《Mors》 00 - Nightmares Fire consumed the city, a pyre of screaming agony and shattered stone. Buildings, once proud monuments to human ambition, lay in ruin, their skeletal remains clawing at the bruised twilight sky. People scattered like leaves in a hurricane, their terror palpable, a suffocating wave of fear washing over the scene. From a gaping rift in reality, a horror emerged¡ªnot in a rush, but with deliberate, chilling slowness. First, only a black, elongated arm, tipped with serrated claws like obsidian daggers, snaked into existence. It hung suspended, a silent promise of unspeakable violence. The boy, paralyzed by terror, could only watch. The being, a grotesque mockery of life, slowly revealed itself. A misshapen fish-head atop a reptilian body, two pairs of scaled arms gleaming like dark jade, wickedly curved teeth bared in a predatory grin. It slithered forward, a nightmare made flesh, its movements fluid and deadly. The muted screams of the dying, the sickening thud of bodies hitting the pavement¡ªall were a symphony of horror, a soundtrack to the boy¡¯s impending doom. He saw their eyes, bulging, mirroring the terror that consumed him. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The creature''s ragged breath, the dripping from its maw, were sounds he would never forget. Inch by inch, it closed the distance, its gaze fixed on the boy, savoring his fear. Then, the gaping maw, an abyss of unending darkness, swallowed him whole. Wham! The boy gasped, his left cheek burning. The world swam back into focus, sharp and jarringly mundane. "You boy!! You''re already late for school! Go get yourself clean and eat your breakfast or I''ll beat the hell out of you!" his mother''s voice, sharp and laced with exasperation, cut through the lingering horror. Dizzy, he rubbed his swollen cheek, glaring at his mother. The threat of another slap spurred him to get up and ran outside the room with tears flowing along with a subtle whimpers. "That boy¡­ yelling and screaming, shouting ugly. Who''s the ugly one here, huh?!" his mother¡¯s voice trailed after him, a smug smirk coloring her words. The cleaning continued, the nightmare fading into the background noise of a normal, terrifyingly ordinary day. But the memory of the creature, the gaping maw, the endless darkness¡­ that remained, a chilling premonition clinging to the edges of his consciousness. 01 - Eternal Requiem A sunny weather after a sudden downpour last night. The birds are chipping outside gleefully under the bustling sound of noises from the vehicles and people minding their daily lives. "Of course, it''s Wednesday morning, another rush hour, yet I''m still sleepy.." "But I don''t want my other cheek to get another dose of slap and go to school looking like a cotton ball.." I just muttered to myself while slowly eating my breakfast. Truthfully, I am ashamed that I''m this lazy. If only I can have a long and peaceful sleep for once! Then, maybe I won''t be this lethargic. Alas, I have been plagued by these nightmares for quite awhile now. "Lei won''t be happy that I didn''t show up at her house on time again today. I just hope she''ll forgive me, maybe a bar of chocolate will do?" "Also, I can''t just let her bully me whenever she wants! She''s been like that ever since I became close to one of my seatmates, Bea." Twiddling and lost by these thoughts, I became unaware and lost track of the time. I just snapped when I heard the hastened footsteps coming from upstairs, that I am sure of, from my mother. With a sudden strong surge of purpose not to be beaten to pulp, I force myself to eat at breakneck speed. Chomp, gulp, chomp, gulp!! I feel like vomiting, but I have to persevere. Ughhh-- I can definitely taste the bile surging. "What a mess!" She loudly spoke, hugging a full laundry basket. "Yeesh maah??" Gobbling and masticating my food all at once is my specialty, and I end up with hamster cheeks. I immediately turned my head just to make sure she was not holding one of her legendary sandals. "Stop dawdling, finish your breakfast and hurry yourself to school. I''ll be going out now, remember to close and unplug the TV when you leave." "Uh-huh.." I replied mindlessly. "Say that again?" She responded coldly. I can foresee a pinch approaching towards my soft ear. "Yes ma''am! I''ll even clean the table and wash my plate!" I uttered loudly. "Good boy, I''ll buy you a nice dinner, if you can do your homework later. I''ll be off now." "Take care mom! Please come back safely..." She nodded with a smile, and went on her way. As I saw my mother leaving, memories flooded my mind of how blissful our family used to be. I understand why she''s giving her best to discipline me. She just doesn''t want me to go off rail and lose track. I wish I could play again with dad. The on-going case of my father''s death has not borne any fruitful leads. The one who did it was still nowhere to be found. Hatred spurred my thoughts, seeking vengeance. Although I don''t know where to start investigating. The crime scene was already swept clean by the local police. I could only sigh as I grit my teeth with despair. "Enough with these thoughts, I''m gonna be so late in class!" I firmly said and hurriedly prepared myself while listening to the TV news. "We are on a momentous day everyone! This is the day of solemn anticipation from all around the world, December 12, 2012. Most people believe today will be the end of the world. Hold my beer for this one! As you know folks, the b''ak''tun, a 5,126-year cycle from the Mayan calendar. It was a complex system that tracks time in cycles. But now the count will come to its last tick very soon and a lot of speculations rose up from the masses, believing that this is the fated day. Although, Mayan scholars confirmed that there were no basis to these assumptions, and just a mere misinterpretation of the people. Back to you, Rachelle!" "Thank you Martin for that--" I rushed outside as I hurriedly unplugged the TV without turning it off. "Off I go, but just to make sure she''s not waiting outside their house.. maybe I''ll just pass by quickly and see if she''s still there." I can hear the loud chatters from old wives clumping just beside a juvenile mahogany tree that me and my father planted when I was still six outside of our fence. "Will you look at that, even birds can''t beat how early gossip flies these days!" I haughtily yelled as I glared at them intently until they left. With my good ol'' rustic bicycle, I pedalled my way towards another disaster. Their house is just a few blocks away from mine. She''s my childhood friend. With long black hair, light brown puppy eyes, and a welcoming presence. When I was just five, my mother would leave me in the park to play as she goes off to work. I first met her doodling on the sand alone and since then we played together every afternoon. We would spend all our time riding seesaw, playing tag or building sand castles. She''s very joyful, laughing whenever we have fun playing. As I was a loner and couldn''t socialize well with other children, I found comfort in her company. But as we grew older, she became more and more erratic. Most of the time she''s pretty chill, but other times she doesn''t want to see my face at all. She doesn''t want anyone to be close with me or she''ll burst out whenever someone takes my attention away from her. I realized that, maybe it''s because we''ve been friends ever since we were children running with a long snot on our face, that she opt to close herself to people outside other than me. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She came from a well off family but her parents were never really at home to give her the attention and care she needed. She is living in a big house, with a hollow home as they say. That''s why, I can''t leave her when I know she needs me. "I''m already close to their house though, but I don''t see her outside." As I quickly approached their gray colored gate. The house is a two storey building inspired from modern Europe, with intricate designs and a touch of class. "Hmm... I don''t see anyone here. Maybe she already left and went alone without me.. ehe." I whispered to myself. "But, it''s almost 8 o''clock. So I''m pretty sure she''s gone ahead of me. I just pray that I can make it to the school gate on time!!!" Well.. Yep, I didn''t make it. As I looked at the firm gate slowly closing, when I was just yards away and that smug look from the fat ass guard gazing at my failed attempt. Late students can still enter the school grounds after pleading and kowtowing in front of the guard, but they will be given a late ticket. And for every late mark the student has, the ticket compensation will be compounded. "There''s no way I would kneel and cry in front of that sorry fatass, never again!" And this is my 4th time being marked as late too. If I get another one, and can''t pay the fee, I''m certain that they will call my mother. If that happens, I can''t imagine what she will do to me after we go home! Shuddered by the thought of me turning into a living and breathing punching bag. I turned my bike swiftly and rode off towards a creek beside the road, where I often hangout with Lei under the silhouette of a well-aged tree as we talk and play video games. "She''s not here too.." The ground is covered by fluffy grass where I lay my back as I fervidly watch the flocks of birds dipping their heads to quench the summer heat. Listening to the rushing sound of the running water, I brought myself back again to what I dreamt last night. "Wahhhhhh.... It felt so real.. it''s been a week since I have these kinds of dreams." Tidbits of phantasm that haunt me every time I close my eyes. I murmured at the birds, looking towards me with their spaced-out eyes. That grotesque monster, every dream I had, appearing always out of nowhere. Towering flames as far as my eyes could see. Dead bodies piling up like skyscrapers almost reaching the horizon. And the deafening screams from the people deepening stupor as they get butchered wantonly by that vile being. "Did I get too absorbed watching that horror movie last time? I guess that explains it. I''ll just avoid any jumpscare movies for now. Lei won''t be happy for sure..." I spent a long time hugging the comfort of the tree shade before deciding to go back home. "Mom often comes back home late, so.. I''ll just pretend I went to school today and pray she won''t notice, hehe" I hop at my bed, splendidly landing like a lazy panda. "Guess I can close my eyes for a little longer, it''s still two hours before noon. I can just reheat the leftovers from morning later." Yawning and with drowsy eyes, I fell asleep again, unbeknownst to the wicked plan that will beset upon humanity. 12:12:12 Time stopped immediately, halting the countdown. A sharp and gritty, metallic sound pierced into my head. At the same time, everything trembled as if there was an intense earthquake. I jolted from my tranquil dream, which I only had for the first time and landed square flat, face first in the dirt. Dirt. And the sudden pain in my face and neck, making me wretched. "I am pretty sure I went home and flopped in my bed, not on the creak side." I whimpered as I rubbed my cheek again. "Greetings! You have been picked as one of the great Emissaries of Doom. Now that you have been chosen, you''ll be carrying out His will and push mankind to extinction." An unfamiliar clanking voice echoed, like a robot with metals churning its throat. I hurriedly opened my eyes towards the source but to my surprise, there was no one. I mean, there''s nothing within my sight but barren wasteland. Nothing. Not a single trace. The ground I fell down flat was not our house floor but a barren dirt. The trees and plants, the buildings and even the people, are all gone. As if they never existed. "What''s happening?!" My voice faltered as I tried to process my situation, mindlessly grabbing the dirt, trying to ponder reality. "Oops~ it looks like you got left behind." The robotic voice chortled. I weaved my head looking for the source once more but still saw no one. "I''m in your head, dimwit." "Wha- what, how...?" I fumbled whilst touching and checking every corner of my head in case anything weird is protruding. "I''m sending an electromagnetic pulse to communicate telepathically with you, dummy." The voice replied. "Oh.. where am I then...? Where''s everyone??" I frightfully asked. "I''ll explain to you the dire situation you are in just once, so listen well. Your world is but a countless replica of parallel worlds, and are all governed and controlled by the Supreme and Benevolent Ruler. With His will, the Overseer used a small fraction of His power to send everyone and everything into various planes devoid by light to hasten the evolution of all living once again. Sadly, you missed the train, hahahaha!" He chuckled and continued. "I''m curious if humanity can survive once again. Running by four, standing by two. How far can they progress this time? Or will this be the end of them, same as the others? I can''t wait to see the result!" The loud creaking of mechanical laughter from a robot was very agonizing to hear. I feel like my head is going to crack inside out. "As for you, you have been chosen as one of the Emissaries of Doom! Lucky you! Without it, you''ll be stuck in this world until you die, which would be pleasing to watch too. A boy left alone in a barren world. Woo-hooo!" "Anyways, you can access your powers through interwave, called the Doom System. It''s built by yours truly, a round of applause please! It is modeled to what humans are more familiar with, an RPG system. You can bring the status window using your interwave by just a thought." It added. I did what the voice told me and in an instant, a glowing red status window in front of me appeared out of nowhere like those from the video games I played. "Also, you can see other beings'' status and such just by focusing your thoughts. You can also read the noobie guide I made for twerps like you in the side tab of the status window. I''ll cut off the communication now as further exposure will implode your head." "For real???" I blurted out loud. "For real." the voice mockingly replied. "With your powers, you can rip space to jump to another parallel world. If you''re lucky, you might see your mother and childhood friend once again. If not, then it''s your pleasure to have me as the last being to talk to. And with this, my Introductory Ceremonial event for you has come to an end." Left alone, I stood up and opened the system intuitively. "So, it says here that I have to reach out my hand and imagine like I''m tearing an invisible blanket of fabric." As I moved my hand outward ripping on nothing, I could feel countless stings on my fingertips, like I''m being electrified though it doesn''t hurt at all. [Skill: Void Rend] With a swift motion, I forcefully rip the fabric of space, creating a spatial rift. The Void. A black hole, as the system described it, is an interlink between two physical planes, parallel to each other. A gash of cold breeze exudes within the rift. Faint growls can be heard from a distance and rabid howling accompanied by a bellowing roar, as I firmed myself and took my first step towards the unknown.
02 - Journey to Madness
[Skill: Void Rend] MP Usage: 0 Skill level: 1 / max. 10 Skill exp: 4 / max. 20 Cooldown: 3.8 hrs / 4 hrs
Description: A skill trait exclusive only to the Emissary of Doom, bestowing the user the power to traverse within the space continuum by ripping the fabric of reality from two parallel worlds.
As I entered the rift, I could feel the immediate tug from an unknown force, pulling me towards the only opening. I gazed upon the darkness that I''m plunging in, but the entire surrounding was devoid of light and sound, yet I could clearly sense the bizarre monstrosities lurking within the desolated space. I could only imagine what horrors these beings would bring if they had the means to traverse the gaps I made. Perturbed by these notions, the uneasiness crept slowly towards my conviction. Fortunately, it didn''t take long until I arrived at the other end of the gap. At my behest, the gap''s translucent wall gave way to my desire to leave the Void. "Thank God, I have survived!" I whispered in delight, clutching my fist in mid-air. "Heave...ho-" Now that I''m standing on a firm ground, a sense of relief showered my quivering heart. I immediately scanned my surroundings to see any people or maybe some traces I could follow, as I gaze upon the looming horizon. Snooping at a mountain cliff, just above the thick forest surrounding the vicinity, I quickly noticed that all of my senses have sharpened to extremes. I can now clearly see beyond a mile away without squinting my eyes to death. And even though it''s almost pitch black, my enhanced vision can easily spot the faint glow from everything I look upon closely. I can hear the miniscule footsteps and ragged breaths treading towards me, prowling within the depths of the darkness. I immediately decided not to linger and wait for what was coming. I speed off as fast as I could without any delay from the dreadful silence of the night. Huff... Huff... Huff... I stood still, clutching my chest and gasping for air. My lungs were burning almost passing out, as I stumbled upon a hollowed cave after running for some time. Pushing my utmost limit, I examined the gaping entrance for any signs of movement, but couldn''t find anything unusual. "I could use some rest before setting off again.." I mumbled and nodded affirmatively. The cave was actually small inside with a wide entrance. Luminescent plants can be seen growing on the cave walls, driving away the obscurity veiled from the outside. I sat down on one of the flat rocks laying beside the wall. The coldness from the stone soothed my exhaustion. Contemplating, I promptly opened the status window and read as much as I could in the guide section. First and foremost, the system doesn''t open quickly when I''m preoccupied with my thoughts. The Status Window is just a projection through an interwave connected to my soul. In short, it can only be seen by the one who projects it. It also emphasizes that by increasing the intensity and area of my interwave, I can also perceive the soul of other entities. Anything that glows faintly in the dark, houses a soul. "So the glowing weed here has one too?" I pondered silently as I watched the plant sway peacefully beside me. The guide states that the soul is the culmination of one''s life. It''s what we refer to as a database, uniquely imprinted within the body to record everything up to present. My age, personality, functions and even history are all embedded into my very being. And with the help of the interwave; a benign cosmic pulse that can establish a connection between my soul and mind, I can fully access and analyze my statistics more fluidly and accurately. "So I''m literally just a level 1 noobie.." Still reading the contents, I became curious to what the ranking pertains. And as if the system sensed my contemplation, another window popped out in an instant, responding to my query.
[The Twelve Emissaries of Doom] - Aries (The Tyrant): 1st rank Location: Earth-0 - Taurus (The Fallen Demon): 2nd rank Location: Unknown - Gemini (The Basilisk): 3rd rank Location: Unknown - Cancer (The Serpent): 4th rank Location: Unknown - Leo (The War Maiden): 5th rank Location: Unknown - Virgo (The Maelstrom): 6th rank Location: Unknown - Libra (The Ravenous): 7th rank Location: Unkown Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. - Scorpio (The Poisoned Dart): 8th rank Location: Unkown - Sagittarius (The Tempest): 9th rank Location: Unkown - Aquarius (The Beast): 10th rank Location: Unknown - Pisces (The Sword): 11th rank Location: Unknown - Capricornus (The Leviathan): 12th rank Location: Earth-13192
"What''s with these fancy titles? And why I''m so dead last in the rankings huh?!" I whispered in discontent. The rankings are a base metric of how far they have unlocked their cosmic potentials. The higher the ranking, the more powers they can harness and the closer they are to become the incarnation of the beings they represent. The Emissaries of Doom is an exalted group consisting of 12 chosen ones, handpicked by the system itself based only on one category; Extreme Aggressive Impulse. The catalyst to push one''s self, driven towards survival or destruction. The 12 Emissaries of Doom are directly based on the constellations of the space. Their powers are tied to the cosmic beings that once roamed the stellar universe. Each drawing powers from the cosmos, the emissaries have the control over space and time. "If I can control the space and time itself, can I go back to the past then???!" I exclaimed cheerfully. [You lack the necessary cosmic powers to retract the wheels of destiny.] A big NO is what I got, trampling my hopes and dreams of time travelling. _"Well there''s no point dwelling to what I can''t do.. let me see.. hmm.. what can these Innate Traits do?"_ With a thought, another window appeared to quench my piqued interest.
[Innate Traits] - Devourer of the Sun (Passive Skill) Effects: The power to absorb the soul of another by consuming enough flesh from the target. 0 pts out of 100,000 pts - Truthseeker (Passive Skill) Effects: Using the eyes of Doom, you can now see the souls of other entities within your range. This in turn, will show you the name, rank and level of the target. The information that can be collected will be based on how intensive the interwave is being projected. Some entities can disrupt the wave by force or produce the same wavelength to cover their attributes. 1 pts out of 5000 pts - Transcended One (Passive Skill) Effects: Your body has gone to various biological transformations beyond human comprehension. You have increased senses, high stamina and superhuman resilience. The more trauma inflicted on your body, the stronger it will become. 2 pts out of 1,000 pts - Ungodly (Passive Skill) Effects: The essence of death eludes you as you have now an undying body. As long as your soul is intact, you can definitely regenerate even from disintegration. Pain receptors are not nullified. 0 pts out of 50, 000 pts - Vorpal Hex (Passive Skill) Effects: Using the cloak of cosmos, you can curtain yourself with a cosmic aura to repel beings within the Void whenever you enter a spacial rift. The more rifts you open and cross, the more cosmic energy you will be able to absorb and expel from your body. 1 pts out of 10,000 pts
Reaching the pre-requisite points will evolve the trait to its higher form. There''s also a Unique skill given by my title as "The Leviathan".
Unique Skill: As the ruler of the vast sea of the Void, you have the power to call forth the very essence of the creatures you have consumed to rapidly transform into your Supreme Form; Lotan, enhancing your attributes by a thousand fold in exchange for a portion of your soul. [This skill is temporarily unavailable.]
"Who the hell made these kinds of sorry pieces of sh''t traits?! Why do I need to suffer to get stronger?! Can''t I just sit here and do some cultivation sh''t and become a god?!" Maybe the system didn''t like my sudden outburst as I felt a strong jolt of pain in my most treasured jewels between my groins. "Ahem- I was wrong, these will definitely help me survive. Thanks buddy, I was just overreacting you know." Quickly muttering the words of praise out of fear. Immersed by my fascination and wonderment, I missed the uncanny trotting of the creatures, advancing stealthily and making their way towards the cave. Loud cacophonous howls echoed from a near distance and erratic movements from the wilderness scattered the ever silent night. I knew that I''ll be surrounded right away if I idly sit around. So with great haste, I ran towards the only exit but got petrified by the very first thing I have seen. Is that a wolf? No. A creature prowling by all fours, a predatory gaze landed upon its prey. With a body size similar to a human, and limbs of eight, grotesquely sewn in its body, it approached me at a lightning pace. Howling and breathing coarsely, hunger driven. Without time to process, my body shuddered as the dim light of the cave beset the creature''s appearance. A face of a man in extreme agony with a pale skin, light faded blue eyes sulking yet never blinking, and the harrowing sound of breaths from the massive darkened wounds plastered in its neck and chest. Black liquids spewed from its dried-lip mouth, its extra arms were stitched to its bare back, rigor mortis already set-in and wagged wildly in the air rushing towards me. I could clearly see the light blue hues of unblinking eyes drawing closer to me. [Innate Trait: Truthseeker]!!
Accursed Polymelia lvl. 3 Pawn-rank Aberrant Health: 70-------Mana: 10 ????--------------???? ????--------------???? ????--------------???? ????--------------???? [Further attributes can''t be deciphered.]
With my lack of experience in an actual life-and-death situation, I underestimated the monster''s speed and made a dumb decision not to run to the opposite side before it could reach me. Swoosh!! Pluck!!! My health went from full to barely 10 in a split second. If my HP goes down to zero, I will immediately collapse. Within a flash, an excruciating pain from my right arm that I have never felt all my life, brought me back to my own sense of fragility. That I am weak. I have no weapon to defend myself, just a high school teenage delinquent thrown into this madness. "Aaaaaaaaargh!!" I gritted my teeth as I wailed from my relentless suffering. Sweats profusely march down from my face and my eyes were bawling involuntarily while I tried to reach for my right arm. But it''s been torn viciously from me, leaving fresh bone protruding and flesh hanging just below my shoulder. The open wound drains my health ever so slowly. "Wha-what..? How... Am I going to die in this hell hole..? Will I ever see my mom again?" Questions barrage my inner turmoil, kneeling down and succumbing to my misery. "...Lei.." I am sorry.. I can''t keep my promise. With 5 HP left, I slowly dozed off to the netherworld and my burdened eyes closed. Sheeeeerwk!! As I was about to lose consciousness from the abrupt blood loss, a murky viscous liquid violently sprawled from my mortal wound, gushing outward and forming a deformed black arm. The torment it brought from regenerating a new limb was doubled more than I lost one, as if my flesh, bone and nerves were pulled down in one swoop.
[Ting!] [Passive Skill Activated: Transcended One and Ungodly]
Blood surged upward, yet I forcefully gulped it down and tried to stand up. My fading mind was brought back again. Perceptively, the monster rabidly munching my arm halted its motion and probed me. It''s making a purling noise of dislike and a staunching poise ready to pounce. The other monsters are already yards away from my proximity. I immediately dashed forward to the side were I could hear no sprawling movements. The monster without hesitation, decided to pursue me while towing my old arm in its wide mouth. We were both equal in speed but the monster is more agile in this rocky terrain, jumping like a spider hunting for its prey. A glimpse of opportunity made the aberrant jump straight aiming to clutch my back, but made a mistake, pushing me unintentionally into the cliff instead. The wild chase came to an end as soon as I fell down to the abyss. The monster howled signalling the others to continue the hunt. Other beings shrieked back vigorously, rushing and heading down to the thick and vast forest. The swarm from the Void is coming.
03 - The Will To Survive "Ahhh.. I''m falling to death..." As I was about to be grabbed by the aberrant, I accidentally fumbled between two wobbly rocks that I carelessly stepped on and ended up flying head first again, toward my certain demise. After my second chance of life, accepting this pathetic way of dying will be my greatest regret! Cracking my head to find an escape, I suddenly remembered that I still have stat points left for me to allocate. Boom!!!! The abrupt fall from a 100 meter high cliff created a small crater and clouds of dust burst forth. The dust settled down, and there I am, lying flat and arching my back due to the immense pain from my head down to my butt. "AhHhHhH!!!!" I immediately covered my big mouth as my screams left my quivering lips. Thankfully, I hastily spent all of my points on my Vitality, which subsequently increased my Health cap by 10 per point, a total of 30 HP!! And with my luck, I only took 15 fall damage. So now I just have a meager 20 left out of 80 health. "But for god''s sake! why can''t they just remove the pain receptors if we based everything on an RPG system?!" I bickered relentlessly to the one who created this masochistic system. I wiped my dirty clothes full of tears and holes as I tumbled my way down through those thick branches of trees. Picking up myself again, I closely inspect my right arm and to my surprise, the black gooey and deformed arm solidified, fully transformed into a new and completely functional limb! "And I gained points from both my innate traits too- so my misery ain''t a waste after all." I tearfully spoke as I recount the things that I just experienced. Arhaaaahhhhhawaaaawl!!!!!!!!! A deafening incoherent roar coming from the abomination of a man, blasting the silence and sending chills to my very core. Looking up, I saw the glowing blue eyes piercing my confidence once again. Then countless howls echoed beyond the dark valley, responding to its call. I darted again, running for my precious life. "...Weapon, I need something to kill that monster..." Trying to search for anything I can use while trudging my feet forward into the depths of the forest. "F*ck--these twigs won''t even leave a scratch to that beast, let alone kill it. What am I supposed to do, there''s gotta be a way!..." I tried checking my skills, hoping for something but I don''t have any offensive ones. I might be able to throw them at the Void, yet I''m doubting myself if I can pull off that stunt without me being dragged along too. And I''m also getting hungry, is it lunch time already? I can definitely open another portal after two hours or so. "I have to survive first before then..." I muttered, ignoring my stomach growling with each step I take. Delving deeper, I stumbled upon a dark and murky swamp spanning beyond my vision. The rising fog also doesn''t help at all. With my limited vision, I can only see certain areas from here and there. "...Venturing forward to the unknown is very risky. The best way will be to go around the swamp instead." With my path forking toward the left side, I marched quickly while three shadows followed my trail. "AAW...SHIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.............." Having no footwear at all, it''s difficult to navigate the swamp side. I can barely contain my body from twitching in pain whenever I step on a thorny bush. Due to the effect of my [Ungodly] trait, I don''t need to worry about dying from infection or poison, but the rhythmic suffering I get is very maddening. Rustle.. Rustle.. Not even half way through, I heard a rustling sound a couple of yards away just behind my back. I reluctantly turned my head and paused nervously, there they were! Three small-sized black dogs with faint blue eyes, sniffing my trail. Their open wounds festered by maggots, broken bones piercing their ribs and their rotting flesh barely hanging. The one near my position spotted the statue I became and barked at the other two, sprinting alone maniacally.
[Accursed Tiny Terror Lvl.1] Pawn Rank Aberrant Health: 10--------Mana: 5 Str: 1--------------Int: 0 Agi: 3-------------Vit: 2 Def: 0------------Mor:-35
"...They''re just level 1 with low attributes, but the problem is that I can''t fight them all at once. I have to pick them one by one." I thought as I mustered my remaining courage to fight these zombie mutts. Standing firm to brace from the incoming impact, the dog jumped at me in full speed, barring its fang, aiming to bite off my neck. Humpfh!!! Judging at the right moment, I sent a blitzing uppercut towards the head of the dog, I felt the mushy meat on my knuckle as my fist swept its upper body, instantly exploding. The remaining two sprinted apathetically, ignoring the fact their buddy just died in front of them a while ago. Ting! [You earned 5 experience.] "Wait... I only earned this much??" Baffled by what just happened, but couldn''t complain further. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Closing in, the two dogs made a piercing attack with their tongue out wagging and plunging in synchrony. Raaaawrrr!!! Raaaaaawrr!!! "Not a chance!!" I mockingly said, leaping upward and evading their pitiful attempt while grabbing them at their neck with all of the force I could exert. My thumb and fingertips dug deeper reaching their skulls, crushing and breaking both like tofu. Ting! [You earned 5 experience.] Ting! [You earned 5 experience.] "Whoooohhhh...." I sighed in relief as their limping bodies dropped on the soft ground. "From what I recall, I''ll level up after earning 1000 exp points. So does that mean I have to kill a lot of monsters just to reach level 2??" I spouted as the buried dilemma surfaced again. The bastard who crafted the system made it soul-like and cranked it up to the hardest difficulty!! "F*cking hell..." I cursed my sorrows away, vividly imagining the never-ending grind I will madly partake in. "Oof--before I forget, I need to consume these bodies to progress my [Devourer of the Sun] trait." With a grandiose movement, I knelt down perfectly and stretched my arm with the palm hardly touching the top butt of the deceased mutt. "Ewww.. the stench is so horrid!" I exclaimed. With a galant voice, I uttered the skill name: "[Devourer of the Sun]!!!" .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. "Uhmm... Ehe.. Nothing''s happening? Maybe I didn''t say the words clearly." I tried again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Hell! I even changed my tone and stance, yet all were in vain. "The skill says consuming the target blah blah blah, why ain''t my skill doing it?" Dumbfounded and puzzled by the outcome, I pinched a small meat from its butt cheeks, smelt it good and gobbled it heedlessly. With a thunderous ting~! ringing inside my head, I can only shed tears and glance at the remaining rotten meat in front of me. You earned 1 point for [Devour of the Sun] Trait. You recovered 1 health point. You also earned a taboo trait:
[Bio-Forge] Description: By eating a being from the Void, you unlock the power to transmute the soul core into an equipment. The stats and effects are solely based on the quality of the soul core. The weapon''s appearance depends on the user''s desire. Additionally, precious stones and materials can be used as reagents to amplify the stats further.
[You can now access the Forge menu at the lower right tab of the Status Window.] "This is... awesome! A godsend cheat code for me to abuse!" And after the never ending cycle of eating and vomiting, I found a black marble near its chest cavity, faintly glowing in the same shade as their eyes. Using the interwave to analyze the foreign object, the system confirmed it to be a soul core.
[Soul Core (Tiny Terror)] Low Quality Qty: 1 By consuming this item, you will earn 10 experience and 5 points to the corresponding skill immediately. Subsequently, you''ll be able to recover 20 HP after consumption. You can also use this as a main component for equipment creation.
"Heck yeah!" I searched the other carcass and luckily I found another marble at the same spot like the first one. Unfortunately, the one I punched and exploded might not have any core left intact. With two marbles on hand, I''m saving one while I tossed the other into my mouth. Surprisingly, it went down silky smooth, and I can taste a hint of mint!!! Or so I thought. "With that I gained full health, 25 experience points and 5 trait points... Lemme peek on my gains quickly"
[Innate Traits] - Devourer of the Sun (Passive Skill) 7 pts out of 100,000 pts to evolve - Truthseeker (Passive Skill) 20 pts out of 5000 pts to evolve - Transcended One (Passive Skill) 50 pts out of 1,000 pts to evolve - Ungodly (Passive Skill) 37 pts out of 50,000 pts to evolve - Vorpal Hex (Passive Skill) 1 pts out of 10,000 pts to evolve
My soul just left my body. With that much needed points, I really need to dip my toes and face the danger head on, risking my life! Upon hearing large movements from a mile behind me, I treaded aimlessly to outpace the pursuers. These swarms are so persistent. Although, this could be an advantage for me too. "Time to move on then." I said, picking up the remaining carcasses nonchalantly. To kill these monsters, I badly need a weapon. With the newly unlocked trait, I can create equipment on a fly. I only need one core, a portion of its body part and ores to upgrade. "For now, these core and carcasses are sufficient to create a weapon, but... doing it in an open area will be dangerous, I need to find a secured place." I don''t even know how long the process will take. The monsters though for sure won''t be waiting gullibly as I dilly-dally my time here. "Being out here makes me an easy target, I have to go back inside." With that, I decided to turn and move forth toward the nearest woodland, hoping to find a temporary solace amidst the veil of darkness. Chaos ensued and the safety I hungered for was a b*tch, immediately encountering aberrant monsters inside the dark forest. A faceless humanoid with a wide slit in the chest down to its abdomen decorated with serrated teeth; whom I lost my left arm while I escaped. A headless humanoid with blade like limbs who caught and diced my left leg and, a three headed humanoid with a muscular body who tackled me to another cave opening and breaking my bones to pieces. And now here I am in this damp hole barely moving. The blistering sensation coming from my rib bones sticking out below my lower chest makes it impossible to breathe. And my neck too, it snapped after I landed hard on the stone cold floor. Thankfully, the hole is large enough for me to fit in yet too small for that gym rat monster to chase me down here. It took a moment before my trait started to kick in and brought me back to full shape. The pain is unforgiving as ever. My HP from being full, went down to 30 again. I gazed upon the rotten meat wrapped in a makeshift bag that I hastily crafted using my own shirt, wretching and thinking whether to eat it or not. "Going outside with a little health left is just asking to be one shot. But I need the meat to forge a weapon, yes.. I need a weapon.." coercing myself as memories flashed of me vomiting and puking convulsively. With that, I grabbed both the soul core and the meat, opened the Status Window then went straight ahead to the Bio-Forge section. The layout is pretty much the same as the previous interface. To create equipment, I have to place all the necessary materials close to me. And then choose ''confirm'' to proceed. "It says here that if the materials are sufficient, then the confirm button will light up, if not then it will just stay grey." I mumbled as I reached out my hand while waiting anxiously. Ting! [The minimum materials required are met. Do you want to proceed?] [Confirm/Cancel] "Confirm!!!" "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! F******ck!!! Not agaaiiin!!!!" A subtle crunching sound can be heard. What I didn''t expect is that both my arms are being ripped inside and out by the same black goo-like tentacles ever expanding and consuming the materials. I can''t even look properly as my eyes are already full of tears and sweat coming down from my forehead. I bit my lips with the constant pain making me want to bang my head on the floor. The trait didn''t also mention that I''ll lose a third of my remaining life, leaving me with 20 health. [Forge Completed] After the agonizing process, the pain subsided and the goo started to retract inside of me, leaving a pulsing pair of gauntlets already attached to my fists. My heart is pounding as I lifted the weapon I desired.
[Tiny Terror Pads Lvl 1] Pawn-rank Bio-Gauntlets Common Quality Atk: + 20 Vit: + 2 Effects: None
A pair of black gauntlets made by fusing the core and flesh, giving life to once dead ''Tiny Terror''. Unfortunately, the consciousness of the being didn''t survive the process, leaving a mindless bio-weapon with no effects retained.
"Not bad~ even though it doesn''t have any effects, my vitality will increase by a bit, and the attack power is a good boot too." I pondered, closely inspecting the wriggling gauntlets. In fairness, they might look disgusting outside but inside, my hands can definitely feel the smooth and supple texture like I''m touching Lei''s soft arm... I blushed, as I remembered how I often touched and pinched her arms whenever we played together back when we were just kids. "Ehem... So... They are also quite light, the same as wearing rubber gloves, I believe." Testing the durability, I punched the thick stone wall inside the cave path, cracking and piercing it with ease. As expected, these are very sturdy indeed. I can''t climb back due to the fact that the pathway upward is very steep, not to mention the disgruntled huffs from the aberrant waiting just outside the cave. The area I''m in doesn''t have any paths for me to crawl into. Then a slight breeze from the hole I made slowly caressed my hair as I clenched my fist, ready to embark beyond the nightmares to come.
04 - And Now It Begins They say in the vast and endless parallel worlds, each person has the same perfect replica of themselves, yet existing with different lives. It''s like the one who made the universe just copy pasted everything due to indolence. Most worlds, can overlap seamlessly with one another bearing no consequential effects, as their planes are separated by the fabric of space. Imagine a circle representing a world, you copy it as much as you want, plotting them all in a Cartesian coordinate. Viewing in the X and Y axis that represents the horizontal and vertical distances, these circles are all colliding chaotically with one another. A domino of world ending events will occur. However, if you add another direction of symmetry which represents the depth, let''s call it the Z axis, the imminent destruction is averted with the countless worlds now have seamless gaps between each of them, preventing collision. This means that every world does not abide no longer by the same plane, as they are all scattered between space and time. That is the reason why we can only perceive our own reality in this world. The gaps are called the Void, where there''s no living within and beyond its expanse, devoid of light and no concept of time. Although, beings who devolve to nothingness find this space their very own domain. To traverse between worlds, one must gain something beyond the laws of physics and conceptuality placed in the universe that transcends above the creation itself. By emitting large quantities of cosmic energy, one can tear a hole from one world to another. The Void will inadvertently draw all existence within its proximity from the moment the gap is opened and will expel the foreign objects once the other side of the fabric of space is breached. "I still have an hour left before I can use my skill to open the Void again." Talking to myself while exploring the vast labyrinth. The small cave, where I initially thought to be a small burrow, happens to be a complex underground system of canal and tunnel, but seems like unnaturally made with fine carvings clearly seen in the pathways. As I tread my way on the hard stone floor following the faint breeze of air, I began to think about my mother and the people I have been with, worried that they might not survive these kinds of monsters spawning endlessly. While the guide says that everything from my world, Earth-3 million, was transported to the nexus world called Earth-Zer0 which is located at the very heart of the cosmos, to reach that place, I need to brave countless worlds full of void swarms before reaching it. Pitifully, my cosmic energy is not yet enough to pierce a gap all the way through. The guide also explains that all parallel worlds, except a handful of lucky ones, have already succumbed to darkness. Devolving existence to monstrosities. "I need to get stronger..." Quickly pacing myself when I spotted a group of glowing dark red cone snail near a wide cavern, a foot size each with a head of a bald bird and a body of a slug, eating the plants I previously seen from the cave I''ve been to not long ago. Cautiously approaching and analyzing, I promptly used my interwave to check its stats.
[Vulture Snail Lvl 1] Pawn-Rank Aberrant Health: 5--------Mana: 20 Str: 2-------------Int: 7 Agi:1--------------Vit: 1 Def:15------------Mor: 0
Looking around and confirming that there are only 37 aberrants in total within the area, all busy munching weeds. I plotted my plan to kill them one at a time. As they seem unbothered and still a yard or two away from one another, I can definitely pull this off. All I need to do is exterminate them before they can react. With the pieces coming together, I shoved my doubts and resolved myself. Now fully committed, I called forth my flesh-made weapon with full authority, engulfing my fists inside and out forming a metal-like gauntlet. "Tiny Terror, don''t let me down." A swift and heavy dash is all it took to close the distance between me and my first victim. Feeling an unseen death drawing near, the snail suddenly stopped eating trying its hardest to turn its head to run, yet too slow as my punch landed square straight towards its bald head. Thanks to the gauntlet taking the impact, I don''t feel any pain from the recoil every time I send a punch packed with all of my strength. Pwuaaak! A loud crunch reverberated the open cavern, its skull got squashed immediately and its mushy brain scattered across the floor. This alerted the remaining birdies. Unfortunately for them, their bodies are so slow to react from what''s coming. Ting! [You earned 3 experience points] Within a split second, a brisk turn of my feet, pumping force between my hind legs and footsteps leaving deep cracks, I launched myself towards them at full speed, a sweeping carnage. "One, two, three, four, five.." I systematically brought death first upon those who are closer to me and are trying to flee. My blood covered fists are flying faster towards the flightless birds-- breaking their shells, snapping their bodies in half and squashing their skulls to pieces. They couldn''t do anything as much as they wanted at how I''m weaving my way to them with breakneck speed. Might be in such a way that I''m slowly devoured by madness--without realizing, I found pleasure in killing these helpless creatures. I laughed maniacally as the one-sided slaughter continues, unhinging myself to rationality. Phew!! Shhhhhhhh!! Delivering a wind screeching blow aiming to one shot the crawling abhorrence, I carelessly disregard the spitting motion from the monster behind me. With no time to dodge, my back was fully covered by a thick slime. The spit turns out to be acidic, burning my back off as my skin sizzles from bare shoulder to waist, injuring my hp by 10. Ting!
[You have been afflicted by a DOT effect from Decaying Acid skill. You will take 2 health damage every second] The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
I only have 20 HP left, so I only got 10 seconds left before flopping to the ground and be the main-course meal for these slugs. There are still 21 aberrants left. Another barrage of spit is sent flying towards me, I hastily evade and proceed to hide behind a thick stalagmite. I contemplated, worrying with the fact that I don''t have any cores to heal myself while my eyes try to shift its gazes from the ongoing salvo of saliva aiming to kill me. [You have taken 2 hp damage] Submerged again in desperation, an idea dawned on me, taking a glimpse upon the dead birds laying around. [You have taken 2 hp damage] I bolted like a madman and bit one of the torn bodies on the floor, dragging and chewing it by mouth, and resuming the bloodbath. [You have taken 2 hp damage] Chomp! Gulp! [You healed 2 hp] Now evading the projectiles and running constantly in circles closing the gap, I wantonly eat while I beat them one by one to death. Making food by hand, and picking piles of them by mouth. [You have taken 2 hp damage] Chomp! Gulp! [You healed 2 hp] [You have taken 2 hp damage] Chomp! Gulp! [You healed 2 hp] The remaining 8 didn''t even bother to fight and just tried to escape again realizing perhaps spitting doesn''t help anymore. But with a ruthless plunge and clenching hard, both my fists went straight, booming sounds they created. Like a truck speeding, the force ram them to chunks, sending their heads flying granting they should be like the birds they are. The aftermath left the untouched ground with wide cracks and deep holes. The floor is littered by lumps of meat oozing green blood. My weapon retracted unto my flesh hiding beneath my skin. Being exposed to acid over and over again, my body developed resistance nullifying the ticking damage.
[Acid Mantle] Passive Skill Whenever your skin is touched by any acidic substance that can cause damage, there''s a 100% chance to resist acid-related debuffs.
"...Hoo...I can''t believe I survived that." I blurted as I slumped my back, lying on the edge while trickles of water pokily washed away the blood stains that painted my face. Checking my status window, I gained a lot especially my [Transcended One] and [Ungodly] trait, with 309 and 459 points respectively. My total experience is already at 126 points, still far from 1000 points to level up. "...Just as I imagined, I''ll progress much slower. But this will benefit me in the long run." I deduced, the guide clearly phrases that the higher the difference in level, the lesser the points I will receive, gaining nothing if the level difference is more than 10. "My only way to get stronger is to evolve my traits and skills, and forge top-tier equipment knowing there''s no level requirement needed for me to use such items." After some duly-deserved rest, I picked up and gathered the remaining leftovers that I could find. Using my skill [Truthseeker] I quickly discerned each location of their soul cores, which are all inside their rock hard-like shells. If they were still moving, trying to search for the core points within their body is nigh impossible. Their brains emit interwaves naturally, cloaking their core. The residual soul imprints beyond the cloak is what my skill could only analyze. As long as their brains were still active, their cores could be anywhere inside their bodies, but now they''re just meat. This is also a good way for me to verify if they are alive or not because the brain can''t play dead. There were 37 snails and only 24 shells were intact containing cores, the other 13 were pulverized to chunks but still usable. I can feed my bio-weapon with these shells to upgrade its stats and level.
[Soul Core (Vulture Snail)] Lowest Quality Qty: 24 By consuming this item, you will earn 5 experience and 3 points to the corresponding skill immediately. Subsequently, you''ll be able to recover 5 HP after consumption. Due to low concentration of soul energy, you can''t use this as a main component but this can be added as a supplementary material to level up your equipment.
"I''ll just upgrade my weapon then, and save the rest of these cores in case I need them later. I am already in full health just by eating tons of these jiggly meat and glowing weeds." Standing in front of the remains, I opened the [Bio-Forge] panel and chose the equipment upgrade. I then raised both my hands feeling the familiar pain rising. The gauntlet emerged and my numbing fingers became a myriad of gooey black tentacles, nabbing the carcasses first, then the rest of the shells, and lastly 15 soul cores all compressed with such force, sucking the tightly packed pellets all at once. Ting! [Upgrade Complete]
[Tiny Terror Pads Lvl 2] Pawn-rank Bio-Gauntlets Uncommon Quality Atk: + 30 Vit: + 2 Int: + 3 Def: +10 Effects: Each attack is coated with a slimy film that can cause -10 acid damage and has a 15% chance to inflict acid DOT effect (2 HP damage per second).
With faint greenish glowing plates and much more refined intricate designs, the upgrade made my weapon more powerful that comes with an elegant appearance. Checking my stats, I became optimistic at how high my overall attributes rose up.
Point Allocation: 0 Pts Health: 100 ------ Mana: 50 STR: 4 ------------ INT: 5 (+3) AGI: 5 ------------ VIT: 9 (+2) DEF: 11 (+10)----- MOR: -5
"...Clashing against those three aberrants above won''t be a problem for me anymore, I might be able to fight head-on that monster with six arms..." I blithely said, stretching my arms and legs before moving towards the only exit. The track became more and more defined like being chiseled to shape, the ragged floor progressively turning into stone pavements and reaching the very end. And there it was, a narrow staircase catered with sophisticated designs, alluding to sinister intentions. Drawing closer, I could clearly see the stairs pointing upward to the enormous door made out of human skulls. Buckets of sweat promptly drenched my entirety as the door slowly opened, emanating a tremendous pressure of horrific aura. "Come, Jin..." A soothing familiar voice faintly called me, stirring the memories of my childhood and filling me with pure ardency. Rushing my way to the source, my heart beat grew louder with anticipation. This nightmarish situation I plummeted into had robbed me of warmth, of safety, of home! I blindly ignored the emanating terror surrounding me, searching and hoping to grasp the only sliver and manifestation of what I was familiar with once, back when life was normal. Now standing in front of the half shut door, trying to open it widely as decorative skulls cracked by my forceful entry. I grit my teeth, pushing the lumpish door. The room is very wide almost like a gymnasium, painted in creamy white pearl color. Lavish designs chiselled all over the whitestone cornice and a 10 meter high ceiling with a wide gaping hole as high as the eyes can see. The flooring is made out of pure marble with a greyish tone. Red roses planted on pots made out of porcelain, neatly scattered across the room. At the center surrounded by white candles encased in human skulls, perpetually illuminating the area. A wide fluffy bed with subtle design of ambiguity due to its massive size settled alone just below the hole. And there she was, sitting comfortably at the center with her body being sideways. "...Mom..?" I called her out, my voice shaking. "Jin, it is you.. right? I''ve been looking for you for eternity.." She claimed while smiling. "Come here Jin, let me see you.." With my doubts dissolving I ran immediately towards her opening my arms to hug my mother tightly. But. Something''s off. The closer I get, the more nauseating stench I can smell from her. The obnoxious scent of a hideous monster seeping into my nose, forced me to throw and puke. I stumbled and stopped midway as the scent grew insufferable. "Why are you not moving? Come closer Jin." my mother''s tone became eerily cold. "Mom... I can''t go on any further, can you come here to me instead... Please?" I pleaded to her. "Jin..." "You.." "YoUU.." "YOU... USELESS PIECE OF SH*T!!!!!!!" Accompanied by a thunderous cracking voice, the whole room greatly trembled by a sudden scream that pierced through my head, blood burst outside my ears and nose due to the extreme pressure. "You''re just like your FATHER!!!" She added, her voice started to alter, becoming wrathful. She started to get up and faced me, turning her head revealing what was left--half of her skull is now visibly seen.
[?Mater Mala Lvl 7] Rook-rank Aberrant Health: 300-------Mana: 120 Str: 5---------------Int: 10 Agi: 14--------------Vit: 14 Def: 28-------------Mor: -50
A red skull before its name, signifying unfettered dominance beyond me. "You shitty brat! Prepare yourself to be disciplined!" She shouted jarringly, her bones popping with every erratic motion she made. "Mo... Mom... No..." Horrified, I questioned my sanity as the silky bed she used to sit in was just a veiled skirt to hide what''s underneath. Three pairs of legs with apparent stitches sewn in together below her body appeared beneath the white blanket. Both her arms seemed to have been amputated. A murky goo covers her upper body lodged with numerous iniquitous eyes fixated at me. Her tepid expression turned to rapacious glare, showing her true intention. To feast on me. 05 - Darkness Reborn A gleam of light shines as I open my dozy eyes, my little hands trying to touch the tender smile from the face of a motherly figure. With her arms warmly wrapped around me, moving me back and forth and humming a rhythmic melody, I felt comfort and bliss. "...Humm~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmmm~ Hum~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmmm~ my little boy, close your eyes~ mama''s gonna keep you safe tonight~ Humm~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmm..." Immersed by the soothing calmness flowing from the passionate voice, I let myself drift away to repose. "...Humm~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmmm~ Hum~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmmm~ my little boy, close your eyes~ mama''s gonna keep you safe tonight~ Humm~ hmmm~ hmmm hmmm..." "Hmmm~ hmmm~ hmmmmm~" "Hmmm~ hmmm~ hmmmmm~" "Hmmm....aaaaaaaAAAAARHHHH!!!!!" Jolting back to reality, I immediately confronted the abrupt roar echoed all throughout the halls from a frenzied beast I used to call mother. Still kneeling down from being indisposed, my head can''t think clearly as tears fell down on my cheeks having abandoned rationality while staring at my own hopelessness. "Mom.. mom... mom..." The words I only muttered as my heart wrenched tightly, seeing the tormented body my mother endured. "Jiiiiiiiiiinnnnn, hahahahahAHAHAHA" she frenziedly shrieked, running tip-toed towards her only son. Her manic laughter echoed hauntingly in the chamber, sending more chills than a nightmare. "Mom! Please, if you can hear me! I don''t want to fight you, if you can understand me... Please moooom! I can''t do this..." I shouted with all of my heart, groveling myself forward and yielding to her mercy. As if hearing my plea, she stopped just 5 feet away from me. Overjoyed, I looked up just for my hopes to crumble down, she gazed upon me with eerie delight. "Mom, can we--" my vision went black for a moment, a rapid kick from her left feet landed quickly to my head, sending me flying at a speed beyond human comprehension. Chopping my life down to 78 health, I''m relieved to the upgraded gauntlet that my head is still intact, taking most of the brunt when I spontaneously defended myself before the kick reached me. Bam!! Landing so hard on the fine marble wall that I spat blood all over, my bones broke stabbing my internal organs. Still stuck at the deep crater, and struggling to breathe, she effortlessly dashed and sprinted ready for the kill. "Mom.." seeing her appearance, I can''t help but remember the welcoming face that greets me when I come home weary from school. She always makes sure to provide good food when I know she secretly skips breakfast to save money. Taking care of me tirelessly day and night whenever I''m sick and bedridden. She even ended up owing a loan just so I don''t go to school with my ragged bag empty and worn out shoes smiling widely. All those things overlapped the image of an approaching abhorrent figure, running like a spider. She leaps above so high she seems hanging like a puppet, extending her three right feet as she descends, barreling down to bury me once and for all from my stupefied state of mind. Bang!!! With a loud crash, chunks of stones went flying as the crater became a cavern while massive rocks piled over, burying me underneath. I somehow managed to dodge right before I can get squashed, but still got carried along by the powerful wave from her attack dealing 20 hp damage, leaving me with almost half of my health. "You still alive son? Don''t be shy~ Let momma know if you''re still breathing, hehehahahaha" She chuckled, her fiery eyes sharpened obsessively trying to catch the slightest reaction. I kept myself well-hidden, breathing ever so slowly, not wanting to attract her attention while I searched for a way to defeat the aberrant. I can''t leave, I can''t go on like this. Even if it''s impossible, not caring for my life, I''m going to kill this b*tch of existence for mocking the image of someone that''s so precious to me. "Kill... Gonna beat it to pulp!" I reaffirmed myself, eyes already bloodshot. Seeing no response, the monster swept the rubble with another powerful kick, breaking all into pieces, dust veiled the monster''s senses. "Jinnn, where are youuu? You can''t hide from me!!! Don''t make your mother angry, come out now!!!" She announced while flaring dozens of interwaves aimlessly. Innate Trait. [Vorpal Hex] activate. Thum!!! In a normal situation, this trait will automatically activate whenever I enter the Void, cloaking myself during the voyage. But, I can also manually activate it to cover my body, preventing leakage. In short, while the skill is active I''ll be invisible to beings projecting interwaves to detect their surroundings. Getting more and more impatient, the monster''s thrashings became wild and violent. It''s chest covered eyes wriggled rapidly even at a slightest movement in its vicinity. Using this to my advantage, I timely picked up some stones between its tantrum episodes and readied myself for this suicide mission. My skill [Void Rend] is available again. I can open another rift to jump to another world if I wanted to. Except, I am planning to use it with another trick. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Holding my breath, I threw the stones upward to the opposite side to divert its attention. With finesse, I bared my fangs wide, leaping forward once to get close and deliver a punch enough to daze the monster even just for a bit. Like a canonball, my fist went straight but the aberrant spotted my attempt beforehand and launched itself to intercept my struggle. Boom!!! Punch and kick halfway met, a mighty explosion from the collision sent me flying up as the monster flinched from the drawback. Gaining momentum at the same time, I rolled my body, performing a backdive mid air while both fists are clasped firmly to deliver a devastating smash right above its head. The aberrant hastily launched a counterattack, sending a raging kick upward yet barely grazing my lower body, dodging death by twisting my body sideways. Bang!!! With a clanking noise like metal, another shockwave blasted when my pummel connected. The monster''s head is as hard as steel, my finger bones have already been broken. Crouching like a fierce tiger on the ground, I prepared myself to follow-up my attack while the monster is busy sending a barrage of deadly stomps. I weaved in circles, zigzagging and dodging, jumping again at the right opportunity. Splat!! Unfortunately, I got hit by a rogue kick, breaking my right arm down to my chest ribs with rapid force that it blew me back as I spat blood tumbling away. [You received -20 hp damage] "Uck.." I can only grunt, helping myself to stand up while glaring at the abomination smiling wickedly, bolting its way forward. Knees still wobbling, I faced the incoming attacks with nothing but pure hatred. Kicks landed mercilessly all throughout my body, my dangling right arm finally gave off while the other arm got chop down by a single sweep, ribs and femur broken making me puke blood, kneecaps exploded to pieces yet I still tried to stand up, and lastly a deafening kick delivered right into my face, crushing my nose and then skull as my other eye popped out and rolled over the ground. I couldn''t even comprehend the pain as I slumped on the floor puddled with blood. My own blood. Dying. I am dying.
[Warning] [Your health is already at 1 hp, body regeneration is impossible right now.]
"He..he..he..." The final words that my battered mouth can utter, smiling wryly at my self-stupidity. If I haven''t engaged in this futile fight and just tried my best to escape, maybe I could have survived. But I couldn''t. I know I''m dumb, but I can''t overlook and run away knowing my mom became a monster. It''s my duty to end her suffering. "Poor boy.. if only you have listened to your mother, I would have taken pity and let you live a little longer." She whispered, as she knelt down and continued mocking me. "You think you can kill me? Come on dear~ you can''t even scratch my skin, HAHAHAHAHA!" booming laughs echoed. Opening its mouth, a web-like substance accumulated and shot right on my chest. Hoisting me up, the monster meticulously wrapped my shoulder and ankles hanging me upside down. She went off scavenging my fallen limbs and then came back with my left arm already in her mouth. "Wow, gotta say I might let you live while I slowly feed off on your body parts." She said nonchalantly. She then bit her wrist leaving a deep cut, and shove it into my mouth with her gush of blood flooding my throat. I gulped and wriggled, writhing in pain as my airways got crushed from the blunt force and healed at the same time. Ting! [You healed 30 hp] [Trait Activated: Ungodly] Sheeeerk! Black murky goo burst out without any regard and rapidly formed into a pair of arms, crunching a third of my remaining health. I also got my other eye back, and my bones glued together once again. "What do we have heeeere?" She asked amused with an inquiring tone and the monster touched my newly healed face. Feeling no sense of responsibility to respond, I muted myself from the sudden conversation. Cracking my head again to escape from this situation. "Ho-ho, so you''re an emissary too, just like the other one." She snickered, while ripping my left leg with ease. I didn''t even have time to flinch as another leg formed from my wound. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!" I could only shout helplessly, both pain overlapping with one another. "Hahahahaha, what a nice treat Jin, now I won''t be hungry anymore!" Munching again as she chuckled viciously. "I''m gonna enjoy our time together." A sinister smile from the monster, its blue eyes glowed brightly watching its food in misery. The torture went on and on. The monster didn''t even give me a break. I can''t even open a portal because I need to use my hand to rip the space. I''m stuck here against my will, hanging upside down, screaming from being healed and eaten alive over and over again. Hours go by, days went flying, and I don''t even know how many weeks have passed since then. Apparent scars can be seen from the repeated torment. Even my scalp have been ripped countless times that my black hair became snowy white. The untiring agony took toll to my mental health, eating my sense of rationality. Only madness prevails, numbing the never ending pain. Chuck!! Both of my arms slug off on the ground as blood drips down from my wounds. Eating my flesh, she devolved more into a devious abomination. Belly slouching, her skin is now riddled with pale scales and her slit eyes became six. Its displayed skull is now covered by tough reddish shells. Its mouth, full of sharp edged teeth, smiling widely closer to its ears.
[?Devolved Mater Mala Lvl 9] Rook-rank Aberrant Health: 400-------Mana: 150 Str: 8---------------Int: 12 Agi: 17--------------Vit: 18 Def: 35-------------Mor: -75
"You are the best, with your help I can become stronger and stronger infinitely, hahahahahaha" she said coarsely, plunging its teeth down on its meal. "Though, it''s getting boring now that you''re not screaming and wailing, but I guess you''re already dead inside, surrending your fate to me." She added as she slapped my face leaving a deep gnash that healed quickly together with my arms. Faint black fog swirled around my body, sending malicious aura of death. My eyes still closed after cycles of torment, opened wickedly and shimmered in tainted red with tears replaced by blood. Alerted by the sudden killing intent, the monster glanced upon me and sent a thunderous kick aiming to discourage my dumb notion. Bam!! The tightly wrapped cocoon-like web was obliterated by the impact, leaving nothing but web threads hanging at the ceiling. "You unruly child! This is what you get for not being obedient!" She shouted regrettably, now that her source of food is gone. "I would have been sad if I saw you cry, mom" I calmly said, landing nimbly behind the monster''s back, making it shudder in fear as the fog materialized into a transluscent black cloak. Clenching my fists once again, cracking my fingers one by one, stretching my stiff legs and neck, my body feels so light right now that I can easily jump more than thrice my height. My muscles are visibly ripped, showing the untold torment they have foregone. With my innate trait [Trancended One] now further evolved, I also gained height and muscle mass. From being a scrawny kid around 5''3", now I''m around 5''9". With one swing of my hand, everything was blown apart. I smiled with delight, opening the system.
[Innate Trait] [Fragmental Divinity] Transcended One Evolution I 126 pts out of 5,000 pts Description: Your body has evolved and transformed beyond human comprehension. You have compounding increased senses, high stamina, superhuman resilience and additional attributes. The more trauma inflicted on your body, the stronger it will become. Added Effects: Health: +150-----Mana: +50 Str: +10-----------Int: +5 Agi: +10-----------Vit: +15 Def: 20------------Mor: 0
[Status Window] Name: Jin Asura Level: 1 Rank: 12th Title: The Leviathan, Emissary of Doom Constellation: Capricornus Innate Traits: Devourer of the Sun, Truthseeker, Fragmental Divinity, Ungodly, Void Cloak Taboo Trait: Bio-Forge, Acid Mantle Occupation: None Point Allocation: 0 Pts Health: 400 ------ Mana: 150 STR: 14 (+10) ----- INT: 10 (+8) AGI: 15 (+10) ----- VIT: 24 (+17) DEF: 31 (+30)----- MOR: -48
Checking once again my status window, my eyes glared piercing through the unsuspecting victim, wicked smile etched unto my face. How the tables have turned. 06 - The Hunter, The Prey Red. Blood stained my vision as tears dried down. Mellowed eyes sharpened like crimson daggers, imposing fear just by a mere look. Veins bulging, getting riled by the only thing I harbored up until now. Hatred. The pure and unfiltered emotion of chaos, indulging my mind with destructive thoughts. I mused myself cracking my knuckles hard, one by one, with the menial pain casting away the lingering sanity I got. Puzzled by my unexpected change, the monster continued to gauge my strength, lurking in a far distance and shifting places trying to find my weakness. I simply stood there at the center, arms loose and body relaxed. Staring at nothing, yet somehow my mouth blurts incoherent words like I''m reading something. The monster hesitates, seeing my calmness even amidst the current situation I am in. Seemingly laid back, but to the monster''s myriad eyes, I have no opening. The prey is just there, standing still, yet the hunter can''t even budge a finger. But who''s the hunter and the prey now? Clicking its tongue, the monster finally decided to attack. The aberrant with multiple limbs lunged itself with blurring speed behind my back, veiling itself in the darkness thinking confidently that I won''t see her coming. Tshirk!! My back was cleanly pierced throughout my chest by her sharp claws, without any resistance. Lifting my limping body high, the monster is flabbergasted by how easy I got maimed. "Oh my... And here I was afraid awhile ago, turns out you''re still weak Jin." She triumphantly said. But out of the blue. "Bleeeehhh~" I blurted and chuckled diabolically, pushing the surging blood down to my throat. Turning my head, eyes now berserk in red with my tongue out taunting the monster, I laughed fully unhinged--grabbing and gripping her wrists with my barehands. Her scales easily cracked like eggshells, black blood oozed, clenching ever so lightly. Yet it''s still not enough. "Come, Tiny Terror." With authoritative command, the gauntlet emerged again from within, wrapping my hand firmly. I then tightened my grip once again without breaking a sweat. Crack!! Thuds rippled the floor as her pale hands fell off like broken twigs. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" She wailed in agony with her face already contorting, pulling her remaining arms with all her might. Yet to her big surprise she is stuck.
[Void Cloak] Vorpal Hex Evolution I 4321 pts out of 20,000 pts Description: By repeatedly covering yourself with cosmic energy, your body became intuned with space becoming an expulsive singularity. You can now slightly materialize the powers of cosmos to ward off physical and mental attacks at will. The smoky cloak can also be transformed to anything by infusing mana, the basic stats is equally based on the user''s attributes. Added Effects: 50 mana needed per transformation 30 minutes duration 45 minutes cooldown
By letting the skill constantly enveloping me for the past weeks, I ended up evolving [Vorpal Hex] to its next form. Activating the skill, a black swirling fog-like cloak wrapped her entire body from neck down to her feet, trapping the crying baby in place. My chest and back muscles also tightened rigidly due to my doubled stats temporarily given by the cloak, squeezing her wounded arm from inside-out. The intensive torment quickly sapped away the strength from the shrilling monster, bringing it down to its knees. "Hahahahaha, I would be sooooooooo pissed if you can''t feel pain!" I muttered with sadistic joy, my ruby eyes sparkled with apparent brutality; swiftly swinging back my hands to grab her shoulder, fiendishly digging my fingers into her cold flesh and forcefully ripping her lodged arms as blood splattered the marbled floor. Ting! [Trait Activated: Ungodly] "I was under the impression that monsters don''t feel any pain at all, but watching you wail like the b*tch that you are, I guess even monsters bleed." I mockingly said now fully regenerated, with her fallen arm already being voraciously chewed by me. Ting! [You healed 30 hp] "You filthy son of a--" Munching the meat, I smacked her dead straight to the face using the other arm, sending her flying like a spider being flicked by a finger. "Argh---No---You!" The muddled words I faintly heard from the monster tumbling yards away. Bam! With a loud bang, the monster slammed right into the hard wall, forming a big crater, unmoving and twitching from the abrupt crash. "Sorry, you saying?" I snickered, cupping my right ear forward. Dusting my battered pants, or what''s left of it, I nonchalantly walked over towards the other side. Striding myself like a feather floating in the wind. Closing in, the monster jumps out from the rubble, letting out a deafening screams of fury and icy glare aimed to rattle me. Yet, will all the fuss this big meatball did, I simply took my time watching it crumble in despair. "How...? How did you become so strong??!" She wailed, still bewildered by the turn of events. "Now, now~ don''t be so melodramatic mother, maybe you are just a wimpy afterall." I chipped in, trying to stir the monster''s ego. "Noooooooooo! Not again!! I won''t let this happen to me agaiiiin!!!!" As the humanoid spider charged at me, shooting sticky webs from its mouth and sticking all over me. "Hah! Now you can''t move!" She said, rejoiced by my captivity. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hmph?! As she tried to pull, a tugging force from the other end dawned her with tremendous anxiety. Plucking sounds can be heard as the webstrings can''t handle the tension while a devious giggle turned to psychotic laughter from a deranged human. "Why? Why are you laughing?!" She angrily asked, still seeking to grasp reality. "Oh mother... Watching you trying so hard just to fail over and over again is suprisingly... Funny." That last word triggered the monster, visible veins brimming with untempered fury, her eyes dilated with anger while her breath became ragged, growling deeper. Her legs stiffened, calves expanding to utmost extreme. Skulking low, prowling like a spider. Boom!! The monster darted leaving dusts, like an arrow piercing the wind--uncannily opening its mouth full of bladed teeth to bite my head off. Crunch!!! The sound of a bone cracking, as I launched a timely upward kick right into its chin. Now dazed, the monster flew up high. Crouching, I jumped leaving cracked footprints, to grab the monster''s head behind and slam it on the ground. Powerless, the aberrant can only flail its legs in hopes of snagging me off its back but to no avail. Bang!! Another booming sound that shook the ground, leaving a massive crater. Falling head first with my feet behind, the monster''s face is now as flat as it can be. Dripping sounds of black blood came from its mouth. Grabbing hard its silky black hair, the body twitches from pain. I lifted its head while looking at its face and shook it vigorously. "That was fun! Let''s do it again mom!" I gleefully said, poising myself to throw the monster again. "No-" battered, she didn''t even finish pleading and was flung once again above, twirling upward. "There you go~ Now, here I coooome!!!" I asserted. Using the black cloak that transformed into brute arms, I quickly burst my way catching her with breakneck speed. I immediately grabbed her back to do a summersault on the way down. Bam!! The floor couldn''t handle another slam, crumbling down below a fairly wide cavern with cold water rushing beyond the darkness. The light from the hole above illuminates the rocky ground. With my vision enhanced, I couldn''t care less even if there''s no light at all. The water does not hinder my footwork, as it''s just ankle deep. The problem is the uneven terrain. And the monster trying to hide itself, sticking above the ceiling corner, licking its wounds. Scanning the area, it seems like there''s no other exit other than the hole we fell into. The high ceiling makes it hard for me to catch the aberrant off guard. But. Seeing that it is not trying to escape from me anymore, it only implies one thing. Overwhelming animosity. "Instead of the other way around, it seems like my mother here is being disciplined by her son." I casually spoke and laughed, measuring her reaction. Hissss!! A piercing sound directed to me accompanied by a seething pressure coming from the above. With her eyes glowing intensely in the dark, she instantly vanished without a trace! "Sh*t--" gritting my teeth, I hurriedly used [Truthseeker] to locate the monster yet I couldn''t. "This!" I started to realize but it was too late to act. The aberrant, by feeding my flesh and blood for weeks, somehow inherited some of my innate skills! This might be troublesome. "But to hell with all! Come mother, let''s play again!!!" I proudly roared, baiting it to reveal itself. And as expected, the monster couldn''t contain its hostility, unveiling kicks that landed so hard on my abdomen, making me puke blood. Yet, I still stood where I stand, not moving an inch. Just smiling at her disappointing figure as my vivid memories of the past slowly crumbled to nothingness. Catching a glimpse of my nefarious visage, the squamous being attempted to cloak itself again but could not as both my hands and void arms nabbed her, clenching her feet tightly, leaving two tip-toed. "Jiiiiiiinnnnn!!!" She screeched trying to swipe me, exposing her newly formed arms. "Aha~ so you also stole my regeneration, great job mom!" I bluntly replied as I quickly ripped off two pairs of her feet, tearing up to her legs before she can attack. "Aaaaaaaaargh!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" Thud. Agonizing screams resounded associated with a falling plump. The monster now crawling, couldn''t hide anymore as black blood spreads behind its trail. "Mom." I whispered calmly, squinching down in front of her. "This is the end, you have to rest now." "Oh Jin..." Smiling once again like how she used to do, like a warm hug that wrapped my coldness, thawing my madness and bringing back some sanity. Slumping and ceding her hatred, I delivered a clean chop into her pale neck, swiftly separating her head and body. Looking at her face, a sense of tranquility can be vaguely seen as her smile still lingers even beyond death. Ting! [You leveled up +1] With my senses back, I felt remorse that I decided not to eat the flesh of the fallen monster lying in front of me and just snag the leftover limbs of the monster and mine. I also tracked down its soul core hiding beneath the black goo, which is plastered by several dead eyes, assimilated in its chest. Its core is somewhat bigger than what I previously encountered, more or less like a pingpong ball glimming with reddish aura.
[Soul Core (Mater Mala)] Rare Quality Qty: 1 Description: By consuming this item, you will earn 500 experience and 150 points to the corresponding skill immediately. Subsequently, you''ll be able to recover 1000 HP after consumption. You can also use this as a main component for equipment creation. A memory shell is still intact and can only be accessed when using this item as a supplementary material.
"Memory shell? What''s that?" I inquired the system but nothing happened, so I proceeded nonetheless. "I never had imagined feeding my own flesh and bones to upgrade my weapon, who knows what will happen." Contemplating in the corner, having a bad feeling rising up. [Opening: Bio-Forge] "Here goes nothing---" I proclaimed firmly as my gauntlet appeared accompanied by black gooey tentacles, made me sweat profusely in pain. The tentacles-like fingers quickly consumed the materials laying on the ground--limbs, meat, bones, skulls, scales and even the red flowers still on their pots, all gathered and absorbed through my gaping palm. The process ended after a ''ting!'' ringing loudly inside my head. [Upgrade Complete]
[Void Terror Gauntlets Lvl 4] Rook-rank Bio-Gauntlets Rare Quality Atk: +150 Str: +20 Agi: +11 Vit: +8 Int: +15 Def: +60 Mor: -20 Effects: ?Acid Spree - each attack is coated with a slimy film that can cause -15 acid splash damage and has a 15% chance to inflict acid DOT effect (2 HP damage per second). ?Spiderkin - you have the ability to stick around like a spider draining your mana by 2 per second. You can also shoot black webs infused with mana (15 mana per usage).
My tired eyes widened by the outcome. This soared my stats to another level! I can definitely protect myself now--looking upon its vicious appearance with plated claws and pale red aura. Glancing to the left, my eyes catches the blinking notification regarding the ''memory shell'' which I already forgotten.
[Notice] [A memory shell is available, do you want to open it?] [Yes / No]
".....Yes" As I muttered the word, the world turned black in a blink of an eye. The feeling of floating into the void, like submerging deep in the ocean, my senses dulled. The coldness and emptiness that I solely carried, dragging me towards the fuzzy fragmented memories not of mine. A fleeting moment of my hand caressing a boy''s head, cooking food in the kitchen and having fun laughing, preparing our meager breakfast in the dining table. Another hazy scene flashes as the day became night, robbing my vision, desperately reaching for my boy now lost in the darkness. Losing track of time, laying down flat in an unknown land a shadowy figure with red eyes showed up. Plunging its small hand towards my chest, a black goo burst forth from within clinging tightly as multitude of eyes opened, feeding me with despair and madness. I tried to reach out both of my hands, pleading for its mercy, but only met with a cold lash, my hands begone from me. A blaring slap tore my face half, I slumped in pain as my body slowly crumpled. Disfiguring and devolving, tears swelled my eyes looking at the figure whom I have cherished all my life. "Jin..." The last word I whispered as I took my final breath and the dim light in my eyes faded completely into the Void.