《Ghoul Rising by(Tailspindark)》 prologue (0) (edited) I am burning. My skin is melting till the consistency of rubber before turning as black ash. I watch the flames crawl slowly up my body while unable to escape. I suffocate on the poisonous air, as my lungs turn to liquid. There is no way out, no path to escape, no inclination of hope. I wish I could die faster, yet am still clingy to life. Such a contradiction of my humanity. The pain is unbearable. how many of my nerves are crying out in futility? I wish I could rip off my flesh, like it is the reason for my torment. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh The screams are shrill and loud like a woman''s. The pain has stripped away my sanity, my physical ability, and my dignity. Soon I''ll be unable to even shout. How much of my body has burned away? Why if there is a God, does he hate me? my potential was limited by disease, sickness, and pain. I was never able to become the man I dreamed. Everything was limited by this weak body of mine. Hasn''t God let me suffer enough? why is it that my time of dying must be like this too? Was I never supposed to be born? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh The doctor once said I wouldn''t live till twenty. Four years later, it wasn¡¯t disease that took me, yet still I die like a dog in utter agony. Sigh I don''t feel the pain anymore. I''ve probably gone past the point of recovery, but that¡¯s good. no more pain.... .................................................................................................................................................... "Soul awaken" commanded a voice neither male or female. the sound reverberated through the room supernaturally, like a beaconing from a god. it was a sound that could awaken all manner of beings. There was a brief silence in the space, in which no responses were heard. The silence as conspicuous has the original bellow. "Awaken and answer me" the voice continued. I could hear it, but I wasn''t sure if it was near or far. I wasn''t even sure if it was referring to me or another. It echoed throughout the room yet the trajectory was unknown. "Adam Crane, arise to my call" the voice boomed and I felt a rush of wind on my face. I opened my eyes, and looked forward at what I couldn''t comprehend. The thing that called me can only be described as an apparition. A transparent and insubstantial existence, it was there in front of me, it was even holding me, yet none of my senses were providing me adequate proof of its position.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Incomprehensible, non-gender specific, an existential existence that made me question its validity. "God?" I blurted out my first thoughts. The apparition shook its head. " no, I am not god Adam...my name is Lore I am the gatekeeper of the higher realms.¡± I looked in the direction I believed the apparition to be standing "you mean heaven or hell?" The apparition moved away from me before answering. It movement resembling a gliding leaf in the wind. "Neither... while it is a different plan of existence, It is still governed by the souls." it said, while turning and pointing it arms forward.... " it is a place were souls rematerialize after their first mortal death." It pointed at the back of the room and space began to open till it resembled a basketball sized hole. "We don''t have much time to speak, so I will give you a brief explanation of my proposition," it said before continuing. "normally, you would have already awoken in a new world, you''re memories reset as to continue your test, but I would like to make a deal with you." it said while turning around to look at me. I looked up at it with my thoughts in wonderment, failing to comprehend the value of making a deal with me. "what type of deal?" I asked ignoring the other questions in my head. " you are a soul with a strong regret... In your mortal life, you were limited by your body never to live your life to your full potential or so you believed¡­.¡± Or so I believed, I wondered what it meant by that? ¡°I can give you a second chance... I can give you the chance to choose one aspect of your new body, I can even allow you to keep your memories allowing you to consciously shape your future from the very beginning." Listening to the apparition I instantly felt like I had been shocked by lightening, my heart shivered in excitement. " what do you mean by aspect." I asked, immediately my voice trembling. It nodded at me "the world you¡¯re going too is full of many strange creatures, humanoid and otherwise, everyone having abilities and potential that could make them gods in your old mortal realm, strength, speed, intellect... powers coveted in the imagination of mortals make their appearance in the higher realms." My heart beat quicker, could it be that realms like those in books existed, was I going to be giving the chance to be the main character of my own legend. "choose an aspect... any power, and I will select a body capable of manifesting that aspect with high potential for your relocation..." I don''t believe I was breathing, otherwise my breath would have become haggard, I wanted to shout out yes immediately, but instead my imagination ran wild as I thought of what I could become. It wasn''t until my thoughts became calm that I started to question what it wanted in return. What if this thing was the devil looking to make a deal for my soul? While, wondering this I finally looked down at myself, I was surprised at what I saw or rather didn''t see. I had no body, instead a dark light was shining, and when I saw this light I felt like I understood myself more clearly. This light was my soul. As I stared into myself my mind started to become dazed and contemplative. "Adam!" The apparition called me to my senses. It was already beside me... I wondered when it got so close? "what do you want in return for this?" I asked. to which it replied immediately " a favor.... I want you to promise that you will do something for me if I were to ask." It was being vague, which made me uncomfortable. " ...what type of favor?" I questioned, becoming more skeptical. " It''s for the best if I don''t tell you now...this favor could affect you positively or negatively, at the same time I may not even ask you for it... I just want the promise that if I ask, you will comply." The apparition explained slowly and concisely, but I still couldn''t help but be afraid. What would something like this want from me? It could be anything, the more I thought about it the more afraid of it I was. "You don''t want my first-born child or something like that, right?" I couldn''t help but question half-jokingly. " ..this is not a fairy tale story Adam, I have no need for your child." I was relieved for a second, till more anxiety hit me. Then what did it need? I wanted to ask the questions, but stillness of this apparition movements gave me a hint it wasn''t going to answer me. My previous life already sucked. overthinking thing was probably a stupid idea. Just remembering my past life made it impossible to pass up this deal. "Alright " I finally agreed. "Good Adam, choose your Power." The apparition grabs out and reached around my soul. Bringing me towards the hole in space in a rushed manner. I began to feel a turbulent wind against my soul. " ....I don''t ever want to be held back by my body again.... give me a body impervious to disease." I yelled over the breeze. Bringing my soul to the rip in space it asked, " are you sure? you must lose something to gain that power" "Absolutely." I said. no matter what I choose, he would give me a body with great potential, I don''t want to be limited by disease again. Without another word, he brought me towards the hole, and I disappeared in a flash of dark light. Chapter 1: Deadmans Constitution (edited) Chapter 1: Deadman''s Constitution Shhhriieeek Clatters scrich Shrieeek I awoke to horrifyingly shrill shrieks, like the sound of nails to chalkboard. Attempting to open my eyes I found that I couldn''t. I felt like something was holding my eyelids in place, I tried to move my hands and feet, but instead only managed to twitch my muscles. I was being held up by something, I wasn''t shackled, but It felt like I was plastered to a wall. My muscles made miniature movements, but whatever was holding me encompassed my body thoroughly. I could still breath, I could hear, but all my other senses seemed to be sealed as several of my orifices were blocked. Suddenly, the space around me began to constrict getting tighter and tighter. I felt suffocated as the wall began to compress my chest, arm and legs, I soon couldn''t even move my neck. The feeling of panic began to corrode my mind, and I opened my mouth to scream. Ssshriiieeek .... Shhriek A terrifying shriek escaped from my throat, following the path of my mouth, and forcing it way through my lips. "Was that me?" I thought, the sound of my voice not even resembling a human. My mind became more restless, as I continued to scream other joined me and shrieks began to emerge from places close to me. My heart beat against my chest rapidly like it was about to burst free from the confines of my rib cage, the sound started to hurt my ears, hearing the multiple shriek around me almost forced me into having a panic attack. Shrieeeek I cried louder between the confined of the insulation, not wanting to be drowned out by the others, hoping someone would release me soon. The insulation was getting tighter wrapping slowly around my face, sealing my mouth, then my nose, and finally constricting my throat. I couldn''t shriek anymore. I started believing I would die. Several hours passed with my body completely paralyzed, and my mouth and nose covered. Despite my mind almost collapsing on itself strangely I was still conscious. It seemed as if I didn''t need to breath, eat, or drink. I just stayed there plastered to the wall for what felt like days or weeks. Whenever I was done struggling I would lose consciousness and sleep for a while. Hours passed and I would awake to the paralysis and continue the process over and over till I lost track of time. I thought I would go insane, I did go insane, constantly bout of hysteria and psychosis plagued me, yet for some reason sanity and hope kept coming back to me. I never knew I was this mentally stable. In fact, my mental stability was the most torturous part of it all. I would lose my sanity one moment, then reclaim it during the next moment just as swiftly. My body was so restless, it needed to move, needed to scratch, twitch and stretch. The boredom and loneliness was so mind-numbing that I preferred insanity. When deranged my mind had so many ways to pass the time.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Then one day my mind settled into a state of serenity, I felt complete calmness, and from then on, I just began to wait patiently. Didn¡¯t lore make me a promise? I thought There was no sleep anymore, Just silent waiting. I waited and waited and waited and waited. till finally I heard Shhhhhrrrriiiekk The loudest shriek I have heard so far. If my shrieks could be considered the sound of nails on a chalk board. Then this shriek would be the sound of a gigantic industrial machine dying. Hearing the sound suddenly my mind went blank for a couple of second. Then I began to feel joy. Something different was happening. Slowly, more shrieks could be heard from the opposite side of the insulation, till it sounded like an army had gathered. I sensed them coming closer and surrounding me, and couldn''t help but be anxious. My mind wasn''t in a state of panic anymore so while scared I still thought that whatever they were I was probably one of them. When I heard their shrieks, I could instinctively tell that they weren''t aggressive shrieks, instead it sounded more like shrieks of excitement. When the shrieking had reach its peak, a gruff female voice cut through the sound " bring them out. ¡°she ordered. I couldn''t help but be overjoyed, '' yes free me!'' I thought imagining the feeling of the breeze against my body. Multiple scraping sounds could be heard all around me, and a crack suddenly appeared in front of my face. I finally opened my eyes to see
<<>> Name: Adam Crane Race: Ghoul Level: 01 Skill points:0 Vitality: N/A Strength: 15 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 80 Endurance: 200
<<>> Night Vision Passive Being a creatureof the night yourvision is unhindered by darkness
<<>> Distorted Step Active you are able to move in unpredictable patterns creating distortion in the space around your body especially during the night Cost:10
<<>> Deadman''s Constitution passive you are unable to die as long has your brain remain intact all status effect unrelated to ice and fire are rendered useless ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ here is chapter 1. it was going to be longer. but my computer froze and I lost everything. you should have seen me I was having one of those moment when I questioned god. if you hate the crooked status tables. give me a code to keep it centered. other than that give me some comment productive and positive. "it provocativeit get the people going"- Will Ferrall edited Chapter 2: Part Of The Family (edited) Chapter 2: Part of The Family When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a status widow and three skills reminiscent of a game. All four Windows flashed before my eyes, and in an instant disappeared as I blinked in surprise. I couldn''t even read the information presented before it had disappeared. I tried to blink my eyes again hoping to get a better look, yet nothing happened, I tried saying status in my mind yet no result came from my attempts. Finally, I opened my mouth to speak out the word. Shriek A gentle shriek was expelled from my mouth like the exhalation of air and nothing happened. In novel situation like this it usually should be easier than this to see the status bar, yet nothing was working. I started to wonder if my inability to speak was the reason. As I experimented I was frustrated by this conundrum, enough to not pay attention to the truly important matters at hand. And suddenly while I was thinking a greyish white hand broke through the insulation in front of me. I knew before that whatever waited on the other side of the wall wasn''t human, however when I saw this hand, the share size of it was alarming, along with how the bones of it hand seemed to extend from its flesh forming pointy spear like talons. I was so shocked that my reactions were slowed. Reaching through the insulation it stabbed with it talon through my chest and griped into my body. I shrieked in pain as I was roughly pulled through the wall smashing past all remaining obstacles, and falling on the ground like a corpse. ''What was going on?'' I questioned in my mind. I couldn''t help but tense up. ''Are these creatures planning to kill me after all?'' I looked at my body which currently had four bloody holes opened into my torso, and instead of bleeding out, I watched as the holes sealed themselves.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I was shocked and unsettled by what I saw, but it wasn''t the injuries closing that unsettled me. It was the pale paper white skin that I was looking down at that made me anxious. ''what am I?'' I thought to myself as I slowly lifted my head to see monsters. ..... In a dark room with dust and rubble littering the floor I looked up at monsters of multiple sizes and builds, as they looked back at me with emotionless dull faces and glowing red eye''s. The creatures had skin a shade of greyish white. And while the intermediary size monster looked intimidating like nightmares. The biggest one in the back of the room stole my attention. There was about eight of those masses of muscle, each of them being at least three meters tall, with forward slumping spins and backs covered halfway by hard greyish protrusions. Their hands were long and stretched down past their knees like Neanderthals, and their talons were several times longer than the one that bore into my flesh moments ago. Each talon grew forward then curved down towards the floor, in addition their teeth extended downward from their mouth''s like individually sharpened blades. Looking at the entire group of monster what terrified me the most were their faces resembling a cross between a ghost and gargoyle. Especially the bigger ones, their faces were so humanoid that it felt out of place on their hulking greyish bodies. My heart beat rapidly and I swallowed saliva down my suddenly dry gullet. They all looked at me for a moment then shifted their gazes from me back onto the wall behind me. I slowly became calm again, of course these creatures wouldn''t hurt me. We were one big scary family now. I turned and looked towards the side, watching as the creature which clawed my chest did the same towards several dwarfish white creatures. I studied the appearance of these creatures as they were pulled roughly from the wall, to gauge the current level of horror my face possessed. They looked even less human than the elder generation, more like wingless gargoyles or a cross between ghost and goblins, some of them had surprisingly adult like faces, but every now and then I saw a rare one that had an almost cute face. Now that I think about it, the adult looked a little like gargoyle too, but the bigger they became the more human their faces looked, also this race didn''t really have a uniformed look. the dwarfish creatures had bodies that slanted in weird direction and distorted limbs, they were long, short, slim, wrinkled and otherwise, it was a race of many different individuals. I finally looked away from the younger creatures being drag out of the wall, and slowly turned my gaze towards the center of the room. There in the center of all the monsters stood a beautiful silver-grey woman with glowing red eyes. Majestic and perfectly unafraid she stood amongst monsters. Her back straight and hand placed on her voluptuous thighs. I couldn''t help but wonder if she was part of the family too. Chapter 3: Bloodlust (edited) Chapter 3: Bloodlust Her bosom was amply large and body thick and robust, yet at the same time very athletic with well-defined muscle''s that sculpted captivating Line''s on her arms and legs. She had well defined abs that formed a six pack whenever she breath. Her silver skin gave her an exotic eroticism that couldn''t be rivalled by even the most skilled body paint artist. She wore rag that cover just her chest and crotch, but her beauty made it look like some fashion statement on the covers of my old worlds magazines. And man was she tall, around two and a third meter. Taller than the med-sized monsters that stood behind her. I was captivated by her and instinctively thought to possess her as my own... Weird in my old world I never thought so possessively towards a woman, especially one I had met for the first time, yet then again, I wasn''t really in a position to date anyone. She suddenly noticed my gaze upon her body and turned her eyes towards my direction. For a second her eye''s glowed a deeper red, then my thought of possessing her increased to obsessive levels before a second later when I calmed down. I swallowed and looked at her wide eyed, and she smiled sinisterly towards me, enjoying playing with my mind. I quickly looked away from her and back towards my group of creatures that were still being pulled from that weird red and yellow isolative wall. I was a little curious of what that insulation was, however my intuition was telling me ignorance would be more blissful¡­. When all the creatures were removed from the wall. We were lined up besides each other with me being the second to the right. The medium sized creature that pulled us from the wall walked back towards the elder group and re-joined the crowd. Blending in seamlessly like an assassin. I looked at my fellow skinny dwarf monster brethren, counting out their number. From the wall including me, seventeen of us were spawned. I am predicting we were all recently born seeing as how I couldn''t be the only one. They all individually began to look towards the elder generation. I mimic them and gazed upon the beautiful silver woman as she steps forward. She let her eye''s scan across the lot of us lazily, then sighing she said "follow" The one word reverberated in my head compelling me to obey. Not just me but the entire crowd moved forward. I don''t understand why, but it felt like I was unable to disobey her, like her every order was mine to follow. The elder monsters made a path for her to pass, and as she elegantly traverses the path, my generation of monsters dazedly followed. Like a mother hen leading her flock. After us the elder generation slowly followed from smallest to biggest. While behind her when my eyes weren''t stuck to her perfectly toned butt. I would look around at the dark corridor completely made of smooth stone. While there wasn''t as much rubble in the corridor as the previous room, you could tell that the place had not been cleaned or maintained in years. Weeds grew out from several corners of the corridor and in some places the foundation rouse from the ground and cracked open.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Walking down the hall among the elders and the silver woman I came to notice that while mine and the footstep of the younger generations creatures made pita pata sound''s as we walked the hall, everyone else''s including the footsteps of the behemoth at the back were completely obscure, totally silent, these guys would not have a hard time sneaking up on somebody. Walking further we began to hear the all too familiar sound of shriek. Only this time it was a choir of shrieks. Shriek shriek shriek Sheik shriek Shriiiieek shriek Getting closer to the exit of the wall. The shrieks became louder reminiscent to the shouts of orangutans to one another. Shrill shrieks, Deep shrieks, shriek that sounded like roar of primal monsters were heard all around. Suddenly we began to hear the pita pata of footsteps coming from the beautiful silver woman, as she moved her footsteps became louder and louder, and the sounds from outside the corridor began to quiet down. Pita pata pita pata pita pata Even the footsteps of the younger generations began to grow obscured as she walked confidently almost arrogantly with her back straight, and head positioning itself more and more upwards, the closer she came to the exit of the corridor. Pita pata pita pate pita pata The closer she came to the exit the quieter the room ahead became Pita Finally stepping into the room all sound ceased, completely. The once lively room sounded as if all life had ceased existing inside it instantly. I walked briskly through the exit, and entered the space to see at least a hundred creatures gathered into a massive throne room. Entering the room I gawked at the mass of strange bodies gathered in a circle around the room. These creatures really were an army. How very amazing it was. Shit I''d hate to have to stare down this wave of beast as an enemy. Terrifying and numerous it would be like an anticlimactic horror movie. Two words came to my mind to describe this scene. ''Total Massacre'' The silver beauty walked into the centre of these creatures, and all eye''s in the room followed her. She made her way towards an old partially broken throne surrounded by golden coins, and climbed on top of the gold to reach her seat. She sat down and gazed at the crowd. She looked in my groups direction and shrug her head to one of the med-sized creatures behind me. The creature hurried to the back of my generations creatures and ushered us forward ahead of the queen¡¯s throne. Yes, it seemed that the silver beauty was probably the leader of this race. The creature queen. Moving forward we were brought through the crowd towards a giant square hole in the centre of the room. I looked inside and saw about fifty other skinny white dwarfish creatures of my generation. In the hole. they were crammed close together into the large space that now seemed small. I felt a force on my back and suddenly found myself falling into the three-meter-deep pit. Crash I landed on one of my fellow generation creatures and almost ended up kissing its bald head. Before I even manage to get up there was another crash, and another three creatures landed on top of me. My generations creatures were pushed into the pit and began to form a dog pile. I wasn¡¯t feeling to good about this situation, but with effort I struggled free of the pile using my flexibility more that strength to separate myself from them. Standing on a sand floor I raised my head to look at the queen, whose seat was elevated enough to see from the pit. The queen looked at the crowd calmly. And began to speak " too many offspring have been born to us to remain hidden, we must abide by the rules and weed out the weak" she said raising her voice. ''Oh no'' hearing her words I turned and ran towards a corner of the pit pushing my brethren away. I ran knocking the unintelligent little buggers away violently. Pat I touched my hand to the wall as I heard her voice behind me shout "kill!" My head became light as bloodlust arose suddenly in my psyche. Shriek Shriek. Shriek Loud violent shrieks began to arise from the mouths of the creatures all around me. Anger began to boil up from my stomach floating up to my chest, neck and mouth threatening to explode outwards. Shrrrrrrrriiiiiieeeeeekkkkk My voice boomed across the pit. I lifted up my small taloned hand and struck out into the face of the nearest creature in front of me. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... here''s a new chapter, took me a little longer to write. I also kind of hate the way the thread works. it makes it so hard to edit your work. rage! sorry for the long hiatus never again. Chapter 4: Fierce Survival (edited) Warning Gore Chapter 4: Fierce My hand entered through its open mouth breaking off its front teeth and traveling down into the back of its throat. My middle talon with the longest length poked through the flesh in the back of its esophagus and appeared out on the other side of its neck. Gurgh The creature gaged wretchedly its body leaning forward while some of its teeth dug into the back of my hand. Blood and saliva mixed together splattering out in violent arches. Quickly I retracted my hand from its mouth, and slapped its face leaving deep gouges in its cheek while pushing it aside into another incoming white creature. Shriek From my front another creature lunged at me with claws out, and mouth wide open, looking to either claw or bite me with its spiky teeth. Pushing myself off the wall with my back, I rushed forward ducking my head into its chest and shoving it backwards into a group of creatures. Upon its fall, they all fell over into a pile and began too madly bite and claw at each other while still on the ground. Back at my side the one I slapped away earlier approached me again. The hole in its cheeks had almost completely closed, and it looked furious. Shhhhriiieeek It screamed and grabbed me from the side wrapping my body into a bear hug. As I struggled to get free from its grasp, it wrapped its arms unnaturally across my back and interlocked its claws and fingers. Opening its mouth widely it chomps down onto my neck. From my mouth escaped a sound different from my usual shrieks. It repeatedly chomped down on my neck and blood flowed down my body as I tried to force it away from me. With my talons, I started to continuously stab into its stomach, but it didn''t want to let go of me. Instead it continued to bite down fiercely on my neck. Pierce pierce pierce pierce pierce I stab into it abdomen several times, rocking its body backwards with each strike. Its blood began to form a pool below our feet. Screeeeee A cry of pain escape its throat as multiple hole appeared in its belly. I stabbed faster rupturing it internal organ. Chomp To my left side another creature crawling on the ground decided to take a bite out of my leg. Pain coursed through my mind, infuriating me. I opened my mouth wide and slanted my head to the side biting into the neck of the one wrapped around my body. channeling my pain to enforce more power into my bite. I rigorously ripped the flesh from its neck. Spitting it out continuously, yet still tasting it salty metallic flavour in my mouth. I wish I could say it tasted bad, but the flavour was quite intersting. And I began to drool from hunger. Screeee screeeThe story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It removed its mouth from my neck and it tried to jump away from my body. Instead I grabbed its hand with my right arm, and clawed into its half chewed away neck with my opposite talons. Holding it close unwilling to let it run away and heal itself. I stab through it open neck wound in repetition. Squelch squelch squelch squelch Shriek My talons made terrible wet noises as they dug into the depths of it neck, but for some reason it still wouldn''t die. Half its neck was gone but it wouldn''t die. Sssshriieeeeek I screamed and with all my strength I smashed my claw into the side of it head. It head detached from it body and was sent flying through the air. Finally, its body slumped on the ground at my feet., but I had no time to admire my work, instead Ignoring the body, I turned my furious gaze to the one gnawing at my ankle. Bash My leg came down atop its bald head, caving the side of its skull in on itself. Bash bash bash I curve stomped its face for good measure. I looked at the two bodies at my feet wearily, hoping that they wouldn''t get up again. they didn''t move an inch. That was good, like zombies it seemed like their heads were the weak points. Shriek shriek Shriek Before I could celebrate my discovery, three of them ran towards me. I looked at the headless body in front of me and kick it forward. Two of the creatures ran into the body and lost balance, they began to fall forward¡­ Not letting the opportunity vanish I took the chance and made a semi fist punching it into one of their skulls. The skull cap cracked inwardly like a ceramic tile, both his and my momentum working together to give him a quicker death. Unfortunately thanks to the exchange I broke two fingers in my hand, and was a little too late to block the other two. The two arrived at my left and right side respectively biting into my shoulder and neck. I screamed in fury and pain. Ignoring the one latched to my shoulder. I leaned to the right and rammed into the corner with the other creature. As the wall smashed against its back, it let out a scream and removed its fangs from my neck. Because my hands were restrained in range of motion. I continued to lean back and forth repeatedly ramming it into the wall like a football player. Ram It''s shoulder broke, and its arm went limp. Ram It stumbled backward against the wall. Ram The back of it head smashed against the wall. Ram Ram Ram It head smashed against the wall repeatedly till its bloody Brain matter began to leak. Shriek The one on my left struck out, and clawed against my temple, hot blood splashed down my face and I began to feel fear. ... It started flaying its arms around wildly. And its movement created distorted layered images of its body. It was like his body was splitting apart and re-joining itself rapidly. Or he was moving so fast that a part of his soul was having a hard time keeping up. This was that distorted step skill. I didn''t get to read what it did earlier, but the name, fits the image. Moving faster and erratically its hands came closer and closer to my skull. It slashed and a wound appeared on my forehead. I retreat backwards till my back hit the wall. Shrieeeeek It''s talon came straight down towards the top of my head ''distorted step'' I shouted in my mind hoping the skill would respond unlike the status window. Swish I could suddenly see through the erratic movements of his arm. I swayed my head away from its incoming claw. It missed me, just barely and the fingers of its hand broke against the wall. Screeeee It yelled in misery. Ssshriek I yelled with urgency as my hand raised and stab through its eye. Before it could react to the pain I reached around its head with my other hand, and held it in place as I dug through its eye socket. It struggled adamantly slashing it hands across my body and neck, however I still dug deeper and deeper swiveling my talon into it socket, in a trance of rage I fully uprooted its eye and dug into its brain. ... I was breathing harshly. I was beginning to run out of steam. I looked around and saw several groups fighting against each other. No one was approaching me yet. Looking at the corpses on the ground. I reached down and began to pile them in front of me as both obstacles and deterrents to my foes. I watched as the creatures killed each other around me remaining silent. I had to regain my strength, the adrenaline wasn''t going to help me anymore. Gazing upon the carnage I noticed there were still many creatures fighting. Soon they would come for me again. I don''t care who comes, I will survive. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ here''s a early one for people who hate cliffhangers. after the editing comes the new chapters. this is now a brand new series. Chapter 5: Watching (edited) Chapter 5: Watching With the corpse''s arranged around my perimeter, I positioned myself defensively against the wall and put on my most intimidating expression. I had no idea of my new facial configuration or if the other ghouls would even find it fearsome, but it seemed to be worth a try if I could get a breather. After killing five of these creatures without a pause, I felt like I had just run a marathon, with sweat pouring down my forehead and neck mixing with the blood on my face. for some reason, I was severely hungry. I also noticed that my killing intent had vastly subsided. It seemed that by killing a couple of my generations monsters, I had already accomplished the orders of the creature queen and started reclaiming the control of my own mind. I don''t know what she did to all of us in this pit. I can only describe it as a frenzy, her simple words directly affected my emotions until all I thought about was lashing out and killing. It scared me to think I could be controlled so one-sidedly without being able to resist, having such a lack of freedom was a scary after thought, I would have to investigate a way to escape her control later. Forgetting about future problems, the carnage of the situations I was in encapsulated my attention. the horrors of the scene playing out in front of me reminded me of a image from hell, Many of the creatures fighting seemed to not understand their own weakness. it wasnt blissfull as thier ignorance started to create a very gruesome scene. Looking around I could see several creatures with multiple hole poke throughout their bodies, and several of them had broken limbs. A couple of monsters were gutted by their brethren, having to carry or abandon their organs on the floor. The sand on the bottom of pit''s floor was stained with blood, and creatures would trip into puddles of blood and begin having fight in the gory mud. The white skin of the creatures became stained brown with dirt and gore, and while the ignorant monster went about attacking random areas of the body. The smarter creatures who understood their strengths, were having an easier time. among creatures of the same generation you could tell their was a diffrence in individual intelligence levels. the ones that learned fast prevailed, and the slower more mentally challenged ones never got the chance to learn. some of them were too dumb to learn. I noticed one such mentally challenged individual sneak up behind another creature and continue stabbing him in the back for several minutes on end, for some reason when the other creature continued trying to get up, he didnt have the presences of thought to change his approach and do something else. it just kept stabbing in a frustrated manner before he himself got ambushed and killed. the smarter one on the other hand, they would run into their foes allowing their bodies to be battered, then crush their enemies head. Afterword''s they would escape to a distance and heal while being vigilant.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I feel like I am probably the only one of these creatures to have killed five of the others already. I say this because the others are battling in a battle royal style, attacking choatically. Whenever one creature kills another, he gets stabbed by another from behind. not many are surviving in tirump. Of course, I wasn''t completely sure of my way of doing things, while I may be separated from the all-out battling in my small corner. If a large group banded together and came after me I''d be screwed. being in the corner limited the number of creatures I fought per round, but If they began to move in waves and continued to attack me, I might as well flush my second chance at life down the toilet. of course, I highly doubted that would happen. All of us creatures may have been born together, but by the slaughter playing out in front of me, we didn¡¯t see each other as family or allies. So I began to wait, while they all massacred each other. I was relatively safe while bidding my time, every now and again a creature would look in my direction, but they would either be too busy fighting or intimidated by corpses lying at my feet, and of course my sinister glare. over time there would occasionally be idiots who saw me as easy prey. It was a little odd that i wasn''t so easy to kill, I mean I had fought before in my passed life, being a sickly kid didn''t always garner pity from my peers after all, But I wondered why I could already kill so readily. Then again why could all of us newly born monsters kill so readily? Was it instinct? Anyways whenever a creature saw fit to attack me I would simply kill them and stack the corpse on the pile in front of me. After adding three more bodies to the floor, I truly became a spectator. No one would approach me purposefully, and when they did accidentally. They would turn and run from fear. After a while I began to become bored of waiting, but whenever I saw that bloody battle I would remember the value of patience. Sometimes I would see an especially strong creature run amok, killing two or three creatures, then watch him walk a few steps forward to be swarmed and killed by a large group, who then turned on each other. I learned a lot about strategy, during these moments. Counting in my head around sixty-seven of us were thrown into the pit together. I managed to kill eight in this span of time, and there was still around thirty fighting. More than half our number lay on the floor never to get up. I began to wonder when the queen would be satisfied. It was for thebest to stay out of the battle for now. If by any chance she wanted us to fight till the lastman. it was for the best I saved my energy for the end game. ... but it didn''t come to that. After a period when the amount of us remaining numbered a little more than twenty. The queen stood up from her throne and shouted "enough!" Every single creature in the pit was startled into stopping, they looked towards the queen. I looked up at her as well, and when my head raised I found her staring at me. When she stared at me she had a contemplative look in her eyes, and I felt uncomfortable, I wasn''t sure I wanted her thinking about me. I also felt a little bit begrudged, and didn''t want her reading my emotions. Breaking off her gaze she turned towards one of the behemoths. " get them out there." She said then turned around and began walking away. Ever a woman of few words. I watched her leave for as long as she was in view. I really loved to watch her leave. It was funny, despite the order she gave to kill each other my libido kept working on overdrive. After she had left, the room became loud with a chorus of shrieks, and a lot of the spectating elder generation began to disperse. Three behemoths creatures jumped into the pit and began to help us get out. I looked back at the carnage on my way. It was pretty amazing what these things could do with their bare hands, and that was just the newly born young. I wonder how long it would be again before I had to fight for my life. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Short chapter because life got in the way. edit: life got in the way causing a very long hiatus- but i want to write this story Chapter 6: Detrimental Concepts (edited) Chapter 6: Detrimental Concepts It''s been three days since the bloody battle in the large pit ended, and I was brought out from the carnage and slaughter of the first day. Half the populations of offspring were laid to rest in that chaotic mess, yet most of ghouls acted as if it''s was a normal occurrence, moving on with their lives as if nothing had happened. The most messed up parts of it all was the fact that the bodies left over In the pit were used for substenace to feed the rest of the surviving ghouls. right now I am currently enduring pain as one of the mid-sized ghouls stretch out my body like it''s made of rubber. both my arms are turned unnaturally behind my back, my legs are forced into a split, and my face is being pushed so close to the ground that I feel it''s temperature. Crack Every now and again I would hear a crack as either my bones break or a joint loosen. The pain is terrible, and I worry about disfiguration,but there a reason for it. I endure the pain, because of the potential benefits at the end of the process. Being the type of creature I am, if I can continue this treatment, it''s been said that I would gain an extra flexibility stat. Oh yeah, I finally learned of what I have become. I made this discovery two days ago, after having a strangely peaceful nights rest despite not falling fully asleep...when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find my status window was floating above my head.
<< status>>
Name: Adam Crane Race: Ghoul Level: 05 Skill points:20 Vitality: N/A Strength: 15 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 80 Endurance: 200 It odd, I could''ve sworn in the mythos of my previous world, a ghoul was said to be some sort of ghost or undead entity... why do I have some qualities of an undead and a living person. The way I feel tells me am alive. I was born into this world just recently. Their was nothing to prove that otherwise. my body felt energetic, my blood was warm, my flesh solid. I felt fear, confusion,rage, lust. and most conclusively I still had the ability to feel pain... All of this was evidence, against the theory that I was an undead. Yet, I could also find equal evidence against the theory that I was alive. The ghouls of this world, seemed a little different from the mythos of the ones in my world. And if so, then what really was I? ... Anyways this worlds stat system functions a little oddly as well, It seems it''s only possible to view the status window once a day, after waking up. And to continue viewing it one mustn''t blink. This kind of makes it impossible to distribute stat points right after you level, and gives you a limited time frame to make decisions on stat distributions. After killing all those ghouls of my generation three days ago, I managed to level up four times, yet my strength didn''t increase till the points were distributed. Upon some minor deliberations, I decided to dump all twenty stat points I gained into agility. Of course, I didn''t just do this based on a whim. I put all my acquired stats into agility for two reasons. For one, I wanted to be able to run away, speed seemed like the most important aspect to my survival. Being a low-level ghoul, I was not built for close combat and if I really thought about it I had no real skill in battle.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. In stories like this the main character usual had some sort of prior training or job that roughly translated into a advantage in combat,but I was pretty much a hospital patient during most of my previous life. If I added more strength sure I could kill more easily, but currently I happened to be a four-foot-tall monster, whose head was his only weak point. And while I had an advantage while fighting the other ghoul children in the pit a few days back. That was roughly because I was born with the memories of an adult, while the other ghouls were pretty much babies. I felt it was best to be able to dodge and run away, then present my bald head as a target. After all I wouldn''t be bullying children forever. My second reason was to witness the instantaneous doubling of my abilities. When all my attribute points were allotted to agility It was an amazing feeling as my body became much lighter. after I had distributed the points my every movement seemed quicker,not just my running speed, my arms, legs and several other aspect of my physicality seemed to be able to function at an accelerated rate I attempted running across the room and ended up crashing into a wall. I just wasn''t expecting myself to arrive so quickly in front of it. My ability was increase so rapidly in that one aspect, that I didn''t have full control over my body anymore. The hijinks of it taught me a valuable lesson. In this world while abilities could be increased instantaneously. It was better to increase them slowly and gradually, or risk biting off more than you can chew. Coming back to the reason I was being stretched out like a piece of taffy. It all amounted to the type of ghoul I was. Ghouls are divided into two primary subgroups, normal and hard-back. The hard-back ghouls are the low-level versions of behemoth ghouls, they are the physical fighters of the ghoul race. Hard back ghouls rely primarily on strength, endurance, and speed. They also have very few spiritual abilities at their disposal. The hard-back ghouls start out looking exactly like normal ghouls, except for an area at their backs that sport very rough skin. As they level, the skin gets rougher until protrusion start erupting outwards limiting their flexibility. At the same time their inevitably large size, makes them perfect close combat tanks. Normal ghouls, the subgroup I belong too, level up into the ones I refer to as medium sized ghouls. At low level''s the normal ghouls are born with better intelligence and speed. They also have increased chances of gaining spiritual abilities. Based on their level of intelligence and experiences. Not only am I a normal ghoul, my intelligence is a full 40 points ahead of the others. a difference I attributed to having my past memories. knowing that my intelligence was that much more ahead of my peers i choose to keep it a secret Anyways because normal ghoul do not have the hard back limitation, their flexibility stat, can increase till the point in which, they can twist their bodies in abnormal angles during battle. Of course, to gain the stat requires half a year of training. And that what am currently doing. I naturally gained all this information from the ghoul, who at this moment is destroying my shoulder. Crack! Ahhhh! When I came to this world I was afraid that communication would be impossible, but the ghoul had a language. It was a mix between gestures, body language and shrieking. Not only that but I luckily came to find that it was a language I understood for some reason. having a few conversations with other ghouls, I must say, I find this form of communication annoying. The shriek shriek of these creatures became irritating to my ears very quickly. ... Among the information I got, I also learned the queen of this ghoul race was originally a behemoth ghoul. .... Imagining that beautiful woman, that could make any man drool, as a three-meter-tall knuckle dragger. Proved to be a challenge. Talk about it only gets worse before it gets better. When I looked around at the ghoul I really didn''t notice any gender differences. The women didn''t have breast, and I didn''t care or want to guess what lay under the loincloth. The further they evolved, it seems the more they gained a resemblance to humans, and the more prominent gender differences became. ''Thank God'' Moving on, I found out that ghouls hunt in packs. Right now, I belong to a pack comprised of myself, a middle sized ghoul, and nine other ghouls of my generation. Whenever it gets dark, all of us exit this ruined castle and hunt in the forests surrounding us. The forest outside is tropical in nature. The soil is constantly soaked by moisture, and the trees tower upwards, bloating out the sky with a thick canopy of branches and leaves. If you closely study the places near the castle, you would see signs that a civilization once existed here. Currently though, the only things partially visible through the cover of nature are ruins. The forest contains a vast amount of wildlife inhabitants. Some of which exited in my world. yet others I haven''t even imaged in my wildest dreams. Yesterday, to my absolute displeasure, I unfortunately witness one monster I''d rather not see. A giant rat. Like in my previous world it was a bipedal creature, with long black fur, and beady eyes. unluckily this rodent now happened to be five feet tall and a meter wide. My skin immediately began to itch, and I had to fight the urge to either run or crawl into a ball. I really needed to get my mind acquainted with the fact that, what was considered unnatural in my old world didn''t necessarily mean, unnatural in this world. Even I wasn''t a natural existence, no matter what direction you watched me from. I looked like a nightmare come true. I looked at my own image in a puddle of water, and I resembled a corpse. my face was as wrinkled has a seventy year old, and my glowing red eyes made me look like a decrepit vampire. In addition, the thing that made me the most uncomfortable about being a ghouls was this white skin pigmentation. In my previous world when people where really pale they tended to look like dolls, almost unrealistic. With skin pigmentation, just a little darker than paper, the unnatural aesthetic of the ghouls sometimes made me jumpy. I noticed that what made me afraid in this world, was my previous concept of normality. This was probably the most prevalent disadvantage of having memories from my past life. It would make me susceptible to fear, and hesitant at the wrong moments. It would probably take me a long time to get use to the new world at large, but if there was any place to adjust my concepts, it would be this forest. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... here''s another chapter guys, I think I forgot to inform you that Saturday and Sunday are my rest days, so now you know. sry about that and enjoy. edited Chapter 7: carnivores (edited) Chapter 7: Carnivores Tonight me and my pack, bare our fangs and talons to go hunting. Of course while ghouls do naturally take pleasure in killing, we do not hunt for sport, instead we mostly hunt for sustenance. Despite being partially immortal, ghouls are still bound by the laws of energy conservation and depletion. And while we wouldn''t die from starvation, without replenishing the source of energy we use on a daily basis, our bodily functions would cease working and we''d be unable to move. to maintain a certain status quo of dietary nourishment, a constant amount of food is required. For without energy, even our regenerative abilities would be slightly affected, and we''d become prey for even the weakest of monsters. When it come to food, there is only one thing ghouls crave, and that is flesh. The meat of animals, monsters, and humans. We can even easily attain sustenance through cannibalism as seen before. That first day in the pit when I used my teeth to bite into one of my generations neck, I felt absolutely no repulsion or disgust as my teeth sunk deep into his flesh. In fact when the blood hit my tongue I felt intrigued by the taste of energy leaving the opposite ghouls body, and entering my own. Thinking about it clearly, the taste of blood is what I enjoy the most, when eating other creatures. the salty metallic taste of blood as actually become quite an addiction to me. Whenever ghouls enter the forest, the only thing we hunt for is meat, and nothing else. I tried eating some fruit from a tree once, hoping I wouldn''t throw it up. and while I was able to taste the sweetness of the fruit, it felt like I couldn''t get any sense of fulfillment or satisfaction. The taste was good, but I had no emotional attachment to the flavor. It was weird. Surprisingly sugar was no longer an adequate energy source to my body, therefore I no longer had a instinctive craving for fatty or surgery foods.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It''s was odd to realize how much instinct, came to play a part in the notion of eating, and what I was eating. to be a ghoul is to be a carnivore. We eat the flesh of all living creatures to sustain our might. The more I learn about my new race, the more I start to imagine a force out there somewhere, bent on its extinction. There is just no way in hell, creatures like us aren''t considered evil. I don''t know about others,but if a ghoul popped up in my previous world. I''d be the first to scream "kill it,burn it before it breeds." I feel like....I was probably born with a limited amount of time to become stronger. Seriously it''s was just a matter of time before someone came after the ghoul....Especially because of their hobby. ghouls had another dangerous characteristic, that made me nervous. And it was their weird habit...of collecting coins. The day when the queen had my generation battle to the death. I saw her climb a mountain of gold coins onto her throne. When I first saw her doing it I didn''t pay it much attention, but after I explored other rooms in the ruined castle. I saw several stashed of coins, stacked all over the place. while not all of it was gold. These ghouls were seriously pushing their luck. They were predators with a habit of collecting treasures. It was like walking out on the streets saying kill me and you''ll be rich. Of course someone will be tempted. Anyways for the last few days, all of the ghouls in my pack, have been hunting higher level creatures. To accomplish this task we first began by surrounded and swarming them. A basic pack formation. We have been concentrating on killing a strange boar like creature in this forest, But We also hunt similar sized beast as well. Yesterday we almost decided to hunt that giant rat I was so terrified of, however I luckily managed to make the others believe boar meat, tasted better. The boar like creatures we hunted didn''t exactly look like your standard boar. Instead of fur, it had rough skin like elephants, and of course unlike a elephant it had a short nose, small stature, and a fat and round body. The beast was also pretty slow, but it had a high defense, and was built like a fortress from the back. factoring in the amount of meat provided per kill. It was worth the effort hunting. it could feed four of us for the day. Working on our stealth, we crouched behind several trees as we approached the boar. the medium sized ghoul takes the lead, being the strongest and most imperceptible of us. He suddenly dived underneath the boar, and without being noticed, wraps his legs around the boars neck. Taking the initiative he slants the creature forward off its hind legs, till its stomach is exposed in the air. After seeing the opening the rest of us rush out of the cover of trees. I run ahead of the pack, as I strive to be the first to strike. Spluchhh splucch My talons pierce into the center of the creatures body, where the heart is located. Screeeee The beast releases a death cry,then the other ghouls arrive next to me biting and stabbing into its sides. They are all hoping to receive the kill, but I know I got It. Chapter 8: Persona (edited) Chapter 8: Persona I have begun to notice a change in myself. It started out minuscule at first,but now, it has become exceedingly easy to be seen...the alterations in my psyche. The stronger I become in this world, the more evident my changes become. Because of these multiple days of slaughter and carnage, no not just that, but also because of the nature of what I have become, a transformation as been initiated in my mind. I am becoming more openly lustful, cruel, vicious, and calculating. These aspects of my personality, while they may have existed in me previously. They were not this evident in my nature before. I am not afraid of my mind changing. In fact I welcome the change, yet I feel, that if I do not establish a system of values for myself, before this transformation is complete, I stand to lose track of who I originally was. I know am a monster, but I don''t want to become evil. neither do I have the motivation to be a force for good. If this world is lawless, I don''t want to be taken advantage of, and if this world has laws, I don''t want to be bound by them. I want to be strong, the strongest in the world if possible. I want people to look to me with admiration, jealousy, or fear . I want to be cruel, yet I don''t want to bully others, and mostly I want women.... I was no longer the sickly Adam Crane from my world, who lived a life of regret. I was The Ghoul Adam Crane, whom from now on, could be one hundred percent true to his nature, after all what''s the use of living twice if I held back. I was healthy and strong now. Potential was open to me to harness. I had no need to hide anything from the world. let anyone judge me. Who could judge me? my parents? And even if some one wanted to judge me all I needed was to be strong enough to resist. But being that I had a human mind, originally from a civilized society. I wanted rules for myself to live by and never cross. I didn''t want to be depraved, Rape,Murder, thievery. If this was a society ruled by strength, then those crimes existed. I wanted women, but the idea of forcing them against their will disgusted me to my marrow. I wanted money, but the idea of wantonly stealing from anyone, went against my pride. I had to murder, it was in my nature. But the idea of my actions hurting innocent people, and ruining lives made me depressed.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. So I had to establish a line to not cross. Never would I cross that line into full depravity. I could kill, but only enemies,and things I deemed as food. I could steal, but only from those that had too much or didn''t deserve what they had. And I could have women,but only if they agreed to be mine. I would never let the demons inside change that. Establishing my own personal code, I decided to exit the ruins, and look at the sun for the first time since being reborn. I believe while ghouls maybe nocturnal creatures, they probably had no aversion to sunlight,however since it would be my first time testing this theory out, after arriving at the exit, I allowed my left hand to poke outside the door as I grasped the warm sun rays with my fingers. After a couple minutes when I was absolutely sure my hand wasn''t melting. I fully entered the light. Although I had been on several excursions into the forest, it felt like I had arrived in an entirely new area, a world of vivid green. The sky was still obstructed by a thick canopy of leaves, but the light that escape through gaps in that canopy, illuminated the vast forest from the pitch blackness of the night before. I could see the color of the moss that grew on the ground, I could see the brown bark of the trees, and while there were still a multitude of silhouette outlining the forest. They did not arouse my vigilance, as much as they did in the night. While not completely clarifying my goal in life. I had at least outlined the way in which I would live, and so feeling a tremendous exhilaration, I wanted to get started down my path. My first goal was to become stronger, so I felt a wild enthusiasm to hunt alone, if I could get a step ahead of the pack I would remain an alpha in my generation. yet still being a low level ghoul, I just couldn''t bring myself to wonder the forest randomly. The reason ghouls hunted in packs was due to the fact that were weak individually, compared to the other monsters in the forest. If I was going to hunt on my own, I needed to be very careful. Thinking to this point, I decided to climb a tree. From a higher vantage point I would be able to discover my prey,while avoiding creatures that would otherwise put my life at risk. And after a moment of haphazard searching I found a perfect tree that overlooked a large expanse of the forest, and I began to climb. As I arrived not more than halfway up the tree, I began too sweat profusely and breath exaggeratedly from the arduous climb.. I really needed to rest, and because of my poor foresight I still only had fifteen stat points assigned towards strength. Although I had leveled up four times over the course of a few days. I decided to save up the points till I knew how to allocate them. Now regretting the decision, I could only force myself to continue climbing through pure will power. Eventually when I was close to giving up, and collapsing from exhaustion, I finally manage to reach a branch, and pull myself up onto my belly. Breathing hard, I lay there for a couple minutes, gazing at the scenery around me, and clearing my mind of useless thought. ........ After I had finished recuperating, I began to slowly inch forward and looked over the edge of the tree. I watched multiple gathering of beast and animal. and mapped out several paths to take in my mind. when I would return back to the ground I would have to mark the trees differently so I could identify the way back. Looking around in circles for prey, it wasn''t long before I saw a weird shadow on the ground, skimming along at a tremendous speed. I watched from fifty feet above the ground as the shadow continued to travel. And circle around several spots. ''What is that'' I thought. ..... I raised my head, and for a moment we looked into each other eyes, not uttering a sound. CaaaWw A large two headed bird, with bright red feathers, and completely black colored talons and beck gazed at me from above. as I gazed back at it, it suddenly arched it body forward and began to dive in my direction ''Crap'' ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. I hate the way this thread crap work, I cant do any sorta editing till I have already posted the chapter. anyway I wanted to post this chapter yesterday but computer trouble, expect a chapter nine sometime tonigh after I finish editing . sorry for the hiatus guys. this is just what happens when a amatuer writes a story. life gets in the way. Chapter 9: Disaster (edited) Chapter 9: Disaster
Bang
The bird immediately rammed itself against my shoulder, as one of its talons dug away a piece of my flesh.
not lingering atop my body, long enough for me to retaliate, it rose once more into the air, and dived down again.
Slash
It carved a large wound into my back, and began to peck at my body incessantly.
Still in my compromised position, I could not do anything, but tightly grip onto the branch under my body.
Right now I was at least fifty feet above the ground. The fall would still be dangerous for me if I landed on my head, and I was still shocked by the suddenness of the attack.
Not allowing me to rest the bird continued to circle me in the sky, and swoop down to attack different areas on my back.
The pain was fierce and my body movement was constantly swaying the branch. I held on for dear life.
Peck peck peck
The bird began to attack my neck, digging into my flesh with its beak. I immediately lifted my right hand and struck at it with my talon.
Swish
It flew backwards, and my arm flew by its feathers harmlessly.
''whoa'' I almost screamed as my balance became unstable, I grip the tree again instantly, my heart beating like it was about to burst.
I looked behind me, and saw the birds sharp talon coming towards my head.
Swoosh
I ducked low, bringing my head to the side of the branch, while counterbalancing with my body.
Cawwww cawwww
It swiveled its body in the air, and began to rise higher. I watched it carefully. Wondering if it was about to give up, I was wrong. Instead of giving up, it hovered in the air another thirty feet above me, peering at me with strangely intelligent eyes.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Cawww
It arched it body in the sky, and began to dive towards me with amazing velocity. woosssh
I immediately broke my gaze from its double heads, and ducked my head as low as possible, while gripping onto the branch, with both my legs and arms.
Bang
The bird impacted greatly. yet not on my body, directly into the branch, as it immediately began to crack and fracture close to the base.
I gazed behind me as the branch began to sway forward from my body weight. I looked at the bird, which started flapping its wings rising into the sky again. It looked at me one more time then.
Swoosh
Bang
The bird barreled heavily into the branch, with a snap, the branch completely broke loose, and started plummeting to the ground with my body still wrapped around it.
Shriiiieek
Falling to the ground I unintentionally let out a scream. I loosened my grip and prepared to protect my head.
when the branch was just a few several feet from the ground I pushed against it and flew towards another tree, using my back as a shield.
Thud
I heavily struck against the tree, and felt my organs rupture, while two of my ribs fractured and punctured outside my chest.
Worst of all, when I tried to move. I Found myself paralyzed from the neck down.
Unable to move, I lay beside the tree as the bird hovered above me.
My regeneration had already begun, but it would still require time, if the bird attacked me in this state, and managed to strike my weak point I would die.
Thinking of my predicament, I didn''t bother glaring at the bird, instead I closed my eyes and started to play dead.
If this bird wanted to eat me, it would probably go after my organs I hoped, but if I fought against it, and showed signs of life. It may continue to strike and peak at me till I eventually died. I couldn''t even raise my hands to protect my head now, it was better if I allowed it to dig out my stomach and eat till it had its fill.
I lay against the tree, with my eyes closed, bracing myself for the eventually pain, and clenching my teeth so I wouldn''t scream.
The bird continued to flap its wing, watching me from a safe distance, taking its time to approach my supposed corpse.
It circled around me taking its time just to watch me.
I was beginning to wonder if my paralysis would be fully healed by the time it approached, but instead it finally swooped down onto my body and peck at my neck. I was afraid that it would start eating at my neck, yet I couldn''t move even if I wanted to, I kept my eyes closed.
I waited and hoped that it would gut me and start eating from there, however instead of feeling the talons dig into my abdomen, they instead gripped my shoulder and the bird began to rise.
I rose into the air with the bird, and it began to carry me towards, what I could only guess was going to be its nest. In my mind vicious fury flashed, it couldn''t be satisfied with eating me, instead it carried me to its nest, inviting disaster to its home.
I opened my eyes as it flapped it wings above me, memorizing the path to come back. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ here chapter nine sry if there are grammar error , I felt a little lazy editing it. maybe I should look for a proof reader. if you feel like it tell me if you see any mistakes an ill fix it . Chapter 10: Let Them See (edited) Chapter 10: Let Them See After being carried through the air for several minutes, my paralysis was almost completely healed. I still had some numbness around my limbs, but my sense of feeling was gradually coming back. The only thing that hadn''t made a complete recovery were the ribs that punctured out of my skin, but that was only due to the fact that I hadn''t bothered, to either completely severe or shove them back into my body. Right now my biggest trouble was keeping myself limp and unmoving, I was afraid that one muscle twitch would alert the bird that I was still alive, and while my slight body weight, was keeping the bird from rising too tremendously high into the sky, the elevation was still high enough to put me back at square one. The last thing I needed was to be dropped again, at that time I probably would die. Being flown away by the bird, I relaxed every muscle in my body and let the animal support my entire weight. When the bird would sway to the side, I would allowed my legs to sway in the position most naturally appropriate. I was hoping the bird would use up as much energy as possible carrying me. Any amount of exhaustion would help me kill the bird in a more efficient manner later. Of course while the bird was wasting energy flying, I still hoped we would arrive at its home soon.... Since the beginning of the flight we had been traveling for fifteen minutes and I had begun to lose my confidence in navigating my way back to the ruins. On my way back I wouldn''t be flying through the sky, but instead walking down in the forest below, I wondered how It was possible to navigate through it without a birds eye view, also seeing how climbing tree''s worked out for me the first time, I wasn''t too willing to give it another shot anytime soon. As both the unaware bird and I continued to fly forward. I soon found my worries validated. We had already been flying for thirty minutes, and now the only thing I could rely on to return to the ruins, was a general direction. On the trip I had already started doubting my plans several times, and wondering if I should just attack the bird while flying over a tall tree.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. If I did that and succeeded I would at least have a better chance at finding my way home. The only thing that was causing me to hesitate from taking that course of action, was the chance that I would fail, and in the case of failure it meant death. I eventually decided to preserve. even if I had to remain lost for a long time, it was better to be alive and lost, than dead and eaten. After patiently waiting another ten minutes, the bird and I exited the forest, and it started flying at a upward incline toward a couple of dark rocky mountains. As we approached the cliff side of a mountain, I began to see more two headed birds flying through the sky. It seemed like these birds were the type to gather into a colony. When I began to think, I may have to fight a giant group of these birds off. The stupid animal carrying me began to fly in an evasive manner towards the cliff, staying almost beyond the sights of the other birds. The bird didn''t want to share his food with other, it was quite laughable. It''s selfish behavior was helping me out. .... Not too long later we finally arrived within several meters of the mountain side. As we came this close I began see multiple caves dug into the side of the cliff. Picking up speed the bird flew straight into the mouth of one of the caves, and my scenery suddenly transitioned into the walls of a dark cave. In the dark cave I saw my chance, the tight enclosed area of the cave would limit the birds ability to fly, and there was no more chance of being dropped from a steep elevation. Before the bird got any further into the cave, I immediately broke its grip from my right shoulder, and grabbed the birds opposite leg with both arms pulling with all my might downwards. Caaaww The beast screamed out, losing it balance more from surprise, than the power of my body. Crassssh Both our bodies crashed into the ground, the bird tumbling a bit further into the cave than me. I staggered to my feet and immediately dived forward. Shriiieeek With a terrible shriek of rage, that reverberated inside the cave, I dove atop the birds body, and began to madly stab into its flesh. shink shink shink With my talons I rapidly dug into its body, dragging it across the floor, till both of the double heads were in front of me. I grab onto both necks before it could make any further sounds, and stared menacingly into both faces. I let them see clearly, who it was that killed them. Then I clasped both my hands tightly, holding on as the body thrashed about wildly. Flutter flutter Thrash Thrash Thrash Flutter Flap flap flap flap flap..... ............................................................................................................................................................................................... i really hope ppl come and read once i add new chapters. Chapter 11: Before It Goes (edited) Chapter 11: Before It Goes Bad I strode over to the body of the once terrifying bird, as it rested lifelessly on the floor. The way it had died was miserable, and I almost felt a bit of pity towards it. Then again this was a battle of survival. Getting pushed out of a tree and eaten by a bird... There was no way I would allow myself to die in such a comical way. I was currently standing in the center of the dark cave, which more closely resembled a long tunnel. From the place I stood I really couldn''t see an end to the depth of the space, and It stimulated an interest in me to find were it lead, yet at the same time to not explore too deeply. Turning around I walked towards the cave entrance the bird had flown through. I arrived at the edge of the entrance and looked down, finding myself on an immeasurably high cliff edge. I couldn''t help but become disorientated when I looked down and fear started welling up in my subconscious, causing my vision of the ground to blur. Snapping my head back, I began to suppress my feelings of anxiety. There was no flying bird to carry me anymore , so from this point on, maintaining my balance relied entirely on my own ability. Right now I was on a narrow cliff edge and my only chance of climbing down was to cling onto the wall, and blindly walk the ledge. hoping to find a path leading downwards....... That seemed stupid. I turned around and re-entered the cave. Tap tap tap tap tap My bare feet slapped against the cool ground as I walked up to the dead bird''s corpse. I grabbed on of its legs an began to drag it further into the cave....whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to brave the unknown. I preceded forward into the cave, in lonely silence. It felt Like I was the only person in existence, as I went forward. I was beginning to miss the rowdy shrieks of my fellow ghouls. After entering deeper into the cave, and walking for a while I finally ran across a large nest... ''This bird''I thought while looking down at it ''while still alive must have been quite the architect.''If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Looking at the nest that was several times larger than it own body, and wide enough to house more than one of it kind,I was impressed. admiring the size of the nest, I approached it slowly, deciding to peek inside.... Because the size of the nest eclipsed my height, I had to rearrange some of the twigs and other miscellaneous things to create footholds along its side. I did this all very meticulously, making sure not to distort the shape of the nest too greatly, or create too much noise. after I had finished I still didn''t like the fact that I couldn''t see all the way inside the nest, so I proceeded to poke holes through the lining to see inside. Soon I finished arranging a climbing route halfway up the nest. Having discovered no other birds inside. I climbed the prearranged route grabbing onto the rim of the nest with my hands, and slowly rose onto my tippy toes, I stretched my neck, and bringing my head above the rim of the bird''s nest....I gazed down into the bottom. As I gazed into the depths of the nest, what I saw were three Entirely black bowling ball sized eggs. Seeing these eggs I turned back to look at the dead bird on the floor. The annoyance I felt towards this bird vanished and I began to feel a little guilty, I viewed the bird with a better prospective, as I overlapped the image of the selfish bird from earlier, with the image of a mother hunting food for her offspring''s. I shook my head pitying the creature, what''s done was done, If I had another chance I would still kill it,just maybe not as miserably as I did earlier. However battles for survival had no room for sentimental feelings, In the future when I killed animal I would do it humanly, but I would still kill to feed myself and become stronger. of course the way I approached battle with animals would change. There was no reasons to make them suffer excessively, they only followed their instinct''s , and there was no reason to be angered by an animal. Shaking my head, I climb down from the nest, and began dragging the corpse deeper into the cave and away from it former home. I wondered if any of the eggs would even hatch anymore.... The deeper I journeyed into the cave, the more it expanded, and the more sharp jagged rock formations began to appear on both the floor and ceiling...It was the first time in both my lives, that I had ever explored a cave, I couldn''t keep my heart from palpitating excitedly. It impossible to suppress the childish feelings of being a hero on a journeying into the unknown. however while I felt excitement I also felt its counterpart anxiety.... With each step I took, these two emotion worked together to keep my heart beating excitably, my feet walking forward, and my mind cautious. Caw cawww Cawwww Caw After traveling for several minutes. I began to hear the calls of birds in the distance, I stopped my forward movement, and walked for two minutes back the way I came. I found a solitary corner in the cave and decided to rest here for the day. As a ghoul I wasn''t usually active at this time anyways, I decided to rest till night, before continuing forward. I looked at the birds body in front of me. Dragging it close, then I began to rip the feathers from the corpse. .................................................................................................................................................................................................... didnt fulfill my promise so two more chapters coming up now i wanna rip a portal to the past and restart this series, to when i had time to work on it, and didnt have to attend to school and everything else. Chapter 12: Explore (edited)
Chapter 12: Explore I began to feast on the bird ravenously, letting my teeth sink deep into its flesh with the terrible visage of a wild animal. I had already used a great amount of energy regenerating myself, and after the bird''s initial attack had paralyzed me, it was a little bit poetic that I was using the same birds body to replenish my stamina now..... Systematically, I began eating the birds flesh, starting at the two limbs, tearing off large chunks of meat till only large bones were left behind.... after clearing the flesh from the limbs. With effort, I detached several bones from the joints, and stacked them on the floor besides me. I then began to meticulously eat the chest and abdomen of the bird, removing the skin and meat as carefully as possible, till I could gaze at the structure and arrangement of its internal organs below.... I drank the avian blood of the beast to quench my thirst, being careful not to let much spill over onto the floor. As I ate, I began to registered all potential weak point in the birds anatomy and committed them to memory.... Finally I proceeded to eating the less than palm sized heart, chewing the tough and flexible meat for several minutes, until I felt the satisfaction of fullness. ... Finishing my meal I broke off three of the birds ribs, and put them to the side. I drag the remainder of the corpse that I wasn''t comfortable eating to a farther corner, and stashed the remains away. ...
looking at the body of the bird one couldn''t help but sigh at the gruesome seen of the remains. I felt no sense of disgust whatsoever, while eating, there was no exaggerated gag reflex, or queasy feeling in the pit of my gut. I looked at the bird the way I use to look at cooked chicken in my old world. with no empathy for the once living. In fact the only thing that kept me from continuing to eat my meal , was a slight feeling of aversion I retained from my past memories.... I brought my hand to my face wiping away the blood from my lips, while turning to walk back to my own corner of the cave. *** I rested for several hours recharging my mental state and waiting for the arrival of night...it was a peaceful sorta meditation without any thoughts,I was very surprised out how deeply concentrated I was, I felt like I had just shut my eyes, then reopened them to see that time had passed me by.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The cave was now completely pitch black, and a freezing cold wind blew in from the entranced, and travelled all the way till it crashed against my chest....the only creatures capable of navigating through this darkness. Were the creatures like me, creatures of the night. ''The birds would definitely be asleep now.'' I thought It was the perfect time for me to further explore the cave. A perfect time to stalk through the night and hunt my prey.... I sat up straight, and began to examine the bones detached from the bird earlier. There were in total two one meter Long leg bones and three pointy ribs that could possibly be used as weapons. I took one of the leg bones and began to swing it around, hoping to get the feel for it..... It was a very easy weapon to maneuver in my hands, and pretending I was holding a sword, I swung the leg bone as rapidly as possible. Playing around while copying the movements and stances seen in movies of my previous world. As the leg bone cut through the air making swooshing noises, I finally with all my strength aimed it at a wall, and smashed the leg bone against the cave interior. Crack Almost half of the leg bone broke loose and crashed to the floor upon impact with the wall. Unfortunately as a flying avian creature, the birds bones were hollow and brittle, it was impossible for it to act as any sort of blunt weapon. I threw the broken leg bone to the floor, and began studying the tree rib bones. ...Bending them slightly, I found that although flexible the rib bones were able to act as weapons. Unlike the leg bone, the rib bones only extended my reach about twelve inches. There efficiency actually fell below that of my talons, however I still felt like the extra reach would give me an advantage, so I took all three and strap one inside my loincloth, while dual wielding the other two. I morphed my already vicious face into a savage expression and began to stab the two bones into the air....I battled imaginary enemies for a couple moments... After a while I stopped. whiiiiff I breath in some of the cool air in the cave turned to the direction of the birds and began to walk forward stealthily. Moving through the darkness,soon I passed the area I had stopped at earlier and continued forward. As I moved I gradually approached the widest opening I had seen in the cave thus far. I hid my body by a corner of the wall, and peeked my head into the opening slowly. Inside a huge man made stairwell leading down into a dungeon like structure appeared. The area was large and covered in dust, with a neat design a little reminiscent of a medieval church, the several stone tiles were severely crack and didn''t seem to be even attached to the floor, vegetation couldn''t be seen growing anywhere, and being located in a mountain there were no windows. further down the area, I could notice of several birds nest clustered in different parts of the stairwell and dungeon, and three statues at the very end of the area that hid a few wide stairwell behind them. I thought I was in a cave, but this place was so much more, the stupid bird had carried and dumped me into a dungeon, and I couldn''t help but wonder what dangers may lay waiting inside..... Was I really ready to explore this place/ ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... one more getting close to finishing the editing. Chapter 13: Predators Path (edited) Chapter 13: Predators Path A tremendous sense of danger washed over me as I gazed into the hidden room, located deep inside the chambers of this mountain cave. A large stairwell reminiscent of those in front of government buildings lead downwards into a cut off room with three eerie silhoettes of statues lined in the middle area. And looking further you could see more stairwells behind the statues leading to who knows where. a few stairwells in fact, some leading down, some leading upwards. My anxious heart was immediately jolted by this room, and it''s dark and eerie ambiance. A premonition of lurking danger plagued me as I came to the realization this place maybe a dungeon. A moment of silent trepidation, and I began to contemplate my plan of action. I knew all I needed was to somehow arrive on the ground floor of this mountain, so I wondered if I could survive a fall from the cave entrance. Instead of risking life a limb in this place. Raking my mind I couldn''t stop the image of my spinal cord being forced up to my brain by the momentum of the fall. The location of the cliff was so high up that I couldn''t imagine my regeneration creating any miracles. Fortune didn''t favor the foolish after all. If I thought about it, I was only worried because i was expecting to run into monster and other wild life if this location was actually a dungeon. But I was in the middle of a jungle miles away from home already. Either path would take me through monster infested territory. Plus this area may just be an a abandoned secret building on the outskirts of a jungle. Just a normal abandoned secret building on the outskirts of a jungle... Anyways, no matter what this place was. my best chance for survival persisted on bravely moving forward and facing the unknown. Facing the unknown I at least had a fighting chance. Provoking my own fighting spirit. I hide behind the entrance of the room, and began to plan my journey. First by discarding delusional notions of crushing all obstacles in my path, like a berserk fighter. ... walking onto the stairwell I began to approach the closest nest to my location, paying attention to my footsteps, and adjusting them based on the sound made as I moved forward. At first every step I took reverberated against my ear drum, exaggerated by my overacting mind. My movements were stiff, and every step I took felt off balance, however noticing my problems I already began to fix myself, straightening my back, and relaxing my shoulder. my steps became less heavy and more balanced, I still moved at a snails pace, but as I moved I could pay better attention to what was on the floor in front of me, avoiding any rubble and making sure I didn''t kick anything loose. Knowing it was impossible to climb the nest, without making noise I paused a quarter of the way before the nest. Then moments later I broke off into a stealthy sprint.... Still watching the floor I ran within inches of the nest, then jumped into the air. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Lifting off the ground I soared halfway up the nest. Rustle Crunch I grabbed onto the nest, and propelled myself upward again towards the edge, then pulling myself over the edge I dive into the nest blindly. thud From the point in which I began running, till the point I dove into the nest, less that ten seconds passed. I ran at the fastest speed I was capable of, and managed to only make two sounds while climbing the nest. Free falling, I landed a top a feathered body, and immediately reach for the creatures necks. Ca.... I grabbed Both necks and squeezed tightly, I was still slightly too late to silence the bird, and it managed to make a little noise before I could do anything. I squeezed both necks tightly not allowing any air to escape its windpipe, I even kick down into its body aiming to knock the wind from its diaphragm. The bird convulsed sharply, rustling the twigs inside its nest. I wanted to use the rib bone to stab the creature to death, but both my hands were needed to keep the bird from shouting and restlessly moving. Although I had studied the birds anatomy while eating one earlier. I still had not discovered a better way to kill them silently. Rustle rustle rustle It struggled like a wild bull, and when it couldn''t move its body, it tried to flap one of it''s wings. Stomp crunch I brought my leg down on the wing, forcing it back against it body. I stood there, on top of its body. One leg on it abdomen, the other on its wing, and my two arms gripping its neck. It jerked madly, and I felt like a surfer riding a huge unstable wave. ... Several long moments went by, and during my struggle against the bird my leg slipped away from it wing multiple times, each time it happened I would stomp the wing down again. ... Finally after what felt like forever, the bird slowly stopped struggling.... Tak As it was dying I heard a sound, I stayed in the same position for several minutes not twitching a muscle as I listened to the surrounding. I listened passed the furious thumping of my heart beating in my ears. It was now absolutely silent, but I didn''t feel completely relieved, I slowly put the dead bird in my grasp down, and climb to the rim of the nest. I peaked my head over the side, and there standing just below the nest, was another bird. My first try at being stealthy was an immediate failure. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... alright guys from now on post are gonna be a little slower, but I am going to increase both the quality and quantity of each chapter. thanks for reading "> Chapter 14: Distorted Step (edited) Chapter 14: Distorted Step Looking down at the beast as it pecked at the side of the nest, I felt some disappointment in myself, for being discovered almost immediately. The bird below me kept peaking at the nest and slanting one of its heads from side to side, while probably waiting for a responses, what it was doing was probably a bird version of knocking. Noticing it hadn''t looked up to discover me. I was about to jump down to silence the creature, but it cluelessness gave me a sense of security, and instead I slowly lowered myself into the nest again. Laying besides the bird I had just killed, I took one of the corpses wings and draped it over my body. Hiding myself away from sight, while at the same time masking my scent. I made a guess, a gamble perhaps that this bird would probably do one of two things, when it didn''t get a reply from the nest, either it would get curious and enter the nest to explore, or it would go away. If it did the latter one, I would let it live for today, and come back after I got more practice with stealth procedures. While if it choose the former, I would quickly dispose of it. Of course there was a chance it would alert more birds, but either way, if they wanted me they had to first enter the nest. Within a tight enclosed space like this nest, killing two at once would be easier than killing one birds at a time. Because of my immediate failure though, I was planning on withdrawing back to the cave corridor, maybe if I practiced entering the empty nest in the corridor I would discover a trick to it. I decided that for practice I would continuously enter both the empty nest, and this one repeatedly. Till the point in which I could enter without alerting the surrounding. I lay waiting in the nest, awaiting the decision of the bird with bated breath, silently resting under the corpses wing, with my body relaxed and my eyes closed. If the bird decided to enter, all my muscles would tense instantly, and propel me towards it in a forceful, swift and powerful manner. I stopped focusing on all my other senses, and only concentrated on my sense of hearing. I listened closely for the tapping of the creatures talons against the floor. Several moments of uneventful silence elapsed, and I just lay there patiently. My mind was calm. Tap tap Tap tap tap The creature did not approach the nest further, and began to leave. It would be great if the reason the bird left was that it didn''t notice me, but most likely its reason for leaving was an instinctive premonition of danger. Maybe with its keen senses it smelled the pungent odor of avian blood. Either way since it had left, I didn''t linger any longer, I climbed out of the nest and exited the room. ..... Back at the corridor of the cave I began to practice entering and exiting the nest silently. I spread all the eggs in the nest at separate quadrants of the nest space, as an extra obstacles, and for several hours I continued to run and jump into the nest. I kept altering my bodies movements and stances while attempting to find a method for silent approach, but when it came to entering the nest I couldn''t find a way to enter without making a sound. Every time I attempted to enter a nest, there would be a crunching of leaves or a snapping of twigs, and while I was getting more proficient at walking silently on the normal hard ground of the cave, it was beginning to seem impossible to remain silent while climbing the soft brittles of the nest. Crouch Rustle rustle Crack I was beginning to become frustrated with my lack of progress, as the more I attempted to climb the nest silently, the more mistakes I made. With sweat dripping from my face onto the ground. I decided to take a break and distance myself from my troubles. For now I resolved myself to begin stretching my body, while hiding my body in a corner of the cave structure. I had already been away from the ruins for a day now, and I didn''t want to lose out on the chance of gaining the flexibility stat. Angling my body into positions that would otherwise cripple me if I were human, I fought through the pain, twisting my limbs into impossible position. I let my muscles strain and ligaments tear repeatedly, while using the intense pain as a gauge to my progress. Without pain I wouldn''t be sure, that my body was changing in anyway. So I strive to inflict injury on myself, trusting my body to recover. While I was stretching, I began to wonder whether other stats could be gained through training, or more importantly I wondered if preexisting attributes could be trained. This was still the real world after all, it wouldn''t make sense for the bodies real adaptive mechanism to be turned off....right? I wasn''t sure it would work, but I still had a couple hours or more, before my status window would appear again. With my bodies natural healing abilities, training would be a swift process, completely skipping over the recuperative phase of muscle development. Finding a fortified corner, I began a workout routine, comprised of push-ups, squats, and including back and neck exercise from my previous world . I remember when I was in my previous body, I had attempted several times to workout my human body, I was always extremely dedicated hoping to somehow changed myself, but unfortunately my body healed several times slower compared to the average person. What would take the average person two days to recuperate from would take me up to three weeks. It got to the point in which a rigorous workout exercise only maintained a status quo, and several time after exercise my immune system would weaken and I would be bed ridden. Now on the other hand, as I began to constantly strain my muscles. I felt a consistent painful and warming sensation, as my muscle rapidly tore and healed. Sweat poured from my body profusely creating a puddle on the cave floor below me. With a normal constitution, I would have reach a point, in which my body became numb or unable to move, yet instead my body went through a constant painful refining process. One hour of exertions that felt like an eternity passed me by, and I started to feel like the limbs of my body were losing their flexibility. I stopped my exercise, and began to stretch while still laying in the puddle of my own sweat. After only one hour of work, my muscle development was outstanding, as begun to limit the range of motion I adamantly worked hard for, I decide that from now on I would stretch after every fifteen minutes of exercise to keep my flexibility, as I painfully repositioned my ligaments and tendons. I continued to stretch and workout in intervals for another one hour, till all of a sudden my vision began to go dark, and my stomach started feeling like a empty black hole in space. Staggering to my feet, I approached the birds nest, and without energy to climb into it, I began to tear a hole into the side, with my talons. I opened the hole, and reached into the nest grabbing one of the large eggs, and breaking it over my face as I ingested like my life depended on it. With large gulps I swalllowed the gooey liquid inside the egg, then threw the shells to the side grabbing another from inside the nest. After fully consuming both raw eggs my vision started to clear up, yet my stomach still felt empty and my body irregular. I slowly walked back through the cave, entering the dungeon room entrance once again. Barely paying attention to stealth I ran and jumped into the nest I hunted in several hour ago. I landed besides the corpse I had left there earlier, and without removing the feathers I sank my teeth into the Birds corpse, and began to drink the avian blood from it long stagnant body. The taste of the blood was not fresh, and it felt a little thick on my tongue, yet I still feasted more ravenously than ever before. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Gulp gulp gulp gulp Ahhhhhh I finally drank my fill, then laying on my back, I covered my body with the birds wing and fell asleep. ...... Only minutes after falling asleep I reawaken. I had almost made a irreversible mistake, it seemed that while exercising my bodies expenditure of energy had been too great. I had constantly stimulated my regenerative abilities, and before I knew it, all the nutrients stored in my body from previous meals had been exhausted. I almost carelessly lost the ability to function, if something like that were to happen in my current predicament, I would be destined to never leave this place. While thinking of my close brush with misfortune, I blinked my eyes then
<<>> Name: Adam Crane Race: Ghoul Level:10 Skill points:25 Vitality: N/A Strength: 19+7 Agility: 42+18 Intelligence: 80 Endurance: 230 My status window had finally popped-up, to show that I had reach level ten, with 25 un-allotted skill points to play with. When viewing the current skill points allotted into my agility and strength stats I found that both had increased slightly. I was overjoyed because with this I had discovered that training could enhance stats, and all though the amount of increase seemed minuscule at first, I realized that the potential for future advancements was tremendous, over the course of two hours my stats increased by a total number of six points, and my endurance even went up by thirty points. This was the first time that my endurance stat ever increased, and I had discovered earlier that skill points couldn''t be allotted to it. I now knew that this stat had to be trained by physical exertion. Of the 25 un-allotted skill points, I distributed eighteen towards agility, bringing it to a nice even number of sixty, and the remaining 7 skill points were distributed to strength increasing the total to 26. It was an exaggerated leap in capabilities that I could already feel while laying down, I felt like the grasp the invisible hand of gravity held on my body was slightly loosened, and an invigorating feeling of freedom washed over me. Satisfied I made a move to dismiss my status window, but then something flashed in my mind, and I brought up the skill window for distorted step.
<<>> Distorted Step Active you are able to move in unpredictable patterns creating distortion in the space around your body especially during the night Cost: 10 Studying the wording of the skill closely I began to wonder if I completely understood this skill, for one thing the first line of the skills description said " you are able to move in unpredictable patterns." I wondered what was considers an unpredictable pattern, even as a ghoul without the flexibility stat I could already do weird thing with my body. Unpredictable patterns of movements was already one of my Fortas without activating a skill. Distorted step was labeled as a active skill and not a passive skill, meaning my pattern of unpredictable movements were somehow enhanced while the skill was active. Furthermore reading further into the skill it said " creating distortions in the space around your body." While at first I had interpreted those words to only mean visual distortions. I began to wonder why the wording of the skill never specified the type of distortion created around your body. If there were further distortions happening, for example sound distortion, maybe just maybe this skill could be the answer to my problems. It felt like it was a reach in logic, but then again I had never activated the skill for more than a few seconds in perilous situations, I could have missed something. I dismissed the skill window, and raised one of my hands into the air. I swung it back and forth in the air and tried activating [distorted step] ...... Nothing happened and my arm kept lazily flowing in the air.... After a couple of seconds wondering why the skill didn''t activate, I got another epiphany. I gripped the large body of the bird I was still laying under, and kicked off the nest with my left leg activating [distorted step] Crich My body still clinging onto the bird rose into the air, and slanted past the edge of the nest like a pole vaulter. I landed silently on the ground below. I kept it in my mind to distort all sound around the circumference of my body. And it seem to have work. I only made one sound during my initials step, then I entered my own world without sound. Stepping on the ground, without lingering I sprinted out of the room. Leaving behind blurry white after images like a paranormal entity. The images stretched two inches from my body then immediately dissipated. My body flashed passed the room at full speed. Distorted images appearing as I ran through the corridor. As I ran I had to concentrate tremendously, and began to see the images of sound waves being trapped around my body and altered. Some of the sound escaped the circumference of my body with frequencies so altered I couldn''t audible hear it. The rest lingered around me swirling about. I had never noticed this effect of distorted step before, using it for only instantaneous attacks a couple time, I probably was using this skill like a speed enhancer, or a disorientating attack, but it was neither, I didn''t get faster while in distorted step, instead I became more mysterious. a delirious image of an illusionary being, coming to torment the psyche. Seeing a rock formation just a couple feet in front of me I jumped into the air and somersaulted onto my feet again. I underestimated my momentum, and instead of completing the movement on my feet, I jerk forward and rolled several times on the ground, skidding dangerously, the skill [distorted step] broke and all the sound wave escape my circumference in an instant, drowning out my fall with the loud tapping of my previous steps. Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap.... It was like I was still running even though I had already stopped. Looking up I found I had already arrived in front of the nest. My speed was amazing now, it wasn''t to the point in which I could outrun a train or something like that, but the speed at which I violently kick the earth and propelled myself forward reminded me of the irregular movement of a cheetah chasing prey. When I moved the feeling of transcending human limitation permeated my consciousness. I immediately felt dizzy, and had to spit out a mouthful of blood. Well time to eat again. [distorted step] was such a power drain when used that long. Chapter 15: Noticeably Stronger(edited) Chapter 15:Noticeably Stronger Speed is a tremendously dangerous double edge weapon. I am constantly made aware of this fact, not because of my conquest of enemies, but because of the multiple injuries on my body I sustained; getting use to my bodies new movement capabilities. It is not the speed of my movements, that give me the most trouble of adapting to my new abilities. It is the momentum built up by moving at tremendous speed that gives me the most trouble. After all as my speed increases, the speed of my reflexes and eyesight increase, my thought process speeds up dramatically, and my maneuverability when moving in a straight line also receives a minimal upgrade. It is my body and naturally I maintain a certain amount control over it, even at break necks speed. Yet, my many challenges arose whenever I attempted to turn or stop. I constantly find myself underestimating the point in which to begin stopping, and whenever I try to come to an immediate halt, stopping my progress forward without slowing down first, I end up being thrown forward by my own momentum, and rolling several times on the ground. Quick turns and changes in direction, also create the effect of being flung forward by momentum, or tripping over my legs and debris on the floor. Because of these several problems I have crashed into obstacles and scraped many areas of my body against the hard cave floor and walls. Within thirty minutes. I had already scraped most of the surface area of skin present on my four limbs, and if it wasn''t for my [Deadman''s Constitution] I''d be bleeding all over the place right now. After thirty more minutes of continuously running about, I began to be able to maintain my balance while sliding forward from the momentum. and except for the slight pain in the soles of my feet while I glided forward, I had a sense of exhilarating wildness as the wind breezed by my face. After almost an hour of running, I had discovered a way to come to a sudden halt, by jumping into the air and landing into a specific spot. It was an awkward way of maneuvering, but it is the only way I could come up with, as it seemed that my lower body muscles weren''t developed enough to fully control a sudden change in speed. Thinking of the development of my muscles, I stared towards the new bird carcass I had brought along from the dungeon entrance, measuring it with my eyes I found it insufficient to my purpose. For my training I have decide to clear out the first room of birds. It was time to test the full extent of my new capabilities in Battle. .... Several meters from the dungeons entrance, I gripped a rib bone in my hand, while steadying my posture into a running stance. I imagined myself to be an arrow attached to a completely taunt bowstring. I stomped my foot on the ground and activated [distorted step] Thap I took my first heavy step, then disappeared into a world of utter silence. Placing one foot in front of the other, I rapidly accelerated into the room, passing the first empty nest. I lunged myself into the air arching my body into a crescent shape passed the rim of a nest. As I dove down into the nest atop a feathery body. I brought the rib bone down with all my bodies force, and stab towards the avian heart. .. ... I slashed down two times for good measure, then without confirming my kill. I leapt from the nest with a backward arch onto the ground again. wiked manuervarabilty i thought, complemeting myself for the almost intictial occurence. I ran down the stairwell into the Church like room, and dove into another nest located in one of the secluded corners of the room. I stepped on a cracked egg and looked around to find the nest empty, so I immediately jumped out of the nest, and approached another one 3 meter away. Without slowing down I dove head first into the nest, to meet the upturned gaze of a two headed bird. I brought my hand down with the rib bone and stabbed into one of the heads, chipping the bone after it had plunged halfway into the creatures face. Caaaaaawww The second bird head let a shrill cry out into the atmosphere of the room. I retracted the broken jagged edge of the rib bone from the second bird heads face, and stabbed it into the respective chest of the bird. I left the rib inside the chest, as the bird slumped to one side of the nest, I stepped on the corpse, while at the same time gripping an edge of the nest and climbing from the space. leaping, I landed roughly on the floor, and rolled forward once deactivating my skill. I returned to my feet instantly and using my entire speed to it upmost limit; I ran across the room, passed one of the statues, sprinting over towards the last nest, and dove toward a bird; which currently was taking flight above it. Thap that tap tap tap Crunch cruch crush Flap flap flap Tap tap The sounds of my previous movement, my current movements, and the birds flapping wings intermingled; creating a tense atmosphere. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Slapping my front foot on the ground I dove through the air, towards the rising avian. Shhhhrrrriiieeek Boom! Our bodies impacted in the air, then crashed into the side of the nest, tipping the mass of twigs and leaves over, and sending several remnants scattering into the surrounding. Intertwining the avian two neck between my arms. I brought them underneath my armpit and squeezed with all my might. I struggled through the same resistance as usual, as the bird attempted to escaped my grasps; lifting us both four inches into the air. For several second it wrestled adamantly to escape my grip, but now my strength had climbed to a new level. Though it still didn''t measure up to my speed, it was an impossible dream for this bird to escaped me. I waited till it movements completely ceased and not even a muscle of the creatures twitch, before dropping it to the ground. just birds afterall, these creatures were strong in the air, but had very light and brittle bones, and body weight only a little superior to my own. if i wasnt so unlucky as to meet the first one while fifty feet high in a tree. maybe i would have atleast be able to fend it off. I turned from the body and scanned the entire room that was now completely still, there was no movement, everything was silent and all life except for my own had ceased to exist. With a satisfied smirk I thought "not bad." ....... I dragged the three bodies back into the cave corridor, while gasping for air. With all the killing earlier coupled with the dragging of three large bodies I felt utterly exhausted. With effort and time, I eventually reached my training base by the first birds nest. I staked the bodies of the new birds below the old one, and began ripping the feathers off of them. I bit into the flesh of one of the birds, and came away with a large chunk of meat; chewing on the meat, and feeling it rejuvenate my body I dropped to the ground and began to train again. I had already witnessed the growth of my stats, and with my efficient healing ability, I was in the mood to torture my body, seeking strength through pain. If anybody could see results as swiftly as I, then they would, no matter how lazy the person, workout. I transitioned from push ups, to lunges, to sit up, and various drills taken from sports in my previous world. When I was still alive I even watched some military drills, but most of them couldn''t be incorporated into my workout because I was trapped in this cave with no equipment. Working hard till the blood vessels in my eyes broke from strain and tears streamed down my face. I continued with the sweat dripping down to the floor in liters. My body was constantly soaked like someone taking a stroll through the rain. I pushed against the ground and lunged into the air, with a furious look on my face, and constant groans of effort. I stared at the wall as if gazing at my worst enemy, submerging my mind into a savage state of concentration. In between my times of savageness, I would take breaks, moments of peaceful almost meditative silence, in which I stretched my body to consolidate my gains. I observed my gains in muscle definition, and limited my gains of movement impeding musculature. Two hours went by and I bit my fangs into a bird, to stabilize my growing malnourishment. I ate half of the bird then resumed my ever increasing repetition of exercises. I constantly had to increase my workload to keep up with my advancing tolerance to the strain, and after I reach set of one hundred, I had to increase my workout in increments of hundreds, squats were increased in increments of fifty, and lunges in increments of twenty. The decrepit wrinkles on my face and body began to tighten around my increasing muscle mass, and I had to stop working out some parts of my body like the neck, when the muscle around the area started becoming to thick and inflexible. Two hours became six and six became eight. I started to run low on food to nourish my abused body. With only half a bird carcass remaining, I stopped and look at my own body. Truthfully, my body had not increased much in size, I was still slim and small, but through my hard work I had gained some domineering characteristics. The muscles of my biceps, triceps, deltoid, and chest were several times more defined against my pure white skin, and when I flexed; the muscle of my lower body looked to be chiseled from rock. All traces of fat had disappeared into the pool of sweat below me, revealing a six pack of abs, without my needing to flex. With my calf muscles bulging like they were about to explode, I sprinted forward and was able to change direction rapidly at almost 50 percent of my top speed. In eight hours I had gotten results it would take an average man 6 months to show, I was very noticeably stronger. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ sorry for the long wait, got a new job and had to get use to my new responsibilities. growing up sucks! the following chapters are gonna get heated, so look forward to that. Not cancelled (update) Hey guys, sorry I haven''t posted in a while. The story is still going strong and I have several chapters written, but I need to edit out a lot of the wrinkles. I just want to let fans of the series know this is a story I plan on completing, and I''ll make it up to you guys with a mass release. Remember the longer I take the better the story will be. I''ll try to keep it short thoughSupport the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. hello guys, i did not keep it short as promissed. i wrote several chapters ahead, but when push came to shove i had to attend to my responsibilities in real life. i hate that i dissapointed my readers. and will begin to make it up to you. in a few days. how i''ll make it up to you. I will let my actions speak for me.