《Overlord's Rise》 [Chp 1] - Prologue - Day 1 The darkness pressed down on him like a heavy weight; threatening to crush him with its oppressiveness. But his rage was great, and even though he couldn''t feel or move his body, he rebelled against the darkness. It was enough to force the darkness back; and in the space one would take to draw a breath, light appeared. His eyes opened, and for a few disconcerted moments, he couldn''t make out his surroundings. Or rather, it would be better to say that he couldn''t understand what he was seeing. Dark, damp stone which was crumbled with age arched over him; smashed and toppled marble pillars which lay cast about, with only a few bent and holding up the ceiling, its weight settled so that none of it had hit the floor. The floor itself was the same dark stone, and was just as cracked and twisted as the rest. Here and there, the glint of metal shows that at one point in time, there had been grand chandeliers and torch scones. There are also a great mess of broken blades and garbage strewn about. The room was desolate and cold. Not that he actually felt it. In fact, his limbs had only just started tingling; the returning sensation a great relief. He was alive. But that was impossible. He had been dead, and he remembers the time within the great darkness. And yet here he was. He knew this place. He remembered the vaulted ceiling and the stone floor, and as he tilts his head back, he can see the vast black granite throne where he once sat. A long, long time ago. But now it was broken. Once, this hall had been pristine and grandiose, filled with gold and jewels of every type, weapons and armors on stands and great works of art from all over the world. He remembers it as if it were only yesterday. And then it ended. War came, and even he, the greatest and most powerful being in the world, was killed. Killed through wickedness and betrayal. Just thinking about it blurs his vision with a deep tint of red. But it soon subsides, cause he''d noticed something else. Everything appeared really big. Too big. It was only then that he looks down at himself, and gives a screeching yell. ¡°What the...!¡± But his words come out as a chitter. His body was small and pale, with short arms and legs. His head felt too big for his body, and was hairless. He tries to lift one of his hands, and has to grit his teeth as the previous tingling turns into a harsh burning sensation, as if all of his muscles were atrophied and unused. But he finally manages it. ¡°Oh... no...¡± He mutters, and once again the chittering is heard. He wasn''t speaking any language he''d heard before. In fact, it sounded almost like the clatter a mouse would make. Or an imp. His hand was small, and his fingers were equally as small, tipped with black nails that were oddly long. But he recognized this body. It was indeed the body of an imp. The weakest, most detestable demon creature in the world. ¡°HA HA HA HAHAHAHAHA!¡± His laughing tone was suddenly expelled from his body, for once sounding like a true voice; but there was an hysterical edge to it. ¡°Of all the things, to be reborn as an imp! The gods must truly be cruel!¡± Chitter-chatter-chitter. But suddenly he drops his hand, panting for breath from the sudden outburst and exertion. His body was like that of a newborn, weak and powerless. His muscles burned from fatigue, and even wiggling his fingers and toes were a chore. But he was alive. He was alive, and he''d rise again. Even if it takes him centuries or millennium. He''d rise, and kill those who destroyed him! His rage knew no bounds. -|- -|- -|- It was three thousand years ago, when the world was a vastly different place. Great kingdoms spread across the continents, and there was peace even for the most miserly of people. And it was all due to one person; a being with a dark and terrible power. But it was a power that was never put towards violence or destruction. In fact, the power was used like a blanket to cover the world, insuring almost absolute security for all. In this world, Asteria, in the center of the central continent of Aphrona, the Demon Kingdom reined supreme and terrible. But its ruler, the Overlord, was a just if iron-handed ruler. Centuries before, great fighting between the various races had almost brought the world to ruin, but the Overlord eventually won out; and used his power to impose his will across the world. Every continent and every living being was bound by that will. Murder, thievery, most forms of treachery were done away with. He become as a god. His power was such that even the demonic beasts, monsters that flourished in the untamed wildernesses were suppressed; their power weakened and slowly drained away. For hundreds of years, it was a great time of peace, a true golden age. There were no armies, and very little violent death. Kingdoms flourished as never before. Trade spread out, and new technology and techniques in magic were developed. The gods were pleased, and grand temples spread across the earth. But like all things, it came to a rather abrupt and ruinous end. The great wizards and priests of the temples of the gods developed the means to summon people from other worlds into Asteria, and it was found that these people had greatly enhanced abilities and powers beyond the keen of the other races. A terrible price was paid for using such great magic though, weakening the magic the Overlord used to dampen the darker side of nature. As more and more people were pulled into the world, violence once again broke out. First it was small things, monster attacks, hatred between the races, minor skirmishes. And then it broke like a sheet of glass. Seven people were summoned by a collective of all seven of the gods'' priests, and within a night the world was plunged back into the chaos and violence that had fallen only into myth and legend. Great and terrible wars broke out, and even the gods intervened, turning against themselves. The only country who resolved not to fight was the Demon Kingdom, still ruled by its Overlord. But that didn''t last long. Those seven people who had been summoned last were caught in the fray, and developed their own awesome powers. They slowly stopped the fighting and the wars, and become dubbed as ''Heroes''. But their powers also corrupted them. They grew ambitious and arrogant, and used their powers to force control over the various races and kingdoms. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In the end, they brought war onto the Demon Kingdom, the only kingdom to not summon a hero of its own. The only kingdom who remained at peace and refused to fight its neighbors. The only one who still openly traded and flourish in a world turned into hell. And so the Heroes blamed the Demon Kingdom and its Overlord for what the rest of the world had gone through. And they brought war with them. Eventually even the Overlord was struck down, suffering a fatal wound even before the Heroes appeared in his great Citadel. Stabbed by a Priest of the Dark God, the god of the demon race. The rest is history, which has mostly been forgotten. -|- -|- -|- The being who had once been known as the Overlord had been reincarnated after three thousand years, into the weakest of demons, an Imp. It took him more than a day to finally work up the strength to stand on his own, using a nearby broken pillar for support. Strength had returned to him gradually, but by then the growls of his empty stomach made even the simplest tasks a hassle, leaving him winded and out of stamina. ¡°Damn it..¡± Chitter ¨C He mutters under his breath, looking around with his large head and bulbous-like black eyes. His body resembles that of an half-born child, scrawny and tiny but with an over-sized head. All told, he was barely eight inches tall, and the world around him seemed colossal by comparison. But once he was up and about, things became a little easier. Part of the ceiling had collapsed in the corner of the great hall, allowing rain water to run inside, bringing with it a flush of moss and grass that grew up between the shattered stones. Small, glowing grub-like worms were also there, eating the moss and absorbing the pale sunlight that strayed inside during the day and releasing a pale blue light after the night fell. All told, there were hundreds of them worming about slowly. It was these Glow-Worms that the Imp got his first meal; as even as weak and pitiful as he was, they were still slower and easy to catch. He stuffed his face with a dozen of them. Surprisingly, they were rather tasty, plump and juicy. They also filled his small belly. After eating about twenty of them, he sighed contently and sat down with his back against the half-crumbling walls. Night had fallen, and the hall had turned as black and empty as a tomb. But the soft, pale light emitted by the worms was enough to give him a decent view of the surrounding area. *DING* +1 Endurance + Glowing Eyes ¨C 1 Meter Dark Vision The sound and the information that popped up on the translucent message that appeared in front of him caught him off guard, but he laughs at the sudden discovery. ¡°The advancement system still works!¡± Chitter-chitter-chatter! It was a great revelation, and something he''d forgotten about. If that still worked, then the Status Plate should still work as well. He hurriedly tries to remember how to access it. ¡°Aah, -STATUS-...¡± He mutters, and it appears in front of him. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 1 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 5 DEX: 7 AGI: 4 END: 3 INT: 5 MAG: 1 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 1: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 1 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 1: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. -|- -|- -|- For a moment, all he could do was stare. His states were utterly horrible. Less than even a human child''s, which were generally at the 10 ¨C 12 range. But his abilities were better than he expected. He''d even retained some of his previous Overlord abilities, along with a new one. Consumption was something he''d never heard about before. But after experiencing it after eating the Glow-Worms, it made sense to him. Perhaps it was a trait of Imps? But that didn''t make much sense, either. If Imps were able to advance with such an ability, they wouldn''t be considered the weakest of demons. In fact, Imps were often bound as servants or used as spies. Feral Imps were great tricksters by nature and demeanor. So weak that even humans could kill them with only a bare knife. But he was definitely different. But even just thinking about it made his head start to hurt. In fact, his status caused him to think of a few other things as well. Overlord''s Power was something he''d had before. He was sure of it. But for some reason he couldn''t remember what it was. And the Status of it was garbled, as well. Odd. Odd. But he shakes his head and decides not to think of it. There wasn''t any point. More over, its likely tied to his stats, all of which were very small. His old self would half laughed at such a weakness and sent it flying with a flick of his finger. He could almost imagine having that sort of power again. But in the end he simply shakes his head and looks up through the broken ceiling, to the wheeling sky above. The stars had changed from what he remembered, but they still glittered coldly in the darkness of the night. It was somewhat relaxing, and his eyelids started getting heavy. He cannot help but yawn. Its bed time. At least his stomach was full. He wouldn''t have to worry about food at this point. But if he eats too many of the Glow-Worms, they might all disappear before having the chance to breed. He''d have to be careful about farming them. So he stands up and moves around to the backside of the broken pillar he''d originally woke near, and finds a nice dark corner. He curls up, only about the size of a rat, and falls asleep on the first night of his new life. [Chp 1] - Day 2 Day 2 Dawn was cold, red, and cloudy. The weak sunlight poured over the mountains, but heavy storm clouds were already cresting over the horizon. The old Demon Kingdom had been built in a great valley created in a bowl-shaped depression between a circular ring of mountains, and the Overlord''s Citadel sits upon a flat plateau overlooking the vast plains below to the south. But the Imp woke up feeling quite refreshed, and his eyes snapped open easily this time. There was no oppressive darkness to weigh him down this time, and his body felt good, as well. So he set about having breakfast, only eating five of the Glow-Worms this time, before going about the great hall, looking things over. Time, weather, vandalism and obvious pillaging had left the place a great mess, and very little remained of what once was. Not that it mattered to him. He was too small to wear any clothing or wield any normal weapons. And being so small made scurrying around the large room an issue. Especially when he wanted to get up higher to get a better view. Eventually he figured out that he could use his long fingernails to grip into the cracks on the walls the pillars, and climb just about anything. Other imps probably knew how to do that, but this was a hard thing for him to grasp, at least at first. Afterwards though, he was able to bound around with a great sense of freedom. But he doesn''t neglect to find whatever he could, digging through piles of scrap and garbage; pulling out bits of string, leather, and bits and pieces of metal. Most was rusted, but some were pristine; and one broken part of a sword was useful as a mirror; one side still brightly polished and shining after all this time. His pale body was bare, and with his over-sized head, he looked rather odd. Most imps have bodies that are properly proportional, but his head was still nearly twice that size. This also took him a bit to figure out. It was because of his Magic Crystal. It was larger than a regular imps. The Magic Crystal is basically a crystal of condensed mana. Every being in Asteria has one; from animals to beasts to monsters to people. It resides in the back part of the head, and part of it is always buried in the brain. Its what allows a person to use magic. It is also used in crafting and forging to instill magic power into weapons and armors and alchemy. The bigger the Magic Crystal, the more power it has, and the more magic a being can use. When taken from killed monsters, they also have a rather nice price, and even the most meager of adventurers can make a decent living off of them. His was probably three or four times bigger than a regular imps; and thus his head was bigger to compensate. It was probably a leftover remnant of his previous life. At the time of his -death-, he''d been told before that the soul partially resides within the Magic Crystal. But that was only conjecture, and there was no way to really prove it. Especially given the perchance of the demon race to eat the Magic Crystal of those they kill in order to increase their power. Most of the other races are unable to expand the size of their Crystals, and can only maximize their mana and magic usage with study and practice. Thus their limits were set almost from birth. But a few of the races could. And the Heroes could as well. This was done mainly by eating the Magic Crystals they collect. The crushed powder, Magic Powder, which is used in alchemy and crafting, enters the bloodstream and overtime is converted in the materials used to expand the existing Magic Crystal in the head. The demon race gained a big reputation for this in the past. But he set it aside for now and goes back to his foraging, returning to his nook every time he became loaded down. About noon, his growling stomach made him stop and go back to eating the Glow-Worms. This time he ate another ten of the things, and patted his full belly and let out a burp. *DING* +1 Endurance +Glowing Eyes ¨C 2 Meter Dark Vision. It was a status update! He was surprised, but gives himself a toothy grin. It was a nice upgrade, but after a moment the grin disappears and he starts to think about it. It was nice that simply by eating he could get stronger; but it was too slow and weak to help him at this point. His stats are horribly below average. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. But there''s not much to be done about it at this point. But it did give him an idea. He scurries back to his resting place, where he''d set all the foraged materials, and starts pulling out the small bits of string and metals he''d found. Basically the most useless pieces. Sitting down, he soon starts to chew the things with a grimace. But even the rusted metal doesn''t taste too bad, and all of it breaks with his teeth; even though he wouldn''t have been able to break anything even with his hands. Soon enough he''s eaten ten pieces of string, five pieces of leather scrap, and five rusted pieces of metal. *DING* +1 Flexibility +1 Sewing +1 Metalworking +4 Endurance +1 Strength +1 Intelligence +1 Consumption Skill ¨C Iron Stomach Wow! It was a great many new skills and even increases to his stats! That was rather unexpected, and he almost jumps to the ceiling. ¡°Status.¡± Chitter. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 1 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 6 DEX: 7 AGI: 4 END: 8 INT: 6 MAG: 1 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 1: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 2 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 1: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. Iron Stomach - The added ability to eat almost anything, including corrosive, poisonous, or corrupted materials. Flexibility - Level 1: The ability to bend and stretch in ways the body normally doesn''t do. Provides a small bonus to speed, reflexes, agility and dexterity. Can be used to wiggle out of tight spaces. Handycrafts - Level 1: The ability to craft various things. Used in conjunction with crafting skills Sewing - Level 1: The ability to sew clothe and leather objects. Metalworking - Level 1: The ability to craft small metal objects. -|- -|- -|- It wasn''t a bad take, and the handycraft skills would definitely come in handy. In fact, looking around at his pile of scraps, he could already imagine actually making some clothing. Clothing on an imp might sound strange, but he was dreadfully tired of going about his business in the nude. So he starts grabbing the rest of the string, strips of torn cloth, and the few meager pieces of leather and that piece of keen-edged blade and gets to work. It takes several hours, and the light was already fading as the sun dips toward the far horizon; but he finally stands up and lifts the finished garment he''d made. It was basically a robe that cinches closed around his stomach, sleeveless. But he''d also managed to make a small leather pouch, which he figures he could stuff a couple of the Glow-Worms into or bits of other stuff. It wasn''t a bad haul for his second day. Thinking about the time only made his stomach growl again, so he goes back to eat some more of the worms, this time also tossing a few into his new pouch he''d set into the thin leather belt that holds his robes closed. There''s enough room for three of the things, which makes a decent meal should he get hungry while exploring. By then, night had fallen, and he activates his Glowing Eyes skill to get back to his ''camp''. The pile of stuff he''d foraged is almost all gone, but that''s fine as well. He does check himself out on the shiny piece of blade, and nods his head in satisfaction. With the robe on, his body doesn''t seem so small or scrawny as it was. He does pile up some of the softer bits into something resembling a mattress and lays down. This time, its definitely more comfy. He''s asleep within moments. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 3 Day 3 Another day, and the Imp was up bright and early. So far his sleeping had been utterly restful and dreamless. This time he felt even better, having slept on something resembling a real bed. But he ran into another problem almost immediately. The number of Glow-Worms was diminishing rapidly. Apparently he wasn''t the only being that partook of their sustenance. This morning he found a rather large set of spiderwebs around the area that the moss and fungus grows. This made him mad for some reason, and he starts trying to rip the webbing up with his hands. Except he ends up stuck himself. This wasn''t any sort of regular webbing, it seems. It wasn''t until he actually started chewing on it did he feel the tingle of magic running through the threads. If he had any hair, it would probably be standing up on end. But he does finally free himself, panting from his exertions. At least it didn''t taste bad. It was stringy and almost like toffee. ¡°Lets see how you handle a bit of fire.¡± He mutters, although the words come out as more chitter-chatter. And so he activates his Imp Fire ability; but nothing seems to happen. He tries again, then again, and again. On the last try he managed to make a puff of smoke appear, but he''s panting once more. Its because his magic stat is very, very low. But he grits his teeth and tries again. Eventually he gets it, and a small spark of fire appears in front of his eyes. It hovers there, giving off only a little heat; but he''s still happy to see it. *DING* +1 Magic The message was clear, but he still is left frowning. It took him nearly twenty tries to get the fire to come out, and he still only got a single point. It wasn''t a good sign. But with the fire already summoned, he controls it with his mind and sends it up to burn at the web. The web resists it, but finally it sparks fire, and it spreads throughout the web and up towards the ceiling. It looked rather cool doing so, as well. At least, that''s until something black drops from the burning web, and lands on the cracked floor in front of the Imp. Covered in a black carapace and with eight legs and eight big red eyes, it stands nearly as tall as he is. A Spiderling. Spiderlings are a spider type monster of the demon race. Unlike regular spiders, and even Great Spiders, a Spiderling is clever, and has an innate ability to use some sorts of magic. Thankfully they''re small, and virtually harmless to grown-ups and other large creatures. That means its a mighty fine opponent for an Imp, though. But that isn''t what ran through the Imp''s mind. ¡°FOOD!¡± He chatters, a wide grin spreading across his lips. He stops for a moment though and looks around. He doesn''t have any weapons, nor is he likely to be able to hurt the spiderlings shell with only his bare hands. But he glances up, at where his Imp Fire is still sputtering around. Using his mind, he points it toward the Spiderling, even as it starts rushing at him. The Imp is barely able to jump out of the way, forcing the Spiderling to skitter to one side; but is caught off guard as the Imp Fire hits it from behind. Unlike a regular fire or even a spell like Fireball, the Imp Fire is a persistent flame, and with its command set it''ll stick on the Spiderlings'' back, burning it over time. It is weak though. But the heat of it makes the Spiderling go crazy, shooting out webbing and trying to roll around to get away from the heat and the flame. This only serves to spread fire around it, trapping itself. Free for a moment, the Imp looks around, and finds a twisted piece of metal. It might have once been a pin for one of the chandeliers or a torch scone; but its light enough to use and its twisted end is nicely sharp and thick. He hefts it and tests its weight and before rushing toward the Spiderling, dismissing the Imp Fire at the last moment, vanishing all of its fire at the same time. ¡°HAH!¡± He yells as he smashes the spiderling on the head with a solid crack, its burned and scarred carapace visibly cracking and red blood spraying out. The Spiderling is disoriented, and the Imp quickly takes the chance to hit it again, then again. The Spiderling staggers and drops down, and this time the Imp shoves his improvised weapon into the open maw under the Spiderlings head, cracking one of its fangs and finally putting the monster out of its misery with a sudden ''thud''. After that, the Imp pants and looks down at its kill, another grin stretching across his lips. It felt good, being able to claim his first kill; but his work wasn''t done. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He grabs the creature by one of its legs, which had curled up over its body like any other dead spider, and he drags it back to his camp and uses his new weapon and the blade shard to cut it up. He especially leverages its head open, and goes right after its brain and the Magic Crystal buried there. The Crystal is surprisingly large, but after remembering the spiderlings thread, it makes sense that its able to use magic. So he eats it. The brain, the crystal, the heart, most of the meat on the inside. He leaves the legs, fangs, and the usable pieces of carapace, and even eats the pieces that are too burnt up to be useful. The meat is surprisingly delicious, and he scarfs it all down without hesitation. He even grabs the fang he''d broken off in the earlier fighting and nibbles on it. Its crunchy and slightly spicy, as if its spider venom was a spicy sauce; but it doesn''t harm him, and after he gives a big belch and sits down with a laugh at himself. *DING* +2 Intelligence +4 Magic +1 Agility +1 Strength +1 Poison Resistance +1 Carapace Armor +1 Presence Sensor +1 Carapace Crafting +1 Flexibility Whoah. It was another whole load of power ups, but what catches his attention is the great increase his Magic Stat. That was most likely to do with eating the spiderlings Magic Crystal. If the other stats are influenced in the same way, then it would definitely be easier to go hunting and try his luck at getting their crystals as well. A grin spreads across his lips as he once more brings up his Status. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 1 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 7 DEX: 7 AGI: 5 END: 8 INT: 8 MAG: 6 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 1: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 2 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 1: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. + Iron Stomach - The added ability to eat almost anything, including corrosive, poisonous, or corrupted materials. Flexibility - Level 2: The ability to bend and stretch in ways the body normally doesn''t do. Provides a small bonus to speed, reflexes, agility and dexterity. Can be used to wiggle out of tight spaces. Handycrafts - Level 1: The ability to craft various things. Used in conjunction with crafting skills + Sewing - Level 1: The ability to sew clothe and leather objects. + Metalworking - Level 1: The ability to craft small metal objects. + Carapace Crafting - Level 1: The ability to make items out of the armored carapace of creatures and monsters. Poison Resistance - Level 1: A natural resistance to the effects of poisoning. Current bonus of 20%. Carapace Armor - Level 1: The ability to summon a shell-like armor over-top of the skin. Increases armor, defense, and weight. Presence Sensor - Level 1: The ability to -feel- the presence of other creatures and beings nearby. Range: 5 Meters. -|- -|- -|- It was another good haul, and he''s quite pleased with himself. But it still left him a problem concerning his food stocks. So he goes back over to the area the Glow-Worms grow in and starts building a fence around the area, like you would for any other domesticated animal. It made a good use for the garbage material he couldn''t use for himself, and he even gathers what he can find of that magic spiderweb and uses his sewing skill to create a netting over-top of the new worm pen. All in all, it was a good day, and he''s quite happy with the results. He''d have to be careful to make sure none of the worms get caught in the net and die; but he''ll check it a couple of times a day and go from there. Ever since he ate the Magic Crystal of that spiderling, he''s able to handle its magic web without any issues, as well. It doesn''t seem to stick to him like before anymore. Or maybe its from what he ate. No matter. The day ends after he forages some more, and this time he uses a lump of webbing as a nice and soft pillow. A full belly, a nice day, and a nice bed. Aaah, its nice. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 4 Day 4 Today he started off by checking on his Worm Farm, and is quietly surprised to find how well its doing. The spiderling didn''t seem to be the only ones who fed on the Worms, and in fact several other small creatures had tried to get into the pen during the dark of night. As he neared, his new ability, Sense Presence went off, revealing several unknowns ahead of him. On closer inspection, several centipede-like monsters and a big fluttering moth had gotten caught either in the pen itself or in the webbing he''d laid like a net over top of it. He quickly and ruthlessly kills them all, and sparing the worms this time, he heats his fill. Sadly, he doesn''t gain anything from them, but that''s alright too. But the number of Glow-Worms had definitely boomed. That was a definitely a good thing. It could become a resource he could count on for a long time to come. He does some quick repairs to the netting and pen itself. But his main goal for the day was to hunt for more spiderlings! He wants their Magic Crystals. And thus he scrambles up the nearby wall, working his way higher and higher and higher, making a leap to a nearby corner and up onto the half-broken ledge only two feet or so from the ceiling. Up there its dark and dank and quiet. The view is really nice; but the shadows are filled with spiderwebs of all kinds, and it doesn''t take him long to find his target. In fact, there are quite a lot of them. Well over twenty. For a moment he hesitates; but he soon shakes himself back into focus, and checks his weapon before raising his free hand. ¡°Imp Fire.¡± It takes him only five tries this time to summon the flickering bit of hovering flame; but he grins at how easy its become. He no longer pants upon summoning it, at least. It means his pool of mana had greatly increased with the points of Magic he''d gained. But he sets himself up in the middle of a bottleneck between two broken pieces of stone tall enough that the spiderlings couldn''t crawl over, and sends the Imp Fire to the other side of the casement, and there it starts the webbing on fire again. This time its to herd the spiderlings straight towards him. Within only minutes, its a blur of burning web and smoke; and after that its a constant one-on-one struggle with the charging spiderlings who are desperate to get away from the flames. The ones that come to the front are constantly being pressed by those behind, so its easy to kill them with bashing strokes of his equipped pin weapon, and soon enough a big pile of spider bodies, broken fangs, thrashing limbs and a great amount of blood was created before him. He has to jump and slide down the other side of the pile to get to the last of them; but he lets out a viscous shout of victory as the last one falls! He''s quite happy with the haul, and was about to turn off the flame when the biggest spiderling he''d yet seen appeared as a huge shadow above him. Crap! He squeaks and is forced to doge to one side, almost falling off the ledge as great big fangs come smashing down, crushing the carapace of the spiderling he''d been standing on with a great amount of force. This one is definitely a Spiderling Queen, and is the biggest creature he''d yet seen in his hall. Over a foot and a half tall, it looks about as big as a dinner plate when stretched out with its legs. Its back end and belly are covered in a fuzzy white mantel; webbing that''s stuffed full of eggs that wiggle and squirm against the Queen''s body. He quickly pulls himself back up and skitters back up the pile of dead, stopping at the top and giving a feral grin of his own. He isn''t so much scared as excited. This is just what he needed! A feast! The Queen cannot quite get to him due to its big size, so it tries to spray web at him; but he dodges down the pile of broken bodies, and lays flat as he quickly sets the trap for the Queen. It takes only a bout half a minute before he''s rushing back up, and this time he jumps right at the giant spiderling, raising his weapon in front of him. The Queen jerks back at the sudden rush, and is pushed almost right back into the flaming mass of webs that continue to burn up, belching black acrid smoke. But it doesn''t go into the flames, and he ends up just in front of the Queen again. But he grins coldly. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for, bitch?¡± His words come out as an annoying bit of chitter-chatter, but there''s no way to mistake the flippant tone, and the Queen doesn''t hesitate to charge right at him. Bad mood. As soon as the Queen''s focus was on him, the Imp Fire surges out of the flames behind it, and hits it on the lower belly and sticks to the nested webbing and eggs. It goes up in a flaming fireball, and the dying cries of unborn spiderlings is almost definitely. It sounds like the cries of a seriously wounded monster. Even the Queen jerks at it; trying to rotate its body to figure out what''s going on. Its the opening he needs, and he charges right at the Queen again; this time jumping upward and using one of the Queen''s legs as a ramp to bound up and over its head. The smooth carapace is utterly hairless and shiny, so there''s no need to worry about the spiky fur that other spiders tend to have. With a roar of his own, he soon slams down right into the middle of its forehead, and driven with his built-up momentum and a sudden thrust at its middle eye; he drives his twisted pin weapon deep into its head, twisting it once he gets his feet planted. The Queen screams, jerking around like a bull; and even slams its head against the wall; but all that does is to push the thing deeper into its head; and with a cracking sound, its tip buries itself into the Queen''s brain. The sudden spray of blood takes his footing from him though, and he''s thrown off the great monsters'' body, hitting the ledge with enough force to cause him to crack the stone. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He''s battered and bruised, but grinning as the Queen shudders and collapses, starting to convulse. He stops the fires he''d summoned, and waits to catch his breath as the signal of the Queen Spiderling fades from his mind. *DING* +1 Level +2 Strength +3 Dexterity +3 Agility +2 Endurance +1 Intelligence +2 Magic +1 Imp Fire - Can now command 1 Spiderling Subordinate It was a Level Up! He could almost jump for joy, but after a moment he finally sits up and grimaces. He''s quite hurt, his small body covered in bruises and his makeshift robe had been torn and the seams split in various places. He''d forgotten all about using his armor ability; but he''s quite happy with the results non-the-less. After that, it takes him quite a while to work through the carcasses of all the dead spiderlings, taking their Magic Crystals and bundling up their bodies and legs in their own webbing, lowering them about five at a time to the floor far below. There had been twenty two of them; and after a while that only left the body of the Queen. That was going to be a hassle, so he starts at the head, pulling out his weapon and using it to slowly saw through its neck joint, and then the legs. Most of its eggs had been burnt up, but he did manage to scavenge a few of them he could eat or raise later. Especially since he can now control one of the monsters with his Absolute Command ability. Once the Queen was dismembered, he uses the webbing from before to lower the pieces to the floor piece by piece, and takes the head down last with him. After that, he takes the fruits of his labor to his camp, and splits them into pieces, putting the legs, edible bodies, fangs and other pieces into different places. Most likely all the meat would spoil before he could eat it all. But he''s more interested in all the Crystals he''d saved up, and the fangs and more of the webbing. So he sits down and starts to eat. The Crystals he''d put in his pouch, having tossed the dead Glow-Worms away to make enough space. Twenty two small ones he munches through in one sitting, savoring the candy-like taste and feel of them; and then he gets up and goes to the giant Queen''s head. It takes him a while to crack it open, having to use the blade shard; but he finally eats the whole of its brain and the Crystal. *DING* +5 Intelligence +5 Magic +Presence Sensor ¨C Range 10 Meters Nice. A pretty big boost to his Intelligence and Magic stats! That''d only make it easier for him to summon and control his Imp Fire! But it was still only part of his haul, and he sets out to munch his way through the venomous fangs, burnt carapaces, and finally the legs and webbing of the spiderlings. The Queen''s were always last, and as the biggest they took the most time. Night had already fallen by the time he finishes, his belly nicely bloated and full. He''d only ate a little of the meat, to make sure there was real food in his stomach. *DING* +2 Poison Resistance +1 Carapace Crafting +1 Carapace Armor +1 Web Making +1 Web Control +3 Spider Agility He actually has to blink at this new update message, but he''s too tired to do much more than glance it over. But he does manage to open his Status before falling asleep. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 2 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 9 DEX: 10 AGI: 8 END: 10 INT: 14 MAG: 13 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 2: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 2 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 1: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. + Can command 1 Spiderling. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. + Iron Stomach - The added ability to eat almost anything, including corrosive, poisonous, or corrupted materials. Flexibility - Level 2: The ability to bend and stretch in ways the body normally doesn''t do. Provides a small bonus to speed, reflexes, agility and dexterity. Can be used to wiggle out of tight spaces. Handycrafts - Level 1: The ability to craft various things. Used in conjunction with crafting skills + Sewing - Level 1: The ability to sew clothe and leather objects. + Metalworking - Level 1: The ability to craft small metal objects. + Carapace Crafting - Level 2: The ability to make items out of the armored carapace of creatures and monsters. Poison Resistance - Level 3: A natural resistance to the effects of poisoning. Current bonus of 60%. Carapace Armor - Level 2: The ability to summon a shell-like armor over-top of the skin. Increases armor, defense, and weight. Presence Sensor - Level 1: The ability to -feel- the presence of other creatures and beings nearby. Range: 10 Meters. Spiderweb Making - Level 1: The ability to shoot Spiderling web out of your fingers. + Web Control - Level 1: The ability to innately control the conditions of the web you produce. Spider Agility - Level 3: The ability to move on most surfaces, hide and move like a spider. Provides a bonus to speed, dexterity, and agility on uneven surfaces. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 5 DAY 5 He slept late this morning, and the first thing he does is re-check his status to make sure he remembered currently. Most of his stats were up by a goodly amount, with his Intelligence and Magic reaching almost human normal. That was great. But he is careful not to let the sense of power get to his head. That would only lead to hubris and arrogance, and he couldn''t afford to be either. That would lead to only death. But it was very nice growth, given he''d only been alive for five days. He starts his usual morning routine, and goes and check on his Worm Farm. He is utterly surprised at it, though. Once more various critters had tried to get into the pen during the night. That was expected. What wasn''t was that most of the Glow-Worms inside had gotten really big. Big and bloated. And covered in a silk-like web. For a moment he''s stunned, but then he shakes his head. Apparently once they got big enough, they go through metamorphosis. He wonders what they turn into; but for now he kills the centipede creatures and two of the months that got stuck and eats them, and then starts working on another, larger pen. With his new ability Web Making, he''s easily able to cover it, making it extra thick so that nothing can fly in, or out. Once done, he starts pulling the worms that have become cocooned into the new pen, leaving more space for the Glow-Worms that still aren''t haven''t gotten to that point. He does eat some more of them, but he doesn''t gain anything. Its likely he''d have to eat a lot more to gain the next upgrade to his ability. After that''s taken care of, he returns to his camp and sets about making a proper shelter, using the large amount of black, shiny carapace to dome his home in a roof of its own, and then starts using his webbing to repair his clothing and make a bit of armor out of the smaller pieces of carapace scattered around. He uses some leftover leg parts as braces and struts, and in the end he makes a nice set of gauntlets, chest, and leg armor. Checking himself on the mirrored surface of the shiny blade fragment, he almost looks respectable now. Except he hasn''t gotten any bigger. It was better than nothing though. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The armor is a bit heavier than he''d like though, and so he takes off the chest piece for now. Instead, he starts working on proper backpack and a couple more pouches, using his webbing and more of the leather and ruined cloth he''d found. All told, he now has three pouches, one on each hip and one around the back of his waist, and a backpack he can slide over his shoulders. A nice bit of hauling capacity. *DING* +1 Sewing +1 Web Control Another upgrade. Nice. Especially the Web Control, which gives him greater ability to use the stuff. He can already manipulate how sticky and thread-like it is, but finer thread can be weaved into proper cloth, not to mention making nets out of it when hunting. It was a good bonus to have. The day is already halfway done; but he skitters out of his camp and starts looking for the next set of monsters to kill and eat. On the far side of the hall, he runs into a monster mouse, and hides himself as he trails it, going even so far as to use his Spider Agility to walk up the wall so it doesn''t detect him. After about an hour of tracking the mouse, it leads him to a crevasse in the wall, and from within he could sense a great many of the monsters. Monster Mice are close to regular run-of-the-mill mice; except they''re extremely aggressive, more so than even feral rats; and much more hardy. They are also very fast, and attack in great numbers. Caves, sink holes, and deserted farms are usually overrun in the things. But to him, all he can think about is food and the abilities he could get from them. But he still spends the rest of the day watching them come and go, working out a plan. It would be really bad if they rushed him all at once, after all. But he can get a helper, and that thought brings a grin to his lips. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 6 Day 6 Today dawned cold and blustery, with spitting rain and thunder echoing outside. The great hall shakes every now and again, dislodging puffs of dust and crushed rock; but is otherwise stable. Due to the lack of light, he has to activate his Glowing Eyes ability in order to see, and even more heavily depends upon his Presence Sensor to find his way around. He has a very specific task in mind for this today. But he doesn''t neglect to check up on his pens, finding a few more Glow-Worms that have become cocoons, and moves them to the other pen after killing the bugs that tried to intrude and fixing up the damage. In fact, he goes so far as to use his thickest, stickiest webbing on the outside of the pen to reduce the damage. He was running out of junk material to reinforce the pens. After that, he goes spider hunting. It takes him quite a while to find a spiderling. Its a lonesome, almost wilted creature; but it attacks him on sight, and he has to beat it down; but he doesn''t kill it. Instead, he jumps onto its back and presses his hands against the back of its head; easily hearing its panted breath. He could almost feel its hunger. If left alone, it would die shortly. ¡°Absolute Command!¡± He chitters, and a flash of black, almost purple light spreads across the monsters head like a halo. In his mind, he can feel the monsters resistance, but its too weak to last long, and soon enough it breaks and he''s gained something much like a familiar. Its his own pet monster! But its still too weak to move much, and is hurt from the attack. So he leaves it to go grab a couple of worms, and brings it back. The spiderling servant eats up everything, but even then its still not full, so he rushes off to bring even more, including one of the cocooned ones he''d found in the back of the pen that he must have missed earlier. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The spiderling makes short work of the meal, and seems grateful, going so far as to rub up against him. The Imp can only grin and laugh, petting its head, careful not to touch its eyes. ¡°Good. Come with me.¡± He chitters at the monster, and starts back to his camp. Once there, he has to stop the spiderling from going after the eggs he''d managed to save, but after that he checks the monster for serious injuries and nods in satisfaction once he finds only a few cracks in its carapace. He uses his web to create impromptu bandages, with a sticky layer on the inside and a hardened layer on the outside, and slaps them on. Its the best he can do. After that, he starts ordering the monster around, doing this and that and making it use its web for specific tasks. So long as he spells out his commands precisely, the monster faithfully carries them out. It still seems to retain some free will, but doesn''t seem to be able to deviate from his orders. It was a good ability. Next he takes it to the worm farm, and forbids it from eating them all, and instead commands it to repair the webbing on the pens whenever its damaged, and that it may eat ten worms a day so long as it takes care of the pens. It was a nice, steady diet for a monster who''d usually have to share its kills with the rest of the nest. He''d have to be careful not to turn the monster into a glutton. The spiderling doesn''t like the cold rain that is pouring inside from the hole in the ceiling though, so soon enough it returns and shakes oddly like a dog to disperse the water. After that, its time to eat and then go to bed. With the spiderling on guard duty at the farm, he rests easily and flops into his bed. He''s asleep within moments. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 7 Day 7 The rain had stopped sometime during the night, and the cloud cover had broken before dawn, leaving the day bright and airy and fresh smelling. Sadly, only part of that managed to penetrate into the dim, run-down hall; but it was pleasant anyway. Following his morning routine, the Imp went about his business, and was delighted that his spiderling servant had done a very nice job, even going so far as to catch the bugs that often tried to raid the worms during the night. As a reward, he lets the spiderling eat the catch, as well as a few of the worms that he offers as he also fills his growling belly. After that, he checks on the spiderlings injuries, and nods in satisfaction that the cracks in its shiny black carapace had sealed up nicely. The spiderling was no longer sickly or weak. It was time to put his plan into motion! With a thought, he leads the spiderling to the demon mice nest, and there they start working on their preparations. The mice were only an inch or two shorter than the Imp himself was, and about the same size of the spiderling. The problem was their vast numbers. Which had increased during the night. According to his Presence Sensor, there were more than fifty of them flashing in his mind. That''s a great many for only two beings to take on. But he does something similar as he had done when hunting the spiderlings. He corrals them. He uses his webbing and that of his servant to create a thick, tall, and very sticky fence in a half-circle around the hole in the wall. He reinforces it on the outside with junk, pieces of stone and other chunks of garbage. They break for lunch, and the Imp is surprised when watching the spiderling hunt. He had thought that they usually go right after prey, but instead the spiderling spawned a web and then coated it in venom. It reminds him of when he''d first gotten caught himself. So that''s the trick to the magic web. After the spiderling had its fill, he had the spiderling drip a goodly amount of its venom into a bowl-shaped piece of broken glass he''d found. After that, he drinks it. Every last drop. Due to his ability, Iron Stomach, he doesn''t have to worry about getting ill from it; but at the same time there is a touch of worry. It didn''t matter, one way or another. Either between is Consumption or his Poison Resistance, he didn''t feel anything wrong, and the venom in fact tasted quite sweet, if thick. *DING* +1 Poison Resistance +1 Venom +1 Magic Coating It was a nice bonus, and he quickly pulls up his new status. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 2 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 9 DEX: 10 AGI: 8 END: 10 INT: 14 MAG: 13 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 2: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 2 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 1: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. + Can command 1 Spiderling. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. + Iron Stomach - The added ability to eat almost anything, including corrosive, poisonous, or corrupted materials. Flexibility - Level 2: The ability to bend and stretch in ways the body normally doesn''t do. Provides a small bonus to speed, reflexes, agility and dexterity. Can be used to wiggle out of tight spaces. Handycrafts - Level 1: The ability to craft various things. Used in conjunction with crafting skills + Sewing - Level 2: The ability to sew clothe and leather objects. + Metalworking - Level 1: The ability to craft small metal objects. + Carapace Crafting - Level 2: The ability to make items out of the armored carapace of creatures and monsters. Poison Resistance - Level 4: A natural resistance to the effects of poisoning. Current bonus of 80%. Carapace Armor - Level 2: The ability to summon a shell-like armor over-top of the skin. Increases armor, defense, and weight. Presence Sensor - Level 1: The ability to -feel- the presence of other creatures and beings nearby. Range: 10 Meters. Spiderweb Making - Level 1: The ability to shoot Spiderling web out of your fingers. + Web Control - Level 2: The ability to innately control the conditions of the web you produce. Spider Agility - Level 3: The ability to move on most surfaces, hide and move like a spider. Provides a bonus to speed, dexterity, and agility on uneven surfaces. Venom - Level 1: The ability to apply venom and poisons to objects you are touching. Magic Coating - Level 1: The ability to apply a magic coating to objects you are touching. Different types may be applied, but only one at a time at this level. -|- -|- -|- Magic Coating especially turned out to be a nice ability, and for a moment he thinks before activating the ability on his robes. Zing! Like an aura ability, his robes were coated in a thin layer of protective magic. Sadly, it isn''t that strong, and it leaves him panting; as if it had used up a great deal of his mana pool. ¡°Damn... I still need more stats.¡± He chitters to himself, but he shakes his head and straightens after catching his breath. Next, he pulls out his weapon, the twisted metal pin. Using his Venom ability, it becomes coated in a dark green, aggressive toxin. He turns it off after a moment and tries another one. This time its thick and black and smells; but it was good to know he could create different types. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That actually strikes an idea to him, and he gives an evil grin as he rushes off to find some bits. He''s quite excited, but he is careful not to get careless; especially when he starts building what had come to mind. A sling staff. Using what would otherwise be considered a twig and some leather and his silk, he creates a sturdy distance weapon for himself. He loads one of his pouches with bits of rock and tries it out, coating one of the rock ''bullets'' in his venom and then casting it. The distance is pretty good, and so is the hitting strength. Alright! Time to set the final trap! A mirthless grin spreads across his lips as he returns to where he''d left the spiderling, watching over the demon mice nest. To draw the prey out, he pulls a grub out of his pouch, and covers it in a rather specific type of poison, before taking aim and carefully casting it into the corral, just short of the entrance. Within moments the aromatic smell draws the demon mice, and they go after the wiggling worm as if starved. Those that get to it first chew down without a hint of hesitation. But then they were caught in the poison''s effect. Berserker. They loose all sense of self, and attack their fellows after a few moments, drawing cries and mouse-like screeches from its fellows. The panic that ensues is rather funny, especially when he starts lobbing his rock missiles from the sling staff with the same venom and then others. Within bare minutes the entire nest is in an uproar. Many try to escape, only to get coat on the web-fence, and get caught by their enraged kin. All told, more than one third of them are killed by their fellows before the venom wears off, leaving the berserker weak and confused. He was about ready to step into the fray when a new creature showed up on his Sensor, and he blinks at how massive (relatively) it is. For a moment he''s simply stunned, before the thing comes out of the mouse nest behind the others. Its a big, almost flaming red mouse with black around its muzzle. Demon Mouse-Bear! If the Queen Spiderling was the ruler of that demon nest, the Mouse-Bear is the unconditional ruler of this one. And its definitely a higher level monster compared to the others. It casually flicks away one of its confused kin, and starts nosing about, as if hunting for something. An idea flickers through his mind, and he pulls out another Glow-Worm, and coats it in the same berserker venom as before. This time he lobs it to the point beside the Mouse-Bear, and its attention is definitely drawn to the ''offering''. Like the rest, it doesn''t hesitate to chew right down; and no one else bothers to try to rush it either. It takes the full dose. Its already red fur seems to turn an even brighter, heavier shade, and it lets out a roar that actually manages to echo in the hall, before it pounces one of the dazed mice next to it. Within moments, there are many new corpses spread around. Every time it hits something, it seems to get stronger, and wilder. It beats on the other mice with its paws and claws, even going so far as to bite off their tails in order to pull them back if they try to retreat. Its a great amount of carnage. The Imp grins impishly, if that''s even possible, and takes out another stone and coats it in a slow acting, but powerful neuron-toxin. With a careful throw, it his the Mouse-Bear, and it bellows in sudden pain and turns its target to the source. But the fence is still in the way, and even the Mouse-Bear at full charge cannot break through that easily. It soon gets tangled, but its strength is rather great for a monster its size. Its able to tear itself free in only moments, rushing like an enraged bull right at him. But he simply raises his hands and sprays out more and more webbing. The monster is able to battle through, but part way to the Imp it starts to twitch, his blood-red eyes suddenly widening as it starts to loose control over its own limbs. The toxin was finally taking effect. It was the opening he needed. Pulling out his weapon, he charges right at the Mouse-Bear. But even with it becoming a stationary target, the thing was powerful and its hide was thick. His weapon couldn''t hardly pierce it. But that doesn''t stop him from beating the monster with every ounce of strength he has. The spiderling was left to wound up the last of the other demon mice, but wasn''t given permission to kill them. The fight between the Imp and the Mouse-Bear seemed to take forever, but eventually the monster gives a croak of pain and seems to lose its remaining strength in its legs, falling to one side. The Imp takes this chance and dashes right in, striking the end-point of his weapon into the hollow at the base of the monsters'' throat and pushes it deeply until the Mouse-Bear shudders and collapses completely He''d won! But looking at himself, and then up to the hole in the ceiling, its easy to tell that it hadn''t been a fast or assured victory. Even with the planning. Once more he''s battered and bruised and his robes are torn up. After jerking out his weapon, he finds that part of it had broke off as well. Its no longer effective. Night had also come on. He''d been forced to use his Glowing Eyes ability, although he didn''t remember ever activating it consciously. He doesn''t even bother going to his camp, and instead lays out beside a piece of broken stone and is once more asleep within moments. -|- -|- -|- [Chp 1] - Day 8 (Incomplete) Day 8 First thing he notices after he wakes up is that he has a status message waiting for him. He hadn''t even remembered hearing it ding, being so tired as he had been. But it hadn''t closed until he got a look at it, which was nice. +3 Strength +2 Dexterity +6 Agility +8 Endurance +2 Intelligence +1 Magic +1 Flexibility +1 Handycrafts +1 Sewing +1 Leather-working +1 Spiderweb Making +1 Spiderweb Control +1 Venom +1 Roar of the Red Mouse-Bear It was a long, rather impressive list, but it didn''t give him a new level. But he also had a great many carcasses to clean up and loot and eat, as well. Within moments of standing up on legs that are still partially wobbly, he finds his spiderling standing over him, looking as if its oddly worried. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Chitter-chitter. He says, as if trying to reassure the monster, although his words only come out as noisy chatter. Still, it has the desired result, and the spiderling seems to look relieved even as it motions back toward the demon mice nest. There are still several of the monsters that had been tied up, and the carcasses of a great many more littered about. So after a breakfast of raw mouse meat, he and the spiderling go about rounding up every bit, piece, chunk and tails they can find, piling them up and coating them in webbing as if to package them up for a move. The ones that were left alive were also pulled up. So long as they didn''t grow into great numbers, they could be farmed like the Glow-Worms, and their meat and leathers could become a steady source of resources. But before they leave, he does make sure to loot the mouse nest; using his Glowing Eyes to see inside the dark, damp place. It stinks, but the place is surprisingly large, and more spacious than he thought it would be. There are also mounds of junk and crap all over the place. But there are also piles of shiny things in the back. It seems the demon mice were literal pack-rats. That was an amusing thought as he goes through the treasure. Most of it was junk, pieces of glass, metal and other things. But a jewel catches his eyes, and he grabs it quickly. Its a brilliant, almost glowing red shard from a Magic Jewel! Magic Jewels are processed from Magic Stones. Similar to Magic Crystals in the body of living things, Magic Stones condensed mana that form in nature, often underground when surrounded by their native element. Unlike in living beings, who tend to have most affinities to use all sorts of elemental magic, Magic Stones only tend to have one elemental affinity. In this case, its part of a Magic Jewel of Fire. Without hesitation he tosses it into his mouth and eats it. Its crunchy, and spicy, threatening to burn his mouth before he swallows. *DING* +1 Fire Affinity +1 Imp Fire +2 Magic +1 Fire Magic +1 Fire Control +1 Fire Resistance Its a great number of fire related abilities! Its really nice, given his usual use of fire. The boost in magic is also greatly enjoyable. After that, he stuffs whatever he believes could be useful into his pouches and into his backpack, coating the rest in his webbing and dragging it out of the mouse nest. He closes the entrance with his thickest, strongest web, and then goes to help his spiderling drag all of it home, along with the squealing demon mice. The rest of the day is taken up with building a new pen near the others, moving those worms who''d evolved into the other pen already full of the things, eating and then harvesting the spoils from the successful raid on the demon mice nest. Just like with the spiderlings, the Magic Crystals, tails, organs and limbs are all taken, and this time the leather is also sheared off. Most of it is eaten, especially the parts from the red Mouse-Bear, including its entire brain. *DING* +1 Level +2 Strength +2 Dexterity Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.+2 Agility +1 Endurance +1 Intelligence +1 Magic +1 Roar of the Red Mouse-Bear +3 Demon Mice Speed +1 Absolute Command +1 Spiderling Control +1 Demon Mouse Control Just like with the Spiderling Queen, he gained a level and a rather large mount of stats and even a new species-based ability. It was nice, but was even better was his Absolute Command upgrade and the ability to control a total of three servants at once. Its seems that by eating the ruling creature of a demonic species of monster, he can learn to control that breed. -|- -|- -|- STATUS Name ¨C Unknown Age ¨C Unknown Gender ¨C Male Level ¨C 3 Class ¨C Overlord (Pre-Up) STR: 14 DEX: 14 AGI: 14 END: 19 INT: 17 MAG: 17 Fire Affinity: 1 MAGIC and ABILITIES Imp Fire ¨C Level 3: A small flicker of imp fire. Can be controlled mentally when cast, similar to fox-fire. Glowing Eyes ¨C Level 1: By consuming Glow-Worms, a light shines from your eyes, allowing you to see even in utter darkness. Similar to Dark Vision. Range: 2 Meter. Absolute Command ¨C Level 2: By slaying a monster or beast, you are able to command one such creature absolutely as long as their level is lower than your own. + Can command 2 Spiderlings. + Can command 1 Demon Mouse. Overlord''s Power ¨C Level 0: ###### Consumption ¨C Level 1: By eating creatures and items, you can gain increased states and abilities and strengthen them with additional consumption. + Iron Stomach - The added ability to eat almost anything, including corrosive, poisonous, or corrupted materials. Flexibility - Level 3: The ability to bend and stretch in ways the body normally doesn''t do. Provides a small bonus to speed, reflexes, agility and dexterity. Can be used to wiggle out of tight spaces. Handycrafts - Level 2: The ability to craft various things. Used in conjunction with crafting skills + Sewing - Level 3: The ability to sew clothe and leather objects. + Metalworking - Level 1: The ability to craft small metal objects. + Leather-working - Level 1: The ability to craft objects out of leather, includes the ability to process leather into greater quality products. + Carapace Crafting - Level 2: The ability to make items out of the armored carapace of creatures and monsters. Poison Resistance - Level 4: A natural resistance to the effects of poisoning. Current bonus of 80%. Carapace Armor - Level 2: The ability to summon a shell-like armor over-top of the skin. Increases armor, defense, and weight. Presence Sensor - Level 1: The ability to -feel- the presence of other creatures and beings nearby. Range: 10 Meters. Spiderweb Making - Level 2: The ability to shoot Spiderling web out of your fingers. + Web Control - Level 3: The ability to innately control the conditions of the web you produce. Spider Agility - Level 3: The ability to move on most surfaces, hide and move like a spider. Provides a bonus to speed, dexterity, and agility on uneven surfaces. Venom - Level 2: The ability to apply venom and poisons to objects you are touching. Magic Coating - Level 1: The ability to apply a magic coating to objects you are touching. Different types may be applied, but only one at a time at this level. Roar of the Red Mouse-Bear - Level 2: An intimidating roar that can cause the enemies around the user to become stunned for a short time. Fire Magic - Level 1: Basic level of fire magic. Able to conjure basic level fire-magic spells. + Fire Control - Level 1: The innate ability to control the living flame of fire. Fire Resistance - Level 1: A natural resistance to the effects of fire. Current bonus of 20%. Demon Mice Speed - Level 3: The ability to quickly move over rough ground. Also gives a bonus when escaping or chasing. -|- -|- -|-