《The Tattoo Summoner [System Apocalypse]》
Chapter 1: More than Meets the Eye
The lights overhead flickered as the tattoo machine whirred to life. Tanya winced. Why did they always have to do that? Thankfully, Maria was a regular, and had already heard all her classic lines. ¡°Happens every time I¡¯m ¡®bout to do my best work,¡± and ¡°The electricity is as nervous as you are, eh?¡± were her usual go-tos.
For a moment, the only light was the soft glow of the rising sun through the window behind her. Maria¡¯s wheelchair was parked beside her, spoke shadows dancing across the counter and up the parlour¡¯s back wall. Then, the power surged back, flooding the parlour with neon. The lights buzzed overhead as the Galaga arcade machine in the corner continued its jaunty tune, the scoreboard pulsating in time with Tanya¡¯s name at the top.
Maria reclined in the tattoo chair, feigning relaxation.
¡°You all set then?¡± Tanya asked, her Cockney accent chiming through. She reached for her phone to turn the speakers up.
Vibrations pulsed from each corner, the subwoofer filling her head with her favourite bassline. Tanya tilted the white lamp away from Maria¡¯s face to rid her glasses of glare. This was going to be a long session so she wanted her friend to be as comfortable as possible.
Maria scrunched her eyelids shut, her voice sounding as a squeak. ¡°Yes. Make it count, I¡¯m running out of skin space up here.¡±
She opened one eye and stretched her legs with a small smile. Tanya knew she wasn¡¯t kidding; this was the only spot left on her arms and legs. The neon lights of ¡°The Wyrm and Needle¡± sign reflected off her metallic skirt like the glimmer of a CD. It morphed between words and strange scrawls as the light danced across the folds.
Tanya rubbed Maria¡¯s arm with alcohol wipes, their arms pressed together. The contrast between their tattoo sleeves brought a smile to her lips. Tanya¡¯s were mostly witchy symbols: eyes and tarot cards and skulls. Her favourite was a hunter''s knife on her inner wrist in memory of her dad. Maria¡¯s were all botanicals. At first glance, Maria¡¯s tattoos looked delicate, but each one was something deadly¡ªeither poisonous or carnivorous. Whereas Maria¡¯s full cheeks and lacy dresses brought a smile to the lips of old grannies, Tanya had enough piercings and edgy fashion sense to horrify the parents of all of her past partners.
¡°You got one of those raids after this?¡± Maria asked. ¡°The war craft one?¡±
¡°World of Warcraft?¡± Tanya laughed. She peeled the back off the stencil.
Maria swung round to point at her. ¡°Yeah! That one.¡±
The tattoo chair creaked as she moved. Tanya¡¯s hand snatched out to steady it.
¡°Oi, stay still, would ya?¡± Tanya smiled. ¡°Yeah, it''s been a while with work bein¡¯¡¡± She trailed off. ¡°Well anyway, I¡¯ve been busy. Barely get time for games nowadays. I''m tryin¡¯ a new character tonight, a Warlock.¡±
Maria¡¯s face was blank.
¡°The summoner one¡ªya know¡ªthe lil¡¯ imps.¡±
¡°Oh yes! They¡¯re so cute.¡±
Only Maria would think they were cute.
Tanya poised her hand to begin. ¡°Right, I¡¯m ready. You got this, mate.¡±
Maria nodded, her fingers gripping the armrest. ¡°Short-term pain for long-term squiggles, right Tan?¡±
Their gazes met in silent agreement. The needle pierced skin, and Maria¡¯s face tensed. Tanya''s eyes ran over Maria''s face, looking for any sign to stop. Maria nodded and Tanya continued the line. The gun buzzed up and down Maria¡¯s shoulder. Tanya marveled at her heart rate slowing as she wiped away each smudge of ink. Maria wasn¡¯t as lucky.
¡°Ow, ow, ow, distract me.¡±
¡°Sure, uh¡¡± Tanya paused, scanning the shop before her eyes settled on the pile of letters on the counter. She focused on the familiar handwritten envelope, ignoring the red stamped URGENT and FINAL NOTICE on the rest of the pile. ¡°Mum said little Tommy¡¯s lovin¡¯ college so far.¡±
¡°Wow¡he must be¡so big now,¡± Maria said. She whimpered occasionally, taking deep breaths between each line.
¡°Yeah, he is. I wanted to give him a proper shot, ya know?¡± Tanya tried to hide her smile, but she knew she was failing miserably. She thought back to the pile of bills. ¡°Well, I do what I can, don¡¯t I?¡±
Tanya paused to refill the ink. The edge of the boy¡¯s face was beginning to take shape. She¡¯d been excited for this one all week¡ªever since Maria told her it was inspired by the story they¡¯d thumbed through as kids until it fell to pieces: ¡°The Little Prince.¡±
Maria let out a slow breath, rolling her shoulders. She smiled and pointed to her first tattoo, a semicolon. Tanya had a matching one. ¡°We¡¯ve come a long way since our days in Brighton, don¡¯t you think? Back when you¡¯d talk me into schemes like¡ª¡±
¡°Inventing magic fish bait,¡± they said in unison and laughed.
¡°I just nicked some market beads and dyed pigeon feathers, then stuck ''em onto a regular tackle." Tanya grinned.
She shushed Maria and snapped the rubber glove against her wrist with an exaggerated thwack. ¡°We can have a natter after I finish the line work, yeah?¡±
¡°Darn, foiled again...¡± Maria drifted off, staring over Tanya¡¯s head towards the speaker.
Tanya had tuned the radio out until now, but something in the announcer¡¯s voice pulled her focus. As her trance faded, the dull ache in her wrist returned, along with the low buzz of the radiator.
¡°Residents around the UK have reported sightings of mysterious black creatures. Described as shadowy and elusive, these beings have been seen on the edges of major cities, prompting both fascination and concern. Local officials have launched an inquiry¡ªthough, so far, no concrete explanations have emerged. Authorities are urging caution as they continue to investigate these unusual occurrences¡ª¡°
¡°Huh,¡± Tanya said. ¡°Bit weird, innit? You reckon it¡¯s real?¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t heard?!¡± Maria exclaimed, ¡°There¡¯s been reports like this all day, strange sightings, weird thefts, and unexplainable mysteries¡ªLaura thinks it¡¯s someone playing a prank on the BBC¡ª¡±
The bell chimed and the conversation lapsed. Tanya turned the music down.
¡°Sorry mate, I¡¯m booked all mornin¡¯.¡± She smacked her hands on her jeans and turned around.
His hair was shaved almost to the skin, he towered over six feet tall, and even his muscles had muscles. A leather jacket clung to his broad frame, the orange snake on one arm marking him as an East-End Adder. A few more filed in after him, all bearing the same mark. She¡¯d never met him directly, but everyone in Whitechapel knew of him. He was known as Adder, and he was the reason kids in this area didn¡¯t go out after dark. For weeks, his lackeys had been showing up at all hours, pressuring her to pay protection money she couldn¡¯t afford.
No, not now.
Maria stiffened, gripping her sleeve until her knuckles blanched. Her breath hitched in shallow pants, as if even breathing too loudly might draw their attention.
Tanya bounced her knees, readying to sprint. If she ran at them first, Maria might have a better chance of escaping. Maria fumbled, pulling herself onto her wheelchair with shaking hands. She knocked the ink caps over. Tanya wanted to help, but she wouldn''t risk taking her eyes off him. Standing at 5 foot 4, Tanya knew no amount of dyed hair, tattoos, or piercings would convince these thugs she was a threat. Her only chance was speed.
¡°I assume you know who I am,¡± Adder said. His voice caught her off guard¡ªposh and smooth, a stark contrast to his rugged look.
Her stomach knotted, but she forced herself to exhale like nothing was wrong.
¡°Who wouldn¡¯t?¡± Tanya replied. ¡°Let her go, an¡¯ then we¡¯ll talk.¡±
A figure moved behind her. She recognised his two face-framing dreadlocks and the scar down his right eye. He¡¯d come in alone last time, full of fake pleasantries and thinly veiled threats.
Tanya nodded towards the man with the dreadlocks. ¡°I already told him. I can''t afford it.¡±
Tanya glanced over her shoulder. Maria¡¯s face was pale, her expression locked with tension. She gripped her chair to steady her arms, but they still shook uncontrollably.
¡°Here, I¡¯ll give ya everythin¡¯ I got if you let her go.¡± Tanya lifted her palms and moved toward the counter.
Adder smiled, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head. He held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pennies. What I want to know is why you¡¯re the only one on this street not paying on time.¡±
Tanya¡¯s jaw tightened, uncertainty curling in her gut. She knew the answer¡ªsome were sinking into debt, others had partners with better jobs. No one could afford it, yet the price kept climbing. One missed payment and Tommy was out. She wouldn¡¯t let that happen.
Tanya pointed at a neon sign on the wall: Remember, you can always ask for a break.
¡°My customer wants a break. Please step aside.¡± Arms crossed, she stood her ground¡ªwith far more confidence than she felt.
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Adder smiled and stepped out of the way of the door. Maria lurched towards it and Tanya thrust some cream and a dressing in her lap as she passed, murmuring ¡°Tell Laura from the florist not to come ¡®til I call.¡± Maria nodded and didn¡¯t look back.
¡°How many payments have you missed now, hm? How many warnings?¡± Adder approached the table and gestured for his men to sit on the sofas by the entrance. ¡°You see, people are starting to ask questions. Why isn¡¯t she paying? Does that mean it''s safe if we don¡¯t? Is Adder going soft?¡±
No one was crazy enough to say that, not really. She¡¯d not told a single neighbour either. She wasn¡¯t about to argue either way.
Tanya flipped the sign to closed. She exhaled, steadying herself, then turned.
The men spread out across the shop. Two giant thugs, that appeared to be brothers, were sitting on the creaking sofa by the wall and speaking a language she didn¡¯t understand; it sounded Indian, maybe Bengali or Hindi. The man with the two dreadlocks framing his face circled her, inspecting the signs. His boots dragged along the floor behind him, leaving marks in the wood. The last, the shortest of the lot, a guy barely 5 foot 5 with an undercut, found the arcade machine. He leaned over it with a crazed smile. Something about the way he clamped his hands on the controls disgusted her. All of them did, circling her like vultures. She¡¯d convinced them before. She could do it again.
¡°I¡¯ll get it to you. Monday?¡± She bit her lip. She¡¯d need a miracle to pull that much together.
His face hardened.
¡°Sunday? No, Saturday?¡± She blabbered days, holding up her hands.
Monday would be hard enough. Maybe she¡¯d have to get a loan this time. She¡¯d sworn she¡¯d never get one again after seeing the interest last time, but any way out was worth whatever promise she had to make.
Dreadlocks approached, each step measured. Tanya stepped aside to give him space, but he didn¡¯t pass her. She couldn¡¯t read his face. Her heart raced. She took another step back, but he shot out, gripping her arm with surprising force. She jerked, ready to cuss him out¡ªbut something cool and sharp pressed against the small of her back. At first, it didn¡¯t register as anything more than a cold pressure. Then she felt the tip cutting into her skin.
His knuckles brushed against her back and she flinched. She could tell from the drag of skin down her back that it wasn¡¯t even a large blade, but there was something about the force he pressed it with that made the air heavier. She tried to move away, but his grip tightened, urging her forward into the store. Undercut closed the blinds. The store was different now. The neon lights that once were cosy reflected an eerie, alien glow against the leather jackets. Shadows pooled in the corners.
She stiffened, fighting to control the shiver running down her spine. It had never been like this before.
No, they mean it. Oh god, they¡¯re gonna make an example outta me.
The knife stayed firm against her back. Dreadlocks¡¯ fingers twitched, drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm against the hilt. His breath was too close, his words a low murmur against her ear. ¡°What will it be, princess?¡±
One of the brothers ripped the landline from the wall. The cable snapped with a sharp crack. Something in her gut tightened, a creeping unease that spread slowly, like cold water rising around her ankles. She felt her phone in her pocket and hovered over it instinctively. But she knew before she even tried, there was no point. They¡¯d take it from her the second it left her pocket. And then what? Even if she called for help it was unlikely there¡¯d be enough proof to arrest them.
The blade¡¯s edge was barely grazing her skin, but her thoughts lagged.
Think. Think. How can I pay ¡®em?
She took a deep breath and puffed her chest out as Dreadlocks'' other hand crept from her arm down to her waist. She used all of her self-control not to hit him or scream.
Tattoos.
She scoured their visible skin for gang tattoos. Maybe she could barter, and even if it went wrong it would put something sharp in her hand. One of the men on the couch ran his hand through his hair, there was some symbol on his wrist but it was small. She could do better.
¡°I can do you a deal,¡± Tanya said, louder than she needed to. She crossed her arms, her gaze shifting to the logo on each jacket. ¡°The snake¡¯s your thing, yeah?¡±
Adder nodded, tilting his head.
¡°I don¡¯t see no East Adder Tattoos on you, nothin¡¯ really showing you lot off.¡±
A heavy silence enveloped the room, stretching her nerves taut. Adder paced up and down, studying each polaroid photo on the wall next to him. She¡¯d never been so grateful for those pictures.
¡°Hm.¡±
¡°You deserve somethin¡¯ flashy. Custom design of course¡ªfree of charge. Big pieces for the lot of ya. That would cover most of what I owe. If you like it, I could do the rest of your group¡ªsimple-like¡ªshow you guys are in charge.¡± She rambled, masking the shake in her voice.
The silence was suffocating.
¡°Design something, then I¡¯ll decide,¡± he said, pulling off his leather jacket. The others raised their eyebrows and exchanged looks. Under his long shirt sleeves was uneven red skin. He passed her his jacket and she inspected the swirling orange snake embroidery.
Dreadlocks pressed the blade harder, it nipped at the soft skin on her back, somewhere above her tailbone. ¡°No funny business.¡±
The brothers on the couch exchanged a few words in their language. One laughed, a low, throaty sound, his eyes flicking up at Tanya. The other stared at her without blinking, a sharp, intense gaze.
She reached for a pencil to sketch with. Dreadlocks grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close, his body pressed behind hers and for the first time, the knife properly cut her skin. Clenching her nails into her fists, she stifled a gasp.
She hesitated, the weight of his presence heavy on her back before finally meeting his gaze. His eyes were deep brown with neon blue reflections. ¡°If you want me to do your tattoos, I need to move around.¡±
He paused for a moment then let go of her shoulder, satisfied to follow her with the knife.
She took a steadying breath, grateful for the sliver of space.
It¡¯s just a tattoo Tan, you do these every day.
She grabbed some transfer paper. Her fingers quivered as she slipped a few sheets away from the pile.
The snakes on their jackets were identical aside from the number of fangs. Adder¡¯s had two fangs whereas the others all had one. She¡¯d need to change the design to fit different placements. Adder would be trickiest. She assumed he¡¯d want it visible but his arms were unlikely to make clean enough lines.
She began designing snakes for each of them. For Adder, a looped snake around his neck with the face in the centre of the back of his neck like a third eye. She spent the longest on his design, working out how to best place the tattoo to avoid his scars.
The brothers tossed their jackets aside, muscles shifting under their shirts. They chatted easily, their banter feeling more like a coffee shop than a hostage situation. With each laugh booming around the shop, she flinched. For a while, she pondered how to curl the designs around each other, trying to avoid giving them a strange section of each other¡¯s snakes. That¡¯s when she got it¡ªtwo wriggling snakes. Each would be a mirror image of the other on the brothers¡¯ large biceps. If they interlocked their arms, the snakes would curl around each other.
For Dreadlocks she drew a chest piece, a coiled-up snake ready to strike with a chipped tooth, mimicking the shape of his knife. She focused on the drawing, trusting her memory of him. When she did look up, it was only a glance. She didn¡¯t want him to catch her and look back.
Finally, for Undercut on the arcade machine, she designed a lower arm piece. The head of the snake would reach onto the hand with large swirling eyes to hypnotise its prey. Undercut leant in closer to the arcade machine as she referenced him, his fingers tapping the buttons with a rhythm that bordered on frantic. When he lost, he slammed his palm against the machine, the loud thud breaking the quiet tension. His eyes returned to Tanya, and the mania in them mirrored the snake in front of her.
Tanya was overcome by a wave of nausea as she finished. She stared down at her sketches, and the situation felt less real. As her hand dropped, every eye in the room landed on her. Adder held his hand out to take the tablet and she passed it wordlessly. The others remained motionless, watching his expression until he nodded, then crowded around to see their designs. Dreadlocks shoved her towards the group, blocking any chance to escape. Not that she thought she could outrun them anyway. The blade at her back seemed unnecessary, but he held onto it, clearly enjoying this.
¡°You begin with me,¡± Adder said.
Tanya¡¯s tension eased, but she clenched her abs to force the bile back down her throat.
Perched on the recliner, he stared down at Tanya, unblinking. ¡°Tanya, is it? If you recount any of this, I will be forced to kill you and anyone you told. Do you understand?¡±
Tanya¡¯s mouth went dry. She nodded and busied her shaking hands with cleaning equipment.
The room was thick with an energy that Tanya couldn¡¯t place. With the blinds drawn, the parlour was bathed in neon light, casting garish hues across the walls. The only white light was the single spotlight above Adder¡¯s head.
She crept over, trying not to stare. His arms were a jagged landscape of twisting welts. Some scars stood raised and white, others darkened closer to dried blood. The texture of the skin had been irreversibly changed, rough and uneven, like leather that had been stretched too tight and then left to wither. His arms were taken over by the new rippling texture, fading into normal skin around his collar bones.
She picked up her tattoo gun and switched it on, anticipation coursing through her. Again the lights flickered, plunging them into momentary darkness. Tanya¡¯s heart lurched. Adder sat straighter.
Dreadlocks pressed the knife into her back again. Tanya jerked her arms, the gun still buzzing. ¡°It does that when I turn it on.¡±
Dreadlocks eased the pressure of the knife as Adder leant back again. It pulled her focus to the wet bead of blood dripping down her back. She tried to ignore it.
Adder went still, his breath slowing, and Tanya¡¯s anxiety thickened. Every time the lights flickered, dread crept in¡ªwhat if, when they returned, he wasn¡¯t where she¡¯d last seen him? His pleasant smile had returned, but she couldn¡¯t shake the memory of the snarl in his voice when he threatened to kill her.
She placed the stencil on his neck in two separate parts. Leaning in, the smell of cheap aftershave filled her nose. Up close she could see the fine blond hair growing through on his head and a faint scar on his upper lip.
¡°This is the BBC News at Twelve. A man in the highlands claims to have developed a remarkable ability¡ªthe power to move objects with his mind. Residents of the small village of Durness¡ª¡°
Adder raised a finger in the air. ¡°I prefer silence.¡±
Tanya walked over to turn off the speakers manually¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to lose her phone.
While the arcade machine buzzed with Undercut¡¯s game and the brothers whispered, her corner felt stifling with the silence of the unmoving Adder. Her heart sped up to fill it.
She dipped the tattoo needle into the ink next to her, making a silent wish for her skills not to fail her now.
Then she started the first line and her brain went silent. All that was left was the canvas before her and the buzzing of the tattoo gun. With each wipe, her heart steadied, and the weight in her stomach lifted.
* * *
Class Unlocked!
Tattoo Summoner
* * *
Her grip tightened around the tattoo gun as she flinched, barely stopping herself from jerking back. The voice sounded clear¡ªlike a whisper just behind her.
Adder let out a low ¡°Hm?¡± Dreadlocks was still holding the knife but he¡¯d pulled up a stool. He seemed content to just wave it menacingly rather than always having to stand behind her.
¡°Uh, nothin¡¯. It¡¯s shapin¡¯ up well.¡± She glanced around one more time before continuing, deciding it must have been a weird intrusive thought, probably born from the arcade machine sounds in the corner. Undercut hadn¡¯t stopped playing it since she began the tattoo.
Hours passed in what felt like minutes. The design wasn¡¯t full colour, just a black outline with an orange glow around it. After adding the final touches to the orange eye, Tanya pulled away to admire her handiwork.
* * *
Ability Unlocked!
More than Meets the Eye
* * *
She couldn¡¯t ignore it this time. Shivers danced down her spine, the voice even louder and clearer. It was a low smooth voice, and it filled her head as if projected all around her.
What the fuck¡¯s goin¡¯ on?
Chapter 2: Worthy
It¡¯s normal to hallucinate when you¡¯re stressed, right? That¡¯s all this is, Tanya. Big scary bloke might stab ya, so your brain goes funny an¡¯ drops you in a video game.
Adder stood. He tugged on the small metal pulley, fully opening the blinds. Tanya watched a lady across the street glance over before bolting.
He arched his muscled back to catch a glimpse of the snake''s head in his reflection in the glass. The others crowded around, slapping him and each other on the back with toothy grins. Dreadlocks had only left his spot guarding her because they blocked the door. Her eyes locked onto the door to the back room, but there wasn¡¯t much point. The back door led to a dead-end, so she¡¯d have to run to the front of the building to get away. They¡¯d just step out the front door and intercept her.
Tanya couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the voice, but she focused on her plan. There was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t kill her at the end of the tattoos, but she knew there would be more gang members than this. All she had to do was a good enough job that they wanted more tattoos from her and they¡¯d let her go.
Tanya¡¯s eyes darted back to Adder but he was too busy swaying this way and that to get a better look at it. He hid his excitement from the rest of the group but a smile flickered when his back was turned from them.
Smilin¡¯ means not dyin¡¯.
She picked up a mirror from the side table. Her mind flashed back to the last time she had used it hours ago to show Maria the stencil on her arm. Her fingers clenched tighter. It was better than them shaking.
She led him to the corner. The full-length mirror usually lay covered in a tarp to shield against the blinding neon lights bouncing around the cramped shop. The fabric slinked off with a whoosh, curling on the floor next to her like a sleeping cat of satin.
Adder looked at her, not questioning or curious, just nothing she could read behind his eyes. The comfort of tattooing was over and the pit in her stomach returned. With each movement it swayed like a pendulum, creating waves of nausea. She lifted up the hand mirror and her breath caught in her throat. Dreadlocks¡¯ toothy grin filled the reflective space in her hands. She angled it to the snake and Adder took it from her. Tanya expected rough, calloused hands, but instead, he delicately cradled the antique silver. It was at home in his hands.
Bewilderment was the first proper expression Tanya had seen on his face.
His lips parted and nostrils flared, the careful mirage shattered. ¡°Why is it itching?¡±
Tanya took a deep breath.
Don¡¯t let his feelin¡¯s get to ya. Stay calm.
¡°Itchin¡¯s just part of the healin¡¯ process,¡± she said, more confidently than she felt.
Tanya¡¯s calm only lasted until she confronted the snake on his neck. Itching was common from a tattoo, but not like this. Underneath the plastic film she¡¯d rubbed across it, it was bubbling. Black molten inky bubbles swelled and burst without a sound. They began more like blisters. But as they rippled under his skin, each bulbous affliction glimmered with a magical sheen. Her mouth dropped open.
¡°What is this?!¡± Adder spun round, gripping Tanya¡¯s shoulders, only inches from her neck. Tanya gulped and she swore he could feel it.
¡°What¡¯s happening? It burns!¡± His voice cracked with agony. He pulled away and grasped at his own skin.
She couldn''t afford relief. His fingers dug into his shoulders like he was trying to tear the pain out. Tanya¡¯s gaze fixed on him as panic rose within her. Everything else faded into the background. She couldn¡¯t breathe¡ªcouldn¡¯t think.
The hand mirror shattered on the floor. Tanya wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d dropped it or if he had. Her hands and legs were numb. She tried to move, but her feet were fused to the floor.
His agonized cry ripped through the air. He staggered backward, hands clawing at his body in a futile attempt to stop the ink from eating into him.The ink bubbled and writhed on his skin like it had a life of its own.
What have I done to him?
Tanya¡¯s breaths came in shallow, frantic gasps. The rest of the group stormed over at the commotion and Dreadlocks waved the knife in her face. She stood frozen, eyes glued to the bubbling ink. Their voices sounded far away and angry. She willed her body to move; anger simmered in the air around her. Move. She took a slow, shaky breath, willing her body to respond. Gradually, the weight of the world on her chest lifted. Feeling in her limbs returned, but her steps were jerky as if she had just woken up.
She swung around, her heart hammering in her chest, but Dreadlocks was already there. His hand shot out, gripping her by the arm with terrifying force, yanking her back before she could take another step. The leather of his sleeve was rough against her collarbone. The blade no longer pressed lightly; it bit into her throat, daring her to move.
¡°I swear you will die for this, if you¡¯re part of another group we will gut you and hold you up to show them what we do to traitors¡ª¡± Dreadlocks¡¯ words dripped with madness. He spat out one theory after another, each more terrifying than the last. His hands twisted into her hair, yanking her head back roughly as he screamed, his breath hot and ragged in her ear.
The metallic click of a glock being drawn jolted her heart. One of the brothers had pulled a weapon from his jacket, the barrel pointing directly at her. The black steel gleamed in the low light.
Is this how I die?
Then Adder screamed and all eyes were on him.
He leaned forward and backward, the bubbles pulsating from his back as hands clawed their way out from beneath his skin. With each rock of his body, the ink pulled harder. Bubbles were no longer forming and popping, they lifted up the entire image.They formed a grotesque, swollen noose encircling his neck. His eyes bulged, the whites marred by streaks of red.
One of the brothers pointed the gun at her face. She was staring down the barrel. His finger adjusted on the trigger. There wasn¡¯t time to process that she was about to die. At the last second, the other brother lunged and shoved the wielder¡¯s arm.
The gun jerked to the side, the deafening crack of the shot tearing through the air. The rush of a bullet skimmed past her head, a sharp, searing heat slicing through the space just above her ear. The wall behind her exploded in a puff of plaster, and flecks of debris rained down onto her shoulder. She covered her ear. The ringing was so loud she couldn¡¯t hear through that ear anymore.
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¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± the man yelled.
¡°You nearly killed me!¡± Dreadlocks screamed. He pulled away from Tanya¡¯s throat to shove the brothers.
One of the brothers wrestled the gun from the other¡¯s hand. ¡°She obviously just got a Class. We need her alive to fix it.¡±
A Class?
The inky snake finally ripped free from Adder¡¯s back. His skin was torn but there was no blood, like unfinished special effect makeup. Adder sighed in relief, collapsing to his knees and taking huge, shuddering breaths. The snake rose off his back like Tanya was its snake charmer. She stared it in the eye and it stared back, orange glowing iris inked exactly how she had drawn it.
What the hell¡¯s goin¡¯ on?
The world almost stopped. Adder fell slowly to the ground. A bead of spittle flew from Dreadlocks¡¯ mouth, proving to Tanya they weren¡¯t completely frozen. She looked down at her hands and they moved at the same rate as everything else around her. Blinking lasted a full second.
Initialising¡
Sight connected
Hearing connected
Touch connected
It was the same voice as before. Her thoughts felt watched. She had no clue how to describe the feeling other than that.
I have deemed ¡°English¡± to be your main language. Would you like to change this to another language?
English: 89% fluency
Espa?ola: 6% de fluidez
Fran?ais: 2% de ma?trise
She tried to speak but her mouth opened at the same speed as everything else around her. Thinking no seemed to be enough. It dinged.
Welcome to the¡ª
What¡¯s happening?
Tanya didn¡¯t mean to ¡°talk¡± over the voice, but she wasn¡¯t used to this thinking communication yet and the question flew out. The voice was raised, like yelling across a car park. It came with an ache in her chest and she could tell the voice felt it too. The voice paused.
I am best understood to your kind as a god. The portals allowed me and those under my care into your world.
The portals?
Tanya replayed the words over and over.
What portals?
You will see them soon.
She expected it to say more but nothing came. Her eyes began their slow shift up from her hands again until she could see the inky snake. She could see it better now that time was so slow. It really did look like it was still made of ink¡ªbut not a puddle. It held its shape, moving as if it had real muscles underneath.
Can you help me?
I already have. You are now under my care.
Tanya considered her next words very carefully. She needed more information but she didn¡¯t want to sound ungrateful.
An¡¯ bein¡¯ under your care means what, exactly?
Accessing The Interface¡
She noticed that there were two types of voices coming from The System, one that sounded more like computer commands and another more personal. Tanya blinked and her vision was filled with words. She shook her head, but the words remained fixed in her vision. It was like some sort of character sheet.
* * *
Information
Name: Tanya Angelo
Number: 10056
Age: 24
Species: Human
Class: Tattoo Summoner
Level: 1
Attributes
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 14
Vitality: 8
Concentration: 6
Will: 12
Abilities
More than Meets the Eye
Level 1
Tattoos created by you are imbued with latent magic. They can be summoned by their Wielder for unique effects. These effects are determined by the design, Vitality of the Wielder, and cost of creation.
Achievements
Worthy
You were deemed worthy of The System¡¯s care. You have been given a class and access to The Interface.
Unique Circumstances
The circumstances that showed you as Worthy were Unique. You have been given a Unique Class.
* * *
Tanya mulled the words over. Her Attributes made sense. She¡¯d had a lot of work on her Dexterity tattooing. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Will meant, but¡ª
* * *
Will
(Attribute)
Your inner strength and mental fortitude. Governs resistance to fear, mind control, and debuffs, as well as powers tied to determination and resolve.
* * *
Jesus fuck. Alright, now that¡¯s proper creepy.
She was tempted to keep checking through each section, but as the snake¡¯s blinking eye reminded her, the world wasn¡¯t frozen, just slowed.
Scanning through the character sheet, she searched for something to get her out of this. She began thinking about something to stop the men, but then the snake slithered further forward in her peripheral and she paused.
I''m safe from my own tattoos, right? The ones I done on others?
Tattoos are wielded by the person''s body they reside on. They will follow the will of their Wielder''s emotions or commands.
That wasn¡¯t good. There was no way Adder would be able to control a freaky new magic tattoo he just got, and if it followed his emotions then she¡¯d be its target. She switched tactics, skimming through the sheet faster for anything to save herself from the snake.
Can I see what it does?
Insufficient Ability to perform inspection.
It was the robotic voice again.
Can I control the tattoos I¡¯ve done on other people?
Insufficient Will to dominate Wielder.
Can I unsummon it?
Insufficient Vitality to absorb another¡¯s Summons.
Can I just¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªfuckin¡¯ destroy it?
Error: Destruction protocols unavailable for creator-bound entities.
Tanya paused.
Is that summat I get later or...?
Destruction protocols are not an available Ability.
Tanya¡¯s mind raced through the tattoos she¡¯d done. She couldn¡¯t possibly recall every single one. Just this week, she¡¯d inked a couple of lions¡ªone so big it had covered a man¡¯s entire back. Would size make it more powerful? Would people have human intelligence? She thought of all of the people: samurais, celebrities, skulls¡ªand all of the names and symbols. She must have done thousands of tattoos in the last few years, and she¡¯d never be able to permanently destroy any of them.
Chapter 3: Critical Error
The permanence of her thousands of tattoos was a problem for later. The snake was moving towards her.
The snake appeared both alive and artificial. In the darkness, its shadows were soft and curved against the matte like a floating puddle of ink, but the light reflected the sheen of hundreds of scales. The eye was the most uncanny. It curled around both brothers'' necks, using them as they fought as poles to get closer to her. It was only a couple of feet away now and she could see its face in more detail. Each stroke of ink in its eye was exactly how she¡¯d tattooed it. The glow that emanated from it wasn¡¯t the shape of light, it was the same stylised brushstrokes of amber, illuminated but unable to escape the speckled lines she¡¯d trapped it in. Tanya took it all in, in the moment it took the snake to slither an inch nearer.
It moved in its same near-stillness from The System. She scanned her own body at the same speed. She wore a strappy crop top and high-waisted grey jeans, so her arm sleeve was all she had to work with. She didn¡¯t know why she needed to see the tattoo to summon it, but she couldn¡¯t imagine trying it another way. It was obvious what she wanted to summon. The sleeve was mostly botanical: skulls, plants, gemstones, tarot cards, insects, but most notably, a small blade on her inner wrist pointed at her hand. It was perfect for this situation, something she never would have predicted back when she got it. It was her father''s hunting blade and she¡¯d had it since the day of his funeral.
The System freed time as she readied herself to summon it. Letters faded from The Interface sheet she¡¯d displayed moments before. Then, the world came to life. The snake leaped towards her, mouth open, hissing. The brothers wrestled the gun back and forth between them. Adder¡¯s body slammed into the floor, and he lost consciousness as soon as he tried to stand. Undercut backed towards the door, eyes wide.
Tanya took a deep breath and tensed the muscles in her hand. She wasn¡¯t sure how to do this, but her best guess was to picture it. She imagined the cold metal against her palm until she could almost feel it.
Nothing happened. Dread washed over her.
The snake was hurtling towards her face. Tanya ducked, holding her forearms to guard her head. The snake still hit her, one fang slicing the tattooless wrist and chucking its tail around her arm for more leverage. She tried again, picturing the blade, imagining how her skin would bubble and pull like the snake had. Adder''s pained screams filled her head and a shiver ran down her spine but she persevered.
Maybe I say it like before?
She regretted not asking more questions. The snake reared its head, hissing and spitting. A gunshot echoed through the room. Tanya didn¡¯t have time to look up but she knew it hadn¡¯t hit her; it whipped past her ears a few feet away. Her ears rang.
Summon blade!
Error: no available Summons detected.
What?
Then understanding washed over her. None of her tattoos had been inked by her. She didn¡¯t have time to kick herself for not realising sooner. The snake bit deeper into her arm.
Its fangs dripped black ink into her veins. Her veins surged to the surface, taking on a purple tinge as the black ink ran up her arm. She expected it to hurt, but she couldn¡¯t feel it. Her arm flopped by her side. She couldn¡¯t move it any more.
Poisoned condition active.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She scanned the room. The gang stood in a group staring at her and the snake with mouths open. No tattoos and nothing else of use in her character sheet. She grabbed the nearest thing she could reach and shattered a lamp onto the snaked head with as much strength as she could muster.
The bulb and stained glass lampshade coated her boots with multicoloured shards, the black outline on the fragments that used to be the 80s-style flowers stark against her boots.
She held up what remained of it, barely believing it was her that had destroyed it. The metal frame was bent. Whatever this snake was made of, it was strong enough to bend steel.
Its teeth sank into her arm. Her eyelids flickered as the world began to spin.
Warning: toxin reaching dangerous levels.
Don¡¯t go passing out now.
The world spun faster. The lamp was so beautiful. She couldn¡¯t look away from it. Were colours usually that bright? She needed sunglasses. Did she leave them on her bedside table? Her hand reached to touch the jagged tip of the only remaining piece of lampshade.
Oh, I can¡¯t feel me arm?
She looked down at the snake hanging off her arm and turned back to the lamp. It was mostly beautiful coloured shapes now, merging in and out of one another like an impressionist painting. It took her a moment to process.
There¡¯s a snake on me arm?
She stared at it again until it came into focus again and gripped the lamp tighter. Something felt wrong about all this. The afterimage of the snake danced around her vision, she could barely tell which one was real. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She wrestled them back down.
Holding the lamp up over her head with the sharp remaining glass poised to strike, she dropped her arm like an executioner, hoping she only got the snake and not her arm with it.
Her arm throbbed as the snake lessened its clamped pose on her arm. She dropped the lamp and wrapped her hands around the snake, yanking it out.
The gang members before her morphed into faceless shadows, their forms blurring and dripping like the spilled ink on the side table in the corner of her vision. The gang drew their weapons and backed up. Her head was clearing though as she blinked at the glinting metal, trying to determine what was a knife and what was a gun.
The snake hissed, spitting the black liquid as a projectile ahead of it. It sizzled through the floor. Then the laughter started. Giggles escaped her lips completely devoid of emotion. Whatever this toxin was doing to her was the craziest thing she¡¯d ever experienced.
¡°Get out or I¡¯ll kill ya!¡± Tanya yelled between crazed laughs, holding the snake out ahead of her. It was half to stop it from latching on again and half as a weapon in case the gang turned on her. She wasn''t sure whether it was the snake''s acid-ink or the maniacal laughter from the toxin, but the gang didn¡¯t need telling twice.
They backed towards the door, dragging their boss by the armpits. Adder was convulsing with sweat trickling down his brow. He flailed his arms and legs like he was fighting something. With one forceful flick, the snake escaped her arms, dove towards the gang, and slithered up Dreadlock''s leg. He screamed, dropped his boss, and ran. Her vision returned to normal just in time to watch the snake clamp onto Dreadlock''s throat. The life left his eyes before he hit the ground.
The rest of the gang scattered.
Tanya backed away from the snake. It arched its back on the floor to spit at her, so she kept backing up. She forced the laughs down, hiccuping over and over from the force of holding back the side effects. When her back was against the wall, the snake calmed. They remained locked in each other''s gaze until the snake turned back to Adder with a final hiss. The way it looped around his neck was slow, its tongue flicking from its mouth slower than before. It nestled there, laying its head on the back of Adder¡¯s neck until it had sunk back into his skin.
* * *
Alert!
Alert suppression has ended. You are no longer in imminent danger.
* * *
Achievement: Bite of the Street
Fangs in the shadows, blades on the streets. You faced down a poisonous snake and a ruthless gang, surviving where few would. The venom may have scarred you, but now it only makes you stronger.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Achievement Boon: You have been granted a 25% reduction to the severity and spread of poison effects.
* * *
Alert!
You have increased enough Abilities in a single combat that they are too long to be sent as separate notifications. Grouped Notifications can be toggled off at will.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
Will +1
Dexterity +1
Strength +1
Concentration +1
Vitality +1
Learning Moment: Would you like to hear more about levelling up Attributes and what caused them?
* * *
Tanya¡¯s legs gave out and she slid down the wall. Random hiccups and chuckles kept escaping her mouth. None of her body felt like hers.
I oughta tie him up¡ª
She was unconscious before she could finish the thought.
Tanya awoke with a start. Her head was pounding and she groaned, pulling herself upright to face the room. It was like the worst hangover ever. A sudden wave of nausea overtook her. She gagged, heaving over and over with her palm against the wall to steady her. Black ink splattered into the waste paper basket. It dripped down the papers in there in huge globs. She¡¯d eaten leftovers that morning but no food came out, only the black venom.
She studied the room through narrowed eyes, wincing against the neon light. There were two bodies on the floor. Adder. Her heart lurched, but he was still lying there in the same position. He hadn¡¯t moved. She needed to check if he was dead, but she couldn¡¯t make herself do it yet. A pool of blood and ink surrounded Dreadlock''s neck. She was certain he was dead already.
Tanya staggered around them, reaching her arms out in case she stumbled from her head spinning. Her left hand remained immobile. Four holes from the snake''s teeth marred her forearm, tinged with black ink. Her veins stood out on the surface. She surveyed the room. Glass crunched underfoot, scattered around the room. Everything on her table lay overturned, ink spilled across the surface. She couldn¡¯t tell what had splashed from her bottles or what the snake had spat. Some of the floorboards had holes through to the concrete underneath.
Maria¡¯s scarf stuck out of the recliner. It must have slipped off where she¡¯d slung it over the back of her wheelchair. Tanya picked it up and held it to her chest, momentarily being pulled back to the laughter of that morning before¡ everything.
She used it as a sling for her left arm, feeling slightly comfier with the soft green plaid of her friend against her chest. Her arm dulled into a steady throb once held still by the makeshift sling.
Just keep it safe for now, everythin¡¯ else can wait.
Gritting her teeth and slinging her arm didn¡¯t really do anything, but it made her feel a bit readier. She tiptoed towards Adder and Dreadlocks, picking up her tattoo gun on the way past. It was the only sharp thing in the room, aside from Dreadlocks¡¯ knife glinting on the floor too close to Adder to get yet.She clenched the tattoo gun like a dagger, worrying with every breath that he¡¯d move and she''d have to kill him. She¡¯d never even seen a dead person before¡ªwell, not before now. She poked Adder with her foot and his body rolled slightly, flopping the other way. Reaching a shaking hand, she pressed her fingers into his throat. There was a gentle heartbeat. Her thoughts spiralled.
Fuck.
She wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted to hear. Was it good that he wasn¡¯t dead? No, it probably wasn¡¯t, but she was a little bit glad all the same. It was hard to wish people dead. As a courtesy, she tried Dreadlocks¡¯ neck. There was no pulse like she expected.
She turned to the window.
I could just leave ¡®em both outside?
Inching the blinds with her good hand, she expected to be bathed in light, but the sun was setting.
How long was I out?
6 hours and 23 minutes.
Tanya furrowed her brow. The System responding to random thoughts was weird.
The street outside was a wreck, shattered windows on the kebab place across the street, and smoke pouring out of the engine of the car that had crashed into the wall next to it. There was no one and nothing alive out there. Even when she pressed her nose to the glass and craned her neck down the street both ways she heard and saw nothing. It was like a ghost town.
Leaving them out there seemed like a good idea. He¡¯d no longer be her responsibility and all she¡¯d need to do is go outside for under a minute¡ªshe stopped. A head lay in the back of the car, a discovery she¡¯d missed behind the dark-tinted windows. It moved. Tanya¡¯s heart lurched and she backed away from the window.
System, what kinda powers do people get?
Special individuals get Unique Classes custom-built for them. Abilities will always suit their Attributes and connect to why they were deemed worthy.
Yeah, but what sorta thing?
The voice didn¡¯t miss a beat.
They can be anything.
Shivers ran down her spine, mind slipping between different possible powers.
She refused to go outside whilst someone was there. Part of her felt guilty in case they needed help, but The System said powers could be anything she could think of, and she could imagine all sorts of powers that would change someone¡¯s personality.
Adder was dangerous, but she knew how he fought, and he¡¯d be tied up. That was far more than could be said for anyone else outside. She searched the room for something she could use, landing on the snapped landline cord. It was slightly stretchy but didn¡¯t give when she pulled on it with her full weight.
Muscle memory guided her through a double-column tie. She hadn¡¯t done one in years¡ªnot since the long days making dens in the forest with her dad. To be safe, she added several more knots, using whatever ones came to mind. Tanya may have decided Adder was the lesser of two evils, but she trusted him about as far as she could throw him.
Did she want him to live? The thought hit her like a football to the stomach. She could put him in the recovery position and make him more comfortable. Each small help brought the man who threatened her life a step closer to consciousness.
She perched on the recliner and stared at him, her elbows on her knees and fingers interlocked. To an outsider, it would look like she was praying, but in reality, it was how she always sat when she was thinking. Every few seconds, his chest rose and fell. A faint whistle escaped at the back of his throat as he wheezed. It was the only proof he was alive.
If he lived, he¡¯d owe her one. But did that even mean anything? Technically he owed her one for the free tattoo as well. She had a feeling he¡¯d say that just made them even on the missing protection money.
Has he got powers?
Insufficient Ability to perform inspection.
Tanya furrowed her brows and thought more intentionally.
I wasn¡¯t asking you.
The burns looked old, but she wasn¡¯t sure if people¡¯s past experiences impacted their powers too. She guessed that it depended on whether it was linked to them being Worthy, whatever that meant. The last thing she wanted right now was her shop and flat to be burnt down. If everyone else¡¯s powers worked like hers, no one would know how to control them.
Her gaze landed on the snake''s rattle tail along his collarbone.
He could summon that any time he wanted, even if he was restrained, and she had nothing to properly defend herself with.
She gulped and staggered to the counter, downing a bottle of water there. It tasted slightly dusty.
The weight bounced in her pocket with each step and she tugged it out, heart lurching at the safety of her mobile phone. She could call now, the police would come and even if it didn¡¯t save her for good, the police would be better equipped to take him or the snake down.
She dialled 999.
A very cheery voice said, ¡°This is the 999 emergency line. All our operators are busy. Please hold and your call will be answered as soon as possible.¡±
Is stuff like this happening everywhere?
Tanya had never heard of there being no operators before. Usually, the initial call would be instant and then wait times would be based on urgency. She took a deep breath and hung up the phone.
Could I try makin¡¯ a tattoo? I ain¡¯t got a clue how to do it on purpose. He was proper out of it whilst it summoned. I¡¯d be dead meat if he woke up.
She shivered, picturing his face wracked with pain.
He could only be out a few minutes. Even tracing me knife¡¯ll take an hour an¡¯ I¡¯d be better off with something bigger.
Her stomach churned.
I need to kill him. Barely made it through that snake the first time.
She told herself with certainty that she could do it, but in reality her body shouted against taking a single step towards him.
I¡¯m gonna kill him. Soon as he wakes up that snake¡¯s comin¡¯ back. It¡¯s kill or be killed. Tanya, pull yourself together.
She slapped herself across the face. The stinging felt good, proof that she was still alive even in this crazy new world.
Before her empathy could weaken her resolve, she circled Dreadlocks, steeling herself to take his knife. It felt different now that it was in her hand instead of someone else¡¯s: dangerous, powerful, terrifying.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Tanya whispered. She quietened her mind to still her shaking wrist. This is what she needed to do to live¡ªanyone else would do the same. She leant forwards, gripping the knife.
Then his eyes opened.
Chapter 4: Missing Pieces
Adder¡¯s nostrils flared, his pupils dilating. He looked much younger than before, curled on the floor with such an innocent expression. Tanya panicked, falling backward onto her hands. The knife clattered to the ground.
Adder tried to move, then looked down at the restraints around his wrists and feet.
¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± Adder croaked. His facial expression was under his control again, back to the blank poker face Tanya was used to.
Seeing him when he first woke up humanised him slightly. Tanya cursed that greatly. She was already losing resolve.
¡°I ain¡¯t decided yet,¡± Tanya said, slowly.
Adder nodded and they sat in silence.
Adder shuffled around to sit, struggling with the restraints. ¡°What do I need to do for you to let me live?¡± he asked.
Tanya hadn¡¯t seen that question coming. What did she need to trust him enough to let him go?
¡°You got a Class?¡± she asked.
She took a bottle of water from the counter, slid it across the floor to him, and then sat there with crossed legs. Whether she let him go or not, she might as well not leave him in pain. She regretted it as soon as he lifted it to his lips. It was grasped awkwardly with bound hands.
How much water¡¯s left, I wonder? Ain¡¯t like I can just nip and get some. Best start stockpilin¡¯ it. This is some twisted fuckin'' Covid shit for real.
Fortunately, he took a single sip and then slid it back to her. It was a strange game of cat and mouse. This was very different from when the rest of his gang were here.
¡°Yes,¡± he said.
¡°I wanna see your interface. System, that somethin¡¯ I can do?¡± Tanya said.
Interface information can be shared with express permission from the information¡¯s owner.
Tanya and Adder¡¯s eyes locked on each other. She could tell he heard that too. His facial expression hadn¡¯t changed but the way his body tensed showed Tanya how unhappy he was both with this situation and the idea of giving up the secrecy of his Abilities.
¡°Alright, talk us through how someone would do that,¡± Tanya replied.
Sharing any part of your interface is considered a minor pact. Thus, standard pact rules apply. You must say the words ¡°I, number (insert) pledge access to my interface to number (insert).¡± This can be made as simple or as detailed as you wish but the more detail, the more likely it will be exactly what both parties are happy with.
¡°Numbers, eh?¡± Tanya asked.
She was cautious of speaking to the voice out loud, but it would save time if she didn¡¯t have to explain this to him herself after.
The number on your system interface is a guaranteed way of not getting confused with another planar entity with a similar moniker.
Tanya nodded. That made sense. She thought about it for another moment.
¡°What other pacts can ya make?¡±
Adder winced.
He must know this already. If he don¡¯t want me knowin¡¯, then I must be on the right track.
Pacts can be made to cover any concept, although how enforceable they are depends on the wording of the pact and the amount of freedom there is within following it.
Interesting. Tanya started pacing. If she could come up with a good enough pact then maybe she could let him live. It was mostly his influence that made him so terrifying. The amount of East End Adders in this area meant that if she could guarantee they¡¯d leave her alone, she could get out of this mostly unscathed.
¡°Right, we start with your Interface, make a pact, and then I let ya go.¡± Tanya sat again, crossing her legs in the same spot as before.
He tensed up again.
¡°Look,¡± she continued, ¡°All I want is a guarantee that lettin¡¯ ya go ain''t gonna bite me later. Yeah, I know I could wring any deal outta ya right now, but I just wanna make it simple for ya to leave and stay gone.¡±
She clenched her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering from the adrenaline coursing through her body.
He nodded slowly. His adams apple bobbed up and down. ¡°For that, I owe you a great debt.¡±
¡°Yeah I know,¡± Tanya sported a wicked grin, ¡°I¡¯m pretty great.¡±
Why did I say that?
He scoffed. It was somewhere between a laugh and a sniff with an eye roll mixed in.
Her smile faded, ¡°The interface?¡±
¡°Number?¡±
¡°10056¡±
¡°I, Number 43, pledge one-time viewing access of my core interface to Number 10056.¡±
Tanya noticed the wording. She¡¯d not considered the possibility of her changing his Abilities before.
She also noted the ¡°one-time.¡± He seemed thankful; verbalising the debt suggested that, so it was interesting that he specified one time. She supposed that it was powerful information knowing how someone was levelling.
She worried she was going too easy on him with this. He¡¯d possibly even agree to something crazy like giving her power. The thought of being able to make even stronger killer snakes only filled her with fear for the monsters lurking outside.
She wondered if she could acquire more non-violent power. In video games, levelling quickly to get ahead of the curve was important. Otherwise, it could be hard to catch up later. No, this wasn¡¯t a video game. She wasn¡¯t going to let the end of the world take away who she was. Tanya Angelo didn¡¯t blackmail, otherwise she¡¯d not be much better than Adder.
The thoughts whipped around as the interface kicked in.
* * *
Information
Name: Joseph (Adder) Patterson
Number: 43
Age: 36
Species: Human
Class: Firestarter
Level: 3
System Notification:
You have summoned an entity beyond your physical limits.
Your Attributes are in the negative.
Any further damage will render you unstable.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Attributes
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 8
Vitality: 16
Concentration: 11
Will: 15
Abilities
Match Made in Hell
Level 2
The fire that scarred you has made you part of it. You can partially absorb fire damage, using it to temporarily increase your Attributes.
Trailblazer
Level 2
Every fire you ignite carries a trace of your Will. These flames consume fuel at a supernatural rate. You can spend mana to influence the flames: including tracking a target and only burning what you choose.
Going out with a Bang
Level 1
By willingly setting yourself ablaze, you can unleash a massive explosion of flames, dealing devastating damage in an area around you. This leaves you severely weakened and grants a slow regeneration.
Inferno¡¯s WhisperLevel 1You can manipulate nearby flames to subtly influence the thoughts and emotions of others. By maintaining a small flame near a target, you can plant suggestions or stir emotions like fear or anger. The longer the flame burns, the stronger the influence, but it fades once the flame is extinguished or the target becomes aware.
Achievements
Worthy
You were deemed worthy of The System¡¯s care. You have been given a class and access to The Interface.
Unique Circumstances
The circumstances that showed you as Worthy were Unique. You have been given a Unique Class.
Interplanar Kingpin
Old tricks, new magic. You¡¯ve readily accepted this new world, wielding spells and fear to maintain your reign as gang leader. The streets bow to your will¡ªnow the planes will too.
Martyr Maker
Your influence knows no bounds. Someone believed in your cause¡ªor feared you¡ªso much that they gave their life in your name. True power demands sacrifice.
* * *
Tanya was only alive because the snake had been too powerful for his body to handle. Otherwise with the snake and those Attributes and Abilities, he could have killed her a dozen different ways. She held back the bile that wanted to force itself out of her mouth. For a moment she couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. She just stared at the system notification over and over. That old wire around his wrists did nothing, not really. She was alive because of the snake that almost killed her.
Pushing all of her emotions down, all that she was left with was cold sweat running down her back. Tanya inspected his Interface again. She could feel fear later. She only had one chance to look at this, so she wanted to learn everything she could.
System, can I save this?
Yes. You can revisit this Personal Interface at any time.
Notice: Due to one-time use being granted you will be unable to track any developments to this Interface. You will only be able to view this snapshot of his development.
Tanya considered all the ways she could counter him with this information. She wished he hadn¡¯t been so specific. Not only was an updating list of his powers knowledge on how to stay safe from him, but if he stayed ahead of her she might get some ideas of how her own Interface would change over time.
The Abilities were interesting. She wondered how much choice he¡¯d had over his level-ups. They were specific enough that she could tell he¡¯d either chosen them or they were catered to him perfectly, combining into a strong DPS build with a buffing Ability, a finishing move, and strong firepower without hurting allies. What did that tell her about him? That he usually fought around people was an easy one. She could tell that from the Ability to control the fire. The finishing move definitely implied risk-taking, and the increase being temporary suggested burst damage instead of longer fights. This told her a lot about the East Adder¡¯s weaknesses generally. Assuming they followed his lead, they likely relied on intimidation for a quick, explosive takedown of their enemies.
She focused on his stats, wondering if he had higher stats than her before The System or if they stemmed from training. She didn¡¯t have much data yet and really hoped that she wasn¡¯t weak compared to average, or she¡¯d have a harder time keeping up. She thought back to every moment she¡¯d decided she was too tired to practice sketching or countless ¡°I¡¯ll go to the gym tomorrow.¡± A pit formed in her stomach. Now wasn¡¯t the time.
She read through it again, making sure she hadn¡¯t missed something important. She focused on the number; 43. She hadn¡¯t processed it when he initially mentioned it, but that must have been some time ago.
¡°How long you had a class, then?¡± Tanya asked him. She refused to look away from the information, fearing it might vanish without her full attention.
He paused for a second. ¡°Three days ago, give or take.¡±
She nodded absent-mindedly. 3 days? That was longer than she¡¯d expected. She remembered the porcupine she¡¯d done on the sweet older lady the day before. That night she¡¯d had popcorn chicken from KFC whilst the new episode of Grey''s Anatomy aired. Everything had been so normal. She couldn¡¯t remember the last few days the same anymore. Even though nothing had actually changed, it felt like something had shifted.
Only¡it had? She noticed a blurry gap in her memory. Focusing harder didn¡¯t fix it. The memory ended at a very strange point.
It was the morning of the day before. The stark white light created chinks along the wall through the blinds. Tanya fanned herself with a poorly designed takeaway menu. There was a chill in the air everywhere but in her shop, as the heating unit had decided to break so it couldn¡¯t be turned off full power. She dreaded to think of the astronomical bill that would create.
She kept glancing at the phone. She remembered now¡ªher friend was going to call her back after their shift. They had planned to discuss how to cancel before the bill got out of hand.
Bleedin¡¯ heater. Cost a fortune an¡¯ I don¡¯t even get to enjoy it!
Flicking through her flash designs, she considered how to scrape enough for this month''s bills. Her current offer was on Pokemon characters. She had a vending machine with those little plastic bubbles in it with different Pokemon that her followers had helped her pick.
That¡¯s when she heard the bell. She looked up with a smile. It would be a good day today. She just had to drum up some business. She only glimpsed him for a moment¡ª tall and slender with blonde spikes and flame sunglasses. He popped bubblegum between his lips. Long, coffin-shaped pink nails pulled down his glasses. They went perfectly with his hot pants and little cropped pink fluffy jacket. It looked like someone had skinned a muppet. Their eyes met, his a striking light blue. He was mid-step forward when the memory ended. It didn¡¯t fade; it came to an abrupt halt, as if someone had pressed the off button.
She replayed the memory. It stopped at the same point. The next thing she remembered was picking up the phone. The bell down the street chimed for 1pm, and she realised she was late for her lunch break.
Tanya sprung to her feet, and Adder gave her a confused look. She strode to her counter and pulled it open. No extra money. Nothing looked out of place on the desk. So they weren¡¯t a customer, or they didn''t pay. She could have simply forgotten it, but she didn¡¯t believe that. Something about him caught her attention, particularly the way the memory stopped just before she''d spoken to someone new and interesting.
¡°System, can I get back memories I forgot or ones that got nicked off me?¡± Tanya asked. She opened and closed all of the drawers in case she¡¯d stowed something away in there lost to her memory.
¡°How the plot thickens,¡± Adder chimed.
Shit, I should have kept that in me head.
Forgotten memories cannot be perfectly recalled without an Ability, although higher concentration may help recall.
Memories that have been taken cannot be recalled without an Ability.
Memories that have been destroyed can occasionally be pieced together depending on the craftsmanship of the erasure.
Memories that have been tampered with are often fixed once the target has realised they were under magical effects.
Memories¡ª
¡°That¡¯s enough for now,¡± Tanya interrupted.
She could try piecing it together. However, her gut told her it had been taken rather than erased. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have just a gaping hole. Trying to remember was like running her tongue over a missing tooth.
Adder sat up straighter and the ties around his wrists slapped the floor as he adjusted. Tanya turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Fuck. I¡¯ve got something missing, too, yesterday afternoon,¡± he said.
She nodded, ¡°Yesterday morning.¡±
¡°It¡¯s like¡¡± he began.
¡°A missin¡¯ tooth?¡±
¡°Yeah, I suppose it is.¡± He furrowed his brow and stared off into the middle distance.
¡°White bloke, ¡®bout yea tall, white-blonde hair, blue eyes¡ªlooks like he fell off the workroom in RuPaul¡¯s Drag Race?¡±
He wrinkled his nose, ¡°Smells like they were dragged through the perfume aisle of John Lewis?¡±
The memory of the smell hit her all at once and she laughed.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one.¡±
Adder clenched his teeth, and Tanya¡¯s smile vanished. The switch was instant. There was something so visceral about the look in his eyes. ¡°No one messes with MY FUCKING MEMORY!¡±
Tanya stumbled backwards. She hadn¡¯t seen someone change like that since her mum¡¯s ex-boyfriend. It brought her back to what it was like as a kid, one wrong move and he¡¯d change into a different person.
He¡¯s got a debuff, Tanya, he ain¡¯t gonna hurt ya.
Only the squeaking of rubber cables joined the air as he wrung his hands. He turned to Tanya. The anger was gone. His eyes were ice cold.
¡°If we could draft up a pact soon I¡¯d appreciate it. I¡¯d like to leave.¡±
Tanya nodded, then took a moment to collect her thoughts and quiet her racing heart. It only took a few seconds of calm chatter for her to let her guard down. She wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again.
Chapter 5: Homecoming
How could Adder get to her? Personally? Using gang members? Using traps? Malpractice? Too many options flooded her mind. She tried not to rush but Adder was getting more and more tetchy since he¡¯d realised about his memories, and her instincts were to do whatever she could to make the tension go away. None of this helped her because she felt weary to the bone. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, leaving her hands shaky and her heart pounding. As it ebbed, a bone-deep exhaustion settled in like a weight, pushing her eyelids closed.
She slammed the pen down on the table, her head in her hands. The paper in front of her overflowed with random scribblings¡ªthings she needed to remember. It swam before her eyes.
Can you help me draft a pact?
Yes.
She waited but The System didn¡¯t say any more.
Go on then.
Error: Question not found.
Tanya sighed. The System was happy to answer her questions about how things worked, but when it came to broader discussions, like forming a plan, it defaulted to its simpler, robotic responses. Yet she knew it could do more. Sometimes, it changed¡ªlike the first time she¡¯d interacted with it. At times like that, it felt almost human. Now, though, it frustrated her like a robotic voice on the other end of a customer service line.
You got this Tanya. Just a few more minutes, then you can rest.
She began to write.
¡°Here,¡± she passed the paper to him. It had taken her about an hour to think through it enough to be happy with what she¡¯d written. She could basically recite it off by heart at this point.
I, number 43 pledge not to harm Number 10056 or anyone who she considers friend, family, or ally. I will not harm them directly, indirectly, or withhold any information that could protect her or help her.
He read through a few times, glancing down the page and flicking his eyes back to the top.
¡°Not bad,¡± he said.
¡°You could¡¯ve done better?¡± she scoffed.
He looked at her with piercing eyes. ¡°I have done better.¡±
Her blood ran cold. She knew that pacts could be abused. Hell, she¡¯d considered it herself, but the idea he¡¯d used it like that sickened her.
She accepted the cold, a reminder that the world was destined to become more like this. Theoretically, she could take it back. He was still tied up there. Maybe with enough time she could draw up a pledge to stop him hurting other people. Her instincts told her that in this new world, one mistake forcing him to be a pacifist would result in his death. No, she just needed to look out for herself for now.
¡°Pledge it an¡¯ go.¡±
He spoke each word in monotone. She felt like hundreds of eyes all around witnessed this verbal document.
She expected something special¡ªperhaps a sound or a sensation¡ªbut felt no indication that it had worked.
¡°Am I now in a pact with number 43?¡± she asked aloud.
Yes.
After so long it felt underwhelming. They stared at each other. Tanya looked away first for the scissors. With a single snip, she freed the man who had threatened her life. She knew he couldn¡¯t hurt her, but her muscles resisted her every move to free him. Her instincts screamed that the moment the binds were off he¡¯d kill her.
As soon as he was free, he scratched his neck. The tattoo appeared infected, raised blisters and puss all around the snake. Its tongue flickered at the edge of her vision, leaving her uncertain if she¡¯d imagined it.
¡°Do you have anything for this?¡± He pointed to his neck. ¡°I have money.¡±
She looked at the various ointments around the room. With a tattoo like this she¡¯d send someone straight to A&E. She wasn¡¯t even sure if A&E existed anymore.
¡°No, but I¡¯ll let you know if I see you again an¡¯ I have.¡± She said it to be civil but then realised she meant it. If this was a common issue with her tattoos she would need to find something to fix it soon, and he would be a good test.
He slid a walkie talkie across the counter. It crackled softly, muffled words between other members of his gang coming through.
¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± she asked. Her stomach sank. She hated the idea of having a direct line to him. The whole point of the pact was to make him go away.
He looked up and to the right, above her eyes. She could see he was studying his interface, lost in thought. ¡°I will not withhold information that could protect her or help her.¡± His eyes met hers ¡°You''ll be hearing from me.¡±
¡°What happens if you break it?¡± Tanya asked, half to him and half to The System.
He held up one hand as if willing The System not to speak. ¡°You decide. If you don¡¯t or can¡¯t, then I die.¡±
He paused by Dreadlocks, looking down at him with his back facing her. She couldn¡¯t see his expression. ¡°Rest in Peace, Khenan.¡±
For a moment, she thought he would pick him up or request his body, but then he stepped over Dreadlocks and the moment passed. Adder¡¯s long jacket billowed over Dreadlocks¡¯ face like a funeral shroud. Then he was gone.
Everything ached: her arms, her legs, her head, and her heart, both literally and metaphorically. The throb of poison being pumped round and round her body stung more with each beat. But she hated the hollowness more. She wasn¡¯t sure who she was now, but the Tanya she¡¯d been that morning was so far away.
She couldn¡¯t go upstairs without putting down the metal shutters. That meant going outside. She didn¡¯t know if that was a tactical decision or if she was simply too delirious to care. The door creaked open and she stepped outside.
Fresh air filled her lungs and a breeze blew her hair to one side. The street looked even worse out here. Limbs dangled out of the window¡ªthe car an utter wreck. She looked away.
It dawned on her that a couple of random snippets from the radio that morning were all she knew about everything changing. The sun was setting. It was the kind of sunlight that was difficult to focus through. So many hours had passed that she wasn¡¯t even sure if the snippets from earlier meant anything anymore.
She squinted through the gloom. Adder was still on the street, a couple of dozen feet away. Aside from the breeze, all Tanya could hear was the uneven tapping of Adder¡¯s boots as he limped back home.
She spun to close the shutters and the stench of burning hit her. It was faint¡ªa few streets behind her. The smell wasn''t anything like wood or coal or oil. It was a mixture of an acrid smell of burnt steak with the stench of hair straighteners being clamped onto hair for too long. She hoped it wasn¡¯t flesh.
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The clanging metal shutters echoed along the street. They sounded too loud in the silence of the centre of London. This street had never been silent before, even in the middle of the night there were drunk people milling around using it as a shortcut between a dive bar and the club they staggered to afterwards.
The lock clicked. She wondered if this metal shutter could stand up to the new powers coursing through London.
Tanya flicked through the keys. She found the one to unlock the little stone staircase to her flat upstairs.
The street lamp cast a glint of light against the glossy black of her television screen. She stumbled through, tripping over abandoned shoes and lunging at the television remote. Her balcony door was still open from that morning. The semi transparent white curtain underlayer blew around in swirling folds. Then the television clicked on and the room was instead filled with the cool glow of LEDs.
It was like waiting for a break-up text, or that nagging unease of someone you love being in the hospital.
Something felt wrong about the sleek flatscreen, that jarring comparison to the literal magic she¡¯d experienced minutes earlier. This really was her life, her flat.
The news lady sported a glowing blue rune on her forehead. Her eyes were completely white with the same blue glow lighting up her sunken sockets. She had the same carefully plastered smile as every other day. Tanya gaped in shock.
¡°Good evening, you¡¯re watching BBC News, bringing you continuous coverage of the ongoing global crisis. As portals continue to open worldwide, unleashing deadly creatures and granting dangerous powers to millions, we are here with the latest updates. Here¡¯s what we know so far¡¡±
The screen cut to a place Tanya recognised in central London where a creature lurched through the streets. It was a shaky vertical mobile camera from an apartment window a couple of stories up. The creature came into view and she stared at it, no longer listening to the broadcast. It was like a marionette under the control of a malevolent puppeteer. Its elongated legs moved with an unnatural grace but its arms flopped backwards and forwards with each step. Tanya wondered if it had a spine. With each few steps it paused, twitching its head around. She couldn¡¯t tell if it possessed insect-like mandibles and antennae, or if the cracks appearing on the screen were distorting her view.
Cracks?
Why would the phone screen cracks be recorded? The creature grew ever closer, its face staring up at the building with no features, only a white mask-like face with a hole where one eye would be. The same murky blackness of its body was behind it, wriggling beneath its skin like oil in a bin bag. Then the camera got worse, black cracks forming all over the screen and sections where LEDs didn¡¯t light up at all. It looked exactly like Tanya¡¯s old phone, the one she¡¯d dropped and could only puzzle the picture through. The section that wasn¡¯t black was overcome with waves of static.
Then the creature passed and the quality returned to normal.
¡°¡ªindividuals deemed ¡®worthy¡¯ by this mysterious phenomenon calling itself ¡®The System¡¯ are being gifted with extraordinary powers. Our estimates place those with powers at over a million, skyrocketing by the hour, along with the death toll. The Home Secretary urges all citizens to remain from using any new powers. With emergency services overwhelmed, misuse could result in further loss of life. Stay indoors, avoid unnecessary risk and await further instructions. Now over to the chief medical officer for further information¡¡±
Tanya sat and stared at the screen for what felt like forever. It hadn¡¯t mattered that she¡¯d missed the section on the creatures because all the news was coming in an endless loop, with only occasional new information.
She switched between different networks, everyone was covering it but whilst some holed up in tower blocks with echoing screams outside, others explored out in daylight with perfectly quaffed hair. It seemed completely random where these monsters were appearing.
Images hit her over and over. Bodies lay in the background of clips of monsters before cutting to a normal man in a suit discussing wild theories of what the monsters wanted. Then back to someone surging flames all over themselves and screaming as the fire poured out of their hands. Tanya struggled to swallow.
Something cold and rectangular fell out of her pocket and slid to the wooden panels on the floor.
My phone.
Her heart lurched. With all of the chaos of Adder it had never set in for her. If this was affecting the whole world then it was affecting her loved ones too. They had been outside of London for a few days visiting her Nanna in Scotland.
She plucked it from the carpet so quickly she almost threw it behind her. It only took seconds but pressing and holding the on button until it came to life felt like minutes. Her mum and brother''s face filled her screen and she stopped breathing. Then each missed notification pinged through one by one. Dozens of missed calls flooded in from her mum, old friends, and Maria. She spotted a message from her mum and clicked.
Mum: Please call me as soon as you can. We are all safe. Please call me.
They were safe.
Tanya let out the breath she¡¯d been holding and her head swam from the lack of air.
She sent a bunch of quick fire ¡®I¡¯m safe¡¯ messages and then dialled her mother¡¯s number.
¡°Tanya?¡± Mum said. Her voice shook and she heard chaos in the background as someone further back stubbed their toe and cursed loudly.
¡°Mum?¡± Tanya replied. It came out barely more than a squeak.
¡°Oh love, are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± she replied.
There were muffled voices in the background.
¡°I¨CI¡¯m okay, Mum. Got meself in a tight spot with someone in the shop but¡¡± she raked her hands through her hair. ¡°Ain¡¯t important now. I¡¯m alright.¡±
A sob escaped Tanya¡¯s mum¡¯s lips. ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± she said away from the phone.
Tanya beamed, but tears streamed down her face as she heard her mother''s voice.
¡°Are you¡ª¡° Tanya started. The image of the monster from the television flooded her mind like a terrible aftertaste.
Her Mum¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°One of our neighbours¡he¡well... Peter kept us safe.¡±
Tanya nodded even though her mum couldn¡¯t see her. She had never been more glad for her Mum¡¯s dumb ¡®I¡¯m your new dad¡¯ beefcake boyfriend in her life.
¡°And Tommy..?¡± Tanya added. She had to speak louder now over the sound of some sort of electric drill.
¡°He didn¡¯t see any of it,¡± Mum said, under her breath. ¡°Him and Peter are boarding up the windows.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Tanya hadn¡¯t realised how tense she was. She attempted to relax into the back of the sofa. She remembered Nan¡¯s neighbour Mr Baird. He was nice but quiet. They¡¯d only ever spoken when he was pointing out birds in the communal garden. ¡°And now? You gonna be safe?¡±
¡°Breathe, Tanya. It¡¯s a care home so it¡¯s got multiple doors to get in, cameras everywhere, and a bunch of local family members showed up to help us guard it. You. I wanna hear about you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine¡ª¡° Tanya started.
Her Mum¡¯s voice changed. ¡°You¡¯re not fine. None of us are. The sooner you can get to us or us to you the better but for now defend your home with all you¡¯ve got.¡±
¡°Mum!¡± Tanya exclaimed, she grinned. ¡°What happened to all that ¡®minimalist lifestyle¡¯, ¡®objects are blocking our chakras¡¯ malarky.¡±
Tanya expected her mum to joke back but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Tanya, I watched Mr Baird lose himself today. We need somewhere safe that¡¯s ours, somewhere to hold on to everything that reminds us of who we are.¡±
Tanya sat in silence at the end of the call. They¡¯d gotten so wrapped up in goodbyes and I love you¡¯s that the flat felt empty now. Tanya walked around the room turning on every slightly wonky vintage lamp she owned. The warm light wrapped her in a hug. Nanna''s gifted ugly golden lamp sat on the table and the tarot moon card wall hanging on the wall. She ran her fingers across its soft fabric. The multicoloured cushions were squished against her leather sofa, one of them was sewn by her mother out of her baby clothes. Her eyes filled with tears staring at them, but she didn''t need to see.
She had memorised every inch of this place. Her mind ran through the various charity shops where she¡¯d found odds and ends to bring home. Her bowls from breakfast were exactly where she left them, the cliche romantasy book haphazardly left open on the side next to it, leaves from her favourite plant laid over it. Her mum was right. At least her plants were okay. At least this was still home. She dropped to her knees and sobbed.
She cried for the life she¡¯d imagined, every appointment pencilled in for the next few weeks that wouldn¡¯t happen. She cried for the dog she was going to get someday, and the flat in Hampstead she¡¯d vowed to rent with Maria when someday her tattoo shop was a chain all across the UK and they were both rich. Then she cried for that dream too.
Her fingers sunk into the fluffy off coloured tousles of a soup stain in her carpet. She spilled it a few months ago, watching reruns of a sitcom with her ex when she laughed so hard she flipped the lap tray onto the floor and her bowl went flying. The memories just kept coming and they hurt more and more. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she stayed there, curled up like a cat with its head stuffed underneath it. But eventually it felt a little bit less like the world was ending.
Well, I mean, it kinda is.
And then she laughed until she cried again.
Wrapping herself up in her favourite blanket, she half crawled half hopped to her bed and flopped there, holding herself until the memories lulled her to sleep.
Chapter 6: So Much for Planning
The next day, Tanya¡¯s cheeks were still salty with tears, but everything felt a little bit clearer. It was tempting to fall to pieces, fret about her Mum and her brother, and to sit glued to the news all day as if a saviour would swoop in and save them. The headlines today stated that wasn¡¯t the case:
¡°Whitechapel gang holds citizens hostage from outside help.¡±
She¡¯d skimmed through it brushing her teeth. The water worked so she reasoned she might as well use it for now. The heading was incredibly misleading, one of the gang members had developed some sort of monster hybrid powers and was taken for testing against his will. A mugshot later identified him as Undercut¡ªthe man who had spent the whole time on her arcade machine. She agreed with them preventing cops from entering until she saw a photograph of all the police they¡¯d killed. Their bodies and some other civilians had been used to block one of the roads in Whitechapel. She turned her phone off after that.
Tanya had survived so far, even against someone both a higher level, and with a group to back them up. Gaining more power¡ª that was essential to guarantee her safety. The news was still plugging its anti-powers spiel, but Tanya thought that if her powers were going to kill her, they would have already. Smaller sites had been revealing all sorts of people using their powers to save others too.
She checked her boiler and the water was still warm which was a pleasant surprise. The electricity was still working too. She made a mental note to work out how to keep her tattoo gun working if it went out. There was a generator in the back but it was still finite and would only last about 10 hours of tattooing she¡¯d guess, give or take.
Her phone battery needed to be rationed too. She should only use it plugged in. That way it would be full if they lost power. She pushed past the string of beads into her living room and her heart twinged at the same scene as last night.
You¡¯re gonna be strong. Once you got a plan, you can do anything.
Grabbing bread from the bin, she slathered it in cheese. Before trying out her new Abilities she¡¯d work out exactly how long she could last here. Bread and cheese was a good start, both perishable so she¡¯d only have them a few more days. She munched on her breakfast as she emptied all of the cupboards. Most of the fridge items had dates written down in whiteboard marker on her fridge. Otherwise, she¡¯d forget to finish them in time. But the cupboards were a whole different kettle of fish. She swore she hadn¡¯t seen half of these tins since she moved in.
Most of them were still in date so she added them to a master list. Her last grocery run was only a couple of days ago so as long as the fridge held out she¡¯d be okay. The little notebook of scribblings turned into a bunch of papers stuck together as she worked out different ways of fitting the meals together. She settled on two plans, one for if she was lucky and could keep things cold and another for when it died. Starting on the frozen stuff was a plan either way, the further in she got the less she¡¯d have to binge when it turned off. She needed to balance spreading it out with the risk of wasting food.
If she was lucky she could pace this to last two weeks before she¡¯d be out. It would be down to one week if the electricity died and that was including a couple of days of being very hungry at the end.
With a long list and a pile of food all over her dining table, it was finally time to go back to the shop. She hadn¡¯t realised until it was time, but maybe she¡¯d been procrastinating a bit. Organising food was easy. She¡¯d done plenty of food drives growing up or preparing for the ever-rainy camping trips her parents arranged. They said it was to be one with nature but she always knew it was all they could afford.
The door downstairs taunted her. When had her machine ever scared her? Even on her first day as a mentor for the man who never smiled, she was desperate to pick it up. Flashes of the snake pulsed through her mind; its eye, slithering between the brothers, its fangs caught in her arm. She was confident in her ability, she always had been. Even with the nerves of her first time on skin, she knew exactly how it would feel and that she¡¯d put the work in. She had no idea what this tattoo would be capable of, or what it should be.
That wasn¡¯t even the worst part. She wasn¡¯t comfortable testing it on anyone else so she¡¯d have to tattoo herself. It was a line she¡¯d never crossed before. Lots of her friends had smudged old-timey tattoos hidden under jeans or long sleeves, only to be shown a few drinks under. Tanya had never seen the point before, pain was a distraction, and tattoos were best served with single-mindedness.
She pondered through all the reasons she refused to tattoo herself whilst tying her docs. There was a bead of blood on the toe. She wiped it off.
The staircase down to the street smelled musty like always. Today, the street seemed louder, filled with obnoxious birds tweeting right outside her bedroom window and distant screaming. She even caught the sound of her first faraway siren since Adder had entered her shop.
Creaking as quietly as possible, she opened the door to the street. It had only been overnight but she welcomed the fresh air with a deep inhale. She¡¯d taken a full step out before she saw her; a middle-aged lady. She might have known her, or perhaps the lady simply had one of those faces. Her bindi was stark red against her ashy brown skin. Tanya could tell from a single look that she hadn¡¯t slept in days. She was going to back into the door and try and shut it without her noticing but her eyes locked onto the movement. The lady sprinted over.
What should I do?
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You don¡¯t know what powers she¡¯s got. Get in the shop.
Tanya averted her gaze. Speed-walking towards her metal cover, she unlocked it. She struggled with the key.
Shit.
She didn¡¯t need to turn around to know the lady was gaining on her. Without so much as a weapon, this could go wrong very quickly.
Tanya, if you make it outta this, never go anywhere without a weapon.
Tanya rose to face her, deciding it was safer to stand and prepare than be caught from behind.
The lady was younger than Tanya expected up close, late thirties with scared brown eyes and tears flowing down her round face. She was even shorter than Tanya, something Tanya wasn¡¯t used to. Under any other circumstance, Tanya would have approached her with a bright smile and touched her arm absent-mindedly to check-in. This was one of her neighbours after all, and a safe-looking one at that. Tanya hated how whatever was happening had taken away her trust in people.
The lady gripped Tanya¡¯s hands desperately and Tanya backed away slightly.
Necrosis? Dark magic? Fire?
More tears dripped down the lady¡¯s cheeks. She respected the distance, taking a step back and then getting onto her knees and begging. The sari on her top half trailed along the floor and blood and beer seeped through the fabric of her blue jeans. The lady was lucky she didn¡¯t get glass stuck in her from the bottle, although Tanya sensed she wouldn¡¯t care if she did.
¡°Please, please help me. I¡¯m begging. I know you have no reason to trust me. I¡¯ll do anything. It¡¯s my son. He¡¯s just a boy. Please.¡± She had a London accent with a hint of something Indian, like she¡¯d moved when she was a child.
Tanya weighed her options. She shouldn¡¯t trust a random woman after what happened with Adder, but if she was telling the truth, Tanya wasn¡¯t sure she could forgive herself for not helping a little boy.
¡°Do you have a class?¡± Tanya asked. If time was of the essence this could be bad for the boy, but she had to make sure she was safe first.
¡°No, I don¡¯t, but my son¡ª¡° she cried.
¡°System, can she prove it?¡± Tanya pressed, desperation flooding her voice. She really wanted to help her.
Error: Insufficient information for response.
She raced through ways she could prove this wasn¡¯t a lie. Part of her wanted to say to hell with it and follow her, but being in close quarters she¡¯d not been in before was too risky. An idea sparked in her mind.
Can you set up pacts for when¡ªor if¡ªsomeone¡¯s worthy down the line?
She felt a pause and then the presence of the voice. This wasn¡¯t the automatic response she¡¯d had today, this was bigger. She¡¯d forgotten how this felt, the somewhat crushing weight of eyes too large to fathom.
Searching¡
Yes, there is no reason for the contrary.
It was going to be okay. She could do this.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Tanya started. But I need you to swear you¡¯ll let me see yer Interface when ya get one. If the pact works, I¡¯ll know you¡¯re tellin¡¯ the truth.
The lady nodded wildly. ¡°How? How?¡±
¡°Me number¡¯s 10056. Use the word pledge.¡± Tanya¡¯s voice wavered saying her number. She hated every part of this. She wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d cope if she got in there and the boy was already dead, or worse.
¡°I¡¯m Ishita Priya Sharma and I pledge Number 10056 to see my interface if I get one¡¡° Her voice broke and she started sobbing. ¡°She can have anything she wants. Please.¡±
Tanya¡¯s heart fluttered and her stomach dropped. Ishita had no idea what she¡¯d done, the amount of power she¡¯d just given her.
¡°Please. Please come.¡± Ishita took Tanya by the arm again, pulling her further down the street.
Tanya could have broken out easily, but she let herself be led.
System, what pacts do I have?
* * *
Pacts
Number 43
Joseph Adder Patterson
Pledges no harm of any kind to 10056 or any ally.
Pledges information that would help her.
Number N/A
Ishita Priya Sharma
Pledges anything 10056 wants.
Automatic Interface retrieval when activated.
Would you like to see the exact pact wording?
* * *
No.
Her eyes kept moving to Ishita: anything 10056 wants.
She had no idea how enforceable that even was, not that she wanted to find out.
Ishita led her to a small brick walkway going above an empty shop. Tanya braced for whatever she¡¯d find inside. If she squinted it was a lovely family home full of pictures and beautiful Indian rugs, but everything was shattered with holes in walls and glass scattering the floor. Every light had a pile of glass underneath it; not a single bulb was intact. What caused this?
Ishita ran through the small corridor into a bedroom where she spoke in a language Tanya didn¡¯t understand. Her voice was soft but panicked. Tanya sped up to follow her.
That¡¯s when she saw the boy. The room was so dark that at first there was just a hand reaching out of the wall. It was so small, with pudgy fingers full of tension, like it was trying to will itself out. Ishita grabbed his hand, pulling and pulling. It did nothing. Blackness was inching up his arm so slowly Tanya could barely see it move, but every time she looked again, more of his arm had been consumed. Where was the rest of him?
She adjusted to the gloom. There was a darker patch of shadow than the rest of the room around it. It was the shape of a boy, small and chubby and desperately trying to pull himself off the wall. He was two-dimensional and his arm was all that was left remaining tangible. It hung in the air in front of him, pulled again and again, to no avail, by a desperate mother.
Chapter 7: Stencil or Freehand?
Holy shit.
Tanya¡¯s eyes could barely believe what they were seeing. She walked around him, seeing the hand from more angles and trying to convince her brain that this wasn¡¯t some haunted house. This was a real person in a real home in the real apocalypse.
¡°What¡¡± Tanya started before trailing off.
She saw that the boy¡¯s mouth was opening and closing but no sound was coming out. His eyes and mouth were like spaces of normal wallpaper in the darkness, simplified to two ovals and a semicircle like an old animation.
¡°He said there was a voice, didn¡¯t you babu? It called itself The System and called him Worthy.¡± Ishita sobbed harder. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡±
Tanya was sure that the blackness was creeping up his arm now. She¡¯d looked around the room for anything she could use to pull him out to no avail and now the darkness was an inch further up his arm.
She grabbed Fahad¡¯s hand with one arm and elbow with the other, pulling along with Ishita. It didn¡¯t work.
¡°Protect him from The System?¡± Tanya said, straining.
Ishita began the soothing chant again in another language. She swapped between pulling and stroking his hand. Tanya thought it was a prayer.
Tanya walked closer to her, his arm grabbed onto her shirt and gripped, almost pulling her over. She wrestled him back off. Patting her hands all over his shadow on the wall, she couldn¡¯t feel him at all. It was like a real shadow.
¡°Ishita, I¡¯m gonna try an¡¯ save your son but I need you to talk to me.¡±
Ishita didn¡¯t look up, she held her son¡¯s hand whilst tears flowed down her face.
Tanya grabbed her shoulders, speaking louder. ¡°Ishita, I need you here with me.¡±
Ishita¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°Y¡ªyes. What do you need?¡±
¡°Tell me what happened.¡±
The black had crept another few centimetres up his arm. Tanya forced her eyes away. She couldn¡¯t make this go any faster by stressing.
¡°My h-husband¡ he came home and he wasn¡¯t himself. I swear, he¡¯d never lay a hand on me¡ªhe¡¯s not a violent man. I left that all behind but¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright, it was The System, not him. What powers did he have?¡±
Tanya didn¡¯t know that for sure but it¡¯s what she needed to hear right now.
¡°Strength or¡something. He hit our dining table and it split in two¡ then he screamed and the lights¡ª¡°
¡°And your son?¡± Tanya interjected.
¡°He ran into his room and hid. Peter¡he wanted Fahad. Broke everything apart looking for him everywhere.¡±
Tanya¡¯s thoughts were racing a mile a minute. So Fahad unlocked his powers from how well he hid and now¡she stole another glance at the shadow boy on the wall. She strode closer so they were eye to eye. The dimensionality was even weirder up close. It all looked so fake.
Tanya lowered her voice. She knew she was terrible with kids but she needed to try and not freak him out. ¡°Fahad can you talk? This is important.¡±
His mouth opened and closed over and over like words were coming out that she couldn¡¯t hear.
¡°I haven¡¯t been able to hear him since his head¡¡± Ishita said.
System, can you tell me anything about his powers?
Insufficient Ability to perform inspection.
It¡¯s what she expected but yes¡ªAbilities. Maybe she could help him with her tattoos.
System, I wanna see my Abilities.
* * *
Abilities
More than Meets the Eye
Level 1
Tattoos created by you are imbued with latent magic. They can be summoned by their Wielder for unique effects. These effects are determined by the design, Vitality of the Wielder, and cost of creation.
* * *
How much can I influence the effect of the tattoos I make?
Error: non quantifiable response.
She didn¡¯t have time for this. His outline was less clear now too, like he was fading into the shadow around him. Her heart lurched. Being trapped was one thing but disappearing from existence¡
As if by divine intervention, a car passed the window. Tanya hadn¡¯t seen a car on this street all day. If she wasn¡¯t hyperfocused on helping this family she may have wondered who it was, but instead, she just saw its headlights.
It was daylight outside but the blinds were angled down to not let much in. But the car passing from below the blinds flooded the room with beams of white, reflecting off the ceiling to the rest of the room. The shadows morphed as the light pushed and pulled the darkness with it. The destroyed furniture created huge sweeping black spikes across the walls, splintered wood becoming huge stakes in a strange warlike shadow landscape.
When the light hit Fahad she saw him scream, his face contorted into one of pain. His mother dived in front of him to shield him from the light. But Tanya¡¯s eyes were locked onto his arm when the light hit him, the shadows crept back.
Tanya ran into the hallway.
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Shit.
She¡¯d forgotten. Every single bulb had burst. Was that part of his powers?
My phone.
Her hands grasped at her pockets but it was left inside. She spotted Ishita¡¯s phone on the side and grabbed that instead, running back into the room.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Fahad,¡± Tanya said, turning the torch on full blast. Fahad writhed and Ishita sobbed. Then the light began to dim further and further until with a deafening crack the LED broke and the room was plunged back into darkness.
If his power could break lights then her only hope was she could use her powers to make one he couldn¡¯t break.
"Ishita, I got a plan. I need some gear from me shop and some from you. Can you get me an extension cord, soap, water, towel? Can you sort that?"
She nodded, looking confused but for the first time hopeful. Tanya ran off before she needed to stomach how far up Fahad¡¯s arm the shadow was.
Walking into her shop Tanya balked. She¡¯d somehow forgotten. The stench of off flesh choked her and she coughed with her sleeve in her mouth. Shattered glass crunched under her feet and she wasn¡¯t sure if the drips on her cheeks were tears from the shock or her eyes watering from the smell. She stumbled through the shop to grab her tattoo gun and inks, settling with whatever was in arms reach. Ink footprints coated her floor as she walked across the shattered bottles. The memory of Maria¡¯s face dropping as she stared over Tanya¡¯s head flooded her mind.
Not right now.
Tanya grabbed whatever else she could carry and stormed out of the shop. The blinds upstairs in the flat next door to hers twitched. She ignored it, gulping deep breaths of air. It felt like she¡¯d never smell anything but that body again. The moment she could will herself forward again she ran back to Fahad and Ishita, forcing thoughts of her shop away.
Back in the flat with a handful of various tattooing supplies, she came face to face with Ishita again. ¡°What are¡ª¡°
Tanya interjected. "My class is Tattoo Summoner, an¡¯ I¡¯m gonna do whatever it takes to get him out with a tattoo.¡±
All of the caution left Ishita¡¯s face and her mouth was left in a straight line. She nodded sharply.
Tanya nodded back.
System¡ªan¡¯ not that fake, bloody coded voice¡ªI want the real one. I¡¯m savin¡¯ a kid¡¯s life here, and I need your goddamn help, or so help me¡ª
She felt its presence pool around her.
Present.
Tanya was convinced it almost sounded amused.
Give me a crash course in me Ability, More than Meets the Eye. Enough to design an¡¯ do a tattoo in¡
She¡¯d not looked at his arm yet, there were too many things that needed plugging in and moving around and working out in the space. It was halfway up his forearm now.
Fuck, that¡¯s gotta be another eight inches. I ain¡¯t got time for this. Please.
The main purpose of this form of levelling is to see the way you decide to utilise the Abilities, which then shapes the way you are granted further access¡ª
Tanya was about to cuss them out. The System seemed to sense that.
However, I can go over a breakdown of logistics here in more detail.
The first stage of the tattoo is its creation. This is done through Will and Dexterity. Through the design, the aim of its purpose should be apparent. Don¡¯t try to overcomplicate its purpose as your Ability Level will then require The System to simplify it for you.
The second stage is summoning. This uses Vitality. You should be aware of the Vitality of the future Wielder of the tattoo. A complex or strong purpose will place more strain on the Wielder.
Some tattoos may require other stats to utilise such as Will to control something that has been imbued with its own aims, or Dexterity to wield a weapon.
Tanya drew up her design whilst The System talked.
When Tanya drew it was like all the words in her brain switched off, so rather than thinking about Fahad in words she sketched her thoughts: his body, representations of his powers, and ways he may want to use them. It made it far easier to listen at the same time but really difficult to explain to someone her thought process.
She needed something that made light but most of all she wanted him to be able to control it. It began as a flame, then turned into a lantern, the shapes that decorated it becoming more and more like Ishita¡¯s traditional lanterns in the hall of the flat.
Her pencil pulled away and she felt that it was right. It was very sketchy, she didn¡¯t have time to refine it, but she could tell exactly what she wanted and that it was made for him.
Then the world slowed down.
Ishita¡¯s prayers became just the subtlest movement of her lips and as she tipped her head back her hair bounced through the air and it didn¡¯t look like Fahad was moving at all.
It was as if there was a person standing behind her. Tanya could almost feel the breath on her neck and feel the eyes watching her and her design and all of reality all at once.
Then everything sped up again and the world burst to life. She ran towards him with the stencil and grasped a towel that Ishita had brought, dunking it into the water and wiping it all up and down what remained of Fahad¡¯s arm.
Her instincts told her not to use the stencil, to freehand it on him and feel the movement of it as it wrapped up his arm. It¡¯s something she did sometimes in the shop to make something perfectly fit the curves of the person''s body¡ªbut using even more time was ludicrous. So why did she want to so badly?
The eyes were still there. She could feel them. This fucking system, whatever it was, was watching her.
Is this some fuckin¡¯ test?
The System didn¡¯t reply. For the first time, Tanya felt the panic rising in her chest. She¡¯d held it in, did what she knew how to do, listening then drawing and making it specially for the customer. But now she felt this urge to decide between two different paths. She¡¯d never had to rush any part of a tattoo before. Her chest was tightening and her vision was blurring and it felt like she was a kid that had spent far too much time on the roundabout.
Stencil or freehand?
Her eyes danced between them before settling.
Art¡¯s made for people, not the other way ¡®round.
She listened to her instincts and pulled a Sharpie cap off with her teeth. The sharpie squeaked across his skin, forming swirling lines she hadn¡¯t drawn before. Now instead of just being a lantern, it had this long metal chain attached to it swirling as far up Fahad¡¯s arm as she could go. The lantern itself became rounder, all soft edges and playful shapes like the boy she saw in the picture on his bedside table. The stylised image sucked her back into being a kid again waking up early to watch her favourite Saturday morning cartoons.
Her frantic energy dispersed with the hum of her tattoo gun turning on. It was just her and the gun and the canvas, laying down the sweeping lines from the darkness at the top of his line down to the lantern at the bottom. The darkness ate at the ink, flowing faster down his arm. It reminded her of mould growing in patches on the places the ink was richest. The lineart almost reached his elbow, the shading running out of space halfway up his forearm as the darkness ate away her canvas.
She was running out of time but her breathing was stable and deep, she could hear the slow rush of air going in and out over and over.
Grasping at the bottles of ink she realised she¡¯d only picked up the ones from the tattoo with Adder, black and orange.
Perfect.
The nozzle guzzled up the new brighter ink. She didn¡¯t have time to clean it out properly so she laid down a weird murky mix of black and orange right in the centre of the lantern until the last of the black was used up. Then the orange grew brighter. She didn¡¯t want to limit the light this time like she had with the snake so she used dashes to indicate the light spreading as far up his arm as she could still reach. The darkness bubbled as the light touched it, similar to how Adder¡¯s tattoo had sprung from his neck but rather than a face of pain, Fahad¡¯s cartoony semicircular eyes and mouth were one of curiosity. It was like he couldn¡¯t feel the needle at all.
Creating a summonable tattoo on purpose turned out to be nothing like making the snake, like making a pact, or in fact, any other types of magic Tanya had explored so far. She¡¯d begun to think magic just wasn¡¯t like it was in storybooks, that creating her kind of magic was covert and needed analysing to be seen.
Which made this the loudest, brightest, and most obnoxious spell she could have ever dreamed of.
Chapter 8: A Powerful Choice
The tattoo throbbed with almost unbearable heat. She snatched her hand back. It reminded Tanya of the warmth of touching someone¡¯s sunburn but turned up to eleven. The room was flooded with an overwhelming, piercing light that ridded any shadow in the room but the boy. She saw his mouth open into a wide ¡°O¡± in the moment before her eyes stung too much and she needed to close them. The air buzzed with an electric hum and Tanya grappled with the tattoo button over and over before realising that the hum wasn¡¯t coming from her tattoo gun anymore, it was everywhere.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ishita asked.
Tanya didn¡¯t know how to respond.
Then, the screeching began¡ªan ear-splitting, soul-rending wail that sent shockwaves through her skull. She clamped her hands over her ears, but it did nothing to stop the sound. It wasn''t just noise; it was alive, a clawing, writhing force that rattled through her bones.
And then¡ªsomething shifted.
A strange clarity flooded her senses. The darkness wasn¡¯t just emptiness anymore; she could feel it, like a living thing, twisting, recoiling. The shadows bled away from Fahad, peeling back as if some unseen force had pried them loose, their howls sharp with rage and agony. They weren''t just being banished. They were being torn away.
The lantern broke free of Fahad¡¯s skin. She could hear the clanging of metal from unfurling whips of chain. Her eyelids were no longer a bright red so she tentatively opened one eye. It was still bright but not unbearable. Fahad was sticking out of the wall, falling through the solid wallpaper slowly like he was escaping quicksand. Hovering above his hand was the lantern.
Nothing could mask the strange feeling of seeing her creation come to life. It reminded her of ¡°The Walking Dead¡±, the way the textures were richly covered but the corners were covered in sketchy lines and hatching. The spell seemed to have decided that the lantern itself was the same bright silver metal as the chain and that the glass was all transparent. She hadn¡¯t thought about it in her design, assuming that like the snake it would be an inky blackness outside of the light.
White spots danced in her vision and she just caught Fahad falling in time to catch him as his feet came through the wall. One of his slippers was still there inside it, a two-dimensional sideways slipper boot still flat against the wall. Tanya gently took the lantern and held it up to the wall until the slipper fell through too, then she passed it back.
¡°I...I leveled up a lot,¡± Fahad said. He was completely blank-faced, staring into space. Then all of his features broke at once and he sobbed, running into his mother¡¯s arms and wailing.
Tanya could tell from Ishita¡¯s face that it was a very very relieving sound.
She backed away towards the door with a small smile creeping onto her face. They knew where to find her, she could give them some time. The room spun slightly when she got back into the little corridor. She felt empty in a way she hadn¡¯t before. It was a mix of the full-body weakness of going back to the gym for the first time In months and the eyestrain and headache of hunching over a pc all day. Reaching for the door handle to shut it behind her, she almost missed it and had to adjust her trajectory. Not that shutting the door did much, there were whole panels shattered out. Through one of the missing panels, Tanya could see them perfectly framed in their embrace.
Ishita¡¯s eye caught hers, tears were streaming into her open smile. Her face was flushed, tension gone, and she looked a decade younger. ¡®Thank you¡¯ she mouthed, over and over and over like a stuck record.
Tanya continued her slow backing towards the door, waving whilst she did.
The moment the front door to Ishita¡¯s apartment closed and Tanya let out the air she was holding, there was a rush of notifications.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
Dexterity +1
Vitality +1
* * *
Achievement: Holler at the Gods
You have made a demand of The System without an Ability or comparable Attributes. It agreed anyway.
You have received 3 restricted questions from The System.
Note: This is not a reward for you, it is The System¡¯s punishment.
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled Tattoo Summoner to Level 2.
Congratulations!
You have unlocked an Ability Crossroads. These are Abilities you choose rather than just unlock.
Would you like to see your choices?
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled up More than Meets the Eye to Level 2.
You now have the Ability to see the starting stats of all tattoos you have created since unlocking your Class, regardless of the Wielder.
See the ¡®Tattoos¡¯ menu in your interface for more details.
* * *
Tanya stared at the words like they¡¯d somehow make sense. The System helping her then gave her unrestricted questions? It sounded exploitable but she doubted it. The punishment was there to dissuade The System from helping people. Was helping people that much of a problem for it?
She sat in thought for a moment. For the first time, The System¡¯s eyes on her didn¡¯t feel like such a bad thing. It wasn¡¯t a nice feeling, sure. Somehow it was crushing and weightless at the same time. Every hair on the back of her neck would stand up and the air was forced out of her lungs. It¡¯s how she always imagined being in space would feel, or meeting a biblically accurate angel. But, maybe it cared about her, in whatever way omnipotent gods of magic could care for ¡°Number 10056.¡±
The thought swirled around her head until it couldn''t fit anymore.
What are my Ability choices?
* * *
Please select from the following three choices.
Fugue State
Level 1-3
While performing a tattoo without interruptions or external stimuli, your Concentration is added to all other Attributes utilized in the tattooing process.
The level of Fugue State depends on the environment¡¯s stimulus.
Level 1: Quiet area with minimal visual distractions.
Level 2: Silent area with no visual distractions.
Level 3: Silent area with no visuals.
Note: This skill¡¯s levels are determined by external factors and do not increase through traditional levelling.
Amped Up
Unique
(Consumable)
Temporarily supercharge your Vitality to 300% for the duration of one Tattoo Summon¡¯s creation. Due to your current lack of mastery in channeling this Vitality as mana, it is instead stored directly within the tattoo, accelerating the Summon¡¯s growth speed, power, and precision.
First Wield Bonus: If used on your first wielded tattoo, you will also receive a Minor Summon Boon upon activation.
Ink Affinity
Level 1
(Fragment Power)
The development of adjacent Ability paths is typically reserved for subclasses. This Ability grants you immediate access to elements of the Ink Master class at 10% of its full power.
For each level gained in Ink Affinity, the power of this Ability increases by 10%, potentially unlocking a subclass option before reaching Level 10 in your Class.
* * *
Tanya stared at the words with wide eyes. She didn¡¯t think it was possible, but for the first time in this godforsaken apocalypse, she was a bit excited.
Can I think ¡®bout it and come back?
Yes. It will stay on your interface until you make a decision.
She let out a long shaking breath, intending to wait until she was back at her flat to look at anything else, then a rush filled her chest and she couldn¡¯t hide the smile anymore. She pressed her back against the wall of the corridor and slid down to sit with her arms round her knees. The front door had a lock so she knew she was safe enough.
System, can you show me, me new Tattoos menu?
* * *
Tattoo 1
Name: The Death Adder
Wielder: Adder (Joseph Patterson)
Type: Sentient
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 18
Vitality: 16
Concentration: 10
Will: 17
Abilities
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Venomous Bite
Applies Severe Poison Condition upon a successful bite. Can cause dizziness, delirium, and death within minutes of constant exposure.
Super-Serpent Reflexes
Can double its Dexterity for brief periods using its Vitality as a mana substitute.
Ink Reformation
Can self-heal injuries using the ink in its body. There are Dexterity debuffs as ink is reduced.
* * *
Tattoo 2
Name: Chandeluma
Wielder: Fahad Sharma
Type: Tool, Weapon
Abilities
Illuminate!
Can be lit and dimmed at the Wielder¡¯s will.
Absorber!
Absorbs light when available to reduce mana strain on the Wielder.
Bonk!
Can be used like a kusari-fundo using the momentum to do damage.
* * *
Tanya didn¡¯t even know what a kusari-fundo was. That¡¯s when she noticed how different the Ability names were between Fahad and Adder.
Was that intentional?
Yes. Systems and effects are created and worded for the wielder.
For the first time Tanya hadn¡¯t meant for The System to reply, she was glad it had. It took a second of her staring at Chandeluma to realise it was a cross between a Chandelure Pokemon and Luma from Mario. She wasn¡¯t sure how she knew that so she stared at it again. It was like the name just told her when she stared at it long enough, although more of a vibe than words. For her that felt like the two images hazing over each other in her mind''s eye. She focused on the words Kusuri Fundo and an anime poster from Fahad¡¯s room filled her mind.
Huh, so its that weapon ¡®cause of a show he likes.
The words The System said hit her.
Wait, so this Interface was made for me?
Yes
Does that mean I can change it?
Yes. Would you like to reformat your interface?
No¡ªwell yeah, but not right now.
She needed to get back to the shop. Tanya¡¯s head was buzzing with ideas. She fought the pit in her stomach. Right now she was going to enjoy feeling like she was in a video game.
She got up and ran down the stairs two at a time. This time the street looked empty and she dashed across.
She¡¯d almost made her way to the metal shutters and her brain was reeling with ideas.
What other information could I see in me Interface?
Could I ever decide exactly what me tattoos do?
How am I gonna do one on meself?
Which Ability should I pick?
Error: Query limit exceeded. Please reduce input complexity.
Tanya laughed out loud.
¡°You,¡± Tanya heard. She almost fell over, then she widened her stance into a fighting post and held up her fists.
Should¡¯ve grabbed a weapon from Ishita¡¯s place. How¡¯d I manage this again?
¡°Upstairs,¡± the voice came again.
Tanya looked around wildly, before settling on a small gap between the blinds above the abandoned shop next door. It had layers of signs hastily torn down over and over, the latest being some pink beautician sign. She¡¯d recognise that bright red lipstick and judgy expression anywhere: Mrs Eceer, or as she had taken to naming her on bitchy FaceTime calls, Mrs. Sneer.
¡°You,¡± Tanya replied.
The blinds twitched further angrily. She had enough confrontations with the eye through the blinds to know an angry twitch from a curious one.
¡°What d¡¯you want?¡± Tanya said. She looked around over her shoulder.
If I gotta scrap with someone out here because of Mrs. Sneer, I swear¡ª
¡°I hope you realise a display like that is not only unnecessary but reckless,¡± Mrs Eceer hissed.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Tanya dismissed. She started pulling up the metal shutters to get into her shop.
¡°Shhhh!¡± Mrs Eceer said, even angrier.
¡°Nice to know some things don¡¯t change, even in the bleedin¡¯ apocalypse,¡± Tanya snapped back.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have shutters that loud when noise is such a concern¡ª¡° was the last Tanya heard before she clanged the metal loud enough that she couldn¡¯t hear her anymore.
Fuckin¡¯ Mrs. Sneer.
When she¡¯d first moved into The Wyrm and Needle a couple of years ago, back when it was the recently closed down ¡®The Grooming Room¡¯, she¡¯d been fresh-faced and keen to get on with her neighbours. She¡¯d changed her signs when Mrs Eceer said they were ¡®too demonic¡¯ and taken her bins in at the crack of dawn even though no one else on the street did. She¡¯d even offered her all the makeup freebies she got from the beauty salon that might suit her just as a goodwill gesture.
¡°I¡¯d never use such poor-quality products on my face,¡± Mrs Eceer had declared with her eponymous sneer.
If there was anything redeemable about her, Tanya hoped she¡¯d have found it in the two months she catered to Mrs Eceer¡¯s whims. There wasn¡¯t.
The lock finally unlocked. The rusty lock was annoying at the best of times but all it took was a little tension and she¡¯d be stuck there for what felt like forever trying to jiggle the key in just the right way. Tanya let out a breath, rolling her shoulders back and trying to relax.
She isn¡¯t worth it.
Then she opened the door and truly took in the mess that was in front of her. How did she forget this from earlier? The entire shop reeked of rot. She avoided eye contact with the body on the floor. Last night hit all at once and between the smell and the memories she felt like she was going to throw up.
Images flooded her mind; Adder tied with the snapped landline wire, the sound of the wire snapping, the snake launching itself at her, the feeling of poison dripping into her arm, the crunch as her shattered lamp cleaved into it.
She grabbed the metal shutter with both hands and lugged it down to the floor in a single motion. With her hands shaking this much she was lucky that closing the lock was easier than opening it.
The blinds twitched again. ¡°Shhh!¡±
Tanya didn¡¯t have the energy to respond. She opened her flat¡¯s door and ran upstairs, jumping straight in the shower to try and wash off the smell of rotting flesh that was lingering in her nostrils. She didn¡¯t bother to take off the clothes, convinced they smelt too. Tears and water ran down her body until her shirt was stuck to her skin and her jeans were multiple shades darker. She¡¯d never been so glad the water was warm.
Half an hour later and enjoying half-stale cookies, Tanya tried to forget about the shop. She knew she¡¯d have to deal with it sometime soon, but right now she was desperate to bring back any of the excitement she had earlier. With floral-smelling hair cascading down her back and a fluffy bathrobe, she was starting to feel the flicker of joy return.
* * *
Fugue State
Level 1-3
While performing a tattoo without interruptions or external stimuli, your Concentration is added to all other Attributes utilized in the tattooing process.
The level of Fugue State depends on the environment¡¯s stimulus.
Level 1: Quiet area with minimal visual distractions.
Level 2: Silent area with no visual distractions.
Level 3: Silent area with no visuals.
Note: This skill¡¯s levels are determined by external factors and do not increase through traditional levelling.
* * *
Fugue State is probably a no.
Tanya decided. She could definitely see the appeal but she had a theory. She focused on the different levels. It popped out more information like a website, showing her all the specifics in a convenient summary.
* * *
Level 1 Fugue State
Requires: Quiet Area with Minimal Visual Distractions
- Concentration added to all steps.
Level 2 Fugue State
Requires: Silent Area with No Visual Distractions
- Concentration added to all steps
- 25% faster completion time
- 5% chance of the tattoo being created at Level 2 or with an extra Ability
Level 3 Fugue State
Requires: Silent Area with No Visuals
- Double Concentration added to all steps
- 50% faster completion time
- 10% chance of the tattoo being created at Level 2 or with an extra Ability
- 5% chance of a synergy Ability between it and another tattoo by the same Wielder or an ally
* * *
After seeing the Abilities given to Death Adder she could see how an extra level or Ability could massively impact its strength, but she asked the question she¡¯d been theorising about.
What level would this room allow?
Error: you do not meet any level requirements.
How close?
Quiet Area is at 95%
Minimal Visual Distraction is at 23%
Thought so.
If her house was so far away from Level 1, she¡¯d not be able to get beyond it by simply decluttering, it would probably require some kind of magic or extra tattoos and be a complete ballache to set up. Not to mention so far she¡¯d done two magical tattoos and both of them had been in very tense situations. She hoped that wouldn¡¯t continue to be the case forever but she doubted she could always rely on doing them in one magically silent space.
Ink Master¡¯s the obvious choice, surely.
It was the one that had caught her attention in Ishita¡¯s corridor. Tanya read through it again.
* * *
Ink Affinity
Level 1
(Fragment Power)
The development of adjacent Ability paths is typically reserved for subclasses. This Ability grants you immediate access to elements of the Ink Master class at 10% of its full power.
For each level gained in Ink Affinity, the power of this Ability increases by 10%, potentially unlocking a subclass option before reaching Level 10 in your Class.
* * *
It allowed her to level faster, and if power was her focus then the opportunity to gain something she assumed was so important was unmissable. It also solved her offence issue. Her Interface had sorted the tattoos into Sentient, Tool, and Weapon. Considering she had no weapon training and she knew anything sentient and dangerous enough to be useful could turn on her, an ink bending power was very appealing.
She almost chose Ink Affinity before pausing.
System, what other subclasses might I get at level 10?
Error: Restricted information.
How many options do I get?
Error: Restricted information.
She sighed. Getting locked into something so soon when she hadn¡¯t even tried all her powers might take away some much better options.
Well, all that¡¯s left is¡
* * *
Amped Up
Unique
(Consumable)
Temporarily supercharge your Vitality to 300% for the duration of one Tattoo Summon¡¯s creation. Due to your current lack of mastery in channeling this Vitality as Mana, it is instead stored directly within the tattoo, accelerating the Summon¡¯s growth speed, power, and precision.
First Wield Bonus: If used on your first wielded tattoo, you will also receive a Minor Summon Boon upon activation.
* * *
She¡¯d not considered it much so far. The word ¡®consumable¡¯ really threw her off. Regardless of how powerful a single-use potion or item in a video game was, it was usually worse than a less powerful item that was permanent.
But this sorta is permanent. I can only the bonus once but I get to keep the buffed tattoo.
Tanya sat up straighter in her seat. It would be a tricky one to make sure she used fully, but if she could come up with the perfect tattoo to use Amped Up on, she could get an easy-to-level something.
That¡¯s when the doubt crept in. She could learn to use a weapon she supposed, but she¡¯d only ever tried a gun out a couple times paintballing and knives¡ª
She was pulled into the feel of the knife against her back, the stinging of the blade, and the coolness of the metal.
She didn¡¯t want a knife.
That left a tool or something sentient. She could make a tattoo gun maybe, that was the obvious tool, but she wasn¡¯t sure what extra she¡¯d want it to do that her regular one couldn¡¯t and it wouldn¡¯t solve her lack of offense problem. Sentience was terrifying, she¡¯d already experienced that once with Death Adder¡ª
Her mind drifted.
I wonder who names me tattoos¡
I do.
The voice being so sudden made her jump.
Unless a name is chosen for it, I name it inspired by the Wielder.
Huh, interestin¡¯
Tanya made a mental note to return to her Interface later and rearrange it. That would be a whole different conversation and she¡¯d need to ask some more questions about that first¡ªsomething that her 3 restricted questions could massively help with. The idea of getting answers to things The System would usually deny almost made her mouth water.
Back to the topic at hand. Tool, Weapon, Sentient.
Tanya looped through the options a few times.
I suppose what I really need is all three¡
Then it hit her. The perfect design had been right in front of her the whole time, literally.
Chapter 9: At My Fingertips
Will this work?
Tanya started pacing, she stared down at the tattoo on her left forearm. It was a hand from the wrist up, only lineart for the hand shape with long black nails.
She¡¯d always loved hands, ever since she gossiped with her friends about the boys with the hottest hands at high school¡ªthat memory made her cringe so hard she involuntarily scrunched her face. All her friends had always bitched about them in art class and how they could never draw them right but she¡¯d loved how expressive they could be on their own. They were doodled down the margins of most of her class books.
It hadn¡¯t helped that she¡¯d spent all her tween years trying to be a clone of Wednesday Addams and The Thing was her second favourite character.
System, can I make a Summon outta an old tattoo?
By tattooing over the lines of an existing tattoo, you can create a version of that tattoo that is a Summon. It would overwrite the existing tattoo.
Note: going over tattoos lessens the time and Dexterity needed for the Summon, but it increases the Vitality and Will.
Tanya slammed her hands down on the table in front of her with excitement. Increased Vitality would be perfect for this new Ability.
Am I sure this¡¯d be useful enough?
She paced again, quicker this time. Her living room wasn¡¯t exactly big so she was spinning to go back the way she came pretty frequently and it was making her a bit dizzy.
Well as a tool it¡¯s probably most useful. Sooner or later, I¡¯m gonna have trouble reachin¡¯ bits of me own body to tattoo¡ªunless I get somethin¡¯ to fix that. Oi, System, can you tell me if I¡¯ll get an Ability for that later?
Error: Restricted information.
Thought so.
She imagined the hand, a perfect replica of her own, tattooing on the back of her leg. In her mind it had even cleaner lines than her, freeing her to just worry about the Vitality and Will aspects of it. It also helped her a lot with the pain; she¡¯d been nervous about tattooing herself and not messing a line up by flinching ever since she heard how her powers worked.
Then as a weapon, it could help me fight from a distance. Gotta make sure it¡¯s got loads of Vitality, like the snake. And that¡¯s the best bit¡ªit¡¯ll level up quick, so hopefully I can stat it out ¡®til it can do loads for me.
She pictured a bunch more scenarios as she sketched the hands in different situations, she knew she didn¡¯t need to but it helped her get her head around her intentions for it. The fact that she¡¯d designed the original helped too. It was a position she¡¯d drawn lots of hands in over the years, upside down with fingers and thumb splayed out as if holding a crystal ball. It had felt only right to get it as one of her early tattoos. She wasn¡¯t very attached to it being overwritten either, the lines were starting to bleed a little. Wracking her brain to remember who did it she settled on the blurry face of one of her apprentice friends back in Brighton.
Thinking of her emotional tattoos brought her eye down to the knife on the inside of her wrist, the one she¡¯d tried to summon in the fight. Cold sharp metal ran over her back in her memory. The bite marks were still there in the same place on the other side. She clenched her teeth remembering the clamping pain of its jaw¡
She didn¡¯t want to see either of them right now so she pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves and continued drawing.
Outta sight outta mind.
The more situations she drew the more excited she got. She imagined it like a Dungeons and Dragons mage hand¡ªfloating around picking locks and opening dungeons. Except, unlike a mage hand hers could carry heavy things for her and fight for her too. Not that she even knew if there were dungeons. She added that to her very long ¡®Questions I could ask The System¡¯ list.
Emotive. That¡¯s another thing I want.
She drew a bunch more sketches of it in various poses, tapping its fingers in thought and bracing itself like a tarantula when it was annoyed. The funniest to her was it floating in the air admiring its own nails. She fished some gnarled coloured pencils out of the drawer and scribbled on a different colour to each nail.
Tanya could already tell she was going to have a friend here¡ªan assistant.
I like that. Me assistant.
* * *
A couple of hours later Tanya was sifting through dozens of sketches on her dining room table. It had been a long time since she¡¯d drawn on paper with the convenience of her tablet and despite worrying about electricity being her reasoning, it was a freeing feeling.
Setting up her tattoo gear reminded her of trying out her first gun on pigskin in her dining room; she''d not tattooed outside of her shop in years, well, aside from Fahad. She absentmindedly glanced in the direction of their flat, only just seeing a sliver of their brick out her window.
I hope they¡¯re doin¡¯ alright.
Tanya was very thankful she had the gun on her already because even with a cool sentient hand on the line she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to force herself back into the shop. Although the longer she left it the worse it would get, more and more rotten flesh¡ª
Not now. Tomorrow, maybe.
Right now she had better things to think about, like this tattoo coming to life. Her smile grew and then wavered.
System, can I make sure a tattoo don¡¯t hurt me?
Yes.
How d¡¯you do that then?
Make it clear in your intentions whilst tattooing.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Intentions huh?
System, I wanna pick me level up now. I want Amped up.
* * *
Level up!
You have chosen Amped Up.
Amped up is a Consumable Ability.
Would you like to activate Amped Up?
* * *
Yes.
And in an instant her body changed.
She felt stronger¡ªnot in a physical way though. It reminded her of the feeling of adrenaline dulling pain after falling over. She froze where she was sat, waiting for something to change, something to hurt. Then she realised why.
I don¡¯t hurt. I don¡¯t¡nothin¡¯?
It felt like silence. She¡¯d never realised before how uncomfortable having a body was; the groove of the lip of the chair digging into her leg, the slight ache behind her eyes from staring into the light so long, a pulling feeling in her leg from sprinting so fast earlier. And that was only what she could notice. Every part of her body was floating in space. She clenched her nails into her hands and she couldn¡¯t feel them¡ªonly she could. It took her a few seconds but then she felt it, like a faraway nail barely touching her skin at all. She unclenched her hand and the deep etch in her palm from her nails healed before her eyes.
She slapped her thigh and it was like a tap. No, it wasn¡¯t like floating or adrenaline, it was topical numbing cream like before a tattoo. It was everywhere and it was incredibly weird.
¡°System, surely not feeling pain is bad?¡± She wondered aloud. She didn¡¯t even feel her lips touching.
For better awareness of your pain, further your Concentration.
Tanya blinked slowly. She couldn¡¯t feel that either.
But it was Vitality what caused it?
* * *
Vitality
Your life force and stamina, influence both your health and mana. Vitality determines your overall resilience and energy pool.
* * *
But that doesn¡¯t mention pain at¡ª
It all clicked into place. Attributes worked together. The System was trying to explain to her that if she wanted more awareness of what was happening in her body, she¡¯d need to up her Concentration to match it more.
It was at that moment Tanya realised how advanced this system was. This wasn¡¯t some MMORPG where she could ditch all her levelling up into the ¡°magic stat,¡± it was a system that knew it was portraying a flawed representation of capabilities and had balanced that as well as it could into set headings.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
+1 Concentration
* * *
Tanya snorted and then collapsed onto her knees laughing. She didn¡¯t feel it and that made the whole thing even funnier. Laughing until she was sure usually her stomach would hurt, Tanya got back to her feet and focused on Concentration.
Is anything different?
She wasn¡¯t certain but she thought so. It was like her brain delved into ideas a tiny bit faster after she thought of them. It was a shame she hadn¡¯t checked sooner after the snake incident. She wasn¡¯t able to remember what her body felt like before anymore so she couldn¡¯t compare.
Right, back on topic¡ª Intentions.
Tanya reasoned that splitting her focus between too many intentions would probably allow each to come through less so she decided on three. She wanted her hand to not harm her, to be dexterous, and to be emotive. Not harming her was an obvious one, Dexterity was the main focus of how she wanted to use it, and emotiveness had started to become really important to her through the sketches. If the hand couldn¡¯t communicate to her it would lose all of its ability to scout but it also just unsettled her, this robotic thing on her body that wasn¡¯t able to communicate as it got more powerful and hopefully more intelligent. That and she thought that it was somehow important for tattooing, although she struggled to word why. Being able to express herself was the core of tattooing for her and a perfectly dextrous emotionless hand didn¡¯t embody that.
With those thoughts fresh in her mind, Tanya began tattooing. She traced the lines one by one, deciding against changing any of the original design seeing as she was so used to having it there.
Don¡¯t harm me. Be dexterous. Be emotive.
Slowly, line by line, the new version took shape. Now that she could take her time, she could stare at each peculiarity of the tattoo. It was beautiful. She held her arm up to her eye under the multiple reading lamps she¡¯d moved to tattoo. It had cables trailing all over the place but finally gave her the lighting she was used to from downstairs¡ªas well as looking like one of those stereotypical movie interrogation rooms. Right under the light, she saw the way the ink shimmered, white and pink and teal blotches at the edges, somewhere between a reflection and the way the edge of the ink dispersed in her skin.
Then she felt a wave of panic.
Wait¡ªSystem, is magic ink supposed to change colours?
Applying magic to any human activity can create harmless sensory effects as well as changes to its practicality, changes to its form, and the risk of property damage, injury, and death.
That voice¡ªit sounds exactly like that bloody train announcement tellin¡¯ ya not to flush hopes dreams and goldfish down the bog.
It wasn¡¯t very comforting, but she supposed at least she¡¯d used an intention and the colourful ink would probably be there whether she¡¯d receive injury or death or not so she might as well enjoy it whilst it lasted.
Tanya let herself get swept up in the tattoo, she¡¯d traced a few tattoos in her time, usually just because over time the ink had started to bleed and a new thinner layer could get them looking new again. Something was soothing about tattooing this design, something she¡¯d drawn so many times before. Seeing the stencil laid down had been special, but this was something else.
Normally touch-ups crisped up the design, but in this case, she could tell the existing lines were vanishing as she drew her new ones. All the more reason to make this as perfect as it could be. Her lips parted slightly as she went around a curve, her tongue touching the back of her top teeth. She didn¡¯t notice until she looked up and saw her reflection in her kettle.
Tanya added line after steady line between constant hunger pangs. In each short break, she¡¯d dash to her cupboards and fridge and pick something out with a short date that she could do without. It was changing her food plan but to heck with that, if the strange tattoo magic made her crave food despite giving her no clue about any other sensation then she¡¯d trust it and eat.
An hour passed and the buzzing of the last line filled the air, then the noise stopped and she placed the tattoo gun down on the table next to her. There was no light this time, barely any noise at all except for the gentle whooshing of wind. It fluttered her hair around her face and pulled all of the air out of her lungs. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was some effect from the tattoo being complete or if it was the Vitality draining because she suddenly felt like she¡¯d been hit by a freight train.
Her leg twinged again. Her eyes ached more than they¡¯d ever ached before.
Did you even bloody blink?
Tanya couldn¡¯t remember. Every muscle in her body was stiff. Moving them hurt as bad as getting the cast off her broken arm after 6 weeks, it hadn¡¯t mattered that it was healed because keeping it still had left it so static that every movement was like breaking it all over again.
She wanted to go to bed but there was no way she could move. Inch by inch, she leant over the table, until her cheek was pressed against it. Lying on a table wasn¡¯t at all comfortable but moving to lie down was so much worse.
Tanya cursed the plus one to Concentration, begging for the Vitality to return and take the pain away from her. Sleep came slowly. She heard each tick of the clock on the wall as she welcomed the faraway myth of sleep.
When sleep finally took her, she dreamed of the hand tattoo, the graceful pose of the illustration lingering until the darkness took over.
Chapter 10: A Prod in the Right Direction
Tanya awoke to someone tapping her head.
She sat up slowly. It was nowhere near as painful as the night before but she felt very stiff. Rubbing her eyes, she saw a strange bleary shape in front of her until her vision cleared.
Holy shit.
Before Tanya was a hand, ghostly white with sparkling black nails and it rapped its fingers on the table impatiently.
It worked? It worked!
Tanya leapt to her feet and tilted her head to look all the way around it. There was something so uncanny about how two-dimensional it looked, like something drawn and plastered into space. But it moved perfectly with her eyes, as three-dimensional as anything else. She reached forward to touch it and it scuttled back, stamping one finger down on the table. Technically she wasn¡¯t certain it was stamping but an anger radiated around it, like being able to tell just from someone opening the door that they¡¯ve had a bad day at work.
She noticed the space on her arm. The spot where the tattoo had been was bare, smooth skin. It was nothing like Adder¡¯s had been and she was so relieved. The black bubbling ink and echoes of him screaming were gone, but the tension had remained. It had been a long time since she¡¯d seen that spot of skin without a tattoo, not that the bare spot was as strange as the tattoo walking across the table in front of her.
¡°¡®Ello, I¡¯m Tanya. What d¡¯ya want me to call ya?¡±
The hand bent its knees¡ªwell¡ªfingers and clicked, Tanya suddenly saw the Tattoos area of her Interface. The finger tapped through it with different popups appearing until it was only showing its own stats. Tanya was completely floored. Was this floating in the air in front of her and she¡¯d never noticed before or could the hand access things only she could see?
* * *
Information
Name: Assistant
Wielder: Tanya Angelo
Type: Sentient
Level: 1
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 15
Vitality: 10
Concentration: 6
Will: 17
Abilities
Mind Meld
Can access your interface, memories, and thoughts to varying levels including all of the information and experience you have tattooing.
Versatile
Can learn Sentient, Tool, and Weapon Type Tracks.
Boons
Mana Core
Minor Boon - Amped Up
Charges: 10/10
Contains a Mana Core accelerating growth, speed, power, and precision.
True Touch
Minor Boon - First Wield Bonus
Gains access to a Unique Track known as Prophetic.
* * *
Prophetic? What the hell would a bleedin¡¯ hand do with prophecies?
Tanya read it hungrily, this was the first tattoo she¡¯d get to keep and it looked¡alright? It was weaker than both the others she¡¯d done, she was hoping it would have higher Dexterity out of the gate, but she wasn¡¯t very sure how high Dexterity really got either.
System, what¡¯s a normal human Dexterity, and what¡¯s like¡Usain Bolt?
All Attributes average 10 and early 20s is the highest your world has achieved without System Intervention.
Searching¡
Usain Bolt: Retired Earth Sprinter who is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.
I cannot divulge Interfaces without a pact although¡ª
The voice got slightly less robotic.
A champion sprinter wouldn''t necessarily have the highest Dexterity.
So it''s more like what I do? Hand-eye coordination, that sorta stuff?
The voice went back again.
Error: Restricted Information.
Nah, that don¡¯t make sense. It¡¯d probably be a mix, like subsets of stats.
Tanya was still staring at the hand crawling around her table. Its nails clicked against the wood with each ¡®step.¡¯ She was deep in thought. If stats were actually an amalgamation of different substats she wouldn¡¯t be able to just raise it with tattooing alone.
System, can you tell me the subsets?
Error: Restricted Information.
Tanya groaned and rolled her eyes. Every time she found a way for The System to give her information it was fleeting.
The hand on the table balanced on its end, it was like a flat line¡ªas if someone had taken to it with a cleaver and then covered it over with the same white somewhat skin of the rest of it. It flicked its fingers at her a couple times.
¡°Did you just shoo me?!¡± Tanya exclaimed. She couldn¡¯t help but grin.
The hand stayed on its end, making the hand shape of a sock puppet, and then nodding.
¡°What the fuck. Come on, apocalypse, why does me assistant hate me?¡± Tanya said.
The seriousness in her voice cracked her up. She laughed¡ªand then laughed at the fact she was laughing¡ªuntil her stomach hurt.
The hand pulled up its Interface above its head. It was uncanny seeing the text boxes attached to something. Floating above the hand, it was attached in some way so that as the hand moved the box above it moved too. If Tanya looked closely she could see a thin tendril attaching the text box to the hand itself. It really did feel like an identification thing in a video game.
Once the hand found the section it wanted, it pointed at it. Tanya looked closer. It had opened a smaller menu about how it was created, showing that the three intentions were Emotive, Dextrous, and Non-Hostile. The hand was pointing at Emotive.
¡°Are you tellin¡¯ me the reason the hand hates me is ¡®cause I gave it Emotive?¡± Tanya said, half to the hand and half to the world generally.
The hand hopped back onto its fingers and twitched its pointer and ring finger. Tanya assumed that was a shrug. She sighed, then laughed again. This was ludicrous and incredibly impractical, but she¡¯d be lying if she said it didn¡¯t make her inner child very happy.
The Interface was still open above the hand. Tanya noticed that they were numbered.
* * *
1. Emotive
2. Dextrous
3. Non-Hostile
* * *
She wracked her brain trying to remember which order she said them in. She was sure she wouldn¡¯t have said Non-Hostile last¡ªshe¡¯d have said it first.
¡°Wait, System, do the order of intentions matter for a final tattoo?¡±
She could feel the pause. It was like The System had taken a breath before the error message. Maybe it was pondering if she was close enough to confirm it? It felt like it was tempting her to say more.
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Tanya flopped on the chair and crossed her arms.
I said Emotive last¡
"I reckon¡ the order matters ¡®cause the last Intention ya leave the creation with is the one it feels the strongest. Fits with me instincts ¡®bout not ¡®avin¡¯ too many Intentions¡ªeach one before the last don¡¯t ¡®it as ¡®ard as the one before it."
It began as a faint unspooling deep in her chest as if a thread she hadn¡¯t known existed was loosening itself. Her breath caught, not from fear, but from the oddness of it. The air around her thrummed, not loud, but persistent, like the faint hum of something alive.
And then it passed. Not with a jolt or a crash, but like an exhale she hadn¡¯t realised she¡¯d been holding. Everything settled back into place, but the sensation lingered¡ªa subtle, strange alignment, as though something inside her had quietly clicked into place.
* * *
Congratulations!
You have unlocked a new Ability.
* * *
The Power of Intention
Level 1
Intention is the core of your tattoos. Through clear intentions, you can influence the effects of the designs you create. The more Intentions imbued into a tattoo, the weaker or less controlled the effect will be. Intentions given closer to creation are stronger than those further away.
* * *
Tanya whistled slowly. Now she was getting somewhere.
¡°System, I¡¯d like to reformat me Interface.¡±
Interface Menu Loading¡
Tanya stared down at her interface. She had lots of headings now; Information, Attributes, Abilities, Pacts, Tattoos. How could she streamline it?
Seeing the full menu to change things took up most of her vision. If she concentrated properly she could just about see the world around her through it, but it was dimmed to make the text stand out better. She started fiddling with the sections, moving them around with her finger¡ªwell¡ªwith her mind. The finger helped her visualise it better, plus it made her feel like she was in a sci-fi movie.
Everything she focused on gave her a bunch of different arrows to show her what she could do with it, everything from just swapping places to condensing and often even pop-ups for set designs to reformat it. Attributes were the wildest. It had options to change the heading, or even change what was being tracked altogether. She recognised some of the options like ¡°Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma¡± and ¡°Strength, Agility, Intellect, Stamina, Spirit.¡± After staring at the options for a long time she settled on leaving it as was. If The System had chosen this as the default category for measuring, it was likely for good reason.
There were half a dozen ¡°add-ons¡± including perception and weapon-specific skills, and a bunch more that weren¡¯t in any language she understood. She assumed The System wouldn¡¯t offer anything she hadn¡¯t thought up herself. ''Mana'' and ''Health'' were the most tempting. It was interesting to her that Health wasn¡¯t a standard thing to track. She supposed it was that sheets like these were rarely useful in combat and changing a complex array of numbers into a single digit was reductive.
Not that any of these numbers ain¡¯t a massive simplification of what they represent¡Or are they?
She added in HP to see what it would look like, just to see that it wasn¡¯t a specific add-on, it was an array of different add-ons. The simplest was a single digit but it had a bunch of variations with mind and body or tracking things like adrenaline too. The most complex showed an outline of her body with multiple digits for each part and a dozen others for various less physical health. She was honestly a little smug that she¡¯d been offered it if she was right about them being linked to ideas and understanding. Not that that meant she¡¯d use it, however. She imagined that it might be useful for a detailed fighting class focusing on improving their HP in different areas, but her Summons would hopefully remove much need for that level of body awareness.
From what she could work out from the calculations, health seemed linked to Strength and Vitality, but from her dip into high Vitality making her Summon, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if concentration was in there somewhere too.
If she¡¯d continue to make pacts with people for their information then surely having everything on was best. She hunted around for settings before finding an area about what she wanted to see of other¡¯s Interfaces.
Alright, this is officially too much.
She toggled ¡°all¡± just to see what it would look like and she was immediately hit with a searing pain in her head. The size of the text was so small that she could barely read it and she still had to turn her head to see what went off the edge of her vision. She panicked, fighting against her lack of thoughts through single-minded pain. It wasn¡¯t working. The panic set in harder. Her assistant came into view, fingers tensed as it staggered closer through the black mask. The words over where it would be faded out so she could see the hand clearly. It forced its fingers into a click like it had before to bring up its own, and the interface went back to before.
Tanya breathed heavily for a moment. Clenching and unclenching her fists to remind herself of what was real. She staggered backward into the squishy leather of the sofa and flopped down.
¡°How did you¡ªoh, higher Will,¡± she said to the hand. The hand slammed itself on the table and then flipped her off.
You get me psychic pain too then? Noted.
Tanya furrowed her brow. She needed to work out how many sections she could handle surely, the more she could see the more of other people¡¯s interfaces she could see too, unless¡
She beckoned Adder¡¯s Interface into this menu instead of her own. It was about as easy as everything else had been, just think about it intentionally enough and it appeared. Then she focused on the complex ¡°HP¡± addon from before and it integrated seamlessly. Her eyes flicked between his Attributes and the new HP breakdown.
It lines up. I can see all of this?
She clicked through a few more sections confirming that it really did work on everything. She truly knew now why The System mentioned restrictions, this really was a goldmine of information. Tanya spent a few minutes comparing her information to his, not that it really taught her much. She felt like this menu would be incredibly useful if she got some more people to compare but as is he was so much higher in level that all she could really garner was yes he really is higher than me.
It was whilst she was staring at the information that she noticed something, there was a tab called ¡®current.¡¯ She focused on it and it pulled up another identical stat sheet side by side, except it wasn¡¯t identical. Her Attributes were all different. The current one said:
* * *
Attributes
Strength: 7/9
Dexterity: 13/16
Vitality: 1/10
Concentration: 3/7
Will: 2/13
* * *
As she stared at it her Vitality ticked up to 2/8.
These ain¡¯t traditional stats, they''re limited pools that get used up.
It blew her mind.
The lack of Mana as a tracked heading made far more sense now. She¡¯d noticed it was 8, same as her Vitality¡ªbut now she knew they actually were the same thing. The fact that her physical stats had gone down too was interesting. She focused on her body and felt the heaviness of her eyelids and a grumble in her stomach. She¡¯d have to wait to confirm it but she expected she was just tired from the hours of work and strain of Amped Up.
That¡¯s why HP is an opt-in tracker. It¡¯s a mix of existing stats.
Tanya was almost salivating. She¡¯d not been this into a game system since her Magicka era. She flipped between feeling glad and guilty about it; glad because this was her life and the new system that governed her life being good was positive, and guilty because this wasn¡¯t a game, not really.
Tanya tried out different options and different layouts until her Vitality was a bit higher again and standing up didn¡¯t turn her legs to jelly. She was happy with what she¡¯d ended up with. It was similar to before but she¡¯d condensed everything down, knowing she could open them to see them fully with just a look. It wasn¡¯t anything very special but she liked how she¡¯d formatted the levels next to the titles in the list view so that it would be easy to use as she grew. Plus there was some useless stuff she could hide like species and age to fine-tune it further. In reality, there was no reason to keep her class up either, but every time she saw it she felt a spark of pride and joy in her chest and that was the sort of feeling she wanted to get as much of as possible. That all made room to include her hands Interface too. She¡¯d have to condense it down at some point but as Assistant was her only Summon so far, she wanted to see it level in real time.
* * *
Information
Name: Tanya Angelo
Number: 10056
Class: Tattoo Summoner
Level: 2
Attributes
Strength: 7/9
Dexterity: 13/16
Vitality: 4/10
Concentration: 1/7
Will: 5/13
Abilities
More than Meets the Eye (2) The Power of Intention (1)
Achievements
Worthy, Unique Circumstances, Bite of the Street, Holler at the Gods
* * *
Tattoos Wielded
Name: Assistant
Wielder: Tanya Angelo
Type: Sentient
Level: 1
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 15
Vitality: 10
Concentration: 6
Will: 17
Abilities
Mind Meld, Versatile
Boons
Mana Core, True Touch
* * *
Tanya pushed the menu away, pleased with her handiwork.
Her plan was to sort this until her Vitality was less scary before training her Apprentice but her Concentration reminded her that she saw stat sheets whenever she closed her eyes and that it¡¯d taken a suspiciously long time to remember the word apprentice. She decided it was best to do that tomorrow.
1/7 Concentration. Ouch.
She looked over at the hand. It was filing its nails with a nail file that it balanced impressively between two other fingers. Tanya didn¡¯t recognise it. She had no idea where they''d gotten it.
¡°Now we rest, tomorrow we train,¡± she said to the hand.
It stopped filing and then scuttled to one side and then the other as if looking around to say ¡®Who me?¡¯
She was slightly delirious in that late-night kid at a sleepover kind of way although when she glanced at the clock it wasn¡¯t even 9pm.
For now, she¡¯d rest to get her Attributes up again. She doubted having Concentration that low was good for getting things done.
Her head was full of ideas for the next day, scattered and just too fast for her to grab onto them.
¡°You,¡± she said to the hand, ¡°Are gonna be me secret weapon.¡±
Chapter 10.5 Full Character Sheet
Information
Name: Tanya Angelo
Number: 10056
Class: Tattoo Summoner
Level: 2
Attributes
Strength: 7/9
Dexterity: 13/16
Vitality: 1/10
Concentration: 3/7
Will: 2/13
* * *
Abilities
More than Meets the Eye
Level 2
Tattoos created by you are imbued with latent magic. They can be summoned by their Wielder for unique effects. These effects are determined by the design, Vitality of the Wielder, and cost of creation.
The Power of Intention
Level 1
Intention is the core of your tattoos. Through clear intentions you can influence the effects of the designs you create. The more Intentions imbued into a tattoo, the weaker or less controlled the effect will be. Intentions given closer to creation are stronger than those further away.
* * *
Achievements
Worthy
You were deemed worthy of The System¡¯s care. You have been given a class and access to The Interface.
Unique Circumstances
The circumstances that showed you as Worthy were Unique. You have been given a Unique Class.
Bite of the Street
Fangs in the shadows, blades on the streets. You faced down a poisonous snake and a ruthless gang, surviving where few would. The venom may have scarred you, but now it only makes you stronger.
Achievement Boon: You have been granted a 25% reduction to the severity and spread of poison effects.
Holler at the Gods
You have made a demand of The System without an Ability or comparable Attributes. It agreed anyway.
You have received 3 restricted questions from The System.
Note: this is not a reward for you, it is The System¡¯s punishment.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
* * *
Pacts
Number 43
Joseph Adder Patel
Pledges one time viewing of interface
Pledges no harm of any kind to 10056 or any ally.
Pledges information that would help her.
Number N/A
Ishita Priya Sharma
Pledges anything 10056 wants.
Automatic Interface retrieval when activated.
* * *
Tattoos
Tattoo 1
Name: The Death Adder
Wielder: Adder (Joseph Patterson)
Type: Sentient
Note: This is not a tattoo you wield, these stats are from its creation.
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 18
Vitality: 16
Concentration: 10
Will: 17
Abilities
Venomous Bite
Applies Severe Poison Condition upon a successful bite. Can cause dizziness, delirium, and death within minutes of constant exposure.
Super- Serpent Reflexes
Can double its Dexterity for brief periods using its Vitality is a mana substitute
Ink Reformation
Can self-heal injuries using its ink in its body. There are Dexterity debuffs as it gets short
* * *
Tattoo 2
Name: Chandeluma
Wielder: Fahad Sharma
Type: Tool, Weapon
Note: This is not a tattoo you wield, these stats are from its creation.
Attributes
Impact: 10
Absorption: 13
Resilience: 12
Illumination: 10
Abilities
Illuminate!
Can be lit and dimmed at Wielder¡¯s will
Absorber!
Absorbs light when available to reduce mana strain on Wielder
Bonk!
Can be used like a kusari-fundo using the momentum to do damage
* * *
Tattoo 3
Name: Assistant
Wielder: Tanya Angelo
Type: Sentient
Level: 1
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 15
Vitality: 10
Concentration: 6
Will: 17
Abilities
Mind Meld
Can access your interface, memories and thoughts to varying levels including all of the information and experience you have tattooing.
Versatile
Can learn Sentient, Tool, and Weapon Type Tracks.
Boons
Mana Core
Minor Boon - Amped Up
Charges: 10/10
Contains a Mana Core accelerating growth, speed, power, and precision.
True Touch
Minor Boon - First Wield Bonus
Gains access to a Unique Track known as Prophetic.
* * *
Chapter 11: Heavy Handed
¡°Alright!¡± Tanya explained, slamming her hands against the table as she decided on her plan. The hand bounced at the force and backed away from her. ¡°Sorry.¡±
She had a bowl of leftover meatballs from a few days ago that she slid across the table and slurped through between statements. The hand backed away further at the sound of the bowl skidding across the wood. It stamped a finger down, complaining about being jostled.
¡°Oops,¡± Tanya said, swallowing her latest mouthful, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more tired than I thought.¡±
She pulled up her Attributes. Her Vitality was still only 3/10 and she stumbled a little bit, the bowl clattered to the table and the hand pointed at the chair ahead of her.
¡°Alright, point taken,¡± Tanya said, sliding back into the seat. It¡¯s an absolute misery not to pace. After all of the anxiety of the last couple of days and her desperate attempts to work out how this new world worked, it finally felt like she had gotten somewhere. What could beat a sentient hand that would work and fight for her?
¡°I wanna see what you can do.¡± Tanya leant forwards so she was eye level with the hand and stared forward at it. It didn¡¯t move.
How do I get it to fight?
¡°Could you like¡jab? Or block? Wait, can you even float?¡±
The hand didn¡¯t move again. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was refusing to or didn¡¯t know what to do. It clicked in Tanya¡¯s brain.
¡°You have my memories right?¡±
The hand tapped once, not seeming to want to go up on its wrist for the sock puppet nod this time.
¡°One tap for yeah?¡± Tanya asked.
The hand tapped once again.
¡°Great. I want you to check my memories for¡uh¡ªyeah¡ªwhen I tried that boxin¡¯ class as a kid.¡± Tanya grinned, feeling like she¡¯d found some sort of cheat code. She didn¡¯t even need to train it because it could work off her memories but with a higher Dexterity. It had only been a couple years of classes but that would be a gold mine with perfect recall.
The hand tapped twice.
¡°Twice for no¡¡± Tanya asked. Her brow furrowed and she scratched her neck. That¡¯s not what she expected. ¡°You can¡¯t do that?¡±
The hand tapped once, then pulled up its own interface above its head again. Tanya still found it so strange, seeing this video game-esque box being controlled by a three dimensional tattoo. The hand pointed at a specific section and it got bigger.
* * *
Mind Meld
Can access your interface, memories and thoughts to varying levels including all of the information and experience you have tattooing.
* * *
Huh?
Tanya spotted it: Varying levels. She didn¡¯t let it dull her excitement. All she needed to do was work out how the memory access worked and how good the hand could do it¡ªsurely there¡¯d be something in there, even if it was just some kung fu movie¡ªthen Dexterity could do the rest.
She spent a couple of minutes digging around in the interface menu, working out how she could get the memory skill into some sort of percentage.
Cor, too many subheadings. Has it got any visual stuff I could filter out?
The entire menu went haywire¡ªall sorts of headings appearing with graph and chart in the title. It was the first time Tanya had seen one appear, and despite the link between what she thought was possible and what happened already being something she spotted, seeing it was something else. She skimmed through it, only seeing extra visual ways of displaying information.
A version of what she wanted was deep in that section, a chart with the aspects of Mind Meld and percentages. She hadn¡¯t needed the interface and thoughts section for this but she didn¡¯t see the harm in having it, and she didn¡¯t want to dig around for a different version when this had already taken longer than she wanted.
The new section appeared underneath the ability.
* * *
Interface: 60%
Memories: 0%
Thoughts: 30%
* * *
Tanya stared at the percentage. Surely that couldn¡¯t be right. She looked up at the hand exploring the kitchen. Right as her eyes laid on it she saw it take a running leap from the dining table to the kitchen counter and nearly miss, grasping onto the lip of the marble and scrambling up.
Holy crap, that gap was a few feet. It¡¯s going to be fine. The memory element is definitely in there so we can just work out how to level that later.
Tanya held her fists up to her face like her old fighting stance and stood up. She adjusted her feet around, trying to work out what position her feet were supposed to be in to defend. The hand spun round to face her, insistently pointing back at the chair again.
¡°You serious?¡± Tanya said. Her hands dropped to her sides.
The hand pulled up Tanya¡¯s Attributes and before Tanya¡¯s eyes the Vitality section went bold and then got bigger and bigger, like increasing the size on word bit by bit until it forced the other words off of Tanya¡¯s vision.
Vitality: 8/16
¡°Okay, okay, I get it.¡± Tanya sat back down again.
Well, I suppose the hand doesn¡¯t have feet anyway.
Tanya held her fists up again and she could feel her new assistant¡¯s watchful eye on her. It only turned around again to inspect the hanging pots and pans when it was sure that Tanya wouldn¡¯t stand up again. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was worried for her or just freaked out in case she made a loud noise again.
Tanya slid around the chair, miming punches until she fell into the groove of it again. She doubted she was doing much of it correctly, but she remembered not to put her thumb inside her fist and to rotate her hips to punch rather than just using her arm. It would be good enough for now.
Tanya looked over to see the hand inspecting itself in the metal pot on her kitchen top. She¡¯d assumed from the corner of her eye that it was interested in the ladle and wooden spoons but she could now clearly see the hand was flexing and posing in its warped polished metal.
¡°You can read my mind, yeah?¡± Tanya said.
The hand jumped in the air, landing with its fingers splayed.
¡°Oops, sorry,¡± Tanya chuckled. She double checked its concentration.
We can work on that first when we¡¯re training, so it don¡¯t get the jitters so much.
¡°Mind reading?¡± Tanya asked again.
The hand tapped a finger.
¡°Can you copy me?¡± Tanya held her fists up to her face like before in a defensive pose with one hand further forward and the other slightly behind. She double checked which hand the assistant was first¡ªa thought process she never thought she¡¯d need to have. The hand was a lefty.
The hand hovered just above the tabletop. It wobbled slightly, she assumed balancing like that took some concentration. But Tanya saw the vision¡ªwith the hand readied in a fist like her own, she was getting there.
¡°Blimey, look at you go. This is gonna work.¡±
The hand landed again. It was doubtful. Again she wondered how she knew things like that, complex emotions that the hand couldn¡¯t express with just fingers. It was like an aura perhaps, she could just tell how it was feeling, kind of like reading the dog she¡¯d had growing up but more intense.
¡°No, no, you were right. Try again.¡±
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The hand raised again. Tanya threw a sharp jab, expecting the floating hand to snap forward like an extension of her own body. Instead it sort of flailed.
She watched the tension in its fist as it moved slightly back ready to spring, then it flew forward. It was a perfect punch, the kind you¡¯d see in a slow motion shot, until it wasn¡¯t. Midway through it lost its balance and spun in the air like a drunk bird, landing on its back with a nasty slap.
¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯ll get it next time.¡±
The hand stamped twice and then bent its knuckles like a hissing cat.
¡°We can take it slower so you don¡¯t fall,¡± Tanya added.
The hand stamped twice again even louder.
Now what?
¡°Pretty please?¡± She offered.
The hand turned around.
What the hell am I doin¡¯, talking to a hand.
For the first time that day Tanya truly acknowledged that she wished she¡¯d not said emotive last.
Tanya sighed. ¡°All right, what do you want?¡±
The hand spun round.
¡°You liked the pot right, how about your own mirror,¡± she offered.
The hand thought for a second and then did a maybe motion wiggling its flat palm from side to side. Tanya noticed its black nails and she dug through the pile of papers for the one she had in mind. It had slid off onto the floor.
God, I hope this sketch made it in.
She picked it up and showed it to the hand. It was the sketch of the hand holding out its nails, each a different colour thanks to the highlighters she¡¯d noticed on the side.
The hand didn¡¯t even tap this time, it did the full sock puppet nod.
¡°I¡¯ll paint your nails¡ªbut¡ªonly if you finish training with me first.¡± Tanya analysed for any loopholes. ¡°And you do everything I say to¡and try your best.¡±
The nod was a bit half-hearted but it still nodded.
Tanya¡¯s breath caught in her throat as a familiar sensation tinged down her chest and through her spine.
Another Ability?
* * *
Congratulations!
You have unlocked a new Ability.
* * *
An Inkling of Control
Level 1
Your magical connection allows you influence over your Sentient Summons. Commands usually require either Attribute contesting or a barter depending on the Summon.
* * *
Tanya grinned. So this was working. She held her hands up. ¡°Let¡¯s try again?¡± The hand copied.
After a few more painful-sounding crashes and an incredibly angry hand, Tanya had finally given in to the thought that had been niggling at the back of her mind for the last few minutes.
This hand may have been created by Tanya, and it seemed to have some understanding of the things she¡¯d learnt, but it didn¡¯t have her muscle memory. She watched it move its thumb from the inside of the fist to the outside with curiosity before she¡¯d even been able to prompt it and the way that the punches had adjusted felt thoughtful, but nothing could beat practice.
It dawned on her.
Oh no.
Tanya raced over to the table, ushering over the hand. She picked up her tattoo gun and scrambled to peel one of the slightly mushy tangerines in her fruit bowl. She laid it down in front of the hand and passed the tattoo gun to it. The hand keeled over, them both falling to one side. Before Tanya could pick it up, the hand pushed it back up.
She couldn¡¯t deny how bad the technique was. Rather than grasping it more like a large pen, the hand was propping it against itself more like someone would carry a cupboard. It used a pointer finger to steady it and slowly marched the pen in a wobbly line.
Tanya could feel the frustration emanating off the hand. With each adjustment Tanya could imagine the information it was using to make the change and because of the weight it just couldn¡¯t manage it.
It was during one of these tests that Tanya opened its interface.
* * *
Name: Assistant
Wielder: Tanya Angelo
Type: Sentient
Level: 1
Attributes
Strength: 4/6
Dexterity: 12/15
Vitality: 4/10
Concentration 3/6
Will: 3/17
Abilities
Mind Meld
Can access your interface, memories and thoughts to varying levels including all of the information and experience you have tattooing.
Interface: 60%
Memories: 30%
Thoughts: 30%
* * *
Crap, so the percentage section don¡¯t tell me how much it can access, just how much it is.
She removed it from the Interface. Hunting around for something to replace it with, she came across a section titled skills. Rather than having a list of options, it just had a search box. She tried combat and it appeared before her. Before she could click on it, she noticed that beside it, it said:
Combat (Not Recommended)
After a few more searches she thought she¡¯d gotten it, broad categories weren¡¯t recommended. She settled on adding hand to hand combat and tattooing to this new skills section.
* * *
Skills:
Hand to hand combat: 12%
Tattooing: 8%
* * *
Tanya was surprised to see it used percentages. She fiddled some more with the interface section changing each time. Then she paused, eyes locked on the current iteration.
* * *
Skills:
Hand-to-hand combat: 12% (1.8)
Tattooing: 8% (1.2)
* * *
She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled some numbers down. The humming of the tattoo gun paused then started up again, Tanya didn¡¯t look up. She mumbled the calculations under her breath as she scrawled across the page.
It worked- the numbers work- Skills are a percentage of the Attribute they use!
Tanya opened her interface. Her tattooing was 100%. She reasoned that wasn¡¯t due to her being perfect at it, just that her Dexterity was the cap rather than her lack of tattooing knowledge and muscle memory. Her hand-to-hand combat was higher too, at 62%. She considered adding some skills to her own Interface but reasoned against it. She could check on them whenever she needed and she wasn¡¯t really sure what specific combat style or multipurpose skills she would get the most use out of anyway.
Tanya forced her attention back to the hand, mustering a compliment about the still very shaky line on the orange peel.
After a few more tries, all as wobbly as the last, and Tanya long having run out of supportive comments, the hand finally dropped the pen and held up two fingers like I¡¯m done.
¡°You said you¡¯d finish the training,¡± Tanya tried.
The hand flipped her off.
¡°Well fuck you too then.¡±
Tanya dug some nail varnish out of a draw, tipping them side to side to see if they still worked or if they¡¯d solidified since she last used them. She had an endless supply of blacks: matte blacks, gloss black, glitter black. After she introduced more colour to her wardrobe she¡¯d given up on the coloured nail polish, she didn¡¯t have enough hours in the day to match them with her outfits and when they didn¡¯t go it bugged her. Unfortunately, the hand wasn¡¯t taking it.
¡°I have loads of different kinds of black,¡± Tanya offered.
The finger made a fist and slammed against the table.
¡°Chill out, I¡¯m still havin¡¯ a butcher¡¯s.¡±
Why the fuck am I finding nail polish for my tattoo.
Tanya seriously considered giving up then and there. She was sure there would be some way to unsummon the tattoo and maybe with high enough will she could try to control it better.
Who am I kiddin¡¯ eh?
Tanya severely doubted she could go through with that. She didn¡¯t know how much sentience a sentient tattoo got but it still didn¡¯t sit right with her the idea of controlling something that might be alive. She sighed. They didn''t have to like each other but they were going to have to work together.
Tanya grabbed an array of the remaining colours and dumped them on the table in front of the hand. The hand was still studying the paper and she caught it running a finger down the sheet wistfully before it noticed her and snatched it back in.
¡°These are the colours I¡¯ve got, ain¡¯t goin¡¯ out for no more. Take it or leave it.¡± Tanya stated.
The hand paused for a second then did a gentle tap for yes.
Tanya perched on the end of the table and did each nail one by one. It almost felt like they were bonding until the hand kicked up a fuss about her going outside of the lines until she gave in and got nail polish remover.
Whilst she was doing the second coat she pulled up the hands interface. She¡¯d half been thinking about levelling and half zoning out. Today had been far too long and she was exhausted.
At the top of the hand¡¯s interface, there was a notification.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
Concentration +1
Will +1
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased:
Skill: Hand to Hand Combat from 9% to 12%
Skill: Tattooing from 7 to 11%
* * *
Tanya half grinned half grimaced. This wasn¡¯t the tattoo she¡¯d had in mind but they were going to get there¡eventually.
Chapter 12: Out of Control
Tanya flopped onto her sofa and reached for her phone and the remote. It was time to turn off her brain. The gentle hum of some news anchor discussing the politics of controlling military personnel filled the air, Tanya was barely listening. She glanced over at the hand, still on the table. It hadn¡¯t stopped staring down at the mismatch-coloured nails yet. She¡¯d have found it endearing if it wasn¡¯t for the number of times the hand had made her redo nails. Being exhausted enough that her Dexterity was low hadn¡¯t done good things for her nail painting skills.
The bright lights of her phone felt like a dopamine trophy. There had been a couple points earlier taking breaks from the tattoo that she felt the urge to reach for it and scroll on various social media but she left it plugged in to use, since she wasn¡¯t sure when power would start to be a concern. It had been a long time since she¡¯d had a day that left her this drained. She supposed having 1 Vitality left would probably do that to a person.
She opened social media now, pulling the chunky knit blanket onto her lap and curling up. There wasn¡¯t much to see on there now with all the bans in place. No one had been taking the topic bans seriously, it wasn¡¯t like anyone wanted to talk about anything but the apocalypse. So instead, to follow government advice, the different socials had been pushing old videos way more than new ones, leading to this uncanny scroll of fluff from before: ¡®Come get ready with me¡¯ and overly peppy makeup product reviews. Tanya usually sported large winged eyeliner or colourful eyeshadow, but she hadn¡¯t even thought of makeup until this moment staring at this beautiful lady talking about this metallic blue eyeliner like it had changed her life.
Her phone dinged over and over, merging into a cacophony of ringing that never ended. Tanya felt warmth spreading through her chest and she smiled.
Her mother had sent her half a dozen pictures of Paul and her brother boarding the doors and windows to get out of the care home. There were a bunch more of her mum counting tins in the kitchen¡ªshe assumed taken by her brother¡ªand then more of a group of them making a party out of the food they needed to eat up with all of the carers and family members and elderly people down a long table with party hats made of newspapers.
It took her a moment to work out the narrative. They still had power but an error in the freezer room had left it starting to warm up and they were piling ice in an attempt to keep it all as long as they could whilst they got through it.
Tanya: you wouldn¡¯t believe the day i¡¯ve had
Mum has added Tommy to the group chat.
She grinned.
Mum: In a good way I hope
Tanya: meet Assistant
Tanya hopped up and took a photo of the hand on the table. The hand seemed very excited about it and she ended up with a range of poses including a peace sign, finger wagging, and her favourite which was from the start. The hand had hopped in the air once it realised what she was doing, she wasn¡¯t sure in joy or surprise, but either way, the floating hand with fingers spread out was hilarious.
Mum: What on earth is that?
Tanya is that a new type of monster?
You should report it.
Wait, is that your design?
Tanya, did you make this?
Every time Tanya started typing a new message popped through and she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She closed her eyes for a second and focused on the feeling. With no clue when the signal would end, she wanted to enjoy this whilst she could. Technically she could Google it, read the latest BBC news reports where they guess wildly. But right now that felt like a waste of time, time that was better spent talking to her mum.
Tanya: i actually saved someone today with my powers
Tommy: woah how?
what are your powers?
also does that hand have painted nails?
Tanya laughed.
Mum: You know what the advice is Tan. We should be listening to the government.
Tanya paused and stared at the message. She didn¡¯t mean that, right? Racking her brain for the last conversation she had, she realised they hadn¡¯t talked about powers last time at all. Her fingers flurried across the keyboard before she stopped herself.
Tanya: youre shittin me right?
Mum: Language.
It¡¯s safer that way, more certain.
Tanya: nothins certain
the worlds ending
Tommy: this is what i¡¯ve been saying mum
Mum: And I¡¯ve told you. Organisation is the difference between humanity and anarchy.
Tanya: you¡¯ve always told me to listen to my gut when someone¡¯s telling me to do something i think is wrong
i think this is wrong
Tanya felt the ache pooling in her stomach. If her mum didn¡¯t stop this, how could she protect her?
Tanya clicked over to messages straight to Tommy.
I can keep him safe. Maybe he can get her to listen.
She started summarising the basics like the Attributes and the way to open his interface if he hadn¡¯t already. Then she deleted it all and went back to basics.
Tanya: do any of you have classes yet?
Tommy: i don¡¯t think so
not that mum would say if she did
one of the older ladies from upstairs does
she says she can float but i didn¡¯t see it
Tanya assumed that Attributes could be increased even if you couldn¡¯t see them, it wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise considering hers were varied and felt like they at least someone lined up with what she¡¯d expect about herself. She didn¡¯t exactly want to suggest he put himself in danger, but if that was the only way to get these classes then maybe Tommy was better off trying to craft a situation that got him a class he¡¯d like¡ª
Tommy: mums coming
one sec
Tanya stared at the screen, watching him go offline. A few seconds passed. She was tempted to ask if he was okay but didn¡¯t want his phone to buzz if that would mess things up.
Tommy is online.
Tanya grinned, typing again. She was midway through a message about how he could start training the Attributes when the message pinged through.
Tommy: This is mum. I know what you¡¯re doing Tanya. Please. I¡¯ll take his phone if I need to.
Tanya scoffed and flopped back onto the sofa, chucking her phone into the cushion next to her with a thump. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling her knuckles catching on the knots. The anger was gone as soon as it came. She didn¡¯t have the energy to do anything but simmer. Maybe there was something she could do to convince her mum that the powers were important, but she doubted it would be whilst she was this tired.
She wasn¡¯t even sure why she felt so sure that the powers would save them. At the start, it had been mostly curiosity, but also there was something about them that felt right, even when they almost killed her. She¡¯d felt sure since The System helped her save that boy and she¡¯d gotten the (insert) Achievement. If her mum could only speak to The System or help someone with the powers Tanya felt like she¡¯d see it, but for now, anything she said rivalled the hours of news content her mum had probably been watching. She watched too much television at the best of times, but with the care home having televisions in every communal area all day every day, her mum must have been hearing every last anti-powers update.
She relaxed her neck and it flopped to one side, her fringe covered one of her eyes, breath escaping her lips.
The sky outside was grey with wispy clouds. She could just about see it above the chimneys on the tall buildings opposite.
She moved back to her and her mum''s chat.
Tanya: do you have a class yet?
Mum: We are done talking about this Tanya.
Great.
Tanya wracked her brain for how to give anything useful to Tommy without her mum realising.
Her phone pinged, she expected it to be her mum again, or maybe Tommy, but the name that popped up was Maria.
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She finally replied.
Tanya sat up in her seat, holding the phone with both hands. Maria was one of the first people Tanya had reached out to the day before and although she¡¯d replied saying she was safe, she¡¯d only been part way back to Brighton when the lockdown reports had started, and with a monster sighted nearby, going a few miles had turned into a day-long adventure. So many people turned and ran further up the road that the cars were in a gridlock and Maria¡¯s chair made it hard to get between them. That¡¯s the last she¡¯d heard from her.
Maria: finally home! <3
Tanya started calling her before she even read the message.
¡°Are you safe?¡± Tanya asked, as soon as Maria picked up.
¡°Thanks to you,¡± Maria replied, bright as ever.
¡°What?¡± Tanya said. She thought about it more ¡°Wait¡ªwhat?¡±
¡°Your tattoo, it saved me¡ªI don¡¯t know what I would have done without it. I know you won¡¯t have meant to but thank you anyway.¡±
It dawned on Tanya. In the rush of using her powers and the gang, she¡¯d almost forgotten that early message. All of her previous tattoos came to life. She¡¯d done most of the tattoos on Maria¡¯s sleeve, almost all botanical plants.
¡°The plants? Hold on, start from the beginnin¡¯.¡±
Maria giggled and Tanya heard the exhaustion and rasp in her voice behind it. So she wasn¡¯t as okay as she was letting on then.
¡°I was going down the M23 with my playlist playing¡ª¡°
Tanya smiled. ¡°Songs to pretend I¡¯m fine to?¡± She remembered Maria making that playlist back in high school when her grandma was taken ill.
¡°Of course. I was going to ring you, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that would put you in more danger so I put the playlist on instead. So halfway down the M23 it was completely gridlocked, some people were getting out of their cars and looking around and I honked them a few times.¡±
¡°You¡ªMaria L¨®pez honked someone?¡± Tanya exclaimed.
Maria clammed up. ¡°Well I was stressed and I wanted to get home and¡ª¡°
Tanya¡¯s old banger had died months ago and she¡¯d realised she was better off renting the parking space than getting it fixed, it sat at the stone end of the little garden now, full of blankets and cushions. She¡¯d last driven in it with Maria and after honking someone who¡¯d cut her off, Maria had gasped and started lecturing Tanya about how it was just increasing tension on the road.
Tanya fell into her thoughts, not hearing what Maria had said. ¡°What?¡±
Maria¡¯s tone changed. Her voice was hollow. ¡°Tanya, are you okay?¡±
¡°Just knackered,¡± Tanya said. That was stupid, why hide it? She continued faster. ¡°Well, an¡¯ the rest of it. Go on, keep goin¡¯.¡±
There was a pause, Tanya listened to the sound of her breathing. She realised that she was lucky that her friend still could, so she focused on it.
Maria¡¯s safe.
Maria spoke again and her energy was more like it had been.
¡°So this man outside starts banging on my window and I¡¯m like, oh gosh maybe Tanya was right, I don¡¯t think I can handle an argument right now. But then I saw his face¡ªhe looked terrified¡ªkept holding the finger up to his lips to shush me. I opened the window and he was telling me to be quiet in case it hears us. I had no idea what he was on about until he insisted I turn on my radio and don¡¯t make much noise, then he took off.¡±
¡°Oh no¡¡± Tanya whispered. She was completely entranced by the story. Somehow hearing it told like their cafe bitching sessions made the whole thing feel a bit comfier. Not everything had changed.
¡°Oh yes¡ªthe radio is talking about all sorts of powers and monsters and it was the serious breakfast show guy¡ª¡°
¡°The one that reads everything like a hostage situation?¡± Tanya added.
¡°Yes¡ªbut his voice was shaking¡ª¡±
¡°No!¡± Tanya exclaimed.
¡°Yes,¡± Maria said. Tanya could hear a real smile in her voice now, she smiled too.
Maria paced, twirling the phone cord around her finger. Tanya could tell just by listening. She loved collecting old treasures and one of her favourites was a 1970s bright red rotary phone. Didn¡¯t seem as crazy now, with Tanya keeping her mobile plugged in.
Maria continued. ¡°The guy was already gone by the time I¡¯d heard a few lines, I was about to question him because it was far too cold to be April Fools. That¡¯s when I saw it¡ªone of those black monsters.¡±
Tanya gasped.
¡°I could only see it¡¯s legs. It was on the other side of the motorway, crushing cars like they didn¡¯t even exist. They were like a black goopy tree trunk with monkey feet. This guy hopped over my bonnet. I reclined my chair and unbuckled, hoping that if I could transfer to my chair in the back at least I could get out if I needed but I froze when I saw the guy. You won¡¯t believe this¡ªor I guess you will nowadays but¡ªhe was holding actual flames in his fist. It was like¡ªlike¡ªI don¡¯t even know.¡±
Tanya could almost see it; the road she¡¯d driven down so many times to see her family. She imagined it was the section with the trees on either side and, despite it very much not being the time, she felt an urge to turn the fiery fist into a tattoo.
Maria¡¯s voice petered out. ¡°Um¡yeah. I waited until the footsteps were far away and got into my chair. Everyone else was running to the embankment so I tried to follow, manoeuvring through the cars as fast as I could. Most people were squeezing in the small gaps or jumping over but I couldn¡¯t. It was so far in the distance I thought I was safe.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to say if you don¡¯t want,¡° Tanya said.
¡°No it¡it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t see the monster die but I heard the people further down cheering.¡± She sped up. ¡°The guy with fire got back before I could get out of the maze of cars.¡±
Tanya imagined how that would feel, getting stuck in every path she tried. She¡¯d seen Maria get stuck before, the way she turned her frustration into a polite smile. A memory smacked Tanya in the face, Maria stopping Tanya yelling at a man for parking his van across the bottom of the shopping centre ramp. It won¡¯t change anything Tan, she¡¯d said. Making them angry just makes me stuck in a different way.
Maria gulped and Tanya was pulled back to the present.
¡°That¡¯s when one of them asked the question¡ªwere monsters the only thing that got people points?¡±
¡°Oh no,¡± Tanya breathed. She hated where this was going.
¡°He had these crazy eyes like he was on something strong. One of them¡¡± her voice wavered. ¡°He was saying stuff about how I wouldn¡¯t make it anyway and that¡¯s when my tattoos started itching really bad. One of them grabbed me but my first tattoo appeared¡ª¡°
¡°Deadly nightshade,¡± Tanya thought out loud.
Maria¡¯s breath hitched on the other end of the line. ¡°You remember.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I just¡grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth¡±
They both paused as Tanya absorbed what she¡¯d just said.
Tanya couldn¡¯t help herself, she burst out laughing.
¡°What?¡± Maria asked, bewildered but laughing
¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know just¡ª¡° Tanya laughed harder. ¡°You just stuffed me summoned tattoo plants in someone¡¯s gob and¡ª¡°
¡°Killed them,¡± Maria finished. They paused and then both laughed even harder.
¡°Blimey, I better update the warnings on me parlour''s consent form.¡± Tanya wiped her eyes.
¡°Think you need a new signing spot for this or could you add it onto the general liability bit,¡± Maria grinned.
¡°A new section, definitely,¡± Tanya said
¡°What was it¡ªI waive and release to the fullest extent permitted by law¡ª¡±
¡°How do you even know that?!¡± Tanya wheezed.
¡°Included but not limited to the tattoos trying to eat you¡ª¡° they fell into new peels of laughter, falling to pieces again every time one of them tried again.
* * *
¡°Me belly hurts from laughin¡¯,¡± Tanya said. By this point, she was lying on the sofa with her phone on speaker on the cushion next to her head. She had the blanket haphazardly thrown on her and empty dishes on the floor by her feet.
¡°Or the amount of pizza you scoffed down you intolerant fool!¡± Maria elongated ¡®fool¡¯ in a way that made Tanya smile.
¡°Oi!¡± Tanya shot back. ¡°If I didn¡¯t eat it then it¡¯d go to waste.¡± She imitated Mrs Eceer as best as she could. ¡°With that much rubbish, you must be wasting food!¡±
Maria snickered. ¡°She still been annoying you?¡±
¡°She told me off for being too loud¡ªwhen I was savin¡¯ someone¡¯s life.¡± Tanya could almost hear Maria¡¯s eye roll on the other end.
¡°You saved someone¡¯s life?!¡± Maria exclaimed.
¡°So¡ it¡¯s a long story¡ª¡± Tanya started.
* * *
They fell into a comfortable silence.
¡°Maybe we should sleep,¡± Maria postured.
¡°Not ¡®til you show me your Interface¡ªwanna trade?¡± Tanya gasped. ¡°You ain¡¯t even told me what your class was called yet¡ªno fair!¡±
¡°Oooh, you¡¯ll have to wait and see,¡± Maria teased.
It took about as long as Tanya expected to explain how to make pacts to her video game oblivious friend. Maria had only ever played Stardew Valley and Minecraft, and even then all she wanted to do was garden.
They both recited their pacts, allowing each other full and constant access to each other¡¯s interfaces. Since seeing how much information she gave, Tanya would be far more careful giving it to people than she would have earlier, but with Maria, she just knew. She could trust this girl with her life.
¡°Wow,¡± they both breathed.
¡°This is so cool,¡± Tanya continued.
¡°I have no idea what any of this means,¡± Maria added.
Would you like to see this Interface with your settings?
What¡¯s different?
The interface showed her the original version and she skimmed it. The smile spread through her lips the more she read. The Attributes were her favourite.
* * *
Attributes
Hit: Very Good
Dodge: Okay
Life: Good
Think: Eh
Focus: Pretty Good
* * *
She turned it back to her settings.
* * *
Information
Name: Maria Isabella L¨®pez
Number: 10,567,455
Class: Occult Herbalist
Level: 1
* * *
Occult Herbalist? Now that¡¯s really fuckin¡¯ cool.
¡°Tell The System you want it with your settings,¡± Tanya said absent-mindedly, now skimming the new version. She didn¡¯t get very far.
¡°How do I do that?¡±
Tanya pulled herself away from the Interface, attempting to explain The System to her friend. It was like showing her gran how to use Microsoft Teams.
¡°So the more I use it, the better it all gets, like practising for a test?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Yeah!¡± Tanya exclaimed. ¡°Think of it like a mark, the higher and more stuff you got, the better.¡±
¡°Right¡ª¡° Maria started.
The line went dead.
Tanya stared down at her phone. She pressed Maria¡¯s name, trying to call her back. It didn¡¯t work.
She didn¡¯t have any signal anymore¡ªand her phone wasn¡¯t charging.
Shit. The electricity¡¯s gone.
Chapter 13: Not Like it Used to Be
I need to make sure I don¡¯t get carpal tunnel.
Information
Name: Maria Isabella L¨®pez
Number: 10,567,455
Class: Occult Herbalist
Level: 1
Attributes
Achievements
Abilities
Apothecary
Friend Shaped, that¡¯s so very Maria.
* * *
Friend Shaped
* * *
How do you decide what should be an Achievement?
Error: Restricted Information.
The Root of Recovery
* * *
Is it ¡®cause of the wheelchair?
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
How close even were we? This must¡¯ve been in our second or third sleepover.
don¡¯t ask me things, they just assume. You¡¯re not like that. I don¡¯t mind when people ask.¡±
foetus so I can''t feel my legs.¡± Maria whispered foetus and looked away like she always did when she was nervous. It was back in the days when everyone got embarrassed using any words from sex education classes.
Dad.
Why¡¯s it so dark?
Right, no electricity.
Now what? A weapon.
System, show me Attributes.
Attributes
* * *
The radio from Adder.
Chapter 14: Stay Down
A snarling creature slammed its body into the door to the flat building over and over again. All Tanya could do was stare at it. No plans came to mind, no ideas at all. The door to leave the block ahead of her was a no-go. With only a few feet of corridor between the stairs and door. Behind her to the right was the door to her flat and across from that was a padlocked door to a shop storeroom. Both her door and the storerooms were far more rickety than the one ahead of her and that one was snapping and splintering already. She could feel the battering noise in her bones. It made her head pound as it went through her.
She forced herself to take a couple of steps forward. The radio had stopped after that broadcast. If she could see what this thing was, maybe she could find a weak spot and take it down. Who was she kidding? Tanya doubted she could take down a person easily, nevermind whatever this was. It only took a single look to know this thing had 50 pounds on her. She wrung the bat between her hands, adjusting her grip like she¡¯d seen people do at cricket. Then she took another shaky step forward, and another, until she could see through the window in the door.
It was already smashed and cold winter wind whistled through the shards of glass. Tanya was shivering but she doubted it was from the cold.
From this step, she could stare down through the little window at the top of the creature. It reminded her of the xenomorph from Alien with the large set jaw full of teeth, except this was smaller; canine-esque. More of them were dashing past outside, a couple staring at what this one was doing but most increasing the banging next door. Mrs Eceer. Tanya had never cared about her before but in this moment all she wanted was for Mrs Eceer to still be alive.
There was a nasty creaking as the door was forced further towards her. It was still on its hinges but barely. This was Tanya¡¯s last chance to study this thing before it came flying at her face. Her attention kept getting caught by its multiple layers of sharp canines and the squirming black goop of its body. It was nothing like the tall spindly one she¡¯d seen footage of. Its tail slammed into the concrete and she watched the pavement crack. She¡¯d have to stay out of the way of that, and its teeth.
Weak spots, Tanya.
She stared at its muscular body. All she could think of was hitting it in the mouth or face but if it grabbed onto her bat she wasn¡¯t sure she could get it back again.
If it jumped up then maybe she could get its chest¡ªdid it even have a heart and lungs there¡ªshe had no idea.
She blinked and a still image of it was stuck in her mind''s eye¡ªthe way it tensed its haunches before each foot-high jump at the door, its constant slurping and sniffing noises from the gaping nostrils in its square snout. She hoped that meant it did breathe. She hoped its anatomy worked at all like Earth animals so she¡¯d have any knowledge to take it down at all.
Her eyes opened again just in time to see the door bust open, a hinge finally giving out. The monster lunged at her, taking the steps multiple at a time. With each bound closer she could hear its claws shredding the carpet a little louder, see the bumps on its goopy skin.
Tanya panicked and swung the bat too early. It skidded it off the creature¡¯s shoulder. The hit wasn¡¯t enough to seriously hurt it but the force on its shoulder pushed its front claw off the step and it tumbled down the steps, a muddle of black limbs. The force pushed Tanya backwards too and she fell onto the stairs, sharp edges slamming into her back, legs and arms. She shuddered down a couple of steps before she could stop herself. The back of her shins and elbows ached but she clambered up. Pain shot through her right leg and she leant to her left, trying not to put weight on it.
The creature couldn¡¯t right itself until it landed at the bottom, scrabbling around as it ripped shreds of wallpaper off the wall and forced the baseball off in one kick, nails and all.
As soon as it was on its feet it lunged again.
Wait for it. Wait for it.
Tanya forced herself to wait til the last moment this time. Every muscle in her body was screaming for her to move¡ªthat the weight of the creature hitting her body this fast would kill her. She swung right as it was in reaching distance, close enough that she could see the tendril of black saliva dripping from the ridge it had instead of lips. Her swing was more certain and she put her full body into it. She felt a tearing sensation near her shoulder as the swing continued beyond its target. It pulled something deep inside her upper back. She righted herself and watched the monster fall once again, its neck at an unnatural angle from the full weight of Tanya¡¯s arms hitting its head like an oversized cricket ball.
Tanya was panting heavily but she pushed her body onwards. She hurried down the stairs after it, feet hitting the stair it had just been and slippers getting slimier from the black puddles it was leaving in its wake. Black goop was pouring out of its mouth now. She realised it might be blood as she lifted the bat above her head with both hands.
As the monster thumped to a stop at the bottom of the stairs she swung down, hitting it over and over again in its face and legs and tail and everywhere she could reach. It was still struggling to get up, wriggling from side to side to get its legs underneath it.
She noticed that it had found its grip too late. Her bat was still being lifted in an upward arc for another swing and she attempted to change direction, forcing it back down at the face that was rearing up towards her. Deep in the monster''s throat, she could see a wide tongue and a uvula, the shape looking horrifically like the inside of a human mouth beyond the rows of teeth. She hadn¡¯t swung enough to hit the creature down again, instead staying in its mouth, clamped between its teeth. She could see its sharp teeth boring into the bat. There was no way she could pull this out now so she¡¯d have to just keep pushing down.
Her arms were terrifyingly close to giving out, sweat dripped down her brow. She couldn¡¯t lift either of her arms for another attack and she knew she wouldn¡¯t win in this battle of brute Strength. All she could do was bide her time until she came up with a plan but with the stairs behind them and certainty that she couldn¡¯t outrun this up the stairs, the world closed in on her. Blackness danced at the corner of her vision as she forced a gasping breath, using it to push down just a little bit harder into the mouth of the monster. The extra couple of inches should have been enough to snap its jaw if it was like a normal dog, but it just unlatched its jaw instead like a snake, using the extra mouth space to clamp on tighter and then violently shake its head side to side. Tanya was thrust into the wall, the handrail hitting the squishy part of her side. She dug her elbow into the space between the rail and the wall for any stability.
Her arms were throbbing so much she was about to lose Strength. She used the last of it to shove the creature away from her. She turned to run but something touched her shoulder and she spun her head just in time to see the hand gripping at her shirt and throwing itself into the face of the monster. It flipped the knife around in the air, attempting to move the blade from its top to its palm where it could grip it tighter. The knife slipped out of its grasp and its spindly fingers stretched to full extension, barely tapping it as it fell. The hand was still flying towards the monster, its mouth opening even wider than before from its unhinged jaw. The hand began to scramble in the air, attempting to change course.
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Tanya noticed the glinting metal as it hit the floor and she lurched towards it, grabbing the hilt of the knife right as the hand landed on the bat, still stuck in the monster''s sharp teeth. It hinged open its jaw further around it. A monstrosity of uncanny space appeared for the hand to fall in around the bat. The entire bat was coated with the black liquid and almost as soon as the hand gripped the bat, it slid around it until it was holding on by its fingertips with the rest of its form inside the creature''s mouth.
A thick dread and discomfort overcame her as the monster''s mouth closed around it. There were more layers of teeth and she knew that they were piercing her tattoo. It was more like pins and needles than pain, spreading all over her body as she heard the crunch of its teeth against the hand. Tanya tripped, falling to her knees by the monster. With knuckles white, she plunged the blade into the monster''s back, pushing it down until some of the hilt disappeared into the monster too. It was easier than she expected to cut through and the blade just kept going until her hand was dripping with the blackness, part way into the creature''s back. She could feel its heartbeat in her hand. Tanya gagged. Cutting into it was like carving cooked chicken. The monster grunted and then growled.
The clanging of metal against a hard surface was proof she¡¯d made it all the way through. Gritting her teeth, she withdrew it slightly and twisted the blade until the monster was howling, the sound muffled by the bat in its mouth. Tanya twisted over and over until the noise died and the thud of its heart slowed and then stopped. The black liquid was coating her hands and her wrists, halfway up her forearm. She could tell her hand was still summoned in there and, putting her foot in the face of the monster, she grabbed the bat and tore it out along with a few of the monster''s teeth.
The hand was pierced in multiple places, a voodoo doll of tooth-shaped pins. Tanya glanced up at the doorway, suddenly terrified of another beast coming for her whilst he got her assistant out. She staggered backwards at the sight of them. Five or six of these hell hounds were throwing themselves at the doorway, mouths opening and closing whilst they howled. Tanya couldn¡¯t hear them at all. The area of the doorway was sparkling with a blue hue and each time one of the monsters hit it, soundless ripples flurried outwards from the area they¡¯d hit
Tanya turned back to the hand, its fingers twitching weakly. She had no idea how long whatever that field was would hold and she didn¡¯t want to be here to find out. The temptation to run was only halted by her determination not to leave this hand behind.
There were far more layers of teeth than she¡¯d initially seen, rows and rows going all the way down its throat. She could see grooves of flesh in some places where the teeth had come out and carefully touching one with her finger revealed a hole deep enough for the tooth to retract into.
The only time she''d ever seen anything like this was in one of those episodes of Deadly 60, some kind of eel she no longer remembered the name of. She¡¯d wanted every episode of that show as a kid multiple times. If this worked similarly to that then it would be some kind of muscle keeping the teeth out.
¡°I¡¯m gonna get you out, I promise,¡± Tanya said. ¡°This is gonna hurt.¡±
She grabbed the monster''s jaw with both hands and pulled. The hand twitched more, tensing its fingers each time she pulled. She winced at the motion, it reacted like a real hand. She wasn¡¯t strong enough to budge it. Using her foot as leverage again, she stuck her foot back in its face and yanked the lower jaw with both hands until the muscle holding the jaw unhinged tore and it flopped open further. The lower teeth were pulled out of the hand and black liquid-like ink poured out of the hand. It was twitching less now. She had to go fast. She had no idea what would happen to her or if this hand died.
Tanya grabbed the blade again and gently lowered her hand down its throat. With more space to move she was less likely to hit its teeth, but she still got pricked a couple of times. The teeth deep in its throat were sharper than the ones just inside its maw. When her wrist tapped one of the lower teeth a bead of blood appeared instantly, so sharp she barely felt a sting.
Once her hand was safely underneath the teeth she flailed it around for some sort of muscle that was keeping the teeth out. Finally, something went in her favour and the upper teeth disappeared back into the gums, the hand falling further down its throat. She shoved the knife into her pocket pointing outwards, not caring when it tore her trousers. The end of the blade stuck out of the pocket, visible to the outside world. It would be safer that way. She cradled her assistant in both hands, the black ink of her tattoo and the blackness of the monster''s blood merging. The monster''s blood was thicker but they had the same shine against the light, they looked like they were similar substances.
Tanya didn¡¯t have the energy or the brain space to figure out what that meant.
System, how d¡¯ya heal an injured Summon?
Error: Restricted Information.
She saw it coming but she still hiccupped, sobbing out of nowhere as she let herself half relax for the first time since she¡¯d fallen asleep.
Tanya placed the hand on her wrist. ¡°Please,¡± she said. ¡°Go back to a tattoo. Use my energy or whatever you need to be alright again. Please.¡±
Her voice broke. The image of the hand throwing itself at the monster wouldn''t leave her¡ªthe sound of the crunch.
The hand wasn¡¯t moving. Tanya sat on her carpet cross-legged. The black splatters coating her clothes and dripping down her arms pitter-pattered onto the rug before spreading out like little ink drops.
Tanya closed her eyes and begged.
Go back inside. Go back on me arm. Unsummon. Unsummon. UNSUMMON.
Air was forced from her lungs and she gasped, back arching backwards, head to the sky with her eyes rolling back in her head. It felt like breathing through water. Her lungs begged for breath. The pins and needles sensation came back even stronger than before, waves flurrying through her body. She gained control again and coughed over and over, forcing the wet feeling from her lungs. Black splatters flew out her mouth like after the snake venom. She couldn¡¯t move or feel that arm from elbow down and her shoulder was tingling over to her collarbone and across to her shoulder blade. She couldn¡¯t use her arm but her Summon was safe. She could feel it draining her Vitality. She watched it tick down until it stopped at 1. None of it was looking good.
* * *
Attributes
Strength: 5/9
Dexterity: 8/16
Vitality: 1/10
Concentration: 3/7
Will: 5/13
* * *
There was another noise from next door and she dismissed the interface. It was an angry, pained scream.
Mrs Eceer
Chapter 15: On The Edge
For a brief moment, Tanya considered staying put. With one Vitality, anything that impacted Vitality would kill her instantly. Not to mention how exhausting it was having it be so low - like flu and a hangover and a night without sleep all combined. She could board her windows with Maria¡¯s ramp in the cupboard. There must be some tools around the flat somewhere to take the board apart. With her Attributes so low, she could rest until she was better ready to deal with it and could help then.
She probably won¡¯t be alive by then.
The thought felt like a grater against her stomach. She gripped the table above her head and pulled herself up. The world was swaying.
Congratulations!
You have killed your first monster.
Stat regeneration at 150% for the next hour¡
She skipped it before reading the rest. That felt like the only important thing for right now. There were more notifications, but she pushed them away for later.
Her vision righted itself slightly, more like rollercoaster vertigo now than her head being beaten cake mix.
Staggering to the window, she looked down at the street, lugging the window open. The relaxing noise of pattering rain was so strange against the snarls from below.
There were at least a dozen monsters, all the same build. Some of them had longer legs or snouts or bigger bodies, and some had two or three tails instead of one, but they all seemed to be the same subspecies. She barely survived one encounter with them, so the street was a no-go.
Her fingers gripped the edge of the window ledge, black handprints left behind only slightly running into the English drizzle. The sun was rising on the horizon, the sky now a deep blue rather than the black of night, but she couldn¡¯t see the sun yet or any streaks of pink or yellow in the clouds.
Leaning forward, she became aware of the brick ledges outside the window. It was an old building and the ledges were a few inches across, enough for a planter box. She¡¯d had one ready in the cupboard with seed and dirt ever since she moved in but never found the time.
Would it take me weight?
She peered round one side, welcoming the cold rain cooling her hot forehead. The ledge linked this building with the building next to it.
You got a death wish, Tanya?
She looked down again, no longer seeing the distance between her and the monsters as calming; it would give her further to fall.
Mumbling carried through the wall. She couldn¡¯t hear a single word, but it confirmed that Mrs Eceer was still alive. If Tanya was going to save her, the ledge was her only option.
Planting her foot on the window sill, she tugged herself into crouching, climbing out the window with carefully placed footsteps. She could see her breath in the air out here, and the chill snapped her awake. It was so much louder without the insulation to protect her. Sirens rang in the distance. An argument reached her ears from a few streets away, carried on the wind. Mostly, she could hear growling and the gnashing of teeth below. She braved a look down and immediately regretted it, backing towards the windows until her hands were touching solid brick. Her breath escaped in small gasps as she stared. She couldn¡¯t look away now.
Tanya had never struggled with heights before. She was the first member of her family up the treetop experience on a long-ago Spanish holiday. With a harness and ropes all around her, she felt safe. All that lay between her and splatting onto the pavement here was a mob of angry monsters. She could see more running down the street to join them. If the landing didn¡¯t kill her, they would.
Her breathing grew faster, it seemed like the adrenaline of a monster jumping at her face calmed her panic more than crossing this ledge because she knew she could go back. Nothing was keeping her out here.
She heard another scream.
¡®Cept that.
She wished she¡¯d put shoes on first. Her slippers flapped around her feet from the wind. Her hair whipped around her face whenever she stood higher than the safety of her attic window casing. The slippers were ruined anyway¡ªthick with black sludge and slippery. She kicked them off into the dogs below, not looking down to see what became of them.
Her feet were ice blocks as she edged along, one hand on the roof tiles to her side and the other held out for balance.
Slowly. Nothin¡¯ up here but me. Don¡¯t rush.
Each look down made her vertigo even worse, so she settled on looking where she was going, Mrs Eceer¡¯s window. It was easier to think about how thin the walls were when she was complaining about Mrs Eceer¡¯s classical music rather than walking the precarious path between their windows.
As she got closer, she had to turn so her toes were overhanging the edge, back scraping along the concrete. The banging and yelling were getting louder. She passed Mrs Eceer¡¯s living room window, ducking down to look for a way in. The entire flat was wrecked, a sea of mangy monsters throwing themselves at her bedroom door. Tanya knew it was her bedroom door because this flat was the same as hers, not even a reflection by the look of it. All of the cupboards were off the hinges, the tap sliced clean off and water flooded over the full sink to the floor. There was so much smashed ceramics, little flowers on the corners of each jagged piece. Underneath the monsters was so much of their inky blood. It was just like her shop: the ink over the floor, the shattered lamp¡The memories hit her once again and she blinked rapidly to stop the tears forming in her eyes.
Then she froze. She was looking through a curtain. She could see the curves of the fabric across the window, like looking through a blue tinge.
They can¡¯t see me... right?
She stood there, as still as she could manage with chattering teeth and wobbly ankles. Her heart was pounding in her ears, filling her senses just like the monster''s heartbeat had. The mass kept writhing to the door, throwing their bodies in disorganised twos or threes. Bam, bambam, thud, skid. Over and over. Not a single head raised to look at her. She let out a breath and stood up straight, continuing the slow inching to the bedroom. The curtain was flying in and out of the window. From this distance, she couldn¡¯t tell if it was open or broken.
A smash sounded from behind her, and before she could turn, there wasn¡¯t ground under her feet. She grasped at the bricks, desperate to hold on, and then she was falling. In the moment she was airborne she saw the monster, having thrown itself through the bedroom window to get to her. Blood pooled down her leg from its bite, mixed with black.
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Tanya had heard people say that you see flashes of your life before you die, but Tanya just stared up at the sky above her. The raindrops fell around her. If she looked up high enough, it felt like they were all coming from the same point, some weird perspective trick. The light caught the drops as they fell¡ªa splashing of orange diluted into the grey sky.
Sun must be risin¡¯.
She landed, smacking her head hard. Everything was black. Her neck throbbed. If she was still alive now, then she was about to die to them. That was far worse. She clamped her eyes shut, not wanting to see the carnage of her death. No pain came, or even the strange pressure of adrenaline muddled pain.
Opening her eyes, she saw the sky again, even brighter than she remembered. She pushed herself up on her elbows, the roof was still ahead of her. Below her was a glassy texture; she looked down to see the same shimmering transparent blue as the doorway.
Mrs Eceer poked her head through the window, ¡°If you¡¯re done using up my magic, get over here.¡±
Tanya didn¡¯t have the breath to snap back. She wheezed as she got to her feet, wincing at any weight on the bitten leg. It was hard to even see how bad it was through the blood. Looking around, she was relieved the monster didn¡¯t follow her. Below her, its mangled body was still on its back. Knowing that she was on a platform wasn¡¯t enough to stop the spinning vertigo whilst she limped to the ledge, looking down through something that didn¡¯t look like solid ground at all. Lifting herself was a conundrum, pulling and pulling until a nasty whack of her bad leg to the wall pushed her back down again. Jamming her toes into the little rim below her was just enough to avoid hurtling downwards. She kept looking down to check she was still balanced. It was so cold that she couldn¡¯t feel her feet anymore. She would have backed onto the magical platform again, but it had already been unsummoned, so she kicked her legs until she was perched on the ledge again. It hurt like a motherfucker, but she managed it.
Mrs Eceer grabbed her arms and pulled Tanya through the window when she got near. She looked down at the blood on Tanya¡¯s leg with equal parts disgust and horror. It had left a trail along the window, and some had clumped and formed a drip down the wall. Mrs Eceer¡¯s finger twitched by her sleeve where she kept her handkerchief but she instead turned to the door. The sound in here was immense, banging and crashing and snarling.
¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can hold this,¡± Mrs Eceer admitted. She had to half yell over the noise. This time, when her finger twitched, she pulled the handkerchief out, wiping her damp forehead. In her other hand was a walking stick with congealed black inky blood on it.
¡°We could go back the way I came,¡± Tanya said. ¡°I could steady ya. With the barriers ya could even make an ¡®andrail or at least stop yerself fallin¡¯.¡±
¡°No.¡± Mrs Eceer grabbed a hammer and hammered the nails back into the boards that had been shifting from the weight.
¡°What?¡± Tanya said. She was too dumbfounded to be angry. What the fuck was MrsEceer thinking, staying her with those things outside.
¡°This is my home,¡± Mrs Eceer stated. Tanya perched on the windowsill. If Mrs Eceer wasn¡¯t going to listen, then should she just leave? She wasn¡¯t going to die here on some suicide mission.
¡°Home don¡¯t mean much if you¡¯re dead,¡± Tanya said, the vitriol sharp in her voice.
Mrs Eceer turned to look at her for the first time. Her gold dangling earrings swung from the sharp movement. She held up a finger, shaking it whilst she talked. ¡°I have nothing else, just this flat and this stuff and nowhere else to go!¡±
Her face was angry, but her eyes were scared. She turned away, her back hunched, hands cupping her face.
Mum¡¯s words played in Tanya¡¯s head. One of those memories that you don¡¯t see coming, and for a moment, you almost feel like you¡¯re there again.
We need somewhere safe that¡¯s ours, somewhere to hold on to everything that reminds us of who we are.
A particularly loud thump pulled her out of it. She couldn¡¯t imagine losing her flat, but beyond emotion, it was obvious how important this place was. From the tin pyramid she¡¯d seen alone, there must be a few weeks of food in here, and that¡¯s not including how useful all of the other tools would be. Not to mention the selfish aspect: if all of these monsters stayed here, it would only be a matter of time before they got into her flat too.
¡°You got anything sharp?¡± Tanya asked. ¡°They¡¯re much easier to cut than hit.¡±
Mrs Eceer looked back over her shoulder, surprised. She nodded and opened the cupboard, passing Tanya a knife from the knife block in there. The cupboard was a goldmine of utility: duct tape and rope and all sorts of crockery. She could see a mountain of tins disappearing out of view on one side. It was like she¡¯d moved everything she could into this room to use it like a bunker.
Now Tanya looked around more, it did actually look like a very twee bunker. The wooden bed frame had been taken apart, and spare screws sorted into a few different floral egg cups on the side. The boards covered the doorway, each one perfectly aligned with the doorframe. Nails had been hammered through the headboard, placed by the hidden door for anything that got through. Candles dotted the corners, each one on a plate so it wouldn¡¯t fall over and set the carpet alight. Tanya stretched her arms and legs with whatever moves she could remember from gym class, trying to avoid pulling more muscles.
Mrs Eceer held a hand up, and a symbol appeared ahead of her, reminiscent of a rune being carved into space. When Tanya moved her head, it vanished, perfectly two-dimensional in a three-dimensional space.
Everything clicked into place. ¡°Wait, the blue sparky barrier stuff¡¯s you? You blocked me doorway,¡± Tanya said.
Mrs Eceer grunted with effort as she finished the spell before wiping her hands on her dress. It looked completely out of place in this situation: smooth, silky, and colourful. She turned to Tanya.
¡°Hm, I didn¡¯t know it went that far.¡± Her eyebrows raised, a perfect mirage of control peeling at the edges. Her voice wavered. ¡°Were you stuck?¡±
Tanya shook her head. ¡°It kept those things out.¡±
They both turned to the door.
¡°Hm,¡± was all Mrs Eceer replied, but the emotionless mask returned to her face.
Tanya flexed and relaxed her hand over and over around the knife. The tension in the room between them was palpable but it was barely on her mind at all. Random snippets kept hitting her¡ªthe feeling of the knife in her back and plunging it into the monster. She rolled her neck, trying to push the thoughts away.
¡°Have you fought them before?¡± Mrs Eceer asked. Tanya glanced over, surprised she¡¯d spoken again. Mrs Eceer¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave the door, her entire frame was completely stiff. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Tanya considered asking what her Vitality was but decided against it. It was clear this barrier wouldn¡¯t last long.
¡°I killed one in the stairwell,¡± Tanya replied.
¡°Hm,¡± Mrs Eceer said again.
There was a pause as they listened to the scratching get louder. Something clattered to the floor. Tanya realised that this must not have been her only wooden barrier, although it sounded like it might be now. Somehow, this was worse than the fighting, the air thick and heavy, every second impossibly long. All they could do was wait.
¡°Have you?¡± Tanya asked over the increasing volume of the chaos outside. She didn¡¯t know if it had been seconds or minutes.
The calm before the storm.
¡°Hm?¡±
¡°You ever fought one?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Mrs Eceer replied, no emotion on her face. Tanya assumed that was the end of the conversation. ¡°They¡¯re easily trapped,¡± Mrs Eceer added.
¡°And easy to cut,¡± Tanya added. ¡°But with that many¡¡±
¡°We have the doorway,¡± Mrs Eceer snapped. ¡°We have the doorway, so they can only come through one at a time. And there¡¯s two of us.¡±
The words she didn¡¯t say hung in the air between them.
There¡¯s a lot more of them.
Chapter 16: Exit Wounds
The first crack of wood snapping made Tanya flinch. A crack of blue light behind the planks dispersed from the window. Tanya clenched the knife, bending her knees to strike.
The second one sent a spike of adrenaline straight through her chest. The beast forced its snout through the door, shredding its flesh against the nails and splinters. The teeth marks were an inch across each, each beast crunching the wood up to its gums whenever it found the hole in the scuffle. Tanya lunged forward, thumb touching her chest as she backhanded the creature with her blade. The knife slew through soft skin, no cartilage, no bone.
It¡¯s so alien.
Howling and struggling was the only resistance she could feel. The door frame creaked, forced outwards into a side bend. She flipped her knife sideways before the beast could free itself and cut its snout clean off. It slopped to the floor, melting into a pool of clotted black. Another monster filled the hole, then another, each one losing whatever body part Tanya could reach. Behind her, she heard the skid of metal, and she glanced backwards,
Mrs Eceer slid a wok across the floor towards her. She was saying something and pointing to it, but Tanya was too close to the door to hear anything but the squealing and howling. Its cries were something between a pig and a wolf.
Tanya reached down to grab it, ready to use it as a shield. She was too late. The door exploded inward.
The hound-like monster burst through the wreckage, Tanya looking up at its black dripping maw stretched wide, claws scraping deep trenches into the floorboards as it lunged. All she could do was stare as it barrelled into her chest. She hit the ground for the second time that day, air forced out of her lungs, black spots governing her vision. Every thud pounded her further into the floor. Each one sent painful vibrations through her head and back, like a throbbing toothache all over her body.
Then, a flash of blue light and the weight lifted. She pulled herself onto her hands and knees and crouched, unable to stand in this strange dome of fractals. It was beautiful and sparkling, and for a moment in her stupor, she wondered if she was already dead. Beyond it, the hounds morphed and wriggled like a funhouse mirror or like looking through the eyes of a fly. Wetness was dripping down her forehead. She wiped it out of her stinging eye. Her whole body dripped with a mixture of her blood and theirs. She looked over her shoulder. Mrs Eceer was straining her face, her arm outstretched and other arm cradling it to help it stay up. She stamped her foot to keep the dome up, grey hairs escaping her braids. It began flickering. With each flicker, the crowd roared to life again before vanishing into silence once more.
She grabbed the wok, lugging it to her chest and nodding at Mrs Eceer. The sound was deafening, three creatures up in her face, one half on top of the others as it forced its way through the door.
Tanya flailed, leaning around the wok to take potshots at the mob. Every time one of them hit her with full force, she staggered backwards, opening more space for them to file through. The wok was getting heavier and heavier with each bash, she leant it against her shoulder for more balance.
¡°We gotta go!¡± Tanya yelled.
¡°Not yet!¡± Yelled Mrs Eceer.
Pulling herself to her full height, Mrs Eceer shot off another barrier, this time in the middle of the creatures. They struggled over and over, moving their front ends to bite her and kicking each other to free themselves from this paralysis down their middle. Tanya dropped the wok and darted towards them, holding the knife down the rectangle of magic and slicing down it. She made quick work of the four monsters it had trapped, culling two at the waist, one at the chest and another halfway through its head.
Tanya saw a brain for the first time, black and completely smooth, more like a pebble than the human brains she¡¯d seen in textbooks. It reminded her more of a liver. She cut and cut, never being stopped by a single bone or hard surface. It was like slicing through wrapping paper with sharp scissors.
¡°Mrs Eceer!¡± Tanya yelled again.
She looked back to see Mrs Eceer''s shoulders deep in her cupboards, bundling up food, tools and notebooks into a makeshift bedsheet sack. The barrier vanished, and the halves of the monsters shrieked and stumbled into the walls and each other. It was much longer than something living ever should have been alive in two halves.
Other monsters scrambled over them, slowed slightly by their headless kin. With each lash of her knife, Tanya took a step backwards, unable to hold her position as the monsters in the room multiplied. Mrs Eceer shoved the sack into Tanya¡¯s arms and dived in front of her with her arms outstretched. Tanya¡¯s mouth dropped open as she yelled for Mrs Eceer to get out of the way. The doorframe had snapped by now, Tanya hadn¡¯t even heard it happen, and they were coming through faster, swiping claws around the side of the wok. Soon, they¡¯d be surrounded.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s guttural scream snapped Tanya¡¯s head back forward. Sparkling blue light pulsed around them as she charged, struggling through the room to the doorway, cocooned in a semi-circle of protective light. The floor creaked with every step, violently shuddering from the constant jumping of masses of heavy bodies as she forced them back out.
Tanya didn¡¯t have the breath to argue further. She turned back to the cupboard, shovelling everything she could carry. Tanya tied the near-bursting bedding into a knot at the top and turned just in time to see the shield pop one of the monsters. It struggled as the forcefield pushed it towards the wall, ripping at the paper to escape this corner and pulling itself around into the doorway to escape. If it had bones, the force would have shattered them into an unrecognisable shape, but as it didn¡¯t, it simply exploded in black goop, no longer able to hold its shape against the force.
¡°Get to the window,¡± Tanya yelled.
She had no idea if Mrs Eceer could hear her. The broad woman was hunching over more and more, pushing the barrier like a large boulder with every muscle engaged. She turned and hobbled back to Tanya and the window. The forcefield lasted another couple of seconds before vanishing.
Hounds filled the room, the creaking floor growing louder and louder. There was no flooring anymore, just black liquid everywhere, coating their bodies and everything in the room.
The floor groaned beneath them, boards bowing under the weight of too many bodies, too much movement. Tanya felt it before it happened¡ªan awful, lurching shift, like the whole world had just taken a breath in.
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Then it collapsed.
The sound was a crack, then thud after thud as the debris hit the shop below, the floor splitting like wet paper. This wasn¡¯t just broken, it was disintegrated. Tanya¡¯s stomach dropped as gravity seized her, black sludge-slick limbs flailing in freefall. Above her, she saw the black goop was everywhere, filling every crack in the floorboards and raining down on the room below.
She hit something hard and unsteady¡ªa counter, maybe a shelf¡ªbefore rolling off, crashing onto the cold, tiled floor below. Pain bloomed up her spine. Wood, plaster, and writhing, snarling bodies rained down around her.
A hound slammed into the floor, inches from her head, its twisted legs bending at sickening angles. Another crashed through what was left of the counter, sending glass and debris spraying.
Tanya gasped, trying to push herself up, but her hands slid in the same black slick as before. The shop stank¡ªsoured milk from the scattered pastries lingering with the rotting meat, something bitter and wrong.
Mrs.. Eceer groaned somewhere to her left. The counter and glass shelves shattered under her fall, and shards of glass punctured everywhere Tanya could see. Her shield flickered weakly around her before sputtering out.
The monsters were already moving.
The nearest hound shuddered, its snapped limbs knitting back together in jerks and spasms.
Is it fixin¡¯ itself?
None of the fallen monsters were on their feet yet, howling in pain and anguish. They had time.
Tanya grabbed for her knife¡ªonly to see it halfway across the room, lodged in the claw of a monster.
She gave up on it, sliding down the rubble beneath her until she could stagger to standing. A couple more monsters fell in, pushed by unaware members of the horde, but for the most part, they just stared and squeal-howled down at them. Even the best of fallers had broken limbs, seeming less constituted than a human would be. She was sure they could heal in some way now, though. They were moving more and more, each snap bringing them closer to their original stature.
Tanya limped to Mrs Eceer, stumbling over and over again. The tins of food and rope and everything they¡¯d wasted precious seconds to grab were scattered over the shop floor. She left it alone, only focused on the lady in front of her. Her dark skin was pasty with dust from the ceiling. Tanya prayed it was just the ceiling tiles, she wouldn¡¯t dare think of the alternative. Stumbling over and over, barely able to see the floor through the smog-like dust, Tanya reached the body. Her breaths turned to wheezing and coughing as the dust settled closer to the floor. She couldn¡¯t see Mrs Eceer breathing at all.
¡°Mrs Eceer, we need to go. Mrs Eceer. Mrs Eceer!¡± Tanya shook her over and over, starting quietly and growing more frantic. With a firm shake, Mrs Eceer¡¯s body rolled over, and Tanya saw the hand beneath her, or what was left of it. The metal till and half of the cabinet had fallen on it. Tanya lifted it off as best as she could with one leg, still somehow thinking lift with your leg,s not with your back despite it being not at all the time.
Sod that. Lift it quick as ya can¡ªget out.
Tears were pouring down Tanya¡¯s cheeks now.
She can¡¯t be dead. She was just here.
Tanya was wasting precious seconds, glancing between the door and Mrs Eceer. She had moments until the monsters inside the room could move again and not much longer until the frenzy outside managed to break the glass. There was no way she survived that.
A wheezing cough snapped her attention down to Mrs Eceer. She thought she imagined it, but then another cough rang out. Her chest began a pained rise and fall.
¡°Help me up before I regret surviving,¡± Mrs Eceer uttered.
Tanya decided quicker was better and pulled Mrs Eceer to her feet in one jumpy motion. She whimpered. Tanya wrapped an arm around her shoulder and directed them both to the back door. Without Mrs Eceer¡¯s magic, there was no chance of taking the front.
Halfway to the door, Tanya felt a crunch underfoot. She glanced down and saw a hand. No, a person.
Stumbling backwards, her eyes naturally followed it up to the shoulder and then the face. She¡¯d seen this lady before, the daughter of the owner of this Vietnamese bakery. Her eyes were wide and lifeless, and her mouth drooped open. Tanya felt the churning in her stomach and pressed onwards. Mrs Eceer was drifting in and out of consciousness, her head lulling on her shoulder.
The lady down there is dead, but we aren¡¯t yet. Move.
The corpse¡¯s fingers stretched toward something¡ªkeys, just inches away. Tanya forced herself towards it, her body rebelling against every step. She bent down, heaving Mrs Eceer onto her side as she snatched up the keys, her fingers slick with sweat and someone else¡¯s blood.
The wreckage grew denser near the door. Further from the hole in the ceiling, furniture was in fewer pieces. Cupboards, toppled and splintered, forced her to her hands and knees as she dragged herself and Mrs Eceer over the mess. The older woman grunted, grabbing for handholds where she could, dead weight where she couldn¡¯t.
Tanya¡¯s foot caught a broken table leg¡ªa misstep, a pulling of pain. Her ankle twisted, fire racing up her calf. She choked on a scream and kept moving. Blood and fluids oozed out of the bite marks on one leg and her ankle throbbed with each step. Mrs Eceer was growing heavier on her shoulder, and Tanya had to lean to one side to drag her along.
Tanya¡¯s hand clamped the cool metal of the doorknob, she thrust the key into the lock, momentarily filled with thankfulness that she didn¡¯t need to shoulder the door down.
A growl. A thud. It was so close she could almost feel the stench of its breath on the back of her neck.
She twisted, wrenching Mrs Eceer with her. Mrs.. Eceer¡¯s crushed arm whipped against the doorframe as she spun.
So many teeth¡
She had a split second to close her eyes, but it never hit her. Instead, she slammed against something¡ªa flickering blue forcefield, a breath away from her face.
¡°Go!¡± Mrs Eceer croaked. Blood dripped from her nose, running down Tanya¡¯s arm.
The door swung open, and Tanya stumbled out into the cold, slamming it behind her right as the forcefield phased out of existence. The monster''s face was etched into her memory, its snout cut clean off and blackness dripping down its mouth and chest, leaving its rows of teeth black and dripping.
She took a shaky breath and gagged. Once. Twice. The sound of bone shattering under her boot looped in her skull, the feel of it still buzzing through her foot.
Tanya¡¯s body shook. She didn¡¯t know if it was from the air, the pain, or the adrenaline finally catching up.
The sob ripped out of her; ugly, raw, and loud.
She gagged and then gagged again, the crutch of the hand underfoot replaying in her head. Tanya didn¡¯t know if she was shivering from the air or the adrenaline. Her body devolved into shaking. Before she even knew what she was doing, she wailed, sobbing louder than she had in a long time.
Mrs Eceer wrenched away from Tanya, leaning most of her weight against the fence.
¡°Stop it,¡± Mrs Eceer hissed.
Tanya¡¯s breath hitched. She froze, turning to look at her. The tears kept streaming, but no sound came out.
Mrs.. Eceer met her stare with lidded eyes, voice low and sharp. ¡°You want to break down? Do it somewhere where we won¡¯t die.¡± She wiped blood from her chin, smearing it across her pristine hanky. ¡°Crying is a privilege of the living.¡±
Chapter 17: The Enemy of My Enemy
Tanya wiped her eyes. In reality, she was probably smudging far more muck on her face than the tears were making, but it made her feel more herself again.
She walked over to Mrs Eceer and offered her shoulder for her to lean on like before but Mrs Eceer shook her head. Each of her breaths whistled, her shoulders hunching over. Tanya wondered if she had a collapsed lung or something, not that she¡¯d know what to do if she did. The closest she¡¯d come to medicine was Grey''s Anatomy and she doubted much of that was accurate.
Tanya¡¯s body throbbed all over; she had no idea where one injury ended and another began. It all just became a comforting far away pain¡ªproof she was still alive.
Mrs Eceer paused, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times. Tanya couldn¡¯t place the look on her face. Was it nerves?
¡°If you help me recover, I¡¯ll owe you a great debt. I''ll leave as soon as I¡¯m able,¡± Mrs Eceer said.
¡°I ain''t leaving you here. Stay with me as long as ya need,¡± Tanya insisted.
Deep down, she was glad Mrs Eceer mentioned leaving, though. She didn¡¯t want her to die, but she wasn¡¯t keen on having to team up with her permanently, either.
Mrs Eceer nodded, the tension in her face disappearing. She turned and tugged on the fence post next to her. It was long and thin with a decorative ball on top. Tanya helped her pull it out of the ground and snap it from the post next to it. Mrs Eceer looked primed to say she¡¯d do it on her own, but Tanya flashed her a look, and Mrs Eceer''s lips settled into a firm, silent line instead. They were both panting by the time they got it out.
Mrs Eceer used it as a one-sided crunch, staggering along beside Tanya.
¡°If something finds us out here, leave me,¡± Mrs Eceer stated.
Tanya opened her mouth to argue.
¡°You¡¯re already injured and out here, there¡¯s nothing to protect us,¡± Mrs Eceer continued.
Tanya didn¡¯t reply, and Mrs Eceer didn¡¯t speak again.
Out the back, the chaos of the front sounded so far away. Howls carried on the wind, blowing the sweat on Tanya¡¯s skin cold. They trekked through the back garden and around to the gate. Tanya held a finger to her lips, going first. She peeked round the corner. The sound of the creaking gate crawled up her spine¡ªtoo exposed even with the maze of tall fences on either side. Somehow, that made it worse. She¡¯d seen the hound monsters jump over and over. One of these fences could be destroyed in a single leap, far too quick for Tanya to do anything but run down the existing paths and pray for an opening.
They make their way along the alley, bags of rubbish up either wall. Some of them had been nosed through, scattering wrapping and food waste across the floor. There was no way of knowing if it was a fox, a stray dog, or something far more sinister. Their steps were slower and more laboured out here, adrenaline waning and the chill solidifying their joints. This alley made for a perfect wind tunnel, the buildings funnelling the wind straight through like it was made for it. It would die down just long enough for her to focus on something else¡ªlike where Mrs Eceer would sleep in her apartment and how quickly she could move her out¡ªand then it hit again. A sudden rush against her skin, cutting through her clothes like they weren¡¯t even there. It wasn¡¯t a steady howl, no warning before it came back. Just the lull, the stillness, and then another blast, sharp and biting. Tanya hunched her shoulders, her fingers stiff as she adjusted her grip on the keys.
She¡¯d promised she wouldn¡¯t leave without a weapon again, and although technically she was wielding the key as if it was one, she didn¡¯t count it. With Mrs Eceer leaning on the board for dear life just to stay up and Tanya¡¯s best weapon a set of keys, they were very, very vulnerable. Tanya tried not to think about it.
They neared the back entrance of the tattoo parlour. Mrs Eceer stopped, and Tanya looked back. Her eyes were unmoving, focused on the bin nearby. Tanya looked too. It took a second to see the unnatural shifting of the shadows, long sweeping shade across the floor like you¡¯d expect at dusk, not first light.
Tanya scrambled with the keys, almost dropping them in her panic to wield them before her. She expected mere moments to ready herself before the flash of claws and teeth were in her face. The keys clinked in her hands. She shoved them between her knuckles, each key a strange steampunk knuckleduster. The shadows kept swimming and Tanya wondered if she should run over to it, get the momentum for her first punch.
¡°Not all of them charge at you. Some of them wait,¡± Mrs Eceer whispered. She sounded confident, but she hadn¡¯t moved yet.
They both stared at the swirling shadows, taking in the faint scritching and tin cans knocking against each other.
More onslaughts of wind came and went as they stopped and stared.
They locked eyes, and without a word, they both began moving towards the door. With each step, Mrs Eceer¡¯s makeshift walking stick clicked along the concrete. Tanya kept the keys tight in her grip, eyes locked on the shifting shadow near the dumpster.
She took it one slow, steady step at a time, but deep down, she was desperate to run. The wind kicked up again, dragging the scent of blood and garbage juice through the alley. The thing in the shadows shifted, a slow ripple along the ground.
Tanya didn¡¯t blink until she was past it.
The back door to her flat was solid wood, bolted shut. Safe when she¡¯d locked it but a problem now. Mrs Eceer slumped against the wall. All the blood had drained from her face, and despite the determined look in her eye, Tanya could tell she was struggling to stay conscious.
¡°I¡¯ll need to do this fast,¡± Tanya muttered under her breath, already feeling the exhaustion in her arms. ¡°The monsters are just around there, an¡¯ an old gate is all that¡¯s keeping ¡®em out when they hear something back here.¡±
The first move was the hardest. Right now, they felt so much safer than they would be, but she knew they couldn¡¯t stay out here. It was only a matter of time before something found them, and they were completely trapped.
There was no right way to do this, she¡¯d have to stand on one leg and kick with the other. Her right ankle was swollen enough that it was threatening to escape her boots, and her left leg was indiscernible from the red and black fluids dripping down it. She settled on balancing on her right, praying that the bite marks weren¡¯t deep enough to impact muscle.
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She braced herself and kicked near the handle. A dull, heavy thud. Tanya heard Mrs Eceer¡¯s sharp intake of breath. Pain jolted up her bad ankle, but the door didn¡¯t budge. They both looked around wildly.
By the time I see them, it¡¯s too late. Just keep goin¡¯.
Another kick. Then another.
The sound was too loud. It bounced off the alley walls, carrying further than she wanted. With each thud, Tanya¡¯s heart raced faster. Mrs.. Eceer pressed her back against the fence, scanning the rooftops, staring at the closed gate. Tanya couldn¡¯t stop now.
Each stamp of her foot was weaker than the last. It wasn¡¯t enough. She threw her shoulder against it. Again. Her breath came faster. The door groaned but didn¡¯t give.
A howl rang out through the alley, distant, but not distant enough. Tanya made eye contact with Mrs Eceer, and their facial expressions mirrored each others.
Tanya¡¯s stomach clenched. She pounded her fist against the wood, frustration burning under her skin.
Come on.
The next howl was closer and the gentle scratching of the dumpster had changed. Clunks and clanging echoed as things were chucked against the pavement.
She took a few steps back and charged, driving her heel into the door with everything she had left. She winced before she even hit it, feeling a mirage of the pain run through her body before impact. The lock snapped, the door swung inward, and she nearly collapsed with it.
There was no time to celebrate. She grabbed Mrs Eceer¡¯s arm, yanking her inside, slamming the door behind them just as the first shape moved toward the alley¡¯s entrance.
Breathing hard, Tanya pressed her forehead to the door. Her whole body trembled, whether from exhaustion or the cold, or the fact that she¡¯d been so close to being caught, she couldn¡¯t tell.
She turned to Mrs Eceer, expecting some sort of quip. Mrs Eceer was slumped against the wall, her head lulling against her chest, lips parted. Each of her breaths came out as a little gasp. Tanya realised she had no idea how injured Mrs Eceer even was. It¡¯s not like she had access to her interface or like that woman had any mode other than poker face.
She bent down to prod her, running her hands around her torso like she¡¯d seen paramedics do, but she had no idea what she was looking for. Nothing stood out to her, but she didn¡¯t know if internal injuries necessarily would.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s flickered open again. ¡°Trying to rob me?¡± she said, her voice hoarse.
Tanya opened her mouth to defend herself before she saw the ghost of a smile on Mrs Eceer¡¯s lips.
Tanya slumped on the floor opposite her, catching her breath. The handle of the cupboard behind her dug into her back, but she didn¡¯t care. Letting out a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding, words flurried into her vision.
* * *
Alert!
You have had two combats in close succession, both with unviewed notifications. They have been combined below.
* * *
In all of the chaos, she¡¯d almost forgotten about all of the notifications she had dismissed earlier. She kept reading.
* * *
Congratulations!
You have killed your first monster.
Stat regeneration at 150% for the next hour¡
Hour elapsed.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
Dexterity +2
Vitality +2
Concentration +1
Will +3
Strength +2
* * *
Tanya stared at the numbers in awe. That was the most she¡¯d gained so far. Her mind ached to test out the new numbers, pick up something heavy or even do a tattoo, but not only was she incredibly injured, Mrs Eceer was here. She pulled up her max Attributes, grinning at the new numbers now that it had all added on.
* * *
Attributes
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 18
Vitality: 12
Concentration: 8
Will: 16
* * *
Scratch lifting something heavy, all Tanya wanted to do was tattoo¡ªwhat could she do with an 18? She was only 2 away from matching the most Dexterous person in the world from before, if The System had been honest with her. She stared at the numbers for a moment before continuing.
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled up An Inkling of Control to Level 2
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled up An Inkling of Control to Level 3
An Inkling of Control has received a Minor Ability Boon.
An Inkling of Control
Level 3
Your magical connection allows you influence over your sentient Summons. Commands usually require either Attribute contesting or a barter depending on the Summon. In special cases your Summon will choose to follow your wishes without your influence.
* * *
Congratulations!
You have leveled an Ability twice with one action.
You may choose to give this extra experience to your Tattoo Summoner Level, An Inkling of Control Level or Assistant Level.
* * *
Tanya read through the new level-ups greedily. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she read the first Inkling of Control level up, then the second, then the Minor Ability Boon. At first, she saw just the words of the final line on their own with ¡°Minor Ability Boon¡± in big letters, but before she¡¯d finished reading it, it combined with the rest of the text. The choice of giving experience between different places was intriguing. She¡¯d decide that later.
Tanya stared at the word Experience. It wasn''t a word that had been mentioned until now, and although Tanya wasn¡¯t sure what it meant for her understanding of The System, she felt like knowing that points were being accumulated from more than just the thing directly before she received the level up would become useful information.
* * *
Level Up!
Assistant is now Level 2
You have unlocked an Ability Crossroads. As this is a Sentient Summon, the choice will be decided between you and the Summon.
* * *
Deciding on a new Ability for the hand was exciting, but the idea of doing that with the hand¡Tanya wasn¡¯t sure how that would go.
Tanya looked at the final notification.
* * *
Achievement: The Enemy of My Enemy
They were your enemy- kind of- but in the heat of the moment, you risked your life to save them anyway. Now, like it or not, your powers just seem to work better together.
Whilst allies, your powers have a 25% Synergy Bonus whilst directly helping the other.
* * *
Tanya could see Mrs Eceer¡¯s face through the text as she too stared into the middle distance, following the text with her eyes. She stopped a moment after Tanya, and they met eyes. Tanya attempted to hide her annoyance and she could tell Mrs Eceer was doing the same.
Could they really separate and lose such a strong advantage?
Chapter 18: The Shop
Tanya turned, rummaging through the cupboards of the back of her shop. She had some wound dressings and all sorts of antiseptic wipes and creams.
¡°What d¡¯ya need?¡± She asked over her shoulder.
¡°What are you offering?¡± Mrs Eceer replied. Her voice slurred slightly, like staying awake was a huge effort.
¡°Antiseptic stuff if ya got bitten, some bandages too. I could probably makeshift a splint for somethin¡¯ broken.¡± She looked around, spying an old shoe horn that could be used for a wrist and some spare armrests for her tattooing chair she might be able to use to stabilise a neck or something.
Not that stabilising a neck this late would do much good. The only other things of note were the metal towel rack hooked over the radiator next to Mrs Eceer and a couple of spare towels poking out of a drawer. This room was all that was left of the original shop layout. It had been some kind of food place, or maybe a cafe considering the kitchen was so small. It was barely larger than her kitchen upstairs.
Tanya turned back to the cupboard of boxes. In her desperation to sit down, she wrapped her arms around a bunch of things in the cupboard and dumped them on the surface next to the little sink. She shoved the coffee machine further back and dragged the stool across the tiles to perch on. Each second of standing hurt her legs even more, and she sighed in relief, taking the weight off them.
¡°As many bandages as you can spare, please,¡± Mrs Eceer eventually said.
The room was filled with the words neither of them were saying.
Does she just stay here now? How much do I share with her? I mean, this isn''t exactly a friend of mine. It¡¯s Mrs. Sneer. But a bonus like that¡
Her mind flew through the scenarios from earlier. With 25% extra power from Mrs Eceer¡¯s shields, could they have defended it? It scaled too, so at later levels, the difference would keep growing.
Tanya rummaged through her pile, collecting all the bandages together from the cupboard. She had more in other places, a box in the cupboard from the new shipment and probably at least a few more stores like this of different sizes. It hit her that she should have been tracking all of this too, not just food and water. She would later when she got a chance without Mrs Eceer watching.
Is that ridiculous? Do I really need to hide me supplies from her?
She pushed the thoughts away, grabbing a lax handful along with some antiseptic cream and passing it over. Friend or not, Mrs Eceer had saved her life multiple times there; they''d both saved each other. There was no point in counting or calculating. They¡¯d done it together, and now they were here together. Mrs Eceer grabbed the best she could with one hand, and some of the bandage rolls sprinkled her lap.
¡°Thank you,¡± Mrs Eceer said, unrolling the first bandage.
Tanya could see in her eyes that was only part of what she was going to say.
Tanya began unrolling her bandage. ¡°What is your class called?¡± she ventured. She could hear how cagey she felt in her voice.
Mrs Eceer tensed. They sat in silence for a moment.
¡°Bunker Wizard,¡± Mrs Eceer said. Her lips were pursed slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed. She looked down as if already regretting giving the information.
¡°Tattoo Summoner,¡± Tanya offered back before she could ask.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s eyes jumped back to Tanya¡¯s. She looked absolutely disgusted. Her lips, usually poised or scowling, were parted, eyebrows raised and twitching. ¡°My word¡ You mean to tell me this dreadful bodily defacement will help keep us alive?¡±
Tanya¡¯s laugh could only be described as a cackle. For a moment, it almost felt like the old days. After Mrs Eceer wiped the shock from her face, the corner of her mouth twitched. Tanya watched her fight it back down again as she tucked a stray curl back into her head wrap, and that made the whole thing much funnier.
¡°What level?¡± Mrs Eceer demanded, the smile escaping again. ¡°One must be sure-¡±
¡°You¡¯re just hoping you¡¯re stronger, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tanya exclaimed.
¡°We need someone to protect both of us from these dark arts,¡± Mrs Eceer said, and Tanya knew this time that she was playing it up.
The words fizzled on the edge of Tanya¡¯s lips. Mrs Eceer¡¯s furrowed brow returned at Tanya¡¯s change in demeanour.
Am I gonna tell her?
¡°I¡¯m level two an¡¯ I got three Abilities, all focused on creatin¡¯ and controllin¡¯ Tattoo Summons,¡± Tanya said.
Mrs Eceer raised her eyebrows, pausing with lips poised as she decided whether to share. ¡°I¡¯m level three and I have three Abilities and one to choose. So far they all focus on protecting an area either through shields or wards.¡±
Tanya noticed how she used all the correct terminology, she doubted Mrs Eceer could do that before this.
She learns quick. That¡¯s a bonus.
Tanya looked at Mrs Eceer properly for the first time. They¡¯d never truly been face-to-face before. Tanya mostly saw her through cocked blinds or for a brief moment before the door slammed in her face. She was uniquely beautiful behind the frown, and for a moment, Tanya saw the woman behind the blood and dirt. Her broad shoulders were draped with expensive silky navy against the dark brown of her eyes and skin. Black curls disappeared into a headwrap in all the colours of a peacock. Puckered red lips coated in a bright red rouge opened and closed, the voice escaping them low and gravely as Mrs Eceer murmured the words of a Christian prayer.
Tanya wondered if Mrs Eceer was a local for the first time since she¡¯d given up on being acquaintances. Hearing the prayer, she felt compelled to ask how being trans had affected Mrs Eceer¡¯s life in the church; she saw her leave every Sunday morning with the biggest hats Tanya had ever seen. At first, Tanya had thought Mrs Eceer being LGBT was something they could bond over. She¡¯d invited her girlfriend of the time around, and they appeared on her doorstep with a slightly smushed homemade cake with rainbow icing. It hadn¡¯t come across properly, with a very offended Mrs Eceer insisting that she wasn¡¯t a gay man, she was a woman. She¡¯d calmed down and listened to them explain that the flag included trans people too now and even taken the cake in the end, but the next time Tanya had turned up she¡¯d opened the door to an even smaller slit.
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A moan pulled Tanya out of her thoughts. Mrs Eceer was straightening her fingers one by one. The way they stuck out at odd angles churned Tanya¡¯s stomach. This wasn¡¯t the Mrs Eceer Tanya was imagining. Her clothes dripped with black, inky blood, and all the skin Tanya could see was dirty and grazed. After each pop Mrs Eceer would wrap the finger in bandages and then dab her sweaty forehead before braving the next one.
There was very little Tanya could say to help her. It¡¯s not like numbing cream would do anything for popping joints back into place. She gathered some of it anyway, and the over-the-counter pain meds she had for period pain or particularly pained clients. Grabbing some stubby stationery in case any of it would work as a splint, she slid the lot across the floor wordlessly.
Mrs Eceer pulled a pair of small wire-framed glasses out of a pocket Tanya hadn¡¯t seen before. They were golden with a small neck chain dangling beads off the arms. It looked like she¡¯d summoned them from the air, but Tanya doubted that she had any powers like that. One of the lenses was cracked, but she looked through them anyway, reading the back of the packets. There was something so domestic about it that Tanya felt tears form in the corner of her eyes. Mrs Eceer popped a few out and swallowed them all at once without the water bottle Tanya was offering her.
¡°We should save the water,¡± Mrs Eceer said. Then she continued mumbling her prayer, unwrapping the first finger to try out a pencil splint.
Tanya¡¯s fingers, slick with antiseptic, rubbed her leg. She wondered what it was like being religious in the apocalypse, knowing there were more gods¡ªor at least god-adjacent things out there. Was it comforting to see some proof? Tanya supposed not if the person believed enough before, not that she knew how much Mrs Eceer believed.
¡°When this is done,¡± Mrs Eceer started, ¡°we should try and barricade this place. I never worked out why they broke in instead of waiting outside like they had been. We need to be prepared.¡±
Tanya nodded and made the final bandage tie on her calf. The bandages bloomed red above the deepest cuts but most of it was hidden beneath the cream wrap.
¡°I can start,¡± Tanya said. ¡°Any tips?¡±
¡°Spikes were the best idea I used next door¡¡± her voice wavered mentioning her flat. She cleared her throat and continued. ¡°The planks are worth it, but only buy a few seconds. If I did it again, I¡¯d reinforce holes on purpose¡ª¡±
Tanya tilted her head.
¡°They could have easily broken through the wall into the bedroom with enough effort, but they didn¡¯t; they focused on the doorway.¡±
¡°Like battlements?¡± Tanya asked.
Mrs Eceer hummed, leaning back and sucking on her teeth until there was a small pop. She wagged a finger, ¡°That could work. The barriers holding them still were efficient for killing them but too¡barrier intensive?¡± She waved her hands around to find the word.
¡°I think Vitality feeds spells,¡± Tanya offered.
Mrs Eceer nodded, ¡°Hm, that¡¯s one of the words on my interface, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll check that next time.¡± She stumbled over the word interface, it sounding foreign on her lips like Tanya¡¯s mum saying the word ¡®Pokemon¡¯ or ¡®GG¡¯.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s words faded behind the closed door as Tanya left the little kitchen into the main shop. It was so much worse than she remembered.
The stench assaulted her nose: rotting flesh. Her heart lurched. It was still beating in her chest, but it felt like it had fallen out, helplessly pulsing on the floor. The ache was overwhelming. It was easy to forget that her little shop was a complete wreck. Well, not easy, but she¡¯d been ignoring it ever since it happened. Staring at the room like this with the sickly smell of a corpse filling her nostrils, she couldn¡¯t pretend anymore.
Tanya started breathing through her mouth, the scent still lingering in her throat. She could almost still smell it, but it was more bearable.
She steadied a picture frame to her side, one fixed thing in a room of broken things. Technically, this was broken too, a crack spiralled through the glass on the poster, the centre a shattered fist print. She winced, wondering which of the men it had been. The knife danced against her back once more, and Tanya spun around to confirm it was all in her head. Staggering backwards, glass crunched underfoot. She stepped off it, looking down with the fervour of a small child hoping they hadn¡¯t stepped on a snail. The familiar yellow petals of her grandma¡¯s lamp sparkled against the limited light that danced through the blinds.
She backed towards the wall, retracing her steps from the fight without meaning to. She drifted between the two versions of herself in her memory. Adder flickered in and out of her mind''s eye: towering over her, screaming as his flesh burst with ink, his body lying on the floor next to the corpse. Wherever she looked, he was there. If she stared long enough, she could push him away, bringing her attention back to the dim, dusty shop. None of the gang members were ever truly gone, though; their blood splattered against floorboards and furniture everywhere they¡¯d been.
Sections of the floor near pools of blood were surrounded by footprints, the ghosts of men long gone. Her eyes followed the bootprints around the shop and towards the door until she saw the cause of the smell. She couldn¡¯t avoid looking at it any longer. From here his face was obscured by his shoulders, coat splayed out across the floor and a booted foot sticking out from behind the side table between her and him. An unintentional shaking breath flooded her nose with the smell again, and she coughed over and over.
Her eyes were locked onto that boot and the bloodied hem of the coat until the door was between them. Tanya couldn''t breathe anymore. The body was far enough away now but she could still smell it on her clothes and in her hair - she didn¡¯t know if it was real or she was just unable to let go of it.
Her chest heaved with each breath, vision swimming as she panted in whatever air she could stomach. Pressing her fingers against the wood she tried to calm herself, forehead touching the wood between them and eyes closing. In the black of shut eyes, the image came back¡ªthe boot and bloody hem. Her eyes flashed back open and she backed away further, away from the door to the counter.
¡°That bad, hm?¡± Mrs Eceer said.
She shuffled to her feet. Tanya heard footsteps coming closer behind her. The weight bore down on her shoulders, the edge of a ring digging in slightly on one side. Fingers on that side gripped in, but the other was flatter, like a wrist. Tanya¡¯s breathing hitched as she paused for a moment, the panting stopping from surprise.
¡°Whatever is in there is heavy,¡± Mrs Eceer said, ¡°but this is heavier.¡±
She pressed down harder on Tanya¡¯s shoulders. Tanya adjusted her feet to stay up, feet planted hip-width apart, hands off the counter so it was pushing her down rather than forward. Tanya sat in the weight of Mrs Eceer¡¯s hand and wrist on her shoulders until she could breathe again. Just as Tanya had enough, Mrs Eceer stepped away without a word.
Tanya turned to face her, expecting frustration or apathy but Mrs Eceer¡¯s eyes met hers, filled with so much emotion that Tanya didn¡¯t have a word for it. Mrs Eceer nodded at her, military-like, quite different to the look on her face.
¡°What am I going to face in there?¡± Mrs Eceer said.
Tanya opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.
¡°A body? Multiple? Just one?¡± Mrs Eceer asked.
Tanya nodded and shook her head for each one.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mrs Eceer said, the sadness creeping into her voice. She laid her hand on Tanya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A partner? Friend?¡±
¡°A gang member,¡± Tanya stammered.
Mrs Eceer looked puzzled. ¡°If you¡¯re in a gang, then you''ve been dreadfully stingy with your combat skills.¡±
¡°They broke in¡ªhe tried to kill me,¡± Tanya whispered. His face was clear and bright in her mind, more real than she could ever picture on purpose.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s voice was so scathing that a smile ghosted Tanya¡¯s lips. ¡°Oh, well, that makes this much easier. The dead deserve as much respect as they gave the living.¡±
Chapter 19: Battlements
¡°We¡¯ll need gloves and bin bags too. This lowlife will be useful for the first time in his life.¡± Mrs Eceer slapped her hands together, dusting off dirt that was far too stuck to go anywhere. Seeing that she wouldn¡¯t get a response from Tanya yet, she started rifling through cupboards, taking charge. Tanya didn¡¯t have it in her to be anything but thankful.
Mrs Eceer slowly gloved her intact hand with the mangled one, passing another pair to Tanya. She put them on.
This time, going into the shop didn¡¯t feel as intensely like the world was ending. Tanya blinked a few times, taking in the shop and trying to reason with the churning of her stomach.
¡°Good heavens, did the entire street take turns in here?¡± Mrs Eceer straightened another of the pictures, glass crunching with each step of her boot heels. She wrinkled her nose as the smell wafted over. ¡°I wish we could handle this first, but putting him outside might draw attention before we are ready. Do you have a broom?¡±
She gestured to the glass under her feet but indicated further and further as she spotted more destruction. By the end of the hand motions, she was gesticulating to the room as a whole.
Tanya nodded.
¡°Good,¡± Mrs Eceer said. She glanced at a couple of seating options, wrinkling her nose at the bloodied sofa, then clip-clopped to the back, picking up the stool Tanya had been on and placing it in the middle of the shop. ¡°I must decide my next level up,¡± she stated.
Tanya cracked her knuckles and opened the cupboard door at the back before pulling out a broom and getting to work. She found clothes pegs in there too and stuck one on her nose, offering one to Mrs Eceer on the way past. With each sweep of the broom, everything felt a little bit more in control. Mrs Eceer was too busy hming and ahing into space at her options to see Tanya¡¯s eyes well up as she tipped the remains of her lamp in the bin. She was grateful for that. By the time she¡¯d found a cloth to wipe up the blood, she was deep in the rhythms of cleaning, focusing on the whoosh of the brush and the squeak of the cloth.
Tanya stood up a few minutes later, a crick in her back but no more blood on the floor, as long as she didn¡¯t look at the body by the door, that is. Mrs Eceer¡¯s hand was raised, drawing shapes in the air. If Tanya stood at just the right angle, she could see the peacock-blue lines forming in space. It was longer than the shield symbol¡ªa small web of patterns that Tanya might have mistaken for algebra if she squinted hard enough. She was tempted to ask, but the concentration on Mrs Eceer¡¯s face told her not to.
What now¡
She was tempted to look at her level-ups, but the growls of monsters travelled through the metal shutters of the shop, and without preparation, her class had nothing. Nothing new she¡¯d have would make any difference, so she¡¯d wait until they were safer. Every few minutes, one of the monsters would throw or be shoved into the metal, and the cover would screech across the pavement, wobbling backward and forward from the pressure. If the monsters worked out they were in there and wanted to get in, Tanya knew they¡¯d have no option but to run.
Tanya walked over to the bucket, squeezing the cloth in the red water. She¡¯d scooped it out of the toilet to save on the bottled water. As she riffed the water from her cloth, she noticed the muscles in her arms bulging.
She stared for a second, then threw the cloth over the side of the bucket and stepped in front of the mirror, tensing her arms like a bodybuilder above her head. It wasn¡¯t anything crazy; she didn¡¯t have bodybuilder biceps or anything, but it was like a few months of hard work at the gym. She prodded one with her other hand, and the normally squishy flesh was solid under her fingertips.
That¡¯s new.
Hopping from side to side, she tried a couple of practice swings.
I¡¯m quicker too, not by much, but it¡¯s noticeable.
That¡¯s when she panicked and looked down at her leg, awaiting a throb of pain that never came. She bobbed on her toes, testing her legs. If she concentrated, she could feel the discomfort of bandages against wounds and the dull throb of bruising, but it was far better than it should be.
System, does healin¡¯ increase with Attributes?
Attributes increasing can contribute to healing time, although Worthy also receive an increase separate from their Attributes.
It had been a while. A shiver ran down her back at the voice being so close, like a whisper right in her ear.
She shook off the strange feeling and jumped a bit more, focusing on going higher. Without much effort, she jumped nearly a meter, almost hitting her head on the ceiling.
Mrs Eceer shot her a look and held a finger to her lips. Both of her hands were up now, fingers poised in strange positions. It looked like each one was holding something in place.
Battlements. Right.
Tanya searched the room for something to make battlements with. This would be far easier if she could Google anything about how they worked, but not only was there no signal anymore, but all her technology was upstairs. Not that she thought it was worth using for this anyway¡ªshe had no clue when she¡¯d get access to more electricity than they already had. She needed to save her generator for the tattoo gun.
What do I know about battlements?
The drawing clicked into her head. She¡¯d done a castle tattoo once with battlements. They were an older gentleman with a passion for historical reenactment and she¡¯d taken a higher fee to meet up with him a few times to guarantee it would be historically accurate before she tattooed him. She wondered where he was now and what a castle summon would even do. Surely they wouldn''t be able to summon an actual castle with her level-one power¡
Tanya dashed to the corner. Her sentimentality had paid off. Next to the sofas and coffee table by the entrance was a filing cabinet. It was sage green and metallic, blending into the wall behind it. These were her oldest designs, more cabinets wrapped around and behind the sofa, filling the small space between it and the window with cushions over the top to make her look less like a hoarder. She¡¯d hoped that the cabinets to the side of the sofa matching with the wall would stop people noticing it and rifling through, but she¡¯d still had to deal with that way more than she¡¯d liked. Now that she was closer, she saw the large dent in one side, but it still opened smoothly. She rifled through the top drawer and then the next one down, searching for his name.
Richard somethin''? Maybe Robert? His surname was interestin''¡Mayfair, maybe¡ª Robert Mayfair.
It was quicker than usual because she knew this was a thick one and could skip over all the thinner files. The only people that could rival this guy''s file were regulars. Most people who had only had one tattoo here shared a file with every drop-in from the month. It was so thick because she¡¯d kept the versions he¡¯d annotated and the inspiration collages. It had been one of her favourite tattooing projects, not to mention how well he¡¯d tipped.
She handled the file like a holy relic, shutting the drawer again quickly from her instincts to keep it safe. Another file came out with it, their little hanging plastic bits twisted together. It was titled Sword September. She threw it on the top¡ªno time for reminiscing.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mrs Eceer asked. She was wiping her forehead with a handkerchief, this one was still clean. Tanya wondered where she¡¯d gotten it.
¡°It¡¯s me transfer paper. They¡¯re like stencils of tattoos. I usually print a few different sizes for the customer, and then whichever ones they don¡¯t pick end up here.¡±
¡°And?¡± Mrs Eceer asked.
¡°And this one''s a realistic castle,¡± Tanya said. ¡°Aka a realistic design of battlements.¡±
Mrs Eceer¡¯s eyebrows rose, and she came closer.
¡°What was the mathsy-looking magic stuff?¡± Tanya asked whilst she laid out the papers on the coffee table. It was an awkward height to crouch at, but no amount of scrubbing had freed the sofa from the blood stains yet.
¡°My new Ability,¡± Mrs Eceer said.
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¡°And?¡± Tanya prompted, grinning.
Mrs Eceer rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched. ¡°It lets me set traps.¡±
Tanya¡¯s head whipped around. ¡°Wow, that''s actually really cool.¡±
¡°It called itself a Major Ability Crossroads. I tried to ask The System more about what being Major meant but all I could deduce was that it has a larger impact toward a so-called ''Subclass'' at Level 10.¡±
¡°A subclass?¡± Tanya wondered aloud. She vaguely remembered them being mentioned as part of the Ink Affinity she had decided not to take at Level 2. ¡°System, tell me everything you can about subclasses.¡±
Subclasses are given at Level 10 to Worthy. They allow for a choice of class direction, often including access to other adjacent classes.
¡°D¡¯ya get that too?¡± Tanya asked Mrs Eceer. She nodded.
Another crash jolted the side of the shop. They needed to think of something.
¡°So how¡¯d we do this?¡± Tanya wondered aloud.
¡°Don''t look at me,¡± Mrs Eceer replied.
Tanya surveyed the store. The sofa was an obvious choice¡ªit was massive. She¡¯d picked it up from a charity shop¡¯s car park, a polka-dot pink monstrosity they were about to toss. After reupholstering it with fabric and a nail gun, it turned out surprisingly comfy for a tenner. But after the snake, the blood, and the acidic ink, she doubted it would ever be clean again. It could make a decent barrier, but there''d be a lot of space above it.
The counter was another option, though when she tugged at it, it seemed fixed to the floor¡ªnot ideal. The tattooing chair, however, was still in good shape. If she could keep it, she would¡ªit had a future beyond this mess.
That left the neon signs, some decorations, and a few small tables.
Are them neon signs poisonous?
She had no idea. If they were bad, then breaking them would probably harm her more than the monsters. She eyed up the metal shutter down in front of the windows. That would be perfect if it wasn''t currently keeping them safe. She didn¡¯t have anything to cut holes in it for battlements anyway and it would need welding to something to be solid enough. An old lock and key wouldn''t cut it. Sighing, she turned back to the room.
There''s the ol¡¯ coffee table too, and the cupboard doors actually¡
She opened the cupboard again, it was full of pretty normal stuff: a vacuum cleaner but no electricity, mop, brushes, and boxes of various gear. It would all be useful, but now for this. A floorboard creaked underfoot.
That¡¯s when she realised she¡¯d missed the most obvious resource she had at her disposal- floorboards.
Grabbing a toolbox from the corner of the cupboard, she laid the tools out across the table. She plucked a hammer out of the array to rip the creaky floorboard off the floor. It had been a while since she needed to do this. Last time was a DIY job upstairs to save on funds when she needed a pipe replaced. Her muscles had ached for days. She popped the nails off and then wedged the back of the hammer under the board and pushed with her whole body weight. The ease of the nails coming out should have been the first sign this was overkill, but she didn¡¯t think about it.
She¡¯d severely underestimated her Strength. The board flew a few inches in the air and then clattered to the ground. It was loud. She froze, staring at the window and the metal she could see behind it. Mrs Eceer froze too¡ªcrouched and staring at the door. Moments passed. The noise outside didn¡¯t change. They sounded further away now, like they were checking other nearby buildings. Tanya hoped that her neighbours would be safe.
Ain¡¯t much I could do to help them now if they aren''t, is there?
She tried not to dwell on it. Mrs Eceer glared at her, seeming less concerned with the monsters coming for them now that time had passed and far more concerned with Tanya being clear that she shouldn¡¯t make noise again. Tanya grinned, miming zipping up her lips and throwing away the key. Mrs Eceer rolled her eyes, turning back to the floor. It looked like measuring maybe, or planning something. Technically it could be the first steps of some sort of trap, but Tanya guessed that would be flashier than Mrs Eceer crawling around staring at the ground.
This time, Tanya kneeled down, holding one arm out ready to catch it and using the other to lift it off. She didn¡¯t even need both arms. Mrs Eceer eyed her suspiciously until a few more had been pulled out soundlessly, then with a huff, she left Tanya to it.
A tingle spread down her arm, and Assistant crawled its way out, finger by finger.
¡°Hand!¡± Tanya half whispered, half exclaimed. She lined her own hand up with her arm, and Assistant crawled onto it, stretching and clicking its fingers.
Tanya lifted the hand closer to her face, checking it for injuries. She hadn¡¯t looked at it properly back when she¡¯d been in the fight and she wondered what she was looking for¡ªwas it more like a real hand injury or like one had been illustrated? She didn¡¯t see anything either way. She placed it on her shoulder where it had climbed to before.
¡°You¡¯re alright?¡± She asked. The hand hovered in the air and swayed for ¡®kinda. ¡¯ Tanya nodded. ¡°I¡¯m kinda alright too,¡± she said.
A shadow loomed over them both. Tanya looked up to see Mrs Eceer inching towards them, a large wrench over her shoulder, ready to strike.
¡°Don¡¯t¡move¡¡± Mrs Eceer said, staring at the hand with malice. It took Tanya a moment to process what she¡¯d said. She barely moved her lips, more bad ventriloquist than stage whisper.
Mrs Eceer adjusted her stance. Her feet were spread, and her knees were bent. She lifted the wrench over her head in both hands, wielding it like a weapon. Tanya staggered backwards.
¡°It¡¯s mine, it''s my tattoo!¡± Tanya shout-whispered, holding one hand up to shield it.
Mrs Eceer blinked slowly, arm still poised to strike.
¡°That¡ thing¡ is yours?¡± She asked, lowering the wrench but still holding it in case she needed to strike at a moment''s notice.
¡°Yes, it''s me tattoo design,¡± Tanya insisted.
Mrs Eceer was still staring at it. ¡°I thought it was a new type of monster, a tarantula-themed one. She shivered from the top of her spine to the bottom.
Blimey, she¡¯s scared of spiders.
The hand crawled from one of Tanya¡¯s shoulders to the other, shaking its fist and pointing its finger at Mrs Eceer, who backed away.
Mrs Eceer sniffed. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± she said to Tanya, shaking her finger too, ¡°I don¡¯t like this one bit.¡±
¡°Ya well enough to help?¡± Tanya asked the hand.
The hand stamped once.
¡°If you get nails, I¡¯ll pull the boards, yeah?¡± Tanya asked.
It stamped once again.
¡°Great,¡± she said, smiling.
She didn¡¯t expect to be so glad to see it again, it had been a pain in the ass to train but she trusted it a lot more than Mrs Eceer and it seemed happy to help for now.
The novelty of a walking hand still wasn¡¯t lost on Tanya and she stared at it between leveraging floorboards. She could see where Mrs Eceer was coming from. I was a bit creepy, especially when it reached for things. Tanya wasn¡¯t sure if all Tattoo Summons didn''t have the bones of their real counterparts or if this hand was just very strange. It had the shock factor of someone double jointed-turned up to eleven. At one point, Tanya saw it bend all the way over from the middle to keep itself standing whilst stopping the balancing hammer falling on it, and Tanya stared down at her own hand for far too long, trying to overwrite the horrible image it had stuck in her head.
She began with the edges of the room, thinking that one around the whole edge of the room wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Then she could take the ones to the far right away from the doors to keep a pathway straight through. She¡¯d try to keep the centre under the chair if she could too, although she was starting to think there wouldn''t be enough planks otherwise. They were lucky it wasn''t suspended above a basement. The concrete was only a few inches down, so they could walk along the beams without worrying about falling; it would be tricky to run on, though. Some of them were more precarious than others, the snake venom having eaten away not only the board but the wood underneath.
Tanya questioned at one point, midway through the dozenth board, how long it had been. She glanced at the clock on impulse, staring at 3:15 with confusion until she realised it was mains-powered. Mrs Eceer had been doing her strange routine the entire time. She held up a finger to wait every time Tanya asked what she was doing, and Tanya couldn¡¯t understand Mrs Eceers'' mumbles. They were too quiet, so she¡¯d given up. She suspected it would be big, whatever it was. Even when Mrs Eceer was sitting on the stool, she had a glint in her eye like she was concentrating hard.
Stood by a whole pile of boards and with a plan for how she could use them alongside the table and sofa, Tanya felt accomplished. She grabbed one of the pages from the tattoo file, it was one of Robert¡¯s mood boards rather than her own design. In the corner was a close-up of brickwork with the battlements closer up¡ªnot that it would be the same copying it with boards rather than bricks, but having something to look at felt worth it.
¡°Should I start putting ''em up?¡± She whispered to Mrs Eceer. She wasn¡¯t sure if whispering made much difference, but this close to the glass, it felt crazy not to.
¡°Hm,¡± Mrs Eceer replied. Her eyes flickered all over something invisible.
¡°Mrs Eceer?¡± Tanya tried again.
She glanced away a second later, looking at the stack and the glass. ¡°That was quick.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± Tanya said.
¡°Hm,¡± Mrs Eceer replied.
Cheers Tanya, really appreciate ya gettin¡¯ all the materials ready, Tanya.
Tanya turned to the board and the little pile of nails she¡¯d collected. The hand was still to-ing and fro-ing with more nails, moving the piles to one place. That¡¯s when she realised the problem.
¡°Mrs Eceer,¡± Tanya said, more seriously this time.
¡°Hm?¡± Mrs Eceer replied again, eyes dancing as fast as before.
¡°No, I mean it,¡± Tanya said. She scraped her fingers through her hair.
Mrs Eceer looked up. ¡°What is it?¡±
She held up the hammer in her hand. ¡°As soon as we start hammerin¡¯ this, they¡¯ll come for us. One of us is going to need to be the distraction.¡±
Chapter 20: Another Way
¡°There¡¯s gotta be another way,¡± Tanya said for the umpteenth time.
¡°They could come in here any moment,¡± Mrs Eceer reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything that can block sound. Your generator for a tattoo to do it would make too much noise, and you won''t sacrifice that¡thing.¡± She pointed accusatory at the hand.
The hand swore at Mrs Eceer.
The first time, Mrs Eceer had been outraged at the rudeness of it, gasped and lectured both Tanya and the hand for far longer than was necessary. Tanya wasn¡¯t convinced that Mrs Eceer believed she didn¡¯t control the hand. This was the third time the hand had sworn at her now, and this time, it had shaken things up a bit by using the two-finger swear instead. Mrs Eceer simply scowled.
Mrs Eceer gulped. ¡°If I go first I can just use some barriers to keep them away and take Mr Useful over there to distract them until I run out of magic, then we swap.¡±
Tanya had been horrified at the idea of throwing the body to them at first¡ªit was the worst form of desecrating the dead¡ªbut after going round in circles, she¡¯d decided she would rather it was him than them.
Tanya thought the plan through again. It was some sort of complex trap barrier to repel them, but she didn¡¯t quite get how it worked with Mrs Eceer''s Vitality pool. It sounded far more intellectual than Tanya¡¯s summoning. ¡°You need the magic for your barrier thing too, right?¡± At first, Tanya assumed that it would be more like a video game, just bam, there''s some magic and it works, but it sounded like there was quite a bit of maths involved. She was starting to think Mrs Eceer''s barriers weren¡¯t as easy as she made them look either.
Mrs Eceer nodded thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯ll go down to half, maybe a bit lower. Hopefully, that will be enough for this. The more I understand the technology, the less magic it''ll need, and I think I understand it somewhat.¡±
¡°An¡¯ what if it goes wrong?¡± Tanya¡¯s whispers were getting more frantic. Mrs Eceer held up a hand and pursed her lips to quieten her.
Mrs Eceer shushing her was really starting to piss her off.
¡°System, can I set up some sort of notification you give me when somethin¡¯ specific happens?¡± Tanya whispered.
No, that request breaks rule 34.67
Rule 34.67: No Worthy may explicitly request information that would require a spell like clairvoyance. The System may not give access to any Abilities of this kind until due cause is earned¡ª
¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± she interjected.
She should look into the rulings more later¡ªit may be a way of deducing information, but now¡¯s not the time.
The hand poked Tanya¡¯s foot. Mrs Eceer shuffled away from it. They¡¯d had an unspoken agreement until now, where Mrs Eceer didn¡¯t hold anything threateningly if the hand stayed a few feet away.
¡°Hand,¡± Tanya started, her mind whirring with ideas, ¡°D¡¯ya reckon you could signal to me telepathically or somethin''?¡±
The hand stamped once, far too quick for it not to already have it in mind.
Tanya¡¯s smile grew.
¡°What ya got?¡±
Her system appeared before her eyes. She hadn¡¯t summoned it.
¡°Somethin¡¯ ¡®bout my Interface?¡± She asked.
The hand stamped twice.
The Interface disappeared, then reappeared a few times, like a kid spamming escape.
¡°Okay, now that''s genius.¡±
The hand bowed.
Mrs Eceer was looking between them like they were both insane.
Tanya turned to her. ¡°The hand can access my interface, meaning that it can communicate with me like when I gotta leg it. Might be a distance max, but we¡¯d need to test that out.¡±
Mrs Eceer looked down at the hand, then back at Tanya, then down at the hand, then back at Tanya.
¡°No. No,no, no¡ªthat thing is not coming with me.¡±
Tanya shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other way around it. Going out there with no way to signal when we are swapping is suicide.¡±
¡°We could make a noise,¡± Mrs Eceer said, defensively.
¡°That I can definitely hear over hammerin¡¯?¡± Tanya rebutted.
The hand was rocking backwards and forwards on its fingers, clearly enjoying this. Tanya bonked it with her shoe and raised an eyebrow at it. Deep down some part of Tanya was revelling in this too, even though it was small. This Mrs Eceer wasn¡¯t the same lady that had yelled at her out of the window for weeks about bins being exactly on the curb, but it also kind of was.
Tanya picked up the hand and plonked it on Mrs Eceer''s hand. She¡¯d held her hand out to take it after seeing that otherwise, Tanya was lined up to place it on her shoulder. She looked down at the hand with so much disgust that her face was half prune.
She held her hand out at full extension and winced every time the hand moved.
¡°Play nice,¡± Tanya quipped, winking at Mrs Eceer.
Tanya wasn¡¯t sure if the soul-crushing glare Mrs Eceer bestowed upon her was a hex or a death threat.
She can be as angry as she wants, as long as she''s alive to hate me.
¡°Let''s try out this new synergy bonus, hm?¡± Tanya said, her voice wavering slightly. This was getting more real by the second.
¡°Hm,¡± Mrs Eceer replied, still staring at the hand.
They shared one last look before Mrs Eceer opened the front door. She was still holding the hand out to one side, but it wasn¡¯t as disgusted as before. The body banged behind her on the doorframe. Mrs Eceer dragged him by one sleeve with the ease of a weightlifter. The faraway howling became a cacophony until she forced the door back shut again. Tanya stood there ready, holding the large wrench and praying nothing would come through.
Mrs Eceer¡¯s right, they didn¡¯t.
If they were stupid enough to only focus on what was under their nose, then this hairbrained plan had non-zero odds of working. She shoved the wrench under the door, slicing the wood with its sharp edge. It would slow the monsters down if they tried to break in, but she didn¡¯t know how much.
Tanya lined up her first nail, pressed it into the wood to one side of the door, and swung. The hammer struck true with a dull, final-sounding thunk. She shifted her grip, pulled another nail from her lips, and did it again. It had taken a while to plan how to overlay them so they were all on a steady enough wall. Each one would be off at an angle so that, overlaid, the thickest points would be around the gap for attacking them through.
She pulled up her interface at the same time. Neither of them had any clue how long Mrs Eceer would last out there but if she had time to level up something big, maybe by some crazed luck, it would help.
The notifications scrolled past her vision, a strange alternative to the phone she no longer got notifications from.
There were all of the level ups from earlier, Attribute increases¡ª
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Aha!
* * *
Level Up!
Assistant is now Level 2
You have unlocked an Ability Crossroads. As this is a Sentient Summon, the choice will be decided between you and the Summon.
* * *
She tried to open it the way she had for her own. Two circles appeared in her vision. Staring at it, she watched the left one fill for a couple of swings of her hammer. A loud bzzzzzt filled her head.
Error: Both parties required.
It was worth a try. She kept looking.
* * *
Congratulations!
You have leveled an Ability twice with one action.
You may choose to give this extra experience to your Tattoo Summoner Level, An Inkling of Control Level or Assistant Level.
* * *
Can you tell me which of those are closest to a level-up?
Insufficient Ability to perform analysis.
The idea that someone could have an Ability for that was fascinating, but she¡¯d leave that for later.
She exhaled, held the nail in place, and swung again.
She¡¯d have to figure out which was her best bet, and fast. Assistant level was the least likely. She knew that the hand had increased levelling from its original boon, but unless this was a huge reward, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to get the hand to level 3 all the way from level 2. She bet An Inkling of Control needed the least experience to level up. Did she have any proof as to why she felt that way? Not at all, but Abilities in games always had higher levels than the overall level, unless they made up the overall level through addition, which Tanya knew wasn¡¯t happening here.
Although¡
She reasoned that it could technically be some weird mathematical formula adding them up and dividing them somehow. At least she knew Abilities could level higher than her Class level, An Inkling of Control proved that when it leveled to 3.
Tanya bit her lip, tasting the coppery blood in her mouth. Her mum would have swatted her if she was there, but she wasn¡¯t. Tanya pushed the thought from her mind. She adjusted the next board, lining it up over a jagged gap.
Am I really gonna pick this on a whim?
The clunking of the wood ended as she held it in place, the hammer hovering over the nail. It was quiet enough through the glass that if she moved things around inside, she couldn¡¯t hear. Now, all she could hear was her breathing and the rumble of Mrs Eceer¡¯s voice outside. She didn¡¯t know what she was saying¡ªeither a prayer or a spell, probably. A pause. A wet, unnatural shriek. Then, more footsteps.
Fuck it.
Tanya picked Tattoo Summoner Level and a strange sensation rushed through her body like a cool hit of energy drink.
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled Tattoo Summoner to Level 3
Congratulations!
You have unlocked a Major Ability Crossroads. These are Abilities you choose rather than just unlock. This may impact future choices you are given.
Would you like to see your choices?
* * *
Relief washed over her. She¡¯d picked right, but was there even time?
She stumbled sideways, tripping over her pile of boards to peer out of the window. Her heart was in her throat, trying to force its way out of her stomach. Beads of sweat stayed on the window as she padded her palms across it to lean over the rubble. Mrs Eceer danced in and out of her vision. One arm was clutched to her chest, floating in an imaginary sling; the other was held in front of her, hands splayed. With each pulse of blue light, white spots filled Tanya¡¯s vision. The hand was nowhere in sight. She¡¯d have no way of knowing that she was needed until the hand messed with her interface.
I can go and not lose my choices like last time, right?
Yes.
She grabbed another plank and shoved it across the gap, pulling up the options at the same time as the first nail slammed in.
* * *
Options Generating¡
Please select from the following four choices.
The Blink of an Eye
Level 1
Unlocked from Achievement: Unique Circumstances
While performing a tattoo under stress, time slows down. You are capable of completing tattoos at a faster speed. The more lethal the situation, the stronger the boon that tattoo will receive.
Boons granted by The Blink of an Eye depend on the environment¡¯s stimulus as well as the Ability¡¯s level. Boons will be revealed as their causes are utilised.
Adaptive Ink
Level 1
Unlocked from Achievement: Bite of the Street
Your tattoos are no longer limited to traditional inks¡ªthey can be forged from any material you have access to, allowing you to create Tattoo Summons with unique properties and without scarcity.
Warning: Nontraditional inks can cause a range of side effects, including death, to those with low enough Vitality.
The Last Word
Level 1
Unlocked from Achievement: Holler at the Gods
When you are unconscious, restrained, or otherwise unable to fight this engraving will trigger its effect - giving one of your Summons a Temporary Boon of The System¡¯s choice. This effect can be used a maximum of once per day.
Pactbrand
Level 1
Unlocked from Achievement: The Enemy of my Enemy
You may form pacts that bind non-Tattoo Summoners'' control of your magic. While active, any Summon you create instinctively reacts to their actions, regardless of distance. Only one individual can be pacted in this way at a time.
* * *
Tanya read through them, dismissing the interface after each Ability to peer through the murky window to outside. At some point between The Blink of an Eye and Adaptive Ink, something died against the window next to her. The vibrations of its body hitting the glass jolted through the plank in her hand, and after that, she was squinting through splatters of black. Waves of relief washed through her every time she saw Mrs Eceer or one of her shields.
Four options?
She assumed she¡¯d miscounted. Last time, there¡¯d only been three options. That¡¯s when she noticed the achievement lines under each.
My achievements decide me Major Ability Crossroads, which then decide my subclass options.
That changed how she viewed achievements entirely¡ªbut there wasn¡¯t any time to think that through now.
She glanced through them again, eyes never settling on one for too long. If she wanted to level up before she got out there, she needed to do it now, but if this would determine options for her Subclass, she couldn¡¯t pick randomly. The words swam before her eyes. The more she questioned each choice, the less the words made sense.
The first one was powerful but hellish. Knowing that near-death experiences helped her tattoos would pull her towards combat. The more she did that, the more likely she¡¯d get an achievement. Even if she didn¡¯t get any achievements from doing tattoos mid-fighting, this would determine her subclass somehow. Tanya never wanted to see another monster again.
Adaptive ink would help her a lot when she ran out of supplies. She eyed the cupboard, boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. The cupboard door was being hammered in her hands, being co-opted into the defence effort. There was a lot of ink in there from the recent shipment, but if she ran out, she¡¯d lose access to her entire skill set. Her poison Achievement Boon from Bite of the Streets would help her body deal with strange ink alternatives, but with the tattoos unable to be destroyed, she¡¯d be stuck with any mistakes forever. Her shoe skidded along the planks below her, and she looked down. They were still coated in the monster¡¯s blood.
Well, that¡¯s one option for Adaptive Ink...
A shiver wracked her body from neck to tailbone. She had no idea what injecting monster blood into her skin would do, but she bet it would be powerful.
She peered through the window again, shifting this way and that for any view of Mrs Eceer. The fighting had moved further down the street. All Tanya could do was wait.
The Last Word made Tanya feel sick, but she couldn¡¯t deny its use in a situation like this. She didn¡¯t plan on going down, but if she had to, this would give her some chance of survival¡ªif The System decided it wanted to help. She reread the wording: ¡°Systems Choosing.¡± It had seemed generous so far, but it also arrived as the world ended¡ªfrom the world that was invading¡ªso it wasn¡¯t like she could trust it. Boon¡¯s could be anything. She knew from the news and Maria that not all Classes had been good for people.
But even then¡
The System had given her the perfect skillset, if she was in trouble, maybe it would give her the perfect way out.
The barricade was coming together. Not well, not cleanly, but it didn¡¯t need to be either of those things. It just needed to last. She kept swinging, one nail at a time. The hammer felt heavier with each swing, the wooden grip damp in her palm. Sometimes her heart would skip a beat and she was certain that her Interface was about to flicker, that she¡¯d be sent out there.
Pactbrand could be very powerful. Would it trigger The Enemy of my Enemy achievement? Or even add something to it? If she gave Mrs Eceer access to her Assistant, then they could fight far more efficiently, and with another tattoo, it would get stronger and stronger. Did she want to give Mrs Eceer that much power over her Abilities? She could word the pact very carefully, but only if she had the time. Her eyes locked again on the slither of window. She still couldn¡¯t see her. She braced once again for the Hand to call her in and it didn¡¯t come.
She decided on Pactbrand, then changed to Adaptive Ink, rotating round and round until they blurred together and she couldn¡¯t remember where one ended and the other began.
Her flurry of thoughts was interrupted by the clicking of her Interface turning on and off. For a moment she thought she imagined it. It came again. It was real. She dropped the hammer and strode to the door, eyes locking on one flickering Ability and confirming. Time would tell if it was the right decision.
Chapter 21: Preparing to Strike
Have I forgotten anything?
She felt for the knives stabbed through her pockets, the tip stuck just right so that it was outside her jeans and wouldn''t pierce her skin when she moved. Her fingers skimmed over the tattoo gun clipped to her belt and the wire dangling down her leg beside it.
The papers she¡¯d just picked up were lovingly folded and slipped into her back pocket. She patted it there, feeling the absence of the phone that had been there every day for years. Satisfied with her supplies, she picked up the fence post.
Tanya took a deep breath and yanked the door open, staggering outside into the wind. Knives were slid into her pockets but she knew she couldn¡¯t take down a mob this size with them without losing a hand, or worse. All she needed to do was buy time whilst Mrs Eceer finished the barricade so her strategy was hitting them backwards with a huge stick and running.
The fence post was poised before her, every muscle in her body ready to fight. Nothing was close to her yet. The snarling mass of monsters were further down the street¡ªMrs Eceer a speck between them. Tanya crouched, running as low and as quiet as she could manage. Her footfalls were so loud in her ears, but she didn¡¯t catch a single look as she jogged closer and closer. The battery pack and tattoo gun clunked against her thighs and each other, strapped into her belt and tied there like some strange utility belt. Her body ached to run away and sleep. Each joint screamed like she¡¯d run a marathon without training. In a way, she had, fight after fight, with nothing but bolstered stats to get her through it¡ªsurely messing with bodies like that couldn¡¯t be healthy.
Her mind cleared as she neared the mob, nothing but their squeals fitting in her overfilled head. Tanya could see Mrs Eceer now¡ªjaw clenched as she cast another barrier with the flick of a hand. It was much faster than in her bedroom, maybe even twice as quick. Heads turned towards her. She clocked the closest in the snout with her fence post. It landed with a satisfying crunch, much harder than she had expected to hit. Others were turning now, gnashing teeth too close for comfort.
They met eyes, and Mrs Eceer nodded, her face visibly relaxing. Tanya spotted her gap and dove between two writhing bodies, slipping into the cool embrace of Mrs Eceer¡¯s shield. Within the crystalline bubble, everything was quiet.
¡°Can ya buy me more time?¡± Tanya asked. Her voice echoed around the bubble over and over. She winced.
¡°And the barricade?¡± Mrs Eceer asked.
¡°More than half. I have a new level up. If you can hold a bit longer, it¡¯ll be safer.¡±
They both stared at each other''s lips, trying to deduce what they were saying through the echoes of previous words in this strange chamber. Mrs Eceer turned away, a flood of light leaving her hand and bringing the blue barrier into full brightness. Her cradled arm moved from the strain, and she winced. Up close,e Tanya could see the blood trickling down the shoulder through layers of cloth. Lack of blood would not be good for the crushed hand, but they couldn¡¯t fix that now.
¡°I can hold them,¡± Mrs Eceer said through gritted teeth, energy still flurrying through her finger. Rune after rune appeared in the air before them and the barrier went matte, sparkled, and then changed to a deep purple.
¡°Oh, uh, one more thing,¡± Tanya started. She winced. ¡°I need it to be as dangerous as possible. Can ya drop the big barrier but still keep us safe?¡±
Mrs Eceer¡¯s head whipped towards her. ¡°Are you out of your mind!¡±
Tanya didn¡¯t know how to answer. She stared at the Ability again. The more dangerous it was now, the safer it would be later.
¡°No. Tanya stated. ¡°I¡¯m not outta my mind.¡±
Mrs Eceer studied her face, then nodded. Tanya thought she saw respect cross the older lady¡¯s face.
¡°Then make it quick,¡± Mrs Eceer sighed.
She dropped the bubble around them both, and the beasts struggled to clamber over each other, claw marks gashing down joints and blood-stained scruffs where they struggled to be the first to their prize.
Tanya stared, slack-jawed, as Mrs Eceer¡¯s barriers changed entirely. The once technical drawing style details of the shields solidified into a futuristic matrix. Her hand glowed with a translucent glove of power, the hem dissolving into loose threads that floated around her. She pushed each one with a honed Strength, sending smaller polygons like small walls through the air, herding the monsters to and fro. As each group snapped forward, a wall would reach their path, slicing off any snouts or ears that got in its way.
That¡¯s when Tanya saw Mrs Eceer¡¯s mouth. Hers was open too.
She opened her interface, seeing a highlight around their shared achievement.
The Enemy of my Enemy¡¯s sure one hell of a drug.
¡°Wait,¡± Tanya realised. ¡°Where¡¯s the hand?¡±
Mrs Eceer opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, masses of metal clashed around them. Tanya clutched her arms around her head, crouching as the beams landed around her. Whimpers filled the air, and some attempted to back up, shoving the monsters behind them. They were too packed in the crowd to escape. The metal poles were so thin they''d sliced through flesh. Some were dead on impact. The nearest to Tanya had the pole dug into its head, the metal sticking out on either side like Frankenstein''s monster. Tanya batted a monster away, missing a paw. Its back leg stepped on it as it leapt forward, squishing it into the concrete.
What happened?
That''s when she saw the hand for herself. The scaffolding that had been around number 43 for months had toppled from halfway up, a spattering of bolts across the floor that had been holding it up minutes earlier.
Tanya grinned. The hand waved, wiggling its fingers in excitement.
Does this new Ability work on me Assistant? How¡¯d I get it down?
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
She focused on it hard, willing its interface to open. It popped open, and she closed it. Another monster dived on her and she hit it away, more taken by surprise this time. It didn¡¯t do any damage, but the monster was angled off track enough to run into the side of its friend. Tanya noticed she could will the hand¡¯s interface open and closed now by following that same string of energy connecting them. She spammed it a few more times, fielding off the nearby threats.
Out of the corner of her eye, the hand scuttled backwards along the remaining poles, spinning and dashing towards the end and then leaping towards her, fingers splayed and wiggling to keep it upright.
Fuck, I gotta catch it.
Tanya dived forward. A claw struck her torso, ripping through her jacket and the skin beneath it. She cried out, and tears filled her eyes from both pain and the wind she was staring into. Lifting her hands through it, Assistant landed in her grasp, and a polygon of light whipped past her on both sides, pushing her encroaching enemies aside. The crack of one''s neck filled one ear, with the popping of joints on the other. Before her, the forcefield was so bright she winced, pulling the hand into her chest and shuffling backwards on her hand and feet on the floor. The force fields flew further, with far more force than the previous ones. They disappeared as they hit the wall, shattering like glass.
¡°This achievement is very potent,¡± Mrs Eceer quipped behind her.
Tanya stood and turned to face her, hunching her shoulders so her head was a trickier target whilst she checked the wound on her side. It was oozing and sore but already clotting.
¡°Jesus Christ it is,¡± Tanya replied, watching another leave Mrs Eceer¡¯s hand.
¡°Don¡¯t say the Lord¡¯s name in vain.¡± Mrs Eceer warned, shooing her with one hand.
She used the motion to release another forcefield, the rune appearing in the air without her even outlining it. It soared towards Tanya¡¯s chest. She didn¡¯t have time to get out of the way, so she braced her muscles for it to hit, lowering into a defensive stance with her arms up. It went straight through her, crushing the beast behind her. From the closeness of the screech, it had been a whisker away from her neck.
¡°Don¡¯t you have something better to be doing?¡± Mrs Eceer asked.
Tanya backed closer to her, keeping an eye on the monsters around her. They¡¯d stopped lunging, taking smaller steps, snapping their teeth or reaching out a claw. She loathed dropping her weapon to pull out the tattoo gun and power pack. She wound the excess wire around her wrist, getting it out of the way before turning it on. The machine shuddered to life, buzzing up her arm and through her shoulder. She smiled despite herself and opened her Interface, staring down this terrifying new Ability.
* * *
The Blink of an Eye
Level 1
Unlocked from Achievement: Unique Circumstances
While performing a tattoo under stress, time slows down. You are capable of completing tattoos at a faster speed. The more lethal the situation, the stronger boon that tattoo will receive.
Boons granted by The Blink of an Eye depend on the environment¡¯s stimulus as well as the Ability¡¯s level. Boons will be revealed as their causes are utilised.
* * *
There was no way she could see of activating it. She just had to hope it would work.
Pulling the papers from her pocket, she unfolded them, sifting through them one by one.
This is too slow.
She dropped to her knees, wishing she had something to put beneath these sketches. They felt so special, even more so now that everything was different.
They were from a folder called Sword September that she¡¯d left out on top of the filing cabinet after it slipped out with the battlement sketches. It felt like fate. She¡¯d grabbed six or seven from the top, knowing she¡¯d have put her favourites first.
¡°System,¡± Tanya muttered out loud. She looked up for the first time since opening her interface, and the world was already so slow. She crouched there for a second, taking it in.
A bead of spit flew from Mrs Eceer¡¯s mouth as she yelled. Both hands were stretched in front of her, one tensed and the other so wrapped in bandages Tanya couldn¡¯t tell how much she could even move it. Rectangular barriers circled her, spinning and spiralling outwards to curb the monsters. A couple had leapt forward and the others were following.
Just focus on what you¡¯re doin¡¯.
The hand beside her was tapping its fingers in real-time. When she looked down at it, it paused, flicking a finger as if to say, "Yeah, I¡¯m here. Keep going."
Yes?
She splayed the sketches out and the hand crawled over them, taking care not to stand on any of the sketch lines themselves. Tanya wasn¡¯t sure if it was a sign of respect or an accident, but she appreciated it all the same.
¡°I want to ask a restricted question, but only one. Is that allowed?¡±
Yes.
¡°What are the most common weaknesses of the different types of monsters invading? I¡¯m not sure if I can add extra info, but if I can, focus on ones that I will see geographically and consider the risk they pose too.¡±
The extra stipulations were a long shot, but it was worth a try.
The most common weaknesses of invading species Hjokrtis are as follows:
Slicing/ Slashing 73%
Force 61%
Fire 45%
These numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
In the present time in your geographic location, you have the largest number of Uktrikne Hjokrtis, modifying your common weaknesses as follows:
Force 83%
Organic Matter 73%
Slicing/Slashing 70%
These numbers do not account for future waves of invaders.
Analysing risk posed to you¡
Analysing¡Analysing¡
Due to your lack of area effects, I have deemed Swarms and Mini-Bosses to be the greatest threat level to you. Both classifications utilise large groups of simultaneously invading creatures to target prey and/ or may have Abilities for tracking or increased perception.
Swarms are most frequently weak to:
Organic Matter 90%
Force 89%
Sensorial Modification 78%
These numbers do include Swarms also classified as a hive mind but do not include swarms which are better classified under Composite Swarm.
Mini-Bosses are most frequently weak to:
Reflection 44%
Decay 37%
Distraction 18%
These numbers include all Mini Bosses as classified under Section 56787 Subsection 324156 where the division is stated as: ¡°Entities exhibiting enhanced attributes, specialised Abilities, and tactical proficiencies that place them above Lesser Adversaries but below true Boss classifications. Whilst they may earn Specialties like their Boss Tier counterparts, their resilience is insufficient for higher status.¡±
Initially, the strange letter combinations of the species and all keywords were redacted, but it unfurled as she read, transforming into randomised letters and then rearranging into the real words before her eyes.
Tanya¡¯s mind boggled.
I can work with this.
Chapter 22: Saving in Progress
¡°Save this for future access,¡± she whispered.
Save Complete.
She longed to find out the capabilities of her other two questions. The risk of asking for further classification had paid off.
Can I just keep includin¡¯ considerations? Where¡¯s the limit?
She read through it again, tearing her attention away from the fascinating information before her and trying to focus on the tattoo she had now. It was a godsend that she was allowed planning time within the slowed-down time, but she was sure there''d be a point at which The System decided she was taking the piss and end it. She didn¡¯t want to find out if there was a punishment for that.
The theme of the flash tattoo event had been swords so there were all sorts of historically accurate ones, magical ones, and even references to swords from her favourite media. Her favourites were original designs, mixing swords with elements or other magic and imagining what they could do. It hit her once again the life she was living now, a fun thought experiment from months ago come true.
She plucked some of the pages off the ground to fold again, dismissing any with fire, ice, or water. The hand pointed at a couple themed around lightness and darkness to discard.
¡°Organic Matter,¡± Tanya mused, half to herself and half to the hand. ¡°What counts as Organic Matter, then?¡±
She wished she could just Google it. The hand shrugged, instead pointing at a large sword design. She inspected it. It was two-handed, with beams radiating outwards off it.
¡°You think force instead?¡± She asked.
The hand shrugged and pointed a finger at her.
¡°Me? Hm.¡± She rubbed her chin. ¡°Force is a common, true. But I¡¯d be worried ¡®bout Vitality intensity.¡±
Tanya glanced at Mrs Eceer, her forehead wet with sweat and breath coming in ragged gasps.
¡°I need to be able to use this alongside summons, so low Vitality usage.¡±
She wished she could have added that into her question too, now. All she had to go on was Mrs Eceer and how Earth generally worked, which she didn¡¯t know would apply here. Elements like fire and ice felt like low Vitality options, considering they could spread independently, but they weren¡¯t in any of the weaknesses. She didn¡¯t know the things that they were resistant to either.
Shit, I should¡¯ve asked that.
She separated the force one from a couple she thought could count as Organic Matter. There was a water one she considered, but she still didn¡¯t know its definition and water didn¡¯t feel guaranteed to count. She spread the three out in front of her. The first design is the massive two-handed force sword. She¡¯d focused on weight when drawing it, everything from the stone-like shading to the breadth of the hilt and the fine cracks along its blade. Its centre was a large diamond indent, no longer filled with a gem, just the smooth empty shape where something used to be.
The second was like every D&D elf¡¯s wet dream¡ªcurved wood as if grown into the sword''s shape straight from the tree. A couple of leaves still poked out of the base, amidst the rings remaining from branches chopped off. Vines grew out of a gem on the bottom of the handle, swirling around the sword itself like a magical girl transformation. Finally, Tanya stared at the blood sword, and her heart quickened. With a jagged edge at the top and the red speckling of blood forged into the metal itself, this sword demanded attention. Tanya could remember the person who had chosen it¡ªa scarlet-haired Chinese woman who wanted it up her shoulder blade. She hadn¡¯t made a sound the entire time, having pointed it out straight away when she walked in. She was silent even as Tanya tattooed the fluttering ribbon from the hilt across her shoulder and collarbone. She bowed her head before she left, and Tanya never saw her again.
Blood.
She wasn¡¯t sure how she hadn¡¯t thought of it sooner. Blood was organic and as long as she focused on it being safe and not requiring any creepy sacrifice, she could maybe get something that grew more powerful through killing monsters.
The vine one was another tempting option. If it was plant-themed, there''d be less chance of weird blood voodoo, but she had no idea if it would demand real plant care like water - something she was already worried about.
The hand pointed at the blood one, shuffling its fingers like it was trying to find a way of miming what it wanted to communicate.
¡°I was thinking that it might grow in power quicker, something that could absorb the weird black blood of the monsters. Is that what you meant?¡±
The hand wavered a thumbs up, like a mostly but not quite.
Tanya once again considered the similarity between their blood and her tattoos. She didn¡¯t have time to think about it properly now.
Normally, she¡¯d at least sleep on a tattoo, but there wasn¡¯t time. Mrs Eceer was lowering herself to one knee, her face tensed with as much dedication as she needed to push through.
Tanya grabbed the stencil in one hand and a Sharpie in the other, deciding it would be quickest to freehand a version of it with this stencil''s bottom transfer layer gone.
Where¡¯s best to unsheath from?
Her arm was an option, but that meant she¡¯d need both arms to summon it. She imagined reaching the arm with it on across her chest and then readying the other to catch it, one arm was more versatile.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
I can¡¯t believe I''m ¡®bout to give meself a tattoo in a random spot.
She could hear her mum lecturing her already, it made her smile.
Well, I¡¯m right-handed, so¡
She held her hand by her side, imagining pulling it out of a sheath.
Thigh?
The next thing she knew, she was tugging down her jeans mid-battle.
She hissed as the cold air hit her legs; the wind was slowed with everything else, but the air itself wrapped around her exposed skin, caressing her goosebumps.
Holy shit, it¡¯s cold.
Pulling the string of her knickers out of the way, she began sketching. Instinctively, she covered her hip with the hilt. It was how she always thought of sword tattoos. They either needed to be small enough to fit on a section of the body or they needed to be somewhere that wouldn¡¯t bend. That made the spine a great place for a large one, but she wasn¡¯t sure about Assistant doing that with such little practice and also felt that she¡¯d appreciate leaving that space empty for something bigger and better than Level 2.
The design was mostly the same, but there was something ghostly about the way it morphed in her mind.
Intention 1: Consume material to grow faster
Intention 2: Organic matter to harm the monsters
And most importantly, Intention 3: Keep me and me allies safe
The bloody, jagged blade and waving tatters of fabric were still there, but rather than feeling like a blood-forged sword, it became more and more ghostly as she drew. The jagged edges reminded her of a key, the tatters floating even more as the creative process took over. Her crop top left her midriff exposed, and she instinctively swirled the tatters up her side, around her waist, torso, and back. They felt so central to this new idea, the intentions latching onto the design as much as she was deciding herself.
Is this what me new Ability feels like?
The hand flicked her leg, and she looked up, still curled over her own body to see places behind her.
¡°Ow, what''s that for?¡±
She scuffed the hand back with her boot, more of an annoyed warning than anything painful.
The hand turned to come hither her. Tanya blinked a few times, struggling to focus her eyes. It felt like a dream, like the unrealness of leaving a cinema after a movie that took you to another place.
¡°What? You want the pen?¡±
The hand stomped once. She dithered before sitting down and passing the Sharpie over. She would have to tattoo over it if she didn¡¯t like it, and getting her Assistant good at each step would be important if she did ever want to use canvas¡¯ like her back.
The hand gripped the pen as it had the knife in the stairwell, ambling over to her hip with it and then hovering just off the floor to draw.
Tanya was still struggling to pull herself out of it. Each time she looked down at the tattoo, the lines swam in her vision, vertigo pulling her closer and closer to the design. She could almost see a mirage of the final product, something three-dimensional to hold in her hands.
It hit her that she¡¯d not be able to wear jeans anymore. She looked down her arms and legs at the tattoos she already had. With each new tattoo, more of her would need to be on show to utilise it. She¡¯d never been very conservative with how she dressed, so it didn¡¯t bother her, outside of the horror she¡¯d need to wear shorts in London weather anyway. But even then, it was a new way of thinking about the world, and a weight accumulated in her chest. Bit by bit, her skin was going to be covered in more and more magical ink, and the person she was before would be further and further away.
The hand scrambled backwards off her top. It had been using it to hold itself up whilst doing some lineart on her back. Tanya looked down and her breath caught in her throat. It was a bit shaky and dark in places where the hand had gone over and over areas for it to look right, but Tanya could see exactly what it imagined.
Another blade had been added on the other side from the handle up halfway to the other side. It gave that part more of a utility feel with the Ability to saw at things or chop rather than only being useful as a sword. Tanya could imagine using that as an easy way of batting away something close to her right side, because the serrated edge could swing and cut them, allowing her more time to prepare the jagged side. The hand had taken the otherworldly presence even further, giving it double lines in places like something more spectral. The tattered fabric around the hilt had changed too. It was still flapping tatters crisscrossed around the base and then flying off rather than fully tied, but rather than ending, they faded out into nothingness.
The hand was beside her, looking smug and leaning on the pen like a suave flirter leaning against a wall.
It took Tanya a moment to work out what she was looking at because the more ghostly design felt further away from the organic matter than even the previous design had been. She could see the blood integrated still, that wasn¡¯t different, but why would ghosts be related to organic¡ª
¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re thinkin¡¯ of possession?!¡± Tanya exclaimed.
The hand finger clicked and finger gunned. Tanya grinned, twisting her body to inspect the design better.
¡°Oi, now that¡¯s really fuckin¡¯ cool. Possessin¡¯ the monsters? People? Creatures?¡±
She stood upright, smiling as she pictured the sword in her hands. How would it work with so many different concepts? The smile vanished.
Over the head of a monster rearing on its back legs, she could see a boy in the distance. Looking up reminded her where she was¡ªthe tall terraces on either side, graffiti tags on the corner of the shops, and tarmac under her feet.
Wait, a boy?
She looked again. The door was wide open, and a figure leapt out, light building around his hand as he summoned something. It was Fahad.
The world sped up slightly. Ishita bellowed his name at half-speed from somewhere further inside the doorway. Fahad looked over his shoulder, back inside. His voice was slightly faster.
¡°I need to train Mum!¡±
The world sped up more. A monster lashed down Mrs Eceer¡¯s arm, more monsters peeled away from the pack towards Fahad. Even on their four legs, they towered over him.
Tanya¡¯s heart pulsed inside her head.
¡°No, no, no¡¡±
It was all falling apart too fast. The world quickened around her and she swore she could feel each beat as her heart sped up towards normal levels. She had time, but it was running out. She turned to run and help him and then stopped, scuffing her shoe. She turned back towards the tattoo gun set up on the floor next to Assistant. Her head whipped backwards and forwards between the grinning boy and the readied tattoo gun. Fahad¡¯s expression was changing now, his grin turning into unsureness and then fear, his mouth dropping open.
Maybe between Fahad, her, and Mrs Eceer, they could hold them off, but she doubted it. Mrs Eceer had blood down her good arm too, and Tanya had a fence post and a few kitchen knives. With the sword, they¡¯d have a real chance.
She turned away from Fahad and picked up the tattoo gun. In her head, the world slowed slightly again as she began the first line, but she wasn¡¯t sure if that was just wishful thinking.
She turned on the gun and began the first line down her hip.
Chapter 23: Branded
Tanya¡¯s hands were steady, but the world around her wasn¡¯t. Slow motion warped the sounds¡ªthe low buzz of the tattoo gun dragging longer than it should, the distant echo of her own heartbeat thudding behind her ribs. Ink and singed flesh mixed with the iron tang of blood filled her nose.
Mrs Eceer braced against her right side, shields locked as something heavy slammed against them, sending vibrations rattling Tanya¡¯s arm. She didn¡¯t flinch. Couldn¡¯t. The needle needed to stay precise.
The powerpack hummed against her knee, still clipped to her belt, her jeans ditched on the floor. Wires hung, snaking from it to the gun in her grip. She pressed the tip down again, just enough to break the skin, and dragged it with practised precision. The ink set almost instantly, merging with the magic already woven into her flesh. She wasn¡¯t sure how she knew that, but she did. Something about this slowness sharpened her senses whilst she focused on her task. It blurred reality whenever she pulled her attention away.
Across the street, Fahad screamed.
Tanya gritted her teeth and pressed harder, picking up speed. The coil whined, the needle punching in and out, dots and dashes of ink turning into form. Her design had to be right. The wrong angle, the wrong depth, and the tattoo would fade or blow out on a normal job¡ªshe had no clue how that would interact with The System but she doubted it would be good.
Mrs Eceer grunted, shields buckling under the next hit. Tanya could hear her boots scraping against the ground as she held position. The world was quickening now. Tanya could hear more reactions and feel the speed of the attacks increasing around her.
More creatures broke away.
Six of them were now charging straight at the boy.
Tanya panted. She pushed harder. She didn''t know how much longer Mrs Eceer could hold them back. Sweat coated Mrs Eceer¡¯s brow. Tanya only glanced over. If she couldn¡¯t see the look in Mrs Eceer¡¯s eyes, maybe she could pretend Mrs Eceer was still in control.
¡°Here, do me back,¡± Tanya said, passing to the hand. She wasn¡¯t sure how well the hand would do, but it was her only choice. ¡°Hold on tight.¡±
Assistant gripped onto her shirt, hoisting itself up whilst Tanya stood. The buzz and pain were much starker now that she wasn''t in control. She grabbed the fence post, swinging her whole body around to force the monster away from Mrs Eceer as her shield fizzled away too soon.
This was so fuckin¡¯ stupid. I should have stuck to the original plan.
The hand lurched up her back, barely holding on. It swung on the back of her crop top, pulling the tattoo away at just the right second to not have a rogue line across her waist. The hand steadied itself and poked a sharp nail into her.
¡°Yeah, sorry. Keep goin¡¯.¡±
She was ready for another swing, but she didn¡¯t need one. The outline was done, but that wasn¡¯t enough. She took the tattoo gun back and filled it in. The shading appeared with practised flicks of the needle, the vibration sinking into bone. She was desperate to stop, but the plain line art wasn¡¯t finished. The tattoo needed to be finished for the intentions to be fully integrated. She just knew.
Her skin burned. It wasn''t just from the ink. It was the magic pushing back¡ªwaking up¡ªlatching on. Every sensation was so clear this time.
The sword wanted out.
She completed the final stroke.
The needle lifted, and she let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding. The ink pulsed, shifting as it turned her skin from canvas to conduit. The pain hit a second later, raw and electric, but she was already moving.
This must be the pain Adder felt.
The tar-like liquid sizzled on her skin, irritating the skin centred around the ink she¡¯d given it. The pain was far away. An overwhelming burn that she was too filled with adrenaline to fall apart from.
This is stronger than Assistant¡ªmuch stronger.
She grabbed the hilt forming in her hand and pulled.
It formed the same as her others¡ªblank ink pulled from her skin and forming into the right shape¡ªbut this time, it looked watered down. The blade unfurled, its jagged edge catching the light. The sword''s serrated half was humming with potential. The ribbons peeled out from where they were wrapped around her body. Suddenly, she was six again, screaming as her dad peeled off the jellyfish, unwrapping it from her knee.
The fence post was stuffed under her arm. She¡¯d wanted it close but needed both hands to tattoo it. She was so deep in the process that she barely remembered putting it there.
The creatures were almost on Fahad. She grabbed Mrs Eceer¡¯s arm and they ran.
Her system opened automatically. She skimmed it with each thudding footstep towards them¡ªdesperate for any information on using it that could save him¡ªsave all of them.
* * *
Name: Phantom Brand
Wielder: Tanya Angelo
Type: Weapon
Level: 1
Attributes
Impact: 10
Absorption: 14
Resilience: 1
Abilities
Possessive Inscription
Can bind itself to any organic material, consuming it slowly whilst adapting to its properties. Stronger materials will resist longer before being consumed.
Boons
Indomitable Form
Common Boon - The Blink of an Eye
Whilst attacked within an organic material, Phantom Brand¡¯s Resilience dropping to 0 doesn¡¯t banish it. Instead, it destroys the organic casing, leaving it on 1 Resilience. However, its Resilience outside organic materials can never be greater than 1.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
* * *
Tanya barely had time to process the words flashing in her system. She didn¡¯t need to. The moment Phantom Brand settled in her grip, it was an extension of her¡ªlike a part of her body she had always been missing but was now reunited with.
But it wasn¡¯t enough.
She dismissed the words with a tilt of her head. If she didn¡¯t look where she was going, there was no way they''d get the upper hand. All she remembered from skimming was its core ability¡ªpossessive something. It wanted organic material.
Her gaze snapped to the fence post, still gripped in her other hand¡ªsplintering but solid. A thought struck her, an instinctive pull deep in her gut.
She pressed Phantom Brand to the wood.
The ink rippled. The blade seemed to sigh, sinking into the grain-like liquid shadow. The wood darkened, veins of deep black threading through its length. It stretched and refined itself, the jagged imperfections smoothing into something unnatural¡ªsomething perfect.
The change was slow at first, like ink bleeding across a page, then sudden, consuming. The wood shuddered in her grip, its fibres groaning as if alive. She almost dropped it, fumbling to keep it in her sweaty grip. The darkness coiled through every inch of it, billowing within the grain. Splinters pulled inward, mending, reforming, until nothing crude was left¡ªjust a single seamless weapon, a union of nature and something deeper, something that recognised her touch.
Phantom Brand didn¡¯t just coat the wood; it became part of it. The surface gleamed with an unnatural sheen, the lines of ink moving like veins beneath translucent bark. When she shifted her grip, the weight adjusted, balancing itself for her alone. The jagged edge sharpened further, honed past human craftsmanship, something no hand-carved blade could ever achieve. It was both impossibly light and undeniably lethal. A weapon that had never existed before.
The creatures lunged.
Tanya didn¡¯t stop running. She didn¡¯t stop to think. The street around her was chaos¡ªshattered glass, overturned trash bins, distant screams carried on the wind. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood, the pavement slick with an overflowing gutter. She squelched through the muck and the last few leaves of Autumn.
Pivoting mid-stride, she ran and yanked Mrs. Eceer with her. A sick hybrid of canine and something worse crashed down where she had been a heartbeat ago. The ground cracked under the force of its impact. Mrs Eceer braced, her arm in front of her like a medieval shield would appear there. A barrier had appeared, but it was flickering and bright yellow, something from a B-grade sci-fi movie. They met eyes and sprinted, parting the monsters together as they rushed towards Fahad.
Fahad scrambled backwards on the floor, kicking wildly at the creatures closing in. His arm was bleeding. Tanya hadn¡¯t even seen him be hit. It looked bad¡ªoozing and thick with clotted sludge. His eyes were wide with terror.
Tanya moved. The serrated edge of her transformed weapon came down in an arc, slamming into the creature¡¯s exposed flank. It shrieked a high-pitched wail that vibrated in her bones.
Tanya pulled her sword free as the creature spasmed, its body twitching as the ink sapped it of something vital.
¡°Tanya!¡± Mrs Eceer¡¯s voice snapped her out of the trance.
She turned just in time to see a second beast bearing down on her. A golden shield shimmered into existence between them. One moment, it was there, tinting her vision with gold. The beast slammed into it, its claws skidding against the barrier. Then it was gone, and the world was grey again. Grey street, grey buildings, gnashing grey teeth in her face.
Tanya caught Mrs. Eceer¡¯s outstretched hand, still glowing with summoned energy.
¡°Move!¡± Mrs. Eceer barked.
Tanya ducked low, the edge of her blade twisting in her grip as she plunged it into the beast¡¯s underbelly. The beast shrieked. It was all so unreal. She was doing it¡ªsurviving¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t cool or gritty. It was disgusting and fucking terrifying.
She pulled back, the blade dripping with something thicker than blood. It was working. But there were still three more.
Fahad was sobbing now¡ªa wail that tore through the air and ached in her gut. His back was to the pavement, his breath coming in ragged gasps between the cries. The creatures had him cornered.
Tanya surged forward, vaulting over the fallen beast at her feet. Her weapon pulsed in her hands, the fusion of wood and ink humming with raw potential.
Fahad¡¯s eyes met hers 20 feet away, and in his eyes, she saw her brother Tommy. She faltered right as she swung.
The blade bit deep, but her grip was off. Too much force, not enough control. The creature twisted at the last second, and instead of cleaving through, the sword lodged deep in its shoulder. Tanya¡¯s arms jolted from the impact, her fingers nearly slipping.
The beast roared, twisting, trying to shake her off. She yanked hard, trying to free the blade. It resisted.
Panic surged.
Move. Now.
Tanya planted her foot on its ribs and shoved, wrenching the weapon free just as claws swiped through the space where her face had been. She stumbled back, her breath ragged, the weight of the weapon suddenly too real in her hands.
A second lunge. No time to think.
She dropped low, too low, nearly losing her footing, but the motion sent her sliding under the creature¡¯s swinging claws as it reared onto its hind legs. She grazed both palms badly. Heart hammering, she twisted on instinct, flipping to her back and bringing the sword up in a sweeping arc.
The blade caught under its jaw. A spray of dark ichor. A gurgling shriek. The substance splattered her face, and she gasped, spitting the liquid out of her mouth between coughs. It tasted like curdled milk.
Tanya scrambled up, her knees slick with filth, her arms aching from the effort. She barely had time to register the kill before another beast was on her.
She raised her weapon, but she was off-balance, too slow¡ª
A blue shield flared around her. The creature slammed into it with a sickening crunch. Mrs. Eceer.
¡°Kill it!¡± Mrs Eceer ordered, voice strained. The shield flickered, already weakening.
Tanya didn¡¯t hesitate. She lunged, bringing the sword down with all the strength she had left. The blade tore through muscle, bone¡ª
The beast collapsed.
She staggered back, chest heaving, every inch of her shaking.
There was a moment of quiet within the bubble. The world warped through the blue sheen. She felt like she was in a fish tank. The shaky sob confused her at first. She didn''t know how she could hear Fahad when the monsters hammering against the barrier were so quiet. Then she realised it was her own noise.
She was alive. They were alive.
Her fingers flexed around the hilt. She had done it. But her hands trembled, and her legs felt like they might give out. She wasn¡¯t sure how many more times she could.
The barrier flickered¡ªonce, then twice, then a third time. The gap was slightly longer each time as she strained against the distorted sounds of battle. There were still half a dozen of them. They had flesh torn away, bones revealed beneath the black goop. Some of them were hobbling on raw flesh from missing limbs. One of them was missing the bottom of its jaw. Its tongue lolled out of its mouth, lolling down its neck. They may be more injured, but their ability to fight through it was superhuman.
¡°We need to move them away from him!¡± she yelled. She looked at Mrs Eceer, about to tell her to stay behind to protect Fahad, but Mrs Eceer¡¯s face was as stony as her own. Black blood was splattered over her face, staining her peacock scarf with dark streaks.
¡°Make them follow!¡± she yelled instead. Mrs. Eceer threw up another shield to cover their retreat, and they ran.
Tanya screamed with every step. First taunts and then random noises. She could see Mrs Eceer¡¯s mouth opening and closing beside her too, but her own noise was too much to hear over. Their screams merged together, overlapping so that there was no silence. Her throat burned, and she coughed. She dared a glance over her shoulder and saw them giving chase. Without their injuries, there was no way her or Mrs Eceer could outrun them.
¡°No!¡± Mrs Eceer cried. She spun, creating a barrier between herself and Tanya, and the rapidly approaching monsters. It was the first shield Tanya had seen that was truly transparent. If it wasn¡¯t for the sun creating ripples on its surface, she wouldn''t have known there was anything there before.
That¡¯s when she saw it. There was one that stayed behind.
Ishita ran out. One of her hands was so mangled that if it wasn¡¯t attached to her wrist, Tanya wouldn''t have identified it as a hand at all. She was covered in red and black blood. Tanya hadn¡¯t even noticed her join the fight¡ªa monster must have cornered her in the stairwell.
¡°Mum!¡± Fahad choked out.
The monster nipped at Fahad¡¯s heels, lurching forward and back as if testing to see if it could go in for the kill.
Mrs Eceer barrelled back towards them, pushing the shield with her shoulder like a plough. Tanya shoved both palms at the wall and pushed too, yelling to keep herself pushing through the pain in her shoulder and the fear that they wouldn¡¯t reach him in time.
They were still half a dozen feet away when Ishita lunged. She didn¡¯t hesitate. She threw herself in front of her son.
The beast¡¯s claws sank deep. Flesh tore. Blood sprayed, painting the doorframe in thick, glistening red. Ishita gasped, a wet, choking sound. She sagged against the creature¡¯s weight as its claws wrenched free, strands of torn muscle and viscera dragging with them. Fahad screamed. A raw, desperate sound.
Ishita¡¯s knees hit the ground. Her breath rattled, her chest heaving in jagged, failing attempts to pull in air. Blood bubbled at the corner of her mouth, spilling over her chin. She opened and closed her mouth, holding out a hand towards Fahad. Tanya couldn¡¯t hear her through the gurling, but from her facial expression, she was trying to comfort him.
Pact Redeemed with Number 146,567,398.
Stand by for automatic Interface retrieval.
The interface took over her vision. She only had a second to look.
? ? ?
Name: Ishita Priya Sharma
Number: 146,567,398
Class: Martyr
? ? ?
Chapter 24: Beyond the Brink
No. No. No.
Tanya didn¡¯t like the look of Martyr. Would it kill her? Could classes directly kill people?
She huffed as she pressed into the barrier. Each monstrous body banging against it shook the entire structure and sent spikes of pain down her arms. It kept growing. The creatures pushed against the sides, and Mrs Ecceer added a corner, so it was more like a riot shield to hold them back. Mrs. Eceer¡¯s brows knitted together, lips pressed thin as she stared, unmoving. If the shield flickered, both them and the monsters would fall through it, and their body parts would become collateral. Tanya counted; there were five of them behind the barrier as well as the one by Fahad. Tanya could only see Ishita in a single moment as the writhing mass undulated low enough for her to catch a glimpse. Tanya watched Ishita stagger to her feet, and the monster before her backed off slightly. Tanya didn''t know what Ishita¡¯s new class did, and there wasn''t time to read it.
At least she¡¯s standin¡¯.
¡°How much energy you got left?¡± Tanya asked Mrs Eceer over the thrum. Tanya didn¡¯t look over¡ªher eyes set on the spot of one monster''s back that let her dip occasionally to show her a glimpse of Ishita.
¡°I¡¯ve got 2 Concentration left." Mrs Eceer replied. "Do you know what happens if one of these Attributes hits zero?¡±
Not Vitality?
Tanya suppressed her question. ¡°No.¡±
She looked at her Attributes.
* * *
Attributes
Strength: 2/9
Dexterity: 6/18
Vitality: -3/12
Concentration: 2/8
Will: 3/16
* * *
Fuck, that''s not good.
¡°They can go into the minuses,¡± Tanya said. Mrs Eceer¡¯s head whipped towards her.
¡°What?¡±
Tanya gulped, wringing the hilt of the blade in her grip. If she was going to die, then she was going to go out swinging. She saw another glimpse of Ishita holding Fahad in her arms. Ishita''s skin was glowing an ashy brown¡ªtoo grey to look normal.
They¡¯re gonna live.
¡°You get them out of here. It¡¯s my turn to be the distraction,¡± Tanya said. She flashed a weak smile at Mrs Eceer but was met with only a stony stare back.
Two monsters hit the shield at the same time, and Tanya whimpered at the new jolt of pain. They both turned forward again. Tanya¡¯s arms gave out, and she spun, pressing her back against it instead. Her shoulders throbbed. A monster slipped round the sides, and Mrs Eceer created a smaller fragment shield in its snout. It writhed there, unable to howl.
¡°I''m down to 1 Concentration,¡± Mrs Eceer announced.
¡°Then use it to get them out,¡± Tanya said. She didn¡¯t wait for a response this time, not giving Mrs Eceer time to disagree. Slipping round the side of the shield, Tanya charged at them, sword above her head.
¡°System, give me every level-up I got this fight so far!¡± she yelled.
She dismissed each notification as they came.
* * *
Alert!
Through your efforts, you have increased the following Attributes:
Strength +4
Dexterity +4
Vitality +5
Concentration +2
Will +3
* * *
Achievement: Beyond the Brink
You¡¯ve let your stats drop below zero, playing with the limits of your body and mind. The consequences could be catastrophic, but your choices might just keep you alive long enough to face them.
For each point an Attribute is below 0, you will receive an extra point to every other Attribute. These are used up at a normal rate and do not replenish.
* * *
Level Up!
You have leveled Tattoo Summoner to Level 4.
Congratulations!
You have unlocked an Ability Crossroads. These are Abilities you choose rather than just unlock.
Would you like to see your choices?
* * *
Level Up!
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
You have leveled up More than Meets the Eye to Level 3.
You now have the Ability to see the starting stats of all your awakened tattoos, regardless of the Wielder.
See the ¡®Tattoos¡¯ menu in your interface for more details.
* * *
Level Up!
You have levelled up The Power of Intention to Level 2
* * *
Level Up!
You have levelled up The Power of Intention to Level 3
The Power of Intention has received a Minor Ability Boon
The Power of Intention
Level 3
Intention is the core of your tattoos. You can predict how intentions may affect your tattoo whilst in the design phase.
* * *
Congratulations!
Phantom Brand has unlocked a new Ability.
Tactile Memory
Retains echoes of sensations, pressures, and textures from past bindings, improving its effectiveness when reapplying similar techniques or attacks.
* * *
A tremor ran through Tanya¡¯s body as the first surge hit¡ªdeep as if the earth itself had shifted beneath her. Her muscles tensed, then unwound, as if shackles she hadn¡¯t even known were there had snapped apart. Strength flooded her limbs¡ªnot an overwhelming, uncontrollable force, but something refined. She felt lighter, faster, her movements effortless, as though the weight of the world had lessened its hold on her. It reminded her of how she felt tattooing her assistant with the buff, but this time it was more ingrained. It felt more like a real part of her.
Her senses flared¡ªcolours richer, sounds sharper, the air itself alive against her skin. The world hadn¡¯t changed, but she had. There was a new steadiness in her stance, a balance she hadn¡¯t possessed before, like her body better matched the will that drove it.
Another wave hit her. Her mind raced as new understanding filled her. Her pulse hammered in her ears, and her breath caught between exhilaration and shock. Looking down at the tattoo in her hand she could see how each of the intentions had combined to create it. The amount of information made her dizzy. She teetered, swaying this way and that as she worked out how to push the new knowledge away, just for now.
Then came the final pulse. It felt like an exhale. Pins and needles meandered through her body. Everything in her head slotted into place. Her Concentration found the new knowledge, filing it away. Her Will connected her to the sword in her hands, and she could feel its new level up now, even if she didn¡¯t properly know what it meant yet.
The numbers flashed across her vision¡ªproof of what she knew in her gut. The pools were higher and partly recharged by this Achievement¡ªfor now.
* * *
Attributes
Strength: 5/13
Dexterity: 9/22
Vitality: -3/17
Concentration: 5/11
Will: 6/19
* * *
Tanya exhaled a slow, steady breath. And then, she smiled.
She surged forward, her enhanced senses guiding every step. The six remaining monsters turned toward her with guttural snarls. Their bodies twitched, sensing the shift in the battle. Flesh barely clung to their splintered bones, and thick black ichor oozed from their gaping wounds, pooling beneath their mangled paws. Hollow eye sockets and jagged, broken jaws twisted open, releasing a stench of decay. The light overhead reflected off of their fur in an alien sheen. Their shadows were long, stretching for metres behind them. On the floor, Tanya¡¯s shadow version was stretched too. She noticed her sword didn¡¯t have a shadow at all.
The first swung at her with a club-like arm, missing the claws on the end. She ducked, but not fast enough¡ªpain flared as the edge of the blow clipped her shoulder, sending her stumbling. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright. The sword in her hands whooshed past as she swung, the blade carving into the creature¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t a clean hit, but it was deep enough. Black blood spurted out of the gap she made like something out of a horror movie, splattering across her torso. The monster staggered, and with a second strike, she drove the blade through its throat. She withdrew the blade, and it was still completely clean. She watched as a droplet of blood sunk into the wood itself, absorbing it. Looking this close, she could see the cracks forming in the wooden blade.
Do not break on me now.
A second monster lunged. She¡¯d never get used to something flying at her face like that. Its mangled maw grew larger and larger until it filled her vision. She twisted away but misjudged the movement¡ªher foot slipped, throwing her balance off. A flash of panic shot through her, but something in her body adjusted. Her grip steadied, and as the creature''s claws just missed, she raised her sword. This time, the thrust was more controlled. The blade sank in at the base of its ribs, lower than a human heart, higher than a stomach. It convulsed as it dropped. Her breathing was steady, her heart pounding but controlled.
Muscle memory.
The thought clicked. Her eyes were once again drawn to the sword. It didn¡¯t feel like hers. The tattoo¡ª
The third and fourth beasts swung low. She jumped, but her timing was off. She twisted her ankle and stabbed the blade into the floor to steady herself. The tip of the blade chipped off. She pivoted before the monsters could press their advantage. She twisted her grip, driving the hilt backwards into one monster before using the momentum to swing the blade forward, stabbing the other straight in the eye. The blade found its mark, but the angle was awkward. She had to twist it free before the creature finally fell still.
Three down.
Another dashed forward from the corner of her eye. She turned to face the monster that she¡¯d hit in the eye, but it had already moved. Searing pain flooded through her left shoulder, and she panicked, tossing and turning to get away from its teeth. She stabbed it over and over again. The stabs started off light, barely sinking through to its skull, but each was slightly stronger, slightly better aimed.
The monster that had raced towards her slowed, arching its back low to the ground. The others hesitated too, circling her further back. Their tactics had changed now there was just her. No longer piling on to use force to get past the barricades, they were biding their time, trying to avoid being butchered at the tip of her sword. She rolled her shoulders, settling into a loose stance.
¡°Come on,¡± she taunted. ¡°You were winning a second ago.¡±
She could feel it now¡ªthe drunken haze across her vision. None of this felt real. She looked down at her hands, and for a second, there were four of them. She forced the double vision away, furrowing her brow to focus on them better.
A roar split the air as one of them charged. Her head whipped back up. This one was bigger¡ªfaster. Tanya braced herself. She meant to sidestep smoothly, but her body overcorrected. The monster¡¯s claws grazed her side. Not deep, but enough to sting. She forced herself through the pain and swung her sword. The first strike glanced off its hide. She adjusted. The second strike sliced across its throat. A few seconds later, it collapsed.
Two left.
She knew there was something logical to this. The way her body was moving, the way her grip adjusted automatically, the way her footwork corrected itself even when her mind was trailing off into the fog. She tried to grab onto the thought, to make sense of it.
The next tried to flank her. She turned, but she was half a second too slow. Claws raked across her arm, shallow but jarring. She grunted, forced herself to focus. This time, when she sidestepped, it was smoother. When she thrust forward, her strike landed deeper. The monster fell. She felt her Concentration drop to 0.
One more.
It lunged faster than the others. She couldn¡¯t even see it. Her vision was all blurred, black spots invading the corners of her vision. Tanya raised her sword, but she knew she wouldn¡¯t be quick enough¡ªher body moved on its own.
A sidestep, cleaner than before. A counterstrike, sharper. The blade went straight through its eye socket. The monster didn¡¯t even have time to scream before it slumped, lifeless.
The battlefield went silent.
Tanya stood there, panting, her sword dripping with black blood. Six bodies lay around her.
The world was spinning too much, the smell of their bodies filling her throat. She could still remember how it tasted in her mouth. She staggered forward, feet squishing into something soft. It twitched as she stepped on it. She vomited until her stomach was long past empty. Her vision blurred, the world doubling before her eyes as darkness crept in, tightening its grip. A crushing pressure pulsed in her head, and before she could fight it, the darkness took over. Tanya was unconscious before she even hit the ground.