonable side of Jen quickly made her admit Predator probably would just eat her, like he ate everything else. ¡°All he cares about is grubs¡­Why do I even bother¡­¡± Jen sighed again, setting herself down on her desk. She wanted to be near Predator, that was she had become an administrator. Because she was friends with Gillette and Kettle, and she thought it would be fun. But now they all seemed to have dreams, and she¡­ She was scared of dreams. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were a month ago. ¡°Well,¡± Jen said to herself, hopping down off the desk. ¡°I could have done without Kettle kissing Predator, but they seem to have gotten over that, so¡­¡± Jen was tired, always tired, but she didn¡¯t dare sleep. So she always hopped around, looking for something to do. Because in her dreams, the world was shattered, and she dreamt of a crown of bent light and emptiness, and it cast a long shadow of darkness over the world. And the woman wearing it was beckoning to her, drawing her closer. To that broken world. A beep from her terminal abruptly brought her back to the present. Jen oozed back up the side of desk and looked at the screen. It was a message, a request. A request to be the official streamer of Predator¡¯s team, from a sender named Shudator. ***POV Predator*** My chest heaving, a trickle of blood leaking out of the corner of my mouth, I leapt after the fleeing demons, a cheshire grin stretching across my face. ¡°Where do you think you are going?!?¡± My eyes blazing, I formed a huge mass of lunar mist, preparing to condense it. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 6¡±. Ability to manipulate the lunar energy has increased. Mana costs slightly decreased. You may now maintain a much greater amount of lunar energy at once. I swirled the energy around me, enjoying the newfound feeling of control, then pressed, creating that shallow pond, the huge image of the moon looming ever closer. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Floating Pond Beneath the Moon Lvl 2¡±. The speed of condensing the image has increased. The size of the pond has increased. Potential energy in the pond is now 320% increased from a reflection of a similar size. Damage to yourself decreased by 22%. -The damage increased by 20% but the resistance increased by 2%? -So typical. Let¡¯s take them all to hell with us. ¡°Break¡± I shattered the pool, catching about 30 or so demons in it. The shrieked, writhing in agony, even as I stumbled and fell to my knees, my body straining under the force, my vision swimming. By the time I straightened, I considered the notification before me. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Spiritual Resistance Lvl 2¡±. Resistance to spiritual attacks increased. You have a slightly increased awareness of attacks that target the mind or spirit. -Cheh, still no level up for Lunar Break? -Unfortunately not. I considered my mana pool while wiping blood away from my mouth. Using Lunar Break on the pond floating beneath the moon still took too much damage to use feasibly. Because it seemed like an advanced move, I wasn¡¯t holding out much hope about the mana cost for forming the pond to decrease. It kept getting bigger, requiring more mana. But if I could get the shatter portion to decrease¡­ -Time to go back to basics. A few dozen lunar reflections formed around me, even as I turned to meet a column of bull like demons that were rushing towards me. My smile was wide. -Time to hunt. -God, I could use a good meal right now. Hunting enemies you can¡¯t eat is such a chore. ***POV Shuusuke*** When the administrator had requested that they talk over image connection, Shuusuke had hesitated. But ultimately, he really wanted this deal. Both for the publicity, and for the money. Earlier in the day, Shuusuke had checked the status of the credit chip he had left at the INdustrial Complex when fleeing, only to discover it was completely used up. ¡®There¡¯s no way that table was that expensive,¡¯ Shuusuke thought to himself, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to go back and ask for the money he was owed. So he went back to the place he got money before: Predator. Gritting his teeth, Shuusuke thought about his upcoming payments for his new recording equipments. After putting on his formal coat to hide his still skin covered and itchy wings, he accepted the image connection. He was surprised to find himself face to face with a green slime. ¡°...Hello?¡± He asked tentatively. ¡°....hello¡­.¡± Came the equally tentative reply. They both sat for several seconds, awkwardly silent. Shuusuke wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting, but it was someone more¡­. Professional, he supposed. He had never even heard of a green slime that could talk before. They were mostly just unintelligent pests. ¡°I¡¯ve never-¡± Shuusuke started to say, right as the slime said. ¡°You are a Cloi-¡± They both fell silent. The slime rolled her body back and forth. ¡°Er sorry.¡± The slime spoke, and for the first time, Shuusuke realized her voice was feminine. ¡°You go first.¡± Shuusuke shifted awkwardly, his budding wings itchy like crazy. He had been going to say he had never met an intelligent slime before, but now he realized that sounded extremely rude. So¡­ ¡°Uh¡­. ou are very¡­. Umm, I like your green color.¡± Shuusuke said, doing his best not to sound lame. Even to his ears, he didn¡¯t do a very good job. ¡°Oh¡± The Slime said. ¡°Thank you. You have a nice coat. I¡¯ve always wanted to try a Cloit coat.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have any wings.¡± Shuusuke answered automatically, then paled. ¡°Uh, yea¡­¡± The slime seemed to wilt, slowly spreading out over the table like spilled water. But then she perked back up. ¡°But! I can control my body pretty well, so¡­¡± And before his eyes, the slime¡¯s body extended, forming long, wing like protuberances. Well, they were more like a series of tentacles in a wing shape than a real wing, but Shuusuke had had enough of voicing his opinions. ¡°....honestly, it would help a lot if I had an image to work with,¡± The Slime admitted. ¡°Can I see your wings.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Shuusuke hesitated, but was surprised with how excited she seemed. ¡°Well I¡¯m not done molting, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s fine. Please?¡± ...She honesty sounded really cute. Embarrassed, and completely out of his social depth, Shuusuke slowly removed his coat, revealing his wings, still bound by flaking skin. As he watched, the slime studied him and his wings. He turned awkwardly to the side, giving her a better view. Before his very eyes, her lumpy wings shifted, and within seconds, they mirror his own, in shape and size. ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed you are really good at that. THe slime nodded in a satisfied manner. ¡°Thank you. I practiced a lot. My name¡¯s Jen, by the way. And¡­. are you okay? Why are your wings shaking?¡± After a slight hesitation, SHuusuke admitted, ¡°They itch like crazy. During the molting, I mean.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jen tilted her head to the side. ¡°I mean I don¡¯t mind if you itch them.¡± Too driven mad by the itching to care, Shuusuke began scratching at them furiously, large flakes of skin coming off. His expression settled into one of pure contentment, before a giggle drew him out of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Cloit¡¯s were so funny. I always heard- wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Shuusuke froze too, staring a the same thing Jen was. Standing, straight and proud, out of the spot he had been itching was a tip of a feather, tall and proud. ¡°Oh wow,¡± Jen breathed. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. It¡¯s-¡± ¡°Gold,¡± Shuusuke whispered. ¡°And not golden, it¡¯s gold like-¡± ¡°Like money,¡± Jen finished matter of factly, her eyes following it as light reflected off it its metallic gloss, an aura of shining opulence filling the air. ***POV Predator*** Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 7¡±. Mana costs decreased. Maintaining lunar mist costs an extremely small amount of mana, and condensed objects can remain solid for longer. I hissed my disappointment, a long stream of air through my teeth. Lunar Break was stubbornly resisting leveling up. Still, leveling up lunar affinity decreased the mana cost of the lunar mist, but the sheer amount of it required to make a pond was such that it was not significantly reducing the cost. Regarding the sinking sun in the sky, I concluded that the day was spent well enough. Tiring of the battle, I turned back towards the golden city, looking forward to a large meal and my first nights sleep in several days. Demon¡¯s roared at my retreating back, surging towards me, but I simply snorted, a veritable wall of wind blades spreading out towards the approaching demons, ripping them to pieces. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Wind Blade Lvl 9¡±. You may now summon an infinite amount of wind blades, assuming you have enough mana. Mana costs significantly decreased. Sharpness of air has neared an impossible level. A vein throbbed in my temple. -It¡¯s like the system enjoys leveling us up when we don¡¯t want it. -Not that this is a bad one to level, but¡­ Lunar break continued to sit stubbornly at level 6. I continued to leave the level 24 notification, hoping that I had calmed down enough by morning to deal with it reasonably. -God, there better be food back there, or I¡¯ll start eating the other challengers¡­ -You and me both, brother. Day 48 Day 48 ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia kept her eyes half open, considering Diver¡¯s urgency. She felt a distant sort of regret, that she hadn¡¯t traded away different things to the Ilium when she had the chance. Her looks, for one, to prevent puppy dog like males from doing exactly what was happening right now. Still, there were benefits¡­ ¡®So tired already, and it¡¯s only breakfast¡­¡¯ Ketlia sighed to herself, sighing. ¡°Kat, why do we stay? I¡¯ve talked to some other teams I¡¯ve met here, and we can get out. We can just go-¡± ¡°And Kent?¡± The less she had to speak, the better, let Diver see the error of his ways and shut the fuck up on his own. But unlike what she had predicted, Diver¡¯s eyes just burned more passionately. ¡°He has totally bought into the ¡°Kill Predator¡± rhetoric, and you know it. He¡¯s always thinking about a worthy opponent, and he¡¯s fixated on Predator as the one he has been waiting for this whole time. Please Kat, you and I are the only sane ones left. Why risk it? Let¡¯s leave together-¡± In a way, Ketlia supposed, Diver was smart. He was right about the weird mania around fighting Predator that the rest of the group displayed, even Jana, and he was clever to use that to try and get her to leave. But, like most men, he inevitably followed up a smart move with an incredibly foolish, self-serving, and disgusting one. ¡°We can stay together, I¡¯ll protect you the entire way-¡± ¡®Such is the depth of his thinking,¡¯ Ketlia remarked to herself, ¡®that he believed I both needed and wanted his protection.¡¯ ¡°Diver, we can¡¯t. They are counting on us, they are counting on me. And Jana¡­ I can¡¯t leave her to face this alone.¡± Her voice was low and concerned, full of soft femininity, but Ketlia''s mind was a grey wasteland of mind numbing boredom. Such were the methods of dealing with stubborn people. Make them think she wanted what they did, but something, someone, else was holding her back. In addition, add a comment about another female, implying they are weak and in need of protection, feeding into their general impression of females need protection. And just like that- Diver¡¯s eyes narrowed and he sat back, unable to come up with anything to say. Levers and gears in Ketlia¡¯s mind turned as she regarded the person in front of her. He was becoming awfully full of himself. And possessive of her. As they always did. ¡®It would be a tragedy if an accident happened during their fight with Predator¡­¡¯ Ketlia thought, her fingers tapping in rhythm against the table. ***POV Predator*** A full night¡¯s sleep and a warm banquet breakfast (most of which I monopolized) did wonders to improve my mood. With the demon emperor bound and gagged in Ashni¡¯s closet and a whole army of demons to sharpen my skills against, things were looking up. After polishing off some sausages, I turned to the hanging notification and pressed no. Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed. Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of an ¡°Oracle of the Endless Woods.¡± Would you like to splice another race onto this one? I stopped and leaned back in my chair, considering. -Seems like it¡¯s a magy-type of race. -Oracle, like seer or prophet¡­.born in the woods though. What to splice it with? -Magma gators and woods probably don¡¯t mix very well. Both the Lynx and Owl seem like pretty good fits though¡­.and the robot¡­. -Yea, the robot one was one of the reasons we got so powerful early. And why there is two of us¡­ Using my extremely powerful memory, I looked back at the three growth rates. -The Robot one was just processing power, parallel computations, and memory, but pretty significant boosts to each. -Owl was pretty significant at the time, especially to agi, dex, and perception, but has pretty lackluster mana by current standards. -Hey, 76 isn¡¯t so bad. At least it¡¯s growth. We never gained the Lynx growth rate alone It was spliced with the robot. It did, however, lead to a large increase in balance. Probably not that again. -So either an owl seer or a robot seer, huh. -What is a robot seer? Scratching my chin, I thought about it. -Let¡¯s find out. -Shouldn¡¯t we- Determining Spliced Race¡­ Congratulations! You have obtained the growth rates of a ¡°XN-OMEGA-02: Predictive Analytics Model.¡± Vit +4 Dex +11 Memory +95 Processing Power +189 Wis +39 Timeless Perception +40 Mana +330 Would you like to retain the race ¡°Oracle of the Endless Woods¡± for future use? I clicked yes and replaced The Owl with the Oracle. -Leaving the Lynx in case we want more balance in the future. Congratulations! For reaching Level 24 as ¡°XN-OMEGA-02: Predictive Analytics Model¡±, you have the option of learning the racial skill ¡°Precognition Lvl 1¡±. Would you like to learn this skills? Congratulations! You have learned the skill ¡°Precognition Lvl 1¡±. Due to synchronicity with Timeless Perception, efficiency of processing Timeless Perception will increase as Precognition levels. Precognition allows the user to sense events that will occur in the future to greater or lesser degree. User has a small ability to sense dangerous opponents. User will notice life threatening danger a split second before he normally would have. -A useful skill, I guess, but don¡¯t we sorta already have it with the stats? -Probably why we got the synchronicity bonus. Still, the increases to mana and processing power will be a big help. Before I could consider further, another notification, that had been apparently sitting behind the first level up notification. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have enough experience to reach Lvl 25. Unfortunately, without Biomass to consume, you cannot level. After obtaining Biomass, select the ¡°Level Up¡± option in the status screen to proceed to the next level. -Perfect. Must have gotten it while slaughtering all those demons yesterday. Now we can eat to our heart¡¯s content. Grimacing I thought more about that option. Although that was the ideal, I likely would want to keep this rate again for the mana. And the bonuses to perception were extremely attractive, although it was hard to see the benefits immediately. Shaking my head, I considered my new status screen.
Name: Predator Level: 24
Racial Growth Rate: XN-OMEGA-02: Predictive Analytics Model Biomass: 421
Light of the Unlucky Star: 0 Essence: 10/31
Health Regen: x4.6 Mana: 2661/3035 (+106)
Fury: 0
Vit: 149 (+30) End: 341 (+30)
Str: 171 (+30) Agi: 153 (+30)
Dex: 174 (+30) Memory: 500 (+30)
Processing Power: 519 (+30) Parallel Computations: 2
Wis: 164 (+30) Luck: 33 (+30) (#Error)
Timeless Perception: 193 (+30) Balance: 221
Titles
A Predator Raceless Nurturer of the Undead Singer of the Dark Cadences
Bringer of War Master of Throwing Knives Warden of Glacier and Moon One Who Denies His Own Mortality
Gene Splicer Born Under a Cursed Star Black Exo-skeleton with 9 Lives Student of the Arcane
Though Blind, This One Still Hungers
Skills
Air Affinity Lvl 4 Endless Stomach Weapons Mastery Lvl 2 Silent Kill Lvl 1
Code of the Dragon Aura of the Predator Lvl 9 Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 7 Bile Emission Lvl 2
Unholy Bestowal Lvl 3 Physicality Lvl 9 Song of the Murloc People Lvl 1 Thunder Stance Lvl 7
Cadence of Earth Cadence of Water Wind Stance Lvl 2 Wind Blade Lvl 9
Pain Tolerance Lvl 8 Greater Resistance to Fire Lvl 2 Sneak Attack Lvl 2 My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 5
Lesser Ice Affinity Lvl 5 Lunar Affinity Lvl 7 Automated Air Armor Lvl 2 Flicker Lvl 1
Poison Resistance Lvl 2 Absolute Control: Self Lvl 6 Arcane Mastery Lvl 3 Floating Pond Beneath the Moon Lvl 2
Iron Will Lvl 2 Lunar Break Lvl 6 Immolation Lvl 4 Lesser Spiritual Resistance Lvl 2
Precognition Lvl 1
Saved Growth Rates
Sable Haired Lynx Obsidian Magma Gator Oracle of the Endless Woods XN-00013
Level Up? Y/N
-Our list of skills is getting a little long¡­ -Most of the fluff are stance stuff and resistances, that accounts for like 10. Then we have worthless trash like Bile Emission and Song of the Murloc People. -Too bad we can¡¯t just forget skills to clean things up¡­ I chewed on my lip, wishing there was more breakfast remaining. Getting my biomass up would take time, and from Jen''s short communications were telling me, there was already a challenger lined up for the 10th floor. -Well, it probably won¡¯t be so hard that I¡¯ll need to use it immediately. But it¡¯s annoying. Standing, I stretched until my shoulders cracked and then walked towards the door. I bet I could scrape some more food out of this place before I went to fight the demon army. Then I would work some more towards leveling up lunar break, and-This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Predator.¡± Ashni stood at the door, her arms folded ¡°If you do not want to ascend immediately, why not spend some time working on your sloppy form. It could use some polishing before we head on to real challenges.¡± I paused briefly, but ultimately dismissed it. More pressing needs. Shaking my head, I walked past her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can improve noticeably in the time we have, while other skills are close to improving.¡± Nodding slowly, she gave me a long look. Then she said lightly. ¡°I have spoken with Jen. She has arranged for us to have an exclusive broadcast deal with a streamer of The Great Tower. Due to the associated fees, she has food waiting for you on the 10th floor.¡± ¡°Almost a ton of it,¡° Ashni added over her shoulder, leaving the room. -Tch, she said that to tempt us to leave. That bitch. -...but it¡¯s not something I want to resist. Fine, only one more day of practice, then let¡¯s head up. Scratching my mournfully empty stomach, I walked out the doors and towards the waiting demon army. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia considered Kent with a thoughtful expression. Between the two of them, the slight asian man was surely the more palatable to her. On the other hand, he, too, was entirely too deeply obsessed with her for Ketlia¡¯s comfort, but to Kent¡¯s credit, he seemed content to let their relationship stay as is, rather than pushing for more like Diver. ¡°Diver spoke to you of leaving,¡± Kent said, his tone clear he meant it as a statement and not a question, even with his arms folded and eyes closed. She nodded, still giving him a long look. They were at lunch, while most of the rest of the group continued to do training exercises for Part 3 of the plan. Kent had never really featured heavily in Kettle¡¯s plans, aside from protecting Ketlia, and Ketlia was bored of the training, so neither had attended. Honestly, Ketlia couldn¡¯t figure out why Kettle didn¡¯t use Kent more heavily. If anything, Kent was the one that Ketlia believed could fight Predator most evenly. Sure, Diver¡¯s abilities were more flashy, but still¡­ Kent opened his eyes. ¡°Yet you remain. Why?¡± Ketlia kept her expression neutral, pretending to think about it. Her current plans had expanded two
  1. Eliminate Predator, the one who knew her actual name, the label of an identity she had discarded.
  2. Ensure that Diver learned his place in her life.
Still, neither of these reasons were particularly nice or righteous reasons, and Ketlia opened her mouth to give him a reason quite like she had given to Diver. Kent held up a hand. ¡°Save it Kat, if you do not wish to tell me, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Then he calmly continued eating, and Ketlia wondered how much insight Kent really had into her behavior. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to be rid of them all. Hopefully Predator lived up to the Hype. ***POV Predator*** With Aura of the Predator deactivated, the demons surged forward, content to throw themselves towards me, heedless of their assured doom. My smile stretched wider, welcoming them to the end. I had two goals for today. The first was to level up immolation up another level. The heat was currently enough to turn rock into dribbling liquid, but I believed that with all the bodies I could embrace here, I could push that to the next level. The second goal was to get Lunar Break to level up. ¡°First though¡­ let¡¯s have some fun,¡± I said sweetly, lunar mist rushing to fill the air around me. I gestured and it swirled, forming a tight vortex hanging over my head. The demons screeched their viciousness, perhaps in some far fetched attempt to scare me, and rushed towards me. ¡°How quickly they forget,¡± I crooned, 1000 lunar reflections condensing. Then I pressed, combining those 1000 disparate shards of lunar glass into a huge mirror. There was a slight throbbing in my temples and a tightness behind my eyes, but the increases I had gotten to processing power made maintaining a reflection of a larger size much easier. -Well, comparatively easier. It¡¯s still taking two of us. The mirror floated above the demons, who largely ignored it, focused as they were on me, alone and without any assistance. -Kya~ I¡¯m so helpless, I hope the demons don¡¯t come closer. Of course, the demons did, and the huge mirror I summoned floated ominously after them, casting a dark shadow over the surrounding area. Honestly, I was a little impressed by the sheer size of the mirror, almost as large as the old fort on my path, but I still figured that the power increases for size wouldn¡¯t be as much as the bonus for the lunar pond. As such, when all the demons were practically drooling on me, I shattered it, opening up the gates to hell. The bodies of the demons around me bulged and cracked. Large swathes of ground disintegrated to powder, the earth underneath it buckling and shifting. It was simultaneously extremely loud, and completely silent, as the grinding of particles made an unnerving noise, but the demon¡¯s swift death shifting the previous cacophony to immediately nothing. For my part, I just grinned, my body jolted and squeezed, but largely unaffected by the discharge. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Affinity Lvl 8¡±. The amount of mana required to summon lunar mist is greatly decreased. A small amount of lunar mist will be maintained near the user¡¯s persona, which can be used at will. Such lunar mist will regenerate after being used. Condensed items will last much longer. There is a certain joy,¡¯ I reflected, carefully stepping forward over the thin film of spongy demon flesh that was the only remaining evidence of the previous group of demons who attacks me, ¡®In walking over the battlefield, where all that remains is the silence of death and victory.¡¯ My eyes sharpened, and I scanned the horizon for the next column of demons. ***POV Ketlia*** She knocked sharply on the door. ¡°You called?¡± Gillette gestured her into the room. ¡°Yes, yes. I have a surprise for you.¡± Ketlia nodded and sat down slowly, curious. Gillette¡¯s eyes were bright and his smiles were sharp; this reminded Ketlia much more of the Gillette of old, rather than the recent, scholarly incarnation. ¡°I told you I was looking for information correct? About the monster my group ran into. Specifically, I was looking into the history of the Great Tower, not the the entertainment program we have now, but the edifice that defines our biverse. I received a report,¡± Gillette said, passing papers over to her. Raising an eyebrow, Ketlia asked. ¡°Biverse? Like 2 universes?¡± ¡°I forgot you were originally from such a backwards planet as Earth,¡± Gillette said with a chuckle. ¡°Yes, the biverse. Two universes leaning against each other, completely separate, except for a single bridge: The Great Tower. Or perhaps artery and vein would be more appropriate, because it¡¯s both.¡± Gillette paused, as if expecting Ketlia to have more questions, but she simply remained silent. Instinctively, Ketlia knew that allowing him to express his excitement would make this process much simpler. ¡°...as I was saying, I was looking for origin stories of the tower. The most complete records are quite a bit above my paygrade, but most of that information was taken from somewhere; more specifically some of the dungeons on floor 19.¡± Gillette began to pace. ¡°I put up a notice on that floor that I was willing to pay for a complete rubbing from one of the deepest dungeons; one that people very rarely bother with, due to difficulty. Well some fool named Tim took me up on my offer, and provided an extremely meticulous engraving. Look, here.¡± Gillette gave her a sheaf of papers, and Ketlia skimmed over it for a few seconds. Then she looked back up at him. ¡°This almost seems like a children¡¯s story.¡± Ketlia said, frowning. By Gillette¡¯s reaction, Ketlia felt a sinking feeling in her chest. He was grinning slyly,barely able to keep a straight face; she had fallen for his trap. ¡°Read it a bit more closely,¡± Gillette urged softly. ¡°And then I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡± In the beginning, there were the elves and the fae. These two races live in two different worlds, each world created by the combined effort of two of God¡¯s four children. Seraphim and Nyx created Elves. The Elves had infinite lives, but must sacrifice their own lives so children could be born into the world. They were a wise, considered people, but they did not have great strength, only time to amass great knowledge. Genesis and Abyss created the Fae, who flicked in and out of existence unpredictably, flashing like blooming flowers, then wilting away just as fast. They were extremely powerful, violent, emotional, and volatile. Still, after they had served their purpose, the fae would vanish from the world. Such was the power of the Fae that the Great Mother, Holy, The One True God, She Who Would Settle Atop the Great Tower, who spoke only 4 times since The Beginning, spoke to Genesis and Abyss. After the Fae were created, The Mother said to Genesis and Abyss, ¡°Careful, children. Guard your realm well.¡± Genesis and Abyss were embarrassed, but took Her words seriously: The Mother did not speak lightly. So those two watched the Fae, recognizing their power, vigilant of any who could destroy their realm. It as only much later that they realized the warning was not for them to care about their powerful Fae, but to be weary of the wise Elves, who figured out how to bridge the realms. It all began with the King that could do no wrong. He who negotiated to end the eternal feud between the Sera Elves and the Nix Elves. He who tamed the Mad Duchess. He who was blessed with the sharpest mind the elders among the Elves had ever seen. He who was cursed with triplets. He who was named Tuallan Rex ***POV Predator*** It was honestly more like chasing down demons at this point than actually fighting them. An amusing exercise at first, but swiftly becoming more tiresome as the day dragged on. I was currently training Immolation, and the heat already wore down my patience through the constant thrum of agony I was experiencing during it. As the demon¡¯s bodies melted and ceased to be around me, my fury steadily rose, climbing high enough to boost me a few stat points. At the same time I felt a strange change within me. A strange cruelty was emerging, and it was especially prevalent while I had immolation activated. For a few hours I resisted the impulse to extend over much the suffering of these worthless preys, but there came a moment when I realized there was no reason to hold back. It was the same moment that I realized where the impulse came from. -We just want to share the pain. I paused, hand still on a swiftly melting demon, thinking about it. Honestly, it was true. The constant agony was grating on my mind and senses. But strangely, as I inflicted the pain on others¡­ Some of that cloudiness disappeared. I felt sharper, more whole. Curious, I tried fighting a demon by rapidly activating and deactivating Immolation, hitting the pathetic creature with enough heat to warp its body, but not enough to kill it. To my delight, it truly did survive, shrieking in agony. I pulled it closer. ¡°Mmm, it certainly is gratifying that someone understands what I go through,¡± I mused with a wicked smile. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia continued reading. Long after Tuallan Rex had become a wise and famous king, he, as all Elves did, applied for a child. As all children could only be born using the life of another elf, only when another elf felt he or she had lived long enough could another child be born. So for countless years Tuallan Rex and his wife waited, until finally it was their turn. After a dozen years of attempts, they succeeded; a child would be born to the king. It was a day for celebration throughout the empire. For an entire year the kingdom celebrated. But, mere weeks before the baby was to be born, an accomplished Elven seer hurried to the castle. She told the King that there was not only a single baby within his wife¡¯s stomach. The King attempted to hush up the news, but his distraught wife wept and wept, and due to her sorrow the guards talked. The kingdom of the Elves was rocked by the news, and the looming possibility of a royal baby being stillborn hung over them all. But salvation came from an unlikely source. A vile and detestable alchemist, a fiend who was complicit in the great crimes of the Mad Duchess, volunteered his own life for the child¡¯s. He only asked that he be allowed a proper Elven burial. And so the night of the birth came. The queen bore triplets. As one infant lay still, its lips turning blue and cold, the queen snatched a knife from the midwife and slit her own throat, cooing, ¡°My babies, my babies¡­¡± The third child resuscitated, the servants attempted to console the king, but Tuallan Rex simply stared at the dead body of his lovely wife, his one true love. That entire night, Tuallan Rex did not move. The next day, Tuallan Rex began to build. ¡°...Kettle¡¯s big event is coming up,¡± Gillette interrupted. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better you finish the rest tonight, and we speak of it tomorrow.¡± ***POV Predator*** Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Immolation Lvl 5¡±. The amount of mana needed to maintain Immolation is greatly decreased. Flames extending from the user¡¯s body have grown in size. User¡¯s abilities to perceive through immolation have increased according. User¡¯s body is slightly more capable in withstanding the heat. Although the level increase of Immolation was good, it didn¡¯t include an actual increase to the top end damage it could deal, which disappointed me. Even more than that though¡­ I glared at the horizon, where the sun had already sunk low. -Still no lunar break level. Tsking to myself, I began to walk back towards the castle where Ashni was keeping the emperor. I would try for a short while to level Lunar Break up on his body, but I wasn¡¯t holding out much hope. And although I wanted it, there was something I wanted more. -Food Grinning, I shook my head slightly. -A challenge. With glittering eyes, I daydreamed about the trap waiting for me only a single floor above, and how I would break it apart and burn it to ashes. Day 49 Day 49 ***POV Jerry*** Jerry raised the field glasses to his eyes, surveying Predator¡¯s path. Or what was left of it. When Jerry and the forces of the path had left, it was only for a few days, to train themselves through war games. The Haeugh had graciously hosted, and as a unit, all of minions of Predator had doubled down on themselves to improve. It was only too obvious in the wake of that previous challenge that they were holding Predator back. And although no one would admit it to the lazy, lovable oaf, that all made them miserable. But when they returned to the Path, they had found another army waiting for them. One that seemed as numerous as the stars. Most of the army was composed of strange, almost robotic bone spiders, which swarmed up from every direction if you encroached on their slowly expanding territory. All in all though, the bone spiders, or their larger, more threatening cousins, the huge bone centipedes which were as tall and thick as an elephant, weren¡¯t that much of a threat. In a way, they too provided a tempering, quickly turning the hastily learned lessons from the war game into habit. No, the real threat¡­. Jerry squinted towards the marsh, where a lone figure loped around, gathering the attention of a horde of bone spiders and quite a few bone centipedes, slowly leading them towards the encampment of Predator¡¯s minions. It was a ghoul, one with a lolling mouth and his eyes stitched shut. Jerry wasn¡¯t sure where the ghoul had come from, but there was an aura about it that filled Jerry with a thrill of fear. ¡°Well?¡± Turnip asked, leaning against his bow. Jerry lowered his field glasses. ¡°Get everyone ready. Spider Digger is bringing another round.¡± ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia sat in her small cot, turning the pages of the report given to her by Gillette, reading by the light of dawn. The Elven people had long known that their gods were lesser gods, two of four, and that the other two gods had created a world of chaos and power, full of tricksters and unspeakable evil. A world fundamentally different from their own. But, brought face to face with the death of his love, Tuallan Rex could only wonder if those two gods could do what his own could not. Could they grant life without taking it away? So Tuallan Rex picked up the unspeakable research of the Mad Duchess and her ilk, investigating the boundaries of their realm. He abandoned the royal children, completely obsessed with the mad pursuit. Abandoned and listless, the triplets found solace in their uncle, brother to their deceased mother, who took them in while their father toiled and meddled with forbidden things. For a century, Tuallan Rex experimented, dutifully recording his findings. Although it was widely known that he experimented with the forbidden, the kingdom was reluctant to police his research as they had so many other. After all, Tuallan Rex did not seek the unspeakable for personal power; no, he sought it for love. And finally, Tuallan Rex succeeded. He forcefully broke into the other realm, destabilizing both. As the four gods rushed to action, attempting to save their two realms, he beseeched them. ¡°Please! In your power, with your wisdom, return to me my wife!¡± Abyss said, ¡°It cannot be done.¡± Genesis said, ¡°It cannot be done.¡± Seraphim, one of the gods of Tuallan Rex¡¯s world, shook her head sadly and said, ¡°It cannot be done.¡± Nyx, eldest of gods, quietest of gods, she of nothing from nothing, she who loved Elves the dearest, said in front of her siblings. ¡°...I want to let him try. I will take him to Mother.¡± So Tuallan Rex ascended into the realm of gods, and saw many wonders. He knelt before Mother, who created all, and begged that his wife be returned to him. ¡°For my children,¡± Tuallan Rex said, a single tear falling down his face. ¡°For my three lonely daughters.¡± And seeing his virtuous heart, the Mother assented, using her vast power to revive Tuallan Rex¡¯s wife. Unfortunately, her soul had long dissipated when she was revived¡­ she was less than whole. She was partially empty. She struck out, shattering Tuallan Rex¡¯s great armor and and his mind. She struck again, wounding the Mother. As she raised her hand to strike a third time, Nyx intervene, locking Tuallan Rex¡¯s wife down with a portion of her power. She quickly informed her siblings, who rushed to help. Together, they vanquished the possessed woman, putting her out of her misery. Tired, but still Godly, the four of them then worked, not to remake the previous realms, but to combine them, using Tuallan Rex¡¯s strange apparatus as the beam that held it all together. A beam that conveyed life from the abundant realm of Abyss and Genesis to the lands of the Elves. A beam that conveyed magic from the strange and wondrous lands of Nyx and Seraphim to the Fae. And atop the scaffolding that held the realms together still sits the Mother, who recovers to this day. So care ye who foolishly climbs This Great Tower, for at the top you must meet the body of the man who can accomplish what cannot be accomplished and the grave of the woman who spent too long dead before returning to this life. And beyond that, you have one wish at the resting place of the Mother. The report ended, and Ketlia leaned back, frowning slightly. Now she had a few questions for Gillette. ***POV Predator*** I frowned, looking out over the horizon of my path. Problem 1, my 10 tons of food that Ashni had promised me Jen had was nowhere to be found. Second, there were literally MILLIONS of tiny midget skeletons, some of the the Bone Shaman midgets, others a weird skeleton spider hybrid, fighting each other in a mass melee in the western half of the Path. -Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Sorta improves the boring view. It¡¯s just¡­ -They are making so much noise. Third, and most important, I had arrived with Ashni, and proceeded to walk over to several skeleton archers and murloc hunters. ¡°Hey,¡± I had said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They responded by throwing their small murloc spears at me. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 I didn¡¯t even bother dodging. They skittered off my skin, leaving no marks. The skeletons saw me, and I assumed they would correct the previous misunderstanding. An arrow hit me directly between the eyes, rebounding harmlessly. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 A vein in my temple twitched. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°Hey,¡± I said in a low voice, turning to the battlefield at large. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all shut up?¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 The noise continued unabated. I could see a spot where it looked like the more powerful of my minions were battling against each other, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered. After all, these minions were behaving badly. It¡¯s my responsibility to punish them.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. -It¡¯s my prerogative. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Expending all of my mana, a mass of lunar mist that resembled a cloud bank snapped into existence above the fighting armies. A few individual soldiers looked up, fascinated by the glowing mist, but by and large the phenomenon was largely ignored. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 My grin started to stretch. -No reason to be a bad sport about it, let¡¯s just teach them a small- Another arrow struck my cheek, throwing off sparks. A vein in my temple twitched. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Harder, more forcefully than I had ever done it in the past, I pressed, flattening that huge mass of lunar mist into a lunar reflection far bigger than I had ever maintained before. I felt a strange tearing sensation in my head, and dozens of curved knives of pain slid in through my temples in my head. With a grin slowly opening wide, I pressed more, holding it all together. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Iron Will Lvl 4¡±. Your ability to maintain the object of your efforts has increased. Decreased chance of failing and experience mental damage due to rebound. Long term mental strain decreased. With a soft metal click, I felt it all come together. More and more of the skeletons were looking up, pointing a the strange, beautiful mirror above them all. Licking my lips, I shattered it. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lunar Break Lvl 7¡±. Mana cost of break decreased. Physical damage done increased. Area of effect greatly increased. Mental damage significantly increased. ¡°Ah,¡± I clicked my tongue in satisfaction as I surveyed a veritable sea of broken, and silent bones. ¡°There¡¯s that level up.¡± ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia gave the man in front of her a long look, trying her best to decipher who he really was. Gillette had been a Administrator for the first floor, referring talented challengers to his contacts, giving them escape from the hells of the first 3 floors. Then, abruptly, he had a change of heart, and once more made attempts to climb the Great Tower. While Ketlia, Kent, and Diver were searching for an administrator to help them rise, Ketlia had come across his profile and become immediately interested. She approached him directly, using her charm and preparedness to sway him to take them on as challengers. Then, after they had first formed their agreement, everything was going well. Gillette tested them, trained them, taught them to take advantage of their individual gifts. He then guided them through floors 6 through 9, taking care to put them in situations that would help expand their power, and also instructed them in the methods to act and fight that would capture the hearts of the viewers. Which, he assured, would become increasingly important as they continued to climb. Then they arrived on the 10 floor. Since then, Gillette had largely given them over to Kettle, lounging around in stained shirts and soft pants while scrutinizing old records. Yet, today, when Ketlia came, wanting to question Gillette regarding that strange story he had given her, she found him sitting in a well-fitted forest green suit, with a mint shirt underneath, his hands folded, with an entirely clean desk in front of him. Stunned by the change, Ketlia opened her mouth and hesitated. Gillette smirked. ¡°Come in then, we need to talk.¡± Ketlia walked in, her eyes drifting side to side, taking in everything. She had made her living while she was on Earth on reading moods. Here, just in this room, the mood was entirely different. There was a strangeness to it, a fakeness. Had Gillette been giving off such a move before she had offered for him to be their administrator, Ketlia would have refrained from asking. There was too much unpredictability to it. There was too much unrestrained violence in the air. Strangely, it reminded her of Predator, that first week, almost a month ago, in that marsh. She wondered how much he had changed. ¡°You are probably wondering about this outfit,¡± Gillette drawled. ¡°If you would believe it, it used to be my standard work outfit. Bit of a uniform.¡± Ketlia¡¯s eyes narrowed. He still maintained the air of laziness that he had gained while doing his research, but also he still lacked that tight control, the very reason she approached him. Something was changing. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to talk about the story.¡± Ketlia said, carefully enunciating her words slowly while sitting back. The quicker and more painlessly she could leave here, the better. Gillette nodded, his face shifting into the utmost seriousness in a fraction of a second. This change did nothing to assuage Ketlia¡¯s misgivings. ¡°I figured. Interesting, right? I think that is one of the original pieces of information we ever obtained on the Tower. It¡¯s where the name came from, at the very least. Although I have to assume that someone climbed to to the top to verify some of what was said about it. What they found, I¡¯m not sure, but ever since people have been wildly struggling to reach the pinnacle ever since¡­.¡± ¡°You promised me a secret,¡± Ketlia said, as Gillette trailed off. His eyes instantly sharpened. ¡°Yes I did. And it¡¯s a simple one. This is just a history lesson, one that¡¯s verified. Long ago, their were indeed two very similar the Sera and the Philim, perhaps descended from the elves in that story. It was a long and bloody conflict, as most racial ones are, and the Sera won.¡± Gillette tapped the desk. ¡°When the era of climbing the Tower began, many Sera tried, but inevitably, they died. Some believed it was just a coincidence, but others believed it was the vengeful grief of a god. It was investigated by the producer of the show, and it all lead back to one individual: the one who had inexplicably insinuated herself as the gatekeeper of the tower, Ilium. And when asked, do you know how that individual replied?¡± Ketlia tilted her head to the side. ¡°Something from something, always.¡± Gillette leaned back, studying Ketlia closely. She merely commented. ¡°Ilium and Philim are very similar words, in a way.¡± GIllette offered her a sharp smile. ¡°That they are.¡± ***POV Predator*** Grumbling, all of my surviving minions arrayed themselves before me. The ghoul I summoned with essence, who had apparently stitched his eyes shut. The Bone Architect. Jerry, Turnip, and the Haeugh. Tickles, the blighted ghoul, riding the one remaining vineling monstrosity, a skeleton bear with a parasitic vine beast acting as it heart, giving it 8 vine tentacles. Black Bones, who was still only as large as a small dog, skittering up my leg to curl around my neck, humming in contentment. Jen bounced awkwardly from side to side on my knee. ¡°Let gooooooo~ Predator, I told you the food is coming~ Oh my, you are so forceful, just taking me like this¡­.¡± Jen said, her voice varying in pitch an incredible amount. ¡°You promised me 10 tons of food,¡± I said simply pressing down on her with most of my strength. Unfortunately, her body was more resilient than I anticipated, and she just squirmed in pleasure as I did it. I pulled my hand away, unsatisfied, but she had said it was on the way, so until I figured out a more effective way to torture her, there was nothing I could do. Ashni stood behind me, a sour look on her face. Jen had informed us earlier than while Whipman was here, on the floor, even with friends, he had sequestered himself in a library, frantically writing something down. ¡°With a She-Ogre and a skeleton, of all people,¡± Ashni huffed, and I was slightly amused by her display of emotion. I didn¡¯t even bother to maintain a hint of that good cheer when I turned my eyes to the group arrayed in front of me. ¡°So, I suppose you¡¯ve heard, but, in her successful attempts to carry out my wishes, Jen has already arranged for our first challenge to the path. It is tomorrow. A group of challengers apparently bid quite a lot of towers to get the first crack at us. The rules for the 10th floor¡­¡± I spared Jen a glance, who just waved her tentacles at me playfully. ¡°...are apparently rather involved, and I don¡¯t really have the attention or time to go over them. I don¡¯t even know them. Basically, we need to succeed in three of such challenges to ascend, as opposed to the usual one. But this first one will likely be the most¡­ time consuming.¡± ¡°Kettle is trying to kill me,¡± I said, barely able to keep a grin off my face. My relationship had always been strange. It was always business and threats. And honestly¡­. -That¡¯s what I understand best. ¡°So let her come. We will kill her and crush her pawns.¡± I said simply, then looked around. ¡°Alright, you are dismissed. Jerry, have everything ready for tomorrow.¡± Jerry opened his mouth to speak, but then hesitated, his eyes flickering. I grinned at him. ¡°You may give me a short list of summons you would like. Try to keep it under 5000 mana, I want to be full tomorrow morning. But, as I have said, you are dismissed.¡± With a strange reluctance, they left, stepping carefully around a certain area. The area where I had crushed the annoying, cackling shit of a Bone Shaman, to emphasize how important obeying was. With a flash and a clap, a truck appeared, and large, tusked men began unloading drums of grubs. Casually flicking my hand, I ripped through the metal of the lids and began to feed myself, shooing Jen away. Biomass +1 Biomass +1 Biomass +1 My eyes gleamed with anticipation. -Right now, this is my favorite kind of ¡°training¡± -Let¡¯s hope no more enemies that aren¡¯t made of biomass have the poor luck of showing up in front of us again. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia stood, trembling, on the training floor, trying to catch her breath. Slowly, ever so slowly, the damage she had done to the fabric of reality healed. The torn space closed. Ketlia considered the notifications in front of her. Congratulations! Due to your actions, the skill ¡°World Fissure Lvl 1¡± has been gained. World FIssure: By bending space beyond its limit, you effectively bend it out of existence, leaving a dangerous and unstable void. By compressing it at the point of nonexistence folding, the void is spread out, infinitely long and infinitely thin, across a certain line. Those along the line will be damaged physically and mentally. Such damage cannot be completely reduced. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have gained the title, ¡°Ketlia, the Smiling Lucifier Lvl 1¡± has been gained. Although you are bright and attractive on the surface, your heart is selfish and you have a penchant for deceit. In addition, your power allows you to toy with forces that have the potential of destroying the fabric of reality. Your stats have been corrupted. Your status screen will no longer display your true stats. Your status screen will no longer display your true skills. Gains to Int, Wis, WP, and mana per level are greatly increased. Ketlia¡¯s heart was silent as she considered these two notifications. Then she dismissed them. It would likely be for the best that she not tell them of her new capabilities. But as she turned away, she saw a hint of movement out of the corner of her eyes. Eyes narrowing, she began preparing to try out her new skill for the first time, but a huge wave of turbulent grey struck her consciousness, with enough force to send her staggering. As she struggled to marshall her mental defenses and conjure illusions to hide herself, a voice made her pause. ¡°Easy. I just came because you interest me. Everyone is focused on Predator right now, but I think you will be the one who reaches the 50th floor of the Tower.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± the strange creature added, its 11 eyes blinking. ¡°You are not my match.¡± Ketlia nodded slowly straightening. ¡°Hello, Ilium.¡± Then after a second, she added, almost as an afterthought. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in the presence of a god before.¡± The Ilium gave her a long look. ¡°There is only one God, and that is the Mother.¡± The silence lay heavy in the wake of that statement for several minutes. Eventually, Ketlia asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± The Ilium said, her voice weary. Ketlia raised an eyebrow. ¡°For our challenge? Surely that is a bit¡­ unimportant, in the grand scheme of things.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you are wrong.¡± The Ilium said. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s challenge is very important. Even if it will just reignite a very old struggle. But a lot of long thinkers are making their move. So I want to be here, to witness it.¡± The Ilium stepped forward suddenly, holding up a hand. She lightly brushed Ketlia¡¯s cheek, as Ketlia stiffened. ¡°You are extremely interesting.¡± The Ilium said. ¡°You and Predator both. Partly because you are inverses of each other.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Ketlia voice was frosty, her eyes narrowing. The Ilium laughed. ¡°No one will hear, I¡¯ve made sure of that. Predator sold away everything that he was, his memories, his personality, his humanity¡­ He began empty. He also gained great power from it. But you¡­¡± The Ilium let her hand drop. ¡°You sold yourself too. But nothing of your own. You sold your existence in the lives of everyone around you to me. Their memories of you. Their having known and met you. Your parents no longer had two children, only one. The lives you touched reverted to how they were, had they not met you. A selfish selling. But¡­¡± The Ilium laughed long and loud, slowly sinking into the ground, becoming grey shadow and dispersing. ¡°You gained great from your trade as well, didn¡¯t you, Ketlia Karman?¡± Then she was alone, where she stood for a long time. ¡°That is not my name,¡± Ketlia whispered. Day 50.1 ***POV Shuusuke*** Bleary, Shuusuke rolled over and off the bed, slamming his nose into the floor. It did wonders for waking him up. Cursing the dumb Great Tower for starting its events so early, even with the 4 hour time difference, Shuusuke hobbled off to the kitchen, careful to stay quiet. Strangely, now was a time of day that his parents were home, if only to collapse and sleep, before returning to the industrial complex. After eating, Shuusuke would test all his equipment, then arrive at Predator¡¯s path, finalizing some of the macros for the challenge. Then, he would record what he hoped would the most lucrative streaming episode to date for him. Reaching behind him, he rubbed his wings, wishing fervently for good luck. Then he sighed. ¡°Too bad that dick at the factory took all my money to replace the table.¡± Shuusuke muttered. ¡°I¡¯d love to have any spare change to bet with¡­¡± ***POV Whipman*** Whipman gazed at the chest. It contained the incredibly powerful and insightful forms of his master, and now it contained Whipman¡¯s notes on those forms, and Whipman¡¯s own four moves. Corporal Dave¡¯s talk of the outside forces interfering with the challenge today made him nervous. For his own piece of mind, he decided to record his findings, so Predator could benefit from them, should the worst happen. Although if Whipman died, it was more than likely that Predator had already died, so maybe it was pointless¡­ But still he persisted, talking about his experiences in attempting to learn the forms left by his master, his experiences and insights for attempting that process again. Because the more Whipman had trained in the arts that were left by his master, the more he realized how profound they were, and what they really were was not a series of ¡°Advanced Stances¡± but a method. A method of creating your own stances, using the powerful elements of Tellus as the base. It felt almost foolish for him to add his own petty moves to the chest, but still¡­ It would be a tragedy to leave them out too. After storing it at the nearby bank with specific instructions, Whipman checked the rest of his gear. His beat up tunic. His trusty spear. Finally, Whipman removed the strange case that Kettle had given him. ¡°In case of emergencies,¡± she said. To protect Predator. Within the case was a small ring, with what Whipman sensed was a pretty profound skill, waiting for a trigger. Whipman slipped it on. He needed every edge he could get. The azure snake asleep around his neck squirmed, and Whipman rolled his eyes, but was careful not to disturb it. Ever since he had become its familiar, Whipman had realized that it had somehow broken his relationship with Predator, which took away the extra stat gains, but also allowed his body to change and heal, nourished by the creature¡¯s mana. Before leaving, Whipman turned to and fro in front of a mirror, admiring how much improved his skin was from its previously wrinkled grey state. He hoped Ashni would notice. Whipman left his room, going to meet Corporal Dave. ***POV Predator*** I didn¡¯t sleep any that night, but it was the greatest sleepless night of my life thus far. Groaning, I rolled out of bed, attempting to stand. ¡°Predator,¡± Jen whimpered, ¡°Even more?¡± ¡°I can keep going,¡± I said, blinking my eyes to clear the blood rushing to my head as I sat up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡± She said meekly. But I just grinned. ¡°Let me handle that.¡± Shaking my head to clear my vision, I stood and stumbled over towards the far wall, where another huge drum of grubs awaited me. Jen had been carrying them over to me all night, but after a night of continuous exertion, even her tireless tentacles had grown limp. When I arrived, I was too impatient to be careful, and just ripped the thing open, grubs spilling everywhere. I licked my lips. -What a great time to be alive. ***** Frowning, I looked out over my path. For once, the two sides were united -In their fear of me, ehhehe They worked quite efficiently, assembling a fort roughly the size of the previous one. I gave it a cursory look over, still shoveling grubs into my mouth, and thanked them quickly, but I knew it in my heart that the fort wouldn¡¯t mean much; these bastards dared to openly wait for me, and I wanted to rush out among them and break them to pieces. Much to my glee, apparently the numbers of undead and murlocs were currently fluctuating so much that Jerry wasn¡¯t able to draw up a report for me. -One less thing to worry about. As it stood, we had groups of skeleton archers and bears for fighting, some ghosts for communication, and a horde of murlocs and bone spiders. I ordered most of those to retreat to the fort. This would be a battle between elites. The minions would just get in the way. Jerry, Ashni, Turnip, the Haeugh, Black Bones, that weird vineling monstrosity, and the Bone Architect stood on the wall with me, waiting for our opponents to arrive. Of those, I only really wanted Jerry, Ashni, and Black Bones to do any real fighting. The rest were filler. Jen told me that she had extended an invitation for Whipman and his guests to intervene on my behalf for me, and they hadn¡¯t responded yet, while I stoically continued to devour grubs. There was a small, hot annoyance in my chest at the news, but the fact that Jen literally bought me 10 tons of grubs was more than enough to allow me to overlook it for now. He would show up sooner or later. A rumbling filled the air, and the skies parted, a golden platform floating downward out of the sky, landing in the western marshes. My eyes narrowed, my prodigious perception giving me a perfect picture of the group that landed on the ground. My lips curled. ¡°Jinka, so I¡¯ll finally get the chance to crack your skull, eh¡­?¡± As I watched, metal spread out, covering him in a thick layer, even forming around his body in a strange, metal exoskeleton, slightly different than the skin coating it was before. -But even if it became stronger, I doubt it could keep up with us. To his right was a vaguely familiar Mage-looking fellow with a wooden staff and a midnight blue robe. Immediately deciding he wasn¡¯t worth the effort of remembering, I looked to the next one. That figure¡­ ¡­.also looked extremely familiar, but I had never seen that little girl wearing a tiny dress. But the way her skin was flaking away, and there was a strange light underneath the skin of her collarbone¡­ -Oh wow, she must be related to Ennie. -Maybe his sister, seeking revenge. -Familial bonds are so admirable and pure. Beyond Ennie-sis was a woman with long, fiery red hair. And she¡­ -Ah, that homeless woman we saved in that first marsh. -She certainly has done well for herself in our absence, huh? And looking at the set of her spine¡­ -She¡¯s coming for blood. I grinned, saying aloud. ¡°Then let her come to try and take it.¡± Crowding next to her was a tall, blonde man, wearing a red glove and a blue glove, glaring around hatefully in every direction. My eyes moved to the next individual, and I immediately tensed. His body was slight, with a light chainmail over his chest. He had two battle axes strapped to his shoulders, but also rows of knives across his chest. At his waist was a short, slightly curved sword. His expression was peaceful, but the air around him was rippling with bloodlust. ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± I murmured. ¡°This might be more fun than I thought.¡± Beyond the interesting one was a man with his face shadowed by a drab brown cloak. -Snore ...And beyond him was the final individual, also with red hair. But while the first¡¯s hair was like fire, this woman had thin hair the color of blood. And she¡­ -Is that Jana? I wondered where she wandered off to. She would have been a good grub fetcher. -...I think so, but when did she grow bunny ears¡­? -I have no idea. This tower is fucked. Remember the time we grew a foot and our eyes changed color? -Not well. That hurt like a bitch. Got these sharp nails though. Finished investigating the competition, I felt more excited than I expected. There were at least three of them that I instinctively felt was a threat to me. Which was basically 3 more than I was expecting. But then I thought of something, and frowned. -No trigger from Code of the Dragon? What a rip off. I cracked my knuckles. -Better work off some steam by killing these idiots. But first¡­ I lifted up a huge metal drum to my open mouth, the rest of the grubs inside sliding down and into my mouth. My adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as I chugged the rest. After a few seconds, the last wriggling grub slid down my throat, and I lowered the drum with a satisfied burp. Flicking the drum, I listened closely to the clear ringing sound that the metal made. -This is made with good stuff. My grin spread crooked across my mouth as I began to use my nails to slice off the bottom, leaving a jagged and sharp circle of metal. -It¡¯s killer how good this stuff is. ***POV Ketlia*** ¡°You all know the plan right?¡± Kettle¡¯s voice rang through their ears through the communication pieces as the platform landed, that small lurch announcing their arrival on Predator¡¯s Path. Ketlia blinked slowly, looking around. ...honestly, the marsh was disturbingly reminiscent of the area that the two of them first met. ¡°So Encelldross and Xieche, move quickly before he can use the large armies of undead to surround you. Remember, Part 1 of the plan is to make him take us seriously; don¡¯t pull your punches.¡± ¡°Did you get an updated look at his stats?¡± Diver asked, his expression hateful. ¡°Negative,¡± Kettle¡¯s cracking reply came. ¡°He cut me off two days ago. I expect he has another level, so be careful about a skill we don¡¯t know about. Still, work together and we have this easily. Ketlia, you¡¯re in charge.¡± Ketlia¡¯s astral senses tingled, warning her of nearby danger. But not so near she felt the urge to dodge. She looked up and around, scanning the area. Her psychic sense spread, touching on her team around her, and then spread farther, reaching out and brushing against Predator, careful not to look to deeply, in case he had the ability to sense it. She reached farther, feeling Predator¡¯s minions, their tiny little minds flickering like embers in a cold world. Ketlia went to smile, but her astral senses started warning her more urgently, but she couldn¡¯t feel- Then things began to happen very, very quickly. Kent¡¯s eyes narrowed and he moved to pull Ketlia to the side, away from the area of Jinka, Encelldross, and Xieche. That movement brushed up against Diver, who leapt around, his eyes wild and paranoid, raising his blue glove against the perceived threat. Then Ketlia could hear a low buzzing. Encelldross turned to Xieche. ¡°What is-¡± A disc of metal, thrown so fast it was screaming, bisected Encelldross¡¯ body, severing her upper torso from the rest of her body. Immediately light and heat began to flood out from the wound. The disc continued to rip forward, completely severing the flesh of Encelldross¡¯ upper torso, which floated backwards. Flashing forward, the disc smashed into Jinka¡¯s chest, but was completely rebuffed by the metal exoskeleton, skittering away harmlessly. Diver stepped in front of Ketlia and Kent, his blue glove raised to the small sun that had previously been held within Encelldross¡¯ chest, but was now revealed, and twisting wildly. Dak stepped in front of a snorting Jana. A shield of thunder sprung into existence in front of Xieche. Roaring, Jinka rumbled forward towards it. Eyes wide, Encelldross looked down at the small sun, revealed from within her chest. ¡°Oh shit-¡± BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. Hot air and debris slammed into Ketlia, ripping through the feeble psychic barrier she had been able to throw up in the small time she had to react. Even with most of the force in her direction absorbed by Diver, she was still dizzy and sick. ...dealing with the physical was not her forte. But then she felt Kent¡¯s steadying hand on her shoulder, taking off most of the rest of the strain. Still, the heat and smoke was unbearable, and she stumbled away, coughing. As she did so, her mind reached out, connecting to the others. Encelldross¡¯ mind was conspicuously absent. ¡°Everyone alright?¡± She sent to them all. Confirmations immediately came back from Dak, Jana, Kent, and Diver, although Diver¡¯s was extremely snappish. Ketlia reached with more finesse, slipping into Jinka¡¯s and Xieche¡¯s mind. In Jinka¡¯s she found some confusion and dizziness, likely due to mild shock. In Xieche¡¯s, she only found howling fury. Then, while she was still within his mind, she felt Jinka snap to focus, and she could clearly see through his eyes a tall figure walking through the smoke, his long fingers twisting through long tendrils of smoke. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Then Jinka threw himself at the figure, who began to laugh, and a huge wave hit them all, a wave of hopelessness, his Aura of the Predator. Gritting her teeth and burning through a quarter of her mana, Ketlia activated mental barriers around them all, keeping them out of his influence. Otherwise, this would be much, much harder. She quickly ordered everyone but Jinka and Xieche out of the area of the blast to regroup. To Jinka, she said ¡°Hold him down.¡± To Xieche, she said ¡°Show him thunder.¡± ***POV Predator*** There were several amusing things about the whole situation. The first was I already had another level up waiting for me to click accept, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about killing them and gaining a level in an inopportune time. Not that I didn¡¯t already have a significant amount of biomass already, but it was nice to have control. The second was the shocked look on the face of Ennie¡¯s sister before she died. I almost felt bad. The third was that she had exploded when she died, which was a nice bonus. The fourth was that most of the team who wanted to ¡°trap¡± me was running around blind in the smoke, while my powerful senses let me sense them clearly. The fifth was that my first target for this fight, Jinka, was rushing towards me like a blind walrus. So I would ignore the fleeing ones for now, and deal- -Hmm? I sidestepped smartly, avoiding the lash of a lightning bolt. The force of the attack cleared most of the debris out of the air, revealing ground that had been melted and was slowly solidifying before my very eyes. The explosion was also extremely strange; I assume due to one of them, the northern part of the crater stopped abruptly, as if someone had been completely able to stop the force. The southern side was still a pool of bubbling rock. The magey fellow with a midnight blue robe was striding towards me, bolts of lightning dancing across his person. Hissing, he raised his staff, the lighting coalescing into a ball of concentrated power that positively hummed. I made to move to the side, but I found Jinka had thrown himself at my legs, using the absolutely ungodly weight of his body to hold me down with sheer mass. -We really need to get better about situational awareness in a fight. -Eh, they are weak anyway, what does it matter. If we wanted to win, we would just use skills. But it¡¯s much more satisfying to rip them apart, piece by piece, with my hands. The ball of lightning struck my chest, doing more to paralyze me than injure me. My muscles spasmed strangely as the huge surge of volts traveled through them. Jinka got some of it too, perhaps his metal body conducting it, but it seemed as if he recovered quickly. -They¡¯ve probably been exposing him to it for this reason. He had soon recovered from the shock well enough to offer me an insufferable grin. ¡°Ah, Predator. I am pleased you are still alive for me to kill. This is a joyous day. I will tell my grandchildren someday of your sufferings at my hands. Another ball of lighting was summoned and, slightly paralyzed and weighed down as I was, I could just raise my arm to meet the ball. Grimacing, I felt small shards of my bones snap off all over my body as this attack, basically ignored my raised arm, simply running through my body, causing me to shake violently. -Fine, no more playing. As my eyes darkened, my grin spread. Jinka continued to talk. ¡°I will tell tales of some of your lesser merits too, just so they know how superior I-¡± I coughed up a fat wad of bloody phlegm and spat it at him. It was extremely satisfying to watch it hit his metal covered eyes, and him ineffectually try to rub it away with his metal covered hands. ¡°You-!¡± He howled, but I simply grunted in response, squatting down to get my arms around his extremely dense body, beginning to heft his wait. -Fucking heavy. But as the third ball of lightning was forming, I heaved, ripping Jinka¡¯s body up and away from me, breaking the grip his grubby fingers had on my ankle. Arms waving wildly, he flew a few meters forward, but it was enough for him to block the next ball of thunder. Hissing, the mage circled around, getting a clearly shot at me. Offering him a slight smile, I rubbed my neck, the last of the strange muscle spasms from the electricity disappearing. Then I stepped, the cooling ground beneath me shattering from the force of it, launching myself at the Mage. Much to my surprise, the Mage moved with surprising quickness, as if he had prepared for this too. He spun his staff, the lightning ball dissipating, long serpents of lightning now running up and down his staff. Soon, that too began to hum with power, and he moved to slam the base of his staff into the ground, but I was already there. Against my better judgement, my right hand went out to grip the staff. -Wait-! By Other me had spoken too slowly, and my hand had shot out and locked onto the staff, preventing the hooded figure from slamming it into the ground. But as the serpents of lightning bared their fangs toward my hand and slithered up the shaft toward my grip, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Even with the shadow from the midnight blue robe, I saw the figure¡¯s mouth quirk up in a small smile. After a slight delay, the pent up power in the staff discharged, running through my hand and through my body. I could feel the muscles along its path seizing and spasming, so much so that it didn¡¯t seem like I would be able to release my grip on the staff anytime soon. My grin stretched an inch wider, my eyes becoming wild as I grinned at the mage. But he seemed to ignore my attention, instead concentrating harder on his staff, shifting his grip so both of his hands were now wrapped tightly around the wooden shaft, more and more serpents of thunder rushing up his arms, through the staff, and through my body through the grip. I heard a strange rushing noise as more and more power coursed through the wood and into my body, and my bones were beginning to vibrate slightly. I didn¡¯t think that it would do any significant structural damage, but the way the bones in my arm were grinding over the soft tissue in my joints was agonizing. With fiery eyes, I took a stuttering step towards the mage, intent on crushing him personally. But then I hissed through my teeth, finding most of the right side of my body having gone numb, and spasming oddly. It was all I could do to remain standing. -You really shouldn¡¯t have grabbed the weird lightning wood. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 -Oh, is that so? Thanks for your insight. -So what do we do? The flow of power was growing stronger, and the pain was getting worse. Although honestly it was nowhere near the level of Immolation, it was still annoying. I briefly considered using a skill, which would have resolved the issue quite easily, but I quickly squashed that impulse. I wanted to tear these challengers to pieces with my bare hands. There was no pride in handling a mouse with a forest fire. -Simple. Closing my eyes, I ignored the flow of thunder energy seizing up my body and focused on my hand. -Ah, just let go of the stick? If it was that easy- I focused a bit harder. The wood groaned and cracked, splintering slightly. -Ha, let go? No. I¡¯m going to break this mother fucking piece of wood Fury +1 Fury +1 The eyes of the hooded figure widened, as if he realized what my plan was just as soon as I told Other Me. Immediately, the mage performed a strange series of gestures with his hands, and the lightning energy began to enter into my body in erratic pulses, making my muscles spasm painfully for a split second, followed by a brief period where they begrudgingly relaxed, twitching in displeasure. Whereas before I was just slowly and surely increasing the tension in my arm, now I was forced to time my squeezes with the pulses of electricity. Too soon, and my hands were just as likely to spasm out in the wrong direction as obeyed my will. Too late, and the wave of numbness left me incapable of the fineness of motor control the action required. -Not that squeezing a stick requires much fine motor control. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± I whispered, and was surprised when someone answered. ¡°Hahaha, you accept your end so easily. Truly, you are an individual who would leave his wives unsatisfied, and his children hungry.¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 My eyes twitched left and landed on Jinka, who looked profoundly strange. The exoskeleton of metal that usually covered his body was dripping downward, as if it was melting, flowing down his arm to gather at his fist. Of course, at the fist, the liquid metal was gathering into a brick of sizable proportions, about the size of a chubby human toddler. ¡°Well, it just makes my task easier.¡± Jinka continued. ¡°Xieche, be a good teammate and hold him still, alright?¡± Magey- or Xieche, I guess, hissed something, and then began to talk rapidly in an unfamiliar language. Laughing good naturedly, Jinka shook his head, stepping closer. ¡°I can¡¯t understand anything you heathens say-¡± Although my right half of my body was numb, my left was largely fine, and my kick caught Jinka in the chest, striking the part of his body where most of the metal had left, flowing down to the brick forming in his hand. The thin layer of metal on his chest cracked, several large chunks falling off and away, revealing tanned skin. Jinka stumbled back, coughing widely. In response, Xieche trilled strangely and readjusted his grip, the amount of power coming through the staff almost doubling in power. But my grin was only getting wider; I was becoming more adept at timing my squeezes, and the wood began to feel dangerously close to shattering. -Well, dangerous for them. Jinka spit, a wad of phlegm spattered with blood. Then he turned his now cold gaze towards me. ¡°Hmph, always you struggle. I admire that. But you are a monster, Predator. You have traded your humanity for power. You hold a sword but your wrists are weak. Let me put you out of your misery before you injury yourself.¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Grinning, I tried to talk, but the right side of my jaw was locked weirdly, and I couldn¡¯t get my tongue around the words. As another pulse of electricity came through my hand, I flexed a split second too late, bringing the wood extremely close to breaking, but the strength leaving my hand at the last moment, the cold numbness spreading. I waited, my senses stretched to the limit as I tried to get the timing right. Metal flowed even more quickly down Jinka¡¯s body, leaving his head, his torso, even his legs bare. Within a few seconds, there was only one appendage covered in metal; his arm, a huge slab of metal that was beginning to resemble a crude axe wielded by giants. Warily, but determinedly, he stepped forward and began to speak. ¡°There are two types of men, Predator. Men who double down on their beliefs when challenged, and those who flee.¡± He raised his huge axe, the quicksilver flashing as it caught the rising sun. His eyes burned as he stared directly at me, and said. ¡°I. Do. Not. Flee.¡± I saw something rushing towards the three of us out of the corner of my eye, but it was much too far away. A pulse of electricity came. My hand squeezed.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The wood shattered, small splinters exploding everywhere, serpents of lightning screaming in pain. Xieche stumbled backwards, seemingly partially blinded by the explosion of his staff. But my eyes were locked onto Jinka. Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 His huge axe ripped downward, aiming for the side of my neck. My smile continued to curl upward, my face becoming increasingly twisted. I did not dodge. The huge weight of the metal axe crashed into me, a small chip of my collar bone coming off from the force. Due to the lingering numbness from the lighting, I stumbled slightly as my right leg faltered under the weight. But within a second, still while Jinka was recovering his balance from striking with such a heavy weight, I was standing straight and looking down on him. ¡°Not enough,¡± I said, enunciating both words with glee. One of my clawed hands shot forward, towards Jinka¡¯s exposed throat. Another hand caught mine, one covered in a blue glove. ¡°How about you go to time out, asshole.¡± That blonde man somehow got over to me in time to interfere, and even more annoyingly, he caught my attack effortlessly. My momentum was completely stopped by his slightest touch. Now his other hand, his right, in a red glove, shot towards my chest. I raised my hand to meet it. Although he was quick, he wasn¡¯t as quick as I, and my twisted claws encircled his hand, intent on breaking his wrist, and then- I blinked, finding myself slightly disoriented. Looking around, I realized that I had somehow ended up on the far side of the crater, near where the marsh met the road that lead to my fort. I was in a slight clearing, and at the other end of the clear was the asian man with his arsenal of weapons, looking at me with interest. -Everybody wants a piece of me today, huh? Couldn¡¯t even wait his fucking turn. How did that happen? -Maybe the glove guy? And it is basically a party over whether we live or die, so¡­ You are the one everyone wants alone time with. Cracking my knuckles to remove the last of the numbness, I tilted my head towards the asian man with a twisted grin. ¡°So, is it your turn?¡± He simply shrugged and said. ¡°Plans have changed. You are currently only playing. I am not here to play. You are secondary.¡± Fury +1 -Hey, let¡¯s not be vain now. Frowning at him, I asked. ¡°Then who¡¯s first?¡± The man pointed back up the road. To my fort. My frown deepened. Although I wasn¡¯t too pleased with my idiot minions, they were still mine. I made them, I gave them life and mana. I would crush anyone who dared to try and take them from me. I turned and began to walk away, back towards the fort, expecting an attack. But none came. Instead, the man said. ¡°You are Predator.¡± Stopping, I looked back over my shoulder towards him. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And I am Kent. Come find me when you are tired of playing.¡± Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 Fury +1 There was a moment where I considered saying fuck the minions and turning around to crush this arrogant piece of shit in front of me, but I still was calm enough to stifle that voice. I hadn¡¯t paid close enough attention to Jen, and didn¡¯t know if the challengers could win by reaching the core of the path and heading through the portal. I wasn¡¯t even sure if there was still a portal. They claimed to be setting a trap to kill me, but it was hard to trust the stated intentions of someone who was so obviously opposed to you. Reigning in my vicious impulses I began to rush away, back towards the path. Kent, too, would die this day. I simply needed to be patient. ***POV Jen*** Jen watched the fights nervously. She cheered when Predator killed one of the challengers and boo¡¯d when he was strangely teleported away, saving the life of the metal challenger. Honestly, Jen was extremely impressed by Shuudator¡¯s cameras. He always seemed to have an angle that allowed you to see over a character¡¯s shoulder, or show what two characters were talking about far away, across the path. She wasn¡¯t sure how many cameras he was using, but it seemed like a lot. Jen wondered idly whether Shuudator had a lot of employees. She knew some things about Cloit culture, and there was a great deal of social status associated with wing color. She was sure that with those golden wings, he was a well respected individual among his people. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. After a brief hesitation, she opened it to find someone she didn¡¯t expect at all. ¡°Kettle?¡± Jen squeaked. Kettle stepped through the door, looking odd. For one, she wasn¡¯t wearing her glasses. For another, she seemed oddly sweaty. Jen wasn¡¯t too knowledgeable about human anatomy, but Kettle seemed unnaturally sweaty. But when she spoke, Kettle¡¯s voice sounded exactly the same. ¡°Jen. Perhaps it¡¯s strange that I¡¯ve come, but I wanted to speak with you briefly. After all, we are both Administrators. We share some of the same emotions, I¡¯m sure.¡± Jen tried to think of a time that Kettle had been emotional, and came up blank. The closest she could think of was the strange mania that overcame Kettle the first time she had met Predator. ¡°Um, okay. I mean I¡¯m just watching, so come on in. We can share some grubs.¡± ***POV Ashni*** Everything was fuzzy and blurry, and Ashni blinked to clear her vision. It did little to help. But then she heard Predator¡¯s roar. ¡°The enemy is here. Attack!¡± She grimaced, wondering why Predator chose the weirdest moments to talk in cliches, but still raised her spear, her gaze clearing. Her jaw dropped. Surging over the wall was a wave of demons, the same demons that populated the 9th floor. There were imps and the brawny pale skins, as well as several more exotic and powerful seeming varieties, including ratmen that belched spears of acid. Her mouth quirking up, Ashni moved, instantly ripping through half a dozen demons. Although they were numerous, and Thunder Stance was primarily designed for single targets, the demon¡¯s bodies were so weak that a single thrust imbued with the principles of the Thunder Stance could kill several of them. It was slightly concerning that the opponents had figured out a way to use the demons from the previous floor against them, but Ashni found it increasingly likely that someone was putting their finger on the scales for the forces opposing Predator. It was slightly chilling. However, although the forces capable of providing that assistance were someone to be reckoned with, their demon minions were nothing but fodder; Ashni cut them down like wheat. A bellowing demon with thin, stick like arms and and hands that held black flames leapt towards her, palms forward. It shot the black flames on its hands indiscriminately, reducing the demons around Ashni to ash as she bobbed and weaved. Her eyes narrowed as the fight began to drag on. The demon didn¡¯t seem to tire at all; if anything, the amount of flames it was producing was growing further. And their power seemed to be growing. In an attempt to catch her with the black flames, the demon threw them at her feet. She dodged out of the way, but the demon shot the flames farther, burning the ground underneath where she was going to landing, filling the hole with black flames. Tsking in annoyance, Ashni stuck her spear into the ground, vaulting to safety, then she settled down into one of the basic forms of Thunder Stance, the one that Predator displayed the most proficiency with, so much so that Ashni had been secretly training for weeks, so she could keep up with his monstrous growth. As the demon raised his hands, still covered in those powerful black flames, Ashni saw the opening between them and exhaled through her teeth. ¡°Clear Sky: Sudden Bolt.¡± The head of her spear deftly slid in between the demon¡¯s ribs, ripping a huge hole in its heart. Then the spear flicked out cleanly, bloodless from the strange demon¡¯s spongy- ¡°Eh?¡± Ashni blinked, looking at the spear. Her vision flashed. Her spearhead was covered in blood, but in the next moment it was clean. The demon¡¯s body toppled over, hitting the ground. The fogginess in her vision became even worse, and she narrowed her eyes. Her head began to pound. She remembered, that feeling, that endless, dreamlike year she felt, waiting. Predator¡¯s cocky smile, as he asked her repeatedly why she wanted to climb the Tower. Ashni snorted, all the derision and pride of her personality conveyed in that gesture. This illusion could not hold her. And just like that, the illusion broke. But the sounds of battle did not cease. Frowning, Ashni looked around, a horrified expression growing on her face. The demons had disappeared, but instead, now murlocs murdered each other. Skeleton archers turned Murlocs to pincussions. The Haeugh, covered in weeping gashes, was cackling and using a giant club to smash bone spiders to pieces. Ashni raised her gaze, towards the group of figures standing on the wall. A cloaked man stood next to two women, both with red hair. One had hair the color of blood, and she stood with folded arms. The other¡¯s hair was fiery, red-orange, and her eyes were glowing golden, even now keeping the rest of the path under the influence of her illusion. Growling, Ashni took a step forward, and heard a extremely small cough. She looked down. Disbelief colored her face. ¡°....Jerry?¡± ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, but he didn¡¯t dare blink. And he knew it would get much, much worse by the time the battle ended. This would be a long challenge, no matter who was victorious. Shuusuke¡¯s three cameras were barely able to keep up. Most annoyingly, his camera¡¯s had no way of viewing what the creature of Predator saw under the illusion. Right now he was making do with fast jump cuts with cameras in and out of the eyeline of people on the battlefield, but the fervor and glee with which the people were hacking into their brothers made Shuusuke wonder what they were seeing. Shuusuke hurriedly typed out a new macro for his automated cameras with one hand, checked the camera following Predator, then continued to zoom closer on Ashni with his main camera, activating the language capturing software. His mic hummed online. ¡°....Jerry?¡± The crumpled figure on the ground¡¯s face was covered in confusion. He shook his head. ¡°I¡­..I thought you were a demon. Thank god I didn¡¯t-¡± Jerry offered Ashni a wane smile. ¡°Well I suppose¡­ I suppose there was no way I could¡­.I could have hurt you¡­.You are too¡­.¡± Jerry coughed, frothy bubbles of blood coming up out of the gash in his chest. The same gash on his chest from which his life blood pumped, forming a deep pool beneath him. The fight continued around them, no illusioned creature close enough to interfere with the scene, for which Shuusuke was eternally grateful. The framing was ideal. Although it was less good luck, and more the fearsome power of Jerry¡¯s skill. His ability to annihilate matter was the stuff of nightmares for most fighters. Very few had the skills to get around that and strike a blow. Even fewer had the ability to make it seem as effortless as Ashni had, crossing the entire distance in a single, powerful thrust. Ashni just looked at him, her face grave. She bowed her head. ¡°I am sorry. If I had realized it was an illusion-¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Jerry fought his way through a coughing spurt, then smiled weakly. ¡°I already died once anyway, so¡­. I never thought I would¡­ even climb this high¡­ if my family¡­.¡± Then Jerry shook his head. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s best this way. If something had happened to you¡­ Whipman¡­¡± Jerry¡¯s eyes went hazy. Shuusuke slowly zoomed in closer. ¡°Tell Whipman¡­ Goodluck. And Predator¡­¡± Jerry began sighing, but it soon turned into a coughing spree. He smiled up at her bitterly. ¡°Either thank you, or I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t¡­ decide¡­¡­.which he would want to ¡­...hear¡­..¡± Ashni stared at him for a long second. Shuusuke could tell that she wanted to say something to him, to reassure him. But she also recognized that he had already died. Two notifications came up from Shuusuke¡¯s other cameras. One was that the blood haired figure on the wall, Jana, had noticed that Ashni was out of the illusion and gestured to the hooded man next to her, who leapt down and began to stride over towards her. ¡°Predator,¡± Shuusuke jumped, taken by surprise by Ashni¡¯s emotional hiss. ¡°They didn¡¯t deserve this. They don¡¯t deserve to die for your recklessness.¡± The hooded man, who Shuusuke had learned was named Dak, surged closer, only a few meters away. Ashni remained on the ground, gently reaching forward to close Jerry¡¯s eyes. Shuusuke knew that he was undead, and wondered whether it was so simple as Predator reviving him again later. From Ashni¡¯s sadness, it seemed that it was not the case. Dak raised his arm, a strange, baleful aura surging around him, but as he struck, a spear flashed down, knocking the attack aside. Ashni finally looked up. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Whipman stood there, holding his spear, glancing warily from Ashni to Dak, and then back. Then, in an extremely awkward manner, he offered her a small smile. ¡°I was waiting for a dramatic entrance.¡± Ashni continued to just stare at him, her expression neutral. Whipman¡¯s smile slowly faltered. ¡°You,¡± Ashni said in a monotone voice. ¡°Waited and watched until after I killed Jerry, just so you could make a dramatic entrance? You have spent too long with Predator; all you know is levity and foolishness.¡± Whipman, his eyes wide, hurriedly said. ¡°No, no, I was rushing over, but had to stay out of range of her spell until someone broke it, I didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ashni interrupted, standing. ¡°If you really had waited, I would have slit your throat the moment you arrived. As it is, prepare to beg me for the pleasure of dueling me after for the right to have my hand in marriage. Or better yet, prepare to not speak with me until I¡¯ve decided you are worth wasting years of my life.¡± ¡°But for now¡­¡± Ashni settled into an aggressive stance, her spear raise. ¡°Pick up your weapon. Now we ride for vengeance.¡± ***POV Jen*** Jen sniffed loudly, looking with teary eyes at the cooling form of Jerry. She wasn¡¯t really all that close with him, but¡­ But she knew that Jerry did a lot for Predator. That although he would always get so exasperated with him, Jerry would also be the man that Predator relied on. Jen sniffed again. Worse yet, Jen bet that Predator did not know the two rules that the Tower imposed on necromancy. First, a body cannot be revived after it has been dead for a year. And second, a soul cannot be brought back from beyond twice. They say that originally, they only had the first rule, but as challengers used necromancy more frequently, they swiftly acknowledged the necessity of the second rule. The first time you died, the shock of it would numb the soul, blocking most horror of nonexistence out of your mind. A swiftly revived soul wouldn¡¯t linger long in the void, and wouldn¡¯t be affected all that much by it. The warmth of pseudo-life would block it out. But the second time, there is no shock, there is a certain familiarity. And there is the pain of being ripped once more from your husk, shucked like ripe corn. A soul revived for the second time comes back with haunted eyes, and will likely kill the person who revived it, and itself, within a day. ¡°It¡¯s terrible, honestly,¡± Jen said, speaking hesitantly. Since arriving, Kettle had been completely silent, staring blankly forward. Jen had assumed she came to talk about something, and had been waiting. But as the silence stretched¡­. Maybe she really had just come to watch it together. ¡°It¡¯s just terrible,¡± Jen continued, embarrassed at her long pause. ¡°That we administrators can¡¯t do anything. Our challengers fight, and we just have to sit there, even as they suffer, as they struggle. It makes me feel-¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Kettle said, her neck snapping around towards Jen, a weird grin on her sweaty face. ¡°Huh?¡± Kettle smiled. ¡°There are a few ways for Administrators to interfere, if you are willing and able to help your team¡­¡± ***POV Predator*** Jinka¡¯s smug grin, as he stood arms akimbo, along the path to the fort, did nothing to improve my mood. -Don¡¯t let it get to you too much. They are trying to work us up on purpose. Fury +1 Fury +1 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +1 until the Fury degrades. Fury +2 ¡°Yea well,¡± I growled in a low voice, not even bothering to slow down as I shot towards Jinka. ¡°It¡¯s working.¡± ¡°Friend,¡± Jinka began, ¡°Do you not wish-¡± I stepped with all the force and explosive power I could muster, cracking the ground, causing my body to hurtle past. He stopped his speech and shook his head. ¡°So you choose the hard way. Admirable, yet foolish.¡± As I shot past him, the ground around us exploded, a huge cage of lightning surging to life, giving us a small dome of around 20 m to move on the ground, rounding upwards, and meeting above with a dangerous sounding crackle. Fury +2 Fury +2 I simply narrowed my eyes, continuing to accelerate. My grin only stretched wider as I ran towards the net of lightning that blocked my path. -Rip through. When I reached the net, my charge slowed, the net of lightning both possessing a physical presence and discharging a huge amount of electricity through me, numbing several parts of my body. But I simply roared and planted my feet, pressing forward. The lighting stretched as I pressed, the pulses growing less frequent, and more weak. My smile was vicious, but as I made to take another step, a sharp force smashed into the side of my knee, my leg instantly folding under me. The strangely elastic lightning rebounded, throwing me backwards into the middle of the dome, where I landed in a heap. Jinka stood over me, leering, his metal once more all concentrated down his arm, forming a huge axe. As I attempted to stand on my right leg, it crumpled again, and I could sense something was significantly torn in the muscle of my knee. Fury +2 Grinding my teeth, I straightened relying on only my left leg, feeling my powerful regenerative capabilities spring to work. But they would require a bit of time. As I continued glaring at Jinka, I wove a clumsy sling out of air around it to alleviate some of the pressure. It was strangely disturbing seeing Jinka¡¯s brown skin after I had so long saw him as a moving being of liquid metal. He grinned at me. ¡°So now I have your attention. Normally I would wait to crush you at your strongest, but I think that would be a waste of time; I am superior, there is no doubt. Come friend. Meet your end.¡± He raised his axe, his face the perfect mix of slight regret and utter confidence. The vein in my temple throbbed. Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 The axe came down, a huge thing of blurring metal. Sighing, I shook my head. Effortlessly, I grabbed the axe out of the air, my fingers acting as a vice, holding it fast. After grunting, JInka stumbled, frowning. I deftly pulled the axe head towards me, dragging his body along with it. I picked him up, raising him to my eye level. He was struggling quite furiously now, the metal flowing back to encase his whole body, but my arms were long enough, and my Str high enough, that it was a minor matter to hold him up. ¡°You are the fool. Didn¡¯t you learn your lesson earlier? You are nowhere near strong enough to injure me; It was only a fluke that you tore something in my knee. And look,¡± I stomped my leg for effect. ¡°Already healed, none the worse for wear.¡± Jinka chuckled, and the metal on his body began to bubble and seethe. ¡°If you think-¡± ¡°Just shut up,¡± I interrupted, pulling Jinka close and wrapping my arms around his body. ¡°I hope this hurts.¡± Then I squeezed. Then I squeezed harder. Then, gritting my teeth, the veins in my arms bulging, I readjusted my grip and squeezed. At first it was the metal, cracking like a china tea cup. Then very quickly it was the bones of his ribs, cracking with several loud pops. Then it was the wet sounds of his organs exploding, pressed until they popped like a balloon. Oddly exhausted, I dropped him to the ground. There was a strong temptation to eat him, but I wanted to return to the fort as quickly as possible to investigate what was happening while I was away. -Just like these pieces of shit to ruin a good fight AND a good meal. Fury +2 Fury +2 But, in the strangest effort of will I had ever witnessed, Jinka rolled to the side, vomited out what must have been the bloody remnants of his internal organs then turned to me. ¡°I pity you, Predator.¡± ¡°I pity the dead,¡± I answered bluntly, but Jinka just offered me a smile, his teeth bloody. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. My wife has already died. It is¡­ the greatest honor¡­..to¡­.follow¡­..her¡­..to the next life¡­..She¡­.needs¡­..¡± Soundlessly, he died. I gave him a long look. Then I reached down, ripped off his head, and began to eat it. Fury +2 Biomass +1 Fury +2 Biomass +1 ¡°Even in death,¡± I muttered. ¡°You still want to act like you¡¯re superior? Like you are full of honor and strength? But you are just prey.¡± I turned my eyes to the lightning dome, still crackling around me ¡°Just another cooling body of helplessly weak prey.¡± For several seconds, I scanned the dome, searching for evidence of that mage. Then I stepped, in a split second surging back towards the net. ***POV Whipman*** Fighting Dak, more than anything, reminded Whipman of only one thing: Fighting Predator. Whipman activated Clinging Mist, slipping away from Dak¡¯s powerful strike, condensing back behind him. Zone of Quagmire sprang to life, and Whipman deftly wove his spear, weakening Dak¡¯s stance. There was a certain clumsiness that both of them possessed. A certain fearful brutality in their movements. And also, Dak utilized a strange magic that made Whipman nervous, very similar to some of the things Predator did.Their was a pale, baleful aura that surrounded him, almost like a second skin, a body composed of baleful energy that was almost invisible. When Dak attacked, that energy would form fangs and claws, adding a little extra range and damage to his strikes. Whipman spun his spear, attempting to deflect a rough swipe of Dak¡¯s, but only succeeding in redirecting it slightly, keeping it from gutting him, but it drew a red line across his chest. With a smack and crack, Ashni appeared, riding a sonic boom, her spear smashing into Dak¡¯s side like the rush of a surging column of cavalry. His limbs flailing, Dak¡¯s body was sent flying, smashing into the wall of the fort. It was one of the portions that hadn¡¯t been destroyed in the fight against Shemara, but it appeared to have been weakened in that clash, for it almost immediately buckled, falling down on Dak. A cloud of dust surged as the rubble collapsed, settling into a pile. Grimacing, Whipman kept his fighting stance and walked closer to Dak. That was the other thing that made Dak resemble Predator. The rubble shifted, a figure straightening, his cloak ruffled and ripped, but seemingly unharmed. Like Predator, this was a man that just couldn¡¯t admit when he should be dead after some of the hits he had taken. ¡°Ideas?¡± Ashni asked crisply. She kept her eyes on the two women who remained on the wall, the one still maintaining the grand illusion. Whipman¡¯s spear whipped sideways, smashing a murloc that wandered too near onto its ass. Although he didn¡¯t really want to kill the confused creature, he wasn¡¯t about to get himself killed over it. An image of Jerry¡¯s face, and Whipman shook his head to focus on the challenges at hand. To Ashni, he said. ¡°A few, but I didn¡¯t want to do them without Predator here to watch and learn-¡± Faster than his eyes could follow, Ashni¡¯s spear blurred and swatted him on the back of the head. She stepped forward as if nothing happened. ¡°You idiot.¡± Whipman blinked. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but he would have sworn by the sound of her voice that she was smiling¡­ Ashni continued to speak, derailing his train of thought. ¡°Right now, you have more important business than teaching that lazy student of yours. He¡¯s probably off playing around. So in his stead, act. Save him from the mess his foolishness got us all into.¡± With incredible slowness, Whipman nodded. Then he straightened. Then he lowered his spear. Thus far, he hadn¡¯t used his skills, relying on his insights into the different stances to make up for the fact he didn¡¯t use any mana. In essence, he had thus far been using only skill, and no ¡°power¡±. So Whipman closed his eyes and reached inward, sensing the relationship that now bound him as a familiar of the Azure serpent. When he came upon the bond inside himself, he adjusted it, once more allowing mana to seep through. Of course, seep was a relative term. To the Azure Serpent, a small drop of mana was seeping through. To Whipman, his body was flooded with more power than it could handle. Whipman¡¯s eyes snapped open, the irises now glowing slightly. Stepping forward, Whipman stepped, Stormwalking in a furious, howling move, appearing right next to Dak with a clap of thunder that sent him staggering. Around Whipman¡¯s neck, the serpent stirred, its eyes cracking open. ***POV Predator*** Flexing my fingers, my face was all smiles. A powerful, fiery line of fury pulsed along beneath my skin where blood should have been, but I embraced my new fire. It gave me viciousness. It absorbed my frustration and annoyance. Facing the net of lightning still crackling in front of me, I felt a powerful impulse to use my skills to break through this and crush them all, but I restrained it. I walked calmly, or at least with even steps, towards the net. -You used a skill to wrap air around your knee while it healed. Fury +2 Fury +2 My smile was sharp. -Not helping, Other me. ¡°You know,¡± I said aloud, shifting my focus. ¡°We¡¯ve never been formerly introduced. So magey, let me introduce myself.¡± I stuck my hand into the net, pressing, ignoring the pulses of electricity. The net, slowly but surely, bowed outward. ¡°I¡¯m the Predator that¡¯s going to hunt and kill you. And really, you are the one who helped the most. After all, it was only because of you¡­¡± I let my phrase trail off, eyes still sharp as I scanned back and forth, looking for any sign of the dumb mage and his signature midnight blue coat. Currently, I couldn¡¯t find him, but when I was out of here¡­ Although I was in a hurry, I trusted my useless minions enough to leave them alone for a bit. If anything, I pitied the fools that tried to attack them. My undead were like persistent cockroaches; no one had the time or effort to thoroughly eradicate them. Not even me. -Yea, you just use shows of force to kill a few, and cow the others. My hand remained pressing against the crackling web, my even steps still carrying me further. There was a point to this, this fight and playing around a little extra time with magey. I didn¡¯t really think it was necessary for this fight specifically, but I knew that in the long run, it would end up being useful. My face grimaced, as a particularly strong surge of lightning came, causing my arm to spasm oddly. But then- Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have learned the skill to ¡°Lesser Lightning Resistance Lvl 1¡±. Your body becomes more able to withstand currents of electricity. Small chance of ignoring weaker attacks of lightning. Resistance to paralysis slightly increased. -There it is. -Not very exciting, but¡­ for these, getting the first level is harder than getting the next 5, so¡­ Frowning, I moved my hand back and forth. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t really tell the difference in my body¡¯s ability to resistance lightning after getting the skill. Still annoying to deal with, but manageable. With no more reasons to stay here, waiting, I stepped as hard as I could, cracking the earth and popping the lightning web like a bubble. I didn¡¯t slow down as I exited, and my high perception and processing power hummed to life, scouring every inch of my surroundings as I rushed forward, sprinting down the path towards the fort. My eyes twitched. -Gotcha I flung myself to the side, racing toward the treeline on the left, where my eyes picked up a barely discernible shimmer in the air. A thread or two of midnight blue peeking around the tree trunk. My muscles bunched and flexed, and in under a second I reached the treeline and stabbed my hand through the shield, which hissed and sparked, but parted as I forced my way through it. Exploding in a shower of splinters, the tree was the next to go, and my hand speared forward, ripping into the midnight blue cloak, aiming directly towards the vertebrae of normal creatures. But my hand met nothing, ripping through only cloth. He materialized behind me, a creature of warts and oozing sores. Magey was, without a doubt, quite hideous. It made a lot more sense now why he wore his cloak all the time. -Small side note, aside from his ugliness, he has another distinctive feature; he is holding a huge mass of lightning energy that is purple at the edges, and black in the center. -Ah, I see- Magey opened his hands, a torrent of energy crashing forward, slamming into me and sending me flying. Where before the lightning was buzzy and angry like an insect, this lightning was strangely cold and invasive, like getting hit with a wave of icy water. Numbness and pain rose within me as I hit the ground, still barely on my feet. Those two sensations twined together, simultaneously threatening to push me into unconsciousness. Everything was buzzing and ripping, my skin singed and smoking slightly. I couldn¡¯t see, but that strange, obscure perception I was able to take advantage of while using Immolation giving me a general idea of the world, outside of the purple lightning. I stumbled once more, then found my feet. Then, after I straightened up, still feeling my skin and muscles screaming. I smiled. ¡°This pain¡­¡± I whispered, the words drowned out by the droning. ¡°Is far from enough, Magey.¡± I began to walk forward, twitching slightly, but largely unaffected. I had thought at first that this lightning was a superior product, a secret weapon. And by most measurements, it likely was. There was more of it, it came faster, the pulses almost constant, and the destructive power was on a whole different magnitude. But at the same time, the rapid pulses possessed only a slightly increased amount of paralysis power. And my skin was very, very resilient. The edges of my smile grew crooked. I was only a few meters away from Magey, his eyes wide and some of the pus producing sores on his body drying up as I pushed forward, some discharge sparking off towards him. Raising my hand, I leaned forward, my arm leaving the flow of energy forward, heading towards his throat. ***POV Whipman*** With power coursing through him, Whipman stepped forward towards Dak¡¯s solitary figure, awkwardly standing back up in the rubble of Predator¡¯s bone fort. There was something baleful surrounding him, the aura that was earlier so nebulous given form. It was the bone surrounding Dak that made Whipman make the connection: Dak felt like death. Like his hands and attacks were the desperate grasping of a body setting into rigor mortis, and his kicks were the calculating strikes of a reaper of life. In a strange way, it made his attacks stronger. It made the wounds he inflicted cut deeper, and bleed longer. ¡®Best not let it come to that,¡¯ Whipman decided. His spear blurred, weaving and twining with afterimages of itself in the air towards Dak. Whipman had dedicated a lot of time in these last few days pondering the Serpent Strike and working to include it in more of his attacks, resulting in it reaching level 7. The spear head ripped into Dak¡¯s shoulder and then flicked backwards and down, tugging a long gash across the opposite hip, but Dak ignored it, a hand covered in that baleful aura stabbing forward. Frowning Whipman stepped backwards. Dak¡¯s flesh was¡­ strange. It was oddly gummy, sticky even¡­ But even as he attempted to dodge, Dak surged forward, destroying his balance to keep his attack going. Spear bending more than physically should be possible, he knocked the attack aside, instantly activating Zone of Quagmire. The blow sailed harmlessly to the side and Whipman stepped in close, to try a move that he wouldn¡¯t normally do, but since this was Predator¡¯s fort¡­ Whipman spared a glance to the side. And since Ashni was watching¡­ Whipman took one hand off of the shaft of his spear and punched the back of Dak¡¯s head in a dismissive, prideful gesture. Whipman wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since he had attempted an actual blow without a spear, and he did not intend for this one to fail; he used his insights into earth to concentrate the weight of his body and momentum into an incredibly small point at the tip of his fist. Although dispersed it wasn¡¯t a great weight, concentrating weight and momentum increased it exponentially, as force and density of power rose together. A weight far beyond Whipman¡¯s, beyond even Predator¡¯s, smashed into the back of Dak¡¯s head. There was a moment of silence as Dak stilled, neck drooping slightly. Whipman realized three things. The first was that his attack should have done a lot of damage. He felt the jolt go through the back of Dak¡¯s neck and shake the brain, stunning, or even seriously injuring him. Second, Dak¡¯s flesh was cold. Dak¡¯s head twisted, the cloak falling aside and revealing grey, rotting skin and hollow eyes. Third, non-spear combat was a bad idea. Hands twisted into claws Dak twisted back around, reaching towards Whipman. Ashni arrived in another explosion of air, her spear sweeping low towards the both of them with such vicious speed that Whipman hastily used Clinging Mist, his body dispersing and following the force of her blow through the space in the nearby air, reappearing behind her. The blow swung even lower in a vicious sweep, catching Dak right above the ankles, a bone in his shin giving way with an audible crack. Whipman gathered his spear and spared a glance for the wall. A blonde man with different colored gloves had joined the two red haired women on the wall, and was conversing with them. But then Whipman tore his eyes away and Storm Walked, smashing out of the air next to a struggling Dak, discharging thunder. Ashni moved even faster, and both of their spears blurred, heading towards Dak¡¯s head and heart. ¡°Tag me in.¡± Both spears stopped dead, inches from flesh, and then were thrown back, smashed aside by an irresistible force. Whipman blinked. Jana, with her new, red hair and bunny rabbit ears, stood in front of them, her head cocked to the side. She raised both hands, pointing at them both. ¡°Want to play with someone more your speed? Take this.¡± Ashni¡¯s body blurred as she threw herself to the side, but Whipman was a breath behind; the weight of a mountain smashed into his chest, throwing him directly backwards. ¡°Keh, a fast one. Stand still a moment.¡± Spitting up blood, Whipman raised his head. He could feel the Azure tighten around his neck in discomfort for the sudden motion, but he also felt the mana leaking through their bond move around through his body, healing his wounds. Whipman grimaced, the pain in his chest a testament to the severity of the damage he had taken. But still, there was more to do. Whipman glanced to the wall, to find that Dak was there, with Ketlia and the gloved man. Then Dak disappeared, a strange, sore-covered creature appearing in his place. Shaking his head, Whipman turned back to Jana, who was pointing, drilling huge furrows in the ground, smashing outward with her brute force skill as Ashni danced side to side, her agility breathtaking. Whipman caught himself staring at Ashni¡¯s calves and was forced to shake his head again. Not the time. Gripping his spear tightly, Whipman surged forward towards Jana¡¯s back. She caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned towards him. Winking, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a big girl. I can handle more than one of you at once. Get over here and play with me.¡± ***POV Predator*** Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Lightning Resistance Lvl 2¡±. It takes more lightning for negative side effects from exposure to emerge. Recovering from paralysis takes less time. Direct damage dealt by lightning is decreased. This time the increase in resistance to lightning¡¯s effects was noticeable, and the last few inches I surged forward all at once, my hand setting in a grip around Magey¡¯s throat- I frowned, looking forward. Magey was gone, replaced by another cloaked figure, although this cloak was noticeably of lesser quality, and full spear holes. I frowned. -...Ashni¡¯s sloppy seconds. More delays. Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 ...There was a certain¡­ strange energy about this fellow, I had to admit, as he raised very dull looking eyes to meet mine. But still.... My hands blurred, smashing into his chest, where I could sense the energy was coming from. -An Enny copycat, kinda. Except this energy is much darker¡­ -And sorta smelly seeming... Under the force of my blow, the ball of energy in his chest was obliterated. The new cloaked figure fell over dead. Snorting, I began to move forward. The fort was right over the hill and I intended to get there without anymore delays. Even though it was quite hard to walk forward, away from a perfectly good meal. I supposed I should have some responsibility towards my minions. And although my skin was tough enough to take it, I bet Magey, wherever he disappeared to, would be able to rip through the rest of the riff raff on this path. ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke was frantically looking back and forth, trying to monitor the entire battlefield. Kent still sat alone in the small clearing in the forest, in a meditative position. Most of the murlocs and undead had killed each other, and now the higher leveled ones were having duels that would undoubtedly be interesting, under other circumstances. Now, they were just distractions from the real show. Ashni and Whipman were finishing up their testing and were beginning to fight in earnest against Jana. Predator casually killed another challenger and began to walk away, heading towards the fort. Shuusuke earnestly hoped that Predator kept up this pace. That way this madness would end. Shuusuke¡¯s terminal began to ring, a call along his official streamer number. He picked up reflexively, relying on his bots to keep up the streaming. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± Shuusuke frowned, and then the voice clicked. Jen, the cute slime who was the Administrator for Predator¡¯s team. ¡°Oh, cool. Howdy.¡± Shuusuke said, leaning back in his chair, trying to appear casual, then frantically leaning forward as the main camera spun to display the ground. After a few desperate seconds, he had everything righted, but Shuusuke was still sweating. ¡°I was just calling to ask how you were.¡± Jen send, sounding distant. ¡°A¡­ uh¡­ friend came over to watch it with me, but she just left, so¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s stressful being alone right now.¡± ¡°Uh, yea, that¡¯s too bad. Yea, it must be. Uh¡­¡± Shuusuke rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Is¡­ uh¡­ is the stream alright?¡± ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Jen responded immediately, her voice brightening. ¡°It¡¯s great. It¡¯s very- hey, what¡¯s that?¡± Shuusuke looked around, and then guiltily realized that she couldn¡¯t see him, and was probably referring to the stream. He scanned through his displays, eyes peeled. Then he saw it. The corpse that Predator had left for dead, Dak, twitched. Frantically moving a camera back around, Shuusuke zoomed in, extremely excited. This was exactly the sort of drama that viewers loved! He purposely did his best to ignore viewership numbers, but after this- ¡®No, no,¡¯ Shuusuke shook his head. ¡®Stay focused.¡¯ The view panned closer. The strange aura around Dak earlier intensified, a small flame, black at the edges and white towards the center, flickered over Dak¡¯s face, slowly growing brighter. Even at its brightest though, it was only the size of a candle flame. Until 3 more sprang into being around the first. ¡°I know what those are¡­¡± Jen whispered, causing Shuusuke to jump. He forget the line was open. ¡°Those are skull candles. I don¡¯t remember its real name, but it¡¯s a universally persecuted spirit that makes a home for itself in a dead creature¡¯s skull. If left alone, they are pretty weak, but¡­¡± The four black/white candle flames floated down, entering Dak¡¯s mouth. His whole body shuddered, and then twitched. Then, ponderously, he began to stand. ¡°But if you blow out the candles without destroying the skull,¡± Jen said. ¡°It comes back from whatever dimension skull candles are birthed from, where you briefly banished it by snuffing it out the first time. And it brings back friends. Black and white, ethereal flames faded in and out of existence around Dak, who stumbled, but then seemed to find his balance. Then he began to walk after Predator, to the fort in the center of this path. Day 50.2 Day 50.2 ***POV Whipman*** Jana was an entirely different animal than Dak. Whereas Dak was a lumbering berserker, despite his rather thin frame, Jana was a tower, shooting out huge blasts of pressure towards Whipman and Ashni. ¡°Come on!¡± She shouted, laughter in her voice, pointing out at them. ¡°Why won¡¯t you come closer?¡± Ashni was a blur, doubling back and forth so fast that Whipman could barely follow her movements. Still, the size of Jana¡¯s waves of force were enough to keep Ashni at bay; if she wanted to approach, she would need to chance getting smashed backwards. And Whipman wasn¡¯t positive about it, but he suspected that Ashni had neither the benefit of the extra stats he had gotten for being a minion of Predator, especially the endurance boost, nor the regenerative power of the azure snake¡¯s mana. Whipman narrowed his eyes as he shifted again, a blast of force missing him narrowly. That meant that he would need to be the one to break this stalemate- ¡°Fine then, let me help you,¡± Jana purred, beckoning towards Whipman. A huge force slammed into his back, sending him sprawling forward. Grinning wickedly, Jana raised her arm to point towards him. ¡°Now that you are here-¡± Whipman¡¯s hand slammed into the ground, throwing himself back up and to his feet before Jana could unleash her power. He spun to the left, desperately pirouetting around the blast of force. Drops of sweat formed on his forehead as Jana frowned at him. Although it was possible to dodge the force from the front, which had to travel from Jana¡¯s body directly in a line, when she had caused the pressure to come from behind him¡­ Time seemed to slow as Whipman landed lightly on the balls of his feet, righting his stance. Jana¡¯s ¡°pull¡± technique was almost impossible to dodge. Although there was warning, she had to pretty obviously miss at the moment of inception or else the skill would land. The only saving grace was that there was a small window between the two skills, a time period where her power had to ¡°switch¡±, allowing a quick witted individual to act. And allowing someone like Whipman to make a desperate play, and hope for the best. Whipman Stormwalked directly towards Jana, appearing a little to her left in a discharge of sound and static. Some of the small bolts that he produced in his movement darted towards Jana, hitting her and making her wince, but Whipman saw her steady hands swinging around, to point towards him. His spear shot forward, intent on the target, his eyes narrowed. But it was a feint, his weight remained in the balls of his feet, marshalling more mana as Jana¡¯s finger arrived at his direction. Clinging Mist was activated prematurely, but the vicious blast of outward force from Jana¡¯s finger arrived soon enough, dispersing his body in a damp gust of air and reforming it behind her. For the second time today, although this time due to the speed of the strike, Whipman forwent his spear and punched towards Jana, aiming for, once again, the back of the head. As the blow shot forward, Whipman narrowed his eyes and pressed drawing the weight and momentum of the blow tighter and tighter, until it was all concentrated in a barely controlled, hyper dense point, rushing to crush Jana¡¯s skull. ¡°Well, I¡¯m done playing. I reject.¡± It took a moment for Whipman to register that it had been Jana speaking. By the next moment, Whipman felt his right wrist snap as huge surge of force, exploding outward from Jana¡¯s position, hit him and threw him backwards. His mind went blank for several seconds as pain and several impacts shook him up, then a final slam against a rock made his vision go black. ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke panned outward as fast as he could, catching the huge wave of force that Jana released. Such was its power that it refracted the light, picking up broken bits of bone, dust, and dead bodies, as well as throwing Whipman backwards like a rag doll into a partially collapsed wall. Jana¡¯s blood red hair fluttered, but otherwise she looked completely pristine, smiling around through the cloud of dust she had kicked up. The murloc/undead melee that was going on around them had slowly begun to creep closer, as its illusioned combatants scrambled for more room to fight and more imaginary demons to kill, but the wave had smashed them back, crushing the bodies of several tiny murloc hunters that were unlucky enough to wander close. A skeleton bear roared, bellowing and charging through the slowly dispersing smoke, furious at another, perceived demon. ¡®Irony being,¡¯ Shuusuke thought, ¡®This time it¡¯s heading for an actual enemy.¡¯ Jana simply winked at the oncoming skeleton bear; a huge tube of pressure smashed apart the cloud of dust and hit the skeleton bear. Shuusuke must have blinked, because there was suddenly only pinches of bone and more dust where the bear had been, and barely any time had passed. Jana laughed, a tinkling laughter reminiscent of wind chimes over gravestones. Raising her arms, she said, ¡°So-¡± But a figure moving so fast it was just a blur shot across just above Jana¡¯s head, a almost unseeably fast spear ripping down towards her. Jana jerked forward, leaning out of the way, but the spear still caught flesh and ripped a long and vicious gash down her back. Jana spun around, her eyes slowly reddening with fury, but the speed of Ashni¡¯s jump meant that she was already past and away, once more obscured by the dust. ¡°I. Said.¡± Jana said with gritted teeth. ¡°I REJECT.¡± Although this wave clearly had less force, it pressed outwards rapidly in all directions, blowing away all the dust and floating debris in the air, revealing a crouching Ashni. Seeing her cover was gone, she slowly stood, her eyes never leaving Jana. Shuusuke quickly brought another camera over, showing close ups on both of their bodies and faces. Ashni¡¯s dusty and sweating frame, and Jana¡¯s slender body, and the wound on her back that blended so seamlessly with her hair that her head just seemed to be weeping blood. ¡°You bitch.¡± But while Jana¡¯s face was twisted in fury, her voice was distant and hollow, as if someone else was speaking through her. ¡°I want to keep this body for a while. Don¡¯t you dare touch it.¡± Jana hopped lightly, her bunny ears bouncing, but then a wave of force slammed downwards, propelling her 10 meters into the air. Her eyes were cold as she surveyed the wrestling murlocs and the wary Ashni below. ¡°Crush.¡± Although it couldn¡¯t be seen, once again there was a strange bending of the air that made the cone of force Jana was throwing down at Ashni visible enough to broadcast its impending arrival. One of Shuusuke¡¯s camera¡¯s, that was close enough to catch sound, heard Ashni tsk in annoyance and then disappear in a blur as she streaked left and down, heading under Jana and out of the force. Jana¡¯s eyes just burned more brightly. ¡°Crush. Crush. Crush.¡± The sky was warping by Jana¡¯s skill, which she continued to use tirelessly, as if she knew neither weariness or mana limits. Ashni squeaked out under the first wave, which smashed into the ground behind her, cracking the dirt and revealing damaged rock beneath, and stopped dead. Leaning back cleanly in an arch, Ashni paused for a moment, then sprung straight, launching her spear in a whistling trajectory up towards Jana. Jana just continued to shoot down huge layers of pressure, creating an almost inescapable blanket that rushed down towards Ashni. With a sneer, Jana allowed the thrown spear up through the net, deftly weaving a small hole. And as the spear surged closer she ignored it, content to watch Ashni dance back and forth, avoiding the crushing waves of force pouring down. Skeletons around her were crushed to powder, and murlocs were pressed on until they popped. But then Jana upped the ante, sending down a wave large enough to hit everything in the surrounding area. The illusioned minions continued to fight, heedless, but Ashni slowed to a stop, looking up solemnly. ¡°Crush,¡± Jana whispered, a cruel smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. The spear passed by Jana, who simply tilted her head to the side, seemingly allowing it to draw a line of blood across her cheek on purpose. She reached up then, almost lovingly, and dragged her finger across the wound, gathering the blood. Then, with a smile, she dragged it along her lips. Ashni just shook her head. Then she disappeared. With a boom, Ashni reappeared 30 meters away, barely outside the zone of force. Jana¡¯s eyes bulged, shocked by Ashni¡¯s sudden increase in speed. But Ashni didn¡¯t stop there; she disappeared again. A soft klink had Shusuke scrambling with his cameras, refocusing on Ashni, who had reappeared above Jana, twisting her hip, knee, and ankle in a strange way against her spear, smashing it away, but completely dispersing her momentum. Ashni¡¯s other leg came around in a vicious kick towards Jana¡¯s temple. Jana still seemed bewildered, twisting to see the source of the noise. Ashni spoke calmly, with a straight face. ¡°I am not powerful enough to stop simply with air, but I am more than enough to educate the ass of someone who has lost themselves to arrogance.¡± A bolt of black lightning streaked across the sky, smashing Ashni aside before her blow landed, sending her crumpled form to the ground. Jana¡¯s face went blank, then she slapped her cheeks and glared at the wall. ¡°Hey! That one was mine.¡± ¡°You were talking too long, and were almost injured,¡± Ketlia said, her eyes fading back to a normal color, looking up at Jana with something like amusement. ¡°You should be thanking Xieche. And are you sure that you should be moving- ¡°Now, isn¡¯t this a party.¡± Although it was likely instinctual, all of the challengers tensed up slightly. Predator strolled through the destroyed gates, looking around at the sea of dead murlocs and crushed skeletons, the survivors blearily looking around in confusion. Then he grinned up at the group on the wall. ¡°Who is first?¡± ***POV Predator*** Ignoring another communication from Jen for now, I let my question hang in the air for several seconds My eyes scanned the wall, and the absolutely piteous state of those people I had left to guard the fort in a second; it honestly looked like they had done the enemies¡¯ job for them and killed each other. Then I strained my hearing, locating Whipman, who sounded like he was sleeping very peacefully- Fury +2 Fury +2 And Ashni¡¯s breathing, which was labored and rapid, but from the noise I could tell that she was doing her best to recover from whatever it was that injured her. I turned from the group on the wall to Jana, who was slowly floating downwards to the ground, her eyes furiously studying me. My eyes went back to the wall. Ketlia, Glove man, and slimy ole Magey stood there, also studying me. Then I saw Ketlia shake her head, and put a hand over her mouth. She whispered something glove man. My ears twitched, managing to pick it up. Her voice was pitched low, just so Glovey could hear. ¡°Not yet.¡± Glovey just nodded and said. ¡°So what-... how can we handle him? We should bail, Kat. Encelldross and Xieche were supposed to-¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Ketlia said, her hand dropping slightly. ¡°I can read his mind, we should be safe.¡± Other me began to intelligibly list numbers while I violated my rule and summoned a wind blade that dropped from above like an executioner¡¯s blade towards Ketlia¡¯s head. But as they continued to talk as it silently slid downwards, I noticed several things. The way Ketlia wouldn¡¯t meet Glovey¡¯s eyes, the way her hands were trembling. The way the air blade was about to cut her in half, and she hadn¡¯t batted an eyelash. I reached out with a hand of air, crushing the blade in a small puff of air. No point in breaking my rule for this. Other me was just as disgusted as I was. Fury +2 -...She¡¯s bluffing. Fury +2 -They are all this weak, and still they have the nerve to stand here¡­! -Ah, I hope their deaths will be more entertaining than the last struggles of their lives. They continued to stare at me, which was just irritating me further. -Are you sure we didn¡¯t spare her because we met her before? And she is a cute human. -What is ¡°cute¡±? -......I¡¯m not even sure, I have just heard it from Jen¡­. At that moment, I received another communication from Jen, which I promptly ignored. Fury +2 Then I stepped forward and leapt, landing on the wall a dozen meters away from the group. They all sprung into motion at once. Glovey gave Ketlia a weird glance, half frustration, half confusion. Ketlia just looked shocked and backed away. Magey clenched his hands, summoning a ball of black lightning. Jana, still on the ground, used her push ability to throw herself up into the air and pointed at me. Grinning, I walked forward leaning at the last moment into the blast of force. The amount and strength of it took me by surprise, and I stumbled slightly, but my strength was more than enough to resist any real effect. And it was extremely satisfying to hear Jana¡¯s squeak as my resistance caused her skill to throw herself backwards, tumbling awkwardly through the air. Ketlia was hopping down off the wall while Magey made his move, shooting a huge blast of lightning towards me. Just like with Jana¡¯s attack, I just leaned into the lightning blast, smashing through it. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Lightning Resistance Lvl 3¡±. Lightning¡¯s ability to damage you is decreased. Your body¡¯s conductivity is decreased. Recovery time from paralysis has decreased. I stepped a bit more quickly this time, closing the distance between Magey and myself. Although it wasn¡¯t able to stop me, the lightning was still annoying enough that I didn¡¯t want to just let him shoot it at me however he wanted. -What I really want is a nice, lightning flavored meal¡­. Licking my lips, I pressed forward, nearing Magey before he could unleash his next blast of power. My hands curled towards his sore covered neck, preparing to crush him. But then I stumbled. Snarling as I turned, I saw Jana raising her hand towards me. -She can pull too? -Annoying. I jerked my body to the side, throwing myself towards the area out of the fort. My sudden move hit while Jana still had the skill activated, and she yelped as she was now thrown towards me, pulled by her own skill. At the last second I put a foot out and caught myself on the lip of the wall, lightly dropping myself back to the ground. Casually raising a hand, I smacked a lightning ball that had been thrown towards me by Magey, dispersing it. My arm twitched slightly, but was otherwise none the worse for wear. With narrowed eyes I watched Jana arcing towards me through the air. Glovey had twisted and threw himself off the top of the wall towards her, aiming to catch her midair. Before I could even think about it, I had a hand of air formed and ready to smash them both into the round, crushing them against the rubble. Other me hastily reminded me that I was ripping them all to pieces with my bare hands, and not utilizing skills. I frowned. Fury +2 Fury +2 -...this is super annoying. -Well you started it, now let¡¯s finish it. Do we need skills for them anyway? We are greater than them. We are -Predator My lips twisted and curled upwards, like gnarled and malevolent roots. Stepping lightly, I threw myself off the wall and towards the two, aiming to meet them in the air before they could touch each other. I was becoming extremely weary of Glovey, and didn¡¯t want his antics to delay this any longer. I heard the crackling of thunder behind me, but decided to ignore it. I noticed Ketlia climbing back up upon the wall, a significant distance away, looking over towards our grouping. Jana was the first one to notice my approach, her eyes widening with panic. She started frantically gesturing at Glovey as I raced towards his back, trying to get him out of the way; he was in the direct line between us, rendering her unable to use her powers. As the distance rapidly shrank between us, my grin twisted even further upwards. I would reach Glovey before he reached Jana. But then something extremely strange happened; Jana¡­. Shifted. Her panic disappeared, her face going slack for a moment. Then an expression returned, but it was a haughty arrogance. She pointed at the ground and must have pushed, because she shot up several meters. Then, from her higher angle, she pointed again. Surprisingly, it was at Glovey, and not at me. Glovey yelped as he was smashed downwards, tumbling towards the ground. I didn¡¯t bother to look down at him. From that amount of force, he would be seriously injured. Which, weirdly, pissed me off. Fury +2 -That¡¯s our prey, bitch. Then, in an overly ceremonial manner, Jana lowered both hands towards me, opened palmed. ¡°Crush.¡± My cheshire grin in full swing, I pulled my arm back and punched with all the force I could muster. The very air cracked, the invisible wave of force Jana had thrown forward first stuttering, then rupturing as I overpowered it with brute force. Jana flew upwards and away as if she was blown out of a cannon, on a trajectory that would throw her completely out of the fort and into the northern forest. Such was her speed that you could hear a soft whistling and she spun away. Fury +2 -Slightly boring. With a tap, I landed on the ground, turning back towards the other, but before I could complete the action, my hair stood on end. It was not fear that flooded me, but a recognition of a threat to me. To even me. Time slowed, and I distantly noticed that something strange was happening around my body. Not in a bad way, but a strange, flowing armor was seeping out of my skin and forming in a strange black ceramic armor. The surface was glossy, and 9 pieces formed in total. A helmet. A shoulder guard on my left shoulder. An elbow guard with a sharp spike on my right elbow. A gauntlet on my left hand. A breast plate. Greaves on both feet. And two masterworks of metal, two tails that swayed slightly behind me, long things of interconnected ceramics. Mind racing, I put the armor aside, facing what was coming, only a fraction of a second before it would impact me. A huge monstrosity of grey lightning, so hot and violent the very air smoked in its wake, formed into the skull of a shrieking saber tooth tiger, its mouth open and about to engulf me. My grin curled up even higher, warping my entire face. -This is it. My nerves still hummed, warning me of the seen, but still impending danger. -Precognition. -Not much of a warning. -It¡¯s young, it will get better with time. I also sensed that the ceramic armor that sprang up around me was the Black Exo-Skeleton with Nine Lives I had obtained. -...But why two tails? -I guess why not two tails? With a an effort of will, that it resisted at first, I dispersed the exo-skeleton. It was nice to have, but I did not need it, not for this. It vehemently disagreed. But I was in charge. It seeped away, almost whining. My smile shifted at the last moment, turning twisted and crazed to something sunny and bright. -Thank god, I was worried this wasn¡¯t going to be fun at all. The tiger skull smashed into me. ***POV Ketlia*** The impact shook the entire path, a huge explosion that likely killed any strange minions of Predator that had made it through her illusion. It also created a shockwave that hit her with such force that she was thrown off the wall and into the moat. Wet and bedraggled, she hefted herself out of the moat, her expression solemn. That was to close. She had done some rough calculations, but her position hadn¡¯t been exactly what she had thought; she was almost thrown too far, landing on stone instead of water. As it was, her arm had smashed against the edge of the rock, and was likely broken. Very rarely, but admittedly sometimes, she envied Kettle for her powerful calculation abilities and her obsessive determination in thinking about every contingency. But that wasn¡¯t who Ketlia was. She turned to see Diver and Xieche hopping down off the wall towards her, and allowed herself a bitter smile. This was who she was. ¡°Kat! Are you alright? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know the explosion-¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± She answered Diver with an airy tone. And she was masochistic enough to wave her broken arm, sending hot daggers of pain through her entire torso. She maintained a calm expression the whole time. ¡°Did he dodge?¡± Xieche began making unintelligible noises, and Diver shot an angry glance his way, likely blaming him for allowing the possibility of harm to come near Ketlia. And that show of protectiveness made something in Ketlia¡¯s mind click, her plans finalized. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Diver said, turning back to Ketlia. ¡°...but it was hard to tell if it was effective.¡± Ketlia shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve been mixing part 1 and 2 anyway, but I think now we are officially in 2. Let¡¯s make him mad. Kent¡¯s already made his preparations, and I¡¯ve contacted¡­ Dak. Diver, send him over.¡± Diver opened his mouth to reply, likely wanting to argue he should stay with her, but then hesitated. The real danger was Predator, and sending him away would do a lot to protect her. He closed his mouth and turned, running back around towards the drawbridge to the fort. Xieche, meanwhile, muttered something unflattering in his language under his breath. Ketlia¡¯s mental connection to Xieche conveyed the meaning, and she laughed, one of the few pure and true things she had done recently. Xieche activated a magnetic field and began to float up towards the wall. Alone, as she hadn¡¯t been since this challenge had begun, Ketlia did two things. The first was admit to herself that the previous time she had been genuine and open had been with Predator, that first week in the marsh. And that was why he had to die. He knew her old name. The second thing that Ketlia did was touch the fabric of the world, underlying this entire path. Ketlia let out a small smile. She had worried that the fabric of reality in the path would be different, which had made her waiver on her plans. But it was not. Flicking it mentally, the entire path hummed, in a way that no one else could detect. Then Ketlia turned and walked into the forest, away from the fort. She needed to find a good location for Part 3. ***POV Predator*** Everything hurt, for the first time in a long time. I leaned forward, slightly dazed, and quite surprised to find that I had somehow ended up on the ground. The area around me was completely bare, burnt and blasted clean. I tried to push myself up, and found that my left arm was missing at the shoulder, charred and smoking flesh all that remained. Shrugging inwardly, I hoped it would heal quickly. Almost consoling, even worriedly, the ceramic black armor formed again, the two tails wrapping protectively around my waist. There was a notification too, which caused me to chuckle, which turned into an extended cough. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Lightning Resistance Lvl 4¡±. Normal lightning is slightly less likely to appear near you. Your body will be slightly less damaged by lightning. I grimaced; something had punctured my lung, and it severely limited my mobility for the foreseeable future. All in all, not that bad in terms of injuries. -It¡¯s probably one of your own bones, idiot. What do you mean, something? Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 ¡°Fine.¡± I spoke through gritted teeth, forcing myself to stand, despite the intense pain. ¡°It¡¯s just one of my own bones, I guess I¡¯ll just tough it out then, huh?¡± I began to take staggering steps forward, senses extending outward. Magey was still up on the wall, but he had shifted positions to somewhere farther away. The corner of my mouth turned up. -Good for him, that cagey bastard. I had him pegged as a weakling. -Think he can do it again? -...I¡¯d say yes. He didn¡¯t have much time, and threw it out pretty quickly. But I can¡¯t imagine that he would have saved it this long if he could do it many times. Fury +2 -We will just have to beat it out of him. Fury +2 Fury +2 Still, I paused. Currently I was standing within a huge smoking crater, preventing any of my prey from seeing me. I stood there for 30 seconds, torn between running out there to tear them up and waiting to recover, when the huge column smoke around me was smashed away. The force wasn¡¯t much, but it still made my injuries twinge uncomfortably. Jana was shooting back towards him, her eyes gleaming like blood. I made to raise my arms to welcome her, and winced, as my back spasmed strangely and my left arm remained destroyed. But to my annoyance, she flew around me, settling a little bit to my right. Fury +2 Fury +2 Then, finally, she pointed towards me. My body tensed. Nothing happened. Disappointed I untensed. Then my ears twitched, hearing the noise of something approaching me from behind at a high speed. Twisting, I caught a glimpse of Glovey shooting towards me, pulled by Jana, his red glove extended towards me. -Seriously? Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 -This again? My arm blurred, pushing the limits of speed that I had. I swore my hand bit into flesh, but before I could feel the satisfying, hot spray of blood, I was somewhere else: a clearing. Fury +2 -This is so- Then I froze. The clearing was different from the last time I had been here. The grass had been largely cleaned. And all around there were crushed bones. But these were special bones. They were all black. Twisting weakly, little more than a rat size skull on a fractured spine, was Black Bones, humming in distress. Some of the black bones in the area had been crushed into powder. That powder had been carefully gathered and poured, forming a simple message. ¡°ARE YOU DONE PLAYING GAMES NOW, PREDATOR?¡± Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Fury +2 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +2 until the Fury degrades. Fury +3 ¡°So,¡± I said with an even voice, kneeling down and using my good arm to carefully gather Black Bones. When I first touched him, he flinched away in fear, turning my vision red for several seconds. Fury +3 Fury +3 Fury +3 Fury +3 But then he seemed to realized something and did his best to crawl towards me, and only my hand. His humming was so happy and warm. He was simple. I was good, and the enemies and pain were bad. I sat cross legged, my heartbeat slowly growing more and more thundering in my ears. Fury +3 My smile curled up as I rubbed Black Bones skull with my thumb while he flopped in a pleased manner on my hand. Fury +3 He was so small and broken it was harder to NOT crush him, than to destroy him. Fury +3 ¡°Yes,¡± I said to the empty clearing at large. Fury +3 Then I turned my gaze to the flesh of my left shoulder, which was slowly beginning to wriggle. Fury +3 Shards of moonlight began to condense around me, forming reflections. Fury +3 I kept going, my eyes locked on my growing flesh. Fury +3 The quantity of floating reflections continued to grow, until the clearing was so densely packed that they brushed up against each other, tinkling dangerously. Fury +3 ¡°I¡¯m done playing games.¡± ***POV Shuusuke*** Shuusuke dutifully zoomed in on Diver as his hands rose to cover his eye, which began to spurt blood through his fingers. Even as Shuusuke¡¯s stomach rumbled its displeasure at the show of gore, the viewers loved scenes like this. Howling, Diver dropped to his knees, a string of curses exploding out from him. ¡°Mother fucking shit-dick piece of-....!¡± But then he fell strangely silent. Jana floated down to land next to Diver, both of their faces solemn. The new arrival, the slight asian man with an arsenal of weapons strapped to his back, Kent, just folded his arms, his head tilted somewhat to the side. Xieche remained on the wall, also remaining completely still. Shuusuke sighed. ¡®I get they can communicate telepathically with each other somehow¡­ but it really ruins the tension of stream¡­¡¯ Shuusuke switched the activate camera, showing a rapidly moving Dak, who was heading up the road to the fort, pause. Then slowly turn and head back the way he came, likely aiming for clearing that Predator was recuperating in. He had a camera there, too, of course, but the air had become so cluttered with those strange, slightly luminescent shards that Predator was making Shuusuke didn¡¯t think it was worth it to display that image. Luckily, the figures in the fort started to move, apparently having reached the end of their mental conversation. Jana roughly picked up a complaining Diver and pushed, throwing the two of them up and over the wall, heading towards the forest. Xieche floated upwards, black lightning crackling across his fingers. Kent smoothly drew his two battle axes, holding them lightly, with the tips of his fingers as he walked under the floating Xieche. After a few minutes of searching, Xieche produced a pleased gurgle, holding his hands up and gathering more and more lightning into his hands, his glazed eyes locked on a pile of stone rubble from a collapsed wall Shuusuke used his ethereal cameras to float rapidly down, through and under the pile of rumble, coming upon Ashni¡¯s cramped form, her eyes narrowed as she peered up through a crack in the rubble to see the Xieche¡¯s approaching body. She drew her legs underneath her, wincing slightly. Shuusuke could see that she was still slightly injured, her body twitching sporadically from exposure to the electricity. Although those twitches were small things, they were undoubtedly significant enough to affect her mobility. But her eyes were determined, and she prepared to move as Xieche burped something in its native language, a blast of black lightning shooting down towards her pile of rubble. Instead of leaping into action, however, she slumped to the side, a small smile on her face. Shuusuke zoomed closer, turning up the sensitivity on the microphone as Ashni¡¯s lips moved. ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing this¡­. I might start to rely on you¡­¡± She whispered, as another voice boomed outward above her. ¡°I think not.¡± Whipman, a strange azure energy surrounding his body, materialized between the lightning and the pile of rubble, his eyes the dark, dark blue of the deep sea. The azure snake around his neck had straightened somewhat, but was also biting his shoulder. As Shuusuke watched, a small, azure drop of venom welled up out of its fangs, dribbling down Whipman¡¯s shoulder. The lightning arrived, crackling forebodingly. Whipman¡¯s spear moved, and Shuusuke blinked several times, as instead of a spear, suddenly Whipman was holding onto the body of a thick, azure serpent, the spear tip turning into the vicious head of a serpent, lashing out and smashing apart the lightning as if it was nothing. Kent¡¯s face changed, just slightly, revealing a small smile.. ¡°Finally. Show me the martial prowess of Tellus.¡± Kent made this very large battle axes dance across his fingers like it weighed nothing. They spun and twisted, catching the light. Xieche continued to rain down lightning, but every time Whipman¡¯s spear would transform into that hissing serpent, destroying the attacks. ¡°Two versus one? That¡¯s hardly fair,¡± Whipman remarked mildly, the color of his eyes deepening to black. That lighting crackled and boomed as it smashed downward, but he continually turned it aside, his clothes starting to get slightly singed, either by the azure energy he was covered in, or the lightning, Shuusuke couldn¡¯t be sure. Shrugging, Kent said, ¡°You are the warm up. Do your best.¡± Then, cracking his fingers, he began to stalk closer. Whipman snorted. Then he Stormwalked, appearing in a discharge of snakes of azure thunder right next to Xieche, who was so shocked he just looked at him slack-jawed, for a second. Whipman¡¯s palm surged forward, as he calmly said, ¡°Zone of Quagmire.¡± The palm struck Xieche in the diaphragm, knocking him backwards. Eyes bulging now, Xieche flailed, somehow unable to breathe and also completely unable to find his balance. Almost in slow motion he drifted backwards as Whipman brought his spear to bear. Flashing with power, the azure snake appeared in Whipman¡¯s hands, streaking towards Xieche¡¯s throat. A small knife shot upwards, striking the side of Whipman¡¯s spear, dispersing the illusion of the azure serpent and also altering the course of the attack so the spear stabbed into the flesh of Xieche¡¯s upper arm instead of his throat. Impossibly fast and gracefully, Whipman withdrew his spear from the fleshwound and thrust again, aiming for the heart. Another movement that was only announced by a flashing glint of light lead to a clear ting, as the knife smashed into the spear strike, completely destroying the angle of attack and only inflicting a glancing wound across Xieche¡¯s ribs. Due to the angle of the throw, the second knife ricocheted up, spinning lightly, right in front of Whipman, so he grabbed it, thoughtful. The azure energy around his body pulsed as he examine the knife, and then looked down towards Kent, who stood still below, battle axes held loosely at his sides. Ultimately, Whipman stood still, somehow suspended midair as Xieche fell, keening and moaning, until he smashed into the ground. Then, with exaggerated slowness, Whipman floated downward. ¡°If you are that good with the knife, why did you not attack my wounded companion?¡± Shuusuke had thoughtlessly left a camera by Ashni, so he caught the moment where her small smile transformed into a frown. ¡°Her turn will come in time,¡± Kent said simply, walking towards Whipman. Ashni¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. Nodding slowly, Whipman took a fighting stance and waited for Kent to approach, wondering what skills this individual possessed that gave him such confidence. ***POV Predator*** My eyes opened. I was not yet completely healed, and my arm still felt quite weak, but I could take my time walking back to the fort to kill them all and let it get back up to full strength. -Hmph, it seems as if someone wants to hurry towards their death. We have company. A strangely familiar individual came closer, hood drawn partially up over his face. Still, when I saw his face¡­ ¡°Have I killed you before¡­?¡± I asked, frowning, stilling the reflections around me so they stopped tinkling against each other and my voice could be heard. The figure ignored me, striding closer, a strange baleful energy coming from him. Not enough to threaten me, but enough for me to be able to tell that HE certainly thought that he could threaten me. Fury +3 Fury +3 Fury +3 My frown deepened, and I hopped to my feet, carefully placing a vibrating Black Bones on my shoulder. All of my reflections, excluding 200 or so I had a special plan for, rushed downward towards my hand, compacting and pressing, becoming a dense mass of reflective energy that I continued to press, forming into a strange ball of refractive material. Those 200 reflections I left out swirled forward, completely surrounding the cloaked individual, completely obscuring my view of him. Then I shattered them. Like a puppet with its strings cut, the cloaked man fell, that strange baleful energy in his chest crushed, his body broken and bloody. -....this seems familiar. Haven¡¯t we killed him before? -Well¡­ I walked over to the body and peered closely down at him. Definitely not moving or breathing. To be sure, and to expel a little bit more of my tension, I kicked him in the side. Through my foot, I felt, rather than heard, his ribcage crack, his inner organs popping and grinding into a mush. The force of the kick was enough to throw him across the clearing, smashing through piles of broken black bones and rolling until he came to rest against a tree at the far side of the clearing. -Seems pretty dead. -And next¡­. I surveyed the clearing, the broken bones and the infuriating message. Fury +3 As my hands tightened into fists, and I inwardly was glad I had previously put Black Bones on my shoulder, because otherwise I might have inadvertently crushed him in my rage. Fury +3 All the while, he remained on my shoulder, perfectly innocent and content. Fury +3 Fury +3 Fury +3 ¡°And next,¡± I said aloud, relishing every word. ¡°Kent.¡± ***POV Whipman*** Whipman watched as Kent approached, his eyes narrowed, following the relaxed lines of his body. It was slightly unnerving how at ease Kent seemed to be, how relaxed in his skin he was. It reminded Whipman of a tiger. All at once Kent¡¯s moves changed, his body blurring as he rushed forward to lash out at Whipman with one of his heavy axes. Whipman moved smoothly out of the way, but the way that the axe moved was incredible; it curved to follow Whipman, homing in on his chest. All the while, Whipman noticed how centered and balanced Kent was, relying on technique and poise to manage the feat, never straining at all. He was, Whipman immediately realized, a master. But Whipman was no slouch, either. Whipman sidestepped, his body twisting, his spear moving in a powerful serpent strike, the image of the Azure serpent appearing to cover the spear. The serpent smashed aside the axe with brute force and curved back around, aiming for Kent¡¯s arm. But Kent brought the other battle axe up to bear, using the broad, flat side to brush the thrust away, sending it harmlessly sailing past his shoulder. Then both axes blurred, weaving together in a complex pattern towards Whipman. Frowning, Whipman spun, moving through the barrage of blows with grace, the Azure energy flowing into him from the snake¡¯s venom adding to his finesse and speed. Once he moved past the first series of axe attacks, Whipman had figured he would have a brief moment to regain the momentum, but as the next strikes chained cleanly into the first wave, Whipman realized he had made a mistake; this was a move that was designed to continue indefinitely. ¡°Zone of Quagmire.¡± The azure energy around Whipman grew and spread, making the air thick with compressed energy and lines of force, slowing down Kent¡¯s attacks. Whipman pounced forward, preparing to strike, but Kent began to spin his axes in a strange, defensive manner. Even more strange, the lines of force that Whipman had been intending to use to bind Kent started to turn against him, controlled by the movements of Kent¡¯s axes. Whipman made to counter it, then hesitated, allowing the lines of force and momentum to turn and bind him. Kent¡¯s vicious, beheading strike came soon after. ¡°Clinging Mist.¡± Whipman¡¯s body dispersed, and due to the influence of the azure energy, he reappeared almost immediately behind Kent, spear already blurring. ¡°Impressive. If I hadn¡¯t been warned, you would have scored a hit.¡± Kent¡¯s axes blurred, his arms windmilling strangely, and before Whipman could blink, his swirling axes had pushed him forward, past the head of the azure serpent strike and within arm¡¯s reach, the second axe slashing down towards him. Whipman instinctively activated Clinging Mist again, reappearing behind Kent¡¯s attack. Eyes narrowed, Whipman executed a move that he had learned after he had leveled Serpent Strike all the way. ¡°Hydra Strike.¡± Three azure snake heads appeared, stemming from the spear in Whipman¡¯s hand, their attacks so fast that nothing but their bright color and metallic scales could be seen. Although it looked powerful, it was really just an illusion based attack, that- Kent¡¯s axe moved, casually knocking aside the real head, the illusion dispersing. Whipman blinked. Both fighters regarded each other for several seconds. ¡°How?¡± Whipman asked with narrowed eyes. Did illusions not work on him? And yet the attack also ups the speed on the serpent strikes. If those attacks weren¡¯t fast enough, that only left¡­ Kent shrugged, resheathing his battle axes across his back. ¡°You must have been expecting something flashier. But I am not flashy. My gift is simple. I see. And when I see, I understand. Skills, special techniques, illusions¡­ they all rely on the unfamiliarity of the recipient to be effective. When I know you will reappear behind me, I can counter. When I know that two of those strikes are fake, and which is real, I can counter. Tricks will never work on me.¡± Drawing the short, curved sword at his waist, Kent finished. ¡°Only truth and skill will. So, may we continue?¡± Whipman nodded slowly. He had two options. One was to rely on the strength of his 4th created move, ¡®Cleft Earth¡¯ to suppress Kent. The other was to toss aside his moves, and instead rely on simply the raw application of his insights into the stances. Whipman wasn¡¯t exactly sure how much Kent¡¯s skill to see covered, but it was likely somewhat based on the skill system of the Great Tower. That would likely mean that the more specific the skill was, the more information that Kent could comprehend at a glance. Hopefully the more general stance skills would be harder for Kent to grasp under the pressure of a fast battle. But looking at Kent, that short, curved sword in hand, Whipman shivered. Maybe he should- But in that moment, Whipman felt the tension in his shoulders, and had a flashback to the previous time he felt this nervous and out of control. It was the night before he had killed his master, stealing his power. With an effort of will, he ironed the tension out of his body, his grip on the spear loosening until he held it with only the tips of his fingers. He began to bob and weave the head of his spear, his eyes relaxing until they were half closed. Kent smiled. ¡°Excellent. Then let¡¯s begin.¡± His sword blurred becoming a line of light. Whipman instinctively activated Clinging Mist. But as he did so, his gaze sharpened, and he shifted backwards away from the blow.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Calmly resetting his feet, Whipman ignored the long slash that cut through his shirt and left a thin line of blood where the sword barely broke the skin of his chest. ¡°There was no force in that blow,¡± Whipman said, his tone making it clear that it was a statement, not a question. Kent¡¯s mouth quirked up in a smile as he stepped forward, blade swinging. Whipman supposed this was for the best; he had grown too reliant on Clinging Mist. It should never have become the move that he went to always to dodge. It should have always been used for emergencies and finishing opponents. The sense of surprise would be enough to overwhelm most enemies. ¡®Honestly¡­¡¯ Whipman thought to himself, ¡®What have I been doing?¡¯ Kent practically slid forward, a preternatural grace suffusing all of his movements. Then short sword blurred, gliding through the air. Whipman resisted the urge to blink. There was something about the way the sword moved that made it extremely difficult to gauge how fast or slow it was moving; it was just approaching. It chased after blood. ¡®In the beginning, I didn¡¯t have these skills of mine. And they are powerful but¡­¡¯ Whipman did not use either of his movement techniques, but simply stepped slightly to the side, using basic step of air stance. He executed it flawless, instantly creating the distance he needed between Kent and himself. Inwardly, he was shocked by the effectiveness of the maneuver, but then Whipman realized he hadn¡¯t really been practicing the move since his stats had been boosted by becoming the azure snake¡¯s familiar. That azure venom that was currently being dripped into his bloodstream improved all aspects of his performance, mental and physical. Kent¡¯s sword curved to follow Whipman, but there was a split second in which for Whipman to act. In that time, he adopted a defensive form of the Water Stance. Kent¡¯s sword arrived aiming for his throat. But Whipman brought his spear across in a basic defensive sweep, brushing the blow to the side. Kent continued to cut, the sword using the redirection to change directions and attack towards Whipman¡¯s thigh. This only made Whipman smile. The spear continued, nudging the sword off course once again, sending it towards the ground. Growling, Kent brought the sword up in a graceful slash, but Whipman pivoted cleanly, out of the slash¡¯s direction, his expression tranquil. The upward slash turned into a vicious biting stab that was met by the tip of Whipman¡¯s spear, which knocked it aside with its superior weight and shot towards Kent¡¯s chest. Kent leaned backward, letting the spear travel over him, and straightened it as Whipman withdrew it. Both fighters regarded each other once more. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Kent said without inflection, advancing towards Whipman with his blade raised above his head. The slash came faster than Whipman would have believed. Originally, Whipman had planned to use that bit of distance to keep his opponent at bay with the superior range of his spear. But Kent had a way of traveling from just outside of his range to well inside of it in a split second. His short sword flashed downward, rushing towards Whipman shoulder. His spear curled over, circling around the slash and pushing away, but this slash contained force again, and the abrupt increase in strength made the Water stance falter. But as his spear fell aside, Whipman twisted it, planting the base up against his foot and lowering the point to meet Kent¡¯s attack. Realizing the danger, Kent blurred, pulling his downward slash back and almost immediately executing a horizontal slash that had the potential to dismember Whipman. But Whipman lowered himself into an Earth stance offensive form. Whipman picked up the base of the spear and swung it forward, aiming for Kent¡¯s body. The weapons smashed together, but this time Whipman had prepared for the extra power in the blow, and Kent was the one to grunt and slide backwards. ¡®It was always like this, wasn¡¯t it, Master?¡¯ Whipman grinned to himself, stepping forward in a brutal rush of thunder stance, his spear exploding forward. Kent, moving faster than he should be able to, drew a battleaxe and used the huge steel blade as a impromptu shield, sending him stumbling backwards. Whipman advanced again, but somehow those feet of Kent¡¯s had found purchase on the ground and he had regained his footing. He had sheathed the short sword and had both battle axes drawn by the time Whipman¡¯s spear head arrived before him. Thinking quickly, Whipman shifted again, becoming light and probing, his thrust slipping between the huge axes, utilizing Air Stance. ¡®I kept becoming fascinated by bright and shiny ways to become strong, but¡­¡¯ Kent continued to defend, slowly falling behind the onslaught of stabs with his huge axes. As soon as he managed to get his spear between then, he twisted, switching to Water stance, completely breaking Kent¡¯s guard wide open. Smiling slightly, thinking of his student, Whipman stabbed with the Thunder Stance move, Clear Sky, Sudden Bolt. ¡®When all along, my strongest skills¡­ were the ones that you carefully taught me.¡¯ But Kent was gone. His senses tingling, Whipman¡¯s initial reaction was to activated Clinging Mist, but he suppressed that impulse and spun around, spear held at his waist. At the corner of his eye, he caught the whirlwind of axes that was Kent, and slammed his spear upwards, smashing aside the attack with the force of Earth Stance. The blows parted and withdrew like the breeze, and Whipman spun around, frantically trying to keep Kent in his vision. But his speed had increased to an incredible degree. Bobbing and weaving, Kent shot closer, almost invisible. So Whipman closed his eyes, the azure energy cold fire in his veins. His focus narrowed to a point, his weight and mass concentrating to the point of the spear. His muscles tensed, and then relaxed. Then they tensed again, and relaxed again. This continued, the time it took each to happen decreasing, until his body began to hum. Whipman could not keep track of Kent with his eyes, but he only needed to know where he was for a single moment to release this attack. And even if he missed. Whipman grinned and focused attention on his ears. Kent might be quiet, but.. Tap. ¡°Cleft Earth.¡± Whipman turned slightly to the left and let his spear fly, exploding outward with such speed that a sonic boom was created. Even with his eyes closed, Whipman heard Kent hiss his annoyance, and opened his eyes to the amusing scene of Kent scrambling to the side, dodging the spear strike. Still, even though Kent had dodged, when the strike was completed, the gathered weight exploded outward in a vicious blast of air, knocking the recovering Kent even further away, causing him to tumble over into a pile of rocks. Grimly, Kent picked himself up, for the first time that Whipman had seen him looking disheveled. Brushing himself off, Kent regarded Whipman. But his words belied his disadvantaged seeming exterior. ¡°How many more times can you perform that move? Your hands are beginning to shake.¡± Whipman froze. He could feel it too. He had been using the Azure Snake¡¯s venom for too long; his body was starting to reject it and shut down. If Kent could tell that his statement had caused Whipman to start sweating, he didn¡¯t show it, instead he simply settled into his fighting stance and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s find out.¡± ¡°I think not.¡± The air around them chilled. A strange, soft ringing filled the air, and Whipman turned to find Predator stalking over, a strange reflective orb held in his hand. Predator¡¯s face was all rage and teeth. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we had a talk, Kent.¡± ***POV Predator*** Kent had the nerve to tilt his head at me, seemingly considering my words as a proposal. My eyes beginning to go red around the edges, I conjured a dozen blades of wind and swept them towards him, intent on blood. Fury +3 Fury +3 Black Bones hummed contentedly on my shoulder, a constant reminder of my motivation. And the steep price of mercy. Fury +3 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +3 until the Fury degrades. Fury +4 Unsurprisingly, Kent blurred to nothing, slipping left through a hole in the net of wind blades. -Well, if he didn¡¯t this wouldn¡¯t be very fun at all. Although he was fast, I was faster. I pressed downward, throwing my body towards him, intersecting his movement. But he twisted midair, his feet gripping the ground, and he zig zagged away with an evident grace. I grinned, my mouth all teeth, and followed. Bringing my hand above my head, I whipped the reflective orb in his direction, the strange, dense thing screaming through the air towards him. Although the easiest option would be just to activate Immolation and burn his body to ashes¡­ Black Bones clung to my shoulder, humming innocently. As it was, I pressed my will into the reflective orb, a strange ripple disturbing its smooth surface. Then the orb began to bubble and swell, becoming oblong and amorphous, homing in on Kent¡¯s position. Apparently sensing that his dodging was useless, Kent slowed to a walk, considering the reflective orb as it shot towards him. Grinning, I raced towards him, my strides cracking the earth with their force. But as the orb arrived before him it expanded, turning into a liquid wave of reflective energy, Kent disappeared. What was even more shocking was that he appeared in front of me, a small, thin sword raised to strike. -His speed is surprising, but his decision making leaves a lot to be desired. My hand blurred, the long claws on my hand aiming for Kent¡¯s throat. As I watched, his sword swayed mid air, seeming to bend, reaching my hand. Flexing my muscles, I expected to crush the sword, but he barely even touched my attack, but strangely I felt its strength wane as it was guided to the side, across my body. Growling, I turned, my other hand shooting under the first towards his exposed abdomen, while other me guided the reflective energy back towards us. But just as my claws were about to sink into his flesh, be spun again, his sword tapping lightly against my second attack, guiding that too, to the side, With my arms cross in front of me, and Kent¡¯s slight figure, I couldn¡¯t even see his body, but I felt several sharp pains on my arms as he inflicted what felt like flesh wounds. Fury +4 Fury +4 With my vision turning red, I almost missed Kent materializing beside me to the left, his sword snaking up towards my throat. Grimacing, I tried to move to block, but abruptly realized what that pain was earlier; he had slid needles into my arms, pinning them together. Fury +4 -How did he even pierce the skin¡­? Gnashing my teeth, I pulled until the flesh ripped, large chunks of my left arm falling to the ground, the needles sliding out and clinking on the ground. With my right hand twisted into a claw, I twisted around, attempting to catch the sword. But Kent¡¯s sword, and himself, disappeared like smoke, moving 10 meters away from me in an instant. Blood dripped down my torn arms, forming small pools beneath me on the pitted ground that had once been the site of my fort. We regarded each other for several seconds. The reflective substance flowed back towards me, forming once more into an orb. Although it was undoubtedly very powerful, it wasn¡¯t agile enough for him. ¡°I cultivate Truth and Spirit in martial arts.¡± Kent said calmly as he sheathed his sword and drew his axes. ¡°If you do not also have these things¡­ you will never be able to harm me.¡± -How high must his Agility stat be, that it¡¯s on par with me¡­ -Or it could be a skill. But still. My eyes turned cold. The reflective substance turned once more into a liquid and surrounded Black Bones and carried him away, far from my body. I could feel him vibrating with worry, but I carried him over towards some relatively intact murloc bodies, so he could rebuild himself. As for me¡­ ¡°Immolation.¡± Perception fell away, replaced by constant agony and heat, but I would swear I could hear Kent laughing. Fury +4 Fury +4 -We shall see how long that lasts. I threw myself forward, intent on burning him to ashes. Leaping backwards, Kent threw one of his axes at me side arm, the weapon turning into a whirling circle of bloodthirsty steel. One that melted and then evaporated before it even came close to me. Planting my foot, I chased after him. He simply sighed. ¡°Must you insist on this? Both of us will cease if you force my hand.¡± I ignored him, my rage bubbling, my steps becoming faster. And much to my surprise.... He didn¡¯t attempt to dodge my next leap. Instead, he opened his arms, waiting to meet me. ***POV Ketlia*** ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Ketlia asked frantically, sensing as Kent stood and allowed Predator and his surging fire to engulf him. ¡®Even I underestimated his power. So I must become something that his power cannot touch.¡¯ ¡®But you-¡¯ ¡®It is not exactly death,¡¯ Kent thought slowly. ¡®But¡­ yes. My Martial Path ends here. What I will become¡­ cannot grow.¡¯ There was a moment of silence in their mental connection. ¡®...But you need it, don¡¯t you? He is not yet angry enough to move to the end stages of this fight. For you, I will do this.¡¯ Ketlia wanted to say something, to comfort this man, this stern, serious man, who was giving himself for her¡­ but she felt nothing. Just a sense of relief. Predator smashed into Kent, and Kent¡¯s far weaker body was first smashed, and then was slowly turned to ash, until he was burnt away to nothing. Predator seemed to hesitate, obviously confused by this turn of events. Although Ketlia could sense his confidence in his victory, he didn¡¯t expect¡­ it to be that easy. Ketlia turned away, touching on thoughts from another mind. ¡®That was¡­ unfortunate.¡¯ The strange monster inside of Jana whispered. ¡®That body would have been useful. Still, I¡¯ll begin the next phase on my end. Two of us sisters will be more than enough-¡¯ ¡°No,¡¯ Ketlia thought firmly, an opportunity clicking together in her mind. ¡®Do not worry, I will provide a body for you.¡¯ ***POV Predator*** Admittedly, turning Kent into kindling was incredibly satisfying. But at the same time¡­ -That was all¡­? After all of his talk about Truth and Spirit- But then a twitch warned me, and I became a blur, hopping lightly to the side, as a huge gash appeared in the earth besides me. My senses quickly pinpointed his new position, and while other me was wondering how Kent was still alive, I leapt towards him, my arms wide. Without any sense of urgency, Kent turned, raising his blade to be horizontal. Then, in a smooth, almost inhuman move, he twisted and brought the blade across in a slow motion slash. But strangely, that slow slash caused my instincts to once more warn me of grave danger, but this time I ignored it, eyes wide and grin ready to devour him. But once more, I arrived at his position, and he just¡­ dispersed. Fury +4 And the next thing I knew, I was tumbling sideways, my right arm barely attached to the rest of me, hanging on by only gristle. Deactivating Immolation, I used my good arm to claw my way to a stop, my eyes narrowed. Fury +4 Fury +4 Kent stood in front of me, still just a short distance away, seemingly more a projection of energy than anything else. He stood simply, with just the tips of his fingers touching his sword, and it gave the sword a hanging feeling, as if it was about to slip out of his fingers and fall. ¡°I told you. I cultivate two things. Truth and Spirit. I am the truth, and that¡­¡± My eyes slid upwards, widening, even as I gritted my teeth. Floating in the air behind Kent¡¯s weird golden energy form was an amorphous body of blue energy. There was noticeably arms, a torso, and what I believed to be a head, but the only part that was completely clear was the huge, 20 meter long sword that this strange giant mass of energy held. The smaller form of Kent shifted his stance, raising his sword up above his head, and the spirit followed. ¡°You have truly killed me. But¡­ in terms of martial path, you are not my match. In both truth and spirit, you fall short¡± His sword descended like an executioner''s blade, the spirit above him following suit, slashing downwards towards my position. My cheshire grin stretched wide. The flesh of my right arm was still stitching together, but I was unwilling to believe that in a frontal confrontation, I would lose. -Yes. Other me understood, as I clenched my fist, one finger at a time. -It¡¯s this feeling¡­ Eyes wide I pulled back my fist, using air affinity to rapidly compress a huge amount of air into a small space at the tip of my fist. ¡°It¡¯s this!¡± I roared at Kent, who stared icily down at me as he struck. Fury +4 ¡°Without this I am not alive!¡± The sword was almost upon me, but I shifted my stance, lowering myself into an earth stance. And just as it was about to land, I smashed upwards in Thunder Stance, smashing forward. -Wrath BOOOOOOOOOOOOM. My bones shook, and in a very detached way, I curiously looked at my arm as it was slowly ground down by the force of the impact, leaving everything below the elbow more gore than limb. I regarded it silently, Then turned and looked at the long gouge in the earth behind me. It wasn¡¯t enough to overpower the blow, but my punch had changed the trajectory of the sword just slightly, leaving the rest of my body relatively unharmed. -Well, the right arm hasn¡¯t healed yet. So for now, we are armless. Not exactly unharmed¡­. -Don¡¯t be so negative. Learn to enjoy yourself every now and again. Eyes blazing, I walked towards the ¡°truth¡± version of Kent. He shook his head sadly. ¡°Fool. You are naught but a mad dog. Truth is eternal. If you do not have a greater truth, it will cut you to pieces. Spirit may run out, but it will return, burning greater than ever.¡± Which only made me laugh, throwing back my head, as I accelerated towards him. I utilized Lunar Affinity, condensing a series of binding wraps on my right arm, holding it together. Soon I was dashing, wind rushing past me. Ignoring him raising his sword. Within a second, I had charged through him harmlessly, his truth form dispersing. A prickling on the back of my neck let me know that the huge spirit form had not shifted, however. Scowling over my shoulder at the descending blade, I leapt sideways, condensing a platform of air beneath my feet. From there, I leapt upwards, angling around the blade, creating another platform before I flew too high. Then I simply stepped, crossing the distance to float upside down before the amorphous body of the spirit. Immolation flicked on, fire erupting from my core, burrowing upwards through my skin to explode in a way of heat. I felt the focus and strength from My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade, as my heart rate rose and my perception narrowed to a razor sharp edge. Then I kicked downwards, concentrating all the anger and frustration that Kent had caused me into the blow, using thunder stance to have the kick bursting with force. Its very passage caused a huge sonic boom, and then it collided with the strange spirit. It¡¯s body felt like a huge, dense sponge, giving way slowly and unwillingly, even under the tyrannical force of my kick. And slowly, as the force of the kick was dispersed, its body stopped being warped, and slowly reformed. Narrowing my eyes, I watched as it floated upwards, seemingly unhurt, raising its sword once more. Fury +4 Snorting, I kicked off against a platform of air and went to the ground, narrowly dodging another huge slash. -So how do we kill it? -Smash it until it stops moving. -.... The truth form of Kent smoothly completed its slash, the one that missed, and then turned to me and spoke. ¡°A spirit possesses energy and force, but it is more than that. It is guided by truth. As long as you cannot touch my truth, you will die here today. And when a Spirit wields Truth...¡± Fury +4 Trying my best to ignore my rising fury at this impudent ant, I let the condensed energy fall away from my right arm, flexing my hand. Fully healed. I looked at my left arm, which was around halfway back to normal. I condensed lunar energy around it and turned back to Kent. The ground between us was cracked and covered in deep gashes that the spirit made. In that moment, I hesitated. I had two options. Engage with Kent, trying to figure out the trick to this strange combination he currently had, or ignore it, and continue to try and smash it into the ground. And strangely, in that moment, Jinka¡¯s voice floated to the surface of my mind. A man who threw himself at danger, heedless, who had the audacity to grin at me as I popped his organs like balloons. ¡°I pity you, Predator.¡± Fury +4 Fury +4 Fury +4 Fury +4 Fury +4 With a grin winding across my face like a mountain road, I opened my arms and shouted. ¡°I PITY THE DEAD.¡± Fury +4 Fury +4 -Hey, we should- Heedless, I stalked slowly forward, the clouds above our location starting to swirl as I gathered Air using my affinity, more that I had ever attempted before, so much that it began to rip through my mana at an unsustainable rate. But I just felt a bubbling joy within my heart. Yes, this feeling. This heat. In that moment, I knew that nothing else mattered in the world. ***POV Ketlia*** Ketlia watched the swirling clouds above the ruined fort with pensive eyes. She knew Predator was strong, and he kept upping the ante, but now it seemed like they had finally pushed him to his bottom line. And the hadn¡¯t even taken away a single one of his lives, as of yet. But that didn¡¯t mean that their side didn¡¯t have cards left to reveal. Jana floated calmly towards Ketlia position at the edge of the tree line, dragging a body behind her. With a grunt, she tossed it on the ground, and Ketlia recognized it as Jinka. The only problem was that the head had been clearly ripped off, and then it looked like Predator had been angry enough to eat the jaw and the right cheekbone, before discarding the head. As it was, it stood as a grim testament to Predator¡¯s cruelty. Two of their team was dead already, having accomplished very little. Although Kent wasn¡¯t exactly dead, there was something about his current form that made it extremely difficult for Ketlia to read his thoughts, which made her wonder if he wasn¡¯t hiding how tenuous his position really was. Jana waved her fingers at the dead body and tiny red threads of blood spread from the torso and the shredded neck, connecting to each other, pulling themselves close. Finally, with a wet slap, the pieces connected. Ketlia tilted her head to the side, considering the body. ¡°Getting cold feet?¡± Ketlia could tell from the hollow sound to the voice that Jana herself was currently taking the backseat to whatever ancient monster had worked itself into her body. The time the creature could maintain control without tiring itself out was growing, but Ketlia found it difficult to care. It wasn¡¯t really her problem. Shrugging, Ketlia said. ¡°No. I don¡¯t really care what you are planning to do after you get these bodies. Just hold up your end of the bargain. Predator must die¡± Eyes glittering, Jana nodded, but Ketlia was getting delicate and strong enough to slip even into that monstrosity¡¯s mind, and felt the derision in her mind. Ketlia didn¡¯t mind, but she could also sense that Jana didn¡¯t care one way or the other whether Predator died. But these monsters wanted to climb the Tower. And Predator was barring their way. Closing her eyes, Ketlia reached out, feeling the dimensions. After a few seconds of searching, Ketlia found what she was looking for. It wasn¡¯t a dimension like most, layered on top of each other, but it was like a small bubble, existing separate, stuck between two sheets of rubber, forever suspended. She pulled that dimension closer, and then pressed, applying enough force that the line between that one and their current dimension began to blur. For a long moment Ketlia struggled, applying more and more pressure. Then she felt something flit across the boundary and settle in Jinka¡¯s corpse. With a loud breath, Ketlia released that strange dimension and stumbled backwards. It had taken more effort than she had expected to move the dimension. Although the dimension itself was light, there were heavy things within it. Like a huge, forgotten underwater world hidden at the bottom of a well, spreading downwards infinitely. Jinka¡¯s body spasmed, seizing upwards, slowly beginning to shake. But as soon as it had started, it was also over, the body relaxing downwards to the ground. Then the skin of it began to change, wizening and taking on a dry, green coloration, almost like a lizard. Laboriously, the body stood, its eyes a brilliant emerald. ¡°Wha happened?¡± It asked, speaking with a wet, bubbling voice. Then it did its best to frown, but it only could furrow its brow, its jaw having been ripped off and eaten. It made a discontented noise. ¡°This body-¡± ¡°Is better than nothing,¡± Jana said smoothly, her blood red eyes flashing. Then she turned to Ketlia. ¡°You said you could find another body? Kent¡¯s would have been ideal, but¡­.¡± Ketlia simply nodded. And then she sent a message to Xieche and Diver. ***POV Shuusuke*** When Whipman and Kent had originally started fighting, both Xieche and Ashni had crept back in opposite directions, taking their time to recover from their respective wounds. Xieche¡¯s injuries were primarily mental Shuusuke could tell; creating the black lightning tiger had exhausted his mana reserves, and he needed time to meditate and recover. The camera following Ashni captured her limp and obvious discomfort, but she produced a strange medicine from a pouch at her waist, and was swiftly recovering. By the time Predator had arrived again, Xieche had fled farther away, meeting up with Diver, who was still struggling to stop the flow of blood from his eye. While Predator and Kent were struggling, they had joined the staggering figure of Dak, who now seemed to be alight with a baleful energy, his dead, dark eyes looking towards the being that had snuffed out its light twice already. Shuusuke watched as the two did their best to restrain Dak, and whatever strange creature that was animating his body, but Shuusuke¡¯s main attention was focused on Predator. He stalked forward, grinning wildly, and although it was hard to see, the swirling clouds revealed that something was happening. Something was coming. And it was going to be big. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Show me your own truth, you cannot-¡± Kent spoke, but he only received a cackle from Predator in response. ¡°This is my only response! Overwhelm! Crush! Devour! Grow! Live! There might be people in this world that are more powerful than I, but¡­¡± Predator raised a hand, and while Shuusuke kept one camera watching Predator¡¯s body, another camera was furiously flying upwards, panning out. He had missed it at first, but a slight glimmer revealed the shape, and it was becoming more clear every second. Kent¡¯s truth was about 1.5 meters tall, as tall as he had been. Above that, was his 20 meter tall spirit energy, formed into an amorphous torso holding a crystal clear sword of energy. Another 50 meters above that was a glimmering light. And as Shuusuke¡¯s camera zipped up, it resolved itself into a mass of condensed movement in a V. And above that, extending about 100 meters, an almost invisible, viciously fast whirlwind. A spear shaft, composed of a tornado, supporting a spearhead made of liquid moonlight. As Shuusuke watched, the spear began to take a more distinct shape, the spearhead sharpening and flattening, the shaft whirlwind spinning tighter and tighter, faster and faster. ¡°But¡­¡± Predator continued, his differently colored eyes glittering, only pale yellow, the other ice blue. ¡°But you are not my match. Die.¡± The whirlwind had shrunk from the size of a house to the body of a skinny person, the wind moving so fast that the air was filled with a mournful wailing. Kent¡¯s truth lowered its sword to its size, gazing up solemnly at the roiling sky and the oddly beautiful spearhead suspended over him. The camera Shuusuke had on the other three caught them beginning to move, but most of his attention was fixed on that spear in the sky. Seeming to slow considerable, the vicious winds that formed that shaft had shrunk to the thickness of a wrist. Then the air stilled. BOOOOOOOM. The compressed air exploded, throwing the spearhead of moonlight ripping downward, the very air being cut to pieces. Kent¡¯s movements were still smooth, slashing upwards in a graceful arc, the spirit above him following him, and it seemed for a moment that his sword would get there in time to sever the spearhead¡¯s momentum. Shuusuke¡¯s eyes were wide, sweat dripping down his forehead, but he prided himself on never losing himself in the scene. So when Predator slowly raised his hand and flexed it, staring at it in wonder, even as his huge spearhead slashed downwards. ¡°My truth¡­¡± He murmured, and as Shuusuke watched, a strange violet smoke swirled up from his palm. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The land quaked as the sword and spearhead met midair, the spearhead almost oppressively larger than the already huge sword spirit of Kent¡¯s. It came down in a luminescent blur, and when it met the spirit blade, a blinding light erupted, followed swiftly by a shockwave that disintegrated most of the mutilated murloc bodies and reduced any skeleton bones to dust. Shuusuke made a frustrated noise and repositioned his cameras in the chaos. True, the cameras themselves weren¡¯t in the same dimension as the explosion and weren¡¯t affected, but they still needed to look at the world of the challenge. And right now, that world was filled with swirling dust and debris, rendering visuals impossible. Cool battle effects were great for showmanship, but the several minutes afterward where all he would be broadcasting was dust were not. If things continued like this¡­ But an explosion from the middle of the dust cloud soon sent things swirling. Cursing, Shuusuke brought a camera high up in the air, the lense tracking the action. Something was moving rapidly through the huge dust cloud, shooting across the ground, leaving a trail of clear air in its wake. But the figure itself¡­ BOOM. The rapidly moving figure hit something else and the dust filled air was instantly evacuated, the huge shockwave from the clash throwing it all away, revealing a snarling Predator, who appeared to have conjured a gauntlet of moonlight, and actually was the one defending against Kent¡¯s attack. Kent¡¯s two bodies had apparently moved closer together and latched onto one another, resulting in his Truth body being surrounded by billowing spirit, condensed around him. It was now only double the size of his body, hovering close around his energy form, but the biggest difference was that the impressive sword of the spirit form joined the truth form¡¯s sword, forming a 4 meter long monstrosity. As Shuusuke watched the two in silent struggle, Predator¡¯s gauntlet of moonlight began to crack and splinter. ¡°That attack was powerful. But it has left you without mana. Foolish.¡± Kent¡¯s words were simple and terse, but there was something strange about them. Predator¡¯s gauntlet shattered all the way in an explosion of tinkling light, and Kent pressed forward, slashing his huge sword. Snorting, Predator slashed out with his other hand, deflecting the blade, earning a spray of blood across his own face. With a huge amount of force, the blade crashed into the ground, but Predator¡¯s pointer and middle fingers rotated midair, small spurts of blood shooting out of the severed digits. Predator¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°...but I don¡¯t hate that about you¡­ you have no hope of victory otherwise.¡± Shuusuke abruptly realized what was strange about Kent¡¯s voice; he was smiling while he spoke. And as Shuusuke watched, Predator¡¯s mouth stretched outward in a crescent. ¡°Asshole. Don¡¯t act so superior.¡± They both hopped lightly backwards, opening up some space between the two of them. Kent revealed a wry smile, and as the dust continued to thin out in their area, Shuusuke zoomed his camera in as fast as it could go. In the left part of the spirit form¡¯s toso, right below the left shoulder, there was a huge gaping hole, with frayed edges like a ripped cloth. And those frayed edges would tremble, and tiny threads of the spirit would be pulled away, floating away into the sky, disintegrating with an almost audible sigh. Before Shuusuke¡¯s very eyes, the whole scene transformed, even though nothing had changed. The Spirit form hadn¡¯t combined with truth to form a more powerful whole, but was rather huddling against the truth form, using it to stem the flow of spirit away from its body. Although it largely succeeded by pressing its form against the truth form, the damage was already done; its strength was largely depleted, as evidenced by its greatly depleted mass. And every second passed was another ounce of strength slipping away. Blood dripped from the stumps of Predator¡¯s severed fingers, but he just looked at Kent with a lazy grin. ¡°You will bleed out long before I will.¡± Predator¡¯s grin stretched even wider, taking on a darker cast. ¡°And you will die in agony for what you did to Black Bones.¡± Kent shrugged. ¡°There was no honor in that,yes. But there was truth. And it now led us here.¡± Predator gave Kent a strange look. ¡°There is truth in all actions. Whether it is a strong truth or a weak one depends on the purity of action. So,¡± Kent continued, pointing his huge sword at Predator. ¡°Let us forget the past and embrace this truth. It is time one of us dies.¡± Laughing wildly, Predator sunk into a crouch. ¡°The more we talk¡­ Well, whatever. Don¡¯t disappoint me, Kent.¡± The ground underneath Predator cracked and Kent sidestepped smoothly, the two of them joining in a lightning fast dance. As Predator shot forward, advancing towards Kent, Kent sent at least 7 slashes out towards him, dicing up the ground in the surrounding area, But Predator just weaved through the swords, and just as Kent was about to slash for the 8th time, Predator stepped, appearing before Kent, looming over him. ¡°Have you not learned? Such things are useless. Without mana-¡± Kent stopped speaking abruptly, as Predator became strangely still for a split second,and then exploded into motion, a momentum charged punch ripping into the chest of Kent¡¯s truth form. Based on his observations earlier on Whipman and Ashni¡¯s actions, Shuusuke was able to tell that this move was based on the principles of Thunder Stance, and it certainly seemed to contain an unbelievably powerful force. But against the Truth form- Eyes widening, Shuusuke finally saw what Kent realized; the shock wave from Predator¡¯s strike might not do anything to the truth form, but the energy contained within it was enough to buffet the Spirit form, large strips of spirit fading away as its gaping wound continued to gnaw at its strength. It desperately tried to press its body tightly up against the truth body, but the damage had been done. Kent¡¯s sword had shrunk from an intimidating 4 meters long to just under 3. But Kent¡¯s eyes flashed, and his sword was already cutting down as it was shrinking, aiming to sever Predator at the waist. Almost in slow motion, Shuusuke watched in horror as in Predator¡¯s right eye, the pale blue one, his pupil dilated and shifted to look at the oncoming blow. Then his legs shifted, throwing himself to the left at an unbelievably fast speed, even as the huge sword cut through the air towards him. Ultimately, Predator was fast, but not enough. The blade caught him just above the knee, and slid cleaning through the thick flesh of his thigh. So when Predator planted his first foot, it was fine. But as his momentum continued to carry him forward, he didn¡¯t have another leg to stabilize, and he tumbled to the ground in an ungainly pile. Instead of seeming to be pleased by the blow he inflicted on Predator, Kent¡¯s face was extremely grim, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Predator pushed himself onto his knees and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground from a split lip. ¡°Why so serious, Kent?¡± Kent didn¡¯t respond at first, the energy of the spirit form sliding back from his sword and condensing into a sizable orb behind him. But even so, the hole remained, small threads continuing to be dragged away by some immutable law. ¡°You know why. From that wound, you will heal. But this is permanent.¡± Sighing, Kent closed his eyes, and Shuusuke watched as the truth form seemed to flicker, proceeding dangerously close to losing its light. But then his eyes shot open, his gaze sharp, and the light of his strange body became even more lustrous and pure. ¡°Spirit is built from continuous battles. It is the weight of my total experience. And yet you wounded it so¡­¡± But then Kent shook his head, and his truth body became even more bright. ¡°But truth¡­ truth is the persistence and belief that let me stand victorious in all of my past battles. It is the honed edge of my martial heart¡­ And you, in your short life, have no counter.¡± Even now, the flesh of Predator¡¯s leg began to wriggle and reform, the area below the knee knitting together and growing outward. But still he stayed on his knees, perhaps preferring the stability he had in this position to two legs that were different lengths. Ominously cracking his fingers, Predator¡¯s smile spread even more wide. ¡°Then come. I¡¯m hungry for the dancing on the edge of death. Don¡¯t let me down now, Kent.¡± ***POV Predator*** I licked my lips, my hands twitched slightly. -You are having too much fun with this. -How can I not? Don¡¯t you feel it from him? Other me went silent, and my grin deepened. Although it wasn¡¯t obvious at first, there was a growing pressure coming from Kent. His strange two new bodies gave me a slight chill, as if they had the potential to threaten me. As of yet, his sword had been powerful, but it wasn¡¯t a serious threat. His attacks weren¡¯t quick enough with the oversized blade in the sky, and he seemed slightly awkward with the 4 meter blade after I ripped a hole in his spirit. But now¡­ As I watched, what I sorta had been assuming was the main body, the one that had maintained his appearance the entire time, rippled. Then stretched. Then shrunk. It soon became a gleaming golden short sword, floating in front of the slow dispersing orb of spirit, which on its own rippled, and then slowly stretched to form Kent¡¯s body. It was clearly an act of will for the spirit to maintain it, for stretching into that shape exacerbated its wound. More and more wisps of spirit disintegrated into the air, the vibrancy of its body decaying, but I kept my eyes narrowed. Because as soon as that short sword formed, the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. I started to salivate. -This is it. -Come quickly! Shown me strife! Show me pain! I cannot wait any longer! ¡°This time, I shall attack with my ¡®Truth¡¯. If you shatter it, I will cease.¡± And with those ominous words, the quickly disintegrating spirit grabbed the sword, howled soundlessly, throwing its head up at the sky, and rushed towards me. My eyes narrowed. Not because this movement was unexpected, but because the movements that accompanied them were. To my left and right, I felt two people position around me. The one on the right was charging directly towards me, a powerful aura of death surrounding him. -.....didn¡¯t we already kill that one? -I think twice. And from the other side I heard the distinct crackle of Magey¡¯s lightning, likely prepping another one of those lightning tigers. Although I had probably gotten to the point it wouldn¡¯t eviscerate me quite as much, the distracting from the brightly burning shortsword that made me breathless. It was this edge, this tension¡­ I shivered almost involuntarily, the pounding in my chest growing even louder. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to My Soul is the Flame, My Body the Blade Lvl 6¡±. Physical performance across the board has increased. The ease with which you enter into the heightened state has increased. Resistance to physical attacks slightly increased. I couldn¡¯t spare a glance for the two enemies to my sides, but I also knew I didn¡¯t even need to. As they bared their fangs towards me, other figures in the fog stirred. With a power that was puzzling, considering the difference in our physiques, Ashni shot through the dispersing dust, her foot smashing into Dak¡¯s chest with a resounding crack that echoed through the area. Gurgling and frothing blood at the mouth, Dak managed to stay on his feet, that strange energy surrounding him starting to roil and seeth. Whipman struck like a snake, shattering the lightning shield Magey had conjured for himself. As he did so, I could feel that his spear instantly blurred, 4 azure snakes seeming to appear and swivel towards Magey, sending him hastily stumbling backwards. My breathing slowed as that luminescent golden blade drew closer, the edge gleaming like a murderous smile. The spirit body was amorphous and indistinct, but I could tell that it had a mouth, and it was open. And as I watched, the edges seemed to curl up into a smile. My own mouth stretched wider to eclipse it. During the earlier engagement, I felt something extremely strange. That when I punched using Thunder Stance, there was no middle. It simply started, and was finished in a huge blast of force. This insight, and the application in the earlier blow on the spirit body, was enough to raise my Thunder Stance to Lvl 8. But I still felt I was somehow short. What I needed was that explosion. From ignition to completion in a split second. That was the ultimate power of Thunder Stance. The transferal of force through joints so smoothly it took no time at all to complete. I raised my right arm and flexed it, then slowly folded each finger inwards, creating a fist. As the blade approached, I felt that strange liquid energy flowing around me, forming into those 9 pieces of armor. A helmet. A shoulder guard on my left shoulder. An elbow guard with a sharp spike on my right elbow. A gauntlet on my left hand. A breast plate. Greaves on both feet. And finally, the two tails. I breathed out, in almost a sigh. Then I punched out with my right fist, the force starting in my shoulder, and exploding outward, rushing along the arm, reaching the elbow, accelerating even further from there, rushing forward to meet the opponent, through the wrist, and then through the palm, reaching the knuckles just as the the glowing sword of Kent¡¯s truth arrived, carried by the silent spirit. BOOOM. Much to my shock, the sword took the force and continued to smash forward, ripping straight up through my right arm, bisecting it completely in half. The point homed forward, until the moment it struck my chest. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The strange porcelain breast plate cracked, but managed to deflect the force of the blow, sending me shooting backwards from its tyrannical pressure. Even as I struggled to regain my footing, hampered somewhat by my right leg only having grown back to mid shin, Kent¡¯s short sword accelerated again, shooting towards me. I had barely regained my footing by the time it had arrived once more. The breastplate, apparently having served its purpose, turned to ash and fell away, revealing a small scratch on my chest. -You forced it. The lightning stance needs relax- -NOT RIGHT NOW. My left fist ripped forward to meet the sword, and as I threw the fist, I realized, for the first time in quite a while, that I could die. This might be my last day on this planet. If I couldn¡¯t stop this sword¡­ And as I made this realization, two things happened to me. My heart rate rose, pumping lava like blood through my body, spurring my regenerative capabilities to the next level And my smile widened, turning my head into nothing but a spreading row of teeth and manic glee. Even though I hated it, I took Other Me¡¯s advice, relaxing my shoulder and elbow, punching with my gauntlet covered left hand. Although it seemed like a small thing, the difference was enormous. Force didn¡¯t pass through my joints, it ERUPTED through them. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. Gritting my teeth, I held back the mouthful of blood I almost caught up. By an effort of will, I stopped myself from stumbling backwards, but Kent was in even worse shape. -If you can really even call that Kent I had forced the short sword to a dead stop, which didn¡¯t do anything to the sword, but the jarring halt had ripped the hole in the spirit body to an even larger degree. The entirety of its lower torso and left side had been consumed, and its upper torso and head were disappearing. But even as the spirit faded, it maintained its grip on the ¡°truth¡± that was its most powerful weapon and rushed towards me. Now the spirit was just a shoulder, slowly slipping away, but rushing towards me with a golden sword so bright it was almost blinding. I stomped my right foot, checking how it was recovering. Although it was only the heel basically, it was the right size to plant my weight. Grinning, I raised my left hand again. But just as I did so, my senses tingled, indicating approaching danger. But after a slight hesitation, other me and I both decided to ignore it. A blast of lightning struck the side of my face, charing my skin and superheating my right eye to the point that it expanded and popped. -Magey, tsk tsk. You really have been bad. -Also, what is Whipman doing¡­? The once imposing spirit had shrunk to a hand, thrusting a short sword only two meters from my chest. My left arm was just about to press forward when my senses tingled again. A lot more insistently. But my good eye just crinkled up. ¡°Good! If it wasn¡¯t at least this hard, you would really have disappointed me, KENT!¡± I bellowed, preparing for this next clash. A strange energy hit my left arm, which I swiftly identified as the baleful energy from the man I killed twice. As it smashed into my arm, it didn¡¯t burn, it just atrophied the flesh, the skin wrinkling and turning grey, the muscle turning to grey sludge and melting away. It only hit the upper part of my arm, and was quickly dispersed, but it had stolen all the force behind my punch, and that spirit hand and its truth sword were right in front of me. As I narrowed my eyes, time seemed to slow. The short sword, still bright and shining, inched toward me. -...perhaps this was for the best. -What, dying? -No, the loss of muscle. We always wondered why Ashni can do what she does, right? This is our chance to find out. -But- -No, just do it. Don¡¯t fail. Rush forward, Press. Struggle. Fight! -And win. For we are Apex. It was just a thin thread of force, traveling across my back. And as it did so, Other Me pressed his will down on our body, relaxing. It was one thing to know you needed to relax, it was another entirely to do it while throwing what you hoped was your most powerful blow. But with our attention split, we accomplished it. When the thread of force came through my shoulder, it paused briefly. It met with threads that had traveled from my lower back, and from my left and right legs, weaving together. And when they passed through my shoulder, they became a violent river, the kind that floods and sweeps away unattended children. That river rushed forward, and when it reached my elbow, it passed through, becoming a sliding tectonic plate. Larger, and more irresistible than even the countries and oceans atop it, it grinded forward, the very air vibrating with the force. And as that tectonic plate of force slid down my arm, crossing through my wrist, it became solely darkness. And it was the weight of every empty space and unseen secret in this world, suffocating, unending, deadly. And as that force of darkness reached my knuckles as I punched the short sword, it ignited. ¡°WRATH.¡± I roared, my existence consumed by conveying this huge forced forward. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Thunder Stance Lvl 9¡±. You have touched on the edge of one of the aspects of thunder. Natural sympathy with thunder increased. Performance of Thunder Stance moves has greatly increased. You may now imbue the essence of thunder into more ordinary movements. Striking force of ability imbued with thunder essence are vastly increased. VUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM. Rather than exploding with force, this time the collision was one of vibrations, our two strikes almost exactly equal and opposed in force. -....honestly, we were even slightly weaker. The air shock, and I felt my eardrums rupture. But even as blood started to trickle downwards and I was forced to take a step back, I felt a spike of glee. The spirit had disintegrated into nothing, falling away. Feeling victorious, I looked down, only to see the short sword still drifting forward, carried further by the remnants of its momentum. After all, even if our clash had been almost exactly even, Kent¡¯s truth came out slightly ahead. I tried to move my right arm to catch it, but it was still mostly two floppy strips of flesh, split down the middle. My left arm was still shaking with vibrations, numb and useless. So I watched as, with barely a breath of force, Kent¡¯s sword of truth slid forward into my side. For a second I froze, but as nothing but slight bleeding happened, I straightened. Fury +4 Fury +4 ¡°What¡­ is this¡­?¡± I hissed, my breathing getting heavy. ¡°I was saying earlier not to disappoint me¡­ but this is how this ends!?!?!¡± I removed the bright blade and squeezed it until my hand bled. ¡°Like this¡­¡± I murmured. Fury +4 Fury +4 Fury +4 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +4 until the Fury degrades. Fury +5 ¡°Like this¡­. IT¡¯S A LOT LIKE I¡¯M THE ONE WHO DISAPPOINTED YOU. YOU DIDN¡¯T EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO STRIKE A BLOW? YOU JUST SLID INTO ME EFFORTLESSLY, AND-¡± I stopped speaking, doing my best to calm myself down, but my chest was full of boiling blood. The small hole that the sword had almost healed up already. Starting to shake, I continued to hold the sword in my hand, inexplicably furious. Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Around me, I felt the disturbances in the air that I knew meant battle, but I ignored them, focusing on the blade in my hand. -...is it just a blade now....? -It was fun. Too much fun. And now he let it end like this?!?! ¡°COME OUT.¡± I shouted at the sword held in my hand. ¡°SHOW ME YOUR TRUTH.¡± But it simply remained still. Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 While I was grinding my teeth, my perception picked up a new arrival, and I glanced up to find the man with the gloves was rushing towards me, holding a small murloc body in his left hand. He had appeared behind me, and was only a few inches away, currently reaching out towards my back. Wind Blades cut off his arms in an instant. Eyes wide with fear, he fell backwards as I coolly turned around to regard him. ¡°Now is not the time,¡± I whispered, reaching down to rip out and devour his heart. But he dived away toward the murloc body, strangely pressing his lips against it. -Kissing it¡­? -No, using that ability. And as I suspected, the body disappeared, replaced by something else, which he turned around and spat at me. Blinking, I took a split second to struggle with what I was seeing. What he had switched for was a palm sized¡­ Black Bones¡­?!?!! Black Bones had apparently found several bodies that were pleasing to it, and had expanded from his inchworm form into something like a centipede with a scorpion tail. Wriggled towards me when it saw me, obviously excited. My eyes turned very, very cold. Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 -Using Black Bones against me again¡­? Gently grasping him in my good hand, I simply kicked outwards, my foot smashing into Glovey¡¯s chest, rupturing his organs, crushing his heart, and sending him flying, a good 20 meters from where I was standing. ¡°Alright buddy, it¡¯s-¡± But again I froze, unable to believe my eyes. Black Bones¡¯ tail had blurred, shooting towards my heart. It sharp point had punctured the skin, only a bit, and was only then stopped, as one of my two tails whipped upward and curled around it, holding it in place, preventing it from ripping into my heart. And with a tinkling sound, that piece of black porcelain shattered and fell away. ¡°What-¡± But before I could speak further, Black Bones attacked again, its tail aiming again for the heart. With foreknowledge, I easily caught it, and squeezed its body tightly to prevent any other movements. Still, it continued to struggle violently. Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 ¡°Stop it,¡± I said, surprising myself with how cold and desolate my voice was. Still Black Bones struggled. It was only then that I say the distinctive golden film over his eyes. -That illusion again¡­? Who¡­? Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Fury +5 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +5 until the Fury degrades. Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 -Ketlia. I gave Black Bones a long look, as he struggled. Then I closed my eyes, preferring to do this without seeing, or feeling, or remembering anything. I squeezed my left hand until all that remained was powder. Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 ¡°Did you want me mad, Ketlia?¡± I spoke easily, my small smile a mask over a furious maelstrom of hate. Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 Fury +6 ¡°Congratulations.¡± Fury +6 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +6 until the Fury degrades. Fury +7 Fury +7 ¡°You did it-¡± But then I twisted, eyes narrowing, as a crimson red spear shot towards me. Snorting coldly, I slashed out with my left hand, using my reconstructed muscle and my Level 9 Thunder Stance to do what was, without a doubt, my most powerful attack to date. The spear knocked it aside as if it didn¡¯t even matter. Twisting frantically, I leaned back and brought my right elbow up, the elbow armor with a spike smashing into the spear. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes, 300 meters away, my right side turned to paste, my elbow pad falling to pieces. There was a light dusting of black dust on my left palm, slowly getting blown away by the wind. I stood up, my grin stretching even more wide. But as I did so, as my vision began to grow red, I felt a strange disconnect beginning to form inside of me. -They want to kill me? LET¡¯S SEE THEM TRY. Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 =No, wait. That¡¯s exactly- But I ignored other me, as he voiced direct dissent for the first time, letting the fury build and build. Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 =That attack was on a different level! Who could even do that? It was- Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 Fury +7 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +7 until the Fury degrades. Fury +8 =You idiot! They will kill us like this! I just cackled, my right side slowly reforming, peering through the dust cloud towards my attackers. Jana stood there, tall and straight, holding a blood red spear. And as I watched, several drops curled from the tip and dripped wet and crimson on the ground. Next to her was someone who looked like Jinka¡¯s wizened lizard uncle, slightly sagging but still exuding a dangerous aura. And next to him¡­ Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 My fury spiked upwards, as armless Glovey stood there, blinking black eyes at me, strange strands of darkness drifting too and fro, attached to the stumps of his arms. ¡°They will pay.¡± I hissed, walking forward. Immolation surged to life around me, the wild heat driving me forward. Panting, I almost breathed a sigh of relief, the vicious, soul wrenching pain finally giving me focus. Finally joining with my fury and giving me purpose. But still my mind remained strangely split. For even as I howled and burned, Other Me watched my actions and was filled with hesitation. I began to unsteadily hobble towards Jana, my side slowly healing. And as I did so, I felt other me come to a decision. Notifications began to flit upward in front of me, and be dismissed just as fast, but I largely ignored them, my mouth stretching outward, my eyes locked on Jana¡¯s still form. =I didn¡¯t want to do this without you, but.... Can you even hear me? Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 Fury +8 =....fine. Fury +8 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +8 until the Fury degrades. Fury +9 I felt, rather that saw, Other me reach into the status screen and click level up. That level up I had been saving for days But it felt immensely unimportant as an increasing amount of my vision turned red. Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached level 25. 3299 Biomass has been consumed. Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of ¡°XN-OMEGA-02: Predictive Analytics Model¡± or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement. Retain Growth Rate? Y/N =....it¡¯s probably right to keep it, correct¡­.? Fury +9 Fury +9 Fury +9 =Yes, I know, you don¡¯t even care right now. Congratulations! You have retained the growth rates of a ¡°XN-OMEGA-02: Predictive Analytics Model.¡± 3299 Biomass has been used for 3 Greater Evolution Chances. Vit +9 End +35 Agi +10 Memory +112 Processing Power +143 Wis +62 Timeless Perception +24 Mana +409 Fury +9 Fury +9 Congratulations! You have three chances for Greater Evolution! Initializing first chance¡­ Howling agony filled me, locking my knees and sending me sprawling. I coughed up dark phlegm and blood, struggling to right myself. But while Other Me was briefly insensible from the pain, I was left all alone to balance my body, barely able to function. In a way, it was a blessing that Immolation as on; that constant burn had conditioned me to expect pain to this level. And yet¡­ I screamed, pressed my eyes closed, a strange pressure building behind my brow. But as I was dealing with that pain, I felt it dislodge, sliding to the back of my skull, and then careening down my spine, smashing and eviscerating every nerve along the way. My back was a hollow and empty rod, and any coherent thought I had vanished, in that moment of agony. Time lost meaning, and there was only the burning, the ripping pressure of the evolution moving through my body to settle on the viscous core of Immolation, the two types of pain twining together and slowly whittling away at the edges of my sanity. Then the pain was gone, replaced by spreading relaxation and coolness. Success! Internal synchronicity increased. You have gained the title: ¡°Frozen Hydrogen Reactor¡±. Immolation has changed to ¡°Lunar Fire Immolation.¡± Skill level will remain constant. Frozen Hydrogen Reactor: You now run off of an advanced Reactor Processor Hybrid that increases Processing Power and Maximum Mana. Upon Level up, you will gain 20 Processing Power and 200 Mana per level. Maximum Mana has doubled. Mana Regeneration has dropped to 66% of original amount. This becomes 132% while under the influence of Moonlight. Lunar Fire Immolation Lvl 5. The area of effect of Immolation has doubled. Your body now burns with Lunar fire, a strange form of energy that is simultaneously hot and extremely cold. Enemies touched by immolation will become lit with Lunar Fire, which is extremely difficult to put out. Fury +9 Fury +9 Fury +9 ¡°Fucking other me¡­¡± I muttered, barely able to stand. The flames around me were now a pale blue, and, if possible, were even more painful, as I had to resist the chills on one half of my body, and the scalding heat on the other. More than the pain, it was the fucking shifts that were getting to me. One moment I could manage it, but the next the cold and hot spots had partially switched, leaving me furious. Fury +9 Fury +9 =Hey! At least our mana is vastly increased- -And the regeneration is almost halved¡­ Using immolation becomes a lot less desirable if we are slowly burning through mana constantly, instead of maintaining it. =But in terms of burst power Currently initializing 2nd chance at Greater Evolution! Fury +9 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +9 until the Fury degrades. Fury +10 -And now we are going to be fucking out of commis- The pain hit like a wave of blood, sticky and warm, and within seconds I had lost myself within it. As much as I hated to admit it, the strange hot/cold flashes of Lunar Fire Immolation were useful, as the unpredictability helped shock away the darkness encroaching at the edges of my vision. Perhaps, even more of a blessing, was that this chance passed almost as soon as it had begun, leaving me with a sickening feeling in the back of my neck, as if my brain stem had been struck by a hammer. Greater Evolution failed! Initializing final chance for Greater Evolution... As my vision cleared, I raised my head due to an ominous tickling at the back of my neck, and found Jana, pointing her blood red spear directly at my throat, crossing the distance between us so fast that she was already about to rip me to pieces. My pupils dilated, time slowing around me as I considered my options. Dodging seemed impossible, but I had scarcely thought about it when I discarded that option. Kent had made me back away, and look at where it got me. No, the only way was forward. My grin inched wider. Fury +10 Fury +10 Fury +10 =Hey, don¡¯t do this again. I want to survive! But I ignored Other me, pouring almost the entirety of my newfound mana pool into the largest Floating Pond Beneath the Moon I had ever created. Larger than my next closest probably by 10x. Jana slid closer, but the ground underneath us had already shifted, becoming an endlessly rippling pool of water. Looking down at my feet, I could see the reflection of the bright yellow moon dominating the entire area, and almost against my will, my head slowly rose to gaze at it, the sheer mass of it hanging above me. It only seemed inches away, but somehow I sensed that this was an illusion; it was an impossibly far distance away, but such was its mass that, even from afar, the pressure of it was enough to stifle my breath. Smiling, I broke it, ignoring that insistent ticking on the back of my neck. CRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Precognition Lvl 2¡±. Your sensitivity to incoming danger has increased. It is now possible to differentiate more obviously between different levels of danger. Precognition will now warn you of the danger a fraction of a second earlier. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Spiritual Resistance Lvl 3¡±. Your resiliency against spiritual and mental attacks has increased. You can ignore most weak mental attacks. Recovery time from spiritual wounds has decreased. Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to ¡°Lesser Spiritual Resistance Lvl 4¡±. Your resiliency against spiritual and mental attacks has increased. You can now vaguely sense the origin of mental and spiritual attacks levied against you. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. =...hey, are you alright? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ =Oh shit, the Greater- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ha¡­..AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Fury +10 Fury +10 ¡°Hahahahahahahaha! Did you think¡­ Did you think¡­..?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°No¡­ Kill¡­ Struggle¡­ Strife¡­.¡± Fury +10 Fury +10 Fury +10 Fury +10 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +10 until the Fury degrades. Fury +11 ¡°I¡¯ll rip it all¡­. I¡¯ll kill it all¡­ this pain¡­. is NOTHING.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Fury +11 Fury +11 Fury +11 ¡°THIS WORLD WILL break BEFORE I DO.¡± Congratulations! Natural gifts increased! Mana and Health regen has slightly increased. All stats +10. Parallel Computations +1. #.....? What is this¡­.? Fury +11 Fury +11 Fury +11 Fury +11 Fury +11 Fury +11 Congratulations! You have reached 100 Fury. All stats +11 until the Fury degrades. Fury +12 #....What a bunch of fools¡­. ***POV Ashni*** One moment there was a moon so large and awe inspiring that Ashni would have sworn she was back within the Deep Lands of Tellus, the next everything was shattered and her perception went dark. The ground quaked and splintered, it was all she could do to stay latched onto her chosen patch of ground in the aftermath. Waves of force rolled outward, and Ashni paled as she realized that some of those waves of force were not physical, but spiritual and were quickly eroding her consciousness. As she struggled to maintain her focus, Ashni sent up a brief prayer for Whipman, who had been moving desperately to help Predator. She dearly hoped that he hadn¡¯t gotten near enough to enter that strange zone of death beneath the moon. Slowly, the rumbling stopped, allowing Ashni to straighten and get to her unsteady feet, gazing around. Before this, although most of the fort had been leveled by the various fights, this area was still a raised plateau, giving a good view of the surrounding area. Now there was a large crater in the middle, extending down below the range of Ashni¡¯s vision, into darkness. And the far side of the plateau was apparently structurally weakened to such a decree that it was sliding down and away, slipping into the marsh. Feeling two oppressive presences appearing, Ashni stilled as much as she could, hiding her aura. But those two, strange, warped creatures that appeared to have once been members of the challenger party, ignored her, instead peering into the crater. ¡°Well that was somewhat surprising,¡± The one in Jinka¡¯s body said, his voice coming out surprisingly feminine. ¡°To think little Predator had that in him. Is Morgana alright?¡± Diver¡¯s body, with its strange stubs of arms and tentacles of darkness extending outwards, was silent for several seconds. During that time, the tentacles reached downward into the crater, seemingly examining the situation. ¡°...Morgana lives, but she¡¯s struggling to hold her body together.She has become quite fond of it. Surprising.¡± Diver¡¯s lips barely moved as he spoke, and this voice, too, was quite feminine. Jinka glanced over his (her?) shoulder, looking around, and then grimaced. ¡°...Ketlia has confirmed that there have been no bites as of yet, but that our target is in an emotional and confused state. We are going to have to go in and pull him out if we want to affect her.¡± Diver nodded, and the two began to walk towards the crater. ¡°I think not.¡± Both froze, and turned slowly around. As Ashni followed their gaze, her eyes went wide. A mass of pearlescent, luminescent mist hovered there, which Ashni swiftly recognized as Predator¡¯ lunar mist. But why¡­.? As the three of them watched, the lunar mist grew and grew, becoming a vast cloud bank, and then condensed, forming into a figure. Predator. He calmly gazed at Jinka and Diver, his gaze serious, quite different from his normal attitude. Jinka tilted her head to the side. ¡°A form of condensed lunar energy? Did you really think that can stop us? Mosslar, you go on ahead, I¡¯ll take care of this one here.¡± Predator snorted. ¡°Normally, you¡¯d be right, but today I must be serious, cleaning up the mess my two fellows have left for me. So I would sink to a low that I find¡­ distasteful, but will be more than enough to deal with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Diver sneered, stepped forward and sending several tendrils of darkness shooting toward Predator. ¡°Then try and stop this.¡± As they shot forward, the tentacles of darkness morphed and condensed, growing vicious horns and spines, spinning towards Predator. He shook his head, seemingly extremely disappointed, and leaned forward, rummaging in the rubble for several seconds. Then he straightened, holding within his hands a brightly glowing short sword. ¡°So it comes to this¡­while those two hog the main body, I am naught but lunar energy...¡± he muttered with half closed eyes. Then his eyes, also condensed from lunar mist, snapped open, and he disappeared in a clap of thunder. Ashni¡¯s mind went blank. That movement¡­. Was just using the 1st level of Thunder Stance¡­.?!?!! Ashni had never even seen her father¡¯s master move with that sort of deadly grace, but as Predator appeared in front of Diver with a clap of thunder, thrusting forward with a short sword towards Diver¡¯s panicking face, there was no doubt in Ashni¡¯s mind: he had reached Level 9 of Thunder stance, just a hair away from mastery. The blow was met by a hastily constructed shield of darkness, but that shattered like brittle pottery, and the sword slashed forward, aimed to sink right between Diver¡¯s eyes, sliding into his brain. But the small delay was enough, allowing Diver to leap to the side, out of the way of the blow. Predator hopped twice, letting his momentum carry him further, and then settled between the two figures and the crater. Adjusting his stance, he allowed himself a small smile. ¡°This borrowed ¡®Truth¡¯... is more than enough to kill the likes of you.¡± Status Update Well, I accidentally put a chapter from the wrong series here, so I might as well edit it and provide the people who enjoy this series some explanation. I don''t want to say that I''m dropping The Great Tower, but it is on hiatus. As I''ve said in the comments, I can''t wrap everything up how I want it to, and I scrapped a lot of the final chapter I had written. For now, I''m started a low stress project to help clear my headspace, and then I''ll try again. I''m just not sure how long that will take.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Essentially, the longer I write with the Great Tower, the more plot weight I start to carry, just a combination of ideas about things and dialogue snippets and directions I want to go. Too much and I get writers block, or am too stressed to start writing. Which is why I''ve sometimes taken a few months off, allowing myself to forget all of that Plot Weight, and start again. I suspect this is one of those cases, but this time I at least pivotted swiftly into writing something else, and if anything, my words per day has risen, so I haven''t fallen off a cliff. But thanks to everyone who has supported me and this story. You will get the chapters you want eventually, I promise.