《Crazy Diamonds》 Prologue - The MC is a Bitch. ¡°Not in a thousand reincarnations, loser¡± she replied as the boy¡¯s youthful eyes broke into tears just like an ox¡¯s bones are crushed by an anaconda snake. ¡°W¡­ Sarah¡­ But i¡­¡± he reacted, appalled by her words. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand my language? We¡¯re done here. I don¡¯t care if you jerk off to my photos or if you put down a shrine to worship my image, i don¡¯t want anything to do with you¡±. He was Jacob, Sarah¡¯s admirer since childhood. He always saw her as a sweet, meek girl that would never talk to anybody and end up with no friends. She wasn¡¯t all that beautiful, just a weenie above average with her cut short brown hair, fair skin and nice legs. Nonetheless, he liked the hardworking Sarah that always tried for perfection, striving for the top in anything she was seriously into. Although she had a difficult time with biology and chemistry, Sarah was magnificent at math, history and geography, all the while holding an exquisite talent for arts ¨C mainly drawing and painting. Jacob liked her strong will and superior intellect. To spend most of his time alongside her, he signed for the same cram school and took interest into her favorite games: chess, checkers, backgammon and poker. Recently, he had noticed she was being drawn to MMORPGs too and was thinking of starting to play a new one with her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that on his past eight years he was living a lie. ¡°Sarah¡­ You weren¡¯t like that¡­ How did you change so much¡­¡± ¡°I''ve always been like this. Now quit your dreaming, i¡¯m going to be late¡± ¡°I refuse¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I refuse¡­ I refuse to believe it. You are not like that, my eyes weren¡¯t wrong about you. I won¡¯t give up on you Sarah, not yet!¡± As snot came out of his red sniffing nose, Jacob turned tail and ran, his tears streaming down by his dark face and being swept away by the running wind of that sunny day, which by the way also blew off his cap, but he didn¡¯t dare come back and have to face her once more. Sarah just stood there reactionless. When she confirmed the boy was nowhere to be seen, a subtle change appeared on her face. It was a smile, a devious smile hiding underneath her soft red lips, and slit eyes narrower than a fox¡¯s. She was amused, a pleasurable feeling ran through her every particle as she lightly chuckled, her pale white hand concealing her actions. His suffering was her delight. 1st Issue - Sarahs Room & Talisman LetMeKeelYou: You have been warned the MC is a bitch. Well, now i''m gonna say there''s torture, humiliation (some gore maybe, but not certain), and tragedy tag isn''t just a passerby. Oh yeah, and i know jack shit about coding, i''ll probably look into it and try making blue panels for system messages, although it would be nice if anyone tell me how to. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sarah climbed the stairs and opened the door that led to her apartment. Tiny rooms were linked by aluminum arches with half-moon casements at the top. Windows were part of each one of them, although only that of the main hall ¨C which directed to the front door ¨C remained open, the sun¡¯s heavenly shine reaching the wooden floor diagonally, creating a feeling of a safe haven amidst the silent darkness. Minus the floor, everything was made of a pure white and things were arranged neatly, like a hospital, or a hospice even. Her quiet steps resounded, hitting the thin walls, as she entered her room and went to take a bath. It wasn¡¯t like a usual teenager¡¯s room. If anything, it was a plain office room with only the necessary. The cellphone was up in the desk, near the computer. Her black leather bag was leaning on the chair¡¯s leg. The windows were shut and the curtains didn¡¯t allow any light to intrude. The shelves were swarming with books lined in alphabetical order, clean papers, cans of ink, pencils, pens and other materials of the sort. The wardrobe occupied little space, as she didn¡¯t have too much a variety of clothes. She didn¡¯t like fancy things or stamps, rather preferring more comfortable and simple attire, so long as they were clean and looked well on her figure. Her bed mattress was as stiff as an iron bar and was positioned near the window, so that she could feel the cool breeze of the night. The canvas covered a blank door in which she kept her game boards, paintings, drawings and items she could make use of. Like a gun. But worry not, she wouldn¡¯t go Billy the Kid out in the streets, it was for self-defense. As the drops of water stopped flowing down her body like a cascade, she seized a towel to dry herself. She walked, underlying her feet with sandals, looked at the mirror, combed her silky hair as to make it symmetric, and then got out of the bathroom. As she covered her body mechanically, the doorbell rang, followed by a rash knocking. ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly!¡± she responded in a high tone, but without hurrying herself. In fact, Sarah slowed down a bit to make sure of appearing presentable. As she clipped the distance to the door, she carefully slid an upper layer, revealing a tiny crevice in which the eyes could see through. ¡°Hello? We''ve come to deliver a package for Miss Sarah Maxwell. Is she home right now?¡± Sarah sized up the two men that stood there clothed in blue uniforms and black shoes, a small rectangular box on the ground. She turned the doorknob and let them in. ¡°Hi, i¡¯m Sarah Maxwell. Please come in and drop the box on the second room to the right. You may set up the machine near the bed.¡± As she finished signing some documents, she went to see the one that entered the room. They were done unpacking it and were now putting together the parts. It was the console for Talisman, a game that hit the market just recently. VR Games, although new and interesting, were still in development. They were released not long ago, a year or so, and the high attached price made them unaffordable for the majority of people, Sarah included. Even renting one would be too costly in a long time perspective. Talisman could be played on any machine released at the time, but the developer¡¯s console was made especially for it, with just enough space to harbor the game and some extra for new contents and updates. The parts, however, were made of cheaper materials, which meant they were less durable than a normal console¡¯s. You could say it was an alternative option rather than the optimal one. As they tested and confirmed its functionality, they were taken outside, bidding their farewells. ¡°Remember, if there¡¯s anything wrong with the product, you may check the guide on Console Problems and follow the instructions. If nothing works, call the company and we¡¯ll send someone to look into it. The number is specified on that same section of the guide, as well as the helmet¡± ¡°Thank you for choosing our services, have a good day¡± Sarah waved at them with an uninterested look, then closed the door as soon as they were off. She walked calmly to the room and looked at the console. The helmet protruded multiple cables connected to a single source. In a way, it looked like jellyfish. Lying over the bed sheets, she put the helmet and turned the machine on, an iron wind noise throbbing below. Everything faded, like entering into a deep sleep.
Welcome to Talisman, we will guide you into creating a character, an avatar that you¡¯ll incorporate during your entire journey. Touch the screen to proceed.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sarah woke in a blank space with no horizon, she moved a little bit, flexed her arms and fingers, looked at herself and then at the blue screen at head-level. She lifted her arm and touched it with her fingertip. It undulated like shallow waters, then slid to the air, disappearing.
By manipulating the options, you¡¯ll be able to model your character. Be aware that features such as weight, height, conceptual beauty and other aspects will affect the way some in-game abilities and mechanics interact with your character. For instance, a character with a high weight number would be less likely to be toppled, but would also move slower. Gender is part of such features, but it can only be changed under special circumstances.
First off, Sarah chose her ascendance, Fairy. Under the explained bonuses, fairies learned all skills 10% quicker at the expense of suffering physical damage with a 0.25 damage multiplier. One couldn¡¯t turn around the tables by making the fairy the tiny insect we know about ¨C it would only make it as squishy as a bug, getting them absolutely annihilated by any area skill in the game and whoever knows what they¡¯re doing, really. Sarah changed herself very little as she didn¡¯t want to lose time in the character creation panel, just tweaking her hair for it to be wavy and scalloped with a distinct gleam. Afterwards, she removed the wings ¨C they looked cool, but she thought it would be a pain to have the pair weighting on her back. The system, however, didn¡¯t allow her to completely take them down, making it so that the wings were broken, showing a few shattered feathers like a tree¡¯s dead branches.
Now that you finished creating your character, you must name it
A digital keyboard showed up and she typed something: Mnemosyne.
With this, your character is complete. Now you must choose your soulmate, a companion that will follow you in your adventures
Most of them were known animals. She was trying to decide between the fox and the wolf, but ultimately chose the latter. The wolf was proud and cunning, but not as ferocious as a wild one.
Soulmates can¡¯t be named till they develop a personality of their own. They will evolve based on your playstyle and on the way you interact with it
The wolf surged from the terrain, like being born from earth. It was attentive and its eyes were harsh. Sarah tried calling it to her side with a hand sign, and it strode decisively to her right. She then caressed its head to feel the fur as she read through another panel. It was warm and furry.
Before you begin playing, you need to choose a Talisman. Talismans are special items that may appear in a myriad of forms, such as jewelry and miscellaneous objects like a doll. They don¡¯t weigh anything and offer bonuses if specific circumstances are met. Only one talisman may be active at a time
There were four initial talismans: Sol, Ducta Luna, Quaternum and Klos. The Sol talisman was a black jewel amulet that shone brightly under the sun and increased overall damage if the player¡¯s temperature was high enough. Ducta Luna was a stone compass that enhanced vision on dark places. Quaternum was a tattered book with scribbled pages so old it would crumble to the touch. It improved gold given from NPCs through sales while also lowering item prices, both for a fixed amount that increased a little bit for each level. Klos was a torn-out page in which was drawn a circumscribed pentagram and writings in an unknown language. It decreased mana cost for skills while reducing their cast time. Since their requirements were low or none at all, they were called unspecialized talismans. Sarah, or rather Mnemosyne, was puzzled as to which one she would choose. In the end, Quaternum was her choice. It was the most balanced option and also the best one for beginners.
This ends the character creation. You will now be ported to Ziemia, the starting city for fairies. Enjoy the game!
2nd Issue - Sarahs Diamonds & Murder of a Tree LetMeKeelYou: I have a feeling many will start to drop it from this chapter. Oh well, enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mnemosyne¡¯s body turned into burning paper whose ashes scattered to the wind. A strange, lukewarm feeling ran through her head and she closed her eyes for a moment to better enjoy that sweet numbness. Turning back time, all of her missing pieces retorted to their original state. She was now inside the world of Talisman. Ziemia was a cheerful town out in the woods, home to many magical creatures, such as fairies, elfs and forest spirits. Houses could vary a lot. Fairies lived mostly in trees. Their houses could be either made at the top of them, arranged in very small ones that looked like dollhouses or directly inside them with an entrance at their feet. Elfs lived either near fairy settlements, in natural houses made of earth and sustained by roots of colossal willows, or ones that resulted of their own efforts. Forest spirits and the rest of the other species lived in the wild, spread all over the territory. Mnemosyne was bellow a giant tree whose branches plumped with leaves, knitting a maze of shadows over the forest. Smaller fairies burned their light at its top like fireflies, the damp morning sending a refreshing breeze every now and then. There were people chatting, spectral beings coming and going like ghosts, kids playing around chasing each other, druids and mages immersed in their studies and cultivating their spells, as well as herbalists, travelling merchants and adventurers with their bows and oak staffs - few with light swords that didn¡¯t seem metallic - directly followed by their gleeful companions. If there was a peaceful place, it was there. At least that¡¯s what it appeared to be like. Mnemosyne planted a long, deep stare into that scene of pure joy. It was plain boring. She moved her hand and the wolf instinctively went for it, being petted gently like one would handle a purring cat. ¡°Look, little one. This is what they call happiness. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± the wolf didn¡¯t question itself when it agreed with its master ¨C it was in a bliss. ¡°I¡¯m pleased with that answer. But you see, happiness is like a diamond¡­ Its durability is the greatest, its shine is the brightest. But if struck at the right angle it will break as easily as glass¡± She then lightly pinched the wolf¡¯s ear, gradually applying more pressure, which left it uncomfortable. ¡°It is something so valuable people would be willing to kill for it¡­¡± The wolf endured the pain as it seeped through its sensible ears and redirected to its body, blood sprinkles mashing his greyed out fur. ¡°And die for it¡­¡± its heartbeat increased as Mnemosyne almost tore a hole with her fingernails, putting so much force her own hand was trembling. She only stopped when the wolf gave in to the horrifying pain and sounded a low yelp. Seeing her soulmate¡¯s struggle, she faintly smiled and started caring for its wounded ear. ¡°Do you understand?¡± It barely looked into her eyes as it nodded and started walking behind her trail. Mnemosyne headed straight out of town, paving her way by crushing under her steps dead leaves and dried out branches that fell during autumn. Were it dismembered parts of rotting corpses, she would wear the same cold, unfazed expression. Maybe some inches of disgust from the putrid smell, but that was it. ¡°You know, one day I was watching a comedy show¡­ Not that you know what it is, but anyway¡­ There was that one joke that got me perked up, care to listen?¡± The wolf was more composed. Its headstrong nature wouldn¡¯t let it be shaken by a busted ear. It was a sensation akin to shame, for showing weakness in the presence of its master. Its silence came as an answer and her lips drew an angelic voice. The sound came as a lullaby for the warm hearted, but in reality it carried indifference for the past and the premise of an unavoidable future. ¡°He said that it¡¯s kind of ironic that the handle of an axe created to cut down trees is made of these very same trees¡­ Now imagine if trees were living persons, who bled through their wounded barks and screamed their dreadful pains.¡± ¡°It would be something like: i will kill you with your mother¡¯s dead body¡±. She chuckled at the idea and moved to the next area. The wolf was now more cheerful and had completely forgotten about his ear, which was steadily regenerating. Mnemosyne stopped abruptly, almost out of the safe zone. ¡°I wonder¡­ Is there anything crueler than that?¡± They came to a halt with the sight of the pale shade of what was once a great, exuberant tree. It looked to be completely hollow. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Claw your way through its skin.¡± The wolf didn¡¯t understand the order at first, but did it anyway. Mnemosyne¡¯s tale was ingrained inside it like the scripture of a wedding band, and it started to feel rather strange by peeling the tree¡¯s shell with his sharp weapons. Soon enough, his strength vanished. The tree wailed, like a bleating man on his last days. It moved alongside the wind, Mother Nature shedding tears at her child¡¯s suffering. ¡°Why have you stopped, wolf?¡± The animal stared at her with its puppy eyes that begged for a stop. Although it didn¡¯t fathom why, harming the tree felt wrong. Mnemosyne¡¯s frozen sharp eyes glared down at it with ridicule, indulging the beast to proceed with the task. As the wolf lashed at the bark furiously, sinking its claws deep into the crying tree, the screams became louder and louder, attracting wandering forest sprites. It was a monster named Deadly Branch ¨C it didn¡¯t harm anyone, was very difficult to destroy and its moans called to nearby enemies. They were inhabitants of the heart of the forest ¨C or maybe they were that very same heart. All of them moved from one place to another while looking at the wolf¡¯s desperate attempts to finish off the wood monster. Ascending to the skies, their ethereal humanoid forms shaped into piercing bulbs of light that moved in high velocity, producing the chaotic symphony of a Banshee¡¯s worries. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, keep going¡± she said, while the green shining spheres passed through the wolf¡¯s body, provoking deep wounds. It followed its master¡¯s orders, ignoring the unhindered sprites as they skewed it with cuts, bruises and burns. The faster their attacks became, the fiercer turned the wolf who was almost fainting from exhaustion, losing itself to the heat of battle. The high pitched sound of the sprites kept going, their brilliance exploding like a second Sun near the animal as the tree screamed desperately in its final breaths. The monster was killed, but the wolf was long lost. Its image became a faint celestial body, generating stars that disappeared into the air. The sprites didn¡¯t bother attacking the fairy, as she wasn¡¯t directly related to the combat. Mnemosyne walked to the wolf¡¯s aid, laying it on her legs and caressing its battered body. The poor thing had passed out. ¡°Good boy¡­ Good boy¡­ Shhh, now you must rest a little¡­¡± Her tender lips met his forehead as it disintegrated completely, overridden by a system message.
Your soulmate has died. As penalty, it can¡¯t be summoned for at least two hours.
¡°Now then¡­ Let¡¯s check for rewards¡± Mnemosyne pulled herself up and inspected the monster¡¯s corpse.
Living Log (12): Log obtained from a living tree. Its bark is as white as milk, but its insides are darker than night itself. At a closer look, there¡¯s a strange image that resembles a human face carved in it, which suggests it was once a human.
Ruined Sap (1): Thick black sap that may curse the blood of those affected by it.
Sarah was more interested in teaching her soulmate and watching its development rather than anything else. She guided Mnemosyne back to Ziemia, where she sold the logs to a general store for 2 Elven Wood coins, a currency widely used in the area, equivalent to 150 copper coins each, for a total of 3 silver. It was thanks to the uncanny quality of the Living Logs and to Quaternum, who boosted sales for 5 copper, giving an extra 60 copper. She went to the alchemy shop and bought the basic equipment and starting herbs. She didn¡¯t bother doing quests at the moment ¨C NPCs were way too boring to deal with. No matter how much they were made to appear real, there would always be that lingering feeling of talking to a machine, someone who can¡¯t act natural. Even soulmates, if poorly raised, would give off that tedious aura, and that was not something she wished for her own. No, Sarah¡¯s toy needed to be broken to pieces and rearranged multiple times until she was satisfied. She logged out and called it a day - after all, she had other issues to attend to and the amount of time someone could play continually was limited so as not to harm the body. 3rd Issue - Sarahs Part Time Job & Jacobs Persistence Sarah was wearing sunglasses, a white jacket and black trousers with lace ups. The man in front of her was chubby, wore a suit and smoked a cigarette. He held his cigarette near the mouth, looked at every person sitting there and pushed all of his chips to the center, making for a huge prize. ¡°I¡¯m out¡­¡± said the man to his left during his turn. ¡°Out¡± complied the woman playing at his side. The next one didn¡¯t even say anything. He was so much in the red he couldn¡¯t muster any words to show his spirit - or the lack of it. His money has been sucked dry and the same thing happened to four of the players. Only Sarah had actually won something, and that guy who was so filthy rich losing meant nothing. She took a brief moment to think, but her decision came to be since the moment that chubby bastard put all of his cash in the game. It was just for the sake of fun, creating pressure for those who didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back. She plucked all of her chips and dumped then in the bowl. Everyone immediately stared at her with eyes filled by astonishment. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Sarah and the man called King were the actual players on that table, the others were just small fry. The thing is, it was Sarah¡¯s first time on that gambling house ¨C her face has never been seen there. She was a stranger that appeared out of nowhere and swallowed them all like a hungry carnivorous. And if she played her cards the right way, would also disappear just like that. The stacks were raised to the max. Aside her, none dared to go all out. It was a fight between a shark and a whale, a confrontation even idle players and house attendants decided to watch. The 5 cards on the table were all revealed, if King called all in, who would be crazy to go into it? This fear induced a stupid way of thinking. But Sarah wasn¡¯t stupid. The second the man looked at her eyes, he handed himself over. It was something few people could notice, and rather hard to pick up on a seasoned player, but without a doubt it was there. He grimaced. It was just for a millisecond, but he grimaced. Not to any of them, but to Sarah, the only one he knew would dare call him on his game. It was a bluff. ¡°Reveal your hands.¡± Hearing the announcement, the two of them lowered their cards on the table and all gaped in awe. Royal Straight Flush, the strongest hand in the game. She had it hidden under her sleeves the entire time. Sarah gobbled up all of his money, cashed it in and left the gambling house before anyone could notice what had just happened. ¡°W¡­Wait a minute! You there! Who the hell are you?!¡± yelled King carrying his wounded pride, but Sarah didn¡¯t even turn to look at his face, laughing heartily at his despair. The man now was running out to catch her, but it was useless. She had disappeared into the dark streets. He was a fool that made a dangerous play for no real money. High risk, low reward. That wasn¡¯t the first time Sarah entered a gambling house with a false identity, tricked someone into losing their money and got out unscathed, never to be seen again. After nights such as these, she would go to an Italian food stall near her house and order some fried rice balls. The sun was sleeping and nightlife was at its peak. She hurriedly walked, not to reach home too late. And there it was, Dennis¡¯s food stall. It was open during the morning and late at night, his main source of income was students and people from the neighborhood, but his food was good enough for him to put down a successful restaurant and attend to a larger public. Whenever someone suggested it, though, he would say the stall was just fine. It was a neat and clean place, although the booth needed a hand of paint. There hasn¡¯t been anyone for some time, Dennis was thinking on packing his stuff and going home, but then he saw Sarah¡¯s figure ¨C she was always dressed in shady clothes, just like the day of her first order. His stamina rocketed up at the sight of an old sponsor. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Sarah, girl! I¡¯ve got homemade potato croquettes!¡± he shouted while leaning his arm on the wooden balcony, she gave a quick motion in response. ¡°Two croquettes, aye?¡± bringing about a pretty box, he took the croquettes and began to lightly heat them on a sheet. ¡°Get me a Bellini¡± ¡°You know i can¡¯t be selling this to a minor, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Shut up and fill that glass already¡± Dennis laughed as he prepared the Bellini. In his eyes, legal drinking age was sixteen. Plus, he knew Sarah wouldn¡¯t rat on him anyway. ¡°So¡­ What is snow white doing in such late hours?¡± ¡°I work on night shift¡± she replied, remembering the chubby man¡¯s crunched face as she trampled his honor. It was worth more than the money. ¡°Theeere it go. It¡¯s on the house!¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered but i prefer paying¡± ¡°Well, i won¡¯t push it!¡± Sarah looked at the pink colored liquid filling the glass. She then took a refreshing sip and a bite of the croquette. It was truly delicious. ¡°Sarah¡­ Is that an alcohol drink?¡± She closed her eyes, enjoying the delicate flavor, and opened its lids in slow motion. ¡°It¡¯s just peach juice with sparkling water¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it would acquire this color¡± ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a bad student¡± she gulped down the glass¡¯s content and snatched another bite at the croquette. The guy took a seat near her and ordered the same thing she had asked for. ¡°What is it, Jacob?¡± ¡°¡­ Sarah, i¡¯m willing to do anything to stay with you. Won¡¯t you at least give me a chance?¡± he said, his serious eyes trying to delve into her soul. ¡°Jacob¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± Sarah finished the croquette, wrapping the other on a napkin, and approached the boy all of a sudden, making him flustered. ¡°Would you be willing to kill someone to stay near me?¡± Jacob¡¯s hands sunk down and his pupils widened in surprise. He was caught off guard - surely he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I thought so. Farewell, Jacob¡±. She dropped the money on the balcony and left without a word spoken. ¡°Sarah! Why do you do this to me?!¡± he shouted at a distance, trying to catch her attention. She stopped midway and stole a quick glance at him. ¡°The right question would be¡­ Jacob, why do you do this to yourself?¡± Sarah left him to his doubts and climbed the stairs to her apartment, turning the lights on as soon as she got in. She was tired of dealing with conceited opponents in poker, although she was quite grateful for them to exist ¨C that way, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about money for a long time. She moved the canvas to the left, removed the blank door and pulled a painting from the hall within, revealing a safe. She then withdrew chunks and more chunks of green papers from her bag, opened the lock and shoved all inside it. There were at least two more of those safes hidden in the house. Arranging things back to their original state, Sarah stripped her clothes on the floor, dropped her glasses at the bed and took a bath before going back to Talisman. 4th Issue - Sarahs Levelling Method & Stat Adjustment LetMeKeelYou: I kinda had an accident yesterday and injured some back muscles (it happened all of a sudden). I don''t know why but since then i''ve been depressed for no apparent reason and i think it''s affecting the chapters (i''m seeing everything as just bland and uninteresting, which leads me to think my chaps will come out like that). So i''ll stick with rereading them and there''s the chance they will be heavily editted once i get out of this. Enjoy the chapter! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The moon watched from afar behind its wall of clouds as Mnemosyne spread out a mat on the ground for her bowl and pestle. She had spent all of her money into it, plus some flasks and a small batch of herbs. If possible she¡¯d buy more, but that would do. Since Talisman was an open world, you could use anything in any way you wanted ¨C of course, there would be no guarantee it would work. So if you dropped a sword from a monster, for instance, all you¡¯d get from inspecting it was an in-game description of its shape, sharpness and other information that may or may not be useful, like its origins. If you used that sword as a one-handed weapon, you would discover its attributes as a one-handed weapon and that was it. Independently, for more accurate information, you¡¯d need to use it in the specific way multiple instances, as it didn¡¯t give numbers right off the bat. The same thing applied to skills. It would be different, though, if you bought it from a NPC or from another person, as previous recorded information would appear available. It was a strange kind of mechanic that showed players the world wasn¡¯t the only thing to explore, but also all that existed within it. As such, there were mainly two kinds of players: those that focused on hunting for talismans and discovering the functionality of items and those who focused on developing their soulmates to the best of their abilities. Mnemosyne mixed together Mambala Fruit, a blue apple shaped fruit with small healing capabilities, and Oxys Herb, a glowing plant with strong poisonous roots that chipped away at someone¡¯s health bar. She crushed the fruit on the bowl and used the pestle to mash the herb with it, making for a strange cyan paste. To make it drinkable, she kept squelching it till the paste acquired texture of a liquid, then poured it into a round flask.
You have created a new kind of potion. Its recipe will be available in your Alchemy Notes
??? Potion: A potion with an enrapturing color and fragrant smell.
Mnemosyne slowly spun the flask, examining the mysterious potion, letting a single drop of it touch the ground. At first, the grass covering it glowed calmly, like a shining bubble of fluctuating light. One second after, it turned black and dry, squirming itself into a crooked shape and crumbling like the sands of an ancient tomb. Once again, she looked at the flask¡¯s content.
Ravishment Potion (weak): A potion with an enrapturing color and fragrant smell. It will drain the life of its victim while giving a pleasurable feeling which gradually turns into intense pain.
¡°¡­ My, that¡¯s just perfect!¡± Mnemosyne stared at the wolf with a playful smile, extending the flask in front of it. ¡°Here, it¡¯s for you.¡± The wolf peered into the liquid tortuously. It wouldn¡¯t drink poison on its own accord. Its master grew cold, dilating her pupils in what looked like a death glare. ¡°If you don¡¯t drink it, i will be really sad¡­¡± The animal still refused to do it. Mnemosyne then stuck her hand at the wolf¡¯s jaw and opened its mouth wide, forcing the liquid inside it with brutish complacency. ¡°Why did you make me to do it? Truly disappointing¡­¡± A wandering elf passed by them as he noticed the wolf¡¯s beautiful sheen. He had never seen something like that before. ¡°Is that your soulmate? I have a wolf too, though i lost it in battle. How did you make him become like that?¡± he asked, amazed by the staggering view. ¡°Oh, this¡­ It¡¯s really a shame, but he¡¯s under the effect of some poison. It makes it glow like this in the beginning¡­ But then its body would turn black and that would be the end.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, sorry¡­ Best of luck for you guys, then.¡± As the elf continued to walk his way, he stole a glance at the flask with a blue liquid dripping on the ground. The grass beneath it turned the same color as the wolf. He then ventured his eyes near the extended mat ¨C alchemy materials. She was the one who brewed the venomous potion. As he silently enlarged the distance between the two of them, sweat coming out of his pale face, he blew a sigh out of his shivering lungs. He had seen people treating their soulmates harshly with very different results, but feeding them poison? That was a first. ¡°What the hell was that¡­ Did she actually poison her own soulmate? No¡­ It can¡¯t be.¡± He comforted himself with that vague idea and went his own way. Other people also came to notice the wolf¡¯s appearance, but they weren¡¯t as interested in it ¨C it was late at night, there were fewer players online and the wolf wasn¡¯t such a popular choice in this area. Maybe one or another recognized the potion¡¯s side effects, but none said a thing on the matter. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Mnemosyne petted the wolf who was feeling great by then, a smile protruding on her face. ¡°See? It doesn¡¯t feel that bad, does it? Now then¡­ We¡¯ll need to find something to purify your body with. Unfortunately, Mambala and Oxys is all i have¡­¡± ¡°What i am saying is¡­ Find the antidote before you die. Can you do this?¡± Its weary eyes felt a twinge of sadness as it concurred to its master. What choice did it have on the matter? None at all ¨C it was either that or dying. From 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. monsters would offer 20% more exp. That was mainly because of working people that didn¡¯t have too much time to spare. It was past nine, the blazing lights that illuminated fairy houses quickly vanished from sight as the darkness enveloped the wolf¡¯s glowing fur. There, in the entrails of the forest, they met their first preys ¨C other wolfs. It didn¡¯t hold any empathy towards its kind, and when Mnemosyne commanded it to tear through their flesh and bones, it did so without any regrets. The wolf¡¯s phantasmagoric sight burned with the color of blood it bathed into as the entire pack came rushing to stop it. One of these stray dogs tried reaching for its master, but it was useless ¨C it was sent soaring through the skies with one straight kick to the chest at the moment it jumped on her, getting torn to pieces by the ferocious soulmate. One, two, three. They kept falling like pigs to the slaughter.
Your character level has gone up by one!
¡°Keep going till there¡¯s nothing left!¡± And none were left alive. The wolf stood atop the carcass of its enemies as the sole survivor, the King of the Mountain. ¡°You can go out on your own. I will inspect their bodies for anything useful¡± The soulmate roared in agreement, parting from Mnemosyne as she glanced at the cold vessels which pumped no life.
Wolf Meat (7): The bloodiest, freshest wolf meat you¡¯ll ever find in the market.
Wolf Fang (3): Not as sharp as it used to be, but strong nonetheless.
Raw Leather (5): Warm enough to keep you alive during the winter.
The girl tried squeezing the meat for every drop of red fluid it was worth, filling to the brim two of the bottles.
Wolf Blood (2): Smells bad and tastes awful. Even a vampire couldn¡¯t drink it.
Pouring one glass on the bowl, she mixed it with the ravishment potion to no avail. All it did was change the color from a faint cyan blue to an odd burgundy. Reaching for the next area, an entirely new batch of corpses was ripe for the taking.
Forest Sprite¡¯s Powder: Remains of an eccentric spirit.
Spider Silk: Rather sticky, but durable.
She opted for following the path of carnage left behind by her companion ¨C it was killing things faster than she had planned. Could it be it was already developing? That was really fast. A stiffened growl echoed from further into the woods. It was reaching the boundaries of life and that same dark place humans desperately try to avoid. As Mnemosyne hurried to its deathbed, the wolf had crippled itself to the ashen ground, its static body helplessly waiting for the moment the cringing pain would cease.
Your soulmate has died. As penalty, it can¡¯t be summoned for at least four hours.
¡°That¡¯s a pity¡­ We¡¯ll continue our search tomorrow then¡±. She opened her status screen before logging out. Sarah had thought about it and throwing herself to the pit that was fighting off monsters wasn¡¯t her style ¨C she¡¯d rather use more subtle ways to control the flow of the battle. So what did she invest into? Power, the attribute directly related to raw damage ¨C both physical and magical. Intellect, the attribute connected to learning expertise and spiritual power. Agility, the attribute for those who wish for faster movements and breaking the limits of the body. Luck, the attribute that spoke for itself ¨C it affected the game in a multitude of ways people could only dream of. Vitality, the direct opposite of power. It reflected all the numbers put into defense. She dropped every single point in intellect and disconnected right after. 5th Issue - Sarahs Paintings & The Bulging Hatred LetMeKeelYou: Turns out my depression and blurry sight were possible side effects of my medicine (which explains why i was feeling like the world was devoid of any meaning). I¡¯m still feeling like that, but it¡¯s great to know i didn¡¯t turn emo and that i can blame my lack of interest in something else rather than me becoming a boring person. Best regards! P.S: I¡¯m gonna give more focus to the game on the next few chapters, then add a real-life scene here and there (i mean, our girl is still level 2 after all). Plus i don''t want tragedy and romance to develop faster than her game character. BTW: For those that didn''t see last chapter''s edit, i was planning to make a school scene, but changed my mind. But worry not, it''s nothing worth reading again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A keen beep sound poked twice at the room¡¯s walls. Not one second later Sarah¡¯s eyelids rose, revealing her frozen stiff eyeballs. She slept as soundly as a cat and just as aware of her surroundings. She was so quiet and delicate in that immobile state, that weakened state that made her look like a porcelain doll whose grace would never fade, preserved by the sands of time. Beautiful and harmless, like a flower. In the same spectrum, ugly and rotten inside, like a cadaver out of the morgue. It was early in the morning, she washed her face and went to the kitchen for breakfast. She took the previous night¡¯s croquette out of the fridge and heated it in the microwave for a short while, dropping a cup near the coffee maker as steam generated from the dark liquid filling it. Sarah enjoyed her brief meal while thinking about how to open that boring Sunday with something interesting to do. She had very limited options: playing, studying, drawing or painting. Truly, she was falling to the rut, but that wasn¡¯t so bad considering she would never change her ways. The paintings and drawings she showed everyone else were of sheer happiness, brimming with warmth and nurturing feelings. What did Sarah paint when she was alone? Why did she choose to hide her finished works inside that room, closed shut with all of her favorite things? Was it something so sick and disturbing that would expose her to foreign eyes? Surprisingly not. No matter how much she tried to martyrize her surrealistic world, it would survive the onslaught of her hurricane with its own wrath. They were hidden away because they displayed the struggle to recreate the unsightly realm reflected on her eyes. Sarah dressed a white shirt and an apron, selected a few cans of ink and paint-brushes, and started raining the blank frame of the canvas with dark colors. She had no idea as to what would become of it, and couldn¡¯t care less ¨C as long as it was filled with hatred. Her long brush clashed down like a blacksmith¡¯s hammer, lacerating the bestial black and azure blue. With the other hand, she cut down straight lines and quivering threads like sea waves. She then punctured small squares and dots throughout the eerie background ¨C but this unrelenting ferocity became more refined. Without notice, she swayed from a barbaric sword style to a more composed, balanced one. Drowning the fibers with red and yellow, she circled and danced her way through the abyssal darkness, giving birth to the fire of a ferocious dragon. Engrossing another bulk of purple, she chopped off a clear vertical path from head to feet. With a clever movement, she conceived forms and shapes that made no sense until a single drop of ink bound them together. She kept attacking the canvas without a stop, sweat crawling down her forehead. She painted and painted as if possessed by some kind of demon. It was more of an obsession than a passion. Her arms gave up with a sluggish, sharp movement. She stared at the finished work without drawing herself back to reality ¨C her body understood it was over, but her mind wouldn¡¯t give out. How much time did it take? She lost the count of it. Finally, she unfolded her hands and let the weapons fall to the ground, mixing together their unknown shades and bending the wooden floor¡¯s hues. All of it was brilliantly done. Perfectly arranged and full of life. The fire by the chasm¡¯s edge. In short, it was a failure. ¡°¡­ How the hell did it turn out like this¡± she muttered in disapproval. She took out the apron and threw it on the floor, then looked at the painting and stuck a pen inside it, ripping its skin like it meant absolutely nothing to her. And maybe she was right about it, for she didn¡¯t feel anything but the relish of a self-destructive act. If possible, she¡¯d dump its remains inside a card box, light a match and watch as the thing burned to ashes. But she chose the easier way, cleaning up the mess and starting the day anew. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Sarah left the apron near the washer and confined herself in the room, connecting the metallic gear to her head as she feathered against the dull bed.
Welcome back to Talisman.
Sarah¡¯s particles magically arrayed into the fairy of broken wings and blazing red hair known as Mnemosyne. She was amidst the forest¡¯s bowels, the exact same place she had left after the wolf¡¯s death. Now it was less of a secluded hunting spot, with players to the four directions and all kinds of companions killing anything they encountered on their path. She clenched her fist, releasing it a moment after as if holding a stress ball, and there was the wolf again ¨C strong but bound by sadness. It grew a little bit and its fur was strangely beautiful, with an uniqueness to its texture. It was like a sparkling gem or a polished metal, yet maintaining the characteristic smoothness. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think the training paid off. We will continue with it for the meanwhile¡± The wolf accompanied Mnemosyne to a shadowy meadow where she spread the mat for her alchemy tools. She then proceeded to work out the ingredients into that same detestable potion that made the wolf cringe just by seeing it, unconsciously stepping back. ¡°Tsc, tsc, tsc. That won¡¯t do¡­ You have to be a strong boy and take your medicine. Not for me, but for you. Trust me, you¡¯ll thank me later¡±. As the girl almost stuck the bottle down its throat, whistling a tender and melodic lullaby, she warned the wolf about a new development. ¡°You see, it takes a lot of time for you to recover from death, so we¡¯re doing it different this time.¡± Taking out the rough glass object, she explained what was on her mind. ¡°One: never disappear from sight. Two: avoid fighting multiple enemies at once. Three: if you are too weak to fight, come back so i can heal you¡± Since she had a reasonable number of Mambala fruit, Mnemosyne could give the wolf some extra minutes to hunt for ingredients. To make the best out of the supplies, it¡¯d need to be careful when fighting. ¡°The poison is starting to kick in. Run for your life!¡± she yelled excitedly as the wolf shot off to the distance in a rampage. Although it was in a nervewracking state, it was clever and insightful ¨C wolfs are proud, but they are no fools. It selectively chose its opponents as to take the least amount of time and effort, never to pick a fight it wouldn¡¯t emerge as the winner. The girl and her soulmate kept steamrolling through the fields in a death frenzy that was impossible to halt. The wolf roamed with the half chewed heart of its victims minced in its sharp teeth, the glowing dust of the forest spirits splashing over its fur and cuts and bruises from wood splinters that chipped away some of its flesh. It was a true beast unleashed. The flourishing power of survival instincts. However, its members moved as if chained to an iron ball, slow and heavy, while its attacks came as ineffective, weak and useless. It was starting to get affected by the ever increasing pain ¨C and swallowing fruits to recover wasn¡¯t helping at all. Mnemosyne kept mixing ingredients over ingredients, trying to come up with an answer. She did not hurry to find a cure, but was working herself to the bone to try and accompany the wolf¡¯s rhythm. Spiders, dead branches, wolfs, forest spirits - none of their drops seemed to have the desirable effect as the poison¡¯s counterpart. And that was because the item to neutralize Oxys herb didn¡¯t exist in that region. There was never an antidote and Mnemosyne didn¡¯t care for that ¨C even if there was one, she would make blind eye and tell her soulmate to press forward, to keep fighting like a Mad God. She would hang on and wait till its body was acquainted with the poison so she could introduce stronger and deadlier doses of it. ¡°Come back here, let me fix you up¡± The staggering wolf was so brutalized its body was chalked black, its blood vessels rising up to show the feebly pumping vital fluids. Mnemosyne struck another fruit at its jaw and smacked it in, telling him not to stop. Deep inside, it was starting to hate its master. They continued to fight till the wolf was but a walking corpse, dropping dead on the cold foliage.
Your soulmate has died. As penalty, it can¡¯t be summoned for at least four hours.